A/N: Team Roster: Jackson (Cinderace), Hudson (Mudsdale), Rosa (Bellossom), Theodore (Corviknight), Rouge (Weavile), Ophelia (Haxorus)

Chapter 26 - Anything, Anything

The sun was sinking over the horizon and the crowds in the Wyndon stadium plaza were finally beginning to thin. Although the masses of people made Dolly's heart beat quickly, she was continuously surprised by the number of smiles and handshakes and compliments people offered. She couldn't make groups of people laugh like Hop could, nor could she make them swoon like Leon could, but she was awfully good at giving an awkward nod and a 'y-yeah sure' whenever someone asked for her autograph. She even gave a kid a high-five.

Dolly heaved out a sigh of exhaustion after another group waved goodbye. Is this what Leon felt like all the time? Always being talked to and asked for pictures and autographs? If he were anything like her, he must be exhausted literally always. She hadn't even made it through the finals yet, and she'd been talking with people for eons. The Gym Leaders were probably all exhausted always, too. But then again, people like Leon, and even Raihan and Hop, were all much better with people than she was. She'd have to get used to the constant attention, seeing as the next step was claiming the throne as Champion. Dolly smiled at the thought - only the finals left, and then the Champion himself. She'd beat him, and maybe by then she would learn how to like crowds. She wasn't terrified of them anymore, at least, so that was a good start - one little step was better than no steps.

Her Pokémon helped a bit, too. She let them spread throughout the plaza, as she started to see they had fans of their own. Dolly rolled her eyes at Jackson, who was flexing for a group of Lopunnys surrounding him. He winked at one, who then toppled over with a swoon. As she watched the aftermath of that, someone slipped their hand into hers.

"You okay?" Hop asked.

Her eyes flitted about his face, and the tension in her shoulders eased as Hop stood beside her. Dolly looked out over the crowd and nodded.

"This is really exhausting, but it's also kinda fun."

"Good, you're doing great, Dolls," Hop grinned as he gave her hand another squeeze. She smiled in return.

"Are you doing okay?" she asked.

"I'm brilliant, thanks for asking though," Hop laughed. "I've got to swat all my fans off with a stick! I love it. Speaking of which, I promised a group of mums a picture, so I've gotta take care of that. I won't be far, okay?"

She nodded and watched as he wove through the crowd. Did he just come by to check on her? That was... that was really thoughtful.

Her attention turned as a group of guys stepped up next, immediately enthused about her battling, and held out her League cards for signatures. Dolly couldn't help but laugh when they jokingly groveled for a picture with the 'coolest Challenger ever.'

They took their picture and talked with her a bit more. These guys were ridiculous, and Dolly's laugh rang through the plaza as they all bantered back and forth. One of them invited her to a party they were hosting, and she told him she was meeting with Leon later and couldn't come, but she thanked him for the invitation. After one of them cracked another joke, they all finally waved goodbye.

When the group dispersed, Hop was standing in the aftermath of the now-empty space. His arms were crossed, and his brow was furrowed. She smiled at the sight of him, but his expression didn't change.

"Those some friends of yours, Dolls?"

She glanced around, but that group had disappeared into the thinning crowd. She shook her head.

"They just wanted some pictures and autographs."

"They didn't need to stick around, then, those don't take long."

"Well we were chatting some, too," she said. Dolly tilted her head. "Are you okay?"

"Did you not notice how that one bloke was all over you?" Hop huffed, ignoring her question and setting his hands on his hips.

"What?"

"Come on," he said. "He's been staring at you since you came out of the stadium!"

"Hop, everyone is staring at me, I just won the semifinals."

"Well he didn't need to stand so close to you," Hop grumbled.

Dolly squinted her eyes, as if the motion would unmask Hop's grumpy glare.

"Are you… are you mad at me?" she asked.

"Well, no," Hop said as his eyes shifted to the side. "I'm not mad at you,"

Dolly barely caught as he grumbled under his breath.

"Mad at that bloody Greedent herd that's fawning over my Pecha berry..."

Her eyebrows pulled together as she gazed up at him. Why was he acting so weird? There were plenty of people that had been chatting with her, asking for pictures, autographs, and telling her stories or asking her questions.

"You're mad at them?"

"Um. Yes."

"Why?"

"They all were just… looking at you and talking to you."

"So is everyone else," she replied, setting her hands on her hips.

"No," Hop retorted as he mirrored her posture.

"What are you talking about? I've been talking with people this entire time," she said.

"Not with giant groups of guys,"

"So what? I can't have guys as fans?"

"Not when they hit on you!" he finally huffed.

Were they hitting on her? She hadn't really noticed, in all honesty. She was more focused on whatever funny story they were going to tell next. They did invite her to a party, though.

"And not when you flirt back," Hop added with a grumble.

Was she flirting? Again, she hadn't really noticed.

"Well I did like talking with them," Dolly replied, thinking it over. "Normally when I'm in a crowd people spit on me. They were all really nice, and really funny."

