July 2nd. It was a dark and not-so-stormy night. I was cackling evilly as I just finished beating Eo (After I counterteamed him and put HP Grass on a select few of my Pokemon for his Quagsire.) in the semifinals of the CAP LNT. The tournament had the competitors use mixed tier teams consisting of one Uber/CAP/OU/BL/UU/NU each. I was busy steeling myself for the finals of this LNT when I received a challenge from my opponent, who was none other than Rising_Dusk. Little did I know an epic match was about to unfold, one that would require the talents of many tiers!
Team Fireburn:
Team Rising_Dusk:
Duskypoo sent out Primeape (lvl 100 Primeape ?).
Fireburn sent out Froslass (lvl 100 Froslass ?).
The battle begins and Dusk's NU turns out to be a Primeape. I'm guessing this one is Scarfed like 99.99% of all Primeapes. It will likely U-turn out to break my Focus Sash, but I figure now is as good of a time as any to set up Spikes.
This is bad. Froslass sets up Spikes on my whole team and I can't reveal Mewtwo early to Taunt it. As long as I don't switch much, Spikes won't be too much of a problem. I'll U-turn to Registeel here and Stealth Rock in case he's using Rayquaza or Ho-Oh as his Uber.
Primeape used U-turn.
It's not very effective...
Froslass lost 17% of its health.
Duskypoo switched in Registeel (lvl 100 Registeel).
Froslass used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
---
Froslass:83%
Primeape:100%
Registeel:100%
Dusk's UU is a Registeel; bad news for me because it could be problematic to my sweepers because of Thunder Wave. Froslass isn't doing jack to that giant tin can, so I might as well set up more Spikes to weaken it further along the road. He's probably going to just KO me with Iron Head.
Stealth Rock as it sets up more Spikes. Stupid Froslass, I wasn't prepared for it.
Froslass used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
Registeel used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around the foe's team!
---
Froslass:83%
Registeel:100%
Dusk instead decides to set up Stealth Rock. Maybe his team is deathly weak to Ho-Oh or something...anyways, my team doesn't care about Rocks, and this means I can get up a third layer of Spikes! WOOT!
It'll likely go for a third layer here, so I'll slow it down with Thunder Wave as it sets it up.
Froslass used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
Registeel used Thunder Wave.
Froslass is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
---
Froslass:83% and paralyzed.
Registeel:100%
Dusk instead decides to paralyze Froslass. She is now completely useless to me at this point, so its time to switch to switch to Kyogre to get my rain going and begin my offensive!
Now, it can't really do much to my Registeel and has all three layers up. He's going to switch out, so I'll pray to God that his Uber isn't Groudon and Thunder Wave the switch.
Fireburn switched in Kyogre (lvl 100 Kyogre).
Kyogre's Drizzle caused a storm!
Rain began to fall!
Pointed stones dug into Kyogre.
Kyogre lost 12% of its health.
Registeel used Thunder Wave.
Kyogre is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
The rain continues to fall.
Kyogre's leftovers restored its health a little!
Kyogre restored 6% of its health.
---
Kyogre:94% and paralyzed.
Registeel:100%
Dusk predicts correctly that I would switch out and paralyzes Kyogre. I don't really care about that though as my Kyogre is a physically defensive tank and can always rest off the damage. However, the fact that he STILL didn't attack Froslass leaves me to wonder if his Registeel has anything to hit it. If not, its moveset is probably more akin to the standard Ubers Registeel, which is Stealth Rock/Thunder Wave/Ice Punch and...Explosion. He's already set up Stealth Rock, he's always paralyzed two of my Pokemon, and Ice Punch does lol damage to everything on my team. I bet Dusk is going to Explode to try and take out Kyogre or one of my Rain sweepers. I can't afford to let Kyogre die as he is my only weather changer, so I'm going to have to switch out. Froslass is immune to Explosion and can use Destiny Bond to take out Registeel if it decides to beat me down with Ice Punch, and she's just death fodder now anyway, so I decide that she's the best switch-in here.
Nailed the Kyogre. Leftovers suggests that this thing is durable, likely a Calm Mind variant or something. It'll probably go for setting up on Registeel, since there's not much I can do to it and if it has Rest, it doesn't care about Thunder Wave. I decided to run Explosion on my Registeel for just such an occasion. He shouldn't be expecting it from a Registeel at max life, either, so let's try to get rid of his weather early.
