Song: "Spear Pillar" (Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl) - Gamefreak

If there's one thing Arven had to say right now about Sara, it would be the fact of how much he still doesn't understand everything about her so far.

And even though he didn't want to, he couldn't help himself but to look over in Sara's direction, seeing her standing there and gazing up at the Zero Lab building.

As he did, Sara stared at the huge building a little in awe, possibly thinking so many things in her mind right now.

He could tell she was quite fascinated by everything, since they returned to Area Zero earlier, even though it's her first time coming to such a place like this and getting the opportunity to look around a little in here while she still can.

For the third time today, the sky turned infrared and pulsed again, only surprisingly, Sara didn't pass out.

She did stagger and clutch her head a little for a moment, as she leaned against a tera crystal to support her balance while her body pulsed in sync to the sky, but she regained her balance once the sky stopped pulsing and returned to normal.

Noticing Miraidon approaching the gate, Sara looks back down and steps aside to get out of the way for the futuristic legendary pokémon, tearing her gaze away from the terastallized building as she did so.

In response, the futuristic legendary glanced over and made a sound at Sara, probably his way of thanking her for doing that, before he proceeds on with what he was being asked to do, on behalf of not just Celebi, but his trainer as well.

Staring at the gate for a moment, Miraidon rested his forehead against it, and opened it, just after transferring some of his electricity to the gate.

Once the gate was completely open and clicked into place, everyone except Sara was ready to draw their pokéballs out.

Last time Arven, Scarlet, Nemona and Penny had been to Area Zero and opened up the gate to Zero Lab, they were unexpectedly bombarded with ancient paradox pokémon that were escaping from inside the lab, trying to make a breakaway for freedom.

Luckily this time, there weren't any, meaning the time machine really was shut off when Sada sent herself back in time.

Sara on the other hand, most likely had a hunch that Sada went back in time to 87 years ago, after her friends told her what happened, and when she was reading the Scarlet book repetitively in her spare times, that the director had given and allowed her to keep.

Most likely when she was finished with her school work and taking a break from researching.

But, she never told her friends this, knowing they'll probably tell her that she can be wrong on that little theory, even though Sara knows she's not the type who wants to prove to everyone she'll always be right about every single little thing she says.

Relaxing, Arven was the first to enter the lab, before Sara followed him next after Miraidon had already gone in ahead and given Koraidon and the others a very familiar look.

The same look that was given to him by the Alpha who scared him out of Area Zero months ago, before Koraidon was finally able to gather up the courage to stand up for himself and take down the Alpha.

Seeing the look Miraidon had just given him, made Koraidon widen his eyes in realization.

There's no way...

Could Miraidon be - ?

Shaking that thought out of his mind for now, he followed after Scarlet next as she entered the lab too, with him by her side.

-  -  -

Stepping in, the first thing Sara did when she and Arven made it inside Zero Lab was to look around again...

This time, waves of dejá vu started returning and sinking more in Sara, the more she looked around.

Surprisingly, the lab was messy like her dorm room back at the academy, only Sara's was a little bit more tidier and cleaner than this.

Mathematical notes and a few other things were scribbled down all over the place on the whiteboards nearby, with no intention of being erased at any time soon...Just like the ones Sara had noticed, earlier back in Poco Lab.

Hanging up on one of the whiteboards, Sara noticed there were two pictures in frame.

One was a picture of a young boy sitting outside on the ground with Maschiff being cuddled in his arms and another one of Maschiff laying in its bed all by itself.

However, looking back at the picture of the young boy, she noticed he looked very familiar.

"Arven, is that you and Mabosstiff?" Sara asks as she looks over at him and points at the picture of the little boy cuddling Maschiff.

In response, he looks over at the picture for a moment before looking back and nodding at Sara.

"Yeah...That was me when I was little and when Mabosstiff was still a pre-evolution pokémon." He answers.

"Aww! You two look so cute!" Sara gushed.

"Wha?! H-Hey! Don't start sounding like Mom!"

"Huh? What's wrong with that?? Is it a bad thing to compliment you on your looks???"

