Cloudy Fate, Bright Future
Anistar City Gym
On the main field of the gym floor were a bunch of students who were all floating in the air with the help of their Psychic-type Pokémon. Watching from above them was Olympia, the gym leader, with her two Meowstics. "Trust your heart with your Pokémon completely, and soon you will have true vision," one of the higher-level students coaching them said. "There is a hot, hot light within our minds. The stars will guide that light through the vastness of space. Yes, we are all truly one with the universe."
The training came to a sudden halt when Olympia started floating above everyone, looking like she was in a trance. "I see it. A light," she said. Her cape then opened, drowning the room in green light. "In the near future, Kalos will face an unprecedented threat. And trapped in the vortex in this threat, I see them. The faces of those who gather here in Anistar City." A green vortex then appeared and presented an image of Ash with Pikachu on his shoulder. "One with a deep green eye, and those who walk alongside it. The one who will show the way." The image then shifted to Professor Sycamore before shifting again. Alec was standing in front of Flame in his Mega Fusion form, both surrounded by blue flames. What was odd though is that both their left eyes were different. Alec's was a bright blue while Flame's was yellow. "And the one who will lead the charge." As Olympia spoke, one of her students looked at this and decided she had to act.
The Pokémon Center: Alec's POV
It's been two days since Alec was released from the hospital and he was getting better, albeit slowly. Mom had headed back home and Liz said she would be heading back to Snowbelle to let everyone know that he was alright. Despite Alec's protests though, Ash had been holding off his gym battle till Alec was fully better, but last night he'd been able to convince Ash. Meanwhile, Serena was looking over her second Princess Key. "One more, then it's the master class," Serena stated.
"Those Princess Key's are so pretty," Bonnie commented.
"And next, it's you and me," Serena told Eevee.
[And I'm ready,] Eevee said confidently.
"There's no way Serena's going to lose, and no way are we going to lose either. Right buddy?" Ash asked Pikachu.
[You bet!] Pikachu shouted before rapidly hitting his checks causing sparks. Eevee jumped and hid behind Serena.
"It's okay. They're just having fun," Serena told Eevee.
[Sorry about that,] Pikachu apologized.
"So Ash, I hope you're ready for the gym's Psychic-types," Clemont said.
"You bet I am," Ash replied confidently. "Race you to the gym!" he shouted as he ran out the door with the group following.
"Can't just walk for a change," Clemont complained.
"I'd have to agree with Clemont on this one," Alec said.
[He didn't say anything about flying,] Ethan pointed out.
"Are we going to catch up?" Cassidy asked.
Just then, the TV then changed to Malva of the Elite Four covering a news story that caught the two's attention. "Our next story concerns Mega Evolution. Professor Sycamore is scheduled to arrive today at Anistar's greatest symbol, the Sundial. Some have theorized that the Sundial came from space. Although its true origins are a mystery, recent research has shown that there is a real connection with the Sundial and Mega Evolution. Many are focused on Professor Sycamore, the leading researcher into Mega Evolution, and what he will discover studying the Sundial." The new report then ended, going to commercials.
"Well that's interesting," Cassidy commented.
"Yep. We'd better catch up to Ash and the others though," Alec said as he started to walk outside. Once there, he let out Flame and he hopped on. "Want a lift?" Alec asked Cassidy.
"Sure," she answered. She climbed onto Flame's back and the Charizard took to the sky.
When they caught up to the group, Alec heard a humorous conversation. "Hey, Ash. You seem to be forgetting something," Serena called out.
"What's that?" Ash asked.
"Alec. He can't race after us," Serena told him. Ash immediately skidded to a halt.
"Oh right. I forgot," Ash realized.
"I wondered how long it would take you to remember," Alec called out from Flame's back. The group looked up at them. Flame then landed next to them, but Alec didn't get off.
"Sorry, Alec. I guess I was so excited that your injuries slipped my mind," Ash apologized.
Before Alec could respond, an explosion went off in the direction of the Sundial. "What's that?" Serena asked.
"We'd better find out," Ash said.
He and Serena started running towards the Sundial while Bonnie shouted, "Clemont, hurry up! It's an emergency!"
"Flame," Alec said. Flame immediately took off towards the Sundial. When they arrived, a girl was confronting Professor Sycamore and his two assistants with a Sigilyph. From the looks of it, the girl had already destroyed some equipment.
"Professor Sycamore! What happened?" Ash asked him.
