~Why… is… this… so… hard… to… use?~ Harper fiddled with the adjuster of the back of his seat, trying to find the perfect balance between sitting and lying down.

Brycen softly karate-chopped his head. "Stop fooling around with your seat and stay still."

"But I was trying t— dammit...fine," Harper stopped midway through his counter-argument. There was no point in fighting back when he looked like a child playing with the adjuster. Giving up on trying to get comfy, Harper made a final correction to his seat to sit up and slumped, at least the complimentary pillow made his plane seat bearable.

Planes in this world were different compared to Harper's old world as they weren't large like a standard commercial airline plane was. The flight that the film crew was taking back to Pokéstar was a smaller plane that just barely fit everyone together. Harper initially complained to himself about the size and quality of their ride until he realized that due to the numerous methods of transportation provided by pokémon, conventional methods of travel such as cars and planes would be used less frequently.

Then again, if someone had the choice of flying on top of a Flying-type pokémon or sitting for hours on end in an unstable piece of metal, they'd pick the former. The benefits of flying alone far outweighed the benefits of flying in a plane.

Having a long flight to Pokéstar wasn't a good combo with the long night of partying that occurred the other day. Harper, Audrey, and Ripley sat outside the entire time as the sun set and the light was replaced with the beams of the moon. They would have remained outside much longer if it weren't for Brycen, who was heading to the motel early to get some sleep. It was a good idea to sleep earlier than the rest of the film crew since they were the least tired when everyone got on the plane.

"Riolu," Harper looked back up at his trainer. "I want to ask you something about Audrey now that filming for the movie is complete."

Harper glanced to his right and noticed that both Audrey and Ripley were sound asleep, despite the slight turbulence that the plane was experiencing. The two of them were resting in identical positions, with their heads tilted slightly upwards towards the ceiling and their hands resting peacefully on their laps. It seemed as though nothing could interrupt their slumber since they had been in the same position since the beginning of the flight.

"I wanted her in this conversation but it seems that she's asleep," Brycen looked over at the actress. "I want to know from you, has Audrey explained her plans for post-production?"

Harper shrugged as he wasn't sure enough. The way Audrey talked about her time in Pokéstar was a bit vague when it came to the topic of contests. She became an actress with the sole purpose of feeling like a coordinator again and that desire remained the entire time. Whether she stuck around or left after the movie's completion, Harper would only know when the time came.

"I see," Brycen rubbed his chin. "That's all that I will ask. Any more discussion about her will look like gossip, we'll all talk together at the right time."

As their plane ride continued, the two sat together in quiet reflection. Brycen's gaze was fixed on the ever-changing shapes of the clouds drifting outside the window. Harper sat alongside him, also observing the covered sky. Despite the peacefulness, intrusive thoughts began to fester in his head as the silence in the plane continued. It seemed to amplify the sound of his thoughts, making it difficult to ignore them, causing an internal argument with himself to form.

~I told Audrey and Ripley my name, why didn't I tell Brycen yet? Am I going to tell Beartic as well?~

~I don't know. Should I tell Brycen now?~

~I should, but what's the excuse for remembering through my "amnesia?"~

~Didn't I say I was tired of making excuses?~

~God, I'm contradicting myself, remember when I told Nate everything?~

~That time was different, this is the last time I'm revealing something, I swear it. I love my new life, I just don't want to be a nameless riolu.~

~Why go through all this unnecessary stress about hiding my real identity when I can just forget my past life and stop trying to act so human? I don't need to be scared of being taken away if I don't "human" like a human. I mean just look at me, my body isn't even a person to begin with.~

~This trip made me remember the good in my past life. Forgetting that means I'm casting Mom and Dad away.~

~Mom never cared for my career, she always argued with me about my life choices.~

~But she wasn't doing it out of selfishness. She wanted to stop me from acting because...she...~

Something snapped inside of Harper, his eyes widening, he should've realized it sooner. He hated himself for not realizing it sooner. His previous disdain towards his mother clouded his judgment, he never looked at the other side of the arguments the two frequently had. She lost her husband once to the movie industry, she couldn't lose her only son.