"No, but - Argh! Just forget it..."

After he said that, Arven started to head over to the elevator before he stopped and turned to look at his friends.

"Guys, I'm sorry, but this is something I must do by myself. I don't want to put any of you in danger."

"Arven, what are you talking about? Danger is my middle name!" Nemona points to herself.

"There's no way we're letting you go in there by yourself...If you make one wrong move, that time machine will kill you." Penny sternly says.

"Penny's right. Even though I haven't seen the time machine myself yet, I know time traveling is a mixed bag. It's either safe or very dangerous, whichever way it goes.

I don't want you going in there by yourself either and wind up with the same fate both Professor Sada and my mom did." Sara pleads, trying to help Penny get Arven to reconsider this.

"At this rate, if it's anything for me to be with my mom, I don't care what happens..." He replies as his comeback.

Oddly, why did saying this feel so right?

"How can you say that to us?! You're not thinking of considering the thought of killing yourself, are you?!?!" He heard Sara respond in shock with worry and horror mixed in.

"Just shut up, Sara, and leave me alone!" was all Arven only said next.

Hearing this, something snapped within Sara, as she lowered her head a little to the point where a shadow fell over her eyes.

Immediately knowing what was gonna happen next, Scarlet started to reach over and gently grabbed Sara's arm, giving Penny and Nemona 'the look' that they both quickly understood.

"So, that's how it's gonna be...Huh, Arven?" Sara began, her voice low and a little silent but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You're gonna choose your mother over us? EVEN IF WE DIED IN YOUR HANDS?!?!"

As soon as she yelled out the last seven words in her sentence, Sara impulsively started to lunge out at Arven, but was held and restrained back by Scarlet, Nemona and Penny.

"How about I knock some common sense into your big, reckless noggin with my fist!?"

Upon hearing this, Arven quickly stepped back just before Sara could swing him a good one in the face, with her fists.

"Sara, stop! Resolving things by fighting someone, who's still grieving, isn't gonna make the situation better!" Scarlet pleads as she pulls her back, while Nemona and Penny help.

"Rrrgh...Fine! But, he's still getting one from me eventually." Sara angrily sighs a little, before unclenching her fists and started to try calming herself down, even though it isn't really easy for her to keep her temper in check.

Silently feeling relieved, Scarlet let go of Sara while she still kept a light grip on her, just to be on the safe side.

Sitting herself down on the very same chair that Scarlet found AI Sada sitting on before, Sara leaned forward a little and just buried her face in her hands, wishing Arven would at least listen to her and his friends, before deciding on doing something so stupid without any single hint of reconsideration.

"If you're gonna go to the time machine, Arven...At least let me come with you, in case something does go wrong and you get hurt from it." She speaks up next, after silence fills the air for a few minutes.

"Otherwise, I'll have a huge fit again, like I did just now, if you refuse...We're all really worried sick about you and the state you're in and are currently suffering through. And we don't want you getting killed either.

The last thing we ever need, is for the director to find out about us being here, but also learn that another innocent life had been taken again in Area Zero."

After saying this, Sara lets out another sigh before looking up at Arven, waiting to hear what he has to say in response.

Without uttering a word, as she stood up and walked over to him, Arven went over and pressed the down button on the elevator.

He didn't acknowledge Sara following after him and just proceeded on with his intentions.

Just before entering the elevator with him, Celebi and Miraidon, Sara glanced over her shoulder and gave her friends a look that they all understood...

"I'll keep an eye out on Arven for you, until you three and Koraidon get down too."

Then she entered the elevator too, with it closing behind her.

-  -  -

As the elevator started to descend, Sara walked over to the right side before folding her arms across her chest and leaned back against the elevator wall, as she looks at Miraidon and Celebi first before diverting her attention to Arven, who stood at the left side of the elevator and across from her.

In return, Arven didn't meet Sara's gaze for a moment until he finally decided to and looked at her as well.

Silence stretched between them until he finally decided to speak.

"Why are you so persistent in coming with me?" He only asked.

