The final chapter!
Chapter 7: Determined Heart
Sandgem Town, 1:30 pm…
"… Both Diamond and Pearl are… in love with me?" Platinum muttered. "… Oh no… oh no…" She pressed her hands on her temples as a swarm of thoughts flooded her mind. "… Then the reason for the conflict between them… is me? I caused this? … And… the solution to this dilemma is… for me to make a choice? I have to reject one of them?"
"Lady Platinum, please calm down," White said quickly.
Platinum shook her head as she couldn't accept the situation. "I… I need time to think…" she managed to say. "… How could this have happened… I…" She shakily approached the picture phone and fumbled with the controls. "I – I apologize, but… I… need time…"
She disconnected the video call and sank into the nearest chair. Her legs were shaking, and her vision felt a little narrow and weird, as this revelation hit her really hard. … How had she not realized that the two boys had a crush on her? … Then again, she had absolutely no experience with this sort of thing, so perhaps it was natural that she missed all the hints. … What even were the hints, anyways? Did Diamond and Pearl behave differently around her?
Platinum searched through her memories, thinking about how her two friends have behaved normally. … But… how was she supposed to know how they were like when she wasn't around? She had no point of reference to know what was normal and what was not.
… Regardless, the dilemma remained. The two boys were both in love with her. And they were now fighting for her. She now had to make a choice, and decide which one of them she loved in return. She loved both of them as a friend. But as a lover… she had no idea. But she had to reciprocate one of their feelings. But which one?
And if she picked one, the other would be devastated. How could she possibly devastate one of her closest friends? This was a choice that she could not possibly make. Not only did she not know who to pick, but she must not pick one either. She could not estrange one of her friends while being closer with the other one.
… Was there an alternative, though? Was there a way to ensure that all of their bonds remained intact? … If there was, she had no idea what it was. … There was no way that she would be able to find the solution on her own.
…
Several hours later, 7 pm…
…
Moon fumbled with her apartment key, trying to jam the thing into the old lock. … It was times like these when she wished that she had agreed to live in the new apartment that Platinum was going to buy for her. Instead, she had opted for a much more modest accommodation, and was living in an apartment that was older than her, which provided some annoying issues here and there, like this old lock!
Moon grumbled and put a lot more force into her hand, and the key finally went into the lock. … And now it wouldn't turn because of course it wouldn't. She now had to wiggle the key while pushing and pulling, to find the one sweet spot where the key would turn and unlock the door.
Having finally found the spot, she unlocked the door to her place and wrestled with the lock some more to get the key out before she was allowed to enter. She locked the door behind her and went over to collapse onto the couch for a bit.
Today had been a tiring day. And she was quite exhausted. But she couldn't rest for too long, as she had quite the important matter to resolve, or try to at least. She had talked to Diamond and Pearl earlier, and had confirmed her fears. Both Diamond and Pearl were in love with Platinum, and were competing for her. And she had seen a glimpse of it, did not understand, but was upset at the fact that her friends were lying to her.
Diamond and Pearl had told Moon their perspective. And she had no idea what to say. On one hand, she hated how they ended up hurting her beloved senior. But on the other hand… she knew that there was nothing they could've done to avoid it.
But what happened had happened. Now she had to figure out a way to fix this mess. Surely by now, Platinum would have talked to White and/or Y, and the two nosy girls would've said everything. Which meant by now, Platinum would know that she was the cause of the strife between Diamond and Pearl, and was undoubtedly blaming herself.
Moon slowly closed her eyes as she tried to think. … What was the next step, here? This situation would be solved quite quickly if Platinum just chose one of the two boys. But that wasn't simple. Did she even have a preference? Did she even love one of them in the same way? But even if she did, there was no way she would make the decision, if it meant that she would end up breaking the heart of the other. So… before anything else, Platinum would need reassurance that her choice wouldn't hurt anyone. … Maybe if Diamond and Pearl both told her honestly that they would respect her decision and promise to stay close friends as they are now…
But Platinum wouldn't be willing to talk to either of them when she hadn't made a decision yet. And so began the cyclic problem. She would not meet them until she had made a decision, but she couldn't make the decision before meeting them.
