Superbird vs. ultraviolet

We'll start by Protecting ourselves from that Water Pulse. We don't want it in our way. Action 2, when you see the substitute, Incinerate to get rid of it (that should be just enough damage). And finally, on action 3, if there's a Substitute up by the time you get to move, Incinerate again; otherwise, take this chance to finally get rid of that ice with Overheat. Your opponent looks pretty heated right now - let's keep her that way, and if the wild out-of-control-ness of Overheat helps you get in a similar state of mind, that's all the better for our role play!

Protect ~ Incinerate ~ Incinerate / Overheat

Format: 3v3 Single
Style: Switch
DQ: 7 Days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, Weather Moves
Arena Description: Somewhere in Siberia
One of the coldest places on the planet, and right in the middle of winter, too. Even a "warm" day here is barely more than -10°. The battleground is relatively flat, with a couple of hills on either side. The ground is also covered with thick snow - this impairs movement for all terrestrial pokémon equivalent to a stat drop of -1 Speed, though if it's gotten rid of somehow this speed impairment will vanish. It's constantly snowing here, though not hailing - this snow will act like hail except without the residual damage.

The bitter cold makes it difficult to concentrate, and you have to keep your body temperature up. If a pokémon does not physically move while using their action, they will take 3% Ice-type damage from the cold and lose 2% Energy, with the exception of Fire-types, Ice-types, and pokémon with the abilities Thick Fat, Ice Body or Snow Cloak. This damage can also be avoided by using or being hit by an attack that generates heat - most Fire-type attacks, or Scald, even if the user doesn't move around while using or getting hit by the attack. Finally, Sheer Cold is useable in this battle, but its effect changes - instead of being a one-hit KO move, it now has a 100% chance of Freezing the opponent completely, and it maintains an unconditional 30% accuracy.

There is no water source unless one is to melt the snow first. Any water on the ground will freeze into ice three actions after it appears there, and any snow scraped off of the ground somehow will reappear in three actions.

Click to expand...

Round 16

Superbird XXO


Health: 68%
Energy: 79%
(Deru) Houndour [F] <Ice Body> @Lucky Egg
Commands: Protect ~ Incinerate ~ Incinerate/Overheat
Status: Fretting. Speed -1, Paralyzed (severe), Badly poisoned (2% this round, 3% the next), Frozen (severe, ice attaching body to ground), Role Playing as Tilda Swinton

ultraviolet OXX


Health: 82%
Energy: 65%
(Tilda Swinton) Snorunt [F] <Ice Body> @Dawn Stone
Commands: Water Pulse ~ Substitute/Secret Power/Disable ~ Substitute/Secret Power/Water Pulse
Status: Steam still flowing from her ears. Speed -1, Special Attack -1, Dawn Stone in effect, Taunted (1 more action)

While Deru struggled to free herself from her icy bindings, Tilda released five blasts of water, each spaced apart in even intervals, appearing slightly ring shaped to hide the sound waves they contained. The first one nearly reached Deru before a translucent shield materialized before her, taking the brunt of the attack and pushing the water off in all directions, letting it freeze against the ground. As each wave cascaded against the barrier, a booming bwang could be heard, the pulses not reacting well with the clear wall. As the fifth wave was dispersed, Deru let the shield disappear, leaving her dangerously exposed once more.

Tilda grumbled a little bit, but she now felt a lot more level-headed. No longer bent on mutilating the already crippled Deru, Tilda turned back to her hidden passion: sculpting. Hurtful memories invaded her mind as she began to build a new likeness. The toned figure of her past lover kept intruding into her thoughts, and she had to stop herself from adding a feather crest to the top of her mold. Fighting back tears, she added finishing touches to the snow-runt and flipped it around so the motionless face could stare at Deru. The Houndour was not interested in having another Tilda clone on the battlefield, so he breathed out a trail of flames. Rather than overwhelming Tilda and her substitute, these flames travelled slowly and methodically enclosed the substitute. Soon it was aflame, and like a haunting funeral pyre it burned away before Tilda’s eyes. Quickly, her work had been nullified.

