At first sight Chapter 2: I'll make you believe, a pokémon fanfic

Hello to all readers. It's time to continue, with this story, with the second chapter, of the girl that few know, but I want you to know more. We left off with Clarice confessing to Ash, it's time to read his answer, so let's get started.

Chapter 2: I'll make you believe.

"Did you say... That you like me?" asked Ash, still stunned by the sudden confession.

"Of course, since that day we met. It may sound crazy, but just seeing you, was enough to make me fall in love. And it would make me very happy, if you accept my feelings, and dated me" Clarice said, waiting for Ash's answer. And although it would probably be a refusal, she didn't know what could happen.

"I think we could give ourselves a chance," said Ash, with a surprising answer that made Clarice shudder, who didn't expect him to say that.

"R-really!?"

Her surprise at that answer, made her feel excited, she didn't believe that Ash would agree so easily.

"Yes, I realize how beautiful you are, I wouldn't miss this opportunity," Ash said, approaching Clarice's face.

"W-wait! Of course, I accept all this, but we can go slower."

"I can't wait. So let's seal our pact of love now."

Ash put his fingers on Clarice's chin and slowly approached intending to kiss her.

"O-Okay..."

Although Clarice seemed scared for a moment, she decided to let herself go, and wait for that long-awaited contact with Ash's lips. A situation too unreal, and even, was like a fantasy of a mind in love.

"Or so I would have liked that to have happened, but it didn't!" and so it was, for it was all but Clarice, telling what would have been the scenario she wished for. She was meeting with Alouette, just like the previous time, in a cafeteria, but in Laverre City, the place where the next Pokémon showcase would take place for both of them.

"Sealing our pact of love? Who would say that? And what happened?"

"Well, it was very depressing..."

Flashback.

After Clarice's confession, all that was left was for Ash to give his answer, and what she hoped was that, even though it might not sound credible, she would fall in love at first sight, and he could give her the opportunity to date her, and to get to know each other more in a possible relationship.

"Are you serious?" was Ash's answer, which was full of doubts.

"Of course, I'm so serious, or do you doubt my feelings?"

"It's not that, it's just that, nobody has ever suddenly proposed to me, and I don't know what to answer right now." Ash was trying to clarify his answer. It wasn't that he didn't believe Clarice's words, but that he didn't know how to face the situation.

"I see, it seems that you are not one of those people who believe in love at first sight."

"I tell you it's not that..."

"Then, I'll make you believe in it," said Clarice. She was determined not to give up, and that the boy she was in love with could be hers.

"Really? And how will you do that?" asked Ash. His attitude towards Clarice's words was skeptical, between the fact that a girl he barely knew confessed to him, and not knowing what she would do, to make him believe in her feelings.

"Well..." at that moment, Clarice could not think of a way to show it at this moment. Something had come to her mind, but her cheeks blushed sharply at the thought of what it consisted of. She tried to overcome her nerves, and moved closer to Ash, grabbing his face with her hands; this took the boy by surprise, and she could feel how Clarice's face was getting closer to his, and it seemed that she intended to kiss him, a very daring move, but that according to her, it could be the most effective.

'Come on, Clarice, you can do it. Don't let your nerves control you, this is your chance little by little, and timidly, Clarice was getting closer to Ash, who was not putting up any resistance, not knowing how to react to such a sudden action. But Clarice suddenly stood still, with her face reddened, feeling a strong sense of shame.

"I'm so sorry!" From everything she felt, she pushed Ash, separating herself from him. "I-I-I-I-I didn't mean to do that! Well... actually yes, but... N-Never mind, forget what I was trying to do!"

And covering her face in shame, Clarice ran out of the Pokémon Center, as far away as she could; because of what had just happened, and what she intended to do, she didn't want to see Ash right now, because of what he might think of her, and maybe he might see her as some crazy person. The boy had no words to describe what had just happened, even so, he decided to let it go.

End of flashback.

"What a shame, what a shame! If I meet him again, I don't think I'll be able to look at him again"

"But if you had kissed him, what impression would he have had of you?"

"I know, that's why I gave it up! What if he thinks I'm crazy?! I would be more ashamed than I am." said Clarice, dropping her head on the table, with a depressed expression. "Tell me what I can do, I can't think of anything."

"I don't think I'm the right person for your problem." Alouette believed that she could not be of help, not having been in the same situation, and that, for now, she did not plan to fall in love.

