Charlie: A Pokemon Cinderella Story. Chapter 20 by troy168 < Submission

Keywords male 1303795, female 1186207, pokemon 214527, human 112301, fantasy 28562, lucario 13354, lopunny 5293, gardevoir 3862, mightyena 2126, persian 679, liepard 514, fairy tale 221

Heading towards Happiness

At the Lestorm's house. Charlie is busy sweeping the ground as a part of his chores. As he sweeps, he notices a mailman heading towards the house. As the mailman stopped in front of the house, Charlie made his way over to him as he said: "Hello, sir." The mailman then steps off of his carriage and grabs some mail from his satchel as he says: "Hello Charlie." As he passes the mail to Charlie, Charlie says: "Thank you, sir." As the mailman heads back onto the carriage and drives off, Charlie takes a look at some mail when he spots a name that he hasn't seen for a long time. [From: Nancy Lestorm] This causes Charlie to get excited as he hasn't heard anything from his mother, since the parade. Wanting to read the mail, Charlie proceeds to head to his room. But before he could enter the house, he is stopped by Albert at the front door. Upon seeing the letter, Albert swipes the letter and looks at it as he says: "You do realize that this letter is addressed to me, right?" Albert then flips the letter to show: [To: Albert Lestorm] After Albert goes inside, Charlie was shocked that the letter wasn't for him. In Albert's room, Albert sits on his bed and opens the letter as he reads the note inside.

[Dear Albert. I know that it's been a long time since we last met, but I want you to know that I will always have you and our lovely three sons in my heart. I was about to make my return when I was hired by an ambassador of another region to display their antiques to one of our towns in the region. However, fundings were low on our end, we were worried that we would not make the trip. But fortunately for us, a Duchess by the name of Emily has proposed to pay for the trip in exchange for a hand in marriage from the ambassador's daughter. And while the ambassador agreed as we made our deal, Duchess Emily brought me over and explained to me that her son is too young to marry the ambassador's daughter and was wondering if I knew anyone willing to represent her as the ambassador's daughter's husband. And it was at this point that I remember Alex is old enough to marry her and when I mention him, Duchess Emily agrees with the decision. So now the ambassador's daughter will be making her way to our home, so I ask that you give her a wonderful time with Alex. And please tell Charlie that I miss seeing his wonderful smile. Your lovely wife, Nancy.]

Even though Albert is supposed to be happy, he is furious as he says: "Emily…" Despite his anger, he is able to prevent himself from crumbling up the note that he has. Albert then proceeds to toss his note on the counter as he then says: "How dare she manipulates my lovely wife into forcing Alex to marry him off. It's obvious that she is trying to marry my son off so that his son can marry the princess. Well, I'll make sure that it never happens!" Then Charlie enters the room as he brought a tea set for Albert. As Charlie places the tea set on the table, Charlie asks: "Father, what was in Mother's letter?" Albert then proceeds to say: "She was about to return home, but her work has forced her to stay for much longer than intended. Aside from that, your mother is fine, Charlie. And the rest is for my eyes only." This causes Charlie to say: I see…" Even though Charlie is sad that her mother won't be coming home yet, he is at least glad that she is safe and well. They then heard Alex's voice saying: "Charlie! Get over here, right now!" This causes Charlie to leave Albert's room and says: "Coming." And as Charlie leaves his room, Albert is suddenly hit with an idea. An idea that can not only foil Emily's plan but also ensure that his sons remain on top as his top choices for the hand of the princess.

In Alex's room. Charlie is being told by Alex to gather the clothing that is on the ground that was caused by Alex when he is trying out different pieces of clothing. As Charlie lifts the basket with the clothing, Alex says: "Now make sure that you give these clothes a proper wash!" Charlie then says: "Yes, Alex…" But before Charlie could leave the room, Albert enters Alex's room with a suit in his hands as he says: "Oh, there you are. I was looking for you." As Alex sees his father, he goes up to him and says: "Hello, Father. I see that you are well and wise as always. And I am grateful that you would arrive in my room." Albert then says: "That's nice, Alex. But I'm actually here to see you, Charlie." This causes Charlie to say: "What is it, Father?" Albert then grabs the suit and says: "Here. I got this suit just for you, Charlie." This causes both Charlie and Alex to look confused as Alex says: "Huh?! Father! What are you doing?!" And as Charlie says: "A new suit… For me?" And Albert replied: "Of course. After all, you do deserve to be at your best once in a while. So don't worry about doing chores for a while and enjoy yourself." This causes Charlie to be happy as it's been a very long time since he has received a new suit. This causes Charlie to put down the basket and grabs the suit as he says: "Thank you, Father. I'll try this on right away." As Charlie hurries to his room, Alex says: "Father! Why would you-" But Albert cuts him off by saying: "Before you continue. I need you and your brother to come to my room. We need to have a serious discussion." This confuses Alex as he wonders what his father meant when he says that.

