Author's Note: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The date chapter is HERE! *vibrates with excitement*

Fun fact: I emoted so heavily while I was writing this. My husband was like, wth are you doing? LOL XD

Anyway, never mind that! Please enjoy!

Gloria stood in front of her mirror dressed up in her planned outfit. She was now an hour away from meeting with Bede at the café in Hammerlocke, and she was a bundle of nerves. She smoothed her hair down, opting not to wear a hat. A gentle knock came from the door.

"Yes?" She called out.

Thea's voice responded, "Are you okay in there dear?"

"Yes mum, I'm okay." Gloria answered, "I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"May we come in?" Connell asked.

"Hi dad!" Gloria greeted, "Yeah, come on in."

The door pushed open and both parents walked into the room. Both had proud looks on their faces.

"Oh my, this is your first date Gloria! We're really excited for you." Thea smiled.

Connell was excited too, "Gosh, Gloria. You have so much happening in your life right now, it's amazing! I'm proud of you darling!"

Gloria smiled, "Thanks dad. I'm still nervous."

Connell chuckled and looked at his wife, "Heheh, just like how I was when I first went on a date with your mum. I was so freaked out! Hahaha!"

Thea chuckled at the memory, "He's telling the truth. But we had a wonderful time anyway!"

Gloria faced her reflection again, chuckling awkwardly. Thea then began to usher her husband out of the room, "Well, we'll let you finish getting ready dear. Take care now, okay?"

"Thanks mum!" Gloria replied. Her parents then closed the door to let her have space. For the finishing touch, she had grabbed a smaller, pink rucksack that suited her attire better. It was much more elegant than her usual one which brought the whole look together. Gloria took a deep breath, she was now fully prepared.

At the same time, Bede was in his apartment nervously fumbling with the collar of his shirt jacket in front of the bathroom mirror. Once that was in place, he picked up a comb and carefully ran it through his hair.

"I can't believe this is happening." He whispered. His heart was going a million beats per minute. He had never felt like this before in his life. He was so scared and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel joy. Then the doorbell rang, which startled him. He went to the front door and saw that it was Opal.

He opened the door, "Ms. Opal…"

She was ecstatic, "Bede! I'm so proud of you, my child! You're going on a date!" She walked into the apartment to give Bede a hug, closing the door behind her.

He chuckled awkwardly, "Th-thanks Opal… I'm quite anxious to be honest. I kind of invited her out a whim. I hope she's okay with this…"

Opal assured him, "Well, from what you told me she sounded quite happy over the phone, right?"

"That's because Gloria's always so nice." He replied, "There probably wasn't anything to it…"

Opal chuckled, "Oh Bede… you're always thinking the worst. You know there's a chance she could like you just as much as you like her." She winked.

Bede instantly blushed, "I don't…!" He sighed, realizing it was futile to deny it. He was reluctant to say, "There's… there's no way… She wouldn't feel that way."

"And just what makes you say that?" Opal inquired.

Bede shrugged, "Well… you know she and I had our differences… But even without that, I don't think I would be her… type."

Opal was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"I'm just not… Gloria's into guys that are… friendly, loud, outgoing, and boisterous." His face fell further, "Someone like…. Hop…"

Opal shook her head, "Bede, Hop and Gloria are childhood friends. I've seen them interact countless times and it's obvious to me that she just sees him as that."

"What makes you so sure?"

Opal smiled warmly, "I've been alive for a long time, Bede. I've seen plenty of interactions between different people. It's given me some solid practice. They don't call me the wizard for fun, you know?"

Bede was still unconvinced, "I don't know, Ms. Opal…"

Opal assured him, "Just go on this date. And you'll see what I'm talking about. By the time it's over, you'll be singing a different tune here." She winked.

Bede responded quietly, "You sound so certain… well, all right."

At that moment, his rotom phone began to ring. He checked the ID to see that it was Gloria. Opal smiled before turning to leave the apartment. Once she was gone, Bede answered, "H-Hello?"

"Hi Bede!" Gloria answered happily, "I'm on the way to the café."

Bede replied, "Hey Gloria. I'm on the way too."

"Great!" Gloria replied, "See you soon!"

"Okay."

After the two said bye and hung up, Bede took a long steady breath before going to give one last look in the mirror. Once he deemed himself to be immaculate, he left the apartment.

Gloria arrived at the café and took a seat outside at one of the vacant tables. The chill from the evening breeze reminded her why she brought a jacket. She felt the cold on her face, "Wow, it's really cold. The first chill of the year."

She looked around in a subtle manner, quietly making sure that no one was recognizing her. It crossed her mind that people would most certainly see them together, and that the rumors would definitely fly around after that. But she wasn't going to back down. Her heart was fluttering, but she was going through with this.

It took her a minute to realize she could spot Bede, and her breath almost caught in her throat when she did.

"Wow, he's… kind of cute! Agh! I can't believe I just thought that! Okay… I just have to be myself. I can do this!"

