To be the Very Best (Pokémon X Male Reader)

Masters EX Arc Chapter 6 - Decisive Battle Vs Champion Hope

The anticipation of the final battle was eating me alive. The roar of the crowd outside barely reached my ears as I paced the small waiting room. Every step I took felt heavier, weighed down by the significance of what was to come. It wasn't just about winning anymore—it was about everything I'd been through, everything I'd overcome, all culminating in this one last showdown against Hope.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I opened it, and for a moment, I just stared, completely floored by who was standing there. "Penny? Arven?" My voice cracked as the shock melted into overwhelming joy. I pulled them both into a hug. It had been so long, over a year, and seeing them now felt like a miracle.

"Surprised, huh?" Arven grinned, ruffling my hair. "Like we'd miss our friend's biggest match in history. We would've gotten here earlier, but someone decided to hack the systems to get an earlier flight and instead delayed them all."

I laughed as Penny looked down, utterly defeated. "Worse decision of my life. I'm not trying that again for a while," she muttered, a faint blush colouring her cheeks.

"You've still got it, Penny," I chuckled. "I've got so much to tell you guys. I'm sure Nemona's already bombarded you with most of it, but we need to catch up. Like, seriously, catch up."

"Definitely," Arven nodded, his expression softening. "But for now, we'll let you get back to preparing. We'll find Nemona before she tries to challenge Cynthia or something."

I laughed, the tension in my chest easing a bit as I waved them off. Watching them go, I felt a strange mix of nostalgia and pride. They'd always been there for me during Paldea, and seeing them now reminded me of how far we'd all come. But as the door closed behind them, that brief moment of relief was replaced by the weight of what was about to happen.

Turning back into the waiting room, I was startled to see Leaf standing there. I hadn't noticed her come in, but I figured she was there to wish me luck. She was always calm and collected, a steady presence even in the most intense situations.

"Hey, Leaf," I began, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. "I'm waiting for your words of wisdom and luck."

But she didn't respond. She didn't even acknowledge me. Her eyes were glazed over, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. A chill ran down my spine. "Leaf?" I said, a bit louder this time, trying to get her attention. But nothing.

My heart pounded as I approached her, the sense of wrongness growing with each step. "Leaf," I said again, reaching out to shake her shoulder. That's when I saw it—a snag ball clutched tightly in her hand, her grip so firm it was as if her life depended on it. My blood ran cold.

Before I could react, she moved with an unnatural swiftness, gripping my wrist tightly and pulling me in close. Her breath was hot against my ear as she whispered, "Kids like you should forget your goals and ambitions... and fall in line with everyone else."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer. I stumbled back, the familiar, insidious voice of Giovanni echoing in my mind, pulling at the dark threads that had once consumed me. "No..." I whispered, clutching my head as the world around me began to spin. "Not again... I beat this... I beat you!"

But the brainwashing was creeping back in, peeling away at my sanity, at my will to fight. I fell to my knees, my mind a battlefield of screams and shadows. I could feel it slipping, my grasp on reality weakening with every passing second.

"Mimi... help...!" I choked out, barely able to form the words.

Mimi, who had been resting beside me, immediately sprang into action. She barked and shouted, her voice piercing through the darkness, grounding me.