A/N: This chapter quickly wound up becoming more than twice as long as the previous one. Whoops. That "four more chapters" estimate I gave last time is definitely gonna get bumped up to at least five. I don't have anything to say in my defense except that Hop and Leon are so much fun to write.

Enjoy!

As it turns out, there are a lot of preparations that need to be made for the trip. Hop volunteers to help with the planning, but after Mum and Lee have gone back and forth on what airline they're going to fly with for the third time, Hop realizes that the process of preparing for a trip like this is far more complicated – and boring – than he imagined.

Mum suggests that Hop research things to do after they've arrived in Unova – the Pokémon World Tournament is just south of a place called Driftveil City, and it's jam-packed with tourist attractions and other fascinating sights. Hop takes up his new task with aplomb, researching all he can about Driftveil City and the Pokémon that can be found in the area. He comes up with pages and pages of fun stuff that he and Lee can do together. But when Mum sees his list, she reminds him that they're only going to be there for four days, and they'll be spending most of that time at the tournament. So Hop reluctantly narrows down his to-do list to only a couple of things.

Even with the task of setting up the itinerary to occupy his time, the two weeks to their departure pass by at an agonizingly slow pace. At least Lee's calling Mum frequently to hash out logistics, so Hop gets to talk to him a lot more often. He makes a comment to Lee that he should call this often all the time, not just when they're planning something special. Lee just laughs.

A couple of days before they're set to leave, Mum informs Hop that they're going up to meet Lee at the airport instead of Lee coming down to pick him up. He knows, logically, that it's the most practical option; they're flying out of Wyndon, so it doesn't make sense for Lee to come all the way down to Postwick when he's already in Wyndon. Still, he feels a little sting of disappointment all the same.

"We were gonna have a race, Mum," Hop whines.

"I know, sweetie," Mum says, ruffling Hop's hair. "But Leon's still going to bring you back here so you guys can tell me all about your trip in person. So you can race on your way home, alright?"

"Okay…"

The night before their departure finds Hop sprawled out on his bed, fantasizing about the trip. He's never been on a plane before, and Mum says it's a lot different than riding a Flying Taxi. His mind is filled with countless scenarios about what he'll say to Lee when he sees him at the airport, what it'll be like seeing the world from the height of a plane, what the first new Pokémon they'll encounter will be, and all kinds of things that make his heart race with excitement. He doesn't think he'll be able to sleep a wink.

But eventually, he does fall asleep, because the next thing he knows Mum is shaking him awake and asking him to double-check that he packed everything because they need to make sure they're not late getting to the plane and it turns out Hop did forget a few things like his toothbrush and toothpaste and Wooloo's brush and he's cramming everything into his belongings wherever he can find room and there's not even any time to grab breakfast before Mum is rushing him out the door.

Hop's finally able to take a breather once they've gotten on the train to Wyndon. He watches out the window as the idyllic country scenery flashes by; he wonders what the scenery will look like in Unova. From what he read, it seems like Driftveil is more of a bustling city like Motostoke or Wyndon than a pastoral town like Postwick or Wedgehurst. He can't wait to explore it with his big brother.

Mum takes advantage of the fact that Hop's stuck at her side for two hours straight by drilling him on the safety rules that he needs to follow on the trip. Some of them are the usual stuff like "don't go anywhere with strangers" and "tell a trusted adult if you feel unsafe", but there are also specific rules for this trip: don't go anywhere alone without Wooloo, don't go anywhere after dark without Lee, stay in the reserved box during tournament matches, always listen to what Lee says. Hop thinks that last one will be the easiest to follow because he already listens to Lee all the time, but Mum clarifies that she's talking about things like "if Leon says it's time for bed, it's time for bed." Suddenly, that rule seems a lot more annoying.

To make up for the tedious safety lesson, Mum buys pancakes from the train's café car for breakfast. Hop wishes she had picked literally anything else – his homemade pancakes were much better. These pancakes taste rubbery and bland and are practically cold, like they've been sitting out for hours. Still, food is food, and Hop scarfs down the pancakes without complaint.

