This chapter is my response towards the fanfic contest at SPPF. I have re-edited this! Be sure to read the changes or else you'll be even more confused later!

"Well… maybe not but this chapter does explain some things."

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Pokemon or anything of the sort. Also, I do not own the song "Decay" by Rie Fu. (I will only be using the English sections of the song since I do not know any Japanese.)

Chapter Thirteen: Tell Me!

Stepping out of the house and onto the open path, Haruka pondered in thought. Her mind was going in circles as she persisted to unsolved the puzzling mystery upon awakening.

"It's not like Masato to pull a stunt like that. Besides, it was too soft of be a marshmallow," Haruka thought as she put a finger to her lips.

"But then there was that gentle tug on my ring finger. It was like the time when I was with Yuuki at the Moonlight festival. And then there's this," Haruka looked down at her hand where she held a red bandana that she found magically bound to her foot when she awoke. It was identical to the bandana in her dream.

She then noticed the door to her next door neighbor's house open. Out walked a boy with white hair in a school uniform. The morning sunrise barely touched the top of his silvery white hair. He turned back to the door and stretched out a strong arm to turn the key. Upon seeing Yuuki, Haruka quickly turned her back to him.

'What am I doing? Why did I turn away so quickly?' Haruka's mind raced. Fluttering wings where rapidly beating inside her chest.

'This morning when I felt the slight pressure on my lips and the tug on my ring finger, Yuuki's face first came to mind. Could it have really been Yuuki?'

"Haruka, are you ok?" Yuuki asked from behind with a voice full of genuine concern. Haruka slightly jumped, forgetting that Yuuki was at her back.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. No need to worry about me," Haruka quickly assured, facing Yuuki. He remained silent for a while but then she notice Yuuki open his mouth and was about to say something. Yet nothing came and he turned away.

"Eh?" Haruka asked completely bewildered.

"It's nothing. We better hurry or we'll be late for school," Yuuki answered as he began to walk.

You could've said a word but you turned away.

Why do you always act such a passive way?

Now don't you ever think that I would suck up to you,

But I still believe in you.

-

Haruka puffed up her cheeks in defeat.

'I don't want to force him but it sure sounded important. At any rate I better go or else I'll be late for class,' Haruka thought after letting out a sigh. She could hear two familiar voices around the corner but decided to ignore it and get away with her long strides to her destination in the opposite direction.

-

"It's ok, Bluenda. I'm not mad."

"But even so…"

Phoebe placed a hand on Bluenda's shoulder and gave her a warm smile.

"We should not dwell in the past but rather focus on the future. Does she know?"

"You mean Naoko? No, she doesn't know. But how did you know?"

Phoebe let out a sigh as she leaned back against the wall of the corridor.

"When I erased Misa and Ricko's memories I also took their powers. That's how I know."

"Do you still have their powers?"

"No, once I had arrived in Hoenn to play my role just as you have, their powers began to fade away from me. The closer I got to them, the more they gained back. It's almost like they took them back without even knowing it."

"I see… So, are you ready for the end of all this?" Bluenda asked which was followed by an awkward silence.

"I…"

Ping Ping

"That's the warning bell. I guess I'll see you later, Phoebe," Bluenda said as they parted ways. Phoebe waved back though she wasn't sure if she wanted to see Bluenda again for what it meant…

-

"What! Shuu, are you crazy!" Misa barked. Shuu on the other hand just ignored Misa's presence.

"Hmph, pay no attention to that scrawny little girl over there," Shuu remarked with a smirk, knowing he was getting on Misa's nerves. He then ran his fingers through his green hair in a casual manner.

"I'm not scrawny and I'm not little! Why do you always do that thing with your hair? Do you have dandruff or something? Is that why you wear light colored clothes?" Misa interrogated hoping to make a successfully comeback.

"No, I do it just to annoy you," Shuu replied with a smirk that showed Misa's efforts had no effect on him.

"Alright, I'll do it," Naoko surrendered. Her voice was a touch more on the serious side.

"You can't be serious, Naoko?" Misa objected.

"Relax Misa. The spell will be on me not you," Shuu scoffed.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Misa mumbled.

