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Chapter Text

Hop can feel excitement flowing through his body, as he waits for his older brother.

Today is the day. Today he will start his gym - challenge and compete against the gym leaders to collect their Badges. If he manages to collect them all, then he can compete against the champ and prove his worth as Trainer.

Well, that's what his mother hammered into his head.

In all honesty, Hop doesn't want to fight his brother, if he even manages to defeat the gym leaders. What if he embarrasses himself and loses? What if he wins and Leon starts hating him?

It scares him.

But Zamazenta said that it is good for children his age to travel and Zacian agreed with him, as it allows him to make many friends. Eternatus didn't really comment on that. The spirit hasn't been feeling too good lately and Hop is concerned that he has gotten sick.

Can ghosts get sick at all?

"Bah?"

His Wooloo cuddles up to him, as if it knew that he was a little worried. A smile appears on his face as he hugs the Pokémon tightly. Leon gave it to him for his tenth birthday, as that is the age at which the children start travelling in the other regions.

Hop loves the Pokémon to put it briefly. It's soft and cozy and he feels like it's his only friend.

“When do you think that Leon will come home? The train should actually have been here half an hour ago ... "

He cuddles up in the warmth of the Pokémon when he hears a loud bell, a signal that the train has finally arrived.

A large crowd forms the moment his brother leaves the station. it's always like that and sometimes he wonders if Leon is a magnet for his fans. He can barely see or hear his brother and he has to call Wooloo back into his Pokéball, as it was almost kicked by a man.

It takes a while for the crowd to clear up, but Hop is pulled into a tight hug by his brother when it clears up. The man laughs and he feels all his worries melt away from him. It's always like this when Leon comes to visit.

"So, my number-one fan in the world has come out of his way to pick me up!"

He sounds so happy and Hop can feel himself blush. Of course he came to pick him up. His brother manages to get lost on a straight alley and land in Kalos. The hug lasts a few seconds and Hop would have loved to not let go.

"Look at you hop! I reckon you’ve grown… exactly an inch and a quarter since the last time i saw you! "

Hop can't suppress the grin. His brother always says the same thing when he comes to visit and it's kind of a joke between the two of them.

"I missed you very much…"

Leon looks sad for a moment before taking his hand.

"Let's go home."

Hop nods and pulls his brother after him as they walk the straight Route home. They talk about God and the world and for a brief moment he feels safe and comfortable. Even if he has to stop Leon almost five times from jumping into one of the fenced-in meadows.

His mother pretends to be happy to see them both. Now they have to play a happy family so that Leon doesn't worry about them and realizes how terrible his family actually is.
Lunch is very happy and if Hop hadn't known better, he would really have believed everything was fine. They talk about everything that comes to mind.

"Leon, I-. You haven't forgotten, have you? "

After asking the question, his entire family stares at him and Hop could kick himself. Now he's probably spoiled all the fun for everyone. His brother smiles at him, but his gandfather looks very angry.

"Of course! Who do you think I am? Come outside and we can start. "

It's almost like he's been waiting for him to bring the subject up. Both run outside and Hop is pleasantly surprised that Leon finds the right way out and doesn't jump out of the window. Something he did on his 10th birthday when he gave him Wooloo.

Leon has a big grin on his face and 3 Pokéball in his hand.

"Well, I know you already have a Pokémon, but traditionally a new trainer chooses his own Pokémon when they start their journey."

The balls open and the small Pokémon look around in confusion for a short moment, before they start playing with each other. Hop has to swallow for a moment, when he sees them. They are just a lot cuter than the photos in the books. He would love to hug and cuddle them all.

It's a tough decision, but he's been through it many nights and he's sure of it.

"Hey Scorbunny, please come here!"

The bunny Pokémon looks at him briefly before jumping up to him and into his arms. It makes a very happy sound and cuddles in his warmth. The other two look at them for some seconds before they happily continue playing.

"A fire type, huh? Seems like the apple doesn't fall far from the Tree. "

Hop smiles at his brother with a big smile when his brother reaches into his pocket and takes out a letter. His ticket to start his journey.

"Dearest brother, herewith I, the champion-"

He doesn't manage to finish his sentence when his Rotophone starts ringing. His cheeks turn slightly red when he answers the call. Soon his brother's face becomes hard, as he talks to the person and in the end he looks very sad and disappointed.

"I- I'm sorry, Hop, but I have to go. Rose needs my help. Here, I ll make up for that. I promise you."

Leon hands him the letter, puts the two Pokémon back in their balls and flies away with Charizard.
The disappointment Hop feels is very big, but he is not really surprised. It happens a lot and he's a bit used to it. Scorbunny gives him a worried look, before carefully touching his face.

"It's okay."

He's not sure if he's trying to calm down the Pokemon or himself.
He shakes his head briefly. Hop just has to get his backpack and then he can leave to become a real trainer.
His family ignores him as he runs to his room. They saw how Leon took the call and left them again. They don't need an explanation.

"Child?"

He flinches briefly when he hears Eternatus's voice. The other looks tired and very worried. His eyes fall on the letter and the new Pokémon, as a gentle smile forms on his pretty face. After all these years, Hop still thinks Erternatus is a very beautiful person.

"So, you're leaving?"

He sounds a little sad, but his face shows proudness and joy. Hop slowly nods and the ghost begins to smile, as he briefly strokes his new Pokémon.

“You know, I have a present for you! But you have to close your eyes. And no peeking! "

The boy is a little confused, but does what is asked of him. Eternatus has never given him a present, so he's a little surprised. He can feel the other person carefully putting something around his neck and hear how his Pokémon is “AH” and “Oh”-ing.

"You can open your eyes now."

Hop's eyes widen when he opens them and sees the amulet, that is now hanging around his neck. The necklace is very fancy and he feels like it's too valuable to him. It consists of a purple crystal and a black chain. He is sure that the stone is glowing and Scorbunny starts to play with it.

“It will protect you on your journey. I hope you know how proud I am. "

Tears form in his eyes and Eternatus makes a panicked sound. This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for him and he pulls the spirit into a tight hug. Hop just feels so happy.

“Child, come on, you have to leave now. At least if you still want to visit Zacian and Zamazenta. "

Hop nods, but only breaks the hug after a few seconds.

"I love you."

Eternatus smiles when he sees his child run off. He can only hope that the amulet is enough.
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The slumbering weald seems to scare Scorbunny a little, as it burrows deeper into wooloos fur. Hop offered it to go back into her pokeball, but it wanted to stay outside.

He can't help but smile, because it's just like wooloo when it first came here with him. His sheep seems to be thinking the same, if he can read the expressions correctly.

"Hop!"

Zacian and Zamazenta look happy to see him and Wooloo immediately runs off to tackle Zamazenta, something that is some kind of a joke between the two of them. Or so he hopes.

"Well who are you?"

The man lifts Scorbunny out of Wooloo's fur and smiles at it. The Pokémon looks at him briefly before jumping out of his grasp and into his trainer's arms.

"Leon gave it to me at the start of my journey!"

Zacian's eyes start to twinkle when he says that. Hop has often told them about the challenge and he is sure that both would have participated, if they weren't ghosts. But they trained him for it and Hop is happy about it.

“Well, it works really well. Nobody will be able to stop you together with Wooloo! "

Zamazenta sounds very sure and Hop has to smile even bigger. The man always knows how to cheer someone up, even when one is actually already happy.

Zacian smiles as she hands him a small package. Hop looks at her in confusion before looking at the present.

What's going on today? He never gets this much.

He slowly opens it and he almost drops Scorebunny when he sees his present.

A silver dagger. Zacian gave him a weapon.

"Hop. Just because someone smiles at you, doesn't mean they have something good in mind. Please remember this "

She sounds serious before she hugs him tightly. He is very concerned that he might hurt her, but the fear disappears when Zamazenta joins the hug.

Hop already knows that he will miss them a lot.

