Hop and Iris make it back to the box just in time. They plop down onto their usual bench, Hop letting Wooloo out to sit in his lap, as the announcer is introducing the competitors for the next battle. First onto the field is Kalos's Champion, Diantha; her opponent is Unova's former Champion, Alder. It still strikes Hop as odd that Unova is being represented by an old Champion when their current Champion is here and perfectly capable of participating in the tournament. Why not have the person who's currently the strongest Trainer in the region represent the region in a tournament like this?

"Hey, Iris?" Hop asks, glancing at her. "Why is Alder representing Unova in the tournament instead of you?"

"Oh! That's right, I promised I'd explain that when I got back. My bad!" She leans back on the bench and gazes up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Well…like I said, it's a little complicated. See, back when Alder first became Champion, he was incredibly popular and well-respected. He valued strength above all else, and that really resonated with a lot of people. But, several years ago, Alder lost his Pokémon partner, and he was never quite the same afterwards."

"Oh," Hop says quietly, hugging Wooloo close to his chest. He can't imagine how difficult it must be to lose a Pokémon partner. "That's awful…I'm so sorry."

"He's made peace with it now," Iris says. "But it took a long time. He spent years wandering aimlessly around the region while he grieved, so people started to view him as careless and irresponsible. When he came back, he'd completely changed his philosophy on battling, saying that it was more important to enjoy battles than to win them. By the time I took over as Champion…he'd lost the respect of almost everyone in the region."

"Well…you're not much of a Champion if you can't win battles or take care of your region, right?"

"But he can!" Iris exclaims, clenching her hands into fists. "He can be a bit too relaxed and carefree sometimes, sure. But he made sure the Elite Four were looking out for Unova while he was traveling, and he's plenty strong enough to be a Champion! He deserves to be in the Champions tournament just as much as anyone else here!"

She's gotten so into her little speech that she's now standing up, one foot propped up on the bench. She takes a few deep breaths, lowers her foot, and sits back down beside Hop. "So, I'm letting Alder represent Unova in the tournament as a statement to everyone that I trust him to represent our region," she finishes. "So then, when he wins the tournament, the people of Unova – and the whole world – will finally recognize that he's just as skilled a Trainer as ever."

"Aw, that's too bad," Hop says.

Iris shoots him a bewildered look. "What? Why?"

"Because Lee's gonna win the whole tournament!" Hop says with a cheeky grin.

"Hmph! We'll just see about that!" Iris retorts.

For Iris's sake, though, Hop roots for Alder in the battle. He and Iris are the loudest to cheer when Alder's Accelgor defeats Diantha's Gourgeist.

Finally, it's time for Lee's match. His opponent is Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh region.

"I've met her a few times," Iris comments. "She rents out a beach house in Undella Town every summer and invites some of us in the Unova League to drop by whenever she's around. She's really nice and a powerful Trainer to boot!"

"Doesn't matter how strong she is. She won't beat Lee," Hop declares.

"You really have a lot of faith in your brother, huh?"

"Of course I do!" he exclaims. "Lee's amazing! He hasn't lost a single battle since he set off on his Gym Challenge! He's the greatest Champion Galar has ever seen!"

"We'll see about that," Iris says, leaning back on the bench and smirking. "You two keep saying he's such a great Trainer, but how do I know that's not just all talk?"

"Just watch this match," Hop says. "Lee's battling speaks for itself!"

"Then it shouldn't need you to hype it up," Iris says, smacking Hop on the head.

Hop cheers loudly when Lee walks out onto the field, even though he knows Lee can't hear him – it's the thought that counts. Iris cheers for Cynthia. The two Champions exchange a few words that Hop and Iris can't hear and then send out their Pokémon. Lee uses Dragapult, just like he'd said he would. Cynthia's Pokémon is incredibly rare, too – a Garchomp. Hop's never seen one in person before. He presses his face up close to the glass so he can get a better view.

