Harper's break lasted a short moment but his spirit felt rejuvenated. That alone was more than enough to continue training. Soon enough, he was able to summon Ice Punch and Force Palm without waiting to let it charge. Piles of broken wooden planks lay to the side of the temporary training grounds. The effects of Force Palm shattering them into an unrepairable state. Harper began to feel bad for the studio janitor.

"One last time, kid! Ice Punch! One more time!"

Without hesitation, Harper's fist began to accumulate ice as he slammed his paw on Beartic's, creating the same small blast that Beartic's Ice Punch created.

"Whew, nice job," Beartic rubbed his paws together. "You're gonna make me the first Ice-type pokémon to eat an aspear berry."

"Is... is that a bad thing?"

"Nonsense! For a kid from the wild like you and with amnesia on top of that, I haven't had this much stimulation since my debut movie!"

"You were in a movie?"

"I sure was, little riolu," He answered as he ruffled Harper's head. "'Enter the Beartic' is a movie I'll never forget starring in."

As Beartic was about to explain the plot of the film, Harper heard footsteps rushing over to their vicinity. The footsteps grew closer until he saw who it was, Mr. Pokemonski.

"I swear I sent someone over, did no one show up?" He panted, trying to catch his breath.

Both Beartic and Harper shook their heads in unison, unsure what he was talking about.

"I told one of the crew to tell the riolu to come back but I guess you're hearin' it from me now. Hurry and get over to the makeup room, you look like a mess. We're filming soon," Sergio scurried back to the set, mumbling something about indiscipline.

"Well, I guess that's it for training," Beartic broke the silence. "You better get your keister over to makeup."

"Where is it? I never got a proper tour of the entire studio."

"Just go back to the set and take a right from the exit door," He pointed back in the general direction of the movie set. "Should be easy to spot."

"Got it. Thank you for the training, Beartic, and sorry for hurting your paws."

"You need to learn when to stop apologizing, kid. It's perfectly fine. How 'bout I give you a proper tour after all this is done and done? I'll forgive you if you accept."

He responded to Beartic's request with an awkward chuckle. "Sure, I'd like that."

"That's great to hear, now run along," Beartic nudged Harper with both his paws. "Everyone at the movie set is waiting for their star."

The riolu flashed a grin, running back to the set. He followed the polar bear's directions and arrived at his destination. It was a vanity van with a whiteboard hanging on the door, the words "Makeup room" written in colorful marker. Harper gave three knocks on the door and stepped back.

"Who's there?" The woman asked as the door flung open, barely hitting Harper's snout. She was an Asian woman who looked to be in their 30s. She wore torn jeans and a t-shirt with an Alolan Ninetales decal. Her black hair was held up with multiple claw clips. She turned her head from side to side, looking around the vanity van.

"Uh, right here," Harper raised his paw as if his name was called out for school attendance.

The woman looked down, realizing that it wasn't a person she was looking for. Her face brightened up at the sight of the little, blue jackal.

"So you're the little star that everyone's been talking about!" She crouched down to match Harper's height. The woman pinched his cheeks with both hands and shook them. "Well, aren't you the cutest riolu I've ever seen in my life!"

Harper shooed her hands away from his face, taken aback by the woman's sudden physical interaction.

"Oh, sorry about that, Riolu," She stood back up and pushed the door open with one hand for Harper. "It's just that I love cute pokémon, and you!" She pointed squarely at his face. "Are no exception! My name's Layla, Mr. Pokemonski said to give you a cleanup."

Layla waved her free hand, urging Harper to enter the vanity van. When he walked through the door, his senses were overloaded. The bright fluorescent lights burned his eyes and the smells of beauty chemicals penetrated his much more powerful nose. Harper rubbed his eyes to adjust his pupils to the sudden change in lighting.

"Ok, Riolu. Just hop on the seat here and I'll work my magic!" Layla grabbed a child's stool and placed it on the barber chair, patting the seat.

~I swear to God, I'm not a fucking kid,~ Harper wanted to argue back but had no proof to counterargue. His dignity as an adult drained away with every passing second in the barber chair.

That was when he saw himself in the mirror, the first time he saw his reflection since the incident in Route 20's forest. Harper never properly looked at himself, the panic he felt at the time overrode his common sense. His former blue eyes were now a sharp red. The fur around his eyes looked like a mask, two black appendages hanging on the side of his head. His ears were now on the top of his head, one instinctually flicking towards the nearest sound.

~I still can't believe this is me,~ Harper thought to himself as he touched his face, his reflection following suit.

Layla brought a small rolling cart filled with an array of beauty products and supplies. She was now wearing an apron like a barber. She grabbed a spray bottle, giving it a test spritz before grabbing a hair comb.

"You have some matted fur in some spots, when was the last time you groomed yourself?"

Harper gave a shrug. He technically showered two days ago but that was during his human life. He had no clue about his new body.

"No matter, that's why I'm here in the studio in the first place!" Layla proclaimed.

