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Of course I'm not forcing you to do anything if you don't want to, but seriously, what have you got to lose? Five seconds of your life?
I suppose it's true that Sableye is lacking in high-powered STAB moves, so we'll have to improvise a little. We're not bound to weaker moves now, so I want you to hone in on Eldarach with a sucker punch. While he's caught off guard, take the opportunity to latch onto him. Really dig those sharp claws of yours deep into his fur and get a good grip, so you go with him when he tries to make his escape. Hopefully this'll make it a bit difficult for him to aim his volt switch at you from that position. If you manage to successfully cling onto him, you should be in very close range, so aim a power gem straight into his eyes to try and hinder his vision. Lastly, I want you to wait until he's about to fire off that thunder, then slip out of the way with a shadow sneak. If you have to do so at the cost of some of shadow sneak's damage, that's fine, your utmost priority is avoiding thunder.
If you don't manage to latch onto him, then try and out-wait him on the second action and use power gem when he comes into range. You're considerably slower, so I'm hoping you'll be more patient. (Now is a very bad time to be considering the merits of Stall over Keen Eye...)
Superbird (xOo) Eldarach (m) <Compound Eyes> (6 exp)
Status: 70% health / 78% energy / 148% total / 158% adjusted
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 2 (Thief, Struggle Bug)
Currently: Satisfied with how the round went, and feeling confident about the next.
Commands: Volt Switch ~ Thunderbolt ~ Thunder
Byrus (oOo) Ruya (f) <Keen Eye, Intimidate> @ Reaper Cloth
Status: 54% health / 78% energy / 132% total / 162% adjusted
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 6 (Incinerate, Thief, Fake Out, Snarl, Rock Tomb, Secret Power)
Currently: Not as healthy as she'd like to be, but prepared to give her all. -1 Special Attack.
Commands: Sucker Punch (latch on) ~ Power Gem ~ Shadow Sneak (dodge)
Field Notes
-Movement order: Eldarach (108) > Ruya (50).
-The ground is cracked heavily, and bits of rock still smoldering with dragonfire are scattered all around. In particular, there is a vaguely U-shaped pile of rubble facing Byrus's side of the arena.
-A dusty Metronome is lying on its side by Superbird's side of the arena, making a distinctly audible high-pitched whine.
Round 6
The audience cheers the battlers on as the flags come down and they square off in the center of the balcony. Both Pokemon hunch down and build up energy in their respective front limbs, Eldarach's feelers starting to crackle with electric charge and Ruya's claws flickering ominiously with darkening darkness. But before Eldarach can toss his ball of lightning at her, the Sableye rockets forward and leaps not at but onto him, pressing all her limbs into his fur, twisting ample fistfuls of it around her claws, and starting to giggle with glee at the success of her plan—hah, what a sucker! The Galvantula writhes and screeches, trying to knock Ruya off without skinning himself, but she responds by digging her claws further into him and kicking at his eyes. Eldarach winces at his opponent's ruthlessness and seems to give up his struggling… but once Ruya's grip loosens, he gives a victorious chitter and releases a burst of his built-up electricity straight into her stomach. Ruya's feet are torn loose from their place and she howls in pain, but her claws remain firmly pressed into his back.
Grimacing as his opponent digs her hands in further, the Galvantula sends a more powerful shock through her body, pumping as much power as he can into the attack. Ruya starts to glow white, and luminescent sparks of energy start to appear across her face and arms with the pop-tss of a soda can opening. Bits of ectoplasm float off her cheeks, seared cleanly away by Eldarach's Thunderbolt attack. Panicking in the moment, Ruya lets go of the Galvantula to clutch at her head with one hand, tufts of his fur still clenched tightly in the other. But Eldarach sees an opportunity and seizes it, bucking and running circles in another attempt to force Ruya off. Legs whipping back and forth as Eldarach scurries around underneath her, the Sableye gives up on batting the sparks away and wrenches her head to face the Galvantula in preparation for her next attack: Jewel Toss.
