#wallace2k18interviews

In a moment of (relative) downtime, you spot a certain someone. It’s that journalist that approached you during the appeal round, again accompanied by her Furfrou. When her gaze falls on you, a pleasant smile lights up her face, and she begins to make her way over.

“Bonjour~!”

Whether or not you turned down her request for an interview last time, it’s clear she’s got more questions, if you’ll entertain her curiosity.

--

Rules:

Repost, do not reblog, with a link back to the template for others.

Tag your post with ‘#wallace2k18interviews’ so that everyone can see your answers.

This interview is intended to be set some time before your battle, but if you want to fill it out after starting the thread that’s fine too. Just have it set in the past.

You’re free to cut out questions if you want; this is just meant to be a fun thing.

--

“Congratulations mon ami(e)! How are you feeling right now about this competition?”

“Are you more or less confident about the battle round, versus the appeal round? Why is that, exactly?”

“Who’s your competition for this round? Did you watch their appeal, and if so what did you think of it? How are you feeling about being matched against them?”

“What about the field you’ll be battling on? Is it one that you were hoping for, and do you have any ideas about how you’ll use it to your advantage-you don’t have to tell us your secrets, of course!”

“Which contest type will your battle fall under, and how are you feeling about that?”

“What Pokémon are you borrowing from the other trainers in your group, and why did you select it? How is training with them going?”

“Do you have any ideas of who you’re going to pair your borrowed Pokémon with for this battle? Has anything made you decide against using a specific Pokémon, and why?”

“How confident are you feeling overall about this competition? Do you think you’ll be able to earn enough points this round to come out on top?”

“On a side note…tell us about how your downtime goes! Are you constantly preparing, or taking some time to soak in the Alolan sun (and moon)? This seems like a fairly stressful competition, so what are you doing to decompress? What about your Pokémon?”

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami(e). Is this your first contest, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating? What drew you to the Wallace Cup this year?”

“I’ve been in the Wallace Cup before. It was quite a different competition back then, but it’s interesting that it switches up every year. I got to the Sinnoh Grand Festival and made it to the Quarterfinals. I didn’t enter last year’s Wallace Cup, so I didn’t want to miss it again. Also, never been to Alola, so two trips for the price of one was enough of a reason to sign up.”

“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?”

“Well, I said I did the Wallace Cup before and made it to a Grand Festival, so I’m a coordinator obviously. I do hear some competitors don’t have contest experience so I’d say that gives me an advantage. Other than May and Zoey, I don’t think anyone else has been to a Grand Festival either so I’d say that makes me the third most qualified contestant, but there’s a huge handicap that gives evens the playing field in Wallace forcing us into categories and choosing our Pokémon. Remember when contests allowed us coordinators the freedom to make our own appeals from free will without categories and limits? Those were the best.”

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

“I know Zoey, she won the Sinnoh Grand Festival I was in. And May was who I went up against in the battle rounds of the last Wallace Cup I was in. ((ooc: For May, I retconned him into the anime’s Wallace Cup where he lost to May in the first battle round.)) Lucas is from Twinleaf Town like me, but I don’t know him well. In fact, he looks older than the Lucas I know, but he shares the exact same name. Weird.”

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

“No. At least if I don’t do well, I can fall back on the excuse that it wasn’t my choice of a category or pairing of Pokémon and that this isn’t like a typical contest I enter.”

“Impressive as you are, we can’t forget your Pokémon and the critical role they play. Could you introduce me to a few of them, or tell me a bit about them? What sort of bond do you have, and how are they handling this contest?”

“They’ve been with me for a long time. Prinplup was the first Pokémon I got from Professor Rowan and he’s definitely been my most go-to Pokémon. Breloom, Machoke, and Alakazam have all done some awesome appeals for me in the past. I can’t say they’re all ecstatic about having to be ordered by a different trainer though.”

“How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition?”

“Experience was the main factor. Only Floatzel is sitting out of this competition. Since I already have Prinplup for a water type I thought it would be better to mix it up the most I could. It would probably be a better advantage for other competitors if I had all water types to give them, so that’s why I chose some non-water types. Hopefully when it’s the rounds to trade some Pokemon it will slip them up. Hopefully they give me a water type and make it easy for me while they get a fighting type and won’t know how to work with the water.”

“Do you have any friends, family, or other loved ones here cheering you all on? Or perhaps at home? I know this isn’t a live, televised interview, but is there anything you’d like to tell any of them right now?”

“I’m here with my friend Emma. It’s her first time attending a contest and also her first time here in the Alola region. My parents are always busy with work, so they’ll be cheering for me at home. I’ll like to tell them that I’ll be bringing up my first international ribbon.”

“How are you feeling about performing in this category? What are some challenges you think you’ll face in your planning?”

Hano Grand Resort is absolutely abuzz with activity! Competitors and fans alike, Pokémon in tow, mill about the scene, mingling with each other. A few people already seem to be showing off their moves. With your registration complete, you start to make your way to your next destination (wherever that may be), only to be approached by a well-dressed woman and her large, sleek Furfrou. She has a cup of coffee in one hand, a notepad under her arm, and a friendly smile on her face.

