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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?
A battle in the air, over a deep canyon. Though both battlers are forbidden from landing at any time, there is a river running through the bottom of the canyon, so moves requiring a source of water may be used.
Additional Rules: Only pokémon that are able to fly or hover, inherently or consensually, may participate, and moves that involve the ground will fail. All energy penalties that consensually hovering/flying pokémon might otherwise accrue are voided. More info on Sky Battles.
Gorouna the female Graveler <Sturdy> @ Eviolite Natalie the female Xatu <Synchronize> @ Prism Scale Jonathan the male Togepi <Serene Grace> @ Soothe Bell Meta the genderless Ditto <Limber> @ Metal Powder Amaterasu the female Poochyena <Quick Feet> @ Expert Belt Megabird the male Rufflet <Sheer Force> @ Lucky Egg Wicket the male Taillow <Guts> @ Eviolite Bill the male Quilladin <Bulletproof> @ Shell Bell Effie the female Wailmer <Oblivious> @ Leftovers Agnes the female Piplup <Defiant> @ Lucky Egg
The Omskivar's active squad
Porkpie the female Pignite <Blaze> Methuselah the male Chingling <Levitate> @ Soothe Bell The Big Bad Omskivar the male Electrike <Lightning Rod> Thorvald the Magnificent the male Swinub <Snow Cloak> Scourge the male Grimer <Stench> Tucker the male Bidoof <Unaware> @ Lucky Egg Pinch the female Krabby <Hyper Cutter> @ Lucky Egg Princess the female Glameow <Limber> @ Lucky Egg Olivia Hootin' John the female shiny Hoothoot <Insomnia> @ Lucky Egg Marrow the female Vullaby <Overcoat> @ Lucky Egg
Command Order
The Omskivar sends out
Superbird sends out and posts commands
The Omskivar posts commands
awww Omskivar you put The Big Bad Omskivar in your active squad! :3
Both you and your opponent have a couple of Super-Effective moves against each other. Which one you'll be using this round mainly depends on what your opponent does - we're in no need to move quickly. But anyway, our default move is Ominous Wind for now - if Methuselah approaches you for some reason, punish her with Brave Bird.
I doubt Methuselah will try to paralyze you due to Guts, but if he does, go ahead and Mirror Move Thunder Wave if that happens.
Okay Methuselah, looks like we'll be keeping our distance this round. Don't approach him at all, we don't want to take a Brave Bird if we can help it, but Disable the first Ominous Wind. Then go ahead and Skill Swap away your redundant ability, and then let's throw out a Charge Beam.
The Omskivar (2/2 left) Methuselah ♂ @ Soothe Bell Ability: Levitate Health: 100% Energy: 100% Status: >°))))彡
------------------------------
High up above an unnamed canyon in an unnamed part of an unnamed region, two Sky Trainers hover in custom-made flying suits from the finest tailors of Kalos, waiting impatiently for their appointed ref to arrive. The silence of calm winds is interrupted only by Superbird's occasional curses when he forgets the constants in his integrals for his online Referee Fundamentals: Basic Mathematics certification. Who knew you could get LTE up here?
At last a figure appears in the distance: the referee sporting a shoddy 2011 flight suit covertly swiped from ultraviolet's Bionic Parts, clinging desperately to her Pelipper as both steadily lose altitude. Superbird and The Omskivar both ignore their referee's plight, for her appearance means that it is time for ＢＡＴＴＬＥ. Eagerly they toss their Poké Balls into the air in front of them: on one side of the canyon materializes Superbird's Taillow, and on the other, a tiny little bell, squealing in shock as she finds herself several miles off the ground. The shapes of the two Poké Balls shrink into nothingness as they plunge through the air into the oblivion of the canyon, never to be seen again...
Cawing raucously, Wicket the Taillow wastes no time in flapping his little wings, whipping up a gust of eerie, purple-tinged wind that bears down upon The Omskivar's Chingling with an unsettling wail. Methuselah chimes in distress as vengeful spirits infiltrate her body, violently rattling her bell back and forth. Closing her eyes, she struggles to maintain her focus, and for a moment the spirits are still. With a cry she unleashes a quick pulse of energy, banishing the spirits from her body and further, from Wicket's mind.
