The current business operations of Ghost Films Pictures were far from normal. Aside from the filming projects personally undertaken by Edward and Ada, most of the time the company's staff were left idle, with nothing much to do.
But for a properly functioning film studio, it would be unrealistic to expect that just one or two productions a year could support an entire company. That's why most film companies, during their downtime, would take on outsourced projects or assist in filming documentaries and other types of content to keep their operations running.
However, Ghost Films Pictures had no significant resources or experience in the field of documentary filming, and they couldn't really compete with other companies in this area. After all, Ghost Films Pictures had never ventured into this business before, so compared to those established, veteran companies, it naturally lagged behind.
So, Edward had been hesitating for a while, pondering what sort of projects he could introduce to keep his company busy and productive.
Filming a television series was a potential option, but the problem was that Edward hadn't finished adapting Hannibal yet. However, after his visit to the anime convention today, Edward had gained some new inspiration for a possible project.
In his opinion, producing a documentary-style show similar to Animal World might be an excellent choice. As for the shooting style, Edward intended to approach it using a classic documentary filming method. However, the issue of set design and the need for actors posed a challenge, especially since many of the animals from his previous world simply did not exist in this world. That meant they would need to rely heavily on special effects to replicate them, which would be quite a hassle.
"Wait a second—doesn't Zoroark have illusion abilities?" Edward suddenly recalled his secretary Pokémon.
Zoroark's illusion ability was incredibly strong, and its acting skills were top-notch as well. If Edward could draw the animal designs and show them to Zoroark, there was a real possibility that Zoroark could create vivid, realistic illusions of these animals. If that worked, they could save a huge amount on special effects costs—an extremely cost-effective solution.
Edward was quite tempted by this idea. He decided he would talk to Zoroark about it. If Zoroark was willing and capable, they could have it assist in the filming process. In return, Edward could offer it a separate salary as compensation for its contribution.
If Zoroark ultimately couldn't do it, Edward still had a backup plan. He could bring out Sherlock Holmes and produce it as a detective drama. That would also give the company staff something to work on. Furthermore, Sherlock Holmes wouldn't require any Pokémon elements at all—just professional actors would suffice.
Stories like A Study in Scarlet and Elementary would likely drive mystery and detective genre lovers in the Pokémon world absolutely wild.
But for now, all of this would have to wait until tomorrow when he could speak with Zoroark and confirm its ability and willingness to help. In the meantime, Edward decided to open his computer and try drawing some of the animals from his previous world.
For his Animal World-style documentary, Edward's first subject of focus was the Siberian tiger. After all, Siberian tigers typically lived alone in forested areas, which meant Zoroark wouldn't need to maintain multiple illusions at once—less pressure. Moreover, tigers were incredibly majestic creatures, making them perfect for grabbing an audience's attention.
Edward planned to shoot a documentary about the lifestyle and hunting behavior of a Siberian tiger. Naturally, he would also include scenes of social interaction and iconic moments such as spring mating season. As far as constructing the world's logic and ecosystem went, Edward had no worries at all—after all, he carried an entire real-world ecological framework in his mind.
"On second thought, maybe I should leave the drawing to a professional," Edward muttered to himself as he stared at the tiger sketch on his computer. The crude drawing resembled something a child would scribble with crayons. While he had received a traditional education from his strict father, managing a company was one thing—drawing was another story entirely.
This tiger… it looked bizarre and awkward, entirely failing to capture the majestic aura he was going for.
"Kyuu!" A soft tug on his clothes pulled Edward out of his thoughts. It was Q. Edward reached down and gave the small Pokémon a pat on the head before scooping it into his arms. But then he noticed something unusual—Q, who was usually calm and rather reserved, was now squirming in his arms, visibly agitated.
That's when Edward followed Q's gaze toward the window. And outside the window… floated a woman.
She had white hair, a grotesquely wide, gaping mouth lined with sharp teeth, and bulging eyes that were locked directly on Edward. The sight was terrifying, especially since his room was on the second floor.
Edward instinctively stood up, startled. But then he realized—this "ghost" floating outside was Mary Shaw, the terrifying spirit from Dead Silence, the horror movie he had shot previously. His mind began racing with wild thoughts.
'Could it be that Dead Silence was so successful it somehow manifested into reality?'
'Or maybe my system brought Mary Shaw into this world without me realizing? Is she here to find me? Have I awakened some sort of supernatural horror-system?'
But soon enough, Edward came to a much more plausible explanation.
"Wait… Mismagius?" he asked tentatively.
The ghost outside immediately nodded in response. Then, almost as if it realized how terrifying its current appearance was, it quickly shifted back into its usual Mismagius form. Edward sighed in relief at the sight.
He walked over to the window and opened it. Mismagius floated inside.
"You little rascal. What are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of staying at the haunted mansion like you're supposed to?" Edward scolded lightly. This little guy had nearly scared the soul out of him. Sure, Dead Silence was his own creation, but that didn't mean he could handle seeing Mary Shaw float outside his window at midnight.
Especially not when his room was on the second floor.
"Miss~" Mismagius gave a few soft calls, its tone sounding a bit apologetic. Edward scratched his head. He couldn't understand what Pokémon were saying, after all.
Upon realizing it was just Mismagius, Q lost interest, yawned, and curled back into Edward's arms.
Mismagius, aware that verbal communication wasn't getting through, looked around, then brightened up. It floated over to the computer and started tapping on the keyboard with its ghostly little hands. Edward leaned over to read what it had typed.
Apparently, Mismagius had noticed a decline in visitors at the puppet theater lately and came to ask Edward what to do about it.
"Don't worry. You see that hospital next door? In the future, you can go work there. I'll let you all know how the haunted hospital mechanisms operate when the time comes," Edward said with a grin. These little guys had grown used to days of indulgence and fun. It was only natural that they'd feel restless when things quieted down.
Ghost-type Pokémon like Mismagius could feed on human fear, and the more fear they consumed, the stronger they became.
"We'll do our best!" Mismagius typed enthusiastically.
Edward nodded. He had no complaints about the ghost Pokémon's work ethic—they were diligent, serious, and extremely reliable. He was very satisfied.
In fact, when Edward eventually built his large-scale horror-themed amusement park, he would need these special employees to help run the place. Mismagius, with its intelligence and capabilities, could even be appointed as a manager.
(End of Chapter)
(TN: Of all things the author can make he chose an Animal Documentary. You guys may wanna drop and I do too but keep reading, it picks up later on.)