[15] The Omskivar vs Music Dragon (ref: Sangfroidish)

1 vs 1
DQ: 5 days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: OHKOs, Pain Split, moves that KO the user; direct recovery is restricted to 1 use in the match, and Chills are restricted to 5 uses
Arena: Santalune City

Like an emerald in the rough, this town in the center-south of Kalos glows verdant with lush grass and forest green roofs mottled with rustic pavement and ancient stone walls. The battle begins in the circular fountain plaza at the very center of the city, from which most else can be seen, including the majestic Trainer's School right across, the great Bug-Type Gym in the distance, and the tables of several small cafés and restaurants in the fountain area, although most seem dwarfed by comparison to the notable establishment atop a hill nearby.

For this round of the tournament, each trainer's Pokémon will be wearing a specified hat from the Santalune Boutique. Each hat grants its wearer the ability to use certain moves (usually three), and often adds an Ability to the wearer's current Abilities as well. After five rounds, the currently worn hats will be replaced by another set of two hats, again chosen at random. The hats' descriptions and effects are as follows:

• Bamboo Sprig Hat: A round cap that closely resembles Pangoro, bringing about an aloof sense of menace for the hat seeker that's not to be messed with. Grants the moves Sky Uppercut, Crunch, and Parting Shot, along with the Scrappy ability.
• Boater: A nifty straw hat that keeps the head cool in sunshine and protected in the storm, perfect for weathering a long voyage. Grants the moves Rain Dance, Hurricane, and Tailwind, along with the Swift Swim ability.
• Camo Cap: A beanie that blends right into the wilderness with its military-grade motif, complete with grenades and reinforcements, enabling its wearer to move in and out of cover -- or maybe their opponent just doesn't want to be seen with someone who actually wears camo. Grants the moves Egg Bomb, Night Slash, and Attack Order, along with the Sniper ability.
• Exotic Cap: A repurposed casquette with bold patterns, for those who aim to make an unusual fashion statement and also don't mind looking like they have a toadstool for a head. Grants the moves Hex, Venom Drench, and Infestation, along with the ability Effect Spore.
• Fedora: A distinctive kind of hat that has been through many associations in pop culture, and we're pretending for our own sake that the most recent one is Indiana Jones. Grants the moves Rock Slide, Bulldoze, and Power Whip, along with the ability Sand Rush.
• Felt Hat: A porkpie hat famously worn by a trainer that Professor Sycamore placed all of his faith in. Grants the moves Spiky Shield, Mystical Fire, and Water Shuriken.
• Knit Cap: A woolly, tight-fitting beanie with which one can not only keep warm, but thrive in the cold. Grants the moves Blaze Kick, Frost Breath, and Hail, along with the ability Ice Body.
• Logo Cap: A snapback with a readily recognizable sigil that's associated with the Kalos Pokémon League. Grants the moves Gyro Ball, Dragon Tail, Flame Charge, and Clamp.
• Sports Cap: A polyester cap for athletic types who want to sprint and make sparks fly when the sun is out. Grants the moves Quick Attack, Acrobatics, and Electro Ball, along with the ability Unburden.

The Omskivar's active squad
Assigned hat: Felt Hat

Peaches the female Buneary <Run Away> @ Soothe Bell
Jomeo the male Beedrill <Swarm> @ Dusk Stone
Schwarzengerman the male Octillery <Sniper> @ Expert Belt
Noel Gallagher the male Aipom <Pickup> @ Reaper Cloth
Whoopi the female Panpour <Gluttony> @ Water Stone
Sphere of Annihilation the male Volbeat <Swarm> @ Earth Plate
Bronn the male Chespin <Bulletproof> @ Lucky Egg
Dandy the male Swirlix <Sweet Veil> @ Whipped Dream
Grognak the male Cubone <Rock Head> @ Lucky Egg
Abigail & Amelia Gabble the female Binacle <Tough Claws> @ Lucky Egg


