Chapter 1

The Mythical Princess

Pokémon.

The pride of our world, brimming with beauty, variety, and majesty. With almost nine hundred documented species, maybe even transcending into the thousands, they can be found wherever one looks. Pokémon have many different skills and abilities, and through a process commonly called "evolution," they are able to grow and change.

Most humans have lived in harmony with Pokémon as friends and companions. Among them, there are the Pokémon Trainers, who join forces with Pokémon themselves as battle partners, displaying their skills in competitive arenas across the globe.

Because of the strong bond between one another, an incredible phenomenon had awoken in the Kalos region, called Mega Evolution. During battle, a Trainer's Key Stone has a synchronistic reaction to their partner's Mega Stone. The result is a temporary yet profound transformation and increase in power for the Pokémon. Only a select few species of Pokémon are known to Mega Evolve: Lopunny, Gardevoir, Altaria, Blaziken, Lucario and Charizard just to name a few.

And somewhere among these Mega Evolutions... there's me. Brianna Bellerose, princess of Kalos. In the daytime, I am your typical Pokémon Trainer traveling with my Lopunny partner, Cocoa, and learning the art of battling. But there is something about me that few people realize, and not just the princess thing, or the fact that I can Mega Evolve. I am also working to find a mystical power in the form of these objects called Pure Hearts. Through them, I am to defeat a force threatening to destroy us all.

It is a lot to live up to. I mean, princess turned superhero?! No pressure. Luckily, I have amazing friends who are there for me no matter what. That is what I want for everyone, and I always believe that as long as I have my friends and well thought-out plan, I will become the princess everyone needs me to be.

But there are some things you just cannot plan for…

It was shortly after Professor Sycamore's annual Summer Camp. Per his suggestion, we began our journey to Coumarine City. Since that was the home of Gym Leader Ramos, it seemed likely that he had one of the Pure Hearts I needed. But Coumarine City was still a long way from where we were.

My mother, the Champion Diantha, departed from us shortly after camp. She decided it would be best to alert the remainder of the Pokémon League of current events. Instead, our friends Misty and Brock have joined us temporarily while we continued our journey. Meanwhile, I had some training to do. Considering I only recently learned about my power, there was still a lot for me to learn.

One day, I was in Avignon Town, honing my abilities with Misty. She was using her Mega Gyarados as my opponent. "Nice job. I'm rather impressed," she told me as I dodged one of her attacks. "Time to wrap it up though! Hydro Pump, let's go!" A powerful jet of water blasted from Gyarados' water at me.

"King's Shield!" I summoned my shield, and blocked the oncoming attack. "Sacred Sword!" I shouted as I summoned my sword to deliver the final blow.

Gyarados fell to the ground and groaned loudly as it returned to its original form. Clemont raised an arm. "Gyarados is unable to battle! This match goes to Brianna Bellerose!"

As I reverted back to my original form, Ash came over to me with my thermos. "Great job out there, Princess Brianna."

I rolled my eyes as I accepted it. "Ash, you know you don't have to call me that."

"Why not?" Serena asked. "It's every girl's dream to be where you are. The least you could do is embrace your new title… um, your majesty."

"If people I don't know want to call me your majesty, your grace, your whateverness, I guess it's okay, but… not my friends. It just doesn't feel right." I sighed as I extracted one of the two crystals from my person. "And neither does all this Pure Heart business. I still have fifteen of these things to find, and I have almost no idea where to find them."

"All the more reason we're heading to Coumarine City," Brock cut in. "Your mom told us there was a Gym there, and we know all the Gym Leaders in Kalos have Pokémon that can Mega Evolve." he paused for a second… "Well, almost all of them. No offense, Clemont."

"None taken," the Lumiose Gym Leader replied with a smile.

Before anything else could happen, Pikachu's ears perked, and he jerked his head in one direction. "Pika!"

Cocoa looked at him. "I heard it, too!" She and Pikachu charged towards a nearby staircase.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" I shouted. Rather than wait for an answer, the rest of us decided to follow after them.

We followed them into a nearby alleyway. There we found a Pokémon in danger. It was surrounded by a series of Team Flare Grunts. Fortunately, they seemed to be less potent than the others, as they had a Scraggy and a Croagunk for partners.

"You're lucky we misplaced our secret weapons today," one of them stated, "or this would be really painful for you!"

"You're coming with us!" another demanded. "Lord Lydos will find you most useful in our cause."

The Pokémon, who was shaped vaguely like a Carbink, shook its head in fear.