"Wow!" Iris exclaims, leaning as close to the glass as Hop. "Garchomp versus Dragapult? It's a clash between dragons! This is gonna be so exciting!"

Lee wastes no time getting the match started, immediately throwing out a hand to command an attack. Dragapult launches his two Dreepy at Garchomp. Garchomp leaps into the air, so the first Dreepy flies underneath it. But as gravity pulls Garchomp back down, the second Dreepy closes in on her target. She hits Garchomp directly in the face, knocking it backwards.

"Ha-ha! How d'you like that Dragon Darts?" Hop shouts. He glances at Iris. "Not a bad way to start, eh?"

"A move where Dragapult attacks by launching the Dreepy on its head," Iris muses. "It's certainly unique. Anybody would be caught off guard if they didn't know what to expect."

Garchomp gets to its feet and, after a command from Cynthia, it glows with light blue energy and charges at Dragapult – Dragon Rush. However, Dragapult arcs gracefully over Garchomp and fires a jet of water into the air that rains down on top of Garchomp a few moments later. Hop lets out a whoop of delight.

"Did – did he copy that move from Wallace?" Iris gasps.

"Bet!" Hop exclaims. "Lee learns from every battle he watches – that's why he's unbeatable!"

"Watching another Trainer's battle and using their tactics with your own Pokémon is one thing," Iris says. "But…how much time could he possibly have had to practice that tactic after seeing Wallace use it? To pull off a move like that successfully on the first try…that's nothing short of incredible," she admits.

Hop beams.

Dragapult and Garchomp exchange a couple more moves on the field, but thanks to their agility and well-timed commands from their Trainers, nothing lands. Then Garchomp uses Dig, tunneling underneath the battlefield. "Ooh…we're gonna have to get that hole fixed before tomorrow," Iris says, wincing.

Hop holds his breath, waiting to see how Lee will respond to Cynthia's move. His brother smirks and commands an attack. Dragapult vanishes. Hop giggles.

"Huh? I looked away for just a moment – where did Dragapult go?" Iris asks.

Hop giggles again. "Phantom Force!"

"Phantom – ohhh, I see. Clever."

With both Pokémon now in hiding, preparing to use a two-turn attack, it seems like the battle has come to a stalemate. Giving up their position means immediately opening themselves up to be attacked. Lee and Cynthia exchange some words down on the battlefield, and what Hop wouldn't give to be able to hear what they're saying. But finally, Garchomp digs up to the surface, emerging from the ground on the opposite side of the field. It immediately goes into a defensive stance.

Lee commands Dragapult to attack. At the same moment, Garchomp crosses its arms and forms a green shield around itself. "That's Protect," Iris notes.

Hop laughs. "Silly Cynthia. Doesn't she know you can't protect yourself from Phantom Force?"

Garchomp suddenly goes flying across the arena, its shield shattered. Dragapult has appeared in the spot where Garchomp used to be. Garchomp isn't down for the count yet, though – it gets back to its feet and slams its claws into the ground, causing a series of sharp, pointed stones to rise up from the ground in Dragapult's direction. Dragapult is unfazed, weaving his way around the row of stones.

But before the Stone Edge attack has even finished, Garchomp is charging at Dragapult again. He doesn't have time to dodge before Dragon Rush scores a direct hit. Hop gasps. Dragapult is knocked to the ground.

"Come on, Dragapult, shake it off!" Iris cheers. "It's just one hit. No big deal!"

"For Dragapult, it's kind of a big deal," Hop says. "He's pretty frail. His speed and agility make him really hard to hit, but if you do…" He winces. Picking Dragapult for a one-on-one match was a risky move, and if anyone else had done it Hop would have called it a bad one. But Lee always knows what he's doing, and he can get out of this situation with a victory. Hop's sure of it.

Dragapult finally picks himself up off the ground and lets out a roar to tell the crowd that he's not done yet. "That's the spirit, Dragapult!" Hop cheers.

