Chapter Text
Leon was grinning ear to ear as he impatiently waited for his purchase to be rung up. The clerk nodded contently with each item that passed under the scanner, smiling as the total racked up higher and higher. Meanwhile, the former champion couldn’t help but bounce happily in his stance.
“Looks like someone is expecting.” The clerk’s remark went right through Leon’s ears as he watched all the little baby clothes and toys neatly go right into the shopping bag. Pokeball rattles, a charmander onesie, little pichu-themed nappies, just to name a few. Hop was going to kill him for spoiling his child so much, but Leon didn’t care, he just couldn’t help himself.
Poppy deserved everything.
“Oh yeah,” He grinned, “She’s expecting me any moment now. I just can’t wait to shower her with all of this!”
Dumbly, the clerk looked up at him as yet another item was scanned and placed into the bag. Soon enough, the bag soon grew into two. Then three. Then four shopping bags filled to the brim with nothing but adorable, cutesy toys and bobbles.
Leon could only beam stupidly as the clerk neatly wrapped everything together.
And then…
His eyes then turned to the attention of a stuffed Wooloo sitting on the shelf behind the counter, and instantly his heart burst. There was no way Poppy could not have that.
“Hey, can you add that as well?” Leon pointed out at the stuffed toy.
With a nod, the former champion watched as the clerk picked up the soft stuffed Wooloo that caught his eye. Its beady little eyes stared up happily at him, and Leon could only grin at the thought of Poppy playing with its cute floppy ears.
“What a lucky baby.” The clerk said as the final item was rung up, and soon Leon had a mountain of goodies within his strong arms. However, the weight was nothing compared to the smile bright on his face.
“No way. I’m the lucky one, for sure!”
Leon wasn’t far from the baby store when he heard someone shout his name. With his arms full of bags, he peaked over from its contents and looked over to see a familiar face rush over to him.
“Leon, there you are!” Raihan called over as he approached the former champion, “What are you doing?”
Whoops.
By the looks of his rival’s face, Leon could tell he ran a great distance to catch up to him. The proud uncle raised his brow in confusion of it all.
“Picking up a present for Poppy.” He blatantly blinked at Raihan, who in return, deadpanned in expression. The dragon trainer couldn’t help but throw a hand over his face.
“One moment you’re right behind me and literally the next second you run off on a shopping spree.” Raihan sighed.
Leon could only cheekily grin back at him as he readjusted his grip on the bags.
“And on top of that, you literally bought out all of Wyndon.” Raihan gestured, “She’s what? Three months? Five?”
“Four months.” Leon felt insulted as the two headed over to the nearest flying taxi, “Four months and two weeks and-”
“Okay, okay, I get it.” Raihan smirked as he pulled out his Rotomphone, the two settling in their cab.
“Either way, my followers are going to love this babysitting vlog we’re going to do.”
Leon gaped at him.
“You still plan on doing that? There’s no way Gloria is going to let you broadcast her baby.”
Raihan scoffed, “C’mon now, this baby is already a mini Galar celebrity. I’m sure Gloria and Hop want the whole world to see just how cute their daughter is.”
Leon couldn’t help but pout out his lips. He did have a point there. Poppy was the cutest baby there ever was, after all. With her bright amber eyes and little tuff of lilac hair, there was no way anyone could resist that little gummy smile. Absolutely no one…
Then, suddenly Leon’s eyes widened.
“Wait, don’t tell me that’s why you agreed to help me babysit today? For the views?”
Raihan scoffed at the question.
“No way, mate.” He crossed his arms behind his head, “That kid is way too cute to pass up an afternoon with her. What kind of uncle would I be if I refused?”
Leon gasped.
“But don’t forget that I’m Poppy’s number one uncle!” Leon pumped his fists out at Raihan, “Don’t you dare try to take my spot!”
Raihan could only roll his eyes before smirking, “C’mon Leon, you’re used to defending titles. Just because she’s Hop’s daughter doesn’t mean you’re automatically her number one uncle.”
Leon’s mouth dropped. The Corviknight flapped its wings steadily as Wedgehurst came into view, but the sight didn’t stop the heat from boiling in Leon’s veins. A playful, flustered pout on his lips.