Not to be dispirited, Tilda fired another thin beam of neon blue energy at Deru. Again, the blast struck the side already coated with ice, causing Tilda to wonder if her attacks were actually successful. Still, Deru grimaced as the beam struck her, which was enough proof for Tilda that she was at least whittling away at her. In these kinds of elements, she was perfectly happy to take as long as she needed. She was in her comfort zone.

Deru was not. She felt it was overdue to bring some real heat to this arena. She concentrated hard, letting her internal temperature rise and rise. To Tilda, it looked as if little was happening, almost as if Deru was just falling into a shuddering fit due to frustration. Beads of sweat started to appear on Deru’s forehead, but Tilda did not inspect closely enough to see them. She did notice the ice enclosing Derustart to melt. Small rivulets of water began to run down her snow shelter. Tilda knew that that meant heat. She backed up slightly and assumed a defensive position. Deru was now grinding her teeth, getting very near her breaking point. Shards of ice began to slide off of her, leaving behind snow that was not staying solid either. The branch of ice holding her to the ground was still holding fairly strong, but it was losing mass as well. Finally, Deru reached her goal.

Releasing a scream in tandem, Deru unleashed a gigantic wave of pure flame that washed over the arena. It was not red, orange, or blue. It was a blinding white, decimating the snow and ice in Deru’s general vicinity. The entirety of Deru’s coat burned away, leaving just a Houndour, no longer shivering from the cold. The pulse of primal heat seared Tilda, causing her to squeal in agony. The terrain was not so lucky as to stay solid. In a wide circle around Deru, all of the snow had melted and evaporated, leaving barren soil. In the centre was the Houndour, smirking, but with lolling tongue. She was panting hard, and she was still awkwardly in a tussle with her own limbs, but she had some confidence back.

End of Round 16

Superbird XXO


Health: 55%
Energy: 61%
(Deru) Houndour [F] <Flash Fire > @Lucky Egg
Status: Fired up. Special Attack -2, Paralyzed (severe), Badly poisoned (3% this round, 4% the next)

ultraviolet OXX


Health: 51%
Energy: 52%
(Tilda Swinton) Snorunt [F] <Ice Body> @Dawn Stone
Status: Sweating profusely. Special Attack -1

Arena Notes:
-A circle with a diameter of about 10 metres has been cleared of all snow, leaving barren, earthy terrain. Deru is at the epicentre, and the attack has revealed the boulders used earlier in the fight (the feathers did not survive the blast). Snow will re-cover the area in one round

Ref Notes:
-Deru terrain damage: 4% health, 4% energy
-Overheat cancelled out the Role Play. There is no way Overheat could be controlled to only burn away the ice freezing Deru to the ground and not the ice she was using to act as Tilda. So Deru now has Flash Fire again and she is no longer taking terrain damage.
-Overheat pushed Tilda below 66% health, meaning she is no longer receiving a benefit from her Dawn Stone
-Overheat eliminated the speed losses for the next round
-Superbird commands next

Let's GO, Deru! That was absolutely wonderful, and we're still on track to win this. The paralysis might not be going away any time soon, but hey! You've got plenty of special attacking power, and let's use that to its advantage.

We don't really have much choice this round but to play defensively - that is, reactively. First and foremost, we do not want to see any more of those Water Pulses - if Tilda launches any, use Spite immediately afterwards (even if she tries to use it multiple times). Otherwise, let's try to limit Tilda's mobility with Fire Spin, and once you've trapped her in place with that attack (if she gets out of it somehow, get her back in first), try to hit with Inferno.

Protect against a possible Disable on action 1.

Spite / Fire Spin / Protect ~ Spite / Fire Spin / Inferno x2

Well okay, the whole Role Play thing was kind of a waste of time! Meanwhile, you've been holding your ground against two separate fire-types. You should tell Deru that with a Swagger. On your second action, go for Water Pulse. I don't know if Deru will get a disable in while she's confused, so if it's not disabled, use Water Pulse on your third action too. If it is disabled, set up a Light Screen.

Swagger ~ Water Pulse ~ Water Pulse/Light Screen

EDIT: Oh whoops, I meant "spited", not "disabled". Sorry!

