A week had passed since the final editing for the test screening of the PMD TV show had been completed. The production team had been busy with post-processing, leaving Harper and the others with more time to focus on training. The days had been long and grueling, but at least they ended with a well-deserved meal.

  Harper sat together with Zorro, Eve, and Beartic in the cafeteria, enjoying the cool blast of air conditioning after enduring the sudden stifling heat outside all day. The sun had been relentless, making even the shaded areas of Pokéstar Studios feel like an oven. Now, taking a well deserved break, the group relished their time doing nothing inside after all that training.

  Brycen, Bianca, and the twins were absent because they were in a meeting with Professor Juniper discussing her upcoming arrival. Upon realizing that the session would likely be a tedious round of discussions among adults, Zorro chose to train with Harper and Beartic. At the same time, Eve decided to sit back and observe. Harper found it mildly amusing to see Caleb and Claire attempting to sneak out of the conference room, only for Bianca to catch them by their shoulders with a steel grip, as Professor Juniper had requested their attendance.

  “I swear, I was about to pass out before we even started sparring…” Zorro groaned, resting his head on the table. His fur was still damp from the ice-cold water from a nearby set he had jumped into earlier. “How do you even function with all that fluff?” He pointed a paw at Eve.

  Eve flicked her ear, unbothered. “It’s called ‘not complaining about it,’” she scoffed with amusement, digging a berry into a poképuff before taking a clean bite. “Just try to ignore the heat and you’ll be fine.”

  Harper smirked as Zorro mouthed the word ‘how’ before slumping his head on the table again, clearly too tired to argue. The poochyena had every right to be exhausted—earlier, he had his first spar against Beartic after training with Harper, and the outcome had been exactly what he expected. Zorro didn’t stand a chance.

  The poochyena’s skills had improved since training began, but the gap between him and Harper was still noticeable. Against Beartic, however, that gap became a chasm. Every attack Zorro threw had been met with effortless deflections and counters, and by the end he was left sprawled on the floor, panting while Beartic barely looked winded.

  Harper stirred his food idly, his mind drifting back to his own struggles with Counter. He absentmindedly traced a claw over the scar on his chest, where Beartic had once demonstrated the move at full force. Even now, he couldn’t quite wrap his head around how the polar bear managed to turn the opponent’s strength against them so smoothly. No matter how many times he watched or attempted it himself, something wasn’t clicking.

  He tried his best not to worry too much about it. Learning new moves wasn’t going to be easy every time, with Vacuum Wave being a good example. He wasn’t under a deadline, and with whatever production for a movie being far away, Harper had plenty of time to learn Counter.

  “Is Counter still on your mind?” Beartic asked, noticing Harper’s silence.

  Harper slightly flinched, not expecting him to catch onto his frustration so easily.

  “It is. You saw how I tried to counter Zorro’s Tackle during our spar, but he got a clean hit on me instead,” he muttered, ears twitching in irritation.

  “Don’t let it get to you too much, kid,” Beartic said with a reassuring nod. “Learning a unique move like my Counter is difficult enough, and you’re making great progress.”

  “I… I just wish I could do better,” Harper admitted, staring down at his paw before clenching it. His grip tightened as he looked up again. “I get it on paper, but I still don’t understand how my body is supposed to use the opponent’s power with my own.”

  Beartic pondered for a moment, stroking his chin. Then, he snapped his claws together as an idea came to him.

  “The simplest way to remember the move’s function is with the three R’s: Receive, Redirect, and Return,” he explained, gesturing with his paw. “Think of receiving the opponent’s attack like you’re being pushed—but instead of resisting, you continue the motion with a spin. That’s where ‘Redirect’ comes into play. You redirect the opponent’s attack through you with that spin, and then you ‘Return’ it with a punch.”

  Beartic tilted his head slightly, watching Harper’s reaction. “Did that help?”

  “Somewhat…” he mumbled, thankful yet still stuck in the same mental place as before. “I think I just need to practice more until I get it, complaining isn’t going to do anything. Do you think Brycen can help if I ask?”

  "He can definitely help with the movement aspects of it, so I think that's a good idea," Beartic nodded before his ear twitched toward the cafeteria doors, his head turning soon after. "Speaking of, it seems that he's here with Bianca."

  As Harper mulled over Beartic’s advice, the cafeteria doors swung open, drawing the group’s attention. Bianca strode in first, followed closely by Brycen.

  “There you all are,” Bianca said, placing her hands on her hips with a small smile. “I’m picking Zorro and Eve up to go to bed early. The test screening is happening first thing in the morning, and we need everyone at their best.”

  Zorro let out a long groan, slumping further against the table. "Aw, man… Do we have to?”

  “You should listen to her,” Beartic suggested with a knowing glance. “Seeing that Caleb and Claire aren’t here right now, I think they’ve already begun preparing for bed. You and Eve should follow suit.”

  Eve stretched lazily before hopping down from her seat. “I was going to do that anyway,” she said, flicking her tail. “I’d rather not look half-dead for the screening.”

  Harper watched as Zorro and Eve trotted off to Bianca’s side. He almost left his own seat to leave with Brycen before the Assistant Professor spoke again.

  “Professor Juniper wanted me to let you all know that she’s on her way tonight,” Bianca denoted. “She should arrive by morning, so we’ll get to watch the test screening together.”

  Harper tensed. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but Beartic noticed the way his paw clenched around the edge of his tray.

  “Well, I think that’s everything,” Bianca stated, stretching her arms into the air with weariness. “I’m feeling tired as well. I’ll see you three tomorrow!”

  Brycen gave a nod. “We’ll be heading out now.”

  “Bye, Mr. Harper!” Zorro and Eve waved goodbye in unison, the eevee waving much harder than the poochyena.