Dragapult fires another Dragon Darts attack. This time, Cynthia is prepared for it; Garchomp falls back, giving itself enough room to dodge both Dreepy.

But Lee has a big grin on his face, and Hop bounces eagerly in his seat. That's the grin Lee gives when he's about to use his finisher. Without waiting for the Dreepy to return, Dragapult opens his mouth and launches a huge, bright, orange orb of energy in the air above Garchomp. The orb explodes, making tiny orange orbs rain down on it.

"That's the ultimate Dragon-type move – Draco Meteor!" Iris exclaims, pressing her face against the glass. "Awesome! Get 'em, Dragapult!"

Garchomp doesn't stand a chance. It dodges all the meteors it can, but the barrage of pure draconic energy is too much for it to withstand. It falls to the ground, unmoving.

The referee declares Garchomp unable to battle, and Lee strikes his signature Charizard pose to celebrate his victory. Hop does the pose right along with him.

"Yeah! He won! He won!" Iris cheers, jumping up and down. Hop laughs, and she gives him a high five.

"I thought you weren't cheering for Lee," Hop says, grinning from ear to ear.

"I changed my mind. He is that good!" Iris grins back.

Down on the battlefield, Lee and Cynthia meet in the center and shake hands before leaving the arena using the exits on their respective sides of the field. Once they've left, the crowd begins to disperse.

Iris turns to Hop. "Wanna go down to the locker room and surprise him? I can get you in there."

"Really?" Hop exclaims, pumping his fists. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Follow me!" she says with a wink.

There's a security guard standing in front of the locker room door when they arrive, but he steps aside to let both Iris and Hop in. Unlike the ones in Wyndon Stadium, this locker room doesn't lead directly into the arena; it's a spot for competitors to hang out as much as it is for them to get ready for their battles. The room is filled with couches, tables, and TV screens. Doors on opposite sides of the room presumably lead to the actual lockers, and a tournament chart is posted on the far wall.

Iris leads the way to the door on the left side of the room, but she doesn't open it. "This is as far as I can go," she says with a shrug. "Girls' locker room is on the other side. Tell your brother congrats for me, okay?"

"You're leaving?" Hop asks.

"'Fraid so," Iris says apologetically. "Gotta take care of some things – like making sure the battlefield gets repaired before tomorrow."

"Aww…"

"Hey, chin up! I'll see you tomorrow," Iris says, tapping the underside of Hop's chin. "Lots more exciting battles to come in round two!"

Hop grins. "Yeah!"

He waves goodbye to Iris and heads into the next room. It is, as he predicted, lined with lockers. The only people in the room are Lee and Professor Kukui; Lee is sitting in the middle of the long bench in the center of the room. He's changed into casual clothes and is lacing up his high-tops while conversing with Professor Kukui at the same time. Because his foot is propped up on the bench in the direction of the door, Lee notices Hop as soon as he enters.

So much for surprising him.

"Hop!" Lee grins. "How did you get in here?"

"Iris let me in!" Hop says, mirroring Lee's grin and bounding over to him. "She says congrats, by the way. She didn't think you would win."

"Was the title 'unbeatable Champion' not convincing enough for her?" Lee chuckles. He takes his foot off the bench, allowing him to face Hop and Professor Kukui at the same time. "Professor, this is my little brother, Hop. Hop, this is Professor Kukui of the Alola region."

"I know!" Hop chirps. "I saw your battle, Professor. Congrats on winning – it was a really close match!"

The professor grins. "Thanks! Felt good to finally give that Lance a little taste of Revenge! Woo!"

Hop blinks. "Uh – r-revenge?"

"Just a little play on words, cousin. Don't sweat it," Professor Kukui laughs, clapping Hop on the shoulder. "Lance and I have a bit of history, yeah? I took on the Gyms in Kanto a long time ago, back when Lance was a member of their Elite Four. My team and I made it all the way to him, but he really messed us up! Never became a proper Champion because of him."

