Ash pulled Diancie along, but they had not run far before Yveltal's attack arrived. A pillar of energy, black streaked with red, swept toward them.
"Pika!!!"
Pikachu let out a loud cry and shot out a bolt of lightning, shielding Ash and Diancie just in time.
"Run!" Ash shouted.
Diancie glanced back at the forest behind them. Seeing the entire woods nearly reduced to ruins, its eyes could not help but fill with tears.
Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth were fleeing through the forest in a panic.
"Faster, faster, faster! That guy is about to catch up!" Jessie urged.
Meowth said frantically, "My life is more important than a Koban coin right now."
"What is that thing? How can it be so terrifying!" James said while running.
Jessie replied, "Didn't you hear what those Carbink said? It's the God of Destruction, the God of Destruction!"
Just as Jessie finished speaking, Yveltal flew over their heads, followed by a sweeping beam of light.
"Help!" James cried.
"I don't want to die yet!" Jessie screamed.
"I haven't earned the Boss's favor yet!" Meowth wailed.
The two humans and the Pokémon hugged each other in terror. In the next second, they were hit by the black energy pillar and simultaneously turned into greyish-white stone statues.
At the same time, Xerneas, who was strolling through the forest with Oinkologne and Charcadet, seemed to sense something. It turned its head toward Yveltal's direction, its gaze revealing a heavy solemnity.
Honk honk~
Chaka~
Seeing Xerneas stop, Oinkologne and Charcadet looked at it in confusion.
"Something has happened. It seems we must head back," Xerneas said.
Originally, it had planned to lead Oinkologne and Charcadet out of Allearth Forest.
Vivill vivill~
Fle fle~
At that moment, countless Vivillon and Fletchling flew through the air in a panic, desperate to escape the forest. Seeing this scene, Xerneas leaped forward and ran swiftly toward the site of the disaster. Charcadet and Oinkologne hurriedly chased after it.
Elsewhere, atop an ancient tree, a Passimian watched the distance with a grim expression. It was looking exactly where Yveltal was causing havoc. A Dusknoir suddenly appeared beside the Passimian and urged it:
Haunt~ Haunt~ Let's go quickly, we can't stay here!
The Passimian said distressedly, Passi~ Passi~ Where can we go if we leave here?
Dusknoir said without hesitation, Haunt~ Haunt~ To seek refuge with our good friend, of course! I go to the plateau every day to pick it up and drop it off, so I know where it lives.
Passi~ The Passimian looked at the increasingly terrifying dark aura in the distance and finally nodded in agreement.
They had no choice but to leave!
Yveltal's Ability was Dark Aura. In its rage, the aura spread, staining the rivers and the earth black. The scene was truly horrifying.
Having made their decision, Passimian and Dusknoir hurried home to pack. They flipped down from the branches and jumped into a hollow in the middle of the large tree.
It turned out the interior of this ancient tree was hollow, serving as the home for Passimian and Dusknoir. Additionally, ten Shuckle lived inside; they were all one family.
After entering the tree hollow, Passimian began packing the various Berries piled inside and the fine wine it had brewed. Meanwhile, Dusknoir found a vine and tied the Shuckle together, then fastened them to itself.
Shuckle were extremely slow, hardly faster than a crawling snail. If Dusknoir did not carry them, they might never make it out of the forest in their lifetimes.
Once the Shuckle were secured, Dusknoir saw that Passimian was still packing wine and Berries and could not help but urge:
Haunt~ Haunt~ Leave those behind, escaping with our lives is what matters!
Passimian hesitated, Passi~ Passi~ But I've been collecting these for a long time.
It truly could not bear to part with them. Especially that fine wine; it had only managed to brew it by referencing the samples brought by its good friend. If it abandoned them now, it was uncertain if it could ever brew them again.
That was its life's work! It had even planned to store them for a few more years before inviting its friend to taste them! Only after the accumulation of years could these become truly fine vintages.
Not many Pokémon liked to drink, and its good friend was a rare kindred spirit.
Dusknoir grabbed Passimian.
Haunt~ Haunt~ Enough, leave it all! As long as we're alive, there will be chances in the future!
With that, Dusknoir flew into the sky with the Shuckle hanging from it and Passimian in its arms, leading everyone toward the edge of the forest.
Back with Ash, he was running quickly through the forest with Diancie, evading Yveltal's attacks. Several times he was nearly hit, but luckily Pikachu was there.
"Pika~~"
Suddenly, Pikachu was blown away by a shockwave from an explosion. As Yveltal's attack struck again, Ash instinctively shielded Diancie in his arms, watching helplessly as the black energy pillar surged toward them.
At this critical moment, Minister Carbink arrived with Majima and the others. They used their bodies to block the energy pillar.
Before turning into greyish-white stone statues, Majima shouted loudly, "Master Ash... the Princess... is in your hands!"
"Minister Carbink! Majima!" Diancie cried out in sorrow. It wanted to run to their side, but Ash pulled it back.
"Diancie, stay strong!"
With that, he pulled Diancie and continued running forward. Upon reaching a cliff, Ash finally reunited with Serena and the others.
