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Rows and rows of trees flickered past Serena's vision, appearing for a moment before falling out of sight. If she paid them any attention, staring out the window, she might've noticed the forest they were passing by slowly changing. Dark oaks were giving away to bright, white birches now.
Serena wasn't paying them any mind, however. Her thoughts were on other things— The image of battle.
Steel struck bone again and again, as Pikachu and Lucario gunned to draw first blood.
"Fenne?" Before Serena could fall into her thoughts further, a voice pulled her from her stupor. She blinked and shook her head.
"Fennekin?" Like that, her surroundings came back to her. She was on another long-haul bus, Eris on her lap and her partner Fennekin sitting at her side. The mischievous troublemaker had fallen asleep, leaving the bus seat to Serena and Fennekin. "Sorry, just daydreaming again."
"Nekin, Fenne— Fen?" Fennekin's meaning was clear, even as she stood and stretched from her spot. You're thinking about something— What is it?
Serena couldn't help but smile. She really was an open book, huh?
"Our destination. In a few days, we're going to be in Shalour City. And a few days after that, Ash is going to be back." Her heart strummed with a touch of excitement when she said that. Ash said he'd be flying back as soon as he finished his rematch. After that, it'd be just the two of them!
Well, the two of them, and…
"Korrina." Serena's face hardened as one image above all flashed through her mind— Mega Lucario. "We're going to be facing Korrina and her Lucario soon enough, and… I don't like our odds."
"Fenn!?" Fennekin, for her part, didn't seem to share Serena's doubt. Pacing in a small circle, she proceeded to list off all sorts of reasons that showed they were guaranteed to win. "Fen fennekin, fen fen. Nekin, fen!"
Between her Will-O-Wisp and Fire-Typing, she'll have no problem dealing with Lucario, Mega Evolution or not!
Serena couldn't help but smile at that, as she ruffled her partner's head.
"Maybe you'll do well, but you're not the only one on the team, silly." She made a good point to run her fingers through Eris's fur, pulling an annoyed huff from Fennekin in the process. "Eris is weak to Fighting-Type moves, and we still need a third team member if we even wanna stand a chance."
Her recent call with Professor Thaddeus hadn't bore any fruit. It'd still be weeks before his team would be able to part with Amaura.
A groan escaped Serena's lips, as a recurring thought reared its ugly head once more.
"Sitting in these stupid buses hasn't exactly made it easy to catch Pokémon." Serena's attempt to cut down on weeks of travel time had royally bitten her in the butt. How was she ever supposed to meet new Pokémon if she was bussing between every single town? "It's a miracle we even caught Eris when we did."
With a huff, Serena turned back to the window, where she paused. The dense oak forests she'd expected to find had petered away long ago, leaving a clear view of rolling hills and bright meadows instead
Beyond it all though, something else grabbed her attention. It was a great, big castle, built upon a hill overlooking a rural town. Serena recognized this place. She'd been there before— Avignon Town.
Just like that, Serena grew nostalgic. Her lips curled into a smile.
"Fennekin, Fenn?" Well, what're we gonna do now? Fennekin pulled at her attention, as thoughts began to run wild in Serena's mind. It took her a moment, but she had an answer.
"We're going to visit an old friend."
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It took Serena a solid day of traveling to arrive at her detour destination, and another half-day of trekking to find the exact spot she was looking for. Still, the deed needed to be done, so it was done.
She stood in a nameless forest, on the west coast of Kalos. It was a dozen kilometers from the far more famous Alerth Forest, and thus a far greater hiding spot for what lay before her now— The entrance to the Diamond Domain.
Diancie's home.
Serena's mind went back to all those weeks ago— Standing where she was now, saying goodbye, unsure of who she'd be after saying goodbye. Diancie's words filtered through her mind.
I hope you find what you want to do someday.
Serena had found that something. She'd found a dream.
With a swell of confidence, Serena approached the entrance to the Diamond Domain—
"Halt!"
—only to be stopped.
