Platinum's backstory! The chapter idea that existed before SC got repurposed. Deleted, upgraded, and re-uploaded. It now has an Alternate Ending, with some more add-ons here and there in the actual chapter.
Memory Lane:
Twinleaf Town, Sinnoh…
"It was called the Memory Viewer," Red said, talking about one of the cool things he had done in the past few days.
"Memory Viewer? What is that?" Platinum asked.
"It's sort of like a therapy. Everyone has some memories that they can't remember no matter how hard they try. This therapy allows two people to view those memories. The patient needs to be asleep and won't remember those memories, but those that saw them could tell that person afterwards."
"That sounds interesting," Platinum said, looking quite intrigued.
"Yeah. And it works too. Blue took the therapy a few days ago."
Platinum looked over at the Kanto Dex Holder in question. Blue slowly nodded.
"I wanted to know my life was like before the kidnapping," she said quietly. "Before… everything went wrong… I can't remember when everything was going right."
"Green and I were sent into her memories for that," Red said. "And… well, it works. I found out what Blue was like before everything happened."
"I was… like a normal girl. Something I always wanted to be… Happy, fun loving… cheerful…" She let out a short sigh. "But that's all in the past now. Still, it was worth knowing."
"That therapy sounds really cool," Diamond said from the side, before popping a piece of bread into his mouth.
"Is there a limit?" Platinum asked. "I am certain that this therapy would not allow you to view the memories as seen by a baby."
"Yeah. It won't let you see anything before the age of 3. So Silver won't be able to find out about his life before the kidnapping, unless we give this therapy to Giovanni and we specifically hunt for memories of Silver."
Platinum remained silent for a brief moment as she thought about something. "… I would like to take that therapy."
"Huh? Why?" Red asked.
"When I was young, I have been to Lake Acuity. My father said as much. I do not remember this at all, however. And no one who would remember told me what exactly happened. I have asked Professor Rowan and my father but they would not tell me. And my earliest memories take place after the trip to Lake Acuity. I would like to know what happened on that trip."
"When did this trip take place?" Blue asked.
"When I was 5 years old," Platinum answered.
"Alright, I'll contact the doctors and we'll get this therapy underway," Red said. "Who's going to view your memories?"
"Red, you have the experience with this thing," Blue said. "So you're going in. And I guess I'll accompany you. I want to know what you did when you were in my head."
…
1 week later, Veilstone City…
…
"So… what's going on here?" White asked as she saw a pair of doctors putting some kind of a device around Platinum's head.
"The Lady has some locked memories from her past that she'd like unlocked," Diamond said.
"Hey, here's a pamphlet," Y said, spotting the informational pamphlet on the small shelf next to where she was sitting.
While White and Y read the pamphlet, Platinum took one last look around the room. There were 5 Dex Holders in the room apart from herself, as she didn't want a too big of a crowd. Red and Blue were seated on a big machine like thing with cool looking helmets (though she couldn't see clearly since she had taken her glasses off). They were probably devices that let the two Kanto Dex Holders see through her memories. Diamond was seated on a chair next to her bed, holding onto her hand. She gave him a light smile to assure him that it would be alright.
"We're all set," one of the doctors said. "Are you ready to begin?"
Platinum nodded. The other doctor gave her what appeared to be a respirator mask. She put it on upon instruction.
"It's dangerous for your two friends if you wake up during the process," the doctor said. "So we'll be making sure that you remain asleep until they are safely out."
"I understand," Platinum said. She took a deep breath to calm herself and lied down on the bed. She looked at Diamond's expression and gently held his hand.
There was a sudden hissing noise coming from her mask and she rapidly lost consciousness as the sleeping gas took effect.
Red watched as Platinum's eyes closed and her breaths became regular. The doctors gave him the signal to go. Red nodded and pressed a button on his helmet. Blue mimicked his actions, and together, the two Kanto Dex Holders entered Platinum's memories.
…
Blue opened her eyes and immediately noticed that everything seemed… darker. It wasn't too dark, but all the colors weren't nearly as radiant.
"So I guess this means that it's working?" she asked Red, who was standing in front of her with his back turned.
"Yes it is," came his voice from behind.
Blue spun around and spotted another Red behind her. "What the…"
"Remember, this is Platinum's memories," Red said with a smile. "That me over there is from her memories."
"Oh, I see."
Blue took a look around her and spotted Platinum as well. The heiress was walking with memory-Red in what seemed to be a ski resort. The "intruder"-Red glanced around as well and slowly nodded.
"Ah, so that's where we are. Or rather, that's when we are."
"And when are we?" Blue asked.
"About… 3 weeks ago," Red answered. "I was visiting Platinum and she wanted me to join her in a trip to a ski resort." He kept looking around. "Dia and Pearl should be here too. Probably getting a table for lunch."
"So what are we doing here, exactly?" Blue asked.
"We'll need to find an item of significance. Something that would let us access more of Platinum's memories. Until then, we're just following Platinum around."
"Why can't I hear anything?"
Red pressed a button on a device that seemingly came out of nowhere and suddenly, everything had sound. "When we first enter a memory, we have everything muted. Apparently, there's a risk that sudden burst of sound may cause damage to us. So we start off muted."
As if on cue, Platinum spoke up.
"Thank you so much for accompanying me, senior," she said to memory-Red happily. "Today has been so much fun."
The memory-Red gave her a pat on the back. "No problem. Hey, it's been really fun for me too. I've never skied before, but it's fun. Thanks for bringing me along."
