"Where's Rayquaza? Didn't it descend just now?"
Moments later, Wallace hurriedly flew up to the Sky Pillar with several League investigators trailing behind him. He looked around in search of something, but at this moment, the vast spire had only one figure—Edward standing alone.
"Rayquaza has already left," Edward said calmly. His gaze was fixed on the sky above, his eyes carrying a trace of deep thought.
Wallace glanced at him. If it had been anyone else, they would likely have already been escorted away for questioning. But Edward's identity was unique—he carried the confidence and qualifications to not be held accountable so easily. Because of this, Edward wasn't worried about being taken in; instead, he was still mulling over what had just happened.
A few minutes ago, when he pulled out that special fear juice, Rayquaza had actually drunk it—finishing the whole thing. Afterward, it hadn't said anything, merely staring at Edward quietly.
Edward didn't hesitate; he told Rayquaza directly about the crisis he was facing.
Rayquaza listened silently from beginning to end before finally flying away. Edward still didn't know what that meant.
However, seeing how Rayquaza casually took the rest of his "Fear Juice" with it before leaving, Edward felt it was at least somewhat willing to help.
"Edward, did you really just meet Rayquaza?" Wallace asked sternly, his sharp gaze fixed on him. Edward nodded slightly. Even though he wouldn't be forced into interrogation, basic questioning couldn't be avoided. But Edward didn't mind—after all, he had come here precisely to find Rayquaza.
"Yes, I spoke with Rayquaza, but—ah, my apologies. It seems you don't have clearance for that level of classified information." Edward had originally intended to explain further, but then recalled that the League had not yet made the meteorite incident public.
Clearly, they were not ready to release such information. Smiling, he shook his head at Wallace and stopped there.
Wallace waved his hand, signaling the investigators to retreat. Then, with his full attention on Edward, he narrowed his eyes. Edward raised an eyebrow—did Wallace know about this already?
Well, it wasn't strange. Wallace's strength was considerable; had he not devoted himself so much to contests, he would probably already be one of the Elite Four. Perhaps even Champion wasn't out of the question.
"Is this about the meteorite?" Wallace finally asked.
Seeing this, Edward understood. Wallace indeed knew. Since he did, Edward no longer needed to hold back. He gave a simple rundown: he had requested Rayquaza's help, but Rayquaza hadn't agreed or refused, merely taking his juice and leaving. For now, Edward had no idea what Rayquaza truly intended.
"At the very least, that's a good start," Wallace said. "You know, ever since the League discovered the meteorite, we've been trying to reach Rayquaza for assistance. But it's never responded to us—not once." His expression carried a faint trace of envy. The League had tried many methods to contact Rayquaza, yet it ignored them entirely.
Edward twitched his lips. Rayquaza… respond to the League?
He thought it was already remarkable that Rayquaza hadn't attacked humans. After all, it had once been captured by humans. Strictly speaking, that blame rested partly on his own father, so when Edward approached it, he had immediately offered juice, fearing Rayquaza might recognize him as Hibiscus's son and lash out in fury.
But Rayquaza hadn't.
"Tell me—can the League's rockets really not launch? Don't you have some kind of backup plan?" Edward asked, skeptical.
Since arriving in this world, he had understood just how terrifying the power was that the Pokémon League had once overthrown. That kind of victory had to be soaked in blood and suppression. To believe the League didn't have secret weapons… Edward couldn't accept it.
"…I don't know." Wallace shook his head. He truly wasn't certain. But judging from the earlier emergency conference, he suspected the League still had some measure of confidence. The Chairwoman had looked rattled, yes, but beneath the panic there was steady calm. Wallace had sensed a firm assurance in him. Otherwise, he would never have radiated such confidence.
Edward nodded. Wallace might be the Champion-to-be, but even he couldn't possibly know everything.
Still, from his manner, Edward could guess that Wallace had drawn some conclusions. Which in turn proved that the League did have a hidden trump card for the meteorite crisis—though nothing so straightforward and efficient as having Rayquaza intervene directly.
So, the first and best option remained persuading Rayquaza.
Once the matter at Sky Pillar was resolved, Edward prepared to leave. But before that, he was required to give a brief written statement.
Wallace personally handled the record, compiling the details to pass along to the League for later reference. When everything was done, Edward boarded a League-provided Flying-type mount and set off for Rustboro.
"Ah, Officer Jenny, thank you very much for taking the trouble to bring me back to Rustboro so late at night."
Inside the small cabin beneath the flying mount, Edward sat on a sofa sipping tea. Across from him sat Officer Jenny Riko, assigned to escort him. The mount was a specially trained Corviknight, with extraordinary carrying capacity. Inside, Edward felt no wind at all; the ride was as smooth as sitting on a train.
"You're welcome, Mr. Edward," Jenny Riko replied with a polite smile, her demeanor perfectly calm. Edward studied the tea cup in his hand, then raised his eyes to her expressionless, professional smile. With a sigh, he set the cup down.
"What's wrong, Mr. Edward? Does the tea not suit your taste?" she asked curiously.
Waving his hand, Edward placed the cup aside, pulled a drink bottle from his bag, twisted it open, and took a sip. The sweet-and-sour flavor was more to his liking.
