#.... could i get away with making said raboot the second in command | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

misskikuwrites · 5 years ago

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What the Future Holds

BederiaWeek 2020

Day 6: Future

Bede/Gloria (dressedinpinkshipping)

@bede-x-gloria

The first time they met, Bede couldn't have cared less about the perky girl with the annoying smile who grinned and stepped up to him. A bright glimmer in her eyes, she stuck out her hand towards him.

"Hey, I'm Gloria! You're a challenger too, right?"

Her voice was energetic, too loud and cheerful and downright annoying. He levelled a hard glare, turning his nose up at her and her vibrant pink dress.

"I was endorsed by the Chairman himself," Bede scoffed, taking in her worn out trainers, the scruffy edges of her old brown bag. "In other words, among those elite enough to get an endorsement, I'm the most elite of all."

Her hand dropped to her side, blinking owlishly at him in her stupor. She stared as if her mind was as blank as a slate, as dull and uninspiring as her eyes.

A waste of time and effort.

"So, why don't you clear off and not try talking to me again, would you? It's positively criminal of you, wasting the time of someone as important as I am."

The impish girl recoiled slightly. She paled, frowned, and stalked away. Bede scoffed as she shuffled out of sight.

He doubted she would last long, someone as loud and excitable as she, someone innocent and naive enough to approach strangers for conversation. She wouldn't make it far. The Challenger's Cup would crush her.

Only someone as strong, as elite, as he was, would be able to rise to the top. People like her? They were as common as Rattata. Useless creatures meant as fodder for those destined to stand above.

And Bede was going to stand at the top.

Bede stepped out of the elevator at his floor in the Budew Drop Inn later that evening. He glanced at the sign on the wall to check which direction his room was in, and turned to walk down the hall when he saw her.

That girl again. The bright pink of her dress was a vibrant stain in his vision, he could hear her excited squeals from here. She was talking to someone, still not having noticed him. Bede scowled, fighting down the urge to slap a hand over her mouth as she and her friend yabbered away in the hall. He swallowed the venom burning in his throat and stormed past her.

"Hey!"

An irritating chirp in his ear. Bede forced himself past, cutting down the hall as her voice echoed again.

"Hey…!"

He was almost at his room. A few steps away and he would be in glorious peace and quiet and-

A hand caught his shoulder, yanking him around to face her. Wide brown eyes staring at him in frustration, hair styled into a short bob of a similar colour. Her hand tightened firmly on his shoulder.

"I was talking to you!" she said.

Bede swatted her hand away, taking a deliberate step back. "And I was ignoring you. Didn't you hear what I said earlier, or are you unable to understand anything other than simple words? Leave. Me. Alone."

Something flashed in her eyes. "What is your problem? I was just trying to be friendly!"

"I'm not here to be friendly. I'm here to win and don't have time to waste on weak-minded fools like you."

She recoiled with a sharp gasp.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I was heading to my room."

Bede unlocked the door with a deft swipe of his keycard, slipping inside just as she recovered enough cognitive functions to spit something back at him. It was swallowed by silence as Bede slammed his door shut.

Irritation burned in his veins. He wasn't here to muck around like a frolicking, foolish child. He was so far above people like her, people who gawked and gushed about the interior of an inn as if they had nothing better to do.

He almost wished she would last long enough to face him. He would certainly enjoy putting her firmly back into her place.

A half-dozen wishing stars already in his pocket, Bede stared the girl down as she approached him at the exit to the Galar Mine. Her eyes widened fractionally in recognition and she slowed.

"Coming this way? I'd advise against it," Bede warned. He tossed a Pokeball casually in one hand, the other deep in his pocket. A smug smile rose on his face as he sneered at her. "Any Trainer with a Wishing Star is in for a beating from me and my Pokemon!"

She stopped for a moment. Met his smirk with a defiant spark in her eyes. She strode forward, a forced confidence to her steps, and faced him down.

Bede studied her for a brief, infinitesimal moment, barely long enough to care at all. Perhaps she wasn't as timid as she'd first appeared, but no matter. He'd be done with her soon enough.

"You." Bede tilted his head, staring down his nose at her.

"It's Gloria," she said. She studied him in return, wary and guarded.

Not completely naive, then.

"I don't recall asking, or caring, about your name." Bede scoffed. "What a joke," he muttered.

"Excuse me?" her eyes narrowed.

Bede's belittling smirk grew. She was extremely reactive to his comment. "You're the Gym Challenger endorsed by the Champion, aren't you?"

"And what if I am?"

He breathed a harsh beat of laughter. "It's a complete wonder what he saw in you, to endorse a scruffy, uncivilized child like you. It's a complete farce. But no matter. The Chairman is infinitely more important than the Champion. I was chosen by the Chairman himself, which makes me more amazing than you!"

"I've yet to see any indication of that," she said, hardening her jaw. "All I've seen so far is a brat who's all talk and no substance."

Bede's grip on his Pokeball stiffened. "I suppose I should prove beyond doubt just how pathetic you are and how strong I am, then."

His challenge was obvious. She brought out a Pokeball of her own. "Fine by me. Fyrian, go!"

She threw her Pokeball with surprising grace, a Raboot emerging after a flash of white light. Bede tossed the Pokeball in his hand, sending his Solosis out, the Psychic Pokemon swaying in the air as if dangling from a string in the breeze. Her Rotom Phone hovered before her, identifying his Pokemon quickly.

"Solosis, use Confusion!" Bede commanded, not wasting a second for Gloria to collect herself, to look up from her Rotom Phone.

"Hey!"

The blast of Psychic energy flung Raboot across the cavern floor. A cloud of dust and dirt rose in the air. Bede smirked at her as the dust settled, stiffening at the expression on her face as she stared - no, glared - right at him. Fire blazed in her eyes, those dark brown eyes of hers blazing and burning alight with vehement fury. A fire so violent in her eyes that the hairs on Bede's neck stood up. A tingle of panic, a second of doubt, ran down his spine.

"Raboot, Flame Charge!"

Raboot launched across the cavern, coated in a thick, licking blanket of fire. On powerful legs, with powerful strides, Raboot kicked off the ground and slammed into Solosis with a ripple of fire and smoke. The cell Pokemon flung into the wall, rolling over and over in the air as it struggled to stay afloat.

"Quick attack!" Gloria called and Raboot dashed around the cave, a blur of movement and dust in the dim light.

Bede stiffened, breath catching. She wasn't half bad. "Endeavour!"

Solosis shook itself back into focus but was too slow to strike before Raboot crashed into it again. Solosis sank to the ground with a pitiful cry. It dissolved into a trail of light as Bede recalled his fainted Pokemon.