"Huh?" Serena blinked, looking to her left and right, and found nothing. Then, she looked down, and found her culprit. They were a gray and rocky Pokémon, no taller than Serena's boots, with the edges of blue crystals peaking through the layers of stone. It took her a moment, but she recognized them as a Carbink.
With furrowed brows, the Carbink called out.
"You are under arrest for trespassing into the Diamond Domain!"
Serena blinked.
"...Huh?"
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"Follow me, prisoner!"
"I am following you…"
"Do not attempt to flee!"
"I haven't done anything yet."
"Precisely! You haven't, yet!"
Serena's dramatic return quickly became anything but, as she found her first introduction to the Diamond Domain plagued by the world's rowdiest tour guide. A single Carbink was ferrying her down a dark stone tunnel, seemingly intent on letting the very walls know that she was their prisoner.
It didn't matter much to Serena, however. As long as she could get inside, she'd be happy. Diancie laid at the end of all this.
After a few minutes of descent, the natural dark stone of the tunnel gave away to a cleaner, violet. A few minutes after that, the tunnel ended.
With a moment of trepidation, Serena stepped through.
"W-whoa!"
The Diamond Domain was huge! In contrast to the cramped tunnels she left behind, the ceiling above her head was practically non-existent, dozens of meters high and only growing higher as she looked— And oh did she look. In whichever way she turned, the land went on for kilometers and kilometers, reaching the horizon and curving out of sight.
Horizon. There was a horizon here, underground!
"This is no time for sight-seeing! Come along!" Knocking against her boots, the lone Carbink guard began to march on, prompting Serena to follow as she gawked at her surroundings.
Soon enough, the two began to find others— More Carbinks marching along the quartz-laden roads of the Diamond Domain. Some carried long shafts of glittery, blue crystal, whilst others traveled in looser congregations, gaining and losing members as they passed by. Every one of them seemed busy with one thing or another. They all had tasks.
It seemed the task of her captor was yelling at people.
"Step aside! Step aside! I have a very important prisoner here!" They shouted, taking extra emphasis to clear a wide path ahead of them. "A prisoner, my prisoner! So step aside!"
While the Carbink they passed gave Serena a few odd looks, they stared at her guard with utter befuddlement.
"Do, uh, you ever think you might be a little too into your job?" she asked, with an awkward smile on her lips.
"I have never thought that a single day in my life!"
"I… can tell." Serena resisted the urge to let out a humored sigh.
Soon, the two ran into someone her guard didn't want to yell at: Another, smaller Carbink. They had their back to the two, as they discussed something with a colleague.
"Officer Merrick, sir! I have captured an intruder and brought them in for questioning!"
Merrick flinched at the guard's volume, before sighing and turning.
"Right, yes, an intruder. I imagine another Sandslash dug in through the walls— By the facet!?" The smaller Carbink managed to hit a note even higher than her guard, as he stared in utter shock at Serena's presence. Furrowing his brows, he snapped at her captor. "You encountered an actual intruder, and brought them all the way inside of the kingdom!?"
"Of course! How else are we meant to question them!"
"We don't do that!" As Merrick sighed and muttered to himself, Serena couldn't help but feel a touch of sympathy for the leading gem— sympathy that only grew when he turned to address her. "I greatly apologize for this, but as a matter of courtesy, may I have your name and reason for being here?"
"Oh!" Surprised to be addressed, Serena blinked, before giving an awkward laugh. "Well, my name is Serena! I'm here to see my friend, Diancie. She's apparently considered royalty down here?"
Like that, Merrick's eyes shrunk to mere pinpricks, before he shot around to look at her captor once more.
"You captured the literal, only human allowed in the domain!?" His shout sent her captor reeling in shock, before they went stiff as a board. "No more delays, take her to the queen, immediately!"
Serena couldn't help but get a giggle at the expense of the poor Carbink being reamed, after all the yelling he'd subjected her and the others to. That giggle quickly stopped, once Merrick's words fully set in.
