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“Are we trick or treating this year?”
Victor gazes up from his phone to look at his sister.
“Why wouldn’t we?” He asks in response.
“Well… I don’t know,” she sits down next to him on the couch, “it’s just, don’t you think we’re getting too old for it?”
“For trick or treating?”
“Yeah…”
“You’re never to old to trick and or treat Glo,” he scrolls through his photos to last Halloween, “but we don’t have to dress up this year.”
“You better tell your boyfriend that,” she remarks sarcastically.
“Why? Did he want too?”
“He literally told us two days ago that he wanted too Vic.”
“He did!”
Gloria laughs as her brother frantically messages their friend. It’s not the first time Victor had missed parts of conversations… although Gloria could admit that she too is guilty of this as well, Hop does tend to ramble on and on about different subjects when he’s energized. But for her brother it was mostly due to him absentmindedly starring at his boyfriend with lidded loving eyes… not that Hop didn’t do the same when Victor was talking.
“Can one of you help me with this?” Their mother asks as she pokes her head into the living room.
“Sure thing mum,” Gloria stands up and walks into the foyer, “what’s this stuff for?”
“Last minute decorations.”
“Oh ok, where do want it?”
“For now just take it outside for me please,” she holds the door open for her daughter, “Victor dear.”
No response.
“Victor hunny?” She calls out again.
Still nothing. She pokes her head back into the living room, her son it still typing away on his phone.
“Victor!” She yells.
Victor gasps and jumps slightly when he finally hears his mother calling for him.
“Arceus mum!” He collects his breath, “sorry… what is it?”
“Can you run to the store and grab some bags of candy for the trick or treaters?”
‘I’ll bring Hop along with me,’ he thinks to himself before answering, “Yeah, sure thing.”
He gets up and walks to his room, he glances at the belt of Pokéballs on his desk and wonders if he should grab his team, ultimately he decides to leave it, his Pokémon were playing in the backyard anyway, why ruin their fun. After retrieving his beanie and some money from his mother, not that he needs it, being the Galar League Champion gave him plenty of wealth as is, but his mother would insist he take it and he didn’t feel like arguing. He exits the home, walks past his sister who’s hanging up fake cobwebs and enters into Postwick.
Victor takes his time, he wants to enjoy the autumn atmosphere as he saunters down the dirt road. The bright oranges, reds and yellows of the trees and other vegetation, the crunching of the leaves under his shoes, the slight chill he feels when a breeze flows past that signifies that winter is fast approaching and of course sweater weather! He loves when the temperature drops a few degrees. Firstly, because summers in Galar can be particularly hot at times… how Hop can wear a jacket all year round is something he still can’t wrap his head around and secondly, because he gets to wear the jacket that Hop had gifted him. It was similar to his boyfriends but instead of blue it was red and it was so soft! Wooloo wool was soft that is a certainty, but Hop had gotten him one made with Whimsicott cotton, his boyfriend definitely deserved all the kisses he got that day.
“Huh?”
As Victor rounded the curve that led from his home he noticed a very familiar sheep type Pokémon standing in the yard adjacent Hop’s house. Beside Dubwool was a pile of raked leaves, Hop must’ve been doing yard work and had gone inside… without Dubwool?
“What’re you doing out here all by yourself?” Victor asks the mon as he opened the front grate.
Dubwool just baas at his question which makes Victor laugh a bit.
“I see, just resting,” he jokes and pets the very soft mon, “now, where is your handsomely neglectful trainer?”
The pile of leaves rustle slightly, Victor raises a brow.
“Hmm?” He leans in closer and stretches out a hand.
He screams when something grabs his hand and pulls him into the pile. Leaves fly everywhere as he’s pulled down into a giggling embrace.
“Gotcha!”
“Hop!” Victor yells, “you gave me a heart attack-”
He’s silenced with a kiss on the lips, one which leaves his face as red as his jacket. Victor is usually the one that plays these types of games on Hop… being on the receiving end is an unexpected but not entirely unappreciated feeling. The redness in his face subsides and he smiles a warm half crooked smile.
“I see you’re still falling for me Vic,” Hop pokes his nose playfully.
“You make it easy.”
“You’re really cute when you’re flustered Mr Champion. ”
Victor’s smile forms into a mischievous smirk, he let Hop have his fun, now it’s time for him to remind his friend why he was Champion. He quickly starts moving to straddle the other boy.
