Charlie: A Pokemon Cinderella Story. Chapter 25 by troy168 < Submission

Keywords male 1170189, female 1059490, pokemon 186409, human 106109, fantasy 26286, gardevoir 3465, mightyena 1203, delphox 1189, greninja 985, persian 607, liepard 426, gallade 290, fairy tale 222, alakazam 196, gothitelle 162

The Pathway to Happiness

The night of the ball and the events that happened have been the talk of the town. But what really caught their attention was the mysterious bachelor that showed up to the ball and danced with the Princess, before proceeding to leave the ball alone. No one knows who the mysterious bachelor is, nor do they know his status. But they are curious about who this mysterious bachelor is. And in the Lestorm's house. Albert, Alex and Max are in the dining room as they are quite mad that the mysterious bachelor robs his two sons the chance to dance and woo the Princess as Alex says: "I can't believe the nerve of him. Not only did he show up late, but he gets to dance with the Princess all night and leaves in the middle of the night." Albert then says: "I must agree. This bachelor that everyone's been talking about clearly has no honour." Max, on the other hand, he ends up saying: "You know… I think I have a feeling that I've seen that bachelor before…" This catches Alex and Albert's attention as Albert says: "Really? You know who this bachelor is?" But Max ends up saying: "No… I just have this gut feeling, that's all." This causes Alex to say: "Great… We have someone who has a gut for sweet things and he thinks he found out who this mysterious bachelor is." This causes Max to say: "Hey! I least tried to figure out who the bachelor is! What have you done about it!" This causes Alex to say back: "Easy for you to say when you know that you're wrong!" The two brothers then start to bicker as Albert sighs as this will be a long day.

In Charlie's room. Zeus, Jen and Ruby are looking at Charlie with concern as all Charlie is doing is staring at his glass shoe. Charlie, on the other hand. He's been thinking this whole time about the events that had happened yesterday. He has heard about the mysterious bachelor from the townsfolk and he can't blame them, since his appearance yesterday has caught the eyes of many. Including Princess Maria. As he wonders if he should be happy since he did dance with someone that he loves since the two danced for the whole night. A thought would always appear in his mind. What if she's only interested in the bachelor part of me and not who I am… While it's true that he learned some new things about her, it was during the time he was under Cinder's spell and she didn't recognize him. And it was also a fact that she tried to kiss him, even though she doesn't know the bachelor's name. It was because of those facts that Charlie is doubting himself that he should be with the Princess.

As Charlie places the glass shoe back in the box, the weather starts to rain as he then hears Max saying: "Charlie! The rain is starting!" Alex then says: "Hurry up and grab the laundry, or it'll get ruined!" But Charlie is too deep in his thought to respond, let alone stand up and go take care of the laundry. As Max says: "Charlie! Where are you!" And Alex said: "Get down here and take care of the laundry now!" Charlie still won't move or hear their words as he is still in his deep thoughts. Eventually, he hears Max saying: "No! The clothing's ruined!" And Alex said: "This is all your fault, Charlie!" But Charlie remained in his seat. This causes Zeus, Jen and Ruby to look at each other as while they don't know what happened at that ball that caused him to act like that, or how he lost his other glass shoe, they know that they need to find a way to help get him back to his senses.

In the castle of Espérer. Maria is looking at the glass shoe that she grabbed from the stairway yesterday, from the bachelor that she danced with yesterday as she is feeling depressed. Not only did Charlie not come to the ball yesterday, the mysterious bachelor that people are talking about, left her when she tries to figure out who he is. It was then that Maria thought to herself, why did she try to kiss that bachelor yesterday. She wonders if the bachelor that she danced with was Charlie all along, but if that's the case, why didn't he tell her when they were at the ball together. Not only that, the bachelor wounds up leaving her at midnight and saying goodbye to her, even though they met for the first time. It was unknown to her why she went to that bachelor yesterday, nor why she would try to kiss him even though the bachelor wasn't Charlie. It was thanks to those reasons that leaves her rather depressed as she stares at the only clue she has that will lead her to find out who the mysterious bachelor is.

Nearby. Nicole, Skarlet and Khan are looking at her with a concerned look as Skarlet say: "She's been like that, all morning. I've asked her to do something to get her mind off of it about…" Skarlet then counts her fingers on the times she asked Maria on something as Skarlet then says: "About four times. But she doesn't respond to the times that I've asked her." Nicole then says: "Yeah. It's pretty clear that what happened at the ball has to do with this mysterious bachelor that showed up to the ball." Khan then says: "If only there was something that we could do to help her…" Skarlet then says: "Oh, I've got an idea." As both Nicole and Khan look at Skarlet as they wonder what she means, Skarlet proceeds to say: "We'll just have her go out in town and have her celebrate until she forgets about that bachelor." As Skarlet laughs, she ends up getting smacked in the back of the head by both Nicole and Khan as Khan says: "How could you say such a thing, Skarlet. You have no idea what the situation is." As Khan walks away, Nicole says: "If this is your idea of a joke, we're not laughing." As Nicole walks away as well, Skarlet says: "Hold on. I was joking, you guys. I know for sure that Maria is in love with that bachelor."

