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// Epilogue: Prologue? 
// Story: Smeargle Campaign 
// by River Road 
//------------------------------//

“Button, dear, what have I told you about about your shortcuts and alternate routes?” Love Tap called from the kitchen, drying off the last of the dishes before shaking her hooves off.

The soft creaking of the stairs came to an abrupt stop, her younger son's nervous voice calling back. “Uhm… look to both sides before crossing the street?”

“And?”

“Hidden loot is no acceptable excuse for property damage unless it covers the expense of said damage?”

“Aaaaand?”

“...don't take your JoyBoy close to interdimensional vortexes and tears in the space-time continuum?”

Love Tap stepped out into the hallway, looking down at her son and the new friend he'd tried to smuggle past her honed mom senses. “And what is that, then?”

Button looked up at her, then down at the creature at his side, then back up at her. “...a cat.”

Love Tap raised an eyebrow. “A cat.”

“Sure. See? He goes meow and everything.” Button nudged the 'cat’, who let out a cheerful “Meow”.

“...right.” Love Tap sighed. “Then take your 'cat’ upstairs to get it settled in. And by dinner I expect a written list of how you plan to care for it.”

“O-of course!” Button nodded quickly before running up the stairs two steps at a time. “Come on, uhm, cat!”

The cat gave her a cheerful grin before bounding up after her son, only to stop at the top of the stairs and look back at her again happily.

“Meowth, that's right!”

“That's your pocket money from now on, by the way! Two Paydays a week, no more, and don't let me catch you flooding the local economy, young man!”