  As they exited the cafeteria, Harper walked slightly behind Beartic and Brycen, his mind racing. The thought of Professor Juniper arriving made his stomach twist uncomfortably, and his steps became more rigid the closer they got to their van.

  “You’ve been quiet,” Brycen remarked, glancing over at him. “Something on your mind?”

  Harper hesitated for a moment before sighing and writing a response. *It’s Juniper.*

  Brycen hummed in understanding. “Are you worried about what she might think about you?”

  Harper nodded.

  “You have nothing to worry about,” Brycen assured him, his tone calm yet firm. “I won’t let her do anything drastic.”

  Harper frowned slightly, puzzled by how certain Brycen sounded. He looked up at the man, searching for an answer in his expression, but Brycen remained unreadable.

  “…Alright,” Harper murmured with a single nod, holstering his whiteboard to the side, though his unease didn’t fade entirely.

  Harper couldn’t shake the feeling away that tomorrow was going to be much more exhausting than any of his training sessions prior.

  Harper tossed and turned on his sofa bed, struggling to find sleep on the sweltering night. The air was still, with not a single breeze coming through the open window, amplifying his discomfort. He shifted from one side to the other, his mind racing with thoughts, careful not to disturb Brycen, who was a notoriously light sleeper. As he lay there, the heat became unbearable, leaving him restless and yearning for a moment of cool relief. It had been an hour of shifting around at this point, and all he wanted was some sweet shut-eye.

  Even if it were cooler tonight, his nervousness about Professor Juniper arriving would've kept him up anyway. This was going to be another rare occasion where he got to meet a main figure from the games. From how Bianca talked about her, the Professor was excited to meet him upon her arrival, and that made him tense. By now, Professor Juniper definitely knew that he could write, so Harper had no reason to hide that from her. As long as he didn't accidentally reveal anything else when she arrived, he had little to worry about. He'd have to stay quiet if she asked any revealing questions, but he'd have to be careful with any other questions that he could answer.

  Fed up with the heat, Harper sat up and raised a paw, gripping his wrist with the other. He took a moment to compose himself, closing his eyes to envision the chilling sensation of ice in his fist. As he wasn’t directing his Ice Punch at anything specific, it held its form, steadily cooling the air around him. Little did he know, his Ice Punch was more than sufficient to lower the temperature inside the van. Frost began to form on the sofa bed, and the water bottles on the table were already feeling the effects of the sudden chill.

  Harper panicked and haphazardly stopped channeling Ice TE into his paw, ending Ice Punch’s formation. With his attempt at air conditioning now over, he sighed with relief as he slumped onto the back of the sofa.

  ~This is probably the only time I wish I was weaker…~ Harper thought to himself, shaking off the remaining ice off his arm. ~I guess Beartic was right, I’m getting stronger much faster than I’m realizing.~

  While the difference in experience and skill as a battling actor pokémon like Beartic and him were still wide, it didn't downplay any of his skills compared to the average pokémon his physical age. Hopefully, he would have a shot at being in a pokémon battle or two in the next film he was in, whatever it would be.

  Harper glanced around the dark inside of the van, noting that it was much cooler than he originally intended. Thankfully, Brycen hadn't noticed the temperature drop despite how lightly he slept, most likely because of how accustomed he was to Ice energy. Though he didn't mean to make it this cold, the chilliness was far more bearable than the initial heat. Where his fur made the heat unbearable was now much more pleasant. The chilled air now complemented his body heat, and it made it much easier for him to attempt to sleep.

  As long as he didn't continue to overthink Professor Juniper's arrival, that is.

  “Shh! Keep quiet…!” a voice hissed outside followed by a dull thud and a whimper in pain. “The last thing we want is to wake anyone up!”

  His eyes opened wide as his ears twitched and swiveled behind him before his head followed. Footsteps rubbed against the asphalt, growing louder as whoever was outside got closer. Voices echoing in the night weren’t uncommon as some film crew members stayed overnight due to outdoor night filming, though they never sounded this angry. Harper assumed their stress to be from overtime, he knew all too well about how cranky that could get anyone.

  With the inside of the van now modestly chilled and with the noise outside, Harper decided to shut the window for the night. After stifling a yawn with closed eyes, he got to his knees and grabbed the window handles, pulling them down and letting gravity do the rest.

  The window, however, abruptly stopped midway, waking Harper up from drifting off. Confused, Harper opened his eyes to see what stopped him from closing it.

  He came face to face with three masked men staring intently at him, one of them clutching the underside of the window up with gloved hands. The suddenness of seeing three absolute strangers up close froze him in disbelief, and he immediately regretted doing so when one of them spoke.

  “What are you waiting for?!” the man from the right hissed. “He’s right there! Grab him now!”

  Before Harper could react, the man in the middle snaked his arm around his waist, locking him into his clutch. The third member of their group quickly took out a small, white bag.

  “Hurry the fuck up and dump it before the mutt fights back!”

  The man with the bag hastily undid the knot and sloppily dumped its contents onto Harper's left body. He tried to hold his breath as it fell onto his face, hoping to avoid inhaling whatever they had released, but it was futile. The instant the fine powder settled, an unnerving tingling spread down his spine. At first, it felt like static electricity crackling across his limbs, but soon the sensation morphed into something far worse. His muscles stiffened suddenly as if invisible chains had snapped around him.

  Panic surged within Harper as his face twisted involuntarily in spasms, his body jerking uncontrollably with bursts of electrical charge. It was as if the strings of a marionette had been severed, leaving him in a chaotic dance. He struggled to call for help, desperate to scream for assistance, but no sound came through the jolts of electricity coursing through his muscles.

  “C’mon, let’s get out of here before anyone sees us!” One of the kidnappers hissed, pointing behind them. “Now we go back the same way we came!”

