Pokémon, but cultural invasion.

Players are not as impressed by them as they are by the gym leader in their own neighborhood.

Despite wondering why the Unova Elite Four would approach him, Izumi had no reason to refuse the application.

After the friend request was accepted, the other party quickly sent a message.

"Wanlong: Hello (*'▽｀)."

"Wanlong: A few days ago, I had the privilege of going to Hualan City to watch the stage play created by Teacher Quanshu, "The Little Mermaid". After the performance, I was deeply moved and couldn't sleep for several nights, with the story of the little mermaid lingering in my mind."

I'm very sorry to bother you, but as a novelist I can't ignore the burst of inspiration.

So, Ms. Izumi, would you allow me to use "The Little Mermaid" as a prototype for my own creative work?

After reading the long list of messages, Quanshu remembered that Wanlong, besides being one of the Four Heavenly Kings, was also a famous novelist.

True to the style of the league's owners, kings, and champions, their main job is still making a living, while their side hustles are their passions.

Wanlong is a quirky woman who can stand still on the street when she's thinking about novel material or getting lost in her daydreams.

"Inspiration flows freely: Yes, appropriate derivative works can bring new vitality to the original work."

Izumi looked puzzled, surprised that there were fan fiction works in the Pokémon world.

Hans Christian Andersen shouldn't have any objections, right?

"Wanlong: Thank you very much. Once my short story is published, the relevant copyright fees will be directly deposited into your account. If you are not satisfied, you can also contact my editorial department."

As expected of the Four Heavenly Kings, they were already certain of publication before even putting pen to paper.

Quanshu had heard that writing novels was not like this.

You first need to have long-term experience reading excellent works, and after becoming picky and unable to find good books, you decide to start writing yourself.

After confidently uploading his masterpiece to no avail, he decided to learn from his mistakes and systematically study novel writing from scratch.

From the three golden chapters to the plot structure, the repeatedly polished opening was rejected by the editor.

Finally, on a sweltering summer night, crammed into a not-so-spacious rented room, I typed away, sweating profusely, because I didn't want to turn on the room's high-energy-consuming air conditioner to save on electricity bills.

It would be even better if they were also saying, "I'm so hungry, I should never have written a novel."

The story that Wanlong created is probably still within the scope of the mainstream narrative of this world.

Thinking of this, Quanshu felt a little mischievous.

"Thoughts flowing like a spring: If the story continues after the curtain falls, Wanlong, have you thought about what it might look like afterwards?"

Wanlong: The little mermaid, who was the main character, is dead... If the story continued, would the prince and princess have lived happily ever after?

...

Unova region, Ripple town, a seaside villa.

Wanlong fell into thought. Her creative idea was to add a fairy, a common character in fairy tales, to reverse the little mermaid's bubble ending and make up for the regret.

If there's a sea witch in the story, then there should also be fairies.

But Izumi's reply offered a new perspective.

"Thoughts flow like a spring: What if, after the little mermaid turned into sea foam, the prince accidentally learned the truth—that the person who saved his life during the shipwreck wasn't the princess, but the little mermaid who had always been by his side? What would he do?"

Thoughts flow like a spring: Frustrated to the point of beating one's chest in despair? Overwhelmed with regret?

As Wanlong read the lines of text displayed on the screen, his eyes gradually widened.

She imagined the foolish prince's regret and remorse, and how he searched desperately for the little mermaid on the beach, howling in despair like a lost dog.

A strange, exhilarating sensation shot through me like an electric current from my head to my toes.

what is this?

Wow...that feels so good!

The little mermaid has turned into sea foam, but the story can actually continue?

Wanlong seemed to be frozen in place, unable to move.

Her unusual behavior drew the attention of the other two.

Sitting in the wicker chair, Cattleya complained softly, "When you're resting, you shouldn't be thinking about work, right?"

"Forgive her, Cattleya. It is a rare thing to maintain passion for a hobby that has become a job."

The person who spoke had long, flowing golden hair, deep and captivating silver-gray eyes, and a tall, elegant, and aloof figure.

It was late summer, and instead of wearing the black belted trench coat and long trousers, she wore a cool summer outfit with a Minas theme.

Hirona was enjoying the summer scenery of the town.

Invited by a friend, she comes to this eastern coastal town in the Unova region every spring and summer.

Listen to the sound of the tides rising and falling with tourists from all over the world who travel from afar.

Temporarily shedding the responsibilities and burdens of being a champion, they spent a relaxing time at the villa in Cattleya.

Discussing the plot of Wanlong's novel, chatting about myths and legends from around the world, and sharing interesting anecdotes from work and life are also part of my relaxation.

“Cynthia, you spoil her too much.”

Cattleya sighed, explaining why Wanlong's habit of spacing out hadn't gotten better.

The two waited for a while, watching Wanlong's changing expressions, sometimes excited, sometimes confused, sometimes thoughtful, and sometimes suddenly enlightened.

It's unclear what she saw, but she finally stood there and let out a long breath, as if she had suddenly realized something.

Quanshu probably never imagined that his little mischievous, unintentional act—a common, even clichéd, "chasing-back-to-the-wife" trope on Earth—would have such a huge impact on Wanlong.

The reason why the various routines and templates of the past are annoying is not because they are low-level or boring, but precisely because they are too easy to use.

Everyone is using it, everyone is imitating it, so it has become rampant.

This makes the story's development and ending predictable to the audience, naturally leading to a lack of interest.

New viewers who are encountering this routine for the first time will be completely overwhelmed by the combination of punches.

