"Be your bodyguard?!"
Gengar's eyes went wide—almost as big as Edward's head—as it stared at him with an expression of pure shock and disbelief.
Edward silently watched as the big, bold characters [SHOCKED] and [DISBELIEVING] practically appeared on Gengar's face and fell into thought. Just where had this Gengar learned such dramatic antics?
"I'm an Apex, you know! The overlord of Petalburg Woods!" Gengar raised its head proudly, taking a defiant stance that immediately reminded Edward of someone who once famously declared a refusal... only to yield moments later.
Edward studied Gengar's expression. Despite the dramatic protest, he could sense something in Gengar's tone—a hint of expectation. If he wanted to hire Gengar as a bodyguard, he'd probably need to offer something in return… like Fear Candies.
Thinking this through, Edward realized hiring Gengar might take a bit of negotiating, but it shouldn't be too hard. After all, if he were part of the dark organizations, he would've already made his move by now.
"How about twenty Fear Candies a month?" Edward asked.
Gengar hesitated for a moment, then shook its head.
"I am—" Gengar started to protest.
"Thirty-five. That's my final offer," Edward cut in, offering the highest price he was willing to accept.
Thirty-five Fear Candies was the equivalent of one per day, with five left over by the end of the month. The cost was steep, especially since Fear Candies required a high amount of fear points to craft. If it weren't for the boost he got from A Wicked Ghost, Edward wouldn't have been able to afford such a generous offer—especially since his other Pokémon could eat them too.
"Deal!" Gengar immediately grabbed Edward's hand, beaming with joy.
Edward's mouth twitched. Where did all that pride go?
What happened to the overlord of Petalburg Woods?
As expected… no one escapes the power of the "it's actually really good" principle.
Now that they'd come to an agreement, Edward felt more secure about his safety. However, he didn't plan to have Gengar accompany him just yet. He was about to head off to the Sinnoh, so he intended to call Gengar back once he returned to Hoenn.
Gengar had no objections. In fact, it preferred not to leave its home territory. If Edward hadn't been living right next to Petalburg Woods, Gengar wouldn't have agreed to the job in the first place.
"Alright then, now that all the little things are settled…" Gengar's expression suddenly turned serious.
A gust of fierce wind blew in, sweeping waves of violet-black ghost energy across the entire forest. In an instant, Petalburg Woods was thrown into chaos, like the end of the world had arrived.
The howling wind forced Edward to squint as he stared at Gengar, slowly lowering his hand.
"Yes… it's time for the real business." Edward's gaze turned sharp. There was no way he'd forget what he had promised Gengar.
The old butler, Grandpa Shibata, also opened his eyes and adjusted his hat to keep the wind from blowing it away.
As a single flower petal was swept away in the storm, Edward and Gengar moved at once—
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
The raging wind instantly vanished. The forest returned to its calm and peaceful state.
Gengar, now sulking in a corner of the woods, squatted with its head down, drawing circles in the dirt and muttering to itself. Edward could only laugh helplessly.
He had even intentionally thrown scissors—the move that people subconsciously chose most often in rock-paper-scissors. He had tried to let Gengar win.
And yet… Gengar had thrown paper. And lost anyway.
"Ah, well… Gengar, ahem, better luck next time," Edward said, walking over to the dejected ghost. He patted it on the back and offered a half-apologetic tone. He really had tried, but what could he do?
Sighing, Edward pulled out his notebook and jotted something down.
Behind him, Grandpa Robert fought to hold in a laugh. His young master's relationship with Gengar was truly entertaining. But this Gengar was almost too earnest for his own good. Even after losing, he still wanted a rematch.
"You've got another Poké Ball on your belt," Gengar said, looking at Edward's waist and then glancing at Q, who was yawning lazily, and Fortune, who was reading a novel against a tree. "Is that what made you want to hire me?"
Gengar knew Edward well. Edward was indeed strong, but he never seemed all that interested in catching Pokémon. Even now, he only had two—if someone else had his family background, they'd be rolling six Dragon-types deep already.
"Yeah. It's a real pain," Edward said with a hint of frustration.
Just thinking about Groudon gave him a headache. If it weren't for Groudon, he wouldn't have needed to hire a bodyguard in the first place. Honestly, if he wasn't Edward Stone, he probably would've already been put under league supervision.
After all, a Legendary Pokémon was involved. The League wouldn't just let something like that go unchecked.
But because he was a member of the Stone family—his brother was the current Champion of the Hoenn League—the League couldn't go as far as placing him under house arrest. All they could do was assign elite trainers to protect him.
"I've been wondering why so many elite trainers suddenly started hanging around you. So it's your own fault," Gengar snorted.
Edward's mouth twitched. That wasn't wrong.
If he hadn't tossed that Poké Ball at Groudon Statue that day, none of this would be happening.
It was frustrating, but there was no turning back now. Unless the Groudon situation was resolved, he'd need tight security. He couldn't afford to slip up. And neither could the League—they couldn't risk letting Groudon fall into the hands of a dark organization.
"When you get back, I'll come find you," Gengar said, patting Edward on the shoulder. Then it vanished into the shadows, disappearing back into the depths of Petalburg Woods.
Edward looked around the now-peaceful forest and exhaled.
He knew that the elite team hired by his father was still secretly watching over him. Gengar had left mostly because of them—he wasn't the type to show himself in front of strangers. The only reason he'd come out at all was because Edward was present. If it were just those elite guards, they wouldn't have even caught a glimpse of Gengar's shadow.
"Grandpa Robert, please book me a flight to Sinnoh," Edward said, stretching.
Now that the security matter with Gengar was settled, it was time to relax in Sinnoh.
And once the variety show's current filming cycle ended, he'd return to Hoenn to serve as a guest judge for the final two episodes.
"Understood," Robert replied, pulling out his phone to make arrangements.
Before long, Edward was aboard a flight bound for the Sinnoh Region.
(End of Chapter)