SC is BACK! For the first time since November 2016, SC has returned. It's ALIIIIVE! … 2016 was a while ago… heh…
And what better way to kick off the SC Resurrection than the continuation of Platinum's backstory chapter (SC #007: Memory Lane). So… reread SC #007 to remember the context of this chapter!
And just like DE Resurrection, the SC Resurrection will last as long as it possibly can.
Memories, the Revival:
Berlitz Mansion burial grounds, Sandgem Town, Sinnoh…
Platinum slowly approached the grid of graves in the family's burial grounds, located near the back corner of the massive backyard. There were actually two burial grounds, one with the graves of the more… notable family members, and the other with everyone else. Currently, she was in the not-so-notable family members' burial ground.
She never really paid much attention to this family matter before, so she didn't fully grasp who ended up getting buried in the notable grounds and who didn't. As far as she could tell, the past matriarchs and those who have contributed significantly to the family were given the honor of being buried in the other place. The family members who have unfortunately passed away before doing anything important or… who never ended up doing anything important were buried here. But apparently there were some exceptions too, since she noticed that there were a few past matriarchs buried here too.
Today, Platinum was here to visit a particular grave, as she had every day for the past two months now. It was the only grave here which belonged to someone that Platinum had known personally, whom she had forgotten until recently. It was the grave of her older brother.
Platinum tilted her wide brimmed black hat to block out the sunlight and for a moment, stood there in silence, looking at the tombstone as memories of her dear brother flashed across her mind.
The edges of her black dress slowly wavered in the gentle breeze. Today was quite a beautiful day, with cloudless skies, bright but not too hot daylight, and just enough wind to provide cool, refreshing breezes. But Platinum couldn't bring herself to enjoy the weather, not with the tragic memories that kept flashing across her mind.
Her brother had loved her dearly, and she loved him too. He had always been there for her, until that tragic day. He was the one who gave her the Ponyta, which served as her first Pokémon. He was the reason why she rode the Pokémon sideways. He had told her that it was for safety, but Platinum figured that it was only because she was so young back then that etiquette would not have been any concern to her, as the real reason was definitely for etiquette purposes.
Platinum gently knelt in front of the tombstone, reading the epitaph over and over. … Reading… Her brother was the reason why she always read at least 10 books per day, as he had read that many books to her every single day when she was young. Subconsciously, she always missed him and rejected anything that contradicted her memories of him, even after her actual memories had been suppressed by Uxie. That was why she always felt so… wrong whenever she failed to read 10 books in any given day for whatever reason (chaos notwithstanding). And this was probably why she ended up immediately labeling Red as her older brother figure when they first met. Her subconscious couldn't handle the emptiness caused by her brother's passing, and had desperately sought a replacement, of sorts.
… Her brother had sacrificed himself to protect her from a hired assassin when she was 5 years old. There had been some serious "political" troubles going on back then, and a certain group of individuals sought out to cause serious damage to the Berlitz family. Of course, Platinum had absolutely no idea at the time. She was just busy with her daily routines, perfectly happy with her life, until that fateful day.
Platinum closed her eyes and lowered her head as she remembered how much her brother's death had affected her. She remembered crying for hours on end, clutching at his dead body. For the days after, she wasn't allowed to leave the mansion building for security reasons, and she spent pretty much all day sobbing and sulking in her room, finding the sudden loneliness unbearable.
Once the situation with the assassin had been fully dealt with and those responsible arrested, Platinum had been allowed to go out of the mansion again, but only under close surveillance from guards. But all she did was simply sit in the corner and stare at the ground, as she tried and failed to cope with the loss of her brother.
Her father had apparently decided to take her on the trip to Lake Acuity, perhaps in an attempt to get her to cheer up by taking her somewhere completely new, and thus allowing her to see things she had never seen before. After all, she had always been the curious type, and so her curiosity at completely foreign environments and sights could distract her from the loss. But Platinum remembered that she hadn't been distracted by them. If anything, the frozen Lake Acuity reminded her of her brother's promise to take her skating.
