I gasped as my eyes popped open. I sat up in bed and clutched the side of my head as images washed over my mind. A haze of green clogged my thoughts. I saw flashes of me, Ash, and Professor Sycamore. It was only of our faces, and it passed as quickly as it came. I slowly opened my eyes. They felt warm, and I blinked until they cooled down. I pulled the covers off and planted my feet on the ground.
That was... weird. I stood up and straightened the bed, careful not to disturb Zoroark or Sylveon. I glanced at the clock. My friends would be waking up soon. Light bled through the curtains. I tiptoed to the bathroom, turned on the light, and closed the door. Now that I think about it, I haven't had a vision in quite a while. Not since we first met Goomy.
I chuckled and scratched my head. I hope I'm not getting rusty.
I pinned my hair up, and splashed water on my face. There was a knock at the door. The doorknob turned, and Ash peeked inside.
"Mind if I join you?" he said.
"Sure," I said. Ash stepped inside and closed the door. "Did you manage to get some sleep?"
"Only a little. The night before a Gym battle is always difficult; I'm so excited that I can't sleep. It's like Christmas Eve." Ash put toothpaste on his toothbrush. "How come you're up early?"
I rubbed soap on my hands and applied it to my face. "A vision woke me up. I figured since it's not too early, I'd be up for the day."
Ash paused in brushing his teeth. "A vision? What was it about?" His words were slurred, and he tilted his head back and kept his mouth small to keep the toothpaste from dribbling out.
I rinsed the suds off my face. "All I saw was me, you, and Professor Sycamore. Our faces appeared one at a time for a few seconds, and then it was over." I dried my face with a towel.
Ash spat into the sink. "Really? That's it?"
I handed him a towel and tossed mine over my shoulder. Ash dried his mouth. "Yeah. I mean, I've gotten weird and cryptic visions before, so I'm not surprised."
"It could be the start of a chain. Maybe you'll get some more later."
"That is true..." I smiled and ruffled Ash's hair. "Look at you, thinking like an adult."
Ash scowled. "I can be mature if I want to."
"You just choose not to."
"Exactly... H-Hey!"
I laughed and worked on brushing my teeth. Stirring came from the other side of the door; Ash's outburst had woken everyone else up.
The door opened, and Serena rubbed her eyes and stepped in.
"Morning," she yawned.
"Still exhausted from yesterday?" I said.
Serena nodded. "I feel like I can sleep for a week."
"But then you'd miss my Gym battle," Ash said.
Serena yawned again and smiled. "I'll take a nap afterwards, then."
With the rest of us awake, we got ready for the day. We headed to the front entrance.
"Good morning!" Nurse Joy said with a bright smile. "I hope you all slept well."
"Some more than others," Ash chuckled. He faced us. "Come on, let's hurry to the Anistar Gym!"
He turned on his heel and bolted for the door.
"H-Hey! Wait up, Ash!" Bonnie cried.
Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont hurried after Ash. I sighed and headed towards the door.
"And now for more Mega Evolution-related news." I stopped and turned to the T.V. The news reporter, a woman with bright pink hair and orange eyes shielded behind white frames, sat in front of a pastel background. "Professor Sycamore is scheduled to visit Anistar City's sundial today. It is theorized that the sundial came from space, but recent studies have revealed a connection to Mega Stones."
"Professor Sycamore's here...?" I said.
"The conclusions that Professor Sycamore may draw from this investigation have peaked the interest of Mega Evolution enthusiasts all over Kalos. We'll be sure to report them to you as soon as we can. Until then, I'm Malva, and I hope you have a nice day."
The subject shifted to an interview with the owner of a Vivillon habitat. I hurried to the door and out of the Pokémon Center.
"Come on, Rylee!" Bonnie cried. Everyone had regrouped outside.
"Hey, guys," I said, jogging to join them, "a news report just said that Professor Sycamore's in town."
"Really? Why's he here?" Clemont said.
"He came to study the sundial. It's connected to Mega Evolution."
"Seriously?!" Ash cried. His eyes sparkled. "Change of plans! Let's go and visit Professor Sycamore, and then I'll have my Gym battle."
"The sundial is on the way, which makes it more convenient." Serena glanced up from her Town Map.
"Let's go!"
