November 21st (Inside the game: Sword of Destiny)

(Leaf's POV)

I left so no one could see me crying. It took everything in me not to cry when I told him those dreaded words. I didn't want to break up with him, but after what he said to me, it was the last straw. He made his choice and I made mine.

I wiped my tears as I began chanting seeking spells in attempts to find clues as to where that egotistic maniac went.

"Leaf!" I heard someone shout and saw that it was May.

My spells then revealed footprints as to where the King of Dumbasses went, "The moron took off in this direction," I told her while pointing.

"Leaf, are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"I'm fine," I lied as I started following the path of footprints that appeared from my spell.

May pulled me back and gave me an angry look, "Don't lie to me, you are far from okay," she scolded.

"Look, we have bigger things to worry about than me breaking up with Gary, we need to move," I said as I shook my arm out of her grasp.

"No, we're discussing this now. Look, I know your upset, but was it wise to do this now?" May asked.

"Like I said, I thought about this for a week and what he said was the final straw. If I didn't do it now, I would have lost my nerve later. Now can we please drop it," I said as I noticed Dawn helping everyone else up the cliff with a spell.

May gave me a look saying that our discussion wasn't over, but stayed quiet as I continued ahead to follow the moron's footprints.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Dawn's POV)

I helped the guys up the cliff as Leaf ran off, "She's continuing to scout the moron's footprints," May reported.

I nodded as we continued to follow in the direction Leaf took off in, but I was pulled back to be at the end of the group.

"All this time, you've been playing this game?" Paul asked.

"Surprise," I said weakly with a forced smile. "I wouldn't have disguised if I was by myself, but Leaf was paranoid about being found out so I followed her lead. I was going to tell you, I swear!"

Paul looked into my eyes and I hoped he could see the truth I was trying to convey. He then pulled me forward and kissed me, "I believe you," he said causing me to hug him back in relief.

"I'm sorry," I apologized.

Paul sighed as he returned my hug, "I suppose I deserved it."

"Do you think we can forget the game for a while when we get out?" I asked.

Paul gave a small smile, "I think we can manage that."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Misty's POV)

I looked behind to see Dawn and Paul hugging with small smiles on their faces. I inwardly grinned happy that Dawn was still able to reconcile with Paul.

"Mist?" Ash asked.

"What?" I asked slightly annoyed.

"Why did you play behind our backs?" he asked.

"Didn't you catch Leaf's answer?" I retorted.

"I want to hear it from you," he said.

"Fine, we played to get back at you for ignoring us," I answered bluntly.

Ash frowned slightly, "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked.

"Would you have done anything if I did?" I retorted.

Ash stayed silent, "Are you planning on breaking up with me too?" he asked after a minute of silence.

I looked at him surprised as my frown faded and I sighed, "No, I'm mad at you ignoring me, but not enough to break up with you."

He looked at me as if he wanted an explanation for my answer, "I know that it's your personality to put all your effort into doing something you're passionate about, but you never forget about the ones you care about in the end."

Ash then surprised me by hugging me tightly, "I'm so sorry I hurt you Mist," he apologized deeply. "I promise to never play a video game again."

I gave a slight laugh as I returned the hug, "I doubt you could completely give up computer games," I teased. "But I appreciate the thought. Maybe you could give up this game for a few weeks?"

"Done," Ash answered quickly as he hugged me back. "And I'll make sure to never leave you alone."

"Hold your Rapidash Ash, some of that time you have to train with your pokemon. You've been neglecting them as much as me and you can't become a pokemon master without training with them," I teased as I pulled away, but still stayed in his embrace.

Ash then looked at me with loving eyes before he stroked the side of face and kissed me, "I really am sorry for not paying attention," Ash apologized.

I kissed him back, "I forgive you on one condition," I said causing him to look at me worriedly.

I then smiled, "That you take me to the new aquarium opening in Dewford Town next weekend."

"It's a date," Ash said with a goofy grin causing me to laugh as we continued walking.