She had wandered off when no one was looking, and ended up reaching the frozen water of Lake Acuity, where she had cried. And there, Uxie had approached her, and upon sensing her sorrows, had suppressed her memories of pretty much everything that had happened prior, so that she could finally move on from her brother's death, and start to enjoy life again. … Until many years later, Platinum had asked to take the "Memory Viewer" therapy, borne from her curiosity about her first trip to Lake Acuity that she could not remember. And so Red and Blue had ventured into her memories, accessed the memories suppressed by Uxie, and upon returning to reality, had shared with her everything they had found, which then broke Uxie's memory seal, causing Platinum to suddenly remember everything… including the shame that she had forgotten her dearly loved brother entirely. Oh, how much she had cried in front of her brother's grave, now that she remembered…
That was two months ago. And since then, she had come to visit the grave every day. She hadn't left her mansion grounds since then too. She avoided meeting or talking to any of the other Dex Holders. She wasn't avoiding them because she was upset at them or anything. She simply had not been successful in grasping her emotions, and she did not want the others to see her like this. Until she was ready to face them, she would remain in isolation. … And she wasn't making any progress whatsoever.
Red had always been very nice to her and looking after her. And she really liked him too. But after her memories were restored, she realized that she was looking up to him so much because her subconscious missed having an older brother. And knowing that she had replaced her late brother with Red made things… very difficult now. She could not face him right now, not until she had sorted out her thoughts and feelings… whenever that would be.
Blue was too close to Red, and was directly involved in the Memory Viewer procedure, so… Platinum was avoiding her too. For now. Surely Blue would understand.
Platinum missed talking to Diamond and Pearl. Especially Diamond, since he always had a way of making her understand her feelings and even help her deal with them. But… she didn't want him to see her in this distressed state. And she didn't want to talk to Pearl, since he'd probably have some harsh but much needed words, and she wasn't ready for them right now.
White and Y tried to talk to her a few times recently. … A few dozen times, really. But Platinum refused to be consoled by her juniors. Currently, talking to them was on the lowest of her priorities. They would have to understand.
Platinum slowly took a deep breath and rose to her feet. … She felt like she was making some progress at least. Every day, she felt a bit less pain than the day before. … But it was still too much. Maybe one day, she would've moved on. But that day hadn't come yet.
Platinum walked away from the burial grounds, strolling aimlessly around the gigantic backyard, until she found a bench near one of the flower gardens. She sat down and stared into her Pokégear. Diamond had sent her a message at least once every two days, letting her know that he was always available if she ever needed to talk. But he hadn't sent her a message in the past few days. And looking at the list of missed calls and messages she received, no one had bothered to contact her in the past week. … Did they give up on her? … The thought hurt her quite badly, but at this point, she wasn't too surprised. She put her Pokégear away and leaned back against the bench, staring straight up at the sky.
She missed everyone. But she wasn't ready to face them. They will try to console her, of course, but what they had to say would not be what she needed or wanted to hear, and it would only make her feel that no one truly understood her feelings. … Or something like that, at least. She didn't know anymore. Her mind had been clouded with all sorts of thoughts. Her thoughts were in chaos, and overall, she was in turmoil. She hadn't had a clear mind in months, and it was affecting her capability to think properly.
Platinum stared at the clear blue sky for a bit before she closed her eyes. Maybe just… sitting here in peace would help her calm her emotions. But before long, she could hear movement coming closer from her left, as if someone was approaching her. She opened her eyes and looked over, to see who would dare approach her in a time like this.
And instantly, her breath was caught in her throat in a gasp and her mouth fell open in shock as she immediately recognized the person walking towards her. Her eyes opened wide in shock as her brain tried to argue that what she was seeing was simply impossible.
"Hello, Platinum," said the guest with a warm smile. "It is good to see you again."
Platinum shakily removed her glasses and frantically rubbed her eyes before she hastily put them back on and stared straight ahead, as if she was convinced that she was hallucinating due to her grief. … She wasn't hallucinating. She tried to stand up, but her legs didn't obey. Her whole body seemingly froze out of shock and she could only mumble, her voice so shaky that it bordered on sobbing.
