"Edward, are you here to submit your movie for review?"
The familiar office, the familiar middle-aged woman. Edward wore a faint smile, but in his eyes flickered a trace of strangeness.
Because the last time he had submitted a film for review, this woman had only appeared once. On every other occasion, it had been regular clerks from the League's Film Bureau who handled the process. A figure of her stature didn't usually come in person—yet here she was today.
Zoroark stood beside Edward, its sharp eyes carrying the same curiosity. Aside from Edward's very first submission, Zoroark had been the one to deliver every other film to the Bureau. And in all those times, this important woman had never once shown up.
That in itself felt unusual. But thinking about the new patent their boss had developed, Zoroark seemed to understand why she had suddenly taken the trouble to appear.
Edward thought of the same thing. He certainly didn't believe it was because of his own irresistible charm, nor did he think this woman had come just to curry favor with him. No—far more likely, she had come because she wanted something from him.
"Yes. This time I filmed a new horror movie. But because this particular work is… special, I feel it's necessary to apply for an age classification," Edward replied calmly, sipping his tea. He knew exactly why she had come. What else could it be, if not because of the new patent he had reported to the League?
The staggering box office success of Buried was tightly bound to that very patent. Those who knew the inside story were green with envy, all wishing they could be the second to seize such a lucrative advantage in the market. But the problem was—the tool to "eat the first crab" existed only in Edward's hands. So, if they wanted it, they had no choice but to find a way through him.
Up until now, not a single film company had managed to secure a profit-sharing arrangement with Edward. Many were already unhappy, whispering that he showed signs of monopolizing the film market. Yet none dared to voice their discontent too loudly—after all, Devon Corp's financial might was not something they could easily provoke.
Edward understood clearly: if these people could, they would rush straight into his house, rip the patent from his hands, and carry it back to their own companies to lay golden eggs for them forevermore.
"Age classification? But I remember your previous horror films weren't submitted for classification," the woman said in surprise as she studied him. She didn't follow Edward's work too closely, but as the now-famous director of the Hoenn region, she knew at least a little.
Indeed, none of Edward's earlier horror works—titles such as Dead Silence, One Missed Call, A Wicked Ghost had been officially classified. Why insist on a rating this time?
The League, in fact, had no strict system requiring all films to be classified. It was left to the discretion of the director, or decided during review if the content clearly demanded it.
A faint smile curved the woman's lips. She wanted to persuade Edward to open his patent to her nephew's company, but she knew that would be difficult. Still, if she could extend him a small courtesy here—such as smoothing along his classification request—might that not give her a card to play later? Even at this level, the simple principle still applied: if you take favors from someone, it's harder to refuse them afterward.
"That's right. Because this film is going to compete in Unova's Sci-Fi Film Contest. After watching the finished cut, I decided it's better to classify it. Otherwise, if it reflected poorly on our Hoenn region, wouldn't that be a problem?" Edward explained with an easy smile.
At those words, the woman gave up her idea. She knew about the contest. If she deliberately blocked Edward here and caused his film to fail to screen in Hoenn, it would make the whole region a laughingstock across the League. Reluctantly, she chose not to press the matter.
In fact, if Edward were to win an award at that sci-fi festival, it would benefit her as well, boosting her career achievements.
"Director Edward, you're a well-known name across the League. For you, winning such a contest is practically a sure thing." The woman smiled warmly, then instructed her staff to take the film for review and provide a classification.
As Edward watched the staff depart with barely concealed dread, he gave them a sympathetic look. He knew all too well that the reviewers didn't enjoy his films. They were horror movies, after all. Watching them often left the reviewers trembling in fright.
Zoroark had told him many times: every time it delivered a new film, the reviewers acted like they were being marched to an execution. The sight was both comical and pitiful.
"Director Edward, about your new patent—when do you plan to release it to the market?" The woman asked smoothly, her eyes still gentle, though the true purpose behind her words was obvious.
Edward's lips twitched. Just as he expected. This woman hadn't come to see him in person out of courtesy. Her real target was the patent.
Just like a hyena catching the scent of carrion—relentless, unwilling to let go. From the time he left Kanto until now, Edward had fended off countless people like this. The only difference today was that he was facing this particular woman directly.
"This patent is very difficult to bring to market." Edward put on a troubled expression and deliberately played up his hardships. He explained how, although he was lucky to have the company of a certain mysterious existence, he hadn't truly earned its recognition. Most of the time, it ignored him entirely, slowing down the filming process and causing no end of obstacles.
But the woman wasn't ready to give up. She even hinted that if Edward were willing, some companies could offer him astonishing benefits. All he needed to do was take his camera and shoot. Edward, however, declined politely.
Because once you opened that door, there would be no end. It was like defending B site in CSGO. If you slipped once and let the enemy through, it became almost impossible to hold it afterward.
Agree to one person, and others would ask: "Why them and not me?" Before long, refusals would breed resentment. Edward had no intention of giving himself such a headache.
Faced with his polite refusal, the woman didn't push further. She merely expressed regret, and suggested that if he ever did open up, he should at least consider Hoenn's local film companies. She didn't say which one, but Edward understood perfectly. The hint was obvious—her relative's company.
