Hey there /totklang
While going through the most recent text with u/DaZip and LoruleanHistorian I learned a few things that I wanted to share.
While performing index of coincidence scoring on the entire monument plus the words in the art book along with both murals from the October 2022, several of us found that the score was lower. For non-random text in Romaji, you’d expect to see a score close to 0.089 (normalized).
All the text, however, was scoring at 0.080. This was incredibly weird for a few reasons, mainly because even if one or two words was in English, the score should drop to below 0.080. That was until we performed index of coincidence scoring on the Sheikah tapestry before it was contextualized into Hepburn Romaji.
The original Sheikah tapestry after being transliterated from Sheikah, is in Kunrei-Shiki Romaji, which has its own sets of rules for processing. A great example of that is that with Hebo, you would expect to see mostly correct romanized syllables spelled out, especially for sounds like ち、し、つ (chi, shi, tsu). In Kunrei, things like ti, si, ts can be commonly found.
Why does this matter?
The frequency distributions used for making educated guesses based on Kunrei are not the same as Hebo (Hepburn). It’s truly the little details that make all the difference. It was this detail that enabled us, along with others to find a real, near perfect solution to the runes.
We are working as hard as we can to pack all this information up, and just as last time, I wanted to start sharing information while we have multiple native speakers verify the solution.

we live in the same town and work at the same place and for me having a crush THIS hard is a first time thing and i didn’t really know how to handle it since i’m a bit older than she is and so i would occasionally make friendly conversation with her, or so i thought. then when she walked away my friends were like.. ok that was you flirting with her.
in my mind i figured it was just friendly conversation but when you can tell you can just TELL that it is not friendly conversation. like the eyes don’t lie man.
other little things ..i would catch her staring when i wasn’t looking and then the biggest issue i had was anytime i got near her she would completely almost run away. like she would immediately see me then try to avoid me at all costs if it was just gonna be the two of us and nobody else around but she had no problem speaking to me if there were other people near.
trying not to read into things but it’s very difficult for an over thinker like myself bc it has DESTROYED me as a person. which has NEVER happened before bc i don’t date/ get crushes.
it’s just hard bc i decided to back off and we live in the same town so i’m bound to run into her eventually.

I'm looking at these lists of Villa's seasons and managers, and I see that Ron Atkinson (appointed in July 1991) achieved, among other things, a 2nd place with the team in the 1992/93 season and won the League Cup in the 1993/94 season. His win percentage with Villa is 43.26, i.e. better than that of Brian Little (41.46). I started following football in the mid-90s, and I remember Villa as a good team during the Little years.
By the way, I came across the following right now, in the Wikipedia article on Atkinson:

As of 2021, Atkinson's second place remains the highest-ever finish by an English manager in the Premier League, subsequently equalled by Kevin Keegan in 1995–96.

So, what do you make of him? How do you rate him, relative to the other Villa managers? What's your impression of the way he made the team play (entertaining? boring?)? What were his strengths and weaknesses? What do you think about the decision to sack him in November 1994?

By this stage, an ageing Villa side that had so nearly won the league title 18 months earlier were now among the relegation battlers. He was replaced by Brian Little, who kept Villa in the top flight and built a new younger team.

Hi guys, so I need your help to find a song of which the only thing I can remember is the music video. It’s a Latin Pop music video that I saw in the early 2000s when I was around 5 or 6. I hope that if I give a description of what happens in the music video that someone will remember something. I’d like to apologize in advance for the long post. Here we go. So the song, from what I can remember from the video, is soft Latin Pop about a break between a man and a woman, but it’s also a little upbeat and playful, not too depressing. So in the video, the ex partners are usually seen arguing with each other about the breakup, and the man wants to move on with his life, while the woman can’t let go. In between these scenes, there are also scenes of the man seeing and jamming with his guitar while the woman usually gets up close in the camera or his face while also throwing things like shoes or eggs. Near the end of the video and the parts that I most vividly remember is the woman sneaks into the man’s mansion, spying on him in bed with another woman through the keyhole in the door. While she is spying on them, she gets caught by two little children and tries to run away. However, she is later caught, then gets tied to a chair and gagged, while the children run around her playing while tying her up. And that’s the last thing I remember about the video; I don’t know what happens after that.
And that’s my description of the music video. I wish I could give more but that’s what I remember from what I saw as a kid. I hope that this is enough to help someone remember, and if you are able to help, post the answer in the comments. If not, I deeply appreciate you guys regardless.

If you don’t want a read a damn essay then skip this post💀.
With the cynicism and overt criticism surrounding this film a part of me was a little scared that the criticism for this movie was deserved because I liked the first Shazam and I really wanted to like the 2nd one. I just came out of the theatre a few hours ago and I can honestly say that I actually had a blast watching this and really enjoyed it. It’s a fun popcorn flick. While this move isn’t a masterpiece by any means, it delivered on what it was sold to be; a family friendly fun action packed very funny superhero film, I enjoyed it heavily! Hot take but it’s actually now one of my favourite DCEU Films now.
It sucks that WB is pretty much sending this out to die right now because I really liked getting to know these characters more in this film and seeing their dynamics play out more.
The movie definitely would’ve been received better if it came last year like it was supposed to before all the string of more mediocre superhero content came out to really taint people’s opinion on superhero films that don’t push the envelope or try newer things. Also would’ve probably benefitted from having Black Adam show up and be the villain (but we all know why that never happened) or at least have a Sivana and Mr Mind payoff.
I definitely feel like the criticism for this movie was overblown. Is this story a little generic? Yes! But not every movie needs to be some revolutionary thing like TDK or Endgame. Some people are just setting high standards because they want to be disappointed and have a reason to be pissed at something. I really wouldn’t say this is mediocre? A little generic and silly? Sure but not mediocre at least in my opinion. Though I don’t believe in superhero fatigue as a whole, I do feel like a vocal group of people are dealing with personal fatigue with the superhero genre and just want more from superhero movies since the market is oversaturated and overexposed.
The over-saturation is definitely a major factor with as to why movie is getting so much shit (obviously there are other factors which do include valid criticisms) because simply it’s not pushing the envelope but not every superhero movie needs to do that! Some of these movies like action films are just meant to be fun and an escape from reality. But also considering where DC is right now I think some people had a little hope that despite the Shazam franchise being mainly known for it’s fun nature hoped it could help ease some sort of fatigue and give hope for the DCU going forward by bringing something more innovative (it left me hopeful anyway even though it won’t be an important player moving forward).
I’m also not saying Shazam can’t try different things and push the envelope but just because it doesn’t do that necessarily, doesn’t mean it’s a bad film. In addition to some people saw no point in watching or enjoying this film because of the likely chance that it’ll go nowhere in the overall DCU story moving forward. Sorry to be a broken record but while some of the criticism and amount of people disliking the movie are completely valid in how they’ feel (as some people just want more from Shazam and superhero movies in general). I do think some people are just being cynical and want it to fail because of the unsure state of the DCU and their own personal fatigue with superhero genre as I said before
I personally look at the superhero genre more expansively than Westerns as they’re often compared to, I really don’t think superhero genre will ever die out. It’s been nearly a century of constant superhero content in various medias being promoted and it hasn’t completely died out yet so I don’t see it ever dying any time soon especially as long as kids exist. The genre is diverse enough to keep going, sometimes not as strong as other periods it has done well in but it’ll do fine no matter what as a whole.
(Continued Below):

