Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

No longer over 90 feet tall, the flame Pokemon fell to the ground. Leon recalled his Charizard back into its Poke Ball. The winds of the sandstorm started to fade away, giving a clear view of the scene.

“That’s it, folks! The winner is Gloria, the Galar region’s new Champion!” The commentator’s voice boomed throughout the stadium. From where she was standing in the middle of the battle field, Gloria could hardly distinguish it from the uproarious cheers of the crowd. A crowd of people who doubted that they would bear witness to the making of a historical event.

“We did it, Cinderace! We did it!” Gloria cried out to her own Pokemon as it naturally returned to its regular size. She jumped up and down as the rabbit-like Pokemon let out a roaring cry. She celebrated with the first Pokemon she’d received at the beginning of her journey who had helped her along the way. Cinderace was the Pokemon responsible for her victory.

In the midst of her celebration, her opponent caught her eye. The former Champion lowered his head. Leon masked his face with his snapback. He was undoubtedly experiencing a plethora of emotions and was trying to conceal them as best he could. He hadn’t moved for almost a minute now. The concern of the crowd became apparent as their cheers began to die down. In that moment, she adopted her new role as Champion. She had to be the one to move first to open up a conversation. She had watched enough of Leon’s matches throughout the years to know that the Champion was required to shake hands with their opponent after the match, so there would be no hard feelings.

Gloria started making her way over to the other side of the pitch where Leon stood. Leon was significantly taller than her which allowed Gloria to look underneath his cap and see parts of his face. His muscles were twitching from the stress of trying to keep a neutral expression on his face. She tried her best to make eye contact with him so that he knew her words were genuine.

“Leon? Thanks for such a great match. I’ll never forget it,” she said with a winning smile. She stuck her hand out towards him for a necessary, sportsman-like handshake.

Rather than accept her offer, Leon’s response consisted of him removing his hat and throwing it up into the air. As it fell back to the ground, Leon titled his head to address the fans in the stands. He raised his arm in the air, displaying his Charizard pose one last time. “My time as Champion is over, but what a champion time it’s been!”

There was a pause between the end of Leon’s sentence and the cheers and shouts from the crowd that followed. The hesitation stemmed from the audience expecting more of an elaborate speech from their former Champion, the golden boy that lived in the spotlight of the entire region for so long, the so-called unbeatable Champion. He averted his gaze from the stands over towards Gloria. He waited a few seconds before addressing her. Gloria equated his brief silence to the fact that he was coming up with something to say on the spot because he never imagined being in this position.

“Congratulations, you’ve earned this victory. The title of Champion is yours, and I can’t wait to see what you do with it,” Leon said steadily, choosing his words carefully.

He grabbed her hand and raised both of their arms upwards towards the sky. They remained there as the crowd continued to cheer. Gloria wondered when or if they would ever stop. There were individuals who were more excited than she was. She still couldn’t wrap her own mind around the fact that throughout her journey she had gained a decent fan base of people who were dedicated entirely to her. There were people out there that so desperately wanted to see her succeed, and this victory was as much theirs as it was hers.

Gloria could feel her arm getting tired in the air. She looked up at Leon and tried her best to ask him through non-verbal communication when they’d be able to leave the pitch. Thankfully, Leon understood, and he made eye contact with the stadium staff who were waiting for a signal just like that one. A few staff members made their way onto the pitch. They were carrying the Champion Trophy. They delicately handed it to Gloria who held it close to her chest as if it were a new-born baby. In her distracted admiration, she didn’t notice a photographer approach her with his camera at the ready. She flashed a smile toward the camera and changed her poses and positions of the trophies every few seconds. She looked over to Leon. With a slight nod of her head, she was asking him to join her for a photo.

“I don’t want to step on your moment,” he declined.

“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. Get over here!” Gloria encouraged.

He walked over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, the Trophy placed in between the two of them. They stood there while a few flashes of the camera went off.

“I don’t think I ever properly said thanks. I’ll always be grateful for everything you’ve done for me,” Gloria said through her teeth while smiling. Her voice sounded awkward, but she didn’t know when else she’d get a chance to say this, and right now felt like as good a time as any.

“You got here today because you’re an amazing trainer,” Leon responded. He turned to face her. While technically she was the one holding the Champion Cup, Leon was much more of a Champion than she was. Leon spent so much of his life learning etiquette skills and manners that made him so distinguished and elegant, especially in situations like these in front of the public eye with multiple cameras pointed on him. It was one of the many admirable things about him.

Four League staff members in uniform walked onto the pitch, two of which escorted Leon back to his changing room and the other two did the same for Gloria. If it weren’t for them, the two trainers would have stayed on the pitch until the sun went down. The vitality and vigor of the crowd was unmatched. As she walked across the pitch, she waved at the disappointed fans who weren’t ready to see her leave yet. She wondered how long they were willing to wait there.

Gloria let out a sign of relief as soon as the change room doors closed behind her. However, her brief moment of comfort was abruptly interrupted when a swarm of reporters entered the room. She wondered how anyone could possibly think that this was the best time to answer questions and be interviewed, let alone in the change room no less.

“Gloria, how are you feeling in this moment right now?” a reporter asked.

“Indescribable,” she answered. A good clutch word for when she didn’t feel like giving a long response.

“Who do you want to thank for helping you get here?” another reporter spoke up.

“Definitely my mom, as well as my friends and rivals, Hop and Marnie, and of course without Champion, or rather, ex-Champion Leon’s endorsement, I never would have been able to join the Gym Challenge in the first place.” Gloria felt a twinge in her chest. She didn’t say anything bad necessarily--it’s true he wasn’t the Champion anymore--but she still felt like it came off the wrong way. She should’ve phrased it better. She should’ve thought before she spoke. Potential headlines flashed before her eyes of gossip columns twisting her words and ruining her career before it even began.

“How are you going to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime achievement?” another question flooded in.

“To the fullest,” she smiled, giving another clutch answer.

She answered a few more questions, zoning out through most of it while giving generic answers. When the last few reporters had trickled out of the room, she sat down on the bench. She placed the Trophy on the ground beside her, letting it go for the first time since she’d been handed it on the pitch. Her first moment of peace and quiet all to herself as Champion. She savoured it because she knew she wouldn’t have many moments like these.

Chapter Text

Gloria woke up from her first proper sleep since becoming Champion. In only 24 hours, she had been bombarded with interviews, reporters, and meetings, not to mention all of the impromptu parties and events she’d been invited to. While she was revelling in it all, a good night’s sleep was the most satisfying reward from the past few days. She appreciated the natural sunlight that woke her up rather than a rude alarm clock. The large windows gave a glimpse of the bustling Wyndon streets and the skyline. Shops were full of customers. Roads were packed. Outdoor spaces were being put to good use.

Last night, she had been given the keys to her new terrace house located in downtown Wyndon. The exterior had a modern, chic style. It was obvious that it was built recently along with the other adjacent houses. There hadn’t been much moving or heavy lifting to do since her house was almost bare. A bed, a desk, a kitchen table, and a fridge were the only pieces of furniture that were provided. All the walls in the house were painted a neutral white. If she paid close attention, Gloria could smell hints of fresh paint coming from the walls, indicating that the house had most likely been refurbished for her arrival. Looking from the outside, most people wouldn’t guess that Champion Gloria lived there. Most people would assume that a family or a group of people inhabited the home. It was significantly larger than most houses that were meant for one person.

This was the first night that Gloria had slept in her new home. The thought of living in a home by herself at this young age hadn’t crossed her mind even once. She assumed that, win or lose, she’d go back to living with her mom in Postwick after the Championship Match. Everyone knew that being Champion had its perks: the adoring fans, the sponsorships, endless opportunities. Your own living space being handed to you for free was something that no one ever talked about.

There was no chance to refuse or decline either. The League insisted that Gloria move to Wyndon and to do so as soon as possible. Their argument was that it was more convenient for everyone if Gloria lived in Wyndon. All the news broadcasting companies were stationed there after all as well as other media outlets. It was more convenient for everyone, but no one cared to ask about what was convenient for her.

Gloria made a conscious effort to be an opportunist. For the first time in fifteen years, she could decorate the personal space that she now owned completely. Thinking like this meant that she didn’t have to spend so much time thinking about how alone and separated she felt on the inside. Despite her hopeful attitude, she still felt a heavy weight on her shoulders. There was nothing wrong with living in the city. It wasn’t foreign to her. Since the Semi Finals, she’d spent every day of the past month in Wyndon. What was really disorienting was the thought of permanently living in a city that starkly contrasted with her small hometown of Postwick. The only home she’d known and loved her whole life felt like it was only a distant memory. Gloria felt like she didn’t deserve any of it. All of this for winning one Pokemon battle. All of this change in only two days. All of this work and effort for one girl.

Gloria had began her day feeling awake and rested. Just from looking at the city below for a few minutes, she instantly felt homesick and empty. The unhappy feeling only grew the more she thought about it. This was probably the worst way she could’ve started her day. In an attempt to distract herself, Gloria reached for her phone that was charging on the nightstand. There were plenty of things in there that she could use to distract herself.

The first thing that she did was go into settings to turn on her notifications. She’d gotten into the habit of limiting them since becoming Champion and thus gaining hundreds of thousands of followers overnight. In an instant, notifications from various different apps started flooding in. She was worried that her phone would eventually crash from all the notifications and subsequent vibrations. She opened the blue bird app, Rookidee, and scrolled endlessly through the notifications tab.

If there was one thing that was true about Galar’s citizens, it’s that they were prideful. She was young at the time, but she could vaguely remember the general atmosphere of excitement when Leon first became Champion. Significant events didn’t happen too often. There weren’t many opportunities to witness historic events, but when one occurred everyone all over the region pulled out all the stops. Even though Gloria was born and raised here, she never picked up on that trait. She didn’t really care too much about status or trends. Now that the focus of the entire region was on her, needless to say it was a little unsettling and added more irony to the whole situation.

More than any other region, Galar takes every chance to show off their Gym Leaders and Champion to the public eye. They’re the only ones who have stadiums and allow crowds of spectators to watch Trainers challenge Gym Leaders. Magazine companies make a fortune from regularly publishing various gossip columns about all the Gym Leaders.

Having all the attention wasn’t all so bad. It helped that there were a plethora of positive messages to sift through about all of her skills and talents. She wished she could respond to all the kind messages, but there really were just too many. She opted to write a quick message so that she could address everyone at once and show her gratitude.

@champgloria: Thank you everyone for the consistent love and support throughout my journey and especially these past few days. I’m honoured to be your Champion, and I hope to make you all proud!

Her name had started trending right after the Championship Match and was still at the top of the list after almost 48 hours. She scrolled through some of the posts under the heading as well, liking a few of them, mainly generic statements that were praising and supporting her. Suddenly, she stumbled across a post that had a very different tone compared to the others. The smile on her face vanished when she stumbled across what she considered to be her first hate comment ever.

@theprimalgroudon: Gloria will make a mockery out of all of Galar as Champion. She’ll never be as good as Leon. #NotMyChampion

She clicked on the hashtag. At first, Gloria thought it was just one disgruntled person. Now she was met with comments from hundreds of people who were dissatisfied with the region’s new Champion, even some from other regions too. All the comments resembled the same sentiment. Gloria would be a weak Champion. She couldn’t handle the responsibility.

Reading those words forced Gloria’s brain to shut down. She didn’t want to process any of this. She didn’t think clearly about what she did next. She went back to the original message and quoted it with a selfie she took early of herself holding the Championship Trophy and wrote:

@champgloria: i am the champion. too bad.

Instantly, the likes and retweets poured in. People replied saying things like, Periodt!, We stan a queen!, etc. It felt good knowing that there were people who supported and defended her. She knew that something like this was inevitable. She would never tell anyone, but part of her felt like she didn’t deserve the Champion title even though she’d won it just like anyone else would. She was constantly reminding herself that this was her way of life now and that there were serious adjustments to be made. She knew that getting hate comments would be a regular occurrence, and she decided that her way of dealing with them would be short and to the point. She wouldn’t give negative people the time of day if she could help it.

She continued scrolling through the relevant information of current events. One of the news stories caught her eye. It was about Spikemuth’s new Gym Leader, Marnie. Piers had officially announced that he would be retiring his position and his successor would be his younger sister Marnie. Gloria vaguely remembered the siblings having a squabble about Marnie taking his position. She’d been evasive at first, but apparently something had changed her mind.

Gloria was curious as to why. She wanted to meet with Marnie in person, so she sent her a text, inviting her over tomorrow. They were long overdue for a reunion.

Marnie and Gloria had gotten to know each other well during the past year. They would often cross paths on their journeys. They had shared memorable nights of camping out in the Wild Area, having long talks about their futures. Over the past months, they had been seeing each other more frequently. They crossed paths in Spikemuth for the Gym Challenge. They ended up facing off against one another during the Semi Finals. When Gloria and Hop had infiltrated Rose Tower in order to help Leon, Marnie offered her support and encouragement all the way through. She didn’t need to be there, but she was, and her presence spoke volumes. On top of all of that, the two of them had spent time outside of League-affiliated things just to enjoy each other’s company.

Gloria had mixed feelings about seeing Marnie. Of course, she was excited to see her friend. It had been quite a while since their last reunion, and many significant things had happened since then, so they had a lot to catch up on. It was becoming apparent that Marnie was steadily becoming a big part of Gloria’s life. The thought of having a close relationship with Marnie made Gloria feel fortunate and special. Whenever Marnie was around, Gloria felt safe. She felt like she could be herself. Marnie was so unique in every way possible. The sensations that Gloria experienced when she thought about or was around Marnie were unlike anything Gloria had ever known. The reason that she was feeling concerned was because when Marnie came over, they were most certainly going to have an uncomfortable conversation. A conversation that, quite honestly, Gloria had been putting off until now. She wasn’t really looking forward to it, but there was no avoiding it now.

