PARAGON
Remnants of the Great War Arc [13]
Chapter 22 : Ash Ketchum vs Founder AZ
Kalos Region - East of Geosenge Town
Zinnia whistled as she walked, Aster perched on her head, the sunlight cutting through the canopy to cast a jade glow over her. Spring in Kalos was quite pleasant, and a refreshing change of pace from the always windy Draconid Village hidden beyond Meteor Falls. Of course, her journey as a Lorekeeper and her quest for the Great Dragon had taken her all across the world, but she never stayed in one place for too long.
She and N hadn’t taken their eyes off the ruins ever since they’d spotted AZ. They’d moved from their initial spot and were now looking down on the town from atop a cliff. But so far, the reconnaissance had yielded no further results, despite them taking turns sleeping to keep up the watch.
When Zinnia returned to their makeshift camp, her Altaria, left to guard the camp, fluttered over to her and sniffed at the basket of berries in her hand, and she grabbed a handful to feed the majestic bird. Two camouflage tents sat facing each other, and N sat between them facing Geosenge.
“Yes. Nothing to report. We haven’t seen AZ at all since last night.”
N was on the phone and Zinnia furrowed her brows upon hearing him. They locked eyes, and N thumbed the screen to turn on speakerphone.
“Hmm, interesting. Well, there’s been yet another raid on an Interpol facility but no sighting of him there,” Cynthia’s voice came through. “So far, you two have found our biggest lead.” She sighed. “He’s moving far quicker than Interpol expected. Far quicker than I expected.”
“Cynthia,” Zinnia scowled.
There was a pause. “Is that Zinnia I hear?”
“Damn right.” She stomped over to N and crouched down so her face was right next to his phone, and he grimaced. “Why the hell won’t you let us get closer? There’s only so much we can do just staring at the place. Obviously AZ has a base there so we should break in and see what’s going on!” She’d had her reservations initially, but after hearing that AZ had personally attacked a facility in Sinnoh, Zinnia wanted nothing more than to break in as soon as possible. They were right here!
Cynthia’s sigh crackled through the phone. “Negative. Keep your distance. The last thing we need is you two walking straight into a death trap.”
“They don’t even know we’re here!”
“They will if you start snooping around the ruins again. You don’t even know where or how to get in, if they do have a base there. And we still don’t know what his ultimate goal is or even why he broke out of prison in the first place. Until we know at least that, I will not even consider an attack on one of Kalos’ oldest historical sites.”
“Historical sites?! He killed a hundred Interpol agents with his bare hands!”
“And what makes you think he can’t do the same to you?” Cynthia snapped, but Zinnia turned away and crossed her arms, and did not offer another response. “Anyways, back to what we were talking about,” Cynthia said after a few seconds. “The raids on Interpol’s bases have been minor but persistent. As of now, we can’t find anything that makes the one AZ showed up to any different from the others. If AZ truly does have a hideout beneath Geosenge Town, then it’s absolutely imperative that you two stay hidden and continue observing from afar. That’s the only way we may be able to catch him off guard.”
“I understand, Cynthia,” N said. “But if I may, I do agree with Zinnia, to a certain extent. We saw AZ leave the ruins with a number of others through some sort of teleportation. But they appeared again in Sinnoh far too quickly. I don’t know of any pokémon capable of teleporting such a distance. And then there’s the fact that he and his cohorts never returned, or at least, we never saw them return. But Aster still senses a suspicious lack of ancient energy in the ruins, suggesting that this hideout is still in use. I believe it would be in our best interest to begin a search for other entrances to the base. Whatever is going on within the ruins is still happening, and at the speed AZ is moving, it may be unwise to allow this to continue.”
Cynthia stayed silent on the other end for nearly a minute, clearly in thought. “Fine,” she finally said. “I’ll allow it. But you two are to remain hidden. I’ll say it again. Our top priority is gathering intelligence. Is that understood?”
N nodded. “We understand.”
There was a pause. “Zinnia?”
“Whatever, sure, yeah, fine,” she mumbled.
“We’ll update you with intel as we get it,” N said.