Another effort of will and Methuselah's body begins to glow as some bright light begins shining from within. Concentrating, she projects the orb of white light outward, and as it leaves her body she staggers slightly in the air before regaining her balance. Across her, Wicket struggles and spits as a light is drawn too from his body, and suddenly the Taillow seems a bit smaller, more docile. The two lights drift across the battlefield to their new owners, and Methuselah's chest puffs out slightly as she absorbs hers, bolstered by her new powers. Wicket, on the other hand, doesn't feel different at all... Shrugging, he spreads his wings, preparing to call up— call up what now? He seems to have forgotten. Distressed, he flutters back and forth through the air, fussing over his feathers with his beak, but he just can't remember what it was he was trying to do.
Relieved that her technique worked, Methuselah opens her mouth wide, an orb of electric energy crackling inside it. She releases it with a blinding flash, and Wicket squawks in pain as the beam of electricity knocks him through the air, sending a buzz of static through his feathers. The shock jolts him back to the present, and he decides that he's at least got to do something. Folding his wings to his sides he soars forward, streamlining his shape so as to minimize wind resistance as he hurtles toward his foe. Methuselah chimes in alarm and attempts to maneuver out of the way, but Wicket's far too fast for her, and crashes into her with a devastating impact that throws both Pokémon backward. Panting, Wicket shakes his head quickly, attempting to clear it from the force of the collision.
Chingling is inherently hovering, so removing Levitate did not cause her to plunge to the bottom of the canyon to be lost for good.
Wicket didn't do anything on the second action due to Disable. On the third action, he chose his move randomly out of the other two commands he was given.
uhh... three guesses what I copy-pasted this round from... I nearly posted this with those faces, and then I decided to leave them, because they're cute. who needs beginning-of-battle statuses, anyway
okay Methuselah we don't want Brave Birds being thrown around all crazy so I want you to float over to the Taillow and Wrap onto him. Try to get yourself on his back, it's a Sky Battle so the hopes of bringing him to the ground are dashed but restricting Speed by constricting the wings would also be good--focus on not being in front of his face if you can avoid it, though. While you're right on top of him, fire off a couple of point-blank Psychics. If he has clones on the first action, use Shock Wave, and default to that if he has a Substitute as well--if either of those prevents you from Wrapping, bump it down an action.
Easy. Let's start with Ominous Wind first, Wicket, while your opponent is approaching, and after that we'll use Boomburst twice while you're being wrapped, to try to make Methuselah regret coming that close to you. The canyon below should aid the attack's potency, too.
The Omskivar (2/2 left) Methuselah ♂ @ Soothe Bell Ability: Guts Health: 76% Energy: 88% Status: Ringing her bells in alarm.
------------------------------
Perplexed, Wicket stares helplessly over at his trainer. Superbird wants him to appeal to the spirits? Why would Wicket ever have known how to do something like that? He can't have. It's impossible. Unless, of course, they're willing to respond to his most desperate flailing and wailing! A splended idea, indeed. Nodding confidently to himself, Wicket begins thrashing about wildly with his wings and tiny claws, managing to clonk both himself and his opponent over the head. Oof. And of course no otherworldly beings come to his aid.
With an irritated little chime, Methuselah stretches her stripey ropey things over her head, where they promptly take on a life of their own and begin to lengthen. The Chingling maneuvers herself atop her opponent and angles her stripey ropey things down. The stripey ropey things eagerly wrap themselves tightly around Wicket's body, affixing his wings to his sides. With a startled squawk, the Taillow begins to plunge downward, until he finds himself held aloft with a strange psychic power, aided by... his hidden powers of levitation? Nice.