"B – Big… brother…"
She shakily rose to her feet and stumbled towards him, her hands reaching towards him. Her brother simply opened his arms, waiting for her to get closer so that he could embrace her, as he had done countless times in the past. Seeing the familiar pose struck Platinum's heart hard. She lost strength in her legs and dropped to her knees just a few steps away from her brother, and broke down into tears. And when he stepped towards her, she wrapped her arms around him tight and absolutely refused to let go, while wailing out an endless stream of apologies. Her brother simply smiled and patted her on the back as she cried into him. And all he could do was wait for her to calm down.
…
It took quite some time before Platinum finally calmed down. And now, she didn't know what to think or feel. On one hand, she was absolutely delighted to see her brother again, to have him back in her life. But on the other… he looked the same as from her memories. He hadn't aged since then, while she had. She was currently taller than him, which felt incredibly awkward. Throughout all of her memories, she had always looked up at him in every way. And right now, she was tall enough that she could physically look down at him, which conflicted with so many of her instincts and feelings that she wanted to avoid it at all costs. And for that reason, she remained seated on the bench.
Her brother seemed to have noticed the height changes as well, as he remained standing in front of her. And now, he could physically look down at her while she looked up at him in a way that felt so natural and familiar to both of them.
"Big brother… how… how is this possible?" Platinum finally asked, her voice still shaking.
He chuckled and looked up at the clear, cloudless sky. "Ah, that is a long story, Platinum. … Too long, in fact…" he said with a short sigh. "I believe it would be prudent to ask your friends about this."
"My friends?" Platinum asked, her thoughts immediately going to Diamond and Pearl.
"You may have noticed that I am not any older than you remember," he said as he looked into her eyes. "Your friends explained to me that I have been summoned, so to speak, from a different timeline than yours, so that I could have a chance to talk to you."
Platinum's eyes widened a bit as she realized what he was talking about. … The other Dex Holders… they must've done something to pull her brother from a past timeline, just so he could talk to her and so that she would finally overcome her grief. And there was no way they could have accomplished such a task without either Celebi or Dialga.
"I would not have believed them at all, but when I first awoke, I saw a huge blue Pokémon that I have never seen before, that I remember vaguely from an old mythology book," her brother continued. "And they seemed to know quite a lot about you and even me, which left little room for doubt."
"Dialga…" Platinum mumbled. "… They must have ventured up to Spear Pillar to find Dialga." '… They have taken such a tremendous risk…'
"It seems that you know about this Pokémon," her brother said, looking impressed. "I suppose you are much older now than I remember. If what your friends have told me is true, you have experienced quite a lot in your journeys. How old are you right now, Platinum?"
"I am 19 years old, big brother," she replied.
"That is quite the difference indeed," he said with a chuckle. "From my timeline, you are 5 years old. That means currently, you are older than I am. … That is quite odd to think about, no?"
"That does not matter, big brother," Platinum said, shaking her head. She smiled brightly as she looked up at him. "All that matters is that you are here now."
"… For now," he said, his expression darkening. "… I am from a different timeline, Platinum. I cannot stay here. Soon, I have to return to my own timeline."
Platinum's mouth fell open as she experienced a fresh new heartbreak that struck her hard, leaving her dumbfounded for a while. "B – But… I – I just…" She frantically shook her head as tears welled in her eyes. "N – No. No way… I – It's been 13 years, big brother… I – I lost you 13 years ago, a – and now… you…"
Her brother stepped towards her and gently put his hands on her shoulders. "… Your friends have told me what happens to me, and what happened to you as a result. … I know it must have been unbearable, especially now after what Uxie did. … I am so sorry, Platinum."
She trembled violently as her tears began to roll down her cheeks. "It's… not fair…"
Her brother held her shoulders firmly. "Stay strong, Platinum. I know you are stronger than this." He tried to steer the conversation away. "Your juniors have told me about your journeys. I hear that you are now one of the strongest trainers in the world? You cannot imagine just how proud I am, Platinum. Now you must be strong at heart too."
"Big brother… I…" She slowly grabbed his wrists but looked away, as if she couldn't bear the thought of losing him again. "I… I can't…"
"Platinum, do not think about the inevitable. For now, let us just enjoy this moment," he said softly.