Format: 3v3 Single
Style: Switch
DQ: 7 Days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, Weather Moves
Arena Description: Somewhere in Siberia
One of the coldest places on the planet, and right in the middle of winter, too. Even a "warm" day here is barely more than -10°. The battleground is relatively flat, with a couple of hills on either side. The ground is also covered with thick snow - this impairs movement for all terrestrial pokémon equivalent to a stat drop of -1 Speed, though if it's gotten rid of somehow this speed impairment will vanish. It's constantly snowing here, though not hailing - this snow will act like hail except without the residual damage.

The bitter cold makes it difficult to concentrate, and you have to keep your body temperature up. If a pokémon does not physically move while using their action, they will take 3% Ice-type damage from the cold and lose 2% Energy, with the exception of Fire-types, Ice-types, and pokémon with the abilities Thick Fat, Ice Body or Snow Cloak. This damage can also be avoided by using or being hit by an attack that generates heat - most Fire-type attacks, or Scald, even if the user doesn't move around while using or getting hit by the attack. Finally, Sheer Cold is useable in this battle, but its effect changes - instead of being a one-hit KO move, it now has a 100% chance of Freezing the opponent completely, and it maintains an unconditional 30% accuracy.

There is no water source unless one is to melt the snow first. Any water on the ground will freeze into ice three actions after it appears there, and any snow scraped off of the ground somehow will reappear in three actions.

Click to expand...

Round 17

Superbird XXO


Health: 55%
Energy: 61%
(Deru) Houndour [F] <Flash Fire > @Lucky Egg
Commands: Spite/Fire Spin/Protect ~ Spite/Fire Spin/Inferno x2
Status: Fired up. Special Attack -2, Paralyzed (severe), Badly poisoned (3% this round, 4% the next)

ultraviolet OXX


Health: 51%
Energy: 52%
(Tilda Swinton) Snorunt [F] <Ice Body> @Dawn Stone
Commands: Swagger ~ Water Pulse ~ Water Pulse/Light Screen
Status: Sweating profusely. Special Attack -1

Tilda, relishing in the flakes that were resuming their descent upon her coat, started to strut around the barren ring, holding her head high and walking with determined arrogance. She turned to face Deru and attempted to let loose a stream of well thought out and probing insults. Instead, she tripped over her tongue and gave Deru nothing but Gobbledygook. Naturally, the Houndour was quizzical, but she definitely did not feel particularly insulted by the words. Tilda tried to double back and correct herself, but the effect was loss. She carried herself dejectedly away from Deru.

Still a bit perplexed, Deru breathed out a trail of fire, much more controlled and powerful than Tilda’s gibberish. Though it did not come towards Tilda at blistering speeds, it did coil around the Snorunt, proving evasion quite a difficult task. Tilda tried to back away from each of the rings for as long as she could, but eventually the flames made contact with her skin. Surprisingly, though she had felt a bit of pain, she had hardly been burned by the fires. What worried her was there constant presence. Unlike most attacks, which dissipated as soon as they had done their duty, the fiery prison was unrelenting, slowly revolving around Tilda’s body. Unwilling to test the flames, she remained tense and cramped as small sparks caught her skin.

Deru carefully surveyed the blaze, waiting to see if Tilda would try and escape from her hastily created cell. Instead of the telltale, pyramidal shape of a Snorunt, blasts of water came from the fires. Caught unawares, Deru could not bring her lazy limbs to get her out of the way. She was quickly drenched by the rhythmic blasts, each one leaving her ears ringing and her fur out of place. Aware of the conditions, she took some time to methodically shake out the entirety of her coat. She did not need the chill to set in if the water droplets froze to her body. Focusing back on Tilda, or rather the inferno surrounding her, she began to utter a strange incantation. Though it sounded similar to the nonsense Tilda had ejaculated earlier, this was no gibberish, but rather the foundations of an arcane spell. Deru focused intently on the image of those rings of water in her mind, trying to describe them as best she could in the foreign and frightening tongue. From inside the makeshift sauna, Tilda felt an inexplicable chill set in. The feeling was quickly erased as another tendril of flame tickled the tip of her teepee.

