"Boss! The box office for Inner Senses has now surpassed two hundred million!"
Zoroark said excitedly to Edward, who only responded with a calm nod while gently stroking Q's head in his arms.
To Edward, Inner Senses crossing the two hundred million mark was nothing surprising. After all, the film itself was of high quality—its concept was solid, its pacing smooth, and the post-production effects and promotional campaigns were handled skillfully.
On top of that, the psychological experts who analyzed the film and discussed its deeper meaning gave it a layer of intellectual depth, cloaking it in a "psychological study" mystique. Because of this, Edward believed that the box office would probably continue to climb for a while.
That said, his true goal was not two hundred million —but three hundred.
Edward wanted to aim for the throne of a one billion box office. However, he was fully aware that it would be extremely difficult to reach such a height. To make that leap, he would need a huge-scale production, grand visual spectacle, and, most importantly, a massive fanbase. Only then could he attempt a serious charge toward that milestone.
He placed his hopes on Batman. Through that project, Edward planned to steadily accumulate fans, and once he had gathered enough popularity, he could then prepare an enormous feature film—something truly monumental. When that time came, who knew? Maybe he really could break one billion.
After finishing up at work, Edward decided to visit the orphanage, check in on Headmistress Lillian and the others, and spend some time with his Pokémon. He'd been buried in movie work lately, with barely any time to play with Q and the others. Thinking of this, he took Q and Void with him as he left the company.
The streets of Rustboro were lively, filled with people going about their evening. To avoid being recognized and surrounded, Edward took the precaution of wearing a simple disguise. Normally, he would have let Zoroark handle such things with illusions, but since Zoroark was on vacation, he could only rely on himself. If Zoroark were here, Edward thought wryly, he could probably turn into JoJo if he wanted.
"Q, is there anything you want to eat?" Edward asked while gently patting Q's round head. Lately, Q had been rather lazy and sleepy, spending most of its time napping. If Edward didn't already know that this particular ghost Pokémon didn't have an evolution form, he might have suspected it was preparing to evolve.
"Kyu~"
Q gave a soft, lazy cry and shook its head—it didn't have any cravings. Ghost-type Pokémon, after all, didn't particularly care for regular food. What they truly loved to consume were emotions like fear and dread—delicacies that nourished them far better than any berry or Pokéblock. Since Edward regularly fed Q fear candies, it had long since stopped craving anything else.
Edward scratched his head, not minding much, and continued walking. But then, by sheer coincidence, he spotted a very familiar figure up ahead on the street—a young man with a Pikachu perched on his shoulder.
Ash Ketchum?
Edward blinked in surprise, instantly recognizing him. For a moment, he was stunned—but then he realized it wasn't so strange. After all, years had passed since he'd started making films, and he hadn't been paying much attention to the Pokémon battle scene lately. Naturally, he wouldn't have known that Ash had already arrived in Hoenn.
Looking at him now, Edward couldn't help but smile slightly. Ash was still the same as ever—bright-eyed, full of energy, and wearing that same confident grin. But he did look a little taller, a little older. Reality was, after all, reality. Time hadn't frozen the moment Ash began his journey.
Pausing time—now that would be an incredible feat. Unless Dialga itself intervened, Edward thought, only Arceus might possess such power.
"Ash?" Edward called out curiously.
Ash turned around, startled by the unfamiliar voice. He looked at Edward in confusion, clearly unable to recognize him under the simple disguise. But when his eyes landed on Q in Edward's arms—and then on Void standing beside him—Ash's eyes lit up with excitement.
"A battle? Sure! I accept your challenge!" Ash declared enthusiastically.
Edward's mouth twitched. Wow. Straight to the point—challenging someone out of nowhere. Typical Ash. This guy really did have battle mania in his blood.
Edward hadn't originally planned on battling, but seeing the eager light in Ash's eyes made him curious. After all, Ash's infamous "Keep going!", "You can do it!", and "Stand up!" speeches were legendary. He wanted to see for himself if this Ash possessed that same unyielding willpower.
Of course, a street battle was out of the question—the League strictly prohibited such things. So Edward explained the situation and led Ash to a nearby battle arena in Rustboro. It wasn't part of a Gym, but it was still an official site for trainers to spar.
"I'll use my Pokémon—Mimikyu."
Q floated towards the field, and Ash immediately scanned it with his Pokédex. When he realized what it was, his face lit up again—Mimikyu were quite rare, after all. Seeing one in person was a treat for any trainer.
"Then let's go, Pikachu!" Ash said, tossing his Poké Ball. His faithful partner landed gracefully, sparks dancing from its cheeks.
Edward studied the Pikachu. It looked ordinary enough, nothing visibly special—but he didn't dare underestimate it. This was the Pikachu, Ash's ace Pokémon, the one that had traveled across regions from Kanto all the way to Galar.
"Q, take this seriously."
As soon as Edward spoke, Q's demeanor shifted entirely. Gone was the laziness; its eyes sharpened with predatory focus as it locked onto Pikachu. The poor mouse had no idea what it was about to face.
A small crowd gathered around the battlefield. Many locals preferred casual matches over official Gym battles—it was more spontaneous, more thrilling to watch. Judging by the murmurs, most of the spectators were betting on Edward's Mimikyu to win.
After all, everyone knew that Mimikyu had a special grudge against Pikachu. The cuter the Pikachu, the more aggressive a Mimikyu became.
