A big thanks to Zarrelion for his help on this chapter.
So part of what I've been doing lately is going through a region and listing all of the cities, towns, routes, and important locations (Game and Anime original towns included) and doing a day by day breakdown of what happens during the undampening. For Kanto I had to consider where certain characters would be after 4 years since Ash left. Kalos was the opposite problem. For Kalos I had to consider where everyone would be two years before Ash arrives to the region.
Prologue: The Room Where It Happens
June 4th (Before the Undampening)
Charlene studied her reflection in the mirror for several minutes. She and her mistress were going to be speaking to a crowd of influential individuals and she had to make sure that her appearance was immaculate. She'd gotten up early to wash her navy blue hair and had avoided the outside world as much as possible to keep her hair untouched. Her outfit was unblemished. Not a wrinkle or a loose thread was to be seen. All thanks to minimizing any unnecessary movements.
Her crescent moon earrings were polished and cleaned until they shined like the celestial body they were modeled after. Her eyebrows were plucked and her makeup applied with the discerning touch of a master artist.
With a nod, Charlene moved away from the mirror and looked around the room to make sure everything was in place. A set of twelve mahogany chairs surrounded the long table that spanned the room. Olympia — her mistress — sat at the head of the table with her hands clasped together on her lap. Her eyes were closed and every breath came in and out softly and evenly. To the untrained eye, the elegantly dressed woman appeared to be asleep.
Charlene knew better and smiled. Even now, her mistress was peering into the cosmos to seek answers for the future and finding another way to mitigate what was to come. Her mistress not only trusted her enough to divulge what she had seen only days ago, but tasked her with helping carry out her plans.
Securing the Battle Chateau for a private late-night meeting wasn't the most difficult part of her task. It was the logistics. Coordinating everyone's busy schedules, finding a way for them to come to the chateau without letting the information leak out to the public and making sure that their departure there was discreet was the hard part.
Charlene took another sweeping glance at the room as she took in the décor and the atmosphere it provided. Pale columns of marble rose from burgundy carpet. Bronze candelabras lined along the lime green walls kept the night outside at bay with the steady glow of electric light.
"So this is where it all happens. This is where everyone's future is decided. Tonight," she said softly to no one in particular.
She could only imagine how envious the other students would be if they knew she would be there where all the big decisions were being made. And yet, Charlene couldn't help but find herself a little envious at them. The burden of knowing had weighed on her shoulders every moment since the day she had been told.
Being part of a secret with an important person like Olympia had made her feel privileged, as she was privy to knowledge that few had access to. But not being able to share what she knew was eating at the edges of her sanity. It had certainly changed the way she viewed the world and it allowed her to see things for their true value in the coming months.
"That all changes tonight," she said as she watched the door at the other end of the room. As if on cue, Duke Turner ushered in the individuals that had answered Olympia's summons. Within the next half hour, the remaining seats were filled with Duke Turner and his assistant Elise standing by the closed doors. Those seated eyed the others at the table. Some faces were familiar while others were complete strangers. Glasses of wine were placed before each seat, though no one in the room bothered reaching for them. Aside from curt and cordial nods of acknowledgement to one another, there were no greetings. The mere presence of certain individuals had already established the gravity of the situation.
"First off, I would like to thank all of you for coming, especially on such short notice. Some of those we invited were unable to make this meeting but we will relay what we discuss tonight to them. I also would like to thank you for coming even though we did not fully explain the purpose of this meeting. My mistress desired to have all of you present and to tell you in person as this is a sensitive matter.
"Each of you were invited here because of your connections to larger groups that help run Kalos or because you preside over the people of your area as an authority figure. Your ability to come here discreetly and maintain the knowledge of what is going to happen as a secret was also a factor that we considered when selecting you to come. With that I think some short introductions are in order," Charlene said. The two rows nodded their assent.