In Albert's room. After Alex manages to get Max, the two enter Albert's room as Alex says: "Okay, Father. What is it that you want us to know?" Albert then shows the two the letter as he says: "Here, read this." Confused, Alex and Max grab the letter and proceed to read the letter. But when they get to the part where Alex has to marry the Ambassador's daughter, Alex lets out a scream, which Max muffles Alex's mouth quickly. After Max lets go of Alex's mouth, Alex says: "Is this true, Father?!" And Albert replied: "I'm afraid so, Alex…" This causes Alex to say: "But I don't want to marry her!" Albert then says: "I know, Alex. But I have a plan that would help ensure that you won't marry the wrong girl." Albert then explains his plans to both Alex and Max. And while the two brothers are confused at first, they soon understand his plan as Max says: "Wow. You're brilliant, father." And Alex says: "I knew you would come up with an amazing plan." Albert then says: "Yes, but we must work together to ensure that this plan will work. We must work fast, or we would lose our chance to have either one of you to marry Princess Maria."

When Charlie puts on his suit, he is amazed that he looks like himself when he first moved into the new house. Even Zeus and Jen are amazed by it as they were watching him, though they are curious why Albert would go out of his way just to be nice to him. "You up here, Charlie?" Max says as Charlie hears footsteps nearby. As he turned around, he saw Albert, Alex and Max heading upstairs as they saw Charlie in his suit. This causes Albert to say: "My, you look rather elegant, Charlie. You reminded me of my younger days." Alex then says: "Yeah. I even have something for you." As Charlie is confused, Alex goes over and slips a blue rose on the front of the suit as Alex says: "These roses are a huge hit in town. Even I haven't tried them out and yet it matches the suit you're wearing." Albert then says: "Excellent idea, Alex. You sure know how to stylize." Max then says: "Oh, Charlie. Even if we hand you hand-me-downs, you would still look great." Hearing the praises from his family has touched his heart as he says: "Thank you…" But as he thinks about it, Charlie then asks: "But I must ask, what's all this-" But before Charlie could finish, the family hears a carriage as Albert looks out the window to investigate. As he looks out, he discovers a carriage heading towards the house as he says: "It seems we have a guest arriving. And awfully early as well." And although Albert says that, he suspects that Emily did it on purpose. Albert then turns to the boys and says: "Alex. Max. Go get ready so you can greet our guest." This causes both Alex and Max to say: "Yes, Father." The two then proceed to leave the room as Charlie wonders what Albert is talking about.

As they head to the lobby, they stop near the front as Albert says: "Welcome, dear guest, for I welcome you to our home." As Charlie looks over, he sees not only Dan but also a Lopunny in a gorgeous dress. Albert is also surprised that Emily is not among them, though he believes that it would make things easier for him, Albert then says: "Oh? I was under the impression that I would be meeting your mother." Dan then says: "It was supposed to be. However, I received a letter that she would be arriving later than expected. So I will have to take her place." Albert then says: "I see. Well, I'm sure that your mother is well." Dan then says: "Thank you." He then looks at the Lopunny and says: "Anyway. I would like to introduce to you the Ambassador's daughter and my childhood friend, Ashley." Albert and the family bow as he says: "We're honoured for such a lovely lady in our home, Ashley." Max then says: "And I must say that you are quite wonderful, miss." As Ashley bows her head, Dan says: "By the way. I was wondering which one of your sons is Alex?" Albert then says: "Alex?" Albert then starts to laugh as he grabs Charlie and says: "Actually. I would like to introduce you to our son, Charlie."

