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

Chapter 29 - Ghost Pokémon

"Why'd you do it, Miss Dolly?"

Lacey's eyes were cold, empty, black, just like the space around them. Her wool was matted and gray, and the spot over her heart was oozing with a purple sludge. It gurgled as it dripped, though the bubbles made no noise when they popped. Although Lacey's hooves were set on the ground, the line of poison continued to trail beneath the floor. It blurred the further down it went.

"Why'd you kill me?"

"I didn't mean to," Dolly replied. "It was an accident."

"Why do I feel like this, Miss Dolly?" Lacey asked.

"I'm sorry, please, I'm sorry," Dolly begged as she tried to reach for her old Wooloo. Her voice echoed in her ears, but she couldn't lift her arms, nor move her feet.

"My veins hurt, Miss Dolly."

It was like Dolly was slowly sinking as each second passed. She was slowly sinking just like the line of poison did as it dripped beneath the floor from Lacey's heart.

"Psychic-type isn't effective against Dark-type."

Pip appeared beside Lacey, and her eyes were blank too. The liquid that normally swirled around her was dripping off, leaking onto the ground until the Solosis was only a floating skull. The green liquid started to pool around Dolly's ankles as Pip spoke again.

"Do you know why?"

Dolly couldn't move her arms, so she only shook her head.

"It's because it's hard to think in the dark," Pip said as her voice echoed. "It's hard to think when you're exhausted."

"Pip," Dolly whispered. "I know, I know."

Dolly wanted to reach out to Pip, wanted to scoop up the liquid that was pooling beneath her. As the liquid oozed, bits of her body started to flake off. Pip didn't have a face anymore. There was only a white sphere floating in front of her, with the green liquid dripping off. The white sphere slowly started to flake away.

"I wanted to be just like you."

Dolly's head whipped around. Posey was staring up at her. Half of her ear was torn clean off, and two Sun Stones were lodged in her eye sockets. Her old Eevee's fur was matted too, patched together by a dark red substance.

"But why? Why would I want to be like you? You killed me."

The word echoed in her head as she tried to speak again. Dolly opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was starting to seep into the ground faster and faster. The purple sludge beneath her was like quicksand and was already up to her calves.

"Dolly, help!"

There was Mateo, crumpled on the ground. The crater he was in formed a crack that ran through the floor.

"Dolly, help!"

"Mateo," Dolly said. Her voice cracked, just like the crack in the floor. "Mateo, I'm here, I'm here."

"Dolly, help!"

"P-please Mateo," Dolly cried. "Stop, please, I'm sorry."

"Dolly, help!"

It was like he took air from her lungs to breathe his last breath. Dolly gasped the second the light faded from his eyes.

"You should have listened, Dolly."

There was Sap, with her shell dented and cracked. Something was oozing out of her side, and the Vikavolt's wings weren't fluttering, but floating beside her, torn from her body. It was the rainwater that was pooling beneath her, and it melded into the liquid that was now to Dolly's knees. Thunder cracked, and Sap was only a foot away.

"You never listened to me, Dolly. I kept begging you to stop, begging you to stop killing me, and you didn't listen."

"I know," Dolly whispered. Her fingers trembled as she tried to lift her arms. "I'm sorry, Sap, I'm sorry."

"You barely knew my name."

There was her Noibat. The tears in her wings were laced with scabs and dried blood. Thunder cracked again, and the Noibat was only a foot away.

"I… I know your name," Dolly said desperately. "I know it, I know your name."

Dolly wracked her brain, but nothing came. It was on the tip of her tongue, this Pokémon's name, she knew it. She couldn't close her eyes to focus on what this Noibat's name was.

"You never loved me," the Noibat said. "You never learned my name, and then you killed me."

Thunder cracked again, and Dolly sank to her waist.

"It's your fault, Dolly."

There was Jackson. His face was scorched, and his eye was bruised as he stared down at her.

"Jackson?" Dolly whispered. "B-but you, you haven't-"

"It's your fault. Everyone else left," Jackson said.

"What...?"

"They were scared of what you would do to them after what you did to me."

Her eyes widened as she took in the burns on his face.

"I did that…?" she whispered. Jackson nodded.

"They all ran away before you could kill them too."

"Y-you… you're…"

"I'm dead, Dolly," Jackson said. "I'm dead because of you."

"S-stop, please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Dolly gasped as the tears tumbled down her face. "Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"You have no curse," Jackson said as he set his foot on her head. "You killed us because you wanted to. You're a heartless murderer."

He slowly pushed her lower into the sludge. Her sobs and apologies echoed helplessly, fell brokenly and uselessly to the ground like a dusty scratched record.

