Chapter 27: Before the Fated Duel, Act 2
A few minutes later, at the Ruri Estate's large living room…
...
"Pardon my sudden departure earlier…But I had to change into something a little more appropriate now that I'm no longer Nancy."
"So, you're wearing that dress again? After what happened not too long ago?"
"Yeah, I know...But I've been hearing from my fans on social media that they really like it."
"Can't argue with them. I really like it myself."
"I see you're back…" Elizabeth says to her daughter, having just arrived from the dining area. "I was just going to call you two for lunch. And I see you're wearing that same dress…"
"That's what I just told her…" Nate replies. "Though to be fair, it does suit her. And her fans seem to love it after that viral video leak..."
"You mean that video of you two dancing at the village bridge that night?" The older woman asks. "That was a cute performance you two did. You two really do remind me of when I first met Jack...Sigh...Those were the days…"
"(Oh great...That kind of talk again...Oh Mom, why…)" Yancy mutters
"(You can say that again…)" Nate replies. "(My own mom said almost the exact same thing when she found that video online...How it reminded her of X, Y, and Z or something...And dad just kept laughing about it…)"
Hearing this story from Nate, her mood lightens up. "(Ahahahaha…)"
Not long after, the three of them make their way to the dining room, where Mr. Ruri is already waiting. In the meantime, Yancy, as per usual, heads to the kitchen to assist the maids with preparing the food. Mrs. Ruri herself then leaves
…
"Hello there, Nate." Mr. Ruri says to the young man. "I take it you're doing well after that whole incident. There's...something I have to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I...have to apologize for what happened at the gala...It was our fault that we didn't step up our security at the time and…" Before he can finish his apology, however…
"It's alright, Dad." Yancy tells her father. "None of us expected it to happen…"
Nate then speaks up, admitting to unease that he himself had felt in the aftermath of the incident. "If anything, I should probably be the one to apologize. My past caught up with me, and I almost got your daughter hurt or possibly even killed…All because I let those goons get away back then..."
"Nate, it's okay…" Mrs. Ruri tells him. "Like what Yancy said, none of us expected it to happen. It's all in the past. What we should be doing is learning from our mistakes…"
"Y-yeah, you're right. Sorry...I think I got a little carried away…"
Not long after, Ricky and Cindy arrive.
"Speaking of which…" Mr. Ruri then redirects his attention towards the young man. "Could we...ask a favor from you?"
"O-of course! What is it that you need?"
"Do you think you could get Ricky and Cindy here tickets for the premiere tonight? As much as me and Elizabeth would love to purchase tickets and attend, we're currently busy with attending to the damage from the Shadow Triad's attack…Paperwork and all..."
"Sure! In fact, I think I can arrange for them to get a couple of good seats free of charge." Sure enough, Yancy's two younger siblings are overjoyed.
"REALLY!? THANKS, NATE! You're the best!"
"REALLY!?"
"Thank you, Nate." Mrs. Ruri says. "We're really sorry to burden you about it…"
"It's no issue, really!" Nate replies, clearly embarrassed. "Once we're at Pokéstar Studios later, I'll make sure to hand them their VIP passes."
Not long after, food is finally served, and the six of them enjoy a hearty lunch, but not before Yancy's two younger siblings are told by their parents to quiet down and eat their food.
…
A few hours later, at Pokestar Studios…
…
"So, Mr. Kyouhei, do you expect this film to be a massive success just like the previous films in the series?" Christoph asks the actor.
"Definitely." He confidently replies to his now-acquaintance. "Looking back, I think fans are gonna enjoy this adaptation of what is considered as the best comic book storyline from Castelia Comics."
"Thank you for your time, Nate." Christoph then continues broadcasting his program, immediately switching his focus to another premiere at the neighbouring cinema. "And now, we're live, focusing on the latest entry in the Mystery Doors series of films. With us now is the lovely Whi-Two…"
Not long after parting ways with the celebrity interviewer, he meets up with his girlfriend.
"Looks like Rosa's movie is coming out at the same time." She tells him, having apparently examined a poster of the aforementioned film just before he arrived.