And as Dan looked at Charlie, he snapped his finger as he said: "Charlie? I knew it! I knew you have aurora of noble blood." Charlie starts to laugh nervously as he says: "Yeah. It's good to see you again, Dan." As Charlie bowed, Albert was getting worried since it seems like the two met each other before. This causes Albert to say: "Pardon me for saying this, but it feels like the two of you have met before. Is that true?" Dan then says: "Yes, though it was a night that I would like to forget, with the exception of what Charlie has told me. But aside from that, I was under the impression that you would introduce me to your oldest son, Alex." Albert then says: "I see. Well, I can understand the confusion. Your mother must have gotten the names from my son wrong, cause we have received the letter from my lovely wife that it was supposed to be Charlie. So the plans for the marriage of Ashley are all on Charlie." While this shocks Charlie, Dan then says: "I see." Dan then looks at Ashley as he says: "I should get going now. But I can tell you that I can trust Charlie in providing you with what you need." As Ashley says: "Huh?" Dan walks up to Charlie and says: "Charlie. It's good that we've met again." Dan then proceeds to leave as he says: "Take care!" But as Charlie tries to clear the confusion as he says: "H-Hey, wait…" Dan has already left the room, which leaves Ashley, Charlie and the family alone. Albert then says: "Now then, Ms. Ashley. We will guide you to a separate room where the two of you can discuss in private."

Charlie and Ashely are led to a separate room, where the two are alone together. While they were told to discuss their plans, neither of them spoke a word. What the two don't know is that in a separate room, Alex and Max are spying on the two to make sure that the marriage goes through. Unfortunately, they see that the two of them not talking as Alex says: "What's with these two? They're not talking." Max then says: "Ashley might be quiet, but Charlie is not doing any favours by remaining silent." Alex then looks at Max and says: "At least you weren't chosen to go and marry Ashley. Maybe it would be better if Charlie gets rid of her." Max then peeks inside and says: "You sure? After all, she could be your one and only chance to get married." But this causes Alex to say: "Don't be so ridiculous, Max. You know quite well that I will be the one that will marry the princess." This causes Max to say: "Don't lie to yourself, Alex. It's obvious that it will be me that will marry the princess. So just go and marry Ashley already." This causes Alex to grab Max and says: "What you say to me?"

In the other room, the two remained silent as Charlie was thinking to himself. Wanting to confirm something, Charlie says: "Um… Ashley?" As Ashley looks at Charlie, Charlie then says: "When you met my mother, did she say anything about wanting me to marry you?" Ashley then thinks to herself as she then says: "Um… I don't think so… But I think she misses you." Charlie then says: "I see…" Ashley then says: "Um… Is it true that you and Dan are friends?" Charlie then remembers the encounter he has with Dan and the two bandits the two have to deal with. While Charlie remembers yelling at Dan, he knows he can't say he hates him. So Charlie says: "In a way." Ashley then says: "If I must ask, I hope that you two remain friends." While this confuses Charlie, Ashley says: "You see… Dan doesn't have much friends. They say that he's arrogant and selfish. They even say that he got spoiled by his mother, but I know he's not that. He's kind and sincere… At least, when I'm around him." Charlie then says: "Yeah, that's how I feel when I'm around him." Ashley starts to smile as she says: "Do you really mean it?" And Charlie nodded. In the other room, the two are confused as Alex says: "Why do they keep talking about Dan?" And Max says: "If they keep it up, they'll never get engaged." "And just what are you two doing?" Albert says as he caught the two spying. Alex and Max then look at their father and Alex say: "F-Father… W-We were making sure that Charlie is okay." Max then says: "Yeah... We're just making sure that he's okay." As Albert starts to get curious, he heads to the door as he says: "Let me see then." In the other room, Ashley says: "You know. I bet Dan would love to have brothers around. I can imagine he must be envious of you…" Before Charlie could answer, they hear a door breaking. As the two look at the door, they see the door fall and crash on the floor with Albert, Alex and Max on top. As the two are confused, Albert nervously laughs as he says: "Sorry about that… We accidentally tripped and fell on this door. We'll quickly get this fixed." The two brothers start to laugh as well as they get up and leave the room. This causes Charlie to laugh as Ashley is confused.