Platinum looked up at him once more and eventually nodded. She wiped away her tears and took a shuddering breath. "O – Okay… I'll… try… … Did you… talk to mother and father?"
He shook his head. "No. I only came here to talk to you. I realize that talking to mother and father would only bring back the pain of loss. And my sudden presence will undoubtedly create a big commotion, which I do not want."
"But… how did you find me then?" Platinum asked. "And how did you approach me without being spotted by anyone or the security systems?"
"The security systems are mostly on the perimeter of the property, which we are nowhere near," he answered. "And your friends have certainly helped in locating you," he said as he raised a finger towards the sky.
Platinum looked up, but couldn't see anything at first. But after a few seconds of intently scanning, she could see a faint anomaly of sorts floating fairly high in the air. She squinted a little and the object became a little recognizable. … It was a Starmie, using its ability to become invisible, floating high above the ground while facing downwards, as if it was in a surveillance mode. Normally, the Starmie's central core could not become invisible, and Platinum could see that this was still true. The Starmie simply had a Ditto blanketing over its core, and the Ditto had changed its own color to match that of the cloudless sky. It would have been impossible to spot if the Starmie's invisibility didn't make it partly fuzzy, which also made the Ditto part much more noticeable.
Platinum frowned a little at this little… intrusion. Normally, Blue had respected her friends and juniors enough to not spy on them like this. But this time, Platinum assumed that there wasn't a choice. It would be impossible to know where she was in the mansion grounds without asking the butler, and asking the butler would draw attention. No other Dex Holders were currently allowed in the mansion grounds, and with her brother trying to remain hidden from everyone else, it would be impossible to find her. So Blue had opted to use her new Starmie to scout from above to locate the heiress, and then assisted in bypassing the security system to allow him entry. This was quite the breach in security, but… Platinum was willing to look the other way. There was no ill intent, there was necessity, and there was no harm done.
"Senior Blue…" she mumbled with a short sigh. 'She put in a lot of effort to make this happen…'
"I must say that I am quite surprised," her brother said abruptly, getting her attention. "I did not expect you to make so many commoner friends."
Platinum scowled at the term. "Please do not refer to them as that," she said. "They are all incredibly brilliant, kindhearted, strong, and talented people and I am proud to have them as my friends. Some of them are my seniors too, and I may not be worthy to be considered as their equal."
Her brother smiled and nodded approvingly, as if she had just passed a test that she did not know about. "Very good response. I am very proud of you, Platinum."
Platinum lightened her expression, realizing that he had been merely testing her. She blushed a little from the compliment and smiled brightly. "Thank you, big brother…"
"But I have heard that you have been ignoring your friends, seniors, and juniors since you remembered my death. While I understand that you would be grieving, I do not approve you isolating yourself. You have wonderful friends, Platinum. Trust them to help you overcome your grief."
Platinum slowly nodded but bit her lower lip as if she was internally debating whether or not she should say what was on her mind. She eventually made the decision and looked up into her brother's eyes. "But… big brother… how can I… how can I see them again when that will inevitably get me closer once again to senior Red?"
"Who is he, and why is that an issue?"
"He… was always very kind to me, and always took care of me," she began as she lowered her head again. "And I looked up to him. … He treated me like… like… how you treated me, and I looked up to him like a… brother," she blurted out with much effort. "With Uxie suppressing my memories, I… didn't know about you. And I ended up replacing you with him! And now that I remember everything… how… how can I face him again?"
Her brother remained silent for a while before he cupped his hands on her cheeks. "I am glad to hear that, Platinum. I really am."
"… Glad?"
"I am glad to know that someone was out there looking after you after I died," he clarified. "It was my biggest concern once your friends told me about what happened. I was very worried about you. How would you fare, now that you were all alone? I was very worried, but knowing that someone else was looking after you as I have relieves me greatly. And think about this, Platinum. Red had no reason to know about your past when you first met. And if he was treating you as I have, that only means he cares greatly about you. For you, your subconscious missed me and was seeking for a replacement, and found it in Red. And you were happy. That is more than I can ask for. You were happy, because your subconscious found a replacement for me, and your instincts accepted it. Your instincts knew that he was the best possible replacement, and you liked him enough to rely on him. Trust your instincts, Platinum."