Music Dragon's active squad
Assigned hat: Camo Cap

Pravus the male Steelix <Rock Head>
Doctor Proctor the male Exeggutor <Chlorophyll>
The Beast the male Aerodactyl <Pressure>
Goach the male Whiscash <Oblivious>
Enoch the genderless Solrock <Levitate>
Parfenova the female Spritzee <Aroma Veil>
King of Hearts the male Sigilyph <Magic Guard>
Lillibeth the female Spoink <Own Tempo>
Witch Doctor Nana the female Carnivine <Levitate> @ Binding Band
Ant Heater the male Heatmor <Flash Fire> @ Smoke Ball

Up next:
1.Music Dragon sends out
2.The Omskivar sends out and issues commands
3.Music Dragon issues commands

Ugh! Camo? How embarrassing. Well, at least we get sexy Egg Bombs, I suppose.

Ah, sending out first is very difficult, very difficult indeed, in a 1v1 battle... Let's go with King of Hearts, the great Sigilyph!

And I think I'll be using Noel Gallagher, the Aipom. Noel, you look fly as hell in that hat. Naw. You look fly-ERRR.

Alright, Noel, the first action's easy. Why, you ask? Sigilyph don't actually learn Taunt! So we can Role Play and snag that Magic Guard! It's very important, so if there's a Protect up the first action, use Agility instead, and Role Play the second action.

Alright, Noel, the second action's easy. Why, you ask? Sigilyph don't actually learn Taunt or Snatch! So we can use Agility and snag that speed boost! Sigilyph don't actually learn Agility either, so I think we'll be okay not worrying about that. Whatever attack Sigilyph tries to throw at you, if you can dodge it while you're running around, that would be awesome.

Alright, Noel, the third action's easy. Why, you ask? Because we're going to OBLITERATE YOUR ENEMIES. Use your newfound speed to get in close, real close--underneath the King of Hearts if you can--and bring down a mighty Thunder.

If there are Double Team clones, aim for the one with a shadow. If there's a Substitute up, use Thunder, unless there's a Protect also in which case just use Agility (which also applies to the last action).

Role Play/Agility/Thunder~Agility/Role Play/Thunder~Thunder/Agility

Hmm! Clever! I can see this is going to be a tough battle.

Now then, my King! That Aipom will be busy Role Playing as your royal self - and surely doing a poor job of it, if I may say so, Your Majesty. I suggest we launch a Future Sight attack in the meantime; planning ahead wins wars!

On your second action, wait for your opponent to finish using Agility, then borrow it with Psych Up. That should put you on top again, in terms of speed. Not that your over-the-topness was ever in doubt, Your Majesty! Hohoho.

For your final action, Noel will try to close the distance and position himself very close to you. We shouldn't let him. I suggest you use a royal Psychic attack to slam him about for a bit and then toss him away from you; that should stop him!

Future Sight ~ Psych Up ~ Psychic

Only once the coast was most definitely clear did the small band of trainers dare to make a break for it from the mouth of the road to Parterre Way and into Santalune City, the contenders speeding eagerly ahead while the referee trudged along rather more sedately in their wake, perhaps hoping that if his more boisterous cohorts were to be noticed he might slip away in the commotion. A mobile phone was pressed discreetly to his ear, into which he spoke in a hushed and agitated voice as he walked.

"Look, I understand- yes, I appreciate your point, Head Referee, and I know we spent a lot of time and resources arranging this tournament," he hastily muttered into the device in a tone pregnant with poorly-affected patience. "My only point was perhaps we could do just a tiny bit of rescheduling and maybe hold the rest of it somewhere where the next round won't have to be held in a prison yard. We wouldn't even be that far off schedule if we leave for Asber tonight!"
"...okay, fine, but there has to be somewhere in this region that's not out for our blood. I remember hearing about a magnificent battle stadium at the Asberian Embassy back in Lumiose, if we could just-"
"...to the ground, you say. Well, perhaps we- excuse me? Look in what bag? I don't- hello?"