“Vic What’re-“
Now Hop is the one quieted by a kiss, Victor had pinned his now wide eyed boyfriend beneath him.
“I don’t know,” he leans down towards Hop’s ear, “I think you’re much cuter like this Professor. ”
Hop’s body shivers from Victor’s sultry voice and his face grows red when his boyfriend kisses his neck. This is exactly how Hop likes it, it’s what he’s come to expect from the love of his life, even if he got all flustered by Victor’s more intimate side he loved it and would never wish it to change. Hop knew more then anyone that the innocent but confident personality Victor put on for the cameras was completely manufactured, Victor was terrifyingly meticulous, Hop saw it most when his boyfriend battled, the way his eyes seem to catch every detail about their opponent, the way that his Pokémon sometimes already know what to do before Victor’s said anything and the stone cold lack of emotion on his face that appears until the battle is over. Hop loved that face, whether it be the cold emotionless one in battle or like it is currently, kissing him like the day they confessed.
“Ahem,” someone off to the side had caught them… not exactly like they were hiding though.
“Leon!” Victor quickly releases the former Champions younger brother and stands up.
“Lee!” Hop’s tone was more annoyed, Victor helps him up and he points at his brother, “you can’t go around surprising people like that.”
Victor gives him a pointed looked like he hadn’t just scared the living daylights out him.
“You two are in the front yard,” Leon deadpans.
“Oh… hehe, right,” Hop rubs the back of his neck.
“So uh… what’s in there Leon?” Victor asks as he notices the box in his hands.
“Mum said there last minute decorations… thought we put everything out but I guess not,” Leon places the box down and removes a plastic pumpkin, “what’re you doing here Champion Victor?”
“Oh, well I was heading to the corner store in Wedgehurst and came to see if Hop wanted to tag along.”
“Like you even have to ask Vic!” Hop wraps one arm around the other boy.
“Alright, just be back before the sun goes down, we still gotta carve pumpkins,” Leon reminds his little brother.
“Oh that’s right!” Hop turns to his boyfriend, “Vic, have you and Gloria carved your pumpkins yet?”
“No Hop-“
“Do you want to! We got extra… and you guys can do it here too!”
“Hop,” Victor chuckles a little, “that’s why we didn’t, because we talked about doing it here, remember?”
“No…”
Victor just laughs and pulls his selective hearing boyfriend done the road to route one towards Wedgehurst.
“I’ll get it!” Victor stands and walks to the front door to greet the last few guests to arrive. The other four are far to invested in their pumpkin carving to hear the door bell anyway.
He opens the door and is sprung upon by Morpeko, after an eye roll from the walking blond cloud and a rather tight hug from Galar’s second favorite punk star the two are welcomed inside.
“Oh happy Halloween Vic,” Marnie places a set of Noibat ears on his head, “thanks for invitin’ us by the way.”
“Of course! Halloween’s always more fun with friends!” Victor turns to Bede, “that includes you too mr grumpy cloud.”
“You better watch it next Champion Cup,” Bede relaxes and places a hand over his chest in theatrical fashion, “but I suppose it is nice to grace you peasants with my presence.”
That gets him a laugh from Victor but a less then enthusiastic culmination of various grunts and eye rolls from everyone else. Regardless, Victor was right, holidays are much more fun with friends.
“What did you carve Rai?” Leon asks the dragon type gym leader.
“Flygon… I think,” Raihan replies, Flygon peers over his trainer’s shoulder and looks utterly mortified by the state of the pumpkin that is supposed to represent the dragon, “what about you?”
“You’ll never guess.”
“Charizard!” The group shouts in unison and give him a knowing look. Leon laughs a little then smirks.
“Nope.” He looks around the table, everyone looks genuinely surprised, Leon’s always carved Charizard, or drawn, or molded, or posed, or talked about… “it’s Mega Charizard!”
The less then enthusiastic looks and sounds have returned as Leon’s “subversion of expectations” is revealed.
“Hop?” Victor taps his boyfriends shoulder.
“Hmm?”
“What… what is that?”
“It’s you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah,” Hop turns to look at him with those beautiful golden eyes, “what’d you think?”
Victor regards the pumpkins… face, he recognizes his hair but apart from that it looks more like a crudely drawn abstract rendition of the Champion. He looks back at Hop, his boyfriends nervous smile and curious eyes make him look so adorable.
