Since Fortune had radioactive properties, Edward realized he could finally implement his idea. With that in mind, he called Zoroark over and gave him some instructions—to talk to the organizing committee and arrange for a special setup.
The Tom Tree Contest organizers were open to accommodating reasonable requests from contestants. For example, if Wallace's Milotic needed to make its entrance from the sea, the committee could arrange it.
As long as a request wasn't outrageous or affected the fairness of the match, it would usually be approved.
And Edward's request was neither excessive nor unfair. In fact, considering how wealthy the Hoenn League had become from the immense advertising revenue and sponsorships of this event, Edward was certain his minor request would be approved.
Sure enough, Zoroark soon returned with confirmation: his setup was accepted.
Edward relaxed. He was planning to pull off a grand performance—and if he still lost after all this effort, he would have no complaints.
…
"Director Edward! I'm your fan!"
After the draw was completed, Edward found himself face-to-face with an overly excited opponent, and he sank into deep thought.
That "I'm your fan" line reminded him of a meme from his previous life—someone who claimed to be a fan but proceeded to absolutely demolish their idol in a competition.
"Hello." Edward glanced at the name badge on the man's chest.
Kuroki Yamada.
"Mr. Kuroki," Edward replied with a smile. This was the muscular man from yesterday's Contest—the guy who actually used his own groin to chop a tree. A true wildcard, and clearly a man of unconventional flair.
What stood out most in Edward's memory was not only Kuroki's tree-splitting groin technique, but also his cosplay as Psyduck… which was as mentally scarring as watching Schwarzenegger dressed as a catgirl.
As for the other matchups:
Steven got matched with a beautiful, long-legged girl in black stockings.
Grimsley and Wallace were paired together.
And most notably, Leon faced off against Tobias.
This last match was the one Edward was most interested in. After all, he wanted to see if the Champion Leon could beat Tobias, who wielded a mythical Pokémon like Darkrai. Even though this wasn't an official battle, if Leon lost, Tobias would be able to brag forever about beating a Champion.
Although the remaining contestants weren't exactly nobodies, they couldn't quite compare in notoriety to the names above.
Edward's battle was scheduled as the first match of the day. He didn't mind; the organizers had made the arrangements, and Edward felt fairly confident going up against the over-the-top muscleman.
…
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the finals of the first ever Tom Tree Contest, hosted by the Hoenn League! Our opening match today features the creator of Tom and Jerry—Director Edward Stone, going up against Mr. Kuroki Yamada from Johto!"
The TV broadcast showed the venue. Mewtwo, watching through the eyes of someone he was controlling, focused on the screen.
"Edward's up against that clown? This should be fun," Mewtwo muttered.
Since becoming internet friends, Mewtwo and Edward had grown closer. Mewtwo had quite a bit of affection for Edward—the person who had helped him back during the New Age incident.
"We can see Director Edward arriving at the venue now. According to reports from the committee, he's made some special arrangements at the scene!" The host's voice was filled with curiosity.
On TV, Edward stood outside a large transparent container. Inside was a Contest-standard tree, but also a strange, fog-like mist swirling in the air, drifting mysteriously like a dream.
This sight caught the attention of not just the host, but also Mewtwo and viewers across the venue and beyond.
"What is Director Edward planning to do?" the host asked, full of intrigue.
On-screen, Edward released his Pokémon—a dazzling, golden Gholdengo. The broadcast quickly displayed its Pokédex data, while Mewtwo clicked his tongue.
"Look at this rich bastard," Mewtwo muttered. He himself was still stuck in a nutrient tank, forced to act through proxies. But no matter—he was biding his time, waiting to break free, destroy this lab, and take down its director.
Gholdengo—Fortune—walked into the sealed container. As soon as it entered, the mist thickened.
The camera zoomed in on the container. Fortune jumped up, extended its leg, and began what looked like a normal Tom Tree performance.
But in the next moment—
The mist began to form distinct patterns, like swirling lines and arcs dancing through the air. These stunning, never-before-seen shapes converged around the radiant body of Gholdengo at the center.
"Unbelievable! How is Director Edward doing this?! Why does the mist have lines? And why are they so… beautiful!?" The host clutched his head in disbelief.
The audience erupted in astonishment. Even though Fortune had completed the Tom Tree move, no one paid attention. All eyes were fixed on the incredible cloud patterns.
However, the ones most excited weren't the fans or contestants—
It was the scientists in their labs, watching the broadcast to kill time.
…
"Not bad at all…" Edward muttered, smiling as he gazed at the stunning visual effects inside the container.
The Wilson Cloud Chamber—a Nobel Prize-winning invention.
Its principle: supercooled vapor expands adiabatically to create a supersaturated environment. When a radioactive object or particle passes through, ions in the vapor condense into tiny droplets, visually displaying the paths of subatomic particles.
And steam could be made with alcohol—just needed the right sealed environment.
Fortune's ability to emit radiation by reverting to its pre-evolution coin form was the final piece of the puzzle. It provided everything Edward needed.
What he had just performed was not just any Tom Tree act—
It was a Tom Tree performance based on science.
"But man, Fortune's radiation is seriously strong…" Edward muttered, staring at the stunning patterns in the mist.
If you really used that radioactive coin to hit someone in the head…
(End of Chapter)
(TN: Man, we getting too sciencey.)