"We weren't asking!" snapped the first. "Croagunk! Use a Sludge Bomb!" Croagunk's cheeks swelled up, and a blob of purple sludge shot out from its mouth at their prey.

"Counter with an Electro Ball!" Ash shouted. The Electric-type move met its mark and defended the distressed one. Then Ash and I ran out between them. "Gaining up on others like this! What are you trying to do?!"

"The Princess!" a third Team Flare Grunt shouted. "Contact an Admin!"

"On It!" one of the others looked to his Holo Caster.

I looked at the Pokémon behind us. "We'll keep them busy! Run for it!" It nodded in reply and hobbled toward Serena and the others. Then, I looked back at Ash and we nodded in unison. "Double Thunderbolt!" we shouted. The combined Electric-type attack struck the opposing Pokémon and their Trainers. Then we ran after our friends.

A short distance later, Clemont looked back where we came from. Fortunately, there were no signs of the three Grunts. "I think we lost them…"

"Thank Arceus…" a female voice sighed. We all looked at the Pokémon we rescued. "Everyone, you have my eternal gratitude."

"You can use Telepathy, too?" Squishy stated. "Alright! A new ESP buddy!"

"You're a Pokémon, right?" I reached into my purse and pulled out my Pokédex, then froze. I had forgotten I still did not know how to activate it. "Oh… Right…"

"Allow me." Serena pulled out her own and aimed it at our new friend.

Diancie
The Jewel Pokémon
Diancie is a subspecies of Carbink. This molecular mutation is so rare that Diancie is classified as a Mythical Pokémon.

"I've never seen a Mythical Pokémon before!" she exclaimed after that. "That must be why they were after you. Nasty thieves..."

Diancie looked in wonder. 'Thieves? What are thieves?' it asked.

"They are people who take things that don't belong to them," Clemont answered her.

Diancie thought for a moment. 'So… that would mean thieves are Beast Hunters…' then she smiled in a rather cute way. 'I can't believe how much I've learned already.'

"Beast Hunters…?" I muttered.

Not long after that, we made our way to the outskirts of town. Because of Team Flare, we wanted to have as little people knowing we were here as possible. After the rest of us finished setting the table, Clemont and Brock brought the meal out. Most of us began to enjoy our meal, while Diancie, who sat down next to Cocoa, was a little hesitant. Understandable, I suppose. After all, she barely knew us.

Brock passed her a plate of biscuits. "Help yourself, Diancie."

'Thank you so much,' she took one and began to consume it in small bites. 'They're delicious!'

"Thanks. It's an old family recipe."

"Speaking of family," I cut in, "where did you come from? Do you have a Trainer who's looking for you?"

'What's a "Trainer"?' she asked.

"I'll take that as a no."

"A Pokemon Trainer is someone who takes care of Pokemon they caught," Ash explained. "Most often, they show off their Pokemon's strength in a friendly competition known as a Pokemon Battle."

'So you catch creatures like me, and have them fight one another?' Diancie asked, somewhat suspiciously. I could almost see her wanting to get away. 'These Trainers sound a lot like Beast Hunters.'

"What do you mean by 'Beast Hunters?'" Serena asked.

'That is what our elder calls them...' and then she started to explain…

*Diancie's POV*

My home is far from where my friends found me, deep in the forests and high upon what you humans call a plateau. This land is full of many creatures. Most of them were previously owned by what we call Beast Hunters, who abused them before they escaped, and as such, most of the life that lives there are afraid of them. I was one of the few who was born in such a place, so I never met the Beast Hunters.

Our elder is a powerful beast who serves as our guardian. He rarely ever sleeps, even at night, to ensure our safety. I was hatched under his care, so I tend to call him Pabi. I have once heard from some of the older residents in the plateau that he is powerful enough to destroy a mountain.

There was one other in particular that I was close to. He was born in the plateau, like me, and knew not of the toils most of the others had faced. He was small and frail, but his size belies the size of his heart. We did nearly everything together, as though he were my little brother.

We had lived peacefully in our hidden plateau long before I came to be, but just recently, we were invaded by a large group of newcomers. These invaders were followed by the Beast Hunters, just like the men I was rescued from. A mass battle ensued, and many of our peace-loving friends were. My friend and I were able to escape on a flock of Swanna, while Pabi took on the invaders. Not long after that, we were pursued by two of the invaders, who saw us escaping. My friend and I were separated, and I was chased into that human settlement where I met my new friends.

