Pokémon battles—no one, and Orin really meant no one in this world—could ever be unaware of what they were.
Pokémon battling wasn't just a sport here. It was practically a religion, a way of life, a cultural phenomenon that united the world.
League matches were the biggest form of media on the planet. Orin had never seen anything like it. Not boxing, football, Superball, or any sport from his previous world could compare to the sheer scale and fervour Pokémon battles inspired.
Which meant that Trainers who battled weren't just athletes—they were the biggest celebrities in the world. The old saying that through Pokémon battles, you could gain wealth, fame, and power wasn't an exaggeration—it was the truth.
Having lived in this world for almost fifteen years now, Orin had completely absorbed that culture. His goal was simple: to live life to the fullest—and becoming a Pokémon Trainer was one of the best ways to gain everything he could ever want.
So he had spent his time studying and researching countless battles—watching basic strategy guides, analyzing type matchups, and reviewing old tournament footage. Thanks to that, and his meta knowledge from his previous life, Orin had a solid grasp of the fundamentals.
He would surely not call himself a novice—but he wasn't about to get cocky either. After all, this was going to be the first battle for both him and his partner.
"Alright, give us a minute to prepare," Orin said to the bug catchers before pulling Riolu aside. He knelt down to meet her at eye level.
"Riolu, see that green Pokémon over there?" he said, pointing his thumb toward the small bug nestled in the first bug catcher's arms. "That's Caterpie—your opponent."
"Rio!" Riolu nodded firmly, her red eyes narrowing as she locked onto the Caterpie.
"Now, I'll tell you a few ways Caterpie are known to attack, so listen carefully," Orin whispered, his tone turning serious.
He had definitely seen plenty of Caterpie battles before—after all, almost every 'How to Pokémon Battle' video on Pokétube started with Caterpie and Weedle. Especially the Kanto-based channels.
Still, he was relieved that he didn't have to face a Weedle. Even though Riolu was a Fighting type and generally resistant to Bug types, going up against a Poison-type was always trickier.
He double-checked his Pokédex, and sure enough, it confirmed that both Caterpie and Weedle had some resistance against Fighting moves. Not that it mattered much—he wasn't even sure Riolu knew any Fighting-type moves yet.
That was another problem.
When he had tried asking Riolu about her moves earlier, she had just tilted her head and nodded to everything he named. It left him more confused than before—especially when she had nodded to Fire Spin.
"Yeah… pretty sure you don't know that one," he muttered under his breath, sighing.
He exhaled and smiled, rubbing her head gently. "It's fine. The main point is—you should have fun, Riolu. And honestly, I've got faith in you. I think you'll mop the floor with that Caterpie easily."
"Rio-lu!" she chirped, nodding enthusiastically while pumping her tiny paws.
Orin chuckled and led her to the chalked-off battle zone—the same one Nemona had used earlier. It wasn't large, just enough for a beginner match, but it felt perfect for their first real test.
"This will be a friendly spar—one Pokémon each," Nemona announced, standing to the side with a grin. "Now, I'm sure both of you know the standard Pokémon battle rules. Once a Pokémon faints, the trainer withdraws it, or the referee—that's me—calls it, the battle is over."
She raised a finger for emphasis, her orange eyes gleaming. "There's a Pokémon Center right beside this lecture hall, but still—let's keep things clean, ¿sí? No underhanded tricks, no unnecessary force. Just pure, fair battling! Now, trainers—introduce yourselves!"
She gestured toward the left side first.
"I'm Orin from Saffron City, a first-year at Nexus Academy," he said confidently. "And this is my partner, Riolu. We're about to have our very first Pokémon battle."
He threw a playful wink toward Lisia, who was standing a bit farther away—holding up his phone and recording everything.
"Hey, why are you recording this?" Bug Catcher 1 asked, looking stunned.
"I'm trying to increase my followers on PokeNet," Orin said with a grin. "And nothing brings in more views than a live Pokémon battle—especially your first one. I'm sure you understand."
He had already asked Lisia to stand just outside Riolu's line of sight so his partner could focus on the match. When he mentioned that she could commentate if she wanted, she had immediately agreed—eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
He was even starting to seriously consider her earlier suggestion: editing the footage afterward and uploading it to PokéTube. PokeNet was basically this world's version of Instagram and WhatsApp combined, while PokéTube worked like YouTube for long-form videos.
