"Thank you for waiting."
"Your Pokémon are fully healed."
"We hope to see you again."
Orin couldn't help but let out a wry smile at the robotic Nurse Joy's voice inviting him to come back soon. Even in the games, that line had always confused him—if he was returning, that meant his Pokémon had been hurt again. Why would anyone wish for that?
Still, he replied politely. "Thank you."
"Chansey!"
The Chansey answered with a cheerful smile.
Orin took the single Poké Ball from the tray and immediately pressed the button at its center.
A ray of red light burst forth, and Riolu emerged.
"Riolu!"
She grinned brightly and hurried over, pressing herself against his legs.
"Are you alright?" Orin dropped to his knees at once, carefully checking her arms, face, and chest, fingers brushing through her blue fur. "Everything healed? Nothing hurts?"
"Rio!"
Riolu struck a confident pose, puffing out her chest with a smug little grin.
"If you're feeling good, then that's all that matters," Orin muttered, relief flooding his voice.
It had only been fifteen minutes since he had handed her over—but somehow, it felt like hours since he had last seen her.
Lisia and Victor both congratulated Riolu on her full recovery, while Nemona soon received her Pawmi as well, the little Electric-type looked just as energetic as before.
"They really heal up all their injuries so fast," Victor muttered as they walked out of the Pokémon Center. "Do they use expensive Potions for that?"
"No idea," Orin replied with a small grin. "But I bet Aki-sensei would know. I'll message her later and ask."
Aki-sensei had left them just a minute ago, saying she had work to get back to—and honestly, this felt like a perfectly good excuse to text her and stay connected.
"But seriously," Victor continued, "both your Riolu and Nemona's Pawmi are incredibly tough. They took such a beating and didn't even cry. My Sobble would've flooded the place if he got even slightly hurt."
"Well, it wouldn't be easy for anyone to hurt an invisible Sobble in the first place," Orin said with wry smile.
After all, among all of them, Sobble was the only one who hadn't taken a single hit during the battles.
"Alright—no more fight talk, and no more talk about Pokémon getting hurt," Lisia said with a huff. "Also, shouldn't we go back and finish calibrating our Pokédexes now?"
"Well then," Nemona said suddenly as they stepped outside, "I'll head out here. I've already done the testing with Pawmi, and we're both starving. We're going back to the Valor dorms for lunch."
"Oh, okay. See you later then," Lisia said, stepping forward and hugging Nemona—and then Pawmi—one after the other.
Nemona stiffened for a moment, then awkwardly returned the hug.
"And Orin," Nemona added, turning toward him.
"Oh… I'm not much of a hugger, but fine," Orin said with a smile as he stepped forward and hugged her as well.
What? I wasn't asking for a hug…
Hearing her inner voice, Orin simply grinned. He knew she hadn't meant a hug—but it was a chance to close the distance, and he wasn't about to miss it.
After all, even something as simple as physical closeness could help people grow closer over time. It was one of the tricks to convert a girl from a friend to a girlfriend.
At least, that was what he had read somewhere on the internet back on Earth.
"We'll be in touch," he said as he pulled back.
"Ah—yes!" Nemona replied with a wry smile. "No, wait—what I meant to say is… I've decided to make you my first rival, Orin!"
She extended her fist toward him, her eyes blazing in excitement.
"Pawmii!"
Pawmi rubbed its cheeks excitedly before thrusting a tiny paw forward toward Riolu in imitation.
Orin couldn't help but think that he would love to be her first!
"Alright," he said easily. "Then I'll see you as my friend—and my rival too."
He bumped her fist.
"RIO!"
Riolu stepped forward and bumped paws with Pawmi, fire burning in her eyes.
Both Nemona and Pawmi looked thrilled, wide grins spreading across their faces at his answer.
"Umm… why are you two making such a big deal out of this?" Lisia said with a chuckle. "It's not like you won't see each other again—we're all on campus. We can meet anytime. We could even hang out after lunch."
"If I had to guess," Orin said with a smirk, "Nemona's probably going to be busy challenging even more students after lunch."
