Rollout Shuckle

Here is a bit of history about me if you would like to read.

Imagine this: you're eleven. Young. Excited. You've just learned most of the basics of competitive Pokemon, though you're no good at it. You learn that, there's a website where they have movesets for Pokemon! Smogon University. And you decide to join, see if you can help out, and learn some more about competitive battling. Hell, this is where my adventure begins.

I joined Smogon most likely sometime in 2012 or 2013 as a user named, "epikkyogre78" (I loved Kyogre back then). I didn't actually post much, or really contribute anything at all. I do remember one funny incidenf where I was convinced, ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED, that Rock Gem was the best item for Archeops, and I tried to sell QC on it. I posted calcs, I argued and persuaded, lol. I was not only a nightmare, but a noobish nightmare. Keep in mind I was eleven or so.

Hi, if you're sitting here bored, do not worry. The story and my writing both get better from here on out. Much better.

Okay so after a while, I figured I'd pretty much butchered my chances with my Smogon account. But somewhere along the line I'd started wanting to contribute. So I did what I probably shouldn't have: I made another Smogon account!

This gave me a new shot at making friends on here, and maybe, if I stuck with it long enough, I could get a badge! At some point I had become entranced with the idea of getting a badge; I just thought that was the coolest thing. And luckily for me, I showed up on Smogon as that new user just before the XY OU Analyses began to be written. It was the most perfect time on Smogon, I can't even describe what that was like: so many new users and veteran users working together, pumping out the first analyses of a generation. I suppose it's kind of like having your first child (uh...not really? no? okay i guess not). Anyway I was an amazing contributor there! I wrote two whole analyses (Shuckle and Landorus-T) but commented on even more. During my time as a user I even managed to apply successfully for the GP team and GP check a few analyses! I was on top o' de world.

But who was this mysterious user? (Me) And what was his username? Well, ladies and gents, that's where the "revealing" part comes in. (No, not that kind of revealing! Jeez, y'all have such dirty minds) Because I am.............................................................................................................................................................TheManlyLadybug.

Chilling, I know. What, you don't know me? Well fuck. For those of you who do know, Yes, I'm that guy who was famously banned for LITERALLY TELLING FUZZNIP AND PLUS THAT I WAS 12. Boy, was this a big deal, for me at least. I was so surprised and then so intent on getting myself unbanned that I made another account in order to contact my best Smogonite friends at the time, RotomPoison, The Shellder Smuggler, s_aman, horyzhnz, and probably another dude. I tried to get myself unbanned! Of course it didn't work though. I was not going to be unbanned until at least 7 months later.

So yeah, I was banned and wanted to get back onto Smogon U. What did I do? Guess. Go on, guess! Yep, I made another account, RockRocks this time. I honestly don't remember anything about that except that I had a Bisharp sprite and they found out I was an alt version of TML (TheManlyLadybug) so I was banned for a short amount of time, SOOO let's fast forward a bit to a year ago, when I made this Smogon account.

My current account was originally called "Artisan's Mask" but it was stupid and I quickly changed to a name I could use more permanently: I decided on Rollout Shuckle, the current person you see today, occasionally contributing to analyses and posting RU memes in the RU Team Tournament Signups thread.

So now, you know my history. But why am I quitting? (I wrote this when I was going to quit Smogon. As of right now I am not FULLY quitting, but much of this still did and does apply. I don't see any reason to delete this so I've left it here.)

Well to put it quite frankly, I am depressed. No I'm not going to kill myself don't worry!! Jesus Christ. But, there is every reason to worry about depression.

Well, you see, I've never been the most confident person! In fact, despite my height, my confidence and self-esteem are lower than most boys. In particular, because I began playing DS games and Wii games at a young ripe age of 7, and even Gamecube before that, it inhibited my social interactions. Another way to say this is that I got (and still am!) used to looking at a screen instead of a glowing, complicated, bright human face. I wouldn't have been totally great at talking with people and with humor, and definitely wouldn't have been charismatic like some people just are, but video games have had a negative impact on my social interactions: no doubt about it.

But how does Smogon fit into this? Well, with normal video games you get bored. As much I like Mariokart Wii or Super Mario Sunshine or even cartridge Pokemon games, you get bored of them after a short while, right? Well Smogon is different. You see, you can get addicted to stuff like this. And I easily obsess over things, or at least my sister thinks I do. So this is not a good match, me and Smogon.

