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Zhorken vs. Meursault

Bluuuuuh. Sorry! I'll have feedback in a bit or else tomorrow. Just wanna make sure I don't get DQed here.

Use Hyper Voice, then make a new sub, medium this time. Then use Hyper Voice again. If your new sub gets destroyed in one move, let Duke Body Slam you and then use Last Resort — hopefully either you'll be able to hit Duke directly, or his Sub will rush in to protect him and throw him off.

Hyper Voice ~ Substitute (15%) ~ Hyper Voice/Last Resort
 
Other people seem to be giving mountains of feedback for the refs they're testing, but I still don't have a whole lot to say... I mean, once again, I don't see any errors. Kudos on figuring out critical hits even though the info on them is buried in the old A&A Guide.

Swagger ~ Heal Bell was supposed to be a curveball, but it didn't end up happening and I think I was wrong in thinking Heal Bell cures confusion anyway... In any case, your writeup mentions them both hearing Heal Bell anyway, which is indeed important according to Heal Bell's description, for some reason. (Although the target listed for it disagrees with that. Hmmm. I'll have to bring it up in the Question Box.)

Once again, your writing is good! I have no idea how to talk about writing, hahah. I've been looking around at other reffings to try and compare, but that didn't help a whole lot; the difference between the ranks seems to be smaller than I thought. Your writing seems to be about on par with advanced refs, though? I think? Some refs seem to just put together rote descriptions of the attacks, but you've got a bunch of cute stuff going on. I mean, you've been stuck describing Substitute three times, and figured out something unique to do each time. (It didn't click that it had been that many Substitutes when I commanded a fourth, eheheh. Sorry.)

I might suggest breaking your paragraphs up more, though. Most of these paragraphs describe the two Pokémon doing two unrelated things, and it's easier to take it all in if there's a clear break, especially when the paragraphs start getting as long as that last one. When I'm reffing I generally find having each move be its own paragraph works the most naturally, but I don't worry too much about how paragraphs correspond to actions.

Three rounds seems a little early to pass you, but you definitely seem to get what you're doing, and I think you'll pass soon!
 
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Zhorken (Oo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 49%
Energy: 62%
Currently: Pillow Summoner, defender of justice and sanitation. Has a substitute with 9% health.
Commands: Hyper Voice ~ Substitute (15) ~ Hyper Voice / Last Resort

Meursault (Oo)
Grimer
Duke (m) <Sticky Hold> @ Lucky Egg
Health: 40%
Energy: 68%
Currently: More than ready to try, try again. +2 Attack. Has a substitute with 15% health.
Commands: Poison Jab / Curse ~ Body Slam / Poison Jab / Curse ~ Gunk Shot / Body Slam / Curse

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and bits of uprooted astroturf.

Round 4

Again Riley takes a large gulp of air for another shout. This time, the birds fly away preemptively, screeching shrill warnings to the rest of their flock, and the remaining trainers and Pokemon outside have hurried into the soundproofed holodrome building before the assault on their eardrums begins. When Riley releases it, the Hyper Voice seems even louder than before, blowing Duke's sludge substitute clean off the ground and into an awkward faceplant/hug with its creator.

But after Riley's yell finally warbles off, the last bits of ripped turf float to the ground, and Duke manages to extricate himself from his sludge creation, he's prepared. Knowing that the remnants of the giant pillow will jump to defend his opponent, the Grimer secretes some toxic ooze and aims a poisonous punch directly at the scraps, staining the fabric a dull purple upon impact. The force of the Poison Jab shatters the remainder of Riley's binding life force, and the half-pillow arcs impressively through the air, followed closely by a trail of feathers, before flopping to the ground.

Aghast, Riley hops around in search of material to build yet another substitute. He really doesn't want to have to use the fake dirt again... At times like these, he sort of wishes he could just generate stuff like his opponent can. The Buneary alights on a Y-shaped segment of astroturf uprooted by his previous attack and shrugs; it's not exactly what he had in mind, but it'll do. Riley taps into his vitality and grants some to the astroturf, which bolts upright into a somewhat humanoid shape.

At the sight, Duke glares, annoyed by the Buneary's continued evasive maneuvers and wanting to hit his opponent instead of a substitute for once. The Grimer focuses on producing as much muck and poison as he can, then gathers it in one slimy palm and deals a karate-chop-esque strike to Riley's substitute with a loud squelch. The hit tears off a large chunk of the astroturf and leaves behind several heavy tendrils of sludge that seep into the plastic grass, but the remainder of Riley's construct is still able to right itself and toddles over to its original position.