Wait, wait. This is not so nice. Methuselah and her stripey ropey things are strangling his wings, and this is just not cool. It is so not cool that Wicket can think of nothing better to do but scream his frustrations to the ref, still struggling for control over her flight suit far below. He screams and screams, and at such close range the sound waves echo painfully through Methuselah's bell, rattling her violently. A particularly sharp note makes her scream in pain as well, and it's all she can do to maintain her grip on her opponent and focus her psychic powers, reaching deep into his brain to mess around with his medulla oblongata or one of those other fancy names she learned in Gifted Psychic Pokémon School. She really should have thought before doing that. Wicket lets out another deafening scream of pain and rage, and the sound waves would physically buffet Methuselah through the air were she not held firmly in place by her stripey ropey things. Praise the stripey ropey things! Clinging with her stripey ropey things for dear life, the Chingling hesitantly takes another poke around in her target's brain, steadily tearing down some of his mental defenses.
------------------------------
Superbird (2/2 left) Wicket ♂ @ Eviolite Ability: Levitate Health: 67% Energy: 74% Status: Squawking up a storm. Wrapped (3 more actions, 1% damage per action, lowered priority and more energy required for attacks requiring movement). -1 Special Defense. Used: Struggle ~ Boomburst ~ Boomburst
The Omskivar (2/2 left) Methuselah ♂ @ Soothe Bell Ability: Guts Health: 36% (capped) Energy: 78% Status: Trembling to the very ends of her stripey ropey things. Used: Wrap ~ Psychic ~ Psychic
Ominous Wind was still Disabled, so Wicket Struggled on the first action. I suppose it could have gotten Wicket out of that Wrap or at least loosened it quite a bit if it had been actually ordered and timed so that it happened while Methuselah was using Wrap, but as neither of those was the case it just plain did damage.
Chingling and Taillow are roughly the same size, and I'm just assuming that Chingling is able to somehow grow its stripey ropey things to wrap things more effectively because it is one of the tiniest Pokémon and given that it gets Wrap as a level 1 move, it is probably supposed to be somewhat actually useful. Wicket's wings are now tied to his sides, and he is relying fully on Levitate to not fall into the canyon to be lost forever. Attacks requiring him to like, locomote through space will require more energy (proportional in some way to the amount of movement required) as he flails his little feet about and tries to figure out how to control this weird Levitate ability properly. They will also see a -1 decrease in priority. (These penalties would decrease over time, but Wrap isn't lasting long enough for that.)
Incidentally, I'm not sure what should happen if a participant is rendered unable to stay aloft during a Sky Battle. Automatic disqualification? Automatic disqualification of the one that rendered it unable to fly, as that is an illegal move?? You should maybe decide that, I guess.
At such close range, Boomburst was indeed more powerful (though I think the battlers are too high above the canyon for that to affect things). I bumped its critical hit domain up two stages, and it scored a crit on its first use.
Disable wore off after the second action.
Methuselah hit the damage cap on the third action.
The second Psychic lowered Wicket's Special Defense.
Well, for the record, Wicket wouldn't have fallen into the canyon anyway - Methuselah is holding him, right? And Methuselah is floating, so there's no way Wicket would have fallen without taking Methuselah with him - and if Methuselah released Wicket, he would be able to fly on his own.
Silly me for ordering Ominous Wind again, Wicket! But at any rate we got what we wanted accomplished last round - let's do it again! Boomburst again and again, unless you can't, in which case use Air Slash if possible, or Pluck if that's not possible.
It has been brought to my attention that Methuselah is actually male. I am very angry about this revelation because I FUCKING CHECKED, so I'm not gonna go back and edit my other reffings. fight me methuselah
Oh yeah totally he's named after the Redwall character, after which they named a bell at the conclusion. Anyway I'll command later when I'm not just in-passing
BLARGH that seemed like such a good idea in my head
Well let's start with a Thunder Wave, then a Wish, and a Shock Wave. On the first action, release Wicket (and try to put some spin on it while you can) as you zap him, then try and keep your distance.