"J-Jackson, please, stop, I'm sorry," Dolly whispered. The sludge was up to her throat and was starting to choke her slowly. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's too late for sorry, Dolly. Ask her."

The Pokémon before her evaporated. There was one left, standing in the shadows, standing with her hooves set on either side of the crack in the ground. Her fur was dark and wet from the rain. She was facing away, and Dolly struggled to pull herself up from the ground. She was sinking beneath the floor, and the poison bubbled into her mouth.

Dolly couldn't breathe.

Her hooves made no sound as she turned, the flower on her head withered, the crack rumbled into a fissure, and Dolly screamed as she fell.

She woke with a start, gasping for air.

"Dolls," Hop grumbled. "You okay?"

She struggled to lift herself up as she tried to breathe.

"Hey, hey, you're alright," Hop said softly as he lifted his head. "You're okay Dolls, it was just a dream."

Her heart was pounding as she sat up and whipped her head around.

"Wh-who are you? Where's Jackson? Where is he?" she asked breathlessly.

"It's me, Hop," he said as his eyebrows pulled together. "Jackson is right over there, he's still sleeping on the couch."

Hop sat up too and gestured toward the Cinderace who was snoring on the couch of her hotel room. Her chest was heaving with each breath, and Dolly started to shake. Hop gently brushed his fingers over her shoulder. She crawled to him, he quickly curled his arms around her, and she buried her face in his shirt as the tears started to fall.

"Breathe, Dolls," Hop whispered as he lightly rubbed her back. "In and out, there you go. You're safe, it was just a dream."

Dolly sobbed quietly as the memory of the dead eyes of her Pokémon bored into her again. They flashed behind her eyelids, each and every one of them. Images of the rest of her Pokémon tore into her, too, images of Rosa, of Hudson, even of her old Yamper and Meowstic, images flashed of what they would have looked like if they stood beside the rest.

Rouge wanted to run away the entire time, she ran away, they all ran away. They were all dead.

Dolly lifted her head to look at Jackson. There were no scorch marks on his face, and his eye wasn't bruised. She buried her face in Hop's shirt again as the tears tumbled out. He swayed them gently and combed through her hair as she clutched at him.

"It's all my fault," she whimpered. "I can't do it, I can't do it again, I can't."

"Shh, you're alright," Hop whispered again.

She was crying out incoherent words as her body racked with sobs. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw one of their faces again. She killed them all. They were all dead. She killed them all. Dolly pushed Hop away.

"I have to go," she mumbled as she tried to untangle herself from the covers. "I have to drop out, I have to tell Rose I'm dropping out, I have to find him and Oleana, I have to drop out, I can't do it again, I have to drop out."

Hop leaned forward again, and gently wove his arms around her waist.

"They're sleeping," he said softly. "You can't talk with them right now."

"They're… they're…" she whispered.

They were sleeping, probably because they were tired of dealing with her. They were so exhausted from how much work she put them through. Were they dead too? Did she kill them too?

"C'mere," Hop whispered as he gently tugged on her waist.

Dolly let him curl his arms around her, though she didn't want to close her eyes, for fear of the images that were behind her eyelids. She knew it. She knew she would do it. She knew she would do it again. They were all dead, she killed them all. A heartless murderer.

"I can't do it again," she mumbled as she shook her head. "I can't do it again, I can't, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's okay Dolls, I know."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

After a few minutes, her mumbling finally slowed, until she was sporadically letting out small, choked sobs.

"It was just a dream," Hop whispered again. He trailed his hand up her back and rubbed in slow circles. "You're awake, and you're in your Wyndon hotel room, with me, Hop, and with Jackson, who is sleeping on the couch."

She nodded and coughed out another sob.

"Hop," she whispered through gritted teeth. "They were all staring at me but I couldn't touch them. They told me it was my fault, I killed them all, and that everyone else ran away because they were scared of me. A-and my Noibat… Fay, it's Fay, her name is Fay."

Hop nodded. He pulled her hair off her neck, lifted the sheet, and blotted the lines of sweat and tears that were trailing down her face.

"I couldn't think of her name," Dolly whimpered. "I couldn't remember it, and she said I never loved her. But I did, I do, I do."

"I know, Dolls," Hop whispered.

Dolly tried to speak, but no sound came out. She bolted away again and tore the covers off of her. Her heart was pounding, and the sweat was starting to pool. Hop stood too, and gently curled his pinky around hers.

"I… I have to drop out," Dolly said again as she stared at the door. "I have to drop out. I should have dropped out. Jackson's dead, they're all dead. They all ran away from me and they're all dead."