Tilda had not seen the effects of her previous water move, but she was fairly confident that it had been effective. Concentrating her efforts again, she felt the water she had used earlier not coming so easily to her. She was still able to wield it, but her trainer had warned her about such an occurrence. At least she understood what the chill had meant now. Changing tactics, she instead constructed a shimmering golden dome around herself and her personal space. She could not see it, but nothing yet seemed out of place.

Deru could see the barrier and was again slightly befuddled. It looked fairly solid, yet the snowflakes coming down towards it were not stopped. To the contrary, they were not hindered at all, passing through as if the shield was merely an illusion. In spite of some nagging inhibitions, Deru began to slowly kindle another sheet of flame, this one much larger and more imposing than his earlier serpentine effort. Tilda remained oblivious. When the mass of fire was of an appropriate size, Deru unleashed it and let it swarm Tilda. The poor Snorunt could see nothing coming, only feeling the heavier onslaught of flames bite at her skin and leaving her charred and sore. As she opened her eyes, having instinctively closed them as the flames had sunk in, she was exasperated to see the coiled flames still keeping her hopelessly restricted.

End of Round 17

Superbird XXO


Health: 44%
Energy: 50%
(Deru) Houndour [F] <Flash Fire > @Lucky Egg
Status: Going in for the kill. Special Attack -2, Paralyzed (moderate), Badly poisoned (4% this round, 5% the next)

ultraviolet OXX


Health: 37%
Energy: 43%
(Tilda Swinton) Snorunt [F] <Ice Body> @Dawn Stone
Status: Feeling claustrophobic. Special Attack -1, trapped in a Fire Spin (3 more actions), Water Pulse spited, Burned (moderate), protected by Light Screen (4 more actions)

Arena Notes:
-The snow has recovered the arena in all spots except where Tilda is being trapped by Fire Spin

Ref Notes:
-Swagger missed
-Deru’s paralysis decreased from severe to moderate after the first action
-I was not sure if Pokemon could tell if they had been Spited, but as uv explicitly added a conditional for the circumstance, I figured that Tilda would understand
-I bumped up the accuracy of Inferno due to Tilda’s lack of mobility (though the roll would have made it hit even with original accuracy)
-ultraviolet commands next

Well, with your Light Screen and Deru's -2 Special Attack, I think we can break through that Fire Spin if we try hard enough. Let's go with Rollout for the whole round. If you try to break out with Rollout and it doesn't work, let's go with Secret Power again and then Weather Ball.

Rollout ~ Rollout/Secret Power ~ Rollout/Weather Ball

All right, Deru, you can do this, I know it. I'm gonna need you to move around a bit, but you're a strong girl. You can handle it, especially since your paralysis is starting to wear off a little bit. Our goal here is to get Tilda down to critical health, so we can finish her off next round.

For starters, watch whether Tilda manages to break free from the Fire Spin or not, because I don't know whether that will be possible. If she does break free, then let's Flamethrower her as she approaches with Rollout, and then take the first hit from that attack - as she's burned and it's a very weak attack to start with, hopefully it won't hurt to much. Continue with Detect to dodge the second hit of Rollout without stopping its momentum like Protect would, and finally I want you to endure the third hit, which will be painful but won't kill you, and use Counter.

If, however, Tilda isn't able to break free, that limits her options a great deal. In that case, we're going to want to switch to Physical attacks, so that we can avoid the effects of that Light Screen - use Flame Charge to power through all the snow and get yourself over there next to her, possibly even standing inside the Fire Spin tornado, which you shouldn't mind doing given your Flash Fire. If paralysis prevented you from getting there on action 1 (or you just didn't get far enough), then try again on action 2, and if you are next Tilda by that point then use Super Fang. Action 3, if you haven't reached Tilda yet then use Fire Blast, and if you have reached her then use Fire Fang.

Flamethrower / Flame Charge ~ Detect / Flame Charge / Super Fang ~ Counter / Fire Blast / Fire Fang

I have to be about the only one in this league who consistently uses more conditionals when I command second than my opponents do when they command first.