After that, Ashley takes her leave as Charlie returns to his room to take off the suit that he was given since he still has to take care of some chores. After putting on his usual clothing, he heads into the kitchen to take care of the dishes. After Charlie finishes with the first set of dishes, Albert enters the room as he says: "Charlie!" Charlie then looks at Albert and says: "Yes, Father?" Albert then makes his way to Charlie as he says: "I want you to set up a reception that we will be having tomorrow." And as Charlie says: "A reception? For who?" Albert then says: "Why, for the Ambassador's daughter, Ashley. And it will be your opportunity to propose to Ashley at the reception." This shocks Charlie as he says: "Huh?!" Albert then says: "You should be quite lucky, Charlie. You get to live in a royal place where servants would take care of you. There's literally no disadvantage for you " It was at this point, Charlie knew that her mother would never allow anyone to marry him without his consent. So Charlie ends up saying: "Hold on. That can't be true." But Albert then says: "It was not by my choice to arrange the marriage. It was your mother that chose you to wed Ashley." Charlie then asks: "But how did this happen?" Albert then explains: "It was explained in the letter that we got." As Charlie says: "No…" Albert then says: "I do not want to criticize my lovely wife and your dear mother… But it appears that she only has you in her mind. Had she chosen Alex, I would have understood completely since he is the oldest son in our family."

But it was at that point, Charlie has had enough as he knows for certain that his mother would not put him up for marriage as he says: "That's not true!" This angers Albert as he says: "What?" Charlie then says: "There's no way my mother would force me to marry someone against my will!" This causes Albert to say: "You insolent brat. How dare you accuse me of telling lies." But when Albert sees Charlie not backing down, he proceeds to sigh as he says: "I can understand your frustration, Charlie…" As Charlie was surprised, Albert says: "After all… Even though I made you do all of those chores… I wanted to make you into a proper gentleman than my other two sons…" As Charlie sees Albert looking sad, Charlie starts to get sad as he says: "I… I'm sorry…" Albert then says: "If you mean what you say… Then, please… Marry Ashley…" But Charlie then says: "But… I'm not ready…" Albert then says: "There's something else that you need to know, Charlie. It was Duchess Emily's choice to have you and Ashley be wedded together. And if they find out that you did not get married to her, the Ambassador will get mad and would ruin your mother's reputation. And if possible, your mother could lose your job that she has worked so hard for. So, please… For my wife and your mother's sake, please… Marry Ashley…"

After the whole confrontation, Charlie is busy putting up the tablecloth on the wire with the help of Zeus and Jen. Even though Charlie has decided to agree to run the reception, he still doesn't want to marry Ashley. But despite that, he is struggling with how to get out of the situation he has and still has her mother keep her job. Albert then goes up to Charlie as he says: "Charlie! Are you finished with the preparations yet?! And why haven't you invited the main guest of honour?! If we're going to have a reception, we need to have the main guest of honour here! Go over and invite her now!" Even though Charlie doesn't want to marry Ashley, he knows he has no choice as he then says: "Yes… Father…" Albert then says: "And don't dilly dally like you usually do! And you still need to prepare the food for the guest and prepare the plates, Charlie! And I need to go get changed!" As Albert heads inside, both Zeus and Jen are mad at Albert's selfish requests, while Charlie seriously wonders how he'll get out of this mess.

In the town. Alex and Max enter a tailor shop as they shop for new suits. Even though they would normally go for the best suits they can find, today… They will have to find some suits that tell the guest that they're best man for Charlie. As Max struggles to find the suit, Alex says: "Remember, Max. We need to make sure that Charlie is the star, not us." And Max replied: "I know." Max then sees a suit and proceeds to grab it and says: "How's this?" Max then shows Alex the suit as Alex says: "Good enough." Alex then finds a suit and says: "This should be good." But Max sees Alex grabbing a fabulous suit as Max says: "Hold on, Alex. That suit is too fabulous. Remember? We need to make sure that…" But suddenly, Max notices a Gardevoir with a pouch as the Gardevoir eats a berry. Max then says: "Huh… Wasn't that…" This confuses Alex as he says: "What are you talking about, Max?" Max then points out the window as he says: "I think I saw Charlie's friend…" Alex then looks out the window as he says: "Really?" And Max says: "Yeah… I believe so… Should we tell her that Charlie is getting married?" And Alex says: "Well… I don't see the harm in it…"

Alex and Max manage to catch up to Maria and explain the events that had happened earlier, minus the detail about the letter they received. But when Maria hears the part that Charlie is getting married, Maria is shocked as she says: "Eh?! Charlie is getting married?!" Max then says: "Yeah. And they're going to announce it at the reception at our house tomorrow." Alex then says: "Yeah. We were surprised that he wasn't going to marry you. But I guess Charlie prefers to announce his engagement with the Ambassador's daughter tomorrow." This causes Maria to say: "I don't… I don't believe it…" Max then says: "Hey. If you don't believe it, then come to the reception tomorrow." Alex then says: "Don't worry. I'm sure that you will be entertained at our home." This causes Maria to be suspicious since she knew Charlie wouldn't fall for someone he doesn't love. And the last time she knew, Charlie never mentioned anything about the Ambassador's daughter at all.