Now Harper was gone as well.

Harper wanted to punch himself in the face for his stupid mentality about his mother during that car ride to Undella. She would never have nagged about how she was "right." His mother was mourning the loss of her only remaining family member, who died in the same industry as her husband and here he was, enjoying the time of his life. The weight of his thoughts was suffocating him, and he felt as though he was being pulled into a bottomless pit of self-loathing and shame.

"Riolu," Brycen's voice woke Harper up. "Are you crying?"

Harper wasn't expecting to feel something wet when he placed his paw underneath his eye, taken aback by the damp sensation on his fur. Upon closer inspection, he realized that tears had been streaming down his face for the past minute, leaving a dark stain on his lap. Feeling self-conscious, Harper hastily brushed the tears away and composed himself.

~I'm going to continue living for Mom and Dad? And not just for me?~

~Yes.~

~Cross my heart and hope to die?~

"Stick a needle in my eye," Harper muttered. He grabbed his whiteboard and scribbled a quick sentence to show Brycen.

*There's something I haven't told you yet.*

"And what is that, Riolu?" His voice sounded softer, now aware of Harper's mental state.

*I remember my name. It's "Harper."*

"Harper...is there anything else you remember? It seems you're recovering from your amnesia."

*I told Audrey to give me some time before I told her, can I ask the same from you?*

"So she knows your name as well?"

Harper nodded.

"Very well, I'll let you tell me when you're ready. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm sure that Beartic and I will assist you the best we can," Brycen took a pouch of tissues from the seat compartment and gave them to Harper. "Now wipe your tears with these, your arms shouldn't be used to dry your face."

Brycen was right, now the fur on his arm was beginning to look matted.

Layla would freak out if she saw this.

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

"Mission accomplished. Now, Sneasel Ninja, it's time for you to pay for your crimes," Mecha Cop stopped in front of the police car door. "Ready to turn over a new leaf?"

"Thanks..." The Sneasel Ninja smiled towards the camera. As the camera panned away from the hero and changed villain and into the city skyline, the disembodied voice signified the conclusion of the story with a final narration.

"Thus, the Sneasel Ninja, who escaped prison so many times before, went to prison at the hands of Mecha Cop. And the Sneasel Ninja never again attempted escape...so they say...Then, several years later...the secret detective, Mecha Cop, who protects citizens from crime, has a new partner at his side. A partner by the name of...the Sneasel! Listen to your human side, Mecha Cop! Condemn the crime, not the criminal!"

As soon as the movie screen faded to black, a round of applause from the test audience reverberated around the theater. It relieved Harper that the test screening went better than expected.

The darkness of the screen was eventually replaced with the credits panning down on the screen. As a multitude of names scrolled down, it eventually caught up to the names of the cast. Then he saw it, his name.

Cast

Mecha Cop - Brycen

Riolu - Harper

The Sneasel Ninja - Audrey Cohen

Sneasel - Ripley

...

...

...

~It's finally there, my name.~

Further thoughts to himself were interrupted by a hand placed on his head. He looked to the side to see a proud Audrey with her other hand on top of Ripley's head.

"I can't believe how good your attacks looked!" Audrey complemented the two pokémon. "Like when you hit her with that Force Palm in that final battle, Mr. Pokémi was right about that hit being heavy! I felt that in my bones when that happened!"

Harper and Ripley nodded in agreement, their scripted battle was a tough one but thanks to Takashi's skills in directing, it looked better than ever.

"Should we head out now? The theater's getting a bit stuffy to me," As Audrey rose from her seat, she gestured towards the exit. As the trio began walking towards the door, numerous conversations from the test audience members and their pokémon overlapped with each other. Harper managed to overhear two women and a pokémon, unaware that the stars of the movie were right beside them.

"What a movie! I have got to find the director and complement him!" One woman praised.