Blue watched the two memory Dex Holders smiling, and smiled as well. "Aww, isn't that sweet?"
Red smiled at her. "Feeling a little jealous?"
Blue let out a laugh. "Oh, Red. You know me better than that."
"I know, I know," Red said with a chuckle.
Platinum giggled as she happily walked next to her senior. She looked so happy, appearing as if she was having an unbelievable amount of fun.
"This is actually why I wanted to accompany you," Blue said as she stared at her memory-junior.
"What?" Red asked.
"… This. Why does Platinum look up to you so much? And why is she so happy around you? You're not her only senior. You're also not the only senior who's really nice to her. Think about it. Sapphire is super nice to Platinum now. Though she wasn't when they first met. Crys and Yellow are super nice to her too. You, Yellow, and Crys are always so nice to all of your juniors. So why does Platinum only look up to you so much?"
Red blinked a few times as he thought. "… Good question."
"Now… she looks up to you like a brother," Blue continued. "And I find that strange too. Ruby is really nice to her, and she is quite fond of him too. And yet, she does not look up to him like a brother. Similarly, she doesn't look up to Crys or Yellow like a sister either. So it's just you. Something about you is making her really happy and makes her feel comfortable. Now, I don't blame her, but I think this goes deeper than that. So… what?"
"I guess we're here to find out." Red looked down at his wrist, where that strange device was strapped. "According to this, the item we're looking for is nearby."
Blue looked down at her wrist and saw the same device too. So it was like a remote device for the two "intruders", so they're not trapped indefinitely in someone else's memories.
The two memory Dex Holders soon caught up with Diamond and Pearl, who had reserved seats for them in the cabin. While Red and Blue watched, the four memory Dex Holders took their seats around the cozy looking table.
Platinum took off her winter coat, revealing the thin black shirt she was wearing. And more importantly, exposing the beautiful necklace she was wearing as well.
"Hey, that really looks great on you," the memory-Red said, pointing at the necklace.
Platinum lightly blushed and felt the necklace with her fingers. "Thank you very much, senior."
"There it is," Red said, looking at the necklace.
Blue looked over Red's shoulder to see what he was doing on his device and mimicked his actions. And in a blink of an eye, both Dex Holders have jumped into the next memory.
…
Blue found herself looking at the displays in a jewelry store. She blinked a few times to register the sudden change in location before she started to recognize the area.
"Hey, this was that store from a month ago."
"Yeah. You're right there," Red said, pointing at the memory-Blue.
Blue looked and saw herself staring at a certain golden necklace. It wasn't the same one Platinum had worn during the ski trip, as this necklace was far… cheaper. Platinum didn't purchase jewelry from a random mall, after all.
"Something wrong?" the memory-Red asked as he came over.
"Huh? No. Just looking," the memory-Blue replied.
Platinum observed her two seniors carefully, and then stared at the necklace. Once the memory-Blue walked away, she approached the clerk and purchased the necklace.
"Senior Red," she whispered right afterwards. "I saw senior Blue staring at this necklace. I believe that she likes this, and I am sure that this would look great on her." She put the purchased necklace in her senior's hands. "Give it to her for her birthday. I am sure that she would highly appreciate it."
"Thanks, Platinum," the memory-Red said with a smile. "Yeah, she'd love it."
Blue turned to look at Red, who had placed a hand over his face. "Really, Red?"
"… It was supposed to be a surprise," he said with a sigh. "Since that got ruined, I'll just give it to you once we're back out."
"Aww, thanks!" Blue said with a smile. "Although, you didn't do anything here. Platinum's the one who bought it for me… I guess I should thank her instead."
"I think she'll be happier if she thinks that her plan worked. So just be nicer to her, and thank me publicly."
"Can do."
Platinum stopped next to another display case. This one featured a gold ring that was in the shape of a tiny cute golden Ponyta galloping, with its legs forming the ring. Red and Blue looked at it as well and glanced at their devices. This was the next item. They pressed the series of buttons on their devices and again, jumped towards the next memory further into the past.
…
Red blinked to clear the minor dizziness. He was now outside in a small park. These sudden jumps into completely different places were always a little dizzying.
He soon spotted Platinum sitting on a bench, smiling as she watched White. Y was standing next to the bench, also smiling.
The Unova Dex Holder was holding onto Platinum's Rapidash for dear life as it galloped around the park. It soon came to a stop in front of its trainer and White managed to get off.
"Oh, that's a lot harder than I thought!" she said as she sat down on the bench next to her senior.
"Or, you're just not that good at it," Y said with a laugh.
"Why don't you try it, then?" White asked with slightly narrowed eyes.
"Remember that I used to be a Rhyhorn Racer," Y said with a grin. "Or at least I trained as one for years. I'll have no troubles. Miss Platinum, why don't you show White how it's done?"
"Very well, then." Platinum rose to her feet and gently hopped onto her Rapidash, riding it sideways as she always did.
"Why do you always ride your Rapidash like that?" Y asked abruptly.
Platinum looked at her junior. "Hm? What do you mean?"
Y gestured at her senior. "I mean, when people ride a Pokémon like this… they don't sit on it sideways. If you're wearing a skirt, maybe. But even when you're not wearing a skirt like right now, you sit on your Rapidash sideways. Why is that?"
Platinum looked down at her Rapidash and noticed how she was riding it. "I… do not know. I suppose it may just be habit." She tilted her head. "Interesting… when I rode on Cresselia, I did not ride it like this…"
"Have you ever tried riding it normally?" White asked.
