Hearthstone, Thronemarch Province, Kingdom of Eidros
August 16, 2034

Hannah Koppel let out a groan as she sat on an overturned egg crate, holding her head in her hands. The lunch rush sucked. It always sucked. It sucked more than a Varoom chasing after a dropped Poffin.

She was five minutes into her break, sitting in the alleyway behind the diner where the dumpster sat. The air here always smelled like tobacco and nicotine, almost like the constant stream of cooks and busboys coming out for smokes had stained the air. None were out here at the moment, which was good. She didn't feel like dealing with small talk right now.

"Just an hour left," she whispered to herself. Only an hour. Then she'd get a precious hour and half of free time that she'd have to use to run home, make a late lunch for Adrian and Tove, then rush out to her shift at Natalie's Wish, where she closed tonight. Then she'd go home, make dinner, scroll mindlessly on her phone for far too long, fall asleep. Then wake up and repeat the cycle. Hopefully she'd have enough in tips by the end of the month to cover rent.

"Hey Hannah, we need you up front."

Dread flooded her entire body as she slowly turned. Standing in the doorway that led into the kitchen of Gobbler's Diner, was her manager Clyde. A middle-aged man, balding with a combover that just made it look like someone had glued oiled up Starly feathers on him. He always had a frown on his pudgy face and his watery blue eyes were just a little too beady and small for his face.

"My break isn't over for another ten minutes Clyde," she retorted, not bothering to hide the frustration in her voice.

"Danielle left, something about her dad being in the hospital again. I'm shorthanded and we still got customers. So I need you to come back. Please," Clyde kept his voice neutral. He wasn't being overly apologetic or demanding it. Hannah had worked here since she was sixteen and Clyde knew precisely how to word things like this to her.

Fucker. She wished he had given her the excuse to yell at him.

"That excuse was fine the first two times. Third one and fourth one were suspicious. The fifth time, it's just annoying. He needs to either get better or just die already," Hannah grumbled before sighing and fixed her ponytail, "Fine, but I expect to be compensated for this. Just let me use the restroom real fast and I'll head back out."

"Thanks Hannah. I hope you know, I appreciate everything you do," Clyde gave her a sad smile, "It's just till the rush dies down. You can leave early if you want after that."

"No, it's fine. Can't afford to let any minute go to waste," Hannah grumbled as she got up, brushing past Clyde. The kitchen was a frantic mess. Cooks were yelling at each other, busboys were struggling to keep up with the dish demand, the soup pot was boiling over and spilling out onto the stove, making the burners hiss and pop with steam. Lindsay was arguing with Thomas that her order for table five took priority over his fresh bread. Hannah slinked by all of them, jerking back as Dennis stepped back to grab more bacon and Torchic eggs, before slithering around Gottreid, who fortunately was too busy screaming at a busboy to be too handsy today.

She moved past the swinging doors to the kitchen. Gobbler's Diner was packed with hungry people coming in on lunch breaks, teenagers hanging out in corners, and small children screaming for one reason or another. In other words, it looked like any other Gobbler's Diner that you could stop into anywhere else in Eidros. Hannah spared a glance at Kristina, noting the short blonde looked to be on the verge of tears as a pair of men in suits berated her for their order being wrong. This was the hurricane she was expected to help weather.

She pushed past it all, going into the women's restroom. All three stalls were occupied, so Hannah took a breath and looked at herself in the restroom mirror. Tall, average build, pale skin that wouldn't tan no matter what she tried to do. Long black hair that looked way too disheveled and frizzy. Her dark eyes had bags under them and those bags had bags as well. She frowned as she realized this was the first time she had actually looked at herself in days.

Good Gods I look like shit, she thought sourly, I look like a Zigzagoon. But not a cute one, more like one that got beaten up and thrown into the trash can. One of the stalls opened up and a teen girl walked out, scrolling on her phone and not even bothering to wash her hands. Hannah scrunched her face at the girl before sighing and smiling to herself.

