Both Pokémon vanished in matching white streaks—
CRACK—!
They collided mid-field and bounced back.
Riolu winced—but stayed on her feet.
Orin grit his teeth. Riolu was already taking damage… but with Quick Attack at this speed, there was no real dodging. All he could do was hang on and wait for an opening.
"Well sheesh, Riolu's endurance is wild!" Lisia commentated, zooming in with the camera. "That Quick Attack had hit her like—three times already!"
"Don't let up, Pawmi—Scratch!" Nemona shouted.
Pawmi darted forward on all fours, claws flashing with surprising sharpness.
"Meet it head-on, Riolu—use your punches!" Orin ordered.
Riolu lunged too, weaving between Pawmi's paws and throwing quick, sharp strikes at its small body.
SLASH—!
THUD—!
They traded blows—Scratch against fist—both Pokémon growling, pushing, and striking in a messy burst of close-quarters combat.
Orin kept completely focused. At this pace, shouting too many commands would only slow Riolu down. He could only trust her instincts—trust that her punches hit harder than Pawmi's tiny claws, and that she could endure the scratches of that little electric mouse.
With surprising strength, Riolu drove a solid punch straight into Pawmi's squishy face—
and at the same moment, Pawmi's sharp claws raked across her belly.
Pawmi skidded back with a squeak, while Riolu took a shaky step, wincing in pain.
Nemona pumped her fist.
"¡Sí! That's it! Faster now—Pawmi, Quick Attack!"
Orin's eyes widened. Pawmi was already too close—no room for Riolu to dodge.
Before he could even shout a command—
FWIP—!
Pawmi blurred white and slammed into Riolu again.
Orin clenched his jaw, irritated at himself for not anticipating the follow-up.
And as if sensing that frustration—
Riolu narrowed her red eyes.
Her fists tightened—
and suddenly gleamed silver.
She grit her teeth and burst forward—
"RIO—!!"
Her tiny fists blurred into a storm of metallic strikes—
PAPAPAPAPAPAPA—!!
Hammering into the rushing Pawmi faster than the eye could track.
"Whoa—yes! Keep going, Riolu!" Orin called out, his face flushed.
A soft chime pinged from his Pokédex.
***
[Riolu move registered: Bullet Punch]
***
"¡WHOA!" Nemona shouted, absolutely delighted. "That's an amazing move! Pawmi, fall back!"
Pawmi tumbled away, its Quick Attack glow flickering out as it skidded to a stop, panting and sparking harder than before.
Riolu stood her ground, breathing heavily as the silver glow slowly faded from her fists.
"Riolu's fists were a blur—she must've punched like a hundred times just now!!" Lisia gasped, amazed.
Orin could somehow feel Riolu's fatigue tugging on him—his own breath was slightly short. But this was the opening he was waiting for.
"Riolu, Quick Attack!"
Nemona's eyes lit up instantly.
"¡Ay no, no, no! Pawmi—Nuzzle!"
Riolu tensed her legs, her body beginning to glow white—
But Pawmi launched forward even faster, leaping up and rubbing its charged cheeks hard against Riolu's torso.
ZZZZT—!!
"R-Rio…!"
Riolu's whole body jolted—
static crackling up her arms and legs, forcing them stiff.
Orin's stomach twisted. He knew exactly what that meant.
"Oh no—Riolu's paralyzed!" Lisia cried.
Nemona didn't waste a second.
"¡Vamos, Pawmi! Quick Attack!"
Pawmi blurred white again, slamming straight into the immobilized Riolu.
BAM—!
Riolu was knocked off her feet, skidding across the dirt before catching herself on one knee.
"Riolu!!" Orin's voice cracked, his heart hammering painfully at the sight.
Nemona's expression softened for a moment.
"Tu Riolu… tiene coraje. She's got guts."
Then her grin snapped back into place.
"Pawmi—Growl!"
Pawmi's fierce growl echoed across the field.
Riolu flinched hard again, her posture dipping from the pressure and pain.
"Riolu, you can do it!" Orin called out—voice steady but tight.
He could feel how much she was hurting, yet she still steadied her breathing, trying to stand firm.
***
[Riolu move registered: Endure]
***
A soft ping from his Pokédex rang out as Riolu steadied herself, panting—sparks still crawling up her arms and making her wince.
In the games, Endure kept a Pokémon standing at 1 HP.
But Orin doubted reality worked that way.
Here, it felt more like Riolu was simply… enduring pain through sheer willpower.
"This is so brutal…! But Riolu is really brave—and Pawmi's super strong too!" Lisia said, clutching his phone with wide eyes.