He tsked, clicking his tongue with a sneer. "I'm just giving your Pokemon a little chance to shine, that's all." He sent out Gothita, steeling himself for a proper battle. He may as well put a bit of effort into thrashing her. Her glare hadn't eased a fraction. Raboot dashed back to her, bouncing on it's feet.

"Gothita, Psybeam!"

Gothita levelled a ray of swirling energy at Raboot. Raboot tried to dodge, leaping into the air acrobatically over the beam and dashing forward at Gloria's command. Gothita whirled on its tiny feet, shooting another Psybeam at Raboot as he rushed forward. The beam caught Raboot, making the Fire rabbit freeze in place under the onslaught of psychic energy. Raboot braced itself, flinching and dropping to its knees as the rays encircled it, swirling and swirling until Raboot fell back and collapsed.

"No!" Gloria gasped, recalling her fallen Pokemon. She whispered something to the Pokeball that Bede couldn't catch. She took a deep breath, her eyes closing for a moment. When her eyes opened, they landed back on Bede as determined, as hard-set as before.

"Go, Yuki!" she called, sending out a trembling Snorunt. "Ice Shard!"

"Psybeam, again!"

Crystals of ice materialised in front of Snorunt, streaking across the cavern like frozen knives. The ice shattered as the shards smacked into Gothita, the Psychic Pokemon flinching beneath the rain of ice. It cowered as the shards flew again.

"Now, use Astonish!"

"Gothita!"

It was too late for Gothita to react as Snorunt slammed into it with a chilling cry. Gothita flew back, collapsing onto the ground. Still and unmoving.

Bede returned Gothita with a huff. An insult, a biting remark, burning in his throat at the Pokeball in his hand. He swallowed it and sent out his final Pokemon. Perhaps it was time he got serious about this fight.

Hatenna appeared from the flash of light, chittering as it readied itself to fight.

"Confusion!" Bede commanded.

Hatenna angled the protrusion on its head at Snorunt, the air around it rippling with telekinetic energy.

"Yuki, Ice Shard!" Gloria called, but the growing crystals of ice shattered in the air as Snorunt was hit with the Psychic attack. Snorunt recoiled as if an invisible force smacked into it. She trembled and fumbled on tiny feet, turning around and around as if suddenly blind.

"Yuki, use Astonish!"

Snorunt whirled on her feet, running with a burst of speed, and slammed into the mine wall. Gloria gasped in shock. The shivering Snorunt stumbled backwards, body lolling this way and that in a dizzying motion.

"Yuki!" Gloria cried. "It's okay, calm down!"

The confused Ice Pokemon swayed unsteadily on her feet with a pitiful cry.

An easy target.

"Confusion, again!" Bede ordered.

Hatenna levelled another round of telekinetic energy on Snorunt, blasting the timid Pokemon off its feet.

"Yuki, please, get up!" Gloria called anxiously, lifting her leg a half-step forward as if desperate to help, to run across an active battlefield to her stumbling Pokemon.

Snorunt managed to stand, teetering off-balance on its feet, unable to locate the opposing Pokemon as its vision swam.

"Ice Shard!" Gloria cried.

"Confusion!"

Hatenna readied another Psychic blast as Snorunt conjured a dozen ice crystals in the air. The burst of telekinetic energy knocked Snorunt around, and sent the sharp blades of ice flying across the mine.

And straight towards Gloria.

Her shriek split the silence in two. Shards of ice sprayed into her. Ice shattered against the wall around her, beside her. She fell to her knees with a fractured cry. A jolt of white hot panic surged through Bede, his heart slamming to a halt in his chest.

That wasn't supposed to happen.

A beam of light shot out from Gloria, enveloping Snorunt and making the dizzy Pokemon disappear.

"R-Return," she called, a Pokeball in her quivering hands. A splotch of red bloomed on her upper arm. She stood, fragments of ice falling from her dress, her arms, her hair. She drew out another Pokeball and tossed it.

Corvisquire shot out of the ball with powerful beats of its wings.

Gloria's glare returned.

"It was not my intention to cause that," Bede said quickly. "It was impossible to know how Snorunt would react - you can't blame me for that."

Gloria wiped the few remaining fragments of ice from her dress. "Pecko, use Fury Attack!"

"Confusion!" Bede barked.

Corvisquire shot through the air at Hatenna, claws elongated, sharp tips curled and glinting. Hatenna cried as the razor sharp claws sliced. It was a fury of swiping claws and a snapping beak. A flutter of wings as Corvisquire hovered in the air above Hatenna and continued the assault. A final slice from Corvisquire's powerful claws, and Hatenna fumbled backwards and fainted.

Bede stared, aghast. He recalled Hatenna, a rush of frustration, of vitriol, burning through him. His hands trembled into tight fists. He cut his gaze away.

"I see…" His throat constricted painfully. "Well, that's fine. I wasn't really trying all that hard anyway." Bede huffed, raising his eyes to look at her. She hung her head, thick bangs falling over her eyes, recalling her Corvisquire without a word.

"Well, that was unexpected," Bede continued. He thought he saw her twitch slightly. "I suppose you're more able than I thought. Naturally, I'll remember your battle style and strategies now. I'm sure to easily defeat you if and when we face each other in an official match."

She didn't move. Didn't react to his words like she had before.

"Now that we've established that, I won't waste any more time on you-"

She strode past him. A pool of dark red stained her upper arm, striking against the pink of her dress. The world slowed for a fraction of a second, the moment she stormed past him ingraining in his mind. The glimmer of tears in her eyes. The pain etched on her brow, the blood soaking into her sleeve. A flash of fury as their eyes met.

And she was gone, leaving Bede in silence, a cold shiver dancing down his spine.

He should have known to expect to run into her sooner or later, but he stiffened involuntarily when he saw her in the second Galar Mine. The cool blues and violets of the rocks around them coloured the world strangely, making her pink dress a deep purple instead. Crystals illuminated the cavern, reflecting and sparkling in her eyes as they landed on him.

"You again…" Bede huffed.

Her eyes remained firmly on him, something unrecognisable swirling behind them. Not resentment, not anger or frustration. Nothing he expected to see given the way their last encounter went. It was something… deeper. Thoughtful. It made Bede stiffen and draw his walls up tight.

He levelled a disinterested, flat look at her. "I'd feel sorry for my Pokemon if I made them take part in a battle against low-level opponents, and I'm not in the mood to deal with weaklings right now."

"That's good, considering there are no weaklings around right now," she countered. Her expression remained impassive. Staring straight at him.

Bede cocked an amused eyebrow at her. "Then again, I suppose it's a form of mercy to crush weak opponents early on."

