The competition continued. There was only a slight accident when it came to Smoochum's group—her figure skating routine suffered a minor mishap. However, the Performer adjusted quickly and actually covered up the mistake with a few extra movements.
"All right, up next! Our final group, and also our most highly anticipated group!"
"Dianxi! Dianxi! Dianxi! Dianxi!!"
Qiao Ran and Dianxi had not even taken the stage yet, but the moment the host announced them, deafening cheers erupted from below. It was clear just how enthusiastic and crazed the audience was.
"Let me see what you're capable of." Shi Yiyi straightened up as well, staring unblinkingly at the center of the stage.
She wanted to witness that kind of miracle again.
The man in sportswear appeared onstage. Just like last time, he tossed out the Poké Ball in his hand.
Surrounded by moonlight and Diamond Storm, Dianxi revealed her beautiful form. She was just as dreamy and captivating as before, as though a fantastical scene from a fairy tale had been brought to life.
The audience's cheers seemed ready to overturn the entire venue as they shouted encouragement for Dianxi.
However, Shi Yiyi's expression at the judges' table shifted from surprise to calm. The anticipation and amazement in her eyes gradually took on something else.
"Dianxi! Dianxi!"
Amid shattered jewel snowflakes, the performance came to an end. Dianxi and Qiao Ran once again received earth-shaking applause and cheers.
"The final performance has ended. May I ask the judges, who is the champion in your hearts?"
Faced with the host's question, the town mayor stroked his beard.
"Well... in this old man's opinion, the final group was better."
"Yes, it was truly beautiful..." The nurse covered her cheeks in rapture.
"Dianxi, I'm already her fan." The president of the Pokémon Enthusiast Association had even drawn a chibi Dianxi on paper and waved it around in the air.
"It seems the judges all think the final group was better. Then this competition's champion..."
The host wanted to continue, but another voice interrupted her at that moment.
"Wait!"
Shi Yiyi suddenly stood up, her gaze fixed directly on Qiao Ran and Dianxi.
"It isn't over yet. I still have something to say."
"..." Qiao Ran looked into her eyes and found her gaze frighteningly serious.
"Contestant Qiao Ran, and Dianxi, your performance was indeed excellent. Judging solely by the routine, it was enough to earn full marks in the first round. The second round was the same—equally perfect. But your second-round performance was truly disappointing!"
"Every move combination, every action, every performance pattern was exactly the same as in the first round. Although the final result was still flawless, this... this is simply not something a qualified Performer would do!"
Shi Yiyi looked at Dianxi. She truly felt pained and regretful.
"The feeling you give me is that you have excellent conditions and chemistry, but went onstage without any preparation at all. Even if your performance was good, even if it was good, your attitude was not proper."
Shi Yiyi opened her Poké Ball, and a Shiny Umbreon with blue rings appeared before her.
"She is my best partner. Do you know how long she and I rehearse every day? We plan move combinations, plan coordination, plan how skills work with the stage, plan the stage lighting. Not only that, we need to think about how to handle accidents. For example, what if we suddenly fall onstage? What if a skill suddenly cannot be used consecutively? Everything has to be considered."
"But what about you? You're merely abusing your talent! If you can't come up with anything new, then I won't let you take this championship! I, Shi Yiyi, will not acknowledge it!"
"You clearly have such excellent conditions... then show me what you've got!"
Shi Yiyi's words were extremely earnest. She truly had high expectations for Dianxi, but she had never expected this pair to hand in such an answer.
Perhaps the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment.
The entire audience fell silent. It was their first time seeing Shi Yiyi, who was always smiling, so emotional.
"..."
Qiao Ran was left speechless by her rapid-fire barrage. He could not even refute her immediately.
It was true... The problems she pointed out did exist. For tonight's competition, they had only crammed at the last minute. Whether it was the preliminaries or the finals, they had used the same performance routine, and they had not prepared any way to deal with accidents...
"Dianxi..."
Qiao Ran crouched down, stroked Dianxi's head, and hugged her.
Perhaps he really should not have challenged someone else's livelihood with such a dismissive attitude. If he had taken it more seriously, Dianxi's performance might have been even better...
However, unlike the somewhat regretful Qiao Ran, Dianxi glared back at Shi Yiyi without hesitation in the face of her criticism.
Her eyes were full of defiance.
What did she mean, no preparation... What did she mean, disappointment... What did she mean, a Performer's attitude?
She only wanted to perform onstage with her master! That was all!
This woman... what right did she have to say that about her master...!
Didn't she just want to see more new things... Didn't she just want change?!
"Dianxi, you..."
Qiao Ran seemed to want to say something more, but he was shocked to discover that Dianxi, in his arms, was blooming with a brilliant light.
That light was incredibly dazzling.
"What's happening?"
"That is..."
The audience and host both cried out in shock. Even Shi Yiyi widened her eyes in disbelief.
Within the light, Dianxi's skirt began to lengthen, and her body began to grow. Pink radiance enveloped her entire body...
A strange power emerged from Qiao Ran's chest. He could even feel as though some peculiar connection had formed between him and Dianxi.
"This... could it be..."
Qiao Ran's heart began pounding violently.
Could it... really be?!
Doubtless
—Doubt.
Everyone living in this world would face all kinds of doubts.
And when someone stood on a stage, those doubts would be magnified countless times, coming one after another from every direction.