  “Can’t believe that we’re really stealing the same riolu from Full Metal Cop,” the man holding him breathed out. “Don’t worry, you’ll find better use for us than Pokéstar did now.”

  “N-No!” Harper stifled before his body painfully jolted.

  “Shut the fuck up!” one of the kidnappers yelled, slapping the man holding him across the face. “Stop dragging us down and keep quiet!”

  Harper squirmed in place, hoping for any sense of mobility to come up. They planned to steal him and it was working. His worst fears that he had come to terms with rose back up in the face of being stolen from all that he loved.

  Were they going to research him?

  Lock him away?

  Force every one of his secrets out?

  It didn’t matter what the end result would be. He would never be able to come back to Pokéstar Studios if they succeeded.

  With every step they took, he was getting farther away from Brycen and Beartic, his friends.

  His family.

  He lost his family once.

  He couldn't lose it again.

  With all the power he could muster, the only thing Harper found himself able to control was his right arm, the one spot that the kidnapper missed when they dumped the paralyzing substance on him. He felt his fist feebly clench at his command, but with how the rest of his body refused to listen, it made the simple action nearly impossible. Each digit on his paws struggled against the paralytic bind that held him captive. It drove his mind to fight even harder against the electrical haze that clouded his senses.

  The kidnapper that held onto him tightly was oblivious as Harper painstakingly charged up Fighting TE in the only limb he could still use, driven by sheer desperation. With each charge, the physical strain pulled him back, like taking two steps forward only to take one step back, but he was still pushing through. After much effort, he finally spread his digits wide and slammed his hand against the man’s arm. A loud crack echoed through the night, quickly followed by a piercing scream.

  Harper rag-dolled onto the floor, his face falling flat on the concrete as his body limped sideways. He watched as the kidnapper who held him dropped to his knees, holding his broken arm in pain. His arm bent horribly in a ninety-degree angle downward in the same direction his tears fell. His accomplices flinched in surprise when they turned around to see the both of them on the ground.

  “W-What the hell! Hey! The fuck happened?!” the man on the left shouted with unease. “Why’d you drop the riolu?!”

  “M-My ar— my arm!” the man he attacked stammered through his tears, fearing to touch the broken end.

  “Grab him with your other arm then, dammit!” the man on the right snarled.

  The injured man didn’t hear his associate. Instead, he fell onto his knees, and then onto the ground, gripping tightly against the base where Harper cleanly snapped the bone.

  “Mr. Green’s useless! We need to grab the riolu and go now!” the first kidnapper shouted at his partner in crime.

  “This is all your fault, Mr. Brown!” the second kidnapper snapped back, jabbing a finger on his chest. “I thought your Stun Spore was supposed to work!”

  “You didn't give me time to apply it properly!”

  “So now it’s my fault?!”

  “Why you—!”

  The two men continued to bicker with each other as Harper and the injured man remained on the floor, both fighting against their own pain. No matter how short of a distance he made by nudging his body on the ground, he wanted to get away from the men as far away as possible.

  "HARPER! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Brycen's voice thundered before the van's door slammed open. He had Beartic's pokéball prepped in hand, and his eyes darted around the lot before locking onto where he fell to the ground.

  “B-Brycen!” Harper gasped through his staggered breaths, jolting from the shocks. “H-Hel— HELP!”

  With full force, Brycen hurled the pokéball forward. After a click and a red flash of energy, Beartic materialized a few feet away from Harper as the kidnappers stood petrified.

  “Kid! You ok?!”

  “Beartic! I—” Harper’s face jerked in pain as another shock coursed through his body. “T-They—” he fell to the ground again, still trying to fight against the paralysis.

  “Shit! He’s here!” One of them let go of the other’s hair, wracking their head in distress. “Fuck fuck FUCK! How did we fuck this up?!”

  The polar bear slowly turned his head to the kidnappers as Brycen stood by his side. Beartic’s chest rumbled like an engine, revving up to snap at them with full force. The grunts took a frightened step back as Beartic snarled at them, his sharp teeth bared at them like an arsenal of weapons and the air frosting with his breath.

  Harper had never seen Beartic look so full of wrath.

  As soon as the polar bear took a step forward, the grunts panicked and scrambled to escape, abandoning their injured companion.

  "Oh no, you're not getting away from us!" Beartic shouted as he swiftly summoned Ice TE into his arms and slammed them to the ground. From the impacted area, the ice crept across the ground toward the backlot intersection where the two kidnappers were fleeing. The grunts lost their footing and slipped from the frozen asphalt as an ice wall shot up in front of them, blocking their path. Beartic swiftly followed up with additional walls of ice, sealing off the other two available escape routes, leaving only one option: to confront Beartic, Brycen, and Harper head-on.

  “Don’t. Move.” He growled at the kidnappers, not letting up with the ice on his arms.

  Harper managed to fight against the paralysis just enough to sit up a little by leaning on his right arm. Now that he had a better viewpoint on the kidnappers, he saw what they were wearing, and it looked all too similar.

  Including the man behind them who had fallen to the floor in pain from a broken arm, the intruders all wore black gear and masks to hide their faces. On their chest was a symbol Harper knew all too well.

  It was them: Team Neo Plasma.

  He didn’t know whether he should’ve expected them or not, but he had hoped to high heaven that he would never see them again.

  Brycen dashed to Harper’s side and quickly settled beside him. The seasoned actor gently lifted Harper's head, tilting it back. “I never thought I’d need this at Pokéstar Studios, but close your eyes,” he instructed as he uncapped a golden spray bottle.

  Harper shut his eyes as a light mist enveloped his face and body. In moments, the paralysis that had gripped him completely vanished.