In the castle's halls. King Lionhart and Queen Oracle have ordered both Nicole and Khan to go find out who the mysterious bachelor is and bring him here. So the two went over and saw if they could find some clues on finding this bachelor. As Nicole waited for her report with the servant she ordered, the servant came back as he said: "We have examined the invitations that have been collected from yesterday. And although there are a few absentees, there are none that match your descriptions, Madam." This was something that Nicole didn't want to hear, but she figured that it would happen as she then says: "And did you hear anything from Khan?" The servant then says: "Yes. Khan said that no one in the castle has ever seen the bachelor before. He was also quite shocked when he heard that news as well." Nicole knows that this is getting serious since she doesn't believe that this mysterious bachelor would vanish out of thin air. But then something came into her mind as she recalls the glass shoe that Maria has as she says: "I wonder if we can use that to find him…"

In Maria's room. Maria is still lost in her thoughts as she wonders what she can do to find him. It was then that Skarlet entered the room as she said: "Hey, Maria. Mind if we chat?" Maria knew that Skarlet is trying to get her mind off of things, but she knew that she can't push her away at the same time. And besides, she figures that she could get her advice, so she says: "Sure…" As Skarlet says: "I'm sure that you're wondering about that bachelor, right?" Maria then says: "Yeah… But, I think I've met him before…" As Skarlet is confused, Maria then says: "It feels like… I've been dancing with Charlie…" But Skarlet then says: "You sure? It's possible you were dreaming that moment." Maria then says: "You say that. Yet it doesn't feel like that. I know I haven't seen that man before, yet it feels like I'm dancing with him the whole time…" Skarlet then thinks to herself as she says: "Well, it's true that you met him for a long time. But…" This causes Maria to say: "But what?" Skarlet then says: "I could be wrong… But it's possible that maybe… Maybe that was nothing more than a manifestation." This confuses Maria as Skarlet then explains: "Well it's just that if you look at it from another angle, it's possible that the bachelor you met was a complete stranger to you. Yet you see him in that bachelor because you were waiting for him all night." It was then that Skarlet had a point. It's true that she was waiting for Charlie and that she's intent on confessing her feelings to him, but there's also a slight chance in her mind that the bachelor she met is actually Charlie himself…

In the throne room. Both Nicole and Khan gave their report to Lionhart and Oracle about the info they found. It was then that Lionhart says: "So in the end, we still don't know who this mysterious bachelor is…" Khan then says: "Do not worry, your majesty. We won't rest until we find out who he is and bring him over." Oracle then says: "Do you have any details that we can go on?" And Nicole says: "The only thing we know is that he's a human male that came on a royal carriage…" It was then that Nicole remembers the glass shoe that Maria has as she says: "There was also the fact that he came in with glass shoes." And while this surprises the two as Oracle says: "Glass shoes?" Nicole then says: "Yes. When the bachelor left the ball, he lost one of his glass shoes on the stairway. I believe that if we can find the other pair as well as the owner of the glass shoes, then we can deduce who the mysterious bachelor is." Lionhart then asks: "And do you think that we can find him with this lone glass shoe?" Nicole then says: "I'm sure. The glass shoe looks custom made, so I imagine that his shoe must match his foot completely." This causes Lionhart and Oracle to think to themselves as they look at each other. The two then nodded as Lionhart looked at them and said: "Very well. We'll send out the news while you'll go and find out who the owner is." Both Nicole and Khan bow their heads as Khan says: "Your wish is our command."

Back in Lestorm's house. Albert is checking on things after he punishes Charlie for ruining the clothing from the rainstorm they had when he notices Alex and Max moping around in the study room. This causes Albert to enter the room and says: "Hey. Why are you two moping around for?" This causes Alex to say: "Have you heard the news, Father…" As Albert says: "News? What news?" Max then explains: "We heard the news from the townsfolk while we were shopping for new clothing. And it's pretty disheartening to hear…" Alex then says: "And that the kingdom is looking for the mysterious bachelor, since the Princess… The Princess…" But Alex couldn't finish his sentence as he fell silent as Albert says: "What? What is it?" Max then says: "It's that… The Princess… The Princess fell in love with the mysterious bachelor." Hearing that shocked Albert as he says: "What! But we have no idea who the mysterious bachelor is!" But Alex then says: "It doesn't matter to her… She's already fallen in love with him…" Max then says: "Yeah… The kingdom has a glass shoe that belongs to the mysterious bachelor and they're going to go to the bachelors that came to the royal ball…" Alex then says: "And the one who fits into the shoe will be the one that gets to marry the Princess… There's no hope for us…"

