soft corruptor
when i was in the 3rd grade
γi convinced my friend's older sister to loan me her gameboy color
γγ with pokemon blue
γγγon the one condition
γγγγ that i never save over her file.
γγ γγγγγ this was contraband; my parents couldn't know
γγγγγγγi smuggled that gameboy home and kept it inside my pillowcase, turning it on
γγγγγγγ at an almost imperceptible volume
γγγγγγγγγafter iβd been put to bed for the night.
γγγγγγγγγ i would play until the batteries died or i fell asleep or it was time for school
γγγγγwhatever came first.γγγγγγγγbecause of my promise to never save, i had, generally, somewhere between 6 and 10 hours to beat the game
γγγγγγγ that year, the margins of my schoolwork filled with (what i would later learn were) 'speedrun strats'
γγγγγγγγγi wrote down what patch of grass would come up with a pikachu
γγγγγγγγγ traced my routes through the caves
γγγγγγγγγγγmemorized the dialog,
γγγγγγγγγγγ then the buttons to skip through it
γγγγγγγγγγγγγlearned i could invert the screen and navigate dark caverns without teaching my pokemon "flash"
γγγγγγγγγγγγγ eventually, i didn't need to invert anything
γγγγγγγi just knew where to walk, in the dark.γγγγγγγγγγ i was angling for the elite four, the ostensible win condition of pokemon
γγγγγγγγγbut i often stopped at cinnabar island
γγγγγγγγγ this is because if you surfed up and down the coastline off cinnabar
γγγγγγγγγγγyou might meet MissingNo.
γγγγγγγγγγγ missingno is a data buffer glitch, and a famous one at that
γγγγγγγγγγγγγit appears when the game mistakenly substitutes the player's name as a pokemon id
γγγγγγγγγγγγγ forming a scrambled, glitchy block described as a "bird/normal" pokemon
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ(although occasionally appearing as a ghost or a fossil unseen elsewhere in the game)
γγγγγγγ
γγγγγγγγγγγγγ summoning a ghost was reason enough to try for missingno, but it also came with side-effects
γγγγγγγγγγγγγ(including a useful error that would copy an item 128 times over)
γγγγγγγγγγγγγ but rumor was, catching missingno was dangerous-
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγ it could softlock the game.
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγdestroy your save file.
γγγγγγγγdelete pokemon out of your party.γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγnone of this was true, but we traded these stories around the playground, whispered about our angry ghosts
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ and there were other phantoms;
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγinvisible computers
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ a teleporting man stuck on roof
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγswapped overworld tiles
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ a trick to catch the most elusive pokemon of all, mew
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγa way to visit glitch city
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ glitch city was a place made of scrambled sprites
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγwhere menu items and objects and sections of buildings melted into one another
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ forming an ornate, broken map
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγyou could stand in glitch city, but you couldn't move
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ i tried everything, every button press order and screen inversion and quit-restart scenario
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγstuck on a single tile, the character walked morosely as if into a wall
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ but it was still, materially there
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγi could see it
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ just beyond my reach
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγγ
γγγγγγγγγγγγγγ 
π³οΈββ§οΈ
