It's been quite a while since my last warstory, and nearly a year since my last UU one. I really enjoy playing UU because I feel there is a far greater variety of viable tactics on offer in that environment, and each battle is usually something refreshingly different. This was a closely fought match between myself and Master12345 (don't know your smogon name, sorry, please speak up if you read this =]). I realise I blabber on an awful lot, so I'm just going to cut to the chase here and begin with the warstory.
And Chou, sorry, you know I love my fancy formatting =P.
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Legacy Raider's Team:
A pretty balanced team as you can see - not too focused on offense or defense, meaning I can play accordingly depending on the situation.
Master12345's team is at the bottom if you want to take a glance. Otherwise, if you prefer seeing it as it was through my eyes, just wait for it to be revealed in the story.
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- Nicknames will be omitted.
- Extraneous information will be mentioned at first instance then omitted.
- Score will be presented after every KO (Legacy Raider - Master12345)
- Battle text will be in bold.
- My comments will be in blue.
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Legacy Raider sent out Arcanine.
Master sent out Ambipom.
Arcanine's intimidate cut Ambipom's attack!
vs
The battle begins. As far as leads in UU go, Ambipom is one of the most common and reliable ones. It will assuredly use Fake Out first, but because of Intimidate, it should only do around a quarter of Arcanine's health in damage. I plan on using a Flare Blitz the next turn to bring it into KO range for Extremespeed.
Ambipom used Fake Out.
Arcanine lost 20% of its health.
Arcanine flinched!
Ah, believe it or not, that turn was very informative. I find out one thing about Ambipom immediately - it is not running Life Orb, so I don't need to worry unduly about heavy Double Hit damage the next turn. However, I also know that it is not using Silk Scarf, or any boosting item at all for that matter. A Silk Scarf boosted Fake Out will do a minimum of ~22% to Arcanine (once you face enough Ambipom this becomes second nature), meaning Ambipom's hold item can be narrowed down to Focus Sash or Damp Rock. This may seem like me making a mountain out of a molehill, but it could be the difference between me losing Arcanine or not.
A Focus Sash would generally mean Ambipom will use Counter next turn, and Damp Rock would obviously allude to Rain Dance. In both of these situations, Flare Blitz is a poor choice. If it has Counter, Flare Blitz will result in Arcanine being KOed by the countered attack. If Ambipom sets up rain, Flare Blitz will hit for only 10 more damage than Extremespeed, while causing me to take recoil damage. With this newly garnered information, I change my standard Ambipom-dealing strategy around and instead choose to Extremespeed.
Arcanine - 80%
Ambipom - 100% (-1 Attack)
---
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Ambipom lost 43% of its health.
Ambipom used Rain Dance.
Rain began to fall!
The rain continues to fall.
Arcanine - 80%
Ambipom - 57% (-1 Attack)
Turns out it was indeed a rain dance Ambipom. Facing rain is both trying and exhilarating. The sheer offensiveness of the teams means that you really need to play at the very top of your game to survive against them. This is especially true with the balanced team I'm using right now, as I have no true answer to rain.
Ambipom will either hit me with another weak attack or will U-turn out to a rain sweeper. Either way, HP Grass is my best bet in this situation. If Ambipom stays in, HP Grass will bring it into KO range from another Extremespeed. If he switches out to a rain sweeper, I will get the super effective hit on it, and if I'm lucky and he goes to a Kabutops or Omastar, an OHKO as well.
---
Ambipom used U-turn.
It's not very effective...
Arcanine lost 7% of its health.
Master switched in Gorebyss.
Arcanine used Hidden Power.
It's super effective!
Gorebyss lost 57% of its health.
vs
Arcanine - 73%
Gorebyss - 43% (rain)
While it's no Omastar OHKO, Gorebyss takes a satisfying 57% damage from the super effective Hidden Power. I'm tempted to stay in and try to Extremespeed it, but I feel Arcanine will be really valuable in this match because of his priority hits. Gorebyss also sports a respectable base 105 Defense stat, meaning chances are I won't be able to KO it from here. Slowbro should be able to take the impending Surf with little problem.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Slowbro.
Gorebyss used Surf.
It's not very effective...
Slowbro lost 51% of its health.
Gorebyss lost 10% of its health.
Slowbro's leftovers restored its health a little!
Slowbro restored 6% of its health.
vs
Slowbro - 55%
Gorebyss - 33% (rain)
The fact that Gorebyss has a Life Orb is good news for me, despite the fact it gives it nearly enough power to 2HKO Slowbro with a resisted attack! Life Orb will wear it down quickly. My general plan here is to simply stall out the rain turns by utilising my team's resistances, while his health drains away to Life Orb. Not much of a plan, but it's the best I can really do in the current position. Gorebyss generally carries Surf, Ice Beam, and either HP Electric or Psychic as its last attacking move. I am assured that it will either Surf again or use HP Electric, meaning that either way, Roserade has a pretty risk free switch in.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Roserade.
Gorebyss used Hidden Power.
It's not very effective...
Roserade lost 10% of its health.
vs
Roserade - 90%
Gorebyss - 23% (rain)
Roserade does get in safely, but I can't really risk playing this resistances game for too much longer. Sooner or later my opponent is going to catch onto my stalling tactic and go for the predictive attack. Gorebyss is low enough to be KOed by Extremespeed now, and switching in Arcanine on the predicted Ice Beam is tempting. I hope that the pressure of the rain timer continues to force Master to play conservatively and not make predictive attacks as I click the button to send my lead back in.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Arcanine.
Arcanine's intimidate cut Gorebyss's attack!
Gorebyss used Ice Beam.
It's not very effective...
Arcanine lost 25% of its health.
vs
Arcanine - 48%
Gorebyss - 13% (rain, -1 Attack)
Thankfully Arcanine came in on the resisted hit. Gorebyss is all but dead now, and will easily be disposed off by Extremspeed. Even if he switches, Extremespeed is a decently powered physical attack and is almost my strongest one in the rain, so is a reliable choice all around.
---
Master switched in Altaria.
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
A critical hit!
Altaria lost 56% of its health.
vs
Arcanine - 48%
Altaria - 44%
Master reveals another one of his Pokemon - Altaria. The fluffy dragon takes a critical hit upon entry, but it is of little consequence as I really can't touch it with Arcanine. From the paltry damage Extremespeed did it is obvious that it is heavily EVed in Defense and will carry Roost. I don't fear Draco Meteor as I go to Slowbro, confident that Altaria will try to heal itself as I switch.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Slowbro.
Altaria used Roost.
Altaria restored 50% of its health.
vs
Slowbro - 61%
Altaria - 94%
Altaria comes back up to near max health again as I go to Slowbro. I note the lack of Leftovers, and a quick glance at Altaria's analysis page tells me that it too is capable of using Rain Dance. If I've been counting correctly, there is only one more turn of rain left, meaning that Altaria will most likely stay in to try and replenish it. I have Ice Beam to threaten the KO, but if Master predicts this and switches out to a Water Pokemon, I'll be in a pretty bad position. I decide to go with the safe Thunder Wave - it cripple any rain sweeper that comes in, as well as giving me the upper hand against Altaria if it stays in.
---
Altaria used Perish Song.
Both Pokemon will faint in 3 turn(s)
Slowbro used Thunder Wave.
Altaria is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
The rain stopped.
