"We're back at Pokéstar Studios!" Grant pressed the pokéball's button with a flash of red, Beartic materialized at the front gates. He briefly stretched his arms, a habit he began to follow after the transition from being made of data to a physical form.

As much as he wanted to stay with Weavile and the rest of his team back in Icirrus, he felt he was missing out on what was happening in Pokéstar Studios. He hadn't heard of any news from Brycen, which caused him to believe that something big was going on there.

"Here's your pokéball," the former Gym Trainer handed over the spherical device to him. "I called Brycen so he knows you're here now."

Beartic nodded curtly, signaling his permission for Grant to enter his car. As he closed the door behind him, he lowered the window and leaned outward.

"Oh shoot, almost forgot. Before I go, Brycen said he'll meet you when he's done with some sort of training with some children. He said that you should meet with Harper by the vanity vans, he'll tell you what's been happening while you were gone."

Harper? That was a name he wasn't familiar with. No one had that name, or at least anyone he knew in Pokéstar's staff. Beartic wondered if there was a new hire, his time away from the studio did cause him to be behind with the happenings of Pokéstar. Some time had passed since he was here, the last time being during the production of "Full Metal Cop."

And Brycen… training children? For what, acting? There was no other answer in Beartic's head, but he'll get the real answer from this "Harper."

"Thanks, Grant. Drive safe," Beartic stood tall, waving goodbye.

"See you again, Beartic!" His car drove down the road and disappeared after turning a corner.

As the sun began its descent down into the horizon, the time signaled the studio for its closure for the day. Only a handful of crew members bustled about, and the atmosphere was peaceful and serene. The relative quiet twilight was always special to him; it mirrored the gentle winding down of the day itself. Beartic quickened his step as he made his way toward Brycen's vanity van, both because he didn't want to keep Harper waiting and due to his eagerness to meet up with everyone.

Approaching the van's parking lot, he caught sight of Riolu perched on the steps of the vehicle alongside two younger Pokémon, an eevee and a poochyena. Because of his imposing size, Riolu quickly spotted him and enthusiastically waved his paw in the air.

"Beartic!" He hopped off his seat and eagerly approached him. "You're back! How was Icirrus City?"

"Chilly, just the way I like it. Being able to see the team again was great, you can thank Weavile for extending my stay there. I wish I could introduce you to them, they'd definitely like you."

"They would?"

"You're nothing short of interesting, kid. Anyone would want to know who you were," Beartic gave weight to each word.

Glancing behind Riolu, he noticed that they were visibly shaking at the sight of the enormous creature in front of them. It was a nostalgic moment for Beartic, as he could never forget the expression on the kid's face from their first encounter. He did wish that he didn't appear as menacing to a younger audience. Maybe it was his ice beard that scared them, or his size, or his oversized paws, maybe it was all three combined. Regardless, he slowly bent his knees and crouched to get to level with the children.

"I'm not gonna eat you two," he chuckled to the scared duo, remembering that he used the same joke from back then. "So what's your names? I'm Beartic, and you could say I'm this little actor's teacher."

"It's fine, you two. He's nicer than he looks," Riolu took a few steps backward and pushed the children forward, letting the two take the front stage.

"H-Hi, Mr. Beartic," the poochyena stammered. "I-I'm Zorro, and s-she's Eve."

"Y-Yeah," the eevee confirmed shakily before hiding behind Riolu, Zorro following her soon after.

"They'll warm up to you soon," Riolu reassured. "Just like how I did."

Was he feeling jealous? That they were more comfortable around the kid than him? Eh, maybe a little. Riolu was right though, all they needed was some time to get to know him.

With one final glance around the lot, Beartic concluded that he had waited long enough for "Harper" to show up. Facing Riolu again, he said. "I was told that I needed to meet someone here so they could catch me up on what's been going on here. Someone by the name of 'Harper,' you know of him, kid?"

"But… but he's right here?" Eve spoke up, catching Beartic's attention. "You mean Mr. Harper, right?" Zorro pointed a paw at Riolu.

"Wait," Beartic's voice dropped. "You're Harper? You remembered your name?"

"I… I did, yeah," the riolu failed to maintain eye contact with him. "It was while you were gone, I remembered it after we finished filming 'Full Metal Cop' at Humilau. Did Brycen not tell you about it?"

"Grant doesn't know who you are, so I'm sure he thought Harper was a human when Brycen gave his request," Beartic responded. "So what made you remember? Did something happen?"

"There was nothing huge that made me remember, my name just came back to me. I was with Audrey and Ripley when we were watching the sunset together."

~92%~

The kid's voice carried a subtle hint of insecurity. His words seemed genuine, but Beartic's thoughts swirled around in his mind, suggesting otherwise. If Harper remembered his name after witnessing a sunset of all things, then what else could he remember?

It was still weird to think of the kid as "Harper," it was a mature-sounding name, but he'd have to get used to it eventually.

"It's good to hear that you remember your name now," Beartic temporarily pushed his suspicions aside. "You know that I'm still gonna call you 'kid,' right?"

