Hard Enough - Chapter 451 - Wedding - Part three - From outsiders' eyes (Patreon)

Erika had the good fortune of being upon the stairs at the front of the cathedral when Sabrina entered.

Light.

Power.

Love.

All of it washed over her and made her weak in the knees and giddy. She couldn’t help the smile that came over her as she stared at her friend. One of her best friends certainly, and knew that she had captured a moment of perfection with her entrance.

With the light of evolution shining off her, Sbarina looked ascendant.

Like she was exuding an essence of beauty and power all rolled into one that made Erika wonder how she’d never seen just how beautiful Sabrina truly was.

Then she felt the shift in the air, and knew before her brain could consciously form the thought about what would happen next.

Her eyes, and much of the congregation, turned to find Brock blazing with his own aura. From his position atop the stairs next to the celebrant, he loomed.

If Sabrina felt like an emotive source of light, Brock seemed like a cool stone on a hot day, offering relief. 

Both blazed like giants, bigger and better than ever before, as though storytime heroes had been brought to life.

Which, considering the feats they’d done so far…

Erika swallowed only to notice that despite the demonstration, she didn’t feel weighed down or oppressed.

Erika blinked even as she took in the situation.

What was going on? 

It felt almost like the time Erika had explored deep into the wilds of an old forest. There she’d found a giant ancient Vileplume that had burrowed down only to awaken to her presence.

When she’d encountered it at first she’d been terrified of its size only for it to smile and nod. She’d spent an entire day just near the giant grass type, taking in its surroundings and what it meant that a grass type could grow so large.

At the end, she’d been allowed to step upon its petals and rise up high, where she felt like she was on top of the world. 

Ah… They’d softened their aura. The power and the expanse were there, but instead of being a harsh mountain, or a piercing insight, it now seemed comforting to have them nearby. 

Like the world could fall down and they’d hold it up through their wills alone.

Where usually it was in a fighting situation, this was different.

It was meant to enhance them both, but not at the expense of their friends, family and guests.

Erika turned back to Sabrina and found herself locked onto Brock, even as Sabrina’s father walked her down the aisle.

Her eyes shone as the energy shimmered over her.

Was this what had the girls in Brock’s family so giddy after the bridesmaids had been asked to step aside for a few minutes?

Erika wanted to inspect them for obvious tells but found herself unable to force her eyes down there.

She was either looking at Sabrina, or Brock. There was no in between, like they were the north and the south poles, only charged so potently that people’s gazes had to look to them. Erika found it depended on proximity. 

Some were locked onto Brock, or Sabrina, with more turning back to her as she advanced down the aisle.

Very few people could turn their heads against the pull, only to find themselves with a preset destination.

It took an effort of will and pulling upon her own aura to look out at the crowd who were locked in for the show Sabrina and Brock were putting on.

Karen, who’d worn something that very much looked like a dark wedding dress to thumb her nose at Sabrina looked gobsmacked.

Sabrina’s Gardevoir, Erika noted, was actually the one to be Mega-evolved. For some reason Erika had expected Alakazam to be floating back there, only for Erika to spy him sitting next to Sandra in the pews.

Larger pokemon, like Brock’s, were situated along the edge of the hall, with Bertha even crying and grinning like a loon while Brock’s Clefable fluttered giddily, only for the Chansey next to him to hold him firmly in place.

Gardevoir in turn, was almost bouncing behind Sabrina with a giddy look on her face and going unremarked with her trainer drawing everyone’s gaze despite the rarity of mega evolution.

Queen Ilene stared, her fan, which she often used to hide her expression, falling away to reveal the chink in her emotions as she stared like everyone else.

Sir Lucario had his head cocked and glanced between them both with a curious expression. He almost looked… Pleased?

Professor Oak had a giant smile on his face, and while his hands twitched towards his jacket pocket he restrained himself and instead watched on while at his side his granddaughter and grandson gaped openly.