After Charlie has taken care of the stuff and put his suit back on, he makes his way over to Dan's house since Charlie heard that Ashley is staying at Dan's place for now. As Charlie waits, he hears the door opening and sees Dan entering the room as Dan says: "Hello, Charlie." As Charlie says: "Hello, Dan." Dan then says: "Ashley is out now, but she should be back soon. In the meantime, why don't we discuss over some tea?" Charlie agrees as the two have their tea as Charlie describes the reception they're having. This causes Dan to say: "So, you decided to marry Ashley, right?" Charlie then nervously says: "I'm not sure… I'm mean… She's a nice girl…" But Dan then proceeds to say: "Yeah. Ashley is such a remarkable girl." Charlie then says: "I know. I have nothing against her… It's just that…" But Dan understands where Charlie is coming from as he says: "I can understand. You don't want to marry someone against your will, right?" Charlie nodded as he said: "Yeah. If I'm going to marry someone. I need to make sure that it's with someone that I'm in love with." Dan then says: "I agree with that." As Charlie looks surprised, Dan then says: "I have to put up with a lot of things just so I can be with the princess. But now, it will be my decision to choose who I shall marry." Charlie is really surprised as he says: "Really…" Dan then says: "While back then, I was led to believe that the princess would love me… But when I have time to think to myself, I discover that it was my mother that was pushing me to marry the princess. She's more focused on her honour and her title that she barely has any time for me and how I feel. I'm just sick of it." As Dan stands up and stares at the window, he notices a carriage heading towards home as he says: "It looks like Ashley has returned home." As Charlie stands up and looks out, he sees the carriage stopping and Ashley exiting the carriage. Dan then says: "I'll leave her in your hand, Charlie."

At Dan's garden. Charlie and Ashley are staring at a glorious fountain as Ashley says: "When we were young, we used to come to this fountain and play a lot." Charlie then says: "Yeah, I can see. It's gorgeous…" Charlie then notices that Ashley has a small boat-like leaf in her hand as he says: "Is that a boat?" Ashley replied: "Yes. Dan taught me how to make one." Ashley then places the leaf boat on the fountain water as it floats away as she says: "We would make these and have races on them. And we both dream of going into the open sea and exploring the world on a real ship. I wanted to see what the other region would look like and what the other people are like. Don't you agree?" Charlie understands her wishes as he says: "Yeah, I do…" But when Charlie looked back at the fountain, he saw someone familiar. And that is Maria as she looks at the two and says: "Hello there, Charlie." This surprises Charlie as he says: "Oh! Hello, Maria." Hearing that has also surprised Ashley as she says: "Maria? As in Princess Maria?" But Charlie says: "No, no… She's actually Maria Flowers, or Maria the Liar. She's my great friend." As Ashley says: "I see…" Maria stands up as she nervously laughs as she says: "Yeah. It's nice to meet the two of you." Though at this point, Charlie notices that he hasn't used the name Maria the Liar in a long time.

On the day of the reception, the guests that Albert, Alex and Max invited are enjoying themselves, alongside Dan and Ashley. As they enjoy themselves, Albert is having a lovely conversation with one of the guests. But as he chats, he quickly notices that among the guests, he spotted Maria. And what's worst for Albert is that she is enjoying herself with Charlie as Albert says: "Maria? Why is she here? She always brings trouble." Albert then spots Alex and Max as he heads over to them and says: "Who invited this girl?" Alex looks at his father and says: "We did." Max then says: "Is it that bad, father?" Albert then says: "Of course it is. If Maria gets too comfortable with Charlie, then he'll never announce his engagement to Ashley. And if that happened, one of you two will have to replace him as Ashley's fiance." Realizing the error that the two brothers have made, Max says: "W-Well in that case, why don't we keep Charlie's friend busy?" But Albert says: "Don't bother. She'll catch on to you and your chance to marry the princess would vanish. So leave this to me." Albert then makes his way to the two as Alex and Max watch.