Finally, they arrive in Wyndon. It's not uncommon for people to take the train to Wyndon and then to the airport, hence why one of the monorail lines is devoted to that purpose. They transfer to the monorail, and Hop bounces eagerly in his seat for the whole ride.

"Where is he? Where is he?" Hop demands as soon as they get into the airport, whipping his head back and forth as he scans the crowd of people around them.

"Patience, Hop," Mum chuckles. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"What if he got lost on his way to the airport? We should go look for him. I know the way to his flat from here!"

"That's great!" Mum says. "But I think we should wait a little bit longer before we start putting together a search party."

Hop pouts. He's been waiting for this day for two whole weeks – he thinks he'll die if he has to wait another second longer for Lee to show up.

"Hop! Mum!"

Hop knows that voice.

"Lee!" he shrieks, whirling around in the direction of the voice. His brother is jogging towards them from the other side of the terminal, Charizard following a few feet behind. But Hop has never been one to sit back and let Lee do all the work. He sprints across the terminal and meets Lee halfway, leaping into his arms for a hug.

Lee gives the best hugs – strong and sturdy, holding Hop tight like nothing will ever be able to rip him away. When he laughs, the vibrations in his chest tickle Hop like a mug of hot cocoa on a chilly day. And the one benefit of having a brother who's so much taller than him is that Hop can wrap his arms and legs around Lee like a Komala, and Lee's barely bothered by it at all.

However, murmuring and camera shutters suddenly remind Hop that they're in a public place, and his brother is the Champion. Even without his Champion uniform on – he's just wearing casual clothes for the plane ride – Lee's long purple hair and signature Pokémon are instantly recognizable. Of course people are taking notice of them. Suddenly self-conscious, Hop squirms out of his brother's arms and drops back to the ground. He's twelve now; he's getting too old for hugs. The last things he needs is his childish love for his brother's hugs broadcast for everyone in Galar to see.

Mum's caught up to them by now, so Lee greets her with a hug while Hop says hi to Charizard. Lee's been making Charizard lug around his suitcases, and he probably had to guide Lee to the airport too – Charizard deserves some head rubs and treats for that. But Hop's fresh out of treats, so head rubs will have to do.

When Hop turns back to Lee and Mum, he finds with a smug sense of satisfaction that she's drilling him on the safety rules now. Then, she brings both him and Hop in for goodbye hugs and kisses. It's thoroughly embarrassing, in Hop's opinion. But when Mum finally lets them go, Lee doesn't seem bothered by it at all; he just flashes his Champion smile to the crowd and waves as Mum heads back to the monorail.

Lee turns to Hop. "Ready to have a champion time in the Unova region?"

"You bet!" Hop exclaims, pumping both his fists. "Unova region, here we come!"

Hop's first plane ride is not nearly as exciting as he thought it would be.

It's thrilling at first, being pushed back into his seat as the plane accelerates, feeling the little jolt when the wheels finally pull off the ground, watching the skyscrapers of Wyndon slowly get smaller and smaller as they get higher into the air. But then they're up in the clouds, over the ocean, and Hop quickly realizes that there's nothing more to see; not even Flying-type Pokémon can get this high. He understands now why Mum had suggested he bring lots of books to read on the flight.

The flight is long – Hop doesn't know how many hours it's been since they took off. He's been through two books already and is halfway through a third. With how full he is from the meal they served earlier, Hop's having difficulty holding his head up, but he doesn't want to fall asleep – the hero is exploring the cave that holds the legendary sword, and Hop wants to see what happens when he finds it! But, maybe it won't hurt to rest his head on Lee's arm. Just for a bit. He can keep reading in that position…

"Psst, Hop."

Hop jolts awake with a start. He blinks rapidly and looks at his brother, who gestures towards the window. He presses his face to the glass and gasps, feeling his residual sleepiness slip away like a blanket sliding off his shoulders.

A big city sprawls out beneath them, filled with tons of tall buildings covered in emerald-colored glass. People and Pokémon the size of toothpicks bustle about the streets. There's a large drawbridge leading into the city, and a big port filled with ships leading up to it. There are two huge buildings that look like they could be stadiums – a big blue dome next to the port and a large diamond-shaped building on the opposite end of the city. A bunch of houses with flat orange roofs are crowded by the shore, and further inland stands a large open-air pavilion that seems to be receiving a lot of foot traffic.

