Paragon

Origin Child [5]

PARAGON

Origin Child Arc [5]

Chapter 5 : Metamorphosis

The morning sun warmed the beach as Ash and Cynthia prepared their pokémon.

This was her proof, Cynthia had said, for everything she'd been claiming up until this point. Words were one thing, and they had been plenty for Ash to follow her, but Cynthia insisted on a live demonstration of power. She looked very pleased with herself, in her black tank top and camo pants, as she rolled her shoulders and casually stretched.

Ash pulled a pokéball from his belt and stared at it. He knew he'd be facing Garchomp. Cynthia'd said as much over dinner last night, and Sylvester had laughed at her arrogance as he plated their steaks.

Ash hadn't laughed. That dragon was already renowned across the world for its unparalleled strength, but if Cynthia was to be believed, it'd been granted all of that celebrity while only showing off half its power.

Greninja would be the best choice for his speed and ice moves, but Ash gripped Sceptile's pokéball. The grass-type was an all-rounder. He didn't have a type advantage, and he wasn't the strongest, fastest, or toughest in Ash's arsenal, but he was damn close.

Ash wanted to know just how far the distance was between the World Champion of the Pokémon League and the head of the Paragon Organization.

He released his partner, who immediately hunkered down in battle position, having been briefed on the situation by his trainer earlier that morning.

Cynthia pulled one pokéball and two ultra balls from her belt. "Don't worry," she called before he could protest, "your only opponent is Garchomp," and she released all three in different directions.

A Lapras appeared by the coast, and it waded into the lapping shallows of the beach, while a Blissey materialized on the grass just before the forest, beside the de facto battlefield.

Then Garchomp landed on the sand across from them, and Ash began to sweat involuntarily. During the World Championships, it had seemed like a towering wall that demanded he rework his entire strategy just to ensure he could bring it down. Now, power radiated from it with every breath, every twitch of its tightened muscles, every flick of its yellow eyes. It almost seemed taller than before, and Ash found himself breathing heavier, its mere presence suffocating. It was like...

He swallowed. Like a legendary...

"So powerful," he mumbled. "Is this the same Garchomp we battled just a few days ago?"

"When I use my strongest partners in League battles, I use limiters on their pokéballs to nerf their true strength. Some gym leaders use them as well, when they don't have lower leveled pokémon for lower level gym battles. They were initially created by the International Police to restrain out-of-control wilds, so they're not on the general market. I'm sure this is the first you're hearing of them."

True. It was.

Another item on a growing list of things Ash had not been privy to within the institution of the League.

Sceptile seemed to be having a similar reaction to Garchomp, as his teeth were clenched hard and he hadn't taken his eyes off of it since it'd appeared.

"Breathe, Sceptile. We beat it once and we'll do it again."

At his words, Sceptile grinned and screeched in challenge, his anxiety ebbing away.

"You may have the first move, Ash."

They had a plan. All that was left to do now was execute it. Ash exhaled.