Say That You Need Me - Hop x Gloria

Chapter 11

A/N - If you got a second notification, I accidentally published before I finished the chapter so it'd be a good idea to re-read this one.

"You better pray to Arceus for my forgiveness, because I can't promise I'll give it to you."

The silence was suffocating. Nobody would maintain eye contact with anyone else in the room for more than a moment. Milo walked up from behind and put a hand on her shoulder, a feeble attempt at reassurance. Gloria stepped away and towards the door, an iron grip on the handle turning her knuckles white when she closed the door so the soundproofing could be put to good use.

"Don't fucking touch me," Gloria said, walking over to the opposite side of the projection. She pretended to not notice the flinch that went around at her vulgarity. She was too mad to care. "Someone care to tell me what specifically you have been stalking? None of... this," she gestured to the list on the wall, "is any of your damn business-"

Marnie stood up and sent her chair flying back into the wall. Piers- wait, Piers? He doesn't even work here anymore - took her left hand while Bede tried to grab her right. She shook them off and directed her gaze to Gloria. Her face a whirlwind of emotion - anger, sadness, and a hint of embarrassment Gloria hoped was tied to regret as well. 

"We just want to fix you, so you can get better!" she said, looking around the room to the others and prompting them to nod along.

"I-I'm not broken."

Raihan took the opportunity to reclaim his phone from its position above the table, walking to Leon and putting an arm around his shoulder, a knowing look in both of their eyes.

"You're sick, Gloria," Leon said slowly, "Really, really sick. We're worried about you, and we just want to help."

"There's nothing wrong with me," Gloria shouted defensively. "You don't actually care. You just want to keep your moneymaker under your thumb, that's what it is!"

Bede stood gracefully from his chair, his violet eyes sad and cold. "It's my fault. I'm the one who got worried, Gloria. I'm so, so so sorry. You're the closest thing I have to family, and honestly I couldn't handle losing you."

She was torn between feeling touched and betrayed. He was one of her best friends, and he had convinced them all there was something wrong with her. Gloria walked closer to him, close enough that if she moved any closer he could pick her up and cart her off to wherever they planned on taking her. "If you didn't want to lose me, you shouldn't have pushed me away," she said, angry tears finally rolling down her face. "I'll see you tomorrow, at the championship. Just... keep it civil, okay?"

Bede nodded, a tear of his own tracking down his cheek despite his best efforts to disallow it. He collapsed back into his chair, while Marnie ran a hand up and down his back as some sort of comfort. Gloria turned on her heel and walked to the door, closing it behind her and putting the sunglasses back on her face. She walked straight down the hall to the stands, waiting to watch the semifinals play out so her tears couldn't be seen or heard over the screams.

---

Here is our final challenger! Masaru of the Alola Region!

Gloria straightened her hat for the umpteenth time as the announcer's voice replayed in her head. He had absolutely demolished all the other challengers. None of them even had the chance to land a dynamax or gigantamax hit on him. It was eerie - was this what it looked like to watch me just a few years ago? 

Now, here she was, standing alone in a dressing room. Nobody out there would truly be supporting her. They were there for the thrill of the fight, nothing more nothing less. The only real attachment they had was to whoever they bet on.