Having dropped her hint, she left. Her time was valuable. Since it was clear she couldn't directly wrest the patent from him, there was no point in wasting more effort.
Edward, unhurried, simply waited patiently for the staff to finish their review. Finally, pale-faced, they returned with the results: the film was recommended for Adults Only.
"Boss, that woman in charge earlier…" Zoroark spoke as they stepped out of the Bureau.
Edward nodded. Of course he had noticed. Though she smiled the whole time, he had felt her faint displeasure beneath the surface. But it didn't concern him.
"It's just film review. Each region's Bureau only decides what can be shown within their own borders. Unless they had the power to unite and block me across the entire League, they can't do much," Edward said calmly.
Even if they tried to band together to blacklist him, it wasn't certain they had the capability.
"But boss, now that Alien has been rated Adults Only, won't that hurt our box office?" Zoroark asked nervously, glancing at the master copy of the film.
After all, minors contributed at least some part of ticket sales. Losing that slice of audience…
"It won't matter. Horror films were never really meant for minors anyway. In our viewer surveys, underage audiences make up the smallest proportion," Edward explained, shaking his head. People in this world all knew horror movies weren't suitable for children. Cinemas even had separate screenings for minors, to protect the viewing experience of other adults.
After all, nothing ruined a movie faster than noisy kids in the theater.
"That's a relief," Zoroark exhaled.
With the review finished, Edward took a car to the outskirts of Petalburg Woods. He had come to deal with the matter of the Mismagius and its group. The little ones had been waiting for him a long time. Though Edward had already made his decision, he hadn't yet informed them.
"Boss, do you think Boss Gengar has returned?" Zoroark asked curiously. It got along well with the mischievous Ghost-type—both were Ghost-line Pokémon, after all, and shared a common language.
(TN: I forgot what I refer Gengar as and I don't wanna call it Mr. so I put Boss instead,)
Strangely, though, Zoroark had never shown much interest in Fear Candies. To it, they tasted like ordinary sweets, nothing special.
"I'm not sure. Last I heard, he went to Kanto to visit old friends. He didn't say when he'd be back," Edward replied. He missed their little routines. Every time he visited Petalburg Woods, he would play rock-paper-scissors with Gengar. Now that Gengar wasn't around, it felt oddly empty.
Stepping into the woods, he noticed little had changed. The same old sights greeted him—children with bug-catching nets or fishing rods, chatting happily along the paths, excitedly discussing the Pokémon they'd seen that day.
Though vast, Petalburg Woods was safe within League jurisdiction.
In fact, the League had built secure roads connecting every town. So long as travelers stayed on the paths, they would rarely encounter dangerous wild Pokémon. Patrols were dispatched regularly to maintain order.
Wild Pokémon themselves seemed to understand a kind of unspoken pact. Most would not intrude into areas of human activity. In this world, people and Pokémon had found ways to coexist peacefully.
"Looks like Boss Gengar really isn't around." Edward sighed, gazing at the forest.
It was beautiful, especially now in autumn. Red maples spread across the sky, rare plants painted the scenery with otherworldly colors. The woods glowed with breathtaking beauty. And yet, without Gengar's antics, something was missing.
That silly fellow who never tired of losing at rock-paper-scissors—yet always admitted defeat fairly. Over time, Edward had come to treat Gengar as a true friend.
"Feels like the place is emptier without him," Zoroark said with regret. Edward nodded. Still, he was confident Gengar wouldn't be gone long.
Apex Pokémon all had territories. A powerful overlord like Gengar couldn't wander too long, or it might be mistaken as a threat encroaching on another's domain. And Petalburg Woods was where Gengar had grown up. Edward couldn't imagine it abandoning this place forever.
After walking for a while, Edward reached his amusement park. Compared to the liveliness of the past, it now looked utterly deserted. In broad daylight, there wasn't a single visitor. He even spotted the ticket seller dozing at the booth.
"This is worse than I expected," Edward admitted quietly, feeling a pang.
It was still his property, after all. No matter how wealthy he was, seeing it like this left a bitter taste.
"Boss, the park's situation is really bad. Mr. Kennedy should've mentioned it to you," Zoroark said with some regret. Once, the park had overflowed with raw fear energy. But now? Not a trace remained.
Which could only mean one thing—no one came to play anymore.
"I know. That's why we're shutting it down." Edward gazed at the empty grounds. According to Kennedy's plans, the Pokémon would soon relocate, running a new ghost-themed park elsewhere. It would be their long-term livelihood.
Edward himself had another thought. Rather than calling it an "amusement park," it was more fitting to call it a "thrill park." Most of the rides were built to spike adrenaline and scare the life out of visitors. In a way, they already generated fear energy. With a haunted house, too, the Ghost-types would always have something to do.
Q crawled down from Edward's head, staring ahead with keen interest—it had sensed something.
Then Edward saw it: a whole swarm of Ghost-type Pokémon bursting out of the haunted house.
And leading them was none other than Mismagius, disguised once more as "Mary Shaw."
"What in the world are they up to?" Edward blinked, completely bewildered.
(End of Chapter)