“Excuse me, my name is Jules Saint-Michelle and I’m with Lumiose Press. Would you please give me a minute of your time for a quick interview?”

-

Rules:

Repost, do not reblog, with a link back to the template for others.

Tag your post with ‘#wallace2k18interviews’ so that everyone can see your answers.

There are a few questions that are specifically pre- or post-appeal, depending on when you chose to answer the (completely optional) questions. They’ll be marked accordingly.

You’re free to cut out questions if you want; this is just meant to be a fun thing.

EDIT: I know the appeal rounds have already been revealed in terms of who’s competing in what, but if you want to use those questions then pretend it’s before, or get creative.

--

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami(e). Is this your first contest, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating? What drew you to the Wallace Cup this year?”

“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?”

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

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

“Impressive as you are, we can’t forget your Pokémon and the critical role they play. Could you introduce me to a few of them, or tell me a bit about them? What sort of bond do you have, and how are they handling this contest?”

“How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition?”

“Do you have any friends, family, or other loved ones here cheering you all on? Or perhaps at home? I know this isn’t a live, televised interview, but is there anything you’d like to tell any of them right now?”

(Pre-appeal) “Are there any specific appeal categories you feel you’re best prepared for? What makes you feel confident about that/those categories? Similarly, which categories, if any, are you worried you might get assigned, and why?”

(Pre-appeal) “I won’t ask you to reveal them, but have you already started planning general strategy for your Pokémon? Or are you the type who prefers to have all the information before you plan?”

(Pre-appeal, if you’ve already been assigned you appeal category) “How are you feeling about performing in this category? What are some challenges you think you’ll face in your planning?”

(Post-appeal) “How do you feel your appeal went? Were you meticulous in planning, or did you keep things more flexible? Did that work to your advantage?”

(Post-appeal) “What do you think was the strongest part about your appeal-your attack choice, your synchronicity with your partner, your timing…perhaps something else?”

(Post-appeal) “Do you feel you used the field to the best of your advantage? I know water played a big role, so did that help or hinder you?”

-

Interview by Jules Saint-Michelle (@kalosian-writer​)

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami. Is this your first contest, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating? What drew you to the Wallace Cup this year?”

“Currently? Yes. I’m much more used to Trials and the like, rather than the modern definition of a Contest. It seemed interesting, plus, it reminded me of something from my past. A friend you might say held a Trial similar to this a long time ago and I felt like I should try, for his sake and mine.”

“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?”

“My background is...complicated. You could say I am more of a Pokemon Warrior rather than Trainer. Where I hailed from, fighting alongside your Pokemon was the norm. I don’t know if it’ll give me an advantage, but when your Pokemon are more of an extension of your self maybe we’ll be a little more in sync with each other than current traditional Trainers who simply stand back and order their Pokemon like lords over their soldiers?”

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

“Quite a colourful cast indeed! I am quite excited to see how everyone meets the challenges set before them. I’m sure it’ll be interesting. A for knowing anyone, I am virtually a stranger to everyone, I think...”

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

“Not nervous so much as bemused; there is a bit of a culture gap here I’m afraid, between myself and the others. Let’s just say I am not very current with recent trends or slang....”

“Impressive as you are, we can’t forget your Pokémon and the critical role they play. Could you introduce me to a few of them, or tell me a bit about them? What sort of bond do you have, and how are they handling this contest?”

“One of my dearest and oldest friends is Sionna, my Eevee partner since I was small. Though she is certainly bigger than most Eevees you’ll come across in this day and age -- yes, she’s the one as big as that Houndoom over there -- she;s actually pretty timid and shy...I hope we’ll be all right. Considering what we’ve been through, I’m sure things will be okay. We’ve been together through all sorts of disasters, challenges and hardships, so I think we’ll get through this!”

“How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition?”

“Simple enough: they are my only friends who were willing to put up with this kind of thing when I asked.”

“Do you have any friends, family, or other loved ones here cheering you all on? Or perhaps at home? I know this isn’t a live, televised interview, but is there anything you’d like to tell any of them right now?”

"I’m afraid there isn’t anyone...so any cheering will be my Pokemon who are sitting on the sidelines.”

 “Are there any specific appeal categories you feel you’re best prepared for? What makes you feel confident about that/those categories? Similarly, which categories, if any, are you worried you might get assigned, and why?”

“Well, my team and I have always been pretty versatile. We deal with pretty dangerous situations on a daily basis that needs us thinking on our feet. Although, I am a bit apprehensive if we find ourselves in a category we don’t quite understand...”

“I won’t ask you to reveal them, but have you already started planning general strategy for your Pokémon? Or are you the type who prefers to have all the information before you plan?”

"As I said, we tend to plan on the fly, but we do have something planned...”

