Bianca couldn't see it, she didn't want to believe it but the riolu on the lab's flat-screen TV matched exactly what Cheren described. Although she had heard of the movie's explosive popularity when it was released, she was too busy with work to watch it. However, this time, she and Professor Juniper were determined to make room in their schedule as soon as Cheren gave them the information about Riolu. Earlier, Bianca rushed to the video store and demanded a copy of the "Riolu-Kid" movie. Luckily, they had one copy remaining. If they didn't, Bianca would've run off to the next closest store.
The two sat in silence as the movie ended and the credits began to roll, the names of those who worked on it scrolled down the black screen. Among all the names, one stood out to both Bianca and the Professor.
Bianca pointed at the name next to the main character. "Professor, the Riolu-Kid really was him after all."
"I'm not surprised that Nate's involved in this mess," Juniper pressed a button on the TV remote, pausing the movie on the names of the cast. "Attention comes to him and being in a movie seems to be no exception."
Bianca rolled up her sleeve and turned her Xtransceiver on. "Should we call Nate, Professor? He's the most affiliated to Riolu after Brycen."
"As much as I believe Cheren's words, I'd prefer to hear it from the trainer himself. Call Nate, but don't let him know what we're trying to find. The last thing I want is our lab sponsor worrying about their friend being researched."
Bianca nodded, dialing up Nate and slightly adjusting her hair, trying to look professional for the video call. A moment later, the Pokémon Trainer popped up with a smile and a wave.
"Hey, Bianca! What's up?" Judging by the background noise of noisy crowds and the large Ferris wheel spinning behind Nate, it looked like he was at Nimbasa's amusement park.
"Hi, Nate!" She cheerfully replied. "How are you and your pokémon?"
"We're doing great!" Nate shuffled through his bag and took out his badge case, releasing the clasp and revealing a total of three badges. "Look! We beat Burgh a while ago and now we're in Nimbasa for the next badge!" Nate then turned the camera to his team of pokémon with his face still in the frame. "Say hi to Bianca, guys!"
The last time she talked with Nate, he only had Snivy and Mareep. Yet now, his team had become much stronger, now that they had evolved into a servine and flaaffy. As his two initial pokémon waved to the camera, Bianca returned the gesture with a smile. However, she quickly noticed one more addition to the team, a krokorok trying to distance himself from the others.
"C'mon, Krokorok! Don't be so shy, she's a friend of mine!"
Krokorok stood with his arms crossed and turned his head away, reluctant to greet Bianca. Noticing his behavior, Flaaffy walked up to him and slapped the back of his head as if to say, "Don't be like that." Krokorok obliged and slightly bowed his head to the camera much to his annoyance.
"Sorry about that, Bianca. He's not good with strangers unlike Servine and Flaaffy here, isn't that right?" The two pokémon nodded in agreement, causing the krokorok to roll his eyes. "Aside from his attitude, Krokorok's been a great addition to the team and he's only going to get better since he has a type advantage against Elesa! I heard that her zebstrika's tough as hell."
"Don't get too excited, Nate. Just because you have a type advantage doesn't mean that it's an instant win."
"I know, I know. If there's anything I'm familiar with, they're type disadvantages, Roxie's poison and Burgh's bugs were especially nightmarish against Servine but we won through it all thanks to their skills," Servine flexed his vine whip and Flaaffy gave off static shocks from her wool coat at the mention of their past victory. "If only I had another teammate like Har— er, Riolu, the fights would've been smoother."
"Riolu?" This was the perfect moment to change the topic of conversation. "The same one from 'Riolu-Kid of Justice vs. Brycen-Man?'"
Nate's eyes beamed at the mention of the movie's title. "You watched it? How was it? Wasn't I amazing? It was so fun to act in it!"
"I have, and so did the professor. How come you didn't tell us that you starred in a movie?"
"I... err... I kinda forgot, sorry," Nate gave an awkward grin. "I was distracted from our training for the third gym battle."
"It's alright," Bianca waved off. She then took in a deep breath to question Nate as casually as she could, trying not to reveal any deeper intention. "I do want to ask, what was Riolu like when you spent time with him?"
"Why do you want to know about him?"
"Well, your bond with him in the movie was charming. It was like you were really partners and not just for the movie's sake," while her reasoning was genuine, it was still a front. Bianca and Professor Juniper awaited Nate's response, slightly leaning closer toward her Xtransceiver.
