To be the Very Best (Pokémon X Male Reader)

Masters EX Arc Chapter 3 - Battle Vs Neo Champions Serena and Leaf!

The world was a blur of darkness and pain. My head pounded with each jolt of the truck as it rumbled down the road. I couldn't see—my eyes were covered, a rough cloth tied too tight around my head. My wrists were bound, the rope cutting into my skin with every bump. The metal floor beneath me was cold and unforgiving, and I could feel the vibration of the engine humming through my body. My hands trembled, fingers twitching uncontrollably. I tried to focus on something, anything, but my mind was scattered, a chaotic whirlwind of fear and confusion.

What happened? How did it come to this?

I squeezed my eyes shut beneath the blindfold, trying to push the rising panic back down. But it was useless. The more I tried to make sense of it, the more the dread tightened its grip on my chest, squeezing the breath out of me. I felt sick, the kind of deep, gnawing sickness that comes from knowing something terrible has happened—something that can't be undone.

Images flashed through my mind, disjointed and fragmented. I couldn't grasp onto them, couldn't piece them together. But the feeling remained—the heavy, crushing weight of horror settling in my gut. The truck jolted again, and I bit down on my lip hard, the taste of blood sharp on my tongue. I didn't want to cry, but the tears came anyway, hot and stinging, soaking into the blindfold. The darkness pressed in on me, suffocating me.

Then, with a violent lurch, the truck came to a halt. The sudden stillness was jarring, and for a moment, I was frozen, paralyzed by fear. I heard the creak of the doors swinging open, the rush of cold air hitting my face. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears like a drum.

Rough hands grabbed me, yanking me forward. I couldn't find my footing, stumbling as I was dragged out of the truck. The ground was hard, and I hit it with a thud, pain shooting through my body. I coughed, choking on the dust that kicked up around me. The blindfold was ripped off, and the sudden flood of light made me wince, my eyes burning as they struggled to adjust.

And then I saw it.

My breath caught in my throat, the world around me narrowing to that one horrific scene. I couldn't move, couldn't look away. It was like a nightmare, but this was real—too real. The pit in my stomach grew, the dread spreading like poison through my veins. My body shook every muscle tense with fear.

This can't be happening. This can't be real.

A voice came from behind me, cold and taunting. I could feel their presence looming over me like a shadow. A hand grabbed my hair, forcing my head up and making me watch. The voice was a low whisper, dripping with malice. "How does it feel, Y/N? Knowing all of this is your fault?"

I couldn't answer. My throat was dry, my voice caught somewhere deep inside, trapped by the terror that gripped me. The tears flowed freely now, and I hated myself for it, hated the weakness that had taken hold of me. But I couldn't stop. I was broken, shattered into a thousand pieces, and there was nothing left to hold me together.

All of this is your fault.

The words echoed in my mind: relentless and cruel. The scene before me blurred, my vision swimming with tears, but the horror remained, etched into my memory, into my very soul.

This is your fault.

****

The tension in the air was palpable as we stood in the waiting area, the roar of the crowd muffled by the thick walls. I glanced over at Hope, who was adjusting her cap for what seemed like the hundredth time. She was nervous, I could tell, but she was also excited—her eyes sparkled with a mix of determination and anticipation. I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. We had come so far, and now we were standing on the brink of something huge.