As I finished my story, they looked to one another silently. Then the one they call Brinna turned her gaze back to me. "Sounds like you got the worst view of humanity from my uncle," she told me. "I will admit that there are some bad people in the world, but most people have learned to live in harmony with Pokémon. I know that you'd agree with me if you got to know what Beast Hun- I mean, what humans are like."

I pondered what she said for a moment. But before I could answer, however, three large nets swooped in out of nowhere and engulfed the Lopunny, the Pikachu, and myself. A large fiber cable reeled them in towards three unwanted guests.

"Who's there?" the one they call Clemont said, while readjusting his glasses.

"Prepare for trouble! Who else would it be?"
"And make it double! The same goes for me!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off with style and grace!"
"Surrender now, or prepare for us in your face!"
"Meowth, on the case!"

"Team Rocket," the one in the cap growled. "I should've known..."

"Give them back!" Brianna demanded.

"When you stop being Twerps," the one named Jessie responded, "which will be never!"

"Your new friend here is our ticket to financing Team Rocket forever!" the other one stated. "And combined with your Pokémon, we will have a cornucopia caché!"

"Yeah, whatever that means..." the short one added and threw an odd looking cube at them. It exploded leaving them in a large cloud of smoke, and they ran with us in captivity. "Say hi to Nora the Sucker!"

"It's, 'Sayonara, suckers!'" James corrected.

In the distance, I could hear the others coughing and ordering the Team of Rocket to come back. Their words became fainter as we got farther and farther away. Eventually, we came to what at first looked like a Drifblim disguised as a Meowth. I saw that we were not the ones they had captive. There were two others in these boxes of light: a Pinsir and a Heracross.

Before they could do the same to us, they paused to look at their recent catches, particularly me.

"We came to catch Pikachu, but we find a Pokémon several times more valuable," the female stated.

"I've heard tales about this one being able to make diamonds out of thin air," the tall male added. "I feel tempted to keep this one for myself."

"If we give it to da boss," the Meowth began, "we'll get a major Mythical promotion!"

"But if we keep it for ourselves, we can make enough money to buy Team Rocket from the boss!" Jessie added.

"Dat's an even better idea!"

"You won't get away either way!" a voice shouted.

"Who said that?" asked the male, looking around.

"I did!" the Lopunny stated. "It will never work! They will find you! They will rescue us!"

"You're a talking Lopunny!" the Meowth stated.

"I'm a talking Lopunny; you're a talking Meowth. Your point was?"

"Hey, I've been speaking a long time..."

Suddenly, something zipped over our heads and popped the false Drifblim. As it deflated, we all looked up to see a Fletchinder flapping about. It had used the Razor Wind on the balloon to keep Team Rocket from escaping.

"Uh-oh..." Meowth muttered. They seemed to know what this meant before I did.

Then, the two Beast Hunters took their Capture Spheres and released an Inkay and a Pumpkaboo from within. They had instructed them to keep the Fletchinder busy, while quickly repaired the balloon. Before they could finish, however, it was too late. My friends had come to our rescue. The red girl used her Fennekin to claw through the nets and release us, and we all ran to safety.

"Hang on..." the Lopunny stated before we could all run away. "We gotta save Pinsir and Heracross!"

But then Jessie and James jumped between us and them. "Oh, no you don't!" one of them shouted. "We caught these wild Pokémon just for you!" They each produced a peculiar black stone for themselves.

"Dark Keystones?!" Bonnie gasped.

"Where did you get those?!" Brock snarled.

"We stole them off these weirdos in red… Team Blaze, or something like that," James replied. "With these Keystones, we can Mega Evolve any Pokémon we want, and we don't need no stinkin' bonds!"

"Observe!" added the female. Then, the two aimed the stones at their prisoners. "Nega Wave, Team Rocket!" they shouted as the stones started to glow.

The two captive creatures shrieked as though in pain, as the black light force covered them for a short time. When it settled, the Pinsir and the Heracross had transformed. They looked stronger, darker, and more menacing.

Brianna's eyes were especially wide. "Nega… Evolution?" she muttered.

Then the Meowth pressed a button and released the two captive creatures. "Now Pinsir and Heracross! Turn them into mincemeat!" The two charged at us, Mega Horn at the ready.

"Let's do it!" Cocoa said to her master, who nodded in response.