Charlie and Maria are enjoying their time together as Maria tells Charlie a story, which Charlie wonders if what Maria is saying is true. But then they heard Albert saying: "Welcome to our lovely reception, miss." Maria then says: "Thank you, sir. I must say that it's quite splendid." Albert then put his plan into action as he says: "If you want, we can have a lovely discussion over at the buffet station." But Maria knows of Albert's trick as she says: "I appreciate the offer. But I feel like I couldn't eat another bite." This upsets Albert as not only did he never have someone reject his offer, but also knew that this won't be as simple as he thought. Albert then changes tactics as he says: "I see… In that case, how about a lovely walk to our garden. It's quite beautiful when you see it." Maria then says: "I see. That sounds lovely." Maria then looks at Charlie and says: "Would you like to come to the garden with me?" And Charlie replied: "Of course, Maria. Let's go." Charlie then proceeds to escort Maria outside as Albert says: "Wait a minute. I was actually talking about just the two of us. And Charlie, I need you-" But one of the guests walks up to him and says: "Would you like to enjoy some wine with us, Duch?" And as Albert says: "Not right now." The other guests start swarming Albert and start to chat with him as Albert sees the two heading outside. This angers Albert as his chance to separate the two is gone.

Outside. Maria sniffs the flowers on the bush as she says: "Well, he is right about one thing. They are beautiful." Charlie then says: "Thank you for the save, Maria." As Maria looks at Charlie with a confused look, Charlie says: "My father expects me to announce the wedding, but I can't push myself to do it. So I figure that if I stay outside until the party's over, then I won't have to worry about the announcement." Maria then says: "You say that, yet I see a much better solution to your problem." As Charlie wonders what Maria means, Maria says: "Take a look at Dan and Ashley, over there." As Charlie looks, he sees the two together as Maria then says: "Haven't you noticed that they have been together since the start of the party? Don't you think that they deserve to be together?" Charlie then realizes what Maria is talking about as Charlie says: "Now that you mention it… I do remember seeing Ashley smiling whenever she mentions Dan. And Dan ever talks about good things about Ashley. They even mention that they were childhood friends and that they used to hang around. It seems like they really do belong together." Maria then says: "So it took you that long to notice? I know that they belong together the moment I saw them together." This causes Charlie to look at Maria and says: "Hey, give me a break." Maria then starts to laugh as Charlie feels embarrassed. Nearby, Albert is watching the two together as he says: "No… They're getting too close. At this rate, he will never announce his engagement with Ashley. I need to do something and fast."

While the party is going on, Zeus and Jen are getting bored from the party as they head to the side of the building so they can find some shade. As they head to the shade, Ruby looks at the two as she remembers the time the two save them from the fire. Ruby then looks at the letter that Albert left on the table as Ruby thinks to herself if it's a good idea to let the two know. Once Zeus and Jen find some shade, they proceed to relax in the shade. But then suddenly, they spotted some paper landing on the ground. Curious, they look up to see who it was. But they end up finding nothing. Curious about the paper that fell onto the ground, Zeus and Jen goes over and looks at it. As they examine the paper, they quickly realize that it's actually a letter. And as the two examine the letter, they quickly realize what Albert is planning and they need to warn Charlie. As Zeus grabs the letter and the two hurry over to find Charlie. Ruby, on the other hand, watches the two go as she knew she owed them one but she knew that they won't expect her help again.

Maria wasn't expecting to foil Emily's plan to get Dan to marry her, but she knew that Dan and Ashley were meant to be together. And if she can get Charlie to help her, then she can make sure that the two would get engaged. So Maria says: "I could use your help in getting the two engaged if you want." Charlie then says: "Of course I would help. But I do worry about what my father would say…" Before Maria could say something, they hear Zeus barking as the two looks and sees both Zeus and Jen heading towards them. As they reach the two, Charlie notices the letter in Zeus's mouth as he asks: "What do you have here?" As Charlie grabs the letter from Zeus, the two proceed to read the letter as Charlie says: "Hang on. This is the letter from my mother." But then Charlie and Maria notice some details on the letter that surprises Charlie, Maria says: "It looks like your mother wanted Alex to marry Ashley, not you Charlie." Maria then notices another important detail in the letter, which Maria gets an idea as she says: "And with this letter. We can use this to our advantage."

