[attr="class","diana"]"For a fellow Rocket member."

The phrase stuck out to her like a sore thumb. Diana hummed, sliding down the tree as she sat, leaning her head against it. Her fingers idly played with the fabric of her leggings.

"I don't think I've been to Littleroot. Perhaps you should give me a tour one day," she offered, chuckling. She paused for a second, before looking back at him.

"I don't mean this to sound any way in insubordination... but why did you choose loyalty to team Rocket, Bryan?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]bryan delarosa | protect the dyna tree

[attr="class","diana"]"It's doing more than well. It's almost as if it was never frozen." Diana stood from the table, approaching the paradox beast as she would any of her normal Pokemon.

It did not hiss or thrash at her. Instead, WALKING WAKE regarded her with a steady gaze, giving a bow of its head as she reached out and touched it. She stroked its body, causing it to shudder from the touch.

"It's adapted like a normal Pokemon. Of course, it is by my command. Strange, don't you think?"

Diana turned her head back to howard slayte, tilting her head.

"We know that these Pokemon have a connection to the tera crystals. How well do we know that? We have the opportunity to see if the tera crystals can enhance its powers or have any other effects now, since it's no longer wild. Do you think you're willing to take on that experiment?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]howard slayte | zero to one hundred

[attr="class","diana"]As though it was the simplest thing in the world, the scientist handled the stray Pokemon with ease. Diana merely hung back, sticking to the wall as she watched his dragon work. She felt useless, looking away as she heaved a heavy sigh.

"Right. I suppose so."

She followed him toward the kitchen, deciding to sit at the counter to brew herself a cup of tea. "I apologize for causing trouble, then, sir."

[attr="class","dianatag"]Amor Rose | ghost in the machine

[attr="class","diana"]They reached the castle. Though, Diana nearly forgot that he was following her, too occupied on the destruction of Hammerlocke. It seemed like the attack from NECROZMA, but this was different.

This was Ronan Calcifet's doing. But she didn't know why. In this timeline, this dream, she couldn't understand why he was destroying his own kingdom.

There were screams of the citizens on the streets, guards lining the brick roads and slaughtering them. But as she somehow ascended to the royal chamber, her family stood, waiting for execution.

"How wonderful for you to join us, Diana!" he'd say.

"Mr. Beckett, please. No more!"

[attr="class","dianatag"]THEO BECKETT | enter the nightmare

[attr="class","diana"]Diana only snorted, refusing to answer his question. Instead, she looked at her luxury ball on the table, taking it back into her hand.

"Let me show you."

Ensuring that there was enough space for it to stand around and move, she tossed the ball. And out of it, stood: WALKING WAKE.

"It may seem familiar to you, hmm?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]howard slayte | zero to one hundred

[attr="class","diana"]Her blue gaze, like ice shards, pierced into luka chêne as she abstained from the vote. The hesitation made her stomach flip, and she almost stepped forward to elbow her fellow cellmate to say something, anything, to avoid the fates Shred and Isaac Merlo had suffered. Luckily, she and Navy were spared.

Diana breathed through the slot of her mask, as the vote was tallied. She nodded at ameena abadi, glad she had said something. However, their moment of peace was taken away when the FEZANDIPITI took flight. She cried out as her wrists were yanked into the sky, her feet brushing the floor before she was in the air.

Finally, they’re set down, and finally the mask comes off their faces. Diana gasped, reaching to touch her skin as she felt sweat and grim across her features. Nevertheless, it felt amazing.

”Ameena. Luka,” she murmured.

Her moment of wonder and trying to view the other women’s faces ceased as another Megalopolan appeared. And the beautiful mask at the center beckoned them.

Finally, it was her turn. After a short pause and a disgruntled sound of annoyance by the guards, she peered into the mask.


She ripped her head from the mask, gasping like she'd been drowning as she was pushed away for the next person in line. Then, as they were taken to the bathing stall, hot water scalded her skin, as she tried to recover from the memory implanted in her mind. Diana, too, bathed unclothed, though she kept her back from everyone as she hid herself from the others.

[attr="class","dianatag"]ameena abadi & luka chêne
- wished luka chêne voted due to fear of punishment
- to the chamber of desires
- sees her perfect world: healed galar, her family happy and safe, herself as its queen, and Remiel Calcifet at her side
- showers in the scalding water
- recovering from what she saw

[attr="class","diana"]Diana’s hands felt raw and scraped to the bone from cleaning. The tera crystals she had found herself loving before were spotless, but her clothes were bespeckled in dirt, mud, and blood. Tears burned in the corners of her eyes as she held them to her chest, shaking. However, and thankfully so, work was over.

Though the torture did not end. The bodies were disposed of, landing down on the ground below with a disgusting thunk. She felt nausea crawl in her throat. ”Is this it for us?” she spoke softly. ”Are we going to meet the same fate?”