A deep, heavy sigh escapes the kid's mouth. "That's as much as I expected."

"So… since you're the one I was supposed to meet, why don't you tell me what I've missed?"

"Well, we've started preproduction for a new TV show that's going to help educate kids. Zorro and Eve are going to be the main stars and their trainers are their voice actors."

"And you're here to help them?" He asked the riolu.

"Yup, I'm helping them learn how to act before we do the real thing."

"Taking my job now, are we?" Beartic ruffled the top of Harper's head.

"I'm not," Harper replied as he fixed his fur. "Mr. Stu Deeoh asked for the both of us to help Zorro and Eve."

"Did he now?" Beartic was glad that he was going to have a more direct role with Pokéstar's next big project. "Guess you'll be like my assistant when we guide them," he chuckled.

Harper stifled a laugh. "That's actually my role in the show."

"What?" Beartic held his breath. If the kid was going to say what he was thinking…

"The TV show takes place in a world with only pokémon and there's a guild that Zorro and Eve are a team in," Harper waved towards the actors-in-training before pointing at himself. "I'm the Guildmaster's Assistant, guess who you are."

"A 'Guildmaster?'"

Harper, Zorro, and Eve nodded in unison.

"Wow, how long has it been since I acted in anything? This is amazing!" He guffawed, accidentally startling Zorro and Eve. He playfully slapped Harper's back. "Thanks for the news, kid! This was more than I ever expected!"

"Tha— grea— t— hea—" Harper's voice cut off with each strike.

Beartic couldn't recall his last role in a project. Months? Years? It didn't matter that his new role was going to be a far contrast to his other prominent roles in action films with Brycen. A role to entertain a younger audience sounded fun to him, maybe this was the perfect opportunity to brighten his public image as a pokémon for all ages. Another bonus from all this was the kid being his assistant in the show. He was never going to let him forget that.

"Is that Beartic I hear?" A voice appeared in the distance.

The group pivoted to find Brycen standing with two nearly identical children trailing behind him, reminiscent of a mirrored image of Harper and the two younger Pokémon. With gleaming eyes, Zorro and Eve dashed towards their trainers and lept into their arms, awaiting head pats which they soon received.

"It seems I was correct," Brycen smiled at his partner pokémon after witnessing the childrens' reunions. "Welcome back, Beartic. Grant notified me of your arrival earlier. Judging from your excitement, Harper has told you of your part in this show?"

"Sure did," Beartic smiled back, getting up from his seated position. "I'm glad to be back."

Brycen motioned his arms to the children beside him. "I'd like to introduce you to Caleb and Claire. They are apprentice lab trainers for Professor Juniper and are currently under the guidance of her assistant, Bianca. I'm sure that Harper showed you their partner pokémon."

"Sure did," he replied, flashing a grin at Zorro and Eve. The two pokémon, unsure of how to respond, gingerly waved a paw.

"Hi, Beartic!" Caleb observed Beartic's physique with a gaped mouth. "Wow, you're huge!"

Claire's expression was filled with amazement, just like the boy's. "Beartics are way taller than I thought."

"Now that we have introduced ourselves and their pokémon are reunited, I'll be leading the twins back to Bianca. I heard that Pokéstar has prepared a place for them to stay during production."

"Bye, Harper! Bye, Beartic!" The trainers and their pokémon bid farewell as they walked away with Brycen, leaving Harper and Beartic together.

"Brycen said that Bianca's here, why's that?" Beartic asked the riolu. The last time he saw her was when Brycen was still a Gym Leader. Her team was formidable at the time, he still wondered why she had decided to stop being a trainer and change to an assistant professor.

"She's the main reason why this show is happening in the first place. She was the one to present the idea in place of the Unovan Research Team."

"Did she say why they're doing all of this in the first place? Seems like they don't get a lot in return."

"I don't think they're getting a lot in return compared to Pokéstar Studios. Apart from teaching kids who watch the show, Bianca said how Caleb and Claire would bond uniquely by voice-acting for their pokémon and helping them around during production."

"Going through all this effort to teach two children how to be trainers, I'd say it's commendable."

"Maybe that's why Bianca's always taking notes," Harper wondered aloud. "She's probably looking at how Caleb and Claire are growing."

The sun had completely set, now fully enveloping the studio with the night sky in view. One by one, the numerous lampposts slowly flickered on, illuminating the sidewalks it bordered.

"...this reminds me of the Griffith Observatory…" Harper murmured.

"What?" Beartic barely made out the riolu's words.

"N-Nothing… I just said that I like observing the place."

Another one of his infinite curiosities. While he'd let this one slide, another arose.

"Hey, kid," Beartic blurted out, stopping the riolu. "There's something I need to ask you."

"Yeah?" He faced him again. "What is it?"

"Do you like sleeping outside your pokéball?"

"Why the random question?"

"Just a small thought, and also since it's nighttime now."

"I guess I just feel more comfortable sleeping underneath a blanket than being inside a pokéball. Being inside one feels relaxing and all, but it also feels a little weird."