Superbird
Wicket
Taillow (M) [Levitate] @ Eviolite
Health: 67% | Energy: 74%
Condition: Wrapped (3 more actions, 1% damage per action, lowered priority and more energy required for attacks requiring movement). -1 Special Defense. Squawking up a storm Boomburst / Air Slash / Pluck x3
The Omskivar
Methuselah
Chingling (M) [Guts]
Health: 36% (Capped) | Energy: 78%
Condition: Trembling to the very ends of her stripey ropey things. Thunder Wave (release Wicket)~Wish~Shock Wave
Wicket’s continued shrieking had not ceased even during the official inter-round break. Any handler that had attempted to get close to the distressed bird just came back deafer than before. Wearing earmuffs somehow made it worse. Methuselah’s grip was waning, his strength was sapped with every unintelligible syllable. His only refuge being the short pauses for breath, where he would try and tighten his hold, only to bring himself closer for the next flood of sound. Wicket was not operating on reason, Wicket had surpassed reason, Wicket had screamed through the spectrum of reason, shot through the other side and double backed just to nest at insanity. Wicket was pissed, and this might’ve been because his head was all jumbled by a certain Psychic type. The only way he could ever get the noise in his head out was through his throat, and so he did.
Methuselah was not altogether pleased about his current situation, but his trainer’s orders- relayed by a small set of speakers a handler had managed to get near the pair- filled him with some relief. As soon as the word release transmitted through, Methuselah ripped off his cords. The ropes unfurled into coloured ribbons, all tension removed from them. Methuselah dutifully straightened them out with a huff and splayed his minute hands and feet in the air. Wicket, freed from his prison, spun once in midair before flourishing his wings, a calm washing over his mind as the wind washed over his feathers. Methuselah pulled in particles in the air, rubbing his tail-ribbon-rope-cords together. Crackles of electricity ran along their lengths, sometimes peaking and peeking into the world above before diving back into their respective reds or whites. Wicket almost froze. That was the hesitant moment that Methuselah needed. He hurled his ribbons forward, arcing them around his back and towards the Taillow. The jolts looked like they were thrown off the trails, zigzagging through the air and into Wicket’s chest. The bird in question felt his body tighten, as if his heart was pulling everything in and holding them close for dear life. He squawked and gave a large, slow flap of his wings, spreading them out further than he normally would. A momentary respite for the Taillow as the wind caressed his wings once more.
Wicket was not the only one enjoying a breather, Methuselah curled his ribbons back into knotted ropes, using the opportunity to stretch them out, working off the cricks in his bell chamber from clenching his jaw during the calamitous cawing. A wayward hand found his way to his chin, well one part of his enourmous jaw-chin, and tapped at it thoughtfully. A clear ringing filled his head, and a thought followed in its wake. Why not take a bit of a better breather? His hands flew to the sky once more, and his ropes shot up in rigid lines. Very slowly, Methuselah shook his body, chiming to the heavens. Whatever deity he was worshipping, he was certainly close to them here. A reply boomed from the clouds, just a shine dancing across the rolling cumuli. But it was enough for Methuselah to know he was being cared for.
His bell began to ring in alarm, a shocking force had slammed into his side and thrown his innards in the ringer. He spun through the air, ropes all aflutter, looking much like a pinwheel. His mouth opened, greeting the skies with its intolerable ringing. His ropes, seemingly with a mind of their own- or controlled by a mind much more prepared than it seemed- pulled in another ring of sparks. Methuselah stopped and with visible effort spun the opposite direction, discharging a disc of coiling sparks in Wicket’s general direction. As Methuselah knew that it did not matter where he fired the attack, it would always hit its mark, the decision was the most sensible here. He would get back for more thinking after the spinning ceased. The disc flew high into the air, far above both the battlers, eliciting a cautious look from Wicket’s narrowed eyes. It stopped for a moment, and as soon as it began to descend it burst into a hundred little electric worms, wiggling their way through the sky. Their angles sharpened with each passing moment, and their acceleration only worsened Wicket’s thoughts. But he could not move, as if the own electricity rusting his movement was drawn towards its pulsing brethren. The sparks all righted themselves and barraged Wicket across every inch of his body. He mused that this must be what it felt like to be carpet bombed, before even his head jolted with the signals of pain his body was sending at him.
