The advice Harper offered clearly inspired Zorro and Eve, as the day unfolded smoothly without any significant hiccups. They also made great strides in completing the third episode, with just the epilogue remaining to wrap up, just as they had done with their previous episodes.
Right now, Harper and Beartic were in the observatory set, waiting for the camera crew to finish their rearrangement of the cameras. Zorro and Eve were with their trainers in the back alongside Bianca to watch the final section of the day be filmed.
As Harper went over the dialogue one final time, he saw Beartic idly play around with a prop of a telescope, revolving it around in circles on its tripod.
“Have I told you how fun acting in these epilogues are?” The polar bear grinned, placing a paw on the top, stopping it spinning in place. “I look forward to acting in these more than acting in the episode itself.”
“I think this is the billionth time you told me,” Harper replied dryly, his eyes flicking upward at the boom pole dangling from high above. “Maybe the billionth-and-oneth time.”
Beartic chuckled. “Right, I did, didn’t I? Well, I can't wait to see the final product when they finish those animated segments.”
“Like the one in the berry episode?” Harper asked, shifting his weight as he leaned against the set railing.
For the berry episode’s epilogue, they spoke their lines as they looked at the frame of a blackboard with a green screen inside. From the script Harper read, the animation was planned to depict a cartoon riolu dealing with different status conditions and getting healed by various kinds of berries to remind its uses to the viewer. For the epilogue they were going to act, it was now to reteach the effects weather had on pokémon.
“Yup, and this episode as well,” Beartic nodded before continuing. “Celine said that they don't have them animated yet, but we’ll see them by the time filming is over.”
At the mention of the director, Celine clapped her hands twice, drawing the attention of the cast and crew. “Are we all ready now?” she called out, her voice sharp and commanding. “If we are, this is the last scene we’ll be shooting tonight! If we get this in one take, we can all end early!”
With the film crew remotivated, all the lights flashed brightly onto the set. The cameras angled themselves to the center, facing Harper and Beartic.
“Time to have fun,” Beartic said with a smirk, rolling his shoulders and shaking off any lingering tension.
Harper returned a smile, ready to begin acting alongside the polar bear again.
Celine raised a megaphone to her mouth, her voice amplified as she called out, “Let’s do this, everyone. Action!”
----------------------------------------
The observatory was quiet, its walls adorned with notes, sketches, and diagrams meticulously pinned to various surfaces. Tundra and Luca wandered around the center of the room, their eyes scanning the array of drawings and writings.
“It sure is nice that Ranni let the two of us into her observatory for the night,” Tundra remarked, his gaze drifting across the charts and star maps. “We couldn’t find the time during the day for our own tour here.”
Luca nodded, trailing a paw along a line of annotated sketches. “Since she lives closer to the town square, we won’t be disturbing her past bedtime.”
As they explored, Tundra’s gaze landed on a table at the far end of the room. He approached it and picked up a drawing of a constellation.
“It seems that Ranni has an interest in observing the stars as much as the weather,” He mused, holding up the sketch.
Tundra then turned his attention to a large telescope nearby. Peering through the lens, he observed the night sky before looking back at Luca.
“Why don’t we look at them ourselves?” He suggested. “The sky is clear tonight thanks to Team Horizon. There are a few constellations I’d like to see.”
Luca gave a small sigh, failing to suppress a smile. “I guess I should help to entertain you, Guildmaster.”
The sky was a vast, dark expanse, glittering with countless stars. Through the telescope’s spherical lens, Tundra adjusted the angle every few seconds, taking in the celestial sights.
“Do you see that constellation over there?” Tundra directed his attention to the stars, his voice carrying a note of wonder. “It looks like a raincloud.”
A cluster of stars twinkled brighter, forming the shape of a cloud with tiny raindrops beneath it.
“Don’t these stars remind you of what Pepper and Hazel fixed today?” Tundra continued.
“If you mean the weather we all experienced, then yes,” Luca replied, his voice carrying a note of dry humor.
