C3: Mechanized Policeman – Part 1
"Riolu?"
A small Riolu stood unsteadily on the table.
Its body was primarily blue, shaped like a small jackal-like puppy. Its legs and upper torso were black, with a short blue tail behind it and a yellow collar-like ring around its neck. On the back of each forepaw was a white circular bump, its red eyes sharp despite its newborn state, and black mask-like markings framed its face.
This was the Riolu that had just hatched.
In official Pokédex records, Riolu are described as sensing Aura from birth, capable of detecting emotions even before they fully understand language. True to that description, the newborn Riolu stared at Shilo with a momentary look of confusion—then happily raised its tiny paw toward him.
The Aura resonance between them was obvious.
"It hatched! And remember, this Riolu is the child of the Lucario you borrowed yesterday," Cecil said calmly. "That Lucario has served in Pokéstar Studios for years. You'd better treat this one properly."
Lucario, in both manga and game portrayals, are fiercely loyal and selective about trainers. For its offspring to respond so strongly to Shilo's Aura was not coincidence.
Cecil then turned to handle Shilo's identity registration.
As for why she did not suspect Shilo of malicious intent—it was simple.
In Unova, particularly around industrial cities like Virbank, undocumented individuals occasionally appeared due to migration between regions. In the manga continuity, even the International Police often dealt with identity irregularities due to cross-regional movement.
No true criminal would openly admit to lacking a household registration.
Her ex-boyfriend certainly would not have.
Moreover, Cecil had resolved multiple cases involving capable but undocumented individuals. Pokéstar Studios, being semi-private, had influence enough to process temporary regional IDs. Handling Shilo's documentation was routine for her.
---
The next day, Shilo received his next script.
This time, it was the "Mechanized Policeman" series—a Pokéstar Studios franchise similar in format to Brycen-Man but styled more like a sci-fi police drama, reminiscent of the exaggerated branching films from B2W2.
The title read:
"Mechanized Policeman — Enter! Sneasel Ninja."
Shilo had not cleared this route in the original game storyline, so he was unfamiliar with its branching outcomes.
He skimmed the script.
Since he would be playing the villain, Riolu was temporarily unsuitable for appearance. Riolu's small size and heroic silhouette made it visually aligned with justice archetypes—especially given Lucario's traditional portrayal as righteous in both manga and film canon.
Besides, it was literally a newborn.
Throwing it into a high-impact stunt scene would be absurd.
Instead, the studio rented a Sneasel.
Sneasel, a Dark/Ice-type known for its speed and claw precision, fit the ninja motif perfectly. In Pokédex entries, Sneasel are described as stealthy pack hunters that scale cliffs silently at night.
Perfect villain material.
Shilo read further.
There were numerous stunt sequences.
Ventilation entry. Laser corridor. Close-quarters combat. Explosive debris field.
It felt like Cecil was stress-testing his limits.
Given his daily pay of 1300 PokéDollars including room and board—a stable rate consistent with Unova's economic scaling—he had little room to complain.
Everything except sustained close-quarters combat against Hachiku should be manageable.
---
For several days, Shilo was the first to clock in.
He trained in the rehearsal room, repeatedly practicing silent landings, rotational momentum control, and speed bursts.
His Aura-sensing ability made spatial awareness easier, but pure movement speed still required conditioning.
Once prepared—
Filming officially began.
---
This shoot was on location inside one of Pokéstar's warehouse sets.
Shilo, now dressed in a black ninja suit, entered through a ventilation duct.
He dropped—
And executed a clean forward flip, landing in a crouch.
Riolu watched from behind the monitor beside Ruri, its red eyes wide.
An empty corridor stretched before Shilo.
Following the script, he removed sunglasses and activated the infrared filter.
Thin red laser lines crisscrossed the hallway.
Shilo moved.
In under one second, he twisted, ducked, side-flipped, and passed through the laser grid without triggering a single beam.
This sequence, while cinematic, mirrored actual Pokéstar mechanics—success depended on timing and precision, not random outcomes.