"Weird? Why?"

"I… I don't know how to explain it? I mean, I'll stay in it when I need to for filming, but I guess I just don't like being inside something the size of my fist," Harper balled up one of his paws.

"You remind me of a young pokémon I once fought two years ago."

"Who?"

"A victim of Team Plasma's propaganda. She had a similar viewpoint on pokéballs, though she took it to an extreme."

"Was this when you fought at the Unova League? Against Team Plasma's invasion?"

"Yes, and that's a story I'll tell you another time," Beartic stood up and opened the van doors, pushing the riolu in. "It's late now, and kids like you need good sleep."

"Damn, you'll tell me someday, right?"

"Sure, and didn't I say no cussing from you?" He spoke sternly.

"Sorry, sorry," Harper raised his paws in the air. "Goodnight, Beartic."

"Goodnight, kid."

As the door thudded shut with a solid click, the riolu stepped into the van. Beartic settled back onto the ground, leaning against the side of the van to avoid any jostling. Gazing up at the starry sky, he found himself reminiscing about what happened back then.

"Why do you like your human so much if all you do is stay in their pokéballs?! I used to be like you but thanks to Team Plasma, I'll fix it! I'll fix everything!"

Beartic rubbed his left bicep where he felt a dull sting, the spot where she landed a Night Slash.

~I don't know where she is now, but I hope she's still not with the new Neo Plasma group that's out there…~

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

When morning arrived, Harper found it much easier to educate Zorro and Eve with Beartic by his side. While spending one day with them had been enjoyable, he knew he couldn't handle it alone for much longer. As they all sat down for breakfast at the cafeteria, Mr. Stu Deeoh showed up at the scene, interrupting Beartic's retelling of one of his old films to Zorro and Eve. The studio owner asked them to give the two young pokémon a tour of the movie set to familiarize them with the equipment before filming began, wanting to ensure they wouldn't feel overwhelmed.

"We need zem to not be afraid of all zee cameras! Zey are large, but zey are 'armless! I shall 'ave a soundstage for Caleb and Claire's pokémon to explore!"

The original plan was to continue familiarizing Zorro and Eve with how it feels to act, but Beartic and Harper couldn't turn down the man's offer. He had given them a golden opportunity to teach them in a suitable environment, after all.

"How did Mr. Stu Deeoh prepare all this so quickly?" Harper looked up at the soundstage, one of a multitude in Pokéstar Studios. The one they were in front of in particular was specially reserved. "We left the cafeteria like a few minutes ago."

"He probably had it ready before he asked us, classic Stu," the ice bear chuckled.

"Do you know what's inside, Mr. Harper?" Eve asked.

"Apart from the usual tech inside, no I don't. Every set looks different and since Mr. Stu Deeoh gave us permission to go inside, we're all curious."

Beartic pushed the button beside the soundstage door and listened to the groan of metal as it slid open. The sunlight barely illuminated the interior as they stepped inside. As they entered, the door automatically closed with a resounding thud, plunging the room back into darkness.

"Wow! It's dark in here!" Zorro shouted, his voice echoing down the soundstage.

"Hey, kid. Could you find the key lights around here? I'll try to see if there's something around here," he vaguely pointed around a corner.

After telling Zorro and Eve to stay where they were, Harper approached the center of the soundstage, making out the numerous cameras and lights. Normally, he wouldn't have been able to navigate in the dark, but that was when he had human eyes. Now, it was easier to see with the eyes of a riolu, but he didn't want to stand in an unlit place the size of a warehouse.

He organized the tangled mess of wires scattered across the floor, finally laying his hands on the specific one he had been seeking. Opting to illuminate the key lights first, Harper traced the wire's path to an outlet, revealing that it had been carelessly left unplugged.

"Striking!" Harper habitually cried out before plugging in the key light's wires. Beartic covered Zorro and Eve's eyes in time as the set turned bright.

"Maybe give a clearer warning to the little actors before turning those on, they don't know what 'striking' means," Beartic advised with mild amusement etched on his face. "You shouted that like how the electricians do all the time, you pretending to be like them or something?"

"Sorry, I'll give a better warning next time," Harper silently cursed himself for shouting that out of habit. At least Beartic handed him an excuse on a platter, though he didn't know if opportunities like that would happen again.

With just enough lighting to illuminate the set, he got a good look at the surroundings. The backdrop consisted of green screens, with various types of trees scattered throughout. The ground was covered in a thick layer of synthetic moss and grass, speckled with clusters of ferns and undergrowth.

Overall, it all looked fake with closer inspection, but it reminded Harper of when he first appeared. He knocked on one of the trees with his paw where his knuckles should be, the rough texture obvious at the touch. How long was he here in the Pokémon world since he woke up near Route 20? He lost count after his first movie, but it was likely for the better that he did.

"Mr. Beartic?" Eve slowly approached the polar bear. "Why make a fake forest when there's a real one outside?"