The raincloud constellation began to shift, its animated droplets falling onto a constellation of Pokémon. Some of the celestial creatures smiled while others frowned.
“The weather affects pokémon in different ways,” Tundra explained, his voice calm and instructive. “Rain strengthens the moves of Water-types and weakens Fire-types.”
The stars shifted again, forming a radiant sun that cast its glow onto the Pokémon constellations. The once-smiling Pokémon now frowned, while those that had frowned earlier were now smiling.
“It looks like the sad Pokémon from before are smiling now,” Luca observed.
Tundra nodded. “Under harsh sunlight, Fire-type pokémon grow stronger while Water-type pokémon become weaker.”
The stars rearranged themselves into a swirling depiction of a sandstorm. Tiny grains of celestial sand seemed to blow through the scene, causing the Pokémon constellations to cover their eyes.
“Sandstorms hurt pokémon and cause them to lose accuracy due to the sand affecting their vision,” Tundra continued his explanation. “But not Rock, Ground, or Steel-types—they can power through them.”
“My eyes were stinging when that sandstorm blew into the guild’s entrance,” Luca muttered, recalling the discomfort.
“That’s because you haven’t evolved into a Lucario yet,” Tundra replied with a slight smirk. “They’re part Steel-type, which you aren’t yet.”
The sandstorm settled, and the stars shifted again, forming a serene depiction of falling snow. The snow accumulated atop the shivering Pokémon constellations.
“Snow is unique as it also hurts pokémon,” Tundra noted. “But it also increases the defenses of Ice-types because of their affinity for cold temperatures.”
“Hail does something similar,” Luca added. “Though it’s a far rarer occurrence here in Sonamu Town.”
“You’re right, Luca,” Tundra agreed. “And we should be thankful it didn’t occur during that storm. I can’t even imagine the extra damage it might have caused.”
Tundra leaned back from the telescope, stretching as he rose to his full height.
“Well,” he said with a satisfied sigh, “I can see why Ranni enjoys stargazing so much.”
Luca glanced at him, a touch of curiosity in his voice. “Are stars usually that… lively?”
Tundra only shrugged in response. The two Pokémon turned their attention back to the sky, now gazing through the glass dome above them as the stars shimmered brightly down onto them.
----------------------------------------
“Cut!”
Harper loosened his shoulders, finally letting go of the stoic position he had been holding. He didn't see himself as someone who could be bureaucratic or stern, but that’s what acting was all about, being someone you weren't.
“Nice work, kid,” Beartic gave a single pat on Harper’s head. “You're a natural at this.”
“Thanks,” Harper gave a small grin, still not used to receiving such direct praise. “Now we’ve gotta do five more of these ‘epilogues.’ The last two episodes feel like a blur…”
“It sounds as if you want more. So do I, kid. So do I…”
As Harper elbowed Beartic’s leg with amusement, he noticed Eve making her way towards him without Zorro at her side. He briefly glanced over at the twins, where the poochyena was still with them. It was an odd sight to see, as they were usually together, even with their sibling-like relationship.
“Hey Eve, what’s up?” Harper approached the eevee. “Something you need from me?”
“Can… Can we have that training tonight?” The eevee asked with optimism. “The Director said we’re done now and it’s not night time yet, so…”
Harper remembered the promise he made to her after his spar with Zorro and nodded.
“Sure, let’s go tell them about it. I’m sure they won't mind.”
“I’ll tell Brycen that you'll be with Eve when he gets back,” Beartic then began rubbing his icy beard with concern. “He should've been back some time ago…”
“Maybe Brycen's taking his time coming back?” Harper wondered. “He doesn't get time away like this every now and then.”
“I’d think that to be the case if it weren’t for the other matter he attended to…” Beartic muttered, his concern deepening.
“What are you talking abou—” Harper began, but he was interrupted as the exit door of the soundstage suddenly slammed open.
Brycen stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable but heavy with purpose. Harper was glad to see the veteran actor back from his trip, but that joy was short-lived the moment he saw the man’s face.
