The release of Harry Potter brought in an enormous wave of popularity. Combined with the fact that the premiere took place early in the morning—when most people were awake and free—this naturally led to the movie becoming extremely popular. Many parents had even brought their children to watch it.
And with the arrival of Harry Potter, the very concept of "magic" officially entered the public's field of vision, stirring up widespread curiosity. Naturally, what followed immediately were the freshly released box-office numbers and reviews.
"Boss! Our first-day box office has already broken seventy million!" Zoroark said excitedly. Edward scratched his head. He personally felt that the number was only average, neither good nor bad. But as more of the plot became known to the public and as more and more comments appeared, Edward believed that more people would continue coming out to watch the film in the following days. When that happened, the total box-office revenue he could earn would only increase.
"But at the very least, this proves that the film is a success." Edward felt fairly satisfied. After all, the box office at least showed that Harry Potter had been accepted by the market. In a sense, that counted as a good start. And judging from the current trend, it looked unlikely that the project would lose money.
"Hm?" Edward truly hadn't expected that his movie would attract a particular film reviewer.
Sabrina.
"I never expected Sabrina to write a film review." Edward was genuinely surprised. After all, most Gym Leaders were extremely busy most of the time, barely having any free moments to do anything else. And among those who wrote reviews, Sabrina was someone who had never written one before.
Sabrina's Review
"As a psychic who can sense fluctuations in people's emotions, I often felt the rippling waves of astonishment and wonder spreading through the audience as I watched Director Edward's film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
This remarkable magical film uses an almost perfect combination of audio and visual language to construct an eternal bridge between the world of ordinary humans and the world of magic. When Hagrid smashed down the Dursleys' door with his wand, when Platform Nine and Three-Quarters revealed itself hidden between the pillars, I seemed to witness the walls of reality collapsing. A magnificent new world built upon pure imagination unfolded before the audience at the speed of a quantum jump.
The film opens with whispers filled with pressure and tension, instantly dragging me into a vortex of suspenseful storytelling. The lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead is not only a visual motif, but also a peculiar symbol and metaphor. It feels like a narrative seed for future films. I can say with confidence that this movie will definitely have a sequel—after all, Harry has only just entered his first year. What about everything that follows?
Many of the spells were fascinating, such as the Levitation Charm and those magical objects that absorb glowing orbs! The special-effects team's depiction of the Quidditch match was truly a classic, and it's obvious that Director Edward invested a great deal of resources into this script. As the Golden Snitch streaked across the field, leaving a glowing trail behind it; as the broomsticks dove at high speed and the airflow distorted around them; as the audience's gasps created rippling shockwaves—every detail was translated into a tangible visual spectacle.
While watching, I actually felt a faint tingling in my palm, as though brushing against a magnetic field—this kind of embodied sensation that surpasses physical rules is precisely a modern reinterpretation of magic created by the filmmaker.
During the Great Hall's magical feast, the floating candles didn't simply illuminate the Gothic arches—they ignited my curiosity. Do these candles burn without consuming real wax? Or is there some deeper mechanism behind them? And the Sorting Hat—what is the basis of its judgments? Such philosophical questions about the nature of magic are far more captivating than simply showing off magical abilities. I noticed that when Harry nearly fell and got injured, members of the audience unconsciously held their breath. This collective tension made me admire Director Edward's exceptional mastery of emotional pacing.
In the Potions classroom, the bubbling liquids; in Transfiguration, the twisting metal utensils—these surreal scenes contained traces of scientific logic. The only pity is that even Pokémon cannot observe the true essence of magic in this world. But perhaps this limitation makes it even more intriguing. It leads me to wonder whether our world might also contain similar mysteries—mysteries akin to these magical practitioners. And if such people truly exist… then why didn't I receive an acceptance letter?
