Disclaimer: No ownership of Pokémon.

Diancie's Lament

Yveltal had been released. Diancie's duties of preserving the Heart Diamond failed and now she and the Carbink cluster hopped for their lives from the creature that slept in the cocoon of destruction. Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie already had enough problems with Riot and his Geninja, Marilyn with her Delphox and the Steel family riding a Doublade, an Aegislash and releasing Chesnaughts to chase the Rock/Fairy-Type Pokémon. Yveltal's Oblivion Wing was a serious threat as whatever the attack hit, petrified them. Ash's mission was to protect Diancie but against a legendary Pokémon, it's tougher than they expected. Oblivion Wing destroyed a lot of the forest. "Let's go!" he ordered Diancie and the Carbink. Soon, they found a cliff side and a road. Ash turned to the road, hoping to find the rest after they split to stave from Yveltal's attacks. Unfortunately, the Destruction Pokémon swooped in to find Ash running.

"Ash, guard the princess!" a Carbink allowed. The cluster made a small wall but Ash wanted to protect the Pokémon, not just Diancie. Yveltal charged up another Oblivion Wing.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu fired his Thunderbolt but before the attack could reach, Yveltal shot Oblivion Wing. Both collided, but Oblivion Wing overpowered Thunderbolt. However, the Carbink Wall leaped up and took the blast. The Carbink scattered on the ground with their rocky bodies turning to stone.

"Go!" the elder Carbink yelled as his body petrified. "Keep Princess Diancie safe!" Ash could do nothing to save the Jewel Pokémon. He and the Pokémon galloped to find a way out, but Yveltal didn't lose sight. That's when it launched a Shadow Ball, nearly missing those on the run. However, the blast shook Pikachu from the ground. Ash caught him before Pikachu could fall to the sea of trees, perhaps to his doom.

"I gotcha!" Pikachu could thank Ash but Yveltal emerged again. Diancie floated forward, hoping to protect her human friend and his Electric Mouse Pokémon.

"I'll stop him!" she insisted as she harnessed diamonds to amplify her power. Yveltal didn't care, launching another Oblivion Wing. The diamonds came together, forming a shield and buying enough time for Ash to pull Pikachu from danger just as their friends came around.

"Ash!" yelled Serena. Ash stood up and nodded to Pikachu to return to their company. Dedenne squeaked in excitement to knowing its "brother" was okay. Ash got to Diancie but her diamond shield broke.

"Oh no!" Ash gathered Diancie, grateful the shield held up as long as it could. Yveltal saw Pikachu leap into Serena's arms. Ash found Yveltal's eyes fixated. To him, Pikachu battled in defiance to the Destruction Pokémon. He turned to the three, their safety in jeopardy.

"Get outta here!" he ordered. Clemont nodded, turning to his sister.

"This way, Bonnie!" he issued. Bonnie listened, clearing away from Yveltal's sight. Serena tried to follow as well. Suddenly, loose gravel rolled under her shoes. She stumbled and fell a little, but Ash realized Serena's a sitting Psyduck.

"Serena! Pikachu!" The two heard their names and spun to the flying death creature. Ash raced to save the Vaniville Town girl and his prized Pokémon. Yveltal charged up once again. It fired another Oblivion Wing. Ash had no time to stop it. All he could do was clear out his friends. He performed a shoulder tackle, knocking Serena and Pikachu from Oblivion Wing's path. He couldn't move out of the path himself. BAM! Oblivion Wing nailed Ash in the chest, propelling him to smash through a pair of trees. He smacked one more before reeling in pain. Serena and the Pokémon gasped in horror.

"Ash!" she shrieked. Diancie saw the blast, knowing Ash risked his life to protect who he cared for.

"How could you..." she teared. "How could you do that to a human?" Diancie shined for a little before a flash gave her a new form. Diancie had more crystals where her rocky body once was. Clemont saw the transformation.

"Diancie!" he gawked. "It's her Mega form!"