"Great question, Eve," Beartic cleared his throat before continuing. "it all has to do with the conditions of the environment. Nine times out of ten, filming in the wild is plenty dangerous, there's a lot of stuff that's out of our control. There could be dangerous pokémon nearby, or it could be too windy, cold, hot…"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

As Beartic listed common nature hazards, Harper realized that Zorro wasn't beside Eve like he usually was. It was only when he turned to his side that he saw the poochyena, oddly silent with a paw on the fake tree, eyes closed.

|[Anamnesis]|

Before Harper could question Zorro's emotions any further, the poochyena's emotions suddenly reversed to his usual excitement and wonder.

Zorro strolled up beside Eve and sat down. "If this is a fake forest, then what was being filmed here?"

"I think there was an advertisement filmed here for a new brand of repels," Beartic answered. "You've probably seen it if you watch TV with your trainers."

"Beartic, I think we should start teaching them now," Harper reminded him. "What do you think we should start with?"

"Right, right, we should start with showing them the camera then. Let's use the camera dolly, it's at the end of the set, just follow the rails."

Another task that Harper was all too well acquainted with, but for the first time in a while, he felt enthusiastic to do it. Doing as Beartic instructed, he grabbed the handlebars and rolled the camera dolly closer to the rest of the group. The dolly shot was a technique Harper frequently used, but it was always a bit of a hassle due to its weight and the amount of equipment it had to support. However, this time, thanks to Harper's new Pokémon body, the cart was noticeably lighter.

~Man, if only I had this much strength back in Hollywood.~

"Thanks, kid," Beartic expressed his kindness to Harper as he finished rolling the camera over. "Zorro, Eve, this nifty device here is the most important tech for a film studio. It's the reason why movies can be made in the first place. Without it, Pokéstar wouldn't exist."

"We know what cameras are, why are you making it a big deal, Mr. Beartic?" Zorro tilted his head in confusion.

"Because you're the star actors, all your acting is for this camera," he gently patted the top. "When the cameras are rolling, your attention always has to be set on the cameras."

"Do we look at them, then?"

"No, but that doesn't mean you should never. Sometimes, whatever the movie or TV show is, it could ask that you look in. For this lesson's sake, don't look in 'em."

Zorro and Eve nodded together, taking in Beartic's words. Harper was amazed at how quickly they warmed up to him. They were engaged with every word the veteran actor gave to them. All it took for them to bond was a small breakfast and sharing some words together to kick things off. Beartic had a constant, genuine smile since they entered the soundstage, the same expression he had when he trained Harper in their first lesson.

"Hey, Beartic," Harper interrupted his lesson on spatial awareness with cameras. "Do you mind if I go turn on the fill and backlights? I can tell that the key lights are heating up."

"I-I don't mind. It'll help with what I want to do next anyways," he answered with mild bewilderment before redirecting his attention to the younger pokémon.

Grabbing a few nearby scrims, Harper hopped on some stands and inserted them in front of the key lights, dimming their intensity. Fiddling with the buttons and switches, he gradually turned on the fill and back lights so as not to blind everyone. Before, only the fronts of Beartic, Zorro, and Eve were lit up but now they were perfectly illuminated on all sides for filming.

"Is it just me or did it get much brighter?" Zorro wondered aloud with squinted eyes.

Harper jumped back down to floor level and approached the rest. "Better get used to it now, Zorro. It's not the actors who control how bright it is, that role goes to the film crew like the Gaffers and Grips."

"Gaffers? Grips? What are those?"

"They handle all the lighting and rigging of the film equipment respectively," Harper then waved his paw in a "shooing" motion. "You don't need to worry about them, though, they handle the stuff that makes your acting better to film."

"You know, kid. You really know your way around the equipment here," Beartic said. "I was surprised you knew how to turn on the lights."

"Then why did you ask me?"

"I knew how to turn on the key lights, I just wanted to see if you knew how. You surprised me more when you asked if you could turn on the rest. Heck, you even knew how to put that fabric stuff in front of the lights."

~The scrims? Does Beartic not know what they're called?~

"You're quick to learn all that stuff, aren't ya?"

"I-I like observing what the Key Grip and their assistants do while we film," Harper lied. "I guess it just came easy to me?"

|[93%]|

What the hell was that?

"If it comes that easily to you, you must be a prodigy!" Beartic laughed as he patted Harper's head. "Look at you, you could join the film crew and fit right in!"

The feeling he had from Beartic clung to his head. It was the first time Harper felt something from someone that wasn't an emotion. Whatever he read, it wasn't clear enough to mentally form, but it felt like a section of something? It felt impartial, but he couldn't tell why.

"Mr. Harper?" Eve touched his paw, waking him up from his thoughts. "Are you ok?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, Eve," Harper reassured her before turning to Beartic. "We should continue their lesson, Beartic."

"Alright then, the next thing you should learn is how the camera moves and how to position yourse…" Harper drowned Beartic's voice out as he began to think critically of himself.

~I keep telling myself that I would try to not reveal my past by accident but it keeps happening. Do I tell Beartic? I can't though, he's been thinking of me like a student and I can't break that. What would he think of me if he knew I was some thirty-something-year-old guy and not a young riolu?~

It was hard to lie before, and it was only getting worse.