Realizing that he was looking around for her, she stood up. This worked, he saw her. She noticed that he had done a double take, clearly surprised by her dressier appearance.

He approached her, "Hello Gloria."

"Hi Bede." She responded somewhat timidly.

Bede was nervous too, "You look… quite lovely." His eyes turned away and he had a bit of red in his face.

"Thank you… you look really nice too."

This made his blush deepen, "Thank you… very much."

After a few seconds of embarrassed silence, Gloria spoke, "So, I guess we should go order our drinks now."

Bede nodded, and the two entered the café. As they approached the counter, the person working the counter noticed them. He greeted them, "Hello! What can I get for you?"

Gloria only needed a minute to look at the menu before she decided, "I'd like the Caramel Apple spice please!"

Bede's order was a lot more simple, "I'd like a coffee, thanks."

The worker smiled and went to go prepare their drinks. While that was happening, Gloria subtly fumbled with her hands. She thought to herself, "What should I talk about? Oh… I should've prepared for this better. But I can't really, can I?"

That's when their drinks were brought to them. After thanking the kind gentleman and paying him, they took a seat in the corner of the café. It was still in the back of Gloria's mind that someone might recognize them. Trying to think about that, she lifted the drink to her mouth. The sweet fragrance of the steamed apple juice combined with a hint of caramel and cinnamon caught her nose as she breathed in slowly. Her drink was also topped with whipped cream. Complete contrast to Bede's simple coffee.

Bede broke the silence after a sip, "So Gloria. You've asked me how I do being a gym leader. Now it's my turn to ask, how's being the champion?"

Gloria had to think about her answer, "I'm still getting used to it, really. Sometimes it's a bit taxing to be recognized by a complete stranger."

Bede had an understanding look on his face, "I see… I recognize how meddlesome that can be."

"I mean, I like meeting new people don't misunderstand me." Gloria explained, "But I'm not like… let me put it this way, I'm not on like twenty-four seven. You know?" She chuckled a little.

Bede appeared surprised, "Really now? Huh… I didn't know that about you. Anytime I would see you, you're always so happy and chipper."

Gloria admitted bashfully, "Not all the time, heheh…"

"That's quite surprising to hear."

Gloria sipped her tea, then remembered Bede's old Pokémon team. The one he had before becoming a gym leader. It piqued her curiosity, "Bede? About the team you had before Opal recruited you. What happened to them?"

Bede answered, "Opal looks after them. To be honest, I still use them recreationally from time to time."

"Really? So I guess you still enjoy psychic types then?"

"I do." Bede admitted, "It is what I started with after all. Fairy- and Psychic-type Pokémon are very compatible. They can support each other by covering each other's weaknesses with their strengths."

Gloria's face lit up slowly, "Ah, that's true. I can see what you're talking about. If you use both types, you could become stronger."

Bede shook his head, "That may be true to a degree. But the only real way to become stronger than I am now… I'll need your cooperation on that Gloria."

Gloria looked into his determined eyes. He continued speaking, "When I challenge you to a serious battle, the only answer you should give me... is a yes!" He lightly tapped her hand with that last word, "Understood?"

Gloria's heart started racing when he tapped her hand. She was frozen for a moment before she answered, "Y-Yes!"

He smiled confidently, "Exactly like that."

Gloria was praying silently to the heavens, hoping with everything she had that her face wasn't too red. But she knew it probably was. In an attempt to conceal her face, she continued sipping on her drink. Before she knew it, it was all gone. Thankfully, Bede had finished his coffee at the same time.

Gloria asked, "So um… what did you want to do now?"

Bede noticed the increasing number of people coming into the café, "Let's go somewhere else."

Gloria nodded in agreement, and the two silently slipped out of the café into the cold night. That's when she had an idea, "Let's go this way." She began walking, headed toward Galar route 7. Bede followed behind her closely. They exited out the eastern gate and onto the stone bridge. Once on the other side, the pair stopped on the dirt trail. That's when a Pokémon caught Gloria's eye. The gorgeous fur and elegant figure of the strolling Liepard successfully held her eye.

"Hey Bede, check it out!"

"Hm?" He looked over, "Ah, a Liepard… hmmph…"

Gloria commented, "It's kind of cute, wouldn't you say?"

Bede thought about it before answering, "I admire a refined Pokémon. Even if that Pokémon happens to be the troubling dark type…"

Gloria giggled, "Heheh… oh! Speaking of… there's another one!"

The duo laid their eyes on an approaching Thievul, sauntering into the same area as the Liepard without a care in the world. Gloria and Bede watched as the Liepard noticed the intruder and it immediately raised it's defenses. With an arched back, the feline Pokémon raised it's fur and let out a hiss. Thievul took notice and did not take kindly to the hostility. The vulpine Pokémon returned a vicious snarl. And with that, a malicious stare down began.