"You didn't even know that one was hitting on you," Hop huffed.

"So?" Dolly said. "What's that matter?"

"Because I can't always be around to tell you!" Hop retorted as he threw his hands up.

Dolly raised her eyebrows at his sudden outburst.

"I'm not asking you to," she replied. "You're being weird, Hop."

"I'm not being weird, I'm being normal."

"Yeah, normal for someone who's acting weird."

"At least I don't flirt with my fans!" he spat.

Dolly's eyebrows furrowed.

"I wasn't, and even if I were, what's that matter?" she said. "Now you're being mean."

Hop rubbed over his face and sighed.

"You're right, sorry," Hop said, scuffing at the ground. "I just… they were… ugh, never mind, let's just go, we need to meet Lee."

Hop pouted as they left the plaza and pouted even more when Dolly waved at that group of guys as they passed by. He huffed again as they made their way away from the plaza, down the steps, and onto the road across from the Wyndon river.

Dolly breathed in deeply, grateful to be away from the crowds. Hop had a knack for dealing with the attention, but something about it really wore her out. She glanced back up to him, and his brow was still furrowed. Maybe he was worn out, too, and that was why he was snapping at her. Or maybe he just wanted dinner; sometimes he got snippy when he was hungry. It had been quite a day for the both of them.

Maybe he needed a hug or something. Hop's hand was hanging loosely beside him, and something within Dolly desperately wanted to reach out and slip her hand into his, to lace their fingers together, to swing their hands back and forth as they walked.

Just to comfort him, of course.

Although she landed on that justification, Dolly found it awfully challenging to reach out to him. They walked in silence as the sunset cast pink and orange rays over Wyndon, and it glittered on the surface of the river beside them. It was a crisp evening, and the light dappled through the trees on the sidewalk path. Notes from an acoustic guitar drifted in the air as a Toxtricity calmly plucked an idyllic melody from an open window above them, and a few bikers cycled down the path, trilling their bells to add to the music in the air.

The… atmosphere was pretty rubbish anyway. She didn't want to hold his hand when everything was so gross around them, especially as the sun glittered through the leaves in the trees and every once in a while caught Hop's eyes, so those flecks of gold flickered just as the sunset did.

Hmm. Yep. Absolutely rubbish.

Maybe if she got a sign or something, maybe then she would reach out and hold his hand. Just platonically, of course. If she saw... rose petals flinging through the air, that would be a sign.

Suddenly a group of Roselias tumbled out of a shop front, flinging rose petals into the air.

Hm. Shit.

Dolly swallowed, watching as his hand swayed lightly beside him. She was getting much better at doing hard things, though, perhaps she could just try. Just hold his hand a little bit. Dolly heaved in a breath, reached over, and delicately curled her pinky around his. He looked down at her.

"I-I, um… I'm just worried about you," she muttered as her face flushed. "You were being really weird…"

A small smile bloomed on his face as Hop breathed out a laugh, and the furrow in his brow faded. Dolly smiled when he smiled, took a quick step forward, curled her arms around him, and squeezed him into a hug. Hop paused, then wove his arms around her in return. He sighed deeply, and the tension in his body faded.

"Oh man, I needed that," Hop said quietly. He rested his head on top of hers and breathed out another deep sigh. "Thanks for worrying about me, Dolls. You're getting better at that."

"Well of course I'm worried about you, you're my best friend in the whole world," she said quietly.

Her cheeks were warm as he squeezed her tighter, and she flushed deeper when he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Again, it was gentle, soft, and so natural. She wondered if he too felt the familiar flutter of Butterfree whenever he did that. She didn't think about it long, and instead turned, and they started forward again. After a few steps, Dolly glanced to his hand.

...Then again, maybe it was okay that she liked holding his hand. He said that it was okay if she liked cuddling and physical affection… and she did. Maybe it wasn't that weird? When she hesitantly curled her pinky around his again, Hop heaved out half a sigh, half a laugh.

"Are you doing all this on purpose?"

Was this weird? Ah man it was weird, she knew it, abort mission, cancelled. She shoved her hands back into her pockets.

"S-sorry, I thought… I thought it would make you feel better…"

"Geez you're actually not, are you..." he muttered, more to himself than to her. After another pause, Hop scratched behind his neck. "Honestly it's real hard to not do whatever you want when you do stuff like this. Look. Those guys in the plaza were hitting on you, and it seemed liked… you liked it."

Dolly thought it over. She supposed they said she was good at Pokémon battles, and they invited her to that party, but she was more focused on whatever joke they were going to make next. Dolly breathed out, and she couldn't stop the small smile that broke over her face.

"Hop, I liked it because this is one of the first times a crowd of people didn't push me or throw things at me," Dolly explained. "You can be upset, I suppose, but there's nothing to worry about."

The heat rose to Dolly's cheeks as she laced the rest of her fingers around his.

