Vipera Magnifica and Lord of the Fireflies vs Superbird and Ether's Bane

Format: 2+2 vs 2+2 doubles
Style: Set
DQ: One week
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: OHKOs, Destiny Bond, Pain Split, Direct Recovery (except during break time), Chills limited to 3 per Pokémon
Arena Description: Team-building Exercises

The arena takes place in a stereotypical corporate office setting. The cubicle walls have been removed, and computer desks covered in financial reports and stock portfolios have been pushed aside to make room for a Pokémon battle. The walls are covered in pie charts and motivational posters, and on some desks are little trinkets and house plants.

Water from the water coolers is available for attacks that need a water source, and the indoor plants can be used for attacks that require plants, dirt, or rocks. The weather, however, cannot be affected inside the office building.

Any time both teammates use a move of the same type during an action, they increase their "synergy" and their critical hit domains will increase by one. This can only occur once per round.

Every fifth round is union mandated break time. Battlers will make their way to the break room where they can chat around the water cooler, drink coffee, and eat snacks from the company fridge. During this round, only self-targeting moves and moves that affect allies can be used. The move Snatch will not steal opponents' moves. Battlers can also use an action to eat a sandwich from the company fridge, restoring 5% health at the cost of no energy.

Click to expand...

[size=+2]Vipera Magnifica and Lord of the Fireflies vs Superbird and Ether's Bane[/size]

Team 1

Vipera Magnifica's active squad

Violent Mustelid the male Mienfoo <Regenerator> @ Bright Powder
Finbarr Galedeep the male Buizel <Swift Swim> @ Leftovers
Vile Myriapoda the female Venipede <Swarm> @ Black Sludge
Litah Alphyne the female Scraggy <Shed Skin> @ Life Orb
Calcifer the male Litwick <Flame Body> @ Eviolite
Faraday the male Eelektross <Levitate> @ Magnet
Orestes the male Larvitar <Guts> @ Lucky Egg
Super Smile Kevin the male Squirtle <Rain Dish> @ Shell Bell
Rhinestone Eyes the female Sableye <Keen Eye> @ Sachet
Metal Gear ROSS the genderless Metang <Clear Body> @ Lucky Egg

Lord of the Fireflies's active squad

Alice in Chain Chomps the female Mawile <Intimidate> @ Sachet
Hook of the Infect Boglands the male Croagunk <Anticipation> @ Sitrus Berry
Thybault Dullblade the male Kirlia <Trace> @ Dawn Stone
Jules Vernfield the male Accelgor <Hydration> @ Electirizer
Keyrielle Phlebotinum the female Klefki <Prankster> @ Red Card
Elegraff from Plastic Beaches the female Chinchou <Volt Absorb> @ Wise Glasses
Mia Rhinestone the female Sneasel <Inner Focus> @ Razor Claw
Morning Cello the female Cleffa <Magic Guard> @ Soothe Bell
Jumping Willow the female Joltik <Compound Eyes> @ Eviolite
Finn the genderless Porygon <Trace> @ Up-Grade


Team 2

Superbird's active squad

Gorouna the female Graveler <Sturdy> @ Eviolite
Jonathan the male Togepi <Serene Grace> @ Soothe Bell
Amaterasu the female Poochyena <Quick Feet> @ Expert Belt
Megabird the male Rufflet <Sheer Force> @ Lucky Egg
Wicket the male Taillow <Guts> @ Eviolite
Bill the male Quilladin <Bulletproof> @ Shell Bell
Lotta the male Luvdisc <Hydration> @ Bright Powder
Effie the female Wailmer <Oblivious> @ Leftovers
Agnes the female Prinplup <Defiant> @ Lucky Egg
Leland the male Snorunt <Moody> @ Leftovers

Ether's Bane's active squad

Milenko the male Skarmory <Sturdy> @ Rocky Helmet
Voyde the female Spiritomb <Pressure>
Cyrix the female Miltank <Scrappy> @ Leftovers
Gulch the male Durant <Swarm> @ Life Orb
Rift the female Drilbur <Sand Rush>
Karliah the female Sableye <Keen Eye>
Viskran the male Chespin <Overgrow>
Xiao8 the genderless Rotom (Wash Rotom) <Levitate> @ Leftovers
BurNIng the male Cyndaquil <Flash Fire>
Mkhitaryan the female Hawlucha <Unburden> @ Sitrus Berry

How it happens:
- Team 2 sends out
- Team 1 sends out and commands
- Team 2 commands

I'll send out Mkhitaryan.