She motioned towards the door, only for Hop to gently steer her into the bathroom. He flicked on the soft light of the shower and stopped her in front of the counter.

"Look, there you are," Hop said as he pointed at the mirror. He gently held her hand, raised it to his face, and pressed it against his cheek. "And here I am. All of that was all just a dream, and none of it was real."

Dolly stared at her reflection, at Hop's reflection, then she turned to Hop with a furrowed brow. He smiled at her, brought her hand to his lips, and kissed her palm.

"You felt that, right?"

Dolly nodded.

"This is what is real, you're awake now, and you're safe here with me, okay?"

Dolly's breathing was slowing, and she wiped the tears off her face. Hop still had one arm curled around her waist as he turned on the faucet and filled up a cup for her.

"Will you drink this for me?"

Dolly nodded. She took the cup with shaky hands, brought it to her lips, and drank hungrily. She handed it back to Hop, who then refilled it, and handed it back. She quickly drank again, Hop handed her a towel, and she wiped the sweat off her face as she tried to catch her breath.

"How are you feeling?"

"...Better."

"Let's go open the window for some fresh air. Will you come with me?"

Dolly nodded. Hop filled up another cup, flicked off the light, and followed her to the back of the room. Light trickled into the hotel room when Hop pulled open the curtain, and a cool breeze wafted in when he lifted the window. Sounds of the night rain pattered on the stones of the plaza, and the city lights twinkled in the reflective sheen on the ground. The breeze was cool on her face as Dolly sipped at her water again. She set the empty cup on the windowsill.

Thunder cracked, and Dolly gasped.

There was her Vikavolt, only a foot away.

There was her Noibat, only a foot away.

She shook her head, and the images were replaced with the glowing Wyndon lights out the window. When she started to tremble again, just as the rumbling thunder did in the distance, Hop wove his arms around her. She turned from the window and buried her face in his chest. After a few more sniffles, she nodded.

"Thank you," she muttered softly against his shirt. Hop nodded too.

She listened to the soft rain as it tapped against the windowsill. Night noises swam around them from the open window, sounds like car horns, muffled laughter, and the musicians on the street corners. Although the life of night vivaciously bustled outside, Dolly could only muster enough strength to curl her fingers around Hop's shirt.

"Hop…"

"Hm?"

"I… don't think I should battle anymore."

At this, her brow furrowed again, and the tears pricked in her eyes, then trickled down her face.

"I know you're scared, but let's think about how well you've been doing," Hop said. He gently brushed her hair off her neck. "Your Pokémon are strong, stronger than all the other Gym Challengers, and all of the Gym Leaders. You've been training a lot, right?"

Dolly sniffled and nodded her head.

"And if things start looking scary, you've made a plan, right?"

She nodded again.

"Your Pokémon all love you, don't they? Remember how you told me that when we were at dinner with Lee? They all love you just as much as you love them?"

Dolly sniffled again. She lifted her head and Hop cupped her cheek.

"You love yourself, and I love you too, right? And so does Lee, Sonia, your mum, and geez, even my mum loves you," Hop added with a chuckle.

Hop paused, then heaved out a sigh.

"My mum loves you a lot."

"...Yeah…" Dolly said quietly, and the corner of her mouth twitched up.

"See?" Hop smiled. "It was just a dream. Jackson's right there, and the rest of your Pokémon are safe in their Poké Balls. Nothing's going to happen again. You've been taking real good care of yourself lately, and I am so proud of you."

He gently pressed his lips to the top of her head, and Dolly's trembling started to lighten. She rested her head on his chest and let her eyes close. He combed his fingers through her hair, gently trailed them across her forehead, and he lightly brushed his finger down the bridge of her nose.

"I… I don't want to sleep again, Hop," Dolly said as she pulled his hand from her head. She hiccupped again and pushed the tears off her cheek.

"Nope, that's not an option," Hop replied. "You need your sleep, especially after such a stressful day, and before the finals matches tomorrow."

"But… what if I have that dream again?" she said quietly. "I-I can't… I can't face them all again."

"What if we just sit and talk for a little bit?"

"Um… okay."

When he started towards the bed, she grabbed his hand and quickly shook her head.

"We don't have to go to sleep yet," Hop said. "Let's talk in bed for a little bit."

Dolly's gaze flicked from Hop's eyes to the mess of covers on the bed. He wove his fingers around hers, and she followed him to the edge of the mattress. He sat against the headboard, held his arms out for her, and she delicately curled back onto him. He easily curled his arms around her, and Dolly settled herself against him. He combed the hair off her neck, and she carefully ran her fingers over the hem of his shirt. She quickly lifted her head.

"Hop?"

"Yeah?"

