A/N: Hi all, sorry for the delayed update! I'm preparing to head back to school for the fall. My plan is to continue updating every Thursday, but if that doesn't happen, then school prep is the reason. Thanks for understanding, and thanks for reading, as always! Please enjoy!
Team Roster: Jackson (Cinderace), Hudson (Mudsdale), Rosa (Bellossom), Theodore (Corviknight), Rouge (Weavile), Ophelia (Haxorus)
Chapter 27 - Renewal
Dolly couldn't contain her hiccups that caught each breath. They were staggered, just as her thoughts were, when she held Jackson in her arms. She reached down to brush the fur on his cheek again, only to freeze when he coughed.
"Do me a favor, and never let me get to 1HP again," Jackson groaned as his eyebrows pulled together. "I feel as bad as you smell."
"Jackson?" Dolly breathed. "You're… you're alive?"
"If I die it's got to be way cooler than from some literal pile of garbage," Jackson scoffed. "Besides, I've already got one pile of garbage right here."
He patted her cheek, and Dolly smiled as the tears continued to tumble. She pulled him into her in the biggest hug she could muster and squeezed him with everything she had. Her cries morphed into half-sobs, half-laughs, when Jackson weakly squeezed her in return.
"Always the eloquent one," she whimpered. "But, how did you…? How did you survive? Didn't the sandstorm…?"
Jackson shrugged.
"I just… I had to hold on. I had to hold on so you wouldn't be sad."
Dolly's face broke into a smile as the tears started pouring down again. Jackson chuckled and patted her cheek.
"I mean come on, if I wasn't here, who would lead morning calisthenics? Hudson? He doesn't even have arms."
She leaned back, gazing at her first Pokémon partner.
"I love you so much, Jackson."
He grinned and tapped her cheek with his fist.
"I love you too, partner."
Suddenly, the clacking of heels echoed through the room. Dolly's head whipped up to see Oleana storming toward them.
"This is inexcusable!" she screeched as she grabbed Jackson by the scruff of the neck. "I'll do it myself!"
With a shocking amount of strength, she hurled him into the ground, and he skidded to a stop a few feet away. Oleana grabbed a fistful of Dolly's hair and yanked her up next.
"Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?!" she screeched in her face. "How many strings I've had to pull to keep you in the Challenge? How many late nights, how many hours of overtime? My hair is falling out because of you. But no,"
Oleana threw Dolly to the ground again.
"The chairman thought 'you needed a chance,' thought 'you could be useful,' when practically everyone else on the League board wanted you gone. All for what? A little freak? I can't talk to Pokémon, and I've gotten him this far!"
Dolly trembled, covering her head with her arms as Oleana's sharp heel hovered above her. Then, she set it down, and Oleana's calm demeanor was back.
"No. I have a better idea," she whispered. She turned to Jackson who was still struggling to stand. "1 HP, huh? Challenger Dolly can't get in my way if she loses her Cinderace. All the Wishing Stars have been collected, and with you out of the way, the chairman will finally see that I'm the one who helped him succeed in his goal!"
Dolly's eyes widened as Oleana pulled a pocketknife from within her shirt. With a menacing click, a blade appeared.
"Jackson!" Dolly screamed, scrambling to stand. Oleana turned and kicked Dolly's foot out from under her. Another crack echoed through the room when Oleana stomped on her ankle.
"Everything I've done," Oleana heaved as she turned again, starting towards Jackson. "Everything I'm about to do... is for the chairman."
Jackson laid there, frozen in place as Oleana loomed over him. Still weak from their battle, he could barely conjure a flicker of fire as she lifted her arm into the air. Then, the knife clattered to the floor. A Poké Ball had flung through the air and hit Oleana in the back of the head, and a satisfying thunk echoed throughout the room.
Oleana swayed for a second, then fell to the floor.
Dolly whipped her head around to see Hop grinning and pumping a fist.
"Ha! Finally perfected my Poké Ball throw!"
They both rushed to Jackson's side as he struggled to sit up. Hop deftly pulled Jackson up, and applied some medicine from his own bag.
"Are you alright?" Dolly asked.
