Lucky Honor:
Rowan Research Lab, Sandgem Town, Sinnoh, 3 pm…
Platinum glanced at the various documents on the table and the digital document on the computer monitor as she typed up the report. The report was about how Feebas and Magikarp had the same underlying capabilities and proficiencies, but how Feebas was able to learn more than its red counterpart, and how this is seemingly reverted with Milotic and Gyarados, with the latter having a Mega Evolution that the former did not. This meant there were TONS of numbers on the various reports, so Platinum needed to pay particularly close attention that she got the right numbers typed, and that she wasn't suddenly looking at the wrong part of the report, having been misled by a similar number. It would have usually been a headache and eye-ache inducing nightmare, but Platinum was very accustomed to reading and memorizing information quickly, so it was not a concern to her.
Her finger slipped and hit a wrong key when her Pokégear suddenly vibrated against the desk, making her jump slightly. She let out a short huff out of irritation and corrected her mistake and finished typing the sentence before she turned her attention to her device.
It seemed that Red had sent her a message. It was her understanding that he and Blue had arrived in Sinnoh for a vacation yesterday, so she assumed that the message was him asking if she was able to meet up with them soon. She opened the message, hoping that they asked to meet her on a day when she was available.
"Platinum, Blue and I would like to treat you to dinner today. And we also have something very important to ask you. Can you spare the time?"
Platinum stared at the message from Red, and spent a few seconds wondering what exactly her seniors had wanted to ask her. It must have been quite important, if they preferred to ask her face to face, instead of simply asking her via messages. She glanced at the date on the corner of her Pokégear. Red and Blue had arrived in Sinnoh just yesterday, and if they wanted to meet her to ask something very important already, it was safe to assume that the main objective of their trip to Sinnoh was to actually ask her this question, and the "vacation" being just an excuse.
She checked the time. It was currently 3 pm, and she was set to be finished with her work for today within… 30 minutes? So she would have ample time to get over to wherever Red and Blue wanted to meet her for dinner. She sent her reply to Red.
"Certainly, senior. Where do you wish me to go meet you?"
The reply came quickly, as if Red was waiting for her response. "We found a nice place in Jubilife City near the condos. We'll wait for you there."
"I understand, senior. I will meet you there within the hour. I am set to be finished with my work within 30 minutes."
Platinum put her Pokégear away and resumed focus on her work. The busiest time of the year was approaching, so she still had a lot of work to do in the upcoming days!
…
1 hour later, Jubilife City…
…
Platinum followed her seniors as they led her towards a familiar restaurant. She had been here quite a few times in the past, with Diamond and Pearl. It wasn't as… classy as the ones she was accustomed to, but the food was amazing, and the restaurant style was different enough to be entertaining.
Red had already made a reservation for three, so they were led quickly towards their table. The table was close to the ground, as the customers were intended to sit on the cushions on the floor. Platinum waited for her seniors to take their seats before she joined them, politely kneeling onto her cushion. She took the pot of tea and with both hands, carefully poured its contents into her seniors' cups.
"Thanks," Red said with a smile. He soon made the order to the waiter standing by, and waited until he left before glancing over at Blue, as if asking if she was going to initiate something now.
Platinum noticed the glance and looked over at her as well, starting to become really curious as to why her seniors had called her over in such short notice.
Blue cleared her throat and took a sip of tea before she spoke. "I suppose I'll get right to the point." She put a hand on top of Red's and smiled at Platinum. "Red and I are going to get married soon."
Platinum looked a bit surprised, but smiled brightly. "Congratulations, senior."
"Thank you. And so… we've been discussing things, and… we want you to be the bridesmaid," Blue said, gauging her junior's reactions.
Platinum looked much more surprised than last time. "M – Me?"
"Yeah. We thought about it, and I don't think there'll be anyone better," Red said as well.
Platinum frowned a little and thought for a moment. "Um… I would definitely be honored, but… would not senior Yellow be far more appropriate? Or even senior Crystal?"
"Well… about that," Blue began after a short sigh. "For Yellow… She had a crush on Red since forever. So asking her to be the bridesmaid might put her in a really uncomfortable situation. Sort of like rubbing it in, you know? And I don't want that to happen. As for Crys… we're not as close as you might think. Not to mention, it's that time of the year when all the researchers and their assistants become super busy, and Crys is no exception. Especially given the plethora of other part-time duties she has, she just won't have the time for this."