Chapter Text

It takes a while before he can move, to leave the Slumbering Weald. Hop is sure that Zamazenta cried when he left, but who is he to tattle? he cried a lot too. The two and Eternatus are his family and he knows that they will always be proud of him, even if he loses.

His steps feel heavier than usual and he sighs when he reaches Wedgehurst. He spent too much time with the siblings and missed his train to the so-called “meetup spot”. The next train doesn't leave for an hour and he's not sure what to do.

"Hop?"

He flinches briefly when he sees Sonja, a friend of his brother. She young woman looks glad to see him as she pulls him into a hug.

"I'm glad that I caught up to you! You must be very excited! "

She sounds very happy and Hop turns slightly pink. He and the redhead are not really close, even if she often took care of him when he was little. But in the past few years he has hardly seen her.

“I heard from Leon that you are starting your journey today. Grandma has a present for you! Just come with me to the laboratory. "

He nods slowly and Sonja takes his hand and leads him to the laboratory. She was traveling with Leon when she started her challenge. She's probably just scared that he's going in the wrong direction. What he understands, even if he feels like a small child.

They're not really talking, but the silence isn't embarrassing. It reminds Hop of the old days when she was babysitting him.

Professor Magnolia is already waiting outside the laboratory, Sonjas Yamper next to her. The old woman smiles as the Pokémon runs towards them and jumps into Sonja's arms.

“It's nice to see that Sonja caught up to you. I heard that you are starting your journey and that's why I want to entrust you with the Pokédex. "

She sounds a bit strict and Hop has to swallow for a moment. He's heard a lot about the Pokédex, which is a encyclopedia for every Pokémon in the region. All you have to do is to scan a caught Pokémon and you will learn everything about it.

It's something that Hop has always been fascinated by and it's a great honor for him to get it.

He hands her his rotomphone and she disappears with it for a moment. Hop once read that it is like a kind of TM for the Rotom and that not everyone can learn that. Hopefully his Rotom can do it.

It doesn't take long until the professor comes back and gives him back his Rotomphone, the Pokédex as a new app.

"Thank you so much! I will keep it in honor!"

Maybe it was a little too loud, but right now he couldn’t care.
The old woman nods and Sonja smiles at him. He looks briefly at the clock in his rotomphone and nods. If he starts running now, he can get the next train without much waiting. He didn't notice how quickly the time had passed.
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The train ride was very lonely for Hop. It is forbidden to let your Pokémon out on the train, otherwise there could be a security risk. At least he can prepare for the fight against the first gym - leader. At least mentally.

His amulet glowed slightly as he watched the last year's fight videos. It's easy to see that Milo lets most Trainers win, but that still doesn't mean Hop will go into battle without a plan.

Eternatus has always preached to him, that there is nothing more important than strategy. Without the right tactics, every fight is a game of luck.

He is lucky enough to have the fire starter, which gives him a type advantage. He already has a small plan, but there is one really big problem.

Hop cannot dynamx. He does not have a bracelet and the probability of winning is very slim becausee of it. The stones are very rare and therefore very expensive. Maybe he could call Leon and ask him about it. But he would also feel guilty, as it feels kind of like cheating.

He does not stay trapped in this train of thought for long, because the real train stops at its destination.

Hop is very happy to finally let his Pokémon out again. He always feels a little bad about cramming them in the little ball and enjoys it when they are outside with him. It gives him a sense of security.

The Wild Zone is an incredible place and exactly as he imagined it would be. The air feels fresh and Hop feels free, as if nothing could hurt or stop him. It takes a few kilometers to get to Mokostoke, where the opening - ceremony takes place. He wanted to use the path to train and catch a flying type Pokémon.

His Pokémon appear to be excited and ready to explore the wild zone. Hop smiles and starts running, his partner behind him. Part of him wants to spread his arms and pretend that he can fly, but that would probably be pretty embarrassing if someone saw him.

Training is not as difficult as he thought for them. It comes naturally for Hop, even if Wooloo and Scorbunny have some problems at the beginning. But it doesn't take long before they get the hang of it.
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Hop has already set up his camp for the evening, after an afternoon of training, when he feels something. The boy is unsure what it is or how to explain it. It is like someone scared him and his body is in a warned mode. His necklace glows in a strong pink light and his Pokémon look confused at him.

Hop feels like someone is pulling him somewhere. He feels like he has to follow this invisible power.

Does Leon always feel this way when he goes the wrong way? Is he also being pulled off the right path?

His partners follow him without giving him a questioning look. Not that Hop would have noticed it.

A pink pillar of light shines into the sky and that is the moment when Hop realizes that he has entered a nest. Without a dynamax bracelet. With no way of escaping, as the Pokémon has already seen him.

His own partners have stood protectively in front of him and a terrible feeling is growing inside him. There is no way he can win, but he has to at least try. He can't give up, especially not so early on his journey.

This is the moment when his amulet lights up brighter and adrenaline flows through his body. He's not sure why, but Hop suddenly has the feeling that nothing can stop him. in one smooth movement he calls his Wooloo back and dynamax the ball and with it his Pokémon.

Hop is not sure how this is possible, but he can think about it later when he is no longer in danger.

The fight doesn't last long and in the end he manages to catch the rookidee. It is a sweet Pokémon and he has the feeling that it will soon befriend the rest of his partners.

Hop is very tired when he returns to his camp. His eyes wander to his Amulet as he takes a closer look at the object. The stone shines slightly, but not as brightly as before. He is sure that he was able to dinamax thereby.

How is that possible?

He has heard that it is possible to get the bracelet in the shape of an earring, ring or necklace, but these are very expensive.

How did Eternatus get it?

Chapter Text

Motostoke is very different from Postwick or Wedgehurst, but not in a bad way. It's amazing for Hop how modern it is, compared to his home and he can hardly take his eyes off the tall houses. Only when he has almost run into an older man, he tries to concentrate on the important things again.

He can still look around later, but he has to bring his Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. Although he is sure that they are fine, Zamazenta would always say "It's better to be safe than sorry" and Hop doesn't want to imagine, that his friends could be hurt.

The lady in the center is very nice when she examines his partners and Hop uses the time to replenish his supply of Pokéball and Potions. It doesn't take long for his Pokémon to get back to his side and he immediately feels a little better. He thanks the lady and leaves the building.

Part of him would, when he sees her sighing loudly and suddenly appearing a little annoyed.

"Grandmother asked me to investigate something."

Sonja sounds really annoyed when s that, but smiles at him. Hop remembers how Leon once told him, that she works as her grandmother's assistant. It must be very difficult for her.

Hop knows that he should be looking for a place for the night, but he really wants to help her. As some kind of thank you for the Pokédex and the time she used to spend with it.

"I can help you if you
She gives him a startled look, before smiling at him with a big smile and hooking arms with him.

"Really! Thank you very much!"

She sounds very happy and starts to question him about his journey. It could have been embarrassing, but it kind of makes him happy to talk to her. Even if she was very surprised when he told about his fight with the Dinamax Pokémon.

He is sure that she would like to examine his amulet but does not want to ask him to give it to her. Hop is glad that she doesn't ask him to do it because he doesn't want to give up his necklace just like that. It was a present after all.

“Where are we actually going now? What do we have to do?"

Sonja scratches her head for a moment and seems to think for a moment, as if she had briefly forgotten why she left her hometown in the first place. It takes a few seconds before she makes an "Ah" sound.

“Grandmother wanted me to find out about the heroes of the old days. There should be some kind of stature about her here "

Hop goes a little pale when he hears this. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to help her anyway, since he knows them both personally. Well, he is sure that Zacian and Zamazenta are the two heroes from the old stories. He never really asked them about it, but he's not a stupid boy. But he would still like to see the statue and it would be very rude if he suddenly didn't want to help her anymore.

"Hop is everything-"

"Hop! Bro!"

He screams slightly when he is suddenly picked up and hugged tightly from behind. Hop is glad that he unconsciously let go of Sonja, when she started to talk about the statue. It would have been stupid if he accidentally hurt her.