"I was just thinking the same!" Her friend agreed. "I also want to ask if what the pokemon were saying matched the subtitles, they were probably speaking gibberish though."

"They weren't saying random stuff!" A Minccino sat on her trainer's shoulder as she pointed at the screen. "Those words that showed up on the screen every time that Riolu and Sneasel spoke probably matched! If only I could read..."

"Did you enjoy it as well?" The woman scratched Minccino's chin. "Let's go see if the director is nearby!"

All the other conversations around Harper followed similarly, praising the battles, story, scenes, and dialogue. He hadn't heard any negative critiques so far but since this was a small audience, he expected to hear it when the movie went out publicly. As he left the theater, the sudden shift in brightness was too much for his eyes, causing him to flinch and raise his arm towards his head.

Guess some things will never change.

Audrey took a deep breath in as she stood in place, stretching her arms. "I guess I was worrying too much about what people would think about the test screening," She exhaled. "Do you know how much longer until the movie actually comes out?"

*The editing and VFX are done way faster than I originally thought.*

*With that in mind, the film should be out in a week or so.*

"So what do we do in the meantime?" Audrey asked.

"Do we just sit on our butts and wait?" Ripley added.

"We're not going to be doing nothing the whole time," Harper replied to Ripley. "The next part should be marketing so I'm expecting that we might do a photo shoot before the movie's out," he wrote the same explanation on his whiteboard for Audrey.

"Well, since the test screening was today, I don't think we're going to be taking some photos and stuff so I guess the rest of the day is free for us!" Audrey placed her hands on her knees and leaned towards Harper and Ripley. "What should we do?"

"I'm getting kinda hungry," Ripley rubbed her stomach. "Can we go get food?"

"You're hungry? Then let's go to the cafeteria, lunch is on me!"

*But lunch is free for all employees.*

"I know," Audrey chuckled.

While the three walked to the cafeteria, Harper began to think about the scenes he watched during the test screening.

~Man, I really wish I was there to see that in real-time,~ he thought as he looked back on the apartment battle Ripley had with Amie's Sewaddle. The games never showed how Sticky Web was used on a pokémon. It only looked like a pixelated animation of string wrapping its target so seeing Sewaddle shooting it where Pollyanna commanded was interesting. When the webbing stuck on Sneasel's feet, Pollyanna didn't waste a single second to issue another move.

The other scene that stood out was the prison escape that he was too busy to see being filmed. The way that Audrey handled that scene solo was incredible, her acting when she snuck around each hallway and bypassed the guards and their pokémon was lifelike. Without any context, his compliment to Audrey about being a great thief would sound criminal. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got with himself. If only he got the handle of his moves sooner so he didn't have to train while Audrey was filming her sce-

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Harper mentally slapped himself in the face to wake himself up. The past was in the past, and the film was complete. There was no need to get angry anymore, he was more prepared than ever compared to his status when production first began.

The cafeteria was within eyesight now, and the three made their way to the entrance before Audrey stopped abruptly in front of it. Her hands were frozen on the door handle as she turned over to Harper.

"I really hope that everyone enjoys the film, Harper"

"I hope so as well," he nodded.

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

The movie was an instant hit, it made an instant impact at every theater it was showcased in and brought in huge amounts of pokédollars. Day by day, the praise and positive reception for the film only grew, leaving Audrey overwhelmed. While she had experience handling popularity from competing in local contests around the cities of Sinnoh, the extent of recognition the movie brought was far beyond what she was accustomed to.

Audrey and Ripley were currently sitting on a bench that was near the sound stage where they filmed the green screen scenes for "Full Metal Cop." She originally intended to relax in her vanity van when she made the mistake of passing by the main square on the same day that tourists were allowed in.

What worse timing to have when all she wanted then was a nice nap.

The two of them had lost the group of tourists and paparazzi that were hounding her thanks to the labyrinth-esque structure of the backlots. If she never got that tour from Harper, she'd be just as lost as the people who followed her.

"Harper..." Audrey said out loud. "Isn't that such a strange name for a riolu?"

