COMPLETE: [Everyone] The Paxton & Joseph Show (Games universe)

[JFrombaugh]

An idea I got from Lemmy's Land. Various Trainers from the Pokémon universe get grilled with former Champion Joseph and his father Paxton's burning questions.

Each interview is equivalent to a chapter, and will be conducted in a script format (since I feel it makes more sense in the context).

Table of Contents:

Interview #1 - Lillie
Interview #2 - Sina & Dexio
Interview #3 - Bianca​

Interview #4 - Selene (female protagonist of Sun & Moon)
Interview #5 - Steven
Interview #6 - Lusamine
Interview #7 - Cheryl
Interview #8 - Colress
Interview #9 - Volkner
Interview #10 - Professor Oak
Interview #11 - Cynthia
Interview #12 - Mina
Interview #13 - Caitlin
Interview #14 - N
Interview #15 - Blaine

Interview #16 - Wulfric​

Epilogue

Since the Pokémon series has long since declared divergence points from the anime and games, I have created a thread for each timeline. For the equivalent show where I interview characters from the Pokémon anime instead, click here: EVERYONE: - The Paxton & Joseph Show (Anime universe)

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #1 - Lillie

Paxton: Welcome, one and all, to the Paxton and Joseph Show! I’m Paxton.

Joseph: And that would make me Joseph, his son. We’re sorry this took so long, I’ve really been working on my hair, hope you like what I’ve done.

Paxton: I told him 16 different times that his hair looked fine, but he was the one who held everything up, so, thanks. Anyway, each episode we are going to be interviewing a different Trainer.

Joseph: Our first guest today hails from the Alola region. She suffered an abusive childhood, but with the help of Selene she managed to overcome her shyness and fears and become quite a capable girl in her own right. Everyone, please welcome…LILLIE!

(the audience applauds as Lillie walks into the room, in her Z-Powered form, and sits down in the guest chair)

Paxton: Thank you so much for being here tonight. First thing I want to ask you is, was there anything you knew about what your mother Lusamine wanted to do with Nebby that made you decide to run away with it?

Lillie: I knew she wanted to do some sort of experiment with Nebby, but she kept it secret from me exactly what. But I could tell that it was very scared whenever she was around it, and I thought it knew something I didn’t know. But either way, at that point I was just so sick of being treated like a doll by my mother. So I basically just followed my heart on an impulse!

Joseph: Just a few months before that, did Gladion say anything about leaving with Type: Null?

Lillie: In retrospect, I think he did figure it all out before I did. But he left very suddenly, and I wished he had explained things to me rather than just leave me all alone.

Joseph: So what exactly made you decide to trust Nebby with Selene after it evolved?

Lillie: I could tell it really wanted to be with her. Looking back on that day, I think it understood the threat Necrozma and the Ultra Beasts posed to the world, and that was why it wanted to help Selene out in protecting the Alola region from them.

Joseph: It sensed through its psychic senses how strong she was, from day one?

Lillie: I think so.

Paxton: What about your mother? Have you two made amends after getting off to such a rocky start?

Lillie: Yes, she has long since seen the error of her ways. And apologized, both to me and Gladion. And now the two of us spend time with her as well as help her out with her research at Aether Paradise.

(all of a sudden, Faba walks in on the stage)

Faba: This defies all laws of nature! I should be the one being interviewed on this show rather than that silly girl Lillie! Despite my recent setback, I still have faith that I, the great Faba, will someday once again reign supreme amongst all of Alola!

Lillie: (blushing and frowning) You keep quiet! You should be ashamed of yourself, for what you did to my mother, just for your own selfish reasons!

Paxton: SECURITY!

(some guards come in, beat Faba up, and drag him out)

Paxton: Sorry about that. Anyway, different topic. How did you decide what clothes to wear for your “Z-Powered Form”? Is white your favorite color, or did you want to just put your own sort of aesthetic spin on your mother’s outfit?

Lillie: It was kind of a personal rebellion against my mother, as well as symbolizing my newfound confidence. But I do like the color white a lot, so that was the color I bought.

Joseph: The sunlight in Alola is pretty strong, and that hat you used to wear protected you from it. Since you’re very fair-skinned for an Alolan native, did you suddenly start getting bad sunburns when you walked through the Vast Poni Canyon?

Lillie: I bought a lot of SPF 70 sunscreen spray along with Max Repels when I went shopping before going to the clothes store. I always like to be prepared for whatever may come!

Joseph: But why not just buy a different-looking hat?

Lillie: I never liked wearing a hat very much. I only wore it because mother forced me to.

Paxton: I’m all out of questions, so let’s have some from the audience! Seat 61.

Youngster Joey: Which island in Alola is your favorite?

Lillie: Poni Island! I have so many wonderful memories of traveling there with Selene! I like how secluded it is too, compared to the other islands, and Kahuna Hapu has been another inspirational figure for me.

Paxton: Seat 27!

Ace Trainer Jack: You talked about your mother, but how good is your relationship with your brother Gladion, overall?

Lillie: We don’t always see eye to eye, and I feel like he can be insensitive at times, but overall we tended to stick together up until he left with Type:Null. And today, we’re closer than ever!

Paxton: Maybe seat 89?

(no one says anything)

Paxton: I said seat 89!

Guy in seat 89: There is nobody in Seat 89!

Joseph: You are.

Guy in seat 89: Oops.

Paxton: Well, we’re just about out of time anyway, so let’s just end it here. Lillie, thank you for being with us tonight.

Lillie: You’re welcome! Alola!

(audience applauds as she leaves)

Paxton: So join us next time, when we’ll be interviewing Sina and Dexio! Okay, so that’s it, end transmission!

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #2 - Sina & Dexio

Paxton: Welcome, one and all, to the Paxton and Joseph show! I’m Paxton, and this is my son, Joseph. Today the two of us will be interviewing two people, hence why you see two chairs set up here. These two guests on our show work as assistants of Professor Sycamore. They helped Calem and his friends against Team Flare, and also researched Zygarde’s presence in the Alola region. Their names are Sina and Dexio! Or the Masked Heroes, depending on who you ask. They should be here in a few minutes, so let’s take a quick commercial break and then, when we come back, the interview!

(After a Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon commercial, a Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon commercial, and a Pokken Tournament GX commercial, Paxton starts to get worried, as Sina and Dexio have not yet arrived for the interview and the currently-airing Detective Pikachu commercial is the final one of the commercial break.)

Paxton: Where are they?! They’re supposed to come out of that warp panel over there.

Joseph: Oops.

Paxton: Oh no.

Joseph: I think I turned off all of the studio's warp panels.

Paxton: Why?

Joseph: Some Bikers were chasing me, trying to bully me into joining them.

Paxton: So let me guess. You turned off the warp panel that leads from the holding room to the stage, and now Sina and Dexio are repeatedly stepping onto it, trying to use it, but they can’t, thanks to your oversight.

Joseph: It’s not my fault!

Paxton: It never is. Go turn it on!

(as Joseph goes to turn it on, the commercial break is just about to end)

Paxton: Quick, get another commercial on!

Cameraman: We don’t have any others!

Paxton: Okay then. I guess I’ll just have to find some way to improvise.

(as the last commercial ends, the song “Gaslamp Funworks” by Kevin MacLeod starts playing over the speakers, and the camera goes to Paxton, who starts dancing around, looking like a complete idiot)

Joseph: They’re here!

(Sina and Dexio walk onto the stage, see Paxton dancing like an idiot, and start laughing)

Paxton: What? Oh, welcome, Sina and Dexio!

(the music stops)

Paxton: (whispering) Remind me to edit this out, Joseph.

Joseph: Sure.

Paxton: Okay then, let’s get this show on the road!

Sina: Hey, that’s my line!

Paxton: I know. Now, onto the questions. First of all, how did you decide your favorite type of Pokemon to train? Psychic-types in Dexio’s case, Ice-types in Sina’s?

Dexio: I’ve always liked Psychic-types just because they’re more intellectual, and as such I think they suit my personality quite well.

Sina: I just like to muse that I act the opposite of the way you’d expect an Ice-type trainer to act – exuberant and passionate instead of cold and distant!

Joseph: Kind of like Candice from Sinnoh?

Sina: Who is she?

Joseph: Never mind. What are your favorite colors?

Sina: Red!

Dexio: I like blue.

Joseph: Yeah, that was what I thought. So that was how you chose your sunglasses and masks to wear? Just your favorite colors?

Dexio: Correct.

Paxton: Did Professor Sycamore allow you to wear those casual attire outfits while you worked in Alola?

Sina: He wanted us to look as much like tourists as possible so as to avoid drawing attention to the top secret research on Zygarde we were doing.

Dexio: He’s an interesting professor to work for, I’ll tell you that!

Joseph: Did Professor Sycamore order you to help Calem against Team Flare? Or did you just decide to sneak in there while on duty and wear masks so your bosses wouldn’t find out?

Sina: What are you talking about? We were at the lab researching the Kalos Pokedex when we saw the ultimate weapon activated on TV!

Dexio: Oh, Sina…it was a combination of both, really. Professor Sycamore understood how serious the situation was right from the start, and so he trusted us to join in the fight. The masks were just an idea we came up with to tease those five children.

Paxton: And with that, it’s time for questions from the audience! Seat 62.

Tourist Haruto: (squeezing his legs together) Ohhh…where are the restrooms?

Paxton: There aren’t any. Those stupid workers who built this place forgot to put some in. You’ll just have to hold it. Seat 45.

Scientist Rick: While you were in Alola, did you do any research into any possible connection between Z-Moves and Mega Evolution?

Dexio: It's funny you bring that up, that’s actually going to be our next assignment! Since my Alakazam has recently become able to Mega Evolve, for starters, I plan on researching whether it can use Z-Moves as well…if only I can get my hands on a Psychium-Z!

Sina: I personally think there’s a pretty strong possibility that the two are somehow related. After all, there’s so many parallels - both make use of special stones, both require a strong bond between Trainer and Pokemon, and so forth.

Paxton: Maybe Mega Stones and Z-Crystals are fragments of Arceus’ power, his gift to worthy Trainers? It’s certainly a mystery. Last question - Seat 116.

Professor Sycamore: Have you published the results on your research into the existence of Zygarde’s Cells and Cores in Alola yet?

Sina: Sure have! Just dropped the papers on your desk before coming onto this show!

Dexio: I think you’ll be pretty surprised at what we discovered.

Paxton: And that’s the end of this interview. Thank you both for taking the time to come on here, as I know it must be a very busy job!

Sina: We’ll be taking our leave now! Bon voyage!

Paxton: So that wraps it up. Join us next week when we interview a girl from Unova who become a close friend of Gym Leader Cheren. The camera’s running out of battery, so all I’m going to say to you is-

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #3 - Bianca

Paxton: Welcome to the Paxton & Joseph show! Today we’ll be interviewing Bianca of the Unova region!

(As Bianca eagerly runs onto the stage, she nearly trips and ends up knocking over some decorations as well as her chair)

Paxton: Man! Our ratings are down into the single digits!

Bianca: Oh I’m so sorry! So so so sooooo sorry!

(she gets back up and sits in her seat, after some workers straighten everything back up)

Joseph: This is our first interview with somebody from Unova, by the way.