Layla's bottle sprayed mist all over Harper. The water particles forced a cough out of his throat. She brushed Harper's tangled fur with force, almost tugging his head into the back of the chair.

"Ow! Layla, that friggin' hurts!"

"Does it hurt, Riolu? Sorry about that, but just bear with the pain a little bit more. Your fur is a little worse than I thought," After brushing the rest of the fur on his head, Layla noticed the marking on Harper's chest.

"Oh my, is that a burn mark?"

Harper looked at his chest through the mirror, the explosion left a burn mark in the imperfect shape of a star. He thought that since scar tissue prevented the regrowth of fur(?) follicles, he would be left with a bare spot on his chest forever. Meadow and Reed's medical treatment proved to be better than what the old world had to offer. Small patches of fur were beginning to grow back.

~It's crazy how the Pokemon world can heal injuries like this with just a couple berries,~ Harper rubbed his chest. The scar no longer emanated any burning sensation, but it did tug slightly when using his muscles. He realized that Layla was waiting for an answer and nodded back.

"Oh, you poor thing. I'll try to fix that as much as I can so don't worry about that," Layla brought out a pair of scissors from her apron's pockets, cutting the overgrown parts of Harper's fur. After some time, the both of them heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Layla called out to the door, turning her head to the door.

"It's Vincent!" A young man's voice responded. "I'm here to read Riolu's script!"

"The door's unlocked, you can come in!"

Vincent entered the door with a thick folder in one hand. He adjusted his glasses as he looked through his binder and placed it on a nearby table after taking a few pieces of paper out.

"Hey Layla, sorry but I won't take much of your time," Vincent apologized, scratching the back of his head. "We're all pretty busy right now and I have to reread the script to Brycen's acting team soon."

"That's alright, Vince. Just do your usual and pretend I'm not here."

Vincent hummed in response, Harper turned his barber chair to face Vincent.

"Hey there, Riolu. You heard from Layla already but my name's Vincent. I'm the script supervisor here, both for people and pokémon. I'm here to read the script so just remember your cues, got it?"

~Read? Why does he need to read it to me?~

Before Vincent could recite the first line, Harper waved his paw to catch his attention.

"What is it, Riolu? Do you need something?"

He pointed at the script and then to himself, using his other arm to make a beckoning gesture.

"You... You want the paper?"

Harper nodded.

"Uh, sure. Here you go." Vincent skeptically gave the script to Harper. A look of confusion was written on his and Layla's face.

Harper gave a quick glance at the beginning of the script, titled "Riolu-Man of Justice vs. Brycen-Man." Just the beginning monologue was enough to make Harper laugh.

"My God, you cannot get any more 'superhero' than this," Harper remarked as he continued reading.

The villain named "Brycen-man" invades a cheery amusement park to wreak havoc. Riolu-man then jumps into the scene and says a corny line about being the messenger of "truth and ideal." After some more dialogue, the both of them release their pokémon to battle. Harper stopped skimming through the text and started reading much more closely.

Brycen-man's Pawniard is released first and throws attacks at props and extras, making sure not to directly hit them to avoid injuries. Riolu-man enters the scene and releases his partner pokémon. Some lines later, Riolu-man shouts a command first, issuing Harper to use Force Palm. Pawniard faints in one hit and Brycen-man then calls Vullaby out of its pokéball. After some more banter between the main characters and some dialogue from a surrounding crowd, the fight resumes. Vullaby throws a Feint Attack and Riolu gets hit but gets back up, throwing an Ice Punch. When Vullaby faints, Brycen-man says some more dialogue before fleeing in defeat. Positive dialogue from the crowd and a final monologue ends the movie.

Harper turned the last paper around, expecting the script to continue but instead saw blank space. He looked at Vincent as he pointed at the back of the paper, asking nonverbally if there was any more of the script.

"You're asking if there's more? That's everything, Riolu. We're running on a tight budget for this last movie. That's why we're filming a short film, if it works out we can make it a full feature."

Vincent finished answering Harper's question before realizing what just happened.

"W-wait, that's not even the important question to ask here," Vincent leaned towards Harper, who was still sitting on his stool. "You understood the script?"

Harper winced, apparently pokémon are illiterate in this world. He braced himself, ready for the humans in the vanity van to realize what he really was.

"If you really understood it... then this makes my job so much easier!" Vincent exclaimed. "You have no idea how much time I've put into rereading scripts for pokémon, having one literate pokémon saves me so much time!"

Harper breathed a sigh of relief. Day one of acting and he was already one mistake close to being caught.

"I'm just going to quickly test you on the script if you remember what to do, got it?" When Harper gave a thumbs up, Vincent started to read the script.

"When you see Pawniard, what's the first move?"

Harper pointed at himself and reenacted Force Palm in front of him without the use of Fighting TE.

"Ok, and what happens when Vullaby is summoned?"

Harper pretends to punch his side, signaling his blow from Vullaby's Feint Attack. He then summoned Ice Punch on his right paw, dropping the temperature in the vanity van like a portable AC. When he dematerialized the ice on his fist, the van heated back up.

