"[Story] - I hit level 40 today!"

#PokemonGO: Before July, when we had the last double experience event, I stockpiled all my candy. Never did a mass evolve because I KNEW that there would be another double xp event. We finally got it with GO Fest. Unforunately, I had all this candy, but no Pokemon. It also was when Articuno an Lugia dropped, and raids were still the best thing in the game. I decided to attend those raids and attempt to get a good IV Articuno, since I'm team Mystic.Unfortunately that took away my time of collecting the Pokemon necessary to do a mass evolve. I still did a few sessions, but not much to really put in a dent. It got me to level 36.I then decided to not use any lucky eggs, since I wouldn't be doing any evolution sprees. I went from about halfway to level 36 all the way to needing 700k experience to hit level 39 on Monday evening.On Monday (I'm on the west coast USA), I went to sleep at 10pm. I told people I wanted double xp and was stockpiling. I posted pictures of my pidgey candy (got up to 12,606 when double xp dropped). I constantly was asked, "why is Pidgeot your buddy?" I explained double xp, I want level 40.When I fell asleep on Monday, at about 10pm, I was at 2,300,000xp into level 38. I woke up at around 12:34 with a barrage of discord messages and txt messages from friends that were trying to wake me up for double xp.After only 3 hours of sleep, I started to mass evolve and hit level 39 at approximentally 3am. I tried falling back asleep, but my mission was started. I wanted to hit level 40 before this event ended. I was so worried I wouldn't be able to do it.I went out, in the pouring Oregon rain, and circled around the best place in town to grind. I put up my lures and walked until 7am, in which I went to bed.I woke up at around 1pm, did a Suicune raid and let my GO+ do its work until I went back to that spot until about 6pm and then joined another Suicune raid. After that, I went to dinner with my friends at a place that had 2 Pokestops. Lured them up and caught everything, and used every ball I had.I went home and mass evolved. I got, in total on Monday, 3.5 million xp and caught over 1000 Pokemon that day (not sure why people say you can only catch 500. apparently that's without closing the app. I closed mine quite a few times).Then there was yesterday, Wednesday. I went and did two Suicunes with my friends and then went back to my spot, for another 6 hours catching Pokemon. When I wasn't there, because my phone needed battery life and my chargers died, I'd go home and mass evolve. EVERYTHING I caught could be evolved. I went through a CRAP ton of candy, but I've been saving for so long. I did run out of some, so I only caught them again to build up candy and the xp for doing so. Murkrow were my enemy.I got home, let my phone charge and my feet rest. At 10pm, I went out again and was out until 1am in the morning. I did the final mass evolution spree to put me at 4,750,000 xp. Only 250k to go. My buddy woke me up at 6:30am, and we went out again and did some T3 raids together at parks for Mewtwo. We then went to a town I haven't been. He drove around while I collected new stops and caught everything I could.I was then at only 19k away from level 40. We saw another T3 pop, it was a Scyther. We downed it and I caught it. Now I was only 3k away.It happened to be right next to a Starbucks. I didn't have that pokestop yet, so I had to sit there staring at Pidgeys, Ratattas, and everything I was so use to catching. I couldn't do it, so I exitted the app.My ingame name is SvenParadox, so everyone calls me "Sven". My favorite Pokemon is Raichu.I went up to order my Starbucks. The lady asked for my name. Debating to use my real name, or my nickname, I said, "Uhh... Sven". I got my order, and looked to see that she thought I said my name was "Asven".I evolved my final catch before 40, the Scyther from the raid, into a Scizor. Keeping him forever.I then was only 2k experiene away. I decided to change my Pichu's name into Asven. I then evolved it with my friend recording up to Raichu. I exitted the Pokemon screen and there it popped up. Level 40. After only 54 hours after the double xp event started. 5,700,000 experience in just 2 days. Here I was freaking out that I wouldn't be able to get it done in the 9 or so days that we have double experience.As it popped up, my friendly said "Haha now you don't have bag space, dumbass!" (he's already level 40). I checked my bag space and have 1657 items...It's been an amazing journey. I never thought I'd get that into Pokemon GO. I dated a girl last year when the game came out, online through a game I played. When I met her in person, she had a panic attack and I learned that she had PTSD from being molested as a child. I spent last summer falling into depression. It's hard becoming a trigger to someones PTSD, especially to someone you love. When she broke up with me last October, I fell into a deep, deep depression and got very suicidal. She told me what happened to her, and who. This entire year I've been fighting vicarious trauma. A year ago, when she broke up with me, I was walking home thinking I was going to end my life. I had an egg incubating, and out popped my first 100% Pokemon - an Abra. It was enough to keep me going.I spent many hours trying to clear my mind, just playing this game. Last winter my town was owned by Valor spoofers, so I spent many hours going out there in the old gym system just battling them down for 50 minutes. My objective was to kick them out of town. It's hard to beat spoofers that have max IV Pokemon. But it kept me going. It was my objective, and it helped slightly to get bad things off my mind.When raids came out, I started feeling better as I met some really awesome people in my town. People I didn't even know played the game. We built a large community, and some close friendships. As some started to hit 40, I decided it was my turn. It was my motivation. Now, I spent Thanksgiving morning with them.I have my issues with this game. The lag, the lack of communication, the blah blah blah. But the most important thing is this game has likely saved my life, and I've now got lifelong friends that I cherish. And now I can finally say... I caught them all (except Regionals so lets get a damn Farfetched yeah?).Thanks for reading. I'm going to get some much needed sleep now before the family dinner. via /r/pokemongo http://ift.tt/2i0FCBR