"Snea?" Ripley looked up at her.

"I'm not making fun of his name, it's just that the other riolus that I've seen back in Sinnoh had more fitting names. You remember Rio from that one competition?"

Ripley gave a nod and then stood up on the bench, striking a martial arts pose while balancing on one leg. However, she soon lost her balance and tumbled onto Audrey's lap.

"Yup, that riolu," She chuckled. "It's just something that's been in my mind for a while like it's a name that I'd expect from...I dunno...like someone from business."

"Sneasel..." it sounded like Ripley also agreed with her.

"I shouldn't talk about him behind his back," Audrey shook her head. "Especially since he's helped so much, I can't thank him enough. In fact, I can't thank everyone here enough."

She looked up to the sky as she leaned into the back of the bench. "Vincent didn't have to give me the original script when I wanted to see the difference between that and the current one but he did," Audrey then readjusted her hair. "And Layla was so quick with her makeup and she always finished before sitting in that barber chair felt uncomfortable."

Ripley held her arms forward and made a clapping motion similar to a clapperboard.

"Of course I didn't forget about Mr. Pokémi, he—"

As Audrey and Ripley noticed a man walking towards them. He seemed to be unsure of his direction since he kept turning his head in every direction with each step. After a few seconds, he caught sight of the two and approached them to strike up a conversation.

"Excuse me, but you're Ms. Cohen, correct?" The well-dressed man cautiously asked. "The same Audrey Cohen from 'Full Metal Cop?'"

"Y-yes, that's me," Audrey answered in a similar tone.

"That's good to hear," He slumped on the bench beside her. "I've walked all over the backlots looking for you and those tourists were no help at all. This place is like a maze."

~So they're still lost?~ Audrey silently laughed to herself.

"Ms. Cohen," The man continued. "I wanted to talk with you about the Musical Theater in Nimbasa."

Audrey's face changed from careful curiosity to a frown at the mention of the theater. She didn't want anything to do with the place that gave her so much trouble and disappointment. She'd rather face the tourists and the paparazzi than this man who was reminding her of the employees' rejection of dual participation.

"No, I'm not interested," Audrey stood up with Ripley in her arms. "Don't try to contact me again, I don't want to have any affiliation with the Musical Theater."

"Wait wait wait!" The man jumped out of the bench and held his hands up, stopping her from moving forward. "Please listen to what I have to say!"

"What do you want from me," Audrey furrowed her eyebrows. "You talk like you represent the theater."

"I talk that way because it's true, let me properly introduce myself," He gave a slight bow, removing his fedora and placing it on his chest. "My name is Thea Tres, but you can just call me Mr. Tres. I am the owner and the head of the Musical Theater in Nimbasa. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cohen."

"Pleasure to meet you as we— wait, no it isn't," Audrey was ready to leave the man behind. "Why are you here?"

"To apologize for the Musical Theater's behavior towards you and your request."

"What?" Audrey was taken aback.

"It started when I overheard my employees talking about a stubborn client wanting to perform with their pokémon. I kept it in the back of my mind because it was the first time I had ever heard such a complaint before. When I heard that it was the Audrey Cohen, the same actress who played the Sneasel Ninja, who was denied entry alongside her pokémon in my Musical Theater, I realized the terrible mistake my rule has caused for you."

"So you're here just to apologize?" Audrey asked, her mood was beginning to worsen.

"I knew you wouldn't be satisfied with an apology so I have planned something for this reason. In simple terms, I want you to be by my side as I oversee the creation of Pokémon Contests in Unova."

"Wait a second," Audrey put her hands forward, pausing the theater owner "You're already going too fast, Mr...Tres, right?" The theater owner affirmed Audrey's memory. "Mr. Tres, Pokémon Contests in Unova, how is that possible?"

Mr. Tres pointed at the "Full Metal Cop" posters hanging on the walls of the soundstage, one was of the protagonist and his riolu walking away from a large explosion. Another poster was of the Sneasel Ninja about to grab her hands on a large device with her Sneasel rubbing her claws together with mischievous glee.

