Getting out of Fuchsia:

"You think your hometown is boring? Try living in Fuchsia City: population 35 and a total of 9 pixilated buildings. All I wanted was to get out of there. I didn't even care where I ended up as long as it didn't look like it had been mapped out by a kindergartener with a box of crayons. That was the beginning.

I knew from the start it wouldn't be easy. Out on the road, just looking at someone the wrong way could force you back to where you came from, and the woods beyond are filled with creatures known to attack at the slightest provocation.

Starting out, I thought that I knew everything. But this story is really about everything I didn't know. The things I never expected to happen, the people I never expected to meet, and the one big surprise I never saw coming.

This is technically a fan fiction, but it requires no previous knowledge of the franchise it is based on. Everything is written and explained as though the reader is seeing everything for the first time. You won't even know what type of fan fiction it is at first. So whether you're a fan or not, please enjoy!"

Genre: Fanfiction

Ivy (@RiverIvy)'s review:

Getting out of Fuchsia Review:

"Getting out of Fuchsia" was one of the most fun and creative fanfics I've ever read, bringing on a spectacularly well-made merging of the real world and the Pokemon world. It follows the journeys of an unnamed main character and her loyal Chikorita.

Now, the first pro of this book, a literary device that I always touch upon in books: description. I loved how it was able to paint a clear and straightforward picture in the reader's mind, without having to use too much big words or complex sentence structures, just easy, plain words stated in a casual and simple narration. Although there's nothing necessarily wrong in using more elegant wording, this makes it good for readers of all ages and reading levels.

Another great thing about this book was the grammar, of course! The grammar was near-perfect. I never once spotted a spelling mistake, and there were very, very few typos - as minor as a missing pair of quotations at most. There's really not much to expand on here: great spelling, capitalization, punctuation.

Something that was quite different about this book than other books was the breaking of the fourth wall.

And oh, I'm not saying that few books break the fourth wall. LOTS of books do, way too many for my liking, usually being unfunny and badly done.

But the difference here is, the breaking of the fourth wall wasn't like the one in the average Pokemon Fanfiction where it went like this:

"Sally said, 'OMG the author of this book is so stupid I hate her for always putting me in trouble'

(A/N: SHUT UP SALLY!!1! UR WORSER! Sorry guys my OC is super rude to me -_-)

Sally replied to her author, 'You're the WORSEST.'"

But rather, it was smooth, witty, and believable - like in the very last paragraph of the first chapter, the character is talking to the reader by saying that this was her story, she's speaking directly to you, telling you *herself* how odd this tale was. I found that really refreshing from the usual fourth wall breaks.

Moving to the very defining plot of this story were the parallel real and Pokemon world, which I found to be very charming. I wouldn't exactly call the idea itself original, since it's not as if it hasn't been toyed around with with hundreds of other authors, but rather how the idea was executed I found to be the real gem.

Generally, it'd go "I was out in the woods one night and found a portal that led to the Pokemon world" or "I was playing Pokemon and was somehow sucked into the game without any explanation". But no, in Getting out of Fuchsia, the answer is really something completely different.

The efficiency in how the author portrayed relationships between the characters was so realistic. For example, anyone can see the bond between the main character and her Chikorita - the loyalty, how well they can know and read each other, the closeness. I thought she did a good job, but not immediately - we learn small and small details throughout the story that eventually paint the big picture.

I liked the beginning of the book. Not really much to say about it, but through the narration of the funny, witty main character's complaints, her thoughts, and actions, we're able to get an understandable image of how life is like for her and the people around her, as well as some of her personality. All of this was done at a perfect pace; not stretched out too much, nor rushed through.

This is just a minor detail, but this book might be easier to understand for people who are have a smaller knowledge of Pokemon or are non-fans, since there are several explanations of certain concepts and how things work throughout the chapters.

I adore the lovable, realistic, life-like characters. Down to the last human and Pokemon, it's clear that the author has taken much work to flesh out the personality traits of each of them. The harsh and cold and sarcastic, seemingly emotionless main character, who really has a lot more to her, the goofy and loyal friend, Elliot, the kind, but rather shy Mary Ann. Even the Pokemon had complete sets of their own.

The plot was complex and engaging - with each new chapter, there's a sudden twist or an unanswered question that leaves the reader curious and thirsty for answers, yet at the same time is somewhat lax, so the reader is also able to enjoy light-hearted and humorous scenes.