Round Three
Superbird
Wicket
Taillow (M) [Levitate] @ Eviolite
Health: 56% | Energy: 63%
Condition: Paralysed (Severe), -1 Special Defense. ”where did my Guts go” Boomburst ~ Boomburst ~ Paralysed
The Omskivar
Methuselah
Chingling (M) [Guts]
Health: 2% | Energy: 61%
Condition: ”just…a little bit longer >:U” Thunder Wave (release Wicket) ~ Wish ~ Shock Wave
A2:
Wicket’s Paralysis: (55/100, needed 18 or less to Paralyse, NOT PARALYSED)
Wish: Delay Roll (2/3, Wish granted in 3 actions)
A3:
Wicket’s Paralysis (55/100, needed 18 or less to Paralyse, PARALYSED)
Notes:
-As Thunder Wave inflicted severe paralysis, I will be doing rolls for all of Wicket’s movements, albeit some will be more relaxed, as in the case of Boomburst. For Boomburst I used a moderate paralysis chance of 18, though Wicket was determined to twitch spasmodically with his last action roll of 3 just so he could delay the KO, not even light paralysis would’ve saved him. As Air Slash and Pluck would require even more movement, he defaulted to screaming continuously. Regardless, at the end of the first action next round, Wicket’s paralysis chance (currently at 25% for moves requiring…movement, and 18% for ones that do not) will drop by 5%.
-I didn’t let Methuaslsehsleshlshsh (GOD I HATE TYPING THAT NAME) spin Wicket around since that thing is nearly six times his weight, but a light twirl helped Wicket get back on his talons (feet? wings? noun.)
-Wish will heal Methuselah for 50% of his health at the end of the second action next round. I’m not sure on the rulings of energy deduction for Wish, but I’ve taken off a flat 2% for execution, and will deduct 25% in energy over the actions leading up to the heal. Any switches will have their energy deducted per action instead. I’m not sure how this would work if Wish wasn’t healing 50% health, but I can’t really think of a reason for using Wish when you’re not below 50% health either (even if it is your only recovery move)
-The Omskivarkzzzzsht please provide your orders using clear, easily distinguishable words. Over. kzzzzsht
fucking chingling fucking learns recover why didn't i just fucking use recover
We're just gonna pray. A lot. Use Zen Headbutt, and if you get lucky enough to survive to the second action, throw up a Protect. After that, zap him with Shock Wave.
Well, Wicket, we could either play with Methuselah a little bit, or we could finish this off quickly. As much as I want to go with the former, I don't think it's in our best interest.
Quick Attack on Action 1. If paralysis keeps you from succeeding with that, then the Random Number God has smiled upon Methuselah - he will Protect, so you will take the time to Refresh and get rid of that paralysis. Action 3, go ahead and Boomburst, to push Methuselah below 40% and thus within KO range for next action.
Superbird
Wicket
Taillow (M) [Levitate] @ Eviolite
Health: 56% | Energy: 63%
Condition: Paralysed (Severe), -1 Special Defense. ”where did my Guts go” Quick Attack ~ Refresh ~ Boomburst
The Omskivar
Methuselah
Chingling (M) [Guts]
Health: 2% | Energy: 61%
Condition: ”just…a little bit longer >:U” Zen Headbutt~Protect~Shock Wave
Wicket fluttered his wings once more, checking how sensitive they were. It wasn’t that all of his wing was locked in place, but that some of his feathers felt uneasily heavy. But it was always a different set of feathers every wingbeat. Multiply this with a Taillow’s natural tendency to flap, and one would understand the tough situation presenting itself. But Wicket still tried, after all, he had to live up to his trainer’s name. Methuselah sat rubbing his head, massaging soothing thoughts into it, oblivious to the Taillow’s trials. Wicket closed his eyes and let himself drop, holding in his breath and tightening his eyelids so that no matter what they wouldn’t force themselves open. He knew his body would keep him up, it was built for that. As he dovetailed down below, his internal systems were struggling against each other, when one was ready for action another seemed to have the jolted curse holding it still.