"But… how could I replace you?" Platinum asked, shaking her head.
"You have to move on," he said. "Do not let my death affect you so much and for so long. Red is a very nice person. Let him take care of you, as I have done for you. I would be happier if you relied on him as you have relied on me in the past, than you grieving for my death forever. If he sees you as a little sister and takes care of you, and you look up to him as an older brother and rely on him, I will be very happy."
"But…"
"Please, Platinum. You have to live your life. Move on and be happy. Spend time with your friends. Do not waste your life in front of my grave as you have for the past two months. That is the reason why I agreed to come here and talk to you today. This is a very personal matter, and it would not be right for anyone else to say it to you." He patted her on the shoulder and in a blink of an eye, she could swear that he appeared a bit… faint. "Can you do that for me, Platinum?"
The heiress closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I – I'll try…"
"Thank you." He let out a sigh of relief. He remained silent for a while before speaking up again. "Platinum… I wish we had much more time to talk. I wish we could have spent much more time together, but… it appears that it is time for me to depart."
Platinum's eyes immediately snapped open and she quickly looked up at him. And much to her horror, she could see that her brother was fading away. "N – No… please… please don't…" she stammered out, suddenly feeling abandoned and lonely once again. She quickly leaned towards him and held onto his arms. "I – I… just got you back… it's… it's too soon…" Her expression crumpled to the verge of bursting into tears as she pleaded. "Please… don't leave me again…"
"I am sorry, but I must return to my own timeline," her brother said with a sad smile. "After all, if I do not return… who will save you?" He moved his hands from her shoulders and onto her cheeks. "Oh, Platinum… You have become so strong, so beautiful, and so wonderful. You have grown up to be much more amazing than I could have imagined. I now know for certain that my sacrifice was not in vain, and that it was definitely worth it. I can now gladly sacrifice myself to save you when the time comes."
Platinum put her hands on top of her brother's on her cheek and trembled violently as she fought against the urge to cry, but lost immediately. Her tears streamed from her eyes despite her struggles and dripped onto her brother's hand. "… Big brother…"
Her brother wiped away the tears on her face and gently kissed her on the forehead. "I am glad to have seen you grown up. And I am glad to have gotten to talk to you like this…"
Platinum quickly wrapped her arms around her brother, hugging him tight. "… Me too," she whispered between her sobs. "… Big brother… I'll never forget you… I – I'll remember this time…"
"Remember me if you must, but promise me that you will move on and live your life," he said as he gently patted her back. "Do not waste your time in front of my grave as you have been doing recently."
"I – I promise," Platinum said, her voice shaking even more. "B – But… I – I'll… always… miss you…"
"I will miss you too," her brother said as he felt his legs fading away. He gave her a final pat on the back. "… Make me proud, Platinum."
Platinum nodded frantically as she hugged her brother even tighter, as she was terrified of letting him go, and as if she was trying to forcefully keep him in place. "I – I will…"
"Thank you… … And good bye, Platinum…"
Platinum's expression crumpled even more as she broke down into tears. "B – Big brother…" she cried out, absolutely unable to bid him farewell. She forced herself to look up to see her brother's face for the last time, and was able to catch him smiling at her before he vanished completely.
She gasped in horror and feebly reached towards the fading sparks of light where her brother had been a second ago. … He was gone. Even though she had known that this reunion would only be temporary, she was not prepared for the separation. She could not have possibly been prepared as well, nor had the time to mentally prepare herself.
She choked out a sob as she sank forward, knowing that her brother was truly gone completely, and forever. Her vision tunneled a little and she felt severe lightheadedness as if she was on the verge of fainting. She slid off of the bench and collapsed down to her knees. And immediately, she began to wail uncontrollably as she cried her heart out. Losing her beloved brother yet again, when she had just gotten him back for only an hour, was certainly too much to handle.
