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Welcome to The Cave of Dragonflies forums, where the smallest bugs live alongside the strongest dragons.
Guests are not able to post messages or even read certain areas of the forums. Now, that's boring, don't you think? Registration, on the other hand, is simple, completely free of charge, and does not require you to give out any personal information at all. As soon as you register, you can take part in some of the happy fun things at the forums such as posting messages, voting in polls, sending private messages to people and being told that this is where we drink tea and eat cod.
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1 vs 1
DQ: 3 days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: OHKOs, direct healing, Pain Split, moves that KO the user; Chills are restricted to 3 uses in the match
Arena: Centrico Plaza
Centrico Plaza is the crown jewel resting in the core of Lumiose City. Just the Prism Tower, standing at the very center of it, is already one of the most widely recognized landmarks of the entire region; and even the rest of the location isn't too shabby, with verdant gardens, beautifully patterned cobblestone pathes, the sound of the river running underneath the floor, and a surrounding circle of mid-height Kalosian houses, the splendorous local arquitecture adorning the plaza as a foil. Many businesses have come into being at the ground floors of the area, but today, the world-famous roundway of egg hatching is all Asber's, with barriers sealing off all of the many roads leading into the city's very own hub -- and of course, curious crowds gathering at the edges to watch the competition.
For this round of the tournament, each player has been loaned a fresh Pokémon from Kalos. Battles in this round will not last longer than five rounds; if neither Pokémon has fainted by the end of the fifth round, the winning trainer will be the one with the greatest sum of health and energy remaining on their Pokémon.
RespectTheBlade's rental Pokémon
female Helioptile <Dry Skin> @ Oran Berry
Music Dragon's rental Pokémon
female Hawlucha <Unburden> @ Oran Berry
Up next:
1.Music Dragon issues commands
2.RespectTheBlade issues commands
Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Hawlucha! This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Now, you see that lizard thing over there? That one, right there. We're going to beat it up. But we're not gonna do it with fists, oh no! I mean, yes, we are, but later.
Step one: safety precautions! Use Mud Sport for less zapping. There's plants growing here, so I bet you can find some nice dirt to roll around in.
Step two: beat it up with sunlight! That means using Sunny Day.
Step three: actual punching. Use Power-Up Punch, or if you're unable to attack, fall back on Swords Dance. But if that lizard tries to cancel your sunlight, set it right back up again!
Mud Sport ~ Sunny Day ~ Sunny Day (if cancelled) / Swords Dance (if unable to attack) / Power-Up Punch
So, sun, huh? We're slower, so there's not really any avoiding that Mud Sport. So, let's start off with Glare. Next, use Rock Tomb to further solidify the speed difference, and finish with a nice Rain Dance to wash off that mud.
1 vs 1
DQ: 3 days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: OHKOs, direct healing, Pain Split, moves that KO the user; Chills are restricted to 3 uses in the match
Arena: Centrico Plaza
Centrico Plaza is the crown jewel resting in the core of Lumiose City. Just the Prism Tower, standing at the very center of it, is already one of the most widely recognized landmarks of the entire region; and even the rest of the location isn't too shabby, with verdant gardens, beautifully patterned cobblestone pathes, the sound of the river running underneath the floor, and a surrounding circle of mid-height Kalosian houses, the splendorous local arquitecture adorning the plaza as a foil. Many businesses have come into being at the ground floors of the area, but today, the world-famous roundway of egg hatching is all Asber's, with barriers sealing off all of the many roads leading into the city's very own hub -- and of course, curious crowds gathering at the edges to watch the competition.
For this round of the tournament, each player has been loaned a fresh Pokémon from Kalos. Battles in this round will not last longer than five rounds; if neither Pokémon has fainted by the end of the fifth round, the winning trainer will be the one with the greatest sum of health and energy remaining on their Pokémon.
Unlike most of their fellow trainers, RespectTheBlade and Music Dragon had managed to find their way to Centrico Plaza fairly easily. Neither was missing any shoes, nor had they made the grievous error of saving their progress in the innocuous-looking outer city circle. Nevertheless, they still had to wait for their match to begin, as their referee was running from battle to battle, frantically waving flags and blowing whistles. Finally, the metal dragon staggered over, panting, and handed one Pokeball to each trainer.
From RespectTheBlade’s ball a Helioptile materialized. The small yellow reptile, who was quickly named Gauss, briefly squinted at the sun, but managed to adjust. She turned to her trainer and shuffled happily, her feet making a pitter-pattering noise on the pavement. Meanwhile, Music Dragon was crouched down in front of his Hawlucha, whispering to her while shooting conspiratory glances at Gauss and making punching motions.
