August 1st 201 2
Its really been a few months since I've updated this journal hasn't it? To be fair to myself I was a little distracted. I showed Avalon all the data I had from her creation and even the security footage from her escape. She didn't take it well, as expected. It took her a couple days of laying on the couch before she just vanished for another couple days.
Merlin kept mental tabs on her, let me know she was nearby on the property and just wanted to be left alone to think.
I couldn't blame her. I cant even begin to imagine how she must feel. Alone in the world. One of a kind. Made for a purpose she had no choice in. Born in blood and violence. And now with no purpose but to live. To live… how hard that must be? Hell its hard for humans a lot of the time. For her? I don't think I could be as strong as she is, and I don't mean her powers, I mean her soul. To carry on in this world not feeling like you belong, feeling like this life doesn't want you and no sense of meaning. Ennui isn't even remotely a strong enough word.
Eventually she came back, quiet but hungry. I fed her and looked after her and we never spoke about the tape again. Things started to fall into a routine and she started to brighten up and act more relaxed. Breakfast, teaching, lunch, teaching, dinner, rest rinse repeat.
She doesn't realize it, but her nightmares leaked out to Merlin and I as she slept. I know a little more of the story, but I still wont bother her about it. How she remembered more of her first moments. How one of the fire team crew had helped her escape. Very few of them lived, but whichever he is I hope hes doing ok. And pain, so much pain, I owe her everything and I don't think I will ever be able to pay that debt off so long as I live. But gods know I will try.
" Mother? The sky is clear today did you want to train?"
Aspen looked up from her journal at Avalon. The creation was standing at the windows looking out into the grotto around the cabin, her tail swaying slowly. Outside it was bright and sunny, a rarity on the coast even in the height of summer.
She closed the journal and set it on the table. "I suppose we can sure.. its about time we started. Go ahead out there, Merlin you too I will be a second"
Merlin looked up from his corner eyes going wide as he looked up at Avalon "You want ME to be her sparring partner?"
"Do you see anyone else around here qualified?" Aspen had gotten up and was working on pulling on some boots.
Merlin let out a disgruntled whine and got himself up padding for the door before letting himself outside. Avalon followed stretching out in the sunlight. With a few more muttered curses the Alakazam made his way to the far side of the clearing and huffed holding his hands out as a pair of spoons appeared in his claws. Avalon could only peer at him quizzically before Aspen stepped outside to join them.
"Okay! Avalon go to the other end of the clearing if you would?"
She hesitated a moment, but floated over there and landed across from Merlin. The older pokemon squinted at his opponent.
"So...Ava? I want you to understand you are potentially MUCH more powerful then Merlin, but Merlin has years of training under his metaphorical belt. Him, Panthur, and I did the Casdia gym circuit for a while. Well not alone I had four others, but I gave them to a trainer friend of mine when I started college… doing well last I heard.. ANYWAY.. point is this is a training session not a fight for your life. I want you to at least understand the things you can do and if we CAN start training you in some more practical non-combative power uses."
" Such as?"
"well you can FLY so there's that… but things like that. Can you teleport? Shield yourself? Turn invisible?"
" no I…"
"Ah.. not yet.. but we are going to find out. Merlin is going to help coach you through some of that and serve as a target for you to practice on.. please do not kill him"
Merlin's eyes widened as he looked at his trainer. "yes please do not kill me I rather like being alive thank you."
Aspen snorted "it will be fine"
" Fine she says…"
"come on Merlin look sharp" she barked.
He snapped his head up and crossed the spoons in front of his face. Several soft glowing layers of psy energy formed up in front of him.
"Okay to start. Ava I want you to focus. Reach deep inside of yourself and find.. rage… pain… whatever emotion you can find. tap into that emotion and use it to manifest an attack.. any attack I want to see what you come up with…"
Avalon, who had been listening intently, nodded and took a few deep breaths closing her eyes. A faint blue aura formed around her as power raised up her spine. After a few moments she held out her hand towards Merlin and a bright streak of purple and blue light flashed out of her hand and smashed into the psychic barriers around him.