“Nice work, Gloria. Haven’t had a battle that tough in a while. Let’s battle again another time,” Piers grinned.

Gloria had just earned her seventh Gym Badge. She was feeling proud of herself for getting so far into the Gym Challenge and even more proud of cracking a smile out of the notoriously emo Gym Leader. Now she was one step closer to competing for a spot in the Championship Cup. Numerous other Trainers would have given up before reaching this point, but she was determined to see this through to the end.

“Yeah, I’ve never seen my big bro enjoy a battle so much,” a voice said from within the shadows.

Gloria didn’t have to wonder who the voice belonged to. It was easily recognizable, plus Piers only had one sibling.

“Oh hi, Marnie. How long have you been standing there?” Gloria asked.

“I saw the whole battle. I just said, ‘never seen him enjoy a battle so much,’” Marnie responded, her tone falling flat.

“Oh yeah, of course. Duh,” Gloria let out a nervous laugh and criticized herself mentally.

“I hope you’re ready for round two,” Marnie challenged.

“What? I thought Spikemuth only has one gym leader,” Gloria inquired.

“Yeah, it’s just Piers. I was talking to him. I meant that I’m going to battle him now.” Marnie spoke slowly as if to give Gloria enough time to process everything. Gloria’s cheeks started glowing as red as a tomato.

“Oh, that makes more sense. Well, can I stay and watch? Since you watched my match, it’s only fair, right?”

“Actually, I’d prefer it if it were just my brother and me. I’ve already told the Team Yell lads to buzz off.”

Gloria looked around and noticed that it was just the three of them standing on the battlefield. The grunts that were watching from the sidelines had vanished instantly, always ready to listen to Marnie’s commands.

“Okay,” Gloria said meekly. “Good luck, though.”

She began walking away, shoulders sagging and head hanging low. Gloria was approaching the outskirts of town, but she could still hear Marnie commanding her Pokemon and yelling out various attacks.

When Gloria and Marnie first met each other at the opening ceremony, they became friends almost instantly. They had started a friendly rivalry together which inspired and motivated the both of them to be better Pokemon Trainers. Gloria didn’t have many friends from growing up in Postwick. She appreciated Marnie and was grateful that she could call her her friend. Marnie had always been friendly and approachable. Everything about Marnie was encapsulating. Her unique sense of style and her bold comportement are what caught Gloria’s eye the first time she’d seen her at the Budew Drop Inn in Motostoke. From the very beginning, she noticed that there was always a small smile dancing on Marnie’s lips, a sign that indicated that she could be trusted. Gloria never had to worry about feeling judged for who she was. Gloria and Marnie were able to talk to one another about anything easily, unlike now when Gloria had to think twice about everything she said and it still came out awkward.

This had been going on for quite some time now, almost to the point where she didn’t think it could be fixed. She’d never pictured herself being involved with Marnie romantically. It didn’t even seem plausible. Gloria didn’t even know if she liked girls in general, or if Marnie did either for that matter. She had no idea how she would go about bringing up something like that. If Gloria had any chance with Marnie, it was as slim as a toothpick with the way that she was acting. She would need to get her act together if she wanted to salvage their friendship or even possibly take it to the next level.

There was something about her. A feeling Gloria couldn’t put into words. She just knew she liked being around her even if she couldn’t form coherent thoughts and stumbled over her words. Marnie was one of her closest friends. She didn’t want to do anything to mess that up.

“This is all your fault, Leon. You refused to listen. You’ve left me no choice.” As the chairman’s booming voice faded out, the collective gasps, murmurs, whispers, and panicking of the audience became sharper. Stadium staff scrambled to evacuate everyone as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Leon sprinted off the pitch and into the stadium tunnel, gesturing to Gloria to follow.

“What does the chairman think he’s doing? Trying to solve a problem a thousand years in the future,” Leon asked under his breath, speaking to himself. Even if he were speaking to her, she wouldn’t have answered him anyway. She was just as bewildered as everyone else.

“Lee! Gloria!”

Gloria easily recognized Hop’s voice and footsteps that were approaching the two of them from behind.

“Hop, what are you doing here?” Leon asked.

“I ran down from the stands as soon as I saw Rose’s face on the screen. Plus, I thought maybe I’d be able to help you two stop the Darkest Day,” he added sheepishly at the end.

“Hop, I appreciate it, but this is way too dangerous. Things could easily and quickly get out of hand,” Leon reasoned.

“But, Lee, you can’t expect to do everything all on your own,” Hop protested.

Gloria didn’t argue. She had been silent this whole time. She felt as if a cold wave had washed over her. The buzzing noises of the public didn’t do anything to calm her nerves either. Everyone has been so quick to jump into action. Meanwhile, she hadn’t even begun to process what had happened. She was still in disbelief. Everyone always talked about having a fight-or-flight response when faced with imminent danger. In this case, Gloria had chosen a third option, freeze.

“Hop, Gloria, get to safety. This is not up for debate,” Leon instructed before running off.

“Why won’t he let me help? I can help!” Hop said in frustration as he watched his brother disappear. Once he was out of his line of sight, he turned around to face Gloria. “There has to be something we can do.” Hop was racking his brain trying to figure out something useful and worthwhile. Gloria was trying her best to get over her initial shock. She wasn’t much help. “Darkest Day...what about the Slumbering Weald? Remember, Gloria? Back in Postwick. That’s where everything started.”

Gloria nodded, and that was a good enough answer for Hop. She didn’t catch half of the words he was saying, but at least he had some sort of plan that Gloria was ready to follow. If it were up to her, she would’ve ran back to her hotel room and hid until this whole thing blew over.

Hop started running to the stadium’s exit, and Gloria followed in pursuit. Once outside, Gloria’s eyes fell upon Marnie. Even though the outdoor scene was complete chaos, she was able to easily distinguish her from the other members in the crowd.

As soon as Marnie noticed her, she ran up to her. “Gloria, are you okay? I saw Leon run off a few minutes ago. I’m guessing that you’re going to go help him, right?”

“Marnie. I’m-” Gloria couldn’t formulate a response. Her brain was running a mile a minute, yet she couldn’t articulate what she was experiencing right now. The only way she could respond was by throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation and slamming them back down violently on her thighs. She felt a sensation of hot pain surge through her body, but her adrenaline levels were so high that she barely registered it. “I’m gonna lose the fucking Championship Match. Everything is out of my control. Why am I being forced to go clean up someone else’s mess? I’m going to be giving up my dream all because of some stupid, self-righteous asshole! I can’t catch a fucking break!”

This was the breaking point. She had been silent until now, where she began releasing all of her thoughts and emotions. Gloria slumped her shoulders and tilted her head towards the ground. She had to remember that she was still in public and that she was no stranger to these people who had planned on coming to see her compete. As expected, she drew the attention of some on-lookers with her shouting. This didn’t help her situation; it only added fuel to the flame. This was just another reason why Gloria felt like giving up and letting go.

Marnie grabbed her by the arms, showing amounts of both physical and emotional support. She lowered her head as well to make eye contact with Gloria so she could make her message as clear as possible. “Gloria, you can do this.”

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I didn’t ask to be put in this position. What if—what if I don’t come back?” Gloria squeaked, voice cracking as tears began to build up in her eyes.

“You will come back,” Marnie reassured.

“What if I don’t?” Gloria retorted.

“You will,” Marnie repeated

Gloria took a deep breath. She had been given a window of opportunity. “In case I don’t, you should know that I like you. I avoided telling you for a long time. I really cherish our friendship, and I didn’t want to ruin it. I know I could not have picked a worse time to tell you this, but I have no idea what’s going to happen to me. I like you a lot, Marnie.”

“Gloria,” Marnie began.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry to drop a bomb on you and run off, but I have to go. I didn’t plan to make any confessions of love tonight, or even to stop the apocalypse for that matter, but life happens, ya know? Bye, Marnie.”

She rushed off and looked around for Hop, but he was nowhere to be found. She assumed that while she was admitting her feelings he had already gone along by himself. Her heart felt heavy at the thought that he might have actually forgotten about her, but she pushed it down. There were more important things to attend to right now.

Gloria let her Corviknight out of its Poke Ball. She figured it would be more efficient than sitting around and waiting for a Flying Taxi, which was partially why she had caught one in the first place, for urgent situations like these. Maybe she could somehow find Hop along the way. Gloria climbed onto the raven Pokemon. It took off in an instant, leaving the bustling city of Wyndon behind.

Gloria had found Hop outside her house in Postwick, near the outskirts of the Slumbering Weald. They had bumped into her mom and Sonia who offered encouragement.

They made their way to the farthest parts of the Slumbering Weald where they had encountered the sword and shield Pokemon, Zacian and Zamazenta, at the start of their journey.

Gloria picked up the Rusted Sword, while Hop took the Rusted Shield in an attempt to gain some power and leverage in stopping the Darkest Day along with the chairman and his plans.

Corviknight flew the two of them back to Hammerlocke Stadium. In the lobby, Gloria encountered Oleana who looked completely out of character. The most stoic and composed lady desperately asking two children for their help. It was disheartening to see someone who is known for being well mannered act panicked and afraid.

She wanted to quit. There was nothing stopping her from turning around, leaving the stadium, and never looking back. This shouldn’t be her responsibility. All the adults in her life were turning to her for answers. The only thing keeping her going was Marnie. She couldn’t let her down. She had to see this through to the end, so she could see her again. After talking to Oleana, she realized that the chairman’s assistant who had constantly been by his side was beginning to defy him. If she could change her perspective, there might be hope for Rose too.

Gloria and Hop entered the lift and headed to the basement where they found the chairman surrounded by metal contraptions that would play a part in bringing about the destruction of the Galar region if Gloria failed. At the chairman’s request, Gloria battled him. The only battle she was supposed to have today was meant to be against Leon for the title of Champion. This was a battle that she never expected to have in a million years. Despite his defeat, he didn’t lose confidence. He would still go ahead with his plan to bring about destruction. There would be no changing his mind. He was determined to see this through to the end.

Hop insisted that they leave him to go help Leon in taking down Eternatus. They took the lift again to the roof where Leon and his Charizard were preparing to take down the gigantic Pokemon. Gloria felt a pit begin to form in her stomach. This whole situation had been intimidating to say the least. Now that she was face to face with the creature, the gravity of the situation hit her in the face like a truck. Rather than battle it, Leon opted to toss a Poke Ball in an attempt to tame the Pokemon. It fell to the ground with a thump. With every passing moment, the pit in her stomach expanded. After Leon’s unsuccessful attempt, it was Gloria who was appointed to take it down. She sent out her Hatterene and put in all her effort.

It was too much to handle on her own. Eternatus had Gigantamaxed at will into a completely different form. Hop, being the supportive and determined person that he is, sent out his Dubwool to offer his help, but it made no difference. That was until he had the brilliant idea to use the Rusted Sword and Shield.

If it weren’t for Hop, they never would have succeeded. Zacian and Zamazenta were summoned immediately, offering their own legendary powers against the beast. Now, it was an even fight. In its weakened state, Gloria was finally able to catch the Pokemon. The Ultra Ball shook three times before clicking shut. It was over.

The Championship Match has been postponed to three days from now. It wasn’t so the competitors had a chance to recover but to do repairs on the stadium. Gloria’s stay at the Rose of the Rondelands hotel in Wydon had been extended. She took up meditating and other calming self-care activities to get her mind centered. She wasn’t going to let herself lose or be unfocused. She was more determined than ever to win. The Rose debacle is over. The appropriate authorities are working on deciding his punishment and sentence. She had stuck Eternaus in the Storage System hoping she would never need to retrieve it. Her work was done. She deserved to spend these next few days taking care of herself while still working to beat the unbeatable Champion.

There was a knock at her door. She wasn’t expecting anyone. She hoped it wasn’t a fan who had somehow found her hotel room. She never imagined that she would get to a point in her life when that became something she had to worry about. Whenever she would set foot in the lobby, she would be bombarded with fans asking to take pictures and record videos. The hotel staff had guaranteed total anonymity from the public when she had checked in. She didn’t mind the attention usually, but today was meant for relaxation. She carefully walked over to the door. Once she looked through the peephole, she realized that it wasn’t the general public. It was the person who she most wanted to see.

“Hi, Marnie!” Gloria said enthusiastically as she swung the door open.

“Hi, Gloria!” Marnie responded, matching the enthusiasm.

“What’s up? Do you wanna come inside?” Gloria offered.

“Yeah, thanks,” Marnie accepted and stepped inside. She took a quick look around the room, taking in the layout as well as all of Gloria’s possessions which consisted of Poke Balls, uniforms, healing items, and curry ingredients among other typical Trainer items. “Nice place you got here.”

“You don’t have to pretend to be nice. I know it’s a mess. I’ve been living here for almost two weeks now, and it’s a pretty accurate representation of my mental state,” Gloria said.

“Yeah, no judgement though. My room would look the same if it were me,” Marnie agreed.

Gloria threw some clothes off the bed and onto the desk chair, so they both had room to sit and chat.

“So, Marnie, tell me what brings you here,” Gloria mused.

“I came to see you because I want to talk to you about what you said before you ran off to save Galar. Thanks for that by the way,” Marnie said.

“Oh. Well, you’re very welcome. You know, not many people have actually said thank you,” Gloria mentioned.

“Seriously? That’s fucked up.”

“Yeah, seriously fucked up.”

“Has anyone even come to visit you?” Marnie wondered.

“My mom has. She was originally planning on watching the match back home in Postwick, but now she’s trying to find a place to stay that’s close to Wyndon because she’s worried about me,” Gloria explained.

