#do i tag bede pokemon

[pyjamaart]

so two days ago i made the observation that bede from pokemon reminded me a lot of timeman. the purple color scheme, the tsundere personality, the always pissed off expression... (and the inferiority complex)

[souenkun]

Been thinking for sometime after spending my days mostly resting in bed and reading fics, but... the swsh fandom really does have one of the best ao3 writers for me :o

[deerdeardarling]

Someone made a ship chart on twitter so im brigning it here; if you guys want the blank one- I'll ask OP if I/they'll post it here!

[ballonleastadiumofficial]

You'll excuse me for my recent decrease in activity. Obviously, a busy gym leader like myself doesn't exactly owe you lot any amount of updates, but I apologize for my absence all the same. Most of you should know that Ms. Opal and I were invited out to a Galarian Star Tournament to celebrate the holiday season- you should also know that we were eliminated in the second round by a certain pair of former champions. Hmph.

I'm simply taking it as an indication that we need to train harder.

[tomnii]

@torterragarden

[galarfiend]

pastelgoth timeskip

[sunieepo]

.

[fuckingengmeihavenoprupose]

Some creature thing ( drew Bede but with a random colour palette and the original colour )

[rockstar-roxie]

Pelipper mail! Two packages appear! One is wrapped in a thick pink ribbon and has a tag reading "To: Roxie" in neat, angular handwriting. The second is smaller and sports wrapping paper patterned with Galarian Weezings and a tag reading "Roxie" in light, flowing handwriting.

The first box contains multiple objects. The first is a choker in dark purple and yellow, studded with paler purple spikes like the bumps around a Toxtricity's wrists. The next is a small plush toy Toxel, the electricity on its head being made of a shiny material the crinkles when rubbed and the rest being deceptively soft to the touch for its looks. The box also contains a mixed bundle of fresh berries- multiple Shuca berries, Pecha berries, and Cherri berries tied together with their own pink ribbon. At the very bottom of the box is a plastic sleeve containing what seems to be a piece of cardboard. Removing it from the protective sleeve reveals a fairly convincing mock league card- it uses a picture of Roxie onstage at her tour's Ballonlea performance, lit up by spotlights and belting lyrics. It sports the Galar league's poison type style border, a large number "157" in the corner, and an iridescent foil finish. On the back of the card are small graphics portraying the team of pokemon she listed to Bede earlier- Amoonguss, Garbodor, Seviper, Drapion, Crobat, and Scolipede- as well as a large picture of a Toxic Badge. At the top is a small blurb: "Roxie, esteemed Gym Leader of Virbank City Gym in Unova. A poison type trainer, fierce battler, and interregionally renowned musician." It seems Bede hasn't exactly gotten the hang of the flowery and sensationalized descriptions on official league cards. On top of the box is a card, sporting Bede's signature. The lines are straight and neat, although it looks like they've been erased and redone multiple times in an attempt to make them perfect. The card reads "I seem to remember you expressing a desire for a 'cool custom card' in the past. I expect this will suffice, but if not, I've no doubt that you'll find the other gifts suitable in their own right~"

the second box is much smaller, and only contains one item: A pair of large earrings. they depict two Koffings made out of polymer clay dangling from silver chains. The earrings come with a note in flowy cursive: "Ms. Roxie, I was delighted to hear that Bede had decided to invite you over for our Delibird Day festivities. I meant to bring up the idea to him myself, you know, but he set his mind on it before I even had the chance to. I do appreciate you offering that boy your friendship... I like to think you've got him slipping out of his Torkoal shell more and more by the day. Enclosed you'll find some of my old earrings. now, I hope you don't mind getting some old woman's hand-me-downs, but I think they've about run their course with me, and they just cried out to me that they'd like to be with you. I do hope that they'll serve you well, and that you'll continue being so refreshingly, unapologetically 'you' in the new year to come. The world needs more trainers like you... and not just poison type trainers made my job so much more interesting, hm-hm! Best regards, Ms. Opal"

@ballonleastadiumofficial

(*A wide grin adorns Roxie's face as they accept the two packages and excitedly plop onto the floor to open them, much like a kid on Delibird Day morning. She chooses to open the package wrapped in a pink ribbon first, undoing the mentioned ribbon, and practically tearing off the lid.*)

(*Roxie's grin widens even further, if that's even possible, eyes lighting up as he picks up the first item. She admires the Toxtricity inspired choker for several heartbeats before immediately clasping it around her neck, continuing on with the gift-opening seconds after.*)

(*They grab the Toxel plush, giving it an experimental squeeze. Once deemed soft and squishy enough, Roxie sets it on their lap to observe her going for the bundle of berries still inside the box. Although she'll likely give the rest to her Pokémon, she can't help but take one for herself and shove it in her mouth.*)

(*While chewing the sweet Pecha berry, Roxie almost misses the last item sitting on the bottom of the gift box. With a quick wipe of their hands on her pants, she gently picks up the protected cardboard. Their brow furrows slightly in confusion, only for them to immediately raise in surprise as soon as the mock league card is revealed. An excited gasp leaves his lips, bringing it closer to their face to admire it. Roxie's fingernail, painted with chipped purple, traces the front of the card as she takes in every detail. Once done, she flips it around to reveal even more. Assuming the small paragraph to be written by Bede himself, Roxie feels her chest swell with warmth.*)

(*Blue eyes drift back to the discarded lid, discovering that there's a card attached to it that she should probably read. An affectionate chuckle leaves their lips, setting the card down a bit nicer than before.*)

(*Now time for the second, smaller box. Roxie doesn't waste much time opening it of course, revealing a pair of Koffing shaped earrings... In true Roxie fashion, he's taking the earrings he already had in out of her ears and putting in her new pair. After admiring themself in the nearest reflective surface, they turn their attention to the note that had come with the earrings.*)

(*Whilst reading the flowy writing, Roxie's wide smile fades into something softer... Her fingers grip the note a little tighter as they feel their face getting hot with flattery and appreciation. And if her eyes got a bit misty, well that's something she'll keep to herself. With only a few breaths to let the nice words of both Bede and Opal sink in, she launches themself from the floor to begin writing thank you notes.*)

[dashielldeveron]

dash || 26 || she/her

links: about+faq || masterlist || ao3 || ask || tags+organisation

dash it all for personal posts, including answered asks.

though not all content on this blog is 18+, the content that i personally create generally is. minors, please do not interact/follow.

ongoing projects:

[bnha] soulmate trope. various bnha characters/fem!reader, choose-yer-own-adventure style.

currently working on [secret character's] route. it is the last route i have planned for the series, but that is subject to change.

viper. tom holland/fem!lawyer!reader, chapter 12. thank you for being so, so patient with me on this one. i feel pressure to be “clever” with this, so it’s harder to write. i have not abandoned it, and it will be finished. there will probably be two or three more chapters.

upcoming projects:

[haikyuu] fae oikawa/reader, in which the crown prince is pissed that's he's magically bound to a human

[jjk] star trek au gojo/reader, next gen flavoured

[bnha] [multi-chaptered] pro-hero!shinsou/reader. reader keeps popping up at crime scenes of a certain villain shinsou is tracking, and no one can figure out why.