"Something's coming!" May alerted.

"A lot of somethings," Dawn clarified as we saw a hoard of monsters come our way.

I then pushed Ash behind me, "I'm kinda wishing Leaf didn't run off," I muttered as I summoned my weapon.

"We can't do much about it," Dawn said as she prepared to throw her knives.

I was about to charge when I felt Ash pull me back, "Please be careful."

I gave a small smile and kissed his cheek, "I'll be okay, stay here," I said gently before I ran towards the hoard of incoming monsters.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Leaf's POV)

After a while, I finally stopped at a metal doorway that almost looked like a sliding door for a lab.

"Now this looks like something that shouldn't be here," I muttered as I looked back to see if the others had caught up to me, but I didn't see them.

"What's taking them so long?" I huffed as I sent Dawn a message.

After sending it, a monster came out and walked along the cliff's edge. Taking the chance, I raced inside before the door closed.

I looked around to see it looked almost like the hallways of In-Tech Labs, "Now this is creepy," I muttered.

I then used dark magic to hide myself as I snuck my way further into the building. While doing so, I was worried because Dawn hadn't responded to my message. I then reached the end of hallway where there was a single door. Suddenly I heard voices and took decided it was better to hide on the other side of the door than in the hallway. I slipped into the dark room and shut the door when lights appeared causing me to cover my eyes in trying to adjust to the light.

"Ah, so nice of you to make it. You are the last person to arrive," the moron said pleased.

I looked in shock to see everyone had been captured and was chained to the walls around me. I looked at their HP bars to see that they had taken a lot of damage and were at risk of dying.

"Let them go," I shouted as I grabbed an arrow and prepared to shoot.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I have a purpose for you all in which I need you alive," the guy explained.

"Why do I get the feeling that the master quest of killing the top player was a lie to draw us here," I accused.

"Because it is. You see, I had your bodies, but I also needed your minds. Unfortunately when you logged into the game, you became too powerful so I had to draw you to my lair somehow and then I took your friend's HP levels to almost zero to keep them contained," he explained.

My eyes then widened at realization in who I was talking to, "Why do you want us Dr. Larkin?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well now, you're a lot a smarter than I gave you credit for," Dr. Larkin said slightly surprised.

"Shut up, you didn't answer my question," I snapped.

"Well, since you stand no chance in escaping, I don't see why not," Dr. Larkin said with a shrug. "You see, I've been wanting to obtain the powers of pokemon and control them, but not through the pokemon, but through humans. When I saw your fight this past spring, I realized that I what I wanted could be obtained. So I have continued to research in how to make this possible, but have been unsuccessful so I decided I needed to test on the subjects that went through this before."

He then grinned evilly, "Then I will be able to control these powers for myself and get what I deserve."

"The hell you're gonna get away from that!" I shouted angrily.

"Eck dri sil fury!" I shouted as I shot my arrow straight up.

The arrow then multiplied and attacked the restraints on everyone.

I then switched out my bow and quiver for my staff, "Heal!" I shouted as I swiped my staff horizontally.

I then watched as everyone's HP gauges gained some points, but it filled a quarter of the way and it still didn't wake them up.

"Why aren't they waking up?" I asked aloud to no one.

Dr. Larkin laughed, "They're in a comatose state. There's no way you can wake them up."

My eyes shrank in fear as I watched my friend's stay slumped on the floor.

"Then I guess I'll have to kill you myself!" I shouted as I changed back to my bow and quiver.

I then began to shot arrows at him, but they weren't phasing him. I tried chanting all the attack spells that I had, but the more I chanted, the more my magic power drained. Dr. Larkin also began to attack me with spells that caused my HP to fall.

"I can't give up," I muttered as I tried to rise to my knees and chant again.

Half way through, I was hit with another attack that caused pain to shoot up making me scream and I suffered the backfire effect from not completing my spell, which also added to my pain.

"What's happening?!" I shouted in panicked tone.

Dr. Larkin laughed causing me to glare at him.