Hearing that has shocked Albert beyond his belief. The fact that the Princess has fallen in love with someone who's not his son is very shocking. And if he doesn't figure out how to stop this, his chance that his sons would become royalty would vanish from him. But it was then that Albert recalls something important and comes up with an idea as Albert says: "Tell me, boys. Which part of the clothing that they don't notice the most." This causes the two brothers to look at him as Alex says: "What are you talking about, Father?" Max then says: "Yeah, what are you talking about?" Albert then says: "It's important. Because what most people don't notice is the shoes." This causes Alex to say: "Huh?! But I know that my shoes are quite fancy!" And Max said: "Yeah! So is mine!" And Albert replied: "I know, my sons. But they only talk about shoes when they are bad. So there's a good chance that either one of you could fool them into thinking that you were wearing glass shoes." This causes the two brothers to get up from their moping as Alex says: "I see what you mean." Albert then says: "Of course. And even if someone did look at your shoes, the room is brightly lit so they can make a mistake and think that the glass shoes look like normal shoes." This causes Max to say: "You mean… There's still hope for me to marry the Princess?" Though Alex proceeds to say: "What do you mean you'll marry the Princess. It's pretty obvious that it'll be me that marries the Princess." And as Max says: "Oh yeah! Then why-" But Albert cuts the two off as he says: "That's enough, you two. Though I'm glad that you're arguing and not moping around. All that matters is that either one of you fits into that glass shoe and it's a guarantee that you'll marry the Princess and become royalty." Though Albert knows that his plan is not perfect, since it's pretty much him hoping that there isn't someone who has a similar foot as the glass shoe, but he doesn't say that to his sons or they'll go and mope again. But to him, his wish that his sons will become royalty is coming close.

Meanwhile. Charlie is busy ironing out the clothing that was wet from the rainstorm as punishment as Zeus and Jen keep an eye on him. As he is ironing the clothing, Ruby enters the room and tells Zeus and Jen that Maria is looking for Charlie with the glass shoe that he left behind. Hearing that has excited Zeus and Jen as they know that Maria is looking for him as Zeus heads over to pull on Charlie's leg to let him know. But Charlie only looks at Zeus and says: "What is it, Zeus?" As Charlie can tell, they were talking among them about the news that the kingdom sent out as he then says: "If you were talking about the news, they're not looking for me. They're looking for the mysterious bachelor that everyone's talking about." And while he knew that they're trying to convince him that the bachelor is him, he knew that Maria has probably fallen in love with the mysterious bachelor and not him. So he ends up saying: "It's fine, guys… I'm sure that Maria will find someone she'll love… She'll be happy in her life as Queen…"

In the castle of Espérer, Nicole makes her way to Maria's room to grab the glass shoe they need for their search. As she opens the door, she sees Maria looking at the glass shoe as Nicole says: "Maria?" When Maria turns around and sees her, Nicole then says: "I was hoping I could speak with you about the glass shoe." This confuses Maria as she says: "What about it?" Nicole then enters her room as she explains: "Your Mother and Father have requested me, Khan and Skarlet to go out into town and find this bachelor that you danced with and that glass shoe is the only connection we have on finding him." Maria then looks back at the glass shoe as she knows that if she hands Nicole the glass shoe, she'll lose her only clue on finding him. "You worried that we won't find him?" Nicole says as she knows what Maria is thinking. And as Maria looks at Nicole, Nicole goes up to her and says: "I know that you want to go out and find out yourself. But you did do a lot of things to help this kingdom and the citizens. Now let us help you find him for you. I'm sure that it's much safer than doing it yourself." As much as Maria wants to go out and find him himself, just so she can confirm it herself, she knows in her mind Nicole has a point. And she trusts both Nicole and Skarlet with her secret for when she goes out to town. She then knew that it's time that they'll go out instead of her. Maria then proceeds to say: "Very well. I'll trust the glass shoe in your care. It was starting to make me miserable, just staring at it." Maria then picks up the glass shoe and hands it over to Nicole as she says: "Don't worry, Maria. I'll make sure that I will find him."

While Nicole goes to get the glass shoe. Both Khan and Skarlet are in a separate room as they wait for Nicole to grab the glass shoe. As they wait, Khan has been pacing back and forth as he says: "Where do we even start? Where do we even find a good place to go? If only we know a way to do this." Skarlet then says: "Are we even sure he's from around here? It's possible that he may come from a different kingdom?" And as Khan looks at Skarlet, Skarlet then says: "Or maybe he's from a different region altogether." This causes Khan to get angry as he says: "You fool! Don't say such a thing! We must find this bachelor for the Princess by using the glass shoe that he left behind!" This causes Skarlet to say: "Glass shoe? You mean the one Maria found yesterday?" And Khan replied: "Of course. But we need to wait for Nicole to get here so that we can take off on our search."