He hadn't made a channel yet… but depending on how today's battle turned out, that might change soon.
"It's alright," said Bug Catcher 2 with a grin and a thumbs-up. "This way, more people will see the superiority of Bug-types!"
Bug Catcher 1 just sighed and finally introduced himself.
Orin's focus, though, was already on the small green Caterpie across the field. Its size wasn't intimidating—but in the world of Pokémon, size wasn't everything.
"Are both trainers ready?" Nemona called out with a wide grin.
Caterpie crawled forward slightly as Bug Catcher 1 gave a confident nod.
"Rio!" Riolu replied, her stance tightening, red eyes locked onto her opponent.
Orin's heart was pounding fast. He couldn't deny it—he was nervous. This was, after all, his very first Pokémon battle. But he reminded himself of the most basic rule of all: always keep your cool.
He closed his eyes and took a slow, steady breath, imagining his thoughts quieting one by one—like ripples fading on still water. When he opened them again, everything else disappeared except the battlefield before him: Riolu standing firm with her back toward him, and the small green Caterpie a short distance away beside the kid in the green shirt.
Sensing the change in her trainer's focus, Riolu straightened her back and unclenched her fists, mirroring his calm.
Orin's red eyes regained their steady glow. He gave a small nod. "We're ready."
"¡Perfecto! Begin the battle!" Nemona announced, dropping her hand with an excited grin.
"Caterpie, use Tackle!" Bug Catcher 1 shouted immediately.
"Riolu—you know what to do," Orin said calmly, his tone focused and even.
The Caterpie shot forward with surprising speed, its small body gliding over the ground like a green bullet. For something without legs, it moved frighteningly fast.
Riolu didn't flinch. She stayed completely still, eyes tracking every movement.
Orin shifted a few steps to the side to get a clearer view, his focus narrowing. Just as the Caterpie closed in, antenna lowered for impact, he spoke—steady and precise.
"Riolu—now! Dodge!"
At his word, Riolu shifted lightly to the side. The Caterpie zipped past her harmlessly, missing by inches.
"Oh! Caterpie tried to tackle Riolu—but look at that!" Lisia's cheerful voice rang out from the sideline as she filmed. "She just sidestepped perfectly before it could even touch her! Beautiful footwork! I can guarantee she'd make an amazing dancer with moves like that!"
Nemona chuckled from the side. "Not bad, Orin. Good reflexes on both ends."
"Caterpie, turn around and use Tackle again!" Bug Catcher 1 shouted quickly.
"Don't give it a chance, Riolu—attack!" Orin called at the same time.
Riolu pushed off the ground with her toes, a blue blur darting around the Caterpie before it could even turn. She landed behind it and drove her small fist into the back of its head.
Bonk!
The Caterpie's face hit the dirt hard, but Riolu didn't stop—she struck twice more, quick and sharp punches that knocked it forward each time.
"Caterpie! Turn around and use String Shot!" the bug catcher yelled, voice rising in frustration.
"Riolu, back off—quickly!" Orin commanded.
Riolu hopped backward in a flash as white threads shot from the Caterpie's mouth, missing her by inches. She kept moving, sidestepping to the right as more sticky strands splattered harmlessly on the ground.
"Wow! Riolu dodges again!" Lisia narrated with a grin, her voice carrying excitement as she filmed. "She's completely reading the Bug Catcher's moves—such great coordination between Orin and Riolu!"
Orin allowed himself a small smile. He had already told Riolu before the match that Caterpie would likely only know two basic moves—Tackle and String Shot. That meant it would try to close the distance first with Tackle, which could be dodged by sidestepping. Then, once it missed, it would likely use String Shot out of frustration—so he had told her to back away quickly when he gave the signal.
Since Orin didn't yet know Riolu's full move set, his instructions were simple: keep moving, dodge fast, and strike whenever there's an opening.
He had emphasized two rules above all else—never face the opponent head-on, always attack from the sides or back, and obey his commands without hesitation.
As the battle went on, Riolu followed every word. She dodged each of Caterpie's tackles with graceful agility, landing sharp punches and quick kicks in between. Before long, Caterpie's movements were slowing—its once-fast tackles now sluggish and shaky.
Seizing the moment, Riolu dashed forward on her own. Just as she reached Caterpie, she stuck her tongue out playfully, leapt clean over it, and landed behind. In one swift motion, she spun and kicked it hard to the side.
Thud!
