A/N: HIGH-HO BW2 SPOILERS AHEAD! ABANDON ALL SURPRISE YE WHO ENTER HERE!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, Black and White, or Black 2 and White 2 or any of the characters therein.

For a single moment, Hazel held her finger on the silver knob just a second longer than she should have. Blinking at the cool, sleek texture, she released the pressure and allowed the dryer to hum into life. She shuffled one, two, three steps to the clothes basket lying empty on the floor. A forgotten white sheet lay in the basket and Hazel frowned. The bed sheets were changed the first Monday of each month. She had eaten the sandwich…no…no the rice balls the night before.

Rice balls were reserved for Wednesdays.

Letting out a small "hmph," she threw the sheet on top of the dryer and kicked the basket aside to make her way into the kitchen. A plate, a fork, and a cup sat neatly beside the sneeringly sparkling sink. She brought the glass cup up to eye level and inspected it. A small ring lined the bottom and she frowned, settling it beside the plate again.

"Washing dishes every morning," she muttered to herself while flicking the warm water on and letting her right hand be consumed by the miniature waterfall. "Black ring…a soda…sodas on Friday, Saturday, Sunday…argh! I must be tired…I must be…"

She no longer knew what she must be, nor did she have the energy to care. There was a calendar on the fridge to her right but she had more sense than to look. Hilda had adored the Snivy in the picture with his "snazzy" glasses and his "adorable" beach chair. If Cheren or Bianca's parents ever noticed that it was five years out of date, they never made it known. They were far too busy attempting to lull her into meaningless activities. Dances. Reading Clubs. Dates.

Their children called every week. Their lives were not halted in the past. Their sympathy, while sincere, could not sway her belief that her daughter would return one day in need of her mother and her home and her childhood bed.

A bed. Did her daughter even have one now? Did she sleep in a Pokemon Center in some far off region where the phone lines were scarce and the days ran by too fast?

Bianca didn't know. "Ohhhhhhh…Mrs. White, let me help you with that! I learned a thing or two out on my journey with Hil-with Cheren! Cheren! That stuffy Shelmet. Ohhhhh! Ow, ow, ow! Mrs. White…how do I get this tiny thread through this pointy side? Ohhhhhhh! It goes in this hole? Wait! Wait! I'm supposed to be helping you! Mrs. White! Let me sew her…YOUR shirt!"

Cheren didn't seem care. "I am sure that she will return safely, Mrs. White. I'll let you know if she challenges me at my gym. Have I mentioned my gym? I get so many challenges a week. The last challenger…oh yes. I put up that poster of Hilda. Oh…Mrs. White. Where…where are your tissues now? I'll…I'll go get them for you."

Hilbert didn't listen. "Yeah. I'm fine. No. I'm still in Nimbasa City. You know…where I've been for years, Mom? I was so close to Emmet this time…no, Mom, I'm sure I haven't seen sis. I fought this jerk with his…no. No. Are you listening to me? Mom. Mom. Seriously. You make me call you every day and it's just…it's tiring, Mom. What? No! I do care about sis! Good gods, Mom. Let her live her life. She's on a journey. And…and so am I. So can…can I go now?"

But Rosa…Rosa…

"I'll wash these dishes for you Mrs Whi-I mean Miss Hazel! Sorry. I'm used to saying last names. It all got so confusing with the Joys at Mom's work…please. Just kick back and relax. I'll tell you about my last battle with N."

N.

The plate in her hand slipped into the water with a slosh and she hurriedly picked it up with a furrow in her brow. Rosa visited every Friday every two weeks without fail. And without fail the conversation turned to him. His battles with her and his words. N. Her last link to her daughter. The one that put the scowl on Hilda's face and a determined look in her eyes as if trying to figure out some mathematical formula that she could never quite understand. Almost, at times, after she had won the battles. But not…quite.

Yeah…yeah…we just listened to the weirdest speech, Mom. And then this guy came up to us and…what? No! I mean…he was just a run-of-the-mill trainer, Mom! No Cheren wasn't jealous. Yes I'm sure. His name was N. N. Like…the letter. Yeah, I know, they must have been drunk during the delivery. He was kind of strange to be honest. Ugh…green. It was bushy. He was really thin. Like a walking broccoli stick. Can we talk about my Audino I just caught? She's soft and sweet and…I didn't look at his butt, Mom! Gross!

