"Onii-chan!"
Orin glanced back and saw a young girl standing in front of a vending machine. Her long purple hair flowed down her back, and she wore a long-sleeved, flowing white dress.
"Brina, what are you doing here?" Orin asked, walking towards her.
"Onii-chan, I want to drink this," she said, pointing at the vending machine eagerly.
Orin grimaced. In all his years of working here, he had never once bought anything from the vending machines. They were infamous ripoffs—the prices so outrageous that his hunger or thirst always evaporated the moment he saw them.
"Which one do you want?" he asked, forcing a smile.
"This one!" Brina said, standing on her tiptoes and pointing at the glass.
Behind the bright, luxurious-looking vending machine and its spotless glass, she was pointing at a can of lemonade.
"Ah, lemonade... 300 ₽ a can," Orin muttered in distress, glancing at the prices flashing on the touchscreen beside the glass.
He knew full well he could buy the same can at the local store for as low as 50 ₽. Even a basic bottle of water was sold for as high as 200 ₽ in these vending machines. It was an outright robbery.
And yet people still bought from the vending machines, lured by the flashy slogan illuminated above: "Chance to Win an Extra Drink—FREE!"
A chance so laughably low that, in all his years at the gym, Orin had seen it happen exactly three times.
He was pretty sure even the casinos in Celadon City were more honest than these machines.
"No, Onii-chan, I want this sweet one!" Brina clarified, pointing to the drink next to the lemonade.
Orin leaned closer.
"Ah, sweet lemonade... 350 ₽ a can," he muttered with a pained sigh.
[Buy One Can chosen]
Orin looked down at Brina's innocent, eager eyes and gave in.
"Alright, but just one," he said, tapping the button on the machine and scanning the QR code for payment.
A moment later, he pulled out the dull yellow can, frowning as the machine gave no sign of a bonus drink.
Scam confirmed, he thought bitterly.
"Thank you, Onii-chan!" Brina beamed, taking the can from his hand and pressing it against her cheek.
"Wah! So cool!" she squealed happily before plopping onto the nearby bench and popping open the can.
Orin sighed, feeling a bit better seeing her so happy. Just as he sat down beside her, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Taking it out, he saw Terri had replied in the group chat, congratulating him. He quickly typed a "Thanks!" back.
A moment later, a private message popped up from Terri:
Terri
"If you need anything at the gym, I can come keep you company!"
Orin smiled but politely declined with a quick,
Orin
"Thanks, but I'm good for now."
He had more immediate concerns—namely, figuring out what Brina was doing here.
Sliding his phone back into his pocket, he looked over at the little girl beside him. She swung her legs playfully as she sipped her lemonade with obvious delight. She was still wearing the outdoor boots he had bought her last year, and they looked almost brand new.
As for how she had gotten here from the house, Orin didn't have to think too hard. It was either Kaddi bringing her, or she had come by herself.
How? Well, this was the world of Pokémon, after all.
Psychic Pokémon like Abra and Kadabra could teleport vast distances—even from one city to another. In fact, there is an app called Aber that let people book teleportation services... though the prices are so absurd that most people only use it in emergencies.
And it wasn't just Pokémon who could teleport. Advanced Psychics could do it too. In fact, performing long-distance teleportation was one of the requirements to be recognized as an Advanced Psychic at the Psychic Center.
If he is not mistaken then even the new warp panels being installed at the gym were done so that the rookie psychics could get used to the feeling of teleporting themselves.
Of course, people who could teleport vast distances stably and easily were rare—so rare that most regular folk considered them a myth.
Orin personally only knew two people who could do it:
His Big Sis, Psychic Master Sabrina… and his adorable little sister, Brina.
How did he come to know this?
There was that time he had tried to sneak out of Saffron City with some friends to attend an Underwater performance in Cerulean City. It was just harmless fun—he would have been back by nightfall.
But just as he was about to board the bus, Brina had popped up out of nowhere with a "pop!" like a magic trick.
She had thrown such a tantrum that he ended up canceling the trip.
That wasn't an isolated incident either.
No matter how quietly he tried to slip away from the city, Brina always found him. And when he asked why, the answer was always the same:
"Onee-chan doesn't want Onii-Chan leaving the city."
Over time, Orin had given up on trying to "escape."
After all, the one thing he really couldn't bear was seeing Brina cry.
He reached out and gently caressed her head.
"Brina, how's the drink?" he asked with a soft smile.
"Mmm, it's sooo good!" she hummed in delight, before quickly adding, "But Onii-chan can't have my lemonade!" She said opening her eyes wide and hurriedly hiding the can behind her back.
"No, it's alright—you can have it all," Orin said with a wry smile.
"Ahm… if you really want it, you can have a sip… but just a teeny tiny one," she said, reluctantly offering him the can with both hands.
Orin chuckled. "I really don't want it," he said, though he was a little curious if it actually tasted different, considering he had just paid far more than its normal price.
"Okay! No backsies!" Brina hurriedly pulled the can back and resumed drinking, sipping slowly and contentedly.
"Brina, can you tell me why you are here?" Orin asked curiously.
"Oh!~ I completely forgot!" Brina said, jumping to her feet.
"Onee-chan sent me to bring Onii-chan to her," she said before taking another sip.
"Right now?" Orin asked in surprise.
"Yes, right now! In her office! Let's go—she will be mad as you are already late!" Brina said, her voice cheerful as she leisurely sipped her lemonade.
Orin gave her a long, narrowed stare, itching to pull her cheeks hard. But with a sigh, he reminded himself the important thing right now was to meet his Big Sis.
"Alright, let's go then," he said, starting to walk towards the main building.