I have shared on here previously that my DB lasted over a decade and a half. Yes that does sound crazy doesn't? Feel free to call me stupid for staying. Anyway we have been in recovery now since July 2021 and things continue to improve but of course I still have my doubts. I think that the longer your DB continues, the more damage it causes to your psyche and of course the longer it takes to recover. It is funny how the little things can make you spiral. I had a photo pop up on my phone from July 2019 that was taken on an in-state car trip to visit a historic site and our favorite restaurant in a nearby town. Anyway, the photo reminded me of how unpleasant the first part of the trip was. I had made the mistake of bringing up our relationship while driving to our first stop. My wife's response was pretty ugly. I thought the timing would be good to bring it up since she had had time to recover from the prior school year. I was wrong.
Anyway, her reaction was full of the usual anger, deflection, blame shifting, etc.. After I thought about it later I decided that she didn't even want to be there with me. The good news is that trip made me realize that there was an expiration date on the marriage and that it was approaching quickly.
Fast forward to today and she is a completely different person. She started to change near the end of 2020. Why? Was there something else going on during the DB like an emotional affair? After seeing the old photos I just couldn't let it go and ruminated on it for a couple of weeks. It led to a big argument and of course I had no real evidence of anything like an EA. I realized that after all this time I wanted there to be something more than the stressful job and some resentments that she held onto for too long. How can someone be that way for so long and then change so completely?
Those of you who have left a DB or fixed the DB, did those doubts and fears ever go away?
To those of you who are still in a long term DB, I just want to say that the longer it goes on the worse it will screw up your head!

After a near lifetime of constant over eating. I’ve come to a conclusion that I have a problem. I 22(F) have realized that food and the feeling of comfort it gives me is all I have. Everyday the only thing I look forward to is eating. That is the first and last thing I think about when I fall or walk up in the morning. I do not have any hobbies, my room is bare with only my bare essentials decorating it. My walls are a depressing gray color and so is my floor. I only have one friend. I am not currently in school as I have to wait until the next nursing application period is open since my previous one was denied. All I look forward to is eating. It’s been like that for years but with the added time I’ve had just sitting at home alone my problem has only worsened due to my increased access to the kitchen. The comfort food has given me is addictive and after I finish my meal I feel extreme guilty due to the ginormous meal I just had. Before anyone ask I do have family but they are not easy to talk to emotionally. My dad would just not understand more so due to the language barrier we have. I have not relied on him emotionally since I was 10. He was a angry person growing up that I had learned to just give him good news that would please him. He has gotten better due to a huge fight we had. It’s still hard for me to separate the past him to the present. I cannot talk to my mom about this as she can easily cry over the smallest thing. This has made me also only communicate to her good news, any bad ones and her crying will make me feel intense guilt that I cannot deal with. I cannot communicate with my brother as I have a deep sense of an inferiority complex towards him due to an event that happened years ago, which lead 9 year old me to promise myself that I would never rely on him ever again. Even still in these past few years there has been times where I would ask for his help and he would either belittle me or flat out refused to help me. I cannot ask for my little sisters help due to how much I love her thus making me not want to burden her with my problems. But also because of my jealousy of her. She got too have the perfect family that I painstakingly made due to all the arguments and interventions I’ve had with them. She is my brother’s favorite, he would do anything for her. And guess that it’s because of all this that my personality in the family is the confrontation voice of reason. I have not one to turn to. It took me so long to realize that food is my only comfort in life. If I’m being honest I don’t have a personality not a real one. The only consistent thing I have is food, I love food. But that food is hurting me now. And if I can’t binge eat, if I can’t love food then I don’t really know who I am anymore. I guess I never really did know who I was. Thank you for reading I just needed to vent and come to terms with this.

Check out u/se05239 for his amazing fanart of Tarho!
Anyway, I hope you haven’t gotten too depressed.
Expect some intensity coming up.
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Memory Transcription Subject: Tarho, venlil civilian and former predator disease facility patient
Date[standardized human time]: November 7, 2136
Blank.
That’s the only thing describing my afterlife so far.
Bleak emptiness, without any meaning.
That is, until I opened my eyes to bright lights over my head.
At first, I was confused. Did I survive the fall? Did the drugs finally-
Wait.
I called them drugs, not medicine.
Did… did I finally regain control?
I bolted myself into an upright position. I was in a hospital room. Things still felt a little disproportional, probably because there was still a small amount of drugs in my system, but aside from that, it was just… a hospital room.
I felt myself over. My fleece felt… clean. I could no longer feel the sticky texture of mold and mildew coating me. I moved to my mouth. It seemed that all of my remaining teeth had been pulled, probably because they were too rotten to save. Thankfully, my gums didn’t seem to ache anymore.
I…
I’VE DONE IT! I FINALLY HAVE CONTROL OVER MY LIFE!
Morning time, time for medicine.
…
Oh no.
“You’re shtill here.” I said out loud. I took notice of the lisp caused by my missing teeth.
Of course I am, I live here.
“You… you aren’t alive. You’re jusht a trace mixchure of drugs shtill in my body.” I said out loud, hoping that volume would make it easier for me to banish the false identity.
So long as I am in your mind, I’m real, because reality is subjective.
I stared into space. What kind of philosophical bullshit was that supposed to be?
The kind that a healthy mind can come up with.
I became quite angry. I grabbed the nearest reflective surface, which turned out to be a glass of water. I drank the fresh water, savoring the taste, before starring at the barely visible face in the clear reflection of the glass.
The reflection’s eyes were clouded, and the fleece and mouth were still infected by mold and disease. It was most definitely him.
“Listhen here you little shit. Thish ish MY body, controlled by MY brain. YOU are jusht a stowaway in my life, keeping yourshelf alive with the ushe of dangerous chemicals. I shwear that when my syshtem is finally fully flushed of those drugs, both you and that shentient fight or flight response are going to FUCKING DIE! YOU HEAR ME! YOU ARE GOING TO CEASE TO EXIST-“
“Sir?” I heard a feminine voice speak.
I screamed like a little girl and nearly leapt full out of my bed at the interruption.
Predator?
SHUT UP, YOU SURVIVALIST PSYCHOPATH!
“Yesh?” I asked simply, as though there was absolutely nothing wrong with anything that I had probably just done right in front of the nurse.
“Are you alright?” She asked.
“No.” I answered with 100% honesty. “No I am not alright.”
“I assume that it’s related to the drugs?” She asked.
“They aren’t drugs. They are medicine.*
“They are not medichine you fucking retard.” I spoke, almost on reflex, straight at a wall.
“… medicine?” She asked.
“Those drugsh were preshcribed by ‘doctors’ from the ‘predator disease’ fachility.” I made sure to stress my words to focus of how ridiculously cruel my situation was.
The nurses confusion increased as it mixed with shock.
I looked down at the floor in pain of my memories. I was finally able to tell my story, but I needed to keep myself from sobbing as well.
“It was only a couple of yearsh ago when I was dragged away. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was jusht having a bad day. The outbursht I had out on the shtreet was jusht me letting out my anger. Nobody even got hurt. Of course, the exterminatorsh immediately mishtook my anger for a shign of predatory behavior, and dragged me to the fachility. They put me in the chair. I hated that fucking chair. I begged for a way out, and they offered a way out. ‘Tesht out this batch of medichine’ they shaid. ‘If you shurvive, you can leave with shome preshcription’ they explained. I took the drugs, and I jusht happened to not die, and the effects that the drugs had were what they conshidered acceptable. Now, they require that I take the preshcribed doshes every day. As I took the medicine, I began to hear voices. As the voices got louder and louder I realized something.” I explained, my voice growing more cracked as I spoke.
I felt my stress cloud my mind. I could feel my sentient fight or flight response wanting to lash out. To add to the description. I honestly didn’t have the will to stop it.
”I hate them. I fucking hate them. They just like the predatorsh. They inflict shuffering for their own pershonal gain. They desherve to die horrible deaths.” I turned my head at the ‘nurse’. “You desherve to die ash well. All of you shtood by and watched as my body washted away! How could you do that?! You’re shupposed to be empathetic you shick fucks! WHY THE FUCK DOESHN’T ANYONE SHARE THAT WITH ME!?!”
I continued to stare at the nurse as she started back with…
…sympathetic horror in her eyes.
I regained control over myself as I broke into sobs. “I jusht want to go back. Back to the way thingsh once were. Ish that sho much?” I said, trying not to choke between sobs.
I felt a pair of comforting arms wrap around me. With some hesitation, I returned the embrace.
“Sir… I’m sorry to inform you…” What? Sorry to inform me what?
Am I going to die?
I hope you die, in all honesty.
“We took scans of your brain. We compared them to scans from the last time you were screened. I’m sorry to inform you that… the continuous use of so much drugs has permanently altered your brain chemistry. In other words… you now have a mental illness.” The nurse explained.
Yay! I’m not dying!
My blood ran cold. I was too shocked by the revelation to have any meaningful reaction. That means that I now have to deal with these horrible voices forever.
Heh.
The irony isn’t lost on me.
The facility meant to cure predator disease actually afflicted me with it instead.
Previous