"Yeah, it's probably because that's the one time I wasn't acting. I wanted a riolu before we battled Cheren but I couldn't find one even though I heard some could be found around Floccesy Ranch. Har— Riolu helped me around Pokéstar Studios and described movie stuff for me. I never knew that moviemaking was so complicated until I saw it for myself."
The scope of a Pokémon's communication skills was limited compared to humans, especially when it came to explaining complex ideas like cinematography. The only way for a Pokémon to describe cinematography would be through writing, which was precisely what Cheren's explanation entailed. It was clear that Riolu's insights were becoming more intriguing by the second.
"End the call," Professor Juniper whispered, "this information is more than enough and I want to talk with you privately."
"Sorry, Nate, but I have to go now," Bianca lied, "I can't shirk work but I'll talk back when I have the time, ok?"
"Sure! Bye, Bianca!" Nate cheerfully concluded before ending the call.
Bianca closed her Xtransciever and looked over at the professor. "Now that we've heard it from Nate himself, what should we do now?"
Professor Juniper sat up from her seat and walked over to her computer to jot some notes down. "Since our laboratory has no connection with Pokéstar Studios, I say that's the first step that we take."
"So we're really following Cheren's plan to collaborate with them?"
"We are, and what an amazing plan it is," the professor gradually began to type faster. "It's amazing how Cheren came up with it so quickly"
"But Professor, a kid's show based on a picture book? How is that going to work?"
"Imagine a show where pokémon moves, abilities, and anything else could be taught through the medium of a pokémon-only world. Isn't that intriguing to you?"
"But how do we involve ourselves directly though?"
"Do you remember the twins who wanted a pokédex?" She asked as she continued to type, eyes glued to the computer screen. "The children who came to the laboratory with their pokémon after I sent you off with Nate's?"
"I do, and I also remember how I gave the extra pokédex to his friend, Hugh," Bianca hesitated at first but later gave in to ask. "Professor, was it really fine for me to hand it to him based on a whim?"
"Bianca," Professor Juniper halted and looked up, causing Bianca to silently gulp, "I'm glad that you gave the pokédex to him. You're my assistant and I know you have a good eye for these sorts of situations, it's a major reason why I accepted you to my lab in the first place. Besides, I heard he's been speeding through the gyms as fast as Nate is," Professor Juniper patted Bianca's hand that leaned on the table. "Your decision didn't go to waste, ok?"
The professor's reasoning left Bianca flustered. Before becoming the professor's assistant, she was never confident in herself. Her strength in pokémon battles wasn't as impressive as Hilbert and Cheren, leaving her feeling like the odd one out in the group. Thankfully, Professor Juniper opened a new path for her as a Pokémon Researcher, allowing her to contribute to pokémon in a new way. To this day, it was strange to receive compliments but she was thankful for them nonetheless. Bianca nodded, causing the professor to smile before she continued to explain.
"As I was saying, I've decided to give the kids an opportunity that'll increase their chances at becoming Pokémon Trainers by expanding how they interact with their pokémon. We will sponsor Pokéstar Studios and nominate them and their pokémon to be a focal part of the show. I'll have someone from our laboratory to guide the children through."
"Who?"
Professor Juniper didn't answer her. She only stared deeply at Bianca.
"M-me?"
"You."
Bianca was now realizing the potential of the plan. "I'm starting to understand, professor. Not only will our sponsorship with Pokéstar Studios allow us to spread the name of our research, but we can also look into Riolu without disturbing the workflow of the movie studio!"
"Exactly so, Bianca. While those are the biggest reasons, don't ignore the smaller reasons too."
"There's more to benefit from this?"
"We're benefiting enough as it is with this plan," Professor Juniper chuckled. "Think, Bianca, who would also benefit from our sponsorship?"
A few seconds later something clicked in her head. "The viewers?"
"The viewers indeed," Professor Juniper repeated. "We'll be helping both young children and their pokémon with this show, can you list any educational programs that do both?"
"I can't, I don't think there's ever been anything like that."
"And that's another reason why this plan must come to fruition," Professor Juniper turned her attention back to the computer screen. She surfed through the Pokénet and arrived at Pokéstar Studio's website. Shortly after, she found what she was looking for. "Here it is, the phone number for Pokéstar's front desk," she said as she jotted down the number on a scrap of paper. With the number in hand, she rose from her seat and walked over to the landline phone. "Let's see if we can convince the front desk to direct us to the CEO, Mr. Stu Deeoh. Hopefully, he'll be receptive to the idea."
