RMDC's Second Challenge: PKMN Journey, Part I

[RMDC]

PKMN JOURNEY, part 1

I don't need to be the very best, but who hasn't wanted to go on an epic journey of self-development, forming relationships and overcoming challenges along the way? Grab your ball-related puns and let's get moving!
 

Now, I don't live in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh, and I have little interest in visiting Unova or Kalos. Looks like I'll have to challenge the fictional PKMN league of New York. If you're unfamiliar with the Pokemon series, that means I have to defeat the leaders of eight type-based gyms, then take on the Elite Four, finally facing the Champion. Each gym in this challenge will be based on a New York location I've visited or called home.

Every trainer can carry a party of up to six critters. Three is a good number to have by the first gym, so that's how many will be hanging from my belt to start with. Of course, since this is NF, I'll choose my companions based on how they demonstrate the sort of strength, dexterity, stamina, constitution, wisdom, and charisma I'd like to emulate.
 
 
 

STARTING PARTY:

 

Nettle the Bulbasaur - STA

Like most trainers, my first Pokemon was a gift from the local Pokemon researcher, Professor Locust. (It's upstate New York. Gotta pick an iconic regional tree. ) I chose Nettle for her staying power. She's a sturdy little reptile... amphibian... geophyte thing. She can soak hits with her specially defensive bulk, and her secondary Poison typing means she's immune to illness. Plus she'll eventually have access to Synthesis, giving her a burst of energy from being in nature, and Leech Seed, allowing her to draw strength from adversity.

 

Beacon the Litwick - WIS

When I saw a rare, alternate-color "shiny" critter cross my path in the haunted woods, I had to grab him for my team. Beacon is an eager ghost who's curious about the world. He doesn't like sitting in his ball; he'd rather see the world around him. His ability, Infiltrator, reflects his capacity to get to the core of things, ignoring Mist and other attempts to confuse the issue or the battlefield. Beacon always knows how to see a Sunny Day even in the gloomiest times - all he has to do is put on his Choice Specs and make the right choices. He knows he can pick up whatever Trick he needs to learn to get through.

 

Legato the Ralts - CHA

Legato was my first catch with Nettle. He's outgoing, but sometimes he has trouble figuring out what to do next and gets a case of battler's block. He's finding his Hyper Voice, though. His Trace ability lets him incorporate the best of what others say and do into himself. Later, Calm Mind will allow him to collect his thoughts, brush off the static around him, and focus on making his output as powerful as possible.

 

THE CHALLENGES:

THE JOURNEY
If there's one thing every trainer knows, it's that the journey is tough as hell. You gotta make sure you save your game frequently. Who wants to end up having to plow through a route full of annoying fishermen all over again? A good trainer keeps a journal and updates it frequently. To make sure I don't lose my way, I will write at least six pages per week over the course of this challenge. (CHA +2)


 

THE FIRST GYM: Poison - New York, NY

How I plan to win: Legato's Psychic-type attacks will be key in taking down the foul Pokemon of this grimy cesspool of a gym. That means that clarity of mind and body will be key. In my first challenge, I was generally pleased with my success in cutting sugar and caffeine out of my beverage choices, helping keep my energy levels steady and my mind clearer. This time, I will drink only water (and the rare glass of milk or unsweetened tea) over the course of this challenge. (CON +1, STA +1)

 

THE SECOND GYM: Electric - Schenectady, NY

 

How I plan to win: Grass resists Electric. I'll have to lean hard on Nettle to get through this battle. She's going to have to eat right to keep her body balanced if she's going to tank those Thundershocks. In solidarity with her, I will limit wheat products to three per week over the course of this challenge. (CON +2, WIS +1)

 

THE THIRD GYM: Ice - Buffalo, NY

How I plan to win: Life in extreme biomes is lonely. Trainers who choose to seek out companions in these conditions must have strong spirits to hold up to the solitude. I'll have to similarly develop my inner self in order to be at my peak when I reach this gym. (In other words, I needed a way to shoehorn this goal into my challenge. >.> ) To prepare, I will meditate for at least five minutes daily over the course of this challenge. (WIS +2, CHA +1)

 

THE FOURTH GYM: Bug - Lake George, NY

How I plan to win: Beacon's Fire-type moves will push the gym leader's critters to their limits. There's nothing like cardio to stoke those flames. In training Beacon to build up his heat, I will interval walk for a total of four hours over the course of this challenge. (STR + 2, STA +3)

tl;dr:

1. Six pages of writing per week;
2. Only water or occasional milk or unsweetened tea;
3. Wheat products restricted to a maximum of three per week;
4. Meditation of at least 5 minutes daily;
5. Interval walking for a total of four hours.

