Orions point of view:
And my brain crashed for the second time this morning.
Because this wasn't a jet.
This was a house. A flying, sky-bound house with wings, and someone had apparently decided that "air travel" meant "bring every luxury known to humankind at thirty thousand feet."
What the fuck!!
Why does a jet look like a penthouse?! I knew rich people were different, but this was absurd. Polished wood panels lined the walls, soft cream carpet cushioned my every step, and the seats—Arceus, the seats—were huge, plush, cream-colored thrones that looked like they belonged in a five-star hotel lobby.
Behind me, Mom let out a long, slow sigh.
"I have missed this," she murmured, her voice thick with nostalgia.
She walked past me and sank into one of the massive cream-colored seats near the window. The moment she sat down, the cushion seemed to wrap around her like a loving embrace. She let her head fall back, her red hair spilling over the headrest, and her eyes fluttered half-closed in pure contentment.
I climbed up onto the seat beside her, my legs dangling over the edge because I was still too short to reach the floor properly. The cushion gave way beneath me, it was so soft and supportive at the same time, and I felt my whole body relax whether I wanted it to or not.
"This is so comfy," I said, sinking deeper into the seat. "It's like a very comfy cloud!"
Mom chuckled, her eyes still closed. "It is, baby."
She lounged sideways, stretching out like a lazy Purrugly, and cracked one eye open to look at me. A lazy smile curved her lips.
"Now," she said, reaching for something on the side of the seat, "I need to put this on you."
A strap—no, a seatbelt, but not like any seatbelt I'd ever seen. It was thick and padded, with a smooth buckle that clicked into place across my lap with a soft, satisfying sound. Mom fastened her own belt a moment later, her movements practiced and automatic.
Around us, the maids filed into the cabin, their earlier excitement settling into quiet efficiency. Rin took a seat across the aisle, Sasha settled in near the back, and the others buckled themselves in with the same calm routine. No chatter. No fuss. Just six women who had clearly done this a hundred times before.
The pilots entered the cabin last, their uniforms crisp and their expressions as professional as they could be.
"We'll be wheels up in just a few minutes, Mistress Yua," the silver-haired pilot said, nodding once. "Please let us know if you need anything."
"Thank you, Marcus," Mom said.
They disappeared through a reinforced door at the front of the cabin, and a moment later, I felt the low hum of the engines starting up. The floor vibrated beneath my feet—just slightly, like a great beast yawning itself awake.
Mom turned to me, her purple eyes soft but serious.
"It's going to get a little bumpy, baby," she said, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I need you to be brave for me, okay? Just for a few minutes."
I puffed out my chest and smiled confidently.
"Okay, Mama."
Then the jet began to move.
Slowly at first—a gentle roll across the grass, smooth as glass. Then the jet started to pick up speed. The trees outside the window blurred past, green and brown smears against a bright blue sky. The hum of the engines grew louder, deeper, and the whole cabin started to shake, just a little.
The nose of the jet tilted upward. The ground fell away. And suddenly—
We were flying.
The shaking stopped. The world outside the window transformed into a patchwork of green forests, blue rivers, and tiny roads that looked like threads from up here. The clouds drifted past, close enough to touch, white and fluffy.
I pressed my face against the window, my breath fogging the glass.
"Wow," I whispered.
Beside me, Mom laughed—that warm, musical sound that always made me feel like everything was right in the world.
Behind us, I heard soft sounds. Little gasps. Quiet "awes" from the maids.
I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
Stop looking at me, I thought desperately, even as I kept my face pressed to the glass. I'm not being cute. I'm being appreciative of aeronautical engineering. There's a difference.
The jet leveled out soon after, the climb evening into a smooth, steady cruise. Around the cabin, seatbelts clicked open one by one.
Mom unbuckled herself with a practiced flick of her wrist, then reached over and released mine.
"There," she said, stretching her arms above her head. "Now you can move around, baby."
I didn't want to move though.
I physically couldn't.
