Love in the Time of Turmoil

Chapter 2: A Trip

Glad you all seem to be enjoying this start to the second leg of the journey. Not much to say before then but time for Chapter 2!

Chapter 2

A Trip

Somehow, the day before the match was more stressful for Gloria.

From the very moment she had awoken that morning, it felt like she was stuck in limbo. She couldn't battle Kabu until the next day, but she was already trained out to the point that Serena had suggested she take a break the night before. That was something she was too antsy to do, a feeling that ratcheted when coming downstairs for breakfast.

Like usual, she wasn't the only trainer there, with a number of Gym Challengers enjoying the free meal, and others on the phone to loved ones. Gloria considered calling her own mother, but tomorrow weighed too heavily on her mind while she chewed down a bagel.

The whispers around her did not help matters.

"I heard that girl is going to be battling Kabu again tomorrow."

"Are you serious? She's insane. No one clears Kabu on a third try. It's either win first time or pack it up."

"I dunno, mates, I'm kinda curious. She's mad bonkers, but you hafta admire that kind of tenacity, aye?"

Gloria stood from her seat, her hands jittering. The tremors nearly caused the bagel to fall, but she clasped tighter, her fingers smearing into the cream cheese atop it. Raboot still hovered beneath, ready to catch it if it fell. Hoping to not draw yet more unwanted attention to herself, Gloria turned to the nearest terminals and decided to try and reassure herself by looking up the current rankings of the Challenge. Surely, she wasn't the only one stuck behind Kabu.

If feeling better was her aim, she utterly failed at it.

"I'm here outside the Stow-on-Side Gym, where our first challenger has officially crossed the halfway mark on the road to the Wyndon Conference!" the reporter said with a beaming smile. It was the complete opposite of the boy she was interviewing, but enough to make Gloria want to vomit. She recognized the pink coat far too well, and the bored, yet present, smirk upon his face. "The challenger to have officially defeated Leader Allister is one Bede, a challenger picked by the Chairman, himself. Tell me, how does it feel to be halfway down the road?"

"Makes no difference to me. I doubt many are going to make it to the end, anyway. Most of them are second-strings."

"Bold words from a challenger. How confident in clearing the rest of the Challenge are you?"

"Leon should watch his back," Bede remarked, scoffing loud enough over the screen that Gloria flinched. "Now, excuse me. I have things to accomplish for the Chairman."

"O-oh, of course..." Bede didn't wait for her to dismiss him. He just walked straight off camera, almost knocking the cameraman over. The reporter could be heard demanding to cut it right then and there, but the damage was apparently done, including to Gloria's psyche.

She stumbled away as the elevator dinged, staggering back into one of the chairs that sat around the lobby. Bede was so far ahead of her, already halfway through the challenge, while she was stuck at Kabu. Part of her wanted to run right into the Motostoke Stadium and demand to battle today, but she shook her head. The other part wanted Hop or Marnie there with her, encouraging her, but all she saw was the snide expression of the boy who considered himself above everyone.

Gloria's blood started to boil, turning her frustrations into fuel for the road ahead. With Bede's face in her mind, she punched at the air, imagining she was taking down the jerk, himself. Raboot did the same, on the same wavelength and sharing in the frustration. It helped bring Gloria back into reality, and the sound of Ash's voice near the phones in the lobby. She blinked and brought her eyes to watch him, clearly at the end of a conversation.