"Hm… I don't remember much, just a really tall cliff… and a small lake," Zoroark said with a nostalgic look on its face.
Edward scratched his head. That kind of information was practically useless. No—scratch that—it was entirely useless. A cliff and a lake? Those were not distinctive landmarks. And considering how long it had been since the Hisui era, the landscape had likely changed dramatically over time. What once was a cliff could now be flat land, and lakes might have become mountains.
The passage of time had the power to erase everything, even memory itself.
Still, Edward planned to reach out to Cynthia and see if she knew anything about Zoroark's origins—whether there were any old records from the Hisui region mentioning people turning into Zoroarks after death, or stories about revenge or spiritual tranquility.
Although Zoroark often acted a bit silly, Edward felt he could trust it this time. Judging from its expression, this didn't seem like a joke. And if it was a joke, it had been running for far too long.
But if Zoroark really was telling the truth…
Then Ghost-type Pokémon might become a taboo in the Pokémon world. After all, no one wanted to die only to become a Ghost Pokémon and get caught and used by someone else.
That said, based on Edward's research into Pokémon Professor studies, Ghost Pokémon generally didn't retain memories of their past lives. In essence, Ghost Pokémon weren't directly tied to the souls of dead people or Pokémon.
But what was up with Zoroark, then?
Edward couldn't figure it out.
After sending Zoroark off to handle some variety show business, he messaged Cynthia to ask if any ancient Hisui documents mentioned people becoming Zoroarks after death, or stories of revenge or inner peace.
Cynthia readily agreed, though Edward didn't plan to ask for free help—he promised to send her a premium Holmes figurine as thanks.
The SherlockHolmes line had become a red-hot IP, with collaborations and crossovers everywhere. Edward had licensed the merch to a professional figure manufacturer known for top-quality production—no janky knockoffs.
Prices varied depending on size and detail. The most expensive figure, a life-sized Sherlock Holmes alongside Watson, went for a whopping 760,000 pokedollars.
With his company matters handled, Edward had the afternoon free. He decided to head home and work on the script.
Thanks to the casting variety show, he now had plenty of time to write. He had already plotted out Season 2's story and was planning to slip in a comedic case with Grey as comic relief.
He intended to make it the second episode of Season 2, though that didn't mean cutting the original second episode—instead, he planned to split it into four episodes. Moving forward, each SherlockHolmes season would have four episodes total, with one being a lighthearted comedic case to give viewers a breather.
"Ah, right… there's still Daniel's contract issue," Edward suddenly remembered.
Daniel, a former nobody—a background actor at the age of thirty—had been on the verge of giving up his acting dreams and finding a stable job to support his family.
But then Edward cast him as the male lead in Sherlock Holmes, and Daniel became an overnight sensation.
Grateful for the opportunity, Daniel chose to sign under Edward's company, Ghost Film Pictures, becoming their third superstar actor.
As for the first two? Naturally, that would be Tom and Jerry.
Those two had even greater name recognition than Daniel. Their content appealed to all age groups—especially kids—and the Tom & Jerry IP had already become one of Ghost Film Pictures biggest income streams.
In less than a year, it had brought in over a billion pokedollar in pure profit. Edward only needed to grant licensing rights—everything else was handled by the partnering brands. He didn't have to lift a finger and still made huge money.
But Daniel—no one knew what he was thinking—had asked for an incredibly low salary in the new Season 2 contract.
Thinking about this, Edward took Q to a tea shop and ordered four cups, one of which was to-go.
Then he called Daniel, who quickly rushed over. Daniel had been staying near the studio since filming for Season 2 was about to begin, and as the male lead, he couldn't be away for long.
"Boss," Daniel greeted him with respectful eyes.
"Here, this is for you." Edward smiled and handed him a cup of fruit tea. Without wasting time, he brought up the contract issue.
Though Daniel had asked for a low salary, Edward wasn't about to pay him that little. His series wasn't hurting for funding.
So, Edward simply raised the payment in the contract to match what someone of Daniel's status should earn. Daniel couldn't even reject it—he could only smile wryly and accept.
"Boss, I really don't want that much," Daniel said helplessly.
He genuinely wasn't trying to suck up to Edward.
Since being cast as Sherlock Holmes, Daniel had skyrocketed in popularity. After signing with Ghost Film Pictures, he also got several endorsement deals. He was no longer that struggling background actor.
"I know. But you're at a certain level now, and you should be paid accordingly. Otherwise, who would dare sign with our company in the future?" Edward explained.
Daniel's gratitude was touching, but Edward couldn't agree to that kind of pay cut. Otherwise, people might think Ghost Film Pictures underpaid its actors. Edward was very aware of how delicate public perception could be.
Most people just read headlines and never look into the details. One such story could severely damage the company's image.
That's why Edward wouldn't allow it.
"Thank you, Boss," Daniel said sincerely.
Edward waved it off and, after saying goodbye, took his fruit tea and headed home.
Q had already finished its drink, but Fortune hadn't touched his yet—he was still at home working on practice tests. The little guy was so competitive with his studies, it reminded Edward of his own intense senior year of high school.
(End of Chapter)