The night air in Solaceon Town was cool, but the interior of the hotel suite was warm, filled with the soft clinking of bowls and the satisfied sighs of five very well-fed Pokémon. Julian sat cross-legged on the carpet, leaning back against the side of the bed as he watched his team.
Floette, Sylveon, and Togetic were currently engaged in a polite (for once) tug-of-war over the last piece of garnish, while Growlithe was already entering a pre-sleep trance after devouring a bowl of spicy-stewed meat.
Nearby, the newest member of the family, Carbink, was delicately crunching through a specialized Pokéblock Julian had formulated just for her—a dense, mineral-rich cube that smelled faintly of mountain air and sweet nectar.
"Sorry about that, Carbink," Julian said, his voice soft as he reached out to gently stroke the large, exposed diamond embedded in her rocky body. "I haven't quite mastered a 'cooked' meal that suits your biology yet. Most of what I make would be too soft for you, and honestly, you'd probably find the lack of iron offensive."
"Mishimishi~ (Don't sweat it, Boss! I'm not a fan of that mushy stuff anyway. This block has a fantastic mouthfeel—really good structural integrity!)" Carbink chirped, her sapphire eyes sparkling as she ground the block between her rocky jaws.
"Glad you like it," Julian chuckled, his fingers tracing the angular lines of her frame. "Since you've been such a good sport, I've got a little surprise. I bought a high-grade polishing stone today from a specialist in town. How about after you finish your dessert, I give you a proper detailing?"
Carbink's ears—or the rock-flaps that served as ears—perked up instantly. "Misi? (Polishing? Like... a spa day? You promise?)"
"Scout's honor," Julian grinned. "It's a deal."
True to his word, an hour later found Julian sitting on a towel-covered floor, working with the focus of a diamond-cutter. He used the newly purchased sharpening stone, infused with trace minerals, to gently buff away the dust and oxidation from Carbink's exterior.
As he worked, he began to think about the future. While the others were seasoned veterans or naturally aggressive, Carbink was a blank slate. Born just days ago, she was as innocent as a freshly mined gem.
"So, Carbink," Julian muttered, blowing away a fine layer of stone dust. "Let's talk business. Since you've joined our little traveling circus, we should probably figure out what you can do. Do you know any moves?"
Carbink tilted her head, thinking hard. "Misi... (I can... hit things? And I can make my skin really, really hard.)"
Julian nodded. [Tackle and Harden. The classic starter kit.] It made sense. Carbink's species had lived in the Diamond Ore Kingdom for eons, buried so deep underground that the concept of "predation" was almost non-existent. They weren't built for the frantic, high-octane violence of the surface world. They were built to endure.
In competitive terms, Carbink was a literal brick wall. Her speed was abysmal, her offensive power was negligible, and her health pool was modest. But her defenses? Those were legendary. To a Carbink, a direct hit from a Machamp felt like a light breeze. They were the ultimate "No-Sell" Pokémon.
"Hmm... I'm not going to try and turn you into a glass cannon," Julian whispered to himself, wiping her down with a microfiber cloth. "That would be like trying to use a diamond to hammer a nail. We need to lean into your strengths."
He stood back, admiring his handiwork. Under the hotel's warm lighting, Carbink was practically glowing. Her diamonds caught the light and shattered it into a thousand tiny rainbows that danced across the walls.
"Man... my craftsmanship is top-tier. You look like you just walked out of a jewelry store window."
Carbink hopped over to the full-length mirror, turning this way and that, clearly enamored with her own luster. "Mishimishi! (I'm so shiny! I look like a tiny sun!)"
Julian took the opportunity to sit beside her, his expression turning "Serious Trainer" mode.
"Carbink, have you ever thought about... battling?"
The little rock blinked. "Misi? (Battling? Is that like... when Growlithe chases his tail but with more shouting?)"
Julian facepalmed. "Right. I've been so busy showing you the sights that I forgot the 'Pokémon' part of being a Pokémon. Hold on, let me give you a visual aid."
He grabbed the TV remote and clicked it on. The screen flickered to life, but instead of an epic battle, it showed a Nidoking and a Nidoqueen standing in a field of flowers, looking deeply into each other's eyes.
"MY NIDOQUEEN: MY PETITE AND DOTING WIFE" flashed across the screen in flowery pink letters.
Julian's jaw dropped. [Petite?!] He stared at the Nidoqueen, who was a solid four hundred pounds of armor plating and venomous spikes. [Who wrote this script? A Galvantula on hallucinogenic berries?]
"Misi... (Is this battling? Are they going to hit each other with the flowers?)" Carbink asked, leaning in.
