"Boss, what are you doing?" Zoroark asked curiously as it saw Edward lying on a lounge chair reading a book.
"Reading. I'm planning to take the driver's license exam," Edward replied, giving Zoroark a puzzled look. He was holding a book—couldn't Zoroark figure that out from the title?
"You don't have a driver's license, Boss?" Zoroark was a bit surprised. It had never imagined that its boss didn't have a license. It was almost unbelievable—Edward probably owned more cars than the number of licenses he held.
Edward sighed helplessly. Getting a license… well, how should he put it? It's not that he hadn't tried before, but the problem was that the driver's license system in the Pokémon world differed slightly from the one in his previous life.
He remembered seeing a question in one of the official exam prep books:
[A Psyduck is crossing its arms in an "X" shape, and this image is printed on a road sign. What does this mean?]
A. Pokémon are not allowed in this area
B. Psyduck wants to sing "Dame Da Ne" to you
C. No parking in this area
D. A water route lies ahead—please confirm your vehicle is amphibious
Edward had thought about it for a long time and picked C.
Turned out, the correct answer was D. (Lmao)
He was completely baffled. Only after reading the explanation did he learn that this sign universally represented that meaning across the different Pokémon regions.
There was even a sign with an Exploud covering its mouth, which indicated no honking in the Pokémon world.
To pass the driving test in this world, you had to memorize a bunch of obscure signs—things you might never encounter in your entire driving life, but the test still expected you to know them.
To make matters worse, the driving knowledge from his previous life would occasionally pop up and conflict with the current rules, making things even more confusing. For Edward, getting a license was actually kind of a headache.
Previously, he just let the old butler or Zoroark do the driving. But now, while waiting for the Pokémon actors to arrive, dealing with rental properties, coordinating filming locations, and applying for shooting permits, Edward decided it was finally time to get that license.
"Well, here's a question for you then, Boss," Zoroark said, its eyes lighting up mischievously as it leaned in with a whiff of fragrant air—it was wearing a rather niche perfume, the scent of osmanthus.
"What question?" Edward glanced at it. It wore perfume? Then again, given Zoroark's perfectionist approach to mimicry, it wasn't all that surprising.
"When you want to park, can you use a Pokémon to help move the car?" Zoroark asked with a sly smile.
Edward paused. That was actually something he hadn't thought of.
Using Pokémon to move cars wasn't unheard of in this world. You'd often see videos online of Machamps helping to lift and reposition vehicles into parking spots, or Psychic Pokémon using telekinesis to nudge cars around.
"…Yes?" Edward tried to answer.
"Nope. Strictly speaking, it's not allowed," Zoroark corrected smugly, wagging its finger. "It's officially prohibited, but since it's convenient and hasn't led to any abuse of Pokémon, the League tends to turn a blind eye. But on the written test, you have to say it's not allowed."
Edward raised an eyebrow. How interesting.
Zoroark really was an exam monster—it even had a driver's license.
"By the way, Zoroark, how did you manage to earn so many certifications?" Edward asked curiously. Zoroark's expression instantly faltered for a moment.
Edward genuinely wanted to know. Zoroark held an impressive number of qualifications—among them was a League Certified Public Accountant license, which was the highest-level credential for accountants in the League. Even some humans struggled to pass it.
Yet Zoroark had studied so many fields and passed so many exams. It was kind of amazing.
If this weren't the Pokémon world, Edward would have suspected it knew how to use Shadow Clone Jutsu to study everything simultaneously.
"Ahahaha~ That's because I'm a genius!" Zoroark laughed loudly. "Exams are easy for me. Actually, I'm currently studying for the postnatal care certificate for Tauros."
Edward rolled his eyes. Clearly, Zoroark didn't want to tell the truth.
Genius, yeah right.
Even the obsessive Indeedee in the Pokémon Talent Market didn't have this many certifications. Typical Alakazam didn't either.
Edward always felt Zoroark was hiding something, but he didn't bother to dig. Probing into other people's secrets and exposing them for no reason wasn't a good habit.
Seeing that Edward didn't push further, Zoroark relaxed a little. It sat nearby, took a sip of water, and calmed its nerves.
It had been smooth sailing for too long—it nearly blew its cover. But watching Edward go back to studying for the license exam, Zoroark felt conflicted inside.
"Maybe next time…"
Zoroark still hadn't made up its mind.
…
By the third day, all the paperwork Edward needed had been processed, and now he also had a property deed in hand.
43 Greenleaf Street, Motostoke City—a small two-story apartment building. The scenery and architecture here resembled that of London, which was why Edward had chosen it as the filming location for the Sherlock Holmes drama.
However, dealing with the original landlord had been a hassle, and it would've been inconvenient to make modifications to a rental. So, Edward asked Zoroark to negotiate with the people on Greenleaf Street and ended up buying the whole apartment outright.
The previous owner left cheerfully, happily taking the above-market payment.
"Boss, about that castle you asked me to keep an eye out for—I found one. Are you interested in buying it?" Zoroark asked as it stood beside him.
When Edward had first requested a filming property, he had casually mentioned looking for an old castle too, and Zoroark hadn't disappointed.
"What's the price?" Edward asked, putting away the property deed.
The apartment would still need some renovations.
"It's not too expensive—3.75 million," Zoroark replied. "But due to needed repairs and renovations, the projected additional costs are 19 million. The yearly maintenance and upkeep would be around one million."
Edward seemed to consider the numbers.
Ever since he arrived in Motostoke City, one classic movie series had come to mind…
(End of Chapter)