After clearing the grid, he sprinted silently and reached the laboratory door.
He performed the scripted combination lock inputs.
The door opened.
Inside the green-screen sci-fi chamber stood the so-called "Mew-like Great Invention"—a teleportation device inspired loosely by Silph Co. tech in Kanto lore and the dimensional research hinted at in Unova's advanced laboratories.
And waiting inside—
The fully armored Mechanized Policeman.
Played by Hachiku.
In his police variant costume, Hachiku combined his stoic Brycen personality with mechanical enhancements—fitting the exaggerated sci-fi tone of Pokéstar.
"Illegal intruder detected," he spoke in monotone. "Comparing biological signature…"
He displayed a badge resembling those used by the International Police—an organization canonically active across regions in both games and manga.
"Comparison complete. Serial thief 'Sneasel Ninja.' Resistance is futile."
"Huh? A human policeman? Full-body cybernetic modification?" Shilo muttered theatrically, scanning him.
Hachiku released Heracross.
Shilo responded with a ninja-style Poké Ball throw, releasing Sneasel in a low spin.
"Program initiated!"
"Aerial Ace!"
Sneasel activated a Flying Gem—its body glowing sky-blue. The gem amplified the move's power, consistent with Generation V battle mechanics.
It darted forward, claws gleaming.
The gem dimmed and fell.
Shilo caught it midair—a subtle but stylish improvisation.
"Heracross, Endure."
Heracross braced itself in white light, surviving the boosted strike with minimal HP remaining—accurate to Endure's function.
"Hostile resistance confirmed. Suppression authorized."
Hachiku raised prop pistols.
Smoke-trailed blank rounds fired toward Shilo.
"Sneasel, dodge!"
Sneasel blurred sideways.
Shilo entered a continuous chain of cartwheels, backflips, and lateral rolls—dodging every shot.
Then—
He settled into his Leo stance.
Smooth. Fluid.
Sneasel blinked at him, briefly confused by the righteous aura emanating from what was supposed to be a villain.
Cecil frowned slightly.
"The stance is excellent… but too heroic."
"Surprise attacks could kill someone!" Shilo shouted.
"Criminal activity will not be tolerated."
"Even I use Pokémon when stealing! If you're a real officer, fight fair!"
Hachiku paused.
"…Logical. Deploying Pokémon for lawful apprehension."
Shilo raised his hand, activating Taunt.
"Sneasel Ninja refuses surrender!"
"Total assault authorized!"
"Heracross, Horn Attack!"
Sneasel lunged with Quick Attack, only to be caught around the waist by Heracross's massive horn.
"Sneasel, Icy Wind!"
"Heracross, throw it."
Heracross hurled Sneasel aside before the freezing wind could fully form.
"You're no match for my Pokémon!" Shilo laughed maniacally.
"Justice prevails over evil!"
Shilo began circling to the rear right flank.
"Heracross, Thrash!"
Heracross's eyes reddened as it entered a rampage.
Set pyrotechnics triggered—explosions erupted, bricks and debris scattering through the set.
In Pokémon Adventures, large-scale destructive moves frequently devastate terrain. The chaos felt authentic.
"Your attack doesn't distinguish between friend and foe!" Shilo shouted while flipping over debris.
Sneasel was struck by falling rubble.
It collapsed, eyes spiraling—fainted.
"Return!"
Shilo recalled it.
"Mission proceeding as calculated. Sneasel Ninja, you did not lose to me—but to law and justice."
"Damn machine-head…"
Shilo leapt upward into the ventilation shaft, executing a clean exit flip.
Cut.
---
Cecil called him over.
"Part 2 next. You can loosen up. Add more close combat with Hachiku. And change that final stance—it's too righteous. Villains shouldn't radiate justice."
"Understood."
Shilo rested briefly.
Nearby, Riolu watched him intensely.
Its Aura pulsed faintly.
Part 2 awaited:
Mechanized Policeman 2 — The Sneasel Ninja's Trap.