"I'll be damned, you really understood the script," Vincent marveled. "Not only that, but you memorized it so fast as well. Since my job here is done, I'll be heading out now. Sorry again for the intrusion, Layla."

Layla who was silent the entire time snapped out of her shock from seeing Harper's literacy.

"O-Of course! Don't worry about it! It's your job after all!"

When Vincent closed the door, Harper felt a sudden jolt of movement. Layla swiveled the barber chair in her direction.

"Now, when were you such a smartypants? Your face when you read the script and how you showed your moves to Vincent was just sooo cute!"

Harper blushed in embarrassment, realizing that Layla was watching the entire time.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed," Layla read Harper's emotions like a book. "I'm just complimenting you. You're gonna be a killer actor, I know it!"

Harper tried to hide his smile but failed spectacularly. He pointed at his fur, showing the unfinished trim Layla was undergoing.

"Right! I haven't even finished cutting," Layla swiveled the chair to face the mirror and continued cutting Harper's fur. "We're almost done anyway so just hold on for a bit longer."

A few minutes later, Layla slumped back into an adjacent barber chair. She began to admire her finished masterpiece, a perfectly trimmed riolu.

"Look at you! You're a perfect star now!"

Harper stood up from his embarrassing child stool and admired himself through the mirror. The areas where his fur was matted and overgrown were now completely smooth and tidied up. The only spot left that Harper saw was the burn mark on his chest, lightly covered with black fur.

"Arceus, I almost forgot to fix that spot. Just give me a moment, Riolu," Layla realized as she walked to the back of the van and opened her backpack.

"Mascara, no... Lotion, no... Powder, no..." Layla grumbled to herself. Harper leaned over to take a look, still standing on the barber chair with his hands on the back.

"Foundation won't work, what about... aha!" Layla cried out, holding a bottle high above her head.

"Ok, Riolu. This is some black hair and fur dye." She walked back to Harper, unscrewing the cap. "It's safe for both humans and pokémon. Just don't touch your fur or spill water on it after I apply the dye and it'll dry quickly."

Layla tapped the contents of the bottle and rubbed her hands together. A quick smear on Harper's chest and a few strokes of her comb finished the job.

"Look at you now!" Layla washed her hands off with wet wipes. "It's like the scar was never there!"

Harper looked at the mirror a final time. Layla was right, he was as similar to a normal riolu as ever. The scar was barely identifiable, his chest was as pitch black as it should've been.

"You should hurry now, Riolu," Layla commented. "I don't think Mr. Pokémonski wants to wait any longer."

Harper nodded, hopping off the barber seat and walked to the door. His arm barely reached the door handle.

"Let me get that for you," Layla walked over and opened the door. "I hope I can see you again soon!"

"Thanks, Layla, I hope you're my makeup artist next time."

Layla smiled, waving goodbye as Harper ran to the movie set.

----------------------------------------

"Oh, thank the Twin Dragons you're finally here. I'm not gettin' any older here," Mr. Pokémonski looked down at the riolu who had just busted through the door. "Seems that Layla did a decent job with your burn mark. The VFX team is going to be real thankful for that."

Mr. Pokémonski turned around to face the studio crew. "Where's Liam! His partner pokémon is finally here!"

"Someone called for me?"

A slender, middle-aged man in a flashy superhero costume emerged from the busy crowd of employees. His face was covered by a bright red mask with blue-tinted lenses. A yellow vest connected to a cape of the same color. A blue short-sleeved undershirt was tucked into a yellow pair of pants, held up by a comically large belt.

"Riolu, this is Liam. Liam, this is the riolu that Mr. Stu Deeoh found for you. Now that you're introduced, Lemme call Brycen over."

After one loud holler, Brycen arrived at the scene. His costume was just as extravagant as his fictional enemy. A purple skin-tight suit covered his body with a v-shaped opening on the front, exposing his toned chest. Neon green lines accented the edges of the costume and cape. His black gloves ended with the same green fingers.

"Ah, Riolu," Brycen noticed Harper standing next to the director. "I've heard from my Beartic that your training went well."

When Harper nodded, Brycen kneeled down and looked at him face-to-face.

"Do you have a trainer, Riolu?"

Harper shook his head. "No."

"I've been here in Pokéstar Studio for an extremely long time. Even after I retired due to a stunt gone wrong, I eventually returned. I was a gym leader, but I knew that I was destined for the spotlight," Brycen took out a pokéball and held it in front of Harper. "I do not intend to ever leave the studio again, even if it's on the brink of bankruptcy. If you believe the same, be my pokémon. I'll never use you for any battles outside a movie set if you so desire. You are also going to have to be inside a pokéball so you can look good for the camera when you jump out of it."

Brycen's request both felt out-of-the-blue but sensical at the same time. Being Brycen's pokémon? Harper never imagined being a former gym trainer's pokémon, if at all anyone's pokémon. He just assumed he would be a pokémon associated with Pokéstar Studios and not an individual. If he was Brycen's pokémon he could be with Beartic far more often. A pokémon who was far more talented in acting and had much more experience was a great deal.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Another part of the deal was about jumping out of the pokeball. Pokémon battles were much more flamboyant when trainers threw their pokéball in style. The anime's depiction was proof that it had style.