Jackson nodded. His brow slowly furrowed as he looked between the two. He stared into Hop's eyes.
"Dolly, can you translate for me?" Jackson said slowly.
She nodded, glancing between Jackson and Hop.
"Tell him I said thank you. And that I'm sorry."
Dolly opened her mouth, only to pause as Hop held a hand up. He smiled and set a hand on Jackson's shoulder.
"I know what he said. I could never ask for a better partner for you, Dolls. Jackson, you're loyal, adamant, and a true friend. Everything you've done, you've done it to protect Dolly. So really, I should be thanking you."
Jackson grinned and finally nodded. He turned again to Dolly.
"But can you tell him if he ever hurts you again, I'll mangle him in his sleep?"
Dolly let out a laugh and translated for Hop. He nodded.
"That's fair."
They finally stood, and Dolly curled her arms around her Cinderace. They squeezed each other as hard as they could.
"Thank you, Jackson, for showing me and helping me believe that I'm worthy of love."
Jackson was grinning ear to ear, then he stepped back and pumped his fists.
"You sure are, you garbage pile! Now put me in my Poké Ball, I'm friggin' exhausted."
Dolly gave him a smooch on his forehead as he whined, then returned him to his Poké Ball. Hop led Dolly to where Leon and Rose stood gazing over the cityscape. Dolly only caught the tail end of their conversation, and Leon said something about the Championship match. The two men turned as Hop and Dolly approached.
"Lee…" Hop started. "You never showed when you were supposed to, so I got worried that something had happened… Then all those League staff and Ms. Oleana coming after us… what's going on?"
Rose curled a hair around his finger and heaved out a sigh.
"I must apologize to you, Hop, if we've made you worry at all. There are times when two people just can't seem to have an honest discussion with one another," he said as he glanced at Leon, then turned again to face the sparkling view of Wyndon. "Sometimes our pride just gets in the way."
Dolly's eyebrows furrowed as Rose turned to her.
"Dolly, you can talk to Pokémon, yes?"
She nodded.
"Interesting. I may-"
"Chairman Rose," Leon interrupted. Dolly had never seen the glare that was etched on his face. "We've already discussed this."
The grand city sparkled behind them as the two most powerful men in Galar stared at one another. After a moment, Rose smiled, and twirled his hair around his finger.
"Very well," he said, turning again to the skyline behind him.
Leon's brow furrowed deeper as he glanced at Rose, then back to the two in front of him.
"Never mind any of this, Hop, Dolly. Let's head back to the hotel, then we'll all grab dinner together, yeah? It's on me, so you can order whatever you fancy."
He glared at Rose, who was still gazing over Wyndon.
"If you'll excuse us, Chairman Rose… I do hope you'll watch tomorrow's match. It's sure to be one for the history books."
Leon and Hop turned, but Dolly was still watching Rose as he gazed over the city.
"Dolls?"
Dolly turned, and the trio headed back down the lift. She was trying to keep up with the two brothers, though her ankle was throbbing where Oleana had stomped on her, and she winced with every step. They finally made it to the lift, and Hop set his hands on his hips.
"What's taking you so long?" he asked.
"Just enjoying the view of Wyndon," she smiled. "Not sure how many other times I'll be able to see it like this."
He squinted his eyes and watched as she favored her other foot. The lift jolted and she stumbled forward, grimacing as she tried to balance.
"Dolls!"
"I'm fine!"
"What're we yelling about?" Leon asked, turning to the pair.
"Oleana stomped on Dolly's ankle with those mad heels when we battled her," Hop huffed as he crossed his arms. "And now she's trying to be all big and tough and pretend like it didn't happen."
"I'm not saying it didn't happen, I'm saying that I'm fine! If I walk on it I'm sure that'll help."
Hop squinted his eyes again.
"Battle with Oleana…? What are you talking about?" Leon asked.
Dolly delved into their struggle of trying to get to him, ever since the semifinals. Hop offered sections of the story as well, enthusing to his brother about Piers, and Dolly enthusing about Marnie. Leon listened as his brow slowly furrowed deeper.