  One of the grunts stared, dumbfounded. “Shit! He had a Full Heal?”

  “A former Gym Leader like myself would always have one on standby,” Brycen coldly answered as he helped Harper up into a more comfortable position. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked, carefully checking for any other injuries on his body.

  “N-No, they only stunned me,” Harper moved his muscles, the paralytic sensation now gone in his system. “I… I think I’m fine now.”

  Brycen turned his head to the Neo Plasma grunts and scowled with unfettered anger. “They won’t run away, I won’t let them. They dared to steal you away at our most vulnerable, and I won’t let that stand.”

  With his paralysis cured and knowing for certain that everything was going to be alright thanks to Brycen and Beartic, another emotion took the reins, outriding the fear and initial shock from earlier.

  They tried to steal him.

  They tried to take him away from everything that he loved. His paws curled into the tightest fists he was capable of.

  He had never wanted to fight back this badly before.

  He had never felt this angry.

  Regaining his balance, he stood up and made his way next to Beartic and Brycen.

  “Harper, stand back,” Brycen directed, tossing the empty Full Heal before folding his sleeves up. “I’ll apprehend them before they can fight bac—”

  Harper grabbed his arm and halted Brycen in place, confusing him and Beartic.

  “Let me fight them,” he pleaded, clutching a little tighter. “Please.”

  The Ice-type trainer stood still, slowly glancing at Harper before averting his gaze at the grunts. They stared at each other in confusion, wondering why nothing had happened yet.

  Brycen gave a simple nod of understanding, rolling his sleeves back down. “I see. I’ll let you and Beartic handle them in a pokémon battle, but there is something I must talk with them about first…” he approached the scared duo, the third huddled on the floor in pain.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “You must be the Neo Team Plasma that I have been hearing so much about,” he said, standing beside his ace pokémon. “Now, while I could apprehend you myself in an instant, Harper here wants to do it himself, so I’m offering the two of you a choice—” he held two fingers up, confusing the grunts still on the ground. “—Surrender now, and your punishment may be lighter than usual—” he then lowered one finger, pointing at the ground with the other. “—Or, you can battle my two pokémon with a minuscule chance of winning.”

  With the way that Brycen worded it, it sounded like he had absolute confidence that he'd win and that they'd lose.

  Harper didn't doubt him in the slightest.

  The two grunts stared at each other and nodded a few seconds later, grasping their pokéballs. “We’ll take that chance.”

  A grin appeared on Brycen’s face, but it quickly vanished when he turned to Harper and Beartic. “They’ve agreed to our terms. Show them that they made the wrong choice.”

  The two grunts grasped their pokéballs off of their belt and immediately tossed them forward. With two successive flashes of red, their pokémon appeared in front of them. To the left stood a scrafty that sneered at Beartic as it readjusted its baggy skin. To the right, the watchog glared at Harper and immediately began to huff with rage upon eye contact.

  The watchog leaned forward, ready to pounce at the command. “Finally, I get to beat your ass for revenge!”

  “Revenge for what?” Harper couldn't help but blurt out. He wasn't familiar with this watchog in the slightest.

  The watchog froze in place, an eyelid twitching in disbelief. “How do you not remember me?! You fought me with the kid that ruined our whole plan!

  Harper didn't know what he referred to, the only time he fought with true repercussions at stake was when he—

  He remembered now.

  “Oh. It’s you.”

  “You know him?” Beartic pointed at the familiar face.

  “It’s been a long time since I last saw him, he was the patrat I fought against in Virbank with Nate,” Harper explained, his fists clenching even tighter.

  “If he's here, then his trainer had a motive to try and steal you,” the Ice-type circled his neck from side to side. “We’ll just have to make them learn again to not mess with you…”

  The icy intersection stretched between the Neo Plasma grunts and Brycen with their pokémon standing still at the ready. Harper’s breath came in steady puffs of mist, his fists clenched at his sides. The paralytic ache on his side still tingled, but now that he was finally free, he wasn’t holding anything back. Beside him, Beartic stood tall, his thick fur rippling in the wind as he flexed his sharp claws, glinting like ice daggers underneath the night sky.

  On the other side, the two grunts smirked with false confidence, their stance like cowboys during high noon. Watchog stood alert, his piercing red eyes glowing in the night shadows. Scrafty flexed, his loose skin sagging slightly as he bounced in place, sizing himself up.

  Brycen calmly yet commandingly whispered to Harper and Beartic. “We’ll finish this quickly. Harper, Beartic—fight without hesitation.”

  At the crack of the melting ice wall, the grunts snapped and one of them spat out a command.

  “Scrafty, Bulk Up!”

  Scrafty let out a guttural growl as its body swelled with strength, muscles tightening and defenses reinforcing. It was preparing for a war of attrition.

  “Watchog! Hypnosis!”

  The instant Watchog's eyes flared with an ominous glow, Harper's limbs grew heavy as the pull of drowsiness crept in. His vision blurred, his mind teetering on the edge of unconsciousness—

  “Close your eyes! Quick Attack!” Brycen ordered sharply.

  Harper forced his eyes shut and lunged forward, his speed cutting through the frozen air. He slammed into Watchog’s midsection, sending the Normal-type staggering back.

  “Beartic, Aqua Jet—strike next!”

  Beartic’s lower body became enveloped in a swirling coat of water before he rocketed forward. He crashed into Scrafty, water spraying across the area as the impact knocked him back several feet. However, he skidded to a stop, barely fazed by the hit.

  “Drain Punch!”

  Scrafty lunged forward, its fist glowing with an eerie red light. Beartic quickly reacted, shifting his arm to block the attack before it hit his torso. A sharp grunt escaped him as energy still drained from his body and absorbed into Scrafty’s, visibly restoring some of his stamina.

