The Carbink Minister's crystalline body shimmered with excitement. "Truly?" it asked, voice trembling. "You can really lead us to Diancie?"
Aoki gave a firm nod. "Within five years, I'll find Diancie for you." His tone left no room for doubt. "More importantly, this place isn't safe anymore. Come with me, and I'll guarantee your colony's safety. If we continue cooperating afterward, I can provide even more protection—and territory far larger than this cavern."
His wording was deliberate. He avoided mentioning outright capture, framing it as mutual cooperation instead.
The Minister's rigid posture relaxed slightly. At least on the surface, the terms seemed fair.
What followed was a lengthy negotiation involving several Carbink elders. With Slowking's Telepathy bridging the communication gap, an agreement was finally reached:
Aoki would relocate the entire colony from the island and secure them a protected habitat. In return, the Carbink would provide a steady supply of diamonds and minerals as "protection fees."
The arrangement benefited both sides. The mountains behind Verdanturf Town offered ideal living conditions for Carbink, while the shed diamonds—which they viewed as mere waste—represented immense wealth to Aoki.
Crucially, the Carbink demanded one condition: Aoki must locate Diancie within five years.
He agreed without hesitation.
Five years is more than enough time, Aoki mused. By then, Larvitar would be a Tyranitar, and the Carbink's value—both as resource producers and potential battle assets—would far outweigh the effort of tracking down a single Diancie.
The Minister, while intelligent, lacked worldly experience. Centuries of isolation had left it vulnerable to Aoki's half-truths. Unlike Altaria—sharp-eyed and skeptical—the Carbink accepted his promises at face value.
Transporting over two hundred Carbink, however, posed a challenge.
The solution? Poké Balls.
Fortunately, Aoki had prepared extensively before arriving on the island. Hundreds of spare Poké Balls lined his pack, originally intended for rare Pokémon encounters. Instead, they'd now house an entire Carbink colony.
Not a bad trade, he thought, suppressing a grin.
Combat-wise, the Carbink were underwhelming. The Minister, at level 48, was the strongest among them—barely Elite-tier and far from Champion-caliber. Even if it reached pseudo-legendary strength, their species' limited movepool made them mediocre battlers at best.
But as gem factories? Unmatched.
Then the Minister led Aoki to their "storage room."
The sight stole his breath.
Piles of diamonds and rare ores—discarded as clutter by the Carbink—formed glittering mountains. The Minister explained they'd discarded even more during past migrations. Most shed diamonds were simply left to litter the tunnels.
To Aoki, it was a dragon's hoard.
I could live like Steven, he realized, envisioning a future of absurd luxury. Sipping imported Moomoo Milk from diamond-encrusted cups.
His enlarged backpack—purchased precisely for such hauls—swallowed most of the treasure. He even crammed gems into every spare inch of Shuichi's storage device. Yet high-grade ores still remained, abandoned for lack of space.
Larvitar and Aron won't go hungry again, Aoki mused. While diamonds couldn't replace their full diet, they'd now enjoy regular "supplements." Excess gems could fund his entire team's training.
One day. One day, and I'm set for life.
Returning to the main cavern, Aoki began the Poké Ball transfers. The Carbink, ignorant of human technology, didn't question the process.
They don't even realize I could sell them all tomorrow, he noted. Not that he would—why slaughter the golden chicken?
Then he noticed something peculiar.
Every Carbink had a signature head diamond, light blue and energy-dense—the core of their reproductive process. But one Carbink's gem bore a faint pink hue. It was not easily visible and could only been seen because Aoki was looking down from a high position.
Aoki's pulse spiked.
Pink. The color of Diancie's crystals.
Amid a sea of blue, this anomaly screamed at him.