"Professor Sycamore here studies pokémon mega evolution in his facility in Lumiose. His guest is…" Charlene's voice faltered when she gestured to the individual the professor had brought in as his plus one. The man had striking icy blue eyes, dark hair and a lab coat similar to what the professor wore.
"This is Alain, my assistant," Sycamore replied with a smile. His assistant gave a light bow while he was seated but otherwise remained silent. Charlene's eyes shifted to the other side of the table to see a fiery mane of crimson hair and a man who had been leaning forward in rapt attention.
"This is Lysandre of Lysandre Labs which develops technology designed to help in disaster relief." Charlene gestured to the crimson haired man.
"Seeing as our line of work deals with people in distress we've been toying with the idea of naming ourselves Team Beacon or Team Flare," the portly man beside Lysandre chimed in. His eyes were hidden behind red tinted goggles and a communications earpiece was clipped to his left ear. The man in question was so pale as to be practically transparent — likely a result of spending all his time indoors with his only light being the glow of a computer monitor. Charlene would've considered him bald were it not for the thin rows of scarlet hair with one gravity defying strip standing up straight from the back of his head.
"This is one of my coworkers, Xerosic," Lysandre said, before he threw the man an admonishing glare that stole the mirth from his assistant.
Charlene continued. "I'm sure you all have all noticed her presence, and while she really needs no introduction, she deserves the courtesy. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule Diantha."
Kalos's champion and renowned movie actress gave a curt nod and soft smile. Instead of her signature white winged outfit, she wore a simple black dress and thin pink scarf around her neck. It was an outfit that she normally wore whenever she wanted to travel incognito.
"Wikstrom and Drasna were held up with prior engagements and were unable to attend but as you can see we are still graced with the presence of the other members. Siebold and Malva, thank you both for coming."
The former gave a firm nod to each person at the table with Malva following suit. Her gaze stayed on Xerosic and Lysandre for a few seconds longer than normal; a fact that the latter communicated to his agent with a glare. Malva took the hint and looked away but not before noticing how the break in Lysandre's calm visage lasted only a nanosecond and was something that no one but her had probably noticed.
"It's my pleasure to introduce Kalos's chief of medicine and the Kalos police commissioner." Charlene gestured to the other side of the table where two women sat. Dolores Joy gave her family's signature smile; one that was just as, if not more, warm and inviting as any other of her descendants. The years had taken their toll on the matriarch. The vibrant pink hair her family was known for was slightly faded with streaks of white and gray intermingled in the loops. Liver spots and wrinkles covered her skin and there was a noticeable tremor in her frail hands as she gave a friendly wave to the others.
While Dolores had sweetened with age like a fine wine; the exact opposite could be said for Barbara Jenny. Her face was fixed in a harsh scowl. The frigid gaze testified to the many things she had seen over the years; things that had hardened her into the woman she was now. She wore her hair in a tight bun with slivers of silver mixed with the sea green hairs. Barbara did not wave or acknowledge anyone else in the room. She kept her elbows on the table, her hands forming a bridge that obscured her frown.
"Lastly, we have Palermo. Pokémon Showcase's producer and one of its former queens. With introductions out of the way I'm sure the rest of you have questions." Charlene ended her introductions by sitting down at the head of the table, a gesture that opened the floor to discussion.
The room was silent for a few seconds before Lysandre cleared his throat and put to words what everyone was thinking. "I'm sure I speak for all of us when we say that we're equally honored to be an audience to you, but I must admit I'm rather perplexed as to why you've summoned us here."
Others from the table nodded quietly.
Olympia abruptly awoke, her eyelids shooting upwards and revealing her vibrant purple eyes. The sudden action made some from the table flinch. "The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the Kalos region's future," Olympia said. "I received a vision a few days ago; a vision of dark days that are to come."
Charlene studied the expressions of those at the table. She was expecting to see someone roll their eyes at Olympia's revelation but found that their audience was genuinely troubled by the announcement. Olympia was well known in the region for her prophetic abilities and while the timing was not always precise, the foretold events inevitably occurred as she had seen. However, this night had been the first time that Olympia had borne witness to something of such great magnitude. Something so great as to dwarf the combined might of every crisis she had ever foreseen.