  Brycen thrust his arm forward. “Beartic, Icicle Crash! Harper, knock Scrafty over!”

  Beartic reared up and raised a massive paw. The air around him crackled with cold energy before jagged ice shards formed above him and came crashing down toward Scrafty. The Dark-type attempted to flee from the icicles, but Harper rushed in with a Low Kick to trip him down. The frozen spikes struck and shattered upon impact, sending a shockwave of ice shards directly on top of Scrafty.

  One of the grunts recoiled in frustration, waving an arm in disbelief at Watchog.

  “Why’d you let him go?! Use Thunderbolt on him now!”

  "Beartic, dodge, and use Hail!"

  The air sizzled as Watchog summoned crackling electricity, his yellow stripes glowing brightly with the move. A moment later, a massive bolt surged forward in a jagged arc. Beartic leaped away just in time, the move leaving a scorched mark on the ice.

  Landing further away with a heavy thud, he reared his head back and let out a deep, rumbling roar. Dark clouds began to swirl overhead. Moments later, sharp ice pellets began to fall, peppering the battlefield with relentless cold. Watchog and Scrafty flinched as the hail struck their exposed bodies. Beartic shielded Harper with his body from the storm.

  “Ignore the pain! Use High Jump Kick!”

  Shaking off the excess ice off his body, Scrafty crouched low before launching himself high into the air, his knee glowing with violent Fighting TE.

  “He's an open target, Harper!” Brycen shouted, pointing in the air.

  Knowing what to do, Harper ferociously spun his arms, remembering the sensation Brycen taught him. With a forceful push upward, he shot a spirling wave of air and Fighting TE into the sky. His Vacuum Wave successfully struck Scrafty mid-air, causing him to lose control and crash into the ice with a heavy thud. The Dark-type groaned, his body covered in bruises from the relentless onslaught of attacks from him and Beartic.

  “Watchog, stop the riolu with Mean Look!”

  An unnatural weight suddenly fell upon Harper, locking him in place. A chill crawled up his spine as Scrafty rose back up, not intending to back down just yet.

  “Use Payback!”

  Recovering, Scrafty sprang forward, Dark TE swirling around his fist as it swung at Harper.

  “Beartic, Counter!”

  Beartic jumped in Scrafty's path as Harper held his arms up in self-defense. Just like in their training, the polar bear initiated the usual stance that Harper always followed. He leaned forward with a paw out, his foot sliding back in a crescent form.

  ~The recieve…~

  Scrafty’s fist landed against Beartic’s non-dominant paw, but there wasn't any noise to indicate any impact.

  ~Now he’s redirecting…~

  The Ice-type spun on the base of a foot, swinging his dominant paw around for extra power on top of Scrafty’s own. The Dark-type energy from Payback and the Fighting-type energy from Beartic coalesced into one the closer it arrived.

  ~And then… the return…~

  With a single devastating punch, he struck Scrafty directly in the chest. The force sent the Dark Fighting-type flying backward, crashing into the ice and skidding several feet before going still.

  The grunt’s jaw dropped as he put his hands on his head in shock, unable to react any other way. Satisfied, Beartic took a deep breath and patted off his paws with a huff.

  “One down, one to go,” he growled at the Normal-type, his claws twitching.

  “I'm not giving up yet!” Watchog panted heavily, his eyes burning with fury and stubbornness. “I’ve still got a score to settle!”

  Matching the meerkat’s rage, his trainer seethed the next command. “Use Giga Impact! Destroy the beartic’s arm before he does anything!”

  Normal TE erupted around Watchog as a bright yellow light shone around his face with orange streaks of energy swirling around his body. Without any care for the aftereffects, he launched forward at full speed, causing Beartic to put up his guard, ready to dodge at the last second. However, despite the grunt's command, the attack wasn't aimed at Beartic.

  It was aimed at Harper, and the both of them didn't realize until it was too late.

  “KID! GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

  “HARPER! MOVE!”

  Harper’s mind raced as time slowed down, with all the surrounding noise around him coming to a stop. He watched as Watchog approached him with a familiar impact and heat. His conscience froze in fear as the pain he felt on that day came back, the feeling becoming stronger the closer the Normal-type approached him.

  He didn't want to die, but he couldn't run or dodge at all. He couldn't think of any other option he could use except for one: He needed to Counter it, but he never got it to work.

  He still needed to try. He knew he now had the power to at least try.

  Harper slid his foot back and held his paw forward, keeping his body loose yet firm at the same time. He shifted his body weight forward, leaning in anticipation.

  ~Receive~

  As soon as Watchog’s head landed on Harper’s paw, he stepped back. He followed the flow of his enemy’s move with his open palm as he slid back.

  ~Redirect.~

  Harper spun on his leg, swinging his dominant paw around with the added strength he received with his non-dominant paw from Watchog.

  ~Return.~

  With a meaty slam, Harper clocked Watchog squarely in the face, leaving a fist-shaped indent on his rounded cheeks. He slammed him directly into the icy floor, shattering it into pieces as ice particles scattered everywhere. When the dust and frost settled, Watchog let out a single gasp before he passed out, his head nodding off into unconsciousness.

  Harper fell to his knees and landed on his other arm as he coughed profusely, trying to get oxygen in his lungs. A blunt pain continuously shot through his arm and across his body, shaking every fiber of his muscles. He couldn't feel the dangling arm he used to receive the move. He knew why though, it meant that he didn't loosen his body enough. That's why Watchog's Giga Impact still broke his body down.

  It wasn’t perfect like Beartic’s, but he did it; He used Counter.

  He taught the kidnappers not to mess with his new life.