Gloria watched in awe, "Oooh… they're fighting… I read about that once. The two compete over territory."

Bede brushed his hair back, "Hmm… two wild Pokémon battling. Such is the natural world…"

The two jumped into a wrestle, engaged into a savage cycle of twirling around while growling. Gloria and Bede continued to watch until they disappeared.

Deciding to change the subject, Gloria asked, "So Bede, what did you think of the Dojo?"

Bede shrugged, "Hmm, it's all right I guess. I'm not one for living and training in that sort of big group. So I wouldn't know."

"Ah, I see." Gloria replied, "Speaking of training, when did you show an interest in becoming a Pokémon trainer?"

Bede flinched slightly at the question. He hesitated before answering, "I… had been interested for as long as I could remember. I was ten when I first enrolled in a Pokémon Trainers school. I did extremely well for myself." His face turned proud at that last sentence.

Gloria felt a sparkle in her eye, "That's so cool!" It was in the back of her mind that Bede didn't have a family. But that was not territory she was willing to venture into. Not yet at least. She knew that it would be a rather touchy subject.

"How about you Gloria?" Bede inquired, "What inspired you to become a Pokémon trainer?"

Gloria felt a little embarrassed answering, "Well… I grew up so closely with Hop and his family, so Leon was most of my inspiration."

Bede rolled his eyes, "Of course. I uh… guess your… family is close with… Hop's family?"

"That's right." Gloria nodded, "We've been close for a really long time. Our parents are friends, just like how Hop and I are."

Gloria noticed Bede appeared to be irritated, it wasn't on his face, but it was obvious looking into his eyes. She was curious as to why, "He seems bothered… agh… he's probably insecure that he has no family… I better change the subject."

"So! Did you ever think you'd be a fairy type specialist?" Gloria asked.

Bede was stunned by the sudden question, but he answered, "No, not at all. I didn't think I would care for the fairy type too much. However, now that I'm a gym leader…" He obtained a determined look on his face, "I'll have you know I still haven't given up on being the top trainer in the world. Once I am, and my name is more widely known… I'm sure many people will want to raise Fairy- and Psychic-type Pokémon. That would make me very happy indeed."

Bede noticed Gloria looking at him with intense interest, it made him a bit flustered, "Why is she looking at me like that? She's quite the odd one…"

He cleared his throat, "I often hear that you can learn a lot from losing. But that won't do for me."

"It's true Bede, you can learn even when you lose a battle." Gloria retorted, "If anything, you learn more when you lose a battle versus winning."

Bede shook his head, "No, instead of experiencing humiliating defeat, I prefer getting stronger while basking in the glory of victory."

Gloria sighed and mumbled to herself, "I guess that's still something you need to work on…"

Bede raised an eyebrow, "What'd you say?"

Gloria explained, "What I'm saying is that… Instead of focusing on the loss itself. Try thinking about how the battle went, the moves you took, and what your opponent did. You know, give yourself a bit of critique."

Bede crossed his arms, "That's… acceptable I suppose."

Gloria looked at their surroundings and noticed how dark it had become. A brief gust a wind caused her to feel a chill on her face. She yawned, "Anyway, it's getting a bit late now. I should head back home now."

Bede nodded, "I agree. I'll need to be back at the gym early next morning. It's time for me to call it a day and prepare for tomorrow."

Gloria smiled, "I really enjoyed spending time with you Bede."

Bede looked at her with surprise and replied, "Um… surprisingly… I enjoyed our little evening together…" He felt his face redden, much to his annoyance.

Gloria, deciding to be brave, asked him, "Did you want to meet up again sometime?"

Bede felt his heart jump, but he kept poised and answered, "I… wouldn't mind that. I'll have to check with my schedule first."

Gloria whispered, still shaken by her own courage, "Okay."

After a few moments of silence, Bede spoke, "Well… I shall go now."

Gloria smiled and waved, "Bye Bede… I'll see you later."

Both noticed that the other was blushing, but didn't know what to think of it. After saying bye again, Bede called a taxi to take him back home. While he was on the taxi, he had buried his face in his hands. He was ecstatic, "She looked so beautiful! I wanted to hug her! And she's actually a pleasure to speak with…!"

Back in Postwick, Gloria dashed up the steps to her house. Inside, she stepped as quietly as she could. All the lights were out because her parents had gone to sleep already. With light steps, she hurried to her room and shut the door behind her. After setting her bag on the ground and taking her boots off, she leapt face first onto her bed and squealed into her pillow, complete with kicking her legs.

Trembling with excitement, she thought to herself, "Aaah! He looked so dapper! And I really liked talking with him! I can't wait to meet with him again!"

Not able to wipe off that huge grin that was on her face, she changed into her loungewear and leapt into bed. Giggling quietly to herself as she threw the blankets on.

Author's Note: So that's the first date!

There will be more to come and they will gradually get more warm and close! *joyful jumping* I can't wait!

See you next time!