Harper viewed Brycen to be a stoic, yet compassionate person. Someone willing to help despite how strict it can be. Despite being cold like ice, there were times that the former Gym Leader expressed moments of warmth.
Harper couldn’t see that now.
|[Disquietude]|
And Harper certainly didn't feel it either.
“Beartic, Harper, come with me now,” Brycen ordered, his voice clipped and serious. “I want to talk in private.”
“I guess that training with Eve is going to have to wait till tomorrow,” Beartic turned to Harper, a foreboding sense grew as he spoke. “Sounds like we might need the rest of the night to ourselves.”
“Beartic, what’s going on?” Harper asked, his confusion growing.
“Brycen will explain it, but we need to go now,” Beartic replied firmly.
While Harper couldn’t understand what was going on right now, he felt a bit disappointed that he couldn’t help Eve now. Still, it wasn’t that he outright canceled it, but rather only delayed it.
“We’ll have to do what Beartic said, ok?” Harper reassured the eevee, trying to apologize at the same time. “If I remember correctly, we have tons of time tomorrow according to our call sheets.”
“Ok…” Eve’s ears drooped as she walked to her trainer. Claire and everyone else stared in silence at Brycen’s sudden arrival.
Feeling guilty, Harper quickly caught up with Beartic and left the soundstage with Brycen, the two remaining silent through their walk to their van. Harper and Brycen entered the vehicle as Beartic lingered outside, peering in through the open window. The two sat down together on the sofa, the atmosphere since leaving the soundstage had remained unchanged, and he doubted it was going to get better any time soon.
With a deep breath in and out, Brycen began to talk.
“I would first like to apologize for leaving without warning. I told Beartic about my plan to leave for the ranch for the day and I assume he told you long after my departure.”
“I— yeah, it’s ok,” Harper answered with uncertainty. “I still don't get what's going on…”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“My reasoning about visiting the ranch owners to thank them for helping you recover was only half of the truth,” Brycen admitted, reaching into his pocket and keeping his hand in. “After giving my thanks, I requested their help in finding where you first appeared in order to find any clues about your amnesia.”
Brycen withdrew his hand slowly and placed the item in front of them on the table.
“Harper, I have found an item that may be of significance to you, but I want you to be aware that it might cause you to have a panic attack. Do you feel ready to see it?” he asked gently.
Harper froze in place, only realizing what Brycen had done all day just now. He went all the way to the ranch and to the forest where he first appeared in Unova. From the hysteria and disbelief that Harper was under at the time, he wasn’t aware of the fact that he brought anything with him when he died…
When he died…
He DiEd…
HE DI—
Harper suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to Brycen.
“Take a deep breath,” Brycen soothed him. “If you would like to see this later, you may.”
Harper followed his advice, taking one deep breath at a time to steady his nerves. After a few moments, he felt ready to move forward.
“I… I want to see it.”
Understanding Harper’s newfound resolve, Brycen slowly slid his hand out and placed the item in front of them on the table.
Although it was damaged and discolored, Harper immediately recognized his own wallet.
“H-How…?” Harper whispered, his voice barely audible.
“With the aid of a local Ranger, I found this near where the ranch owner’s herdiers first found you in a pond—” Brycen explained, taking out a misshapen card from his pocket soon after. “—Inside was a single card, but with how deformed it has become, reading it is a difficult task.”
Shakily, Harper took the card and held it closer to himself. Even though it was disfigured, he recognized every part of it. After using it for years, it was hard not to recall each aspect; the golden bear with a star at the top-right corner, the state he lived in written in a large, barely-illegitimate font, and the burnt photo of a tired man staring back.
This was his California ID.
His thoughts raced, how did this get here? There was nothing that the explosion brought with him when he woke up in that forest. If his wallet was brought over, then was there anything else that came over? If that were true, then how did that explosion bring him here in the first place? Was his body transformed into a riolu? It must’ve been because his scar still existed, but how in the world did that transfer over?