With a frustrated sigh, he slipped the phone back into his pocket, and despite his own disdain began to rifle through his bag. His hand brushed against some form of envelope he wasn't aware had been put there, and upon withdrawing and opening it, he found two coupons, each good for a free hat at Santalune Boutique. He couldn't help a smile breaking across his face; disguises! The higher-ups hadn't abandoned him after all. Perhaps once he got safely back to Asber in one piece, he'd reconsider torching their offices before handing in his resignation in the format of a rude note.

One trip to the boutique later, the three trainers had found themselves the proud owners of two rather gaudy items of headgear. Only enough for the two battling trainers, but that would be sufficient to have a battle on the sly; who really pays attention to referees anyway? To his dismay, however, rather than donning the hats themselves and trying their best to look inconspicuous, the trainers simply sent out their chosen Pokémon and bestowed the hats upon them instead. Flinching as a jolt of pure rage shot through his body, the referee finally let out a defeated sigh and blew his whistle as quietly as he could, hoping that at least they could get the battle done and dusted before any of them got their collars felt.



A chill ran through King of Hearts' body upon spotting his opponent. It wasn't so much the fuzzy little purple monkey that struck such dread into him, but more the eerie purple rags he was draped in. There was just such a macabre aura about them that made him not want to go anywhere near them... trying to put them out of his mind, he closed his eyes and concentrated, distracting himself with a nosy little peek through time. Naturally he hadn't the time to slip into a deep enough trance to look that distantly- this was, after all, a battle- but he managed to peer about a minute or two into the future. While he was at it, he noted Noel's precise position and movements, and once he turned his eyes back to the present he hurled off a charge of psychic power high into the air.

Noel might have found this behaviour very odd if he too hadn't been lost in concentration. Though he lacked the psychic prowess to do so literally, he tried his best to tap into his opponent's mind, learning his motivations, what made him tick. The more he observed King of Hearts, the better he was able to get in character as him, to the point that he gained a deep understanding of his innate attributes and took them up as his own.

King of Hearts actually did find this behaviour very odd, afforded a full showing of Noel's amateur dramatics while he waited for him to take his next move. Overflowing with zeal from the delight of mastering his new persona, he was all too quick to oblige, scurrying energetically around the arena in a wide circle with one eye tightly closed and his front paws held aloft, flapping in some bizarre imitation of a Sigilyph's wings. King of Hearts watched him closely as he went, establishing a psychic link to his mind and duplicating the vigour conferred upon him by his little jog.

With all the benefits he'd gotten from it safely plagiarised, King of Hearts quickly put an end to Noel's little frolic, releasing his connection with the Aipom's mind and scooping him up with telekinetic power. Noel struggled and thrashed against the cocoon of psychic energy holding him in place, trying with all his might to pounce at his foe, but he was unable to move a muscle. With a sweep of his wing, King of Hearts released Noel and sent him hurtling across the arena and crashing painfully back down to earth.

Springing back to his feet, Noel reared up on his tail and beat his "wings" furiously, squinting up at the sky with his one open eye. His fur began to fluff up and crackle, thick grey clouds rolling across the sky and booming with thunder before a lightning bolt suddenly streaked down to earth. A flashback to his earlier premonition came to King of Hearts, and he instantly swooped away from the spot where he remembered seeing a charred patch of earth would stand, the bolt striking that very spot a mere fraction of a second later. The dull clouds peeled away, and a blindingly bright light one could be forgiven for assuming was the sun shone brilliantly down from the heavens. The fact that it was streaking downwards at tremendous speed rather debunked such theories, however, and before Noel could think much more of it, it struck him soundly on the chin and knocked him away with a huge burst of psychic force.