An answer to his challenge flickered alight in her dark eyes. There it was again. That blaze, that burning fire in her eyes. There was something about it that sparked a strange flood of emotions in him. A firm tug in his chest.

"We'll see about that," she replied. A Pokeball enlarged in her hand.

A smug grin formed on Bede's face. "It's utterly inconceivable that I, the Challenge chosen by the Chairman, will lose!"

"Go, Fyrian!" Gloria cried, sending out Raboot. The feisty rabbit hopped on either foot, left, right, left, right. Never staying still.

Bede kept his grin in check lest he give anything away and sent out his Gothita. Gloria's focus honed in on the battle.

"Fyrian, use Quick Attack!"

Raboot sprinted across the dark quartz beneath their feet, zipping like a bullet headed straight for Gothita.

Bede's grin twitched. "Rock Tomb!"

"Fyrian!" Gloria cried, but Raboot had too much speed, too much momentum, to stop. Gothita launched heavy boulders at the rushing Raboot with a telekinetic force. The rocks slammed onto Raboot, swallowing him with a cloud of dark dirt, a sharp cry muffled beneath the boulders.

"Return!"

A beam of light shot at the crush of boulders, Gloria recalling Raboot instantly. The blazing intensity in her eyes surged. She threw out her next Pokemon with a sharp glare.

"Go, Lazuli!"

Bede scoffed at the ridiculous nickname before paling at the Gyarados that towered over him and his Pokemon.

Arceus.

"Rock Tomb!" Bede cried.

Gothita launched boulders across the cavern, but Gyarados ducked beneath them, shifting and lunging across the rocky ground with ease.

"Use bite!" Gloria called, and Gyarados made quick work of his Gothita.

Solosis fell quickly too.

Bede grit his teeth, clenching his jaw tight. "Hmph, looks like you've grown a bit," he huffed. "Only a little bit, thought!" He sent out his Ponyta next, absently checking the golden watch hanging loosely on his wrist.

Her gasp caught him by surprise. The competitive blaze in her eyes was gone, swallowed by a bright glimmer as she smiled in awe at his Ponyta.

Bede took his chance. "Use Fairy Wind!"

Gloria snapped out of her ridiculous stupor as a gust of glittering air shot towards Gyarados. "Bite, again!"

Her oversized Gyarados flung Ponyta through the air with a snap of powerful jaws. Another Pokemon down. A jolt of adrenaline burst through Bede's veins, roaring in his ears, as he recalled his fallen Pokemon.

"Excellent!" The surge of energy brought a stubborn, determined smile to his face. His heart skittered lightly in his chest, a strange flutter in his lungs. "Not everyone can corner my team like this!"

He surprised himself, and her, with that praise. He'd never felt like this before in a battle. Cornered yet exhilarated. Breathless and almost dizzy at the challenge before him.

A smile bloomed on her face. Warm and determined, enjoyment flashing in her eyes. It was a grin, but there was nothing smug about it.

It was warm like the sun.

Bede couldn't shake that smile from his mind, even after she'd defeated his final Pokemon. She recalled her Gyarados, stepping up to him with that same, giddy smile. She held out her hand to him.

"That was a good match - wasn't expecting a Rock Tomb from Gothita!"

Bede stiffened, staring at her hand if she were offering him poison, before meeting her eyes with a flat, unimpressed stare.

"You showed at least a little effort, so I decided I should let you win," he barked.

"Excuse me?"

"You're not weak - you just lack talent," he huffed. "Your chances of completing the Gym Challenge are pretty slim, I must say." Before she could react, he shoved his League Card into her waiting hand. "Here, I'll give you this. Something to show you at least tried." With a smug breath of laughter, Bede turned on his heels to stalk away.

"What the heck is your problem?"

Her bark made him turn, glancing back at her to see something dark glint in her eyes. Dark and sharp, levelled at him like the cold steel of a blade.

"My problem is that I don't have time to waste on people like you," he said flippantly. "I plan on winning the Gym Challenge, and I'm not going to let anyone - especially a backwater nobody like you - get in my way."

"You are so…!" she muttered something incoherent under her breath. "Why are you so rude?!"

"And you are so dull and uninspiring. Exactly as to be expected from the Challenger endorsed by the Champion, I suppose."

"Well, this dull and uninspiring Challenger just whooped your ass!"

His stare hardened. "No matter. I'll be sure to defeat you soon enough; if the Gym Challenger doesn't deal with you first."

Bede whirled on his feet and stormed away. A strange anger burned in his blood. He wasn't used to people - let alone her - biting back. His untoward compliment has shocked him, sent a burst of irritation through the deep marrow of his bones. All that remained was venom on his tongue.

He wouldn't lose to her again.

It was her again. She always seemed to be one step behind him. She grinned eagerly like a complete idiot beside her friend as they headed into the Wild Area from Motostoke.

A torrent of burning vitriol surged in his stomach. Hop, the loud, annoyingly energetic guy beside her, shouted excitedly to the sky.

Hop turned to Gloria, a wide grin on his face. "I'll be catching myself some amazing Pokemon to fill the next page in the tale of my legend!"

Bede scoffed, making the unsightly pair turn to face him. "Don't waste your efforts. It's not like either of you would ever make it through the Gym Challenge, anyway."

Gloria's smile fell, her expression becoming unreadable.

"The Champion really must have been off his rocker to endorse the likes of you," Bede continued, a smirk rising on his face. "I mean, it seems like Hop here can't even throw a Pokeball properly."

Hop folded his arms, his smile defiant and glaring. "Rubbish. More like you don't know enough to recognise greatness when you see it."

Bede rolled his eyes.

That didn't deter Hop. "My throws are the greatest, and my bro is the finest Champion the world has ever seen! I'm not gonna listen to you insulting him!"

"How tiresome…" Bede sighed, running a hand through his curly locks. "Fine, I'll battle you over there. Maybe that will help you understand just how weak you are."

"You're on, then!" Hop grinned. "I know you challenged Gloria to battle in Galar Mine No. 2 and lost to her there - and I'm her greatest rival. In other words… there's no way you're beating me."

Bede spared a glance at Gloria, who watched in silence as she nibbled on her bottom lip. She met his eyes for a brief moment, something unsettled lingering on her gaze before she looked away.

"All this prattle about Gloria and the Champion and whatnot…" Bede levelled his stare at Hop, pushing Gloria from his mind. "Do you not have anything of your own to show?"

Everywhere this brat went, it was Champion this, my brother that, mixed with praises about Gloria and their rivalry. Something deep inside Bede stirred, boiling over with frustration. He turned and walked away to where he'd indicated they'd battle, ignoring the reassurance Hop gave to Gloria that he wouldn't lose.

Bede made sure of the opposite.