As the professor called Pokéstar's front desk, Bianca opened her Xtranseiver again and texted her mother to confirm a lingering thought that brewed in her head.
*Mom?*
*Hi, dear! Is something the matter?*
*No, I just wanted to ask something.*
*What is it?*
*Do you still have "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: In Search of Secrets?"*
*We do, but aren't you too grown up to read something like that?*
*It's for research.*
*What kind?*
*That's private information.*
*You can't even tell your mom the stuff you work with over at the lab?*
*Can't, sorry.*
*Fine, all your childhood belongings should be in the attic. I'll have them out when you come home later tonight, ok?*
*Thanks, Mom. Love you.*
*Love you too, sweetie. I'll tell your father that you'll be home tonight.*
Bianca quietly groaned at the thought of her overprotective father, she had hoped that her mom wouldn't tell him. Despite living in the same town, her father still wanted her to live at home when she much preferred the laboratory. He was definitely going to use everything in his power to keep her at home for the night when all she wanted was a brief visit. Bianca didn't hate her dad, she just wished that he knew that she had her own life.
About two years ago when she was on her pokémon journey, her dad followed her to Nimbasa to drag her back to Nuvema. If it weren't for Elesa's words and Hilbert's support, she would never have convinced him to let her go. Since then, her dad was far more lenient on what she could do but his restrictive nature leaked out from time to time and her arrival back home was going to be another case.
Bianca looked back at the professor and judging by her smile as she responded to a faint voice with a Kalosian accent on the other side of the call, it felt like it was going to be a long day.
----------------------------------------
"I'm not interested in the Rainbow Pearl at all!" Audrey revealed. "The tip that I gave you, the one where I said that I would steal the pearl, was a trap to lure yo— do I sound bland there?"
Harper shook his head. *You could be a bit louder.*
"I thought of that as well, but I don't want to disturb the motel with my yelling," Audrey pointed at the surrounding rooms.
*Every room surrounding us is Pokéstar staff, they'll know why they can hear you.*
"Ok then, I'll try it again."
A day had passed since their trip to Humilau City much to the group's disappointment. Since there was no response from Takashi, it looked like the equipment was still on its way. Audrey wanted to continue with her vacation but seeing Brycen commit to practicing his role must've left a mark on her. It was a bright and beautiful day outside, the perfect conditions to have fun outside and the three were inside Audrey's motel room, rehearsing their lines.
"Hey, Riolu," Ripley tapped his shoulder, "can you remind me what moves we're going to use again? I'd ask Audrey but she looks pretty absorbed in her acting."
"Yeah, it's best to not distract her now," Audrey was completely preoccupied with her lines, she was now rehearsing them without looking at the script. Her body movement matched the dialogue she spoke aloud, moving in tandem with the tone of the lines.
"Do you need a full refresh like the usual or just list them out?" Harper asked.
"The usual," Ripley answered. "I want to make sure that I'm not missing anything."
Harper flipped his script to the beginning of the fight. "So the battle starts with you scratching me. You'll see me act like I'm malfunctioning from the sea air throughout our fight."
"And then there's some dialogue between Audrey and Brycen, right?"
"There is. After their dialogue, they'll issue Metal Claw to the both of us and we attack at the same time. Are you left or right-handed?"
"Right," Ripley charged Metal Claw up on her right claw. "Does it matter though?" She then charged it on her other claw. "I could do both if it's cooler."
"It's better for us to do a specific side since there's parallelism at play. If we both cross our attacks with Metal Claw, it'll look great on film."
"I wanna see what it looks like," Ripley raised her Steel TE-infused claw, the tip extended by a glassy silver color. "Just hold your Metal Claw up."
Harper charged up Metal Claw on his right paw and three long translucent silver blades began to protrude out. The look of them reminded him of Wolverine whenever he used his adamantium-covered claws in a battle. He must've summoned it wrong since Ripley was giving him a strange look.
"Why does yours look like that?" Ripley touched the side of his Metal Claw with her own, causing sparks to fly out. "I've never seen something like this before."
"Is... is it wrong?" Harper turned his paw back and forth, trying to see if he made any mistakes. Brycen didn't mention anything whenever he summoned Metal Claw like this so why did Ripley?
"No, it's pretty cool that yours looks like that. When pokémon use Metal Claw, it usually covers their claws. Other times, the move extends their claws further with Steel energy. I assumed the latter would happen for you but yours looks like a completely different shape."