[haikyuu] [oneshot] miya atsumu/reader, in which reader is a session musician hired for a song on the msby jackals’ next album

[pokemon] [oneshot] bede/reader. bede is secretly married to the galar champion and befuddled that she would give up so much of her life for him.

[pokemon] [oneshot] grusha/reader. the power goes out after a gym challenge.

[pearl at the soul of the world] [oneshot] fix-it fic. not an x reader.

shaping loose ideas into a plot for:

[bnha] [oneshot] spirited away au. bakugou/reader. we are not quite chihiro.

[haikyuu] kitsune!miya atsumu/reader

[jjk] arranged marriage inumaki/reader

[kamisama kiss] mizuki/reader, in which both of them are left behind by love but move forward with each other.

[mystic messenger] [oneshot] merman!saeran/reader

[mystic messenger] saeran/reader, companion to the love is real series on ao3. exploring sexual dynamics and kink in the light of mint eye trauma.

[genshin impact] tartaglia/reader, in which reader is isekai’d into genshin impact and is thoroughly unhelpful, bc she’s never played genshin impact. for accuracy, i have not and will not play genshin impact. this will be written solely based on cultural osmosis. if you can convince me something is canon, i’ll work to include it

thank you v v v much for being here!! i hope yer day is peaceful xx.

[frootloopscos]

3) First Day of School Gone Wrong

 Tag list: @naompspsps @bagofburntcreampuffs @lemon-koii @bluerosegardens @lost-woods-rabbit @friskybee

