Kratos Aurion vs. blazheirio889

Hm... that critical hit was unfortunate--this'd be all but in the bag but for that--but we can work with it. Wait and see what sleep talk does. If it's sky attack, return, brave bird, double-edge, fly or heat wave then we're probably screwed, so do your best to protect against it, and because of the three-conditional rule I guess I have to ask you to protect if it looks like counter, too. If it calls a damaging attack that doesn't kill you, last resort. If it's a non-damaging attack, double-edge. If you were able to attack on the last action, finish her off by combining quick attack and flail, using the quick attack to cut in before Ventus can act (and maybe also doing damage?) and leading straight into the flail when you hit her, as it should be just enough. If you weren't, then again, attempt to protect against sky attack/return/brave bird/double-edge/fly/heat wave (but not counter!) and swift if it's anything else for the rest of the round.

There is approximately a one in eight chance that this will end horribly for us, and probability really hasn't been on our side lately (re: critical swift >|), but we must try, Tenebie!

Protect/Last Resort/Double-Edge ~ Quick Attack + Flail/Protect/Swift ~ Nothing/Protect/Swift

Okay, let's see. Since Kratos's commands all depend on what Sleep Talk comes up with, let's exploit loopholes and use Snore instead! Do it thrice. This will probably end horribly but haha it's fun to try, yes?

Snore ~ Snore ~ Snore

Team Kratos Aurion (O)

[Tenebrae] Eevee (M) <Run Away>
Health: 11%
Energy: 53%
Chills: OO
Status: Happy.
Commands: Protect/Last Resort/Double-Edge ~ Quick Attack + Flail/Protect/Swift ~ Nothing/Protect/Swift

Team blazheirio889 (O)

[Ventus] Taillow (F) <Guts>
Health: 42%(Substitute: Broken)
Energy: 45%
Chills: OO
Status: "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..." Asleep(severe)
Commands: Snore x3

Tenebrae watches Ventus closely, trying to figure out what attack the taillow might intend to use. Rather than muttering as Tenebrae had been expecting, however, Ventus opens her beak wide and gives vent to an incredibly loud snore. Tenebrae staggers back a pace, ears plastered back against his skull, as the huge noise startles him. In his weakened state, even a shock like that is enough to make him waver; he'd best get this over with, and quickly. The eevee draws up energy from his deepest reserves, a bright golden glow springing up around his body and the humming of energy filling his ears. Tenebrae lowers his head and charges, sending Ventus flying in an explosion of light as he rams straight into the sleeping bird.

The eevee isn't done yet, though. Ventus flops back to earth, and Tenebrae barely takes a moment to catch his breath before launching himself again at his opponent, dashing across the platform in a matter of moments in order to reach his opponent again. This time, he falls upon the taillow in a fit of wild flailing, random kicks and scratches tearing feathers from the bird's body as Tenebrae channels all his desperation into the wild attack. When he can keep the draining technique up no longer, the eevee staggers away from Ventus' battered form, wheezing and panting as he goes. He can only hope that his attack marks the end for his opponent; he's not sure how much longer he's going to be able to stay on his feet.

Much to Tenebrae's dismay, however, Ventus hasn't gone down but is instead rising up, slowly rolling back into a standing position. The taillow lets out a groggy whistle and looks down at her ragged, bloodied plumage. She feels absolutely awful; just what was Tenebrae doing while she was asleep?

For the moment ignoring Tenebrae's look of horrified dismay, Ventus makes a kind of phlegmy growling noise. No, that's not going to work; she just can't get a good snore going while she's wide awake. With nothing else to do, the taillow sits where she is and tries to get herself back in the game despite her severe injuries.

Team Kratos Aurion(O)

[Tenebrae] Eevee (M) <Run Away>
Health: 6%
Energy: 31%
Chills: OO
Status: Gasping for air and very disappointed.
Used: Last Resort ~ Quick Attack + Flail

Team blazheirio889 (O)

[Ventus] Taillow (F) <Guts>
Health: 3%
Energy: 43%
Chills: OO
Status: Ugggh... What just hit me?
Used: Snore ~ Nothing x2

Final Notes
- blazheirio889 attacks first next round

Thanks for reffing, Negrek.

Blarghhh! Okay, Blazhy, guess what, we have conditionals. What do you think they're for? *headdesks* I swear my intelligence is deteriorating by the day.

Well, we can work with what we have here. Just give me a Quick Attack and Aerial Ace combo. If Tenebrae Protects, Detects, or Endures, then do nothing and move the combo to the next action (I can use a combo on the third action, right?). Finally, if he somehow manages to pull off a super-fast combo before you (not sure how that'd work but hey an unused conditional), Protect.