Format: 3v3 Single
Style: Switch
DQ: 7 Days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, Weather Moves
Arena Description: Somewhere in Siberia
One of the coldest places on the planet, and right in the middle of winter, too. Even a "warm" day here is barely more than -10°. The battleground is relatively flat, with a couple of hills on either side. The ground is also covered with thick snow - this impairs movement for all terrestrial pokémon equivalent to a stat drop of -1 Speed, though if it's gotten rid of somehow this speed impairment will vanish. It's constantly snowing here, though not hailing - this snow will act like hail except without the residual damage.

The bitter cold makes it difficult to concentrate, and you have to keep your body temperature up. If a pokémon does not physically move while using their action, they will take 3% Ice-type damage from the cold and lose 2% Energy, with the exception of Fire-types, Ice-types, and pokémon with the abilities Thick Fat, Ice Body or Snow Cloak. This damage can also be avoided by using or being hit by an attack that generates heat - most Fire-type attacks, or Scald, even if the user doesn't move around while using or getting hit by the attack. Finally, Sheer Cold is useable in this battle, but its effect changes - instead of being a one-hit KO move, it now has a 100% chance of Freezing the opponent completely, and it maintains an unconditional 30% accuracy.

There is no water source unless one is to melt the snow first. Any water on the ground will freeze into ice three actions after it appears there, and any snow scraped off of the ground somehow will reappear in three actions.

Click to expand...

Round 18

Superbird XXO


Health: 44%
Energy: 50%
(Deru) Houndour [F] <Flash Fire > @Lucky Egg
Commands: Flamethrower/Flame Charge ~ Detect/Flame Charge/Super Fang ~ Counter/Fire Blast/Fire Fang
Status: Going in for the kill. Special Attack -2, Paralyzed (moderate), Badly poisoned (4% this round, 5% the next)

ultraviolet OXX


Health: 37%
Energy: 43%
(Tilda Swinton) Snorunt [F] <Ice Body> @Dawn Stone
Commands: Rollout ~ Rollout/Secret Power ~ Rollout/Weather Ball
Status: Feeling claustrophobic. Special Attack -1, trapped in a Fire Spin (3 more actions), Water Pulse spited, Burned (moderate), protected by Light Screen (4 more actions)

Tilda, to put it frankly, didn’t have any time left to be afraid. Vaulting herself with her stubby arms, she pushed herself upside down, balancing momentarily on the tip of her teepee. Not giving Gravity a chance, she began to spin viciously, turning into an angry and icy top that seemed to conduct the flames. Gritting her teeth, she tilted full force into the fire tornado. The flames seemed to tear at her skin, but she powered through. She soon seemed to be fighting a losing effort, but defeat was not an option. Finally, with one last push, she worked herself out of the flames, leaving them to dissipate without a captive. Out of the flames she did not halt her spin, but Deru was out of reach.

The Houndour did not hide her surprise. This Snorunt had panache. Still, she felt the advantage was still with her. Keeping a close eye on the revolving tent, she breathed out another stream of flames, this one much beefier than the one she had used to trap Tilda. They advanced hungrily over the battlefield, and though many were deflected by the iridescent barrier, they managed to entirely wrap the Snorunt in frenzied tendrils. The blaze managed to locate Tilda’s burn in the chaos. They chomped at it, simply adding to the agony. Still, she pushed through the second wave of flames with the same unrelenting determination, facing Deru once more.

The twister was well on its way again, setting a direct course for Deru. Tilda braced for an impact, but Deru was not so easily reached. The Houndour had not simply dodged to the side around the hurtling cyclone, Deru had decided that the best course of action was to jump over it. Fighting her aching muscles as well as the infuriated Snorunt, Deru just barely made the jump. Tilda’s feet came within an inch of Deru’s same appendages. But, alas, the avoidance was perfect. Deru landed back on the snow and quickly turned around to face the frustrated Tilda, who had barrelled into a snow bank unceremoniously.

Play time was over. Tilda brought herself back to an inverted position and started the twister again, now unwilling to take no for an answer. This time, it seemed Deru was going to submit. Tilda crashed into the Houndour and expected to bowl her over, even if her momentum had been gravely damaged by the collision with the snowbank. And yet, Deru was not so easily toppled. As Tilda pinballed away, Deru reached out with her maw and took a bite of the Snorunt’s canvasing. Snarling ferociously, Deru whipped Tilda around and sent her flying in the opposite direction, bouncing roughly against the permafrost that she cut through to. Still, her spin was not stopped, and as she righted herself, she began to circle the Houndour. This was far from over.

