Paragon

Remnants of the Great War [28]

PARAGON

Remnants of the Great War Arc [28]

Chapter 37 : The Electric Plate

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Land of Rota - East of the Town of Rota

Ash leaped back as Aegislash's blade cut through the air where he'd been standing half a second ago. Even though it hadn't hit him, he heard a high-pitched ring as it swept beneath his chin. Even with Gengar's assistance, it felt like every attack the sword leveled at him could be his last, and the feeling of relief that washed over him every time he realized he was somehow still alive could not be savored. Ash ducked and jumped to avoid every thrust and slash, employing acrobatics he didn't even know he possessed till now. Clearly training with Lucario, and all the time he'd spent monkeying around as a kid, had paid off, if only just.

Unfortunately, Pikachu and Annihilape weren't faring much better. While their trainer soaked up the brunt of Aegislash's attention, they still could not land a single counterattack of their own. Every time they fired one off, or approached for a melee hit, a purple shield of hexagonal tiles glimmered into existence between them, and a wanton strike from Annihilape had told them that contact with the shield would sap their strength.

Shit, I need to get it off me, or this thing will eventually kill me! Ash thought as he dived behind a fallen tree trunk, cleaved from its stump by Aegislash. Its single eye burned with a stalwart fury, and Ash grit his teeth as he rolled to dodge another slice, before getting back on his feet. He saw Pikachu and Annihilape both charge the sword from behind, but a twin set of King's Shields kept them at bay.

Gengar, tell them to attack from above! When it defends, I'll hit it from below!

Gengar hissed in his mind. This was a form of nonverbal communication, but it was slower than genuine telepathy like Sabrina had with her pokémon, or like he and Riley had with their respective Lucarios. But against such an aggressive menace, Ash would use any slim advantage he could get.

A moment later, Pikachu and Annihilape both leaped. An Electro Ball sizzled into existence on Pikachu's tail, and shadows rippled across Annihilape's fist for a Rage Fist. Without even giving them a glance, two shields, meshed together to perfectly counter the exact angles its two assailants were coming from, appeared above Aegislash, leaving its blade body wide open.

As Aegislash thrust forward, Ash sidestepped, electricity dancing in his palm. Got you! The ions under Ash's control flooded Aegislash, and it suddenly jerked toward him, as if pulled by an invisible force.

For the first time since the battle had begun, Aegislash released a confused rumble, and a half second later, the shields above its head vanished, before rebuilding around its entire form, encasing it in a perfect sphere. It finally broke off its assault and leapt back away from Ash and his pokémon. Now still again, the shield glittered away.

Ash wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned, panting. He'd used Aegislash's steel against itself to pull it toward himself and knock it off balance. That last technique was something like a hostile version of Magnet Rise, and aside from their main technique, it was what Ash had devoted much of the past month toward perfecting.

Honestly, although it was intended for steel-types, it was actually a two-part technique. The magnetic attraction was only half of it. In theory, Ash was supposed to follow it up with a proper electric attack, but against Aegislash, he hadn't even bothered attempting it. This time, the goal was just to surprise it. Luckily, it'd opted for defense, ceasing its assault and retreating, even though Ash had barely managed to yank it an inch. It was risky, but Ash had counted on Aegislash freaking out at suddenly getting pulled by a force that didn't come from Pikachu or Annihilape.