Chapter Text
A strange blonde child was inside Leon's office. Leon had no clue why he had taken up residence on his nice couch and had begun to loudly snack on a packet of biscuits (an entire packet of biscuits, in one sitting. With a chocolate bar for dessert. Oh to be twelve again.)
Leon knew this kid from somewhere. When his little brother had run away from him after shouting an apology, Gloria showed him his league card and implied that the kid, Bede, had something to do with it. He pressed Hop on the subject and found out that Bede had defeated him, and then said something that hurt his feelings. Something that had to do with Leon. Leon resolved to ignore Bede until he was sure he could ask him about this without losing his temper.
The child, Bede, put his pink shoe clad feet on the armrest of Leon’s (white leather!) couch, and stared at Leon, his mouth splitting into a smirk. Leon gave no reaction to this. Whenever Leon would go to sort through his paperwork or write an email, Bede would drum his feet against the armrest. Leon tried to give no reaction to this. When Bede began to whistle, a very basic cover of Ring O’ Roses that dissolved into one long, high pitched note, Leon could no longer give no reaction.
“Hey, you’re the new fairy type gym leader, right? Mind taking your shoes off my couch?” He said, brandishing his Champion Smile™ and a good-humoured tone.
“Hey, you’re the ex-champion, right? Mind staying out of my business?” Bede shot back. The Champion Smile™ wavered but stayed put.
“Haha! I can’t say I dislike the grit, but can I ask how my couch is your business?”
“Nope.”
“Alright, I won't. I’m just going to tell you to take your feet off it.” Leon retorted. His years of Big Brother training had clearly paid off, as Bede actually obeyed him, with only a brief roll of his eyes.
“Your name is Bede, right?” Leon began to enquire.
“Yeah.”
“I remember you from the semifinals." Leon continued. "You and your pokemon broke into the arena to fight after being disqualified?”
“Yup. And you let it happen.”
“Yeah. That took guts! And now you get to be the fairy type gym leader! I’m glad things worked out for you in the end.” Leon boomed, turning up the charm.
“Yeah, sure. Things are great.” Bede murmured, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“You don’t think so? Hop said you seemed-”
“Hop? Your little brother? The weakest person to ever ‘earn’ an endorsement? What does he know, outside of bragging about being related to someone who's actually strong?” Bede snapped. Leon inhaled sharply. Jackpot.
“Well, he sure made it further in the challenge than most trainers ever do. Hell, he made it further than you, and he never destroyed a historic artifact. I’d hardly call that weak.” Leon simmered. His Champion Smile™ warped under the strain.
“You don’t get it. Everyone can tell he only got into the challenge because of his big brother.” Bede sneered.
“You don’t get it. Hop is strong, he’ll be stronger than me one day." Leon said. "You can’t just insult people’s families, Bede.”
“You don't get it because your family- you think your family is perfect. You can’t understand that your brother is just a-” Bede began, and was quickly interrupted. Any trace of the Champion Smile™ had evaporated.
“Oh I think I get it well enough, thank you very much. But I don't think that you get that this is my office. I don’t have to take this from you. Just leave.”
“This was MY spot when chairman Rose worked here. This was his office, and he used to let me sit here. And I am NOT moving just because you seem to have a problem with every fucking thing I do” Bede snarled.
“I have a problem with everything you do!? You’re clearly antagonising me, how could I not have a problem with- oh, my god.” Leon caught himself raising his voice, and sighed deeply to calm himself. The chairman of the league could not yell at strange kids, even if they made his nice couch dirty and insulted his brother.
“You have to leave my office. Do you have a parent’s phone number?”
“I don’t have parents anymore. That old hag is adopting me, but until then I’m staying in a group home. They don’t care what I’m doing as long as I get back by eight.” Bede retorted, smirking wider as Leon fidgeted. Leon briefly wondered if Bede often used the fact he was an orphan to win arguments and then mentally kicked himself.
He decided to give up for today, and tolerate the irrational, loud, never-learned-to-chew-with-his-mouth-closed mountain of biscuit crumbs known as Bede until he could go home and vent to Raihan.