Slowbro - 67% (Perish Song Count - 3)
Altaria - 94% (paralysed, Perish Song Count - 3)
Perish Song takes me quite by surprise. I know that Altaria is capable of using it, but I never before considered its utility on a rain team. The free switch in for a rain sweeper really would be a great asset, so I don't see why it shouldn't be used this way. I get the paralysis on Altaria, but because of Natural Cure, it will not be long lasting. I make the mistake of thinking Master will switch out to a rain sweeper here as I am unlikely to use Thunder Wave again, so I choose to go ahead and do so =P. I don't pause to consider that the rain ran out this turn, so there is no reason for Altaria to not stay in and replenish it here.
---
Slowbro used Thunder Wave.
But it failed!
Altaria used Rain Dance.
Rain began to fall!
The rain continues to fall.
Slowbro - 73% (Perish Song Count - 2)
Altaria - 94% (paralysed, Perish Song Count - 2)
I waste a turn to try and get the pre-emptive paralysis on an incoming sweeper as Altaria sets up Rain Dance for another 8 turns (judging from the lack of Leftovers). At this point I basically decide "screw it", and recklessly use Ice Beam.
---
Master switched in Gorebyss.
Slowbro used Ice Beam.
It's not very effective...
Gorebyss lost 13% of its health.
Master's Gorebyss fainted.
vs
Slowbro - 79% (Perish Song Count - 1)
Gorebyss - FAINT
6 - 5
I was extremely lucky there - although Master didn't keep Altaria in, Gorebyss was low enough on health to be taken out by the resisted hit. The fact that I didn't use Thunder Wave there was actually vital. Even paralysed, Gorebyss in the rain would outspeed Slowbro and take it out with HP Electric, meaning my misprediction happened to work out in my favour. I get the first kill of the match, but Master gets a free switch in for any of his threatening rain sweepers, meaning I am nowhere near as comfortable as I normally would be after a kill.
---
Master switched in Ludicolo.
Ah, Ludicolo. It was to be expected, but that doesn't make it any easier to face. The coverage provided by its dual STABs and Ice Beam means I will need to predict perfectly to get around it. He still hasn't revealed a physical rain sweeper, and Slowbro can deal with both Kabutops and Qwilfish quite well, so preserving it would be best here. Also, Slowbro's Perish Song counter is down to 1, so my hand is pretty much forced.
Legacy Raider switched in Roserade.
Ludicolo used Ice Beam.
It's super effective!
Roserade lost 86% of its health.
Ludicolo lost 10% of its health.
vs
Roserade - 4%
Ludicolo - 90% (rain)
Yeah... about that perfect prediction. Roserade is all but useless now, but he hasn't got Stealth Rock up, so it can be preserved as death fodder to waste a rain turn later on in the game. My Roserade is scarfed, so it may be able to get a quick Sleep Powder later on in the game too.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Slowbro.
Ludicolo used Surf.
It's not very effective...
Slowbro lost 38% of its health.
vs
Slowbro - 47%
Ludicolo - 80% (rain)
Switching in Slowbro there was a pretty risky move - Roserade was at only 4%, so any move that he did would have taken it out. I needed to take the risk though, in order to get in my next Pokemon with as little damage on as possible. Slowbro will hopefully get a chance to Slack Off later on.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Clefable.
Ludicolo used Grass Knot.
Clefable lost 26% of its health.
Clefable's leftovers restored its health a little!
Clefable restored 6% of its health.
vs
Clefable - 80%
Ludicolo - 70% (rain)
With its high Special Defense, I'm hoping Clefable should be able to weather all of Ludicolo's special attacks and stall it out of rain, while at the same time wearing away at it with its own Life Orb. I'm running both Encore and Stealth Rock on Clefable, so it unfortunately doesn't have a status move to cripple Ludicolo with. However, it is beefy enough to Softboiled stall Ludicolo out of rain, fingers crossed.
---
Ludicolo used Surf.
Clefable lost 66% of its health.
Clefable used Softboiled.
Clefable restored 50% of its health.
Clefable - 70%
Ludicolo - 60% (rain)
Phew, Surf did a hefty chunk, well over half, but still not too much for Clefable to handle. Ludicolo itself is on lower health than Clefable at the moment, and another Softboiled should do even more damage to it and stall out the rain even more. I'm not just aimlessly trying to outstall the rain and hope for the best - I still have two unrevealed sweepers and a weakened Roserade waiting in the wings for the chance to counterattack as soon as there is a lull in his offense.
---
Ludicolo is tightening its focus!
Clefable used Softboiled.
Clefable restored 30% of its health.
Ludicolo used Focus Punch.
It's super effective!
Clefable lost 60% of its health.
Clefable - 46%
Ludicolo - 50% (rain)
Damn, excellent prediction from Master there. Focus Punch just ruthlessly smashed any and all hopes I had of stalling Ludicolo out. Clefable will be easily KOed by another Surf. The number of Blissey I had FPed to death in OU should have been a reminder of Ludicolo's pink blob busting power, but unfortunately for my UU pink blob, I didn't consider the possibility.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Slowbro.
Ludicolo used Surf.
It's not very effective...
Slowbro lost 44% of its health.
The rain stopped.
vs
Slowbro - 10%
Ludicolo - 40% (rain)
By switching to Slowbro as his rain runs out, I hoped to put him in a problem position. If he uses Rain Dance again, he risks being paralysed by Slowbro and having his Ludicolo become effectively useless. If, however, he decides to finish off my 10% Slowbro, I get a free switch in on a weakened sweeper with no rain up. That is assumin he is even running Rain Dance - few Ludicolo that I've seen run both Focus Punch and RD on the same set, as it prevents it from getting the water / ice / grass coverage.
---
Ludicolo used Surf.
It's not very effective...
Slowbro lost 10% of its health.
Legacy Raider's Slowbro fainted.
Slowbro - FAINT
Ludicolo - 30%
5 - 5
Master goes for the kill and takes out Slowbro with another Surf. While I had hoped bro could have been of more use against his physical sweepers, by fainting here, I have a great opportunity to go on the offensive.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Roserade.
I plan on getting a Sleep Powder off with Roserade here - despite me being scarfed, it will give me a free turn and will cripple one of his Pokemon. Sleep is broken =P.
Master switched in Ambipom.
Roserade used Sleep Powder.
Roserade's attack missed!
vs
Roserade - 4%
Ambipom - 57%
I get an infuriating miss with Sleep Powder on the switch =/. Ambipom is Master's least valuable Pokemon at this point so missing shouldn't really be too big of a deal, but I have a Pokemon waiting in the wings that really despises priority on the opposing team. Getting the purple monkey out of my hair for this match would have been a great asset. Even more annoyingly, Ambipom is one of the few things against which I can't just stay in and go for the Sleep Powder again, as his Fake Out would kill a 4% Roserade ten times over. Still hoping to get a chance to sleep something later on in the game, I decide to switch Roserade out here. While I have an immunity in Mismagius, chances are I would have to take a super effective Payback or Pursuit from Ambipom in order to take it out. Arcanine is a safe enough choice for taking out Ambipom, as Intimidate greatly weakens Fake Out, and I have Extremespeed to finish it off if it decides to stay in and continue attacking.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Arcanine.
Arcanine's intimidate cut Ambipom's attack!
Ambipom used Fake Out.
A critical hit!
