A/N: Team Roster: Jackson (Cinderace), Hudson (Mudsdale), Rosa (Bellossom), Theodore (Corviknight), Rouge (Weavile)
Chapter 18 - The Hero's Bath Festival
Dolly plodded down the hallway and tugged at her swimsuit. It was much tighter than the things she was used to wearing, though it covered all the necessities well enough. It was odd too, walking along without her glasses, since Rosa persuaded her to try out contacts for the night. She kept motioning to push them up her face, only to rub at the bridge of her nose. Dolly stepped into the elevator and glanced at the mirrored walls.
The girl she saw was unfamiliar, too well put-together, for the reflection she often met in the mirror. Dolly wouldn't mind seeing this girl more often, though, because this girl had friends and Pokémon who supported her. As Dolly wiped off a fleck of misplaced mascara, she had to hand it to Rouge and Rosa, because for two strange Pokémon, they knew what they were doing. The colors Rouge used accented the green in her eyes, and her eyelashes were almost as long as Hop's. She vaguely wondered if he would notice. Then she more clearly wondered why she wondered that.
Dolly twirled at the strands of hair hanging loosely as she had seen Sonia do so many times. She hoped their red-headed friend really would be at the festival, because if both Sonia and Hop were there, perhaps it would be tolerable. It would be better if her Pokémon wanted to come too, but despite her pleading, Rosa didn't let them and said she 'needed time alone with her darling Hop.' Lacey used to love swimming, she probably would have loved to come with her.
The lift gave off a ding, and Dolly glanced around the near-empty lobby for her friend. She stepped out slowly, and the air conditioning reminded her of just how little clothing she was wearing. She tucked her jacket around her tighter and ran her hands up and down her bare legs. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…
When she turned to go back upstairs, a familiar laugh echoed. She glanced around one of the pillars to see Hop chatting with an older woman sitting in one of the lobby chairs.
Yeah. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
Dolly tried very hard not to keep glancing at his bare torso, or at his jacket that kept moving back and forth to cover it like a curtain. They had gone swimming in the river by Postwick when they were younger, but back then he certainly wasn't as... defined.
He waved goodbye to the lady in the chair and wandered over to the main doors again. She watched him pull out his phone and tap onto it, and not soon after, her pocket buzzed. She read his text, smiled, and tucked her phone back into her pocket. Dolly took a deep breath, tried to channel Rosa's blazing confidence, and unzipped the top of her jacket a few inches as she made her way to him. She tapped him on the shoulder.
"Geez, took you long enou-" he started with a smile as he turned towards her.
She held back a hesitant smile as his eyes grew wide and his smile faded to something of shock. Hop was vehemently not looking anywhere beneath her chin, and it took him another few seconds before he made any other semblance of response.
"...-gh." he finished, jolting into focus. "W-wow, Dolls, you, uh, you look… different."
"Different?"
"You look grood. Uh, good. Great, I mean," Hop stuttered. Her smile bloomed, and Hop tore his eyes away as he cleared his throat.
"Oh," she said quietly. "Really?"
Hop gave one sharp nod and cleared his throat again.
"Y-yep. So, uh, can't wait, right? Festivals are the breast - er - best. Anyway, ahem, ready to go?" he asked, his voice a pitch higher than before.
She nodded as she cautiously bit her lip.
"Grood," he squeaked as he turned, and then slammed into the hotel doors. Hop froze for a second, then pulled the handle. "It's, uh... It's a pull, not a push. Odd since that's… that's a fire hazard…"
"Right," she giggled, and followed Hop out into the cold.
"So," he continued awkwardly as they made their way to the festival. "You did your hair. I've never seen you bare - HAIR, I've never seen you do your hair, um, like that, since normally it's down and not up like that and I guess now that it's longer you can do more with it since we were in Motostoke and you got it changed there too and now it's different again and it, um, and-"
"Hop, chill out, it's still me," Dolly laughed, bumping his arm. He rubbed at his face and let out a sigh.
"Y-yeah I know," he said. He muttered something under his breath, but she couldn't quite make it out.