"I've lowered the pain resister so now you can feel pain from any attack you're hit with," Dr. Larkin said with a psychotic grin on this face.

He then hit me with another spell causing me to scream in pain as the resister was dropped further and my HP was one-third full.

I couldn't chant anymore spells, my magic power was zilch. I tried to get on my knees and shot my bow, but again I was hit with attacks. I felt myself begin to panic.

"No, not now," I rasped in fear as I tried to slow my breathing down.

I saw a red sign flash before my eyes saying I was in danger from my high heartrate.

I was hit with another attack and felt my HP bar almost equal nothing.

"Arceus.....help me!" I cried as I began to see black.

"I can, but there is a price," I heard him say as I looked and saw nothing but black.

"I know the price, take it," I said as I touched my hair.

"It is not enough for what you need. It has to be something that must be equivalent to the power you seek," he explained.

"What the hell?! You gave Dawn her power in exchange for her hair," I retorted.

"Because it was something she truly treasured above all else. You would not care making it not worth the equivalent to the power you seek."

I nodded my head from side to side in exasperation. He did have a point, I could care less if my hair was short or long. When Dawn offered it, she had to think about it, but I would have done it in a heartbeat making it not equivalent to the power I need to kick Dr. Larkin's ass. But if I couldn't give up my hair, what else could I give?

After a few seconds in thought, I stood in anxiety as I touched near my eye.

"Yes, that would be the price for the power you wish," Arceus said confirming my thought.

If I gave them up, I would be worthless because I would not be able to do anything. I sighed, if May could do it, so can I. Besides, I have no other options, it's this or die.

"Is the period of loss the same?" I asked.

"Yes."

I took a deep breath and let it out, "In exchange for power, I give you my eyes," I said loudly.

I then saw the familiar pendent from last spring, "But what about.....?" I began to ask confused.

"The exchange will take place after the battle, unless you wish....." Arceus stated.

"I'll wait," I said quickly as I placed the pendent over my neck and felt power surge through me as my outfit changed. I needed my eyesight while I could because I would fail without it.

I then began to focus my power in getting me out of the game. I felt myself lift high, but I then hit what felt like a barrier.

"Let....me......OUT!" I screamed as I used all the power I had to break through.

I then opened my eyes to see the gaming rig on my head and tried to move. I felt straps on my wrist and used Psyshock to break them. Then I yanked the helmet off me and threw it away from me as far as I could.

"What.....the......?! She's awake?! But how?!" I heard a familiar voice shout angrily.

I yanked all the wires and tubes connected to me off and I looked at the voice causing him to smile in excitement.

"Yes! It's happening again!" he said excitedly.

I wasted no time, I started attacking everything and everyone. I felt like I was on a whole 'nother level; that my emotions were at an all-time high. I was angry, upset, sad, and heartbroken. This stupid game, it was the cause of everything!"

I let Pyscho-Cut again and again as I felt tears run down my face in frustration.

I heard Dr. Larkin laugh like a maniac and I used Agility to get close before punching him in the face as hard as I could.

I then continued to attack everyone in the facility and render them unconscious. After making sure everyone was knocked out, I went back to the main hall where I woke up and climbed the main stairwell to a second floor loft where a bunch of computers were set up. I erased the all the data Dr. Larkin and his creeps had gathered, erased any video footage, and figured out how to log out everyone safely. Thankfully during my rampage, they were not injured from any attacks or fallen debris. I felt my power drain from me.

"Now, you must pay the price," I heard Arceus say as I quickly saw my compowder and grabbed it just as I felt horrible pain from my eyes being stabbed. I cried from the pain as blood flowed out from my sockets. I quickly used Heal Pulse to stop the bleeding and tried to think of a plan. I did NOT want to see anyone right now, especially Gary, but where could I go? Plus, I had to come up with an explanation for my blood on the floor.

I felt around for a piece of scrap metal. Once I grabbed something and felt it was sharp enough, I made a cut on my arm and had a little of my blood drop into the pool on the floor. I then ripped on shirt and made a make shift bandage for my forearm to stop the bleeding. I grabbed my compowder and disabled the video camera as I called Clair.