"Actually, I, um…" she continued, glancing to the ground. "I much preferred when you were with me, anyway..."

Dolly was still bashfully staring at the ground, so she didn't catch how Hop raised his eyebrows, or how his cheeks tinged darker as well. She did, however, catch when he breathed out an 'oh.' That certainly perked him up, and his signature smile was back.

"Oh, well, that's good, then," he grinned. "Okay, yes, good. Let's go,"

Hop pulled her forward by her hand, and it didn't seem like he had any intent of letting go. Instead of a furrow in his brow, it was like Hop had the ghost of a smile on his lips, and those familiar Butterfree were fluttering when Dolly lightly swung their hands as they walked. As they continued along, Dolly's brow furrowed.

"Why did that bother you, though?" Dolly asked. "They were being nice,"

Hop looked beyond her to the river. His shoulders tensed, as if he were holding his breath. She looked at him inquisitively.

"I… I was…"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I was jealous," he grumbled.

Jealous? Of her? Of them? What? Why?

"…Why? I spend a lot of time with you."

"Because… B-because…"

Hop took in a breath, and looked at her intently.

"Dolls, I'm going to tell you something, and I've wanted to tell you this for a long time. You… You don't have to reply, or, or say anything back, but… I need you to know that… that..."

Hop glanced to the ground again, then back up to her.

"I'm… um.."

And then, as she was gazing at him with such a worried countenance, something in Hop's eyes seemed to soften. It was as if his soul was reaching out to her when he leaned a hair closer. He heaved in a breath.

"Dolls, I'm in-"

"Behind you!" came a voice from behind them.

They heard a bell ring as a biker came racing past and Hop had to leap out of the way in order not to get run over by the tires zooming by. He lost his footing and tripped, caught himself against the railing overlooking the river, and had pinned Dolly between his arms.

Dolly's breath caught in her throat.

They stared at each other as the electricity shocked between them. Then, as if on instinct, her eyes darted to his lips, and back up to his eyes. Hop seemed to be thinking the same as her, as after a moment, he relaxed his arms, and his hand gently moved down as he hesitantly, barely, hovered a hand over her waist. Her fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt, the familiar heat radiating from his skin beneath. Memories of his lean muscle, of his hands on her, of his weight pressed against her flicked through her mind as he leaned his head in, glancing from her eyes to her lips. The electricity was pulling them together like static, pulling from between their bones, there between his arms and the railing behind her.

They stood only inches away, feeling the heat of each other's skin so close. Dolly's eyes started to flutter closed as she waited, waited, for the one thing she hadn't allowed herself to think about. The word 'finally' pressed into her like his fingers on her waist. His hand trembled as he grazed her cheek, pushed her hair off her neck, then slid so he cupped her jaw.

Again, his eyes were closed, his lips were parted, and his brow was furrowed as she gazed at him through her eyelashes. When he tilted her chin up, Dolly held her breath as she felt him only a centimeter away, feeling that heat and tingling nerves as his breath hit her lips. He was pausing, waiting, his hands trembling. Dolly could think of nothing except how Hop leaned closer, how his lips barely grazed hers.

"Hey, aren't you two Dolly and Hop?" a voice squeaked.

Dolly's eyes shot open, Hop catapulted back, and tripped over a hedge.

A little girl was standing behind them and holding the hand of her Togepi.

"Can I get an autograph?" she squealed, holding out their two League cards.

A woman, who must have been her mother, looked almost as flustered as Dolly felt.

"Not now, honey, these two Trainers are busy," she said as she looked up at them apologetically.

"N-no, she's fine, anything for a fan!" Hop stuttered as he stumbled up to the little girl.

He knelt in front of her and signed her card with a grin. Dolly plucked her card from the girl's hand as well, signed it, and handed it back down to her. She squealed again and held them to her chest.

"Wowie! Look mummy, look! I got them both signed!" she enthused, showing her mum the two cards. "And you tried to get me not to look, but I knew who they were!"

The mum nodded nervously and avoided eye contact with either of them.

"That's great, love, now why don't you say thank you to the nice Trainers and we'll leave them be?"

The little girl nodded, and her pigtails bobbed chaotically.

"Yes, yes, thanks so much! I'm going to be a strong Trainer like you guys someday! I've already got Togepi at level five!" she grinned, revealing two missing front teeth.

"I believe it," Hop beamed as he gave her a knuckle bump. "I bet you could beat me already!"

The little girl grew bashful, kicking at the ground. Her mother started pulling her away.

"Thanks again," she smiled sheepishly as she prodded her daughter along.

"Get back to it, kiddo," the Togepi grunted gruffly as he waddled away.

Dolly's jaw dropped as the trio toddled off, the little girl holding her mum's hand in her right, and Togepi's hand in her left. Was that Togepi smoking a cigar?

After a moment, and then a moment after that, Hop cleared his throat.

"W-we should get going, huh?" Hop sputtered out.