Once Nicole arrives with the glass shoe and the weather clears up to a beautiful sun, the three head out on the carriage as Khan is holding a pillow with a glass shoe and being covered by a small blanket. And as Skarlet says: "So, where do we start looking?" Nicole then says: "Since our bachelor is a human, we won't have to worry about visiting any Pokemon bachelors. But we still need to visit the majority of the houses." And Khan says: "So we must keep going until we can find the owner that wears the glass shoe perfectly." Skarlet says: "So in other words, it'll take a long time." When they arrived at their first house, the Cerdrom's house, the three are in the room with a bachelor and the Father of the bachelor as Khan says: "As you have heard, we are looking for the mysterious bachelor that had danced with Princess Maria. And when we have found him, that bachelor will be engaged with the Princess." As the Father and son get excited, Khan then says: "And to determine who the bachelor is, we have found this glass shoe so we can determine who the owner is." As Khan removed the blanket to reveal the glass shoe, the two are amazed as Khan lowers himself as he says: "Now, if you please try this glass shoe on." The bachelor is determined to be the groom as he removes one of his shoes as the three watches. And as the Father says: "You can do this." The bachelor proceeds to slip his foot into the slipper. And while he is able to slip in, unfortunately for the bachelor, his foot is too small to be an exact match. This causes Khan to look up and says: "I'm sorry, but it's not an exact match." Hearing this has disappointed the bachelor.

In the Easton's house. The three are in the room with the bachelor and the Father as Khan explains the situation as before as he lowers himself and says: "Now, if you may try the glass shoe." The bachelor then proceeds to slip his foot in the glass shoe. Unfortunately, his foot is too big as it only got in half-way. And as the Father says: "Stay calm, just squeeze through it." With the bachelor saying: "I'm trying!" The three have already seen the result as Khan said: "I'm sorry. But it's not an exact match." The three then continue with their search for the mysterious bachelor. Unfortunately for them, they keep running into bachelors whose feet can't fit into the glass shoe. While a few of them are only too small, the majority of the bachelors' feet are too big to fit into the glass shoe. As the three travel to the next stop, the three are getting depressed as Skarlet says: "You know… I'm starting to believe that this mysterious bachelor did come from a different kingdom…" But Khan then says: "I can understand, but we still have one more house in the kingdom that we need to check out." As the three see a three-storied mansion, Skarlet says: "And whose house are we checking?" Nicole then says: "According to my records. This house belongs to the Lestorm's." It was then that Skarlet recalls the conversation with Maria as she wonders if what she says is actually true.

In the Lestorm's house. Alex and Max are relaxing in the room as Max is enjoying his sweets as Alex says: "Hey, Max. If you keep eating those sweets, you'll end up with a different wardrobe altogether." This causes Max to say: "Nice try. You're only saying that because you fear that I'll fit into the glass shoe and end up in the castle." This causes Alex to say: "Yeah, right… The only thing that will happen is that I'll be the one that will fit into the shoe and you'll have a hard time trying to get Charlie to listen to you." This confuses Max as he says: "Huh? What does Charlie have to do with it?" Alex then says: "Haven't you noticed? Ever since the ball, Charlie has been zoning out from his duties. I think he knows he can't fit into the shoe and he's just acting out." Max then says: "Still… He did lose his invitation… And I can imagine that… Huh?" Just then, they heard a carriage pulling up as both Alex and Max got up from their seats and hurried to the window. And as they see the carriage, both Max and Alex know what to do as they hurry out of the room while shouting: "Father! Father!"

In Albert's room. Albert was heard about the carriage arriving at their home as he turned around and said: "What?! It's here!" Albert then stands up and says: "Hurry and get change, you two! I'll go and take care of the rest!" The two brothers nodded as they hurried to their room to go change. Albert is glad that fate is on his side when the carriage arrives at his home. As Albert thinks to himself about the things that he needs to do since he's already prepared for everything. It was then that Albert said: "I got it. I just need to do one more thing." In the side stairway, Charlie is making his way to his room as he asks: "I was just on my way to my room. Is there something that you need, Father?" And Albert says: "No, no. We got everything covered. Just stay in your room." This confuses Charlie as he says: "Okay…" And Albert then says: "And don't come out until I tell you that you can come out!" As Albert leaves the side stairway, Charlie is even more confused, but he just sighs as he heads into his room. And once Albert hears Charlie going upstairs and entering his room, he grins as he has everything prepared. And even though Albert knew that Charlie didn't go to the royal ball, he cannot take the risk that Charlie's foot would fit in the glass shoe.

In the living room. The family has changed into their suits as Khan, Skarlet and Nicole are in the room together. And as Khan says: "Now, I take it you know why you're here?" Albert replied: "Of course. I heard it from my lovely sons. You're here to search for the mysterious bachelor that has captured the heart of the Princess. And to determine who it is, you'll check and see if the bachelor in the house can wear the glass shoe. Well, I can assure you that there's a good chance that one of my sons was the one that danced with the Princess." As the two brothers nodded, Khan proceeds to lower himself with the glass shoe as he says: "In that case, please try on the glass shoe." This causes the two brothers to say: "Of course!" As the two brothers make their way to the glass shoe, they both put their foot out to try it on. But Khan simply looks at the two as he says: "I'm afraid that there's only one glass shoe. So someone will have to go first." This causes Max to say: "In that case, I'll go first!" But Alex proceeds to say: "No, you won't! I'm the oldest, so I'll go first!" This causes Max to say: "No you won't! Besides, haven't you noticed already, Alex!" As Alex looks confused, Max then said: "This glass shoe looks custom-made. There's no way that it'll fit you." But Alex then says: "You only say that because you saw it from the distance, so I know that you won't fit in this glass shoe!" Max then says: "I know that it won't fit you!" Alex then says: "In that case, I'll go first, then!| And Max says: "No you won't!" And as the two brothers get into another bickering argument, Khan sighs as this is going to be a long time. As the two brothers argue, Skarlet proceeds to whisper to Nicole: "I know that they haven't tried on the shoe yet, but I already know that it won't fit the two of them." Nicole nodded as she knew the result as well.