It reminded her of the photo session they had a few days before the movie's release. It took much longer than originally planned since Ripley couldn't stay still, all the props that the photographer had laid out were far more interesting to her than standing still for the camera. Mr. Tres began to explain, waking Audrey up from her memories.

"This absolute marvel of a movie that I have seen starred the very client we denied. As soon as I saw who it was that was acting as the Sneasel Ninja, I came to the conclusion that you were right all along. People and pokémon should indeed be together at all times, we shouldn't be so restrictive on how performances work in my theater."

Mr. Tres made a phone sign with his hand and put it to his ear. "With a few calls and multiple complicated stacks of paperwork later, I have managed to get the 'ok' from the other regions. We'll start short with having a few contests in Nimbasa while maintaining the schedules for musicals. As it grows, I hope to create more musical theaters and contest halls all over Unova! Just imagine, Pokémon contests in the daytime and my popular musicals such as 'Exciting Nimbasa' and 'A Sweet Soirée' being showcased in the evening!"

"But Mr. Tres, why me? You could've had a more capable and experienced coordinator for the job instead of me. I only earned five ribbons before I left Sinnoh."

"Yes, I could have looked for a more capable and experienced coordinator, but I didn't. I wanted to pick you," He pointed directly at her. "Five ribbons is an achievement in itself and with your experience and popularity as a movie star, you're overqualified for who I want to oversee my project!"

Mr. Tres took another bow, this time much deeper than when he introduced himself, ignoring the bewildered Audrey. "This is how I want to make amends, Ms. Cohen. Will you accept my proposal?"

"Please, don't bow like that, Mr. Tres," Audrey tried to move him back up without much luck.

"I am being sincere right now, Ms. Cohen," He refused to budge. "The idea works on paper but I want someone experienced to make it work in practice. Your popularity is the key to making Unovan contests stand out from the rest of the competition!"

Audrey stopped her attempt to push the theater owner back up and stepped back, now realizing the sincerity of his request. The offer that Mr. Tres proposed was everything she had wanted the moment she stepped foot on Unovan soil. A chance to return to Pokémon contests arrived at her front door, but she couldn't let it in. If she accepted, that meant that she would have to leave Pokéstar. She would be leaving everyone who had helped her through her journey in film production.

She still hadn't paid everyone back and if she left, she would never be able to.

"You've been silent for a while, Ms. Cohen," Mr. Tres patiently stood, waiting for Audrey to answer. "Have you made your decision?"

"Can...can I wait a little bit before I answer?"

"I don't understand why you're not taking his offer, Audrey," She heard a familiar deep voice some distance away. When she turned her head, she realized that the voice was coming from Brycen. Harper was also alongside him, giving a small wave in greeting, Ripley waved back in response.

"It seems like Mr. Tres has offered you something that matches your interests perfectly. Harper and I have wanted to talk with you about this for a while so why the hesitation?"

"B-Brycen!" Audrey stammered, not expecting to see them so suddenly. "W-well, it's because I..." Audrey looked at Harper, expecting to get an answer when she stared at him.

*I wanted to ask the same thing, why?*

"It's because I just can't leave without repaying everyone for their help!" Audrey blurted out. Realizing that she said it much louder than intended, she quickly covered her mouth.

"So it's because of a debt you feel like you have to pay back?" Brycen rephrased her answer.

With her eyes cast down towards the ground, she failed to muster the courage to meet Brycen's gaze. A moment of silence passed before she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, prompting her to raise her head and meet his eyes once more.

"Audrey, can you look at Harper? It seems that he has a say in this."

*Do you remember the day you got accepted for the role of the Sneasel Ninja?*

"I do," Audrey nodded. "I remember how I was about to leave before I got the call."

*From that moment to right now, I never felt like you owed me a thing.*

"Harper is right," Brycen added. "We have never expected anything in return."

"Bu—"

Brycen held his hand up. "If we did want something in return, you have already paid it off with the reception of the movie. It wouldn't have succeeded as well as it did without you."