  The eyes of the two grunts whizzed around in desperation, looking around for any sort of escape, but they were trapped in every conceivable way. With their pokémon down and every escape route blocked off, their only way out was through Harper, Brycen, and Beartic. With Brycen being a martial arts expert and Beartic being an absolute powerhouse, their chances to escape were next to zero.

  They seemed to understand how fruitless their efforts were, as they didn’t fight back when Beartic took their arms and forced them behind their backs, freezing them on a nearby lamppost. The third injured grunt lay on the floor beside them, continuing to whimper in pain, clearly unable to run off even without having any icy restraints.

  “Won’t their arms freeze off?” Harper asked with concern, massaging his own arm as he looked up at the polar bear.

  “The temp’s low enough to keep them in place, but not enough to freeze them from the inside. It’ll melt soon after the cops show up, and they’ll show up pretty soon.” Beartic answered, crossing his arms and tilting his head at Brycen, who just finished ending a call with security and the authorities.

  Placing his Xtransciever in his pocket, Brycen knelt down to Harper's eye level and softly karate-chopped the top of his head with a frown. With a stern tone, he began to talk.

  "That Counter against the enemy's Giga Impact was one of the most dangerous moves you could have used it against—"

  Brycen then placed his hand on his head, gently petting it with a gentle smile.

  “—But you did great. Still, don't take any more risks like that again. We’ll get treatment for you and Beartic soon.”

  Sheepishly, Harper nodded, happy that he got praised somewhat. Even though his body ached all over from the aftermath, finally using Counter successfully made it worth it.

  However, he wished he had gotten it to work in a nicer situation. They now had to interrogate the grunts as to why they tried to steal him, and whatever their answer was, he knew he wouldn't like it.

  “One of you talk,” Brycen commanded, approaching the apprehended trio. “Why did you break in to steal Harper?”

  “Our lips are sealed!” The first grunt spat out. “Mr. Gray and I aren’t saying anything until I get my lawyer!”

  “Oh, like that’s going to work with us!” The named Mr. Gray kicked the other in the shin, causing them to hiss through his teeth. He raised his head towards Brycen. “I’ll tell you everything, just give me that lighter sentence you mentioned, one that’s better than Mr. Brown anyways.”

  “What the—! You traitor!” Mr. Brown cursed, throwing his own kicks at Mr. Gray. “You’re throwing us under the bus just like that?!”

  “If I’m going down, you and Mr. Green are coming along with me! Now, shut up or I’ll shut you up myself!”

  “YOU FUCKIN—”

  Mr. Gray struck him squarely in the liver with a knee. Mr. Brown recoiled in pain as he moaned, leaning forward.

  “What did I say?! Huh?!” he fumed before letting out a defeated sigh, turning his head to Brycen again. “Ok, what do you want to know first?”

  “How did you break in and dodge the security?” Brycen demanded, narrowing his eyes.

  “We used the public tours and saw where the security cams were. We made a route to take advantage of the blind spots,” Mr. Gray admitted with a shrug.

  “What was your intention with stealing Harper?” he pressed.

  “We saw your interview on TV and this doofus—” Mr. Gray nudged his head at his accomplice. “Had the great idea to steal your riolu to show off to our boss.”

  “Why did you want to show your boss?” Brycen frowned, a slight growl rumbling near the end of his question.

  Mr. Gray hesitated, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. “Our boss has an obsession with trying to understand Pokémon, and we were going to tell him that your riolu knew how to write because Mr. Brown over here once saw it with a whiteboard. We planned to tell our boss that a riolu named Harper was being researched by the Unovan Research Team to impress hi—”

  Brycen swung the side of his fist above the grunt, landing a heavy thud on the lamppost and bending it on impact. The lights above flickered from the damage.

  “HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!”

  Everyone flinched at the outburst as it echoed around the backlot. Harper stiffened, glancing between Brycen and the grunts, his heart pounding.

  “K-Know what?” Mr. Gray blurted out, scared yet relieved that his face wasn't the target of Brycen’s punch.

  “That Harper was being researched?!”

  Mr. Gray and Mr. Brown momentarily put aside their mistrust as they turned to face one another. A look of bewildered disbelief spread across their faces. Even Mr. Green briefly stopped crying in pain of his broken arm and slowly turned his head over to Brycen.

  “W-Wait… It was true?” Mr. Brown stammered, baffled.

  Not answering Mr. Brown, Brycen rubbed the bridge of his nose as he stepped away, shaking his head.

  “I should’ve done something sooner…” he muttered under his breath.

  Harper glanced at Beartic, his expression mirroring the bewilderment on the Ice-type's face. He was at a loss, unsure of how to respond. He never wanted to be researched, but it happened all under his nose. His mind raced as he combed through his memories since the start of production. He didn’t want to believe that this show had kicked off solely because Professor Juniper and Bianca wanted to study him, but the thought lingered. He couldn't shake the memory of how often the Assistant Professor had her notes out, even when it seemed unnecessary, and it kept creeping back into his mind.

  Brycen woke him up from his spiraling descent with a hand on his shoulder. “I’m incredibly sorry, Harper. Yes, I knew of Professor Juniper and Bianca’s true intentions the whole time, but I have come to realize that I shouldn’t have done so now that it has resulted in this.”

  Harper didn’t know how to feel, and while he wanted to know everything as to how, why, and what was in this research, he needed to ask another time. He had other problems to deal with first before his own, which was the Neo Plasma grunts beginning to spew forth insults and ‘what-ifs’ at them.

  “We would’ve gotten away with it if it weren’t for you meddling in this! You breaking his arm and blocking our route ruined everything!” Mr. Brown glared at Harper and Beartic.

  “Dude, shut up! Just shut the fuck up!” Mr. Gray continuously kicked him in various places, with most of his attempts aiming at the crotch.

