I liek Squirtles vs. Dazel

[Keldeo]

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 73%
Energy: 81%
Currently: Feeling a little better.
Commands: Protect ~ Fly (up and down)
Fisticuffs: 52% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (oxO)

Mercuria (f) <Own Tempo> @ King's Rock
Health: 17%
Energy: 8%
Currently: Dead on her feet.
Commands: Ice Beam / Magic Coat / Dream Eater (health) x3
Boris: 83% health / 89% energy / Grateful for the rest.

Field Notes
-The bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded.
-Farther away, many buildings have been damaged or destroyed from the hail.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. A conflagration has consumed most of the nearby grass and has dropped in intensity, now only a mere few embers in front of the bank.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 7.

Round 17​

When the flags come down, Cuckoo and Mercuria do nothing but stare at each other; eventually the Hoothoot begins to move his wings in a strange pattern, tracing an invisible circle in the air, but Mercuria still sits there, gazing into space. The sun is high over the plaza, and one of the SWAT team members takes out a portable cooler and offers iced water to his thirsty comrades. Mercuria snaps out of her daze and wanders over, curious. The Slowpoke tries to open a bottle herself with limited success, and finally just wiggles her stubby toes around, picking up mostly cold water and thin shards of ice. She backs off soon, frustrated, and wraps her tail around the cooler's handle, firmly ignoring the shocked yells and shouts of the SWAT team members.

Roaring to the heavens, Mercuria bullrushes Cuckoo, flicking her tail once she approaches to fling the cooler's contents at her opponent—but the ice packs and water bottles bounce harmlessly off the nearly-transparent shield the Hoothoot has erected. Cuckoo lets down the dome, smirking at the futility of Mercuria's attacks, but then realizes the Slowpoke is retrieving the thrown projectiles, carrying two or three bottles at a time in her mouth to reload her improvised catapult. Before she can fill up the cooler again, he lifts off in a vague panic, flying higher and higher until even the buildings are below him, the Pokemon and people no more than colored dots moving around on a gray plain. Keeping his eyes trained on the action as he flaps to maintain his altitude, Cuckoo can make out I liek Squirtles and Dazel standing by at the edge of the plaza, the SWAT team members… swarming Mercuria? Interested, the Hoothoot tucks in his wings and soars downwards, a nimbus of Flying energy surrounding him for a few seconds as he eases into a comfortable plummet. But he flutters into a gentle landing on the Lego pavement too late for his built-up momentum to have any impact: Cuckoo's arrived just in time to see Mercuria lying unconscious in a pool of water, where the SWAT team members' half-empty bottles had hit her.

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 73%
Energy: 67%
Currently: Hooting his victory to the skies.
Used: Protect ~ Fly (one action)
Fisticuffs: 57% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (oxX)

Mercuria (f) <Own Tempo> @ King's Rock
Health: 6%
Energy: 0%
Currently: Fainted.
Used: Ice Beam (blocked) ~ Ice Beam (missed)
Boris: 83% health / 89% energy / Grateful for the rest.

Field Notes
-The bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded.
-Farther away, many buildings have been damaged or destroyed from the hail.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. A conflagration has consumed most of the nearby grass and has dropped in intensity, now only a mere few embers in front of the bank.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 7.

Action Notes
-Sorry for the wait! I will try to get future rounds in sooner.
-Since Cuckoo was commanded to Fly down as well in the second action, he did so even though Mercuria had already energy-fainted from her second Ice Beam.

Spoiler: calcs

Fisticuffs: 52 + 5 (Regenerator) = 57
29 = 29
Cuckoo: 73 = 73
81 - 7 (Protect) - 7 (Fly) = 67
Mercuria: 17 - 11 (Fly) = 6
8 - 5 (Ice Beam) - 5 (Ice Beam) = 0

Since Dazel only has Boris left, we can skip sending out, so ILS commands next.

 

[I liek Squirtles]

Good job, Cuckoo! Now, let's see how we can deal with Boris, hmm?

First thing's first, that Hail has got to go. Start off with a Sunny Day. Steel Wing for some nice damage, and then end with a Zen Headbutt.

If Boris Protects, Mimic (this only goes for the second and third turns). If he tries statusing or Encoring you, Magic Coat.

Sunny Day/Magic Coat~Steel Wing/Mimic/Magic Coat~Zen Headbutt/Mimic/Magic Coat

 

[kyeugh]

Sunny day suits us just fine, I should think. Take this turn to use rock polish, such that we now outspeed Cuckoo. One would think that a fairly realistically-proportioned, quadruped dinosaur would outspeed a fat bird on one leg with impossibly small wings from the get-go, but hey. Who are we to question game freak. That steel wing is going to hurt a whole lot, so let's protect against it. We can take the zen headbutt, however, so let's dish out some damage of our own by waiting until Cuckoo hits us, then following with an avalanche. This battle is basically over for me, but damn if I won't write long, unnecessary paragraphs directed at an imaginary dinosaur until the very end.

Rock polish ~ protect ~ avalanche

 

[Keldeo]

With Mercuria fainted, Dazel has no choice but to send out the Pokemon that they'd started the battle with, and Boris appears in a white flash, eager to do battle again. Cuckoo sighs at the appearance of his nemesis as storm clouds begin to gather overhead, and the Amaura glances around for a few seconds to gain his bearings. As the skies to which Cuckoo has been loyally hooting his victory begin to pelt hailstones upon Pokemon and trainer alike, Boris settles into an offensive position and faces off against his irate opponent, more than ready to begin the match.