“Likewise. The situation is fluid at Interpol though so don’t expect—. Ah, sorry, I’m getting a call from Ash. I have to go, I’ll leave you to it.”
Before they could get in goodbyes, she hung up. Once she did, a silence fell over their camp.
Zinnia fell backwards onto her Altaria’s back and sighed loudly. “About time. What the hell’s her problem? It’s like she doesn’t think we’re capable or something.”
“I do wish you’d treat Cynthia with a little more respect.”
“Huh?” Zinnia sat up and glared at N. “What’s this now? You’re taking her side? I know she gave you a second lease on life or whatever, but that’s not gonna stop me from stating the obvious.” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she seemed to regret them, and she blushed and turned away. “Actually, never mind. Sorry.”
N looked away in embarrassment. “That’s not it,” he said quietly. “I agree with you that Cynthia’s being uncharacteristically apprehensive. Everything about this AZ situation is strange. For one, it’s the first time so many of us have all been assigned to the same issue. And for another, it almost feels like Cynthia is waiting for AZ to act instead of wanting us to stop him before he can do whatever it is he wants to do.”
“You think she’s helping AZ?”
“Of course not. I fully trust her. Which is why I believe all this caution is the hardest on Cynthia. Something is compelling her to keep us grounded. Whether she’s worried about our safety or juggling concerns we aren’t aware of, I’m not sure. For now, I think we should do what she says.”
Zinnia nodded glumly. She hadn’t picked up any of that herself, but then again, she’d never exactly been the most perceptive when it came to other people.
“But,” N said. “If this keeps up for too long, I wouldn’t be opposed to breaking ranks and seeing what’s in those ruins for ourselves once and for all.”
Zinnia grinned and jumped up. “Ha, that’s more like it! Now, c’mon! Let’s split up and start looking for those other entrances. I’ll go north, you go south!”
“Slow down, Zinnia, let’s work out a more detailed plan…”
Alola Region — Heahea City
Cynthia hung up and quickly answered Ash’s call. “What is it, Ash?”
“I found AZ!”
Cynthia stopped in her tracks. At this hour, the streets of Heahea were barren, and Cynthia nearly shouted. “What?”
“I…found AZ!” he panted.
“Where are you?” Cynthia demanded, ducking into a nearby alley.
“Still in Kanto! Outside Saffron! He’s heading north through Mt. Moon!”
“You have a visual?”
“Not now! I can’t talk for too long! MIght lose him!”
“Wait, Ash! Don’t engage! It’s too dangerous!”
“Don’t worry! I already called Sabrina and she’s on her way over from Rota!”
“Hold on, Ash! You don’t know what you’re getting into! Has he seen you yet?”
“No! At least, I don’t think so!” He paused, and Cynthia heard nothing but breathing for several seconds. “I gotta go, we’re about to enter the mountain!”
“Wait, Ash, don’t—“
She heard a click and the line went dead. “Damn!” she cursed as she squeezed her phone and reared back against the side of the alley. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, each one more morbid than the last, but she dashed them away with a jerk of her head. He’s already been humbled once. I just hope that was enough for him to exercise more caution this time.
Cynthia took several deep breaths and stood up straight again. She needed to update the rest of Paragon immediately.
As she tapped out her message, a thought passed through her mind that made her blood run cold. If Albrecht had put Ash up to this, or if he’d said something during their conversation that pushed Ash to pursue AZ, then maybe caution wouldn’t be the first thing on his mind. In which case, he was heading into extreme danger.
She prayed Sabrina would make it to his side in time.
Kanto Region - Mount Moon
Mount Moon was dark, but the white granite of its walls looked silver in the torchlight. Ash cruised through the cave on Dragonite’s back and they raced forward without any regard for the wild pokémon giving them stares from the darkness.
It happened while they were flying east. A sudden jolt, like magnetism, and Ash had been alerted to AZ’s presence instantly. It was like he’d been jumpscared, and he nearly fell out of Dragonite’s arms. It was a strange feeling to know exactly where he was, and even stranger that he knew it was AZ, despite not having actually seen him.