Arcanine lost 37% of its health.
vs
Arcanine - 11%
Ambipom - 57% (-1 Attack)
Arrgh, it really isn't my day today. Fake Out crits, bypassing Intimidate and leaving Arcanine at only 11%. Another quick attack from Ambipom will finish me off, so I decide to get some last minute damage on it with a quicker attack.
---
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Ambipom lost 41% of its health.
Ambipom used Rain Dance.
Rain began to fall!
Arcanine - 11%
Ambipom - 16% (-1 Attack)
Extremespeed didn't KO, although I wasn't expecting it to from the damage I saw it do earlier. Annoyingly though, Ambipom still isn't into Stealth Rock KO range now. Despite me not having the rocks up yet, if it had fallen below 12% it would mean it can no longer threaten my Pinsir if I get a chance to bring Clefable in again. Although I'm pretty certain Ambipom won't stay in to be taken out by Extremespeed, I go for the priority attack regardless. Like I said, it's a fairly strong physical attack with few resists, so should hit pretty much anything for a decent chunk.
---
Master switched in Registeel.
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
It's not very effective...
Registeel lost 8% of its health.
vs
Arcanine - 11%
Registeel - 92%
Registeel happens to be one of those few things that actually do resist Extremespeed. I am pretty positive that Registeel wiill take the turn to SR here, as either way, it kills Roserade or Arcanine. I have to choose whether it is worth getting Roserade in for one last sleep attempt, or if I should just stay in and smack Registeel as hard as I can before going down. I've already had pretty dismal luck with Roserade already, and Registeel is only marginally easier to take out when asleep, so I decide staying in to smack Registeel with Flare Blitz is my best option. Even in the rain, a STAB 120 BP attack should do a fair amount.
---
Arcanine used Flare Blitz.
It's super effective!
Registeel lost 41% of its health.
Arcanine was hit by recoil!
Arcanine lost 11% of its health.
Legacy Raider's Arcanine fainted.
Registeel used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around your foe's team!
Arcanine - FAINT
Registeel - 51%
4 - 5
I guess hoping to survive the recoil and waste another rain turn was a bit optimistic. Registeel's health gets halved at the cost of Arcanine's life, but Registeel takes the opportunity to set up his rocks. In hindsight, it might have been even more useful to Extremespeed first as he rocked, and then to Flare Blitz for the suicide, thus wasting another rain turn. However, there was always the chance Registeel would just go for the simple Earthquake, in which case killing it without an Arcanine would have become a much harder task.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Roserade.
Pointed stones dug into Roserade.
Roserade lost 4% of its health.
Legacy Raider's Roserade fainted.
vs
Roserade - FAINT
Registeel - 51%
3 - 5
I made quite a big mistake here - I thought that by coming in and fainting to rocks, Roserade would cause another turn to pass. Turns out I didn't really think it through and lost my fodder. No more playing in the backseat now - time to get one of my remaining sweepers in on a Pokemon that doesn't really threaten them. I'm quite desperately low on Pokemon here, and Master should have little trouble sweeping my beleaguered team if I give him the chance, so going on the offensive myself is my best option.
Legacy Raider switched in Mismagius.
Pointed stones dug into Mismagius.
Mismagius lost 12% of its health.
Mismagius used Calm Mind.
Mismagius's special attack was raised.
Mismagius's special defence was raised.
Registeel used Iron Head.
Mismagius lost 44% of its health.
Mismagius's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mismagius restored 6% of its health.
vs
Mismagius - 50% (+1 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense)
Registeel - 51%
Mismagius isn't 2HKOed by Iron Head from the standard Registeel, and they are loathe to Thunder Wave in case they give a free Substitute, meaning Mismagius stats up with little trouble. Substitute is a great way to stall out the rain, and I plan on using it to its fullest here and now.
---
Mismagius used Substitute.
Mismagius lost 25% of its health.
Mismagius made a substitute!
Registeel used Iron Head.
The substitute took damage for Mismagius!
Mismagius's substitute faded!
Mismagius - 31% (+1 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense)
Registeel - 51%
Leftovers mean that Mismagius has enough to sub up once again, and since it is running Damp Rock, Registeel doesn't get given an opportunity to recover while I stall.
---
Mismagius used Substitute.
Mismagius lost 25% of its health.
Mismagius made a substitute!
Registeel used Iron Head.
The substitute took damage for Mismagius!
Mismagius's substitute faded!
Mismagius - 12% (+1 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense)
Registeel - 51%
Yet another turn of rain wasted, but I'm too low to sub again, so a HP Fighting it will have to be.
---
Mismagius used Hidden Power.
It's super effective!
A critical hit!
Registeel lost 51% of its health.
Master's Registeel fainted.
Mismagius - 18% (+1 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense)
Registeel - FAINT
3 - 4
I get some hax of my own in critting his Registeel - I'm not sure if it would have KOed without the critical hit. He only has one turn of rain now, though, so if he brings in a sweeper to kill Mismagius, it will be left vulnerable to my own last remaining sweeper.
---
Master switched in Ludicolo.
Ludicolo used Surf.
Mismagius lost 18% of its health.
Legacy Raider's Mismagius fainted.
The rain stopped.
vs
Mismagius - FAINT
Ludicolo - 20%
2 - 4
Mismagius inevitably dies to the Ludicolo switch in, but I have a perfect opportunity to bring in my remaining Pokemon now. Pinsir enters the stage.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Pinsir.
Pointed stones dug into Pinsir.
Pinsir lost 25% of its health.
Pinsir used Earthquake.
It's not very effective...
Ludicolo lost 20% of its health.
Master's Ludicolo fainted.
vs
Pinsir - 75%
Ludicolo - FAINT
2 - 3
Pinsir is such a cool bug, and is the Pokemon I previously said hated priority. I am running a Substitute/ Flail Pinsir, so I have to try and avoid extraneous damage as far as possible. Luckily it takes a clean quarter of its health from Stealth Rock, meaning residual damage won't ruin my chances of getting down to 1 HP. Setting up would be stupid here as Master still has Ambipom waiting in the wings, so I decide to get rid of Ludicolo quickly with Earthquake. At only 20% from its own LO recoil, it dies even to the resisted hit.
---
Master switched in Ambipom.
Legacy Raider switched in Clefable.
Ambipom used Fake Out.
Clefable lost 23% of its health.
vs
Clefable - 29%
Ambipom - 15%
I couldn't have Fake Out mess up my Pinsir's health, so I send in Clefable to take the hefty Fake Out. My chances of winning look pretty grim here =/. Ambipom's STAB attack will easily faint my weakened Clefable, and although Pinsir should survive, it will then not have the 1 HP power to sweep. I am just about to type in 'gg' when...
---
Ambipom used U-turn.
Clefable lost 18% of its health.
Master switched in Altaria.
Clefable used Softboiled.
Clefable restored 50% of its health.
vs
Clefable - 67%
Altaria - 94%
...Ambipom switches out instead. Turns out he wasn't running another attacking move after all, and so by the skin of its teeth, Clefable lives and gets a chance to heal up. I don't perceive much of a threat from Altaria here - Dragon Pulse will fail to leave a mark on Clefable's soft pink exterior. Chances are he is going to use either Rain Dance or another supporting move, in which case, immediately going back on the offensive with Pinsir is my best shot of pulling a win from somewhere here.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Pinsir.
Pointed stones dug into Pinsir.
Pinsir lost 25% of its health.
Altaria used Perish Song.
