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

Chapter 127 Ash: I'm coming!

Having successfully rescued the mischievous panda, Diancie turned gracefully, her pink diamond-like body reflecting a dreamlike halo in the forest sunlight. Unbeknownst to her, in the dense shade of the treetops behind her, a single sword sheath coldly watched everything unfold.

A tiny monitoring device was embedded at the top of its hilt. The monocle was tracking Diancie's every move.

As Diancie skipped away, the monocle silently rose, passing through the gaps in the canopy and flying into the sky above the forest.

There, an aircraft employing the latest optical stealth technology is hovering below the clouds.

Inside the aircraft, Millie, the internationally wanted thief known for stealing rare gems and Pokémon from the black market, was excitedly rubbing her hands together.

"Father! Look! It's a diamond! A living diamond!"

Millice practically pressed her face against the holographic display. "If we could catch them, our value on the black market would increase tenfold! No, a hundredfold!"

The middle-aged man sitting at the console, Argais, Millis's father and criminal partner, was relatively calmer. He had a neat gray beard and wore an expensive bespoke suit, making him look more like a successful businessman than a criminal.

But his eyes, fixed on the screen, also burned with undisguised greed.

He brought up another window, which displayed a 3D map of the Oruans Forest. On the map, a pink dot was slowly moving—it was Diancie.

"It seems to be heading towards the city."

Argais narrowed his eyes. "That saves trouble. Making a move in the forest would easily alert the Pokémon Rangers, but in the city—"

"We can use anesthetic gas! Or we can have Soul-Eye use hypnosis!" Millie jumped up excitedly. "Daddy, when do we do it?"

"No rush," Argais said calmly. "Let Saber Sheath continue tracking first. We need more data—this Pokémon's abilities, weaknesses, and behavior patterns. Let's keep up with it first."

In the Diamond Kingdom, Elder Dai is introducing three special small diamonds to Zhang Jianying and his group.

"They are Her Highness the Princess's attendants."

Elder Day explained, "Having grown up with the princess since childhood, we can sense the energy traces she left behind within a certain range. Let them lead you there."

The three little diamond servants bowed in unison and then jumped in front of Zhang Jianying, Cynthia, and Karune.

Zhang Jianying crouched down and gently picked up one of them. The little diamond's body was cool but smooth, radiating a faint energy fluctuation. Through his waveguide, he could sense the little guy's anxiety and worry.

"Then I'll have to trouble you," Cynthia said gently to the little diamonds.

The group left the Diamond Kingdom and returned to the surface along the mine tunnels. The three servant diamond miners immediately began working upon arriving in the forest; their bodies glowed faintly, as if sensing something in the air.

A moment later, one of the small diamonds turned southeast and emitted a buzzing sound.

"Looks like this is the way we are," Zhang Jianying said.

Following the small diamond's guidance, they moved swiftly through the forest. Diancie clearly wasn't making any effort to conceal their presence.

Or perhaps, this princess, who had never left the kingdom, simply didn't know she needed to hide. Faint traces of pink energy lingered on the trees and rocks along the way, as clearly as road signs to the attendant, Little Diamond.

On the way to find her, Zhang Jianying's expression was somewhat complicated.

He walked in the middle of the group, his mind racing through all the plot details about Diancie and Carlos, just in case.

"What's wrong?"

A gentle voice sounded in my ear.

Zhang Jianying snapped out of his daze and noticed that Cynthia had slowed her pace and was walking beside him. She turned her head to look at him, her golden ponytail swaying gently with each step, her eyes filled with concern.

"You've seemed preoccupied since earlier," Cynthia asked softly. "Did you discover something?"

Zhang Jianying hesitated for a moment.

"I just have a bad feeling." He chose a relatively vague way of putting it, "I have a feeling that something terrible is going to happen."

Cynthia blinked, then smiled broadly.

That smile shone brightly in the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest, radiating the confidence and composure characteristic of a champion.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'm here."

Those few simple words seemed to have a magical power, dispelling most of Zhang Jianying's unease.

He looked at Cynthia's profile, gleaming in the sunlight, and in that instant, the same feeling he had felt for the mischievous panda before welled up in his heart.

My God, I think I saw an angel!

Karuni quietly followed a few steps behind the two, taking in their interaction, a maternal smile on her face.

On the edge of the Oruans Forest, there is a quiet little town.

Diancie emerged from the forest, curiously observing the scene before her.

Neat streets, colorful houses, walking humans and Pokémon, and various fragrances wafting in the air.

This is a world it has never seen before.