Speaking of humorous scenes, I think these little things really made the book more memorable and heart-warming. Like, for example, at the beginning where the main character climbed over a fence to avoid trainers, or all those ridiculous scenes with Elliot! Lots of parts in these books made me laugh.

Another small detail - I loved the little references to silly parts of the Pokemon world, like the fisherman going broke because he gave out too many rods to random people for free

X3

But! Alas, even a book as good as this one has a few drawbacks.

I would've liked to see the character development a little faster, especially for the main character. I mean, we know there's something dark about her past, and yet we don't really see hints of that part of her until later on in the story. I would've preferred it to come just a little bit earlier.

Pokemon are a liiitle over-powered. I doubt a completely inexperienced Chancey would be able to beat a trained Koffing.

That's really about it...

To conclude, this was a fun, original, and nicely-paced book that somehow never leaves the reader's memory. One of the best I've read, and I can see that the author has real potential.

Rating: 8.5/10. A must read.

Scarlet (@Scarlet_Regnar)'s review:

Just by reading d_s_t_e's one-shots, I've been accustomed to her work, but this book proves that the precision she uses in her shorter stories carries over to a larger scale.

I love this book; I read it very quickly, but it felt wholesome and polished, never lagging, and everything felt fresh, unlike most Pokemon fics. The characters were fleshed out well, they felt distinct, they had their characterization planned well so that the "moment of truth" happened around the time of the climax. This book also smoothly transitions into its sequel, which I can tell is cut from the same cloth and I intend on reading it in full for the Pokemon Watty Awards.

No real negatives, as it was very tight knit and dste fixed many of the typos I pointed out.

A must read for any adamant fanfiction reader, and it will join the club reading list of my favorites.

Rating: 10 / Perfection

Gren (@Grenineon)'s review:

Before I begin, I have to say that this book got my approval from every single perspective: the characters and Pokemon's personalities, the plot, the creativity - literally everything. I have to say that this is one of my absolute favorite books ever!

One thing that totally turned me on from the beginning was the light-hearted, comedic personalities of every single character. The MC (Main Character - her name is unknown) was sarcastic, witty and sassy to Elliot, but sweet and caring to her Chikorita. Even the Grass Pokemon herself had her own detailed personality - she's only a Pokemon, too! The personalities were completely realistic and meticulously planned; a quality most Pokéfics lack.

The scenes in every chapter were so vivid. They were abundantly detailed and emotional, leaving a small mark on my heart to remember them. *SMALL SPOILER* For example, when Serendipity, a compassionate Chansey, agreed to travel with the MC, I felt my heart melting from the sweetness of the scene. *END OF SPOILER* All of the chapters had events that occurred, each one eliciting different emotions - sadness, bliss, anger, mystery, satisfaction...

Another thing that tempted me to read on was the original aspect of everything. For example, in this Pokemon world, Poké Balls had to be charged - they had batteries that didn't last forever. Another detail: to send out Pokemon, there's a fingerprint scanner on the Poké Ball. It won't open unless the owner's fingerprint is touching the ball. I love that there were original ideas like that just for a mere Poké Ball! The way Serendipity got signs of evolving into Blissey - her appearance was slowly changing, she started to say Blissey's name - was also something I enjoyed.

The plot flowed smoothly - peaceful is a perfect way to describe it. Albeit on the slow side, I found it extremely relaxing to read. Every chapter was so incredibly descriptive, making each part go on. The way the writer could write a short event and make it long without causing any boredom whatsoever is fantastic.

The grammar was practically impeccable. Everything was written with a perfect mix of details and explanations. No single word was overused in one paragraph; there were no errors in the tenses nor dialogue.

One thing I did have a tiny problem with was the outcomes of battles. Even though the scenes were written vividly and, like everything else in the book, with detail, I found that it was a little too unrealistic. *SPOILERS* For example, when Chica (Chikorita) and Maria (Eevee at that time) battled the two Geodude and Shedinja in the cave, they were screwed; Chica nor Maria had a Flying, Rock, Ghost, Dark or Fire move - none of their attacks would have an effect on Shedinja. Chica taking on the Geodude singlehandedly was plausible, but Shedinja was leeching her life away during her assassination of them. That should've caused her to faint. Sure, Maria was the one that won the battle by knocking Shedinja out, but she just kicked a rock at it - it wasn't even an attack. It was unrealistic, and I dislike when a non-attack actually does damage - let alone knock a Pokemon out. *END OF SPOILERS*

Other than that, though, this book was amazing. It was so fun to read, and I totally suggest it to everyone, amateurs and veterans alike. You'll for sure like it!