Outside. Zeus, Jen and Ruby are watching what's going on in the living room as they notice that Charlie is not in the room. Jen figures that Albert must have forced Charlie into his room so that he won't try on the shoe and show that it was him that danced with the Princess. And as Ruby wonders why is Charlie going along with Albert's plan if he knew that the glass shoe won't fit either Alex or Max. Zeus then believes that something must have happened at the ball that caused him to be scared about what Maria would think about him. And while Jen and Ruby wonder what Zeus is talking about, Zeus says that he doesn't know but they need to help Charlie out or his opportunity to be with Maria would vanish in front of his eyes. Ruby and Jen agree as Ruby will go grab Charlie from his room while the two will keep an eye on them and distract them, in case they want to leave. Jen and Zeus agree as Ruby hurries over to his room.

After much debate, it was decided that Max will go first. As Max sits on the chair, he proceeds to say: "I would like to thank you guys for bringing back my shoe. I was in a hurry to head home, and I accidentally lost my shoe. Now if you excuse me." As Max prepares to slip his foot in, Albert, Alex and the three watches as they see if he fits into the glass shoe. And when Max slips his foot in, his foot ends up getting stuck most of the way in as Max says: "Huh? That's odd… I could've sworn that it would fit." As Max continues to push his foot in, Albert says: "Stay calm, Max. You can do this." And Max replied: "Y-Yes, Father…" Alex then proceeds to taunt: "What's wrong, Max? Too many sweets today?" As Max ignores him, the three are convinced that his foot doesn't fit, Khan proceeds to say: "I think we should let your brother try the shoe on…" But Max says: "No, no. I almost got it in. It's just that… I need to…" As Max's heel almost reaches to the edge of the shoe, Albert says: "Come on, you're almost there." Max then lets out a yell as he uses his strength to push his heel in. This resulted in the heel slipping into the glass shoe, which has shocked everyone as Albert says: "It fits! The shoe fits! This mysterious bachelor is none other than my son, Max!" The three are quite shocked as well as the three are convinced that it was Max that danced with Maria on the night of the ball this whole time.

Unfortunately, this fantasy ends when Max lets out a painful yell as his foot gets out of the glass shoe as he falls forward to the ground. This causes the glass shoe to fly in the air as Khan panics as he grabs the shoe to prevent it from being destroyed and losing their only clue. As Khan sighs in relief, Skarlet comforts Max as she sees his foot is blistering red as she says: "Are you okay?" Max then says: "It hurts, it hurts, it hurts." Alex, on the other hand, is too busy laughing his butt off as he says: "Oh man, that was quite golden! It's such a hilarious moment to behold! I knew it from the start that Max won't fit into the glass shoe!" As Alex continues to laugh, Albert sighs that Max couldn't keep the pain in as he'll have to rely on Alex to fit his foot into the glass shoe, so that he can go and marry the Princess.

In Charlie's room. Charlie has been thinking to himself about the events that have happened to him. Is it… Is it right for me to not see her again… Then again… She was about to kiss the mysterious bachelor… But… What if she sees me as the mysterious bachelor… But there's a good chance that she will be mad at me for not revealing that detail sooner… But I'm worried… What if… What if she's sad that I'm not there… There's a good chance that she will find her happiness without me. She'll be the Queen of the castle someday… As Charlie continues to think to himself, Ruby enters the room and tug on Charlie's leg to try and get him out. But Charlie ends up saying: "Leave me alone… Father told me to stay here…" And as Charlie looks up and sees Ruby continuing to pull on his leg, he figures that she was trying to get him to come down and get him to try on the shoe and show them that he's the mysterious bachelor. So Charlie ends up saying: "It's fine, Ruby."

Back in the living room. It's Alex's turn to try on the glass shoe as he says: "Sorry about my brother. I'm sure that he gave you a good show. Now allow me to show you that the shoe belongs to me." As Alex slips his foot in as they watch. And like before, Alex's foot gets stuck in the shoe. And unlike Max, Alex's foot only got halfway in as Albert says: "You can do this, Alex." And Alex replying: "O-Of course… Father…" And Max says: "Don't bother. It's already pretty clear that he won't fit in the shoe." But Albert proceeds to say: "Quiet, Max! Don't let the pain beat you, Alex. You can do this." But the three have already seen enough as Alex continues to struggle to get the glass shoe on and Albert saying: "Come on! Push it in!" But Khan ends up grabbing the shoe from Alex as he says: "I believe that your other son is correct." As Khan takes it away, Alex ends up rubbing his sore foot as Khan then says: "It looks like neither Max nor Alex's foot can fit in this glass shoe." Realizing the situation's getting worse, Albert goes up to them and says: "Pardon me. But… Have you considered that it was I that danced with the Princess?" This shocks the three as well as his sons as his sons say: "Father!" Albert then quickly realized what he just said as he ends up laughing as he says: "Oh, just kidding you around. It was just a simple joke." The three then felt relief as Khan says: "Then I must say, you tell an excellent joke, Duke Albert."