Quick Attack + Aerial Ace/Nothing/Protect ~ Quick Attack + Aerial Ace/Nothing/Protect ~ Quick Attack + Aerial Ace/Nothing/Protect

...well. If an absol can get a last-second protect up before a sneasel's priority move, which I'm sure neither of you will disagree with *cough*, then an eevee can at least attempt to juke out a taillow the same way--especially given the narrower gap between their base speeds, yes? Protect, Tenebrae, but wait until after Ventus has started to attack and throw it up at the last second. Move around a little beforehand if you need to be convincing, but not so much that you won't have time to react. Ventus's only attacking option thus exhausted, finish her off with swift. Since swift is not a "super-fast combo" she shouldn't protect, but if she does then just use swift again when she's used up all three actions.

Fingers crossed, Tenebie, and excellent work either way.

Protect (wait until she starts attacking) ~ Swift ~ Swift

(rrrrrgh get bigger keyboards for these stupid computers school aaaaaaaa)

Team Kratos Aurion(O)

[Tenebrae] Eevee (M) <Run Away>
Health: 6%
Energy: 31%
Chills: OO
Status: Gasping for air and very disappointed.
Commands: Last Resort ~ Quick Attack + Flail

Team blazheirio889 (O)

[Ventus] Taillow (F) <Guts>
Health: 3%
Energy: 43%
Chills: OO
Status: Ugggh... What just hit me?
Commands: Snore ~ Nothing x2

The two weary pokémon stare one another down. They stare... and stare... and stare, just waiting for their opponent to make a move. The fact that neither of them really feels up to a lot of excitement probably aids their general reluctance to commit to an attack, but conflicting commands can't be helping, either. At last Ventus makes up her mind to attack; there's simply no concrete sign that Tenebrae is going to try protecting himself, though admittedly he doesn't look too inclined to attack, either. Kicking off from the ground, the taillow hurls herself into a lightning-fast swoop, wings tucked in against her side and beak at the ready as she lances straight at Tenebrae.

The taillow's flight is cut short by a hastily-constructed protect shield, however, into which she rams with a hearty "smack" and a burst of silver sparks. Ventus is fortunate to be far more resilient than a normal bird, as the entire event is just too reminiscent of a window collision to sit well with anything feathery. Ventus topples to the ground and Tenebrae cautiously lets the protect shield fall, once again breathing heavily after expending a good jolt of energy on such short notice.

Ventus does recover before her opponent, but unfortunately she finds she has nothing to do. The bird looks back over her shoulder for guidance from her trainer, but unfortunately nothing is forthcoming; whatever plans the taillow might attempt to construct on her own are interrupted by a spray of blazing energy stars from Tenebrae, which puts and end both to her consciousness and the battle.

Team Kratos Aurion(O)

[Tenebrae] Eevee (M) <Run Away>
Health: 6%
Energy: 22%
Chills: OO
Status: Victorious!
Used: Protect ~ Swift

Team blazheirio889 (X)

[Ventus Taillow (F) <Guts>
Health: 0%
Energy: 36%
Chills: OO
Status: Knocked out!
Used: Quick Attack + Aerial Ace

The pokémon are recalled, Ventus comatose and Tenebrae not much better off. In the dark surrounding the platform of the arena, shadowy things mutter and chuckle to one another as the trainers move to the center of the arena to shake hands. It's not every day that you see a battle down here in the dead roots of the great World Tree, after all, much less one that comes down so close to the wire. As the trainers and referee exchange a bit of post-battle banter, the platform that had been serving for an arena begins to rise again, rescuing them from the dark subterrane and returning them to the sunlight of the surface.

So, match over at last; Kratos wins $8, blazheirio889 $3, and I guess I get $5 for reffing.

I make bird smash into window hahahahaha I mean good game, Blazhy. I think that might've been one of the closest I've had in a while. Bit of a waste of my poorly thought-out carefully-chosen arena, though. No elementals or anything, though I guess if we hadn't started putting those huge holes into each other halfway through and had taken it slower, there might've been more time to try them out. Ah, well.

Thanks for coming to the rescue, Negrek. The Lars thing was a little ridiculous. >>;

Come, Windex Tenebrae! Off to smash more things into windows so that you can evolve!

EDIT: Not that either one of the battlers needs it, but shouldn't you list the exp gain as well?

Good game, Kratos - and very close, too! Now we're even. :P Perhaps we could have another battle some time later to break even?

Honestly I think I should've kept the cap at 30% or whatever it was; maybe then we would've actually used the arena!

Eventually, yeah, though as you said probably not for a while. :p This is stressful.

That's fine with me. Stressful might've been a bit of an understatement for me; I half felt like I would faint every time I saw the battle get updated. Some excitement is great, but too much is taxing on the sanity.

Right, EXP: two for Tenebrae, one for Ventus.