Bede reached the entrance to Hammerlocke soon after Gloria arrived. She was showing the League Staff her Gym Badges, and looked surprised to see him. Her eyes widened fractionally before she glanced into the Wild Area behind them.

Bede's stomach churned, knotting tightly in his gut. She was searching for that weakling.

"Oh, it's you," Bede said, disinterested. "I doubt Hop will be coming."

She looked back at him. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?"

"It's only natural." Bede brushed a hand through his hair, a coy tilt to his lips. "After such a humiliating defeat, there's no way he could look the Champion in the eye. I'm sure he'll withdraw from the challenge."

Her eyes widened, a flash of panic shifting behind them.

"Just let him be. There's no place for people like him among the elite."

"I'm going after him," Gloria said. She sent a hard glare towards Bede. "That's what friends do - thought I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that."

Bede blanched, mouth dropping open to bark back at her, but she ran into the Wild Area before the words would form.

"What are you doing?!"

Gloria's voice rang in his ears. Bede turned from the Stow-on-Side mural to face her, a ginger-haired woman beside her.

"Oh my. You again…"

The burning glare she directed on him made him smile smugly.

"What did you say to Hop?" she asked, taking a step towards him.

Bede's interest fell. "Only the truth. Someone like him is just dragging the Champion's name in the mud."

"How dare you!"

A trickle of searing heat burned down Bede's throat as he returned her glare. "What, you believe that you're better than me? Have you come here to collect Wishing Stars and get in the Chairman's favor?"

Her glare sharpened, twisting a knife deep in Bede's gut.

"That's the way of things, is it?" Bede hardened his jaw. "I see. So, you do have some cunning in you."

"I don't care about some stupid Wishing Stars. I'm going to make you pay for what you said to Hop!" She snatched a Pokeball from her pocket, a twisted snarl on her face. Glare as sharp as a blade, burning fiercely like a wildfire. "You think you're so much better than Hop, yet all I hear from you is how amazing you are because you're endorsed by the Chairman. You're nothing more than a smart-mouthed hypocrite!"

"Oh, I'll show you just how capable I am. I'm not about to let anyone stand in my way!"

A newfound intensity scorched in her eyes. Bede steeled himself, determined not to lose. He wasn't about to let someone like her take his place.

"Go, Lazuli!"

Gyarados roared, flashing pointed teeth in an intimidating snarl.

Typical. Aiming for a type advantage with Bite. Bede sent out his Duosion, her predictability dull and disappointing. As if the world had turned monochrome. Boring and lifeless.

He expected more, expected better, from her.

Bede's lungs emptied with a flat sigh. "Duosion, use Reflect!"

A shimmering barrier of light split the battle in two. Gyarados lunged, smashing cleanly through the barrier with a snap of it's large jaws. Duosion struggled as Gyarados shook the Psychic Pokemon like a Growlithe with a chew toy. Rippling waves of psychic energy encircled Gyarados with pulsating light. Jaws snapped open, Duosion spilling out like a discarded toy, as Gyarados writhed in pain. The light faded. Gyarados growled and lunged again.

Bright bullets of energy shot towards Gyarados. A horizontal hailstorm of telekinetic energy streaming through the air, raining into Gyarados like a dozen tiny arrows. The mighty water beast barely flinched. A final snapping of jaws and Duosion was finished.

Bede's gaze remained distant and uninterested. "Hmph. I've already seen more than enough to judge you and your team's abilities."

Repetitive. Uninspiring. Boring and predictable.

Bede sent Gothorita out next, his Pokemon twirling dexterously on its toes. He had to do better than this. He had to be better than this.

"Rock Tomb!"

Gothorita launched a volley of boulders towards Gyarados. Too many, too quickly, the water beast couldn't maneuver out of the way fast enough. The heavy boulders slammed into Gyarados' side, knocking him to the ground. They pinned the sizeable Pokemon in place. Unable to move, Gyarados launched a torrent of water at Gothorita. The stream of water was easily dodged, a simple twirl from Gothorita clearing the Pokemon from the path of the boiling water.

Before Gyarados could shoot another stream of scalding water, Gothorita channeled spiralling rays of psychic energy towards him.

"No!" Gloria cried as Gyarados fainted. She clenched her jaw tight, returning her Pokemon. Unbidden fury burned hotly in her eyes. Bright and deadly like the sun, Bede was unable to look away. The heat of vengeance stole his breath away. Despite the scorching burn of her glare, a cold shiver ran down his spine. Unease settled in his gut.

All he'd said was the truth.

Why did it upset her so much?

"Fyrian, it's your turn!" Gloria called, sending out her newly evolved Cinderace. "Pyro Ball!"

Cinderace kicked up a rock, bouncing it off his knee, his foot, before it was enveloped in fire and launched towards Gothorita with blazing, burning speed. Too fast for Gothorita to dance away from. The blazing rock slammed straight into Gothorita. The impact sent the smaller Pokemon flying, skidding across the ground with a faint whimper before falling still.

Bede's brow twitched as he recalled Gothorita. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

He was supposed to be the one to stand above. Not her.

"Go, Ponyta!" Bede threw his Pokeball out, Ponyta rearing on its hind legs with a short cry. "Psybeam!"

"Again!" Gloria called. Cinderace leapt from the path of Psybeam, kicking up another burning stone. It smacked into Ponyta, scorching the Fairy Pokemon's cotton-candy coloured hair. Ponyta whimpered, staggering weakly on it's legs as it tried to shake off the impact.

"Again!"

A streak of fire, a flash of heat and light, and Ponyta fainted.

Vitriol burned Bede's throat. He had to win this. He wasn't going to give up that easily.

He wouldn't.

"Go, Hattrem!" Bede sharpened his glare, stole quick breath. "I have to win this for the Chairman! Do you really think I'd let you keep me from everything I want?" The words sliced his throat, raw and furious. Sharp and painful. As tight as the hard set of his jaw. Each breath came faster, harder. Sharper.

No mercy in her eyes.

"Pyro Ball!"

"Psybeam!"

The rings of light caught the first Pyro Ball, suspending the flaming rock in mid air. Cinderace quickly launched a second. This one hit its mark. Hattrem stumbled, Psybeam fading, and Cinderace dashed forward, cloaked in a blanket of fire and fury. There was no time, no room, to dodge. Cinderace slammed into Hattrem and it was over.

Air stole from Bede's lungs as if he'd been struck in his chest. Winded with shock, a surge of disbelief and horror rising in his throat. His hands trembled into tight, tight fists.

"There has to be some mistake." His vision swam. Heart thundering, roaring, in his ears. "I demand a do-over!"

"You lost," Gloria said coldly. Point blank.