Both Pokemon will faint in 3 turn(s)
vs
Pinsir - 50% (Perish Song Count - 3)
Altaria - 94% (Perish Song Count - 3)
Perish Song is good for me - Altaria fears a Stone Edge or something from Pinsir, and for all he knows, Pinsir is scarfed, meaning Ambipom might not be enough to deal with it either. This means that Altaria has too much pressure on it right now to have an opportunity to set up rain. I am really bluffing here as at 50%, I honestly can't touch it. But I might just be able scare Altaria out, meaning Clefable gets in without taking any damage to take on his switch in. Master still has one unknown Pokemon, but Clefable is pretty much the most reliable Pokemon in all of UU (apart from maybe Slowbro; that's why I have them both =P) and should be well equipped to take on any foe.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Clefable.
Altaria used Roost.
Altaria restored 6% of its health.
vs
Clefable - 73%
Altaria - 100% (Perish Song Count - 2)
Ah, Master scouts with Roost to see what I was going to attack with, but the expected damage didn't come. Perish Song is actually working in my favour here, as Altaria will be forced to switch out in the next two turns. It may seem very late in the game to get them up, but Ambipom is on very low health right now anyway, and Altaria is weak to Rock, meaning that SR is not quite so absurd a choice right now after all.
---
Altaria used Perish Song.
Both Pokemon will faint in 3 turn(s)
But it failed!
Clefable used Stealth Rock.
Clefable - 80% (Perish Song Count - 3)
Altaria - 100% (Perish Song Count - 1)
Misclick perhaps? Turns out Perish Song is actually stackable on Shoddy, as I got the "Clefable's Perish Song fell to 3" message at the end of this turn. I don't know if that's how it works in game. Anyway, Altaria is forced to switch here because of its own previous Perish Song, meaning I get a free hit on something with Seismic Toss.
---
Master switched in Ambipom.
Pointed stones dug into Ambipom.
Ambipom lost 12% of its health.
Clefable used Seismic Toss.
Ambipom lost 3% of its health.
Master's Ambipom fainted.
vs
Clefable - 86% (Perish Song Count - 2)
Ambipom - FAINT
2 - 2
Thankfully it was Ambipom that came in to take the hit. Altaria is pretty walled by Clefable, so I anticipate Master to bring in his hidden Pokemon to finish off my weakened team. The game is really coming into its final stages now, the stakes are high, and the pressure is on.
---
Master switched in Kabutops.
Pointed stones dug into Kabutops.
Kabutops lost 12% of its health.
Kabutops... an offensive Pokemon is his last. This upcoming turn is make or break, then. I take a moment to compose myself and get a chance to think this through properly.
Despite this late in the game, I still have an element of surprise on my side. I haven't alternated attacks with Pinsir yet, meaning Master will be assuming it is choiced. I also haven't yet revealed that Clefable has Encore, which could really mess up Kabutops if it decides to use use a support move such as Swords or Rain Dance. Rain isn't up, and I am pretty certain Clefable has the bulk to survive an unboosted Waterfall or Stone Edge. This means that Encore is really my best shot in any circumstance. Pinsir has a higher base speed than Kabutops (85 vs 80), and so if I lock Kabutops into an attacking move, I should be able to sub down with my "scarfed" Pinsir to Salac and sweep. It all comes down to this. I pause for a second... then give the command to Encore.
Kabutops used Swords Dance.
Kabutops's attack was sharply raised.
Clefable used Encore.
Kabutops got an encore!
vs
Clefable - 92% (Perish Song Count - 1)
Kabutops - 88% (+2 Attack)
Yes! By not using Encore throughout the match, I lulled Master into a false sense of security, one that I was able to exploit well here. Kabutops went for the stat up, meaning I now have a completely free switch in to Pinsir to set up for myself. Clefable's Perish timer is nearly up too, meaning both of us are forced to switch in this situation.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Pinsir.
Pointed stones dug into Pinsir.
Pinsir lost 25% of its health.
Master switched in Altaria.
Pointed stones dug into Altaria.
Altaria lost 25% of its health.
vs
Pinsir - 25%
Altaria - 75%
My brawling bug and his dragon face off once again. The double switch brings the game into its very final stages now. I plan on using Substitute to bring Pinsir down into destruction mode at 1 HP - Salac Boost and superpowered Flail at its disposal. However, I can only achieve this (and as this is the only way I can do so, I can only win) if Altaria chooses to not attack here. I don't think Flail will KO Altaria unless I manage to get an SD in as well. My weakened 25% Pinsir must present itself as an easy target for a quick Dragon Pulse to finish off, so really all I can do is cross my fingers and hope he plays conservatively one last time.
---
Pinsir used Substitute.
Pinsir lost 25% of its health.
Pinsir made a substitute!
Pinsir's Salac Berry raised its speed!
Altaria used Roost.
Altaria restored 25% of its health.
Pinsir - 1% (Sub, +1 Speed)
Altaria - 100%
Checkmate.
There isn't anything Master can do now to stop Pinsir's manic rampage. He took his turn to Roost off the expected damage from my 'choiced' Pinsir's Stone Edge, which gave me the opportunity to bring Pinsir down to 1 HP.
The stage is set - now to watch the drama unfold.
---
Pinsir used Swords Dance.
Pinsir's attack was sharply raised.
Altaria used Perish Song.
Both Pokemon will faint in 3 turn(s)
Pinsir - 1% (Sub, +1 Speed, +2 Attack, Perish Song Count - 3)
Altaria - 100% (Perish Song Count - 3)
---
Pinsir used Flail.
Altaria lost 100% of its health.
Master's Altaria fainted.
Pinsir - 1% (Sub, +1 Speed, +2 Attack, Perish Song Count - 2)
Altaria - FAINT
2 - 1
With a 200 base power move off 767 Attack, Pinsir slams his flying nemesis to the ground. Just one more to go.
---
Master switched in Kabutops.
Pointed stones dug into Kabutops.
Kabutops lost 12% of its health.
Kabutops used Aqua Jet.
The substitute took damage for Pinsir!
Pinsir's substitute faded!
Pinsir used Earthquake.
It's super effective!
Kabutops lost 75% of its health.
Master's Kabutops fainted.
vs
Pinsir - 1% (Sub, +1 Speed, +2 Attack, Perish Song Count - 1)
Kabutops - FAINT
2 - 0
Legacy Raider wins!
Kabutops gets in one last priority hit before being taken out by Pinsir as well. If Altaria had broken my sub last turn, that would have finished me off, meaning I would have had to take my chances with Clefable vs a physical attacker. Turns out it played out for me in the end, and Pinsir was able to pull through for the finish line.
Legacy Raider: gg
Master12345: gg
____________________
Corny it might be, but like any worthwhile story, I feel there is a moral to this one: don't give excess information to the opponent, and reveal only what you need to. Really, the only reason I was able to snatch the win here was because Clefable's Encore and Pinsir's Substitute took my opponent by surprise. and threw him off. I had opportunities to use both moves earlier on in the game, but by not revealing too much of my moveset, it meant I had the element of surprise on my side when I needed it most.
GG Master12345.
Props:
Slops:
Thanks for taking the time to read through this. It's been way too long since I last wrote a warstory, I'd almost forgotten how much fun they are to write. Please leave any comments or suggestions for next time, thank you =].
Master12345's team:
And Chou, sorry, you know I love my fancy formatting =P.
____________________
Legacy Raider's Team:
A pretty balanced team as you can see - not too focused on offense or defense, meaning I can play accordingly depending on the situation.