Then, narrowing his eyes, he said slowly, "I can't help but feel… isn't it a little excessive to send a high-level undercover operative like you just to arrest me, a rich second-generation heir?"
Jenny Riko's smile froze faintly, as if puzzled by his words.
Edward sighed. "I'm quite familiar with Officer Jenny's face, you know. No matter how hard you've tried, the traces of cosmetic alteration are still there." These people… why were they always so persistent, refusing to give up until the very end? He looked at the woman across from him helplessly.
Her smile changed subtly. Applauding softly, she looked at him with playful amusement. Edward, however, showed no alarm—only curiosity. Which organization was this woman from? Neither Team Aqua nor Team Magma seemed capable of producing someone with such skill.
"Mr. Edward, where is Mewtwo?" she asked sweetly.
Edward's lips twitched. Of all things, he hadn't expected her to be from Team Rocket. Their reach extended this far? Denial never crossed his mind. For her to be sitting here now meant they already had most of the information.
"I don't know. Mewtwo said you people were too annoying, so it moved away," Edward replied honestly. He truly didn't know. Mewtwo had given him an address once, but he never bothered to check. Their communication was entirely online.
"Hand me your phone," Jenny Riko said cheerfully, extending her hand.
Edward chuckled. Where did she get this confidence? Even Giovanni himself wouldn't be so bold before him. Not to mention, he had noticed her oddities the moment he boarded—and had already alerted Wallace. Did she really think she could restrain him before Wallace intervened? Edward wouldn't have stepped aboard otherwise.
Right on cue, Q erupted, unleashing a blinding surge of light. The Corviknight let out a shriek as the cabin plummeted. Edward, meanwhile, was instantly lifted and set down safely—right behind Steven.
"Brother?" Edward exclaimed, surprised. He had assumed it would be Wallace, since Wallace had been positioned nearby as backup.
"I got League orders earlier, so I came," Steven explained with a glance. Steering his Mega Metagross, he used psychic power to knock out the Corviknight instantly, binding the unconscious Jenny Riko before descending. They landed just outside Mizuho Town.
Though unharmed—and even exposing a hidden mole within the League—Edward still received a fierce scolding from Steven.
Next time, he was warned, don't recklessly climb aboard with suspicious strangers. Just notify Wallace to apprehend them directly. Edward scratched his head sheepishly. He hadn't really thought himself in danger, but Steven's concern was genuine. That alone was worth accepting.
"This one's probably from Team Rocket," Edward added. He also realized the capture might not be an accident. After all, she had surrendered almost too easily.
Perhaps she wanted the League to know of her existence, forcing Edward into a corner—either to change his approach or abandon Mewtwo entirely.
Steven's expression grew complicated. Edward certainly had a way of stirring trouble. But the League couldn't ignore a powerful artificial Pokémon like Mewtwo. It was something they would inevitably have to address.
…
The next two months, Edward immersed himself in filming Rear Window alongside the veteran director Kirk. From him, Edward learned various filming techniques and camera languages. To his surprise, his "Cinematography" skill actually showed a progress bar, now at ten percent. That discovery hinted there was a tier beyond Master-level—possibly something unattainable through lotteries.
If Master-level Cinematography was already this powerful, then what lay above? Edward couldn't help but feel excited.
Meanwhile, the Mewtwo and Team Rocket issue remained on his mind. Yet after brief contact with the League, Mewtwo continued its life as an online content creator, while the League chose not to interfere. That reassured Edward—he knew Mewtwo's temper all too well. Force it, and the outcome would backfire spectacularly.
As for Team Rocket, the League's suppression had left them licking their wounds, temporarily in hiding.
During this time, Edward also acquired a number of meteorites, though Rayquaza never appeared again. The massive meteorite headed toward Hoenn wouldn't arrive until year's end—there was still time.
He also had Ghost Films Productions begin promotions for The Truman Show, officially setting its release date. If he didn't, advertisers would start voicing complaints.
[The Truman Show—Director Edward's long-awaited comeback masterpiece!
[An upcoming wave of terror—but this time rated suitable for all ages? Why?]
[Director Edward claims The Truman Show is purely a drama film with no horror elements. If I hadn't seen One Missed Call, I might almost believe him.]
Online buzz soared immediately.
"Not many good movies these days?"
Edward, now noticeably tanned from constant filming under Kirk's blazing sets, sat in his office absentmindedly scratching peeling skin from his arm. He had gotten darker, yes, but the knowledge he gained made it worthwhile.
"Boss, there are plenty of films. But quality horror movies? Almost none. The highest-rated horror release recently only scored 4.5," Zoroark reported, handing him a dossier. As his secretary, it didn't need to film, but it did handle his schedule.
Edward scanned the file. The top title was Silent Midnight After Burial, with a pitiful score of 4.5. The rest—Death Phone, Terror Signal, Haunted Inn—all hovered below three. He shook his head. Just by looking at them, he knew they'd be terrible. Then again, that was the state of horror films in the Pokémon world before he introduced true masterpieces—they had always been a tiny, neglected niche.
"Well, we've got time anyway. Want to go see a movie, Zoroark?" Edward asked with a smile.
Zoroark stared silently at the papers in his hand… then shook his head decisively.
It would rather waste its life on games than throw away money on such garbage films. Watching them was nothing but paying to suffer.
(End of Chapter)