Game, Set, Match 1: Monika League

You haven't played this game in a good while, but Rocket League seems like a good point to introduce someone to videogames. As the game boots up the menu's music greets your ears.

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Recommended Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLHfIvD0bJE
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As soon as you settle into the menu the chat box opens up.

MONIKA: Woah! That felt weird. For a moment there I felt like I had an out of body experience. Where are we Anon?

ANON: Welcome to Rocket League, Monika!

MONIKA: Ooh. So what is this game about?

ANON: Basically its soccer but with RC cars. I thought this would be a good way to ease you into this.

MONIKA: Alright, sounds fun! So how do we start this?

ANON: Well I was going to repaint my car a little and replace some stuff, so I think you should do the same.

MONIKA: You can customize your car in here? Cool!

You take around 5 minutes to redo your own car and spend the other 25 teaching Monika about customization. You explain to her the differing body types of cars, how paint choices are limited for a reason, and why you never ever use the 9GAG flag. Ever.

MONIKA: Well that was fun! I think I'm ready, how about you?

ANON: I was ready a while ago.

MONIKA: Well now you get to teach me how to actually play the game ahaha~

Even through text, you can hear her laugh warm your heart. You proceed to set up a 1v1 with standard rules (save for endless timer and score) and set the stage to the default stadium. As soon as the game loads you join the blue team since Monika loaded in first (she is in the same hard drive after all).

MONIKA: Alright, give me some time to get ahold of these controls...

As soon as the countdown ends, you back up your car towards the goal, awaiting Monika's first move. She quickly makes a beeline for the ball and taps it on a course for your goal. You lethargically shift your car slightly to the right to deflect the sluggish ball.

MONIKA: Hmm.... what does this button do WHOA-

Your eyes dart from the chatbox back to the field as Monika bursts forward towards your goal. You watch as her boost burns out and she ends up upside down as she drove her car through the half cylinder of a goal. You chuckle to yourself as you watch Monika's wheels flail helplessly about.

MONIKA: Uh, Anon, how do you flip yourself over?

ANON: Jump and move in a direction.

You watch as Monika jolts into the air and settles herself back right side up. You look on as she once again resumes her task of getting the ball into the goal. With your help, you teach her the basics with ease. She is soon learning how to guide the ball, set up shots, make shots, and even hit balls in mid air.

MONIKA: Alright Anon, I think I'm ready to take on some challengers!

ANON: We haven't even covered goalkeeping, but I think you'll be fine for now. I'll set up an AI match to get us started.

You end the game and head back to the main menu, setting up a simple 2v2 match with standard rules. You set the AI to Easy and load the match. You join into the orange team as Monika already joined it. Throughout the match you watch as Monika seems to struggle with the AI as she fumbles around with the ball and doesn't bother to even touch her boost. However this isn't too bad as you easily sweep up goal after goal against the AI, winning the game 6-0. As you head back to the menu, you begin to question Monika:

ANON: Did you even touch your boost the whole game? It feels like you just forgot almost all that I taught you!

MONIKA: I swear I remember it all, but for some reason I didn't recall any of it during the match! It's like there was a blockage or something in my driving or whatever...

You mull it over as you try to figure out why she was performing so poorly. No boosting? Poor ball handling? Overall sluggishness? its like she was playing like the AI...

That's when it hit you. You keep your realization to yourself as you console Monika.

ANON: I think I know why this is happening.

MONIKA: Well, what is it?

ANON: I think it would be more fun to show it to you. ;)

MONIKA: Anon, don't tease me like that! You know that's my job ahahaha~

ANON: Don't worry, it'll be quick i swear.

You set up another match this time, but you set the AI difficulty to Insane and before Monika can question you you start the match. You once again join the orange team and as soon as the countdown ends you pull back to your goal as you let Monika do her work. To her surprise and your amusement, Monika deals with the pumped up AI with little hassle. She effortlessly dances the ball around her opponents, disposes of any AI that come over to try and blow you up with a well timed boost, and even manages to get in a mid air bounce goal or two before the timer ran out. Monika effortlessly carries your team 7-0.

MONIKA: Wow that was amazing! I was amazing! Anon, how did this happen?

ANON: Looks like this game sees you as an AI so your performance is based on the difficulty level of your fellow AIs.

MONIKA: Neat! I feel unstoppable! Let's play another one!

You check your clock and realize it's late in the night. You have work to attend to early in the morning so you begin to break the news to her.

ANON: Sorry Monika, it's really late right now and I have work in the morning. I'm going to have to head to bed soon.

MONIKA: Awww! We were having so much fun! But I understand, you need the money to buy more games for us to play ahaha~

You close the game and are greeted with the sight of your desktop. You begin to key in your computer's shutdown sequence when another message appears in the quarantine box.

>Anon, wait! Please don't shut down your computer! I don't want to go back to the void!

>>Right, right, sorry Monika. I guess I'll keep the computer running for now. Goodnight Monika.

>Goodnight Anon!

As soon as you turn of your monitor one last message appears before the screen blacks out.

>I love you.

You slip into your bed but you can't go to sleep. She still thinks that you two are a thing. You are still a little bit burned out of her love after what she did to your heart and her friends but she still was a good friend. You brush that aside however as you think up all the other games you can load Monika into as you finally drift off to sleep.