"Interesting…" Leon said, then he heaved out a sigh. "I've never fully understood Chairman Rose, or Oleana for that matter, but I'm glad you two are alright. Sorry for what a mess I've caused you."
Hop beamed up at his brother.
"I think I'll be able to forgive you after a delicious dinner, I'm starved."
The lift finally landed on the first floor, and the doors slid open. Hop briskly walked over to Dolly and scooped her up in his arms as he and Leon stepped out into the lobby of Rose Tower.
"H-Hop!" she yelped, bracing herself by clutching at his shoulders. "What're you doing?! Put me down!"
Hop nonchalantly continued forward.
"I don't fancy having to wait for you to limp everywhere we go."
Her cheeks burned as her eyes flicked to Leon, who raised an eyebrow at her. With a bemused smirk, he winked, and she was sure her face looked like a Tomato berry by that point.
"That doesn't mean you have to carry me like I'm some frilly princess," she huffed. "I can ride on Hudson."
"'Fraid they won't let a Mudsdale on the monorail, Dolls."
"Yeah, or a Charizard," Leon added with a sad sigh.
"Shut it," she growled at Leon.
"What happened to you accepting help, huh? Thought you were getting better at that?" Hop asked, still casually strolling forward as she clutched at his shirt.
She grumbled a retort as Hop raised an eyebrow at her, and she glared at Leon again when he chuckled.
Dolly at least convinced Hop to let her walk through the restaurant. They enjoyed a delicious dinner together, joking together quite a bit. Dolly was happy to see Leon and Hop interact so excitedly together - it seemed as though they both missed each other's company. They also ate like ravenous Munchlax, and Dolly didn't even try to hide her grimace.
They ordered seconds, figured it was a beautiful night, so they hauled their food and drinks to the local park and tossed out all of their Pokémon. There was hardly enough room in the grass for all of them, but Dolly didn't mind the cozy and close atmosphere.
After diffusing what was almost a potato-themed food fight between her Cinderace and Weavile, Dolly heaved out a contented sigh as she slumped onto a park bench. The restaurant offered her a collection of swirly straws, and she was determined to utilize them. She sipped on her to-go chocolate milk as she gazed at the stars over her head.
What did Rose want from her? What was he going to ask? Every time she and Rose had a conversation, they were cut short by something. And how Oleana mentioned how frustrating it was to keep her in the Gym Challenge… What did that mean? Why would she and Rose struggle so valiantly to keep her going, especially when Bede was so quickly dismissed back in Stow-on-Side?
The moon's glow cast a light blue sheen over Wyndon, and the streetlights sparkled in the night. The air was crisp, and a slight wind blew through the excited conversations that were taking place in the park. Dolly sighed again and rubbed over her face.
And then everything with Jackson… he almost died. She almost killed him.
She rested her head in her hands and stared at the ground.
If it wasn't for his sheer force of will, she would be without one of her best friends. Would she ever be prepared enough? In Hammerlocke she stuffed her bag with as much medicine as she could hold, and it still wasn't enough. Would all of her Pokémon crumble because of her? Would all of them meet an early end, just as she predicted so long ago when she first had to decide on a starting partner?
Her eyebrows furrowed as she sighed again.
She was trying so hard to take better care of herself and of all of her Pokémon, but would it ever be enough? Could she ever really protect them? They were about to face the greatest challenge of all, the strongest Trainer in the region, and maybe even the world.
Could she really do this?
Was it really worth it?
Would her selfish desire take the life of yet another dear friend?
She lifted her head when someone sat beside her.
"You're not very subtle," Jackson said. "You breathe really loudly."
Dolly smiled and she affectionately rubbed his ears.
"What, you're getting all sentimental, now?" he grinned. "Thought we already went through all that?"
Dolly laughed and rolled her eyes, but still kept her hand on his paw.
"It wasn't your fault, Dolly," he said after a moment. His smirk was replaced with a soft smile. "I want you to know that. I was doing fine, but that Garbodor had that critical hit rock move out of nowhere. I don't blame you for anything at all. I was perfectly fine to keep battling, and I would have done exactly what you did."
Dolly sat up straighter, and her eyebrows furrowed.