Want to be added to the tag list?

~~~~~~~

Chapter 3) Why Can't Grim Stay Out of Trouble?

PREVIOUSLY

 

After supper was ate, yuu left to the bedroom they and their Pokemon cleaned up, opening the closet they were greeted by their usual attire they wore while traveling. They smiled taking off the robe they had been wearing and hung it inside before releasing their pokemon once more. "Sorry it's not much guys, but it's what we have for now." They said picking up Grumpy and hugging him close. "Let's get some sleep."

NOW. . .

Yuu groaned as a ghost cackled floating above them. "Hehehe aren't the two of you supposed to be off cleaning the school today?" He asked with a grin making Grim groan. "Mmmm, five more minutes Ma. . ." Yuu sat up rubbing one of their eyes, "mmm, Mimi, Rem. Wake Grim up please." They said getting out of the bed and setting the Mimikyu and Hattrem where they had slept. "Myah?! Yuu why would you have them wake me?!" Grim yelled at the trainer as they went through the closet and getting their travel clothes.

(Basically imagine Bede's outfit but a bit more feminine)

"So I hear you'll be living here from now on?" The ghost asked, "Hope you like pranks as much as we do! Hya ha ha!" It laughed making Yuu roll their eyes. "I'm used to Ghost types pranks." Grim grumbled, "we gotta get rid of those things for good!" He yelled as Crowley walked into the room. Yuu's eyes widen and Agent fired a Snipe Shot at his face. "Ever hear of knocking?! What if I was changing?" They asked with a glare, Crowley ignored them as he spoke. "Good morning, Yuu. Did you sleep well?"

"No! When I sprawled out on the bed, the mattress fell right through the frame! Exactly how old is Ramshackle? And worse yet, I got woken up by Yuu's pokemon!" Yuu shook their head, "it's better than sleeping on the ground outside. But this place does suck." They said crossing their arms. Crowley put his hands on his hips, "moving on let's discuss your assignment for today. You will be cleaning the area from the front gates to the library. Yuu, I expect you to keep Grim and your creatures" "Pokemon" they corrected. "Ahem, your Pokemon in line, I do not want another incident like yesterday."

You simply nodded, "do not fail me. You may take your lunch in the cafeteria." Crowley said with a smile, "I eagerly await the fruits of your labor." And with that the male left, Grim grumbled crossing his arms "I ain't cleaning anything! I'm here to study magic so I can be blasting off spells left and right!" Yuu shook their head, "I'm going to change, we can study after cleaning." Grim left the room going down to the living room.

After Yuu finished getting ready they met Grim downstairs, “alright, we’re cleaning so Agent and Rem will be coming with. Everyone else return for now, I promise I’ll figure out some way to get you all a nice open space to be in.” They said as they returned the other five Pokemon to their pokeballs. “Right then, Grim lets go.” Grim grumbled still not wanting to clean but followed the trainer regardless. They came to a stopping point when their dirt path turned to stone.

‘Statues,’ Yuu thought looking at the seven statues around them. “Wow, so this is Main Street huh? This is incredible!” Grim said looking all around them with interest shining in his eyes, “I didn’t get to see much of it yesterday. What’s the deal with these seven statues? All their faces look pretty scary.” “They remind me of powerful ancient trainers, they could each have their own signature pokemon as well.” Yuu said as they walked up to the closest statue of a male that looked to have fire for hair. “He could have a shiny Umbreon or a Houndoom.”

Grim went over to one of the two royal looking statues, “what pokemon would this lady here have? She looks like she’s got some reeeal anger management issues.” He said crossing his arms, Yuu looked over but before they could answer a male spoke up as he joined the two of them. “You don’t know the Queen of Hearts?” He asked, “Queen of Hearts? Is she some kinda big deal?” Grim asked, “Hatt.” Rem said as she looked up at the Royal elegant statue across from the one they were currently at.

The boy nodded to grim, “she was a queen who lived in a maze-like garden of roses long, long ago. “She was a strict woman who prized order above all. She wouldn’t tolerate a rose being off-color, or her playing-card soldiers being out of step. She basically ruled o we a kingdom of madness, but not one of her subjects dared to defy her. You wanna know why? Because the punishment for breaking a rule was off with your head! Immediate decapitation!” He said with a grin making Grim hide behind Yuu, “s-scary!”

“It’s pretty cool, right? I’m a big fan. I mean, who would bother to obey a queen who was kind all the time? I certainly wouldn’t.” Yuu crossed her arms and glanced over to Agent who stood next to her, “just who are you?” They asked, the boy smiles, “oh my bad. Name’s Ace. I’m a first year student here as of today! Pleased to meetcha!” He said extending a hand, Yuu shook it as Grim spoke. “I’m Grim! I’m a prodigy who’s planning to be the greatest mage who ever lived. This is my far lest interesting henchman Yuu and their henchmen Agent and Rem.”

“Not my henchmen,” they corrected before Ace crossed his arms after letting go of their hand. “Yuu? Odd name, got a weird ring to it.” He said, “well, I’m not from this world. Regardless, it’s nice to meet you, Ace.” They said picking Rem up off the the statue labeled as ‘The Beautiful Queen’, Ace continued to explain each statue to Grim as Yuu listened with suspicion noticing his tone change slightly after explaining the last statue. “Pretty cool, huh? Not like some piddling weasel.”

“Knew it,” Yuu mumbled turning back to Ace with a glare. “Myah?!” Grim asked before Ace burst out laughing, “pffft. . . Ha ha ha! I can’t hold it back anymore! Come on, you’re the ones who turned orientation into such a fiasco, right? The one summoned by the Dark Mirror, who can’t even use magic. And the monster that no one summoned at all. It took everything I had not to burst into laughter right in the middle of the ceremony!” He said with a smug grin on his face.

Grim growled, “h-hey! You don’t gotta be a jerk about it!” “So in the end, neither of you got admitted, and now you’re janitors? Ha ha ha that’s so lame!” Ace kept going, making not only Grim, but Rem and Agent angry too. “What did you just call me?!” Grim yelled, “and you’re both so clueless you don’t even know who the Great Seven are. Not a one of them! Maybe before you try getting into the academy again you ought to take a second crack at kindergarten?”

“Ace, I suggest you stop,” Yuu warned, yet Ace ignored them. “Anyway, just thought I’d tease you a bit. And man am I glad I did. It’s been a blast!unlike you, I actually have classes to get to, so I’ll let you get back to picking up trash. Bye!” And to add more insult to injury he dropped a plastic bottle cap on the ground before attempting to leave. Only for Grim to shoot his fire magic at the ginger. “Woah! Watch where you’re aiming! You wanna throw down with me shorty? You’ve got some guts. I’ll shave you like a toy poodle!”

As the two continued to throw insults at eachother they added spells along with them causing students around to notice the fight picking up. “Grim, Ace, that’s enough.” Yuu tried to intervene getting fed up with being ignored. Grim shot his fire at Ace once more only for the boy to deflect it with his wind. Seeing where the flames were now directed to Yuu’s eyes widened, “Agen use Snipe Shot quick!” They yelled pointing at the fire, only for them to be a few seconds too late.

“Shit! Now the Queen of Heart’s statue has been charred!” Ace yelled, “that’s your fault for trying to divert it! You shoulda just let it burn you to a crisp!” “Who in their right mind would ever do that?!” And that’s when the shit hit the fan, Crowley was here. “What is going on here? Cease this at once!” He demanded making the males flinch. “Headmage. . .” Grim quickly tried to run away, “no more lashings! We gotta get outta here!”