"I beg you, please! I have no one to turn to, and I want him to love me back, I love him." Clarice asked, trying to get Alouette to tell her something, right now, she was satisfied with anything she could tell her.

"Well, since you insist so much, what do you want to do with him?"

"Since I fell in love with him at first sight, I just want him to see that my feelings are real, and if possible, to give me a chance."

"Well, I don't think any guy believes in that thought, and he already told you that."

"That's not true!" Clarice exclaimed, giving her companion a little scare for such a reaction. "He didn't tell me that, and he didn't reject me as such, I simply told him that I would make him believe. So I have a chance, and there must be something I can do, to show him my genuine feelings!"

Clarice showed enormous optimism, with that possibility she believed she had.

"And how will you do it? There are many problems with what you are proposing."

"Don't worry, although I can't think of anything right now, something will come along. I don't know, maybe in this city, something wonderful will present itself to me." Clarice said, returning to her dreamy side, hoping that something would happen.

"Something like what? Sometimes I feel that your fantasies go too far."

"Don't doubt about destiny! Surely there will be an event, where I will be able to express my most sincere feelings towards him." Even if Clarice was very optimistic, no one would believe that such a scenario could happen, as she thought.

"Hey dear, will you show me how much you love me at the festival?" A couple that had just entered the venue, was talking about an upcoming event; this did not go unnoticed by both Pokémon performers.

"Of course, you'll see that my feelings for you are the most sincere and real."

"I knew it! You heard it, Alouette! It seems that destiny wants to make my dream come true!" Clarice exclaimed, quite enthusiastically, seeing that her words became real.

"Of course, the festival of genuineness. I heard it's done once a year, and it's a favorite event for couples since they openly show everything they feel for each other," said Alouette, commenting on the details of what the festival was all about.

"That's right, I forgot that at this time of the year, this festival is organized. I also heard that it has been celebrated for centuries, and it is a tradition for the city." Clarice complement. "Now that I remember, I had seen how people started to decorate, it seems that it is for this festival."

"But do you know what it means?" At the question, Clarice denied having an answer. "Tomorrow was the showcase, and the festival too, which means the showcase will be suspended, until the next day."

"That's right, it's a shame," Clarice said, with a tone of disappointment, when she heard this. "At least it will give us time to practice more."

"That's good on that side, we could use an extra day of practice."

"I know, let's go check out the preparations, sure, what do you say?"

"Now? All right, let's go." Alouette accepted the invitation, and the two left the cafeteria to see how the city's people were preparing for the festival, and how they were decorating for the occasion.

"It's beautiful, is this what they mean, those who say that the city is enchanted?" said Clarice, fascinated by the decoration of the surroundings. Laverre was a city, with a charm of its own, as if it was taken out of a fairy tale, and when there were special dates, that charm was accentuated to the maximum.

"You are right. With this decoration, this city seems to have a kind of magic." Alouette said, with the same impression as her companion.

"What could make this better, is that Ash could be here, and our love could blossom in this magical city, and the festival would be the perfect opportunity for him to believe in my feelings," Clarice said, fantasizing again with the boy that she likes. She thought that because of the atmosphere, and the upcoming festival, it would be an ideal scenario for her.

"I don't want to disappoint you, but do you think he is in this city? Most likely, he's somewhere else."

"Maybe, but I want to believe that we will meet again." Clarice wanted to firmly maintain that she could make her thoughts come true. And conveniently, the brunette had turned to the side, and there was Ash, right in her field of vision.

"It can't be, it's Ash!" Clarice exclaimed, shaking Alouette to her heart's content. "Fate wants something good to happen!"

"So it's him?" said Alouette, looking sideways at the boy Clarice was talking so much about.

"Hey, don't even think of trying anything, I saw him first," Clarice warned. Even though Alouette was her friend, and they could get along well when they competed in Pokémon Showcase, in the current situation, Clarice didn't plan to give anyone a break.

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning to do anything with him, but why don't you do it yourself?"

"Me? What are you talking about?"

"Come on, go to him, and do what you have to do," said Alouette, as she pushed Clarice in Ash's direction.

"No, wait! I don't think I'm ready!" Clarice refused to go, due to her nervousness, not only to be with Ash but also because she didn't know how to act in front of him after she tried to kiss him without success. "What do you want me to tell him? What if he wants to talk about me trying to kiss him!"

"Surely he doesn't remember! Just say hello!"

Clarice was trying to stop Alouette's pushes, but Alouette gave the last push, so Clarice collided with Ash; he reacted and held her without complications.