"The battle begins! Pikachu, use—"
Ash's passionate command was cut short by a blinding flash of light.
"Dazzling Gleam!"
When the light faded, Pikachu was sprawled flat on the ground—completely unconscious.
"…"
The arena fell silent. Q tilted its head at the fallen Pikachu, then looked back at Edward. Edward sighed and shook his head. Poor Pikachu—he hadn't stood a chance. Against a Mimikyu, especially one that had fully maxed-out stats, the outcome was inevitable.
"Looks like it's over. You should probably take Pikachu to a Pokémon Center," Edward said gently.
Ash stood frozen, his face blank. Clearly, he hadn't processed what just happened. Edward smiled faintly—this Ash was still far from being the Pokémon Master of the future. His battle experience was too green, his mindset too pure.
After a moment, Ash hurried off, carrying his Pikachu in his arms. Before leaving, though, he asked for Edward's phone number. Edward didn't refuse—he, too, was curious to see how far Ash could go.
"Q, you really…" Edward said, half amused, half exasperated as he picked up the ghostly Pokémon. He hadn't expected Pikachu to go down that fast—a single Dazzling Gleam and the match was over.
"Kyu~" Q murmured weakly.
Edward patted its head, not blaming it at all. It had fought as instructed. But maybe next time, he thought wryly, he should make sure his opponent could actually withstand one hit—otherwise, it just got awkward.
After the encounter, Edward went to a restaurant, bought a lot of food, and had it delivered to the orphanage. He also stopped by a supermarket to buy Pokémon feed.
Pokémon feed was an essential expense for any breeder. While a few species didn't need to eat, most did—and Lillian's orphanage cared for many Pokémon, so the feed bills were enormous. Edward stocked up generously to make things easier for them.
When he arrived at the orphanage, Void followed curiously behind, taking in the surroundings. Edward greeted Stufful at the gate before stepping inside. The moment he did, Salamence swooped down, eager for a sparring match with Q. Edward didn't stop them—it had become their routine. Every time they met, the two had to battle; it was almost like a greeting at this point.
"Good afternoon, Edward," Headmistress Lillian said warmly as she noticed him. She was having lunch and smiled as she waved him over. Edward returned the greeting and showed her Void, who had recently evolved.
"Headmistress Lillian, have there been many abandoned Pokémon lately?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Most abandoned Pokémon appear right after new trainers begin their journeys. That's when the abandonment rate is at its peak."
Edward nodded thoughtfully. That matched what he'd assumed—rookie trainers often underestimated the responsibilities of raising Pokémon.
"Has Greeny been adopted yet?" he asked, remembering the Shroomish covered in excess spores.
Lillian sighed and shook her head. Edward couldn't help but smile wryly. Well, adoption wasn't something that could be forced.
He stayed to chat for a while, checking on the Pokémon. Soon after, Q returned triumphant—it had once again defeated Salamence, who was sulking and wanted a rematch, though it was stopped before things got too heated.
Seeing this, Edward just smiled and didn't intervene. After a bit more conversation, he showed Lillian how well his Pokémon were doing.
He also noticed the fine wrinkles near her eyes. She looked older than before, and that made him sigh quietly. Time really did move on for everyone.
He wondered, half amused, how old Ash would be when he finally became a Pokémon Master. Hopefully not so old that he'd already be married by then.
Then again, this wasn't an anime world. Here, Ash was aging normally—growing, maturing, changing. Maybe someday he would get married. The real question was… to whom? Edward chuckled inwardly. That question had probably sparked endless debates across the fandom.
He imagined the animation studio years later—releasing a special episode where a grown-up Ash appeared with his wife and kids, stirring up nostalgia and publicity. Yeah, that sounded exactly like something the producers would do.
After saying goodbye to Lillian, Edward went home, took a short rest, and then spent the evening refining his script. When he was finally satisfied, he let out a long sigh of relief and lay back on his bed.
"The Kyogre statue…"
His eyes drifted to the ornate sculpture sitting on his shelf. It had behaved perfectly fine lately—no strange activity, no ominous glow. Edward relaxed a little. The last thing he needed was to accidentally "capture" Kyogre one day.
Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, his phone buzzed. He frowned, picked it up, and saw that it was a seismic alert. Not for Rustboro, thankfully—but still close enough to worry about. He sat up, thinking for a moment, then decided to donate to the relief fund.
It was standard procedure in times of disaster—donate quickly, and announce it publicly to prevent rumors or criticism. As a company owner, Edward understood the importance of maintaining goodwill and reputation.
After instructing Zoroark to handle the donation, he lay back down and soon fell asleep. The earthquake hadn't been too severe, but it had damaged some buildings, so the donation was well worth it.
The next morning, as he was eating breakfast, Edward received a message from Steven.
"What? Seriously?" Edward muttered in shock as he read it.
"Because of yesterday's earthquake, the detention center suffered structural damage. Archie and Maxie have escaped. Be careful."
Edward stared blankly at the screen for a long moment. He hadn't expected that twist. So, the earthquake had conveniently paved the way for those two to escape?
He scratched his head. Could they possibly be coming after him? Unlikely, he decided. Their Pokémon had long since been confiscated—without them, they were nothing more than ordinary men.
Still… this world line seemed to be shrinking in a way that made him uneasy.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Damn, I didn't update anything last week huh. I honestly thought I scheduled them.