PARAGON
Remnants of the Great War Arc [16]
Chapter 25 : Aura
“Oh, you look dreadful, my dear.”
Zelda Leora fingered her rings as Cynthia settled into the seat across from her. True to Zelda’s observation, even the ever-present radiance of the Hano Grand Resort could not hide Cynthia’s weariness. She fell back into her chair with a slump, and sighed.
“Yeah,” she agreed.
“Well, no better time for this, then.” Zelda lifted a bottle of dark silver liquid off the table and pulled off the crystal stopper, before carefully pouring some into the empty glass in front of Cynthia.
Cynthia watched her pour, the alcohol swirling like storm clouds within the glass.
“I like this one quite a bit,” Zelda said, replacing the stopper. “Take a sip before I tell you what it is.”
Usually Cynthia would be cautious, but she was so exhausted she couldn’t even bother feigning concern. She lifted the glass to her lips and emptied a bit into her mouth. Immediately, her face wrinkled and she put her glass down a but harder than she intended to. She swallowed and rubbed her throat.
“It’s spicy!” she said, cringing with one eye closed. “Is that whiskey?”
“Very good, Cynthia! You’re exactly right. Aged in cask made from the spectral wood of a former Phantump, then finished with 0.02 milliliters of Salazzle poison. The poison is scraped directly from the tongue of an adolescent, when it’s at its sweetest, and that takes with it a bit of its fiery mucus. Before it can congeal, it’s blended with the whiskey in a centrifuge so its flavor gets distributed evenly. It’s said that a single sip can add a whole year to one’s life. What do you think?”
Cynthia opened and closed her mouth a few times, letting the taste work its way around her mouth. Since it was so spicy, she couldn’t taste the whiskey at all before,but now she could, and it actually soothed her inflamed tongue. A smoky aftertaste wafted throughout her mouth, and she stifled the urge to cough. “It has an interesting flavor,” she eventually said.
“I can’t get enough of it,” Zelda smiled. “But enough of that. Have some of these ocean cakes. And have a sugar stick with it.”
Cynthia did as instructed and loaded up her plate. She took her bites slowly, and chewed even slower. Today’s sweets were quite exotic, and she found herself disliking more items than she liked. Zelda let her take a few bites before speaking again.
“So. You must tell me what ails you, my dear. Miss Leora is here to lend you her ear.”
“AZ,” Cynthia said, dabbing at the corners of her mouth. “What else?”
“‘What else,’ indeed. These attacks on Interpol’s bases have yet to abate. It’s quite concerning that his cohorts seem to know exactly where they are. It’s almost worse that they never take anything of much value. At least then, we’d have a lead on what it is they’re after.”
Zelda wasn’t a part of the International Police, but Cynthia knew they were connected in some way. Maybe she worked for them in the past, but Cynthia had never asked. After knowing Zelda for so long, she’d come to expect that Zelda had eyes on everything.
“Actually about that,” Cynthia said. “I’ve been thinking. If they’re not stealing anything of value, then maybe the purpose of the raids isn’t to procure anything in particular. Maybe the purpose of the raids is simply to whittle down Interpol’s resources.”
“They haven’t whittled down anything,” Zelda scoffed. “The total value of everything stolen doesn’t even come up to a tenth of my personal wealth, much less Interpol’s.”
Cynthia almost replied that Zelda’s personal wealth wasn’t even that much smaller than Interpol’s entire budget, but she held her tongue. “I was talking about time. I think they’re trying to waste our time.”
“A red herring, huh?” Zelda seemed to mull it over and shrugged. “I suppose. But then why would AZ himself take part in one of the raids? He hasn’t been a part of any of the others.”
“More misdirection, maybe? Who knows?”
“Well, clearly the World Champion knows something we don’t. He moved the Champions before the raids even began. And even got Steven to cover Sinnoh.” Zelda narrowed her eyes. “Why would he omit you?”
Cynthia felt her face heat up, and she took another sip of her whiskey, despite not particularly liking it. “I’m not sure. Though it’s not like I would’ve gone anyway.”
Zelda smiled, popping some violet pastry into her mouth. “Of course not. You have more important things to do than play security guard for Interpol’s lost and found.” She swallowed. “How is your Paragon Organization doing?”