…
Next day…
…
Platinum slowly approached her brother's tombstone in the family burial grounds once again. She knelt in front of the tombstone and carefully set down the fresh bouquet of flowers she had brought.
"… I miss you, big brother," she said softly after a long sigh. "I miss you so very much… … I wish we could have spent much more time together…" She felt tears welling in her eyes and she lowered her head. "… It's not fair… to lose you again… so soon…" She put a hand over her heart and bit her lower lip as she fought the urge to cry. But she could feel that she was going to lose the fight very quickly.
It still hurt so very much. Remembering that she had lost her dear brother, and the fact that she had forgotten, was painful enough. But having him return to her for only an hour before disappearing from her life permanently once again was unbearable. She didn't know how long it would take for her to get over this loss, if ever.
"Promise me that you will move on and live your life," came her brother's voice in her mind all of a sudden.
Platinum's eyes snapped open and she quickly looked around, as if her brother had returned somehow. … But no. That was just her memories of him, and the memories of the promise she had made.
"The promise…" she mumbled as she looked at the tombstone again.
… Her brother didn't want her to waste her life because of his death. He wanted her to move on. … But here she was now, spending yet more time in front of the grave once again, as she had for the past few months.
The other Dex Holders who were particularly close to her have tried to contact her and visit her, but she had effectively ignored them. Red and Blue's attempts were particularly notable, however, as they were the second most frequent visitors apart from Diamond and Pearl, and unlike the two boys, they lived in a different region. Given the amount of time and money it cost to frequently travel between Kanto and Sinnoh, she could only assume that they felt guilty for her change, as they were the ones who unlocked those suppressed memories in the first place.
But Platinum didn't spite them. Deep inside, she thanked them. Even though the unlocked memories hurt her beyond words, she was at least a little glad that she was remembering her lost brother's sacrifice. If her seniors had kept this from her, and she found out later on somehow, she would have been even more upset.
Her seniors seemed to think that she was still very much distressed or upset, that they had feared that they would lose a beloved junior, and had taken a tremendous risk, going up to the Spear Pillar to find Dialga to pull off this little stunt. Given the past history, she guessed that Diamond was also deeply involved, as his presence would've definitely been helpful in convincing the Legendary Dragon. And of course, Pearl would have gotten involved as well. Platinum wasn't quite sure how White and Y got themselves involved given how far their homes were, but… they got themselves involved nonetheless.
Platinum narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth as she felt a sudden surge of anger from deep within. Surely her closest friends, seniors, and juniors would've known that this little stunt would hurt her quite badly in the end. She was already suffering horribly from the initial separation from her brother. A temporary meeting with him guaranteed that she had to be separated from him a second time. And given the circumstances, the second separation was guaranteed to be unbearably painful for her. And those closest to her had decided to pull this off anyways? They, of all people, chose to play with her pain and trauma like this?
'No…' she thought as her sudden burst of irrational anger calmed. She forced herself to relax and took a deep breath. … No. The other Dex Holders had done the right thing. Yes, the inevitable re-separation was going to hurt her badly, and it had. But at least this had allowed her to get some closure. She had gotten to talk to her brother again, and she would cherish this memory forever. Now her last memory of him was not him sacrificing himself to save her. Instead, her last memory of him was his smile, proud to have seen his little sister grown up strong.
Ultimately, while she had been hurt more from the re-separation, she was much happier deep inside as a result. In the long run… it was worth it. And as such, she had to give her thanks to the other Dex Holders who made this happen. And she had to at least appreciate the amount of effort they must have put into making this happen.
Platinum sniffled a little and wiped away the last of her tears. She put her hands on the tombstone and trembled a little as she mustered up her willpower. "I – I… will keep my promise…" she said quietly, her voice shaking initially. "… I will make you proud…" She still couldn't bring herself to say goodbye. She doubted she would ever have the strength to do that, and just thinking about it was threatening to make her cry.
She forced herself to rise to her feet. She stared at the tombstone for a long while, but eventually managed to look away and left the burial grounds. She looked up at the cloudless sky above and took a deep breath. … Things looked different now, without the unbearable sadness clouding her thoughts. Everything looked… brighter and happier.