"Finally someone answers! Leaf, what is going on?" Clair asked exasperated. "We've been trying to reach you all for hours!"

"We were caught up in something. Send a squad over to arrest some scientists doing illegal research and have transportation for everyone to be sent to the hospital to be checked over," I explained. "I have something I need to do, I'll see you later."

"Lea..." Clair started to say, but I hung up and pressed the tracker button to give Clair my coordinates.

I sent my poketch on the ground and had enough energy to teleport away to school to my room where I felt my pokeballs before using the last of my power to teleport elsewhere where it was raining and I feel unconscious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 22nd (Viridian Forest)

(May's POV)

I felt myself being shaken gently causing me to open my eyes slowly and blink to focus my vision. I sat up and noticed a lab of sorts that looked trashed.

"How are you feeling?" I heard someone ask.

I looked to see it was Clair, "I'm okay, where's....?" I asked looking around.

"Drew!" I said loudly as I got up and stumbled to him as he sat on his bed.

I then attacked him with a hug, which he returned fiercely.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

"I'm alright," I said as I shifted myself so I could sit next to him.

I looked ahead to see that Dawn and Misty had attacked Paul and Ash with hugs as well while Gary looked around.

"Where's Leaf?" he asked worried.

"She's not here, we're not sure where she is," Clair reported.

"What do you mean she's not here?" Gary asked angrily.

Clair frowned at him, "As I said, we don't know. She called for help and said she had to take care of something."

I looked around, "I wonder what happened in here? This place got thrashed."

"That's what I would like to know," Clair said slightly miffed. "We can't find any data or video footage anywhere."

"Hey boss, there's blood up here!" an agent shouted.

"Take samples and run it against our database," Clair ordered before turning back to us. "Now will someone please tell me what happened to you?"

We all looked at each other and told Claire what we knew.

"I see," she said after we finished explaining. "So you have no idea what happened after you were ambushed?"

We shook our heads causing Clair to sigh, "I wish Leaf didn't run off."

"Hey boss, we got results!" the agent from before shouted.

"Whose blood is it? One of the scientists?" Clair asked.

"No, it's Agent Green's," he said causing all of us, especially Gary, to look worried.

"Now I really want to know what's going on?" Clair muttered.

We then heard a soft psychotic laugh get louder, "My theory was correct! People can obtain pokemon powers!"

"What are you babbling about asshat?" Dawn asked annoyed.

"She used Psycho-Cut and Agility, it was glorious," Dr. Larkin said with glee.

We stared at him with wide eyes til Gary rushed up to him and lifted him up by the front of his lab coat.

"Where is she?" Gary asked angrily.

"Gary, stop!" Clair shouted as two agents separated Gary from Dr. Larkin.

I looked at Drew worried before I laid my head on his shoulder. Leaf, where are you?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Leaf's POV)

I felt myself being nudged and tried to open my eyes to see. When I did so, I saw nothing and the rain was irritating my eyes.

"Espy?" Espeon said worriedly.

"Thank goodness," I said as I hugged my pokemon fiercely as I felt myself shake from the cold.

"Espeon, what does it look like outside? Can you see anything?" I asked.

"We are in a forest somewhere," she said telepathically.

I nodded, "We need to find shel....*achoo*..ter!" I sneezed.

I then began coughing badly causing Espeon to moan worriedly.

"Go see *cough cough* if you can find *cough cough* help," I said as I felt myself begin to feel woozy.

I then began to fall and saw black.

After a while, I felt myself become awake and noticed it wasn't raining anymore and that I was dry.

"Well now, look who decided to grace us with your presence," I heard an old lady cackle.

"Where am I asked?" I asked as I felt my face to see that my eyes were covered with a bandage.

"Eh, in a batty old lady's cottage in a forest near Route 17," the woman cackled as I coughed.