Olympia stood from her seat and gestured for Charlene to take it away. The woman stepped away from the table and a wispy blue corona surrounded her body as she lifted off the floor with her arms outstretched. Charlene was already familiar with the sight, having been there for the initial vision her mistress had received. Even without her Meowstic, Olympia's own psychic abilities were enough to levitate her a few feet off the ground. A quick glance at the others at the table showed Charlene that they were mystified by the sight.
Olympia spoke loudly, her eyes widened with fear. "In the near future, the universe will face an unprecedented disaster. As the chains erode from trillions. Our world will never be the same. We are all trapped in the vortex of this event and a great calamity will divide our region. There…there is so much destruction, I cannot describe it all…it's all happening at once."
Her head swiveled back and forth as her eyes darted around the room. "All around me I see thousands of…stars? Purple lights. Everything is screaming in pain before being eclipsed by blue…they almost appear to be suns. To the west, I see lights over the sea with hundreds of figures held by strings and to the east I see darkness. Swirling shadows that press against a blazing crimson tide. From above I see a rainbow but it is fading into the night and from it I see rubies. Three ru—."
Olympia's head jerked back as she was struck by an invisible force. Her aura faded out as she hung limply in the air and began to slowly drift down. Even though the fall to the floor was not far, she was unable land smoothly. She drunkenly staggered forward to the table. Lysandre and Sycamore moved to catch her until she slammed her hands onto the table — the noise deafening in the silence of the chateau — and pushed herself up. Her face was covered in sweat and her breathing shallow. Her apprentice ran over with the chair. The psychic gym leader slumped into her seat and Duke Turner swiftly handed her a small towel to dry herself off while Elise brought her a glass of water.
"I see a light." Xerosic read off the notes he had taken as Olympia spoke her prophecy. "The universe will face a disaster. Trapped in the vortex of this event. Purple lights, blue suns, rainbows…" the scientist mumbled.
"Don't forget the three rubies," Malva added.
"And the bright lights from the seas and the strings," Siebold chimed in.
"Yeah, I got those down too," Xerosic replied, pointing to a lower point in the paper. Lysandre nodded and looked to their apparent oracle.
"Are you going to be all right?" Lysandre asked.
Olympia nodded, dabbing the towel to her forehead. "I am sorry I cannot be clearer. While my visions always come true, I am never quite sure when the events I see will occur or what the images I see will mean. Over the years, I have come to decipher what some images or colors mean."
"Anything here that stands out to you?" Diantha asked.
Olympia was quiet for a moment, her eyes closed as if she was still processing everything she had seen. "The vortex has always symbolized a fixed point in time."
"A fixed point?" the Joy matriarch echoed.
"It means that no matter what we do, this event is going to happen," Charlene replied. As soon as she finished speaking, she felt the mood of the room grow darker and colder.
"And we have no idea when this could happen?" the police commissioner growled.
Olympia shook her head and sighed. "For all I know the event I have foreseen can happen anywhere between this night and the next three months as my visions do not usually extend past that length."
"How do we even prepare for something so vague?" Alain asked.
"This is the reason why we asked for you to be present here. Each of you has a sphere of influence that can help us prepare for what is to come. Siebold, you could speak to members of the food industry and see about getting them to prepare food banks or distribute rations."
"I will speak with them about this matter," Siebold replied with a stoic nod.
"Lysandre, your group can start getting emergency and medical supplies out to prepare the people for when the change happens."
"This upcoming disaster will be our top priority. My company has been developing a communication device that we're calling the Holonav. It will soon be distributed out to the public," Lysandre said "I'll have a message prepared on the Holonav so that when this situation occurs, the people of Kalos will have a series of instructions they can follow." Lysandre smiled at the fortuitous timing of the Holonav release.