“Ah, right. Apparently they’ve found AZ, and potentially one of his hideouts.”
“Begin with that next time, please.”
Cynthia grimaced. “Sorry. But I haven’t heard back from them in a couple days. Ash apparently found AZ in northern Kanto, and the Kalos team is looking into some ruins.”
“Ash…he’s the new one, right?”
“Newest. I first scouted him over two years ago.”
“Right, right.” Zelda nodded. “He’s the one the World Champion was interested in. Anything cause for concern?”
“Not that I know of.”
Zelda laced her fingers together. Her sweeping black bangs fell over her eyes. “I wonder. AZ was spotted in northern Kanto. That means near Rota.”
“Rota?”
“Oh, yes. Our World Champion is a Guardian, did you know that?”
Cynthia frowned. “No. Not at all.”
She waited for Zelda to continue, but the woman was still deep in thought. Eventually, she shook her head and faced Cynthia again.
“Do try to contact Ash again. He’s in danger.”
“I told him as much.”
Zelda sighed and took a sip of her own drink. She didn’t recoil at all. “Things are unraveling faster than I expected. Interpol and the League are being forced together, yet AZ still remains two steps ahead. His cohorts are quite formidable.” Her silver eyes met Cynthia’s grays, and she smiled. “It’s times like these that I am truly thankful for the Paragon Organization.”
Cynthia blushed and she averted her eyes. “Please.”
Zelda grinned, and her glossy black lipstick sparkled. “There’s the Cynthia I know. No more moping about. You have a good head on your shoulders, Cynthia, and you know how to use it. Stay strong, and listen to your old friend Zelda from time to time. She wants to help, you know?”
“I know.”
“Ahh, back to one sentence responses already! You need to relax more! Any men in your life yet?”
Finally, Cynthia laughed, out of the sheer ludicrousness of the question. “Of course not. You think I have time for that?”
“Oh, come on, Cynthia! I can hear your grandmother crowing about it from here! She wants great-grandchildren, and you’re the only one who can give them to her! You’re the only family she has left, right?”
Cynthia’s eyes glimmered. “Yeah.”
“You’re…you mean, you’re the missing king of the Aura Guardians?!” Ash stammered. On the bed, Sabrina’s eyes also went wide, so she’d clearly gotten a history lesson on the Guardians.
Albrecht closed his eyes, sealing off their azure glow, and slumped in his chair, looking smaller than he ever had. He rubbed his hands and rested his head on them. “The throne is mine, but I am no king,” he said quietly. “Not anymore.”
Ash and Sabrina both faltered at asking him more questions. A wave of sadness drifted off his body, and Ash found himself unable to open his mouth, much less utter a single word. Albrecht had always been mysterious, cloaked in a coat of peerless confidence that shielded all from getting close to him. But he’d opened himself up to Ash, and then he seemed dauntless. The man before him now was neither. He looked and sounded exhausted.
“None of the Guardians know who I truly am, even the good Queen,” Albrecht continued. “I haven’t even set foot in Cameran Palace since the war. So even with whispers of my connection to the Guardians floating around, I’m sure none of them would ever go as far as to suspect that I am who I am.” He lowered his hands and sat up, a ghost of a smile on his face. “In that regard, your friend Anabel is truly monstrous to have realized so quickly.”
“But why?” Sabrina said softly, speaking up for the first time. “Your people have been waiting for you all this time.”
Albrecht closed his eyes again, and his head bobbed as he tapped his foot, as if considering how best to answer. “I made a promise, at the end of the Great War, to my best friend,” he eventually said. “That I would never again involve myself in the affairs of the world, or the Platebearers, or the shadow war between them. But the truth is, I’m running out of time.” He met both Ash and Sabrina’s gaze, a glimmer of resolve shining in his eyes. “I’m over three thousand years old, and as I said, I don’t carry a shard of the God Pokémon’s soul within me. My longevity is due only to my feeble strength as a Guardian.” He held out his palm, and a small Aura Sphere flickered into being within. It spat azure energy, warbling chaotically in the air. “Once upon a time, I wielded Aura as easily as I drew breath. I devoured the wisdom and teachings of Guardians past, and in my youthful folly, sought and attained so-called immortality.” He said the word mockingly. “But look… This is all I can manage now.” He extinguished his Aura and sighed. “When I speak of mankind’s greatest desires, I speak from foolish experience.” He turned to Ash. “I hope you’ll forgive me for expecting so much of you. It’s a brambled path I’ve set you on.”
