Pokémon, but cultural invasion.

Izumi remembered that in this world, gym leaders were allowed to set up highly personalized screening tests to test challengers.

A small number of owners are either too lazy to decorate or don't care much about it, such as Xiaogang and Xiaoxia.

Most museum owners will still carefully design challenges to explore a certain trait of the challenger.

For example, there's the snow skating at Frost Dojo, the invisible wall at Asabane Dojo, and the hot spring jets at Kamafura Dojo.

The most perverted one is Lt. Surge from Vermilion City.

Izumi suspected that this guy was a psychopath, because he put a bunch of trash cans in front of his own dojo and then made the challengers search them.

Considering his peculiar habit of electrocuting Challenger Pokémon, it's rather strange that he hasn't been investigated by the League yet.

"Two cups of flower tea, one bitter and one sweet. If you drink the sweet one, you will be able to meet our owner. If it is bitter, then I'm sorry, you will have to come back tomorrow."

After serving the tea, the staff waited to the side with the tea tray in their hands.

Quanshu looked down and carefully examined the two cups of flower tea. Apart from the slight difference in the color of the infused plants and the tea, he could not see any difference at all.

He doesn't remember that this thing was included in the test at Yuhong Dojo, does he?

If you're a plant enthusiast, you might be able to tell which cup is sweet and which is bitter.

But for someone as clueless as him to come, it's all a matter of luck.

Is it to select challengers who are passionate about plants? It also has the style of a Grass-type Gym.

Quanshu pondered for a moment, then picked up both cups of flower tea with both hands and took a sip from each.

The tea is intensely bitter upon first sip, then suddenly becomes spicy at the back of the tongue, and the bitterness intensifies as it goes down the throat, before a faint sweet aftertaste emerges after swallowing it completely.

"Hey, why did you drink both glasses?"

The staff member was both surprised and embarrassed: "This is against the rules."

The two cups of flower tea tasted very similar, mainly bitter and not sweet.

The spring tree looked surprised.

What surprised him was not that both cups were bitter, but that Rika, as an adult, would play such a pointless trick.

What good would it do her to have the challenger come back tomorrow?

Rika, who was hiding behind the flower stand and observing secretly, saw the whole thing and immediately felt uneasy.

"How come this guy drank both glasses?"

She deliberately prepared two cups of bitter tea without telling anyone else, intending to make Quanshu drink them for three days in a row before telling him in person that both cups of tea were bitter, so that he could also experience the feeling of being fooled.

The result was a mishap; things went awry.

If the other members of the dojo discovered their dojo leader's underhanded tactics, her image would be...

Quanshu put down his teacup and smiled, "Judging from the result, I drank the sweet one, didn't I?"

"But that... you're taking a shortcut."

While the staff were still debating, Lijia stepped out from behind the flower stand and interrupted her: "It's fine, he passed the test."

"Yes, Master."

Feeling guilty, Rika quickly told the clueless, naive child to leave, fearing that the truth would be revealed.

She calmly asked, "You said you didn't come here to challenge the gym, so what is it for?"

Quanshu sized her up; it was Lijia, the owner of Yuhong Pavilion.

She is quite low-key in her dealings with others, yet she is very famous in Yuhong City and is a true heiress.

Her dignified appearance and ear-length black hair, coupled with her forced composure, resulted in a slightly unnatural expression.

In his previous life, he had heard players speculate that Rika was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing based on character dialogue texts, and now it has been confirmed.

Offering him two cups of bitter tea to choose from doesn't seem like something a kind person would do.

Quanshu didn't think every challenger deserved this tea-tasting treatment; otherwise, Yuhong Dojo would be busy just brewing flower tea.

Combined with the fluctuating level of affection he had for Rika earlier... he roughly guessed the truth of the matter.

Aren't these the wealthy people who spend lavishly right in front of us?

The timing matches up, so she was tormented in the game and wanted to get revenge?

Quanshu suddenly realized.

However, he did not expose it.

In the adult world, if you embarrass someone, you're afraid you'll be sunk into the Kanto Inland Sea the next day.

"The reason I came here is related to the movie I'm currently preparing to shoot."

Quanshu got straight to the point: "My new film involves many ancient scenes, and it's inevitable that natural environments will appear."

"Unfortunately, there are very few records about the past on the Internet, especially about the Xicui area a thousand years ago, there are almost no texts to refer to."

"I came to you hoping to get some valuable information as guidance for set design."

Lijia remained calm; it was only natural that there were no records of ancient times online.

According to family secrets, the Galactic Team in the Shiroi region a thousand years ago had close ties with Team Galactic, which is active in the Sinnoh region today.

They seem to want this connection to remain unknown and have kept related information under wraps.

The Carlos and Galar regions are associated with a war that took place three thousand years ago, a topic that people at the time kept largely silent about.

As for Kanto, Johto, and other places, in addition to the legendary sleeping Pokémon, it seems that many giant Pokémon were also sealed away in the past. In order to prevent any fools from searching for and breaking the seals, the relevant records have been blurred.

“You’ve come to the right person. I’m interested in plants, including famous species that went extinct over the millennia.”

Lijia said calmly, "My family's library also contains records of the past, which can be used for reference."

