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“So, the hero’s bath.” She murmured after Hop, Sonia and her stood in front the so called hot spring.
She visited it before her gym battle, but not as close as she was doing right now.
The hot spring on Circhester Town was bigger that she would have expected before checking at her Rotom phone. Even if she didn't wanted call it a “phone”, it never referred at itself as a pokémon either, which she considered weird. But with all the global web through it was connected, it couldn’t explain all the story she was learning of her region, her home.
Still the sight of the hot spring was somehow relaxing. The simple tickle of cold that could be felt in the icy city was slightly surpassed by the heat of the water and the small snowflakes that fell slightly from the sky, helping the landscape to become the typical of a winter postcard.
And now having battled her best friend again since their encounter in the route 7 was kind of a gift. It was quite relaxing, considering the worry she had for him since that encounter with Bede. She really didn’t want to talk or even think about him at the moment, last time he was mean again with them, but at least he kind of left the group to start following the path of Opal. Still, Hop seemed better than before, but she couldn’t explain why she felt that deep down, there were some things unanswered about what happened between them.
Before the battle, Sonia have told them about how they could have some kind of connection to the heroes of the legend of the Darkest Day that surrounded Galar, only for that weird encounter with that pokémon that Hop and her had on the Slumbering Weald. It was kind of scary, she wasn’t going to lie, but looking back to that day wasn’t that bad of a experience, they found a rare pokémon, which no one knew about at the moment.
“So what's next you two? In my case, I plan to look into things in the Slumbering Weald.”
Gloria was thunk in her own sea of thoughts and wasn’t really paying attention to the new conversation Sonia started, until a determined voice sounded next to her.
“I'm going to keep challenging that gym!”
And without spelling another word as always, Hop shouted a big goodbye while running like a bullet train to the Circhester Gym to defeat Gordie as quick as he could. Being finally a step further to accomplish his dream or defeating his brother finally becoming the Champion he desired to be.
Gloria seemed quite of amused about his not new reaction, what took a glint of interest on the eyes of Sonia.
“Seems like he finally shook off that gloom, eh? Leon'd worry if Hop wasn't feeling alright. And as his rival, you wouldn't like it either, right?”
“Of course not!”
She shouted quite embarrassed about the way Sonia pronounced the word “rival”. Leading at some curious people to turn their faces around surprised for the girl reaction, and a small laugh of Sonia to Gloria’s dismay.
“Well then, as you said. See ya, Gloria!”
And with that, the brownette trainer was left alone with her own thoughts, again.
When she decided to go on the trip to become the next pokémon best trainer of Galar with her best friend, who so called himself her rival, she hoped to be more in touch with other humans beings, but in the end, she was left alone in her travel between town or places she would visit, well, not so much because she had her pokémon with her.
Her Cinderace, who decided to stay out of his Pokeball even if the battle with Hop’s pokémon was over, looked at her with worrying eyes, like trying to find a way to cheer her trainer up.
“It’s ok, Ace. I’m just tired of being turned apart, and more with my best friend. So I won’t go out of this town without him. Come on, we’ll wait for him outside the gym!”
Cinderace smiled happily at her trainer, knowing that he could also meet again with Hop’s Dubwool and Rillaboom, and jumped into his trainer, almost making her fall.
They laughed about the almost fall between them and a little bit later they were running together to Circhester’s gym.
Now what the young trainer could do was wait for her friend.
---
It seemed an eternity, but so they were waiting on a bench near the gym. Some snowflakes were starting to accumulate on her hat, having to shake them off the hat twice on the time they were waiting.
"I know, I know Ace. I'm starting to worry if he even came here on the first place."
Gloria's Cinderace was getting quite impatient, starting to play soccer with rocks, almost like practicing his fire attacks. But she couldn’t do anything. As him she was starting to feel impatient too, but for now they'd had to be patient for the so called plan to work.
Still, it took more time that she would expected, but almost a half and hour later, a purple haired guy show his face outside the gym.
It seemed he didn't had a clue of the brownette waiting for him outside in the bench behind him some meters away, but then she heard him talking with his Dubwool.
She realised then that she didn’t take off her hi-tech earbuds, which helped her on the wild area to check on the wild pokémon near them, now using them to almost spy into his friend and potencial crush was something different.
"Well, we did it! Now we have to go to Town, and two gyms more, and we are finally there before Leon!"
His Dubwool made a big sheep sound agreeing with his partner, clueless as his owner of the girl and pokémon behind them.
Gloria laughed a little bit for herself, she knew that his vision of the world was more colorful than hers, and to see that happy thoughts surrounded him was a clear clue that his friend was really in a better mood.