"So now you get to represent your region in the Champions tournament! And you sure showed that Lance what's what!" Hop exclaims. "That's pretty wicked, mate!"

"I'd love to stick around and chat some more, but I've gotta make a U-Turn to the lobby," Professor Kukui says. "Don't wanna leave the wife waiting too long, yeah?"

"Of course," Lee says. "It was great talking to you, Professor. I'll see you tomorrow!"

The professor waves and jogs away, leaving Hop and Leon alone in the locker room. "C'mon, Lee, we've gotta get going, too!" Hop says, tugging on his brother's arm.

Lee chuckles, putting his foot on the bench to finish tying his shoes. "What are you in such a hurry to get to?" he asks.

Hop grins, spreading his arms wide. "Everything!"

"Alright, alright. Let me finish tying my shoes, and then we can–"

A shrill ringing cuts through Lee's words. He pats his pockets for a moment before his Rotom Phone jumps out of his bag, flashing the screen for an incoming call. Lee shoots Hop an apologetic look before answering the phone.

"Chairman Rose! I wasn't expecting to hear from you this late."

Hop flops down on the bench with a resigned sigh, resting his head on Lee's leg. Of all the people who could have called right now, it just has to be the chairman. Hop doesn't mind the chairman, really; he's very friendly, and he even let Hop try using a Dynamax Band once (unfortunately, Lee found them and put a stop to it before Hop could throw the Dynamaxed Poké Ball, but it was fun while it lasted). But when the chairman calls Lee, their phone calls can last for ages, and the last thing Hop needs is the rest of their daylight being burned away by a dumb phone call. He's barely gotten to see anything in Driftveil besides the PWT and the hotel, and he needs to get out there and start seeing the sights.

Driftveil Market is at the top of his to-do list – it's an open-air market full of shops selling goods imported from all over the world! It's like the market in Hulbury, but way bigger! But Hop wants to take his time there, browsing through all their wares and picking out souvenirs, so it's better saved for a day when they have more time to spare. For today, he thinks they can explore the city a little –wander around the residential district, see the lighthouse, visit the Gym…

Hop's stomach grumbles. Getting dinner would be a good idea, too.

Mercifully, Lee hears it and saves him from his plight. "I'd better go, Chairman. Hop's stomach is growling louder than a Perrserker, and I think he might eat me if I don't feed him soon," he jokes. He pauses for a moment to let the chairman speak, and then says, "I will, I will. Thank you again, sir." The chairman says a few more words, and then Lee finally hangs up.

"Sorry about that, Hopscotch," Lee says, squeezing Hop's shoulder.

"It's fine!" Hop declares, leaping to his feet. "The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get exploring!"

"Then let's get going!" Lee says, getting to his feet, too.

He makes it about three steps before tripping on the shoelaces that he hadn't finished tying. By the time he finishes sitting down and tying them, Hop is literally dragging him across the room to get him out the door faster. Hop leads the way through the hallways back to the entrance, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure Lee hasn't managed to get himself lost somehow. But Lee keeps up, and once they reach the lobby, he catches up to Hop and starts running alongside him.

They race through the main entrance and emerge together into the dying rays of sunset.

"No!" Hop moans, slumping over in defeat. "We can't go exploring the city when we can't see it…"

"I'm sorry…is there anything you wanted to see that's indoors?" Lee suggests.

"No," Hop mumbles. Then he straightens up. "Well, actually, I wanna see the inside of the Driftveil Gym. I'm super curious to see how different the Gyms in Unova are from the Gyms in Galar!"

"Ah." Lee scratches his head. "With Clay being so busy with the tournament, I'm not sure that the Gym is even open to challengers right now, let alone visitors."

"Oh," Hop says, shoulders sagging.

"Sorry," Lee says again, wrapping his arm around Hop's shoulders and pulling him into a side hug. "Let's find a super-delicious restaurant where we can have dinner, okay?"

