Surviving the Quarantine: Post 7
Well here we are. Surviving the Quarantine Post 7. The world has become a significantly more chaotic place. Impressive since we had a global virus to contend with.
Make sure to check out the entire series here.
My financial woes continue to persist. Yet, I am plugging away at job applications. Maybe if I work hard, I’ll find myself on the positive side with money. Nah, that won’t happen. But its nice to dream right?
My physical problems persist. However, I went outside a bit more and have been working through the pain. Still, I am becoming more limited in my job choices as my body continues to ache.
Danger:
I talked at length about the protests and riots last week. Things have only gotten worse on that front. Our dictator wannabe “leader” decided those protesters were too much of an annoyance and had them gassed so that he could take a picture by a church.
The conspiracy theory I feared most of all is starting to take root. Its rotting branches slither around the country and threaten to engulf all the innocent people of the United States. What did I fear most of all? Antifa being labeled a terrorist group.
Antifa is not a group. Its a concept. As a result, labeling the group a terror organization is an easy way for Trump to arrest whoever he wants. He can make it illegal to be a liberal in the United States. Hell he can make it illegal to do anything he doesn’t like. This is not hyperbole. The Nazis did the exact same thing.
And as the laws are written, here are the chain of events that will take place. You get arrested and are denied a trial and lose your rights. Next, you go to prison. Finally, you are branded a slave. Does that sound fun? I don’t think it sounds fun at all.
Protests:
Curfews are being sprung on protestors. These are an easy way for the police to arrest peaceful activists. They create a situation where you are unknowingly breaking a crime and pounce. Its a dirty tactic, but not unheard of.
I still want to know exactly how the Geneva Convention left a loophole available for the police to use weapons of mass destruction on US Citizens. Tear Gas is illegal in warfare. If our soldiers used it, we would be branded as committing crimes against humanity. Not so in the current situation.
Of course, I would argue that these tactics do constitute crimes against humanity. History will tell if the perpetrators ever truly pay though. Here’s hoping.
And the protests persist. I’ll talk more at length about those in the positive part of the post. I participated in one as is my obligation as a rational, thinking human being in the United States.
Remember the Virus:
Don’t forget that there is a fucking virus spreading. It has not deemed America safe from it no matter how much leaders think so. Viruses do not play to human emotions. The Coronavirus will likely make a massive resurgence.
Positives?:
Somehow, despite the massive wall of negativity above, this is the least negative I have felt in a while. This is extremely liberating to me. I want to talk about it even more. Where to begin. Oh I know, lets talk about my anxiety and depression.
I know I know, those are not positive words. No they are not. But what is positive about them right now, is that they are receding. The only time I grapple with those two states of mind is when I wake up from sleep, and at night before I go to bed. I’m pushing them back right now while I write this.
I have to carefully asses whether Mania will take over. That is the state of mind where I act most dangerously for my future. But I feel invigorated by a few things that I have chosen to do.
Activism:
I marched in Jacksonville this week with members of Black Lives Matter. I choose to stand on this side of justice even as I dealt with and continue to deal with jeers and insults from fellow Jews and people on the Autism Spectrum.
It was an important experience for me. I constantly reminded myself that I was present as a supporter and not a voice when the crowd kept calling for those who had emotions and had things to say to come forward and speak. Proud of my choice of restraint seems out to those reading this probably. But to me, its an important milestone.
Anyway, I chose to record the entire march. I know that some people will claim that I am co-opting an important movement and they are entitled to their opinions. However, having recordings on the ground is the best way to prove that these marches are peaceful and not violent.
Right now, too many people are trying to cause violence to take away from the important messages. Almost every one of these people belong to the far right and Neo Nazi groups. I have been at war with these organizations my entire life. I will continue to fight them with everything I have.
Black Lives Matter:
Black Lives Matter now. They have always mattered. This country needs to get over itself. The United States needs to acknowledge the amount of hardship imposed on minorities for the sake of capitalism. The gaslighting that is keeping people in poverty needs to stop. The misinformation needs to stop too.
I am ready to march again when I can. This is an important part of United States History and through civic engagement, we can create a better world. Even if the old guard opposes us at every turn, we will eventually win out. It might not happen today. It might not happen in 10 years. But one day we can actually live in a proper society.
