When Edward found Gengar, the latter was currently resting together with Little Luna. After all, it was lunchtime, and even Pokémon like Gengar and Little Luna needed their share of rest and food.
"Uh… Boss Gengar, your current appearance looks… a little strange." Edward stared at Gengar with a somewhat odd expression. The Pokémon had transformed into a bald, muscular man—though no one knew exactly how it managed that. Whatever method it used, the result looked rather weird… almost like one of those over-the-top avatars you'd get as a free bonus in some mobile game that boasts "Log in now and get 100 draws!"
"Really? I think it looks pretty good. Has a lot of intimidation, don't you think?" Gengar tilted its head curiously, glancing down at its own clothes before waving dismissively. It clearly didn't care much about appearances. If not for Little Luna's desire to try acting, Gengar wouldn't even have come here. To Gengar, humans were dull, uninteresting creatures—Edward being the sole exception.
Edward rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, saying nothing. A big, burly dark-skinned man paired with a cute little Pokémon like Little Luna—honestly, this kind of combination usually only showed up in… certain types of fanbooks. If this were happening in America, Gengar would probably have already been emptied of a full magazine's worth of bullets. The whole thing gave off strong "creepy uncle" vibes.
"So, how's the filming going? What's the progress?" Edward casually sat down nearby. Zoroark soon entered the room, carrying two lunch boxes. When he saw Gengar and Little Luna, he smiled and greeted them warmly.
"Not bad at all. Little Luna's acting skills are actually pretty impressive," Gengar said, a hint of pride in his tone. Little Luna shyly ducked her head. Seeing this, Edward smiled, then pulled out his phone, checked something briefly, and walked outside. Gengar found this odd but didn't question it.
A short while later, Edward returned—this time accompanied by a woman. Floating at her side was a Pokémon: a Gardevoir. The moment Gardevoir's eyes landed on Gengar, her expression grew serious. Meanwhile, Little Luna began trembling with excitement the instant she noticed Gardevoir's presence.
"Edward, didn't you say you wanted me to audition for a new film project?" Diantha asked curiously, glancing at the odd mix of people and Pokémon in the room. If Edward hadn't been there, she might've thought she'd stumbled into some sort of bizarre prank.
"Yeah," Edward replied with a chuckle, "but I also wanted to introduce you to someone. This little one here is a huge fan of your Gardevoir."
Indeed, inviting Diantha over wasn't only for business—Edward had a script in mind that he wanted to discuss with her. But it was also a small opportunity for Little Luna to meet her idol and fulfill a dream.
Diantha glanced at the visibly thrilled Ralts and immediately understood—so this was the little fan. Since the admirer's true interest was her Gardevoir, she decided to let Gardevoir handle the interaction. Her own gaze, however, drifted toward Gengar. Although the Pokémon currently resembled a human, Diantha could clearly sense the unmistakable aura of a powerful Pokémon emanating from it.
"And this is…?" Diantha asked, intrigued. She'd never seen such an unusual cast of characters before. Usually, Pokémon actors appeared together with their trainers for auditions and filming. A setup like this—Pokémon seemingly acting independently—was highly unusual.
"This is Boss Gengar," Edward explained. "He's the Apex Pokémon of the Petalburg Forest."
Diantha's eyes widened slightly. Gengar shifted uneasily but still offered her a polite greeting. She nodded in return, genuinely surprised. An ApexPokémon? Those weren't just any creatures—their strength was formidable, and the authority they commanded in their territory was immense. Judging by his aura, this one was undoubtedly among the strongest of his kind.
"So, Edward," Diantha said with curiosity, "what's this movie you mentioned?"
For most champions, convincing them to leave their home region with just a few words would be nearly impossible—but Diantha was an exception. She truly loved acting. Not only was she a top-tier Champion, but she was also a highly accomplished actress. To her, being both a Champion and an actress were equally serious professions.
From the way Diantha looked now, Edward suspected that she might one day even step down as Champion entirely. After all, filming movies as a public figure of her stature came with all kinds of restrictions.
"This movie, huh…" Edward paused thoughtfully. He had already decided on the next project: "Shutter."
"Shutter" was quite a special kind of movie—it even had multiple remakes. The original version had been brilliant, and the remake versions each had their own flavor, full of clever twists and unexpected turns. It was the sort of film that left a strong impression—fresh, bold, and memorable in its time.
"I'm planning to shoot a film called Shutter," Edward said. "There are two main female roles—one is the leading lady, the main character whose perspective carries the story, and the other is the female ghost."