Much of the reason I stayed at Smogon was because of the alluring aspect of the badges. I thought getting a badge'd be so cool. Pre-Contributor was in my grasp as TheManlyLadybug---hell, it still is now! But I'm quitting.

And the reason I'm quitting is, well, it's having a negative impact on me all around. Socially, there is a lack of connection. Physically, sitting in a chair all the time is not great for you (although I am fit). Mentally, you get addicted to Smogon and your other hobbies suffer (or at least mine did). Emotionally I am slightly depressed or, if I'm not, it's still in the back of my mind waiting to come out, because Smogon is also in the back of my mind. I don't know whether that's a coincidence or not, and I'm not saying they're related. Point is, my emotions and mental being are often WAY too dependent on little things on Smogon, like articles or not having a good chat on Showdown or just wanting something to happen when I check my alerts.

Smogon is having a negative impact on my life and so that's why I'm quitting.

Thank god that my babysitter woke me up to this because if she hadn't I could've gone on forever, doing something I'm not happy about and caring about people's opinions whom I don't know! We just talked it over in the car and I decided it's best to just quit, cold turkey. No Team Tournament, no fading out, just stopping, and filling my time with something else.

Now, I have to say, some people don't have trouble making new friends, or social interactions. Some people can do Smogon a little bit at once, not burn out and not obsess. But the problem with me is, for better or worse, I am largely a perfectionist. I want everything I do to be my best effort, and I do care about people's opinions of me, maybe a little too much. But you have to put your effort into things that matter. And in the big scope of things Smogon, doesn't matter, it's just a website! About a game.

So yeah, that's who I am and why I'm quitting. BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTT my time on Smogon, well, hasn't been completely for nothing. In fact, I would like to give out shootouts to all the people on Smogon that either I will remember or were sort-of-friends with.

@RotomPoison @The Shellder Smuggler @s_aman @Sapphire. @horyzhnz @Minus @Fuzznip @Plus @trc @Fitzhogan11 @atomicllamas @Fluke @Nelson Tangela @EonX @Jellicent @GatoDelFuego @The Dutch Plumberjack @MrAldo @Bummer @fleurdyleurse @alexwolf @Littlelucario @boltsandbombers @Take Azelfie @Wanka @checkmater75 @MegaCharizard25 @Vanadinite @MagnusArcanum @Chesty @MegaSimon @wowgek7 @bbskarm @Arikado @Punchshroom @Colonel M @lighthouses @Ryoma Nagare @LightningLuxray @CyclicCompound @HypnoEmpire @Air @Martin.

I feel full of energy now. As much as it would be nice to stay I know I'm making the right decision. If you've somehow gotten this far then thank you very much! Feel free to leave a comment or reaction on my VM wall if you want to, though I probably won't read it. Thanks for making this a fun time!

Sincerely,
epikkyogre78 / Rollout Shuckle / RockRocks / TheManlyLadybug



edit: here are some of my funniest posts, for your enjoyment. God I hope I don't become a meme:

(Weakness Policy discussion thread) http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/weakness-policy-and-its-role-in-the-metagame.3510838/
(Funny post) http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ru-stats-august-2013.3487938/#post-4831009
(Argument over Azelf with Punchshroom) http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/azelf-qc-2-3-ready-for-3rd-qc-check.3500522/page-2#post-5287853
(Funny post)
http://www.smogon.com/forums/thread...ing-a-new-thread.3495075/page-24#post-5269931
(A problem with Toxicroak's sprite) http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/ps-model-fixing-thread-oras-era.3500358/page-5#post-5273378
(Funny rage)
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/playing-with-the-beasts-gen-5-ubers.3490942/#post-4929003
(Fluffball Destruction - My Only RMT To date)
http://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/nu-fluffball-destruction.3487788/
"Arena Trap" Magneton Set: http://www.smogon.com/forums/thread...again-do-it-again.3572877/page-3#post-6854452
Trapped by Dugtrio and Pivoted on by Alomomola: http://img.ctrlv.in/img/16/07/26/579778660830e.png

PM me me if you want to discuss running, gardening, swimming, or rock music :)


Credits to Integer Mova for the fantastic avatar!


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