Positivity Review:
Well that was a lot to take in. But don’t worry, there’s still more. I already mentioned the shows I am watching, the video games I’m playing, and the stories I am writing in my last post. I don’t think I need to repeat all of that again word for word.
Two of my three Dungeons and Dragons Campaigns had new developments this week. I will tell you about those since they have helped me stay sane more than almost anything else during this nonstop year of strange.
Cycle of Millennia:
In my Cycle of Millennia Campaign, the party finally reached the city of the dangerous and Demon Worshiping Dark Elves. Confronted with countless enemies, strange traps, and deadly magic, the party presses on through the cave dwelling. But this is deep in the realm of the God of Madness. Just what else will they encounter on their road to set right which they accidentally wronged so long ago?
Centrum Glacies:
Centrum Glacies had a time change in real life. That means I played two sessions between my last post and this one. The party gained a new ally. A Dwarven Paladin with a penchant for drink and bravado joined them thanks to a secret mission.
The newly formed group returned to the Red Light District armed with information that Vampires lurked beneath. They found a bloodbath. And not the kind caused by Vampires. Too much blood on the ground for their kind to just waste.
Every woman in the Red Light District was dead, each with their slit. The Paladin, armed with the ability to sense evil came to s frightening realization. This was the work of a Demon. But what was such a creature doing so far away from the Abyssal Continent?
Before the players made any choices, they were joined by the mysterious Adrenne. While a Vampire herself, she seemed hellbent on hunting her own kind. The group still doesn’t trust her. Every other encounter with the woman has been cryptic so far. But she was willing to lead them to the Vampire lair, and they obliged.
Barely into the underground cave system the party dealt with fire skulls, and traps. But only a little farther in and the group discovered that their intrusion was expected. Enemies started attacking them through the walls with arrows and magic. As they navigated through the maze like cave, they ended the session learning the truth of this enemy: Dark Elf Cultists.
Seems both my campaigns are fighting similar enemies. Is this a coincidence? Author appeal? Something else entirely? You be the judge.
Nuzlocke
Well, once again I have mentioned everything else keeping me going. The BLM protests might be the most important thing I’m doing, but let’s be honest, there is another reason you are all reading this blog post. That’s right, its time for the next entry in my Twitch Pokemon Nuzlocke for Generation 2. Let’s get into it.
Crystal Adventure Part 8:
After clearing all the optional areas I could, I continued on my way back to Route 38 and to Route 39 beyond. I encountered Pinkman the Magnemite and reached Olivine City. After a run in with ThisGuy, I continued on my way- to the lighthouse that is.
After climbing to the top and meeting Jasmine, one of the next Gym Leaders I would need to put down, I figured out that I would need to cross the sea to get her to battle me.
Before setting out to crossing the ocean, I pulled out the new Great Rod and caught Rip Sloth the Krabby. May we remember my final fallen companion who was felled by a Kingler right before the Elite 4 in Generation 1.
Crystal Adventure Part 9:
Route 40 was the first Sea Route and along the way, I captured Cthulhu the Tentacool. Passed the mysterious Whirl Islands sat Route 41. AdvterTime the Mantine flew into me along the way. Unfortunate, that the seemingly good times had to come to a horrible end.
Right before I reached Cianwood City, I battled a trainer who managed to breed a Horsea for one specific purpose. Box Ghost was slain by Dragon Rage. A move Horsea can only learn via egg move breeding. I was completely stunned by such a turn of events.
Furious that I lost such a valuable companion at this point in the journey, I returned to Olivine to figure out who could possibly replace such a companion. Pinkman rose to the occasion. It might not be a Ghost Type, but Steel Electric is a powerful type combination.
Crystal Adventure Part 10:
After properly training my new companion, it was time to take on the next Gym Leader, Chuck. His team fell easily to the power of Not Uri and his psychic assaults. Before the battle, Covid evolved into Crobat via the power of friendship. Also before the battle, Pinkman became a Magneton.
With another Gym Badge it was time to help Jasmine. After granting her request, I returned to the sea to train my team again. Jasmine is a powerful foe and I needed to be ready.