"Yup…"
"You don't seem too worried about it."
"Different genres, different audiences... Speaking of which, where did Ricky and Cindy run off to? Weren't they with you when we split up?"
"Well, they decided to get to their seats as soon as you handed them those VIP passes…Not to mention..."
"Yeah?"
"Some paparazzi kept pestering me to tell them more about my future acting role...Of course, I only gave them vague answers, for obvious reasons…" Just before Nate can reply, however, a familiar voice catches their attention.
"So...I see you two are doing well." Rosa says as she greets the young couple.
"You could say that…"
"Ahahaha, yeah. Pretty much…"
"Good luck with your premiere." She tells them, clearly in good spirits. "May the best film win the box office.".
"May the best film win." He then shakes his childhood friend's hand in respect, before the two of them part ways, with Rosa heading to the leftmost cinema, while the young couple go to the rightmost one.
...
UNKNOWN LOCATION, SOMEWHERE IN THE UNOVA REGION…
Mecha-Cop: "Sneasel Ninja, right? Real name...Jiro Jiraiya. According to the records here, you're actually a much nicer person than you seem. At times you've saved innocents' lives and have taken out numerous criminals in vigilante-style takedowns, among other methods including Robin-Hood style thievery. Is this true?"
Jiro: "..."
Mecha-Cop: "If you tell us everything, we'll let you go free of charge, on the condition that your heroics will be monitored and supervised under the jurisdiction of the World Police." Upon hearing this, the anti-hero finally decides to come clean.
Jiro: "Yes. This entire time...All those "evil" acts you've seen me do? All of it was an act."
Mecha-Cop: "Why pose as a thief and criminal?"
Jiro: "I needed to find someone…A lead...Someone infamous in the criminal underworld...I wanted to get close to him..."
Mecha-Cop: "Go on…"
Jiro: "I became the Sneasel Ninja in order to exact revenge on my father's killer."
Pokestar Studios Presents:
A Castelia Comics Studios Film…
BRYCEN MAN VS THE SNEASEL NINJA
Mecha-Cop: "Please, if you can, could you start from the beginning?"
A FEW YEARS EARLIER…
Young Boy: "Dad! No! Please, don't harm him!"
Company Executive: "Just promise you won't harm my son...I'll give you anything…"
?: "You have my word. I will not lay a finger on your precious son...And speaking of which, I already have what I want. It's right in front of me…Hahahahaha!" *Pushes the gagged and bound man out of window, to his death*
Young Boy: "Daaaaaaaad!"
?: "Don't worry, young one. Rejoice now that I've spared your life." The black figure then disappears, but not before the boy manages to get a glimpse of his mask and patch on his suit. Not long afterward, police manage to make their way into the room where the boy is being held in, releasing him. The same, however, cannot be said for the boy's father...
...
News Anchor: "It is with great sadness that we report the tragic death of Jiraiya Company Executive Hiro Jiraiya, in what looks like an apparent suicide. In his place, the company will be headed by company Vice President and long-time friend of Jiraiya, Bryle Frost."
...
Interviewer: "So, Mr. Frost, what are your plans to help the now-orphaned heir to the Jiraiya family fortune?"
Bryle Frost: "I'll send him to his closest relatives. That way, he can live under the care of close family until he's ready to inherit the company."
Interviewer: "So, who will take over the company in the meantime?"
Bryle Frost: "I will...Seeing as there's no one else who knows the company's inner workings like me and Hiro."
…
Mecha-Cop: "How did you begin as Sneasel Ninja? Who trained you?"
Jiro: "My uncle and grandfather did. Everything I knew about martial arts, they trained me. Mr. Frost, my dad's friend, helped me move to Johto, where I decided to train in ninjutsu and in training Pokemon"
Mecha-Cop: "And when exactly did your quest for vengeance proper begin?" Before the prisoner can answer his question however, a police officer barges into the interrogation room.
Police Officer: "Sir, we've got a lead! Brycen-Man was spotted in Black City! We've got officers going after him, but he's already making attempts to get away."