“I love it Hop!” He tackles his boyfriend to the ground in a hug, “it’s wonderful! Thank you.”
“You really think so Vic?” Hop asks in between laughter and kisses.
“If by wonderful you mean, looks like I had a horrible accident, then yeah it’s spot on,” Bede snidely comments.
“Can it you pretentious git!” Hop returns the despising glare.
“Oh! Is the Pokémon Professor in training gonna do something about it?” Bede leans in, “because if I remember correctly, you couldn’t even beat in the gym challenge and you cried all the way back to Vict-“
“If I remember correctly Bede!” Victor stands up and glares at him, “you never finished the gym challenge, in fact! You were disqualified by the Chairman himself!”
“I- I… you…” Bede’s eye twitches.
“He gotcha there Bedey,” Marnie pokes his side.
Bede scoffs and falls back onto the couch in defeat.
“Are we all done then?” Gloria asks.
“I think so,” Raihan answers for the group.
They all help clean up the pumpkin massacre in the living room before they get ready to depart.
“You’re sure you don’t want to dress up Vic?” Hop asks one finally time.
“Hoppip, we’re to old to dress up as Groudon and Kyogre.”
“Not true!” Hop pouts, “what if it were for a costume party?”
“That’s different.”
“Is it?”
“Yes!” Victor chuckles, “now let’s go before it’s too late.”
The two catch up with their friends in the front yard.
“You guys be careful now ya hear!” Leon yells from the front door.
“We will!” Hop yells back.
“You better Hopscotch or I’ll send Raihan after you.”
“I think you mean the mighty Zekrom!” Raihan pops out from behind Leon with paper mâché wings and head crest attempting to look like said legendary dragon.
The group burst out into laughter, even Bede chuckles lightly. They bid their goodbyes and promise to return at a reasonable hour, mostly to ease the nerves of the ever protective Leon.
“Trick or Treat!” Victor, Hop, Gloria and Marnie yell as the door opens. Bede stands off to the side, for he is “far to mature for trick or treating.”
“See! I told you that was the house with the big candies,” Victor nudges his sister.
“Fine fine you were right, what’d you want a cookie,” she jokingly nudges him back.
“If you got any.”
“I’ve got some Vic, you can have some of mine,” Hop chimes in and looks over his shoulder.
“Awww! Thank you Hop!” Victor wraps his arms around his boyfriend from behind and rests his chin on his shoulder, “you’re the best.”
“No, you’re the best!” Hop pats Victor’s head.
Bede rolls his eyes and pretends to vomit that gets him a smack from Marnie who thinks the love birds are adorable. The five of them continue down a quickly darkening street which at the end of it stands a large decrepit house.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to be down this way,” Hop remarks as they pass the last illuminated lamp post.
“What’re you scared?” Bede comments with a smirk.
“I’m not scared!” Hop yells.
“Yeah!,” Victor grabs hold of Hop’s hand to reassure him, “and neither am I!”
“Then why don’t we go inside that disgusting old house huh?” Bede points to the house in question and the other four gaze up at the haunting visage of the past.
“Inside…” Victor swallows and feels a shiver run down his spine.
“Yeah, unless your to big a baby then you can wait out here Champion,” Bede’s smirk grows into a crooked grin.
“Pfft, I’ll show you!” Victor shouts and runs towards the large double doors.
Upon opening the rather heavy and definitely to old to be moving doors he is hit with a bone chilling breeze but he remains undeterred in his mission to prove a point to their overly pompous friend.
“Vic wait!” Hop calls out, “I’m coming too!”
“Me too!” Gloria joins him.
“Me three!” Marnie runs in but stops to look at Bede, “you comin’?”
Bede scoffs and runs a hand through his hair as he joins the rest of the group inside.
“It’s a little chilly in here,” Gloria comments as she rubs her arms.
“You can say that again,” Victor adds.
“Are you cold Vic? I can hold you to warm you up,” Hop looks genuinely concerned.
“I’m alright Ho-“
There’s a loud crashing sound and both Hop and Victor grab hold of each other while letting out a scream. Gloria and Marnie gasp and turn towards the sound, behind them is Bede who seems to have knocked over a glass decoration of some kind.
“Sorry, my bad,” Bede walks away from the mess of broken glass on the floor.
“Maybe we should split up,” Marnie suggests.
“Split up! Are you insane!” Hop shouts, he’s still being held by Victor.
