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The quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the afternoon was interrupted by the shattering of a beaker upon the Wedgehurst Labs polished floor.
“What?”
The confused and desperate tone of Hop’s question paired with the equally befuddled expression on his face only emphasized to Victor how difficult this was going to be.
He did not want to have this conversation with Hop. Victor had mentally prepared himself the past few days, coming up with different ways to approach the subject, even on the train ride to Wedgehurst that morning he had ran through different scenarios, each one much worse then the last.
He tried his best to remain composed and lively when he entered the Lab, surprising both the professor and his best friend with his unexpected visit. The latter of which almost tackling him to the ground in a Bewear hug. It wasn’t uncommon for Victor to be in Wedgehurst, he did still live with his mother in Postwick after all, returning to the countryside mostly every night from Wyndon or other parts of the region. It was nice, Postwick was a stark contrast to Wyndon in ever sense of the word… however, that was also the point of said conversation.
“Yes” Victor says with an exacerbated sigh. “I-I’ll be moving to Wyndon” there was no point in beating round the bush, he had been thinking this over the past couple of weeks.
It was his mother who first suggested it surprisingly, citing how he “always looked so tired shuffling up the path home” and how “late it was, only to leave so early to catch the train” and his mother wasn’t wrong. The boy did feel exhausted from traveling the breath of the Galar region to and from Postwick, to then be paraded around Wyndon… mostly Wyndon, occasionally Hammerlocke on the days Riahan steals him away before Leon and the League Board can their hands on him.
“Oh!” Sonia looks back up from the broken glass on the floor. “Good for you! Already a Champion and now a homeowner, what’s next, king of Galar.”
Sonia’s infectious laughter makes Victor smile a little… until he notices the his friend isn’t…
Hop hadn’t moved or said anything, simply staring at Victor with the same.. confused? No, perhaps more perplexed, but definitely distraught face. It sadden Victor.
Hop always had the brightest smile on his face, even brighter somehow whenever Victor got back from his Champion escapades.
Hop would always wait for him at the train station, always smile that bright smile when Victor stepped off the train and always said the same thing every time Victor told him he didn’t need to wait for him “I missed you” making Victor relent and walk with Hop back to Postwick as always. It was sweet and he greatly appreciated it at the end of a long day.
“Hop?” Victor said slowly and it seemed to snap the other boy out of his wide eyed thoughts.
“Moving…” Hop cursed himself for sounding like a toddler. “I mean.. yeah, you… you’re really moving?”
Hop still couldn’t really process what he was hearing, he didn’t want to in all honesty. The thought of Victor being so far away, across the entire region, a few hour train ride on lucky days and even longer in a flying taxi. He understood that Victor must be exhausted by the end of the day, if the disheveled look he had stepping off the train was any indication. But that’s why Hop always stayed up late at the train station, to greet his friend. Victor always looked so happy to see him standing in the station and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy seeing Victor.
‘But why? Why Wyndon of all places? Why not somewhere closer? Why?’
“Why?” Hop said thoughtlessly. Sure the obvious answer was it is where Victor’s job as Champion is… but that didn’t help Hop as a coping thought.
“Because Wyndon is where my job is-”
Ah there it is, the obvious answer.
“-even though I’m Champion of the whole region my day to day duty’s are for the most part in Wyndon,” Victor finishes and looks away to avoid Hop’s eyes.
Victor wishes he could stay in Postwick… and if not Postwick then maybe even Hammerlocke, sure it really wasn’t much closer then the capital but it was certainly closer then the shining behemoth of a city at the opposite end of Galar. But… unfortunately that’s not how things went… or are currently going anyways.
When he had mentioned to Leon that he was perhaps looking for a place to stay after one of the League’s many board meetings, which are very long and very boring , so much so that he often finds himself doodling or playing tic-tac-toe with Leon, who on his part, hardly pays attention anyway and has remained the “undisputed champion of tic-tac-toe”,his words not Victor’s.
Leon then told the Board and they very quickly found a place for him in Wyndon. He could’ve argued and asked for somewhere closer to home, but he didn’t want to fight with the people that technically own him, and to the Leagues credit it was a very nice flat. The apartment was located at the top of one of the semi taller buildings in the center of Wyndon. A great view of the city, the Battle Tower and the Stadium, all within walking distance.
“Trust me Hop, it’s the last thing I want to do… but the League already set me up with a really nice place and…” with another heavy sigh he looks back at his friend, “and because I’m tired too Hop.”
