The Battle for Asber

[ole_schooler]

And now the fall, the curtain call, our final, shining hour,
Has come to pass, in one fell blast, of all the legends' power.
I must admit, it is a bit, flattering to know,
We did annoy, 'nough to employ, all your rage in one blow.
I know you will, claim overkill, was not your true intent,
Yet I can tell, through numbers, well, you somewhat overspent.
Let Fisher's pain, serve all to gain, a brief needed respite,
And, please, know this: I will not miss, your o'erconfident might.
Now I shall end, and recommend, that others win the fight,
Mewtwo, Dakrai, Giratina(i), I bid you three good night.

 

[Noctowl]

Do not underestimate the power of Cottonee. It is awesome and will crush you with its amazing squeaking powers. I know this to be true.

 

[1. Luftballon]

unforeseen, but expectable in hindsight. this is troubling.

but as for peace -- you cannot expect any just yet.

the power of the gods yet not annulled
shall annihilate the many and few
thus we immolate the few for many

(look, I had an excuse to use the verb to immolate! as a pun, no less!)

 

[DarkAura]

You know, if I bought my Moomoo earlier before this started, I could have used it's utterly aweome Scrappy ability. =(

Anywaaaay;

Do not despair fallen warriors.
For the fallen were brave soldiers.
Buzzcomb, Fisher, soon to be Ditto
The afterlife you all will go.

Though your deaths were not in vain.
For it will not be for nothing, the sufferings of your pain.
The others shall overcome the villains of Pokemon.
And they shall defeat the ones you call Don.


Fallen warriors. Eeyup.

Anyway, sooo...go Asber? I've got not that much mroe to say....=\

 

[Negrek]

Okay, so I missed the usual DQ time because I tend to hibernate in the winter, but at this point everybody but Superbird and Pathos has around eleven hours to get their commands to me.

 

[Negrek]

Round Three, Act One​

Darkrai is focused entirely on China, clawed hands clenching and unclenching and eyes narrowing. Whether because the psychic and steel type reminds it of Monopole, whose unwanted attention has been haunting it all battle, or for some still more obscure reason, the enmity the legend has for the levitating bell is almost palpable. It doesn't even notice Aries determinedly riding the wind up to its level until the cottonee begins whooping and cheering. Darkrai's attention jerks around to focus on the little ball of cotton fluff, but Aries doesn't seem intimidated; he just gushes about what an honor it is to be able to do battle with such a renowned opponent. He saw the flash of the legends' lightning even from far below--an incredible sight and, unfortunately, one you can only expect to witness once in a lifetime, if that.

Darkrai smirks to itself. So the little fluffball wants to see more sparks, does he? Well, that can certainly be arranged. Lightning flickers around the legend's fingers, then lances down towards China, wrapping the bronzong in tendrils of electricity. Aside from a distressed flickering of the eyes, China gives no sign that it was affected by the attack, but the humans clinging to its arms stiffen with pain. That isn't the end of China's trouble, either--Giratina slithers around to face the psychic type, the trainers clinging to it quailing as the legendary's huge head looms right in front of them. Giratina's eyes flare briefly with psychic power, and a moment later China's gentle bobbing stops as it is locked in place by the dragon's telekinesis. The trainers on its arms, who had been expecting something rather more painful, experimentally shift their weight, trying to get the pokémon to rock back and forth, but it is no good--China is trapped where it is and shows no sign of budging.

Up above, Mewtwo draws a lazy finger through the air, and it trails blue flame in a long horizontal line. Two more lines complete the five-pointed character, and Mewtwo gives an open-palmed shove to the center point where they join, setting the attack in motion. The fire blast moves slowly through the air, arms crackling merrily, and would have been easy for China to avoid if it were still able to move. As it is, the trainers give twin squeaks of surprise and cower around at its back, and the fiery attack slams home in a rush of eerie periwinkle flame.

Ptah watches the scene and hisses. Well, that's not going well. But there's no time for him to wait around worrying; he has a job to do. He swoops into a shallow dive, Chief Zackrai clutching tight to his shoulders, and plunges right out of reality and into its inverse, where the bright day is replaced by endless, seething dark. The undead hulk of Giratina looms before him, glowing with unnatural life, and Ptah charges into it without hesitation, passing through where the ghost's skin would be, into the chest cavity and then, with a jerk, back into reality and the smelly darkness of the ghost's stomach. The gliscor keeps up his momentum and extends a claw, still fizzing with darkness, raking it down along the inside of the ghost's stomach. Giratina jerks and lets out a small screech, and something unpleasant starts to well from the wound. Ptah hardly notices; he's preoccupied with what his echolocation is only just beginning to reveal to him about the interior of Giratina's stomach.

