"Huh," Trent said. "We're from Hoenn. Probably never met the guy, but still, small world. We're from Lilycove City."

"I've been, but only once, and I didn't get to see a whole lot. How different is it?"

"Not that different. I mean, yea, obviously the cities are different, but there are some big similarities, too."

"Like?"

"Like Slateport City feels just like your Vermilion City here," Trent said. "Seaside place with a big port. There are some similar gyms, as well." He shrugged a bit. "Bunch of things like that."

"Huh. Guess the world really isn't too different, huh? Just different pokemon in different regions." Aleron rubbed Vulpix's ears. "You two been to Johto yet?"

"Not yet," Trent replied. "We just finished up the gyms here in Kanto, we were going to see about taking a trip through Tohjo Falls and into Johto." They wanted the full 'Kanto-Johto' experience, after all, and that included braving the Falls.

Aleron nodded. "Well, if you two don't mind making a quick stop by Professor Oak's, I can show you at least to the Falls. I live right in that area, so it's not exactly out of the way for me."

Trent glanced at his brother. He didn't have a problem with a slight detour, and they'd been kind of hoping to meet the region's Professor ever since they got to Kanto.

"What say you, Quen?" he asked.

Quen shrugged. "Sure. That sounds fine to me." He looked over at Aleron. "Lead the way, then."

Aleron nodded and put down Vulpix again, starting to walk. It wouldn't take them too long to get to Professor Oak's, and on the way she could try to figure out why something about the two seemed so familiar.

Trent followed along, making sure not to get too close. He'd heard Vulpixes were a bit protective and territorial, when they could be distracted from preening, and he didn't exactly fancy a face full of fire. But he followed Aleron into Pallet Town, content to let her lead the way.

Aleron went straight to Professor Oak's, knocking on the door before letting herself in. "Professor? You around?"

"Back here! Ouch!" Professor Oak's voice floated from the garden area, and Aleron led the way out, grinning briefly when she saw an Oddish bouncing a little too enthusiastically and hitting the professor, who was still laying on the ground from when someone else had knocked him over.

"Vulpix, go calm the little one, would you?" Vulpix yipped and jumped down, going over to Oddish and leading her away from the poor professor. "You okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Professor Oak took her hand and got up, brushing himself off. "It's good to see you again, Aleron."

"You too, Professor."

"Oh! I see you brought some friends! How nice to meet you both. I'm Professor Oak."

"I'm Trent, and my brother is Quen," Trent introduced. He grinned a bit. "Nice to meet you, Professor." He glanced around the garden a bit, and grinned when he spied a couple of Lotad, some Tympole, and a few Wooper in the pond. They all looked like low-level things, but that was alright. He mentally shook himself back to the conversation.

"We're just passing through on our way back home. Well, home for me, Johto for these two." Aleron grinned. "Actually, I wanted to know if you wanted to come visit the farm, professor."

Professor Oak's eyes gleamed. "Do you still have all the...?"

"Oh, yes. Trust me, it'll be fun."

"Give me a few hours to get everything settled and then I'll be ready to go." Professor Oak fairly scrambled to get ready to go.

"Farm?" Trent asked, curious. He hadn't really pinned the girl as a farm-kind of girl. And what could possibly be there that would make a professor so excited?

"Yeah. My friend and I have a farm now. We have too many pokemon between us to carry around all the time. But we still go out and get badges and things, just not as much." Aleron shrugged. "We have a couple less common pokemon that Professor Oak likes to keep track of, is all, and he hasn't seen them for a while."

"Cool," Trent said. Hey, it wasn't a bad idea, really, although he supposed it still counted as being 'tied down.' But still. "She the same friend you mentioned earlier? Or he?"

"Yeah, she is. We traveled together for a while and then decided the farm was a good idea." Aleron grinned briefly. They'd only settled down because they'd become inundated with legendaries, but that was okay. It was totally worth it.

"And how do you like it?" Quen raised an eyebrow.

"I like it, but I'm also more used to it. She's having a little more trouble adjusting, since she's a city girl, but I think she's happy there."

"Ah, we know the feeling," Trent replied, nodding. "Lilycove is a big city, even if it is on the shore. We know how it is to start as a trainer from the city."

Aleron snickered. "Yeah, cities aren't really my thing. I like countryside better." Almost absently, she patted a wandering Charmander on the head to keep him from pouncing on one of the others. Almost immediately, he latched onto her leg.

Trent noticed the Charmander, and raised an eyebrow when it immediately latched onto her. That was interesting. He didn't get the chance to ponder it, though, because he got his legs knocked out from under him from behind. Apparently, a Squirtle had noticed him and decided to follow Charmander's lead.

"Arceus Almighty!" Trent yelped as he landed on his back. "What was that for?"

The Squirtle just snickered and sat on him.

Quen laughed at his brother. He was totally allowed, especially since there weren't any Dark-types to latch on to him.

"I see you have the same problem." Aleron kept her voice dry as she picked up the Charmander, cuddling him a bit.

"If I didn't value being dry, I'd pull out Blastoise," Trent grumped as he picked up the Squirtle and set it on the ground so he could get back to his feet.

Aleron snickered, setting Charmander down. "No, dearie, you can't come with me. You've already got a trainer." She blinked when Vulpix and Charmander both piped up and said that no, Charmander had been left with Oak to find a different home. "Or not. Well, I suppose that changes things."

"New trainer registration just ended," Oak supplied helpfully. He had a pretty fair idea of how the conversation had gone. "That Charmander is one of the last of the bunch, it's not likely to be given to a new trainer until next year."

"I'll take him," Aleron immediately volunteered. Hey, he was a cute little fire-type. What was there to say no to?

"That was fast," Quen said, his eyebrows shooting up.

"I like fire-types." Aleron shrugged.

"I thought you might want him," Oak said. "Just be careful, he seems to be a little competitive."

"Fire-types are kind of neat, I guess," Trent said, shrugging a bit. "I go more for water-types, myself."