"We've all been talking about it, actually," Jackson said as he gestured to the rest of their team scattered around the park. "You're much more careful than you used to be. We've always trusted you, but we're also much more confident in how you lead us. I'm sure you've noticed how much better we've all been battling."
"I have noticed that," Dolly said as she scratched her chin. "It seems like you're all cleaner in your attacks, and there seems to be more power behind them."
"And that's because now that you're taking care of yourself, you're taking better care of us," Jackson said as he pat her on the shoulder. "So, good job. And that's from everyone on the team."
Her eyebrows pulled together as her eyes started to burn. Dolly sniffled, and Jackson rolled his eyes. A few tears trickled down, and Jackson squished her cheeks with his paws.
"Oh cut it out," Jackson laughed. "Seems like you cry just as often, though,"
"I can't help it!" Dolly whimpered through her squished cheeks. "I just really needed to hear that."
Jackson wiped her tears off her face, then wiped his paws on her sleeves. He glanced behind her, and his smirk returned.
"I think someone else wants a turn."
"What?"
Jackson nodded his head, and Dolly turned just in time to watch Leon jab at Hop with his elbow and gesture towards her. Hop squinted, then when Leon waggled his eyebrows and made kissy faces, Hop shoved at him, Leon shoved him back, and Hop stumbled towards her. When Hop looked her way again, Dolly whipped her head back to Jackson.
"What do I do?!" she whispered harshly.
"What do you mean, what do you do?" Jackson scoffed. "You talk to him like a normal person."
"What if I say something stupid?"
"He's probably used to it."
Jackson pushed off the rest of her tears, smoothed down her hair, and pat her on the head.
"When he is trying to comprehend whatever you said, just kiss him. I need to go anyway, I need to prove to Rouge that mashed potatoes are definitely better than potato chips."
Before Dolly could respond, Jackson bolted away, and Hop took his place beside her on the bench.
"So, um, beautiful night, yeah?" Hop said. She smiled at the sight of him and nodded. "Minus all of us getting attacked by Oleana and the secret league force, you know."
Dolly breathed out a laugh and nodded.
"Are you okay? You've been crying," Hop asked as his eyebrows pulled together.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Dolly said as she glanced to the ground. "Jackson was just being all sweet out of nowhere."
Her nerves had started to subside as Hop delved into conversation with her, talking about the upcoming Champion Cup, about his Pokémon team, about her Pokémon team. They eventually landed on the topic of Wooloo wool, which she was surprised to see they had yet to exhaust that topic. Neither of them were aware of the four Pokémon gazing at her and Hop sitting together.
"Oh my," Rosa sighed. "She is as beautiful as the moon. She is glowing."
"No less than he, Rosa," Theodore said with a chuckle. "Look at how he smiles when he speaks with her."
"Yup," Hudson said. "He's crazy about her. Doubt she realizes it, though, poor lad."
Dolly's laugh echoed through the park, and Theodore chuckled when Hop's smile grew because of it.
"Indeed," Theodore nodded. "Although our Lady has a slew of charming characteristics, she is not the most perceptive girl..."
"Not perceptive?" Rouge scoffed. "I think the accurate term would be emotionally constipated."
They all nodded.
Theodore thoughtfully brought a feather to his chin and paused for a moment as he gazed at them. He watched how Hop smiled, watched how he leaned towards her whenever she spoke, and watched how he had to stop himself from tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Yes," Theodore said softly. "It seems the sun has fallen in love with the moon."
Rosa coughed out a sob, and Dolly whipped her head to them.
"Oh, how romantic," Rosa blubbered. "What poetry."
"What's poetry?" Dolly asked.
Rosa couldn't speak through her tears as she clung to Hudson's leg.
"Theodore said the moon glows brighter because of the sun," Hudson explained with a shrug. "I'd have to agree with him."
"Um, okay," Dolly said as her eyes shifted between her Pokémon. "That is how the moon works."
"Um, are you cold?" Hop asked suddenly. Dolly turned back to him. "You're shivering."
"Oh I'm fine," she said. She had accidentally left her jacket in the stadium after the flurry of activity after the semifinals. She figured she'd be fine without it until she went back for the finals, but the crisp night air of Wyndon seemed to think otherwise.