There was a sudden knock on the door, jolting Moon out of her thoughts. She let out a long sigh as she didn't want to get off of the couch, but forced herself up when there was another knock. She slowly trudged towards the door and peeked through the peephole, and to her surprise, she could see Platinum on the other side of the door.
Moon hastily turned the lights on and opened the door. "Lady!"
"… Hello, Moon," Platinum said, sounding quite devoid of energy. "… May I talk to you?"
"Oh, of course. Please, come in."
Platinum entered the apartment and moved to sit on the couch. Moon quickly followed her and sat next to her.
"… I have talked to White and Y, as you had suggested," Platinum began. "… And I am at a loss."
Moon sat quietly as her senior explained what she had learned from her conversation with White and Y, and what was bothering her now. Moon listened to her worries and confirmed that her predictions had been correct. Which meant that the solution she had in mind would work as well.
"Sister, if I may…" she began once Platinum had paused briefly. "I believe that both Diamond and Pearl love you and care about you enough that they won't jeopardize their friendship with you or each other. So even if you picked one of them, the other one won't distance himself from you, and would still remain as close of a friend as he is right now. I know it sucks that you might have to break his heart, but… it won't be as bad as you fear."
Platinum still looked worried. "… Are you certain?"
"Absolutely," Moon said assuredly. "I think if you talked to them again, you'd be sure too."
Platinum groaned as her fears surfaced again. "I… cannot do that… If I was to talk to them again, I… would have to make the choice. But…"
"I'm afraid that I can't help you with the choice, sister," Moon said quietly. "That's something you have to decide on your own. But… maybe you can ask the other Dex Holders? Well, some of them, anyways. I don't think they'd all be useful."
"What would I ask them about?"
"About love," Moon answered. "You said it yourself that you didn't know anything about it, and that's why you can't choose. So maybe talking with the other Dex Holders who have experience of it would be able to tell you something that will help you decide."
Platinum put a hand on her chin as she thought. "… Yes. I believe that will be of great assistance…" She looked over at her junior. "I shall start with you."
"M – Me? But… I don't know anything either," Moon stammered out.
"Yes, but you are the closest to me, and you have been of invaluable assistance already. So, Moon, what do you think? Who would you love?"
"Well… um…" She scratched at her cheek embarrassedly. "I think… it'll have to be someone reliable. Someone who'd never leave my side, you know? He'd be someone I can always lean on, whether physically or emotionally." She carefully gauged Platinum's expression before continuing. "And I think he'll have to be someone who can really comfort me. I guess that overlaps with being emotionally reliable, but I think it's super important. Because inevitably, there will be a time when I will be really upset or feeling hurt, and I would want someone who can cheer me up in those situations. Someone who never fails in making me feel better."
Platinum blinked as a memory flashed across her mind, the memory of her struggles in Sinnoh's Super Contest…
"… I see…" She smiled at her junior. "Thank you, Moon."
Moon still looked embarrassed. "Was I helpful?"
Platinum gave her a gentle pet on the head. "Yes, of course."
Moon smiled happily. "Then you're welcome, sister!"
Platinum soon rose to her feet. "Now… I shall return home and consider your advice more deeply."
"I'm really happy to have been of some help, sister. And now all I can do is wish you good luck."
Platinum nodded and waved at her junior before leaving the apartment. And as she headed home, she pondered on Moon's words and searched through her memories. … Someone who was always there for her, and someone who always succeeded in cheering her up… Among Diamond and Pearl, which one was always there for her? And which one always succeeded in cheering her up?
