"Hoenn, your king has returned!"
Standing at the airport, Edward declared with youthful vigor. At long last, he had finally returned from that damned Indigo Plateau!
It wasn't that the Indigo Plateau was necessarily a bad place, but rather that it was… strange. Because of its higher elevation, the oxygen levels there were thinner than normal, and the ultraviolet rays were stronger too, enough to make Edward's scalp tingle. To be honest, although Rustboro City had its share of problems, Edward still felt his home was far more comfortable.
What's more, this season happened to be the windy period on the Plateau. Every day he tried to film outside, he felt like the howling wind was giving him an impromptu hairstyle, leaving him looking like Chow Yun-fat in God of Gamblers. It gave him quite the headache.
Fortunately, most of the shots for Alien were filmed indoors, so the movie's production hadn't been seriously affected.
"I've started to crave some of Rustboro's specialty snacks," Edward stretched his arms lazily, his mood clearly lifted. "Sure, the Indigo Plateau League's hospitality wasn't bad, but nothing beats the flavors of home."
Besides, he was finally able to go back and visit Fortune.
During this time, Fortune had been buried in studies at Hoenn University, majoring in economics and management. Every day was packed with work. Edward had even heard that Fortune had applied to skip grades—planning to jump straight from freshman year to junior year. The price for this was a workload so heavy that it was practically inhuman.
Rumor even said Hoenn University had sprouted its own strange campus legend.
Most schools had their "Seven Mysteries" or some other supernatural lore, but this one was oddly specific and disturbingly real:
"It's said that in the library or a certain study room at Hoenn University, there's always a Sableye sitting there, studying day and night. But if you deliberately go looking for it, you'll never find it."
Ridiculous, yes—but believable if you knew Fortune.
Just as Edward walked out of the terminal, ready to call for the old butler to take him home for a rest, his eyes landed on a familiar figure waiting at the airport.
Secretary Kennedy, smiling warmly.
Edward's mouth twitched.
"President, welcome back to Hoenn," Kennedy greeted respectfully. "There are some company matters that require your attention."
Rubbing his temples, Edward sighed inwardly. Truthfully, he wasn't in the mood. But he knew he'd been away too long. Filming had consumed much of his time, and during that period Kennedy had done his best to shield him from excessive paperwork.
It was obvious Kennedy had been considerate, deliberately reducing his daily workload so he could focus on directing. Edward couldn't deny he was touched—after all, he knew just how overwhelming Devon Corp's affairs could be. Kennedy had already gone above and beyond.
Now, if Kennedy was personally waiting for him at the airport, there had to be issues that required his direct involvement. Though he wanted nothing more than a short holiday, Edward exhaled and resigned himself to duty.
"Zoroark," he instructed casually, "once we're back, tell the post-production team to speed things up. Get Alien edited as soon as possible."
"Understood, Boss," Zoroark replied. "But… should you personally oversee the editing?"
"Of course," Edward nodded. "I'll set the overall direction, then let the team handle the rest. I'll probably be too busy to micromanage, but I'll at least review the dailies."
Zoroark scratched its head as it watched its master hurry off with Kennedy. It had wanted to remind Edward about something—after all, there were still pending issues here in Hoenn, particularly with the Petalburg Forest amusement area.
Mismagius had already approached Zoroark about it. Visitors had dwindled, and even those who came only stayed briefly before leaving. The stark contrast from its early popularity was worrying.
And Edward hadn't updated or expanded the park in a long time, leading to further decline. Mismagius was anxious and had asked Zoroark to raise the matter with Edward. The Ghost Pokémon employees were growing restless, and if their tempers boiled over, things could get ugly.
Zoroark decided to send him a text instead. This matter had been delayed too long already.
Edward glanced at his phone mid-ride and saw the message.
"Mismagius, huh?" he muttered. Indeed, Mismagius was one of his earliest "employees," alongside the Pokémon in Mossdeep and good old Gengar.
At the thought of Gengar, Edward's expression turned strange.
That rascal had helped with some outer-space set work for Alien, then, after filming wrapped, had promptly run off with a stash of Fear Candies. Gengar claimed it was going to visit old friends and insisted it didn't need Edward to bring it back. Edward still wasn't sure if it had returned to Hoenn yet.
