Archive of Our Own ^beta

Opal was endlessly impressed and mystified by her protégé. He presented himself in a mature manner far exceeding a child of his age, but she realized she needed to reevaluate her stance on his conduct. He had the tact and skill to one day succeed her as the Ballonlea Gym Leader, inheriting all the responsibilities that came with the role, including diplomacy, but he was a child.

She had been lucky; she took on the role of Gym Leader at age eighteen, which meant she got to experience childhood and grow and mature at a natural pace, surrounded by family and friends. Bede didn’t get to do that and had been forced to do away with some of the behaviors she expected to see (and did see) in others his age. She didn’t judge his attachment to his plushie collection, especially since he showed purchasing the toys wasn’t an uncontrollable compulsion. However, she felt his desire to have the toys was a remnant of his inner child surfacing after having to be forced down into his psyche for so long.

She wanted to bring more of that inner child out.

Bede had a rough and traumatic childhood; she wanted him to experience some of the things he was meant to in order to grow as a person but had been either tossed aside or avoided altogether. She was extremely grateful for his peers going out of their way to visit Ballonlea. Victor had his new responsibilities as Champion, as did Marnie as a fellow Gym Leader-in-training; meanwhile, Hop was flourishing in his apprenticeship under Sonia, and Gloria… she wasn’t exactly sure what Gloria was doing other than romping through the Wild Area.

Nevertheless, the four were prone to showing up and dragging Bede out of the house and stadium for some quality time that didn’t involve his Gym Leader responsibilities. According to the other children, he would gripe and complain at first, slowly quiet as the day went on, then by the time he returned in the evening, he clearly looked as if he had a good time but would refuse to admit it. Opal knew he was enjoying their company though: he had gifted them each a plushie from his collection then vehemently claimed he had lost those specific plushies when she questioned him.

Still, the boy had never had a mother, father, or siblings. She was fulfilling the role of a grandmotherly caretaker (and loving every minute of it, thank you) but feared he wasn’t getting the different kinds of interactions and relationships he needed. Her role could supplement the mother, while his same-aged friends could replace siblings. However, the father role was still up in the air; Chairman Rose had seen to it that was forever tainted in Bede’s mind.

Okay, so no father. She knew there were plenty of single-parent families, the children growing up without a mother or father. That could be remedied by the children finding someone else to fill those roles: a teacher, a coach, an older close family friend. Bede had reacted positively to his fellow Gym Leaders, and willingly accepted advice when given it, but had also made it perfectly clear none of them were the boss of him.

There were other ways the missing roles could be filled: an uncle, older cousins, older siblings…

Opal felt as if she had been struck with the idea of the century. She wanted Bede to have a positive male role model he could learn experiences from that she couldn’t teach him. What better than a caring big brother?

Her first thought had, of course, been Leon, the former Champion of Galar. He was already a big brother to Hop and it was clear the two had a loving, healthy relationship. Sure, Hop had previously had some feelings of inadequacy rooted in his relation to Leon, but Hop didn’t despise his brother; rather, those negative feelings were because he was afraid of disappointing Leon. Now that Leon was no longer Champion and Hop had found a new direction in life, the two of them had never been happier.

That was what she wanted for Bede. Sure, Leon was ditzy and forgetful, but he would be damned if he let anything hurt his little brother. In turn, Hop hadn’t learned Leon’s forgetfulness, but did learn bravery, loyalty, and kindness. Enough kindness that he would extend an olive branch to Bede, the person who mocked and scorned him about living up to the image of his older brother. However, Leon had years to develop his relationship with Hop, and while she was sure he would completely embrace Bede as an additional little brother, she wasn’t sure he had the focus or drive to accomplish what she needed.

Her next thought was Kabu; she and him had been close for years and often enjoyed a nice day to sit and relax, discussing stories of the past. However, she quelled that thought with the knowledge that he was too old to believably fulfill the role of a big brother for Bede. He was more like a father-figure, which Bede would no doubt reject.

Allister was too young; he would have been perfect if she wanted Bede to learn responsibility, but he was already responsible enough. There was Piers, but he wasn’t exactly the sort of person she wanted influencing Bede given his apathetic and snarky demeanor, despite being a fine fellow otherwise. Besides, he was busy teaching Marnie to take over the Spikemuth Gym. There was Milo, but he spent his free time tending to his farm and she doubted Bede would consider that a fun activity. There was Gordie, who had multiple younger siblings, but she wasn’t a fan of his boastful attitude and sore loser tendencies of shutting himself in the locker room.

All that was left was…

“What?”

Opal frowned and sighed softly, almost wondering if this was big mistake, but then she buckled down with the knowledge that this was going to help Bede. “I wish for you to be a mentor for my protégé,” she explained again.

“Aren’t you already his mentor?”

“Yes, but there are some things I cannot teach him.”

“And you think I can?”

“Possibly, unless… you feel it is too much of a challenge?”

Raihan scoffed and flashed his fanged smile at her attempt to use reverse psychology; however, just because he noticed her attempt, didn’t mean she wasn’t successful in tricking him. As someone who had tried countless times to defeat Leon, Raihan wasn’t one too shirk off an opportunity to grow stronger; thusly, he rarely refused something he viewed as a challenge.

“What would I need to do?” the Dragon Trainer asked.

She was about to say “Treat him as Leon treats Hop,” but felt it might not be beneficial to use Leon as the example she wanted Raihan to uphold himself to. “Treat him as a younger brother. Care for him, mentor him, bond with him.”

“Wait,” Raihan raised a brow, “you want me to be a Big Brother? You know there’s an organization for that, right?”

“I am aware— they have a very charming website— but Bede has high defenses built around himself. He won’t open up to just anyone.”

“But you think he’ll open up to me?”

“He respects you and that’s a good starting point.”

Raihain grimaced as he continued thinking about the idea. He had been surprised when Opal had showed up on his doorstep, not only because it was out of the blue, but also because he never would have expected her of all people to visit him. Opal tended to keep to herself in Ballonlea and Glimwood Tangle. If she visited any of her fellow Gym Leaders, it was usually Kabu or Melony, two individuals calmer and closer to her age than boisterous Raihan. Then she sprung her proposition on him and he didn’t know what to think.

He was acquainted with Bede but didn’t know the boy that well. Honestly, the first time he tried to approach the boy with his usually exuberance, Bede basically turned tail and ran. Raihan had assumed Bede was shy and tried again more gently, like how he did with Allister, but then Bede thought he was being condescending and rebuked him. After that, Raihan had given up and tried his best to stay out of the boy’s way. Now, Opal was asking him to bond with Bede and treat him like a little brother.

“I’m gonna be honest with you,” he spoke up, “that kid will probably bite my head off if I try to coddle him.”

“This is true,” Opal admitted, “but will you please try?”

Raihain groaned, crossing his arms and glancing around the room. This was the strangest request anyone had ever asked of him. He didn’t know how to be a big brother (that was Leon’s specialty) but Opal had come to him, which meant she must see some potential.

“Alright,” he relented. “I’ll give it a try.”

“What!?”

Opal frowned and shushed her protégé. “We do not shriek in this house.”

Bede stared at her in utter shock, his mouth hanging open. His eyes rapidly darted between her and Raihan, as if he truly didn’t understand what was going on despite Opal explaining it as simply as she had to Raihan. Said Dragon Trainer didn’t seem phased by Bede’s less-than-enthused reaction to being told the good news. In fact, he unshouldered his bag and opened his arms wide like he was going to physically embrace Bede but didn’t do so (which Opal was silently grateful for).

“Say ‘hello’ to your new big brother!” Raihan announced cheerfully.

Bede backed away with a look of disgust, almost baring his teeth like an enraged Pokémon. He frantically looked around for an escape route, wondering if he could make a run for it without Opal catching him with that unnatural speed of hers. He wasn’t even considering what ways Raihan could stop him, but he doubted the young man could move fast enough in the narrow hallway with his gangly limbs.

“You’ve got to be kidding!” Bede squeaked, too indignant to care about his voice cracking.

“I am not, child,” Opal replied. “It is my wish that you have a positive male role model in your life and Raihan is my choice for your role model.”

“Him? Really!?”

“I feel like I should be offended,” Raihan remarked, his smile dropping slightly.

“Bede…” Opal began speaking, her tone indicating her displeasure with her protégé’s behavior. Bede recoiled briefly then took his chance. He darted to the side, completely dodging Opal’s attempt to hook him with her umbrella, and sprinted for his room, slamming the door shut so loudly some of the picture frames on the walls jolted.

Raihan nervously chuckled. “I feel like he isn’t interested.”

“No,” Opal shut her eyes and shook her head, “that went about as well as I expected it to. I apologize on his behalf.”

“It’s okay. I know what it’s like to be his age; young teens are full of drama, too much going on in their brains.”

“It’s still not an excuse.”

“Should… should I leave?”

“I will admit I hadn’t planned this far, but I refuse to let you leave without some sort of recompense. May I treat you to a home-cooked meal?”

