Orin couldn't help humming along to the song playing through his phone's speakers.
"It's a wonderful world~♪"
"A world full of Pokémon and dreams~♪"
"So keep moving forward and see what tomorrow brings~♪"
The upbeat tune matched his mood perfectly.
The cool morning air felt refreshing against his skin. Flocks of Pidove chirped from the nearby trees while a group of Butterfree drifted lazily above colorful flowerbeds.
It was the kind of peaceful morning that naturally lifted a person's spirits.
...Though if he was being honest with himself, Orin knew exactly why he was in such a good mood.
Misty.
His childhood crush from his previous life had actually accepted his date invitation.
Just thinking about it made him nearly miss a step.
"Riolu!"
Riolu immediately sped up beside him, mistaking his sudden burst of energy for a challenge.
This time, however, she had been given strict instructions not to run too far ahead, and surprisingly she had obeyed them so far.
"Elgyem."
Elgyem, on the other hand, was no longer floating alongside them.
After hovering for nearly the entire journey, she had started wobbling noticeably in midair. Orin had quickly noticed and decided to let her ride inside his backpack instead.
The zipper remained partially open so she could poke her oversized head out and continue observing everything around her with endless curiosity.
As for Orin...
His thoughts had already wandered far away.
What should he wear for the date?
Where should he take her?
Would Nexus have any good restaurants?
Would fishing count as a date?
What if she brought Psyduck?
What if Psyduck interrupted everything?
The more he thought about it, the more possibilities appeared.
He was so lost in his imagination that he only snapped back to reality when an enormous shadow appeared ahead of them.
His eyes widened.
A massive sign stood beside the road.
NEXUS FITNESS CENTER
The path ahead gradually sloped downward, cutting through rolling hills covered in dense trees and carefully maintained greenery.
And where the road ended—
stood a gigantic building.
It towered over everything around it.
Just like Nexus Spire, a massive red-and-white Poké Ball sat proudly at the very top.
But unlike the Spire's elegant, sprawling design, this structure was built almost straight upward.
A colossal tower of steel, glass, and polished white stone.
From a distance alone it looked less like a gym—
and more like a skyscraper.
"Huh..." Orin slowed to a stop.
Then he slowly tilted his head upward.
And upward.
And upward.
"I really should've known that when they called it the biggest fitness center in the academy..." he muttered.
"...they weren't exaggerating."
"Riolu!"
Riolu immediately pointed toward the building excitedly while tugging at his pants.
"Yes, yes," Orin said with a smile.
"That's exactly where we're going."
He quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures.
Suddenly, his backpack felt noticeably lighter.
"Elgyem."
Elgyem floated out on her own and hovered beside him, her pink-purple eyes fixed on the gigantic structure ahead.
Even she seemed fascinated.
"Come on," Orin said with a grin.
"Let's go check it out."
The three of them continued down the slope.
And the closer they got, the busier the area became.
More students appeared on the pathways.
More Pokémon.
Flying-types circled high overhead while others perched on rooftops and trees surrounding the facility.
At one point, a Lucario suddenly blurred past them at incredible speed with a student sprinting alongside it.
"Riolu!"
Riolu's ears perked up instantly and she nearly took off after them.
Fortunately, Orin caught her before she could start chasing.
"No you can't race them."
"Riolu..."
She visibly deflated.
Soon they reached the massive staircase leading to the entrance.
And standing directly beneath the building only made its size feel even more ridiculous.
"Elgyy!"
Elgyem tilted her head upward so far that her oversized head nearly pulled her backward in midair.
Orin couldn't help chuckling.
"It reminds me of Silph Co. Tower back in Saffron," he said.
Though honestly...
this place made Silph Co. look small.
As he looked up, something caught his attention.
A student riding a Braviary descended from the sky.
But instead of landing outside—
both rider and Pokémon flew directly into the side of the building through a large opening dozens of floors above the ground.
"Huh..."
Orin blinked.
"Do they have landing pads up there?"
His curiosity only grew stronger as they finally climbed the stairs and stepped through the enormous entrance gates.
Above them, glowing white letters flashed across a massive display panel.
NEXUS FITNESS GYM.
The moment Orin crossed the entrance, his Pokédex let out a soft ping.
"Huh?"
He pulled it out and checked it curiously.
A notification had appeared on the screen.
Profile Updated
Tapping it open, Orin's eyes widened slightly.
His profile page had changed.
Below his House affiliation—Lumina—several new statistics had appeared.
Height
Weight
And beneath them were additional categories that were still empty.
Muscle Density
Stamina Score
Flexibility Score
Body Fat %
"Did that gate just scan me?" he muttered in disbelief, glancing back toward the entrance.
Looking through the information, he quickly checked his recorded height and weight.
Then he noticed something strange.
His weight had increased by almost two kilograms compared to the last time he had measured it.
"…Must be because of the jet lag."
Orin paused.
"…And maybe because I ate half the cafeteria yesterday."
He rubbed the back of his neck with a wry smile.