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 73%
Energy: 67%
Currently: Hooting his victory to the skies.
Commands: Sunny Day/Magic Coat ~ Steel Wing/Mimic/Magic Coat ~ Zen Headbutt/Mimic/Magic Coat
Fisticuffs: 57% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 83%
Energy: 89%
Currently: Sure he's going to crush him. Less sure which pronoun's referring to whom.
Commands: Rock Polish ~ Protect ~ Avalanche

Field Notes
-The bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded.
-Farther away, many buildings have been damaged or destroyed from the hail.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. A conflagration has consumed most of the nearby grass and has dropped in intensity, now only a mere few embers in front of the bank.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 7.

Round 18​

The trainers retreat to under a small overhang, while the less agile Cuckoo is summarily bonked on the beak by a particularly large hunk of ice. He brushes it off and frowns disapprovingly. No, this storm won't do at all—but perhaps… Recalling the first few rounds of the battle, when he'd faced Boris before, the Hoothoot wonders if his opponent would fall for the same trick again. He glances over at the Amaura, who seems to be scratching at the jewel on his side with one foot. Boris will never see it coming! Cuckoo spreads his wings and gives a mighty cry, and a white burst of heat washes over the plaza. The clouds above them move away as quickly as the hail begun earlier, replaced by a clear sky and swelteringly bright sun, and Cuckoo grins. Take that, foul weather!

Across the street, though, Boris grimaces at the heat and removal (again!) of his hail. Sighing, he dutifully continues to scrub at his skin, polishing the gems and grinding away the rougher parts of his claws until each step sends him skidding easily over the ground. Giddy, the Amaura skates around for a while, leaving spiraling tracks in the Lego pavement, but he soon settles down. Preparing to put up an energy shield, Boris buckles down, hunching his neck and setting his feet into a more defensive position. Cuckoo flies forwards to give the white dome a halfhearted slap, but it barely budges at his blow and he can see that more attacks will be useless. Hmm, what was he supposed to do in this situation again? Right, he's been commanded to copy an attack Boris had used… but which one? True to his name, the Hoothoot lets out two confused hoots before flapping back to his side of the plaza, dejected at his lack of progress this time around.

Boris drops his shield, relieved that it didn't have to take an actual attack, and readies his next move. Despite the intense sunlight, the arena's temperature suddenly drops a few degrees, and a light blue aura appears around Boris. He screws up his face, focusing, and the glow begins to swirl with tiny shards of ice that rapidly build up energy and size. The Amaura turns towards his opponent with a smile and waits placidly for Cuckoo's move as the hailstones shimmer and grow around him. But the Hoothoot sees none of this because he's closed his eyes to contemplate on the battle in preparation for his own attack. Sparks of pink Psychic energy begin to flutter around his head, seeming to grow brighter and stronger the longer he meditates, but Boris becomes bored of the wait and considers just hurling his attack at Cuckoo without any more dawdling.

Soon, though, the Hoothoot takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. With a fearsome battle cry, he spreads his wings and charges straight at Boris, paying no heed to the jagged rocks hovering above him. The two battlers collide in a flash, and the energies they had built up fight for control above them even as the Pokemon are flung away. Boris's icy blue wars with the light pink aura of Cuckoo's zen calm, but with the advantage of a direct attack, the Hoothoot's aura quickly wins. Cheered by the small victory, Cuckoo stands and bears down on Boris, who's still dazed from the impact, supplementing his rush with the power of another full-force blow.

The Amaura shrieks as the energy sears into his body; even though he has no particular susceptibility to Psychic attacks, it appears that he's grown complacent from the time in his Poke Ball. But when he recovers, his normally cheerful face is contorted with rage. In unison, the hailstones floating all around the plaza swivel to face Cuckoo, pointing their sharpest edges towards him. The Hoothoot adopts a who, me? expression, but it does nothing to deter the swarm of icy boulders hurtling towards him. Cuckoo shrieks almost as loudly as Boris had as the icicles tear into his preciously unruffled feathers. His attempts to bat the rocks away have little effect, and the Hoothoot soon resigns himself to staying put and withstanding the assault, until the barrage finally stops and he's left buried in a heap of hail. It's small consolation to Cuckoo that the SWAT team soon opens fire on Boris for the property damage caused by some of the less-well-aimed rocks, and the round ends with both Pokemon at least a little angry at each other.

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 46%
Energy: 47%
Currently: Shading his glare with a wing.
Used: Sunny Day ~ nothing ~ Zen Headbutt
Fisticuffs: 62% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 66%
Energy: 80%
Currently: Smirking. +2 Speed.
Used: Rock Polish ~ Protect ~ Avalanche

Field Notes
-Movement order: Boris (73) > Cuckoo (50).
-The sun is shining brightly (6 more actions.)
-The bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded.
-Farther away, many buildings have been damaged or destroyed from the hail.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. A conflagration has consumed most of the nearby grass and has dropped in intensity, now only a mere few embers in front of the bank.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. It is covered in icy rocks.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Action Notes
-Both Zen Headbutt and Avalanche were critical hits (and they also both rolled the same number, a 4.)
-Since Cuckoo wasn't told what to Mimic, he just didn't do anything that action.
-I think it would be pretty hard to use Avalanche without also damaging the arena, so Boris took some fire for that.

