It’s quite a lovely day in the quiet little town. The sun shines brightly over the streets and the sound of the ocean can be heard lapping against the shores not far away. A few people gaze out their windows to the square below, where two trainers have met for a friendly battle. Blackthorne Steele sends out his two Pokémon first; one being a tiny pale green creature with a horn on its head, the other a small blue and yellow echidna that the battle’s referee recognizes as his gift to Steele. Alraunne considers them before choosing her own two Pokémon, the first a tiny owl with extremely small wings, the other a small brown mammal that reminds the ref of an Eevee. The Pokémon quickly assess the situation and the commands are given.
Team Al (OOOO)
[Astrid] Alrunnik (F)
Unaware Ability
Hold Item: Lucky Egg
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Commands: Toxic @ Carrie/Double Team (2 clones) ~ Rock Smash @ Slayer/Helping Hand @ Tock ~ Disable @ Slayer/Iron Tail @ Slayer
Status: Looking quite unconcerned with her opponents. Chills remaining: 5/5
[Tock] Hoothoot (M)
Insomnia Ability
Hold Item: Leftovers
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Commands: Featherdance @ Slayer/Double Team (2 clones) ~ Mud Slap @ Carrie/Agility ~ Mud Slap @ Carrie/Agility
Status: Hooting happily. Chills remaining: 5/5
Team Steele (OOOO)
[Carrie] Cyndaquil (F)
Blaze Ability
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Commands: Substitute (15%) ~ Toxic @ Tock ~ Flamethrower @ Astrid
Status: Quite ready to begin. Chills remaining: 5/5
[Slayer] Larvitar (M)
Guts Ability
Hold Item: Liechi Berry
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Commands: Substitute (15%) ~ Swords Dance ~ Swords Dance
Status: He’s the Slayer. Chills remaining: 5/5
Round 1
Carrie is the first Pokémon to react. She breathes out a tiny fireball in front of her, infused with her life energy, and the tiny fireball begins to take the shape to match its creator. Already confronted with a challenge, Astrid decides to test her newest opponent, feeling that a three-on-two matchup is unfair. The points her tail in Carrie’s direction and releases a gooey purple blob from a gland there, and flings the blob at Carrie. The fiery substitute steps in front of its master, though, and the poisonous goo splats all over it rather than Carrie. The poisonous toxins burn away as they rest harmlessly on the substitute’s outer body.
Meanwhile, Tock flies gently overhead and begins a strange aerial dance, causing feathers to rain down upon Slayer. The Larvitar looks up, puzzled, as many of the feathers cling to him. He feels strangely content as he sets up a substitute of his own, using a mysterious dark aura from inside him as the base. Like Carrie’s before him, Slayer’s new creation stands, ready to go, in front of its master.
Carrie eyes Tock as he settles back down on the ground. Imitating Astrid, Carrie spews a similar toxic blob at Tock. With nothing to protect him, the poisonous goop slaps him head-on. Tock immediately begins to feel ill as the disgusting poison seeps into his feathers.
The other two Pokémon take no notice, each being busy with their own business. Astrid charges towards Slayer, skidding to a stop as she approaches him and quickly spins around, intending to ram her tail into him. Somehow, though, Slayer’s dark substitute manages to squeeze between its master and Astrid’s tail, taking the blow instead. Astrid retreats, silently cursing the concept of substitutes.
As suggested, Tock takes off again, headed towards the nearest flowerbox, where he collects a large clump of dirt in his hooked feet. He then flies directly over Carrie and releases the dirt from above. However, Carrie’s substitute lunges onto the air and collides with the dirt, effectively shielding its creator from any harm the dirt may (or may not) have caused.
Slayer, meanwhile, stands staring at his trainer cluelessly. What sort of dance is swords dance? Did his trainer perhaps mean another dance? Might as well give it a try, he figures. He stands holding an imaginary sword, poised for attack, and begins dancing sloppily, making up the moves as he goes. Nothing seems to happen, however, as Slayer thinks to himself,
You know, I really
hate dancing.
Carrie returns her attention to Astrid. Instead of poison, she releases a breath of flames in the Alrunnik’s direction. Astrid whines as the fire scorches her fur. She growls angrily at Carrie for a moment, but turns her back to her and focuses again on Slayer, who appears to be doing some sort of foolish dance. She again charges at the Larvitar, while allowing her tail to stiffen with a silvery light. She lunges at Slayer upon nearing his position, again spinning around and lashing her tail at him. Slayer’s dancing assists him, as he unintentionally sidesteps Astrid’s attack. Again, Astrid retreats, this time growling at Slayer.
Not wanting to be forgotten, Tock again collects a sample of dirt from the same flowerbox in his talons, as well as a tiny flower, causing the person watching the battle from her window to shout angrily, though Tock can’t hear it through the closed window. He flies hastily over Carrie and drops the collected dirt. Once again, however, the substitute spares any damage to its creator, leaping up and taking the attack for her. Unnoticed by anyone, the woman at the window faints as her prized flower burst into flames upon touching the substitute’s fiery body.
While everything else has been going on, Slayer has continued to dance and swing his imaginary sword in the hopes that he’ll stumble upon some mystical effect. So focused on his silly dance as he is, he is completely oblivious to anything for how foolish he must look, having not even noticed when Astrid tried to maul him.
Round 1 Results
Team Al (OOOO)
[Astrid] Alrunnik (F)
Unaware Ability
Hold Item: Lucky Egg
Health: 91%
Energy: 87%
Commands: Toxic @ Carrie ~ Rock Smash @ Slayer ~ Iron Tail @ Slayer
Status: Disappointed with how unfair the fight is. Chills remaining: 5/5
[Tock] Hoothoot (M)
Insomnia Ability
Hold Item: Leftovers
Health: 99%
Energy: 87%
Commands: Featherdance @ Slayer ~ Mud Slap @ Carrie ~ Mud Slap @ Carrie
Status: Feeling sick. Poisoned (Severe; 1% this round, 2% next). Chills remaining: 5/5
Team Steele (OOOO)
[Carrie] Cyndaquil (F)
Blaze Ability
Health: 85%
Energy: 84%
Commands: Substitute (15%) ~ Toxic @ Tock ~ Flamethrower @ Astrid
Status: Feeling pretty confident. Has a substitute (9% Health). Chills remaining: 5/5
[Slayer] Larvitar (M)
Guts Ability
Hold Item: Liechi Berry
Health: 85%
Energy: 93%
Commands: Substitute (15%) ~ Nothing ~ Nothing
Status: A minor setback. After all, he’s still the Slayer. Has a substitute (11% Health). Attack –2. Chills remaining: 5/5
-For the record, the speeds of the Pokémon by their base are as follows: Cyndaquil, Alrunnik, Hoothoot, Larvitar.
-Astrid’s Toxic failed due to Carrie’s Substitute. Those Substitutes also blocked any stat-drop side effects of the various moves used against them.
-Tock’s first Mud-Slap was a critical hit.
-Sorry Steele, according to my research (aka, Veekun + Serebii), Larvitar can’t learn Swords Dance, so he didn’t do anything for actions 2 or 3.
-Astrid’s Iron Tail missed.
-Team Steele attacks first. And you’re welcome, both of you. :D Just let me know if anything seems off.