As you approached the familiar wooden home your heart started to pound furiously , memories of your life just a year and a half ago hitting you like a waterfall of Lapras. Your anxiety almost made you turn away from the professors lab , fear of how Sonia and Hop would react at you just now visiting after almost two years of leaving after reigning as champion began getting to your head.

Hop , however , was enjoying himself from within the lab , not yet understanding what was about to happen considering you never called in advance. His phone sat on his desk , a wooloo nuzzled into his side as he wrote another ground breaking paper on how Galar’s ever changing environment was effected purely off the Pokémon living there.

Confusion filled the adolescents face as he heard a knock. After all , Sonia was out with Leon. Could she really be back so soon? Hop walked to the door casually , his lab coat slid off one of his shoulders — of which he decided to remove it and hang it on the hanger beside the door. He opened the door expecting Sonia only to be met with your sheepish smile. The same sheepish smile he remembered from almost 2 years ago when you two returned the sword and your shield - the last time he ever saw you.

Before either of you could even think Hop was hugging you tightly and enclosing you in an embrace that felt so familiar and yet so distant and undeserved , his purple hair curled and bushing against your cheek as he took a long moment to hold you again. Before finally he found the words to speak. Of course , Hop hadn’t changed much , so his words were more like rambles.

“ It’s been a year! Where have you been? How’s champion life been doing? Do you still use the same team? How-..why haven’t you called? “

Hop pulled away finally , just to look you in the eyes. He looked far from upset , if anything he was relieved you were standing before him. He let out a soft breath , this one more of melancholy.

“ …I got a job at the lab..clearly. Can- can you stay a while? "