Season 2 Episode 10: Pups Save A Wedding! Strengthening Bonds With One Another!
February 13th, 2030 (The Day Before Valentine's Day)
Ben had been helping with the preparations for the wedding ever since Farmer Yumi proposed to Farmer Al over a month ago. Together they had managed to convince Katie and Ace to be flower girls, Ben had helped with the wedding invitations, sent some out to Everest, Jake, Tracker, and Carlos early, and now all that was left was to get the wedding decorations set up. Ben walked with Mayor Goodway and Chickaletta to where Ryder and the pups were. Right now, Ryder was swinging on the monkey bars doing some pull-ups as Skye, Rocky, Tuck, and Ella were going down the slide.
"I must say, Ben, I am extremely excited for the special occasion tomorrow! I can't believe Yumi asked you to be in charge of the ceremony and the speech!" Mayor Goodway gushed.
"Well, I've known Yumi for most of my life. She's kind of like a surrogate aunt to me." Ben answered.
"Oh, isn't that sweet, Chickaletta? Kind of like how I'm your surrogate mommy!" Genevieve giggled, scratching the red feather tuft on her purse chicken's head.
Ben and the mayor approached Ryder. "Hey Ben! Hi Mayor Goodway! What's going on?" Ryder asked as Ben smiled at him.
The eighteen year old pulled out an envelope out of his pocket and gave it to Ryder. "You just got a letter, you just got a letter! You just got a letter, I wonder who it's from?" Ben joked as he gave Ryder the envelope, doing a little dance while the spiky haired friend stared.
"It's a letter inviting us to Farmer Yumi and Farmer Al's wedding at their barn on the outskirts of town!" Ryder exclaimed as he read through the invitation.
"That's right! All of Adventure Bay will be there! Even my brother Gustavo and his children Julius and Julia are attending!" Mayor Goodway happily told him.
"Tracker, Carlos, Jake, and Everest are also invited! They'll be here tomorrow. Right now, though, Yumi and Al need help setting up the decorations, and they were hoping the PAW Patrol could help." Ben explained.
"Of course we will!" Ryder replied earnestly. Skye squealed in delight as she heard that there was going to be a wedding. "A WEDDING!? Woohoo! I love weddings! I love weddings. Woo-hoo! And decorating! Wee! And dressing up!" Skye yipped excitedly, punctuating each of her statements with an excited backflip.
"And flipping." Rocky teased, causing Skye to let out a giggle.
"A wedding!? Does that mean I get to take a nice, warm bubble bath?" Rubble asked, grinning as he thought of the pleasurable sensation of getting all soapy and sudsy.
"Bath!? I'll pass." Rocky quickly said, backing away nervously.
"Rocky, the wedding treats alone are worth getting wet for!" Marshall pointed out.
"Yeah! Besides, you've mostly gotten over that fear of water. You've gotten bathed sixty times, and you've helped out on over a hundred rainy rescues." Ben reminded the mixed breed.
"I know, I know. The water itself isn't scary anymore. The exposure therapy helped me get over that fear. It's just that being wet is… uncomfortable." Rocky sighed.
"Marshall's right about the wedding treats! But first, there are tables to be set and decorations to be hung." Mayor Goodway reminded the group.
"No buffet is too big, no pup is too small!" Ryder declared. "Mmm, buffet!" Marshall dreamily said, licking his lips hungrily.
"PAW Patrol, to the Lookout!" Ben ordered, the pups and humans headed to the tower.
When the team had assembled in the Lookout control room, Chase stepped forward in front of Ben and Ryder.
"PAW Patrol, ready for action, Ryder and Ben, sirs!" Chase exclaimed.
"What's the emergency, Ben? Lost hiker? Forest fire? Robbery?" Alex inquisitively asked.
Ben laughed at Alex's questions. "Not so much an emergency as it is a special occasion." Ben answered.
"Pups, Farmer Al and Yumi are getting married tomorrow, and we're invited! First, though, they need our help setting up for the wedding." Ryder began. The pups started to chatter with excitement about the upcoming marriage. "Zuma and Chase, you'll be helping set the table. Rocky and Skye, you two are on balloon duty. Rubble and Marshall will hang up the ribbons at the front of the barn. Alex is in charge of getting the strings of lights set up. Tuck and Ella, help out with whatever Al and Yumi need your assistance with." Ben instructed, giving out the assignments for the mission.
"Let's dive in!" The chocolate Lab cried out.
"Chase is on the case!" The German Shepherd yelled.
"I'm fired up!" Marshall shouted.
"This puppy's gotta fly!" The cockapoo squealed, doing a backflip.
"Rubble on the double!" The bulldog growled enthusiastically.
"Green means go!" Rocky howled.
"Bright or dark, I've got the spark!" Alex roared.
"We're on it!" The Golden Retriever twins chorused.
"PAW Patrol, roll to the rescue!" Ben declared as he and Ryder jumped down the fire pole as the pups went down the slide to their vehicles. Grinning as he drove to Farmer Yumi's barn with the rest of the group, he felt a sense of pride. Tomorrow was going to be one of the best days in his life. He was going to spend it with his family, and he would be helping Farmer Yumi with the most special event she would ever experience.