The festival was already in full swing, with music drifting through the air from the plaza above the bath. Torches flickered and fairy-lights twinkled, giving off a soft, warm glow into the night. Fat snowflakes fell from the sky as children rushed about, trying to catch them on their tongues. Steam wafted from the Hero's Bath as a few families splashed in it, while a group of Challengers around Dolly and Hop's age sat chatting on the edge of the bath. Carkols bumbled around the stone plazas, warming everyone as they passed, and although the festival was buzzing with activity, Dolly breathed out a sigh of relief to see it wasn't completely packed.
"Hey, Hop and Dolly!" Sonia called as she trotted up to them.
"What's with the outfit," Hop huffed, gesturing to her tan overcoat and jeans. "Not going for a swim?"
"No way, there's way too much historical content around here," Sonia enthused, pumping her fists. She reached into her pockets and took out a bundle of sticky notes and pens. "Needed pockets for all my notes. You two sure look the part, though. And Dolly, no glasses, huh?"
Dolly shrugged.
"Rosa said-"
Dolly paused. Rosa said what? To not have a barrier between her and Hop so he could more easily gaze into her big brown eyes?
"R-Rosa said she… didn't want them getting broken..."
"Well you look great!" Sonia said, then looked to Hop with a devious grin. "Doesn't she, Hop?"
He only nodded, though he still wasn't looking directly at Dolly. Sonia let out a laugh.
"Ah, you two. Anyway," she said, waving them over. "I've got us a spot, you can set your stuff down."
She led them to a standing table where she had strewn papers and such on it, and a few of them were dappled with water and ashes from the roaming Carkols.
"Well I could use a refreshing dip," Hop said with a curt nod.
He stripped off his jacket, and Dolly watched his shoulders as he tugged his sleeves off and tossed it onto one of the high-rise chairs beside them. Her eyes followed as he walked toward the group of Challengers that were sitting and chatting at the edge of the pool, and Dolly thought that yes, Hop was certainly more defined than he used to be.
She could feel Sonia staring at her.
"What?" she asked, turning to her friend.
They both took a seat in the high-rise chairs and beckoned over a Carkol. Sonia interlocked her fingers and propped her chin on them.
"Oh nothing," she sang, twirling in her chair. "Just watching you two watch each other, just walking into the restaurant to him holding your face and practically sitting on your lap, just listening to him stutter at you when you were coming up, just waiting for you to be done staring at him as he walked away..."
Suddenly, Sonia smashed her hands on the table.
"You fancy Hop, don't you?!"
"N-no!" Dolly spat defensively.
"Don't you try and hide it," Sonia said with a grin as she squinted her eyes at Dolly. "I saw how you watched him take off that jacket."
"I-I was not! I watched him like I'd watch anyone else take off their clothes!" she spat. Her eyes grew wide at her slip, then she looked around frantically. "I mean I was… I was… I was just watching that Mr. Rime over there. His dance was very entertaining."
Sonia rolled her eyes as Dolly crossed her arms.
"Whatever," Sonia laughed. "I'll change the subject before your head explodes."
Dolly sighed and deflated into her chair.
"Do you know much about this festival? They say it's to celebrate new beginnings," Sonia continued, looking around the chamber. "You submerge yourself in the Hero's Bath to heal your inner wounds. It's grown from a serious ritual to just a tale, though, as you can see. The folks native to Circhester still like to celebrate it, and Melony and Gordie host a lot of the Gym Leaders who come into town."
"New beginnings, huh?" Dolly asked, propping her chin up. "I could sure use one of those."
"Jump in, then!" Sonia beamed. "Don't want that pretty swimsuit to go to waste, yeah?"
Dolly smiled and slid off the chair. She reached to unzip her jacket, then hesitated.
"Go on, girl, you look great," Sonia said with an encouraging smile. "Did you not notice how Hop was reacting to you? That had to feel good."