My preparation paid off. Her Magnemite and Steelix were no match for my potent team of battlers. Armed with six badges, it was time to head east towards the final areas of Johto.
Crystal Adventure Part 11:
On Route 42, I caught Single the Goldeen. Mahogany Town was only a stones throw farther than that. But along this short path, AntiSpiral evolved into Politoed, DieMiltank became Golem, Not Uri became Alakazam, and Bumper became Typhlosian. With my fully grown group, there was about to be hell to pay.
In Mahogany Town a strange signal could be heard on the radio. An obnoxious man tried to sell me ragecandy bars and would not let me pass to the east. Instead I went to the north.
On Route 43 I caught Beast the Farfetch’d after an epic battle of Pokeball throwing. On the way to my next destination, I heard about a trainer named “ThisGuy”. I wonder who that is?
Crystal Adventure Part 12:
At the Lake of Rage, I encountered a Shiny Gyarados. Despite my best efforts to catch this rare and magnificent creature, it became bamboozled after thrashing about, and killed itself in frustration. After this tragic battle, I saw a caped man named Lance. The child I currently possessed did not know this man, but the 30 year old controlling her actions remembered a wannabe Dragon Master in Generation 1.
I decided to join forces with him after hearing that Team Rocket was behind the strange signal. Returning to the last town I visited, I found their hideout. I felt bad for all the rockets. I intentionally set off all the cameras to feed experience to my powerful team. Plus crushing grunts and hearing them call themselves failures is fun.
Before I could enter the lower levels of the hideout, I encountered a peculiar trap. Pokemon spawned every time I took a step. After catching !BooM! the Voltorb, and realizing that every Pokemon encountered here was capable of exploding, I trained with caution as I intentionally triggered this trap as well.
Satisfied with the chaos I had caused, I joined Lance on the next floor before crashing Team Rockets Operation. I finally took on a few executives. Their teams seemed insulting to their former leader who at least ran around with rare Pokemon, even if he was weak too in Generation 1.
Crystal Adventure Part 13:
The final step of stopping the radio signal was defeating lots of Electrode. They made this process simple as the Pokemon were more than happy to explode. A shame I kept using Dig to dodge the attack. With Team Rocket Dealt with, I continued my Gym Leader Challenge.
Pryce, the master of ice proved he was also the master of few resistances. His Pokemon shattered to my power quite easily. I didn’t even need to prepare beforehand. But as I stepped out the Gym, Team Rocket caused more problems. I flew to Goldenrod City to crush them again.
Crystal Adventure Part 14:
I climbed up the Radio Tower which had been taken over by some evil goons. At the top, I fought the tower director who turned out to be a Rocket Executive. For some reason, he gave me a key to progress instead of just running away and ensuring his organization’s success. No wonder Giovanni is in hiding.
Next I used the key that this failure leader gave me to go into an underground tunnel. I was ambushed by ThisGuy who still thought he was a stronger trainer than me. I sent him packing before getting stuck in a puzzle that should have been easy to solve.
Eventually, I found the real director who gave me another key. At least this time it made sense that I got a valuable item. What didn’t make sense was why Team Rocket let him hold it in the first place.
Crystal Adventure Part 15:
Returning to Radio Tower, I crushed the rest of Team Rocket. The Final Executive only had one fully evolved Pokemon. And while a Houndoom is a viable Pokemon, the rest of his team was an insult to Team Rocket. An impressively low ceiling at that.
Shrugging at the fact that a possessed 10 year old crushed Team Rocket a second time, I returned to Mahogany Town and headed east passed the stupid vendor who finally let me through. I caught !Hentai! the Tangela on Route 44 and entered the Ice Path.
As hard as I tried, I could not catch anything in the cave and left this cold place with nothing new to show for it. But Blackthorne City sat on the other side. The Final Gym Leader awaited. But I had another task to complete first.
Crystal Adventure Part 16:
Hearing that a legendary Pokemon had appeared at Tin Tower. And capturing a legendary would allow me to conquer the wor- I mean help this young girl conquer the Elite 4. After being tested by some inept sages, the legendary Pokemon Suicune stood before me. The Pokemon detected the pure heart of the child, not realizing the malevolent spirit lurking inside simply saw it as another tool.