Why wasn’t anything making sense?
Why couldn’t he get any answers?
Why can’t this be any MORE simple?
WHY CAN’T—
“—ey kid?” Beartic’s voice cut through Harper’s spiraling thoughts. “You ok? You were sitting real still there.”
Harper blinked twice, suddenly aware of his surroundings. “I— Sorry, I don’t know…”
Things had been going so well for him, but a cruel reminder of his past had to show up. It also didn’t help that he had to lie about his identity up to this point. With how long he’d kept up with his excuse about having retrograde amnesia, it was much too late to make things right. Harper was still nervous to an extreme about revealing himself, because if he did, what consequences would happen?
He lied to the entirety of Pokéstar Studios, to the foundation of filmography of Unova.
He lied to Audrey and Ripley, the Coordination Duo that dreamed big despite regional setbacks, and achieved them regardless.
He lied to Zorro and Eve, two young pokémon with true, genuine talent that looked up to a fraud.
He lied to Brycen, the man who accepted him into his team unconditionally with the intent for the both of them to become better together.
He lied to Beartic, a pokémon who Harper couldn’t tell him in the face that he now saw him as a father figure. He was a pokémon who had done nothing but help, and Harper did nothing in return.
Harper looked up from his ID card and met his eyes with Brycen and Beartic’s, who had been waiting patiently for his response. He placed the card down as another thought entered his mind.
~What… What if things ended better after I told the truth?~
If Nate accepted the truth from him after some explaining, wouldn’t Beartic and Brycen understand as well? Harper never intended to hurt anyone with his lies, but he knew the worry that hung on their psyche because he could feel it every time Harper had his… episodes.
They went out of their way so many times to help him… even going so far as to find his ID and wallet. If Harper continued to hide himself away, it would only make him feel worse that their search to recover his memories were being wasted.
Up till now, Harper had never felt ready to explain everything, but would he ever? They had the right to know from the moment they brought him into the studio with welcome arms. Harper only had tunnel vision of the aftereffects that negatively brewed in his head, and he was now seeing this situation in a new perspective.
While he grew more confident to explain his story, now wasn't a good time. Harper willed himself to tell them everything once the show was over. He was certain to do so.
*Can I wait to explain? I don’t think I’m ready yet,* Harper showed his whiteboard and read it aloud for Beartic, his voice wavering.
“Does that mean that you recovered your memories?” Brycen raised an eyebrow.
“If so, how much have you recovered?” Beartic followed up, leaning forward with concern.
Harper glanced down to the floor. “It’s… complicated. I just need time to prepare myself,” He admitted softly. After a moment, he met their gazes again, his expression earnest. “Can you wait just a bit longer? At least until the show ends…” He asked, a hint of vulnerability in his voice as he showed his whiteboard to Brycen.
The two actors exchanged a glance with one another, an unspoken understanding passing between them. Their expressions shifted subtly before they turned back to Harper, the weight of their silent communication still hanging in the air.
“Take your time, Harper,” Brycen affirmed with calm and reassurance. “I’m sure that you will tell us. The both of us are glad to see that you have recovered.”
“He’s right, it’s been a long time coming,” Beartic added with a warm smile. “We’re here for you, ok?”
|[Reassurance]|
The emotion flowed out from the two, and for the first time in a while, Harper felt the same down to his core. The underlying stress he’d been holding inside had finally eased enough to allow him to take a full, unencumbered breath, as though the weight on his shoulders had momentarily lifted.
~I… I should’ve done this sooner…~
----------------------------------------
The faint rumble of the nearby highway filled Harper's ears as he drove down the streets of Los Angeles, his car’s headlights shone on the faded billboards and walls laden with graffiti. His fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, the sting of failure sharp and familiar.
Another audition, another rejection.
