"…Boss, according to this clause, if the other party is willing to pay a thirty-million pokedollar penalty, the contract can be nullified," Sara said as she finished reading through the employment agreement and relayed her conclusion to Edward.
Edward gave a small nod. He wasn't particularly well-versed in legal matters, but he understood this much: as the fame of Tom and Jerry continued to skyrocket, a thirty-million penalty clause wouldn't really be a deterrent anymore.
While the intellectual property rights of Tom and Jerry were in his hands, if the Persian and Rattata were poached, he knew very well just how much the other side could ride their popularity.
"Draft a new contract. One that makes it impossible for the signatories to jump ship to another company," Edward said as he lightly rubbed the corner of the contract. Although it might seem a bit excessive, he really didn't want to one day find himself in court, facing off against his own former employees.
"Understood, boss," Sara responded immediately, not even questioning whether this was technically under the jurisdiction of Devon Corp. As far as she was concerned, Edward's business was the company's business.
Once he saw Sara leaving to draft the new contract, Edward felt a sense of relief. He then turned his attention back to his work—writing the next script for Tom and Jerry, titled Tom's Journey to Heaven.
There weren't too many areas that required revision. Most of the scenes still revolved around Tom and Jerry's antics. The only part that needed some rewriting was the segment featuring the long line of deceased cats in heaven. To adapt this to the Pokémon world, all he had to do was replace the cats with suitable Pokémon species.
By the time Edward had finished revising the script, Sara had also finalized the new contract. Edward immediately instructed Zoroark to take the documents and get them signed by the trainers of the two Pokémon, along with having the Pokémon themselves leave a paw print to symbolize consent. Only after that did Edward summon Ada into his office and hand him the new script to begin filming.
"You're Zinnia?" At the Rustboro City Police Headquarters, Joseph turned to look at the girl before him, a flicker of disorientation flashing in his eyes.
When he saw her, it felt as if he were looking at someone from his past—but they weren't the same person. Though Zinnia and the late woman, Zinnia, shared similar backgrounds, they were not mother and daughter.
Even though the girl standing before him was called Zinnia, and the woman from his memory was Aster, their appearances weren't quite the same. What they did have in common, however, was their identity: both were members of the Draconid Tribe.
"…" Zinnia said nothing. She stared at Joseph with eyes full of hatred. The very sight of him, the one she held responsible for Aster's death, ignited a seething fury within her. This man had assisted the Pokémon League in capturing the Dragon God, and in doing so, he had directly contributed to Shijiana's demise.
Joseph sighed deeply. Back when they had captured Rayquaza, the League had its reasons—reasons they couldn't fully disclose to the public. But regardless of how justified those reasons were, the operation still resulted in the death of an innocent person. That burden had weighed on Joseph's heart ever since. In the years that followed, he had funneled the Infinite Energy used in the Rayquaza capture project into civic infrastructure, hoping to atone in some way.
When he first saw the threatening letter, he immediately suspected that someone from Aster's circle was back to take revenge. He never would have expected that the would-be avenger would fail to complete her mission—and be subdued by none other than his own son, Edward.
"I'm sorry. Back then… we never wanted Aster to die," Joseph said as he bowed his head. The weight of his sins, accumulated over years, had long since begun to bend his spine. It had even robbed him of the joy he once found in excavating ancient stones—his favorite pastime.
"Sorry? Do you think a single apology can bring the dead back to life?! Can it erase what you did at the Embedded Tower?!" Zinnia exploded with fury, her voice a thunderclap of pain. She abruptly stood up and swung her fist, striking the iron bars of her holding cell. Blood slowly dripped down from her hand.
Zinnia was trembling with rage. The Draconid People had always lived as protectors and inheritors of Hoenn's ancient knowledge. And what had they received in return? The League captured their revered Dragon God and killed their gifted leader, Aster!
Even the Embedded Tower, their sacred site, had been reduced to ruins.
"Do you even know what it felt like—to see our sacred grounds destroyed like that? For days, I couldn't even speak!" Zinnia's eyes were red, her fists clenched tightly, her gaze piercing. Officer Jenny, who had accompanied Joseph, shot a sidelong glance at him.
She knew about the operation that had taken Rayquaza and the impact it had left behind. As one of the highest-ranking officers in the Hoenn region, she was aware of some of the classified intel surrounding that incident. But there were parts of the mission that were still locked away behind top-level security clearances—things even she didn't know.
All she knew for certain was that the Pokémon League had their reasons—reasons that couldn't be shared with the public.
But what exactly those reasons were… no one knew.
"I really… am sorry." Joseph took a deep breath. Once a man who could talk circles around others, now he could only repeat his apologies with a fragile, trembling voice. That dark chapter in his memory haunted him constantly. Night after night, it robbed him of sleep.
Zinnia sat back down and turned her back to him, unwilling to even look at the man responsible for everything.
Joseph lowered his head and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Hoenn's time is running out," Zinnia murmured as Joseph and Officer Jenny were preparing to leave. The words stopped them in their tracks. They exchanged a glance. What did she mean by that? Hoenn's time is running out?
No matter how many times they asked her to elaborate, Zinnia remained silent. Her gaze drifted upward, toward the ceiling—as if through it, she could see the starry skies beyond. In her mind's eye, she saw what the prophecies foretold: the coming of a disastrous star that could only be stopped by the black-scaled Dragon God.
Aster was dead. The device for Mega Evolution had vanished. The Key Stones were gone. Could the Dragon God still trust humanity after all that?
Zinnia didn't know. But she did know this: as long as she remained imprisoned, she could do nothing. That said, the Pokémon League probably wouldn't be able to keep her locked up for long. If those fools didn't mess things up, then her plan would proceed as intended—and once it did, the entire Hoenn region would be thrown into chaos.
And that would be her chance to escape.
"…Edward," Zinnia whispered the name softly, remembering the man she saw just before losing consciousness. Next time, she would need to avoid him at all costs. His Pokémon had too strong an advantage against her own. He posed too much of a threat to her mission.
And then there was that Gholdengo…
He was frighteningly powerful. Too powerful.
If she wasn't careful, they would both endanger everything she had planned.
But if she stayed away from them—then perhaps everything would go smoothly.
"Hmm? What's this?" Edward asked aloud, confused as he picked up a peculiar stone. It glowed faintly, emitting an unusual light.
He had clearly gotten the timing wrong.
(End of Chapter)