Raihan laughed heartily and grinned. “I won’t say ‘no’ to lunch!”

Perhaps Bede was hoping Raihan would leave once it became clear this “bonding experience” wasn’t happening. He emerged from his room, sneaking quietly to avoid detection, but threw away all semblance of slinking when he stumbled into the dining room and saw Raihan was still here, enthusiastically enjoying the extravagant lunch Opal was laying out for him.

“Why is he still here!?” Bede shrieked.

Opal let out a low huff of frustration. “Because this won’t go away simply because you choose to avoid it. Now sit and have a civil discussion with us.”

Bede sputtered and grimaced but sat down, albeit in the chair the furthest away from them. Raihan tried to coax him closer using the plate of sandwiches and then the petit-fours before Opal patted his arm and shook her head to indicate baiting Bede wasn’t going to work.

“Explain,” Bede demanded.

Opal sighed at her protégé’s bluntness. “I am always observing you and I’ve noticed some behavioral issues that concern me.”

“Then why didn’t you discuss this with me!?” he snapped. “Take me to a damn therapist, but don’t you dare patronize me!”

“Bede!” she scolded, causing him to recoil and slouch in his chair. “I respect you, child, and I only want what’s best for you. I’ve given it some thought, and I believe a positive relationship with a male role-model will benefit you.”

“Why? Because the only person I would want to call my father dumped me on my ass?” he muttered.

“Yes, among other reasons,” she replied, ignoring his cursing. “I asked Raihan to act as your honorary Big Brother.”

“But why him!?”

“Because few are willing to put up with you?” Raihan guessed, a teasing grin on his face. Opal almost jumped in with a gentle warning not to do that, but Bede’s expression turned to one of surprise before shifting to reluctance.

“So he’s witty,” Bede mumbled. “What would this relationship entail?”

Opal nodded to Raihan, giving him permission to steer the conversation. “It’s sort of a mentorship, only more focused on emotional teaching than anything factual. I’m supposed to treat you like family, mend some of those raw wounds.”

Bede groaned loudly, slouching even further in his chair. “If I fight this, it’ll only make it harder on me, right?”

“You’re talking to the Trainer who’s lost to Leon countless times but keeps trying no matter what. If I’m anything, I’m determined.”

Bede griped quietly to himself, glaring at the floor and tapping his fingers against the table. “Fine, but if you talk down to me—,”

“Miss Opal has already outlined the rules for me,” Raihan assured him.

“Alright, then we’re done here.” Bede jumped up from his chair and fled to his room once more. His door didn’t slam as hard as before, hinting he wasn’t as upset, but he still wanted them to know he was displeased.

Okay, that was the hard part, Raihan thought to himself. Now, I just need to think of some bonding exercises for the two of us. Maybe our first will be the two of us just talking, getting to know each other. Or should I try for something big out of the gate to impress him? Or will that intimidate him?

There were so many things he didn’t know about this sort of thing, having grown up as an only child and having no younger cousins. Even if he had, he doubted any of them would be like Bede. He needed to analyze the situation and tailor the experiences specifically for Bede, which meant he needed to gather information on the boy.

And he knew exactly who to ask.

It was a warm sunny day in Postwick. The herds of Wooloo were enjoying themselves in the open fields surrounding the little town. As Raihan approached the house, the peaceful ambiance was broken by shouts and caterwauls. In fact, the commotion was becoming so intense, he began to wonder if he should be concerned about what he was about to walk into. Peeking over the picket fence as he came closer to the gate revealed the exact people he wanted to talk with were in the garden.

“Raihan!” Leon called out to him. “Help me! They’re ganging up on me!”

The impromptu football match came to a grinding halt. Leon was sprawled in the dirt, Hop, Victor, Gloria, and Hop’s Cinderace bearing down on him. The football itself had been forgotten in the teens’ haste to keep Leon down, preferring to wrestle him into the dirt than kick the ball around.

“This is exactly what I need!” Raihan announced excitedly, his exuberance confusing the children enough for Leon to jump to his feet.

“What brings you to Postwick?” Leon asked.

Raihan launched into an explanation of Opal’s proposal, his acceptance, and the daunting task that lay before him. Once he was done, Hop was staring at him with his mouth agape, completely befuddled by what was just revealed to him.

“Bede!? You’re going to be a Big Brother for Bede!? Do you have any idea what you’re gotten yourself into!?”

“Clearly ‘no,’ if this is how you’re reacting,” Raihan answered.

Victor exhaled in slight frustration, stepping in before Hop could continue to lose his mind. “Bede is… difficult to get along with. There’re a lot of layers to break through before he’ll even say anything positive about you, and even then, it doesn’t mean he’ll stop insulting you.”

“I need to know everything you can tell me,” Raihan begged. “Anything you think could help.”

Once Raihan realized Bede would notice if he were constantly referring back to the little notebook he had written all of the teens’ advice in, he began the arduous task of memorizing the most important points. Based on their advice, he decided to keep the first bonding experience simple and quiet. The plan was a picnic in the Wild Area and conversation; hopefully, he would be able to coerce more than single-word responses out of Bede.

Speaking of Bede…

Raihan stepped out of the door leading to the locker rooms just in time to see his new little brother had arrived to Hammerlocke Gym. He was wearing a pink and gray sweater with light blue jeans, a nice change from his Fairy uniform and his Trainer outfit with that magenta overcoat. He did, however, have one of the detachable pocketbags of his overcoat snapped to his belt. He was standing to the side of the check-in desk, his hands stuffed in his pockets and looking pissed off at the world.

“Hey, little brother!” Raihan enthusiastically greeted him, briefly forgetting about needing to be more subtle. Bede flinched in response and glowered at him.

“Hello Raihan,” he replied curtly. “What plans did you have for today?”

“You’ll find out~,” Raihan said in a singsong tone and flashing another trademarked fanged smile, prompting another glower from Bede. Despite his clear reluctance, the boy followed Raihan out of the Gym, suspiciously eyeing the vinyl cooler bag Raihan had hanging off his shoulder.

Hope he brought a Pokémon. They wouldn’t be going very far into the Wild Area; the Hammerlocke wall was still visible from the spot Raihan had scouted, but the Wild Area could be dangerous and unpredictable. The last thing he needed was for them to be attacked while trying to bond with Bede.

Raihan forged the path to the cliffside overlooking the Lake of Outrage, immediately spotting the tree he had chosen as the prime picnic location. Bede stood awkwardly on the perimeter of the tree’s shade while Raihan unshouldered the vinyl cooler bag and happily began setting up for the picnic.

“Really?” Bede griped once the items began to take shape into Raihan’s intentions. “A picnic? What are we? A nuclear family having a photoshoot for a 1950’s magazine?”

“That’s… very specific,” Raihan commented.

“My dentist needs to update his waiting room reading material.”

After some gentle coaxing (and reminding Bede they weren’t leaving until the picnic was over), the boy reluctantly sat on the blanket Raihan had spread on the ground. Based on the lunch Opal had served him, Raihan decided to bring some of the foods, assuming they were items Bede would eat if they were kept in the house. Of course, there was also a plastic container of curry he could eat up in a flash; curry was usually a good fallback meal for any Galarian.

Bede’s judging eyes scanned the meal before him and he finally picked up a biscuit, grudgingly nibbling on the edge. He took such small bites, Raihan couldn’t help but snort in amusement, inciting the boy’s ire.

“I know you’re a Fairy specialist,” Raihan chuckled, “but I promise there’s no poison in that.”

“Did it ever occur to you I might be allergic, and I was taste-testing it for my allergens?” Bede all but snarled.

“Are you allergic!?” Raihan began to visibly panic, shooting up from his sitting position. He was such an idiot! Why didn’t he ask about any allergies or dietary restrictions? Just because Opal had those food items in the house didn’t mean Bede could eat them!

“No!” Bede recoiled, balancing back on his tailbone so he could kick one leg out at Raihan’s shin. “Back up! Get out of my face!”

Raihan winced at the shin strike but was immensely relieved to know he hadn’t inadvertently poisoned Bede. He sank back down on the blanket, trying to calm his racing heart.

Bede glared at him, eyes briefly darting to the biscuit he had dropped in the chaos. “If I were allergic, I wouldn’t be tasting a potential allergen, you dolt.”

“Yeah… I guess that makes sense. I’m sorry; I should’ve asked about allergies. Do you have any?”

At first, it seemed like Bede wasn’t going to respond. He continued frowning in disapproval, eventually making Raihan uncomfortable enough the older male picked up a sandwich and started eating it as an excuse not to make conversation.

“Carrots.”

“Huh?” Raihan briefly choked and painfully swallowed the half-chewed mouthful of sandwich. “What? Carrots?”

“Yeah, I’m allergic to carrots,” said Bede, picking up another biscuit with more interest and taking a generous bite.

“That’s good to know; I’ll keep that in mind,” Raihan noted.

“Don’t worry too much about it; it’s not a deadly allergy. It’s not like I’ll get hives and my airways will close.”

“What does it do then?”