GRADING THE CHALLENGE

Writing: Standard manuscript page: one-inch margins, 12-point TNR, double-spaced. Each page will be worth four percent, bringing the possible total to 96%. I'll receive one bonus percent for each week wherein I meet my goal. For this challenge, themed storytelling vignettes written for posts within this thread will count toward the goal, mostly 'cause they're fun.

Water: Four points per day I drink only the allowed beverages and get at least 1.5 L of water down (two refills of my water bottle). That gives me a possible 104%, so I get a fudge day. I'm also going to give myself a fudge day per week, because life is life, but I'm going to reserve those for events like family outings rather than decide "hey, it's Saturday and I haven't fudged; I'm gonna chug a two-liter".

Wheat: I get three meals a day, with only two on Sundays when I'm up at Ticonderoga on the Star Trek: New Voyages set. That's a total of 75 meals. We'll count an additional 25 snack opportunities over the course of the 26-day challenge to bring it up to a nice, even 100%. If I eat a wheat product, I don't get that percentage point. At the end of the week, I'll add back up to three percentage points lost to wheat products, but only if I didn't exceed three for the week.

Meditation: Similar to the water challenge, four percentage points for every day I spend meditating for five or more minutes adds up to 104%, so I get one day of wiggle room. It's only five minutes. I shouldn't need a lot of padding for that.

Walking: Four percentage points for every ten minutes in a deliberate interval walk adds up to 96%, making room for one bonus point for each week where I get in at least an hour of walking.

Unfortunately, I had to drop bodyweight exercise from this challenge because of my living circumstances. Hopefully I'll be able to add it back in for
March's challenge. I'll still look for opportunities for strength training this month, but they'll be off the books, so to speak.

FC: 4124-6365-8699 IGN: Aranie

[RMDC]

Progress!

 

Write 6 pages per week

Week 1: 6 pages (just barely!)

Week 2: 0 pages

24%

24%

 

Water only

Week 1: 5 days + 1 weekly fudge day

Week 2: 4 days

40%

40%

 

Wheat products restricted to 3/wk (this week's slots: {*} - {*} - { } )

Week 1: 13 meals / snacks wheat-free

Week 2: 14 meals / snacks wheat-free

27%

27%

 

Daily meditation

Week 1: 5 days

Week 2: 4 days

36%

36%

 

Interval walking, four total hours

Week 1: 63 minutes

Week 2: 30 minutes

36%

36%

[fleaball]

Here for all the ball puns.

[Ballad]

A THEME! Woohoo! Following along, of course.

[Calanthia Cobbin]

I like themes too! Following!

[TheFatFriar]

Oh, I've found you! You've joined the druids! Congrats and have a great challenge!

[RMDC]

Oh, I've found you! You've joined the druids! Congrats and have a great challenge!

 

Yeah, the druids seemed like the place to hang this month, what with my adding a meditation component. I'm hoping to use this month to reset mentally.

[Rhyme]

Woo, found your thread! I LOVE the work you put into this theme! Are you a fan of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon? The new game is a blast!

[Sunmage]

Pokemon? Aaaawesome!

 

Welcome to the druids!

 

Have fun here!

[RMDC]

Woo, found your thread! I LOVE the work you put into this theme! Are you a fan of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon? The new game is a blast!

 

I tried to play Explorers of n-Dimensional Space, or whichever one came out on the Nintendogs DS, but the base game series really is the one for me. I've enjoyed watching LPs of the Mystery Dungeon series, though.

 

 

Pokemon? Aaaawesome!

 

Welcome to the druids!

 

Have fun here!

 

Thank you!

[Starstuff]

Excellent goals! It's not one of my official challenge goals, but I've been working on daily meditation, as well.

[Foo]

Following your journey this challenge.  Best of luck, and I love the pokemon theme!

[RMDC]

The sky was leaden, slippery ice covered every surface, and the wind knifed across RMDC’s skin. That was the pleasant part. What really bothered him was the pressure. Buildings arced overhead and blotted out what sunlight made it through the cloud cover. People milled like beans in a coffee grinder. With nothing green to filter it, the air cycled from fetid sewer up to only a couple hundred feet high, just enough to catch the greasy miasma rising from the half dozen cut-rate pizza shops shoehorned into crannies on every other block, then back down to grab the unique aromas of the garbage-lined alleys before returning to its sewer home to spawn.

“I <3 NY,†the T-shirts in the window of the souvenir shop declared.

RMDC trudged down the sidewalk in quickstep. Beacon, his Litwick, bobbed on his shoulder. At least Beacon radiated a little warmth. The candle-ghost was excited by the city, turning about at every splash of color or novel noise. Ordinarily Beacon’s energy kept his trainer’s spirits high. Today, in New York City, his boisterousness made RMDC all the more eager to finish his task and leave.