Unfortunately, it was a lie he’d told that he’d actually found AZ. He actually didn’t have a problem telling her about the Plate now that he’d gotten a handle on it, but it was much too long a story to tell over the phone while they were in pursuit of AZ. Nevertheless, he was certain AZ was here.
But the part about calling Sabrina hadn’t been a lie. She sounded groggy when she answered, so she must have already gotten into bed for the night, though luckily, she’d decided to spend the night at Cameran Palace. She was even less responsive than usual on the call, but Ash’d heard her say she was on her way, so that was the best he could hope for.
AZ’s presence gleamed like a light in Ash’s consciousness. It reminded him of the time he’d worn Sir Aaron’s gloves at Cameran Palace and he’d started to see the Aura within people and pokémon. Now, it felt like AZ’s Aura was a comet, streaking through a field of lights that were far dimmer by comparison. Or maybe a black hole was more apt. His presence was so great, he engulfed the others around him.
Ash urged Dragonite to move faster through the caves, and his partner complied. As they flew, Ash started to think strategy. At the moment, the nine pokémon he had seemed like far too few to challenge AZ. Even if Sabrina arrived in time, this was a man who’d survived the Great War. Ash wasn’t so dense as to think he’d be able to bring a man like that down after a mere afternoon of training with the Electric Plate.
But it would be on Ash to deal the damage. All of his pokémon would need to play support roles, and Sabrina’s too, he reckoned. He wasn’t sure if AZ was susceptible to her psychic attacks, but after three thousand years in the World Prison, surely it’d already been tried.
Lucario and Dragonite would be his heavy hitters, which in this case meant distracting AZ enough so that Ash could get close. Glalie and Venusaur would be responsible for immobilizing him. With any luck, he’d still be susceptible to the cold or paralyzing spores.
Pikachu would be helping him. He was the electric expert after all, and in the heat of battle, there was no telling what Ash would or wouldn’t be able to pull off.
When the mountain’s exit came into sight, Dragonite didn’t slow down at all and burst through back into the cold night air. The stars danced above the dark forest and Ash raced between the trees. They moved in near silence despite their speed, with Dragonite long having mastered the wind and storm.
In a violet flash, Sabrina appeared beside them, hovering through the air to keep their pace, her wrist gauntlets spinning. Ash nearly yelped in surprise, and seized closer to Dragonite to stabilize himself.
“AZ’s ahead?” Sabrina asked as she floated alongside him.
“Yeah. Not sure what he’s doing here but he’s up ahead. How did you find me anyway? Lucky you didn’t teleport right on top of AZ.”
“I sensed you,” she said quickly. “How did you find AZ?”
“Long story. Tell you later.”
Sabrina looked over at him but said nothing. After several more minutes of flying, Ash slowed Dragonite down until they stopped, and he gently disembarked and recalled the dragon. Sabrina let herself fall too, and her gauntlets slowed and dimmed. He crouched down behind a bush and Sabrina did the same.
“What’s wrong?” Sabrina whispered.
“We’re close.”
They crept behind a line of bushes, the trees above sheltering them from the illuminating moonlight. They were far from any civilization this far north, but that only made their stealth all the more imperative. In the dead of night, even the smallest sound would give them away.
After five painstaking minutes, they reached a small hill that led to a cliff. Ash laid down and peered over the edge. Far below, beneath the rippling sea of black leaves, he saw movement.
“There,” he whispered, pointing, and Sabrina craned her neck beside him. “Let’s split up. I’ll head down here. You head around. We’ll strike at the same time and pincer him.”
Sabrina nodded and crept back the way they came, disappearing into the darkness. Just before he started his descent, Ash noticed a flash deep in the forest behind him where Sabrina had teleported. Smart on her to keep her distance before teleporting so the flash wouldn’t give them away. Once she was gone, he released Glalie and grabbed its horns. It floated over the edge of the cliff and dropped down without a sound.