Bede returned Hattrem and turned away. His throat constricted painfully. A coil around his throat tightening. Crushing.

Why?

How? How could someone like her get in his way?

Thoughts swirled in his mind, dizzying, disorientating, and he couldn't find his footing. The world became dark.

He was supposed to win.

He was the one chosen by the Chairman.

The one meant to defeat the Champion. The one meant to shoulder the future of the Galar region.

Elite.

Powerful.

And yet…

It was all taken away in a single moment. A few, harsh words. A cutting betrayal as Chairman Rose shook his head and uttered that phrase.

"You are clearly not a worthy Challenger for the Gym Challenge."

The ground swallowed him. He was frozen, unmoving, dragged along by rough arms as those words repeated over and over in his ears.

Disappointed. Unworthy.

"You don't have to do that!"

Her voice sounded above the chaos in his mind.

"Please, reconsider! He doesn't deserve that!"

Bile burned his throat with poisonous shame. His blood scorched at the pity in her voice.

Pity.

He truly was pitiful.

"Bede…?"

He turned at the sound of her voice, despising the look in her eyes. Concern latching onto him like a vice, she studied his face. Bede narrowed his gaze.

She was a thorn in his side. Digging deeper, deeper and deeper still every time they met. Like a splinter he could never remove, sliding further beneath his skin at every attempt to dig it out. She had pierced his heart with an icy blade. Frost bled through his veins, freezing his heart, his lungs, despite standing in the open centre of Hammerlocke.

Bede shoved a hand deep into his pocket to hide his tight, white-knuckled fist. "Come to gawk at me now that I've had my Challenge Band taken away and my Gym Challenger status revoked?" he spat, voice dripping venom. "Can you really afford to waste time like this?"

She didn't look away. A flicker of pain appeared in her eyes for a moment, a fragile beat, before fading.

"That… wasn't my intention at all."

She sounded so soft, so calm. Gentle beneath his fury. Shielded from his poison, unaffected by his cutting glare. She stood tall despite his insults. Unflinching. Something lay deep in her eyes, something that wasn't pity, as he'd first suspected.

Something warm and kind.

Bede didn't get to search for what it was when the Fairy Gym leader accosted him, and he left to follow her before he could investigate what it was about the look in Gloria's eyes that affected him so much.

Bede couldn't stop himself when he saw that Gloria was in the finals. Couldn't stop himself from rushing out of Ballonlea's Gym, from hailing the next sky taxi to land and flying to Wyndon.

He didn't know what he was doing. Why he was doing this, why he cared so much about seeing her in the finals like that but he couldn't just do nothing.

He wouldn't let it end like this. Not without a fight, not without finally telling her exactly what he felt.

His Fairy Gym Uniform aided in his mission, the League Staff barely paying him any attention until he vaulted the barrier leading to the stadium and a flurry of protests called after him. But he was too close to stop then. He ducked beneath grabbing arms, dodged around the staff and onto the field.

There she was. Dark brown hair, slightly longer now, swayed lightly above her shoulders. Those deep brown eyes widened as they met his. Surprise and wonder and… something else in her expression. She took in his appearance, Fairy Gym Uniform and all, and Bede felt cornered by her gaze. Frozen under the glaring lights of the stadium, by the shocked murmur of the crowd rumbling around them.

His breath shook as he inhaled sharply. This was it. He wasn't going to back down now.

He turned his focus to the crowd. "A moment, if I may," Bede began and the hum of noise silenced immediately, a wave of quiet washing over the stadium. His heart pounded deafeningly in his ears. "Does anyone here remember me? I am Bede, the Challenger who was forced to withdraw from the Gym Challenge."

Absently, regretfully, Bede wondered if the Chairman was watching.

His heart clenched painfully.

Bede faced Gloria. "I have a score to settle with Challenger Gloria here."

She watched him, waiting in silence. A cautious curiosity bloomed in her eyes as she listened.

"I'm aware that this is against the rules, but I must ask nonetheless…" He steeled his gaze, steeled his heart. It was now or never. "Let me battle her! I'll stake my career as a Challenger on this battle. If I lose, I'll retire from being a Trainer."

The commentator spoke over the murmurings of the crowd, but it was a buzz of noise to Bede, an incoherent jumble of sounds as he focused on the woman before him.

Shock swallowed her eyes as they widened further.

"Bede…?"

No, it wasn't pity in her eyes. It was concern. A flash of hurt, a spark of worry. Of fear.

Bede's expression twisted as a torrent of emotions burst through his chest, his lungs, his heart. "I know this is ridiculous of me, but I had to say something… do something!"

His hands trembled, clenching tight into fists as they quivered at his sides.

"Ever since you showed up, everything I've done has gone wrong!" Fire burned his throat, the words spilling out, tumbling out, like an overfilled dam finally breaking. An onslaught of emotions and words and honesty Bede couldn't stop.

"It was Oleana who asked me to gather Wishing Stars for the Chairman, but then the Chairman himself disowned me… and then that strange old lady comes out of nowhere and drags me into a boot camp on Fairy Type Pokemon!"

He couldn't stop, didn't want to stop himself, to stop the rush of words he never thought he'd say. Not to her, not to anyone. They spilled out like a desperate sigh, a deep exhalation as if he'd been holding his breath for years.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through?! Covered in pink, dealing with quizzes and battles with Fairy Type Pokemon every day!"

It ached. His heart ached.

"And here I am, pouring my heart out to you… when I've never lost my cool before!"

Her lips parted in a silent gasp that Bede swore he heard, or felt, from where he stood.

The commentator's voice rang loud over the pitch. "We've reached a decision, ladies and gentlemen! The Champion himself has accepted Bede's sudden interruption!"

A ripple of noise spread across the crowd. Excitement, surprise, a roar of emotions blending together in a wave of cheers and cries.

Bede found his breath, steadied his racing heart, and focused.

It was now or never.

He met Gloria's eyes with a blaze of determination shimmering in his gaze. "My will hasn't been broken yet!"

And she smiled. Brighter than he'd ever seen, an ecstatic fire burning bright and warm as she met his determination with her own.

Something swelled in his heart. He pushed it aside, drew out his Pokeball, and focused.

"Fyrian, you're up!" Gloria sent out her trusted Cinderace, who bounded energetically across the pitch with long, powerful strides.

"Go, Mawile!" Bede's new Fairy Pokemon snarled and snapped it's large jaws when it emerged from the burst of light. "We've faced too much to quit now! We've got no choice but to win!" His cry emboldened Mawile, who braced for the fight.

"Pyro Ball!" Gloria called.