We hurried down the streets of Anistar City, passing by the shops and houses. No matter where you were in the town, you could always see the giant sundial. The pink jewel glistened in the late-morning sunlight. We hurried to the bridge leading up to it.
As we came closer, a cloud of smoke burst before us.
"What the...?" Ash said.
We arrived at the middle of the bridge, where the sundial loomed over it. The smoke cleared.
"Professor Sycamore!"
Pieces of destroyed equipment lay on the ground. Professor Sycamore climbed to his feet, his lab coat dirty from hitting the ground. Colress and Alyssa looked up, Colress's arms around Alyssa from shielding her. A woman with long, magenta hair tied back in pigtails stood before them with a Sigilyph.
"Alyssa!" I hurried to her side and helped her and Colress up. "Are you all right?"
"Yes..." Alyssa said. She looked to the woman. "She just attacked us out of nowhere."
I glared at the woman. "What do you think you're doing?!"
The woman's eyes widened, and her scowl hardened. "Y... You people..." She gritted her teeth. She pulled out a Poké Ball. "Sableye!"
The Poké Ball opened, and Sableye came out. It and Sigilyph stood side by side.
"I order you to leave Anistar City immediately. Failure to obey will lead to force!"
"Why? We haven't done anything wrong!" Ash said, stepping to my side.
"You three will bring nothing but chaos to our city! Lady Olympia had foreseen it, and I will do what it takes to protect her and my people!" the woman said.
"Olympia? The Gym Leader?"
"You're the one who's attacking innocent people for no reason. If anyone is causing chaos here, it's you!" I said.
"How dare you..." The woman thrust her arm forward. "Sableye, use Power Gem!"
The gem on Sableye's chest glowed, and it launched an energy beam at us. I thrust my arm out, and Protect formed in front of us. The woman's eyes widened at the Protect, only to have her anger take over her features once more. I dispelled the Protect.
"Professor Sycamore, take Alyssa and Colress and get out of the way," I said. "I'll handle this."
"Sigilyph, Psywave!"
I held out my arm, and Zoroark ran down it. She hopped off, glowing magenta, and transformed into her original self. She held out her hand, and the Psywave hit it. She closed her paw and grinned.
"You know that Psychic-types have no effect on Dark-types, right?" I said. "Let's see... Sigilyph is a Psychic- and Flying-type. Zoroark, jump and use Shadow Ball!"
Zoroark crouched and pushed off her feet. A Shadow Ball formed in her paws.
"Now, use Protect and knock it out of the park!"
Zoroark thrust her arm to the side, and a mallet made of Protect formed. She closed her fingers around it. Holding the mallet in both hands, with a grunt, Zoroark swung. The mallet smashed into the Shadow Ball, and the Shadow Ball rocketed towards Sigilyph. The Shadow Ball slammed into Sigilyph's chest, and Sigilyph was launched back. It crashed to the ground, throwing brick and pebbles into the air. Sigilyph lay unconscious. Its body was a few inches in the stone.
"Sigilyph, return!" The woman held out its Poké Ball and returned it. Its outline remained in the ground. The woman turned back to me and growled, her fingers trembling as she tightly gripped Sigilyph's Poké Ball. "Why, you...! Sableye, use Power Gem!"
Sableye launched another energy beam, but before it hit Zoroark, a cluster of Frubbles flew in its path and cancelled it out. I looked to Ash, who had Frogadier at his side. He smiled. I nodded.
"Don't give them time to recharge," I said. "Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"
Sylveon hopped to Zoroark's side and thrust her ribbons forward. A pink, sparkling tornado formed and sucked up Sableye. Sableye spun around inside the tornado.
"S-Sableye!"
"Use Shadow Claw!"
Zoroark's right claw ignited with dark energy. She sprinted forward, reared back her arm, and swung. The Shadow Claw struck Sableye, knocking it out of the Fairy Wind. Sableye landed at the woman's feet, also unconscious.
The woman returned Sableye to its Poké Ball. "I won't say this again..." she said. Her voice shook from rage. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a third Poké Ball. Zoroark and Sylveon readied themselves. "For the sake of Anistar City... of Kalos... leave at once!"
She pulled back her arm to throw the Poké Ball. Light blue energy covered the Poké Ball, and it lifted out of the woman's hand. She gasped and looked up. The Poké Ball floated up to another woman. She floated in the air, alongside a male and female Meowstic using Psychic. She reached out and grabbed the Poké Ball.