"Before I cast this spell, I need to know what exactly are your intentions." Naoko asked with an unreadable expression.

"I want to know… what it feels like to…" Shuu trailed off into silence.

Misa looked up to his shadowed face. She noticed the tension on his shoulders and his tight fists. Not being able to understand his posture Misa tried to tap into his feelings but her concentration was interrupted by Naoko's voice.

"I understand…This will be good for the both of you so I shall grant your request. Miu Lei!" Naoko said as she extended her index finger to Shuu's heart. From her finger tips a warm pink glow sinked into Shuu's skin. After the casting of the spell was complete, Misa and Naoko waited for the results.

"Forgive me for my rude behavior Miss Hajima. Might I ask for a second chance?" Shuu asked taking hold of Misa's right hand and bringing it to his lips. Immediately getting the chills, Misa swatted Shuu away in disgust while Naoko burst out laughing.

"Naoko, this isn't funny! Shuu was always scary but now he's just freaky! Change him back! Change him back!" Misa whined while running away from Shuu.

"Oh relax…The spell will wear off in a couple of hours," Naoko said giggling.

"Naoko!"

-

"Hey, Misa what's the matter?" Ricko asked his sister over his shoulder while Misa hid behind his back. She shivered at the sight of Shuu.

"The next one on one battle will be Misa against Shuu," the pokémon battle student teacher announced.

"No…" Misa silently cried clinging onto her brother's back.

"Misa, cut that out! You can take down Shuu anytime and since when do you cling? It's embarrassing," Ricko stated prying Misa off his back.

"Since that new girl, Naoko, started to mess with people's feelings…" Misa answered while walking to her side of the battle field.

"Alright Delcatty, Let's win this!" Shuu exclaimed while sending out a gorgeously well groomed Delcatty.

"Like that will ever happen! Eefi, don't let me down!" Misa called forth her Espeon who happily hopped forward, ready for battle.

"Delcatty, start things off with Blizzard!" Shuu ordered. His Delcatty took a deep breath before unleashing a blast of an icy cold wind. As clumps of snow and ice hit Eefi's fur together, Misa could feel her body freeze to a point of numbness like on a cold winter night.

"Eefi use Return!" Misa commanded while shielding herself from the snow and sharp ice. Without a second thought Eefi find of Delcatty's attack and sent him to skid on the ground with an unavoidable emotional force.

"Delcatty, make a come back with Shock Wave!" Immediately Delcatty let out an intimidating growl before emitting an electrical wave on Misa's Espeon.

"Oh no, Eefi! Misa!" Ricko breathed, realizing what this would mean.

'I can't move! How much more can Eefi battle if she's paralyzed? Wait a minute! Eefi use psychic!' Misa commanded through her thoughts.

Catching the eager command in her head, Eefi flashed a cold icy glare at Delcatty that was followed be a current of another invisible force. Delcatty took a few steps back after the hit of the attack.

"Shake it off Delcatty and use Iron Tail!" Shuu commanded.

"Eefi, get out of-" Misa was cut short when she felt pain of electricity serge though her muscles and bones. Misa could only stare in horror at the gleaming white tail through Eefi's eyes.

"That's going to leave a mark," Ricko said as he watched Delcatty's Iron Tail being brought down on Misa's Espeon. He then noticed a sort of dazed look on Misa and Eefi.

'Shuu? You may not see it now but we do care about you.'

"Thunder!" Shuu called forth. Still unable to move, jolts of pain went through Eefi and Misa.

'I know you're lonely. Isn't that why you pick on others like that?'

"Now freeze them, Delcatty!" The purple feline took another deep breath and breathed another icy cold blast on the opposing team. A howl escaped Eefi as she struggled to stand.

"Where's a red flute when you need one?" Ricko growled as he rummaged through his pockets.

"Delcatty, use Iron Tail again!" Delcatty obeyed by starting off with a run. As he approached the immobilized charmed Espeon, Delcatty's tail began to glow brighter with each step.

'I'm sorry I didn't sense it sooner.'

Right before Eefi, Delcatty leaped high into the air with his tail held above his head. Yet Eefi still stood there head strong showing no fear.