"I asked Green about being the best man, but… I don't know if it's possible given how busy he'll be," Red said. "If he's unavailable, I'll have to ask Gold. Always the last resort, that one. Heh… Anyways, we're really hoping that you'll be available. I know you're also a research assistant, but…"
"Senior, I would be honored to be the bridesmaid for your wedding," Platinum said with a bright expression. "While it is true that I am Professor Rowan's assistant, I can always convince the professor to allow me some time off." 'But in case this does not go according to plan, I may require a contingency plan…'
Red smiled and looked quite relieved. "Thanks, Platinum."
Blue gave her a thumbs-up too. "Yeah, we really owe you one for this."
Platinum waved her hands with a bright smile. "No, no. I am honored to be able to assist you in such a ceremony. I shall ask Professor Rowan tomorrow to give me time off on request and then I shall strive to have the planning finished before you return to Kanto."
"Great! We look forward to it."
…
Next day…
…
Platinum finished her morning work and stared at the time. The professor would be finished with his morning work as well, and would now be taking a short break. This was the perfect time to ask for some time off. Surely the professor would understand the importance of her being the bridesmaid to her seniors' wedding? She gathered the finished report and set off to find the professor.
She found him in the lounge, taking a break as expected while reading the newspaper. He noticed her approach and looked up.
"Ah, have you finished with the report?" he asked.
"Yes, professor," Platinum answered politely as she presented the report. "And professor, may I talk to you for a moment?"
"Hm? Certainly," the professor said as he received the report and set it aside. "What's on your mind?"
"Senior Blue has requested that I be the bridesmaid for her upcoming wedding," Platinum began. "And in order to properly fulfill my obligations, I will require certain days off in the upcoming weeks."
The professor frowned a little and looked quite troubled. "A bridesmaid at a wedding? That is certainly an important task. But we will all be very busy for the next couple of months, and we'll certainly need your assistance! Hmm… this is quite the dilemma."
"I wish to show my seniors my admiration by taking the responsibilities of the bridesmaid," Platinum said, feeling that her attempts at honorably convincing the professor might not fare too well. "It will be very difficult to refuse their request."
"I know how important it will be as well, but… this is quite difficult indeed," the professor said with a sigh.
Yep. This wasn't going anywhere. Platinum sighed too. "… I understand…" She then turned away and left, while taking out her Pokégear and sending Diamond a message. "We will require the contingency plan."
A few minutes later, Diamond knocked on the door to the research lab, and since Platinum had been waiting for him near the front door, she opened the door almost at the first knock.
"Hello, Lady!" Diamond said cheerfully, carrying a box in his hands.
"Hello, Diamond!" Platinum said with a bright smile. "Come in."
Diamond cast a glance around to make sure that they were alone within hearing range. "So… what's the situation?" he whispered.
Platinum cast a quick glance around as well. "Professor Rowan is reluctant to let me leave during such a busy time. We will have to resort to… um… dishonorable tactics." She leaned towards him and whispered her plan to his ear.
Diamond smiled and nodded. He quickly backed off when Prof. Rowan approached from the lounge.
Platinum noticed and pointed towards the side. "The kitchen is over there, Diamond."
"Oh, thank you, Lady," Diamond said after a quick bow to the professor.
"What is this about?" the professor asked as Diamond scurried over towards the small kitchen area.
"Diamond had baked a celebratory cake," Platinum explained casually as she followed the professor towards the lounge. "It is in part to congratulate me on receiving the honor of being the bridesmaid for seniors Red and Blue's wedding, but also to thank you for allowing me time off to fulfill my responsibilities as the bridesmaid." She let out a short sigh. "But since it appears that I will be unable to take a leave of absence and thus not be able to be the bridesmaid, I suppose I will not be able to accept the gift."
"Cake is ready," Diamond said cheerfully as he entered the lounge, carrying a tray with the absolutely fantastic looking chocolate cake.
Platinum cast a sideway glance at Prof. Rowan and saw him visibly swallowing. She even heard it as well, and could see that his eyes have changed. She smiled to herself but put on an apologetic frown. "Diamond, I am so terribly sorry, but it appears that we will not be able to accept your cake after all."
"Huh? Why not?" Diamond asked, feigning surprise.