She was ready to run into him with a big smile and on a congratulations mood, but Hop stopped a little bit on his tracks to spoke a little more down to his Dubwool, somehow with worry of being heard, exactly what was happening at the moment.
"And well, Wo, do you think this time will meet Gloria sooner? Like, I maybe miss to talk with her as much as we did before. I know I can be a little be over carried away on doing things, but telling her that she is only my rival was because…"
Hop couldn't finish talking cause Gloria's Cinderace decided to run up to Hop's Dubwool on a huge speed, Gloria cursing herself for not telling to wait a little bit longer. She felt guilty, but it was because she really wanted to know what was he going to say next, but maybe trying to spy on him while you are super near it's not the best thing to do, and more if you don’t have a place to hide.
"Gloria's Cinderace?! What are you doing here?!"
Hiding her slightly embarrassed of being caught with his hands on flour, she moved forward them and stated what she thought it was the most obvious thing.
"Congratulations Hop!"
She wasn't going to explain anything right now and obviously not going to mention ever she overheard what he was saying.
They were together right now, and she was sure that her plan was just starting to bloom as a Roserade.
---
After the reunion that happened like fifteen minutes ago, the teenagers decided to stop on the benches next to Jonia's hotel to have a little chat to catch on, cause let’s be honest even if you have chemistry battling with someone that doesn’t mean you talked enough with them.
On the meanwhile, for their pokémon partners was the better occasion, they could enjoy their time playing with the snow that surrounded all the town.
"So you stayed here waiting for me? But what for? We already have a battle like an hour ago, but as your rival I will be really interested in battling again with you again, cause now that I have my own rock badge I’m near in my dream to fight Lee’."
"Nothing of that. I just only wanted to see you, really, not a rival thing intended."
"What? Really?"
"Why I would have to lie exactly? We’ve been friends since little on Postwick.
"I… I don't know."
He just shaked his head way, trying to organize his head to say something coherent again. His vision focussed at their pokémon, that now were currently playing on the snow. It was funny how easy they became friends for all the battles they had, maybe if he were a pokémon too, things will be easier.
But then, he could not be traveling and learning more of himself and the world that surrounded him.
Like it seemed more than a dream that they were now real pokémon trainers looking for the champion’s name. If he returned back on time, he was pretty sure that Gloria wasn’t as excited as him at that moment, maybe she was nervous about it or even not sure about the pokémon journey.
He was really into being a champion, just like his brother. But, she? She just wanted to support him, at least, one of her first motives.
He wouldn’t admit it, but he really loved her face after meeting her Scorbunny for the first time, cause in her eyes, in which seemed to exit a complete universe, they were shining more than a million stars. Maybe it was at that time he noticed something different on her, the way her hair wiggled with the wing, her big smile after defeating her first opponent or capturing a new pokémon on her team. Did he talk about her excitement about pokémon gyms after being on the field of the ceremony of the start of their journey?
Just like Bede said, maybe he really was a sucker, or masochist for her, like how Bede had described him on one of his battles. Still, he hoped his feelings someday were reciprocate.
"How much time have been?"
He murmured almost for himself but for her only to heard.
"Maybe a few weeks. I'm not sure, but I know I’m sure I miss a lot of things though."
"Yeah, me too mate."
A silence surrounded them both, just enjoying quitely of each other presence as watching the snow falling on the floor and their pokémon on the distance.
Gloria was the one to broke the silence first.
"I was wondering, are you planning to stay the night here?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, Sonia told me that the Hero’s fountain was always free with no one around at night, we could go there and try it out just like the legend. It would be like the old times, like when we were on Postwick."
“Smooth, aren’t we?”
He quietly responded at her question without looking at her, still focused on looking at their pokémon and with one hand resting his head on it.
She just stared at him quite shocked, it was impossible, no, she must have heard wrong the set of words spoken through the young male. Still, it didn’t help that a tiny squeak echoed from her mouth and starting to feel her face color up as red as a bright Magikarp.
“Wha-t?!”
And then it was when he realised he say something without thinking again. Causing him to blush madly and retracted himself immediately.
“Co-ol! Why aren’t we going no-w?!”
After the little fuss their pokémon turned towards them, as if trying to interpret what was happening. Did pokémon know about humans being embarrassed?
Gloria was the one who tried to calm early, and muttering only a short response.
“There is to many people. Tw-o, two hours later.”
Hop only shaked his head agreeing with, still don’t having the courage to speak.
The damage was made, but only three words stayed in both heads.
Smooth aren't you?