Dolly bit her lip to hide her grin again. She couldn't disagree with Sonia on that one, so she unzipped her jacket and tossed it onto the chair. The sensation was odd, with the cold air biting at her skin, only to be warmed by the steam coming from the bath and the Fire-type Pokémon around them. Sonia whistled, and a disgruntled Dolly shushed her.
"I'm off, actually," Sonia said as she gathered up her notes. "I've got enough content here to last a while, and those kids are pushing their splash zone dangerously close,"
"You're leaving?" Dolly asked as her eyes widened. Hop had already settled into a conversation with some other Gym Challengers, what was she supposed to do if Sonia left?
"You'll be fine, Hop's right over there," she said with a wave.
Before she could think of another excuse, Sonia had walked out into the night. After a moment, Dolly heaved in a breath and squared her shoulders. Sonia was right. She could do this. She was one of the strongest Challengers in the League, what was a little festival?
Dolly started her way towards the bath, stepping delicately across the heated tiles. She took a few steps into the pool, and the warmth seeped up her legs. The water lapped at her and cast a light blue glow over her thighs as she waded deeper. When a few murmurs drifted into her ears, Dolly glanced up. A group of young girls toddled up to the edge of the bath, and the others pushed one forward.
"Can we get your autograph, Challenger Dolly?" the one in front asked boldly.
Dolly gaped, staring at the expectant group before her.
"I mean, we don't have to," the girl in front added as her eyebrows pulled together. "You're just my favorite Challenger, and it was cool to see you here."
Dolly was still standing with her jaw hanging open.
"Really?" she asked. The girl nodded, and her friends behind her nodded too. "Oh! Oh, well, sure then, yeah, sorry. Um, thanks for coming up to me."
The girl's face broke into a sweet smile.
"Brilliant! And can we get a picture, too?"
Perhaps it was time to be confident, just as these young girls were. Sonia said she looked good in the swimsuit she picked out, and for once in her life, Dolly believed it. She nodded, the group of girls squealed, and grouped around for a picture.
After the girl's phone clicked, they offered another round of thank-you's, and ran off in a herd of giggles toward Hop next. Dolly smiled as she watched them approach Hop, and he flashed his signature grin. The bold one in front wasn't so bold with him, and she delicately handed out a pen and card. Dolly rolled her eyes when he winked at them after signing their cards, and the group of girls ran off again tittering, pushing one another as they made their way to another Challenger.
Hop was probably used to it, but it was odd for her to get such positive attention from strangers. Dolly vaguely wondered if she would get royalties or something from her League card sales.
Dolly slowly made her way toward Hop, and her heart was beating in her ears. There were a lot of other Challengers grouped around him… and more than half of them were girls way prettier than she was. But, he said he would stay with her. It wasn't like she had to talk much, and if he were beside her, then she would be fine. She could chat a little bit, maybe make some new friends, then head out for the night and finally go to bed. If those younger girls liked her enough for a picture and autograph, maybe she wasn't so universally hated after all.
Dolly and Hop locked eyes from across the water and Dolly smiled. Just seeing him made her feel more at ease in the crowd and she waded toward him, toward her safety net. He looked away, however, as one of the girls beside him clutched at his arm and pulled him into her with a giggle. Dolly stopped and watched as he grinned at this other girl, flashing the same smile to her as she had seen so many times.
Something tightened in her chest.
The girl pawed at his arm, and she could faintly hear her mutter something to him and glance at Dolly, as she held onto his upper arm. Then, he completely turned his back to Dolly as he started chatting with the other girl. The girl locked eyes with her, then looked back to Hop.
She waited, standing alone in the middle of the pool. He'd come back, he'd turn around. He'd come for her like he always had. She trusted him.
She watched the girl cling to his arm as he sat back up on the pool ledge, engrossed in conversation. She watched the girl whisper into his ear, watched him chuckle and nod.
She waited, and waited, and waited, and her heart dropped farther and farther as each second passed.
A few other Challengers grouped around Hop and the girl, blocking him from sight. She heard him say something, heard the group around him laugh. She waded toward them again, trying to peer over the heads and the shoulders of the other Challengers. She tapped the arm of one of them, only for him to shove her hand away.
