"Eh? Boss, there's actually still a movie about me? I almost forgot all about that."
When Edward met Tomie again, her tone was full of faint reproach, like she was teasing him but still a little unhappy. Edward's mouth twitched slightly; he could only admit that this was indeed his fault. If he hadn't forgotten about that whole matter back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way now.
"Ahem… there were some issues before, which is why it ended up being delayed like this. But don't worry now, I've already taken care of everything—the film is officially entering pre-production." Edward coughed twice, looking a little embarrassed as he spoke.
Tomie, however, only smiled sweetly. She didn't seem upset at all.
After all, for someone like Tomie, whether she filmed a movie or not was just the difference between something being interesting or boring. And at this point, she was clearly finding her current life rather entertaining.
Compared to filming a movie, Tomie was far more interested in toying with the people of this world—and those fascinating creatures known as Pokémon.
This was, in fact, the first time Tomie had ever seen such strange and intriguing beings.
"Boss~ can I take care of a Pokémon?" Tomie asked hopefully, her large eyes glittering with curiosity as she looked at Edward.
Edward scratched his head. Tomie wanted to take care of a Pokémon? That wasn't exactly a problem for him—but he truly hadn't expected her to suddenly express such an interest.
"Do you already have one in mind?" Edward asked curiously.
Upon hearing that, Tomie's expression became a little strange. Without answering, she simply snapped her fingers.
In the next moment, a Combusken popped out and sprints toward Tomie with cheerful energy before stopping at her side and looking curiously at Edward.
Edward blinked, stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected Tomie to already have a Pokémon. He couldn't even imagine how she'd managed to obtain a Combusken in the first place.
Combusken is a Fire/Fighting-type Pokémon, and was one of the well-known starters from the Hoenn region.
Starter Pokémon were a standard convention in the Pokémon world, specially bred by the League to be given to new trainers embarking on their first journey. Edward naturally understood that.
However, even though the League did provide starters, they weren't exactly produced in great numbers. If they were, there wouldn't be so many Bug Catchers or Fishermen populating the roads.
In truth, starter Pokémon couldn't be bought openly, and they were considered rare and special species. To obtain one, people often had to donate to the League or make a special reservation through a Pokémon Professor—though even Professors might not always have them available.
"So, where did this Combusken come from?" Edward asked curiously.
While there were Pokémon within the amusement park, most already had assigned trainers. There had been no records of wild Pokémon entering or exiting the park—after all, wild Pokémon generally avoided large crowds.
"This one? Hmm~ I don't really know either," Tomie said, smiling as her eyes curved into crescents. "When I came out, it was already lying on the ground, injured. Nobody seemed to care about it, so I just brought it along."
Edward fell silent for a moment. He could more or less guess what had happened.
This Combusken was most likely an abandoned Pokémon.
Nowadays, abandoned Pokémon were actually quite common. Most people liked to tell themselves that they were "releasing" their Pokémon into the wild but the line between release and abandonment had long since become a problem that gave the League endless headaches.
Later, the League had officially clarified the distinction: release referred to letting a healthy Pokémon return to nature by freeing it from its Poké Ball. All other circumstances—especially involving injured or ill Pokémon—were classified as abandonment.
But even with regulations in place, the results were minimal. It was simply too easy for people to abandon their Pokémon.
They could just toss a Poké Ball out of a train window or drop it in the wilderness or even throw it into a trash bin. Abandoned Pokémon were an ongoing, persistent issue that refused to disappear.
"This one should be an abandoned Pokémon. Did you take it to get checked yet?" Edward asked, frowning slightly as he noticed something odd about Combusken's leg. It seemed to limp slightly when walking.
Tomie shook her head. She could never leave the haunted house, so of course she hadn't taken it for a checkup. Edward didn't press the matter—he simply contacted the welfare center's infirmary and asked them to come examine the Pokémon.
Combusken looked a little uneasy, but as long as Tomie was beside it, it gradually calmed down.
Before long, a few medical staff arrived—doctors and nurses that Edward had stationed within the amusement park for emergencies. After all, with so many visitors, injuries occasionally happened, so having a professional medical team was always useful.
The medics began examining the Combusken, and it didn't take long for the results to come in.
"Boss, the test shows a comminuted fracture—at the joint, no less. Because it hasn't received professional treatment, the bones have already started to fuse improperly. It's going to be difficult to fix now," one of the medical staff reported respectfully.
Edward nodded knowingly. No wonder the Combusken's gait had looked off.
"Can it be treated?" he asked.
"Yes," the medic nodded. "It's not too complicated."
Upon hearing that, Edward immediately instructed them to start the treatment.
Combusken, however, seemed reluctant to leave Tomie's side. Fortunately, after Tomie gently comforted it, it finally allowed itself to be led away.
Watching her concerned expression, almost tender—Edward couldn't help but feel curious.
Tomie was, without a doubt, a monster. Yet she seemed to genuinely care for this Pokémon.
How interesting.
