"I'm not spoiled." He totally is. But he also had a bad encounter with his first chocobo, which he had since given away after getting Mercury.

"They're ornery, all right. And kinda smelly.. The one I caught dragged me all over the forest. You woulda thought I was attempting to arrest him with how bad he was tryin' to shake me off. But considering they're the main means of travel in these parts that ain't an airship, ya don't have much of a choice."