Pokémon Oneshots!

Won't say I love you (Bede x Hop)

(sword and shield story and post game spoilers :) )

     A few weeks after Gloria had become champion of Galar, things around the region were finally starting to fall back into routine. Leon was re-purposing Rose Tower into some sort of personal project of his, Hop was working in the pokemon lab as professor Sonia's assistant, and Bede was living with Opal, as well as taking over her position as the gym leader of Ballonlea city's gym.

     The young man shifted in his bed, the silky blanket surrounding him and the soft glow of the mushrooms illuminating his room through the window. Reluctantly, he sat up, rubbing his eyes and holding the blanket over his lap. He groaned as he looked out of the window, just letting his body fall back into the pillows and mattress under him. Another day of training, which wasn't necessarily the blond's biggest problem anymore. Hop had begun to visit the gym whenever he wasn't caught up in his work. He'd always try to talk to the older boy, in a friendly manner of course, and that got on his nerves. The door across the room lightly touched open, and the tip of a purple umbrella could be seen before the frail woman housing the boy walked into the room. "Ah. I thought I heard those incoherent noises of yours. Good morning, Bede." She cackled quietly. The boy just stared at the ceiling, "Good morning Opal." He sighed in response. "What are we going to be doing today?" He looked over at his new guardian with a spark in his eyes. "Nothing very different. Some battle training, and written quizzes." "That's very typical of you." "Well of course, someone of my age is very set in their ways, you know. Now come boy. Get dressed and come eat breakfast, then we'll head off to the stadium." She smiled at him, before turning and walking out of the room, giving Bede his privacy. He changed quickly into his new uniform, and met her in the dining room. The two drank tea and ate crumpets while they had their morning chat, cleaned up, and then began their short walk to the stadium.

     Once inside the stadium, Opal sat down at the table in front of the stage, handing Bede a notepad. "These are the books I'd like you to read today. Be a dear and get them for me, would you?" She grinned at the boy, who skimmed the list before nodding and walking quickly over to a bookshelf in the far back corner of the room. He reread the names of the books to himself, gathered them and sat at the table with Opal, beginning to read and take notes. Opal watched her prodigy closely, nitpicking every detail. The way he moved his hand, the amount of strokes he used in his cursive writing, the speed at which he read. Bede had gotten used to it however, so he didn't mind. "Well now, boy." She started, "There are some things I'd like to ask you about." He turns to her. "Yes, miss Opal?" "About that boy you've been around lately." "Hop? No. He's been around me. I don't like him." He looked back at his book and notes, and Opal gave a chuckle under her breath. "I can see straight through you, son. No need to keep your walls up against me." The young boy paused his work, then began to write again. "Well what do you want me to say then." "Tell me how you really feel about him, boy." She tapped her umbrella on the floor, causing Bede's attention snap toward her. "I... think he's annoying. He comes here for what? An attempt at being my friend? That's such a pathetic joke." He scoffed, meeting the old woman's gaze. She stared straight at him, and he shivered slightly. "I think there's more to that, Bede, but if you insist." She sipped her tea while Bede got lost in his own thoughts.

     The pitch fell silent as hatterene reverted from her gigantamaxed form. Bede walked over to her, softly petting her head. The gym trainer that Bede had faced simply bowed to him, and he reciprocated the action. "Thank you for an excellent battle." He smiled as hatterene and sylveon made their way to his sides. The trainer started her walk off of the pitch, and Bede held his arm toward sylveon, who wrapped her ribbons around his wrist as they walked off of the pitch not long after. In the main room of the stadium, a cinderace stood, flicking it's ears once it saw the young man. He knew what this was, and he sighed deeply. "Where is he." He walked up to the rabbit, then flinched as he felt arms wrap around his lower torso. "Hey mate!" That oh so familiar, happy-go-lucky, lightly accented voice echoed through the stadium hall. "What do you want now?" He scoffed, moving the younger boys hands off of him. "I'm just visiting, again. Opal told me you'd be done training by now, so I figured I'd come and ask if you wanted to take a walk!" He beamed. Bede, with his eyes fixed on the ground, got lost in his thoughts again. Opal had been talking to him? What did she say? What did Hop say? It scared him to consider the possibilities. "Bede?" The boy in blue peered up at him "Are you alright? Or is ignoring me just your way of saying n-" "I'll come with you." He cut off the shocked boy's words, starting to walk out before he could respond. "You're taking a liking to me then, yeah?" He gave a simper, walking beside him. The other boy glared down at him, yet his eyes looked brighter than normal. Hop smiled, holding his hand as they strolled into Glimwood Tangle, surprised the more ignorant of the two hadn't pulled his hand away. "Hey, Bede?" "What." "How do you actually feel about me?" The older boy avoided the others eyes as he spoke.

     "I won't say I love you, though I won't say I hate you, either." He gets a reply in the form of a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. That's all I needed to hear."