Brianna and Cocoa stood next to one another and held each other's hand. With their free hand, they each held their necklaces. "Key Stone/Mega Stone, grant us the power we need!" The stones within them began to glow, and bursts of light emanated from them. "Beyond evolution… Mega Evolve!" They then tilted their heads against each other as the two spun around. Brianna's hair began to style itself into a low yet elegant updo, held up by a crown; Cocoa's hairbow transformed into a tiara as the fur on her head turned white. The light wrapped around both of them, bursting to reveal a heart-shaped breastplate over the human's chest and a tuft of fur around the Lopunny's neck.
They then raised their arms to their faces and lightly kissed each other's fingers at the same time. When that happened the human formed a pair of white gloves, while her partner's fur grew fluffier. Then, they lightly pulled away from one another and each lifted a leg as though they were dancing. A large elegant skirt and heeled slippers appeared around the human, while the lopunny's lower waist turned white, with one last tuft of fur covering the navel down to the knees.
The human smiled, clasping her hands as though in prayer. "The sincere love in a Trainer's heart, Mega Brianna!"
The Lopunny smiled and rested a paw upon her chest. "The innocent love in a Pokémon's heart, Mega Cocoa!"
Finally, the two briefly hug one another before making their final pose. "Our hearts are one! Mega Evolution!"

This all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye, and the Pinsir and Heracross were just about to crash down on us. But then, they stopped… or rather, something stopped them. Mega Brianna and Mega Cocoa stood with their arms over their heads, hands holding the corrupted Pinsir and Heracross horns above them.

"What the Heatran?!" Jessie and James uttered.

They then snapped up to reveal the twin glares on their faces. "We won't let you get away with this!" They tightened their grip on their opponent's horns, pulled and leaned back, throwing Pinsir and Heracross over our heads and crashing them into the ground.

Afterward, clasped her hands together once again. Two heart crystals appeared from and encircled her. "Power of Fairy!" she shouted as the pink one re-entered her person, and suddenly her clothes changed from blue to pink.

"Hairbow and Longears can both Mega Evolve?!" Meowth exclaimed.

"A human who can Mega Evolve would be priceless for the boss!" James stated. "Pinsir! Use Bullet Seed on Hairbow!" The Stag Beetle Pokémon got back up and fired a rapid attack at Brianna.

"King's Shield!" she replied as a barrier appeared over her arm. It protected her from the seeds being bombarded upon her. "Sacred Sword!" a weapon appeared: gold in appearance, which she used to attack the Mega Pinsir.

I watched from the distance with the others. 'She fights alongside her partner...'

Meanwhile, Cocoa took on the Heracross. She bounced all over while her opponent tried to smash her with its barrel-like fists. "Let her have it!" Jessie stated. "Keep using Brick Break on her!"

Finally, she stopped and turned to Heracross. "Strength!" She picked him up by his arms and tossed him at Pinsir. "Brianna! Now, where they're both in the same spot!"

Brianna nodded and began her final attack. With both her arms free, she traced a heart in the air, filling with a bright, rainbow-colored light. "LIGHT OF HOPE!" A grand Beam shot from the heart towards the two Pokémon, causing a new light to shine from within. It seemed to outshine the darkness and revert them to their original forms. When the attack settled, Pinsir and Heracross looked around frantically, as though they had no idea what had happened.

"You think you won?!" James stated. "We'll keep Mega Evolving them and-!" but before he could say anymore, the Dark Keystones shattered in their fingers. They looked at their hands in surprise. "Heh... well... whaddya know, it... disintegrated." He smiled nervously.

Brianna and the others were about to take on the thieves when suddenly Pinsir and Heracross went between us and them. They glared at the two angrily, making them even more nervous. Brianna smiled, as though she understood. "They're all yours..." she stated.

Before one could say anything, Team Rocket ran into the distance, with Pinsir and Heracross in pursuit. "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" was the last thing I heard from them.

As Brianna and Cocoa changed back to normal, she looked back to us. "So that was Nega-Evolution?"

Serena nodded. "Team Flare used it to try to kill you once back in Shalour City."

"I can't believe they'd stoop so low. We need to find the other Pure Hearts, and…" then Brianna realized something. "Wait. Where's Misty?"

After a brief look around, we saw her shivering behind a distant tree. "Mega Evolved Bug-types… bug me..." Everyone laughed.

I did not get very much sleep that night. My mind was abuzz with everything that happened that day. Between what Brianna told me and what the Team of Rocket did, I was uncertain of whom to trust.

I looked over to find that the tent was slightly less full than it was before. The wind caught the opening to reveal the one they call Cocoa sitting by the river, looking at the stars. Out of curiosity, I came out to see her. 'For your thoughts, I will give my last berry.' This was how we normally asked if the other was okay.