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

The nurse laid out a tray of Nate's pokémon on the counter. "Here are all your pokémon all fully healed. I saw your victory at the Nimbasa Gym on the TV, the fight against Elesa's Emolga was amazing!"

"Thank you," Nate latched each of his pokéballs on his belt. "It wasn't an easy fight but I'm glad I won in the end."

The "Anti-Elesa Training" that he specially assigned for his newest pokémon, Krokorok, worked out in the end. Her Zebstrika was like the final boss of her team, but Emolga was the trickiest fighter bar none. The Electric and Flying-type was the fastest pokémon he had ever seen, much faster than Roxie's Whirlipede at its max speed. Since Emolga was immune to Krokorok's advantageous Ground-type moves, Nate needed another plan to knock the pokémon down from the air. His trained combo of the newly-learned Smack Down and Bulldoze was the opportunity he needed to gain the advantage in the gym battle.

"Elesa has a reputation to uphold as a Gym Leader after all," the nurse continued. "It's the only thing keeping Nimbasa safe from those Neo Plasma members."

"I'll stomp them down when I see them," Nate declared. "They've done nothing but try to ruin my journey to be the Unovan Champion."

Team Neo Plasma's schemes only increased since that day in Virbank with Mr. Moore, or as he preferred to be called, Harper. The amount of pokémon stolen and the number of crimes committed in not only the major cities but also the routes between them were concerning. Nate's encounters soured his already negative impression of them. From his encounter with them in Floccesy Ranch to Virbank to the Castelia Sewers, they snuck around like patrat whenever he saw them.

"I only hope that you stay safe. The last thing any Pokémon Center wants is a trainer's pokémon injured without reason."

"Don't worry, I fight only when I know I can win," Nate waved goodbye to the nurse as he stepped out the front door.

Now outside on the sidewalk of Nimbasa, Nate grabbed one of his pokéballs and released Krokorok. A moment later, the Ground and Dark-type reptile appeared in front of him, confused about why he was summoned.

"Krok? Kororok?"

"You're asking why I let only you out, right?"

Krokorok nodded.

"Servine and Flaaffy probably agree with me, but I haven't really spent much time with you other than for training and I want to change that," his other two pokéballs shook in response, signaling their consensus. "We can walk and talk, are you ok with that?"

After a few seconds of thought, Krokorok reluctantly agreed. He was usually disinterested in socializing with his other team members, Nate included, but something changed after his battle with Elesa. Maybe seeing his training giving positive results made him agree to Nate's request.

"Thanks, Krokorok. Let's head over to the gate for Route 5 and we'll be on our way to the next badge!" The path to his next Gym Battle was straightforward, all Nate needed to do was go through the upcoming route and walk over the famous Driftveil Drawbridge. With the sun still high in the sky, Nate estimated that he would make it to Driftveil City by nighttime.

After looking through his map for an optimal route to the gate, the two walked through the streets of Nimbasa, the sidewalks as crowded as their first arrival. Passing by the city's iconic Gear Station, a recent memory budded in Nate's head.

"Hey, you remember when we fought against the Subway Masters over there with Rosa?"

Krokorok nodded with a concerned glare as if asking why he would forget.

"Man, her dewott was really strong against their pokémon, I still can't believe they held back against us and they were still that tough! Did you like that battle? It was your first time doing a double battle, after all."

Krokorok had relative experience in battling single pokémon in the wild but since double battles were more oriented for trainer battles, it was a learning experience for him. It took some getting used to coordinating with another trainer's pokémon with no time for hesitation, yet in the end, he pulled through. Krokorok landed the final blow against Emmet's Boldore with two successive Mud Shots to the face after taking advantage of Dewott's encore, forcing the Rock-type to haphazardly use Harden at the wrong time.

"We'll train with double battles in mind in the future, your first time was really cool though! You timed your Mud Shots perfectly! Keep that up and every battle onward will be a breeze."

Krokorok clearly wasn't used to the compliments Nate always gave to his pokémon, him idly sharpening his claws was always a sign of embarrassment.

"Hey, are you…? I think I recognize you!" A young woman with a look of amazement showed up in front of him. "I watched your battle with Elesa at her gym and I swore I saw you somewhere else before, were you in a movie by any chance?"

"Just one," Nate held up a finger.

"I knew it!" She pointed at him squarely. "You were the 'Riolu-Kid,' right?"

"Yeah, I was! How'd you recognize me?"

"It's because of your hair, b-but in a good way!" She stammered at the end. "It stands out from everyone else."

"My hair refuses to be combed down," Nate patted the top of his head. "I'm glad people like it this way."

"Is it ok if I can get a selfie?" The woman pulled a phone out of her purse. "My friends are gonna be so jealous of me when they see it!"

Humoring her, Nate made a "v" shape with his fingers and smiled at the camera beside the woman, and with a snap from her phone, she took the picture.

"Thank you!" She beamed at the photo on the screen. "Hey, where's your riolu by the way? I thought he was your partner."

