Pokémon: My Parallel World Daughters Revealed

The image on the screen froze once again.

A system notification sounded.

[Ding! It’s question time!]

[Generating a random question...]

[Question: Which of the following played the most crucial role in Tiana’s capture of Dialga and Palkia?]

[A. Dragon Force]

[B. Swablu’s protection]

[C. The mark Dialga and Palkia placed on her at birth]

[D. Asher suppressing Giratina in the Reverse World]

[The buzzer round will begin in thirty seconds!]

[VIP Chat Group]

[Ash]: This question is so difficult! All four answers sound reasonable!

[Gary]: It’s asking which factor was the most crucial during the capture, not which factors were helpful.

[Clemont]: Logically speaking, option D was an external factor. We also saw no clear indication that suppressing Giratina directly helped her capture Dialga and Palkia, so it can probably be eliminated.

[Clair]: Could Dragon Force have helped Tiana calm the twin dragons at the critical moment? Dialga and Palkia were both out of control at first.

[Lance]: It’s difficult to say. There’s no precedent for this situation.

[Diantha]: Option B also makes sense. Swablu did protect Tiana from the space-time turbulence at a crucial moment.

[Dawn]: Then what about C? Dialga and Palkia marked Tiana when she was born, but what exactly did that mark do?

[Cynthia]: The mark meant that Dialga and Palkia had already acknowledged Tiana from the moment she was born. Their trust in her didn’t appear from nowhere. Its foundation was established on the day of her birth.

[Leon]: But if the mark alone was enough to make the twin dragons obey Tiana, why did Palkia attack her at first?

[Diantha]: It attacked Tiana because its power was out of control, not because it rejected her. The moment it regained some clarity, its first reaction was to protect her.

[Lucian]: Then the complete chain of logic should be as follows: D created the necessary external conditions, B ensured her survival, A served as a supporting talent, and C was the fundamental prerequisite for capturing them.

[Alder]: Personally, I don’t think this question is testing logic. It’s testing our interpretation of the video, and everyone may interpret what they saw differently. Choosing the single most crucial factor truly isn’t easy.

[Countdown: 3, 2, 1—]

[Ding! The buzzer round has begun!]

[Ding! Congratulations to Diantha for successfully buzzing in!]

In the real world, Kalos Region

Diantha was lying on the sofa in her home.

Even after seeing the notification announcing that she had successfully buzzed in, she didn’t appear particularly excited. She stared at the four options for a long time.

"My intuition is telling me to choose C," she murmured to herself.

Gardevoir elegantly tilted its head beside her.

Diantha took a deep breath and tapped the screen with one finger.

The screen flickered.

Then a bright-red notification appeared.

[Incorrect answer!]

Diantha’s smile instantly froze.

Before she could react, another line appeared on the screen.

[Punishment: Select one man as your dance partner and complete an entire waltz with him at the designated venue within twenty-four hours. Failure to complete the punishment before the deadline will result in an additional penalty.]

Diantha’s eyes widened.

"D-Dancing?"

[VIP Chat Group]

[Steven]: Hahahahahaha! Diantha got it wrong too!

[Raihan]: Wait, wait, wait. What kind of punishment is that? A waltz? She has to dance with a man?

[Leon]: As a public figure, this punishment could be rather disastrous for Diantha.

[Dawn]: Miss Diantha is an actress, so she should be good at dancing, right?

[Iris]: Dancing isn’t the important part! The important part is that she has to dance with a man!

[May]: That’s right! Miss Diantha is Kalos’s greatest celebrity. If she casually chooses a male dance partner and gets photographed, the entertainment news will explode!

[Elesa]: I’ve already received messages from people in the fashion media. They’re preparing their articles as we speak.

[Skyla]: How does news travel so quickly in your entertainment industry?!

[Norman]: Ultimately, the main difficulty of this punishment lies in choosing a partner. If she chooses a man she doesn’t know well, there will inevitably be rumors. If she chooses an acquaintance, she still has to consider whether he’ll agree.

[Winona]: Mr. Norman’s analysis is correct.

[Brycen]: It will be difficult to avoid romantic rumors unless Diantha can find someone whose presence beside her wouldn’t cause any misunderstandings, regardless of what photographs are taken.

[May]: And that person would also have to be comfortable with rumors linking him to Miss Diantha. That really is difficult.

[Brock]: Ahem, well... Might I suggest that she consider yours truly?

[Misty]: ...

[Ash]: ...

[Pikachu]: Pika... (It covered its face.)

[Dawn]: ...

[May]: Brock, calm down.

[Max]: I sympathize with you, but I don’t think Miss Diantha is going to choose you.

[Brock]: Why not?! I’m an excellent dancer! I’ve taken dancing lessons before!

[Gary]: ...You really came prepared for this exact opportunity.

[Brock]: Opportunities favor those who are prepared!

[Brock]: Miss Diantha, please give me your utmost consideration!

[Erika]: Brock, your courage is admirable.

[Jasmine]: But your chances are probably nonexistent.

[Brock]: Why?! Why?! I’ve worked so hard!

[Croagunk]: Croag. (It leapt up and struck Brock squarely in the side with Poison Jab.)

[Brock]: I’m numb... My whole body is numb...

[Dawn]: Well done, Croagunk.

In the real world, Kalos Region

Diantha now looked utterly hopeless.

She rapidly ran through every man she knew in her mind: actors, directors, producers, men who had exchanged business cards with her at public events, and the various regional Champions and members of the Elite Four.

Finding someone wouldn’t be difficult.

The problem was that she had to consider the consequences.

If she chose someone carelessly, tomorrow’s entertainment headlines would read:

"Diantha’s Secret Romance Exposed!"

Lance was far too serious. If Kanto’s Dragon-type Elite Four member and the Kalos Champion were photographed dancing together, the League’s public-relations department might send formal notices to both of them.

Steven wasn’t afraid of rumors at all, but the only things he possessed romantic feelings for were rocks. Furthermore, judging from his messages in the VIP chat, his mental state was probably somewhat unstable.

Siebold...

Siebold was her colleague, but their temperaments didn’t suit each other. Kalos’s local media would also be particularly sensitive to news involving the two of them, so he wouldn’t work either.

Diantha buried her face in a cushion.

Several seconds later, she abruptly raised her head.

The sudden movement startled Gardevoir.

"Garde?"

"I’ve thought of someone."

Diantha stared at the screen, her eyes gradually becoming clear.

"The entire world already knows that his romantic life is complicated. Dancing with him might result in my public humiliation, but absolutely no one would take it seriously."

[VIP Chat Group]

[Siebold]: @Diantha, have you made your decision? You can choose me if necessary. I wouldn’t mind.

[Steven]: Forget it. Choosing you would create the biggest scandal of all.

[Elesa]: What a shame that the dance partner has to be male. Otherwise, I could have helped.

[Diantha]: It’s all right. I’ve already decided whom I’m going to choose.

[Valerie]: Who is it?

[Dawn]: Does Miss Diantha secretly have someone she likes?

[Cynthia]: What? Why don’t I know about this? Who are you choosing? @Diantha

[Diantha]: Ahem... Girls—and Misty—I’d like to apologize to all of you in advance.

[Cynthia]: ?

[Misty]: ?

[Misty]: Wait. You aren’t planning to choose...

...

TL: Tsk tsk... no wonder they turned Wallace into a girl as punishment. Otherwise, Asher would never get a chance to step in.