"Because like everyone else, I'm worried about you, stupid..." Sara bluntly answered while she sighed heavily through her nostrils.

"And I'm pretty sure if your mom was here right now, she would perhaps feel the same too...

And probably would be a little angry over you skipping school when you should be attending your classes right now."

Just as she was finished, Arven buried his face with his right hand temporarily until he sighed and looks back up at Sara.

"Now you're starting to sound like her too...First you look a lot like her, then there's the fact your persona is similar to mom's...And now this.

I think I'm starting to understand why everyone, except the teachers and the director, is spreading rumors about you on how similar you are to my mom on the school grounds.

You're literally a double of her, but with different hair colors, if you took your glasses off." He sighs.

"Like this?" Sara went before she took her glasses off for a moment.

After doing that, Arven just stared.

Just looking at her without her glasses on makes her look even more very much like his mother.

It felt like his mother was still around, standing across from the elevator here and looking directly at him right now.

Now, if Sara had dyed her hair the same color and was wearing his mother's clothes with the lab coat, footwear and accessories on, she would be an identical twin of her.

Identical, but also a little bit smaller and younger than his mom too.

"Yes. That's exactly right." He nods.

"Oh...Go figure." Sara went while shrugging in response as she looks at herself, using her rotom phone's camera, before putting it away and slipping her glasses back on.

Then silence filled the air again for a moment, before Miraidon just made a small "Gias..." sound and shook his head sideways, before looking around a little.

In return, Sara reached over and scratched Miraidon under the chin as she smiled at the futuristic legendary, until she stopped and drew her hand back.

"If I do have to be honest with you, Arven...I'm actually really...really scared. I don't want anyone dear to me getting hurt. And I don't want to get myself hurt as well.

But, I still came along with you guys anyways, knowing how much my mom wanted to see me again too, after being away for 5 years in my life." She sighs, as she breaks the silence again.

"I don't care what anyone says either...If my mom wants to see me, I'll let her see me. If she doesn't, then so be it.

The one thing that won't change, is how much mum and I love each other...In parent-child terms, I mean. Not to make you misunderstand anything.

So, I kinda know how you currently feel. But, for now, I mostly just want you to be safe, if you really are gonna do this."

As Sara finished speaking, the elevator stopped before the door opened, giving both of them the message that they arrived at the very bottom of Zero Lab, containing the time machine inside the room.

After Miraidon stepped out first, Arven and Sara followed after him, with Celebi following along.

Looking around, Sara was in awe and fascination again, seeing the entire room terastallized everywhere and glittering in the colors of a rainbow.

Well...Almost.

All the colors Sara spotted from the room were red, green, and purple. Sometimes she would spot yellow, teal and indigo mixed in among the following three colors.

"So this is the room that carries the time machine inside...Amazing!

But, I don't see it for something that's so big, from what I heard." She mentions to Arven, after looking around.

"That's because we're standing underneath it right now. Look down and above you." He points out.

Without asking, Sara looked at the floor beneath her feet, then up at the room's ceiling.

When she did, her jaw nearly dropped in astonishment.

"How in the - ?" She only managed to utter out as she stared.

"I dunno, but, that's clearly enough of all the evidence you needed to see, to show even more of my mum's genius side for you, just by looking around in here." Arven shrugs.

"I envy your mom so much at this point...For her to even pull it all off...I can't even get my words out right to describe this!" was all Sara said next before tearing her gaze away from the ceiling and bringing her attention back to him.

"She got it working as well, by using the tera crystals in here too?!"

In return, he only nodded before approaching the time machine.

For a moment, a voice echoed through Sara's mind in sync with Arven hearing his mother's voice in his head.

Staring at the machine in front of her and Arven, Sara approached it too before looking at it, intrigued over it all.

Looking back at Arven, Sara reached over and gently squeezed his shoulder for a moment.

"Arven...This is your last chance to turn back. Are you really certain you want to do this? No matter what the cost is?? Even if something does go wrong???" She asked, clearly still worried about him.

After she asked him that, there was a really long pause, until Arven sighed.

"Yes. I'm certain of it. No matter what's thrown in my way." He answers as he turns to look at Sara.