"You… you won't leave me, will you? You won't run away from me?"

Hop's eyes softened.

"Never."

"You're not lying?"

"Dolls," Hop sighed. "I could never leave you. Like, ever. Trust me. I'd actually… I'd stay with you the rest of my life, if you wanted me to."

That seemed to satiate her, Dolly nodded, and tucked her head under his chin again.

He was combing through her hair, and Dolly breathed out a hum. Her eyelids fluttered closed, though she could feel Hop hesitantly adjust beneath her. He was trying to quietly squirm lower and lower, and she sat up.

"I… I don't want to lay down. I don't want to sleep again."

Hop sat up too and his eyebrows pulled together.

She gazed out the window at the soft rain that was pattering against the pane. This night was just like the one in Motostoke, how the thunder rumbled in the distance, how guilt panged in her throat, how Hop sat beside her. Dolly bit her lip hard enough to draw blood when she tried to hold back another sob.

"What if," she started. "What if it happens again? What if everyone finds out? What if everyone thinks I'm a monster, and what if they all grab at my hair and throw things at me and spit on me?"

The tears tumbled down.

"All those interviews and rubbish shows about me," she whispered again through gritted teeth. "I can't… I can't go through that again, Hop. If I'm Champion everyone will hate me, they'll all hate me and talk about me and, a-and Leon will hate me and you'll hate me and, a-and-"

She coughed out another sob.

"They're all right, all of them," she said as she hid her face in her hands. "I'm a selfish monster, I'm a murderer, all my Pokémon hate me, I'm-"

"Dolls, look at me."

He gently cupped her face and brushed his thumbs over her cheeks.

"You're not, and they don't hate you. Lee and I could never hate you either. You know that."

She tore her gaze from his and nodded lightly again.

"You're safe here with me. I won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

"...promise?"

"Promise," Hop said and squeezed her shoulders. "If anyone tries to come in, I'll punch 'em."

A small smile broke over her face. Hop grinned and brushed the tears off her cheek.

"There's a smile," he said softly. "How about I tell you a story, then?"

She nodded, and he sat against the headboard and held his arms out.

"Alright, story time. Take your places, people."

Dolly's smile grew, and she curled against him again. Hop gently wove his arms around her and held her head to his chest as he leaned back. Dolly let out a deep sigh.

"Any requests from the audience?"

Dolly sniffled again and nestled into his warmth.

"Can it have a Tyranitar in it?"

"Sure. What should the Tyranitar's name be?"

"...Jerry."

Her giggle was congested and Hop playfully shook his head as he offered her a tissue from the nightstand.

"I can't believe you just said that," Hop said. "Fine. Jerry. Anything else?"

"Nope."

"Should Jerry the Tyranitar have a friend?"

"Um… yes. A Foongus."

"What is the Foongus' name?" Hop asked.

"Foongus."

Hop sighed, and Dolly grinned as she nestled closer.

"Alright," he said. "So we've got Jerry the Tyranitar and Foongus the Foongus."

"Yep."

Dolly giggled again and Hop rolled his eyes.

"Great, okay," Hop started. "Once upon a time, there was a Tyranitar named Jerry and a Foongus named Foongus."

Dolly snorted.

"Excuse me, can you quiet down? I'm trying to tell a story."

"Sorry," Dolly said as she bit back another laugh.

Hop pointedly cleared his throat.

"One day, Jerry the Tyranitar went to visit Foongus the Foongus because Foongus the Foongus happened to be a lawyer. Jerry the Tyranitar said, 'Foongus the Foongus, I need a name change because Jerry is a stupid name.'"

"No!" Dolly called as she lifted her head. "You can't change his name!"

"The characters write themselves Dolls, I have nothing to do with it."

"Yeah right," she laughed as she nestled against him again. "This story sucks."

Hop's jaw dropped, and it hit the top of her head.

"How dare you," Hop scoffed. "Fine, what kind of story should I tell, then?"

Dolly rubbed the hem of his shirt between her fingers as she thought over his question. She sniffled again.

"Tell me something about you," she said quietly. "Something that I don't know."

"About me?" Hop repeated. She nodded. "Okay, well, um…"

Hop hummed as he glanced to the ceiling.

"You're my best mate," he said.

"I already knew that," Dolly replied as she rolled her eyes.

"Right, yes. Something else then…"

Dolly yawned and fiddled with the fabric of his shirt.

"I love your laugh."

A faint blush crept up onto her cheeks, and she hid her face in his shirt again.

"Not about me," she mumbled.

"Oh, right. My apologies, you weren't very specific."

Dolly rolled her eyes again.

"I've always kind of wanted a Cubone," Hop said. "I think they're cute."