Lee squeezes his face next to Hop's on the glass. "See that?" He points to the blue dome. "That's the Pokémon World Tournament. Make sure you memorize where it is, 'cuz I'm counting on you to get us there," he says, giving his brother a playful nudge.

Hop grins and points to the other stadium. "Is that the Gym, then?"

"Might be. Could also be that big building on the hill."

The building Lee is pointing out is indeed big for a house – calling it a mansion would be more accurate. "But it's way too small to be a stadium," Hop says.

"Well, Gyms in other regions look a little different from the ones we have in Galar. They're not big spectator events, so they don't need room for thousands of fans to watch the match."

"Whoa… That's weird."

"Galarian culture's sure unique in how much we value Pokémon battling," Lee says, sitting back in his seat and folding his arms. "That was one of the first things I discovered leaving the region for the first time. Other regions have plenty of strong Trainers, sure…but it's just not a big honor to take on the Gym Challenge or be part of the League. It's different."

"Yeah! I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up in a place where they don't love Pokémon battles like we do."

"I'm sure you'd find some other passion. Maybe you'd dream of being a professor." He nudges the books spilling out of Hop's backpack on the floor. "You sure read enough for it."

"Nah," Hop declares, folding his hands behind his head and leaning back in his seat. "You'd still be the unbeatable Champion, and I'd still be the first one to beat you. That won't change no matter what region we live in."

Lee laughs. "I bet you're right."

Once they deboard the plane, Hop takes the lead guiding them to the baggage claim carousel to pick up their luggage. Even with all the signs around pointing them in the right direction, Lee still wouldn't have been able to get there without Hop's help.

Hop finds himself yawning as they wait for the luggage to be loaded onto the belt. He still feels sleepy, which is weird considering how bright it is outside. Maybe it's just the lack of sleep from last night catching up to him, but he finds himself actually considering the possibility of taking a nap. The only thing that stops him is the fact that he's in the middle of a crowded airport, which isn't the ideal location for napping.

Evidently, he's so out of it that he doesn't even notice that the luggage has been loaded onto the carousel until Lee is putting Hop's suitcase at his feet and going back to grab his own. Lee puts his own suitcase beside Hop's and says something that Hop belatedly realizes is a question addressed to him.

"Huh?"

"I said, you just brought the one suitcase, right?" Lee repeats.

Hop blinks, waiting for his brain to process the words. It takes longer than it should. "Um, right."

Lee chuckles. "Jet lag hitting hard, huh?"

"Jet lag?" The words should have meaning to Hop, but he can't parse it out. It sounds like a pretty accurate description of how he's feeling, though.

"Unova's time zone is six hours behind us. It's only four o'clock here, but to your body it feels like it's ten," Lee explains. "Your internal body clock's all messed up. Might take you a couple days to adjust, but you'll get used to it."

"It's not affecting you…"

"Well, I travel around a lot. My body's a little more accustomed to time zone changes." Lee lowers his voice. "Plus, don't tell Mum, but I haven't been keeping a great sleep schedule lately. Can't throw my internal body clock out of sync if my internal body clock was never synced up to begin with."

Hop gives Lee his best disapproving glare. "Lee. You need to sleep. That's bad for you."

Lee snickers, and Hop's frown deepens. What did he say that was so funny? "Whatever you say, Hopscotch," he says, ruffling Hop's hair.

Hop swats his hand away. "Stop calling me that." The nickname was cute when he was a little kid, but he's not a little kid anymore. But Lee keeps using it no matter how many times Hop asks him to stop. Even Hop's awesome brother isn't immune to the sibling instinct to be as annoying as possible.

(The nickname's started to grow on Hop, but he'll never admit that out loud.)