"Yep." Dolly squeaked.

Well that sure was weird.

Dolly was glad that little girl came up, because she didn't really want to kiss Hop, anyway. Not that that's what they were going to do. Definitely not. Why would she want that? That would be weird and not platonic. There wasn't some strange satisfaction when he was upset about all those guys. It wasn't like he fancied her, and it wasn't like she was head-over-heels like all her Pokémon said. They were just awfully good friends, just like they had always been.

So, it sure was a good thing that when they started walking, that bolt of lightning struck between them when their hands brushed. They couldn't hold hands if Dolly's hands were shoved in her pockets and Hop's were locked behind his head as he attempted to whistle.

That was how they walked for the rest of the way to the Rose of the Rondelands hotel: an awkward distance apart, all the while painfully ignoring the rose petals drifting through the air from some Roselias, ignoring the glistening of the setting sun over the river, and ignoring the serenade of that conveniently-placed Toxtricity plucking that acoustic guitar.

They eventually pushed open the glass doors to the hotel lobby, and Dolly breathed out a sigh of relief, only to suck it back in when they were immediately swarmed by paparazzi. One shoved a camera into Dolly's face.

"Challenger Dolly! Hey, Challenger Dolly! Got time for some questions?!" the interviewer asked, blue eyes piercing into Dolly's brown.

"Uhh-" Dolly stammered.

"First question!" she interrupted. "You and Challenger Hop were both endorsed by the Champion, making the two of you rivals in a sense, wouldn't you say?"

"Uhh-" Dolly said again, eyes flickering between the interviewer and the camera.

"How does it feel to have defeated your rival?" the interviewer pressed, shoving the microphone up to Dolly's mouth.

She was acutely aware of the lens boring into her soul, and Dolly felt like she swallowed a Whimsicott.

"It… it doesn't quite feel real yet, honestly," she coughed.

"Right…" the interviewer said. "Question number two! If you wanted to tell Challenger Hop something right now, what would it be?"

Dolly glanced to Hop, and her nerves seemed to fade. Again, even just standing beside her, his presence made her feel supported even with this camera boring into her soul.

"...That he was just the rival I knew he was," she said with a soft smile.

They held each other's gaze for a split second, and Dolly tilted her head with a smile.

"Did you get that look?" the interviewer hissed. When the cameraman nodded, she smirked and turned to Dolly again. "Question number three! Is there a secret something our viewers may want to know about?"

"Uhh-"

The interviewer stepped around in front of the camera, eyeing it intensely.

"Have these two tragic Trainers been only rivals throughout their Gym Challenge… or have they also been secret lovers?"

"Alright alright, that's enough questions!" Hop huffed, marching to the camera and forcing the lens down. "Dolls is wiped from her match, and you've been asking rather rude questions! We've got ourselves dinner plans with my brother, so, sorry, but clear off already, would you?"

"Yes yes of course," the interviewer grinned, as she and her videographer turned away. "We've got all the content we needed."

"Yeesh," Hop breathed out as they left. "Famous people sure have it rough, eh?"

Hop turned away before she could get a good glance, but it seemed the tips of his ears were tinged pink.

"Now where's Lee? I could eat my own arm about now," he huffed.

"I think we're still early," Dolly replied, scuffing at the ground with her shoe. Why was she so sweaty again? At least she could think now, without that camera lens boring into her.

"Yeah, I'm um… I'm gonna go take a shower," Hop grumbled.

Dolly nodded.

"Good idea. I'll come with you."

His head whipped back to her and Dolly's eyes widened.

"I-I mean not with you, n-not, not like that!" she stuttered as the heat flared in her cheeks. "I just meant I also want to shower you, n-no, I mean shower too! Without you there, I meant! Not that you would be there, or anything!"

Dolly tried to swallow as her face flared red.

"Actually I'm just going to wait outside," she said as she turned on her heel and pushed open the hotel doors.

Well. That went terribly.

The fountain in the plaza bubbled as Dolly flopped onto its ledge. Why couldn't she speak? Why couldn't she be normal?

But mainly, why couldn't she get him out of her head? Thoughts of Hop were pushing and prodding, even as she squeezed her eyes closed. Dolly tried to watch the Corviknights in the plaza, or the Ferris wheel behind the hotel. She tried to distract herself, and tried to not wonder what Hop were doing right then, or what it would be like if she were with him, if he was dripping wet, leaning over her, if the steam magnified the heat between them, if he were staring at her with those intense golden eyes as he pushed her against the wall of a shower-

Stop. Stop stop stop. She couldn't be thinking about him like that, she shouldn't be thinking about him like that, but why couldn't she stop thinking about him like that? Thoughts of Hop were swarming, just as the Butterfree were in her gut, and Dolly didn't know what to do with the tension that was building in her.

