Point of View: John
⸻
So apparently... we're going somewhere.
Where exactly? No clue. Mama hasn't said a word about it, which honestly makes me a little suspicious. She's usually not one for long silences or keeping secrets—unless she's got a big surprise planned.
Which, considering the last "surprise" was unleashing her entire Pokémon team on me at once, I'm not sure whether I should be excited... or mildly terrified.
Still, I wasn't going to complain.
Not when the forest trail was shaded and peaceful, not when I could feel the last echo of the Verdant Spirit still pulsing quietly in my chest, and definitely not when Butterfree had been hovering exactly three inches above my right shoulder for the past twenty minutes, singing praises like a fangirl at a concert.
"BUTTERFREE!! (Oh, your hair's just so soft! And your little walk—so dignified! Look at your cheeks! I swear you're going to give me a sugar crash from how sweet you look!)"
"Would you stop," I groaned, trying not to laugh. "I'm a person, not a plushie!"
She giggled—literally giggled in mid-air—and twirled upside down with a dramatic flap of her wings. "Butterfree~ (You're a plushie with legs, and I won't hear otherwise!)"
I squinted up at her. "You're lucky I like you."
"That's what all the best boys say to me!" she chirped.
"Oh no," I muttered. "She's delusional, too."
Behind me, I heard a soft snort—Gengar. He'd been floating a few feet behind us, doing his usual ghost-hover and chuckling at every other sentence we exchanged like some mischievous uncle watching a comedy show.
Mama walked ahead of us, her long brown hair swinging with every confident step... but I could still see it in her body language. That stiffness in her shoulders. That extra glance over her shoulder. That distant look in her eyes every time she caught Butterfree and me exchanging words.
She was still processing it.
That I could understand Pokémon speech.
Not just the intent, not just the emotions layered in their voices—actual words.
I didn't blame her.
Honestly, if our roles were reversed, I'd be freaking out too. From what she'd explained earlier, it was something only aura users, psychics, or King-Rank Pokémon could maybe achieve over time.
But me?
Two years old, fluent like I'd been raised in a Pikachu daycare.
Yeah.
That wasn't normal.
But still, it was hilarious.
And now that I'd had my fun teasing Butterfree, it was time to circle back and land the real punchline.
Gengar had just made some smug comment behind us—something clever, probably at my expense. I didn't catch all of it, but the tone was unmistakable.
"Oh by the way," I said casually, glancing over my shoulder. "How's that promise going?"
He blinked, red eyes narrowing. "Gengar? (Promise?)"
I tilted my head innocently. "You know. The one you made earlier? The bet you offered to Butterfree?"
His eyes widened slightly.
I grinned.
"The one where you said if I managed to talk to her, you'd stop pranking her for a whole year."
Butterfree froze mid-flight. "BUTTERFREE?! (Wait—what?!)"
Gengar's expression flattened. "Geng..."
I turned back to Butterfree, smug as could be. "You forgot, didn't you?"
She blinked rapidly, then gasped in realization, wings fluttering faster. "Butterfree!! (OH MY WINGS, THAT'S RIGHT! Gengar, you totally said that!)"
"She was right there," I added helpfully. "And you offered. Your words."
Gengar gave a long, slow sigh. "Gengar... (This is going to be a long year.)"
Butterfree, for her part, spun around in delighted victory, pumping her wings like she'd just won a Grand Festival.
"I'm prank-free for a whole year!!" she sang. "I can sleep again! I can breathe! I can open a drawer without finding whipped cream inside my Poké Ball!"
"Oh, you poor thing," I said dramatically, patting her wing. "Truly, you've survived a great hardship."
Mama chuckled softly ahead of us.
I blinked, then looked up at her. She was watching us with a fond, if slightly distant, expression.
Still absorbing.
Still adjusting.
Still Mama.
"Hey..." I tugged her sleeve gently. "Has Butterfree always been like this?"
Mama smirked. "Like what?"
"Like... a little air head from the movies?"
Butterfree gasped in mock horror. "Butterfree!! (I am a majestic creature of grace and radiance!)"
"Sure," I said, deadpan. "And I'm secretly a Jolteon."
"You could be!" she said with a wink. "With those cheeks? I'd evolve you in a heartbeat."
Gengar groaned dramatically. "Gengar... (We're doomed. He's got two now.)"
Mama let out a real laugh this time, soft and rich.
I smiled quietly.
Yeah.
I didn't know where we were going.
She still hadn't told me.
No clues. No hints. Just a promise that we were going to meet "some people who matter to us."
And yet...
I didn't feel afraid.
Not even curious in a nervous way.
Because Mama had my hand in hers.
Because Butterfree was zipping around me like the world's most enthusiastic fairy godmother.
Because Gengar—grumpy, snarky, secretly sweet Gengar—was still floating behind, keeping watch even while complaining.
I didn't need to know where we were going.
All I needed to know... was that we were going together.
——————————————————————————
We'd been walking for a while when Mama finally spoke again.
"We're halfway to the first destination."
First destination?
I glanced up at her curiously but didn't ask. Not yet. She'd tell me when she was ready.
Instead, I gave her a relaxed little shrug. "That's fine. I like walking like this."
She glanced down, surprised. "You do?"
"Yeah," I said, smiling. "The trees, the leaves, the breeze... it feels good out here."
