As Rory and Aoki stepped inside Mellissa's home, they were immediately greeted by the sounds of giggling and the sight of toys strewn across the living room floor. The smell of freshly baked cookies wafted through the air, and a warm, homey feeling washed over them.

"Welcome," Mellissa said with a smile, setting her grocery bags on the kitchen counter. "It's a bit lively tonight. I hope you two don't mind."

"Not at all!" Aoki replied, grinning as she looked around. "It's nice and cozy."

Rory smiled as well, but he looked a bit more cautious as he took in the scene. "It's… lively, for sure…"

Before he could say anything else, a small girl with golden curls darted into the room, giggling as she chased a toy ball with a garydose painted on it, as it rolled toward Rory's feet. The little girl looked up at him with wide eyes, giving a shy smile.

"That's Daisy," Mellissa explained, ruffling the little girl's hair. "She's five."

Daisy peered up at Rory curiously. "Are you here to play with us?" she asked, holding out her toy ball with a wide grin on her face.

"Uh…" Rory stammered, glancing over at Mellissa.

She chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Daisy. Rory and Aoki are just here to rest for the night. But if they have time, maybe they'll play for a bit."

Daisy nodded and scampered off, and soon after, a smaller girl with pigtails toddled into the room, clutching a stuffed Wigglytuff. She looked up at Aoki with wide eyes, then hid shyly behind Mellissa's leg.

"This is Violet. She's three," Mellissa introduced, patting the little girl on the head. Violet gave Aoki a small wave, then held her stuffed Wigglytuff a little tighter.

A soft cry came from the corner, where a playpen was set up with another toddler seated inside. She looked up with big, curious eyes, and Mellissa leaned over to pick her up.

"And this little one is Lily. She's two," Mellissa said, bouncing Lily gently on her hip. The toddler let out a small giggle, reaching up to grab a strand of Mellissa's hair.

Just then, the softest cry of all came from a cot nearby. Mellissa turned to it, her face softening with a motherly smile.

"And that's Misty. She's only a month old," Mellissa explained, gently lifting the tiny baby and cradling her in her arms.

Rory and Aoki exchanged glances, both of them smiling at the sight of Mellissa with the little ones.

"You're looking after all of them by yourself?" Rory asked, amazed. "That sounds… intense."

Mellissa laughed, her eyes twinkling. "My sister needed a bit of a break, so I'm watching them for a while. They're a handful, but I love every minute of it. My husband had only just left 5 minutes ago, and I am grateful that they didn't burn down the house in that time."

She looked back at Rory, examining him for a moment. "You know, I'd guess you're not that much older than Daisy here…ten, maybe?"

Rory's face immediately flushed as if all the blood in his body turned to steam. "Ten!? Come on! I am about to turn fourteen next week!"

Mellissa's eyes widened in surprise. "Fourteen? Well, you must just have a young face. I would've never guessed you were that close to being an adult!"

Aoki stifled a laugh, giving Rory a playful nudge. "A young face, huh?"

Rory scowled, crossing his arms. "HA HA HA, Very funny. I'm practically fourteen. Just wait, next week I'll be showing off my second gym badge and proving how mature I am."

"At least I look my age." Aoki said cheerfully as she noogied Rorys head

"Because you're like 3 months older than me!"

"3 months, 4 days, 6 hours and 14 minutes. To be more precise!" Aoki said as she fiddled with her fingers

"How on earth did you know!?" Rory cried

"Your mom showed me your birth certificate." Aoki said indifferently as if it was as ordinary as breathing.

"What? WHY!?" Rory cried with a look that made him look as if he had been stabbed.

"It was in an album filled with your baby photos, and I must say you look cute in that umbreon suit." Aoki said with a small smirk

"…You saw that?" Rory said numbly

"And that time where you danced around your home naked while waving around…" Aoki said with a sly smile

"SHUT IT!" Rory cried, turning red

Mellissa chuckled, amused by Rory's reaction. "Hey, I'll make you a cake if you come back here on your birthday. It'll be my way of making up for the age mix-up."