What if he trapped her between his arms as he leaned in? What if the river behind them bubbled as the sunset glistened in his eyes? What if his gaze flicked from her eyes to her lips? What if he leaned in, and what if he kissed her? And then what if he kissed her again? And again and again and again harder and deeper and desperately-

Nope, no. Stop. She needed to stop, she couldn't be thinking about him like that. Hop was her best friend, always had been, and always would be. Again, Dolly tried to think of anything else that wasn't her best friend and his lips and his hands and his heat.

But what if they were in the dark of a tent alone? What if he were pressed against her, his entire body curled around hers? What if he was combing through her hair, his smile so close to her, as he leaned in? What if he kissed her cheek, then kissed closer to the corner of her mouth? What if he did it again, another inch closer, and then, what if he kissed her? Fully? Completely? What he kissed her gently and tenderly as his hands explored wherever he wanted and-

Dolly rubbed at her eyes with a frustrated huff.

Or what if they were in a hotel room in Hammerlocke? What if he said something coy, what if he turned off the final light, then guided her onto the bed? What if he straddled her hips, pinned her hands, leaned over her, then kissed her hard? What if his kisses left marks and bruises riddled all over her? What if his breath was hot on her neck, what if his tongue slid over her skin, what if she melted in his fingertips, what if she wanted it, and then wanted more? What if she saw those golden eyes glinting in the dark as-

Stop. Don't.

Dolly had to stand, had to take a lap around the plaza. The chill of dusk was saturating the air, and the dark purple hues were beginning to lay over the city. Wyndon glowed in the dusk, and the streetlamps and electric billboards cast bold colors over the streets. Even the fountain in the hotel plaza cast a blue under glow to Dolly's face. She sighed again as she sat back on its ledge.

This wasn't the first time she had wondered these things. This wasn't the first time she wondered about Hop. The question prevailed in her mind, and it had been growing stronger, more intense, and more frequent, the more time she spent with him.

Did she want him to kiss her?

Why else would she be thinking of him like that?

The fountain beside her bubbled. The water flowed easily, jauntily, unaffected by the confusion tangled in the heart of the girl sitting beside it. Dolly tucked her knees to her chest and rested her head on them.

She wished she didn't. She wished she didn't want him to. That would make everything a lot easier. She wished she didn't think those thoughts, but she did. She wished she could just see him as her goofy, sunshiny, childhood best friend, and that was it. No more than that. Dolly wasn't sure what he was anymore, but as she wondered about those thoughts that pressed into her mind, as she wondered at the joy and the friendship he offered her, she was terrified of the other question that had been looming. It was the question that so easily hid behind her iron defenses, the question that was so easily protected by her denials. And yet, that persistent question, that faint wondering, combed through her mind again and again.

Could she be…?

...No. They were just friends. Best friends.

She pushed the question away, as that was much easier. Perhaps she was just overthinking things, anyway. Dolly trailed her fingers through the water beside her, watching as the ripples tickled the marble stone. Perhaps she could go shower too, that may help her clear her mind. Part of her didn't want to, in case she would run into Hop. Another part of her wanted to, for that very same reason.

Dolly looked up when she felt a rumble from her bag. Jackson appeared before her, and his eyebrows were furrowed as the glow of the fountain highlighted his gaze.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," Dolly muttered as her eyes shifted to the ground.

"I can feel how upset you are, even when I'm in my Poké Ball," Jackson said. "Remember we said we were going to be honest with each other? We'll be attentive to each other's feelings? I don't need to know how to read auras to know yours."

Dolly paused, heaved out a sigh, and trailed her fingers through the water.

"It's Hop."

The only sound was the fountain beside them. She didn't hear him swear, he didn't storm into the hotel to find Hop, he didn't ignite one of the hedges beside them in a blaze of fury. Dolly glanced up, only to see that Jackson's expression hadn't changed.

"What happened?" he asked.

Dolly's eyebrows furrowed as Jackson sat beside her on the fountain ledge. He had untied the bandana from his arm and was fiddling with it in his paws.

"You're… you're not mad? You're not going to go fling fireballs at him?" Dolly asked.

Jackson shook his head, feeling over the hem of the cloth.

"Why not…?" she asked.

Jackson thought for a second, gazing into the sky. The promise of night was blanketing Wyndon with an excited expectancy.

"He makes you happy."

Dolly's brow furrowed.

"You're different when you're with him," Jackson continued. "Better, different. You open up, you smile more, you're more confident in who you are. I want to be mad, trust me, after everything he did and said. But… I was being selfish. After seeing you with him recently…"

Jackson heaved out a sigh. He gazed at her as a smile ghosted his lips.

"I can't hate someone who cares so much about you."

Her heart thumped. Although she was constantly bombarded with that same accusation from the rest of her Pokémon team, when it was coming from Jackson, when there was no trace of joke or tease, it was harder to deflect. Dolly nodded as she curled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees.

"Not as much as I do, of course," Jackson shrugged. "But even I can see that you're happier when he's around,"

Dolly couldn't deny that one. She was also painfully awkward sometimes, too.