Cinderace kicked up a blazing rock like it was a regular soccer ball, skillfully toying with the fireball before launching it across the pitch. Mawile braced, its jaw flashing silver, and was enveloped in a burst of fire. Gloria pumped her fists in celebration as the cloud of smoke and flames began to fade. Cinderace chimed in agreement, tilting its head back pridefully, before Mawile shot out of the settling ash. Steel flashed, Mawile's heavy jaw coated in metal, and slammed straight into Cinderace.

Cinderace staggered and Mawile leapt forward with a volley of powerful, quick blows.

"Blaze Kick!" Gloria cried quickly, and Cinderace swiped it's leg forward, catching Mawile with a burst of flames. Mawile flew across the pitch, skidding across the grass before falling limp and silent.

Mawile returned to Bede with a stream of light. Gloria met his eyes with a rush of adrenaline, a spark of enjoyment, jolting between them.

Bede forced back his smile and sent out Gardevoir.

"Blaze kick, again!" Gloria commanded.

Cinderace bolted towards Gardevoir, flames licking and rising over its feet. With a graceful turn, a pirouette on pointed feet, Gardevoir danced out of the way and raised a hand at Cinderace's back. The air rippled. A brief flash of light swallowed Cinderace, the force throwing him forward as if he'd been kicked square in the back. A powerful Psychic sent Cinderace sprawling into the grass. He struggled to stand, to push himself off the grass, before collapsing.

Gloria returned Cinderace with a quiet praise mumbled to his Pokeball. She took a breath, a quick moment to close her eyes, before sending out Tsareena.

Gardevoir readied a sphere of shimmering light between her hands as Tsareena stared her down with a fierce stomp of her foot.

"Trop Kick!" Gloria called and Tsareena sprinted at the command.

Gardevoir's Moonblast hit head on but Tsareena pushed through the blast of energy, swiping a powerful leg and catching Gardevoir's side. The Psychic-Fairy Pokemon stumbled, wincing from the blow. Tsareena readied another kick as Gardevoir raised her hand. A flash of light burst between them. Both Pokemon flew back, skidding across the pitch in a spray of dirt and grass.

Neither moved. Both Pokemon had fainted.

Gloria's smile grew. A wicked, dangerous grin of excitement that caused Bede's heart to flutter. He shook that feeling away and sent out Rapidash.

Focus. He needed to focus.

The rumble of noise from the crowd grew in volume. Wave after wave of cheers, of his name and hers, washed over the pitch.

"Go, Yuki!" Gloria sent out her Froslass, the Ghost Pokemon hovering listlessly off the ground. It's eyes narrowed with a laugh tinkling like windchimes, a tiny hand raised to it's mouth.

Bede tsked, taking a breath to slow his heart. "What's with that calm expression… Think you're going to win?"

Her lips twitched with mirth. "Ice Beam!"

"Dodge it!" Bede called, his Rapidash speeding into a gallop as the stream of ice shot towards where Rapidash had been mere seconds ago. The beam changed direction, following Rapidash as it galloped in a tight circle around Froslass.

"Drill Run!"

Rapidash turned cleanly at a sharp angle and lunged at Froslass, startling the Pokemon and causing the Ice Beam to fizzle out. Rapidash slammed its powerful horn into Froslass. The Ice-Ghost Pokemon flung swiftly into the air, spinning as it's light body fell back to the pitch. It hovered loosely in the air before straightening and conjuring a swirling ball of dark mass. Rapidash did the same, flinging the Shadow Ball at the same time, the two colliding in the middle of the pitch with an explosion of dark energy. It threw up a cloud of dust and dirt. Bede narrowed his eyes, searching through the cloud frantically.

"Dazzling Gleam!" He called and a spray of sparkling light rained across the field in the dust cloud.

"Icy Wind!" Gloria ordered, her cry a pitch higher than normal.

The dust cloud swirled, the air spinning with a rush of cold, icy air. Light flashed again, the storm of ice and wind gaining momentum. The swirling air picked up more dust, growing larger and larger and impossible to see through. The air was cold and sharp, blinding lights flickering and flashing like bolts of lightning in a storm cloud.

"Yuki!" Gloria cried. Bede couldn't see her through the storm but her anxious cry reached him. His heart skipped as he tried to locate his Rapidash.

Silence fell. The torrent of wind stopped, the dust began to disperse, the air began to clear. Two figures remained, the smaller one collapsed on the ground.

Froslass had fainted. Rapidash trembled on its feet, battered and bruised with patches of thick ice cracking as it moved.

"Return!" Froslass dissolved into a beam of light as Gloria recalled her fallen Pokemon. She smiled softly at the Pokeball before stashing it away and retrieving another. "Go, Lazuli!"

Her Gyarados emerged with a mighty roar. It lunged at Rapidash, snarling with a flash of sharp teeth, and barely flinched at the last-ditch Dazzling Gleam as it snapped it's jaws around the battered Pokemon and flung it to the side. Rapidash collapsed, sinking to the ground as Bede recalled it.

His final Pokeball in hand, Bede met Gloria's eyes.

It was down to this.

"We'll show you a truly great pink. It's time for my dear Hatterene to Gigantimax!"

With a blast of light, Hatterene grew and towered over the pitch with an echoing, bellowing cry.

The usually gigantic Gyarados shrank beneath Hatterene's shadow.

"Crunch!" Gloria cried, but Hatterene levelled a devastating Max Mindstorm on Gyarados before it could attack. The onslaught of Psychic energy finished Gyarados with one blow. Gloria recalled her Gyarados and took a deep breath.

"A Dynamax battle it is, then!" she said, and the Pokeball in her hand grew, wrapped in blazing light, and she launched it behind her. Corviknight emerged with a mighty cheer, growing in size to match Hatterene. "Max Steelspike!"

Mountains of sharp steel spurted from the pitch, rushing towards Hatterene. A wave of fire burst from Hatterene, Gloria flinching from the heat, the burning temperature that enveloped the stadium. Great flames wrapped around Corviknight as the jutting spikes of steel crashed into Hatterene. The impact was like thunder. A clap of noise, a deafening ring of silence following. A blanket of hot, humid air thickened around them.

"Again!" Bede called.

"Pecko!" Gloria cried, ordering her Corviknight to land another attack.

The searing heat favoured Hatterene. A torrent of fire and flames swallowed Corviknight. The armoured bird fell from the sky, shrinking to its normal size before Gloria recalled it so it wouldn't hit the ground. Hatterene returned to normal as well, standing tall and only slightly bruised.

Bede's heart lodged in his throat. Blood roared in his ears. He watched, intently, as Gloria took out her final Pokemon.

"Axie! It's up to you, now!" she called, a Haxorus emerging from the light.

A Dragon Type. Bede clenched his hands tight, swallowing the flutter of his lungs. It wasn't over yet.

