Pokemon: Radical Redux-Chapter 326: Chloe and Soleil

As the group walked, Ash explained the whole story with Molly, from the crystal castle and the Unown to how they apparently made her father disappear. He told her that he was working on finding all nine Unown responsible so they could bring her father back. In the meantime, his mom had adopted Molly.

"Geez, that's crazy..." Green said, her previous anger gone. "So, yeah, no wonder."

"Yeah... I miss my papa, but at least I have my mama and big brother," Molly said, smiling, though her hand gripped Ash's hair tightly.

Silver also felt bad for Molly, but he didn't know how to comfort people, so he just stayed quiet and kept walking next to Green.

"Hey, Molly, I promised you I'd help you get him back, and big brothers don't lie, do they?" Ash said, doing a little jump that made Molly giggle.

"I believe you, big brother."

Misty was about to point something out, but Ash pointed at her. "Misty, I will slap you so hard you'll find Bug-types attractive."

Misty shut her mouth and looked like she had just bitten a lemon as she kept walking, saying nothing.

"Man, that's kinda messed up. I mean, who knew those Unown would do that... We should have found a way to keep them in the ruins..." Ethan said, immediately getting everyone's attention.

"I'm sorry, WHAT NOW?!" Kris exclaimed. "You saw them? And what do you mean, 'we'?"

"Yeah, me, Ash, and the Gym Leader Bugsy saw them escape from the Ruins of Alph," Ethan explained, not realizing how bad this sounded.

Misty finally turned to look at him. "Just how much do you do when we're not around?"

"Hey, you guys left me, so I went for a walk."

"I want to hit you so bad, but you have Molly on your shoulders," Misty grumbled.

"It's not my fault I got a little silly. You shouldn't leave me unsupervised. And I found Ethan, so we were silly together," Ash said, nodding as if this was a valid explanation.

Brock sighed. "Just... what happened?"

"Well, long story short, we found Team Rocket. They were after the Unown, so we stopped them, but in the process, the Unown escaped," Ash explained.

"So this is all Team Rocket's fault," Green said, clenching her hands. Even Silver narrowed his eyes. "I should have known."

"Who's Team Rocket?" Molly asked.

"They're really bad people, and apparently, it's because of them that your dad disappeared."

"So it's their fault?! Those meanies," Molly said, making a punching motion in front of her before slamming her little hand on Ash's head, but it didn't hurt.

"Hey, come on, there's no point in getting angry. It's not like that's going to help," Kris said, trying to defuse the situation, even though she wasn't happy either.

"But it sure does feel good," Misty mumbled.

"Come on, she's right. If we get mad, what's that going to accomplish? Let's just enjoy the festival, look, there it is," Ash said, and in the distance, they saw the Eclipse Castle.

As they approached, an old woman walked up to them and smiled at Ash. "Hello there, would you happen to be Ash?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me. How do you know?" Ash responded.

"The Kimono Girls told me that we would finally have someone to play the Prince of Johto. How exciting! Oh, excuse me, where are my manners? I'm Helia. It's a pleasure."

"Hello! You already know me, but these are my friends, and this one here is my little sister, Molly," Ash responded.

"Wonderful! If you'd like, follow me so I can tell you what you need to know. Your friends are free to follow too!" Helia said with a smile.

—-

{Meanwhile}

Things for Virgil, Chloe, and Regina were... well, they didn't really know how to put it. Virgil was happily doing exactly as he was told with his team of Eevee since he had come here specifically to train.

They had also gotten in contact with Valerie, who provided them with the evolution method for Sylveon. Virgil followed it with enthusiasm while his other Eeveelutions trained as well.

Chloe and Regina, however, were here mostly because they didn't know what else to do. They weren't interested in being trainers or anything like that, so they didn't train.

Instead, they had been dressed in kimonos and danced alongside the Kimono Girls. Even Regina, a self-proclaimed nervous wreck, had to admit it was fun, and they still got to enjoy the festival.

Since the rest of their class would also be going to the Eclipse Castle, they were invited to join the Kimono Girls. With no real reason to refuse, they accepted and now found themselves sitting in the castle's main room, looking around. Virgil and the Kimono Girls had left to prepare for the festival, leaving Chloe and Regina alone for the time being.

"So... what should we do?" Chloe asked as she absentmindedly stroked Eevee, who was curled up on her lap.

Regina rubbed Mirche behind the ears, looking thoughtful. "Um... I don't really know, but, um, do you want to play a game or something?"

"Hmm, we could, but—gah!" Chloe started to say, only for Eevee to suddenly leap from her lap and dart outside to play.

"Eevee, not again."

Chloe quickly got to her feet. "I'll be right back, sorry," she said before dashing out after her mischievous partner.

Regina sighed, holding Mirche close as she stared at the ground. But then, she heard a voice.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Regina flinched, quickly looking up, only to see... Chloe?

Except this Chloe was wearing a different kimono and had an Espeon and Umbreon standing beside her instead of Eevee.

