[VIP Chat Group]

[Wallace]: Elaria’s idea is actually really good. Spreading the history of the Diamond Domain through a movie should work incredibly well!

[Diantha]: When I saw Elaria say, "Mom’s acting teacher once said," I was genuinely moved as her mother. She must have remembered everything I’ve taught her.

[Skyla]: Master is really getting deeply invested again.

[Steven]: I’m pacing in circles in front of the screen right now! Hurry up and give me the Diancie movie already! I’m ready to book out the entire theater!!

[Mr. Stone]: Steven, if you put even one-tenth of your enthusiasm for stones into running the company, Devon Corporation would’ve reached an entirely new level by now.

[Steven]: Dad, didn’t you already decide not to pass the company on to me? Then why should I work so hard?

[Mr. Stone]: Then at least show some promise in other areas! The more I watch Ruri through this screen, the more I like her. She’s decisive, has a good head for business, and even knows how to back up her decisions with financial reports. She’s more than a level above you.

[Steven]: Dad, if you want to praise Ruri, then praise her. Do you really have to step on me at the same time?

[Leon]: President Stone is maintaining a steady damage output today too. Hang in there, Steven.

[Steven]: I can take it. As long as there are stones, I can endure anything.

[Wallace]: You’re genuinely beyond saving.

The video continued playing.

After learning that her daughter was preparing to make her first movie, Diantha immediately canceled three endorsement appearances, two movie premieres, and a charity gala before chartering a private jet straight to World League Headquarters.

The plane hadn’t even landed yet—

Diantha slid down a rope from it.

Today, she wore an ivory trench coat, with her hair neatly pinned up behind her head.

Her presence was at full force from the moment she arrived.

"Mommy!"

Elaria ran over and hugged her around the waist.

"You really came!"

"Of course."

Diantha crouched down and straightened Elaria’s collar.

"My daughter is making her first movie. How could I possibly not come? Have you finished the script?"

Elaria took a stack of drawing paper from Hoopa.

"It’s finished! But I didn’t write it with words. I drew it instead."

Diantha accepted the stack and flipped through the pages.

After a moment of silence, she looked up at Hoopa.

"Hoopa, did you help draw these storyboards?"

"Hoopa drew some of them!"

Hoopa puffed out its chest.

"Popplio drew a few too, but Elaria said hers were ’too abstract to use as storyboards,’ so Hoopa helped fix them!"

Diantha turned to one of Popplio’s storyboards and stared at it for a full ten seconds.

"...What is this supposed to be?"

"Popplio said it’s Diancie standing on top of a mountain, looking down over all living things."

"Why are Diancie’s eyes glowing?"

"That’s perspective! Popplio said she specifically learned how to draw perspective!"

"...Maybe she shouldn’t have."

Meanwhile—

Inside a dressing room on the other side of the palace, Steven sat in front of a diamond mirror while three Carbink busied themselves with his hair.

"A little higher on the left."

Steven pointed at his hairstyle.

"Right. I want that ’I’m an extremely handsome villain’ kind of feeling."

The Carbink looked at one another.

Then one of them slapped a glob of hair gel onto the top of Steven’s head, while another used its own body like a comb and brushed Steven’s hair upward by a full fifteen centimeters.

Steven studied himself in the mirror for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Excellent. One look and you can immediately tell I’m the kind of villain who’d blow up an entire mineral vein just to steal a diamond."

Ruri leaned against the dressing-room doorway with a cup of juice in her hand, staring expressionlessly as her father made various poses in front of the mirror that he apparently thought looked wickedly charming.

"Dad, from the side, your hair makes you look like a Staraptor that got electrocuted."

"This is called artistic styling!"

Steven pointed at his hair.

"You think just anyone can pull off this kind of height? A villain needs to leave an unforgettable impression the moment the audience sees him!"

"Oh, they’ll definitely remember you."

Ruri took a sip of her juice.

"After seeing that hairstyle, they’ll probably dream about you at night too."

[VIP Chat Group]

[Leon]: Steven’s hairstyle has so much oppressive force that I can feel it through the screen. Not from his villainous aura—from the thickness of the hair gel.

[Raihan]: Even my Duraludon laughed at that.

[Flint]: For someone who normally cares so much about his appearance, Steven is really willing to go this far for a movie? I genuinely respect the dedication.

[Steven]: Of course! I, Steven, am an extremely dedicated actor! Even if I’m only playing a corpse, I’ll make sure to portray the soul of that corpse!

[Phoebe]: What’s the soul of a corpse supposed to be?

[Steven]: Making sure it doesn’t suddenly get back up.

[Glacia]: ...That image is far too vivid. Please don’t.

The video continued playing.

Diantha stood in the center of the temporarily constructed rehearsal hall.

In front of her stood the entire main production team for the movie.

"Everyone."

Diantha clapped her hands.

"Today is our first day of filming. Even though this production team was put together at the last minute, from this moment onward, I need everyone to stay focused."

She turned toward Wallace.

"Mr. Wallace, thank you for agreeing to make a guest appearance."

"No need to thank me."

Wallace gave a slight bow.

"It’s my honor to make a guest appearance in a movie of this scale. Also, I intend to use the screen to show the audience a new Contest routine I’ve created."

After throwing out a Poké Ball, Wallace spread both arms wide at the same time.

He slowly spun three complete circles within the curtain of water created by Milotic.

"This is the entrance I’ve designed—’Spinning Waltz of Crystal Water.’"

Diantha stared at him for three seconds.

"Mr. Wallace, you’re playing a passing Trainer. Your total screen time is about four seconds."

"Four seconds is more than enough for the audience to remember me."

Wallace gracefully returned to his original stance.

"The philosophy of Pokémon Contests is simple—every second spent onstage should be used to fully display your own charm."

"All right. Just improvise however you like."

Diantha turned toward Steven.

"What about you, Mr. Steven? You’re playing the villain, so your role may be a little more difficult."

"I’m ready too!"

Steven cleared his throat.

Then he suddenly spun around, the hem of his coat sweeping through the air in a dramatic arc.

"Heh heh heh——! A mere princess of the Diamond Domain dares possess diamonds this perfect?"

He thrust out one hand.

"This Heart Diamond shall belong to me, Steven——Ahem!"

He immediately corrected himself.

"It shall belong to me, the Dark Ore King!"

The entire room fell silent for about three seconds.

No one reacted to Steven’s performance.

"Ahem."

Diantha cleared her throat.

"Then, as things currently stand, the main characters will be Diancie and Elaria."

She turned toward Lillie and Ruri.

"Lillie and Ruri, thank you as well for your guest appearances."

Diantha clapped her hands once more.

"All right. Let’s start getting ready!"

...

TL: His real thoughts slipped in for a moment.

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