"Wait, queen?"
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Serena was quickly whisked away to a new location, a place where the violet stone became flat and level, and the quartz pillars gave away to clean and orderly columns. Distinct walls began to crop up and encircle her more and more, and soon the feeling of an underground kingdom was gone. Now, it felt almost like—
"A palace?" Serena was looking at a set of doors, carved from stone, inlaid into a wall that resembled brickwork, with ornaments and windows and all the trappings of a royal estate. Suddenly, all that talk of princesses became very real in Serena's mind.
"Through here. Her Highness will wish to see you immediately!" With a hushed shout, Merrick pushed the doors open and hurried Serena inside.
When she got a look at her new surroundings, there was no doubt in her mind— She'd just entered a palace, and this was the throne room.
Dark, crystal stalactites hung from the ceiling in a circular formation, surrounding a tall, amethyst throne carved directly from the floor itself. A congregation of Carbinks surrounded the throne, their backs to Serena as they addressed one another.
All of that was mere set dressing, however, for the true eyecatch of the entire space— A diamond, bigger and grander than Serena had ever seen. It shined bright like a burning star, hanging in the air as if held up by magic. Cardinal red energy poured out from its top and bottom, flowing into the stonework and spreading outwards.
"W-whoa." Serena gawked at the room for nearly a minute, before a voice called out.
"In honor of our esteemed guest, we introduce our lady of the facet— Queen Diancie, of the Diamond Domain!" It was Merrick, stepping through the door and heralding Serena's arrival. Almost immediately the congregation surrounding the throne began to part, and the person sitting on the throne was revealed.
Serena felt her heart swell.
Diancie stepped off her seat, eyes closed and hands poised, with layers of silk and gemstones covering every inch of her. Her dress looked as regal as it looked suffocating, and in either case, it took Serena's breath away.
Diancie's eyes fluttered open.
"Serena!" In a flash, all the dignity and grandeur was lost, as Diancie barreled forward into a sprint. Shedding the dress and the jewels, she went straight for Serena.
Serena couldn't help but meet her excitement in kind.
"Diancie!" The two met in the middle, Serena falling to her knees before Diancie leapt into her arms. Without another word, the two pulled each other in for a warm hug. "It's so good to see you!"
"Beyond good! It is wonderful, amazing, spectacular!" Nuzzling her face in for a moment, Diancie pulled away and beamed up at Serena. "You must tell me how you've been in our time apart!"
"Heh, it's a looong story for me, but I think you've got more explaining to do, missy." With a glance, Serena indicated towards the congregation of Carbinks and the royal wear Diancie had so quickly tossed aside. "Queen?"
"Hehe, yes! Once I was able to create a new Sacred Diamond, I officially earned the title!" Hopping out of Serena's embrace, Diancie motioned to the ginormous gemstone in the center of the room, before turning back and smiling. "But look at you! It seems you've undergone a change as well!"
"You could say that, heh." Serena swallowed. That enormous thing she'd gawked at was something Diancie had created? It was even bigger than the one they'd fired on Yveltal!
That was the power of their bond at work, it seemed.
"Come, come!" Without a moment's more patience, Diancie took a hold of Serena's hand and pulled her to her feet. "We can speak over refreshments! The Carbink have gotten very good at replicating the food found on the surface."
"Okay, heh— Wait, what?" Serena had barely made it a step before she paused and blinked. Looking to the congregation of Carbinks that surrounded them, Serena found a single thought running through her mind. "How can a Carbink cook anything?"
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"Huh. That's how."
Before Serena stood a sight that was as amazing as it was absurd— A team of Carbink, precariously balancing a quartz sheet above a small flame they vigorously worked to maintain. All of that effort came to serve one goal in the end: Heating a kettle, similarly made of quartz. Steam was beginning to pour from its spout.
Serena and Diancie had left the lavish throne room behind long ago. Gone was the ornamentation and scores of subjects and blinding gemstones, now instead they found themselves in what almost resembled a chic kitchenette. A small stone table sat against a wall, the perfect venue for the old friends to catch up.