"Is it alright for me to leave?" Audrey finally spoke up.

*Accept Mr. Tres' offer if you really want to pay us back.*

*We'll be happy knowing that you're leaving to finally be able to compete in contests.*

With the overwhelming support coming from so few people and Audrey's inability to argue back, she turned to Ripley, the last factor in her decision. The sneasel gave a resounding "Snea!" and hugged her leg, looking up at Audrey. Ripley's look of resolve was the final confirmation she needed.

"I'll do it, when do we start?"

"You'll really help me? Why, that's great to hear! Thank you for hearing me out!" Mr. Tres violently shook Audrey's hand with gratitude. "Now that we have a coordinator to help with my plans, we must start as soon as possible, ASAP!"

"N-now?"

"Yes! Immediately! I have a car on standby just outside the studio to take us to the Virbank Ports and we'll be right on our way to Nimbasa!"

"Can I at least say some final goodbyes before we leave?"

"Why, definitely! Sorry if I sounded urgent back there, I'm just so excited to get my plans rolling. You can take your time with your farewells, I'll have the car out and wait in the meantime."

"Now I just need to find everyone who was in the production..." Audrey wondered to herself.

"No need to worry," Brycen stated, raising a sleeve and revealing an Xtransceiver. "Everyone will show up in no time."

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

Harper stood on the side of the road along with the rest of the film crew as Audrey threw her bag into the back of Mr. Tres' car. Brycen had called Takashi to gather everyone who wanted to see Audrey off. Her presence in the studio was profound as the entire film crew had shown up, not a single crew member was absent.

Audrey shut the backseat door and proceeded to speak with each person in the large group. As time passed, the number of people she spoke with gradually decreased until only a handful were left.

"Mr. Price, I never got to say thanks for how you changed the script to fit me into the story. Harper told me how hard it is to change scripts on such short notice."

"Brycen's Riolu told you that? You don't need to say thanks, it's part of my job." Vincent looked over at Harper before rubbing his nose with his finger and looking up. The script supervisor wasn't prepared for the compliment.

"Layla, thanks for doing all my makeup and fixing it whenever I smudged it up. I was so embarrassed every time I asked for a fix."

"Oh, don't worry about it! With my skills, I could have fixed them with my eyes closed!" Even though the lead makeup artist was joking, Harper wouldn't be surprised if it were the truth.

Audrey then turned to Juliet, the casting director. "Thank you for picking me during the audition, you're the reason why I got accepted into the role."

"You were clearly the best pick from the bunch. Don't need to make a big fuss out of it," she shrugged off her compliment. Juliet looked apathetic to Audrey's departure but her being here contradicted her mood.

"Mr. Pokémi, thank you for guiding me with your vision for the movie. I have never seen someone so passionate with their work before as much as you."

"And thank you for starring in my film! What I would do to direct another starring you!" The director laughed heartily.

"Brycen," Audrey spoke quieter after addressing him. "I don't know why I was a little bit scared of you when I first met you but after we spoke, I became more comfortable in the studio."

"It's because you never gave me a reason to scare you," Brycen deadpanned.

"W-what?"

"That was a joke. Thank you for being uplifting in each and every scene we acted together in."

As Audrey and Brycen chuckled together, Ripley looked at Harper with melancholy. The silence between the two of them was only mediated by the slight scraping her claws were making in anxiousness. It was unusual for the two to not talk like this for so long, and it was making Harper feel awkward. Wanting to end the quietness between each other, Harper spoke up.

"So...I guess this is goodby- woah!" Out of nowhere, Ripley's arms encircled him as she pulled him close and embraced him.

"Thanks, Harper," Ripley whispered. "For making my time, our time here, the most fun ever."

Slightly blushing, Harper returned the hug back. "I should say the same," He slowly patted the sneasel's back. "It's going to be real boring around here without you."

"This isn't the last time we'll see each other again, right?" Ripley unlatched herself from Harper.