I have a [[Seizan, Perverter of Truth]] deck that's group hug, but like group hug from your creepy uncle. Plenty of ways to make drawing cards hurt, a couple board wipes, etc. Nothing overpowering.
I start with 3 Swamps in hand, no ramp and nothing really interesting to play. Not so bad as the other players are going slow too. Turn 3 I cast [[Underworld Dreams]], and start doing one or two damage a turn, nothing major.
Get mana screwed, don't draw another land for another couple of turns, in the meantime I suspend [[Profane Tutor]], then [[Infernal Grasp]] to remove another player's commander. Profane goes off, and I'm not liking the board state, so I get [[Killing Wave]] and then cast it for X = 3. Literally, that's all that I could do, usually this should be something like X = 7 or 8 to make it really painful, and if I were on land drops I would have been at least X = 6. Takes out a few creatures and drains some life from others. At this point they're leaving me alone as I'm "not a threat", and I never expected to survive. They poke each other a little bit, and then on my next turn I miss another land drop and so can only cast [[Revenge of Ravens]].
Which keeps player B from attacking, because even though I don't have blockers, I'm not a threat and he goes after C, knocks him down to 5 life. Then C's turn, who has a [[Phyrexian Arena]] out and has been getting pinged off that and my Underworld dreams for a few turns, ends up at 2 life after all the draws. He decides to swing at B and D with big creatures, taking them out, and attacked me with 1 creature. Revenge puts him at 1 life, and I end up at 4. So I could have just passed the turn, he'd have drawn and damaged himself, but instead he cracked a Blood token to draw a card and "go out on his own terms".
Everyone had a cool game. Jankiest win I've ever gotten: mana-screwed by 5 lands at least, 0 ramp, never cast my commander, never cast any other creature, and did no combat damage. Certainly my most unique way to end the game!
What you got?

My husband and I are in our 30s, with a house and a son. We've got a good life.
About ten years ago he dated a girl. It wasn't really a "first love" thing, but he had just become an adult so it was the first person he really planned his life with, picked out names for future kids etc.. They broke up because he got a job offer for life-changing amounts of money across the country (where he met me) and she needed to stay home to look after some sick family members, or something like that.
He doesn't talk about her much because I think he doesn't want me to feel less wanted, but from what little he says they were perfect for each other and if that job offer hadn't happened they'd have a picture perfect life right now. Regardless, he's assured me he doesn't have feelings for her anymore, they stay in only sporadic contact, and she's been nothing but supportive of our relationship.
Recently, she died, of some sudden unexpected medical thing or another, one of those that you just never expect. This wasn't actually very recent, it was a few months ago but he's just found out. And since then he's been absolutely torn up. He's still a fantastic parent, but when our son is out of he house he hasn't been doing much but looking at old photos of them (which he said he got rid of) and crying. He's even taken a few sick days from work to grieve.
If it was a single day I get it, it must've been a shock, but it's nearing two weeks now and he's still completely inconsolable. He won't open up to me and I'm not sure if it's because he doesn't want to upset me by telling me at length how much he loved his ex-girlfriend or because he doesn't have any put-together thoughts besides sadness.
I got a little upset at him two days ago for not doing anything around the house (he's basically paralysed in bed sobbing when it comes to anything besides playing with our son) and I told him it was a little ridiculous he was this sad because he didn't even really know her anymore and that he told me she didn't matter to him anymore. I'm also a little pissed he kept the photos of them and I told him that. He started crying harder and I didn't apologize because I didn't feel like I was in the wrong. I honestly feel a little insulted, I've been with him for years longer than she was, I'm literally the mother of his child. I've never seen him this upset about anything, ever, not even when his grandmother (who he loved very much) died. It feels like he can't let go of her, especially looking at old photos of them together.
Since then he hasn't said a single word to me. I'm just not sure what to think, AITA?
Edit: Stop giving me insulting awards

Please read the whole post.
Hopeless romantic here looking to hopefully find the one! Looking to find the one. I'm hoping to find someone I can stay at home with and go out to the beach, go out to places with, learn to ballroom dance, have a picnic date, stay in during a rainy night and watch movies/ tv shows together. Looking for the cliche moments from rom-coms but also more 😊. I'm also willing to chat/ hangout to be friends before we start a relationship. We can watch a movie, tv show, anime together online if you don't live near by.
Looking for someone who is open minded. 18-35 (might be open to anyone older if we vibe). Someone who is willing to meet up later in the future. I'm fine with someone who smokes Marijuana but no other drugs or cigarettes. Can be from anywhere.
https://imgur.com/a/raBNEpX
A little about me:
My name is Felipe. I'm Hispanic, male, age 27, 5'9". I have photos on my profile. I'm chubby. I'm introverted at first but the longer you get to know me then I become more extroverted. I love fall/autumn weather. Currently studying architecture design. I hope to construct buildings for families in need of a home in the future. I have big ambitious goal for my career. I speak Spanish.
I'm into the arts: I love to draw, paint and create all sorts of art.
I love to play video games: All time favorite game is Skyrim, but I like to play games like BF2042, Minecraft, Smash Bros, Zelda, etc.
I also, really love to watch movies, anime, tv shows, etc: some of my favorite movies are Trick r Treat, The Dark Night, Interstellar, The Exorcist, 5 year engagement, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Harry Potter series, lord of the rings series, 10 things I hate about you, the office, the Addams family, Wednesday and many more.
My favorite type of music is all genres of rock and electronic music, classical, movie music, game music, culture based music, anime music. I rarely hear rap, hip-hop, and country. Some artist I listen to is Avenged Sevenfold, Apashe, Mozart, El tri, Queen, Hans Zimmer.
My favorite holiday is Halloween. 🎃
I live in the Washington, United States. I dont smoke cigarettes. I smoke cannabis only socially (maybe like 3 or 4 times a year). I'm fine if you smoke but occasionally like me. I casually drink socially but I'm not dependent on it to have a fun time. I actually prefer having fun without the need of drinks. I love all animals 🙂. I'm vaccinated. PLEASE add "ghost" in your response so I know that you read my whole post. Also please show me that you're a real person looking for a relationship and not someone looking to scam.
This is a little bit about myself but the more we talk then the more you'll get to know me. Send me a chat if interested! I'm usually respond quickly if I'm not doing anything at that time.