Yeah! Leonora was so tough, Mom! And…and I saw that guy again. No. Not that one. Uh uh. What? I never mentioned anyone looking delicious…please stop guessing. N. N, Mom. We had another battle…he's…well I think he's a little retarded. Mom! I'm not being serious! Please don't yell at me! I know that term is ugly. I'm sorry! He's just…very...excited about his future. He's a trainer as far as I can tell. Gah! I don't know, Mom! I just battled the guy! I didn't ask for his social! Now you're just being ridiculous. No! Mom. I am NOT…fine. Fine. I'll ask him if his parents are doctors and estrange myself from him and functioning society all together over your weird matchmaking fetish. JOKING! But…he does want to be friends. I think.

[19:31:21 Today] Amusement park in Nimbasa w/ N. Details later on battles. Taking ferriswheel.

[19:31:49 Today] NOT a date

Hi, Mom. I received your messages. So not a date. Not even close. Call me when you can. I'm fine. Just…just feeling foolish for not realizing...let's just say N's parents are definitely NOT doctors. I'll fill you in. Love you.

Hi, Mom. I'll call you later. N has ninjas. I….GRR! Bye!

…he can talk to Pokemon. I'm serious. I always thought it was a joke. He found out where I live. Get the locks changed. I'm totally serious. I don't know how that will help! It'll just make me feel safer! Mom! No! You don't need to move. Please don't move. Nuvema means everything to me…it gave me Serperior. Mom, I'll come back soon. Just…just stay safe. I will. I promise.

Mom! Come on! I didn't choose any of this! I…I have to do this. For everyone. A world without Pokemon by our sides is not a world that I can live in. I can't even…look, I've got what I needed. I'm going to take him down. I'm going to challenge the League and…Mom. I can't come home now. I…I'll be there soon. Promise. I have to go. I have to train.

It's over, Mom. We're all safe. I just…I just have a few things that I have to do. Hm? No…he's gone. He's just gone. I don't know where. I don't care. I'm going to take a nap before leaving. I love you too.

Hazel had climbed into bed with her daughter. Cradled her head against her neck until the soft breaths brushed against her ear. Ran her fingers through hair that was still slick and greasy after several showers. She awoke alone with her xtransceiver in her hand blinking with a single message.

I'll be back soon. I promise.

Wrinkled by water, her thumb skid across the glass's mouth and through a drop of cold water. Cold. It should have been hot. Hot like Hilda's temper. She would give her life just to hear her own daughter bicker with Hilbert again. She would sit at her Wii with Cheren and Bianca and Hilbert flanking her sides and throw the controller when she lost a game. She'd sit outside in a huff with the lemonade in her hand turning hot and the dirt beneath her feet popping up like licks of lava as she jerked a sweaty leg. Hazel missed the passion in her daughter's eyes whenever she fought…whenever she saw Snivy…whenever she spoke of saving Unova from Team Plasma.

But now Unova had been saved twice over. Now was the time to come home.

Hazel turned to glance at the door with its sun rays peeking in as if to ask her outside. She took in a ragged breath, regained focus, and turned to finish her dishes. The Castform Channel said it was supposed to rain on Thursday. Was that last Thursday? Her palms leaned all her weight onto the mouth of the sink. Perhaps she should lie down. She always laid down after lunch and though it was only a little past nine – that much she could be sure of – she was unimaginably exhausted to her very bones. Perhaps she hadn't slept well last night? She could not recall. It was a struggle remembering when she had gotten out of bed.

The towel glided across the plate, the glass, the fork, and her chilled hands. She set the dishes on the counter and threw the towel in the basket before heading to the cabinets with her newly dried glass. It went in mouth down with the others. Then the fork, face down, handle out. Then the…

The knock at the door did not startle her. Friday. It must have been Friday.

"Come in!"

The door opened and the squeaking of running shoes confirmed her suspicion. She picked up the plate and turned it one way and then another.

"Good morning, Rosa. I wasn't expecting you this early."