A bit chagrined at how much damage Duke did to his new substitute, Riley takes another deep breath, letting the cool air refresh his hoarse throat. The Buneary's wordless shout croaks unimpressively off into a harsh bout of coughing at the end, but it stirs up a bit of a commotion outside, and Duke's eardrums are still ringing afterward.

The Grimer takes a moment to gather his wits and puzzle out his commands, then decides on a plan of action. Advancing as close as he can towards Riley given the substitute, Duke carefully aims and fires a hefty ball of foul goop, which explodes upon impact and breaks the already damaged strands of energy holding Riley's substitute together. The two Pokemon hurry to their respective sides of the field as the referee signals the end of the round; Duke is visibly in worse shape, but the repeated screams seem to have taken their toll on Riley as well, who's less lively than he was before.

Zhorken (Oo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 34%
Energy: 45%
Currently: Thinks he's sprained a vocal cord.
Used: Hyper Voice ~ Substitute (15) ~ Hyper Voice

Meursault (Oo)
Grimer
Duke (m) <Sticky Hold> @ Lucky Egg
Health: 18%
Energy: 53%
Currently: Exasperated, exhausted, and expressing it. +2 Attack. Has a substitute with 15% health.
Used: Poison Jab ~ Poison Jab ~ Gunk Shot

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and many bits of uprooted astroturf.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Action Notes
-I raised Riley's last Hyper Voice's energy cost by 1 since he's been using it successively.
-Meursault's commands for Duke's last action were a bit ambiguous if Riley had a sub up, but I interpreted them as: Body Slam if Duke is able to reach Riley himself (false) / Gunk Shot if Duke is "able" (true) / Curse if Duke can't hit Riley or his sub (false), so Duke used Gunk Shot.
-I tried doing one paragraph per action this time and liked the result, so I'll probably continue with it. Thanks for the feedback!
-ETA: I probably won't be able to produce a reffing until Friday at the earliest, school decided to dump a bunch of stuff on me this week. ^^"

Zhorken commands next.
 
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Good call on Duke's conditionals! None of those cases really fit, but Gunk Shot seems like the rightest answer to me, too. The Hyper Voice energy thing is an alright call, too; it's not something I would've done, but it's only 1%, and it does make sense.

I'm gonna say you pass! I talked about it with the others, and everyone actually thinks three–four rounds is plenty, especially since the old system was basically just one round.

I'll command later... Should be simple enough that it won't take me all week this time. :P
 
Hahah well so much for not taking all week.

Shout your way to victory! Hyper Voice, then (one-action) Uproar, then back to Hyper Voice if he's somehow still around. (I'm sorry. You can take a break soon.)

If he Protects, Chill. If he Rests, Rest too. And I'm out of commands, so ignore this if it's too much for one bun, but: if all else fails, Struggle is better than doing nothing.

Hyper Voice/Chill/Rest ~ Uproar/Chill/Rest ~ Hyper Voice/Chill/Rest
 
Alas! Poor Duke, we knew ye well. I see no way out of this, and truly the Gunk Shot miss signed thy death. I don't think you'll last past the second action, buuu~t we can still work around that I think. Power-Up Punch first to get one last boost and some damage, then combo Explosion with a Shadow Sneak for priority! I think that oughta work interestingly. Just like, explode once you get your shadow under them. No problem. I hope.

Power-Up Punch ~ Shadow Sneak + Explosion
 
Zhorken (Oo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 34%
Energy: 45%
Currently: Thinks he's sprained a vocal cord.
Commands: Hyper Voice / Chill / Rest ~ Uproar / Chill / Rest ~ Hyper Voice / Chill / Rest

Meursault (Oo)
Grimer
Duke (m) <Sticky Hold> @ Lucky Egg
Health: 18%
Energy: 53%
Currently: Exasperated, exhausted, and expressing it. +2 Attack. Has a substitute with 15% health.
Commands: Power-Up Punch ~ Shadow Sneak + Explosion

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and many bits of uprooted astroturf.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Round 5

Despite the overworked state of Riley's… well, at least most of the things in the region of his throat, he thinks, he prepares again to scream. His opponent looks ready to drop, so he should try really hard to impress everyone in earshot. When the attack hits, Duke thinks it must be a combination of every worst sound in the history of the universe, it couldn't possibly sound as horribly loud as it does otherwise, and afterwards the Grimer just flops to the ground, seeming barely able to hold himself together.