Platinum feigned an even sadder expression and let out a short sigh. "I am afraid that I was not able to secure a break from my duties here. I will not be able to fulfill my responsibilities as the bridesmaid, and so that honor must now be given to someone else. I am so sorry that you had to bake this delicious looking cake for no reason."
"Oh… I see…" Diamond said with a crestfallen expression. "… That's a real shame…" He then proceeded to turn around to leave, when Prof. Rowan stopped him.
"Now, now… there's no reason to be hasty," the professor said hastily. "… I didn't say that I couldn't give you time off when you need it. I just said that it would be difficult without you if you take a leave when we're particularly busy. If we're not that busy, I can certainly grant you a break for the wedding planning."
Platinum clasped her hands together. "You can? Oh, thank you so very much!" She smiled happily at Diamond. "Then let us eat!"
Diamond let out a cheer and set down the tray on the table, and quickly but masterfully cut a slice of cake. He moved the slice onto a plate and presented it to Prof. Rowan. "Here you go, professor!"
The professor let out a quiet grumble as he received the plate holding his slice of the cake. … Losing Platinum in such a busy time was going to make things much harder and hectic for everyone else. Sure, he had other assistants, but Platinum was so capable and helpful, there would be no replacements. … But he had just traded her away for some cake. … This had better be the best damn cake he had ever tasted.
He took a huge forkful and put it in his mouth. … It was absolutely delicious. Damn it. … It was so tasty, that it wasn't fair. It was so unfair that he had to trade away Platinum's assistance in order to taste this delightful cake, while the heiress herself probably could taste these kinds of things much more frequently.
"Professor Rowan appears to be enjoying your cake, Diamond," Platinum said with a bright smile.
The professor looked at the two Sinnoh Dex Holders, realizing that he had already finished his slice of cake even before the two could begin eating theirs.
"You can have the whole thing, professor!" Diamond said cheerfully. "After all, you just gave the Lady permission to fulfill her duties as the bridesmaid!"
The professor looked down at his empty plate just as Diamond moved another slice of cake onto it. … Well, he had already accepted the brib-… gift, it seemed. And the gratitude. Now it would be impossible to refuse Platinum's request. … Oh well. With a slight chuckle, the professor began to wolf down on his second slice of delightfully delicious chocolate cake.
…
Few days later, Hearthome City…
…
Platinum led her seniors towards the fanciest boutique the entire region had to offer. The automatic doors parted ways and she stepped to the side, letting her seniors enter first.
"Wow," Blue muttered in awe as she entered. "Look at the size of this place!"
Red chuckled and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Now that… is a lot of clothes."
"The boutique has quite the wide variety of selections, seniors," Platinum said as she stepped forth. "I am sure we will be able to find the perfect wedding dress and suit for you."
"Oh, definitely," Blue said excitedly. "This is the kind of thing I always wanted to do but could never afford."
"And still can't afford," Red noted. "We really owe you big, Platinum."
"I assure you, you do not owe me, seniors."
"Ah, Lady Berlitz!" the main tailor said as she walked over. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
Platinum smiled at the approaching tailor. "Likewise. Have you been informed about the reservation?"
"Oh, yes. Most certainly," the tailor answered. "A wedding? How exciting!" She turned her attention to the Kanto Dex Holders. "And you two must be the bride and groom! I must say, you already seem like such a lovely couple!"
Red chuckled and Blue blushed a bit. "Thank you," she said with a happy smile.
The tailor glanced past them for a second before looking at Platinum. "We were told that we'd be matching the dresses for the bride and bridesmaid, and the suit for the groom. What about the best man?"
"He is unable to come to Sinnoh, unfortunately," Platinum answered. "He is quite busy with his job, and thus cannot leave Kanto for more than a day."
"As usual," Blue commented dryly.
"But he can at least make it to the wedding," Red said. "Not to the full reception, but to the ceremony, at least." He took out his Pokégear and loaded up a photo. "This is the suit he wore to his sister's wedding a couple of years back. He'll be wearing the same suit to ours, so my suit will probably have to match that." He smiled at Blue for a bit. "Or so she tells me."
"Oh, I'm sure." The tailor took the Pokégear and stared at the photo, zooming in and out a few times at various parts of the suit. "No problem. I think we can definitely accommodate." She returned the Pokégear and motioned with her hands. "Now then. Follow me, please, and we'll get you the perfect dresses and suit!"
…
The process wasn't nearly as long as Platinum had expected. Blue had evidently contemplated quite a lot about her desired wedding dress, and the boutique had such a huge variety that her imagined dress quickly became a reality. The tailor only needed to know Blue's exact sizes in order to tailor the dress to be the perfect fit. But that was what the measuring tape was for.
Red had absolutely no preferences for his suit, which made everything easier, as there was nothing to argue about. Blue was able to decide on the perfect suit that would complement well with Green's suit from Daisy's wedding, without any complaints from Red.
The tailor scribbled down the measurements for Red on a note before turning her attention to Platinum. "Now, Lady Berlitz… what about you?"
Platinum looked over at Blue. "Senior, do you have any preferences for your bridesmaid's dress?"
"Not really," Blue answered. "I think you'll look amazing with any dress. But maybe just the color…" She thought for a moment and glanced at the various dresses on display all around the boutique. "Since my dress is all white, maybe yours could be… faint pink? It's soft on the eyes and still retains beauty and elegance." She chuckled a bit and tilted her head a little. "Though maybe that's more from just you? Heh…"
Platinum blushed a little from the compliment and faced the tailor. "I believe that would be best. And match the generic style with senior Blue's dress, please."
"And I think we have just what you're thinking about," the tailor said with a nod. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go and fetch those dresses and suit!"
"Huh, she didn't take your measurements," Blue noted once the tailor walked off deeper into the boutique.
"I have purchased from this boutique multiple times before," Platinum explained. "Thus it is not necessary to retake the measurements."
"So in the end, I was the only one with the little embarrassment," Blue said with a chuckle as she slowly crossed her arms.
Platinum didn't know how to respond, so she simply smiled.
"Well, what'd you expect, right?" Red asked with a chuckle of his own.
"Of course. I expected it to happen. For the perfect fit, you know." She took a breath and stared into one of the full length mirrors on the side. "… I still can hardly believe all this is actually happening."
"Yeah. I know what you mean," Red said as he stood next to her. "It still feels quite surreal to me too."
Platinum smiled at her two seniors and took a couple of steps backwards, as if trying to give them a little privacy. She was quite glad to see them happy like this, and vowed to make their wedding as perfect as possible. She would need to consult with Blue a lot about the proceedings, and look up a whole ton of reference material. But she'd have plenty of time for that, and even more once she asked Prof. Rowan to give her some more breaks. And of course, she'd need to bribe him with more chocolate cakes as a "token of her gratitude", should he appear to be trying to back out of the agreement.
…
A month later, Pallet Town, Kanto, 11 am…
…
Platinum finished changing into her dress and took a moment to observe her reflection in the mirror. She had tied her hair into a low ponytail using a long silk ribbon. Thanks to her hair color, she would create quite the contrast with Blue at the altar, given how the bride would have a white veil over her head. Platinum had originally contemplated on tying her hair into a side tail, but dismissed the idea after briefly testing it. … She wanted balance. Having her long hair resting on just one of her shoulders while leaving the other one rather irked her, and she kept getting an irresistible urge to push the side tail off of her shoulder. So… ponytail it was.
Since this was a formal event, Platinum had made sure to accessorize accordingly. She had ditched her usual golden hairclips for black hair pins to keep her side hair from escaping while remaining unnoticeable. That way, with her side bangs held in place, her long diamond earrings were fully visible, with each diamond chain almost reaching her shoulders. She left her glasses untouched though, as she didn't want to go too overboard in the extravagant direction. Y had joked about wearing solid gold glasses. … No thank you. Just regular black titanium framed glasses were fine.
As per customary with her classy dresses, Platinum had opted to wear long silky evening gloves that reached past her elbows. It meant ditching her diamond and pearl rings, along with her Pokétch and Mega Ring, though, and the emptiness caused by their absence was a bit irritating. But she could definitely withstand at least one day without them. Especially for an occasion such as this.
Her dress was soft pink in hue as Blue had chosen. She could wear it as strapless, if she chose to push the three-finger-wide straps off her shoulders or as a strapped dress otherwise. She didn't feel the need to wear the dress as strapless, though. But if she chose the strapless path, it left her shoulder-collarbone area completely exposed, which then directed all focus and attention to her golden necklace with a white button on it. Platinum rather liked that idea, as she wanted the unusual necklace to get more attention. The necklace was a gift from Diamond, which made it far more special than any other jewelry in her possession. He had originally given her a necklace with a golden heart pendant, but she had asked him to replace that pendant with something unique, so that it would be far more meaningful. And Diamond had replaced the golden heart with a button he tore out from his shirt. Now it was unique and special, and perfect. She wanted everyone seeing it to think it was special. And if it attracted more attention thanks to there not being anything else around her neck, then that was fine with her. So in the end, she'd probably alternate between strapless and strapped, depending on the atmosphere.
The lower end of the dress was long and wide enough that even when she stood up straight, her crystalline, high heeled shoes would not be visible. But it wasn't too long that she'd accidentally step on the edges even if she slouched a bit. The high heels would take a bit of time to get used to right now. She didn't exactly wear them every day, after all. But she was probably more accustomed to wearing them than any of the other female Dex Holders attending the wedding.
As for the makeup, Platinum had opted for a soft pink lip gloss that was mildly strawberry flavored, because of course it would be. She had applied just enough makeup on her face to seemingly add some color to her normally pale skin. For her eyelashes, she had put on just enough eyeliner to accentuate her naturally long eyelashes, but not so much that it would cause her eyelashes to constantly brush against her glasses lenses. That would be quite annoying in a variety of ways, as she'd feel her eyelashes being obstructed by something whenever she blinked, and she'd have to clean her glasses much more frequently.
Platinum slowly twirled a bit in the bathroom, checking for any missing details for her appearance. So far, she looked perfect. With a content smile, she exited the bathroom and into the main bedroom. Inside, Blue was still following the instructions of the wedding photographer: looking at the specified direction with a specified expression, certain casual poses, and even changing locations to get different backgrounds. Platinum had watched the wedding photographer doing her thing before going into the bathroom to change into the dress, and it was apparently still going on. In fact, the heiress had changed into her dress because the wedding photographer told her to, so that she could take some duo photos.
Blue saw Platinum in the reflection of the main mirror and smiled. "Oh, Platinum! You look absolutely lovely!"
"Thank you, senior," Platinum said embarrassedly.
"Ah, perfect," the photographer said as she looked at Platinum as well. "Okay, bride and bridesmaid. If you would stand next to each other and look over at me please. … Good. Now, face each other and pretend to be adjusting each other's dress straps…"
…
Several hours later, Platinum and Blue were finally allowed to rest as the photographer went to take a break. The photo shoots of the bride and bridesmaid were finally finished. The photographer would take more pictures of the bride and groom at the altar, after the ceremony, and during the reception, but for now, Blue was free.
"… There were a lot of photos," she said with a sigh.
"For an occasion such as this, I suppose it is better to have too many than too few," Platinum said with a smile.
"Yeah."
"Are you nervous, senior?" Platinum asked.
"… Kind of, yeah," Blue answered. "I wasn't before, but now that I'm just sitting here, waiting… I'm getting anxious. I'm getting the urge to just get on with it, you know?"
"I understand. But I do believe that the bride and groom are not supposed to meet before the altar, so it is best to give senior Red plenty of head start."
Blue looked around the room. "… We already had to kick him out yesterday. And this is his home. He may have invited me to live with him a long time ago, but… it's still his home."
"But it is easier for him to get ready for the wedding," Platinum said. "And I have arranged a hotel suite for him for two days, so he would not have had any issues."
Blue adjusted her dress's thin shoulder strap. She looked at the mirror to see her own reflection, and tinkered a bit with her hair. As she did so, she detected movement from outside the window, and saw that a limousine had parked right in front of the house. And instantly, she felt her heart rate accelerating and felt her hands shake just slightly out of nervousness, anxiety, and anticipation.
"Well… our ride's here," she said as she held her hands together.
Platinum looked outside and nodded. "Indeed it is."
…
Half an hour later, Platinum and Blue stood just outside the double doors, waiting for their cue to enter the altar. Normally, the bride's father would be standing next to them, but Blue had decided to not do that for her wedding. For one, her father would end up standing next to her at the altar along with the rest of his family seated right behind him. Red's family was to do the same… if he had any. That created an awkwardly noticeable imbalance at the front of the altar, which irritated Blue.
Not to mention, she hadn't even told her family that she was getting married, until the invitations were sent to them. The distance between Blue and her family was too great. She wasn't the type to get permission from them to marry Red, or even let them know what was happening in her life. So they would sit with the rest of the invited guests. There were no words to say to them. But they'd just get better seats, closer to the altar, since they were her family, and they were still on decent terms.
The ceremony guide gave Platinum the cue to enter the altar. The heiress held the large bouquet in her hands and took a breath to steady herself as the double doors opened. She could hear the specifically selected music playing softly in the speakers and slowly made her way inside, matching her steps with the music tempo. She felt all eyes on her, but she simply looked straight ahead and walked graciously towards the altar. She caught Diamond and Pearl smiling at her in her peripheral vision, but she had to ignore them for now. Platinum soon reached the altar and looked up at Red, who smiled and nodded at her. She smiled back and stepped to the side to make room for the bride.
The selected music changed into the next track. The double doors opened once again, and Blue slowly stepped forth, as elegantly as she could manage. Everyone was looking at her, which made her feel a bit nervous. She focused on taking steady steps, being careful not to lose balance with the high heels, and to not step on the overly long dress. She didn't have time to look at the gathered guests, or even focus on her peripheral vision. Not that she had much of peripheral vision, thanks to the veil she was wearing over her face.
She reached the altar and smiled timidly at Red who gave her a nod as well. They locked eyes for a bit before Blue looked away and glanced at the best man. Green was standing perfectly still like a stone statue, as expected. Then again, the best man wasn't supposed to be doing anything other than holding the wedding rings, anyways. Blue gave him a curt nod, which she wasn't even sure he saw given the absolute lack of a reaction, and then looked away to find her spot next to Red, and glanced over at Platinum.
"How'd I do?" she whispered.
"You were perfect, senior," Platinum whispered back. "Congratulations."
…
The ceremony concluded flawlessly without any incident. Platinum had a few tears forming in her eyes as she watched just how happy her two seniors were, and felt quite proud that she had helped making this happen.
And now, she found herself outside the altar, meeting the guests and mingling with them. Most of the guests were Dex Holders, which made the whole "meeting" thing rather pointless. But there were enough non-Dex Holders, and quite a lot of the guests would not be able to join them in the reception hall later on, so they had to be given plenty of time to greet the newlyweds. But Platinum didn't really know the non-Dex Holder guests who weren't professors, so mingling with them was incredibly awkward. Then again, those guests were here to meet and talk to Red and Blue, not her.
Blue smiled brightly as she talked to Professor Oak, Bill, and Daisy, who had surrounded her to congratulate her on the happy occasion. But her expression darkened a bit when the next guest to approach her came into her vision.
"… Hi, Yellow," she said, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward.
Yellow was smiling at her, but it was painful evident that she wasn't happy in the slightest. She simply took Blue's hand and held it tight. "… Congratulations," she said quietly, trying and failing to sound remotely cheerful. "I'm really happy for you."
"… Thanks… and sorry."
Yellow shook her head. "No, no. Just enjoy yourself. This is your day, after all. Be happy." She then let go of her and walked away, allowing the next guest to greet the bride.
Blue watched Yellow walking away and let out a long sigh. She shook her head a bit and then focused on the next guest, and momentarily froze. "… I didn't think you'd actually show up," she managed to say.
Giovanni smiled in a not-so-friendly way, but he didn't look hostile. Silver was standing next to him, as he had been the one to invite the Rocket leader.
"Of course I did," said the man. "Your surprise is understandable. After all, we are still technically enemies. But fear not, I'm not someone who would ruin a special joyous moment like today. I'm here to merely show my respect and congratulate you and Red. That is all."
Blue lightened her expression. Red saw Giovanni as well and walked over as "reinforcements" but quickly saw that there was no need.
"Well then… thank you," Blue said with a nod. "Will you be attending the reception too?"
Giovanni chuckled. "No. I think it'd be best if you were only surrounded by friends for that. So I will be taking my leave." He glanced at Red and extended a hand. "Congratulations, champion."
Red smiled a bit and shook the hand. Giovanni held firm for a bit before he nodded at Blue and Red and then walked away. The man cast a quick glare at the next guest, but only for a split second before leaving entirely. The next guest slowly wheeled up towards Blue.
"Congratulations, my dear," said Pryce as he stopped in front of her.
Blue clenched her jaw a bit but quickly relaxed. "… Thank you."
"You did it. You finally found your ultimate happiness in life," he said with a smile. He looked over at Red and extended a hand. "And it's all thanks to you."
Red shook the hand. "I tried my best." He put an arm around Blue's shoulders and held her firmly. "And I'll keep trying, too."
Pryce nodded approvingly and looked at Blue once more. "And now, I think you can finally move on from your past. I hope you find much more happiness in the future, and I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you," Blue said again. She glanced at Red with a timid smile. "I'm sure I'll be perfectly happy…"
Pryce smiled contently and soon wheeled away, leaving the newlyweds to themselves for a split second before Platinum came over to talk to them.
"Great work as the bridesmaid, Platinum," Red said with a warm smile.
"Yeah. You were the best," Blue said as well.
Platinum bowed a little. "Thank you. And congratulations, seniors." She glanced at the other guests still mingling around before focusing on Blue. "How are you feeling, senior?"
Blue let out a relaxed sigh. "Well, no one tripped despite wearing high heels and a dress that trails over a meter behind her, so… so far so good!" She glanced down at the super long dress and held up a bit to avoid having it stepped on. "Seriously, though. It's almost guaranteed that someone is going to step on this and force me to trip. Either it'll be me, Red, or someone else who happens to be like within 5 meters of me."
"This is a special occasion though," White said as she walked over towards her seniors. "It's just for a day, right? You can do it."
"Yeah. And you look so classy and gorgeous!" Y said as well.
Blue chuckled. "Oh ho, do I, now?" She lightly twirled a bit. "But then again, I always did, didn't I? Hehe."
"Great! You're all here!" the wedding photographer said as she hurried over. "Ready for your next batch of photos?"
Blue groaned a bit. "Ack… more of those…"
Red chuckled. "Well, come on. Let's get this done."
…
Few hours later…
…
Platinum stood next to Red and Blue by the entrance to the reception hall, as the line of guests waited for their turn to meet and mingle with her and the newlyweds once again. Back in the ceremony hall, there were quite a few non-Dex Holder guests. But right now, it was mostly Dex Holders. The research professors had a lot of work to do so couldn't stay for the reception event, and some of the notable guests like Giovanni and Pryce and went home too. Only Blue's family remained for the reception, which was to be expected. But the fact that they were now the only non-Dex Holders was bound to feel awkward.
Platinum greeted the other Dex Holders and commented on their dress/suits. But as she did so, she noticed that some Dex Holders were absent now. She knew that Green wasn't going to be in the reception because of the leftover work, and same for Crystal, but she noticed that Yellow was missing too.
"Well, I guess that's everyone," Blue said once the last guest entered the reception hall. "Now we can begin the much more relaxed reception party and finally eat something."
"Then let's give our good old DJ the sign that he can proceed," Red said as he glanced at the event staff waiting by the door.
And a few seconds later, Gold's voice echoed from the speakers inside the reception hall. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the wedding reception! I'm your DJ for the evening, Gold, from New Bark Town!"
"He seems quite relaxed," Platinum noted. She had doubts that Gold would be able to perform the DJ duty, but apparently, he was used to this kind of thing?
"Yeah. Who would've thought he'd be so helpful, huh?" Blue said with a chuckle.
Gold continued from inside. "And now, before we kick off the reception party, allow me to introduce the bridesmaid who helped make all this happen, Lady Platinum Berlitz!"
The event staff opened the double doors and Platinum graciously entered, with the spotlight shining brightly on her. Ordinarily, she was supposed to have the best man with her, but Green wasn't able to stay for the reception. So Platinum entered alone, elegantly walking towards the head table that was reserved for her and the newlyweds. She found her seat quickly and sat down, straightening out her dress a bit.
"And now, let's all welcome the stars of the evening, the newlyweds, bride and groom, and beloved seniors for us Dex Holders, seniors Red and Blue!" Gold declared after stalling a bit.
The double doors opened once again and Red and Blue entered with their arms linked. The spotlight immediately shone on them. They glanced at all the guests who were present in the reception hall, before approaching the head table.
"Good luck, seniors," Platinum whispered to them with a bright smile, as she knew what was to come next.
Red and Blue returned her smile and nodded. Red took off the outer tuxedo and set it on his chair at the head table, while Blue took a series of deep breaths to prepare herself. They then gave Platinum their Pokégears too.
