Chapter Text
“I love you too Hop!”
Victor looked at him with surprised enthusiasm. His beautiful brown eyes wide with what can only be described as heavy relief, like a weight had been taken off his shoulders.
“Re-really?” Hop replied perhaps looking more confused then relieved.
“Yes!” Victor places a hand atop Hop’s shoulder. “I’ve been wanting to say it for so long…” he closes his eyes and bows his head “…but I never had the courage to say it.”
“Vic it’s ok!”
Hop let’s out a small chuckle. “ I’m just happy that you feel the same way… I’m more then happy! ”
Victor opens his eyes. “ Me too Hop, I love you so much.”
Victor leans in closer to Hop.
‘Arceus! Is this really happening!’ Hop’s mind is a mess, his heart feels like it’s going to explode and his stomach is doing cartwheels.
Hop closes his eyes in anticipation for what he will call the happiest moment of his life.
The moment he and Victor confes-
BRUZTT BRUZTT BRUZTT!
BRUZTT BRUZTT BRUZTT!
Hop slowly opens his sleepy eyes as beams of ethereal early morning sunlight seep into his bedroom, illuminating the orange room in a beautiful golden glow.
He glares at his Rotom phone perched on his nightstand, still sounding his morning alarm.
“Five more minutes Rotom please…” he grumbles out, stuffing his face into his pillow.
“Bruzt- Hop if you don’t get up you’ll be late for work Bruzt- and you have a very busy day today,” Rotom reminds him, having begun hovering above his head.
It was useless to fight with the dutiful device, but Arceus forbid he ever get any actual happiness from his dreams.
“Fine, I get it, I’m awake.”
With an extremely over dramatic sigh he sits up, flings his legs over the side of the bed, rubs his eyes and stands to ready himself for the day.
“Bruzt- incoming call from Champion Victor Bruzt-“
Hop is midway through pouring his breakfast cereal into the Charizard themed bowl he’s had since he was seven when he answers his mostly daily morning call with the Champion.
“NO LEON! JUST HAVE CHARIZARD TAKE YOU, HE KNOWS THE WAY!”
Victor’s voice boomed out of the phones speakers, he sounded more annoyed rather then angry but still full of intensity.
There was another voice that sounded farther away and couldn’t be heard very well through the phone, it must be Leon then.
Victor looked back towards his own phone noticing Hop on the other end of the video call.
“It’s a bloody miracle Galar managed to survive while your brother was Champion-” there was more inaudible sounds from said brother, “WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE!”
Hop couldn’t help but laugh at their antics, it reminds him of the occasional bickering he and Sonia indulge in.
“Glad you think it’s funny,” His friend glares back at him but he could tell by Victor’s crooked smile that there was no malice behind it.
“I do,” Hop would be lying if he said otherwise.
He calms himself and takes a bite of cereal.
“How is my best friend doing this morning!?” Victor smilies widely, his typical enthusiasm returning.
“I’m awake and had my fill of laughter so I’m energized now mate!” Hop pumps his fist into the air for emphasis. “Got a pretty large work load today so I’m gonna need it.”
“Yes, your morning will mostly consist of studying, probably Dynamax theory and general Pokémon behaviors and characteristics…” Victor looks away and taps his chin.
“Oh! And you’ll be doing field research in the wild area later this afternoon.”
Hop was taken back, a now very common befuddled expression appearing on his face.
“Am I right?”
“Uh yeah Vic… hit the nail on the head. How’d ya know?”
Victor chuckles, he would think it cute… it is cute, but there was an underlying hint of mischievousness in it that was slightly unnerving.
“A certain Professor let me know,” there is a smirk growing ever present on his face.“But, guess what your super awesome best friend the Champion has planned?”
“Oh? Do tell,” Hop asks with more then a little intrigue.
Victor’s smirk grows a bit.
“No, you have to guess.”
“You’re moving back to Postwick!”
His smirk fades followed by a loud sigh.
“No Hop, stop making me feel guilty about that… try again.”
He thinks for a second.
“You finally let Eternatus go?”
Victor laughs and turns the phone to show that the space dragon was currently coiled around him on the couch and giving Hop a death glare.
“Also no… and never happening, he’s such a sweetheart.”
Victor nuzzles his face to Eternatus, the latter making an effort to eye Hop while doing so in an attempt to stoke his jealousy… it’s working.
“Besides, I thought you two were getting along?”
Both Hop and Eternatus give an exacerbated huff.
The pair had, at the very least, a cordial relationship with one another. However, with both vying for Victor’s attention it has led to a number of petty disputes, only ending when Victor steps in and mediates like a parent with rowdy teenagers.
“Come on Vic! Just tell me, I’m not good at this,” Hop really wasn’t any good at the game of guess what.
But luckily for him Victor acquiesces to his plea.
“Well, if everything goes swimmingly, and you know how that can go…” Victor rolls his eyes and looks away. Hop was well aware of the uncompromising schedule of the Champion.
“But! If everything goes well, I’ll be able to join you in the wild area this afternoon, how does that sound huh? Pretty cool right? ” Victor smilies because he already knows Hops answerer.
“What! Really! Tha- that’s awesome mate!”
“Innit.”
Hop was really excited now, spending the afternoon with his cru… best friend would be pretty cool.
“ What do you have to do today until then?”
“I have a few interviews here in Wyndon, then I’m off to Hammerlocke to help Raihan with some gym related business, and finally to Motostoke to spectate a match to see whether or not the League should add a poison or electric type gym to the challenge circuit for next year,” Victor points to his fingers as he lists off his schedule.
“Sounds pretty eventful,” Hop looks down and twirls his spoon around a now finished bowl of cereal.
“Galar never rests and so neither does her Champion… that’s what the League Board says anyways,” Victor sighs and leans his head back.
“S’not all bad, today’s actually pretty tame in comparison,” Victor chuckles slightly but there is no real hint of any amusement in it.
They sit in a few seconds of silence, Victor is the first to break it.
“Well it’s getting to be that time, I don’t want to keep you, can’t be late to lab again… Sonia would never let me here the end of it.”
Hop looks at the time, he would be cutting it close… again, maybe he should set his alarm for earlier… although an hour was already more then enough time to get ready and talk to his best friend, so perhaps not.
“It would appear so, suppose I’ll see you later then?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Alright then, bye Vic”
“Bye Hop.”
The call ends.
“Love you…”
With a heavy sigh Hop gathers his things, closes the front door quietly behind him, looks at the beautiful morning sky and heads for the Lab.