During the Super Contest, when she had been feeling hated and hurt, both Diamond and Pearl have tried to help. Pearl had lost patience with her weakness and gave up on her, but Diamond… did not. Diamond had made the delicious pie for her, and successfully cheered her up, and gave her so much confidence.
And come to think of it, Pearl would occasionally lose patience with her and yell at her, while Diamond was always there for her, supporting her in his sweet and kind way. But… was it really that simple, though? She would need more opinions and more help in this matter…
Within a few minutes, she reached her mansion and headed up towards her room. She immediately went for the picture phone and briefly wondered who she was going to call. Which Dex Holder would be helpful right now?
She quickly made her decision and called Blue first. She wasn't sure if the Kanto Dex Holder would be willing to get involved, but surely she'd be okay with just giving advice?
The video screen lit up and Blue appeared as she answered the call. "Oh, Platinum! Hi!"
Platinum gave her a polite bow. "Good evening, senior. Is this a bad time?"
Blue looked over at something off screen. "No, no. I have plenty of time. What's up?"
"Something has happened recently, and I was hoping to receive your advice on the matter," Platinum answered. She briefly summarized the recent happenings and described her dilemma. "Can you assist me, senior?"
Blue seemed a bit troubled and quite surprised. "… Huh. This is quite personal. I don't think I should get involved…"
Platinum nodded, as she expected this. "I understand. In that case… May I ask for your opinion on love, senior? How would you know if you love someone?"
"Whoa. What a question," Blue said, looking quite embarrassed. She glanced off screen again and moved away for a bit. There was a sound of a door closing, and she returned on screen. "Let's just make sure this is private…" She cleared her throat and took a few seconds to think. "… Okay. This is going to be embarrassing, but… I think you would love someone if you care more about their happiness than yours. And at the same time, he really makes you happy too. So… is there someone like that comes to mind?"
Platinum thought about Diamond and Pearl briefly. Of course she greatly cared for both of them, and wished to be with them. They both made her very happy, and she always wished for their happiness too. And they both cared for her greatly in their own ways. "I… cannot decide…"
"Right. If you can't choose, then… think about your shared history," Blue suggested. "Is there one who always provided you with something that you actually needed? Something that no one else provided?"
"Something that no one else provided…" Platinum mumbled as she searched through her memories again. … Diamond had always been kind and sweet to her. But he wasn't the only one. She had plenty of people who treated her that way, to varying degrees. But no one had been strict to her like Pearl… at times. No one had reproached her with harsh words that hurt her pride like Pearl did, that forced her into overcoming the hurdles. And while Pearl was harsh at times, Platinum knew that she needed that to better herself.
"I see that you are thinking of someone in particular," Blue noted. "… Was that what you needed?"
Platinum smiled. "Yes, senior. Thank you so much for your invaluable assistance."
Blue let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. And you're welcome. It's not every day where I get asked these sorts of things. And of course, everyone's situations are different. My advice might not apply to you. In the end, it's all up to you."
"I understand, senior. And thank you."
Blue waved at her for a bit before she disconnected the video call. Platinum stared at the blank screen and pondered on her words now that she had more time. While Blue's advice had certainly been very helpful, a new problem arose. Based on Moon's advice, Platinum felt that she was leaning more towards Diamond. But Blue's advice pointed to Pearl. The score was now even, and Platinum felt that she was right back to where she started. So… she would need more advice here.
Platinum took out her Pokégear and called Sapphire. The Hoenn Dex Holder probably wasn't at a place where she can answer a video call. But lately, she had been convinced to carry around a Pokégear for communication reasons, so she might be able to answer.
"Hello?" Sapphire said as she answered the call.
Platinum noticed that she could hear the wind on the other side. So Sapphire was definitely outdoors as expected. "Good evening, senior."
"Oh hey, Platinum! Good to hear from you," Sapphire said cheerfully. "What's up?"
"I was hoping to receive your advice on a delicate and private matter," Platinum answered. "Would you be able to assist me?"