Master12345's team is at the bottom if you want to take a glance. Otherwise, if you prefer seeing it as it was through my eyes, just wait for it to be revealed in the story.
____________________
- Ladder Match
- Sleep Clause
- Freeze Clause
- OHKO Clause
- Evasion Clause
- Species Clause
- Strict Damage Clause
- Nicknames will be omitted.
- Extraneous information will be mentioned at first instance then omitted.
- Score will be presented after every KO (Legacy Raider - Master12345)
- Battle text will be in bold.
- My comments will be in blue.
____________________
Legacy Raider sent out Arcanine.
Master sent out Ambipom.
Arcanine's intimidate cut Ambipom's attack!
The battle begins. As far as leads in UU go, Ambipom is one of the most common and reliable ones. It will assuredly use Fake Out first, but because of Intimidate, it should only do around a quarter of Arcanine's health in damage. I plan on using a Flare Blitz the next turn to bring it into KO range for Extremespeed.
Ambipom used Fake Out.
Arcanine lost 20% of its health.
Arcanine flinched!
Ah, believe it or not, that turn was very informative. I find out one thing about Ambipom immediately - it is not running Life Orb, so I don't need to worry unduly about heavy Double Hit damage the next turn. However, I also know that it is not using Silk Scarf, or any boosting item at all for that matter. A Silk Scarf boosted Fake Out will do a minimum of ~22% to Arcanine (once you face enough Ambipom this becomes second nature), meaning Ambipom's hold item can be narrowed down to Focus Sash or Damp Rock. This may seem like me making a mountain out of a molehill, but it could be the difference between me losing Arcanine or not.
A Focus Sash would generally mean Ambipom will use Counter next turn, and Damp Rock would obviously allude to Rain Dance. In both of these situations, Flare Blitz is a poor choice. If it has Counter, Flare Blitz will result in Arcanine being KOed by the countered attack. If Ambipom sets up rain, Flare Blitz will hit for only 10 more damage than Extremespeed, while causing me to take recoil damage. With this newly garnered information, I change my standard Ambipom-dealing strategy around and instead choose to Extremespeed.
Arcanine - 80%
Ambipom - 100% (-1 Attack)
---
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Ambipom lost 43% of its health.
Ambipom used Rain Dance.
Rain began to fall!
The rain continues to fall.
Arcanine - 80%
Ambipom - 57% (-1 Attack)
Turns out it was indeed a rain dance Ambipom. Facing rain is both trying and exhilarating. The sheer offensiveness of the teams means that you really need to play at the very top of your game to survive against them. This is especially true with the balanced team I'm using right now, as I have no true answer to rain.
Ambipom will either hit me with another weak attack or will U-turn out to a rain sweeper. Either way, HP Grass is my best bet in this situation. If Ambipom stays in, HP Grass will bring it into KO range from another Extremespeed. If he switches out to a rain sweeper, I will get the super effective hit on it, and if I'm lucky and he goes to a Kabutops or Omastar, an OHKO as well.
---
Ambipom used U-turn.
It's not very effective...
Arcanine lost 7% of its health.
Master switched in Gorebyss.
Arcanine used Hidden Power.
It's super effective!
Gorebyss lost 57% of its health.
Arcanine - 73%
Gorebyss - 43% (rain)
While it's no Omastar OHKO, Gorebyss takes a satisfying 57% damage from the super effective Hidden Power. I'm tempted to stay in and try to Extremespeed it, but I feel Arcanine will be really valuable in this match because of his priority hits. Gorebyss also sports a respectable base 105 Defense stat, meaning chances are I won't be able to KO it from here. Slowbro should be able to take the impending Surf with little problem.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Slowbro.
Gorebyss used Surf.
It's not very effective...
Slowbro lost 51% of its health.
Gorebyss lost 10% of its health.
Slowbro's leftovers restored its health a little!
Slowbro restored 6% of its health.
Slowbro - 55%
Gorebyss - 33% (rain)
The fact that Gorebyss has a Life Orb is good news for me, despite the fact it gives it nearly enough power to 2HKO Slowbro with a resisted attack! Life Orb will wear it down quickly. My general plan here is to simply stall out the rain turns by utilising my team's resistances, while his health drains away to Life Orb. Not much of a plan, but it's the best I can really do in the current position. Gorebyss generally carries Surf, Ice Beam, and either HP Electric or Psychic as its last attacking move. I am assured that it will either Surf again or use HP Electric, meaning that either way, Roserade has a pretty risk free switch in.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Roserade.
Gorebyss used Hidden Power.
It's not very effective...
Roserade lost 10% of its health.
Roserade - 90%
Gorebyss - 23% (rain)
Roserade does get in safely, but I can't really risk playing this resistances game for too much longer. Sooner or later my opponent is going to catch onto my stalling tactic and go for the predictive attack. Gorebyss is low enough to be KOed by Extremespeed now, and switching in Arcanine on the predicted Ice Beam is tempting. I hope that the pressure of the rain timer continues to force Master to play conservatively and not make predictive attacks as I click the button to send my lead back in.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Arcanine.
Arcanine's intimidate cut Gorebyss's attack!
Gorebyss used Ice Beam.
It's not very effective...
Arcanine lost 25% of its health.
Arcanine - 48%
Gorebyss - 13% (rain, -1 Attack)
Thankfully Arcanine came in on the resisted hit. Gorebyss is all but dead now, and will easily be disposed off by Extremspeed. Even if he switches, Extremespeed is a decently powered physical attack and is almost my strongest one in the rain, so is a reliable choice all around.
---
Master switched in Altaria.
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
A critical hit!
Altaria lost 56% of its health.
Arcanine - 48%
Altaria - 44%
Master reveals another one of his Pokemon - Altaria. The fluffy dragon takes a critical hit upon entry, but it is of little consequence as I really can't touch it with Arcanine. From the paltry damage Extremespeed did it is obvious that it is heavily EVed in Defense and will carry Roost. I don't fear Draco Meteor as I go to Slowbro, confident that Altaria will try to heal itself as I switch.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Slowbro.
Altaria used Roost.
Altaria restored 50% of its health.
Slowbro - 61%
Altaria - 94%
Altaria comes back up to near max health again as I go to Slowbro. I note the lack of Leftovers, and a quick glance at Altaria's analysis page tells me that it too is capable of using Rain Dance. If I've been counting correctly, there is only one more turn of rain left, meaning that Altaria will most likely stay in to try and replenish it. I have Ice Beam to threaten the KO, but if Master predicts this and switches out to a Water Pokemon, I'll be in a pretty bad position. I decide to go with the safe Thunder Wave - it cripple any rain sweeper that comes in, as well as giving me the upper hand against Altaria if it stays in.
---
Altaria used Perish Song.
Both Pokemon will faint in 3 turn(s)
Slowbro used Thunder Wave.
Altaria is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
The rain stopped.
Slowbro - 67% (Perish Song Count - 3)
Altaria - 94% (paralysed, Perish Song Count - 3)
Perish Song takes me quite by surprise. I know that Altaria is capable of using it, but I never before considered its utility on a rain team. The free switch in for a rain sweeper really would be a great asset, so I don't see why it shouldn't be used this way. I get the paralysis on Altaria, but because of Natural Cure, it will not be long lasting. I make the mistake of thinking Master will switch out to a rain sweeper here as I am unlikely to use Thunder Wave again, so I choose to go ahead and do so =P. I don't pause to consider that the rain ran out this turn, so there is no reason for Altaria to not stay in and replenish it here.