He stumbled back and gave his head a shake renewing his focus on the barriers.
"good! Basic psychic attack. You can do stronger I'm sure but not right now. Lets focus on basics… Mew could use any powers… and you might not have everything you likely share some of it's versatility. Can you try something different?"
Avalon frowned at her "I can do this?" she reached out and did an awkward snap of her fingers creating a tiny puff of flame over her hand that winked right out.
"Oh! That's good! No wonder you could survive the winter"
The creation nodded slowly.
"can you do that but bigger?"
Avalon looked at Merlin and held her palms out to him after a few moments she stomped a foot forward and blew out a jet of flames that washed over the barriers.
Aspen danced back a couple paces away from the heat and nodded "Great! That's Great!… okay.. anything else?"
Merlin squinted at his trainer from behind his shields like she was insane.
"mmm there was.. another thing I figured out once.." Avalon looked up at the sky her eyes glowing. A few clouds gathered and there was a rumble among them before a bolt of lightning struck down hitting the ground next to Merlin. He managed to keep his calm but only barely.
By the time she looked back at Aspen the woman was staring wide eyed in shock.
"okay! Lets.. not do that again.. we don't need to send out a signal to everyone for a hundred miles where we are… ummm… Merlin.. your turn to go on the attack?"
He lowered his spoons and blinked at her.
"Just weak attacks shes going to try and put up shields okay? Avalon look at what hes done and try and mimic it."
Avalon nodded holding her hands out mimicking the pose even, the shimmering fields popped into place with ease.
"Excellent.. now hold it while he does his work… Merlin go ahead"
Merlin crossed his spoons and focused sending out beams and balls of energy one after the others. Aspen steped back from the light show as it crashed into Avalon's shield over and over washing over it harmlessly with blue static.
"This will be your main form of defense. We will practice this a lot in the coming months just till it becomes reflex. The moment you feel a threat you put one of these up" she almost shouted over the constant screeches and booms of powers going off right in front of her.
Avalon spared a glance at her and nodded. "Merlin stop please"
Her sparring partner lowered his spoons and tilted his head at her.
"What is it Avalon?"
She shook her head "I know you want me to be able to fight… but you also said something about non-combat means to defend myself? Can we swap to that?"
"Of course.. but we will come back around to this other stuff later."
Avalon nodded and swished her tail looking at her maker.
"Alright so… I think your best bet if you ever want to venture beyond this property is learning to be unseen… I hope you can.. you SHOULD be able to." She looks at Merlin and shrugs.
"I understand how it should be done in theory.. but I've never practiced it" Merlin tossed his spoons over his shoulders where they dissipate before they hit the ground. Walking over he stopped before Avalon and floated up to hover cross legged in front of her. "All acts of will are a matter of finding a path for your mind to envision it.. and then pushing the power inside of you to do it.. eventually it becomes like moving a limb.. you wish it and you do it.. do you think about moving your arm when you want to?"
Avalon looked down at her hand and flexed it bringing it up "I do not"
"Abilities are much the same.. using your powers is just a matter of understanding how to flex that muscle" he smiled "so.. envision something.. imagine being turned to glass.. the light passing though you.. or like water.. clear as a mountain spring.. the very air itself.. a breeze and nothing more.. light passes through you.. around you… it does not touch you…" he continued on his mental voice a soft drone as he described ways of being unseen.
Aspen watched as Avalon's form flickered and shimmered, weird prism effects popping up around her before her form went completely transparent.
She was about to comment, but a glance from Merlin made her bite her lip as he continued to drone on.
"good.. good.. hold that feeling get used to how that feels.. the sense of being there but not.. light passing through you.. you are the wind and water…"
"I think.. I think I got it?"
Aspen finally comments "Like everything else it will take practice…"
Avalon slowly faded back into view "… practice" she flexed her hand and smiled.