Chapter 285: Diancie's Resolve
Seeing Riot and Merilyn catching up, Diancie knew Dace had failed. Biting her lip, Diancie rushed towards Santalune City, her last refuge.
However, Diancie underestimated Riot and Merilyn's desire for her. Riot and Merilyn completely ignored the crowd, and Salamence and the Ninjask, carrying Riot and Merilyn, reached for Diancie in the crowd.
Diancie helplessly watched the claws reaching for her. Just as she was in despair, a clear female voice rang out: "Arcanine, Flamethrower!"
An Arcanine suddenly burst from the crowd, unleashing a Flamethrower at Salamence and the two Ninjask. Riot and Merilyn quickly created distance, dodging the attack. A uniformed Officer Jenny stepped forward, surveyed the crowd, and announced, "Please leave in an orderly fashion. These two are jewel thieves, and I'm going to arrest them."
Hearing Officer Jenny's words, the initial commotion subsided, and people began to retreat in an orderly fashion, giving them some space. Taking advantage of this moment, Diancie followed the crowd and turned into a small alley, successfully escaping the sight of Riot and Merilyn.
Riot and Merilyn watched Diancie disappear into the crowd, a headache forming in their eyes. Seeing the approaching police force, Riot and Merilyn turned and ran without a word. Although they desperately wanted Diancie, there was no need to risk their lives.
Officer Jenny tried to have Arcanine stop the two, but Arcanine's attack range was clearly insufficient; it couldn't reach the two in the sky. Officer Jenny could only watch helplessly as they successfully escaped.
Diancie, however, was in trouble. Hiding in an alley, she was surrounded by a group of Meowth. The leader, a Persian, eyed her warily and growled.
"Sorry for trespassing. I was being chased and forced into this area. Could you let me through?"
Diancie looked at the Persian with some fear, but the Persian ignored her explanation. It was the leader of this area, and since another Pokémon had entered their territory, it had an obligation to fight it—its duty as a leader!
The Persian roared, leaping into the air, its tail gleaming metallically. It spun in mid-air, its Iron Tail lashing out like a whip at Diancie. Diancie cried out in pain, thrown back violently, crashing into several trash cans, scattering garbage all over her.
Pain, filth, and a stench filled the air. Diancie, raised in the Diamond Domain, was a true princess, so her combat experience was practically zero. Although she received excellent etiquette training from a young age, facing this reality of battle, she felt the humiliation of defeat for the first time.
The humiliation of her own weakness was palpable. As the princess of the Diamond Domain, she should have protected her people. But now, the opposite was true; weak and powerless, she could only be protected by her own people. Stripped of her princess title, she was even less than a stray Pokémon on the street.
Clutching her bruised abdomen in pain, Diancie collapsed onto the trash, feeling utterly useless.
Even in her current state, the Persian had no intention of letting her go. With another leap, a layer of shadow energy enveloped its front paws, and Shadow Claw slammed Diancie away, sending her crashing into a wall. Diancie felt a sharp pain in her back and slid helplessly down the wall. Her vision blurred; she was nearing her limit.
The Persian opened its mouth, and streams of energy gathered within. If the final Hyper Beam were to hit Diancie, it would instantly knock her out. With the Hyper Beam fully formed, the Persian unleashed it mercilessly towards Diancie.
A deafening explosion rang out, the shockwave whipping up dust and debris that obscured the entire alleyway.
Although the Hyper Beam had hit its target, the Persian still felt uneasy, a sense of panic creeping into its heart.
"Not bad, you're the boss of this area, aren't you? I'll protect this one. Take your gang and get lost."
A cold voice reached the Persian's ears. Its fur bristled, and a series of deep growls escaped its throat: it was the boss of this area, and yet it had been underestimated!
A flash of red light disappeared, the dust and debris instantly vaporizing, and a gigantic, three-meter-tall Charizard appeared before the Persian. The dragon stretched out its right claw, its body wreathed in fierce flames, blocking Diancie's path. The dragon scoffed, its flames erupting instantly, a scorching shockwave sweeping through the entire alleyway.
The Persian's bristling fur instantly dried and curled, a powerful aura suppressing it. The Persian genuinely felt immense danger from the Charizard. The usually fearless Persian finally lowered its head, showing submission to the Charizard. The Meowth behind it were even more terrified; they were lucky they hadn't wet themselves.
"Alright, Charizard, that's enough. Persian, take your gang and get out of here, or there won't be a next time."
That cold voice reached the Persian's ears again. This time, the Persian dared not disobey, obediently leading its Meowth away. The Meowth had wanted to leave for a long time; having received their boss's order, they wished they had more legs to escape this menacing figure as quickly as possible.
Diancie stared intently at the Charizard before her, its disdainful attitude and formidable strength deeply captivating her. Watching Charizard's retreating figure, Diancie wished she could possess such power. That way, the crisis in the Diamond Domain could be easily resolved, and her people wouldn't have to suffer while protecting her; instead, she could protect her people!
"Come back, Charizard." A figure appeared at the alley entrance, using a Poké Ball to recall Charizard.
The man approached and knelt before Diancie. Looking at her dirty, disheveled appearance, he smiled, took out a cloth, and began wiping her clean. He said, "Are you alright? Judging from your appearance, you must be Diancie. Why didn't you fight back against that Persian? Why did you let it attack you?"
Looking at the man gently wiping her clean, Diancie felt a deep warmth. Then, remembering the Carbink that had followed her, she bowed to the man and said, "Although this is abrupt, I want to ask you to save my people. And if possible, could you tell me why that Charizard was so powerful? I want to become stronger too; I want to protect my people!"
As she spoke, tears welled up in Diancie's eyes. The grievances and resentment in her heart surged forth at that moment. At that moment, Diancie recognized her own weakness, wept for her weakness, and wept for her inability to protect her people!
(End of Chapter)
[Chapter Rewards]
500 Power Stones unlock 1 chapter
10 Reviews unlock 1 chapter
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
30+ chapters ahead on P1treon Soulforger