"Dolores, prepare the hospitals, clinics and pharmacies for the influx of people that are going to be coming to them."
"I'll personally make sure that they are prepped and stocked." Dolores Joy nodded, her aged face showing the decades of experience that would ensure they weathered the upcoming catastrophe.
"Barbara, please speak to the police departments of Kalos and brief them on what the procedure will be when this happens. The people will be panicked and desperate once this change begins; they will need an authority to guide them in these trying times."
"Hardly ideal, but it's better than being blindsided and with no idea what's going to happen," Barbara Jenny replied. Even though her tone was respectful, there was an undercurrent of annoyance at the lack of a solid time frame.
"What about me?" Malva interjected. "I'm a news reporter. If I spill this story to the public, we'll start having panic in the streets."
Olympia looked at the reporter "It is exactly because of your ties to those circles that we invited you, Malva. We were hoping that while this is happening, you could help keep the media focused on something else. Fill the media with irrelevant news like celebrity scandals until we believe it would be safe to let the public in on this. It is a dishonest move but it is a necessary evil to distract them from what we're doing in the background."
"I may be able to create a scandal that you could use," Diantha offered earnestly, earning a stunned expression from the two Elite Four members. "I'm assuming that's my part to play in all of this," she added.
"While your offer may provide the spectacle we need, that is not the only reason you are here. You are this region's champion and one of the most famous actors of our time; your influence in the movie industry may open doors for us that would have been previously closed."
"Should I assume that I'm here for similar reasons?" Palermo interjected as she stood up to address the group.
"We were unable to get in touch with Monsieur Pierre but we felt that you had just as much influence — if not more — in the world of Pokémon Showcasing. Your influence has launched the careers of thousands of pokémon performers. If anyone can reach this facet of our society then it would be you. Have them work with the other organizations we've mentioned, so that if something were to happen then everyone can be somewhat prepared."
Satisfied with the answer, Palermo nodded and eased back into her chair.
"What of the other regions?" Alain chimed in, feeling the focused stares of some of the most powerful people in the region boring into him.
"We have not yet told them just yet. We thought it wise to know where we stood as a region and how to best organize ourselves before relaying that information," Olympia replied.
"If they have not yet been informed, let my organization handle that. I can get in touch with the disaster relief groups of the other regions and inform them how to proceed. I will make sure that they maintain complete discretion about this situation," Lysandre added with a confident smile. His outgoing and self-assured nature had earned the admiration of nearly all those at those that the table.
"Wouldn't other regions already know about this happening? Aren't there other psychics?" Sycamore asked.
"It is possible. But the fact that there are no new reports about this implies that they have not learned of what is to come or that they have decided not to inform any of the other regions yet as we are doing," Olympia answered.
"There are many other psychics in the world like Sabrina, the leader of Kanto's Saffron City Gym. However, Sabrina seems to place more of her focus on the psionic schools of transmutation and conjuration. Frontier brain Anabel is able to detect and sway the feelings in a room but she can only see a few hours into the future. The fact that my mistress can see months into the future should show you how she has dedicated herself to mastering the art of divination," Charlene added with a hint of pride.
"So at some point in our immediate future, something we can't stop is going to happen and we're not even sure what's going to happen, but that nothing will ever be the same?" Malva asked. Despite her best attempts at hiding it, the bitterness in her voice was blatantly obvious.
"That would seem to be the case," Sycamore replied with a sigh. "And it's happening on a grand scale according to Olympia. Except, there's one thing that stood out to me. The amount of people on our planet numbers in the billions but…" The scientist turned to the seer. "Olympia, in your vision you mentioned trillions."
"I did not actually count up to that number. But that figure came to me and took form in my mind when I relive the vision. I cannot tell you if it is an exact figure; it is merely an estimate"
"Well that's the thing. I was thinking of what could number in the trillions on our planet and the only thing I can think of would be the pokémon." Sycamore's tone grew darker as he said the words. The atmosphere of dread cast a shadow over the room — one that the candelabras failed to push back. Everyone gathered looked at one another and noticed that they all wore the same expression of worry.