"Now, the first thing we need to do from here is check in at the hotel," Lee says, keeping one eye on the luggage carousel and one eye on Hop. "Once we've dropped off all our stuff, we'll be heading to the PWT for the opening ceremony. We can grab a bite to eat once we're there, and the ceremony'll wrap up around eight-thirty or nine. That's about…" Lee checks his phone. "Five hours from now. Think you can stay awake that long?" Hop rubs his eyes. "It's alright if you can't. You can stay at the hotel and take a nap instead. Opening ceremonies are just a bunch of pomp and circumstance, so you're not missing much."

"No way! I wanna see it!" Hop cries. There's no way he's gonna spend his first day in Unova sleeping in a hotel room! He slaps his cheeks and shakes the sleepiness out of his limbs, much the same way his brother pumps himself up before matches. Then, he gives Lee a cheeky grin. "Plus, somebody's gotta make sure you don't get lost on the way!"

Lee laughs and shakes his head. "Where would I be without you, Hop?"

"By now? Halfway across Kalos."

By the time Lee's second suitcase finally comes around the carousel, Hop is getting jittery. He's already seen a ton of new Pokémon through the big glass windows and he can't wait to get outside and meet them. But beyond the Pokémon, he's barely gotten to see any of Unova – that needs to change as quickly as possible! He bounces on the balls of his feet; why's it taking so long just for Lee to get his suitcases ready to roll? Hop just wants to go, go, go already!

"Right," Lee finally says, "ready to–"

"Race ya!" Hop shouts, grabbing his suitcase and dashing into the crowd.

"Hop! Wait!"

Hop laughs and weaves through the strangers, suitcase bouncing along behind him. The airport's large enough and the crowd scattered enough that he can sprint through it at close to top speed, letting him burn off some of that nervous energy. He doesn't slow down until he reaches a set of stairs and escalators; with his suitcase, he can't run up these, and it would be rude to push past people on the escalator.

A hand clasps his upper arm firmly. Hop tries to pull away on instinct before turning around, and his stomach drops to somewhere around his feet. It's Lee, and he doesn't look happy. His lips are pressed into a firm line, his eyebrows are furrowed, and there's not a trace of mirth in his eyes.

"Hop," he says, and that one word is enough to make Hop want to curl up into a little ball and hide. "What did Mum say about running off into crowds?"

"Don't do it," Hop mumbles.

"And do you know why you shouldn't do it?"

"'Cuz if I run off, then you'll get lost."

Lee's intense glare gives way to confusion for a brief second before coming back in full force. "Exactly. And the last thing either of us needs is getting lost in a new city. Don't do that again, Hop. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good," Lee says, his expression relaxing into an easy smile. He lets go of Hop's arm and pulls him into a hug. "Lost sight of you in the crowd for a minute. Had me worried."

"Sorry, Lee," Hop says, hugging his brother tight.

As they grab their suitcases and get on the escalator, Lee mutters under his breath, "For the record, that is not the way Mum told that rule to me."

Walking through Driftveil City is almost surreal. Sometimes, as they walk past a row of brick warehouses, it feels familiar, like they're just walking through Motostoke on their way to the stadium. Then they emerge onto a street filled with towering buildings covered in green glass, a flock of Pidove flies overhead, and Hop remembers that they're actually in a completely different city thousands of miles away.

He does his best to stick by Lee's side on the way to the hotel, but he can't help occasionally darting ahead to look at something new that catches his eye. First it's a street vendor selling precious stones that were supposedly mined in Driftveil. Then it's a Trainer with an adorable Lillipup, a Pokémon that can be found on the Isle of Armor in Galar but that Hop has never seen in person. Then, it's a wild Pokémon that Hop doesn't recognize at all – it has long, skinny legs and fur the color of autumn leaves – so he drops his suitcase to chase after it. However, he always makes sure to jog back to Lee's side before Lee takes a wrong turn and gets himself lost. By the time they reach the hotel, Lee has ended up dragging both his and Hop's suitcases behind him while Hop waves at him from the front door and calls for him to catch up.