“But why Wyndon?” Hop knows why, he just doesn’t want to acknowledge it. “What if it’s not safe! What if you get into trouble and I…” he stops himself before he can say something potentially incriminating. “…wh- what if you get hurt?” He finishes quietly, looking down at the floor.
“The capital’s pretty safe Hop” it was an odd series of questions, even for Hop. “it’s not spikemuth” Victor and Sonia chuckled a tiny bit and so did Hop ever do slightly. “Besides I’m the Champion, and I’m not alone, I’ve got Bisharp with me at all times, and Leon too if you’re that worried.”
Hop snaps his head back up. “Of course I would be worried about you mate!” Hop steadies himself, yelling and startling Victor would do nothing but make the situation worse. “It’s just… so far away,” he returns his gaze to the floor.
Victor’s heart hurts, he knew it would hurt Hop to hear that his best friend was suddenly moving away. He glances at Sonia, thankfully she nods in understanding and busies herself somewhere else in the Lab to give the two a moment alone.
“Hop I-“
“When?”
“What?”
“When are leaving… for Wyndon?” Hop slowly looks back up at Victor. “I know I can’t stop you. It wouldn’t be right at this point, but… I can help you pack or… or set up your new place or… something?” Hop hates how desperate he sounds and he can tell it’s not lost on his friend.
“Oh… well… I’m leaving t-tonight… and everything’s already set up, Leon and my mum helped,” he was very appreciative of his mother for packing all his things from home neatly and ready to go, and for Leon helping him get furniture, even if Victor leaned more on Raihan when it came to the decor and placement of said furniture.
“Already!” Hop pressed his back against the wall and slid down to rest on the floor, pushing some of the broken glass away with his shoe. “Why didn’t you ask me to help? Ya know I would have, I’d do anything for you Vic.”
Victor was taken back a little by the last comment but chalked it up to how distraught Hop is at the moment. Perhaps he would sound the same were the roles reversed… no, he definitely would sound the same, maybe even worse.
“I… I don’t know” Victor looks down at his friend with remorse, he knows he shouldn’t have waited the very last minute to spring this on Hop… but he also didn’t really know how to approach it. “I should’ve told you sooner… I’m sorry Hop.”
He doesn’t get a response from his friend. Victor wants to cry, he wants to scream at himself for hurting his friend. How could he lay this on Hop out of nowhere, it’s cruel and mean… but he just leave without saying anything… Victor can feel a single tear escape his eye.
“I would really like if you were there to see me off at the station tonight Hop… if that’s something you want to do of course.. I’m not forcing you-“
Hop looks back up, noticing the tear and quickly stands and rests a hand on Victor’s shoulder.
“Of course I’ll see you off mate!” he doesn’t want Victor to cry, never, never again, especially over Hop, not when he can barely hold himself together.
“Thank you” Victor replies quietly. “I’ll see you tonight then…” he sighs heavily, he wants to say more, so much more, but he’s about to shatter like the beaker.
Victor turns to leave but stops when Hop grabs his hand. He turns back to face the other boy but… Hop looks equally as shocked by the action.
“Hop?” Victor raises an eyebrow.
Hop releases Victor’s hand and rubs the back of his neck. “Uh… sorry… yeah, se-see you tonight Vic” Hop says, face turning a slight shade of red.
When the Lab door closes Hop feels strange, heavy, like he’s suddenly carrying a Snorlax. He stumbles and leans against the wall again, sliding back down, he hugs his knees to his chest.
It’s a slow realization to fact that he’s crying, not sobbing or wailing like he would’ve done when he was younger, just crying. A sniffle here and there as he wets his sleeves with tears until the thoughts he keeps only to himself… and occasionally his Dubwool, creep in and he can’t help but cry a little harder.
He knows he’ll see Victor again, this isn’t the end of there friendship… but that’s just it, Hop wants so desperately for Victor to stay. Hop wants to walk Victor home, see the smile he gets when he sees Hop in the station, listen to his voice, here his exhausted laugh, hug him, hold him close, hold his hand… kis-
“Why!” He says slightly louder then he wants to. “Why can’t I ju… just tell him… or… or be normal” Hop absolutely does not regret falling in love with Victor, he loves Victor. He loves the other boy even more then the air he breaths. Victor has always been there for Hop and Hop just wants to there for Victor… but maybe as more then just a friend.
