"Boss, the internet is flooded with calls for us to release Episode 2 as soon as possible."
In the office, Zoroark walked in with a cheerful smile, holding a stack of documents. Today, it had changed its appearance—a fresh illusion with short boots over its pale legs, exuding youthful energy.
"Wasn't it already confirmed to air on Saturday?" Edward placed the files in his hand on the desk, rubbing his brow tiredly.
Sherlock Holmes had exploded in popularity lately, topping the drama ratings by a landslide. Because of this, investors had significantly increased funding for the next season. Even product placement fees had risen sharply.
That was the good news.
But it wasn't all good news—Mewtwo was missing.
Three days ago, after Daniel came to his office to sign the contract, Edward lost contact with Mewtwo. Every message he sent went unread, as if Mewtwo hadn't even checked its phone. Edward was growing worried. Had something happened to it?
Though Mewtwo was powerful, an intelligent Psychic-type Pokémon, Edward never underestimated Team Rocket. After all, they were the ones who had created such a unique Pokémon to begin with—that alone proved their capabilities.
If someone smart had discovered that Mewtwo had gained sentience and was communicating with the outside world, there was no telling what might happen.
"Right now, the show's discussion levels are through the roof. There's even a dedicated forum now!"
Zoroark tapped a few times on its phone, having spent the previous night diving deep into fan discussions. The urge to spoil plot points had burned in it all night, making it too restless to sleep.
"You didn't join in the discussions, did you?" Edward narrowed his eyes at Zoroark.
Zoroark chuckled awkwardly, waving its hands. It assured him it hadn't spoiled anything—just made a few comments while reading other people's theories.
Edward's mouth twitched, but he let it go. As long as there were no spoilers, it was fine.
In a mystery drama, the best part is the plot twists—the culprit and their methods. If that got spoiled, it would ruin the tension and impact of the story.
The next episode was also based on Sherlock Season 1, though Edward had made several adjustments. Moriarty wouldn't appear so soon. Instead, one of his subordinates, Malamar, would debut—a character Edward had carefully crafted.
Given Moriarty's significant position in the original stories, it wouldn't make sense for him to appear too early. Foreshadowing was fine, but his true identity had to remain a mystery until the climax. Only then could he leave a powerful impression—an insane, high-IQ madman that truly captivated the audience.
A well-written villain could be just as charming as a hero.
And Moriarty's actor, Giovanni, was already a hot topic. Once his true identity was revealed, the SherlockHolmes series would surely get another boost in popularity.
"Zoroark, how's Kode doing?" Edward shifted the conversation to something closer to his heart—his charity efforts.
The Trainer Journey Foundation didn't require much of his attention. Though he had founded it, it was technically operated under the Devon Corporation's banner.
Edward never had to worry about its day-to-day operations. He would review the annual reports and ensure that the trainers helped were real and verifiable. While some gave up after failing to collect Gym Badges and returned to ordinary lives, others rose above.
This year, though the Hoenn League tournament hadn't started yet, Edward had already heard that one of the trainers his foundation supported had successfully earned eight badges and qualified for the championship.
He planned to attend the tournament to see for himself.
"Eh? Boss, don't tell me you've mastered deductive reasoning too?" Zoroark looked at him in surprise. Edward blinked, confused—until Zoroark handed over the documents it was carrying.
Turns out, they were files related to the Prayer Wall Foundation.
Edward glanced through them.
Kode, the foundation's operations coordinator, had already organized a volunteer team and helped ten critically ill families. These were families with no means to afford treatment—cases where patients were essentially waiting to die.
Although the Pokémon world had insurance and welfare systems, illness came in degrees—some minor, others severe.
And there were simply too many sick people.
Welfare systems required applications, reviews, and waiting in line. The league could only help the most urgent, life-threatening cases. But the sheer number of these cases was overwhelming.
According to last year's annual report from the Hoenn League, alongside impressive numbers for economic growth and environmental achievements, there were also sobering figures.
Over 30,000 people in Hoenn were classified as extreme hardship cases.
This category included those with no income, no work ability, no physical assets—not even a car or house—who survived solely on welfare.
For these people, minor illnesses were endured, while major illnesses meant slow death.
But aside from these hardship cases, there was another group—the working poor.
People who lived paycheck to paycheck.
For them, a major illness also meant death, as they couldn't afford treatment.
Dying slowly, in pain—that was the tragic fate of the most vulnerable in the Pokémon world.
Kode's efforts were directed toward helping these people.
One by one, the medical files and trembling thank-you letters left a deep impression on Edward, like a brand seared into his heart.
"…This is exactly why I started this foundation," he sighed.
Among the ten patients helped this round, the most expensive case was a 9-year-old child with congenital hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The child needed a heart transplant—an operation with astronomical costs.
After evaluating everything, Kode had chosen these ten cases for aid.
"Edit this and publish it on the foundation's official website. Also, open public donation channels," Edward instructed, handing the documents back.
Zoroark nodded and took them, but Edward paused for a moment.
Right—maybe he could do even more.
He decided to include a short ad for the foundation in the next episode of SherlockHolmes, using the show's popularity to raise awareness.
(End of Chapter)
TN: Hey, I mess up with the name of Code, it was supposed to be Kode instead, the name of the Alakazam. I was only able to notice my mistake at chapter 182.