2 vs 2 doubles
Style: Set
DQ: Standard week
Damage Cap: 40%
Banned Moves: Fly, Weather, Direct Healings, OHKOs, chills limited to 3/pokémon
Arena: The Coal Mine
The Coal mine is pretty gigantic, actually. Ran by the Ground gym leader of Unova (fuck whats his name) and connected by various rail tracks and bridges and holes in the walls, it converges to the very center of it where a large arena fine for battling lies. Lighten up by weak lanterns from the vault, the arena itself can contain pretty big battlers, however pokémon in need of water to survive won't be able to battle, as there is no water sources nearby (with the exception of small puddles).
Effects: Since the cave is quite dark, the move Flash have a 25% chance of lowering accuracy two stages instead of one, and moves using great amount of light will have double the chances of their effect kicking in. As only small puddles are at the disposition of the battlers, moves needing a water source (Surf, Muddy Water, etc) will have their base power quartered. Finally, if a pokémon uses a fire move exceeding 80 in power or that is widespread (read: Lava Plume), the workers will panic and hit the pokémon with rocks and shards and pickaxes, dealing 3% ground-type damage, 5% rock-type damage and 7% steel-type damage.
EDIT: Pokémon are sent via PM.
When compared to cookie fortresses, gargantuan game consoles, and type-changing fields in outer space, the large coal mine was quite docile and ordinary, perhaps even a bit boring. Then again, even residents of Asber needed breaks from sheer unfeasibility, lest they lose all holds on their sanity. Two trainers and one mechanical dragon rode a crude, muddy cart towards a central clearing where the battle would take place, the cart lurching wildly and the wheels screaming against the tracks every time it hit a curve. The trainers flinched every time this happened, half-expecting to be thrown into the rocky wall of the tunnel, but the dragon just beat its tail against the side of the vehicle impatiently.
Eventually, the humid darkness of the tunnel gave way to a dimly-lit cavern. The cart ground to a halt with a groan, sparks flying everywhere. Eagerly, the passengers leapt out of the rudimentary vehicle – really, it was little better than a box on wheels – and began to explore the cave. Drilled into the walls were a large number of tunnels; the distant
clink of workers’ pickaxes echoed in many of them. While the trainers moved about the grotto, noting spots where the ceiling seemed weak and crevices where their Pokemon could hide, the dragon, who was apparently the referee, roughly marked the middle of the arena with a piece of chalk concealed in her stiff feathers. Then she tottered towards a small depression in the ground that was off to the side and curled up in it. Rustles were heard as she shifted to make herself comfortable.
At last, the trainers had had enough of exploring and decided to take their places on opposite sides of the earthen stadium. Unlike most battles, both parties sent their Pokemon out at the same time. Liam the Sentret and Mars the Shroomish appeared in twin flashes of light on Lord of the Fireflies’ side. Liam crouched uneasily, letting his pupils dilate to adjust to the dim surroundings, while Mars kicked the ground unhappily. The lack of sunlight was making him groggy and grouchy.
Simultaneously, Hellcloud the Gastly and Tank the Shieldon took form. Unlike Mars, Hellcloud was delighted by the arena. The dozens of unexplored nooks and crannies, as well as the murky lighting, created a setting perfect for mischief. He cackled with glee. Tank, on the other hand, was quite impassive, sizing up his opponents while his own eyes adjusted to the mine.
Round One
Lord of the Fireflies (OO)
@Expert Belt
Liam Townsborough (M) <Keen Eye>
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Status: A bit spooked by his surroundings.
Commands: Follow Me ~ Amnesia/Shadow Claw @Hellcloud ~ Shadow Ball @Hellcloud
@Big Root
Mars (M) <Poison Heal>
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Status: Yearning for sunlight.
Commands: Leech Seed @Hellcloud/Snatch/Drain Punch (energy) @Tank ~ Leech Seed @Tank/Snatch/Giga Drain (energy) @Tank ~ Swords Dance/Drain Punch (energy) @Tank
SomeGuy (OO)
Hellcloud (M) <Levitate>
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Status: Already planning nefarious deeds.