"Diancie's a lot prettier now!" awed Bonnie. Diancie raced upward to fight Yveltal as Serena and Pikachu found Ash, writhing in extreme pain.

"Ash!" she yelled. Ash opened his eyes.

"Se… Serena..." he winced. "Is… Pikachu okay?"

"He's in my arms but we're fine-" Serena stopped talking when she found Ash's chest turning stone and soon his body altogether. Remembering what happened to everything from Yveltal's Oblivion Wing, Ash felt glad about his last moment while unable to move due to the immense pain.

"That's good… Take care of… Pi- Pikachu… for me..." Pikachu cried to Ash that he didn't want someone but him to raise the Electric Mouse Pokémon.

"No, you gotta pull through! You must!" Ash's head was last and his eyes closed, still reeling. With his last breath, he became a statue lying on the ground. Serena couldn't believe her eyes. "Ash?" There laid Ash in stone. "Ash?!" His body now stiff. "ASH!" Her scream brought the siblings to see Ash as Serena held his petrified body, her face soaking in the tears of her protector's sacrifice. Bonnie dug her head on Clemont's jumpsuit, unable to see Ash in his state. Pikachu and Dedenne cried, a fallen friend to each.

"Why?!" whined Bonnie. "Ash, don't go!" Serena cradled the statue, the feeling of loss overwhelming her. A boy who helped her years ago, now petrified by the one who rested in the cocoon.

"Ash! I never had the chance!" Her cries summoned a creature from within the forest. "I didn't tell how much I wanted to say that I love you since seeing you again!" Without warning, a giant blue stag with branching antlers stepped forward to see the scene. Clemont saw the new Pokémon.

"Xerneas!" he gasped. Bonnie gasped at the sight of the legendary Pokémon. Too heartbroken and crying, Serena never acknowledged the Life Pokémon.

"Child," Xerneas spoke, its hoof itching her back. "This boy means a lot to you. Before I calm Yveltal, allow me to restore your happiness." Still upset, she didn't respond to the voice. Xerneas placed a sword-shaped hoof on Ash's stoned body. Suddenly, its body began to glow before it seeped to the statue. Imbued, the body shined for a solid minute. As the body began to morph, Serena lifted her head to see the statue beginning to change. From the statue, flesh could be felt again. Ash's body was no longer stone but full of life. He opened his eyes, finding Serena's stained face above him.

"Serena?" he groaned. Serena wiped her face before hugging Ash, still crying.

"Ash!" she yelled as Xerneas walked away to confront Diancie and Yveltal.

"That was Geomancy," Clemont realized.

"That was so cool!" awed Bonnie. Serena didn't care how Xerneas brought Ash back to flesh.

"Oh… Ash!" she whined. "I've been wanting to say it since I found you in the Santalune Gym!" Without another second wasted, Serena kissed Ash on the lips, not willing to release her lock.

"Did I miss something, or was Serena begging for a moment like this?" pondered Clemont. Bonnie watched, wondering if she wanted to copy Serena's act.

"Serena?" she spoke just as the Fennekin trainer released her lips.

"I don't want to leave you ever again," she promised to Ash. The Pallet Town trainer's cheeks bled red, awed to the tender loving care from someone claiming to have been with him years ago.

"Serena?" Bonnie's call finally alerted Serena and turned to the little girl.

"Sorry. Feelings carried over."

"No biggie. Is is alright if I kiss Ash?" Serena giggled, eager to see her humor.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Okay!" As she wished, Bonnie started kissing… and kissing Ash's face: eyelids, cheeks, forehead, nose...

"Bonnie, that's enough!" Bonnie stopped her kissing barrage to see Serena.

"Why should I? You already got his mouth." Clemont and Serena chuckled at the retort. Before long, a wave of glowing green passed through the forest.

"What's going on?" asked Ash.