"After returning home, I quickly began to miss the tastes of the surface. So I set the Carbink onto learning how to cook!" Diancie explained, pulling Serena's attention back to their conversation. "It has been slow going, but already a marked improvement from before! When we started, all we had to eat was rock candy."
Serena had a giggle at that, before she paused, a thought coming to her mind in an instant.
"Wait, like actual rock candy, or candy made of rocks?"
"I do not understand the question." With complete deadpan, Diancie raised the pastry set before her— A Poké Puff, courtesy of Serena.
A half moment of silence passed, before Serena laughed it off.
"So, I guess it's my turn to explain all this, huh?" With a giggle, Serena motioned to her outfit, earning a vigorous nod from Diancie. "Well! I can barely believe it myself, but I started challenging gyms!"
"Eeeee! Serena, that is amazing!" Squealing, Diancie hopped up from her seat and reached across the table. She swept Serena's hands into her own. "You must tell me! How many seals have you earned! It must be many dozens!"
"Seals?" Serena raised a brow, before her memory caught up with her. "Oh right, badges! Heh, I've got two so far, and I'm on my way to my third!"
"Wonderful! I'm certain you will earn the remaining you need in no time!"
"Heh, I hope so…" Serena let out a pleased sigh, enjoying the light conversation and kind atmosphere she got from what had quickly become one of her closest friends. Soon though, that atmosphere began to shift, as a thought returned to Serena's mind. It was the very thought she'd had on the bus. "The thing is, this next gym battle is going to be really, really tough."
"Oh?" Diancie gave an inquisitive look, before her hands slipped from Serena's and she listened in. Serena couldn't help but smile at that.
"I don't really know how I'll be able to beat it, especially with only two Pokémon. So, I was thinking…" Her eyes fell to the table between them, before back up to Diancie. "Would you like to join me? On my journey?"
Diancie paused, surprise in her eyes as she heard Serena's offer. That surprise quickly turned to contemplation, before soon resolution. With a firm expression, Diancie went to answer—
"Your majesty!" —and was immediately interrupted. A Carbink stormed into the kitchen, haggard and panting before their eyes snapped open. "Your majesty! There's been, an intruder!"
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Serena felt her heart thrum, nerves flying on the edge of panic and excitement. She and Diancie were racing down the crystal roads of the Diamond Domain, aiming to confront this rumored intruder that had interrupted their reunion.
Her chest shook at the thought. Serena had yet to encounter a spot of real trouble since the group split up. So, what could this possibly be?
She looked to Diancie.
"Are we sure this is an actual intruder? Your Carbinks thought I was one when I got in—" The two turned a corner, as the entrance to Diancie's kingdom approached. "Maybe this is just my arrival going through the rumor mill!"
"Unlikely! We do not have mills in the Diamond Domain! So it cannot be that!" Diancie bounded ahead, struggling to keep up as she hopped while Serena ran. "Regardless, I must investigate! It is my duty as queen to protect my subjects! If an intruder has discovered the Diamond Domain, then they may all be in danger!"
"Right, you're right." Serena shook her head, chiding herself for even considering slowing down. She had to give this her all, and help Diancie all the way! "Let's go!"
"Oh—? Oh!" Without even pausing to ask, Serena swept Diancie off the ground and took off into a full-throated sprint! Diancie couldn't help but laugh. "Brilliant!"
In short order, the two arrived at the entrance, finding a swarm of Carbink pouring away in a panic. Something, someone, had dispersed them, and as Serena skidded to a stop, she found their culprit.
"Ohohoho! What's this! The dust bunny welcome committee!?" A tall woman, dressed in gray and orange, stood with her back turned to the two, her auburn hair tied into a twist. At her side was a Delphox, sending a battalion of Carbink packing with a blast of fire.
Serena didn't even need to see her face to recognize her. She grit her teeth.
"Merilyn!"