As two rubies bounce off his face and a heap of dull yellow stones soon follows, Eldarach screeches in indignation. Throwing gems is so not okay! Didn't she read the rulebook?! He starts to glow white, preparing to unleash the most powerful attack in his practical arsenal, and his eyes screw up into beads as he pinpoints his opponent's location on the balcony to focus his aim. Dark clouds spontaneously begin to gather overhead. Ruya glances up and narrows her own eyes, wondering whether this is part of her opponent's attack—but the thunderbolt Eldarach calls down travels much too quickly for her to dodge. The battlers scream in pain as the attack electrifies both of them, but Eldarach is naturally resistant to attacks of his own element, and he manages to gather his wits enough to finally fling his doubled-over opponent away. The Sableye tumbles head over heels through the air but recovers herself quickly, transforming into a dark blur and dropping into the shadows around the edge of the balcony. The shadow gradually inches forward, resembling a pooling liquid in lack of speed, and then punches Eldarach in the face.
The Galvantula splutters in shock as the darkness reforms into a tired but triumphant Ruya, but he can't take his revenge right now: the battlers' allotted three actions are up, and they dutifully take their assigned places to be judged. The audience's murmuring falls to an anticipatory hush as the referee takes out her calculator again and punches in some numbers. Soon, she raises one flag in the direction of Eldarach, declaring his and Superbird's victory. The virtual game boards on most of the spectators' phones flash with the updated score, 1-1 in neither trainer's favor, and the audience gives another round of applause as the trainers choose the Pokemon they'll use in the third and last round of the battle.
Superbird (xOo) Eldarach (m) <Compound Eyes> (6 exp)
Status: 44% health / 64% energy / 108% total / 118% adjusted
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 3 (Thief, Struggle Bug, Volt Switch)
Currently: Skittering around gleefully.
Used: Volt Switch ~ Thunderbolt ~ Thunder
Byrus (oXo) Ruya (f) <Keen Eye, Intimidate> @ Reaper Cloth
Status: 19% health / 66% energy / 85% total / 115% adjusted
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 7 (Incinerate, Thief, Fake Out, Snarl, Rock Tomb, Secret Power, Shadow Sneak)
Currently: Pondering what new bragging rights she's got from this bout: "Was jumped on by a spider"? "Rode a spider"?
Used: Sucker Punch (latch on) ~ Power Gem ~ Shadow Sneak
Field Notes
-Movement order: Eldarach (108) > Ruya (50).
-The ground is cracked heavily, and bits of burnt rock are scattered all around. In particular, there is a vaguely U-shaped pile of rubble facing Byrus's side of the arena.
-There is a donut-shaped mound of colorful jewels in the center of the arena. In its center, an odd mark resembling an asterisk has been scorched into the ground.
-A dusty Metronome is lying on its side by Superbird's side of the arena, making a distinctly audible high-pitched whine.
Action Notes
-I'm really sorry for the wait! I can say with a fairly high level of confidence that future rounds will not be this late, though.
-Eldarach is sufficiently fluffy that Ruya would easily be able to grab and maintain her grip on him, I think. Trying to hold onto something while punching it is pretty hard and Sucker Punch's damage comes from the actual punch, though (but Ruya also has two arms with which to Sucker Punch) so it dealt 3% less damage and she spent 1% energy for every action she was on him.
-Because Ruya was holding onto his back, Eldarach decided that using Volt Switch to propel himself backwards wouldn't work and tried to aim at her normally. The roll I did for this was low enough that it did work, despite the awkward angle.
-Lightning travels extremely quickly and the user doesn't telegraph Thunder, so Ruya couldn't react fast enough to dodge it using Shadow Sneak. After the attack hit her, Ruya figured that she should still use Shadow Sneak, but to deal straight-up damage instead.
-Thunder is a ranged attack, so Power Gem didn't affect its accuracy or energy cost. In hitting Ruya, though, Eldarach also dealt himself minor damage, equivalent to a Thunder Shock.
-If you have any objections to basically anything that happened here let me know, since this was an important round.
