Featured MOTM - Special Q&A w/ Wavepearl!

Welcome one, welcome all to the January member of the month interview with @Wavepearl! My text will be in bold and Wavepearl's will be green. Enjoy!

===========================

Alright so lets get started. What brought you to LV?
IIRC, I believe someone invited me here (can't remember who)

It was indeed ages ago. Did you play Pokémon from the early days of Red and Blue or did you come into the franchise later?
I have loved and played Pokémon ever since it arrived in the USA--I remember getting Blue the weekend they came out.

That must of been exciting. I know your love of pikachu is quite strong, was that from the start?
Yes--he was the first Pokémon I ever knew.

I had received the latest issue of Disney Adventures (a popular USA entertainment magazine for tweens at that time), and one of the first ads for Pokémon (the original 150 about to be caught in a giant net) was on the back page. Pikachu stood out to me, so I kept him in mind as it went on the shelf with all my back issues. The next day at school, I asked a friend of mine at the time just what this "Pokémon" thing was that was taking the school by storm. He then informed me the cute mouse in the ad was named "Pikachu".

Later that afternoon, I saw the famous bus commercial on TV (you know the one), and that was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back, if you will

Oh man right in the nostalgia with that commercial. Such a weird choice to sell it to kids. It worked though Pokémon was the talk of the town for sure, even the small towns. Are you fond of the later "pika-clones" as well?
Marill is cute, as is Plusle, Minun and Dedenne. Pachirisu and Emolga are cute too. Togedemaru and Morpeko are just okay

Was Pokémon the first franchise you wrote fanfics/RPs for?
Not necessarily--I'd dabbled in the world of Sailor Moon before (the first world I wrote in, because a good chunk of the series was not dubbed at the time), but Pokémon was the one I have always wrote seriously for--because there's so many possibilities and what ifs in that universe.

Very true. Speaking of roleplays and the likes, what character would you say has been your favorite to play as or write for?
Hm...they say you never forget your first, so of all the OCs I've made (plus iterations and incarnations of the classic Trio--Ash, Misty, Brock), the one closest to my heart is my first, Maya Nijiiro, who was created all the way back in 2004 for an attempt at what the Pokémon TCG would look like in the show.

Since then, she's evolved into an RP character, but she still appears in fics on occasion.

Always nice to see someone still thoroughly enjoy their first OC even after years. Take me back to her origins, where did she grow up and what Pokémon does she partner with?
According to her backstory, she is from Celadon City, and like me (and Ash!), her first was Pikachu

A true classic. Keeping to the writing. Was there ever a subject for a story that you wanted to try out but hit a wall and couldn't complete?
Way too many to list...but I hope to see every story of the Anime Remix Project through to the end.

Whew, definitely a lot on your plate then. Have you ever taken up IRL writing as well like journals or short stories?
I have also dabbled in original worlds, and even a few articles and personal stories.

Going along with stories and the likes, what would you say is your favorite novel or novel series?
Any sort of epic fantasy--I love me an epic quest, so anything in the vein of The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, or Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn will do.

I often tell people I like my fantasy "less Game of Thrones, more The Legend of Zelda"

Proper adventuring is always a fun read, see the fantastic lands and beings along the way. I know you also have a passion for Zelda, what would you say is your go to Zelda soundtrack to go to? I would imagine it makes for pretty great music too.
Ocarina of Time holds a place of honor in my heart, as do the NES classics and A Link to the Past.

Favorite Ocarina of Time song?
The overworld
The Lost Woods/Saria's Song
Forest Temple
Lon Lon Ranch
Gerudo Valley

and many many more.

Always happy to see Gerudo make the list, I adore that song. Very nice classic picks for sure. Do you have any other game series that you are really fond of beyond Zelda and Pokémon?
Super Mario Bros.
Final Fantasy
Dragon Quest
Mana
Suikoden
Spyro the Dragon
Crash Bandicoot

and many many more!

Very solid choices, platformers and great RPGs. Have you had writings about those series as well?
I have dabbled in Mario and Final Fantasy, but have taken inspiration from the others

Do you always make your own OCs when working with inspiration from games like this or do you sometimes use main characters?
It depends on the fandom I'm working with and the story I want to tell in that world.

That make's sense. Brings variety to the work as well, sometimes working with constraints can bring great end results. Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It depends on how long it took--the longer the work, the more tire I am. It does depend on how inspired I am.

Make's sense. Now onto the underdogs: What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Not so much one book as one type out of a genre--quest fantasy doesn't get enough love nowadays. LOTR may be the icon, but there are so many more waiting to be found. So if something like Game of Thrones is not your thing, and LOTR makes your head spin, go hit up your local library.

I do love a classic quest fantasy. Speaking of quests, out of all the RPGs you have played, what would you say was your favorite quest/task?
I can never get bored with the whole of Legend of Mana--especially catching mana spirits to make magic instruments.

I have to get around to that series at one point. That wraps up most of what I wanted to discuss. Was there anything you wanted to inform people about?
Not really--I do have plenty of ideas coming up this year.

Can we get a preview?
Not yet--many of these ideas are still in planning.



=========================

Thank you again to Wavepearl for being a good sport about this and taking some time with me this month. Can't wait to read the new adventurers you will send us upon!