I look like a junkie, she snorted at the thought as walked to the stall.

Just an hour left.

Hannah growled audibly as she stopped her bike in front of her family's home, pulling it up and taking her helmet off and locking it with the faded Piplup lock and chain she had gotten when she was eight.

"Just stay a few more minutes, Hannah! It's almost over! Hannah, we need you at table four again!" she growled out as she grabbed her backpack off the back of the bike and opened the chain-link gate that led to the yard.

She was forty-five minutes late. The lunch rush had been unending. Everytime she tried to slip away, Clyde or Nicole had thrown more tables at her. At this rate, she'd barely have time to make her siblings lunch, let alone take a few minutes to decompress before going to the next job. She'd be watching her paystub like a Staravia.

I'm not getting stiffed for this, she thought darkly as she walked up before letting herself smile at the sight on the porch. Hob was sprawled out on the porch napping, the Purrloin's body twisted like a pretzel in a position that made Hannah's back hurt just looking at it. Hearing her footsteps, the dark type feline lazily got up before letting off a soft meow at her.

"Well hello to you too Hob," she laughed as he sauntered over to her and rubbed up against their legs, getting purple fur all over her black dress pants. Good thing she made sure to have a stockpile of lint rollers in the house.

She heard the sound of rough masculine laughter and she felt her heart skip a beat. She turned and holding a trash bag in one toned arm, wearing only a loose neon tank top with the words "Work It!" on it in bright yellow lettering and some very loose athletic shorts was a man her age, with short, partially spiked blonde hair, a very chiseled face with bright blue eyes.

"What are you laughing at Colton?" she stuck out her tongue at him. He laughed again and pointed with his free hand at Hob.

"Just you being all cute with that vicious little dude," Colton smiled and Hannah hated how despite knowing the boy since she was six when his family had moved in next to hers on Lotus Street, he still gave her Butterfrees in her stomach.

"Vicious?! Hob? Do you hear this slander?" she turned to the Purrloin and threw her arms out as dramatically as possible, "I'll have you know Hob is the biggest cuttlebug in the world and a total sweetheart!"

"Yeah no, I've seen the Rattatas and Starlys he's dragged onto your porch. Dude's a little psychopath," Colton cocked his head as Hob glared at him, "Hey, what are you doing later? Me, Jacob, and Sylvie were thinking of going rollerskating tonight? You up for it?"

In a heartbeat, she thought wistfully but shook her head.

"I can't. I have work in 45 minutes and I'm already running late. Thanks though," Hannah gave Hob a few pets on his head, making the little cat Pokemon purr, "Sorry, I'd love to keep bullshitting, but I still gotta feed the little Impidimps in there and change."

Colton had thrown the bag into the trash can as he walked back up to his house, matching his pace with Hannah. You couldn't really tell the two homes apart. Or any of the homes on Lotus Street. They'd all been mass built by the same developer and were all owned by the same rental company. Rent was expensive, but you got a small yard with a fence and you could have Pokemon on the premises. Which meant it beat the cramped studio apartments most of Hearthstone's workers lived in.

"Hannah, you work too much. Way way too much. You're going to exhaust yourself before we even go back to classes," his tone wasn't playful anymore, "I told you before, I got a good bit of krone saved up. I got a full ride from football for my generalist classes. I can help you out. Or hell, let my mom watch Adrian and Tove during the summer. You keep taking all of this on alone, you're going to collapse."

"Colton, I appreciate it, but I got this," she felt guilt and pain when class had been mentioned, "You earned that money. I don't take handouts."

Her friend frowned but relented. "Go on then, tell the kiddos I said hello. I'll text you later. See you later too, you little stray!"

Hannah laughed as Hob hissed at him. The little Purrloin had been the local stray for a few years and had a reputation for being vicious, scratching and biting anyone who got too close. Hannah had been no different, but she had always made a point to talk to the little Pokemon when she ran into him and when he had turned up on her porch three years ago, bleeding and missing fur from a fight with some other Pokemon, she had nursed him back to health. She had passed whatever test the little dark type had for people and he decided to stick around and had warmed up to her siblings too.

