[Hoenn Horror Movie Lovers Exchange Group Chat]
[Daily Chill for Health and Happiness]: To be honest, I feel like Director Edward is a little mysterious. Sometimes I even suspect that he's actually a Legendary Pokémon who transformed into a human!
[Rainbow Spotlight Ball]: Huh? Why? Isn't Edward the heir to the Devon Corporation? How could he possibly be a Legendary?
When Edward glanced at the messages on his phone, he nearly spit out his tea. His expression went stiff—what on earth? Since when had he become a Legendary Pokémon disguised as a human? That was way too far-fetched!
[Presenting Horror Movies to the World]: What makes you say that?
[Good Luck, Not Misfortune]: Don't tell me our "Chill Sis" tracked down Edward in real life, forced an idol-drama-style encounter, and now knows his "true identity"?
Edward was honestly curious.
This user, Daily Chill for Health and Happiness, was one of the veteran "troll kings" in the group. Though she always claimed to be a beautiful girl, nobody was entirely convinced. Based on years of internet experience, the members knew that the ones who cursed like sailors and cracked endless dirty jokes were usually women.
Still, since no one had ever organized a real-life meetup, her gender had become something like Schrödinger's cat—simultaneously a girl and not a girl. Some believed she was a cute girl, others were sure she was a crude, unkempt guy who scratched his feet while typing.
Because this "Daily Chill" posted the occasional photo that seemed to prove she really was a girl, the group remained divided. The hottest ongoing debate was whether she was truly a girl or not. As for Edward, he leaned toward believing she was indeed a girl.
[Daily Chill for Health and Happiness]: You guys have all seen Buried, right? After watching it, I swear I felt like I was literally buried alive! And I noticed something really strange!
[Pure Love Warrior, Sheer Minotaur]: Of course we've seen it. It's the hottest film out there right now.
[Cowardly Newbie]: What's the strange thing? Though yeah, Buried was fantastic.
Edward scratched his head. What could they have noticed? Could it be the effect of his Master-Level Cinematography? He had drawn that skill, yes—but truthfully, he hadn't watched his own films much afterward. He was too busy working on new projects.
He had checked Dead Silence and One Missed Call for safety, but hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. They were films like any other.
[Daily Chill for Health and Happiness]: I went for a second viewing today. This time, I swear, while watching the movie I felt like I was actually inside it!
[Buried Alive Was Just Too Good]: Same! I noticed it too. I watch Buried every single day, just to experience what it's like to be buried alive. But today, the feeling was especially strong.
[Knocked Out by the Dam Scene, River Boy]: You're insane, bro. I'm starting to think you've got a very… questionable fetish.
Edward choked violently on his tea.
So that was it? The strange sense of immersion his viewers had been reporting was real. Though frankly, the way his group members were obsessing over the sensation was just… twisted. He hadn't thought people would seek out his movies for that! Truly, their tastes were bizarre.
But what worried him more was the filmmaking itself. His movies now seemed to give people such an intense sense of immersion that they actually felt dragged into the screen. Was this the side effect of his Master-Level Skill? Complete sensory immersion, coupled with his other talents? That would explain it.
"Wait… hold on. If this keeps up, aren't I going to get dragged away for government research?" Edward's stomach twisted. From the moment he saw that "Master-Level Skill" was designed to make films feel real, he had sensed trouble.
He hadn't expected it to literally suck people into the movie world!
[Daily Chill for Health and Happiness]: Don't dismiss it so fast! Go check online—starting today, tons of moviegoers have reported the same thing. They all say the feeling disappears once the film ends, but during it, it's like they're really there. Super strange.
[Minotaur Counterattacks Pure Love Warrior]: I just searched. It's true. Lots of people even went back for repeat viewings, just to re-experience being buried alive!
As the group chat veered into the absurd, Edward quietly closed the app and opened a browser.
Sure enough, trending online was a wave of discussions about Buried. Viewers reported that while watching, they felt completely transported into the protagonist's shoes, actually buried in the coffin.
The forums were flooded.
