The Shield of Galar

A Place of Peace & Beauty

Bea wakes up to something she is getting increasingly accustomed to, and something she isn't sure she'll be easily able to let go of after this trip ends. With a smile, she runs her fingers through Gloria's hair and watches as the beauty on top of her sleeps. What Marnie had said yesterday was true, she was bound to Gloria now. She can't imagine herself being with anybody else. Now, she just had to make sure it stayed that way.

"Morning," Gloria yawns and looks up at Bea, loving the feeling of having Bea's fingers running through her hair.

"Sleep well cutie?" Bea asks, and doesn't stop what she is doing and Gloria nods.

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep alone anymore," Gloria chuckles. "I don't think I've slept this well in a long time,"

"Well, you are free to move in with Allister and me and make this a full time thing," she offers and Gloria shakes her head.

"My Pokémon are free to roam where I live now, and I couldn't in good conscious take that away from them," Gloria states. "Though not living alone would be nice," she mumbles the last part.

"Then let Allie and I move in with you, officially. I can sell our house, and maybe we build a little addition onto yours and he can have his own room,"

"Bea," Gloria interrupts. "As amazing as that sounds, you have a responsibility in Stow-on-Side and living that far away would not be a good idea,"

"If you asked it of me, I would make it work,"

"I know you would, which is why I would not ask it of you," Gloria interrupts. "I cannot pull you away from your responsibility any more than I would Marnie away from hers. It was hard for you the year we took care of Marnie, and I won't put you through that struggle again,"

Bea sighs and nods. "Stop being so thoughtful," Bea teases as Gloria finally decides she should get up. "Be a jerk and demand my life be harder," Bea also leans up and stretches some. "Though, I guess it isn't in your nature to be forceful,"

"I can be forceful when I want to be," Gloria announces, and sticks her tongue out at Bea, who then starts laughing.

"That...was adorable," she laughs some more waking Allister up.

"Why so much noise," he whines and sits up looking at his laughing sister.

"I think my sister's been possessed, she never laughs this much," he then chuckles as well, which makes Gloria laugh. It stops when Bea gets hit in the face with a pillow.

"Shut up," Marnie whines. "Nobody wants to hear your lunacy this early,"

Gloria shakes her head and starts changing. After putting on boots, she slips outside to see how it looked. Immediately she is hit by the brisk morning air, sending a shiver through her. Stepping out, her boots sink into the mud surrounding the area and Gloria sighs. The bottom of the tent would be a mess, and cooking and eating breakfast in these conditions would be difficult at best.

Looking out over the lake, Gloria notices just how early it was. It had taken a few moments for it to register, but the sun was only just starting to peak out over the horizon. It's morning rays are scattering themselves across the wild area as Pokémon that prefer the night begin to slink back into their dens, giving way to the early risers. In the distance she can hear the morning calls of pidoves and pidgeys as they take to the skies.

Bea joins her not long after and the two watch the sun rise into the eastern skyline, with the silhouettes of bird Pokémon skirting across it. Although they are too far to see it, Gloria can picture how it looks to the early morning passengers traveling from Wedgehurst to Motostoke, and how magnificent it must look to them watching it shimmering on the ocean. One of her first train rides as Champion provided her with that view, and it was one she has compared all other sunrises to. Here, with Bea at her side, and the sun trickling its way across Miloch's surface, she feels completely at peace.