"What? The whole splitting-trees incident is my fault?" Edward was utterly dumbfounded when he heard the news.
"Strictly speaking, the League Chairwoman believes that the videos you filmed of Persian and Rattata have had some influence on wild Pokémon," Steven said as he sat across from Edward. The two were currently having lunch—meals prepared by the family chef, which were delicious as always.
Edward froze mid-bite. He had already felt that something was off when Zoroark showed him those photos. Just by looking at those trees that had been split clean down the middle, he had a strange sense of déjà vu—like, even though the trees had clearly been split and there was no one else around, he just knew that a certain cat named Tom had been there.
However, Edward really hadn't expected the situation to escalate to the point where it had reached the ears of the Hoenn League Chairwoman. And while it was just the Chairwoman of the Hoenn region, that was still an extremely high-ranking figure—someone on par with Chairwoman Geeta of the Paldea region.
What surprised Edward the most, however, was that something he had originally created just to test the market, to please the audience, and to keep his horror series Lights Out airing—those goofy short films featuring Persian and Rattata—had now become a trend for wild Pokémon to imitate en masse.
"Wait... how many Pokémon are mimicking it now?" Edward couldn't help but ask. He hadn't paid too much attention to this issue before. After all, when he had originally produced the shorts, his main goal had been to introduce a reimagined version of the classic Tom and Jerry to this world. He hadn't really considered the consequences at all.
"A lot. Lately, there have been tons of split trees showing up all over the forests in the Hoenn region. And more and more Pokémon are starting to mimic the behavior. Someone even reported seeing a Machamp trying to do the crotch-split move on a tree," Steven said, chuckling as he remembered the footage. Edward twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Okay... that was definitely on him.
Pokémon were very special creatures. Even though their original name in Edward's previous world had been "Pocket Monsters" or "Pet Monsters," in reality, Pokémon were far more intelligent than ordinary pets.
Even Bug-type Pokémon, typically seen as simple-minded, were not actually that dumb. According to Professor Birch's research, even the Pokémon with the lowest intelligence usually had the equivalent cognitive development of a three- or four-year-old human child.
Of course, exceptions like Slowpoke didn't count.
Some of the more intelligent Pokémon were even smarter than humans. Psychic-type Pokémon, for example, were known for their exceptional intelligence. In fact, their company's research division included several Alakazam working on scientific studies. That alone spoke volumes about how intellectually capable some Pokémon could be.
In the past, wild Pokémon didn't really have any forms of entertainment. Their days were filled with survival struggles, attempts to evolve, and evading capture by Trainers. But now, Edward had introduced short films into their world.
To wild Pokémon, these moving images were a completely novel source of entertainment—something that acted like an interactive toy. Especially when the short films featured familiar Pokémon species like Rattata, which could be found almost everywhere in the wild.
For wild Pokémon, these short films were a rare form of excitement in their otherwise monotonous lives. When people go camping for long periods of time, they start to crave books, games, or other amusements. Wild Pokémon, however, never had any of those to begin with. So the content Edward created quickly became a powerful form of attraction.
"Bro, do you think... these wild Pokémon might develop a kind of dependency on the films?" Edward mused aloud as he absentmindedly poked at a piece of meat in his bowl. He always needed to keep his hands moving when he was deep in thought.
Steven wasn't surprised by this quirk anymore.
"Dependency? Edward, are you..." Steven paused mid-sentence and gave his brother a strange look. "You're not seriously thinking..."
"From a biological perspective," Edward continued, not noticing his brother's odd expression, "the more advanced a creature is, the greater its need for spiritual or psychological satisfaction."
Biology was truly fascinating. Creatures like cockroaches simply went through life following instinct—eating, breeding, and surviving, with no time or need for things like entertainment. But the more intelligent a creature was, the more it would crave emotional or mental stimulation.
In simpler terms, such creatures would develop social tendencies and enjoy doing things unrelated to basic survival—like engaging in recreational activities. A prime example of this in his previous world was the ocean's infamous "gangsters," the orcas.
Orcas were extremely intelligent, vengeful, capable of complex communication, and known for their elaborate forms of play. Sometimes they'd sneak up beneath a stingray just to slap it unconscious with their tails—not for hunting, but just for fun.
They'd even work together to ambush whaling ships, and their methods of entertainment were wildly creative.
So, here's the thing.
Pokémon—creatures with intelligence on par with or even exceeding that of orcas—naturally possessed the same, if not stronger, needs for mental stimulation. In the past, maybe they satisfied that need with simple pranks or dominance games in the wild. But now, Edward had given them short films.
"Bro, do you think the other regional Pokémon Leagues might start importing these films on purpose once they hear about this?" Edward's eyes lit up. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it sounded.
The Pokémon League's overarching attitude toward Pokémon had always been centered around peaceful coexistence and strong protective efforts. If Edward could enlist a few Pokémon Professors to study the issue, publish some findings, and make it onto the news—saying that Pokémon also required psychological and emotional fulfillment—then there was a solid chance that the League might actually start distributing his shorts across other regions.
"It's definitely possible. But if something goes wrong because of them, you'll be held accountable," Steven replied after some careful thought. He had finally understood what his brother was getting at.
Edward nodded. He had thought about that too. It was indeed a complicated issue. Some segments in Tom and Jerry could be downright dangerous in the real world—like Tom getting hit by a train. If a Pokémon tried to mimic that scene and got run over, the blame would fall squarely on Edward.
And Pokémon couldn't read. Well, except for certain Psychic-types, most Pokémon were completely illiterate. So even if Edward plastered warnings across the screen—"Do Not Try This at Home"—it would be completely useless.
Unless he took steps to review and edit the content—cutting out parts that might lead to real-world accidents. But doing that somehow felt a little... unnatural to him.
"If you're seriously interested in pursuing this, maybe talk to Ms. Sara from the company's legal department," Steven suggested after some thought. "She might be able to give you some ideas. Leave professional matters to the professionals."
(End of Chapter)