MLG: I'm glad you're still with me! We've got a long way to go but the marathon should slow down to a nicer, steadier pace. Outcast and Exile delineates the opening sprint into the distance where spectators no longer can see you and you can stop showing off.

In my own Trekkie brand of nerdiness, I felt like trying to come up with an explanation for the Poké Balls that sounded less like contrived magic or deus ex machina and more like plausible science. Hard to do for a manga/anime/video game based series, but there you are.

For every character who makes a cameo in the story, it's vitally important to me that I stay true to their nature, even if I go off on a tangent with them that you might not expect. Oak sometimes comes off as a flighty dork, but he can also be drop-dead serious when he needs to be, and I think that had to apply here.

And... well, of course, Rattata and Pidgey! Gyarados is extraordinary enough, now he needs some "ordinary" teammates.

Becky: Detail is everything to me. I feel it's extremely important to showcase even the slightly more boring aspects of his journey, because nobody has a Pokémon journey without a few dry spots here and there. It's all about how those times are dealt with.

I'm glad you're seeing his maturity rising. He's still got a ways to go, but he's making his way through.

And I'm betting you aren't the only one wondering about that! You'll all see, soon enough.