"You sure are a beat up thing. What happened to yus? You sure had damage to your eyes," she stated sternly.

"I ran into something," I lied gruffly as I tried to sit up, but was too dizzy to do so.

"No need to get up missy, you's in no position to do so," she reprimanded.

I sighed as I felt wiggled back into the bed, "What's your name missy?" the lady asked.

"Leaf," I said tiredly. "What's yours?"

"Oh, most folks call me the crazy lady or the witchy lady, but you can call me Vera," she said with a cackle.

I felt myself smile as I felt a something light jump up on my bed and mewed softly as they rubbed their face on my side.

"I'm okay Espeon," I said as I pet her head.

"So what brings you to my neck of the woods?" Vera asked.

"I don't really know, I was teleported here," I said tiredly.

"Well, you got Arceus written all over yus. No doubt he's responsible for your lack of eyesight," Vera muttered.

I felt myself stiffen in shock, "How the hell did you.....?!"

"I know things," Vera said in a mystified tone. "I'm a soothsayer you could say and you might say that I'm like you."

"But how.....?" I started to ask confused.

"Well, I'm blind myself and I see you have an aura about you that is touched by a godly presence," she said.

"But....?" I said again.

"I may be blind, but I'm in tune to people and nature's spirituality, helps me see," she explained.

"How long have you been blind?" I asked.

"Oh, quite a few years, but I've learned to adapt and I think I'm better off without my eyes," she said.

I turned my face in the direction of her voice, "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I've come to understand nature better and my other senses have sharpened. I've also taken up medicine and help folks who aren't afraid to see me."

I then heard a 'nuz nuzleaf'.

"Ah Nuzleaf, did you find it?" Vera asked.

There were a few seconds of silence, "Oh good, get me those plants in the corner and I'll whip this medicine up."

"What medicine?" I asked.

"For them eyes of yours," she said as I heard chopping and pounding.

"Was it hard......adjusting to life without your eyes?" I asked.

"It was at first and I was bitter, but then I started to realize that Arceus had other plans for me," Vera explained.

"May I ask as to how you lost your sight?" I asked quietly.

"I was sick with Scarlet Fever when I was 14 and the fever got so bad that it took my sight. For the longest of time, I was angry with the world and with Arceus because of what happened. I was destined to be one of the best trainers out there, but with the loss of my sight, I began to lose and grew more and more angry with everything and everyone. I almost lost my pokemon because of my anger. Then one day, I was seething in a forest over a battle I lost and I heard a voice call out to me saying that fighting was not my given purpose. That I was destined for greater things than being a trainer," Vera explained.

"Arceus said that?" I asked.

"Yes," Vera answered.

"Did you give up training all because he said that? We aren't governed by pokemon," I argued.

"That is true, but the legendaries protect us and help guide in the right direction. Sometimes we have to take a leap of faith when listening to their words. We think it strange and not right to listen and follow what legendary pokemon say, but we need to remember that what legendaries do is to help find the path that helps bring balance to the world between humans and pokemon and humans can accomplish this sometimes better than pokemon. We all have a part to play," Vera said wisely.

I took what she said and pondered it. She did have a point, despite it being strange that we follow legendary pokemon, they do their best to provide protection, harmony, and balance to the world shared between pokemon and humans.

"I take it you followed his words?" I asked.

Vera cackled, "Nope, I told him to take a hike and that he wasn't the boss of me. It wasn't til a year later when I was in a position like you where I was sick as well as having a broken leg and did not know where I was. A woman by the name of Suki helped bring me back to health. As I was recuperating and the longer I was around her, my hard façade faded away til I sobbed the truth that I felt weak and helpless because of my condition. Suki told me that my condition was not a hindrance and a weakness, but a strength as my other senses sharpened and I could learn to see things that no one else could. In time, she showed me the way that Arceus wanted us to live as well as the way of medicine from the land and I became her apprentice. Today, I look back on the day Arceus told me I was destined for great things and he was right. Since I learned the way of medicine, I've saved many lives over the years, more than I would have done from continuing to be a trainer wanting to do nothing, but win."