It was no use, the boys cried out in pain as they both got tied up in Crowley’s whip. “As if the likes of you could even flee from me! Haaah. . . Did I not just warn you Yuu, “no more incidents”? And now you’ve charred one of my statues?! It’s almost as though you want to be expelled!” He yelled at the boys and Yuu, they put their hands up in fake surrender. “I didn’t think that there would be a Mudbray that would get Grim into a fight.”

“As punishment for today’s infractions, Yuu, Ace, and Grim are all hereby ordered to wash a hundred windows!” Crowley declared with a glare, “you will all meet in the cafeteria after your classes. Are we clear?” “Yes sir.”

——————

Dang, that actually was really easy to write! I’m gonna try and get my two Pokemon crossover fics (this one and my new one) caught up to my demon slayer one.

Word count: 1612

Published: April 28th, 2024

Edited: n/a

[verdantmeadows]

Everyone is like "omg I love gay rivals to lovers" except for the Pokemon fandom, for whatever fucking reason (ignoring originalshipping and preciousmetalshipping). Like literally no one likes any of the gay rivals to lovers ships outside of those. If they DO, it's het. Like, you NEVER see cutebonesshipping. You never see cheeryfairyshipping. You never see clingyshipping. I don't even know what Arven x Florian is, because no one ships it, they usually all self-ship with Arven or ship Juliana with Arven (and it's very obvious Juliana is their self-insert). Like, I don't understand why?? I guess I could understand clingyshipping, because clingyshipping is very friends/rivals to lovers (they are both at the same time). But with the other two it's like?? They both have the asshole with the not asshole formula that originalshipping and preciousmetalshipping have. I guess maybe, okay, it's not protagonist x your rival, but they're clearly rivals to each other (because neither Hau nor Hop are asshole rivals to the protagonist).

And if you only do like protagonist x rival, like, I do not even SEE Bede x Victor or Gladion x Elio. I DO see Bede x Gloria and Gladion x Selene far more often, though! Like, there's nothing wrong with it, I guess? It's just. I wish shipping for the rivals in the Pokemon fandom was more popular, gay-wise. The only times it is popular outside of gen 1-2 are het-wise, and even then, it's usually glaringly obvious that they're not writing the female protag/rival, and are instead just writing themselves into the relationship.

And like, nothing wrong with that, but for the LOVE of God, just make a new character/OC. There is a difference between the official protagonist of the game and YOU. Just ship yourself as the protagonist with whatever character rather than saying "yeah this is the canon protag (is clearly a self-insert)" because it isn't fair to fans looking for content of the actual protagonist character x other character. Like I'm not saying don't have headcanons but I'm saying you cannot go (this is an example) "This is my Juliana! She is just me but inside the game" Juliana is NOT you just make your own self-insert for the game, like you play as your name in the game and customize the character. Rather than pretending that customization is Juliana just call it yourself.

Get into self-ship! For the love of god! Self-ship is fun and cool! But the official canon protagonist =/= the player character! This is an issue I see in so many fandoms! It's okay to have headcanons, of course!!! But there is a difference between headcanons and just having the character be YOU but in the game!

TLDR; Gay rival ships outside of Gen 1-2 are not popular in the Pokemon fandom which really bothers me because it seems like they should be. Even when it's the protagonist x their rival, it still isn't popular, but oftentimes you see that the het version of this ship is more popular. Ignoring personal preference, this is often frustrating because it's clear that the female character is just being used as a self-insert, in which case the person needs to understand that protagonist=/=player character and just make a self-insert and get into self-ship because it clogs the tags (whether on Tumblr, Ao3, or other media site) since you're not actually portraying the protagonist, you are portraying you.

Why the hell do I care about this it doesn't even matter and this is INCREDIBLY stupid I am getting off my soapbox now

[godza]

tagged by the darling @yisanged !!

last song: please please please by sabrina carpenter. i saw it in a reel and was intrigued. kinda slaps in a sad way

last movie/show: hold on i hear fireworks?? why its june. ok i last watched fantasy high junior year im on ep 2 of it.

sweet/spicy/savory: salty should be an option. if not then savory. i dislike overly sweet and have a low spice tolerance

relationship status: bitchless to a maddening degree. i gotta calm down about it though

last thing i searched: bede pokemon. i wanted to see his team and when he got a sylveon

current obsession: fantasy high. like its really bad. its so intense its uncomfortable. you know when you like something so much random complaints you have about it become all consuming. why the fuck do i hear fireworks. my computers chugging so hard i can barely hear my livestream and the fireworks. anyway back to my autism. thank you again for the wizard game it was good to play games with my friends to satisfy my deep urge to roll a d20 lobster casualties aside

tagging everybody and everybody. do my game boy

[horace-pokemon]

Introduction / Info

♡ Autism creature that goes by mainly Bunny and Chao ♡

He/She/Bun • 19 yrs • AUDHD and Beautiful Princess Disorder

I'm queer, agender and a system, putting that out there since I will joke and talk about it sometimes (most likely at least). And because it helps explain my horrid memory ...

Might go ham with reblogging art or other posts so I'll try and make a tag for that to mute! (will edit with tag included later <3)

I'm also a big multishipper that loves making my own rarepairs and will respect if you aren't into the same pairings that I am, we're all chill and casual over here! No ripping heads

DNI and main ships below! :

General Do Not Interact IF : Terfs/Swerfs/Radfems/Transphobic or Misogynists at all || proship/comfic/profic ( Yes I'm an anti, go cry and piss ) || Ableist or fakeclaimer || Queerphobic

Fandom Specific Do Not Interact : Sexualize minors / child characters or hate on unproblematic/unharmful ships, this isn't the place for you buddy

[ I will edit if I think of anything else I need to add ]

Main Pokemon ships I enjoy! :

Timelessheartshipping (Tokio x Gou | Horace x Goh)

Journeyshipping (Gou x Satoshi | Goh x Ash)

Polytimelessjourney (Tokio x Gou x Ash) [came up with name on the spot]

Trainshipping (Victor x Hop)

Gouhop (Gou x Hop) [idk their shipname wah]

Gothgfshipping (Gloria x Marnie)

Auldshipping (Gloria x Serena)

Brattyshipping (Victor x Bede)

+ Probs more I can't think of rn I have a lot of rarepairs tbh

Miscellaneous! :

This blog is turning into my main general one, though it'll probably still have a main focus of Pokemon! I'll probably talk about Genshin, Persona, Minecraft and any other random things I'm into! A new tag to my usual list is 'bunny interests' for anything that's about stuff besides Pokemon! <3

[ballonleastadiumofficial]

Stadium - What convinced you to join Pokemon IRL?

((OKAY okay. Here's the scoop. I kind of divide the process of me getting into pokemon irl into 3 phases, with various people helping me out along the way who I'll always be suuuper grateful for.))

((First, I made a post a long time ago on my main about wanting to get back into pokemon swsh and make art for it. @deerdeardarling sent me a really encouraging reply that inspired me to set out and find something I actually wanted to do.))