"Should I try to change the look? For some reason, it's easy for me to summon Metal Claw in this shape," Harper tried to morph his Metal Claw to make it look more natural, causing the Steel TE to flop slightly.
"No no no," Ripley waved her paw, "don't change it, it looks cool! It's like a riolu's sleek and heroic one is clashing against a sneasel's evil-looking Metal Claw!" Ripley suddenly scraped her Metal Claw against Harper's, creating a loud screeching noise. The three in the room recoiled, immediately trying to block the noise.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Ripley," Audrey turned around after uncovering her ears, "please don't do that, ok?"
"Whoops," Ripley shook the Steel TE off her claws. "Sorry, Audrey."
Audrey quietly chuckled to herself and continued to rehearse her lines, leaving the two pokémon back to their conversation.
"Let's not use our moves inside anymore," Harper stated.
"Agreed," Ripley nodded, "so what's the next part?"
"I use Close Combat and you use Beat Up. After that, Mecha Cop and I malfunction and that's the cue for you to use Fury Swipes, do you remember your line after the Sneasel Ninja talks?"
"I do. It's: 'You don't need to say that twice,' right?"
"Yup, and after some more lines between Brycen and Audrey, I hit you with Vacuum Wave."
"Far or close-range?"
"Far," Harper answered, "and you follow up with Take Down."
"Alright, I think I got it now. I remember the ending anyway."
"Are you sure that you don't need another run-through?" Harper rustled the script in his paw.
Just as the sneasel was about to reply, there was a knock at the door. Audrey stopped rehearsing her lines and walked up to the door to peek through the hole. One glance later, she opened the door to an emboldened Takashi.
"Audrey, we have great news!" The director exclaimed. "The equipment is arriving soon! The people I sent over called to say that there's no traffic so they're on their way much faster than expected! I was about to send out the notice to everyone but I wanted to let you know and Brycen know first!"
"Am I the first to know or is Brycen?"
"I was," Brycen revealed himself behind Takashi, "he knocked on my door a little earlier to tell the news. We should leave as soon as we can, today's the perfect condition for a film session and we shouldn't let this go to waste."
"Then, let's go to Humilau! The drivers have explained that they'll meet us at the filming spot so we should be the first to be there!" Without a moment to hesitate, the director left the group standing at Audrey's front door.
Brycen turned to Audrey and looked at her and the two pokémon. "Are you all ready to leave?"
"As ready as I'll ever be!" Audrey confirmed.
~Let's go film our last battle for the movie,~ Harper clenched his fist.
----------------------------------------
"Hey, Ripley," Harper called out to the sneasel. "Isn't it hot for you?"
"You know I'm an Ice-type, right? I don't like the heat but this much I can handle easily," she then proceeded to conjure a small block of ice and tossed it to him. "Here you go, if this helps then you're welcome."
"It does, thanks," the beach heat was getting to him and his fur wasn't helping either. The ice was managing to ward off the day's heat spell when he held it in his paws, if only barely. At least he didn't have a costume and only a thick, green plaster on his chest. It was a bit uncomfortable but wearing it multiple times allowed him to get used to it. It also wasn't as stifling as Brycen's metal-plated armor or Audrey's completely black ninja costume. How the both weren't complaining, Harper didn't know.
"That's a lot of people in the back, isn't there?" Audrey peered behind the movie crew.
As she described, there was a large crowd of people gathering around behind all the cameras. Some of them had cameras ready to take pictures of the people on set. The unwanted attention was becoming a distraction, and it seemed that Takashi was beginning to agree.
"Son of a... I thought our location scouts found a more private part of the beaches to film on."
~If only Marlon had been involved with production earlier, he would've likely found a quieter spot,~ Harper remembered the Gym Leader's helping hand.
"Where's my megapho— there it is," Takashi tapped his megaphone and pointed it towards the group of tourists and locals. "Everyone! We are currently in the middle of producing a film and we would greatly appreciate it if we were left undisturbed! If you decide to stay, then we implore you that you remain silent, any unnecessary noise will cause a reshoot, and the film crew and I will not be happy in the slightest if that ever occurs!"
At the words of the director, many decided to leave the crew to their business as they headed back to the more public parts of the beach. The more insistent ones, however, decided it was best to keep quiet by putting away their devices and stop chattering with the people around them.
Takashi sighed with relief. "Good, now we can continue filming. Everyone! Back to your places! We'll be going back to the beginning of the scene again for reassurance!"
"Scene 10, Take 2."
"Action!"