---
Slowbro used Thunder Wave.
But it failed!
Altaria used Rain Dance.
Rain began to fall!
The rain continues to fall.
Slowbro - 73% (Perish Song Count - 2)
Altaria - 94% (paralysed, Perish Song Count - 2)
I waste a turn to try and get the pre-emptive paralysis on an incoming sweeper as Altaria sets up Rain Dance for another 8 turns (judging from the lack of Leftovers). At this point I basically decide "screw it", and recklessly use Ice Beam.
---
Master switched in Gorebyss.
Slowbro used Ice Beam.
It's not very effective...
Gorebyss lost 13% of its health.
Master's Gorebyss fainted.
Slowbro - 79% (Perish Song Count - 1)
Gorebyss - FAINT
6 - 5
I was extremely lucky there - although Master didn't keep Altaria in, Gorebyss was low enough on health to be taken out by the resisted hit. The fact that I didn't use Thunder Wave there was actually vital. Even paralysed, Gorebyss in the rain would outspeed Slowbro and take it out with HP Electric, meaning my misprediction happened to work out in my favour. I get the first kill of the match, but Master gets a free switch in for any of his threatening rain sweepers, meaning I am nowhere near as comfortable as I normally would be after a kill.
---
Master switched in Ludicolo.
Ah, Ludicolo. It was to be expected, but that doesn't make it any easier to face. The coverage provided by its dual STABs and Ice Beam means I will need to predict perfectly to get around it. He still hasn't revealed a physical rain sweeper, and Slowbro can deal with both Kabutops and Qwilfish quite well, so preserving it would be best here. Also, Slowbro's Perish Song counter is down to 1, so my hand is pretty much forced.
Legacy Raider switched in Roserade.
Ludicolo used Ice Beam.
It's super effective!
Roserade lost 86% of its health.
Ludicolo lost 10% of its health.
Roserade - 4%
Ludicolo - 90% (rain)
Yeah... about that perfect prediction. Roserade is all but useless now, but he hasn't got Stealth Rock up, so it can be preserved as death fodder to waste a rain turn later on in the game. My Roserade is scarfed, so it may be able to get a quick Sleep Powder later on in the game too.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Slowbro.
Ludicolo used Surf.
It's not very effective...
Slowbro lost 38% of its health.
Slowbro - 47%
Ludicolo - 80% (rain)
Switching in Slowbro there was a pretty risky move - Roserade was at only 4%, so any move that he did would have taken it out. I needed to take the risk though, in order to get in my next Pokemon with as little damage on as possible. Slowbro will hopefully get a chance to Slack Off later on.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Clefable.
Ludicolo used Grass Knot.
Clefable lost 26% of its health.
Clefable's leftovers restored its health a little!
Clefable restored 6% of its health.
Clefable - 80%
Ludicolo - 70% (rain)
With its high Special Defense, I'm hoping Clefable should be able to weather all of Ludicolo's special attacks and stall it out of rain, while at the same time wearing away at it with its own Life Orb. I'm running both Encore and Stealth Rock on Clefable, so it unfortunately doesn't have a status move to cripple Ludicolo with. However, it is beefy enough to Softboiled stall Ludicolo out of rain, fingers crossed.
---
Ludicolo used Surf.
Clefable lost 66% of its health.
Clefable used Softboiled.
Clefable restored 50% of its health.
Clefable - 70%
Ludicolo - 60% (rain)
Phew, Surf did a hefty chunk, well over half, but still not too much for Clefable to handle. Ludicolo itself is on lower health than Clefable at the moment, and another Softboiled should do even more damage to it and stall out the rain even more. I'm not just aimlessly trying to outstall the rain and hope for the best - I still have two unrevealed sweepers and a weakened Roserade waiting in the wings for the chance to counterattack as soon as there is a lull in his offense.
---
Ludicolo is tightening its focus!
Clefable used Softboiled.
Clefable restored 30% of its health.
Ludicolo used Focus Punch.
It's super effective!
Clefable lost 60% of its health.
Clefable - 46%
Ludicolo - 50% (rain)
Damn, excellent prediction from Master there. Focus Punch just ruthlessly smashed any and all hopes I had of stalling Ludicolo out. Clefable will be easily KOed by another Surf. The number of Blissey I had FPed to death in OU should have been a reminder of Ludicolo's pink blob busting power, but unfortunately for my UU pink blob, I didn't consider the possibility.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Slowbro.
Ludicolo used Surf.
It's not very effective...
Slowbro lost 44% of its health.
The rain stopped.
Slowbro - 10%
Ludicolo - 40% (rain)
By switching to Slowbro as his rain runs out, I hoped to put him in a problem position. If he uses Rain Dance again, he risks being paralysed by Slowbro and having his Ludicolo become effectively useless. If, however, he decides to finish off my 10% Slowbro, I get a free switch in on a weakened sweeper with no rain up. That is assumin he is even running Rain Dance - few Ludicolo that I've seen run both Focus Punch and RD on the same set, as it prevents it from getting the water / ice / grass coverage.
---
Ludicolo used Surf.
It's not very effective...
Slowbro lost 10% of its health.
Legacy Raider's Slowbro fainted.
Slowbro - FAINT
Ludicolo - 30%
5 - 5
Master goes for the kill and takes out Slowbro with another Surf. While I had hoped bro could have been of more use against his physical sweepers, by fainting here, I have a great opportunity to go on the offensive.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Roserade.
I plan on getting a Sleep Powder off with Roserade here - despite me being scarfed, it will give me a free turn and will cripple one of his Pokemon. Sleep is broken =P.
Master switched in Ambipom.
Roserade used Sleep Powder.
Roserade's attack missed!
Roserade - 4%
Ambipom - 57%
I get an infuriating miss with Sleep Powder on the switch =/. Ambipom is Master's least valuable Pokemon at this point so missing shouldn't really be too big of a deal, but I have a Pokemon waiting in the wings that really despises priority on the opposing team. Getting the purple monkey out of my hair for this match would have been a great asset. Even more annoyingly, Ambipom is one of the few things against which I can't just stay in and go for the Sleep Powder again, as his Fake Out would kill a 4% Roserade ten times over. Still hoping to get a chance to sleep something later on in the game, I decide to switch Roserade out here. While I have an immunity in Mismagius, chances are I would have to take a super effective Payback or Pursuit from Ambipom in order to take it out. Arcanine is a safe enough choice for taking out Ambipom, as Intimidate greatly weakens Fake Out, and I have Extremespeed to finish it off if it decides to stay in and continue attacking.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Arcanine.
Arcanine's intimidate cut Ambipom's attack!
Ambipom used Fake Out.
A critical hit!
Arcanine lost 37% of its health.
Arcanine - 11%
Ambipom - 57% (-1 Attack)
Arrgh, it really isn't my day today. Fake Out crits, bypassing Intimidate and leaving Arcanine at only 11%. Another quick attack from Ambipom will finish me off, so I decide to get some last minute damage on it with a quicker attack.
---
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
Ambipom lost 41% of its health.
Ambipom used Rain Dance.
Rain began to fall!