Calcluations
Noel Gallagher's health: 100% - 11% (Psychic) - 12% (Future Sight) = 77%
Noel Gallagher's energy: 100% - 3% (Role Play) - 2% (Agility) - 8% (Thunder) = 87%
King of Hearts' energy: 100% - 6% (Future Sight) - 2% (Psych Up) - 4% (Psychic) = 88%

Referee's notes

• I decided to abandon reffing with base stats just for the tournament battles, since it kinda feels unfair that someone might lose out of the tourney who would have won if they weren't being taken into account, idk.
• King of Hearts outspeeds Noel Gallagher 127>115.
• Future Sight hit after two actions.
• Thunder missed.
• I have to idea how to even picture an Aipom pretending to be a Sigilyph.
• Music Dragon attacks first next round.

Hmm! Not bad! Not bad at all. Let's keep this up, Your Majesty. Clearly our current tactics are working marvelously!

Let's start you off with another Future Sight, it seems quite effective. On the next two actions, continue to use Psychic in the same manner as last round: deal damage, but also toss Noel away if he gets uncomfortably close to you. Mustn't have that usurper getting too near the real King.

If at any point you're targeted with a reflectable move, respond with Magic Coat. Failing that, if you're unable to hit or locate Noel for whatever reason, just relax and Calm Mind; he'll have to make himself vulnerable sooner or later...

Future Sight / Magic Coat / Calm Mind ~ Psychic / Magic Coat / Calm Mind ~ Psychic / Magic Coat / Calm Mind

Let's be ~FLASHY!~

Start off with a Fake Out! That'll stop that annoying Future Sight; then, use Mystical Fire, and round it out with a Payback.

Fake Out~Mystical Fire~Payback

His Majesty's eye squeezed shut serenely. His super timey-wimey attack seemed to do the trick nicely last round, so why not stick with what works? He began to focus, his inner eye gazing upon events yet to pass and searching for a nice opportune moment to strike the monkey unaware. Noel recognised his trance-like state, however, and was having none of it. He pseudo-fluttered his way up to his Majesty, able to close right in on him while all his attention was focused on sustaining his clairvoyance. A sudden clap of Noel's wings (hands) was sufficient to bring him back to the present, his eye snapping open with a start as he winced away from the sudden noise. Realising no actual harm had come to his most esteemed person, his Majesty carefully unfurled his wings from the protective cocoon he had formed them into around his body, only to recieve a sudden sucker punch from Noel's tail-hand.

The monkey snickered mischievously, and his Majesty's single brow furrowed with intense miffedness. Just who did this vagabond think he was, to dare take up his hand against royalty?! By all rights some variety of royal guard would surely be running him through where he stood that very moment, but the rules of this piffling tournament afforded him no such recourse. It became clear that it fell to him to show the riffraff their place himself. He seized Noel in another snare of telekinetic energy, slamming him reproachfully against the ground before flinging him a safe distance away, where his filthy peasant hands might not sully his regal person.

Fortunately for him, Noel had no need for proximity for what he had in mind. Taking a moment to rub his bruises, he hopped to his feet and took a deep breath, blowing a stream of brilliantly-coloured fire back the way he came. The hue of the flames was spellbinding, richly red and orange with blue embers mingled in amongst, the enchanting magical energy it was imbued with glimmering with a rainbow of colours as it billowed towards its target. His Majesty was so overcome with wonder he scarcely thought to move out of its path, the blaze bathing him in a searing blanket of flame and so returning his attentions to getting the hell away from the inferno currently cremating his skin. He soared away out of the stream, flapping his wings frantically to put himself out, the sheer beauty of the flames still lingering distractingly on his mind.

They really were something though, weren't they? Abhorrent and painful, certainly, but so beautiful. They just danced with colour before his eyes. Perhaps after this battle, his Majesty thought, Noel would be interested in a position as his personal court firebreather. No, no, he simply couldn't wait that long for an answer. He'd bring him right over and ask at once! Again he levitated the Aipom with telekinesis, fantasising about the magnificent displays he would put on for him back at court. He got so caught up in such fancies, in fact, that he accidentally dropped Noel several times in the process of reeling him in, only his pained yelps reminding him to scoop his would-be entertainer back up and try again. After several repeats of picking up and dropping his opponent, his royal mind drifted away from the idea altogether, and he simply left Noel in a bruised and battered heap as he daydreamed with his newfound pyromania.

