Ghost Films Productions already had a number of IPs under its banner, the most famous being Tom and Jerry and Sherlock Holmes.
Edward flipped open a report and scanned through it. Although he hadn't been paying close attention to Tom and Jerry's performance recently, he knew that the series had been running steadily without any major issues.
This was largely thanks to the standards he had set for the project. Edward had extremely high expectations for Tom and Jerry. Even though it was styled like an ordinary cartoon series, he insisted that the music must be performed by professional orchestras. He even demanded that specific technical details be handled with realistic precision.
Because of these requirements, new nicknames had emerged for Tom—such as Piano Master Tom or Billiards Pro Tom. With professional orchestral accompaniment backing the antics of cat and mouse, the series had thrived. Even after Edward stopped personally overseeing it, Tom and Jerry flourished brilliantly.
"Tom and Jerry has done well," Edward nodded in satisfaction as he read the report. "It seems the people in the company do have potential. And they've even discovered a few talented screenwriters, haven't they?"
The numbers proved it: the show's total fanbase across the entire web had surpassed thirty million.
There were plenty of spin-off products too. In fact, the series had become something of a benchmark for children's programming in many regions.
And every time it aired, it wasn't only children glued to the screen—adults were also caught watching with relish. The sight was amusing, but it only showed how powerful a truly outstanding work could be; its influence cut across age groups.
"Still, it's been quite a while since Tom and Jerry released anything new, hasn't it?" Edward rubbed his hands together. He had planned to take a short break anyway, partly to give the audience time to rest and recover from visual fatigue. That way, when he released something new, it would also help him harvest more fear points.
He still had an awards-contender film lined up, but he wasn't in a rush to shoot it. After giving it some thought, he decided instead to work on a new Tom and Jerry episode.
As for the type—his mind immediately recalled one of the series' classic episodes: Tom playing the piano while Jerry slept inside it. That one was particularly memorable, and combined with its use of classical music, it carried a strong artistic flavor.
It counted as one of Tom and Jerry's timeless classics. With this in mind, Edward began drafting the script in his office. The script wasn't very complex—after all, an episode of Tom and Jerry wasn't long. A rough storyline would suffice.
Once he was mostly done, he called for Ada.
Now, Ada was considered a success story within the company, having become one of its high earners. Yet in Edward's eyes, Ada was still the same as ever: wearing clothes plastered with Pokémon prints, topped with a Pikachu hat—utterly a diehard Pokémon fanatic.
"Boss!" Ada looked at him with excitement. The sight made Edward want to laugh. Ada had become a well-known director of Tom and Jerry, yet he still behaved like this. But perhaps that was exactly why he had succeeded—he had never abandoned his original passion. Thanks to him, Tom and Jerry had continued innovating instead of falling into cliché once Edward loosened his grip.
"Ada, have a seat. I called you here to discuss the new script for Tom and Jerry," Edward said, pointing at the chair opposite him. Ada quickly sat down, fingers nervously twisting together in an odd way. Edward paid it little mind; he knew Ada had some psychological quirks.
When Edward explained the script idea, Ada's eyes lit up. He immediately grabbed Edward and launched into an excited monologue that lasted over ten minutes, not repeating a single sentence. Edward's head began to ache from the torrent of words. Eventually, Deck came in and dragged Ada away, finally silencing him.
Watching Ada's overly excited figure, Edward rubbed his temples. Ada might be talented, but his personality was problematic. Fortunately, Tom and Jerry didn't require him to appear on screen—otherwise no one would watch it.
Later, with nothing else to do, Edward casually searched for the upcoming charity auction gala online. He discovered that the event had been held several times before, though it hadn't received much attention—just a few sparse news articles, nothing special.
Bored, he closed the computer.
By evening, he boarded a plane and arrived in Lilycove City to attend the auction. Though labeled as a charity auction, it felt more like a banquet. The tables were lined with exquisite pastries and tall glasses of red wine, giving off the air of a networking event.
Sitting to the side, Edward ate snacks with little interest in mingling. Social interactions didn't appeal to him, though plenty of others were eager to greet him. Several people came over one after another, but after exchanging polite pleasantries, they quickly caught on to his indifference and excused themselves.
"Director Edward? Could I trouble you for an autograph?"
A woman's voice. Edward looked up. The speaker was a young woman in an evening gown. Her skin was a little dark, but she was strikingly beautiful. Her bright, starry eyes fixed on him with admiration.
He paused. She looked familiar.
But he couldn't recall where he had seen her. Still, he was always indulgent with fans. So, he signed, though not with his real name—only his stage signature.
Celebrities had learned to protect themselves that way. Once, a fan had tricked a star into signing what later turned out to be an IOU, sparking huge controversy. Since then, "artistic signatures" had become the norm.
"Director Edward, my name is Shelly. I'm so happy to meet you~" the girl cooed softly after receiving the autograph. She even slipped into the seat beside him.
Edward raised an eyebrow. Shelly?
"Shelly" … from Team Aqua?
All at once, it clicked.