Cynthia looked on with a cool, if interested, expression as she tracked Sabrina only to glance up and catch Erika watching her.

Erika snapped her gaze to the side to find Brock’s groomsmen grinning at him even as Lance rubbed his chin in thought.

Any further inspection of the crowd vanished from Erika’s mind as she realised that Sabrina had reached the stairs and was now ascending them with her father.

When they reached Brock, Saul shook his hand and murmured a few words that Erika couldn’t hear.

Brock murmured something else, shook the man’s hand again, and then stepped away as he took Sabrina’s hand in his own.

They turned to each other then and locked eyes, beaming at each other and somehow seemed to radiate more energy from the act.

For what felt like an age no one moved. Not after Brock and Sabrina reached each other.

They stared into each other’s eyes, and the world beyond them ceased to exist.

There was warmth, shelter, love, and understanding.

Erika sighed in contentment, like she’d just sat down after a long day’s work in the garden only to settle in the shade with her pokemon and a cool drink, provided to her by someone who—

With no warning, the mega evolution faded, and suddenly the world was a duller place, only made brighter from the briefest flash of what had been light.

Both Sabrina and Brock blinked in surprise. Sabrina smiled widely as she glanced towards the congregation with a knowing smile.

Brock rubbed the back of his head. 

“Ahaha, sorry about that! We got a little caught up in each other!” he laughed.

Erika giggled.

They were just so in love that they’d gotten lost in their own world, and for a while, others had been dragged into it.

It had been a rather wonderful dream.

Something that she dearly hoped would come true one day.

Erika hoped so, she looked away from Brock and Sabrina for a moment, only to blink as she found some older folk in the crowd looking down.

Oak had small tears in his eyes even as he looked up at Brock and Sabrina. At his side, his granddaughter leaned in close while his grandson shot him disbelieving looks.

Others, like the elder Queen, dabbed at her own eyes as she watched on with a soft smile.

Koga… Koga had a single tear rolling down his own eye but he kept his head raised, not hiding his face.

Erika stared, then glanced towards Janine, who was likewise gaping at her father.

Erika looked further, about the room, and slowly a pattern emerged.

It was the widows in the crowd looking on at Brock and Sabrina with tears now.

Those who had loved and lost parts of their heart. Rather than being sad however, there was almost a uniform appearance of joy.

It took Erika a moment of pondering as she turned away from staring at people shedding tears for their lost loves to understand.

They were happy.

Happy for Brock and Sabrina. 

Happy that young people could find such love with each other and openly display it to the world, and share a little of it.

Hmmm, perhaps… Perhaps weddings could be more than just showering blessings upon the bride and groom, but also those who witnessed the event?

Erika turned back as the celebrant cleared his throat.

“My goodness! That was quite the entrance!” the man declared loudly, regathering everyone’s attention with a hearty chuckle.

“Now, before we start the ceremony proper, let’s give our bride and groom some love for the show they just put on!” the man urged and from the crowd applause rang out with a few people cheering or hooting.

Rather than cut it off, the celebrant grinned and swept his hands like a conductor, inspiring greater volume from his orchestra.

The crowd responded, and the man grinned wider.

After a minute he eventually nodded and began to calm the crowd down with patting motions.

“That’s some way to start a wedding! Yes indeed!” he laughed. 

He settled back into place. “Thank you all for coming to the wedding of Sabrina and Brock! We are blessed to be here witnessing the union of two wonderful young people whom many of us have watched from afar! I myself have cheered many times that Brock and Sabrina have taken to the field as trainers.” 

“Before we begin, I do have some housekeeping that ought to be raised.”

Erika blinked, this was unusual. What was he about to say?

“The soon to be wedded, have made sure to hire a photographer along with a videographer that will be taking photos and video of the event today. So there is no need for any shots from transceivers, cameras, or otherwise. Sabrina has further empowered me to come down upon you with all the power of her Alakazam, and Bertha, Brock’s Rhyperior, if I see anyone holding up their devices! I don’t want to see those. I want to see your faces when I look out, so please, keep them in your purses or tucked away!”