“Tears up my stomach— guess it’s more of a sensitivity than an allergy. And it only happens if I eat a large enough amount.”

“That’s lucky,” Raihan laughed. “I’m allergic to walnuts and it gives me a wicked rash on my back— hard to scratch, y’know? Won’t kill me, but I’d rather avoid them if I can; the taste isn’t worth the pain.”

“Same,” Bede agreed. “I used to eat carrots a lot when I was little because they were bought in bulk and served for most meals. I liked them, but the taste isn’t worth the pain, like you said. Now, if I were allergic to chocolate—"

“I’d kill myself,” Raihan cut in.

“Exactly.”

It was an odd subject to break the ice, but Raihan wasn’t going to complain. If they could bond over their allergies and dismay about foods they could no longer eat, then he was fine with that. Bede was noticeably more relaxed, no longer sitting stiffly; in contrast, Raihan was sitting a little stiffly because of the forming bruise on his shin. Bede sure could kick hard.

“Are you enjoying Ballonlea?” Raihan decided to keep the positive energy going. If Bede was more open right now, he needed to take advantage of it.

“It’s quiet,” Bede responded. “I like that. Not too much happens there, but that’s okay.”

“Yeah, Hammerlocke’s all hustle and bustle; I think that’s why Opal doesn’t like coming here. Some people prefer quiet and others can take the bright lights and fast action. Despite you crashing the Champion Cup finals and your stage persona, I assume you’re the former?”

“I’d agree to that,” Bede conceded.

That was good to know; it meant Bede would prefer they do calmer activities together. Raihan felt satisfied he was beginning to get a better picture of how this relationship would work. There was never any doubt that Bede would be defensive, but Raihan was starting to see some cracks in his defensive wall that could be exploited. Bede was guarded but he wasn’t unreachable.

The two continued to make idle conversation as they finished eating their fill of the picnic spread. It wasn’t exciting, but that was okay. Once they ate their fill of lunch and began to gather their belongings to take back out of the Wild Area, Raihan summoned his Rotom phone.

“Beautiful day at the Lake of Outrage,” he spoke aloud, flashing a smile as Rotom snapped a selfie for him. “Bede, get over here; I want one with you too.”

“Leave me out of your selfie nonsense,” Bede grouched. “You do not have my permission to take my photo and post it online.”

“Killjoy,” Raihan pouted before grinning widely, “but I’ll convince ya.”

“You wish,” Bede rolled his eyes.

“How’d it go? Give me all the dirty details.”

“Knock it off,” Raihan complained, heaving a sigh as he relaxed and slouched into an armchair.

He and Leon had been friends and rivals for years, ever since the fated Gym Challenge where Leon won the title of Champion. That was why he wasn’t surprised to find the former-Champion/current-Chairman had infiltrated his private office in Hammerlocke Gym and made himself comfortable while he waited for Raihan to return.

“That bad, huh?” Leon sympathetically grimaced.

“Wha—? No! It went fine; I just don’t like you saying that. ‘Dirty details’— it sounds so inappropriate.”

“Fine,” Leon replied flippantly, flamboyantly waving his hand. “How’d it go?”

“Pretty well,” Raihan admitted. “I’ve learned a couple things I’ll apply to future meet-ups and he was pretty agreeable the whole time— a little grouchy at first, but I expected that. Coming up with activities we can do is going to be hard, though.”

“Why? He goes out with Hop and the other kids… Well, they drag him out of Ballonlea, but he eventually has fun.”

“The picnic was a good starting point,” explained Raihan, “but I need to think of things we can do together without either of us getting bored or overwhelmed. Opal’s relying on me and I do not want to get on that woman’s bad side.”

Leon snickered and leaned on the backrest of Raihan’s armchair, so he was towering over the Dragon Trainer. “Careful Raihan or Opal’s gonna get’cha.”

“You laugh, but that’s a legitimate fear,” Raihan griped, jabbing a thumb into Leon’s sternum and forcing him to back off. “You’re lucky, you got to mold Hop from his birth. I got handed an angry fifteen-year-old and told to make do.”

“Alright,” Leon dramatically sighed and crashed into Raihan’s office chair behind his desk, enjoying his friend’s misery way too much, “if you need help, all you have to do is ask.”

“And what are you proposing?”

“You and I, and maybe Piers if he feels like it, will take the kids to Pokéland: Hop, Victor, Gloria, Bede, and Marnie.”

“None of those kids need to be escorted anywhere,” Raihan pointed out. “Victor’s the new Champion! And two of them are soon-to-be Gym Leaders.”

“That’s not the point, Raihan. We’ll all go together: you can observe my interactions with Hop, and Bede will be around his friends and might feel obligated to let his guard down. We already know (straight from our reliable source: Miss Opal), Bede will end up enjoying himself if he’s out with them. And despite their new positions, they’re still kids and they’ll be excited. It’s good to let kids act their age; I wish someone was looking out for me like this when I became Champion.”

Raihan nodded in agreement, reflecting on Leon’s admission. The latter became “the Unbeatable Champion” at such a young age and had to deal with the sudden transition to adulthood mostly on his own since the Champion he succeeded immediately retired to another region. It was admirable that he was going out of his way to make sure Victor handled the transition better than he had.

“Hell,” Leon continued, unaware of Raihan’s reflecting, “I’d invite Allister to go as well, but he’d have a panic attack at the invitation, let alone how he’d cope in the park.”

“Bless that anxious little cinnamon roll,” Raihan laughed. “I remember when he was first anointed Leader status. He hid from me because I was too tall— got used to me eventually.” Then he heaved a tired sigh, “Why couldn’t I have been his big brother? I already know how to handle him.”

“You not up for the challenge?” Leon taunted, trying to pull Raihan out of his funk. “I guess Hop and I will be the ultimate brother tag team that will leave you and Bede in the dust.”

“I’m gonna make you eat those words,” Raihan threatened, flashing his fanged smile. “Fine then, Pokéland it is. And I’m telling Bede you said that— let you face his wrath.”

“Honestly… a theme park?” Opal wasn’t going to question Raihan’s methods just yet, but she did have some reservations about this trip.

Bede had returned from his and Raihan’s first outing with a rather positive attitude, so she was willing to give the Dragon Trainer the benefit of the doubt. When Raihan had contacted them with news of his and Bede’s next outing, the latter was a little disconcerted to learn Raihan intended to take him to the Wyndon theme park in a group consisting of his other friends and Leon.

Then Raihan tattled about what Leon had said about him and Hop leaving Raihan and Bede in the dust.

Perhaps pushing Bede’s competitive buttons wasn’t the best method at encouraging the relationship, but it did the trick. Bede was sent into a garbled rant about Leon and his arrogance at assuming he and Hop would be able to stand any chance against Bede and Raihan. Then, rather enthusiastically, Bede agreed to the set date and location.

I hope you know what you’re doing, Raihan, Opal bemoaned, a firm knock on the front door startling her from her musing.

“Morning, Miss Opal!” Raihan cheerfully greeted her as she welcomed him into the foyer. “It’s getting cold in Hammerlocke— surprised the temperature’s pretty stable here.”

“It’s the trees,” Opal explained, returning to her chair while Raihan removed his shoes. “They help insulate Ballonlea. They keep the wind out and instances of light snow, but winter will come here eventually, all the same. It’s imminent; I can feel it in my bones.”

“You got any plans for your first Christmas with Bede?” asked Raihan, settling into a loveseat that looked comically dwarfed by his size.

“Trust me,” Opal smiled mischievously, “it’s my personal mission to ensure I make up the last fourteen Christmases for that boy. You won’t experience a cozier Christmas than one in Ballonlea.”

Opal then frowned and turned her head toward the hall that led to Bede’s room. The resulting silence allowed the two of them to listen out for the subject of their discussion. “What’s taking him so long? You’re a tad early, but he knew the ETA.”

“Want me to go get him so you don’t have to get up?” Raihan offered, preemptively jumping to his feet.

“Don’t assume I’m some feeble, fragile waif,” Opal warned him, “but you’re already standing, so might as well.”

“Trust me, Miss Opal, I’ve never assumed you couldn’t put me in my place if the need arose.”

As Raihan walked down the too-narrow (from his perspective) hallway, he stole a glance at the pictures hanging on the wall. Most were of Opal throughout the years, with family and friends. He couldn’t help but notice how the number of other people in those photos gradually dwindled as Opal grew older. He would have felt depressed at the thought of out-living one’s friends and family until he reached one last frame.

It held three photos: one looked to be a family photo with Opal, Bede, and their Pokémon, including Bede’s retired Duosion and Gothorita. Another photo was Bede and Opal posing in the Ballonlea Gym, the former looking a little irritated and pulling at the long hem of his Fairy Trainer uniform, this event possibly being when he was bestowed the outfit. The last was simply Bede, the photo clearly taken in secret. He was sitting in an armchair by the window, intently studying a large textbook in his lap. An Eevee, his pre-evolved Sylveon, was attempting to clamber into the chair with him but Bede was too preoccupied to notice.