“Why can’t she stay here?” Marnie continued.

“They only let Challengers stay in rooms for free. Hotel staff wouldn’t even let us share this room or even give us a discount. Otherwise I’d never be able to afford this place,” Gloria said.

“Anyone else?” Marnie inquired.

Gloria knew Marnie was just trying to be nice by starting a conversation. Except all the questions made her feel as if Marnie were her therapist. There was a good chance that Marnie had done research on talk therapy before coming here. Gloria tried to use this as an opportunity to add it to her list of self-care items. She wasn’t able to go to a real therapist, so this was the next best thing. It was slightly annoying, but it meant that Marnie cared.

“I haven’t seen Hop since that day, but we’ve been texting regularly. I can’t blame him for being absent, though. He’s going through his own thing, healing at his own pace and stuff,” Gloria continued.

After she finished speaking, a thick silence fell onto the room.

Gloria assumed that Marnie had run out of therapist questions, until she spoke up again and changed the subject. “Anyways, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said to me the last time we saw each other before you ran off. Do you remember when you said that you had feelings for me?”

Gloria silently cursed at herself. She really had forgotten, and it didn’t come back to her until now. So much had happened since then. Her brain hadn’t shut off. There were a million thoughts racing in her head, all competing for her attention. It’s not like she had completely forgotten. It was a pretty memorable moment after all. Her confession was like something straight out of a movie. It was just buried a little more deeply in the back parts of her brain.

Gloria felt bad. She pictured Marnie staying awake at night thinking about Gloria’s big confession, playing it over and over again in her mind. It couldn’t have been easy for her to process or come to terms with because it wasn’t easy for Gloria either. It was even harder for her to admit it and say it out loud. Meanwhile, for Gloria, it wasn’t a top priority. All of this just made the situation more awkward.

“Yeah...I was hopped up on adrenaline. I wasn’t really thinking about what I was saying. You know, I can’t even remember half of the words that I said,” Gloria gave a nervous laugh while averting her gaze.

“Oh, that’s too bad. ‘Cause you said something about how much you love me,” Marnie reminded her.

“Did I? I don’t think I said love. That—that doesn’t sound like me,” Gloria defended.

“Gloria, it’s okay. I like you too,” Marnie reassured.

A sigh of relief escaped from Gloria’s mouth. “Oh, thank Arceus. Finally, some good news. Jeez, really? Me? You like me?”

“Yes, I do. You’re so full of life and always smiling. Whenever I see you I feel like I’m looking at the sun coming out after a rainy day. I’ve never felt this way about another person before,” Marnie smiled. “Sorry, that sounded super corny.”

“No, it was really sweet,” Gloria smiled. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said about me.”

“It’s all true. That really is how I feel about you. It’s all the stuff that runs through my mind whenever I think of you,” Marnie confessed.

The two girls spent quite a while looking at each other, as if they couldn’t believe what was happening. It was too good to be true. They wanted to make sure that it was all real. It all felt like a dream.

“So, what now?” Gloria wondered.

“Well, I like you. And you like me, even if you don’t remember confessing to it, so I think this means that we should, or we could, date each other, ” Marnie concluded.

“Date? Like date as in being girlfriends? You wanna be my—”

Marnie jumped in before Gloria could finish. “If you don’t want to that’s totally cool. We can go back to being friends, pretend this never happened, no big deal.”

“No, it’s not that at all. That would be pretty dumb if we knew we both liked each other and stayed just friends. I like you so much,” Gloria began. She grabbed Marnie’s hands and held them tenderly in her own. “What I said before, I meant it. Except I didn’t get to say it when I wanted to. I thought that that day was going to be my last one, and that I’d never see you again. Even now, I have the Championship Match coming up soon, and I’ve been spending every single moment of every day preparing for it.”

“Okay, what are you trying to say?”

“I think what I’m trying to say is that I don’t want to date someone who I can’t give my full attention to. You know? It’s not fair to you. I have a lot on my plate right now. I’m trying to get my life back on track as fast as possible. I’ve been working really hard on training my Pokemon for the match too. Even above all that, I have to work twice as hard to take care of my mental health after everything that happened. I hope you can understand.”

Marnie raised their intertwined hands and kissed both of Gloria’s. It was a small, intimate gesture that felt appropriate. They were now closer than before. Whether they were aware of it or not, their relationship had gone up to the next level. “I completely understand. As in, I understand and respect your choice. I don’t think I can begin to understand what you went through or what you’re going through now. I’m sorry if I put any pressure on you.”

“No, not at all. I fought a legendary Pokemon and stopped the Darkest Day from destroying all of Galar. The girl who I have a crush on likes me back? That’s the best news I’ve received in a long time,” Gloria smiled.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to your routine then,” Marnie stood up to leave.

“Yeah, I wish you could stay, but this is really important to me. We can hang out after the match. You can come over to my place. I promise,” Gloria said.

“No worries. You just focus on yourself for now. I’ll be waiting,” Marnie decided.

“Definitely,” Gloria confirmed.

Gloria woke up unusually early the next day to get everything ready for Marnie’s arrival. They were meeting for lunch, but Gloria’s nerves wouldn’t let her rest. She attempted to get herself ready as soon as possible then move on to making her house look as nice as it could when it didn’t have any furniture or anything that could really take up space.

Gloria was waiting impatiently for Marnie to arrive. She was sitting on the floor by the entrance to her house. It wasn’t very clean, but she had no other furniture. She was trying to push down her feelings of nervousness and focus on the positives. Marnie was coming over, so the two of them could spend time together. Gloria wanted the two of them to be alone together and to hang out without either of them worrying about a raging Pokemon that could destroy the entire region. She wanted to feel like a normal teenager again, to not be the Champion for just one day or even an afternoon. She wanted to see Marnie again, in the quiet and comfort of her own home. She had unresolved business that she needed to settle. Her mind was at unease. It wouldn’t calm down until she spoke to Marnie.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Gloria jumped up and swiftly opened the door. In hindsight, it seemed desperate, but she was too excited to care.

“Hey, Champ,” Marnie said immediately with great enthusiasm.

“You’re looking confident today. Any reason why?” Gloria responds, while gesturing for Marnie to enter. She shut the door while the two girls stood in the hallway talking.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Champion of the Galar region personally invited me to her brand new house. Doesn’t get better than that,” Marnie said as she started looking around.

“D’you mind not calling me that?” Gloria asked.

“What? Champion?” Marnie wondered.

“Yeah, it feels a little pretentious, especially coming from one of my friends,” Gloria admitted. “I’ve been dealing with Champion stuff non-stop since the match. I’ve barely had any time to take a break from everything just so I could see you today. I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to think about those things and that we could just hang.”

“Sorry, I guess I didn’t realize how demanding the job can be,” Marnie apologized.

“It’s not your fault. I know you mean well,” Gloria took a deep breath in order to centre herself. “It’s just hard to adjust to so many new changes so quickly. I have this new title, and it’s one small, new thing about me, but everyone’s treating me differently. I don’t know. I’m probably not making any sense. I’m sorry for just dumping my issues onto you without any warning right after you showed up.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m honoured that you trust me enough to share something so private. If you ever need someone to talk to I’m here.”

“Thanks,” Gloria gave a small smile, not wanting to say much more about it and wanting to change the topic of conversation quickly.

“So you really live here by yourself?” Marnie wondered. Gloria silently wondered if Marnie could tell that she wanted to change the conversation. If that were the case, she loved Marnie even more.

“Yeah, provided by the League. They pay rent and everything. I’d give you a tour, but there’s not much to see,” Gloria laughed.

“It’s alright. Still a nice place though,” Marnie admitted.

“At least I have a table in the kitchen. C’mon, let’s eat.” Gloria motioned for Marnie to follow.

They left the hallway and made their way over to the kitchen where they sat down at the dining table. Marnie opened her backpack and pulled out the two boxes of tupperware that were filled with curry she had made.

“Wow, this looks amazing. Thanks for going through all the trouble,” Gloria said.

“Anything for you is no trouble at all,” she smiled.

“Just like old times, yeah? Eating curry in the Wild Area with our Pokemon,” Gloria said.

“Seems so long ago. Can’t believe how much time has passed,” Marnie said.

As they ate, they continued the soft conversation, bouncing back and forth about various topics. They spent quite some time revisiting memories from earlier points in their friendship. The simpler times when they were just starting the Gym Challenge. They were getting along now just as well as they had when they’d first met. It felt as if they were new people. The two awkward girls who didn’t know how to talk to each other had disappeared. The air in the room felt light. There certainly was less pressure on Gloria’s part, and she and Marnie could talk freely. She didn’t feel like she had to think so hard about what to say. Their friendship was still intact.

“Marnie, this curry is amazing,” Gloria complimented.

“Thanks, I tried a new recipe. I’m glad that you like it,” Marnie responded.

“I saw the news, by the way. Spikemuth is really lucky to have you as their Gym Leader,” Gloria said.

“Yeah, I know I said no before, but that was because I had my heart set on becoming Champion. Piers and I had a long talk again after the Semi Finals. I finally agreed, and we told the public this morning. I think this’ll be good,” Marnie explained.

“This is all really exciting. We’ll both be working with the League next season. We could even organize exhibition matches against each other. Um, and you know, speaking of changing stuff about the future,” Gloria trailed off. She didn’t know exactly how to start this conversation, but she knew that it was necessary. She was ready this time.

“This is a smooth transition,” Marnie observed.

“Yeah, anyway, do you remember what I said to you before running off to save the world? It’s cool if you don’t remember,” Gloria shrugged.

“How very humble of you. You mean when you confessed to liking me? I think it’s at least a little familiar,” Marnie played along. “If memory serves correctly, I told you I liked you back when I came to visit you before your match.”

“Yeah. Remember that day when I said that I had a lot of weight on my shoulders at the time and that I wasn’t ready to have a girlfriend?” Gloria continued.

“Yup, it’s coming back to me now.”

“Well, now that I don’t have a life-defining Pokemon battle I have to prepare for, do you maybe want to be girlfriends?” Gloria asked.

“Gloria, I would love to be your girlfriend,” Marnie said.

“Sweet,” Gloria grinned and stuffed a spoonful of curry into her mouth. “That sounded dumb. I’m sorry. I didn’t sound excited at all. I am excited. I really like you. I’m rambling. I’ll understand if you want to break up with me.”

“Don’t worry,” Marnie smiled endearingly. “Now that we’re dating, I don’t think I have to try so hard to impress you. You’ll find out soon enough that I don’t think before I speak half of the time.”

The new couple chatted about current events in their lives as they finished their meals. Gloria couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so relaxed and at ease. She looked lovingly into Marnie’s eyes, focussing more on her features than on her words. She didn’t have to hide her feelings anymore; she could love Marnie openly. One of the happiest moments of her life so far consisted of eating curry with her new girlfriend. It was right up there with winning the title of Champion.

“So,” Gloria began. Thanks to her newly gained confidence and preparedness, she felt ready to take control. “What do you want to do now?”

“I don’t know. What do you want to do now?” Marnie replied with a very unique and helpful answer.

“I haven’t shown you my room yet. D’you wanna go upstairs?” Gloria offered.

“Moving things to the bedroom, huh? Let’s do it,” Marnie accepted.

Marnie had seen right through Gloria and her offer. It hadn’t been inherently sexual, but being alone with another person in their bedroom always had an intimate feeling to it. Gloria had waited long enough to be intimate with Marnie, and she couldn’t wait much longer.

The girls packed up the curry dishes and headed upstairs. The bedroom was bare. There wasn’t much to show off. Gloria hadn’t had much time to think about decorations. She was only one girl who couldn’t do much heavy lifting or renovations on her own, so her design skills and ideas were very limited.

Her bed had plain white covers to match a plain white duvet. She had a small desk that she hadn’t found a good use for yet nor did she think she ever would. What kind of desk work would the Champion need to do? She’d decided to use it to adequately display her Championship Trophy, but it did look kind of sad just sitting there all on its own.

Those were the only two things that had already been in the bedroom before she moved in. The room was still littered with boxes filled with her own stuff since she hadn’t had enough time to unpack and sort out her belongings. Some of the items she had gotten around to. She’d hung up a poster with the official Gym Challenge logo, as a way to be reminded of where she started from and the obstacles she’d overcome to get to where she was today. On the floor next to her bed, she had a framed photo collage with pictures of her with family and friends. It easily caught Marnie’s eye since it was the most vibrant thing in the room.

“This is so cute,” she admired as she picked it up off the ground.

“Yeah, I know. It sucks that it’s on the floor, but I still want to look at it every night before bed,” Gloria admitted.

“Can I ask an obvious question? Why am I not in any of these pictures?” Marnie asked.

“No reason other than the fact that we don’t have any decent pictures together,” Gloria explained.

“What? We totally have nice pictures together,” Marnie defended.

“Really? Show me.”

Marnie whipped out her phone, fully determined to prove her girlfriend wrong. It didn’t help Gloria’s case that Marnie had found an image after only 30 seconds of looking.

“As soon as you said that, this exact photo came to mind,” Marnie pointed out.

She showed Gloria her phone. The picture was a half body shot of the two of them. Neither of them were looking at the camera. Her Rotom Phone had been hovering around and had taken the picture automatically, which is probably why the photo didn’t seem familiar.

“When was this?” she inquired.

“After your match against Raihan,” Marnie said.

Upon closer observation, it seemed like a stupid question. The archaic buildings of Hammerlocke were easily recognizable, the large castle structures as well as the stadium.

“Didn’t we go out for Tapu Cocoa after? I remember being so excited after earning all eight badges,” Gloria recalled.

“Yup, this was right as we were leaving the cafe,” Marnie added.