It carefully avoided the crowds and hid in a small alley, peeking out only half its head to observe. Outside the alley was a bustling street with many stalls selling food, trinkets, and various trinkets.

-

Tianxi's attention was quickly drawn to a stall selling crepes. The golden crepes were filled with cream and berries, emitting an enticing sweet aroma.

The stall owner was a kind middle-aged man who was making crepes for customers with a smile.

Tianxi saw a young mother leading her child to a stall. The mother handed the stall owner a banknote, who took the money and gave the little girl a freshly made crepe. The little girl happily accepted it, then skipped away hand in hand with her mother.

"I see----"

A lightbulb seemed to light up above Diancie's head. "It's pretty much the same as in the kingdom, bartering for food."

.

It completely disregarded the elder's admonitions to "not come into contact with humans" and "not expose itself."

A tiny hand made of diamonds gently clenched its fist, and a small pink diamond appeared in its palm. Diancie nodded in satisfaction, adjusted her delicate crown, and then gracefully walked out of the alley, skipping and hopping to the crepe stand.

She tiptoed, placed the pink diamond on the counter, and then pointed to the picture of a crepe on the menu, which featured strawberries and cream.

The stall owner was wiping the counter when he looked down and saw this sparkling diamond, and he was stunned.

He looked up and saw a pink Pokémon he had never seen before standing outside the counter. Its body was made of diamonds, it wore a small crown, and it was looking at him with expectant eyes.

"this----"

The middle-aged man blinked.

Although wild Pokémon visit his stall every day, some of them bringing berries and others bringing pretty stones, this is the first time someone has paid with diamonds.

The middle-aged man squatted down, looking at Diancie at eye level, and smiled gently: "Beautiful little one, do you want to eat this?"

""

Tianxi nodded.

"This diamond is too valuable; I cannot accept it."

The older man gently pushed the diamond back to Diancie, saying, "I'm giving you one; just keep the diamond safe."

He took a freshly made crepe from the baking tray, carefully put it in a paper bag, and handed it to Tianxi.

Diancie didn't take it. She tilted her head and said in a clear, melodious telepathic voice, "No, you can't~ The elders told me that exchanges must be fair. Besides, this diamond isn't permanent, so you can just accept it~"

The stall owner was taken aback again.

A Pokémon that can communicate telepathically? And it's so polite too?

Seeing Tianxi's serious expression, he suddenly burst into laughter: "Good, good! What a polite little fellow!"

He took the pink diamond and weighed it in his hand. The diamond refracted a mesmerizing light in the sunlight, and although it felt cool to the touch, it contained a strange warmth.

"Well then, I'll accept your gift."

The older man solemnly handed the paper bag containing the crepes to Tianxi, "This is the snack you got in exchange for it. It's fair."

Diancie happily accepted the paper bag, holding it in her two little hands like a human. She gracefully curtsied: "Thank you for your hospitality!"

Then, skipping and hopping away from the stall, he found a quiet corner and began to savor his first human food, taking small bites.

The middle-aged man watched Diancie's departing figure, then looked at the diamond in his hand, shook his head and chuckled, "What a strange thing that happened today—it's a pity my daughter didn't get to see this adorable little one."

At the other end of the alley, three little diamonds were leading three humans, taking in the whole scene they had just witnessed.

"so cute----"

Karuni covered her chest with her hands, her eyes sparkling.

Tianxi's elegant demeanor, polite words, and innate princess-like aura completely captivated the heart of this champion who was about to become a mother.

She gently stroked her lower abdomen, her heart filled with anticipation for the future—how wonderful it would be if her child could be so elegant and sensible.

Cynthia smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons. As a woman, she too was captivated by Diancie's charm.

She turned her head and patted the Garchomp's thick forelimbs beside her: "You should learn from her sometimes. Don't always look so fierce. Learn some manners from Her Highness the princess."

Garchomp: "???"

It stared wide-eyed in disbelief at its trainer and Zhang Jianying, who was trying not to laugh and whose shoulders were shaking, before finally glancing at the tiny pink figure in the distance.

Study? Study what? Learn how to buy snacks with diamonds?

Garchomp roared indignantly, then transformed into a streak of red light and returned to its Poké Ball on its own.

Strike! We quit! We can't keep this trainer!

Zhang Jianying quickly patted his cheeks to suppress his laughter. Luckily, he hadn't laughed out loud, otherwise, he feared the Garchomp would keep a record of it and expose him one day.

"Let's go," he cleared his throat, "let's also meet the princess of the Diamond Kingdom."

The group walked out of the alley. The three little diamond servants, unable to contain themselves any longer, jumped out of Zhang Jianying and Cynthia's arms and swiftly leaped towards Diancie.

