It took one sharp whistle for Palmer to recollect his team, and then began an idle walk back to the gate, to the inn, to Catherine’s room.

“Thanks for tonight,” she said at the very last moment, and he just smiled and dragged her into a quick hug and of course, thanks again for hanging out with him. Catherine, figuring she’d established quite well enough how she felt about Morty, entertained the notion that he was simply just a touchy person and left it at that.

Fatigue hadn’t seemed to have sunk in just yet, and a quick glance at her watch informed her that she could afford to idle around for a bit longer before she bathed and prepared for bed. The television still sat in the corner, and as tempting as the hot springs were, they were probably better enjoyed at another time. Certainly not because she felt a pang of laziness at the thought of having to walk over there.

The night was as dead as ever when she decided on the porch, if perhaps a touch cooler. Nothing a blanket from the closet couldn’t fix, though, and she basked in the silence as the stars shone as brightly as they did the night before, as the occasional shifting of leaves or faint roar of laughter helped mix things up. If she listened hard enough, she could almost hear the murmurs of the bath.

She sat there for a moment before turning on her phone - the brightness near blinding at first flash. No new e-mail notification but she pressed on to the next order of business after a moment’s pause, thumbed through contacts that’d go for inches, for miles in a blink. She’d scrolled halfway through before she reconsidered and picked a different number, and tried not to think of all the names she’d passed.

It took three rings for him to pick up. [i]“You’re up late.”[/i]

“Good, I hope I woke you.”  A laugh bubbled up and settled for a terse smile as she ran a hand through her hair. “Sorry, if you’ve got plans I can just call later, or something. It’s not even midnight so I wasn’t sure...”

[i]“It’s fine.”[/i] He paused. [i]“So. Catherine.”[/i]

“Blaise,” she shot back without malice. “Actually have time to breathe over at Olivine now?”

[i]“Compared to the summer, sure. I have a whole five minutes instead of two.”[/i] A soft laugh, easier imagined than heard. [i]“I figure there’s a reason you wanted to call me? Drank a little too much tonight?”[/i]

“You wish.” Catherine scoffed. “...So, how’s Candice?”

[i]“Fine.”[/i] She pictured a tight smile. [i]“I assume you called me for more than playing proxy.”[/i]

Her eyes drifted down to her lap, her fingers pinching the lace hem of her dress. “Well, yes. I’ve had quite the busy week, you know.”

[i]“I could tell from the gym match,”[/i] he deadpanned and she winced. [i]“Remember that part where we talked about how doing things were okay as long as they didn’t risk arrest? Yeah. Congratulations, though.”[/i]

“Thanks. Just - it went beyond that. Kinda.” She lurched forward before deciding to slump back instead, ragdolled with every limb but her arm. “I couldn’t even break up with Morty right.”

[i]“That wasn’t vague at all.”[/i]

“It wasn’t as bad as you, don’t get me wrong,” she huffed again. “Just... we talked after the match. Like adults. He knows I’m leaving the country, and we agreed to save anything drastic for after I get back from Mahogany. Definitely happening, but, y’know.”

[i]“...Which means things are going so well that you still ended up calling me. Right.”[/i] He sighed. [i]“There’s optimism and then there’s foolishness, Catherine. Thanks for telling me for sure that you’re leaving, by the way.”[/i]

She ran a hand through her hair, stared up at the stars beseechingly, in exhaustion. “I wasn’t sure that I was going to go through with it until literally right before that gym match, alright? I didn’t - there was a [i]chance[/i] that I might’ve changed my mind about Ecruteak.” And then, softer, “Also yeah, Unova. Maybe. Things may have... complicated since I got here.”

A muffled “fucking” managed to be picked up by Blaise’s receiver. She figured he’d move to full on facepalm by this point. [i]“Don’t tell me you’re going for a seventh.”[/i]

“No! For now?” She grimaced, hurried along before he could speak up. “Not by myself. There’s, er -- you know Sinnoh’s Champion? Palmer? Turns out he’s in town and Riley apparently told him about our match, and there’s this policy that they’re thinking of for girl trainers. Little bit less nepotism than Unova. He wants me to fight Pryce as a job interview.”

[i]“How convenient.”[/i]

“I’m getting Giovanni and Dad both to look at the contract, so that’s not the problem,” she replied, hand still tangled in her hair. “I don’t know. It’s not too late for me to say no and try again. It’s not like I don’t care about him.”

[i]“I know, Cath,”[/i] he said. [i]“But we’re also just repeating what was said at your birthday party, and I’m not going to be the one who’s going to make or break this chance for you.”[/i]

“Like I’d let you.” Catherine just sighed. “But I know. I just... I know.”

She gave it a moment's’ pause, took a slow breath in-two-three out-two, let the winter cool refresh her lungs. “I tried.”

[i]“And you even did it without punching me in the face this time, I’m impressed.”[/i]

“I’d be happy to do it again for old time’s sake, if you’d like.” She forced a smirk and crashed through into something feral, almost felt confident again in dim blue instead of hazy red. “On a lighter note, Lance is in town and happened to ask me out to sandwiches. I said yes.”

[i]“I have no doubt he’ll be there for your match against Pryce.”[/i]

“And I’ll go make sure that Palmer has a plan for that before I agree to anything. He came to me explicitly expecting a seven badge fight and everything that entailed.” She tried to ignore the curling in her stomach at the confirmed assumption, and focused on adjusting her blanket instead. “Who I met naked in a hot spring, by the way. Just to ramp this shojo manga parody up even higher. He even fills the childhood friend slot.”

[i]“Good to know you’ve found a suitable replacement for my niche.”[/i] He ignored the sharp laugh from Catherine. [i]“Anyway. Anything else you want to make me a possible accomplice for?”[/i]

The girl gave it a long hum of consideration. “Not off the top of my head. But since you’re already here, I wouldn’t mind some tips for Pryce?”

Blaise sighed a loud, exaggerated sigh. Might’ve been a bit of yawn in there too. [i]“Well, don’t think you can solo it with Chiffon, he has a Lapras. Let me know when you’re ready to write down the rest.”[/i]

“Aw, you don’t need me to call you again for a refresher? Give me a second.” She emerged from her blanket cocoon and resisted the urge to crash back down, to hide from the cold, to stretch the night out even further.

“Thanks, Blaise.”

[i]“Mmhm.”[/i]