"Hm, I didn't know that," Dolly hummed as her eyes closed. "What else?"

"I think you're cuter than a Cubone."

"Hop," Dolly mumbled again as her blush deepened. His laugh rumbled against her ear.

"Right right, sorry. So, I didn't tell you this, but…" Hop started. He swiveled his head around suspiciously, and Dolly glanced up at him. "You know that group of mums that wanted a picture with me after the semifinals?"

"Yeah?"

"One of them pinched my butt."

Dolly gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth.

"Really hard, too."

"Hop!" Dolly exclaimed. "That's terrible! What did she look like? If I see her I swear I'll-"

"I kinda liked it."

Dolly froze, then when Hop grinned, she pursed her lips to hold back a smile as she shoved his arm.

"Ugh, ew, Hop! You twit, I was actually worried about you for a second! I was just thinking about how I would punch some lady for you!"

"Aw, you'd punch a middle-aged woman for me?"

Dolly rolled her eyes.

"You were going to protect my dignity," Hop whimpered, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Why are you like this," Dolly sighed as Hop cackled again.

They lay there for a while, and their breathing started to slow. The night breeze was still quiet in the room, and it gently whispered through their hair. Dolly's eyes started to feel heavy, and she yawned again.

"What else?" she asked.

Hop hummed, and gently rubbed her back.

"I've learned a lot from the Gym Challenge."

Her eyebrows pulled together, though her breathing was starting to slow.

"Like what?"

"Like how much work it takes to be a strong Trainer, how important it is to take care of myself when I'm traveling, and I've been reminded of how important my friends are to me," he said with a soft smile. He combed through her hair, and she hummed.

Hop gently turned, and carefully lowered her onto their pillows. He trailed his fingers over her forehead, down the bridge of her nose, then through her hair again. She faded in and out as her consciousness slipped. Hop sat up to adjust the covers over them, and Dolly's eyes stayed closed a little longer each time she blinked.

"Are you feeling better?" Hop asked softly. She nodded.

"It was just a dream," she said through a yawn. "It was just a dream and I'm strong and I've made a plan and I'll win tomorrow."

"That's what I like to hear," Hop grinned as he held her closer.

Dolly yawned again, though she couldn't force her eyes open.

"Hop?" she said softly.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, love."

Her eyebrows pulled together, though the black of sleep was starting to swirl behind her eyelids.

"What'd you say?"

"I said you're welcome."

"You're welcome for what?" she asked as she groggily curled her arm around him.

"Nothing, Dolls," Hop chuckled. "Goodnight."

"G'night," Dolly yawned.

He gently kissed her forehead and breathed out another sigh as the night sounds of Wyndon softly drifted over them, just as the fog of sleep did.

"Dolly, it's time to get up."

The warm fog of morning was blanketed over Dolly, and she fully intended to snuggle with it as long as she could.

"Five more minutes…" she hummed. She pulled the warmth closer to her, and nuzzled her face into the thick, plush blanket. Her consciousness wavered in and out as she heaved out a contented sigh.

"Ugh, you're so annoying in the morning."

The warm fog of morning was getting a little hot, though. Sweat started to prick on her brow as Dolly shifted. Hm... yeah it was getting pretty hot. Was this a heated blanket? What setting was it even on? She couldn't remember plugging anything in last night...

At that thought, her heated blanket's temperature amped up, and when Dolly opened her eyes, the curtains rustled, and the bright morning light stabbed straight into her eye sockets. With a groan she turned away from the light, though her blanket wasn't coming with her. Instead, two tall, white ears perked up.

"Jackson?" she grumbled. "Give me my blanket, just five more minutes."

"You're talking to your blanket."

Dolly curled her arms around her Cinderace and tried to lay his warm fur over her. She held him tighter as he squirmed.

"Sto-op," he whined. "Let go-o."

"Why can't you sleep next to my head like you used to? You were so cute when you were a little Scorbunny."

"Because you're annoying and grabby!" he huffed as he pulled her arms off of him again. "I can hardly breathe half the time."

"Come now, Dolly, it's time to get up," Rosa clapped from the window. "I've got your things ready for you."

Dolly released Jackson from her grip and he bolted back, panting melodramatically. She curled into a ball and closed her eyes again. Just five more minutes. Only when Jackson tugged her pillow out from under her did she finally, and reluctantly, sit up. She motioned to pat Hop on the head to wake him up, only to pat an empty pillow. Her eyebrows pulled together.

"Hop said he'd be right back," Ophelia explained from the armchair beside the desk. "He wanted to tell you himself, but you were sleeping pretty soundly."