He still absolutely hated Colton though. And her mother, though Hannah didn't begrudge the little cat that at all.

"Talk to you later, man," she waved at him as she opened the door to their home. Hob trotting ahead of her into the living room. The entry way connected into the kitchen and Hannah kicked off her sneakers as she scanned around. Dishes from last night were still unwashed in the sink. She'd closed the last two nights in a row and hadn't been able to get to them. Mail, which a worrying amount were bills, piled up on the kitchen counter where two weathered bar stools were positioned.

"Hannah! Hannah! Hannah!" A fast moving blur of pink clothing and blonde hair slammed into her and Hannah grabbed the trim by the door to steady herself.

"Woah there Tove, you about knocked me on my ass," she laughed as her little sister giggled and hugged her back. Her sister was only six and the world was still magical and fun to her. Hannah ruffled her hair as she set her backpack down, walking over to the refrigerator where a big thick crayon drawing of Hob was stuck on the chipped white front face of it, along with a few other drawings. Hannah's scholarship award was pinned on there as well, though she averted her eyes from it. Not like it mattered now.

"You're late," her sister pouted with big brown eyes and Hannah gave her an apologetic look.

"I know sweetie, I got stuck at work. Today was crazy. You hungry?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Tove jumped up and down like a Mankey on cocaine and despite her tiredness Hannah couldn't help but smile. Trove's positivity was infectious.

"Alright, how about some mac'n'cheese and some Tyrantum Nuggies? Where's our brother at?" Hannah asked as she got out some soda and opened the freezer, grabbing the red and blue bag with a cartoonishly happy Fossil Pokemon on it.

"Right here," the voice was quieter, more subdued than Tove. Hannah closed the door and saw her younger brother Adrian leaning against the wall that led to the living room. He was wearing his favorite gray sweatpants and Eidrosian Warlord Conference shirt that their father had bought him when he had still bothered to do his visits. Like all of the Koppel family, he was pale as snow and shared Hannah's hair color. His eyes were gray like their father's though.

"Oh good, can you get the plates down. I can't stay for lunch, I have to change and head out as soon as I get your guys' food ready," Hannah rambled at him as she got a pot of water boiling before noticing the look on the boy's face, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Mom vomited all over the living room and passed out again. It just took a while to scrub the carpets," he said sadly, "Don't worry, I got her up and moved into her bed. She only yelled at me a little."

Fucking worthless alcoholic piece of shit! Hannah felt her brief moment of happiness with her siblings turn to dust. She sighed, letting the anger flow out of her. She had to deal with the public again shortly and she couldn't afford another write up for rudeness.

"Thank you for cleaning, but next time, just let her lay in her filth," Hannah spat out, pouring the macaroni into the pot as the oven beeped, "It's not your job to make sure she acts like a human."

"It's not yours either," Adrian said quietly. Hannah didn't have an answer to that. She threw the nuggets in and quickly went into her room to change, having Adrian stir the macaroni. In quick succession, her Gobbler's apron and uniform was thrown into a pile in the corner of her room, next to the Snorlax bean bag chair that was too small for her now but that had been claimed by Hob as a favorite napping spot. Gray slacks and a striped white and blue polo went on quickly. In a flash, she was back in the kitchen, getting macaroni on the plates, soda in cups, listening to Tove recount the adventures of her favorite cartoon characters as Adrian picked at his food half-heartedly.

"Do you have to go?" Trove had grabbed her leg when she was picking up her backpack, "Can you just stay home and hang out with us? You don't even have to play, you can just watch TV with me and Hob!"

Hannah shook her head as her baby sister pouted and then shot Hob a look when the Purrloin also started giving her kitten eyes.

"Sorry sweetie, gotta earn money to pay for all those nuggies you eat. I'll be back around nine thirty alright?"