Harper was convinced.

"So do you accept, Riolu?" Brycen asked again.

"I sure do, Brycen," Harper acknowledged, touching the pokéball's button. The red and white ball opened up, turning Harper into pure energy and sucking him in before closing.

The sensation of being in a pokéball was strange to say the very least. Harper's physical body didn't exist but he could still look around while being in the pokéball. His point of view was the same as it was outside. He could see underneath Brycen's face due to the pokéball's perspective. He was still awake but something uncomfortable was tugging at his consciousness. Harper tried to move to ease the tension and the pokéball rumbled.

~Oh, the pokéball is trying to capture me.~

Harper ceased his struggle and the cramped sensation disappeared when the pokéball clicked.

"Other people will be able to use your pokéball as if it were their own for film production," Brycen explained. "Don't worry, you'll still be registered under my name and no one else can capture you."

Harper shook his nonexistent body, his pokéball doing just the same.

"I'll be giving you to Liam for now. As they say in the film business, 'break a leg.'"

~People say that in the Pokémon world as well?~ Harper thought as he felt Brycen hand his pokéball over. Liam took Harper's pokéball and latched it onto the side of his belt.

"Alright, everyone!" Mr. Pokémonski yelled through a megaphone. "Get to your places! Turn on the merry-go-round and a mini Ferris wheel! Remember, this is our second-to-last chance to keep Pokéstar Studios alive! If we don't fix anything after this goes to a test screening, it's over!"

Everyone gave a collective sound of agreement as they scurried to their designated positions. Grips tightened bolts on the camera rig and gaffers adjusted the lighting to achieve the perfect mood. The cinematographer finalized different perspectives that the camera would frame in each sequence. Harper could see some familiar faces while he sat on Liam's waist. Vincent was reading the script to Brycen's acting team, his Pawniard and Vullaby. Harper could see the passion Vincent was emitting, overacting each of the pokémon's moves to express the impact they needed to feel and hit. Nearby was Layla, putting makeup on the extras who would be the one standing in the background watching the scripted fight. Some of the extras tried to adjust their hair but Layla gave a quick slap on their wrists to stop them. Harper even saw Beartic, who was leaning against the wall at the very back of the movie set and admiring the view of the busy movie set.

Seeing everyone eager to get into character and begin film production excited Harper. He was no longer the one behind the camera, he was the one the camera was pointed at. It was finally time to prove everyone who didn't believe in him wrong.

"Everyone better be in their places now!" Mr. Pokémonski shouted. "Ready! Set! ACTION!"

The camera assistant who stood in front of the camera gave his clapperboard a swift smacking sound before scurrying away. The scene began with cameras giving angles of the extras in the amusement park, pretending to enjoy their time with fellow friends and family. The sounds of screams from thrill rides, the hustle and bustle of people, and mechanical noises from roller coasters filled the air. If a green screen wasn't in the background, someone could've been fooled that the amusement park was real.

Vincent started to speak the intro monologue through the director's megaphone, looking at the script while doing so.

"A place of never-ending smiles! Everyone's ideal place to play! The amusement park!

But a threatening shadow lurks over this happy place... The stage is set for trouble...

However!

It's darkest just before the dawn!

A hero has appeared on the scene! And that hero's name is...

Riolu-man!"

The director chopped his hand down, signaling Brycen-Man to enter the scene. Brycen followed along and ran into frame while laughing maniacally.

"Mwahaha! Go, my pokémon! Unleash your destructive power! Demolish everything in this amusement park till nothing remains!"

Brycen threw his pokéball into the air with force, his Pawniard jumping out as he gave a menacing gaze at the extras. His sword hands glowed with Steel-type energy and right when they collided with each other, he shot a gyro ball into the crowd. Everyone dodged by a hair, the attack only hitting the side of the Ferris wheel.

Just as Pawniard began charging another attack, Mr. Pokémonski gave another hand signal in the opposite direction of Brycen.

"C-can you hold on, please?" The brave Riolu-Man stuttered.

~What the hell? That's not even close to the script at all?~ Harper looked at the director, expecting him to call cut. Mr. Pokémonski doesn't. He instead slapped his forehead with his left hand and motioned his right hand in a circle, telling the camera crew to keep rolling.

"Wh— Who are you?" Brycen-Man questioned.

"The Messenger of Truths and Ideals, Riolu-Man enters!" Riolu-Man stood in a heroic posture. "Hey, Brycen-Man!" He then pointed at Brycen. "It's not nice to do bad things!"

Brycen-Man chuckled at Riolu-Man. "An amusement park… A place of idle dreams or, perhaps, ideal dreams... I have no use for either ideals or dreams!"

"We'll see about that! Riolu, go!"