"No, I have not." Platinum repositioned herself so that she was riding her Rapidash normally. She slowly shook her head and repositioned herself once more. "I do not know why, but this feels more comfortable."
The device on Red's wrist beeped as it received a message from the doctors in reality. Blue got the message as well and she looked down at her device.
"Stress spike," she read out. "The patient is trying to recall something crucial from her past but is unable to do so. The situation that led to the stress spike should be noted."
"So something about riding her Rapidash sideways is trying to trigger some kind of memory," Red said. "But she can't remember."
"Have you always ridden your Rapidash like this?" White asked in the memory.
"Yes. For as long as I can remember," Platinum answered.
"How long did you have your Rapidash?" Y asked.
"For as long as I can remember," Platinum answered again. "Back when it was a Ponyta, it was always with me. … I do not remember how I got it."
"Another stress spike," Red said, looking at his device. "So her Rapidash is really important…" He glanced over at Blue. "Maybe we should get Yellow to try to read its thoughts."
"It probably wouldn't remember either," Blue said. "Silver tried that with his Sneasel. And all Yellow got were little flashes of memory." She stared at her memory junior's expression. "… We should move on. The device is pointing at… White? I guess she's our next memory link."
…
The next memory was when White first invited the other Dex Holders to a Pokéstar Studios premiere.
Red and Blue exclusively followed Platinum, as they were at that premiere as well, so there was no need to explore around again.
There were lots of camera flashes as the actors and actresses involved in the movies were photographed. And during each camera flash, X, Y, and Platinum looked uneasy. For X, it was understandable. For Y, also understandable, given her relation with X. But Platinum?
"Is something wrong, Lady?" Diamond asked as he approached Platinum.
The heiress quickly glanced back at another camera flash. "… Sorry. But photographers make me uneasy."
"You were like this when we first met the Unown," Diamond remarked. "When those news guys took a picture of the Unown right above us, you looked really anxious. But you never explained why. Can you tell me now?"
Platinum let out a sigh. "… If someone takes a photograph of me without permission, it usually implies that I have been targeted by someone for… terrible reasons. My father told me that Team Galactic used a photograph of me to lie that I have been kidnapped."
"Oh, I understand," Diamond said nicely as he held her hands. "A picture of you could be used as a proof of kidnapping or even as a target identification for someone who will try to kidnap you."
"Yes…" There was another sudden flash from behind and she cast a quick glance in that direction. "… Sudden bright flashes…"
"Do the flashes bother you too? But you're always so intrigued by lightning storms."
"I am not bothered by flashes of light from the skies. I know what causes them. But the flashes from behind…"
"Stress spike," Blue said as she glanced at her device. "That's 3 so far."
"Her Rapidash, the way she rides it, and the flashes of light from behind," Red listed out. "… I have no idea how what to make of it."
"Let's keep going, then."
…
For hours, Red and Blue explored Platinum's memories, noting each stress spike whenever they occurred. Since they were going in reverse chronological order, they were seeing their junior's personality changes in reverse. The Sinnoh Dex Holder went from being a very kind and sweet girl to an ice-cold heiress very quickly as Red and Blue watched the events in Sinnoh that involved Team Galactic, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.
And eventually, as the heiress got colder and colder as younger she got, Red and Blue finally reached the Lake Acuity incident that Platinum had forgotten.
"We're finally here," Red said after the last blink. "So… how many stress spikes did she have so far?"
Blue thought for a second and listed them out. "There was one for riding her Rapidash, the Rapidash itself, flashes of light from behind, when she said that she always wanted an older brother, when she read less than 10 books on any given day, and when Dia first offered to take her skating. So, 6."
"I doubt we'll see all of those causes in this place," Red said. "I guess we'll have to dig deeper."
There was a beep on the device. It was apparently a note from the doctors in reality, telling them that they have now entered the memories that the heiress was unable to recall.
Red and Blue soon found the 5 year old Platinum. Her father and Professor Rowan were busy taking notes as they observed the habitat of a few Ice type Pokémon, and Platinum was with them, obviously not paying any attention to what they were doing. There were two guards and 4 other researchers (presumably Prof. Rowan's assistants) accompanying them.
The little Platinum didn't look happy. She didn't look angry, however. Blue frowned as she observed the expression. The little girl looked like she wanted something, and was sad because she couldn't get it. But what? She was the only child of a super rich family. Unless she wanted like… her own spaceport, there was nothing her parents wouldn't buy for her…
The little Platinum began to wander away from the group. The two guards were busy watching the researchers in case the wild Ice Pokémon turned hostile. Red and Blue followed the little girl as she walked in the snow towards the frozen Lake Acuity.
Platinum reached the frozen lake and stared at the small island in the center. She didn't move towards it, however, and just stood there staring at it. She suddenly pouted and looked down at the ice angrily. She began picking up scoops of snow and throwing them towards the frozen lake.
"… What is going on?" Blue said at last, after watching the little girl throw a dozen snowballs.
The little Platinum suddenly started to cry. She dropped to her knees and cried, but without making a sound. Red and Blue crouched next to her instinctively, but couldn't do anything here.
For a moment, the two Kanto Dex Holders watched their junior. They had no idea why she was crying. They could only stand and watch, wondering what to do now.
There was a sudden flash of light from the small island in the center of Lake Acuity. Platinum didn't notice, as she was busy crying. But she did hear a rather loud… whistle? Red and Blue heard as well and turned to see the flash of light.