Regina blinked in confusion as 'Chloe' walked closer and smiled.

"Oh, your Glaceon is really pretty! Are you one of the Kimono Girls?"

Regina's confusion only deepened. Why was Chloe talking like this? And why was she dressed differently?

Before she could process what was happening, the door opened again, this time, revealing Chloe... again.

"Sorry, Regina, Eevee was being silly again, but I'm ba—" Chloe stopped mid-sentence as she and her apparent doppelgänger locked eyes.

"Who are you...?" they both said in unison, still trying to process what they were seeing.

"I'm Chloe..." Chloe said hesitantly.

"Name's Soleil," the other girl revealed with a smile.

As Eevee hopped out of Chloe's arms and walked up to Espeon and Umbreon, Soleil's expression shifted to one of surprise. Meanwhile, Regina looked like she was about to pass out from sheer shock.

"Wow... we look so similar. It's like we're twins! Can you believe it?" Soleil asked, slightly excited.

Chloe still looked surprised. "Um, yeah... We actually came here to look at the Eclipse Castle's Espeon and Umbreon."

"Aww, that makes me so happy! You came all this way just to see us?" Soleil clapped her hands together before suddenly perking up as an idea struck her.

"I have a great idea!" she exclaimed with a wide grin.

—

Meanwhile, back with the gang...

Ash had to be taken into the mansion to learn what he was supposed to do. He told the others to go enjoy the festival without him, insisting that they take Molly along as well.

"Really, it's fine. You guys have fun. I'll just be here being a boring old prince or whatever I have to do. So go on, I'll see if I can meet up with you guys after I get out of here," Ash said, waving them off.

"Uh... I mean, if you insist. Still doesn't feel quite right without you," Brock said, crossing his arms.

"But if you insist, you better hurry and join us quickly. Otherwise..." Green said, holding Molly in her arms, "I'll have no choice but to corrupt your dear little sister. Mwahahaha!"

"If you do, I will find you... and I'll make it look like an accident~" Ash said with a sweet smile.

"Noted," they all replied in unison.

Ash chuckled as Pikachu reclaimed his rightful spot on his shoulder. He then grabbed his wallet and slipped a few bills into Molly's hand.

"Here's some pocket money. If you need more, ask them, and I'll pay them back, alright?"

"Okay, big brother! And come back soon, it's more fun with you!" Molly said as they parted ways.

Ash walked into the mansion as Helia explained that this situation was new even to her. No one had ever been chosen as the Rainbow Hero before, much less played the part of the Prince of Johto.

She went over what he needed to do, reassuring him that the Kimono Girls were handling most of the arrangements. His main role was to play the part and assist in passing on the title of liege to the new heir.

Ash was only half-listening as they walked through the halls. "I understand, ma'am. I know what I must do."

"Very good. You truly are such a good child," Helia said warmly. "And I must say, your outfit does give you a more noble look. Are you certain you aren't descended from royalty~?" she teased with a giggle.

Ash laughed helplessly. "Yeah, uh... I'm pretty sure. My mom just owns a restaurant, that's all." Though, deep down, he knew it was highly likely that he was a descendant of Sir Aaron. And given the strong implications that Sir Aaron had a child with the queen before his death, it wasn't entirely out of the question...

"It's only a jest, don't worry about it," Helia said as she opened a door. "Now, I should introduce you to Soleil. After all, you'll be helping her."

As the door swung open, they were suddenly met with the sight of Soleil, Chloe, and Regina.

Ash raised an eyebrow while Helia stood completely stunned.

"What a shock..." Helia murmured.

Even Pikachu tilted his head, his ears lowering in confusion. "Pika?"

Regina, sitting on a nearby couch, fidgeted nervously as she glanced back and forth between Soleil and Chloe. "This is way more than just lookalikes..."

Helia held a hand to her cheek. "This is like something straight out of a dream... It's almost as if you're twins..."

'Chloe' stepped forward with a smile. "Yeah, I was surprised too. But look at us—it's like a true fateful encounter."

Only then did they register Ash's presence. Chloe and Regina, seeing Ash all dressed up, were momentarily stunned into silence. Soleil, on the other hand, was also surprised—after all, she had never seen this person before. And here he was, standing before her, looking like a prince.

Ash walked up and inspected 'Chloe,' making her flinch. "Um... hey," she said hesitantly.

Ash smiled on the inside but kept his expression neutral on the outside. "Hey, Chloe. Like my new outfit?"

"Um... yeah, you look good in it," 'Chloe' responded. In reality, this was Soleil, but since she didn't even know Ash's name and it seemed like he was close to Chloe, she decided to play along. "What's the occasion?"

Ash smirked. "What? Can't I dress up for my girlfriend~?" he said casually, making everyone do a double take.

The real Chloe, disguised as 'Soleil,' was the most taken aback. She opened her mouth to protest but quickly bit her tongue, looking away with a deep blush on her cheeks.