A moment later, another notification caught his eye.
"Oh?"
There were updates on Riolu's and Elgyem's profiles as well.
He opened them and found the same measurements had already been added automatically.
"That's actually really convenient," Orin said with an approving nod.
"Now I don't have to manually calibrate Elgyem's height and weight myself."
"Elgyem."
The little Psychic-type blinked at him blankly.
"Riolu!"
Meanwhile, Riolu had absolutely no interest in profile statistics.
She was already tugging at his pants again, urging him to hurry up and explore.
"Alright, alright."
Orin laughed and slipped the Pokédex back into his pocket.
"I'll check the rest later."
Then he followed Riolu deeper into the grand entrance hall of the Nexus Fitness Gym.
The interior was just as overwhelming as the outside.
Rows upon rows of elevators lined the right side of the hall. Students and Pokémon constantly streamed toward them, many entering without even slowing down.
Orin watched a trainer and a Machoke step into one elevator while a student riding on the shoulders of a Snorlax somehow squeezed into another.
"Huh..."
He looked around curiously.
Oddly enough, he couldn't spot a reception desk anywhere.
There wasn't even a help counter.
For a place this huge, that felt strange.
"Should we just pick a floor and start exploring?" Orin muttered while eyeing the elevators.
"Riolu!"
Riolu seemed completely supportive of this highly questionable plan.
"Hey... are you new here?"
Hearing a female voice, Orin turned around.
His eyes widened slightly.
Walking toward him was a young woman with brown eyes and black hair. Long side-locks framed her face while the rest of her hair was tied back behind her head.
She wore a black cropped athletic jacket that exposed a toned stomach, a cute belly button and clearly defined abs, along with loose training pants and running shoes.
She had the kind of physique that immediately screamed athlete.
Beside her walked a massive Hariyama whose broad frame made most people look tiny in comparison.
"Yeah," Orin replied with a smile.
"It's my first time here."
Then he pointed at himself.
"First-year student."
The woman's eyes instantly lit up.
"Ah! A fresher!"
She suddenly threw both arms into the air dramatically.
"Then welcome—"
She pointed toward the ceiling.
"—TO THE TEMPLE OF GAINS!"
Her voice echoed across half the lobby.
Several nearby students glanced over.
"Hariiii!" Even Hariyama nodded solemnly as if confirming the statement.
"Ah..."
Orin blinked.
"Thanks?"
He wasn't entirely sure what the correct response to that was.
"Come on!" the woman said enthusiastically, grabbing his wrist before he could think any further.
"I love showing new chicks around!"
Then she pointed dramatically toward the interior of the building.
"Let me show you what the Nexus Fitness Gym has to offer!"
She pumped a fist into the air.
"LET'S GO!"
Hehe, such a dedicated junior. Coming to the gym this early in the morning already.
Orin heard her excited thoughts echo faintly through his mind.
Before he could respond—
"Hariyama!"
The massive Hariyama stepped behind Riolu and Elgyem and gently—but firmly—ushered them forward with its enormous hands.
"Riolu?"
"Elgyem?"
Neither of them seemed to understand what was happening, but they obediently followed along anyway.
The group passed through a set of automatic glass doors that slid open with a soft hiss.
The moment Orin stepped through them, his eyes widened.
A massive training hall stretched out before him.
Students and Pokémon filled every corner of the room.
Some were lifting weights.
Some were running.
Others were stretching, sparring, or training together in synchronized routines.
The entire place buzzed with activity.
"Oh!"
The woman suddenly stopped.
"I completely forgot to ask your name."
"I'm Orin," he replied with a wry smile.
"From Saffron City."
"Nice to meet you, Orin!"
She grinned and pointed at herself.
"I'm Dendra. Sixth-year student at Nexus."
Then she proudly flexed one arm.
"And I spend most of my free time here working on my gains and my Pokémon's gains."
She punctuated the statement by patting his shoulder.
"Hariyama!"
Hariyama immediately copied her and gave Orin a friendly pat on the back that nearly sent him stumbling forward.
"Nice to meet you too, Dendra," Orin said with a laugh.
In truth, he had recognized her the moment he saw her.
He remembered Dendra from both the anime and the games.
Back in those versions of the world, she had been an instructor at Naranja Academy in Paldea.
But here, she was still a student.
A sixth-year, sure—
but still a student nonetheless.
...A very hot one, if he was being honest.
***
---
[Pokédex Update:
Elgyem ♀ ✨ 🜂
Height: 2'6"(0.76 m)
Weight: 22 lbs (9.98 kg)
Muscle Density:
Stamina Score:
Flexibility Score:
Body Fat %:
Nature: (Calibrating...)]
---
***
✨ TRAIT UPGRADE UNLOCKED! ✨
🦋 Social Butterfly → 🦋 Social Butterfly+ 💕
🦋 Social Butterfly+
Orin naturally builds connections wherever he goes and makes a habit of exchanging contact details with anyone he gets along with, whether as a friend or a potential romantic interest.