Voldemort's rise mirrors the allegory of power becoming corrupted in modern society. He is powerful, ruthless, and utterly mad. I can't help wondering how the sequel will portray his next steps. Meanwhile, when Harry confronted the Mirror of Erised, I immediately understood that this mirror represents the desires within the human heart.
I don't believe Voldemort ever had a chance at claiming the Philosopher's Stone. After all, he couldn't see anything in the mirror. That must have been Headmaster Dumbledore's arrangement from the very beginning.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione form a delightful Golden Trio. When they ventured through the challenges on their way to protect the Philosopher's Stone, each tackling the task that fit their strengths, the design felt somewhat intentional. I suspect Dumbledore set up all of this deliberately as a test.
When the end credits rolled, the magical orchestral score still echoed in my mind. My favorite part of the entire film is the music—especially the Hedwig Variations. It's absolutely wonderful, drawing me instantly into the grand blueprint of the magical world. And the most brilliant aspect of this movie is that, despite its fantastical nature, its magical world remains deeply rooted in human nature.
Those spells and Portkeys are, in truth, metaphorical symbols for creativity and courage in the real world. As a psychic, I personally would love to enroll in Hogwarts. I think I'm most suited for Ravenclaw House."
"Sabrina, huh?" Edward scratched his head. This Sabrina was a psychic and also the Gym Leader of the Kanto Psychic-type Gym and a very powerful one at that. The good news, however, was that this Sabrina was not a member of Team Rocket. Edward remembered that in a certain version, Sabrina was portrayed as a high-ranking officer of Team Rocket, a setting he found quite amusing.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case in this world. That alone made Edward feel more at ease. And thinking about Sabrina reminded him of another person—
Giovanni.
"Giovanni…" Edward murmured. Come to think of it, Giovanni had already been imprisoned in a League facility, sentenced to life without parole. Yet, despite Giovanni being taken down, Team Rocket was still operating. His arrest didn't seem to have caused much disturbance at all.
This made the League suspect that Team Rocket might still have hidden agents planted elsewhere.
Edward stood up and noticed Zoroark still writing something. Curious, he leaned in for a look—Zoroark was writing another one of its novels, working on its latest chapter.
Reading the plot, Edward couldn't help wanting to laugh. Still, the script wasn't bad. In the future, he could even turn it into a short drama or something similar.
Leaving Zoroark to its writing, Edward exited the room. He planned to visit Giovanni. For most people, visiting Giovanni would be extremely troublesome—after all, Giovanni's identity and former status were not something an ordinary person could approach casually.
But for Edward, such concerns didn't matter. After applying to the League for permission, he soon found himself at one of Kanto's special prisons. This facility held almost exclusively severe criminals—those who would remain locked away for life. The security here was exceedingly tight.
Escape was absolutely impossible. The floors were reinforced steel. Even the outdoor exercise yard was constantly patrolled by guards and Pokémon. Beneath the thin layer of dirt on the ground lay solid steel plates to prevent tunneling. Since its establishment, not a single prisoner had ever escaped.
There had even been an "escape master" from the League who came to challenge the place—and failed. He ended up spending two full years in prison. Edward still remembered that variety show.
Despite all the logical black holes in this world's movie industry, when it came to variety shows, they really did a surprisingly good job. At least, in Edward's view. There had even been a show where men and women were placed on a deserted island to survive, stirring up quite a bit of discussion. Many popular shows from Edward's previous life could be found here in one way or another.
If murder weren't illegal, Edward suspected they might even try producing a real-life battle-royale program. As a result, variety shows in this world had become extremely competitive, constantly trying to invent new concepts. Singing shows in particular had been pushed to their limits—so much so that some people claimed there was no room left for innovation in singing-oriented variety programs.
Masked singing competitions, professional singer challenges, original songwriting shows, rap, folk, ballads—every imaginable type of singing competition had already been exhausted. People even began combining singing with other activities, like running while singing or playing games while singing. There was literally everything.