I’ve had severe social anxiety since I was 13. This has led me to live nearly 6 years with little social interaction, which has made me pretty miserable. I can’t believe I’ve lived this long feeling unfulfilled and generally dissatisfied with my life. Like damn I’m gonna be 20 and I have very little life experience. I’ve spent many weekends fishing w my father, because I didn’t have anything else to do, bc I have no friends.and it’s like even tho I love fishing it just starts feeling like I’m always missing something I need regardless of what I’m doing, I’m missing friends and social interaction. I moved out of my parents house and in w my grandparents to work over here and I’m at a very low point. Every day is painful. If I’m at work I fucking hate it. Being at home is ok but still I’m lonely and depressed, and having nothing to do brings my loneliness to center stage. I’ve though about suicide a lot. It feels good to imagine the pain ceasing. I can’t stand to watch myself get older and each year im still the same. No friends and generally miserable. I’m just so done with life.

This week, my roommate (f19) and I (f18) have walked in on the same cis gender, heterosexual man (m19) (who I happened to go to high school with) using the women's communal bathroom in our dorm building.
Sunday night, I came out of a stall after using the bathroom and saw him looking at me in the mirror while brushing his teeth, I walked over and began washing my hands, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, I should mention he was also very obviously high. I (not really) jokingly said "you do know this is the women's room, right?" he responded "yeah, the mens bathroom is too far. You wont snitch, will you?" I said I wouldn't and we went about our business. (I should add the men's bathroom is as far for him as the women's bathroom is for me)
Tonight, my roommate walked in on him urinating with the stall door open. She claims to have not realized there was even a person in the stall until she heard the toilet flush and he walked out, nearly running into her. He then apologized and walked out.
After this, we're mildly annoyed, and frankly a little unsettled considering the bathroom is communal and the only thing potentially separating him and us in the shower is a thin curtain. Additionally, he is not a transgender woman nor claims to be. He has admitted the only reason he uses the women's restroom is because he is too lazy to walk 1 hall down to the men's room.
Are we overreacting? Should I report him to the RA? What is the best course of action here? I'm not sure who or if anyone else has seen him and I'm worried he will take it out on my roommate or me.

So glad I found this group, I’ve been wanting somewhere to share my boyfriend and I’s story, buckle in, it’s a little long
Sometime at the end of January last year, I started playing video games online. Starting with a game called Counter Strike. I had only been playing a short time (probably less than 10 games) when I met a couple of people who invited me to queue with them next game. I agreed, and when we queued up for the next game, they added another player, RJ (not his real name, using for anonymity purposes). RJ asked who the new person was and I said hello. The first words he ever said to me were “Oh great, an e-girl, can’t wait to see how this goes.” We play one game together and I figured that would be the end of that. He had added me to his friends list though.
A few days later, we’re both online, and he invites me to play again, much to my surprise. We play a few games, and actually end up talking a good bit, and add each other on discord. This was February 7th 2022.
We start texting everyday, and gaming every night. This graduates to phone calls, which turn into FaceTimes. Eventually, we exchange numbers and move off the discord app as a means to communicate. We talked, Every. Day. We started getting closer, realized we had a lot in common. Honestly, it was just like we clicked, from the moment we started talking we couldn’t stay away from each other. I had just gotten out of a 4 year relationship and wasn’t looking to get into another. He had be hurt pretty badly by his last girl (won’t go into details) and borderline swore of females. So, there was no reason, after playing a few games, we should’ve become so attached to each other. I think one reason was because I could read him so well, even through text. He was more guarded than I was, but I’ve had my fair share of hurt (more so friends/parents) but I could see through his defense mechanisms, and call him out, and be understanding a patient and loving to him.
But. One issue. I lived in Pennsylvania and he lived in Florida. 900 miles apart.
I am a religious person, as is he. So I started praying on it, basically it consisted of “Lord, I feel like this man is right for me, in my soul he feels right, but I’m going to get hurt with us being so far apart. It’ll never work, please, if this isn’t what it feels like take him from my life because I won’t be able to do it”
That SAME week, my dad (I’m 21, but still live at home currently) stops me in the kitchen and just randomly asks “hey, how would you feel about moving to Florida?” My family has always wanted to move south, but it was always NC, never Florida. (And I hadn’t told them about the boy in Florida who I was falling for yet) Turns out his company had a job opening down there and he was considering taking it. The first thing I do is check how far the town we would move to is from RJ. My shock when it turns out I would be an hour away from him if this move happened.
So we start going through the process and my family decides to make a trip down to Florida to check out some properties. And I ask if we could possibly spend our first night in his city so I could meet with him in person. To my shock, and anyone who knows my parents, they agreed. This is now April. So two months after we started talking, we’re finally going to meet. I’m iffy on if I believe in Angel numbers, but out hotel room that night, after a 14 hours drive, was 222 aka the soulmate number. And at 11am the next day, we go to a nearby mall, and finally meet up in person. We were never awkward, it was comfortable from day one. We actually ended up kissing (more so making out, trying to keep this PG) in a dressing room in one of the stores. Literally had friends asking me what book I’m living in after hearing about it. We spent a blissful 2 hours together and then I had to go. We looked at property’s and then back to PA.
Another two months goes by, this time it’s even harder. I talk one of my girlfriends into a “girls trip” to Florida. But her and everyone knew it was just to see RJ. We go down for four days, I spent as much time with him as I can between his work. We would just sit in a car (he lives where he works, so we couldn’t hang out there) talking, lots and lots of talking and kissing until 3am.
FINALLY. In July of last year, my family made the move to Florida. We have a small farm (horses chickens etc) so it took us 19 hours to move all of them down there. And since we moved, seldom has there been a weekend we didn’t spend together.
And just this last week, RJ and I closed on a house we found together, I won’t be moving in with him for a bit, we have to build a barn and pasture for the horses, but I’m writing this after spending the last 3 days with him getting a few things set up, and cleaning and “playing house” with him. We also got a dog together. We still play games together every night. It just hit me on my way home from there, how crazy it is, a year ago, we were messaging 900 miles apart, after a chance meeting playing a video game (something I never did) falling for each other but thinking we were stupid for even letting ourselves get attached because of the distance to, now we have a house and are planning a wedding and a future. I also think back to his first comment, “can’t wait to see how this goes” and I make myself laugh thinking “well, you buy a house with the e-girl” Our story just makes me giddy, I never would’ve dreamed to have what I have with him, we have grown so much too, I could keep going on a thousand little details that mean something to me, but I don’t want to make this entirely too long. I just wanted people to share this with, if you made it to the end, thank you for reading❤️

For the past two or so months I have been blacking out nearly every time I drink, regardless of the amount of alcohol I consume. I am not a frequent drinker, I drink once a week on average. I used to be able to drink 9/10 drinks a night and have great memory of everything that occurred the next day. Now, I can have as little as 2 or 3 drinks and have large gaps of memory, and if I drink more I black out. What might be happening?