The little Platinum lowered her hands and looked at the light. A small figure was in that flash and slowly approached the girl. Platinum covered her eyes to shield them from the bright light, but her curiosity overcame her and she slowly lowered her hands.
Red and Blue recognized the small figure in the light, as they have seen the Pokédex data once Platinum had shown them. It was Uxie. The being of knowledge was in that light and had approached the crying little girl.
Platinum wasn't crying anymore. She wiped away her tears and approached the Legendary Pokémon. She obviously had no idea what it was, and could only see a faint silhouette in the ball of light. The Uxie suddenly emitted a stronger burst of light, this time directly into Platinum's eyes. The girl didn't make a sound, but her eyes did open wide for a brief moment. And suddenly, the whole world turned dark as Platinum lost consciousness and fell backwards.
"… What?" Red muttered as he looked around in the dark world.
"If Platinum lost consciousness, she wouldn't know what happened around her," Blue said. "But I'm more curious about why she was crying. Platinum never mentioned this before. She doesn't remember anything about Lake Acuity except for her second visit while trying to protect the Sinnoh lakes."
Red glanced at his device. "… There's nothing here, though. We can't go any further into her past." He frowned as he looked over at Blue. "Do you think… Uxie wiped her memories?"
"Why would it do that?"
"I don't know. But I can't think of a different reason why Platinum can't remember anything before this point."
The devices suddenly emitted a series of loud beeps, like an alarm. The whole world slowly turned red…
…
In reality, White and Y snapped awake when they heard something strange. Realizing that they had dozed off, they quickly shook away the drowsiness and focused on the strange sound. It was rapid series of beeping noises, like an alarm, or a severely elevated heart rate.
"What's going on?" Diamond asked, while still holding onto Platinum's hand.
The heiress suddenly began to move around. She began to mumble something incoherent and even whimpered a bit. The two doctors began to check the various machines while typing into the console.
"Massive stress spike," one of the doctors answered.
"Look!" White exclaimed as she focused on Platinum's expression.
Diamond and Y looked and spotted tears slowly rolling down from Platinum's eyes. Y quickly fetched some tissues and Diamond used them to wipe away Platinum's tears. The three Dex Holders cast worried glances at each other as the doctors resumed their work.
…
Red and Blue looked around as the world slowly changed. Instead of using their device to blink into another memory segment, this time, the new memory segment was being loaded around them.
Red checked his device. "Massive stress spike," he said. "… I don't know what's going on. This kind of thing didn't happen with you."
"Odd how that works," Blue remarked. "A girl that had everything she could ever want in her life had stress spikes while I had none, huh?"
"Yeah. And for you, it was really easy. Just Ho-oh itself took me and Green straight to when you were 5. And if that failed, we still had a ton of stuff we could use to backtrack. Your mask from your days under the Mask of Ice, for example. But with Platinum, we don't know what's going on."
The new memory soon loaded up. The little Platinum didn't look any younger than the previous memory segment. A quick check on the device told the two Kanto Dex Holders that this memory was merely a week before the Lake Acuity incident.
The little Platinum was crouched down in front of a flower field of the Berlitz Mansion backyard, looking closely at a small Combee that was gathering honey from the flowers. She looked so intrigued by the Combee. Her curiosity was always strong, it seemed.
Red and Blue glanced behind Platinum, but couldn't see anything. Everything was very dark in this memory, except for a small circle around the little girl. The little Platinum was apparently not paying any attention to her surroundings.
There was a sudden flash of light from behind the girl. And at the same time, a dark figure suddenly tackled her from the side, knocking her down to the ground. There was another flash of light. The little Platinum screamed.
And in that instant, everything became bright as Platinum saw what was behind her. Red focused on the figure that had tackled the little girl, while Blue focused on the flash of light.
"Oh, dear," she muttered.
There was someone dressed as a gardener standing several meters behind Platinum, holding a gun attached with a sound suppressor, but not a flash suppressor, as it was rather pointless in strong daylight. Several guards were charging towards the assassin, but very slowly as in Platinum's memory, everything was slowed down at this moment.
Blue focused on the little Platinum again, who was now crying on her knees in front of the now-clarified figure lying in front of her. The figure had neatly combed black hair and appeared to be at least 10 years older than Platinum. A bodyguard? But he looked too young to be a bodyguard…
The little Platinum shook her head as her tears streamed from her eyes. Some blood had splashed onto her, but she looked unharmed. The figure had taken the two shots, saving her life.
"Stay strong, Platinum… you have to… stay strong…" the figure gasped out. "You must… be strong… you are… a Berlitz…"
"No, no, no," the little Platinum cried out, looking terrified and completely helpless. She obviously didn't know what to do in this situation, and she was panicking quite badly. "Big brother…"
The memory slowed down and started to turn red again.
"Uh… what?" Red muttered in shock.
"Did… did we hear that right?" Blue asked, quite shocked as well. "… Oh, no…"
"I… am sorry…" the brother gasped out as his eyes were losing focus. "The… promise… …"
He stopped moving and his last breath left his lungs. The little Platinum trembled as her little hands reached forward towards her brother.
"Big brother?" she cried out, her voice shaking badly. Her little hands reached his shoulder and she lightly shook him. "… Big brother?" She shook him harder. "You're… you're just… playing, right? … … Right? … You… wouldn't leave me… right? … Big brother?"