"What was Chairman Rose calling about, anyways?" Hop asks over dinner. If the chairman is going to ruin Hop's carefully disorganized plans, he might as well know why.

"He watched my match on the telly, and he wanted to congratulate me on winning," Lee says. "Speaking of which…" He starts counting off names on his fingers. "Professor Kukui congratulated me. Iris congratulated me. Chairman Rose congratulated me. Someone's missing from that list."

"Oh, really? Who?" Hop asks, slurping up a spoonful of spaghetti to keep himself from grinning.

"Someone who needs to be reminded about good table manners," Lee retorts, waggling his fork at Hop. "If the spaghetti is dangling from your mouth, it's too much spaghetti. And don't you dare start talking with your mouth full."

Hop bites down on the spaghetti in his mouth, letting the dangling ends fall back onto his plate. Then he chews the noodles remaining in his mouth and swallows.

"Better. Now, is there something you'd like to say to me, Hop?"

"Congrats on beating Cynthia! I knew you'd win."

"Thank you!" Lee beams.

"But…you were talking with the chairman for an awfully long time," Hop says. "He couldn't have called you just to congratulate you, could he?"

"No, you're right," Lee admits. "He needed to tell me about an interview he booked for the two of us on Thursday morning."

"Huh? They're interviewing you and me?"

"No, no – it's for Chairman Rose and me," Lee clarifies. "He's flying out here early Thursday morning and then leaving after the final match. It's a small thing; it probably won't even affect you. Don't worry about it!"

"Oh. Okay," Hop says, twirling some spaghetti on his fork. "Is he gonna join us in the private box?"

"Not sure. He didn't say." Lee rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I'm sure Iris would allow it, but the chairman might prefer having his own private box. Especially if Oleana's coming with him."

Hop nods and sticks the forkful of spaghetti in his mouth. "Mmm…this is really good," he mumbles around the spaghetti.

"Hop. What did I just say?"

After dinner, they head back to the hotel and give Mum a call. She's eager to see Hop – evidently, Lee had called her last night after Hop fell asleep, so she hasn't gotten to hear any of Hop's account of things. He tells her all about the tournament, Lee's victory, Iris, the Pokémon, and everything else he's seen in Unova so far.

"But we've barely gotten to see anything in the city," Hop complains. "And we're only here for two more days! There's no way we'll have time for everything I wanted to do."

"I warned you that would happen if you picked too many things," Mum says.

"But I didn't! I just wanted to visit Driftveil Market, take a tour of the city, and meet cool new Pokémon…"

"That's a pretty reasonable itinerary," Lee says. He smiles at Hop. "I'll make sure we can do some of that tomorrow, Hop. I promise."

They're interrupted by a loud bleat from Wooloo. He tugs on Hop's pant leg. Hop stares at him in confusion for a moment before it clicks. "Oh – I forgot to feed you, Wooloo! I'm so sorry!" he cries, jumping to his feet.

He hurries over to get Wooloo's food from his bag while Lee continues talking to Mum. He spends a minute petting Wooloo as an apology for being late with the food. By the time he gets back to the couch, Lee's saying goodbye to Mum. Hop dives onto Lee's lap just in time to wave goodbye before Mum ends the call.

Hop rolls onto his back and looks up at Lee. Lee looks down at him. "Hi," Lee says.

"Hi," Hop says back. He giggles.

"Alright, you little rascal," Lee says, tickling Hop's stomach and making him giggle even more. "You're getting giggly. And when Hop starts getting giggly, that means it's time for Hop to go to bed."

"Nooo," Hop protests. "I'm not tired."

"Come on. You remember Mum's rule," Lee says, patting Hop's chest. "When I say it's bedtime, it's bedtime. Now, get up – I wanna go to bed, too."

Hop groans and sits up, giving Lee enough room to get up and head over to the dresser. Then he flops back down on the couch.

