Pokemon: Lord of Fear

[Presenting Horror Movies to the World: So, will you go to watch it?]

After sending out this message, Edward silently chose to lurk on the group chat.

[What? A Sassy Commentator: Of course, I'll watch it! It's rare for horror movies to get this much publicity. But if it turns out to be bad, the director better not blame me for being too harsh!]

[Newbie No. 1: What? 'Too harsh'?]

Watching the group chat quickly devolve into a repetitive mess of memes, Edward closed the app, thinking to himself, These people are beyond saving. All of them. Might as well bury them all.

Still, Edward realized that asking such a question in a group full of horror movie enthusiasts was akin to asking anglers in a fishing group if they'd go to a great fishing spot—they'd obviously jump at the chance. It was a bit redundant.

"Well, I really am looking forward to it," Edward murmured as he patted Q nestled in his arms. He wondered what kind of reception Death Silence would receive once it premiered in this world. As for his next horror movie, Edward already had an idea in mind, but he'd wait for the market's reaction to Death Silence before deciding whether to proceed with it.

With that thought, Edward hurried to the company to oversee the post-production work on Death Silence. He couldn't wait to present this movie to the world.

Meanwhile, as Edward was busy supervising the editing process, an amusing video suddenly appeared on the homepage of 3D Porygon Video, the largest platform on the Pokémon League's internet.

Despite being a new upload with low views and only a few comments, the video managed to make its way to the homepage, sparking widespread curiosity.

"Hey, everyone, let me tell you—this video must've been boosted with money." A content creator named [The Disappearing Foxy] was livestreaming at the time. Noticing this unexpected video, he chuckled mischievously.

[No kidding.]

[Didn't the site promise it would never sell out?]

[Haha, 3D Porygon stays pure, but Porygon-Z evolves into a money-sink!]

[Ultra Premium Evolution!]

"Alright, folks, let's stop debating this and focus on critiquing the video. Let's see how much money Uncle Porygon might've taken to feature this," Foxy said with a mock-serious cough, clearly not wanting to risk a ban by naming names outright.

He clicked on the video, which opened with a scene of a luxurious mansion. A group of people was shown setting up hidden cameras and various traps. The footage sped up to quickly depict their setup while still giving viewers a clear sense of the effort involved.

"Whoa, they're going all out," Foxy remarked, surprised by the production value. The mansion alone indicated a hefty budget, not to mention all the gadgets being installed.

As viewers became engrossed, the barrage of comments slowed, with more people opting to watch silently.

[Here we go, classic 'watching a streamer watch videos on the video site.']

[Another parody, huh? Which new group is trying to make a name for themselves?]

[I still prefer the antics from Alola—they're hilarious!]

Foxy paused the video to check the uploader's profile, only to find that it was a brand-new account, level 2.

"Judging by the effort here, this team definitely spared no expense," he commented before resuming playback.

The video transitioned to a title card: [We contacted a local cleaning company and had the boss, who was in on the joke, send four unknowing employees to clean up.]

Foxy raised an eyebrow but remained silent, intrigued about which Pokémon would feature in this prank.

The next shot introduced two young men and two women dressed in cleaning uniforms, looking a bit uneasy. They were greeted by an elderly woman who brought them into the mansion.

The woman gave them a quick rundown of the cleaning requirements. Then, a haunting, elderly voice began to hum a chilling tune:

"Mary Shaw's eyes are wide, her doll-child always by her side..."

The moment the eerie melody started, Foxy couldn't help but rub his arms. The voice was deliberately deep and unsettling, as if the woman were murmuring ominously.

The cleaning staff exchanged nervous glances but said nothing, as the woman was their employer. They simply followed her.

"Children, heed this warning true, do not scream when she stares at you..."

The old woman finished the unsettling rhyme but continued to hum it softly, her voice fading as she led them to a room with a slightly ajar door.

"My husband is unwell, so please don't disturb him. We don't have any Pokémon, so make sure no Pokémon enter to disturb him either," the woman said with a stern glare, pointing at the door. The cleaning staff nodded obediently. She then left, saying she'd return after running some errands.

"Alright, the main event begins now," Foxy said, visibly excited. Based on the setup, he was curious to see what kind of scares awaited these poor employees.

[Does anyone else find that rhyme weird?]

The viewers in the chat seemed more focused on deciphering the unsettling song the elderly woman had hummed, speculating about its significance.

[Who is Mary Shaw? A dollmaker?]

While some pondered the rhyme, others grew absorbed in the unfolding events. The pranks began in earnest: a vase fell seemingly out of nowhere, and doors creaked open and shut despite no one being there.

"Is there a Ghost-type Pokémon here?" one male employee asked his colleague, who shrugged in response.

"The owner said there are no Pokémon here, right?" another colleague replied, looking equally puzzled.

Just then, the man noticed his companion staring behind him with wide, terrified eyes, his legs trembling. Sensing something was off, the man turned around cautiously, only to see a plush doll lying on the carpet.

It was a Psyduck plush.

"It's just a doll that fell down. What's there to be scared of?" the man scoffed, picking up the Psyduck plush. Looking around, he noticed a bookshelf filled with various plush toys.

(To be continued)