While Lee checks in at the front desk, Hop explores the hotel lobby. He's immediately drawn to a table in the center that has a giant piece of emerald ore sitting on top; it's cool to the touch. He remembers reading about a mine on the north side of the city managed by the Gym Leader here, and he wonders if this emerald was dug up from that mine. Next, he finds the breakfast room that connects to the lobby – it's dark right now, obviously, but he can make out a few tables and booths and what looks like a bar inside. A sign on the podium blocking the entrance informs him that the breakfast room is open from six to nine AM. Finally, he races over to one of the plush orange couches littered around the lobby and leaps onto it. It's a lot firmer than it looks. Hop amends his plan to lounge on the couch until Lee's done and joins him at the front desk instead.

Fortunately, Lee's just finished checking in when Hop gets there. "Hop– oh, you're right here. Room 2302," Lee says, sliding their card keys off the counter and handing one to Hop.

"This hotel has twenty-three floors!?"

"Twenty-five, actually," the concierge says.

"Whoa," Hop breathes. "I didn't know buildings could get that tall."

The concierge chuckles. "Enjoy your stay, gentlemen."

As they head to the elevators, Lee says, "What do you mean, you didn't know buildings could get that tall? Rose Tower is four times that."

"Well, I've never seen Rose Tower."

"I've sent you pictures from the top of Rose Tower!"

"But I've never been there."

"You should still know that it's taller than this hotel."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"Well, you couldn't even find Rose Tower if I pointed it out to you on a map, so your opinion doesn't count."

"You're allowed to admit that you're wrong, you know."

"I know. But I'm not wrong."

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Hop sticks his tongue out at Lee, and that's the end of that conversation. Conveniently, the elevator has just arrived at their floor, so they can step out and find their room. Or, rather, Hop can find their room while Lee trails behind him like a wayward Wooloo. Fortunately for him, Room 2302 is only a short walk away from the elevators, so he might be able to make it back to them without Hop leading the way.

Lee lets Hop swipe his keycard to open the door to the room. When they walk inside, Hop can't help breathing out a little "whoa" as he surveys the space.

The entrance hall is illuminated by little square lanterns that are seated against both walls. Giant floor-to-ceiling windows take up one wall of the room, flanked by yellow curtains that they can close when they're ready to sleep. A white L-shaped couch sits in one corner of the living area, and next to it an end table with emerald ore on it like a miniature version of the crystal down in the lobby. The floor is tile, but there's an ornate rug in the area by the couch. Hop thinks it's big enough that they could cram their whole flock of Wooloo in here, and he hasn't even seen the bed or bathroom yet.

Hop pokes his head in the bathroom and decides it's the least impressive part of the space; there's a vase of flowers on the counter and the shower has two glass walls, but aside from that it's pretty standard for a hotel bathroom. He heads back into the main room and finally sees the bed – or, rather, the beds: big, grand four-posters with drapery to match the windows.

"There are two beds!?" he exclaims.

"Yes?" Lee says, bemused. "What, did you think there would only be one?"

"Well, I guess…'m not used to getting my own bed, is all." Hop shrugs off his backpack and lays it down against the dresser. "At least when we're traveling."

"They actually tried giving me two separate rooms at first," Lee chuckles. "Took a few phone calls to convince them that I just wanted a single room for two people."

Hop whips his head around to stare at his brother. "I could've had my own room!?"

"You don't need your own room," Lee says, rolling his eyes.

"Uh, yes, I do," Hop scoffs. "I don't want to be kept up by your snoring."

"I don't snore."

"How would you know? You're not the one who has to listen to it," Hop says, kicking off his shoes. Before Lee can protest any further, Hop sprints across the room and leaps onto the bed, letting out a laugh of delight as he sinks into the soft mattress. "Ahh, it's like lying on a cloud! Lee, you gotta try this!"

Groaning bedsprings tell Hop that Lee is sitting down on the other bed. "Oh, wow, that is really soft."

"Told ya."

"Not as soft as a Wooloo, though."

Hop rolls over and purses his lips. "I'll be the judge of that," he declares. "Wooloo, come on out!"

Wooloo bursts out of his Poké Ball and lands on Hop's chest. He wraps his arms around Wooloo and squeezes tight. Wooloo bleats contentedly and rubs his face against Hop's.

"Yeah," Hop says. "Nothing beats holding a Wooloo."