---
After the big “misunderstanding” they decided to meet again two hours later in front of the fountain near the hotel.
Hop was grateful that they decided to go out to the hot spring in the end, that way, even if he had a darker skin, his blush wouldn't be noticed like on that afternoon. He was practicing on his hotel room to think properly before he talks, but his mind was in another place surely. He couldn’t stop thinking that he actually said that in front of her. But she really didn’t mind right? It wasn’t like she was angry, more like she was flushed, embarrassed, but why that? Quiet screams were heard on Hop’s head until the aboved hour.
And it would be also a lie if Gloria wasn’t feeling her heart rate going higher than usual on thinking how cool Hop looked saying that. It was a sign of a slightly interest on her, more than a best friend? Was she dreaming? Another one also had her mind full of internal screams until the dated hour.
Meanwhile certain pokémon were worried about their young trainers, but it was more worrying the cool they’d maybe got by playing so long on the snow.
---
At the dated hour they met outside the hotel as they said before, and started to walk to the hot spring.
“So, what are your plans mate?”
“Nothing.” she firmly stated, there she was with her perfect plan.
“WhAT?! I’ve been lied here mate?!”
That was right, her own plan worked perfectly, find an occasion to meet Hop again, find how he is at the moment and expend time with him to relax, just like old times.
“Nah, I just wanted to spend time with you. Like, I noticed, well, you aren’t around as much as you did before Motostoke Town. So, I just want you to relax, spend time just like old times.”
They continued walking to the hot spring, silents for a bit. Their pokémon stayed in the hotel rooms, maybe they got tired on playing on the snow, and now the idea on getting their feets on something cold again was kindly unpleasant.
“Right.”
“Yep, nothing more nothing less. I should have been thankful to Sonia, she gave me the perfect idea.”
“Haha, yeah...”
Hop looked a little bit distant after hearing that statement from her.
It was true he have been a little bit distanced from her, but it wasn’t exactly because he didn’t enjoyed her presence, absolutely the opposite. The truth was that he didn’t wanted to bother her, indeed he also wanted to practise his skills as a trainer to demonstrate to her that he was the perfect rival and he could win her at least one time. And not to mention, the conversation that hunted him since he battleted with Bede. But he was right, he was a sucker for her, and somehow she also won his heart in the process too. If only he knew that the battle for love was already over and that for once they were the winners of it.
---
After five minutes, they arrived to the place they were meant to visit twice that day.
And it was beautiful, more than on the middle of the day, afternoon or morning.
The steaming water left the place with a kind of mist, similar to the forest they had entered long ago. Not to mention that the hot spring itself had to have some kind of luminous seaweed on there, transforming the place on an almost magical light environment. On a closer look, little Snoms were sleeping near the hot spring, it was kinda ironic that ice pokemon would like to find a hotter place to sleep but it wasn’t their decision to judge them either.
“Wow”
It was only what both of them could express at the moment.
“This is better than I expected.”
“Yeah, just look at the water, it’s just amazing!”
The hot spring for them had become the oasis in the desert, in this case, the oasis of their icy desert, but it was kinda alright. Again together, at least with their own quiet night to spent.
“Hop, let’s try this!”
A little cheerful voice called him from behind, while trying to find the perfect spot for their bags trying to not disturb the little Snoms near the hot spring edge.
He turned around oblivious again about what the brownette wanted to take from his mind or him. He gulped, almost fluttered for the picture he was just staring kind like a lovesick.
Gloria took off her brown boots, so their feet were left alone without their socks, and now they were dancing with the water all of that while she was sitting in the edge looking at him with a big smile, a bare example of happiness on that exact moment, that moment with him.
“Sur-e!”
As a magnet and a metal he was attracted by her presence, already ignoring the bag issue but still careful by it, he was already sitting near her on the edge, doing the same with his trainers and socks.
A quiet soft sigh of relief echoed of his mouth after entering his feet under the hot water.
“This is quite relaxing isn’t it?”
She stretched her arms and gently threw herself back, cold pavement running down her back while her other half received the heat necessary not to freeze or heat at all. He quietly noded back, as he adapted the same posture as her, all like they were pieces of a puzzle.
Smoothly she turned her head again after the lack of response of his friend, who was with his eyes closed.
“Hop… Are you ok?”
Not response.
Was he so tired for that day that he has fallen to sleep? For Gloria was almost impossible, so curious of the state he was in, she gently poked his cheek with her finger.
“Oi, Hop.. Oi, Hop!”
Still not response, so she continued.
“Hey! Stop mocking me please! I was only thinking for a bit mate.”
