How exactly does one go about finding an artist who not only has solid technical skills, but also a good grasp of panel composition and storyboarding?
Edward honestly had no idea how to search for such a person, so he simply decided to let Zoroark reach out to the editors of Stone Comics to help him find one. At the same time, Edward also provided the editors with the specific conditions he wanted. Originally, he thought this would take a long while, but to his surprise, he received resumes the very same afternoon after bringing it up in the morning.
"Ten different comics artists are all willing? Is the work efficiency really this high?" Edward had just finished his lunch when he saw Zoroark carrying a stack of documents over. His face was full of astonishment—this was simply too ridiculous.
Edward had originally believed that finding the right person would take quite some time. After all, while there were many comics artists out there, very few would agree to such specific conditions. But unexpectedly, in just a few short hours, ten people had already been gathered. The efficiency of it all could only be described as outrageous.
"Boss, this is already after filtering. All of these artists are very experienced, with mature art styles and strong panel composition. If we relaxed the requirements a little, this number could be multiplied by thirty times."
Zoroark adjusted the glasses on its face. Edward cast him a glance—this fellow really was amusing. Because Secretary Kennedy wore glasses, Zoroark also decided to wear them, and even chose the exact same brand.
In Edward's opinion, it seemed Secretary Kennedy had already become something like Zoroark's idol.
"Thirty times more, huh…" Edward shook his head in disbelief at that enormous number. He could only sigh—no matter what world one was in, being a comics artist was not an easy job. No wonder some artists began their careers by drawing doujinshi just to scrape by, only officially debuting with original works once they had built up a solid fan base.
Of course, this didn't apply to those prodigies with extraordinary talent.
"Have you already discussed the contract terms with them?" Edward asked as he flipped through the stack of resumes. The first one belonged to a heavyweight—Edward had actually read this person's comics before. Though not a superstar, their work was relatively well-known. He hadn't expected even someone of that level to show up.
Edward had originally thought only those desperate to make ends meet would accept this job. Yet not only were there plenty, but some with achievements and modest fame also came knocking.
"I have. All of them are willing to sign." Zoroark nodded. In fact, it was precisely because he had explained the contract details in advance that so many had applied. According to the comics editors, their phones had been ringing non-stop, practically blowing up with requests for the application channels.
Edward nodded again. That made sense. While the top mangakas nad comics artists could earn incredible amounts of money, reaching a higher class of society through their work, the majority of ordinary comics artists lived barely above the poverty line. Some even survived by working under bigger artists just to put food on the table.
Others still needed to maintain day jobs and could only draw comics in their spare time, doing what they loved without knowing if it would ever pay off. It was only thanks to the advent of digital drawing tablets and software that things weren't even more miserable—otherwise, their struggles would have been even harsher.
And though Edward's contract did have some strict conditions, the salary and benefits were absolutely top-tier by Alliance standards. For those determined to become professional comics artists, the pay he offered was more than enough to allow them to walk this thorn-covered road without needing to rely on financial support from their parents. Naturally, this attracted a flood of applications.
"Boss, according to the chief editor's suggestion, if you plan to have these artists work on a long-running serialized comics, and you also want guaranteed quality, then the best approach would be to have them form a studio and collaborate together." Zoroark added another piece of information.
Edward's eyes lit with curiosity. "You can do that?"
In his mind, mangakas and comics artists had always fit a single stereotype—otakus and nerds with thick glasses, working alone at their desks.
"Yes, boss. After all, if a single person works alone, it takes a huge amount of time, which isn't ideal for weekly serialization. Multiple people working together is much more efficient. These artists have also been carefully screened—their art styles are similar enough that if you let the most experienced among them handle the storyboards, they can ensure a steady output of high-quality comics."
Zoroark didn't mention the part about the editor hinting they could save costs by only hiring six of the artists and squeezing more work out of them. He didn't think his boss was someone who needed to cut corners for money.
"In that case, hire all of them. No—better yet, put them on probation first. Have them draw a single chapter for me based on this story outline. If I'm satisfied, they'll be formally hired."
Edward made the decision quickly and handed Zoroark two prepared outlines—one for Superman, and one for Batman.
He planned to use these two figures as the opening shot in introducing superhero-style comics and movies into the Pokémon Leauge. As for the future? He had plenty of other models to copy. Once he was done with DC, he could always bring in Marvel. If the response was strong, he could even spin them off into standalone series, turning them into massively popular IPs and raking in profits.
In his past life, many companies had realized the value of IPs. They would hype them up crazily, pour in money, and make them household names—even works that weren't all that famous could, under the weight of financial backing, become known worldwide. As long as even a tenth of the audience was converted into loyal fans, the IP would stand tall, and the money would start pouring in.
"Understood, boss." Zoroark jotted everything down and hurried off. Edward stayed in the office a little longer before deciding to leave early. After all, he was the boss—he could get off work whenever he wanted.
The streets of Rustboro were still lively that afternoon. Edward carried Q in his arms as he strolled down the avenue, occasionally passing some flashy trendsetters.
Because Ghost Films was based here, many young people chasing stardom came to try their luck. This also attracted fashion-conscious youngsters looking to take photos. But when Edward looked at their bizarre outfits, he honestly couldn't appreciate them. One passerby in particular was wearing clothes that looked like nothing more than a burlap sack thrown over his body.
"Kyu~" Q nudged Edward with its head, its tail flicking toward the other side of the street. One look and Edward already knew what it wanted.
"What is it? Do you want to watch a movie?" Edward chuckled, patting its head. Q nodded eagerly. Seeing this, Edward carried it straight into a nearby cinema. On the way in, he also let out Void, but Void disliked being outside. The moment it emerged, it dove right back into its Poké Ball, leaving Edward a bit helpless.