“Yeah, I can tell. The sunset looks so beautiful too. You’re right, Mar. This is a really nice picture. Thanks for showing it to me. I’m gonna print it out and frame it right away. In its own frame, because it’s just that cute. My girlfriend deserves the cutest frame.”

Gloria looked up from Marnie’s phone to look at her. The girls had huddled over the phone, so they could both properly look at the picture. Gloria tried to make it obvious that she wanted Marnie’s undivided attention. Marnie understood. She shut off her phone, so she could look at Gloria as well. They stared into each other’s eyes and didn’t say anything for a few moments.

“Girlfriend. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you say that,” Marnie admitted.

“Okay, Girlfriend, then I won’t stop.” Gloria placed her hands on Marnie’s hips and pulled her closer. She was giving a clear signal about what was about to happen next. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to kiss my girlfriend.”

“Yeah, it’s totally cool with me. Go ahead. I wanna kiss my girlfriend too,” Marnie gave a small chuckle. “See, I told you I don’t think before I speak.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to speak.”

And with that, Gloria placed her lips on Marnie’s. She took notice of how soft Marnie’s lips were. She felt a swarm of Butterfree begin to form in her stomach. Her heart began to beat faster. She felt as if her knees were about to buckle too. It seemed dramatic for a soft kiss that only lasted a few seconds, but this was her first kiss in her first relationship. She’d never experienced anything remotely like this. She’d only seen this happen in movies, but they weren’t very accurate portrayals, especially when the kissing scene involved two girls. Gloria decided to pull away before either of them did something embarrassing or something they’d regret.

“Is everything okay?” Marnie asked, concern evident in her voice.

“Yeah, it’s just, I don’t know if you know this or if you could tell but that was my first kiss,” Gloria admitted.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I’ve been waiting for it for a long time. I’ve spent a lot of free time thinking about it. And now that the moment is here, and I’m with a girl that I really, really like, I don’t want to fuck it up.”

Marnie paused for a beat before answering. “It was my first kiss too.”

“I get the feeling that we’re going to take things fairly slowly in this relationship,” Gloria guessed.

“Yeah, me too, which I’m totally cool with, by the way,” Marnie said.

“You know they say, one way to get good at something is to practice it,” Gloria hinted.

“Practice makes perfect.” Marnie nodded before initiating another kiss.

This time, she swung her arms over Gloria’s shoulders. She took a few steps forward in order to remove any space between them. The girls pressed their bodies against each other, finding comfort in each other’s presence and stability.

They had a safe space. They were free to roam and explore within the boundaries they had set for themselves. They tried their best to indicate when something felt good and when something felt wrong. There were so many different things to try which made losing track of time inevitable. Everything else that didn’t matter blurred together and faded away.

Chapter Text

Every day started with hours of scrolling through social media. It became a routine at this point. Interacting with fans and followers was just another part of the job. It was one of the easier responsibilities she had been given. She had to appear grateful all the time, which she was, but when her publicity team was telling her to do it, it didn’t feel genuine. There was also the looming pressure of staying informed about current events. If she got caught not completely knowing about something going on with the League, it wouldn’t look good.

She was getting used to her Rotom Phone being flooded with notifications, and had learned how to filter out the useless ones. She had quickly learned how to scan for keywords and names in headlines of articles that stood out and could potentially be important. Her new skill came in handy when she suddenly noticed a text message from one of the Circhester Gym Leaders.

Hi, Gloria. This is Melony. First of all, I want to say congratulations! I watched your match from home, and I was so excited to see you win! Anyways, that’s not why I’m texting you. I’m texting you to invite you to the Gym Leaders’ annual year-end celebration. It’s a small get together that I organize at the end of each season. All the Leaders attend, including the Champion, and seeing as that is you now, we would all love it if you could be there!

Melony sent an address, along with a date and time. Evidently, Melony had a tendency to write long text messages. Gloria had to read the message a couple of times in order to absorb all of the information. Nevertheless, Gloria appreciated the invite. It all seemed too good to be true. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t excited. She had looked up to the Galar Gym Leaders ever since she was a little girl, and now she was getting invited to go to parties with them. These were some of the perks that came along with being Champion that Gloria could really appreciate. She never imagined that something like this would happen in her lifetime.

Gloria had been Champion for only a week, and she was constantly feeling exhausted and in need of a break. Melony had mentioned that these get-togethers were annual. Clearly, the Leaders knew what they were doing. A relaxing night with friends was exactly what she needed right now.

She replied to Melony’s text with a short and sweet response:

Hi, Melony! I’ll be there. I can’t wait!

The day of the event had arrived. In the days leading up to it, Gloria had bought a new outfit for the special occasion. Her outfit consisted of a smooth black lace top that hugged her body nicely. She complimented it with a black leather skirt that cut off just before the knee.

It was a simple look, which was what she intended, but it was still unique to her personal sense of style. Tonight would be one of the few times where she would be able to choose an outfit entirely on her own without the help of any stylists. She knew that she would be forced to wear countless other outfits that they selected for her in the future, but this was a private event, so it didn’t matter too much to them what she wore. She’d also seen the ridiculous outfits that Leon had been forced to wear over the years, and she’d shuddered at the thought of herself being subjected to the same thing.

Once she finished getting ready, she passed the time by circulating through apps on her phone until she received a text that her Flying Taxi was waiting outside. She put on the final piece of her outfit, a pair of elegant black combat boots. Her choice of outerwear was a long wool coat that she chose not to button up. She exited her house, locked the door behind her, and climbed inside the metal car.

“Where to tonight, Champion?” the man asked.

“Circhester, please,” she responded.

The navy blue raven took off into the sky. Gloria let her mind wander as she looked over the landscapes of the region she called home. The mesmerizing lights of the city below shined like stars. Buildings, store windows, and billboards were all lit up. The city of Wyndon was alive and awake on this Friday night. It was obvious why so many people in Galar chose to travel by Flying Taxi because there were so many sights to see from above. Gloria didn’t think she’d ever get tired of it.

She arrived at her destination sooner than she expected. She hadn't completely adjusted to the fact that she no longer lived in rural Postwick and that Circhester was practically a neighbouring city to Wyndon. It was possible too that the driver didn’t want to make her impatient since he knew he was transporting one of the biggest public figures in the region.

She hopped off and paid the man a generous amount for his good service. She had started earning an increasing amount of royalties and wealth, and she found it selfish to keep it all for herself.

Once he took off, Gloria stood alone outside the building. She had a chance to take everything in. The exterior looked antique, like most of the buildings in Circhester. She couldn’t tolerate standing outside for very long because the biting cold temperature was starting to get to her.

If Gloria had bothered to read the entrance sign outside, she would have realized that she had entered a hotel. She figured it out based on the elaborate, decorative lobby that adopted a more modern style that felt out of place compared to the archaic exterior of the building.

She had taken only a few steps inside before she was greeted by a man at the reception desk. “Welcome, Champion. If you’ll please follow me.”

He shot up from his chair like a rocket and ran around to the front of his desk. He began to walk down the hallway while Gloria struggled to keep up. He wasted no time escorting Gloria to the lift and up to the third floor.

She wondered why he hadn’t simply given her directions. She couldn’t help but wonder, was she getting special treatment, or was this man required to personally escort every single guest? She didn’t feel like she deserved any special treatment over anybody else. So far tonight, two strangers had greeted her as ‘Champion’. Gloria couldn’t help but wonder why. Her mind began spiraling. Was it that they didn’t know her name and only knew her face? Probably not. She had been all over the news this past week, and her name had been included in all the interviews she had been in. Were they doing it out of respect? She didn’t want to have a reputation of being “the stuck-up Champion” who lashes out if she was addressed incorrectly. She decided not to think too much about it. Tonight was supposed to be about having a good time, not having yet another identity crisis.

The two of them exited the lift and walked down a narrow corridor. At the end of it was a solid, black door.

“Enjoy your evening,” he said and walked away with no further explanation. He reentered the lift and closed the doors.

Now standing in the hallway, completely alone, she said to herself, “Okay, either this is the party or I’m about to get murdered.”

She delicately placed her hand on the door handle and opened it hesitantly. Gloria’s nerves melted away once she saw Melony standing at the entrance. She assumed that Melony was waiting there with the intention of personally greeting every guest, a behaviour that was very in character for her.

She was wearing a pure white dress. It hung off the shoulders, exposing her neckline and chest where she wore a necklace with an intricate snowflake jewel. Gloria had never seen anything like it before. She’d also never seen Melony put in this much effort into a look for other formal events. She was the hostess tonight though, and Gloria knew that this night was very important to her.

“Gloria darling, so glad you’re here,” Melony said as she went in for a tight hug.

“Glad to be here,” Gloria said.

“Let me take your coat,” she offered. “Refreshments and snacks are on the table over there. Help yourself to whatever you’d like.” She leaned in as she continued speaking. “Marnie arrived a while ago. She’s been waiting for you. I’d go say hi if I were you.”

A small smile grew on Gloria’s face. She couldn’t help it. Just the mention of Marnie’s name made her heart skip a beat. She was also happy with the fact that more and more people were coming to know about her new relationship, and they were all completely supportive.

“You’re the best, Melony,” Gloria smiled.

As Gloria made her way over to Marnie, she took in all the features of the room. It was smaller than a typical hotel event room. It didn’t feel or look like a formal event room at all. It felt very intimate and appropriate for a party meant just for the Gym Leaders and Champion, a place where everyone knew everyone. There was modern lounge furniture spread out across the room, leather couches, lounge chairs, and such.

The lights were dim, which Gloria liked. It added an element of calmness to the atmosphere. There weren’t many light fixtures in the ceiling to begin with, as if dim lightning were the architect’s original intention. All the walls were painted black. Most people would argue that it made the room look too bleak, but in this lighting, it seemed classy and elegant.

Gloria had arrived early, so not many people were there yet. She made brief eye contact with the Gym Leaders that had already arrived and were seated next to one another. Milo and Bea were making small talk until they noticed Gloria, and they greeted one another.

Gloria found Marnie standing in the back corner of the room by herself. She was looking at something very interesting on her phone. Gloria knew for a fact that she was trying to look busy, but she knew the reality was that she was trying not to look awkward and out of place. She felt bad for not having shown up sooner.

Even if Melony hadn’t mentioned her early, Gloria would have instantly begun looking for Marnie. She figured that she would be on the guest list, since she was a Gym Leader now. She couldn’t deny that out of everyone in attendance tonight, she was most excited to see Marnie. Their budding relationship was beginning to blossom.
Before she greeted her, she took a look at what Marnie was wearing. Her outfit was fairly similar to Gloria’s. Marnie had also opted to wear mostly black. She wore a plain black dress that cut off just before her knees. The dress had long sleeves, but she still wore her usual leather jacket on top. Her hair was tied up in her signature punk pigtails.

“Well, if it isn’t Spikemuth’s new Gym Leader. Wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Gloria teased.

“Hey,” Marnie smiled, looking up from her phone and putting it away. “Still not used to hearing that.”

“You and me both,” Gloria said.

“Life as Champion is still rough?” Marnie asked sympathetically.

“Eh,” Gloria shrugged. “It’s getting a little easier. I think I’m getting better at handling it.”

“That’s good,” Marnie smiled.

Gloria appreciated Marnie checking-in. She really appreciated how Marnie understood that her new career wasn’t all fun and games. She was relieved to hear that Marnie hadn’t adjusted to her new position either. It sounded cruel, but she was glad that now they had one more thing they could bond over, and they could better understand each other.

The two girls exchanged a natural back-and-forth. Even though it had only been a few days since they had last seen each other and officially started dating, they still had a lot to catch up on. That was one of the things Gloria liked the most about being with Marnie: it was never dull. They always had something to talk about. She could spend all the time in the world with that girl, and it still wouldn’t be enough.

In the midst of their conversation, Gloria heard Melony’s voice from across the room, “Bede sweetheart, so good to see you.”

The new Leader of Ballonlea Stadium had entered the room. He was wearing a pastel pink suit that he matched with a white button up shirt. On his chest was a small pin in the shape of the stadium’s logo. He added a contrasting pastel blue bracelet around his wrist that added an element of flare to his outfit. It wasn’t out of character for Bede to want to show off. He drew a lot of attention to himself with an outfit like that. His ensemble perfectly captured his new role.

Gloria couldn’t say that she had had many interactions with Bede. Sure, she had bumped into him multiple times on her journey, but the situations themselves were all practically the same. Usually, Bede would brag about his skills as a Pokemon Trainer before challenging her to a battle. Gloria would always win, and Bede would make a crude, aloof comment about how he let her win. He didn’t really build up a reputation for himself as being a friendly sort of rival.

Despite all that, she wanted to talk to him. She felt obligated as Champion to initiate a conversation. He was the only person there who was her age, other than Marnie. The three of them were part of a new trio. They were all coming of age with the region having their eyes glued onto them. There had already been articles about the three of them, making comparisons and drawing similarities between them. She wanted them to stick together. It wouldn’t be farfetched to assume that he was having a lot of the same doubts that Gloria and Marnie were about their new positions.

Gloria watched him walk away from Melony. He was gazing around the room when she made eye contact with him. The look that fell on his face was a mix of shock and disgust. There was no chance of him escaping. She planned to walk over to him and insisted that Marnie come along too.

“No, Gloria. I really don’t want to,” she refused.

“Please, Marnie? I don’t want to go alone,” she pleaded.

“How about you don’t go at all?” she suggested.

“No, I have to do this. It’ll be more awkward if we ignore him,” Gloria reasoned.

“Fine,” she agreed. “But you’re doing all the talking.”

The girls made their way over to the boy who was standing by himself in the middle of the room.

“Hey, Bede. How’s it going?” Gloria asked with a bright Champion smile on her face.