The Full Metal Cop and his partner pokémon paced along the ebb and flow of the water, the soothing noise blended in with the cries of wingulls and the swaying of the palm trees. The calming scenery did not defer their objective, however. Their eyes darted around warily, scanning the surroundings for any sign of the Sneasel Ninja. They were on high alert, ready to take action in a moment's presence of the villain to come.
Mecha Cop placed two fingers on the side of his scanner and surveyed the area. "Scanning area, attempt to find Sneasel Ninja has failed. Where could she be?"
A chilling presence suddenly shivered up Harper's spine as the Sneasel Ninja appeared. "Right behind you."
Mecha Cop and Harper pivot on their heels and stride backward, creating distance between themselves and their enemy. The air around them seems to shimmer and thicken as a cloud of dark smoke materializes out of nowhere. From the fog, the Sneasel Ninja emerges. Her face twisted into a sly, predatory grin.
Upon seeing the Sneasel Ninja, Mecha Cop immediately assumed battle position, and Harper followed along soon after. "The serial robber, the Sneasel Ninja! Surrender!"
"Mecha Cop!" She posed dramatically as she pointed at the heroes. "You've completely fallen for my trap!"
"How so?!"
"I'm not interested in the Rainbow Pearl at all!" The Sneasel Ninja revealed as she pretended to hold a sphere in her hands with her fingers splayed out. "The tip that I gave you, the one where I said that I would steal the pearl, was a trap to lure you to come here!"
"I expected this from you, you lousy criminal!"
"Tee he he... And you still showed up! The sand of this beach is magnetized and makes mechanics malfunction! On top of that, a salty breeze is blowing! I look forward to your cyborg body getting rusty!"
Mecha Cop stared into the horizon before facing the Sneasel Ninja again. "In that case... I just have to arrest you again before this body gets rusty!"
"This setback will do nothing to stop us!" Harper shouted as he tensed his muscles, prepared for battle.
"Try it!" The Sneasel Ninja scoffed. "Sneasel, use Scratch!"
Sneasel pointed a claw at the duo. "Let's see how you fare against us this time!"
Sneasel's sharp claws glinted in the sunlight as she darted towards Harper. She swiped at him with lightning-fast movements, aiming to land a critical strike. Harper managed to dodge her attack just in time. Despite his agility, Sneasel's claws grazed his shoulder, leaving behind a shallow wound. Though he winced in pain, Harper stood strong, determined to take down his opponent.
"He he he! I'm impressed that your Riolu is withstanding the effects of the beach!"
"Riolu! You! I won't forgive you!" Mecha Cop raised his left arm, a compartment opening up from within and revealing a gadget. "Alloy Net!"
The Sneasel Ninja dodged the rapidly approaching trap, narrowly landing on her. "H-hey! What happened to your belief in fighting fair in the name of justice?!"
"Argh... I'm disappointed in myself. I got upset, and without thinking, I used…"
"Tee he he. You're panicking! Are you having a hard time?" The Sneasel Ninja's chuckle turned into maniacal laughter before she wiped a tear from her face. "Mecha Cop! Give up before it's too late. Surrender!... Right? Te he he…"
"My justice is unshakable, no matter what the circumstances. Prepare yourself!"
"Stop bluffing!"
"That's such a model answer for villains. It's worth defeating you!"
"You can certainly try!"
"If you have an impulse to admire justice, surrender without resistance!" Mecha Cop pointed at Sneasel. "Riolu! Jump in with Metal Claw!"
"Use the same attack, Sneasel!"
Harper and Sneasel dashed towards each other with fierce determination, their eyes locked in a stare-down. Both of them began to charge up Metal Claw as they drew nearer. Their collision created an overwhelming flash of light, sending a deafening clang echoing across the beach and reverberating off the towering cliffs in the distance.
"Use Beat Up!" The Sneasel Ninja shouted.
"Return the attack with Close Combat!" Mecha Cop commanded.
The two pokémon proceeded to engage in a heated battle, paying little attention to their defenses. However, as the fight continued, Mecha Cop's systems began to malfunction, causing it to falter.
"Uh... What...? I can't move…" The Sneasel Ninja's cunning trap was gradually taking hold, the salty breeze was slowly corroding the cop's sturdy metal armor.
Harper noticed Mecha Cop's impairment and looked away from the fight. "Are you alright?!"
"He's looking away!" The Sneasel Ninja cackled. "Use Fury Swipes!"
"You don't need to say that twice!" Sneasel charged the move on both her claws and swiftly struck Harper's chest implement.