"Are you all right?" he asked. As soon as he straightened Clarice up, he could see who it was. "You are..."

"H-Hello..." Clarice could hardly speak; the current situation was making her very nervous, because of how close she was to the boy she liked so much, and even more when they met again, after a failed confession of love, and an attempt of Clarice to kiss him, she didn't want to see him because of embarrassment.

"Are you all right, Clarice?" approached Alouette, as if she had arrived with no idea of anything, although in reality, she was trying to help Clarice with her love affair. "Hi, I hope my friend didn't give you any trouble, she's just a little distracted."

"Not really, so don't worry," Ash replied, downplaying what had happened a moment ago.

"Now that I remember, I had an appointment to attend to. So I'll see you later," said Alouette, saying goodbye to Ash and Clarice, and leaving from where they were. This left the brunette in a very difficult situation, because now she was alone with Ash, and she didn't know how to manage on her own.

'Don't leave me alone, Alouette! What am I supposed to do?!'

"Hey..." Ash was about to say something to Clarice. Which made her die of nerves, as she didn't want her to mention the event, they experienced some time ago.

"Y-Yes..."

"Do you know where the gym in this city is?"

"G-Gym?" Fortunately for her, he didn't bring up the topic of conversation, which she feared so much, which made her calm down. "Ah... so that's all it was."

"Yes, what did you think I was going to talk about? "

Although an event, like the one Ash experienced with Clarice in their last meeting, was something impossible to forget, it seemed that another matter was the one that was on his mind.

"No, about nothing. I don't know where it is, I just arrived here yesterday."

"I see. Then I'll have to ask someone else."

"W-Wait!" When Ash was about to go somewhere else, Clarice called his attention, as if she wanted to tell him something else. "I-I don't know if you noticed, but the city is in a festivity right now."

"Oh yeah? What are they celebrating?" asked Ash, who, being from another region, didn't know what was going on in the city.

"It is a festival with a long tradition in this city, and it is considered sacred by the citizens, do you know what it means?" At what Clarice said, Ash only shook his head to the side, which meant a negative answer. "It means that, as of today, many things close, which includes the gym of this city."

"The gym is closed until the festival is over?!" Ash exclaimed when he found out that his goal, will be postponed, until the end of the celebration. "And how do you know that?"

"Because I have a showcase here, and it was supposed to be tomorrow, but it was postponed until the next day."

"I see. So I'll have to wait until the day after tomorrow, and what am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

At that moment, Clarice came up with an idea that would allow her to spend time with Ash, and she saw it as a great opportunity to show him everything she felt for him.

"I understand that you are from another region, is it okay if I propose something to you?"

"What kind of proposal?"

"Well... you know... if you and I... I mean..." Clarice could barely process the words, due to her nervousness, of what she was going to propose to Ash. "If... if I could, to join you tomorrow at the festival!"

She was finally able to say what she wanted so much, although it had taken her a long time to be able to do it.

"Join me? You mean..."

"I-I mean since you're not from here, I can teach you about the festival! I don't want you to think otherwise, it's just that..."

"It sounds good to me."

And unexpectedly, Ash agreed to Clarice's request, even though she thought she would be rejected again.

"R-Really!?" Clarice exclaimed, with intense emotion. For her, it was the perfect opportunity to get closer to the boy of her dreams. And with the atmosphere and theme of the festival, it couldn't be more than perfect.

"Yes, I think it could be fun, and even more if I'm accompanied."

"Perfect, then, I'll see you tomorrow right here. Bye." Clarice said goodbye, and walked away from Ash, feeling more than happy and excited about what could be waiting for her tomorrow.

To be continued…

And that's it. Yes, it almost took a year, but this comes from another story, until I update it and publish it in its original language, I can't publish the translated version.

And I could have done it before, but translating is not easy, it is not just copying and pasting what the translator says, and what I do is a longer process, correcting mistakes, adapting some dialogues, among other things, to deliver something decent.

Now, something to comment on the story itself, not much, really. Maybe it's not so original, a festival plot, but I think it's the best I could think of if we want this to work.

One more thing, I read some reviews, about the format, and I already changed it, for the corresponding language, changing —, by ", and they were right, I thought that as I wrote it usually, it would also work, but verifying books in English, as you read it, that is how it is correct.

And that's all for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, and of course, that the translation was pretty decent, leave reviews and favorites, and join me, to the conclusion of this romantic story, it will end as we want it? we will see that in the next chapter. I take my leave and see you next time, adieu.