Caterpie skidded across the dirt, coming to a stop with its head pressed to the ground—exhausted and hurting.
Nemona grinned from the side, her voice rising over the murmurs of the watching students. "¡Qué movimiento! That Riolu's got spirit!"
"Wow, what a kick!" Lisia exclaimed from the sidelines, her voice rising with excitement. "Riolu's moves are amazing—and poor Caterpie's really taking a beating out there. I just hope the Bug Catcher takes good care of its skin after the match," she added with genuine concern.
"Good job, Riolu—finish it from the side!" Orin called out, his breathing quick and heavy from sheer focus.
Riolu sprinted toward Caterpie, circling around to its flank.
"No, Caterpie—use String Shot to your left, now!" Bug Catcher 1 shouted desperately, clutching his fists.
"Jump over it, Riolu!" Orin countered immediately.
Caterpie lifted its head and fired a burst of sticky silk just as Riolu leapt. But its aim was slightly upward, and the threads still caught around her legs midair.
"Rio!" she cried, twisting as she tried to land, nearly stumbling.
"Caterpie, use Tackle! Now's your chance!" Bug Catcher 1 yelled, voice cracking in excitement.
"Break free, Riolu!" Orin shouted back, his heart seizing for a moment as he saw the Caterpie rush toward her.
For an instant, it felt like time slowed.
Then Riolu's red eyes snapped open, glowing brighter than before—as if responding to Orin's voice, his aura, his intent.
She jumped and twisted in midair, flipping around doing a full 180 as a fiery aura suddenly flared around her legs. The blazing energy snapped and melted through the sticky strings in an instant.
"Riooo!"
With a sharp cry, Riolu drove her leg straight into Caterpie's head—a clean kick connected squarely with Caterpie's antenna and head, a burst of heat erupting on impact.
WHAM!
Caterpie was sent flying backward, tumbling across the dirt like a kicked football before skidding to a stop.
"Cater…ppiiiee…" it whimpered weakly, smoke rising from its antennae—then slumped forward, completely fainted.
For a brief moment, the battlefield was silent—then a soft chime echoed from Orin's Pokédex.
***
[Riolu move registered: Blaze Kick]
***
Orin blinked. "Blaze Kick…?" he muttered in disbelief, staring at the faint red glow still flickering around Riolu's leg.
"Wow… what attack did Riolu just use to break free and knock out Caterpie?" Lisia asked, eyes wide with amazement.
"Madre mía… That was Blaze Kick!" Nemona said, her grin widening in awe. "¡Increíble! Caterpie is unable to battle—the winner is Riolu and Orin!" She raised her arm toward them, smiling proudly. "What a way to end a match!"
"You did it, Riolu!" Orin cheered, running forward and lifting her up in excitement. "You were amazing!"
"Rioluuu!" Riolu waved her paw happily in the air, laughing as Orin spun her around.
"Good job," Victor said with a small smile and a nod as he walked closer.
"Wow… even though I still don't like Pokémon battles, that was so cool! And that kick at the end—it was beautiful!" Lisia said with a cheerful grin as she stopped recording.
"It was all Riolu—she's amazing!" Orin said, hugging her tightly against his chest.
"Riooo~" Riolu chirped, snuggling happily into his arms.
Orin's heart was still racing. He hadn't even realized it before, but during the match, he had felt completely in sync with Riolu—like their hearts were moving as one. It was as if he had been standing right there on the battlefield in her place.
So this is what they mean by the bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon…
"Now you understand the charm of Pokémon battles, Orin," Nemona said, walking over with Pawmi by her side. Pawmi's bright eyes were locked on Riolu with fiery determination. "That match really fired us up—I can't wait to battle you next!"
Orin looked at the battle-crazy girl and couldn't help but chuckle. He really did get it now. The battle had been exhausting, sure—but it was also thrilling. The rush, the connection, the rhythm of the fight… it was like playing Pokémon as a kid, but amplified beyond imagination!
He could have sworn he even heard the Pokémon battle theme playing in his head.
"Pokémon battles are fun, aren't they, Riolu?" he asked with a smile.
"Rio, Olu!" Riolu nodded eagerly, her eyes shining.
***
[Riolu Bond + ❤️1]
***
[Riolu Current Bond level: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍🤍🤍🤍 (Strong Bond)]
***
[Chanmanbrodie has redeemed an Extra Chapter this week]