Shelly—an admin of Team Aqua. She had appeared in both the anime and the games. But in this world, the identities of Team Aqua's top brass were a closely guarded secret. The League had never made their names public, so few knew.
Now Edward was intrigued. Well, well. A senior admin of Team Aqua suddenly cozying up to him—there was no way this was innocent.
"Hello, I'm Edward Stone." He smiled pleasantly, curious to see what she was planning. He had no fear for his safety. He had a professional security detail nearby, and more importantly, Groudon's pokeball hung from his belt.
Though Groudon spent most of its time asleep, if danger arose, he could still call on it to lend a hand.
Shelly kept up her act beside him, and Edward watched with amusement without breaking her façade. He could tell her persona was that of a Cinderella-like fan girl, eyes glittering as she gazed at him.
He nearly laughed aloud. Had he not known her true identity, he might actually have been deceived. But knowing what he knew, her performance was pointless.
While Shelly prattled on about his films, Edward considered the bigger picture. After Team Aqua and Team Magma's joint attempt to seize the Red and Blue Orbs, the League had cracked down hard, forcing both teams into hiding.
He only carried one Red Orb with him—the very one that could trigger Groudon's Primal Reversion. But that orb was also something Team Aqua coveted. With it, they could awaken Kyogre.
"So troublesome," Edward sighed inwardly. He was just a rich young master, yet time and again he was dragged into the affairs of Legendary Pokémon. And when had any of them ever been simple? Mewtwo was still playing its cat-and-mouse "catch me if you can" game with Team Rocket. And now Team Aqua still hadn't given up, sending someone straight to him.
And not just anyone—they had sent Shelly herself to play the beauty trap.
Edward gave her a sidelong glance. Truly, these people had nerve. Did they really think such tricks would work?
He had thought that after the incidents in Sinnoh, these dark organizations would have learned their lesson—Legendary Pokémon were uncontrollable, and meddling with them only brought disaster.
Back in the early days, their goals had been simplistic to the point of absurdity. Take Team Magma, for example—their reasoning was that land was scarce and housing prices were too high. If Groudon expanded the landmass, prices would drop, and everyone could afford a house.
As for Team Aqua, they believed the sea was the source of life, and that expanding it with Kyogre would benefit the world.
Naïve thinking, but they acted on it. And in the games, they even succeeded. One had to admit—every one of these villains was a "talent" in their own way.
Of course, once they succeeded, they immediately learned what natural disasters truly meant. Groudon and Kyogre's rampage had been beyond anyone's control. Only after the player resolved the crisis did both teams disband, their leaders reformed, and the rest no match for the League.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us this evening…"
A man with a microphone took the stage. Several hostesses followed behind, each carrying a tray covered with red cloth. Clearly, these were the night's auction items.
With the auction beginning, Edward's attention shifted. Shelly's acting was so poor it made his stomach churn. Better to focus on the lots instead.
His family, the Stone family, were fabulously wealthy, but his father Joseph and brother Steven only cared for stones. The house was filled with rocks of every shape and color—enough to turn anyone else into stone themselves from sheer boredom.
Shelly noticed his lack of interest in her and secretly pouted. She thought the boss was overcomplicating things. Against a spoiled rich kid like Edward, why not just strike directly? She could easily knock him out before he even had a chance to call for help.
But since this mission was the boss's orders, she swallowed her irritation.
"The first item tonight," the host announced, "is donated by Petalburg Gym Leader Norman—a stamina training device designed to build a Pokémon's endurance."
The auction was underway. Edward watched with genuine curiosity; the items were interesting, though not of great value. He wasn't surprised—valuable pieces always appeared in the middle or toward the end.
Sure enough, by the fifth lot, his interest sharpened.
"Next, a contribution sponsored by Mr. Odile: a relic from the Dark Empire era, a royal pocket watch."
As expected, the expensive treasures appeared midway.
Edward leaned forward. The pocket watch glittered with jewels, its dial carved from a single gemstone. The gems didn't interest him—but its origin did.
The Dark Empire.
This was the ancient empire that had ruled the world long before the Pokémon League existed. Its reign had been cruel and bloody, until one day a resistance rose and overthrew it, forming the Pokémon League.
It was a fascinating era, invaluable to archaeology.
Edward bid for it, and in the end, secured the watch for thirty million.
The next few lots failed to capture his interest. But when the final item appeared—a bell—he sat up straight.
"The last piece," the host declared with excitement, "is provided by a private collector. It once hung atop the Bell Tower in Ecruteak City. It survived the great fire that consumed the tower, though it was stained with strange blood. Tests confirm the blood is neither human nor from any known Pokémon in our databases."
Edward's curiosity flared.
If the blood didn't match any known Pokémon, then it had to come from a creature never before captured or catalogued.
Raikou, Entei, Suicune? Or perhaps Ho-Oh?
Though Ho-Oh was famously elusive, it was still a Legendary.
"Hmph!"
At that moment, Edward heard a cold snort. He turned his head. A blonde girl was glaring at him with sharp, sideways eyes. When she noticed his gaze, she snorted again, as if dismissing him entirely.
Edward blinked. He didn't remember ever meeting her.
(End of Chapter)