Edward looked up in shock—but the figure towering above wasn't Rayquaza. It was a massive Bewear.
"Big Bear? What are you doing here?" Edward asked in surprise. Big Bear usually spent most of its time guarding the entrance of the Pokémon care center under Headmistress Lillian's care. It was rare for him to be out and about, so seeing him here was unexpected.
"Good afternoon, Edward," Headmistress Lillian greeted warmly as she walked up from behind, carrying several bags. It was only then that Edward noticed Big Bear had a massive backpack on its back, filled with vegetables and other groceries. With that, Edward quickly understood—they were out shopping together.
He was a bit surprised. He'd seen Headmistress Lillian out shopping before, since the care center housed many Pokémon, all of whom needed food. She frequently went out to buy supplies. However, she almost always went alone. It was unusual for her to bring a Pokémon with her.
A thought crossed Edward's mind—could Headmistress Lillian be unwell? Was that why she brought Big Bear along?
"Headmistress Lillian, is your health okay?" Edward asked with genuine concern. The two had known each other for many years and shared a close friendship despite their age difference. Edward had always respected her.
In his eyes, Headmistress Lillian was someone with purpose. She had once been a Gym Leader and could've lived a leisurely retirement with a hefty stipend, traveling and enjoying life. Instead, she dedicated all of her time and resources to caring for stray Pokémon. She was, in Edward's opinion, a truly good person.
"Oh, I'm fine, don't worry. I just brought Big Bear along because his days guarding the gate are too monotonous," Headmistress Lillian quickly explained with a smile, instantly catching on to Edward's concern.
Edward breathed a sigh of relief. Watching Big Bear curiously examine the cityscape, Edward realized her reasoning made sense. The Pokémon care center was located on the outskirts of the city, and Big Bear's daily routine could indeed get dull. Thankfully, he had Blacky the Murkrow to keep him company, so he didn't get too bored—but still, bringing him out once in a while wasn't a bad idea.
Seeing how excited and wide-eyed Big Bear looked, like someone entering the city for the first time, Edward felt a little heartache for the big guy.
After seeing Headmistress Lillian and Big Bear off, Edward returned to his company. The variety show he had been planning was now in its preparatory stages, and he needed to check on its progress. Although he was only a special guest judge and wouldn't be involved in the full production, most of the participants were clearly there for a chance to land roles in Sherlock Holmes Season 2. Edward couldn't just ignore them.
Variety shows typically had two formats: one was full live broadcasts, which still required rehearsals; the other, more common format, was pre-recorded episodes.
Pre-recording offered many advantages—post-production editing, flexible scheduling, and a smoother experience overall. Although hybrid formats (combining live and recorded elements) had started to gain traction with highly interactive shows, most variety shows still stuck with pre-recording as the standard.
After all, it was easier to handle unexpected issues. If something went wrong, they could just reshoot the scene. A full live broadcast, on the other hand, meant no room for mistakes. Most directors wouldn't willingly take on that kind of stress.
Edward certainly wasn't looking for unnecessary headaches. While audience engagement was important for this variety show, his format was mostly modeled after Super Girl—the viewers would vote for their favorite contestants, but the voting wouldn't affect who advanced.
The decision-making power would lie with the judges, since the competition focused on acting skills, not popularity. It was best for professionals to evaluate that.
This setup also allowed for a shorter filming cycle, giving Edward more time to focus on Sherlock Holmes Season 2. With the show airing weekly, it wouldn't interfere with the drama's production. Otherwise, he'd have to wait until the variety show wrapped before casting actors for his series—which would be a huge hassle.
"Boss, the production schedule for the variety show is finalized," Zoroark said as it rushed in, carrying several folders filled with documents that needed Edward's signature.
"Alright. By the way… Shizuka, you once said… you used to be human?" Edward asked while flipping through the paperwork. Most of it was about the variety show or Sherlock Holmes Season 2, but this lingering question had been bothering him for a while.
It wasn't exactly something urgent, but human curiosity is a persistent thing—like hearing a familiar tune at night and not being able to remember the song. It gnawed at him.
"Yes~" Zoroark replied with a mischievous smile, clasping its hands behind its back. Edward noticed that when Zoroark smiled now, a tiny dimple had appeared on its right cheek.
Edward raised an eyebrow, intrigued. But with Zoroark's nature, anything was possible. Even if it suddenly transformed into Diantha right now, Edward wouldn't be too surprised.
"Do you remember where you used to live? Or anything else from before?" Edward asked again. He was thinking of asking Cynthia from Sinnoh for help—he had her contact details. They'd exchanged numbers the last time they met, and that's when Edward learned Cynthia was actually a fan of his.
She also had a keen interest in archaeology. This made Edward wonder—do all League Champions have side gigs or hobbies? Steven loved digging up stones, Cynthia was into archaeology, Diantha liked acting… Unreal.
Among all the Champions, the only one who seemed entirely dedicated might be Leon. Even after becoming Champion, he was still focused on improving the region's trainer standards.
(End of Chapter)