“You didn’t set me on anything,” Ash said, shaking his head. “I’m following my own path, as I always have.” Ash clenched his fist. “And this time, I almost led myself and my friends straight to our deaths. But you saved us. So…thank you.”
Albrecht smiled warmly. “It was the least I could do as the World Champion. I’m glad I was in the area.” He sat up straighter and uncrossed his legs. “It’s getting late. I know you two just woke up, but I would try and get to sleep again before you ruin your sleep schedule. It will only make your bodies recover even slower.” He started to get up, gathering their dishes.
“Wait, sorry, I have another question,” Sabrina said, and Albrecht turned. “Can you tell us about Zagreus?”
Albrecht paused as he was picking up the pitcher of water. “Zagreus? Who’s that?” Genuine confusion colored his face.
“Uhhh, he…was a Guardian from the Great War…who committed some sin and had his name erased from the history of the Guardians. That’s what Queen Ilene said, but I guess she didn’t know anything more than that. But he reappeared just a month ago…and we were wondering who he was…”
Albrecht stood up straight and furrowed his brows. “Zagreus, hm? I’m sorry, I don’t recognize the name.” He turned, truly appearing to dig deep into his memory. “Zagreus… No, I don’t recall a Guardian by that name. But if the Queen knows of him and I don’t, it’s possible his crimes came to light after I’d already recused myself from Cameran Palace.” He exhaled sharply. “Well, I was planning on paying the Queen a visit tomorrow anyway. I’ll inquire when I’m there. Perhaps I can fill in the blanks. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
“O-Oh, not at all,” Sabrina said, blushing nervously. Her gauntlets pulsed. Her social battery seemed to be out after being so assertive.
“Zagreus…” Albrecht murmured one more time. He turned to face them one last time and nodded. “Very well. I’ll have breakfast ready in the morning. After that, Ash, I was thinking we’d spend a bit of time going over the basics of being a Platebearer, if that’s alright with you? Nothing too strenuous, of course.”
“Right! Sounds good!”
“Excellent. Well then, good night, you two.” He smiled one last time before he left, seemingly back to his usual self.
After he closed the door behind him, a silence fell over Ash’s bedroom. They’d been talking for so long it was almost midnight, and even though all they’d done was listen, Ash felt ready to curl back up into bed all the same. The information they’d just received was so dense it made his head feel heavy.
“You going to bed?” Ash asked after several seconds.
Sabrina bolted up from his bed and took a few robotic steps away from it. “I-I guess.” She grabbed her hair and pulled it in front of her face. “I’ll go see Anabel first.”
“I don’t know, it’s pretty late. You think she’s still up?”
Sabrina froze. “Ah…oh…uh.”
“I…I got it,” Ash said quickly, snapping his fingers.. “I’ll go with you, like I said. C’mon!”
“O-Ok.”
The hall outside was dark, but small orange candles fluttered in golden candlesticks lining the wall. Their shadows slid large along the far wall, but beyond the windows outside, the night sky was starry and bright. Ash felt a twinge of nostalgia, as he remembered sneaking around the Oaks’ house with Gary after they’d already been sent to bed.
“Where’s your room?” Ash asked quietly as they walked.
“At the end of this hall,” Sabrina whispered back. Her gauntlets cast a soft jade glow on the manor’s antique furniture as they passed it.
As they neared the medical room, Ash saw a darker spot on the carpet, and the sharp scent of cleaning chemicals filled his nostrils. Ash cringed. “Yeesh, I think that was me. I…sort of…threw up.”
After not hearing anything at his side for a few seconds, Ash turned. Sabrina was looking up at him, clearly wanting to say something, but seemingly not knowing what.
Ash chuckled, flashing a smile she definitely couldn’t see in the dark. “Don’t worry, I’m fine now. Thanks.”
Sabrina buried her hands in the pockets of her sweater and nodded.