"Riolu!" Mecha Cop walked towards his partner pokémon only to falter, his legs giving out from the pain the environment was causing him. He almost fell on the sand only to catch himself, glaring at his foe. "That was a cheap shot, Sneasel Ninja!"
"Hey," the Sneasel Ninja's voice suddenly dropped to a serious tone. "If it works, it works... right?"
Mecha Cop scowled at the laughing ninja and her partner pokémon. The only thing he could do was command his partner pokémon and overcome the situation they were under. "My body is creaking... This is not good... I have to do something fast... Riolu! Strike back!"
Taking the distance into consideration, Harper charged up Vacuum Wave and struck Sneasel with full force, causing her to stagger backward.
Shocked at his continued effort to battle, the Sneasel Ninja issued a command to her pokémon. "Run in with Take Down!"
With lightning-fast speed, Sneasel charged toward Harper, her eyes fixed on his. As she got closer, she threw her body forward and slammed into him with tremendous force, sending him flying through the air before landing heavily in the sand.
"Low Sweep and follow up with Force Palm!"
As Sneasel got closer to Harper, he swung his feet at hers, causing her to trip and fall. Her attempts to stand back up were halted by his foot firmly placed on her arm.
"This is the end of the line, you thief!" Harper tensed his right arm as he charged up his final move.
"We'll see about that, copper," Sneasel smirked.
With a swift and powerful motion, Harper slammed his paw on Sneasel's chest. The brutal impact caused her to crumple.
High on her ego with her head held up high, the Sneasel Ninja attempted to shout another attack for the unconscious Sneasel to follow. "Use Dark Pul— Eh?"
"Eeeek! I thought the strategy this time was perfect... Arghh! This... scrap!"
Mecha Cop stood back up after some difficulty. "Sneasel Ninja! You're underestimating justice!"
The Sneasel Ninja tutted in disapproval and huffed her chest, unwilling to listen to his words.
"To protect law and justice, I could be infinitely cruel! That's the real World Police! Mission accomplished!"
"Don't be so confident just yet!" The Mecha Cop halted his attempt at calling more officials. "I know that the World Police is hiding nearby and that they're oh so ready to put me behind bars again. I'm making my escape to steal my next big thing!"
"What are you planning at this time, you thief?!"
"Tee he he! I'll be taking my leave now!" The Sneasel Ninja recalled Sneasel back into her pokéball and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Where did she go?!" Mecha Cop hectically turned his head. "C'mon! Let's go find her, she can't be far from here!"
Mecha Cop and Harper hastened towards the remote end of the sun-drenched beach, the magnetization of the sand and the breeze continuing to slow them down. The towering cliffs rose high above them, casting a long shadow over the duo.
"She's up there!" Harper pointed up to the peak of the cliffs. "Look!"
"...and cut!" Takashi exclaimed. The crowd of people who had watched the entire battle unfold burst into applause. The uncharacteristic glare from the director stopped them all from continuing their praise.
"We're still not done yet!" Takashi turned back to the film crew. "Now we need to film the aftermath of the Sneasel Ninja fleeing from the cliffs and the reactions of the heroes!"
"Scene 12, Take 1."
"Action!"
"Sneasel Ninja!" Mecha Cop cursed out loud to the cliffs.
Harper fell to his knees and began to punch the sand. "If it weren't for the conditions of this beach, we would've caught her by now!"
"Don't worry, Riolu. In the name of justice, we shall apprehend this thief."
"...and cut! Now we need to go over to the cliffs of Undella for the top-down view from Audrey's perspective. Pack everything up, our filming in Humilau is complete! To the viewers in the back, please get out of the way for our film crew!"
Without a moment of hesitation, the film crew hurriedly packed everything up and rolled the equipment off the beach, the onlookers quickly left the scene now that filming was over.
"This is a pretty mundane way to end our filming for this movie, isn't it?" Audrey showed up behind Harper. "The last scene we're filming occurs in the middle of the movie. I know how you explained before that scenes aren't done in chronological order but I still wish it wasn't the case."
A crew member handed Harper his whiteboard after giving first aid to him and Ripley. *You wanted a satisfying conclusion for the production and the story at the same time?*
"I did, but I won't complain about it. At least we got to spend time here in Humilau and Undella!"
*You're right about that.*
----------------------------------------
The entire film crew moved all their equipment and made their way to the cliffside of Undella, an area that was much quieter and more private than the crowd-driven beaches of Humilau. The peacefulness was bittersweet in a way to Harper, it was like the environment prepared the scene knowing it was the last one they needed.
