Point of View: John
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We'd been walking for what felt like forever.
Okay, probably only fifteen minutes since the Caterpie moment, but still. My legs were small, the trail kept winding, and Mama hadn't dropped any clues about where we were going.
So I decided to ask the classic, legally required question of every child on a mysterious trip:
"...Are we there yet?"
Mama looked over her shoulder with a bright grin. "Yes~"
I groaned.
"Already hate this answer."
She giggled, then suddenly spun around, crouched down to my level, and placed her hands gently over my eyes.
"Wha—?"
"No peeking," she said in that annoyingly playful tone she used when she was about to do something dramatic.
"But—!"
"Nope!" she chirped. "You've been patient, and now it's time for your surprise. Come on."
I sighed, resigned to my fate, and let her walk me forward, hands covering my vision. I could hear Butterfree giggling behind me, probably doing flips in the air. Gengar's low, amused hum echoed softly just above the grass.
The breeze shifted.
We were out of the trees now.
I could feel the sunlight directly on my face. The air was wider here, less filtered by leaves. We'd stepped into a clearing.
Then Mama stopped.
Took a deep breath.
And dropped her hands from my eyes.
"Ta-da~!"
I blinked—
And froze.
Standing there, parked square in the middle of the clearing like it owned the place, was a long, polished, silver-gray jet.
Like... a real one.
Engines sleek. Wings gleaming. Stairs down. Door open.
A whole private landing site... tucked inside a forest.
My brain short-circuited.
I didn't say it out loud. I couldn't. Because technically, I was two years old. I shouldn't even know what a jet is. Let alone that it should not be casually parked in the middle of nowhere like a well-behaved Rapidash.
But in my mind?
WHAT THE FUCK—THAT'S A JET!!
My eye twitched.
I was pretty damn sure—no, I was absolutely sure—I had said very clearly to that lady before reincarnating that I didn't want riches.
That I didn't need a fancy name, or a powerful family.
Just a good person. Someone kind. Loving. Someone who wanted a child.
And what did I get?
An amazing mom. Check.
A forest full of rare Pokémon. Check.
A literal private jet waiting in a field like this was a gym leader's weekend resort.
Lady, I thought bitterly, we had a DEAL.
I said "no riches." NO. RICHES. This is not "good person who struggles with daycare bills," this is "my family has a personal aircraft" level of rich.
Do you know how many people even get to see one of these in real life?!
I didn't even realize my mouth had fallen open slightly until Mama leaned down beside me.
"What do you think?" she asked, eyes twinkling.
I swallowed the hundred questions bubbling in my brain and forced my face into a mask of pure, wide-eyed innocence.
"...Mama?" I asked, blinking up at her. "Is that a big shiny Pokémon?"
Butterfree let out the loudest gasp I'd ever heard. "BUTTERFREE!! (OH MY GOODNESS THAT WAS THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!)"
She immediately zoomed in and grabbed my cheeks again.
"Nooooo—" I whined.
"Yes~!" she sang, squishing them together. "You're so adorable I can't even stand it! You think jets are shiny Pokémon!! Gengar! GENGAR!! Did you hear that?!"
Gengar let out a long, wheezing laugh that I was almost sure came from his soul. "Gengarrrr~ (That's it. He wins. I give up. I'll prank myself.)"
Mama just snorted, clearly trying not to laugh, but failing.
I wiggled free from Butterfree's grip and crossed my arms, looking up at Mama again.
"So... not a Pokémon?"
She shook her head fondly. "No, love. That's not a Pokémon. That's our ride."
"Our what?"
"It's a jet."
I tilted my head again—extra slow this time. "What's a jet?"
She smiled. "It's a machine that flies through the sky to take people places very fast. This one is part of the family's transportation fleet."
I blinked.
"...Our family?"
She nodded. "It's not mine personally, but yes. It belongs to our family."
I tried very hard not to react.
Inside?
I was spiraling.
Fleet?! Family jet?! Oh no. No no no no. This isn't some rare-luxury-my-mom-saved-up-for kind of deal. This is old money. Legacy money. "We have a spare jet just in case" money.
What. The. Hell.
I asked for ONE THING. Lady Void Mistake Incarnate, this is the OPPOSITE of humble!
Still. I couldn't break character.