"Okay. Then you should know what to do...Place the book on the pedestal and let Celebi and Miraidon do the rest. I will not try to stop you either. The only thing I'll ask out of you is to be careful...That's really it." She responds before letting go of his shoulder and stepping back.

Nodding, Arven diverted his attention back to the pedestal and stared at it and the Violet book for a few seconds.

Then he placed the Violet book on the pedestal.

-  -  -

The moment he did, Sara could only watch and listen as the computer from the time machine spoke up next, just shortly after Miraidon was drawn to the Violet book and called in some of his electricity, running it through the machine like a science experiment.

"Time machine booting up. Please remain calm." She heard the computer's voice say from the ceiling.

In response, she just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Oh sure. She and Arven were both definitely calm...Not!

Sara's heart was pounding so hard, she could literally feel it in her chest. And as for Arven, she could easily see that his legs were shaking like a leaf.

For a few seconds, or what felt like a few minutes, both Sara and Arven stood there in silence, while the two of them including Celebi continued to watch.

"Time machine failing to connect. Need permission from Miraidon." She heard the computer speak up from the ceiling again.

When Sara heard this, she immediately knew something wasn't right before she instinctively reached over and grabbed a pokéball from her belt, readying herself for anything that's gonna happen.

"Miraidon, what are you doing?" Celebi asked as it whirled around to look at him.

All Miraidon responded with was a low growl. Of all the times he's been stubborn, in Sara and Celebi's point of view, this clearly isn't the perfect time for him to start behaving like this right now.

"Need permission. Need permission." The computer's voice started to glitch. "Miraidon. Mir-ai-don."

Dropping his head, Miraidon's eyes flickered to cyan, red, then back to cyan before he snapped his neck to the side, his now red eyes staring deeply into Arven's eyes and soul.

Sweat ran down as Arven looked at him while he gasped for air.

All he could only utter out in question nervously was the same one Celebi just asked the futuristic legendary, not too long ago.

"Miraidon transforming." The voice was heard from the ceiling.

Hearing this, Sara could only say a few words that just came across her mind.

"ARVEN! GET AWAY FROM HIM!!" She yelled out.

But, he was too late to try fleeing from Miraidon.

In sync to her words, violet lightning shot down without any warning, from the time machine's opening, and crashed into Miraidon.

Just like the lightning from the sky that struck down on a noble pokémon, that the ancestor of Sara's mother had witnessed with her very own two eyes, as Sara recalled hearing her mother telling her the historical moment of a story, that happened in Hisui, when she was little.

Pulsing like the infrared sky from earlier before, Miraidon and the time machine's energy slammed hard into Arven, and sent him flying.

"Arven!" Sara screeches out in sync to Celebi, as she looks over at her shoulder.

As he was sent flying back towards the direction where the elevator is, Arven crashed into the floor before rolling a few times and coming to a complete stop, as he laid motionless on his front.

Diverting her attention back to Miraidon as he had stopped transforming among all of it, Sara looked up, seeing he was in his version of Koraidon's battle form that her friends told her about.

Hovering in the air, thanks to the jet rockets that replaced his legs, Miraidon roared out a loud "Gias!" as he waved his strong mechanical tail.

Keeping her gaze fixated on Miraidon, Sara had no idea what to do, as he started to approach, clearly ignoring her and keeping his attention on Arven.

As she turned to face him, Sara's heart was pounding harder and harder in her chest, becoming more rapid within every second as she continued to keep her attention focused on Miraidon.

"I've got to do something! And fast! But, what!?" She thought to herself, her mind clearly in a panicked mess as she remained frozen still from where she was standing, while her breathing started to become rapid too.

"Let me help you out with that..." the same voice Sara heard from before, echoes in her mind, only it was a bit louder and more clearer.

Without any warning nor thinking of anything, and as the last thing she recalls, Sara suddenly bolted off after Miraidon and quickly got herself in between him and Arven's unconscious figure, with both of her arms extended out, while she yelled out one more thing as her mind and vision clouded and went white...

"STOP!"