“Oh, hi, Gloria. And Marnie. It’s going well, all things considered. I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I thought it was Leaders only,” he wondered.

Even after becoming a Gym Leader, he hadn’t lost his snobbish attitude.

“Leaders and Champion,” she explained. “In case you forgot, I’m the Champion.”

“Who could forget?” he responded. She couldn’t tell if he was teasing or if he intended for it to sound harsh.

“So, how’s life as a Gym Leader? Must be pretty exciting. Having to deal with quizzes and fairies,” she chuckled lightly, earning a laugh out of Marnie too. It was her best attempt at relieving some of the tension, but it only backfired.

“Well, not as exciting as being the Champion of course. You don’t have to patronize me.”

“I-I wasn’t. Look, I know we aren’t really friends or anything, but we are going to be seeing a lot of each other in the near future, so can we put whatever’s in the past behind us? I’d really like to get to know you as a friend, rather than a rival.”

He pondered Gloria’s offer for a few moments. “You’ve got a fair point. I don’t need any more stress than I already have. We’ll always be rivals though. Don’t get too comfortable sitting at the top with that Champion title.”

“Sounds good to me,” Gloria smirked.

Gloria was stuck on how to end the conversation properly. The first thing that came to mind was to hug him, so she did.

“What are you doing?” Bede exclaimed.

“I’m hugging you,” Gloria said.

Reluctantly, he returned the hug for a few moments before breaking it off. Calling it awkward would be an understatement, especially with everyone watching them, but it was a step in the right direction.

She could handle a playful rivalry. It would help out with getting good publicity. It was refreshing to see that there were people who didn’t decide to treat her any differently because of her title. When they would have battles in the future she could pretend that it was like the good old days when she was on her journey.

Bede was someone who always had his guard up, and Gloria could respect that. They would never be close, like she was with Marnie or even Hop, but they would have a respectable relationship.

“Hi, everybody!” Melony stood at the front of the room, trying to gather everyone’s attention. “Normally I don’t give an introduction since this is an annual event, and we all know what we’re here for tonight. But this year is special, seeing as we have three new guests, I thought we should all welcome them to our family properly. Marnie, Bede, Gloria, we’re so grateful that you’re here with us.”

The three new guests were all already conveniently standing next to one another in the middle of the room. They didn’t really need an introduction because everyone took notice of them during Gloria and Bede’s conversation.

“Speech!” Gordie yelled with enthusiasm.

Melony shot him a dirty look that only a mother could pull off. He didn’t seem to regret it in the slightest. No one dared mention it, but everyone was aware of the baggage that those two shared. Gloria didn’t know the full extent of their relationship. She’d seen and heard about their issues but that had only been from rumours that got tossed around. It turns out, the rumours might have been accurate.

Gloria looked to her friends, wondering if either of them would take the initiative to say something. They had already decided that they, along with everyone else, would like to hear a few words from their new Champion. She walked over to where Melony was standing.

“Hi everyone. Hope you’re all doing well tonight. Um, I don’t really know what to say. Uh, yeah. I am ‘the Champion’, and that’s a huge title to bear. I have no idea what my future is going to look like. This last week has been the craziest of my life, but I also really haven’t changed that much. I’m still the same girl who battled you all and made her way through the Champion’s Cup. I used to look up to all of you and I still do. I’m still your friend, your girlfriend.” She winked in Marnie’s direction, earning gasps and cheers from everybody. “So, yeah, if for just one night I can be myself and hang out with my friends instead of being ‘the Champion’, that’d be really nice.”

Everyone applauded in a way that felt authentic, like they genuinely wanted to give her praise, and they weren’t simply doing it out of obligation.

Throughout the night, Gloria had various conversations with all the Gym Leaders. They all told her different stories of some of the wild things that had happened over the years at these parties. Melony had been hosting them for almost ten years now. Everyone always showed up. They would never pass on the opportunity to relax and hang out with each other. It’s the only night where everyone is together in one place where there aren’t cameras and reporters coming at them from every angle. None of them would ever pass on the one night where they can be themselves. Bea wasn’t the intimidating Galar karate prodigy. Allister didn’t cover his face with a mask. Milo swore, and in the process, crushed Gloria’s heart by learning that his innocent persona was all a publicity stunt.

They really were all a family that Gloria was now a part of. Everyone was so supportive and willing to help out in any way they could. Melony wasn’t being metaphorical in her speech. She really wanted to hold tightly on to the idea of having a close family. Her relationship with Gordie was strained, so this was one of the ways she was coping and acting like everything was fine. She still had a family somewhere that she could turn to.

All the Leaders had different pieces of wisdom to offer and gossip stories to tell about the secrets of being a Gym Leader. Many of them had been in the public eye for more than half of their lives, so they were all experts at keeping things under wraps. Gloria couldn’t stop thinking about all the support she had received when she and Marnie came out to them. She had been relishing in how nice it felt for the new couple to be out for just one night. They’d barely begun dating, but the conversation of if and when they would make their relationship public was a conversation they’d had early on in their relationship. However, being around their friends made both girls truly feel safe and accepted. They didn’t have to worry about anyone accidentally revealing their secret.

Marnie and Gloria stuck with each other and did not separate the entire night. They moved around as a conjoined pair, not daring to leave each other’s side. They mainly talked to each other the entire night. It was true that Gloria wanted to talk to the other Leaders, but she really felt the most comfortable around Marnie. One of them would mention a topic which would send the two of them off on a long tangent that wasn’t related to the original topic of conversation. Even though this was one of the most welcoming events she’d ever been to, she still felt a little nervous when trying to act casual around prominent public figures even if they were showering her with compliments.

After everyone had eaten dinner, it was time for Marnie to play music. Everyone encouraged her with positive affirmations. Piers had always given everyone a performance and since he had retired, Marnie had to keep the tradition going. She didn’t mind too much because she was just as musically gifted as her brother. She just didn’t show off her talents as much.

Melony had arranged for a guitar and microphone to be in the event room for this sole purpose. Marnie played some classic songs and sang along. Gloria had never actually seen her play music, and it was a sight to behold. She couldn’t take her eyes off of her. She got teased for looking so entranced, but she didn’t care because her girlfriend looked completely amazing while she performed.

Marnie’s performance ended in uproarious applause. Everyone was pumped, hyped, and full of energy. They intended to keep the good, light-hearted atmosphere going. Gordie had made a playlist full of iconic song after iconic song that everyone lost themselves in.

Time didn’t pass linearly. It was so easy to forget about everything else and simply live in the moment. All of a sudden, it was late. As the night went on, the dance floor became less and less crowded, the music faded out, and the familiar hum of everyone chatting resumed. Some of the Leaders had decided to leave because they had an early day tomorrow, or they wanted to get some well deserved rest. Gloria opted to stay. She also had other commitments the next day, but she felt like if she went home and slept those commitments would show up sooner than she wanted. She was having a great time and didn’t want the night to end.

Gloria and Marnie were standing in the same corner that they had been at the beginning of the night. They each had a cup of water in hand. They would occasionally sip from it to cool down and stay hydrated at the end of the night. They had resumed their conversation from earlier, chatting lightly about whatever random topics came to mind.

“How’s it going, Champ?” a voice said from behind.

Gloria turned around to see who it was. She was greeted by Nessa.

She was wearing a white dress that had a choker piece with a pearl necklace and matching earrings. A gold belt was tied around her waist. Her laced-up ruby red heels complimented the dress nicely. She wore her hair down, and it flowed down her shoulders just like a wave. Her ensemble made subtle yet bold statements that reminded everyone that she was the Water-type Gym Leader, the raging wave.

Gloria hadn’t yet talked to Nessa tonight. She was now freaking out a bit at the fact that Nessa had approached her first. She had been putting off talking to Nessa because she was intimidated by her. She had admired Nessa for a very long time. She’d met her before, obviously. She had to battle her more than once to get where she is today. The fact that they could both be themselves this time and have a natural conversation is what made her palms sweaty and her heart race faster. She could consider Nessa a friend and not just some idol she looked up to.

“Oh hi, Nessa. It’s going good. How are you?” Gloria responded. She was trying very hard not to embarrass herself by saying something stupid.

“I’m great, thanks for asking. What about you, Marnie?” she asked.

“Not bad,” Marnie answered.

“I came to ask you two if you wanted to come sit with the rest of us,” Nessa offered. “You two have been stuck to each other like glue all night. It’s adorable.”

Gloria, Marnie, Bede, Melony, Gordie, Nessa, and Raihan were the only people who hadn’t left yet. They had all gathered in the center of the room. The furniture was arranged in a circle, so they could all face one another and talk freely about anything that came to mind.

As Gloria looked around for a spot to sit, her eyes fell on Raihan. It just dawned on her that he was the only Gym Leader who hadn’t congratulated her on becoming Champion, tonight or at all for that matter. It wasn’t that she was keeping a tally of the nicest and politest Gym Leaders, but she’d grow accustomed to it at this point. After all, it was the least someone could do. He hadn’t really bothered to start any kind of conversation with her. She’d spoken to all the Leaders at one point or another tonight except him.

“Hey, Raihan. How’s it going?” Gloria asked casually.

“I’m good,” he responded flatly.

He didn’t bother to ask how she was doing. That’s what most people did. Maybe Gloria was reading too much into it. It was probably nothing, not a big deal at all. It had been a long night, and everyone’s social batteries were running low.

Raihan had shown up to the event in a sleek black suit. His jacket was buttoned up halfway, revealing a navy blue shirt underneath. A thin necktie, the colour of a tangerine, wrapped up the entire look. He had loosened it throughout the night, and it hung freely around his neck. It probably wasn’t a coincidence that he was sporting the colours of Hammerlocke Stadium. There must’ve been a reason why Hammerlocke Stadium had that specific colour scheme because that combination of colours looked amazing on him.

That was something that Gloria had noticed about all the Leaders tonight, not just Raihan. Melony had stayed true to her Ice-type theme. Bede was beginning to embrace his new role as the Fairy-type Gym Leader. It was all a nice, subtle hint to their personalities.

“So, are you having a good time?” Gloria continued. She cringed at herself, but she was trying her best to open up a window of conversation.

“Yeah, I guess,” he responded.

“Did you kids enjoy yourselves tonight?” Melony asked. Thankfully she was able to read the room and direct the flow of conversation elsewhere.

“Yeah, thanks again, Melony. This was really great,” Gloria replied.

“Don’t mention it. That’s why I do what I do,” she smiled.

“So, how’s it going with you two?” Nessa asked, directed at Marnie and Bede. “Becoming a Gym Leader is pretty exciting.”

“It must be different becoming a Gym Leader now versus when we did it years ago,” Gordie encouraged.

“Shush, you’re making it sound like we’re super old or something,” Nessa said.

“Yeah, we’re not that old, but it just goes to show you that there’s always someone younger coming up from behind,” Raihan commented.

No one knew how to respond to that.

“Eh,” Bede shrugged, “I mean there’s ups and downs to it all, ya know?”

“Yeah, I think we’re just going to take it one step at a time,” Marnie added.

“It can be pretty stressful,” Raihan agreed. “It’s not all fun and games. Try not to let it all go to your head.”

Nessa chuckled. “Wow, this is coming from the Leader who’s famous for taking thousands of selfies.”

“Shut up,” he grumbled.

It was like Raihan had morphed into a completely different person. The young man who was always helping out those around him, smiling brightly for the camera, and decorating his social media profiles had completely vanished. No one is ever 100% genuine online, but Raihan had spent a good portion of his career building up a respectable reputation. If you're the top Gym Leader of the region, people will come to expect you to act a certain way. Gloria was wondering if his whole public personality was all an elaborate, fabricated lie.

Part of the reason why Gloria was enjoying herself so much tonight was because she didn’t have to put on a persona either. She didn’t have to think twice about answers to questions and whether or not they would be well received by the public. She was free to be publicly affectionate with her girlfriend. She was revelling in the excitement of getting to know the other Leaders for who they were behind closed doors, up until she was having this not-so friendly encounter.

“I’m just saying that it’s not all fun and games. You have a reputation to uphold,” he continued, possibly speaking from personal experience.

“Whatever,” Nessa said whimsically. “Don’t let him scare you. You guys will be fine. Plus, you’ll have enough time to prepare before next season rolls around and the Gym Challenge starts again. Marnie, I don’t think Piers is just gonna leave you alone to figure out everything for yourself. And Bede, you’ve been training with Opal. You’re more than ready.”

“If there’s anyone who knows how to whip someone into shape it’s Opal,” Melony said. “She taught me everything I know about strict training methods.”

“Yeah, I know I complain a lot about the quizzes and pink clothes, but she’s really good at her job,” Bede mentioned. “She didn’t seem to want to retire, but she was getting up there.”

“Life is funny that way. Doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes the opposite happens, and you’re forced to leave your job,” Raihan said. His comment was accompanied by one of the dirtiest looks Gloria had ever seen, and it was directed at her.

“Where is this coming from?” Gloria asked defensively.

Raihan shrugged his shoulders in response. “Just some good advice to keep in mind. Leon used to always say that, too bad he’s not here.”

His two comments were unrelated. Mentioning Leon out of nowhere wasn’t a coincidence. Gloria was now certain that something wasn’t right. It was clear that Raihan was mad; she just didn’t know about what.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Gloria asked.

“Right, because you don’t care about Leon. You just took his position like it was nothing and didn’t give it a second thought,” he snapped.

“Raihan! What’s up with you?” Nessa exclaimed.

He stood up abruptly, forcing his chair to slide backwards. He stormed off, slamming the door behind him. Everyone watched in shock and disbelief.

“I’m really sorry about that,” Nessa apologized.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault,” Gloria assured.

“I’ve never seen him act that way,” Gordie commented.