"Sleeping soundly?" Jackson scoffed. "That makes her sound like a little Litten or a cute baby, she was dead to the world! Hop woke me up, and then he had to toss a few of us out of our Poké Balls because he was worried you'd freak out when he wasn't here!"

"Oh, he was so very gentle with you," Rosa swooned. She hopped up onto the bed with a hairbrush and started to comb through Dolly's hair. "He held you so tenderly, and oh, the way he gazed at you, my Dolly, it nearly made me cry."

"He's literally just taking a shower," Jackson grumbled. "Kept saying things like 'make sure she gets up on time if I'm not out,' 'there's some ice for her ankle in the fridge,' and 'I've plugged her phone in under the desk,' like we didn't know what we were doing. Had to close the door in his face before he would shut up."

"I have to agree with Jackson," Ophelia smiled. "I think he wanted to wake up with you."

Dolly bit back a smile as warmth spread over her cheeks.

"I should probably thank him," she said quietly. "He's been so sweet lately."

"Thank him?! What about thanking me?!" Jackson scoffed. "I'm the one that had to endure you suffocating me!"

Dolly grinned and wrapped her arms around Jackson. She flopped back onto the bed with a giggle as he whined again.

"You're right, thank you, Jackson. How's my morning breath?"

"You're a garbage pile!"

He squirmed out from her grip with another huff, stuck his tongue out at her, and returned to his Poké Ball.

"He doesn't really mind it," Ophelia said with a soft laugh. "He snuggled with you the second you reached out to him. And honestly, I think he really likes Hop, despite what he says."

"It's true," Rosa hummed. "Why, he was telling us just last night in the park how much affection he has for the two of you."

The muffled sound of a shower curtain sliding on its rings came from behind the bathroom door.

"I think that's our cue, Rosa," Ophelia said. "We'll give you two some time."

"Oh, we don't, we-we're not-" Dolly stuttered, only to stutter to open air as her Pokémon flashed into their Poké Balls.

She slumped against the headboard and huffed the hair out of her face. The room was quiet, now without her three Pokémon talking with her, or the familiar white noise of Jackson's snoring. The silence was broken by a creak, and Dolly glanced up.

Hop peeked his head out the door, and a smile quickly spread over his face when he met her gaze. A light blush crept onto her cheeks because of that goofy smile, and she hugged the covers closer to her.

"Morning," she said quietly.

"Good morning," he said, still with that smile on his face.

Why'd he have to look at her like that? Why'd he have to smile at her like that? So sweet and sunshiny and soft, it made her stomach tie around itself in little knots. It was too early for this.

"How're you feeling?" he asked. "Any more bad dreams?"

She shook her head.

"Good," he said softly as he rested his cheek against the door jam. He hadn't broken his gaze yet, and Dolly tucked the covers up around her again.

"Why're you just standing there?" she asked.

"I can't come out yet."

"How come?"

"I'm not wearing any clothes."

"Hop!" Dolly yelped. "Why not?!"

"Forgot 'em."

She slapped her forehead, though she couldn't stop the laugh that escaped.

"Didn't realize you used all the towels last night either. So, uh," Hop started, though that goofy grin was still easily plastered over his face. "If you wouldn't mind tossing me that one on the ground there, that'd be swell."

Dolly flopped backwards with a groan and rolled off the bed. She put her hand over her eyes, just enough to fuzzily see through the slit between her fingers so she didn't run into anything. She grabbed the towel, motioned to toss it, only to whip it at him when he waggled his eyebrows. He flinched back with a squeal.

"Careful, I'm tender!" Hop yelped.

"You're such a twit," Dolly said, though her scolding wasn't as effective when it was laced with a laugh.

Hop snickered, snagged the towel, and scuttled back into the bathroom. Dolly rolled her eyes, only to pause when she noticed the crack in the door. That decision-making part of her brain certainly short-circuited, because it took Dolly a solid five seconds before jolting into focus. What was she doing?! Peeping like that, what was she, some pervert? Yeesh, Dolly, get it together… She was then grateful none of her Pokémon were out to witness that.

Creaking echoed into the room when Dolly flopped onto the bed again and shoved a pillow on top of her head with a groan. She could see why Hop did this before. She heard him shuffle back out, chuckle, dig around in his bag, shuffle back to the bathroom, then quickly step back out and slip under the covers with her.

She peeked her eyes open to see that Hop had also shuffled under her pillow with her and was now an inch away from her nose.

"Hi."

"Hop," Dolly sighed, though, again, she couldn't fight back her own smile when he still had that stupid grin on his face. "It's too early for this."

Hop chuckled and lifted the pillow from their heads. He was still much too close, especially with how he was smiling like that.