"What made you change your mind?" Dolly asked. Jackson shrugged again, kicking his legs over the ledge of the fountain.

"I've been trying to be a better friend. Mateo used to be a really good listener and would listen to others better than I did. I liked that about him, and I want to be like that, too. I realized I was ignoring you when you said you both were fine," Jackson explained.

He gazed at the sky as dusk continued to creep over the horizon. He was still feeling over the hem of the banana as he continued.

"Ever since we were in Hammerlocke last, you were different," Jackson said. "We were with Hop a lot, and you would just… you would always look at him, and he would make you smile, and he helped you love yourself again. I thought he would make it worse, after everything he did to you. But, I watched as the more time we spent with him, the harder he tried to be kind to you. It seemed like he was genuinely sorry. But don't get me wrong, I still think he's an idiot."

Dolly laughed and nodded.

"So anyway," he shrugged. "What happened? Did he ask to sleep with you again? Because if he did, I actually will kill him."

"Not quite," Dolly said as she breathed out another laugh.

She explained her predicament as Jackson listened intently. She expressed her confusion, her frustration, her worry. Although she didn't go into full detail, Jackson raised his eyebrows when she mentioned the thoughts she couldn't get out of her head.

"So, it's not like he did anything," Dolly mumbled. "I'm just confused with everything about him. He's my best friend, always has been, so why do I keep thinking about him? I don't know what to do... I don't know what I want."

"Well it sure sounds like you want to kiss him."

Dolly buried her face in her hands with a grunt of frustration. Jackson hopped off the ledge of the fountain and pumped his fists.

"Here's how you do it," he started, pointing a decisive finger at Dolly. "You say 'Hey handsome, I wanna kiss you.' Then you move in, bat your eyelashes, pucker up, and bam! Mission accomplished."

Jackson dusted his paws and beamed at her.

"Easy as pie."

"Well gee why didn't I think of that," Dolly huffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Or, you can do this!" Jackson grinned. He popped his hip, tossed one of his ears behind his shoulder, and strutted away. He looked back over his shoulder at her, winked, and blew a kiss.

Dolly burst out laughing as her Cinderace sauntered around the plaza, swaying his hips and imitating her in a much too high-pitched voice. He gave her a few more examples of how she should kiss Hop, many of them ending with 'and bam!' and after a while, Dolly had to stop him with a huff.

"That doesn't mean he wants to!" she said, crossing her arms again. "Maybe I don't want to kiss him, maybe I'm just overwhelmed by everything going on."

"Well if you do, now you've got like, eight great ideas," Jackson said.

"Maybe we should train some more," Dolly mumbled, desperate to think of anything besides kissing Hop. "Prepare more for the finals."

"Are you crazy?" Jackson asked. "Did you not see how we destroyed everyone in the semifinals?! Those matches were wicked!"

Dolly grinned at the thought. The tension in her heart eased as they talked about that day's battles, and what a great job everyone did. They also discussed that one bit where one of Rosa's petals lodged itself into the commentator's throat so there was just incoherent coughing over the speakers for a while.

As they talked, the lavender threads of dusk had merged with the indigos of night, and the crisp air bit at them again. Dolly and Jackson were the only ones in the hotel plaza at that point, and even the monorail above them was running less frequently. When Dolly checked the time, her eyebrows pulled together. She hadn't gotten any texts or calls from Leon or Hop, either.

"I should probably go check on them," Dolly muttered.

Jackson nodded, she returned him to his Poké Ball, and made her way back into the hotel. It was empty, save the front desk clerks, and Hop pacing through the lobby. He glanced up, then rushed to her.

"There you are, have you heard anything from Lee?" he asked as his eyebrows furrowed.

She shook her head, and he bit his nail.

"I haven't either," he said quietly. "It's not like him to bail, he always does what he says he'll do. When he said he was going to become Champion, that's what he did. He oughta be able to keep his own dinner plans"

"Kid's sure got a mouth on him, huh?" came a voice from behind them.

Dolly and Hop turned to see Piers sauntering up to them, distinctly clashing with the elegant golds and fine fabrics in the lobby.

"If you were that noisy durin' battle you'd unleash a whole new level of power, you know," Piers sighed, slouching before them.

"Oh, pack it in, Piers," Hop retorted. "I'm seriously worried here. What do you want?"

"If you're looking for the Champion," Piers continued. "I saw him headin' to Rose Tower. Dunno what he's up to, but I ran into him on the monorail platform."

"Rose Tower," Hop replied, scratching his chin. "What could he be doing there at this hour?"

"I dunno," Piers shrugged. "But he told me to tell you he's got some business up there, so he'll be late to your dinner."

"Will you take us, Piers?" Dolly asked, stepping towards the Gym Leader. "We don't know the way,"

Piers sighed and gave a half-hearted nod. As they were walking out, she overheard Piers mutter to Hop.

