A Note from Jacob: Welcome to the 425th episode of Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast! When I started this platform back in November 2019, I did not know that this journey would take me to interview authors, Emmy-winning actors and journalists, Grammy-winning producers, independent recording artists, my fellow podcasters, Reality TV legends, and social media influencers. Thank you to all my guests and their respective media teams for taking time out of your schedules to trust me and my platform! Also, a special shoutout to my family and friends who encouraged me throughout my journey! Finally, I want to say “Thank You” to everyone who has listened to or watched an episode! I appreciate your continuing support! I am thrilled to welcome back my friend, author, and content creator Marcus J. Anthony, to Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar! The Dublin native is an upcoming author who previously published Love of Sacrifice, then rebooted it as The World of Antheric. Some who have known Marcus from school found the news of his book a surprise, as Marcus struggled through school dealing with dyslexia and social anxiety. Marcus lacked focus in his studies and would spend most of his time daydreaming about flying on dragons or waving a wand to cast a spell. Fantasy fueled Marcus’s mind. However, it caused him to fall behind in school. He would be exempt from Irish language studies, which was disheartening for him, as he could not translate his country's original language. When Marcus was ten, he suffered from sleep anxiety. So, he decided to use his strong imagination to create ‘movies’ in his head that would help him sleep. That was when some of the characters in this novel were created. In the years that followed, the movies in his head developed into a magical world that Marcus could not resist writing about. Creative writing became his passion, and Marcus would not allow his dyslexia to stop him from achieving. He spent most of his teenage years (staying home on weekends) writing and learning until he found his writing style. Marcus has a great love for animals and supports charities. He is vocal about awareness of animal abuse, which is expressed in the story through Jenin’s past experiences. Marcus has four cats: Summer, Junior, Littler, and Leia. In 2017, Marcus fell into a dark spell of generalized anxiety and depression, which delayed the release of his book. The Black Grawth came from his experience with anxiety and panic attacks. And Gaul – the Dark Lord- represented the darkness of depression. With the help of treatment, family, and meditation, Marcus found strength and happiness again and continues to write, drawing inspiration from the world around him. Since 2024, Marcus J. Anthony has established EliteMJ TV, which started with the original fan fiction series, Pokémon Next Generation. Set 10 years after Ash Ketchum won the Pokémon World Championship, the series follows Johto native Marc Masters, who hero-worships Ash, and travels across Kanto with his friends, Rachel Oak-Stone and Anthony Green. So far, Marc has earned five gym badges from Forrest (Brock’s youngest brother), Rain (Misty’s cousin), Sgt. Sara (Lt. Surge’s daughter), Skorcha (Blaine’s granddaughter), and Erika. The trio also battled foes in the form of Nastina, Earl, and Blurt, and Team Justice. In addition to earning gym badges, Marc uncovered a threat that could destroy the Pokémon world: this threat’s name is Mew-Z. This Pokémon is unlike any creature that inhabits this world; it is pure evil. This monstrosity was the brainchild of Team Rocket leader Giovanni and brought to life by the sinister Dr. Yung and Evice, using genes from Mew, Mewtwo, Zygarde, and unknown factors. While it is powerful, Mew-Z has not reached its final form. According to Looker, for Mew-Z to reach its full potential, it must absorb both Mew and Mewtwo in one hour. The creature has begun hunting down mythical and legendary Pokémon, as well as Zygarde cells, to boost its power. Both Jirachi and Tapu Koko have fallen victim to this monstrosity. He is also growing a following and assisting him with his misdeeds are Evice and a mysterious, red-haired woman named Commander, who kidnapped both Ash Ketchum and Pikachu at the series’ beginning. On the 425th edition of Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar, Marcus J. Anthony spoke about the upcoming Pokémon: The Next Champion, introduced Pokémon NG Chronicles, and previewed the developments of Tales of Old Galar and Tales of War. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.