“Before we start, I want to make one thing clear: I’m not here for rumor mills or sensationalism. I want my article to be a proper reflection of what’s going on. So please don’t try to feed me rumors as truth, alright?”

“Of course, of course. No rumours or anythin’ like that here.”

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami. Is this your first competition, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating, either competing or spectating? Have you participated, specifically, in a Trainer Showcase before?”

“This’ll be my first time, funny enough. Back in Galar, we don’t really ‘ave anything like this, so it’s all new fer me.”

“What sort of background do you come from-are you a trainer, a breeder, a coordinator, or perhaps something else? Do you see this giving you any advantage in the competition/do you think you’ll enjoy the performances more?”

“I mean... I’m a trainer, of sorts. Used t’be a Gym Leader, even, but that was never my preference. I’m more of a performer, an’ I’m hoping that’s gonna give me SOME way of evenin’ the odds, but if it doesn’t, then that’s fine.”

“What are your thoughts on the competition here today? It looks like we have quite a diverse cast of Pokémon fans present. Anyone you know? Rivals, perhaps?”

“Well, I recognize Leon, that’s fer sure. He an’ I go back a ways. But the one that worries me th’ most is Wallace. I figured this’d be a good entry-level bout to try something new, somethin’ fun fer the team, but the instant I saw that THE Wallace was involved... Yeeeeaah, there goes any chance o’ me winning.”

“How are you feeling about this showcase in general? Are you nervous at all?”

“Oh, of course, I’m nervous. I’m gonna go up on stage and make a gorgeous fool of m’self and my Pokemon. But whenever y’get the pre-show jitters, the only way to get rid of them is to just get on with it... And then maybe stay the night in someone else’s hotel room afterwards until the regret stops.”

“Were you here for the last Sweet Love Soiree, or did you tune into that? If so, has that affected any of your choices going into this event?”

“I can say with one hundred percent certainty that I have no [BEEP]ing clue what happened in the last one.”

“Which have you decided to pour more energy into: your Theme or your Freestyle? Why? Which do you feel more confident about?”

“I’m going with... Uh... I think it was Theme? The one about love. Feel like that’s more in m’wheelhouse than doing something about forgiveness.”

“Can you give us any hints about either of your performances? Without spoiling it, what do you think will make your entries stand out?”

“Prolly the aesthetic of it. It’s gonna be perfect.”

“How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition? Are you trying to pick Pokémon to stick with the themes, or going with Pokémon that have experience competing?”

“Y’could say mine’ve got experience, yeah. Jobber’s been with me since day one, an’ Serj is a member of his own band, back in Galar. Only odd one out’s Insky, but I figured if I need t’make a spectacle, who better t’bring than a Malamar?”

“Speaking of themes, what are your thoughts on them? They’re obviously tied too very strong feelings. If you care to share, are you going to play directly to either of them, or diverge?”

“I’m absolutely going t’play to the theme of love. I sing songs fer a living, love is one of the easiest things to do anything with, an’ I fully intend to play t’that because it’s the safest possible option here. Wallace is involved, so I’ve already lost, might as well lose with as much grace as possible.”

“Are you concerned about the scoring? With the three judges prioritizing different elements, it seems like it might be hard to appeal to all three. Do you worry about any drama erupting, or do you believe the talents of you and your Pokémon will shine through and make things go smoothly?”

“Look. We’re gonna go out there, we’re gonna do our best, we’re gonna be beaten by someone who held the title of Champion somewhere in the world, and then we’re gonna go home. This song may be new, but our dance to it remains the same, drama or nah.”

“To say there’s been drama in the past, both with All Hallow’s and the Sweet Love Soiree, would be a terrible understatement. How do you think things will differ this time around, given the circumstances? Do you think they’ll change at all? Are there any other changes you think should have been made for the sake of transparency or fairness?”

“Only change I c’n think of is that there’ll be an Obstagoon-lookin’ cadaver of an ex-Gym Leader wonderin’ what the hell’s happenin’ as it all comes collapsing down around ‘em. History may repeat itself, who knows, but this time I guueeessss I’ll be ‘round to see it?”

“What are your thoughts on the judges in general? Do you think we have a good, well-rounded group this time around? Do you think more judges will lead to more accurate, unbiased scores? Or are you worried about anyone playing favorites or holding grudges?”

“I don’t know the judges, but I bet they’ll hold grudges... Wait, hang on, can I change my answer there, that came out as a rhyme... I mean that they’ll likely be playin’ faves, everyone does. It’s just how humans are. Can certainly say that at least two of ‘em look the sort that I’d try t’play to, though.”

“’Forgiveness’ and ‘change’ are major themes surrounding this event at large, and for good reason. On a personal level, how strongly do you believe in these themes?”

“I’d rather not comment on this. Do come down t’Spikemuth sometime, though!”

“Similarly, what are your thoughts on the change of venue for this event? Do you think this will have any effect on what plays out? Why or why not?”

“I don’t think so. Why, was it somewhere else before?”

“Do you think, given the quality of assistance she’s had, Ursula is capable of change and growth as she wants us to see? Or do you think that faith is misguided? If you think she hasn’t changed, do you think Zoey, Tobias, and Ezra can keep her in line for the event?”

“I don’t really know this Ursula, but from what I’ve heard, an’ speaking from experience, I wouldn’t trust her to tell me the time of day. Good luck reelin’ that piece of work in, judges.”

“How would you describe the current atmosphere here, in light of these changes? Hopeful? Uncertain?”

“I dunno, just... An atmosphere? I’m not really here to read the room, I’m more just here t’compete and see how I do. Might even try this more regularly, depending on how it goes...”

“Is there anything else you’d like to say about this competition? I’m admittedly going to leave soon to get this article going, but I hope everything goes smoothly for you!”

“Not really? But thank you fer the luck, and your time. And look forward to seein’ me possibly bin it out on a major stage.”

“Do you have any other thoughts about this event, or any suspicions? I’m not going to publish them since, like I said, I’m not one for rumors. But I personally want to know what I might want to be keeping an eye on in case things do happen. Have you seen or heard anything suspicious?”