Different Pokémon had different personalities. Some loved roaming about and hated being confined, while others preferred to stay in their Poké Balls, quietly pondering life.
As Edward glanced at the cinema's listings, he suddenly thought of Fortune.
Ever since graduating from graduate school, Fortune had been placed by Edward as the head of Stone Comics. Apparently, he was doing quite well. The former company president still remained, now acting as Fortune's mentor, training him to grow quickly.
Edward had already informed the president that Fortune wouldn't stay long in the comics company—eventually, he would come to work directly for him. So, the president put in genuine effort, motivated by the idea of grooming Fortune quickly and then reclaiming his comfortable office lifestyle.
"This season's movies…" Edward frowned at the list. They were hard to judge.
In the Pokémon League, movies generally fell into a few categories. The most mainstream and popular were trainer-themed, like the classic Fame in a Single Battle. That story told of an ordinary man whose life was going nowhere, yet who persevered through training battles, eventually winning a decisive fight that propelled him to stardom as a celebrity trainer, changing his life and even challenging the Elite Four and Champion. These kinds of heroic tales were what the people of this world most longed for. After all, who didn't dream of becoming a Champion when they were young?
Next came romance films, youth dramas, comedies, and other standard genres. Horror films did exist, but there weren't many.
After Edward's rise to fame, however, horror films had gained more audience interest, which naturally led to more being made. He spotted three titles on the billboard: Child's Spirit: Night of Terror, Who's Behind You, and Ghoul vs. Monster. Of the three, only Who's Behind You caught even a little of his interest.
"Hm?" Edward suddenly noticed a poster for I'm Too Strong, I Just Want to Be an Ordinary Gym Leader, which prominently featured Diantha.
In the end, though, he decided on Elementary Death: Mystery of the Field Trip. It was an animated movie, and the simple reason was that Q wanted to watch it. So, Edward accompanied it in.
The film wasn't very long, standard for an animated feature. But after watching it, Edward felt a bit stunned. He knew the source material was a famous anime, but the plot of this particular movie was so absurd that much of the logic made no sense. Still, since Q seemed delighted, he didn't complain.
"Tsk, tsk… maybe I should just produce an animated film myself to save the market. If I remember correctly, Tom and Jerry even had a theatrical release." Edward scratched his head. It even had a live-action adaptation once—though the reviews for that were… complicated.
He quickly messaged Zoroark, instructing it to contact Ada and the team to prepare a Tom and Jerry movie. The story content could be left to the creative team, though Edward would personally review their scripts. If it didn't work, they'd just revise it.
Having made arrangements to address the decline in animation film quality, Edward returned home carrying Q. The ceiling at home had already been repaired, the hole patched up. The fallen stone that had once landed in front of him was now carefully placed in his room.
Edward couldn't shake the feeling that this meteorite was unusual. But he had been too busy with company affairs to visit Sky Pillar and consult Rayquaza about life and destiny.
"Conveniently, I've gathered some other meteorites as well…" Edward mused. He planned to bring this new collection to Rayquaza. Who knew? It might prove useful. Of course, the one he placed his greatest hopes in was still that peculiar stone brimming with the aura of destiny.
After sending a quick message, he was soon seated in a helicopter.
"Can the meteorite be tracked yet?" Edward asked calmly as he sat beside Officer Jenny.
Ever since his last visit with Rayquaza, getting to Sky Pillar had become much easier. The League now provided him with chartered flights, pickup and drop-off included. With flying-type Pokémon escorting, safety was never an issue. His life was well-protected.
"Based on calculations, the meteorite will crash into the Hoenn region by the end of the year. It could cause massive earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and even tectonic shifts." Officer Jenny's tone was calm, as if this were no big deal. But Edward could see the tension in her eyes—she was clearly worried.
"Mm." Edward yawned, gazing down at the forests and towns passing swiftly beneath him, then toward the distant sea. He couldn't help but wonder—would Rayquaza give him face this time?
He absentmindedly rubbed the stone in his pocket. Was this truly the Stone of Destiny?
Officer Jenny glanced at him but said nothing.
The League had shown little resistance to Edward's involvement with Rayquaza. Though he already possessed Groudon and now seemed to be inching toward claiming Rayquaza as well, the League was actually quite pleased at the prospect.
Everyone knew humanity's confinement to this planet was partly due to limited technology—and partly because of Rayquaza.
And although Rayquaza's species existed throughout the ozone layer, the one above Hoenn was the most critical. If it were no longer a threat, that alone would be good news.
In reality, most Legendary Pokémon did have small groups, though their numbers were extremely rare. Only some of the most unique legends truly existed as single entities.
As for whether Edward, owning two legendaries, might harbor ambitions he shouldn't… there was no real need to worry. After all, he was a wealthy second-generation heir, the successor to Devon Corporation. What more could he aspire to? The position of League Chairman?
Psychological profiling had already confirmed—Edward had little desire for political power.
Besides, the League had survived overthrowing the old Dark Empire and reaching its current strength for a reason. It wasn't some naïve rabbit—it was a dragon with fangs.
Soon, the helicopter reached Sky Pillar. The Officer Jennys stayed below, not daring to follow, afraid their presence might sour Rayquaza's mood.
The moment Edward reached the summit, Rayquaza descended from the skies. Immediately, he felt the meteorite in his pocket grow hot, almost scalding to the touch.
"So this… is what it means to be the Child of Destiny?" Edward smiled faintly. At least half of the problem was already solved.
(End of Chapter)