My rate: 9.5/10

X (@Darker_X)'s review:

"Getting Out of Fuchsia" is a fanfiction written by @d_s_t_e. Unlike past reviews, this book was unique in the fact that it is quite hard to present a proper review for such a brilliant story.

It entails the adventures of a girl who leaves Fuchsia City- not for an adventure, but because she wanted to move to a better city. She meets many people along the way, and discovers many things. (Or does she?)

For the first time in my entirety here, I regretfully admit that there is absolutely no negative connotations to point out in this book(who doesn't like a good argument? Perhaps the Candor). It excels in perhaps every single detail- grammar, story, narration, setting, characters. "Getting Out of Fuchsia" is probably a book which should be used as a scale for determining the brilliance of Pokemon fanfictions. The only negative you could say about this book is perhaps the cover- even that is for the sake of argument.

As mentioned before, the book has such precise, excellent grammar, I'd send the author a basket of muffins and cupcakes for it. There is no discrepancy in the words, the flow of narration is just silky smooth, and there is just a soft, delightful feel to the vocabulary that lets you want to know just how much long it can go on.

And the battle descriptions. More than being creative and breathtaking, they were innovative- instead of fiery eruptions and drowning tidal waves, the author managed to get a simple volley of leaves and slaps to determine a battle's outcomes. Who knew Shedinjas can be defeated with a pebble?

The author did a splendid job with bringing out a character's personality. Fascinating in the way that only three characters play a part in the story, it was stunning to see how simply complicated they were.

Which brings me to the one thing I absolutely adored about this book- the simplicity. It's not often we read something other than Gold and Silver fanfictions, or pure adventure stories(Quite frankly, when Red was mentioned, I had half a mind to burst into tears) in the Pokémon fandom, and the fact that one single theme was amplified a millionfold makes the story even more special. There are no showers of romance, no big murderous plots, nothing- just a simple, dazzling tale of one set goal of a girl who tries to find a good place to settle down, an evolutionary process which might be detrimental to the Pokemon's happiness- simple obstacles which were deeply explored. Taking simplicity into deeper realms is a tough, hard feat, and the author is a savant at it.

Another wonderful aspect of the story is how the author shows a "real" Pokémon world- exactly like it would be in the core games. Don't look at Trainers in the eye, poor political and judicial structure, amusing geography- the author points out all the flaws in the Pokémon world, and still makes it interesting.

Which brings us to the next hymn of praise. This is probably the best book for people who are new to the Pokémon world- a tutorial book, so as to speak. The various complex concepts have been broken down into simple explanations- all sorts of people can understand the book, essentially, and that's another admirable quality. (I laughed until tears came to my eyes when I read about the horned goldfish.)

Verdict: I am quite literally running out of words to try to explain just how amazing "Getting Out of Fuchsia" is. It's not often that I love books like "Loyal to the Game", adore books like "The Golden Throne", respect books like "Fiery Lands and Stormy Seas" or "Pokémon Chronicles: The Wrath of the Crystal Queen"- but it's definitely not often that I recommend a book. And I strongly recommend everyone to read "Getting Out of Fuchsia". The best works of writing are simple- d_s_t_e has provided one of them. Wattpad needs more books like these, and Wattpad needs more authors like her. I wish d_s_t_e all the air in the world, and I'll be making sure I follow all her pursuits.

Rating: 10/10. We have a Master in our midst.

Interview with the author:

Q: Why do you write?

A: Well, the answer to that question could be an essay in itself. The short answer is that I believe that writing is what I was meant to do. Writing is like nothing else. It's sustaining. It makes me smile and laugh; it fills me with a sense of joy. It's also cathartic and freeing; it's a way for me to express myself on the deepest level and bring my thoughts and emotions into alignment. On another level, it's the best way I have to communicate with others. I'm always trying to share something deep, even when I write fan fiction.

Q: What's more important in your opinion: characters or plot?

A: I think this is a trick question. Characters and plot are both important. So is every other element that makes a story great. I think it's also a trick question because the plot and the characters have a symbiotic relationship - neither can exist without the other. Characters create and drive the plot. Take an ambitious young trainer with a head full of dreams and ambitions like Ash from the Pokémon anime and see if he can exist as the same character without constantly seeking new challenges. On the other hand, just try to form a plot line without any characters in it! I think some writers prefer to start with one or the other or to focus on one over the other, but I think it's like the classic optical illusion picture of the two faces/the vase. A person who perfectly replicates those faces might not be paying attention to the vase, but he or she creates it just as well. The same is true for the person who replicates the vase and ends up with two faces along with it. My focus is usually on the characters, but plot happens along the way.