This got a few older ladies grumbling as they did so, with a few hold outs getting pointed looks from the celebrant.

When they didn’t make to lower their wrists, Alakazam rose and rotated while hovering to lock onto their positions. 

The hands went down even as Bertha, standing off to the side, snorted in disappointment at not getting the chance to evict some people.

The celebrant grinned. “Thank you for your understanding!” he said, as if the old ladies had any choice in the matter.

Erika bit her lip, amused at the old women’s constipated looks. She knew quite a few of them from various gatherings, so for Sabrina to have anticipated them was rather amusing to see. More than a few people in the crowd chuckled quietly as the Celebrant nodded to himself.

The man smiled at Brock, then at Sabrina. 

“Many young trainers face one, or both of you, in their Journey around Kanto, and both of you serve as wonderful Gym Leaders who inspire and teach the youngsters much of what it means to be kind, considerate, and patient.”

He swept his hand wide. “Many people here will have family, or friends who will have experienced the lessons you dispense.”

“You are both pillars of Kanto and therefore Indigo! You have contributed greatly in various fields, but in doing so you have supported each other through the good times and the hard!”

He nodded seriously at this. “It is important I feel that a relationship be tested like this. Two companions for life… they need to know that when their backs are against the wall, there will always be someone in their corner.”

The man raised a hand and gestured to the side where Erika and the other ladies stood, before matching the gesture to Brock’s groomsmen.

“I know that this will no doubt include the friends and family that you have both made in your lives.”

From there, the Celebrant continued his speech for another five minutes, extolling Brock and Sabrina and what it meant to be married before getting to the good part.

“And now the vows that we shall all act as witness to!”

Sabrina accepted the microphone the man offered.

“Brock, when you first defeated me as a young Gym Leader, marriage was the furthest thought in my head when I met you. I have come to learn much from that point, both about you and myself. You make me want to be a good person and make the world a better place. You make me whole in a way I cannot fully understand, and I have dedicated serious time to thinking upon it,” Sabrina said with a small smile and a laugh.

“You are the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, and you are the man I can rest easy with when the weight of the world becomes too much. I love you and wish to spend the rest of my time, and maybe even beyond with you.”

Erika blinked. That was an odd thing to say, but it made Brock smile as he took her hand and kissed it before taking the microphone she offered.

“Sabrina, you have been almost a constant for me in this life, showing support and letting me experience more of this world than I had dreamed. You have been there with me during the good times, and the bad times. When I had wild ideas about exploring deserts, you just nodded and got out a large hat and some sunscreen. When I journeyed across oceans you didn’t wear a life jacket but you did make sure to have an emergency kit ready.”

Sabrina giggled at this and Erika wondered what young Brock and Sabrina’s journey must have been like.

They must have been adorable wandering around.

“When I have stumbled, you have been there to stop me from falling at all, and when I have struggled, you have dug in and helped out. You show your kindness through actions more often than simple words and are terrifyingly intelligent, so much so that I often wonder what you see in me.”

Erika frowned; that was a little self-deprecating. Brock wasn’t an idiot by any measure.

“I have, since my younger years, learned that there are more ways to show intelligence than knowing facts or making insights. Sometimes steady progress is just as important. You have made me want to keep progressing and growing, in a myriad of different ways. I look forward to what is to come…" Brock smirked a little. “In this life and beyond,” he said, nodding to Sabrina.

Erika tilted her head. Was this some morbid mention of the afterlife? 

That was rather sweet she supposed, but rather off-key for a wedding. Eh, it was their vows, who was she to judge?

The celebrant nodded. “I will now ask that the rings be presented!” 

Erika and Lance, having been handed the rings by Forrest earlier, both stepped forward with their rings.

Lance offered Sabrina’s ring to Brock and Erika did the same for Sabrina.

“Thank you,” Sabrina murmured as she took the ring in hand before turning back.