Ash recalled Glalie and crept through the underbrush. The people he’d seen were just up ahead, beyond the ever-thinning line of trees. His heart hammered in his chest. AZ was here, right in front of him, amidst the darkness. The images of his massacre at the World Prison flashed across Ash’s vision.
I won’t let him kill anyone else, he vowed.
As the grass began to shorten and thin, Ash slowly lifted himself from the ground and snuck behind a tree. Just ahead lay an open clearing, and the figures had stopped on the other side of it. They spoke in normal voices that sliced through the silence of the forest.
“Just a few more crates and we’ll be done,” a man’s voice said.
“Keep it moving. His Grace won’t be pleased if we keep him waiting.”
“Hey, where’s that new guy anyway? I haven’t seen him at all tonight.”
“You mean that kid? Who knows? Somewhere around us, I’m sure. Not much except Caterpie in this forest, I’m sure he’s bored.”
“I just hope— oh, your Grace!”
Ash peeked out from behind the tree ever so slightly, and his eyes widened. A man of breathtaking height with long, tangled white hair stood between the two men, who were both kneeling. Several large crates sat next to them, but they looked small next to AZ. A wrinkled cap shadowed his eyes, making his gaze impossible to discern in the dark. Ash shuddered and he began to sweat involuntarily.
“These are the last ones, your Grace,” one of the men said.
“Excellent.”
His voice sounded like the crash of waves during a furious storm, and Ash clenched his fists.
“Have you received word from Lord Vandrick, your Grace? The hour is almost upon us.”
“He has been in contact. Be ready to depart when the time comes. In the meantime, ensure all preparations are complete.”
“At once, your Grace!”
AZ remained standing between them, and the men seemed unsure if they had permission to rise. But after a few moments, they did, and began lifting one of the crates together. AZ didn’t move.
“Your Grace?” one of them said in confusion.
The wind swept AZ’s locks across his face and he stood with the resoluteness of a tree. “Go on ahead. We’re being followed. I’ll take care of it.”
Ash’s blood froze in his veins and black spots blossomed across his vision. He suddenly became hyperconscious of how loud he was breathing. Pikachu stiffened on his shoulder, and he clutched at the tree for support. Damn it! Of course! If I can sense him because he’s a Platebearer, then that means he should be able to sense me too!
“Your Grace, please allow us! Do not—“
“Enough. Leave us.”
The men nodded and scurried away as fast as they could, carrying a crate together. AZ made no move, simply crossing his arms behind his back
“Please come out. Let me see you with my eyes.”
Ash grit his teeth. No choice now. I’ll have to do this alone. He peeled himself off the tree and stepped forward beneath the moonlight.
Beneath the cowl of darkness, Ash saw AZ frown.
“A Platebearer?” he rumbled. He chuckled and shook his head. “So you truly have betrayed me, then.” His eyes flicked up and snared Ash’s gaze.
“You’re AZ,” Ash said.
AZ rolled his head on his neck. “I’ve been told that’s what I’m called now. So be it. I am AZ. Have you come to kill me, Platebearer?”
Without realizing it, Ash had moved his hand to his belt. AZ stood across the clearing, quite far from him, yet the danger that radiated off of him felt so hot it nearly burned him. “I’m here to stop you,” Ash said.
“Oh?” AZ raised a brow. “State your name, then. I’ll know who you are before I send you back to the cosmos.”
Ash glared at him and gripped his pokéball so hard his knuckles turned white. “Ash Ketchum.”
AZ raised a brow. “Ash Ketchum,” he repeated. “The former World Champion.”
That surprised Ash. “You’ve heard of me?”
“Only recently.” AZ stretched his arms out from behind him and flexed his fingers. “Who sent you here, Ash Ketchum?”
“No one!” Ash yelled.
A mocking laugh escaped AZ’s lips. “We’ll see about that. If you’re here to stop me, now is the time.” He crouched down and raised his hands, and his tongue fell across his lips. “You don’t know how long I’ve been keeping myself tame. It’s been so hard to keep from killing. And it’s been even longer since I’ve seen a Platebearer!”
Ash exhaled shakily, his body overflowing with adrenaline. His eyes scittered across AZ’s body, looking for a weakness.
