Chapter Text
Because hey, if Professor Sycamore can have his own What If Blossomverse story, why not someone much less important like Miette?
Also, yes, the pun was probably a big factor for the creation of this story.
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Miette… had a lot of things on her mind.
Ever since she got the news that Ash became the Alola League Champion, memories came flowing back to her, reminding her of when Ash first set foot in Kalos, and she decided to tease Serena over her obvious crush on him.
And yet, the more she thought about it, the more she realized: all the teasing she was doing with Ash? She wasn't just trying to tease Serena.
She was trying to get her attention.
In hindsight, she wasn't even that interested in Ash. Sure, he was a nice guy, and a very competent trainer. But whenever she saw him, her first thought was always how to use him to get Serena's attention.
Which is horrible, she'll admit, but in her defense, she always relegated it to just teasing.
But the tipping point about realizing this stuff? It came from a recent event…
…
"Hi there, Miette, you called for me?"
The bluette stood in front of Serena in the middle of the park, the former folding her arms behind her back.
"There's… something I wanted to ask you…"
Miette paused, then revealed a pair of tickets to go to Alola.
“I… got these tickets as a prize from a cooking contest and-”
Before she could finish, Miette flinched as Serena squealed in delight and took a closer look at the tickets with a wide smile.
“Awesome, Miette! This is just what I was looking for!”
“R-Really?” Miette smiled awkwardly. “You mean it?”
“Absolutely!” Serena perked up. “I always wanted to pay Alola a visit! I’ve heard that it’s an amazing collection of islands with beautiful sights and a relaxing atmosphere!”
“I…” Miette scratched the back of her head. “I heard that too. In fact, I was wondering if-”
“This is just what Ash needs!”
Miette paused for a moment to regain her composure. “Wait, what?”
“Oh right, I haven’t told you; I’ve been keeping in contact with Ash, and he hit me up to ask for help in helping him and some friends of his relax,” Serena explained, scratching her chin as she did. “Things in Vermillion City have been a bit tense, and they could really use a breather.”
“Vermillion City? Isn’t that in Kanto?” Miette raised an eyebrow. “What’s he doing back where his journey started?”
“He told me he’d explain everything once we met,” Serena clasped her hands together. “Anyway, I’ve been looking for something to do with him that could help him relax, and this trip might be just the thing!”
Serena clapped her hands cheerfully for a moment… then noticed Miette’s surprised expression and frowned:
“O-Or were you planning to use them for something else?”
The bluette eyed the tickets, then Serena’s concerned expression, then the tickets again before she gripped them… and showed them to Serena with a forced smile.
“No, it’s… it’s okay. You and Ash need them more than I do.”
…
Why did she do that?
Why did she just… hand them over like that?
Why didn’t she tell her she wanted to go with her? That she wanted to spend a good time in Alola with her?!
Why… did her bed feel more metallic than before?
"Awaken, Passenger.”
Miette immediately obliged the mysterious voice, and once she woke up, she quickly noticed she was resting on top of some mechanical pod, with a brunette woman in her 60s staring down at her, saying:
“There’s a lot to discuss before you’re brought up to speed about your situation, so please stand up and follow me.”
The woman walked away shortly after, and Miette got off the pod, at which point she noticed the mechanical, lab-like room she seemed to be staying at.
Where the hell did she land at?
“One will explain everything to you shortly.”
The bluette followed the woman deeper into the room, and entered what seemed to be an engine room, with a spherical robot-thing standing on top of a giant motherboard.
“Greetings, dear Passenger! I’m One-One, the conductor of this Train!” the sphere greeted cheerfully. “Unfortunately, we must ask you a favor before sending you on your train trip.”
Miette winced at the sudden change in One-One’s voice, but chose to stay focused. “What’s this favor?”
The robot pushed a button on the board, and it showed an image of a redheaded girl with a scythe standing alongside a crowned dog-like entity and a mess of paper talismans made to look like a person.
“This is the Red Lotus Trio,” the woman stated. “And the girl who acts as their leader, Chloe Cerise.”
One-One pushed another button, and it zoomed in on the redhead, while also bringing up
“Now, allegedly, this Chloe Cerise entered the Train when she was younger, but nothing stops a Passenger from entering the Train more than once,” the woman lowered her eyelids. “However, if we take a closer look at the girl in question…”
Miette squinted her eyes, and between the images, she noticed something:
"Her eyes are different!”
“And the scan reveals a different wavelength from when she first entered the Train,” the woman added. “With these in mind, we can conclude this girl isn’t Chloe Cerise, but an impostor.”
“An impostor that’s using her face and looks to become popular on the Infinity Train,” One-One added somberly. “If nothing is done about her, she may end up giving people the wrong impression of who Chloe Cerise really is.”
“And that’s where you come in,” the woman remarked. “I’m too busy dealing with car matters and One’s too busy managing the train to look for this girl. So, we need a Passenger, like you, to go up to her and expose her for the fraud that she is.”
Miette stared at the woman with a raised eyebrow, but took a deep breath. She was going to get a better idea on just what was going on and why this was something she had to do soon, so for now, let’s ask the important questions.
“If this Chloe Cerise is an impostor… where’s the real one?”
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In the middle of some underground laboratory, Chloe Cerise rested suspended inside a mechanical tube, hooked up to several cables while wearing a white full bodysuit.
A shadowy figure pushed a few buttons and caused the tube to release the water before separating Chloe from the cables, opening itself just in time for her to hit the ground and snap awake.
“Good morning.”
The redhead gasped and raised her head to look at the one who released her: a girl with green hair and big eyebrows.
“Don’t panic. The name’s Duplica, and I’m here to help.”