“I think I’m gonna go talk to him,” Gloria decided.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Marnie asked.

“Yeah, Gloria. Maybe you shouldn’t,” Nessa advised. “Let me talk to him instead.”

“No, I can do it. It feels like the right thing to do. If he has a problem with me I want to know what it is,” Gloria confirmed.

Gloria exited the event room. She found herself outside in the hallway surrounded by a deafening silence. It allowed her to mull over the situation. She knew that there were people who missed having Leon as Champion, and that she would no doubt make some new enemies moving forward, but it never occurred to her that one of those people would be Raihan.

She looked up and down, but Raihan was nowhere to be found. He had completely vanished. He could have made it to the lift by now, on his way back home. It was very late, and he probably wouldn’t bother sticking around after what had happened.

The hallway was fairly narrow. He could have been hiding behind a corner somewhere, perhaps trying to compose himself. Gloria decided to walk around to see if she could find him. She passed by the bathrooms that were a little ways down from the event room.

In a spur of bad luck and bad timing, the door to the men’s bathroom swung open and smacked her on the forehead, forcing her to stumble back and hit the wall on the other side of the hallway. She squeezed her eyes shut, wincing from the pain. Even with her eyes closed, she knew that it was Raihan who was on the other side of the door.

“Fuck,” she said under her breath, while rubbing her forehead.

“Sorry,” he said, although he didn’t sound sorry at all.

She opened her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurry, but she could still see where he was standing. “What? First, you yell at me. Now you want to give me a head injury?”

“Jeez, I said I was sorry. It was an accident. Stop being so dramatic,” he replied.

“Yeah, I’m dramatic. I’m not the one who snapped at a teenage girl and then stormed off with no explanation.”

As her vision returned to normal, Gloria could see drops of water falling down his face. His entire face was wet. He probably went into the bathroom to try and cool himself down by splashing water on his face. Had he been crying? The thought of Raihan crying about what had happened made Gloria very uncomfortable. It was almost taboo. She tried her best not to appear intimidated by him. She wasn’t about to morph the situation into something more serious than it was.

Raihan was naturally tall. Gloria barely came up to his shoulders. His height was one of the main things that people knew about him. It was hard not to notice his height when meeting him in person for the first time. When standing next to other people he could be seen squatting, hunched over, or bending his knees in order not to appear so daunting. Usually, when he stood at his full height, his likeable personality made up for it, and he always came across as friendly and approachable. Now everything about his demeanor had changed. Gloria wondered if Raihan were standing at his full height on purpose to appear more intimidating.

It hadn’t really occurred to her that this was a sort of dark side that Raihan had. He was always laughing and smiling. He lived up to his reputation of having a charming personality. During Pokemon battles, any anger that he displayed could be interpreted as passion and love for his Pokemon and his job as a Gym Leader. Even when he was constantly losing matches against Leon and other Gym Challengers, he was never a sore loser about it. He always lost with pride and dignity. When he had snapped and walked off earlier, it had seemed like it was just because of a small disagreement. Everyone had given him the benefit of the doubt.

“Gloria, listen, I’m really sorry,” he began.

“What are you so mad about anyway?” she demanded.

He paused before answering, attempting to formulate a response, “I don’t even know how to explain this.”

He exhaled, still trying to compose himself from earlier. Maybe this wasn’t just a random occurrence that was the result of an off-hand comment. Maybe the things he said and the emotions he was feeling were things that he’d been keeping bottled up inside of him for a long time. Gloria tried her best to see through the cracks and attempt to read him.

She realized that this was the second time tonight where she had to mediate conflict and resolve issues that she had with other people. First she had to coincide with Bede about their unresolved, misplaced tension. He’d been understanding and they’d started from scratch. They were moving in a better direction. She wanted the same thing to happen here between her and Raihan. She valued their relationship, even if it was a casual one.

“Were you just waiting until the end of the night to yell at me?” she asked.

She’d taken a few pages out of Marnie’s book. She’d learned a thing or two about being someone’s personal therapist, but she didn’t want to pry too much. If Raihan had stuff that he wanted to keep private, she could respect that. She knew that she couldn’t solve every problem, but she was going to try her best.

“I wasn’t planning on yelling at you at all. I don’t do shit like that. I’m not some kind of asshole, but you probably think I am now. I don’t know,” he stumbled over his words. He placed a hand on the side of his face, massaging his temples.

“I don’t think you’re an asshole, Raihan. I get that you’re upset, but you can’t take it out on me. You can’t blame me for winning against Leon and becoming the Champion!” It sounded a little more harsh than she intended, but she also intended to stand up for herself.

“Obviously, I know that. But that’s the whole problem. How can I not be upset and angry when a fifteen-year-old girl accomplished my life-long goal in less than a year!”

Gloria didn’t know what to say. With every passing second, she could feel Raihan getting more irritated. Something was telling her that this whole argument wasn’t just about him wanting to be Champion. Leon and Raihan had had a rivalry since the beginning of their journey together. They’d known each other for a very long time. The same dynamic wasn’t present between Raihan and Gloria, the new Champion. His grievances with her stemmed from a different cause.

Before she could think of anything to say in response, Raihan spoke up, “You know what? Forget it. I’m going home.”

“No, wait.” She tried her best to think of something on the spot. She figured that saying something was better than saying nothing. “Whatever’s going on, I want to help fix it. I don’t want any bad blood between us.”

It never really occurred to her that on her journey to becoming Champion, she had created some enemies along the way. Of course there were going to be people that resented her, people that were out right jealous. She never would’ve imagined of all the people it would be Raihan.

“I don’t really know what to do with my life anymore. I’m Leon’s rival. Or I guess I was. Yes, it got annoying sometimes, losing to him all the time, but at least I had a goal. I had a purpose. Even before Leon was the Champion, I always wanted to win against him in an official Pokemon battle. Winning a match in a stadium full of people that was broadcasted all over the region would’ve been the most amazing thing. Now I’ll never know what that feels like.”

Gloria knew what that felt like. She deeply wished that it were possible to share that feeling with him. Raihan deserved more than what he got.

“You’re still so talented,” she encouraged. “You know, people have rumoured that you’re strong enough to become Champion, just in another region. Your skill hasn’t gone away.”

“That’s not the point!” he exclaimed. His voice echoed through the halls. Gloria wondered if everyone else inside the event room could hear him, or if they had been eavesdropping from the start of their conversation. “It’s not about being Champion. I’m just so lost. And I feel shitty for even complaining. I’m being so selfish. My loss is nothing compared to Leon’s. He was a real mess after he lost the match. I’ll spare you the details, but it wasn’t easy to watch and be by his side.”

“I can only imagine,” she whispered.

Raihan had been right by Leon’s side when he had lost, comforting him and providing support. He wasn’t selfish at all. He was compassionate and caring and put others before himself. He never got to be on the receiving end of that. Who was taking care of him? He didn’t compete in the Championship Match, but he had clearly lost something too.

Silence fell over the both of them. It contrasted greatly with the shouts they had just been throwing back and forth. Bringing up Leon seemed like a touchy subject for Raihan. Gloria didn’t know the full extent of their relationship, but she knew that there was more to it than what she saw on the surface.

“I’m glad you told me,” she said. “I’m just saying, you’re a really strong Trainer. You shouldn’t doubt yourself because of a few setbacks.”

“I know, I know,” he sighed. “Ugh, look at me. I’m getting life advice from a fifteen-year-old girl. I’m fucking pathetic.”

“You’re not! You’re incredible. You’re Raihan, the tamer of dragons,” she teased. His smile lifted a little bit at hearing that. “You’re an amazingly talented Pokemon Trainer and a huge role model to the people of Galar. You can still find new goals and keep growing.”

“I know. You’re right. Feels good to hear someone else say it. You know, Gloria, you’re pretty good at giving advice. I think you’re gonna be a great Champion.” He gave her his signature winning smile. It was different from the ones that she’d seen him flash for the camera. This one felt more genuine, like between two friends.

“Well, thanks. I’m glad we had this talk. I feel like I know you better now. Thanks for telling me that stuff about Leon. I really had no idea,” she said.

“Don’t be. It’s not your responsibility,” he reassured.

Everybody kept saying that. Gloria was starting to realize that it was in fact her responsibility.

“Yeah, I know. But now that I know that, I feel bad not doing anything about it. I haven’t talked to him since right after the match. Hopefully I can go see him sometime soon.”

Raihan nodded his head in agreement. Neither of them knew what to say. Silence fell between them, but it felt more natural this time. It felt like they had just come off an intense roller coaster ride. They were both attempting to catch their breath, so to speak.

“Are you gonna go home now?” Gloria asked.

“Yeah, probably. Been a long night. You?” Raihan inquired.

“I think so, yeah. I’m just gonna go say goodbye to Marnie first,” she decided.

“You and Marnie, huh?” he smirked. “You guys are really cute together.”

“Yeah, we’ve been dating for only a few days, but I’ve had a crush on her since I met her,” Gloria lowered her head slightly to conceal the growing blush on her face.

Raihan gave a small chuckle. “I was rooting for you two. Glad you finally figured out your feelings for one another. A Gym Leader dating the Champion. Nice to know that that hasn’t changed."

It took Gloria a few moments to understand his statement. “What? Leon’s dating a Gym Leader?”

Raihan just stared at her as a way of answering, hoping she’d get the message.

“Wait, you?!”

The pieces started to fall into place. All of the passion that was displayed during their battles wasn’t staged. They really did have a special relationship that they only showed the tip of the iceberg to the public. All of that talk about Raihan comforting Leon wasn’t just platonic.

Raihan laughed. “Yup. Looks like the Champion of Galar will always be a gay dumbass.”

Gloria jumped to defend herself, but she realized that that playful banter meant that the atmosphere between them wasn’t so tense anymore.

They both started to head back inside the event room, with Raihan teasing her relentlessly. They reentered the room seeing everyone standing at the door, making it very obvious that they had been attempting to hear their conversation.

“Hey everyone, I’m sorry about earlier. I wasn’t in the right headspace and, what I said wasn’t okay,” Raihan apologized.

“We made up, though,” Gloria explained. “We’re cool now.”

She wrapped her arm around his back, leaning in for a hug from the side, showing everyone that they had worked things out.

“That’s good,” Melony sighed.

“Thank Arceus. Things would’ve been so awkward if you two didn’t like each other,” Nessa said, earning small laughs out of everyone.

“Also, can you believe that she didn’t know that Leon and I are dating?” he exclaimed.

Everyone bursted out with shouts of surprise, like they had just heard the most unbelievable thing.

“Shut up! How was I supposed to know?” Gloria defended.

Gloria spent a few more minutes defending herself before declaring her departure. She said goodbye to everyone individually, thanked Melony again for hosting, and gave Marnie a soft kiss on the lips. She grabbed her coat from the closet and exited the event room one last time, until next year.

Chapter Text

Gloria was going to keep her word. She was going to see Leon.

She got out of bed instantly the next morning thanks to the wave of determination that had crashed into her as soon as she woke up.

Since last night, the thought of Leon being upset because of her did not sit well with her. She wanted to resolve this as soon as possible, for her own benefit and for Leon’s. She didn’t want to waste any time. She wasn’t going to keep putting this off until she eventually gave up on it. Even though today was a Saturday, she still didn’t have any opportunities to relax. She’d been booked for a full-day photoshoot for the cover of Galar’s most popular magazine along with an exclusive interview to go with it. Instead of doing that, she’d cancelled on all the photographers, make up artists, and journalists last minute, It wasn’t a very professional look for the regal Champion, but Leon was more important.

Raihan had told her last night that Leon was living back at home in Postwick for the time being. Part of her was excited to have a reason to go back home. She changed into a simple t-shirt and jeans, nothing too extravagant for paying her hometown a visit. She grabbed a piece of fruit on her way out the door. She opted to travel by Flying Taxi so she could eat her light breakfast on the way there. She didn’t want to ride on her own Corviknight because she was heading to the other end of the region. The last time she did that was in a life-or-death situation, and her Pokemon had been completely exhausted afterwards.

The trip was lengthy, but it wasn’t surprising. It had given Gloria enough time to think about some of the things she wanted to say to Leon when she saw him.

When she arrived at Wedgehurst Station, the cab landed on the platform that was designed specifically for Flying Taxis which is where Gloria got off. She headed inside to the station which is where she would exit from the main entrance into the town of Wedgehurst. Before she could even find her way through the main part of the station, she started hearing whispers coming from all around her.

“Is that Gloria?” a voice asked.

“I think it is,” another replied.

“No way! It’s the Champion!” a third voice exclaimed.

Soon she was swarmed by fans, like a Mothim to a flame. She was asked to take selfies and to record greeting messages for people’s friends and acquaintances who weren’t there.

Being held up was inconvenient to say the least. It was an unexpected stop thrown into the middle of her scheduled plans, but her life as Champion automatically warranted a lot of unexpected plans, so this was nothing new. Secretly she’d been very agitated by it all, but she couldn’t let that show in front of all these people. She was anxious to get to Leon’s house. The more time she spent here, the more frustrated she felt wasting time.

After everyone had received their attention from Galar’s newest, hottest celebrity, they continued to go about their day, no doubt with lots of positivity and happiness.
Gloria couldn’t fully wrap her head around the idea that she could have such a huge impact on people’s lives, but then again she had had the time of her life last night after spending time with her childhood idols, so it wasn’t too difficult to put herself in other people’s shoes.

After the fans had dispersed, she exited the station where she was greeted by the quiet borough of the countryside. What she was not expecting was to see the typically small town littered with crowds of people scattered about. It had been cramped inside the station, with everyone rushing towards her at once to gain her attention, but oddly enough, she felt a little claustrophobic even though she was standing outside. It was jarring to see the small town look as busy as a big city like Wyndon. She had been hoping for some peace and quiet when she paid a visit back home.