"Perfect time for snuggling though, wouldn't you say?" he said as he easily wrapped his arms around her. He hummed a deep sigh.

"What is with you this morning?" she asked. She didn't mind much, though - he smelled nice from his shower.

"I'm just… happy," he said. "It's been nice to spend so much time with you, and I'm glad you're feeling better."

"What did I do to deserve you?" she asked quietly.

As she thought over that question in her mind, Dolly's eyebrows pulled together as another question brushed through.

Could she be…?

It was… hard to tell. You'd always be affectionate towards someone who you just snuggled with all night the past two nights, right?

Dolly didn't delve into that much deeper, as suddenly her phone started vibrating on the desk. She had to pull Hop's arms off of her, since it didn't seem like he had any intention of letting go, even with her phone buzzing madly like that. She crawled to the edge of the bed and plucked her phone from the desk.

"Hi Sonia," Dolly said as she crossed her legs under her. "What's up?"

"Hey Dolly!" came Sonia's tinny voice over the phone. "Excited for the finals today?"

"Yeah, absolutely," Dolly said with a grin.

"Great! I won't be able to make it in person, but I wanted to say good luck! I know you'll do great."

"Thanks Sonia, I appreciate it," Dolly said with a nod. A pregnant pause lulled over the phone. Was that it? Was she supposed to say something else?

"And also… how was your night last night…?"

Dolly pursed her lips.

"Uh, fine?" she said. What did that matter? Was she supposed to ask Sonia in return? She didn't really care what Sonia did last night, but she also didn't want to be rude. "...How was yours…?"

"So, just between us girls," Sonia said. Oh good, so it didn't matter that Dolly didn't care about Sonia's evening. "I heard you were stressed. Did someone help you... relieve some tension? If you know what I mean...?"

Did Sonia know about that nightmare? But, how would she have known? Did Hop tell her? He wouldn't have done that…

"Yeah," Dolly said as she picked around her nail. "I guess Hop did."

There was another pause, and Sonia seemed a little breathless when she replied.

"...he actually did it...?"

"Yeah, he knew just what I needed," Dolly said with a small smile. "He was really good at it, too. He was really, um, really gentle..."

She heard coughing, something smash to the floor, then a few choice words.

"Sonia? Are you okay?"

"Holy shit I need to text Leon," Sonia muttered. "We will be talking about this more later, okay?"

"Uh, okay?"

"Bye Dolly!"

"Bye…?"

The phone clicked.

That was odd.

"What'd she want?" Hop asked.

"First she told me good luck in the finals," Dolly explained as she laid beside him again. "Then she asked if you helped me relieve tension? Not sure what that was all about, though. I told her you did, since you really did help me feel better last night."

And for the first time that morning, Hop's smile fell.

"You didn't tell her about that dream, did you?" Dolly asked.

Hop looked a bit like a Hoothoot with how big his eyes were as he slowly shook his head. What expression was on his face now? Terror?

"Wonder what she meant, then," Dolly said with a shrug.

"I need to make a call," Hop said breathlessly.

Hop stepped out of the room, though she vaguely heard him frantically whispering something outside the door. She heard bits of 'Lee' and 'we didn't' and 'tell Sonia to bugger off,' but Dolly couldn't hear the rest when she stepped into the bathroom to change. Wonder what that was about. She packed up for the day, though Hop wasn't meeting her eye, and it seemed his cheeks were a little pinker than was usual. She shrugged it off in favor of thinking about the finals soon to come.

The matches would be tournament-style, so Dolly had been formulating a plan of attack for each potential opponent. Dolly mulled over her strategies as she and Hop stepped into the lift. Hop leaned against the corner, and Dolly picked around her fingers as she stared at the floor.

Although that dream occasionally flashed across her eyelids, Dolly reminded herself that Rosa, Ophelia, and Jackson all looked normal that morning, and they were all acting normal. Well, as normal as was for them, anyway. And what Hop said was right - she had calculated and prepared for any potential issues if any battle went a bit too far.

The lift stopped every few floors as people got in and out, and a few people offered Dolly good luck if they recognized her. They were still a few floors from the lobby when a man walked in. Even though he stopped walking when he saw them, his pungent aroma continued wafting towards them. He took another step forward and stood close enough for her nerves to tingle at his proximity. Did he… want her to move over? It was just the three of them in the lift, though. He brushed her arm with his.

"Oh, sorry," Dolly said with a small smile. She shuffled closer to the wall.

"Oi, aren't you Challenger Dolly?" the man said.

She nodded.

"You're even prettier in person," the man said through a yellowed grin.

