"This is…" Edward stared at the feather in his hand. Under the sunlight, it shimmered with a rainbow of colors, dazzling and radiant like a magnificent treasure.
He was a bit dazed. Of course he could tell—this was a feather from Ho-Oh, the Ho-Oh, the legendary Pokémon. And for it to land squarely on his head with such precision—there was no way it was accidental.
A feather, dropped from such a great height, falling so perfectly that it landed on his head? Edward simply couldn't believe it wasn't deliberate.
If that's not guided targeting, then what is?
"Boss, you really are incredible," Zoroark remarked beside him, its gaze strange and almost reverent as it looked at Edward. "According to legend, those who see Ho-Oh are righteous Trainers, and they will be blessed with everlasting happiness."
This was the first time Zoroark had ever seen Ho-Oh in person—and it had personally delivered a feather to its boss. The implications were heavy.
Edward gripped the feather tightly in his hand. For some reason, just holding it gave him a sense of warmth and comfort throughout his whole body.
According to the legend, Ho-Oh was the guardian of the Sacred Fire, a Pokémon of life and rebirth. Its flames could grant new life and even extend one's lifespan. Could it be that this feather also possessed some similar ability?
Thinking along those lines, Edward carefully stored the feather close to his body. Whether or not it had any practical power, the fact that it came from Ho-Oh alone was enough for him to take it seriously.
After all, there were countless people who dreamed of merely seeing Ho-Oh once in their lives, and not only had he seen it, but he'd also received a feather. That was nothing short of miraculous.
"This is unbelievable… Edward, you actually got to meet Ho-Oh." Gengar emerged from the shadows, cautiously scanning the sky. Only when he was sure that Ho-Oh was no longer around did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Legendary Pokémon emitted a natural pressure over other Pokémon, and even though Gengar was a Apex Pokémon, it didn't mean he wasn't intimidated. This was Ho-Oh, a divine being that stood above nearly all other Pokémon.
"I was surprised myself," Edward admitted honestly. He wasn't being modest—who would expect that a simple trip into the forest to talk to Gengar would end with a surprise encounter with Ho-Oh?
It was like setting out for a casual hike in the woods and suddenly seeing a dragon flying overhead—and then that dragon dropped a scale directly into your lap.
That kind of experience would shatter anyone's perception of reality.
"You lucky guy…" Gengar narrowed his eyes at Edward, clearly envious. He could even feel the divine brilliance and the overwhelming vitality radiating from the feather hidden on Edward's person.
In Gengar's view, the feather was practically glowing like a miniature sun.
Edward was too lucky. That was a Ho-Oh feather!
"Ahem… Mr. Gengar, shall we play rock-paper-scissors?" Edward coughed awkwardly, trying to change the subject. He had to—if he didn't redirect the conversation, Gengar's jealousy might drown him with sheer bitterness.
"Sure!" Gengar immediately perked up, his earlier gloom forgotten. He grinned excitedly and muttered things like, "There's no way I'll lose this time! I've figured out the ultimate strategy!"
Edward couldn't help but feel amused. He had no intention of winning this time anyway, so it didn't really matter. On Zoroark's count of three, Edward decisively threw out paper.
"...Mr. Gengar, failure is the mother of success. I believe you'll definitely win next time." Edward patted Gengar comfortingly.
Gengar curled up miserably under a tree, drawing circles in the dirt with his finger. Edward was both amused and exasperated—was this the legendary "drawing circles to curse someone" move?
The funny thing was that this time, Gengar—who usually loved throwing scissors—had actually played rock.
So ironically, if Edward hadn't wanted Gengar to win and played paper, Gengar would've won on his own.
One small change, and the whole outcome shifted. Fate had its own sense of humor.
"Mr. Gengar, I came here today because I need your help with something," Edward moved on to the main topic and used a piece of Fear Candy as a distraction.
Sure enough, that tactic worked. Gengar immediately snapped out of his sulking.
"You want me to help with a new short film? No problem. Need me to light a fire? Easy!" Gengar pounded his chest confidently. These sorts of tasks were nothing to him.
Petalburg Woods was vast, and it wouldn't be hard to find a secluded area where no wild Pokémon lived. Lighting a fire there wouldn't be a problem, especially since Edward's props team would be monitoring everything to prevent a forest fire.
Besides, in the world of Pokémon, forest fires were a very rare occurrence.
If a fire broke out, Water-type Pokémon would arrive almost instantly and douse the flames with just a few Water Guns.
Officer Jennys, who also served as firefighters in many regions, were trained to respond to such emergencies and had a variety of fire-response Pokémon at their disposal.
There were even special Water-types who had passed certification exams and could use Surf to put out wildfires with a single massive wave.
In a world with Pokémon, everything was so much more convenient.
Even mountain climbers and hikers often raised a Pokémon that could use Fly, just in case of emergencies, so they could save themselves if anything went wrong.
"Then it's settled. I'll bring the crew over tonight for the shoot," Edward said, smiling as he handed Gengar two pieces of candy.
Gengar accepted them happily, then glanced at Zoroark standing beside Edward.
Zoroark gave him a polite smile, which Gengar returned as he cheerfully pocketed the candies.
With both the filming location and the actor situation sorted out, Edward left Petalburg Woods feeling completely satisfied.
This trip had yielded more than expected—most notably, that feather from Ho-Oh.
As he thought about it, Edward couldn't help but recall a certain plotline.
He vaguely remembered reading or watching something where someone who possessed Ho-Oh's feather would become its "chosen one," or "the Brave of Ho-Oh," and would eventually undergo some kind of trial.
He couldn't recall whether it was from the anime or the manga, but the idea definitely existed somewhere in the franchise's lore.
"…Don't tell me I'm going to be tested?" Edward murmured as he touched the feather stored in his inner pocket.
Even after all this time, the feather continued to radiate a gentle warmth. It made Edward feel as if his whole body was being healed and revitalized—as if even the smallest of ailments were being quietly cured.
Back in the car, Edward stretched his arms lazily. Things had been relatively calm lately.
Team Aqua and Team Magma hadn't started causing trouble yet, and Zinnia had already been arrested. That alone had eased a great deal of his mental burden.
That girl Zinnia had been a serious problem. If she had been allowed to run wild in the wilderness, who knows what kind of chaos she could've stirred up—especially considering her deep grudge against the Stone family.
Letting the League keep her under surveillance was undoubtedly the right call.
Besides, she could still play a role during the future meteor crisis.
Though, as he recalled, that entire arc had ended with the game's protagonist achieving Mega Evolution and resonating with Rayquaza to avert the disaster.
Edward suddenly thought of his father, who had once expressed a desire for him to master the power of Mega Evolution himself.
(End of Chapter)