Edward's eyelid twitched. He suddenly had a very bad feeling. If just a few experts had noticed something strange, he could've brushed it off. But now that a majority of the audience was reporting this same experience, there was no hiding it.
And of course, the Pokémon League wasn't blind. They'd notice. His scalp prickled. There was no way they'd ignore something this serious. He could already picture being "invited for tea."
And what would he even say if they asked? "Oh, by the way, I have superpowers that make my films real"? Impossible!
Sure enough, just then, his phone rang.
He rubbed his face, sighed—what was meant to come had come—and picked up.
Filming for Alien was suspended as he followed League staff into a familiar conference room.
The faces were mostly the same. Only this time, neither his father nor Steven Stone were present. They were off somewhere in the depths of a cave, digging rocks, as usual. Edward smiled wryly. Their personalities were just like that.
"Director Edward," said the Hoenn League Chairwoman, looking weary, "why does your film Buried cause every viewer to experience such abnormal reactions?"
It wasn't quite an interrogation, but the weight of the question pressed heavily.
The Hoenn League Chairwoman herself looked helpless. She really didn't want to see Edward so often, but his "talent for troublemaking" was far too strong. She had lost count of how many times he had caused an uproar.
"I don't know. I was just filming normally," Edward answered with a wry smile. He hadn't thought the skill would be this powerful—powerful enough to affect movies that were already in theaters. He'd assumed it would only take effect for future films like Alien.
"Mr. Stone," another official interjected, handing him a dossier, "but today, every single person who watched your movie reported the same thing—that they felt drawn into the film itself."
Edward leafed through it. Of course he knew. But what could he say? He had no explanation.
"Do you honestly think I have the power to make that happen?" he asked, shrugging.
The room fell into silence.
Because deep down, they all knew—if he truly had such a godlike ability, he wouldn't waste his time making horror films. He could easily dominate the entire world.
Still, if his future films continued causing this phenomenon, the League would be forced to restrict him. Maybe even ban him from filmmaking altogether.
He needed a solution. But how?
Unless… unless they believed it was the work of some new technology. Something manmade. Something patentable.
Right then, the system prompt flashed before his eyes:
[Would you like to advance-draw a reward by spending 20,000 Fear Points?]
Edward blinked. Advance-draw? That was possible?
Without hesitation, he accepted. If the system had caused this mess, let the system fix it.
[Congratulations. You have obtained: Super Immersive Film Projection Device – Registered Patent.]
[Description: A unique patent for an invention that enhances viewer immersion during film screenings.]
In an instant, his mind was flooded with memories—schematics, experiments, a completed patent submission. He now "remembered" inventing a machine that heightened immersion, and conveniently, the patent had just been officially approved today.
Edward exhaled. That would work. The Pokémon world was full of bizarre inventions anyway. A patent like this was plausible.
"Fortunately… I thought I'd get thrown into some parallel universe where films naturally had that effect. But this solution makes sense." He smiled faintly, relieved.
"I believe my newly registered patent can explain the phenomenon," Edward said confidently.
The staff hurried to verify. When the League officials saw the official patent documents, their shoulders relaxed.
People fear the unknown most. As long as there was an explanation, however strange, they could accept it.
One by one, the atmosphere eased. Leaders even started praising Edward—calling him a talent, a blessing to the League. He could only smile bitterly. Just moments ago, they'd been ready to grill him.
After being reminded to "keep making good films" and "contribute to the League," Edward was finally dismissed.
Outside, under the bright sunlight, he stretched and breathed deep. The crisis was over. For now.
Still, new problems loomed. If the patent was real, other film companies would covet it. Was it universally applicable, or could only he use it? That remained to be seen.
If it was universal, he'd face endless harassment from competitors. After all, the technology marked the death knell of traditional cinema. Who would choose an ordinary film when they could watch one that made them feel inside it?
"One problem solved, another waiting right behind it…" Edward shook his head, quickened his pace toward the set, and pulled out his phone.
He needed to test the scope of this "new invention."
(End of Chapter)