"Hey guys, stop it or I'm gonna report you to the teacher!" a blonde girl said, getting our attention.
She was Serena.
"So what? What can she do to me?" the young master snapped, gripping my wrist even tighter.
"St... stop i-it..." she stammered.
"Hey kids, cut it out—unless you want to be thrown off this plane!" a heavy voice boomed from behind us.
We turned around and saw a big, muscular man in a pilot uniform. It looked like he was the pilot—but why was he getting involved in a kid's matter?
"How dare you speak to me like that? Do you know who my father is?" the young master barked, clearly annoyed. He probably wasn't used to people standing up to him.
"Why? Didn't your mother ever tell you?"
Ohhh, that was a critical hit. This pilot is savage—I like his style.
"Young miss, are you okay? Your father asked me to look after you during this trip," the pilot said, turning to me.
"My father talked to you?"
"Yes, it was an honor to speak with him."
"Umm, who are you?" the young master asked, suddenly soft-spoken after hearing that.
"I'm someone you can't afford to offend," I said, looking at him like he was just an insect in front of me.
"Yes, I understand. I'm sorry for the trouble," he said politely, already turning to leave.
"Wait, what's your name?"
"Huh? My name is Alex Dornalo."
"If I'm not wrong, your family is one of the top ten most influential in Kalos's food industry. Or to be exact—ranked forty-seventh in the world?"
"Y-Yes, it must be… if you say so," the young master replied, visibly sweating.
"Hmm. If you don't want your family to lose everything, then apologize. Or..."
"Yes, yes, I understand. I'm really sorry, miss!"
"Not to me. To her," I said, pointing at Serena. "You nearly made her cry."
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry!" the young master said, bowing in front of Serena with a proper apology.
"Eh… it's fine," Serena replied, clearly confused about what just happened.
"Okay, you can go. But if I ever see you bullying someone again..."
"Yes, yes, I understand," the young master muttered before walking away.
Looks like it was true what they say—kids in this world mature faster. He realized he couldn't mess with me and backed off immediately, shifting gears like a perfect little businessman.
"Thank you," I said, turning to Serena.
"Ah, why are you thanking me? I couldn't even help you… I should be the one thanking you for making him apologize."
"You thought about helping me. That's why I'm thanking you."
"Okay, everyone to your seats and put on your seatbelts," the woman in charge said as she walked in.
"Ma'am, where were you? Alex tried to bully someone again," a girl reported, raising her hand.
Sigh.
"Alex, did you do it again?" she asked, sounding like she already knew the answer.
"Yes," he said with a smug face—until he looked at me. Then his expression did a complete 180.
This guy could win an Oscar with acting like that.
"Hfff, I hope you don't do it again," she said, clearly exasperated. It was obvious she had no control over this so-called young master.
Not that it mattered to me. As long as he stayed out of my way, we'd be fine.
—
Serena sat next to me and we chatted almost the entire way to Kanto. She told me all about her hometown, her family, and so on. I told her about my Pokémon and other stuff. She was shocked to learn I had royal Pokémon from nearly every region. I didn't give away too much, but it became pretty obvious to her that I was a big deal—even richer people in Kalos couldn't get that many royal starters.
Thanks to my mom treating me like a girl, Serena and I were able to talk comfortably about hair, makeup, dresses, and other girly stuff. It made the flight pass quickly.
But just because it helped me make a friend doesn't mean I like wearing girls' clothes.
—
After landing in Kanto, we gathered our belongings. The woman leading us guided everyone to a bus waiting outside. Once we boarded and took our seats, it began moving toward our destination.
—
It took nearly 30 minutes to get there. When we arrived, we saw lots of kids already gathered. A man stepped out of a nearby car with a few more children.
It was Professor Oak.
Yeah. rofessor freaking Oak.
"Okay, kids! Enough sightseeing," the woman clapped to get our attention. "Now, form your pairs!"
"Okay!" we all said in unison—including me this time.
"Serena, would you like to be my partner?" I asked. I didn't know anyone else, and she was my first real friend.
"Yes, I'd be happy to," she said with a warm smile.
A few minutes later, we were all standing in pairs.
"Hmm… okay," the woman nodded. "From now on, you'll stay with your partner"
Huh?
"Since we have a limited number of tents, you'll be living with your partner for the duration of the trip."
HUHHHHH?!
I didn't expect I'd be living with a girl for ten whole days—while crossdressed.
"Ah, excuse me, ma'am," I said, raising my hand.
"Yes, Len? What is it?"
"Ma'am, can I not live with my partner?"
"Len, do you not want to be with me?" Serena asked, her voice dropping a little. She looked hurt.
"No, that's not it!" I said quickly. "It's just… I've always slept alone on a king-size bed, in a huge room by myself. I'm not used to sharing my space, so I was just hoping for a bit of privacy."
I didn't want her to feel sad. After all, she was my first friend.
"Sorry, Len," the woman said. "But we just don't have enough tents. You'll have to adjust for now."
"Oh… it's okay."
What else could I say? I couldn't even contact my parents for help—we didn't have any communication devices here.
This world may be more advanced in some areas, but it still lacks in others. There are no smartphones or internet. If you want information, you have to get a device for that specific category.
For example, if you want info on Pokémon, you need a Pokédex. Want to learn about berries? There's a special Pokédex for that too.
Anyway, we all picked a tent to live in for the next ten days.
"Don't worry, Len. I'll give you your personal space," Serena said.
"Thanks, Serena."