Chapter 8
Alice is now back at Laverre City as she finds her mother in the gym, as a fashion designer, she is sewing a new dress for the next fashion show. "Hello, Mother." Alice greets her mother.
"Oh, Alice, what brings you here? I thought that you were going to play?" Valerie asks with a curious tone.
"Well, I just came back from Lumiose City, since I want to explore the world due to the fact I am a Trainer." Alice says. "And I decide to come back to Laverre City for rest."
"I see." Valerie says as she finds it hard to get rid of the excess string on the clothes, she notices that Alice is here, she asks, "Since you are here, can you help me with this string?"
"Sure." Alice says as she finds the scissors. But once she is helping her mother, Kali, the raven-haired girl with the black kimono, rushes into the store and her hasty breathing causes the two females to look at her.
"Kali, what's wrong?" Valerie asks. "Take a deep breath before you say anything."
Kali takes a deep breath and she says, "Ms. Valerie. You have to see this. There is a revival of a famous clothes store back in Lumiose City, and you won't believe how much sales they have made in their first day!"
"A revival? That sounds interesting, but why should we worry about it?" Valerie asks.
"The revival brand is no other than D&W, which was one of the famous brands 15 years ago!" Kali says. Just by hearing the name, Valerie flinches and drops the string. Alice quickly grabs the string before it falls to the ground. She asks, "Mom? What's wrong?"
Valerie asks, "Is that true? D&W is having a revival? Did I hear it wrong?"
"I am sure that you didn't hear wrong, Ms. Valerie. It sure is D&W." Kali says as she shows her the news from her phone. Valerie gasps as she looks at the store, she also sees Whith coming out of the store and announcing the reopening of the store. And when the reporter walks into the room, they also see how Dean is talking to old customers that she still remembered.
"Dean and Whith?" Valerie thinks, "How is it possible? I was Whith when I owned this store, who is this Whith and how come this Dean and Whith know everything about D&W?"
Alice also sees the news as she starts to get worried about her mother. She asks, "Mom? You know about D&W?"
"I know..." Valerie says, "In fact, I was one of the founders of the brand 30 years ago..."
"What?" Alice asks. "So does that mean the store is yours? Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"I am sorry, I opened this store is because of my interest, but not as a real job." Valerie says.
"If you're one of the founders, then that means you must know Dean and Whith themselves, right?" Alice asks.
"Whith? And Dean? Of course..." She thinks for a while and then she decides to say, "Dean is one of my best friends. We sometimes work together with the clothes."
"I see." Alice says. "And what about Whith? According to the news reporter, she is a famous model."
Valerie nods and says, "Yes, Whith was a good friend of mine. But due to the fact that she is the model for D&W Brand, I didn't get a lot of chance to have her be the model of our clothes. Not to mention, even the model Elesa from the Unova Region has learned her model skills from her."
"Wow...Mom. So does that mean these two are having a revival? Can we go buy some clothes from them?" Alice asks.
"Sure." Valerie says. "We can go there tomorrow, I might need to ask if they want cooperation."
Alice is delighted to hear that maybe her mother is going to work with them in the future, and then Valerie asks her to find the hangers, which she leaves to find them.
Just as Alice is out of he sight, Valerie's face turns into a frown, "Not only Whith, who is Dean? Red is killed by Giovanni and he couldn't have survived that...but how is it possible? Who actually are they?"
At night, Alice calls Ash to let him know that Valerie is going to seek them tomorrow. Ash sighs and says, "I guess the news really has spread fast."
"So what are you going to do about it? Should we tell her the truth?" Alice asks. "She is my mother and I can't hide anything from her."
"You told me that your family wasn't affected by the Control Clouds, I think we can just tell her the truth." Ash says. "She was the one who ended the grudge with two families, so there is no reason why she wouldn't want the two of us to stay together."
"I just hope you're right about that." Alice says.
Unknown to them, Valerie was on the way back to her bedroom when she hears Alice talking on the phone. She is confused since Alice told her that she didn't have any friends before, and why would she talk to someone almost midnight?
Ash says, "By the way, if your mother knows about D&W, how are you going to tell her the truth tomorrow? If you come here as Whith, your mother will be confused to why you weren't with them. But if you come here as Alice, then your mother wouldn't be able to find Whith, and then she would also suspect you as well."
Alice says, "That sure is a good question." Then she realizes an aura behind the door that belongs to her mother. "Maybe I should just tell her the truth right now? I think I have sensed her aura at the doorway."