Hop said something else and the group around him laughed again. She backed up when the Challenger glared at her.
Maybe Hop just… forgot. Maybe he just forgot about her. Maybe he was tired of her. Maybe he was so tired of always having to come after her, always having to pick her up off the ground. He was tired of her, he was sick of her, because he thought she was ugly. He thought she was too much. He thought she was a burden. He could be so much farther along if she wasn't weighing him down. He could be so much more popular if he wasn't associated with the immoral ugly freak with the Nuzlocke Curse.
And suddenly, standing there in the middle of the pool alone, Dolly felt very, very, very ugly. She looked down and noticed how the ribbing on her swimsuit emphasized her gut, and how pink and splotchy her skin looked in the heat of the water. More strands of her hair were falling out of their braids, frizzing up in the steam.
No wonder he was looking at that other girl. She was perfect, with a perfect toned and curvy body, a perfect laugh, a perfect smile. Her hair wasn't frizzy, her skin wasn't bruised, blemished, and scabbed. She laughed and talked and was probably funny and outgoing and charismatic - just like Hop. She was probably everything Dolly wasn't.
She knew this was stupid. She knew this was a bad idea. She knew she would end up alone and embarrassed. She knew it was stupid to believe that people would actually want to get to know her. She knew it was stupid to think that she could make any friends, and all that was left was for someone to push her down and throw something at her. The doors around her heart closed again, deliberately, hard. She should have known. They were probably making fun of her, too, joking about how stupid she looked, how horrible she was. What an idiot.
Dolly shook the sting from her eyes and made her way to their things, and she shoved on her shoes and picked up her jacket. She heard his laugh echo from across the chamber, even over the clamoring and splashing of the others at the festival. It stabbed into her heart. She picked up her phone, only to see a text from Hop.
Hey u can go if u want
Her heart dropped further.
Another chat bubble appeared, then disappeared. Dolly looked up to where he was sitting.
He was sitting next to this girl now, and her hand was resting on top of his.
He didn't even care if she was there. He didn't want her there with him and this other beautiful girl and the other more popular Challengers.
He said he would be there for her. He knew what she had been through, knew how hard it was for her to come, and he said he would be there for her. He was the only one she had, and he wasn't there.
He lied to her.
And suddenly, Dolly's self-pity turned to anger. The heat from the room was nothing compared to the fury burning in her throat, nothing compared to the pressure in her jaw as she clenched her teeth together.
She had been through so much in those past two days, and it took everything she had to be brave and come out for him and he lied to her. The whole world hated her, and she could be sleeping in her room with her Pokémon next to her, but instead she was getting shoved away by some Challenger, instead she was standing here watching him flirt with some girl. Did he even recognize what she'd been through?! She had barely eaten, she had barely slept, and here she was, coming out so he would be happy. She started this entire journey, this entire stupid Gym Challenge, for him.
And he lied to her.
She was sick of crying. She was sick of being shoved around. She was sick of sobbing into the fur of his stupid jacket. She was sick of being pitiful and sad and always clinging to him. She didn't need him to be safe. She didn't need him at all. She didn't need a liar.
Dolly seethed and clenched her fists as she stood on the heated tiles of the Hero's Bath.
Know what?
Fine.
He could do whatever he wanted.
And so could she.
She kicked off her shoes, threw her jacket back onto the chair, tucked her body more comfortably into her swimsuit, and unfurled her hair. It fell around her face in platinum waves as Dolly peered about the area. Sonia said there were Gym Leaders here, right? So that must mean…
From over the splashing of the pool and the wafting of the Carkol ash, her gaze met bright blue eyes.
If people were going to talk about her, may as well give them something to talk about.
She made her way through the crowd, swaying her hips as she stepped across the tiles. Each step was powerful, each step was confident, all fueled by the rage burning in every muscle fiber.
He was standing among a few other Gym Leaders, all grouped within earshot of the Challengers sitting on the pool edge. She overheard Nessa whisper.
"Leave her alone, Raihan, that girl doesn't need any more trouble."