Mecha-Cop: "Well...I guess this should be where you can prove yourself. If you can show me that you're the hero you really are, I'll accept you
...
...
Brycen-Man: "Not bad, Sneasel Ninja! Not bad! Your fighting style looks quite familiar…Almost as if...You were..."
Sneasel Ninja: "Hm!?" This makes the normally cool-headed anti-hero feel uneasy.
Brycen-Man: "If I think I know who you are...I might as well just show you who I am…" The villain then dramatically removes his mask, to reveal a very familiar face underneath.
Sneasel Ninja: "You!? Bryle Frost!? You were the one who killed my father!?"
Brycen-Man: "So, it is you, Jiro Jiraiya, son of the late Hiro Jiraiya. Hahahaha! To think that the son and heir of the Jiraiya Company's fortune has resorted to being a criminal turned police lackey!"
Sneasel Ninja: "To think I trusted you...You're gonna pay for what you did! HAAAA!" However, before he can order his Pokemon to launch the next move, something unexpected happens.
Brycen-Man: "Bisharp, return."
Sneasel Ninja: "What the heck are you doing!?"
Brycen-Man: "I'm surrendering to you…I realize that, even if I were to defeat you here and now, it'd be pointless to keep running away. And now that you work under the World Police, I know you won't, or rather, can't touch, much less kill me in cold blood."
Sneasel Ninja: "..."
Brycen-Man: "Well, hero? What are you waiting for? Arrest me. Hehehe…"
However, instead of restraining him, the vengeful anti-hero instead withdraws his own Pokemon, and begins clenching his fists.
Sneasel Ninja: "Oh, I'll definitely arrest you, alright. But not before I settle this once and for all!" He then lunges at his opponent. But before he can even land a single blow onto the supervillain, a blue figure suddenly appears before him and blocks his attack effortlessly.
Lucario Kid: "Hold it."
…
TO BE CONTINUED IN...LUCARIO KID VS THE SNEASEL NINJA
…
…
Police Officer: "Sir, you might want to see this…"
Uniformed Detective: "What? Sneasel Ninja is at it again?"
Police Officer: "No sir...We found these weird surveillance photos recently." He then hands over the photos to his superior, who begins analyzing them. At first, it shows nothing more than an unremarkable bank robbery being pulled off by some Roughnecks with their Dark-type Pokémon.
Uniformed Detective: "And what about the-...Wait, what the heck?" Just as he gets to the last few photos, he immediately realizes why the officer looked so concerned. The screen then shows us a blurry, pink, but clearly young female, figure fighting the hooligans with a Fairy-type Pokémon. The photos then abruptly stop, the camera that recorded the whole apparently having been disconnected or destroyed.
Police Officer: "And I apologize, sir. There weren't any other cameras that caught footage of our mysterious culprit."
Uniformed Detective: "Send these immediately to Mecha-Cop. Considering recent events, I think its best he knows about these masked vigilantes popping up, considering how helpless we've been thus far..."
…
…
Sneasel Ninja and Lucario Kid will return.
...
"Woah!"
"What!?"
"That ending was great!"
"I can't wait for the sequel!"
"That's a solid 10/10 for sure! It beats the original Full Metal Cop movies."
…
Not long after the film ends, several reporters and fans interview the film's cast and crew, amongst them Nate and Black, the latter having apparently arrived just after Nate.
"Nate!" Black calls out to his co-star.
"That...was a pretty unexpected cameo." He replies. "Guess that explains why they cast you as Lucario Kid and why your name was on the cast list back there."
"Yup. And I apologize for hiding it from you. The directors and producers said they didn't want you spoiling or leaking the ending out like the last movie."
"Y-yeah, I think I got a little too excited when I got interviewed that time...Eheh…"
"Anyways, I know this doesn't have to do with the movie, but take this." He then hands him a familiar-looking object.
"A Master Ball!? But why?"
"Consider using it on Kyurem. After our ordeal with the Shadow Triad recently, I think it would be best if you caught the Boundary Pokémon and took it under your care for now."
