As the plot continued, the infamous "Three Gods Riddle" finally made its appearance.
Holmes was reading a newspaper while giving his response, and Moriarty corrected what seemed like a minor detail. Then, with a smile, he boarded a bus, leaving Holmes standing there—conflicted for the very first time.
"Even though I don't understand how that line of questioning can determine which is the true god, the false god, and the random one, I can at least be certain that this man is not simple," Diantha muttered, her eyes filled with confusion. She didn't understand the logic at all.
[Actually, that proves the logic professors' theories were correct]
[Yeah, I've read those analyses—this line of questioning is considered the most likely to work]
[Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? Aaaaah!]
[I watched this with my Alakazam. He's now playing with his spoons.]
"Could this man be the culprit behind the murders?" Diantha made a bold guess.
But she quickly dismissed the idea. After all, how could someone so brilliant commit such crimes?
As the story reached its climax—with intense twists, the bloody letters, and Holmes' tense decision when holding the poison—the audience became completely absorbed in the episode.
Finally, Watson used Thunderbolt to take down the killer and protect Holmes. The two then ended the episode laughing together, discussing their living arrangements.
Only then did the audience realize that a full ninety-two minutes had passed.
The episode also planted seeds for future plots, revealing the existence of a criminal mastermind who controlled Motostoke City—referred to only as "The Gentleman."
The taxi driver had committed his crimes under the orders of "The Gentleman," and even the pills came from him. Yet the driver still didn't know who this man actually was.
"I feel like I just watched a movie," Diantha whispered, hugging her pillow tightly, still clutching a single uneaten popcorn kernel. She had meant to eat it earlier, but the plot was so intense that she had completely forgotten.
"I timed it. From beginning to end, including the end credits—it was ninety-two minutes," she said, checking the time.
Being a top celebrity—and a Champion—Diantha was highly attuned to time management. Scheduling was crucial, and she had a sharp sense of timing because of it.
[Ninety-two minutes? Damn, now I understand how Director Edward made the jump to TV drama]
[He basically made a movie, not a drama episode!]
[But seriously, it was excellent]
[Yeah, this 'A Study in Scarlet' adaptation was amazing. Telling a full story in one episode? Love it.]
[I'm planning to rewatch it]
Viewers across the board were ecstatic.
The story of A Study in Scarlet, the compelling portrayal of Holmes, and Watson—adorable yet dependable—had fully captivated the audience.
After chatting with her viewers for a while, Diantha ended the stream. She stretched again and collapsed on the couch, still staring at the TV screen.
Thankfully, she had already spoken to Director Edward beforehand and secured a major female role in the next season of Sherlock Holmes.
"Detective drama, huh? I'd better start reading some related novels," she thought. With that, she jumped up—intent on studying character portrayal for mystery roles.
Meanwhile, with the first episode of SherlockHolmes airing, related discussions exploded online.
"How's the viewership?" Edward asked as he sat at home, calling Deck.
"Boss! We've broken 4%!" Deck's voice was filled with excitement. Edward couldn't hide his joy either.
A 4% TV rating might look small, but in reality, it was a huge deal.
Even the most-watched drama in the Pokémon League so far had only hit about 2.67%. That had been Edward's target—hitting 2.67% would've been great. So, surpassing 4% was completely beyond expectations.
"Excellent! Give everyone a bonus tomorrow!" Edward laughed heartily, genuinely thrilled.
TV and film had very different audience pools.
Watching a movie required buying a ticket, so attendance was always limited—unless it had serious hype. Some people just wouldn't spend money to watch in theaters.
But TV dramas were a different story. No paywall, no ticket—just turn on the TV and watch.
Even though smartphones had eaten into viewership to some degree, the impact wasn't as drastic as in Edward's previous world.
The reason? Strict Pokémon League regulations.
TV here didn't have endless ads, mandatory memberships, or pay-to-watch schemes.
No premium passes or early episode unlocks—just open TV, pick a channel, and watch whatever you want.
That's why TV broadcasting in the Pokémon world was still thriving. The Masters Tournament and other major league events made TV stations filthy rich.
"Got it, boss!" Deck was even happier. What he loved most about this new boss of his? Edward actually delivered on his promises.
After hanging up, Edward smiled and patted Q on the head, clearly in a great mood.
Sherlock Holmes' success owed partly to strong marketing—but also, it had definitely piggybacked off Tom and Jerry's popularity.
Many promotional materials used the Tom and Jerry IP in the title, and only after clicking would viewers realize it was Edward's new show.
While some fans of Tom and Jerry might've complained about being misled, many others clicked out of curiosity—and they became Sherlock Holmes' new audience.
"Whew, guess I can sleep well tonight," Edward said, placing his phone aside with a smile.
And sleep well he did.
But not everyone did.
Daniel, for one, couldn't sleep at all.
He sat in his small house—the one he bought with his previous paycheck from Edward. It wasn't big, but it was his. No more renting.
Staring at the constant stream of notifications on his phone, Daniel took a deep breath, overwhelmed by emotion.
(End of Chapter)