"Sure. I was just taking a stroll anyways. So… what did you need?"
Once again, Platinum summarized her problem. "How do you know if you are love?"
"… Huh," Sapphire mumbled. "… Well, this is unexpected. Um… well, I think you just… know? But… I think it really helps if you have lots of significant moments in your shared history. You know, the kind that you have with no one else."
"A unique, significant moment…" Platinum muttered as the incident at Lake Valor flashed across her mind.
"I don't know if that was helpful to you," Sapphire said. "But… that's kind of how it works for me."
"It was very helpful, senior. Thank you very much," Platinum said politely.
She soon hung up and thought more about the incident in Lake Valor. Pearl had been separated, leaving her with Diamond. And there, Diamond revealed what he experienced in Lake Verity, something that he did not share with anyone, even Pearl. She had asked why he shared it with her when he did not do so with Pearl, but she understood. It was because he was very comfortable around her, to the point where he was willing to share things like that.
And then the fight against those "scientists" happened and Diamond did his best to fight for her and defend her…
It was a significant moment, for sure. It may have been more significant to Diamond than it was for her, but it was very important to her nonetheless. It was the moment when she felt that she had truly gotten close to one of her only friends.
Platinum checked the clock. It was starting to get late, as she spent a lot of time traversing through her memories. But she still felt that she was nowhere close to figuring this out. She still had more people to call and more advice to get and think about. … This was going to take a long time…
…
A week later…
…
Moon glanced at Platinum as the heiress walked into the research lab for her shift. As usual in the past week, she looked quite tired and stressed. It was clear that she still hasn't figured out the issue that had plagued her and was eating away at her. The longer she stalled, the more she'd suffer, but she was definitely not willing to make the choice yet.
"Sister…" Moon began carefully. "… Are you feeling okay?"
Platinum sat on her chair and sighed. "I… do not know."
"Have you talked to Diamond or Pearl lately?" Moon asked.
Platinum shook her head. "No. … I… am not ready…"
Moon frowned, as she knew that at this rate, the heiress would never be ready. She would never be able to initiate it, so… she would need assistance. "… I understand, Lady. Take your time."
Platinum let out a long sigh and started on her workload for the day. Moon continued on her own workload as she thought of a plan. Maybe if Platinum stumbled into Diamond and Pearl, she'd be forced to make the choice and end this torment. Moon waited for Platinum to be distracted by her workload. Once the heiress was sufficiently focused, she slowly took out her Pokégear and set it hidden from view. And with one hand, she proceeded to send Diamond a message.
"Sister still can't decide. You and Pearl have to help end her torment now!"
Diamond's reply came shortly. "How?"
Moon glanced at the clock. "Her break starts in 40 minutes. She'll be walking around the town so find her and talk to her."
Moon cast a quick glance at Platinum, and quietly put her Pokégear away. And 40 minutes later, she heard the heiress finish typing as she got ready for her break.
"Oh, Lady," she began, casting a glance at the clock. "Are you taking your break?"
Platinum sighed in relief as she pushed herself away from her desk. "Yes. I need to take a breather."
"If you need some fresh air, why not take a stroll around the town?" Moon suggested.
Platinum looked out the window. It was sunny outside, so maybe walking around in the good weather would be quite helpful. "… Yes. Perhaps I shall."
Platinum stood up and gave Moon a pat on the shoulder as she walked out of the lab. Outside, Platinum pulled the lab coat around her tighter as she looked up at the cloudless sky and took a deep breath. It was definitely helping her calm down and restore her mood.
She let out a long sigh and slowly headed towards the café she frequented during work days, so that she could get her favorite iced tea, and something for Moon too. But as she headed towards the café, she saw some familiar people in the distance, heading towards her. … Diamond and Pearl!
Platinum quickly stopped in her steps and turned around. She wasn't ready… she wasn't ready!
"Miss Lady!" Pearl called out, having spotted her.