Still, he wasn't worried about Gengar's safety. As a Apex Pokémon, Gengar could handle itself against almost anything short of a coordinated anti-Ghost assault. But without it around, Petalburg Forest felt emptier—Edward missed playing silly games of rock-paper-scissors with his spectral companion.
"Is something troubling you, President?" Kennedy's voice interrupted his thoughts. Sitting beside Edward, with a professional driver up front keeping the ride smooth as glass, Kennedy had noticed his hesitation.
"Kennedy," Edward said, turning toward him, "I have a group of… unique Pokémon employees. They've been running the Petalburg Forest amusement park for me. But now that the films tied to it have faded from the public eye…" He trailed off, gauging Kennedy's reaction.
If anyone could propose a workable solution, it was this man.
"President, you mean those Ghost-type employees of yours?" Kennedy responded calmly, as though he'd anticipated the question. "I've been monitoring that situation closely."
He opened his laptop, quickly searching through files before pulling up a detailed report. Edward blinked in surprise.
The document contained not only photos of the park but also thorough revenue breakdowns and visitor statistics. It was far more detailed than Edward expected.
He hadn't realized Kennedy had the time to track something like this on top of his heavy corporate workload. It left Edward both shocked and deeply impressed.
Every detail was laid out—enough that even an outsider could fully grasp the state of the amusement park and its current difficulties.
No wonder Kennedy had risen to become Devon Corp's chief secretary and earned his father Joseph's trust. His capability was undeniable. Even Edward, proud as he was, had to admit the man was exceptional—worthy of the annual profit-sharing bonus Hibiscus had arranged for him.
"President," Kennedy continued evenly, "given the current revenue trajectory, I recommend we shutter the park. Its appeal is too closely tied to your horror film brand. Most visitors come once for the novelty, but very few return."
The calm cadence of his words, paired with the steady ride, made Edward feel like he was back in the boardroom instead of a moving car.
Listening carefully, Edward realized the truth. His amusement park was fundamentally unsustainable. Unless he kept releasing films at a rapid pace, the park would inevitably stagnate.
"So, here are the potential solutions I've drafted," Kennedy went on, outlining multiple strategies.
After some thought, Edward made his choice. "The second option. Tear it all down, and rebuild a large-scale amusement park elsewhere."
This decision wasn't too difficult. Among Kennedy's proposals, this one resonated most.
By staffing the park entirely with Ghost Pokémon, he could both solve their employment issues and avoid the constant maintenance drain. At the same time, it would mark Devon Corp's entry into the amusement industry.
Not that Edward cared about competing in that cutthroat field. Theme parks in the Pokémon world were notoriously extreme.
Take roller coasters, for example. In the human world, they were about loops and steep drops. Here, they were literal "mountain coasters," darting between sheer cliffs, sometimes dropping riders into free fall before rescuing them at the last second. Every park was locked in an arms race for insanity—no safety nets, bungee jumps without cords, or slingshots that launched you dangerously close to Rayquaza's domain.
But Edward wasn't aiming to outdo anyone. He just wanted a functional, sustainable park where his Ghost Pokémon employees could thrive.
"President," Kennedy concluded, adjusting his glasses, "I recommend hiring the best design team available. Build the park to be truly thrilling, recruit more Ghost-types, and establish a complete Ghost-theme amusement park."
"Good. Handle it, Kennedy," Edward clapped him on the shoulder. "Delegate to the right people—I trust you."
And he meant it. With Kennedy, there was little to fear.
Kennedy merely recorded the decision without further comment as the car pulled up to Devon Corp headquarters.
Inside, Edward was immediately buried under mountains of paperwork and a meticulous daily schedule laid out by Kennedy.
As he listened, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
He had expected to be busy, but this was worse than he imagined.
"So… you're saying the next seven days are all back-to-back meetings and appearances?" he groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Father, hurry home already!"
"Yes, President," Kennedy confirmed matter-of-factly. "President Joseph is currently on an expedition to a karst region. Based on reports from the attending physician, his health has greatly improved, and he's been advised to continue convalescing. They won't be back anytime soon."
Edward buried his face in his hands. What could he do? Nothing.
"…Fine. I understand," he muttered, collapsing onto the office sofa. "When will this endless grind end…?"
All he could do was hope his father returned soon—and that Fortune grew into someone who could share the burden.
Just then, Duskull stirred, its eyes glowing faintly red. A flash of brilliant light engulfed it.
Duskull was evolving!
(End of Chapter)