You’ve got this, Ash! he thought.
Without another word, Ash hurled two pokéballs forward and Lucario and Dragonite burst out, elemental attacks already glowing on their speeding forms.
“Force Palm and Breaking Swipe!” Ash roared.
They struck simultaneously and AZ didn’t even have a chance to defend himself. The air appeared to crack as Lucario’s palm slammed into AZ’s shoulder, and Dragonite’s tail burned with black energy as he connected with AZ’s torso. AZ bulleted backward into the forest, snapping trees with the sheer velocity of his body. Aura wafted off Lucario’s outstretched hand and red electricity snapped off Dragonite’s tail.
Half a minute later, AZ returned, stalking through the forest with a grin on his face. He appeared undamaged.
As expected. But I need to get him used to my pokémon’s attacks before I make a move.
Ash pulled two more pokéballs off his belt and released Venusaur and Glalie at his sides.
“So this is a ‘trainer,’” AZ mused. “Very well. Show me more, former World Champion!”
“Extreme Speed, both of you!”
His pokémon disappeared and reappeared at AZ’s sides, before slamming against him in a blaze of slashes. Lucario and Dragonite were so adept they could attack the same opponent with Extreme Speed without hitting each other. That was just one thing they’d worked on during the training.
AZ grunted as his body was forced in opposite directions. His legs buckled and he collapsed to the ground once the assault finally let up.
“Now!” Ash yelled.
Countless vines snaked out from Venusaur’s back and a jagged line of ice cut across the clearing and devoured AZ’s torso. The vines curled around AZ’s body and tightened until he looked like a cocoon, with only his head still exposed. Glalie’s ice seeped between the many layers of vine, cold enough to cause frostbite, but Ash was sure he’d be just fine under there. Dealing damage wasn’t the point, though.
“Impressive,” AZ smiled. “I don’t think there was a man alive in the war powerful enough to command two pokémon at once, let alone four. Perhaps you are worthy of being called the World Champion.”
Venusaur screeched as his vines began to snap, and AZ started to rise. Suddenly, an effulgent light blasted out from his body and lit up the clearing, and Ash shielded his eyes. When the light faded, AZ was free, and the remnants of Venusaur’s vines lay in burnt cinders on the ground.
“I think I’ve given you long enough.” He turned to Dragonite. “I’ll start with you.”
Dragonite snorted, but before he knew it, AZ was upon him. His fist cracked against Dragonite’s torso, but despite being the same height, Dragonite flew backwards with an agonizing roar. He disappeared past the trees into the forest, but after a few moments, he made no indication he’d be returning.
Ash grit his teeth, sweat trailing down his face. Dammit! With just one punch, he…
AZ’s baleful glare glowed black in the moonlight, a bloodthirsty grin on his lips. “I bear the Fairy Plate. For a trainer like you, surely that should be enough for you to understand.”
The Fairy Plate! So he is a Platebearer! Of course he targeted Dragonite! Ash’s eyes swept over to Venusaur and Lucario. Does that mean he’s weaker to poison and steel? His eyes narrowed. Either way, I have to strike soon. “Pikachu, I have a plan, but I need your help.”
As he relayed his instructions, Pikachu nodded and jumped off of his shoulder, ready for battle.
“Alright! Sludge Bomb, Venusaur! Drench the whole clearing! Lucario, hold him! Give it everything you’ve got!”
The massive flower on Venusaur’s back opened and the air above it shimmered as if it was on fire. A purple mist began to drift out of it, before a deluge of thick poison shot skyward and arched back down toward AZ. The giant grit his teeth and moved to dodge, but Lucario leapt behind him and wrapped his iron arms under AZ’s, locking him in place. AZ snarled as he lurched back, but he slipped on the newly frozen soil beneath his feet, courtesy of Glalie. AZ fought to free himself, but against Lucario’s martial arts, he could not break free, and his struggling almost seemed to solidify Lucario’s hold. Just before the poison impacted, Lucario released him and rolled away, then somersaulted over him back to Ash’s side. A gleaming shield of Aura opened around them, and the poison rushed past them in a wave.