"This'll be a quick final scene, Audrey," Takashi explained. "Other than the narrator's lines that we'll be recording in post-production, this is it. Just give it your all, ok?"
Audrey nodded with a prideful smile on her face but her emotional state was saying otherwise.
|[Downhearted]|
Was she feeling sad now that "Full Metal Cop" was nearing the end of production? Audrey and Ripley had both expressed their desire for the stage and now that their time on the project was coming to an end, Harper couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason for their change in mood.
"Scene 11, Take 1."
"Action!"
"You found me!" The Sneasel Ninja laughed out. "I guess I should give you a little hint for my next big heist since we're such great enemies!" She then proceeded to hug herself mockingly. "The hint is that it's something personal to you!" The Sneasel Ninja jumped away from the cliff and fled into the surrounding trees.
"Cut! Great job, Audrey! I didn't expect anything less from you!"
"Thank you, Mr. Pokémi," Audrey gave a slight bow.
"Since there's no need to do a second take, I guess it's time to end the filming of 'Full Metal Cop!" Takashi turned to the anticipating film crew, and every member stood still with bated breath, eager to end the production of the movie.
"That's a wrap!"
With the final three words, a wave of exhilaration swept through the film crew as they burst into celebration. The sound of the cameras stopped abruptly and the previously silent set was now filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. The crew members couldn't contain their excitement and erupted into unrestrained celebrations with hugs, high-fives, and cheers. Harper noticed that Audrey and Ripley were oddly quiet, and the trainer began to crouch to meet Sneasel's height.
"This was fun, wasn't it?" Audrey spoke softly.
"Time of my life," Ripley followed up with a hug, standing on her toes to properly wrap her arms around Audrey.
Not wanting to interrupt their moment of comfort, Harper looked over at Takashi, who had just received a phone call soon after ending today's filming.
"Sir... no you didn't!" The director gushed out. "I can't believe you did all that for us, thank you so much! We'll head over there as soon as we've finished packing up!" With a click of his phone, Takashi picked up his megaphone and began to announce to the film crew for the last time.
"Everyone! We're not done for today!" Everyone turned to the director in disbelief. "Not like that! As it turns out, Mr. Stu Deeoh has prepared a small celebration party for us over at the Undella Hotel that's near our motel!"
The excitement that occurred after hearing the news paled in comparison to the celebration of the completion of the film. The cheers were louder than before with a collective round of applause ringing around the set.
"Once we have finished putting our gear away, I want everyone to meet up at the hotel as soon as you can!"
Until today, Harper had never witnessed such a swift and organized film crew in his entire life.
----------------------------------------
The word "small" didn't cut it to describe the setup that Mr. Stu Deeoh somehow prepared under everyone's noses. He had rented out a ballroom and stocked it with a buffet with enough food to satisfy someone three times over. There was even a DJ at the end of the ballroom, playing some electronic songs with his partner pokémon. The pokémon looked like a bipedal purple lizard with a spiked yellow mohawk. Harper assumed it was from the later games since he didn't recognize it.
Parties such as this never occurred when he worked in Hollywood as they were reserved for actors only and even then they were private parties. The end of a production ended like how an average 9-5 job did with no flashy conclusions or any acknowledgment of their accomplishment. It was just a simple "good job, everyone" and that was all. No executive of a movie studio would ever put the time, effort, and especially the money to arrange something like this.
Then again, this was the Pokémon world after all.
Despite the respect he held for Mr. Stu Deeoh for the generosity he was displaying with this surprise party, Harper didn't want to stay much longer. Even if there were parties in his old world, he'd likely not have attended them anyway. The treatment from his colleagues led him to rightfully assume that they'd rather not have him around in any social setting that wasn't a work environment.
Not wanting to bum himself out any further, Harper instead concluded that he wanted to stay outside since the music was too loud for his sensitive ears. Weaving through the dancing crowd, he made his way to the exit of the ballroom and left the hotel. Like the motel that everyone stayed at, the hotel also overlooked the beach and the ocean's horizon. Wanting to find a moment of peace, Harper crossed the street and sat on the short concrete wall that divided the sidewalk and the beach sand.
The movie was a lot of work. Obviously, it was much larger in scale than the previous film. The arduous task of acting and re-acting for this movie and his training to learn a bunch of new moves was now nothing more than a memory. It was difficult at the time, but since he was finally done, Harper looked back on it with fondness.