Commands: Hypnosis @Liam ~ Dream Eater/Psychic @Liam ~ Nightmare/Shadow Ball @Liam
Tank (M) <Sturdy>
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Status: Regarding his opponents.
Commands: Fire Blast @Mars ~ Iron Defense ~ Ice Beam @Mars
When the referee lazily waved a flag with her tail to signal the start of the round, Liam was the first to move. Though ordinarily quite slow, the thought of showing his chivalry and protecting his mushroom teammate prodded him to take action. First, he gave a wordless yell to attract the attention of all present; then, he did a jittery, infuriating dance, wiggling his backside at his opponents several times. Hellcloud and Tank could not help but watch the bushy tail wave from side to side. Liam did not stop there, though – he continued to shout random gibberish, bounce on the spot, and spread his arms out wide, just generally painting a gigantic bull’s eye on his belly.
Hellcloud had no qualms about targeting Liam; he was commanded to in the first place, anyway. The Gastly brandished his tongue at Liam, perhaps scattering a few droplets of saliva on him as he did so. The Sentret wheeled around in disgust; with Liam’s attention on him, Hellcloud wasted no time in staring deeply into the rodent’s eyes, sending soothing pulses of psychic energy at him while waving his tongue about like a pendulum. Unfortunately for the Gastly, Liam’s eyes still hadn’t quite adjusted to the badly-lit arena and so focused mainly on the ghost’s tongue, the actual body having blended in with the dark walls of the cave. While entrancing, Hellcloud’s tongue wasn’t capable of mental suggestion. By the time Hellcloud gave up, huffing in frustration, Liam was still quite awake.
To add to the Gastly’s irritation, Mars angled his body so the top of his head was pointing at his target, then let fly with several seeds encased in a tough, protective shell. Hellcloud yelped as they struck his core, more out of surprise than pain, as the seeds were not fired with much force. However, as soon as they touched him, questing tendrils burst out and latched onto his gaseous skin. They were more of an annoyance than anything, though Hellcloud could feel his vitality sapping away ever so slowly. He shook himself, but to no avail; the roots held tight.
Meanwhile, Tank had tilted his head back, mouth open wide as a mysterious chemical reaction took place in his throat. Drops of lava began to drip from his jaws as he prepared to launch a magnificent fireball at Mars – then, he felt something give him a playful jab in the side. Reacting instinctively, Tank turned around and belched the Fire Blast at Liam instead, who was beginning to dance away. The Sentret was just a bit too slow to avoid the entire attack, however. As the fireball flew through the air, it began to unfurl; five tendrils extended from the central point, painting the ancient symbol for “fire” in bright orange light. Liam shrieked as he was caught by one of these tendrils, immediately rolling to the side in an attempt to bat out the flames dancing merrily on his fur.
One of the workers was lured into the main clearing by the Fire Blast’s illumination. The star-shaped fire attack, now dwindling, caught his attention, as did the flaming rodent writhing frantically on the ground. Off to the side, Tank stood there innocently, his mouth still dribbling embers. Eyes bulging, the worker gave a hoarse roar before throwing all sorts of debris at Tank, convinced he was the culprit. The Shieldon cried out as he was pelted by stones, scrap metal, and the occasional pickaxe. While this was happening, Liam managed to roll into a small puddle, which extinguished the fire with a
hisssss; the remnants of Tank’s first attack had faded as well. Calmer now that the threat of fire had passed, the worker retreated back to his tunnel, giving Tank one last glare. The Shieldon crouched close to the ground, cowed. His armour was pockmarked with dents and scrapes, and his body bled in several places.
With the worker out of sight, Hellcloud once again turned his attention to Liam. If he wasn’t going to sleep, he’d have to use less subtle tactics. The Gastly’s eyes began to glow with a light blue aura. Liam’s body was wracked with sudden agony as Hellcloud hammered gleefully on the pain sensors of the rodent’s brain. Fortunately for Liam – though he didn’t feel at all fortunate – the Gastly was not very adept with psychic power, and the pain soon faded away.
