Edward narrowed his eyes.
Something was off—very off.
His relationship with this detective was a business arrangement, and even that was mediated through a third party. Edward had never met the detective face to face. The intermediary was Zoroark, who had been tasked with finding a reliable investigator. That person had gotten used to reporting in online, yet suddenly wanted to meet in person?
That was suspicious no matter how you looked at it.
'Could they have already been captured by Team Aqua?'
Edward wondered. That seemed like a very real possibility. Team Aqua was a dark organization, after all—it wouldn't be shocking if their operatives discovered the detective.
But if that was the case, it complicated everything.
They still hadn't found the base, and now the contact might be compromised. And if Archie wasn't a complete fool, he would have already realized that the base's location had been partially exposed. That meant he'd likely move operations—making it even harder to find them again.
The reason Team Aqua and Team Magma had managed to survive under the pressure of the massive Pokémon League was precisely because of how well they could hide.
They knew how to lay low.
The organizations that couldn't hide had already become mere footnotes on the League's list of "dealt with threats." The ones that could hide, however, were top priorities for elimination.
"This is a real headache," Edward sighed.
Even though the detective had accepted the job knowing the risks involved, Edward still felt somewhat guilty—it had been his request, after all.
He squinted, thinking hard. It looked like he'd have to go check things out in person.
Of course, he wouldn't go alone. But bringing his older brother might not be a good idea either—dark organizations weren't stupid. This could very well be a trap. Even if he did go, he figured the most he'd find were some low-level grunts.
He didn't believe for a second that Archie or any executive would be waiting for him. The bait in that email was just too obvious.
"This situation…" Edward scratched his head.
If he went alone, he'd be limited. This sort of thing was better left to the League professionals. Whether this was bait or some kind of test, those experts would know how to handle it better than he could.
With that thought, Edward picked up his phone and called his older brother to explain the situation.
Not long after, he found himself in the sitting room of the house, facing his visibly exasperated brother, a stern-looking Officer Jenny Isolde, and a woman with a cheerful smile—and three claw marks across her face.
"This is Director Janna, head of the League's Special Investigation Unit. She has a distinguished service record," Officer Jenny introduced her.
Janna smiled and extended her hand. Edward shook it.
She looked to be in her early thirties—not that old—but her physique was powerful, with obvious muscle tone and a thick neck. She radiated strength.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Edward. I'm a big fan," Janna said with a grin.
Edward blinked, surprised. Then she pulled out a notebook—a special edition collaboration notebook from Tom and Jerry—and handed it to him.
Embarrassed, Edward quickly offered a humble thanks and signed it.
Although he wasn't the director of Tom and Jerry, the story originated from him, so many people called him the father of the series. It made him a little shy—he just saw himself as someone bringing great stories from his previous world into this one.
Officer Jenny squinted at Janna. Janna responded with a gentle smile and tucked the notebook away.
"Edward, could you explain the situation again?" Officer Jenny asked as the butler came in and poured some tea.
Steven sighed and massaged his temples. His little brother had a real talent for attracting trouble. First it was Team Magma, and now Edward had dug up leads on Team Aqua as well.
Edward recounted the whole situation once more.
"Did you respond to the email?" Officer Jenny asked urgently.
Edward shook his head. He hadn't replied yet. He wasn't sure if doing so would cause more problems.
"Can we log into your email?" Officer Jenny asked, already tapping on her phone. Edward nodded. He knew this was just a formality—League personnel didn't really need his permission for this.
Soon, several specialists entered the room, carrying laptops and beginning to craft a response.
Edward listened to their intense discussions—psychology, criminal profiling, emotional manipulation, conspiracy theory, strategic countermeasures—it was mentally exhausting.
"Edward, how about we let the League handle this?" Officer Jenny looked at him seriously.
Edward, of course, had no objections. He had contacted the League precisely so they could take over—he had no intention of handling this himself.
The officers left in a hurry. They needed to reallocate forces and begin a large-scale search around Slateport City. Since the missing detective had vanished near there, it was likely Team Aqua had a base nearby. Destroying that base would be a major blow, one that could leave Team Aqua paralyzed for some time.
Thanks to Edward's tip, the League's massive war machine began to turn once more.
Edward didn't feel like he had lost anything.
If this had been him right after graduating college, he might've tried to sneak in and dismantle Team Aqua's base on his own. Rescue the detective. Be a hero.
But not anymore.
These days, Edward just wanted to make movies and live a financially comfortable life.
Let the professionals handle the dangerous work.
His older brother left too. On his way out, Steven gave Edward a long look. He didn't say anything, but Edward understood exactly what he meant:
Stay home. Don't cause trouble.
Apparently, Steven was genuinely afraid of how much chaos Edward could stir up.
"Murphy's Law… it won't actually happen, right?" Edward thought, remembering the old saying:
"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
Just as he was pondering this…
His body suddenly swayed.
No, it wasn't just him—it was the whole house!
"An earthquake!" Edward's pupils contracted.
The old butler rushed in.
"Young Master Edward!"
He quickly escorted Edward out of the mansion into the garden.
Edward looked at the shaking house and the unsteady garden around them, his brows furrowed tightly.
(End of Chapter)