Firestrike the male Combusken <Blaze> @ King's Rock (4 exp) Gorouna the female Graveler <Sturdy> @ Eviolite Dokon the male Toxicroak <Anticipation> @ Black Sludge (4 exp) Natalie the female Xatu <Synchronize> @ Prism Scale (4 exp) Koiquen the female Gyarados <Intimidate> @ Weakness Policy Llara the female Ferrothorn <Iron Barbs> @ Moon Stone (5 exp) Eldrach the male Galvantula <Compound Eyes> @ Metronome (6 exp) Quabbel the male Frillish <Cursed Body> @ Leftovers Meta the genderless Ditto <Limber> @ Metal Powder Limonde the female Stunfisk <Static>
Byrus
Christy the female Houndoom <Flash Fire> @ Electirizer (7 exp) Jonesy the male Skuntank <Stench> @ Black Sludge Fiver the male Buneary <Run Away> @ Normal Gem Arundel the male Taillow <Guts> @ Flying Gem Prospero the male Abra <Synchronize> @ Weakness Policy Sluagh the male Gastly <Levitate> @ Colbur Berry Cleasai the male Mr. Mime <Filter> @ Twisted Spoon (6 exp) The Strand the male Eelektrik <Levitate> @ Thunder Stone Ruya the female Sableye <Keen Eye> @ Reaper Cloth Kevin the male Dratini <Shed Skin> @ Eviolite
The Masteries applying next bout will be Obstinate Orders and Skill Striker, as in this one. Next up, Superbird sends out, Byrus sends out and commands, and Superbird commands.
Cleasai! I place my trust in your creepy hands. Begin with Covet, then immediately discard that black sludge, preferably over the balcony if you can manage. Follow up with Confusion and Psybeam.
Covet (Discard Black Sludge) ~ Confusion ~ Psybeam
All right, Dokon, we can do this! Your opponent is gonna come and try to steal your Black Sludge - now, what I want you to do is Thief it back as soon as you lose it.
Next, we're going to Poison Sting, and cross our fingers. And finally - you were watching the last match, weren't you? - we're gonna do the same thing Ruya did last match and we're gonna Fake Out, to avoid getting hit by that Psybeam.
The audience's cheering grows even louder as Superbird quickly recalls his smug Galvantula and sends out a confident-looking Toxicroak clutching a glop of purple-gray muck. Byrus studies his opponent's choice for a while before selecting a spork-wielding Mr. Mime. Making giggling motions (silently of course), Cleasai instantly starts to pantomime something that's apparently very crass to Dokon, who shakes his muck glop at him before arranging it in an artful position around his neck and settling into a fighting stance. Both battlers seem fully aware that the entire battle is staked on their performance in these last three rounds as they square off in the center of the balcony, and the referee lowers her flags to begin the round.
Superbird (xoO) Dokon (m) <Anticipation> @ Black Sludge (4 exp)
Status: 100% health / 100% energy / 200% total
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 0
Currently: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Commands: Thief ~ Poison Sting ~ Fake Out
Byrus (oxO) Cleasai (m) <Filter> @ Twisted Spoon (6 exp)
Status: 100% health / 100% energy / 200% total
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 0
Currently: !(^▽^)!
Commands: Covet (discard Black Sludge) ~ Confusion ~ Psybeam
Field Notes
-Movement order: Cleasai (90) > Dokon (85).
-The ground is cracked heavily, and bits of burnt rock are scattered all around. In particular, there is a vaguely U-shaped pile of rubble facing Byrus's side of the arena.
-There is a donut-shaped mound of colorful jewels in the center of the arena. In its center, an odd mark resembling an asterisk has been scorched into the ground.
-A dusty Metronome is lying on its side by Superbird's side of the arena, making a distinctly audible high-pitched whine.
Round 7
Cleasai instantly stops the offensive pantomime and approaches Dokon warily, eyes narrowed—best not to let one's guard down around a creepy frog-thing. He soon appears to spot the Toxicroak's Black Sludge, and his eyes un-narrow and light up. Delighted, the Mr. Mime sidles up to Dokon, hands clasped together. Cleasai half-kneels and shakes his clasped-together-hands with vigor as he looks pleadingly up at his opponent, an anguished expression on his face. Dokon furrows his brow and lifts one hand to adjust his Black Sludge and scratch at the back of his neck a little sheepishly, because Cleasai's gaze is soul-melting.
At the movement Cleasai seems to become hopeful, eyes fixed firmly on Dokon's precious muck glop. The Toxicroak considers for a few seconds, then decides if his opponent wants it that badly, why not! Ignoring his trainer's worried shouts otherwise, he deftly unfastens the Black Sludge from its place on his shoulders and hands it to Cleasai. The Mr. Mime smiles, snatches up the item, and pulls the larger Pokemon into a full-body hug, seeming inordinately grateful… but then breaks away with a gleeful silent-laugh and flings the Black Sludge to the side before his fingers can draw in any of the toxic substance.
Shaking with anger, Dokon wheels on Cleasai, ready to wallop him up in the face, because such egregious mistreatment of a poor Black Sludge that never did anything to him obviously warrants being walloped up in the face. But the Toxicroak realizes he can't attack the Mr. Mime and also retrieve his stolen item, and furrows his brow again. He quickly decides on the latter as more important and glances back at his trainer for confirmation. At a nod from Superbird, Dokon starts to shudder, but not out of anger this time. Once he's finished building up the power he needs, his tongue lolls out, glowing with a peculiar darkness that definitely isn't a trick of the light, and Cleasai shrinks back, creeped out. Without warning Dokon's tongue shoots out and curls around the fallen Black Sludge, absorbing some of the muck as it zooms back towards its owner. Dokon delicately lifts the sludge off his tongue, licks his lips, and glares at Cleasai, upset his opponent would stoop to such lows.
Not wanting to close his eyes around such a creepy frog-thing, Cleasai gibbers a little more, clearly satisfied with his work, before concentrating with his eyes resolutely open. (He takes turns winking when they get dry.) The Twisted Spoon in his grip soon shifts in color from its natural silvery gray to a deep purplish crimson as Cleasai channels his energy through it to augment the normally low power of a weak Psychic attack. Across the balcony, Dokon senses a faintly impending dread and turns his gaze towards the still-focusing Cleasai, preparing to dodge whatever's coming. But when the Mr. Mime flails his arms to release his attack, Dokon's hit not bodily but mentally, a sudden wave of nausea and disorientation overtaking his planning. The Toxicroak grits his teeth, clutches at his head, and takes a few slow, deep breaths as he wills the headache to go away, but despite his best efforts it doesn't fade until Cleasai lets up on his attack, satisfied with the damage done.
Dokon hangs back for a little to see what his opponent's going to go for next. Aftershocks of pain still pound through his head intermittently, though each one is less disorienting and the Toxicroak is soon able to recover quickly enough that they're only minor nuisances. Once he figures Cleasai's done for now, he darts forward, one fist raised, and stabs the unsuspecting Mr. Mime in the ear. The blow itself is deceptively weak; Cleasai recoils backwards more out of surprise than pain, but his movement only digs Dokon's barb deeper, providing more than enough time for the poison coating it to do its work. Dokon tugs out his stinger, panting a little from exertion.
Cleasai doubles over, stricken with his own bout of nausea, and looks up at his opponent with an expression that he hopes conveys his extreme hatefulness—how dare that… that creepy frog-thing wallop him?! But Dokon isn't going anywhere, and in fact seems content to stay very much in Cleasai's personal space for the time being. The Mr. Mime frowns and tries to move away, quickly maneuvering around the artifacts of previous bouts, but Dokon follows easily, leering over him with a scary-looking leer. Growing more inordinately terrified by the second, Cleasai tries to escape but finds himself already backed into the corner of the balcony, and his opponent isn't exactly providing any openings. In the terror of the moment he completely forgets his orders to attack and just stands there shivering, until Dokon slaps him lightly and the referee lowers her flags to end the round.
Superbird (xoO) Dokon (m) <Anticipation> @ Black Sludge (4 exp)
Status: 83% health / 93% energy / 176% total / 206% adjusted
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 3 (Thief, Poison Sting, Fake Out)
Currently: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Used: Thief ~ Poison Sting ~ Fake Out
Byrus (oxO) Cleasai (m) <Filter> @ Twisted Spoon (6 exp)
Status: 90% health / 95% energy / 185% total / 195% adjusted
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 2 (Covet, Confusion)
Currently: \(Ò⺫ Ó )೨… Poisoned (mild: 2% damage/round.)
Used: Covet (discard Black Sludge) ~ Confusion ~ (flinched)
Field Notes
-Movement order: Cleasai (90) > Dokon (85).
-The ground is cracked heavily, and bits of burnt rock are scattered all around. In particular, there is a vaguely U-shaped pile of rubble facing Byrus's side of the arena.
-There is a donut-shaped mound of colorful jewels in the center of the arena. In its center, an odd mark resembling an asterisk has been scorched into the ground.
-A dusty Metronome is lying on its side by Superbird's side of the arena, making a distinctly audible high-pitched whine.
Action Notes
-I'll say again that if either of you doesn't want to wait a week or more for future reffings, check with Eifie to get an e-ref! I've been pretty busy lately so I won't mind at all.
-Credit must be given where credit is due.
-Since Covet tricks the opponent to work, and Cleasai is faster, he was able to toss it away before Dokon could retrieve it with Thief, so Thief didn't damage Cleasai but Dokon was able to recover his Black Sludge, because Cleasai wasn't explicitly commanded to discard the sludge where Dokon couldn't get at it.
-Poison Sting mildly poisoned Cleasai.
Excellent work, Dokon. I very much like the position we're in right now - let's try to maintain our composure; keeping Skill Striker is of the utmost importance, and so is the Black Sludge; and our opponent doesn't have many good ways to get it off of us, without again using Covet or trying Knock Off, both of which will put him behind in the move race.
But anyway, let's start out with a Bulldoze, as that'll lower Cleasai's speed to the point where you're faster. Following that, let's get some more damage off with Headbutt and Astonish, while also hopefully making Cleasai flinch.
It's okay, buddy, you got this. We're going to put Skill Striker aside for now, so I want you to lift Dokon up with Telekinesis, then put him to sleep with hypnosis. Finish with Dream Eater targeted at his health.
Field Notes
-Movement order: Cleasai (90) > Dokon (85).
-The ground is cracked heavily, and bits of burnt rock are scattered all around. In particular, there is a vaguely U-shaped pile of rubble facing Byrus's side of the arena.
-There is a donut-shaped mound of colorful jewels in the center of the arena. In its center, an odd mark resembling an asterisk has been scorched into the ground.
-A dusty Metronome is lying on its side by Superbird's side of the arena, making a distinctly audible high-pitched whine.
Round 8
Dokon sneers at his stunned opponent: he worked hard for that victory, even if it was a temporary one, and he'd better enjoy it while he can. The Toxicroak takes a moment to concentrate before bounding forward, ready to kick that creepy clown-thing right in the face. But Cleasai's prepared for the attack, shimmying aside just before his opponent reaches him. Dokon stumbles and flails around in confusion, and the dodge gives Cleasai enough time to carry out his own maneuver. With an expert twirl of his Twisted Spoon and a gesture with his free hand, the Mr. Mime flings Dokon away with a burst of pink energy, sending him backwards and up. He gives a surprised croak as he realizes he's flailing around in midair now, and hurriedly tries to stop before he does a complete flip. But his efforts are to no avail and he tumbles twice around with a yelp, ending up face-to-face with… the sky?
Dokon wonders what he's supposed to be looking at, if Cleasai deliberately unbalanced him mid-attack—that cloud over there looks kind of like a fish, if the fish had horns and stripes and a weird nub-thing instead of a tail, maybe?—before he feels the tug of Psychic energy on his limbs and is flipped again, this time to face Cleasai. The Toxicroak glares into his opponent's eyes, not willing to give an inch, but finds himself suddenly woozy and unable to tear his gaze away. The arena around them distorts, flip-flopping from right in his face to impossibly far away, and Cleasai's eyes grow larger and larger in his field of vision. Dokon's limbs, previously frozen in an awkward splay, become limp as he loses the energy to even hold his position, and the Toxicroak finds his own eyes drifting slowly shut…
…which is when a Swellow smacks him on the arm and tells him to be quiet, darnit, the show's starting! Dokon wants to ask what show it is, or even what time it is, because his surroundings feel off in a way he can't put his finger on. Maybe he's not where he's supposed to be—his arms are spread out kind of weird, like he'd just leapt up—but his attempts at shifting into a more comfortable position prompt a heated glare from the Swellow in the seat next to him. The Toxicroak gulps and thinks maybe he should just go along with it, enjoy whatever show this is and all that. He glances around to see if he can pick up a hint from the decor, but all he can see are endless rows of cushioned seats like the one he's in, each filled with an attentive Pokemon. Dokon gapes at the sheer crowd and scans through the room, looking for a pink humanoid figure to kick in the face, but stops when he realizes he obviously doesn't have any grudges against pink humanoid figures. What was he doing again?
The Swellow turns to him again and squawks something urgent-sounding, maybe "Bake up!" or "Make up!", and he freezes, unsure of how to react. Thankfully, the lights overhead soon dim and the Swellow's head snaps back to the center of the room. As the stage starts to light up Dokon feels a little more settled and relaxes into his seat, somehow sure that he isn't late but rather just in time. A neon green sign with a cute quasi-fish in the top right corner does a triple flip and then comes to a halt suspended in midair dead center on the stage; it's strangely unreadable, filled with weird squiggles that look like a crude approximation of a jellyfish, but he ignores that because is that a Gallade on a trapeze?! Said Gallade comes swinging right above him which is really cool, and, ooh, those Graveler can really juggle and WOW is that a Sableye on that unicycle! He knows a Sableye and he didn't know Sableye could do that! Everything is loud and bright and flashing, and Dokon starts to lose himself in the mess of performers, a strange tingly sensation coming to his head.
And then the clowns step out from behind a set of curtains conveniently wheeled in just a few seconds before. They're Pokemon like the rest, Mr. Mime, but they look strangely distorted, grotesque body parts arranged in impossibly twisted configurations, and they're growing. One of them clambers down from the stage with a howl and grabs a Metagross from the front row, who shrieks as the Mr. Mime flings it straight at Dokon. In a mild panic, he yelps and turns around, scrabbling for an escape route, but the giddiness he thought he'd been feeling earlier has turned into a searing ache that pounds insistently through his head, preventing him from thinking clearly. And the crowd of Pokemon all around him starts to snarl, angry at him—each one yells or pounds its chest or launches attacks at him, and some are climbing over each other in their haste to give him a piece of their mind. Even the walls above are turning on him, flashing pink and white before chunks of them collapse into ash or come tumbling down, and all the while the monstrous Mr. Mime approach, looking creepier with each passing second. One that's barely recognizable any more as a proper Pokemon, a gigantic screech-hissing quadruped covered in asymmetrical bony spines, suddenly turns upwards and leaps over the seats towards Dokon, clearing seven rows or more in a single bound. And when it takes the final step towards him, everything disappears…
Superbird (xoO) Dokon (m) <Anticipation> @ Black Sludge (4 exp)
Status: 60% health / 93% energy / 153% total / 183% adjusted
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 3 (Thief, Poison Sting, Fake Out)
Currently: ¯\_(︶H︶；)_/¯ Asleep (mild: 2 or fewer actions remaining.)
Used: nothing x3
Field Notes
-Movement order: Cleasai (90) > Dokon (85).
-The ground is cracked heavily, and bits of burnt rock are scattered all around. In particular, there is a vaguely U-shaped pile of rubble facing Byrus's side of the arena.
-There is a donut-shaped mound of colorful jewels in the center of the arena. In its center, an odd mark resembling an asterisk has been scorched into the ground.
-A dusty Metronome is lying on its side by Superbird's side of the arena, making a distinctly audible high-pitched whine.
Action Notes
-I'm really sorry this is so late! Here is a tumblr that is completely bunny pictures.
-I don't think Dokon is tall/flexible enough that Bulldoze would work under Telekinesis, no, so he just flailed around a little for 1% energy.
-My sleep scale is not actually very luck-based, Superbird :P It did start at 5 instead of 6 actions, though, so perhaps that was the result of your prayer to Lirrin?
-Telekinesis wore off after Dokon's last inaction.
Erg, I should really bite the bullet and post this while I've still got some time to myself, so:
Good going, Cleasai! Let's finish this. We have a chance at regaining Skill Striker, or at least putting pressure on him to attempt to keep it, so go for an Infestation to keep Dokon in our sights. Follow up with that Psybeam you missed out on earlier, then a Fake Out of your own.
Infestation ~ Psybeam ~ Fake Out
Btw, I really liked how you wrote that dream/nightmare sequence, Keldeo. It reminded me a little of Coraline. C:
I AM YELLING AT YOU, DOKON. WE WILL NOT LET THE REFEREE'S COMPLETELY NOT-LUCK-BASED (WHY DID I NOT THINK TO CHECK THIS BEFOREHAND, I COULD HAVE USED THE SHIT OUT OF IT) REFFING INCAPACITATE YOU FOR THE ENTIRE REMAINDER OF THE ROUND. YOU WILL WAKE UP AT LEAST ON ACTION 2 AND USE VENOSHOCK FOR SOME ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE DAMAGE. AFTER WHICH, YOU WILL IGNORE YOUR OPPONENT'S EFFORTS TO FAKE YOU OUT AND, CLOSING YOUR EYES OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU HAVE TO DO TO DESENSITIZE YOURSELF TO YOUR OPPONENT'S ATTACK, YOU WILL VENOSHOCK EVEN MORE. DO VERY MUCH CRIT, PLEASE.
VENOSHOCK X3
well played, Byrus. I will hold a grudge for eternity. I will admit that I am very salty and demand a fair match on both sides next time.
seriously though, good game. Fun battle! Good luck in the next round!
Field Notes
-Movement order: Cleasai (90) > Dokon (85).
-The ground is cracked heavily, and bits of burnt rock are scattered all around. In particular, there is a vaguely U-shaped pile of rubble facing Byrus's side of the arena.
-There is a donut-shaped mound of colorful jewels in the center of the arena. In its center, an odd mark resembling an asterisk has been scorched into the ground.
-A dusty Metronome is lying on its side by Superbird's side of the arena, making a distinctly audible high-pitched whine.
Round 9
Still in the throes of his nightmare, Dokon dreams very angrily about spitting some acid but then realizes his spit is acid and starts to reconsider his life choices, angry acid-spitting forgotten. Meanwhile on the balcony, Cleasai frowns as his telekinetic hold gives out and the Toxicroak flops to the ground unceremoniously. It looks like he'll have to give up on the Psychic shenanigans for now, but he still has tricks up his figurative sleeves. The Mr. Mime claps his hands together with a smile and begins to channel power through the warped spoon he's holding. His entire body pulses faintly as waves of green energy wash over his surroundings: a call to the Swarm. And indeed: the Swarm begins to wake, and It heeds the summons.
From every house and building all across the city, bees, wasps, and flies take flight from flowers, trees, and bushes, while ants, beetles, and spiders crawl out of their cramped crevices or nests in the earth. They emerge in an immeasurable number of small streams that coalesce into a flood of shiny black bodies, with a single unified purpose. Some passersby shriek at the insects virtually blanketing the road, but the Swarm does not come for them; a few gnats and mosquitoes linger reluctantly about the tempting humans, but most of It weaves expertly around their designer shoes and flip-flops, seeking what has called It to arms. After the first of Cleasai's energy pulses fades It quickly loses the trail and ripples to a halt, shifting this way and that like a predator sniffing the air for scent.
But another pulse soon reaches It and movement is resumed, with renewed vigor and accuracy. The Swarm surges as one towards the entrance to the Tower of Mastery, individual insects skittering up the stairs or fluttering through the open air until they reach the balcony as an enormous, buzzing sphere of solid bug. (A few of the spectators shriek in alarm as they realize what the dark mass gathering in the center of the balcony is composed of.) Cleasai gestures almost dismissively with his free hand and the Swarm shifts at his command, moving to surround the still-sleeping Dokon. Most of Its members bristle with mandibles, pincers, horns, and stingers and begin the assault immediately, while the ones not so naturally armed nestle in prime areas, flitting about to tickle and hinder movement.
Dokon begins to twitch as the Swarm batters at him, and Cleasai backs to the edge of the balcony, wary of a surprise attack. But when the Toxicroak doesn't wake he begins to gather shimmering Psychic energy in one palm, twisting a pocket of air in front of him into a thin tube curled onto itself. The Mr. Mime focuses for a second and then releases an orb of his gathered energy from his spoon, twirling one finger before launching it at his opponent. The attack begins to travel towards Dokon, seemingly slowly, but when it meets the warped space it dances a searingly bright spiral in the air and begins to accelerate into a beam. The audience finishes blinking the spots out of their eyes just in time to see Cleasai's Psybeam zooming at breakneck speed straight towards Dokon; the Swarm obediently parts to leave an opening to strike the Toxicroak, who's thrown back by the attack's force.
But when the Swarm parts to narrow onto Dokon's new location he starts to wake up, angrily flapping at the insects buzzing around him. Another trap?! He'll… he'll show that clown trap! Dokon's throat sac begins to swell and smoke, bulging with a noxious mix of acids. Simultaneously surprised and worried, Cleasai moves his insects out of spitting distance to preserve their lives, but his opponent uses the opening to bound forwards through the thinning sphere of bugs. Cleasai orders the rest of the Swarm to follow and distract Dokon, trying to buy enough time to leap out of the way, but it's too little too late; the Toxicroak whips towards him and opens his mouth, releasing his attack in an explosion of acid. Cleasai shrieks and pats ineffectually at the searing, hissing scars from his opponent's venom, before he resolves himself to renew the assault and the Swarm closes in.
Dokon shouts as insects fly into his eyes and flutter around his arms without warning, prevented from gathering the focus to attack again but prevented from doing so by the thick Swarm. Snarling, he absorbs a lump of his sludge to renew his vitality before attempting to swipe his way free, but the Swarm blocks his way: Its members hinder his strikes bodily, crawling along his body to replace their fallen Swarmmates, until Dokon feels like he's trying to slap his way through bug molasses. The Toxicroak keeps going, not willing to relent, but suddenly the pressure on his limbs gives out and he stumbles forwards, surprised. Cleasai's dispersing the Swarm—but at the direction of the referee, who has one flag raised in Byrus's direction to signify his win. Dissatisfied and dejected about his performance but happy for his opponents, Dokon walks towards an excited Cleasai for a handshake, while the trainers and Pokemon from previous bouts do the same. The referee hands out the monetary prizes and claps both trainers on the back as they recall their Pokemon, quietly bidding them both to teleport away before the police get here…
Superbird (xoO) Dokon (m) <Anticipation> @ Black Sludge (4 exp)
Status: 37% health / 85% energy / 122% total / 132% adjusted
Masteries: Obstinate Orders 0, Skill Striker 3 (Thief, Poison Sting, Fake Out)
Currently: …exit, pursued by a clown.
Used: (asleep) ~ VENOSHOCK ~ (flinched)
Field Notes
-there is no movement order, nor are there action notes
-there is only the Swarm, for the Swarm has subsumed all
-all hail the Swarm
-all hail the Swarm
And Byrus takes the win 2-1! He gets $30 and a Rare Candy, Superbird gets $15 and a free Dream World Pokemon of his choice, and I get $25 for reffing. For the Pokemon, Kevin, Eldarach, and Cleasai get 2 exp/happiness each for their respective pseudo-KO's, while Gorouna, Ruya, and Dokon get 1 exp/happiness each. Good game, everyone!
Yeah, good game! That Black Sludge/Anticipation combo was quite a bit more powerful than I, ahem, anticipated. Sorry it had to be the hated Telekinesis that gave me the upper hand, but it probably wouldn't have gone so smoothly if you had the chance to use conditionals. And yeah, feel free to set a rematch up with me any time.
And thank you for reffing, Keldeo. I enjoyed the little personalities you gave each Pokémon, that was really cute to read.
Firestrike the male Combusken <Blaze> @ King's Rock (4 exp)
Gorouna the female Graveler <Sturdy> @ Eviolite
Dokon the male Toxicroak <Anticipation> @ Black Sludge (4 exp)
Natalie the female Xatu <Synchronize> @ Prism Scale (4 exp)
Koiquen the female Gyarados <Intimidate> @ Weakness Policy
Llara the female Ferrothorn <Iron Barbs> @ Moon Stone (5 exp)
Eldrach the male Galvantula <Compound Eyes> @ Metronome (6 exp)
Quabbel the male Frillish <Cursed Body> @ Leftovers
Meta the genderless Ditto <Limber> @ Metal Powder
Limonde the female Stunfisk <Static>
Christy the female Houndoom <Flash Fire> @ Electirizer (7 exp)
Jonesy the male Skuntank <Stench> @ Black Sludge
Fiver the male Buneary <Run Away> @ Normal Gem
Arundel the male Taillow <Guts> @ Flying Gem
Prospero the male Abra <Synchronize> @ Weakness Policy
Sluagh the male Gastly <Levitate> @ Colbur Berry
Cleasai the male Mr. Mime <Filter> @ Twisted Spoon (6 exp)
The Strand the male Eelektrik <Levitate> @ Thunder Stone
Ruya the female Sableye <Keen Eye> @ Reaper Cloth
Kevin the male Dratini <Shed Skin> @ Eviolite