It was then that Nicole spoke up as she said: "Pardon me for asking. But do you happen to have three sons?" This catches the three off guard as Albert says: "No. I've always had my two sons living here with me." This causes Skarlet to say: "Oh, really…" Skarlet then proceeds to flick her wrists as some papers appear from thin air as she then says: "Cause according to these records, there were four invitations sent here. Three of them to the three of you. And one invitation to the bachelor called Charlie Lestorm." This causes Albert to stutter as he then says: "W-Well… To be honest with you, I do have a boy that goes by that name. But he's more of a step-son than an actual son." This causes Khan to say: "Then, in that case, we will let him try on the glass shoe." As Zeus and Jen are happy that Charlie will get to try on the shoe, Albert proceeds to say: "I wish that was the case. But I must inform you that he did not go to the royal ball, so it will be impossible for him to try on the glass shoe. Besides, he knows nothing about the royal kingdom and I am quite confident that Princess Maria will have no interest in that boy at all." As the two brothers nod in agreement, Nicole gets angry as she says: "It is not up to you to decide who will wear the shoe or not, nor is it up to you to decide who will become the Princess's groom. Our orders are to check every bachelor and see if they could wear the shoe. And if we were to find out that you have anything to do with Charlie not coming to the ball, we will throw the three of you in the dungeon." Even though Nicole is bluffing about the last part and Khan and Skarlet know this, Albert and his sons start to get scared if they discover what happened yesterday. It was then that Albert said: "Very well, I'll bring him over."

As the three wait for Charlie to get here, Nicole is feeling confident that Charlie will be the one that fits in the glass shoe and will help get the two of them together. And when they see Albert entering the room and joining his sons at the side of the room, Charlie enters the room as he makes his way up to them. However, the three noticed that Charlie doesn't look happy to be in the room. As Charlie stands in front of the three, Alex whispers to his Father: "Father… Are we really going to let him try on the shoe?" And Albert whispers back: "We don't have much choice, Alex." And Max then whispers: "But what if he does fit in the glass shoe?" But Alex whispers back: "No way. We know Charlie didn't go to the ball." But Albert shushes the two as Khan then says: "Now, I understand that you know why we're here. But I must ask you something. Is it true that you didn't go to the ball yesterday?" Charlie was hoping that he would avoid the situation, but now that he has no choice, he'll answer them the truth as he says: "It is true. I did not go to the ball yesterday." While this shocks Nicole and surprises Albert and his family, this also shocks Zeus, Jen and Ruby. It is the truth… It was that bachelor that went to the ball… Not me… Seeing this as an opportunity, Albert proceeds to say: "As you can see, he is telling the truth. He did not go to the ball." Nicole then says: "Then, in that case, you wouldn't mind trying on the shoe so we can confirm it ourselves." But despite Zeus, Jen and Ruby's plea for Charlie to try on the slipper, Charlie ends up saying: "With all due respect. If I wasn't at the ball, then how could I fit into the shoe." This shocks Nicole as Khan says: "Very well. I do appreciate your modesty." Khan then lifts the pillow with the glass shoe. It is for the best… I'm sure Maria will find her happiness…

As the three take their leave in the carriage, Albert and his sons watch them off as the carriage drives away from their home. It was then that Alex said: "Why did you have to give me such big feet, Father!" And as Albert is shocked to hear this from Alex, Max then says: "Yeah! We could be in the castle if you gave us the proper feet to fit in the glass shoe!" But Albert is having none of it as he says: "That's enough, you two! I'm disappointed in the two of you! You could have suffered through the pain and you'll end up becoming royal. But because the two of you gave up from a slight amount of pain, that chance is now gone!" As Albert enters the house angrily, the two brothers enter the house as they said: "Father!" With Zeus, Jen and Ruby watching the carriage going away, both Jen and Ruby are shocked that Charlie would blow his opportunity away. But Zeus ends up saying that it's not over yet. As this catches Jen and Ruby's attention, Zeus then says that they need to see the reason that Charlie is at the ball and to do that, they'll need to grab Charlie's other glass shoe."

