"Mismagius, do you like this puppet theater?" Edward looked at the Mismagius before him and asked softly.
The Pokémon smiled brightly and used ghostly energy to craft all sorts of colorful, vivid pictures in the air, each one a direct expression of their genuine joy.
Seeing this, Edward stroked his chin thoughtfully. Since they liked it so much, maybe he really should head back to Rustboro City and inquire about purchasing a piece of land here. If possible, he could then construct a new set of buildings for One Missed Call right here.
Who's to say—maybe one day they could truly establish a full-fledged haunted theme park within Petalburg Woods.
As for staffing issues, there was really nothing to worry about. After all, there were plenty of Ghost-type Pokémon in this forest, and many of them could take on part-time jobs.
Considering the current puppet theater didn't attract a massive crowd anyway, shifting resources wouldn't be too difficult.
The only real hurdle was gaining Gengar's approval.
After all, Gengar was the overlord Pokémon in this forest. If he disapproved, then even with an official land authorization from the Pokémon League, construction would likely face countless obstacles. It might not be possible to proceed at all.
"Mr. Gengar, what do you think about building a theme park here in Petalburg Woods?" Edward turned to look at the small Gengar perched on his shoulder and asked him directly.
Although Gengar had shrunk to a miniature form, nobody in their right mind would dare underestimate this Pokémon. As a apex species, Gengar's strength far surpassed his peers and even rivaled some legendary Pokémon. According to his older brother, this particular Gengar was especially formidable.
"Sure, go ahead. I don't live nearby anyway," Gengar responded casually, waving it off like it was no big deal. This took Edward by surprise—he had half-expected Gengar to ask for some fear candy or some other spooky payment in exchange.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Just because I don't enjoy noise doesn't mean I'd object to giving these little guys a place to call home," Gengar said, narrowing his eyes and staring at Edward with a hint of annoyance.
Of course he'd noticed the assumptions flickering behind Edward's gaze, and it clearly didn't sit well with him.
Edward coughed awkwardly. Truthfully, Gengar had never really shown much concern for other Pokémon in the past.
Back then, he was just a reclusive, noise-hating overlord of the forest. In places where he slept, there wouldn't be a sound within 300 meters—not even the rustling of wind.
Edward still had no clue how Gengar managed that, but he learned the hard way: if you ever found yourself in a place that suddenly went unnaturally quiet, odds were you had wandered into Gengar's territory.
"In that case, I'll head back later and talk to the League about buying the land. Then we can begin construction. As for the exterior filming location, maybe we can just find some abandoned hospital to shoot at for now," Edward mused aloud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Finding a hospital setting wasn't the easiest thing—especially an abandoned one. Even a rundown facility would require some effort to track down.
With the current obstacles mostly addressed, Edward was ready to return to Rustboro City and start looking into the land purchase.
"You're looking for an abandoned hospital?" Gengar asked with a sly glint in his eyes, looking curiously at Edward. Edward nodded in reply—he needed a hospital as the outdoor set for One Missed Call.
It was partly his perfectionist streak kicking in; he wanted everything to be just right. Sure, he could probably borrow a functioning hospital and ask them to keep the lights off for a night, which would do the trick. But deep down, he really wanted the real deal—a more authentic environment.
"Well, I've heard before that there's an abandoned hospital on a mountain near the town of Lavaridge where you humans live." Gengar said with a wide grin. Edward scratched his head.
That smile seemed a little off, like Gengar was enjoying some private joke.
Still, he made a mental note of the location—he'd ask the old butler to look into it later. If it turned out to be a suitable site, then it might just work.
Once they left Petalburg Woods, Edward returned home. It was already past business hours for the League, and by this point, most of the staff had gone home. So Edward decided not to rush things. Instead, he would handle it first thing the next day.
When the next day arrived, Edward went straight to the League's administrative office and successfully purchased a plot of land next to the haunted mansion in Petalburg Woods. The price was surprisingly low—so low that it actually saved him quite a bit of money. That worked out just fine for Edward.
By the afternoon, Edward received confirmation from the old butler: there really was an abandoned hospital near Lavaridge Town.
"It used to be a mental hospital?" Edward said, a bit stunned as he looked through the materials in his hands. The name of the hospital was quite something—Giant Mountain Psychiatric Hospital.
It brought up a few vague memories, but he knew it had to be a coincidence. This facility wasn't shut down because of unethical experiments or anything dramatic like that.
Instead, the surrounding mountain range had seen a significant drop in temperature and increased snowfall, which created an environment unsuitable for patients recovering from mental illness. So, the hospital had been abandoned.
"Yes, it's been out of use for many years now. The League once sent people to inspect the site, but eventually decided not to tear it down. A number of wild Pokémon have since taken up residence, and they've integrated into the local ecosystem," the old butler explained as he poured a cup of warm water and set it in front of Edward.
Edward raised his eyebrows. That was genuinely interesting. Snowfall near Mt. Chimney? Could it be the result of a Pokémon's influence?
In this world, nearly all unusual weather phenomena could be traced back to the actions of certain Pokémon.
Many had abilities that altered the climate. In the case of legendary Pokémon, such as Kyogre and Groudon, their powers could even plunge the entire Hoenn region into extreme weather conditions.
Looking at the picture of the abandoned hospital in the report, Edward was quite pleased. It might be an old psychiatric facility, but it definitely fit the aesthetic he was going for. He made up his mind—this would be his filming location.
"How's the editing work coming along?" Edward turned to Zoroark and asked. Zoroark had been in charge of managing the production company's affairs—those tasks weren't within the butler's scope.
"Progressing steadily. We're currently working on inserting the background music," Zoroark replied efficiently.
Edward nodded in satisfaction. In that case, One Missed Call would likely be ready to meet the audience very soon. The trailer was even scheduled to be released later that day.
"Grandpa Robert, I'll leave the construction work next to the puppet theater in your hands then," Edward said with a smile. The old butler nodded cheerfully. Constructing a small hospital was no trouble at all.
Besides, Edward wasn't trying to build a real hospital—just a scaled-down version. The entire structure would only be about four stories tall.
With the prep work in place, Edward took Zoroark and a small filming crew to Lavaridge Town. Upon arriving, Edward immediately spotted the mountain that stood out in stark contrast to the landscape.
Amidst the sea of lush, green trees and rolling hills, there stood a single peak blanketed in pure white snow. It looked like a streak of white drawn across a canvas of green and gold—an oddly stunning sight that commanded attention.
"Is that an Articuno's doing?" Edward muttered under his breath, smacking his lips in mild disbelief. He found himself genuinely intrigued by the snowy mountain.
What kind of Pokémon could cause such a dramatic change in weather across an entire peak? It was rare, even in this world.
(End of Chapter)