She stepped outside and attempted to blend in with the crowd, but she was too recognizable. More and more people had stopped her to ask for more photos and video recordings. Her simple presence had set off a large chain reaction.

“Wow, I never thought that when I came to visit the Champion’s hometown that I’d actually run into her,” one person commented before setting up their Rotom Phone to take an automatic selfie.

The last time she’d seen Wedgehurst this busy was when Leon had come back home to visit his family, which explained everything. Postwick was now home to not one, but two Galar Champions. It had become something of a tourist spot, which Gloria assumed would only grow over the years to come.

Gloria waited around a while for the crowd to dissipate. She didn’t want anyone following her or watching her as she made her way to Postwick.

Thankfully, as she began heading down the path that connected the two towns, the number of people she encountered became fewer and fewer. Only a select few of the people that she ran into recognized her as the icon which represented the region that they lived in. It was a little bit funny, honestly, that these tourists--she had decided to call them tourists--had come to see Postwick, yet they had ended up in Wedgehurst, and they couldn’t even find their way to the neighbouring town. Maybe all those times that Leon got lost here were justified and valid. She should probably remember to apologize for teasing him about that too, among other things.

She reached the open fields and the residential areas of the town, and that’s when her mood started to change. She instantly felt calmer with the wind blowing at her back. The warm morning sun was shining down on her face so gently and softly, indicating the beginning of the summer season. It was evident too with the way that all the wild Pokemon were frolicking around in the patches of the tall grass. The only noises she could hear were their cries and the rustling of the leaves through the trees, which were wonderful replacements from all the buzzing chatter from the people at the station. It was such a beautiful moment; she could stay in it forever. She spent some time admiring Postwick. It hadn’t changed at all since she’d first set out on her journey, but she still felt somewhat nostalgic viewing the surrounding scenery where she grew up. She couldn’t help the smile that started to grow on her face from reminiscing at all the memories she had made here.

She’d almost been distracted and completely forgotten why she’d returned home in the first place. It wasn’t meant to be for herself. She wasn’t here for her own benefits. She was here to make amends, for something that she didn’t know was her fault until it was brought to her attention last night.

If she was being honest with herself, she wished that she could’ve spent the day taking a leisurely stroll through her old neighbourhood. She wished that that was the sole reason why she had returned home. Even after just a few moments of being outside and within nature, she’d felt so refreshed and her mind had been easily wiped clean of any worries she had been carrying within herself up until that point.

It was a horrible thought to have, but she was getting tired of fixing all of the relationship issues that she had with so many people. If Leon was so upset, why wouldn’t he have said something directly to her?

It’s easier to put the blame on another person. It was harder to be the bigger person who took the initiative and started the difficult conversation. Gloria wanted to help out the people who she had inadvertently hurt, the people who were going through their own struggles. Her life wasn’t perfect at the moment either, but she wasn’t necessarily dealing with as much hardship compared to other people. She’s trying to do as much as she can to give back to others who need it.

Her reason for suddenly fabricating excuses and feeling riddled with doubt was understandable. The closer she got to Leon’s house, the more intrusive thoughts started running through her head.

Regardless, she pressed forward and kept walking. It was only a straight pathway from Wedgehurst to Postwick, but it wasn’t a short path. Especially if you were intentionally taking a leisurely stroll.

She let her mind wander as she continued walking, which turned out to be a horrible idea. By letting her thoughts come and go as they please, she unintentionally allowed for more negative thoughts to enter her mind as well. There were very few people around on this side of town. Most of them were locals, definitely not any of the tourists from before. She hoped that no one would see her once she reached Leon’s house. If they caught her entering, they suspect that it was her house. They could falsify an endless number of rumours about what the Champion was doing back in Postwick. Some of the crazier fans would probably stand outside and probably never leave until they got an answer. They could also figure out that she was visiting Leon at his house, and then they would also never leave.

If that happened, that would be the worst case scenario. Everyone would start speculating as to why the current Champion was seeing her predecessor. She wasn’t too worried about the previous appearance she had made at Wedgehurst Station. No one questioned her presence there since it was already busy when she had arrived, and of course, the Champion is constantly travelling all over the region. She was more worried about being spotted walking towards the quiet town of Postwick. It seemed unlikely that people would be able to put all of those pieces of information together, but some fans really were capable of the craziest things, which is why Gloria didn’t want to underestimate anyone.

Whether she was prepared or not, she had finally arrived at Leon’s house. Thankfully, she couldn’t see anyone in the surrounding areas.

Before she could bring herself to knock on the door, she was faced with another roadblock. She realized that she hadn’t made any arrangements to show up here today. She didn’t even know if Leon would be home. It was kind of a shitty thing to do to show up unannounced at someone’s house, especially if you weren’t on the greatest terms with that person.

She had come all this way. She might as well follow through with it and see what was up. If he wasn’t home, she’d have to come back at another time, which would be inconvenient yes, but she was still willing to do it if it meant it could heal their relationship. If he was home and he refused to speak with her, well then she’d done all she could on her part.

She stood outside, inches from the door, and rather than bringing herself to knock on the hardwood, she pulled out her Rotom Phone from her bag. She went through her contacts and selected Leon’s phone number. She had had it saved in her phone all the way from the beginning of her journey.

Leon had once said that if she ever needed any help that she could call. Now that she was Champion and her journey was over, she didn’t know if that still applied. Before she could contemplate the extent of Leon’s kindness, she heard his voice on the other end of the phone.

“Hello?” he asked, his voice deep and scruffy like he’d just woken up.

“Hi, it’s Gloria,” she greeted.

“Oh, hi, Gloria.” He sounded surprised. “How are you doing?”

“Um, I’m good.” Her racing heart rate and shaky hands would say otherwise. ”You sound tired, did I wake you?”

“No, no,” he coughed, clearing his throat. “I’ve been up for a while now.”

“Are you at home, by any chance?” she inquired.

“Yeah, why?”

“Come open your door.”

“Gloria,” he paused. He sounded like a parent who was about to scold his child. “Are you outside my house?”

She let out a nervous laugh that faded out as she heard the line go flat. She waited outside for a few moments, wondering if he would really come open the door. She heard the sound of the lock twisting followed by the creaking sound of the door being opened.

“You really are here.” He squinted at her, his facial expression a mix between annoyance and exhaustion.

“Surprise,” Gloria offered weakly.

“That’s for sure. What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I’m here to talk to you. Can we talk?” she requested.

“Yeah sure, I guess. Um, come on in,” he invited.

Gloria stepped inside. She didn’t know why she bothered to look around the house since she’d seen the interior a thousand times. It was still nice to know that it hadn’t changed from the days where she would walk over to her neighbour’s house and play with Hop for hours and hours. To a certain extent, this was her home as much as it was Leon’s and Hop’s and the rest of their family’s. It was like Postwick was a town that lived outside of time. She found comfort in the fact that she knew that it would always be here for her and that she could always come back to it.

Leon walked to the kitchen and Gloria followed. She took a seat at the kitchen table, while he grabbed a bottle of juice out of the refrigerator and began drinking from it.

“You want anything to eat or drink? Did you have breakfast?” he asked, putting his older-brother instincts on display. Gloria was as much of a little sibling to him as Hop was.

“Yeah, I did,” she answered.

Leon made his way over to where Gloria was sitting. He sat at the head of the table and turned his body to face Gloria where she was sitting at the cornering side.

“House is quiet. That’s unusual,” Gloria observed.

“Yeah, Mom’s out buying groceries. Gran and Gramps are spending the day out too. I have the whole house to myself. Well, until now,” he remarked. Gloria wasn’t anticipating anyone but Leon being at home when she arrived. Luckily, she had shown up at the right time.

She laughed nervously. “Sorry about turning up unexpectedly.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it. Always nice to see a friendly face. I could use some company to be honest,” he admitted.

Leon was a man who was fit to be Champion. Not a single person would doubt this statement. He didn’t just meet the requirements because he was one of the strongest Pokemon trainers of all time, that was only one part of it. Even when he was lounging in his own home, he still looked poised and composed. He always put everyone else’s needs above his own. He got along well with everybody he met: his friends, his acquaintances, his fans.

Gloria had known him for the majority of her life, and she had grown up seeing his selflessness first hand. She had no doubt believing that his generosity was genuine. No matter how busy he was at the time with his Champion duties, he would always make time to come back home and visit his family. His kindness wasn’t a trait that he had reserved for when he was the strongest trainer in Galar.

Leon leaned back in his chair, allowing Gloria to observe his outfit. He was wearing a faded black t-shirt that had been washed so many times it was starting to turn grey. She could barely make out the faint logo that was printed on his chest. His top was accompanied by a pair of pyjama bottoms that cut off just above his ankles. It was as simple as an outfit could get. An ordinary person would look below average wearing something like that, but Leon somehow managed to make it look stylish. Gloria never thought she’d see the day where she could compliment Leon on his fashion choices, given how he used to dress less than two weeks ago.

“What does your shirt say?” she wondered.

“Oh, it’s an old logo Piers designed for his band. He held a concert one night years ago, just for fun, and they were selling merch after the show. I couldn’t make it because I had a meeting to go to. I felt awful about it, but Piers gifted me this as a sort of way of saying that our friendship was still intact.”

As Leon told his story, he ran a hand aimlessly across his chin and jaw, feeling the scruffiness of his beard. It was getting thicker since the last time Gloria had seen him a week ago. He probably hadn’t bothered to shave it these past few days. He claimed to have been awake for a while over the phone, but his messy hair and sluggish demeanor made it look like he just rolled out of bed. Maybe he wasn’t lying, and he really had been awake, and this was just how he carried himself nowadays.

Looking at him now, Gloria could tell that this wasn’t the same Leon. He had gone through so many changes in such a short amount of time.

She looked him directly in his golden eyes and asked, “How are you doing, Lee?”

He looked baffled at the bluntness of her question.

“I’m fine, Glo,” he responded, mimicking her use of nicknames.

“Okay, enough with the small talk. I’m going to get straight to the point.” She took a deep breath. “I talked to Raihan last night, and he told me that you’ve been really upset since losing your title, and I can’t stand the thought of you being upset because of me which is why I’m here to apologize for everything I’ve done.”

She took in another deep breath, not realizing that she was speaking very quickly in order to get everything off her chest and clear her guilty conscience.

Leon’s eyes were wide at her abruptness. “Oh. Oh, wow. Gloria, I-I don’t know what to say. You definitely don’t have to apologize for anything.” His voice was soft and reassuring. “I don’t know what Raihan told you, but I’m fine, really. I had to lose at one point. I couldn’t be the Champion forever. I knew that this was going to happen sooner or later.”

Gloria wasn’t convinced. She was still distressed. “Yeah, but I just don’t think it’s fair.”

“How come?”

“I-I don’t know.”

She fidgeted in her chair. She couldn’t look Leon in the eyes anymore. He was speaking with too much determination and confidence, the same way he used to address the crowds of stadiums. She didn’t handle praise very well, especially from someone as high status as Leon.

“It’s just,” she continued, making an attempt at expressing herself, “it’s been really tough having to deal with everything. It’s all a big transition that I never expected I would have to adapt to in my life. I don’t want to be treated any differently, but everyone around me is acting like I’m a totally different person. Not to mention that I have some pretty big shoes to fill, considering that everyone in Galar adores you.”

Leon’s cheeks turned a light pink. “First of all, I’m flattered. Second of all, I totally get where you’re coming from.”

“How did you get through it?” she wondered, pleading for any sense of guidance.

“I get that what you’re going through is tough, but it is what it is. You have to get used to it. Put on a fake smile and deal with it.”

Gloria sat back in her chair, folded her arms, and mumbled, “That’s definitely not what I wanted to hear.”

“I know it’s not, but it’s what you have to do. While he spoke, Gloria watched Leon remove the hair tie that had been sitting on his wrist. He pulled his hair back into a low ponytail and wrapped the elastic around it twice. He then leaned forward freely without any of his hair falling in front of his face, resting his arms on his thighs. “I hope you take the time to really enjoy your life right now, Gloria. Take advantage of your current situation because it could all be gone from you in a second. There were so many times where I would find myself in the middle of a battle, and I wanted nothing more than to lose to my opponent. I could’ve withdrawn my Pokemon, turned around, walked away, and never looked back. I could’ve made a bad call on purpose knowing that it would cost me the entire match. But I never did.”

A sudden thought occurred to her that she wished she could repress, but she couldn’t keep herself from asking it. Extreme amounts of insecurity were beginning to consume her, and she had to know the truth. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Leon, did you...did you let me win?”

“What? No, not at all.” He responded without a beat of hesitation which made him sound more believable. “I know what that must’ve sounded like, but you earned your title, Gloria, through hard work and talent. Don’t doubt yourself. I’ll tell you a secret: part of me was relieved that I lost. Of course, another part of me was torn. Arceus knows I cried for days.”

The thought of Leon crying was one that made her uncomfortable. He seemed like the type to never cry in front of other people. He probably forced himself to hold his tears back until he was alone, and he could let all his emotions out freely.

“Yeah, Raihan told me about that,” Gloria admitted.

“He told me what happened between you two,” Leon explained. “I’m sorry he ruined your night, by the way. I know how exciting Melony’s parties can be. I hope you still had a good time.”

Gloria shook her head. “You don’t have to apologize for him. We worked things out. Also, how did I not know that you two were dating?”

“You didn’t know?” he exclaimed.

“No! I just found out last night!” she yelled.

“You wanna talk relationships? What about you and Marnie? When did that happen? I’m so happy for you two,” he grinned.

They laughed simultaneously from their sudden enthusiasm and excitement for one another’s relationship. Apparently Raihan had been spreading the news.