Plants are a gift from nature, and flowers are the crown of plants—beautiful and delicate, it's hard not to love them.

Therefore, Rika's addiction to "Plant Ghost" is not only because the game is fun, but also because of its content.

Fighting alongside plants against ghosts is incredibly romantic for her, a Grass-type Trainer.

Unfortunately, in order to clear the game, Rika once used the Sunflower Monster as a control skill, which ultimately went against her original intention.

Quanshu thought to himself, "As expected, it's impossible for a large family not to have any information reserves."

"If Master Rika is willing to offer assistance, that would be wonderful. As for the reward..."

"No need for payment."

Lijia waved her hand, looking dejected, and said, "I'm not interested in movies. Your first game was quite interesting, what a pity."

"Actually... there's also a hybrid version DLC for Plants vs. Ghosts."

Lijia: ?

What should I do if I spoke a little too loudly just now?

Urgent, waiting online.

Chapter 59 Maintaining Mystery

Hybrid versions refer to the love between Pokémon that transcends the limitations of the egg group.

As the saying goes, if two people are truly in love, what need are there for boundaries or restrictions?

The plants in the DLC have subtle changes in appearance, nothing groundbreaking, but the main difference lies in their combat performance.

Correspondingly, the Ghost side also received an epic buff, resulting in a significant increase in game difficulty.

In short—it's harder, more intense, and more exhilarating to fight.

After Rika gave a brief description, Izumi saw her eyes sparkle, but then she looked away a few seconds later and continued the conversation with a constipated expression.

Does this person think she's still keeping a mystery?

"Ahem, I don't have any requirements for compensation, so just let me try it out in advance when your DLC is almost finished."

Lijia remained nonchalant.

Given the almost free terms, her image is probably that of a wealthy and helpful restaurant owner.

Quanshu still didn't expose her, and he recalled the large and small buildings he saw along the way in Yuhong City.

"Besides the issue of the data, I also hope to obtain special permission to film on location in Yuhong City."

"Of course, I will pay for the lost work time of businesses near the filming location."

"Shot on location?"

Lijia was surprised; she had always thought that movies were filmed in small green studios.

"Yes, some scenes in my new movie need to be filmed on city streets, and the scenery in Yuhong City is quite nice."

Most of the film takes place indoors, but there are also scenes of the film speeding through the streets.

Although Xiaogang and Xiaoxia will most likely agree to his filming request, Shenhui and Hualan were directly excluded by Quanshu.

Cerulean City has seen a surge in visitors recently due to the popularity of its stage play.

Squeezing through the bustling streets to film a movie, what if fans recognize them... just thinking about it gives Izumi a headache.

The massive rocky mountains surrounding Dark Grey City are too conspicuous, and the predominantly gray and white architectural style makes them unsuitable as a backdrop.

If Izumi Kiku plans to make a serious film about the Cold War era in the future, I might consider it.

In comparison, the rainbow city, filled with dreamlike colors, is perfect for filming movies.

Furthermore, given that Rika is a game investor who spends a fortune, it's impossible for Izumi not to be tempted.

"I agree, go ahead and film."

Lijia didn't mince words and readily said, "If conditions permit, I hope you can film on several main streets in the city center, and I will cover any additional expenses."

Despite the pessimistic public opinion, Rika strangely didn't think he would lose when he ventured into a well-known sunset industry.

The two wildly popular games and stage play convinced her that Quanshu possessed extraordinary talent and unconventional thinking.

“In recent years, Jinhuang City has developed rapidly, and the population siphon effect has affected Yuhong, making the surrounding areas of the city much quieter.”

"If your movie is a big hit, Yuhong, as a filming location, might be completely transformed."

"So don't think of it as me helping you; just consider it an investment."

The fact that the city's development lagged behind that of Golden City has always been a source of worry for the older generation of the family.

Her roots are in Yuhong, so naturally she hopes Yuhong can do better.

Of course, all of this is predicated on the premise that Izumi's films are box office hits.

As for becoming as popular as games or stage plays... Rika couldn't even imagine such a possibility, nor did she dare to hope for it.

Reviving a dying industry—by Arceus, surely no one could do such a thing on their own?

Quanshu thought for a moment and said, "I will consider including Yuhong's landmark buildings in the shot."

For movie fans who come to Kanto to visit the sacred sites in the future, the first stop will undoubtedly be the museum in Phantom City, and the second stop will be Gyoza.

"Then it will be a pleasure to cooperate."

The two shook hands.

Many challengers were still waiting outside the Yuhong Dojo. Without taking up too much of Rika's time, Izumi left after adding the navigator as a friend.

The reference materials for the movie will be compiled and sent over tonight.

"The filming location has been secured."

In a good mood, Quanshu took a stroll around the botanical garden with Yanshibao.

The unique dojo design ensures that challengers and tourists do not interfere with each other.

He kept an eye on the job applicants' information in the emails.

Although the filming location has been secured, the most important roles for a film—lead actor and director—remain vacant.

Quanshu can act as a director with his limited skills, but he can't be on set to direct the filming all the time.

Even if you personally complete one film, there will always be a second, a third...

Because he's a porter, his filming speed can never keep up with his borrowing speed.