Duke's exhaustion is just more motivation for him, though. He resolves himself to do as much damage as possible as long as he's still around, which doesn't seem to be for much longer given his fatigue. The Grimer wreaths his fist with as much Fighting energy as he can muster, leaps forward, and slams the Buneary right in the stomach. Combined with Duke's previous confidence-building exercises, the force of the blow shoves Riley back a few feet, and he can tell it'll leave a bruise.

Upon hearing his next commands, Duke is determined to move first. The Grimer belches up some combustive poison, mixes them together to start a chemical reaction, and swallows them again, preparing for a kamikaze strike. Knowing that this blow will be his last, he mournfully pats his substitute goodbye. On the other side of the field, Riley's all set to put his opponent out of his misery with a few choice shouts, and takes a special few seconds for some deep breathing beforehand. He can't mess this up at such a critical moment! But when it comes time to release the Uproar, Duke has already concealed himself in the form of a silhouette creeping towards Riley unnoticed. The Buneary lets out the breath he's been holding and looks around in confusion: where did Duke go?

Then Duke lunges at Riley, a ghostly aura adding a bite to his attack; the hit phases straight through his fur, but Duke's already glowing white. The close-range detonation blows Riley off his feet and into the air with a bang, and the dust that Duke's Explosion stirred up has barely had time to settle before the Buneary collapses motionless where he landed.​

Zhorken (xo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 0%
Energy: 40%
Currently: Fainted.
Used: Hyper Voice

Meursault (xo)
Grimer
Duke (m) <Sticky Hold> @ Lucky Egg
Health: 0%
Energy: 31%
Currently: Fainted.
Used: Power-Up Punch ~ Shadow Sneak + Explosion

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and many bits of uprooted astroturf. Much of the detritus on Zhorken's side of the field seems to have been blasted away by some sort of explosion.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Action Notes
-Riley's Hyper Voice took 1% more energy for previously stated reasons.
-I treated Duke's Shadow Sneak + Explosion as him using shadow sneak to get close, then exploding. Since Riley has Klutz, Ring Target had no effect, so Shadow Sneak added nothing to the combo but the priority and 5% base energy, making the combo a +1 priority Normal type move with 25% base damage costing 19% base energy.
-Shadow Sneak + Explosion was a critical hit.
-Duke fainted on action 2 from exploding.
-Riley fainted on action 2 from Duke exploding.

I think now Zhorken sends out, Meursault sends out and commands, and then Zhorken commands? Correct me if I'm wrong. Also, Shadow Sneak's description has a typo, where it says "the user cloaks sinks into the shadows".
 
Alright, so blazheirio889 has brought to my attention that Shadow Sneak + Explosion shouldn't really have worked, since Duke wouldn't have been able to so quickly make and combine the explosive chemicals plus keep them together while sneaking through the shadows to hit Riley. But since that's a pretty big change, if you guys are fine with what happened last round I'll keep it as is. So please speak up if you want that round to be changed, or if you have arguments against changing it!
 
Oh, good, I was debating bringing it up but I wasn't sure whether it was worth it. I mean, moving faster isn't gonna help him explode faster, but on the other hand leaning towards letting people's plans work is a good thing and I didn't want to discourage that.

But yeah, if it's already been brought up, then I think it's worth redoing. I mean, Riley would still have a good chunk of health left, and I'd prefer that for obvious reasons. :P
 
i too would like my Master Plan to have worked but yeah i can see the point being made here. :'( maybe he didn't have enough time to mix a full batch, so it was much weaker? mostly i just don't want it to have completely failed, but my reasons for wanting that are rather obvious so if you want to overrule me then so be it. it was a bit of a longshot anyway.
 
Alright, here's the revised version.

