When the world fights back, I will raise my SHIELD for you

⋆★   Just when your body is out of fight,                                                                                        I will be there   ★⋆

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                           🛡 Indie & Private Champion Gloria 🛡

                                 Written with love by Sand-Rose

What//When//Where//Who//Why?

◅ @cxlxssal​ ▻ asked:

"What are you talking about?"

❝Oh-! Y’overheard, then? Sorry, I’m just brainstormin’... y’know, about them!❞

    Gloria nods her head, gesturing to a distant pack of electrike, guarded closely by a particularly grumpy-looking manectric.

❝Fast little guys, they are! Been chased around enough tae know that much firsthand. Learned just the other day that they’re usin’ electricity tae go that quick! I was hopin’ tae study ‘em to try an’ figure out some tricks tae stay ahead if it comes tae that...❞

    A beat of silence passes as she looks back out at the pack, watching the pups chase each other around.

◅ @takeyoutoskull​‘s Sid ▻ commented:

"Hmm... There's somethin' about ya that seems familiar..."

    GLORIA HUMS, TURNING her head at the sound of the voice to see... a complete stranger! Amber eyes look him over inquisitively, her body twisting to face him properly. Familiar, familiar...

    There’s a vague sense of something there... but ultimately, it seems the recognition was one sided ( but such is usually the case when you’re champion, right? ).

“I see. The old PR treatment.” Shielbert is, unfortunately, rather used to it. Even now in the job he works, he has to stick by some sort of script. “Sometimes you have to fight tooth and nail to get them to back off, unfortunately… and even then they don’t always listen.”

Perhaps he can spare some time to try and help himself, should his schedule allow. It’s the least he could do, considering… well.

“Yes, well, it’s something that historians have more of an interest in than the general populous these days.” And even then, it wasn’t that big of an event. Plenty of trainers got hurt during their time in the circuit, didn’t they? They weren’t special for that, were they?

With an exhale through his nose, he leans backs with his hands back on the edge to anchor himself where he was sat, and he says something so casually that it’s almost comical.

“Edward punched me.” It even makes him laugh a little, bitter as it may be. “We’d gotten into a conflict of interest and his temper got the better of him. He didn’t mean for it to be as permanent as it was, I’m sure of it, but…”

He looks to Gloria with the best smile he could provide. Sure enough, the right side hardly budges beyond a slight smirk.

“I can’t hold it against him. I wasn’t exactly pleasant either. He’s got a strong left hook though, if anything.”

    TRY AS SHE might, Gloria is unable to keep her shock from showing on her face. Initially, her mouth opens as if to comment... but she seems to decide otherwise, closing her mouth and biting her lip as her gaze falls. Slowly, she lifts her hand from her boot’s laces to rest her palm just over the thin line of scars over her leg.

    A truth for a truth.

❝Back... early in my journey, just before I was about tae take on Kabu, Hop and I were explorin’ one’a the mines. We thought back then that it’d be fun tae try and find a keepsake or somethin’... but when we split up, I made one wrong step and ended up with a stunfisk clamped on my leg as hard as it could manage. It’s... a bit of a blur, now. One second, you’re havin’ fun explorin’, and the next, you’re bein’ flown to a doctor who starts talkin’ about nerve damage an’ medications for pain that I was told wasn’t goin’ tae go away. I think if Hop hadn’t heard me cry out an’ gotten me out of there, I would'a been even worse off.❞

    She inhales, shakily, putting on a smile.

Create

As Gloria explains, Shielbert slowly nods in both acknowledgement and a sense of relatable kinship in this moment. The gym challenges were never exactly clear on the terms of what would happen should one win; he has a feeling he’s starting to learn why that may be. How un-celebrity like.

“I see that it hasn’t changed much from when I partook in it with my dear brother… that’s a shame.” And he means so sincerely. The issues were rife, barring their own personal issues going into it. For some of those caveats to still exist in such massive ways was not very comforting.

But, he would put his concerns over that to the side for now.

