Of course, sleep didn't come. Every time she closed her eyes, Kate would see the three Blastoise greeting each other warmly, like she had come between a family, and the Staraptor flying away from her as though they had to get away desperately.
The memory that had hurt Kate the most, however, was when Pachirisu had looked up at her. Kate's memory was fuzzy, and she still couldn't tell what emotion filled her partner's eyes. She felt a pang in her heart as she remembered how her beloved friend and partner ran away from her.
Kate sat up, knowing she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. She walked over to her bookshelf, though as she skimmed through its contents, her mind was on other matters. She felt hardly anything when her Friend Pokémon left, but her Partner was important to her. She had been with Pachirisu more often than any of her Partner Pokémon, and fondly remembered the day they had met. Even though she was still in school, she had felt a bond with the Electric-type, even though they couldn't be partners.
Kate numbly selected a book from the shelf without reading the title, remembering when she and Pachirisu officially became partners. Back then, she had still been a quiet person, but smiled widely at the sight of the Pokémon, and had knelt down to embrace them, giving then a small scratch behind the ear as she did so.
Kate smiled at the memory of the small creature's soft fur, and pleasantly warm body, but that smile fell as she realized she couldn't remember any other time she had hugged her partner like that. The only affections she could recall giving Pachirisu were small ones, like scratches behind the ears or pats on the head. She tried to remember giving her other partners affection, but she could only remember giving small ones, most of them absentmindedly.
Kate laid back onto her bed, which she had been sitting on, trying to dismiss her lack of memory as having been caused by her stress. Leaning back, she opened the book she had chosen to try to forget about the stress.
For most Pokémon, a scratch behind the ears is enjoyable, though if done to often, may lose meaning. Therefore, it is important to do more than- Kate quickly closed the book, now looking at its title, Important Pokémon Affections. Kate slid the book back to its place on the shelf, deciding to find a book that didn't voice her inner thoughts.
She skimmed past Pokémon picture books, graphic novels, and guides before finding a novel, Dragonite Rider. She picked it up with a smile, as it had been her favorite childhood book, having read it many times when she was just a child, before she even came to Almia. She sat down on her bed, already having opened the book, ready to read the wonderful book again.
"Kate! Dinner's ready!," her mom called from upstairs. Kate placed a bookmark in her book quickly, announcing that she was coming. She had been so engrossed by the novel that she hadn't noticed the sun dipping lower and lower into the sky. As she headed downstairs, she smelled an aroma that was familiar and homely, making her recall pleasant memories of tasting the dish from which the smell came.
Finally downstairs, she saw her mom setting the table with four bowls of vegetable stew. "Dear, could you go get your dad and sister? They have been at the farm all day." Kate nodded, and dashed out to fetch her family.
She saw her dad give birdseed to Starly, and her sister playing with Mime Jr., who was imitating the young girl's movements. "Big sister! Your Pokémon are really fun! Come play!" This caused her dad to chuckle. "I'm sure the Pokémon would love to play with both of you," he said with a smile.
Kate felt tempted. She could approach her Pokémon, prove that Pachirisu had run from the situation, not her, that she was truly friends with her partners. But what if they shied away from her, without her Styler, in front of her family.
Kate shook her head to decline, and told the two that dinner was ready. Her sister was disappointed at having to stop playing, and her dad wore a grin, making a comment on his hunger and how he could smell mom cooking in the house.
Kate's stomach growled at the thought of her mom's stew, but was mostly filled with relief that she had avoided a possible bad situation. She wasn't sure how her partners would feel about her, since her Styler was gone now. She frowned as she remembered that Pachirisu hadn't been there. Where could they have gone?
She pushed those thoughts away during the dinner, distracting herself with the taste of vegetable stew and the idle chatter of her family. After Kate had said what it was like being a Ranger in the time of peace, leaving out her current thoughts, her sister announced, "I want to be just like you when I grow up, big sister!," making the motions of using a Styler.
Though she made the same encouragements as her parents, Kate's felt almost forced. Just like her? She hadn't told any of her family yet how Pachirisu had left, and had certainly not mentioned the negative thoughts running through her head. She began to panic when her sister asked her where Pachirisu was at, almost seeming to read her mind. She took a deep breath after having taken a bite of stew, and told her family that her partner was resting at the Union.
Her sister seemed disappointed at not getting to play with the cute Pokémon, and her dad expressed how he had hoped to see her partner as well, saying that he had found treats for the Electric-type. Her mom, however, gave Kate a questioning look, sensing that her daughter's words were untrue. Kate took a large spoonful of stew, trying to keep the guilt off her face.
When her sister asked if they could play with Kate's Pokémon after supper, Kate faked a yawn and said she was too tired, and that maybe they could play tomorrow. Her sister was unhappy, but gulped down the remainder of her stew rapidly, running out the door as soon as she was finished. Both Kate and her parents finished a minute later. Her dad went outside, saying he was taking his evening walk, and her mom began washing dishes.
Kate offered to help, but her mom turned her offer down, saying, "You should rest." She headed up stairs to do so, trying not to appear guilty over her lies. Once in her bedroom, she picked up Dragonite Rider and continued reading it.
By the time she finished, the sun had already set, and the full moon shone down, with stars sprinkling the black sky beside it. She could hear her sister insist that she wasn't tired, and that she wanted to stay up later, and both her mom and dad insisting that she get ready for bed.
Kate, deciding she should sleep, changed into comfortable pajamas, ones that were sky blue and had some red and white ball patterned all over them. She brushed her teeth, and ran her fingers through her loose hair to check for knots, scratching her scalp with her nails.
She told both her parents goodnight, giving them kisses on the cheek, and told her sister, who was unhappily dressed in a nightgown with a Pikachu on front, goodnight as well, giving her a long hug and kiss on the forehead. Smiling, she cocooned herself in her bedsheets, and prepared for a peaceful sleep.