He's not alone. In fact, Meta the ditto is only just raising a feeble pseudopod and calling out to Ptah. Has the gliscor come to rescue it at last? It doesn't think it can hold on much longer. The ditto's body is losing definition, sinking back into the thick mucous coating the lining of Giratina's stomach, and its voice is thin and tired-sounding. Ptah grimaces and has to admit that no, he hasn't. He has work to do here, and no time to carry the ditto to safety. The gliscor does his best to ignore the whimper that he receives in reply, and Chief Zackrai shifts uneasily against his wings. A moment later, a faint glow fills the interior of the stomach as Meta rolls up into a small, glowing orb, which spreads improbable wings and takes to jerky flight. The flying flame orb travels laboriously up to the top of the dragon's stomach and batters against the cardiac sphincter blocking the way up into its esophagus. It is no good, however; Giratina doesn't even notice the feeble knocking against the bottom of its throat, and Meta can't keep it up for long. Its weak light flickers and dies, and the ditto sinks down into pink sludge once again, too tired to go on. Ptah snarls and clacks his claws as the ditto briefly glows red, then is transported back to its pokéball. To put aside his guilt at doing nothing to help his teammate, Ptah assures himself that he'll see to it that Giratina is stopped.

Back in the open air, China is considering its predicament with an objective care that only an artificial pokémon can summon. Trapped where it is, it can't escape with a faint attack--couldn't dodge the earlier fire blast, and certainly can't haul itself over to Giratina's stomach now. The psychic's eyes flicker as it mulls over its orders and, finally, makes a decision. Green light seeps from the bronzong's metal skin, and a moment later, a similar green shield springs up around each of its companions.

Throughout everything, Monopole has been hovering quietly by itself, its optical sensors trained on Giratina and its four brains working furiously. It is doing everything it can to remember the dragon's earlier journey into the reverse world, how it vanished in an instant, and then returned again. The metagross' picture-perfect memory replays the scene again and again, analyzing every tiny movement the legend made, until it feels it knows the move inside and out. When the time comes, the metagross knows it will be able to execute the attack flawlessly.

Team Legend

Kratos Aurion (O)

Giratina (X) <Levitate>
Health: 925
Energy: 976
Used: Telekinesis @ China
- Twitching in mild agitation.

Pathos (O)

Darkrai (X) <Bad Dreams>
Health: 897
Energy: 972
Used: Thunderbolt @ China
- More than willing to show off its power. Encored (two more actions).

Kusarigamaitachi (O)

Mewtwo (X) <Pressure>
Health: 1000
Energy: 971
Used: Fire Blast @ China
- A little bored.

Team Asber
Safeguard: 5 more actions

Superbird (X)

Meta (X) <Limber>
Health: 88%
Energy: 89%
Used: Transform into winged flame orb; attempt escape
Knocked Out!

Grass King (O)

Monopole (X) <Clear Body> @ Leftovers
Health: 100%
Energy: 74%
Used: Mimic (Shadow Force) @ Giratina
- Feeling dangerous. Knows shadow force. -4 Speed

Barubu (O)

China (X) <Levitate> @ Leppa Berry
Health: 66%
Energy: 99%
Used: Safeguard
- Under the weather already.

Derpy (O)

Aries (M) <Prankster> @ Sun Stone
Health: 100%
Energy: 96%
Used: Encore @ Darkrai
- Cheerful.

Chief Zackrai (O)

Ptah (M) <Hyper Cutter> @ Life Orb
Health: 99%
Energy: 96%
Used: Faint Attack @ Giratina
- Enraged. Suffocation KO in five actions.

 

[1. Luftballon]

renown is a noun.

 

[allitersonance]

... hmph. I see you have not yet recognised that we do not take your feeble attempts at mimicking our power so lightly. Your death, metagross, will be neither swift nor merciful.

And you, gliscor... heh. I admit, I did not anticipate that you would be so quick to willingly follow your comrades to their defeat, but I see I have overestimated you. Do you fear our powers so much you would rather succumb to a slow death by suffocation? ...but perhaps that is wisdom. Or perhaps you won't brave that, either, and only delay the demise you so fear.

Worry not, cowardly gliscor. We are not yet concerned for you. Your time will come, but if you do choose to expire under your own terms, before we turn our gaze upon you, we will not begrudge you that.