“It's great to see you! How are you?! As I can see you've already caught a new Pokémon! I'm so proud that you made it this far "

Hop turns red when he hears his brother's words. He's pretty embarrassed that his brother would do this in public. He can hear Sonja sighing loudly next to him and that is the moment when his brother sets him down carefully, but leaves his arm around his shoulder.

"Hey Sonja, how are you doing? Do you have to get something for your grandma? "

She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, but smiles at the man.

“You could say so, yes. Shouldn't you be in a meeting with Rose? "

He can hear his brother sigh and nod slightly. Leon really doesn't seem to want to leave. But wouldn’t that get him into trouble? That would be pretty bad, wouldn't it?

"Leon, you-"

"Please don't worry. Hey, I have a present for you, to make amends for yesterday. "

Hop looks a little surprised. The boy had actually thought that his brother had already forgotten about yesterday's events, something that had happened quite often. Leon sighs again before he starts smiling again.

“I can imagine that you don't have a room for the night yet. If you want we can sleep together in my hotel room. The room is big enough and we can order some fast food. Only if you like."

His brother looks at him expectantly and Hop nods quickly. That sounds like a dream for Hop and he can't suppress the grin. That would be a great gift.

"Well! We'll meet you at the Budew Drop Inn at 7:00 pm, okay? Here take this. I didn't have time to wrap it up. "
He puts a charcoal in his hand before he runs away and Hop just hopes he's walking in the right direction. Sonja begins to giggle slightly and shakes her head, a smile on her face.

"I can not believe it. In all these years he has not changed one bit! "

Her laugh is getting louder and louder and she hardly seems to be able to calm down. Normally he would have laughed along, but he can feel someone staring at him, something Zacian taught him to feel.

He looks around briefly, when he sees a white-haired boy in pink, whose eyes are almost boring into him. Hop has to swallow as he begins to decipher the emotions in the violet eyes. He's never seen so much hatred and jealousy, not even his family has ever looked at him like that. They stare at each other before the boy runs away.

What was his problem?

"Hop?"

Sonja has calmed down again and looks at him curiously. It seems like she didn't notice the boy.

"It's alright, come on let's go! Where should this statue be? "

The young woman starts to smile and Hop is happy to have distracted her. He doesn't know how to explain it. She pulls him after her and Hop has to run to keep up with her. It doesn't take long until they reach the Budew Drop Inn, the place where he is supposed to meet Leon later.

"Here?!"

She nods as they enter the hotel. His eyes widen when he sees the entrance hall. It's fancy. Very fancy.

The statue doesn’t really stands out and Sonja immediately moves towards it. She starts taking notes and Hop takes a closer look too. It probably represents Zamazenta, but the armor is all wrong and the warrior would never use a sword. But it could also be that it was only modeled according to the stories.

He completely forgets his surroundings as he looks at the statue, which causes him to almost jump up when something furry touches him on the ankle. He almost screamed, but can still suppress it. Zacian would probably be concerned that he would be so easily scared.

He kneels to the Pokémon, a Morpeko, who looks at him with wide eyes. It is clear that it belongs to someone and when he looks around, he can see a girl walking towards him. She is very pretty and the Morpeko jumps on her shoulder when she stops in front of them.

"Excuse me. My partner doesn't usually just run towards people. "

She sounds a little shy and her cheeks are slightly red. This situation must be a bit uncomfortable for her.

"Do not worry. Apart from a small shock, nothing happened. My name is Hop. Who are you?"

He smiles at her as he holds out his hand, which it envelops after a few seconds.

"Marnie. My name is Marnie. "

Chapter Text

Marnie's cheeks are slightly red when she lets go of his hand. Hop bites his lip, unsure what to say now. Nobody has ever shown him how to talk to strangers or girls without posing a treat.

"Are you here for the opening ceremony or just for fun?"

Smooth hop, really smooth. This doesn’t sound strange at all.

He just hopes that he doesn't look weird, when she stares at him for a few seconds, which feels like forever to him. The silence is a bit embarrassing and he would like to hide behind Sonja and pretend that he had never spoken to her. It could be a little strange if they met again, but meh…

"Yes. I started my journey a few days ago ... my brother said I had to be at the ceremony to take part in the Gym Challenge. "

Hop nods when he hears this and smiles at the girl with a big and warm smile. This means that she is in the same shoes as him.

"For real?! Me too! That means that we are rivals now! "

She looks at him very surprised and he just hopes that he has not overstepped some of his lines ... it would be bad for him if he accidentally offended the girl.

"You don't have to be my rival, if you don't want to! I wouldn’t want to force you."

Her face is illegible and Hop has to swallow for a moment. Marnie is a little like Zacian, in some sense. It was a bit difficult for him to read her face at the beginning, but he learned it. Maybe he can learn it for her too ...

"Let's fight."

For a moment he is not sure if he understood her correctly, until he sees the determined expression on her face and the way she is gripping her Pokéball. Leon always says that there will be a battle, if the eyes of two trainers meet and Zamazenta often told him that the best way to make friends, is that the way of fight. Something about asserting dominance and testing your strength.

"Sure, let's go!"

She nods and her Morpeko jumps into battle, seemingly hyped. Hop chooses Wooloo, because he doesn't really has a Pokémon with a type advantage and it is his strongest partner. Marnie smiles slightly and Hop can feel the adrenaline begin to flow through his body.

That will be funny.

He just hopes that they wont break anything. That wouldn’t be funny.
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“Phew, that was great! You are very good at fighting "

Hop has a big smile on his face as he strokes his Rookidee's head, as he waits for Marnie's reaction. He won this fight, but he's not sure if he won the war. It would be terrible for him if he destroyed the possibility of friendship between him and the girl.

Maybe he should have let her win.

She sighs when she calls back her defeated partner. He's sure they weren't badly injured in battle, but it must still hurt to see her friends hurt.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Maybe he shouldn't have asked that, since she is now staring at him silently. Her blue eyes study him briefly before she begins to smile slightly. It suits her well and Hops cheeks turn slightly red when he hears how she starts to laugh silently.

"That was funny. I'm looking forward to our next fight, rival Hop. "

His eyes widen briefly as he hugs the girl. He's just so happy to have found a friend. She doesn't really hug him back, but pats him lightly on the back, which is enough for him. Its been a long time since he had a human friend.

"Hop!"

He winces slightly when he hears his big brother's voice and he quickly lets go of Marnie. She looks surprised and slightly annoyed when Leon runs up to her and pulls him into a hug. He's still pretty embarrassed that his brother does this in public and especially front of his new rivals.

"Hey Leon ..."

His brother lets go of him after a few seconds and turns to Marnie. He has a big smile on his face and she rolls her eyes. She looked a little pissed an he isn’t really sure why.

"Hello Marnie! How are you and Piers? "

Hop is a little surprised to see that the two seem to know each other. Maybe it shouldn't surprise him so much, after all, Leon knows every person in Galar. At least that's how it feels to him sometimes.

"It's OK. I have to go. See you tomorrow Hop. "

She almost runs out of the hall and all he can do is to look after her for a moment. That was kind of weird and it worried him a little to see her go like that.

Did Marnie and his brother fight?

Charizard nudges him lightly on the shoulder and Hop looks at Leon, who, just like him, is looking after Marnie. His brother seems a little sad and he's not sure what to do. He tugs at his cape slightly to get his attention.

"Hey Leon, how was the meeting?"

The older one sighs just before he smiles at him.

"Boring. Be glad that you don't have to take part in such things. How was your day? I had a short chat with Sonja earlier and she said that you may have found a friend and that you abandoned her a little. "
He blushes slightly when he hears this. Hop has completely forgotten about Sonja and he just hopes that she is not mad at him. But he really wants to tell his brother about everything and how he won his first trainer fight. But it seems he already knows Marnie.

“Yes, her Morpeko came to me out of curiosity and we fought. It was very funny and we are now rivals! Isn’t that great?"

Leon starts to shine briefly before he starts smiling brightly. He seems happier than himself about the fact, that Hop has found himself a rival.