"Okay," Trove pouted as Adrian waved at her, "Be careful sis."

"Keep the door locked. I'll be back before you know it."

"I swear, you teenagers are a bunch of rude, entitled, incompetent little brats. I don't care if you need a receipt. I know I bought this here four days ago and I want my refund!"

Hannah grit her teeth as the skinny woman with the bad blonde dye job and the tire tracks going up and down her arms kept screaming and waving her hands around. They were just about to close and of course she'd be stuck on register with this wonderful human being.

"I'm actually twenty but thanks for the compliment," Hannah tried her best to keep her voice cool, "And it's store policy. No receipt, no refunds. Also, we close in two minutes. Maybe come back tomorrow with a receipt? I'm sure somebody could help you then."

The woman started screaming again and Hannah tuned her out. Natalie's Wish was a popular clothing store at the Hearthstone Mall and it had a few other locations across Eidros. It also paid a bit more than Gobbler's but Hannah was starting to think that the extra four krone an hour wasn't worth it.

"Attention to the incredibly rude customer up front," a very dreamy but forceful voice came over the PA system in the store, "It's now nine. We are closed. Kindly leave and stop filling our store with negative vibes. It's a real bummer."

Hannah had to hold in a laugh as she looked over to the girl who was at the speaker in the back of the store. Zeara gave her a big cheesy grin and Hannah vaguely heard the woman threaten to sue the store, but seeing that Hannah wasn't giving ground, left in huff, flipping both of the girls off as she went.

"Have a nice night!" Zeara said through the speakers again as Hannah practically ran to the doors and locked them, before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thanks for the save Z," Hannah said to her friend who was already prancing up.

"No problem Hannah-Banana! I always got your back girl!" Zeara smiled and Hannah was very grateful she was working with her tonight. Zeara was a ball of sunshine, colorful and cheery no matter what. Her hair was a long cascading pattern of black, purple, and white, dyed to look like a galaxy at night. Even her polo was a riot of colors that complimented her floral tattoos on her arms and legs. Zeara was an art student, though she and Hannah had met at Hearthstone Community College's Sociology 101 and had hit it off quick.

"You know you're going to get into trouble for that though," Hannah clicked her tongue against her teeth, "I've been yelled at all day. I'm pretty used to it."

"Not on my watch is my friend gonna get chewed out by some crackhead on a Thursday night!" Zeara put her hands on her hips, "Besides, I already took care of garbage and go-backs. We are using this time to do some gabbing!"

Hannah couldn't help but smile. Zeara was infectious in her positivity, as the girl hopped up on the register and let her long legs dangle over it, swinging them around and showing off her Jekson sneakers that she had glittered out with doodlings of Blumpy, her Drifloon.

"Gabbing huh," Hannah felt her phone buzz and quickly looked at it. The message was a picture of Colton, with a brown-skinned boy with curly hair and a brown-haired girl with her hair done up in a messy bun all at a table with a plethora of food and green and purple lighting. Jacob and Sylvie, her other friends. Jacob was currently stuffing his face with an extra cheese pizza slice while Sylvie was giving a thumbs up and smile that showed off her missing right canine tooth.

Wish you were here Han! Having a blast tonight!

I wish I was too, she thought sadly, eyes drifting to Colton's very toned arms before a very airy voice brought her back to reality.

"Hellooooooo? Hannah? You silly Skiddo, are you listening to me?" Zeara narrowed her razor-thin brows at her and Hannah felt herself go red.

"Shit sorry, just checking a message," Hannah sputtered out, "What were you asking?"

"I was asking if you changed your mind on dropping out."

Welp. Getting right to the heart of it. Hannah sighed. Zeara was the only person she had told about this decision and she knew her friend disapproved. And she was direct and blunt enough to not dance around it either.