Not remotely pleased with this treatment, Noel hopped to his feet and dusted himself off with an irritated groan. He glowered at his Majesty; just who did he think he was treating him like that? A dark aura of vengeance cloaked his body, growing thicker and darker as he channelled his rage into it and darted across the arena to vent his frustration on his pompous foe. He dealt another strike with the palm of his tail, his pent-up lust for revenge flowing into his Majesty and greatly exacerbating the pain of Noel's vicious slap. His royal highness recoiled, bristling furiously, but was soon soothed as memories of that fire he was so unhealthily obsessed with flooded back into his mind.



Calculations
Noel Gallagher's health: 77% - 11% (Psychic) - 10% (Psychic) = 56%
Noel Gallagher's energy: 87% - 2% (Fake Out) - 4% (Mystical Fire) - 6% (Payback) = 75%
King of Hearts' health: 100% - 5% (Fake Out) - 6% (Mystical Fire) - 15% (Payback) = 74%
King of Hearts' energy: 88% - 4% (Psychic) - 4% (Psychic) = 80%

Referee's notes

• also yeah I'm not gonna be able to do the role play flavour thing
• The Omskivar attacks first next round.

Hey, just a nitpick about stats: Psych Up discards the user's stat changes, so the Attack drop actually should be conspicuously absent! The Speed increases also aren't listed, but they're still there, right?

Oh, fair point. I guess I've just been completely ignoring his status string in general, then, seeing as I was taking his speed increases into account. All fixed now.

DQ warning for The Omskivar. 48 hours remaining.

Start out with Mud-Slap Uproar for just the first action; then, Mystical Fire and finally Foul Play. Your speeds are still pretty close, so maybe you can disrupt any first-action Future Sights coming our way. If there's a Protect up, or the King is out of range, use Nasty Plot; if there's a Double Team afoot, sweep around Mystical Fire.

i am going to lose this battle Uproar/Mystical Fire/Nasty Plot~Mystical Fire/Nasty Plot~Foul Play/Mystical Fire/Nasty Plot

Hmm. I can see why that flame fascinates you so much, Your Majesty... I ought to fetch a new ember...

No! Mustn't let it distract us. Let us focus on the battle at hand. My suggestion is this: let us Fly high into the air, where you'll be safe from harm. In all likelihood, Noel will deem you "out of range" and proceed to use Nasty Plot on his first two actions. Not to worry; we can take advantage of that with another Psych Up. Just wait for him to finish his two Nasty Plots, then scour his mind for them! Surely you can use that move while flying - you are, after all, the King.

... but, ah, in the unlikely event that you are unable reach with Psych Up from the sky, we should have an emergency plan. It's a mere formality, Your Majesty. I suggest that you use Calm Mind should this happen; it will at least help you get those strange flames out of your mind.

Now for your third action. If you were successful in using Psych Up before, then by my calculations, you should have +4 Sp. Atk from his Nasty Plots and +2 Speed from his Agility. What better time to unleash all that Stored Power? It will put a dent in him for sure! But, as before, we need a contingency plan in case you are unable to aim from above. Well, if we can't attack now, then attack later, I say: fall back on Future Sight!

Fly (up) ~ Psych Up / Calm Mind ~ Stored Power / Future Sight

Fantasies of pyromania still lingered on His Majesty's mind, his daydreaming lasting well into the next round. Even so, his concentration upon them was diminished by his foe's rather impudent counter-attack. He needed to find some fortress of solitude where he could daydream in peace, without any violent outbursts or god forbid, having to divert any brainpower to fighting back. He glanced about Santalune for such a sanctuary, but found every shady alcove and peaceful café terrace occupied by at least one bothersome resident, and in any case straying too far from the immediate area would probably cause the referee to make an annoying peeping noise with his whistle. His only recourse, then, was upwards. Picturing his beloved flames, he began to beat his wings forcefully, pushing himself higher and higher into the air with each flap until he appeared as a faint speck in the sky to Noel down below.

