Edward sat on the chair outside the examination room, resting his chin on his hand in contemplation.
"Boss, do I need to get examined too?" Zoroark asked, its expression a little strange. It sat next to Edward and glanced at Q, who was nestled in Edward's arms.
"Mm, Q needs to be checked as well. After all, we're dealing with radioactive materials. It's always better to be cautious than sorry." Edward patted Q on the head gently.
Even though Nurse Joy had found that the coin was buried deep at the bottom of the treasure chest, Edward couldn't be certain if he had been affected in any way. So, getting a thorough checkup was naturally the most responsible thing to do. Q and Zoroark were both included in the screening—thankfully, the medical fees weren't expensive.
Right now, however, Edward was pondering over a more pressing matter.
Gimmighoul.
This peculiar kind of Pokémon came in two forms. According to research by Pokémon Professors, a Roaming Form Gimmighoul could have originally emerged from a chest, while conversely, a Roaming Form Gimmighoul that found a chest and entered it could transform into the Chest Form.
The way Gimmighoul is born is quite unusual. Sometimes, they spontaneously appear in treasure chests. Other times, they are said to be born from the fervent energy stored within the coins themselves.
Edward couldn't help but wonder.
If this particular Gimmighoul was indeed born from the radioactive coin, then what would happen in the future when it evolved? Would it retain or even amplify that radioactive nature when it became a Gholdengo?
"But I don't think any Pokémon Professor has ever brought up such a situation before…" Edward scratched his head.
The reason Gimmighoul requires 999 coins to evolve is well-known—it needs to use those coins to construct the body of Gholdengo and undergo evolution.
"Patient number 78, Mr. Stone, please proceed to the Radiology Specialist Clinic for your examination." Just as Edward was deep in thought, a broadcast announcement rang out. He put his thoughts aside temporarily and got up.
After Edward, Q, and Zoroark all finished their checkups, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Their health was perfectly fine.
"Boss, I already told you—radioactive materials, according to Pokémon researchers, don't affect Ghost-type Pokémon. Besides, that coin was buried at the bottom of the chest when we came in." Zoroark shrugged nonchalantly.
Edward neither agreed nor disagreed. Caution never hurt anyone.
"Mr. Edward, Gimmighoul has regained consciousness. Would you like to go see it?" Nurse Joy came over and asked. Edward hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and decided to go have a look.
The Gimmighoul had indeed awakened and was curiously looking around the room. The purple hue on its body had darkened slightly, giving it a more saturated tone.
However, when it spotted Edward, a flicker of fear appeared in its eyes.
Edward patted Q, then recalled it back into its Poké Ball. As Q disappeared, the Gimmighoul visibly relaxed.
"Boss, are you planning to capture it?" Zoroark stood off to the side, asking with curiosity in its tone.
"Mm, I've been thinking about it." Edward's eyes remained locked on the Gimmighoul in front of him. The Pokémon had turned toward its treasure chest and was about to climb back inside.
But just before it entered, it suddenly froze at the edge of the chest. Edward noticed it quickly grew anxious, as if looking for something important. It began pulling coins out of the chest one by one, searching frantically.
"...It must be looking for that radium nitride coin." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose.
It seemed this Gimmighoul had a much deeper connection to that radioactive coin than initially thought.
However, the Pokémon League would never allow a wild Pokémon to carry such a dangerous item around in Levincia City—a densely populated metropolis. That would be completely irresponsible, both to the citizens and to other Pokémon.
Looking at the Gimmighoul sitting there in dejection, Edward couldn't help but chuckle.
Right now, this little guy looked as forlorn as a dethroned Apex Gengar.
Edward rolled the Luxury Ball in his hand between his fingers, then stepped forward and pushed the door open.
"Mr. Edward, we've completed your registration." Very soon, Edward had updated his Pokémon Trainer profile at the Pokémon Center. His profile now displayed his name and a small, full-body photograph, along with the names of the Pokémon currently in his possession.
Q, and Gimmighoul.
"Boss, the way you capture Pokémon is truly eye-opening," Zoroark clapped its hands with exaggerated admiration, a mocking smile on its face.
Edward squinted at Zoroark. This damn thing was definitely being sarcastic, wasn't it?
"This little guy's luck..." Edward looked at the second Luxury Ball hanging from his waist, his expression turning a bit complicated.
He had envisioned many ways in which he might capture a Pokémon.
For example, there was the heartwarming approach: "Do you want to be my companion? Let's form a big happy Pokémon family. Everyone is family."
Or the enticement approach: "If you follow me, you'll have wealth, glory, and everything you could ever want."
And if all else failed, there was always the classic gamer approach: "I'll beat you half to death, then capture you. Refuse? Then I'll beat you half to death again."
Yet Edward never expected that the way he'd end up capturing Gimmighoul would be...
The moment he tried to speak, Q had taken the initiative, jumping out and using ghostly energy to suppress Gimmighoul, stuffing it forcibly into a Luxury Ball.
Whenever Edward recalled that scene, he couldn't help but feel that in the few years he'd been training Q, he had accidentally raised it into the boss of his entire Pokémon team.
But then again, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.
"Boss, should we start acquiring more Gimmighoul coins?" Zoroark grinned while asking, glancing at Q in Edward's arms as it did so.
Even though Q had just forcibly shoved Gimmighoul into a Poké Ball, at the moment it looked just like a normal, well-behaved Pokémon—cuddly, even.
"Yes, acquire all 999 coins," Edward answered without hesitation.
He intended to evolve Gimmighoul into Gholdengo straightaway. Though the process might cost a fair amount of money, Edward's own fortune was more than enough to cover it.
Of course, revenue from his movie ticket sales wouldn't be credited to the company account immediately. That would take some time to process.
Just as Zoroark was preparing to take action and begin organizing the coin collection effort, Edward's phone buzzed.
He picked it up, glanced at the screen, and his lips twitched involuntarily.
"Zoroark, never mind. We don't need to do that anymore," Edward waved his hand.
Zoroark turned around with a confused look. "Why not?"
"My brother already handled it," Edward said with a half-amused, half-exasperated expression. Steven was really keeping an eye on him. His Trainer information had barely been updated, and yet his brother had already prepared everything. The efficiency was kind of terrifying.
Zoroark smacked its lips. All it could say was—no surprise there. The Stone family was, after all, filthy rich beyond comprehension.
(End of Chapter)