"That's great! The best way to get stronger is with a rival. I'm proud of you! I only managed to get Raihan to do it after he ate all of my curry! "

Both start to laugh and the bad feeling from before is almost gone again. He'll just ask his brother later how he knows Marnie and if something happened between them.

Together they go to the large hotel room that his brother has rented for the night. Its nealy as big as both of their bedrooms at home. It must have been really expensive

Their Pokémon are exploring the location together, before they start to play. It makes Hop very happy to see that everyone gets along so well.

“Well, the plan is that we start building a blanket fort and then stuff ourselves full with fast food. Any objection? "

Hop starts to smile brightly. It's been so long since he built a ceiling castle and he can't wait to do it together with his brother. This is going to be so much fun!

“then let's get it started! I can't even remember how to build it properly. So you will probably have to show me first. "

The expression on his brother's face becomes illegible for a moment and Hop feels as if he had killed the mood. He shouldn't have said anything and now he's ruined everything. Why does he always do that?!

"Leon, I am-"

"Come on, it's very easy and there is nothing better than to sleep in it. We need all the blankets and pillows we can find first."

His brother carefully grabs his arm and leads him to the bedroom. Leon starts laughing when he takes too many pillows and almost tips over, before taking a few off of him.

His explanation on how to built the castle is very precise and he is doing his best to make it exactly how Leon wants. It's amazing for Hop to see the end product. The castle is big enough for him and his brother and feels very warm and cozy.

It's a dream for hop and he cant wait to sleep in it.

Today was a wonderful day. He got himself a rival and spent time with his brother.

Chapter Text

Hop is alone when he wakes up the next day. He sighs briefly as he looks around and gets out of the Blanket Ford. His big brother’s things are gone too and you’d think he was never there.

Leon had told him yesterday that he had to leave very early this morning. The gym leaders and he, as champion, have to meet again for a rehearsal. It is very important to the chairman that everything goes perfectly.

Leon doesn’t like going to these rehearsals and it seems that Rose behaves like an asshole in there. There are really moments when he feels sorry for his brother, especially when he is telling him stories about Rose.

The man seems to be a perfectionist and has great expectations of all of his workers.

But Hop would have wished, that his brother had at least woken him up before he left. He would have loved to hug him again. It is not clear when he will see him the next time.

He sighs briefly before getting ready. He still has some time before the ceremony, but he doesn’t want to look like he’s spent the night in the gutter. That would throw a bad light on Leon.

When he’s finally finished, he still has almost half an hour free. He’s not quite sure what to do, until then, but he knows that he has forgotten something. Something important.

„Hop?“

He turns around, confused, when he hears his rival’s voice, only to be jumped at by her Morepeko. It lets out a happy chirp, as it hugs his head. Hop can hear someone running up to him and carefully starts to pry the Pokémon off his face.

“I- I’m sorry. Normally it wouldn’t do that. Ever.”

Marnie’s cheeks are very red as she tries to avoid his eyes. He can imagine how she must feel. It reminds him of the one time Wooloo wanted to greet Leon and pushed him out the window by accident.

„Hey, it’s okay! Nothing happened. How are you today?”

He gives her his best smile and puts his hand on her shoulder, as he tries to calm her down. The girl sighs briefly before nodding and looking at him. Her cheeks are still red, but at least she doesn’t seem so embarrassed anymore.

„I-, uh-, I saw you standing around and wanted to ask if you want to go to the stadium together?“

She sounds a bit insecure and Hop nods quickly, as he took her Hand into his. She gives him a very shocked look before he pulls her towards the stadium.

It makes Hop very happy that he has a rival and that she wants to spend time with him. He doesn’t really have any friends, especially none his age, so he can’t wait to get to know her better. Hopefully he doesn’t spoil this chance.

„Are you looking forward to the opening ceremony?“

She nods slowly and whispers something that Hop can’t quite understand. He stands still, which also brings Marnie to a stop, and looks at her slightly questioningly. Her cheeks are still red, as she looks at the floor.

„My brother won’t be there.“

The girl sounds very sad and Hop can’t help, but look at her with anything but sympathy. He knows exactly what it is like, when your brother or someone else important is not around. It reminds him, of how he would wait for Leon, only to find out later that he forgot him.

„Do you want to talk about it? Of course you don’t have to …”

Marnie shakes her head and Hop bites his lip. He has done it again … He’s not sure how to change her mind and is afraid that he has ruined her whole day now.

„Well-, uh-, have- do you have a favorite Type you want to catch? Or do you prefer a more balanced team?”

The question seems to cheer her up again, she smiles at him again.

„Yes! I want to become a dark type specialist! There are a lot of Pokémon of this type where I grew up. They are the cutest! I love them the most … not that other Pokémon Types are bad or something … But I feel most comfortable around Dark Types.”

She has a very big smile and looks very, very happy, which makes Hop happy too. It seems like she loves them a lot, which explains her uncharacteristic reaction. He’s sure it’s the first time that he’s seen her all powered up like that.

„That sounds good! It has to be nice to know which Pokémon to focus on. Personally, I don’t know which types to use yet, and certainly not what Pokémon, to use.”

Hop knows that he should have put together a team already, so he wouldn’t have any problems with the arena fights later, but it always felt wrong, when he thought about planning his team.

What if the matching Pokémon don’t like him?

What if he builds a bond with the wrong ones?

What if-

"Hop, are you okay? You have a strange expression on your face. "

Marnie looks at him with a slightly worried expression and Hop gives her a quick smile. Hopefully he hasn't given her bad thoughts again. Maybe he's really not that good, at this whole friendship thing.

"If you say so... you've already signed up for the challenge, haven't you?"

Hop looks at her with a confused look for a moment, before a shiver runs down his spine and a terrible feeling builds up in the pit of his stomach.
Now he remembers what he forgot. He can not start his journey if he is not entered in the trainer register.

"Excuse me, but you just reminded me of something very important!"

With that he lets go of Marnie's hand and starts running. He just hopes that he is not too late and that he can still register. It would be terrible if his journey ended so quickly. Leon would be so disappointed and he knows that the rest of his family wouldn't even let him into the house anymore.

Hop almost runs into one of the Marco Cosmos members, when he enters the arena lobby.

"Oh Arceus, I'm so sorry!"

His cheeks are red as he keeps apologizing. He's pretty embarrassed now. The man just smiles at him and doesn't seem to be angry with him at all.

"Do not worry! Nothing happened. Can I help you?”

He sounds very friendly and Hop nods quickly.

"Yes, please, I- I still have to register for the Gym challenge."

Hop can almost feel the feeling of worry go away, as the man nods and takes out a clipboard.

"Naturally! It's always nice to register participants. What's your name? Where are you from? How old are you and what number would you like to use? "

Hop nods slowly, as he takes a deep breath. He has practiced this conversation very often in front of a mirror and he knows exactly what to say without shaming his family.

“My name is Hop Arslan, I'm from Postwick and I'm 15 years old. I want my number to be 189.”

He can see the exact moment, when the man realizes, that he is the younger brother of the champ. The way he flinches briefly and starts him and then the clipboard. Hop hates that.

"Oh-, I-, umm ... the locker room is back there. You get your uniform there. I apologize."

The man almost runs away from him and Hop has to swallow. It is really awful.

Chapter Text

The worker in the locker room is very nice, when he helps him find the right uniform. Hop is very grateful for that, otherwise he would have had probably a lot of problems. He is not even sure what size he is, because his clothes always come from Leon, because he either buys him clothes or passes on the old ones. He's not sure how Leon knows his size though. Its truly a big mystery.

Hop isn't sure how to feel the first time he sees himself in his uniform in the mirror. He looks exactly like Leon, almost like a perfect copy, when he was his age. many people have told him very often, just how much he looks like Leon, but this is the first time he has seen it himself. He does not like it. Not at all.

"Child? You should hurry up if you want to run into the stadium like everyone else. "

He winces slightly, when he hears the employee's words and runs quickly into the lobby, but not without thanking the nice man. Eternatus taught him manners after all and he doesn't want to ruin Leon's reputation.