Riolu-Man grabbed Harper's pokéball and threw it into the air. Harper flipped in the air and landed on his two feet, posing like Bruce Lee.

~Perfect landing.~

"Riolu, use Force Palm!"

Harper dashed towards the menacing-looking Pawniard, facing his paw forward.

"Pawniard! Dodge sideways and use Brick Break!"

Brycen-Man's commands failed to reach Pawniard in time, and Harper's Force Palm touched his chest. A blast of Fighting TE flowed and expanded out from his paw. The Pawniard was blasted away from the fight scene and into the merry-go-round. The camera locked onto the sharp blade pokémon, shifting its frame to match the speed it was launched. The attack created a large dent at its pillar in the center, a Pawniard stuck in it. The camera crew zoomed into the defeated steel/dark type.

"Tch," Brycen-Man scoffed, taking a pokéball and summoning Pawniard back in. "Just a single hit to KO my pokémon... You're pretty good, Riolu-Man! Despite that, however..." Brycen-Man clutched his other pokéball. "You will be brought down to your knees before me when I end you with my dark, secret arts!" He gave an intimidating pose, pointing at Riolu-Man. "Prepare to be finished!"

"I'm scared!" Riolu-Man spat out.

~Waitwaitwaitwait, what?! 'I'm scared?' The fuck? What kind of line was that?~ Harper looked at Mr. Pokemonski with his peripheral vision. From the looks of it, it seemed like the camera had no intention to stop.

Brycen-Man was also taken aback by the fearful callout but he quickly hid his expression. The change in mood forced him to improvise.

"Mwahaha! How pitiful, Riolu-Man! Why should I waste my secret arts on someone like you with that attitude? This should do it! Vullaby, go!"

Vullaby popped out of her pokéball and ruffled her feathers, ready for her commands.

"Use Feint Attack!"

Vullaby collected Dark-type energy in her wings and lunged at Harper. As soon as she was in front of Harper she disappeared, confusing Harper. When he turned around, Vullaby was behind him and slammed her wing on his back. The speed of the attack and the exasperated nature of seeing Liam throw the script into a trash bin and set it aflame caught Harper off guard. The Feint Attack hit Harper and launched him off his feet. He slid on the ground, ending right in front of Riolu-Man. The pain from the attack prevented Harper from moving any of his muscles, all he could do was lay on the ground in defeat. His eyes were on the ground but he could somehow feel the studio crew cringe from Vullaby's accidentally successful attack.

"Mwahaha! This is the end for you, Riolu-Man! My secret dark arts were no match for your pokémon! Now, just stand in the corner and cower in fear as I destroy the amusement park!"

"Yowch!" Riolu-Man dramatically fell to the ground. "I wasn't hero material after all..."

~W-what?~ Harper had enough energy to raise an eye. ~You know what I don't even know anymore.~

Vincent raised the megaphone and recited an ending monologue, one completely different from the one in the script.

Facing Brycen-Man, the Masked Man, Riolu-Man lost all his strength to fight...

However...

No one will ever forget how he timidly fought with all his might!

Thank you, Riolu-Man!

Good-bye, Riolu-Man!

"Hold the camera on Liam and Riolu just a little bit longer..." The director muttered to the camera crew. "And CUT!"

All the tension in the movie set immediately dropped upon hearing Mr. Pokémonski's words. The studio crew ran into the set, adjusting the props and attending to the actors and actresses. Harper heard thundering footsteps coming closer and closer.

Beartic lifted Harper off of the ground and placed him in a seated posture, leaning him onto one of his large paws.

"Kid, you ok? You took quite the beating."

"Yea, I-I'm alright. I'm not dead," Harper grunted. "Just feeling really bruised."

"Of course you would," Beartic remarked. He turned his head into the crowd and yelled. "We need some help here, right now!"

A set medic showed up soon after, a bottle of potion and oran berries from the craft service station.

"Here, Riolu," She knelt downwards and handed Harper some berries. "Eat these while I use a potion on you."

Harper grabbed one and bit down. The taste was disgustingly sweet, his least favorite sense of taste. Despite that, he continued to chew. The stinging sprays from the bottle of potion and the oran berries were beginning to close up his wounds.

When the potion and oran berries ran out, the set medic stood up and looked at the two pokémon.

"You're patched up, Riolu. Just take it easy with moving around or the wounds will open up again, I need to go help Brycen's pokémon now."

Harper and Beartic thanked her as she turned her back, walking over to Brycen. A deep sigh escaped from Harper's mouth.

"What's the matter, kid?"

"I failed. This was my moment, and I fucked it up."

"Hey, language," Beartic pointed a finger at Harper. "You didn't screw up. If anyone screwed up, it's him."

Beartic pointed at Liam, who was receiving a tirade of a lifetime from Mr. Pokémonski. Liam looked down at the ground, unable to maintain eye contact with the director. The director's face was red with fury, words of rage and insults rushing out of his mouth like a burst dam.

"So... how much longer, Beartic?" Harper asked.

"Till what?"

"How much longer until we see the test screening?"