Platinum remained rooted in the spot, as she couldn't ignore them and run, but also couldn't turn to face them. She could hear footsteps and Diamond and Pearl ran up towards her. And once she heard them right behind her, she slowly turned to look in their direction, though she kept her head down.
"Lady… I'm so sorry," Diamond began. "… I… really love you, Lady. I always have and I always will. I want you to be happy, but… I know that after what happened, I really hurt your feelings and made you sad instead. … And I'm really sorry."
"Miss Lady, I think… this has to end right now. For all our sakes," Pearl said as well. "… I want us to return to being friends again, and hang out together…"
"Lady, please know that whatever happens, we'll always be good friends," Diamond said. "Even if you picked Pearl, I would be okay with it. I will continue to support you and Pearl."
"And same for here," Pearl said. "Our friendships won't ever change. We promise."
Platinum put on a pained expression as she looked at both of her friends. "… I… do not want to hurt your feelings… But if I make a decision, I will end up hurting one of you…"
"Please trust us, Lady," Diamond said, taking a step closer. "… Seeing you like this hurts us far more. We won't be hurt by your decision. We love you enough to respect your choice, and we value our friendship enough to stay as close friends regardless of your choice. So… please…"
"… Do I have to?" Platinum asked, putting her hands over her heart.
"We can't let you stay like this," Pearl said, stepping towards her as well. "We want you to smile and be happy."
Platinum let out a long sigh and looked down at the ground. "… Okay…"
"Thank you," Diamond said. "… We're ready."
Platinum looked up at her friends, who were standing equidistance away from her and each other. She glanced back and forth between them, desperately wishing that she didn't have to do what she had to do. … She did make her decision several days ago. She just had to follow through, but…
She slowly walked around, trying to muster up the courage. She could feel her friends' gaze and felt more and more nervous. But… maybe she should trust her friends again and believe that none of their friendships would be damaged by the decision.
Pearl closed his eyes and held his breath as Platinum walked around him. … This was it. This was the moment. Platinum was going to have to make her choice now. Her expression had told him just how much she had struggled with this choice for the past few days. And his last glimpse told him that she still did not want to make a choice. But she had to.
He could tell that Diamond was doing the same thing next to him. He too, was holding his breath and had his eyes closed. Pearl couldn't hear anything from Diamond. All he could hear was Platinum's slow footsteps as she paced around.
Pearl caught a whiff of her strawberry scented perfume, and a slight breeze as she had walked right past him, between him and Diamond. Her long hair brushed past his arm and he felt a shudder. Oh, this anxiety was going to kill him…
After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps circled around him and stopped right in front of him. Pearl stood up straighter and felt his heart beginning to race. The strawberry perfume was strong right now. Platinum was standing right in front of him.
He suddenly felt her slender arms wrapping around his neck, as she slowly embraced him. He could feel her softness being pushed up against his body as she embraced him tight. And as his heart was beating so quickly that it sounded like a drum solo in the confines of his chest, he felt her soft lips pressing against his cheek.
Pearl's eyes snapped open and he felt his breath caught in his throat. Was it really happening? Did she actually choose him?! Platinum broke the kiss to his cheek and held him close for a bit before pulling back. Pearl snapped out of his shock and his arms quickly rose to try to hug her back, but she had already stepped away from him, and was looking away from him, as if afraid to make eye contact.
Pearl felt his heart coming to a sudden halt, as he realized what had actually happened. … And it was not what he had in mind.
Platinum lowered her head and mumbled quietly. But it could not have been any louder or clearer to him.
"… I am so sorry, Pearl…"
She then slowly turned to face Diamond and wrapped her arms around him. But this time, she pressed her lips onto his mouth, making her choice perfectly clear.
Platinum pulled away from the kiss quickly too, as she really didn't want to do this right now. She stepped away from Diamond and lowered her head, as if terrified of the consequences of her choice. She clenched her eyes shut and pressed her hands over her heart, and looked to be a second away from breaking down.