"I-I..." 'Chloe', who was actually Soleil, stammered, but seeing that 'Soleil' wasn't saying anything, she gulped and hesitantly played along. "O-of course, dear... boyfriend. Silly me," she said, still not even knowing Ash's name.

Ash's smirk widened. "But Chloe, there's something I wanted to tell you. After your last rejection, when you broke my heart, I don't think I can do this any longer. A man's heart can only take so much. So... I'm sorry, but I think we should break up~" he said, pretending to be heartbroken.

That left everyone even more stunned. 'Chloe' (Soleil) panicked, scared she had just ruined Chloe's relationship. "I-I... w-wait, no! I-I can change! Don't, wait, I-I lo—mph!"

Before she could say another word, 'Soleil' (Chloe) quickly covered her mouth, her face as red as a tomato. "Uh... Chloe, I think we should let... um... this guy go. It wouldn't be right," she said through gritted teeth, trying to subtly convey that she wanted Soleil to stop talking before she made things worse.

Ash, still grinning, turned to 'Soleil.' "You, however... I must say, you're easy on the eyes. You're Soleil, right? Well, since you're going to become the new liege, I can be your prince~" he said with a wink.

Chloe, disgusted, turned bright red while Soleil, equally horrified, felt like she had accidentally stolen Chloe's boyfriend.

After a moment, Ash finally burst out laughing. "Ohhh, that was good! But I can't keep it up, of course I could tell that's you, Chloe."

Chloe and Soleil froze. "Wait... what now?"

"What, you think I can't tell you two apart?"

Helia, equally surprised, looked between them. "Wait... you both changed clothes?" She was shocked, realizing even she couldn't tell her own granddaughter apart.

"How can you tell us apart?" Soleil asked in surprise.

"That's a secret~" Ash replied with a smirk. "But you should've seen your faces."

"Wait, so you're not dating?" Soleil asked.

Chloe shook her head quickly, her blush still visible. "No, of course we're not! Who'd want to date an idiot like this?!"

"I don't know... you seemed pretty sad when I said I'd stop," Ash teased. "After all, you're the one who broke my heart~" he added with a chuckle.

Before Chloe could say anything else, a loud bell rang through the air. Soleil flinched at the sound. "Oh! That means the festival is starting soon! I need to get things ready, Gran, let's go!" she said hurriedly, dashing out of the room with Umbreon and Espeon following closely behind.

Helia took a deep breath, glancing back and forth before nodding. "Alright," she said before turning to Ash. "You can come meet us once the festival officially begins."

"Right, will do," Ash responded as Helia quickly followed after Soleil.

With them gone, Ash turned to Chloe and Regina. "Well, since we're here, do you two want to check out the festival? I'm sure the Kimono Girls won't mind if I steal you away for a little while."

Chloe rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine. But only because we're bored. And don't think I'm not mad at you for that stunt you pulled earlier."

Follow current novels on freewebnσvel.cѳm.

Regina, still a bit shy, simply nodded as she got up to follow them, with Eevee and Mirche trotting behind.

As they walked along the wooden pathway leading outside, Ash made small talk with them. The fresh evening air carried the distant sounds of festival preparations.

Just as they stepped outside, Chloe finally noticed something. "Oh no... I forgot to change back!" she exclaimed, looking down at Soleil's kimono.

"Eh, I'm sure it's fine," Ash said with a smirk. "She probably has to put on another one anyway since that one looks more like a casual kimono than a festival one. Besides, you look great in it." Pikachu nodded in agreement.

Chloe crossed her arms and turned away slightly. "Shut up," she muttered, though she didn't seem too upset. "But... I guess you're right. I'll give it back to her after the festival."

Just as she was about to follow them again, Ash suddenly heard a faint noise, something cutting through the air.

Without hesitation, his instincts kicked in. He grabbed Chloe and pulled her into his chest, spinning around just in time to catch the incoming object. His sharp eyes narrowed as he looked at it, a kunai attached to a thin web leading into the woods.

Chloe barely registered what had happened before realizing that a literal kunai had just been aimed at her. Her breath caught in her throat.

Ash felt the web tugging as something tried to pull the kunai back, but with his strength, he yanked it forward instead. "Pikachu," he called.

Pikachu instantly understood. He leaped up and delivered a precise [Iron Tail], slicing through the web. A figure fell from the trees, landing roughly on the ground, a boy riding an Ariados.

The boy scowled but wasted no time. He and Ariados quickly turned and retreated into the darkness of the woods.

Ash glared after them before lowering his gaze to the kunai in his hand.

"Ash..." Chloe's voice was shaky, still trying to process what had just happened.

Ash gently released her, placing a hand on her head, not in a teasing way, but as a reassuring gesture since this wasn't the time to flirt, "It's fine. He ran away," he said calmly.

Regina, looking pale, whispered, "But... why would someone be after Chloe?"

Ash tightened his grip on the kunai, his expression darkening as he flipped it in his hand.

"They're not after Chloe," he said. "They're after Soleil."

On the bottom of the kunai's handle, a symbol of the moon gleamed under the soft lantern light.