Chapter Text
It was a quiet morning in the small town of Postwick. Six-year-old Hop starred out the window, sporting a purple t-shirt and blue shorts. He eagerly watched the Wooloo roll around the fields giggling excitedly as he counted them.
“So many Woolos today! I wonder if they are all friends?” He flashed a toothy grin as he jumped back. “Oh?” A Wooloo appeared from behind him as he hugged it. “Hey, buddy! You come here to see all your Wooloo friends?”
The Sheep Pokemon yawned and nodded as it stuck his little feet at the window. Hop pressed his head on the window and sighed as he and his Wooloo looked outside. “Friends...I wonder if I could make some like that one day?” Just then, Hop spotted a truck driving by and park at the neighboring house next to his. “Oh? I wonder if that’s our new neighbors! Let’s go see him, buddy!” Hop giggled as he jumped from his bed and ran downstairs.
“Hop Yusuf!” The boy jumped at the sound of his mother calling him from the kitchen.
“Yes, Mum?” He smiled as he turned around to face her.
“Where do you think you’re going, young man?”
“I was gonna go see the new neighbors! Can I go say hi?”
“Hmmm.” His mother placed a hand on her chin as the boy’s eyes lit up at her. “I don’t see why not; what better way to send the cutest messenger to greet them to this nice place.”
“Oh, well, tell them to make way for me then!” Hop puffed out his chest and giggled as his mother hugged him.
“Oh, you... go say hi before your brother beats you to it!”
“Oh, he won’t; he would get lost trying to get across the street anyway!” Hop laughed as he ran out the door.
“I wonder what they are like?” Hop said to himself as his Wooloo rolled close by.
“Thanks for helping us!” A woman with brown hair smiled at the movers as they walked into her new home.
“Of course, Ma’am. We will get everything ready for you, so do not worry!” The leader of the movers nodded as they brought in the furniture from the truck. Hop walked over to the side and smiled as the woman spotted him.
“Oh, now, who are you?”
“Oh, I’m Hop! I’m your new neighbor! It’s nice to meet ya!” Hop smiled and stumbled as his Wooloo bumped into him. “And this is my partner Wooloo!”
“Oh, how sweet! You seem like a nice boy; my kids would definitely love it here?”
“Kids?” Hop’s eyes lit up as he liked the sound of that.
‘Friends?’ Hop couldn’t wait to meet the new kids on the block; he was practically jumping in place as the woman nodded.
“Yeah, they are around your age, I believe, and should be around here, Victor, Gloria? Come meet our new neighbor!” Hop craned his neck as he saw a pair of twins, who peered from the car. One was a girl with a brown bob. She wore a magenta-colored dress with white flowers on them. With her, she carried around a Ralts that eyed the area around it.
“Hiya! I’m Gloria!” She quickly ran towards Hop and smiled at him as he stuck his hand out at her.
“I’m Hop! I’m six-years-old; it’s nice to meet ya!” Gloria quickly took his hand and shook it.
“Likewise!” She quickly dropped her smile as Hop looked around her. “Is something the matter?”
“Yeah, I heard two names; where’s uhh, Victor was it?”
“Oh, he’s over there!” Gloria pointed towards a boy with brown hair like her. He wore a red t-shirt with denim overalls; he jumped and hid as Hop walked towards him.
“Are you Victor?”
“Yes...but please don’t hurt me…” He whimpered as a Budew on his head, smiled at Hop.
“Hurt you? Far from it, mate! I’m Hop, by the way!” Hop stuck his hand out at the boy and waited, but Victor never returned the favor.
“I’m sorry...I gotta go.” Victor quickly ran inside, catching his Budew in his hands as he hid his face from Hop.
“Oh, okay...was it something I said?”
“Don’t worry about it, Hop!” Gloria slapped the back of Hop’s shirt as he stumbled. “My brother is just a little shy ever since we moved.”
“Oh, where did you guys come from?”
“Uhh...what was it…” Gloria crossed her arms and tilted her head as her Ralts waved at Hop’s Wooloo. “Oh, it was Sinnoh!”
“Sinnoh? I don’t think I’ve heard of that region; what was it like?” Hop’s eyes lit up as Gloria shrugged.
“It was cold! But uh, we all moved cause our Mom wanted to leave it for some reason...I think it was something about our Dad.”
“You have a Dad?” Hop raised a brow as Gloria shook her head.
“Oh, we aren’t supposed to tell anyone about this, but uh...he was a scientist and went on a journey but never came back...I think they said he disappeared.”
“Really? That sounds scary!” Gloria nodded as she crossed her arms.
“That’s what our Mom said! I think that’s why Victor is upset, too, cause he liked our dad.”
“And he’s been gone ever since?” Hop looked up at the window and spotted Victor, who quickly hid behind the curtains.
“Yeah, Mom says that Victor and I should try to move on, but Victor is still kind of upset about it...that’s why he’s all shy and stuff.”
“Oh…” Hop looked up at the window and smiled at it. “I want to become Victor’s friend!”
“What? Really?” Gloria raised a brow as Hop grinned at her.
“Yeah! He and I are the same! We both feel bad that our dads aren’t with us, but I think he just needs friends to help him!”
“Hop…” Gloria laughed as she took his hand. “You’re really funny! Come on, let’s go play!”
“Okay! I’ll show you around Postwick!” Hop laughed as he looked back again at the window.
‘Don’t worry, Victor! I’ll save you from loneliness!’
“That boy…” Victor looked out the window and sighed as he stared at his Budew. “Do you think he is mad at me for running off like that?” The Bud Pokemon smiled as it twirled around the window sill, causing the brunette to laugh. “Maybe I overreacted a bit...I should go apologize to him! But…” Victor bit his lip as he rested his hands on his laps. “What if...what if he doesn’t like me?”