Hop sighed, rolled his eyes, and shrugged off his jacket. He slung it around her shoulders and clasped the first button at the top.
"You probably have the lowest body temperature of anyone I know."
"Hop," Dolly grumbled as her cheeks warmed, especially when Rosa started blubbering again. "What about you, aren't you cold? You don't need to do this."
Dolly reached to unclasp the button but Hop gently lowered her hands.
"I want you to wear it," he said softly. "It looks better on you, anyway."
Dolly's eyes flicked to his face, to his soft gaze, to his smile, and she glanced down again as the Butterfree started flapping. She motioned to mumble a retort, only to stop as a voice came from behind them.
"Are you going to kiss his forehead now?"
Dolly and Hop both jumped and whipped their heads around. Leon was standing behind their bench, raising an eyebrow as he grinned slyly at the two.
"Ugh," she grumbled as Leon laughed and tousled her hair. "Why do you always come in at the most embarrassing times?"
"That's what big brothers are for. If you both are done stuttering at each other, I wanted to say goodbye."
They both nodded, stood, and each gave Leon a hug goodbye.
"One more thing, Dolly," Leon said as he turned to leave. "I don't think it'll come to this, but if Rose or Oleana come up to you tomorrow without me there, you let me know, okay?"
Her eyebrows pulled together, and she nodded. It didn't take long before Leon's solemn expression was replaced with his signature grin.
"Excellent," Leon said. "I'm hoping to see you in the finals tomorrow."
"You better believe it," she grinned in return. "I think it's time to kick out Galar's dusty old Champion."
Leon's jaw dropped and Dolly giggled.
"Dusty?! Old?! Well that's the last time I buy you anything," he scoffed. "Now scram, I've got stuff to do that's more important than being insulted by a four-foot pipsqueak."
Dolly laughed when he ruffled her hair, and Leon waved a goodbye to her and Hop. Hop stretched and checked his phone.
"Yeah, it's getting late. We should probably get going, too."
Dolly nodded, and as she motioned her Pokémon team over to her, Hop bent down to pick her up again.
"Wait wait wait!" she said, waving her hands out in front of her.
"We've already talked about this."
"I know, but aren't your arms tired?"
"You probably weigh as much as my Pincurchin. And no, you underestimate how sturdy these guns are," he said, and continued to prove his point by pursing his lips and flexing.
"Oh my," Theodore chuckled as they walked up to them. "How risqué."
"Hop," Dolly mumbled. "Not in front of everyone…"
"Oh, just pretend we're not here," Theodore hummed. He turned and swooped his wings out to block her view of the rest of her Pokémon. Dolly rolled her eyes again when half of them peeked through his feathers.
"It doesn't hurt so much anymore anyway, Hop, really," she said as she turned back to him. "Walking on it would probably help."
Dolly breathed out a laugh when his lower lip stuck out.
"Maybe I like carrying you," he muttered. "Maybe I like helping you. Maybe I like being close to you. Ever think of that?"
"Is this… is this a guilt trip?" Dolly asked incredulously. "Because I won't let you carry me?"
"No!" Hop huffed, though the corner of his mouth twitched up. "Yes."
"You are so weird," she said as she breathed out a laugh. "I don't want you to carry me though, Hop, really."
Hop let out a melancholy sigh, and Dolly rolled her eyes again.
"I guess I'd let you hold my hand if you wanted, though," she mumbled.
"Oh ho," Theodore chuckled. "My Lady, have a soft spot for those sad eyes, do we?"
"Theodore!" Dolly huffed as her cheeks stained red. Her Corviknight chuckled again, and Hop wove his fingers around hers with a smile.
"What a smile on that boy," Theodore hummed as he turned. "And on you as well, my Lady. Rosa was correct in her description. You are glowing."
Dolly grumbled again. She was probably glowing red at that point, since her face felt like molten lava.
"Tally ho, then," Theodore said as he waved them off. "Off you go. We'll give you some time alone."
