Pokemon: Lord of Fear

Edward froze for a moment as he watched the suddenly laid-back Zoroark.

Well, now.

Who would have thought that you, a sharp-eyed and bushy-tailed Zoroark, would turn out to be a hardcore gaming otaku?

This realization left Edward rather surprised.

But seeing this side of Zoroark, Edward couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie.

Back in the day, he had been the same—playing games, wishing fervently for a character, washing his hands and face, and even playing a good-luck song, all for the slim chance of pulling the featured character from his limited resources. Meanwhile, he envied the whales who could casually flex their financial might to get their desired characters.

For a moment, Edward felt like he was looking at a younger version of himself.

"How about you give it a shot first?" Edward couldn't help but ask. Alakazam behind him widened its eyes in astonishment, while Zoroark swiftly pulled out a contract and stamped it with a paw print.

"Boss~ Please take care of me!" Zoroark grinned gleefully, leaving Edward's mouth twitching.

Why did it feel like he'd just hired the most troublesome secretary ever?

Oh well. If Zoroark turned out to be unsuited for the job, Edward figured he could always transfer it to the company's talent agency and make it an actor. After all, he initially thought Zoroark had great potential as an actor—the illusion ability was just too powerful.

Edward recalled a movie from his past life, Master of Illusions, which featured Zoroark. The Zoroark in the movie was incredibly strong, even capable of mimicking legendary Pokémon like Suicune, Entei, and Raikou. Though these three had become less prominent with the introduction of later legendaries in the games, their status in the animated series still held up.

[Suicune: Laughing-My-Tail-Off.jpg]

Now, every time he thought of Suicune, all he could see was that meme face. If he ever met Suicune in the future, he doubted he'd be able to keep a straight face.

"Boss, can I get an advance on one month's salary?" Zoroark had now transformed into a middle-aged man in a suit, looking mature and dependable—but its cheeky grin ruined any semblance of seriousness.

"Sure, but if you do, even if you're dissatisfied, you'll have to work for a full month before quitting," Edward said, glancing at Zoroark. Based on their contract, Zoroark's salary was 15k per month, meaning it wanted an advance of 15,000.

Edward didn't mind, as he had already given out bonuses far exceeding that amount.

"No problem! I'm a stickler for contracts. If I break the rules, may I be cursed to always hit pity rates on pulls and have my games crash every time I play!" Zoroark thumped its chest confidently.

"Let's not go that far," Edward waved his hand quickly. For a gaming otaku, that curse was way too harsh.

After leaving the Pokémon Talent Market Management Office, Edward explained Zoroark's workplace and working hours. Then, he sent Zoroark ahead to familiarize itself with the job while he and the old butler returned home.

Edward planned to check the cameras he'd set up earlier to see if they had captured anything.

After all, the Fear Candies had been stolen twice, causing him to lose quite a bit of fear energy. If this problem wasn't resolved, it would be a real headache.

Rushing back to his bedroom with Q in his arms, Edward saw the empty desk where the candies once sat.

"Just as I thought," Edward muttered. Whoever was stealing the candies was getting bold, taking them so brazenly.

Edward found the camera he had set up and connected it to his computer. He accessed the stored footage, thankful he'd invested in a camera with automatic storage features—it was pricier but more reliable.

Soon, he saw himself on the screen. After he left the room, the footage showed the house falling into silence. If it weren't for the changing timestamp on the video, Edward would've thought it had frozen.

Edward patiently watched the recording. Over an hour later, he finally noticed something odd.

The camera glitched briefly, and in that split second, the candies vanished.

"?" Edward raised a questioning eyebrow. What was going on here?

He rewound the footage and slowed it down.

But even then, all he saw was a half-second glitch before the candies disappeared.

"Can't catch anything this way. I can't just sit here and watch the whole time, either. And even if I did, I doubt I'd be able to spot anything." Edward felt frustrated and skipped through the rest of the footage.

After all, the candies were already gone.

"Q, when I gave you those candies before, did you sense any of your kind nearby?" Edward asked while holding Q, though he didn't have much hope.

After all, even the alpha Gengar hadn't detected anything unusual. How could Q?

Sure enough, Q shook its head.

"Ugh, who could it be?" Edward sighed and moved to delete the video.

But just as he was about to click delete, he noticed something change on the screen.

The footage suddenly went dark, and a pair of crimson eyes appeared, glinting with golden highlights above them. Edward could sense a mischievous gleam in those eyes. Then, just as abruptly, the footage returned to the view of his bedroom.

The rest of the video showed no further changes until Edward returned to the room with Q and picked up the camera.

"Giratina?" Edward's pupils dilated slightly. Although the footage had switched back quickly, he caught a glimpse of the Pokémon's distinctive figure.

That massive frame and unmistakable silhouette left no doubt about its identity.

"Giratina, a Ghost-Dragon-type Pokémon… Wait, are these candies actually bait for ghosts?" Edward suddenly had an epiphany.

No wonder Gengar hadn't sensed anything—this culprit's strength was way off the charts.

It was Giratina, after all!

"So… is this a good thing or a bad thing?" Edward chuckled helplessly. Who would've thought even Giratina would be drawn to these candies? This was just…