End of Round 18

Superbird XXO


Health: 37%
Energy: 42%
(Deru) Houndour [F] <Flash Fire > @Lucky Egg
Status: Drooling maniacally. Special Attack -2, Paralyzed (moderate), Badly poisoned (5% this round, 6% the next)

ultraviolet OXX


Health: 24%
Energy: 36%
(Tilda Swinton) Snorunt [F] <Ice Body> @Dawn Stone
Status: Embracing her inner washing machine. Special Attack -1, Water Pulse spited, Burned (severe), protected by Light Screen (1 more action), Rollout at 60BP

Arena Notes:
-N/A

Ref Notes:
-I don’t know how you’ve managed it, Superbird, but Deru has survived the paralysis roll every single action. Buy a lottery ticket
-It would have been a coin flip when it came to escaping Fire Spin with the reduced Special Attack and the Burn cancelling each other out. As the Fire Spin was not fresh, I tilted the scales 55-45 in Tilda’s favour. She managed the escape, but just barely (she needed 55 or lower, she got a 54), so she did not have the momentum to score a hit on Deru. Tilda also took 2% damage from going through the flames, and it cost her an extra point of energy
-Flamethrower aggravated Tilda’s burn, so it now deals 4% damage/round as opposed to 3%
-Detect stopped Rollout’s momentum anyways, as the move very much missed
-Superbird commands next

Deru, we have a healthy lead, and if we try, we can make this the last round. So let's do it, and win this battle!

First of all, Action 1. Even with our Special Attack drop, Fire Blast will hit hard enough. So do that. Use Nasty Plot instead if you see a Protect coming, and try Fire Fang if you see a Light Screen.

Action 2. If Tilda is still rollouting (that is, she used Rollout on action 1 and is continuing to do so on action 2), use Counter. Elsewise, another Fire Blast, or Nasty Plot in case of Protect.

And, action 3, you should Protect yourself, if Tilda is still standing by then.

Fire Blast / Nasty Plot / Fire Fang ~ Counter / Fire Blast / Nasty Plot ~ Protect

hmm, but what if we use Rollout again?!?!

Rollout x 3

Format: 3v3 Single
Style: Switch
DQ: 7 Days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill, Weather Moves
Arena Description: Somewhere in Siberia
One of the coldest places on the planet, and right in the middle of winter, too. Even a "warm" day here is barely more than -10°. The battleground is relatively flat, with a couple of hills on either side. The ground is also covered with thick snow - this impairs movement for all terrestrial pokémon equivalent to a stat drop of -1 Speed, though if it's gotten rid of somehow this speed impairment will vanish. It's constantly snowing here, though not hailing - this snow will act like hail except without the residual damage.

The bitter cold makes it difficult to concentrate, and you have to keep your body temperature up. If a pokémon does not physically move while using their action, they will take 3% Ice-type damage from the cold and lose 2% Energy, with the exception of Fire-types, Ice-types, and pokémon with the abilities Thick Fat, Ice Body or Snow Cloak. This damage can also be avoided by using or being hit by an attack that generates heat - most Fire-type attacks, or Scald, even if the user doesn't move around while using or getting hit by the attack. Finally, Sheer Cold is useable in this battle, but its effect changes - instead of being a one-hit KO move, it now has a 100% chance of Freezing the opponent completely, and it maintains an unconditional 30% accuracy.

There is no water source unless one is to melt the snow first. Any water on the ground will freeze into ice three actions after it appears there, and any snow scraped off of the ground somehow will reappear in three actions.

Click to expand...