Outside Victor makes his way across the bridge the connects Wedgehurst to Postwick. He’s looking down, not paying attention to anything with arms folded against his chest tightly. The boy wants nothing more then for someone to hug him… preferably Hop, Hop gives the best hugs.
His mind is clearly elsewhere because the next thing he knows is that he’s tripped over a resting Wooloo and startled the poor thing. The more pressing matter is that he’s face first in the dirt, having been unable to catch himself correctly.
“Owww…” is the only thing he says in a low grumble. He can feel the Wooloo ram into his leg over and over in an attempt to get some sort of revenge for being distributed from its sleep. Victor would laugh if he wasn’t hurting.
Hurting?
Then it hits him. Like a train. He starts crying, hard. Not from the fall, no, he could have easily brushed that off. No, it seems the weight of today’s events finally cascade upon him, and he can’t stop the muffled cries and tears that escape him. He sits up and leans against the old stone wall and cries into his hands. He should feel embarrassed, sitting there covered in dirt and crying like a toddler. What would people think if they saw the Galar Champion crying on the side of the road like a baby. They’d probably laugh at him and he’d been know as Galar’s mot emotionally unstable Cahmpion instead of the tamer of legendary Pokémon.
“Big boys don’t cry” is what his mother would say and Champions certainly don’t… but he couldn’t stop the tears. The Wooloo seems somewhat satisfied with itself, must think he’s crying because of her relentlessly adorable head butts.
Suddenly there’s a flash of light and Victor looks up to see his Bisharp standing over him.
“Oh…” a sniffle “…hey buddy…” Victor forces a smile as his companion gives him a look as if trying to say “really? Here, you’re crying here, you are the most pathetic Champion to ever grace the Galar region…” maybe not the last part. Bisharp has definitely become more caring since he was a Pawniard, the occasional playful jab and dirty look here and there.
Bisharp helps him up, shoos the Wooloo away and walks with his mess of trainer. Victor appreciates it very much, it isn’t the first time his pointy ace Pokémon has comforted him when he’s broken down.
“Thank you” he says as they walk past Hop’s house. Bisharp smiles at him, it’s a sweet smile from such an intimidatingly poker faced Pokémon.
_____________
It’s late. He had said his goodbyes to his mother, then to Hop’s mum, who had given him a tin of biscuits, a “new homeowners gift/ farewell gift” as she put it.
He said his goodbye to Postwick, and all the Wooloo, which made Hop chuckle as Victor stopped for every single bloody Wooloo the pair ran into… until it was just him and Hop at the station.
It was a little awkward, didn’t help that the train was also late. Neither of them wanted to say goodbye, That was plain as day… even if they knew it wasn’t forever. They were being a perhaps a little childish in that regard.
“I’ll text you as soon as I get to Wyndon,” Victor says turning away from the schedule board and back to Hop.
“And when get to your flat,” Hop crosses his arms all serious like.
“And when I get back to my place, Mum,” Victor tacks that on at the end and nudges his friends arm. “Stations only three blocks from me.”
“What if a crazed Pokémon jumps you!?” Hop says raising his voice ever so slightly.
“Or Rose! Or… or those Sword and Shield weirdos!” He grabs the other boy’s shoulders.
“What if you got lost like Lee!?” He shakes Victor a little.
Victor looks at him wide eyed, then laughs. A full body laugh, eyes shut and all.
Hop looks at him confusingly. He was being dead serious and Victor was… laughing at him?
“Vic I’m being serious here,” he says, a little of the desperation returning.
Victor opens his eyes to look at Hop. When he sees the bewildered expression on his friends face he clams himself a little.
“Hop,” Victor says through a chuckle. “Last time I checked they’re in prison, and if a ‘crazed’ Pokémon jumps at me I’ve got Bisharp and if I get in a real pinch I also have Eternatus,” Victor chuckles a little more and points to his belt.
Hop shuddered as he looked down at Eternatus eyeing him. Even in the Pokéball it was intimidating. He and the monster were technically on good terms… but it was clear that the space dragon would save Victor over Hop if the need arises.
“And as for your directionally challenged brother,” Victor started laughing again, this time Hop started to chuckle. Even now Leon still had trouble finding his way around, Victor often finding himself having to guide the former Champion through the Battle Tower he was essentially in charge of. “I’m offended you would even compare us, I’m exceptional with directions!”