Paxton: Well anyway, let’s get started here. So these days you work as an assistant to Professor Juniper. Can you tell us what it’s like being an assistant to a Pokemon Professor?

Bianca: The pay is good and so are the work benefits, but the hours, and especially minutes, can be pretty lousy, depending on what you’re assigned to do. But either way I love it, because I’m always learning new things about the Unova region’s Pokemon!

Paxton: You ran away from your father to start a journey as a Pokemon Trainer. How were your feelings on that? Was it a bittersweet parting, or did the two of you fight a lot and you kind of did it out of a desire to rebel?

Bianca: My father has always been a strong authoritarian person. He does not sugarcoat his words, and has hurt my feelings time and time again. I just wanted to feel free, to do my own thing, and meet a lot of wonderful people and Pokemon on my own adventure!

Joseph: I understand. My Dad and I aren't always on the same wavelength either.

Paxton: Why you little…!

Joseph: (quickly) But you’ve long since made up with each other, haven’t you?

Bianca: Oh yes! He understood how harsh he was being and apologized to me. In fact, becoming an assistant to Professor Juniper was his suggestion to me.

Joseph: Alright, so we’ve talked about your father…but what about your mother? We haven’t really heard much about her. What does she do for a living?

Bianca: These days my mother just tidies up around our house. Back when I was on my journey with Cheren she used to drive an ambulance, but she got fired for driving on the sidewalk.

Joseph: Wait, WHAT?!

Bianca: There was a huge traffic jam caused by a wreck on Castelia City’s surface streets. So, figuring time was of the essence, she tried to drive the ambulance on the sidewalk, and after nearly running over a man carrying a bunch of rubber chickens and coming within an inch of hitting two construction workers carrying a sheet of plate glass, she was stopped by the local authorities and relieved of her duties.

Paxton: Wow. Sounds like you might have inherited some of your carelessness from your mother’s side of the family…

Bianca: Hey, be nice! Clumsy girls have feelings too, you know!

Paxton: Sorry, I was just joking.

Joseph: So here’s something else I thought of. Have you ever noticed the parallels between the story about truth and ideals compared to you and Cheren?

Bianca: What do you mean?

Joseph: You had to face the truth that not everybody can become a strong Trainer, while Cheren had the ideal of wanting to become as strong as possible.

Bianca: I never thought about it that way, but yes, I’ve long since accepted that being strong isn’t everything. As long as you’re surrounded by friends and Pokemon with whom you can make laugh and smile, that’s all good!

Joseph: Tell that to Hugh…or Silver for that matter.

Paxton: Well, I’ve reached the end of my list of questions…

Joseph: Me too.

Paxton: …So does the audience have any more they want to ask? Yes, seat 84!

Preschoooler Oliver: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Paxton: Questions for BIANCA, I mean!

(about half the audience’s hands go down)

Paxton: Seat 22…er, I mean, seat 23, I mean 24, whoops, 34…STOP SKATING UP AND DOWN THE ROWS!

Roller Skater Jay: Sorry!

Paxton: Well anyway, what’s your question?

Roller Skater Jay: Did you pick those glasses out because Cheren once wore them?

Bianca: It turned out Cheren doesn’t need them anymore, so he let me use those same frames for my own pair of glasses.

Paxton: Seat 128.

Aroma Lady Rosa: Which of the three Unova Pokemon traditionally chosen to start a Trainers’ journey with is your favorite?

Bianca: Tepig and its evolutions! I like how Emboar is kind of like a wrestler with a soft heart.

Paxton: And that’s all we have time for, so we’ve gotta let you go, Bianca. Thank you for being with us tonight!

Bianca: Thank you, thank you! It was AMAZING to be here! I can hardly believe it, and–ow!

(Bianca trips over the stairs leading off the stage)

Bianca: I’m alright, I’m alright! Thank you!

Paxton: Join us next time when we’ll be doing a really special interview…Selene, the first ever Champion of the newly-built Pokemon League in the Alola region! Until then, good night…and enjoy Wheel of Fortune, on right after this!

Joseph: I’ve already watched last night’s “Metropolitan Mutant of Ark” miss-solve about 60 times on YouTube.

 

[diamondpearl876]

So I don't watch the anime, but I do enjoy the gameverse, so. You've got some nice headcanon ideas in here, and similarly, I like that you explore characters outside of what was presented to them in the games. You do a good job staying in character for them, too, especially with Lillie! I suppose if I had anything to critique, it'd be that the interviews seem to end abruptly. Topics bounce constantly (aside from Lillie's interview, which had a fair amount of family-related questions that I enjoyed) and just when I think Joseph and Paxton are getting into things, the interview ends. Looking forward to more!

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #4 - Selene

Note: Most people refer to the female protagonist of SM & USUM as “Moon”, but TV Tropes lists her real name as Selene, and therefore that’s the name I will be referring to her as in this interview.

Paxton: Welcome, one and all, to the Paxton and Joseph show! I’m Paxton, and this is my son Joseph. Today we’ve got a very special guest appearing on our show. She was not only the first ever Champion of the Alola region (a title she still holds today), but she was also the Trainer who saved Alola from the encroaching darkness, which of course turned out to be Necrozma. Please welcome the one and only SELENE!

(Applause from the audience as Selene makes her way onto the stage and sits in the guest chair. She is wearing her outfit from Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, with her orange flower shirt and braids.)

Paxton: Okay Selene, thank you for being here. How are you doing tonight?

Selene: I’m a little nervous as this is my first time being interviewed on a TV show. I’m actually pretty shy. But I’ll be okay.

Paxton: So first things first, can you tell us a little about the team of six Pokemon who you befriended on your journey who helped you attain that coveted Champon title?

Selene: Of course! First off, Decidueye was the Pokemon I originally began my journey with and has since grown into a strong battler. I picked Rowlet on Route 1 because I thought it was cute.

Joseph: I think Incineroar fits Professor Kukui very well too, and I could see Popplio bonding with Hau, given how he’s always happy yet started working really hard to become stronger later on in your journey.

Selene: I got a special Rockruff from Professor Kukui shortly after I graduated from the Pokemon School, which happened to evolve at sunset into a new form of Lycanroc which Professor Kukui has dubbed “Dusk Form”. An Eevee hatched from the Egg that the Akala Island Day Care people gave to me, and after I had fully earned its trust, it evolved into an Umbreon one night just before I went to bed.

Joseph: Since Hau got an Eevee as well, I think it’s only fair that you did, too.

Selene: Oranguru and Sandslash I caught in Lush Jungle and Tapu Village, respectively, and I feel that they round out my team nicely. And finally, I befriended a Jangmo-o in Vast Poni Canyon, because I think it recognized my newfound bravery and that I was on a quest to save Alola from Necrozma. It has since evolved into a Kommo-o.

Paxton: I thought you also caught Nebby, after it evolved into a Lunala?

Selene: Nebby was more of a temporarily befriended Legendary Pokemon that I never actually used in battles. It wanted to be with me because it wanted to see our world firsthand, and after I defeated Team Rainbow Rocket, I waved a sad goodbye to it as it was time for it to finally go back to its home world.

Joseph: Wow, so that’s quite the all-star cast of Pokemon you’ve got there!

Selene: Thanks! Three of my Pokemon have also mastered their unique Z-Moves as well!

Joseph: So, as someone who is originally from Kanto but who moved to Alola, what are some of the things you like about the Alola region compared to Kanto?

Selene: I just love the overall beauty of nature in Alola, especially the blue skies and blue seas, all the tropical flowers blooming everywhere, and the gorgeous night skies with lots of stars. And in many ways I enjoyed the Island Challenge as well – I learned so many things about Alola’s culture just by going through it!

Joseph: And are there any things about Kanto that you miss, which make you feel homesick?

Selene: I guess I kind of miss having seasons. And that house I grew up in before we moved will always hold a special place in my heart.

Paxton: Out of all of the eight Totem Pokemon you faced, which did you find the most difficult?

Selene: Either Togedemaru or Lurantis. Both had some very interesting strategies with the ally Pokemon they called, and gave me quite a bit of trouble!

(suddenly, a grunt from Team Rainbow Rocket walks in)

Grant: Wahahaha! You didn’t really think Team Rainbow Rocket was finished for good, did you? Our Boss’s plan, we can resurrect from the start. But I don’t wanna wait until then! It’s high time I got my revenge on you, Selene, by stomping the living daylights out of you in front of all these people!

Paxton: Uhhh…security?

Cameraman: They won’t answer you now. They’re all watching the Winter Olympics. Every security guard’s in front of a TV.

Paxton: Ugh, it figures. In that case, Joseph, could you improvise for me?

(Joseph challenges the Team RR Grunt to a Pokemon battle. His Torterra, having a type advantage, makes quick work of the Grunt’s Poison-type Pokemon. The Grunt then hands Joseph some money and leaves quietly)

Selene: Wow, you’re pretty strong!

Joseph: I was a Champion at one time too, you know.

Selene: Really? In which region?

Joseph: Sinnoh. Cynthia eventually challenged me to a rematch and reclaimed her title, though. But anyway, this interview isn’t about me. So, my next question about you is, how more or less did you and Lillie become so close over your journey?

Selene: We’re both pretty similar in many ways, except that I never had her initial dislike of seeing Pokemon get hurt. So she admired how I was able to bond with my Pokemon despite that and how, by going through the Island Challenge, I grew from being kind of a shy outsider into the confident Pokemon Trainer I am now. She told me that her Z-Powered Form was inspired by her desire to be more like me.

Paxton: As opposed to Hau, who more wanted to be your rival?

Selene: Yeah...he's a nice guy, but I wish he'd slow down a little sometimes!

Paxton: Now what does the audience want to know?

Audience: EVERYTHING!!!

Paxton: About Selene!

Audience: ALMOST EVERYTHING!!!

Paxton: Well, let’s start with seat 54, shall we?

Dancer Luna: Did you like helping out Professor Kukui with the Alola Pokedex and other things?

Selene: He’s very knowledgeable about Pokemon, and he really surprised me at how good of a Trainer he was when he challenged me at the Pokemon League one day. But part of me kind of wishes he didn't always go "Woo!" the way he does…trust me, it gets annoying faster than I think he realizes.

Paxton: Now let’s see what Seat 109 has to say.

Seat 109: Hello!

Paxton: A talking seat?!

Seat 109: Yeah…

Paxton: I’m not calling on that seat again. Seat 20.

Rising Star Joshua: What was your favorite feature of the Rotom Pokedex?

Selene: That's hard to say, there's a lot of great features it has. If I had to choose, I guess the Roto Loto, because of all the useful powers it can give you. And just in general, I liked having Rotom as a partner to talk to! It helped keep me from feeling lonely on my journey.

Paxton: And last but not least, seat 4!

Surfer Robb: I heard you got to try Mantine Surfing. How was it?

Selene: I’ll admit it - I was pretty scared. But hey, at least I made it to Akala Island alive!

Paxton: And I’m afraid we have to stop here, because we’ve run out of time. Thank you for taking the time to be with us tonight!

Selene: It was a pleasure!