"It's up to you." Ash says. "Now I think I need to rest, so I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."
"Love you too." Alice ends the call as she sighs and walks towards the door and opens it. Alice asks, "Mother, do you need something?"
Valerie says, "I think we really need to talk a little, is that okay?"
"Not at all." Alice says as Valerie sits on the bed with Alice sitting beside her. Valerie asks, "So who is the person on the phone?"
Alice says, "Before I answer that question, I just want to know, are you mad at me right now?"
Valerie says, "I'm not mad at you, I was just glad that you finally have a friend. I know you have a bad past in the boarding school, and I just don't want you to be in pain again."
"Don't worry." Alice says, "The one who called me was Ash Ketchum. You know, the World Champion who was being badmouthed before."
Valerie widens her eyes as she remembers seeing the news from before. Valerie asks, "So you know where Ash is? And he was the one who was talking to you?"
Alice nods and says, "Mother, I am sorry to hide this from you...Do you remember the time when I got separated because of the blizzard? I was taken by Ash to help him destroy Team Rocket."
"Wait, the news said that the one who destroyed Team Rocket is an Ice Type User who has an Articuno...that was you all along? Alice?" Valerie asks in surprise.
"I wasn't alone. I had Ash accompany me." Alice says, and Valerie almost gets a heart attack. "Why did you do such a dangerous thing?"
"I was asked by Arceus to help Ash..." Alice says. "With everyone under the control of Giovanni's Control Cloud, the only people that can help Ash out is the Ketchum Family or the Mache Family, and I was chosen to be the one helping him out."
"Did you say Control Clouds?" Valerie is surprised, "That explains why they are badmouthing Ash...that is a forbidden aura technique only the Sakaki Family is capable of doing."
"Ash was really broken at that time, his mother, his Pokemon, and his friends are also under the control, Ash really has no one to help him out, that's why he decides to ask me for help."
"What? You mean Ash's mother was also under the control?" Valerie gasps as she also saw the news on the screen, how Delia and another Champion from the Ketchum family badmouthing him. "How is that even possible? She should have been an aura user and she shouldn't have been under the control..."
"We don't know." Alice says. "Even though the Control Cloud is gone with Giovanni being killed, Ash couldn't come out from hiding, that's why I promised him that I am going to save him from the darkness..."
While saying this, Valerie notices the blush on her face, she asks, "So Alice, from what I have heard, it seems like you liked to be with Ash, right?"
Alice nods and says, "We have been making clothes together, training our weapons, cooking, and also playing when we are alone. I love him with my heart and I am not going to lie, Mother, I really enjoy his company."
"Making clothes together..." Valerie raises her eyebrow. "So I assume that D&W are both yours and Ash's doing, is that right?"
Alice says, "Yes. Mother, Ash is the new Dean, and I'm the new Whith. Please forgive me, Mother. I am sorry that I didn't ask you for permission to have this disguise..."
"I am not mad, I just want to know why you're using our disguises?" Valerie asks.
"Ash has found a diary that belonged to his father when we read the diary together, we sense the sadness in those words after your secret relationship was found by our grandparents, he felt like he wasn't able to fulfill anyone's happiness. That's why we want to continue what you left." Alice says.
"I see...if Dean is Ash in disguise, I'll be able to talk to him, right?" Valerie asks again.
"Yes. Mom. I just called him and tell him that you might want to talk to him tomorrow. And he told me that he's ready to tell you everything." Alice says. "But Mom, can you promise me something, can you keep this a secret from Dad, Eve, and Flora? I don't think I'm ready to tell them about myself..."
Valerie nods at her daughter, after leaving her room, she is happy to know Alice found her happiness with Ash, history was repeating itself and she starts to wonder what will happen between the two of them.
At the same time in the Kanto Region, it is already morning because of different time zones, and Delia was watching the news while preparing breakfast for both her Pokemon and Ash's Pokemon. Just as she hears the news about D&W's revival, she is also surprised. She knows that D&W is a famous clothes brand opened by Red and Valerie together. She can't believe that this brand is having a revival.
"We are the next generation of Dean and Whith and we want to restart the business of what the first generation has left off."
Delia is also one of the people who knows about Red and Valerie's disguises, and she has made up her mind and she decides to pack her stuff. Pikachu is confused at what Delia is doing.
"Pikachu, we're going to Kalos." Delia says, and Pikachu nods, still confused.
Here is a new chapter, Alice and Valerie have a deep talk about the whole truth of the secret relationship and I hope you like this chapter.