They arrived at the medical room, and Ash glanced over at Sabrina. Unlike her usual slouch, she seemed determined to keep on a happy face, standing tall. Ash smiled, and since the door to the medical room was closed, she knocked gently before opening it.
Within, it was dark, save for the area around Anabel’s bed. A lamp beside her was on, and she was sitting up. As they got closer, Ash saw a plate of food on the bed in front of her, and she was stabbing at her food with a fork. Upon seeing them, she brightened.
“Anabel,” Ash said quietly. “How’re you doing?” He and Sabrina both took seats next to her bed.
“Better, now that you two are here.” She turned to Sabrina, and frowned upon seeing her reddened neck and face. She reached out and grabbed her hand. “You’re hurt.”
Sabrina clasped her hand. “W-What about you?” Her eyes were glued to Anabel’s right side.
Anabel withdrew her hand and slowly lifted it to her severed arm. She spread her fingers and her hand hovered over the bandaged stump, trembling. Her hand moved closer and closer, until she stopped, and let her hand fall back onto the bed. She sighed, slumping back against her bedrest. “Yeah, I messed up.”
“Anabel, I’m so sorry. I should’ve—“ Ash began.
“What’re you apologizing for, Ash?” she said, cutting him off. “It’s not your fault at all. It was all my decision.”
“But you said you rushed over here after hearing that I was—“
“Please, Ash. Do you think I think so little of you? I didn’t fly from Sinnoh to Kanto in the dead of night just to rescue you or something.” Her eyes flicked down at her bed. “I wanted to confront AZ. I wanted to see how I’d do. I guess I haven’t fully left the Frontier behind even now.” She looked back up at Ash. “You understand, right, Ash? I’m sure you felt something similar. That’s why you disobeyed Cynthia.”
Ash opened his mouth to rebut her, but she was exactly right. He hadn’t gone after AZ merely to test his prowess with the Electric Plate, or in the interest of apprehending him on behalf of Paragon. No, he’d gone after AZ as a pokémon trainer. He saw an insurmountable challenge, and wanted to defeat it.
Anabel poked at her dinner and stuffed a bean in her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she said, “And now I have to eat with my left hand, which is great.”
“Isn’t there anyone here to help you?” Sabrina asked.
“Oh, there is, alright. They just wouldn’t stop fussing over me. I lost my arm, I didn’t forget how to eat. But keep your voices down, she’s sleeping on the other side of that curtain.”
Ash and Sabrina both looked over at a curtain that had been drawn between Anabel’s bed and the one next to her. After a few seconds, they heard the soft sound of someone sleeping next to them.
“So annoying. First, she wanted to only give me food I wouldn’t need a knife for, then she wanted to cut up my food and feed me like a baby. No thanks.”
Ash watched Anabel struggle with her meal, but eventually she got another bite off. Albrecht wasn’t kidding. She certainly seemed to be in an okay mood. Though that made Ash uneasy. He could tell she was putting on a brave front.
Midway through chewing, she suddenly winced, and dropped her fork. She clenched her right shoulder, and grimaced again after touching it. “Aah!”
“Anabel!” Ash stood up to help, but realized he had no clue what to do. He started moving toward the sleeping nurse.
“Don’t wake her up!” Anabel bit out. “Just…give me a few of those tablets on the table.”
Sabrina unscrewed her bottle of pills and shook out a few. She lifted Anabel’s glass as Anabel scooped the pills out of her hand and tossed them into her mouth. After a swig of water, she handed the glass back and took several deep breaths.
“Are you really okay?” Ash asked.
“I’m fine,” Anabel said curtly. “Really, I am. But I just got my arm cut off so it hurts a bit.” She smiled weakly. “I’ll be fine. But enough about that, what did the World Champion tell you?”
Ash and Sabrina exchanged a look.
“Uhhh, it’s kind of a lot,” he said.
“I’ll tell her everything,” Sabrina said, standing up.
“Are you sure?”
Sabrina nodded, then turned to Anabel. “I’ll stay here with you tonight.”
“Sabrina…” Anabel started.
“I am,” Sabrina repeated. To hammer her point home, she sat back down and crossed her arms. “You can get to bed, Ash.”
“I’ll stay here too.”
“I-It’s fine. I’m not even tired anyway.”