(Selene leaves)

Paxton: Be sure to tune in to our next interview, hff-pff, which will be with another regional Champion, hff-pff, Steven of the Hoenn region, hff-pff. I expect, hff-pff, interview, hff-pff, worth watching, hff-pff, because, hff-pff, I, hff-pff…GET AWAY FROM THE MICROPHONE HOENN GLASS WORKSHOP BOY! END TRANSMISSION!!!

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #5 - Steven

(The audience is already assembled, and Paxton is sitting in his chair, but Joseph is nowhere to be seen)

Paxton: Where is Joseph?! I can’t start the interview without him!

Meanwhile, at Joseph’s house, in his room, Joseph is playing some kind of online RPG on his computer. He then accidentally checks the time and date on the in-game clock.

Joseph: AAAHH! I have an interview to do!

(He quickly makes up an excuse to get out of the group dungeon he was going to do, logs out, and hops on his bicycle to ride to the studio)

Back at the studio, a few minutes later….

Paxton: Well, I guess I’ll just have to do this interview without him. Our guest tonight hails from the Hoenn region, where he was once the Champion before his throne was usurped by Brendan. Please welcome…Steven Stone!

(Steven walks in to the applause of the audience)

Paxton: Thank you so much for taking the time to be with us, er, I mean, me, tonight.

Steven: Happy to be here!

Paxton: So, anyway Steven, I apologize in advance, but my son decided he’d rather stay home and sleep, or play video games, or something like that. Anyway, my first question is-

(Joseph runs onto the stage, gasping for breath)

Joseph: Sorry I’m late, Dad…I forgot we had an interview tonight…

Paxton: There you are Joseph! Where have you been?! Steven’s already here and we’re just about to start the interview!

Joseph: Sorry! Won’t happen again…

Paxton: Hmph. Well anyway, let’s get on with the interview, we’ve wasted far too much time already. So Steven, I hear one of your favorite hobbies is searching for rare stones. So, what’s your favorite type of stone to collect?

Steven: Either fossils or meteorites. Both feel like important parts of our universe’s history!

Paxton: How come you decided to resurrect your Armaldo and Cradily from the fossils you found them in, rather than just holding onto them as part of your collection?

Steven: I already have a Claw and Root Fossil in my fossil collection. The second of each I wanted to revive so that I could assist the research going on at Devon Corporation.

Joseph: Between Team Aqua and Team Magma, which would you say you sympathized with more, if either one?

Steven: Both had valid arguments and noble intentions, but their methods were problematic. I’m just glad the feud between Kyogre and Groudon is over so that Hoenn can go back to being the peaceful place it once was!

Paxton: How did you and the Gym Leader of Sootpolis City, Wallace, first meet each other?

Steven: We met through my father’s network with Devon. He realized that the two of us share a lot of common traits, such as our interest in the natural world, and so we talked about things like the legends of Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza. And that was how I knew about the Red and Blue Orbs beforehand.

Joseph: I heard some rumors that Devon is trying to make some sort of device to translate Pokemon speak. How is that going?

Steven: Not too well, I’m afraid. Actually translating Pokemon speech is proving to be much more difficult than scientists predicted.

Joseph: When I visited Hoenn, I made a couple of Secret Bases – one in Granite Cave, and another in an island cave on Route 126. Did you ever get into the whole Secret Base stuff when you were just a kid?

Steven: No, it didn’t really become popular until after I was an adult.

Joseph: I still wonder why it’s only really become popular in Hoenn and Sinnoh…

Paxton: A mystery to be pondered some other time. For now, it’s time for questions from the audience! The Lass in seat 115!

Lass Crissy: Have you ever considered becoming a Gym Leader, like Wallace is?

Steven: Nah. I feel like I’ve had quite enough adventure for the time being and just want to go back to assisting Devon’s research.

Paxton: Seat 154!

Scientist Dennis: I hear it’s recently been discovered that Mega Evolution actually puts quite a bit of stress on the Pokemon that undergo it. Did you find that your Metagross became uncontrollable for awhile when you first tried to Mega Evolve it?

Steven: I could definitely tell that it became much more violent the first few times I tried to Mega Evolve it, but after awhile, it got used to it and our bonds were already pretty deep as it was.

Paxton: And I'm afraid that’s all we have time for tonight, due in part to my son’s truancy. Thank you so much for being here, as I know you must have a very busy life!

Steven: It was no problem, really.

(Steven leaves)

Paxton: Well anyway, my computer is broken, so we don’t know who we’ll be interviewing next. Sorry!

Audience: BOOOOOOO! (starts throwing cans at Joseph and Paxton)

Paxton: Whuh-oh! Better get out of here, quickly!

Joseph: And this is Joseph saying, good night!

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #6 - Lusamine

Paxton: Welcome everybody! Today’s interview is with the president of the Aether Foundation in the Alola region, who thankfully has mellowed out considerably ever since the events involving her children and Necrozma. Please welcome Lusamine!

(Scattered applause from the audience, some of which still remember her dark past, as Lusamine walks in and takes her seat)

Paxton: Thank you for taking the time to be on our show, as I understand that your job is very busy.

Lusamine: It’s the least I can do to make amends for all the horrible things that I did.

Paxton: So, to start off with, what have you been doing to make amends with your children? I would imagine that it must’ve been a pretty traumatic experience for them.

Lusamine: After apologizing to Lillie for misunderstanding her empathy for Pokemon, I called Gladion and told him that I have come to understand his need to be alone sometimes, and how I used to look at Type: Null in the laboratory and, in retrospect, I finally understood how it was in so much pain, from the mask it was made to wear to contain its immense power. Nowadays, my beautiful children receive my undivided love and care, and I allow them to assist in the research of the Ultra Wormholes the Aether Foundation is continuing to conduct, and even play with the Pokemon in Aether Paradise from time to time.

Joseph: So what was your biggest takeaway from all of this? I mean, what have you learned about being a parent and president of a company dedicated to Pokemon conservation?

Lusamine: I understand now that to truly be not only a loving mother but also well-respected as the head of a conservation organization like the Aether Foundation, you must show compassion. You must truly be able and willing to see issues from the viewpoints of those you care about in order to understand the pain and suffering of others.

Joseph: So, going back to how you felt before you ventured into Ultra Space to defeat Necrozma, your biggest resentment towards your children at the time was that you felt like they had abandoned you by running away?

Lusamine: I felt like I had tried my hardest to do everything that a good mother could do, by showering them with love and attention, but it just so happens that my children are more introverted types and in many ways very different from myself, and I didn’t truly see things through their eyes until now.

Paxton: So how did you meet the Ultra Recon Squad and convince them to help you in your endeavors to open an Ultra Wormhole?

Lusamine: After my husband had disappeared, I started to become obsessed with finding him once more so that the two of us could be reunited. Those mysterious people in space suits came to Aether Paradise one morning, and, seemingly confused, proceeded to tell me the story about how they were from Ultra Space, and how Necrozma had stolen the light of their own world. When I read the legends about Necrozma and how it had once stolen Alola’s light as well, I thought that it was the Pokemon responsible for the loss of my husband. So I began a series of experiments using a Cosmog that one of my employees had found, and enlisted the help of Guzma and his Team Skull, to find ways to open an Ultra Wormhole.

Paxton: And now, we'll take a quick break and cut to a commercial!

Aether Foundation Employee: Come and visit the fifth island in the Alola region, Aether Paradise! It has been artifically developed as a save haven for all Pokemon to live in harmony under the deep compassion of our president, Miss Lusamine. Special discounts available for children who are visitikng as part of a school field trip to learn about our conservation efforts.

Singers: Aether, aether, aether foundation!

Voiceover: This is the end of our commercial break. We now return you to the Paxton and Joseph show, currently in progress.

Paxton: So, that commercial you just saw is part of Aether Paradise’s new promotional reel. Lusamine only agreed to come on our show for an interview if we agreed to air it. But anyway, let’s get back to the interview. Now that our viewers at home have seen pictures of Aether Paradise, can you give us a couple of interesting facts about the place?

Lusamine: The entire structure is 205 feet tall from top to bottom, including the laboratories, which are actually underwater. On the top level of Aether Paradise is the conservation area, which is 3.5 acres in size and has a wide variety of custom-engineered climate control options to suit the Pokemon living there. Also on the top level is my family’s living quarters, which are thankfully back to normal after Faba’s treachery.

Paxton: Do you remember anything about what happened when you were injected with Ultra Beast toxins during that takeover by Team Rainbow Rocket? Like which Ultra Beast it was, what emotions you felt, and the like?

Lusamine: I sincerely wish that I did, but my memories of that time are…hazy, at best.

Paxton: Whew. We’ve talked about quite a lot of stuff already, but does the audience have any more questions they want to ask Lusamine? Yes, you in seat 9!

Preschooler Madison: I didn’t have a question.

Paxton: Then why did you raise your hand?

Preschooler Madison: You only raise your hand if you want to ask a question?

Paxton: Uhhh, yes. Seat 135.

Psychic Tommy: I didn’t have a question.

Paxton: Then why did you raise your hand?!

Psychic Tommy: My Alakazam is mad at me, it’s keeping my hand held up with its psychic powers for some reason. See? I’m trying to put my hand down, but I can’t!

Paxton: Oh for the love of…Seat 74!

Ace Trainer Alexis: I didn’t have a question.

Paxton: THEN WHY DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND?!

Ace Trainer Alexis: Just to annoy you.

Paxton: ARGH! Who here actually HAS a question?!

(almost all of the hands go down)

Paxton: Oh boy. Seat 44.

Aether Foundation Employee: President Lusamine, when will you give me a raise?

Lusamine: When you complete your currently assigned project.

Paxton: Seat 87.

Artist Andy: Why did you decide to paint Aether Paradise all white?

Lusamine: White is such a beautiful color. I like how it gives Aether Paradise the impression of being a very sterile place, and how, as a color, white symbolizes light as well.

Paxton: Well anyway, we’re running a little over our time limit now, so we’ll have to end the interview here. Thank you for being with us tonight Lusamine, and good luck with Aether Paradise in the future!

Lusamine: Thank you for your kind words of encouragement!

(Lusamine leaves)

Paxton: So, join us next time when we interview a lady from the Sinnoh region who specialized in training Pokemon with…

(While Paxton is speaking, an Ultra Wormhole suddenly opens up right there in the studio. A Buzzwole comes through it, and starts punching the walls of the studio in a fury, causing electricity to fly everywhere and the lights to flicker)

Paxton: Oh no!

(people in the audience start screaming and running for the exits)

Paxton: Joseph, try to hold off the Ultra Beast for awhile while I go get Lusamine and see if she can help us!

(Joseph sends out his Clefable to fight the Buzzwole)

Joseph: Clefable, use Moonblast!

(Clefable hits the Buzzwole with a super-effective Moonblast, which works…for a second. Then the Buzzwole gets even more angry and uses Vital Throw, throwing Clefable into some lights up on the roof)

Lusamine: (running back in) Here, Joseph, take this Beast Ball and use it to capture this beast! We must not allow the Ultra Beasts to invade our world once more!