"My rival really does know me well," Nemona laughed. "But sadly, my mentor asked me to meet after lunch—so I might not be free later."
"Ah! My mentor asked me to meet her too!" Lisia said, patting her forehead. "Let's hurry up and finish the calibration—I'm already running late!"
With that, she grabbed both Victor and Orin and started pulling them along.
"Ugh… I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye properly," Victor muttered with a wry smile as he was dragged along.
Orin simply smiled, waving back at Nemona as he followed.
So I have a rival now, huh? Orin thought. And not just anyone—Nemona, who'll eventually become the Champion of Paldea.
The thought put a bit of pressure on his shoulders.
But seeing Riolu happily running ahead, full of energy, eased his nerves somewhat.
---
"Height and weight are both done. Was that all we had to do for calibration?" Victor asked, checking his Pokédex.
"Yeah, the rest we can handle slowly later," Orin replied, wiping sweat from his brow as Riolu tried—unsuccessfully—to catch the invisible Sobble.
Honestly, taking the measurements hadn't been easy. Riolu just wouldn't stay still long enough for the machine to finish calibrating. He'd had to coax and persuade her repeatedly before finally getting accurate readings.
He glanced at the values now recorded in his Pokédex.
Height: 2'1''
Weight: 51 lbs (23 kg)
A comparison popped up immediately afterward.
Average Riolu Height: 2'4''
Average Riolu Weight: 44.5 lbs (20.2 kg)
So Riolu was a little shorter than average—and noticeably heavier.
Yet looking at her, Orin couldn't see any fat at all.
Maybe it's all muscle? he wondered.
For now, he set the thought aside. He wasn't sure whether these measurements were good or bad—but it was something he could research later, when he had time.
"Alright, I'll have to run," Lisia said, already stepping back. "My mentor just messaged me—she's reached the Mystic dorm cafeteria."
She hugged Victor quickly, then turned and hugged Orin a little tighter.
"See you guys soon!" she called, waving as she jogged off.
"She's like a hurricane," Orin said with a chuckle.
"Too right," Victor replied with a wry smile. "Honestly, I reckon my sister and her would get along brilliantly."
He glanced down at his Pokédex.
"Speaking of which, Gloria just messaged me. She's waiting for lunch. You heading back to the dorms too?"
"Uh… yeah," Orin said, remembering he had already messaged Bianca about having lunch together.
"Brilliant. Let's head back together then, mate," Victor said with a grin.
"Sure," Orin replied with a polite smile—already planning how he would quietly slip away once they reached the dorms for his lunch date.
Victor then called out softly, "Alright, Sobble."
The little Pokémon reappeared beside him, having stayed invisible behind his legs the whole time to avoid Riolu.
"RIOO!"
Just as Riolu tensed to dash toward Sobble, Orin caught her and lifted her up.
"Okay, that's enough mischief for today," Orin said gently. "We're heading back for lunch now, alright, Riolu?"
"Rio?"
She looked up at him in confusion and instead waved her legs, wanting to get down.
Orin sighed and put her down, asking her to behave.
After that Orin and Victor made their way out of the Nexus Academic Center without much trouble and boarded a shuttle bus heading toward the Lumina dorms.
While on the bus, Riolu kept trying to climb up Orin's shoulders—much like Sobble who was already perched comfortably on Victor.
Orin was quietly grateful he hadn't slacked off on his weight training. Otherwise, there was no way he would be able to handle this.
During the ride back, Victor and Orin chatted about all sorts of things.
Victor mentioned that he lived in a small farming town called Postwick in the Galar region with his twin sister Gloria and their mother. He also casually added that their childhood friend and next-door neighbor, Hop, had come to Nexus with them as well.
Orin was more than a little surprised by how closely this mirrored the events of the Sword and Shield games.
Victor, for his part, seemed genuinely fascinated by Orin's stories about growing up in a sprawling metropolis like Saffron City. Meanwhile, Orin was far more interested in hearing what Victor already knew about Nexus itself.