Because the window was still there, and the world was still unfolding beneath me, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from any of it. A flock of Spearow zipped past, tiny brown shapes against the endless blue, their wings beating in perfect synchronization. A Pidgey soared below us, riding a the winds as if it was the simplest thing in the world, its feathers catching the sunlight like scattered gold.
I pressed closer to the glass amazed by it all.
This world was so big.
Forests stretched so far that it met the horizon, and they were broken by silver rivers and rocky outcroppings. Mountains rose in the distance, their peaks dusted with white. Towns dotted the landscape like scattered seeds—clusters of tiny buildings connected by thin gray roads that wound through hills and valleys.
This wasn't a game map. This wasn't a pixelated screen.
This was real.
And I was going to explore all of it.
I will become strong enough, I promised myself, my reflection staring back at me from the glass. Strong enough to go anywhere. To see everything. To face anything.
And I will become the strongest.
"Mama," I said, not turning away from the window. "This is beautiful."
She let out a slow breath, and when I finally turned to look at her, she was smiling, it was a small, sad and happy smile all at once, like she was seeing something I couldn't see yet.
"It's going to take quite some time to get home," she said, settling back into her seat and pulling a thin blanket over her legs. "So get comfortable, baby."
She gestured toward the back of the cabin, where the maids were already arranging themselves—some reading, some chatting quietly, one staring out her own window with a dreamy expression.
"I'll have one of the maids look after you," Mom continued, her eyes already starting to droop. "Because I know you too well, my little Litleo. You're going to start exploring this jet any minute now."
I opened my mouth to deny it.
But Closed it.
...She wasn't wrong.
Mom smiled, her eyes fully closed now, her breathing already slowing. "So have fun, baby."
Then she was asleep, her red hair fanned across the cushion, her face soft and peaceful in a way I saw when she held me in her arms.
I looked at her quietly for a long moment before deciding to stay beside her. As I rested my head on her lap, exhaustion quickly took over, and within less than two minutes, I had already fallen asleep.
Time Skip – Night time
It was already night time, and Mom and most of the maids were asleep. Mom was sleeping peacefully while I was currently watching the Pokémon version of Tom and Jerry— with Tom being a Meowth and Jerry being a brown Rattata. In all honesty, it was pretty funny, though I still preferred the original. After all, some things can't be improved.
But my mind kept drifting back to everything that had happened today.
So much had changed in just a few hours. Meeting Mom's team, revealing that I could understand Pokémon, discovering we had a private jet, and then the maids... the very affectionate maids. I rubbed my forehead where Sasha had kissed me, still feeling the phantom warmth of it.
I glanced over at Mom. She was curled up in her seat, a blanket tucked around her shoulders, her red hair spilling across the cushion like fire. She looked younger when she slept. Softer. Like the weight she carried every day had finally lifted.
We'd woken up about half an hour after falling asleep.
[Flashback Start]
Mom had shaken me gently, her voice warm and teasing. "Rise and shine, my little Litleo. Someone decided to take nap with his mama instead of exploring."
My eyes fluttered open, heavy and hazy with sleep, and the first thing I saw was mom's warm smile gazing down at me. The maids had clustered nearby, their hushed voices drifting through the room as if they'd been chatting the whole time I was out.
"I was thinking," Mom continued, lifting me onto her hip like I weighed nothing, "that since you chose to stay with me instead of exploring to your heart's content, I should give you a proper tour myself."
Rin had leaned over from her seat, her amber eyes sparkling. "Oh, he's going to love it. Especially the—"
Mom shot her a look. "Rin. No spoilers."
Rin had mimed zipping her lips, but her grin hadn't faded. She even drew an invisible X over her heart, which made Mom roll her eyes.
And then Mom had grabbed me, lifted me up, and the grand tour began.
She carried me through the jet, pointing out rooms I couldn't believe existed on an airplane. There was a meeting room with a long polished table and leather chairs, clearly designed for serious discussions. The chairs actually hissed when Mom pressed a button, reclining into what she called "negotiation mode." Let's just say that I didn't ask why that was a mode to begin with.