Within a mass of poison, AZ groaned and stumbled. The poison was thick and stuck to him like honey, and he clawed at his eyes in order to wipe it away. Soon however, he simply clenched his fists, and another blinding explosion engulfed his body. When the dust settled, he stood in a blackened circle, the poison at the edges burned and congealed. But Ash was no longer in front of him.
“Thunder Wave!” he heard behind him, but before he could turn, electricity flooded his body, and suddenly, his body was unresponsive. I can’t move?! What is this?
AZ could barely muster enough strength to turn his head, and he narrowed his eyes. Electricity swirled around Ash’s fist as he flew toward AZ. An azure glow outlined his figure, and AZ looked past him to see Lucario siphoning his Aura into his master’s body.
Ash’s Thunder Punch connected with AZ’s jaw, and both of them fell to the ground.
“Now, Thunderbolt!” Ash roared, and AZ’s eyes widened as bolts of electricity began to dance on Ash’s form. The clearing erupted in a brilliant flash and bolts of lightning cracked the heavens and sizzled outward from the epicenter. A titanic thundering rolled through the forest as Ash expelled everything he had into the assault. AZ trembled beneath him, and he screamed in fury. Only when his bones began to hurt and his eyes began to dry did Ash abate, and when he did, a pair of vines wrapped around him and quickly pulled him away from the monster.
Venusaur placed him and Pikachu back onto a frozen platform Glalie had created, since the poison still soaked the clearing. Ash fell to his knees, breathing heavily. “How’s that?” he wheezed.
Pikachu squeaked in concern beside him, but Ash brushed him off, craning to see the results of his attack.
AZ heaved himself off the ground and steadied himself with his hands. He rose slowly.
Ash squinted. His eyes were still adjusting back to the darkness so he couldn’t see too well, but AZ was clearly still conscious. Across the clearing, AZ raised his head. A trickle of blood was dripping from his nose, but before Ash could take any satisfaction in that, their eyes locked. AZ’s murderous gaze seared through him and Ash swore they looked red from how much hatred they contained. He shivered, as did Pikachu beside him.
“I was going to wait until the war to destroy my enemies. But I think I’ll have you die now.”
Sinnoh Region - Paragon Island
“Finally,” Anabel said as she stared down at the completed newspaper before her. Sakura was dozing in the corner, but Magic still had enough energy to nuzzle her leg. She crouched down to get a closer look and rubbed Espeon’s head.
Each sheet lay side by side, stitched together with Latias’ psychic power. When Anabel reached forward to lift the first page, her fingers felt a warmness imbued. Luckily, they’d been able to restore some of the ink enough to make the text barely legible, and the pictures barely viewable.
“Now, let’s see,” she murmured. “What was such a big deal that you’d throw away three thousand years of free sleep?” She scanned the first page, then the second, then the third. But all of it contained nothing but mundane articles.
The next page she looked at was actually the front page, and large letters sat across the top, nearly faded, but still readable. A picture lay beneath the title of the article, and she started reading. After coming across a certain sentence, Anabel frowned. Then her eyes widened as she remembered the last message she’d received from Cynthia. Ash had found AZ and was meeting up with Sabrina to engage him, against Cynthia’s orders. “Oh no…,” she breathed. Anabel shot to her feet and recalled Magic. Latias woke up at the sound of her alarm and she chirped in concern.
“Let’s go, Sakura!” Anabel shouted and she raced out of the room. Upstairs, she ran into Sylvester, who smiled initially, but upon seeing her urgency, his smile faded.
“Anabel? What’s wrong?”
She ignored him and ran past, racing through the halls until she made it to the dining room, where she threw open the patio door and ran outside. Latias followed her out and Anabel quickly mounted her.
“To Kanto, Sakura, as fast as you can!”
Latias yipped and shot into the air, leaving a bewildered Sylvester behind.
Please let me make it in time! she prayed. You’re in terrible danger, Ash!
Next — Chapter 23 : Old King