(the lights go out while Joseph continues trying to subdue the Buzzwole so that it can be captured and returned to Ultra Space)

Paxton: Well, just in case we’re still transmitting, though I don’t think we will be for much longer, this is Paxton saying to you guys-

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #7 - Cheryl

Paxton: Welcome everybody to the Paxton and Joseph show! For those of you how saw our interview with Lusamine, don't worry, it's all sorted out. The Ultra Wormhole was just the result of a miscalculation of an experiment at Aether Paradise and there was no malicious intent behind it. Lusamine has informed me that she made a second staff shuffle the next day. Sadly, from what I can tell, Faba still works as an Intern there.

Joseph: I can't help but wonder if he had anything to do with this latest incident...

Paxton: Anyway, now that our ratings have risen back into the double digits, we’ve been able to install some new special effects that will play when our guest for the night walks in, which we’ll be using for the first time on tonight’s show.

Joseph: Congratulations by the way, Dad.

Paxton: Thanks. Now, tonight’s guest came to us and asked to be interviewed, because she remembers meeting Joseph during his time training to become a Pokemon Master, yet she isn’t particularly well known in her home region of Sinnoh compared to some of the Gym Leaders and Elite Four members. So please welcome…Cheryl!

(Cheryl walks on stage, and as she does, a bunch of stage lights start flashing and making some cool patterns. Then they suddenly short out.)

Worker: Flaming Miltank lips! I think I broke a nail! Looks like I broke the special effects too…sorry!

(Paxton angrily mutters to himself)

Paxton: Well, thank you for being with us tonight Cheryl, and sorry you had to see that.

Cheryl: Thanks, and don’t worry!

Joseph: First off, how’s it going, Cheryl? Haven’t seen you in awhile!

Cheryl: Pretty well, I like to enjoy my nature walks in Eterna Forest now that Team Galactic are no longer a threat.

Paxton: So Cheryl, you’re the first Trainer I’ve ever met that actually likes to focus on Pokemon with high HP and healing moves. Can you tell us a little about how you decided to become this way?

Cheryl: I have always hated seeing Pokemon get hurt in battles, especially under the command of Trainers who couldn’t care less about their Pokemon. When I saw Nurse Joy and her Chansey, I was inspired to find and catch one myself. And so I felt better about the idea of training Pokemon as long as I could have her healing abilities on my side.

Paxton: But what about some of your other partners besides Chansey who just have high HP?

Cheryl: I just have always found battling to be a chore, even if sometimes I like to pretend otherwise when I’m around another Pokemon Trainer. I like to take care of battles with as little harm to my dear Pokemon as possible, so Pokemon like Wobbuffet work really well in a 2 vs 2 battle with Chansey!

Joseph: So…what have you been doing ever since Lucas saved you from Eterna Forest?

Cheryl: Training to get stronger, and hunting treasures around Sinnoh.

Joseph: Hunting treasures?!

Cheryl: I come from a family of treasure hunters, but I haven’t actually found anything myself yet as I’m just now getting started. I first wanted to make sure that I had a team of able Pokemon who could heal me, as well as each other, if I got into any difficulty.

Paxton: Is there anything about Eterna Forest that attracts you to it?

Cheryl: I just like being out in nature and surrounded by lush green beauty. Many people move to Sinnoh for the winter activities like skiing, but as a native I have always had an appreciation for the region's beauty in the summertime.

Joseph: You know, I really miss the natural beauty of Sinnoh too. I was born in Kanto like my father, but since we moved to Sinnoh when I was five and I went on to become a Champion there at the age of ten, I consider myself to be “from” Sinnoh. But we moved back to Kanto to get this interview show started, since it has bigger cities and a much higher population.

Paxton: I tried to get a studio in Jubilife City, but no such luck.

Cheryl: Oh, and one more thing I have been doing: I’ve also been trying to see how Floaroma Town’s specialty Honey attracts wild Pokemon!

Joseph: That’s right, I remember being able to use it on trees to attract a wild Pokemon to them. Oh, the memories…

Cheryl: Eterna Forest is a great place to experiment with that, as it has so many trees and wild Pokemon living in it.

(Suddenly a buzzer-type sound goes off)

Worker: What’s going on? Is there a fire?

Paxton: Nope. That sound means that it’s time for questions from the audience! Seat 36.

Collector Julian: Why is your hair so green?

Cheryl: Because the strands of hair reflect green light, which your eyes take in, making my hair appear green.

Collector Julian: That doesn’t answer my question at all!

Paxton: Too bad! Seat 213.

Skier Lexie: Who, out of the Gym Leaders and other Trainers who frequent the Battleground, would you say you’re best friends with?

Cheryl: I’m a fairly close friend of Gardenia’s, because she has some knowledge of Sinnoh’s forests as well, being a Grass-type specialist. And Marley shares a lot of my inner insecurities as well, even if she can be blunt with her words sometimes.

Paxton: And that will conclude this interview. Thanks for being with us tonight, Cheryl!

Cheryl: It was a pleasure. And Joseph, I hope you go on to do ever greater things in your future!

Joseph: Thanks, Cheryl! I won’t let you down!

(Cheryl leaves)

Paxton: Just so you guys know, I’ll be out of town for the next Interview, which means that Joseph will be taking over for me for that evening. Unfortunately that also means I can’t announce who he’ll interview, sorry, but I’d rather not call off our next show, so I’ll be sure to work something out. And now, a word from our sponsor.

Sponsor: ……

Paxton: Make that no words.

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #8 - Colress

Joseph: Welcome, everybody, to the Paxton and Joseph show! At least, that’s what I’d be saying to you guys if Paxton was here. He’s attending a conference in Hoenn this week, and he’s going to be getting back late at night tonight. But he still wants to do this interview, so he trusted me to do it for him. (deep breaths) Arceus, help me do this. I mean, the guest to be interviewed tonight is Colress, one of the world’s top scientists on Pokemon and a former member of Team Plasma.

(Colress walks in to a mix of applause and booing)

Joseph: Thanks for stopping by, Colress. Sorry my Dad isn’t here.

Colress: That’s acceptable by me.

Joseph: Okay then, let’s see here. First question: Why did you decide to join Team Plasma anyway?

Colress: I’m afraid I fell for Ghetsis’s lie that Pokemon would be happier if they were liberated from their Trainers. So while I joined Team Plasma at an early date of its existence due to having seen how unhappy Pokemon owned by authoritarian trainers were, I kept a low profile from Hilbert and his friends during those first two years. While I was part of Team Plasma, I learned many things about the power of Pokemon from our former leader, N. So I became curious about how to bring out the true potential of a Pokemon’s power, and so that was what I decided to dedicate my research to.

Joseph: So did you decide to leave Team Plasma after you discovered that Ghetsis had lied to you all, and just wanted to keep all Pokemon for himself?

Colress: Yes, I must say, I was quite outraged. And I have never forgiven him since! And that was how I realized that his ways were wrong, and that perhaps, the true source of a Pokemon’s power lies within its bond with its Trainer!

Joseph: Okay, enough about your time with Team Plasma. What have you been researching in the Alola region these days?

Colress: Much the same things, but without the burden of an iron-fisted overlord. Things such as the power of Pokemon Z-Moves, Ultra Wormholes, and the mysterious energies that appear as auras when a Totem Pokemon enters battle during one of Alola’s so-called trials!

Joseph: Have you looked into the energies of Mega Stones as well to see if there’s any connection?

Colress: Yes, but I have been unable to prove any theories of Mega Evolution and Z-Moves being connected thus far.

Joseph: If I remember correctly, you also assisted Lillie when she was held hostage by an incarnation of Ghetsis where he suceeeded in fulfilling his selfish dreams. Do you have any idea how Faba & Giovanni might have pulled off such an elaborate scheme to tap into various timelines of our universe in order to create Team Rainbow Rocket?

Colress: You’d think so, but no. The Ultra Wormholes and dimensions of time between this world and other parallel universes to ours are oddities that the scientific community is just beginning to understand.

Joseph: Well, that’s all the questions I wanted to ask Colress. So, audience members, do you have any more questions? Yes, seat 82.

Scientist Watson: Master Colress, will you give me a raise?

Colress: No! Besides, your current contract as a field technician is just about to end.

Joseph: Seat 108.

Beauty Shirley: Did you have any role in creating Genesect, the artificial Pokemon?

Colress: Indeed I did. I was one of the leading developers on the project, researching how to best use computer drives to simulate the various elemental types of Pokemon.

Joseph: Well, anyway. I know I’m cutting this interview a bit short here, but I just want to make sure we end things safely. So Colress, thank you for being with us tonight, and-

Colress: Hang on! The only reason I agreed to come on this silly show was because Ghetsis was supposed to show up. Now all those bombs my comrades planted in the studio will go to waste!

Joseph: Uhm…when are these bombs set to go off, exactly?

Colress: Immediately after the show ends.

(Colress walks off stage)

Loudspeaker: Ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to end. Please collect your belongings and evacuate.

(the audience members run screaming out of the studio in a panic)

Joseph: Be sure to tune in to our next interview, if there even is one! Oh, what do I do, what do I do?...I’ll call Dad!

Loudspeaker: It’s time to end the show!

Joseph: No! My Dad’s watch says we still have two minutes left!

Loudspeaker: Sorry to burst your bubble, but your Dad’s watch is off by three minutes. The official Kanto time is 8:01 PM, not 7:58 PM. We’re cutting into Jeopardy’s time. The show has to end now.

KA-BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM! BANG!!! KA-BLAM!!! BLAMMO!!! Tinkle!

An hour later, at Joseph’s house…

Joseph: Phew! Got out of there just in time and with just a couple scrapes! But what am I going to say to my Dad…?

(Paxton suddenly comes bursting in through the door)

Paxton: I can’t believe this, Joseph! I leave you alone for one interview and you blow up the studio! Do you know how much this is going to cost us?! You owe me.

Joseph: But Dad, it wasn’t my fault! Colress had these bombs planted in the studio to try and trick Ghetsis, and-

Paxton: (suddenly smiling) Don’t worry, my son. You don’t have to worry about paying me back…

Joseph: Phew…

Paxton: …because I “relieved” you of the necessary funds from your piggy bank, safe, and bank account! Now good night, Joseph, sweet dreams.

(Paxton walks into his bedroom and closes the door)

Joseph: I hate my life.

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #9 - Volkner

(the studio is still in a shambles, with holes in the wall and power cables hanging from the ceiling, but it looks like Paxton and Joseph have decided to finally reopen it for an interview)

Paxton: Welcome everybody, to the Paxton and Joseph Show! You’ll have to excuse the state the studio is in today. We had to repair it after last interview’s unfortunate incident, and the workers are…having some difficulties, as you can see.

Joseph: Remind me never to invite Colress on to this show for an interview again…

Paxton: Audience members in the back rows who are just now walking in, you might wanna duck your heads, low hanging wires…however, all this will not stop me from doing my job. I’ve scheduled an interview for today and I intend to do it. Tonight’s guest, ironically enough, is a user of Electric-type Pokemon. He runs the Gym of Sinnoh’s Sunyshore City, which opened a few years ago after Lucas helped him rediscover his passion for Pokemon battling. Please welcome the one and only Volkner!

(Volkner walks in)

Paxton: Hello there, Volkner. Thank you for taking the time out of your hectic schedule as a Gym Leader to be with us tonight. I apologize for the sorry state of the studio this evening.

Volkner: No worries. I know just how time-consuming wiring up an electrical system can be.