"Fortunately, I don't need to produce variety shows." Edward sighed as he looked at the prison entrance. Officer Jenny to his side glanced at him sideways—What are you even talking about? Aren't you here to visit Giovanni?
Edward entered the prison. Even though he held the League's Medal of Valor, he still had to undergo rigorous inspection before being allowed into a specialized visitation room. The setup resembled a typical American-style prison: bulletproof glass with a phone for communication. Before long, Giovanni arrived.
Even though he was imprisoned, Giovanni didn't appear much changed. The only difference was the complicated look in his eyes as he stared at Edward. The last time they met, Giovanni had been the highly respected Viridian City Gym Leader. Now, in the blink of an eye, he was a prisoner.
"Edward. I didn't expect you to come see me." Giovanni sat calmly, maintaining a surprisingly composed demeanor. Perhaps this was because he had only been sentenced to life imprisonment. If it had been a death sentence, his state might have been very different.
Edward had heard that when Giovanni's sentencing was being discussed, the League's judges argued for a long time. Some believed that as the leader of Team Rocket, Giovanni must receive the death penalty to deter other criminals. Others argued that executing him immediately would be too merciful—that he should first suffer in prison, and only after he grew old should the death sentence be carried out. Let him experience a fate worse than death.
The debate went back and forth, and because of legal and human-rights concerns, the final verdict became: life imprisonment, with a lethal injection scheduled for old age.
Even so, many people remained dissatisfied. One man, whose entire family had been killed by Team Rocket, said furiously: "If the weapon of the law cannot avenge my family, then I will set aside the law and take up a weapon myself."
Because of cases like this, it became extremely difficult for anyone to visit Giovanni—the League couldn't guarantee that a visitor wouldn't be a revenge-driven assassin.
Edward sighed inwardly. Giovanni dying would only be considered justice served. After all, the man was the leader of a criminal syndicate. While Team Rocket's comedic trio was goofy and good at causing trouble, that didn't represent the whole organization. If Edward hadn't transmigrated into the life of Edward Stone, then as an ordinary citizen, he too might have suffered under Team Rocket's mafia-like activities.
Because in essence, Team Rocket was nothing more than a well-organized criminal syndicate.
"Mr. Giovanni, it feels like yesterday when we worked together filming that drama. I didn't expect that you would be here now." Edward smiled lightly. He was the one who reported Giovanni—but of course, Edward wouldn't bring that up.
"Yes… Sometimes I can't help but wonder, Edward, did you know my true identity all along?" Giovanni looked directly at him and asked. He had always felt that there was something off about Edward. Normally, no one should know his identity. But Edward's Moriarty script, coupled with his earlier behavior, made Giovanni strongly suspect that Edward must have known about him beforehand, which was why he had done all those things.
"Mr. Giovanni, it really was just a coincidence. Anyway, do you know what the current situation with Team Rocket is?" Edward asked calmly. He had no intention of admitting anything. Who knew whether Giovanni might try to retaliate somehow? After experiencing what happened with Cyrus, Edward understood that conventional restraints meant nothing to people like them.
He didn't want to live a life where someone was watching him every day—that would be suffocating.
There was no such thing as guarding against thieves forever.
"How else would it be? But Edward, you don't need to probe me." Giovanni chuckled. "Team Rocket didn't become the biggest criminal organization in Kanto and Johto because of me alone."
He wouldn't reveal anything—not that it mattered. Nothing he said would help. Unless the League eradicated Team Rocket completely, nothing he said would set him free. And even if he were released one day, he would live in constant fear.
Team Rocket was enormous. Too many people depended on it for survival. How could their leader possibly betray them?
Edward clicked his tongue. He knew it—there was no way to get any useful information out of Giovanni. But he still felt it was worth trying, even though it turned out to be fruitless.
"What a shame. I was hoping I could invite you to star in one of my dramas again in the future," Edward sighed. Giovanni let out a cold laugh and said nothing.
(End of this chapter)