((Then, I learned about pokemon irl from @uncle-dusknoir and @piers-official. Those were the first pokekon irl blogs I ever found, and I thought they were amazingly, awesomely inspiring. So after that, I just had the thought, "I have to make a Bede account".))

((However, I was worried about someone already having filled that niche, as well as possibly being an unwanted intruder in the community myself. I broke out the search tool and started looking to find out if anyone had already taken up a Bede muse, and that's when I found a post by @pinkhairandpokemon through the search when they offhandedly mentioned Bede in the tags. I worked up the courage to send a message in dms asking about pokemon irl in general and if it would be cool if I made a Bede blog and the mun was super duper encouraging. That conversation is pretty much the biggest reason I worked up the courage to be here today tbh.))

((I think about the people who led me to be here pretty often... I'm just really thankful for all the fun you guys gave me the opportunity to experience. Thanks bunches for being so welcoming and cool))

[misskikuwrites]

The Next Step Ch 1

Bede/Gloria (dressedinpinkshipping)

Tags: angst, fluff (i swear there will be fluff later), references to past assault, a lot of plot

Words: 5,295

-

Gloria ruffled her Arcanine’s cheeks, his tongue hanging languidly out the side of his mouth, and said quietly, “look after her for me, will you?” 

Arcanine gave an astute bark, snapping to attention. He changed from lazy, spoiled canine to alert and ready in an instant. Gloria pressed a kiss to Arcanine’s brow. Her stomach tied itself into knots, unease roiling inside her, as she stood and turned to her mother. 

“I’ll be fine,” Gloria’s mother said, accepting Arcanine’s Pokeball from her daughter. “I’m the one who should be worrying about you, not the other way around!”

Gloria’s mouth twisted. “I know, but… I’ll feel better if Arcanine stays with you. You’ll keep him out of his Pokeball as much as you can?” Arcanine leant his big head on Gloria’s hip, gazing up at her in hope of more pats. She scratched behind his ears automatically. 

“You know I can’t bring him into the shops,” Gloria’s mother said. “And I’m not sure the Wooloo down the street would appreciate him-” 

“Okay, okay, I get it!” Gloria huffed, throwing up her hands. “Just keep him around when you’re at home, then. He gets along with Munchlax well enough.” 

For a moment, when the two Pokemon had met, Gloria thought that Arcanine was going to make a chew toy out of Munchlax. Thankfully, Arcanine had decided against it, and soon the two had curled up on the rug for a nap. 

“And what about you?” Gloria’s mother asked. 

Gloria looked up from her Arcanine. “What about me?” 

“You’re doing all of this so that I’m safe, but what about you? Do you feel safe here?” 

Gloria didn’t know how to answer that. Something lurched in her stomach. “Of course I do. This is my home.” 

“It doesn’t have to be,” her mother said gently. 

“What?” Gloria gaped at her mother. “No, we’re not moving. Not because some asshole had it out for me.” She stood her ground, folded her arms. “You’ve spent years on the garden! You love this place! You can’t just- just leave all that work behind!” 

Gloria’s mother touched her arm. “I wasn’t talking about me.” 

“Then…?” Her heart plummeted. “No. You know I’m not leaving you. Ever.” 

“Hun-” 

“No, I made a promise. I can’t just… abandon you.” 

“Gloria, listen to me.” She gave her daughter’s arm a soft squeeze, her expression firm. Understanding, but not willing to budge. “I never wanted you to feel as though you had to give up your life because of me.” 

“I’m not-” 

“Just listen. Let me finish.” 

Gloria pursed her lips, but remained silent. 

“Do you really think it would make me happy to see you never move out, never fall in love or get married, because of a promise you made when you were a child?” 

Gloria’s gaze dropped to the floor. 

“I know you feel like you have this duty to stay with me, but isn’t it enough that we already lost one life? I don’t want you to put yours aside, to put your life on hold, because of me.” 

Something heavy sank in Gloria’s stomach. “But…” 

“Gloria, no matter what, nothing will ever take you from me.” Gloria’s mother wrapped her arms around Gloria, embracing her daughter in a hug. “If you move out, if you get married, that’s not you leaving me. That’s you growing up, living your own life.” 

Tears pricked Gloria’s eyes. “But I don’t… I don’t want to…” She sniffled, tried to blink away the tears. “What if I end up getting hurt? I don’t want to… lose anyone like that…” 

“Oh, hun.” Gloria’s mother gave her a squeeze. “Do you think I would’ve preferred to have never met your father? To have never fallen in love, to have never had you?” 

Gloria had no answer to that. 

“I know it hurts. Arceus, I know it hurts.” Her mother’s voice dropped to a whisper. “But the time I spent with him, loving him, having you, I would never for a moment give that up. Not for anything.” 

“Even if you knew what was going to happen?” Gloria wondered out loud. 

“Even then, I’d rather have those years with him than none at all.” 

Gloria closed her eyes at those words, letting the heat of her tears warm her cheeks as they fell.

-

The morning air was brisk as Gloria stepped outside, hiking the tartan scarf around her neck that little bit higher. She hadn’t hidden the bruises around her neck when confronting Elliot the day before, using them as a way to get him talking for the hidden cameras livestreaming the whole thing, but now, as she desperately wanted to leave that whole incident behind her, she opted for a scarf. Light enough not to press on her bruises and make them hurt, but sturdy enough that she didn’t have to keep securing it in place every few seconds. 

Gloria glanced up the street to where two teenage girls remained on guard. A Drednaw and Pelipper flanked them at the junction between Gloria and Hop’s house. They spotted Gloria, hopped off the fence, and bolted towards Wedgehurst. 

“Wait!” Gloria cried, the word leaving her mouth before she’d thought about what she was doing. The two girls froze. They exchanged worried looks as Gloria approached. 

“Um, we were just…” the one called Nicole stammered. She gestured sheepishly towards Wedgehurst. The other girl, Megan, stared at her boots. 

“Mum told me you two have been fending off reporters,” Gloria said. 

“Well…” Megan shot a look at Nicole. 

“It doesn’t make up for what you did,” Gloria said, “but… thank you.” 

She sped off towards Wedgehurst, leaving the two girls to their shock, and hailed the first Sky Taxi she came across without looking back. 

-

It was hard to believe it had only been two days since Gloria had last been in Motostoke’s Gym. The Star Tournament, the Opening Ceremony, it felt like it had been a lifetime ago. But, thankfully, it had only been two days. That meant the evidence Gloria was after was probably still here. She walked up to the counter, thinking back to what Bede had told her. 

“Champion Gloria!” the Staff Member behind the counter greeted her, his eyes flicking for a second to the scarf around her neck. “How can I help you?” 

She swallowed the nausea that built in her throat at the Staff Member’s glance, and gave him the ‘everything’s fine’ smile she’d tried to perfect in the mirror earlier. “I was wondering if I could view the CCTV from before the Star Tournament the other day?” she asked. 

He gave her a curious look, but allowed her behind the counter all the same. “Of course,” he said. “Is there anything in particular you’re after?” He brought up the CCTV on the computer, navigating to the date of the Star Tournament. The screen displayed footage from the various cameras around the Gym, both inside and outside. 