Some trainers are already waiting in the hall and Hop tries to hide from their gazes in a corner. It probably looks very weird when someone sees him, but he prefers it to being spoken to by them. Especially not now when he looks like a little Leon and others will recognize more easily than usual, that he is the little brother of the champ. He wouldn’t like this attention at all.

"Hop?"

He flinches when he hears the voice of his rival, that he just left alone earlier. Hop feels bad when he turns to her and half expects her to yell at him. Hop wouldn't wonder if Marnie ended their rivalry and friendship. But nothing like that happens and Marnie looks rather happy to see a familiar face.

"Hey, sorry that I just let you stand alone like that. I-, I shouldn't have done that. I'm really sorry…"

He looks embarrassed when Marnie grabs his shoulders. For someone that looks so delicate, she has a very firm grip. Kind of like Zacian.

"It's okay. You still had to register, didn't you? "

She tilts her head slightly, which makes her look very cute. It reminds him very strongly of a wooloo staring confusedly into the distance. Maybe that's a strange comparison.

"Yes, I didn't think about it yesterday ... so thank you for reminding me!"

She nods slightly and her cheeks are slightly flushed. She's probably not used to being complimented, something that makes Hop sad. Not that he could handle it any better.

Both look at each other for a brief moment and that is the moment when Hop realizes that she is wearing a completely different uniform than him. It consists of a black and pink sports bra, shorts and striped tights. It looks pretty cool, but it worries him that she might catch a cold. Doesn't she know that there is an ice gym leader?

"So you're from Spikemuth?"

He just hopes that he has interpreted the emblem correctly, otherwise it could be very embarrassing. But he's pretty sure, after all, Spikemuth's Gym Leader is known for his Dark Type Pokémon. That and for his really beautiful voice ...

Marnie nods slightly and avoids his gaze. It seems like she doesn't like talking about her home town and Hop quickly looks at the floor. He was correct and still made the whole thing embarrassing. That would definitely not have happened to Leon ...

The boy tries to say something to improve the situation, to make her feel better, but he is interrupted by a loud gong.

That means the ceremony will finally begin.

Hop grins at Marnie with a big smile, as he grabs her hand and pulls her along with him. He is very excited. He's often watched this moment on TV and now he's really going to see it live. He will be in it.

It's very different and Hop can feel his heart start beating faster.

The light, the audience and the loud music make him tremble and he finally understands, why his brother likes to battle. He feels strong, invincible and big. Like People would see him. The last time he felt this way, was when he defeated Zacian in a sword fight.

It's incredible for him.

Then the gym leaders enter the hall and Hop has to swallow for a moment. He's seen a lot of videos about them, but they seem much more dangerous in real life. Almost intimidating.

The ceremony ends with Rose and Leon giving a long speech. His brother looks quite majestic and Hop is sure that he had winked at him when he disappeared with Rose. Probably to discuss something with the gym leaders.

He just hopes that he can talk to Leon again before his brother has to go to the next event.

When Hop has changed back, he looks around for Marnie first. He wanted to apologize to her again, because he is sure that he had brought her into an uncomfortable situation earlier. It takes a while until he finds her and when he sees her, she is not alone. Two grown men in strange clothes are with her and they seem to know each other.

She looks relaxed and seemingly comfortable with them. Hop would be reluctant to tear her out of this familiar, happy, environment. It reminds him of all the times when his time with his brother was cut short, because someone wanted something from him. Mostly for autographs or because Rose needed him.

He doesn't want to disturb them.

He quickly runs out of the stadium into a way, that hopefully doesn't look strange.

He sighs briefly as he lets Wooloo out of its ball. His friend looks around for a moment, confused, before jumping onto him happily. It is forbidden to release any Pokémon during the ceremony, because they don't want to stress them too much. Hop understands that, but he still wished it could have felt the same way as he did.

Well, he is sure that his partner will feel that feeling when he and his team go up against the gym leader Milo. He is sure that he will have a very good chance together with Scorebunny, Wooloo and Rookidee, even if they have to level up.

"Man, that's a cute Wooloo!"

Hop flinches as he turns around, startled, and into the face of the Turffield gym leader. Speaking of the devil.

He has a friendly expression on his face when he holds out his hand.

“Hello, my name is Milo! Sorry if I come across as strange, but I saw your Pokémon and just had to speak to you! "

He sounds very honest and Hop nods slightly. He read a lot about the gym leader in his preparations. It has been mentioned very often how much he likes Wooloos. The boy understands that very well, after all there is nothing better than cuddling with them.

Hop starts smiling slightly and takes her hand. Milo seems nice and Hop doesn't want to appear rude.

“It's nice to get to know you. My name is Hop! "

The other starts to laugh like he's thinking of a good joke. It's a bright and nice laugh and Hop is quite confused when he hears it. Did he say something funny?

"Yes I know! Leon showed me many pictures of you! "

The other one seems happy when he says this, but Hop feels like he's been thrown into deep cold water. He didn’t like that at all. What else did Leon share about him? It would be unfair if the gym leaders treated or saw him differently, just because he is the champion's brother ...

"Hey, are you okay? Do you seem really sickly somehow? "

He briefly looks into the worried face of the gym leader, before muttering an apology and running away. This time he doesn't care if he looks weird or not. He just wanted to disappear.

Chapter Text

Hop can't sleep, even though it's already very late.

It's the evening after the ceremony and the meeting with the arena leader keeps running through his mind. He had probably really embarrassed himself and now the whole league surely knows what a strange child the champ's little brother is.

He just shouldn't have run away like that, after all it was kind of clear that his brother would tell his colleagues about him.

Leon has always been like that, no matter how many times he asked him to stop.

He would hug him in public, lift him up by the arms or talk loudly about him.

Quite different from his other family, who normally act as if he doesn't even exist.

The boy is not sure what he prefers. He loves his brother, the way he makes him feel special, the way he feels safe with him and like the other really cares about him. But sometimes it all gets to be too much for him and he wants to hide under his bed.

"Scor?"

Hop winces slightly as he feels Scorbunny jump on his belly and look at him with wide eyes. It looks at him worriedly and he pulls it into a tight hug, as if it was a Teddy Bear.

Zacian once told him that Pokémon can feel how their trainers are doing and he doesn't like the idea that his partners might feel bad for him. Just because he can't control himself and his feelings.

He can feel Wooloo nudging him, as if it wanted to comfore him and Rookidee landing on his head. The bird Pokémon begins to chirp a soft melody and Hop can feel himself calming down as he leans against Wooloo.

The boy didn't think he could bond so quickly with his Pokémon. It touches him that they like him enough to cheer him up and he can't suppress a smile.

"Thank you... let's do our best tomorrow, ok? Milo won't stand a chance against us."
His partners all make a loud but approving noise and Hop has to laugh out loud.
It doesn't matter what image the arena leaders have made of him or what Leon has told them about him.
He will show them what kind of trainer he is, what kind of person he is.
Slowly he closes his eyes and slowly falls asleep, snuggled up to his Pokemon and safe. He is sure that he can manage to show himself to people and stay strong without buckling or embarrassing himself.
Hop will not stay in his brother's shadow. Hopefully.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turffield reminds Hop a lot of home and he can't help but grin when he sees the Wooloos grazing in the fields. It's very idyllic and he has to sigh slightly when he sees the arena.
Today is the day.
He knows that his Pokemon are just as excited as he is and he would love to rush to the arena and compete against the trainers there, but first he wants to look around the small town. Hop wants to familiarize himself with the place.

Eternatus had once told him that there was a very large geoglyph to the west of the town and he would like to take a look. He wonders what it looks like.

It doesn't take him long to reach the viewing platform and he can do nothing but marvel. He has never seen anything like it in his entire life and it is almost unbelievable to him.

"Hop!"

The boy flinches when he hears Sonja's voice and turns around confused. The young woman walks up to him and gives him a big smile.