Amaterasu, let's help Mkhitaryan out.

EDIT: Oh, right, forgot to remind everyone of Amaterasu's divinity.

(hey so if anyone has a mon with a sig move/attribute, could you link to it? thanks)

Willow's no mollow, that's my motto

As for me, I'll be using Orestes.

[Commands will go here once I've reached an agreement with LotF]

Right, time for some long overdue commands.

Orestes, team up with Willow and give her some Assurance that you'll fight hard by attacking Amaterasu. Then I want you to Taunt Mkhitaryan. On the last action, Snarl at Mkhitaryan.

Now, some conditionals: If Amaterasu is protecting or otherwise unhittable on the first action, attack Mkhitaryan instead. If the other team has already put up a Light Screen or Reflect, then Brick Break at Amaterasu.

Likewise, if Mkhitaryan is unable to be Taunted, then use Power-Up Punch on Amaterasu, and try to hit her shield, or the ground in front of her if she is protecting or unhittable. If either opponent has clones, use Natural Gift to get rid of them.

If on action three, Mkhitaryan has not been Taunted, hit her with Smack Down, or use Dark Pulse on Amaterasu if you haven't already hit her with Assurance.

Assurance @ Amaterasu / Assurance @ Mkhitaryan / Brick Break @ Amaterasu ~ Taunt @ Mkhitaryan / Power-Up Punch @ Amaterasu / Natural Gift ~ Snarl @ Mkhitaryan / Smack Down @ Mkhitaryan / Dark Pulse @ Amaterasu

Okay, Willow, nice and simple!

Discharge twice to rack up some damage and fish for a paralysis, which could help us a lot in the long run, and end by Theiving that berry. If you can give to Orestes right away, do it. If not, eat it ASAP. Do not part from your Eviolite. If both opponent Protect / Detect on the first two actions, use a Charge Beam against Mkhitaryan to nab some boost / drain their energy. On the last action, if Mkhitaryan Protects / Detects / has a Sub, Charge Beam her. If she's unhittable due to Fly or sheer distance, Charge Beam Amaterasu.

Discharge / Charge Beam@Mkhitaryan ~ Discharge / Charge Beam@Mkhitaryan ~ Thief@Mkhitaryan / Charge Beam@Mkhitaryan / Charge Beam@Amaterasu

I forgot to mention this, but Orestes, drop your Lucky Egg as soon as possible so that you may hold any item that Willow hands you.

Our opponents may have underestimated us, Amaterasu, for they didn't account for your brush powers, which I think you ought to use. Start with Greensprout from the office plants behind Orestes, to wrap him up in a vine. The speed difference between you two isn't going to be too great, and brush powers are instantaneous, so you should be able to pull it off well before he gets near you with that assurance. Once you have him wrapped up with that, try to hold him there through the entire round, for as long as you can, so that he both can't attack on Action 2 either, and so he's immobilized on action 3 so as to be an easy target for our teammate (by which time he should probably have stopped moving).

Action 2, Snarl at our opponents to soften Orestes's next blow. This isn't that important, so if you need to divert your energy to keeping him held up by vines then do so, but if you could snarl while doing that it'd be nice. After all, you're a wolfhyena. Snarling is easy for you.

By action 3, you should have taken two discharges, and there's about a 50% chance after that that you'll be paralyzed. If you are, then Quick Feet has been activated, and we're in business, so launch a nice Facade at Willow. If you're not paralyzed, then, well, that's okay too, so spread some more damage with a Hyper Voice.

