The result turned out to be unexpectedly good. That actor who had been playing the role of the clone before—this time, his performance was truly outstanding. After reading the script, he locked himself away for several days, not seeing anyone. When he finally emerged, both Roda and even Edward, after seeing his acting clips, immediately decided that he was the only one fit to play the Joker.
He was that insane—so deranged that you could almost feel as if, at any moment, he might pull out a knife and stab you.
With the casting problem for Batman: The Dark Knight finally solved, the production of the film entered full swing. The budget for this movie was enormous, mainly because it required a great deal of high-tech sequences. All of those needed to be properly incorporated.
And of course, Batman's luxury vehicles had to be specially customized—especially his Batmobile. As for the other sports cars that appeared in the movie, Edward paid for those himself. After all, if there was one thing his family didn't lack, it was sports cars.
Once he'd rented out some of his own cars, another of Edward's works, Inner Senses, reached its release date.
"Hello everyone—my friends on the tree and under the tree! I'm Tomato! Today I managed to grab tickets to the premiere of Inner Senses, and now—it's time for us to watch the movie!"
Inside the theater, Tomato sat comfortably in the VIP lounge, smiling brightly as he waved to the camera.
[Wait, Tomato actually went to see it himself?]
[I'm more curious about what kind of review he's going to give. But honestly, can he even understand a professional film like this?]
[Yeah, I think Tomato's only good at watching streamer-style entertainment flicks. For a movie with strong technical or professional elements, he's probably out of his depth.]
"But this time," Tomato said with a grin, "since this movie is about a psychiatrist and his patient, I've specially invited a friend to join me."
The camera panned to the side, revealing a refined and mild-mannered man. He smiled politely and waved to the viewers. His handsome face, mature demeanor, and elegant taste in clothing instantly made the chat explode with comments calling him "husband."
[Eh? Isn't that the director of the Department of Psychiatry at our city's No. 1 Hospital?]
[It really is! It's almost impossible to get an appointment with him!]
[Wow, Tomato really has connections.]
Many people in the chat recognized who this man was, while others, even if they didn't, could tell this guest was no ordinary person. With a real psychiatrist joining the stream, everyone became curious to see what kind of professional commentary would follow.
Although Tomato was an ordinary guy who knew nothing about psychology, his guest this time was a true expert in the field. That fact alone raised everyone's expectations.
Most professional films could easily fool ordinary viewers, but when experts in the actual profession watched them, they'd spot mistakes instantly. Sometimes, these films were so off the mark they made experts cringe—like when a doctor without the proper qualifications performed an emergency childbirth during an earthquake scene.
Or when a male lead focused only on looking cool, completely disregarding realistic behavior—making the audience's skin crawl.
"I may not know much about psychology," Tomato said enthusiastically, "but with my friend's help, I think we'll be able to analyze it properly. Everyone, this is an expert from the city hospital who specializes in mental health."
He introduced the man warmly—after all, not everyone watching would know who he was.
"So, Jack," Tomato asked curiously, "do you think psychology is an easy thing to film?"
Jack thought about it for a moment before replying calmly, "Actually, I think it's rather boring."
His answer shocked the viewers, and the chat instantly filled with a flood of bullet comments. But Tomato, noticing that Jack still had more to say, waited patiently.
"I said boring because, in real life, psychological treatment isn't as dramatic as people imagine. It's not like we can just swing a pocket watch and hypnotize someone on the spot. That's extremely difficult to do. Most of the time—" Jack began explaining his thoughts, and to everyone's surprise, many in the audience agreed.
Meanwhile, the movie began to play.
"Alright, brothers, see you after the movie!" Tomato said, switching off the livestream as he and Jack entered the cinema.
When the screening ended, he reopened his stream.
[He's back! Bro, it's so late and you're still streaming?]
[Wait—Tomato looks pale. What's with that face? Isn't this supposed to be a psychological drama?]
[Even Jack looks pale! Did something happen in there?]
"Jack…" Tomato began stiffly. "Setting aside Director Edward's usual ability to scare people, what did you think of the movie's, uh…" His voice faltered, growing increasingly tense and trembling.
The camera turned.
At the entrance of the theater stood a woman in white, her body twisted unnaturally as she slowly stood up.
"Ahhhh!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore through the livestream before the screen abruptly cut off. For a moment, everyone in the chat was left completely dumbfounded. Some even wondered if Tomato and Jack had actually died.
Fortunately, a while later, Tomato posted a photo. In it, he was making a peace sign beside a girl covering her face—also flashing a peace sign.
[Turns out it was a planned jump-scare! Thank you so much, Director Edward! You almost gave me a heart attack!]
The top comment beneath the post, pinned by Tomato himself, read:
[My friend Jack says this movie is extremely professional from a psychological standpoint.]
And thus, the question of Inner Senses' quality seemed to be settled—at least for the moment.
However, the film soon began attracting real attention from psychology professionals. Once they started watching, the tone of online film reviews began to change dramatically.
"Boss! A psychology professor just wrote a review about our movie!" Zoroark rushed in excitedly. Edward raised an eyebrow and took the article from him.