Some time later, Harper finally pulled into the driveway of his house. He slumped into his seat after cutting the engine off. With a long sigh, he opened the compartment in the front of the passenger seat and grabbed his spiral planner. He flipped the pages to today’s date. “Audition – 8 PM” was neatly written in black ink, and without hesitation, he drew a sharp line through it. The pen scratch joined the numerous other scratched out auditions he attended in the past weeks and months. They were all crossed out with the same ink, and the same dream became harder to reach each time.
Dragging himself out of the car, Harper stepped into the house. The living room lights were on and a faint yellow glow shone into the hall. He didn’t need to guess who was waiting for him.
“Another one, huh?” His mother huffed, sitting on the couch with a newspaper folded neatly in her lap. “I found a few job listings. Local, stable work. You should take a look.” She held the paper out to him, not even waiting for a response from him.
Harper ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it in frustration from her attempt yet again. “I don’t need this tonight, Mom.”
“You don’t need it any night, Harper,” She countered, her voice rising. “But you can’t keep pretending this is going to work out. You’ve given way too much of your life into this—look where it’s gotten you!”
“I don’t need you controlling every part of my life!” He snapped, a groan slipping out soon after.
Her jaw tightened, setting the newspaper down with deliberate calm. “You think I’m controlling? I’m trying to save you. Your father—he died in that business. That parasitic industry chews people up and spits them out. He gave everything for it, and look where it left him—where it left us.”
“That’s not fair,” Harper growled, stepping closer. “Don’t you dare describe it like that.”
“It’s the truth,” She pressed on with anger and grief rising in her voice. “Your father died with nothing to his name. He was barely rewarded for his work beyond his name in some stupid movie end credits. That’s how they treat people like him—like you! And you’re going to end up the same way.”
Harper clenched his fists. “You think Dad would want me to give up? He believed in me, Mom. He would want me to make something of myself, to make him proud.”
Her face twisted with frustration, tears threatening to spill. “He’d want you alive, Harper! Not chasing a dream that’s already broken this family!”
The resounding silence in the room rang between the two for what seemed like hours, both spoken and unspoken words between them stuck like glue.
Finally, Harper broke the silence.
He had enough of this.
The constant arguments, the harsh disdain of his dream, the mother he knew as a child was long gone.
“You know what? I’m done. I’m done fighting with you, trying to make you understand. I’ll leave. And I’m not coming back until I’ve proven you wrong.”
With a voice cold as steel, she gave her final opinion. “Fine, don’t come running back when you realize how wrong you are. If you walk out that door, you’re on your own.”
“Good,” Harper spat back. He grabbed his keys from the counter and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
With forceful steps to release the stress, he threw himself into his car and tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning into a shade of white. He gave one last look at the house he once called home. What used to be foreign and unwelcoming since his father’s death, now became a completely different and alien world.
Harper thought about the logistics—where he’d live now, how he’d move his things, whether he’d need to sleep in his car.
Likely. At least for tonight.
The drive around Los Angeles felt like a blur in Harper's mind. The city’s lights melded and meshed with the constant hum of traffic. Wailing sirens sliced through the noises of car horns while the clatter of construction echoed on the clustered roads and buildings.
Despite the mental static, he had driven himself to the Griffith Observatory like he did every other night. Harper stepped out of the car, his body heavy with exhaustion and frustration. The wind blowing up the hillside brushed against his face. For a moment, he just stood there, leaning against the car door, his eyes tracing the patterns of the city lights.
Each one of those dots represented a life—millions of people in a cluttered space, chasing for their dream that grew meaningless the longer he stared. He wandered up the path to the observatory’s overlook and rested his forearms against the railing, staring out at the city below.
The view was breathtaking everytime. It was the kind of view that usually brought a sense of relief after a long day. Tonight though, Harper felt nothing but the weight of his failures. The auditions he’d scratched out in his planner, the hollow arguments with his mother, the growing realization that he had nowhere to go—it all pressed down on him like an anchor.
He let out a bitter laugh, only to mutter at himself soon after. “All of this… and I’m still no closer to making it.”