Fireburn switched in Froslass (lvl 100 Froslass ?).
Pointed stones dug into Froslass.
Froslass lost 25% of its health.
Registeel used Explosion.
It doesn't affect Froslass...
Duskypoo's Registeel facepalmed itself.
Duskypoo's Registeel fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Froslass:58% and rofling while paralyzed.
Registeel:Gone.
Score: 6-5 Fireburn
YEAH! I actually predicted something correctly. XD Anyways, not much for me to do here but see what Dusk switches in.
Duskypoo switched in Stratagem (lvl 100 Stratagem).
Stratagem was hurt by Spikes!
Stratagem lost 25% of its health.
Dusk's CAP Pokemon is a Stratagem. The fact it took damage from Spikes suggests it is a Technician variant; probably an all-out-attacker. In any case, he probably going to just KO Froslass. I'll just let it die, as she has already done her job and this way I can being in one of my Rain sweepers for free.
Stratagem used Ancientpower.
It's super effective!
Froslass lost 58% of its health.
Fireburn's Froslass is no longer rofling.
Fireburn's Froslass fainted.
Stratagem lost 10% of its health.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Froslass:Stoned.
Stratagem:65%
Score: 5-5 Tie
Fireburn switched in Kabutops (lvl 100 Kabutops ?).
Pointed stones dug into Kabutops.
Kabutops lost 12% of its health.
Okay, so Kabutops is in and ready to rip some Pokemon up! Dusk will probably switch out Stratagem, meaning that I could get a Swords Dance, but chances are I'll be forced to switch out anyway, so I just decide to go for a Waterfall. It will severely damage Dusk's Kabutops check while KOing Stratagem.
His first rain sweeper comes out, as expected. I'll have to switch straight to Abomasnow in order to stop the rain. He'll Waterfall off the bat, which Abomasnow can take fairly well.
Duskypoo switched in Abomasnow (lvl 100 Abomasnow ?).
Abomasnow's Snow Warning whipped up a hailstorm!
The rain stopped.
Hail began to fall!
Abomasnow was hurt by Spikes!
Abomasnow lost 25% of its health.
Kabutops used Waterfall.
It's not very effective...
Abomasnow lost 38% of its health.
Kabutops lost 10% of its health.
The hail continues to fall.
Kabutops is pelted by hail!
Kabutops lost 6% of its health.
---
Kabutops:71% and making a sad face.
Abomasnow:37%
Blargh you stupid tree! Abomasnow comes in and kills my glorious rain which makes me very sad. However, thanks to my Spikes, Kabutops could brake that stupid tree with another Waterfall, but the lack of Leftovers on Abomasnow suggests that it is probably a Choice Scarf variant. He's probably going to try to KO Kabutops with a Wood Hammer, so I'll send in Cyclohm to take the hit.
He's probably expecting Wood Hammer here, but I can't risk using a resisted Blizzard and giving it a turn to Stone Edge me. I'll Wood Hammer and if he switches, hopefully hit whatever comes in hard.
Fireburn switched in Cyclohm (lvl 100 Cyclohm ?).
Pointed stones dug into Cyclohm.
Cyclohm lost 12% of its health.
Abomasnow used Wood Hammer.
It's not very effective...
Cyclohm lost 20% of its health.
Abomasnow was hit by recoil!
Abomasnow lost 7% of its health.
The hail continues to fall.
Cyclohm is pelted by hail!
Cyclohm lost 6% of its health.
---
Cyclohm:67%
Abomasnow:29% and locked into Wood Hammer.
Cyclohm easily takes the Wood Hammer, and the fact Abomasnow stayed in to attack confirms for me that it is a Scarfer. My Cyclohm is Choice Scarfed itself, and my options are as follows:
-Thunder
-Dragon Pulse
-Flamethrower
-Hydro Pump
Thunder probably won't KO Abomasnow and the chance of it missing means that's not a good option. Flamethrower would assuredly KO Aboma, but I'm hesitant to use it since Dusk hasn't revealed his Uber yet. If it is DD Rayquaza and I'm locked into Flamethrower, its gg for me. The best choice here is Dragon Pulse since it will KO Aboma while likely getting a strong hit on his switch-in. Its great neutral coverage means whatever he switches in probably won't be able to set up.