@Oran Berry
Hawlucha (F) <Unburden>
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
Status: Readying her fists. Commands: Mud Sport ~ Sunny Day ~ Sunny Day/Swords Dance/Power-Up Punch
Hawlucha looked around the plaza for some water to wet the ground with, but the only sign of water was the sound of a stream running underneath the pavement. Shrugging, she rolled around on the ground anyway, trying to get as much grit into her short fur as possible. She even rolled on pieces of old gum and sticky candy wrappers, for good measure. As she tumbled about, she flapped her wings about, sending dirt at Gauss. The muck lodged in the Helioptile’s scales. She shook herself in mild irritation, and though some of it flew off, enough remained to interfere with her electric abilities.
Gauss didn’t actually mind the Mud Sport overmuch, but she worked up an impressive glower anyway. Puffing up her body and standing on her toes to make herself look as big as possible, she stormed towards Hawlucha, a murderous glint in her eyes. Hawlucha shrunk back in terror, but Gauss kept advancing, until Hawlucha was crouched, cowering, on the ground. Gauss loomed above her opponent, spread her ear frills, and gave a menacing hiss. Hawlucha could not respond, not even to throw up an arm to defend herself; she had never truly known the meaning of “petrified” until now.
Gauss assumed her normal posture, pleased to note that Hawlucha was still breathing hard and trying to gather her wits. She leapt back a fair distance and began to shuffle on the ground again, this time putting her feet down more forcefully. In response, the pavement around Hawlucha slowly rose up, crushing her in a prison of cement. Hawlucha cried out as a particularly heavy piece fell on her leg. She flexed it gingerly, and a sharp shooting pain told her she’d be limping for quite some time.
Between Gauss’ threatening display and suddenly being enclosed in a dark prison of rock, Hawlucha felt too anxious to attempt her next move, even though bright sunlight may have lifted her mood. Gauss had a very different idea of a nice day, though. Her shuffling sped up, beating out a frantic rhythm, the patter of her feet sounding like raindrops hitting the ground. Sure enough, dark clouds began to move in, and within moments a rainstorm was unleashed upon Lumiose City. All non-Asberians gave a collective groan, there was much discontented swearing in French, and someone threw a soggy soufflé at Gauss, though she managed to dodge it without much trouble.
The cold rain managed to shock Hawlucha out of her miserable stupor. Forcing her stiff limbs to cooperate, she pushed away some cement to give her a clear view of the sky. With the help of an ancient sun hymn she began to form a white-hot orb between her palms, which sizzled in protest every time a raindrop hit it. When the song was finished, Hawlucha launched the ball skyward. It disappeared into the belly of a cloud, then burst apart in a dazzling white wave, instantly shredding all clouds that had gathered and revealing the sun in its full glory. Lumiose City residents cheered at the sight, but Gauss grumbled unhappily. The harsh rays were already starting to dry her skin, resulting in a painful itch that was sure to grow worse.
RespectTheBlade (O)
@Oran Berry
Gauss (F) <Dry Skin>
Health: 99%
Energy: 88%
Status: Wishing for some shade. Commands: Glare ~ Rock Tomb ~ Rain Dance
Music Dragon (O)
@Oran Berry
Hawlucha (F) <Unburden>
Health: 94%
Energy: 92%
Status: Still feeling quite nervous. -1 speed. Paralyzed (severe) Commands: Mud Sport ~ paralyzed ~ Sunny Day
Terrain notes
Mud Sport is in effect (3 more actions).
Sunny Day is in effect (8 more actions).
Final notes RespectTheBlade attacks first next round.
I’d normally give Mud Sport a duration of 9 actions, but since there wasn’t any suitable mud, I reduced it to 6. Rain Dance wasn't in effect for a full action so I didn't dock any additional actions from Mud Sport's duration.
Hawlucha was paralyzed on the 2nd action.
We seem to have the speed advantage (for now) so let's try something. Lead with Electric Terrain, to nullify the mudsport for the most part. Next, use Parabolic Charge twice. If you're unable to attack, or he protects, use Agility first, followed by Rain Dance
Electric Terrain ~ Parabolic Charge/Agility ~ Parabolic Charge/Rain Dance
Great job, Mrs. Hawlucha! This could be the beginning of a beautiful battle.
Now, you see that café over there? That one, right there. I'm going to march in there and order a chai latte. But I'm not gonna do it with fists, oh no! I mean, yes, I am, but later.
Look, I haven't been in Lumiose since high school, okay? So I'm just gonna pop in real quick and get my fix. You look like you've got this under control, you'll survive without me for a round or two. What's that? Commands? Oh, uh, I dunno. Use Encore and then Drain Punch twice. Don't give me that look! You'll be fine!