Over the laughter and splashes from the pool, she could barely make out his response.
"She wants it."
It was as if they were magnets pulling together; the closer Dolly moved, the closer Raihan moved. Strands of her hair wisped behind her as she lifted her chin, proudly stepping past the Challengers seated at the pool edge. She needed no acceptance from them, there was no need for them to part for her when she only wanted the striking blue gaze of one man. They finally met in the middle, standing only a few feet from the pool ledge as the steam wafted around them.
"It's nice to see you again, Raihan," she said, her voice dripping with as much honey as she could muster.
"I'd say the pleasure's all mine," he grinned.
His eyes slowly trailed down, paused at her chest, paused at her hips, down her thighs, as if his gaze itself was eating her alive. She tossed her hair back, exposed her neck, her shoulders, her smile, as she willed him to stare at her, willed him to make it obvious.
His eyes flashed back up to hers as he leaned his elbows on the high top behind him. It was Dolly's turn for a lingering gaze, and she took in the chiseled ridges and smooth skin. It wasn't hard for her to stare, as her own eyes were hungry for the tall frame that stood before her. Raihan watched her, and a crooked grin inched onto his face.
"Like what you see?"
Dolly tossed her hair again and smiled delicately.
"Let's just say it's been too long since I've seen my favorite Gym Leader, and I just might prefer seeing him like this."
Raihan raised his eyebrows at her boldness. He chuckled.
"Yeah? Well, this festival did come at the perfect time," Raihan said. "I've got to be in top form if I plan to beat you when you come to visit me and my Gym. Training with such a type imbalance around here was tough, but it's perfect for my team,"
He leaned forward.
"And a night with you is perfect for me."
Good line, and just loud enough. She giggled and tossed her hair behind her shoulder, and the strands fell like silk.
"Sounds like a good day… and a good night," Dolly said, looking up at him through her eyelashes. "Coming up this way was pretty tough for me, but I'm not surprised you had no trouble. Traveling around Galar shouldn't be a problem for someone with your…"
She glanced to see if Hop was watching before letting her eyes trail over every bit of Raihan.
"...Physique."
Raihan raised an eyebrow and grinned again. Her eyes were locked on his mouth as he bit his lip, showcasing a fang, so she didn't notice how he glanced to Hop as well. He leaned toward her, and her heart pounded.
"So, Dolly, I noticed those girls taking a picture with you earlier, and I couldn't believe that I have yet to have that honor," he said, flipping his phone around his fingers.
"I'm sure we could change that."
As his Rotom phone positioned itself in front of them, she guided his hand from around her shoulders to around her waist. She puffed her chest out and popped her hip as she had seen other girls do around her and leaned into him, smiling delicately. She could see past the Rotom phone to Hop, who was now fully glaring in their direction.
"Hold on, better idea," Raihan whispered in her ear.
He sat back in one of the tall chairs behind him and held his arm out for Dolly. She stepped toward him, and in one swift movement he picked her up and set her on his lap. She had to brace her hand on his chest to not fall on her face from the momentum. Her breath caught in her throat as his eyes met hers, and the flickering of the torches around them added a warm glow to his features.
With no fabric protecting her skin, Dolly's nerves trembled when his fingers grazed down her spine. Her first impression was correct in that his hand could span her entire back. His touch was delicate, slow, until he finally wove around her hip and set his hand on her leg. She tried to hide her shiver when his fingers lightly trailed up her thigh.
She glanced over to the pool ledge. Hop's brow was furrowed, and his shoulders were tense as he ignored the girl and Challengers prodding at him.
The camera clicked, and Dolly made a point to stay just a second longer where they were. She stared into his glowing blue eyes, trailed her fingers over the hand that rested on her thigh, then slid off his lap. Raihan stood as well, and his hand grazed over the small of her back.
"So, will you be in town long? Only Piers left before you come visit me again," he said as he set his phone onto the table.
"I'm off to Spikemuth next, but I'm here tonight," she said, still as melodically as she could. She hadn't ever really batted her eyelashes before, but figured it was an excellent time to start.