“Hmm… I think it’s a bit later than that… wait- there!” she jabbed a finger at the screen showing the waiting room. There stood Bede, a white envelope in his hands. “Can you go back a few seconds?” 

The footage rewound, and a League Staff Member with bright orange hair walked backwards to Bede, taking the envelope from him. 

“There- who’s that?” Gloria asked, pointing at the Staff Member on the footage. 

“That… looks like Jemma,” he said, before nodding with more confidence. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s Jemma. She was on duty that day. She should be on the doors today- you’d have passed her as you walked in.”

“Great! Thanks a lot!” Gloria said, hurrying out from behind the counter, and shot outside. Just as the Staff behind the counter had said, there was Jemma, standing tall outside the Gym. 

Gloria collected herself for a moment before she approached. “Hi, are you Jemma?” she asked, again flashing a smile as unsuspicious as she could. 

Jemma’s eyes, hidden behind her dark sunglasses, flicked to Gloria before recognition filled her face. “Oh! Champion Gloria!” she squeaked, jolting to attention. “What- What can I do for you?” A starstruck smile broke over her face. 

Gloria wondered for a second if Jemma’s smile was real, or put on to hide something. It seemed too bright. Too eager. “I was wondering if you remembered delivering a letter to Gym Leader Bede on the day of the Star Tournament?” Gloria asked. “That was two days ago-”

“Oh, yes! I remember that!” Jemma answered quickly. “The poor kid was so nervous, he couldn’t bring himself to deliver it!” she gave a sympathetic laugh. 

“Wait, someone gave you that letter to give to Bede?” 

Jemma nodded. “It was one of the Gym Challengers. Said he was a huge fan of Gym Leader Bede, and asked me to deliver it for him.” 

A Gym Challenger. Gloria’s heart flopped. “Do you remember what he looked like?” 

“He was, what, about 14, 15 years old? Short, too. With a mop of brown hair.” Jemma shrugged. “He was wearing the Challenger Uniform, so there’s not much else I can say.” 

Oh, Jemma had said enough. A memory flashed in Gloria’s mind of a young boy, a Gym Challenger, fitting that exact description. The boy who’d waited until everyone else had left. The boy who’d thrown accusations about Rose, about her battle with Leon, at her.

“Thank you,” Gloria said. “You’ve been a great help.” 

She turned to leave, to head back into the Gym, when Jemma called, “wait- um, Champion Gloria!” 

Gloria turned back to the Staff Member, to the notebook and pen that was thrust in her face. 

“I-I’ve been a fan of yours for ages!” Jemma squeaked. “Can- Can I get an autograph?” 

Gloria almost laughed. Her heart skittered in her chest as she signed, feeling as overwhelmed as Jemma looked as she handed the notebook and pen back. 

A fan. That’s all she was. Gloria’s head spun as she entered Motostoke’s Gym again. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to people suddenly declaring themselves as fans, suddenly asking for photos or autographs. It always left her feeling dizzy. Feeling giddy. She walked in a daze to the counter again, where the Staff Member greeted her with a tinge of confusion on his face. 

“Back so soon?” 

Gloria cleared her throat to snap herself back to reality. “You were right, it was Jemma,” she said. “So, my next question is, can I have a look at all the Gym Challengers who are enrolled for this year?”

The Staff Member raised an eyebrow and nodded. “If it were anyone else asking, I’d have to say that’d be a breach of confidentiality, but since you’re the Champion…” He let her behind the counter again. “Let me just pull them up… there you go!” He nodded to her and stepped back from the computer. 

“Thank you.” Gloria gave him a smile and began scrolling through the Challengers. 

“Has this got to do with…?” the Staff Member’s question trailed off, his eyes once again landing on her scarf for the briefest moment. 

“No,” Gloria said sharply. The word came out with enough force that the Staff Member stiffened. “At least, I don’t think so,” she added to soften the blow. 

“Right.” The Staff Member looked incredibly sheepish now. “I’ll just… leave you to it, then…” He stepped to the side and Gloria’s stomach dropped. 

She hadn’t meant to snap. Hadn’t meant to let memories of that night, of the day that followed, creep back into her mind. She scrolled through Challenger after Challenger, barely registering their profiles before continuing. She tried to concentrate on what she was doing, but her throat tightened. She itched to tug her scarf higher on her neck. 

Of course, the fact that everyone knew what had happened was her fault. It was her idea to stream the whole confrontation live on Nessa and Raihan’s instagram accounts. Elliot himself had made reference to the bruises, “his handiwork,” on Gloria’s neck. The whole of Galar knew what he’d done. 

And while that made Elliot a monster in the eyes of the world, it also painted Gloria as a victim. There was no escaping that. Nessa had said as much in the hospital after Gloria had detailed her plan. Gloria had accepted it, taken hold of the double-edged sword, and used it against Elliot. The recoil, however painful, was something she had to live with. She had to keep her head held high. Had to take the next step. She had to- 

Gloria stopped scrolling. There he was- the Challenger who’d given the letter to Jemma, the one who’d thrown accusations at Gloria. In his League Card, Samuel Johnson had his arms folded, a determined smile on his face. His brown eyes held a challenge. One that Gloria knew was levelled at her. 

“Is that who you’re looking for?” the Staff Member asked. He’d been watching in silence a few feet away. 

“Yup.” Gloria took a photo of the display before the blood drained from her face. “Endorsed by… Richard Murdoch…?” 

Elliot’s father. 

The Staff Member glanced at the info. “Huh, didn’t know Mr Murdoch gave out endorsements.” 

“He hasn’t before?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Pretty sure I’d remember if the wealthiest man in Galar had endorsed someone for the League Challenge.” 

Gloria’s mouth went dry. She remembered the letter of endorsement that Leon had handed her and Hop all those years ago.

What if… what if it the endorsement wasn’t from Richard Murdoch, but from someone who had access to him, someone who knew his signature, someone who wanted to destroy everything Gloria had, everything she loved- 

Gloria took a step back. She wasn’t thinking straight.

“Are there… do you have any more info on him?” Gloria asked, gesturing to the profile of Samuel on the screen. 

“Sure, all you have to do is… this.” The Staff Member clicked on the profile and it opened to reveal more details. His home address, age, date of birth, even his height was listed. 

What caught Gloria’s attention was the note about the trainer’s school in Hulbury he’d attended. It wasn’t much, but it was a lead. Gloria snapped another photo of the information before looking up the trainer’s school on her phone. 

She took a breath, gathered herself together, and gave the Staff Member a grateful smile. “Thank you so much, I really appreciate your help.” 

The Staff Member echoed her smile. “Not a problem! Anytime, Champion.” 

As Gloria left the Gym, confusion churned in her belly. She’d thought with Elliot arrested, the whole incident with him was behind her. The Gala, the assault, the confrontation that followed, she’d thought she could leave it behind, bury it in the deep recesses of her mind. How was it that he still had claws digging into her skin? She looked at the photo she’d taken of Samuel’s profile. He was just a kid. A kid who’d levelled accusations at her, sent an anonymous letter to Bede, who was probably endorsed for the Gym Challenge by a complete and utter creep, but he was still just a kid. 