Ash glanced between the two girls, but both seemed resolved about the situation. On the other hand, he actually was tired, and knew he wouldn’t be able to contribute much to Sabrina’s explanation. Finally, he nodded and stood up. “Fine. I’ll see you two in the morning, then.”
“Good night, Ash. And thank you,” Anabel waved.
Sabrina just stared at him, which Ash took to mean something similar. After one last look at them, he left the medical room and made his way back down the hall. Once again, he collapsed onto his bed when he arrived, and it didn’t take long for sleep to come to him.
He woke up with the sun in his eyes, which he was thankful for. It meant he hadn’t slept through another day. Feeling refreshed, and ready to get started with Albrecht, he threw off his sheets. Luckily, he had a change of clothes in his backpack, so he promptly went over to it. But on the very top was the invitation he’d gotten from Albrecht a few days ago. Filled with curiosity, he ripped it open and pulled out the letter.
Dear Ash Ketchum,
The World Champion would be honored by your presence at his celebratory banquet in Celadon City. Please bring up to three guests to enjoy a serene night out in the gardens of the jewel of Kanto. See details below for the date and exact location.
A. Albrecht
Ash frowned and turned the letter over. For how much Albrecht had wanted to meet him, the invitation was surprisingly barren. Then again, anything more would’ve probably scared Ash off. Not that an invitation to a party like this was that appealing to begin with. But Ash had a feeling Albrecht would’ve found a way to meet him regardless. Clearly, it was just that important.
He walked back across his room as he reread the letter, and sat back down on his bed. A familiar squeak cried out as his ass came into contact with some sort of warm mass beneath him
Pikachu squirmed out from under him, looking none too pleased that he was getting woken up by getting sat on. But once he was free, a smile spread across his face.
“Pikachu!” Ash cried, and Pikachu jumped into his arms, sending those familiar jolts of electricity throughout his body. “When did you get in here?”
Pikachu chittered excitedly, pantomiming the actions he took, from sneaking out of the recovery center undetected, creeping through the darkened halls of the manor, and sniffing out his master’s scent, until finally snuggling up beside him.
“Sounds like quite the adventure,” Ash laughed. “And I was not snoring that loud!”
Pikachu stood on his hind legs and roared like a beast, insisting, and Ash rolled his eyes and nudged him over.
Pikachu watched Ash get ready, and started scurrying around the room impatiently when he was taking too long. As he changed, Ash relayed the gist of what had happened, including Anabel’s arm. At that news, Pikachu moaned sadly, his ears flat against his head.
“I know, but she’s hanging in there. We’ll stop by and see her on our way to breakfast. Try and keep a smile on your face, ‘kay, bud? I know she likes you, so I’m sure she’ll feel better if you’re your usual self.”
Pikachu nodded furiously, and they left the room together. As expected, when they arrived, Pikachu bounded straight into her lap, and she pet him happily. Ash could tell he faltered for a split second after seeing the missing arm, and the bits of dried dried blood left on her jawline, but he did his job splendidly. Sabrina was already gone, and Anabel confessed she’d forgotten she was even there, since she slept so silently.
Though it could also be all these drugs they’re giving me, she’d added.
After chatting for a little while, they parted ways so her nurses could administer another round of tests. Albrecht hadn’t told him where to go last night, so they wandered around the manor aimlessly. Though they ran into several servants on their quest, they were far too professional to even notice Ash and Pikachu’s existence as they carried out their duties. But eventually, they found the dining hall.
It was a large room, clearly well-suited for hosting a formal dinner, with its cobblestone fireplace and coat of arms along the walls. But on the grand table in the room’s center, several dishes piled high with Ash’s breakfast favorites sat haphazardly, with a short stack of plates and utensils beside it. Sabrina sat alone at the far end of the table nibbling on a muffin, and she locked eyes with Ash from across the room when he arrived.
Breakfast was a quiet affair as expected, but Sabrina did make a point to say she would take care of relaying everything they’d learned to Cynthia so Ash could focus on his time with Albrecht.
“But could you leave out that I’m a Platebearer?” Ash asked tepidly. “I feel kind of bad about lying to her, so I want to tell her in person.”