Raihan smiled at the frame; Opal may have lost many loved ones as she aged, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t find new ones. Bede was lucky to have her as both a mentor and grandmother. Raihan couldn’t imagine what was going to happen when Opal passed awa—

No, he shouldn’t be thinking that; what a terrible thought. He was sure Opal had her affairs in order when the inevitable happened and, at her age, death no longer seemed frightening (by her own admission). Still, he was more worried about how Bede would react…

Maybe that was why he was here. He was a pawn in Opal’s master plan of ensuring Bede would have everything he needed once she was gone. He was okay with that.

“Bede?” Raihan rapped his knuckles on the door. “Bede, you in there?” When he didn’t receive a response, Raihan took a risk and opened the door.

Bede was in there, but the music in his earbuds as he almost-frenziedly wrote something down in a spiral notebook was clearly drowning out the auditory world. Raihan snickered as he almost leered over Bede, who still hadn’t noticed he had entered the room. Realizing the opportunity, Raihan started to look around the bedroom and was immediately floored by the plushie collection on the shelves, bed, desk, and windowsill.

He’s gonna need more shelves soon if he keeps expanding the collection. Raihan wandered to the bookshelves and was rather pleased to find some Dragon-types. He picked up a Dratini and Kingdra, instinctively moving the latter so it looked like it was swimming. Some things never changed—

“What are you doing here!?” Bede finally noticed he was no longer alone, his shrill shrieking spooking Raihan enough that he noticeably jumped.

“I’m here to pick you up for the theme park trip,” answered Raihan, holding the two plushies against his chest, almost guilty for having gotten caught touching his symbolic brother’s belongings. “I knocked but you didn’t answer.”

“…Oh.” At least Bede looked embarrassed for not having heard Raihan’s knocking. “Didn’t realize what time it was.”

“That’s fine,” Raihain assured him, placing the two plushies back where he believed he had picked them from. “We have some wiggle room so it’s not like we have to leave right now.”

Bede hastily organized his desk top and rushed for his closet, retrieving a Fairy track jacket, recognizable by the distinctive pink stripes. Raihan noticed a packed duffel bag sitting on the bed and picked it up, slinging the strap over his shoulder. Bede turned and noticed his bag had been claimed. He nodded in approval and began to step toward the door when something caught his eye and made him frown in displeasure. With a scowl, Bede picked out the Dratini and Kingdra and put them in their proper places, taking a moment to position them how he wanted.

Raihan wisely kept his mouth shut, letting Bede do his ritual and following the teen out. Opal had heard Bede screaming but knew he wasn’t in danger and decided her intervention wasn’t needed. She continued to peacefully sip her tea while she waited for Bede and Raihan to emerge from the hall.

“Well, we’re off,” Raihan waved at her as he passed by, slipping his shoes back on. “See you in three days.”

Bede gave her a more proper goodbye while Raihan strode into the front yard, smiling at his mount who had been waiting patiently. Bede put on his shoes and started following Raihan out, then froze when he noticed Flygon waiting for them. He looked around, trying to decipher whether Raihan was intending what he thought was being implicated or there was a taxi hidden somewhere.

“No!” Opal had chosen to see them off from the door and immediately opposed Raihan’s choice of transportation. “He is not riding on Flygon’s back!”

“I’ll be with him, and there’s no way Flygon would let him fall,” Raihan insisted.

“No, call a Corviknight Taxi. I refuse to let him travel so dangerously.”

Raihan kept trying to defend his proposition while Opal pointedly called for a taxi. Bede continued standing in the front yard with Flygon, exchanging bemused glances with the dragon. He was hesitant to say he was eager to ride Flygon, but he was more open to the idea than Opal was. Still, he didn’t argue as the Corviknight set down and Raihan pouted as he returned Flygon and climbed into the taxi.

“What made you think that was going to go well?” Bede asked as he settled in his seat and shut the door.

“I though she’d trust my judgement. I wouldn’t put you in danger.” Raihan heaved a sigh, trying to rearrange his long legs into a more comfortable position. This was why he preferred traveling on Flygon; more leg room.

“So,” Raihan started to make conversation, “that’s quite a plushie collection you got there. Gonna run out of room soon.”

“Opal says there’s nothing wrong with my plushies,” Bede replied, a clear tone of irritation in his voice, as if daring Raihan to comment on a teenage boy having such a collection.

“Of course there isn’t!” Raihan agreed. “Are you going to collect one of every Pokémon?”

“I think that’d be impossible. Usually only popular Pokémon get merchandising made of them; it’d be difficult to track down distributors for the less-popular ones. I’d have to commission each one I can’t find on my own.”

“Commission, huh?” Raihan looked thoughtful.

Hop must have some sort of sixth sense because he poked his head out of his and Leon’s hotel room the second Raihan and Bede approached the door to theirs. “You made it!”

“Did you expect us to get lost?” Bede snapped, though his attitude did little to sour Hop’s enthusiasm.

“Play nice,” chided Raihan, inserting the keycard into his and Bede’s hotel room door and swinging it open. He slung his bag off his shoulder and used it to prop the door open before turning and fully acknowledging Hop. “Are the others here?”

“Not yet, Victor and Gloria went out of their way to collect Marnie. Hey Lee!” Hop raised his voice, causing Bede to wince at the loud volume. “Raihan’s here!”

Leon burst out the door of his and Hop’s hotel room to properly greet them, the door ominously closing shut behind him. “Took you long enough. Piers isn’t coming, by the way. All the bright lights and colors will show how pale he is.”

“You came up with that excuse on your own, didn’t you?” Raihan questioned.

“Amazingly, not this time,” laughed Leon. “So, Bede, it’s been a while—”

“How dare you assume just because you’re biologically-related that means you and Hop are automatically better!” Bede snarled, getting right up in Leon’s face and forcing the chairman to take a step back in shock. “Claim something like that again and I will fly from Ballonlea to wherever the hell you’re hiding in Galar and tear your head off!”

“Raihan… help,” Leon whimpered.

“Oh hell no,” Raihan snickered. “He might bite me— plus, you brought it upon yourself.”

“I help you out and you tattle on me!?”

“I said I was going to do it.”

“Okay Bede,” Hop piped up, drawing the other boy’s attention away from his brother, “if you think you’re up to the challenge, I have a proposition to prove who’s better.”

“Try me,” snarled Bede.

“Pokéland has these attraction passports: basically, you get a blank passport and visit different rides and landmarks to get a stamp. You navigate the park and collect as many as you can. We’ll be opposing teams and the challenge is to collect as many stamps as you can within a time limit. You up for it?”

“A navigation challenge… to visit several locations… and you want to team up with Leon?” Bede said incredulously.

“I’ve got the sense of direction and he’s got the determination,” Hop replied confidently, his lip quirking into a slight smirk.

“You’re not playing scavenger hunt without us!” The occupants in the hall turned in unison to see Gloria, Victor, and Marnie had arrived, their overnight bags either hanging off their shoulders or being dragged behind as a rolling suitcase. Gloria was the one who had spoken up and was glaring disapprovingly. “You can’t make up a game and not include the rest of the group!”

“Does that mean you three will be a team?” proposed Raihan.

“Yeah!” Gloria’s glare immediately turned bright and sunny. “Wanna join us, Marnie? We’ll be triplets!”

Raihan couldn’t help but notice Gloria never asked Victor if he even wanted to play the stamp hunt game, though the boy didn’t look like he objected. He wondered if that was some sort of unspoken communication between them, like a psychic twin bond.

Marnie agreed to become a triplet so she, Gloria, and Victor were the third opposing team in the stamp hunt. Now that the challenge had been turned into a fun game, Bede was beginning to look reluctant to participate. He was more eager to utterly destroy Leon and Hop when it was a personal challenge, but now that the competitiveness was alleviated slightly, he was losing some of his initiative.

“When’re we going to hit the park?” Victor asked.

“We’ve got a couple days to see everything and I don’t want this challenge to spoil the entire trip,” Leon responded, “so we’ll have a late lunch here at the hotel then head over there. We’ll only do the stamp hunt tonight; it’ll start once we have our passports and we’ll agree on an end time to meet up and compare. Sound good?”

“Agreeable,” Bede snipped, darting into his and Raihan’s hotel room. Raihan watched him scurry off and shrugged his shoulders to indicate Bede’s behavior was mystery even to him before following.

Marnie and Gloria were sharing a room while Victor had his own as the sole male of the newly-formed triplet team, not that he seemed to care. The trio departed to their rooms to drop their bags off and unpack enough to collect what outfits and items they wanted to bring to the park. Satisfied with the plan so far, Leon pulled at the door handle to his and Hop’s hotel room, only to finally notice it had shut behind them. He patted at his pockets, desperately trying to find his keycard.

“Crap,” Leon groaned. “Hopscotch, do you have a keycard?”

“…I do not,” Hop responded once he checked his pockets.

“Right… off to the front desk… again.”