"Knowing the skills of our editing and VFX team, we'll be seeing it real soon. The set medic said to not move extraneously so I'll walk you around myself."

"How are you going to do tha— woah!"

Beartic grabbed Harper by his waist and raised him high into the air, placing him on his shoulders.

"By riding my shoulders," Beartic responded. "Gosh, I don't think I did this with another pokémon ever since Weavile was just a Sneasel..."

Beartic snapped out of his memories. "C'mon, let's see Brycen and ask if we can see the test screening."

"Sure..." Harper replied as he held onto Beartic's head tightly.

"What's with the attitude? Lighten up!" Beartic shuffled his shoulders, causing Harper to slightly bump upwards. "I know things'll get better, I've seen what ups and downs look like."

~God, I hope so.~

----------------------------------------

"Damn, this place is huge."

Nate couldn't help those words leaving his mouth upon entering Pokéstar Studios. The cinematic haven was a labyrinth of sound stages, production offices, and editing suites.

Already lost, all Nate could do was wander around the studio. He needed to find Roxie's father as soon as possible, Virbank City's ports depended on the man. Nate glanced side-to-side as he walked down the yellow cement road, looking for any significant landmarks where Nate might find Liam O'Connor at. Luckily, Nate found a group of vanity vans clustered up next to a huge movie set. A man dressed in a nautical captain's uniform stepped out of one of the vans.

~Bingo.~

Nate walked up to the man and grabbed his attention with a greeting.

"Uh... Hello, sir?" Nate gave a brief wave of his hand. "You're Mr. O'Connor, correct?"

"Why, yes I am!" Liam noticed the Pokémon Trainer and tipped his captain's hat. "Liam O'Connor at your service, what's your name?"

"Nate, sir. I'm here on behalf of your daughter, Roxie. She asked me to tell you to return to the Virbank Ports."

"You know Roxie? Did you defeat her in a gym battle?"

Nate nodded.

"So she still doesn't believe in me," Liam closed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "You must be a pretty good trainer if Roxie asks you for a favor..." His eyes lit up brightly and firmly grasped Nate's shoulders. "I have the perfect idea! I'll take you to the Pokéstar Studios Theater! We're holding a test screening for my most recent short film and if you like it, tell Roxie that I'll be staying here, alright?"

"But Mr. O'Connor," Nate refuted. "The Virbank Ports need you as much as I d—"

"Nonsense, my boy!" Liam interrupted. He gave Nate a side hug and began walking, forcing Nate to move beside him. "I can balance my work life as a sea captain and actor! If my daughter can be a gym leader and a rock star at the same time, then I can do just the same!"

Nate sighed, unable to convince Roxie's father because of his positively stubborn attitude. All he could do was oblige to the captain's request.

Liam led Nate to the Pokéstar Studios Theater, its exterior was an architectural marvel. The building boasted a modern facade that reflected the glitz and glamour of the silver screen. Large billboards stood tall on the side of the theater, showcasing the studio's most iconic films. A poster showcased a Caucasian man with facial scars pointing into the distance, a Vulpix on his shoulders. Another had a ginormous tyranitar stomping through a cityscape, completely in black and white.

"All these movie posters show Pokéstar Studio's finest films. It's everyone's dream here to be able to be a part of something great here. Now let's go see the test screening shall we?"

The both of them entered the doors and walked through the clean and neatly furnished lobby. A red velvet carpet led the way to the theater room entrance. The stairs in the corner of the lobby led to a second-floor balcony with additional framed movie posters to observe. The only occupants were front desk staff and a janitor mopping a corner. Liam confidently strode to the man standing behind the desk and initiated the conversation.

"Hello, good sir! I'm here for the test screening with a fellow guest!"

"Of course, Mr. O'Connor," The employee replied. "You're the last one to arrive, we'll begin the test screening once you take your seats."

Liam thanked the man and walked to the door as Nate followed behind. Upon entering the theater room, Nate realized why the lobby was so bare. Almost every seat was packed with guests. Nate assumed that they were the test audience. He noticed two pokémon standing in the very back, the beartic's white fur stood out from the black interior. A small riolu sat on his shoulders, it was similar to a father carrying their child.

"Over there, Nate. Those are the perfect seats, not too close but not too far," Liam pointed at the empty seats in the middle of the theater. When the both of them sat down, he felt one of his pokéballs shake.

"You want to watch, Snivy? How about you, Mareep?"

Snivy's pokeball shook twice, meaning that he wanted to. Mareep stayed silent, most likely asleep. If other pokémon were watching in the theater then he assumed his pokémon were allowed as well. Harper unfastened Snivy's pokéball from his belt and released the grass snake pokémon. Snivy hopped on Nate's lap and sat down. The lights slowly dimmed until the room was pitch black. Nate heard the film reel whirl behind his head, the projector shone the movie onto the large, silver screen.

An old-timey countdown began.

5

4

3

2

1

The screen cut to black, and the Pokéstar Studio logo appeared. The eyes blink twice before the logo fades away. The next cut shows the title for the movie. "Brycen-Man; Riolu-Man of Justice vs. Brycen-Man."