Greensprout @ Orestes (hold in place) ~ Snarl ~ Hyper Voice / Facade @ Willow

Bounce up ~ Bounce down @ Willow ~ High Jump Kick @ Orestes

Team 1

Vipera Magnifica (Oo)

Orestes (M) Guts
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Status: Narrowing his eyes.
Commands: Assurance @ Amaterasu / Assurance @ Mkhitaryan / Brick Break @ Amaterasu ~ Taunt @ Mkhitaryan / Power-Up Punch @ Amaterasu / Natural Gift ~ Snarl @ Mkhitaryan / Smack Down @ Mkhitaryan / Dark Pulse @ Amaterasu

Lord of the Fireflies (Oo)

Jumping Willow (F) Compound Eyes
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Status: Fluffing her fuzz.
Commands: Discharge / Charge Beam@Mkhitaryan ~ Discharge / Charge Beam@Mkhitaryan ~ Thief@Mkhitaryan / Charge Beam@Mkhitaryan / Charge Beam@Amaterasu


Team 2

Superbird (Oo)

Amaterasu (F) Quick Feet
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Signature Attribute: Sun Demigoddess
Status: Wagging her tail. Spd -1.
Commands: Greensprout @ Orestes (hold in place) ~ Snarl ~ Hyper Voice / Facade @ Willow

Ether’s Bane (Oo)

Mkhitaryan (F) Unburden
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Status: Spreading her wings.
Commands: Bounce up ~ Bounce down @ Willow ~ High Jump Kick @ Orestes


For some runners in the rat race, Monday is a nightmarish ordeal of tedium, disappointment, and hopelessness. For Asberian members of the workforce, Monday is also nightmarish, but for different reasons. Dozens of pencil-pushers mill around their office building, looking up at the floor on which a pair of trainers take their positions. No one is sure what kind of Sunday night shenanigans led to a double battle in the most boring workplace in the country. Maybe it’s someone’s idea of a statement, or a demonstration of modern art. Or someone just wanted to get back at their boss for giving them unpaid overtime. I mean, you don’t think these battlers are the ones who are going to pay for all these damages, do you?

On one side of the floor, a plucky pup emerges in a burst of light, considering the mess that’s already been made of this place. She looks to her ally, a lively luchador who flaps her wings to clear a little of the dust left behind by long-unmoved desks. Amaterasu yips a greeting to Mkhitaryan, who responds with a flourishing wave. The two then size up their competition: a tiny yellow fuzzball who stands as tall as she can, and a stout dinosaur who seems conspicuous by nature of being the only male Pokemon around. Both teams take their positions, thinking up how to best deal with the other guys.

At the ref’s signal, Mkhitaryan springs right into action - or, more accurately, out of it. Knowing of the shocking power of little Jumping Willow despite the spider’s small size, Mkhitaryan gladly nopes out of there, leaping high enough to brush the ceiling. And not a moment too soon: electricity sizzles up in Willow’s fur, then explodes outwards, rushing through the entire floor in blinding crackles. Mkhitaryan, safe from above, watches as Orestes barely even acknowledges the Discharge sweeping over his earthy hide, but she frowns as Amaterasu yelps, fighting against the electricity ravaging her system. When the Discharge flashes out of existence, the Poochyena grunts as she wills the stiffness out of her system, but there’s no moment for a breather, since Orestes, tossing his Lucky Egg over his shoulder without a second thought, gleefully rushes up to kick her while she’s down. He grins down at her, taking care to hit her where it already hurts. Eventually he backs off, but Amaterasu, though already looking bruised, scowls at him before concentrating. With a thought, her Celestial Brush paints otherworldly streaks through the air, coloring the tired office setting with bursts of green, leafy and mossy. The Greensprout technique weaves gracefully across the room, converging on a lonely plant drooping in its pot. Orestes’s grin slips as he realizes what she’s up to, and he just has time to widen his eyes before the arcane ink touches the plant. Instantly the plant is revitalized, practically glowing with health as it straightens and stretches. Its limbs lash out, lengthening far beyond reason, and it catches Orestes in a leafy grip, squeezing almost hungrily. He hisses as it saps a good chunk of his energy from him, struggling fruitlessly to free himself.