"I don't believe it! Now Sableye go!" the girl shouted, throwing a Poké Ball.
"What's going on?" Serena asked in confusion.
"Hey, what have we done to you anyway?" Ash asked.
"Now, Power Gem!" the girl commanded. Sableye fired a red-white beam from the gem on its stomach forcing the group to dodge.
"Enough of this!" Alec shouted as he had Flame land between the girl and the group. "Stand down now," he ordered the girl.
"You!" she said with what sounded like hatred. "You won't be able to lead the charge if I stop you now. Sableye! Sigilyph!" she ordered. Sableye shot off another Power Gem while Sigilyph let lose a Psybeam. Alec was confused by her words, but he pushed that aside.
"Ethan!" he called out. Ethan jumped in front of the Psybeam taking zero damage before firing Dark Pulse at Power Gem. Ash, meanwhile, grabbed a Poké Ball.
"Frogadier, I choose you!" Ash shouted. "Frogadier, Water Pulse!" he ordered. Frogadier fired, knocking Sableye back.
"No, Sableye! Sigilyph, Psywave!" the girl ordered.
"Ethan, Dark Pulse!" Alec called out. Ethan fired before Sigilyph, knocking it out.
"Why you," the girl growled as she returned her knocked out Pokémon. "Sableye, Power Gem!" she commanded.
"Frogadier, Water Pulse!" Ash shouted. Frogadier's attack countered Sableye's, causing a steam explosion. "Now Aerial Ace!" Frogadier ran through the steam as it cleared then jumped and slammed Sableye into the ground with his foot, taking it out.
"Quick Sableye, return," the girl said. "How dare you. For the sake of Anistar and Kalos, leave here immediately!" she shouted as she pulled out another Poké Ball. Before she could throw it, it was lifted out of her hand and was grabbed by Olympia, who was floating with her two Meowstics.
"Stand down now Kary," Olympia ordered.
"Olympia. Is this girl one of your students?" Alec asked as he climbed off of Flame's back.
"Yes. My apologies for her attack on you all. Kary has a bad habit of acting on misinterpreted information," Olympia answered as she floated closer to the ground.
"But Lady Olympia, I was only trying to help Kalos!" Kary protested.
"Silence Kary," Olympia ordered as another girl came up, likely another student of Olympia.
"I'm guessing by what just happened is that you've had a vision?" Alec asked Olympia.
"Yes. I was going to notify you as soon as possible, but I was unsure of your current status," Olympia answered.
"Um, Alec, do you know her?" Ash asked.
"I believe an introduction is in order. My name is Olympia, the Anistar City Gym Leader," she said.
"We ask you to forgive Kary for her actions. My name is Sharlene, one of Lady Olympia's apprentices," the second girl introduced.
"I am so very sorry," Kary apologized with a bow.
"Glad that's sorted out," Professor Sycamore commented.
"So what was your vision, Olympia?" Alec asked.
"I saw a disaster approaching soon, and your fates are all connected to that threat," Olympia answered.
"Kary thought that you'd be the cause of the threat," Sharlene clarified.
Olympia then gasped and her eyes widened. "There it is! I see it!" she exclaimed.
"What did you see? Does it concern the threat?" Alec asked.
Olympia didn't answer him but looked at Frogadier. "Your future," she said, pointing to him.
"Frogadier's future?" Ash questioned.
"We'll discuss this at the gym. And Champion, I'd like to have a private word with you later," Olympia answered. Alec nodded, knowing that Olympia's visions were not to be taken lightly.
The group followed her to the gym where everyone but Alec, Cassidy, and Professor Sycamore were in awe of the space theme of the inside. "It's beautiful," Bonnie commented.
"I'd really like to know how she can see the future," Clemont stated.
"I want her to see my future as well," Serena said with excitement.
"I do too. Like if I'll ever become a Pokémon Trainer, and who will take care of my big brother," Bonnie added. Clemont flushed at Bonnie's last comment.
"My future is none of your business!" he told her.
"I'm afraid it's not quite that easy," Sharlene stated. "It's the voice of the stars that guide Lady Olympia to preserve the future."
"So that's how you knew about Groudon and Kyogre's Primal reawakening off the coast of Hoenn?" Cassidy asked.
"Yes. Led by the voice of the stars, Lady Olympia foresaw their clash and took steps to minimize the effects the clash had on Kalos, coming out mostly unharmed," Sharlene answered.