Hawlucha: Encore ~ Drain Punch ~ Drain Punch
Music Dragon: Go to nearby café ~ Browse coffee menu ~ Order chai latte / Complain about lack of chai latte on the menu
1 vs 1
DQ: 3 days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: OHKOs, direct healing, Pain Split, moves that KO the user; Chills are restricted to 3 uses in the match
Arena: Centrico Plaza
Centrico Plaza is the crown jewel resting in the core of Lumiose City. Just the Prism Tower, standing at the very center of it, is already one of the most widely recognized landmarks of the entire region; and even the rest of the location isn't too shabby, with verdant gardens, beautifully patterned cobblestone pathes, the sound of the river running underneath the floor, and a surrounding circle of mid-height Kalosian houses, the splendorous local arquitecture adorning the plaza as a foil. Many businesses have come into being at the ground floors of the area, but today, the world-famous roundway of egg hatching is all Asber's, with barriers sealing off all of the many roads leading into the city's very own hub -- and of course, curious crowds gathering at the edges to watch the competition.
For this round of the tournament, each player has been loaned a fresh Pokémon from Kalos. Battles in this round will not last longer than five rounds; if neither Pokémon has fainted by the end of the fifth round, the winning trainer will be the one with the greatest sum of health and energy remaining on their Pokémon.
Upon hearing her commands, Gauss sighed slightly. She would’ve vastly preferred bringing back the rain to soothe her stinging skin, but she supposed that creating an environment suited for her electrical attacks wasn’t a bad choice. She started up her characteristic shuffling, electrifying her feet and then the pavement when her little paws came in contact with the ground. Knowing what was coming next, Music Dragon sprinted off to the nearest café, tossing battle commands over his shoulder as he went. Soon, Centrico Plaza was positively sparking with electricity. People yelped in surprise as each footstep was punished by an unpleasant static shock, and within moments the plaza was practically empty as people huddled at the mouths of alleyways, too afraid to venture onto the electrified ground. A few enterprising trainers called upon their Pokemon to fly them across the plaza, and the air traffic around Prism Tower steadily grew and became more chaotic.
Hawlucha initially hopped from foot to foot in an effort to avoid the unsettling tingly feeling but, upon realizing that it was pointless, stood poised on her toes. She stared at the café that her trainer had disappeared into and gave a confused cry, which was answered by a bang loud enough to shake the furniture outside of the shop and an outraged “what do you mean you don’t serve chai lattes here?” Hawlucha looked a little lost but, since her trainer appeared to be busy, decided to work with what she had. She turned towards Gauss and cheered loudly, which caused the Helioptile’s ears to prick up. Now that Gauss’ attention was on her, Hawlucha began to hop from foot to foot again – hopefully Gauss would interpret that as excitement rather than discomfort – and endlessly praised her talent with electricity. What a shocking performance! Pleased, Gauss stood taller and puffed out her little chest.
So delighted was Gauss with Hawlucha’s enthralled attention that she decided to completely ignore her trainer’s orders. Again she focused electricity in her feet and transferred it to the ground beneath her, but electrified as it already was, Gauss’ efforts proved to be rather pointless. Well, at least Hawlucha appeared to be enjoying it. In truth, Hawlucha was inwardly cringing at every little shock that traveled up her legs, but she continued cheering and clapping regardless.
Sadly for Gauss, Hawlucha had to stop the flattery to execute her next command. She clenched a fist and surrounded it with tannish Fighting energy. Forcing her stiff muscles to cooperate, she ran at Gauss, striking her in the stomach with her fist. Gauss cried out in pain as she was tossed several feet backwards, the beginnings of a bruise already forming on her belly. The point at which Hawlucha struck at was still enveloped in a light brown aura, and as Gauss watched, the aura lifted off her skin and flew towards Hawlucha, spreading itself on her various bruises and healing them completely.
Gauss felt that the painful interruption was the height of impropriety, but perhaps Hawlucha would reconsider her uncouthness given another performance of Electric Terrain. Gauss put her all into the execution, thin streamers of electricity arcing from her toes and her shuffling twice as fast as normal. Hawlucha clapped and cheered again, but quickly abandoned her enthusiastic façade in favour of preparing another Drain Punch. She lashed out powerfully, this time catching Gauss in the shoulder. Gauss was tossed onto the pavement in a pitiful heap, managing to shakily find her footing only after a moment of pained whining. On the other hand, Hawlucha felt better than ever; the stolen vitality had all but restored her to peak condition, except for her stiff muscles and aching leg.
RespectTheBlade (O)
@Oran Berry
Gauss (F) <Dry Skin>
Health: 78%
Energy: 73%
Status: In a considerable amount of pain. Encored (1 more action). Commands: Electric Terrain ~ Electric Terrain ~ Electric Terrain
... Okay, I'm back. The mission was a failure. This city just isn't the same anymore. Anyway, what'd I miss?