But I captured Nat Twenty and even Legendary Pokemon fit in Pokeballs. The waters of the world are mine to command. Oh well. Another time perhaps.
Returning to Blackthorn City, I trained in preparation of fighting Clair one of the most powerful trainers in Johto. While training on Route 45 I encountered FlyingFort the Skarmory and caught him. I also trained at Whirl Islands and caught The Dong the Seel.
Crystal Adventure Part 17:
After preparing properly, I stepped foot into the 8th Gym and fought a lot of Dragons. Every time I saw Dragon Rage, my blood boiled remembering Box Ghost. This fury allowed me to crush the gym so utterly, including Clair herself, that the Gym Leader fell into denial that I bested her.
Apparently if I entered the Dragon’s Den and passed some sort of test, she would give me the badge. I navigated the cavern and found an elder who quizzed me with some simple questions. I didn’t answer truthfully since I didn’t want to give away that a 10 year old was possessed by a dangerous spirit. Clair managed to rush in, furious that she couldn’t pass this test. How did such a fool become a Gym Leader? I got Seto Kaiba the Dratini as an extra reward.
With all the Johto Badges in hand, it was time to go to the Pokemon League. Powerful trainers fought me as I traveled down Routes 27 and 26. Finally Victory Road loomed. The child knew little about this place, but I, the 30 year old had already seen this place in Generation 1. We weren’t in Johto anymore. This was Kanto.
Victory Road lacked trainers this time around. On the way to the end, I caught Darksora the Onix. However, despite not seeing any visible trainers, as I tried to leave, one final surprise ambushed me. ThisGuy appeared again. When will he learn? After his defeat, I set out to train again. After all the Elite 4 are called such for a reason.
Crystal Adventure Part 18:
At long last, I was ready, I entered the stairwell fully prepared to take on 5 trainers in a row. Yes 5. I knew about the surprise at the end. Will was first. He stood in a room filled with ice, but used Psychic Pokemon. Boring. Next.
Koga was second. I crushed him in gen 1 and his signature Pokemon was a weak imitation of Covid. He was slaughtered. Not helping him was the fact that Pinkman was immune to poison.
Bruno managed to remain part of the Elite 4 despite having by far the weakest team in both games. He was nothing more than an experience point pinata. Seriously, the Elite 4 need to vet who they let in.
Finally, the final of the four stood between me and the end. Karen put up much more of a fight than the others. But she had no manager to complain to and her Houndoom fell just like the Team Rocket one did. That just left me and the Champion.
Lance managed to become Champion in the three years since Gen 1. How unfortunate that Not Uri and AntiSpiral had ice attacks. He only got a couple moves off and none that helped his cause. Move over Dragon Master. A Ten Year Old Girl is champion now. And that was the end. Just kidding.
Crystal Adventure Part 19:
I had the rest of Kanto to explore. I will spare you most of the details since they are grisly. A 10 year old possessed by a 30 year old who became the Champion and brought her hilariously powerful Pokemon to an unsuspecting region.
LT Surge, Erika, and Sabrina who had been gym leaders in generation one, returned to do the same. But their teams were too weak for mine. Simple roadblocks. Koga’s daughter Janine also made an appearance. She managed to be even weaker than the others.
On my path of destruction, I caught Damien the Murkrow, … the Quagsire, Carbon the Grimer, and Bird Jesus the Pidgeotto. I find it quite impressive that I managed to get that far without catching a Pidgey and its bird family.
Crystal Adventure Part 20:
I wanted to return to Johto but couldn’t use the Magnet Train. To solve this, I hunted down the last member of Team Rocket and ending their pathetic rein of terror for good. Oh and I fixed the train. Right. Remember, priorities.
4 Gym Leaders remain in Kanto. They won’t last long against my powerful team. I am beyond pleased that only one friend has fallen. There are few if any obstacles that remain to stop me from completely crushing the remaining leaders of Kanto.
Closing:
Well, looking at the above, the good significantly outweighs the bad in my life right now. I know that using a Nuzlocke and writing about the positive experiences I had within a BLM rally might be cheating when it comes to positivity, but small victories are still victories.
Look forward to more stuff, both positive and negative next week. The world continues to get stranger and more chaotic. Who knows what I’ll be talking about next time?