[Inner Senses: A New Interpretation of "Ghost Films" from a Psychological Perspective]
Hey there, movie lovers and psychology enthusiasts! Today, let's talk about Inner Senses, directed by Edward. From a psychological point of view, this film is truly something special.
Honestly, at first, I didn't expect much. Psychology is often misunderstood by the public, so I was worried the movie would only deepen those misconceptions (laughs).
To most people, Inner Senses might seem like a typical horror movie. But to those who understand psychology, it's practically a "treasure trove" of psychological concepts. It doesn't just use psychology as a gimmick—it genuinely explores it. The 'ghosts' in the movie aren't supernatural at all—they're manifestations of the characters' subconscious minds.
Take the protagonist, Cheung, for example. His hallucinations are the result of suppressed trauma—his guilt over his abandoned lover, his unresolved grief. These emotions act like buried explosives, surfacing as delusions—exactly what Freud described as "repressed unconscious emotions." Those unacknowledged feelings inevitably find strange ways to emerge.
Of course, my entire analysis assumes the movie operates on a psychological level. If actual evil spirits exist, well—that's outside psychology's jurisdiction.
As for the female lead, Ms. Chan, her strange behaviors and hallucinations stem from the trauma of her parents' divorce during childhood. Her loneliness and helplessness ferment within her subconscious, transforming into the terror of "seeing ghosts."
Notice also how Cheung's therapy sessions help Ms. Chan confront her inner pain—this mirrors the process of healing himself as well. It aligns with the concept of "trauma-focused therapy" in psychology: only by facing one's pain can one step out of the darkness.
This film is like a psychological journey disguised as a horror movie. It uses fear as a vessel for exploring the human mind. It tells us that so-called "ghosts" are often just parts of ourselves we're too afraid to face. So next time a horror movie scares you—remember, that 'ghost' might just be your own little inner demon at play!]
"This professor's writing style is… quite something," Edward remarked in surprise. He hadn't expected such an engaging, witty review. He had imagined a stern academic wearing glasses, but instead, the professor's tone was lively and humorous—making the whole thing rather fun to read.
"Yeah, he's actually pretty famous," Zoroark said with a grin. "He's even appeared on talk shows."
Edward glanced again at the photo of the professor—an older man, stylishly dressed, exuding confidence and charm. Combined with his status as a psychology professor, Edward couldn't help but wonder if the man also gave lessons on charisma.
"How's the box office for Inner Senses?" he asked.
"Opening day—20 million," Zoroark reported without hesitation. It was a solid number, and with these positive reviews, it was likely to rise further—especially since many psychology students were now interested.
"'Watch the movie, then write a paper about Inner Senses' might become their new assignment," Edward chuckled. Though he knew the movie's ceiling was limited—it wouldn't break records—it had still exceeded expectations.
His thoughts then drifted to another project he'd once considered—Dying to Survive. It was a powerful story, but adapting it to the Pokémon world would be difficult. Certain diseases and social circumstances simply didn't exist under the Pokémon League's system, making the film tricky to localize.
In other words, achieving another box office breakthrough would be very hard.
Edward had never cared much about revenue before—but now, he couldn't help but notice something. The highest-grossing movie in the history of Pokémon cinema was a League propaganda film, with a staggering seventy-two billion in box office sales.
No movie had yet surpassed one hundred billion. That seventy-two billion figure had become an almost insurmountable milestone.
"To beat that number, ticket prices would have to rise—and at the same time, you'd need enough people willing to go to the theater," Edward mused, scratching his head. He wanted to be the first to make a hundred-billion film, but the difficulty was immense.
In his past life, the highest-grossing movie he remembered was Avatar 2. Despite being criticized as a bad sequel, its success was carried by the legacy of the first film and high ticket pricing, leading to a staggering $2.1 billion—around 156 billion yuan.
An unbelievable number.
Now, Edward wanted to see if he could achieve something similar. If he succeeded, he would undoubtedly become an unshakable figure in the film industry.
He used to wonder why people cared so much about "being remembered in history." Now, he understood.
From ancient times to now, countless people have lived and died—but how many are truly remembered? To leave your name in history is one of humanity's greatest honors. After all, everyone dies eventually—but to be remembered, that is eternal.
"Still… it's tough." Edward sighed. Breaking the hundred-billion mark seemed almost impossible. Ticket prices had stabilized, and unless a truly groundbreaking film came along, there was no reason to raise them.
And not everyone even liked watching movies—that was just human nature.
Some people simply didn't enjoy the cinema, and no amount of marketing could change that. Expanding the audience base had become one of the film industry's biggest challenges. Most studios relied on pop idols to attract their fans—but Edward wanted something more meaningful.
"Boss," Zoroark said, breaking his thoughts, "Boss Gengar's still on filming site. Should we go check it out?"
Edward thought for a moment, then nodded. "Gengar, huh…"
He remembered Little Luna beside Gengar—the one starring in Carrie. He wanted to see how that project was coming along.
Some Pokémon were big celebrities too—Gardevoir, for instance, thanks to Diantha. Thinking of her, Edward suddenly had an idea. He took out his phone and sent Diantha a message. Her reply came almost instantly.
"Let's go," Edward said with a smile. "We'll pick her up first, then head to the set."
He hoped the little Luna would enjoy the surprise he had in store for her.
(End of Chapter)