As Ash withdrew his gaze from the crowd, his eyes swept across the open square near the town gate. Two boys—both about his age—stood there, looking a little nervous. Unlike the others, no local families had stepped forward to greet them.
Those must be the two from Kalos who'll be staying with us, Ash thought.
He straightened up and walked over, smiling warmly.
"Hey there! Sorry I'm late. I'm Ash Ketchum. Are you the two students Professor Oak said would be staying at my house?"
The chubbier of the two broke into a grin. "Nice to meet you, Ash! I'm Tierno, and this guy here is Trevor. Professor Oak did say we'd be living with you, so please take care of us!"
He added with a teasing glint in his eyes, "Oh, and if you ever need a wake-up call, Trevor and I can handle that for you. As friends, of course!"
Ash blinked—then laughed.
So the kid had jokes.
Tierno, cheerful and sociable as ever, had clearly heard about Ash's earlier "late arrival" incident and couldn't resist poking fun at him.
Ash scratched his head sheepishly but played along. "Haha, fair enough. I actually did set an alarm last night because I knew you guys were coming. I wanted to be on time, really! But somehow, it fell off the table and broke. Guess my luck's just that bad."
Of course, there was no way he'd admit that he had thrown his Pidgey alarm clock like a Poké Ball in his sleep. That was one humiliation too many.
Tierno laughed heartily. "You sound like me before every dance rehearsal—I break more alarm clocks than I can count!"
Beside him, Trevor stayed quiet but listened attentively, his camera hanging from his neck. His bashful demeanor contrasted Tierno's energy, but his polite nods showed genuine friendliness.
Ash liked them instantly.
Turning slightly, he gestured toward his mother. "Mom, these are the two students who'll be staying with us—Tierno and Trevor."
Then, to the two boys, he said, "This is my mom, Delia."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am!"
"Good morning, Mrs. Ketchum!"
Both Kalos boys greeted her politely, bowing a little.
Delia's smile softened immediately. "Tierno and Trevor, welcome! I'm so happy to have you here. I hope you enjoy your stay with us."
Her voice carried that gentle warmth only mothers could have.
After the introductions, Ash turned back toward the front, calling out to the Professor. "Professor Oak! Everything's good here. Can we head home now?"
Oak nodded with approval. "Go ahead, Ash. Everyone can take their new guests home and get them settled in. Once you're done, feel free to show them around the town—but remember, no one leaves the town limits until the camp begins, alright?"
"Got it, Professor!"
"Understood, Professor Oak!"
As the Professor's words echoed across the square, the crowd began to disperse. Families led their assigned guests down the cozy streets of Pallet, chatting happily as they went.
Ash, with his mother and the two Kalos boys in tow, made their way home as well.
Delia immediately busied herself in the house, preparing bedding and toiletries for the guests. She'd already been warned by Oak the day before that two campers would be staying with them, so she had everything neatly set aside in advance.
"Ash," she called from upstairs, arms full of folded blankets, "why don't you take Tierno and Trevor around town while I finish setting up your rooms?"
"Alright, Mom!" Ash replied. He turned to the boys with a grin. "Come on, let's check out the town!"
Even though Pallet Town wasn't exactly a bustling city—more like a quiet countryside village—it carried a warmth and charm that made it special.
And of course, thanks to Professor Oak's fame and the number of Champions who'd come from here, Pallet Town was a household name across the world.
Tierno and Trevor's eyes darted around curiously as they walked, clearly fascinated.
Ash chuckled to himself. Can't blame them. For a couple of kids from Kalos, this place probably feels like a legendary landmark.
He already knew these two quite well—from memory, at least.
In the original storyline, Tierno and Trevor were Serena and Shauna's childhood friends from Vaniville Town.
Shauna would one day become Serena's closest rival in the Pokémon Showcase competitions—bright, talented, and full of passion.
And as for Tierno and Trevor? Both would grow into strong Trainers in their own right. Tierno would later make it all the way to the quarterfinals of the Kalos League, matching Ash's early performance at the Indigo Plateau, while Trevor—despite his calm, reserved nature—was an excellent battler and a skilled researcher.
His Charizard had even achieved Mega Evolution, a feat few could claim. He just had the bad luck of facing Alain, the future champion, early in the tournament.
Ash smiled faintly. Yeah… all four of them—Serena, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor—they're destined for great things.
And this time, with him in the mix even earlier than before, those bonds of friendship and rivalry would grow even stronger.
"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"
Just as the trio came down the stairs, the doorbell rang, followed by an all-too-familiar voice shouting, "Ash! Hey, Ash!"
Ash opened the door to find Gary standing there, hands on his hips and an annoyed look on his face.
"Gary?" Ash blinked. "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be showing your guests around?"
Gary's expression twisted into irritation. "Ugh, don't remind me. Those two brats—don't even get me started!"
Ash raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh.
Somehow, he already had a feeling the next few days in Pallet Town were going to be very lively.
…
…