Blue looked away as the little Platinum's expression crumpled on the verge of breaking down. The Kanto Dex Holder groaned and closed her eyes as she heard her junior bursting into tears.
The little Platinum cried as she buried her face into her dead brother's arm. She embraced his body as tight as she could as her cries turned into uncontrollable wails. And as the nearby guards rapidly approached her, the memory turned dark red and faded away.
…
In reality, Platinum began to move around much more. Her breaths were very fast, and her heart rate was accelerated. More tears fell from her eyes, and she began to grunt and whimper as if she was having a very bad nightmare.
"Lady? Lady!" Diamond called out.
"She won't wake up," the doctors said. "And she must not wake up either."
"What's going on?" Y asked, looking very concerned for her senior.
"Childhood trauma," one of the doctors answered, checking the data from the devices. "It's something that she does not remember that had been accessed by the two that are in her memories."
"Red and Blue accessed Lady Platinum's childhood trauma?" White asked. "But then… wouldn't Lady Platinum remember it now once she wakes up?"
"No. This is all in her subconscious. She will not remember anything new your two friends access in her memories. For her, it would just be as if she had slept normally. Nothing would have changed for her."
The three Dex Holders still cast worried glances at Platinum, however. … Perhaps this was something that they should not know about…
…
Another memory was forcefully loaded. Red and Blue simply watched the events unfold. This was only a few days before the previous memory.
The little Platinum slowly walked up towards her brother, who was sitting on a chair while reading a book.
"Oh, hello, Platinum," he said upon noticing her.
"Big brother, I'm bored," the little girl said with a little pout and a frown.
"I see," he said with a smile. "And what would you like to do?"
"I don't know. Something fun." She pouted more as she started to get upset. "You promised that we'd go skating some day!"
The brother chuckled lightly. "Yes. Our father and Professor Rowan will be going on a research trip to Lake Acuity next week. We will accompany them. Lake Acuity is in a really cold part of Sinnoh, so while the adults are busy with research, I will teach you to skate on the frozen lake. I will keep my promise, Platinum. Do not fret. But in the meantime, if you are bored, why not try reading?" he asked, while keeping a patient smile.
"But books are boring! I have to read enough boring books from my tutors!"
"I think it depends on what books you are reading. Admittedly, some can be very boring. But some, like this one here, can be really good."
"Really?"
"Yes. Come here." The brother gently lifted the little Platinum off the ground and set her on his lap. "I will read some good books for you."
The nearby guards fetched some children's books, as the 4 year old Platinum would not be able to comprehend a full novel.
For a while, Red and Blue watched silently as Platinum's older brother slowly read books for the little girl. He voiced each character differently, and obviously tried his absolute best to make the books sound fun and interesting. It had the desired effect, as the little Platinum was deeply engaged in the books. The children's books were short, so they were able to read past 9 of them rather quickly.
"One more!" the little Platinum said excitedly.
"Another one?" the brother asked.
"One more!"
"Ah, so you like reading now?" the brother asked with a smile. The little girl nodded enthusiastically. "Great. I will gladly read you another one."
"And I want to read another 10 tomorrow," the little girl said. "And another 10 after that!"
"10 books per day? Ah, Platinum… One day, you will become a really good scholar, and you will make us all proud."
…
"But why do I have to do this?" the little Platinum asked, pouting angrily. "I don't want to go!"
"But you must," her brother said patiently. "You must start learning proper etiquettes and receive the proper education."
"Why me? Why not you?"
"Because one day, you will be the most important person in this family. And to be ready for that, you must start learning at a young age."
"But… you're older than me!" the little Platinum said. "You'll be more important!"
Her brother knelt in front of her and gently held her shoulders. "Remember that the Berlitz family is matriarchal."
"Matri…archal?"
"It just means that the mother is the most important," he replied. "Currently, our mother is the matriarch. But one day, you will be the matriarch, and the leader of this family. You must learn to be the best for that reason."
"But… a tutor?"
"I know it would be hard on you, since you are so young. Being tutored in etiquette at the age of 4 would be difficult. But I know that you are really intelligent. I am sure that you will have no troubles. But if you ever need help for anything, remember to come to me. I will help you however I can. I promise I will always be there for you. And be sure to listen carefully to the lessons. They are very important."
The little Platinum still pouted for a bit before lightening her expression. "Okay. I trust you, big brother."
"Good. Now get going, Platinum."
The little Platinum nodded and hugged her brother for a bit before going on her way. Her Ponyta approached her and the little girl gave it a loving hug, enjoying the warmth provided by the Fire type Pokémon. She then looked over at her brother and jumped a little with her arms stretched out.
The brother understood and with a kind smile, headed towards her and gently lifted the little girl off the ground and placed her on the Ponyta so that she would be riding it sideways as always.
With a happy giggle, the little Platinum waved at her brother as the Ponyta steadily began to walk.
…
Again, Red and Blue found the very little Platinum staring at flowers in the backyard of the Berlitz Mansion. Since she was so young in this memory (3 years old), there was a maid following and escorting the little girl.
The very little girl looked so intrigued by the various colored flowers in the gardens. She gently touched the one of the flowers and withdrew her hand quickly when it moved from the contact. She let out a little laugh and focused on the other flowers.
"Platinum!" came a voice from behind.
The little Platinum turned around and spotted her brother walking over. She smiled and ran towards him with her hands stretched out. Blue saw the motion and winced as she felt something stinging from her heart. It was the exact motion that Silver had made when he first saw her the day she was kidnapped. He had run straight towards her like this… Although back then, Silver did so because he was terrified and was looking for someone to rely on. And here, Platinum was just really glad to see her brother.