The next area was a movie room with a screen that took up an entire wall and seats that reclined into beds. Mom had pressed another button, and the ceiling had turned into a star projector. I stared at it for a solid ten seconds before she gently pulled me along.
A small kitchen that looked more professional than any restaurant I'd ever seen. A chef—yes, apparently there was a chef named Henri—had been polishing a glass when we walked in. He bowed so deeply I thought he might tip over.
I was impressed. Surprised. But not shocked.
Then we reached the last room.
Mom pushed open the door with a theatrical flourish. "And this, my cub, is my favorite part!"
I looked inside.
My soul left my body.
And I am going to say this with all the kindness I can offer at the moment....Why in the everlasting fuck is there a BOWLING ALLEY?!
Two full lanes stretched out before me, gleaming under soft golden lights. The pins stood at attention like tiny soldiers awaiting their doom. The balls—brightly colored, perfectly polished—sat in their racks like jewels in a display case. The floor beneath them literally glowed, faint blue lines tracing the path to the pins.
My jaw disconnected from my face.
My eyes turned into white voids.
A massive sweat drop formed on the back of my head.
I think I heard a cartoon ding sound effect somewhere in the distance.
Mom was still talking beside me, her voice cheerful and informative, completely oblivious to my internal meltdown. "—and the pins are automatically reset after each roll, which is standard for most private lanes these days. The balls come in different weights, so even little ones like you can play. The floor adjusts for turbulence, too, so you don't have to worry about your aim being thrown off. Oh, and the scoring system is fully automated—you just type in your names and it does the rest. And that's how you play bowling!"
She finished her explanation with a bright smile.
I didn't hear a single word after "bowling alley."
My eye twitched.
For Arceus's sake, how rich is my new family?!
A tumbleweed rolled through my brain. A tiny, cartoon version of myself sat in the corner of my mind, rocking back and forth, muttering I asked for normal. I asked for NORMAL.
Goddess Eirene's smug kissy face flashed through my memory.
"Should have been more specific, my guy."
I was going to strangle her with a Master Ball chain.
Either way, after I had an internal crisis that involved me standing completely still for a full thirty seconds while steam practically rose from my head, Mom set me down. The maids gathered around, cooing and clapping, clearly excited to teach me.
Rin knelt beside me first, placing a small purple-and-black ball in my hands. "Okay, Young Master. You want to hold it like this—" she guided my fingers into the holes "—and then you take three steps forward, swing your arm back, and release."
I nodded, my expression serious.
I walked up to the line.
The maids leaned forward in anticipation. Even Mom crossed her arms, watching with an amused smile.
I pulled my arm back.
I swung forward.
I released.
The ball rolled down the lane, straight as an arrow, and slammed into the front pin.
CRACK.
Every single pin exploded outward in a perfect burst of chaos.
Strike.
Pin number one went flying left. Number two spun right. Number three actually bounced off the side wall. The rest scattered like terrified Sentret, tumbling and rolling until not a single pin remained standing.
Silence.
I turned around, my face completely innocent.
"Was that good?"
Rin's eye twitched.
A massive sweat drop appeared on every maid's forehead simultaneously.
Mom burst out laughing.
[Small Time Skip – Later That Evening]
I stood at the line again.
The maids had formed a small audience behind me, their earlier confidence replaced by nervous shifting. Mira was biting her nails. Sasha had pushed her glasses up her nose three times in the last minute. The two maids whose names I hadn't learned yet were gripping each other's hands like they were watching a horror movie.
I rolled the ball.
CRACK.
Strike.
Again.
CRACK.
Strike.
Again.
CRACK.
Strike.
Again.
CRACK.
Strike.
Again.
CRACK.
Strike.
Again.
CRACK.
Strike.
Again.
CRACK.
Strike.
The maids' faces had gone through several stages.
Stage one: Encouragement. ("Good try, Young Master!")
Stage two: Surprise. ("Oh, he's actually good at this.")