In the kitchen, Charlie is busy making some tea for Albert and his family after that outburst from earlier. As he makes the tea, he feels that the pain from his heart is getting worse than before despite the fact that in his mind, he had made the right choice. After all, he had managed to escape from a situation that would make things worse for his relationship with his family. But as he's making the tea, he hears someone going upstairs. And when he looks over, he sees Jen and Ruby in the kitchen. As the two proceed to rub his legs as Charlie says: "What are you two doing… I have to take care of this first." But just as he was about to focus on the tea, his eye spotted Zeus heading back downstairs as he turned to Zeus and said: "Zeus? What are you-" But when Zeus stops, Charlie sees something that shocked him. And that Zeus is holding on to the box that contains his other glass shoe. This was something that Charlie did not want to happen as he says: "Wait, Zeus! What are you doing?!" As Zeus takes off, Charlie tries to stop him, Jen and Ruby manage to stop him enough to allow Zeus to escape. And as Charlie reaches the doorway outside, he feels the pain of his heart intensifying even worse. Why… Why are you doing this… Why would you do something like this…

As the carriage drives off, Khan proceeds to say: "It looks like this mysterious bachelor is nowhere in this kingdom. We'll have to go out and search the other kingdoms for him." And as Skarlet says: "Yeah… This is going to be much longer than expected…" Nicole has been thinking to herself as Skarlet took notice as she says: "Is there something wrong, Nicole?" Nicole then says: "Have you guys noticed anything wrong with Charlie?" Khan then says: "What makes you say that?" Nicole then says: "Normally, he isn't like that at all. He's usually more honest than that." Khan then says: "While I must admit, I have not seen that boy before, so I wouldn't know him myself. He did say that he did not go to the ball yesterday. And unless we have found proof that the glass shoe belongs to him, we must continue with our search." Nicole then says: "I suppose…" And as they continue to head off, Skarlet notices a Mightyena catching up to them. But what Skarlet then notices is the box that the Mightyena is carrying in its mouth as she leans out the carriage as she says: "Hey! Stop the carriage!" The driver then proceeds to stop the carriage, forcing Khan and Nicole to slide forward as Khan holds on to the glass shoe. And as Nicole says: "What are you doing, Skarlet!" Skarlet exits the carriage as she looks at the box and says: "What do you have here, boy?" As she grabs the box from the Mightyena, Khan and Nicole look out as Khan says: "Do you know who that Mightyena belongs to?" And Skarlet says: "Yeah. I remember hearing that this Mightyena belongs to the boy that Nicole said earlier." And when Skarlet opens the box, she is quite shocked at what she finds inside. And that's the second glass shoe. As both Nicole and Khan exit the carriage, Skarlet says: "It's the second glass shoe! We found the second glass shoe!" This shocks the two as they head over and sees what Skarlet is talking about. This causes Nicole to smile as she says: "It looks like we have our proof. We now know that this mysterious bachelor is none other than Charlie Lestorm."

Back at the Lestorm's house. The three returned home as they stood in the lobby, after making Albert fetch Charlie again. And as Albert stands there with his sons, Charlie stands alone in front of the three as Zeus, Jen and Ruby watch from outside as they hope that Charlie will finally put on the glass shoe, now that the three are convinced that he's the mysterious bachelor. Alex then whispered to his Father: "Father, what's going on?" And Albert whispers back: "I don't know. They suddenly came here and requested that Charlie should try on the glass shoe. Why would they waste their time when they already know the answer." It was then that Max notices the glass shoes as he whispers: "Hang on… Wasn't there only one glass shoe? Where did they find the other glass shoe?" Khan then says: "I know that you said that you weren't at the ball. But now we must confirm if what you said is true, we would like for you to try on the glass shoes." But Charlie remains still. He knows that he can't try and convince them that it wasn't him at the ball, since they have his other glass shoe. It was something that he wanted to avoid, so he just stands there as he remains silent. Nicole then notices this as she wants to know what's eating Charlie away. So she walks up to him and as Albert and his family notices this, Charlie notices her close as Nicole says: "Pardon me. But I must check something out." Nicole's hands began to glow as she placed her hands on Charlie's head before Charlie could have the chance to move.

It was one of her techniques that she uses to check out what's eating their mind. And while she would normally use this to help Princess Maria when she was a young Kirlia, she knows that this is something she must do to help him out. And when she enters Charlie's mind, she sees the memories that he has, including the times that he was with Maria when she was in her disguise. But what also catches her attention is the fact that Albert has forced Charlie to be their servant while his sons get to live the noble's life. And then she saw the moment in his memory where Albert destroyed Charlie's invitation right in front of him. This confirms in her mind the reason why Charlie didn't go to the royal ball, but she'll have to deal with it later as she heads further down the memory. And when she reaches down the memory lane, she discovers a shocking display. What she saw is a visual image of Charlie as he is being chained up by some chains as he's trapped on the wall. It was then that Nicole realized the problem that Charlie is dealing with. And that he's feeling guilty for the way that he treated her and the fear of her being mad at him. It was then that Nicole needed to fix the situation at hand if she wanted Charlie to be with Maria.