"Dazzling Gleam!" he called, and Hatterene sprayed a burst of glimmering light across the pitch.

"Axie, Poison Jab!"

The crystals of light were swallowed by streams of dark purple, poisonous jets that shot forth and rained into Hatterene.

Hatterene stumbled. Drew back a quick step, then another. Gloria raised her hand to call another attack and Hatterene fell. Collapsed to the ground as silent as a sigh.

The tension snapped and the crowd roared to life. Bede returned Hatterene, his expression falling to the Pokeball in his hand as his eyes closed for a brief, pensive moment. He raised his hand, Pokeball enclosed in his fist, to his chest.

"Well… I lost." A faint admission, whispered barely loud enough for Gloria to catch over the buzz of the crowd.

"Bede…!" Gloria started, before cries sounded all around them. Cheers of Bede's name. Calls for him not to give up, to continue. To try again, to stand tall and fight.

Gloria smiled at him, the light in her eyes echoing the sentiment of the crowd.

A strange spark warmed his chest. He frowned, cutting his glare at the crowd, at Gloria, in disbelief. He shook his head, stunned.

"B-But this isn't what I planned! If I was able to defeat you, then everything would be fine." He pressed his fingers to his brow, mind whirling at the cheers from the crowd. "Even if I lost, I was going to use retiring as an excuse to get away from that old lady…" Bede turned and levelled a glare at Gloria. "You just keep messing up my plans!"

"I hardly think this is my fault," she said, motioning to the roaring crowd. "They're cheering for you, Bede. Maybe you should listen to them. To what you really want to do."

Bede's glare faded slightly into a pensive stare. He let his gaze wander to the crowd, to the praise and cheers and cries of his name. Appreciation, adoration, things he'd never felt before. A strange, foreign weight settled heavily in his gut.

Slowly, he drew his eyes back to her. To her smile, waiting for his response.

"With everyone cheering me on like this, I have no choice but to continue my training as the Fairy Gym Leader," he said nonchalantly, forcing the words out as a sigh. "Though, I suppose with my talents, I'll be able to overtake Ms Opal in no time."

A smile finally pulled on his lips, Bede yielding to it as his chest eased, the air in his lungs feeling strangely light, strangely free.

The weight on his shoulders was gone.

Bede made to leave Wyndon stadium without a fuss, heading to the lobby and preparing himself to face Ms Opal's scolding when he returned.

"Bede, wait!"

His heart jolted in his chest, a wave of heat roaring through him, and he whirled to see Gloria running after him. She stopped, a hand on her heaving, breathless chest. A faint veil of sweat glistened on her brow.

Bede's whole body tensed. "What, have you come to gloat after your victory? Surely you've got more important things to do than rub in your success," he barked, the words leaping from his tight throat before he could think.

His cutting words didn't damper the bright smile she gave him. "No, silly." She stuck out her hand, the tender light in her eyes making him pause. "I came to thank you for the match. It was fun."

Bede stared at her outstretched hand. The kindness in her eyes, the open honesty in her voice taking him aback.

She truly meant it. There was no hidden insult to her words, no double meaning or subtle taunt.

It was strange. His heart warmed slightly in his chest.

Bede took her hand in a quick handshake, not meeting her eyes before tersely stealing his hand back.

"I suppose our match wasn't half-bad," he admitted.

Gloria breathed a soft giggle, light and fresh like the first rains of spring. Breathtaking and wonderful, the kind of laugh that made him wonder if a person could really make a sound so happily, so freely, like that.

"I really look forward to our next match! You've only been training for a few weeks under Ms Opal; I can't wait to see what you're like in a few months!"

Bede frowned. "Why would you care about that? My improvements do not concern you in the slightest."

She tilted her head innocently. "Because we're friends?"

"We are not friends," Bede huffed quickly, a reflexive bark more than anything else. His skin sparked ablaze at her remark that they were friends.

"Fine," she rolled her eyes with an amused smile. "We're rivals then."

Rivals.

That… didn't sound too bad.

"Challenger Gloria!" a League Staff member came up to her, holding out a Pokeball case with six slots. "You need to heal up your Pokemon before your next match!"

Her eyes widened as if that hadn't occurred to her. "Oh, right!" She pulled out her Pokeballs, placing them in the slots for the Staff to take away and heal.

Bede raised an eyebrow, cocking an amused grin. "Shouldn't you be more focused about your next match, rather than stalking me out here?"

She pouted, the curl of her lips strangely cute. "I was not stalking you. I just… wanted to make sure you were okay, after all that."

Bede's heart skipped. It made him forget how to breathe for a tense moment. "I don't need your concern."

"I know." Her eyes drifted over his shoulder. "Oh, Ms Opal!"

Bede shot a quick glance behind him, almost wondering if Gloria was teasing him, and saw Ms Opal enter the lobby with a wise smile. Her umbrella clicked on the floor with every step.

"Why, hello Gloria," Ms Opal said. "I was just watching the most interesting match on the TV." Her eyes landed on Bede, and he stiffened.

Bede's mouth dried. "Ms Opal, I-"

"Now, now. Why don't you get changed out of your uniform? The finals are about to begin, and I have a feeling they will be very interesting." She ushered Bede away, nudging him with her umbrella. "Good luck, dear Gloria! We will be cheering for you!"

Bede scoffed, a strangled protest rising in his throat, but he let Ms Opal lead him away. Despite the trepidation constructing his throat, Ms Opal didn't scold him in the slightest. She didn't mention once that he'd left in the middle of training, or that he'd floundered the rules to force a match between him and Gloria. She said nothing, did nothing except smile knowingly at him once or twice.

There were no consequences. No fear.

Memories flashed in his eyes. Mistakes he'd made, apologies rushed and stammered. Figures towering over him, cowering in their deep shadows. Hands trembling into fists, regretful tears hot and painful and stinging in his eyes. Disappointment in their eyes, fear burning his throat, his lungs.

There was none of that here.

She'd won.

Gloria had won the Championship. Defeated Leon and had become everything he had wanted to be.

She'd stopped the Darkest Day. Defeated Eternatus, defeated Chairman Rose and fought alongside Legendary Pokemon.

She'd achieved everything Bede had wanted to and more.

She had risen to the top. Stood above the clouds, out of reach, out of sight, for people like him. It wasn't a shadow she cast but a blinding light like the sun. Warm and kind but too far away to ever reach.

And yet she came. She sauntered into Ballonlea's Gym as if she belonged there and not high upon the mountain of victories she'd built.

Bede's throat tightened as she approached, stiffening lest he flinch and cower from her blinding light. She was above him. Far above him.

And yet, she came down to earth to talk to him.

