The Shield of Galar

Camping: Night 1

Gloria walks around the Wild Area grabbing sticks, trying her best to navigate through the fog. Luckily with Cinder at her side, Pokémon avoid her, which gives Gloria time to think. Thinking over what had happened, what all three of them had said, and what she was going to do.

It's not like she didn't know what she did was wrong, and it had in fact initially been an outside incident that triggered this phase. She even stopped for awhile, during the Gym Challenge she was able to stave off the desire by keeping herself too busy to think. As soon as it ended though, especially after that awful interview...

"For the love of Arceus, why am I so stupid," she growls to herself, and slowly reaches her right hand up to put it on the lowest part of her inner forearm. She constantly had to wear three quarter sleeves, so any lower wasn't much of an option. Luckily the bandages had already been off when Bea stopped by the other day, so nothing stuck out. Still, she had been very careful while changing to keep her inner arm hidden. Lest get the very reaction she just got out of her.

"Why do I do it though?" she asks her self. They won't leave me. But they have. They won't again. No reason to believe that. They love me. They love who you used to be. They'll love me regardless. They have no time for someone broken. I'm not broken. Say that with your sleeves rolled up.

Back and forth in her mind, Gloria tries to reassure herself, but the dark thoughts haunt her. Gradually her walk slows, until it stops entirely. Her mind is swirling, so much so she drops the sticks in her hands to quickly put them to her head. She squeezes either side, hoping to push the thoughts out. Her teeth are locked in place, and her knees tremble beneath her.

Cinder hears the sticks drop and turns to his trainer, watching as she falls to her knees, her eyes as wide as possible. Her breathes are deep, but quick, as she shakes her head rapidly. All he can do is watch, as he has many times in the last year. Cinder worries for his trainer, and does his best to remain by her side, but knows there are some things he can't do.

Cinder sits next to her while she remains in this erratic state. Her mind desperately trying to fight it's way through the doubt and dismay. After awhile, her hands slowly fall to her sides. Her eyes blood shot from having been open for to long. Gradually, her breathing returns to normal, and she recollects the branches she dropped.

Marnie scans the perimeter of the camp site they had set up in search of Gloria.

"She has been gone for way to long," Marnie says, turning around to see Bea putting the backpacks inside either of the two tents they brought. The first one, the one Gloria brought, she had purchased for their last outing and could hold two or three people with some extra room. The one Bea brought was a small single tent she typically used whenever she went out for training sessions.

"She'll be back, I have faith in her," Bea says casually after placing the last bag in the tent.

"I did," Marnie says, trying to wisely choose her next words. "But she isn't the same Gloria from before,"

"Oh? Isn't she though?" Bea says glaring over at Marnie. "Gloria is childish, naïve, and has always been down on herself. As awful as I feel saying it, self doubt and depression were inevitable. Did I think it would ever go so far, no, I think something different must of lite the match there, but I think she is the same old Gloria. I just think the isolation has left her with nothing but her own thoughts, which can be dangerous for anyone. Especially somebody who has had so much thrusted on her,"

"I..." Marnie goes to retort, but just looks away instead.

"Good choice," Bea states while digging a fire pit. "If you had argued with me, I probably would have told you straight out you don't really love her,"