"Does she always look at you like that when she asks you to do things? No wonder you follow her around like a lost Lillipup."

"Pack it in, Piers," Hop growled.

Piers shrugged as he guided them into the maze of Wyndon. He guided them through the city, and by the time they met up with Marnie, found the monorail key, fought dozens of League staff, made it to Rose Tower, up the lift, and fought another dozen League staff, the dark of night was a thick blanket over Wyndon.

Dolly and Hop sprinted into the roof of Rose Tower, and their heads whipped around for any sight of Leon. They still didn't know where he was, or what was going on, but neither of them liked how challenging it was to get to him. Although they successfully beat through all of the obstacles they faced, there was still the fact that they had to face them in the first place. Where was Leon, and why were there so many barriers to seeing him?

The tension in the air was thick as the sound of their steps echoed throughout the domed chamber. The silence crept under her skin, forcing up the hair on her neck. The pair stopped when they heard the clacking of heels on the hard tile.

"Welcome to Chairman Rose's exclusive space."

Dolly and Hop spun around to see Oleana standing before them, her arms crossed over her chest. It seemed like even the air was colder as Dolly watched the woman before her.

"So, you got through all of the special staff that I had ordered to stop you," she continued. "I would expect nothing less of the Trainers handpicked by Champion Leon himself. But I am afraid it is now time for you to go home."

Dolly's skin prickled at the calm in her voice. Oleana ordered those blockades and barriers? But why? Dolly didn't have time to mull it over, as suddenly Oleana took a threatening step toward them. Her calm demeanor was thrown to the side as her eyes bulged, and her hands thrust forward like talons.

"I will not allow anyone to disturb the great Chairman Rose! You shall be the first, Dolly!"

"Ms. Oleana, what are you talking about?" Hop yelled, backing Dolly up as Oleana stomped toward them. "We're just trying to find Lee!"

"If I beat you to pieces, then the Champion will have no one to battle and will thus lose heart!" she seethed, ignoring Hop's rationale. "In that state, he will listen to anything the chairman says!"

Dolly waved Hop off and gave him a nod of assurance. They had battled through a slew of Trainers on their way up here, and Dolly was sure her Pokémon were high enough level. If she beat Oleana, then they could explore this chamber and find Leon in peace. The crazed look in Oleana's eyes made Dolly think that they wouldn't want her behind their backs anyway. She told Hop to search for Leon, and she would take care of Oleana. Before either could respond to her, Oleana thrust out a Poké Ball and a Frosslass floated before them.

Dolly tossed out Jackson, and his fangs were already bared.

The two Pokémon skidded around the tile, and Jackson defeated the Frosslass with a powerful Pyro Ball attack. She switched him out for Rosa the second a Milotic appeared, and Dolly couldn't help but watch in awe at the two beautiful Pokémon before her.

They danced and swayed around each other, Rosa stepping in time with the song of the Milotic. Petals and raindrops drizzled around them, tapping lightly against the shining tile of the floor. After another super effective move, the Milotic fell.

It was Jackson again as a Tsareena appeared before them. Dolly watched as each of Oleana's Pokémon danced with incredible beauty and grace, their elegance apparent even as they fell in defeat. Jackson beat through Oleana's Tsareena, through her Salazzle, then paused as Oleana screeched in anger. It echoed harshly throughout the empty room and cut against Dolly's eardrums like sharp nails.

"You won't make a fool of me again!" Oleana yelled from across the pitch. "I'll show you, you dirty freak!"

Dolly gaped as Oleana threw out a Garbodor. Its weight and stench pounded into the floor, it glowed a fierce red, and the Garbodor Gigantamaxed before her eyes.

Dolly called Jackson back, then hurled his Poké Ball into the space behind her. Although her Fire-type wasn't easily advantageous against Poison, her Cinderace's higher level should serve them well.

The two behemoth Pokémon lurched forward, attacking with everything they had. Dolly looked nervously to the ground as the Garbodor's mass dented the floor. They nearly reached the glass of the domed ceiling as they battled across the tiles of Rose Tower. Jackson landed hit after hit, and his Fire-type attacks blazed in the empty room. Condensation was steaming the roof above them, and Dolly's eyes flicked to the glass ceiling each time an attack was thrown. Although a peaceful night was cloaked over Wyndon, chaos, fire, and garbage furled in the roof of Rose Tower.

This Garbodor was leagues more powerful than Oleana's other Pokémon - perhaps it was the one she related to the most. Dolly had to apply a few max potions throughout their battle, despite Jackson's higher level. It was taking much longer to beat than the other Pokémon.

They were almost there - Dolly could feel it in the air. Jackson was faring fine against the G-Max Poison attacks, but suddenly, Dolly caught Oleana's eye from across the battlefield. The hair on her neck stood on end as Oleana smiled at her.

Oleana's calm demeanor was back.

Something wasn't right.

This wasn't right.

Dolly reached to her back to call back Jackson, because something about what was going to happen didn't feel right.