"Hey, Bede!" Gloria sang his name sweetly.

"What do you want?" Bede huffed, instinctively folding his arms.

Gloria paused mid-skip. A large box rested in her arms, the logo of a battle cafe on the top. "Oh. Well, I guess you don't want to see what I've brought, then." She stuck her nose in the air, exhaling a miffed huff. "And I went to all this trouble to bring them here… oh, well." She turned on her heels and went to leave.

A scowl fought it's way onto Bede's face, his eyebrows twitching with annoyance. "Hold on. What's in the box?"

Gloria peered over her shoulder at him, her pink lips pouted sourly. "I thought I wasn't welcome here."

Bede forced the scowl off his face, gritting his teeth instead. "You're the Champion. I believe you're allowed almost anywhere."

She turned slowly on her heels to face him, took a quick, single step forward. "So…?"

"What is in the box, Gloria?" Bede huffed.

A smile bloomed on her face. She skipped over, popping open the lid dramatically. "Sweets! They're from my favourite battle cafe!"

An assortment of small cakes sat in neat rows in the box. Each was decorated finely, topped with a variety of different fruit or icing, no two were identical and each looked delectable and mouthwatering. Bede swallowed, his eyes flicking over the petite desserts.

Then, Bede remembered that it was Gloria who'd brought them and raised an eyebrow suspiciously at her.

"For what purpose have you brought these here?" Bede asked, studying the smile on her face, trying to read deeper into her eyes. "What are you trying to achieve by bribing us with sweets?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to be nice! You're a new Gym Leader, I'm the new Champion… we're like two peas in a pod!"

"We are not."

"Just accept that I'm trying to be friendly! Sheesh!" Gloria huffed. "It won't kill you to accept a bit of kindness for once, you know?"

"Unless you've poisoned these." Bede jabbed a finger at the cakes.

Gloria stared at him incredulously. "Seriously?"

Bede met her stare blankly..

"Fine, I'll prove that they're not poisoned." She placed the box on a bench and chose the strawberry shortcake, a rich, red strawberry sitting on top in a dollop of cream. Gloria took a large bite from the cake, humming in delight. She made an affirmative noise in her throat, motioning with the cake.

Bede selected a dark chocolate cake, a swirl of white chocolate running through the icing. It was fluffy yet moist, rich enough and yet not sickeningly sweet. He savoured each bite, taking care not to smudge the cake across his face as he ate.

Gloria giggled at him between bites. Her eyes sparkled in amused delight, her smile wide and bright. Crumbs and icing littered her face like a perfect border around her mouth.

Bede raised an eyebrow. "What are you laughing at with that ridiculous look on your face?"

Gloria swallowed her mouthful, her eyes crinkling as she giggled. "You look like you're enjoying it; I don't think I've ever seen you so happy before."

A wash of bashful heat coloured his cheeks. "It's not bad, I suppose." He glanced away from her hurriedly. Arceus, she was annoyingly perceptive. He'd been focusing on the cake and forgotten that she was still there, letting an idiotic smile grow on his face.

"Well, these are for the rest of the staff," Gloria said, motioning to the remaining cakes.

Bede hummed affirmatively, taking another bite of his cake as he studied her. "Why go to all this trouble? You don't know them."

"It's not trouble." She brushed him off. "And it's worth it when people enjoy it. I can tell you really like sweets." Gloria grinned at him. "Now I know something new about you!"

"And I can tell that you don't know how to eat without making a mess of yourself."

Gloria blinked at him, confused.

"You have crumbs all over your face."

"Oh!" She flushed, swiping at the crumbs around her mouth. A spot of cream remained on her cheeks.

"You missed a bit." Bede pointed to her cheek.

Gloria rubbed her cheek, missing the cream again.

Bede frowned. "It's more left- no, your left!"

Gloria huffed. "Forget it. I'll just have crumbs on my cheek forever, then!"

Bede grumbled. "Oh, for Arceus' sake-! Just hold still." He caught her chin with one hand, swiping the blob of cream off her cheek with his thumb. Her breath hitched audibly as his thumb brushed her skin. Bede froze, his eyes snapping to hers, seeing her pupils blow wide. He stole a frantic step back, a rush of burning heat streaking across his face.

Gloria flushed, her eyes falling from his. Abstenly, she touched her cheek. "Th-Thanks…"

Heat invaded Bede's lungs, making it impossible to breathe, to think, to speak. "Wh-What are you flushing like an idiot for?!" he barked.

She breathed a short, sheepish laugh. "That was… really unexpected, that's all!"

"It's not going to happen a second time!"

She laughed. The sound sent a strange tingle through his body. He forced it down, forced it away. Ignored it when that feeling emerged again the next time he saw her, when she'd thrown herself at him with a tight hug. When she'd rushed to Ballonlea after Pokemon began to Dynamax randomly in the Gyms and she'd hugged him warmly in relief.

She kept emerging in his life at random times and each time the warm feeling would envelope his heart. She'd bring sweets or invite him to an exhibition match, sometimes dropping by for no reason other than to see how he was.

Each time, bit by bit, Bede's walls began to drop. He began to ease around her, began to accept her presence, her smiles and laughter, as a part of his life.

Surprisingly, it didn't bother him.

There was no way for him to have known, the first time they'd met, the effect this woman would have on his life. He had no idea what the future held for the two of them, that barely more than a year later they would be sitting in the Glimwood Tangle, hanging out as friends.

Gloria's Ponyta galloped around the clearing, Bede's Rapidash trotting beside it. Gloria watched whimsically, her chin resting her hands as she smiled softly. The glow of the mushrooms around them bathed her in a gentle light, reflecting in her eyes like tiny, vibrant stars. Bede studied her in the corner of his eyes, his cheeks warming.

She glanced at him, finally noticing that his eyes were fixed on her and not their frolicking Pokemon. Bede startled, cutting his gaze away quickly.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

Bede stole a quick breath, thankful that the dim light hid the furious blush on his cheeks. "Nothing except that ridiculous grin of yours," he said, hoping she wouldn't catch the tremble in his voice. He hadn't meant to be so damn obvious, hadn't realised he was outright staring at her like an idiot.

He'd been so struck by how different things were between them now that he'd lost himself in that moment, in the warm, fluttery feeling that he now knew the name of.

Somehow, along the many months of their tumultuous relationship, their rivalry and friendship, Bede had fallen in love with her.

The future was uncertain, but it no longer spread out before Bede like a void, dark and impenetrable. It was clear. Impossible to read, remaining uncertain and distant, but one thing remained true.

Bede didn't care what the future held, as long as Gloria was there beside him.

#bederiaweek #bederia #dressedinpinkshipping #bede #gloria #btyu #pokemon swsh

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