"No Z, I haven't. I've sat down and crunched the numbers. I just can't do school and take care of my family at the same time. These part time jobs aren't cutting it anymore. I'm going to have to get a big girl job if Adrian and Tove want a roof over their heads," Hannah had said this speech a few times before when Zeara had pressed, but it still hurt to admit it out loud everytime.

"Hannah, I say this with love. You're a moron," Zeara had stopped swinging her feet, "You are super smart and hardworking. Dropping out of school now is honestly a crime. You have so much more worth than, let me guess, getting a job in the glass factory?"

Hannah winced as Zeara guessed where she had looked at applying. Koldstorm Glass had the highest pay and lowest requirements for its entry level jobs on the floor. The work sucked, but the pay and benefits would mean she wouldn't be worrying about coming home to an eviction notice.

"Yeah I thought that's where you'd go," Zeara sighed as their manager Kelly came out, who seeing the store looked to be in order, didn't say a word to the two young women and grabbed the next register to count, "You know you can take out loans for school. Or get assistance, since your family is poor and you are the only breadwinner. No offense."

"Way to be tactful Z," Hannah rolled her eyes, "I'm not taking anymore debt on. I already took out a small loan to cover what my scholarship didn't and it's just another bill that I have to deal with. I have two more years until I get my pre-reqs out of the way for the Legendaries' sakes! I just can't do it."

Hannah turned away. Can't cry in a fucking clothing store over your dreams dying, she dryly laughed in mind, blinking away wetness from her eyes. She heard Zeara humming behind her. That was her friend's thinking state.

"What about Pokemon battling?"

"Z, that's not realistic-"

"Why not? You know how much decent Trainers make just on touring season? Plus you get tournament prizes and sponsorships if you're good! Not even counting what you get for even the first stage of the Conference! I've seen you use Hob before at the arena on 7th! You're not bad!"

"Being not bad isn't good enough to be on Tour Z," Hannah turned to her friend, "All it would take is a bad losing streak and my savings would be wiped. Plus you have to pay to register and keep up on League dues. Not to mention buying potions, status cures, food for you and your Pokemon, traveling gear. Being a Trainer is expensive Z. It's why the people who do it are usually supported by their parents or they saved up for years to do a Tour."

"Besides, I'd have to travel the country and be away from Adrian and Tove. Who's going to take care of them if I'm not there? It's a nice dream Z, but that's all it is. A dream."

Hannah frowned, "Besides I don't have a Pokemon. Hob is more of the family pet and he's not even registered to a Pokeball. And I know him. That little demon isn't going to want to go gallivanting across the country. He's a city boy."

"I mean you could always use him, but that's true. He's a homebody. Strange for a Purrloin. Hmmmmmm. Wait! I could always lend you mine!" Zeara beamed up cheerfully. Hannah's eyes went to her Z's purse underneath register two, where Blumpy was in his Pokeball. Pokemon weren't allowed in the store, but Zeara went everywhere with him and he'd be outside of his ball as soon as she was out of the store. Zeara also had a Rookiedee named Priscilla, though she usually hung out at Zeara's parent's house when the girl had to work.

"No, I'm not taking your buddies from you," Hannah snorted, "Blumpy gets separation anxiety if he's away from you for more than two minutes. You've had him since you were six. There is no way in hell he'd listen to me."

"Hmmm good point," Zeara tapped her chin with her fingers, "He is a momma's boy. Wait, what about that raffle you entered?"

"That gets announced tomorrow, but it's nationwide Z," Hannah snorted, "The odds of me winning are miniscule. Colton, Jacob, Sylvie, and me all entered mostly as a joke."

The raffle of course was the annual Starter Raffle the Eidrosian League ran every year before the start of the next touring cycle. Twelve lucky people would be picked at random and receive a starter Pokemon born and raised at the League Laboratories in Thronehold. You could either win a Turtwig, a Cyndaquill, or a Piplup. Those Pokemon, while not rare in the wild following some serious conservation efforts in the last twenty years, were still not common. Most people made do with either the family pet or gifted Pokemon from relatives for their first year on Tour.