'Learn to be kind, Shuu. You will see that we are not as different from each other.'

Finally finding the red flute, Ricko quickly blew into it. The pitch sounded through Eefi and Misa's ears, bringing them out of the charmed state and ended Misa's transmission. On the other hand, it didn't stop Delcatty's Iron Tail being brought down upon Eefi. The distance between the attacker and the receiver shorten with each passing moment. Misa tried to get Eefi to move but the electrical jolts still held Eefi captive. Eefi shut her eyes and braced herself when she saw the gleaming white flash before her eyes.

"Times up!" the student teacher interrupted. The flash on Delcatty's tail disappeared and Eefi just felt a tickling brush across her face. A sigh of relief was sounded throughout the battle field.

"I understand and thank you, Misa," Shuu whispered under his breath.

On the other side of the battle field, Misa collapsed down to her knees while Eefi leaped into her lap. Misa affectionately patted Eefi's head on a job well done. They were both literally exhausted.

"Misa! Eefi! Are you ok?" Ricko frantically rushed to them.

"I'm fine. I just need to take Eefi to the pokémon center," Misa answered weakly.

"That won't be necessary," Naoko said behind the two siblings. She walked over to where Eefi lay. Whispering a couple of words Eefi's battle wounds began to fade away. Misa's Espeon let out a happy purr that earned a grin on everyone's face.

"You've planned this all along," Misa said to Naoko, the words rolling of her tongue a little bit harder then she intended.

"Yes, I knew that you were an empath from the start. You wanted to help Shuu and you did."

"But how did you know all this?" Ricko asked beating Misa to the question.

"Looks like you have powers too. You have the power to see time. How do I know this you ask? It's because you don't have a strong grasp on your power yet. So it leaks out like radiation," Naoko explained.

Misa looked down at her body. She noticed that there wasn't a single sign of being in battle. The last time she battled synchronized with Eefi, she took a longer time to recover then her Espeon.

"I was using support magic when you battled. Had I not, you would be in a much more critical condition." Naoko further explained.

"Critical? Critical as in comatose?" Ricko questioned with worry.

"Perhaps… but in a worse case scenario it could also have been death," Naoko stated blankly. With plastered white faces Misa and Ricko remained silent.

"Ah, but don't worry! All you have to do is learn to control your power and not be so reckless in battle. Cheer up you two!" Naoko chirped.

"That…" Misa mumbled to her brother.

"…was the weirdest mood swing I've ever seen," Ricko whispered back, continuing his sister's sentence. Misa could only nod her head in agreement.

Ping Ping

"That marks the end this class. See you guys later," Misa said before running off. Ricko waved good-bye to his sister but remained quiet.

"What you said about my sister… I knew it was quite possible but I didn't want to believe that she could die with the power she possessed," Ricko stated without turning his head towards Naoko.

"Yeah, it brings a new reality to hear it from someone else…"

"Naoko?" Ricko turned and faced Naoko after catching the sadness in her voice.

"Sorry, I must be going," Naoko said before dashing off and leaving Ricko all alone.

"… Did I say something out of place?" Ricko asked to himself.

-

"Hey Yuuki!" Mitsuru greeted the white haired companion. However Yuuki continued to stare at the fresh cherry blossoms on the sakura tree.

"What am I going to do?" Yuuki groaned while dragging his right hand down his face.

"You kissed her didn't you?" Mitsuru asked with a sly grin.

"What! How did you know I kissed Haruka?" Yuuki shot back but Mitsuru only chuckled in response.

"You don't need to be an empath like Misa to see these kinds of things. When you're sick and stuck in bed at the hospital for months, all you can do is watch a person's expression to know what's going on in the outside world," Mitsuru said as she scratched his head.

"I see…"

"She doesn't know of your feelings does she?"

"Probably not…"

"Then why don't you tell her?"

"It's easier said then done, Mitsuru."

"Not really, when I told her my feelings she turned me down because she had strong feelings for someone else. I think that person was you."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be! Sure it hurt but it's better then living a lie. You know you're just complicating things by hesitating."