Noel yelled after him in protest as began his ascent, rushing forth to drag His Majesty back down before he disappeared from reach, but too late. He frowned to himself as he watched his foe soar into the great blue yonder. Clearly direct assault was now out of the question; he'd have to get smart if he was going to find a way to damage him now. He sat down and began to ponder, stroking his chin with a paw while his tail-paw scratched his head, puzzling over what devious strategy might work in such circumstances.

While Noel continued his brainstorm, His Majesty peered curiously down to see what the simian was up to in his opponent's absence. To no avail, however; he was simply too distant to make out as anything more than a featureless blob. No matter! This was the very sort of occasion psychic powers were made for. His Majesty's eye slid shut in deep concentration, peeking into Noel's mind and eavesdropping on his thoughts. What he discovered was quite something; a huge surge of pent-up malice and preparedness seemed to be building in Noel's mind, as though he were meticulously plotting and honing his mental powers manifold. While he was poking around in his head anyway, His Majesty decided to appropriate that preparation for himself, carefully tuning his own mental state to match Noel's and overwriting his rather unhealthy obsession with fire in the process. He scoffed at his being impressed with that mundane display; what a dull ember it was, after all!

Now his mind was back on the important matters, His Majesty realised he needed to proceed with a steady hand. He had to cease lingering in the past and look towards the future, and luckily for him, he was able to do so very much literally. He retreated again into his own mind, his inner eye focusing on his foe and searching through the moments to come for the moment when he was least on guard. He found it, and again fired off a silvery bolt of homing psychic energy which began a lazy descent towards the conspiring chimp. It would take a few minutes to reach the exact point in time and space it had been sent to, but when it did Noel would never see it coming.



Calculations
Noel Gallagher's energy: 75% - 2% (Nasty Plot) - 2% (Nasty Plot) - 2% (Nasty Plot) = 69%
King of Hearts' energy: 80% - 4% (Fly) - 1% (Fly maintenance) - 6% (Psych Up) - 1% (Fly maintenance) - 6% (Future Sight) - 1% (Fly maintenance) = 61%

Referee's notes

• Noel's gone the whole battle with no speed modifier in his status string, too! I am the most competent referee.
• His Majesty is being docked 1% energy per action to remain in the sky.
• Psych Up just involves linking minds with an opponent, and I fail to see how distance would affect the "accuracy" of such an action.
• the database is unclear how exactly Stored Power is performed, but it's most likely either supposed to be some form of pulse or projectile and thus hard to land from great distance, so His Majesty used Future Sight on the last action.
• Future Sight will strike in two actions' time.
• spot all three Dark Souls II references this round and win a prize! prize not included
• Music Dragon attacks first next round.

Are you plotting what I'm plotting, Your Majesty? I thought so. It's time to execute our master plan!

Now that your Special Attack is boosted to unbelievable levels, it's time to start using physical attacks! "But wait", you say, "that doesn't make any sense." And you're right! It doesn't. That's what makes this strategy so devious! He'll never see it coming! Well, I mean, he probably will since we're commanding first this round. But still! It's incredibly unpredictable, and that means we win. If special is physical and physical is special, then who's driving the plane??

I'll tell you who's driving the plane: it's the King, raining egg on his unsuspecting foes! Here's our plan: you drive the plane and drop the Egg Bombs, while I sing the Walkürenritt. That's right - I am actually a trained opera singer! Self-taught. I'll see if I can obtain a suitable music player from a nearby café. Now, pretend to be an airplane and let me see you carpet bomb that Aipom with eggs. Just drop as many as you can! I don't care if you hit me, I just want more egg! Hei-a-ha!

Oh, well, I suppose there are two more actions to worry about. If you somehow manage to miss with Egg Bomb, let's compensate with something that's easier to wield: use Psychic to fry Noel's brain! It seems our referee has established that invading an enemy's mind can be done while flying, so it should be no problem. If you did hit with the Egg Bombs, I think you're done for now, so just Chill up there in the sky.