Spoiler: calcs

Fisticuffs: 57 + 5 (Regenerator) = 62
29 = 29
Cuckoo: 73 - 27 (Avalanche) = 46
67 - 5 (Sunny Day) - 5 (Zen Headbutt) = 47
Boris: 83 - 12 (Zen Headbutt) - 5 (BFGs) = 71
89 - 1 (Rock Polish) - 2 (Protect) - 6 (Avalanche) = 80

Dazel commands next.

 

[kyeugh]

Agh, I forgot about the SWAT team. Which is odd, seeing as it's... kind of the most notable part of the arena. Oh well.

Ice beam, ho! Fire off a few of those, and mirror coat anything reflectable. If Cuckoo takes a turn to raise his stats or chill, go ahead and use calm mind.

Ice beam / mirror coat / calm mind x3

 

[I liek Squirtles]

Okay, let's see!

Chill and then Psych Up to get those coolio stats. If you can wait until Boris uses the second Calm Mind (since you technically are boosting your stats), do so; however, it's perfectly fine if you don't.

Steel Wing to cap of the round.

Chill~Psych Up~Steel Wing

 

[Keldeo]

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 46%
Energy: 47%
Currently: Shading his glare with a wing.
Commands: Chill ~ Psych Up ~ Steel Wing
Fisticuffs: 62% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 66%
Energy: 80%
Currently: Smirking. +2 Speed.
Commands: Calm Mind / Ice Beam / Mirror Coat x3

Field Notes
-Movement order: Boris (73) > Cuckoo (50).
-The sun is shining brightly (6 more actions.)
-The bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded.
-Farther away, many buildings have been damaged or destroyed from the hail.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. A conflagration has consumed most of the nearby grass and has dropped in intensity, now only a mere few embers in front of the bank.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. It is covered in icy rocks.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Round 19​

Upon hearing his first commands, Cuckoo tries to hold both his trainer and his opponent in a split glare, but soon grimaces and uncrosses his eyes at the resulting headache. Muttering, the Hoothoot looks around for a good perch, soon spying a plastic stud that's far back enough to be undamaged by Firethorn's earlier attacks. As Cuckoo shuffles into a comfortable position on the Lego and shuts his eyes, his body starts to glow, off-white waves of energy coursing over his wounds every few seconds and replenishing his will to fight. He relaxes into the healing aura with a smile and focuses on doing absolutely nothing while the Chill takes effect. Boris gives the resting Hoothoot a quizzical glance, wondering whether it's some sort of trap or he should proceed with the plan. When Cuckoo continues to just sit there, seemingly in a trance, the Amaura nods to himself and closes his own eyes.

With the hail gone and neither Pokemon making much noise, the plaza is almost silent, and Boris is easily able to withdraw into his mind, blocking out the distractions of the outside world with deep, even breaths. He lets his thoughts wander for a while, picturing a small pond with steep cliffs behind and rustling grasses all around. A soft breeze looses one dull green leaf from a twisted tree by the water's edge; it drifts slowly downwards before floating to rest on the pond's surface. Tiny waves ripple in every direction, and everything is at peace. There are no obnoxious humans or newfangled machines here, only Amaura and Relicanth and Tyrunt just like in the old days... Boris catches himself daydreaming, frowns, and adjusts his focus, devising wild plans for the most outrageous edge-cases in the battle ahead and formulating ideas about everything from countering Cuckoo's strategy to the most efficient way for him to aim his next attack.

Even that's too broad for his immediate purposes, though. He reins his thoughts back in and cracks his eyes open, blinking hastily to adjust to the light. Relaxation finished, Cuckoo has his eerily red gaze fixed on his opponent but otherwise doesn't look like he's going to make any moves soon. Boris shrugs, shuts his eye again, and starts to leech Psychic energy seemingly from thin air to further refine his schemes. Head glowing pink from the buildup of power, he settles back down, but a sudden mental intrusion shatters his concentration: his opponent's scanning through his mind, pawing clumsily through Boris's thoughts to transfer a copy of his hard-earned focus and ground-down scales to himself. The Hoothoot squeals as a spray of feathers peels off his wings in an emulation of the Rock Polish technique, but he quickly regains his composure, aided by a similar aura to the one radiating around Boris's head.

The battlers' whirls of pink energy wink out at the same moment. Cuckoo capitalizes on his opponent's simultaneous anger and confusion to rush forward, left wing shimmering with a thin layer of steadily lengthening metal, and deal Boris a flashy one-two slash. The Amaura shrieks as Cuckoo's attack carves a deep gash into his side, while the Hoothoot hoots in triumph and uses the remaining energy to reinforce his feathers as the rest of his steel coating retracts and fades. Boris glares at him and begins to gather power to retaliate, forming a huge blue ball of crackling energy in front of him. Cuckoo doesn't flap away, a little giddy from his successful attack, and he's caught unawares when Boris sends a twisting bolt of frost spiraling in his direction, burning through his energy sphere in seconds. Cuckoo shouts and flails at the point of impact, the shards of metal now scattered amongst his feathers providing little defense against the sheer cold searing into his chest.