"Totally on tawget! I'm the table setting champ!" Zuma giggled as he pushed a plate into position from the other end of the table.
"Oh yeah? Check this out! I repurposed my tennis ball launcher into a napkin cannon!" Chase grinned as he shot silverware napkin bundles out from his pup pack, each landing in the perfect spot right next to the plates Zuma had laid out.
"Great work you two! Skye, Rocky, how's the balloons coming along?" Ben called out, while talking with Ace and Katie.
"Going really well! I got another balloon ready to go, Ryder!" Rocky replied, with the spiky haired teen tying the balloon to a rope and attaching it to a bouquet of balloons. Handing it off to Skye, the pilot pup flew the balloons to the ribbon.
"Everything looks so pretty!" Skye gushed.
"LIGHT STRINGS ARE SET UP!" Alex hollered out, walking down his electrician van's ladder.
"Here comes Rubble with his claw on the double!" Rubble announced, using his rig's crane to hoist some more ribbons up to the front of the bar.
Marshall came down from his ladder too. "I think we've got everything ready!" Marshall yipped cheerfully.
Farmer Yumi and Al came to check on their progress. Needless to say, they were extremely pleased. "Wow, Ryder, the barn's looking terrific!" Farmer Al complimented.
"This'll be the fanciest wedding Adventure Bay has ever seen!" Farmer Yumi agreed.
"Thanks. I'll be sure to look my best for the wedding as well." Ben answered.
Katie and Ace were finished doing their rehearsals for their roles as flower girls. "Now, let's get you pups cleaned up, huh?" Katie suggested. Rocky whimpered in response.
"Come on, Wocky. You've been through plenty of baths and scwubs before." Zuma reminded him.
"I know, I know… but Zuma, you haven't been through what I went through. You didn't almost… drown as a pup." Rocky murmured. Ben picked up the recycling pup and hugged him tightly.
"Rocky. I know you're still scared. But you've come so far since then. Tell you what. How about I give you the bath instead of Katie? It'll be just like old times." Ben offered, scratching Rocky underneath his chin.
Rocky thought about it for a minute before nodding his head in defeat. "All right, Ben. I'll do it. Because it's you… and I don't wanna miss out on the wedding treats tomorrow." Rocky responded, giving Ben a weak smile.
At Katie's salon, Skye was being groomed and brushed by Ace, and Ben was cleaning up Rocky with a soapy sponge.
"There, see? Not so bad, huh?" Ben chuckled.
"No… not as bad as it used to be." Rocky admitted.
"I think we're in the clear. The weather is going to be clear skies for tomorrow!" Katie spoke, relieved as she saw the weather forecast.
"Say, Katie, are you finally going to talk to Ryder about that 'confession' you were going to make?" Ben snickered.
"W-what!?" Katie stammered, taken aback by the sudden question. "Katie, come on. A smart girl like you should know what we're talking about!" Rocky laughed.
"Come on. Katie, we've known each other since we were five. You were the person who taught me about the 'monthly monster' that girls have. You've kept secrets for me that I've told nobody else. It's obvious that you have a crush on Ryder." Ben teased.
"All right, you got me. I don't know… I just feel nervous." Katie sighed.
"If you don't tell Ryder about your feelings for him now, then some other girl will pounce on him and take him for herself!" Ben warned. Katie gulped at that idea.
The group headed back to the Lookout and went to sleep, with Ben waking up over an hour earlier than normal in order to get himself ready. He put on his tuxedo, adjusted his bow tie, combed his hair, shaved even more diligently than usual so that there wasn't a speck of facial hair on his face, had Robo-Dog trim his eyebrows, put on deodorant… everything needed to look perfect for the wedding.
The pups woke up, yawning, and got themselves ready for the day. The wedding was due to start at eleven, so after breakfast, they talked a little bit about how excited they were for the event while Ben rehearsed his speech. When the time came, everyone hopped into their vehicles and drove to the farm.
Rows and rows of chairs had been lined up for the wedding attendance. Ben took his spot at the podium while the rest of the attendees arrived. The ceremony-goers included Captain Turbot, Mayor Goodway, Chickaletta, Gustavo Goodway, Julius and Julia, Mr. Porter and his grandson, Cali, and even Wild and his mom were here! Carlos, Tracker, Everest, and Jake were also present for this ceremony.
None of the immediate family for Farmer Al and Yumi were present, so Ben skipped directly to the words of welcome and introduction section of the wedding procedures. "Friends of Farmer Al and Farmer Yumi! Citizens of Adventure Bay! PAW Patrol! It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the union of these two kindred souls." Ben spoke into the microphone, his voice booming across the lawn as speakers had been set up.
"Now, as someone who's known Farmer Yumi for a long time, and she's watched me grow into what she calls a 'fine young man', she's invited me to say some words. I first met Farmer Yumi when I was about four. She's been there to support me ever since then. Almost like a mom to me. That woman is one of the most important people in my life. She helped nurture me and push me down the path to help others." Ben began.