For the people of the Pokémon world, the clichéd formulas from their past lives are actually a form of dimensional reduction, a clear case of the Trisolarans fighting against primitive humans.

For Wanlong, it was like opening the door to a new world.

If the prince could realize his misunderstanding, he would be unable to win the heart of the Little Mermaid and would ultimately live with regret.

Not only Wanlong herself, she believes that most female audience members who have seen the stage play will enjoy it from head to toe.

"Didn't the creators of the stage play reply to you? How did your conversation go?"

Seeing that she hadn't made a move, Cattleya couldn't wait any longer and asked.

Wanlong snapped out of her daze, looked at the two of them solemnly, and said earnestly:

"I think I may have found a genius at writing novels."

Chapter 62 Beginning

Stage play creator?

Cynthia looked on with a look of reminiscence. "Is it that recently popular movie, 'The Little Mermaid'?"

It became an internet sensation, spreading through various channels, and even she, an outsider who doesn't pay much attention to stage plays, heard about it.

Its popularity has even affected the number of tourists visiting Kanto in the summer, making the tourism department in the Sinnoh region envious.

Compared to other regions, Sinnoh has a cold climate and a relatively conservative social atmosphere.

The dojo master and the Four Heavenly Kings are not celebrities who like to be in the public eye, so relying solely on natural scenery is not enough to attract tourists.

"He might really be a genius at writing novels. Cynthia, you should really check out his stage plays."

As soon as she got the chance, Wanlong couldn’t wait to recommend her favorite work to her friends again.

"No need, I'm not interested in these things."

Cynthia gently shook her head; she preferred studying myths and histories from around the world to stage plays.

The Watervein City Library is a better place to go than to the theater.

“Everyone has their own preferences, and I understand Wanlong’s desire to share happiness with us.”

Because of her recommendation, Cattleya read "The Little Mermaid" online.

Aside from the fact that she repeatedly tried to use her superpowers to throw the prince into the sea during the viewing, the overall movie-watching experience was quite good.

"I heard that the creators of the stage play are preparing to make a movie, which seems to be a horror story about a museum. I'm really looking forward to it."

As a superpowered individual, Cattleya is naturally curious about stories with supernatural elements and compares her own strength with that of the monsters in the stories.

Wanlong corrected, "It's a story about a night security guard at a natural history museum. There shouldn't be any scary elements; it's mostly ghost-type Pokémon causing trouble."

"Although the online opinion is one-sided, after today's conversation, I think he might bring a surprise."

She envisioned, "If the film industry can flourish again, it will give me more inspiration and opportunities to gather material."

自然历史博物馆？

Seeing the look of longing on Wanlong's face, Cynthia didn't say anything more.

She didn't know much about movies, only that the entire industry was in a downturn, with related industries and talent suffering severe losses.

Hopefully, the film's theme has nothing to do with natural history, otherwise Wanlong is destined to be disappointed.

As a mythologist who dedicates herself to exploring and researching ancient sites, she is all too aware of how few natural history enthusiasts there are.

Cynthia doesn't know where to find someone who loves both natural history and movies.

Even if there were, the meager quantity wouldn't be enough to cover the cost of making a film.

Out of curiosity, she searched for related movie entries.

There is very little publicity at present, with only three slogans at the top.

Every night, the museum's exhibits come down and move on their own.

The only certainty is that the story takes place at the Dark Grey City Museum.

Could you be someone who loves mythology and history?

While she was at it, Cynthia looked up the creator's profile. He had made a name for himself with crowdfunding games, and after creating a hit stage play and a blockbuster game, he suddenly changed direction and plunged headfirst into the world of movies.

The protagonist is a rare third-rate trainer and night shift security guard, and the story is set in the Pewter City Museum.

The more I look at it, the more it seems like an idealist who acted impulsively, trying to popularize his niche hobby, only to meet a violent end.

Perhaps their senses have been numbed by success after success, so it is not uncommon for creators to act blindly.

As she swiped her finger across the screen, Cynthia noticed that the creator's account had posted another update.

It contains text and images related to the film exhibits.

Ocean Hunter and Sky King

The skeleton models of the Sickle-Helmeppo and the fossil pterosaur would be incredibly lifelike if it weren't for the gaps between the bones.

[Zero Zone Observation Team]

Riding his motorcycle lizard, Hai Zhe gazed into the distance with a deep look in his eyes, along with the exploration team following behind him.

A Glimpse into the Era of Jade Washing

A group of ancient-dressed humans, holding mud balls in their hands, surrounded the proud and roaring Mud Dragon (Emerald Form).

Legendary Hero

The statue of the hero who banished the darkness of the Galar region holds a sword and shield, with eyes closed and head bowed.

[Reality vs. Ideal]

The tiny figures, no bigger than a finger, stood in two square formations, sharpening their weapons and preparing for battle. Their battle flags were painted with the legendary dragons they worshipped, Reshiram and Zekrom.

The images and descriptions covered almost all major regions.

Cynthia can see the constantly refreshing comments.

"Flying Cloud City Ice Cream: I understand the logic, but why were the ancient people in our Unova region so small, only the size of a thumb?"

"The bottom of the class at Orange Academy: That's an exaggeration. And what about our Padia District Zero? Isn't Heizer's Book of Vermilion and Purple notoriously nonsensical? He'll even appear in the movie?"

"Team Six Regeneration Enthusiasts: As Sinnoh people, we have seriously cut ourselves in the mud. We are not that barbaric and would never use Mudballs to catch Pokémon."