 

[Superbird]

...

...

...go team.

 

[Zero Moment]

Ptah can always, you know, LEAVE Giratina's stomach.

 

[Mai]

... :(

I can't poetry right now, sadly.
Maybe in a few actions I'll do it gladly.

 

[1. Luftballon]

Ptah can always, you know, LEAVE Giratina's stomach.

mind, it could get somewhat difficult.

 

[Negrek]

Round Three, Act Two​

Darkrai sends another bolt of lightning stabbing down at China, and the bronzong is powerless to avoid it. The dark-type legend chuckles to itself as Barubu and Derpy once more shudder in the grip of the powerful electricity, for though there is little sign of distress from China itself, Darkrai knows that the steel type is suffering mightily itself.

Meanwhile, Giratina flows through a wide arc, crest glowing blue, and tears open another gateway to the Reverse World. If Monopole needed a refresher on proper shadow force technique, it's about to get plenty of opportunity to take notes. Giratina sails through the open portal and slams it shut again with the tip of its tail, leaving the field for now, but with the ominous, unstated promise to return soon, ready to unleash its ghostly power on an unsuspecting target.

Ptah, still ensconced in Giratina's innards, doesn't realize that he's in the middle of an interdimensional trip. The gliscor's piping cries reveal to him the contours of the legend's stomach despite the pitch dark, and it's easy enough for him to locate the area Buzzcomb had been working on earlier, although the sticky mucous seeping from the stomach walls has already started to fill in the gouges the vespiquen created. Ptah summons dark energy to his claw and rams a night slash right across the affected area, digging still deeper into the lining of Giratina's stomach. The legendary is no longer able to ignore the insults to the inside of its stomach; in fact, its relaxing jaunt through the Reverse World is rudely interrupted by the stab of pain accompanying Ptah's attack. The legendary is brought up short with a roar of outrage, then doubles back on itself to glare at the area of its long body that now smarts. Of course, no damage is visible from the outside, and Giratina straightens out again, powering forwards towards its chosen point of reentry with a low grumble. It will have to deal with its unruly stomach contents later; for now, it has an attack to complete.

A portal opens just below China, and Giratina forces its way through, darkness bubbling out of the Reverse World with it as it wraps its tentacles around China. The legendary's claws rasp against the bronzong's metal exterior, gouging shallow trenches even in its heavily reinforced body. Giratina tosses the bronzong contemptuously aside as it hauls itself the rest of the way back into the real world, then takes to flight with a flick of its tail, leaving the rend in reality to close in its wake.

Meanwhile, Aries has left off its wild praise of Darkrai for a statement of his real opinion on the legends. Here in the open air, close to the blazing sun, it's easy for the cottonee to draw up the necessary energy for a solarbeam. Golden light seeps from the cottonee's wispy body as it charges up, and high above, Mewtwo takes notice. Just as the little grass type is about to release its attack, the legend makes its move, lightning-fast as it swoops in between Aries and his target. The cottonee's eyes widen in dismay, but it's too late--there's no holding the attack back now.

A thick beam of golden light shoots from the cottonee's leafy crown and engulfs Mewtwo, and as the last of the energy fades away, Aries is dismayed to see that, indeed, it is Mewtwo floating before him with a large red, sunburned patch on its chest, while Darkrai lurks behind unscathed. The cottonee whimpers and closes his eyes as Mewtwo raises a fist wreathed in flames, but as it turns out, Aries is not its target; Mewtwo snaps its arm out towards China, and another fire blast explodes from its palm, sailing straight into the unfortunate bronzong while the trainers clinging to it scramble to get away.

China's situation is starting to look desperate. Its exterior bears the gouges of Giratina's claws and dark scorches from Mewtwo's fire blasts, and it simply can't take much more abuse. Worse, as it mulls over its commands in its mind, it can't come up with any that it can really use. Trapped by telekinesis as it is, it has little choice but to simply stay where it is and wait, a sitting duck before the three legendaries that appear to have made it their preferred target.

Monopole, on the other hand, continues to enjoy total indifference on the part of its foes. The metagross rises slowly, ever so slowly, positioning itself behind Darkrai and on the opposite side of Mewtwo, who now glares darkly at Aries. Brilliant light glints at the end of the metagross' clawed arm as it conjures up a hunk of metal out of nothing and launches it at its unsuspecting target.

