While Rex and the others were en route to the nearest city, within a cave on a nearby mountain not far from the valley where Keldeo and its mentors resided, Deoxys lay resting beside a shattered meteorite.
Its breathing was uneven, and wounds still marred its body—though they were slowly healing. Despite being able to use Recover, the residual energy from Cobalion and the others within the wounds made them especially difficult to purge.
Eyes closed as if asleep, Deoxys remained hyper-alert, opening them instantly at the slightest disturbance.
Not far from where it lay, a damaged meteorite stood. Once spherical and moon-like, it was now cracked and cratered, reduced to a crescent shape faintly glowing in the dark.
Embedded deep within it was a violet crystal—the source of the glow. A closer look revealed that this crystal was heavily fractured, seemingly on the verge of shattering.
This was no ordinary gem. It was the life core of a Deoxys—one that had sustained devastating injuries. As long as the core remained intact, a Deoxys could gradually recover from almost any injury.
That violet core was once a Deoxys itself. During the hazardous journey from space to the Pokémon world, things had gone terribly wrong.
As they descended through the atmosphere, the Deoxys were detected by the Rayquaza that lived in the ozone layer. A fierce battle broke out.
While a single Rayquaza wasn't vastly stronger than a Deoxys, the Deoxys were outnumbered and overwhelmed when several Rayquaza joined the fray.
In the end, one Deoxys shielded its comrade, using all of its core energy to create a protective meteor that crashed down to the earth. That Deoxys had since been reduced to the crystal embedded in the meteor.
The surviving Deoxys—the one that had defeated Cobalion and the others—remained to protect the crystal. Fearing any disturbance might lead to its companion's death, it drove all nearby Pokémon away.
During its battle with Cobalion's group, it had sensed the core weakening. That was why it had allowed Keldeo to leave with the injured trio. Returning to the meteor, Deoxys found the core's stability severely deteriorated.
It had no choice but to pour much of its own core energy into the violet crystal to halt its collapse. But the damage was too deep. Even with Deoxys's aid, recovery was agonizingly slow—without outside help, it might never fully recover.
"Diancie! It's been a while. How have you been?"
Rex said warmly as he released Diancie after retrieving her via Pokémon Center transfer, returning immediately to Keldeo's valley.
As the radiant mythical Pokémon appeared, the pressure Rex had felt from Deoxys earlier seemed to melt away.
With Diancie by his side, even if he couldn't win, he was confident they could retreat unharmed.
"I've been doing great! I can even craft top-tier Poké Puffs now!"
came Diancie's youthful, proud voice in his mind.
"That's amazing, Diancie. I'm so proud of you—you've done incredibly well!"
Rex said with a bright smile.
Hearing this, Diancie's face beamed with satisfaction. She had worked so hard, and now her trainer had acknowledged it.
Being summoned by Rex, whom she deeply respected as the one who raised her from a mere Carbink into the Diancie at the peak of her kind, made her even happier.
As they spoke, Cynthia and Diantha approached, flanked by their ace partners—Garchomp and Gardevoir.
"Wow! That's Diancie, right? She's absolutely stunning!"
Diantha exclaimed, unable to hide her excitement.
Known as the Fairy Queen for her expertise in Fairy-type Pokémon, Diantha was instantly enchanted. A mythical Fairy Pokémon like Diancie was practically a dream come true.
Even Cynthia looked at Diancie with admiration in her eyes. Diancie's charm was simply irresistible.
"Hello,"
Diancie said politely, her voice echoing in both of their minds. She recognized Cynthia but was meeting Diantha for the first time. Still, she greeted them both warmly.
"Hello, Diancie. It's lovely to meet you,"
Diantha replied with her signature elegance.
"It's been a while, Diancie,"
Cynthia added with a soft smile.
From her appearance alone, Diancie had changed significantly from the small, pink-diamond-headed Carbink Cynthia once saw. But there was a familiar glint in her eyes that revealed her identity.
Soon, Keldeo joined them. It could sense the powerful energy radiating from Diancie, a strength equal to its own.
Despite this being their first meeting, Keldeo and Diancie quickly bonded. Their personalities were similarly straightforward, and they got along instantly.
Sometimes, when personalities clicked, both humans and Pokémon could become close friends in mere moments.
As Diancie settled in, Rex noticed something: she had quickly become the center of attention. Everyone—people and Pokémon alike—gravitated toward her.
That was just how powerful Diancie's presence was.
(End of Chapter)