After the day's events, most of the first day in Reflection Cave had passed. As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, Rex and his group decided to camp at the former Pokémon hunters' site.
Since Gree and Cole had already cleared the surrounding area, the trio simply needed to pitch their own tents—they had no desire to use the ones left behind.
That evening, Rex, Korrina, Mai, and their Pokémon gathered around a campfire. A pot hung over the flames, bubbling with delicious food and filling the air with savory steam.
Surprisingly, the Carbink they had rescued earlier had not left. Instead, it had remained faithfully beside Rex's Carbink, the two whispering to each other in their strange, crystalline way.
The three trainers simply exchanged amused glances—they weren't surprised.
Rex had already asked his Carbink to find out if the rescued one knew the way to the Diamond Kingdom.
He wasn't sure whether it actually did, but it was worth asking. After all, a lead—even a slim one—was better than blindly wandering the vast underground.
If even a native Carbink didn't know the path, then Rex figured their journey might well be doomed to failure.
"Korrina, you still seem a bit down. Come on, we busted an illegal Pokémon poaching ring today and freed a bunch of wild Pokémon. That's a big win, right?"
Mai noticed Korrina's lingering mood and tried to lift her spirits.
"I've just been thinking about how reckless I was," Korrina said glumly. "If it hadn't been for you two, I'd be the one locked up in a cage. I would've never saved those Pokémon on my own."
"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Rex said, handing her a bowl of hot soup. "You were just acting on your sense of justice. Maybe next time, just think things through a bit more, yeah?"
Dinner passed under a sky full of stars, with the trainers sharing stories and the Pokémon playing nearby. It was a rare, peaceful moment on their adventure.
The next morning, after breakfast, the group packed up camp and prepared to continue the search for the Diamond Kingdom.
"Carbink," Rex said, kneeling before the rescued one. "We're looking for the Diamond Kingdom. Do you know the way?"
He believed his own Carbink had already explained their purpose overnight. Now, he just wanted an answer.
The rescued Carbink hesitated, glancing at Rex's. Then it gave a small, firm nod.
For Carbink, the Diamond Kingdom was sacred—it was their home. Ordinarily, it would never reveal the path to outsiders. But Rex's Carbink emitted an aura strikingly similar to the royal princess of their kind. It was the reason the other Carbink treated it with such reverence.
After struggling with the decision, the rescued Carbink finally agreed. These humans had saved many Pokémon, and they weren't like the cruel ones it had seen before. It would lead them—not into the Diamond Kingdom itself, but at least to the princess.
With a proper guide, their chances of success had just skyrocketed. Even Mai, who had been indifferent at first, now wore a look of growing anticipation.
The Carbink led them through a well-hidden valley—so well-concealed by vegetation that none of them would've noticed it without help.
It was the same valley Gree and Cole had stumbled into days ago, where they'd found and captured Carbink. But what the poachers hadn't realized was that the cave they'd entered held a passage—one that led deep into the Diamond Kingdom itself.
Had they known, they might have wept at the fortune they missed.
Soon, the group entered the cave.
"Carbink, use Flash!"
As they ventured deeper, the light faded into darkness. While Carbink could see just fine, the humans couldn't. With a burst of light, the jewel atop Carbink's head illuminated the tunnel around them.
As they descended, the number of branching paths increased—but they could feel the path trending downward.
They encountered a few wild Pokémon along the way, but with a native Carbink in the lead, none showed hostility.
"Rex, do you think you can remember the path back?" Mai asked suddenly.
"Er… probably not," Rex admitted. "There are just too many forks."
He knew his memory wasn't nearly good enough to navigate this sprawling underground maze alone.
"I guess that's why no one's ever found the Diamond Kingdom before," Korrina murmured. "Even if someone stumbled on this cave, without a Carbink guide, they'd just get hopelessly lost."
She couldn't help but wonder how that explorer who wrote the original legend had managed to find it in the first place. The mystery would likely remain forever unanswered.
With renewed excitement, the group followed behind their guide, venturing through passage after passage.
The trek lasted nearly a full day. Though they took breaks, the majority of their time was spent walking through the labyrinthine tunnels.
At last, they crossed a narrow stone bridge spanning a deep underground rift—and on the other side, the darkness gave way to a dazzling sight.
Their eyes widened as the cavern opened up before them.
Countless massive crystals and diamonds jutted from the cave walls, glowing with natural inner light. The entire space shimmered like a dream.
They had finally arrived at the threshold of legend—The Diamond Kingdom.