"Are we connected to something as large as the threat perceived?" Clemont asked Olympia.
"That is something we must figure out," Sharlene answered for her.
"Please tell me Sharlene, are these really the ones who will bring danger to Kalos?" Kary asked.
"Your training has been quite inadequate," Sharlene responded bluntly. "Lady Olympia never said they would bring danger to us, but rather they'd be trapped in the vortex of this threat," she added.
"Has your vision told you what will be the cause of this threat?" Alec asked Olympia.
"Sadly no," Olympia answered before looking at Ash. "Young man, the vision I perceived earlier concerns the future of you and your Frogadier," she told him.
"Me and Frogadier?" Ash questioned.
"That's correct. The vision that occurred showed me your Frogadier is a Pokémon with a curious fate. That is clear by seeing its past and future," Olympia answered.
"What does she mean?" Serena asked Alec, but he had no answer for her.
"If I may, I will show you what I saw," Olympia said. She then held her arms out and spread her cape which cloaked the gym in a green light before creating a green mist in front of the gym leader. From the mist, a blue egg with white markings that looked like a Froakie's hands appeared. "To learn about the future, we must first search the past. This is a Froakie egg," Olympia said.
"Do you know anything about Frogadier's past?" Ash asked Professor Sycamore.
"No, I don't. I honestly don't know a single thing about it before it came to me as a starter Pokémon for trainers," he answered.
The egg then shattered and a blinding light enveloped everyone. When Alec opened his eyes, he found himself breathing underwater. A shape then went past him and he saw a Froakie swimming around. "This is Froakie, shortly after hatching from its egg," Olympia's voice said from somewhere. Froakie then surfaced and Alec followed him. Outside, he noticed they were in some kind of facility with a bunch of other Froakies. Two of them were doing a dance while the others watched with smiles. Ash's Froakie meanwhile, stood on a rock a bit away from the others. He then jumped off into the water below him. The image then changed to a forest, likely in the same place. One of the trees had an 'X' carved into it with Froakie throwing his frubbles at the 'X', trying to hit it. Froakie then jumped up the tree before backflipping and doing some punches, kicks, and acrobatics. "Instead of playing with the other Froakie, this one trained tirelessly, reaching for new heights."
Froakie was then stopped from his training by two other Froakies with lilypad umbrellas. [Hey Froakie,] the first one greeted.
[Why don't you stop training and come play?] the other asked.
[Not happening,] Ash's Froakie answered plainly before walking away. He was then hit by a frubble by another Froakie before being surrounded by them.
"However, because your Froakie spent so much time alone, there was a lot of conflict with others," Olympia spoke. "Then one day, someone showed it that you can't become stronger all by yourself. Froakie realized it would only be able to reach new heights by working with a trainer." The image shifted to show Froakie covered in bandages and being tended to by Nurse Joy. "But it wasn't just words alone that made a difference, what changed Froakie was the kindness this person showed it." The image then changed to show Froakie with Professor Sycamore standing between a Fennekin and a Chespin. With them was a young boy, likely a new trainer, looking at the three starters. The image changed again showing Froakie with the same boy, who was battling another trainer with a Scatterbug. "So, instead of being chosen by a trainer, this Froakie learned how to choose its trainer." The image changed again to Sycamore's lab with the boy walking out the door and Froakie watching from the top of the stairs. "It had one objective: To see if it was worthy devoting itself to that trainer. From the beginning, Froakie expected a high standing from its trainer, but each one seemed to have something lacking." The image changed to show multiple trainers who at one point had Froakie.
The mist then disappeared and Alec found himself back in the Anistar Gym. "When you're a new trainer, not everything goes as smoothly as hoped, and everyone hesitates when it comes to something new. However, what this Froakie was yearning for was something much deeper. I have a word for that. It's love," Olympia continued.
"The Pokémon for new trainers that kept returning to the research lab. That's how Froakie was known back then. The Pokémon that came back" Clemont stated.
"Well, what do you know. You choose me," Ash remarked.
[And I don't regret it,] Frogadier responded.
"Let's keep getting stronger together," Ash said confidently and Frogadier nodded.
"Olympia, can you tell us what Frogadier's future is?" Professor Sycamore asked.
"Its power will become greater and greater," Olympia answered.
[Well that's vague as all get out,] Ethan remarked.
"Does that mean Frogadier will evolve into Greninja?" Ash asked, looking at Frogadier.
