[Catherine]
<<img01_12-15-18 14:08>>
About to get my first gym badge, wish me luck >:9
I picked a fire starter so it might be tough
Any tips???

[Palmer]
Looking adorable, Kit!
And hmmmm.
Maybe use the lapras you have? >:? But I’m only champion, so who knows.
Seriously though, still kinda risky, isn’t it? With the security.

[Catherine]
Eh, Silver’s usually a decent logical compass and he doesn’t seem to mind.
Doubt surveillance has crossed the border yet.
Not as far as Pewter anyway.
What’s up on your end?

[Palmer]
The news probably has, though.
I get it, just, be safe? And..
<<img01_12-16-18 8:08>>
Francis says hi.
[put image here]


Pewter reminded her of Mahogany in some ways - the entire town rustic and fairly quaint; unhurried to progress beyond what it really needed. The air laid itself calm and a touch heavy, mud smeared as patches of brown where the snow didn’t quite reach.

On the bright side, the museum had central heating.

On the other hand, it hadn’t done much to warm up Brock’s expression when he caught her — them, Silver hovering just far away enough to count — in the new fossil exhibition.

It’d been a few years since graduation, and when she saw the gym leader last, but she knew that he had less of a resting bitch face than her father, that his posture was never so stiff.

“Catherine,” he’d asked without preamble, didn’t even give her the chance to make a joke about how his face could split rocks. “What’re you doing here?”

She cocked her head to the side. “Just seeing the sights while I’m in town! I saw Aunt Jade just the other day, figured it wouldn’t hurt to try and continue the reunion, you know?”

“You figure,” he echoed, a hand on her arm and tugging her away polite yet firm. She caught a glimpse of Silver following in step, a casual sidle to appraise a fossil from the side. “Seriously, you’re lucky I’m the one who found you, I don’t know what they’ve been putting into your head over there but it’s despicable of them to make a young girl do this for whatever they’re planning. Are you alright?”

Catherine considered what would be the kinder option. The smarter option. “Of course I am? I don’t know what you’re going on about.”

“Cath.” His frown deepened. “Don’t mess around, the notice for Loki’s arrest has already gotten around. Do you know what you’re doing? What trouble they’ve roped you into?”

She couldn’t help the laugh. “It’s alright. I’m alright. I appreciate you caring, but I know what I’m getting into.”

“Do you?” he asked. “I know you’ve messed around with the training --”

“For eight badges, yeah.”

“Eight badges, exactly. You don’t get to shrug off the accidental Focus Blast if it veers a little too close to you now. Or let’s go a little less extreme, a Rock Slide or a Rollout.” His eyebrows furrowed. “It isn’t the place for a woman, Catherine. It’s too dangerous. Imagine if you got hurt.”

“It’s the same they ask of every man my age, to be fair,” she pointed out. “And there seems to be no issue with women spectating the matches.”

“With a glass wall between the spectators and the arenas that’s built to withstand the force, yes.” He took put his hands on her shoulders, near pleading, face twisted in frustration. “We both know Red’s a good guy, but you know how hardheaded he can get — the entire family’s like that. You don’t have to let him strong arm you into throwing your future away.”

“I was doing that at the dance hall.” She crossed her arms. “I know what I’m doing, Brock.”

He sighed. “I really doubt it, Catherine. You sound like my baby sister when she tries bathing a Geodude.”

She shrugged his hands off her shoulders and sneered. “Good thing neither of you are the one doing it then, huh?”

A tense silence hung in the air as the rest of the museum patrons ambled around and murmured to themselves, as they paid no apparent heed to the gym leader and his cousin with their standoff in the corner, just below the security camera. Brock gave in first.

“Hardheaded as the rest of them,” he muttered, and slouched. “I should report you now, but I won’t, because I care about family. But if you care about us even the slightest, then you’ll understand why I’ll have you to leave the city by tonight. That’s all I can do for you.”

“Oh?” She rocked back on her heels, voice sweet. “You’ll still go down either way.”

 He didn’t bite. “Of course, but I’ll try to soften the blow where I can. At least this way if when you’re busted it won’t be in my city.”

“So much for family, huh?” A despondent sigh. “When the champion’s endorsing it, you’d figure it’d be okay to support, Brock.”

“He’s not quite a dictator, I’m afraid. And even if he was, gym leaders aren’t. The family isn’t. You know why your Dad left Kanto in the first place.” He dropped his hands into his pockets. “Not everyone can risk throwing away their careers that they’ve spent years building up for a whim, Cath. I have a family at home to feed.”

She almost pointed out that the rest of the family would help, if he really did lose it all. Knew that was hardly a consolation for her when it was offered, let alone him. “Alright. I can do that much.”

Defeat hung quiet on his face as he bundled her up in a hug. She almost didn’t return it out of spite. “Just think on what I’ve said. Stick outside or in the stores, where you don’t have to pull your hood down or your hat off. The glasses only work on a passing glance.”

If only Loki eventually ghosting around wasn’t part of the plan. “I’ll see what I can do.”

When he let go and looked at her one last time before he departed, it wasn’t warmly, or with a smile. It was with defeat and worry and just enough pity to nearly make her snap.

But there were better places to do that than a crowded museum.

Catherine hummed, and didn’t look when Silver joined her side. They both admired the piece of amber sitting on its pedestal, alone in its glass display.