"Could it be possible that the pokémon of the world are going to change in some way?" Dolores asked.
"As the chains erode from trillions," Alain echoed.
"Could something be restraining the pokémon of the world?"
"The pokéballs?" Siebold offered.
"How would pokéballs not working change everything forever?" Malva asked.
"Olympia, does the color purple or blue symbolize anything to you, like the vortex," Diantha asked.
The psychic seer shook her head. "Colors have always been more indicative of the actual subject the vision is about."
"So we may be looking for a pokémon with purple orbs, blue domes, three rubies…"
"Her vision might not be describing a single pokémon. It may in fact be several pokémon, each with one of those physical descriptors," Charlene replied. "That's mainly the reason we've extended the invitation to you and your assistant, Sycamore. While we all deal with pokémon in some way, your knowledge likely surpasses that of our own."
"Alain and I will look into this matter with utmost haste," Sycamore replied, his assistant nodding fervently beside him.
"What of you, Olympia? What will you do after this?" Diantha asked.
"You may not have noticed but of those here, I am the only Gym leader attending this meeting. I intend to personally inform the other gym leaders and other local officials of the region after this meeting," Olympia replied.
Lysandre slowly lifted his hand up as if to ask a question. "Olympia, if I may be so bold, allow me to help you in that matter. I have several field agents that are able to inform those individuals in your stead. With no way of knowing when this event is going to happen, I would feel terrible if those in Anistar were to be without your guidance when this disaster occurs."
Sycamore nodded and looked to Olympia "He's right. Time is of the essence. If things are going to get bad; we should all get started as quickly as possible and hopefully have as much time with our loved ones."
A murmur of approval from the rest of the table followed. Even Charlene couldn't help but hope that her mistress would take the man's offer.
"I must admit your offer is rather tempting. Enough that I shall relinquish the responsibility to you and your organization," Olympia replied.
"It would seem that each of us knows what our part to play. Gathering all of us to meet here on such short notice all whilst maintaining the utmost discretion is no small feat, and for that I believe we all owe our thanks to Ms. Charlene." Lysandre started to clap slowly with Xerosic and Malva following suit before the rest of the room did the same.
Charlene blushed and gave a small bow and a grateful smile to the CEO of Lysandre Labs.
"I commend your efforts, Charlene and I hope I am not overstepping my bounds if you would allow me to alleviate that burden from you. Each of you can expect a Holonav prototype to be sent to you. That way we may hold a hologram conference from the comfort of our own cities and update each other on our progress. That is of course if you would allow me, Ms. Charlene?"
"No complaints here," Olympia's aide replied.
"We are all grateful of your generosity." Olympia smiled back.
"With a company founded on the basis of helping people, it's the least that I could do. Were I not able to offer this much support… Well I imagine I'd have no right to be here. Each of us will need the other more than ever with these dark clouds looming over the horizon. This is a time of unity; let us rejoice that we have been giving this rare chance to act before calamity has struck, for few are ever so lucky." Lysandre raised his glass to the air, gesturing to the end of the table where the gym leader sat. "I propose a toast, to Olympia!"
Sycamore, Dolores, Malva and the others grabbed their glasses as well. Even the normally sour Palermo and Barbara allowed themselves soft smiles as they were swept up by Lysandre's charisma.
"Cheers!" they all cried in unison, clinking glasses and downing their drinks.
No one seemed to notice that Malva and Xerosic were not smiling with the others. Their expressions were hidden behind their glasses as they sipped their wine. Lysandre had positioned himself perfectly, having taken enough responsibility to take control the situation.
No one in the room could've known the man who initiated the toast would happily work to see everyone die in the upcoming months. The glorious apocalypse he was trying to create was instead coming to him and he would make sure that no one would get in its way.