Cars moved like an ugly caterpillar through the intersection ahead. RMDC stopped at the corner, and the temperature felt like it dropped by ten degrees when he stood still. A newsstand at the corner across the street appeared to be operated solely by an enterprising Chatot. The gaudy bird whistled and chirped to draw in business. RMDC watched it idly while he bounced his knees and waited for the light to change. The people gathering behind him at the curb felt like a balloon inflating, ready to push RMDC into traffic when it popped.

There was a break in traffic. The light was still red, and cars were only seconds away up the street, but two oblivious people strode into the crosswalk, buried in their phones. The dam broke and the mass followed. Cars laid into their horns as they halted in the intersection, waiting for the crosswalk to finish purging itself. RMDC, caught up in the rush, kept his head down and cursed the city again.

RMDC had to pass directly by the newsstand. The Chatot picked him out of the crowd, probably because of Beacon on his shoulder. “Hey Trainer! Buy a paper!†it said, sounding more like a person doing an impression of a parrot than anything else.

“Buy yourself a muzzle,†he grumbled in reply. He doubted the crowd would have let him stop if he wanted.

The Chatot fluffed indignantly. “Hey, fuck you then, ya punk,†it screeched.

Beacon waved his tiny arm cheerfully at the Chatot as RMDC pushed his way through the crowd.

 

 

Day 1 of the challenge has begun!

 

And it's starting out sore and exhausted. The work at the ST:NV studio is a rubber band affair, going from periods of rest to sudden tension depending on what stage a project is at and how many hands are needed. Yesterday had plenty of all-hands-on-deck moments. We're building the ceiling level of the conference room / rec room / chapel. The sets don't have actual ceilings, but this room, which serves as the basis for all rooms that are located in the curved, outer portion of the ship's saucer section, has several wall pylons which arch into beams that run across the upper level of the room to terminate in the opposing wall. (If you're reading this post within a day or so of its original posting, look up Star Trek: New Voyages / Phase II on Facebook to see a progress shot.) That means a lot of holding things overhead, precariously balanced on ladders, and hoping your precisely measured pieces join well. Taller folks were at a premium. I'm 5'11", no Shaq by any stretch, but tall enough to be pressed into service most of the evening. We didn't get home until 10:30 at night, and I didn't get to sleep until nearly midnight.

 

Teal deer: Good day of work at the studio leads to a late night and minor DOMS.

 

I got in morning meditation, though, and my water bottle is full and ready. Plus the above writing submission, just over a page at 450 words, cranked out shortly after getting out of bed today. Let's do this. 

[RMDC]

I came into the kitchen this morning to find that my in-laws were starting the day-long process of making pasta sauce, a sure-fire sign that a lasagna was on the way. I prepared to sink pretty much all my wheat allowance into a single dinner. But it turns out they ran overlong at a doctor's appointment and are doing lasagna assembly tonight and baking tomorrow. Instead we're having burgers - something I can eat on lettuce instead of in a bun. The threat of lasagna still looms deliciously for tomorrow, but at least it won't strike on the first friggin' day of the challenge.

 

After a tomato soup lunch, I took care of some errands and headed to the track for an 18-minute walk. I killed two refills of my water bottle with ease over the course of the day. I'm calling today an unqualified success.

 

Day 1 : Monday

Writing: +

Water: +

Wheat: +

Meditation: +

Walking:+

 

(Man, why can't "meditation" start with a "w"?)

 

[Lissa Lullaby]

I like your goals- good luck on your challenge!

[spooky]

♫Gotta Catch em alllllllll♫

 

Love the theme, awesome goals, and great day 1

 

Plus...ball jokes *eyebrow raise* 

 

Following along

[RES]

Here for all the ball puns.

^^this....

[Foo]

 

(Man, why can't "meditation" start with a "w"?)

 

It's all about perspective, because if you're in a headstand....

 

 

[RMDC]

Thank you, everyone!

 

It's all about perspective, because if you're in a headstand....

 

 

 

Ha! That's perfect!

 

And now, our saga continues...

 

The Poison gym wasn’t actually a gym at all. Instead, it was a gathering that took place nightly on the Staten Island ferry. RMDC wondered if that was a reflection on the level of pollution in the water. Looking out over the railing of the vessel, he wasn’t sure if the shimmer on the water was from the moonlight or clouds of Grimer following the boat. Still, the lights from the city were nice.

 

Legato tugged at RMDC’s jeans. The Ralts wasn’t interested in the skyline view. He rubbed his tummy and looked pleadingly at his trainer, his red eyes peeking out from beneath his bowl-cut hair.

 

“Yeah, food sounds good,†RMDC said. He pushed off the railing and turned toward the snack bar. There wasn’t a long line, but plenty of people were hanging out around it, drinks in hand and Pokemon at their sides. The Poison gym.

