"…So what you're saying is, you want to collaborate with our Ghost Film Pictures and set up a competition similar to the Tom Tree Contest in the Paldea? And you want us to front some of the funding as well?" Edward narrowed his eyes at the group of "elite professionals" sitting before him. He could already smell a whiff of conspiracy.
When he collaborated with the Hoenn League, there was never any mention of him having to pay a cent—everything was handled by the League. Yet these guys in front of him, despite all their lengthy, complicated explanations, were essentially saying one thing: if you want benefits, you have to invest first.
That instantly reminded Edward of some well-known scams from his previous life. Some scam rings would pretend to be foreign companies promising investments, throwing around billion-dollar projects as bait. In the end, they'd ask for a "small token" or some advance fee. And if you paid them—that was it, you'd been conned.
Some of those fraudsters were so bold, they even tried to scam government agencies. Truly, their nerve knew no bounds.
Scam methods were endless in his past life, but the goal was always the same: money. So, the moment someone mentioned paying up front or storing money with a third party, Edward's red flags immediately went up. Anyone asking him for money first would always be suspect.
So, once he heard these guys ask him to front the investment for the competition, his guard went up.
The routine was way too familiar. It was just like those smooth-talking scammers from his past life—offering huge rewards to bait you into giving up a tiny amount, which was all they really wanted.
"Yes, we need to do some early-stage promotional work," the lead man said with a smile. "Once it's successful, we'll profit together according to the contract."
Edward smiled as well—politely—but excused himself to use the restroom. Once outside, he immediately called Geeta to ask if the Paldea League had any intention of partnering with Ghost Film Pictures.
Sure enough, just as he'd suspected—the Paldea League had no such plans.
These guys were frauds.
Edward was a bit amused. He honestly hadn't expected them to be this bold—to run a scam inside his company. Did they assume he was just some rich second-generation heir with more money than sense, easy to trick?
"Shizuka, call Officer Jenny and have them come arrest these guys," Edward said, pinching the bridge of his nose. After giving Zoroark the instruction, he returned to the meeting room and continued the charade with the scammers until Officer Jenny arrived. Once they were escorted out, the show was finally over.
"Boss, I can't believe you saw through their act!" Zoroark said, clearly impressed. It hadn't suspected anything—it thought they looked legit. They even had proper documents and ID badges. A quick online search even showed those people had real profiles claiming to be Paldea League employees.
Usually, if something checks out online, no one questions it further. Zoroark had assumed they were the real deal.
"They probably threw together a fake website. The outfits and badges were well-made, too—it looks like they spent quite a bit of money," Edward said, glancing at the props. He couldn't help but marvel at how much effort they'd put into trying to scam him.
If he hadn't called Geeta and had just naively believed them, those scammers might've gotten away with it. But now that they were exposed, all their investment had gone up in smoke.
As days passed, the editing for A Wicked Ghost was finally completed and had passed the review process—it was ready for public release.
Edward had cleverly picked a very unique date for the premiere: a special holiday in the Pokémon world, something akin to the Hungry Ghost Festival or the Mexican Day of the Dead festival.
"Hey, brother, what brings you to the movies today?" Edward asked, glancing at the movie tickets in his hand—one for himself, and one for Steven.
"It's Ancestor's Day today, right? Even champions are human—we need a break sometimes," Steven replied cheerfully as he grabbed his popcorn, clearly excited.
Edward twitched his mouth slightly. This Pokémon-world version of Ancestor's Day had become much less traditional over time. With advancements in science and society, rituals had become simpler—most people just offered a bouquet, a glass of wine, or even performed their tributes online.
But Steven, his big brother, always had his own way of doing things.
"…By the way, Edward. After the movie, let's go visit Mom," Steven said, his voice softening. Edward quietly nodded.
Evelyn Stone, Edward and Steven's mother, and the wife of Joseph. Edward had never seen his mother in person—according to their father, she had passed away from illness not long after giving birth to Edward. Their father never remarried, so the Stone family only had the three of them.
Edward had seen her photos—a gentle, beautiful woman with the same hair color as him and Steven. She had a warm, graceful presence. Honoring her on Ancestor's Day had become a family tradition.
"…But brother, are you sure you want to watch my movie?" Edward asked with a wry smile.
He knew exactly what was in the film—every ghost, every jump scare, every twist. Watching his own movie was basically like watching a replay.
"I just want Mom to see it," Steven said with a warm smile as he ruffled Edward's hair.
Edward was briefly stunned, then said nothing more. He followed his brother into the theater.
Last Ancestor's Day, Edward hadn't started his journey as a director. So, this would be his first time celebrating the holiday as a filmmaker.
And suddenly, Edward had a new inspiration for a film.
Horror + Family = Mother.
A story about a mother who, even after becoming a ghost, refused to leave her child's side—a blend of supernatural dread and deep familial bonds. A serious tone with emotional weight.
But Edward soon realized that pulling off such emotional depth might be too ambitious—too difficult to express properly in a live-action horror film.
So instead, he thought of making an animated film: Ghost Mother.
That movie had received several animation award nominations and had won a few. All in all, it was very well-regarded. As for the director, Edward planned to hand the project over to Ada.
He had originally considered doing Hi, Mom, but after thinking it over, he decided the animated route was more suitable.
(End of Chapter)
TN: I can't find the correct film for Ghost Mother, it only shows Caroline a 2009 family horror film not an animated one.