"I'm friends with him, but he's not my pokémon. Ha- Riolu is an actor for Pokéstar Studios, you probably saw him in another movie. Did you watch 'Full Metal Cop?'"

"I don't think I have, is it out?"

"It should still be in theaters, I watched it a few days ago and it was really fun."

Nate knew the importance of training to have the best pokémon team, but he knew that doing it constantly wasn't healthy, he needed to give himself and his pokémon a break every once in a while. Following his belief, they spent a few days enjoying everything that Nimbasa had to offer like the roller coasters from the previous Nimbasa Gym and the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel.

It was when they passed by a theater and saw the movie poster for "Full Metal Cop," that Nate made a full stop in his tracks. The image of Brycen the Hero and Harper the Riolu Partner walking in front of an explosion immediately caught his eyes, making him pay for tickets soon after to watch with his team.

"I'll have to watch it then, especially since it's coming from you! I do have to ask though, is there gonna be another 'Riolu-Kid' movie?"

Nate shrugged his shoulders. "If there's going to be one, it's gotta be after I become the Unovan Champion."

"Good luck, then! I wanna see the movie continue, it's way too short for something good!" The woman waved goodbye, Nate returning in response.

"Kror, kroko?" Krokorok tugged Nate's jacket.

Nate looked at Krokorok. "You're also curious about the next 'Riolu-Kid' movie?"

"Korro," he nodded. During their first night at the Nimbasa Pokémon Center, Nate showed Krokorok the DVD copy he received from Mr. Stu Deeoh's mail at Castelia City. Servine and Flaaffy had watched it earlier, but that didn't stop them from rewatching it on the provided TV, all of them hooked onto the screen and its flashing effects.

He didn't tell Krokorok about the true identity of the riolu on screen though, and he didn't think his other pokémon did either. It was a matter of privacy and the promise he made to him. If Harper wanted to tell someone his origins, he would, just like how he chose Nate to be the first to know.

"I mean, Krokorok, there's nothing much to say other than what I told the lady just now. They might make another without me, but I kinda wish they didn't. Acting with Riolu was fun, and I wanna introduce you to him as well. We'll go to Pokéstar Studios one day, ok? The owner of Pokéstar, Mr. Stu Deeoh, said we're more than welcome to come back."

Krokorok gave a short, deep rumble in his chest, then pointed at one of Nate's bag pockets where he kept his badge case.

"Hmm? You wanna look at it? Here you go," he took the case out and unlatched its hook, revealing the four badges he earned, each one shining brightly under the sunlight. Nate always made sure to keep them in pristine condition every night, he would only ever earn one of each in his entire career as a trainer after all.

Krokorok pointed at the Bolt Badge, their most recent victory. "Koror, krokork."

"That's the badge we earned from Elesa, did you want to talk about her?"

Krokorok nodded and then pointed in the direction where the woman Nate talked with left.

"That lady and Elesa? What about them?"

"Krok, krork," He threw two air punches before looking back at Nate.

"Are… are you asking about Riolu?" Nate's understanding of his pokémon through charades was getting better.

Krokorok nodded, curious to know about his relation with the Fighting-type.

"I don't know why Elesa wanted Riolu to be a runway model for her," Nate clasped his badge case together and inserted it in his bag. "That was a weird thing to ask almost immediately after we won her badge."

"That's a shame," Elesa pouted. "Brycen said 'no' to me as well. It was worth a shot though, I really wanted a pokémon actor on my catwalk. Imagine if you and Riolu showcased my male fashion here!"

~If she personally asked Brycen for Harper, does she know about him? Wait, does that mean all the Gym Leaders know about him? I hope the next Gym Leader, Clay, doesn't ask for anything.~

"What the hell are you up to here, huh?! Answer me!" Breaking Nate's focus, he heard a familiar voice around the corner, close to the route gate.

"Let's move, Krokorok. I think I know who it was that said that," Nate began running at a brisk pace with Krokorok keeping up to his speed. With a turn around the corner, they saw his rival, Hugh, yelling at a group of… damn it, Team Neo Plasma members. There were four of them standing near the gate, disturbing the public with their presence alone. One of the grunts noticed Nate around the corner. He could practically see a bulged vein on his forehead for some reason.

"There you are!" He angrily pointed at Nate. "I've been wondering when you'd show up after this brat started yelling at us!"

"Nate!" Hugh smiled from his presence. "Help me with these thieves, they're blocking my way to the drawbridge!"

"Who are you?" Nate stood beside his friend. "All you grunts look the same with your weird uniforms and face covers."

"You fucking with me?! I'm the one from that damn ranch and the Virbank Port!"

"The… the one with the patrat?" Nate recalled his previous encounters with Team Neo Plasma.

"Yeah! And it's fully evolved and ready to take you down!" The grunt grabbed his pokéball and threw it to the floor, releasing the patrat's next evolution, Watchog.

"You ready for a battle, Krokorok?" Nate smirked at the croc, who flashed a toothy grin and angled his claws forward, ready to strike.

