The first thing Catherine did in Kanto, once Palmer had said farewell with another suspiciously guilty smile and a kiss, was to drag herself over to the address her dad had sent her, hug her aunt as thanks for letting her crash, and then promptly did the actual crashing. (It’d been more of a flop onto the older woman, really, but she figured it wasn’t the end of the world if all the woman did was chuckle.)

When she woke up, it’d been an irrefutable mistake.

Exhaustion had doubled down while Catherine slept, dreams of summer and stars and strings too vivid and overwhelming to permit actual rest, unapologetic as they bore down on her and left her feeling like absolute shit.

It didn’t help that there was a toddler hovering over her when she woke up, eyes wide and sticky hands pawing curiously at her face, the [Pokemon] beside the little girl watching with interest.

Catherine stared, cautiously poked a chubby cheek, and admittedly felt a little bit better when the butterball burst into giggles. Still wouldn’t have minded another couple days just sleeping away. Or that the giggling happened a little further away from her ear.

Her aunt laughed when she shared those last bits, and set OJ and a fresh plate of scrambled former-omelette on the coffee table. A questionable smiley face drawn on it with ketchup winked at her. She wasn’t sure if it was the baby who drew it. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. You’re just like Clay, I swear - he was absolutely awful in the mornings, although you [i]did[/i] look like death warmed over. Need an aspirin?”

She shook her head, scooted the dish away from the little menace when she tried to reach. “Nah, just gotta wake up a little more. Thanks for letting me stay the night.”

“Of course, kiddo. You’re free to stay more if you want and you don’t mind a bit of legwork.” Aunt Jade grinned, snagged both daughter and [Pokemon] up in one effortless move before she bounced down in an armchair, her hold loose and iron all at once as the pair wriggled. “[pun/husband] left for work a couple hours ago, so it’s just you and me and these little squirts.”

“How old is she, anyway? I don’t remember her at graduation.”

“Almost four! No point in bringing her when she’s this young, though.” The older woman smiled, jostled the child on her knee before she let her and her partner-in-crime loose again, and reached for the remote for the TV instead. The screen clicked to life, the volume muted. “Time flies though, doesn’t it? I thought you’d be busy at the dancehall right now.”

“Eh, Ecruteak’s busy season is autumn, we usually get to be a little more lax now. I’m sure it’ll pick up once we get closer to New Year's.” Or, well, the other girls would be dealing with it, anyway.

“Mm-hm,” Aunt Jade hummed in a way Catherine recognized as ‘preparing for the kill’ in mom-ese. Time for her will and testament. “Gotta admit, kiddo, didn’t expect you to pop up last night. I know my brother called and all but are things, y’know, alright? At home, or Ecruteak, or wherever. Bit of a far trip either way.”

Did she know about the policy? “Just a bit of a sabbatical, I guess.” She shrugged and fled to her orange juice. “Figured now was as good a time as any to check in on things here, I’m flying over to Unova for the actual holidays. I’m planning to see Red later today if I can, too.”

“Pretty generous with their vacation days at the dancehall, huh? Guess it makes sense, they’re more of a school when you just start.” She totally didn’t buy it. “Well, you always got an ear with me, you know that? Family has to stick together when they can.”

Catherine nodded in appreciation, and really meant it. “Thanks, auntie.”

“Course, kiddo.” She glanced aside and cleared her throat, nodded her head the televison’s way as Catherine followed her cue.

Loki’s trainer I.D. photo stared back at her, an eerie reflection as the banner rolling along the bottom of the screen screamed ‘---’. She doubted it was the first time it’d been displayed this morning.

“...Anyway.” The older woman gestured at her still steaming plate. “C’mon, more pressing things now, eat up before it gets cold. I noticed you went straight to bed after your shower, you’re gonna be lucky if you don’t catch a cold.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve never gotten sick before.”

Aunt Jade squinted. Catherine stared back impassive.

“...There’s a joke about fools and colds here,” the older woman sighed, perked up. “But either way, eat up, eat up! Unless you want me to spoonfeed you along with the baby?”

“Er...”

“Thought so.”

She made it half-way through her eggs when Silver texted her.