But though Boris's attack is potent, his energy store gives Cuckoo the focus to come back to himself, ignore the excruciating pain, and flee as quickly as his tiny talons can carry him, skittering sideways along the Lego pavement to a safer location. Boris notices his opponent's retreat too late and struggles to correct his aim; the force of the attack already pushes his stubby legs back, and the Amaura is forced to cut off the attack. Sulking but still mostly satisfied, Cuckoo takes shelter behind a fallen tree across the plaza, and Boris raises his head, proud he got a good hit in on his opponent but wary of what's going to happen next.

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 33%
Energy: 47%
Currently: Tiring, but confident about his chances. +1 Defense, +2 Special Attack, +2 Special Defense, +2 Speed.
Used: Chill ~ Psych Up ~ Steel Wing
Fisticuffs: 67% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 57%
Energy: 72%
Currently: A little daunted by Cuckoo's resistance to his attacks. +2 Special Attack, +2 Special Defense, +2 Speed.
Used: Calm Mind ~ Calm Mind ~ Ice Beam

Field Notes
-Movement order: Cuckoo (80) > Boris (73).
-The sun is shining brightly (3 more actions.)
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away despite the intense sunlight.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. It is covered in icy rocks.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Action Notes
-Because Cuckoo was explicitly commanded to wait and Boris was only implicitly told to do so, Cuckoo's delayed Psych Up was successful.
-Steel Wing raised Cuckoo's Defense.

Spoiler: calcs

Fisticuffs: 62 + 5 (Regenerator) = 67
Cuckoo: 46 - 13 (Ice Beam) = 33
47 + 10 (Chill) - 6 (Psych Up) - 4 (Steel Wing) = 47
Boris: 71 - 14 (Steel Wing) = 57
80 - 2 (Calm Mind) - 2 (Calm Mind) - 4 (Ice Beam) = 72

ILS commands next.

 

[I liek Squirtles]

All right, Cuckoo! Let's go out with a bang!

Start off by making as many Double Team clones as you can. After that, Heat Wave should come in handy. Finish with Shadow Ball.

If Boris is protecting or otherwise unhittable during Heat Wave or Shadow Ball (bar Substitute), Chill.

Double Team (max clones)~Heat Wave/Chill~Shadow Ball/Chill

 

[kyeugh]

nope

Start off with a Haise haze, but be sure to do so after Cuckoo uses double team; one Cuckoo is hard enough to deal with, we don't need five of them running around. Next action, use mirror coat after being hit by heat wave to throw some of that damage back. However, if you aren't hit, simply use icy wind to clear out the smog and hopefully deal some damage to Cuckoo. If you didn't use it last action, use icy wind now. Otherwise, use ice beam.

Haze ~ mirror coat / icy wind ~ icy wind / ice beam

 

[Keldeo]

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 33%
Energy: 47%
Currently: Tiring, but confident about his chances. +1 Defense, +2 Special Attack, +2 Special Defense, +2 Speed.
Commands: Double Team (max) ~ Heat Wave / Chill ~ Shadow Ball / Chill
Fisticuffs: 67% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 57%
Energy: 72%
Currently: A little daunted by Cuckoo's resistance to his attacks. +2 Special Attack, +2 Special Defense, +2 Speed.
Commands: Haze ~ Mirror Coat / Icy Wind ~ Icy Wind / Ice Beam

Field Notes
-Movement order: Cuckoo (80) > Boris (73).
-The sun is shining brightly (3 more actions.)
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away despite the intense sunlight.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. It is covered in icy rocks.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Round 20​

Confident with his progress, Cuckoo clambers onto the stud in front of him, takes a mock bow, and dashes sideways, hop-step-leaping into the air. Boris glances suspiciously at him, wondering what his opponent's up to, but relaxes once he realizes the Hoothoot isn't coming for him. Once airborne, Cuckoo tumbles a few times before taking wing, supplementing his normal flight speed with a burst of Normal energy. His form begins to blur as he accelerates to speeds faster than Boris's eyes can track, leaving six identical afterimages behind him in a ring around the stud he'd taken off from. The seven Hoothoot continue to speed in a circle before slowing as quickly as he'd (they'd?) sped up earlier, coming to a perch on the pavement, and bowing again.

Boris rolls his eyes. Can't this owl take a hint? He takes a few seconds to gather energy, preparing to disperse all of the clones: seven birds with one stone, or rather one fog attack. The Amaura opens his mouth wide, glowing briefly with a whitish-blue aura, and spews out a thick cloud of cold mist that spreads to blanket the immediate area almost immediately. Across the plaza, Cuckoo chirps in dismay as his six clones fade in intensity, their color washing out, and tendrils of Boris's fog start to break through the afterimages. The Hoothoot grimaces at a clone bisected in a particularly awkward place and quickly vanishes the illusions, silently cursing his opponent. He shivers as the mist presses disconcertingly against his body, eating away at the iron imbued in his feathers and irritating the parts scraped away by the Rock Polish, and his frantic fluttering doesn't do anything to help him. The calmness he'd copied from Boris long gone, Cuckoo reverts to his old strategy—hit 'em fast, hit 'em hard. Twittering quietly, he begins to gather solar energy in a pulsing red ball between his short wings, the heat sending the fog in his immediate vicinity into a whirl. Even though he's managed to clear out some of the haze, Cuckoo can't manage to pinpoint Boris and is forced to fire his attack blindly.