The brother lifted his little sister and lightly swung around while holding her in his arms. "Are you having fun out here?" he asked with a bright smile. The little girl nodded with a cheerful smile of her own. "Very good. I have a present for you."
"Oh, really? What is it?" the little Platinum asked very excitedly.
The brother gently set his little sister on the ground and took out a Pokéball from his pocket. And while the little girl tilted her head, he sent out the Pokémon inside. With a bright flash of light, a small Ponyta appeared.
The little Platinum let out a short cry of surprise and quickly ran to hide behind her brother's legs. The small Ponyta looked equally surprised at the sudden cry and backed away a little as well.
"It is okay," the brother said with a smile. "It will not harm you. But this Ponyta has hatched recently. Try to avoid startling it."
The little Platinum slowly peeked around her brother's leg. The Ponyta looked a little frightened as well, but not hostile. It looked curious, more than anything. The brother crouched in front of the Ponyta and gently petted it. The Ponyta began to relax in the soothing pets and looked over at Platinum.
"See? It is nothing to be afraid of," the brother said to Platinum. "Give it a try."
The little Platinum hesitantly nodded. She still held onto her brother with one hand, but with the other, slowly reached over towards the Ponyta. Her brother gently grabbed her hand and led it towards the Ponyta, giving it a gentle pet on the head.
"It's so warm," the little Platinum noted.
"Yes. It is a Fire type Pokémon. The flames on its body are mostly aesthetic. They will not burn you. But as a Fire type, its body temperature is higher than most. So if you hug it, it will make you warm."
The little Platinum summoned enough courage and released her brother. She stepped towards the Ponyta and carefully gave the Pokémon a gentle embrace. The Ponyta had warmed up to her very quickly, and let itself be embraced.
"It's so cute and warm!" the little Platinum said happily.
"So, you like the Ponyta?" her brother asked.
"Yes, I like it!" the little girl answered. "Thank you so much!"
"Would you like to ride it?"
"Yes!"
The brother gently lifted his little sister off the ground and set her on the Ponyta so that she was riding it sideways.
"Why am I riding it like this?" the little Platinum asked. "In the picture books, everyone rides differently."
"It is just a safety precaution," her brother answered. "That Ponyta is very young. While it may be strong enough to let you ride it, there is a chance that it might get tired and fall. And if it was to fall, it is easier for you to get off unharmed if you sit like this. Also, if you lose balance while riding it, you can dismount easily without problems. And if the Ponyta gets startled, it may pull its head back, and if you are riding it differently, it may hit you on the head. So for precaution, I want you to promise me that you will ride the Ponyta like this, okay? The Ponyta should not be running quickly with you on it, so it should be perfectly safe for you to ride it like this."
The little Platinum beamed at her brother. "Okay. I promise!"
"Good. Be sure to play with it every now and then and take good care of it. And whenever you want to ride it, come to me and I will help you up. Now have fun!"
"Thank you big brother!" the little Platinum said happily. "I'll never forget this gift!"
For many minutes, Red and Blue watched the little Platinum carefully riding around her Ponyta, while her brother watched her on. The little Platinum looked so happy. She was having so much fun here…
"… So that's why she rides her Rapidash sideways," Blue said quietly. "… Her brother always helped her onto her Ponyta sideways…" She suddenly let out a groan. "Ohh…"
Red glanced over at her and noticed her expression. "You okay?"
"… Yeah, I'm fine," Blue answered. She put a finger over her eyes and was a little surprised to detect no tears. Since her current body was just a digital form in the machine, she couldn't really tear up here. "It's just… … Platinum had a brother who deeply loved her, and she really loved him too. And right now, all that she has left of him are her subconscious memories…"
"So all those stress spikes…" Red started.
"… They were all because of her brother," Blue finished. "She said that she always wanted an older brother, because she had one, who died while protecting her from an assassin. She's uncomfortable about flashes of light behind her because her brother died after those flashes. She was too young to understand what they were, and her memories were suppressed by Uxie shortly after so she never understood. She's just uncomfortable with the flashes because of her subconscious. She always reads 10 books per day because her brother had read 10 books per day for her, and she feels bad if she doesn't reach 10 books because of it. She rides her Rapidash this way because her brother helped her on this way, and she doesn't remember when she got Rapidash because it was her brother's gift. And when Dia offered to take her on a skating trip… … Skating trip… that was her brother's last promise. The one that he couldn't keep, and his last words. That's why she was crying in Lake Acuity. … That promise…"
Red let out a long sigh. "… To think that she actually had an older brother…"
"… Uxie did the right thing," Blue said. "… By suppressing her memories, she was able to move on and be strong. And because of that, she became the girl that we know today. … Her brother really loved her, and she really loved him. If her memories were not suppressed, she would never have gotten over his death. Her parents probably never told her because they would want her to move on too." She let out a sigh as well. "Red, it may have been a coincidence that you and Platinum are both Dex Holders. But right now… it couldn't have been better for her. Her real brother… was about your age. Subconsciously, you remind her of him. That's why she's so close to you and wants to spend time with you. So Red, you have to be really nice to her. You already are, but… just keep this in mind."
"I know what you mean," Red said with a nod.
Blue glanced at the little Platinum waving at her brother while still riding her Ponyta.