Arcanine - 11%
Ambipom - 16% (-1 Attack)
Extremespeed didn't KO, although I wasn't expecting it to from the damage I saw it do earlier. Annoyingly though, Ambipom still isn't into Stealth Rock KO range now. Despite me not having the rocks up yet, if it had fallen below 12% it would mean it can no longer threaten my Pinsir if I get a chance to bring Clefable in again. Although I'm pretty certain Ambipom won't stay in to be taken out by Extremespeed, I go for the priority attack regardless. Like I said, it's a fairly strong physical attack with few resists, so should hit pretty much anything for a decent chunk.
---
Master switched in Registeel.
Arcanine used Extremespeed.
It's not very effective...
Registeel lost 8% of its health.
Arcanine - 11%
Registeel - 92%
Registeel happens to be one of those few things that actually do resist Extremespeed. I am pretty positive that Registeel wiill take the turn to SR here, as either way, it kills Roserade or Arcanine. I have to choose whether it is worth getting Roserade in for one last sleep attempt, or if I should just stay in and smack Registeel as hard as I can before going down. I've already had pretty dismal luck with Roserade already, and Registeel is only marginally easier to take out when asleep, so I decide staying in to smack Registeel with Flare Blitz is my best option. Even in the rain, a STAB 120 BP attack should do a fair amount.
---
Arcanine used Flare Blitz.
It's super effective!
Registeel lost 41% of its health.
Arcanine was hit by recoil!
Arcanine lost 11% of its health.
Legacy Raider's Arcanine fainted.
Registeel used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around your foe's team!
Arcanine - FAINT
Registeel - 51%
4 - 5
I guess hoping to survive the recoil and waste another rain turn was a bit optimistic. Registeel's health gets halved at the cost of Arcanine's life, but Registeel takes the opportunity to set up his rocks. In hindsight, it might have been even more useful to Extremespeed first as he rocked, and then to Flare Blitz for the suicide, thus wasting another rain turn. However, there was always the chance Registeel would just go for the simple Earthquake, in which case killing it without an Arcanine would have become a much harder task.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Roserade.
Pointed stones dug into Roserade.
Roserade lost 4% of its health.
Legacy Raider's Roserade fainted.
Roserade - FAINT
Registeel - 51%
3 - 5
I made quite a big mistake here - I thought that by coming in and fainting to rocks, Roserade would cause another turn to pass. Turns out I didn't really think it through and lost my fodder. No more playing in the backseat now - time to get one of my remaining sweepers in on a Pokemon that doesn't really threaten them. I'm quite desperately low on Pokemon here, and Master should have little trouble sweeping my beleaguered team if I give him the chance, so going on the offensive myself is my best option.
Legacy Raider switched in Mismagius.
Pointed stones dug into Mismagius.
Mismagius lost 12% of its health.
Mismagius used Calm Mind.
Mismagius's special attack was raised.
Mismagius's special defence was raised.
Registeel used Iron Head.
Mismagius lost 44% of its health.
Mismagius's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mismagius restored 6% of its health.
Mismagius - 50% (+1 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense)
Registeel - 51%
Mismagius isn't 2HKOed by Iron Head from the standard Registeel, and they are loathe to Thunder Wave in case they give a free Substitute, meaning Mismagius stats up with little trouble. Substitute is a great way to stall out the rain, and I plan on using it to its fullest here and now.
---
Mismagius used Substitute.
Mismagius lost 25% of its health.
Mismagius made a substitute!
Registeel used Iron Head.
The substitute took damage for Mismagius!
Mismagius's substitute faded!
Mismagius - 31% (+1 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense)
Registeel - 51%
Leftovers mean that Mismagius has enough to sub up once again, and since it is running Damp Rock, Registeel doesn't get given an opportunity to recover while I stall.
---
Mismagius used Substitute.
Mismagius lost 25% of its health.
Mismagius made a substitute!
Registeel used Iron Head.
The substitute took damage for Mismagius!
Mismagius's substitute faded!
Mismagius - 12% (+1 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense)
Registeel - 51%
Yet another turn of rain wasted, but I'm too low to sub again, so a HP Fighting it will have to be.
---
Mismagius used Hidden Power.
It's super effective!
A critical hit!
Registeel lost 51% of its health.
Master's Registeel fainted.
Mismagius - 18% (+1 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense)
Registeel - FAINT
3 - 4
I get some hax of my own in critting his Registeel - I'm not sure if it would have KOed without the critical hit. He only has one turn of rain now, though, so if he brings in a sweeper to kill Mismagius, it will be left vulnerable to my own last remaining sweeper.
---
Master switched in Ludicolo.
Ludicolo used Surf.
Mismagius lost 18% of its health.
Legacy Raider's Mismagius fainted.
The rain stopped.
Mismagius - FAINT
Ludicolo - 20%
2 - 4
Mismagius inevitably dies to the Ludicolo switch in, but I have a perfect opportunity to bring in my remaining Pokemon now. Pinsir enters the stage.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Pinsir.
Pointed stones dug into Pinsir.
Pinsir lost 25% of its health.
Pinsir used Earthquake.
It's not very effective...
Ludicolo lost 20% of its health.
Master's Ludicolo fainted.
Pinsir - 75%
Ludicolo - FAINT
2 - 3
Pinsir is such a cool bug, and is the Pokemon I previously said hated priority. I am running a Substitute/ Flail Pinsir, so I have to try and avoid extraneous damage as far as possible. Luckily it takes a clean quarter of its health from Stealth Rock, meaning residual damage won't ruin my chances of getting down to 1 HP. Setting up would be stupid here as Master still has Ambipom waiting in the wings, so I decide to get rid of Ludicolo quickly with Earthquake. At only 20% from its own LO recoil, it dies even to the resisted hit.
---
Master switched in Ambipom.
Legacy Raider switched in Clefable.
Ambipom used Fake Out.
Clefable lost 23% of its health.
Clefable - 29%
Ambipom - 15%
I couldn't have Fake Out mess up my Pinsir's health, so I send in Clefable to take the hefty Fake Out. My chances of winning look pretty grim here =/. Ambipom's STAB attack will easily faint my weakened Clefable, and although Pinsir should survive, it will then not have the 1 HP power to sweep. I am just about to type in 'gg' when...
---
Ambipom used U-turn.
Clefable lost 18% of its health.
Master switched in Altaria.
Clefable used Softboiled.
Clefable restored 50% of its health.
Clefable - 67%
Altaria - 94%
...Ambipom switches out instead. Turns out he wasn't running another attacking move after all, and so by the skin of its teeth, Clefable lives and gets a chance to heal up. I don't perceive much of a threat from Altaria here - Dragon Pulse will fail to leave a mark on Clefable's soft pink exterior. Chances are he is going to use either Rain Dance or another supporting move, in which case, immediately going back on the offensive with Pinsir is my best shot of pulling a win from somewhere here.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Pinsir.
Pointed stones dug into Pinsir.
Pinsir lost 25% of its health.
Altaria used Perish Song.
Both Pokemon will faint in 3 turn(s)
Pinsir - 50% (Perish Song Count - 3)
Altaria - 94% (Perish Song Count - 3)
Perish Song is good for me - Altaria fears a Stone Edge or something from Pinsir, and for all he knows, Pinsir is scarfed, meaning Ambipom might not be enough to deal with it either. This means that Altaria has too much pressure on it right now to have an opportunity to set up rain. I am really bluffing here as at 50%, I honestly can't touch it. But I might just be able scare Altaria out, meaning Clefable gets in without taking any damage to take on his switch in. Master still has one unknown Pokemon, but Clefable is pretty much the most reliable Pokemon in all of UU (apart from maybe Slowbro; that's why I have them both =P) and should be well equipped to take on any foe.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Clefable.