Stage three: Concern. ("He's... he's not stopping.")
Stage four: Fear. ("How is he doing this?!")
Stage five: Existential dread. ("We are being defeated by a toddler.")
CRACK.
Eight strikes in a row.
I turned around, brushing my hands together like I'd just finished a light workout. "I think that's eight."
Mira sat down.
Not gracefully. Not slowly. She just... folded. Her knees buckled, her body went limp, and she landed on a nearby chair with a soft thump. Her eyes were wide and unfocused. Her mouth hung open slightly.
And then—
A visible storm cloud formed above her head.
I stared at it, my brain struggling to comprehend what I was seeing.
"Is... is that real?" I whispered to no one in particular.
"Her spirit left her body," Rin said flatly from somewhere behind me. "She'll be fine in a few minutes."
Mira made a sound. It wasn't a word. It was more like the noise a deflating balloon makes when you let go of it.
I felt a pang of guilt.
Okay, so maybe I'd gone a little overboard. Eight strikes in a row was pretty ridiculous for a two-year-old. Even a two-year-old with an adult brain and perfect muscle memory from a past life spent obsessively playing Wii Sports Bowling. Don't judge me for that it was one of the only games I played that was not Pokemon related.
I walked over to Mira and tugged on her sleeve.
"Mira?"
No response. The storm cloud above her head grew darker.
"Mira," I said again, softer this time. "Are you okay?"
She blinked slowly, like a computer rebooting. Her eyes focused on my face. Then her lower lip started to tremble.
"Oh no," I whispered.
"Y-Y-Young Master..." Mira sniffled. "You... you beat me... and I've been bowling for fifteen years..."
The first tear rolled down her cheek.
And then, because the universe apparently hated me, I decided to be kind.
"Don't cry," I said, reaching up to pat her arm. "You're still good at bowling. I just... got lucky."
Mira stared at me.
Then she scooped me up.
Then she crushed me against her chest.
Then she sobbed.
"HE'S COMFORTING ME!" she wailed, tears streaming down her face. "THE BABY IS COMFORTING ME! HE'S SO SWEET! SO PURE! I DON'T DESERVE THIS!"
My face was smushed. Same soft, warm situation as before had returned. My arms flailed uselessly at my sides.
"Mmph!" I tried. "Mama!"
But Mom was laughing too hard to help.
And then—because maids have no sense of self-preservation—the others joined in.
One by one, they gathered around, their earlier despair forgotten, their maternal instincts overriding every other function. Sasha pulled me from Mira's arms after five minutes. Then Rin took me. Then the chestnut-haired one whose name I finally learned was Lily. Then the two whose names I still didn't know—blonde and brunette, I mentally labeled them Thing One and Thing Two.
Each one hugged me for a solid ten minutes, cooing about my kindness and my soft hair and my "precious little heart."
I was passed around like a comfort Pokémon at a therapy center.
For One hour...
One hour!!!!
I counted every minute of it.
Finally, Mom's voice cut through the chaos.
"Alright." Her tone was calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that preceded a storm. "That's my cub."
She walked over, plucked me from Thing Two's arms, and held me against her chest protectively.
"Mine," she declared, her purple eyes sweeping across the maids with theatrical sternness. "Visiting hours are over. I'm reclaiming my cub."
A chorus of disappointed whines followed us out. Mira looked like someone had canceled her favorite holiday.
Mom didn't look back.
I giggled against her shoulder, the sound bright and warm. "Mama is jealous."
"Very," she admitted, her arms tightening around me. "You're mine."
She carried me out of the bowling alley without another glance behind her.
[Flashback End]
I sighed, staring at the ceiling of the cabin, my small body sinking into the plush seat.
Either way, after that, me and Mom had stayed the rest of the day playing in the bowling alley with the maids. And the look of complete shock on their faces when I beat them all with eight strikes in a row was definitely one for the history books.
Now here I was, watching cartoon Meowth get flattened by an anvil while the world scrolled by 30,000 feet below.