He closes his eyes and buries his face in Wooloo's wool. He takes a deep breath, taking in the familiar musty scent of grass and dirt and home that clings to his partner. He exhales slowly and lets his head fall back onto the bed. Exhaustion is beginning to creep over him again.

The mattress dips beside him. "You look comfy," Lee says. Hop cracks one eye open and watches his brother scratch Wooloo gently behind the ears. "Sure you don't wanna stay here instead of going to the opening ceremony?"

Hop hums thoughtfully. Between Wooloo's warmth above him and the soft mattress below him, staying here is very tempting. But does he really want to pass up his opportunity to see the PWT for the first time, to encounter more Pokémon from Unova that he's never seen before, to meet the powerful Trainers that his brother will be defeating in the tournament? And if it really comes down to it…Lee promised they would get food when they arrived at the PWT. And Hop is hungry.

"I'm coming," Hop says, opening his other eye. He rolls Wooloo to the side and sits up. "When do we leave? I'm starving."

Lee laughs. "Well, I need to unpack my stuff so I can change. You can start unpacking your things, too. We can head over there when I'm done."

Unpacking is far from the most exciting thing in the world, but at least with Wooloo to help it's a little more interesting. By the time Lee has finished changing into his classic Champion uniform, complete with cap and cape, Hop and Wooloo have finished unpacking and are playing chase around the living area.

"Alright, you little rascals. Ready to go?"

Hop skids to a halt; Wooloo can't stop in time and bumps into his legs. "Ready!"

"Then…" Lee bows dramatically and gestures toward the door. "After you."

For a battle facility that hasn't officially opened yet, the Pokémon World Tournament is positively bustling with activity. Workers rush around, adjusting the colorful banners that line the main walkway. Vendors set up their goods and services at the adjacent stalls, ranging from Unova souvenirs to Pokémon move tutoring. A handful of Trainers are gathered in front of a large fountain shaped like a Poké Ball along with their Pokémon – Scraggy, Sandile, and Unovan Darumaka. Hop wants to go talk to them, but Lee drags him to a food truck so they can eat dinner first. Only once he's done eating is Hop allowed to run over and greet the Trainers and their rare Pokémon, and they fawn over Wooloo in turn.

After Lee finishes eating, they head into the stadium. People mill about the lobby, some wearing blue and red shirts with "STAFF" on the back, others not. There are two counters on either side of the lobby attended by staff members, and a couple more staff members block off a hallway on the far side. Two staircases lead up to a second-floor balcony, which leads to even more hallways. It's about as big as Wyndon Stadium, which Hop's been to loads of times to watch Lee's matches. There's one key difference between this stadium and Wyndon's, though; Hop actually knows how to get around Wyndon Stadium.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" Hop asks.

Lee wraps his hand around Hop's and squeezes. "Not a clue." Then, he marches with confidence across the lobby, following the plush blue carpet to the staff members on the opposite side.

The staff members are talking to a young woman with long purple hair and a poofy pink-and-white dress. The young woman and the staff members all look up at their approach, and a big smile breaks out on the young woman's face. "Hiya! Leon, right?"

"The one and only," Lee says, mirroring her smile.

"Perfect! That's the last one!" she says. "Ricky, will you go let Clay know that all the Champions have arrived?"

The named staff member nods curtly and heads down the hallway. Meanwhile, the young woman turns her attention to Hop. "Hi there," she says. "What's your name?"

"I'm Hop!" he says. "Lee's my big brother. And this is my partner, Wooloo!"

Wooloo bleats in greeting. The young woman squeals. "Oh my gosh, you're such a cutie!" She bends down to pet Wooloo and gasps. "Ooh, and your wool's so soft, too! How precious!"

Hop slips his hands in his pockets, watching the stranger gush over his Pokémon. The Trainers by the fountain outside had reacted similarly. Wooloo never gets this kind of attention from other Trainers in Galar; Wooloo are so common in Galar that for most people, the novelty of Wooloo has already worn off. It warms Hop's heart to see other people loving his favorite Pokémon just as much as he does.

"I'm sorry," Lee finally says, "you are…?"