Altaria used Roost.
Altaria restored 6% of its health.
Clefable - 73%
Altaria - 100% (Perish Song Count - 2)
Ah, Master scouts with Roost to see what I was going to attack with, but the expected damage didn't come. Perish Song is actually working in my favour here, as Altaria will be forced to switch out in the next two turns. It may seem very late in the game to get them up, but Ambipom is on very low health right now anyway, and Altaria is weak to Rock, meaning that SR is not quite so absurd a choice right now after all.
---
Altaria used Perish Song.
Both Pokemon will faint in 3 turn(s)
But it failed!
Clefable used Stealth Rock.
Clefable - 80% (Perish Song Count - 3)
Altaria - 100% (Perish Song Count - 1)
Misclick perhaps? Turns out Perish Song is actually stackable on Shoddy, as I got the "Clefable's Perish Song fell to 3" message at the end of this turn. I don't know if that's how it works in game. Anyway, Altaria is forced to switch here because of its own previous Perish Song, meaning I get a free hit on something with Seismic Toss.
---
Master switched in Ambipom.
Pointed stones dug into Ambipom.
Ambipom lost 12% of its health.
Clefable used Seismic Toss.
Ambipom lost 3% of its health.
Master's Ambipom fainted.
Clefable - 86% (Perish Song Count - 2)
Ambipom - FAINT
2 - 2
Thankfully it was Ambipom that came in to take the hit. Altaria is pretty walled by Clefable, so I anticipate Master to bring in his hidden Pokemon to finish off my weakened team. The game is really coming into its final stages now, the stakes are high, and the pressure is on.
---
Master switched in Kabutops.
Pointed stones dug into Kabutops.
Kabutops lost 12% of its health.
Kabutops... an offensive Pokemon is his last. This upcoming turn is make or break, then. I take a moment to compose myself and get a chance to think this through properly.
Despite this late in the game, I still have an element of surprise on my side. I haven't alternated attacks with Pinsir yet, meaning Master will be assuming it is choiced. I also haven't yet revealed that Clefable has Encore, which could really mess up Kabutops if it decides to use use a support move such as Swords or Rain Dance. Rain isn't up, and I am pretty certain Clefable has the bulk to survive an unboosted Waterfall or Stone Edge. This means that Encore is really my best shot in any circumstance. Pinsir has a higher base speed than Kabutops (85 vs 80), and so if I lock Kabutops into an attacking move, I should be able to sub down with my "scarfed" Pinsir to Salac and sweep. It all comes down to this. I pause for a second... then give the command to Encore.
Kabutops used Swords Dance.
Kabutops's attack was sharply raised.
Clefable used Encore.
Kabutops got an encore!
Clefable - 92% (Perish Song Count - 1)
Kabutops - 88% (+2 Attack)
Yes! By not using Encore throughout the match, I lulled Master into a false sense of security, one that I was able to exploit well here. Kabutops went for the stat up, meaning I now have a completely free switch in to Pinsir to set up for myself. Clefable's Perish timer is nearly up too, meaning both of us are forced to switch in this situation.
---
Legacy Raider switched in Pinsir.
Pointed stones dug into Pinsir.
Pinsir lost 25% of its health.
Master switched in Altaria.
Pointed stones dug into Altaria.
Altaria lost 25% of its health.
Pinsir - 25%
Altaria - 75%
My brawling bug and his dragon face off once again. The double switch brings the game into its very final stages now. I plan on using Substitute to bring Pinsir down into destruction mode at 1 HP - Salac Boost and superpowered Flail at its disposal. However, I can only achieve this (and as this is the only way I can do so, I can only win) if Altaria chooses to not attack here. I don't think Flail will KO Altaria unless I manage to get an SD in as well. My weakened 25% Pinsir must present itself as an easy target for a quick Dragon Pulse to finish off, so really all I can do is cross my fingers and hope he plays conservatively one last time.
---
Pinsir used Substitute.
Pinsir lost 25% of its health.
Pinsir made a substitute!
Pinsir's Salac Berry raised its speed!
Altaria used Roost.
Altaria restored 25% of its health.
Pinsir - 1% (Sub, +1 Speed)
Altaria - 100%
Checkmate.
There isn't anything Master can do now to stop Pinsir's manic rampage. He took his turn to Roost off the expected damage from my 'choiced' Pinsir's Stone Edge, which gave me the opportunity to bring Pinsir down to 1 HP.
The stage is set - now to watch the drama unfold.
---
Pinsir used Swords Dance.
Pinsir's attack was sharply raised.
Altaria used Perish Song.
Both Pokemon will faint in 3 turn(s)
Pinsir - 1% (Sub, +1 Speed, +2 Attack, Perish Song Count - 3)
Altaria - 100% (Perish Song Count - 3)
---
Pinsir used Flail.
Altaria lost 100% of its health.
Master's Altaria fainted.
Pinsir - 1% (Sub, +1 Speed, +2 Attack, Perish Song Count - 2)
Altaria - FAINT
2 - 1
With a 200 base power move off 767 Attack, Pinsir slams his flying nemesis to the ground. Just one more to go.
---
Master switched in Kabutops.
Pointed stones dug into Kabutops.
Kabutops lost 12% of its health.
Kabutops used Aqua Jet.
The substitute took damage for Pinsir!
Pinsir's substitute faded!
Pinsir used Earthquake.
It's super effective!
Kabutops lost 75% of its health.
Master's Kabutops fainted.
Pinsir - 1% (Sub, +1 Speed, +2 Attack, Perish Song Count - 1)
Kabutops - FAINT
2 - 0
Legacy Raider wins!
Kabutops gets in one last priority hit before being taken out by Pinsir as well. If Altaria had broken my sub last turn, that would have finished me off, meaning I would have had to take my chances with Clefable vs a physical attacker. Turns out it played out for me in the end, and Pinsir was able to pull through for the finish line.
Legacy Raider: gg
Master12345: gg
____________________
Corny it might be, but like any worthwhile story, I feel there is a moral to this one: don't give excess information to the opponent, and reveal only what you need to. Really, the only reason I was able to snatch the win here was because Clefable's Encore and Pinsir's Substitute took my opponent by surprise. and threw him off. I had opportunities to use both moves earlier on in the game, but by not revealing too much of my moveset, it meant I had the element of surprise on my side when I needed it most.
GG Master12345.
Props:
- Surviving three full bouts of extended rain and still being able to bounce back, something I don't think I've ever managed with an offensively minded team before.
- Master's great Focus Punch prediction - that totally threw me off and meant Clefable wasn't able to stall out Ludicolo like I would have liked.
- Pinsir for being a great late game cleaner, and just for being generally awesome (really, it's been a favourite of mine ever since I laid eyes on it seven years ago).
- Master12345 (please speak up!) for being a good opponent all around =).
Slops:
- The hax, while not too bad, does leave a bad aftertaste in an otherwise great battle. The Sleep Powder miss, the Fake Out and HP Fighting crits could have been done without.
- My sloppy play with Slowbro and the multiple Thunder Waves, and the poorly predictable Roserade switchin that got nailed by Master's well timed Ice Beam.
Thanks for taking the time to read through this. It's been way too long since I last wrote a warstory, I'd almost forgotten how much fun they are to write. Please leave any comments or suggestions for next time, thank you =].
Master12345's team:
