Although some people were roaring that they were innocent, claiming they never intended to do such things, that they only acted out of fear for their families — Edward still sent all of them to court without hesitation. After all, the moment they raised their knives, or commanded their Pokémon to vent their rage upon medical workers, their fates had already been sealed.
Edward could understand, to an extent, the anguish and fury that erupted when someone learned their loved ones were dying. But still — their family members were human, and so were the doctors and nurses. What gave them the right to take out their grief on those who were trying to save others? The medical staff had done nothing wrong.
"The cruelest thing in this world," Edward murmured, shaking his head, "has always been the pain of life and death, of separation and loss." No wonder that in his previous life, so many films portrayed death as the ultimate punishment. Death was indeed terrifying — it brought endless grief and despair in its wake.
Yet, humanity's curiosity about death had never ceased. Edward knew this clearly in his heart.
Even in the world of Pokémon, people had studied the concept of death to some extent. But delving too deeply into the spiritual realm carried immense risks — so great that almost no Pokémon Professor dared to research it seriously.
Of course, "almost" didn't mean "none." There were still those few who were obsessed with uncovering the secrets of death, either out of genuine curiosity or more often — in hopes of securing generous funding from wealthy patrons.
After all, if there was anyone in the world most afraid of death, it would surely be the rich. They had wealth, power, and access to every pleasure life could offer and precisely because they had so much, they feared losing it all to death.
As Edward looked at the slightly nervous Professor standing before him, he couldn't help feeling a little speechless.
Honestly, Edward hadn't expected one of these so-called researchers — people trying to milk money from the wealthy under the pretext of studying death — to show up at his own door. The thought made him want to laugh.
"Let's see here… Doctor Royle, was it?" Edward glanced at the business card in his hand and smiled politely. The professor nodded quickly, looking flustered.
"So, if I understand correctly," Edward said, voice tinged with amusement, "you've devised a plan to explore the Ghost World personally, to study its true nature — but you lack the necessary funding, and so you've come to me for financial support?"
The professor nodded rapidly again, confirming every word. Edward found it hard not to chuckle.
He had seen scams like this before. To call it outright fraud might be an exaggeration, but it wasn't far off. Most of these "researchers" weren't actually studying death — they were studying how to extract money from millionaires under that guise.
Of course, they did conduct some kind of research. But whether it had anything to do with death was another matter. Edward had seen similar schemes unfold back in the Devon Corporation days — where the company's wealth and influence attracted all sorts of dubious "geniuses."
So, when he saw this Dr. Royle, Edward could barely suppress his laughter. Still, he forced himself to remain composed. He cleared his throat, picked up the professor's "research proposal," and started reading.
After a few moments, something caught his eye.
"I'd like to ask," Edward said, looking up, "have you actually managed to produce a sample of this alloy you mentioned?"
The professor blinked, startled. Edward's question referred to a peculiar material described in the report — a special alloy supposedly capable of existing within the Ghost World. That claim alone was extraordinary enough to pique his curiosity.
If it were true, this discovery would revolutionize Ghost World research entirely. But Edward remained skeptical.
The Ghost World, ever since its discovery, had fascinated many scholars. Yet their studies remained shallow, half-hearted at best. The danger of venturing too close, combined with the Realm's instability, made serious research nearly impossible.
No existing material could survive there. Any physical object thrown into the Ghost World would soon be assimilated into its eerie energy — transformed into something unrecognizable, and lost forever. That impossibility was what had long halted all progress in the field.
But now, this Pokémon Professor was claiming to have discovered an alloy capable of resisting that transformation. If his claim was genuine, he could attract astronomical investment.
Still, Edward couldn't bring himself to believe it easily. Fraud existed even in academia — even here, in this world. He remembered a recent scandal: a Pokémon Professor exposed for repeatedly publishing papers stolen from his students.
So, when the nervous Dr. Royle replied, "I… can't show you the sample at the moment. It's already been taken… by something else," Edward's face darkened immediately.