Apparently, Victor's mentor wasn't on campus yet and would arrive in a few days, but they'd already had a video call. Because of that, Victor knew quite a bit more than Orin.
"So… our classes start next Monday then?" Orin muttered thoughtfully. "Today's Tuesday, which means we've got quite a bit of free time, huh?"
"Yeah," Victor nodded. "It's mostly so we can settle in and get familiar with the campus. Our mentors are meant to help us with that. There are also a few optional seminars—and even some events for freshers—coming up soon."
He added, "My mentor said it's best to keep an eye on the Nexus Forums for the latest updates."
Orin nodded, mentally filing that away. By now, they had reached the dorm area.
Victor's room was also on the first floor, though in a different courtyard.
"I'll pop by my sister's room and grab her for lunch," Victor said, waving as he headed off. "We'll meet at the cafeteria, yeah?"
"Sure," Orin replied with a smile, waving back as they parted ways.
He then headed straight toward his own room. As much as he wanted to meet Gloria, he wasn't about to waste the chance to go on a lunch date with Bianca. He could always catch up with Victor and his sister afterward.
The plan was simple—invite Bianca to the cafeteria, find a quiet spot, and enjoy a proper lunch together.
Riolu seemed to think they were racing and sprinted ahead, only to double back a few times when she realized she had no idea where they were going.
Once inside his room, Orin tossed his bag onto the bed and quickly freshened up.
"Perfect," he muttered with a satisfied smile after checking his reflection in the mirror.
"Rio?"
Riolu sat upright on the chair, tilting her head at him in confusion.
"Let's go grab something to eat," Orin said as he opened the door.
"Riolu!"
She dashed out immediately, bouncing in place and staring up at him eagerly.
"Oh? Did you get excited just hearing about food—or are you already that hungry?" Orin chuckled. "Wait a moment. Let's invite Bianca first."
He walked across the hall and knocked on the opposite door.
CRASHHH!
"Oh—who is it?" Bianca's voice came from inside, right after the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.
"It's Orin. Are you alright?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice.
CRASHHH—CRASHHH!
"Ah—Orin, just a second!" Bianca called out, clearly flustered as even more things toppled inside the room.
Orin couldn't help but smile wryly, silently hoping she hadn't broken anything this time.
"Orin!" Bianca greeted him with a smile as she quickly opened the door—then just as quickly closed it behind her. "I was just unpacking some stuff, haha," she said with a wry grin.
"If you want, I can help you with that," Orin offered, having caught a glimpse of various items scattered across the floor when the door opened.
"No, no, I'll manage," Bianca waved him off. "By tomorrow… this week… or maybe in a month," she muttered, her voice growing quieter with each word. She then shook her head. "Anyway—did you come here to ask me out for lunch?"
"Yeah, let's go have some lunch tog—"
"Oh, Orin, mate!"
Orin turned at the familiar voice.
Victor was walking toward them.
"Victor?" Orin raised an eyebrow. "Isn't your room in a different courtyard?"
First Lisia, now Bianca—Orin was starting to feel like Victor had a strange talent for appearing at the worst possible moments.
"Oh! Is this your room?" Victor said cheerfully. "What a coincidence—this is my sister's room."
He knocked on the door right next to Bianca's.
"My room's that one," Orin said, pointing toward Room 69. "This is my friend Bianca's room. Bianca, this is Victor—from the Galar region. We met at the Pokédex seminar."
"Oh, hello. Nice to meet you," Bianca said politely.
Victor returned the greeting just as politely.
Orin let out a quiet breath of relief. Thankfully, no water had been thrown this time.
"But still," Orin added with a smile, "what a coincidence that your sister's room is right across from mine."
"Yeah—" Victor started to reply.
Before he could finish, the door in front of him suddenly swung open.
***
---
[Pokédex Update:
Riolu
Height: 2'1''
Weight: 51 lbs (23 kg)
Nature: (Calibrating...)]
---
***
[merp has redeemed an Extra Chapter this week]