"Sorry for summoning you here so suddenly, but could I ask for your help?"
Dylan smiled warmly at the two Pokémon in front of him.
"You are…?"
"My name's Dylan. You're both so beautiful that I wanted to ask if you'd be my partners."
"???"
The two Pokémon fell silent. Seriously—what kind of creepy human was this?
He just snatched them up because they were pretty, and now he was standing there saying he wanted to "team up"?
They didn't dare talk back, though, because behind Dylan stood a massive black-and-red bird glaring down at them—Yveltal, the Pokémon said to drain all life.
So scary!!
The two little Pokémon shrank back timidly.
Couldn't he just talk without bringing that monster along to intimidate them?
Later that day, after spending the afternoon in Arche Valley and having dinner at Kevin's house—
"Lillie, this is for you," Dylan said, handing her a Luxury Ball.
"Eh?" Lillie blinked, then her face lit up with surprise and joy as she accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you, brother~!!" she said sweetly. Though Dylan had told her last night he'd be giving her a Pokémon, actually holding it in her hands made her so happy she could barely stand it.
"No need to thank me," Dylan said, pinching her soft cheeks.
"Can I open it?"
"Of course. It's yours now."
"Hehe~!"
Lillie skipped into the backyard, excitement bubbling in her chest as she opened the Luxury Ball.
Leaf, Kevin, and Sheena followed to see what kind of Pokémon Dylan had chosen for her.
"Come on out."
A flash of light revealed a Pokémon about 0.7 meters tall.
"So cute!" Lillie's eyes sparkled immediately.
Its upper body was humanoid, wearing a white dress, with ruby-like eyes and a brilliant pink gem glowing atop its head. Its lower body was gray stone, exposing facets of raw diamond ore.
"Lady Lillie, my name is Diancie. It's a pleasure to meet you," came a gentle telepathic voice, pure and refined like that of a princess.
"Hello, Diancie," Lillie replied, caught off guard but quickly smiling back politely.
Diancie? It can communicate telepathically? Lillie was surprised—Pokémon with that ability were definitely not ordinary.
Bzzt!
Diancie – Rock/Fairy type, the Jewel Pokémon.
Ability: Clear Body
Known moves: Diamond Storm, Power Gem, Skill Swap, Meteor Beam, Gravity...
Entry: A mutation of Carbink. Its pink, glimmering body is said to be the most beautiful in the world.
Rotom Dex's entry scrolled across the screen.
"The most beautiful in the world? Wait, I thought that title belonged to Milotic?" Leaf tilted her head.
Milotic's Pokédex entry did say it was "the most beautiful Pokémon, capable of calming anger and hatred."
"Well, Pokédex entries are written by different professors. Oak may have started it, but every region adds their own notes—different people, different opinions," Dylan shrugged.
"In other words, if I wrote the Pokédex, I'd say the most beautiful Pokémon in the world is Reshiram."
Indeed, Dylan thought the white dragon was both awe-inspiring and genuinely beautiful—far more so than Milotic.
And Diancie's "world's most beautiful" title came straight from the X and Omega Ruby entries.
"True enough," Leaf agreed. "Reshiram is gorgeous."
"It's fine either way. I think Diancie is really beautiful too," Lillie said happily, admiring her new partner.
"Thank you, Lady Lillie—you're very beautiful as well," Diancie replied gracefully, hands folded in front of her.
"Wow~ She's like a noble princess!" Leaf said in awe.
Diancie really did have that aura—refined tone, elegant gestures, and the poise of someone raised in a royal court.
Diancie smiled modestly, but her eyes darted slyly toward Lillie. From now on, this gentle girl would be her partner…
"Well, she is a princess," Dylan said with a grin.
"Huh?" Leaf blinked.
"I remember a legend in Kalos—about a hidden mine where many Carbink dwell, ruled by their queen, Diancie," Sheena recalled.
"That's right," Dylan nodded. "The legend's true. The Diamond Kingdom is a beautiful underground realm, and Diancie is its princess—a real royal."
"I'm not that special," Diancie said modestly.
So she really was a mythical Pokémon? Lillie quickly put the pieces together.