 

As RMDC and Legato drew near the bar, someone broke away from the gym crowd to stand in their way: a teenage boy, dressed like he was trying to imitate his punk forebears but only had the rude bus patron from Star Trek: The Voyage Home to go by. He tossed a Great Ball from hand to hand. “Heading somewhere?†he said in a voice slightly too feathery to intimidate.

 

RMDC sighed in resignation. This was going to be one of those nights. “That would be the purpose of walking, yes.â€

 

The teenager grinned. “If you want to use the snack bar on gym nights--â€

 

“Can we just do this already?†RMDC interjected.

 

The boy shrugged and tossed his ball in the air. That appeared to be the signal; the gym crowd withdrew to form a rough elliptical clearing on the deck. RMDC stepped back as well, leaving Legato in the center. The ball came down and burst open in a flash of light which coalesced into a Tentacool.

A woman came in a few steps from the ring of people and stood on the center sideline. RMDC looked at her for a moment. Was she the gym leader? No one complained about her butting in. She raised one arm and looked at both contenders. “Ready, set… go!†She dropped her arm and took a step back. The battle had begun.

 

 

That's another 380 words, and I think I'll probably get in some writing in a non-thread story today as well. Breakfast was Cheerios. The oats vs. wheat distinction may not be that big when it comes to carb counting, but I'm taking it one step at a time and focusing on wheat alone. (Also, I just discovered after the fact that there's wheat starch in Cheerios. Argh. But I don't think it counts as a slot for the week. I'll avoid it in the future, though.) Lunch is probably going to be leftover red beans and rice. Tonight is when the lasagna dreadnought crests the horizon and casts its shadow over our valley. I will not challenge it. All must bow before its massive might.

 

Meditation this morning was a fraught affair. I had every bill and worry about the future smacking me around. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of it so I won't struggle so much.

 

I'll get in walking after lunch. I need to get some new music on my phone, or maybe a decent podcast or two. A twenty minute podcast actually would be perfect. Let me go research that.

[Rihor]

Meditation in 3 steps:

 

1.

[RMDC]

Meditation in 3 steps:

 

1.

 

That's definitely going to be my method tomorrow.

 

 

Okay, so tonight got lasagna bombed. It also got soda bombed. In my defense, it was a bottle of Boylan's root beer, which I will pretty much never turn down when offered, no matter the circumstance. I'll take that hit. I also walked 22.5 minutes today.

 

I never got another chance to sit long enough to write. I was getting bombarded left and right with distractions, one of which was a sudden and unexpected tornado which hit within a few miles of my mother's house - luckily, there wasn't any damage or power loss for her.

 

Day 2 : Tuesday

Writing: +

Water: -

Wheat: -

Meditation: +

Walking:+

[Rihor]

That's definitely going to be my method tomorrow.

Haha! Awesome!

 

Sounds like your day was just carpet-bombed.

[RES]

We had some of that nasty weather around here today too...glad your mom is okay!

[RMDC]

I've had a frustrating morning.

 

There are no healthy eating options in the house. I'm in a temporary living situation where I don't dictate the grocery shopping. Maybe it was foolish to make a goal of reducing wheat in that kind if circumstance. The realization that I was essentially restricted to leftover lasagna or some other bread- and/or meat-based product, with the only vegetables being frozen veggies reserved for dinners or canned black beans, tanked my resolve.

 

It certainly didn't help that I've spent the past three days fruitlessly researching motions to dismiss in New York courts for a traffic ticket that was issued over fourteen years ago. Plus it's raining - I'm glad for that, since it's melting the glacier outside the door, but it means I can't go walking today, and there's the general reminder that this is supposed to be the coldest week of the year, global warming, mass extinction, et cetera. I'm having little luck in job searching, and there are people I desperately miss. It's a pretty grey day.

 

But I had the good fortune to come across a post that said something I really needed to hear about progress, living, and a general illegitimi non carborundum. It gave me enough perspective to handle the rest of the day.

 

If I completely flop on my ambitious no-wheat goal this month, that's fine. I'll do what I can when I can and not worry about the rest. I still have four other goals which are entirely reasonable. As for the other stuff in my life, the things that are even more out of my control than the grocery list, they're like the nameless fears in the dark: when I look at them, trace their shapes and name them and plumb the lowest depths of their consequences, it turns out that I can survive the worst they can do to me, and none of them are beyond conquering, even if they're beyond conquering today.

[TheFatFriar]

There are walk-at-home videos on Youtube, I work out with them whenever I can't get out of the house. The best part is, you don't need much space, you can practically do them even in a small room.

 

Can't you do a grocery shopping just for yourself? I don't know how you handle things, of course, but maybe tell them that you don't eat grains, and ask them to open up some space in the kitchen for your stuff?