Zhorken (Oo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 34%
Energy: 45%
Currently: Thinks he's sprained a vocal cord.
Commands: Hyper Voice / Chill / Rest ~ Uproar / Chill / Rest ~ Hyper Voice / Chill / Rest

Meursault (Oo)
Grimer
Duke (m) <Sticky Hold> @ Lucky Egg
Health: 18%
Energy: 53%
Currently: Exasperated, exhausted, and expressing it. +2 Attack. Has a substitute with 15% health.
Commands: Power-Up Punch ~ Shadow Sneak + Explosion

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and many bits of uprooted astroturf.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Round 5

Despite the overworked state of Riley's… well, at least most of the things in the region of his throat, he thinks, he prepares again to scream. His opponent looks ready to drop, so he should try really hard to impress everyone in earshot. When the attack hits, Duke thinks it must be a combination of every worst sound in the history of the universe, it couldn't possibly sound as horribly loud as it does otherwise, and afterwards the Grimer just flops to the ground, seeming barely able to hold himself together.

Duke's exhaustion is just more motivation for him, though. He resolves himself to do as much damage as possible as long as he's still around, which doesn't seem to be for much longer given his fatigue. The Grimer wreaths his fist with as much Fighting energy as he can muster, leaps forward, and slams the Buneary right in the stomach. Combined with Duke's previous confidence-building exercises, the force of the blow shoves Riley back a few feet, and he can tell it'll leave a bruise.

Upon hearing his next commands, Duke is determined to move first. He conceals himself in the form of a silhouette creeping unnoticed towards Riley and then lunges at him, a ghostly aura adding a bite to his attack. But Riley had dropped his Ring Target earlier, and the Shadow Sneak phases straight through. One final shout from the Buneary is enough to make Duke keel over, utterly exhausted.

Zhorken (Oo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 25%
Energy: 35%
Currently: Feeling pretty good.
Used: Hyper Voice ~ Uproar

Meursault (xo)
Grimer
Duke (m) <Sticky Hold> @ Lucky Egg
Health: 0%
Energy: 47%
Currently: Fainted.
Used: Power-Up Punch ~ Shadow Sneak (failed)

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and many bits of uprooted astroturf.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Action Notes
-Riley's Hyper Voice and Uproar took 1% more energy for previously stated reasons.
-Duke fainted on action 2 from Riley's Uproar.

Meursault sends out and commands next.
 
RIP Duke, you made an attempt. :'(

Let's go with Timaukel, the Snorunt formerly known as Shivers.

It looks like the best path to success here is an Avalanche and a Frost Breath, since we're definitely going second regardless. So! First action, if you're hit by a damaging move, use Avalanche. If they go for some non-damaging move, use Frost Breath instead. Same thing goes for the second action, but on the third, always go for an Ice Shard.

If Riley is on any action unhittable for any reason other than Substitute, throw down some Spikes.

Avalanche/Frost Breath/Spikes x2 ~ Ice Shard/Spikes
 
Awesome work!! Now our main goal is to just stall a bit... but I think we can do a bunch more damage, too. Make (yet) another medium Sub, and then use Focus Punch and Drain Punch.

Substitute (15%) ~ Focus Punch ~ Drain Punch
 
Meursault quickly recalls their fallen Pokemon before sending out Duke's replacement, who shivers and clutches her Dawn Stone tighter despite the midday heat in the stadium. Riley eyes Timaukel with some doubt, but the Snorunt simply stares back, unimpressed.

Zhorken (Oo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 25%
Energy: 35%
Currently: Feeling pretty good.
Commands: Substitute (15) ~ Focus Punch ~ Drain Punch

Meursault (xO)
Snorunt
Timaukel (f) <Ice Body> @ Dawn Stone
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Currently: Ready to deliver some ice burns.
Commands: Avalanche / Frost Breath / Spikes x2 ~ Ice Shard / Spikes

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and many bits of uprooted astroturf.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Round 6

Riley hurriedly mounds together more fake dirt, forming another doll to defend himself. The Buneary sags visibly after giving the construct some of his remaining vitality. His earlier attacks took a lot out of him, and the bipedal pile of dirt is barely moving in an attempt to conserve the limited energy it was granted.

Timaukel smiles—if her opponent is in such bad shape, this should surely be an easy fight. The Snorunt exhales harshly to chill the air directly in front of her, her Dawn Stone glowing softly, and the resulting jolt of ice quickly closes the distance between Timaukel and Riley. Riley's substitute perks up and moves to defend its master, lumbering forward even as the flash-frozen wind pierces its most vulnerable points and blows away much of the astroturf it was made of. After the attack, the remnants of Riley's doll are barely able to hold themselves upright.

