In the world of Pokémon, being a writer is actually a slightly dangerous profession.
That's because among loyal readers, there aren't just humans—there are Pokémon readers too. The League had already dealt with several incidents of overly enthusiastic Pokémon fans demanding updates. And their methods were... unique: they came knocking at the author's door to demand faster releases.
There was even a case where a Psychic-type Pokémon joined forces with a Ghost-type and kidnapped a best-selling author, forcing them to change their release schedule from one book a year to one book every three months. They had already pushed out three books before the editor, sensing something was off, called the police and had them rescued.
According to that editor:
"The Rowling I know has never been someone who could submit drafts on time—let alone early. Once is luck. Twice might mean she's saving up to buy something. But three times? She was definitely kidnapped."
You had to admit, the editor didn't know much else, but they certainly understood their own author's habits perfectly.
"I'll check... Looks like there's a mystery novelist right here in Rustboro" Edward muttered, searching his phone.
Soon, he found some info on a local writer:
[Author: Grey Crane]
[Famous mystery novelist. Works include Locked Room Murder, Solve It After Tea, and My Gardevoir the Detective. A very popular detective fiction writer and member of the Pokémon Writers Association. Based in Rustboro City, Hoenn.]
Reading through the list, Edward rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He wasn't too into Pokémon detective novels, but he had heard of My Gardevoir the Detective. It had even been adapted into a film, which Edward had seen—and rather enjoyed. The clever tricks and plot twists had left a strong impression.
"Might as well reach out," Edward decided. He was quite satisfied—finding the writer was the easy part. Next, he just had to get in touch with a member of the Officer Jenny force. He happened to know a few.
Edward figured he'd start with Officer Jenny—after all, they were pros when it came to criminal investigation. The entire police force of the Pokémon world was basically staffed by members of the Jenny family. Honestly, that alone was a miracle.
Every Jenny was born with the same face, that classic "Officer Jenny look," making it nearly impossible for regular people to tell them apart.
Edward used to suspect they were using cloning technology or something. But after working with a few Jennys over time, he'd learned to spot small differences that helped identify them.
Each Jenny did, in fact, have her own quirks.
He pulled out his phone and began typing away quickly. Just before hitting send, though, he hesitated.
"Somehow... this feels off." Edward frowned, but in the end, he still hit send.
A quick reply came in:
[It's Miss Jenny~: Huh? Why are you asking that, Edward? Well, I have a friend in the Criminal Investigation Division. She happens to be off duty today—I can introduce you if you like~]
Edward sighed in relief. Good. Looked like she was busy and wouldn't tag along herself.
They arranged to meet at a local café. At a table tucked away in the back, Edward met with the Jenny from the Criminal Investigation Division.
His eyes landed on her face. That unmistakable Jenny face, pale skin, flawless complexion, and those unique golden-amber eyes—
"...Weren't you in the Cyber Crimes Division? Since when did you have experience in criminal investigations?" Edward's lips twitched. "This 'friend' you mentioned—is that just code for yourself?"
"You say that like it's not true. I was in criminal investigations before, you know," Officer Jenny Grace said cheerfully as she sat down, crossing her legs with ease. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. With a flick of her fingers, one cigarette popped into her mouth.
Edward sighed helplessly at the sight of his old friend. Still, he pulled out his lighter and lit it for her.
"You really know criminal investigation stuff?" he asked suspiciously.
He knew Jenny Grace worked in the Cyber Crimes Division—an elite hacker whose main Pokémon partner was a Porygon. Though, Edward still preferred calling it 3D Dragon.
"Of course I do. For example, I even know where your little childhood friend is right now," she said with a sly glance.
Edward blinked in surprise.
His childhood friend?
A familiar figure flashed in his mind.
"Edward, you're so dense—what will you do in the future?"
A girl with long snow-white hair looked at him with worry.
"Edward, Edward, I'm leaving for Sinnoh tomorrow!"
That same girl had given him a gift before she left. Edward had kept it ever since, locked in a box at home.
He was momentarily lost in thought.
He did remember her well. They had been close—her family was close to his own. What made the biggest impression, though, was her name: Shizuka.
But she'd left when they were just seven years old. It had been so long, and her family never contacted his again. So, when Officer Jenny Grace mentioned her, it caught him completely off guard.
"How do you know about that?" he asked, confused. Almost no one knew about his connection to Shizuka. Even the old butler rarely brought it up anymore.
"Take a guess," Jenny Grace replied, her tone a little more serious.
Edward narrowed his eyes, fingers tapping the table.
He had never told anyone about Shizuka. And back then, with a mental age of thirty, he'd only ever seen her as a little sister—there had been no romantic feelings. Even though Jenny Grace was a friend, she couldn't have found out from him. That only left one possibility:
"The League needed to investigate her for some reason... and found out about her connection to me," Edward murmured.
That was the only explanation for why Officer Jenny Grace would know something so specific. He looked up. Jenny Grace was casually blowing smoke rings—one after another—dissipating quietly into the air.
(End of Chapter)