So I just nodded, looking up at the jet like a toddler seeing a Growlithe for the first time.
"That's really cool," I said, stuffing my hands behind my back.
Mama smiled, brushing my hair back with one hand. "I thought you'd like it."
I did.
But I also wanted answers.
Just not yet.
Right now?
I was playing the part of the curious kid who knew nothing.
But inside?
Inside, I was screaming.
Anyway leaving my panicking aside for now.
We walked the rest of the way toward the jet, my hand tucked tightly into Mama's. I could hear the soft hum of power coming from the engines even though the doors were still shut tight. The ramp was already lowered, but the entrance hadn't opened yet.
Then—
Hiss—clunk.
A sleek panel on the side of the jet slid open.
Two uniformed figures stepped down the ramp with perfectly timed steps—one male, one female, both standing tall with polished boots and precision posture. Behind them came three attendants dressed in a slightly more casual, but no less crisp, uniform.
The pilot stepped forward and bowed politely. "Mistress Yua. It has been quite some time."
Like any small child who didn't recognize a new group of adults, I instinctively shuffled behind Mama's leg.
It wasn't an act. I'd done it naturally.
Some habits never really leave you.
But Mama squeezed my hand once, gently, and gave the pilot a nod. "Captain Leron. It's good to see you again."
So his name's Leron.
The co-pilot bowed beside him, eyes flickering curiously in my direction but saying nothing just yet.
Then Captain Leron straightened and glanced down. "And this child...?"
Mama smiled softly and, with a smooth step to the side, gently nudged me forward.
"This is my son," she said. "John."
For a second, there was silence.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
It was as if the air itself had paused.
Then—I swear on Arceus—it was like someone had hit the entire crew with a Thunder Shock.
The attendants stiffened like boards, the co-pilot dropped her clipboard, and the Captain's expression flickered so fast I nearly laughed. Their gazes snapped to me like I'd just announced I was the Champion of Kalos and Unova at the same time.
So, naturally, I went full tiny noble mode.
I stepped forward slightly, bowed just enough to show etiquette without wobbling, and spoke clearly:
"Hello. My name is John Silver. It's a pleasure to meet you."
All of them—every last one—bowed immediately.
"There's no need to bow to us, young master!" the lead attendant exclaimed.
"You honor us with your presence!" the co-pilot added quickly, crouching to retrieve her clipboard.
From behind me, Mama chuckled. "Sweetheart, where did you learn to bow like that?"
I turned and tilted my head. "From that movie you showed me, Mama. The one with the princess who had to greet the noble people?"
Butterfree let out a squeak of delight. "BUTTERFREE~! (He remembered~!)"
Gengar hummed. "Gengar~ (He's stealing hearts left and right.)"
Just then, the clipboard that the female co-pilot had picked up slipped again and clattered to the ground.
I blinked, and like the gentleman I was clearly born to be (twice), I stepped forward, scooped it up without hesitation, and handed it to her with a calm smile.
"Here you go, miss. You dropped this."
She froze, visibly flustered, and reached out slowly. "T-thank you."
"You okay?" I asked, tilting my head again. "You look kinda tired."
She blinked.
Knees. Hit. Ground.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, kneeling before me like I was a young noble she'd accidentally offended. "There's nothing wrong, really."
But I wasn't done.
I lifted my small arm and gently pressed the back of my hand to her forehead.
She froze.
Everyone stared.
Even Gengar tilted his head.
"...Mama?" I asked sweetly. "What was I supposed to look for when someone is sick again?"
Mama lost it.
She turned around, laughter spilling out as she covered her mouth with one hand.
Butterfree spun in delighted midair circles, clapping her tiny paws.
Gengar let out a slow, evil-sounding wheeze. "Gengar... (Oh, that was beautiful.)"
Even the captain cracked a small smile, his military composure slipping for half a second.
Mama finally turned back to me, tears of laughter in her eyes.
"You're checking temperatures now?" she managed between laughs.
"I just wanted to make sure," I said, hands behind my back like a model child.
The co-pilot looked like she was about to melt.
I didn't know what kind of family I had stumbled into.
But from the way everyone reacted to my name—to Mama—and now to me?
Yeah.
This wasn't just some average family with an extra jet lying around.
Something told me this was only the beginning of the real story.