"What a coincidence, I've just decided that I'll be here tonight too," Raihan grinned again.
Then, he leaned closer, and his bright blue eyes were practically tearing into her skin.
"I've always known you were beautiful, Dolly, but seeing you like this is almost unfair… and awful hard to resist."
Dolly giggled, pawed at his arm like she had seen the other girl do, and his hand slowly trailed lower on her back. Geez, he was good at this, had she not been so furious she'd probably be a quivering puddle.
"You two know this is, like, a family festival, right?" she heard as Hop finally stormed up from behind them. "Probably shouldn't be drooling all over each other so publicly."
"He's right, we should go somewhere private," Raihan purred.
In the corner of her eye, she could see Hop clench his fists.
"We were just talking," Dolly said to Hop, though she was still holding eye contact with Raihan. She tried batting her eyelashes again.
"You got something in your eye, mate? You look like you're having a seizure," Hop huffed, crossing his arms.
She glared at Hop. He was puffing out his chest, trying to stand a little taller, though he was nowhere near matching Raihan.
"Surprised to see you made it this far, Leon's little brother," Raihan laughed lazily.
"Uh-huh," Hop huffed through his clenched jaw, glancing to Raihan's hand as it trailed a little lower.
"Well," Dolly said, rolling her eyes back up to Raihan. "It's getting late,"
His crooked grin appeared as his eyes trailed down her body again. She could almost hear Hop's teeth grinding.
"But it was really nice seeing you here, Raihan... And perhaps I'll see you again later tonight," she said as she turned on her heel. She tossed her hair behind her again, and swayed her hips as she sauntered off.
That should do it. She slipped on her shoes and jacket and strutted outside the chamber. The emitting steam still warmed the air around her, and little snowflakes were still cascading down from the sky, flickering in the glow of the torches and fairy lights. She barely made it to the plaza outside the bath before Hop marched up behind her.
"What the hell was that?! 'Look at your sexy body prancing around Galar,'" he mocked in a high-pitched voice as he tugged on his jacket. "'It was reeeaaaally nice seeing you, let's snog in your hotel room later!' Never in my life have I seen you act like that!"
Dolly's jaw dropped, and she spun on her heel.
"Excuse me? I can act however I'd like, thank you very much. And you're the one who made me come to this bloody festival anyway, may as well talk to someone since you were obviously busy."
"Yeah, well, it was weird, not like you at all," Hop continued. Then, he jabbed a finger at her. "And, I know for a fact Lee told you to stay away from him. He literally sat you on his lap! You can't tell me that that didn't cross the line?! And how he was - ugh - touching you like that?!"
"Whatever, there's nothing wrong with me getting a little male attention," Dolly scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Not from him! He's crazy, did you even see how he was looking at you?! It was like he was tearing your clothes off right there!" Hop huffed. "I give you plenty of attention - good, normal attention - and I'm a male!"
"Ha! Right, next time I'll politely wait in line for you to be done talking to all the girls touching you," Dolly spat in return.
She smiled smugly despite herself. That should show him that she could do whatever she wanted, too. She turned to leave, only to stop as he gripped her arm.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. "You want me to treat you like a piece of meat?"
"Don't touch me," she growled, ripping his hand off her arm.
"What's with you lately?" he fumed, throwing his hands up. "Geez, Dolls, I'm just trying to help! You've been so careless, I don't want you to make another mistake!"
Dolly froze and an incredulous huff escaped.
"Excuse me? Mistake? And what might that be, huh? Talking to another person at a festival with a billion other people around? Talking to someone after you said you would stay with me and didn't? What could he have even done with everyone watching?!"
"Did you not notice what he was doing with everyone watching? Arceus, his hands all over - ugh, whatever, that's not what I meant, and you know it. You don't even know Raihan, and this isn't about him,"
"I know that he makes me feel like a girl instead of just some ugly freak!" Dolly spat. "He's the only man in my entire life to call me beautiful, Hop, and that makes me feel special when everyone else has only ever called me ugly or average,"
Hop's brow furrowed, and the anger slowly melted from his face. That expression made her blood boil - she didn't want his pity. She clenched her fists and jabbed a finger at him.