"How are you doing? Grandmother asked me to investigate the geoglyph."

She scratches the back of her neck lightly before sighing briefly and he smiles lightly at her. It must be hard working for the professor.

"I think she's really amazing! Didn't think they were that big."

Hop tries to sound as upbeat as possible as Sonja puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles gently at him. It reminds him of the way Zachian looks at him when he would finish his training and say goodbye to her and Zamazenta for the day.

It is a look of pride.

"You're competing in the arena soon, aren't you?""

He nods and smiles a big smile at her before she starts to tousle his hair.

"HEY!"

Sonja starts laughing and pulls him into a very tight hug that he almost melts into.

"I'm going to cheer you on...ok? Just do your best."

He nods slowly before breaking free of the hug and looking at her with a look of determination on his face.

"Sonja... I promise you that I will win."

She looks at him, slightly startled, before she starts to grin.
"Well then, show me what you can do."

Hop nods as he turns and runs to the arena.
He's going to show her.
---------------------------------------------------------

Hop sighs slightly as he lets the wooloo sniff his hand. He didn't think the Arena Challenge would look like this. Not that he has anything against the Wooloo herding, but he had imagined something different.

The strange Pokémon looks at him with wide eyes before making a happy noise, causing the entire herd to roll towards him. He smiles as he tries to gain the trust of the other Wooloos.

He realizes that it would be quicker to just shoo the Pokémon around, but he doesn't want to put them under too much stress.

Lucky that his best friend is a Wooloo and he knows how to act around them without scaring them.

"Are you coming?"

His voice is soft as he slowly gets up and walks to the fences. The Wooloos follow him without hesitation and it isn't long before he has them fenced in and looking at him very confused.

With that, his challenge is over and he can take on the arena leader.

He breathes in and out loudly as he passes through the door to the arena. The spotlight blinds him for a brief moment and the air feels all charged up. Hop can hear the cheers of the audience and he begins to grin.

He can do it.

He can win against Milo and show everyone what he can do that he is worthy of being the champ's little brother.

Hop is upright as he walks to the middle of the field where Milo is already waiting. The other smiles a big smile at him as they shake hands and promise each other a fair match.

The arena leader starts with Gossifleur and Hop gets Wooloo out of his ball. He had promised the Pokémon that it will fight in the arena match. Milo will not dinamax his first Pokémon, so it should be safe.

Both Pokémon fought great and Hop can feel it fill him with pride to see his partner fight like that.

It was incredible.

The fight doesn't last too long and in the end Wooloo is the winner. It makes a very happy noise and Hop would like to hug it, but at the same time he knows that the fight is not over yet.

"You did a good job. Thank you."

He calls back to the Pokemon as he reaches for Hopplo's ball. Hop knows the Pokémon is a bit underleveled, but he hopes the type advantage is enough.

Chapter Text

Hop has to swallow when he sees his Hopplo fighting against Milo's Eldegoss. The Pokémon is very strong and his partner is having trouble fighting it. They haven't even gotten to the dinamaxing yet.

He doesn't like to see his partner get hurt and he can feel a bad feeling spreading through his stomach.

What if he loses? This is his first real fight after all and he doesn't even want to imagine how embarrassing it would be if he lost. How shameful it would be for Leon. How much his Pokemon would hate him if the got hurt to much because of him.

He shakes his head briefly as he tries to focus on the fight. It's far from over and he's not going to give up just yet. He cant do that. He has to win.

Milo calls his Pokémon back and the boy gulps as he does the same. He can feel the energy of the stage gathering in the amulet and starting to flow through his body. It feels different than when he had tried to catch the Rookidee. It's like his blood is starting to boil, even though it doesn't hurt.

Hop can practically feel the energy moving through his body and being directed to the Pokéball.

It's finally time.

With one strong swing, he throws the Pokéball onto the field, just like Leon had shown him when he was younger. The Pokéball has become much heavier due to the dynamaxing, so it just plops to the ground, instead of gracefully falling.

This is something he has to work on, before he can go to fight his brother.

Hopplo looks completely different than before. It almost radiates the power of the stadium and it seems as if it has forgotten the damage it took a few seconds ago. Hop could almost feel its determination to win, as it waited for his command.

"We can do this! Let's go Hopplo! Use Max Flare!"

The Pokemon lets out a loud battle roar, before unleashing the powerful Fire Attack, which lands a direct hit on its opponent. Eldegoss stumbles back a bit and Hop knows he can't stop now.

This is a chance he can't pass up.

"Hopplo!"

His partner seems to understand him even without words as it already prepares its next attack.

Hop's eyes turn almost automatically to Milo, waiting for his reaction, what he would do to stop them, but the other just looks at him with a smile. He seems to enjoy the fight, even if he doesn't seem to take it seriously. But the gym leader is also known for that.

He can almost feel the heat as Hopplo unleashes his next attack and the enemy Pokémon falls to the ground, defeated with a vengeance. It seems that the dynamax training he had done with the Pokémon paid off, even if his Pokémon didn’t really level up through it.

Hopplo gets smaller again, because the fight is won, but Hop doesn't want to call it back yet. He knows that his Pokemon is battered and tired, but he wants his partner to feel the victory it deserves.

"that was a really great fight!"

The gym leader's eyes almost flash with kindness as he approaches him and extends his hand to him. It's a sign of good sportsmanship and not to take the loss too seriously, which is why Hop strikes as quickly as he can. After all, he doesn't want to offend Milo or look like a bad winner in the media. That would damage Leon's reputation.

His counterpart's handshake is very firm, and he can still feel it as Milo hands him the Gym Badge. It's somehow a reassuring feeling, even if he doesn't know how to describe it.

"Here you go. You still get this TM. It contains the attack Magical Leaf. I'm sure it will help you on your adventures!"

He nods as he accepts the item, but looks at the other a little uncertainly. What should he do now? No one has ever taught him if he should turn around first or if he should wait for Milo. In the videos, the trainers always do it differently.

What if he breaks some etiquette and makes a fool of himself?

His decision is taken from him as Hopplo tugs briefly at his uniform before jumping into his arms. It looks tired, but also really happy. A smile forms on his face as he pats the Pokémon behind the ears for a moment, before he looks back at Milo, who looks quite happy himself.

"I thank you for the fight. It showed me a lot."

It's always good to say thank you, and even if it doesn't follow etiquette, it feels right to him. After all, Zacian had taught him at least a few things about politeness and he's pretty sure he won't piss off others with those words.

Milo's smile almost widens as Hop turns and leaves the field. His pace quickens as he leaves the sight of the crowd, almost running into the locker room in the end.

The boy just feels like he's about to explode. Outside, on the battlefields, he could still hold himself back, but now that he's alone with his Pokémon, his friends? He would love to jump around, hug his partners, and play with them.

He feels so proud of himself, as if he and his Pokémon have done something incredible.
.
Of course, he realizes that Milo didn't really take him seriously, but he's still very proud of his Pokémon. After all, they fought hard to win...

For a brief moment he becomes silent, as he begins to think things over.

Milo is the most beginner-friendly arena leader, as he often lets his opponents win. What if the other not only didn't take him seriously, but let him win? Does the fight even count then? Did he even deserve the victory then?

Now he doesn't feel quite as happy and hyped as he did before.

His Pokémon seems confused by his sudden mood swing as Hopplo nudges him lightly with its nose, making a slightly worried sound.

He doesn't like that his trainer is suddenly so depressed.

"Oh, you're still here! What luck!"
Pokémon and trainer flinch as they hear the voice of their last opponent.

Milo is standing in the doorway, a big smile on his face. He, like him, is still in his uniform, even though he had taken off his hat.

"Oh-, hello!?"
Hop is a little confused to see the other. Arena leaders have their own cubicles, at least that's what Leon had told him. An uneasy feeling spreads in the pit of his stomach as the young man approaches him.

Did he realize that he had let him win? What if he takes the Badge away from him now or contacts Leon?

"I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me and my brothers?"