On your last action, another Future Sight would do nicely. This move really suits Your Majesty, if I may say so!

Oh, and one more thing. Whatever that monkey's plotting - and let's be honest, it's probably death lightning bolts from space - it's not going to be anything enjoyable. If he throws anything reflectable your way, you Magic Coat it right back. Mustn't let him sully the King's regalia, especially not while the King is a plane!

King of Hearts: Egg Carpet Bomb / Magic Coat ~ Psychic / Chill / Magic Coat ~ Future Sight / Magic Coat

Music Dragon: Obtain gramophone from local café + Sing opera ~ (recharge) ~ (recharge)

Alright, that Future Sight is going to hurt a lot. But I have an idea--an idea so smart that my head would explode if I even began to know what I'm talking about.

The first thing you have to do, Noel--you have to take that Egg Bomb! If I'm reading this correctly, once that Egg Bomb connects the King is just going to chill the second action, and that's what we're counting on. You should be able to see it coming, so wait until it hits you, then Bounce up there and grab onto the King (still do this if Egg Bomb misses). Every valkyrie needs a rider! If you can treat it like the full attack, paralysis roll and everything, great--if you can only use it to vault up there, also great, because next action you're going to use Zap Cannon. You'll be so close you can't possibly miss. Those Psychics are aimed at your mind, not your body, so even if he switches to it on the second action you shouldn't have trouble staying on--you've got three hands after all. Grab onto one of his wings, near the base preferably, we're trying to commandeer the vessel.

After that, we'd better prepare for a drop in altitude; when your wings are paralyzed, it's difficult to stay afloat, I would imagine. In fact, I'm counting on it (knock on wood). Use Zap Cannon again while you've got the distance closed, but make sure you stay on top of him when he hits the ground. If, for some reason, you aren't attached to the King anymore--mostly this is a "if Future Sight throws you off after you Zap Cannon him" clause--then use Rain Dance once you get back on the ground.

STORM THE GATES

Noel: Bounce (up to the King)~Zap Cannon~Zap Cannon/Rain Dance

The Omskivar: Listen intently~tip Music Dragon handsomely~don't fuck everything up

The referee and Omskivar waited patiently for Music Dragon to issue commands, but he remained silent, instead wandering away from the battle and heading for one of the many cafés in the distance, a larcenous glint in both of his eyes. The referee called after him in reprehension, not wishing to add theft to the troupe's growing list of charges, but Music Dragon's thieving instincts were not to be quelled. Deftly he snuck towards a rather fancy establishment outfitted with an antique gramophone outside playing gentle music and appropriated it as covertly as he could, dragging it back to the battle and producing a record he just happened to have on his person. Casually frisbeeing the included record away, he replaced it with his own and began to play it, chanting a shrill refrain over the imposing, triumphant anthem now bellowing forth from the device.

Inspiration flowing through him as a result of the grandiose soundtrack blaring high up into the air, and with grandeur flowing through him, His Highness pitched forward and soared over Noel making plane sounds. He scattered a barrage of ovoid energy orbs in his wake, and Noel yelled in surprise as one slammed into the ground at his feet and exploded violently. Looking up at the impending airstrike, he hesitated as he turned his trainer's seemingly insane commands over in his head. He knew he had no choice but to obey, gritting his teeth and hurling himself under a cluster of bombs whistling their way to the ground, closing his eyes and bracing himself before they collided with him, erupting in a huge fireball on impact.

The referee looked on in horror, eyeing every citizen in the vicinity in case any were alerting the gendarmes of this further catastrophic property damage. Meanwhile, Noel climbed to his feet and began to spring up and down on his tail, which he coiled like a spring to launch him higher and higher each time he touched down. Finally, with one final bound, he hurtled high into the air until he drew level with his high-flying foe. He swung out his tail and fastened its paw around His Highness' wing, gripping tight and trying not to look down.