“Sabrina, you went first with the vows so Brock, you can put the ring on her finger first!” the celebrant boisterously announced. 

“Follow after me, with this ring I pledge—” 

The rings went on, one after another, and once Sabrina had slipped his ring into place the Celebrant beamed at them both. 

“It is now my pleasure to pronounce to all witnesses and the world that you are married! You may now kiss—”

Brock and Sabrina closed on each other before the man could finish, kissing deeply.

Erika giggled as the celebrant just threw his hands up in the air. 

“Can we get some love for the very happily married couple!?” he called.

Once more the cathedral rang with the sound of applause, and Erika, feeling a little emboldened, put her hands to her mouth. 

“Whoooooooo!” she cheered, leading the girls to celebrate the two.

Brock must have been feeling the moment as he pushed further in and Sabrina was dipped back to deepen the kiss.

Sabrina, for her part, laced her hands behind Brock’s head and kept him firmly in place.

Then a light from outside caused everyone to look up only to find a giant soaring bird of red, white, and gold soaring past with a powerful cry that seemed to shake the air.

Erika felt her body lock up, the size of it alone made it almost certainly a Legendary pokemon but there was also the feel of power that wafted from it.

In its wake golden flakes drifted down upon the land, shimmering like stars.

Rather than being stopped by the walls and glass of the cathedral the glittering lights floated freely inside.

A large mass of them swept over the cathedral, causing Erika to stiffen up.

Was this Paralyz powder or—

She blinked as rather than stiffening up or feeling bad, Erika found herself feeling… wonderful. Like she was lighter and more energised than ever before.

“Ooooooh,” Erika moaned, feeling wonderful, like she’d just run through a warm sun shower after a hot day in the garden!

She perked right up only to blink as the legendary pokemon soared right over the cathedral, sending more and more glittering motes of energy into the crowd. 

People shouted in shock and wonder.

Erika blinked in surprise.

Wow…

A Legendary pokemon had appeared and blessed Brock and Sabrina’s wedding.

Turning, she opened her mouth to say something to the pair only to blink.

They hadn’t stopped kissing.

In fact, they hadn’t turned away from each other.

“There’s a limit to being lost in your own little world,” Erika muttered to herself.

Sabrina cracked open an eye and glanced in her direction.

‘Envious much?’ came the projected thought.

Erika blushed furiously. “That is not it at all! A Legendary pokemon appeared!”

“Mewtwo? He’s on the guest list,” Sabrina replied blandly.

Erika pushed the absurdity of that comment out of mind as she focused on the more immediate pokemon of importance. “... Another! This one was a huge flying bird that had golden flames and caused motes of energy to come radiating down! Didn’t you feel it when they touched you?”

“.... not really,” Sabrina remarked as she and Brock finally broke their kiss to stand and find most of the crowd murmuring to themselves as they stared in the direction the pokemon had vanished.

“—Ho-oh, a legendary pokemon of great fortune,” someone whispered, and Erika realised it was actually Professor Oak.

“Is that what it’s called? That’s the second time I’ve seen that pokemon,” muttered someone else, causing Erika to glance slightly to the side, only to find it to be the boy standing next to Gary Oak.

“Yeah, as if Ashy-boy!” taunted Gary as he nudged the other boy. Ash Ketchum, that was right, he’d challenged Erika in the past, and Brock had set up a rather amusing trick for him and Forrest to be dressed up to face Erika.

The pair settled down as the Professor turned towards them. “That’s very interesting Ash, I’d like to hear more about it later, hmmm?” 

Ash nodded firmly and Erika hummed with interest; rather than dismissing the boy, the professor had asked for clarification. Had he really witnessed this pokemon before?

Did that mean Ash Ketchum was a twice-blessed person? Or something else?

“Ahem!” The celebrant coughed into a fist. “That was certainly something again! Wasn’t it?”

Erika turned back to find Brock and Sabrina were hand in hand at the top of the stairs, causing her to jolt in surprise. Oh goodness! They were about to walk out? She’d gotten distracted!

