NeoGalar

1

Hop paced down the white corridors, absentmindedly fiddling with the steel badges adorned across the lapels his
school blazer. The pin of his Family House had been bending as of late, he would need to get it repaired. It was his favourite, the proud red Charizard- spitting flames from its ravenous snout glinted from the bright lights as he peered down at it. The Dandes family was one of-if not the- most powerful family in all of Neo-Galar after all, he couldn't despair his family's name with such a worn badge. Especially after what happened last week.

He turned to look outside. Walking around the school corridors was one of his favourite activities at lunchtime, there were only two white brick walls- the ground and the wall to his right- everything else was one enormous window stretching up and over his head like in the walk-through aquariums. The blue sky yawned overhead. Sometimes he would even get to see clouds; the thin, scrawny looking cirrus clouds who only carried ice in their guts. They were far too high up to see anything else. He also liked to wander here due of the lack of other students. It was too cold for them, condensation built up like dust and frost accumulated in every corner. Hop wasn't antisocial by any means, but recently he couldn't bare to show his face around his classmates anymore than necessary. He had lost. He had failed. Painful memories clawed their way back into his head until he felt sick. He had never lost before- let alone on one of the most important battles of his life- even the word: lost gave him a disgustingly ill feeling. He had lost, and if his friends were to ever find out he would never hear the end of it.
So he wandered, picking at his blazer and shaking off the horrible thoughts until he got home. Numbly waiting for the bell to go off, signalling the start of his History class. A daily routine.

Bede scared him, always had. Of course he would never let him know that- let anyone know that- but he knew anxiety when he felt it; and he felt it around Bede. He was from the Prociam Family, a posh and rich line who's primary goal was to destroy The Champion in the upcoming world championships. Even their coattype- Water and Fairy was perfectly suited to defeating Champion Leon's team (and what they expected Hop's final team to be in the future) Bede had probably been instructed by his family to get friendly with Hop in order to keep a close eye on him, he knew because Hop had been told to do the same. They were parasites on parasites, leeching off one another, and they both knew it.

Hop realised he was always a bit jealous of Bede. The white-haired snob managed to be so confident and self-assured at all times. His Pokémon did what he said and.. of course, he hadn't fucking lost the Therium dé Haven final Exams on the third rung like a stupid fucking idiot.

Shut up.

Bede took his desk beside him. Spending a good two minutes arranging his pens and notes before shooting a quick glance Hop's way, eyes a prying violet. He knew something was up, he had won the final Exam after all- it was an epic match between Marnie and Bede- no Hop in sight. When the whole of the Havens asked what on earth happened to the Godsent son of the legendary Champion himself, his family and the school said he had gotten gravely sick, and simply couldn't attend.

They paid the kid he lost to to keep their mouth shut, though he doubted they would for long.