His Highness was by no means pleased with his new stowaway, performing a range of turbulent aerial manoeuvres and aileron rolls (accompanied, of course, with gratuitous whoosh and neowwwwm noises) in a bid to shake him off. Noel's grip failed to loosen, much to His Majesty's consternation; still, he couldn't complain all that much. After all, the bombing raid was a tremendous success, and besides, Noel didn't seem to be causing him any actual incovenience, at least not yet. Such excellent warfare tactics were deserving of a short leave of absence. He closed his eyes and began to glide for a while, indulging himself in a little airborne nap.

Noel rubbed the two hands not latched onto his foe together with glee. Hijacking successful! Now to bring him down. He carefully gripped His Majesty's wing with his arm-hands instead before relinquishing hold with his tail-hand, a crackling sphere of electricity starting to form in its palm and swelling to frightening proportions. He kept charging until it grew violently unstable and just kept going, arcs of electricity flinging themselves all over as his arm swung erratically around trying desperately to keep it under control. While he could still somewhat aim he hurled it down at its target, striking him dead in the back and exploding with a violent eruption of sparks. His Majesty cried out and jerked wildly, his wings seizing up and sending him spiralling to the ground. He beat his wings as hard as he could in desperation to remain aloft, his stiff joints moving too slow to provide enough lift. Finally, about halfway to the ground, he managed to get his rhythm back, halting his descent and flapping with all the force his numbed wings could muster. Though saved from crashing to earth, he was definitely flying notably slower. Just as he heaved a sigh of relief, he was once again startled by a sudden burst of energy flying past him, but it paid him no heed and slammed into Noel instead. It wasn't until after a few seconds of utter confusion that he recognised it as his own Future Sight attack.

Clearly the advantages of not having his ride plummet into the ground with him on board were lost on Noel. Perhaps it was just the rage instilled by being struck with another burst of glowy pain from nowhere, but his determination to bring the King down only grew more fervent. Another orb of electricity began to build up in his tail-palm, rapidly building to uncontrollable levels of potency once more before being hurled at His Highness before it flew off into the wild blue yonder of its own accord. The King's numbness alleviated the tremendous pain that would otherwise be racking his body, allowing him to close his eyes and focus on his inner psychic energies. Being a World War-era bomber wasn't working out. Maybe he'd have better luck as a nifty modern fighter jet! I mean, fighter-jet speeds were beyond him now his wings were seizing up, but he could still fire lock-on missiles. He scanned his temporal radar systems for a point in the future where he could best hit Noel and homed in on it, launching yet another burst of psychic energy that rocketed away to return at his chosen point. Noel watched it soar away and grumbled to himself. He knew what was coming, but as always he had no idea when.



Calculations
Noel Gallagher's health: 56% - 10% (Egg Bomb) - 16% (Future Sight) = 30%
Noel Gallagher's energy: 69% - 5% (Bounce) - 8% (Zap Cannon) - 8% (Zap Cannon) = 48%
King of Hearts' health: 74% - 27% (Zap Cannon) - 27% (Zap Cannon) = 39% (capped)
King of Hearts' energy: 61% - 5% (Egg Bomb) + 10% (Chill) - 6% (Future Sight) - 5% (Fly maintenance) = 47%

Referee's notes

• Bounce inflicted no damage and had no chance of inflicting paralysis, since both of those effects rely on gravity and there was no downward part of the attack in this instance.
• paralysis is causing His Majesty to consume twice as much energy to remain airborne. He can still stay in the air while paralysed but will start falling if too paralysed to act.
• Future Sight will strike in two actions.
• hat change will occur at the end of next round.
• The Omskivar commands first next round.

Was my order to Noel to actively let the Egg Bomb hit him taken into account? I figured he could just position himself underneath it before Bouncing

I somehow managed to completely fail to notice you'd ordered any such thing! Running under a falling projectile seems reasonably possible enough, so I'll go ahead and edit the reffing.

Sorry to bother you again, just one nitpick: I think you forgot to add in the damage from the Egg Bomb when you did your edits! Hehe.