Round One
Alvyren (3/3)
Shenlong ♀
Ability: Inner Focus
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Commands: Feint ~ Swagger ~ Force Palm
Status: Psyching herself up for the battle.
Cypher (3/3)
Plevel ♀
Ability: Contrary
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Commands: Protect/Toxic/Leaf Storm ~ Leaf Storm/Toxic ~ Leaf Storm/Sunny Day
Status: Grappling with a bout of stage fright.
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Pokémon fans line the Little Cup arena, the roar of their cheers carrying throughout the arena unhindered by the nigh-indestructible transparent safety panels. They do nothing to dampen sound, after all; the audience needs to be able to hear the battle! Little Cup battles don't usually spark so much interest, but there are always a lot of people milling about, waiting around for bigger battles during Poké Cup season. With so many people with time on their hands, word spread that today's battle would feature trainers from the renowned region of Asber with some rare Pokémon from Unova on their teams—both rare sights around White City—and people rushed to fill the stands. (You could say it's
standing room only up there.)
Leading the blue team today is Alvyren, and judging by her grin, she's not worried at all about living up to all the applause Shenlong the Mienfoo is getting in her first battle back. Shenlong looks just as smug herself at first glance, cartwheeling around and walking on her hands and generally looking like a show-off. But the truth is quite different: she's trying to tune out the expectant sea of spectators, and working in some warm-up exercises in the process. And it's working; her mood and muscles both are loosening up wonderfully. Not that she expected anything less. She's always good at keeping herself collected.
And on the green team are Plevel the Snivy and her trainer Cypher. The wide-eyed Snivy garners just as much cheering for being an iconic Unovan Pokémon as Shenlong did for being a foreign curiosity. The attention is a little overwhelming, but definitely exciting. She stares at the stands as if caught in their headlights. So this is what it's like in the spotlight! Well, she doesn't get a spotlight, but someday, someday she will. And the colourful arena around her with its colourful blocks around the sides makes for a stage more than suitable for her debut. Even if the egg motif is kind of weird. As she waves around at her adoring audience, she senses that half the attention is still on Shenlong. And that's okay! Plevel doesn't mind sharing the ring. She doesn't have to get jealous, as she reminds herself; it just means she needs to be twice as awesome as her competition, which she can definitely do.
At the ref's signal to begin, Shenlong immediately dives towards Plevel, who moulds a glassy shield of energy around herself just as quickly. That
is Fake Out Plevel's seeing, right? Yeah, must be. It sure looks like it, and she definitely heard Fake Out, so nothing to worry about, right? Shenlong throws her claws at Plevel's eyes, and though they bounce off the barrier, Plevel panics and lurches backward. The barrier wavers, and Shenlong strikes again, breaking through and decking Plevel square in her pointy nose. The crowd erupts with laughter, and Plevel reflexively buries her face in her hands. Her fright doesn't last more than a moment, though. It's all in good fun, right? Chin up.
Once her chin is up, the first thing she sees Shenlong, flailing about wildly on one foot, before falling backwards dramatically. Plevel is nonplussed. Has the weasel lost her mind? But then she starts rubbing her nose, and miming the same action in front of her face, and it clicks. She's making fun of Plevel. She's making fun of her face! Plevel's chutzpah drains away, cold, consuming contempt taking its place. That just isn't okay. That's not funny! Why is everyone laughing at her? Shenlong spins cartwheels around and around Plevel, half to rub it in, half because she's just so pleased with her act.
Plevel, recovering some sass somewhere in her agonizing, rolls her eyes at Shenlong's astounding display of wit and originality, further illustrating how impressed she is with exaggerated gagging motions. And Shenlong rolls her eyes right back at this incredible display of maturity and sophistication. Surely, never has such an intellectual— Plevel spews soupy purple gunk from her mouth, complete with mock retching noises, all over Shenlong with no warning. It gets her mid-cartwheel, and with a shrill squeal, she collapses into a pretzel. The slime bubbles as it slowly disappears, soaking through her skin. And some of it got in her nose,
augh. Her body begins to feel sort of heavy, as if waterlogged, as the poison begins to circulate.
Shenlong shakes the feeling off, untangles her limbs, and marches over and gives Plevel a good, broad slap upside the head, knocking the Snivy over. Shenlong is pleased. It took ages to perfect that, but it's worth it every time. This one left a sticky purple pawprint of residue, too. Shame Plevel is immune to her own poison.
Plevel hisses in Shenlong's direction. Stupid Mienfoo with her fancy fighting and showy cartwheels. She's not so impressive. Plevel could do that just as well. She can prove it! And, hey, that'll add extra style to her big trick!
Awesome. She extends her little arms as far as they'll go, throws herself sideways, and... bashes her head into the ground. Of course. There's no way her hands could've reached the ground with that in the way. Stupid head. Stupid, stupid big head. This isn't what she wanted! She didn't want a double act, and she certainly didn't want to be on the stooge end!
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Alvyren (3/3)
Shenlong ♀
Ability: Inner Focus
Health: 99%
Energy: 87%
Actions: Feint ~ Swagger ~ Force Palm
Status: Beginning to warm up to the crowd's attention after all. Badly poisoned (1% this round, 2% next).
Cypher (3/3)
Plevel ♀
Ability: Contrary
Health: 84%
Energy: 89%
Actions: Protect ~ Toxic ~ [confused]
Status: Jealous and embarrassed. Has quite the headache. Mildly confused (two more actions at this stage); -2 attack.
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Notes:
- Yeah, I get move stats from veekun. I only look at the Attacks and Abilities Guide for effects. (And Bulbapedia only to check event moves.)
- Faking Fake Out worked because Feint is very similar in execution. So for the record, Cypher, you couldn't fake just any move.
- Alvyren posts commands first this round.
- Blame surskitty and Verne for "chutzpah".
- I sort of get the feeling this is a bit of a mess given that I've been tweaking it a ton. Need to... not do that.
Energy and Damage:
- Protect: 5% energy (4% base + 1% evolutionary stage)
- Feint: 5% energy (5% base); 5% damage (5% base)
- Swagger: 3% energy (4% base seemed a little high)
- Toxic: 6% energy (5% base + 1% evolutionary stage)
- Force Palm: 5% energy (5% base + 1% power - 1% type match); 7% damage (7% base w/ STAB)
- Plevel hurting herself in confusion: 4% damage
Tallgeese the female Mudkip <Torrent>
Shenlong the female Mienfoo <Inner Focus>
Ashura the female Vulpix <Flash Fire>
Esther the male Snivy <Overgrow>
Guide the male Chinchou <Volt Absorb>