“May you all rise and prepare to greet the newly wedded couple! I ask that any confetti that you have is thrown into the air and not their faces however!” the Celebrant asked.

Erika glanced at Brock, who was whispering something to Sabrina who was nodding along, a knowing smirk on her features as her eyes tracked where ‘Ho-oh’ had been.

They knew something about that pokemon, didn’t they?

Erika found herself vibrating in place with the urge to ask despite knowing it wasn’t the time for that.

“Please welcome them!” cheered the celebrant as Brock and Sabrina marched down the stairs and the aisle.

Erika hurried after them, linking arms with Lance and feeling slightly pleased at how that arrangement had worked out as he shot her a smile.

Yes! One more victory for her!

She tried not to smile too widely, as it was always important to be demure, just as she tried not to shoot Ilene a victorious smirk as she walked past with Lance next to her.

Behind her, Bridget linked arms with Surge while Janine and Sophia did the same with Rocko and Dennis.

Ahead, a wave of confetti shot into the air, and Erika gasped as Karen, counter to the suggestion of the celebrant, pegged some right at Sabrina’s face, only for it to rocket back at the dark Elite Four member.

Erika giggled herself silly as she followed along in Bock and Sabrina’s wake as they passed through a crowd of cheering people.

When they reached the entrance of the cathedral Brock and Sabrina paused like they had planned for with the other pairs filtering out to either side of them as Brock once more dipped Sabrina to kiss her.

Sabrina punched the air with a fist like she’d just won a race while beneath them a photographer caught the money shot.

Erika beamed, knowing it would be a fantastic moment.

Then, as more and more people trailed out after the now married couple a band began to play while servers, both pokemon and people, began to drift about with platters of small hor d’oeuvres and drinks.

Photos in various group arrangements followed with Erika making sure to stay close to Sabrina for any needs she might have along with to jump into a variety of photos for various groups.

She was rather looking forward to the group shot of the various Gym Leaders, both Kanto, Indigo, and then the combined shot with Elite Four and Champion included.

It was during this time that Erika heard something that made her flinch with worry.

“The second you toss that bouquet, I’m stealing it and burning it~!” taunted Karen to Sabrina as they performed a small hug like they were familiar friends instead of rivals that enjoyed goading each other.

“I doubt you will as that would ruin your image, but first you’ll need to catch it,” Sabrina taunted.

Erika clenched her fists as she glared at Karen only for the other woman to not even notice her ire!

That! 

That!

…bitch.

Erika sidled up to Janine. Of all the women present, apart from Sabrina herself, Janine was the one who, if it came down to a test of speed or physical skills, would win by a landslide ten times out of ten.

Therefore, Erika needed to use diplomacy. “I have a pair of favours to ask: can you both not go for the bouquet, and take out Karen when Sabrina tosses it later?”

Janine stared at her with a blank expression before nodding. “I can do that. Want me to poison her, or kidney shot her?”

Erika considered that seriously for a moment. She worked her jaw back and forth as she weighed up both options.

Janine hummed. “How about I just surprise you? That way you can claim you had no idea what I was going to do?”

“... that works,” Erika mumbled.

“What are you going to do about Visquez?” Janine asked with an odd tone of voice.

“Oh, shoot, she’s taller than anyone, isn’t she?” Erika grumbled, eyeing the other woman.

“I can take her if you need me to,” Janine said once again with an odd tone in her voice.

“Don’t… I don’t want you two to fight,” whispered Erika.

“Who said I’d take her in a fight?” Janine replied with a wink before stepping around someone only to vanish.

Erika stared at the space the small kunoichi had been.

What… what had she meant by that?

She decided she didn’t want to know.

Then after a moment of very much not thinking about it, she blinked. “Oh,” she murmured, only to blush. “Oh,” she repeated a moment later with a small blush.