"Then, brother, how did you even find Diancie?" she asked curiously.
He hadn't left her side for days—so when did he have time to search for a secret underground kingdom?
At that, Diancie's smile stiffened.
"The Diamond Kingdom is well hidden," Dylan said, "but Hoopa's rings are very convenient."
Ah. So she'd been dragged here through one of Hoopa's portals.
Diancie's expression froze completely, and she looked on the verge of tears.
"Hehehe~" Hoopa Confined giggled mischievously, proud of itself.
"I've already spoken with Diancie and the others," Dylan continued. "They were curious about the outside world and agreed to come along."
"So they wanted to be our partners," he said with a grin.
"Is that true, Diancie?" Lillie asked, skeptical. Knowing her brother, things were rarely that simple.
And… "the others"?
"Indeed," Diancie said smoothly. "I've always wanted to see the outside world. This is the perfect chance. I look forward to working with you, Lady Lillie."
To be fair, Dylan had given them the option to refuse.
It's just… with a massive Yveltal looming behind him, who would dare say no?
Still, the chance to explore beyond the kingdom didn't sound so bad, and Lillie seemed kind and pure—Diancie could live with that.
"I'm glad! Just call me Lillie, okay? From now on, we're friends!"
"Of course," Diancie said, eyes sparkling as she curiously looked around at the world beyond her home.
"Dylan, you didn't just grab one Diancie, did you?" Leaf asked slyly.
"Of course not. I like Diancie too," Dylan said matter-of-factly, pulling out another Luxury Ball.
"Diancie."
A flash of light revealed another Diancie—but this one wore a red dress and shimmered faintly.
A shiny Diancie.
He hadn't kept the shiny one for himself on purpose—it was the result of a rock-paper-scissors match between the two.
He could still picture it clearly: the shiny Diancie trembling with fear, yet bravely declaring it would stay by his side to protect her "little sister."
He couldn't help but wonder what they saw him as…
An evil dragon stealing the princess away?
The shiny Diancie floated over, spotting Lillie's Diancie chatting happily with her new partner.
Seeing that, she smiled, content. As long as her sister was happy, so was she.
"They're both so pretty~!" Leaf gushed, eyes darting between them.
Though, she reminded herself, her Articuno was just as beautiful!
After spending the night at Kevin's place, Dylan and the others said their goodbyes the next morning. Hoopa opened a golden ring leading to Lumiose City.
Blue's battle with Serena wouldn't start until tomorrow, so the three spent the day exploring the city with the two Diancies, who were overwhelmed by the sights.
Lillie was especially delighted, walking hand-in-hand with them as she pointed out shops and explained city life.
Large Pokémon weren't allowed to roam the streets or fly overhead, but Diancie's size made her an exception.
And watching her move was adorable.
Technically, Diancie floated—but she did so in a little bouncing motion, like a bunny hop. (Just like in the movie!)
"Next time, I'll test out Mega Diancie," Dylan said, turning the Key Stone over in his hand—the gem glittering brilliantly in the sunlight.
Diancie was one of the few Mythicals capable of Mega Evolution.
In her regular form, she was a defensive powerhouse. But when she Mega Evolved, her stats flipped—turning her into a glass cannon with immense offensive power.
Dylan planned to use her in his next battle.
Mostly because… Mega Diancie was just too beautiful not to show off.
The next day arrived quickly.
The Lumiose Arena was packed once again. Dylan sat in the front row with Steven, Wallace, and others beside him.
They'd practically made a habit of attending every major battle together.
Watching great Trainers clash was its own kind of fun.
"A showdown between two prodigies," Wallace said with interest. "This should be good."
"Yeah," Lorelei agreed. "Both Blue and Serena only debuted last year—and they're already monsters."
"Dylan, who do you think will win?" Steven asked, intrigued.
"Emotionally, I've got to root for Blue—he's a good friend," Dylan shrugged.
"But logically… who knows? Depends how they perform."
He really couldn't call it. He hadn't battled either of them recently, so their true strength was a mystery.
Blue versus Serena.
Who would come out on top?
(End of Chapter)