Dolly motioned to retort, only to roll her eyes as Hop pulled her forward by her hand. He had the ghost of a smile on his lips, and those familiar Butterfree were fluttering when Dolly lightly swung their hands as they walked. They didn't even make it out of the park before they saw a couple families walking by. There were quite a few children, and when Hop smiled to himself, Dolly's heart softened. She always knew Hop loved kids, but for some reason now, that characteristic hit her a bit differently.
The children recognized them, and they swarmed around Hop and Dolly with excited cheers. They pestered them for pictures, and Dolly was grateful for Hop's finesse with large groups. He cracked a joke, they all laughed, and grouped around for a picture. She felt a little more secure in the crowd when Hop wove his arm around her waist. A little more sweaty for some reason, too.
One of the parents took the photo, and Dolly stepped away from the group, as she wasn't quite accustomed to children climbing on her. Hop didn't seem to mind. As Hop lifted one onto his shoulders, his shirt lifted too, and the dimples on his back peeked through. Then, Dolly's eyes trailed a little lower.
Hm… Hop certainly was fit.
"What. A. View." Rouge whistled from beside her.
Dolly jumped as her Bellossom agreed.
"He is so handsome," Rosa swooned. "Are you admiring him, my Dolly?"
"What?! No!"
"You were totally staring at his ass," her Weavile grinned.
"I was not!" Dolly spat as her face flared red. Rouge rolled her eyes.
"Sooo, when are you going to tell him you've got it bad?"
"Never, because I don't."
"Maybe I'll just tell him for you,"
"Oh right, how's that conversation going to go?" Dolly grumbled. "You growl at him and he doesn't respond?"
When Rouge didn't reply, Dolly glanced to the side. Her Weavile was standing there with a devious grin, flipping Dolly's phone around in her claws. Dolly's eyes widened as her mind flashed back to her hotel in Circhester when Rouge texted Hop before. A knot formed in her throat, then, she threw her hands up.
"You know what? This is my fault," Dolly said. "It's my fault for assuming I could let my Pokémon out for a nice night walk together. You've just added yourself to the list of Pokémon who can't be around me and Hop at the same time."
Suddenly Hop turned, setting the child on the ground and waving goodbye to the group.
"Did you say something, Dolls?"
"Geez," Rouge sighed. "He calls you by a pet name? What do you call him? Honey Buns? Sugar Pecs?"
"It's a nickname, not a pet name," Dolly scoffed.
"I have never heard anyone call you that besides him," Rosa wondered, scratching her chin. "And did he not get upset when the Dragon Gym Leader called you that once?"
"How did you know that?!" Dolly sputtered.
"I know everything, my Dolly."
"That's it," Rouge said. "I'm stepping in. The longer you take to tell him you're in love with him, the more I'm going to tell him."
Dolly's eyes squinted threateningly.
"...You wouldn't."
Rouge shrugged and started tapping on Dolly's phone. Hop reached into his pocket, checked his phone, and turned back with a smirk.
"Dolls? I'm standing right here, why are you texting me?"
Dolly's eyes widened as her head whipped to Rouge.
"It wasn't me! It was my Weavile!"
Hop's jaw dropped, then broke into a grin as he made his way towards them.
"No way! Your Weavile can text?"
She scrambled to try and grab her phone back, only to have Rosa smack her hand as Rouge skipped away. Dolly's eyes switched from her Weavile to Hop, who looked down to his phone again. Suddenly he raised his eyebrows, and a small smirk appeared on his face.
"What?! What did she tell you?!" Dolly yelped, eyes tearing between the two.
Hop laughed as his cheeks reddened.
"Rouge! What are you telling him?!"
Her Weavile shrugged.
"Told him when he picked up that kid, you were totally staring at his ass."
"Rouge!" she screeched. "You can't just- I wasn't- ugh!"
"And," her Weavile continued. "I told him that you thought those pants are just tight enough to nicely accent his… features."
Dolly's jaw dropped.
"Okay, no, I did not say that, she said that."
Rouge looked back to Hop, and again he tried to hide his smirk as his cheeks tinged darker. Dolly buried her face in her hands.
"I don't want to know what she just said. I could just die right here right now. That would be fine with me."
