To be the Very Best (Pokémon X Male Reader)

Black & White Part 2 Chapter 11 - Weight of the World

The hum of machinery filled the lab, a constant reminder of the monumental task ahead. I sat on the edge of a desk, flipping the broken Pokéball in my hand, feeling its weight, both physically and mentally. The cracks running along its surface were a mirror of the world I had tried so desperately to save, each one a reminder of my failures.

"Y/N," Colress's voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. I glanced up, meeting his gaze. He stood at the console, fingers hovering over the controls as if hesitant to commit. "Are you sure about this?"

I didn't respond immediately, instead letting the Pokéball roll across my palm. The uncertainty in Colress's voice mirrored the doubt I felt deep within. I had run this scenario through my head countless times, weighed the risks, and considered the possible outcomes. But nothing was certain.

Colress stepped closer, his eyes narrowing with concern. "This task, this mission to save the other world—it's unnecessary risk, Y/N. It won't help you. It won't help this world. Why waste the time and effort on something that doesn't benefit you?"

My grip tightened around the Pokéball, and I could feel my frustration bubbling up. I didn't want to have this conversation, not now. Not when the plan was so close to being set in motion. "Explain, Colress," I demanded, my voice cold and controlled, even as doubt gnawed at me.

Colress sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "You're going through all this trouble to save another version of yourself, another world, when you could be focusing on fixing this one. Why not use the time machine to stop MissingNo from ever being awakened? Why not save our world?"

The Pokéball slipped from my hand, and I threw it at Colress, who caught it reflexively. His brow furrowed as he looked down at the broken device, the gears in his mind turning as he processed what I had just done. Slowly, realization dawned on his face, and he looked back up at me, shocked. "You... you already have."

I nodded, the weariness of countless failed attempts weighing heavily on my shoulders. "I already tried, Colress. I tried everything. I warned the world Champions in advance, I united every evil team under one banner, and I even enslaved the legendary Pokémon of time and space, but it all failed. This world... it can't be saved. It took me a while to realize why."

Colress stared at me, the shock slowly giving way to a deep, unsettling understanding. "It's because of you," he whispered.

"Arceus forbid," I muttered bitterly. "I was never meant to save this world. No matter what I did or how far I went, this world is doomed. It's like the universe is dead-set on burning everything down around me, and nothing I do can change that."

Colress was silent for a long moment, processing everything I had just revealed. His fingers brushed over the cracked Pokéball as if trying to piece together the broken fragments of the truth. "Then... what's the point of telling me this? Why involve me in a plan you know will fail? What's the point of the time machine?"

I shrugged, the weight of countless failed timelines pressing down on me. "I don't know," I admitted, the honesty raw in my voice. "But I'm willing to risk it to help the other Y/N. Maybe I can't save this world, but maybe I can save that one. Maybe I can stop someone else from going through this nightmare."

The time machine began to whirr to life, the lights on the console flickering as it powered up. The room was filled with a soft, pulsating glow as the machine reached full power, ready to bridge the gap between worlds.

I pushed off the desk, my steps purposeful as I began to leave the lab. Colress called after me; his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Where are you going?"

I paused at the doorway, glancing back at him. "Don't worry," I said with a faint, weary smile. "I'll be back. Just... the long way around."

With that, I turned away and stepped out of the lab, leaving behind the broken pieces of a world I could never save. But maybe, just maybe, I could save another.