She felt sick to her stomach thinking about it. Did he even know what sort of a monster Elliot was? 

Gloria sighed heavily. She had the information she was after, but what was she going to do with it? The trap that had been laid for her and Bede went deeper than she’d thought. 

Bede. Something skittered in her belly. She had a thought to tell him what she’d found out, but the heat pooling across her cheeks burnt it away in an instant. Unbidden memories of yesterday took over her mind. His words, his voice, echoing in her brain. 

“I want you to see me.”

Gloria hurried away from the Gym, down an alley where she could be alone, and leant her forehead against a brick wall. It felt like her whole face was ablaze. Burning, searing, with tortuous heat.

“All of me,” Bede’s voice continued in her mind. “And that includes my heart.”

Gloria bit back a muffled scream. It didn’t matter how hard she tried to suppress what had happened yesterday, again and again it shot back into her mind without warning. She couldn’t forget it, even if she wanted to. Bede had said that. He’d confessed. No matter how she tried to twist his words, the truth remained. There was only one meaning behind what he’d said. 

Bede was in love with her. 

Gloria’s legs buckled and she sank to the ground, feeling like her lungs were filled to the brim with Butterfree. Somehow, in the midst of her shock, her panic, the dread at seeing the heartbreak on Bede’s face yesterday, she’d managed to speak. She’d managed to plead for more time. 

But now… she didn’t know what to do.

How am I supposed to face Bede after that…?!

-

In the end, Gloria decided to leave the question of facing Bede for another time, and caught a Sky Taxi to Hulbury. If she was going to find any more information about this Samuel kid, then the Trainer’s School he attended was her best bet. It gave her something to do, something to focus on. For all she knew, Elliot could be manipulating this kid like he had manipulated her. Maybe… maybe he was just as much of a victim of Elliot’s schemes as she’d been. 

As Gloria stepped up to the doors of the Trainer’s School, she put that thought on the back burner. She wanted to give Samuel the benefit of the doubt, but her heart wasn’t entirely in it. He could be a victim like her, but the other option was just as likely. Just because he was a kid didn’t mean he was innocent. 

She shook that thought off, collected herself, and entered the building. Immediately upon opening the door, two dozen pairs of eyes shot to her. And chaos ensued. 

“It’s the Champion!” a child cried, and Gloria, barely halfway through the door, was surrounded by clambering, excited kids. She hadn’t thought this through at all. Their voices, their calls, jumbled together into a mess of noise. 

“Hey, hey! That’s not how we greet someone!” the teacher called, clapping her hands and silencing the swarm of children. “We don’t want to scare her off, do we?” 

A sheepish chorus of “no…” came from the kids.

“And what do we say to Miss Gloria?” 

Two dozen voices apologised, “sorry Miss Gloria..!”

“Now, get back to your seats while I have a chat with the Champion,” the teacher said, shooing the kids back to their spots while she gave Gloria an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for that, it’s not often we get visitors like you, especially not on short notice. Or no notice at all.” She raised an eyebrow, curious but unfazed. 

“I, uh, didn’t realise a class was in session,” Gloria said. “I can come back another time…” 

The teacher just smiled. “Class, it’s time for an early recess! Why don’t you all head on outside?” 

There was a mixture of elation and groans, some eager for a break, others disappointed their time with the Champion was cut short, but in a few minutes, the children had vacated the classroom for the yard out the back. Through the door, Gloria spied a variety of baby Pokemon lounging on the grass or cozying up in little shelters. Munchlax, Togepi, a duo of Cleffa and an Igglybuff were what Gloria could spot before the door shut behind the last kid. 

“I’m Miss McCarthy,” the teacher began. “To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the Champion?” She maintained a professional smile.

“Well…” Gloria got out her phone and brought up the picture she’d taken of Samuel’s profile, fighting the urge to clear her throat nervously. “I was wondering if you were the one who taught Samuel?” She held up her phone for Miss McCarthy to see. 

“Oh yes, Samuel. I remember him,” Miss McCarthy said, nodding. “I taught him for a few years- he graduated just last year.” 

Gloria almost sighed in relief. She’d found his teacher on the first attempt. “And what was he like?” she asked. “As a student?” 

Miss McCarthy opened her mouth to answer before pausing. “What is this about, may I ask? What business does the Champion have asking about a previous student of ours?” 

“Oh, it’s…” Gloria’s mind scrambled for a reason, for an excuse. “Official League business,” she said quickly. 

Miss McCarthy’s expression twisted into concern. “Of what kind?” 

“Well, you’re aware of how… unfair the admission process into the Gym Challenge can be,” Gloria began, rambling off the first thing that came into her head, “with endorsements often coming from the already privileged to a select number of Challengers…” 

Miss McCarthy nodded. “Oh, yes. The participants of the Gym Challenge are heavily skewed towards those who have connections.” 

“Right! Exactly!” 

“But what does this have to do with Samuel?”

Gloria swallowed. “Well, I’m doing a review of the participants this year, looking into their backgrounds, how they got their endorsements, that sort of thing.” It felt like her mind was spinning. Lie after lie springing forth from who knows where. “We- the League- are trying to come up with a way to make the selection process fairer. Maybe do away with endorsements altogether-” Now she was really digging herself into a hole. 

“Oh, that would be amazing!” Miss McCarthy chimed, clasping her hands together. “There are so many promising Trainers who find themselves locked out of the Gym Challenge because they can’t secure an endorsement.” 

“Right, so, that’s why I’m here to talk about Samuel,” Gloria said, trying to steer the conversation back on topic. “There’s only so much information available on his profile, and who knows him better than the very teacher who taught him at the Trainer’s School?” 

Miss McCarthy nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry for questioning you, you know how it is, we teachers can’t just blab about our students to anyone who comes asking.” 

“I understand,” Gloria said, despite feeling like she’d swallowed a bunch of knives. 

“Hmm, now what can I say about Samuel?” Miss McCarthy thought for a moment. “Well, he was a good kid. Bright, too. He had a knack for anything to do with Pokemon, and was a huge fan of Leon.” She gave a bright laugh, “but then again, who wasn’t?” 

“Did he… ever get into any trouble?” 

Miss McCarthy shook her head adamantly. “Oh no, of course not! Well, he’d get into arguments with the other kids on occasion - he could be quite stubborn when it came to Pokemon - but nothing ever came of it.” 

A weight dragged down Gloria’s stomach. She felt heavy. Nothing she was hearing explained Samuel’s behaviour, other than being a fan of Leon. “How did he get his endorsement?” 

“I’m afraid I have no idea,” Miss McCarthy said. 

“Then… how did he come to be at this school?” Gloria asked. She needed something more. 

“Oh, he was sponsored, I believe,” Miss McCarthy said, thinking back. “There are a few sponsorships running for disadvantaged kids, and Samuel won a position here.” 

“Who?” Gloria asked. Her heart thumped. Pounded. “Who ran the sponsorship?” 

It sounded like Miss McCarthy was underwater when she answered, “I believe it was Richard Murdoch.” 

There it was. The connection Gloria was after. 

