"Yes, the Diamond Kingdom has been saved!"
Tears of excitement filled Elder Diamond's eyes.
With Diancie's existence, they could create a new Sacred Diamond. They would no longer have to worry about being unable to produce future generations and watching the Diamond Kingdom slowly head toward extinction.
And all of this had been brought about by the human standing before them.
He had rescued the Carbink.
He had saved the princess.
Then he had even produced a fragment of Xerneas's horn, helping the princess complete her final mutation and become the new Princess Diancie.
Elder Diamond stepped forward and bowed deeply before Chen Shi.
Though countless words of gratitude filled its heart—
Though it wanted to thank him for everything he had done for the Diamond Kingdom and their princess—
When the words finally reached its lips, they condensed into only three simple words.
"Thank you."
Chen Shi reached out and helped the elder straighten up.
"Elder, you don't have to be so polite."
Then he grinned.
"In the future, just say what you mean directly."
Elder Diamond froze briefly before laughing.
"Understood, Lord Chen Shi."
Nearby, Steven stood staring unblinkingly at the newly transformed Diancie, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"What exactly is Diancie?"
"Her looks can practically rival Milotic's."
"She really is beautiful."
Diantha nodded in agreement.
Among all the Pokémon she had ever seen, this Pokémon called Diancie undoubtedly ranked among the most beautiful.
Steven nudged Chen Shi with his elbow.
"Old Chen, what exactly is Diancie?"
Chen Shi turned toward him, amusement appearing in his eyes.
"Diancie?"
"She's just the evolution of a special-colored Carbink. What else would she be?"
"Weren't you the one who wasn't interested before? Why are you asking now?"
"Do I look stupid to you?"
Steven rolled his eyes.
At this point, he had already realized that this Pokémon called Diancie was probably far from ordinary.
After all—
What kind of normal Pokémon required a fragment of Xerneas's horn to evolve?
Thinking back carefully, ever since Chen Shi encountered the Carbink colony, his behavior had become completely abnormal.
Normally, given Chen Shi's dislike of trouble, after rescuing a group of Pokémon from Pokémon hunters, he would have immediately handed them over to Officer Jenny.
He would have let someone else handle the rest.
Why would he personally escort them all the way home?
Everything pointed toward one conclusion.
Diancie—
And perhaps the entire Carbink race—
Were anything but ordinary.
The only thing Steven didn't know was exactly how extraordinary they were.
Chen Shi smiled mischievously.
"You really want to know?"
"Of course I do."
Steven nodded without hesitation.
"Heh."
"Well, Diancie is just a Rock/Fairy Mythical Pokémon."
"As the future heir of Devon Corporation, someone like you probably wouldn't care much."
The moment those words left his mouth—
Steven froze.
Silence.
A giant question mark seemed to appear above his head.
What had he just heard?
A Rock/Fairy-type Mythical Pokémon?
A Mythical Pokémon?!
Steven mentally repeated the sentence several times to make sure he hadn't misheard.
Chen Shi had absolutely said Mythical Pokémon.
Then Steven proceeded to perform an entire show of changing facial expressions.
Shock.
Excitement.
Regret.
Agony.
His face twisted dramatically.
"Old Chen..."
"You knew this from the beginning, didn't you?"
He squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.
Chen Shi answered matter-of-factly,
"Of course I knew."
"Otherwise, why would I care so much about the Carbink and personally escort them all the way back here?"
"..."
"Damn."
"You really are my best friend."
Steven's voice was overflowing with resentment.
Thinking back to the abandoned hotel...
If he had built a relationship with the Carbink before it became Diancie—
Wouldn't he have had a chance to catch her?
The more he thought about how completely uninterested he had been in that strange Carbink, the more he felt like coughing up blood.
A Rock-type Mythical Pokémon.
For someone who adored Steel-types and Rock-types as much as Steven did—
Diancie's appeal was absolutely maxed out.
And now—
Everything was gone.
Chen Shi sighed and patted Steven's shoulder.
"Stop thinking about Diancie."
"She's too important to the Carbink. She can't leave with you."
"Even I never considered trying to catch her, so just give up."
Originally, Steven had started feeling a little better after hearing the first half.
After all, if Diancie simply couldn't be caught, then there was nothing anyone could do.
A little disappointing, but understandable.
Then he heard the second half.
And nearly broke on the spot.
What did:
"Even I never considered trying to catch her"
supposed to mean?
So if she could be caught—
You would've gone for her first?!
What a wonderful best friend.
"..."
Ignoring Steven's increasingly resentful gaze, Chen Shi turned toward Diancie.
"How do you feel now?"
Ever since Carbink completed its mutation, Chen Shi had been continuously scanning her data through the system.
Compared to before, it was nothing short of a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate.
Her move pool had expanded dramatically.
Even her aptitude had increased by an enormous amount.
Now, when Chen Shi scanned her, the system displayed nothing but question marks.
As for her level—
The increase wasn't particularly large.
She had only just broken through to the quasi-Elite Four tier.
But Chen Shi understood how Mythical Pokémon worked.
Logic didn't apply to them.
Just like Little V and little Rayquaza, she would probably be able to shoot upward in level as long as she kept eating enough resources.
Diancie nodded gently.
"I feel wonderful."
"Thank you, Lord Chen Shi."
"Don't say that anymore."
Chen Shi waved his hand.
"I don't like hearing it."
The main reason was simple.
The Xerneas fragment had come from Mew.
He had merely delivered it.
Yet everyone kept thanking him.
Even with the thick skin he had cultivated over two lifetimes, he felt a little embarrassed.
It would be one thing if Mew weren't here.
But the one who truly deserved their gratitude was currently sitting right here.
Diancie nodded sweetly.
"Understood."
Just as she was about to say something else, Elder Diamond suddenly approached.
"Princess, may I ask something?"
Diancie turned toward it.
"What is it?"
Elder Diamond's expression became serious.
"Can you create a new Sacred Diamond now?"
This matter had always weighed heavily on its heart.
As long as a new Sacred Diamond had not been created, it could never truly rest easy.
After all, the future reproduction of the Carbink race depended on it.
Even after Diancie's birth, this remained the Diamond Kingdom's highest priority.
Hearing the question, Diancie's expression also became serious.
"I'm not sure."
"But I can try."
She brought her hands together.
A crimson light suddenly erupted, bathing the surrounding cavern in red.
A ruby-colored diamond phantom slowly materialized between her palms.
"A Sacred Diamond!"
"It's a Sacred Diamond!"
Elder Diamond shouted excitedly.
"Just as expected!"
"Only Diancie can create a Sacred Diamond!"
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon → [email protected]/lucarioTL (replace @ with a)