"… Let's get out of here," she said to Red. "I… can't watch this any longer."
"Yeah. But wait, what about the others?" Red asked. "Dia, White, Y… and even Platinum too. What do we tell them?"
"… We obviously can't tell Platinum about any of this," Blue said. "We need to make something up. And for the others, we can't risk it. We can't have them look at Platinum with sympathy. Sooner or later, she will catch on. What we saw here… has to stay between us and no one else. … It's for her own good." She cast a glance at Platinum's brother. "… It's also what he would want too. His little sister growing up strong…"
"Let's hope the juniors understand."
"They will."
After another glance at Platinum's happy memories, the two Kanto Dex Holders pressed a series of buttons on their devices.
…
In reality, White and Y noticed the tears slowly falling from Blue's eyes and quickly approached her.
"What exactly is going on in there?" Y asked as she lightly wiped away her senior's tears.
"Yeah… First Lady Platinum, and now Blue," White said as she cast a worried glance over at Platinum. "… Maybe this is something that we shouldn't know about."
Diamond slowly nodded. "Yeah… We'll know for sure once Red and Blue come back out, but we may have to hide this from the Lady. I don't want her to be sad."
The doctors suddenly began to type rapid commands on the consoles. And within a minute, Red and Blue began to move again and took off their head devices. Immediately, Blue noticed the moisture in her eyes and took a brief moment to wipe them.
"Are you okay?" White asked as she came closer. "… What happened in there?"
Blue let out a shuddering sigh. She slowly looked over at White. She didn't say anything and just stared at the Unova girl's eyes. White suddenly got the feeling that had been already forming inside her.
"… It's something that we shouldn't know, isn't it?"
Red and Blue grimly nodded. White, Y, and Diamond glanced at each other before nodding as well.
"We suspected as much," Diamond said. "… The Lady had cried a little. If what you saw and subconsciously triggered was enough to make her cry… it's definitely something that she should not remember. And we should not know about it as well, to avoid suspicion."
"Thanks for understanding," Red said. "… It's for her own good. No one must tell her or hint at anything."
"So when she wakes up… we have to come up with a story," Blue said. "… Just follow my lead, alright?"
The other Dex Holders nodded in agreement. Red looked over at the doctors.
"Doc, wake her up, please."
…
Platinum slowly opened her eyes. Everything was blurry, but she could tell there were 5 distinct faces looking at her. She blinked a few times and steadily, her vision cleared up a little. Everything was still blurry, but for a different reason. She found and put her glasses on to fix that problem.
"… Is it over?" she then asked, her voice rather quiet due to lack of strength. She then noticed that Blue's eyes were a little red and had some tear marks on her face. "Senior? Is something wrong?"
"No… it's nothing," Blue said. "… It's just that… you wouldn't wake up, and I was afraid that we may have done something harmful."
As if on cue, White and Y knelt beside their senior's bed. "We're so glad to see you're okay. We thought we lost you."
"Lady, please don't try something like this ever again," Diamond said as well, exaggerating his sadness too.
"Thank you all for your concern," Platinum said with a smile. "But I am okay. So, senior Red… what did you see?"
"That incident in Lake Acuity wasn't as exciting as we thought," Red said, making things up as he went. "You and your family were there on a research trip. And while everyone was busy studying the area, you wandered off. But one of your guards found you an hour later. You were just playing with snow, but they were afraid that something might have happened to you. You know how it is. Wild Pokémon, you were little, it was really cold… But Uxie was looking after you."
"Oh. I see. And before that incident?"
"It was just you growing up in your mansion, being raised into what you are now," Blue said. "It was interesting to see how a little girl grew up in a super massive mansion, though. Certainly different than how I grew up."
Platinum slowly nodded. "Ah, so everything was normal. I was worried that something very important had happened that I forgot. But I am relieved that it is not the case."
"No, of course not," Red said with a straight face. "Now come on, Platinum. Let's go get something to eat. This process took quite some time. It's already dinner time!"
"Yes, senior. I am quite hungry myself. The Restaurant 7 Stars is relatively nearby. We should go there."
"Lead the way."
Within a few minutes, the 6 Dex Holders left the therapy room. Upon getting outside, Platinum sent out her Rapidash. Red and Blue froze from behind, but the heiress didn't notice. She simply gave her first Pokémon a gentle hug and patted it on the head with a smile, as she had done when she first got the Pokémon when it was a Ponyta. She then gently hopped on, riding the Pokémon sideways as always.
Blue let out a long, quiet sigh. "This is going to be hard," she whispered to Red. "… So much of her casual actions are the results of what we saw…"
"I know," Red whispered too. "… But it's for the better. It's more important for her to stay happy and not remember what really happened."
I hope it was sad enough!
Time for the Alternate Endings!
Alternate Ending:
Red let out a long sigh. "… To think that she actually had an older brother…"
"… We have to tell Platinum," Blue said after a shuddering sigh. "… We can't hide this kind of thing from her. She needs to know."
"But wouldn't it hurt her really badly?" Red asked with a frown.
"… Yes. But… she has to know," Blue answered. "She needs to know that she once had a very loving brother… But how will we tell her?"
"There's a feature that allows people outside to see the memories," Red said. "Basically, what we see are recorded and can be played back. Green and I chose not to do it for you because we thought that it would make you too sad."
Blue slowly nodded. "… Good choice. … Now I feel hypocritical, trying to show Platinum something that'll make her even sadder…"
…
Platinum slowly opened her eyes. Everything was a bit blurry, but her vision rapidly cleared up upon putting her glasses back on. And she immediately recognized the expressions of the 5 Dex Holders in front of her.
