Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

Chapter 126 The Rebellious Princess of the Diamond Kingdom

The Earth-Powered Torterra moved across the rock face, parting the rock layers like gentle quicksand. Garchomp and Tyrannosaurus assisted in clearing larger rocks, and the cooperation of the three behemoths made the digging incredibly efficient.

Finally, with a muffled "boom," the last rock wall was completely pierced through.

Soft pink light poured out from the gap, illuminating every curious face in the mine tunnel.

"This is----"

Cynthia was the first to step forward, peering through the gap into the room, and then her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

Karuni followed closely behind, and when she saw the interior, she couldn't help but exclaim softly, "My God, I suddenly feel so poor."

Zhang Jianying was the last to step forward, and the sight before him made him widen his eyes in as well.

It was a massive cavern composed of natural crystal, its height and width beyond estimation. The cavern's floor,

The walls and dome are inlaid with crystal-clear pink crystals.

These crystals do not grow haphazardly, but are arranged in an almost artistic way, forming beautiful spiral patterns and geometric designs.

Most striking is the central feature of the cave, where a massive pink crystal pillar, over five meters in diameter, rises from the ground to the dome, its interior radiating a soft glow of life energy. The light refracts through the crystal, creating a dreamlike interplay of light and shadow throughout the cave.

"What a nice view--"

"Hilona murmured, her blonde hair gleaming softly in the pink light," she said.

Karuni watched intently. As an actress and champion, she had seen countless magnificent stage sets and natural wonders, but this scene still amazed her.

Zhang Jianying glanced at her two best friends' reactions and nodded silently to herself. Indeed, no woman can resist the allure of sparkly, beautiful things.

Just then, a rustling sound came from deep within the cave.

From the shadows of those crystals, tiny figures emerged.

They are rhomboid in shape, their bodies composed of minerals interspersed with blue diamonds, each with a large diamond on its head surrounded by hair-like white crystals. There are about twenty of these Pokémon, each radiating a faint glow.

Small diamonds.

Upon seeing the three uninvited guests, they immediately huddled together, forming a circle and whispering amongst themselves. Although their words were unintelligible, their wary demeanor and the occasional suspicious glances they cast clearly indicated their suspicion of the intruders.

Zhang Jianying's heart skipped a beat.

Damn it, it's broken, a tiny diamond!

He subconsciously looked around, quickly scanning the entire cave. Thankfully, he didn't see anyone other than the small diamond.

It shouldn't be a big problem, right?

He comforted himself inwardly.

After all, Ash, the plot trigger device, should still be in Sinnoh preparing for the League Conference; there's no reason for him to be strolling around Kalos. Besides, with two champions present, even if something were to happen, the safety factor would be much higher.

Cynthia and Karune noticed the little diamonds' tension. They exchanged a glance and instinctively extended their hands in a gesture of friendliness.

"We meant no harm."

"We were just looking for special evolution stones and accidentally dug through a mine tunnel to get here," Cynthia said softly, her voice unusually clear in the empty cave.

The little diamonds remained wary, their whispers growing louder as they huddled together. Just then, a figure slowly emerged from behind the pack.

This small diamond is distinctly different from others of its kind. It is slightly larger, and the diamonds on its body are more crystal clear. Most importantly, its "whiskers" formed by white crystals are long and dense, almost reaching the ground, giving it the appearance of an elderly wise man.

It crossed the herd and came before the three, its dusty body glowing faintly.

Immediately afterwards, an aged yet gentle voice resounded directly in the minds of the three: "Humans, how did you find this place?"

Telepathy!

Cynthia and Karune exchanged a surprised glance.

They knew that legendary Pokémon and Psychic-type Pokémon could use telepathy, but Diamond's telepathy had never been recorded in any known research.

Zhang Jianying, however, was already prepared. He stepped forward and bowed slightly politely, saying, "Excuse me for disturbing you. We were just looking for evolution stones and accidentally came here while following the mine. We meant no harm, so please don't be nervous."

Elder Little Diamond stared at Zhang Jianying with its weathered eyes. Although those eyes couldn't move like those of other flesh-and-blood creatures, Zhang Jianying could sense that the other was examining his heart.

After a long while, Elder Little Diamond's body glowed again: "I sensed your sincerity through the waveguide. Welcome, guests from afar, to the Diamond Kingdom. I am an elder of the kingdom; you may call me Dai."

"Elder Dai, hello."

Cynthia stepped forward, her scholarly instincts filling her with curiosity about everything before her. "I am Zhulan, and these two are Karuni and Zhang Jianying. I apologize for disturbing your peace in this way."