She looked away, and put her hands to her suddenly aflame cheeks, spotting several people and pokemon nearby. She blinked as she noticed Brock’s Golem cowering behind Sabrina’s Slowking as Agatha’s Aegislash drifted nearby.

Erika giggled at the sight.

“Erika, Brock and Sabrina need us for photos down by the lake,” Lance said, approaching her with a small platter of food. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Mmhhmmmm!” Erika replied quickly. “What’s the platter for?”

“We’re going to be walking around for a while. Thought I’d get some food for everyone to nibble on between shots,” Lance answered. “Want something?” he asked, offering her the platter.

Beaming at him, Erika nodded and took a sushi roll.

“Hmmm tasty!” Erika said as her tongue tasted the prime magikarp cut. This was good!

“Yeah, although for some reason the waiter called them jelly doughnuts? Said it was a joke they were told to say for some reason,” Lance said with a shake of his head.

“Hmmm, how odd,” Erika replied as she followed Lance down to the lake where the others were posing for photographs. Shooting a glance towards Lance, Erika decided that now was one of her better chances to get to know the man.

“What do you think of the pokemon that arrived during the kiss?” 

“For anyone else, I would claim they’d been blessed, as it is I think, with the amount of Legendary pokemon that Brock and Sabrina interact with, it’s more surprising that another didn’t show up during the event,” Lance stated with an amused smirk.

Erika blinked slowly. He was closer to the money than she had expected. She almost pointed out that there had been before deciding to keep her mouth shut.

“It was quite the show,” Erika replied to keep Lance talking.

“It was. I’m not sure where they found that celebrant but he was very upbeat, and certainly set the tone of the wedding. It was memorable in a lot of ways.

A flash of light, accompanied by a wave of aura washing over them had the pair looking up to find Brock and Sabrina posing at the end of a pier that was attached to the royal boathouse. 

Both were glowing.

Erika and Lance paused.

“I feel like I’m going to have to rewrite my best man’s speech or else I’ll fall short during the reception,” Lance muttered.

“Yah… me too,” Erika remarked as they watched the newlyweds kiss once more.

For a while, Erika and Lance lingered at the top of the ramp leading to the pier. “We should... Go down there,” Erika murmured.

“Hmmmm yeah…” Lance replied, only to eye her up and down. “First I should probably say something though.”

“I had a chat with Brock about relationships the other day, you know, and he said I should do what’s right for me and any others. After a bit of thought I realised that I wasn’t ready for a committed relationship just yet,” Lance said suddenly.

He shot her a contrite look. “Sorry if that’s not what you want to hear. I… just wanted to be honest as I know…” he waved a hand between them. “I rather like you, Erika, but—”

“But you’re not looking for something serious where I might be?” Erika finished as she felt a flash of annoyance at his words that she didn’t let mar her features.

Lance relaxed. “Yeah! I’m just…  I’m busy with so much as a champion and I honestly don’t know if I could make it work properly. When it will be that I get time for myself I’m not sure but… when I feel ready I… well I’m not sure what will happen then.”

Erika nodded. “I understand,” she offered back.

Lance exhaled in relief once more. “Thank you,” he said only to look towards Brock and Sabrina. “Although, I can’t help but wonder… with how happy they are…” Lance stared for a moment before shaking his head.

“Hmmm, nevermind,” he muttered before taking a step only to notice Erika didn’t follow.

He looked back and offered her a hand. “Are you coming?”

“Hmmmm, yes,” she replied, giving Lance another considerate look. He said one thing, but there was some hesitation there.

Perhaps… Perhaps like Sabrina had with Brock, it might be a good idea to get in position.

After all, sometimes people didn’t know they wanted something until they had it.

Yeah… that could work.

She just might have to ask Sabrina, of all people, for advice on who to snag an oblivious man for herself.

Until then, she would have to fight off the competition.

[hr][/hr] 

A.N. Thanks go to my patreons for your continued support!

For those wondering, that was Mew from the tree of Beginning, but that doesn’t make it any less special.

Thanks also go to Twmmy for proofreading this chapter!