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Chapter 19: The Global Capital | Pokémon
🕑 Added 2025-06-23 08:43:39 +0000 UTC“Mom, look—he's so handsome!”
Orin, who had just shut his eyes, opened them abruptly at the loud voice of a little girl.
He glanced across the aisle and spotted a woman seated with her daughter, the latter pointing straight at him with wide, curious eyes. Her light auburn hair bounced with every excited movement.
“Is he a movie star?” the girl asked, eyes sparkling.
“Shh… don’t disturb other people,” her mother said gently, lowering the girl's hand with a quiet laugh. She offered Orin an apologetic smile.
He returned it with a wry grin, amused.
“Here, you wanted to see the clouds, right? Come sit by the window,” the woman said with a sigh, standing to switch seats with her daughter.
“Yay! Mom, look! The clouds are so white!” the little girl squealed in amazement, pressing her face to the glass.
“Don’t shout so loudly,” her mother scolded softly, her tone a mix of affection and fatigue.
Orin watched the exchange with a warm smile… that faltered slightly when the mother stretched, arching as she adjusted her seatbelt—unknowingly drawing his eyes to the generous curves of her chest.
“What a Milf,” he muttered under his breath with a smirk, before shaking his head and closing his eyes again.
The Premium Economy cabin had a 2-1 seating layout. Orin’s seat, by the window, was blissfully isolated. No seatmate, no crowd—though, he mused, if a cute girl had sat next to him, he wouldn’t have minded one bit.
With a sigh, he reclined his seat, pulled down his Snorlax eye mask, and finally allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
---
Bzzz Bzzz…
A soft vibration stirred Orin from sleep. Groggily, he pulled off his eye mask, blinking against the dim cabin lights as the plane gently hummed along its path. He reached into the pocket of his jeans for his phone and frowned at the flood of notifications lighting up the screen.
He checked the time—he had been asleep for nearly four hours. Which meant more than half the journey still remained.
Stretching his arms, he glanced to the right. The little girl was curled up against her mother, clutching her arm like a teddy bear. Her head rested on her mom’s arm, a faint string of drool trailing from her lips onto the fabric of her dress. Her mother was slumped to the side, her cheek resting on her daughter’s head, breathing softly in sync.
Looking around, Orin noticed most of the passengers were dozing peacefully. The quiet lull of mid-flight had wrapped everyone in calm. A soft yawn escaped him as he reached down for his backpack, pulled out a half-empty water bottle, and took a long sip.
Feeling a bit more awake, he finally swiped open the first message.
“No way…”
It was from Duplica.
She had sent a video clip. Dreadfully, he put on his earbuds and tapped it.
Just as he suspected, the video showed a TV broadcast opening with the dramatic theme of Saffron Now. The screen cut to a sleek, polished anchorwoman with bright pink hair and a rehearsed smile.
“In breaking news this morning, history has been made—after a full decade, someone from Saffron City has finally passed the Nexus Academy Entrance Exam!”
“Who the hell leaked it…” Orin muttered in annoyance, lowering the volume and setting the phone down on his tray.
The clip continued.
“And the one who has shattered the ten-year bad streak is none other than Orin Murasaki, the younger brother of the Saffron City Gym Leader—Sabrina.”
The screen changed to a selfie of Orin, clearly from yesterday morning.
“Ugh… at least use the one I took after the damn haircut,” he groaned, rubbing his forehead.
The announcer continued, her tone rising with practiced excitement.
“That’s right, folks. The last person to pass the Nexus Academy Entrance Exam from Saffron City was the psychic prodigy herself… and now her brother follows in her footsteps.”
Sigh.
Orin exhaled deeply and slumped in his seat. This. This was exactly why he hadn’t told anyone yet about his admission.
Everyone would assume his big sister had pulled some strings. They would think he was just riding on her name, that his results were fake or manipulated. Even his friend Kyle had joked that he would breeze through the interview with Sabrina as his sister.
He didn’t really mind people talking bad about him—but he hated the idea of his sister’s name being tarnished because of it.
The clip continued.
“Confirmation of this news has come directly from the Psychic Research Division of the Saffron Gym, where Orin has reportedly interned for several years. According to reliable sources, he has been considered a psychic genius since childhood—just like his elder sister.”
“This is so embarrassing…” Orin muttered, rubbing his hand through his hair. But at least this way, people might not think he got in just because of his Sister.
The anchorwoman beamed brightly as she concluded.
“Saffron City congratulates Orin Murasaki on his admission to Nexus Academy. We are sure he will become another great Pokémon trainer, just like his elder sister.”
The clip ended, and a small grin crept onto Orin’s face.
“Back to the question of who leaked it, obviously the news couldn’t have been leaked by her,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Must have been someone from the lab then. Amanda, probably. She knew I was taking the exam, so she must have checked my results this morning.”
Other than the clip, there were countless messages in the group chat—texts, missed calls, and notifications pouring in nonstop.
“Genius, huh?” he muttered, surprised at how everyone was calling him that in the messages. Also there were many who were complaining that they hadn’t even known that he was taking the test this year.
“Well… even I wasn’t aware until the last moment,” he chuckled to himself.
He didn’t feel like talking to anyone right now, so he ignored the calls and instead began replying to the messages one by one. From his old buddies at the Fighting Dojo to colleagues at the Psychic Gym, it felt like anyone who had his number was reaching out to congratulate him.
One by one, he typed out short replies, reusing the same message:
“Thanks a lot! Still sinking in haha. Hope we catch up soon 😊”
Copy, paste, send. Again. And again.