Cyclohm gets in for free basically. Okay, on a rain team, he's likely got Thunder on Cyclohm over Thunderbolt. Without rain up, he won't risk it, so I can safely assume it'll Draco Meteor. Skarmory should be able to take this fairly well, and I really need to get some layers going here.
Duskypoo switched in Skarmory (lvl 100 Skarmory ?).
Cyclohm used Dragon Pulse.
It's not very effective...
Skarmory lost 30% of its health.
The hail continues to fall.
Cyclohm is pelted by hail!
Cyclohm lost 6% of its health.
Skarmory is pelted by hail!
Skarmory lost 6% of its health.
Skarmory's leftovers restored its health a little!
Skarmory restored 6% of its health.
---
Cyclohm:61% and locked into Dragon Pulse.
Skarmory:70%
Dusk predicts my Dragon attack and switches in Skarmory. Not good for me, as now he can lay down Spikes to decrease my ability to switch around. One thing's for sure though, I need to get my Rain started again, so I'll switch in Kyogre to hopefull threaten out Dusk''s Skarmory with Surf.
He'll send out Kyogre on this turn to start the rain again. I don't have any options, though, and without layers I can't wear him down so Mewtwo and Stratagem can really do their work. I'll set up Spikes this turn and deal with Kyogre when it comes.
Fireburn switched in Kyogre (lvl 100 Kyogre).
Kyogre's Drizzle caused a storm!
The hail stopped.
Rain began to fall!
Pointed stones dug into Kyogre.
Kyogre lost 12% of its health.
Skarmory used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
The rain continues to fall.
---
Kyogre:87% and paralyzed.
Skarmory:76%
Good, my rain is going again. I'm thinking Dusk is going to go to Abomasnow to get rid of my Rain, so I'll double switch to Cyclohm to threaten it out and wear it down with Spikes.
Kyogre comes out as expected. If he has Thunder, he'll use it here. I have nothing that can switch into anything Kyogre does here except Abomasnow, which he'll expect to come out. He'll probably double switch to Cyclohm to wear Abomasnow down with Spikes, so I'll risk it here and go for a second layer of my own.
Fireburn switched in Cyclohm (lvl 100 Cyclohm ?).
Cyclohm was hurt by Spikes!
Cyclohm lost 12% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Cyclohm.
Cyclohm lost 12% of its health.
Skarmory used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
The rain continues to fall.
---
Cyclohm:36%
Skarmory:82%
-___________________-
Ugh, Dusk predicts my switch and gets in another layer of Spikes. Now all of my Pokemon will take 31% damage just by switching in... Anyways, my Rain is up and I doubt Dusk has anything to take Cyclohm's Thunder, and its likely that he's just going to sacrifice Skarmory, since the only Electirc resist he's revealed is Abomasnow who will die to a poke thanks to Spikes. So its time to RIDE THE LIGHTNING!
Thank God. My prediction pays off and I get a second layer. Rain's out, though, and he's probably expecting Abomasnow for sure this turn. If Thunder hits Abomasnow this turn, though, he's dead. I can't lose my weather user just yet. I'll sacrifice Skarmory here in case he expects Abomasnow and tries a Dragon Pulse.
Cyclohm used Thunder.
It's super effective!
Skarmory lost 82% of its health.
Duskypoo's Skarmory was deep-fried.
Duskypoo's Skarmory fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Cyclohm:36%
Skamory:Cooked.
Score: 5-4 Fireburn
Cyclohm successfully nails Skarmory, and I'm left wondering what he'll switch in. It is now officialy late game, as we've both gotten massive amounts of entry hazards up, each of us preparing our sweepers to go on a rampage.
There goes Skarmory. The lack of Leftovers or Life Orb on Cyclohm bothers me. After a quick calculation based on the damage it did to Skarmory with Dragon Pulse earlier, I decide it's probably using Choice Scarf. If it is, my own Choice Scarf Abomasnow won't outspeed it, so I need to guarantee that I can take it down. Primeape is assuredly faster and can't really do anything to Kabutops later on, so I'll use him to bring down the dragon.
Duskypoo switched in Primeape (lvl 100 Primeape ?).
Primeape was hurt by Spikes!
Primeape lost 25% of its health.
Crap...With all of Dusk's entry hazards Close Combat will O-2HKO the rest of my team since Froslass, my only Fighting resist, is dead. The best thing to do here is to sacrifice Cyclohm and then attempt to revenge kill the angry ape with one of my rain sweepers.
