Pokemon: School of Masters

"Eyes on the prize. Today's the day!"

Writing a good caption, Orin checks his account and notices that he has reached 97 followers.

"Good, soon I can get some small sponsorships," he mumbles with a smile, knowing that sponsorships are a necessity if he wants any sort of career in the future. And popularity on PokéNet is the easiest way to earn one.

"Should I get a haircut? Hmm… I really should before tomorrow," he mutters, running a hand through his purple hair.

"I can cut your hair, Onii-chan!"

A sweet, childish voice pipes up from behind him.

"Brina, I have told you not to teleport into my room so abruptly," he says, turning around noticing the still closed door.

"But Brina got tired of waiting downstairs for Onii-chan! You were taking too long!" she pouts. "And how about Brina giving Onii-chan a haircut? I will do a good job!" She grins mischievously, her eyes locked onto his hair as a pair of silver scissors materializes in her hand.

Orin narrows his eyes. "Brina, are you thinking about styling my hair into a ponytail again?" He pockets his phone, already suspicious.

"No! Brina didn't think about such a thing at all!" she blurts, hurriedly hiding the scissors behind her back.

Orin smirks. "Looks like Brina needs to be taught a lesson."

His hand reaches out towards her face, but she immediately backs away.

"Nooo! Onii-chan isn't allowed to pull Brina's cheeks anymore! They will come off!" she protests, rubbing her soft cheeks with a pitiful expression.

"Then I will just have to use my ultimate move—Tickle Tornado!" Orin grins wider, lunging at her.

"Ahh! No, not the Tickle Tornado!!" Brina shrieks, spinning on her heel and dashing out of the room. The door swings open on its own as she makes her escape.

"Hahaha! You can't run from this battle, Trainer Brina!!" Orin laughs, giving chase.

"You are so slow! You will never catch up to me, Onii-chan!" Brina teases, giggling as she sprints toward the grand staircase leading down.

"Hey, floating is cheating!" Orin yells when he notices her skipping through the air instead of using the stairs properly.

"You are just slow, Niichan~!" Brina sticks out her tongue at him.

"Ohh, you are really asking for it now!" He speeds up, skipping multiple steps and effortlessly reaches the ground floor.

The staircase leads into a spacious living area with plush sofas and a massive mounted television. But Brina darts through a doorway on the left, Orin follows her heading into the dining area. A large dining table sits at the center, flanked by a few side tables and a sofa for extra seating. There is also a smaller television mounted on the wall, and across the room, another door leads into the kitchen.

Orin notices Brina standing in front of the dining table, a smug smile plastered across her face.

"Got y—"

THUD!

His sentence is cut short as his face smacks into something invisible, stopping him mid-motion. "Ouch..." he mutters, rubbing his nose. With a sigh, he pouts and turns toward the source of a familiar female giggle. "Mimi, why do you always take her side?"

"Mime Mime!"

Across the room, a Mr. Mime cheerfully sweeps the already spotless floor, looking rather pleased with herself. Orin sighs, still thinking it's absurd that they haven't changed the name of female Mr. Mimes to Ms. Mime yet.

"It's because Mimi always protects Brina from being bullied!" Brina grins, raising her hand.

Mimi lifts hers in sync, and the two casually air high-five from across the room.

"Mime Mime!"

With that, the invisible wall in front of Orin disappears.

"And who is going to protect me from being bullied, huh?" Orin grumbles under his breath, still rubbing his sore nose.

"Hehe, Brina will protect Onii-chan!" Brina giggles cutely, coming forward and wrapping her arms around his waist in a hug.

Orin bites back a comment about how she is the one he needs protection from, instead places his hand on her long, purple hair and ruffles it softly.

Brina snuggles into the hug, her grip tightening. Orin knows why she has been so clingy today, so he just sighs inwardly.

"Brina," he murmurs.

"Yes, Niichan…?" she mumbles into his clothes.

"Did you think acting cute would protect you?" His smirk turns wicked as he grabs her cheeks and tugs on them.

"Ow, ow, ow! Nooo, my cheeks!" she cries, her red eyes pleading for mercy.

After getting his fill of her soft, squishy cheeks, Orin finally lets go, satisfied.

"Mou! Bad Niichan!" Brina pouts, turning away while rubbing her face. "Hmph!"

"Hehehe." Orin just smirks, knowing she won't be able to stay mad for long. He sits at the dining table and grabs the remote, turning on the television.

KHRRRRRRR—

The television flickers, showing nothing but a static screen in black and white.

"Kaddy, the TV is acting up again!" Orin calls toward the kitchen, already guessing that Kaddy's psychic powers must be interfering with the electronics.

"Kadabra!" A voice exclaims from inside the kitchen.

Inside, a Kadabra is wearing a chef's hat, one claw holding a silver spoon while the other is outstretched, levitating a salt shaker and adding salt to a simmering pot. Meanwhile, a ladle stirs the contents of the pot on its own, moving under his telekinetic control.

Closing his eyes briefly, Kaddy focuses—and the static on the television vanishes instantly.

"Thanks, Kaddy!" Orin calls out with a smile as the news broadcast flickers onto the screen.

"It's a fine Monday morning with clear skies here in Saffron City," a male news host announces cheerfully on the Saffron Now news channel.

Orin pulls out his phone, scrolling through the PokéNet, while keeping an eye on Brina, who is still pouting and sneaking side glances at him.

"In today's news, we will talk about the finals of the Pokémon Contest held here yesterday in our city, where two talented Coordinators—"

"I watched the finals of the Pokémon Contest yesterday, Onii-chan," Brina suddenly chimes in, her pout disappearing as she moves to his side, her voice filled with delight. Orin can't help but let out a small, hidden smile, watching her come over.