… Platinum couldn't force herself to smile though. Not yet, at any rate. Either way, she had something important she needed to do, which was to reconcile with the other Dex Holders. … She couldn't force herself to directly call the others. Her voice would shake, and the situation between them warranted a face-to-face talk. And while she waited for the others to visit her, she would have some time to prepare.
Namely, she would have time to prepare her gather her thoughts, fix her appearance, prepare her speech, and most importantly, give the chefs ample time to prepare a very large and special feast. The reconciliation with the other Dex Holders had to go perfectly.
…
Diamond sat on his bed, staring out through the window. It had been a day since that mission in Spear Pillar, and he had no idea if the plan had worked or had been a catastrophic mistake. To be clear though, he hadn't agreed to the plan at first. He knew that Platinum was hurting and grieving, and if she was refusing to let her friends console her, then time was the only cure. So he was willing to give her all the time she wanted, and not force something upon her. And so doing the Spear Pillar mission, which would force something upon her and most likely end up hurting her far more than before, was definitely not something he had wanted to do.
… But there was one thing he agreed on with the others' plan, which was that letting Platinum try to sort out her thoughts and feelings by herself as she had requested was… not working at all. She needed friends to intervene for her, but did not want said intervention. Of course, most interventions worked that way.
And as expected, after playing his part in the intervention process, he felt tremendously sorry about playing a role in a plan that would have caused Platinum great sorrow. In fact, he had an apology cake planned up, ready to be baked on demand.
And personally, he really missed her. He wanted to see her again, and he really needed to see her smile. It's already been too long since he last saw her, and knowing that she was still grieving, quite possibly even more now, thanks to that mission, was very hard on him. He was trying to keep it hidden though, since he figured that Platinum would be suffering a lot more. All he could do was hope that the plan worked and that he would be able to see her smiling again soon.
Diamond snapped out of his thoughts and nearly fell off the bed when he heard his Pokégear ringing and vibrating. He quickly picked up the device and saw that the call was coming from… the Berlitz Mansion. … Not from Platinum herself? Hmm…
"Hello?" he answered, hoping to get good news.
"Hello, Sir Diamond," came the old butler's calm and polite voice. "I am calling to inform you that the Lady wishes to speak to you in person. She requests your presence in the mansion before supper today."
Diamond checked the clock. Dinner was still a few hours away. "Certainly. I'll be there as soon as I'm able. But… am I going alone?"
"No. The Lady also requests the presence of Sir Red, Lady Blue, Sir Pearl, Lady White, and Lady Y. Will they be available to arrive on such short notice?"
'So everyone involved in the Spear Pillar mission…' "Pearl's at home so he should have no problems. And the others are currently in Eterna City, so they should have no problems either. I'll call them to let them know."
"Thank you very much. I hope to see you shortly."
The call ended and Diamond jumped up to his feet. Platinum was finally allowing visitors again. This either meant that the plan had been a catastrophic failure and she was really, really upset at everyone, or the plan had worked and she was willing to talk to the others and reconcile. And he had a feeling that it was the latter. If the plan was a huge failure, Platinum would either have not delivered any messages whatsoever, or the butler would simply have delivered a stern admonishing, instead of an invitation.
Diamond relayed the 80-percent-certain-it-was-good news to the other invitees and ran down to the kitchen to start on the apology cake.
…
Few hours later…
…
Diamond approached the Sandgem Town Pokémon Center. In one of the tables near the entrance, he saw everyone else already gathered. Pearl was pacing around impatiently, but remained silent. Red and Blue were seated, looking anxious and worried. White and Y looked around nervously, probably wondering if this was the last day they could ever talk to their favorite senior, or the day they all got close and together just like before.
"Hey Dia," Red said with a wave. "Are you ready?"
Diamond glanced at the large box containing the apology cake. "Yeah. I'm all set. I hope I'm not too late."
"Before supper, so… I think we're still fine," Blue said as she glanced at the clock. "… But let's not push our luck, hmm? Let's get going now. Better to be early than late for these kinds of things."