He gave Diantha a brief overview of the roles but intentionally avoided spoiling too much of the plot. Shutter had a rather tricky storyline, and Edward was already planning some modifications. He'd need to be careful about certain themes and scenes—crossing the line too far could easily make the film unpublishable.
"I'll take the ghost," Diantha said suddenly, her eyes lighting up. "That role sounds much more interesting!"
Her enthusiasm caught Edward off guard. He had assumed she'd prefer to play the heroine—the main female role with the most screen time and story development. But to his surprise, Diantha chose the ghost instead. The original Shutter featured some difficult scenes for that role—like crawling upside down or contorting unnaturally. Though much of it could be achieved with special effects and editing, it was still a challenging performance.
And the makeup—well, the scarier, the better. The idea that Diantha was excited about it genuinely surprised him.
"Uh… Diantha, you do realize the ghost role involves some pretty tough scenes, right? You might have to crawl upside down on a ladder and such. You okay with that?" Edward asked carefully.
Diantha smiled confidently. "Of course. That's no problem at all. My Gardevoir can assist."
Her calm assurance made Edward pause—then it hit him. Right, this was the Pokémon world. Things weren't like his previous life.
In the human world, actors relied on stunt doubles and physical training to pull off difficult scenes. But here, with Pokémon's help, especially psychic-types—everything became much easier.
Crawling upside down? Not a problem when telekinesis could handle balance and blood flow. Even extended takes could be filmed safely and comfortably.
Little Luna blinked, amazed at how quickly a movie plan had come together. Everything seemed so magical and effortless!
Edward and Diantha soon scheduled a filming date. Her time was limited, and it wasn't always easy to align her schedule, so they had to plan carefully in advance.
After confirming the arrangements, Edward began drafting the script. He still remembered Shutter vividly—he had seen both the original and remake versions in his past life.
His strongest impressions?
First, the male protagonist was utterly useless. Watching him filled Edward with frustration—he couldn't sympathize with the man at all, only feel that his death couldn't come soon enough.
Second… neck pain. Just thinking about it made him shudder.
"Edward, could you tell me more about my character's background and story? I'd like to prepare properly," Diantha said earnestly.
Little Luna pricked up her ears too, curious to hear. Edward wasn't surprised. Many professional actors took their craft seriously—before filming, they would build an emotional map for their characters, develop backstories, and fully immerse themselves in the role.
Initially, Edward had thought of just using a spiritual manifestation for the ghost scenes—Diantha's acting wouldn't even matter much if the real ghost appeared. But seeing how serious she was, he decided against that shortcut.
"The ghost," Edward began, "was once the lover of the male lead. She truly loved him. But one day, the man's so-called friends set their eyes on her. They assaulted her. The male lead found her—but when faced with the situation and their threats, he didn't do anything. Instead, he picked up his camera… and took pictures."
Edward's voice trailed off. Even summarizing it made him uncomfortable.
The plot was grim.
He thought about it—different regions' horror films had their own unique flavors.
Western horror movies emphasized blood, gore, and deranged killers—often infused with religious or psychological horror. Japanese horror was about relentless dread—ghosts that couldn't be reasoned with, fated death no matter what, no logic, just pure fear.
Hong Kong, Thai, and Korean horror films, on the other hand, were rooted in karma and retribution—the sins of the past returning to haunt the present, an endless cycle of cause and effect.
And as for mainland horror movies… well, they were all "psychological illusions" or "hallucinations." Never actual ghosts.
Shutter originated from Thailand—it was a film about karma, about inevitable retribution.
"…Wait, what? There are men like that?" Diantha said in disbelief. The plot was outrageous. To stand by and do nothing while your lover was violated—and even take photos? No wonder the ghost's resentment was so strong. If she were that ghost, Diantha thought, she'd have killed the man herself.
"The world's full of strange people," Edward said with a shrug. "You'd be surprised. There are even weirder ones out there. But this guy—he's just cowardly. Pathetic."
"I see. Got it. I'll start writing down my notes," Diantha said after a moment of thought. She nodded, then stood to leave.
Meanwhile, Little Luna was whispering something telepathically to Gardevoir, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and admiration. Edward couldn't hear their psychic exchange, but he did notice Little Luna's expression turning into a mischievous 'I've learned something new!' look.
Gengar, however, looked deeply uncomfortable.
He had wanted to cover Little Luna's ears the moment Edward and Diantha began that disturbing discussion. But Edward had said it all with such straight-faced seriousness that Gengar could only sigh inwardly and let it pass.
As expected… this trainer really wasn't a very proper person.
That guy, Gengar thought to himself, really has something wrong with him.
(End of Chapter)