~Huh, interesting title. Boy, I wonder who the main character's partner pokémon is.~

The first scene of the film depicted a crowded amusement park. Crowds of people enjoying the moment as a narrator spoke a monologue. When the narrator finished speaking, the villain of the movie, Brycen-Man jumped in and began to ruin everyone's fun.

"This is where I come in, Nate," Liam whispered to Nate.

Nate grunted in response, he never liked it when someone talked during a movie but he gave up on arguing with him. Liam's stubborn go-happy attitude was impossible to bend himself.

Liam's character, Riolu-Man, jumped into the scene and spoke some lines. Brycen-Man bantered back and began their pokémon battle. The dialogue was pretty cheesy but so far Nate was enjoying the movie. Snivy's facial expression proved that he felt the same way. Nate's statement was proven to be correct when he saw Riolu-Man release, well, a riolu. The swift Force Palm that riolu charged up hit the Pawniard like a truck, launching it into a merry-go-round. The enjoyment and thrill of the battle were immediately snuffed out like a Litwick flame after Brycen-Man spoke a threatening line.

"You will be brought down to your knees before me when I end you with my dark, secret arts! Prepare to be finished!"

"I'm scared!" Riolu-Man blurted out.

The audience recoiled in confusion, the flow of the movie suddenly disturbed by the offbeat dialogue.

~There's no way that was part of his script,~ Nate thought, turning his eyes to Liam.

Liam was confused like the audience, although for a different reason.

"Did they not like that?" Liam softly questioned himself.

The movie continued on, ignoring the negative response from the viewers.

Brycen-Man released his Vullaby and used Feint Attack, hitting Riolu squarely on his torso. As soon as the camera showed the blue jackal fainting on his partner's feet, everyone in the audience stood up and walked out to the exit. Some of them muttered harsh criticisms and insults as they went through the walkway.

"What kind of movie is this?"

"Is this some out-of-season April Fool's joke?"

"Worst movie ending I've ever seen, can't even bear to finish it."

"Poor Riolu, I was expecting the hero to win."

The exit door closed and left Nate, his Snivy, Liam, Riolu, and the beartic in the back the only attendees remaining in the theater. The narrator finished the scene with an ending monologue as Nate saw the movie fade to black.

Liam stood from his seat and trudged to the exit, his head held low.

"M-Mr. O'Connor,! Wait up!" Nate stuttered as he returned Snivy back to his ball, running to the exit to catch up to Liam. He heard the beartic and riolu talking with each other when he passed by them. The riolu stopped talking and stared at Nate with a sense of ambiguity.

Did Nate have something on his face? He surely didn't signal anything to tell him. He tried to ignore the riolu's uncomfortable stare and continued walking through the exit door. Nate found Liam sitting down in one of the lobby's velvet sofa chairs, deep in thought.

"Mr. O'Connor?" Nate sat down in an adjacent sofa chair. "Are you ok?"

Before Liam could open his mouth, the lobby's doors burst wide open. A balding, old man in a purple suit strutted into the room. He looked around the area before locking his eyes on Liam, disheartened by the reception of the film.

"Ah, Liam, my star actor! How deed zee test screening go?"

"Horrible. Everyone left before it even ended," Liam sighed before he slapped his thighs and stood up from his slumped posture. "However, this has made me realize something that I should have done a long time ago," Liam's voice began to grow more confident. "My first goal was to be a sea captain and my next goal was to be a star and in a way, I've achieved that right now. I pursued my dream and I met it. If you stop pursuing your dream, your life may as well be over."

Liam looked at Nate. "I'll be heading back to Virbank, I have a daughter to apologize to and a seaport to manage. Look for me if you ever need a ride to Castelia, I owe you."

"Thank you, Mr. O'Connor."

"No, thank you. I'll be on the big screen and hit it big one day but for now, my duties as a sea captain are calling for me. Farewell, Nate. Mr. Stu Deeoh, consider this my resignation," Liam departed outside the theater, Nate waved goodbye as he closed the door.

Mr. Stu Deeoh started tapping his head and murmured to himself. "Well now zat our star actor is gone, I must find anozzer to take 'is place..."

Nate soon realized why Mr. Stu Deeoh stopped talking, his eyes locked on him.

"Luckily, Liam 'as brought forth a potential star! So your name eez Nate?"

"Yes, Mr. Stu Deeoh. I'm a Pokémon Trainer who's currently collecting badges to become the Pokémon Champion of Unova!"

"Hah! I like your positive attitude!" Mr. Stu Deeoh laughed aloud. "an aspiring goal for such a young trainer! However, I must formally ask you, would you like to act in our movie? You could be zee very person we need to turn it around."

Nate pondered the effects of becoming an actor for Pokéstar Studio. Acting was similar to bringing trill to a crowd during a battle, the only difference was that it was scripted. Nate also wanted to see the proper ending to the movie he just watched.

It had potential.