  ~If only we caught them by pulling a mask off instead…~ Harper couldn’t stop the coincidental thought appearing after hearing the grunt’s bilge.

  “DON'T YOU SMIRK AT ME LIKE THAT YOU DAMN MUTT! I’LL KILL YOU A—”

  Before Mr. Brown could finish, Beartic’s paw swung through the air and struck him across the face. The impact alone was enough to daze him, but before he could even shake off the hit, a thick layer of ice encased his mouth, sealing it shut. His muffled shouts of rage were reduced to frustrated grunts, his breaths out of his nose puffing against the frozen barrier.

  Beartic sighed as he glanced over at Harper and gave a reassuring thumbs up. "Don't worry, his nose is still open so he'll breathe. I was getting sick of his badmouthing anyway."

  Now that the danger had truly passed, the last remnants of adrenaline in Harper’s system finally began to fade, leaving behind a deep, overwhelming exhaustion. His limbs grew heavier, his breathing slowed, and before he realized it, his knees buckled.

  His body tilted forward without warning. The aching in his muscles flared all at once again, and his vision swam slightly from the sudden drop. Beartic reacted instantly, grabbing him with a firm yet gentle paw.

  “Woah! Hey, you okay, kid?” he asked, his brows furrowing in concern as he adjusted his grip to keep Harper steady.

  “Y-Yeah, I… I think I just need to sit down…”

  Beartic carefully guided Harper over to a nearby chunk of ice left over from the Icicle Crash used during their battle. Harper let himself sink onto the cold surface, shivering slightly as it pressed against his back. The contrast of the chill against his burning muscles was oddly soothing, and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to just sit and breathe.

  His head throbbed, and his entire body ached, but now he had the opportunity to rest. He exhaled shakily, rubbing his sore arm while staring at the frozen grunts. While dealing with Neo Plasma was done for now, there was something he needed to deal with soon after.

  He hoped that Bianca could explain herself without ruining his perception of her.

  Flashes of red and blue light gleamed through the van's window blinds as sirens wailed outside, growing closer over time. The light pierced Zorro’s eyelids and the shrill noise shook him awake, rousing him and Eve from their sleep.

  “Wha… What’s going on?” Eve grumbled as she lifted a paw up, blocking the blaring light from her eyes.

  Ms. Neri slowly rose from her bed and split the window blinds before peeking outside. Her eyes squinted through the brightness, and through the loud sounds outside, Zorro heard her mutter something.

  “Oh no…” she whispered, her voice tense. In an instant, she dashed to the coat hanger, grabbing her jacket and bag that sat beside it.

  “Ms. Neri?” Claire rubbed her eyes open. “Where are you going?”

  “Something’s going on out there,” Ms. Neri answered as she slung her bag around her shoulder. “You two stay, I’m going to see what’s happening.”

  Caleb threw his blanket aside as he sat up. “We wanna come with you!”

  “No, it’s dangerous for you two,” Ms. Neri paced her way to the door as she grasped the handle before turning back to everyone. “Go back to sleep, ok?” She shut the door and left for the cause of the lights and noise.

  Not even a moment passed when Caleb decided to ignore her words by jumping out of bed.

  “Let’s go take a peek!” he grinned as he began to make his way to the shoe rack, putting on his sneakers.

  “What?! But Ms. Neri said to stay!” Claire refuted, grabbing his pajamas and pulling him away from putting on his other shoe. “Let the adults handle it!”

  “Oh c’mon,” he countered with a mischievous smirk after he securely tied his shoelaces. “I know you wanna go as well~” He added with singsong, his tone teasing as he tilted his head toward the window.

  She nervously fidgeted with her hands, glancing back and forth between her enthusiastic brother and the hat that Ms. Neri had inadvertently left behind. After a few seconds, she loudly groaned to herself with frustration.

  “…Fine! But only because Ms. Neri forgot her hat!” Claire hopped off the bed and began putting on her jacket with her brother, who pumped his fist with a grin.

  As the twins got ready to head out, Eve took a seat next to Zorro, her expression filled with deep concern. “I don’t like what’s going on… do you think Mr. Harper is ok?”

  He didn’t know if Mr. Harper was involved with the scary lights and sounds, but Zorro had confidence that he would be fine. Mr. Harper was way stronger than him, strong enough that he wished that he was there with him back then…

  He still couldn't shake off his desire to check anyway.

  “Mr. Harper’s strong, but I wanna see if he’s fine!” Zorro declared with determination, his claws clenching into fists. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing!”

  When Caleb and Claire finished putting on another layer of clothing, they opened the door and let Zorro and Eve out first into the cramped and noisy night. They immediately found the source of the commotion by the crowd that began to form on the other side of the lot. A cacophony of voices from reporters, cameramen, and curious onlookers jostled for a better view of the scene. Flashes of white light from camera bulbs pierced the night sky, overriding the red and blue that blared around them.

  “There’s so many people here!” Claire gasped, tightening her grip on Ms. Neri’s hat. “How are we gonna get through?”

  “We do something called ‘Push Through Everyone!’” Caleb boldly answered before stampeding into the crowd. Zorro heard short responses from his trainer of “sorry,” “s’cuse me,” and “make way,” as Claire followed along after a sigh, going along with her brother’s impulsive plan.

  “Let’s walk underneath everyone,” Eve suggested, pointing at the legs of all the tall humans.

  Zorro and Eve crept through the bustling crowd, moving low on the ground, slipping unnoticed beneath everyone. They wove between polished shoes and worn boots, dodging the occasional stumbling step or swinging bag. Zorro paused briefly, his ears flicking as he caught snippets of conversations above them.