I sighed and looked away from the screen.
A massive sweat drop appeared on the back of my head as I considered my situation.
I needed to talk with one of the maids who was still awake. There was so much I didn't know about what was expected of me. About how to act. About what would embarrass Mom in front of her family. I couldn't just stumble through this like a Tauros in a china shop.
I needed someone to teach me proper manners.
Now I just needed to find someone willing to help.
I glanced around the dimly lit cabin. Most of the seats were occupied by sleeping forms—maids wrapped in blankets, their heads resting against windows or plush headrests. Mom was still out cold beside me, her breathing slow and even. A small drool bubble expanded and shrank from her nose with each breath.
I stared at the drool bubble.
Is that... anime logic? I thought. Do people actually do that here?
The bubble grew slightly. Then shrank. Then grew again.
I decided not to question it.
Near the back of the cabin, a single light was on. A small reading lamp, casting a warm pool of illumination around one of the seats. And sitting in that seat, a book open in her lap, was Rin.
Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders now, no longer in its neat updo. Her amber eyes moved slowly across the page, and her lips were slightly parted, like she was mouthing the words to herself. Every few seconds, she'd reach up and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, completely absorbed in her reading.
She looked peaceful. Approachable.
I took a breath and slid off my seat, my feet landing silently on the soft carpet. I padded toward her, weaving between sleeping bodies and draped blankets, until I stood at the edge of her little island of light.
She didn't look up immediately.
I waited.
After a moment, she turned a page. Then another.
Then, very casually, she said, "You know, Young Master, most children your age would have fallen back asleep by now."
I blinked. A small exclamation mark appeared above my head before vanishing.
"How did you know I was here?"
Without looking up, she tapped her ear. "I have very good hearing. And you have very light footsteps, but not that light." She finally raised her gaze, her amber eyes warm and curious. "What's on your mind?"
I climbed onto the seat across from her, crossing my legs beneath me. The cushion was just as soft as the ones up front. I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it. Then opened it again.
"I need help," I said finally.
Rin closed her book, setting it aside. Her full attention settled on me, patient and expectant. She tilted her head slightly, and a small question mark appeared above her head this time.
"I need someone to teach me how to act properly," I continued, the words tumbling out before I could overthink them. "Proper manners. Etiquette. Whatever you call it. I don't want to embarrass Mom by doing something weird." I fidgeted with the edge of my shirt, my eyes dropping to the floor. "So... can you teach me?"
Rin stared at me for a long moment.
Then her expression shifted.
Her eyes widened. Her lips parted. A faint blush spread across her cheeks. And then—her eyes turned into shimmering, watery pools, sparkles practically exploding from them like someone had set off a glitter bomb.
Her hands flew to her mouth.
"Young Master..." she whispered, her voice cracking.
Tears welled up in her eyes—actual, visible tears that sparkled under the reading light. They didn't fall. They just sat there, trembling on the edge of her lashes, catching the light like tiny diamonds.
"You want to learn proper manners... so you don't embarrass your mother?"
I nodded slowly, unsure of what was happening.
Rin made a sound. It was somewhere between a sob and a squeak.
Then she grabbed me.
Not in a suffocating hug this time. She grabbed my shoulders, held me at arm's length, and stared into my eyes with an intensity that made me feel like I was being X-rayed.
"You are," she said, each word deliberate and trembling, "the most precious child I have ever met in my entire life."
I blinked, my cheeks heating up. "Rin..."
She cupped my face in both hands, her palms warm and soft. "And I am going to teach you everything you need to know—everything—so that you can become your mother's little gentleman." Her eyes sparkled with determination. "A proper, polished, perfect young man who makes her proud every time you enter a room."
My face went nuclear. Steam practically hissed from my ears. "R-Rin! You can't just—that's so—" I buried my face in my hands, but she just laughed and ruffled my hair.
"Now then." She clapped her hands once, all business. "Lesson one: Introduction Etiquette."
I lowered my hands, my blush still burning but my expression focused. "Okay. Hit me."