"And if it's not about him then what's it about, huh?" she continued. "Will you please tell me, since obviously you know much better than I do about everything always?"
The anger was back, and his shoulders tensed. Hop seethed, and his breath wafted around them. After a moment he threw his hands up with a grunt of frustration.
"See?! It's that, right there, that attitude of yours! Lately you've been so careless and that's what is putting you and your Pokémon in danger!"
"I can do whatever I want. And what do you mean my Pokémon, are you referencing something specific?" she asked, voice low.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Hop growled in return. "And so does your team of five."
"What," she said, the word dripping from her mouth. "Did you just say...?"
He raised his hands in defense.
"I'm just saying this because I care about you, and I care about your Pokémon."
The snow drifted around them, speckling white against the dark blue of the sky. Her knuckles were turning just as white from how hard she was clenching them, and her nails dug into the skin of her palm.
"You think I asked for this?" she said, voice barely audible. "You think I want this Curse in my blood? Do you KNOW what I've been through to get here?!"
People around them started to glance their way and started to murmur. Hop started to tremble, too, his shoulders quaking.
"You. You. You." Hop spat each word out like something bitter. "It's always about you, isn't it? Poor Dolly, she's crying again. Look at Dolly, she needs help again. Oh, it's Dolly, she is so unique, so interesting. Do you know what I've been through? Huh? Or do you ever take a second to think about anyone that isn't yourself?!"
"Have you ever tried? Huh?" he continued. "Do you know what it's like, growing up with your big brother as the Champion of Galar? Someone you wish you could know, someone you wish would be there for you, but he's too bright to even look at?"
She stomped forward again.
"Do you know how hard I've worked to get here? Arceus, Hop, I'm just trying to break this stupid Curse! If you lose a battle, you're out some money and you scurry to the Pokémon Center, all healed up! If I lose, they die. And if you're so much more noble than I am, what are you chasing after, huh? Glory, success? Some goal," she sneered, crossing her arms.
"I'm chasing after autonomy!" he yelled back. "I want a name, Dolls, I want to be called Hop. I don't want to be known as 'the Champion's Little Brother.' I don't want to be known as the reject second kid, the one with the older brother who is the perfect Champion that all of Galar adores. I want to be seen for my own sake, not for sitting in the shadow of someone else!"
He tore his fingers through his hair in exasperation.
"I want to be someone besides the nameless Trainer who lives in the shadow of his brother and the shadow of his mate. I don't want to be the nameless Trainer who keeps having his one dream crushed time after time by his bloody neighbor who barely cares about anything but herself!"
A few people were gathering around now, checking out the commotion. Hop jabbed a finger at her and took a threatening step forward.
"You don't understand," he continued. "You know why? Because you're an only child. You're an only child with an extra interesting element so the whole country is fascinated by you, too. One with a fascinating and dramatic problem, something so dramatic that it's the only thing that would get you off your couch to actually live a life. Before now, you've never dreamed about anything. You're too scared to do anything, Dolls! You've sat on your arse for as long as I've known you, only doing the bare minimum!"
"And yet I've beaten you every single time we've battled!" she yelled. "Every. Single. Time. You know why? Because you're erratic. You care too much about stupid things. Who cares how you throw your bloody Poké Ball? You rush into things before you even think! I don't know how many times I've had to rush after you to save you because you don't process what you're doing before you do it!"
Hop's shoulders stiffened. His knuckles were turning white as he clenched them.
"You're calling me erratic?" he growled under his breath. He never broke eye contact as he spoke, and with each word his voice grew louder. "You're calling me ignorant? Tell me, Dolores,"
She flinched back. He had never spit her name out like that before.
"How many times have I peeled you off the sidewalk to dry your tears? How many times have I ignored myself to come to your rescue? And who, between us, still has their whole team alive?"
The room was silent. His voice grew louder as he took a step closer, fists still clenched.
