"Was it a sixth sense?" Diantha said with a smile, while Lance gave a chuckle and waved his hand dismissively.
The sixth sense—in Edward's previous life, it was a vague and mysterious concept: something that seemed non-existent, yet oddly real at times. Very metaphysical.
But in the world of Pokémon, the sixth sense did exist. In fact, individuals with particularly acute sixth senses sometimes became powerful psychics. However, not all psychics possessed a sixth sense.
There were even rumors of a psychic with a super-powerful sixth-sense once born in the Kanto region—someone who gained the ability to foresee the future. They caught glimpses of events yet to come and left behind a string of strange prophecies before passing away.
The League, having studied those prophecies, was able to prevent or prepare for many potential future threats. Even now, that psychic still had fans and followers online.
Edward glanced at Lance. That strange look in his eyes just now… could the Kanto League already be onto Giovanni's secret? Well, it made sense. Ash had already battled Brock by now, and if his journey continued, it was only a matter of time before Giovanni's true identity came to light.
"I also thought Mr. Giovanni had a unique presence, which is why I invited him to play a role in the series," Edward replied with a friendly smile.
As for Giovanni's role, that was no issue. The introduction of the "Three Gods Riddle" guaranteed that Giovanni's character wouldn't be some random background extra. With Holmes' persona being gradually fleshed out, the audience would come to expect someone who could outmaneuver Holmes in their first meeting to be anything but ordinary.
"Oh? So you also think Giovanni has a special presence?" Lance's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, he just gives off this... mysterious vibe," Edward nodded. Of course, he was lying—he knew exactly who Giovanni was.
The boss of Team Rocket.
Seeing this, Lance started chatting with Edward about Giovanni. Meanwhile, the large screen in the venue began broadcasting the Tom Tree competition from different regions, each on its own display—viewers could choose to watch whichever region they preferred.
After a while, Lance excused himself to use the restroom, and Edward finally had a moment to check out the big screen. And the moment he did, he saw a familiar face.
Or rather, he felt the guy was familiar—but the other person probably didn't feel the same.
Ash Ketchum.
Ash had entered the Tom Tree competition—and in the Kanto region, no less.
Edward silently pulled out his phone and started recording. Once the match was over, he planned to ask for the full video. If Ash really did go on to become a Pokémon Master, Edward could show him this footage someday. Who knows—it might make for a fun little memory...
"Pikachu!"
Onscreen, Pikachu leapt from a great height and tried to slam its tail into the tree—only to bounce itself backward from the impact. Ash scrambled to catch it, only to get zapped by a Thunderbolt instead.
Well... that clip might become a blackmail-worthy memory.
Ash was eliminated—quite naturally, really. He didn't even manage to split the tree. Still, one of the judges said Ash's performance captured the quirky humor of Tom and Jerry perfectly and gave him a compliment. Edward couldn't help laughing wryly.
Just then, Edward's phone buzzed.
[Mewtwo: I saw you (dog emoji)]
Edward twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Ever since Mewtwo got its own phone, its chat frequency had skyrocketed.
[Presenting Horror Movies to the World: How's your little project coming along?]
Edward quickly tried to change the subject.
He had no choice. Ever since Mewtwo got a phone and started "high-intensity web surfing," it had evolved at terrifying speed—almost like an AI in his past life, except even more frightening.
AI could still be fooled, misled. But Mewtwo? Mewtwo acted like a proper artificial superintelligence—absurdly powerful.
On the first day of chatting, Mewtwo had seemed like a curious child. But now? It had completely mastered internet slang and meme culture. It even tossed out reaction images like a pro.
[Mewtwo: It's going great. I'm planning a pincer maneuver to trap those little pests. I even taught myself chemistry just for this. I'm already halfway through Polymer Chemistry and Fundamentals of Polymer Science.]
[Mewtwo: (Inflated ego emoji)]
"Polymer Chemistry?!" Edward muttered to himself. "This guy's already reading graduate-level materials?"
Since Fortune was preparing for the Hoenn University entrance exam, Edward had learned a bit about college courses recently. What Mewtwo was reading now? It was recommended reading for graduate students.
Psychic Pokémon really did excel in academics and research.
[Presenting Horror Movies to the World: Be sure to share your results with me when it's done.]
[Mewtwo: Sure. Also, I posted a video online. You should check it out — www.b-]
Edward raised a brow and tapped the link out of curiosity. It took him to an evergreen video-sharing site, where the video was rapidly gaining likes. He clicked play—and instantly his face darkened.
Onscreen was him, performing the infamous Crotch-Splitting Tree Smash.
Below the video was a little note: "Edited for entertainment purposes only."
The title? "I Still Think Edward Is a Better Name"
"You damn thing…" Edward muttered, torn between laughter and frustration. Mewtwo—aside from self-learning chemistry—had apparently also mastered video editing. And the transitions were buttery smooth. It looked almost too natural.
[Presenting Horror Movies to the World: (smiling emoji)]
[Mewtwo: (dog head emoji)]
Edward put his phone away.
Honestly, he didn't really mind stuff like this. Even if the video went viral one day, he'd still smile and say it's no big deal.
After all, didn't plenty of celebrities and internet stars crash and burn—but then that one rapper, Kanye West, who was publicly hated for years, still had loyal diehard fans in the end?
If even hate can turn into affection, why worry?
Besides, Edward was a director. If people hated him, they'd look him up—which could increase his fear points. So why get upset?
"But I can't just let this slide without a response," Edward muttered, stroking his chin. "You like surfing the internet at high speed? Fine. Let's see how you like this wave."
He pulled out his phone and sent a message to Zoroark. Then he pocketed the device again.
The bait had been set. Now it was just a matter of whether the fish would bite.
(End of Chapter)