It was then that the visual image of Charlie then notices Nicole as he says: "W-Who's there…" Nicole then says: "Hello, Charlie. I apologized for entering your mind, but I'm here to help you with the situation at hand." Charlie then looks down as he says: "H-Help… But… I… I…" Nicole sees that he was struggling to speak as Nicole says: "Are you having trouble speaking? Is it because you're worried?" Charlie remains silent as Nicole says: "I guess you were worried about what your friend is going to say to you." It was then that Charlie said: "But… How… How can I face her…" Nicole then says: "I know that you were shocked that she was the real Princess. But I can assure you that she doesn't have any grudges against you." But it was then that Charlie said: "You say that… Yet… Yet… Yet how can I face her when I've been lying to her on the day of the ball." This surprises Nicole as Charlie then says: "I don't like liars… And yet… When I met her… I lied right in front of her... I could've told her the truth… But… I ended up lying to her… And now… She ends up trying to kiss me as someone else and not me… How… How can I face her with all of that going on…" Nicole hears what he has to say as she admits it's not as simple as she thinks. But she proceeds to say: "I know you're worried… But you have to know that when you were dancing with Maria, she was thinking about you the whole time." This shocks Charlie as he looks at her and says: "She did?" Nicole nodded as she said: "I know you may think she's mad. But there's no changing the fact that she has a place for you in her heart. It all depends on what you want to do." As Charlie thinks to himself, Nicole starts to vanish as she then says: "If you feel that Maria doesn't want to be with you, then I'll respect your decision. But if you do love her, then put on the glass shoes and show that you were at the ball." And with that, Nicole vanishes from his head.

Hearing her words has put Charlie in a state that he does not know what to do. He feels guilty for lying to her and deceiving her since the ball, and yet he does not know why he lied to her. He worries that she will be mad at him for the times that he mistreated her with her constant lies. He fears that she has fallen in love with the mysterious bachelor. But it was then that Charlie realized something. He was scared, scared of what Maria sees in him. It was his constant worries of what she thinks that built this fear inside him. He was scared that he would be rejected by her, so he would rather avoid the problem rather than facing them. And it was this that caused him to keep himself away from her friend. From the friend that they spent time together. From the friend… That he loved. It was then that he knew he was still in love with Maria. He was in this state of fear for so long, he has forgotten that they were a couple, even before Charlie knew her as a Princess. And it was then that he realized that she must be miserable since he wasn't there. He then concluded. He will go to see Maria and let her know how she feels. Even if there's a chance that she will be mad at him and tells him that she doesn't want to see him anymore, he will still let her know that he loves her. With his confidence made, Charlie grabs hold of the chains that bound him as he proceeds to pull hard on them. Maria… I feel your pain… I feel your sadness from the time I left you… Well now I won't run anymore… I'll come to you, not as the mysterious bachelor, but as myself… And that is why… I love you, Maria… Using the ounce of his strength, he breaks apart the chains that bounded him.

Outside. Zeus, Jen and Ruby are watching what's going on inside as they see Nicole's hand on Charlie. They're worried that Charlie would try and blow his opportunity again as they wonder what to do. It was then that they heard a voice saying: "Hello, friends." They turn around and see Cinder with a basket of food as she then says: "I hope you don't mind if we can share a meal." It was then that the three realized that she can help him as they hurry over to Cinder, which catches her off guard as she says: "Huh? What is it?" After hearing what they said, Cinder takes a look through the window as she sees Nicole stepping back and returning to her original spot. It was then that she looks at Charlie as she notices Charlie's has decided on what to do, which causes her to smile as she says: "It looks like Charlie doesn't need my help. But I'll gladly assist him." While this confuses with Zeus, Jen and Ruby, Charlie opens his eyes as he takes off his shoes. Cinder then proceeds to cast her spell just as Charlie slips his feet into the glass shoe. This results in his feet slipping into the glass shoes perfectly as the spell lands on Charlie. This surprises the three as it shocks Albert, Alex and Max.

It was then that the spell took place as it helps Charlie remember the wonderful time he had when he was in the royal ball with the help of Cinder's spell. Albert and his family, however, were still shocked that Charlie somehow manages to fit into the glass shoes. As his memory ends, the three look at Charlie as Nicole says: "It looks like we have finally found our mysterious bachelor. I am sure that Princess Maria will be glad when she sees you." Nicole then walks back up to Charlie as she extends her hand as she says: "Now… Let me bring you to the castle, Charlie Lestorm." Charlie nodded as he took her hand as they headed towards the carriage with Khan and Skarlet following them. While Albert says: "I… I… I don't believe it…" Max said: "Charlie was the mysterious bachelor the whole time…" And Alex said: "How… How did he get into the royal ball…" As the three are dumbfounded by the shocking discovery as Charlie enters the carriage with the three.

As they make their way to the castle. Charlie's heart has finally healed from having to avoid his fear of the one he loves being angry with him. It's as if he became a new man. He knows in his mind that the old life that he has is gone. Even if Maria were to reject his love and that he has to return to his home, he'll be living in a new life from now on. And as Charlie looks at Skarlet, Nicole and Khan, he can tell that they're glad to have found him and they believe that she will be happy with him. And as the carriage goes over the bridge, Charlie sees the castle in the distance as he's ready to start his new life. Ever since my mother remarried, I've been living in a different life than what I used to. I thought that things were going to be hard. I thought that I would lose the place that I call home. But when I've accidentally bumped into you, I would have never imagined all things that happened up to this point… And… I'm glad to have gone through them with you… Cause now… I'm coming back to see you… Maria.

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Charlie: A Pokemon Cinderella Story. Chapter 25

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