Though Fortune had always been a little arrogant, after getting beaten down by entrance exam prep that included advanced calculus, the little guy had finally matured a bit. At the very least, unlike before when he insisted on doing everything himself, he immediately agreed to outside help this time.
Seeing this, Edward didn't hesitate to contact the old butler and instructed him to find the best economics tutor currently available in the Hoenn region. He wanted someone who could provide one-on-one guidance for Fortune. Although it was going to be expensive, Edward didn't mind the cost—if it could help Fortune get into Hoenn University's economics program, it would be money well spent.
With Fortune's education problem resolved, Edward could finally relax a bit. Recently, Fortune would often come to him with questions about economic jargon, leaving Edward's head spinning. He'd studied economics back in college, but after graduation, he'd basically returned all that knowledge to the professor. There was no way he could answer those kinds of questions now.
But with a professional tutor on the way, Edward didn't have to worry anymore. The only problem was that the tutor couldn't arrive until the afternoon—currently, they were still at the Mossdeep Space Center, doing who-knows-what.
"Q, Fortune wants to study economics in university—do you have anything you want to do?" Edward gently scratched Q's chin. It felt soft, like pudding.
Come to think of it, Q had been with Fortune for quite a long time. But now, Q spent all its time snuggling up with Edward. Honestly, Edward wasn't even sure what Q's goals were.
After hearing Edward's question, Q let out a soft squeaky sound and rubbed its cheek against his, eyes filled with pure affection.
Edward couldn't understand exactly what Q was saying, but after all these years together, he had a pretty good guess: Q was saying it just wanted to be with him forever. Edward could only laugh helplessly.
He poked Q's head, then scooped it up into his arms and sat down in his executive chair.
Q was the offspring of a Totem Mimikyu. Except for a few special species, most Pokémon didn't get too emotionally attached when their offspring left. In fact, once the young reached a certain age, their parents would drive them out to face the world—just like wild animals.
But Q had clearly been spoiled by Edward. Now it just wanted to lay on him all day. If Edward wasn't around, Q would feel unsettled. It didn't like being inside a Poké Ball, had no hobbies, and the only thing it seemed to enjoy was watching cartoons.
Just as Edward was about to close his eyes and catch a quick nap in his chair, Zoroark came rushing in. Edward glanced over and saw that it was still maintaining its "Shizuka" appearance. It seemed like Zoroark was planning to keep using that identity. That only made Edward more curious—maybe the story Zoroark had told him before was actually true?
After all, Ghost-type Pokémon had incredibly bizarre abilities, and even now, researchers hadn't figured out exactly how they were born. It was only known that they tended to emerge in places associated with death—like Mt. Pyre, a huge graveyard, which housed many Ghost-type Pokémon.
But whether those Ghost-types had any connection to the deceased? Pokémon Professors insisted no.
Edward suspected they just didn't dare say the truth. Because if they were related, then things could get really awkward.
"Eye contact means a battle—let's fight!"
"Sure! I'll start with my Pokémon: a Haunter formed from the spirit of your great-grandfather!"
"What?! You're using my grandfather to battle me?! Good thing I'm prepared—go, Grandma!"
"Wait, you too?!"
Now that would be beyond awkward.
Just imagining Ghost Pokémon possibly being someone's dead relatives was enough to make you want to cancel the match. Nobody wanted to think about becoming a Ghost Pokémon after death, only to be captured and forced into battles. That was beyond horrifying.
It would turn every Pokémon match into a giant family reunion.
So, Ghost Pokémon definitely couldn't be the spirits of dead humans. They had to come into existence some other way.
Fortunately, Q had no such concerns. As the child of a Totem Mimikyu, it wasn't formed from any human soul or from ghost energy in some haunted place.
"Boss, there's something that needs your attention," Zoroark said urgently.
Edward raised an eyebrow. He thought for a moment—his company didn't seem to have anything pressing going on. What could it be?
"What's the matter?" he asked anyway. Zoroark was his secretary. If it wasn't important, it wouldn't have come to him.
"Well…" Zoroark handed over a document. Edward took it and glanced at the contents. It wasn't a long document, but the official seal stamped at the top made him instantly sit up straight.
The official seal of the Paldea League.
After hearing Zoroark's full report, Edward understood the situation.
"So, the Paldea League wants to partner with us to create a regional event—modeled after Hoenn's Tom Tree Contest—and they're offering a sizable reward for our cooperation?"
Edward massaged his temples. That all sounded reasonable. Ever since the Tom Tree Contest became a massive hit, many regions had been envious, all eager to cash in on the formula.
But with the Tom Tree Contest already reaching legendary status, simply copying it probably wouldn't generate the same hype. So, it made sense that Paldea would want to try something different.
Still…
"They actually sent people here?" Edward looked at Zoroark curiously.
Zoroark nodded. The Paldea League representatives were waiting outside.
Edward hesitated for a moment but stood up anyway. This was an official matter involving the League—it deserved his full attention.
When he saw the delegation, Edward raised an eyebrow.
There weren't many of them—only eight—but they were all dressed impeccably, in attire identical to that worn during the Pokémon World Congress. It was elegant and grand without being ostentatious—quite a distinct style.
"Welcome, welcome," Edward said with a smile as he walked forward.
Q climbed off Edward's head and peered curiously at the new arrivals.
(End of Chapter)