Inside. The guests are enjoying the party when Albert stands on a stool and claps his hands to gather the guests' attention as he says: "My dear fellow guests." As the guests focus on Albert, Albert then says: "As you know. This reception has a very important purpose today." As the guests wonder what it is, Albert then says: "You see. We have an amidst a new couple who are ready to announce their engagement together and start a new life together." As the guests are surprised to hear the announcement as Albert then says: "In fact… You can find our brand new couple over there." The guests then look over and see Dan, Ashley, Charlie and Maria as one of the guests says: "It must be these two." As the others chat with each other about the engagement happening, Albert then says: "Now… Let's give our new couple a round of applause as we wish for their new future together." The guests start to clap for the new couple as Charlie and Maria look at each other as they enact their plan. Charlie and Maria then step aside and start to clap as they say: "Congratulations, Dan and Ashley." As Dan and Ashley are confused, the guests cheer for the two as Albert sees them and says: "What… Dan and Ashley… H-Hold on… That's not…" But his words fell on deaf ears as the guests continued to cheer for Dan and Ashley. As Dan and Ashley look at each other, Charlie and Maria say: "Congratulations." Dan starts to blush with Ashley as Ashley says: "I never knew that… You would have feelings for me… And… I'm grateful…" Dan then says: "To be honest… I'm glad that you feel like that… But I was worried that my mother would forbid our relationship and force me to never see you again." But Ashley grabs Dan's hands as she says: "So was I… But Charlie has helped us get together. We would never be apart again." Dan smiles as the two embraces each other, which touches Charlie's heart. Albert on the other hand tries to say: "H-Hold on! That's not the couple that I'm talking about!" But the guests start to surround Dan and Ashley as Albert then says: "No! Wait! Please listen to me! That's not what-" But his words goes ignored as he knew that no one is listening to him as Alex and Max go to comfort him.

After the reception. Dan and Ashley grab their stuff as they head to a small rowboat. After Dan gets on the boat, he catches Ashley as she steps into the boat. As the two are excited about their wedding and their future, Dan knows that this would probably be the last time he'll get to see his mother again. But he knows that he will make the right choice by marrying Ashley and he hopes that his mother will understand. "Dan! Ashley!" Charlie says as he reaches the bridge. The two notice Charlie as the two says: "Charlie." As the rower proceeds to row the rowboat as Dan and Ashley wave goodbye to Charlie as Charlie waves back to them. As Charlie sees them further and further away, he knows that the two will have an amazing future together. Meanwhile. Emily has finally returned to her home, after dealing with some last-minute business. As she enters the room and pours herself a glass of wine, she believes that her plan is successful and that Alex is now on his way to be married to Ashley. As she places the wine down and picks up the glass, she hears a knock on the door as Emily says: "Come in." Emily then sits down as one of her servants enters the room as the servant says: "Duchess… I have terrible news. Your son is getting engaged with Ashley." "What?!" Emily says as she drops her glass on the floor as she stands up and says: "Are you sure?! You saw Dan with Ashley?!" The servant says: "Yes, Duchess. He just left with her after the reception." This causes Emily to get furious as she says: "Well what are you waiting for?! Go out there and bring him back here, now!" But the servant then said: "But Miss, they're gone!" This has made Emily's original plan impossible to perform since her son is getting engaged with Ashley.

Back at the Lestorm's house. Charlie is reading a letter from Dan and Ashley as it reads: [Dear Charlie. I want to thank you for giving us a chance to be together. We are currently travelling through the sea as we will get to see the amazing views from outside our region. I hope that you will get to have the same happiness as we did. From your friend, Dan.] Charlie is glad that the two are getting along together as Zeus and Jen are happy for the two. Just as the three are hoping for the future, they heard Albert saying: "Charlie! Get over here, now!" Charlie then sees Albert as he stands up and puts away the letter, before proceeding to go to Albert. Albert then passes Charlie with the broom as he says: "The entryway is still dusty, so I want you to go and sweep it up. And since you blow your opportunity to marry the Ambassador's daughter, you will still have to do a lot more chores." Charlie then nods as he says: "Of course, father. I'll get it done right away." As Albert heads inside, both Zeus and Jen are starting to get mad at Albert for his selfish attitude. But Charlie looks at the two and says: "Don't worry guys. At least I didn't let him trick me into marrying the wrong person."

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Charlie: A Pokemon Cinderella Story. Chapter 20

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