The gyro ball is ponderous and slow in the air, but it strikes Darkrai squarely between the shoulder blades, throwing it forward into Mewtwo. The two legends briefly flail about, trying to get their bearings, but it doesn't take long for them to recover and round on their insolent foe. Monopole appears undaunted as it falls beneath the legends' baleful gazes, and it notes with satisfaction the way that Darkrai twists its torso back and forth ever so subtly, trying to soothe its now-aching back.

Team Legend

Kratos Aurion (O)

Giratina (X) <Levitate>
Health: 905
Energy: 970
Used: Shadow Force @ China
- Becoming seriously annoyed.

Pathos (O)

Darkrai (X) <Bad Dreams>
Health: 876
Energy: 967
Used: Thunderbolt @ China
- Nursing a new bruise. Encored (one more action).

Kusarigamaitachi (O)

Mewtwo (X) <Pressure>
Health: 986
Energy: 965
Used: Fire Blast @ China
- Scorched.

Team Asber
Safeguard: 4 more actions

Grass King (O)

Monopole (X) <Clear Body> @ Leftovers
Health: 100%
Energy: 71%
Used: Gyro Ball @ Darkrai
- Satisfied. Knows shadow force. -4 Speed

Barubu (O)

China (X) <Levitate> @ Leppa Berry
Health: 14%
Energy: 98%
Used: Nothing
- Teetering. Under the effects of telekinesis (3 more actions).

Derpy (O)

Aries (M) <Prankster> @ Sun Stone
Health: 100%
Energy: 89%
Used: Solarbeam @ Darkrai
- Horrified.

Chief Zackrai (O)

Ptah (M) <Hyper Cutter> @ Life Orb
Health: 98%
Energy: 90%
Used: Night Slash @ Giratina
- Pleased with his progress. Four actions to suffocation KO.

 

[The Omskivar]

Ptah doesn't have a suffocation counter at the end of the second action.

 

[allitersonance]

Why did I...?

... it doesn't matter. What matters is this: it has already been decided that we are not going to fall. None of us will.

Even if I have to see to it myself.

 

[Negrek]

Ptah doesn't have a suffocation counter at the end of the second action.

Fiiixed.

 

[shy ♡]

Hahahaha.

Bronzong you will die. I hate you. Die. Die now.

 

[DarkAura]

Dude, see a psychiatrist. You seriously need to get your mental problems fixed.

Asber can win. So woo, go team...

 

[Negrek]

Round Three, Act Three​

By this point, Darkrai is honestly a bit tired of slinging thunderbolts. It would rather be wielding its native element, introducing its hapless enemies to despair and darkness. Still, China is fading quickly; if the bronzong is going to get finished either way, what does it really matter which attack it uses?

The dark legendary extends a lightning-ringed claw once more and blasts a thunderbolt down at China and the trainers clinging to its arms. The bronzong lets out a low, hollow note of pain as the thunderbolt strikes it, and its eyes dim--but a faint spark still glows deep in their cores. Darkrai snarls in indignation as Giratina gathers a ball of ghostly energy at the back of its throat, then fires a shadow ball at China. The burst of ghastly energy is enough to finish the bronzong off, and the safeguard protecting it and its teammates cuts out abruptly as the psychic bell plummets. Darkrai isn't satisfied, though--that was its kill! If it hadn't been so stuck on showing off its lightning, it could have brought that stupid bell down itself. The legend's single eye slides around to regard Aries with undisguised hatred.

A moment later it blinks in surprise as the cottonee, confronted with Darkrai's displeasure, lets out a nervous squeak and, with a small popping noise, puffs up to twice its initial size. The cottonee's white fluff is now so deep that its body looks nearly spherical, just the tips of its leaves poking out of the cottony mass. It's a wonder Aries can see anything at all, with his nervous yellow eyes staring out through a thick mass of fibers.

Of course, the grass type has already had the misfortune of attracting one other legendary's attention. He makes another strangled noise as a presence suddenly looms large in his mind, Mewtwo's overbearing psychic awareness compelling him to stillness as the legend zaps across his synapses. The legend dissects Aries' psyche with dispassionate thoroughness, until it feels it knows the little puffball inside and out. Then the legend is gone again, as swiftly as it arrived, and Aries gives an involuntary shiver of relief. It's good to be alone with his thoughts again, although something seems... different.

Giratina grumbles to itself. How is it that all of a sudden that flying marshmallow seems somehow... intimidating? Above the dragon, the normally expressionless Mewtwo cracks a slow, toothy grin. Well, well, well. All of a sudden it feels as though it's time to have some real fun.