She looked at her cellmates, a despairing look in her eyes. It didn’t last long, as they were able to peer up at the shards above and spot the other wards. ”There’s two more. It’s not just us—”

Remiel Calcifet. She could recognize that hair anywhere. ”What’s he doing here.”

They were pulled from their cells. Holding hands with luka chêne and ameena abadi, Diana followed the group, though not until she witnessed the grotesque display of power that the wardens performed by smashing Poke balls. ”I should’ve stayed in Galar.”

Diana stood with the rest of her group, her hands bound with theirs through the toxic chain. They still ached, and the sickness she felt from earlier was easing. However…

”I agree with them,” she spoke, nodding toward Elisabeth Fiorelli and priam conrad. ”If we want any way out, we have to protect ourselves first.”

So, she votes with her fellow Rockets, and in some way, she tried to protect Remiel. ”Dummy Ward.”

[attr="class","dianatag"]ameena abadi & luka chêne | ugly ward
- realizes that there's more wards
- spots Remiel Calcifet's hair
- agrees with Elisabeth Fiorelli and priam conrad
- votes: dummy ward

[attr="class","diana"]"It almost sounds like you missed me. How sweet," Diana teased, coming to sit at the table across from him.

She looked over the tera shards that were in front of him, different colors. Reds, blues, purples, all shimmering in the light. They were gorgeous.

But she wasn't here to stare at them.

"I did. I wanted to investigate with you again. However, I wanted to ask... how would you feel about investigating a Pokemon as well?"

Diana placed her luxury ball on the table.

[attr="class","dianatag"]howard slayte | zero to one hundred

[attr="class","diana"]Diana appreciated the calmness of it all. There was a gentle breeze that pushed the strands of hair that threatened to fall in her face away, ruffling Remiel Calcifet's. She giggled when it left it looking rather wild.

"It was like this for a short time, after you left. But it was lonely without you," she said.

She munched on her sandwich, dusting off her fingers when she'd finished. Perhaps out of habit, Diana reached up, fixing his hair so the strands weren't so wild anymore. "The queen would be furious if you came back with your hair like that."

Leaning back on her hands, Diana tilted her head back. "Maybe one day, things could go back to normal." But that was wishful thinking.

Nothing could go back to the way they were when they were young.

"Do you think they'll come? The FLYGON?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]Remiel Calcifet

[attr="class","diana"]Part of Diana expected to hear him say these words. A part of her hoped that he didn't.

But, when he phrased it like that, a boiling pit of rage ignited in her stomach. He sounded like her father: like she wasn't capable of taking care of herself. Like she was a piece of glass that would shatter if it was looked at the wrong way.

She was silent for a long moment before speaking again.

"You didn't just do it. I did it too. I get to make my own damn decisions, and that night, I decided too. Not just you, Remiel."

Diana swallowed hard before continuing. "So something happens, and you want to infantilize me, because you're convinced I can't handle what you think is going to happen? I am hurt, but it's because you won't talk to me! We'd been close for years until you left, and now you're telling me that this is all a mistake. You don't think I can handle myself!"

Her knuckles were white. "Stop treating me like my father! You're supposed to be my friend, not my dad!"

[attr="class","dianatag"]Remiel Calcifet | sunset selfie

[attr="class","diana"]Their other cellmate finally wakes up, joining them with their conundrum. Diana couldn't tell who the others were by voice or name, though she supposed she'd get to know them sooner than later.

"Diana. My name is Diana," she added.

But she didn't have much longer to speak, as the guards surrounded the cells and began to speak. A bird was brought out as if it was like royalty. A Pokemon she'd never seen before, preening away at its feathers. It seemed to care about its appearance, which seemed to make since that it was running the newly named "Ugly Ward."

"Why are we in the Ugly Ward?" Diana muttered beneath her breath. She didn't consider herself unattractive.

And how did they wrong them? Once more, she didn't have much time to consider it, when there was an uproar from a nearby cell. Someone was spitting insults and curses angrily, until —

She gasped, looking away quickly as the individual was silenced. "Oh, gods! Oh, gods, save us!" she prayed. She never prayed.

If that was her fate, then she ate the mochi when it was delivered. Thankfully, it didn't taste disgusting. Work was announced. Tera shards appeared. Her new love, now a thorn in her side. So, she began to work, sitting silently as though she was afraid that speaking would draw attention to her.

Until ameena abadi spoke. "I've never seen it before. luka chêne?"

[attr="class","dianatag"]ameena abadi & luka chêne
- introduces herself
- "why am i in the ugly ward"
- terrified of FEZANDIPITI
- eats the mochi yum yum
- cleans the tera shards
- converses with her cellmates