Suddenly Ophelia and Theodore stomped over, and Theodore flapped his wings at Rouge.
"Alright Rouge, Rosa, that's enough," Ophelia sighed, scooping Rosa up in her arms and plucking the phone from Rouge's claws.
"Can you not see how flustered she is when you reveal our Lady's secrets?" Theodore huffed, shooing the Weavile away. "We must help and not hinder our Trainer."
"I was just trying to help her speed up the process!" Rouge pouted, trying to see through Theodore's feathers.
"That's not something you get to decide," Ophelia sighed, handing the phone back to Dolly. With an encouraging nod, Dolly's Haxorus and Corviknight bumbled away, Bellossom and Weavile in tow. After another moment, they flashed back into their Poké Balls.
Hop took a step towards her, and Dolly turned away. She couldn't even look at him, now that Rouge spilled that embarrassing information. She really needed to pay better attention to when she let them out of their Poké Balls... Hop gently bumped her shoulder with his.
"So... you're not denying it?" Hop asked quietly, raising an eyebrow.
She stared at the ground as her cheeks flared red. She turned her head away, and Hop breathed out a laugh.
"You don't have to be embarrassed, Dolls. Here, I'll even it out. I'll tell you something embarrassing too. One of the Team Yell members pantsed me right before my battle with Piers. I was wearing my 'I love Yampers' pattern that day, too."
Dolly snorted.
"And," Hop continued. "Back in Motostoke when I said Lee told me that Rose picks his nose…"
Dolly turned as Hop paused. His eyes swiveled around suspiciously, then he leaned in to whisper.
"I just said that because I pick my nose."
Dolly burst out laughing as she shoved his arm.
"Oh, stuff it, no you don't."
"It's true, all men do it," Hop said, throwing his palms up in defense. "I can no longer deny my dirty secret."
Dolly threw her head back and laughed, the shame dissipating from her shoulders.
"Come on," Hop said as he bumped her arm again. "Let's get going, if you're done staring at my ass, that is."
Dolly gasped and smacked his arm as Hop laughed. She pursed her lips, though she did let him hold her hand again when he asked. After trekking through downtown Wyndon, they finally made it to the Rose of the Rondelands. Dolly shoved her hands in her pockets for fear of another batch of paparazzi and heaved out a sigh of relief to see the lobby was empty as they stepped up to the front counter.
"Hi, checking in for Challenger Dolly," she told the front desk clerk.
The clerk smiled and nodded, typed something onto his computer, and handed her a hotel card.
"Enjoy your stay, miss. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable."
Dolly nodded, and Hop stepped up next.
"Challenger Hop,"
The clerk nodded again and typed onto his computer. He then typed something else on his computer. He clicked something a few times, then typed something. His eyebrows pulled together.
"You said Challenger Hop?"
Hop nodded.
The clerk typed something, clicked something, typed something, and pursed his lips.
"I'm afraid your reservation isn't set until tomorrow."
"What?"
The clerk nodded, and Dolly and Hop glanced at one another.
"Are there any other open rooms?" Hop asked. "Anything's fine, I just need one for tonight."
The clerk typed something, then bit his lip.
"I'm afraid not, we're booked through the end of the month."
Hop's eyebrows pulled together, and the clerk nodded again.
"I'll call around to see if any other hotels in the area have vacancies."
Hop nodded, and he and Dolly stepped aside as the clerk started dialing.
"Aw, man, this is rubbish," Hop grumbled as he scuffed at the ground with his shoe. "I really wanted to stay in a fancy hotel."
"Yeah I feel like my net worth has gone up by just standing in here," Dolly nodded. "There's billions of nice hotels around Wyndon, though, I'm sure he'll find something. You can always sleep in the lobby, though you won't look very fancy."
"Thanks Dolls," Hop said as he rolled his eyes.
They heard the click of the phone, and they turned back to the clerk.
"Any good news?" Hop asked.
"Unfortunately not," the clerk said. "Everything in Wyndon is booked for the Champion Cup. I can offer you a voucher for cab service if you'd like to stay in Hammerlocke, but I'm afraid that's the closest city with any vacancies."
"Hammerlocke…?" Hop sighed.
