Paragon

Remnants of the Great War [22]

PARAGON

Remnants of the Great War Arc [22]

Chapter 31 : Ambush

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Land of Rota - Albrecht Manor

"Steady your breathing, and slow your heart rate."

Ash took a deep breath and closed his eyes, slowly raising his hands. He felt his fingertips tingle as his power began to build.

In front of him, he could sense Pikachu's form, small, but powerful. It gleamed like the sun in his mind's eye, and as he sharpened his focus, his temples began to pound. But he grit his teeth and ignored the pain, forcing himself to see the details of Pikachu's body. As the seconds passed, that amorphous blob of power before him shrunk slightly, coming into focus, and Ash could begin to make out his limbs and ears. Then he saw his cheeks and tail, and the ventricles of power within. After a few more seconds, he could make out his blood vessels and bones and brain, all tinged with the sapphire of Aura.

"Agh!" Ash cried, suddenly clutching his head. His focus snapped as a lancing pain bloomed within his skull. He opened his eyes to see Pikachu approaching him, eyes brimming with concern. "Sorry buddy, I'm fine," he said, taking deep breaths to banish the pain. He sighed and rubbed his face.

"Don't worry," Albrecht said beside him. "This is to be expected. What you're trying to do requires an extraordinary amount of precision. Precision that your body as it is now cannot hope to achieve. Just as you work out to build your muscles, so too must you exercise your mind to push the boundaries of what is possible with the Plate."

Ash nodded and took another deep breath, then raised his arms again.

"How about we take a break?" Albrecht cut in before he could begin. "You've been at this for a couple hours now and you won't do yourself any favors by overexerting yourself."

Ash sighed and lowered his arms. "We've been training since this morning and this is still all I can manage," he grumbled.

Albrecht crossed his arms. "You've come further than you realize. When we first began, you could not even gaze upon Pikachu's raw Aura. 'Twas like looking straight into the sun. That you are not only able to do that after just a few hours of practice, but distinguish the organs and power centers in his body as well, is quite an impressive feat."

Pikachu squeaked in agreement, scampering up Ash's body to give him a few pats of encouragement on his neck.

"I guess," Ash said. "I just want to be ready for when AZ arrives."

Albrecht smiled, his face etched with empathy. "AZ has possessed his Plate for millennia. Ready is all you can hope to be in the face of his overwhelming advantage in experience. And as I said before, his assault won't come for another couple months at least."

"Yeah," Ash said, walking over to a nearby rock where he'd left his water bottle, and taking a swig.

Albrecht crossed his hands behind his back, and his gaze dropped. "Of course, I understand. You don't want a repeat of the situation with your friend Anabel. I understand your impatience."

Ash cracked a smile. "Nah, it's not about that. Not really anyway."

Albrecht nodded respectfully. "Very well. I must say, though, I was quite surprised when you first told me how you plan to use the Plate. Of all the Platebearers I've ever encountered, none have used them like this."

Ash grinned. "Then I guess we'll be the first."

"I suppose," Albrecht agreed. "Perhaps it would be judicious to speak with your friend Sabrina. As a human psychic, she may be able to offer some additional insight into channeling the depthless power that resides within you."