"Buzzing~"

They surrounded the princess, anxiously trying to convey something. Diancie was taking small bites of her crepe when the waiters suddenly appeared, startling her. She then puffed out her cheeks, giving a wronged look that said, "I haven't had enough fun yet."

But persuaded by the three small diamonds, Diancie finally put down the crepe, gracefully adjusted her skirt and small crown, and then followed the waiters to the three people.

It performed a standard greeting, and a crisp telepathic message simultaneously rang in the minds of the three: "Greetings, distinguished guests. I am Diancie from the Diamond Kingdom. I apologize for the trouble; I simply wanted to relax a little, so I sneaked out. Thank you for your help and for searching."

Looking at the elegant little guy in front of her and listening to his gentle and polite voice, Cynthia felt her heart melt.

She gently crouched down, looked directly at Diancie, and extended her hand: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I am Cynthia. You haven't caused us any trouble; it's our honor to meet you."

Diancie gently took Cynthia's hand in hers. She looked up, her eyes, seemingly made of pink diamonds, reflecting Cynthia's tender smile.

"You're too kind, Miss Cynthia."

Watching this heartwarming scene unfold, Zhang Jianying suddenly remembered something. He took out his encyclopedia, quietly switched it to silent mode, and snapped a picture of Diancie.

In the photo, the Diancie is gracefully bowing, sunlight shining on its pink diamond-like body, refracting a rainbow of colors. The background features the street scene of the town of Carlos and the distant forest, creating a perfect composition.

Zhang Jianying opened his contacts, found the contact whose nickname was "Stone Maniac," and sent the photo to him.

P.S.: [Are you there? Any free time lately? Want to come to Carlos? I'll offer you a price you can't refuse.]

The message is marked as "read".

Three seconds later, the screen displayed "The other party is typing ————"

Five seconds later, the communication request popped up.

Meanwhile, in the Sinnoh region, on Steel Island.

Almost at the same moment Zhang Jianying sent the message, Daigo, far away on Steel Island in the Sinnoh region, received a beeping notification from his communicator.

This former Hoenn Champion, the only son of the Zuvuki family, and one of the world's top rich kids, is sitting in a chair.

-

While examining the richly colored ore in his hand, Daigo watched with great interest as Ash learned how to use Aura from Aura user Apex.

"Focus, Xiao Zhi."

Ya Xuan's calm voice came through, "Aura is the power of the mind, not the power of muscles. Feel the bond between you and Pikachu, and let it become the bridge that guides energy."

Ash closed his eyes, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He stretched out his hands, pale blue aura gathering in his palms, subtly echoing the electric sparks flickering on Pikachu's cheeks.

Daigo nodded with a smile.

He came to Iron Island today to search for special minerals, but after accidentally encountering Ash and his friends whom he knew from Hoenn, he stayed to observe the young man's training.

Ash's pure passion and deep bond with Pokémon always reminded him of his early days.

The beeping of the communicator interrupted his thoughts.

Daigo took out his specially made communicator and turned on the screen. A new message popped up; the sender was "Zhang Jianying".

He clicked on it casually.

The next second, Daigo froze.

The precious ore he had painstakingly mined slipped from his hands and fell to the ground with a clatter. But he paid no attention to it, his eyes fixed on the photo on the screen.

In the photo, a pink Pokémon unlike any seen before is gracefully bowing. Its body is made of sparkling diamonds, it wears a small crown, and a flowing ribbon of diamonds trails behind it. Sunlight reflects off it, creating a dazzling halo.

"This—this is—" Daigo's voice trembled.

His fingers trembled with excitement as he held the communicator, zooming in on every detail of the image without hesitation.

As a top mineral researcher and collector, he could tell at a glance that the diamond's facets, the crown's construction, and the body's proportions were definitely not special effects or imitations.

This is a real, living Diamond Pokémon.

Daigo's breathing quickened, and he coughed softly.

He glanced quickly at the last sentence Zhang Jianying had added: "I will offer you a price you can't refuse."

It's more than just irresistible! It's practically the ultimate dream he's pursued his entire life!

His fingers flew across the communicator keypad, typing a line and deleting it, then typing another line and deleting it again.

Within seconds, his thoughts had already flown to Carlos.

Finally, Daigo, who felt so inadequate in his vocabulary for the first time, simply gave up typing and dialed a voice call instead.

The communication was connected.

"Where are you?! What kind of Pokémon is that?! I'm coming right now! Send me your location! Now! Immediately!"

Daigo's voice was so excited it almost cracked, completely losing his usual composure.