There was a kiosk advertising the stamp passports and even Leon, who was pants with directions, was able to see the large signs. Each of them were provided with passports, Bede idly flipping through the pages and realizing this was more like a scavenger hunt than simply going to each marked location. Every page had a clue of what the attraction was, meaning participants had to solve a puzzle to figure out where to go. He smirked internally, already foreseeing Leon and Hop having difficulty.

That’ll show them for being so arrogant. Just because they’re biologically-related to one another doesn’t mean they’re better than me and Raihan.

Leon and Victor took a brief moment to greet fans as the former and current Champion respectively, gently turning them away by claiming they were guests at the park just like the fans and not worth idolizing. Fame could be difficult to handle at times and it was burden Leon was coaching Victor on how to handle.

“Are we ready to go?” asked Marnie once Leon and Victor successfully dispersed the crowd.

“Yeah, but we’ll likely be dealing with that intermittently,” Leon responded. “Okay, let’s get this show on the road. Everyone got their passports? Let’s meet up back here at the kiosks at eight; you’ll be given a ten minute grace period, but after that, we’ll start docking stamps if you take too long. Ready… go!”

Hop and Leon immediately dashed away, leaving the others in the dust— not that any of them cared. Gloria suggested the triplet team get a sweet treat before embarking on their quest, while Bede and Raihan calmly read over the clues, trying to decipher the easiest ones for quick stamp acquisition.

“This one’s clearly the Ferris wheel,” Bede pointed out, “and this other one’s the roller coaster.”

“Wow, you’re good at this,” Raihan complimented. “You ever consider going geocaching?”

“What’s geocaching?”

“It’s basically city-wide scavenger hunting. The organizers hide the treasures and release clues online of where to start the hunt.”

“How about we focus on this hunt?” said Bede, a hint of irritation in his voice as the competitiveness started to set back in. Maybe this challenge had been changed into a fun game, but he would still be damned if he lost to Hop. “There’s a sculpture exhibit— looks like that’s the closest location for us to get a stamp.”

The team set off, Bede clearly on a mission judging by the look of determination on his face. Fans easily recognized him and Raihan, but the former’s focus drove him to purposefully step around anyone who approached. Raihan could only offer a sheepish sympathetic smile at the poor kids Bede had ignored and expressed his regrets he couldn’t stay and dote on them since Opal would kill him if he lost Bede at Pokéland.

“I should get you one of those hi-vis vests for aggressive Pokémon: ‘don’t approach me, I’m not friendly,’” Raihan joked once he caught up to Bede. “Y’know, with the role of Gym Leader comes some responsibility of being a role model—”

“Leon had it right,” Bede interrupted. “We’re visitors at the park just like everyone else. We should have the right to enjoy ourselves without being hounded by fans.”

“Are you enjoying yourself? ‘Cause you seem more interested in crushing Leon and Hop than actually having fun with the hunt.”

Bede didn’t respond, instead choosing to speed up enough Raihan had to break into a light jog to keep up, despite his longer legs. They arrived at the sculpture exhibit, an open patch of land without any obstructions in the center except for light poles and the sculptures themselves. The pavement was a mosaic of different tiles, including some colored glass, polished enough Raihan could see his own reflection.

Guests were meandering about to admire the sculptures, some of which were for sale but Raihan couldn’t fathom who would have the space for these behemoths. There was a Gyarados made of driftwood that towered a good ten feet above Raihan, who was already much taller than the average man. His gaze was immediately drawn to a Duraludon made of scrap metal, designed to look very rough and industrial in contrast the real Pokémon’s sleek appearance.

…No, I can’t justify the purchase and I have no place to put it.

“Hey Bede—” he called out, having lost sight of his little brother. He spotted the kiosk where they would collect the stamp, but Bede wasn’t there. Now beginning to feel frantic, Raihan’s head snapped back and forth as he searched the open space among the sculpture, calming when he saw the teen was at one of the stalls set up around the perimeter of the exhibition.

Upon approaching, he realized Bede was admiring a painting on display. The image was split down the middle, depicting what he initially thought was the same tree but figured out was actually two trees given the difference in the landscape on each side of the painting. The left half was a grassy hillock against a clear blue sky, the tree on that half of the image pink-leaved and laden with large red fruit. The right half appeared to be on a mountain, the craggy walls and snow-covered ground supporting his supposition. The sky was a misty-gray and he almost couldn’t differentiate the tree, whose bare branches and sickly-gray bark reminded him of a skeleton.

“The plaque says the artist traveled to the Crown Tundra to paint this,” Bede spoke up, gesturing to the placard posted beneath the frame.

“Too much effort,” Raihan nervously chuckled. “I couldn’t imagine traveling across the Crown Tundra just to paint a picture. Interesting trees though…” he leaned in to scrutinize the image.

“The pink one is the Dyna Tree,” explained Bede. “I read about it in a textbook. I don’t know what the dead-looking one is, but I assume it’s up in the mountain range, which few are willing to attempt to climb.”

“That was one determined artist. Are you going to buy it?”

Bede scoffed, “You think I have that kind of money lying around? No. It’s really interesting though.”

Raihan hummed and nodded in response. He glanced at the kiosk, a couple of other stamp hunters excitedly collecting their stamp and discussing where to go next. “You wanna go to the kiosk? Hop and Leon are probably ahead given how fast they ran off.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Bede stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking much more calmly toward the kiosk.

“You don’t sound excited anymore,” Raihan remarked. “You were ready to crush Leon and Hop beneath your heel minutes ago. What changed?”

“Nothing.”

“You feeling alright?” Raihan instinctively reached out to press a hand against his forehead to check for fever.

Bede recoiled with a look of disgust, batting his hand away. “Quit it! I’m fine! It’s just…” He became quiet, stopping in the center of the open exhibition space. “Why didn’t they see it as a challenge?”

“What are you talking about? Of course they see it as a challenge— they just choose to have fun about it. It’s supposed to be fun.”

“It doesn’t feel fun,” mumbled Bede.

“Then don’t play; it’s as simple as that. We can get some dessert or go on rides or see some other exhibits. There’s plenty to do.”

“I’m not giving up after accepting the challenge!” Bede snapped.

“Well… collecting one stamp isn’t giving up, is it?” suggested Raihan. “It shows you tried; y’know, expended the effort?”

“Minimal effort…”

Raihan frowned, unsure of how he should proceed. “Bede, if you’re not having fun, why keep at it? Let’s shift the stamp-collecting as an afterthought. We’ll have fun at the park and if we happen to run into a kiosk, we’ll collect the stamp.”

“I… guess that’s okay,” Bede admitted, drawing a sigh of relief from Raihan. “I mean… I can’t remember ever going to an amusement park when I was little. I was motivated by the challenge but then I realized I would be wasting the trip if all I did was focus on the stamp hunt.”

“The stamp hunt is only the first night; we’ll have a couple more,” Raihan reminded him.

“You know what?” Bede pulled the passport out of his pocket, his eyes narrowing as a look of finality replaced his one of unsurety. “I’m a kid given free-range of an amusement park: I’m going to do what I want!”

“Hell yeah! That’s what I want to hear!” Raihan cheered. “What do you want to do? What to get some ice cream?”

“Not yet. I’ve never been motion sick on a Corviknight Taxi, but I don’t know how I would cope at high speeds. I want to go on some rides before eating anything.”

“Let me show you my favorite,” Raihan offered, excited Bede was relaxing and behaving in a more casual way. “Fastest roller-coaster in Galar; naught to sixty in three seconds.”

“After we get the stamp,” Bede reminded him.

“Of course. You wanna take a selfie to advertise the stamp hunt? If we life-tweet it, maybe we’ll get some supporters.”

“Keep that camera lens away from me,” Bede threatened.

Even in the hot barren cliffs of Route 6, a cold wind was blowing in that chilled Bede to his bones, forcing him to pull his jacket more tightly around himself. Winter was quickly approaching, and he was beginning to regret accepting Raihan’s invitation to hunt for fossils before the winter snows claimed the region.

“Y’alright?” asked Raihan, readjusting his winter hat. His undercut was stylish and helped during sweltering summer months but did little to conserve heat in the winter.

“Yeah,” Bede replied, a little miffed Raihan had noticed his shivering. “Why are we fossil hunting in the cold?”

“I come out here regularly; this is the final trip before it gets too cold. Let’s get hunting!”

“What are we looking for exactly?”

“Nothing in particular. You’ll find there are various kinds of fossils of Pokémon and plants; only the ones completely intact can be revived.”

“Have you found any that could be revived?” Bede inquired, struggling to follow Raihan up a steep slope, using large boulders as steps.

“Came close— about three-quarters intact. It’s my dream to find a Jaw Fossil complete enough to add the resulting Tyrunt to my team. That’s a Dragon/Rock-type, by the way.”

“I know!” Bede snapped, though his attitude only amused Raihan, who chuckled at him. “Aren’t all known fossil Pokémon Rock-types?”

“Yeah, all discovered ones. The going theory is, due to Rock-types’ natural sturdiness, they’re more likely to survive the ravages of time.”

“So… no Fairy fossils?”