"L... Lady Olympia..." the woman said. Her anger had diminished.
"Olympia?" Ash said. "That's the Anistar City Gym Leader?"
"That is enough, Carrie," Olympia said. Carrie flinched at her name.
"B-But-"
"Enough, I said!"
Carrie fell to her knees and bowed, her face close to the ground. "Yes, ma'am."
"What were you thinking?!" A blue-haired woman dressed in the same purple robes as Carrie ran up to her and stood before her, her arms folded tightly. "Do you have any idea what your actions could have caused?! You put innocent people's lives in danger... all for what?!"
Olympia floated down to me. "We came to admonish Carrie. I'm very sorry for the trouble she caused you."
"Um, it's fine..." I said. The others gathered around me.
"But, Lady Olympia, I did this for Anistar City-"
"Quiet!"
Carrie bowed her head.
"This habit of yours needs to stop," the blue-haired woman said. "This is the third time you've acted according to your own arbitrary interpretations of Olympia's visions! What if the next time, we're not there to stop you in time? Your interpretations could lead to people getting killed!"
"P-Please forgive me, Charlene," Carrie mumbled.
"I am not the one whose forgiveness you should beg for."
Carrie grimaced. She climbed to her feet and shuffled past Charlene and Olympia. She stood before me and bowed deeply.
"I'm terribly sorry! Please, forgive me for my actions," Carrie said.
I looked away. "Thank you for apologizing," I said. Carrie stood straight and stepped back to Charlene's side, her head bowed. I looked to Olympia. "So... what's this about visions?"
"Olympia is able to see the future," Charlene said.
"I saw a great crisis that will soon come to Kalos," Olympia said, her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and rested them on us. "One that you will participate in."
"In it, she saw the Professor, the boy with the Frogadier, and you, miss. Carrie believed you were our enemies."
My eyes widened.
"Didn't you have a vision like that?" Ash said.
"Yeah, but it didn't say anything about a crisis..." I said. I turned to Olympia. "What is this crisis that you saw?"
Olympia closed her eyes and bowed her head. A few moments later, they snapped open. Her pupils shrunk significantly.
I gasped as images washed over my mind. I saw Frogadier. A silhouette stood behind him. A torrent of water picked up and consumed him. A pair of red, glowing eyes pierced through the water.
The images left. I stood straight and looked at Frogadier. Frogadier tilted his head.
"What...?" I said.
"I can see it!" Olympia said. She pointed at Frogadier. "I can see your future!"
I looked at Olympia. She saw Frogadier, too? I thought. We're... having the same visions?
"We must go to the Gym at once," Olympia said. "Please, come with me."
We looked around the Gym. The battlefield glowed blue, reflecting off our skin, eyes, and clothes. A night sky surrounded us, as if we were floating in space. Large gears were attached to the sides of the battlefield, and the balcony was made of brass and hung above us.
"Wow," Bonnie whispered. "So, can Olympia tell me my future?"
Charlene chuckled. "It doesn't work so conveniently. Olympia's visions are brought to her through the guidance of the stars. They bring the truth to her in their own time. Sometimes they can stop great misfortune from happening."
"You're talking about what happened in Hoenn, correct?" Professor Sycamore said.
I perked up. "What happened in Hoenn?"
"There was an incident in Hoenn a few months ago. The Legendary Pokémon, Groudon and Kyogre, were involved in a great battle off the coast of Rustboro City. The results could have been devastating, but Olympia had a vision in advance."
"We contacted Hoenn's champion, Steven Stone, so he could help in stopping the disaster. There were weather abnormalities as a result, but because of Olympia's prediction, the Kalos region was able to prepare accordingly," Charlene said.
"I contacted him afterwards to see how he was doing. He told me he had some extra help in the case: my old assistant, Alain, and his friend, N."
"N?!" I cried. My voice echoed into infinity. "He was there?!"
"Who's N?" Serena said.
"He's Rylee's older brother," Ash said. "He can also talk to Pokémon. Did N become a Pokémon Knight, too?"
"Yeah, we reached that rank together. He's been traveling around the regions with his friends, and Hoenn is where they were the last time we talked," I said. I turned to Professor Sycamore. "How did N do? Did Steven tell you? Is he okay?"