Hop laughed a little harder as Victor dramatically overplayed his ‘offense’ even placing his arm over his forehead and sighing loudly, at which Hop started laughing even harder.
Victor looked back at Hop and smiled, seeing that blinding bright smile return to Hops face put him at ease and he relaxed… then noticed Hop was still holding him.
“You’re lucky I love you ya worrywart,” Victor says as Hop starts to calm down.
It’s true he did love Hop, his first real friend, only true best friend and number one rival. “Partners in crime” as their mothers would say. Victor may be the Galar Champion but Hop was Victor’s Champion. Always able to make him laugh and smile, there was nobody else in the world he’d replace Hop with… he was really going to miss seeing him more then anyone else.
Victor let out a sigh which caught Hops attention, having registered what Victor said, memorized it and locked it away in his favorite Victor moments drawer within his mind.
“Yeah… I- I love you too mate” Hop replies with a slight tinge of sadness. He releases Victor and places his arms at his sides. Both boys seemingly remembering why they’re at the station.
“I’ll make sure to visit whenever I can, I promise, I do, I promise , cross my heart and hope to die!” Victor declares whilst making an x-shape on his shirt.
Hop’s arms shot back up to Victor’s shoulders. “Nooooo, don’t die, I’ll be even more sad!” Hops reaction making Victor laugh a little. “ Don’t know if I’d keep on going if ya did…” he says to himself in a much quieter tone, barely a whisper.
“I’ll call and text you everyday too! Expect tons of memes and pictures of Pokémon!” Victor held out his phone and shook it to emphasize his point. “Oh! When you visit Wyndon I’ll definitely show you the place and we can hang out!”
Hop smiled at Victor’s enthusiasm. Even though he was sad Victor was leaving to live in the capital on the other end of Galar, a distance he didn’t want to think about. He knew that Victor would be true to his words.
“Yeah, and I’ll try to visit you too mate,” it would be more difficult for Hop to visit Wyndon with his studies and field research taking up the majority of his time. Hop can only hope that Sonia would be merciful with his work load.
The rumbling of the tracks made Victor turn his head. He could hear the train approaching. A whole… he looks at his phone “Arceus!” He says, a whole forty five minutes. He’s glad Hop was here so he wasn’t bored out of his mind.
“Attention passengers: the number seven train to Wyndon is arriving. I repeat the number seven train to Wyndon is arriving, please stand away from the edge of the platform, thank you.”
Victor turns back to Hop still holding his shoulders… again.
“Welp… guess this is it” Victor places a hand atop Hops. “I’m really gonna miss you Hop” his smile dropping and forming a frown.
Hop pulls Victor in a tight hug, one which surprises Victor but he quickly relaxes and returns the embrace. Burying his face into the other boy’s shoulder.
“I-“ Hop starts out, his mind is a mess. Tell him now, tell him you love him, that you want to be more then friends… “I… I’m really gonna miss you too Victor,” Hop is yelling at him self mentally, cursing at himself for being a coward… no, he’s not being a coward… He’s doing this for Victor, he doesn’t want to make things weird or awkward, especially with him leaving.
“Postwick wont be the same without you to brighten it up,” Hop can feel a tear slide down his cheek.
“Postwick will be just as bright, as long as you keep that smile of yours,” Victor retorts. The boy loved that smile and hopes it never fades from his friends face.
“Seriously, I mean it. I want you to keep smiling, even if I’m not here ok,” Victor pulls away slightly and places his hand on Hop’s cheek turning Hop’s head to look at him, and he’s met with sad golden eyes with tears beginning to stream down.
“Oh Hop…” his voice quiet but concerned. He didn’t want to see Hop cry, especially not because it was Victor he was crying about. He rubbed his thumb against Hops cheek to wipe away some tears. “Please don’t cry Hop,” Victor can feel tears prick at the corners of his own eyes now. “I want your smile to be the last thing I see before I go.”
Hop chokes a little, a slight blush becoming more visible. He really didn’t want to cry, but he could help it at this point… but he would try and compose himself for his friends sake.
“I’m sorry Vic,” Hop apologized while chuckling slightly. Maybe to ease the mood or at himself for being such a mess. “You really know how to get to a guy…” he looked at the train and sighs “but… y-you got go.. can’t have missing the train cause of me,” he forces a smile onto his face.
