He squeezed back. “Yeah.” A little sigh. “I’m gonna be yanked back out of here soon, Kit.”

She made a face. “Well that’s not a big deal, is it? I’m not going to be happy about it, sure, but it’s not like we’re strapped for time or anything.”

“It -” he reached up, pulled time to a stop around them, “- it’s going to be - the starting point for me ascending is decades from now and tonight’s gonna be a clusterfuck, Kit-kat.” A sigh. “I got dumped into this party while I was ascending.”

“...That’s still not that big of a deal, though?” She flashed him another smile, reached up and brushed his hair away from his face. “You obviously end up being successful, and decades are practically seconds for me. They’ve been slower now with you in the picture, but, well. Still. You take care, alright?”

He sighed, pulled her in close. “Just don’t be surprised when I show up unascended and ridiculously confused later.” Grinned down at her. “And don’t treat me like a kid - you know me better by now.”

“I’ll do my best.” She beamed back.

And then history went and repeated itself.

---

Back in the present, Catherine just got out her Gardevoir and let out three clipped “Lysandre”s before she teleported out.

---

Palmer landed pretty much right where he left. Pretty much, if just because he was still technically at Spear Pillar even when he went to go visit the spirit world. Gavin and Godfrey seemed well enough, although Lysandre was certainly a new addition.

Gavin just flopped to the ground and groaned. “Fuckin’ Palkia. Palmer, can you get Ev’ to get us out of here? Wherever we are.”

“Spear Pillar,” he mumbled dimly, stepped over his little brother and the said little brother’s unconscious boyfriend, looked around, “but, uh, when?”

“Pretty sure the same time it’s always been,” Gavin sniped, hefted himself up into a sitting position before lifting Godfrey’s head to rest on his lap. “Why, you do some weird time stuff or whatever? Dialga blabbed.”

“I was practicing and I fucked up.” He sighed, raked a hand through his hair. “Bad. Lots of years in the past bad. Where’s Catherine?”

“She left awhile back.” A shrug. “Called Lysandre over first though and - hey, at least you got back? You alright there man?”

“That depends how bad I pissed her off.” He sighed.

“What, decades ago or whatever?” Gavin cocked his head to the side. “It probably wasn’t that bad - maybe she just had to check up on something. How do you even know she’s upset?”

“I just have a feeling - and I disappeared for like, what, ninety years? And then however long here.” A little sigh. “Gotta apologize for that.”

“Bro, you were gone like an hour tops.” He blinked. “But sure, yeah, let’s go find her.”

---

They did not, in fact, find her. At the very least not at the hotel they stayed at in Canalave.

==> Lysandre: So, uh, your god niece whatever just went awol.
=> No calls
=> No texts
=> No anything

The giant ginger considered, sent her a, where did you go? There is a situation with Palmer.

The reply came surprisingly quick. Then you should go handle the situation, no?

One for which you are needed, Catherine. I am unable to do anything.

Then it must not be anything serious, given immortality alleviates most serious things, and it’s not like he was kidnapped or you -would- be able to do something. A pause. You’re ascended, augustine is and gavin and palmer and you all have some experience under your belt. So, there. One more pause. Do you remember the timeline that occurred before Palmer was with me in the twenties?

Vaguely, yes. This is better. A pause. He said he couldn’t help it, and wants to find you to apologize.

Tell him that I accept the apology then, if it’s about vanishing.

He grimaced. Catherine. Give me a location or I am sending him to Alola.

Like you could justify it. She put in a little eye rolling emoji. Leave me alone, I’ve babysat you all enough, I pass the torch onto u now Lysandre.

And what about how happy you were with him before? Why are you running away now when you can finally just enjoy yourself? I do not understand you.

Because you are a fool. Either way, flight boarding, bon voyage, feed the kids before they get emotional, keep them out of trouble, enjoy your new love live with my uncle, etc. etc.

==> Palmer: So! Uh. Canalave gym?
> ffffffffffff

And then the god of time cheated. Hard. Did he do the Konami code, though?

No, but he did pop back to literally as soon as he possibly could after vanishing.

Catherine didn’t seem very pleased to see him, Pokéball in hand and face pale, her lips pursed. Palmer crossed the distance in two strides and literally picked her up, squeezed her tight.

And that was how Palmer got slugged in the face. Or, well, side of the head. Still. He winced, let her go - somehow didn’t drop her - and just looked at her with a tired little smile. “Hi.”

She had a death glare to rival Lysandre’s. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah.” He looked down. “I - for what it’s worth I really am sorry, I didn’t mean to - I didn’t realize how far back I’d gone and I had no idea how to tell you and -” a sheepish little laugh, “- and I really am sorry, as inadequate as that is for leaving you alone for an entire lifetime.”

She just turned even more pale. “That. Is what you think I’m upset about.”

“W-what. What else happened?” He looked mildly horrified. “What happened, what did I miss?”

“Oh, what, that you spent a whole five months there?” Her voice came out a titch strangled. “Instead of trying to come back as soon as you could? Do you really have no regrets about what you did then?”

“I was gone for an hour here and - well, no! I got to spend it with you.” He frowned a little. “And was... kinda hoping to get to keep getting to know you.”

“Then feel free to just travel back and continue,” she deadpanned. “Because I treat you like a child here, right? Instead of discussing a problem you have with me like an adult, no, no - let’s just go dick around for five months with a practically different person because at least that way you get what you want no questions asked. Because right now I’m not enough for you and apparently I’m not even worthy enough to get some basic decency.”

