Chapter Text
Gloria Bell is born during a full moon on the winter solstice. Everyone tells her mother, Evelyn Bell, that it’s an auspicious omen, that Gloria will grow up to be successful and special.
And Evelyn is inclined to believe at least the later.
There is something special about her baby, but she just can’t quite figure it out.
Perhaps it’s how attentive and curious Gloria is. Gloria takes in everything the world has to offer with wide, intelligent eyes. While it is a rare trait, plenty of babies are early learners who exhibit signs of attentiveness.
Or maybe it’s the way Gloria’s eyes seem to glow out of the corner of her eye. It’s a blink and you miss it phenomenon that Evelyn isn’t sure actually happens, because she never sees it head on. Only when she isn’t truly looking, does she see this gleam of golden amber in her baby’s eyes. But of course that could be explained away as a trick of the light.
No…what’s really special about Gloria Bell, is her bond with Pokemon.
Like everyone, Evelyn had gone on a Pokemon journey long ago and caught several Pokemon who became her partners: Munchlax, Budew, and Drednaw. And all three had immediately become enamored with little Gloria.
At all times at least one of Evelyn’s Pokemon was always watching over Gloria. Usually it was all three, as they didn’t like to be away from her. But if they all couldn’t, than they made sure one was always watching.
In response, Gloria looked at them full of awe and love. She would reach for them and laugh and smile, like they were the most important things in the world.
This was a stark contrast to how she treated people.
Gloria loved her mother, Evelyn knew this well. But any other people that came to visit them and see the new baby Gloria, we’re ignored and snubbed by the infant. Evelyn found this hilarious, but also a bit concerning.
Yes, Gloria Bell was special, but who wasn’t?
<><><>
It wasn’t until nine months later that Evelyn really found out how special her little Gloria was.
She had left Gloria in her playpen in the living room with Munchlax watching, as she went into the kitchen to get Gloria’s lunch together. It had only taken her about ten minutes, but when she went back into the living room, both Gloria and Munchlax were gone.
Evelyn had dropped the baby food and bottle of milk, her eyes wide with horror. She then rushed around the house, searching high and low for anywhere that her baby might be hiding, but found nothing.
Just as she was about to call the police, she heard her baby giggle from out in the front-yard.
Evelyn basically ripped the front door off of it’s hinges trying to get to her baby, but what she found froze her in her tracks.
Dozens and dozens of Pokemon had flooded the front-yard, and in the center stood Gloria a wide smile on her face. She had never seen her child so happy before, or standing for that matter.
“Gloria?” Evelyn called tentatively, her voice small.
Gloria looked over at her mother and beamed.
“Mama, Mama!” Gloria cried, saying her first words as she rubbed her cheek to a Wooloo’s, “look, Mama! Look!”
And Evelyn had looked, at her nine-month-old standing in a crowd of loving yet wild Pokemon, as her baby laughed and stood there like she had been doing it for years.
Before she knew it, Evelyn had collapsed to her knees.
She didn’t say anything when her baby came over, crying out to her in worry, the Pokemon behind her mimicking her daughter’s worried cries.
Evelyn sat there for awhile, and gentle ran her hand through Gloria’s brown hair.
But she didn’t say anything.
<><><>
It happened again more than a year later.
Now a newly two-years-old, Gloria could already run around like she had boundless energy and even talked in full sentences. Every hour of the day she was outside in the front-yard, playing with the dozens of wild Pokemon that always came to visit without fail.
It was on such a day, when Evelyn had went out to call Gloria in for dinner that she found her daughter standing in front of the locked gate to the Slumbering Weald, staring off into its misty depths.
“Gloria, my little bell, what are you doing?” Evelyn asked, her shoulders tense.
Slowly, Gloria turned to face her mother. Her eyes seemed to glow golden amber for a second, before she pointed at the gate and spoke.
“Mama, why can’t I go in there?”
Ice flooded Evelyn’s veins as she gripped tightly to the doorframe, her knuckles white.
“Well, my little bell,” Evelyn started, her throat dry, “there are a lot of strong and dangerous wild Pokemon who live deep in the Weald. And with all the mists, people often get lost. It’s not safe to go.”
Gloria frowned and looks back at the Weald, before turning back to Evelyn.
“It’s not dan-dang…it’s not bad. They said it’s okay if I come.”
A shudder runs up Evelyn’s spine.
“Who are you talking about, Gloria?”
“The gua-guar…the Pokemon who protect the forest. They said it’s okay, Mama. I want to go, please.”
And Evelyn doesn’t know what to say to that. She can’t understand the things Gloria seems to see and hear, her connection to Pokemon.
So she lies.
She tells Gloria she’s just too young right now and can go when she’s older. Gloria accepts the answer and her mother’s hand, and goes inside for dinner.
After that day, Evelyn always keeps a close eye on Gloria, but all she does is stay in the front-yard as usual only staring at the misty forest nearby, but never venturing closer.
Evelyn fears for the day she looks out the window and Gloria isn’t in the front-yard.
<><><>
This fear of losing Gloria to the wilds, is why Evelyn hadn’t left her baby even once with a sitter or family-friend.
She’s kept Gloria isolated in their house, only taking her out to get groceries and on other such errands, but never to meet with other children. But for the first time in her life, she was leaving Gloria behind.
It had been a plan in the making for several months. Hannah, her oldest and closest friend who lived just down the street had asked her out for a spa day.
Gloria was going to be staying behind at Hannah’s house, with Hannah’s father and her two children, Leon and Hop. It was going to be fine.
Gloria held her mother’s hand tight, skipping beside her as she waved at all her friends as they passed by.