Primeape used Close Combat.
Cyclohm lost 36% of its health.
Fireburn's Cyclohm was beaten to the ground.
Fireburn's Cyclohm fainted.
Primeape's defence was lowered.
Primeape's special defence was lowered.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Cyclohm:Pwned.
Primeape:75%
Score: 4-4 Tie
Cyclohm dies, as expected. I decide to bring in Kingdra to revenge kill the Primeape.
Fireburn switched in Kingdra (lvl 100 Kingdra ?).
Kingdra was hurt by Spikes!
Kingdra lost 19% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Kingdra.
Kingdra lost 12% of its health.
Outrage is my most accurate attack and I really need to KO that Primeape, so I decide to use that.
Kingdra, eh? I saw it coming, but there's nothing I can do to it. I have to sacrifice Primeape here to get Abomasnow out.
Kingdra used Outrage.
Kingdra went on a rampage!
Primeape lost 75% of its health.
Duskypoo's Primeape couldn't match Kingdra's rage.
Duskypoo's Primeape fainted.
Kingdra lost 10% of its health.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Kingdra:59% and Outraging.
Primeape:Torn to shreds.
Score: 4-3 Fireburn
Duskypoo switched in Abomasnow (lvl 100 Abomasnow ?).
Abomasnow's Snow Warning whipped up a hailstorm!
The rain stopped.
Hail began to fall!
Abomasnow was hurt by Spikes!
Abomasnow lost 25% of its health.
And Abomasnow comes in to revenge kill Kingdra and kill my rain one last time. (Man I wish I had SR on this team...) I can't switch out because I am locked into Outrage, so my only hope is that Kingdra can survive Blizzard and BRAKE STUPID TREE with Outrage.
Assuming this Kingdra is a mixed sweeper and has no defensive investment, I will do 54.3% - 63.9% with Blizzard. That's a pretty good shot at KOing it, given that it can't switch out.
Abomasnow used Blizzard.
Kingdra lost 55% of its health.
Kingdra used Outrage.
Abomasnow lost 4% of its health.
Fireburn's Kingdra finally brakes the stupid tree.
Duskypoo's Abomasnow fainted.
Kingdra lost 4% of its health.
Fireburn's Kingdra went emo.
Fireburn's Kingdra fainted.
The hail continues to fall.
Kingdra:Suicided.
Abomasnow:Torn to pieces.
Score: 3-2 Fireburn
Kingdra is the BOSS! He barely survives Blizzard and brakes the stupid tree in his rage before succumbing to Life Orb recoil. Anyways, now its a blind switch for both of us. However, my switch is obvious...I'm going to Kyogre to set up rain again as Kabutops is my best chance at winning the match now.
Damnit! A lower roll brings Abomasnow down. There's no way I could switch out of the incoming Kyogre anyway, but a hit would've been a hit. Anyway, this is a pivotal turn. I know Kyogre is using Leftovers and has Surf; I have no idea what the rest of his moveset is. Whatever happens, I cannot afford to let Kabutops get out for free or I lose. My Stratagem can't really do much to a Kabutops in the rain, as it's probably running Aqua Jet. I've lost this game, I think, but I'll try for a Giga Drain on Kyogre.
---
Duskypoo switched in Stratagem (lvl 100 Stratagem).
Fireburn switched in Kyogre (lvl 100 Kyogre).
Stratagem was hurt by Spikes!
Stratagem lost 25% of its health.
Kyogre's Drizzle caused a storm!
The hail stopped.
Rain began to fall!
Kyogre was hurt by Spikes!
Kyogre lost 19% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Kyogre.
Kyogre lost 12% of its health.
That was a ton of hazards damage...anyways, Kyogre comes in while Dusk sends in Stratagem. Apparently his unrevealed Uber does not match up well vs. Kyogre, or he thinks that a Technician boosted Giga Drain from Stratagem will KO Kyogre. Even though Stratagem is Life Orbed and has Technician and base 120 Special Attack, I'm confident I can survive since Kyogre does have max HP and base 140 Special Defense.
Stratagem used Giga Drain.
It's super effective!
Kyogre lost 49% of its health.
Stratagem absorbed health!
Stratagem restored 30% of its health.
Stratagem lost 10% of its health.
Kyogre used Surf.
It's super effective!
Stratagem lost 61% of its health.
Duskypoo's Stratagem was thrown overboard.