And Nate knew he was the perfect choice for the role.

"I'll do it, sir."

"Fantastique! I'll let you meet wiz zee riolu whenever I find 'im."

The theater doors opened and the final audience members left the room. The riolu was still riding on the beartic's shoulders. Now that they were in a brighter atmosphere, Nate thought it was pretty cute. A small, baby-like bipedal jackal riding the shoulders of a cold, menacing arctic bear.

"Ah! Speaking of which, zey were 'ere after all! Beartic! Could you pleeze come over 'ere? I 'ave some matters to speak of wiz Riolu and our Pokémon Trainer 'ere."

----------------------------------------

"—ank you, Riolu-Man! Good-bye, Riolu-Man!"

The film cut to black, the lights in the room started with a soft, dim glow and slowly intensified until the theater was completely illuminated.

"I can't believe everyone just walked off like that," Harper breathed out. "I knew the scene was bad but... wow."

"Don't worry, kid," Beartic said. "The studio has enough money for one last chance. This test screening wasn't the end."

"Where's my name?" Harper squinted, skimming through all the names of the studio crew.

"It's underneath the cast section. It's right there."

Beartic pointed at the screen, Harper's name next to the words "Cast" and "Team Justice."

Cast

Brycen-Man - Brycen

Brycen-Man Gang - Pawniard, Vullaby

The Riolu-Man - Liam O'Connor

Team Justice - Riolu

Extras - P! Casting

"I know I never told anyone my real name yet, but I still kinda wish that it still showed up."

"Did you say something?" Beartic asked.

~Did I say that out loud?~ Harper realized his mistake but quickly changed the mood. "Oh, um… yeah I was going to say that I didn't like it."

"Fair enough. Liam's acting was, to put it nicely, not so good. I've seen some not-great actors but at least they followed the script but Liam changed the entire story dynamic completely with just one line."

"That and my skills really brought the movie down," Harper muttered, looking down at his paws. He was angry at himself for not being able to dodge Vullaby's Feint Attack and showing off his Ice Punch. If only Liam had followed along with the script like everyone else then everyone wouldn't have gone through with this embarrassment.

"Hey kid, don't blame yourself."

"How do I not?! If I hadn't been distracted by Liam's antics, I could've ended the scene with a victory!"

Beartic sighed. "Kid, the movie was over the moment Liam cried like a wussy. There was no saving it."

"Well, if yo—" Harper interrupted himself when he noticed a familiar-looking boy walk past him and Beartic. Just the boy's unkempt hair and his red visor were enough to remind Harper who he was.

~That's the player character.~

Harper realized that he was staring long enough at the boy whom he noticed and stared back. Harper could sense that the trainer was feeling uneasy but he ran off before Harper could say anything.

"Why'd you stop talking?" Beartic looked up at Harper. "That boy give you a funny look?"

"I-It's nothing," Harper waved a paw. "I was about to say I agreed with you. Guess there was no hope with that scene."

"There never was, kid. There never was. Let's just hope that Liam learns from his mistakes for the final shot."

"Could we go outside now? I kinda want some fresh air, being in a movie set and a movie theater in quick succession is making me feel stuffy."

Beartic walked over to the exit and pushed the door with his shoulder. Both pokémon were greeted by the same Pokémon Trainer, who was currently talking with Mr. Stu Deeoh.

"Ah! Speaking of which, zey were 'ere after all! Beartic! Could you please come over 'ere? I 'ave some matters to speak of wiz Riolu and our Pokémon Trainer 'ere."

Beartic walked over to the human duo, towering over them both. Harper was extremely curious about what Mr. Stu Deeoh was about to say, and Beartic shared the same feeling.

"I 'ave a sudden request to ask for zee both of you, Nate and Riolu," Mr. Stu Deeoh inquired, pointing at both the trainer and Harper.

"Could you act in our final shot for this movie? It's a heavy role to fill, this movie's reputation must be successful to save Pokéstar Studios."

"Wait, Mr. Stu Deeoh, what do you mean 'save Pokéstar Studios?'"

"I mean it, Nate. We only have enough budget to shoot one more short film before I 'ave to declare bankruptcy. It is a most dire situation that I would love to escape from. So what eez your decision, will you help me?"

Nate looked in Beartic's direction and looked up at Harper. Harper returned a stare. After a brief connection, they looked back at Mr. Stu Deeoh and spoke in unison.

"We'll do it."

"We'll do it."

"Oh, wonderful! I'll let zee both of you know each ozer a bit more. I 'eard from Sergio zat you 'ave 'ad some injuries recently so I won't let you act right zis instant. Nate is going to need some time looking at zee script anyway. I'll send someone over to you for zee script and anything else you might need, goodbye and thanks again!"

Mr. Stu Deeoh fled the movie theater in a flash, leaving Nate, Riolu, and Beartic in the dust.

"So..." Nate scratched the back of his head. "Mr. Stu Deeoh said to get to know each other better, right?"

Harper nodded.

"You know what the icebreaker game is?"

~Oh, goddamn it.~