"Just stay with me," Dolly said as she turned to him. "There's a couch in the rooms, right?"
The clerk nodded.
"See?" she said. "Yeah, just stay with me, don't go all the way to Hammerlocke."
"I don't want to impose on your space again," Hop sighed. "Plus, Jackson might burn my face off."
"It's not a big deal, I'll tell him to leave you alone," Dolly smiled. "We slept together last night, we can just do it again tonight."
In the corner of her eye, she saw the clerk raise his eyebrows.
"I-I mean… in the tent, you know, together. Next to each other," she coughed.
"I'll call Lee, he might have a room," Hop said. "I'll see if I can stay with him first."
They took a seat on the leather couches on the lobby, and Dolly fiddled with the embroidery on the fancy pillow on the couch as Hop dialed. This pillow probably cost more than her house did.
"Hey Lee, yeah everything's fine," Hop said as he rested his chin on his fist. "Do you have a hotel room at the Rose of the Rondelands? They messed mine up and they're saying my reservation isn't until tomorrow, and there's no rooms left because of the Championship Cup."
Hop's eyes flicked to hers, and he turned away slightly.
"Well, yeah," he muttered. "Hers was fine."
Hop's eyes flicked to hers again, then he stood and walked far enough away to where Dolly had to strain to hear his muffled sentence.
"No, Lee, I can't ask her to do that," he huffed.
She tried to discreetly turn her ear towards him.
"I don't want to be creepy!" he hissed. "Come on, I'll just come get it, I don't care."
He huffed again and turned away as the tips of his ears tinged pink.
"What's that have to do with anything?" he grumbled.
Hop turned slightly, glanced back, and Dolly quickly turned her head. Wow, that curtain sure was interesting. Look at that fabric. Hop turned away again and stepped further away.
"Well… yeah… she did offer…"
Dolly leaned in again as she fumbled with the embroidery. She could barely make out the words that Hop whispered.
"But you know what I told you about last night with the Beartic…" he said softly. "Wh-what if she… what if she… touches me like that again...? And what if... what if I can't stop myself this time...?"
Dolly's eyebrows pulled together.
"I can't just assume that!" Hop huffed. "I'm not some animal. Or some Gym Leader."
She wove her fingers under the braids of the embroidered pillow as she leaned closer.
"She's already stressed, Lee, I don't want her to have to worry about me too."
Hop paused, then huffed again.
"Okay well how do you propose I help a girl relieve tension?"
Hop furrowed his eyebrows. Then, they shot up again as his cheeks flared red. As each second passed, his face grew a deeper shade until he was practically purple.
"L-Lee!" Hop spat. "Stop it! I'm not going to do that! You're not helping!"
Dolly's own throat hurt with how harsh that whisper was.
"I don't care if it's been scientifically proven! Wait, who was that? Was that Sonia?"
Dolly raised her eyebrows. She combed through the now-fraying embroidery of the pillow.
"Who was that? Raihan?!"
The color drained from Hop's face.
"Lee…" he whispered. "…Am I on speaker phone…?"
A moment passed, and Hop slapped his forehead as his cheeks flared red again.
"Stop," Hop groaned. "Stop. Stop it. All of you. Stop. No, Sonia, I don't want your advice on sedu- I don't care if you know what she likes Raihan she said you weren't even good at it! Augh, I can't believe you both heard all of that… Stop. Stop it. Okay I'm hanging up goodbye."
Hop abruptly turned, and a rip echoed through the lobby. Dolly discreetly shoved the torn embroidery between the couch cushions and turned back to him.
"What did he say?"
"Nothing useful," Hop grumbled. He wasn't looking at her, and his face was still beet red. "He's got a room, but he's all the way in Hammerlocke with the key and doesn't even know if he'll be back tonight."
"Just stay with me, then, come on," Dolly said.
"Really, Dolls, I couldn't," Hop sighed. "...I shouldn't."
"It's okay, I want you to."
Hop sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.
"...Fine."
As Dolly and Hop stepped into the lift, she assured herself that everything would be fine. Everything would be completely normal. They were best friends, and it wasn't like anything weird would happen, right?
Right...?