Cocoa sighed. "I wish you had not seen that, Diancie…"

'It was no fault of yours.' I assured her.

"That does not make it okay." she stated, which surprised me. "What Team Rocket did to Pinsir and Heracross, making them transform like that... they weren't asked permission. Mega Evolution is a choice! Those two weren't given a choice! It isn't fair; it isn't Mega Evolution! It isn't Pokémon Training!"

There was a brief silence after that. I pondered what Cocoa told me, and finally, I asked her: 'What is it like to be the Trained Pokémon? Do you forget you were ever free?'

"You forget you were ever alone," she replied with a smile. "To a real Pokémon Trainer, Pokémon are not just a means to an end. We're partners… no, we're friends."

'So when you transformed earlier today,' I asked, 'it was because you trusted her as your friend?'

She nodded "Team Rocket was too self-centered to get it. Only when a Pokémon and its Trainer's hearts become one will Mega Evolution turn their feelings into power… but those feelings must be about something greater than themselves."

'Such as?'

"Such as… helping Kalos, helping Pokémon or helping others. Only those who put everyone else's needs before their own should be permitted to use Mega Evolution."

This truly helped to sway my decision. 'Puts everyone's needs before their own...'

*Brianna's POV*

After a long peaceful slumber, I woke up feeling very refreshed. I had to admit, a part of me missed the nightmares that haunted me previously, since I knew where they came from. But at the same time, I was glad they were finally over.

As the other girls were waking up around me, I quickly noticed one of our tent mates was missing… I looked to my Lopunny friend, who was standing at the door to the tent. "Hey, Cocoa. Have you seen Diancie?"

"She's outside. She's got something to say to you."

I was not sure how long she was up, so I swiftly slid out of my sleeping bag and out of the tent. Diancie was waiting for me. "Is something wrong?"

She was silent for a moment. Then she looked up to me in a calm, yet serious manner. 'Brianna,' she began. As she continued speaking, everyone else began emerging from the tents. 'I thought long and hard about what you have told me… and you're right. I do not understand Beast Hun-! I mean, humans as much as I had hoped. I wish to see the world you live in, so that I can return home and share what I have learned...'

"Oh?" I was a little surprised. "Does that mean you want to come with us?"

'More than that...' what she said next really shocked me awake. 'I want you to capture me and become my Trainer.'

I almost fell back when I heard I realized what was saying. "I must still be half asleep. I thought you asked me to catch you." I laughed.

She nodded. 'That's exactly what I am asking. I want to see what humans are like through eyes like Cocoa's. I can see no better example of a Trainer than one who battles alongside their Pokémon.'

"I guess that makes sense..." I muttered, then I smiled. "Okay then, I accept!"

I reached into my purse and pulled out an unused Poké Ball. Before you could say 'très bien,' she tapped the button with her palm, having it pull her in. There was a brief moment where it jiggled around in my hand before it clicked.

My first Mythical Pokémon… and quite possibly the only one I will ever have. "I caught Diancie!" I then pulled out all my Poké Balls and tossed them into the air. "Come on out, everybody!" All my other Pokémon: Seraphina, Flora, and Lacey were released.

Everybody else did the same. One by one, Pokémon from every Trainer called out to greet the newest member of the team. Even the chronic sleeper, Dedenne woke up and scurried out of his bag with Squishy.

"Everyone, meet our new friend, Diancie!" I declared happily as everyone greeted her.

Diancie smiled. 'Yes. From now on, we all are friends. I'm so happy!'

Suddenly she started to glow a spell. A certain shape appeared on the ground below us, with myself at the center, and my currently two crystals occupying each circle.

"Does this mean…?" Misty exclaimed.

She got her answer soon enough. From Diancie, a darkish brown crystal appeared. "A Pure Heart!" we all exclaimed.

As I accepted it into my person, Ash looked into his Pokédex. He was trying to find out what Diancie was… "I think that was the Rock-type Pure Heart!"

"That makes three Pure Hearts!" Bonnie exclaimed.

Brock smiled. "I think this calls for a celebration! Who wants waffles?!" Everyone raised their hands and/or shouted in second to the notion.

As we approached the table for breakfast, I looked to my newest Pokémon and smiled. "I promise, Diancie… you will see the best humanity has to offer."

Like I said before, some things you just cannot plan for. I would not have expected to have met a Mythical Pokémon, much less catch one. But in doing so, I collected the Jasper Heart from Diancie. How she just happened to have it, I cannot say, but thanks to my new friend, I have become one step closer to fulfilling my destiny as the journey continues...