"Seniors," she started, looking up at Red and Blue. "Did you see my memories?"
"Yes," Red said, looking a little… afraid?
"… Is something wrong?"
"No," Blue answered.
"What did you see?"
Red and Blue backed away and directed everyone's attention to a large monitor screen. Platinum took off all the devices attached to her and approached the screen along with the others. Red pressed a button and everything that he saw in his junior's mind began to play, but from his perspective. He skipped straight to Lake Acuity, since Platinum remembered everything until that point.
"Lake Acuity," the heiress muttered, immediately recognizing the frozen lake. "… So I was there."
"Aww, Miss Platinum, you look so adorable!" Y exclaimed when little Platinum appeared on the screen.
"Yeah. You're so cute!" White said as well.
"Silence," Platinum said to her juniors, with a distant look in her eyes. White and Y immediately shut up, as they realized that their attempt to lighten the mood had failed horribly.
The little Platinum on the screen began to cry. Red and Blue looked away from the screen, as they knew why she was crying here. Her brother's broken promise…
Uxie approached the little Platinum in the flash of light. Diamond and Platinum both reacted to the sudden appearance.
"That's the same thing as what I saw in Lake Verity," Diamond said quietly.
"… I… remember," Platinum muttered, her eyes wide open. "… That light… I remember…"
The next memory loaded up. The memory in which Platinum's big brother died while protecting her.
"Oh, no," White whispered as she put her hands over her mouth.
Y and Diamond both looked over at Platinum with worry. The heiress hadn't blinked once since this memory had loaded.
"… Big… brother," she muttered quietly, frantically searching through her memories. She suddenly gasped as the memory seal that Uxie had created broke. "I… remember…" Her eyes watered and the tears began to roll down her cheeks as she witnessed her brother's death once again. "… Big brother…"
"Lady…" Diamond began.
But Platinum didn't pay any attention to him. She still didn't blink as she watched all of her happy memories with her brother. Reading the books with him, the promise to take her skating, the talk about the matriarchal system of the Berlitz family, riding on the Ponyta, the gift of the Ponyta itself…
Everyone looked at Platinum with worry. The heiress looked down away from the now-blank screen as a torrent of thoughts swarmed her mind.
She suddenly got up to her feet and began to walk away. There was something she just had to check. The other Dex Holders all followed, but she ignored them and continued to walk. Upon reaching the streets of Veilstone City, she sent out the borrowed aerial transport Pokémon and headed straight for home. The other Dex Holders followed again, as everyone was worried about her condition.
Upon reaching Sandgem Town, Platinum entered her mansion and immediately headed towards the backyard. She ignored Diamond who tried to ask her if she was okay and kept walking.
Within 20 minutes, she reached her destination: the Berlitz family burial grounds in the far end of the massive backyard. All the members of the Berlitz family who have passed were buried here, as part of the tradition.
Platinum had been here a few times in the past. But she had never looked at each marking properly. But this time…
The girl suddenly gasped and dropped down to her knees, in front of a particular tombstone. She began to tremble violently and she clenched her teeth as she tried to not cry.
"… Big brother…" she managed to say, as her tears began to stream down her cheeks again. "Do you… remember me?" She lowered her head and trembled even more violently. She looked so ashamed right now, the other Dex Holders feared that she might do something drastic. "I – I'm so sorry I forgot about you… Big brother… You probably never forgot me, but… … H – How could you leave me like this?" Platinum managed to look up at the tombstone and gently felt it with her hands. "You… you broke your promise… You promised you would always look after me… that you would be there for me…"
Diamond gently knelt beside Platinum and put a hand around her trembling shoulders. "Lady… I'm so sorry…"
"It's my fault," the heiress sobbed out. "… The assassin wanted me… If I was just more aware of my surroundings…" She began to break down into uncontrollable sobs. "You loved me so much… but I've been such a terrible sister… … I got you killed… and then I… forgot about you… I – I'm so sorry…"
"That's not true, Lady Platinum," White said, wiping away her own tears. "You really loved your brother in the memories. You just couldn't remember him because your memories were suppressed. It's not your fault."
"Yeah. And I'm sure he wouldn't want you to be sad like this," Y said as well. "So please calm down, Miss Platinum."
"Platinum, I'm really sorry this had to happen," Red said with a sigh.
"… I wish to be alone," Platinum said to the other Dex Holders, her voice very quiet and shaky, but ice cold. "I need time alone."
"Platinum," Red tried to say, but the heiress interrupted him.
"Senior… I once said that I always wanted an older brother, and that I looked up to you like a brother. … I am afraid that I will retract that statement. … I am already the worst sister in the world. I cannot insult my big brother's memories any further by replacing him with you. I will always respect you, senior. But you are not my brother. Please understand."
"… I understand."
Platinum looked away from everyone else and focused on her dead brother's tombstone. "… I apologize, but I wish to be left alone. Please leave me."
Red sighed but nodded. "Very well then. Call us when you're feeling better."
Platinum slowly lowered her head and trembled as she felt more tears streaming down her cheeks. More memories of her beloved brother flooded her mind, and she berated herself for not remembering any of them before. She felt so ashamed… … 10 years. It had been over 10 years since her brother had died. And she had only remembered him now.
… This was something that she would never forget. Not again. This was a wound in her heart that would never heal…