“But I’m…I’m her actual uncle!”
Much like the home he and Hop grew up in, Hop and Gloria’s house had all the perfect amenities for family life. A spacious dwelling not far from the Wooloo fields with a cozy pathway that led to the center of town, it was the perfect setup for the champion and professor’s busy schedules. Or, more so, schedules that used to be busy before Poppy came along.
The tiniest new addition to their small, loving family.
Up until that moment in their lives, Leon always was running into Gloria at the stadium or meeting with his brother over tea. Now? The pair barely left Wedgehurst since going on parental leave…and today was finally the day to help ease the new parents back into the outside world.
And so, being the chosen one to lend such a hand, Leon just couldn’t wait to ring that doorbell.
“Look who it is~” Hop playfully gasped as he opened the front door, holding up Poppy snug in his arms. At the sight of her, both Leon and Raihan felt themselves go right to mush.
She stared up at them both with her bright eyes and stuck her little fist in her mouth, gnawing contently on her chubby hand.
“Baabag,” Poppy gibbered happily.
Leon dropped all the bags in his hand that instant.
“Oh my goodness, my sweet little Poppy,” He gushed as he couldn’t resist scrunching her cheeks, bringing out a chortled giggle. “You got so big for your Uncle Lee! Didn’t you? Didn’t you?”
Hop laughed as he bounced Poppy lightly in his arms, readjusting her weight. “Yes, she sure did.” He cooed, “Can you say hi to Uncle Lee and Uncle Rai Rai?”
“Please…don’t call me that.” Raihan tried to hide his embarrassment, but it failed as Poppy babbled happily up at him. In that moment, Raihan couldn’t resist the smile from cracking on his face.
“Well, come on in you guys and pardon the mess,” Hop stepped to the side of the house, allowing the two men to walk inside. “It really means a lot that you two offered to babysit while I take Gloria out for the afternoon. With her maternity leave ending soon, I really wanted to treat her to a nice date before she gets thrown back into her Champion duties.”
Raihan did his best not to step on the variety of toys on the floor as Leon continued to gush and make faces at Poppy. It was then Raihan couldn’t help but notice a lumpy paste dripping down Hop’s shirt.
“You, um,” Raihan gestured to Hop’s shoulder, “You got something there.”
Hop looked down to where he pointed, and grimaced. “Oh, look at that.” He tried brushing away the residue stain like it was nothing, “Just some spit up, that’s all.”
Raihan held back a gag as Hop continued about as if there wasn’t chunky vomit on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Leon did not let up on the silly faces as Poppy equally returned the enthusiasm.
He couldn’t help but outreach his arms to Hop in a “gimme” motion.
“Here you go,” Hop said as he passed Poppy into Leon’s waiting embrace, “Let me go check on Gloria and let her know you guys are here.”
The moment Poppy found herself in Leon’s arms, however, everything shifted. The hold felt off. The familiar smell of her daddy’s cologne evaded her. And immediately, Poppy scrunched her face as she watched Hop walk away from her and up the stairs.
“We are going to have so much fun Poppy-!” Leon began as he lifted Poppy up and down, before making eye contact with her tiny, wet eyes.
“Oh boy…” Leon muttered as Poppy’s face grew red. Raihan peaked over his shoulder.
“That can’t be good…”
No, it wasn’t. In that instant, Poppy tightened her fists as she screeched out a wailing cry with fat tears babbling down her cheeks, sending both Leon and Raihan into a panic.
And, not even a second afterwards, a huge thump was heard upstairs before Gloria came barreling down the steps…Hop wearily following after her.
“Gloria, Gloria, she’s fine.” Hop tried to reach out for his wife, but it was too late as Gloria snatched Poppy right from Leon’s arms.
“Shh Shh,” Gloria soothed as she cradled Poppy, “It’s okay my little wishing star, mummy is here.”
As Poppy settled in Gloria’s embrace, the baby soon found herself dozing off as she cuddled up against Gloria’s chest. The moment would have been precious in its own right, if it weren’t for the daunting glare Gloria gave to Leon, Raihan, and specifically Hop.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Gloria hushed, rocking Poppy with ease. “Poppy needs me. I just…I can’t just leave her!” And by hearing the distress in Gloria’s voice, Hop lovingly put his arms around her shoulder.