Pearl closed his eyes too and looked up towards the sky. … It was over. He lost. The heiress had made her choice, and it wasn't him. And now he had to live with it. He opened his eyes, as the uncomfortable silence made him realize something. Just as Moon said before, Platinum currently hated herself for making the choice, and was really hurt and upset. Diamond, as the winner of this competition, was in no position to say anything right now. Anything he said could be deemed as gloating, which would worsen the mood. Diamond surely knew that as well, as he looked just as sad as Platinum was, and remained silent.
… As the loser of the competition, it was up to Pearl to brighten the mood and comfort Platinum so that she can be happy again. … This was going to hurt him though, as he wanted and needed time to mull over his heartbreak. But… for her sake…
He took a deep breath and began to clap. Both Diamond and Platinum looked at him in surprise, and were more surprised to see a smile on his face.
"Great choice, Miss Lady," Pearl said, exaggerating his smile. "Though to be fair, there wasn't a bad choice, here." He glanced at his two friends and nodded. "Yeah. I think you'll be great and happy together." He turned to face Diamond and extended a hand. "Congratulations, Dia… no, Diamond."
Diamond quickly figured out what Pearl was doing, and did his best to assist. He shook his hand and smiled. "Thank you, Pearl. … And I'm sorry about how this turned out."
"Nah. Don't be. We knew that this would happen to one of us in the end. And we agreed to accept and respect the decision, and not let it affect us at all."
"… Pearl…" Platinum began quietly, feeling the need to say something and apologize.
"It's okay, Miss Lady," Pearl said with a bright smile. "I'm really happy for you. And as I promised, this won't affect our friendship at all." He extended a fist towards her. "After all, I wouldn't want to trade this away for anything."
Diamond joined his fist. "We were best friends for as long as either of us can remember. And we'll stay that way as long as we live."
Platinum finally managed to smile and joined her fist with theirs, thus forming their symbol of trust. "… Thank you, Diamond… Pearl…" She wiped away a tear that had formed in her eye, and looked as if her worries had finally disappeared. "No matter what happens, as long as we live, this bond of ours will never break. We will always be closest of friends."
The three Sinnoh Dex Holders held the symbol for a few more seconds before raising their hand in the air in unison. Pearl gave his friends another round of applause.
"Now then. How about we all go back to the villa in the Resort Area and have some fun?" he suggested. "After all, the last one… didn't really go so well. And this time, it'll be purely as friends." 'And once this ends, I won't be able to join in as much. I wouldn't want to interfere in your dates.'
"That's a great idea," Diamond said with a nod. "What do you say, Lady?"
Platinum smiled brightly, greatly relieved to know that her friendships would be back to normal, and nodded. "Yes, of course! I will go make the arrangements right now!"
Pearl nodded and watched as Platinum walked away a bit to make the necessary calls. Now that she was out of range, he approached Diamond with a sigh.
"… You won, Dia," he began in a whisper. "So you better step up and make her happy, you hear me? For my sake too."
Diamond nodded. "Don't you worry. I will." He glanced over at Platinum for a split second. "And… thanks, Pearl, for brightening up her mood. Things would've gone badly if you didn't say that."
Pearl looked at Platinum again. "Yeah. But even though I lost, I still want the same thing, and that is for her to be happy. So I'll still do all I can to make her happy, even if that means I'm just supporting you two." He let out another sigh and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well, come on, man. Let's make up to her for the trip we ruined and have some fun together while doing it. And… afterwards, you two can officially start dating. But until then… let's all just be good friends on a vacation."
Despite the title, Platinum's heart doesn't go to the guy with the determination. But as compensation for the heartbreak, he gets to act as the cool guy in the end. So… balance! And of course, while Diamond and Platinum may get closer than ever, the Sinnoh trio remains strong together!
Well, I hope you enjoyed it!