Karuni smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

Elder Day turned around, gesturing for the three to follow: "Please come with me. Since you've come unintentionally, as the host, it's only right that I show you around our home. And—"

It paused, a hint of barely perceptible worry in its voice: "Perhaps you can also offer us some advice."

The three followed Elder Day, walking deeper into the cave amidst the curious gazes of a group of tiny diamonds. The sights along the way were even more breathtaking: crystal corridors, diamond-carved arches, and even murals made of tiny crystals depicting ancient scenes.

"Our kingdom has existed for thousands of years."

Elder Day's voice echoed in the minds of the three: "In the most ancient times, this forest was just an ordinary land. But three thousand years ago, a tragedy that changed the fate of all of Carlos occurred—a war that lasted for many years and swept across the entire continent."

Cynthia's eyes lit up immediately. She took out her notebook from her backpack and began jotting down notes as she walked. As a mythologist, she had some knowledge of this history, but the details had always been unclear.

"It was an era of division," Elder Dai's voice deepened. "The two great powers of Kalos waged a full-scale war over territory and resources. The flames of war spread from the plains to the mountains, from the coast to the forests—countless lives were lost, and even we Pokémon, who live deep underground, could feel the tremors and cries of agony coming from the surface."

A crystal mural appeared before the three, depicting the brutal scene of human armies clashing and Pokémon being driven onto the battlefield.

"The war was deadlocked," Day continued, "and in their desperate search for any weapon that might change the course of the battle, the soldiers began to frantically seek it out. They believed that powerful Pokémon were the key to victory."

The scene in the mural becomes more concrete: a group of soldiers surround a tall king who is vehemently opposing something.

"That king's name was Az," Day's voice was filled with complex emotions. "He was a benevolent monarch at the time, and he had a close companion, Flowerleaf. Their relationship was deep, like that of family."

"However, the soldiers at the front ignored AZ's objections, believing that since the King's Pokémon possessed great power, they should serve the country. On a day when AZ was out on an inspection tour—"

Elder Day's voice paused, as if he were calming himself: "The soldiers stormed into the palace, forcibly took Flower Leaf Stem, and sent it to the most dangerous front lines. AZ rushed to the battlefield like a madman upon learning this, but it was all too late—"

The atmosphere in the cave grew heavy. Cynthia's pen paused on the paper, and Karune's expression turned serious.

"Huayedi died on the battlefield," Day's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. "The soldiers put its body in a small wooden box and sent it back to AZ. The proud king knelt on the battlefield for three days and three nights, holding that box."

Zhang Jianying gazed quietly at the mural, which not only contained Elder Dai's memories but also seemed to retain the despair of the king from three thousand years ago.

"From that day on, AZ changed," Day continued. "He abandoned the throne, abandoned everything, locked himself in a secret workshop, and had only one crazy idea: to revive Flower Leaf."

The three arrived at the next mural: a complex, giant mechanical device, with countless pipes and energy cores intertwined.

"AZ spent all his energy building that terrible device," Dai's voice was filled with fear and awe. "Its core principle is to steal the authority of legendary Pokémon and forcibly simulate Xerneas's life force and Yveltal's destructive power."

Cynthia gasped, "He succeeded?"

"It was a success, but at a terrible price," Little Diamond Dai's body trembled slightly. "The Flower Leaf was resurrected and transformed into the unique Eternal Flower form, gaining immortal life. As for AZ himself, because he stayed in the core of the device for too long, his body was eroded by energy, becoming exceptionally tall, and he also gained immortality."

In the mural, AZ's figure has become like a giant, while the flower petals float in his palm.

"However, the ecstasy of resurrecting a beloved person was soon replaced by another emotion."

Dai's voice turned heavy. "AZ watched himself lose everything because of the war, watched Huayedi die and be resurrected because of the war. The anger and hatred that had been building up in his heart finally erupted."

The next mural is terrifying; the device is activated, and a destructive beam of energy shoots into the sky.

"AZ modified the device, transforming the energy originally intended for resurrection into pure destructive power," Dai narrated. "A beam of light covered the entire battlefield, and the armies, Pokémon, and even the earth itself were reduced to nothingness in that light."

The cave was completely silent, except for the sound of water droplets falling on the stone pillars.

"The war was ended, in the most brutal way."

"But the disaster didn't end there," Day said softly.

Elder Little Diamond led the three to the last set of murals, which depicted even more terrifying scenes.

"The device stole the very essence of the legendary Pokémon's authority. When Yveltal sensed that its power had been desecrated by mortals and its authority forcibly taken away, it flew into a rage."

On the mural, a black Pokémon resembling a giant Y-shaped bird spreads its wings, blotting out the sky. Its eyes are crimson, and what it spews from its mouth is not fire, but black energy capable of eroding everything.

