"You say that like those are your only two options." There was a lot to unpack there. More than anything he was surprised the kid would agree to it, but he had to laugh at the thought that of course, the version in Riverview would have. "I'm surprised there's even space there with everyone we had coming and going..."

The cats? If he knew about the pokemon that should be easy enough to explain, hopefully. "The cats are from the same place as her." His head tilted in indication of the milotic, "The only ones that came from Riverview were the Eevee and Vulpix, she was a birthday gift for Al and ... he just wouldn't take the hint." Ed hadn't wanted another pokemon, but it was impossible to shake the thing, and then his brother went and named it. "We're not allowed pets here or I would have taken them with me." The pokemon, at least.

Hold on. "Wait, Mustang's there? Since when?!" As if the kid had all the answers. He didn't even really know when the kid was from or what mind frame his counterpart might be in at that point.