“Are you alright?” Miss McCarthy asked gently. “You look a little pale.” 

“I-I’m fine.” Gloria shook herself out of her stupor, flashed a bright smile at the teacher. “That’s all I wanted to know, thank you.” 

She let herself out of the classroom before Miss McCarthy could say anything more.

-

Gloria felt sick to her stomach. Everything kept coming back to the Murdochs. The endorsement, the sponsorship, it was too much of a coincidence for her to brush it aside. The weight of what she’d learnt hung over her as she took a Sky Taxi home. She’d toyed with the idea of asking Miss Opal about Richard Murdoch, about the sponsorship, but that put her at risk of coming across Bede - and she wasn’t ready to deal with that just yet. 

In the meantime, she needed to think. She needed to figure out what to do next. She hadn’t told anyone what she was after. It was her own idea to go searching for whoever had set the trap that she and Bede had fallen for. Now that she thought about it, the letter handed to Bede, the Challenger accusing Gloria, it had happened the very night that Elliot had snuck into her house in order to- 

She didn’t want to think about what could have happened. What almost happened. She bit back the rising fear in her throat as the Sky Taxi landed outside her house. Her hands trembled, fumbled for the door, and she all about fell out through it in her desperation to get home. Despite being the middle of the day, Gloria shoved the front door open with a bolt of fear. Arcanine jolted awake at the sound. He leapt off the couch, ready to confront the intruder, and saw it was his Trainer. He bounded over to Gloria, jumping up to give her cheek a “welcome home” lick. 

“Perfect timing,” Gloria’s mother called from the kitchen. “There was a delivery for you. It’s in the lounge.” 

The thundering of Gloria’s heart eased at the sound of her mother’s voice. She calmed her shaky breathing, flexed her shaky hands, and tried to tell herself that everything was fine. Elliot was behind bars. No one was going to hurt her. 

“Thanks!” Gloria replied when she had enough control over her voice so it wouldn’t quaver. She turned to the lounge and gaped at the mound of flowers and letters propped up against the wall. Bouquet after bouquet, card after card, Teddiursa plushies holding hearts that had “get well soon” embroidered on the front, there were more gifts piled here than Gloria had ever received before. 

“What- What is all this?!” Gloria asked. 

“I think they’re gifts from the people worried about you,” her mother said. 

“But… there’s so much!” 

“Didn’t you say the livestreams got millions of views?” 

“I did, but…” Gloria stared at the gifts. A lump wedged in her throat. 

“There’s a lot of people that care about you,” her mother said, “and I think they wanted you to know that.” 

Gloria knelt in front of the mound, picking up an envelope. “To the Champion,” was handwritten on the front. She teased open a card attached to a bouquet of daisies, reading “To our Champion Gloria,” and a heartfelt message wishing her well inside. Each letter carried a similar message. Praising her courage, hoping she’s okay, telling her not to give up. All had a variation of “the Champion,” or “our Champion,” some with her name, some without. A few even had “our Hero,” or “the Hero of Galar.” 

At some point, she began to cry. Tears plopped onto the card she was reading, her vision blurring. Her mother came and sat beside her. Together, they read every card. Opened every letter. 

“What am I going to do with all these flowers?” Gloria asked at one point, when the reality that she’d affected the lives of this many people didn’t feel so overwhelming.

“You leave that to me,” her mother said. She planted a gentle kiss on Gloria’s temple. “Don’t worry about it.” 

Gloria sniffled, giving her mother a thankful nod as she reached for a letter that had been underneath some of the gifts. As she opened it, a photograph fell out. 

It was a picture of her and Rose. Gloria remembered the moment captured in the shot - Oleana had insisted that Gloria meet Rose at a restaurant in Hulbury after she’d defeated Nessa. Sonia had been there, but the shot was carefully cropped so that it appeared like Gloria was meeting Rose by herself. 

Everything else dropped away as Gloria scanned the letter. It was just as she’d thought. The letter had been typed, just like the one handed to Bede. It read, “I have more proof to come. Galar will soon see you as the fraud you are.” 

That was it. Two simple lines. 

Gloria’s stomach twisted. Was this a letter from a desperate fan of Leon who was unable to accept his defeat, or was there something deeper, something darker, at play?

“Where did they even get this picture?” Gloria’s mother scoffed, studying the photo. “Did you know someone had photographed you?” 

Gloria breathed out a heavy sigh. “No. They must’ve seen us from the docks. Whoever took the photo was outside.” 

“I’m not sure what they think this photo proves,” her mother said. “Everyone knows this would’ve been taken during your Gym Challenge.” 

“And that’s the point.” She wished she’d never taken up Oleana’s suggestion. Wished she’d walked right past the restaurant. Wished she’d never spoken to Rose at all. “It shows I met with Rose, back when he was the Chairman. They’re… trying to prove that I was a part of Rose’s plan from the start.” 

Gloria’s mother shook her head in disbelief. “But you weren’t the one endorsed by him!” 

That comment stung, but Gloria kept the pain from her face. “All part of the ‘plan,’ I supposed they’d say,” Gloria said. “After all, it does look… convenient, that Hop and I just happened to be able to call Zacian and Zamazenta, the Legendary Pokemon from centuries ago, right after Leon was knocked out by Eternatus.” 

“Oh, hun, don’t say that…” Her mother wrapped an arm around Gloria’s shoulder, giving her a sideways hug. 

Gloria relented to the hug, resting her head on her mother’s shoulder. It was too easy to twist what had happened into a conspiracy. She could see how someone who adored Leon like Samuel would believe it. 

“Hmm?” Gloria noticed another letter stuck under the gifts right where she’d pulled the obviously-from-Samuel letter. This one had a crimson “R” on the front. She opened it up and read the scrawled writing aloud. “The stunt you pulled yesterday was impressive. I hope you are as entertaining as that footage suggested. I can’t wait to see how you live up to your name, Hero of Galar. I’ll enjoy making you pay for what you did. Love, R.” 

“Did these two come together?” Gloria asked, holding up the “R” letter and Samuel’s. “They’re not stamped, or in envelopes.” 

Gloria’s mother frowned. “I’m not sure how they would’ve been delivered, then.” 

The red “R” on the front of the handwritten letter held Gloria’s attention. “Do you recognise this?” 

“No, why?” 

Gloria stared at it, twisting her lips in thought. “I swear I’ve seen it before…” 

“Could be a logo from one of your sponsors?” 

“No, I don’t think so…” 

“Well, what about someone who’s name starts with ‘R?’” 

Gloria’s heart thumped. Richard Murdoch. But it didn’t make sense. From what she’d heard, Richard Murdoch had been appalled by his son’s actions. The sender of the letter wanted revenge. She tried to think of something she’d done, something that would make someone come after her- and then her mind screeched to a halt. “Rose…?” it came out in a whisper. No. It couldn't be. He was in prison.

Unless… Unless he’d figured out a way…

Gloria shot to her feet. She needed to know. 

“Gloria?” her mother called as she whirled and headed for the door. “Where are you going?” 

“I need to make sure this isn’t from him,” she said without looking back. If Rose was involved in all of this- Gloria readied her Corviknight, climbing onto her Pokemon’s back and taking to the sky. 

She wouldn’t let him get away with it.