“There’s that smile!” Victor yelled and hugged Hop again, which caused Hop to genuinely smile. “Don’t worry Hop, I’ll be back to visit before you know it!” He says as he pulled away.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Hop says. Kiss him kiss him kiss him kiss him kiss him kiss him, KISS HIM! Hop wanted to smash his head against the wall, he could feel his heart pounding so hard that it hurt slightly, everything hurt.
“Bye Hop!” Victor said it while smiling but Hop could tell it was forced, see the sadness in his endlessly beautiful brown eyes.
Victor walks out onto the platform and stopped, he turns around and gives Hop one last look… and smilies. It made Hop’s heart shatter, even if that wasn’t Victor’s intention. But he musters the strength to smile back at Victor and wave a meek pitiful wave before he gets on the train and it pulls out of the station.
Hop stood alone. His smile now gone, eyes glued to spot Victor once stood. After what felt like an eternity he glances at the clock.
11:36
It was late, too late, he definitely needed to get home. He needed to sleep, even with the bountiful amounts of energy he’s blessed with he knew he would be tired in the morning. So with what little energy that remained he manages to rip himself from where he stood and started for Postwick… alone.
As Hop walked he would find himself looking at something, turn to his side as if to say something only to remember that he was walking in solitude.
He stopped and sighed. He took in the atmosphere… it felt nice, he didn’t but the space around him did. The sounds of the bugs, the rustling of leaves as a breeze blew past, the way the moon hung in the sky, casting elegant beams of light through the clouds… it was nice, he wishes Victor were here to see it.
“Arceus Hop… get a grip! Barely been ten minutes and you already miss him,” he wonders if Victor misses him already too… he kicks a rock out of frustration and continues down the very familiar dirt road.
As he pushed open the gate to his yard he glanced up the path towards the quaint little house at the end of the road, he’s accustomed to seeing it at this angle, watching Victor making his was home after talking up a storm through route one.
A tear escaped his eye… then another… then more, until he was crying again. He rushed towards the front door of his home, essentially bursting through like a angry Dubwool, frightening his mother who had fallen asleep on the couch watching late night television. He closes the door behind him and refuses to make eye contact, opting to run up the stairs… he trips and stumbles onto the landing before picking himself up and running to his room. Slamming the door by accident in the process.
Hop leaps onto his bed, not bothering to change out of his definitely dirty day cloths. He can feel bruises forming on the areas he hit when he so gracefully collided against the stairwell. He doesn’t care… he’s to busy wailing into his pillow like a child.
“Why!” He yells looking up at a picture of him and Victor during the semifinals of the challenger cup.
“Why Victor! Why did it have to be him!” He yells, unconditionally crying. “Why couldn’t I just be normal! Wh-“ he chokes and winces because he hates how pathetic it sounds.
“He wouldn’t even love someone like me! He’s too good for some bloody mess like me! He’s not ev-“ he chokes again trying to catch his breath “he’s not even… gay,” Hop says it quietly, ashamed to admit it, embarrassed to acknowledge the part he hates most about himself. The part of himself that never stops talking, always attacks his pitiful excuse for a brain, even more then his thoughts of Inadequacy.
Galar isn’t particularly homophobic, and Hop doesn’t believe Victor is either. Victor is too nice, too caring, he would put his own life on the line to save others… Victor had done just that to save Hop and the whole region from Eternatus… Victor was the perfect person to be Champion.
Hop does not hate Victor, far from it. He loves Victor… he just wished it as his best friend and not the relentless constant want to hold him and hug him and sleep next to him and… and kiss him.
Hop wails again at the last thought. He is making a small puddle of tears on his pillow. He curls his fists and punches the mattress feebly, cursing at himself every time he chokes.
Hop cries, and wails, and chokes, and punches, and screams into his pillow as to not wake anyone, and cries some more, until he’s exhausted.
After what feels like forever, Hop lays there staring at his ceiling, breathing heavily, the occasional tear still slides down and onto the backside of the pillow so he wasn’t resting in a giant puddle. He feels a buzz… he slowly pulls his phone out of his pocket and reads the notification.
Victor: Goodnight Hop! It’s really late or early I guess, but! I got to Wyndon and my place safely so you don’t have to worry <3.
Hop smiled a tiny bit, he was so tired.
He looks at the time.
2:27
He tosses his phone, too exhausted to complain about the universes cruel excuse for a joke.
He lets out one last weak and pained groan before he blacks out.