"Huh? Did I forget to introduce myself?" The young woman blinks, looking up at Lee and Hop. She stands upright and brushes the dust off her hands. "I'm Iris, current Champion of Unova! Nice to meet you!" she says, shaking Lee's hand. "Your Chairman's told me loads about you."

"All good things, I hope?"

"Mostly," Iris says with a wink. "It's nice to meet you too, Hop," she adds, shaking Hop's hand.

"So," Lee says, "where do we sit for the ceremony?"

"Well, all the Champions get front-row seating," Iris says. "Their guests are supposed to get a private box. I think splitting us up like that is dumb, so I've just been letting them both sit in the first two rows and if people get fussy, we can upgrade them to the private box."

Hop grins. He likes Iris already.

"I can show you to your seats, if you want," she offers.

"That would be great," Lee says, relieved.

"You'd better, 'cuz he'll just get lost otherwise," Hop says, bouncing to Iris's side. "Lee's terrible with directions."

Lee catches up to Hop for the sole purpose of elbowing him in the ribs.

Waiting for the opening ceremony to start is horribly boring. Hop isn't allowed to go anywhere in the stadium without Lee, and Lee just spends the whole time talking to the other Champions and their guests. He's introduced to a few of them, but his brain is too foggy to remember any of their names. He had thought that conversations between Champions would be interesting, but it turns out they just talk about boring adult stuff like every other adult does. Iris is the only one who bothers talking to Hop at all, but she has to help get things ready and disappears a whole hour before the ceremony begins.

By the time the ceremony starts, Hop is starting to regret his decision not to stay at the hotel and sleep. It's taking all of his willpower just to sit upright in his seat. The temptation to lean on Lee's arm and fall asleep is strong, but then Lee gets called up to the battlefield for something and that option is out. He can't use Wooloo as a pillow because the crowd noise would scare it, and there's no way he's going to rest his head on the scary blue-haired lady on his other side. The announcer is saying something about the Champions, and the tournament, and the crowd is cheering…Hop's struggling to keep his eyes open…maybe it wouldn't hurt…to rest his head…on his arms…just for…a little…bit…

Someone pulls Hop to his feet; he lets out a half-hearted grunt of protest. "C'mon, Hopscotch. You're too big for me to carry all the way back to the hotel."

"Lee…?"

"Yeah, it's me," he says softly. "Ceremony's over. Let's get back to the hotel."

Hop leans into his brother's chest. "'m tired."

Lee rubs his back. "I know. Let's get you back to the hotel and you can sleep all you want."

"You'll…get lost."

Lee's shoulders shake with silent laughter. "I'll manage, Hopscotch."

Lee takes Hop's hand and gently tugs on it. Hop doesn't even open his eyes, just faithfully stumbles along after his brother. They stop more than a few times; sometimes someone says something to Lee, but Hop doesn't have the energy to parse out the meaning of their words. Lee says some things in response; "can't" and "brother" and "jet lag" come up a lot. Hop hopes he's not keeping Lee from anything important.

Eventually, Lee stops and lets go of Hop's hand. Hop lets his eyes flutter open, wondering where his brother went. Lee's crouching in front of Hop now, and he offers an apologetic smile before reaching out and grabbing something from Hop's waist. It's not until he hears his bleat that Hop realizes it was Wooloo's Poké Ball. Lee asks Wooloo for help with something. Hop slips his hand back into Lee's. Lee squeezes his hand; Hop closes his eyes; they continue their trek.

Finally, after far too much walking, Lee leads Hop back to the hotel room. Hop slips off his shoes while Lee slips off his jacket. He cracks his eyes open wide enough to remind himself where the bed is, then makes his way over to it and slides under the covers.

"Night, Hopscotch," Lee whispers. A gentle kiss on his forehead is the last thing Hop is aware of before he finally succumbs to sleep.

A/N: I do like the theory that Hop and Leon are related to Iris, but for the purposes of this story I'm not going to use it. Still, I think she and Hop will get along well - she's the youngest reigning Champion and she loves to hang out in nature. Instant buddies.

Also, sleepy Hop is precious and deserves the world. 3