"Boss, why do I feel like you're thinking about something indecent?" Tomie narrowed her eyes playfully.
Edward coughed awkwardly, pretending he hadn't heard that. Instead, he shifted the topic back to the movie discussion.
It was obvious that Tomie wasn't all that enthusiastic about filming anymore. If she truly lost interest, that would be quite something—Edward wouldn't even have to continue making Tomie Unlimited.
Honestly, Edward himself thought Tomie Unlimited lacked flavor. The horror element was weak, and halfway through, he'd found himself almost falling asleep.
Still, Tomie ultimately agreed to continue filming, so Edward dropped the matter.
Just as Edward was about to leave, the medical staff hurriedly came running back.
"Boss," one of them whispered, "the Combusken's condition is worse than expected. It needs surgery."
Edward froze for a moment, then nodded calmly.
"Nothing too serious, right?" he asked.
The medic shook his head. "No, it should be fine."
Edward relaxed.
In truth, illness was the number one reason Pokémon were abandoned. While Pokémon Centers did provide free medical care, that only covered basic injuries.
For serious injuries or cases requiring surgery, treatment costs money and often a lot of it.
And as everyone knows, in any world, medical expenses are never cheap. There are even humans who die at home because they can't afford hospital bills—how much harder would it be for Pokémon?
Even if a trainer shared a deep bond with their Pokémon, many still couldn't bring themselves—or simply couldn't afford—to pay for surgery.
The situation was much like in Edward's previous world: when a beloved pet fell seriously ill, the treatment could easily cost tens of thousands. In reality, very few people were willing or able to spend that much.
"Let's go, Tomie. We'll start shooting first. Combusken will need some time to recover," Edward said.
Tomie nodded silently and followed him, while Edward posted a notice at the haunted house stating that "Miss Tomie is away for film shooting."
After all, many visitors came to the haunted house just to see Tomie. Some even went to ridiculous lengths to try and gain her attention—like peacocks frantically fanning their feathers to impress a queen.
Little did they know that Tomie was no ordinary woman—she was a queen bee, and they were nothing but drones, wasting their lives chasing an impossible dream.
Once Tomie arrived, Edward began preparing for filming.
For him, the biggest challenge wasn't the acting—it was the special effects. Tomie's acting needed no rehearsal; it was so natural and powerful that Edward sometimes had to ask her to tone it down.
Once everything was set up, the first scene of Tomie Unlimited began.
The film started with Tomie's younger sister, Tsukiko. For that role, Edward had picked a relatively ordinary-looking but charming young actress. After all, Tomie's beauty and charisma were overwhelming—no one could possibly outshine her on screen.
And indeed, when the two stood together, the difference was unmistakable.
"My goodness… this actress…"
Even the girl playing Tsukiko—a famous actress in the Pokémon League's entertainment industry, known for her delicate, refined looks found herself a little dazed upon seeing Tomie in person.
"Tomie," Edward called.
Tomie blinked and withdrew her charm slightly. The dazed staff members, their faces flushed, hurriedly went back to moving equipment.
"Boss, Miss Tomie's so beautiful… can you even keep your composure?" Zoroark asked teasingly.
Edward's mouth twitched. "Of course I can."
He could easily remain composed because he knew exactly what Tomie was. She wasn't human. She was something that merely looked human—a monster in disguise.
Still, when he saw the poor makeup artist nearly faint from Tomie's gaze alone, Edward could only sigh.
Her allure was far too overwhelming.
"Oh well… maybe this isn't a bad thing," Edward thought. "It might even make the cast perform better."
After all, most of the other roles were side characters who were supposed to act entranced by Tomie anyway.
And so, under Edward's direction, the first scene began.
In it, Tsukiko carried a camera while walking home from school with a friend. She seemed preoccupied, until she suddenly spotted her sister Tomie chatting happily with the upperclassman she secretly liked.
Jealousy flickered across Tsukiko's face.
Tomie approached her with a bright smile.
"Cut!" Edward sighed helplessly. The actress playing Tsukiko bowed her head in embarrassment. She had completely blanked out when Tomie ran toward her smiling—the lines had simply vanished from her mind.
Tomie whistled innocently and restrained her charm once more. Only then could filming continue.
In the scene, Tomie asked her sister to take a photo of her. They were standing near a construction site, and Tsukiko obediently lifted her phone to take the picture—though resentment simmered quietly in her heart.
Just then, a steel pipe from above broke loose. Tsukiko's eyes widened, and she shouted in panic.
Tomie looked up—but it was too late.
The pipe pierced straight through her shoulder, blood splattering as Tsukiko dropped the camera, capturing the exact moment of Tomie's death.
"You sure you want to do this for real?" Edward asked. The scene was simple enough, but Tomie had insisted on actually letting the pipe go through her.
"Mhm~ It's been such a long time since I've felt that sensation," she said with a cheerful smile.
Edward could only shake his head and sigh.
"Fine," he muttered. "We'll just say it's special effects later."
(End of Chapter)