The orb rockets into the mist, leaving behind a flickering trail of fire. Boris sees it coming, but he's slow to react and the attack easily hits him—but not before passing through the translucent pink bubble he's been pouring energy into. The Fire energy spreads across the Amaura's shield like ink until the barrier completely blocks view of him, glowing with an ominously crimson light. Across the plaza, Cuckoo pumps a wing in the air, but soon backs off warily as he spots the red sphere looming in the distance. With a yell from Boris the shield breaks, loosing a towering wave of Fire energy much larger than Cuckoo's measly fireball. Both Pokemon duck (Boris more out of reflex than any credible threat) as the flames surge forward and reach Cuckoo, who screeches in pain as the reflected version of his own attack sears into his feathers. The Hoothoot screws his eyes shut and tries to focus on something other than the burning sensation, all too familiar from late-night training sessions with Cave Canem and Api Lahir.

Finally the mirrored wave fizzles out, and Cuckoo visibly wilts, both physically and mentally exhausted. He scrunches up his eyes and tries to summon malevolent spirits to power his next attack, but just can't muster the negativity required for the task. Both Pokemon are completely still for a few seconds, and then Boris exhales a gust of freezing air that sweeps forward, clearing out much of the haze still in its way. The wind reaches Cuckoo and swirls around him a few times before fading; the Hoothoot shivers and shrinks into himself more as heavy droplets of frost gather on his wings. As the referee lowers her flags, Boris takes a few hesitant steps away, unsure whether he's done very much damage at all, while Cuckoo gazes despondently at his ice-encrusted feet, dreading the next round.

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 3% (capped)
Energy: 31%
Currently: Cowering. -1 Speed.
Used: Double Team (6 clones) ~ Heat Wave ~ Shadow Ball (missed)
Fisticuffs: 72% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 46%
Energy: 55%
Currently: Confident he's gained the upper hand.
Used: Haze ~ Mirror Coat ~ Icy Wind

Field Notes
-Movement order: Boris (43) > Cuckoo (35).
-A haze blankets the arena (1 more action.)
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away despite the intense sunlight.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. It is covered in icy rocks.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Action Notes
-Double Team made 6 clones, which Haze destroyed. Icy Wind was too weak to dissipate the Haze fully but it did take off one of the actions of its effect.
-Cuckoo hit the cap on the third action. Icy Wind's Speed drop wasn't prevented by Haze because it only removes stat modifiers upon being used.
-Shadow Ball missed (it actually rolled a 100) due to the Haze.
-The strong sunlight faded after the last action.

Spoiler: calcs

Fisticuffs: 67 + 5 (Regenerator) = 72
Cuckoo: 33 - 22 (Mirror Coat) - 10 (Icy Wind) = 3
47 - 6 (Double Team) - 5 (Heat Wave) - 5 (Shadow Ball) = 31
Boris: 57 - 11 (Heat Wave) = 46
72 - 3 (Haze) - 11 (Mirror Coat) - 3 (Icy Wind) = 55

Dazel commands next.

 

[kyeugh]

All right. Ice beams again, I guess. Damn it, Boris, you're hard not to spam with. Use mirror coat on anything reflectable. The first time Cuckoo uses chill or an otherwise buffing move, use hail.

Ice beam / mirror coat / hail x3

 

[I liek Squirtles]

Boris must be really concentrated on what you're doing with so many conditionals.

Start with Hypnosis. If that fails, you're KO'd. After that, two Dream Eaters (health) are in order.

Hypnosis~Dream Eater (health) x2

 

[Keldeo]

I liek Squirtles (Oox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 3%
Energy: 31%
Currently: Cowering. -1 Speed.
Commands: Hypnosis ~ Dream Eater (health) x2
Fisticuffs: 72% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 46%
Energy: 55%
Currently: Confident he's gained the upper hand.
Commands: Ice Beam / Mirror Coat / Hail x3

Field Notes
-Movement order: Boris (43) > Cuckoo (35).
-A haze blankets the arena (1 more action.)
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away despite the intense sunlight.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. It is covered in icy rocks.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Round 21​

As soon as the flags come down, Boris opens his mouth and forms a small orb of light-blue energy, identical to the ones he's charged up before. He squints, trying to see through the fog still blanketing the plaza, and sees a vague, slightly reddish spherical shape huddling on top of a stub—and there's nothing that that could be but Cuckoo. Smiling awkwardly around the energy sphere, the Amaura shuts his eyes for a second, then unleashes a piercing jet of frost straight towards the mystery sphere, which squawks loudly upon being hit and then slumps over. Boris narrows his eyes, watching for a bait-and-switch attack, but nothing comes, and once the haze clears away it becomes clear that Cuckoo's been knocked out.

I liek Squirtles (Xox)

Cuckoo (m) <Insomnia>
Health: 0%
Energy: 29%
Currently: Out cold.
Used: Hypnosis (missed)
Fisticuffs: 77% health / 29% energy / Happy to be out of there. Regenerator active (5% recovery/round). Burned (severe).