Please read the whole post.
Hopeless romantic here looking to hopefully find the one! Looking to find the one. I'm hoping to find someone I can stay at home with and go out to the beach, go out to places with, learn to ballroom dance, have a picnic date, stay in during a rainy night and watch movies/ tv shows together. Looking for the cliche moments from rom-coms but also more 😊. I'm also willing to chat/ hangout to be friends before we start a relationship. We can watch a movie, tv show, anime together online if you don't live near by.
Looking for someone who is open minded. 18-35 (might be open to anyone older if we vibe). Someone who is willing to meet up later in the future. I'm fine with someone who smokes Marijuana but no other drugs or cigarettes. Can be from anywhere.
https://imgur.com/a/raBNEpX
A little about me:
My name is Felipe. I'm Hispanic, male, age 27, 5'9". I have photos on my profile. I'm chubby. I'm introverted at first but the longer you get to know me then I become more extroverted. I love fall/autumn weather. Currently studying architecture design. I hope to construct buildings for families in need of a home in the future. I have big ambitious goal for my career. I speak Spanish.
I'm into the arts: I love to draw, paint and create all sorts of art.
I love to play video games: All time favorite game is Skyrim, but I like to play games like BF2042, Minecraft, Smash Bros, Zelda, etc.
I also, really love to watch movies, anime, tv shows, etc: some of my favorite movies are Trick r Treat, The Dark Night, Interstellar, The Exorcist, 5 year engagement, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Harry Potter series, lord of the rings series, 10 things I hate about you, the office, the Addams family, Wednesday and many more.
My favorite type of music is all genres of rock and electronic music, classical, movie music, game music, culture based music, anime music. I rarely hear rap, hip-hop, and country. Some artist I listen to is Avenged Sevenfold, Apashe, Mozart, El tri, Queen, Hans Zimmer.
My favorite holiday is Halloween. 🎃
I live in the Washington, United States. I dont smoke cigarettes. I smoke cannabis only socially (maybe like 3 or 4 times a year). I'm fine if you smoke but occasionally like me. I casually drink socially but I'm not dependent on it to have a fun time. I actually prefer having fun without the need of drinks. I love all animals 🙂. I'm vaccinated. PLEASE add "ghost" in your response so I know that you read my whole post. Also please show me that you're a real person looking for a relationship and not someone looking to scam.
This is a little bit about myself but the more we talk then the more you'll get to know me. Send me a chat if interested! I'm usually respond quickly if I'm not doing anything at that time.

Just for context I wrote this story and a lot more a long time ago after events like this happened so I wouldn't forget and now I have a whole essays worth of stories from when I was younger. This one was the one that always stuck with me the most.
My first sighting: 2 friends and myself were at the park near fluffy hill in Hayward. Before I start, I'll explain my surroundings at the time. We were at a table, the table was close to a specific tree that was 15 feet away. It was about 10-11pm. It was pretty damn dark. Behind the tree was absolutely pitch dark. But the tree was visible with the moon. So we were chilling at the table smoking a blunt, it was just us in the area. Me and my friend had our backs to the tree and my other friend was on the other side of the table so he could see the tree in front of him. The first noise came from behind the tree and it was pitch dark, the noise was very small almost like a squirrel climbing up a tree, faint but loud enough for us to all take a quick glance over there and forget about it. A couple minutes later, we heard a 2nd noise, definitely sounded like a little bit bigger animal, about the size of a raccoon I'm guessing. It sounded like it broke some twigs. All 3 of us turned our heads again to look towards the tree but saw nothing cause of how dark it was. We did not feel threatened so we continues our sesh... A couple minutes go by, The third time was something I've never heard before in my life, almost like a bear purposely jumped on top of a big branch and just snapped the hell out of it. Instantly all 3 of us jump up and turned towards the tree... A huge figure jumps out from the pitch darkness, it had the structure of a mountain lion. But it was completely black, as in it had 0 color besides its white eyes. Also it was about 6 or 7 feet long with at least a 4 foot tail that looked to have a point at the end of it. It was no mountain lion at that point, it was a demon. Instantly my friends run towards the car... This is where my experience differs. I was in shock and I stared at this monster. It ignored us, it turned towards the tree and walked towards it. It then started to climb up the tree, I could hear it's nails go deep into the wood. It still haunts me to this day, but it wasn't the worst part. It climbed up until it was completely off the ground, and then proceeded to turn his head 180 degrees like a owl (his body was completely still). It turned its head and stared right into my eyes... It's eyes were so big and white I couldn't compare to anything. At that point I popped back into reality and turned to see where my friends were. They were at least 50 feet away from me sprinting to the car. I instantly just bolt it and catch up to them cause of how much adrenaline I had. I didn't hear footsteps from this beast at all, it did not bother to chase us. Almost like it wanted us to see it. At this point, We left the keys to the car up at the table next to the tree. I refused to go back up, they attempted to go back up and they heard something and at that point I didn't want to be anywhere near this area. Eventually we had my friend run up the side of the hill and grab the keys and fly down the side of the hill.

Please read the whole post.
Hopeless romantic here looking to hopefully find the one! Looking to find the one. I'm hoping to find someone I can stay at home with and go out to the beach, go out to places with, learn to ballroom dance, have a picnic date, stay in during a rainy night and watch movies/ tv shows together. Looking for the cliche moments from rom-coms but also more 😊. I'm also willing to chat/ hangout to be friends before we start a relationship. We can watch a movie, tv show, anime together online if you don't live near by.
Looking for someone who is open minded. 18-35 (might be open to anyone older if we vibe). Someone who is willing to meet up later in the future. I'm fine with someone who smokes Marijuana but no other drugs or cigarettes. Can be from anywhere
A little about me:
My name is Felipe. I'm Hispanic, male, age 27, 5'9". I have photos on my profile. I'm chubby. I'm introverted at first but the longer you get to know me then I become more extroverted. I love fall/autumn weather. Currently studying architecture design. I hope to construct buildings for families in need of a home in the future. I have big ambitious goal for my career. I speak Spanish.
I'm into the arts: I love to draw, paint and create all sorts of art.
I love to play video games: All time favorite game is Skyrim, but I like to play games like BF2042, Minecraft, Smash Bros, Zelda, etc.
I also, really love to watch movies, anime, tv shows, etc: some of my favorite movies are Trick r Treat, The Dark Night, Interstellar, The Exorcist, 5 year engagement, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Harry Potter series, lord of the rings series, 10 things I hate about you, the office, the Addams family, Wednesday and many more.
My favorite type of music is all genres of rock and electronic music, classical, movie music, game music, culture based music, anime music. I rarely hear rap, hip-hop, and country. Some artist I listen to is Avenged Sevenfold, Apashe, Mozart, El tri, Queen, Hans Zimmer.
My favorite holiday is Halloween. 🎃
I live in the Washington, United States. I dont smoke cigarettes. I smoke cannabis only socially (maybe like 3 or 4 times a year). I'm fine if you smoke but occasionally like me. I casually drink socially but I'm not dependent on it to have a fun time. I actually prefer having fun without the need of drinks. I love all animals 🙂. I'm vaccinated. PLEASE add "ghost" in your response so I know that you read my whole post. Also please show me that you're a real person looking for a relationship and not someone looking to scam.
This is a little bit about myself but the more we talk then the more you'll get to know me. Send me a chat if interested! I'm usually respond quickly if I'm not doing anything at that time.