"Yeah I guess…"

"Well, Yuuki, while you sort these things out I'm going to deliver these text books to the school library."

"Need a hand?"

"Nay, I'll be fine. I need the exercise anyways. Thanks for the offer and see you later, Yuuki!"

"See you!" Yuuki called back, watching his friend walk away from there with a pile of books in Mitsuru's hands.

-

"What was he going to say?" Haruka thought as she weakly pulled the numerous text books out from her locker and stuffed them into her school bag. Seeing that there was nothing else she needed, Haruka closed her locker and was ready to face the weekend. She jumped when she found Shuu starring at her with a sly grin, leaning right beside Haruka's locker.

"Shuu? What are you doing here?" Haruka asked trying to cover up the shock that was written all over her face.

"Hmph, surprise to see me? How disappointing…" Shuu said while running his fingers through his well groomed glistening green hair. He lifted himself off the lockers and stood rather too close to Haruka.

"Oh, how so?" Haruka's voice squeaked while she took a step back.

"Well… I would have thought you would at least be delighted to see me," Shuu answered, taking a step towards Haruka, forcing her to back into the closed locker doors.

"But…" Shuu then planted hands flat on the lockers on either side of Haruka, preventing any way of escape.

"I just can't seem to take my eyes off you," Shuu said under his breath.

Haruka could only tremble beneath Shuu. The memory of the traumatic night in the alley way flashed before her sapphire eyes. Finding the strength return to her hands, Haruka forcefully pushed Shuu away. The force had taken Shuu off guard since he lost his balance.

Meanwhile, Mitsuru was walking down the hallway. The chalk dust from the classrooms seeped under the door and floated upwards to tickle his nose. Mitsuru stopped to surrender to a sneeze. What he didn't notice was Shuu backing into him, causing Mitsuru's books to fly up while Shuu tripped over him.

"Hey, what were you're going! Ow!" Shuu whined as gravity acted on the sharply ends of the books to land on him.

"Mitsuru, are you ok? Do you need to go to the nurse's office?" Haruka asked, rushing to his side and helping him up.

"Hey, I was the one that got hit by these fat books!" Shuu complained only to be completely ignored.

"No, I'm ok. It's only chalk dust and allergies. I'll be fine. By the way, I saw Yuuki outside. He said he was waiting. I guess you better go catch up to him," Mitsuru said giving her a wink while he gathered his books.

"I guess I should. See you later Mitsuru!" Haruka said waving a goodbye as both of them walked away from there. All alone and left behind, Shuu dusted himself off and regained his composure.

"Aw… that's too bad. You were just so close," a feminine voice came from behind.

"It doesn't matter, Bluenda," Shuu scoffed over his should to the girl.

"So how are you doing?" Shuu asked leaning closely to the long haired brunette. He titled her chin to meet his gaze. Bluenda just walked away from there, leaving Shuu a red welting hand imprint on Shuu's face.

-

"Yuuki!" Haruka called getting his attention from a closing distance.

"Mitsuru said you were waiting."

"Haruka, I've been meaning to tell you that I…"

Haruka looked up to him with anticipation.

I was waiting for you to stand up to it.

What are you waiting for?

"No, it's nothing," he said. For a moment Haruka's face formed a questionable look.

"It's a long walk to Littleroot. We better get going," Yuuki said turning towards the road home.

Haruka could only look on with wonder. She decided not to press on it and just follow Yuuki. Yet in a way she knew what he was going to say and that was enough for now.

You could've said a word but you turned away.

Why do you always act such a passive way?

Now don't you ever think that I would such up to you,

But I still believe in you.

End of chapter thirteen.

Well… I think this version of the chapter fits more into the storyline.

"Sure does."

So Eefi, how about we get back into the grove with a future sight insight?

"Next time on 'Go!' a formal ball is being held. There's music and dancing… Misa's even playing a number on the piano! Despite all the positive vibe happening indoors, Phoebe separates herself to the outdoor gardens. Sitting under a vast gazebo, Phoebe reflects on the time she has left. She tries to convince herself not get attach to anyone to make things easier for her. But then Ricko shows up and confuses her decision. Whatever will she do?"