"Of course it has! You've taught me pretty much everythin' I know about nature, respectin' it, livin' offa' it and admiring it, so It's like I never work a day in my life!"
Even now, Alder was still taller than he, and a slight pang of nostalgia hit Aarune like a rough ocean wave, as it reminded him how much time really has past since first meeting the kind man, back in his early teens.
It made him wish that he had spent the last of those years that he spent trying to find himself with the Champion.
Sadly, you just can't turn back time, but despite the sadness he briefly felt, the friendly aura that surrounded the duo, even now, was enough to keep Aarune smiling up to his mentor.
"You've heard, eh? Nothin' ever gets past you, Alda'!"
Giddy about finally being able to tell Alder about all of his adventures in the tropical region, Aarune began.
"I've been teachin' trainers, and plenty of other people, too, about Secret Bases! They're just th' coolist things ever, man. You can make 'em in trees, caves, bushes, along the ocean-- it's amazing! And you can decorate them any way ya like, too. That's my favorite part." He took a brief pause as he nodded, confirming his statement.
"Mm hm! I'm the leader of the Secret Base guild in Fortree city. It's a blast, especially when yer gettin' t' see all sorts a' goods from the girls behind th' counter when they find, or make somethin' for different bases."