~Here's to another great production,~ Harper jokingly raised an imaginary glass of wine into the air before sipping.
Harper continued to sit on the concrete wall in tranquility. It was only until the sky was approaching twilight that he realized just how long he was outside. He then heard footsteps behind him, his ear twitching backward to the sound first before he turned his head around.
"Why are you here?" Ripley asked.
"Why are you here?" Harper asked back.
"I was wondering where you were."
"And I left since the music was too loud."
"And not because you're scared to dance?" Ripley hopped onto the concrete wall and sat beside Harper.
"Definitely not."
The two chuckled before staring at the falling sun, the rays of light beginning to grow dimmer with each passing minute.
"This was fun," Ripley suddenly stated.
"What was?"
"Everything."
"Did you have any favorite moments?"
"Our first battle together," Ripley answered immediately, "it took everything in me to keep acting when you used Tackle on me. I thought you'd use moves as weak as when I used Pursuit on you."
"That was a mistake on my end, I should've told you that pokémon use real moves in films beforehand. Audrey calls me her teacher but even I need to learn new things."
"Like when Brycen took you outside that same day?"
"Can we go back to my original question?"
"Heh, fine. I guess another thing I liked was my battle with Sewaddle. She didn't look all that much at first but I was proven wrong instantly. That bug is a powerhouse, I never knew a pokémon like her could use Flail so effectively."
"It sucks that I wasn't there at the time to see you guys act, I guess I'll see it at the test screening."
"Test screening? What's that?"
"It's when a movie studio does a preview of a film to gauge feedback and see how the audience reacts. I don't think we need to worry though considering how positive Takashi was and how well we acted."
"I hope you're right, Riolu. I don't want my first movie to be a flop."
"It won't. You and Audrey will get the recognition you deserve."
"Thanks," Ripley looked over her shoulder. "Speaking of Audrey, there she is right now.."
The coordinator walked up to the two sitting pokémon and sat down next to Ripley. "I've been wondering where you two were, you were out here the whole time?"
Harper and Ripley nodded.
"I was looking for the two of you earlier but if I knew you were here sooner, I'd have left much sooner. The inside of the ballroom was getting pretty stuffy with everyone dancing. I think I saw Layla dancing in a formed circle before I walked out."
*Did you want to dance in the circle?*
"No, nononono. I'm a coordinator and an actor, not a dancer. I'd much rather put on a show with Ripley beside me than be alone, isn't that right?" Audrey patted the top of the sneasel's head.
"Yup!" She responded.
Audrey picked Ripley up and placed her on her lap, continuing to pet her head. "Everything that happened from the day of the audition to this moment, I enjoyed every bit of it. I originally started this to give myself a feeling similar to being in a Pokémon Contest, but now? I have a new perspective to coordinate now that I have experience as an actress." Audrey placed her hand on top of Harper's head. "Thanks, Riolu. I'll never forget all your help. Arceus knows how screwed I'd be if I didn't have you."
|[Unwavering Trust]|
The feeling lingered inside Harper as his feelers tingled. He always knew that Audrey and Ripley had trusted him since the very beginning, but what made this one so different? The sense of trust was indistinguishable from Nate's during their final conversation. Back then, his ability wasn't as fine-tuned as it was now but Harper could tell the similarity. Despite his instincts telling him that the two could be trusted back, he didn't want to scare them with his true identity so he decided to reveal one detail.
*Harper*
"Harper?" Audrey repeated.
Harper added a few more words after his name. *Harper. That's my name.*
"Your name is Harper?" Audrey asked.
"Harper's your name?" Ripley repeated the question after hearing Audrey.
He nodded.
"Odd name for a riolu, but how come you never mentioned this before?"
*I don't feel prepared to answer why just yet, could you give me some time?*
Audrey took a second to think before petting his head again. "Sure, you can tell us whenever you're ready."
"Can I ask why you can't tell us why now?" Ripley asked.
"It's... it's a personal matter. It took a while for me to realize that I wanted you guys to know my name."
"I guess I'll wait with Audrey then," Ripley briefly paused. "Harper."
As the sun gradually disappeared behind the horizon, the trio sat together in silence. Ripley, who was nestled on Audrey's lap, was beginning to doze off, her eyelids drooping heavily. It took Harper a moment to realize that Audrey had been gently petting him for the last minute.
Harper wanted to deny it, but he couldn't.
Maybe head pats weren't bad after all.