A squawk draws everyone’s attention. Mkhitaryan, letting gravity take hold, descends with a mighty cry onto Willow’s back. She squeaks under a solid hit, not pleased at her plight of being a little bug being squished under a big bird, with even the mysterious power of her Eviolite cushioning the blow. Wiggling out from under the Hawlucha, she gathers a second stunning charge of electric power, then unleashes it upon everyone else. Amaterasu growls at the familiar blast of lightning surging through her system, but Mkhitaryan fairly screeches as the attack not only strikes for more damage on her but also locks her muscles in place. Her feathers shake as she tries to keep her composure. Orestes’s face lights up as he sees opportunity, even with Amaterasu keeping him trapped in her confining vines. With a smirk, he launches a series of calculated insults toward Mkhitaryan, wondering what a dumb bird like her even thinks she’s doing. Mkhitaryan’s vision blurs with anger, and she tosses all ideas of beating around the bush out the window. While she fumes, her ally bares her teeth in a fearsome Snarl - she might be part divinity, but she can still express righteous anger! Of course, not being a dark-type, she doesn’t exactly seem threatening, so her opponents aren’t worried … although that faint undertone warning of future violence is unsettling nevertheless.

Still, Willow’s eyes light up as she plans her next move, which shouldn’t be hard to figure out with Mkhitaryan’s current rage. Shuffling her little legs, she scuttles over to the seething Hawlucha and yoinks the Sitrus Berry right out of her claws; for a couple seconds she practically juggles the two items, struggling to control both of them, before finally tossing it toward an eagerly awaiting Orestes. With his limited mobility, he gets a fair hold of his new item, before throwing another smirk at Mkhitaryan before launching into a ferocious growl not unlike Amaterasu’s. It’s not all it could be, having been affected by the before Snarl, but it gets the job done: Mkhitaryan feels a little chill sweep over her at the promise of future humiliation. The discordant noise reverberates with the dark energy lingering from Willow's Thief, and they find themselves a little more focused than before, able to better pinpoint their foes' weaknesses. Still, it’s not all bad for Mkhitaryan, since that’s a literal load off her claws. Fighting against her quivering muscles, she manages to spring into the air, nearly touching the ceiling, before shooting down toward Orestes with one leg poised to strike. His eyes barely have time to widen before he receives a powerful bird foot to the gut, strong enough to slightly crack his rocky armor and force the air clean out of his lungs. While he struggles to get his breath back, Amaterasu takes in a breath of her own and shouts as loud as she can, ruffling the fuzz on Willow’s back but not really registering for Orestes. The echoes ring for a moment in everyone’s ears, and they all stare at each other, thinking over what they can do next …


Team 1

Vipera Magnifica (Oo)

Orestes (M) Guts
Health: 65% (capped)
Energy: 85%
Status: All tied up. Crit domain 2 (10% chance). SpA -1.
Actions: Assurance @ Amaterasu ~ Taunt @ Mkhitaryan ~ Snarl @ Mkhitaryan

Lord of the Fireflies (Oo)

Jumping Willow (F) Compound Eyes
Health: 84%
Energy: 87%
Status: Wincing sympathetically. Crit domain 2 (10% chance). SpA -1.
Actions: Discharge ~ Discharge ~ Thief @ Mkhitaryan


Team 2

Superbird (Oo)

Amaterasu (F) Quick Feet
Health: 65% (capped)
Energy: 88%
Signature Attribute: Sun Demigoddess
Status: Glad to have the last word. Spd -1.
Actions: Greensprout @ Orestes ~ Snarl ~ Hyper Voice

Ether’s Bane (Oo)

Mkhitaryan (F) Unburden
Health: 78%
Energy: 89%
Status: Blood pumping, muscles aching. Paralyzed (severe, 23% chance of failure, ¼ base speed). Unburden active (doubled speed). Taunted (2 more actions). SpA -1.
Actions: Bounce (up) ~ Bounce (down) @ Willow ~ High Jump Kick @ Orestes


Arena Notes:
- Amaterasu is keeping Orestes captive via a mutant resurrected potted plant.
- A Lucky Egg has rolled somewhere into this mess.