Sabrina assented to his request without question, and she left soon after to return to Anabel’s side. Though she was doing her best to hide it, she was clearly extremely worried about her. And Ash wasn’t surprised. Out of everyone in Paragon, Sabrina was closest to Anabel. At times, they even resembled sisters to Ash, and he had little doubt that Sabrina felt as if her sister had just been maimed.
Nevertheless, Albrecht, or anyone else, never entered the dining hall throughout the entirety of breakfast. Once they finished, Ash asked Pikachu to lead him to the recovery center so he could see the rest of his pokémon. Once there, according to the nurses, only Lucario was well enough to be discharged, but the others still needed the rest of the day. On their way out, they ran into Albrecht.
“Ahh, there you are, Ash,” Albrecht sang. “It occurred to me just now that I hadn’t given you a map to this ridiculous mansion. But rather than something tedious like that, I figured I’d come and get you directly. I trust breakfast was to your liking?”
“Yes, it was very delicious, thank you.”
“Excellent, that makes me so happy to hear. And of course, this one seems to be doing fine,” he said, winking at Pikachu, but Pikachu didn’t react, simply staring at the World Champion blankly from atop Ash’s shoulder. Seems he still didn’t trust him.
“Let’s head outside, and we can begin,” Albrecht suggested.
“Lead the way.”
As Albrecht led Ash through the manor, he began to notice just how similar it was to Cameran Palace. The portraits of heroes along the walls were all garbed in deep blue Guardian cloaks, and the entire building exuded age, despite modern conveniences like a small router or outlet appearing occasionally to break the medieval veneer. However, in spite of everything Albrecht had told him, Ash still couldn’t quite see him as the relic that he supposedly was. He looked modern enough, in that expensive white suit, and with those sapphire earrings, he looked a bit like a pop star that any girl his age would drool over. Unlike AZ’s tangled gray hair, wrinkled face, and yellowing eyes, Albrecht’s visage seemed to be perfect in every way, like he’d just stopped aging.
After passing through several halls and doors, Albrecht led Ash out a back door. The weather always seemed perfect in Rota, and today was no different. The sky was a captivating blue and fluffy white clouds lazed across it like ripened fruit swaying in the wind. Verdant hills of emerald grass rustled toward the forested horizon before them, dotted with boulders that jutted from the ground like fingers.
“Where is this in Rota?” Ash breathed as he drank in his surroundings.
“We’re east of the town. This is all my property, so we should have plenty of room.”
“Room for what?”
Albrecht crossed his arms. “Ash, I understand that you have your own path to follow, but if you’d permit me, I’d like to once again extend an offer for you to join me here. I’d like to develop your abilities as a Platebearer and prepare you for AZ’s inevitable assault.”
Ash frowned. “Assault? What do you mean?”
“Ah, right, I forgot to tell you,” Albrecht said, tapping his forehead. “I sent some of my household guard to investigate the forest where you found AZ and his men. To the naked eye, nothing was amiss, but they did find something most harrowing indeed. A psychic dyad conjured just outside Rota’s southern border.”
“A psychic dyad?”
“Yes. In essence, a matrix of latent psychic energy. I think your friend Sabrina would know more about them, being a psychic specialist, but they have many potential uses. Most likely, this is the opposite end of a long-distance teleportation tunnel, which would allow AZ and his men to appear just outside Rota in an instant. After observing it up close, I suspect this may be how AZ’s allies have been able to conduct their discreet activities without detection all these years.”
“Well, can’t you get rid of it?” Ash asked, and Pikachu chirped in alarmed agreement.
“Unfortunately not,” Albrecht sighed. “This dyad was well-conjured. Until it is used once, it has so little form that we can do little more than observe it. It would be like trying to use your finger to pop a bubble the size of the tip of a thumbtack.” He shook his head. “I’m sure we could destroy it with enough time, but AZ created it knowing he’d attack before we could. I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do.”
Ash’s face wrinkled in dismay. “So he really intends to finish what he started during the Great War, huh?”
