"Brother, you really… know how to surprise me," Steven said helplessly as he looked at Edward, whose expression was just as complicated. Edward gave a wry smile. How was he supposed to know that tossing a Luxury Ball at a random rock would actually capture Groudon?
Now he couldn't help but wonder—if he tossed a rock shaped like Kyogre or Rayquaza, would he be able to catch those too?
Edward wasn't sure if that would work, but he knew the Pokémon League was already trying it. In just a short amount of time, they had crafted two additional rocks based on the material of the one that had captured Groudon—one for Kyogre, and one for Rayquaza. Then they started throwing Poké Balls at them. So far, there had been no success.
They even asked Edward to try it himself, but he still couldn't catch Kyogre or Rayquaza. This only deepened the League's curiosity—how exactly had Edward managed to capture Groudon?
After much discussion, the most likely theory they arrived at was that the rock that captured Groudon had some kind of mysterious connection to Groudon itself. It had all been a matter of sheer luck and coincidence.
"I didn't mean for it to happen either. How was I supposed to know that rock was Groudon?" Edward muttered, looking down at the Luxury Ball in his hand. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about all this.
After all, Groudon was no joke. Even if people in his previous life made fun of it for not being able to fly, Groudon was still a powerful Legendary Pokémon. If it went into its Primal Reversion state, it would become even stronger and harder to control. And now that such a powerful Pokémon was in his possession, Edward felt uneasy. Something didn't sit right with him, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
"In any case," Steven said, waving his hand, "the League has already made its decision. They'll assign someone to stay by your side as a bodyguard. They'll be showing up at your company tomorrow under the pretense of applying for a job. Just keep them close." Whether it was for the League's safety or Edward's, someone had to be with him at all times.
Edward didn't really mind this arrangement.
"Oh, and listen closely. If anyone attacks you, make sure you protect yourself first, okay?" Steven said seriously, placing a firm hand on Edward's shoulder.
Edward opened his mouth to respond. He wanted to say that his strength wasn't exactly lacking—after all, he had Q and Fortune. With those two around, ordinary people couldn't possibly threaten him.
"I know you have Q and Fortune," Steven continued, as if reading his mind. "And I know you've trained them well. But you're still a part of our family. No matter what, Father and I don't want to see you hurt. If you're really in danger, just throw out Groudon and let it take the hit for you. And if things get out of hand, press this button. No matter what I'm doing, I'll come to you immediately."
Steven handed over a small remote device with a red button. Edward nodded solemnly. He understood his older brother's intentions. He also didn't want to cause trouble or worry his father or brother.
Looking at the Luxury Ball in his hand, Edward scratched his head. If he had known Groudon would be this much trouble, he never would have tossed that ball. Now it was too late to backtrack.
Still, he'd acted quickly—probably not many people even saw what happened. And with the League providing protection, Edward felt reasonably safe.
Besides, he wasn't exactly helpless.
Although he rarely participated in Pokémon battles, both Q and Fortune had grown up on a steady diet of Fear Candy. Their strength far exceeded that of their peers. Edward himself wasn't someone any random trainer could mess with. And with an official bodyguard from the League, he felt confident in his safety.
However, it was clear that his older brother didn't share the same optimism. He still recommended that Edward select a top-quality Pokémon to raise as another safeguard and to increase his own strength. Edward agreed. After all, the League had previously promised him one opportunity to request any Pokémon of his choosing.
Back then, he hadn't made up his mind. But now, he was starting to think it really was time to make that choice.
But deciding which Pokémon to ask for… that was a tough call.
"Take your time thinking about it," Steven patted his shoulder again. "Don't rush. I'll be staying in Rustboro for the next little while."
Edward nodded.
However, it seemed he had underestimated how seriously his father took this.
Upon hearing what had happened, the old man was so shaken that he immediately hired a professional elite team of trainers to protect Edward. Every one of them was a retired investigator with extensive battle experience. There were only twelve of them, but that was more than enough to ensure his safety.
Edward felt a bit exasperated, but he didn't reject the idea. For their family, this kind of expense was nothing—it barely scratched the surface of their wealth. Besides, these twelve trainers wouldn't interfere with his daily life; they would remain hidden unless danger arose.
"Boss, you look kind of… different today?" the next day, in the office, Zoroark asked curiously as it studied Edward's face.
Edward rubbed his head awkwardly. How could he possibly be the same? He had now become someone on the same level as Tobias—a man who owned a Legendary Pokémon, a Latios.
A Legendary, for Arceus' sake! That wasn't something just anyone could own. Even though Edward's Legendary wasn't exactly doing anything—still sleeping, it was still a Legendary nonetheless.
"Yeah, I've suddenly been labeled a 'Savior' and am now bidding farewell to my ordinary life," Edward said helplessly.
Zoroark burst out laughing. Edward gave it a sideways glance but didn't say anything.
In his hand was an old DVD.
Yesterday, Grandpa Robert had found it while cleaning. Because of the recent earthquake, the old man had been checking the house for any damage and stumbled upon this disc. It contained footage from Edward's childhood. Figuring Edward might want it, he gave it to him.
Edward didn't have many strong feelings about it. He had already remembered most of his childhood anyway. Still, over the years, he'd forgotten a lot of the minor details. Now that he had some time before the variety show started filming, he figured… why not watch it?
(End of Chapter)