Eventually, he returned to the group chat where a flood of messages from Duplica awaited. A whole string of them.
Duplica
“ORINNNNNN!!! 😭😭😭”
“YOU STOLE MY SPOTLIGHT!!! FIRST TV APPEARANCE FROM OUR FRIEND GROUP AND IT’S YOU???”
“I DEMAND COMPENSATION. At least TEN FULL PIZZAS.”
He chuckled, cracking his fingers as he started typing a sarcastic reply. Something like “I’ll just autograph your one slice, would that be enough?”— but before he could hit send—
Ping.
A new message popped up in the group chat. It was from Terri.
She had sent two photos.
The first showed Terri grinning wide, her eyes gleaming as she held a small, pale purple Pokémon in her arms. Its limbs were stubby, its expression serious despite its size, and it radiated a clear fighting-type aura—even in the photo.
The second picture showed the same Pokémon striking a martial arts pose with surprising intensity.
“Oh my god! She got her partner Pokémon!” Orin whispered, a grin lighting up his face.
Her message followed right after:
Terri
“Couldn’t get a Hitmontop 😅 but I’m sooo happy! I got a Tyrogue!! Still stuck in college but I’ll video call later to introduce her properly 🥰💪”
Orin beamed as he typed back:
Orin
“Congratulations, Terri!”
“If I remember right, Tyrogue evolves into Hitmontop only if its Attack and Defense are perfectly balanced. Otherwise, it becomes Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee,” he muttered, recalling his meta knowledge from his old Earth.
“Though Terri probably knows way more about Fighting-types than I do. She’s totally obsessed with them.” He shook his head with a fond chuckle.
Duplica and Kyle were quick to react to the photo, both offering their congratulations. Kyle responded with a barrage of emojis—clearly hyped. Duplica, not to be outdone, declared:
Duplica
“Already ordered a Tyrogue cosplay. Gonna debut it next week with your Tyrogue 😎”
Orin chuckled at her antics and stayed in the chat for a bit—smiling, sharing some travel updates, and assuring everyone that his flight was going smoothly. But once the flurry of messages died down, he set his phone aside and leaned back in his seat.
“Let’s watch something now,” he murmured, slipping on his headphones and tapping the screen embedded in the seat in front of him.
He scrolled past rows of blockbuster movies and trending dramas, none of which appealed to him at the moment.
“Not really in the mood for movies…” he muttered, tapping absently.
Instead, he hovered over the Travel & Regional Highlights section and selected a video titled:
“Welcome to Unity City – Jewel of the World”
An orchestral swell filled his ears as sweeping aerial footage lit up the display—showing a sprawling metropolis bathed in golden sunset light. Towering skyscrapers shimmered like crystal spires, rising high over a patchwork of railways, canals, and lush parks. The cityscape blended futuristic architecture with cobblestone plazas and tree-lined boulevards.
Orin leaned back as a calm, polished voice began narrating:
“Unity City. A symbol of harmony, innovation, and global connection. Located on Unity Isle, this megacity is home to over 12 million residents and stands at the crossroads of every major region in the world.”
The footage transitioned to scenes of multicultural street markets lined with vibrant stalls, each offering signature dishes from Johto, Galar, Alola, and even the distant Orre region. Trainers and civilians moved side by side—humans and Pokémon alike enjoying the city’s open plazas. A Blissey tended to injured people with a gentle smile, Machoke unloaded heavy crates from delivery trucks, and Rotom Drones zipped overhead delivering parcels with pixelated cheer.
Orin smiled faintly. He already knew most of this, of course.
As Unity City wasn’t just famous because of Nexus Academy—it was the global capital. A city that never slept. Where tech met tradition. Where the Pokémon League’s headquarters stood alongside towering corporate HQs, world-class research labs, and elite training facilities.
“Unity City is a place of balance: nature and machine, tradition and evolution. It is here that the world’s future is forged—one innovation, one trainer, one bond at a time.”
The video transitioned into a quick list: “10 Must-Visit Places in Unity City”
“Well… I don’t know if I will have time to explore any of that right now,” Orin muttered, watching the final drone shot zoom out to reveal the entire city glowing under a starlit sky.
Still, a small part of him hoped he would get to see at least some of those places—eventually.
The video ended. Without him touching the screen, the next queued segment auto-played:
“Nexus Academy: Forging the Masters of Tomorrow”
Orin let out a soft snort.
“Again, huh?” he said with a half-smile. He had seen this video a dozen times—probably more.
Still, he didn’t skip it.
The screen faded in with slow-motion footage of students walking through the colossal Nexus Gates, sunlight casting long shadows across ancient stone. The narration came in with a deeper, more dramatic voice:
“For over a millennium, Nexus Academy has stood as the pinnacle of education. From future Champions to groundbreaking researchers, it is here that greatness begins.”
Orin watched—half yearning, half serious—as the video cut between dazzling battle scenes in open-air arenas, students in lab coats working on hybrid PokéTech, and classrooms where holographic simulations floated beside old-school textbooks.
“But Nexus is more than just a school. It is a crucible—a place where you are not given power… but taught how to wield it. A place where you can uncover all you can become: a Master of whatever you choose to be.”
This was just an intro video for those who knew nothing about the Academy, Orin though already knew quite a lot about Nexus. He had watched nearly every famous video from the past few years and followed several senior students who vlogged from within the Academy.
In fact, it was after seeing a televised Nexus Cup match—a fierce competition between top-tier students—and recognizing some of the participants instantly, that he had made up his mind.
He had to go to this Academy, no matter what.
The promo ended with a flash of the Nexus Academy emblem.