She stopped doing the movement after hearing his sudden reaction, angry Hop wasn’t what she was looking for.
“Oh, sorry. I thought you have fallen to -”
He adjusted his posture to being again sitting on the edge of the hot spring, still feets under hot water but this time focusing on her, nervous looking and with one hand behind his head, like something important was being discuss.
"You know, I was thinking… Like you remember that battle with Bede I have some time ago?”
She was shocked at first, she thought maybe just maybe he was going a made a trick on her or something, but when finally he opened about his feelings, she wasn’t prepared for that turn of events. But fear was for cowards so she decided to take it on, changing the way she was sitting too, she looked into his eyes. The night was long enough to talk.
“He was, well, he was how he's likely to be. And well, he told me that I was such a sucker for you, almost like a puppy to his owner. But I finally realized something, and that is that we are the perfect duo, but maybe that isn't what I am with you. It's only that I really enjoy being together, spending time together, laughing together. I didn’t want you to feel that I was a nuisance to you, a bad rival, a bad friend. Even I was thinking that it was true that also I was for Lee’ too. And again you were here to demonstrate me that I was overthinking things again. That it’s ok if we hang out all the time if we enjoy being together."
He completely shut up, not entirely sure on how she would react at his no real love confession but at least getting something out of his head.
"You are…”
She looked quite surprised, and trying to find the perfect words to answer him properly.
"You are…”
He didn’t dare looking at her anymore, that was it, he really screw it up.
“Such a dork!!”
"Wha—aT?"
She directly grabbed his head to face her directly. Surprised again for the turn of events on that day.
“Mister, you got me really worried this time! If there is something worse than a depressed Hop that would be a worried Hop. Next time talk with me directly, that would save a lot of time.”
And he couldn't take it, she looked adorable so he couldn’t contain his laugh anymore, not after that cute statements.
“Hey! Don’t laugh!”
“What? That’s the most adorable thing that I heard in all day.”
She obviously blushed after what he said, but this game could be played by two, and she was the master at it.
“Oh, so that’s how is it?”
“WhaT- Hey! Glo’ stop it!”
If he wanted to laugh that was it, she thought.
She started tickling him on his belly like old times, like when they had their own sleepovers on Postwick, it was kinda cute actually, they tended to stay up to watch Leon’s battles on TV, but while waiting they always ended tickling each other it was fun and they laughed . But if something was Hop, he was one of the most ticklish guys on the Galar region, same as his brother.
Her small fingers were sliding through his t-shirt, almost skittering through his chest. And she was really enjoying it, not to say that she didn’t have any clue how his chest was so firm at the moment, Hop didn’t work out but it was true he was starting to be more strong that she remembered. But she was playing risky to by touching more than she used to be these years.
And Hop? He was surely redder than before, and he was breathing faster each time her fingers ticklish for the hems of his t-shirt, but he would be lying if he wasn’t enjoying it too.
“Haha Glo-ria, haha sto-p!”
But he was almost losing it, as her movements become faster than before behind near him than before, and then was when she moved her hand under his shirt to continue the tickling. And he snapped. He grabbed her arms to stop the tickling from her, it was going to be his turn.
His fingers started to ticklish her through her sides making her burst into more laughter.
“O-k I- I des-haha-erve-d it! Ho-p st-top”
Now it was her turn to be totally flushed and her mind freaking out for having him on top of her.
She moved more than Hop while laughing making kind of difficult to him to maintain his position while tickling her. This made Hop loose his balance, falling backwards into the hot springs behind him. He tried to lean on her for not to fall back, but this cause that both of them to fall directly into the smoking water.
---
In a few seconds their hairs were wetted with the steamy water, so as their clothes. He was the first to started laughing a little bit more for the situation that did occurred and then her following behind, they were such an idiots. At least good for them, the part where they fell on the hot spring wasn’t very deep and they didn’t get any harm while it.
She opened her eyes slowly, noticing that now she was on top on something smooth but firm, which happened to be his chest, and of course they were complete socked.
But she was unamused, her mind only focused in the dark skinned male who was underneath her, forgetting why she was laughing in the first place and staring deeply at his dark honey eyes which just as magic were already locked with hers.
In some way as a tranz, she moved a little more near to his face, stiffing her pose more, slowly posisionating her hands over his face. And just like that, one of the questions that they wondered about all they came up.
"Hop… can I kiss you?"
The petition was almost inaudible on the quiet sound of the night at snowy town where laughter have been heard moments before, but it was perfectly clear on the ears of a certain purple haired male.
"It took you long enough to ask."
In the end, the kiss was warmer than all the hot spring itself.