~What would dad say if he were here?~
The thought surfaced and the guilt struck hard soon after. Harper could almost hear his father’s voice, telling him to keep going and to push through the setbacks. But then came his mother’s voice, sharp and cutting, echoing in his mind and arguing back.
He opened his eyes, but the city below blurred as tears welled up. He blinked them away quickly and glanced around to make sure no one had noticed. The observatory wasn’t crowded this late, but the few people around didn’t pay him any attention.
Harper tilted his head back to look at the stars. Despite the light pollution of the city making them shine faintly, they were still visible. He let his gaze drift until his eyes settled on one particularly bright star, childishly wishing upon it like it would do anything to help.
“I just need one chance to make it,” He whispered. “Just one.”
He closed his eyes again, letting himself wallow in the silence.
Without warning, Everything changed. The cool air of the night had vanished, replaced by a suffocating heat. Harper lost his balance from the railing suddenly disappearing underneath his arms and fell face first into softer ground.
Regaining his footing and opening his eyes, what used to be concrete now appeared to be changed into sand.
Harper got back onto two feet and stared far into the horizon.
He was in a desert.
The sand crunched beneath his shoes as he turned in place, his heart racing. The air felt suffocating, almost like the oxygen was being sucked out of the open space by something all consuming. Panic instinctively rose up in his chest, the hairs on the back of his neck rising.
When he made a full rotation in place, he came face-to-face with a massive military tank. Familiar rectangular devices stuck all around the metal vehicle, emitting a distant repetitive beep.
“No, no no no,” Harper whispered, taking a step back, but no new distance was made between the tank and himself. He didn’t know how he’d gotten here, but everything here was unmistakable. It was that day.
“SIR NO DON'T PUSH THE BUTTON!”
The explosion came before he could react. The tank exploded and the blast tore through him, sending flames and debris hurtling at his body. Harper instinctively raised his arms, but it was too late. The force of the explosion hit him with full force, and Har—
----------------------------------------
—per jolted awake, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he propped himself up on the sofa bed. His eyes scanned the room, desperately trying to ground himself back to reality. Eventually, he managed to calm himself down without waking Brycen and Beartic up, his heart gradually stopped racing with each breath.
A sense of frustration filled Harper in that the memory of his last conversation with his mother resurfaced in his dreams. The memories before he became a Key Grip weren't pleasant to remember, but so was every other memory after.
Maybe his regrets for his mother wouldn’t go away for now, but he’d be able to finally move on once he explained everything to Beartic and Brycen. Once they hopefully understood and accepted him, he wouldn’t emotionally feel alone.
His eyes now quickly adjusted to the darkness, Harper glanced over at the veteran actor who lay stationery in his bed, his chest slowly rising and falling underneath the blanket. On the table beside him, the clock read to be past midnight. A few hours had passed since Harper fell asleep, and now he was too wide awake to go back.
~Great,~ He silently groaned as he dragged his paws down his face. ~How do I sleep now…~
That's when he realized that Beartic's pokéball, resting comfortably beside the door, was wide open. Harper stood on his sofa bed and peeked outside the window, unable to find the polar bear in sight.
“Where did he go?” Harper whispered to himself, sitting back down. “Is he outside?”
With no other plan to follow, he decided to go find the Ice-type. Harper needed some fresh air and was also curious as to where Beartic went, might as well kill two birds with one stone.
~Or as I heard people say it here; Two pidgeys with Rock Thro— That doesn’t even sound right… God, Pokémon World idioms are weird…~
Pushing aside his blanket slash Brycen's kimono, Harper quietly slipped off the sofa bed and crept toward the door. He carefully turned the handle, making sure it wouldn’t click, before stepping outside into the parking lot, sitting down for a moment on the van’s steps.
He gazed upon the stars like he did in the show’s epilogue and when he was at the Griffith Observatory in his past life. He still wished to be there to see the cityscape one last time, but that feeling was beginning to waver now.
If he were ever to travel around Unova, he’d be sure to find something better.