SL's cancellation is justified! Nothing can possibly change my mind to kill it after next chapter! … Mainly because with Unova done, and Sinnoh done next update, there's really nothing left to continue.
And now, it's time to cry. I think. I don't know anymore, as I've seen most of this chapter's contents for years now. This was one of the first scenes created for SL since before SL existed. So if there were any feels in this chapter, they stopped affecting me for quite a long time.
Segment: Diamond & Platinum
Chapter 28: Pursuit
April 30, Route 40, Johto, 12 pm…
Platinum kept running. It was difficult to breathe now, as she was still crying and she had been running for almost an hour. But she didn't care. She just… didn't want to be in Johto anymore. She didn't want to stay in the outside world anymore.
She wiped at her eyes again. Her tears were making it difficult for her to see where she was going. Through the blurs, she could see the gate that led to Olivine City. She didn't really remember where the harbor was, but she was in no mental condition to stop and check the map. She just ran while rubbing her eyes.
The door to the gate suddenly opened. Platinum didn't realize it and she ended up running into whoever it was who just opened the door. She only felt the collision and a feminine grunt as they both fell to the ground. Platinum blinked a few times and then realized that she had run into Blue again. Currently, the Kanto Dex Holder was one of three people that the heiress did not want to see under any circumstances.
"You have a habit of literally running into me," Blue said rather angrily, obviously annoyed. "I guess you're used to inferior people getting out of your way. Smug bitch." She then glanced past the heiress and smirked. "Still not with you two so-called friends, huh? So they finally left you. About time."
Platinum began to tear up even more. "Please… stop being so mean to me, senior!" she cried out as her tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Why are you doing this to me? I… didn't do anything to you! I didn't do anything to anyone! I – I just want to go home!" She couldn't take it anymore and began to cry. She just could not hold it in any longer. Why was she so unlikeable? She thought she had close friends, but that wasn't true. And it sure seemed that people just didn't like her. There was no one in the world who would take her side.
For a while, she just cried with her face buried into her hands. Fortunately, Blue didn't seem to have any more harsh words for her. Instead, she waited until the heiress calmed down just a bit.
"Doesn't feel good, does it?" she asked in an oddly comforting tone. "When the whole world seems to hate you." She put a hand on Platinum's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know you don't deserve that." She then reached into her bag and took out a handkerchief. "Here. Wipe away your tears." She then got up to her feet and helped/forced the heiress up to her feet as well. "And come, let's sit by the grassy hill for a sec and not in front of a gate."
Platinum slowly did as told but kept sniffling. Currently, she found Blue to be quite… strange. At first, the Kanto Dex Holder seemed to absolutely hate her, as she had insulted her badly. Even just a minute ago, she had insulted her badly. But yet, here she was now, trying to console her.
"Wh – Why… why do you hate me, senior?" the heiress managed to ask, her voice shaking badly.
"I don't hate you, kid," Blue said as she sat down on the grass. "I just… … I don't know. It's hard to explain, and you don't really want to know the details."
Platinum slowly sat down next to her senior. She hugged her knees close to her chest and let out a shuddering sigh.
"… Can you tell me what happened?" Blue asked.
Platinum stared down at the grass. "… Diamond… hates me… … Pearl… also hates me…" She began to tremble again. "My… only friends… … h – hate me…"
"I'm sure they don't hate you."
The heiress shook her head. "No… Diamond said that… he… doesn't want to see me again…"
"… I'm sorry to hear that," Blue said with a sigh. "… So what are you going to do?"
"… I just want to go home…" Platinum mumbled. "… Everyone hates me… I don't want to stay here…" She let out a sniffle and buried her face into her arms. "… The outside world… is scary… Everyone hates me… and I don't know why…"
"Look, if you go home now, you really will never see any of your friends ever again," Blue started. "Is that what you really want?"
"… They don't want to see me ever again," Platinum said quietly. "So I'll leave them alone… like they want…"
Blue slowly rose to her feet. "Listen, I don't know if you'll follow my advice, but… don't do anything you'll regret later. And don't decide on anything right now. Get some rest, clear your head of all thoughts and then decide what you really want. Don't get swayed by emotions."
Platinum looked up at her senior with a slight frown, as her words sounded hypocritical.
"You can call me a hypocrite if you want," Blue said with a smirk. "But I plan on disappearing forever. For you, if you go home now and accept that you lost your only friends, then you won't be able to make any new friends, ever. And you will pretty much stay cooped up at home forever. It's your choice. And… I know you're really smart. So I know you'll do what's right in the end."
She gave the heiress a gentle pat on the back before she left. For a long while, Platinum stared into the distance. Thoughts about Diamond and Pearl flashed across her mind. She cringed as she felt as if another wave of tears was incoming. She took a deep breath to try to calm down and wiped away the thoughts about her two former friends.
'Staying cooped up at home…' she thought as she now recalled what Blue had said. '… That… is acceptable…'
She slowly got up to her feet and headed into Olivine City. She was going home now.
…
Next day, May 1, 7 am…
…
Diamond blinked. Platinum. That was all he could see. She was there, looking at him with her beautiful eyes as usual. But this time, something was different. Something was very… wrong. The heiress looked quite shocked and hurt, as if she was betrayed by someone she deeply trusted.
He could see tears welling in her eyes. She was saying something, but he couldn't hear her. It was as if she was muted by some psychic force. Even though he couldn't hear what she was saying, he could tell that she was pleading with him.
Diamond tried to say something, but he couldn't hear himself. He tried to move his hands and signal her to calm down. But for some reason, his hands moved way too quickly. And his right hand promptly struck the girl across her cheek. She let out a yelp, and for some reason, he could hear that. Platinum put a hand on her cheek and stared at him in disbelief. She looked so hurt… so betrayed…
She began to tremble as tears fell from her eyes. She was saying something… probably asking him why he hit her. Asking what she did that made him hit her. She never did anything wrong, of course. Diamond wanted to look away, but he couldn't. He was stuck watching his hand hit her once more.
Suddenly, Platinum seemed to have been un-muted. And her words simply stabbed at his heart.
"D – Diamond… that hurt… … Why? … I thought… I thought we were friends…"
Platinum started to cry. She still looked at him as she covered her face with her hands. Diamond felt like crying too, as seeing her heartbroken was breaking him apart. He soon gained control of his hands and quickly tried to reach for her so that he may give her a gentle embrace. The heiress visibly flinched and backed away. She was still crying, even more so now that he was trying to approach her. He looked into her eyes and wished that he hadn't. She looked so scared… she was terrified of him…
Diamond reached for her again while trying to say that he was sorry. She wouldn't believe him, of course. Even if she heard him. He doubted it, since he still couldn't hear himself. Platinum backed away and frantically shook her head. She didn't want to be anywhere near him. Diamond tried to approach her again, but she started to run away. He tried to beg her to come back, but no sound came out. Platinum kept running.
"Lady!" he shouted as he snapped awake from his sleep. … It was all a dream… Just a dream…
Diamond slowly regained his breath and sat up. He thought about the dream he had and the recent happenings. … No, this wasn't just a dream. This was what was happening. Platinum had given him her heart. She begged him to return to being the kind boy he used to be. She put her heart into the gift she made for him, but he brutally stomped on her efforts. He might as well have struck her. The heiress didn't run away yet, though. As hurt as she was, she still wanted to apologize to him and prevent their friendship from being torn apart. She was already broken too much, and she couldn't hide it. And yet, he refused to accept her. He stomped on her efforts again. He might as well have struck her once more. It would have the same effect.
And the results? Platinum was crushed. Just… heartbroken. She ran away from him and immediately left him alone. And he hadn't seen her since. She was afraid to be with him now. Afraid that he would just be mean to her again. Afraid that he would break her heart again. She had just lost one of her only friends without knowing why. She thought it was her fault.
Diamond started to cry. Undoubtedly, Platinum had gone to Pearl by now. After all, he was her only remaining friend. The only one she could rely on for help and support. And all Diamond could do was hope that his plan had worked out and that Pearl accepted Platinum. That way, she could slowly forget about what happened and just be happy…
But of course, things didn't work out the way he had planned. And he was about to find out, as Pearl was marching towards his room. And with Platinum locking herself in her mansion back in Sinnoh, surrounded by an impenetrable wall of maids, servants, and guards, she was now permanently out of reach for both boys.
Diamond steadily calmed down. At least it was all over. Platinum won't have to be sad anymore.
… There was a sudden knock on the door. It was more of a pounding than a knock. Diamond instantly realized who it was. Pearl.
The loud knocks continued as Diamond made his way towards the door. The knocks were so loud, that it could warrant a noise complaint from nearby suites this early in the morning.
Diamond opened the door after a sigh. As expected, Pearl was standing there, looking pissed. Diamond quietly let his friend inside and shut the door.
"Dia… no, Diamond," Pearl said, surprisingly quietly given his personality. "… What the hell."
"… Keep her happy," Diamond mumbled as he slumped on his bed. "… She doesn't deserve what I did to her. … She loves you, Pearl. So keep her happy…"
"I… warned you…" Pearl said, trembling in anger. "… I told you… I told you that I would end this shit…"
Diamond froze momentarily and quickly looked up. "… What?"
"I told you," Pearl growled out. "I told you I'd go straight to Miss Lady and say to her face that I don't like her. You dragged me into a mess that I didn't want to be in. … I ended it."
"… What did you do?"
"… She came to me yesterday, saying that you hurt her. She told me that you didn't want to see her ever again, and that you hated her. So I did what I said I'd do. I told her that I didn't like her, and that she should stay away from me for her own good and mine." Pearl slammed a hand on the nearby table. "I told you this would happen! I told you… Now she lost both of her only friends at once, and she thinks it's her fault. We're all in a damn spiral of misery, you stubborn idiot. While you and I may be able to escape the spiral someday, Miss Lady will be in it forever. Do you think she'll make new friends? No! Her only friends suddenly abandoned her and broke her heart, because she did something wrong. She'll never be able to make any new friends, and will stay locked up in her freaking mansion for the rest of her life. I warned you this would happen…"
"Pearl!" Diamond exclaimed as he jumped up to his feet. "What… How… Why would you do that to her?!" But he couldn't maintain his anger for long. That would be quite hypocritical. After all, Pearl only did what he said he would do. Diamond just thought that the hasty Dex Holder would change his mind if he saw how much Platinum was hurt.
Diamond sat back down on the bed as he quickly realized that he had no right to raise his voice here. Pearl took a deep breath as he calmed himself down.
"I can ask you the exact same question," he said at long last. "But… there's no point of that, now is there? What's done is done. … I was going to tear you a new one, but… what would that accomplish?"
"I just wanted her to be happy in the long run…" Diamond muttered as he slowly shook his head. "I want what'll make her happy… not what'll make me happy… But now… she just won't be happy ever…" He suddenly looked up at his friend. "… We have to go talk to the Lady… right now… Set everything right."
"I think it's way too late," Pearl said with a sigh. "Or way too early. There's no way she'd accept our apologies right now."
"But we can't just… do nothing," Diamond said. He sighed and put a hand over his face. The regret now came flooding in. Of course he shouldn't have hurt Platinum like that. He knew she didn't deserve it… "Damn it… it's my fault… if I just… …"
But at the same time, he found it… relieving in a way, as he was now allowed to show concern and care for the heiress. Being harsh and mean to her was really hard. Pretending to not care about her was worse.
"Dia, we've been best friends since… I don't know. As long as I can remember," Pearl said slowly. "While I really like Miss Lady as a friend, you matter more to me than her. I won't 'steal' her from you when you love her. And I know that you'll take care of her much better. Even now. While you may have hurt Miss Lady, I hurt her just as bad. She won't be preferring anyone. She won't be willing to listen to us right now, though. So we have to wait a bit. I think we should meet our senior Dex Holders and ask them for advice. So come on, get up and let's get moving."
…
A week later, May 8, Sandgem Town, Sinnoh…
…
Platinum stared blankly at the book she was trying to read. She had been trying to read for half an hour now, but she couldn't make any progress. Her thoughts kept going back to the days she had spent with Diamond and Pearl. And then she did something wrong… something horrible and in an instant, she had lost both of them.
She still didn't know what she did wrong. And she was so ashamed because of it. Was she so… blind and arrogant that she wasn't aware that she was hurting the feelings of others? Was that why Blue was so mean to her when they first met?
Platinum whimpered and buried her face into her arms. Every time these thoughts arose, she felt so… ashamed and embarrassed. What if everyone thought that she was just some arrogant bitch? … Was she so blind that she didn't notice it before?
Everyone… hated her…
One of the servants of the Berlitz Mansion suddenly approached her. "My lady, you have a visitor."
Platinum perked up and blinked a few times. "… A visitor… Just one person?"
"Yes, my lady," said the servant. "He said that he came from Kanto to talk to you in person."
The heiress frowned but slowly headed downstairs towards the guest room. She didn't know who the visitor was. Since it was just one person, it wouldn't be Diamond or Pearl. Not that those two would be visiting her anyways, since they made it obvious that they hated her.
When she opened the door to the guest room, she spotted Red standing with his back turned from the doorway, staring at the decorations on the walls.
"… Senior?"
Red turned around at the sound of her voice and for a moment, he looked very… sympathetic.
"Hey, Platinum. Do you mind if I talk to you?"
"… What do you want?" Platinum asked rather defensively.
"I just want to talk to you," Red answered nicely. "I wanted to see how you were doing."
The heiress suddenly narrowed her eyes. "No… you are lying. You want to… hurt me… Everyone does… … No one likes me… Everyone hates me!"
"Hey, that's not true," Red said. "I'm your senior, but I'm also your friend, aren't I? And I can tell you that no one hates you. I certainly don't hate you. You're one of my favorite juniors! And I want what's best for you. And right now, that's accepting your friends' apology."
"… The best for me?" Platinum muttered. She suddenly let out a shrill laugh. "That is exactly what they always said… And they were lying… LIES!"
"… Platinum?"
The heiress glared at her senior with an unstable look in her eyes. "Everything they said were lies… There is no such thing as genuine generosity in the outside world! Everyone does something only to get something in return… … Everyone… … Even you… Why are you nice to me? You must want something… But what? I-"
Red gently grabbed her shoulders and shook rather furiously. "Snap out of it!" he yelled. "Your friends all want what's best for you, and it's not because we want something in return! It's because we care!"
"Lies!" Platinum spat out. "I am not so naïve anymore! I used to care for Diamond and Pearl… and I thought they cared about me. I thought they were my friends… … my only friends… But they were only using me! All that time… they kept telling me I was their friend, but they were lying! I am not so stupid anymore! I know that I have no friends… Everything about me offends everyone… No one can like me. No one wants to be a friend…" She suddenly pushed her seniors' hands off of her shoulders. "… Everything you say is a lie! Everything you said were lies! You liar! Lies! Li-"
Without warning, Red punched Platinum in the face. He didn't punch her too hard for obvious reasons, but enough to shock the heiress and to knock her down to the floor. Instantly, the surrounding guards of the Berlitz Mansion rushed and grabbed onto Red and proceeded to roughly drag him away from Platinum.
The heiress put a hand on her cheek as she sat up. She wasn't bleeding in her mouth, so that was good… For a brief moment, she remained seated on the floor, blinking repeatedly while rubbing her cheek. She soon looked up and saw Red being forcefully dragged away by the guards.
"Wait!" she said hastily. The guards stopped as ordered and looked at her for further instructions. The heiress shakily rose to her feet and approached them. "… Thank you, senior Red," she said after a polite bow to her senior. "… I… really needed that. So please, if you are willing to accept, I would like to offer you something to drink and time to talk."
The guards hesitated for a bit, but upon receiving a slight glare from the heiress, released the Kanto Dex Holder.
Soon, Platinum sat on one of the seats by the table in the guest room with Red sitting across the table from her. The Kanto Dex Holder rubbed the back of his neck with a guilty expression.
"Uh… sorry about that punch," he said slowly.
"It is okay, senior," the girl said as she rubbed her cheek. "But… usually, when someone requires an intervention to get back into proper senses, I believe you are supposed to slap that person and not… punch."
"Yeah… I'll keep that in mind for the next time. Anyways, the reason I'm here…"
Platinum lowered her hand and she looked quite… sad. "… You wish me to forgive Diamond and Pearl?"
"Yeah. Everyone deserves a second chance, right? They were your closest friends. And they really regret how they treated you. They really want to make things right. For the past week, they've been asking whoever they could for advice on this matter. And Blue told me that she told them to visit you in person. She also told me to check up on you, and let you know that Dia and Pearl are coming to apologize."
"… I am aware of their intentions," Platinum said quietly. "… They have called me countless times already… … But… the truth is, I have already given them their second chance after they betrayed my trust over a year ago. At that time, they were only lying to me to protect our fragile friendship, but this time… they… purposely hurt me… I do not know if I can trust them ever again. I… do not know if I want to trust them ever again…"
"But if you don't accept them as your friends, you wouldn't be able to accept anyone else," Red said after a short moment of thought. "They were your first friends, right?" Platinum suddenly started to sob. "… Uh… are you okay?"
The heiress shook her head and wiped away her tears. "I – I know I must deal with Diamond and Pearl in order to make peace. But… I – I just… can't trust them anymore. I – I'm scared… They told me to stay away from them. They… hate me… And I really don't know what I did to upset them so much… I – I don't want them to hurt me again… … I just… don't know what to do…" She lowered her head and began to sob uncontrollably. "Please… help me…"
Red moved to sit beside her and gently put an arm over her shoulders.
"Platinum, I won't pretend I understand what you're going through," he said warmly. "All I know is that it must hurt a lot. And you said you're scared of facing your friends, right? Let me tell you that if you don't face your fears, things will only get worse."
Platinum slowly calmed down thanks to her senior's warm embrace and looked up at him. He gave her a kind smile.
"Right now, Dia and Pearl want to talk to you," he continued. "They really want to apologize. But if you keep avoiding them, there's a chance that they'd lose hope and give up. I hear that Pearl isn't the type to give up on anything, but given what he did to you, he might this time." He gave her a gentle pat on the back. "And while I may not know you like I know Green or Blue, I think I still know you quite well. You're a really nice girl, Platinum. And I know how much you care about your friends. I know that deep down, you don't want to lose them. Am I right?"
Platinum sniffled again but slowly nodded. She wiped away her tears, but chose to stay within her senior's embrace. She leaned into him a little, and for the first time in a while, she let herself be comforted. … It felt quite nice, to be cared like this…
…
3 days later, May 11…
…
Platinum stared at her Pokégear, looking at the huge list of missed calls from Diamond and Pearl. Even though Red told her to give the two Sinnoh boys another chance, the heiress was still uncertain.
If the two boys wanted to talk to her again, she was going to give them the chance. She didn't want to see them face to face, but… a call wouldn't be too bad.
But the two boys didn't call her. They haven't called since Red's visit a few days ago. Platinum had a sinking feeling… What if they gave up on her? … Was it too late for her now?
She put her Pokégear away and buried her face into her arms. … That's it then. It's over. If the two boys didn't hate her yet, they would now. And now, she would live on with only her memories of her two former friends. … Only if… she could erase those memories…
She pulled her head back and her eyes caught the rings on her fingers. … A diamond ring… and a pearl ring… … like them.
"My lady, you have visitors," a maid said as she approached the heiress.
Platinum jumped in surprise and gasped. Visitors… Diamond and Pearl? The heiress wasn't ready to face them… she didn't want to see them yet.
"… Diamond… and Pearl?" she mumbled, as her fears rapidly grew inside.
"Yes. They wish to speak with you."
Platinum furiously shook her head. "N – No! I… do not want to talk to them… Tell them to leave me alone! … Get them out of here…"
Once the maid left, Platinum pressed her hands on her temples. … That was it… she had lost her last chance to reconcile with Diamond and Pearl… because of her fears. She was still scared of talking to them… And now that she had rejected their attempt to visit her, they could be upset now… With a whimper, she quickly retreated to the safety of her room. She didn't want the risk of hearing the voices of Diamond and Pearl if they were to yell at her in anger.
Meanwhile, Diamond and Pearl waited in the guest room for the maid to return. They sincerely hoped that she would bring some good news. Platinum had rejected all of their calls, but perhaps she'd be willing to talk face to face? It had been so long since her departure from Kanto that perhaps she wasn't feeling as hurt as back then.
According to Red, the heiress was starting to lose her mind when he talked to her, but with a… punch, he had managed to snap her out before she really went crazy. Hopefully, the heiress hadn't lost her mind yet.
Within a few minutes, the maid returned.
"My apologies," she said. "The Lady does not wish to speak to you. She has instructed me to escort you to the exit."
Pearl sighed. "Fine… I guess we'll come back later."
…
For every day for the next week, the two boys tried to visit Platinum. But it seemed that the distressed heiress had given new instructions to the guards, as they refused to allow the two boys anywhere near the mansion.
Diamond and Pearl tried to convince the guards, but to no avail. In fact, the guards looked hostile to them. If they tried anything more, they might force them to stay away from the mansion. A hostile contact with the guards would not do the two boys any good.
So they tried something different. They went to Prof. Rowan, who agreed to call the Berlitz Mansion, and convince the butler Sebastian to talk to the two boys.
"Please, we need to set everything straight," Diamond said to the butler. "I know the Lady is very sad and hurt right now, and I know it's my fault. But that's why we need to talk to her. We need to set things right, for her own good."
"If you believe that you can make her happy, I will let you pass," the butler replied. "Come to the mansion."
The two boys did as told. And this time, the guards reluctantly let them pass. The servants, maids, and guards occasionally glared at them as they passed, but with guidance from Sebastian, Diamond and Pearl were able to reach Platinum's room without alerting her to their presence.
Pearl took out his Pokédex and stared at it, expecting it to resonate. It would serve as a notice for the heiress that her two former friends have come to reconcile. But oddly, the Pokédex did not resonate. … Could it be that Platinum wasn't in this room?
Diamond took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There was no response. Diamond pressed his ear to the door and could hear some movement inside and some incoherent mumbles. He faced Pearl and nodded.
After another deep breath, Diamond opened the door and entered. The moment the two boys entered the room, they realized that Platinum had been steadily going crazy again. They saw the diamond and pearl rings the girl always wore on the floor near the corners of the room. There were bits of torn clothes scattered around, along with shredded pieces of paper and photos. The girl herself was sitting on her bed, trying to break apart her Pokédex with a pair of scissors. … That explained why the Pokédex didn't resonate.
Diamond looked around the room and noticed that everything that had been destroyed was… related to him or Pearl in some way. All the torn photos were ones the three Sinnoh Dex Holders took together. They were happy photos of them hanging out, but the heiress now obviously found nothing but pain in them and had decided to tear them apart.
All the shredded pieces of paper were parts of books and newspapers that had the details about the Team Galactic incident a year ago. And all the destroyed clothes were ones the girl had worn in front of the two boys. It was clear that the heiress was trying to destroy all evidence of their existence in her mind, trying to destroy all that linked her to them.
Currently, she was wearing a black T-shirt, shorts, and short socks. She didn't have her hat, scarf, hair clits, or Pokétch. She wasn't wearing anything that she had worn in front of the two boys once before. Her hair was messy and tangled, and she looked like a completely different person.
"… Miss Lady," Pearl called out eventually.
Platinum dropped her broken Pokédex and the scissors and looked up. Pearl watched her expression and saw exactly how distressed she was. She didn't seem to be happy to see the two boys at all. If anything, she seemed to have recalled a very painful memory and looked even more distressed. Diamond, however, saw something slightly different. Right before the painful memory was recalled, he saw a brief hint of relief in the girl's eyes. Deep inside, she was happy to see them again. Perhaps she was happy to know that they actually cared for her enough to visit her.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice trembling quite badly. "I – I stayed away from you two as you wished. What more do you want?"
"Lady, we just wanted to apologize," Diamond said.
Platinum frantically shook her head. "No. You lie! You purposely hurt me. You purposely betrayed my trust. And yet, you came back. Why? You must still want something from me. But what?"
"Miss Lady, we don't want anything from you," Pearl said. "We just wanted to apologize and try to make things return to the way they used to be. We want us to be friends again."
"Lies! No one wants to be friends with me! You pretend to be my friends only so you can hurt me again! Haven't you done enough? Or is it money you want?" Platinum reached into her bag and began to throw rolls of bills at Diamond and Pearl. "Here! Take it! This is what you wanted, no? You said you never wanted to see me again! You told me to go away! So leave me alone!"
Pearl took a step forward and he immediately had to duck to avoid the pair of scissors Platinum threw at him. He quickly stepped back again and this time, had to dodge the broken Pokédex.
"Pearl, leave," Diamond said quietly. "This is something that I need to fix."
"Yeah. I hear you," Pearl said equally quietly. He headed for the exit and glanced at Diamond. "Just do it right. This is your last opportunity, right?"
Once Pearl left, Diamond slowly walked towards Platinum. The heiress threw her bag at him, which he didn't bother dodging. It hit him in the face, but he continued walking. It hurt a bit, and he knew he deserved a lot more. But Platinum seemed to have run out of things to throw. She was still saying something angrily, but she wasn't making any sense.
"Lady," he said softly. "I'm so sorry, for everything."
Hearing his apology only seemed to make Platinum angrier. When he knelt in front of her bed, she promptly kicked him. But Diamond didn't stop. He put his hands on top of the girl's to prove that he was sincere. The heiress pulled her hands back and immediately struck him across the face multiple times. He didn't try to stop her.
"I know how you must feel."
"No," Platinum growled out. "You do not! You have no idea how much you hurt me! And you did it on purpose!"
"And I'm sorry. I really am," Diamond said as tears started to well in his eyes. "But please, know that I'm being sincere."
Platinum too, started to tear up. "Stop," she sobbed out. "Just stop!" She wiped away her tears and tried her absolute best to stop herself from crying.
"It's okay, Lady," Diamond said softly. "It's okay…"
The heiress burst into tears. "I – I hate you!" she cried out as she began to pound the boy's shoulders with her fists. "I hate you!"
Diamond didn't block and instead, just let the girl hit him over and over. "It's okay. Just let it all out."
Platinum did as told basically, and broke down into tears. She kept pounding on his shoulders as she cried, as she vented out the anger and frustration that had been building up for a long while.
After a few minutes of continuous pounding, Platinum stopped, as she had vented out all of her built up anger and frustration. Instead, she just looked into his eyes with utter melancholy. "… Why, Diamond?" she whimpered out. "Why are you doing this to me? What did I do to make you hate me so much?"
"You didn't do anything wrong," Diamond assured her. "It was just my stupidity and selfishness. And I never hated you. I always cared for you."
"That… pie I made for you…" Platinum sobbed out. "I poured my heart into it and I tried so hard to make it right… But you didn't even taste it… You didn't appreciate my sincerity…"
"I did taste it. And it was very delicious. It meant a lot to me that you would put so much effort into it."
"Then why? Why did you say that you never wanted to see me again? Why did you hurt me again when I tried to talk to you?"
Again, the heiress cried as the painful memories returned. Diamond gently embraced her and Platinum let herself be embraced. She buried her face into Diamond's (bruised) shoulder and sobbed as the boy tried his best to comfort her.
Soon, Platinum calmed down as she let all of the sadness out of her system. With all of her pent up anger and sadness depleted, she simply stared at Diamond with a blank look, waiting for him to do or say something.
"Lady," Diamond said as he wiped away his tears. "I'm going to be honest with you. I'm going to tell you why I did what I did. And I'm going to tell you why Pearl did what he did. And I'll leave it up to you to decide whether you want to trust me or not, and whether you want to see me again or not. Okay?"
Platinum wiped away the last of her tears and slowly nodded. She looked at Diamond expectantly as he proceeded to explain his actions.
"… The truth is… I… love you," Diamond said as another tear rolled down his cheek. "I was in love with you since the moment we first met. I always wanted the best for you…" He paused to check Platinum's reaction. The heiress didn't say anything and just waited for him to continue. "And… well… You came to me and told me that you were in love with Pearl. And when you told me that… it hurt me, but… it was also relieving, sort of. It hurt because you didn't love me, but relieving because I always feared that I wasn't good enough for you. You being in love with someone else alleviates that fear. I sent Pearl to… spy on you during your date, in case something bad happened and you needed help. Since he saved you from the drunk muggers, I guess that was a correct choice. But you fell in love with Pearl because of it."
"… Why did you not spy on me yourself?" Platinum asked quietly.
"Because Pearl has a much faster reaction than me," Diamond answered. "He will be able to save you better than me. He would be able to determine the correct course of action much faster, so he would be more reliable." He let out a long sigh. "… Lady… I never hated you. I always loved you… I still do. But if you were in love with Pearl, while you didn't know that I was in love with you, then eventually, when you found out that I loved you, you would be… stuck between me and Pearl. Pearl knows that you loved him, and he told me that he doesn't love you. He said he would be trying to push you to me, which was why he left us the moment we arrived in Johto. But… you loved him, Lady. You would be happier with him. If I didn't do anything, you would be stuck between me and Pearl and that would be terrible. So… I wanted to push you to Pearl, so that you would be happier. If I… be mean to you for no reason and hurt your feelings, you would leave me and go to Pearl, and he would accept you. And in time, you would forget about me and just be happy with Pearl. But he… wanted you to be with me. And to stop you from loving him more, he also had to purposely hurt you."
With another long sigh, Diamond gently held onto Platinum's hands and explained his every action and every thought since arriving at Johto. He didn't leave out any detail. Though he was afraid of what might happen, he told the girl everything he could think of, and waited for her response. To his surprise though, Platinum's expression didn't change from her blank stares. He wondered if this was because she was trying to piece everything together, or because she didn't fully trust his words. Either way, Diamond did all he could and now all that was left was waiting for Platinum to say something.
The heiress blinked a few times as she tried to process the information. But in her tired mind, she couldn't think straight. More importantly, she couldn't decide whether she could trust Diamond or not. She wanted to, but she was honestly afraid that he might hurt her again. The past few weeks have been absolutely horrible and she did not want that to happen again. And Diamond's motive was a little suspicious. He said that he loved her, but he was willing to hurt her so that she could be happy. She could only slightly understand his reasoning at the moment. Platinum decided that she needed to rest first before she made a decision.
"… Diamond," she said slowly.
"Yes?"
"I… appreciate you telling me the truth," she said, though she honestly didn't know if Diamond was being truthful. "But at the moment, I… do not know what to say. I cannot think straight right now. I think I need to rest before I can piece everything together. So if you and Pearl would return home, I will tell you my decision tomorrow."
Diamond didn't answer. He simply hesitated, as he was afraid that Platinum might lock herself in her room again. "Do you… want us to return tomorrow?"
Platinum shook her head. "I will go to you." She examined his expression and soon understood why he was hesitating. "You are afraid that I might lock myself in my room again. I promise you that I will go and find you in Twinleaf Town tomorrow with my decision. Do you trust me?"
"Yes, of course," Diamond answered. He rose to his feet and bowed to Platinum, who simply watched him. "I will see you tomorrow then. And I hope that it will not be the last time, Lady…"
The heiress didn't say anything and just watched him leave. Once the door closed, she turned off the lights, closed the curtains and tried to go to sleep.
…
Next day, May 20, Twinleaf Town…
…
Diamond and Pearl eagerly waited in Diamond's home for Platinum to tell them her decision. Both boys had woken up very early as they had no idea exactly when the heiress would visit. When the girl knocked on the door, it was around 4:30 pm; roughly 12 hours after the two boys had woken up.
"Lady, you came," Diamond said rather happily.
Platinum didn't say anything. She looked at him once but turned and walked away. Diamond and Pearl quickly followed her. Once all three Sinnoh Dex Holders had walked a bit away from the house, Platinum turned to face the two boys. She had no particular expression on her face. If anything, there was only her default look of ice-cold. Diamond noticed that Platinum had brought a trio of guards this time, who were sort of surrounding her from afar. This was not something she ever did before, as she had always tried to make her friends feel at ease.
The heiress reached into her bag and withdrew several pages of paper. Once again, she had written down her thoughts and decisions so that she would be able to deliver her message clearly without being swayed by emotions.
"Diamond, Pearl," the heiress read out. Her voice was completely devoid of any emotions whatsoever. "You two were my only friends. And though the circumstances of our meeting were unusual, after the incident in Canalave City, we all started fresh and we cleared all misunderstandings. You two assured me that you only wanted the best for me. And I decided to trust you again even though you broke my trust. Over a year has passed since then. And I can see that you two have decided to betray my trust again. I thought we were getting along very well. That is why I called you two over when I had to meet my 'suitors', as I did not wish to be alone for an event that did not interest me, and I had hoped that you two would make it more endurable. But Diamond, you started to act coldly to me. I did not understand why. I thought you would need time to return to normal, but time only made things worse. You did not talk to me. You did not look at me. You ignored me often. I was afraid that I did something to offend you unconsciously, and I have tried so hard to prove to you that I did not mean any harm. I tried my absolute best to set everything right. But you spat in my efforts. I was not getting along with some of my seniors. I really needed your support. But then you told me to go away."
Diamond began to tremble as he had a sinking feeling of what was coming next. He looked down at the ground, having lost the courage to even look at Platinum and her icy cold expression. Platinum didn't even look at him as she continued reading.
"Pearl. Ever since you rescued me from those drunk muggers, I thought I was in love with you. You knew about it even though I did not tell you. And you purposely avoided me for that reason. You were not hurtful, however. You just refused to be alone with me. I understand your choice. But when Diamond broke my heart, I went to you for support. I told you that Diamond was being mean to me and just then, you started to be cold to me too. You said you did not like me as I liked you. That, I can understand, as it is your choice. But you told me to go away. You broke my heart too. In my time of need, you hurt me. I was left all alone. I had no friends to rely on. No one wanted me around. No one wanted to be my friend."
Platinum stopped reading and wiped her eyes. Diamond had already had tears in his eyes and now Platinum tearing up too. Pearl avoided eye contact and sighed. He knew what he did was wrong. Even at the time, he knew that what he was doing would do more harm than good. But he was sick and tired of everything that was happening. He still stood by his actions.
The heiress sniffled a little but continued reading. "So I went away as everyone wanted. I went home. No one liked me. I knew that already. So I kept my distance from everyone else. But the days and nights were miserable. I could not sleep. I could not eat. I could not even think without being reminded of you two. Everything I saw reminded me of you. I still did not know why you two hated me so much. But if you were going to delete me from your memories, I wanted to do the same. But you two came back for me. I could not understand why. You two hated me so much, yet you came all the way to Sinnoh from Kanto to see me. We were no longer friends. We were only acquaintances. I thought you came to hurt me again. Senior Red had told me that I should talk to you and give you another chance. But I was afraid that you two would hurt me again. But you came again and again. And you finally told me why everything happened." Platinum wasn't crying anymore. And she wasn't completely emotionless either. Her words were filled with anger. And she looked quite angry as well. "Diamond," she said, nearly spitting out the name.
Diamond instantly looked up at the girl's face. He regretted it. Her face was filled with such burning hatred and anger that it would be permanently etched into his mind. He quickly looked back down at the ground. Platinum continued reading.
"You hurt me so much just because I told you that I loved Pearl. Was what I said so wrong and so hurtful that you felt justified in hurting me like that? You claimed that you were pushing me to Pearl. Yet he told you that he was pushing me to you. Could you not see how much you were hurting me? Could you really not see my sincerity? You broke my heart, Diamond. And I will never forget it." Platinum let out a sigh before she shifted her target. "Pearl, I understand your reason. You did not want our relationship to become awkward. You wanted us all to remain friends, but my stupid crush on you was endangering that relationship. I understand and appreciate your thought of leaving me alone with Diamond so that the situation may correct itself. But when Diamond broke my heart, why did you push me away as well? You were afraid that my crush on you would become stronger. So I was wrong when I thought you were the right one for me. I was wrong with both of you. But I cannot blame all this on you. I am to blame as well. Had I been aware of your crush on me, Diamond, this would not have happened. Had I been more likeable, this would not have happened. Had I understood what was happening faster, this would not have happened. If I never asked you to accompany me in my meetings with my 'suitors', this would never have happened. … And had I never met you two, this would not have happened. I have thought this over countless times since yesterday and I made my decision."
Diamond and Pearl kept their eyes on the ground and braced themselves. They knew this was coming. They knew that their actions would not be forgiven. But it still hurt them immensely to hear it.
"You two have proven to me how naïve I was. You two have proven to me that I am not likeable. And you have given me valuable experience in life. I cannot trust you again. I cannot forgive you for what you have done to me. All this was caused by my stupidity. And it shames me horribly to even stand in front of you. This… was all my fault. And it shames me so much that I cannot even look up at the sky anymore. Our relationships cannot possibly return to what they used to be. My opinion on you two will also never change." Platinum's voice started to shake as she read. She seemed to be hesitating with every word, as if she was still trying to decide on this matter. "So… Diamond, Pearl… listen carefully when I say this. I… do not wish… to see…"
Diamond and Pearl shut their eyes and braced themselves again. Platinum held her tongue. She mentally read out what she wrote.
'I do not wish to see you two ever again. You hurt me too much and I will not allow it to continue. Goodbye. You two will never see me again, and you are prohibited from approaching my home.' The heiress looked up from her letter and glanced at the expressions of her two former friends. '… Do I really want this? Diamond and Pearl have hurt me badly, but they did it with their best intentions. Or so they say. But do I really want them to leave my life forever?' Platinum looked at her letter again and read the last part in her mind again and again. She thought about what Red and Blue had told her as well. She needed to forgive Diamond and Pearl is she wanted to make new friends. She had to reconcile with them in order to move on. A realization soon hit her and she put on a faint smile. 'The fact that I am hesitating proves that I still want them to be my friends again…' With that realization, she resumed 'reading'. "… I do not wish to see our friendship shatter like this."
Diamond and Pearl's eyes snapped open and they both looked up at the heiress in disbelief. The girl didn't look nearly as angry. Her voice no longer contained any anger, and her expression no longer had the burning hatred. Instead, she looked… a little happy.
"Even though you two have hurt me badly, you showed that you still cared for me by coming back from Kanto. I will never forget everything you have said to me or what you have done to me, but I am willing to rebuild our friendship. I may not trust you, but I will not avoid you or pretend that you do not exist. Our friendship will never fully recover, but I believe it is worth a try. I did miss your company. And I will do anything to restore our relationships. I do not wish to be hurt again, but I do not wish to be all alone. And I certainly hope that one day, we will become close friends again. To my two former friends. From Platinum Berlitz."
The heiress let out a long sigh as she folded her letter. Diamond and Pearl sighed as well. They knew what happened. Platinum's eyes did not move while she 'read' the final part of her letter. Which meant that she initially wanted to never see them again but changed her mind at the last possible moment. And they were certainly glad that she did.
"So we've been demoted from 'knights' to 'former friends', huh?" Pearl said jokingly. "Well, I'll take it. It's better than 'commoner strangers' or something worse than that. Thank you, Miss Lady."
Platinum put her letter away. "… I just hope that I do not regret this decision."
"You won't, Lady," Diamond assured her. "And… I know this won't change anything, but… I'm really sorry for all that happened."
The heiress glanced at him once before she looked away. "I am sorry too. If I had known…" She turned to look at the two boys. She was almost glaring at them. "But should you two betray my trust one more time… should you hurt me in any way, you two really will never see me again. And I will delete you both from my memories, permanently."
The two boys nodded. "We know. And we promise that it will not happen."
Platinum sighed. "Your promises ring hollow to me right now. Maybe time will change that…"
Pearl extended a fist. "Well, here's to our new start. … Again."
Diamond joined his fist with Pearl's. "Yeah. A new start…"
The two boys looked over at Platinum, expecting her to bump her fist with theirs. But the heiress glanced at their joined fists and slowly shook her head. "… We are not there yet," she said quietly. She then turned away from them.
Diamond and Pearl lowered their fists in awkward silence. So the heiress really didn't trust them yet. She even refused their "symbol of trust" that they always made after they accomplished something. But at least the girl was talking to them. That was a start if there ever was one.
"So… what now?" Pearl asked.
"… I am going back to Kanto," Platinum said. "Senior Red had visited me in my time of distress. I must personally give him my gratitude. Senior Blue has also given me valuable advice. I must visit her and thank her personally as well. Your company is not required." Again, she sounded quite harsh and cold. But it did not seem intentional. She glanced back at the two boys. "… But you may accompany me if you wish."
"We're with you," Diamond said quickly.
Platinum simply turned away. "Understood. I shall wait for you in Canalave City's harbor. You will have to pay for your own trip." She momentarily stopped and frowned, as she thought that she had sounded way too cold. But she soon reverted her expression to normal and headed back home, leaving Diamond and Pearl to themselves.
Diamond let out a sigh as he watched Platinum leave. It hurt him to see her so… angry and cold. But understandable. All he could do was try to get her to loosen up again, and go back to being the sweet and cute girl instead of the ice-cold heiress. And to do that, he had to stay with her at all times in the second trip to Kanto.
A lot of scenes were cut from the original plans. Diamond and Pearl were supposed to find Yellow, who would read Crystal's Xatu's thoughts (Pokédex entry for Xatu states that it can see the future) to see what happens to Platinum if Diamond and Pearl don't do anything. Diamond and Pearl were also supposed to go find Blue and ask for help.
Those scenes were cut because of the Blue vs. Yellow and Crystal fight. Until that fight, Yellow and Crystal would not be talking to anyone at all, but Blue would not be helping anyone after the fight. The fight itself occurs when Diamond and Pearl are in Sinnoh. It will be referenced next chapter.
Next up: The final chapter of SL, and the end of the Sinnoh segment. I have no idea how long it'll be, but hopefully not too long. Aiming for a 4 digit word count.