“To AZ, the Guardians represent the greatest impediment on his path toward the defense of humanity, ironically. Although there aren’t nearly as many Guardians now, in proportion to all of mankind, it seems he still views us as the biggest thorn in his side.” Albrecht raised his gloved hand and clenched it into a fist. “He’s become so consumed by darkness that I’m not even sure he’s capable of rational thought anymore. The war is all that exists to him anymore.” Albrecht dropped his hand and turned to Ash. “In any case, there’s no use in worrying about this now. It’s just one more thing I’ll have to bring up when I have dinner with the Queen tonight.”
Ash’s gaze dropped. He knew it wasn’t his fault AZ was targeting Rota, but it was still a difficult reality to swallow. As a Platebearer, he was supposed to be one of the very few who could stop him. But he couldn’t. Although…
“Albrecht, about what you were saying earlier,” Ash said. “I can’t stay here forever, but I’d like to take you up on your offer for the time being since I’m here. Please teach me how to be a Platebearer!” He clapped his hands together and bowed.
Albrecht put up his hands. “Please, there’s no need for that. As I said, this was all my desire to begin with.” He smiled. “Very well, though. I accept.”
Pikachu cooed and bristled on Ash’s shoulder, ready to get to work even though he wasn’t the one training today.
“To begin, I’d like to see what you’re capable of now. After our chat, I imagine you must have done a bit of practice on your own time? Surely something gave you the ludicrous impression that you’d be able to take on AZ.”
Ash blushed and smiled. “Yeah, you got me.” He took a few steps forward and Pikachu jumped off his shoulder to give him some space.
Albrecht also stepped back, and with a flash of azure light, his Lucario appeared next to him protectively.
Ash raised his hands and concentrated. Like the opening of a dam, his chest seemed to roar as power flooded his body. His skin began to tingle as white electricity crackled over it, but he continued building the energy. The smell of ozone leaked into the air as the bolts became larger and larger, eventually zapping down onto the ground and blasting through the grass to the soil below. Just as Ash felt like he was beginning to lose control of his power, he flung his arms skyward. The electricity around his body disappeared, and a moment later, a blinding blade of lightning lacerated the air in front of them, crashing down upon a boulder several meters away and blasting it to pieces.
Pikachu shielded his face with one paw and this wind pressed his ears back against his head. Lucario raised a hand across Albrecht’s body, but the man himself looked unfazed, his eyes narrowed as his snow-white hair blew wildly.
Ash lowered his hands and grinned slightly. That was good! That’s the strongest attack I’ve been able to use yet. And I feel like my aim has gotten better too! He turned back to Albrecht. “So, what do you think?”
Albrecht’s brows were furrowed, and he seemed to be in thought. “Hmmm. That’s it?”
“Huh?”
The World Champion smiled and waved his hand reassuringly. “I’m sorry, that was mean. I forget you only just found out you had this power. But I see. So this is how you choose to use it.”
“What do you mean?” Ask asked, sweating. “I don’t understand.”
“Well, as I said, the Plates are shards of Arceus’ soul. It’s no exaggeration to say that the power that rests within you is among those that shaped the universe itself. In theory, you should be capable of far more. But actually, considering you’ve only practiced for, what? A few hours at most? I’d say that was pretty impressive.”
“Oh yeah?” Ash said, slightly peeved. Pikachu backed him up and blew raspberries at Albrecht.
“In addition, it’s said that Platebearers of the same Plate wield its power in different ways, depending on the circumstances of the wielder. I see that you seem to model your use of the Plate after pokémon. Perhaps your own Pikachu?” he said, eyeing the mouse. “That was Thunder, wasn’t it?”
Ash looked at his hands. He hadn’t even realized it himself, but now that it’d been said aloud, he had been imitating pokémon attacks. Thunderbolt and Thunder Punch, and now Thunder.
“My first thought is that it’d be wise to exercise caution if that’s how you plan to use the Electric Plate,” Albrecht continued. “When we spoke the other day, I believe I told you that Platebearers can only be hurt by other Platebearers. In truth, that’s not strictly true. Trip and fall, and you’ll skin your knee. Fall down the stairs, and you may very well break your arm. All the Plate does is protect itself from being ejected from its host. In other words, it merely prevents death.”
“But if that were true, some of those execution attempts should have injured AZ, right? He just wouldn’t be able to die.”