"I don't recommend sleeping there," Lee calls over his shoulder. "No blankets, and it's bad for your back."

"'M not gonna," Hop says, eyelids fluttering closed. Then they fly open as he remembers something that he wanted to ask his brother. "Hey, Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you look so uncomfortable when Mr. Clay offered to show you the way to the locker room this morning?"

Lee freezes with one hand on a drawer handle. He turns to look at Hop and rubs the back of his head. "Ah…you noticed that?"

"You stuttered," Hop says matter-of-factly, sitting up and swinging around to face Lee.

"Right." He sighs, running his fingers through his hair. "Well, it's complicated. And it's nothing you need to concern yourself with, so don't worry about it, okay?"

"Too late," Hop says. He bounces to his feet and over to his brother. "I'm smart! I can understand complicated stuff."

"It's boring…I don't think you'd be interested."

Hop wraps his arms around Lee's waist and stares up at him as intently as possible.

The corners of Lee's mouth quirk up slightly. "Alright, fine," he says. "Let me sit down first."

Hop lets go of Lee and follows him to his bed, where Lee takes a seat with his back leaning against the headboard. Hop flops down in front of him, propping himself on his elbows and resting his chin on his hands. Lee folds his hands across his chest and sighs deeply.

"I was embarrassed. Needing a guide to get to the locker room, inconveniencing someone else because of my abysmal sense of direction…it's not a good first impression."

Hop furrows his brow and tilts his head. "But…everyone knows you're pants with directions. That's never bothered you before."

"Everyone in Galar knows that. But outside of Galar, well…people expect that an adult can find their way around a place on their own. And I can't, so…" He shrugs helplessly. "I try to show people who I am as a Trainer before they find out I can't navigate to save my life. I have to, if I want anyone to take me seriously."

Lee's words ring a bell in Hop's mind. He lets his arms fall and crawls over to Lee's side, letting his head rest on his brother's shoulder. Lee wraps an arm around him instinctively.

"Is that 'cause you became Champion so young?" Hop asks quietly.

Lee is silent for a few moments. "Yeah," he finally says. "I'm still young compared to most of the other Champions. How'd you know?"

"Iris told me that she had to deal with that…people not taking her seriously 'cause of her age. She said that you probably had to deal with the same thing. I…" Hop swallows down the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. "I didn't believe her. I never knew…"

Lee's arm tightens around him. "I never told you," he admits. "Like I said, it's complicated and not something you need to be worrying about."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with people like that," Hop says.

"Thank you, Hopscotch," Lee murmurs.

"Thank you…" Hop trails off into a big yawn. "Thanks for telling me."

"You're welcome," Lee says, bringing his other hand up to ruffle Hop's hair. "And you can thank me by going to bed without complaining."

Hop doesn't protest as Lee sits him upright and shoos him off to the bathroom. He changes into pajamas, brushes his teeth, and then heads back into the main room. Lee's sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for him.

"I'm too old to be getting tucked in, Lee," Hop mumbles as he climbs into bed.

"No such thing!" Lee responds cheekily. "Besides, you didn't seem to have a problem with it last night."

"That doesn't count. I was tired."

"And you're tired now, too. So shush and let me tuck you in," Lee says, pushing Hop's head down onto the pillow and pulling the comforter up to his chin. "Goodnight, Hopscotch. Love you."

"Night, Lee. Love you too."

Hop closes his eyes, and Lee presses a kiss to his temple. Fantasies of what the next day might bring dance through his head. As he finally drifts off to sleep, the one thought that's strongest in his mind is the hope that he and his brother will get to spend a lot more time together tomorrow than they did today.

A/N: For the record, this is the most detail I'm ever going to go into with the battles in the tournament. Writing battles isn't easy, and writing battles between skilled Trainers is a nightmare. Plus, the tournament is really just a backdrop for me to write all these fun character interactions. So, future chapters are just going to skim over the battles like the last one did.