Fortunately for Giratina, Ptah has no further plans for slicing open its stomach. In fact, the gliscor has had more than his fill of the stuffy, smelly dark, and is eager to be back in the open air again. He makes a dive to his left, slipping onto the dark plane as he goes. It's a short trip from there through the ethereal representation of Giratina's body and back out into the sky proper. Ptah sails back into reality and, after a brief moment of disorientation under the brilliant sun, slams a dark-rimmed claw against Giratina's side.

The dragon whips around and snaps at him, but Ptah is already pulling up, evading the dragon's teeth by the sparest margin. Chief Zackrai whoops with delight and shouts insults back at the legend as Ptah seeks to put a healthy distance between himself and the undead creature.

Monopole takes its time maneuvering, lining up its shot. It's a tricky one to make; it wants to hit all three legends, but without damaging Aries, who floats near Darkrai and Mewtwo. At last the metagross is confident it's got things right and, extending two clawed arms in opposite directions, blasts a thin gust of icy air at its opponents.

The weak attack hardly does more than sting the mighty pokémon, but their metabolisms do dip ever so slightly, taking the edge off their incredible speed. And, as a yell from below indicates, reinforcements are arriving to join the fray. A swellow shoots up past Monopole, screeching a battle cry, while a spiritomb floats along behind at a more sedate pace. With him he brings three humans, levitated by his psychic power: his trainer, Wargle, blazheirio889, Derpy, apparently rescued from a plummeting China.

Monopole lowers itself to the spiritomb's level, and an exchange takes place, Superbird giving himself over to the ghost's psychic grip and blazheirio889 and Derpy clambering up onto Monopole's back. It's quite cramped with the two of them and Grass King all squeezed in together, but the metagross' psychic abilities are easily enough to support them all.

Not so for Mr. Wonderful. If he has to concentrate on handling more than his own trainer, well, he simply won't be able to fight. That in mind, the spiritomb lets Superbird drop, and the trainer vanishes downward with an astonished yell, to be caught--one can only hope--by one of his comrades below.

He is narrowly missed by the meteor that goes tearing across the battlefield, batting Aries aside as it flies. The put-upon cottonee temporarily forgets his new grimness and lets out a distressed squeal as his fleece lights up with phantom dragonfire.

Team Legend

Kratos Aurion (O)

Giratina (X) <Levitate>
Health: 892
Energy: 967
Used: Shadow Ball @ China
- A little chilly. -1 Speed

Pathos (O)

Darkrai (X) <Bad Dreams>
Health: 875
Energy: 962
Used: Thunderbolt @ China
- ...okay, enough thunderbolts. -1 Speed

Kusarigamaitachi (O)

Mewtwo (X) <Prankster>
Health: 986
Energy: 961
Used: Skill Swap @ Aries
- Feeling devilish. -1 Speed

Team Asber

Grass King (O)

Monopole (X) <Clear Body> @ Leftovers
Health: 100%
Energy: 67%
Used: Icy Wind
- Still in good shape. Knows shadow force. -4 Speed

Barubu (X)

China (X) <Levitate> @ Leppa Berry
Health: 0%
Energy: 98%
Used: Nothing
Knocked Out!

Derpy (O)

Aries (M) <Pressure> @ Sun Stone
Health: 85%
Energy: 89%
Used: Cotton Guard @ Darkrai
- 300% more fluffy, 100% more on fire. +3 Defense

Chief Zackrai (O)

Ptah (M) <Hyper Cutter> @ Life Orb
Health: 97%
Energy: 85%
Used: Faint Attack @ Giratina
- Savoring the fresh air.

Up Next Round

blazheirio889 (O)

Ventus (F) <Guts> @ Life Orb
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
- Spoiling for a fight.

Wargle (O)

Mr. Wonderful (M) <Pressure> @ Expert Belt
Health: 100%
Energy: 100%
- Eerily amused.

Final Notes
- Ptah's night slash and first faint attack were critical hits.
- Next round's commands are due by midnight Friday the 24th--Christmas Eve!

 

[allitersonance]

Ehehe... ahaha...

Oh, this is brilliant. Fantastic.

You wouldn't understand - even you, cottonee, with your limited potential, cannot comprehend - but with all I can do, why limit myself to mere attacks?

Ah... it appears we've taken down five of our enemies already, in three of these "rounds". At this rate, it'll be over in a mere eighteen, and wouldn't that be a shame? This is a game, after all. Let's have some fun.

Hehehe... things are going to change from now on. I don't need to kill you. Not yet. In fact, why should I? I already know how this is going to end. I may as well enjoy getting there.

Let's play.