“I felt a similar way when I was sponsored and began the challenge with him. I wanted him to be happy and for him to win; to finally have something that we can both be proud of.” He keeps it vague; no one needs to know the ins and outs of why the challenge had been a well-needed change of pace. “Neither of us got very far with it, though. It’s a hard set of challenges to happen and, well…”

His other hand unconsciously reaches to the side his face to cradle it for a moment. He still remembers that day rather well, unfortunately.

“The shadow may be big to fill, but it’s only as bit as the light source is far away.” He soon realizes after speaking that it might have been a little too abstract without an explanation, and so he continues with a slightly rushed manner.

“What I mean is, if we find the source for why it’s such a big shadow, that may help in mitigating it further in the future. Is it something in the management? Does Leon know something that he may be able to offer, prior Champion that he was?”

    GLORIA LISTENS WITH a silence that most strangers might find uncharacteristic, her expression tinged with concern as Shielbert trails off. His gesture...

    Hm. She can’t quite connect the dots, but she feels an ache all the same.

❝I don’t think I’m wrong tae think management might have somethin’ tae do with it. There’s ways they want me tae act an’ things they want me tae say, but I don’t think that’s the whole of it. I... haven’t spoken tae Leon about anythin’ yet. The both of us are busy, an’ the battle tower isn’t much a spot for talkin’. Not sure I could make it to the top standin’, anyway.❞

    She falls quiet again, fidgeting.

❝I hadn’t really thought about how you two also took the challenge, before. Did, uhm...❞

    Hesitation.

Hm. It seemed those words weren’t quite the right ones. Or they were, and this was just the next step forward. Branching paths of different answers, and he’s landed on this one. And, partially, he’s glad it’s this one; he knows how to handle it.

What’ll happen when I run out of material? If I fuck up a live show on-stage? There’s only so many stories I can tell and so many roles I can fulfill.

Oh Edward, you’re so silly sometimes.

“You could be the ever-changing.” It’s a simple suggestion on the surface, but he keeps going, as one does. “The merciful, the bold and brave… the human. People always undermine being human. If some are to see you as lesser for not winning all the time, does that not say more about them than it does you?”

He shifts his positioning so he’s facing more towards her at an angle, and hesitant it may be, he gently offers a hand out for her to hold. Comfort, in its more sincere form.

“There’ll always be something for someone, miss Gloria. Do you believe I had always believed myself destined to be for the arts? My dear older brother used to always fret about being a burden to me because he never found something he could stick to straight away, and look at him now. He found something he could do and, more importantly, something he enjoyed.”

… a pause, and his voice goes nigh above a whisper.

“Do you, erm, actually enjoy being Champion, miss Gloria?”

    GLORIA HANGS ONTO Shirley’s words as he speaks, peeking up with wide eyes and accepting his offered hand with a light and gentle grip ( she doesn’t squeeze his hand too hard; he doesn’t seem to be one for much physical contact, after all ). 

    The hushed question causes Gloria to freeze, if only for a moment, and the hesitation in her following answer only lasts long enough for her to glance around the area to ensure there were no unwanted ears present. Then, in an equal whisper:

❝... I don’t know.❞

    The statement hangs in the air for a moment.

❝I never... When I went off tae take on the gym challenge, I hadn’t expected tae go very far. I was fightin’ tae support Hop, so I was never really prepared tae win. I love battlin’, and I love bein’ good at somethin’! The people out there need someone strong tae look at after everythin’ that happened with the chairman, and I fit that ticket right now. That much, I don’t mind.❞

    She sighs, hanging her head.

Put at ease by Gloria being so forthcoming with her feelings, the older champion gently wrapped her arms around the troubled soul.

“Penny for your thoughts, cousin? Truth be told, I’m glad you gave me the go-ahead. I know we can get a bit huggy, but if there was one thing I really wanted at your age, it was a big hug.”

    GLORIA PRACTICALLY MELTS into the hug, wrapping her own arms around the other champion to return the favor. When she’s asked about her thoughts, Gloria allows herself a sigh, weary and long.