“AZ survived because he is adept at using his Plate. He actively protected himself using its power. Don't make the same mistake in thinking you’ll reap the same benefits, at least for now” Albrecht frowned. “Come to think of it, AZ wouldn’t happen to have said which Plate he has, did he?”
“He did, actually. He said he has the Fairy Plate.”
Albrecht rubbed his chin. “The Fairy Plate, huh. Hm, I don’t know anything about that one. I’ll check the archives later and see if there’s anything about it. Anyways, back to my explanation. If you want to command even greater power from the Plate, I believe it’s essential that you know what the nature of this power actually is.”
He held up his hand and summoned an Aura Sphere. “As I said before, Aura is what gives pokémon their power. In the scientific community, I believe it’s known as Infinity Energy, but they are one and the same. All pokémon employ Aura to conjure their elemental attacks, and the proficiency of an attack directly correlates with the volume of Aura in the attack. I believe a live demonstration would be best here” He scanned the field before them and pointed. “Look over there.”
Ash followed Albrecht’s finger and found two pokémon, a Pidgey and a Bulbasaur quarreling atop the grass. The Pidgey was nipping at Bulbasaur’s bud, but the grass-type was fighting back.
“Look at that Bulbasaur’s attack. It’s using Razor Leaf, you see?”
A handful of leaves levitated off the ground and peppered Pidgey’s side, and the bird flapped into the air.
“See how it lifted those leaves, which were already in existence? As it grows stronger, and evolves, it will be able to synthesize leaves just like that within its body and use Razor Leaf even when there aren’t leaves around for it to use. But once it gets even stronger, it will be able to summon a storm of leaves out of nothing. That’s because those leaves will be made of Aura. Do you understand? As pokémon become more and more powerful, they can rely less on their physical environment or bodies, and rely on their command over Aura to supplement their attacks. In a word, the strongest pokémon are masters of Aura”
“I see,” Ash murmured. “So because the leaves are made of Aura, it’d be able to create much larger attacks that it otherwise wouldn’t be able to.”
“That’s exactly right. Can you think of a time on your journey where you witnessed this sort of disparity?”
Ash thought for a moment, tracing back through his memories to his many gym battles, as well as the battles his friends partook in. Then, his eyes widened. “I can! The move Stone Edge. My friend Serena has a Pancham that can use Stone Edge. It summoned stone pillars from the ground. But my Krookodile’s Stone Edge looks different. He can summon a hail of sharpened rocks out of thin air.”
Albrecht smiled. “That’s exactly right. Pancham relies on his environment to use his Stone Edge, but your Krookodile can use Stone Edge regardless of the terrain it finds itself in. If that Pancham were ever caught in midair, or perhaps on a beach where the ground is made of sand, I imagine it’d find it very difficult, if not impossible, to use Stone Edge. That is why a pokémon’s command over Aura is so important.”
“As pokémon get stronger, their application of Aura also gets more complex, and they find themselves able to use techniques that their former selves simply couldn’t perform. For example, it is through the use of Aura that pokémon that know the move Dive can use it even when not in a body of water, or pokémon that know Dig can use it even when burrowing should be impossible. Aura, as the versatile force that it is, can be used for far more than just energy spheres.”
“Now, as for what this means for you as a Platebearer. By developing and honing your own use of Aura, you will be able to tap into greater volumes of power, and therefore, more complex techniques with your own Plate.”
“So…I’ll be training to be a Guardian?” Ash asked.
“Not exactly. To set you on the path of Guardian now when you’re already a Platebearer would be akin to sharpening a kitchen knife when you already have a broadsword in your scabbard. It should not be done. But the fundamentals are the same. AZ had years to cultivate his knowledge and skill with his Plate. Plus, there’s no telling what other secrets the Fairy Plate itself holds. But if you want to match him, then you need a solid foundation upon which to construct your power. Imitations of pokémon moves will only take you so far.”
Ash clenched his fist and felt the power of the Electric Plate course through him. Aura, huh? Not like this will be my first time, he thought, recalling the time he’d tapped into his Aura to save the Tree of Beginnings. But just like two years ago, ideas began to flood his mind, and he grinned. “I understand. Let’s get started!”
Next — Chapter 26 : Cloak and Dagger
Lot of yapping the past couple chapters, sorry about that.