Duskypoo's Stratagem fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
Kyogre:14% and paralyzed.
Stratagem:Sleeping with the fishes.
Score: 3-1 Fireburn
Kyogre fortunately does survive the Giga Drain and it swiftly KOes Stratagem with Surf. I may be up 3-1, but I feel like I'm in a bad position. Dusk still hasn't shown his Uber. I have a 14% paralyzed Kyogre, an unrevealed Quagsire, and a Kabutops that will be at 40% after taking hazards damage. Rayquaza will easily pick off everything that I have left, so lets hope his Uber is something I can handle...
Yeah, I saw that coming. My Uber will kill Kyogre, but his last unknown NU Pokemon and Kabutops will clean up handily.
---
Duskypoo switched in Mewtwo (lvl 100 Mewtwo).
Mewtwo is exerting its pressure!
Mewtwo was hurt by Spikes!
Mewtwo lost 25% of its health.
Seeing Mewtwo's ugly mug flash on the screen gives me mixed feelings. Sure, its not Rayquaza and it doesn't resist Kabutops' Waterfall, but Mewtwo is probably the most unpredictable Pokemon in the game. There are two sets that can possibly beat me right now...
1) Scarf Mewtwo with Grass Knot. (Outspeeds Kabutops in rain -_-)
2) Bulky CM Mewtwo with Leftovers.
I doubt its the first one as Dusk already has 2 Scarfers. Option #2 is bad since if Mewtwo is running HP EVs then it could very well survive Kabutops' Waterfall. I need to see what item the Mewtwo has, and Kyogre isn't getting a chance to Rest, so I decide to just sacrifice it.
Mewtwo used Aura Sphere.
Kyogre lost 14% of its health.
Fireburn's Kyogre gave up his throne to the other King of Ubers.
Fireburn's Kyogre fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
Mewtwo's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mewtwo restored 6% of its health.
---
Kyogre:Chatting with Davy Jones.
Mewtwo:81%
Score: 2-1 Fireburn
Kyogre goes down as expected, but then I find that, to my horror, the Mewtwo does indeed have Leftovers. Seeing Aura Sphere as well can only mean one thing: this is bulky CM Mewtwo. This is very, very bad. If this thing is running HP EVs, Kabutops may not be able to do enough with Waterfall. I fear that after all this, I may have lost...
Fireburn switched in Quagsire (lvl 100 Quagsire ?).
Quagsire was hurt by Spikes!
Quagsire lost 19% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Quagsire.
Quagsire lost 6% of its health.
I decide to use Quagsire just to weaken Mewtwo a bit to increase the odds of Kabutops' Waterfall KOing. I'm thinking Duskypoo will not use Substitute (if he has it) because he is probably expecting an attack, and the lost health means that Kabutops will KO Mewtwo for sure. Trouble is, I'm not actually running any attacks. :B My moveset is Toxic/Yawn/Recover/Encore. My Quagsire is running Max HP/Max SDef Careful, so I know it can take at least one Aura Sphere from Mewtwo. If I use Yawn and Mewtwo goes to sleep, Kabutops will be all but guaranteed to clean up, so here goes!
Interesting, Quagsire. All it has to do is Surf me to guarantee that Kabutops will take down Mewtwo. I'll Taunt just in case, though, as I can't KO it with any of my attacks.
Mewtwo used Taunt.
Quagsire fell for the taunt!
Quagsire used Yawn.
Quagsire can't use Yawn after the taunt!
The rain continues to fall.
Quagsire's leftovers restored its health a little!
Quagsire restored 6% of its health.
Quagsire:81% and crapping his pants.
Mewtwo: 87% and grinning evilly.
ASDFSKGJGNHKHJDJSJDJDKLNKKSKSKSLSKLKNKASDF
...and that was the worst possible thing that could have happened. Taunt renders Quagsire completely incapable of doing anything at all. Even worse, Mewtwo got a free turn of Leftovers recovery, increasing its odds that it will survive Kabutops' Waterfall. My only hope to win now is to Struggle and hopefully weaken Mewtwo enough so that Waterfall will KO it.
Oh? He must not have any attacks if he didn't Surf right away, so I can wail on it. Aura Sphere is my best bet here, just in case he tries to bring Kabutops out.
---
Mewtwo used Aura Sphere.
Quagsire lost 29% of its health.
Quagsire used Struggle.
Mewtwo lost 12% of its health.