Xiao Zhi and Ya Xuan on the other end were startled by the sudden shout and turned to look at him.

Zhang Jianying's voice, tinged with laughter, came from the other end of the communicator: "Calm down, calm down. We're in Kalos, a small town near the Oriannes Forest. This Pokémon is called Diancie, the princess of the Diamond Kingdom, and her body is entirely made of diamond."

"The Princess of the Diamond Kingdom?! Made entirely of diamonds?!"

Daigo's voice rose another eight octaves, his heart pounding as if it would burst from his chest. "Wait for me! I'll be right there! Don't let it get away! No, I mean, please make sure it stays a little longer! I'll be there in three hours, no, in an hour and a half!"

"Beep—beep—"

—

Without waiting for a response, Daigo hung up the call. He had to leave immediately; not a second could be wasted.

He quickly stood up and began to gather his scattered luggage.

"Mr. Daigo, what happened?" Ash ran over curiously, and Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. "Pikachu?"

Hikaru and Tsuyoshi also came over, and the three of them were puzzled when they saw Daigo's unusually excited appearance.

Daigo froze, only then remembering that there were other people around.

He casually straightened his collar, trying to regain his usual noble demeanor.

But the fanatical light in his eyes was impossible to hide, and his fingers holding the communicator were still trembling slightly.

"It's nothing serious."

Daigo spoke in as calm a tone as possible, but the excitement in his voice still betrayed him: "A friend of mine found a, well, a very special Pokémon in Kalos. He invited me to go see it."

The phrase "special Pokémon" seemed to trigger a switch.

Ash's eyes lit up instantly. Pikachu's ears perked up too: "Pika?"

"A Pokémon I've never seen before?" Dawn became interested and leaned closer. "What kind of Pokémon is it?"

Brock stroked his chin: "What could make Mr. Steven so excited? It must be some kind of Pokémon, right? Could it be related to minerals?"

Daigo looked at the three pairs of expectant eyes before him and suddenly realized he might have let something slip. But then he thought again—

It sounds like it would be nice if Ash and the others went together, right?

If that diamond Pokémon is shy or wary, Ash's amazing talent for building relationships with Pokémon might be of great help.

More importantly, he couldn't wait! Now! Immediately! He had to leave right away! Sending Ash and the others back to Canal City first, and then flying to Kalos alone, would be too much of a waste of time!

"Ahem." Steven cleared his throat. "Yes, a Pokémon I've never seen before. My friend said its body is entirely made of diamonds, and it's a princess from some diamond kingdom."

"A Pokémon I've never seen before?!"

"Princess?!"

"A diamond kingdom?!"

Ash, Dawn, and Brock exclaimed at the same time, their reactions almost identical.

"If you're interested," Daigo said with a smile, "you can come with me. My aircraft is parked over there; it'll be quick to get to Carlos, in about an hour and a half."

"I want to go! I want to go!" Ash immediately raised his hand, his eyes sparkling. "I want to see that Pokémon! A Pokémon made of diamonds, that's amazing!"

"I want to go too!" Xiaoguang clasped her hands together, her eyes filled with a girlish, romantic fantasy. "The Diamond Princess sounds like a fairy tale!"

Xiao Gang nodded, his expression serious: "As a Pokémon breeder, seeing unknown Pokémon is also a valuable learning opportunity."

"Then it's settled." Daigo picked up his already packed backpack, his movements so fast they almost created a gust of wind. After saying goodbye to Yaxuan, the group entered the aircraft.

Daigo walked straight to the cockpit and quickly swiped his fingers across the holographic control panel. The engine emitted a deep, powerful hum, and the aircraft slowly ascended.

"Fasten your seatbelts," Daigo said without turning his head, his voice filled with barely suppressed urgency. "We're going full speed ahead."

The aircraft adjusted its direction in the air, its tail thrusters spewing out a stream of azure ions, and then with a "whoosh," it sped off at an astonishing speed toward Carlos, leaving a faint white trail in the air.

Shortly after the aircraft took off, three furtive figures peeked out from behind a huge rock on the coast of Steel Island.

"A Pokémon made of diamonds?" Jessie squinted, her long red hair fluttering in the sea breeze. "Did you hear that? You little brats are going to Kalos to find a Diamond Pokémon!"

"Diamond Cat!"

Meow's eyes instantly turned into money symbols, and it almost drooled. "That's a diamond, meow!"

More valuable than gold coins! One of them is enough for us to eat for a lifetime, meow!

Kojiro stroked his chin, his expression a mix of seriousness and barely suppressed excitement: "If we can catch that Pokémon and present it to the boss, we'll definitely get promoted and get a raise, becoming executives of Team Rocket!!"