"Yveltal has begun its indiscriminate attack," Dai's voice was filled with deep fear. "It flew across the entire Orian Forest, stripping away life and petrifying everything in its path. Trees turned into gray stone pillars, rivers turned into solid ice, and Pokémon, in their final moments of escape, became eternal sculptures."

The scenes depicted in the murals are shocking.

"That was a true catastrophe," Elder Day's body trembled slightly, as if the fear from three thousand years ago was still etched in his memory. "We hid in the deepest underground caves, using all our strength to reinforce our defenses, but we could still feel the deathly fluctuations coming from the ground. Every tremor meant that another forest had been taken away forever."

Cynthia's pen flew across the paper, but her fingers trembled slightly. Karuni clenched her fists; as the Carlos Champion, she had never imagined that this beautiful forest had suffered such a horrific catastrophe.

"Just when the entire Oruans Forest was about to be completely transformed into a land of death," Dai's voice suddenly softened, carrying an almost pious emotion, "it appeared."

The next mural contrasts sharply with the previous ones, depicting a divine deer with seven-colored antlers and an elegant posture descending from the sky. Flowers bloom beneath its hooves, and its body radiates a warm, life-giving light.

"Lord Xerneas, the embodiment of life," Day said softly, "descended upon the heart of the forest, which was now mostly petrified, to confront the raging Yveltal."

The mural depicts a confrontation between two legendary Pokémon, one side representing the somber death, and the other the vibrant life.

"Lord Xerneas did not choose to fight," Day continued, "but made a move that all survivors will remember to this day."

In the mural, Xerneas raises his head, his seven-colored antlers radiating a dazzling light. The light, like a warm tide, spreads outwards from its center in all directions.

"It gave its life energy to the forest, to every petrified creature," Day's voice was full of reverence. "The petrified trees sprouted new buds, the gray sculptures regained their color, and the frozen river flowed again—life returned to this land."

Zhang Jianying looked at the Pokémon on the mural that had awakened from petrification. They looked around in confusion, as if they had just woken up from a long nightmare.

"But this gift did not come without a price," Day's voice deepened. "After sharing its last bit of life energy, Lord Xernias's body began to change. Its limbs turned into roots that took hold of the earth, its antlers extended into branches, and its fur became tree bark."

In the final fresco, Xerneas transforms into a gigantic tree radiating a soft light. The tree's outline vaguely retains the form of a divine deer, and its branches are patterned like deer antlers.

"It transformed into a giant tree and fell into a long slumber," Day concluded this poignant narrative, "that is now the Tree of Eternity in the heart of the Orianes Forest. And our sacred diamond, and all the crystals of the Diamond Kingdom, were formed under the nourishment of the life energy bestowed by Xerneas."

Cynthia's notebook was filled with dense handwriting; she silently recorded the epic, her expression complex.

Elder Day turned to the three, his dusty body appearing particularly weathered in the radiance of the sacred diamond: "The energy released by King Az, the life-giving gift of Lord Xerneas, and the death authority of Yveltal. These three forces intertwined, permanently altering this land. And our Diamond Kingdom is a miracle born from this complex energy field."

Zhang Jianying sighed. It was almost exactly the same as the plot he remembered.

Elder Little Diamond continued to lead the three forward, and soon they arrived at the core area of ​​the kingdom.

The sight here amazed the group. In the center of the cave, a pink diamond pillar, even larger than the ones they had seen before, stood tall.

Its volume reaches the cave's dome, and the light flowing inside is more intense than any crystal I've ever seen before.

Karuni's life energy detector suddenly emitted a rapid "beep" sound, and the reading on the screen soared to its maximum value.

She suddenly realized: "So that's the reaction—"

"The Sacred Diamond".

Elder Day's voice was filled with pride, "It sustains the operation of our Diamond Kingdom, is the energy core of all crystals, and is also the source of Her Highness's power."

Looking up at the enormous, sacred diamond, Zhang Jianying suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

So he asked cautiously, "It—it should be alright, right?"

Elder Day's proud expression suddenly froze.

"Well----"

Its voice became somewhat embarrassed, "Recently, it has indeed had some problems. The life energy it outputs has been somewhat unstable."

Zhang Jianying gasped.

I'm fucking pissed!

Here it comes, the classic plot: the Sacred Diamond has a problem, and Princess Diancie is the key.

His expression stiffened as he continued, "Then, how do I charge it?"

Elder Dai was silent for a moment, then led the three around the sacred diamond to a platform at the deepest part of the cave. On the platform was an exquisite throne, carved entirely from pink diamonds, with gemstones of various colors inlaid on the back and intricate patterns carved on the armrests.

But the throne was empty.

Only a small diamond crown lay quietly in the center of the chair, radiating a lonely and mysterious glow under the light of the sacred diamond.