The idea of cake seemed to soften Rory's annoyance, and he gave a small, sheepish smile. "Well… I guess that sounds alright."

Suddenly, Daisy ran back into the room, tugging on Rory's sleeve. "Can we play now?"

Mellissa laughed and waved her hand. "Go ahead, Rory. You're not getting out of this one."

Rory sighed, but his smile betrayed his amusement as he sat down on the floor with Daisy and Violet, who had now joined her sister, clutching her stuffed Wigglytuff. Aoki joined him, helping to entertain the little ones as they played with toy Pokéballs and figurines of various Pokémon, as Mellisa went into the kitchen to cook refusing point blank for any help.

Eventually, Rory made an excuse and walked up the door, and closed the door softly behind him, taking a deep breath of the cool, evening air. He felt both tired and energized, his mind buzzing with thoughts. Stepping further onto the quiet path, he noticed a faint glow from the front yard of the neighboring house.

Poppy sat there, her hair gently tousled by the breeze, a small Pichu playfully climbing onto her lap while a Charmander curled up beside her, its tail flame casting a soft orange glow across the steps. Rory's face broke into a grin as he walked over, calling out softly.

"Poppy! I didn't expect to see you here." Rory said as he flicked away invisible dust on his clothes.

Poppy looked up, her face lighting up as she recognized him. "Rory! Fancy meeting you here. My grandma lives here…I see that you are staying with Mellissa…she's always been close to our family. So, I'm staying with her while I'm learning some new techniques as a Pokémon breeder."

"Wow, that's awesome," Rory said, as he walked up past the gate and sat down on the steps next to her. "Guess I got lucky."

Poppy chuckled, scratching the Pichu on her lap. "Looks like we both did. It's nice to see a familiar face, especially after today." She glanced at him with interest as her face seemed to be slightly red. "So, what's been going on with you? I heard you've been up to some pretty wild stuff."

Rory leaned back, grinning as he thought back over their adventures. "Well, let's see…we've had a few run-ins with some pretty rough crowds. There's this gang called Team Dark…complete troublemakers who hijacked a fish truck and took it for a joyride. Aoki and I had to help a Team Jet executive stop them. That was an experience."

Poppy's eyes widened, amused. "A fish truck joyride? That sounds bizarre even for a gang."

"Right?" Rory laughed. "And it didn't end there. We also ran into the Ember Eye Gang from Cinnabar Island. They're obsessed with Fire-types and almost took over the cable car near Mt. Moon...Oh yeah, there's the Angel of the End Biker Gang, who apparently rule over parts of Fuchsia City. Kanto's got a lot of... colorful characters."

Poppy smirked, nodding. "And here I thought my friends Lucario was a handful." She gestured toward her house. "He's in there right now, refusing to be anywhere near my other freinds Cinderace, they are trying to get them to breed so that they can have a Riolu learn certain moves...However they just do not get along."

"Really?" Rory asked, curious. "What's going on with them?"

"Well," Poppy said, laughing, "I don't know exactly, but that Lucario either a. has it in his head that he's way too cool to be seen around her. Cinderace tries to befriend him, but he just huffs and turns away every time she's around. The other case is either b. he's gay or c. He is not into her. But my money is on a."

Rory laughed, shaking his head. "Sounds like Lucario's got a bit of an ego."

"Oh, you have no idea," Poppy replied, rolling her eyes fondly. "I'm training to be a Pokémon breeder, so I'm working with all kinds of personalities. Lucario and Cinderace are my current project right now. It's challenging, but I love it. Being a breeder means you're not just training Pokémon…you're understanding them, learning to connect on a deeper level. It's amazing to watch them grow."

Rory listened, captivated by her passion. "That's pretty cool. I bet they come around eventually. I mean, you're good at this."