Paxton: Yes, and we’ll talk more about that as the interview proceeds. But first, let me ask you this: why did you decide to train Electric-type Pokemon rather than, say, Steel-type Pokemon? Electric-types are known for being quite a handful to train and full of energy! (No pun intended.)

Volkner: Well, I wanted to be a Gym Leader from a very young age, and I wanted the motif of my Gym to fit my nerdier side. I’ve always had an interest in mechanical things, but only one type specialist is allowed be a Gym Leader at any given time within a single given region. Byron has been Sinnoh’s Steel-type Gym Leader for quite awhile now, so I decided to see if I could train Electric-types despite my withdrawn nature, and…there you have it!

Joseph: That was kind of my logic behind wanting a Magnezone on my team.

Paxton: I don’t know if the two of you have met before, but Elesa, the Electrric-type Gym Leader of the Unova region, is actually pretty similar – even though she’s pretty quiet in temperament, she’s always liked roller coasters and fashion, and that was how she decided to design her Gym.

Volkner: No, I haven’t met Elesa, but I’ve seen her in beauty ads before, and she does look pretty sexy!

(assorted muttering in the audience)

Joseph: Okay, changing the subject before this show goes beyond a PG rating. How did you and Flint, the Fire-type specialist of the Sinnoh League’s Elite Four, get to know each other?

Volkner: It was a pretty textbook case of opposite attraction, really. Flint definitely fits the stereotype of a hot-headed Fire-type Trainer who ironically always gets really tired out after a battle, which he likes to joke about being “burned out”. I, on the other hand, have often compared my energy levels to a sort of battery - drained by social interaction, but yet I get charged up by an intense battle!

Paxton: So let’s talk little bit about Sunyshore City. I hear you had a part in engineering the solar panel project that the city is famous for. Can you tell us a little more about that?

Volkner: Sinnoh as a whole is highly known for being a major producer of energy throughout the whole Pokemon world. Although the coal mining industry is still booming in places like Oreburgh City, we’ve become more concerned over the years about the effects of climate change. Since Sunyshore City is so named for the high number of sunny days it receives per year due to the prevailing wind pattern, I used my knowledge of electrical systems to design the blueprints for solar panels, while some other members of the board thought it’d be cool to actually incorporate them into the bridges around town, to give it a little flair.

(suddenly a Burglar appears on stage, trying to pocket various items from around the studio)

Burglar Chris: This is the perfect opportunity for my robbery, nobody’s going to be in this wrecked studio for awhile, and-huh?

(He realizes there’s actually a live show going on and he’s on stage)

Burglar Chris: D’oh!

Joseph: SECURITY!!!

Paxton: That’s my line.

Joseph: Oh, right.

(Joseph, anyway, because he called in security, sends out his Magnezone and paralyzes the Burglar with a Thunder Wave. This allows the guards to take back the items that the Burglar had already stolen, before they drag him out)

Volkner: Well, I’d say that was quite shocking.

Joseph: Yeah, I don’t know watt that Burglar was thinking.

Volkner: I wouldn’t want to be in his current situation.

Joseph: I bet he can’t wait to go…hehehe…OHM!

Paxton: Okay, enough, you two. Let’s get back to the interview. So, one of the major issues you struggled with during your early days as a Gym Leader was finding the job boring, because almost nobody, at first, was able to actually defeat you in battle. Is this a testament to how strong you are as a Gym Leader, or how weak most Trainers in Sinnoh are? Or maybe a little of both?

Volkner: Looking back on that day, I think maybe I just had a run of bad luck, to be honest. I’ve since learned that a lot of weak challengers to Gyms, generally speaking, are nevertheless overconfident and think they can beat you, but I found that to especially be true when I was just starting out. I had already trained my Pokemon to be real powerhouses before even applying to be a Gym Leader, so I had no idea how much stronger I was compared to the other Gym Leaders in the region. All I can say is that I’m glad Lucas came along when he did, and showed me the true meaning of an exhilarating battle in which the strength of your Pokemon and your strategies of battling are really put to the test!

Paxton: And that’s the end of our script…so let’s take a couple more questions from the audience! Let’s see…who is that way back in the very back of the audience in Seat 216?

Youngster Noah: A youngster who just won the lottery!

Paxton: Cool! What was the reward?

Youngster Noah: 1,000 Pokedollars.

Paxton: That’s not that great of a prize…

Youngtser Noah: Hey, my ticket only cost 2,000 Pokedollars!

Paxton: Just ask a question, and then retake math!

Youngster Noah: What’s math?

Paxton: ARRRGH! Forget him. Seat square root of 900.

(No one answers)

Paxton: I mean 30.

Engineer Arnold: Which Electric-type attack do you like better, Charge Beam or Thunderbolt?

Volkner: Thunderbolt. It’s been one of my favorite attacks ever since I decided I liked Electric-type Pokemon!

Paxton: And with that, we’ve reached the end of this Interview. Well Volkner, thanks for being with us tonight.

Volker: Thank you.

(He leaves)

Paxton: Join us for our 10th Interview, which will be with the one and only Professor Oak! Hope to see you there…and I sure hope our studio can be fully repaired by then!

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #10 - Professor Oak

(the studio has been fully repaired, and in many ways is actually looking even fancier than before)

Paxton: Good evening everybody! Welcome to the 10th Paxton and Joseph show interview. Repairs of the studio are just about complete, and we've even added a few more effects and decorations. For this momentous occasion, we’ve got a special guest. Professor Oak, the Pokémon Prof, will be with us tonight for an interview!

(just about everybody in the audience applauds as Professor Oak makes his entrance, and sits in his seat opposite Paxton and Joseph)

Paxton: Professor Oak, so glad you could take some time off from your schedule to appear on our show tonight!

Professor Oak: Hello there, everybody!

Paxton: First question: How long have you been a Pokemon Professor for?

Professor Oak: 29 years and 3 months.

Paxton: So 9 more months until your 30th work anniversary?

Professor Oak: That’s right!

Joseph: How exactly does one go about becoming a Pokemon Professor anyway? Is there some kind of test you have to pass to get certification, or is it more of a rank within the scientific community of the Pokemon world?

Professor Oak: It’s the official rank designation for a knowledgeable, more-promoted researcher who has decided to share their knowledge and assist aspiring young Trainers – hence the term professor, as in, “one who professes knowledge”.

Paxton: Just like how Captain is an official military rank, but can also refer to the commander of a ship, the pilot of an airplane, or even, in Alola’s case, the person who oversees a particular Island Challenge Trial. Did you ever have a lifelong dream that you wanted to be a Professor when you were little?

Professor Oak: Not exactly, but I always got straight As in school and was hired on by Pallet Town’s Laboratory pretty quickly after I was old enough to apply. I found the idea of learning about these mysterious creatures called Pokemon intriguing, so I gladly accepted their offer, and then a few years later, I earned my Professor title and have been head of the Lab ever since!

Joseph: Are all Pokemon Professors specialized in the areas they actually study, though? Like how Mega Evolution is one of Professor Sycamore’s areas of study?

Professor Oak: Many, but not all.

Paxton: Can you tell us a little bit about Todd, the guy who you enlisted the help of to take pictures of the Pokemon Island?

Professor Oak: I hired Todd on after seeing his photography skills from before. That Island is off-limits to ordinary Pokemon Trainers, so I wanted him to get some pictures of the Pokemon living in a protected sanctuary to learn more about it. That was how I discovered that the native Pokemon had built tributes to the Pokemon constellations.

Joseph: I’ve noticed that most of you Pokemon Professors seem to know each other and are good friends with each other. Is this part of the whole networking process, in terms of sharing your research with each other?

Professor Oak: That’s exactly correct, yes. I’ve got the most experience out of virtually all of us, though, so many of our younger Professors look up to me as a role model.

Paxton: And now, let’s move on to questions from the audience, as I imagine that many of you must have some for Professor Oak! Yes, the Lass in seat 53!

Lass Janice: Why is your grandson Gary known as “Blue” in the games?

Professor Oak: GameFreak just decided to use the names that the manga adaptations gave the characters. I really don’t know why.

Paxton: In other words, I guess for the same reason that Selene is sometimes referred to as “Moon”, despite that not being her real name at all. The Black Belt in seat 77.

Black Belt Yoshi: I’ve never understood you Professors. Why do you spend so much time just reading books and looking up facts on the computer, rather than getting some exercise and taking karate?

Professor Oak: Well, everyone is different! And really, that’s not always true…look at Professor Kukui of the Alola region!

Paxton: The Hex Maniac in seat 60.

Hex Maniac Alexandra: Leave this place…all of you are in great danger…

Paxton: Wait, what are you talking about?! I don’t see anything here.

Joseph: Umm…Dad…

(Joseph points to a Gastly in the audience, laughing maniacally)

Paxton: How did that get in here?! SECURITY!!!

(Joseph’s Absol comes out of its Poke Ball, dashes up into the audience, and makes quick work of the Gastly thanks to its type advantage)

Paxton: Thanks for the warning, Seat 60 Hex Maniac!

Hex Maniac Alexandra: Wait, what? Where am I? The darkness is gone!

Paxton: Anyway, we’ve got time for one more question…the Swimmer in seat 181!

Swimmer Cora: Is there a Pokemon Professor who studies the sea, Water-type Pokemon, and the like?

Professor Oak: Well, all of the Professors do study the ocean and the Pokemon within it to some extent, but overall that would be too narrow a focus for one Professor. Rather, it’ll be him or her working alongside the lower marine-specialized Interns to understand things like the roles our oceans played in developing Pokemon life as we know it today.

Paxton: And there you have it. That’s all we’ve got time for tonight, so Professor Oak, I want to thank you for being with us tonight.

Joseph: Don’t forget about me, Dad! I want to thank Professor Oak too!

Professor Oak: The pleasure is mine! As a long-time Pokemon Professor, I’m always glad to share some of my knowledge with the rest of the world!

(He leaves)

Paxton: Our next interview will be with Cynthia, the Champion of the Sinnoh region!

Joseph: I was Champion of the Sinnoh region too. For about a week or so, anyway. But then Cynthia challenged me to reclaim her title, and just barely won. All I have to say is, she’s one of the strongest Trainers this world has seen, and I’m looking forward to seeing her again after all these years!

Paxton: So yeah, join us then!

 

[SinnohEevee]

I am looking forwards for the interview with Cynthia, my favourite Champion.

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #11 - Cynthia

Paxton: Welcome, beloved audience members, to another episode of the Paxton and Joseph Show! I’m Paxton, and sitting next to me is my son Joseph.

Joseph: And boy are we excited about tonight’s interview!

Paxton: That’s right, our guest to be interviewed tonight…hailing from Sinnoh…it’s the one and only…CHAMPION CYNTHIA!!!

(Cynthia walks in to plenty of applause from the audience)

Paxton: To start with, first I want to thank you for taking the time to visit our Resort Area villa back when we lived in Sinnoh, as well as my son’s Secret Base in the Underground.

Cynthia: Your son is quite the accomplished Trainer! The least I could do was thank him for a memorable battle!

Joseph: Awww, thanks Cynthia! (blushes)

Paxton: Anyway, when you visited us I remember you liked that old piano we had. So what do you like about the piano as an instrument?