"Okayss!" Brina chirped, walking happily beside him.
The walk made Orin a little pensive. His head buzzed with numerous thoughts.
The thing is that even though Sabrina was his Big Sister, he hardly ever saw her. In a whole year, she only visited home a handful of times, mostly for special occasions like his birthday.
Orin didn't think their relationship was bad—not from his side, at least. But he had no clue what went on inside the mind of Psychic Master Sabrina.
Meanwhile, completely unbothered by his concerns, Brina skipped along beside him, humming a cheerful tune.
Orin let her be and soon they reached the elevator inside the main Gym building. Meanwhile they hadn't encountered a single soul along the way.
He flashed his card at the scanner, and the elevator doors slid open with a soft hiss. Stepping inside with Brina, he pressed the button for the top floor and waited in silence as the elevator ascended.
"Phuaaah… Eh, the can's empty!" Brina said with a pout drinking the last drops as they stepped out onto the top floor.
"Onii-chan, you can have it now!" she added, pressing the empty can into his hand.
Orin sighed and tucked the can into his bag for now. He will toss it in a dustbin later.
"Did she say anything about why she wanted to meet me? …Is it about the Admission Exam?" Orin asked Brina as they stopped in front of a large, ornate purple door. A golden sign hung proudly over it:
Gym Leader
Sabrina
"No, Onee-chan didn't tell me anything," Brina said, shaking her head.
"You are so helpful today," Orin muttered, rolling his eyes.
"I know, thank you, Onii-chan!" Brina said brightly, completely missing his sarcasm.
Orin sighed, pulling out his phone and opening up the camera app to quickly check his reflection, adjusting his hair and smoothing down his clothes. He didn't want anything to be out of place.
"You are already late, Nii-chan," Brina said with a chuckle.
"Okay, okay…" Orin muttered, trying to calm his restless heart. He started walking towards the door, then paused and glanced back.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked.
"You know Onee-chan doesn't like seeing me…" Brina said softly, her small head lowering, hair falling over her face to hide her expression.
Orin's heart tightened. He walked back to her and gently caressed her head, offering silent comfort.
[Give Brina One Pokédoll chosen]
"Don't be sad, Brina. Look—I got something for you," he said, slipping off his backpack.
Brina looked up curiously as he reached inside and pulled out a pink Clefairy Pokédoll he had bought earlier today.
"For me?" she asked, her red eyes wide with wonder.
"For my cutest little sister," Orin said, wiggling the Clefairy's stubby claw before handing it over. "So you won't be sad. Now c'mon—smile for me."
Brina's face lit up. "Thank you sooo much, Nii-chan!" she beamed, hugging the doll tightly.
Orin smiled, the knot in his chest loosening, now that she was back to her old self.
"Onii-chan, you really should go now. You are already suuper late," Brina said, her tiny hands pushing him lightly towards the door.
"Alright," he murmured, giving her a final nod.
As he approached the door again, it swung open on its own before he could knock.
Orin glanced back one last time—Brina was looking up at him with a bright, encouraging smile still clinging on to the doll.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.
The room was large and strangely split.
To the right, an entire wall was covered with shelves packed full of books on countless topics. In front of them sat a set of large, comfortable-looking sofas and a low table.
Directly opposite the entrance was a massive openable window, letting in soft light.
To the left, a stark white wall framed a large, pristine white desk. No decorations, no clutter—just the desk.
The right side of the room was bathed in purple tones, while the left was pure, blinding white.
It wasn't the first time Orin had been in this office, so he was quite familiar with its strange design. Without hesitation, he walked up to the large white desk on the left.
On the desk sat a neatly stacked pile of papers and a flat monitor screen.
Behind the ornate white desk stood a tall, luxurious red chair.
Seated in that chair was a woman.
She had long, straight purple hair and skin as pale as porcelain. She wore a tight-fitting red and black dress that clung to her curves, stopping mid-thigh. Gold wrist sleeves adorned her arms, matched by pristine white gloves. Her long legs were clad in sleek black leggings, with just a teasing glimpse of white thigh visible between the dress hem and the leggings. Completing the outfit were striking red boots that came up to her ankles.
Yet, for all her fashionable appearance, her expression starkly contrasted it.
Her face, as fair as snow, was completely blank. Her red eyes — the same shade as Orin's — were dull and emotionless. Sitting utterly still with her hands resting lightly on the chair's arms, she stared at him without blinking.
Anyone seeing her for the first time would mistake her for a lifelike doll, motionless and chilling.
If not for that lifeless demeanour, Orin thought, his sister would easily be a world-class beauty.
Well... to him, she still was.
"How are you, Big Sister?" Orin asked brightly as he approached the desk, placing his bag beside one of the chairs set in front. He smiled warmly, trying to push back the icy atmosphere radiating from her.
"I caught the end of your match. You made such quick work of that guy! Hehe," he added with a laugh, settling into one of the chairs.
Suddenly, his smile faltered.
It felt like something struck him full force across the mind.
A searing pain exploded inside his head.
"Arghh!"
Orin gasped as darkness invaded his vision. He clutched his head, sinking deeper into the chair, feeling as if he were falling endlessly into a bottomless pit. The agony was so intense he couldn't even open his mouth to scream properly. His eyes darkened, tears pricking the corners as the pain twisted mercilessly through his skull.
Just when it felt like his head might burst—
—the pain vanished.
"Haaahh… haaahhh…"
Orin slumped in the chair, panting heavily, his clothes soaked in cold sweat. Relief flooded him, though his hands still trembled from the aftershock.
And then—
A chilling, detached female voice echoed directly inside his mind:
"Even after being so... weak, you want to attend... Nexus?"