Round 19

Superbird XXO


Health: 37%
Energy: 42%
(Deru) Houndour [F] <Flash Fire > @Lucky Egg
Commands: Fire Blast/Nasty Plot/Fire Fang ~ Counter/Fire Blast/Nasty Plot ~ Protect
Status: Drooling maniacally. Special Attack -2, Paralyzed (moderate), Badly poisoned (5% this round, 6% the next)

ultraviolet OXX


Health: 24%
Energy: 36%
(Tilda Swinton) Snorunt [F] <Ice Body> @Dawn Stone
Commands: Rollout x3
Status: Embracing her inner washing machine. Special Attack -1, Water Pulse spited, Burned (severe), protected by Light Screen (1 more action), Rollout at 60BP

Tilda tilted back towards Deru, who was anxiously following the Snorunt with her snout. Plowing through the powder, the yellow twister put everything behind her next collision. This one was twice as strong as the one before, and it flung Deru off of her paws and into the looping track that Tilda had carved. Deru, whipping her head around to shake off some snow, had only a split second to decide on her next course of action. Glaring through the winds, she could just make out the translucent barrier that divided the arena. The one which Tilda would happily retreat behind. That was all Deru needed.

Hardly feeling the stiffness in her legs, the hound stampeded forward, tongue lolling and spittle flying in a show of adrenaline-fueled ferocity. The flames came again, but this time they encircled Deru’s fangs, not leaving their master so soon. Deru paraded past the barrier and caught the fretful Tilda in his bite. He let the flames sink in to her yellow coating, creating black marks, burned battle scars. Like a chew-toy, he wrangled Tilda and threw her aside. Miraculously, she landed back on her top and continued her dangerous spin, now having worked her way through to the frozen soil like some possessed drill.

The screen finally melted into oblivion, leaving Tilda perilously exposed. Her own vulnerability was not on her mind, however. She had bigger fish to fry. Ravaging the arena as she advanced, Tilda relied on pure instinct to locate her opponent, who was licking her own wounds and electing to watch closely. Tilda released an unprecedented howl as she thundered forward. Deru was stoic. The crash was mighty, and spikes of pain coursed through Deru’s frail form. But the Snorunt had fallen right into her trap. Unleashing a scream much more powerful than Tilda’s, Deru extended her front paws and, like a demented game of whack a mole, pounded Tilda downward. The Snorunt, at a whistling velocity, immediately cracked the earth and began to burrow into soil. While snow had been easy to whip out of the way, spinning through solid ice and rock was unbearably agonizing. Tilda felt herself passing out as the pain mounted. Darkness…

…Deru howled again, this time in triumph. Unconscious, Tilda stopped rotating, leaving her a stake bashed into the earth. Her trainer brought her back to her Pokeball, where she could take a well-deserved rest. Deru herself was also returned, but not before Superbird rushed forward and nuzzled his champion. Following that, he, ultraviolet, and the referee shook hands. A problem soon arose, as none of the three trainers could identify the direction which they had come from, their footsteps long replaced by more snow. Natalie the Xatu was hastily released, much to the wisebird’s displeasure. Fuming, she nonetheless teleported the group back to ASB Central.

In a few minutes, the arena was as tranquil as before.

End of Round 19

Superbird XXO


Health: 6%
Energy: 21%
(Deru) Houndour [F] <Flash Fire > @Lucky Egg
Status: Panting, but gleeful. Special Attack -2, Paralyzed (moderate), Badly poisoned (6% this round)

ultraviolet XXX


Health: 0%
Energy: 24%
(Tilda Swinton) Snorunt [F] <Ice Body> @Dawn Stone
Status: KO’d!

Arena Notes:
-N/A

Ref Notes:
-Again, no parafailing from Deru
-That’s the match, everybody! Superbird, as the winner, receives $24, ultraviolet takes home $12, and I get $15. Seven gets 1 EXP, Firestrike gets 2 EXP and can now evolve, Quabbel gets 2 EXP and can now evolve, Dorito gets 3 EXP and can now evolve, Tilda gets 1 EXP and can now evolve, and Deru gets 4 EXP and can now evolve. Congratulations on the bigger beasts!
-This battle lasted so long (I will take 99% of the responsibility for that) that I feel a bit empty inside now that it’s over. Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of a battle starting on 02/05 ending 205 days after it began

this. was. great.

Really, really, well played, ultraviolet. And thanks so much for reffing it, Eta, I just looked so forward to these every time.

Thanks for this battle Superbird! (sorry I'm so slow oh my god...!!) This was really fun!! And thanks for reffing Eta Carinae!