Dolly nodded again and shifted her gaze to the floor. She could feel Hop tense from beside her.

"An' what a pretty smile," the man said. "I'm sure lots of boys like your smile."

She bit her lip and watched her shoes.

"C'mon, smile," the man chuckled. "Won't you smile for me, doll?"

"I, um..." Dolly stuttered.

"How 'bout a hug, too," he said as he took a step closer and held his arms up. "You're my favorite little Challenger, after all."

"Oh, I'm um, I'm not comfortable with that, actually," Dolly said quietly as she stepped closer to Hop.

"Come on, just a little hug?" the man pressed. "You wouldn't want to disappoint your fans, would you?"

"Do you have ears, mate?" Hop said suddenly. "She said no."

"This doesn't concern yo-"

"Back off," Hop barked as he clenched his fists. "You're obviously making her uncomfortable. There's plenty of room in this lift, you don't need to stand so close."

"Alright alright, yeesh," the man muttered. "Probably sleeping her way to the top anyway, the little slu-"

Hop motioned to grip his hands around the man's collar, only to pause when Dolly held her hand out.

"I'm sure you're aware," Dolly said calmly. "That you are speaking to the strongest Trainer in Galar. Someone who has trained an elite team of Pokémon, whose strength is well beyond what I'm sure you have ever seen. So, the second that door opens, you are going to get off this lift and take your yellow teeth, your receding hairline, and your control issues somewhere else, before I let them listen to the end of that sentence."

Without another word, the lift door opened, and the man shuffled out. It only took a second before Hop turned to Dolly and pumped his fists.

"That was brilliant!" Hop enthused as a huge grin spread over his face.

Dolly smiled too and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Really?" Dolly asked. "Was that too much?"

"No way!" Hop said as he gave her a high five. "See I just wanted to punch him, but you didn't have to! You just stood there all calm and in charge and he didn't even know what hit him! Real ace, Dolls, you've grown so much."

Dolly breathed out a laugh.

"Thanks Hop," she said bashfully as she scuffed at the ground again.

"Absolutely brilliant," Hop said again as he leaned against the wall with a decisive nod. "That was really sexy, I love seeing that confidence in you still, and you really are feeling better. I'm so proud of you."

A smile broke over her face and she nodded. She was the strongest Trainer, and she had every intention of annihilating Leon without losing a single Pokémon. She didn't need to listen to some creep. Yeah, she would be fine in the Champion Cup. She was confident, and she was sexy, just like Hop said.

...Wait.

"Did..." Dolly started. Hop turned to her with an eyebrow raised. "Did you just call me… sexy?"

For the second time that morning, Hop's eyes were quite Hoothoot-like.

"I... said that out loud?" he coughed.

She nodded as Hop pulled at his collar and cleared his throat.

"W-well I just, uh, I just meant like, uh, look, here's our stop!" he squeaked as he quickly stepped around her and into the lobby.

A cheeky grin inched onto her face as she followed him out. She motioned to press the issue, only until a League staff member approached them.

"The finals will be starting shortly, Challenger Dolly," the staff member said. "I'm here to escort you to the stadium."

Dolly beamed up at Hop again.

"This is it!"

They followed the League staff through the city, and Dolly offered waves to the crowds that were forming on the streets. She could hardly contain her smile the closer they got to Wyndon Stadium. Its large pink walls rose high into the air, and its magnanimity highlighted the grand city beyond it. The League staff dropped her off at the front doors, and Dolly hesitantly turned back to Hop. Perhaps it was just the adrenaline pumping, or perhaps she just wanted to see that look on his face again, but Dolly figured that she had batted her eyelashes only once before, and it seemed another good time to try.

"Wish me luck?" Dolly asked cautiously.

Hop raised his eyebrows as a smirk formed on his face.

"Awfully confident today, are we?" he said as he breathed out a laugh. "I was really hoping you would forget about that."

Dolly bit back a grin, and Hop rolled his eyes. He leaned in, and gently pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Good luck, love," Hop whispered as he looked into her eyes. "I'm rooting for you."

Dolly's smile grew, and she took a step back.

"I'll see you again when I'm the Champion!" she replied. She turned, opened the doors to Wyndon Stadium, and stopped in her tracks.

What did he call her?

Dolly whipped back around, pushed through the crowd, rushed out the double doors, but the spot where Hop was standing was already filled with new people.

She furrowed her brow. Perhaps she misheard… Dolly turned back into the stadium and shook the thought out of her head. It was not the time to be distracted. She was so close to the championship, so close to proving her strength, and so close to breaking the Curse. She could taste the anticipation in the air. It buzzed like electricity and made the hair on her neck stand on end.

It was almost time.