I smiled, "That's an amazing story Vera, but how were you able to live in a forest and not see?" I asked curiously.

She laughed, "It was not easy at first. Actually, it was very frustrating. When I was first blind, I relied on my pokemon to help guide me so I would not bump into anything. When I was with Suki, she would not have it, she said I had to learn to fend and see for myself. It was all the more harder when I had to learn all the different herbs and their properties. Arceus, those were dark days," she muttered. "Eventually, I learned to use my other senses to understand my surroundings and to see."

"So how do you see with your other senses?" I asked.

"My other senses have become stronger so I can smell, hear, and touch more sensitively. In a way, I feel more in tune with nature and the world than I've ever been," Vera explained as she came over and began to unwrap the bandage covering my eyes.

"I see," I said aloud in thought. "No pun intended."

Vera cackled as she started to put goop on my eyes, "Come on, I feel you have quite an interesting story to tell."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

November 24th (Lilycove City, Hoenn)

(May's POV)

The bell rang ending school and I walked out of the classroom with Drew. We then ran into everyone else and we made our way back to the house.

"Thank goodness for the weekend," Dawn exasperated.

"I second that. This week has been a sucker for Calc. I don't think I'll be able to do look at numbers ever again," Ash said tiredly. "Why do we need to learn Calc again?

I shook my head with a small grin, "Because it's helpful in calculating things in life and it helps you on your missions."

"That's what computers are for," Ash muttered. "They're supposed to do the calculating for you."

"Relax Ash," Misty said as she pecked his cheek. "At least Ms. Hiller didn't assign any homework to do over the weekend."

"Thank Mew for small favors," he muttered as he took a hold of Misty's hand as we continued walking.

"Thank goodness we don't have a lot of homework in general, now we can use our time to find Leaf," Dawn added. "I sure hope she's doing okay."

Paul took her hand and squeezed it, "I'm sure she's fine Dawn. From what Clair told us, she said she had something to take care of and the amount of blood that we found means she wasn't seriously wounded," I reassured.

I then looked over to Gary who looked pensive and worried, and I couldn't blame. After Leaf, broke up with him in the game and then disappearing right afterwards, he didn't get a chance to try and work things out.

As we got closer to the house, I sensed the aura of a person. Two seconds later, I was able to identify it causing me to break into a run.

"May? Where are you going?" Drew shouted.

"Sense the house!" I shouted back as I continued to run.

Soon Drew followed my lead causing everyone else to run.

I burst in the door, "Leaf? Where are you?" I shouted.

Soon everyone came in as I started to walk around trying to find her.

"Leaf!" everyone started shouted.

I then heard soft thumps from upstairs, "Geez, do you guys have to shout so loud," Leaf complained grumpily as she appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Leaf!" the girls and I shouted as Dawn attacked her with a hug.

"Dawn.....killing......me....," Leaf gasped as Dawn hugged her tightly.

"Sorry," Dawn apologized as Leaf went into a coughing spaz causing us to look at her worriedly.

"I'm fine. I'm just recovering from a cold," she said tiredly once she stopped coughing.

"Where were you?" I asked. "What happened after we separated in the game?"

"I don't know. I blacked out cause of a glitch in the game and when I woke up, I noticed the place was a wreck. In investigating, I cut my arm on a piece of metal. After making a make shift bandage, I called Clair for help and then forgot I had to do a favor for a friend so I left my compowder there for Clair to find you guys. While running my errand, I ran through a storm and caught a cold. It got bad so I checked into a Pokemon Center for a few days to try and heal up to point where I could travel again," Leaf explained.

I scanned her aura showing signs of slight anxiety and tiredness as Leaf sighed, "Look, I have a wicked headache so I'm going back to bed."

She then went to her room and I looked at everyone else. They looked at me with a frown, "You don't believe her, do you?" Misty asked.

I frowned and sighed as I looked upstairs, "Not in the slightest."