A pause as he digested, cringed just a little. “No, no, that was - I meant when we very first met! You were practically pinching my cheeks and - and shit, I am an asshole.” He stepped back with a tired little sigh. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. Not right about the not being enough, I mean, I’m just - I didn’t think at all about the time between and you deserve better.”

“I’m not saying - I’m not going to deny that I treat you unfairly myself.” She raised a hand. “There’s just a very - the maturity gap is a very big here if just because of experience. And I can’t fault you for trying to find a solution to something that wasn’t working you, it’s just -” She sighed. “I was here the whole time, Palmer. I was obviously a thing back then too but it’s like - I wasn’t there? And I’m a little upset about it. But if things aren’t working out here, then they’re not working out. Red strings are just a meeting. There’s no more obligation to it.”

He looked a little bit crestfallen. “Catherine, I just - I really wasn’t thinking. I thought getting to know you then would give me a - a little bit more understanding of you now. Because I really do want to.”

“You weren’t thinking for five months?” She grimaced. “You don’t have to make excuses, you know. I can take rejection even if that’s not what you’re going to call it. It’s not a personal failing on your end.”

“I wasn’t thinking of it as me rejecting you now to get to know you then.” A little frown. “And time is... still really confusing, I was scared of getting lost. I did the first time, I mean, the party ascension bit, spent a long time bouncing around before I figured out how to get back to when I wanted to. And once I realized that party was coming I figured it’d make life easier if I just used the temporal landmark I knew to find my way back.”

“And I can understand that! What I can’t understand is doing a bunch of relationship landmarks without me!” She cringed. “Did you not think I wanted to be there too for our first time or learning about all your likes and dislikes and everything in between? Yeah, I know about more things than I did like fifteen minutes ago, but does it really count if it’s just handed on a silver platter to me?” Took a deep breath. “Look, I just - I don’t know. You had good intentions, and honestly, you deserve someone who’s better than me.”

He blinked, frowned a little. “It’s - that was still you. You lived it and - and hell, I stayed because it was you and - shit.”

“I remember it, there’s a difference.” She brushed her hair behind her ear. “Palmer, all I got from this was that you were apparently thinking your chances were so shot in this time that you were fine doing it with someone else that wasn’t really me. Explicitly because they weren’t me, or else we wouldn’t be having this argument in the first place.”

Looked down and swallowed, her voice thick and vision blurring. “Look, you’re ascended, Lysandre is ascended, my uncle is, and your brother, and probably Godfrey and - and I don’t need to babysit any of you anymore. I’ve spent the last eight hundred something years making sure Lysandre kept it together and now I’m reasonably confident that you all can take care of yourself too. And now that I can finally relax and worry on my own life I ended up getting dumped for myself since I couldn’t get my head out my ass and now I’ve missed out on a lot of things rather important to me.” She palmed at her eyes. “I know it’s petty, just - I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

He sighed, stepped in and pulled her in again, hugged her tightly. She didn’t slug him this time (thankfully) but it might’ve hurt a little when she pretty much latched on. He planted a kiss on the top of her head, rubbed her back and otherwise just held on tight.

==> Palmer: Y’all should probably get off the mountain before it gets too dark.
> I can hold the sunset off for as long as she needs me to.
=> Well aren’t you -
=> Oh wait you can actually do that.

She kept going for a good while, eventually pulled away and sniffed, rubbed at her eyes. Her voice was quiet, and very tired. “Sorry, I didn’t - I shouldn’t have hit you. I’ll just, er - is Everard still good to take you back to Canalave? I can give him a boost.”

“When I call him, yeah.” A sigh as he cupped her face in his hands. “I saved one milestone just so you’d know how I felt when I saw you again, y’know.”

She paused at that, grimaced, eyed the Pokéball that clattered to the ground earlier. “Is it something you want to do before or after we go back and have a talk about this relationship?”

“‘S something I have to say either way.” A pause as he bent and scooped up the Pokéball, held it out to her. “And you can hit me again after if you feel like it.”

“I’m not going to hit you.” Catherine sighed, took it gently. “Thanks. But really, just - it’s been a bit of a busy day, so there’s no rush or anything. And no pressure, either.”

“Still.” A pause. “I don’t want you to feel pressured either, just - whatever era we’re in, I love you.”

Catherine tried, for however little that was worth - still cringed a little. “I know.”

A little sigh. “...And I’m sorry. Do you want me to go with you and talk, or do you want me to leave you be for now?”

“I think it'd be best if I had a little bit of time alone right now,” she admitted. “Just to clear my head a little. I should be back before it gets too late though.”

“Take your time - I’ve been pushier than I had any right to be today.” A little laugh. “Would you like me to wait for you anywhere?”

“I want you to go wait in the Pokécenter or somewhere equally safe and warm.” She reached up and put her hand to his cheek. “Go rest, today’s been busy enough and I can’t imagine how much all the time travel got to you.”

He tucked a curl behind her ear, ducked to peck her on the cheek. “Alright. How about the flower shop, then?” A little smile. “Feels like forever since I’ve been there with you.”

“That works, I suppose we can just teleport back to Canalave in the morning.” She let out a soft little sigh as she reached in her purse, fished out a key and offered it to him, hand trembling. “Here’s the key. I let Zelda and Stella man the shop while we’re away, but they should know it’s you. Want me to get anything if I stop by the store? What sort of food are you in the mood for?”