"It won't, I know it," Harper's answer caused Ripley to immediately go back to hugging him, somehow even tighter than before.

"R-Ripley, any tighter and my ribs..." Harper strained out.

"Hey, don't leave me out of your hug!" Audrey concluded her conversation with Brycen and scooped the two pokémon up. "There's a reason why you're the last one I wanted to talk to, Harper."

"And that is?" He asked.

"Are you still not ready to talk about your situation with your name?" She whispered softly to not let others overhear her. "It's totally fine if you aren't."

Harper shook his head, he didn't want to ruin this moment with his truth bomb. He decided to tell her the next time they ever met each other again.

"That's alright, you can explain whenever you're ready. I gave my contacts to Brycen so you can give me a call whenever you like and I'll call back as well. He also told me that Mr. Stu Deeoh knows about me leaving and only asked if I 'mention Pokéstar Studios when I become famous as Unova's coordinator.'"

Audrey placed the two pokémon back on the floor and abruptly stood straight, punching the palm of her left hand with her right and bowing deeply in Harper's direction. Ripley followed her trainer, curling her claws and bowing in the same manner.

"Teacher Harper! Thank you for teaching me everything there is to do with cinema! I will never forget my time here!" Shortly after bursting out loud, Audrey's face began to flush. Remembering Audrey's act on their first day, Harper began to laugh, and the actress and her Sneasel followed soon after.

"All jokes aside, I meant every word," Audrey knelt down on one knee and spread her arms open. "Can I ask for one more?"

"Fine," Harper hugged Audrey again.

"I hope I can see you again soon."

"I'll be waiting right here."

Audrey let go of Harper and stood back up, taking a pokéball and showing it to Ripley, who shook her head. She pocketed the ball back and headed towards Mr. Tres' car. Stopping in the middle of entering the passenger seat, she turned around to face the entire film crew.

"Everyone!" Audrey shouted. "Thank you for everything you have done for me! I'll be sure to pay it back someday!"

What occurred after was a cacophony of positive shouts and affirmations echoing throughout the entrance of Pokéstar Studios, each and everyone denying the nonexistent debt she owed. Smiling, the pokémon coordinator and her partner pokémon entered the car, shutting the door before the car drove off into the distance. As the car got smaller and smaller, Harper faintly made out Audrey and Ripley's arms waving outside the car window, he responded back with his own wave.

~I'm never going to have 'students' like Audrey and Ripley again.~

Just before Harper turned around to return to the inside of Pokéstar Studios, he heard another vehicle rumbling towards the entrance. He didn't expect to see Audrey and Ripley back this soon and when he looked at the approaching car, he realized that his initial thought was wrong.

Now that the vehicle was closer, he realized that it was a black van. It was the kind of van with tinted black windows that celebrities rode back in Hollywood to hide their presence. What was one doing here right now?

The van parked in the same spot where Mr. Tres' car was a couple minutes ago and opened one of its sliding doors. A moment later, two children stepped out, the boy and girl were immediately enamored by the brightness of the studio.

"Woah! This place is huge!" The boy exclaimed.

"So we're gonna be staying here? This is awesome!" The girl held onto her hat as she stepped out of the van.

~Why are there kids here? We aren't supposed to be having guests today anyway.~

A third figure stepped out of the van as soon as he finished his thought. The newcomer was a young woman who stood at a similar height to Audrey, but her fashion choices were quite different. She had donned a bright orange coat and matching shoes and on top of her head sat a mint green beret with a bow, her blonde hair flowing out of it.

"This should be the spot," The woman pondered at the paper map she took out from her matching green purse, adjusting her half-rimmed glasses twice. "I mean, there's no other movie studio in the southwestern part of Unova, right?"

Harper couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity when he saw the woman. There was something in her appearance that was tugging at his memory, but he couldn't quite put his finger-or whatever you call the nubs on his paw-on it. A moment later, it all came flooding back to him, and he stood there with his mouth agape.

~Holy shit, no way.~

~Is that Bianca?~