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 46%
Energy: 51%
Currently: Excited.
Used: Ice Beam

Field Notes
-Movement order: Boris (43) stands alone.
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. It is covered in icy rocks.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Action Notes
-The haze dissipated after Boris's action.
-I screwed up and Cuckoo was supposed to move before Boris since the latter was implicitly instructed to wait, but Hypnosis' roll was high enough that it missed. The only change is that Cuckoo loses 2% energy.
-edit: also for personal reference here's a KO count in the battle so far: Cuckoo 1, Fisticuffs 1, Von Chosais 0, Boris 1, Firethorn 0, Mercuria 1

Spoiler: calcs

Fisticuffs: 72 + 5 (Regenerator) = 77
Cuckoo: 3 - 16 (Ice Beam) = 0
31 - 2 (Hypnosis) = 29
Boris: 46 = 46
55 - 4 (Ice Beam) = 51

Since ILS only has Fisticuffs left we can skip sending out. ILS commands next.

 

[I liek Squirtles]

Do a 10% Sub; if he Protects at any time, Chill. Then, Drain Punch twice for energy.

10% Sub~Drain Punch (energy)/Chill x2

 

[kyeugh]

Okay, I have this super devious strategy and I have no idea if it'll work but I want to try it. Wait for Fisticuffs to use substitute, and then match it with an encore. PERPETUAL SUBSTITUTES. I AM GOD

All right but really. After that you should have some wiggle room so follow up with reflect and then a zen headbutt. If, for whatever reason, Fisticuffs is not not locked into substitute, just switch to outagebecause you aren't going to survive the round.

Encore ~ reflect / outrage ~ zen headbutt ~ outrage

 

[Keldeo]

I liek Squirtles wastes no time in deciding on his next Pokemon, tossing out his only remaining Poke Ball to reveal an annoyed, but healthier, Fisticuffs. His burn's persisted, though, and the Mienfoo winces at the twinge in his shoulder before facing off against his opponent… only to realize that it's Boris, the Amaura who so rudely head-butted him that one time. Rude.

I liek Squirtles (xOx)

Fisticuffs (m) <Regenerator>
Health: 77%
Energy: 29%
Currently: Ugh, you again? Burned (severe: 4% damage/round, -3% damage to physical attacks.)
Commands: Substitute (10) ~ Drain Punch (energy) / Chill x2

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 46%
Energy: 40%
Currently: Excited.
Commands: Encore ~ Reflect / Outrage ~ Zen Headbutt / Outrage

Field Notes
-Movement order: Fisticuffs (65) > Boris (43).
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away despite the intense sunlight.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. It is covered in icy rocks.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Round 22​

Fisticuffs perks up a little when he hears his trainer's commands for the round. Finally, a chance to show off his awesome art skills! He makes a show of hacking and coughing, one paw flying to his mouth and the other flailing at his side, as he discreetly charges his real maneuver (more like maneuv-art! Heehee.) The Mienfoo glows white for a second and then spits out an amorphous glob of amber Fighting energy around as tall as he is, dealing it a flurry of punches to transform it into what is, in his opinion, a true masterwork of art that should be lauded by all—an identical figure to himself, the great. He pats off his hands and gazes lovingly at his true masterwork of art, which… wait, the paws are asymmetrical! That's completely unacceptable. Fisticuffs soon fixes this horrifying mistake and begins again to gaze admiringly at his true masterwork of art. Truly, it should be lauded by all!

Across the plaza, Boris glances quizzically at his opponent's doppelganger before shrugging and continuing on with his own trainer's plan. "Hey, uh, Fisticuffs?" he begins, a little hesitantly, and then pauses, wondering if Fisticuffs's Substitute is going to protect its creator. Resolving not to lose his train of thought like that again, he continues, "Yeah, you. Fisticuffs. I, uh, I really like that Substitute thing you've got going there. Really great, you know, aesthetic and all that, the whole… effervescence of the color scheme, you know?" Wait, what does "effervescence" mean? Kite said it once and Boris likes the sound, but maybe he should stick to something he knows… "Er, it's a true masterwork of art?" Yes, because that totally sounded sincere—wait, is he nodding? "It, uh, should be lauded by all?" Good, he thinks, as Fisticuffs keeps nodding.

Since he can't think of anything more to say, Boris nods too, plastering a goofy grin on his face and hoping the feigned enthusiasm proves contagious. Fisticuffs seems to concur, nodding enthusiastically back, but Boris is still unsure of what his opponent thinks. He keeps nodding enthusiastically in lieu of having hands with which to keep clapping enthusiastically, and takes a second to recall his commands. Plan of action decided, the Amaura begins to glow a deep, shimmering violet, ripples of Psychic energy washing over his body to fortify his scales. He grins confidently and walks forwards a few steps, happily noting the pings and dinks from his new shields' contact with the plastic pavement, and smiles at Fisticuffs.