Raihan came to a stop, prompting Bede to catch up and stand beside him. The Dragon Trainer pointed up to ledge about ten feet above them with no visible method of reaching it. Bede stared skeptically, unsure of how Raihan expected them to climb up.

“That’s the last place I was searching,” Raihan explained. “It’s also where I found the almost intact fossil, so I wanted to come back to it.”

“Makes sense— what doesn’t make sense is how you expect us to get up there.”

There was a flash of light and suddenly Flygon was perched on the rocks beside them. Raihan expertly swung himself onto his Pokémon’s back, settled himself, then extended a hand toward Bede. “Don’t tell Opal,” he said cheekily.

Bede hesitated, critically eyeing the dragon Pokémon, but then accepted Raihan’s hand. With a surprising amount of strength, Raihan hauled him onto Flygon’s back, strategically placing him between Raihan himself and Flygon’s wings. Strong arms protectively hugging him to Raihan’s torso anchored Bede in place as the first downstroke made him jolt and briefly panic. He would deny his fear but was immensely relieved the flight was a short one.

The ledge they were on had plenty of room to wander and move around, a large crack in the rock wall intended as their destination. Bede saw the ledge narrowed further along the rockface, not enough to be untraversable but enough to give him vertigo and make him extremely uncomfortable.

“Stay away from there,” Raihan warned, returning Flygon to its Pokéball.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Bede agreed.

“As we were discussing before,” Raihan continued, leading Bede into the crack in the wall, which immediately opened up into a large space illuminated with the same kind of lights used in the mines, “as far as I know, there haven’t been any Fairy Pokémon fossils discovered.”

Bede huffed quietly, a little upset by that. So many people were fascinated by fossil Pokémon and not one was a Fairy. “Wait, aren’t the fossil Pokémon discovered in Galar non-Rock?”

“Well…” Raihan looked a little uncomfortable, “those are sorta… special. In fact, Leon is considering outlawing their creation.”

“Why?”

“Because those Pokémon are created by reviving pieces of fossils stuck together. They’re not whole and, frankly, the scientist claiming the way they look is completely natural should have her credentials pulled.”

Bede examined the wall, spying multiple areas where small pockets of stone had been dug out, likely to extract fossils. Raihan had provided him some tools, including a stake, hammer, and brushes, but Bede had a hard time believing these meager utensils could cut through solid rock.

“And just because there haven’t been any discovered Fairy fossils, doesn’t mean they aren’t out there,” Raihan continued making conversation. “Carbink is a Rock/Fairy-type, so it’s feasible for it to leave a fossil behind. There are all kinds of type combinations, maybe there’s even a Dragon/Fairy-type out there somewhere.”

Bede scoffed at the thought. “A Dragon/Fairy-type? You really think those two can coexist?”

“Hey!” Raihan complained. “There’s all kinds of type combinations out there. So why not?”

The two fell into quiet companionship as they examined the walls, tapping hammers in various areas to test for softness in the stone or hollow pockets. Bede found the activity a little tedious and figured it was a game of patience, like fishing. However, the surge of excitement he felt when they actually found something almost made up for the tedium. It was only a flower, a clear imprint of its stem and petals in a flat plate of rock, but it was still something and Bede found it absolutely fascinating, tracing his fingers along the imprint.

“Could we revive a flower?” he wondered.

“It’s been done before,” said Raihan, “though people are usually more interested in Pokémon than the plants.”

“Well, they’re daft then,” Bede spoke tersely, protectively clutching the fossil and wondering what color the petal were in life.

A muffled boom interrupted their search. Raihan’s head snapped toward the entrance to the cave, a worried expression on his face as he scrambled toward the opening. The chilled wind had picked up, dark clouds rolling in that had previously been idling on the horizon.

“Shit!” Raihan cursed. “This was supposed to miss us! Bede, we need to leave!”

The frantic tone of his brother’s voice told Bede the situation was a serious one. He pocketed the fossil, pulled up the hood of his winter jacket, and rushed to Raihan’s side at the entrance of the cave to see exactly what was supposed to miss them.

“Storms get dangerous in this area because of the cliffs,” Raihan explained. “Since few plants will grow out here, the dirt isn’t anchored very well, and the rain will turn these cliffs into muddy waterfalls. Let’s get on Flygon quick and get out of here before the rain gets here.”

The two emerged from onto the ledge, Raihan releasing Flygon from its Pokéball and clambering aboard. Bede watched the dark clouds with a morbid fascination, knowing how much danger they held. A thunderous boom caused him to squeal and jump; it sounded right above them and Bede fearfully looked up, as if expecting a bolt of lightning to strike him. He stumbled back as he strained to look up, fat raindrops starting to fall and hit him in the eyes. He rubbed the heel of his hand against his eyes, trying to clear his vision.

“Bede! Let’s go!” Raihan shouted, muscles tensing as he prepared to spring off Flygon’s back and physically pick Bede up if the boy couldn’t collect himself.

Bede blinked the water out of his eyes, seeing Flygon on the ledge. He started rushing over, the rain beginning to pick up enough to form puddles. He had a hand reached out to rest against Flygon’s head while he maneuvered onto the Pokémon’s back when another crash of thunder frightened him badly enough to incite an adrenaline rush. He fearfully looked around, fight-or-flight in full force.

Flygon squawked, head darting forward to grab Bede’s sleeve in its teeth as the boy spun in place and recoiled as lightning flashed overhead. The rain-slick rocky terrain proved to be more dangerous than previously thought. Bede’s right leg slid out from under him, his left heel striking against a trifling little rock. He felt weightless for a moment as his shoulders tipped over the edge before gravity came back full force and he began to turn as he fell.

He didn’t fall very far, Flygon successfully grabbing him before his foot even lost contact with the ledge. The dragon gripped him uncomfortably by the hips in its teeth, a firm grip ensuring he wouldn’t plummet to his death but his momentum still carrying him into a downward swing. Bede raised his right arm to cushion the impact against the stone wall, a sharp pain shooting up his forearm once contact was made. Flygon swung its head out so he wouldn’t scrape against the wall as it deposited him back on the ledge, Raihan immediately gathering him up and scrambling onto his Pokémon.

The forefront of the storm was what had caught them, meaning a short flight toward Hammerlocke was enough to escape the rain. Flygon alit on the bridge, lowering its shoulders so Raihan and Bede could climb off.

“Are you okay!?” Raihan frantically checked Bede over, his heart hammering in his ears. He had felt a stab to the chest as he watched Bede fall off the ledge and was only now realizing he wasn’t breathing enough and was feeling lightheaded.

“I’m… I’m okay,” Bede exhaled shakily.

“Whew, gotta love that adrenaline rush, huh?” Raihan laughed, the relief overwhelming. “Next time, let’s have a movie night at my place, okay? Nice and quiet.”

“Sounds good.” Bede struggled to his feet, his knees collapsing inward and dropping him to the ground once more. He hissed in pain when he fell on his hands, raising his right arm and staring in horror at the huge lump forming on his forearm just above his wrist and the numbing sensation gradually spreading down to his pinkie.

“I… I’m not okay…” Bede realized.

Even though the distance between the Corviknight Taxi and the reception desk of the emergency room was insignificant, Opal felt as if she had just run across Galar with the way her heart was racing and her limbs trembling. She was too old for this sort of excitement, though she could hardly call this “exciting.”

She didn’t even get a chance to speak with the receptionist before Raihan swooped in. “Miss Opal! This way! The doctor told me he just got out of the examination room; he didn’t need surgery, thankfully, but—”

Opal silenced him with a swift whack of her parasol. Raihan froze, more from shock than pain, then recoiled fearfully as Opal bore down on him with all the overprotective rage of a grandmother protecting her grandchild. “How could you let this happen!? I trusted you to watch over him!”

The sight of the tall, lanky Hammerlocke Gym Leader being cowed into submission by an elderly woman half his height and about a third his weight would have been humorous had her words not clearly cut him deep. “I… I’m sorry,” he whimpered, his throat closing as she continued to berate him.

The on-call doctor who had overseen Bede’s treatment was standing off to the side, wishing to step in and explain the boy’s condition but also fearful of what was happening before him. He pressed his back against the wall, trying to hide from Opal’s residual wrath. Everyone in the waiting room and even further in the corridors had fallen silent as the Fairy Trainer’s accusations and reprimands echoed off the smooth walls and laminate floor.

“Um…” the doctor hesitantly spoke up. “Bede is out of treatment and is being fitted with a cast.”

“Yes,” Opal calmed, her hands still trembling as she gripped the handle of her parasol and wearily leaned on it, “please explain the current situation.”

“The head of his right ulna bone hit the rock pretty hard— the head being the part of the bone that connects to the wrist bones. He suffered a transverse incomplete fracture, which means his bone wasn’t broken completely through. As long as he takes it easy, he should heal fairly rapidly given his age and health.”

Both Opal and Raihan let out shared breaths of relief, the former nearly fainting as the adrenaline rush finally calmed. “Thank you, Doctor.”