Poppy shrugged, though a blush colored her cheeks. "Thanks. I still have a long way to go, but I'll get there."

As they chatted, Rory's attention drifted to the two Pokémon by her side. The Pichu had curled up on her lap, nuzzling into her, while the Charmander's flame flickered gently, its eyelids drooping as it fought to stay awake.

"So, who are these little guys?" Rory asked, gesturing toward the Pichu and Charmander.

"Oh, these two?" Poppy grinned, stroking Pichu's tiny head. "This little rascal here is Ash, and the Charmander is Red. Some guy didn't want them anymore at the daycare I do volunteer work at, and so I took them in."

Rory raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Ash and Red, huh? Interesting names."

Poppy laughed softly. "Yeah, they're a bit unconventional. I just thought they fit them well. Funny thing is, if I ever had kids, I'd probably give them these names."

Rory chuckled, imagining it. "Ash and Red… that'd be pretty cute. I can see it now."

Poppy glanced at him, her eyes playful. "You think so?"

"Definitely," he replied, smiling. "They're names with a lot of heart."

"And what about you? What would you name your kids?" Poppy asked

Rory chuckled slightly "I don't know." He said with a small smile "Ash and Red?"

"Hey!" Poppy said as she playfully nudged Rory.

For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, watching the Pichu and Charmander, the warm glow from Charmander's tail lighting the space between them. Rory felt a quiet sense of peace, like everything in the world was exactly where it needed to be.

Poppy broke the silence, her voice soft. "You know, there aren't many people who get it. The connection between us and Pokémon, the way we share so much with them. But I think you do."

Rory looked at her, a little surprised, but her words filled him with pride. "I guess… I've never really thought about it that way, but yeah. Aoki and I have been through so much with our Pokémon. They're more than just friends—they're like family."

Poppy smiled, her eyes warm. "Exactly. That's what I want to show people as a breeder. That bond. It's what makes it all worth it."

Rory nodded, feeling a strange connection growing between them. "You're going to be great at it, Poppy. I can tell."

She looked down, her face softening as she gave a shy smile. "Thanks, Rory. That… really means a lot."

They sat together for a while longer, sharing stories and laughter, the soft sounds of the night surrounding them. In that quiet moment, with the moon shining down and the warmth of friendship between them, Rory knew he'd found a kindred spirit in Poppy.

Aoki glanced at her Pokégear as it buzzed in her hand, lighting up with Aqua's name. She smiled slightly as she made and excuse and moved to an empty room as she patted a sleeping Misty as she left, her face turned a little pink as she answered, bringing it to her ear. "Hey, Aqua! What's up?"

"Hey, Aoki!" Aqua's voice came through the line, sounding cheerful but slightly exasperated. "I've got a bit of a... situation here. I could use some help."

Aoki raised an eyebrow, curious. "Sure! What's going on?"

"Well," Aqua started, his tone turning sheepish. "I, uh… found a couple of Pokémon, and I'm having a bit of trouble naming them…I know it sounds silly, but I thought you'd be the perfect person to ask. You seem to be the sort of person that is always been good with names...If you know what I mean."

Aoki laughed, intrigued. "Alright, hit me with it. What'd you find?"

"A baby Squirtle and a baby Eevee," Aqua replied, a hint of affection in his voice. "They're both pretty tiny, and I think they'll be sticking with me for a while, and they seem to like me as well. So… I want to give them names that fit."

Aoki grinned, feeling a rush of excitement. "A Squirtle and an Eevee? That's adorable, Aqua. Okay, let's see… if I were to name them, I'd call the Squirtle Blue and the Eevee Gary."

There was a pause on the line before Aqua chuckled. "Blue and Gary, huh? I like it. They seem to be strong names."

Aoki's grin widened, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Yeah, and, you know, if I ever had kids and they were both boys, I'd probably name them that, too."