Cynthia: It has such a beautiful sound. The only way I can describe it is that I feel like it touches my soul! There's a reason it's featured in so many different forms of music.

Joseph: So Cynthia, good battle a couple years ago and all that! Can you share with us some of your secrets to being such a good trainer?

Cynthia: The most important thing is definitely connecting and developing a strong bond with your Pokemon. Understand that they are fighting for you in your place, and show them plenty of compassion and understanding. Having a great deal of inner passion is also very important. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be a Type A personality to be a good trainer, but oftentimes you need to feel that burning desire to win. And finally, remember that there is no shame in losing, as long as you do your best and learn from your experiences. I always tell myself that if I had fun, it means that it was a good battle – win or lose!

Joseph: Yeah, I remember you saying that when I battled you.

Paxton: So can you also tell a little bit about the Pokemon you’ve bonded with, like Garchomp?

Cynthia: I first met Garchomp as a Gible, when I found it injured in a cave because some evil people had tried to hurt it. I nursed it back to health with the help of my grandmother, and from that day forward, we bonded together. Most of my other Pokemon I caught in the wild to round out my team, but I chose to seek out Pokemon that I liked in many ways as well. For example, Lucario’s ability to read auras has always been fascinating to me, and I’ve always felt that Roserade’s flowers are so pretty to look at.

Joseph: Wow, I pretty much did the same thing when I was planning out my team from Day 1 of becoming a Pokemon Trainer! Except that I chose Turtwig as my starter and then continued to build from there based on my personal tastes.

Cynthia: To quote one of Kanto’s Elite Four: “Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites.”

Paxton: Next question. I’ve heard that you really like doing research in your spare time. So what kind of research do you do, exactly?

Cynthia: Mostly archaeology, but in all honesty, I like learning about pretty much all of our world’s mysteries! That’s one of the things I’ve always liked about Sinnoh, it has such a fascinating history.

Paxton: And do you ever share some of your research with Professor Rowan?

Cynthia: Yes I do, actually! Professor Rowan and I are great friends!

Joseph: So Cynthia, I also wanted to ask you this. What made you decide to buy a villa in Undella Town to relax at rather than, say for instance, a condo somewhere in the Alola region?

Cynthia: I have quite a few friends in Unova, like Caitlin for instance. She let me have that one that you’re thinking of.

Joseph: Hey Dad, how much time do we have left? I just thought of something I want to say after the interview is over.

Paxton: Hey, my watch is always off!

Audience: What?!

Paxton: Oh, sorry. I guess only Joseph and anyone unlucky enough to still be in the studio when Colress’s bombs went off knows about that. Anywho, my watch says we have six minutes left, but I could be off.

Joseph: That’s very reassuring.

Paxton: Want to just cut to questions from the audience?

Joseph: Suits me, I’ve asked Cynthia everything I wanted to for now.

Paxton: Let’s see… seat 120.

Waitress Paula: Do you ever like to eat at the Seven Stars restaurant?

Cynthia: The Seven Stars restaurant is a world-class place to have a romantic dinner. I have to admit, I am pretty fond of it, yes.

Paxton: Seat 95.

Poke Kid Daniel: Pi-pika-pikachu?

Paxton: I’m sorry, could you say that in English please?

Poke Kid Daniel: I’m a Pikachu! I can only speak Pokemon language!

Paxton: Never mind. Seat 62.

Ace Trainer Colette: Who’s your favorite Sinnoh Elite Four member?

Cynthia: I respect all of them as powerful Trainers in their own right, but if I had to pick one, I would probably go with Lucian. I’ve always admired his ability to stay calm in just about any situation, and play his cards very strategically even in the heat of a battle.

Paxton: And, one more question. The Twins in seats 68 & 69!

Twin Lia: What’s your favorite color?

Twin Mimi: What’s your favorite TV show?

Cynthia: My favorite color is black. I like wearing this black suit because it gives me a very powerful yet mysterious look. I don’t watch a lot of TV because I’m too busy either doing research, training with my Pokemon, or just spending quiet time alone with my own thoughts.

Paxton: Well, I guess technically that was two more questions, but whatever. Cynthia, thank you so much for being with us tonight.

Cynthia: You’re welcome.

(Cynthia winks and bows to her cheering fans in the audience and gracefully leaves the studio)

Paxton: So Joseph, you wanted to say something? Go ahead, we’ve still got a couple minutes.

Cameraman: Actually, you might want to hurry, because we’re running out of-

Paxton: Battery? I checked before the show, and it was at 100%!

Cameraman: Not battery, card space! Now hurry up!

Paxton: (smacks head) I knew I should’ve gotten a 64GB card. Anyway, what is it you wanted to say about Cynthia? Hurry, or else the camera gag will be done AGAIN!

Joseph: Fine, but I’M ONLY GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE! The reason I have always admired Cynthia as a Trainer is simple. She-

 

[SinnohEevee]

Interview #11 - Cynthia

Paxton: Welcome, beloved audience members, to another episode of the Paxton and Joseph Show! I’m Paxton, and sitting next to me is my son Joseph.

Joseph: And boy are we excited about tonight’s interview!

Paxton: That’s right, our guest to be interviewed tonight…hailing from Sinnoh…it’s the one and only…CHAMPION CYNTHIA!!!

(Cynthia walks in to plenty of applause from the audience)

Paxton: To start with, first I want to thank you for taking the time to visit our Resort Area villa back when we lived in Sinnoh, as well as my son’s Secret Base in the Underground.

Cynthia: Your son is quite the accomplished Trainer! The least I could do was thank him for a memorable battle!

Joseph: Awww, thanks Cynthia! (blushes)

Paxton: Anyway, when you visited us I remember you liked that old piano we had. So what do you like about the piano as an instrument?

Cynthia: It has such a beautiful sound. The only way I can describe it is that I feel like it touches my soul! There's a reason it's featured in so many different forms of music.

Joseph: So Cynthia, good battle a couple years ago and all that! Can you share with us some of your secrets to being such a good trainer?

Cynthia: The most important thing is definitely connecting and developing a strong bond with your Pokemon. Understand that they are fighting for you in your place, and show them plenty of compassion and understanding. Having a great deal of inner passion is also very important. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be a Type A personality to be a good trainer, but oftentimes you need to feel that burning desire to win. And finally, remember that there is no shame in losing, as long as you do your best and learn from your experiences. I always tell myself that if I had fun, it means that it was a good battle – win or lose!

Joseph: Yeah, I remember you saying that when I battled you.

Paxton: So can you also tell a little bit about the Pokemon you’ve bonded with, like Garchomp?

Cynthia: I first met Garchomp as a Gible, when I found it injured in a cave because some evil people had tried to hurt it. I nursed it back to health with the help of my grandmother, and from that day forward, we bonded together. Most of my other Pokemon I caught in the wild to round out my team, but I chose to seek out Pokemon that I liked in many ways as well. For example, Lucario’s ability to read auras has always been fascinating to me, and I’ve always felt that Roserade’s flowers are so pretty to look at.

Joseph: Wow, I pretty much did the same thing when I was planning out my team from Day 1 of becoming a Pokemon Trainer! Except that I chose Turtwig as my starter and then continued to build from there based on my personal tastes.

Cynthia: To quote one of Kanto’s Elite Four: “Truly skilled trainers should try to win with their favorites.”

Paxton: Next question. I’ve heard that you really like doing research in your spare time. So what kind of research do you do, exactly?

Cynthia: Mostly archaeology, but in all honesty, I like learning about pretty much all of our world’s mysteries! That’s one of the things I’ve always liked about Sinnoh, it has such a fascinating history.

Paxton: And do you ever share some of your research with Professor Rowan?

Cynthia: Yes I do, actually! Professor Rowan and I are great friends!

Joseph: So Cynthia, I also wanted to ask you this. What made you decide to buy a villa in Undella Town to relax at rather than, say for instance, a condo somewhere in the Alola region?

Cynthia: I have quite a few friends in Unova, like Caitlin for instance. She let me have that one that you’re thinking of.

Joseph: Hey Dad, how much time do we have left? I just thought of something I want to say after the interview is over.

Paxton: Hey, my watch is always off!

Audience: What?!

Paxton: Oh, sorry. I guess only Joseph and anyone unlucky enough to still be in the studio when Colress’s bombs went off knows about that. Anywho, my watch says we have six minutes left, but I could be off.

Joseph: That’s very reassuring.

Paxton: Want to just cut to questions from the audience?

Joseph: Suits me, I’ve asked Cynthia everything I wanted to for now.

Paxton: Let’s see… seat 120.

Waitress Paula: Do you ever like to eat at the Seven Stars restaurant?

Cynthia: The Seven Stars restaurant is a world-class place to have a romantic dinner. I have to admit, I am pretty fond of it, yes.

Paxton: Seat 95.

Poke Kid Daniel: Pi-pika-pikachu?

Paxton: I’m sorry, could you say that in English please?

Poke Kid Daniel: I’m a Pikachu! I can only speak Pokemon language!

Paxton: Never mind. Seat 62.

Ace Trainer Colette: Who’s your favorite Sinnoh Elite Four member?

Cynthia: I respect all of them as powerful Trainers in their own right, but if I had to pick one, I would probably go with Lucian. I’ve always admired his ability to stay calm in just about any situation, and play his cards very strategically even in the heat of a battle.

Paxton: And, one more question. The Twins in seats 68 & 69!

Twin Lia: What’s your favorite color?

Twin Mimi: What’s your favorite TV show?

Cynthia: My favorite color is black. I like wearing this black suit because it gives me a very powerful yet mysterious look. I don’t watch a lot of TV because I’m too busy either doing research, training with my Pokemon, or just spending quiet time alone with my own thoughts.

Paxton: Well, I guess technically that was two more questions, but whatever. Cynthia, thank you so much for being with us tonight.

Cynthia: You’re welcome.

(Cynthia winks and bows to her cheering fans in the audience and gracefully leaves the studio)

Paxton: So Joseph, you wanted to say something? Go ahead, we’ve still got a couple minutes.

Cameraman: Actually, you might want to hurry, because we’re running out of-

Paxton: Battery? I checked before the show, and it was at 100%!

Cameraman: Not battery, card space! Now hurry up!

Paxton: (smacks head) I knew I should’ve gotten a 64GB card. Anyway, what is it you wanted to say about Cynthia? Hurry, or else the camera gag will be done AGAIN!

Joseph: Fine, but I’M ONLY GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE! The reason I have always admired Cynthia as a Trainer is simple. She-

Let me guess, he wanted to say: she is hot?

 

[JFrombaugh]

EDIT: I decided to cut out the Guzma invasion from the Lusamine interview, as I felt it didn't really fit in with the context of the USUM timeline (in which this show is based) and there's plenty going on in that Interview anyway.

Stay tuned for a new Interview later today or tomorrow!

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #12 - Mina

Paxton: Welcome back to the Paxton & Joseph Show, after a bit of a hiatus!

Joseph: We were supposed to interview Erika, Gym Leader of Celadon City, this week…but for superstitious purposes that Dad has made known to me, we’re going to interview Mina, the Fairy-type Trial Captain of Poni Island, instead.

Audience member: Superstitious purposes?