"Well, I wouldn't give up hope on that," Z gave a genuine smile, "I'm actually considering taking a gap year and going on Tour."

Hannah looked at her friend with wide eyes, "Since when?! You've been talking nonstop about building your profile with commissions and keeping up your studies!"

"Been thinking about it for a while actually," Zeara shrugged as she got off the register when Kelly came out and gave them a thumbs up that they could clock out and leave, "I've only been out of Hearthstone three times. Twice to go to Paldea for vacation with the family and then once to Stormgate for my great-uncle's funeral. I want to do more with landscapes and backgrounds and seeing the country with my own eyes sounds more appealing than staring at photographs all day."

"That makes sense. I think. I'll trust your artsy word for it," Hannah had already grabbed her backpack as Zeara grabbed her purse. They walked out, unlocking the front door as Kelly got her own bag together. Zeara quickly released Blumpy and the sad ghost balloon let out a happy sounding cry as he floated over to his owner.

"I'm going to miss you if you leave," Hannah said sadly, "If you do, you better text everyday. People still die on Tour."

"Oh don't you worry Hannah-Banana, it's not set in stone yet. I'm going to wait for tomorrow before deciding," she added the last sentence cryptically and Hannah raised a brow at her friend.

They chatted a bit more as they walked to the parking lot, joining the other closing employees from the mall's other stores. Mostly about music since Killing Fields new album had just dropped, Zeara's newest painting, which she was experimenting with absurdism, as well as some stories from Gobble's that always seemed to get Zeara to chuckle and often made Hannah laugh at them too, even if they weren't funny or pleasant.

Hannah bid her friend goodnight before putting an earbud in and getting on her bike, pedaling home to the sounds of heavy guitar riffs and some very vicious drumming as the Killing Field's vocalist came in with his signature growl.

Hannah knew something was wrong the minute she got home. Hob was outside, glaring at the door. The Purrloin spared her a glance as she locked her bike and grabbed her backpack, before going back and growling at the door. The little dark type usually stayed inside during the night.

Her mother must have been awake then.

"Fucking great," Hannah muttered under breath, already feeling he body tensing. She took her keys out and then found the door was unlocked. Of course it was. Not like she cared if someone broke in.

Opening the door, Hannah saw the kitchen was an even bigger mess than she had left it before. Red sauce was spilled everywhere, there were dried noodles all over the floor and counter and the stove was still on. Hannah cursed and ran in, shoes still on and quickly turned the oven off, moving the pot with spaghetti still in it that was now burned and crusted into the pot.

Hob quickly followed her and went to sit in the hallway to the living room, still growling. The TV was blaring some sort of trashy Galarian reality show if the accents coming from the speakers were any indication. The lights were off, with only the flashing of the TV providing any light. Hannah steeled herself and walked in, slinging her backpack down as she did.

Sprawled out on the very worn and used blue sofa, was her mother. She was still wearing the clothes she had vomited on, a splotchy gray tanktop and black yoga pants. Hannah had unfortunately taken most of her looks from her mother, though her mother looked about two decades older than the forty-one she was supposed to be. Hannah's eyes went to the cluster of empty beer bottles on the coffee table. The room stank of booze.

"Hanny, honey, why do you look so mad?" Her mother's words were slurred as she very ungracefully lifted her head up. Adrian and Tove were on the couch too, with their mother's arms around them like vises. Tove was on the far end, quiet with her big Pikachu headphones that Hannah had gotten her a few months ago on her head. She looked like she'd been crying. Adrian looked like he wanted to jump out of his skin. Both of them had uneaten bowls of burnt spaghetti in their laps. Hannah felt her blood pressure rising.

"Adrian, take Tove to your room. I'll order some pizza for you two in a minute."

Adrian paled at the absolute venom in his sister's voice and he tried to get up, only for his mother to force him back down.