Diancie looked at the desolate forest behind them and thought of Minister Carbink and Majima, who had lost their life force and turned to stone. For a moment, it was overcome with grief.
Soon, Yveltal flew to the opposite side of the cliff, facing Ash's group. It looked down at them from above, and the group felt as though their hearts might stop. Suddenly, a black and red energy ball condensed in front of Yveltal's chest. This was the sign of an impending attack.
"Everyone, get out of the way!" Ash shouted.
However, Diancie walked toward the edge of the cliff with a determined look. It stretched its hands forward, and a massive amount of Fairy-type and Rock-type energy quickly condensed in front of it!
Boom!!!
Yveltal's attack took shape and shot toward Diancie and the others as a pillar of light. Just as the light was about to descend, a giant pink diamond quickly formed in front of Diancie, successfully blocking the attack.
Clemont exclaimed, "It's the Holy Diamond."
Serena said with delight, "That's great! Diancie succeeded!"
However, halfway through resisting, the Holy Diamond suddenly shattered, turning back into pink specks of light and dissipating. Yveltal's attack swept outward, knocking Diancie to the ground.
Fortunately, Pikachu stepped in at this moment, using Thunderbolt to neutralize the remaining aftershocks, though Pikachu himself was blown back.
Diancie scrambled up from the ground, its expression firm. It wanted to protect everyone! It had to protect everyone! Everyone had been helping it all this time; it could not keep hiding behind them.
At this moment, Diancie's conviction to protect everyone was incredibly strong. It seemed to understand Xerneas's words: Life is nurtured by yourself! Simultaneously, images of Ash, Minister Carbink, Majima, and everyone who had helped it flashed through its mind.
As Yveltal began brewing another attack, Diancie stared straight at it, its gaze filled with a readiness to face death!
Suddenly, a diamond kept in Bonnie's pocket erupted with a brilliant light. This was a diamond Diancie had created during their journey. Because it thought the diamond would soon disappear, it had gifted it to Bonnie at her request as a symbol of their friendship.
Friendship is a pearl!
Friendship is a diamond!
As the diamond glowed, Diancie's body also erupted with brilliant light. Bathed in the radiance, Diancie's form underwent a massive transformation. When the light faded, a brand-new Diancie appeared before everyone.
"It's Mega Evolution!" Clemont shouted!
Yveltal's attack arrived again. Mega Diancie thrust its arms forward, and a Holy Diamond quickly formed, canceling out Yveltal's attack. Undoubtedly, Diancie had gained the ability to create the Holy Diamond.
However, creating the Holy Diamond was an exhausting task, and Diancie was immediately forced out of its Mega Evolution state. Yet Yveltal's assault was not over; another black energy pillar shot forth.
Diancie instinctively closed its eyes.
Chaka~ Chaka~
Just then, a cry rang out, followed by a thick pillar of fire appearing out of thin air. It collided with Yveltal's black energy pillar.
Ash's group looked toward the source of the fire. On the hillside stood two Charcadet. The one who had launched the fire pillar was the "Crybaby" Charcadet.
At the feet of the two Charcadet lay a pile of firewood. The "Goody-two-shoes" Charcadet sat atop the wood, its body bathed in flames as it drew power from the fuel. The flames it emitted were entirely absorbed by the "Crybaby" Charcadet, turning into its own power. This was how it had managed to fire such a powerful attack.
Ever since they learned that the "Crybaby" Charcadet possessed special power, the two Charcadet always carried specially purchased charcoal in their bags whenever they went out, just in case. And look, it had come in handy!
Of course, the fire pillar could not neutralize Yveltal's attack; it only bought a little time. At the moment the fire pillar collapsed, a rainbow-colored beam of light shot out from behind the Charcadet, crushing Yveltal's attack.
A deer-like Pokémon appeared on the hillside, watching Yveltal from a distance. It was Xerneas.
"Aon~~"
Yveltal let out a furious roar, its rage still unquenched. Xerneas looked calmly at the Yveltal in the sky, then its entire body glowed with an emerald light.
It used its signature move—Geomancy.
After a brief standoff, Yveltal attacked Ash's group and Diancie once more. The black and red energy pillar poured down.
Buzz~
With a hum, Xerneas fired another rainbow beam, easily intercepting Yveltal's energy pillar. The rainbow beam was Moonblast. The black energy pillar was Yveltal's signature move—Oblivion Wing.
Oblivion Wing could absorb the life force of opponents while attacking. This was the truth behind Yveltal's Great Extinction.
In terms of ability, the God of Life and the God of Destruction were roughly equal, but Xerneas had just used Geomancy to power up, giving it the advantage in strength.
Once Yveltal awoke from its cocoon, it had to absorb enough life force. Xerneas's interference caused Yveltal to redirect its fury toward the Life Pokémon.
"Aon~~"
Yveltal flapped its wings, controlling a pitch-black energy pillar to strike at Xerneas. Xerneas did not retreat. The horns on its head, glowing with seven colors, flashed, and it fired a rainbow beam.
The rainbow beam and the black-red energy pillar collided. At first, they were evenly matched, but soon the rainbow beam overwhelmed the black pillar and struck Yveltal.
