Cinderella: A Pokémon Fairytale

Chapter 17

The rest of the day seemed to pass by slowly. The stepmother finally got her dress from town and it was time to get ready for the ball. Cinderella, Rose, Ariel, and Bella were in Patricia's room, helping the stepsisters get dressed up and ready.

She helped them into their ball gowns and dressed up their hair into identical elegant knots with flower wreaths. Patricia had orange carnations while Sabrina had lilac and baby's breath. Patricia was given a gold necklace with a heart-shaped ruby and a pair of matching earrings. Her face was lightly powdered, some light charcoal highlighted her eyes, and she was given some perfume of orange blossom and jasmine. It was Erik's favorite. Sabrina got on the same makeup and her own jewelry—a white pearl necklace and teardrop pearl earrings. Her perfume was lilac and lavender. Cinderella then gave them white opera gloves, fans, and their purses.

Her Pokémon also helped the stepsister's Pokémon get dressed. Blair was given a mini skirt and necklace similar to Patricia's and a carnation and chestnut bow on her twig wand. Gloria and Princess got forest green chokers each with an orange-red carnation. Jewel was given five flower barrettes of orange-red, chestnut, and forest green in her blossom. Buttons was given a heart clip with golden-brown dye instead of pink and a golden collar identical to Patricia's necklace. Emerald was given a tailcoat made from the same fabric as Patricia's bodice with a chestnut shirt and an orange-red ascot with a gold and red ruby pin. Berry was given a simple periwinkle ribbon on her neck and a daisy on her left ear.

"Now this outfit is much better," said Emerald, looking into the mirror.

"It beats wearing those embarrassing outfits at the Perfect Princess contest," said Jewel.

Blair twirled in her outfit. "I love it! I can move and twirl without tipping over! Thank you, Ella!"

The stepsisters didn't understand the Pokémon as they looked at themselves in the mirror. Patricia could hardly even recognize herself after wearing those tacky outfits for so long.

"It's more amazing with the dress on!" said Sabrina, "I feel like a princess!"

"I can't believe that's me I'm looking at," said Patricia.

"It is you, Patricia." said Cinderella, "You're beautiful. Absolutely lovely."

And she meant it. Patricia was more beautiful than she ever was when her mother chose her dresses. Cinderella knew from Valiant that Erik would be looking forward to meeting Patricia at the ball. And she wanted her stepsister to look her very best for him. Patricia smiled at herself in the mirror.

"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she said.

"But what about you, Ella?" Sabrina asked, concerned.

Cinderella continued smiling, but deep inside, she was worried. She still hadn't had time to work on her mother's dress. She didn't think she would be able to go to the ball at all. Ariel sensed her worries and held her hand.

Don't worry, Ella, she told her telepathically, As I said, we've got it all covered.

Cinderella smiled at her stepsisters. "I think I have something that could work."

"Cinderella! Is everyone done in there?!"

The stepmother's shouts echoed through the door. The stepmother came into the room dressed in her new gown. A simple-old fashioned gown of midnight blue with a black lace high collar, short puffy sleeves and a tunic overskirt of the same lace. She wore full-length black gloves, had her grey hair up in a twist. The most obnoxious part of her outfit was a black hat with black netting and a tiny soaring Starly figurine on it. (It was way too small to be a real Starly.)