Mama squeezed my hand softly. "You really are something else."
Butterfree swooped in from the side, giggling. "Butterfree~ (He's a nature boy now! Should I make him a flower crown?!)"
"Yes," I said immediately.
Gengar snorted behind me. "Gengar... (You're going to spoil him so much more than Yua already does.)"
I was about to come up with something snarky when something shifted in the corner of my eye.
Movement.
Small.
Green.
Near the base of a thick tree, nestled between a patch of moss and wildflowers, a tiny creature wriggled out from behind a rock. My body went completely still.
It was...
A Caterpie.
My first wild Pokémon.
A real one.
Not Mama's trained team. Not a projection from a movie. Not a model in a book.
A living, breathing Caterpie.
It looked different than I expected. Cuter. Its eyes were bigger, shinier, with a glossy softness that made it seem... plush. Its little red antennae twitched slightly as it nibbled on a leaf, unaware that I was seconds away from imprinting this moment into my memory for life.
This is real.
I dropped into a crouch on instinct, staring like an obsessed fanboy discovering their favorite celebrity was three feet away.
Butterfree paused midair, tilting her head. "Butterfree? (Did he just freeze up?)"
"He's locked onto something," Mama said, watching me curiously.
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
All of my brainpower was currently being funneled into one emotion: hyperfixation.
Which, as fate would have it, was the exact moment that my system finally decided to claw its way back from the void.
Or, as I muttered under my breath:
"Oh, look who's not dead anymore."
『System Online: I WASN'T DEAD.』
『There was simply... a necessary period of synchronization.』
"...Right. Sure. Welcome back, radio silence."
『Due to your sustained focus and deep observation of a Pokémon, you have awakened a new skill: "Observe."』
『Observe allows you to assess the detailed status and potential of Pokémon, including their nature, energy affinity, talent thresholds, and even emotional states.』
『This skill also enables you to view your own status.』
"Cool, cool," I mumbled. "Now shut up so I can use it on the Caterpie."
『...You're ignoring your own stats?』
"I can look at me later. I need to see this Caterpie. Now. How do I use it?"
『Say "Observe" aloud or in your thoughts while focusing on the target.』
Simple enough.
My eyes narrowed, locking back onto the Caterpie.
My heart raced.
My fingers twitched with excitement.
This was it—my first wild Pokémon analysis.
I sucked in a breath—
And in my mind, I whispered:
"Observe."
The skill activated with a quiet pulse in my mind.
Just like before, my vision sharpened. Focused. Details I hadn't noticed—the precise pattern of the Caterpie's markings, the way its tiny body shifted slightly with every breath—all became crystal clear.
Then the data appeared, floating before my eyes in clean, translucent text:
Name: None
Race: Caterpie
Level: 3
Gender: Male
Alignment: Neutral
Rank: Common
Potential: Blue
Ability: None
Hidden Ability: None
Health: 48/48
Strength: F
Agility: E
Speed: E
Intellect: F
Defense: E
Special Attack: F
Special Defense: F
Leadership: None
Skills – Active:
1. Tackle (Lvl 1)
2. String Shot (Lvl 1)
Skills – Passive:
– None
Trainer: None
Bond: 0
A Common-rank wild Caterpie with Blue potential.
So simple... but kind of sweet, too.
There was something humble about him. He wasn't going to shake the world. He wouldn't win a tournament or shatter a battlefield. But he was out here, doing his best—surviving, growing.
I liked that.
I blinked the screen away before anyone noticed and turned to Mama.
"...Can I touch him?"
She glanced over, following my gaze. "That little guy? He's a Caterpie—yes, you can. Just make sure Butterfree follows you. They usually get along well."
Butterfree beamed, already fluttering beside me. "Butterfree~! (You got it! Escort mode, engaged!)"
I crept forward on quiet steps, approaching the Caterpie slowly. He paused mid-nibble and looked up at me with huge, glossy eyes.
"Hey there," I whispered.
No sudden movement. No fear.
I crouched low, reached out gently—and placed two fingers on the top of his head.
Soft. Surprisingly warm. I scratched lightly behind what passed for his little "ear ridge." He leaned into it, eyes fluttering shut in contentment.
"Good boy," I whispered. "You're doing great out here."
It didn't matter what his stats were.
He was trying.
That was enough.
I gave him one last pat, then rose to my feet and turned away, letting him go back to his leaf like nothing had happened.
Butterfree was practically vibrating beside me, her wings flapping in double-time. The second I was far enough from the Caterpie, she exploded in joy.
"BUTTERFREE!! (Did you SEE that?! He loved it! He loved Caterpie! MY evolution line!!)"
Gengar floated lazily by with a smirk. "Gengar~ (You're gonna milk this for a full year, aren't you?)"
"BUTTERFREE!! (YES I AM!!)"
"And the bet?" I added without looking.
"BUTTERFREE!! (One whole prank-free year!)"
Gengar groaned. "Gengar... (I've made a terrible mistake.)"
I grinned and rejoined Mama's side, slipping my hand into hers again as we continued walking deeper into the forest path.
Butterfree zipped ahead, twirling midair like she was performing on a stage.
Gengar floated low to the ground, dragging his arms dramatically.
And me?
I had a new skill.
A new way to see the world.
And for the first time in either life, I felt like I was finally in the right place at the right time—with the right people and pokemon.