Ready Player Chosen One

"Ready Player Chosen One" is the seventeenth episode of *Daniel Kravitz, Chosen One (Volume 3)*, and the forty-third installment of the series overall. It was performed on October 10, 2020 via Zoom as the second segment of Show LXIV and streamed live on a private, paid YouTube link. It was released as podcast episode 320. The video theme song made for this episode by Keith Jackson is on the show's YouTube channel.

Written by Nick Arganbright

Directed by Nick Arganbright

Previous episode: "A Chosen One Walks Into a Bar"

Next episode: "With Great Power..."

## **The Story**

This episode begins immediately following the previous, with Daniel Kravitz, Rufus Reginald Rochester, Grezit the Green, and Not-Josh Wallace sucked into a video game. Daniel remarked the game looked cool, though it was an old 16-bit arcade game. Grezit is now sober, a side effect of the magic. The intro is done in video game menu style, with four players 'selecting' the four characters.

Daniel is immediately upset with Josh, who claims this isn't his fault. Rufus accuses Josh of working with Kai Akane, who originally suggested digitizing the library, but Josh says he would never work for her, revealing that Kai is serving Ragina. Josh claims he was trying to disable Kai's trap, which would have sucked everyone from the ranch into the computer, but only succeeded in limiting the spell to the four of them. Daniel wants out now, but Josh thinks they'll have to play through to the end to escape.

The four discover their attacks. Grezit swipes. Daniel has his axe, Pee Wee, though not his Chosen One abilities. Rufus does magic. Not-Josh yelps so loud in fear that his scream hurts those nearby. The game is a sidescroll, so they move forward to Zone 1, where they fight little, non-descript versions of Grezit, the default baddie, and the giant worm with teeth and pincers. Grezit knows what it is called, though Rufus did not. Pressed, Josh guesses they may have twelve levels to go through. Daniel begins calling Josh Not-Josh and the others pick up the nickname. Josh continues to insist he doesn't know who he is, but doesn't like that name.

It's now a montage as the characters play through various levels. Zone 4 finds them facing Peggy and Pootie Pugley. Zone 11 brings back Wanda the Witch and Fizzybibbit. Rufus tries to strategize, but Daniel instructs him to button-mash. They have all lost health. Grezit complains about the continued mini-Grezits, and Not-Josh says the game is built from Daniel's logs, using his fears against them. Grezit is not pleased to find Daniel afraid of him, though Daniel insists they are buddies. Grezit says Daniel doesn't treat Abby Reynolds right, and Daniel admits that Abby wouldn't be where she is now if not for him, which Daniel feels very, very bad about. Daniel also admits that he and Abby don't want the same things anymore, he just desiring a boring life. His sadness ends the bickering.

In Zone 15, Grezit eats Trexel the Terrible. Alexis Augustus Armentrout also appears, and Rufus wants to recruit him as a non-playable ally character, but Daniel quickly kills him with much delight. By Zone 22, Daniel is complaining that Not-Josh lied about how many levels there are, but Not-Josh points out that he only guessed. At least Not-Josh survives the attack on Kravitz Antiques this time. Zone 32, Daniel warns the others not to let Not-Josh team up with the Cult of B.O.B., but Not-Josh says that's not possible, and he wouldn't associate with these 'pretenders' in real life, claiming they're not the real tribe. Under threat of violence from Grezit, Not-Josh finally admits he's actually Mortimer Miles McClendon.

Rufus recognizes the name immediately, mentioning that Mortimer was the U.L.P. mentor who immediately preceded him, though he thought Mortimer dead. Mortimer says he discovered the treachery of Cyril Davies, Bertram Oswalt Babbit, and Rupert Pryce and they tried to kill him, leading to him faking his own death. Mortimer further claims that Cyril and Rupert thought he *was* Bertram when they put him in Josh's body, and Mortimer even thought he might be, losing his memory after the transfer until the Cult of B.O.B. spell restore him. At that point, he thought it best to lie low and figure out who the mole was within the new U.L.P., as there surely was one. And then once he realized it was Kai, he stayed quiet while figuring out who Kai worked for, not knowing who else he could trust. Rufus is hurt that Mortimer didn't confide in him. Mortimer says he has on good authority the ranch is about to be under attack, if they aren't already, and agrees to tell them everything else after they escape and help their friends.

The group reaches the final Zone, which Rufus observes hasn't happened yet. Mortimer says it's happening right now, which confuses Daniel because he sees a purple doppelganger of himself, which can teleport like a Chosen One. Rufus theorizes that might represent Daniel's internal struggle. They fight Doppel-Daniel, but rather than being defeated, the villain becomes Abby - with magical powers! This confuses Daniel, but not Rufus. Grezit and Daniel don't want to fight Abby, but are convinced they have to. With life dwindling, and unsure if a death in the game means death in real life, Daniel allows himself to be killed so Grezit can slay her. They win.

The four re-appear outside the computer, with Daniel's Chosen One powers restored and Mortimer now in his own body. Hearing the ranch under attack, Daniel leads them out to battle.

## **Guest Starring**

* Keith Jackson as Trexel the Terrible
* Katie Boissoneault as Wanda the Witch
* Nick Arganbright as Fizzybibbit
* Scott Wilson as additional monsters

## **Trivia**

* The chiptune arrangement of the theme song was purchased on fiverr from user hipolitofrederi.
* "Grezit shot a food" was an addition by narrator Darren Esler.
* Performer Wendy Parks was not available for this episode, which is why video game Abby Reynolds is not voiced. She later recorded a couple of lines that were edited into the podcast version, meaning the entire lead cast appears in this episode.
* All Zones in this episode correspond to actual episode numbers and titles of the series.
* Behind-the-scenes, Josh Wallace had long been referred to as Not-Josh in discussing this season. This episode makes that nickname canon.
* Seamus Talty left the troupe following this show. If he had not, Mortimer would have remained in Josh's body. However, Jerome didn't feel there was room to deal with a new character this close to the end, so did not yet cast Mortimer, meaning he doesn't speak once transferred back to his original body. Mortimer will appear in Volume 4.