Q: Do you work out an outline or a plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

A: I don't work from an outline. The only time that I will ever sketch one out is during the process of rewriting, after I have at least one completed draft already under my belt. In that case, I outline to make sure that the plot and the pacing will move forward well, and it's really more of a critique and revision of the pre-existing plot from my finished draft. But I don't forge ahead blindly, either. I always start writing with some general, big picture ideas and a sense of the overall story arc.

When I began to write Getting Out of Fuchsia, I knew the basic personality of my main character, the goal that she was striving for, and the basic way that she would go about achieving that. Some things that I knew about my main character from the beginning weren't actually revealed until almost the end of Getting Out of Fuchsia's sequel. In other ways, though, I actually discovered the character as I wrote. My original reason for not giving her a name was that I imagined the reader almost becoming the character through the strong first person perspective, similarly to the way that I almost become the video game character that I control when I play Fire Red, the game that inspired the first chapter. Her name could be your name. That grew into something much more complex and rewarding, and I find that it's the same for much of what I wrote.

And some things, of course, come as complete surprises. Those who have read the Afterword to The Girl with the Chikorita will know that this was exactly the case with the character of Elliot. I could go on for pages with other examples of this. Such is my writing process.

Q: When did you decide to start writing?

A: I don't know that I can say when I decided to start writing. I always find it difficult to trace aspects of my life back to a single starting point. I simply can't ignore all the complexity. A while ago, a friend of mine was talking to me about the paradox of the heap. This reminds me of it in a way, but I am going to take it backwards. I imagine myself sitting on the beach with a pair of tweezers in one hand and a flat plate in the other. I can pull up one grain of sand with the tweezers and place it onto the plate. It is one grain of sand. I can add another and have two grains of sand on the plate. If I keep adding grains of sand one by one, eventually, I will have a heap of sand. But at what point does the sand on my plate become a heap? Is it even possible to say?

I've been writing for most of my life, according to a basic definition. I learned how to write my name sometime before I can even remember, but I think most would agree that practicing the alphabet learning how to string together basic words hardly counts as writing in the sense that this question here is asking. I would ask then, where does it begin? When I wrote a few little "poems" and stories into a notebook at somewhere around the age of six? In junior high when I had my first formal teaching in techniques for creative writing and decided that I wanted to be the best at it? When I entered my first story contest around the same time and lost spectacularly? When I decided to take that story and turn it into something better and that "something better" became an idea for a novel? When I entered college and formally declared myself as a Writing major?

Maybe the question you should be asking is when I got to the point at which I can't answer a simple question without being difficult!

Q: How much research, if any, you do before you write?

A: The amount of research I do depends greatly upon what it is I'm setting out to write. When writing Getting Out of Fuchsia and its sequel, I usually took it chapter by chapter. I didn't need much research on chapter one because I wrote it just after trying to catch a Chansey in the Safari Zone in my copy of Fire Red. Still, when I rewrote it, I looked up the pokedex entries for Chansey, Rhydon, and Venomoth, the Pokémon that appear in that chapter, and that helped me to add detail. I usually do the same for any new Pokémon that I include as well as cities and towns that the characters visit. Bulbapedia is my best friend. Sometimes I've been so entertained by reading it that I've gone completely off topic and it turns into something fascinating that I add into the story later down the road. I also research Pokémon base stats before every battle scene I write and plug them into my custom spreadsheet for battle damage calculation. I somehow feel very professional and very geeky at the exact same time. Anyway, I pride myself in getting all the canon details right, except for those I purposely choose to replace with my own ideas.

Q: While writing a chapter, do you set a goal of words or a general length, or you just write as much as you want to?

A: When I first started writing Getting Out of Fuchsia, I didn't have any sense at all for how long my chapters were going to be. I just wrote until I reached a natural stopping point. Over time, though, I found that I was beginning to fall into a natural rhythm. I don't know if it came from my own sense of what my readers were best responding to or if it came from reading other books on Wattpad and getting a feel for what works well, but most of my chapters end up between 2,000 and 3,000 words. That is something I now consciously aim for when I'm tempted to slack off. Sometimes a chapter demands to be a different length, but most of the time it is quite steady.

Q: Could you give us an insight into your main character.