Quagsire was hit by recoil!
Quagsire lost 25% of its health.
The rain continues to fall.
Quagsire:33%
Mewtwo:79%
Struggle does more than I thought it would, and Quagsire gets to live one more turn to weaken Mewtwo a bit more. However, 29% was an awfully low amount for Aura Sphere to manage even to a Max HP/Max SDef Careful Quagsire, so this thing very well could have HP EVs. I can't afford to swap Kabutops in on an attack, so my only option here is to keep Struggling. :(
No attacks. I'll keep using Aura Sphere in case he switches to Kabutops. If I can stay above a certain threshold of life, I may still win against Kabutops's Waterfall...
---
Mewtwo used Aura Sphere.
Quagsire lost 27% of its health.
Quagsire used Struggle.
Mewtwo lost 11% of its health.
Quagsire was hit by recoil!
Quagsire lost 7% of its health.
Fireburn's Quagsire failed at life.
Fireburn's Quagsire fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
Quagsire:Disgraced
Mewtwo:77%
Score: 1-1 Tie
Like a good boy, he sacrifices Quagsire to get Kabutops in for free.
---
Fireburn switched in Kabutops (lvl 100 Kabutops ?).
Kabutops was hurt by Spikes!
Kabutops lost 18% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Kabutops.
Kabutops lost 12% of its health.
Kabutops comes in with enough energy to launch one last attack. This is it. If Waterfall KOes Mewtwo, I win, and if not, I lose. Its that simple. Here I go...
I immediately run a calculation. Waterfall, with my nonstandard 112 HP EVs, gives me a remote chance to survive. It does 73.5% - 86.9% damage and I have 77% life. That's something like a 25% chance to win, but God only knows I've been that lucky before... Here goes nothing!
Suspense...
More Suspense...
Even more suspense...
I bet you really hate me right now...
You REALLY wanna kill me right now, don't you?
...Fine, I'll show it now. Pansy.
Kabutops:40% and jumping for joy.
Final Score: 1-0 Fireburn
I exhale a sigh of relief as Kabutops does enough to KO Mewtwo with Waterfall, winning me the LNT. GG Rising_Dusk, and I hope to play you again. That was an awesome match!
I say my GGs. I can't help but think that maybe I could have won that! It was tense, though, and I feel like I made the best decisions I could at each step. Good game, Fireburn!
Props:
-Froslass for setting up 3 layers of Spikes and absorbing an Explosion.
-Kyogre, for setting up rain and being a general boss.
-Kingdra and Kabutops are beastly.
-Scarf Cyclohm is underrated.
-Mewtwo almost pulled off a late-game comeback.
-No hax!
-Rising_Dusk for coming up with the title (XD) and putting up a great fight.
Slops:
-Quagsire for falling flat on its face.
-Not having enough Fighting-resistances.
Props:
- Abomasnow for keeping the rain at bay
- Mewtwo for giving me a fighting chance at coming back from a 3-1 position.
Slops:
- Not having a good answer to Froslass.
- Exploding Registeel so early. It would've been really useful later in the match, and the chance to get rid of Kyogre was a long shot anyway.
- Being too scared to try to setup Mewtwo on his Kyogre. Vacuum Wave on Stratagem might have given me a better shot at beating Kabutops if he lacked Aqua Jet.
Due to the strange nature of the teams of the tournament, we figured we ought to share them with you in detail.
Fireburn's Team
Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 6 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Icy Wind
- Shadow Ball
- Destiny Bond
Froslass's great Speed and typing made it a great Spiker. It usually always got down Spikes and then KOed something with Destiny Bond. It was also a brilliant Rayquaza check and it provided a Fighting immunity and a much needed Explosion immunity. It also blocked Rapid Spin. :D
---
Quagsire (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP/6 Def/252 SDef
Careful nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Toxic
- Yawn
- Encore
- Recover
Quaggy's only real purpose was to shut down enemy Kyogre and Kabutops while giving a much needed Electric immunity. It helped force switches with Yawn and Encore, often giving Kabutops an opening to come in and set up.