But the Buneary ignores this, concentrating more on his next attack. Riley closes his eyes, breathes in and out to focus, and summons a glowing red aura that engulfs his entire body. Once she sees that her opponent is preparing an attack, Timaukel gets ready for one of her own, summoning one icy rock after another until they completely surround her. The Snorunt and her airborne hailstones shudder, seeming almost ready to give out.

The battle seems to come to a stop as both Pokemon build up more and more energy, and then Riley breaks the standstill, rushing headlong towards Timaukel in a blaze of Fighting energy and driving her into the ground with a single punch. Once the Buneary hops backwards, breathing heavily, Timaukel sends the boulders crashing down in an icy flurry, their sharp sides tearing like knives at Riley's substitute and ramming it from all sides until it's reduced to no more than slivers of rubber and plastic.

Timaukel is satisfied with her work, but Riley still looks no worse for wear. Before the Buneary can move, she summons a small icicle and thrusts it at her opponent's now-unprotected midsection. Though the shard is small, Riley collapses at the hit. When he doesn't move for a few seconds, the referee nearly declares Timaukel the winner, but the Buneary manages to drag himself towards her and deal a quick blow, leeching away some of her health in a whirl of dull amber.

Zhorken (Oo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 8%
Energy: 14%
Currently: Too tired to appreciate the damage he's done.
Used: Substitute (15) ~ Focus Punch ~ Drain Punch

Meursault (xO)
Snorunt
Timaukel (f) <Ice Body> @ Dawn Stone
Health: 68%
Energy: 92%
Currently: Aching, but ready to end it.
Used: Frost Breath ~ Avalanche ~ Ice Shard

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and many bits of uprooted astroturf.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Riley: 25 - 15 (Substitute) - 7 (Ice Shard) + 5 (Drain Punch) = 8
35 - 8 (Substitute) - 9 (Focus Punch) - 4 (Drain Punch) = 14
Riley's Substitute: 15 - 12 (Frost Breath) - 24 (Avalanche) = 0
Timaukel: 100 - 22 (Focus Punch) - 10 (Drain Punch) = 68
100 - 2 (Frost Breath) - 5 (Avalanche) - 1 (Ice Shard) = 92
Action Notes
-Avalanche was a critical hit.

Zhorken commands next.
 
Zhorken (Oo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 8%
Energy: 14%
Currently: Too tired to appreciate the damage he's done.
Commands: Drain Punch x3

Meursault (xO)
Snorunt
Timaukel (f) <Ice Body> @ Dawn Stone
Health: 68%
Energy: 92%
Currently: Aching, but ready to end it.
Commands: Avalanche x3

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, and many bits of uprooted astroturf.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Round 7

As soon as the referee waves her flags, Riley hops towards Timaukel and taps into her life force, draining some energy. Feeling a bit more rejuvenated, he slaps her a few times, each hit diminishing the glow of the Snorunt's Dawn Stone until it disappears completely. But the Buneary doesn't even see Timaukel's next attack coming; unbeknownst to him, she's been gathering ice and cold since the round started. Fueled by her desire for revenge, the Snorunt releases the jagged flurry of hailstones. Although the Dawn Stone provides no boost to the boulders' size, this time there's no substitute to protect Riley, and after the barrage finishes, he sways on his feet and then topples over, clearly unconscious.

Zhorken (xo)
buneary
Riley (m) <Klutz> @ Ring Target
Health: 0%
Energy: 10%
Currently: Fainted.
Used: Drain Punch

Meursault (xO)
Snorunt
Timaukel (f) <Ice Body> @ Dawn Stone
Health: 58%
Energy: 87%
Currently: Proud.
Used: Avalanche

Field Notes
-There are two fairly close holes in the ground connected by an arcing tunnel six feet deep.
-Near one of the holes is a poison-soaked pile of fake dirt.
-The ground is littered with feathers, toxic splatter, many bits of uprooted astroturf, and some rapidly-melting ice.
-Two poison-stained pillow halves lie on the ground a few feet apart.

Riley: 8 + 5 (Drain Punch) - 15 (Avalanche) = 0
14 - 4 (Drain Punch) = 10
Timaukel: 68 - 10 (Drain Punch) = 58
92 - 5 (Avalanche) = 87

Zhorken sends out, Meursault commands, Zhorken commands.
 
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