Oh my! Mrs. Hawlucha, you're positively glowing! This battle is going swell. Alright, the next thing you need to do is use Earthquake. What? Why are you giving me that look? Earthquake, Hawlucha, do you know it? The move that shakes the ground and wins? Ugh, okay. I guess we'll have to improvise.
Start off with a Focus Punch. That's kinda like an Earthquake in a fist. You should have a free shot while the lizard is still Encored.
After that, I guess start throwing punches left and right! More Drain Punches! If you can't use Drain Punch or can't reach your target, just join me in a Swords Dance instead - for some reason the floor is feeling very tingly and I just can't stop moving my feet!
At all times, if the sunlight stops, make sure you get it back! That's an order!
Focus Punch/Sunny Day ~ Drain Punch/Swords Dance/Sunny Day ~ Drain Punch/Swords Dance/Sunny Day
Alright, let's try something stupid. Use Electric Terrain + Dig to both fully electrify the ground and hopefully escape that Focus Punch. End by Chilling underground.
1 vs 1
DQ: 3 days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: OHKOs, direct healing, Pain Split, moves that KO the user; Chills are restricted to 3 uses in the match
Arena: Centrico Plaza
Centrico Plaza is the crown jewel resting in the core of Lumiose City. Just the Prism Tower, standing at the very center of it, is already one of the most widely recognized landmarks of the entire region; and even the rest of the location isn't too shabby, with verdant gardens, beautifully patterned cobblestone pathes, the sound of the river running underneath the floor, and a surrounding circle of mid-height Kalosian houses, the splendorous local arquitecture adorning the plaza as a foil. Many businesses have come into being at the ground floors of the area, but today, the world-famous roundway of egg hatching is all Asber's, with barriers sealing off all of the many roads leading into the city's very own hub -- and of course, curious crowds gathering at the edges to watch the competition.
For this round of the tournament, each player has been loaned a fresh Pokémon from Kalos. Battles in this round will not last longer than five rounds; if neither Pokémon has fainted by the end of the fifth round, the winning trainer will be the one with the greatest sum of health and energy remaining on their Pokémon.
@Oran Berry
Gauss (F) <Dry Skin>
Health: 78%
Energy: 73%
Status: In a considerable amount of pain. Encored (1 more action). Commands: Electric Terrain + Dig ~ Chill
Music Dragon (O)
@Oran Berry
Hawlucha (F) <Unburden>
Health: 100%
Energy: 81%
Status: Feeling great. -1 speed. Paralyzed (strong). Commands: Focus Punch/Sunny Day ~ Drain Punch/Swords Dance/Sunny Day ~ Drain Punch/Swords Dance/Sunny Day
Music Dragon emerged from the café with a stormy expression, the bags under his eyes clearly communicating that he had been on a quest for caffeine and had failed. Luckily, the moment he stepped out the door, a sharp static shock zipped through his leg and shook him wide awake. With a series of yelps he skipped his way back towards Hawlucha, electricity zinging through his body with every step. Despite both trainers being in an agitated state, commanding went off without a hitch and the next round began.
Gauss tilted her head in bemusement upon hearing her trainer’s commands. How on earth was she supposed to dig – a strenuous activity, especially with her tiny weak legs – and infuse the entire plaza with electricity at the same time? Besides, if she disappeared into the ground, she wouldn’t be able to bask in Hawlucha’s attention. Gauss decided once more to snub her orders in favour of getting applause. To her dismay, however, no matter how much electricity she focused in her feet, the ground wouldn’t accept it; being charged already, it repelled any further offerings of electrons. At last Gauss gave up. It was still a performance, though, so she looked eagerly at Hawlucha, expecting praise. Instead, Hawlucha’s eyes were screwed shut in concentration, one fist clenched tightly and surrounded in an intense cloak of energy that steadily grew brighter. Gauss gawked at Hawlucha’s inattention. How rude! How uncouth! Why display interest and then ignore the show? She seethed with outrage.
While Gauss stewed in her indignation, Hawlucha continued to charge her ultimate attack. It required intense focus, so the insistent static shocks that nipped at her feet impeded her progress somewhat. Eventually she gave a fearsome battle cry and sprinted forwards, leading with her glowing fist. She caught Gauss square in the jaw, and the unstable fighting energy surrounding her fist exploded on contact, violently throwing Gauss back with both the force of the punch and the terrific detonation that followed. The poor Helioptile was in too much agony to scream; her vocal cords, her entire body was paralyzed with pain. Gauss landed hard on the ground several meters away and skidded for about another half a meter before stopping. It took her a few moments to even cough weakly to clear her lungs and start breathing again, and another minute to shakily get to her feet.