A: The biggest insight into my main character is that her perspective of herself is flawed. For example, she's incredibly clever, but rather than seeing herself that way she tends to see other people as being stupid. The most notable case is Elliot, who she continuously refers to as an idiot. He does have a tendency to miss things and be absent minded and jump to action without thinking things through, among other things, but he does have intelligence in his own way. At worst, he's simply average. The main character has difficulty seeing that because she doesn't see herself properly in order to make a fair comparison. She has many other extraordinary abilities as well, including stamina, sense of direction, strength of character, compassion, bravery, leadership ability, and mind blowing knowledge of the Pokémon world, but they're so balanced by her fundamental flaw that they are almost hidden. And, speaking of things that are hidden, she keeps a lot of herself locked away. It takes a lot of time for even those who are close to her to peel down to the deeper layers. She's a character of hidden complexity.

Q: Which writers inspire you?

A: I'm going to bow out yet again on this question! I've already written a chapter in my Random book where I talk about why I can't really answer this question in a "good" way. That answer comes with no less than four metaphors (if you haven't been able to see my love for them already!) and the statement that "probably the best answer I can give is 'every author I have ever read'". I am inspired by everyone! Kind of. But obvious answers for Getting Out of Fuchsia include the scriptwriters of the Pokémon anime, the writers who worked on the Pokémon games, etc. They directly inspired huge portions of it, unmistakably, and we all owe them our thanks as fans and as writers.

Q: Do you ever get a writer's block? If so, what are your ways of overcoming and dealing with it.

A: When I get writer's block, I don't usually call it writer's block. For me, it's actually one of two things. The first is not knowing what to write next. This is usually a sign that I've gone wrong somewhere, and it helps to read back over what I've written and find out where the problem is. If the plot has lost its sizzle, I have no motivation to write more. If there's a recent scene that just feels off, it's difficult to move ahead based on it. Those are examples of the types of problems that I usually diagnose, and the solution is to rewrite before moving on. The second thing is fear. Sometimes I feel paralyzed and unable to write because I worry that what I write won't be good enough. The solution to that is to face the fear in whatever way works best. Maybe I'll argue with myself until it quiets down. Maybe I'll push ahead anyway just to prove that it won't turn out nearly as badly as I think that it will. Maybe I'll step back and do some research to build confidence that I know what I'm talking about. I think there are many kinds of writers block and that the solution depends on the exact cause. I think it's probably also something that's unique to every writer in some degree.

Q: What are your ambitions for your writing career?

A: My top ambition at the moment is to complete and publish a novel through traditional publishing. I've been working on a novel for a long time, but I'm just starting to get back into it in a really serious way. I want to take the time I need to make it into the best work I can possibly produce and go through the work of finding an agent and a publisher. If the first book is successful, who knows how many I might go onto? But that's a bit too pie-in-the-sky for serious consideration right now. I really just want to get the one book written first. I actually have had two of my shorter pieces published before, but I've always wanted to write novels.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

A: The best advice I can give to aspiring writers is to not stop writing. The more you write, the better you get, and it really can be just that simple. Other things that help include reading, especially reading books by authors who write the way that you wish that you could write. Don't shy away from the big, well-known authors. They're famous for a reason. If you can, finding someone else who can help you to develop your writing can also be really huge. This can be a person who gives an honest and insightful critique of your work, a person who is an ongoing editor and supporter, or someone more like a teacher or a mentor. Playing such a role for others can also be helpful to you in its own way. Personally I'm an advocate of studying writing in a formal way, through actual classes. That's because it worked for me, but I also know that many famous writers think that going to school for writing is unnecessary if you read and practice on your own. Find a way that works for you but never stop.

Q: To finish this interview, would you like to share your favourite quote, if you have one?

A: I don't really have a favorite quote, but there is one that I'm somewhat known for liking: "I can't eat muffins in an agitated manner. The butter would probably get on my cuffs." - Algernon Moncrieff in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.

* * *

Credits:

Article written by: Ivy (@RiverIvy), Flora (@FloralArtistry)

Reviews by: Ivy, Scarlet (@Scarlet_Regnar), X (@Darker_X), Gren (@Grenineon)

Interview conducted by: Flora

Special thanks to: @d_s_t_e

-

Thanks for reading guys! And wow, I think this book has the highest ratings so far, getting two outstanding ten-over-tens. Not surprising, though! Congratulations, dste!

Have a great day, and thank you for reading :)

-Ivy and Flora