"Oh, how was it?" He sets his phone aside, now fully focused on her with a genuine smile.

"It was so cool! The Pokémon were all so pretty!" she gushes, climbing onto his lap without hesitation.

"Maybe I should watch it later to see how pretty they—" Orin's words are cut off as he suddenly finds himself floating, chair and all, with Brina still perched on his lap.

Looking down, he spots Mimi whistling nonchalantly as she sweeps dust from where the chair once rested. Brina giggles, clearly enjoying the ride.

"Ha… they probably aren't as pretty as you, Mimi," Orin says dryly, rolling his eyes at her.

"Mime Mime!" Mimi gives a thumbs-up, clearly pleased, as she gently lowers the chair back to the floor.

"Kadabra!" Kaddy's voice rings out from the kitchen, catching Mimi's attention. She flicks the broom aside with a small gesture, making it float neatly to the corner of the room. Then, she turns to Orin and mimes an eating gesture before pointing toward the kitchen.

"Oh? Is breakfast ready? Good," Orin says with a smile. Mimi nods before heading to the kitchen.

Brina hums happily, her legs swinging playfully as she watches the Contest highlights on TV.

"Shouldn't you sit in your own chair, Brina?" Orin asks, giving her a wry smile.

"Nope! Brina wants Onii-chan to feed her today," she declares, shaking her head stubbornly.

"Haa… alright," Orin sighs in defeat. "Mimi, just bring a single plate for both of us!" he calls out.

"Yay! Onii-chan is the best!" Brina cheers with a giggle.

"You are such a kid sometimes," Orin chuckles, ruffling her hair.

"Onii-chan is such a dummy! Brina is a kid all the time!" she laughs mischievously.

"Yeah… she really is… all the time." Orin's smile falters as a shadow briefly passes over his face, his hand pausing mid-motion in her hair.

"Oh! It's Onee-chan on TV!" Brina suddenly points at the screen.

"In other news, a trainer from Celadon City will challenge our Gym Leader, the Psychic Master Sabrina, to a Gym Battle today!" the male reporter announces as an image of Sabrina appears on screen.

"Big sister," Orin mumbles, his eyes fixed on the TV.

"The match will take place at noon in Saffron Gym. The challenger hasn't earned any badges yet, so let's all hope his dreams of competing in the Indigo League doesn't get completely crushed," the host jokes, pressing his hands together in mock sympathy.

"Oh! Can we watch Onee-chan's battle together, Onii-chan?" Brina asks, looking up at him hopefully.

"I am afraid not. I have something important to do today, remember?" he says with a small smile, patting her head. "Besides, a no-badge trainer will be crushed before the match even starts."

"Mime Mime!" Mimi enters the room, her face lighting up with a pleased expression. She carries a plate of sandwiches and a bowl filled with fruits, berries and vegetables. Behind her, two bottles of milk float effortlessly in the air.

"Kadabra," Kaddy follows behind her, calmly carrying a silver spoon. Two large metal pots hover gracefully behind him.

"Oh! Strawberry jam sandwiches—my favourite!" Brina exclaims with excitement as Mimi sets the plate down in front of her.

"Thanks for the food, Mimi, Kaddy," Orin says gratefully, smiling warmly at them.

"Mime," Mimi beams in response.

"Kadabra," Kaddy nods stoically.

Mimi lifts her hand, and the rice and curry from the larger container rises into the air before settling neatly onto a dish in front of Orin.

"Mime," she gestures toward the milk, fruit, berry, and vegetable plate before fixing Orin with a pointed look.

"Yes, yes, I won't forget to eat my vegetables and drink my Moomoo milk. And Brina won't either," Orin smirks, nudging the girl on his lap.

"Mimi was talking about Onii-chan, not Brina!" Brina teases, sticking her tongue out playfully. "Brina's small tummy will be full from just sandwiches, so Onii-chan can have all the vegetables and milk!" She giggles.

Orin glances at Mimi, who simply shrugs, clearly siding with Brina.

"Onii-chan, feed me! My tummy's making noises!" Brina urges, practically drooling at the sight of the sandwiches.

"Alright, alright," Orin sighs as Brina shifts effortlessly, adjusting herself sideways on his lap so he can feed her more easily.

Mimi and Kaddy fill their plates with rice and curry.

"Kadabra," Kaddy nods toward Orin and Brina before heading upstairs with the plate hovering behind him. Orin nods back, while Brina remains laser-focused on the sandwich in his hand.

Mimi, meanwhile, sits on the sofa, happily eating her meal while watching the news.

Orin has known both Kaddy and Mimi his entire life, so he is well aware of their habits. Kaddy, ever the antisocial one, prefers the solitude of his room or the quiet corners of the library. There, he often finds solace in reading books or taking long, peaceful naps.

On the other hand, Mimi is much more outgoing. She enjoys spending her time in the garden, the living room, the dining area, or the kitchen. She is often found cleaning the mansion, preparing meals, or simply watching television. Regardless of where she is, Mimi always seems to stay close by, especially when Orin and Brina are around the house.

"Eat slowly," Orin says, wiping Brina's face with a napkin as she eagerly stuffs the sandwich into her mouth, barely taking a moment to chew.

"Shoo good!" she mumbles happily. "Another one! Hurry up, Onii-chan!"

"Yes, yes, princess," Orin replies, rolling his eyes. He briefly considers risking a bite of the sandwich just to see if it's as delicious as she claims but ultimately decides against it—he would rather not risk getting thrown into the swimming pool this early in the morning.