However, everyone had different attitudes and feelings when facing such doubts.
Qiao Ran might have hesitated, but Dianxi had never admitted defeat because of them.
With the pride she possessed as a Mythical Pokémon, as a princess, how could she possibly shrink back in such a situation?
She did not feel struck down or ashamed by Shi Yiyi's criticism, nor did she want to retreat because of the other's doubts.
She merely felt it was unfair to her master. They clearly had the strength to earn the applause of the entire audience, so why did they have to follow the ordinary path of training, effort, and painstaking calculation?
Of course, working hard would be even better, but weren't they, who could earn the whole audience's acclaim in a single night, the more impressive ones?
They! Were the more impressive ones!
They were more impressive!!!
Dianxi stared straight at Shi Yiyi with defiant eyes. Light gradually blossomed from her body and soared into the sky.
Her body changed beneath the veil of light as well.
—Her skirt extended to her ankles, its hem formed from pink diamonds. Her once petite body seemed to have been dressed in an elaborate and gorgeous Bride Attire gown, making her incomparably noble, adorable, and captivating.
White ribbons trailed down from her head. Her body floated in midair, radiating dazzling brilliance.
"My... goodness..."
"So... beautiful..."
"What is happening...? Is this Evolution?"
The entire audience had fallen into unprecedented shock. If the previous Dianxi had needed all sorts of skills to bring out her beauty, then the current Dianxi needed nothing extra at all.
—She was a work of art. She herself was the most beautiful work of art.
A work of art so delicate that even if placed in one's palm as an ornament, one would fear she might shatter or melt away.
As for Shi Yiyi's doubts, they had already collapsed without being challenged in that instant.
"Dianxi! Dianxi! Dianxi!"
The entire audience shouted Dianxi's name, the surging cries even more fervent than before.
Looking at that princess-like figure, Shi Yiyi blankly sank back into her chair, her hands trembling slightly.
Could it be... she had truly gotten something wrong?
"Dianxi."
Dianxi, now transformed, floated in midair. She did not respond to the audience right away. Instead, she turned around and gently took Qiao Ran's hand.
"Mega... Dianxi... You did it..."
Excitement rippled through Qiao Ran's eyes as well. Earlier, when facing Shi Yiyi's doubts, he had felt confused and hesitant, unable to immediately stand firm in his heart. But now, Dianxi had led him to shatter every one of those doubts and crush them beneath her feet.
"Dianxi."
"Mm, I know. It's all right now. You did it."
Qiao Ran and Dianxi's gazes met. Without needing more words, Qiao Ran already understood Dianxi's thoughts and intentions. A Trainer and Pokémon were originally one complete combination. When a Pokémon was lost, the Trainer could point out the way; when the Trainer hesitated, the Pokémon could pull them along as well.
Qiao Ran and Dianxi were now linked to each other, reaching an entirely new realm and allowing Dianxi to reveal a brand-new form.
—Mega Evolution.
This was a temporary Evolution that could only be triggered when a Pokémon and Trainer shared a sufficiently deep bond. The Trainer and Pokémon would connect through an Evolution Stone, allowing the Pokémon to gain greater power and a new form.
For Qiao Ran and Dianxi, this was an unprecedented step. Qiao Ran had also kept Dianxi's Evolution Stone hanging around his neck all along, which was why this result had come to pass.
"Dianxi."
Dianxi extended her other hand, and beautiful pink diamond fragments once again drifted through the air, like a snowfall of diamonds. These multicolored fragments danced in the air while singing praises for the birth of the Diamond Princess.
"Summer snow... So this is what it's like."
"So beautiful..."
Like the entranced audience, Qiao Ran stretched out his hand, wanting to catch the falling snowflakes. However, unlike the other audience members, Qiao Ran was shocked to discover that the diamond fragments gathering in his hand did not melt away. Instead, they accumulated in greater and greater numbers.
Gradually, they condensed into a gemstone... no, into the shape of a pink diamond ring.
"This... Dianxi?"
Qiao Ran stared blankly at Dianxi before him, while Dianxi merely smiled at him.
"Dianxi."
"Is that so? This is the first Eternal Diamond you've made, so you want me to accept it?"
"Dianxi!" Dianxi nodded earnestly.
Qiao Ran did not hesitate. He reached out and carefully placed the gem into his pocket.
"I'll keep it safe."
Having gained new power and a new form, Dianxi had also gained the ability to create Eternal Diamonds. In other words, the gems she condensed with all her heart now had the possibility of remaining in this world forever, no longer disappearing casually as they had before.
This—was the true meaning of the Diamond Princess's title. Her existence itself was eternity.
Of course, for now, she would only give her eternity to one person.
"Dianxi! Dianxi! Dianxi! Dianxi!"
The audience below continued calling her name. Although they had not seen the Eternal Diamond Dianxi had made, that did nothing to diminish their madness and fervor.
"Champion! Champion! Champion!"
The entire audience shouted. It was not only them—some of the contestants were shouting Dianxi's name as well. There was no shady manipulation and no collusion. Dianxi had conquered them with her actions and charm. Even in the face of doubt, she kept moving forward, unafraid of any doubts.
"Miss Shi Yiyi, what do you think now..." the host asked.
"I have no objections. They are the champions. I was wrong, I was wrong..."
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