“C’mon now, love, it’ll be okay.” Hop said, “We’re just going to take a quick train ride over to Motostoke for lunch and be back before dinner. Plus, this will help make the transition easier for when we have to go back to work-”
“Don’t remind me.” Gloria pouted, holding Poppy even closer to her. Hop sighed, before running a hand through his hair.
“Aww, please Gloria, give us a chance.” Leon bit his lip as he nervously fidgeted with his hands, “You know I won’t let anything bad happen to Poppy.”
Raihan nodded along, “Yeah, I’m here too after all to babysit the babysitter.”
Leon shot a glare his way.
“Plus,” Hop chimed in, “If things go awry- which I’m not saying they will- Sonia is just a phone call-”
“Please, we don’t need Sonia.” Leon scoffed, before pumping his arms out in pride. “I’m Poppy’s number one uncle and will absolutely do anything for her…look I even brought her a present!”
And to prove his point, Leon rushed over to the door to bring in his latest haul from the store. Gloria and Hop both gaped at the sight.
“Lee,” Hop sighed as he looked over all the toys, “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
“No, no, you don’t understand.” Leon quickly fumbled through the bags, “Poppy needs all of this.” He then pulled out a wooloo onesie from the bag, “Tell me your daughter won’t look cute in this. Just tell me.”
Hop stared at the little onesie…his nerve breaking.
“You are so right and valid.” He said as Gloria’s eyes instantly dazzled.
Leon smiled cheekily as Raihan stepped in.
“And,” He grinned as his Rotomphone fluttered to his side, “You guys can watch every little detail when Poppy and I go live! All of Galar will be on our side, just you wait.”
A silence lingered as Gloria stared at Raihan blankly, trying to process what he just said. Hop looked at her, then back to Raihan, before nervously looking away. The air between them grew heavy as Raihan gulped, sensing something deeply wrong. And he was right. Gloria’s stare intensified by the second.
“Raihan,” Gloria said, her smile appearing more daunting than sweet, “I know you are not thinking of putting my baby on the internet, right?”
An ominous cloud practically hovered over her features.
“Raihan, I swear if I catch even a pixel of Poppy’s sweet face online, not a single follower of yours will be able to stand the sight of your pommeled face. Do I make myself clear?”
Raihan gulped, Gloria’s gaze jolting right through his soul. Fearing for his safety, he quickly shooed his Rotomphone away.
“C-Crystal…” He muttered. And he thought Gloria was scary on the battlefield…
Poppy stirred restlessly, catching Gloria’s attention. Hop looked at her with reassurance, before Gloria finally sighed.
“Okay…okay…” She said, “Poppy’s due for a nap anyway, so I guess a few hours won’t hurt. Hop, can you show them around while I set Poppy down in the nursery?”
Hop nodded as both Raihan and Leon lit up, overwhelmed and overjoyed.
“Okay, first things first,” Hop said as he ushered the two over to the kitchen, “Poppy only needs like four things right now and that’s eating, sleeping, playing, and pooping.” He listed off.
Hop then approached the fridge and opened it, “At this time, she just needs milk so you don’t have to worry about solids yet. You can find her bottles in the cabinet over here and the milk is-”
“Woah,” Leon gasped as he stared at the contents of the fridge, “Bro, did you catch a Miltank or something? That’s so much milk.”
Hop just stared at Leon as Raihan covered his face, a vain attempt to hide his laughter.
“No, Lee,” Hop began, “This is Gloria’s.”
Leon raised an eyebrow, “Gloria had time to have a baby and catch a Miltank?”
Raihan couldn’t hold it back any longer. “Are you daft?” His rival laughed, “That’s Gloria’s milk. That’s what little babies drink, you twat.”
Leon blushed as the heat crept up to his cheeks. Oh.
“So you just put the milk in the bottle like this,” Hop began, “Twist the nozzle here, and make sure it’s warm before you give it to her. Not hot, not cold, it has to be warm.”
“Oh, like in the movies.” Raihan gestured with his wrist. Hop laughed.