He felt as if the man was making a fool of him. Just as he was about to instruct Zoroark to throw Royle out of his office, the professor hastily added, "It was taken… by a Legendary Pokémon — the ruler of the Reverse World."
That made Edward pause, his expression turning strange. He studied the man for a long moment. The professor looked completely serious.
Without a word, Edward turned and left the room.
He went to fetch a bottle of Fear Juice, a special reagent that could interact with the Reverse World. He placed the bottle alongside a handwritten note. Moments later, the Fear Juice vanished into thin air.
And after another moment, to his astonishment, a small piece of the alloy materialized before him.
Edward stared at it in disbelief. He knew exactly who the "ruler of the Reverse World" referred to and it was precisely because he knew that he had prepared this test in the first place.
"So, it's actually true…" Edward murmured, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Interesting. Very interesting indeed."
If this alloy was real, it opened up endless possibilities — not just for research, but for profit. Wealthy individuals terrified of death would pay any price for even the hope of conquering it.
Edward's eyes gleamed as he studied the mysterious piece of metal. "If this really works… we could make a fortune and maybe even fund a dozen new hospitals in the process."
Later, he personally welcomed Dr. Royle back with great enthusiasm and granted him a massive research fund to continue studying the Ghost World.
Zoroark, watching this, tilted its head curiously. "Boss, do you really believe that guy can create an alloy that exists in the Ghost World? I mean, sure, he's called a 'doctor,' but he doesn't seem to have any real achievements."
"He already has created it," Edward replied with a grin, showing Zoroark the metallic fragment. "And you must understand — when it comes to Ghost World research, rich people are incredibly generous with their investments."
"Wait… is that the alloy?" Zoroark asked, eyes widening. Edward nodded.
Once real progress was made, Edward could sell the resulting discoveries for enormous profits — profits that could then be used to build more hospitals and improve lives.
…
Meanwhile, as Edward busied himself with Ghost World affairs, another event was stirring up the public — the upcoming release of Tomie: Unlimited, which had become a viral topic.
Yet, what truly caught people's attention wasn't the film itself, but rather the sudden silence of "Raging Oak" — the notoriously fiery man who had been loudly professing his love for Tomie online.
For a long time, Oak had been one of Tomie's most persistent and wealthy suitors. When other admirers had given up, he alone had continued to pursue her relentlessly. So, his sudden disappearance from public view was shocking. Had he finally won her over? Or had something gone terribly wrong?
At that very moment, Oak was sitting in his luxurious home — pale, trembling, and wide-eyed with fear. He had sealed every crack and crevice in the room with tape, muttering over and over again, "Ghosts… there are ghosts…"
His father watched anxiously, while his mother had fainted from crying multiple times.
"Doctor, what's wrong with my son?" his father asked desperately.
The elderly Nurse Joy who stood before them sighed. Though retired, she had been invited due to her exceptional medical skill. Yet even she looked troubled as she examined Oak.
"Physically," she said carefully, "your son is fine — aside from some kidney deficiency. However… his behavior strongly suggests a psychological disorder. I recommend consulting a mental health specialist."
Oak's father frowned deeply. Mental illness? That was far harder to treat than any physical wound. Medicine couldn't simply cure the mind.
After politely seeing the elderly Joy out, he sighed heavily, looking at his broken, trembling son with a mix of anger and disappointment.
He had only one child, an heir to a vast fortune yet the boy had turned out like this.
"Dear," Oak's mother suddenly spoke, voice quivering with emotion. "I'm sure this has something to do with that woman Tomie! Ever since he met her, he's been obsessed, completely lost his mind, even wanted to give her all your money!"
"Actually," his father snapped, his patience wearing thin, "your precious son was the one harassing her. The woman even called the police to have him escorted out. He's been blacklisted ever since and hasn't seen her again! So, what do you want me to do now?"
He glared at the pitiful sight of his son and sighed again, rubbing his temples. Maybe it was time to start over — to have another child while he still could.
(End of Chapter)