Paragon

Remnants of the Great War [18]

PARAGON

Remnants of the Great War Arc [18]

Chapter 27 : Calm Before The Storm

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"I see," Cynthia said coolly. "So the Electric Plate has been within you this whole time."

"I'm sorry for keeping it from you," Ash said, clapping his hands together. "And for disobeying orders."

Over the past hour, Ash had explained everything about the Plates and Platebearers he'd learned from Albrecht. The World Champion himself had left to give them some privacy, though Cynthia wished he would've stuck around so she could ask him follow up questions. Nevertheless, this conversation had been most illuminating. She wasn't particularly upset that Ash had hidden this from her, despite the fact that this was essentially the missing link between all the conflicts at the top of the world that she'd witnessed ever since becoming Sinnoh's Champion. After all, she still had her own secret too.

Though it would have to come out sooner or later.

"Well, even if you'd told me a few days ago, there isn't much I would've done differently. But since things did turn out this way, I will chastise you a little. I know I said you'd be in danger if you joined Paragon, but I didn't expect you to throw yourself headfirst into it."

Ash looked down in his chair. "I'm sorry," he repeated quietly.

"It's a delicate balance," Cynthia said, tapping her teacup. "Believe me when I say I understand the draw toward the unknown. At the level we're at, there are things only we can see, and we are inexorably drawn to them. As a trainer myself, I understand why you'd chase down AZ so fervently. But our strength also comes with a responsibility. Not only to others, but to ourselves. We possess a great gift, and we should feel compelled to protect that gift. If you had died, Ash, then all the good you may have done in the future would've been snuffed out before it could happen. Not to mention, the suffering that would befall your friends and family if you were to die. Your pokémon, too."

Pikachu was elsewhere right now, but Ash instinctively reached at his shoulder. "I understand."

Cynthia sighed and wiped her fingers on her napkin. "Now, that's enough of that. I sound like my grandmother." She shuddered, and Ash smiled slightly. "So, after encountering AZ and now Albrecht, and experiencing the power of the Plates firsthand, do you think you're beginning to figure out how to use it?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ash exclaimed, grinning. He clenched his fist. "I had it all wrong when I first went up against AZ. I mean, I figured out how to create electricity and stuff, but that's like the bare minimum for the bearer of the Electric Plate, right?"

"I suppose I would expect more than just you turning yourself into Pikachu 2.0."

"Not even that, but a worse one! Pikachu can do way more damage than I can manage now when he gets serious! I don't know if I'd ever be able to use a Thunderbolt or Volt Tackle as well as him no matter how much I train. But that's just it." He turned over his palm and conjured several strands of electricity that snapped between his fingers. "I need to use this power as a human, not as a pokémon."

Cynthia frowned. "You mean like the Guardians?"

"Sort of. Albrecht said he'd be training me similar to how a Guardian would. But the analogy he used was that the power of the Plates is like a broadsword, but the power of the Guardians is like a kitchen knife. Basically, the Guardians can manipulate Aura, but only in basic ways. The Guardians can't mold Aura into elemental attacks, which is something even the weakest pokémon can do effortlessly. That's why we usually just see them using Aura Spheres or conjuring shields."