"Who here has a full team, still able to fight? And who here has a slew of Pokémon dead because of her carelessness?"
He was standing only inches from her now, his full height apparent as he loomed over her. He grabbed at her necklace and flicked through the charms.
"Time to add another one here. Six Pokémon: Posey, Lacey, Mateo, Sap, and more, all dead. They're dead because of their Trainer's selfishness. Who here can literally talk to Pokémon, and still not understand when they've had enough? You should have stopped after Faline, Dolls, you should have never picked up another Poké Ball. You should have never moved to Postwick. They're all dead because of you."
She swallowed hard. Her voice felt white, the fury burning in her throat.
"How dare you. How dare you bring them into this - bring her into this! You have no right to say their names," she yelled, shoving his hand off her.
He took a step back and raised his hands.
"But you know what? You've done one thing right. It makes sense for you to wear a Pecha berry."
Then, Hop leaned in and whispered in her face.
"You're poison."
Their gazes pierced one another's, slicing to the core.
"Poison. Seeping into people and Pokémon's skin like sludge," he continued. "Making them fall in love with you, only to have you tear their heart out. Only to have you kill them slowly, burn in their veins, then they're dead within the month."
The words wafted around them like the steam of the bath. The snow fell eerily, poetically, as if the whole world didn't exist, yet was watching all the same. Dolly opened her mouth, then closed it. She swallowed hard, and her voice shook as she began again.
"Do you know why I don't eat, Hop? Do you know why I don't sleep? Do you know why I don't wear a jacket, and why I don't take care of myself? It's because I hate myself, Hop. It's because I don't think I deserve to be happy. Do you know how conflicted am I every single day? How selfish I feel? All those people throwing things at me, pushing me into the dirt, calling me a selfish monster, a freak, a murderer, I can never say anything back because they're right! All of them!"
She threw her hands up.
"I know I'm selfish, Hop, I know! I've known it from the beginning, but I don't care! This is the first time I've ever cared about anything, and I'm not letting it go! I'm not going back, never, no matter what people say, no matter what people call me."
Dolly stepped back, and her voice quieted.
"I could take it from all of them, always. Anyone, everyone, always. I could take the cruel words and the injuries and the insults, because I knew you would be there for me. I knew you would be there for me when they all pushed me down and spit in my face. I could take it from everyone else..."
Her voice finally cracked as she shook her head.
"...But not you. You can't be the one to tell me that. You were supposed to be the one that was there for me, throughout anything. The one who took care of me even when I didn't take care of myself. The one who would love me, even when I didn't love myself… I thought you would be different. I've been running away from everyone and everything for half of my life, Hop, and finally, I trusted someone. I trusted you. I trusted that you would help hold me together as I figured this out. I trusted that you would help keep me safe."
Her lip quivered.
"And now I know that was a mistake. Here you are, calling me names, calling me poison, a monster, a murderer... just like everyone else."
Hop took another step toward her, and his brows started to furrow.
"Dolls… I didn't mean…"
"Get away from me," she spat.
He didn't move.
"I said get away from me!" she yelled.
She shoved him in the chest, and he stumbled backwards.
"Bede was right," Dolly said with a crack in her voice. Her breath was smoking before her, and her sentence echoed throughout the chamber. "It doesn't matter if you drag down Leon's name if no one knows who you are. Because even while being a selfish monster, a murderer, I'm still a better Trainer than you. You're rubbish. You're a rubbish Trainer, and you'll never be like Leon. You can't look at him because he's too bright, and he doesn't look at you because you're not worth looking at. You'll always sit in his shadow, doomed to be the unknown, mediocre, useless Champion's Little Brother."
Her words fell onto the snowbanks around them. The only movement was from the flickering of the torches. The snow fell eerily as something broke in Hop's eyes.
She was glad. She hoped that hurt.
"Now leave me alone," she whispered. "I never want to see you again."
She would collect her things and leave. Leave behind Circhester, leave behind Sap's grave, and leave behind Hop, standing still in the silent falling snow.