In his past life, Detective Conan managed to outshine Kindaichi largely due to its lighter tone and the addition of the "no one dies when Kaito Kid appears" rule, which let the series evolve in a more relaxed, adventurous direction. Edward certainly planned to borrow some of that successful formula.
While Sherlock Holmes was a brilliant detective series, its excellence also made it heavily classical and logical in style—more suited for serious mystery lovers than for drawing in a broader audience. Edward understood that the explosive success of Season One was due in part to his use of the "Three Gods Riddle," a classic logic puzzle from his previous life, which had captured the curiosity of many viewers. That, coupled with the high quality of the Holmes series, had led to staggering results.
But for Season Two to be equally successful, Edward believed he needed to add main plotlines of serious deduction mixed with side plots full of comedy—and who better to fill the comedic roles than Meowth, Jessie, and James?
Those three didn't even need to act—just being themselves was already funny enough.
Still, planning aside, Edward needed to design things carefully. He was considering giving the trio a standalone episode, with a character concept akin to "somewhat clever phantom thieves"—much like Kaito Kid: never committing unforgivable crimes, staying humorous, and remaining lovable.
But that meant crafting an almost entirely original storyline.
"Maybe I can reach out to that mystery novelist and ask for a draft… though I still need to check if the three of them are even interested in playing roles like that," Edward muttered as he set down the materials in his hand.
He was also a bit puzzled. By all logic, Meowth, Jessie, and James should currently be in the Kanto trying to capture Pikachu, right? Could they possibly have been sent as scouts instead? Edward found that unlikely—but not impossible. Hard to say for sure.
And the more he thought about how he had to write both Giovanni's plot and the trio's, the more he wanted to just give up. Writing this kind of material was incredibly tedious. At least he could outsource one part of the work to that mystery novelist, which lightened his burden a bit.
…
Meanwhile, back in the Kanto …
"You're sure it was this content creator?" Giovanni set down his phone and stared coldly at the sweating researcher before him. The man flinched under Giovanni's gaze and nodded like a madman.
"I'm sure! When I dropped my phone earlier, I heard a voice whispering—and it sounded exactly like this!" the researcher babbled rapidly, full of desperation, practically begging for his life. His fear was justified.
Mewtwo's escape had finally caught the attention of Team Rocket's boss, Giovanni. This project, which Giovanni had high hopes for—one that he believed could change the very future of Team Rocket—had just… run off?
Giovanni had been furious. But reason prevailed, and he initiated an investigation to identify the cause of Mewtwo's defection. With Team Rocket working at full capacity and Mewtwo's initial lack of worldly experience, they soon tracked down the root of the issue.
Mewtwo had used this researcher's phone to go online.
What exactly Mewtwo had learned online was unknown, but this escape could be traced directly back to this man. Even though the researcher was unaware and technically innocent, someone had to take the fall for such a colossal screw-up.
Giovanni looked at the video on his phone. It featured a very ordinary voice, explaining how to unlock a platinum trophy in a certain game—no face shown. Team Rocket's tech division had hacked the metadata and located the individual in Rustboro City, Hoenn Region.
Giovanni had already begun extending his reach in that direction.
"You found this while being reviewed? You were watching this during a security check?" Giovanni's glare grew sharper.
"I—I just opened it by accident and heard it!" the researcher stammered, his lips trembling.
Giovanni didn't say another word. He simply raised his hand.
The door opened.
"Boss." a woman entered, calm and composed. She wore glasses and had a cold, emotionless face. The researcher trembled harder. This woman—Giovanni's secretary, Matori—was terrifying.
Giovanni gave her a slight nod.
Matori picked up the phone and tapped a button.
Moments later, a muscular man with a mohawk entered the room. As the panicked researcher screamed and begged, the man knocked him out with one punch and dragged him away.
There happened to be a need for some cement barrels in the deep sea near New Island.
"Matori, prepare everything. I want a full investigation into this content creator's identity and current location. I need to know if they are really..." Giovanni leaned back on the sofa, stroking his Persian's head. His eyes, shrouded in shadow, were unreadable.
During the investigation, the audit team had found a few recorded sound clips that closely matched this voice. There was a very real chance this person was—
"Mewtwo."
As Giovanni finished speaking, Matori bowed and quickly left the room.
With Team Rocket shifting its entire network of free agents toward Hoenn, Kanto's streets had suddenly become much safer—something that left many Officer Jennys confused.
…
Edward, completely unaware that Mewtwo had already left traces, was currently eating dinner.
Originally, he hadn't even planned to eat much—lunch was usually just whatever he could find to fill his stomach. But this time, they had invited several famous directors and veteran actors who had retired from the big screen. As the variety show's executive producer, Edward couldn't afford to be absent, so he invited them all for a meal.
They exchanged business cards and contacts, and some directors even struck new "cooperative deals" with the former A-listers. Ironically, few people were actually eating—most were chatting. People took a few bites and then left their food untouched.
"This is exactly why I hate networking dinners," Edward sighed inwardly. With so many people around, he couldn't even hold his Pokémon—it would look disrespectful. But these meals were more about building connections and discussing business than actually eating.
Edward ate quite a bit, but it wasn't a pleasant experience. He barely managed a few bites before someone would come over to talk. One sentence per bite—it was exhausting. He was full from talking, not food.
Honestly, considering Giovanni's role as the boss of Team Rocket, he's no saint. So, having someone 'sleep with the fishes' seems pretty normal, right?
(End of Chapter)