The Mienfoo ponders for another moment and then, thankfully, seems to concur with Boris's continued cheer, spitting up another energy ball, but he furrows his brow in dismay when his original creation simply absorbs the new glob with a glorp, creating a large lump in its neck area that makes it slump over a little. Frowning, Fisticuffs starts to form another sphere of white light between his paws, flinching a little as it briefly comes into contact with the burn across his chest. Boris backs off a little, wary of a long-distance attack now that he has a shield against close-ranged attacks, but his opponent's only shaping the energy into a firm, thin rod. Fisticuffs stands back dramatically before practically leaping onto his creation, using his wire of energy to pare down his doll's edges, round its sharpest parts, and lop off the ugly blob still sticking out of its neck and shoulders, which drops to the pavement with an unceremonious squorch. Looking a little disgusted, the Mienfoo sweeps the gob of energy away with one foot and moves frenziedly back to work: working as if hurried by some unseen clock, he defines facial features by poking the stick into select parts of the substitute's "head" and refines the details he hadn't gotten to work on before in a matter of about a minute. Once he's satisfied with his progress, Fisticuffs grins and dissipates his tool, stepping back to admire his now-extremely lifelike doll.

Meanwhile, Boris feels like his face's frozen in the perpetual grin; he bends over to poke his face with one shielded leg, wincing at the shock of numbness. He mentally shifts gears back to the battle and considers the consequences of what he's about to do, but feels a little unsure—after he moves, his opponent might be able to see through his ruse, maybe? After a few more moments of thought, though, the Amaura shrugs and starts to prepare his attack. Even if Fisticuffs's spent a lot of time on the thing, well, it's just a substitute. Boris's frills start to glow the same color as his Reflect, and sparks of pink pop out of thin air to orbit lazily around his head as the Amaura closes his eyes to concentrate. Fisticuffs is blindsided when his opponent comes barreling from across the plaza, surrounded by an eerie glow. But his magnificent masterwork substitute, faithful to the last, takes a running leap into the path of Boris's attack, and explodes. Tiny blobs of Fighting and Normal energy fly in all directions, Boris overshoots his original target by a fair margin and skids to a halt along the pavement, and Fisticuffs is left to gaze, shocked, at the sizzling corpse of his Substitute.

I liek Squirtles (xOx)

Fisticuffs (m) <Regenerator>
Health: 63%
Energy: 24%
Currently: Saluting his fallen masterpiece. He can always create another later! Encored (Substitute, 1 more action.) Burned (severe: 4% damage/round, -3% damage to physical attacks.)
Used: Substitute (10) ~ Substitute (failed) ~ Substitute (failed)

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 46%
Energy: 40%
Currently: Snickering to himself. Surrounded by a Reflect (4 more actions.)
Used: Encore ~ Reflect ~ Zen Headbutt

Field Notes
-Movement order: Fisticuffs (65) > Boris (43).
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. The surrounding area is wet to the touch.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Action Notes
-Sorry for the lateness and quality of writing, I've been really busy lately.
-Both uses of Substitute failed because Fisticuffs already had one.
-KOs: Cuckoo 1, Fisticuffs 1, Von Chosais 0, Boris 1, Firethorn 0, Mercuria 1

Spoiler: calcs

Fisticuffs: 77 - 10 (Substitute) - 4 (burn) = 63
29 - 5 (Substitute) = 24
Boris: 46 = 46
51 - 4 (Encore) - 1 (Reflect) - 5 (Zen Headbutt) - 1 (upkeep) = 40

Dazel commands next.

 

[Keldeo]

DQ warning for Nira. You have a little more than 24 hours to post commands.

 

[kyeugh]

Ah, i'm so sorry, guys. *_* I've been off the ball with this battle.

Welp, let's put some zen headbutts out, i guess. Mirror coat whatever you can, and if he goes for a drain punch, protect (but only the first time). This is where it goes to shit, right...?

Zen headbutt / mirror coat / protect x3

 

[I liek Squirtles]

So just... wait before doing your sub. Then, throw a weak Drain Punch (for energy) at Boris to activate the Protect, and then Drain Punch for energy.

Sub (wait)~Drain Punch (weak, for energy)~Drain Punch (energy)

 

[Keldeo]

I liek Squirtles (xOx)

Fisticuffs (m) <Regenerator>
Health: 63%
Energy: 24%
Currently: Saluting his fallen masterpiece. He can always create another later! Encored (Substitute, 1 more action.) Burned (severe: 4% damage/round, -3% damage to physical attacks.)
Commands: Substitute (10, wait) ~ Drain Punch (weak, for energy) ~ Drain Punch (energy)

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 46%
Energy: 40%
Currently: Snickering to himself. Surrounded by a Reflect (4 more actions.)
Commands: Zen Headbutt / Mirror Coat / Protect x3

Field Notes
-Movement order: Fisticuffs (65) > Boris (43).
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. The surrounding area is wet to the touch.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Round 23​

As soon as the round starts, Fisticuffs rushes over to his creation's pulverization site, looking stricken. While the Mienfoo stares in sniffling horror at the orange-red mess, Boris hops from one foot to the other, laughs quietly to himself for a little, and then begins to tiptoe in a wide circle, aiming to ambush his opponent from behind. He can't quite keep the click-clack of his feet on the plastic pavement, but Fisticuffs seems too busy hiccuping in anguish to notice so the Amaura closes his eyes to concentrate. As his head fins begin to sparkle with energy, he mentally pictures Fisticuffs's backside, which areas of it to hit for maximum damage or stunning effect, and lets himself revel in contingency planning. The thought pops into Boris's mind suddenly that the Mienfoo's going to turn and startle, and he almost releases his power buildup right then on instinct—but quickly he manages to restrain himself, open his eyes, and take a running leap towards his opponent before doing so. The two Pokemon collide in a flash of pink light that throws them away from each other, and when they land, Boris a few seconds after Fisticuffs, both of their heads still spark with Psychic energy.