Joseph: He’s sick of the Cerulean City Cavaliers losing, so he’s doing whatever it takes to get them back to winning again, including changing up the PokeGirl we interview this week.

Paxton: No, no, that’s not the reason why!

Joseph: Yeah, sure it’s not. Anyway, please welcome Mina!

(Mina walks into the studio in an odd pattern, seemingly dizzy or in a dither, before finally finding her seat and sitting down in it)

Paxton: Thanks for coming on such short notice, Mina.

Mina: Gee…I’m so thirsty I could drink a whole water cooler!

Paxton: Ooo-kay. Workers, can you kindly bring in a Fresh Water?

(The workers give Mina a bottle of Fresh Water, which she promptly guzzles down)

Paxton: Now, let’s begin. Can you tell us a little bit about why you decided to specialize in Fairy-type Pokemon?

Mina: I feel like the Fairy type kinda fits my personality, being that I love art and have kind of a hipster-ish taste. When I was little I wanted a Smeragle, but Ilima was already the Normal-type captain.

Paxton: Yeah, when I first saw you, I thought that Smeargle would be signature Pokemon…

Joseph: Speaking of which, you’re the newest Trial Captain to join Alola’s lineup. So how did you finally come up with a Trial?

Mina: My first idea was asking trial goers some questions about some samples of my art, such as “What color was the house in the third painting?” or “What number is hidden in the lake in the painting on the right?” But I decided that would be too similar to Kiawe’s Trial. I wanted to keep a theme of color within my Trial, and I also decided I wanted it to involve flowers somehow, since, you know, I like flowers a lot. So I thought, color, flowers, colored flowers…collecting different colored flower petals from each of the Trial Captains!

Joseph: So you Trial Captains must know each other pretty well then, huh?

Mina: Totally!

Paxton: Is there any reason the Totem Pokemon that the Rainbow Flower summons is a Ribombee, rather than, say, a Florges or a Comfey? Comfey is even called the Posy Picker Pokemon!

Mina: Hehehe…It just so happened that a Ribombee was the Pokemon that got caught in the mysterious aura that causes Pokemon to grow huge. *giggle giggle*

Joseph: What’s so funny?

Mina: Oh, nothing. Just telling myself some jokes.

Paxton: So, were you born and raised on Poni Island?

Mina: I sure was! I’m one of the descendants of the Seafolk, but I wanted to go my own way and become an artist rather than joining them on ocean explorations.

Joseph: What do you like best about Poni Island?

Mina: I like living there because of how quiet it is, yet full of natural wonders. The majestic Vast Poni Canyon, fields of flowers in Poni Meadow...it’s like, the perfect place to live for an artist, if you ask me!

Joseph: Do you ever try to challenge the Battle Tree?

Mina: Yeah, sometimes…but I always lose to like one of the first Trainers anyway.

Paxton: How come it took so long for Tapu Fini to select a new Kahuna after Hapu’s grandfather had passed away?

Mina: Tapu Fini is much less trusting of humans than the other Island Guardians. Not only is it very withdrawn, but it has had many bad experiences with evil people wanting to use its healing waters for their own selfish reasons, and that is why it forces those wishing to seek out its blessing to prove themselves in a trial by fog first.

Paxton: So Hapu was the first person to survive Tapu Fini’s fog and earn its trust in many years?

Mina: Yeah.

Paxton: And now it’s time for questions from the audience! Seat 67.

Artist Wolfgang: Have you ever been to Kalos?

Mina: No, but I really want to go! I hear Lumiose City has a totally amazing art museum.

Paxton: The Punk Guy in Seat 146.

Punk Guy Charles: FAIRY-TYPE POKEMON STINK! MINA IS A PATHETIC CAPTAIN! DON’T BUY ANY OF HER ART!

Paxton: NO TROLLING! SECURITY!!!

(Joseph’s Clefable furiously comes out of its Poke Ball, blasts the Punk Guy with some Fairy-type attack, and then slaps him repeatedly, until he finally rolls out of the front door)

Paxton: I’m really, REALLY sorry about that, Mina. I hope your feelings aren’t too hurt. Seat-

(Mina looks like she’s about to cry)

Paxton: Let’s just end this Interview now, before anything else goes wrong. Quick Joseph, what should I say?

Joseph: How about “terminate transmission”?

Paxton: Fine. Terminate transmission!

Joseph: How original.

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #13 - Caitlin

Paxton: Welcome to another episode of the Paxton and Joseph show! Just in case you forgot who those two people are, I’m Paxton.

Joseph: And I’m Joseph.

Paxton: Tonight’s guest was once the Lady of the Battle Castle at Sinnoh’s Battle Frontier, but she later grew up to join the ranks of the Elite Four in her home region of Unova. Please welcome Caitlin of the Unova Elite Four!

(Caitlin walks in, with her long hair flowing behind her, and gracefully sits in the guest’s chair)

Paxton: Welcome to our show, Caitlin, so glad you could be here.

Caitlin: My humblest pleasure.

Paxton: My first question to you is: Who’s in charge of the Battle Castle, now that you’ve left to become an Elite Four member?

Caitlin: Darach still oversees it, but as more of a Duke than as my personal butler.

Joseph: Was the reason he battled in your place because of your temper from when you were young?

Caitlin: Yes, I wanted to be the leader of the Battle Castle, but whenever I lost a battle I would always find myself in an overwhelming rage. This would result in my psychic powers raging out of control, breaking windows and objects and the like. So I just had Darach battle in my place and watched from the makeshift throne.

Joseph: Was your ordering Darach to give “CP for this Trainer at once!” a knightly formality to fit in with the castle theme? Or were you just impatient with Darach for losing?

Caitlin: I said that out of formality, yes, to sound more like a royal lady.

Paxton: By the way, you told Hilbert that you’ve mellowed out pretty considerably ever since you’ve grown up and become an Elite Four member.

Caitlin: Yes, these days I am much more calm and willing to reflect on my performances to see how I can improve. In many ways, I look back on my days as a girl with regret, because Psychic-type Pokemon Trainers in general often pride themselves on being calm and wise, even if that’s not always the case.

(While Caitlin was talking, the table the three of them were sitting at suddenly vanished)

Paxton: Hey, where’d the table go?!

Joseph: Beats me…

Paxton: Well, good thing we got a spare in storage. Workers, can you kindly bring it in?

(The workers haul in a new guest table from the storage room, and set it down between Caitlin and Joseph & Paxton)

Paxton: Are you sure you’ve got your psychic powers fully under control, Caitlin?

Caitlin: Yes. I can promise you that. This was the kind of thing that might have happened when I was just a little girl, but no longer.

Paxton: Well, whatever. Next question. Do you actually come from a royal family?

Caitlin: Why yes I do! That was another rationale for my getting so angry whenever I would lose, but I have since learned to show humility, even in the face of loss.

Joseph: And so your wealthy upbringing is part of the reason you can afford all those villas you have?

Caitlin: Yes, but I also earned plenty of prize money during my journey as a Pokemon Trainer too.

Joseph: Ah yes…

Paxton: How did you become an Elite Four member? I know you chose to specialize in Psychic-types because of your own Psychic powers, but was it a bittersweet parting of the Battle Castle? Or did you kind of decide that you wanted to be a Gym Leader/Elite Four member/Champion?

Caitlin: I’ve always had an innate way with Psychic-type Pokemon because of our ability to connect on a deep, mental level. As such, once I learned to control my emotions, I discovered that I could become quite a strong Trainer quite quickly, and it wasn’t too long before I was offered a position at the Pokemon League. My steadfastness and determination in a battle has served me well.

Joseph: That’s right, I remember you seemed determined during your battle with Hilbert.

Caitlin: I have a fun-loving side in battle too, I just don’t like to show it very much.

Joseph: So in other words, you lean more towards being an introvert?

Caitlin: Yes, definitely.

Paxton: Hey, the table’s vanished again! Where do all these tables keep going off to anyway? Well, I guess we’ll just have to keep going without it.

Caitlin: Maybe you should have security check the building for any Psychic-type Pokemon that may have gotten in? I’ve been feeling some unusual psychic sensations ever since I sat down here.

Paxton: Okay.

(A security guard starts searching the back rooms)

Paxton: For now, let’s just try to keep going. So Caitlin, can you tell us-

(The camera suddenly teleports outside the studio, where it promptly falls over. Laying on the grass outside, the legs of a table bearing a striking resemblance to the guest table Joseph & Paxton use for interviews can be seen)

15 seconds later…

(Three chairs suddenly appear on the ground just in front of the camera. Then we hear the giggling, almost mischievous cry of a Cosmog. Then suddenly the camera cuts to black for a few seconds, before…)

Cameraman: Okay, we’re rolling again!

Paxton: Thanks. Sorry about all of that, I’m being told that a newly-born Cosmog was responsible for all of that equipment teleportation, and security managed to distract it and convince it to play elsewhere. But they’ve brought it all back in, so, all’s well that ends well, I guess.

Joseph: Now I wonder if that new Cosmog will evolve into a Solgaleo or a Lunala…?

Paxton: Well anyway, we’ve got time for a few questions from the audience now. Yes, seat 11!

Lass Daya: What’s your name, Caitlin?

Paxton: Gosh, what a stupid question!

Lass Daya: Hey! I’ll blow this entire studio down with my-

Paxton: SECURITY!!!

(Some security members escort the Lass out of the building)

Paxton: The Beauty in seat 141.

Beauty Jessica: Are there any Psychic-type Pokemon you wish you owned?

Caitlin: Gallade. I feel like it would have been the perfect Psychic-type Pokemon for me, given its chivalrous nature and the way it fits in with the theme of the Battle Castle. Unfortunately, Ralts and its evolutions cannot be found in Unova.

Joseph: (thinking to himself) Don’t mention that you’ve got one. You don’t know what Caitlin will do if she gets jealous!

Paxton: Seat 85.

Clerk Trisha: Unova is known for having four very distinct seasons. Which is your favorite?

Caitlin: I would have to say the autumn. I love seeing the leaves on the trees change color, it’s so beautiful, and I think it suits my character as well.

Paxton: And that will do it for this interview. Caitlin, thank you for taking the time to speak with us tonight.

Caitlin: I am honored.

(She leaves, probably to go to sleep at her villa)

Paxton: And so that’s 13 interviews down, and 3 more to go for this season! Join us next time when we interview N. Not the letter N, mind you, but the psychologically scarred man with green hair who currently resides somewhere in the Unova region.

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #14 – N

Paxton: Welcome, one and all, to the Paxton & Joseph Show! Our guest tonight is from Unova. At least, I think he is, as he had a major part in leading Team Plasma, but was deceived the whole time by his abusive father, Ghetsis. Please welcome…N!

(N walks in and sits in the guest chair, while the audience is torn between amusement and suspicion)

Paxton: Okay, first things first. I want to sincerely apologize for what you went through with your father Ghetsis. I can only imagine how traumatic it must have been for you.

N: Thank you. That warms my heart more than you know.

Paxton: So can you share with us any stories about how abusive Ghetsis really was?

N: I would say he was more manipulative than abusive, for most of my childhood anyway. He didn’t truly become abusive until after he had already manipulated me into becoming the leader of Team Plasma. I had no idea what his true motivations were until the time I finally faced Hilbert in battle alongside Zekrom…and lost.

