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Al laughed lightly. "No worries. I heard you coming." He admitted with a smile. "I'm doing well. Been considering the possibility of catching another Pokemon so Tweety can have some company when I leave her at home."

Being held by Reno again was a comfort to Kairi, and she couldn't help but hug him back. It was amazing, how she had dealt with being away from him before, but never had her heart yearned for him as much as it had just before she had returned. The red-head managed to smile at both Reno and Leslie, just barely, but, considering how rare her smiles were, it would have to do for now. "I missed you too... Both of you," she mumbled. She could feel herself shaking slightly, but her expression was still just as composed as it always was, with no real display of emotion.

Kairi stared at the both of them with a blank stare for a moment, blinking a couple of times before speaking. "Yes, I went and... visited mine and Leslie's mother for a bit. It didn't start off well," Kairi said, scowling, rubbing her face again. "Oh, here you go Blondie, this is for you." Kairi held the bag out to her younger sister. It was mostly filled with clothes, but, there was a picture in there too, the same one that Leslie had found hidden away - it was a picture of a young Kairi, taken just before Kairi had left. The red-head despised the old photo, but, she knew it probably meant something to Leslie since it was the reason she had had even the slightest idea as to what Kairi looked like.

Kairi had to think for a minute, calling forth the memory of her 'visit'. "Well, after I got punched in the face, someone pulled the witch off of me. I never would've expected to see this man again..." she trailed off, trying to think of how to word this. "Reno, do you remember a man with short, blonde hair..? He had a kind face. Was one of the few people we didn't steal from because he would give us little bits of food and stuff? I remember he gave us a blanket one day, y'know, to keep us warm at night since it had been getting cold." She could remember him clearly, he was also one of the few people who had helped her out after Reno disappeared, and one of the few adults she actually respected. Not giving Reno the chance to answer, Kairi started speaking again, directing her words more to Leslie. "Leslie, your father is quite possibly one of the kindest men I have ever met in my life. You have no idea how lucky you are that he was there for you, especially with how our mother is. He's a better man than my father was, considering my father left..." Kairi trailed off again. She had never really known her own father, only having met him by chance once or twice. She didn't really consider him to be much of a father, but, it didn't matter now.

Reno watched Kairi, having finally found his girlfriend again. How he survived so long without her was a mystery. Maybe it had to do with him helping Keiko and Al along that distracted him, but he knew he had always been missing her. Leslie, on his shoulder, grasped at the photo of Kairi in her youth, holding it like it was her lifeline. The bag was already slung on her back, but she had spotted the photo and wished to hold it again. It used to be her only link to Kairi and she still treasured it like it was gold.

"Ya mean, tha' guy? The one 'o gave me all those 'and-me-down textbooks ta figure out 'ow ta Pokemon battle and ta know tha Pokemon?" In Reno's back pocket at this very moment would be found an old and dog eared book with the title of "Pokemon in the known world" and a small note slipped in the cover. It was old and wrinkled but one would still be able to make out the words emblazoned on it. "Here's to a young man who I see great potential in. Just remember to never lose your friends and always walk through life with a smile on your face and a joke on your lips. It may not be real or even appropriate, but it will let you get through life easier."

Leslie looked to Kairi as she smiled and leaped from Reno's back into Kairi's arms. "Thank you, sis. I really appreciate this. I hope daddy helped you as much as you wanted." Burying her head into the crook of Kairi's neck, she nestled herself in. Despite Kairi's cold exterior, Leslie knew from subtle gestures that she did care.

"I'm not... worried about training. Competitively, that is," Keiko confessed, sitting herself beside Al. "There's just... a lot of things I can't do on my own, you know? So, where did you want to go to look?"

"Unova? Can't say that I have. The farthest I've gone is Lavender Town in Kanto or Ecruteak Town in Johto." Keiko admitted. It was obvious she'd never left the continent before joining the team.

"Sounds like great place, though. I'm ready to go whenever you are."

Tails nodded with an air of faux-sagacity. "He's gonna be so flustered about it."

Idly, Tails jiggled the handle and pried the door open just a notch -- not even just to see but to make Tristen wonder. "Yeah," he said. "Good thing. Who woulda carried him?"