What, now he's more than a little confused. He had heard Milo was very friendly, but inviting a Challenger to dinner? That seems a bit out of character, but Hop doesn't think he has anything bad in mind.

"Excuse me?"

He's sure he sounds like an idiot, but he wants to make sure he heard the other guy correctly. Milo scratches his face lightly, as if a little embarrassed.

"Well, it's been a very long time since I've had this much fun fighting, plus I was thrilled to see how you treated my Wooloos! Most Challengers always scare the poor things, so this was a nice change!"

The arena leader sounds genuinely reassured, which puts Hop somewhat at ease. In fact, Leon had often told him about how much his College loved the Sheep Pokémon and that he must have often asked if he could have a look at his Wooloo too. Somehow it had never worked out in the past to arrange a meeting, which gives Hop the idea that the older one invites him just to see his Wooloo....

"Sounds good? I mean when should I come where?"

It won't do him any harm. Probably

Chapter Text

Hop feels a little uncomfortable ,as he gets ready for the evening. Until now, he has never gone to such a dinner alone. He's pretty sure he's never been invited to anything like this. If he was invited somewhere, he was always been more of an souvenir of Leon.

The boy is very excited and a bit worried. What if he embarrasses himself? Milo seems to be very nice, but appearances can be deceiving. After all, Rose always seems like a friendly person, not someone who overworks his workers.

"Do you think I should wear my normal clothes? Or should I dress up more?"

His Pokémon look at him in confusion, even though they all have different expressions on their faces. Wooloo looks positive, as if to convey to him that everything fits as it is. Scorbunny just looks torn, as if it doesn't have the slightest idea what its supposed to say, while Rookidee looks at him a little bit aggrieved.

Its probably a little angry that he didn't use it in the fight. Or it just doesn't like his outfit at all.

He briefly considers how to evaluate his pokemon's emotions, before giving himself a quick pat on the knees.

"You guys are probably right. Milo doesn't seem like he puts much stock in the appearance of others. Scorbunny, rookidee? I'll let you guys back out after the dinner."

Wooloo makes an approving noise as he calls the other two Pokémon back to their Pokeballs with an heavy heart. He would prefer to leave them outside, but that would probably be pretty rude to Milo. The only reason he didn't call his oldest partner back too is because he's sure Milo wants to see the Pokémon.

"Always stay by my side, okay? I need the moral support."

His friend nudges him happily as they head off together to Milo's farm. The farm is somewhat secluded and Hop enjoys the view of wide meadows and the Wooloos lounging on them. It reminds him a lot of home, but without making him sad. He is glad not to be at home anymore

His own Wooloo is happily bouncing back and forth, as if it wants to play with its mates in the field. It does move away from him, but Hop is unconcerned. He knows his partner and knows that he would never leave him alone.

"Hop! Boy, you're early!"

The boy nearly screams as Milo emerges from one of the tall fields. He hadn't even noticed him and got the fright of his life because of it. The gym leader doesn't seem to notice, though, as he pats him firmly on the back.

"I'm so glad you accepted my invitation! My little brother can't wait to see you! Wait, is everything alright my dear?"

Hop is still getting over his shock, so he doesn't really understand the other. But he already notices how Milo looks at him slightly worried.

"Everything's fine... You just scared me a bit, that's all."

Bit might be a bit of an understatement, but in the end it was his fault that he was scared.

"Oh well, all's well then. Come on, I'll walk with you the rest of the way! I'm sure grandma's already finished cooking."

Hop nods as the gym leader looks at him with a big smile before kneeling down in front of Wooloo and extending his hand to it. His friend smells it briefly before pressing his face into the large hand.

That's a good sign already. If Wooloo trusts the man, then he should do the same. Especially since he has an expression of full-on euphoria as he strokes the Pokémon over the head.

"So soft! I'm sure this is the softest Wooloo I've ever had the pleasure of stroking."

He sounds really happy and Hop blushes slightly as the compliment comes to his Pokémon. It really paid off that he had brushed the Pokémon every night before going to bed. Even if he would have done it anyway, if it didn't do anything to the quality of the fur.

Milo briefly lowers his face into Wooloo's back fur as he gives it a quick hug before standing back up.

"A real cute Wooloo."

Hop has to smile as he hears how honest the other sounds.

"Thanks. It's my oldest friend and in my opinion, the sweetest creature in the world!"

Wooloo makes an approving noise as it jumps out of Milo's arms back to his side. The arena leader is almost beaming at him and they talk about the fight and the Gym Challenge as they walk to the farmhouse.

It reminds of the day he started his journey. How he accompanied Leon home and how they had dinner together. Somehow it makes him sad.

The way seems much shorter to him together with the man and it doesn't take long until they reach the house.

"Big brother! You're finally back!"

A boy comes running out of the house and almost jumps into Milo's arms, pulling him into a tight hug.

This reminds him again of Leon. When he was smaller, he had always hugged him like this. But then he grew up.

Milo has a gentle expression on his face as he talks to the boy in a low voice. Even though he's standing next to them, Hop can't really hear them. Which is probably good, since it would be very rude to just eavesdrop like that.

"That's good! Very good! Definitely! Oh, wait a second! Hop, this is my little brother Aster. Normally he would have started his Gym Challenge this year too, but unfortunately his health doesn't allow it yet. Asta, this is-"

"Gym challenger Hop! I saw you fight today! You and your Pokémon were so great!"

Asta interrupts his brother and turns to him, beaming with joy. For a moment, Hop feels blinded as his brain briefly misfires. He is sure he has never been flattered so much in one day.

Hopefully the compliments won't go to his head.

"Oh-, thank you. It was a really tough fight, though! Scorbunny and I really struggled!"

Milo starts to laugh lightly as he pats him on the back again and lightly pushes him into the house. Asta, meanwhile, has turned his attention to Wooloo and just like the gym leader before, has begun to pet the Pokémon.

Somehow he is reassured by the fact that they are both such Wooloo fanatics. They can't be bad people....

Together they enter the kitchen, where an really old woman is already sitting at the table. She doesn't respond to them, at least until Milo takes her hand and sits to her left.

"Grandma! I'M BACK AND I'VE BROUGHT THAT YOUNG GENTLEMAN I TOLD YOU ABOUT!"

Hop flinches slightly when he hears Milo yell. He didn't think the man could get that loud.
Asta seems to have noticed as he tugs lightly at his sleeve.

"Grandmother Alma can hardly see anymore and also hears very badly. But she's still a very kind person. Trust me."

He smiles slightly at him and Hop nods. This must be so really difficult for the two of them. Milo makes signs that he should go to them, which he does at the same time.
He carefully reaches for the old woman's hand as he turns to her left and takes a quick deep breath.

"GOOD DAY! THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME!"

The old woman nods briefly as a slight smile forms on her face. Now he realizes where the two got their smiles from.

"Your hands are very rough. Almost even rougher than my Milo's. You have to work a lot every day."

The lady sounds pleased and he tilts his head a little.

His hands are Rough? He never noticed that. Logically, that's obvious. After all, he had trained day in and day out for 8 years with a wooden sword. It would probably be rather strange if nothing had changed with him. Is that a bad thing? Actually, it should be seen as something good... right? Its not as if they knew that he got these rough hands from training with an weapon.

Hop begins to question himself as more and more uncertainty creeps into him.

"Hop? Will you sit next to me?"

Aster's voice brings him out of his train of thoughts, as the other boy pulls out a chair for him. He nods slightly as he lets go of the woman again and sits down next to him. The boy smiles a big smile at him as his eyes flashed with something he can't quite understand....

"I hope you like it! This is one of my favourite foods! A oran berry stew! Trust me, it's the best thing you'll ever eat."

Milo smiles ear to ear as he puts some of the stew on his plate. Hop has to look at the food for a moment as he pokes at it briefly with his fork. The dish looks very strange, a blue, slimy goo. He's never eaten anything like it before, but he can't act like that now.

Especially not when he is being watched from all sides.

That is probably simply "eyes closed and through with it".