"They already ate. And it's fam-, fami-, family time! Come sit down with your mommy!" Her mother let off a laugh as her eyes seemed to struggle to focus on Hannah, "Quit being a little bitch and come snuggle with your family!"

Hannah crossed the room before she could even finish her sentence and grabbed her mother's arm and twisted hard. Myra Koppel let off a screech of pain as her grip on Adrian was wrenched free and he wasted no time, hopping from the couch and rushing over, scooping a crying Tove in a second, before bolting to his room. Hannah let go of her mother and took a step back, gritting her teeth.

"You fucking ungrateful cunt!" Myra screamed as she got up, slamming into the coffee table and knocking over bottles and bowls, "I spend all of my love on you, sacrifice so much for you, and this is how you treat me?! In my house?!"

"Shut the fuck up. You wrecked the kitchen. You left the stove on and could have burned the house down. You kicked Hob outside. You burned their dinner. They don't want to spend time with you, Myra. I don't know where you got this beer or how, but if you are going to be a drunken fuck up, do it on the streets. Not here."

If her mother had been sober, Hannah's tone and words would have perhaps had a different impact. As it was, her mother just scrunched her face in disgust and spat on her daughter.

"You bitch, you worthless little bitch!" Myra staggered forward, pointing a finger in Hannah's general direction, "I'm a good mother. I fed them while you were out whoring around in your little polo. Let a button loose, instead of making it cling to your tits!"

Hannah wiped the spit off of her arm onto her pants and glared at her mother, "You know what, I'm not doing this. I worked all day to support your other two kids and they need food. I have work in the morning. Stew in your failings Myra. I don't have time for it tonight."

She turned, pulling out her phone to get a pizza ordered and to somewhat get the kitchen cleaned up, when she heard drunken footsteps behind her.

"Don't you fucking turn away-," there was the sound of hissing and a high pitched noise that seemed like it sliced through the air itself, "Fuck! Fuck!"

Hannah turned and saw Myra on the ground, clutching her right ankle, which was bleeding, four bright red gashes on it. Hob was between her and her mother, hissing with an arm raised into the hair, red glinting off his claws.

"You stupid fucking furball!" Myra hissed back at the dark type and Hannah shook her head.

"Serves you right. SIt down and shut the fuck up. We're all done with your shit," she looked at Hob, "Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. She's not going to do anything else." Her words seemed to calm the Purrloin down. "Go to Adrian's room and keep them company, alright? I'll get food for everyone before I go to bed."

Hob looked away from Myra to her and meowed before heading up the stairs to Adrian's room, glaring at Myra as she got up and stumbled to the bathroom for a bandage, throwing obscenities at Hannah and him as she did.

Hannah let out a deep breath as her mother disappeared and let tears fall down her face. She quickly placed an online order for pizza from the local shop and got to work on the kitchen, getting the broom and dustpan to sweep up the crumbly noodles on the floor.

This is my life, she thought, Until I can get enough money to get custody of Adrian and Tove and get the lease switched into my name. Can't do that by going to school or being a Trainer.

She could feel her makeup running as she cried, but she didn't care. She'd rather cry now, where no one could see. She had to be strong for her siblings and she couldn't let that alcoholic narcissist in there smell weakness.

Tomorrow, I'll send in my resume to Koldstorm Glass and anywhere else that will take me. I can't keep putting this off. Time to grow up I guess.

She worked on the kitchen for another twenty minutes, getting the dishes done and the pot with burnt spaghetti soaking when the pizza girl showed up. She tipped her more than she should have, pointedly ignoring the questions if she was alright. She wiped her face and went upstairs and ate with her siblings. They didn't talk about Myra. Tove hugged Hob and Adrian and Hannah talked about Pokemon battling along with some Trainers to watch on the upcoming Tour.

Exhausted, Hannah showered and went to bed after, idly staring at her confirmation email for the Starter Raffle as she plugged her phone in. She felt sad but tears didn't come as she set her alarms and snuggled into her bed.

What a silly dream. For such a silly girl.