Raihan opened his mouth, prepared to reassure Opal everything was okay and express how sorry he was for the situation they had found themselves in, but the woman immediately silenced him.

“I don’t want to see any trace of you,” she growled. “Get out of our lives and never set foot into Ballonlea again.”

“Wha—? Miss Opal please—”

“Don’t make me repeat myself!” she snapped. “I can’t believe I trusted you with something this important. Clearly, I made a mistake.”

“You don’t mean that,” Raihan was finding it difficult to speak. His throat was closing, and his voice was cracking.

“I’m taking Bede back to Ballonlea and I expect you to stay away,” she said with a tone of finality.

“…Can… Can I say goodbye?”

“No, please leave.” With that, Opal instructed the doctor to escort her to the examination room Bede was receiving his cast, leaving Raihan standing by the reception desk and not looking back once.

A thick layer of snow, soft and free of ice, was covering every roof and mushroom cap in Ballonlea, looking remarkably like powered sugar. Citizens were doing well in keeping the roads and sidewalks cleared using shovels, gravel, and salt, which was an easy task when the towering trees overhead sheltered them from the brunt of falling snow. The only downside was the occasional “snow drop,” when the weight of snow on the trees became too much and a branch dipped low enough for enough snow to form a drift fell to the ground.

Given her age and Bede’s arm, Opal had hired a local handyman to hang her strings of fairy lights on the house. The rest of the Christmas decorating wasn’t physically daunting, so she and her protégé were able to handle it themselves. Opal could hear the handyman climbing down the ladder for, hopefully, the last time and hastily put on her winter coat to greet him outside.

“What do you think, ma’am?” he proudly presented his work.

Opal was very pleased with the result. In recent years, she hadn’t bothered hanging the fairy lights since it was only her living at home, but she did take the time to decorate the inside. Now that Bede was living with her, she wanted to go all-out with decorations to make the home feel as warm and comforting as she recalled her childhood home felt when she was small.

“Bede dear!” she called out, summoning the boy to the door. “Come out here, I have a surprise!”

Bede nearly stumbled in his haste to get off the front stoop, excitedly looking around before realizing Opal was referring to the fairy lights. His enthusiasm crashed and burned, and he merely nodded along as Opal explained how the lights were on an automatic timer for convenience. He idly picked at a seam on his cast, as stark white as the snow surrounding them aside from the well-wishes written on the cast. Even Allister had mustered the courage to visit and sign the cast, but Bede would trade all the messages for the single one that wasn’t there.

Upon exiting the exam room, his arm stiff and encased in the cast and his mind slightly clouded by pain medication, Bede was shocked to see Raihan wasn’t waiting for him. He had expected Opal, knowing Raihan would call her and let her know about the accident, but his big brother’s absence was upsetting.

“Where—?” was all he managed to ask before Opal curtly silenced him by explaining Raihan was gone and his brotherly duties were terminated. That was the only explanation he received and Raihan had not contacted him, nor would Opal allow him to contact Raihan.

It wasn’t until the relationship was forbidden did Bede realize how much he had come to value and enjoy Raihan’s company. The sudden lack of the Dragon Trainer in his life was devastating and Bede found himself withdrawing emotionally. Not even his peers could break through the depressive haze. Victor and Hop had briefly contemplated setting up a secret meeting for Bede and Raihan but decided against it when they realized if Opal found out, they would suffer greatly.

At some point, Leon had showed up on Raihan’s behalf to try and talk some sense into Opal, only to be driven out of Ballonlea with his metaphorical tail between his legs. He had attempted to sneak back to the house with a letter for Bede, but Togekiss came out of nowhere and chased him off.

Raihan knew, eventually, he and Bede would meet again. Gym Leader duties would bring them together in preparation for the Gym Challenge and, of course, they could communicate using their phones, which Bede had done several times by this point. But Raihan had yet to respond, despite how desperate the messages were becoming.

It wasn’t that he was afraid Opal (okay, he was afraid but not enough to fear for his life), it had more to do with his own feelings of guilt. Opal’s reaction made him reflect on his own actions. He knew the storm was in the area, but it was predicted to completely miss the cliffs. He thought they would have been safe but a stray wind has pushed the storm east enough to hit them. The cliffs were a dangerous area even without a storm; had he been right to bring Bede there?

Was it all his fault? Did he deserve to get hit with a parasol and yelled at for being foolish and irresponsible? Did he deserve to lose Bede’s brotherly bond? Would Bede be better off without him doing stupid things that threatened his life? He remembered the first picnic and how he believed he had exposed Bede to a potential allergen. What if he had brought carrots to the picnic?

I’m an idiot, Raihan admitted to himself, sadly staring at the text notification on his phone before telling Rotom to delete it.

Bede stared intently at his phone screen, desperately begging Raihan to respond. There were soft lights blinking from various decorations around the house, but he only cared about the light of his phone screen. The aroma of baked goods wafted around him, and he was tempted to get up and steal a biscuit before dinner when the text notification suddenly lit up.

So eager for a response he knocked his cast against the end table, Bede scrambled for his phone and opened the text, only to deflate when he saw it was from Gloria. She was offering to pick him up and take him to the Wild Area since, apparently, there were some rare Pokémon sighted.

“Who is that?” Opal asked, her voice casual but the hint of protectiveness obvious.

“Gloria,” he answered, the disappointment evident enough Opal knew he wasn’t lying, “I guess a pack of Clefable have been sighted around Giant’s Seat and, allegedly, there’s a shiny Cleffa among them.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“She wants me to come.”

“I think you should go,” Opal urged him.

“Are you sure?” Bede snarled, narrowing his eyes at her. “You don’t think it’s too dangerous? Maybe I’ll slip and drown in Lake Miloch. Maybe the stone spire in Giant’s Seat will fall over and crush me. If something goes wrong, are you going to blame Gloria and ban her from seeing me?”

“Bede,” she admonished him, “I realize you’re hurt by what happened, but one day you’ll realize—”

Bede scoffed harshly and stood up from the armchair, interrupting Opal before she could justify her decision. “Say whatever you want, it doesn’t make you right. I’m going with Gloria; I want to get out of the house for a while.”

Opal frowned as she watched him disappear into his room (which he had begun shutting the door to again) and reemerge wearing his winter gear. He pushed past her when she attempted to bid him farewell, sprinting out the door and nearly running into the handyman who was still in the yard.

“He was in a hurry,” the handyman commented, approaching the doorstep with a package in his arms. “Oh, Miss Opal, the postman came by and dropped this off for you.”

“Thank you dear,” Opal accepted the package, reaching into her pocket and gifting him a hearty tip for his work.

Opal returned to the house, shutting the door behind her to keep out the cold. The house, decorated with a tree full of shiny baubles, wreaths and lights, and full of scents of cinnamon and baked goods, had never felt so cold and empty. Bede rushing out had hurt more than she wanted to admit. She had wanted to give that boy the perfect Christmas and now he was miserable.

The weight of the package grounded her from her musing and she ventured to the dining room, taking care to avoid the cooling racks of biscuits, and set the package on the table. The package was a good size, perfectly square, and wrapped in brown paper with the addresses written in black ink. A cursory glance at the return address, despite lacking a name, revealed the package was from Raihan.

For a moment, she contemplated throwing it out. She still held some contempt for Raihan after the accident, but time had cooled her anger and she had begun to reflect on her reaction. Receiving the frantic call from Raihan had been terrifying and she had wanted someone to blame for her protégé’s (oh, who was she kidding? Grandson) broken arm and torn clothing. Raihan was the easiest target and became the unfortunate recipient of her wrath.

Now, she was realizing how much she must have hurt both Bede and Raihan. Her hands trembled as she carefully undid the tape and slid the box out of the brown paper, revealing a Christmas gift adorned in colorful wrapping paper. An envelope was attached to the top using a sticker of a Granbull’s head.

She was hesitant, viewing this as an invasion of Bede’s privacy, but her own lack of communication with Raihan meant she was in the dark about his feelings of what happened. Rather than a Christmas card, the contents of the envelope was a handwritten letter.

Hey Bede, how’s it going? I know we haven’t been talking much and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for a lot of things, but mostly I’m sorry for taking you to the cliffs. It was all my fault— I’ve accepted that. I hope someday you can forgive me.

We can’t be brothers anymore, but we can still be colleagues. We’re Gym Leaders so we’ll be interacting for business. It won’t be the same as before, but it’ll be fine. I got you a Christmas present (obviously). Hope it gets to you before the day. Snow’s getting pretty thick. I would’ve dropped it off but Leon got chased out of Ballonlea by Togekiss. Hope you’re doing alright.

Raihan thought it was all his fault.

Opal pulled one of the dining room chairs out from the table and sank into it, the letter clutched tightly in her hand. Once her mind was unclouded by anger and fear, she accepted what had happened was an accident, even if she still blamed Raihan for putting Bede in that situation. Now she realized exactly how much guilt was plaguing the Dragon Trainer.