Once again, Mars was crouching on the ground, aiming carefully. This time, however, Tank was his target. The Shieldon eyed him warily, but being the slow creature that he was, he had no hope of avoiding the seeds that shot towards him. Two hit his mask, the stubborn roots actually managing to anchor onto metal, while one latched onto his leg.
Like his teammate, Tank tried to shake the irritating seeds off, but they wouldn’t budge. Giving up, he grumbled as he recalled his next command – it would make them even harder to shake off. Nevertheless, the Shieldon complied and let a curious substance seep from his pores. It hardened into a metallic coat that was thin around the joints, bolstering defenses yet leaving movement unhindered. The metal coated the base of the roots of the Leech Seeds, as well, providing them with yet more purchase.
While all this was going on, Liam was sitting down with a vacant expression on his face. His mind began to drift, brain processes slowing or even shutting down as his intellectual acuity was dulled. When he shook his head to return to the real world, Liam was a forgetful, absentminded rodent. On the bright side, he was much more resistant to mental assaults thanks to his newfound stupidity.
Hellcloud fashioned a ball of pure ghost energy, giggling to himself as he did so. The sphere wobbled and pulsed, as if about to burst. Grinning, Hellcloud smacked the orb towards Liam. Unfortunately, ghosts could not harm those pure of elemental energy. The Shadow Ball passed right through its target and exploded on the ground behind him. Liam shivered, but was otherwise unharmed. The smirk vanished from Hellcloud’s face, to be replaced by an expression of disbelief.
Mars spared a moment to laugh at Hellcloud, then began to slowly twirl around, gradually spinning faster. While spinning, the mushroom Pokemon leapt up and down and chanted something under his breath. The Swords Dance was rather awkward, owing to the fact that Shroomish only had two tiny, stubby feet to dance with, but the effects were still the same – Mars felt exhilarated, his blood pumping, though he was a bit dizzy.
While Mars danced, Tank had opened his mouth again, but instead of a dense fireball, an icy white core was forming in it. A few snowflakes flew into the air, melting quickly, as the orb continued charging; almost as soon as Mars had finished his dance, Tank let loose with the Ice Beam. A thin rod of cold energy shot forward and hit Mars in the back, covering it with a thin layer of frost. The Shroomish shrieked and quickly shook himself, dislodging the ice, but he still shivered violently with cold. The vitality drained from his opponents thanks to the previous Leech Seeds did help with the pain a bit.
Liam was the last to move. He put his paws in front of him and gathered ghost energy that pulled some shadows towards it and condensed it in a writhing black ball. It was not unlike Hellcloud’s last attack, though it was smaller. It did, however, affect its target; Hellcloud screamed as the orb exploded on him, burning his delicate skin. Liam grinned, tasting sweet revenge for the earlier Psychic. Hellcloud scowled and swore vengeance.
Lord of the Fireflies (OO)
@Expert Belt
Liam Townsborough (M) <Keen Eye>
Health: 87%
Energy: 87%
Status: Satisfied with the battle, though still feeling mentally slow. Me First forgotten. +2 Sp. Def.
@Big Root
Mars (M) <Poison Heal>
Health: 90%
Energy: 90%
Status: Shivering. +2 Attack.
SomeGuy (OO)
Hellcloud (M) <Levitate>
Health: 85%
Energy: 84%
Status: In a rather foul mood. Leech seeded (1%/action).
Tank (M) <Sturdy>
Health: 81%
Energy: 80%
Status: Still hurting from the worker’s assault. Leech seeded (1%/action). +2 Defense.
Terrain notes
Nothing to note.
Final notes
SomeGuy attacks first next round.
Hypnosis missed.
Fire Blast was a glancing hit and did less damage than usual.
Because he used Fire Blast, Tank was hurt by a worker.
Amnesia caused Liam to forget Me First.