Nemona raised her palm sharply.
"Pawmi—Charge!"
Pawmi's fur spiked straight up as electricity built around its body—
BZZZTTTT—!
It rubbed its tiny paws against its cheeks, sending even more sparks flying.
"Eh? Did Pawmi just use a move but nothing happened?" Lisia asked, confused.
"That's Charge," Victor explained calmly, without looking away. "Its next Electric attack is going to hit much harder."
"Oh! Got it," Lisia said, nodding.
Orin's jaw tightened.
He knew exactly what Charge meant—and exactly what move Nemona would call next.
If Riolu wasn't paralyzed, he would've told her to rush Pawmi down before it charged up.
But now… looks like they only had this one last chance.
"Riolu, I know you can overcome this," Orin said, eyes fixed on her steady back.
"Use all your strength—Blaze Kick!"
"RIOOOO!" Riolu screamed through the sparks and pain.
Her legs tensed—one foot sliding back—before both ignited in fierce fire.
Nemona slashed her hand through the air.
"¡Pawmi, Thundershock!"
Pawmi rubbed its cheeks wildly as it charged forward—
a burst of yellow lightning exploding from its body.
Riolu didn't retreat.
She leapt straight in—fire trailing behind her—
and her blazing heel crashed down toward Pawmi's face.
The red flame and yellow lightning collided—
BOOOOOOM!!!
Dust exploded outward.
Lisia squeaked and shielded the phone.
Students around them gasped, some stumbling back from the shockwave.
As the smoke thinned—
Both Pokémon slid backward from the impact.
Riolu froze mid-step—
the flames dying out around her legs,
sparks of paralysis locking her joints.
"Rio…?"
She dropped to one knee, chest rising in heavy breaths—
yet her half-open red eyes stayed locked on Pawmi.
Pawmi staggered on shaky paws, burn marks across its head—
but it remained barely standing, trembling but conscious.
Victor glanced between them and nodded decisively;
this was as far as a practice match should go.
"Pawmi is still able to battle!
Winner—Pawmi and Nemona!"
"WOOOOW!!"
The crowd erupted—some cheering, some clapping, others whistling.
"It's over at last… thank Arceus," Lisia exhaled, hand on her heart as she stopped the recording.
Orin had already rushed forward, catching Riolu before her legs gave out completely.
"Hey… you did incredible," he whispered, holding her trembling body close.
"Ri…olu…"
Riolu smiled weakly, her red eyes flicking up to meet his.
Seeing the scratches, the lingering sparks dancing through her fur, and her exhausted breaths—
Orin wasn't thinking about the loss at all.
He was only worried… and overwhelmingly proud of how tough she was, especially for her very first battle.
His own forehead was slick with sweat; his beating heart only now easing down.
It genuinely felt like he had been fighting out there beside her.
As he stood, Riolu held securely in his arms, he nearly flinched—
Nemona was suddenly right in front of him.
"Orin…!"
She grabbed his shoulder, head lowered.
Then she exploded.
"That… was SOOO AWESOME!!" she yelled, eyes sparkling so intensely it looked like she might actually combust. Her whole body buzzed with excitement.
Orin and Riolu both stared at her, speechless.
"This—this was exactly what I've been dreaming about my whole life!" Nemona said, practically vibrating.
"A real, hearty battle against a strong trainer and an amazing Pokémon!"
"Pawwmii~~!"
Pawmi waddled up beside her, also wearing what could only be described as a smug little grin.
Orin huffed a small laugh. "Yeah… it was a good match."
Then his smile sharpened. "But we'll get stronger. Next time… we won't lose."
"Rio!"
Riolu lifted her tiny fist toward Pawmi, trying her best to sit up even while cradled in Orin's arms.
He held her a little tighter—his chest swelling with pride.
This wasn't a defeat.
This was their start.
Nemona leaned in, grinning ear to ear.
"Sí… I can't wait for our rematch."
"Pawmi!"
Pawmi's cheeks crackled with eager sparks, mirroring its trainer perfectly.
"That was such a good match, lads," Victor said as he walked up. "Orin, you and Riolu were brilliant—but Nemona, you and your Pawmi are a scary team. Honestly, I don't think I could beat either of you right now." He rubbed the back of his neck with a wry smile.
"Haha, you never know unless you try," Nemona laughed, bending down to scoop up Pawmi, who let out a small, tired yawn.
"Thanks, Victor," Orin said with a relieved sigh.