"...Alright." He then places the Poké Ball in his bag. "I'll do what I can when I have the time…"
"See you at the PWT, then." The former Unova League Champion then leaves, being interviewed by Christoph along the way.
Not long after parting ways with Black, Nate reunites with Yancy as well as her younger siblings.
"That...was awesome!" Ricky says. "I loved that ending and end credits scene!"
"I'm glad you loved it." Nate replies to him. "And honestly, I was just as surprised at that ending as you were."
Just as the four of them make their way out of the cinema, Rosa manages to make contact with them again.
"Excuse me for a moment…" He tells them, parting ways not long after to meet with her.
"Ricky, Cindy, you wouldn't mind if I accompanied Nate, right? We just need to meet with an old friend for a bit."
"It's fine. I wanted to look around some more anyway." Ricky tells her.
Cindy follows-up not long after, reassuring them that they can take care of themselves.
"So, how did it go?" She asks her childhood friend, clearly satisfied with her film's reception.
"Let me ask first. How did your movie go?"
"Standing ovation, positive reception from both critics and audiences, and from estimates based on the current opening, Mystery Doors of the Magical Land: Return of the Witch Queen is going to make at least P400,000,000 three weeks from now."
"Not bad." He then tells her his side. "I managed to shock audiences with a canon ending, critical acclaim for both audiences and critics alike, and based on current estimates, we could make P1,000,000 in two weeks or so."
Gradually, Rosa's expression changes from a smug one to one indicating her conceding defeat.
"Well, I guess I pretty much lost this one, huh?"
"Pretty much…"
"I guess I got too confident back there…But enough of that. I think I should give this as a congratulatory prize for your success." She then hands him something.
"Wait, Enigma Berries!? Are these for real?" He says, immediately taking a closer look at the item in question.
"Yup, they're Enigma Berries alright..." Yancy confirms after inspecting them. "But how did you manage to get 10 of these? Managing to buy even 5 is already difficult and expensive as it is."
"I got them at the Castelia Comic Con, from this merchant from some faraway region. But enough of that… Enjoy your victory. I need to go address some fans." She then heads into the nearby crowd, with several people immediately asking for autographs from her.
"Nate, you wouldn't mind if I had half of those, right?" Yancy asks him, clearly interested in the Berries Rosa had given him just now.
"Alright...I don't think I can use them all, anyway." He then hands 5 of them to her.
"Ahahaha, thanks. I promise you won't regret it."
"Let me guess, for cooking right?"
"Yup! With these I can make something spicy for dinner later."
"Speaking of which, you wouldn't mind if I had dinner at your place now, would you?"
"Ahahaha, not at all... In fact, that's why I asked you for the berries just now."
Not long after, they finally reunite with Ricky and Cindy. The four of them then make their way out of the Cinema's main hall.
Meanwhile, back at the Cinema's ticket counters, a certain older couple are trying to decide what film to watch.
"Come on, Natalie!" Mr. Kyouhei says. "We came here to watch Brycen Man vs. the Sneasel Ninja!"
"But dear…" She replies back. "I want to watch Mystery Doors!"
"Alright, we will. But we have to watch the superhero movie first. We promised Nate we would..."
"Can't we watch what I want first?"
"This one's the last showing tonight. The other movie will get it's last screening later at 9PM."
Eventually, she gives in, due to the next showing starting soon and seeing no other options available to her. "Okay, okay...Might as well make the most of our night out..."
"That's the spirit. Come on."
…
Meanwhile, at the Virbank Harbor…
...
"Something wrong, Nate?" Yancy asks him. By now, all four of them are getting ready to board the ferry back to Castelia City, where
"N-nothing…" He tells her. His face, however, tells a different story. "Okay, maybe there is...I feel like we forgot something back there."
"What exactly is it?"
"I remembered not too long ago that my mom and dad wanted to watch my movie tonight. But I never saw them, not even when we left…"
"Ahahaha, they're your parents. I think they can manage for themselves."
"Yeah, m-maybe you're right." Despite this, he can't help but feel a sense of negativity.