"You read my script?" That was Edward's first reaction when he heard Gengar quoting lines from his screenplay. Otherwise, there was no way Gengar could have repeated the dialogue from his script so accurately.
"Yeah, I saw your Hannibal script while I was waiting for my scene." Gengar replied with excitement. Edward's lips twitched slightly. No wonder Gengar had been acting so strangely—so it was because he had gotten his hands on the script.
Edward had already drafted the script for Hannibal, but it was only the initial version—the one that stuck closer to the original story. Why "closer" and not exact?
Because Edward didn't have a perfect memory of the entire plot, and he didn't have a full copy of the original screenplay to reference.
So, he had to rely on his own memory and creative reconstruction. Along the way, he had also made some changes.
However, the current version of the script wasn't the final one. Eventually, it would need to be revised and localized to better fit the world of Pokémon. For example, if a Farfetch'd were to play the lead, many parts of the script would need to be modified—after all, a Farfetch'd doesn't speak human language, which would make things quite troublesome.
While the script was undeniably a good one, modifying it to suit the Pokémon world would be an extremely tedious and complicated task.
"So… Mr. Gengar, don't tell me you actually want to star in the film?" Edward looked at the Gengar in front of him with a strange expression. Gengar hadn't said it outright, but his demeanor made his intentions clear—he was very interested in the Hannibal script.
"Yes! I'll do it even without pay!" Gengar rubbed his hands together eagerly.
Edward hesitated for a moment. His original plan had been to cast a Farfetch'd, primarily because it was a Pokémon that had been hunted to near extinction for food—a symbolic parallel with the themes in Hannibal.
But considering Hannibal's elegance and iconic lines from the original work, it would be quite difficult for a Farfetch'd to pull off the role unless Edward added a backstory where the Pokémon could speak. That could solve part of the issue.
Zoroark, who was standing nearby, glanced at Gengar. And to be honest, with Gengar's current look and demeanor, it really did give off the vibe of a "refined villain."
"Let me finish revising the script first, then we'll talk about it." Edward decided to give it some thought. Gengar's willingness to take the role for free was a surprise, but then again, Hannibal was an outstanding piece of work. Great actors often gravitate towards great roles, and Hannibal—being the absolute centerpiece of the film—was the ultimate test of an actor's skill.
Gengar happily agreed, and as Edward watched the ghost-type Pokémon's gleeful expression, he couldn't help but feel a little conflicted. Gengar was genuinely excited. If he ended up not getting the role in the end, he might be really disappointed. Well, worst-case scenario, he could always let Gengar play a different role in the movie.
"Get the editing team to cut the short film as soon as possible, and then bring it to Mr. Yaping tomorrow," Edward instructed Zoroark while watching the crew putting away props and extinguishing the campfire. Zoroark nodded and wrote down the note in his notebook.
As they were preparing to leave Petalburg Woods, Edward noticed something odd—there was now a strange-looking tree near the entrance of the forest. Or rather, a completely normal tree had somehow assumed a full-split position, its "legs" unnaturally spread apart. Edward blinked a few times. Though the cat wasn't around, he had a feeling… No, it wasn't Tom this time—it was another impersonator.
"No wonder the League wants to call a meeting. Still, seeing things like this with my own eyes… it's kind of hilarious," Edward muttered as he rubbed his face. A perfectly fine tree had turned into this bizarre shape—anyone who saw it would find it hard not to laugh. He walked over and inspected the tree. It was still alive and not dead.
In fact, it wouldn't wither in the future either. The ecosystem in the Pokémon world was remarkably resilient.
But from the perspective of the Pokémon League, it was understandable that they would want to crack down on this sort of behavior. Edward figured he'd need to drop by the company tomorrow to find Ada and check if the new short film had already started production. If it hadn't, he had a simple script ready to go.
This new script was about Tom going to heaven in a dream, only to be stopped at the gates. The ticket clerk tells him he needs Jerry's signature of forgiveness to be allowed entry. Essentially, the whole story could be interpreted as a dream sequence. More importantly, there were no easily imitable elements for Pokémon to mimic.
Plus, the story had an underlying message about doing good deeds, which aligned with the values the League was trying to promote.
Yes, Edward decided—that would be their next project.
The next morning, when Edward arrived at the company, he was yawning sleepily. But the moment he walked in, he saw a Persian eating Pokémon-brand food. Beside him squatted a small Rattata, also munching on the same kibble. Standing nearby was Ada.
Ada looked visibly anxious, biting his lip and fidgeting with his hands. It was clear he had something on his mind. Edward raised an eyebrow. These two Pokémon must be the actors for the Pokémon version of Tom and Jerry.
"Ada, what brings you here?" Edward asked with a smile. The explosion in popularity of Persian and Rattata had made its production team the busiest within the company. They were constantly attending promotional events, and a variety of endorsements were pouring in—most notably from Pokémon food brands. There were also offers from parachute manufacturers and even underwear companies.
Edward had no idea what these brands were thinking. Was the underwear company trying to imply that the pants Tom used to do splits on trees were made by them?
Despite all the sponsorship offers, Edward hadn't agreed to any of them yet. He wanted to take more time to evaluate. These days, endorsements could backfire dramatically. A sudden scandal could completely destroy the image of the spokesperson.
"Boss, I came to ask if there's a script for the next episode," Ada quickly stepped forward. He was still wearing his signature Pokémon-themed clothes. Clearly, despite his newfound wealth, he remained a die-hard Pokémon fan at heart.
"There is. Come by my office later and pick it up." Edward was quite invested in this particular script. Originally, he had just tossed it out there to test the waters, thinking it was a minor gamble. But who would have thought it would become the company's most promising IP?
It just goes to show: even in another world, the charm of Tom and Jerry remained timeless and dazzling.
Once the Persian and Rattata IP was fully established, Ghost Films Pictures would be rolling in money. Just look at the Game Freak company in Edward's previous life—they made a fortune off Pokémon and still had laughably poor technical quality. Edward honestly had no idea where all that money had gone.
"Got it!" Ada responded cheerfully.
Edward nodded. He glanced at the two Pokémon behind Ada. These two little guys had skyrocketed in fame practically overnight. It looked like…
"Miss Sara, could you come to Ghost Films Pictures for a bit? I have a labor contract that I need your legal opinion on." In his office, Edward took out his phone and made a call. He wanted to get ahead of any potential issues—after all, those who fail to plan ahead are bound to suffer later.
He had no intention of seeing the inside of a courtroom in the future.
(End of Chapter)