Joseph: Are those rumored sightings with you and Zekrom true?

N: Yes, I’ve still befriended Zekrom! I don’t use it in battle anymore, but the two of us talk on rare occasions, and beyond that, I just leave Zekrom to maintaining its role in maintaining the balance of this world.

Joseph: So how did you decide to go after Zekrom anyway, rather than Reshiram?

N: After Ghetsis had exposed me to abused Pokemon for many years, I began to hold a view of an ideal world – one where Pokemon are completely free from Trainers and by extension, from suffering at the hands of humans. The Sages told me that Zekrom is the legendary dragon who represents ideals, so I set off to befriend it. And Zekrom decided to join me because it could sense the fires of conviction to an ideal world that I had held at the time.

Paxton: And Hilbert, on the other hand, earned Reshiram’s trust out of his desire to fight for the truth – which is that most Pokemon Trainers are actually very kind to their Pokemon and only a small majority, most of them belonging to villainous teams, actually abuse their Pokemon?

N: Yes…although I don’t know if I would agree with that last statement, personally.

Paxton: So in another words, history played out yet again – a clash of truth and ideals?

N: Exactly!

Joseph: What is N short for, by the way? I’ve always wondered.

N: Natural. Yes, that is my real name, and the very UN-natural-ness of it as a first name is why I go by simply N.

Paxton: The first few times you met Hilbert, you fought him with captured Pokemon from the area, which you then released due to your held ideals. So was there any reasoning behind how you formed the team you used in the final showdown against Hilbert?

N: Carracosta and Archeops were revived from fossils, so I could love them from resurrection and win them over to my side. Klinklang is an artificially created Pokemon. Vanilluxe and Zoroark joined me more on their own free will, having seen what I had been through and what I wanted to fight for.

Paxton: Can you explain a little bit about your relationship with Anthea and Concordia for the audience’s benefit?

N: They were like older sisters to me. If it hadn’t been for them, I think I might have gone insane from depression, just living with Ghetsis. I think both of them understood my heart on a core level, since they seemed to have natural empathy and like me, they were adopted by Ghetsis.

Joseph: Wait…you mean Ghetsis isn’t actually your biological father?

N: No. And that’s one of the most disturbing things about this whole turn of events.

Paxton: Wow. At any rate, it’s time for questions from the audience!

(many audience members raise their hands)

Paxton: Or at least, that’s what I’d be saying if N didn’t have his unique ability to understand Pokemon speech. So instead of questions from the audience, we’ll be having questions from some Pokemon!

Audience: Awwwww…

Paxton: Okay workers, you can go ahead and let them in now, one at a time.

(An Espeon walks in)

Espeon: Espeon-espy-espy?

N: I don’t have a favorite Eevee evolution. They’re all adorable to me.

Paxton: Next!

(A Tepig comes in)

Tepig: Tepig? Tepig?

N: Yes, that Ferris Wheel is so relaxing. I often find myself going there just to escape my troubles, and admire Unova from so high up.

Paxton: Next Pokemon, please!

(The next Pokemon to come in turns out to be a Deerling)

Deerling: Deeeeer?

N: I like all of them, really. That was why I had an idea to create a team based on each weather condition!

Paxton: And one more!

(A Primarina comes in, and it starts crying. It appears that its previous Trainer pushed it way too hard and eventually abandoned it)

N: How dare he treat such a beautiful Pokemon like this?! I can completely feel your pain. I cannot stand Trainers like that myself. Here, let me give you a hug.

(N hugs the Primarina, which seems to calm it down)

Paxton: Well, I don’t speak Pokemon, so I can’t tell if that was, or contained, a question or not. But, whatever, it doesn’t matter. We’re out of time for tonight, so, thanks for coming onto our show N!

N: Thank you.

(N walks out)

Paxton: And now, to close out our interview, we’ve got an exciting new clip of gameplay footage for you all. Coming to the Nintendo Switch on November 16th, 2018, it’s Pokemon: Let’s-

Joseph: NO! No advertising for that failure of a Pokemon game on our show!

Paxton: Failure? What failure?

Joseph: There’s no way those games will be any good!

Paxton: You say that just because you wanted Diamond & Pearl remakes to be the first core RPG Pokemon games on the Switch!

Joseph: Well, that and I really hate the names.

Paxton: So I say you’re wrong just because Let’s Go Pikachu & Eevee haven’t been released yet! Now, I know you grew up in Sinnoh and all, Joseph, but I actually spent my childhood years and a good portion of my adult life right here in Kanto, and I for one am actually pretty excited that my home region is getting a combination remake and spin-off game on the Nintendo Switch this year! And since this is technically MY show, seeing as how I handle the logistics of it, I say we’re going to air that footage of the new games!

Joseph: (sigh) Oh, all right.

Paxton: Coming November 16th, 2018 on Nintendo Switch…Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee! Take it away, camera crew!

(The same LGPE gameplay footage commercial from the Nintendo E3 conference is aired)

 

[JFrombaugh]

Interview #15 – Blaine

Paxton: Welcome to the Paxton and Joseph Show! Here I am once again, with my beloved son Joseph, and we’ve decided that the last two interviews on this show will be with Gym Leaders!

Joseph: It’s too bad my first choice didn’t want to come on here tonight…

Paxton: Yeah, we were going to interview Erika, the Celadon City Gym Leader, but she refused to come on here for some reason. Maybe she’s just too introverted? Or maybe she doesn’t want to be interviewed by a little boy?

Joseph: I’m not really a little boy anymore, I’m 14.

Paxton: Well, whatever her reasons are, we’ve got another Kanto Gym Leader up to be interviewed. It’s the Kanto region’s old school Fire-type specialist, who originally ran a Gym on Cinnabar Island but was forced to relocate said Gym to the Seafoam Islands after the volcano on the island erupted. Everybody please welcome Blaine to our show!

(Blaine walks in as the audience applauds him, then takes his seat)

Paxton: Thanks for being with us tonight, Blaine. I hear you really like making up riddles.

Blaine: I sure do!

Paxton: So can you ask the two of us one?

Blaine: What is an embodiment of the absence of light, yet can only exist in the light?

Paxton: Uhhh…a Ghost-type Pokemon?

Blaine: No.

Joseph: Let me think…

(about 30 seconds later)

Paxton: Hey Joseph, either give Blaine your answer or give up! We’ve got questions to ask him, you know!

Joseph: Oh, a shadow!

Blaine: Ding ding ding! You’re right!

Paxton: So how did you decide to become a Fire-type Pokemon Gym Leader?

Blaine: I come from a family of geologists, and ever since I was just a boy I thought volcanoes were fascinating. Volcanoes are the ideal environment for Fire-type Pokemon, so I encountered them all the time once I was old enough that my parents would let me go on a Pokemon journey, and caught several of them soon after I visited Cinnabar Island’s volcano. Then I learned about Gym Leaders and their specializing in their favorite Pokemon type, and...BOOM! Just like that, I was easily able to apply to become Cinnabar’s Gym Leader!

Joseph: I thought it was your chance encounter with Moltres in the mountains that drove you on to training Fire-type Pokemon?

Blaine: Well, yes, that played a role as well.

Paxton: So was Pokemon Mansion a laboratory devoted to studying the volcano?

Blaine: No, in Pokemon Mansion the scientists studied Pokemon and engineering experiments. But many of my friends are volcanologists!

Paxton: Anyway, speaking of the Cinnabar Island volcano. Do you have any plans to eventually rebuild Cinnabar Island and your Gym there?

Blaine: Rebuilding is already underway, but it’ll take several more years before the island is ready for visitors proper again. But, such is the nature of volcanoes.

Paxton: Alola’s Akala Island is an active volcano as well, yet it hasn’t erupted nearly as violently as the Cinnabar eruption several years ago. Can you explain to us and the audience why that is?

Blaine: Alola’s islands were formed by a lava plume, which found it’s way to the surface of the ocean floor through some cracks. Kanto’s Sevii Islands and Cinnabar Island, on the other hand, are near what geologists call a subduction zone, where the oceanic crust is being forced beneath the continental shelf that Kanto sits on. Because of the pressure and steam that gets trapped as the ocean floor melts into magma miles below the surface, Kanto’s volcanoes erupt less frequently, but much more explosively, compared to Akala’s eruptions which ooze lava slower and more steadily.

Joseph: Do you know the Fire-type Trial Captain Kiawe, by the way? It seems like his quiz Trial was loosely inspired by your original Cinnabar Gym.

Blaine: Yes, I met him when I took a vacation to Alola a little while ago, in fact! He was looking for an idea for his Trial that included a Marowak dance somehow, and I gave him the idea of making it into a quiz.

Paxton: And did you come up with the idea of a riddles & quiz Gym from the fact that you’re an intellectual type yourself?

Blaine: That’s correct!

Joseph: If you had to choose, what’s your favorite Fire-type Pokemon?

Blaine: Arcanine.

Joseph: Why?

Blaine: I owned him as a pet ever since he was a Growlithe. So I guess you might say I’ve got a soft spot for dog Pokemon.

Paxton: You’re sometimes known as “The Hotheaded Quiz Master”. Why did you pick this nickname?

Blaine: I liked it better than the other nickname my Trainers came up with.

Paxton: And what nickname was that?

Blaine: “He’s the Firestarter, twisted Firestarter”.

Paxton: And with that, it’s time for questions from the audience!

(Nobody raises their hand)

Paxton: I said, it’s time for questions from the audience!

(Still nobody raises their hand)

Paxton: Does ANYBODY have any questions for Blaine here?

Joseph: Uh, Dad, I think most of the audience has fallen asleep.

Paxton: Well, I can always hit this button…

(A very loud buzzer goes off)

Audience: Huh? What? What’s going on?

Paxton: Ask some questions! You, in seat 180!

Super Nerd Waldo: What’s your favorite Fire-type Pokemon?

Paxton: Joseph already asked Blaine that.

Super Nerd Waldo: He did?

Paxton: Yes. Stay awake during the interview next time! Seat 17.

Swimmer Nora: Why did you decide to train Fire-type Pokemon?

Paxton: We’ve already had that question too.

Swimmer Nora: I thought you asked why he decided to become a Gym Leader?

Paxton: I asked him why he decided to become a FIRE-type Gym Leader. I killed two birds with one stone there.

Bird Keeper in the audience: You killed two bird Pokemon with a stone? How dare you?! I’m going to complain to the police!

Paxton: Oh, please! That’s an idiom, I didn’t actually do it.

Bird Keeper: Oh. Well, I’ve never heard that idiom before.

Paxton: Yeah, nobody's mentioned it to you because you're a Bird Keeper. Okay now, one more question from the audience. Yes, the sumo wrestler in seat 125, 126, and 127.

Sumo wrestler: How old are you?

Blaine: I just turned 60 a week ago.

Paxton: Well happy late 60th birthday, then. Thank you for coming onto our show, Blaine, and I’m sorry the audience couldn’t be bothered to stay awake during your interview.

Blaine: You’re welcome, guys. You’re very welcome, indeed! Hah!

(Blaine leaves)

Paxton: Join us for the final interview of Season 1 of The Paxton and Joseph Show, which will be with another Gym Leader, albeit one of the type of Pokemon at the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, Wulfric!