  “…attacked in the middle of the night…”

  “…it’s believed to be attempted…”

  “…still no word on the reason behind the intent…”

  “…authorities rapidly arrived at the scene…”

  “Stay close,” Zorro whispered, his voice steady but low. His eyes darted to the center of the crowd, scanning for an opening. Eve nodded, her tail brushing against his flank to signal she was following.

  Ahead, a bright yellow line of police tape stretched between multiple metal barriers, guarded by officers trying to control the swelling mass of people. The tape fluttered in the breeze, the words ‘POLICE LINE – DO NOT CROSS’ stark against the flashing red and blue lights.

  “We’ll go under,” Zorro murmured, jerking his snout toward a gap between the legs of a man holding a microphone and the wooden barricade beside him. Eve hesitated, her wide eyes reflecting the spinning lights of nearby squad cars.

  “But... what if they see us?” she whispered back, her voice barely audible over the noise.

  Before Zorro could respond, Caleb and Claire broke through the crowd and ducked underneath the tape, dodging the police officers and making their way to the center. Zoro still couldn’t see what was going on because of everyone in the way, but he still heard a few voices cut through the commotion.

  As they arrived at the scene, Zorro took in the chaos around him. Police cars surrounded the area, and an ambulance was positioned awkwardly, facing away from the action. Paramedics carefully lifted a man in dark clothing onto a stretcher and quickly wheeled him inside the vehicle before speeding off. Nearby, Ms. Neri stood with Mr. Brycen, who was engaged in conversation with a police officer. Behind them loomed a large, shattered pillar of ice, its hollow interior seemingly cradling the outlines of three figures.

  Nearby, he saw Mr. Brycen talking with a police officer, who had a notepad out like Ms. Neri always had around.

  “…yes, and they used this to incapacitate my pokémon,” Brycen explained as he held out a tied bag the size of his palm, handing it to the officer. “Be careful with this, this is no ordinary Stun Spore…”

  Meanwhile, Mr. Beartic guided two men over to another officer, who escorted them toward the back of a police car. Most importantly, Mr. Harper sat on the pavement, leaning on the ice, rubbing one of the iron plates on his paws. He had bruises all over his body, with his fur ruffled everywhere. He held his arm close to his chest, wincing in pain as a medic tended to his wounds with a potion.

  “Mr. Harper! Are you ok?!” Eve exclaimed, rushing to his side, with Zorro following along shortly after.

  “W-What happened, Mr. Harper?” Zorro blurted aloud.

  Everyone turned after hearing their outbursts, and Ms. Neri was the first to shout back.

  “Eve? Zorro? Wait… Caleb! Claire!” she sternly pointed at the two. “I thought I told you to stay in the van!”

  “You forgot your hat and we wanted to— But Ms. Neri, what happened here?!” Claire cut herself off, waving at the crime scene.

  “Go back to the van! We’ll talk about this later!” She demanded, walking up to the two and pushing them along to the police tape.

  “Wait! We need to get Zorro and Eve!” Caleb argued, forcing himself against Ms. Neri, trying to push towards the two.

  “You… You two should go to them…” Mr. Harper requested as he rubbed his arm, giving a warm, yet worrying smile. “Everything’s… Everything’s going to be ok…”

  Suddenly, the man in the car lowered the window and squirmed his way out of the opening, the task difficult due to being handcuffed from behind.

  “What the hell! How did he roll them down?!” a nearby police officer exasperated. He ran to the back of the police car, trying to push the man back in as several more police officers came to help.

  “You damn riolu!” He snarled as he fought against the officer, squirming against the multiple hands pushing him in. “I’ll fucking get you and that trainer if it’s the last thing I do for Neo Plasma!”

  ~N-Neo Plasma?~ Zorro froze in place. Did he hear it wrong? He must have…

  With one final push, the police officers shoved the man back into the car as more profanities slipped out. The criminal’s chest scraped against the edge of the window, tearing off a Velcro badge that tumbled to the floor. Oblivious to what happened, the officers swiftly closed the window and slid into the car, driving the suspects away from the scene without a second glance.

  Zorro cautiously approached the fallen badge, his racing heartbeat drowning out all the surrounding noise. A cold shiver ran down his spine, heightening the anxiety swirling in his mind. With each step he took, the feeling intensified, yet an undeniable force urged him to move forward and see what symbol was etched onto the badge.

  “Zorro…? Where are you going?” Eve breathed out, her voice trembling with unease as she looked back at their trainers. “We need to go back!”

  “Zorro, what are you doing?” Mr. Harper asked next. “What’s wr—

  —ong with these people?! How dare some stupid kid’s family keep a poochyena as a pet? They're not even native to Unova!”

  “N-No! Let me go! LET ME GO!”

  “Why’s he trying to fight back? We're going to liberate you from your owner! Pokémon aren’t meant to be owned! We’ll find a better place for you to live!”

  “Caleb's not my owner, he’s my friend! He's family! I can't leave him and Eve behind! Let go! pLeAsE! HELP! ZORUA WHERE ARE YOU?!”

  A badge divided right to left in black and white in the shape of a shield.

  A large, blue “P” overtaking the center, with a zigzag behind it.

  Team Plasma.

  It was Team Plasma.

  The police officers just took away the people who knew where Zorro was.

  “I-I need to follow them!” Zorro began taking steps away from the badge, his breath rapidly accelerating as his chest grew heavier. “They know where he is, I can find him!”

  “Find who, Zorro?” Eve asked, unnerved.

  “He— He’s still gone!” Zorro shook his head before turning around and running away from everyone in the direction of the police car. “Come back! Where is he?! Tell me!”

  He dashed through the crowd, dodging the legs of the people with desperation. He needed to find the Team Plasma grunts right now. Zorro had to fix everything.

  Zorro had to apologize for everything.

  To everyone.

  To Zorro.