Calculations:
- Orestes‘s health: 100% - 5% (Greensprout) - 4% (Snarl) - 24% (High Jump Kick) - 5% (Hyper Voice) = 65% (capped)
- Orestes‘s energy: 100% - 7% (Assurance) - 4% (Taunt) - 4% (Snarl) = 85%
- Jumping Willow‘s health: 100% - 8% (Bounce) - 2% (Snarl) - 6% (Hyper Voice) = 84%
- Jumping Willow‘s energy: 100% - 4% (Discharge) - 4% (Discharge) - 5% (Thief) = 87%
- Amaterasu’s health: 100% - 10% (Discharge) - 18% (Assurance) - 10% (Discharge) = 65% (capped)
- Amaterasu’s energy: 100% - 2% (Greensprout) - 4% (Snarl) - 1% (hold Orestes) - 4% (Hyper Voice) - 1% (hold Orestes) = 88%
- Mkhitaryan’s health: 100% - 15% (Discharge) - 4% (Thief) - 3% (Snarl) = 78%
- Mkhitaryan’s energy: 100% - 2% (Bounce) - 2% (Bounce) - 7% (High Jump Kick) = 89%


Other Notes:
- Speed order: Jumping Willow (65) > Mkhitaryan (59) > Orestes (41) > Amaterasu (25).
- Since the battle is indoors, the sky is not visible, so Amaterasu has reduced speed due to her sig attribute.
- The second Discharge paralyzed Mkhitaryan.
- Amaterasu hit the damage cap on the second action.
- Amaterasu’s Snarl lowered Orestes’s and Willow’s special attack.
- Based on this, Willow’s Thief gambit was possible, though handling two items at once, even very briefly, cost a slight energy penalty.
- Mkhitaryan’s Unburden ability was activated due to Thief.
- Orestes’s Snarl lowered Mkhitaryan’s special attack.
- Orestes and Willow synergized on the third action, both using dark-type moves.
- Orestes hit the damage cap on the third action.


Next Round:
- Team 2 commands
- Team 1 commands

Evading DQ times by just a little, but hey, we can work with this.

Ammy, let's try to make our goal for this round to make both our opponents hit the damage cap. We'll have to rely on our teammate for some help with that, but otherwise it's probably doable. In general, we'll take responsibility for Orestes, and we'll get most of the way there in one fell swoop with Super Fang. Don't use this on a protect, or if you otherwise aren't going to be able to hit Orestes (Substitute included - if he has one up, ignore it until Mkhitaryan takes care of it, being better-equipped to do so as he is with his typing). Do not use Super Fang more than once in the round, and if you do use it must deal damage (or miss, but would have dealt damage if it would have hit - may the RNG be merciful). If Orestes has clones, don't chance Super Fang, and just Snarl instead according to the following conditional (probably do this on the action when Orestes gets the clones) - being a spread move, it should take care of them.

If you're not using Super Fang, there are two other things you might be doing. If Orestes can't get hit by Super Fang because of Protect or Substitute, but Snarl would be able to hit, use Snarl on both of your opponents. Super Fang is going to burn through almost the full damage cap on Orestes, and we'd rather not waste our damage points fighting against the cap. Super Fang plus Snarl will ensure Orestes hits the cap, and if he makes a Substitute of any kind that'll do it too, so no need for Snarl. (Recap: Use Snarl if all of the following are true: You wouldn't otherwise be using Super Fang, Orestes hasn't sustained any damage besides damage from your Super Fang attack [Substitute would count as sustaining damage], and Snarl would successfully hit and deal damage to Orestes.)

If none of the above apply, Fire Fang on Willow.

Super Fang @ Orestes / Snarl @ both / Fire Fang @ Willow x3