Oleana's Garbodor summoned a massive rock, and its sheer size almost broke through the ceiling of the tower.

Dolly froze in horror.

It knew a Rock attack.

Before Dolly could yell out, the Garbodor swung the slab of rock at Jackson. With a horrifying crack, he stumbled backwards.

Jackson fell, his body shrinking as he catapulted to the earth. A sandstorm started blistering around them, and the sand shot into Dolly's skin, into her eyes, as she lurched forward. It took no time before the Rose Tower roof was a snow globe of sand, and Dolly could hardly see as the wind of the sandstorm tore against her face. She couldn't see Jackson, but she heard the crunch as he hit the hard tile.

She felt it as if it were her own body.

It was like her own bones cracked, it was as if her own body ricocheted off the tile of Rose Tower.

Her fingers started to prick as the sand and rocks tore against her. It whipped around her face, stabbed into her eyes, into her fingers, into her arms, into her chest. As she stumbled through the storm, only one word repeated in her mind again and again.

No.

No.

No.

Because there he was, lying motionless on the ground as the sandstorm whipped around them. She sprinted to him and crumbled beside him like sand. She shook him, and shook him again, and when he didn't move, the tears stung her eyes, just as the sand stung her skin.

"Jackson!" she called over the howling of the wind.

He didn't move, he didn't open his eyes, not even when she pulled him onto her lap.

"Jackson please, not you too, not you, not you," she began to sob. "Jackson wake up! Get up!"

He laid limp in her arms as she desperately clawed at his face, his arms, holding him to her. She laid him on her lap as her tears hit his fur.

"We're still battling, you know!" Oleana screamed from across the tiles. "You can't get to the chairman unless you get past me!"

The sandstorm was blustering, and just as the rocks and sand hit Dolly, they also hit the Garbodor. Every inch of it was pierced by the sandstorm of its own making, and soon, it too, fell, then laid motionless on the floor.

And Dolly won.

As the sandstorm subsided, Dolly immediately scrambled to her bag, and tossed everything out that wasn't a full restore.

Full restore, full restore.

She looked back at Jackson, lying limply. His bandana was still tied around his arm, and her mind shot back to when they sat on a fountain ledge, to how he so effortlessly supported her, just like he always had. Her mind shot back to how he smiled, and how he said he wanted to be a better friend.

No full restore.

Her mind shot back to when he curled his arms around her and warmed the air and the rest of her team by the train station on Route 10. Her mind shot back to how they were all dripping, shivering, and smiling as they all told her they loved her.

She tore through her bag.

Max potion, max potion.

Her mind shot back to when he walked with her the entirety of the way to Spikemuth, blazing before her as a support to cling to. Her mind shot back to how he was always the ferocious reminder that she was worthy of love.

No max potion.

Hyper potion, hyper potion.

Her mind shot back to the sun that glistened over Hammerlocke as he cried into her jacket. Her mind shot back to how he finally looked at her, finally laughed, and how he bumped her cheek with his fist, ensuring that they would always be partners.

No hyper potion.

Super potion, super potion.

Her mind shot back to when he pat the dirt over Mateo's grave. Her mind shot back to how his silent tears blossomed into little white flowers.

No super potion.

Potion, potion.

Her mind shot back to his grin in the Glimwood Tangle, to his whine when she wiped the curry sauce off his cheek.

No potion.

Sitrus berry, Sitrus berry.

Her mind shot back to the dirt of the Wild Area, to him telling her he would battle by her side forever.

No Sitrus berry.

Oran berry, Oran berry.

Her mind shot back to him sitting on the pier in Hulbury with her, of how he set his paw on her thigh as a silent support, of how he never left her side during the walk to the first two graves.

No Oran berry.

Anything, anything.

Her mind shot back to how he curled around her head to sleep the first night they met, how they talked about everything and nothing, and Dolly thought that how, even then, he showed her that she was worthy of love.

Nothing.

The tears were stinging her eyes. She had nothing. She had used everything and anything, and yet, here she was, again unprepared as a partner sacrificed himself for her. There was nothing she could do but hold him in her arms, to hold him as if everything was okay.

"Jackson," she whispered. "Please, don't go too..."

He still didn't stir.

She wove her fingers into the fur on his face. Tears speckled down.

"Please," she sobbed quietly, holding his head to her heart. "We're partners, remember?"

The tears fell into his fur as she pet his ears, combed through the fur on his cheek. Everything he taught her, every time he protected her, reminded her, loved her when she didn't feel worthy of loving, it all came swarming back as he laid there, motionless in her arms.

"Partners don't leave each other, right, Jackson?" Dolly said through her sobs.

She brushed her thumb over the fur on his cheek. She bumped his cheek with her fist, only to let out another sob when he didn't move.

"Partners, remember? We'll stay by each other's side forever, remember? Jackson, don't you remember?"

The soft tap of tears was the only sound that echoed through the roof of Rose Tower.