"And you can use its diamonds to make lots of beautiful and valuable jewelry!" Musashi added. "A queen-like life is beckoning me!"

"What are you waiting for, meow!" Meow jumped up, waving its paws. "Hurry up and catch up with them! We can't miss this time, meow!"

The trio frantically dragged their hot air balloon out from behind the rocks and began their clanging and banging modifications.

"Hurry, hurry!" Musashi urged. "Their aircraft are flying so fast, we'll lose them if we don't keep up!"

"Okay, okay!" Kojiro was covered in sweat. "We only have limited materials, so this is the fastest we can go."

Three minutes later, thanks to the trio's extraordinary hands-on skills, the modified hot air balloon wobbled and rose into the air.

The trio adjusted their direction and chased after Carlos. Although their speed was not as fast as that of the aircraft, they were still able to keep up with him.

"Alright, that's it!" Jessie stood on the edge of the gondola, shading her eyes with her hand as she gazed into the distance. "This time we have to succeed! The Diamond Pokémon is ours, Team Rocket!"

"That's it, meow!" Meow clenched its paws.

"For a promotion and a raise!" Kojiro's fighting spirit was ignited.

"Hello, feed? Beep, the call was disconnected."

Zhang Jianying shrugged, holding the communicator that was emitting a busy signal.

As expected, Diancie is a true "Daiwu trap," more effective than any rare ore.

He put away his communicator, thinking to himself, "Hmm, Daigo is coming too, and judging from his urgent tone, he's probably already left. And then there's Cynthia and Karen beside him."

Three championships!

Zhang Jianying suddenly felt very confident.

So what if we really encounter Yveltal and Xerneas? With three champions present, even if those two legendary Pokémon come at us together, what can they do?

Not to mention Ash, the "plot trigger," who's probably still in Sinnoh preparing for the Pokémon League. Without that kid's "troublemaker" nature, it's uncertain whether the legendary Pokémon awakening event would even have happened.

Haha, I'm so clever.

Zhang Jianying nodded in satisfaction, then squatted down with a smile, ready to interact with this adorable diamond princess.

"Your Highness, I am Zhang Jianying. This is Karuni, the champion of Carlos," he introduced. "We have been sent by Elder Dai to find you. The situation with the Sacred Diamond seems to be dire, and we need your assistance in handling it."

Upon hearing "Holy Diamond," Diancie's expression immediately turned serious. It nodded: "I understand. Actually, I also sensed the instability of the Holy Diamond's energy—I just... just wanted to catch my breath."

She lowered her head somewhat shyly, her little hands clutching the hem of her skirt.

"It's okay."

Karuni said gently, "It's good to relax once in a while. But could you please come back with us later? Elder Dai and your people are very worried."

Diancie looked up at the three humans, then at the three little diamond servants beside her who were staring at her expectantly, and finally nodded: "Okay. Let's go back."

Looking at the aggrieved Tianxi, Zhang Jianying's heart softened, and he made a suggestion.

"No rush, we can show you around some more. A friend of ours will be arriving soon, and we can go back after he gets here."

Cynthia and Karune clearly heard the communication and nodded in agreement. They each took Diancie's small hand on either side.

"In that case, let's go, Your Highness. This is a rare opportunity, we'll show you around."

Tianxi's face brightened, and her eyes lit up.

"Okay, then thank you everyone for your help!"

Zhang Jianying smiled and picked up the three little diamonds, following the two people and the Pokémon. He said to the little diamonds, "It's alright, little guys, the Holy Diamond won't have any problems for a while, no need to worry."

The little diamonds ate the energy cubes Zhang Jianying had given them, blinking their eyes, completely forgetting their mission. They were just as curious about the outside world, and also about this cube-shaped food.

Mmm, it smells delicious!

Oruans Forest, Central Region.

The sacred tree, which Xerneas had transformed into, stood silently, its colorful leaves swaying gently in the breeze, radiating a soft life energy. For three thousand years, it had remained steadfast, protecting the balance of this forest.

But deep within the roots of the giant tree, the black cocoon that had been entangled by the roots and had been dormant for three thousand years trembled slightly.

On the surface of the giant cocoon, those strange, bone-like patterns were shimmering with a dark red glow.

A barely perceptible wisp of black energy seeped from the cracks in the giant cocoon, merging into the soil and slowly spreading upwards along the tree roots.

The divine deer, which had transformed into a giant tree, seemed to sense something, and its leaves moved without wind.

Zhang Jianying and his group were completely unaware of all this.

-