But, just as the feathers were weighted with randomness, so were the sparks in his body. By some stroke of luck, every muscle and every feather felt light for just a moment. That moment was enough. Wicket took over as commander, snapping open his eyes and adjusting his tail. He angled straight at Methuselah and before I could finish this sentence he was off. The Chingling never saw it coming, his eyes being on the side of his head. The Taillow sped in from underneath, striking the air so furiously with his wings, just so they could feel alive before the paralysis returned. He bent his head down and plunged right into the Psychic type. Methuselah’s arms whipped off his head as he noticed that he was accelerating upwards with alarming speed. His body began ringing in alarm, but the air seemed much more faint, even when it wasn’t, and his rings seemed dampened. Wicket felt the vibrations knot through his skull and down his entire body, and anger took him over. This was another trick to get the sparks to come out of hiding, to lure them out with rings of fury. He would not have it.
He stopped where he was, slowing himself with one massive beat of his wings. Methuselah was sent flying upwards before gravity realised it had a job. The Chingling tumbled downwards, ringing so faint it could barely be heard anymore. Wicket pulled back a bit and thrust the dome of his head forward, smacking the little bell all the way down to his trainer. Omskivar, mournfully aware of the fact, had already prepped Methuselah’s pokeball. The bell and its ringing faded into a red light. Its brightness almost a warning for Wicket, as the feathers suddenly pulled down at him. He flapped hard against his own shoulders, as if they were clipped down to a table, barely managing to pull up again. This would be hard, he knew, looking down at the canyon below. Not even a river could cushion that fall. His panting betrayed how aware he was of his own mortality.
Superbird
Wicket
Taillow (M) [Levitate] @ Eviolite
Health: 56% | Energy: 61%
Condition: Paralysed (Severe, 20% chance to be fully paralysed), -1 Special Defense. ”Truly the super bird.” Quick Attack ~ Bless RNG ~ Praise the run!
The Omskivar
Methuselah
Chingling (M) [Guts]
Health: 0% | Energy: 61%
Condition: KOed! ”the bell tolls for me ;-;” Zen Hea- OW ~ riiiiiiiiiiing ~ ring?
A1:
Wicket’s Paralysis: (27/100, needed 25 or lower to paralyse, HOLY CRAP THAT WAS CLOSE)
Wicket’s Health:
56%
Wicket’s Energy:
63 – 2 (Quick Attack) = 61%
Methuselah’s Health:
2 – 5 (Quick Attack) = bell toll’d
Methuselah’s Energy:
61%
Notes:
-I’ve taken to mentioning Paralysis failure chance at the end-of-round status, saves you opening an extra tab. It also lowered to 20% at the end of the first action.
-The Omskivar selects his next birdy battler.
-Superbird commands, trying to determine who really is the superest bird.
-Omskivar will prove one of the bird hypotheses with his commands! (But which one will it be? We won’t know until I, the man that counts the numbers, checks and sees) -holy crap you guys that was close
Let's do this simple. Start with Refresh - we do not like that paralysis at all, do we - and continue with two Boombursts. If at any point you find yourself asleep, use Sleep Talk, or if that's unuseable, Snore.
Gorouna the female Graveler <Sturdy> @ Eviolite
Natalie the female Xatu <Synchronize> @ Prism Scale
Jonathan the male Togepi <Serene Grace> @ Soothe Bell
Meta the genderless Ditto <Limber> @ Metal Powder
Amaterasu the female Poochyena <Quick Feet> @ Expert Belt
Megabird the male Rufflet <Sheer Force> @ Lucky Egg
Wicket the male Taillow <Guts> @ Eviolite
Bill the male Quilladin <Bulletproof> @ Shell Bell
Effie the female Wailmer <Oblivious> @ Leftovers
Agnes the female Piplup <Defiant> @ Lucky Egg
Porkpie the female Pignite <Blaze>
Methuselah the male Chingling <Levitate> @ Soothe Bell
The Big Bad Omskivar the male Electrike <Lightning Rod>
Thorvald the Magnificent the male Swinub <Snow Cloak>
Scourge the male Grimer <Stench>
Tucker the male Bidoof <Unaware> @ Lucky Egg
Pinch the female Krabby <Hyper Cutter> @ Lucky Egg
Princess the female Glameow <Limber> @ Lucky Egg
Olivia Hootin' John the female shiny Hoothoot <Insomnia> @ Lucky Egg
Marrow the female Vullaby <Overcoat> @ Lucky Egg