Please read the whole post.
Hopeless romantic here looking to hopefully find the one! Looking to find the one. I'm hoping to find someone I can stay at home with and go out to the beach, go out to places with, learn to ballroom dance, have a picnic date, stay in during a rainy night and watch movies/ tv shows together. Looking for the cliche moments from rom-coms but also more 😊. I'm also willing to chat/ hangout to be friends before we start a relationship. We can watch a movie, tv show, anime together online if you don't live near by.
Looking for someone who is open minded. 18-35 (might be open to anyone older if we vibe). Someone who is willing to meet up later in the future. I'm fine with someone who smokes Marijuana but no other drugs or cigarettes. Can be from anywhere.
https://imgur.com/a/raBNEpX
A little about me:
My name is Felipe. I'm Hispanic, male, age 27, 5'9". I have photos on my profile. I'm chubby. I'm introverted at first but the longer you get to know me then I become more extroverted. I love fall/autumn weather. Currently studying architecture design. I hope to construct buildings for families in need of a home in the future. I have big ambitious goal for my career. I speak Spanish.
I'm into the arts: I love to draw, paint and create all sorts of art.
I love to play video games: All time favorite game is Skyrim, but I like to play games like BF2042, Minecraft, Smash Bros, Zelda, etc.
I also, really love to watch movies, anime, tv shows, etc: some of my favorite movies are Trick r Treat, The Dark Night, Interstellar, The Exorcist, 5 year engagement, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Harry Potter series, lord of the rings series, 10 things I hate about you, the office, the Addams family, Wednesday and many more.
My favorite type of music is all genres of rock and electronic music, classical, movie music, game music, culture based music, anime music. I rarely hear rap, hip-hop, and country. Some artist I listen to is Avenged Sevenfold, Apashe, Mozart, El tri, Queen, Hans Zimmer.
My favorite holiday is Halloween. 🎃
I live in the Washington, United States. I dont smoke cigarettes. I smoke cannabis only socially (maybe like 3 or 4 times a year). I'm fine if you smoke but occasionally like me. I casually drink socially but I'm not dependent on it to have a fun time. I actually prefer having fun without the need of drinks. I love all animals 🙂. I'm vaccinated. PLEASE add "ghost" in your response so I know that you read my whole post. Also please show me that you're a real person looking for a relationship and not someone looking to scam.
This is a little bit about myself but the more we talk then the more you'll get to know me. Send me a chat if interested! I'm usually respond quickly if I'm not doing anything at that time.

And I'm going to prove it.
What follows is an in-depth analysis of the Pokemon world and its culture (hereafter referred to as the “Poke'verse.”) Where I’ll attempt to understand just what these beings actually are, and how they relate to the humans of their universe. The relationship between human and pokemon is obscure, but we'll be defining it today. For this post, I will reference the video game lore, but I will, to a large extent, be pulling examples from the anime. While I can understand why some might say this invalidates my points, I truly think the anime should be considered fair game. It depicts what the Poke'verse is truly supposed to be like, as the writers intend it to be, unhampered by the restrictions of a video game.

Let's dive in.

At this point, I know that the Pokemon fandom and the general public have a well-established and largely iron-cast interpretation of what it means to be a Pokemon Trainer, but today I’m going to attempt to challenge that interpretation. Because on the whole, it’s not especially flattering, and I think it’s false. You’ve seen the jokes, and the video essays, and the parody comics. You’ve seen it all. People have criticized Pokemon for the premise of the game effectively being a system of romanticized slavery. That the heartless humans kidnap these innocent animals and force them into sadistic dog-fights to further their own power, to the point where it is a global, televised sport. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you, Pokemon…are slaves. It's animal abuse. Those who argue it are in denial.
The funny thing is, most people don’t argue it. Which is because, to a large extent, most people don’t care. It’s just a video game, right? It’s not as though the Pokemon are outwardly suffering. Pokemon fans seem to just accept this premise and live with it, because the Pokemon world is bright and enjoyable and the formula of the games is addicting. To most people, the problematic premise of this universe isn’t a big deal. Nobody takes a passionate stance against it, apart from Gamefreak itself. They have little choice but to dismiss these claims, to argue against them…but nobody really listens. The franchise may do the best it can to play up the whole “friendship” angle, but the majority of fans, casual and otherwise, would say they’re not fooling anyone.

I see things differently.

This conclusion about the Pokeverse is not the only one that can be drawn from analyzing this world. It's also based on several assumptions, headcanons, and interpretations of this world’s symbolism. I interpret these things another way myself, and I’ll try to explain how. But the bottom line is that humans and Pokemon exist together in this world and have a unique relationship. Our world has humans, but not Pokemon, so one can assume that the Pokemon are a deliberate symbol of…something. What that something is will probably vary based on who you ask, but just about everyone seems to interpret them as the “animals” of their universe. As in, living creatures who are not human. (Because Humans…are also Animals, and that’s kind of the whole point right there, but I’m getting ahead of myself.)
We seem to draw an inherent comparison between Pokemon and #RealWorld Animals, which is where all of this stems from. I believe this is a mistake. Or if nothing else, it’s not the definitive interpretation of what they are. If anything, the closest comparison I can think of is…maybe Angels? But even that doesn’t truly describe their role. The more the Poke'verse gets fleshed out, the clearer it becomes to me that catching and training Pokemon are completely misunderstood concepts. They’re not really comparable to anything in real life, certainly not the training of animals or the keeping of pets. I genuinely don’t think that the relationship between Trainer and Pokemon has an equivalent in our world.
I do understand where the impulse to make this comparison comes from. Of course people look at Pokemon and see animals. After all, they're living, breathing creatures, magical creatures that coexist with humanity. A not insignificant number of them do resemble real-life animals or are otherwise based on them. The most crucial bit of evidence for this idea is that the Pokeverse, by all appearances, lacks “real world” animals of its own. There are no recognizable creatures from our world to speak of, apart from humanity. So I can see how people reached this conclusion and I get why they draw the parallel.

However, it’s just not a fair comparison to make. Not at all.

Some animals do have the means to defend themselves, of course. But Pokemon have abilities on another level entirely. They’re basically magic. They have superpowers unique to themselves. Can a human spit fire? Tunnel a hole in seconds? Can they summon storms in the blink of an eye? Can a human block all damage with Wonder Guard? The answer is no. They cannot do this. Humans are one race, and a relatively mundane race at that. While they are distinctly separate from Pokemon…that doesn’t make them superior. It doesn’t make them more powerful. The sheer variety in Pokemon species, not to mention the variety of their powers, means that if war was to break out between the two communities…the humans would not win. It wouldn’t even be close.
Pokemon are baked deep into this culture. If you had to guess which of these two societies was here first, would you really guess humanity? I wouldn’t. Just look at the spiritual side of this world. It has deities who are confirmed to exist, who created this world as we know it..and they’re all Pokemon. Who knows where the humans even came from, but the Legendary Pokemon are the ones who fashioned the universe. It is vanity to assume that Humanity is the dominant species of the Poke'verse.
They are not, nor have they even been in charge of this world. Pokemon explicitly range from human to above-human level intelligence. The humans attempt to understand them, but the Anime clarifies that they’ve chosen to name the Pokemon based on their speech patterns. Pokemon don’t “say their name” and nothing else. It’s the reverse. They speak unique languages that the humans elected to name them for. By contrast, Pokemon can clearly understand human language. There’s no way around it, they are smarter than us. So it’s no surprise that they have their own communities and systems, totally independent from humanity. However, there are also countless Pokemon who choose (read: CHOOSE) to work with humans, on individual and group-wide scales.

In fact, Pokemon and Humans may not be so different at all.