"It's Geomancy!" answered Clemont. "Xerneas must be using it to restore the place affected by Yveltal's Oblivion Wing." Serena helped Ash to his feet and watch the green glow fade. Everything seemed to be returning to normal. Everything devastated by Yveltal's Oblivion Wing came back with Xerneas' Geomancy, including humans and Pokémon.

"Let's go see!" Acting as a crutch, Serena carried Ash in the direction of Xerneas and the source of the glow. There, Diancie and Xerneas saw Yveltal simply flying. A minute later, Yveltal bowed before leaving through the air.

"His rage is quelled," Xerneas reported. "He'll go far away and harm no one else." Xerneas began trotting to the forest.

"Where are you going?!" called Bonnie.

"To rest. My power drained, the forest beckons for my sleep." Before long, Xerneas vanished from sight. To Ash, nostalgia kicked in.

"So that's the Pokémon we saw at summer camp," he recalled.

"Talk about blessed with seeing a legendary Pokémon, let alone two," Clemont awed. Diancie and the revived Carbink found the humans and hopped over to them.

"Ash, are you okay?" the princess asked in concern.

"Don't worry about me, Diancie," he smirked. "I'm alright." Diancie would be glad that Ash lived, but remembering the attack striking him had her feel remorseful.

"I wish you didn't get hurt by Yveltal. If I wasn't acting like a spoiled Pokémon, Yveltal wouldn't have freed itself and the chaos it left in its wake." Ash knelt to confront Diancie, willing to free her guilt. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, we did have fun with you. Just be yourself, okay?" Diancie bobbed her head.

"Thank you… and..." Suddenly, she floated up and kissed Ash on the cheek. The Carbink awed the kiss to a human. Serena giggled to Ash getting a little love from a Pokémon.

"Not the first time a Pokémon kissed me." Everyone shared laughs. After being with Diancie and the Carbink for a long time, night had fallen. Diancie and the Carbink departed for their kingdom, their crisis averted. The group decided to camp out under the stars. After dinner and cleanup, Serena made a proposal.

"Clemont?" she called out. Clemont's head shifted to the sound.

"Serena, what's up?" he wondered.

"Is it alright if you sleep with Bonnie tonight? It's that… I want to spend time with Ash." Clemont looked somewhat surprised with the request.

"I see. So it's official, then?" Serena laughed to the guess.

"At least you don't need science to determine that."

"Guess not. Okay… Hey, anytime you two need time together, let us know." Serena nodded before heading to the tent Ash entered prior. Inside, Ash clenched his hand repeatedly as he laid in his sleeping bag. Something had bothered him about what he endured.

"I was certain I wasn't going to survive that attack," he muttered. Pikachu watched on, rather worried. "Even so, Pikachu… I knew you'd be taken care of."

("Even so...") Pikachu squeaked lowly in concern. Before another word, Serena opened the flap and entered. This surprised Ash and Pikachu as the two sat up.

"Serena?"

"Expecting Clemont?" she teased as she closed the flap. "How are you feeling?" A sigh from Ash told Serena the amount on his mind.

"Where do I start?" Serena huffed a little chortle as she walked to bedside.

"I asked Clemont if we could spend our first night as a dating couple. And… to apologize about the sudden kiss after Xerneas revived you after saving me from Yveltal's Oblivion Wing." Ash sniffed to the heroics, acting as if it wasn't anything special.

"I did try to do too much like keep everyone safe, including Diancie." Then Ash remembered what Serena brought up. "So we're now boyfriend and girlfriend? This may need some getting use to."

"Well, even if you don't remember those years ago at camp, at least we can start fresh." Ash giggled to the idea before scooting over.

"Okay, Serena..." Pikachu watched on as Serena slid in the bag with Ash. Tired from everything today, the two fell to sleep instantly with Pikachu leaping in between. Serena draped her arm around Ash, pulling him in to sneak one more kiss and cuddle. Meanwhile, Diancie watched from afar and heard Serena's wish.

"May the heavens watch over these two as they mature in their lives… and their love," she wished. This could be the start of something special between the two but only time will tell.