The female farmer removed her hat and smiled as Ben gave his speech. "People like her are amazing, and we need more of her out in the world. Her kindness and compassion was part of the inspiration to create the Paw Patrol. We've helped her out many times over the years… but there was one rescue in particular that is brought to my mind. One stormy day, when I was about twelve and a half years old, a bolt of lightning struck her old barn, and set it ablaze. She called me and Ryder for help." Ben continued.
Pausing to take a drink of water, he then resumed his story. "Back then, it was just me, Chase, and Ryder. We tried our best to put out the fire, and gave it our all. But it wasn't enough, and the barn burned up. One brave dalmatian stood and tried to stop it. His name… was Marshall." Ben went on. A collective gasp was heard from the audience, as several of them didn't know the origins of each member of the PAW Patrol.
Ben acknowledged the gasp with a nod of his head. "Yes, that's right. If it weren't for Farmer Yumi, we may never have met Marshall. But that wasn't the only good fortune that fate bestowed upon us that day. For in the ashen aftermath, a man with a John Deere hat and tractor drove up to lend Farmer Yumi a hand with building a new barn, and offered her animals shelter in his own barn. That kind man… was Farmer Al." Ben mused.
Further gasping from the crowd ensued. "Indeed. I've noticed that when God takes away something, he gives you something back in return. He may have taken Farmer Yumi's barn away from us, but in return, he gave me the greatest fire pup ever, and he gave Yumi the greatest husband she could ever have." Ben chuckled.
The tuxedo-wearing eighteen year old turned to face Farmer Al and addressed him. "Farmer Albert Agricon, when you drove onto that rainy field and draped us in blankets, I could instantly see how kind you were. We were feeling beat up and awful about not being able to save the barn. But you comforted us, took us back to your home and warmed us up, even gave Marshall a checkup. There was a spark between you and Yumi that I knew would grow." Ben told the farmer.
Chuckling at the shocked expression on Farmer Al's face, he grinned and picked up where he left off in his tale. "You and Yumi became inseparable, and saw each other on a regular basis. The evening that the meteor came to Adventure Bay and changed the lives of the Paw Patrol forever, I witnessed Yumi propose to you, and my heart blossomed in size that day. That night was something that impacted the entire town for a multitude of reasons." Ben went on.
The bear-like growl of Everest's stomach brought Ben back on track, reminding him that he couldn't say everything that he wanted to. There was food to eat, dances to dance to, and merry memories to be made. "But I digress. What I'm trying to say is… thank you for being there for Yumi, and for me and Ryder. You took us home from the library on snowy days, you offered snacks when we were hungry, and so much more. I'll always remember that. Treat Yumi even better than you treated the two of us." Ben thoughtfully said, wrapping up his statement to Al.
Turning back to the crowd of people, he then continued his oration. "And to you, fair citizens of Adventure Bay. Thank you for placing your faith in myself, Ryder, and the spectacular canine crew that is the Paw Patrol. In the brightest of days and blackest of nights, we will continue to serve and protect all that live here. That is all I have to say for this speech. Farmer Al, do you take Yumi to be your lawfully wedded wife, and continue to support her until death do you two part?" Ben inquired after speaking to the other Adventure Bay people present.
"I do. With all my heart." Farmer Al solemnly answered.
"Yumi Shiba. Do you take Al to be your lawfully wedded husband and care for him until you two part, through sickness and death?" Ben asked.
"I do. Absolutely yes." Farmer Yumi responded.
"Then through the power vested in me by Mayor Goodway from the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride!" Ben boomed.
The crowd broke into an applauding cheer as the two farmers kissed each other on the lips. Ben pulled out his phone and hooked it up to the speakers, which began to blast out a piece of music that was perfect for wedding dances.
Chase began to cry in happiness. "Chase, you okay?" Rocky asked.
"I always cry at weddings…" Chase sniffled with a grin on his face.
Katie went up to Ryder and curtsied. "Ryder, may I have this dance?" Katie asked. Ryder blushed as he took Katie's hand and the two began to swing each other around.
Skye and Chase began to dance themselves, and Marshall and Everest simply gazed into each other's eyes. Tracker started to bawl, tears flooding from the potcake's eyes. Tuck and Ella joined him. "¡Es tan hermoso! I'm so moved!" Tracker sobbed, truly touched by this wedding.
Wild simply shrugged. "I don't get what's the big deal about weddings, mom." Wild remarked to his mother as the fat tabby cat purred from inside his motorcycle's grocery basket. "I don't have much time left in this world, son, but trust me when I say that you'll understand when you find your special one. The same thing happened when I met your father." Wild's mother told him. Shrugging, Wild shook his head.
Ben took plenty of pictures. That evening, as the activity died down, Ben smiled as he browsed through all the photographs he had taken during the event. This truly was a special day. One that he would never forget. It would likely be the best wedding he would ever attend. And probably the best Valentine's Day as well.