Elder Day pointed to the crown, his embarrassment almost overflowing.

"Our princess of this generation is exceptionally talented. At such a young age, she was able to resonate with the sacred diamond, and there was a good chance that she would master the technique of charging the sacred diamond in a short period of time and complete her awakening on her own."

It paused, its voice trailing off: "But perhaps it's because we were too impatient and put too much pressure on it. This has caused it to become somewhat tired and rebellious."

Zhang Jianying suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

"And so," Elder Day finally delivered the terrible news, "it secretly ran away yesterday."

"...

—

Um, is it too late for me to go back to Sinnoh now? Carlos doesn't seem like a very safe place.

He glanced at the two champions beside him. Cynthia was listening attentively to Elder Day's account of the details of Diancie, occasionally asking questions and taking notes; Karune, on the other hand, was stroking her chin, seemingly thinking about how to help with the search.

Zhang Jianying thought about it again and realized that it didn't seem like a big problem.

After all, with two champions present, each could take on ten. Besides, Ash should still be preparing for the Sinnoh League Tournament; without the Chosen One, he shouldn't trigger any outrageous events, right?

Well, no matter what, it's always good to stick close to Zhu Lan.

He made a decision silently in his heart.

As if sensing something, Cynthia turned to look at Zhang Jianying: "What's wrong? Your expression is a little strange."

He shook his head, giving a nonchalant smile. "Nothing. I was just thinking about how we could help."

Upon hearing this, Elder Day's mineral body glowed slightly, and his voice was filled with gratitude: "If you are willing to help find Her Highness the Princess, the entire Diamond Kingdom will be eternally grateful. It shouldn't be far away yet; after all, Her Highness the Princess has never left the kingdom and knows nothing about the outside world."

Just as the three were about to ask Diancie for details about her possible whereabouts.

Outside the mine, in the Oruans Forest.

A pink Pokémon, a veritable trap for Steven, hops and skips through the forest. Its graceful form and body made entirely of pink diamonds make it incredibly cute.

Tianxi.

It looked around curiously, its eyes sparkling with wonder at the unknown world. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering across it and creating a rainbow of colors.

-

As a mutated individual within a small diamond, the princess of the Diamond Kingdom, she had never left that crystal cave since childhood. The elders always said that the outside world was dangerous, that humans were terrifying, and that the sacred diamond needed her protection—

But it's really tired.

Every day they practice resonating with the sacred diamonds, learn those complex inherited techniques, and bear the expectations of the entire kingdom.

It just wanted to rest for a bit and see what the outside world was like.

Just as it was lost in thought, a "woof woof" sound came from ahead.

Tianxi curiously hopped over and saw a playful panda stuck in a crevice in a tree trunk, struggling to get free, but the more it struggled, the tighter it got stuck.

As if by fate, this little guy was the same mischievous panda that Zhang Jianying had rescued before, and which later attracted the whole family.

"Waaaaah!" the little guy cried pitifully.

Tianxi hopped to the tree trunk, stretched out her little hand, and gently pulled it.

With a "plop," the naughty panda was pulled out and sat down on the ground with a thud.

It shook its head, feeling dizzy, and then looked up.

But when the mischievous panda saw Diancie in front of it, its big black eyes instantly turned into hearts.

Mommy, I think I saw an angel!

Tianxi was amused by its comical expression and gracefully covered its little mouth: "Be careful, little guy."

Its sound is crisp and melodious, like a crystal wind chime.

After saying that, Diancie turned around and continued skipping and hopping towards the edge of the forest. Sunlight shone on her, reflecting a dreamlike glow.

Diancie didn't know where she was going or what she would encounter.

It simply wants to be free to see the world.

Behind it, the mischievous panda sat blankly on the ground, watching the pink figure gradually disappear into the forest, without moving for a long time.

It wasn't until a gust of cold wind blew by that it suddenly shivered and came to its senses.

The little guy blinked, then suddenly remembered something, turned around and ran wildly towards the family territory.

It wants to tell its parents and brothers that it met an angel! A pink, glowing, and super beautiful angel!

Deep in the forest, the gears of fate begin to turn.

The three people in the Diamond Kingdom were completely unaware of this.

Cynthia closed her notebook and looked at Elder Day: "Please tell us Her Highness's detailed characteristics, and we will do our best to find her."

Looking at the serious expressions of the two champions, Zhang Jianying thought of Diancie, who might be running around in the forest, and sighed silently.

Forget it, come here.

Besides, seeing the princess of the Diamond Kingdom in person seems pretty good, doesn't it?

He stroked his chin, starting to think about how to persuade his reliable senior, Daigo, to join Carlos.