The group soon headed towards the front gate of the Berlitz Mansion. The guards saw them and contacted those inside the mansion to let them know and then opened the gate. The front door itself didn't open for a bit though, as if those inside the building were making last minute preparations.
Red waited a bit more before knocking on the door. This time, a maid opened the door immediately. The maid simply bowed to them slightly and stepped aside, letting the Dex Holders enter. A servant directed them towards one of the dining halls, further adding to Diamond's hunch that Platinum had called everyone over to reconcile.
And sure enough, Platinum was standing in the dining hall, waiting for them.
"… Hi, Platinum," Red said with an awkward wave.
Platinum slowly scanned everyone's faces, gauging their expressions. She lowered her head a bit in shame as she slowly approached them.
"Seniors… Diamond, Pearl… White, Y…" she began. "… I… am so sorry for my behavior in the past few months…" She slowly knelt in front of them and gave them a long, polite bow. "And… thank you… for your efforts. Thank you for taking the risk in Spear Pillar so that I could… spend some time with my big brother… … Thank you…"
The other Dex Holders looked a bit surprised at first, but soon returned the bow. And for a while, all seven Dex Holders remained on their knees, bowing to each other in the middle of the dining hall.
Blue rose to her feet first, and walked over towards Platinum. She gently grabbed her junior's hands and pulled her up to her feet, and then immediately pulled her in for an embrace. Red joined in as well, embracing both of them. The other four Dex Holders got the hint too and swarmed Platinum in a mass group hug that may be a bit too tight.
"Thanks, Platinum," Blue said as she patted her on the back. "And we're sorry for… meddling in your personal affairs like this. We didn't want to do it, but… we really wanted to help you."
Platinum trembled slightly as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't smile, but her tone was slightly brighter than before. It was clear that the warmth of her friends have successfully moved her inside. "I… appreciate it, senior. … I may not have wanted this, but… I… needed it. … Thank you…" She eventually managed to break free of the group hug. She wiped away the few tears and cleared her throat. "I have thought a lot in the past few months, especially in the past two days. And I wanted you all to know… I will strive to be the same as I was before I took the Memory Viewer therapy. I will not forget my big brother this time. But I will not let my grief affect my relationships with you." She looked at Red and managed a faint smile. "Senior Red… I still look up to you like a… brother. And I always will as well."
Red looked a bit surprised, but gave her a warm smile. "I appreciate that, Platinum. And I promise you that I will take good care of you just like before too."
Platinum nodded and returned her attention to the others. "Now, as an expression of my apology and gratitude to everyone, and as proof that I will strive to be like before, I have ordered a feast for everyone. So please, join me and let us enjoy the food together."
"Thanks for the offer," Red said warmly. He suddenly looked a bit awkward and began to scratch the back of his head. "Uh… but before we do… I have a question about your big brother, if you don't mind, of course."
Platinum remained silent for a couple of seconds before responding. "What do you wish to know, senior?"
"Well… uh… what was his name, again?"
White smacked a hand over her face, but smiled underneath, as the rather silly question was quite effective in lightening the mood.
"Come to think of it, I don't think we ever caught his name," Blue said, looking to alleviate his embarrassment.
Platinum managed a faint smile. "Do you mean to tell me that you have not had a proper introduction with my big brother?"
"Um… no, we have not," White said with a slight shake of her head.
"Yeah. … To be fair, we were all kind of… in a hurry, I guess," Y said as well.
Platinum nodded. "I suppose. Well then, I will tell you. My big brother's name is-"
The name of Platinum's older brother shall never be known, because then I don't have to think of one. Coming up with random names is easy. Coming up with a suitable name is not.
The purpose of this chapter is to have Platinum's backstory chapter and its consequences take effect in the later chapters, but without affecting character bonds. So basically, Platinum will still hang out with all the other Dex Holders just like normal, and have the pseudo sibling bond with Red and all, but she'll remember that she had an actual older brother in the past.
Next up:
Red and Blue are getting married! Hell, it's about time. And Platinum has been chosen as the bridesmaid. Now it's up to her to plan the best damn wedding to properly honor her two respected seniors, while also making it enjoyable for the others while keeping everything in control.