"You!" The Watchog grunt swiveled his head to the grunt behind him, somehow noticing her reaching for her pokéball. "Don't help me, I want to beat him alone."

"Your loss," she sighed, taking a step back. "When you lose, I'm beating this kid up."

"You handle those two, Nate! I'll deal with the other two myself!" Hugh released Pignite, the fire pig snorted small flames from his nostrils, intimidating his opponents. "Get ready to feel my rage, you Plasma thieves!"

"So, you're not gonna use your riolu?" The grunt smirked at Nate. "Where is he by the way? I've dreamed of stealing him since our last match."

"Away from crooks like you! Use Bite!" Nate commanded as Krokorok's mouth darkened with Dark TE. With bared and powered teeth, he lunged at Watchog, rushing directly forwards at the Normal-type.

"Get out of the way!" The grunt threw his arms sideways as Watchog hesitated for a moment before sidestepping to the right, narrowly missing Krokorok's Bite. With a loud snap, the bite force of the attack rang in everyone's ears, making it known that he missed. Nate swore that he saw Watchog break a nervous sweat.

"Why the hell are you scared? Hit Krokorok with a Tackle, now!" The grunt commanded Watchog to override its fear and rush in, striking his body against Krokorok. The blunt force wasn't strong enough to knock him over, but the damage could be seen where the impact occurred. A faint bruise formed on Krokorok's side, it was wide but it didn't look too concerning. He was fine, and Nate couldn't waste time to ask if he was alright anyways.

"Use Sand Attack!" Krokorok stomped on the ground and created sand particles around him. He swiped his tail at Watchog's leering eyes and the opponent growled in pain.

"W-Wipe the sand off your eyes already, dammit!" Watchog rubbed its paws on its face, getting each speck off.

"Hit him with a Low Sweep!" Nate shouted as the grunt stood flustered.

"Crap, use Hyper Fang on his tail!" The grunt leered at Nate like his pokémon.

Krokorok lashed his tail by spinning his entire body around as Watchog's mouth opened wide, its buck teeth growing larger. The two moves collided, but Watchog's Hyper Fang landed harder, and the pokémon made its intent clear on never letting go. Nate couldn't hesitate at his pokémon cry in pain, not at a serious battle like this. If he did then the enemy would strike again, they weren't the type to fight fairly, and so shouldn't he. Not giving the opponent more time to follow up, he shouted another command.

"Mud-Slap! While Watchog's close!" With the essence of wet earth forming at Krokorok's claws, he whacked Watchog's face, smearing mud over its eyes. The Normal-type growled in frustration as it knelt on the floor, trying to wipe the after-effects of the move off its face.

"Get back up! NOW! I'm not losing to this kid a third time!"

"Smack Watchog down with a Take Down! Don't waste this opportunity!"

Without a second thought, Krokorok grabbed Watchog's back and hugged tightly before lifting him in the air. Watchog flailed around, unable to hit Krokorok with its short arms and legs. A moment later, Krokorok slammed it down to the ground in a suplex, damaging them both as they fell to the floor. The collision of Watchog's head on the concrete ground rendered the pokémon unconscious. With stumbled legs, Krokorok got back up, grinning over its victory well-earned.

"I-I… wha… what the fuck!" The grunt stammered at the sight of his unmoving pokémon. "You have got to be kidding me! I lost that quickly?!"

"Yeah, you dumbass, now shut up," the Plasma member who was waiting behind him pushed him away. "Get your pokémon away from here, it's my turn now."

"T-this isn't over, alright?!" The grunt recalled Watchog and stepped away from the battle. "Just wait till you-"

"Didn't I say to shut up?!" His lips sealed tight instantly as the other grunt faced Nate. "Hope you still have the energy to fight me, this Trubbish I stole is pretty strong."

"You did great, Krokorok. Let's have another teammate handle this now," Nate pulled out his pokéball and summoned him back in. Grabbing another pokéball, he threw it in the air and released Flaaffy. The Electric-type ruffled the wool on her head and neck, releasing the electrical and muscle tension on her body. She shot a nasty glare at the new Neo Plasma member in front of her, ready for battle.

"Seems like you're eager to lose. Let me help you then, Trubbish, go!" With a toss of her pokéball, a Trubbish materialized in front of her. Its stench was made known to everyone in its vicinity, even the other battle that Hugh was occupied in halted for a moment at the scent. Nate plugged his nose and waved his hands back and forth. Flaaffy brought her paws to her face in a similar fashion.

"Unbearable, isn't it? With the amount of Black Sludge I've been feeding it, it's the smelliest Trubbish in all of Unova, even smellier than garbodor!"

"Your tricks won't work against us! Flaaffy, use Cotton Spore to block your nose!"

Eager to not smell anything, Flaaffy's wool expanded and flew off of her body with pieces scattering around the area. The Electric-type grabbed two small pieces at foot's length and stuffed them in her nose like tissues.

"Tch, how convenient of you, but I'll just melt them away with poison! Trubbish, use Acid Spray!" The trash pokémon closed its usually gaping mouth, and its cheeks slowly bulged outward before spritzing purple muck in Flaaffy's direction.