"I don't know. But I do know this, it will reach new heights that few have ever seen before, and you will reach those new heights together," Olympia answered. Alec wondered what Olympia and his mind went back to one of his battles with Liz for some reason.
"Could you mean Mega Evolution?" Professor Sycamore asked, breaking Alec out of his thoughts.
"Mega Evolution?!" Ash asked in surprise.
"Although there's no record of it, it's possible that Greninja could Mega Evolve," Professor Sycamore theorized.
[I wonder if it's something similar to you know who,] Flame told Alec.
"You weren't the only one thinking that," Alec remarked.
It seemed that no one heard Alec though as the others were too excited at the thought of a Mega Greninja. "That's incredible! A new power few have seen before is a really big deal!" Clemont shouted.
"Not just a big deal, it's a huge deal!" Serena remarked.
"I can't wait for that to happen!" Bonnie shouted.
Ash then grabbed Frogadier's shoulder. "Then let's go. The future is out there just waiting for us," he told him. Frogadier grabbed Ash's hand and nodded. "But first, we need to win our seventh badge. So, Olympia, I'd like to have a gym battle with you right now!" Ash shouted.
"Alright then. What's your name?" she asked and Ash gave it to her. "I accept your challenge," Olympia told him before she received another vision.
"What did you see?" Alec asked with worry.
"The Sundial is in grave danger!" Olympia shouted.
"Flame, let's go," Alec told him. Flame swooped up Alec onto his back as Ethan hopped on and flew out of the gym towards the Sundial. As they arrived, Alec saw an all too familiar balloon float towards the Sundial. "Of course it's Team Rocket," he remarked.
[Let's teach them a lesson,] Flame growled.
"Agreed," Alec replied.
Team Rocket then noticed them approaching. "It's the strong twerp!" James' voice called out.
"Not good. Let's do this quickly!" Jessie ordered. Four claws then sprung from the bottom of the basket and each grabbed a part of the Sundial.
"Mega Evolve!" Alec shouted as he grabbed his Keystone. As Flame started to transform, Alec grabbed onto his shoulder spikes for stability. As it finished, Flame's body was surrounded by his blue flames. "Flamethrower!" Alec shouted. The flames moved towards Flame's mouth adding to Flamethrower's power as it launched. Team Rocket activated some kind of thrusters on the back of the basket and managed to dodge the attack, causing it to slam into the sea in a massive explosion.
"That fire almost roasted us!" Meowth shouted in shock.
"Flame, where'd all that extra power come from? Even when you take the flames from your transformation it's never been that powerful," Alec asked him.
[I think it has something to do with the Sundial. I can tell it's a powerful source of Mega Evolution energy. It might be adding to my power since I've Mega Evolved,] Flame theorized.
"Team Rocket?!" Ash's voice questioned from below. Looking down, everyone but Olympia and her two students had run towards the Sundial.
"I've got this Ash, don't worry," Alec told him.
"You sure Alec?" Ash asked. Alec responded by giving him a smile and a thumbs up.
"Let's take these guys out," Alec told Flame.
[Agreed,] Flame replied. Unknown to everyone there, Alec and Flame's left eyes had swapped colors with each other.
"Flamethrower!" Alec ordered. Flame charged up his attack again, making sure that Team Rocket wouldn't be able to dodge again. When Flame fired, there were traces of yellow in the blue flames as they raced towards Team Rocket. At the same time, four portals opened around the balloon releasing Future Sight. The combined attacks caused a massive explosion that sent Team Rocket blasting off.
When the smoke from the attacks cleared, Alec and Flame's eyes had returned to normal, both unaware of what happened to them. "Olympia's Future Sight combined with Flame's attack was so powerful," Clemont commented in awe as Flame turned to normal and landed.
"Olympia's no pushover Ash. You'd better be ready for that Future Sight," Alec advised.
"I guess a Future Sight of that power only really works when you can see the future," Clemont added.
"I'll keep that in mind," Ash said confidently.
"Are you really going to battle her Ash?" Serena asked with a bit of worry.
"Of course I am! She'll be an awesome opponent!" Ash shouted. "And soon, we'll have our seventh badge!" he added to Pikachu and Frogadier.
"Be careful though Ash. You don't have a Dark-type to soak up powerful Psychic-type attacks," Cassidy advised.
"We'll be fine," Ash responded, his voice filled with confidence.
[Seventh badge, here we come!] Pikachu called out.
[We're going to win!] Frogadier added.