“Thanks,” she giggled. “It’s only been about a week.”

“I’m so glad that there’s always gonna be a gay Champion,” he sighed happily. “Makes me feel a lot better.”

“That’s exactly what Raihan said to me! Wow, it’s like you two are meant for each other,” she gushed. “Anyways, back to what I was saying, I’m kind of glad, actually, for what happened last night because otherwise I wouldn’t be here talking to you in your kitchen. After Raihan and I talked, it kind of put into perspective what was going on with you which is why I’m here. Damn it, I just realized I made this whole conversation about myself. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’m glad you told me what was going on. It’s a lot better than keeping it bottled up inside. I wish I’d had someone who I could confide in who understood what I was going through. Believe me, if anyone knows how hard and draining this job can be, it’s me. Don’t ever hesitate to contact me. You don’t need to hear about my problems. Is there anything else you want to talk about? We’ve got all day.”

“Yeah, well, no, but yeah,” she stuttered. She’d spoken too soon without having a definitive answer prepared. “Well, first off I want to say thank you. I know I’ve probably said it a thousand times, but without your endorsement and without Hop’s very persuasion, I wouldn’t have even entered the Gym Challenge.”

“Yeah, I’ve had a few people point out the irony to me. The girl who I sponsored ended up being the one to defeat me.” He forced a small laugh.

“Um, but, there’s something else on my mind too,” she continued. “I haven’t really talked about this with anyone. Not even Marnie. I don’t know why really. She’s been amazing and supportive through everything. But I guess, if you’re willing to listen and you experienced the same thing I did, hopefully that’ll make it easier to talk to you about this than anyone else.”

Leon didn’t respond, but he looked ready to give his full attention and listen. He might have also been slightly confused at what Gloria was trying to explain and she couldn’t blame him. Leon was going to let her guide the pace of this conversation and let her share as much information as she wanted to. Gloria let out a deep sigh, attempting to prepare herself adequately so she could share what had been weighing so heavy on her mind.

“I don’t know how to say this, but I keep having dreams about Eternatus, and Rose, and the Darkest Day, and everything else. I can’t shake the thought that he might try and do something else horrible or that someone will come along and attempt to accomplish what he couldn’t. I think I might be traumatized in some way? I’m not too sure.”

That was all she could say before tears started building up in her eyes, threatening to pour out. She thought she would be able to share more, and that she would have at least somewhat recovered from the events by now, but it was as sensitive a topic as ever.

She was waiting for Leon to respond, with something reassuring no doubt. Instead, she felt strong hands grasp her shoulders and pull her in close for a hug. Leon wrapped his long arms around her back, and Gloria did the same to Leon. She firmly planted her face on his shoulder. This was one of the only hugs in her lifetime that she desperately needed. They were in an awkward position, with the two of them sitting down and quite a bit of distance away from each other. Nonetheless, Gloria immensely appreciated the gesture. He tightly held on to her, not daring to let go until Gloria signaled that she was ready to do so. She held onto him for a few more moments so she could gather herself before pulling away.

“Thanks,” she sniffled. “I really needed that.”

“Yeah, it looked like it,” Leon agreed. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re not the only one. I think about Rose a lot too. But even with all that, you won against me despite all of the issues and baggage you were dealing with inside of you the whole time. That’s impressive to say the least. You’re only going to continue to grow from here on out and become better every single day. Not to mention, you’re Galar’s first female Champion! This region isn’t ready for the kinds of things you’re going to accomplish. And you know that you’re going to have a whole army of people ready to protect you if anyone gives you trouble.”

All Gloria could do was smile. She didn’t need to respond. Everything that Leon had said had been enough.

“I know I went off on a tangent there, but I hope that my little inspirational speech helped at least a little,” Leon smiled. “Do you still have anything you want to talk about? If you don’t want to that’s totally fine.”

“No, I do actually. Now that I’ve started sharing, it’s kind of hard to stop,” she remarked. “Did you ever feel like this? Just so...alone? I don’t know how to explain it. Everything feels so different. I really started feeling alone those days before the Finals match. The hotel room I was staying in was double the size of my own room in Postwick. The walls were so far apart. Everything felt so distant. It’s kind of similar to how I feel now. Everyone I know and love is around me, but I feel like I can’t reach any of them. Everyone is treating me differently. I know I shouldn’t complain too much. I always knew that this would be part of the job, but dealing with all of it on a daily basis is so exhausting. It makes it feel like nothing I do is genuine or authentic. Somehow, I’ve created this persona, the distinguished, royal Champion that represents all of Galar. I feel like I’m almost betraying the people who look up to me, the little girls who say that they want to be like me when they grow up. I feel so bad because the version of me that they’ve come to know is nothing like who I really am at all.”

Leon nodded along sympathetically as Gloria spoke as if he knew exactly what she was going to say before she said it.

“You’re going to be a great Champion. I know I’ve said that before, but I’ll say it as many times as I need to until it sticks in your head. You’ve only been doing this for what, a week? But you get it. You understand it. You’ve mastered the basics, faster than I would’ve expected. I know how exhausting it can be, but there’s nothing you can do about it. What you said about having a persona is exactly right. If you go back and watch some of my old interviews, you probably can’t tell which ones I absolutely hated doing. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to watch some of your own interviews, make sure you’re sitting properly, looking concentrated, smiling gently.”

Gloria placed her face in her hands and rubbed her eyes. Hearing Leon’s explanations were enough to make her feel exhausted. “And here I thought the hardest part of this job was going to be the Pokemon battles.”

Leon laughed genuinely. Something about Gloria’s comment had resonated deep within him, like it was the most relatable thing he’d heard in his life.

The more time that they spent in the kitchen, the warmer their surroundings got. Gloria didn’t realize how close it was getting to midday. The summer sun was shining relentlessly through the windows. Combining that with sitting closely to another person for an extended period of time definitely didn’t help to combat the heat.

“It’s getting kind of hot in here,” Gloria commented.

“Yeah, that’s typical. Do you want to go outside for a walk or something?” Leon offered.

“Maybe it’s better if we don’t. There’s a whole bunch of tourists mingling around Postwick, and something tells me they’re specifically looking for one of us,” she explained.

“What? Really? That’s crazy,” he said.

“Yeah, I hate to think of all the news outlets going wild if we were seen together in public,” she said.

“You’re probably right,” he agreed. “We could go upstairs. It’s usually cooler up there.”

“Sounds good to me,” she complied.

They stood up from their seats, and rearranged the chairs back into their original spots.

Leon began walking towards the stairs before Gloria asked, “Um, Leon, do you think I could get another hug?”

He chuckled, showing off a smile that was bright enough to compete with the beaming sunshine. “Of course. Come here.”

Receiving a proper hug from Leon was a feeling that couldn’t be described. He had perfected the craft as if it were an art. He knew exactly how to hold another person. Gloria felt elated, euphoric. She felt as if she could melt away in his arms. She easily rested her head on his firm chest since he was almost a foot taller than her. She would remember to always greet Leon with a hug from now on.

“You give the best hugs,” she complimented.

“Thanks,” he laughed.

The pair eventually made their way upstairs where they entered Leon’s room. Gloria had only seen it a few times, despite having been to his house more times than she could count. During a usual visit, she would usually spend time with Hop in his room. She was anticipating seeing Leon’s room for the first time in a long time.

When Gloria first entered, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Leon, who was the former Champion of the Galar region, a man in his early adulthood, had a collection of snapbacks on clear display in his room. They lined the shelves, decorated the walls, sat on top of boxes, and were scattered randomly all around. Gloria had seen Leon create his signature hat into a symbol that was commonly associated with him over the years, but she never would’ve imagined that he hoarded them as a hobby.

She wanted to ask Leon about it, but she didn’t even know where to begin. She had to bite back a few mean remarks she wanted to make. She had come to visit him to make him feel better, not to insult his extensive hat collection. She would just have to ignore them and pretend like it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

“Take a seat,” Leon offered, gesturing towards his bed. Thankfully, Gloria had her back turned towards the display so she could focus on the conversation with Leon.

“I know you said you don’t have anything to talk about, but I feel bad if I came all this way just to talk about myself,” Gloria admitted. “I know you might not want to talk to the person who you resent for taking your job, but if there’s anything you want to get off your chest, I’m all ears.”

Leon sighed, finally giving into Gloria’s pressures to share his feelings. Maybe when she had been so open with her own struggles, it inspired Leon to also be vulnerable in the same way. “There’s nothing that you haven’t already heard. I had a rough couple of days after the Championship Match, but I’m learning to live with it. It’s the same thing that I told you, you have to learn to deal with it. I don’t resent you, Gloria. You were a promising trainer from the start. I can’t be mad at you for winning the Championship Match on the first try when I did the same thing. That’s what made everything about it so special.”

“Well if anything, the fact that I was the second person to win the Finals match for the first time just makes my victory look even more lame. You’ll always be the record holder,” Gloria stated.

“Arceus, Gloria, you’re just too nice of a person. You’re so cheerful and likeable, which makes it so hard to be mad at you for destroying my career,” Leon commented.

“Destroy is a strong word.”

“I know.” Gloria could sense a shift in his tone of voice. “ For the first time in years, I don’t have a job. I don’t have a purpose. I have no clue where my life is going to go from here, and that’s scary. The only thing I can rely on is the League. I know you’ve probably heard that Oleana’s Chairman now, or Chairwoman I guess. She offered me her old job, working as her assistant, but I don’t know if I want to accept the offer.”

“Are you serious? That’s great! You should totally do it,” Gloria encouraged.

“I’ve given it a lot of thought, but I don’t know if I really want to. Part of me wants the old life I had, but part of me is relieved that I never have to deal with the life of a Champion anymore. Sorry, I know that’s not what you want to hear. Oleana’s an amazing lady, but working under her when she has total power and control would be so painful.”

“Yeah, tell me about it, I’ve already realized that. I get twenty thousand emails from her every day even though people say that she’s supposedly softer now after everything that happened with Rose. I was supposed to do a photoshoot today, but I cancelled, and I’m nervous about the lecture I’m going to get from her the next time I see her.”

“You what?” Leon asked, eyes popping out of his head in surprise. “Geez, you already have more balls than I did when I was Champ. Good for you, honestly.”

“Why don’t you want Oleana’s old job? I think you’d be really good at it. We could see each other almost every day,” Gloria offered.

“I don’t know. As appealing as it sounds, I just don’t think the assistant job is really for me. I’m really just looking for a fresh start. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I could do, what next steps I could take. Like I said, I think a lot about what happened with Rose, which then usually leads me to thinking a lot about Rose Tower and what’s going to happen to it. I’ve had some thoughts about changing it to something like a Battle Tower. They have them in other regions. It would be a facility where everyone could come and battle and feel the rush and excitement of being a Pokemon Trainer. They could even rent teams of Pokemon if they don’t have their own. I don’t know. It doesn’t sound very realistic, but it would be a pretty cool project to work on.”

Gloria was smiling from ear to ear. She looked him in the eyes, the same way he did to her. “Lee, that sounds amazing. It doesn’t sound impossible at all. You could totally do it. You haven’t changed, you still have a purpose. You still have your goal. It was always to make the Trainers of Galar the strongest in the world. You don’t have to be Champion to do that.”

“How did you know that?” Leon asked suspiciously.

“Oh, you only mention it every chance you get, like the last time me, you, and Hop were at Wedgehurst Station and then again before the Semi Finals. It’s on the back of your Rare League Card, and it’s also just plainly obvious based on everything you just said.”

“Well, when you put it like that,” Leon chuckled. “Yeah I think you’re right. I think I just needed to hear someone else say it. You know, Gloria, you’re pretty smart.”

“Yeah, I hear that a lot,” she admitted. She could feel the heat and tints of pink rising to her cheeks.

Thankfully, Leon wouldn’t see it since their silence was broken up by the ringing of Leon’s Rotom Phone. He grabbed it from where it was sitting beside him and answered the call.

“Hello?...Yeah, everything’s fine...Okay...Sure, see you soon...Okay...Bye...Love you.” He hung up. “My mom’s gonna be home soon.”

“Oh, okay. Perfect timing, I guess. Unless there’s anything you still want to talk about?” Gloria offered.

“No, I think I’m good. Thanks, Gloria. This was really nice. I feel a lot better. I’m glad you came over,” he smiled.

“Me too,” she responded.

Gloria stood up and stretched. Leon offered to walk her to the door in true Champion fashion. The two of them made their way back downstairs and were now standing at the doorway of the house.

“I said this before, but don’t hesitate to contact me if you need anything. I really mean it,” Leon said.

“Yeah, you too. Champions gotta stick together,” Gloria teased.

“Yeah, we do,” he agreed.

“You’ll always be a Champion to me,” she said. It sounded cliche, but she really meant it. She felt the need to tell him. She wanted him to know that his life still had purpose.

“Thanks,” he smiled.

He extended his arms for one final hug, and Gloria revelled in it.

“Goodbye, Leon,” she said with her face firmly pressed against Leon’s chest. It sounded like she was saying a final goodbye, but she knew that wasn’t true. She felt upset that she had to leave so soon. She wanted to spend more time with Leon, getting to know him better and fostering a strong relationship with him. Their makeshift therapy session had proved to be useful in more ways than one with both of them walking away from it feeling different for the better.

“I’ll see you soon,” he encouraged.

When Gloria was ready, she pulled away. Leon opened the door for her and she exited the house. For the first time since winning the Champion Cup, she felt satisfied with herself. Being able to successfully and directly tackle her problems was one of the biggest achievements she’d made in her life. It was right up there with becoming Champion.

She began walking away until she heard the sound of the door closing and locking behind her. She stopped one last time to look at the house, knowing that she wasn’t alone, not by a long shot.