"The newlyweds are going to start off with their coordinated couples' dance," Gold declared. "So those of you who wish to record the beautiful dance as video, you have a few seconds to prepare yourselves."
Red and Blue walked towards the center of the dance floor, deliberately taking their time so that the others had plenty of time to get their cameras ready. Platinum had her Pokégear out and ready to record the dance, and was also handling Red and Blue's Pokégears mounted on little tripods, all ready to record.
Once they felt that they had stalled long enough, Red and Blue began to perform their much practiced couples' dance. Platinum smiled happily as she saw just how perfectly coordinated their movements were. She had seen their practices a few times already. Red was awful at dancing in the beginning, and it still showed a bit given how stiff his pose and movements were. But he was much more confident and competent this time around. And Blue had been far too embarrassed to be dancing in front of people, especially with Red. But right now, she seemed to have overcome her embarrassment, and appeared to be actually enjoying herself right now. Because of the brightness of the spotlight on them and the dark lighting of everywhere else in the reception hall, Red and Blue probably couldn't even see anyone else, giving the illusion that they were enjoying a couples' dance all by themselves, with no pressure whatsoever.
"What a beautiful dance. Let's give them a round of applause!" Gold said as he began to applaud his seniors once the dance officially finished. The other guests joined in on the applause, and Red and Blue gave them a polite bow as thanks. Gold waited a few moments before resuming and interrupting the applause. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, this is what you've been all waiting for. The reception party is now officially underway! Let's rock this party!"
While others cheered and began to rise from their seats, White scowled at Gold's wording and cast a glare in his direction while Black just chuckled. Gold caught her gaze and stared at her.
"Don't say that word," White mouthed out.
"Huh? Oh, right. My apologies," Gold said through the microphone. He cleared his throat. "Let's rock this reception!"
…
Many hours later…
…
Platinum carefully set down the box containing the leftover wedding cake on the kitchen table at Red's house, while Red and Blue finished moving the other boxes.
"Wow, what a day, huh?" Red said in a relaxed tone, sounding a bit slurred thanks to all those drinks.
"Yeah… what a day, indeed," Blue said, sounding equally slurred. "Thanks so much for everything, Platinum. You should change back into your normal clothes upstairs now."
Platinum nodded and headed upstairs to change out of her dress. She didn't want to stay around any longer than necessary, as she wanted to let her seniors rest. They had a very tiring day, and were now finally married, so she definitely didn't want to be a bother right now.
She finished changing into her normal clothes and held the folded dress in her arms. She quickly headed back downstairs, where Red and Blue were waiting while looking like they were about to fall asleep at any moment.
"Thanks, Platinum," Red said as he shakily stepped towards her. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a pat.
Platinum grabbed his hand and Blue's as well. "Seniors, it has been such an honor for me to be the bridesmaid for your wedding. I can only pray and hope that you will be happy together in the future. And thank you so very much for trusting me with such an important role."
Blue gave her a gentle hug. "You're welcome… and thank you, too." She pulled back and patted her arm. "Now go and get some rest, Platinum. You definitely earned it."
Platinum nodded and gave her seniors a long, polite bow. "Thank you. I will be going now. Please enjoy your rest too. Good night, seniors."
"Good night."
Platinum exited Red and Blue's house and waved at her seniors as they waved at her in the doorway. Once the door closed, she turned away and walked towards the main street, where Diamond was waiting to pick her up with his Skarmory. He was evidently dozing off while leaning against his Skarmory, which was… also dozing off. Well, it was pretty late at night, so that was understandable.
"Diamond," Platinum called out, her voice sounding far more exhausted than she had thought.
Diamond snapped awake and looked over at her with a tired smile. "Oh, hi, Lady. Is everything done?"
Platinum smiled brightly. "Yes. It is all done now. We can now return to the hotel and get some rest ourselves."
"Great!" Diamond helped her onto the Skarmory before hopping on too. "Okay, Doh. Let's get going."
The Skarmory soon lifted off and Platinum leaned back into Diamond. "How did I do, Diamond?" she asked, sounding as if she was drifting off into sleep already.
Diamond gently held her. "You did great, Lady. You were wonderful. Now you can relax and rest, Lady. You definitely deserve it!"
Next up:
Red and Blue are living together, but… what are their jobs, exactly? Time to look at a day at work for both of them, one at a time! First up… Blue!