Pokemon: Lord of Fear

During this period, Edward had devoted all his time to the filming of his movie. Surprisingly, the actual filming process turned out to be less challenging than he had anticipated.

The most difficult part was setting up the puppet theater. To recreate the scene as described in the original work, significant modifications had to be made to the set. Thankfully, the puppets themselves were easier to handle, as they only required placing an order for production.

Conveniently, there was a lake next to the manor, perfectly aligning with the setting described in the story of Dead Silence.

"Next, I need you to control these puppets and slowly turn their heads to this position. Got it?" Edward asked the Mismagius standing before him. The ghost Pokémon nodded in response, appearing completely at ease.

That was expected. Such a task posed no challenge to Ghost-type Pokémon.

"Deck, are all the mechanisms in the theater set up?" Edward called over Deck. The only remaining scene for Dead Silence was this one. Once it was completed, the footage could move to post-production for editing, music scoring, and submission to the Pokémon League for review.

"They're all ready, boss. I've configured them to be reusable, as per your instructions," Deck replied, running over with an obsequious smile.

Edward glanced at Deck, who had been unusually diligent recently—bordering on overly eager to please. Edward figured that, had he not firmly rejected any backstage deals, Deck might have gone as far as sending aspiring actresses straight to his doorstep.

"Deck, you're 42 years old, right?" Edward asked, his gaze resting on the middle-aged man who had started balding. Startled, Deck quickly became even more respectful.

"Yes, boss. I'm 42," Deck said, nervously wiping sweat from his brow.

"If I recall correctly, your role in this company is..." Edward paused, realizing he wasn't deeply familiar with the internal structure of his own film company. After all, his father had assigned professional managers to handle everything, leaving Edward free to focus solely on filmmaking.

"General Manager, boss," Deck immediately answered, his voice eager.

Edward nodded. Yes, Deck served as the General Manager of the company—a mid-to-high-level management role.

Edward also understood Deck's apprehension. His recent hands-on approach was both a show of loyalty and an attempt to avoid dismissal.

For a man over 40, leaving a job was no small matter, especially with a family to support—a wife, three children, and looming mortgages. Such responsibilities made the stakes even higher.

This is why companies often prefer hiring employees who have settled down. These employees have ties and obligations that make them less likely to quit, even under challenging conditions. This predicament is often referred to as a "midlife crisis."

Deck embodied this perfectly. At 42, with a family to provide for and debts to pay, he needed his job to stay afloat. This explained his obsequious behavior.

"You've done well," Edward said with a smile, offering a rare word of encouragement. Deck's face lit up with joy, and he quickly assured Edward that everything he did was his duty.

Watching the overjoyed Deck, Edward felt a fleeting sense of nostalgia. He, too, had once been in a similar, humble position. But now, everything had changed.

"All right, have the actors prepare. We're about to start filming this scene," Edward said, waving Deck off to cut short the flattery.

As for Deck, Edward had no intention of letting him go. The man had proven himself competent and hardworking. As long as he didn't try any underhanded tricks, he could keep his position.

Soon, the actors were in place. The male lead, Jamie, and the detective required a bit more effort to perfect their performances. Meanwhile, the actress playing Mary Shaw had a simpler role, mostly involving makeup and delivering a few lines.

The special effects for the other scenes were entirely performed by Mismagius.

Yes, Mismagius had taken on the critical role of Mary Shaw in the climactic scenes. Her supernatural performances were so authentic that Edward decided to reward her with an additional bonus.

"Cut!" Edward called out, a hint of exasperation in his voice as muffled laughter spread across the set. The actor playing the detective sheepishly got up, brushing himself off.

During Mismagius's performance, the detective actor had been so startled by her effects that he fell to the floor, mouth agape in shock.

Mismagius, clearly pleased with herself, stuck out her tongue in delight. Edward noticed her playful antics and couldn't help but smile. When she saw him looking, she coyly covered her face with her hands before peeking at him through her fingers. Only after realizing he wasn't upset did she relax and resume her cheerful demeanor.

"Jamie, if that had really been Mary Shaw, you'd have lost your tongue and jaw by now," Edward teased the actor, who quickly apologized. But Edward didn't mind. This was the last scene, and once the puppet theater sequence was wrapped up, Dead Silence would be complete.

With Jamie mentally prepared, the puppet theater scene went smoothly. The trapdoor where Jamie and the detective fell was a specially designed mechanism. Edward planned to turn the puppet theater into a renowned haunted house attraction, allowing visitors to experience Jamie's harrowing escape firsthand.

This way, the puppet theater could continue generating significant revenue. Even when the buzz around Dead Silence died down, Edward could repurpose the theater for other horror themes.

"All right, great work, everyone. I now declare Dead Silence officially wrapped!" Edward announced, clapping his hands.

Cheers erupted from the crew and cast, with some actors even shouting in excitement.

Among them were the actors playing Jamie and the detective. They clearly saw the potential of this movie, believing it could spark a wave of horror across the Hoenn region and even the Pokémon League.

As the main actors, they hoped this film would catapult their careers, raising their fees and opportunities. No longer would they toil in obscurity without recognition or reward.

(Chapter Ends)