"Alright, that's enough fighting—and talking about fighting," Lisia said marching over and handing Orin his phone. "Nemona, you and Orin may have done… well, I guess—but look at your Pokémon! They're so hurt. This is exactly why I hate Pokémon battles." She pouted at Riolu and Pawmi with genuine pity in her eyes.
"They'll be back in perfect condition after a quick stop at the Pokémon Center!" Nemona said brightly. "Come on, Orin—let's go together. I know the way!" She grabbed his arm without hesitation and pulled him forward.
The contact was sudden—and so was the whisper of her thoughts sliding into Orin's mind:
"He and Riolu are so strong… and this was just their first battle. They're only going to get stronger.
He's perfect to be my… rival!"
Orin managed a wry smile.
Rival, huh?
He wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or worried.
"Pawmi, return," Nemona said, tapping her Poké Ball as Pawmi dissolved into red light. She turned to Orin. "You should do the same. With that paralysis, Riolu will only hurt more if you leave her out."
Orin nodded; she was right. He pulled the small Poké Ball from his pocket and pressed it, letting it expand to full size.
"Riolu, rest inside for now, okay? I'll see you soon," Orin murmured as he tapped the ball against her head.
Riolu gave a small nod, eyes closing before dissolving into red light.
A crowd had formed around the ground—dozens of students, many holding up their phones. Some had clearly recorded parts of the battle. As Orin and the others walked past, the crowd parted, buzzing with excited chatter.
"I'm sure you two will be famous soon on the Nexus Forums," Lisia said with a bright smile.
"What's that?" Victor asked, tilting his head.
"Eh!? You don't even know?" Lisia gasped dramatically. "It's the most hype social page in Nexus Academy! It's run by the Student Council, and you can only log in with your Nexus ID—so it's exclusive to students!" She quickly pulled out her phone and shoved it toward them. "Look there are tons of posts from us freshers already. And here! Someone's already uploaded the final moves from your battle!"
Orin blinked, surprised—so Nexus had a forum like that… and a Student Council too?
Sure enough, a short clip played on Lisia's screen: Riolu unleashing Blaze Kick and Pawmi firing Thundershock, the impact exploding in the middle.
The title read:
Fierce Pokémon Battle Between Freshers!
Below, comments were flying:
"These have to be seniors—no way freshers can battle like this."
"Did they train beforehand?"
"They got their Pokémon just hours ago. How are they this strong???"
"Cool," Orin muttered, already imagining using the full video and the forum to promote his own PokeNet account later.
"Oh! Maybe my battle was uploaded too?" Victor asked, suddenly hopeful.
"They didn't even see your Sobble," Lisia said with a wry smile. "Why would they upload it?"
Victor deflated instantly.
"Although," Lisia continued, brightening again, "there are lots of beautiful pictures on the forum too! Like Pokémon doing cool moves, or aesthetic shots! I even saw a Golden Magikarp jumping out of a fountain which was uploaded by a fresher—it was so pretty!"
Orin's collector heart thumped fast.
A shiny Magikarp? On campus?
He made a mental note to track down that lucky student as soon as he had time.
His gaze drifted to the back of Nemona's jacket as they walked. The red Valor House emblem stood bold and bright—
and inside the red circle, stitched in gold, was a familiar silhouette.
The Legendary Ho-Oh.
Surrounded by the ring of elemental symbols he had seen on other emblems before.
Before he could stare too long, Lisia was already chatting up Nemona—asking for her number. In the end, all four of them exchanged contacts as they left the lecture hall together.
Although Victor reminded them that they still hadn't calibrated their Pokémon—
their original objective before the battles had derailed everything.
They agreed they would do it after Riolu and Pawmi were healed.
Orin had expected the Pokémon Center to be a long walk away…
but right beside the lecture hall stood a clean white building with a red bright sign:
Pokémon Center
"Oh wow—it's inside NAC?" Lisia said, delighted as she pushed the glass door open. "That is so convenient!"
Orin followed her in quickly.
He had been trying to hide it, but his chest was tight with worry.
More than anything right now… he just wanted Riolu back to her bright, energetic, happy self.
***
---
[Orin Murasaki registered Nemona's Number]
---
***
---
[Riolu Moves Learned:
Egg Moves: Blaze Kick, Bullet Punch
Regular Moves: Quick Attack, Endure]
[Move Mastery:
Blaze Kick → [■■□□□] (Basic)
Bullet Punch → [■□□□□] (Unstable)
Quick Attack → [■■□□□] (Basic)
Endure → [■□□□□] (Unstable)]
---
***
The commissioned art work of Valor House Emblem is available for the members of Pokémon Master Tier!