Professor Sycamore laughed aloud. "Well, considering that the Hoenn region didn't get destroyed, I'd say he and Alain did a great job."
"How many legendaries has N battled against now?" Ash said.
"Three," I said.
"Three?!" Clemont cried. Serena and Bonnie gaped at us. "How many have you battled?"
I folded my arms. "Let's see... First there was the Legendary trio from Unova. Landorus was on our side while we fought Thundurus and Tornadus."
"But then we saw them again when we helped Meloetta," Ash said.
"Yeah, but I'll only count Landorus. And then there was the battle I had against my dad, so... that's four legendaries for me. If this was a competition, I'd be in the lead."
Clemont sweatdropped. "You're both so casual about all of this."
I chuckled. "When you've been through what we have, nothing surprises you."
"Amen," Ash said. We looked at each other and laughed.
Charlene giggled. Her face fell, and she turned to Olympia. "Lady Olympia?"
Olympia lifted her arm out of her cloak and aimed her palm at me.
"You also possess the power of clairvoyance," she said.
I stiffened. "Yes, ma'am, although mine works differently than yours. However, since coming to this city, I've been able to see the visions you've had." I paused. "You had a vision about a crisis coming to Kalos, and me and my friends are involved in it somehow. Is that right?"
"Yes."
I looked through the platform and at the stars. Could Team Flare have something to do with it?
"Do you think the Hoenn incident could be connected to this?" Clemont said.
I perked up with a quiet gasp. That never even crossed my mind...
"That depends on our future deciphering," Charlene said.
"Charlene, do you think these people are the ones who will cause this foreseen crisis?" Carrie said.
"You're lacking training, Carrie. Lady Olympia never said they were the cause of the crisis, she said they are among the faces of those who will gather in Kalos and get caught within the vortex."
"That doesn't sound good..." Serena whispered.
"Young boy," Olympia said. Ash straightened. "The future that I just saw concerned you and your Frogadier. Your Pokémon is one that is different from others. Allow me to show you what I saw."
Olympia thrust her arms out to the sides, and her pupils dilated. She glowed green, and a portal of green opened in front of her.
"In order to know the future, we must understand the past," Olympia said. An image of a Froakie egg appeared. It burst, and the scene changed to Froakie swimming through the water. He leaped out of the water and perched on a rock. He watched a large group of Froakie laugh and dance. "Since it was born, Froakie has always been a lone wolf. It spent all its time training and improving."
It showed Froakie off in the forest, throwing Frubbles at a tree and swinging from branches.
"Because of this, it led to endless quarrels. It wasn't until it met humans that it learned that it cannot grow stronger by itself."
A battered and bruised Froakie sat on a table while Nurse Joy sprayed his wounds with a Potion. She petted its head and smiled.
"What changed Froakie wasn't words, but the emotion conveyed by humans. From that moment forward, it wasn't the Trainer that chose Froakie, but Froakie who chose the Trainer. Those whom it felt were not worthy, those whom it felt it would be useless to dedicate its heart and soul to, Froakie quickly abandoned. Trainer after Trainer went by, and Froakie had still not found 'the one'... until it met you. You had what Froakie yearned for- love."
Ash looked at Frogadier. "Is that true?" he said. Frogadier looked at Ash and nodded. Ash smiled. He looked up at Olympia. "So, what did you see in Frogadier's future?"
Olympia brought her arms down, and the pool of images vanished. "This one will gain further power."
"Like evolving into Greninja?"
"I cannot say... but you two will climb up towards a future of new greatness. One that no one has ever seen before."
"You mean Mega Evolution?" Professor Sycamore said. We looked to him. "Of course, there are no cases of Greninja Mega Evolving at the moment. Perhaps Frogadier will be the first."
Ash turned to Frogadier and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I want to reach that future with you," Ash said. "We'll grow stronger than ever before. We're in this together."
Frogadier reached up and placed his webbed hand over Ash's. He nodded.
"What is your name, boy?" Olympia said.
"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," Ash said.
"The Kanto region. You've traveled great lengths to be here."
"I have, and I've come here to challenge you for my seventh Gym badge."
"A Gym battle?" Olympia closed her eyes and smiled. "Although I cannot see the ending result, I can feel the fiery passion burning within you. I accept your challenge."
Ash smiled.