Gloria was dressed in a simple pink shirt, overalls, a cardigan, boots, and a little green tammie hat on her head. Since she liked to play outside constantly, Evelyn had taken to buying her more outdoorsy outfits that were more durable and easy to move in.
She would never make the mistake of letting Gloria out of the house in a dress again. The mud had been everywhere.
The walk is short of course, Hannah is practically their neighbor, just not right next door. Despite being quite outgoing, Gloria chooses to hide behind her mother’s legs, gripping tightly to her pant leg. Evelyn pats her head and knocks on the front door.
A few seconds later Hannah opens the door and lets them in with a smile.
“I haven’t seen you in ages, Lyn,” Hannah says as she ushers them into the living room, “how have you been?”
“Just fine, Hannah,” Evelyn said with an easy smile, “how have your boys been?”
Hannah sighed, cupping her cheek, “they’ve been running me ragged. They never stop those two, especially Leon. And with how much Hop idolizes him, he’s always right there in whatever Leon’s got himself mixed up in. Thank Arceus that Hop didn’t inherit Leon’s horrible sense of direction.”
Evelyn laughed good naturedly, continuing to pat Gloria’s head when she increased her grip on Evelyn’s pants. Hannah took notice of this and crouched down to be less intimidating.
“And this must be little Gloria,” Hannah said, giving Gloria a smile, “how have you been dear? I haven’t seen you since you were still in a crib.”
Gloria blatantly ignored her, hiding further behind Evelyn’s legs.
“Still as shy as ever I see,” Hannah laughed it off, standing back up, “I’ll just call down the boys and then we can get going.”
“Sounds good.”
Hannah walked out of the living room and headed upstairs. Evelyn took the time to reassure her daughter.
“Remember my little bell,” Evelyn said, crouching down to face her daughter better, “I will only be gone for a few hours. While I’m gone your gonna be able to play with Leon and Hop.”
Gloria frowns and looks at the ground, “but why can’t I come with you or just stay at home. Munchlax could watch me, and I promise to be good.”
“No my sweet little bell, Munchlax cannot watch you by himself. And mama needs some alone time, just for a little while. So can you be a brave girl and wait here for me, just for a little while?”
Gloria bites her lip, but nods after several seconds.
“Okay mama,” Gloria says, “I’ll be good and stay here.”
“That’s my little bell,” Evelyn says, kissing her baby on the forehead.
Gloria beams up at here.
Hannah comes back in seconds later, with an energetic Leon and a curious baby Hop right behind his older brother.
“Hi auntie Lyn,” Leon calls, as loud and enthusiastic as always.
“Hello Leon,” Evelyn says, ruffling his hair, “how have you been? I’ve heard you’ll be starting you journey in a few months time, and your going to take on the gym challenges no less. Are you going to be our future champion?”
Leon grins and rubs a finger under his nose, “you bet! Me and Charmander are going to be number one!”
“I bet you will,” Evelyn laughs.
Then she coaxes Gloria out from behind her legs and placed her hands on her shoulders.
“Leon, Hop,” Evelyn starts, “I’d like you to meet Gloria. You’ve seen her a few times when she was very little, but you might have forgotten. Say hello, Gloria.”
“Hello,” Gloria says, her tone dull as she looks away.
Leon smiles and comes forward, crouching a little so he is face to face with Gloria. Having recently turned ten-years-old, Leon is much taller than Gloria.
“Hello, Gloria,” Leon says softly, “my names Leon. It’s nice to meet you.”
Gloria doesn’t even acknowledge him.
Leon considers this and pulls the pokeball from his belt. Gloria perks up at this and actually looks over at Leon. Leon smiles in triumph and tosses up the poke a few times.
“Do you like Pokemon, Gloria?” Leon asks.
Gloria nods her head emphatically, her eyes glued to the pokeball. Leon catches the pokeball and releases the Pokemon inside. Out pops Leon’s partner Charmander, given to him by chairman Rose himself.
“Char!” The fire-type calls out happily. Gloria steps forward out of her mother’s hold and smiles.
“Hello Charmander,” Gloria says, “would it be okay if I pet you?”
“Char, Charmander!” The Pokemon chirps.
And immediately Gloria starts petting the Charmander affectionately, whispering silently to it. After a few seconds she turns to Leon, and for the first time smiles at a person that isn’t Evelyn.
“Charmander really loves you,” Gloria says, as she scratched under the Pokémon’s chin, “he wants to train hard with you and get stronger so you can become Champion.”
Leon blinks taken aback, but then scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment.
“You really think so,” Leon laughs.
“Yes,” Gloria says, “he told me so.”
Charmander chirps as if in agreement.
Evelyn bites her lip and then laughs awkwardly, “oh my little bell, you and your imagination.”
Gloria frowns, but doesn’t say anything to correct her mother. Instead she takes out an oran berry from her berry pouch and offers it to Charmander. The Pokemon happily takes it and starts munching on it right away.
Evelyn and Hannah leave minutes later, after they’ve introduced Hop to Gloria and gone back over the rules with the three children.
Leon will be in charge of them, but their grandfather is also there in case of emergencies.
Evelyn is reluctant to leave, but she really does need a break, so she gives Gloria another kiss on her forehead, and then they’re all gone.
Soon the two adults are on a train to Motostoke where the spa is located. Hannah must see the worry in Evelyn’s eyes.
“Relax,” Hannah says reassuringly, “she’s only two and Leon’s watching her. What’s the worst that could happen?”
A lot, Evelyn would soon realize.
Gloria Bell is a special child, and a lot can happen to those who are special.