"Run!" Nate pointed away from the Trubbish's attack. "Keep running until it runs out in its mouth!"

Flaaffy dashed around Trubbish in a circle, gradually moving away to gauge the distance it could shoot. Only flecks of poison nicked her legs, but it was too little to cause considerable damage. No matter how quick Trubbish was turning around like a sprinkler, Flaaffy was much faster. With the amount of wool off of her body since her evolution, her speed got better, and it was only going to get better with her next evolution when it came.

"Shoot Thunder Shocks while you're running!" Charging electricity in her hands, she threw bolts at the Trubbish spinning in place. Due to moving around at top speed while shooting Thunder Shock, some miss and hit the opponent's general area, but not the pokémon itself.

"Nice try, but you're gonna have to aim better! Use Toxic Spikes!" The grunt yelled. Nate knew she was trying to hinder Flaaffy's path with more poison, and he wasn't going to let that happen.

"Use Thunder Wave! Stun that Trubbish!" Ripples of electricity pulsed towards the Poison-type. Distracted from charging its own move, it couldn't dodge in time and the move successfully hit Trubbish, causing it to jolt and twitch its arms and face.

"Shit! Use something, anything!" With her plans ruined, the first one incapacitating everyone through smell and the other by stopping them with toxic spikes, the grunt looked like she was at the end of the rope.

"The hell do you mean by 'use anything?!'" The watchog grunt badgered. "Beat him up already!"

"Did you already forget what I said earlier? SHUT UP!" She fumed, turning to the weaker grunt in a fury. With his opponent distracted from the battle, Nate gave his final command.

"Flaaffy! Finish this with an Electro Ball!" Cupping her front paws together, what started with a single spark soon grew into a large sphere of pure electrical energy. With a loud bang, the move accelerated towards Trubbish, the Electro Ball exploded in a flurry of sparks and flickers, knocking it down.

"Wha… T-Trubbish! How did it get knocked down?"

"You just had to look away from our fight. I saw an opportunity and I took it, can you blame me?" Nate asked smugly.

"You… you nasty fu-"

"Tell me where Purrloin is, NOW!" Hugh demanded one of the defeated grunts, Pignite punched his fist into a closed palm, intimidating them.

"W-We don't know, man!" One of them trembled in fear. "How are we supposed to know every pokémon we liberated?"

"Liberated?! DON'T USE THAT WORD! YOU MEAN 'STOLEN!'"

"We need to get out of here!" The Trubbish grunt ordered the others. An entire crowd had gathered around their battle, and some onlookers spoke into their phones, alerting the authorities. "Let's go before the cops show up!"

With hastened footwork, all the Team Neo Plasma hurriedly ran away in the opposite direction of the gate and into the back alleys of Nimbasa City.

"DON'T YOU RUN AWAY!" Hugh was about to rush towards them before Nate placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hugh, don't. They'll get caught in no time, they're dumb enough to run into Nimbasa and not the other way out," Nate pointed towards the gate.

Hugh slumped his shoulders. "Y-You're right. I'll let them go, but just this once," He said through gnashed teeth. "I… I'm just getting tired of what they're doing. Every time I feel like I'm getting closer to an answer by beating them, it's just another step backward when they answer."

"You'll find Purrloin, you're not the only one who misses her."

"Sorry, I didn't even think about how you thought about her kidnapping. I really want her back for my sister."

"I know, but I don't think you'll get your answer from the grunts alone. How about we find one of the higher-ups? They gotta have some log where they track all their stolen pokémon, right?"

"Yeah, yeah! You're right!" Hugh brightened up in a flash. "Let's go to Driftveil City then! Maybe the Gym Leader, Clay, will know something!"

"Before we go, can we go back to the Pokémon Center?" Nate pointed a thumb behind his head. "Krokorok's pretty hurt and I wanna clean the all the poison off of Flaaffy. We should also alert Elesa if the authorities didn't already."

"Sure, and then we'll get the answers we've been looking for!" Hugh dashed in the center's direction. "C'mon, the last one there is a loser!"

Nate recalled Flaaffy back in her pokéball and followed his friend slash rival to the Pokémon Center. As they raced, a thought about Neo Plasma lingered in his head. He couldn't help but recall what the Lead Makeup Artist from Pokéstar, Layla, said about what happened two years ago.

"Two years ago, Team Plasma was spreading their message about the liberation of pokémon all around Unova. Pokéstar Studio wasn't safe either, mentioning that we were forcing pokémon to act in movies."

Under the guise of protecting pokemons' rights, they fought against Pokéstar Studios, who were in the moral right. They asked permission from trainers and their pokémon before filming, there was nothing wrong with asking for consent. Now, with the more aggressive Neo Plasma, going so far as to admit their wrongdoings, what was stopping them from going against the studios again? Their actions were further reaching then just hindering his goal to be a Unovan Champion, people and pokemon who didn't even battle would be affected.

Similar to Hugh, he wouldn't let this slide.