"Aon~~"
Yveltal's rage intensified. It was about to attack again when Xerneas erupted in green light. At the same time, waves of fragrance spread out from it, eventually enveloping Yveltal. It was attempting to soothe Yveltal's anger.
"It smells so good!" Bonnie could not help but ask.
"It's Aromatherapy," Clemont explained.
After an unknown amount of time, the fire in Yveltal's eyes gradually faded. Its gaze became peaceful, though still cold. It stared at Xerneas for a long time before finally yielding to Xerneas's determined look. With a final cry, it flapped its wings and flew into the distance.
"Is it over?" Serena sat down on the ground. After the extreme tension, the sudden relaxation left her feeling weak.
Suddenly, Ash cried out, "Pikachu, what's wrong?"
Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Diancie all looked over. They saw Pikachu's body rapidly turning to stone.
"Pika~~" Ash...
Pikachu cried out weakly before completely turning into a greyish-white stone statue.
"Could it be from that time?" Clemont guessed through his grief.
When Diancie first created the Holy Diamond to block Yveltal, Pikachu had been caught in the crossfire of Yveltal's energy pillar.
"How could this happen?" Serena had tears in her eyes.
"Pikachu, please be okay!" Bonnie said sadly.
At that moment, Xerneas appeared near them. Countless branches suddenly grew from Xerneas's body, and roots sprouted from its feet. Its branches grew toward the sky while the roots took hold in the earth.
In a flash of light, Xerneas's body rapidly transformed into a giant tree. The light emitted by the tree enveloped the entire forest. Everyone and every Pokémon bathed in the light recovered from their petrified state, including Pikachu.
As for the trees and flowers that had lost their vitality, Xerneas did not intervene. Yveltal's Great Extinction often allowed the forest to bloom with new life. Many years later, this place would surely be vibrant again.
"Pikachu, you're okay!" Ash hugged Pikachu excitedly.
"Pika~ Pika~" Pikachu also hugged Ash happily.
"Xerneas turned into a tree!" Bonnie said in disbelief.
The recovered Minister Carbink and Majima came hopping over. Minister Carbink looked at Xerneas and said, "Xerneas shared its life with everyone."
"Is Xerneas dead?" Bonnie asked sadly.
"How can it be..." Serena looked sorrowful. Diancie lowered its gaze in sadness upon hearing this.
Then, Charcadet and Oinkologne arrived. They ran to the base of the tree Xerneas had become and began to wail loudly.
Honk honk~
Chaka~
At that moment, Xerneas's kind voice echoed in everyone's hearts.
"Do not be sad."
"This is not death."
"This is the precursor to birth, and the beginning of hope."
"Birth..."
"Hope..."
Hearing this, smiles finally returned to the faces of Ash's group and Diancie.
Minister Carbink said thoughtfully, "It seems Xerneas chose to sleep here to protect the laws of nature. Perhaps many years from now, Xerneas will wake up again."
However, the Charcadet and Oinkologne did not seem to accept this result. The four of them were crying very, very hard. Especially the "Crybaby" Charcadet, who was hiccuping from crying so much.
Suddenly, the "Goody-two-shoes" Charcadet stopped crying. It quickly flipped over and climbed onto the male Oinkologne's back.
Chaka~~
The "Crybaby" Charcadet looked at it in confusion.
Chaka~ Chaka~ Let's go home and find Ange.
The "Goody-two-shoes" Charcadet said. Its words made the eyes of the "Crybaby" Charcadet and the two Oinkologne light up.
That's right! Go home and find Ange!
The "Crybaby" Charcadet wiped its tears and quickly climbed onto the female Oinkologne's back. Then, the four Pokémon bolted toward the direction of home.
"Oinkologne, Charcadet! Where are you going?" Ash shouted.
Chaka~ We're going home! The Charcadet, already far off, answered loudly.
"What did Charcadet say?" Ash asked, looking at Diancie in confusion.
Diancie translated: "They are going home."
Minister Carbink hopped to Diancie's side. "Princess, it's time for us to head back as well."
Diancie nodded. After glancing at the tree Xerneas had become, they all left Allearth Forest.
Team Rocket continued to follow Ash's group from a distance. Meanwhile, Marilyn and Riot, having survived this ordeal, both decided to retire from their lives of crime. They found a place where no one knew them and lived a peaceful life. Later, they even fell in love, and Riot proposed to Marilyn.
Of course, those are stories for later.
After leaving Allearth Forest, Ash's group went with Diancie to the Diamond Domain and witnessed the birth of a new Holy Diamond. With the support of the new Holy Diamond, the Diamond Domain immediately regained its vitality, and those decaying diamonds sparkled with new light once more.
With the crisis of the Diamond Domain resolved, Ash's group bid farewell to Diancie and set off on their journey again. Before parting, Bonnie suddenly felt the diamond in her bag. After a moment's thought, she returned the diamond to Diancie.
On the Nebel Plateau.
Dusknoir and Passimian were each holding several Shuckle in their arms and carrying more on their backs. They stood outside the wall, gazing at the exquisite three-story house not far away.
Is this the home of their good friend?