“Yeah, exactly like the movies.” He then gestured for them to the other side of the counter.
“Over here you can find one of Poppy’s baby monitors so you can check up on her while she sleeps or see if she needs anything.”
“Like when she cries.” Leon pointed out.
Hop nodded, “Like when she cries, yes, but if you can get to her before that happens that’ll be ideal.”
The two nodded as Hop handed them the tiny rotom baby monitor before ushering them back into the living room.
“By the way Lee,” Hop turned to him, “You may want to pull your hair back because Poppy is now at the stage where she’ll just grab, grab, grab and not let go.”
Leon clenched his heart, “Oh my gosh, that’s adorable. Poppy is growing up to be so strong just like her uncle.”
“Yeah,” Hop scoffed, “It’s real adorable.”
He led them to the center of the living room where a small play area was set up.
“We started doing tummy time with her for about 20 minutes or so. Just let her play on her stomach and encourage movement before then alternating her on her back.” Hop began, motioning with his hands.
“Got it,” Leon said, but then Hop stopped him. “Also, please be mindful that Poppy can’t fully sit up on her own yet so we have lots of cushions and pillows to help support her during play.”
“Got it,” Leon said, but then Hop stopped him again. “But, just because Poppy can’t sit up yet doesn’t mean she can’t roll a bit so no matter what you do--do not leave her alone on the changing table.”
Leon gulped. “G-Got it.”
“Good.” Hop patted his shoulder, “Now that just about covers the bulk of it. Dirty nappies go here, clean nappies can be found over there, and if you have absolutely any questions feel free to call us-”
“Got it!” Leon grinned widely as he slapped Raihan’s shoulder, “Raihan and I have this completely under control!”
“Yeah, no sweat little man,” Raihan said, “You got two of the region’s toughest trainers under one roof. I’m sure we can handle whatever little Poppy throws at us.”
Hop looked like he was about to say something but stopped himself short.
“Alright, I’m ready.” Gloria groaned as she came down from the steps, “Ready to be the worst mother and just abandon my baby…” She sulked.
“Gloria, it’s just lunch. You’re not abandoning our baby.” Hop said, but Gloria grumbled regardless with a heavy pout. Hop led her to the door, before turning to both Leon and Raihan.
“Poppy is sleeping now and should be for the next hour, so you two can relax at least for a little. However, like I said, do not hesitate to ring if you need anything!” Hop called over to them as he grabbed his and Gloria’s jacket.
“Did you tell them about the bottles?” She asked Hop, who nodded. In his pursuit to get his wife out the door, he carefully eased her along as he made way for the exit.
“Yes, I went over the bottles, the baby monitors, the nappies, all of it.”
Gloria perked up from over Hop’s shoulder and back at Leon and Raihan, “Oh! What about tummy time? Did you stress tummy time?”
“Yep, tummy time, back time,” Raihan called over, “Bottle time, diaper time, all the times.”
“Gloria, she’ll be okay. Don’t worry, I promise you it’ll all work out.”
“Oh m-maybe we should leave Zacian or Zamazenta behind just in case…” Gloria went to dig in her bag, but Hop stopped her.
“I’m sure all is going to be fine,” Hop sighed for the hundredth time before turning back to Leon. “Like I said, please call us if you need anything.”
Both Raihan and Leon nodded.
“We got this all under control, don’t you worry you two.” Leon said as he ushered them out the door, “We’re going to have such a champion time while you guys are out, you’ll see!”
And in what seemed like a miracle, with a final wave and goodbye, the door closed behind the doting parents—leaving Raihan and Leon alone in the living room. Silence filled the air as the two looked at each other before letting out a sigh of relief.
“Mate,” Raihan chuckled as he shook his head, “They were going bonkers before they even left.”
“I know,” Leon snickered as he plopped himself down on the couch, “I don’t know why they’re so worried. We’ve trained pokemon from eggs before…how is a baby so different?”
“Beats me.” Raihan shrugged, “I don’t see what all the fuss is about.”
And just as Leon opened his mouth to say something, the sound of Poppy crying echoed throughout the house as the two men paused.
What could possibly go wrong?