 Q. When and how did you first discover Pokémon?
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A. I first heard about Pokémon while teaching at a summer program in 1999 (not long before the first movie), where I began drawing Pokémon for the students (the first glimpse of Pokémon I had was a very cute Vaporeon card). Catching up on first season re-runs, I continued to learn about Pokémon and quickly became aware of the controversy surrounding Pokémon while substituting in elementary schools and later teaching in preschool. I created this site in 2000 to reach other fans in hopes of dispelling the misconceptions about Pokémon that were rapidly spreading. I dropped off slightly during the Johto years (like other fans I've heard from), but resumed my interest after seeing the epic stories during the Master Quest season (Lugia, Red Gyarados) - and terrible (and uneducated) review of the 5th movie! - at which time I quit teaching (for other reasons also), resurrected the site, and have been actively defending Pokémon ever since. After all these years, Pokémon still remains one of my favorite things in the world.
Q. What other animé do you like besides Pokémon?
A. The first animé I became interested in was Sailor Moon, which is also how I became aware of poor dubbing and censorship. My husband Alan and I also enjoyed Hamtaro and later IGPX, for the brief time they were on television. Most recently, we have become huge fans of The Prince of Tennis.
Q. Do you like any other trading card/battle/monster-based characters/games/shows?
A. Nope, just Pokémon.
Q. Who are your favorite Pokémon? Any least favorites?
A. Besides Pikachu (of course), Eevee (+evolutions, namely Umbreon), Chikortita/Bayleef/Meganium, Charizard, Plusle and Minun. My hubby's favorites are Venonat, Nosepass/Probopass, Ekans, Arbok, and Seviper (neither of us liked snakes before!) We both adore Bidoof, and have a deeply personal fondness for Entei, in memory of our beloved cat who resembled and embodied the mystery of the legendary Pokémon.
Least favorites: Snubbull, Ursaring, Ludicolo, Claydol.
Q. Do you play any other video games besides Pokémon?
A. Not really; I don't have a lot of time to play. Although, I did used to play Super Mario Bros. games back in the day, and as a child of the 80s, I have an interest in classic arcade games.
Q. What is your favorite Pokémon movie?
A. "Lucario and the Mystery of Mew" (movie 8). It's my favorite dubbed movie anyway; I'd love to see any and all of them uncut. "Lucario" also features one of the most heartfelt scenes/lines in any of the Pokémon movies; in an effort to save his Pokémon while under attack from the Tree of Beginning, Ash quickly says good-bye to Pikachu, uttering "I'll miss you, buddy. I love you...", his words cut off as he's enveloped by the tree's antibodies.
Q. Do you follow any Pokémon character shippings? Do you write fan fiction?
A. Like a lot of fans, I started out as a Pokeshipper/Kantoshipper (Ash+Misty), until Ash and Misty parted as literally 'best friends'. I now mainly follow Orangeshipping (Misty+Tracey...love those Chronicles episodes!), as well as Contestshipping (May+Drew) and Eldershipping (Ash's Mom+Professor Oak). I also like the concept of Liveshipping (the possibility that Ash's Mom and Giovanni had a past and that Giovanni could be Ash's father! Very 'Days of Our Lives!'). I'm definitely not a Rocketshipper (James is gay, and we like him that way!) As for our hero Ash, I personally think he's too involved with battling and earning badges to really be involved in any serious shippings...although there was something about Battle Tower Frontier Brain Anabel (Salonshipping?), if only he'd realized :) Although I do think there will always be something between Ash and Misty (he sure is protective of that lure¹)! So far, the only shipping I've seriously sat down and written about is Orangeshipping (not posted; please don't ask).
Q. You mentioned that you are a writer inspired by Pokémon. How has Pokémon influenced your writing?
A. I actually began writing the Oak Branch Woods series of novels because of the severe lack of well-told animal stories during the 1990s in my opinion, and wanted to tell about the exploitation of animals by humans, as well as those people who protect them. When I later discovered Pokémon, I saw an even greater emphasis on the bond between humans and Pokémon, which parallelled the same bond between humans and animals in our world. Not only do these themes featured on Pokémon inspire me to continue writing, but it's also nice to be able to sit back and enjoy some of the best animal stories I've ever seen. Also, aside from the similarities I've found in the Pokémon and in the stories I write, one of the things I like most about Pokémon is that the concept behind it is beyond anything I would have ever dreamed of (a trait of many of the things I admire most) - a world where humans and animals (Pokémon) live in harmony, yet is centered around the sport of battling...and even more amazing is the love and compassion trainers have for their Pokémon, something almost unheard of when animals in our world are used for sport or entertainment.
Q. Is there anything you don't like about Pokémon?
A. Bad English dubbing (censorship, "self-awareness²", rap, etc...)
¹In the DP episode "Buizel Your Way Out of This", while fishing, Ash refused to let Dawn use his Misty lure that she'd given him during his final Battle Frontier challenge.
²Term I generally use for the extremely annoying occurrence in which fictional/animated characters acknowledge that they are fictional and/or animated. On Pokémon, this occurred often in the earliest seasons and then again in Battle Frontier and Diamond & Pearl, usually consisting of on-screen references to current or previous 'seasons', references to the viewing audience, references to animators/writers, acknowledging the length of episodes, 'Diamond and Pearl' puns, and use of the word 'cartoon'. The term originated on Star Trek, and often refers to when holo-characters realize that they are in fact holo-characters (which usually leads to ship-wide malfunctions and havoc!)
| Fan work is the heart and soul of any following. For each of us, it is a personal extension and individual interpretation of the things that already bring us so much joy.
Whether it's writing, art, or websites, fan work is the highest expression of our admiration for the icons that their creators have chosen to share with the world, and is essential for the survival of our favorite franchises.
We do this not for profit, which brings out a devotion that can only be measured by the countless hours spent honoring these beloved characters, and an undertaking that can ultimately be defined as a labor of love.
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Text copyright © 2000-2008 by: Kimberly (RageOfInnocence)
Pokémon © Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo/Game Freak, Pokémon USA
Go, Diego, Go! © Viacom International Inc.
Most Pokémon sprites from the late great site Pokémonaholic |
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