Silence. That was strange. Hazel stood there a moment with the plate stiff in her hands and her eyebrows knit.

"Rosa…"

"Mom."

Hazel turned so fast that her legs twisted and bowed like an old tree and she fell to the floor with the shatter of the plate. The swirl of brown clouded her mind. The long legs rushed toward her, the sound of boots popping against the floor.

"Mom!"

Hilda. Hilda. Hilda.

"Augh!"

"Mom! Mom, it's okay! Here…just…just sit up for me," said Hilda, dropping to her knees so suddenly that a shard of plate stuck against her leg like a tattoo.

"Hilda!" she cried, grabbing her daughter's face – round, real, right – and running those same fingers over those foreign cheeks. "Hilda! My Hilda! Oh gods…you're here. You're here. You're…you're here."

It was as though her vocabulary was limited to that of a child. Hilda. Here. Gods. Hilda. Here. Back. Baby. Here. Now. Hilda. Here. Here. Here.

"Mom. Mom, it's okay. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She was the same and yet so different. Her cap, her vest, her shorts that were far too short for any time of the year…everything was as if she had just went to the Pokemon Center and returned after her nap. Her long hair was in its thick ponytail and those same blue eyes looked down at her.

And yet…in those eyes…those precious eyes of her baby girl…something was missing.

"Hilda…Hilda, what hap…no. No. you don't have to tell me. All that matters is that you're here. Oh, Hilda."

They pulled one another in for yet another hug and when warmth burst against Hazel's shoulder through her dress, her mind grew fuzzy and strained.

"Hilda…Hillda…are…are you crying?"

The sound was blasphemous. She could count on one hand how many times Hilda had cried openly in front of her. Her Hilbert could fill oceans of Unova at the prick of a pin, the death of his favorite character in a movie, the smell of bacon. Hilda…was Hilda.

Hilda was here.

"Darling…darling…whatever is wrong?" She relished the chance to regain her ability to comfort instead of being comforted. "Hilda you need your rest."

"No!" The voice was choked yet stern, belying the tears now freely falling along her cheeks. "No. I need to tell you…I need to tell you everything. Where I've been for the past five years…what…what I've done…"

Hazel shook her head and cupped her daughter's cheek. "Later. We can worry about it later. We have to get you a good bath…some fresh clothes…my gods…you are practically a woman now…"

She did not respond.

"Hilda…if there is something that you feel that you need to tell me…"

"The last five years…" Hazel's heart clenched. Her senses heighted. The smell of grass from her daughter's hair. The sound of the dryer churning. The taste of morning in her mouth. The feel of cuts on Hilda's precious white hands from the broken plate.

The wait grew unbearable. "Yes?"

Biting her lower lip and hanging her head, Hilda swallowed. "The last five years…I've been with N."

Hazel blinked. "Wha…"

"It's…it's a long story."

A/N: This was meant to be a one-shot, but after reading Eden by Hope Estheim, my muse called me again. You'd have to be living under a Crustle not to have read Eden…but in the off chance that you haven't, GO NOW. NO EXCUSES. NOW. It's...it's glorious.

I will be updating this piece every Sunday regularly. I will also be listing a number on my profile. That number is the amount of words that I have written on a novel that I am working on. "Okay. Good for you. …?" I need to be held responsible for writing more to finish it. I thought that pulling myself from fanfiction would accomplish this. It only added to the burden. So you all will keep me in line. Writing this…I feel better already. Much better than I have in months.

So I thought that I would write this out of fun. It is a whole new world to me, something that I thank Working-On-Sanity for. She claims that I helped her move out of her comfort zone. Here is mine. Rocketshipping is my OTP…but I have always thought the idea of N and Hilda together would be cute. But I can't. Write. N. For. Crap. And their relationship is difficult to build up to, despite N's W2 comments giving me something to think about. This will have spoilers for the game, so just keep this in mind. Hopefully the warning at the beginning told you. It will only be heavier from here.

Constructive criticism is adored. I'm using the name Hilda. That's not really optional. I actually like the name and hate "Rosa" for Mei. XD But your opinion - on what little is here - is highly appreciated.