Say That You Need Me - Hop x Gloria

Chapter 8

A/N- We got to number 1 in postwickshipping!!! Pls consider voting and commenting, although your reads are more than enough for me:)

 Aight that's all enjoy the chapter! 

After an afternoon of training in the Wild Area, a restless night of sleep, a dread-inducing run, and a decent shower, Gloria found herself in her closet once again, wrapped in her robe and staring at Melony's contact picture like it was going to disappear.

She clicked into the contact, checked herself in the mirror, and pressed the video-call button. The dial tone rang out through the room, being replaced quickly by the soft beeping of Melony's coffee maker on the other end of the line.

"Morning, sweetheart! What's up?" Her kind voice that usually filled Gloria with warmth, filled her with an unwavering sense of doubt. Pushing it aside, she answered.

"I was wondering if we could do some training today, with the tourney- tournament," she said, formalizing her speech, "being just around the corner and all."

"Of course, of course! I would love to. Maybe you could help me run some errands afterwards?"

"Sure! Sounds like fun. I'll be there in half an hour. Does that sound alright?"

Both women checked the clocks in their respective environments, they read 8:30am. "Sounds good to me! Don't rush too hard to get here. I'm not going anywhere," Melony joked, earning a soft smile from the younger girl. "I'll be at the Bath. See you there!"

"See you!" Gloria said, putting her phone down after she called for a taxi and running her hands through her still-wet hair. She grabbed a smaller towel, scrunching her hair with it as she examined her cold-weather clothing choices. Today's attire was black thermal leggings, tucked into winter boots, topped with a league-branded long sleeve dress and gloves. She pulled her cape around her shoulders and parted her hair so it would finish drying nicely.

Gloria walked quickly out into the main room, holding her 8 pokeballs balanced in her hands. "Everyone return! We're going to Circhester for training today." The pokemon swiftly returned, pokeballs shrinking down as she placed them into a wool-lined bag fastened around her hips, like a fanny pack. She saw the neatly folded letters from Hop, and saw her response that had been abandoned on the table, waiting for a package to be mailed with. "Melony wouldn't mind helping me out, right?" Gloria mumbled to herself, making sure she had her card and some paper money just in case. She glanced around the apartment one more time before closing the door behind her and heading towards the elevators.

Downstairs, the lobby was full of people pouring in from all ends of the region - maybe even outside of it - readying for the Champion Cup in 5 days time. Rooms would fill up quickly, and empty out even faster after. Merchants were already posted in every corner possible, selling novelty cups and banners for all the trainers. Besides her own, Masaru's merchandise was the most popular with many tanned flip-flop-wearing tourists flocking to the stand among others. 

Gloria hadn't been noticed, and if she had been nobody had acted on it, so she slipped behind the front desk and left out the back door, where her taxi was waiting.

"How'd you know I would be back here?" she said quizzically, earning a wide smile from the driver. "I was out front, but your comrades at the register told me you'd have to exit back here. So here I am!" The champion nodded and pulled herself into the cabin, watching the ground shrink away as the ride began.

They had specialized taxis for winter travel, or just to Circhester, with tall legs to keep the actual cabin warmer and out of the snow. This made climbing in slightly difficult for vertically challenged people like herself, and climbing out even harder.