Of course Raihan knew it was an accident! He was there when it happened, and it wasn’t like he had purposefully put Bede in a position to be harmed. But he still shouldered all the blame, hating himself for hurting his little brother.

Christmas present… Opal glanced at the brightly-wrapped package, wondering what Raihan could have gotten for Bede after spending several weeks together, learning about the younger boy.

She was meticulous as she unwrapped the gift, intending to rewrap it in the same paper to hide her dishonest snooping. The box was the kind with an easily removeable top, the contents within hidden by tissue paper and another card resting on top. Opal picked up the card and rooted through the tissue paper, revealing a plushie. But not just any plushie: Mega Altaria.

She was familiar with Mega Evolution, though had never utilized it herself. The plushie was beautifully crafted and the thick, cloud-like wings and tail were incredibly soft. It was plenty cute, but she couldn’t but wonder: why this Pokémon?

Her answer came from within the second card.

It may be only a temporary transformation, but this is a Dragon/Fairy Pokémon. I told you it’s possible, so I win! You were right about popularity and merchandise though. I had to commission this.

Opal suddenly reflected on what made her choose Raihan for the role of Bede’s big brother. He was friendly and protective, but also a powerful Trainer worthy of respect. Bede had been forced to admit Raihan was worthy of the bare minimum of respect given his achievements, which made Bede slightly more open to hearing Raihan out. With that miniscule crack in Bede’s emotional door, Raihan had managed to wedge himself in during the several weeks the two had spent together. The Dragon Trainer had successfully completed the task Opal had given him and she yelled at him for what was clearly an accident.

But he didn’t blame her for severing his and Bede’s relationship… he blamed himself— humble as he was boisterous.

“I need to fix this,” she realized.

“Well that was a waste of time,” complained Gloria while she doodled on Bede’s cast. The Corviknight Taxi was moving smoothly through the sky, devoid of crosswinds or snowfall. Bede grunted in agreement, absentmindedly staring at the snow-dusted cliffs of Stow-on-Side as the taxi passed over the town.

Gloria straightened her back and popped the cap back on the pen she had been using to draw with. She had drawn a Cleffa in a previously-empty space on his cast to commemorate their fruitless quest in the Wild Area for a rumored pack of Clefable and the shiny Cleffa.

“How much longer ‘til you get the cast off?” she asked.

“’Bout another week,” mumbled Bede. He heaved a sigh, taking a moment to scrutinize Gloria’s drawing. “Should I even go back?”

“To Ballonlea? It’d be kinda hard to be the Ballonlea Gym Leader otherwise.”

“Specifically to Opal’s house,” he clarified.

“C’mon Bede,” Gloria put a hand on his shoulder, “you know she loves you; she wouldn’t’ve been so angry if she didn’t.”

“She didn’t hear him out or let me say goodbye. What if I just run away to Hammerlocke? What’s she going to do about it?”

“Bring upon you the wrath of an old lady wielding a parasol,” Gloria joked. “In all seriousness though, we both know the best place for you is in Ballonlea with Opal. She knows what you’re capable of and sees your worth. Are you willing to throw that away?”

The taxi climbed higher as it passed over the towering trees of Glimwood Tangle then gradually fell as it finally arrived at the gaps in the forest where Ballonlea was. Bede groaned softly as the taxi touched down in Opal’s front yard, the fairy lights twinkling brightly in the dim light. The curtains had been drawn but the lamplight of the living room revealed Opal was still home and likely waiting up for him.

“C’mon,” Gloria urged him, intending to escort him to the front door to ensure he didn’t impulsively take the taxi elsewhere. When Bede silently followed her, she became all the more concerned about his current state of mind.

“Miss Opal?” Gloria knocked on the door out of politeness before quietly opening it. “I’ve brought Bede home, safe and sound. Our quest was a bust, so no Cleffa.”

Bede kicked snow of his shoes before clumsily removing them, so preoccupied with finding his house slippers he didn’t notice a much-larger pair of shoes that didn’t belong to either occupant of the house. In contrast, Gloria noticed the shoes and also noticed their entry into the house had interrupted a conversation between two people. She excitedly kicked off her shoes and scrambled for the kitchen, her socks sliding on the hardwood floors.

“Why are you coming in?” Bede asked after her retreating form.

“I want a biscuit!” she called over her shoulder.

Bede sighed, the exhale turning into a growl as his jaw clenched in frustration. He tiredly walked through the house to the kitchen, ignoring Gloria’s enthusiastic greeting, assuming she was merely saying hello to Opal and negotiating, perhaps, five to ten biscuits for her personal consumption. It wasn’t until he stepped into the kitchen that he realized there was an extra person more than he was expecting.

Raihan smiled warmly at him, an empty mug of coffee and a small plate with crumbs indicating he had been there for a while. Glora, who had a biscuit in her mouth already, was eagerly gesturing to the Dragon Trainer, as if she were a Yamper showing off its favorite ball. Opal was sitting beside Raihan, her hands folded in her lap and a look of atonement on her face.

“Hey Bede,” Raihan greeted him, “heard your quest was a bust?”

“You’re here,” Bede squeaked out, his voice cracking.

“Yeah, Opal invited me.”

“Is this a trick?” Bede glanced at Opal, wondering if she was being intentionally cruel or if this was truly what he thought it was.

“No tricks,” she assured him. “I’ve treated you both terribly, and I wanted both of you here so I could say: I’m sorry. I’m sorry for how I reacted to the accident— and it was an accident. Raihan, I was foolish to assume you intentionally let Bede get hurt. It wasn’t right for me to blame you for what happened; you didn’t deserve my anger. And Bede, I understand your own anger toward me for separating the two of you, and for that, I’m sorry.”

“This is real?” Bede asked, his dull eyes brightening and his heart beginning to flutter.

“Yes,” Opal confirmed. “If Raihan can find it in himself to forgive me, I would love for him to resume his duties as your big brother.”

“I never hated you, Miss Opal,” Raihan remarked. “In fact, you made me hate myself for letting Bede get hurt.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have felt that way. No one is to blame for what happened; it was an unfortunate turn of events. I would like to acknowledge mistakes were made but would love it if we could forgive and move past this.”

“I’d like that,” Raihan agreed. He reached for the unwrapped box sitting on the kitchen table and held it out to Bede. “This is for you— it’s a Christmas gift. I guess it got… damaged in the post; neatly, and none of the paper was torn,” he knowingly smirked at Opal, who purposefully got up from her chair to offer Gloria a glass of milk to wash down the biscuit she was eating.

Bede accepted the box and sat down in Opal’s empty chair, lifting the lid to reveal the plushie. He lifted it out, letting the box fall out of his lap and onto the floor. With the same intensity Opal had witnessed at the toy store in Wyndon, Bede examined the Mega Altaria, tracing his fingers along the stitching and brushing his cheek against the soft cloud-like tail and wings.

“Can I hold it?” Gloria asked, rubbing her palms to rid herself of biscuit crumbs.

“Wash your damn hands!” Bede scolded, protectively shielding the plushie from her. Gloria heaved a dramatic sigh and made a show of scrubbing her hands in the sink and presenting them for his inspection before he allowed her to hold the toy.

Raihan chuckled as he watched the teens marvel over the gift, gaze drifting toward the dining room table, laden with too many baked goods for just two people to eat. “You certainly baked up a storm. Is all that going to keep until you eat it?”

“If you happen to know anyone who would be interested in coming over to socialize and eat some sugary treats, perhaps you could invite them on my behalf,” suggested Opal, the insinuation evident in her tone and smile.

“Are you sure you want to release Leon and Hop upon your dining room table?”

“I would love to host them here. I said some harsh things— made some vague threats— to the children I need to apologize for. Also, I must apologize for setting Togekiss upon Leon.”

“Damn, I wish I had video of that fiasco,” Raihan muttered before speaking directly to Opal once more. “Alright, if you’re willing to take that risk, I’ll call them. They’re in Hammerlocke right now, waiting to see if I come back alive. Hey Glo, is Victor close by?”

Opal couldn’t recall ever feeling as relieved as she currently felt. Raihan was happily chatting with Leon on his phone, assuring he was okay, all was forgiven, and Leon and Hop were invited to come over and eat. Gloria, who had surrendered the Mega Altaria, was calling for Victor to come over as well.

Bede sat in his chair, the plushie in his lap, and helped himself to a biscuit. He had a genuine smile of contentment on his face and Opal realized it was worth all the self-inflicted penance in the world just to see that sight. She wished she could snap a picture for her own enjoyment, but he would undoubtedly notice and ruin the moment. Raihan had also expressed disappointment in Bede reluctance to join him in photos but was determined to change his mind.

With more guests hurrying on their way, Opal set the kettle to boil and began sorting through her collection of tea bags.

There was much rejoicing on Galarian social media at the sight of a photo showing a widely grinning Raihan with a blatantly reluctant Bede in the foreground. Leon, Hop, Gloria, and Victor were attempting to photobomb in the background, pulling faces and or keeping a comically straight face in spite of the chaos.

Spending a holiday meal with my best mates and my honorary little brother! Wish me luck everyone!