◅ @redtoomuchintoit​ ▻ popped up from nowhere:

Red climbs out of a Wormhole on the ground, dusting himself off before looking at Gloria, notebook in-hand.

"What is your most embarrassing memory?"

    GLORIA REGARDS THE other champion’s entrance with a cheerful little wave before bringing her hand to her chin in thought.

❝Embarrassin’... um, okay, so! Back when I was just a wee thing, me an’ Mum had just moved out tae Postwick, and I went out with her Budew tae try an’ help out with the chores. I was tryin’ tae carry this big, heavy bucket of water out tae the fields. I don’t remember what for at this point, but, ah-❞

    She claps her hands, sliding one of her palms sharply upward and punctuating the gesture with a little whistle. 

◅ @hopskipnjump​​ ▻ approached:

A lean on her shoulder. No, wait. That's more than a lean. Uh-oh. That's MORE of his weight on her shoulder!!

    WUH-OH. WAS THIS an attack? Well, two can play at that game! For the fist moment or two, Gloria holds her weight with barely suppressed giggles...

She balks at the very mention of Motostoke in reference to her beloved show, as if her entire world’s been shattered!

“No WAY! They really did us like that? The rumours are true??? They bamboozled us about Wyndon??? At least tell me Tipton Abbey’s real, right?”

Mizuki shakes her head, adjusting her meager little hoodie, ill-suited for Galarian winters as she brought herself back to earth. She brings out a quick ball, and a Beast Ball… Then finally, a Friend Ball.

“Honestly, I’m still deciding. I’ve got my mainstays here. But now that you mentioned a newbie, I’ve got a Combusken who’s just ready to go. He’s a scrappy little man!”

Ahahah… Maybe she could hold off on telling her about where she got him Torchic for now.

“Does this mean it’ll be somebody we didn’t get to see on TV?? How’d you guys meet? I’ll, uh. Tell you if you tell me.”

    GLORIA SUPPRESSES A bit of laughter at Mizuki’s reaction, holding up her hands in something of a conceding motion.

❝It’s not all bamboozlin’! Some of it really is in the capital! I think they think the gears an’ pipes look better against the RotomBooth! More industrial!❞

    Nevermind the bit about Tipton Abbey. Gloria’s not so sure she can handle being the cause of two world-changing revelations today. When the topic changes back to pokemon, she moves the Net Ball in her hand to the other, thumbing over the pattern.

❝He wouldn’t a’ shown up on air yet, no! We’ve only just got him trained enough tae stand his ground against the folks I’m normally up against! Here, take a look at him!❞

    Pocketing the other two pokeballs, she tosses the last into the air, reaching up to catch the Qwilfish that soon emerges ( who vacantly smiles up at Mizuki as he gets his bearings ).

If things were different between them, he’d have tensed up and brushed aside the concern she showed. Perhaps a wipe of the tears he shed and an ‘I’m fine.’ But the boy, staring down at Wyndon Stadium from the nosebleed section simply rested his chin down on his arms on the railing and inched closer to Gloria’s warmth.

“…Thanks, Glo.” He offered. What was there to hide from the one person he shared the experience with?

“I don’t know why I keep thinking about it… I mean, I know I’m glad I got through that day with you, but… Sometimes it bubbles up.”

The chaos of the Darkest Day as Eternatus ran rampant, the screams and yells of the audience…

“Nowadays, when I see stadiums getting worked on, I can’t help but remember it came down to the brink.”

He rested his chin in his arms, ashamed. Of course, part of him still mourned his place in the tournament… But perhaps she’d already knew that.

    GLORIA MIRRORS HOP’S stance, leaning gently into his side as she casts her own glance down over the edge. Her eyes scan over the pitch, tracing the invisible shapes of cracks that have long since been repaired.

❝We really have gotten intae the business a’ close calls, huh...? I miss when it was just... us rushin’ tae catch Leon an’ Raihan’s latest match on the telly... or runnin’ off with Mika tae spend time in Wedgehurst before the shops closed for th’ day. Less at stake, yknow?❞

    She purses her own lips at the statement.