 “How are you feeling about performing in this category? What are some challenges you think you’ll face in your planning?”

Original post

“Tell me a bit about yourself, mon ami(e). Is this your first contest, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating? What drew you to the Wallace Cup this year?”

“This is my second contest, actually, so I’m still really new to this. But the Sakura Matsuri contest earlier this year was so much fun, I wanted to do another. And as for why I chose the Wallace Cup specifically...Well, aside from feeling confident enough to go on a stage this big, I’ve admired Wallace as a Coordinator for a long time. And being able to be a part of something he made is like a dream come true~”

“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?”

“I’m a Pokemon Performer! I’ve been Kalos Queen for two years running, so I’m hoping that experience will help me out here. At least in the Appeal round. The Freestyle Round in Showcases are pretty similar to Appeals in Contests. The only big differences are a limit to the pokemon in Appeals, and Showcases encourage showing the bond between Pokemon and Performer as much as showing off a Pokemon’s appeal, and Contests encourage showing off a Pokemon’s Appeal more than anything else. At least that’s how I’ve come to understand it.”

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

“There are people I’ve seen around and heard of. But I haven’t really spoken to anyone here yet. I tend to get so caught up in the performance aspect that I sometimes forget to socialize, oops~ That being said...Everyone here seems really interesting, and I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table! 

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

“Oh, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. I prefer to be able to plan out everything with my pokemon ahead of time. And I’ve tried to do that a bit, but there are so many possibilities that I couldn’t work on everything. But anyway, I’m much more excited than nervous! Being on a large stage like this, and with so many competitors just makes my heart pound!”

“Impressive as you are, we can’t forget your Pokémon and the critical role they play. Could you introduce me to a few of them, or tell me a bit about them? What sort of bond do you have, and how are they handling this contest?”

“Heehee~ Of course I can! They’re resting right now though, so I’ll just tell you about them! Kirari, my Raichu is so excited to be here, and I bet she’ll be over the moon if she’s chosen to switch trainers. She’s a big bundle of energy who just loves making friends! And then I also brought along Kero, my Greninja and ever precious starter! He’s a bit calmer. It’s actually kind of hard to tell how he’s feeling about all this. Then there’s Claira! She’s a Meowstic. She was with me in my last contest too! She’s been mostly sticking to her pokeball, and sleeping, but...that isn’t really anything new with her. And last but not least is my Salamance, Fafnir! He’s not normally a pokemon I use for Showcases or Contests, but he’s definitely trained for them! He’s just a bit...excitable. I guess would be a good word for him.”

“How did you chose the Pokémon partners you’ll be using in this competition?”

“Weeeell...I wanted at least most of my pokemon to be able to maneuver in and or around the water, so I didn’t wind up with a limited area to work with. Kirari’s really the only one without a clear way to deal with it.  Kero is also currently my only water type, and while I want to try to stray away from the expected, I felt that I would have the most flexibility with him. I also chose my team to be able to cover what ever category I was assigned, so I’m pretty confident in that regard. All four of them also work pretty well together so there won’t be a problem with teaming up, and they should work decently with someone else if other people choose them later.”

“Do you have any friends, family, or other loved ones here cheering you all on? Or perhaps at home? I know this isn’t a live, televised interview, but is there anything you’d like to tell any of them right now?”

“I convinced my rival, Kokone, to come watch live! My parents couldn’t make the trip though, so they’ll be watching on TV,”Hopefully anyway, they weren’t told about this. “As for what I’d like to tell them? I’d like to thank them for pushing me to be better, I might not be here otherwise.”

(Pre-appeal) “Are there any specific appeal categories you feel you’re best prepared for? What makes you feel confident about that/those categories? Similarly, which categories, if any, are you worried you might get assigned, and why?”

“I think I’m more or less prepared for any category! But I there’s no denying that my best work is with cuter performances, with clever following that. Honestly, the only possibility I’m a little worried about is if I get assigned a Tough Appeal.

(Pre-appeal) “I won’t ask you to reveal them, but have you already started planning general strategy for your Pokémon? Or are you the type who prefers to have all the information before you plan?”

@kalosian-writer

“Me...? Um, yes, I’d love to do an interview!”

“Excellent! Let’s get down to it, then.Tell me a bit about yourself, mon amie. Is this your first contest, or if it’s not, how long have you been participating? What drew you to the Wallace Cup this year?”

“My name is Shauna! I’m from Kalos~! I’ve done some contests before. This is my second year in the contest circuit, actually! I was even in last year’s Wallace Cup!”

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

“Ahaha, I’m really nervous... Last year I had an accident while doing my appeal, and I’m still a bit of a mess about it. I hope to make up for it this year and impress Wallace with how much I’ve grown...”

“How are you feeling about performing in this category? What are some challenges you think you’ll face in your planning?”

“I don’t know about the clever category... I like puzzles, so I want to do something with that, but I don’t know how to design a performance around it. I’ll figure it out, though~!”

“Thank you very much, Shauna! Good luck!”

“Thank you!”