I bet their DNA is remarkably similar. They may descend from a common ancestor. There is consistent flavor text that verifies this, stating that on a fundamental level, Pokemon and Humans are all but the same. Perhaps humankind and Pokemon weren’t always separate beings? Perhaps they were once one and the same? It’s pure conjecture, but according to the Library in Canalave City, there was a time in the ancient past when Pokemon ate at the same table as Humans and would even marry them sometimes. That last bit of trivia is cut from the English version, undoubtedly because of the popular interpretation I discussed earlier. Fans see Pokemon as animals, and the dubbing team probably wanted to avert any weird implications.
What’s odd is that in Legends: Arceus, which takes place in the ancient past…humans and pokemon have clearly already been separated, and have no relationship beyond hostility and fear towards each other. There are exceptions, of course, but by and large, the idea of a “Pokemon Trainer” is a new concept to the humans in Hisui. I’m getting very off topic now, but it does make a fan wonder. Just what happened to separate pokemon and humankind? They were as close as kin at one point, before some kind of split occurred, and it’s taken countless generations for them to redevelop a closeness...there’s a greater mystery here that isn’t relevant to the topic at hand, but these questions are worth asking. Either way, the point is that the two communities are almost fated to come together.
The Pokemon are drawn to humanity, and whether they invest in an official “trainer” or not, they seek out humans just as often as the humans go looking for them.
The Pokemon will form these partnerships out of their own desire. A desire for what, you may be asking? I think it varies, but when it comes to the TrainePokemon relationship, we can assume the typical goal is shared strength. The human and the Pokemon form a symbiotic relationship in the Training system. This is stated numerous times, especially in the Anime - A wild Pokemon will never reach their full potential. Not without a Trainer. You see? It isn’t only the humans who benefit from this relationship, and the Pokemon understand this. The vast majority of them want to be caught, they seek a trainer who can help them harness their powers.
Mewtwo decries Pokemon Training as Slavery during Mewtwo Strikes Back. Pikachu contradicts him, and Ash literally puts his life on the line in the effort to prove him wrong. Much later, in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, the same question comes up. Lucario asks if Ash is Pikachu’s “master” and Ash rejects that terminology. Because Pikachu is his best friend, nothing less. There is a reason why the word is “Trainer” and not “Master” or “Owner.” Because Pokemon Trainers do not own their Pokemon. Full stop. The Poke Ball isn't a prison. It, and the PC Boxes from the games, are implied to be a kind of virtual reality. The Poke Ball is a symbol, a convenience more than anything else, but not a requirement. Ash is living proof. The Poke-Ball may be the norm, but if you're claustrophobic like Pikachu, or you're just not feeling it, you can abstain. Ash has never treated Pikachu as a captive. Or any of his Pokemon for that matter. We don't ever see anyone keeping Pokemon as prisoners apart from the villains.

But what about catching Pokemon in general? That's still messed up, isn't it?

There is an obvious counterargument to be made to my stance, a Donphan in the room, and I won’t ignore it. The counterpoint here is that capturing Pokemon is almost always done against their will. Or at least, that’s how it’s traditionally done, and the norm in the games remains consistent. Still. Ash winds up befriending the majority of his Pokemon instead, and he’s far from the only trainer we see doing so. James is another human who recruits his teammates primarily through his own likable qualities. You might argue that while obtaining a Pokemon can happen without fighting, that style is still unusual. But again, based on the anime, it doesn’t seem to be that uncommon. I think what’s considered rare is that Ash seems to specialize in doing this despite his intended goal of training Pokemon for battle.
Regardless, capturing Pokemon through battle still happens. It happens quite a lot. The examples that differ from this norm don’t erase that, nor do they erase how repugnant it is. After all, the Trainer is cornering a creature who more often than not, was just minding their own business. (A wild Pokemon is very often the one to initiate battle, but never mind.) The trainer then forcibly kidnaps them after violently assaulting them. Even the term “capturing” Pokemon has problematic connotations. No way around it - on paper, this sounds bad. It sounds horrific. But if I may, I’d like to offer a different perspective based on what I’ve been able to observe of the Poke'verse’s culture. First of all, I’d like to offer a scalding hot take about the violence of Pokemon battles. This may be where I lose a lot of people, but hear me out.

I challenge the idea that a Pokemon battle is “violent.”

Or at least, I don’t believe the characters consider it to be violent, not in the same way we understand it. A pokemon battle isn’t assault, because they’re not human. But it’s also not animal abuse, because the Pokeverse doesn’t have animals. Again, it’s worth remembering that Pokemon are supernatural creatures with magical powers, and I’d say their powers, the “moves” they learn, play by different rules than conventional fighting. There’s actually quite a bit of evidence to suggest that this is true.
In Mewtwo Strikes Back, the Pokemon very specifically fight their clones without access to any of their actual moves, after Mewtwo psychically blocks their powers. Everything about this scene is meant to convey tragedy. All of a sudden, a series that’s been all about battle is preaching against violence. Sure, we can call it bad writing, executive meddling, or anything we want. But ignore the Fourth Wall and ask yourself, why would the characters react this way in-universe? Why is it that Pokemon battling has always been okay, but in this one instance, it’s not? The movie goes to great lengths to show us that the Pokemon are hurting each other. Which we don’t normally see.

The only difference? The Pokemon aren’t using their normal moves.

From this, we can conclude that the typical, conventional Pokemon battle, where the two Pokemon fight using their special abilities...it doesn’t hurt them. It may tire them out, but a Pokemon Center can heal basically any injuries in record time. Nurse Joy is some kind of miracle worker…or maybe she isn’t. Maybe The Pokemon are being tired out from their battles, but not actually harmed in the long term. Ever wonder why Pokemon can use hidden moves in the field, even when they're supposedly "fainted?" Or why Pikachu is able to get right back up after fainting in battle to cheer Ash on? This would explain why Pokemon attacks don’t cause lasting damage to humans, either. Get hit with a Flamethrower? Don’t worry, you’ll just be temporarily stunned and have soot all over your face. The doylist explanation is, once again, that it’s a children’s cartoon, but that doesn’t explain what’s happening in-universe. Team Rocket has been electrocuted by Pikachu a near-infinite number of times. So how are they even alive?
Simple. Pikachu isn’t actually trying to kill them. Because of course he isn’t. It’s quite possible that Pokemon moves simply are not capable of inflicting serious damage, or perhaps Pokemon have an inherent resistance to them. But I suspect it’s not a lack of ability that stops Pokemon moves from being violent…but an almost universal choice. That when Pokemon go on the offensive with their powers, or at least, when they direct said powers at humans…they are always pulling their punches. That’s why the fight on New Island was so grotesque - the Pokemon were not remotely familiar with battling that way, engaging in true violence, and there’s little doubt that they were figuratively and literally scarred by that night. (The ones who still remember it, anyway.)
It’s no wonder they never use their powers to cause actual bodily harm to anyone - I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some kind of sacred, unspoken taboo among Pokemon against doing so. A taboo that wouldn't be known to the newborn clone Pokemon on New Island. A taboo that may not have existed centuries ago, in say, the ancient times of the Hisui region. But present day, communities of Pokemon are more civilized, and they a working relationship with human society that ranges from neutral to friendly. We’re in head-canon territory now, but this kind of law among Pokemon kind makes a lot of sense. There may be Pokemon out there who break this taboo, but they would be few and far between - probably outcasts among their own kind. It would add a new dimension to Pikachu's refusal to fight back against his clone counterpart.
Again, this scene makes a point of telling us over and over, that what we’re seeing is wrong. “Pokemon aren’t meant to fight. Not like this.” That line right there is precisely the point. Battling isn’t meant to be like that, and in practice, it almost never is. There’s a reason why Pokemon almost never actually die in battle, and only get “very weak,” a condition that is cured flawlessly with the medical science of a Pokemon Center. It’s almost like a Pokemon’s powers create a kind of invisible simulation system, allowing them to spar with their opponent safely. Because that’s what a Pokemon battle is, at heart. It’s a test of skill. It’s meant to just be friendly sparring. A kind of sport that the Pokemon and Trainers engage in together, and it’s stated many times that they need to be in sync to have any hope of a successful career in professional matches. Again, I refer you to Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Pokemon were able to use their powers collectively to restore Ash to life. There’s clearly a lot more to a Pokemon’s power than just combat. That part is nothing more than recreation for them.

I deviated tremendously from the original question about capturing Pokemon, but I feel that it’s important to address this point.