Aqua laughed softly. "That would be pretty fitting, I think. Those names suit them…and they'd probably suit o…I mean your kids, too. I'll stick with them, then. Blue and Gary."

Aoki leaned back, satisfied. "Good choice, Aqua. Those names are perfect for them."

Aqua's tone grew lighter. "Glad you approve. Thanks, Aoki…you saved me from calling them something ridiculous, like Turtle and Spotty..."

They both laughed, and Aqua's voice turned a bit more serious. "Oh, by the way, I thought you'd like to know that Mew's doing fine. It's adapting really well, though… it did make a small ink explosion earlier when it was messing around with Professor Cedar's pens, Dad was covered in so much ink."

Aoki's eyes widened, her tone amused. "An ink explosion? You're kidding."

"Nope, not at all," Aqua replied with a chuckle. "Mew was floating around, juggling the pens, when suddenly one just… poof! Ink everywhere. But then, you know what it did? It fixed it up itself, like it never happened, but Dad still has stains all over his face. There were like 10 colors of ink stains on his face."

Aoki laughed, imagining the scene of Professor Oak's face stained with over 10 colors of ink. "Of course, Mew would cause chaos and then clean it up like it was all part of the plan. Sounds like Mew's having a blast with Professor Cedar and Oak."

"Oh, absolutely," Aqua agreed, his voice filled with fondness. "It's like it's found its own little playground in the lab. Cedar's really taken a shine to it, too. They make a good pair."

Aoki smiled, feeling reassured. "That's great to hear. Thanks for the update, Aqua. And for taking care of Mew."

"Anytime," Aqua replied warmly. "And hey, when you get back to the lab, you'll have to say hi to Blue and Gary, too."

Aoki chuckled. "You bet. I'll make sure they know I'm the one who gave them their awesome names."

"Yeah…" Aqua said

"Anyway…I hope I would smell you later." Aoki said with a small smile.

"Smell me later?" Aqua said

"Oh, smell you later…" Aoki said with a small sheepish grin on her face. "…It's kind of a weird family thing. When my parents were kids, they had this habit of dressing up like Pokémon and doing ridiculous things with their friends who would also be dressed up as a Pokémon. My father would sometimes dress up as pokemon like a Lucario, a Gallade, a Zeraura I don't quite recall the rest…My mother would sometimes dress up as a Gardivour, a Machamp at times, and a Nidoqueen…I don't quite recall the rest…"

She shook her head as she tried to shake off the images she saw that were adorable when they were kids and a hidden album with traumatizing images of her parents as teens and adults "...Anyway when they'd say goodbye or have to go…my dad would literally shove his face into my mom's shoulder or arm or her chest, pretending to sniff her like a Pokémon, and he'd say, 'Smell you later!'"

Aqua chuckled, his curiosity piqued. "Wait, they really did that?"

"Yeah, believe it or not," Aoki replied, laughing at the memory. "They were always goofing off, acting like they were Pokémon when they were little kids. And that silly 'smell you later' thing just stuck with them, even as they grew up to be adults...It became their own way of saying goodbye to each other, or anyone they really care about."

Aqua's laughter softened, a note of fondness creeping into his tone. "That's… really sweet, Aoki. It sounds like a fun family tradition."

"Yeah, it's definitely unique," Aoki said, smiling as she thought about it. "So, if you ever hear me say 'smell you later,' that's my way of saying you're someone I care about. A family member, a friend…something even closer…"

Aqua's voice softened. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing that with me, Aoki. 'Smell you later,' huh?"

"Exactly," she replied with a grin. "Alright, Aqua. Smell you later."

"Smell you later, Aoki," Aqua echoed, a playful warmth in his voice.

As she ended the call, a warm feeling settled over her. As she looked out at the starry night, she couldn't help but feel connected, not only to her journey but to the friendships and bonds she was forming along the way. It was a simple, silly tradition, but it carried a lot of heart…and now, it felt like she'd shared a piece of home with Aqua.