"No! No, definitely not!" Julian frantically flicked through the channels, passing a Miltank commercial and a documentary on the life cycle of Shellder. Finally, he landed on a show that looked promisingly over-the-top: "THE HIDDEN HERO: KRICKETUNE KNIGHT."
The show was pure tokusatsu cheese. A Kricketune in a tiny red cape was currently facing off against a giant robot shaped like a trash can.
"Hah! Behold my Judgment Needle!" the Kricketune chirped, its wings vibrating to create a dramatic violin score as it lunged.
BOOM! The robot exploded into a shower of sparks and poorly rendered CGI fire.
"H-How could this be...!" the villainous voice-over wailed as the credits rolled.
Growlithe, Floette, and Sylveon had all gathered around the TV, their eyes wide. Even though they knew real battles didn't have background music, they were suckers for a good hero story.
"Woof! (Justice always wins,)" Growlithe barked, nodding solemnly. "Floette-flo! (The cape is a bit much, but the form was 10/10.)"
"Mishimishi! (Kricketune Knight is so cool!)" Carbink cheered, her sapphire eyes glowing. "I want to do that! I want to have a Judgment Needle!"
Julian saw his opening. It was time for a little bit of "Trainer Guidance" (or as the others might call it, psychological manipulation).
"Ahem. Well, Carbink... Kricketune Knight is great, but let's be honest. His style? It's a bit... fragile."
"Misi?"
"Think about it," Julian said, leaning in with a conspiratorial whisper. "He attacks, sure. But did you see the background? When the robot fired its lasers, half of those buildings got smashed. People were running for cover! Is a hero really a hero if they let the town get wrecked while they're busy being flashy?"
Carbink looked at the screen, then back at Julian, her expression falling. "Misi... (Oh. I guess... the buildings did get a bit crunchy.)"
"Exactly! But you? You have a gift. You aren't meant to be the sword, Carbink. You are meant to be the Diamond Knight—the Shield of Solaceon!"
"The... Diamond Knight?"
"Yes!" Julian's voice rose with motivational fervor. "Imagine it! An opponent fires a massive, world-ending Hyper Beam. Everyone is terrified. But you? You just stand there. You don't even blink. The beam hits you and—TINK—it bounces off your shiny skin like a pebble. You look the villain in the eye and say, 'Is that all you've got?'"
Carbink's chest (if she had one) puffed out. Her little stone nub-feet stood firm on the carpet.
"While they're exhausted from trying to hurt you, you just stand your ground, protecting everyone behind you. You don't need a cape when you have a body made of the hardest substance in the world! Everyone will look at you with total admiration. They'll say, 'Kricketune Knight is okay, but the Diamond Knight? She's invincible!'"
Carbink's eyes were practically beaming light now. She struck a heroic pose, staring at a commercial for a moving company as if it were a legion of villains. "MISI! (I'VE DECIDED! I AM THE DIAMOND KNIGHT! BRING ON THE LASERS!)"
"Mhm! That's the spirit!" Julian cheered, clenching his fist in support.
Behind them, the rest of the team was staring at Julian with expressions of pure horror.
(￢￢) So you're just going to lie to a baby like that? Sylveon's eyes said. (￢￢) You're literally teaching her how to be a professional troll, Floette's silence added.
Julian shot them a fierce "Stay out of this" glare. [Hey, a Stall-strategy needs a dedicated mindset! I'm building her confidence!]
The Captured Moments
"Alright, alright, Diamond Knight," Julian laughed, picking up the now-heroic rock. "Even heroes need a bath. Let's get everyone cleaned up before bed."
An hour and a half later, the room was a cloud of steam and the scent of expensive Pokémon shampoo. Julian had bathed the "fabulous four" and given Carbink one last buffing. Finally feeling refreshed himself, he collapsed onto the bed, immediately pulling Growlithe into his arms. The puppy smelled like "Wildfire Spice" shampoo and felt like a warm cloud.
"Ah... this is the life," Julian sighed, burying his face in Growlithe's ruff.
"Woof! (Hey! Watch the ears!)" Growlithe barked, but he didn't pull away. He looked at Julian with a puzzled expression. "Woof-woof? (Wait, I thought you had a 'very important thing' to do tonight? Did you forget already because your brain melted from all the fur?)"
Julian froze. "The photos! I totally forgot!"
He sat up so fast he nearly launched Growlithe off the bed. He scrambled over to his desk and pulled a thick paper envelope out of his backpack. He'd picked them up from the Solaceon studio earlier that afternoon but had been too busy being a "Diamond Knight" mentor to check them.
He spread the photos out on the bed, and the whole team gathered around to look.