“Don’t worry Hop, I’ll go with you,” Victor runs a hand through Hop’s hair and rubs his boyfriends back.
The group splits up, against Hop’s best wishes. Gloria, Marnie and Bede go in one direction and Victor and Hop go the other direction.
“Hmm? What’d you thinks in there?” Hop asks examining two more large double doors.
“Only one way to find out,” Victor attempts to push the doors open but they don’t budge in the slightest, he walks back a few paces and kicks one of the doors, it creaks open slowly.
Another blast of cold air greets them as they enter what looks to be a large empty room.
“A ball room?” Victor remarks.
“Looks like it,” Hop replies, then his nervousness dissipates, he turns to Victor with grin and stretches out his hand, “wanna dance Vic?”
Victor regards Hop for a second before he chuckles and takes his hand.
“Do you even know how to dance?” Victor asks as they stand in the center of the room.
“I do!” Hop shouts then looks down at his feet, “sorta.”
“Here let me lead,” Victor takes hold of Hop’s hand again and places the other on his waist, “put your free hand on my shoulder,”
“Oh… uh ok,” Hop does and Victor starts moving slowly as to not stumble over his boyfriend.
“See, there you go Hop,” Victor smiles encouragingly.
“Haha! Yeah look-“
A purple ball of energy shoots out from the other end of the room, Victor pushes Hop away and jumps back as the energy ball explodes when it makes contact with the floor where the two had been dancing, the ground shakes a bit from the impact and causes the pair to stumble and fall to the ground.
“Oww,” Victor rubs his back, “Hop! Are you alright?”
“I’m ok!” Hop looks around, “but what was that?”
Victor stands and scans the room until he spots the perpetrator.
“There!” He points to the top of the large statue at the end of the room, “it’s a Gengar!”
“You gotta be kidding me,” Hop whines, it’s the second time today his fun with Victor had been interrupted.
“Zacian let’s go!” Victor shouts for his legendary and the sword wielding Pokémon emerges with a bright flash.
The Gengar laughs and let’s loose another shadow ball.
“Zacian dodge and use swords dance!”
The shadow ball crashes into the floor as Zacian jumps out of its way and powers up trough swords dance. Hop watches from behind Victor, he could join in and fight with him but he’s too caught up in staring in awe of his boyfriends battle face instead.
“Use crunch!”
The wolf Pokémon leaps towards their opponent with its teeth on full display ready to sink into the Gengar’s skin.
The Gengar disappears into the floor as Zacian reaches it’s position, it appears behind the legendary winding up a shadow punch.
“Zacian watch out!”
It’s too late, Gengar’s punch makes contact and sends Zacian flying back a bit.
“Zacian! Are you ok?”
The wolf stands up and nods at their trainer before assuming an attack stance.
“Alright! Let’s use Behemoth Blade!”
Zacian unsheathes their blade and leaps into the air. The blade grows in size and strength, the room glows blue when it lands a direct hit on Gengar.
As the dust settles Zacian is the only Pokémon standing before both Hop and Victor.
“Do you think you got it?” Hop asks.
“I Don’t know…” Victor answers.
“Vic! Hop!”
The two boys snap their heads in the direction of the voice. Gloria, Marnie and Bede come running into the room.
“Are you chaps alright?” Marnie asks.
“Yeah,” Victor returns Zacian to their ball, “just a Gengar.”
“A Gengar!” Bede looks both equal parts shocked, bewildered and relieved.
“That’s right!” Hop locks arms with Victor, “and Vic fought it off like a real Champ!”
“Hehe, thanks Hop,” Victor’s cheeks grow a little red form the praise.
“Oi! Lover birds, we should be gettin’ back before his brother pops a blood vessel,” Marnie’s right, it is getting late.
The group makes their way back out of the house. Victor takes one last look at the home, he thinks he sees something watching them but shrugs it off as Hop interlocks their hands and pulls him along.
From the houses terrace a boy stands and watches the group walk back up the road towards Wedgehurst. The Gengar flouts up from the floor next to him along with a Huanter and Yamask.
“…th- they’re gone…” the boy rubs Gengar’s back, “…you did good Gengar…”
Allister removes his mask and smiles at the harvest moon.
“…gave them a good fright and fight…” he laughs a creepy little laugh and so do the three ghost types around him.
“…come…” Allister motions for them to follow, “…let’s finish ou- our candy…”
The four walk back inside the old home, triumphant in another successful Halloween scare.