At first he tastes nothing at all, before his mouth explodes with flavor, but not in a bad way. The stew is good, very good even. Hop is already almost sure that this is the best food he has ever eaten.

Milo starts to laugh slightly and Aster seems to suppress a smile as well.

"I know, it looks pretty ghastly. It's always funny to see others struggle to take the first bite before gulping it down."

The gym leader's younger brother starts to giggle and Hop blushes slightly.
Was it really that clear of a look on his face, that he didn't actually want to eat the stew?

The two don't seem to hold it against him though, which makes him feel a little relieved.

"So... I saw you fight in the gym and you were really great! When I saw you fight my brother, I really wanted to go on a journey myself. I would have loved to be your rival."

The boy looks slightly embarrassed and Hop looks at him confused for a moment.
Aster wants to be his rival? He, when he just started his journey a few days ago? He, when no one really knows him yet? When he is still in Leons shadows?

"Really?!"

It almost bursts out of him and the other nods strongly.

"Yes, but the doctor says I'm still too weak to travel... I-, uh-, well-, Would you, just maybe, if you want to-, still be my rival next year?"

Now he's all red as the other avoids his gaze. Hop feels hot and cold at the same time as he slowly nods. He feels quite caught off guard, but the other sounded so pitifully pleading that he just couldn't say no.

"Of course. I'd be happy to have another rival, even if I have to wait another year!"

The other blushes slightly as he clasps his hands tightly with his. He's caught off guard, but happy. Now he has Marnie and Aster as his rivals, he has made two in a period of a few days.

That's wonderful!

At least that's what he thinks, before he notices out of the corner of his eye that Milo is crying. Crying with snot and water.

He has somehow offended the gym leader so much that he has made him cry. For a moment he can feel himself getting sick. Should he have refused Aster's request? What if it just overworks him and weakens him even more? God, what if he hates him now for putting his little brother in danger? What if it makes the other gym leaders hate him too? Should he take it back?

"Milo, I-, I'm sorry-"

He fails to apologize as the other turns to his grandmother and yells at her again.

"CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! OUR LITTLE ASTER IS ALMOST GROWN UP NOW! NOW HE'S ALREADY FOUND HIS RIVAL!"

Chapter Text

Both Aster and Milo had insisted that he had to spend the night with them, no matter how hard he tried to tell them that he had to move on. That he needed to travel Hulbury and fight Nessa. But in the end he had to spent the night with them. Aster had even made room for him in his room, although he could have slept on the floor or on the couch.

That night he could hardly sleep.

Hop never had any friends he could do sleepovers with. If he had someone that wanted to do an sleepover, they always wanted to come to his home and his mother never allowed that. What was probably good, considering that they only wanted to come to be able to see his older brother.

That's why he wasn't quite sure how to behave. Again.

He really needs to work on his social skills, if he wants to get anywhere.

Anyway, they spent half the night talking to each other. About caring for Pokémon, strategies for battle, and their brothers. The topics had felt kind of endless and Hop had felt like he could talk about anything and that Aster was really listening to him.

It was nice.

At least until Milo had shown up with two cups of warm milk and wished them a good night. His rival had told him that it was like some kind of tradition between them.

The gym leader would knock on his door every night and bring him a warm milk. Then the two would talk about their day before he was supposed to go to sleep.

Hop was quite worried that he would be disruptive, that he had broken the ritual, but Milo had simply included him. It was quite strange at first, but like Aster, he felt comfortable talking to him.

He's not sure how long he was there either, just that they talked about Wooloos, training and about today's gym fight.

Apparently there where two challengers before him.

Marnie and a guy named Bede. Hop was really happy to hear about his Rival. Especially since she seemed to be doing really good.

Even if Milo looked truly miserable, as he told him how her Morpeko was hunting the Wooloos down.

The other Trainer seemed to be terrified of the Pokémon and Hop honestly felt bad for him. No one should have to be confronted by the Things they are scared of.

It was quite nice to talk with him, even if he accidentally said that he was really interested in sword fighting and even got someone to teach him. Which was actually true, but had caught especially Milo's attention. That was probably the first information about him, that he hadn't already learned from Leon.

Anyway, he then left again and both he and Aster went to bed. The other fell asleep the moment he touched the pillow.

And Hop? Hop started to think about it. For the first time since he had left home, he had gotten a feeling of homesickness. Out on the streets and also in the hotel with Leon, he somehow never thought of home.

But now? Now that he is in such a homely furnished bedroom? That's when these feelings hit him with a vengeance.

He missed Zacian, Zamazenta and Eternatus.
He missed the training he usually did with the siblings every day.
He missed how Eternatus would teach him and help him with his homework.
He just missed them.

But he knows that he doesn't have time to visit them. The Travel time is already so short and he knows that Zamazenta in particular would get angry, if he wasted his time like this.

Still, he can almost feel that homesickness eating through his stomach. It was a terrible feeling and Hop was sure it wouldn't get better until he contacted them somehow.

That was why he got out of bed as quietly as he could and pulled his writing things out of his bag.

He was really lucky that Aster is a very sound sleeper, as he spent a few hours of the night writing two letters. One for Zacian and Zamazenta and the other for Eternatus. His rookidee will then bring it to them the next day. At least if it got over its grievance by then.

Hop really did everything he could to make the letters as good as they could be, so much that he didn’t even notice how he had slipped into a dreamless sleep in the end.

Aster then saw him lying on the floor the next day, which led to him shaking him in panic and being asked if he had thrown him out of bed.

What was quite embarrassing for the both of them.

"I'm so sorry! My brother always says that I move too much in bed! He always said that one day I will catapult myself out of it!"

The redhead sounds miserable and Hop wasn't sure how to respond. Of course, the right thing would be to say that he got up by himself and then just fell asleep outside the bed. But then he would also have to explain why he was awake during the night and his brain is just too tired for that.

"Don't worry about it, will you? It's not like I hurt myself."

That settled the whole matter, even if Aster took just about every opportunity to apologise to him. Milo had a knowing and apologetic smile on his face at breakfast and it made Hop feel pretty awful.

The family has been nothing but kind and caring towards him and how does he repay them?
By lying to them and cheating on them.

Leon would be very disappointed in him if he knew that.

He would have preferred to leave right after the silent breakfast, but then the arena leader asked him if he would like to see his Wooloos.

"I'm sure your Wooloo would love to play with mine! It won't take long either."

This is really something he would love to do. He loves this Pokémon species and Wooloo needs to socialise with others, but he's wasted far too much time already. He should be spending his time training, not wasting it like this.

"I'm really sorry. I really should get going, but I'd like to do it another time. Maybe after the Gym Challenge?"

Milo looks very disappointed for a moment, before a smile forms on his face. Briefly, Hop is concerned that he has offended the other and that Milo is now covering it up by putting that smile on his face, as he places his hand on his shoulder.

"Well, sure! Postponed is not abandoned and I really shouldn't keep you here any longer. Keep training so we can fight each other again in the semi-finals."

He sounds cheerful again, even though Aster, who was standing behind him seems rather sad. The idea came probably from him and now he's all disappointed about hi not going along. At least, that's what Hop hopes. His brain is running in completely different directions again and everything it spits out is bad.

"Are you sure you want to go already? I really like to spend time with you."

The boy looks at him pleadingly and for a moment, Hop could feel himself getting sick. He should be a good friend and spend some more time with him, but then he would be an terrible brother and son.

After all, he is expected to train, become strong and dethrone Leon.

What would he be if he couldn't do that?

He truly has no time left and every second he wastes just like that, will bring him one step closer to failure later.

Arceus, he doesn't sound like someone who just started his journey a few days ago.

Milo is the one who gets him out of his predicament as he turns to his brother.

"But Aster, you heard him. Hop has to move on now, but I'm sure he'll visit us again soon, won't he?"

The gym leader grins from ear to ear as he nods quickly.

Soon is good. Soon can be stretched over a long period of time. Leon always says he'll be back to visit soon, when he is about to hide his face for months.