Gingerly Gauss shook herself, both to shake sand out of her scales and to clear her head. She manifestly did not want to take another punch, or indeed be near this terrifying, manipulative fighter-bird-thing at all. Regretting her decision to ignore her trainer earlier, Gauss began to dig, her tiny paws managing to find a crack in the pavement and rip out chunks of asphalt to get at the softer ground below. Within moments Gauss disappeared from view, the only indicators of her presence being clots of dirt occasionally spraying from her tunnel and shuffling sounds that steadily grew fainter. She dug and dug until she was certain there was no way Hawlucha would be able to get at her. Feeling safer now, Gauss relaxed, noting happily that the damp tunnel was far kinder to her skin that the sun was. This would be a good place to take a calming nap unmolested.
Still drained from the mighty Focus Punch, Hawlucha could only pant and watch as her opponent disappeared into the ground. She looked back at her trainer for instructions to find him still hopping from foot to foot, trying to avoid the electrified ground and failing quite miserably. Though the shocks appeared to be losing their bite, Hawlucha decided to join her trainer in the dance anyway. She jumped on the spot, wincing slightly as she flexed her damaged leg, leaping higher and higher each time until she had enough altitude to perform some quick aerial acrobatics during each jump. The exercise got her blood pumping and her muscles spoiling for more action, and a surge of confidence rushed through her.
By now the plaza had gone back to normal, and a few bold pedestrians laid a few toes on the pavement. Feeling no electricity, they declared the plaza safe – and were promptly crushed by the masses of people that surged forth from the alleys, impatient to get on with their day. Air traffic lessened as trainers recalled their fliers and crossed the plaza like normal human beings. Seeing this, Hawlucha yearned to take her dance to the skies, but her legs, which felt so limber mere moments ago, were beginning to seize up. She tried to jump up regardless, but that only resulted in her stumbling and falling to the ground, where she twitched miserably.
RespectTheBlade (O)
@Oran Berry
Gauss (F) <Dry Skin>
Health: 55%
Energy: 75%
Status: Feeling pretty much like a giant bruise, though appreciating her rest. Commands: Electric Terrain ~ Dig ~ Chill
Terrain notes
Sunny Day is in effect (2 more actions).
Final notes RestpectTheBlade attacks first next round.
Electric Terrain + Dig seems to me like an unfeasible combo, so Gauss just executed them on separate actions.
I lowered Focus Punch’s base power to 120 due to the distraction from Electric Terrain.
Gauss did not take damage from Dry Skin during the last two actions, being in a tunnel and all.
Ahem. So, Gauss, let's see... We are not in a very good position yet again. Use Agility to increase your speed by running back out of the entrance you made. If you're impeded by that (for example, if that Hawlucha decides to block the entrance), then simply Dig upwards instead. Once you're on the surface, you need to use Parabolic Charge to hopefully gain back some of that lost energy. Use it once and then end with a Rock Slide. If the Hawlucha protects, then let's try using Electroweb around him to impede his future attacks.
Agility out of hole / Dig (up) ~ Parabolic Charge / Electroweb ~ Rock Slide / Electroweb
Hmm. Well, Mrs. Hawlucha, we'd better try to avoid those Parabolic Charges and Electrowebs, but how? If only there was some sort of hidey-hole nearby...
... Wait a minute! Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Mrs. Hawlucha?
Okay, here's the plan: wait for Gauss to come rushing out of that tunnel, then go inside it yourself. I'm sure you'll be able to fit, you guys are about the same size. If not, well, you're just gonna have to Dig some more I guess. Try to make yourself comfortable down there. Make it cozy. An interior designer is you!
What? You're giving me that look again!? Come on, it'll be fun! It's like a nest, for birds. But underground! Birds love that.
Anyway. Once you're in the tunnel, you need to Dig all the way up again and strike at Gauss. I know what you're thinking: seems like a detour when we could just do straight-up punching. Just trust me on this.
For your last action, we're gonna get personal, in a very literal sense. I want you to go up to Gauss and Confide in her. I think it will be interesting for all parties involved here; I, for one, am dying to find out if there is perhaps a Mr. Hawlucha in your life...
Don't look at me like that!!
Hide in Gauss' tunnel (Dig if necessary) ~ Dig (attack) ~ Confide
1 vs 1
DQ: 3 days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: OHKOs, direct healing, Pain Split, moves that KO the user; Chills are restricted to 3 uses in the match
Arena: Centrico Plaza
Centrico Plaza is the crown jewel resting in the core of Lumiose City. Just the Prism Tower, standing at the very center of it, is already one of the most widely recognized landmarks of the entire region; and even the rest of the location isn't too shabby, with verdant gardens, beautifully patterned cobblestone pathes, the sound of the river running underneath the floor, and a surrounding circle of mid-height Kalosian houses, the splendorous local arquitecture adorning the plaza as a foil. Many businesses have come into being at the ground floors of the area, but today, the world-famous roundway of egg hatching is all Asber's, with barriers sealing off all of the many roads leading into the city's very own hub -- and of course, curious crowds gathering at the edges to watch the competition.
For this round of the tournament, each player has been loaned a fresh Pokémon from Kalos. Battles in this round will not last longer than five rounds; if neither Pokémon has fainted by the end of the fifth round, the winning trainer will be the one with the greatest sum of health and energy remaining on their Pokémon.
@Oran Berry
Gauss (F) <Dry Skin>
Health: 55%
Energy: 75%
Status: Feeling pretty much like a giant bruise, though appreciating her rest. Commands: Agility out of hole/Dig (up) ~ Parabolic Charge/Electroweb ~ Rock Slide/Electroweb
Music Dragon (O)
@Oran Berry
Hawlucha (F) <Unburden>
Health: 100%
Energy: 70%
Status: Cursing her uncooperative limbs. +2 attack, -1 speed. Paralyzed (strong to moderate). Commands: Hide in Gauss' tunnel (Dig if necessary) ~ Dig (attack) ~ Confide
Gauss whined slightly upon receiving her commands. Her break was way too short and she was none too fond of the idea of facing Hawlucha again. Nevertheless she stood up and stretched each limb in turn before scrambling out of her tunnel as fast as she could, nearly tripping once or twice on the uneven floor. Hawlucha looked up in surprise as Gauss shot out of her tunnel in a yellow blur. The Helioptile continued sprinting in a wide circle, her legs limbering up and settling into the speedy rhythm. Even when she slowed down, her limbs itched to move.
Now that the burrow had been vacated, Hawlucha approached it, comparing her size with the tunnel’s mouth. To say it would be a tight squeeze would be somewhat of an understatement, so Hawlucha shrugged and began pulling out chunks of asphalt to widen the mouth. Then, she clawed at the earth underneath, using her wings to sweep back piles of dirt. Since the tunnel had already been mostly dug out for her, Hawlucha completed her task with ease, quickly vanishing beneath the floor with a cheeky wave at Gauss.
Gauss watched her opponent disappear bemusedly. Granted, she wouldn’t have to deal with massive punches to the face as of yet, but it also meant she was out of a target. Her commands didn’t specify what she should do if Hawlucha wasn’t around to attack, either. With a despairing sigh she lay down on the pavement and waited for her opponent to resurface.
It turns out that Gauss didn’t have to wait for long. A vague rumbling was her only warning before Hawlucha burst out of the ground beneath her, sending dirt and rocks flying everywhere and delivering a solid punch to Gauss’ stomach. She was tossed to the side, landing in a heap in front of her trainer’s feet, coughing and gasping as she tried to get her breath back. Weakly she pawed at her trainer’s pant leg and the Oran Berry she had stashed there in the beginning of the battle rolled out. Gauss bit down on the juicy morsel, feeling some energy seep back into her battered body. Though it helped somewhat, Gauss still felt quite beat-up, especially compared to her opponent, who was practically glowing with vitality. At least the clouds were starting to come back into the sky again, sparing Gauss from having her skin dry out even further.
Well, perhaps Gauss would have to take Hawlucha down a notch. Concentrating fiercely, she tore chunks out of the brick wall of the building closest to her (the café, incidentally. Music Dragon laughed menacingly – that’s what you get for not serving chai lattés) and brought them all crashing down on Hawlucha. The first brick neatly nailed her on the head, knocking her onto her front, and the rest piled onto her back and wings, crushing her. The first hit had left her dazed, too weak and addled to drag herself from the rocks burying her. Hawlucha simply lay there, trying to gather her wits.
RespectTheBlade (O)
@Oran Berry
Gauss (F) <Dry Skin>
Health: 44%
Energy: 68%
Status: Happy she got at least one good attack off. +2 speed. Commands: Agility out of hole ~ nothing ~ Rock Slide
Music Dragon (O)
@Oran Berry
Hawlucha (F) <Unburden>
Health: 93%
Energy: 66%
Status: Dazedly lying under a mound of bricks. +2 attack, -1 speed. Paralyzed (moderate). Commands: Dig ~ Dig (attack) ~ flinched
Terrain notes
Sunny Day has ended.
The café’s front wall has had chunks of brick taken from it and is now practically collapsing.
Hawlucha is lying under a pile of bricks.
Final notes Music Dragon attacks first next round.
Hawlucha is fairly large compared to Gauss, so she had to Dig. I reduced the energy slightly, though, since most of the tunnel was already made.
Gauss had no target on the second action and therefore did nothing.
Rock Slide caused Hawlucha to flinch on the third action. (a pity, Confide would’ve been fun to ref!)
Last round, guys! Make it count!
What? No, not you, Mrs. Hawlucha! I'll take care of the café myself, I see some loose bricks over there. As for you, well... I think Drain Punch is the way to go, to be honest. Only one round left now. If your target Protects or you can't attack her for whatever reason, just Chill instead. Boring but practical.
Actually, these are some uncharacteristically dull commands. Let's finish with something flashy: for your very last action, replace Drain Punch with Superpower!
Now, let's tear down some of these bricks. Take that, capitalism! Ha!
1 vs 1
DQ: 3 days
Damage Cap: 35%
Banned/Restricted Moves: OHKOs, direct healing, Pain Split, moves that KO the user; Chills are restricted to 3 uses in the match
Arena: Centrico Plaza
Centrico Plaza is the crown jewel resting in the core of Lumiose City. Just the Prism Tower, standing at the very center of it, is already one of the most widely recognized landmarks of the entire region; and even the rest of the location isn't too shabby, with verdant gardens, beautifully patterned cobblestone pathes, the sound of the river running underneath the floor, and a surrounding circle of mid-height Kalosian houses, the splendorous local arquitecture adorning the plaza as a foil. Many businesses have come into being at the ground floors of the area, but today, the world-famous roundway of egg hatching is all Asber's, with barriers sealing off all of the many roads leading into the city's very own hub -- and of course, curious crowds gathering at the edges to watch the competition.
For this round of the tournament, each player has been loaned a fresh Pokémon from Kalos. Battles in this round will not last longer than five rounds; if neither Pokémon has fainted by the end of the fifth round, the winning trainer will be the one with the greatest sum of health and energy remaining on their Pokémon.
Mrs. Hawlucha (and yes, it’s Mrs. Hawlucha. The referee had to dig through pile after pile of scandalous information to confirm it) shook her head to clear it of stars, then started to struggle her way out of the pile of bricks. Meanwhile, Gauss was summoning a different kind of electricity, sneakier and greedier. As soon as Mrs. Hawlucha managed to drag herself out from under the rocks, Gauss let the stored electricity fly, casting long flickering streams out in all directions. Those closest to Mrs. Hawlucha darted forward and wrapped around her. She screeched, more in surprise than pain, because the shocks actually weren’t that powerful at all. She looked at Gauss with her eyebrows raised, but Gauss didn’t notice; the Helioptile was too busy drawing energy from the ribbons of electricity ensnaring Mrs. Hawlucha. Seeing that, Mrs. Hawlucha began to struggle in earnest, determined to break free before Gauss could absorb too much of her vitality.
After a moment of flailing around, the electric streamers fell away and fizzled out of existence. Mrs. Hawlucha glared at Gauss. Time to take that stolen health back. She clenched her fist, causing a familiar brownish aura to spring out from between her fingers, then swung it towards Gauss. The fist caught Gauss in the jaw, whipping her head to the side and causing her skull to smack painfully into the pavement. The sound of impact was echoed in the background as Music Dragon took a swing at his own opponent, The Café That Did Not Serve Chai Lattés. Unfortunately, his strike was much less effective and he did little more than bruise his fist.
Mrs. Hawlucha had little time to savour the smidgen of healing before Gauss gave an angry cry and launched another set of tendrils of electricity at her. Since Mrs. Hawlucha was so close, she had no hope of dodging the attack, and the crackling ribbons quickly wrapped around her wings, her legs, her torso. Startled by the sudden pain and the electricity coursing through her body, Mrs. Hawlucha found her control over her muscles slipping. She could only gargle helplessly as her body seized up uncomfortably, held upright only by Gauss’ electric strands. Her only comfort was that her temporary trainer was punching enough for the both of them. Music Dragon ignored the pain in his knuckles and channeled his hungry rage into a particularly powerful blow aimed at the edge of the ragged hole Gauss’ Rock Slide had created. A brick clattered to the ground, and the referee craned her neck, worriedly looking in Music Dragon’s direction. “Sir,” she said, “only Pokemon are covered by Asber insurance. You could get in legal trouble for that…”
As if on cue, sirens suddenly wailed. However, that may have had to do with the fact that over half the city had been ravaged by Draco Meteors.
Gauss paid no mind to the sirens. After her Parabolic Charge had faded away, Mrs. Hawlucha had fallen on her side, seemingly still unable to move. The battle clearly hadn’t gone Gauss’ way, but here was an opportunity to strike hard and end with a bang. She tilted her head up to the sky, concentrating fiercely to manipulate electrons in the far-off clouds. The belly of one particularly large cloud crackled ominously – and that was the only warning Mrs. Hawlucha had before a magnificent pillar of lighting crashed down from the heavens, engulfing her completely. She gave a piercing scream – it was agony, she couldn’t help it – as the electricity coursed through her body, searing every last nerve, gripping at every muscle. It seemed forever before the lighting dissipated, and when it did, Mrs. Hawlucha was left lying, immobile, in a scorched circle. She was quite scorched, herself. For a moment she feared that the formidable lightning strike had aggravated her paralysis, but fortunately her muscles stopped twitching shortly after.
Slowly, Mrs. Hawlucha found her footing. Once she was steady, she braced herself low to the ground and raised both of her fists, channeling all the Fighting energy into them as she could muster. Her fists began to glow a brilliant white, too bright to look at. Gauss cringed and turned away, her eyes squeezed shut. Seeing an opening, Mrs. Hawlucha lunged forwards with a ferocious roar, bringing both of her fists down at the same time on Gauss’ back with a sickening crack. The poor Helioptile was driven into the ground so hard that the asphalt beneath her was fractured. The air was knocked clean out of Gauss’ lungs, and a massive bruise was already starting to darken the skin at the point of impact. She lay there, groaning, in too much pain to even try to find her footing. Mrs. Hawlucha backed off, panting heavily but proud of her spectacular finish.
Terrain notes
The café’s front wall has had chunks of brick taken from it and is now practically collapsing.
There is a pile of bricks a few feet away from the café.
There is also a single loose brick at the foot of the ruined café wall. Music Dragon, this is unacceptable.
Final notes
Sorry for the delay, guys!
Both Pokemon hit the damage cap on the third action.
Gauss looked to be in a rather dire state, so she was quickly recalled. Mrs. Hawlucha stayed on the field long enough to wail concernedly at Music Dragon, who was still bent on destroying the café, before being whisked away into her own Pokeball. The referee glanced around nervously, presumably eyeing the dragon fire that was quickly consuming Lumiose City. That assumption proved untrue, however, when a police car screeched into the plaza and a veritable platoon of police officers spilled out. Upon seeing this, the referee’s face took on an expression of true fear.
The officers marched over to Music Dragon. Unwilling to get very close, lest he be subjected to undercaffeinated rage as well, officer cleared his throat loudly. “Sir.” Another brick clattered to the ground. The crowd of police gave a collective gasp, and one of them fainted at the outrage of it all. “SIR.” Music Dragon turned around. “Sir, this is destruction of public property, the gravest of crimes here in Lumiose City. I’m afraid you’ll have to be thrown in prison for this.”
With an incredulous look, Music Dragon gestured at the ruined city all around them, smashed by meteors from another tournament battle. The officer’s eyes flicked around, but he seemed unimpressed. “That’s nothing,” he scoffed, “compared to… to that.” He pointed at the two bricks lying on the ground. They practically glowed with the heat of the accusation.
Suddenly, the crowd of officers parted as the referee, bundling something in her wings, shoved through to get to Music Dragon. The officer confronting him purpled with rage. “Are you interrupting the arrest of this heinous criminal?” he snarled. The referee laughed nervously. “No, no, I would never, just…” Quickly she pressed what she was holding to Music Dragon’s side, and with a scream of “NOW!” the pair Teleported away with the help of the League-owned Abra hidden beneath her wings.
It was several days later when the two battlers finally got permission to enter her office to receive their prizes. Her desk was piled high with papers, and she barely looked up as she shoved the money into the battlers’ hands. “I hope you’re happy, Music Dragon,” she grumbled. “I’ve been spending the last few days filling out paperwork to keep you out of those stinky Kalosian jail cells. I’m not letting you anywhere near chai lattés, or food in general, the next time I ref your battles.”
The battle is over and Music Dragon is the winner. Music Drago gets $10, RespectTheBlade gets $5 and a free Helioptile, and I get $10. Good game, everyone! Good luck to Music Dragon in the next tournament round, and better luck next time to RespectTheBlade (perhaps we’ll see you again in the late brackets!).
(and if you’re confused about the Draco Meteor thing, you may want to read this)
Phew! That was intense! It was an honor to do battle against you, RespectTheBlade. And a big thanks to our splendid referee! Especially for doing that thing with the thing and then I wasn't in jail! I love not being in jail, ahaha...!
female Helioptile <Dry Skin> @ Oran Berry
female Hawlucha <Unburden> @ Oran Berry
@Oran Berry
@Oran Berry