Pokemon Battling is not violence. It’s effectively a sport that all sides consent to playing, a sport that has safety measures practically built in, as well as further precautions offered like the Pokemon Center. In that sense, it's more or less just another interpretation of Pokemon Contests, and Showcases, and everything else. A human helping a Pokemon study their powers and use them to fullest potential. This is the reason why I don’t actually consider a Trainer fighting a wild Pokemon to be so obscene. However, that only addresses the question of violence. Trainers are still kidnapping Pokemon against their will, right? That’s why one has to “weaken” a Pokemon to catch them. Well, believe it or not, I’m going to debunk that too.
Barring exceptions, the wild Pokemon must be exhausted to the point that they can no longer resist a poke-ball, before you can obtain them. Their opinion about being caught is always a non-issue. By all accounts, it doesn't seem as though this is acceptable. But even this, I think, is part of the cultural dissonance. Among other things, we don’t know what the little “click” of the Poke-ball actually means. It signals that the capture was a success, but is that the Pokemon choosing to yield, or the Poke Ball’s technology locking them in? It’s a little ambiguous, I’ll freely admit as much…but I would argue that the former idea isn’t impossible. Again, wild Pokemon, generally speaking, actually want to find a Trainer. The first episode of the anime even hints that certain wild Pokemon are jealous of those with trainers. With that in mind, why is catching them even a fight to begin with?

I’ll tell you why. When a wild Pokemon battles a trainer, they are essentially giving that trainer a test.

They’re gauging the trainer’s abilities to bring out the potential of their Pokemon. If you’re a trainer, and your Pokemon defeats another Pokemon in the wild…you’ve just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that your Pokemon is stronger than the wild one. You have now proven that you have something to offer, you’ve passed the test. The wild Pokemon now realizes that it stands to learn something, to grow more powerful, by accepting your tutelage. That’s why it’s considered acceptable to the Pokemon to follow a trainer after they are overpowered and captured. It’s like…right of conquest, but with fully informed consent.
Consent is key here, and I believe this cultural understanding to be the reason that most Pokemon are immediately comfortable with following the trainer who caught them. While one might argue that they don't really have a choice anymore...that simply isn't true. The anime clarifies that Pokemon can release themselves from a Poke-Ball whenever they want. Misty’s Psyduck is the most iconic example of this, but there are countless others. In theory, a Pokemon could just leave a trainer who they find unsatisfactory. Actually, that’s not just a theory. That’s canon. Something that most people don’t seem to realize (or at least, they forget) is that it’s not just Trainers who ditch Pokemon they no longer want. It happens in reverse as well.

Pokemon can and do abandon their trainers, if they deem said trainers to be unworthy of their talents.

Remember when I said that I would be chiefly referencing the anime, because it’s the most reliable depiction of what the Pokeverse is supposed to be like? This is exactly what I was talking about. Because obviously, this never happens in the games. Your Pokemon don’t just disappear from your party or PC boxes, because that would be an incredibly stupid and unfair mechanic. But in the anime, where the relationships between Pokemon and Trainer are more fleshed out? In the first season, Bad To The Bone is about a Marowak who chose to ditch his trainer after said trainer had his badges stolen. While the Marowak eventually changed his mind, at no point did any character voice the idea of trying to return him by force. That was never on the table. It was Marowak’s choice and no one else’s, which is why the trainer was heartbroken.
But that’s not a one-off, it’s not the only example. There are quite a few. Due to a misunderstanding, Gym Leader Pryce once believed his Piloswine had abandoned him. Then there’s Ash. Always the mother hen, he’s adopted many Pokemon who were abandoned by previous trainers, but the opposite has also happened. His Snivy, and his Greninja, are both Pokemon who were explicitly stated to have had previous trainers whom they chose to leave, because they didn’t feel understood. Typically, it seems that Pokemon choose to leave because they feel as though the unspoken contract that is “pokemon training” has been violated somehow, or they’re otherwise not getting what they signed up for. This is why the traditional method of “catching” Pokemon is so vital. Because it’s an honor system. There's a reason we aren't able to capture a Pokemon has already fainted. That would be the most efficient way to go about things, but the MC won't do it. Why? I can only assume this is to ensure the Pokemon gets a voice in whether they're caught.
Any time a human does attempt to force a Pokemon into submission or otherwise harm them through any method that is not the traditional system of capture, the story treats them as unquestionably villainous for doing so. The other humans react in horror, and attempt to stop them. This is because forgoing the “defeat them in battle” route and instead using some kind of technology or whatnot to claim the Pokemon is seen as dishonorable at the best of times, and evil at the worst of times. The Trainer is ignoring the agency of the Pokemon. Attempting capture in the conventional way is a mutually accepted system, the wild Pokemon know and understand that a trainer may attempt to take them, and if they really don’t want to be said Trainer’s Pokemon, they can always choose to leave after they are captured. But the use of other means takes that choice away from them. These villains, usually the evil Teams, are using methods of capture that fail to demonstrate to the Pokemon why they are a worthy Trainer, and likewise rob them of the ability to judge them as unworthy.

There are exceptions, but for the reasons I have described, I fail to see how the idea of “slavery” is applicable to properly trained Pokemon.

They have the power to attack their trainers whenever they choose. Sometimes they do. They have magical abilities that enslaved humans in real life do not have. Legends: Arceus does a great job of highlighting just how dangerous Pokemon could be toward their human counterparts if they really wanted to be. They also have the power to leave. A Pokeball is not a chain. The only time a Pokemon struggles to escape a Ball is when it is first used on them, and the connection is initially forged. But, as I’ve talked about, I believe this to be a ceremonial process and little else. Trainers will immediately send out freshly caught Pokemon to heal or train, and the Pokemon don’t run. But once again, they could. What is stopping them? Ash’s Charizard never saw fit to abandon him, but if he had, what could Ash have actually done about it? Basically nothing. He’d get a flamethrower to the face and then Charizard would fly off. The same thing is true for any of Ash’s Pokemon, or the trained Pokemon of any Trainer ever.
There’s another Donphan in the room that I’d like to touch on real quick. I’ve talked a lot about how the anime clarifies the nature of Pokemon and their relationship to their Trainers…but I also mentioned that the developers have openly tried to beat back the claims of animal abuse, of slavery. The anime speaks for itself, but what about the time Black and White openly addressed these criticisms? You were probably waiting for me to bring it up, but the truth is, I don’t have much to say. The idea of Pokemon and Trainers having a symbiotic relationship, and needing each other…the idea that they shouldn’t be separated…all of that is touched on in the games, but the subject is mostly used as a scapegoat by a wannabe dictator.
I have yet to see any character in Pokemon honestly make the same comparison that critics make in real life, and I doubt we ever will see that happen. It’s just not an idea that can be properly explored in the Pokeverse, because our world is unknown to them. Our way of doing things isn’t something that any in-universe Trainer could hope to understand. It’s an entirely different culture. The way we personally view Pokemon as creatures is colored by our context, by the fact that we’re on the outside, peering into this world with the perspective of a society that doesn’t have Pokemon. To the humans, this is the way their world works. Team Plasma came the closest to approaching that idea, but even then, they were the villains. It was made abundantly clear that they were wrong.
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• In theory, Pokemon are servants at the whims of their Trainers. In practice, they’re actually the ones with real power and the relationship is balanced, nuanced, and heavily based on mutual trust.
• In theory, Pokemon are the wild animals of their universe. In practice, they have no equivalent to our world. They are, as we're told many times, "wondrous creatures." They have no explanation.
• In theory, Pokemon are forced to engage in senseless violence day in and day out. In practice, Pokemon battling is an art form that the Pokemon themselves choose to pursue, and it is not remotely dangerous.

If you've stuck with me this long, know that I appreciate you. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. If you need me, I'll be shiny hunting for Klawf.