Boris quickly rolls to his feet, wary of a potential counterattack, but Fisticuffs stays where he is for a while longer, dazed from the blow. When he does get up, wincing a little at the familiar ache of his burns, he spares only a few seconds for the red goop still coagulating on the pavement behind him, before turning back to the battle. If he was only uncertain about his opponent's intentions before, the Mienfoo's definitely sure now that Boris doesn't really want him to keep making dolls for him—he's just going to destroy them in cold blood! But orders are orders and it might be wiser to keep the Amaura unaware of his strategic failure, so Fisticuffs grudgingly casts around for materials to create another replica. Eyeing the SWAT team cowering around the corner, he considers that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to kick up the ground and use that, and resigns himself to using the same methods he had before. Fisticuffs focuses for a second, siphoning his own vitality to form a sphere of raw life energy between his paws. The thing actually has a consistency like dough and he doesn't want to get too much on his fur, so he just pokes it a few times with one finger, wills the Substitute's magic to take hold, and quickly wipes the finger clean.

And indeed, Fisticuffs's own stratagem works like a charm: seeing his opponent's energy bubble glorpily metamorphose into a Mienfoo replica, Boris smirks and charges up for another bullrush. The Amaura backs up a few steps as a precaution and starts building up power, this time with his eyes open. But Boris doesn't have the time to find the familiar concentration before Fisticuffs switches from cooing over his doll to a full-on offensive maneuver in less than a second, faking to the right and then dashing to the left, one paw whirling with Fighting energy. Boris tenses and nearly panics for a split second but remembers his training; he quickly shifts the state of his energy buildup from a looser, diffused form to a compact shield. Fisticuffs's eyes widen as he sees the pinkish light morph into a thin screen. His already-weak punch has been slowed further by the space-warping bubble around his opponent, and the typing matchup looks grim if it really is repurposed Zen Headbutt energy. As it is, he stands no chance to strike through the repurposed energy, no matter how flimsy it looks, but if he improvises a little, withdraws the aura, maybe…

Boris flinches back as the screen shatters from pressure, easily avoiding Fisticuffs's lazy swing—but he doesn't manage to dodge the Mienfoo's other paw, which shoots out at him with no warning. The Amaura cries out as the jab hits him, sapping away his strength and willpower rather than hurting his physical body directly, but he manages to break the contact after a few seconds and prepares to improvise himself. Boris rears back before his opponent can flee, twists his neck around the other's, and stomps down hard to pin his wrists to the ground. As the two struggle Fisticuffs begins to grow short of breath, what with Boris's ridiculously bendy neck somehow in his way at all times, but his anatomy is better suited for a traditional grapple. Through a combination of punches to Boris's face and kicks to his underside the Mienfoo manages to wriggle out of the tangle and spring away once his feet are on solid ground—though not without a few bumps and scrapes for his effort.

I liek Squirtles (xOx)

Fisticuffs (m) <Regenerator>
Health: 37%
Energy: 18%
Currently: Not so sure about the odds any more. Burned (severe: 4% damage/round, -3% damage to physical attacks.)
Used: Substitute (10, wait) ~ Drain Punch (weak, blocked) ~ Drain Punch (energy)

Dazel (Oxx)

Boris (m) <Snow Warning>
Health: 46%
Energy: 20%
Currently: Ready to finish his opponent, but more tired than he'd like. Surrounded by a Reflect (1 more action.)
Used: Zen Headbutt ~ Protect ~ Zen Headbutt

Field Notes
-Movement order: Fisticuffs (65) > Boris (43).
-Due to the hail, the bank sign has been forcibly deprived of its supports and is now grounded, and many buildings further away have been damaged or destroyed.
-The roadway has been scorched and twisted by severe heat. The conflagration that consumed most of the nearby grass has faded away.
-The top half of a tree has fallen across the pedestrian crossing. The surrounding area is wet to the touch.
-There are two cracked holes in the ground connected by a gently sloping tunnel.
-Main Plaza destruction counter: 8.

Action Notes
-Fisticuffs moved after Boris on the first action because the former was explicitly commanded to wait but the latter was only implicitly told to.
-Fisticuffs's Encore wore off after the first action.
-Fisticuffs's "weak" Drain Punch had 40 base power and 2% base energy. (Boris's charging up of the Zen Headbutt was for flavor only, as he had to wait to see whether a conditional would be fulfilled or not.)
-KOs: Cuckoo 1, Fisticuffs 1, Von Chosais 0, Boris 1, Firethorn 0, Mercuria 1

Spoiler: calcs

Fisticuffs: 63 - 12 (Zen Headbutt) - 10 (Substitute) - 4 (burn) = 37
24 - 5 (Substitute) - 1 (Drain Punch [weak]) - 3 (Drain Punch [energy]) + 3 (Drain Punch [energy]) = 18
Fisticuffs's substitute: 10 - 12 (Zen Headbutt) = 0
Boris: 46 = 46
40 - 5 (Zen Headbutt) - 3 (Protect) - 5 (Zen Headbutt) - 7 (Drain Punch [energy]) = 20

ILS commands next.