---
Kyogre @ Leftovers
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/6 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Calm Mind / Hidden Power Grass
- Surf
Kyogre was a shoo-in as my Uber because rain would definitely be the most threatening weather in this enviroment. Kyogre never really swept, but rather his job was to provide a bulky Pokemon that could set up rain reliably while also countering Darkrai, Groudon, Tyranitar, and a host of other things. With Rest and the highly defensive EV spread he always lasted throughout the match to keep my glorious rain going. I ended up switching to Hidden Power Grass over Calm Mind since I never used the latter and the former allowed me to absolutely own Eo's Quagsire. >:D
---
Kingdra (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 80 Atk/176 Spd/252 SAtk
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Waterfall
- Hydro Pump
- Draco Meteor / Hidden Power Grass
- Outrage
Kingdra's main job was to revenge kill Dragon-types and lure in and beat Kabutops counters such as Groudon. This guy was a monster sweeper and he usually got at least 2 kills per match. The moveset is pretty standard, although I decided to use Hidden Power Grass in the semifinals, once again for Eo's Quagsire. :)
---
Kabutops (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk/6 Def/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
Boss sweeper is boss. After a Swords Dance and his counters are gone nothing stops him. His STAB Water/Rock combo was awesome and he easily got the late-game sweep in every match. I usually pulled him out early to scout for counters so Kingdra could take care of them later, and late game he would come back in to sweep.
---
Cyclohm (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 6 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
- Flamethrower
- Dragon Pulse
Scarf Cyclohm is underrated. His resistances to Grass and Electric is why I chose him over Krilowatt. His job was to check random things such as Scizor and provide a reasonably fast revenge killer with his decent Speed, high Special Attack, and great coverage. Thunder in the rain really allowed him to maim stuff, and combined with Dragon STAB and the notable lack of Blissey in this meta and you have one heck of a Pokemon to worry about.
---
Rising_Dusk's team:
Primeape @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
~ Close Combat
~ Ice Punch
~ ThunderPunch
~ U-turn
When building the team, I looked for Pokemon that could serve multiple roles and check many of the threats I was expecting. Primeape hits really hard, serves as my revenge killer against a lot of threats, such as Gyarados, Rayquaza, and whatever else I might run into. He also is my Darkrai check and leads the match off with a way to break Focus Sash. For an NU Pokemon, Primeape pulled his weight in this LNT. Primeape also serves as my #1 answer to Blissey, who I needed to be sure I could beat down if I ran into her.
Registeel @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Nature: Careful
~ Stealth Rock
~ Thunder Wave
~ Iron Head
~ Explosion
Specially defensive Registeel was my attempt to check as much as humanly possible. I wanted a specially bulky Steel-type that could set up Stealth Rock, slow down scary threats, and take a few hits from things like Kingdra, Palkia, Dialga, and Rayquaza before going down. Registeel was my UU choice for the team, and he always got up rocks and did his job.
Abomasnow @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 140 Atk / 116 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Hasty
~ Blizzard
~ Wood Hammer
~ Earthquake
~ Ice Shard
Abomasnow is my answer to Kyogre and Groudon. I knew going into this LNT that Rain Dance and Sunny Day teams would be too easy and incredibly common. I wanted something that could mess with the weather, and my BL spot fixed Abomasnow up perfectly. He also serves as an excellent Water-type resistance for my team with his surprising bulk, given no investment. He was perhaps one of my most-pivotal Pokemon in every match.
Stratagem @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
~ AncientPower
~ Giga Drain
~ Flamethrower
~ Vacuum Wave
Stratagem is my first monster Special sweeper. The idea behind this team was to use my other Pokemon to try to set up a special sweep between two immensely powerful and blazing fast Pokemon, Stratagem and Mewtwo. Stratagem is the All-Out Attacker, capable of OHKOing a lot of stuff with its power. Generally, Stratagem will come out early to try to soften up and lure out the Pokemon I need to deal with for Mewtwo, who will ravage teams in the late-game.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Nature: Impish
~ Spikes
~ Brave Bird
~ Whirlwind
~ Roost
Skarmory is my go-to Pokemon when Groudon rears his ugly head. If Skarmory can get a few layers up, it becomes incredibly difficult for specially defensive Pokemon to keep switching into Mewtwo and Stratagem. Also, Skarmory can check a few physical attackers that might show up in the LNT pretty damned well with his physical bulk, so I was banking on it as a physical pivot when necessary.
Mewtwo @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 112 HP / 144 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
~ Taunt
~ Calm Mind
~ Aura Sphere
~ Ice Beam
My Uber. I could have picked predictable Pokemon like Groudon or Kyogre, but instead I wanted Mewtwo. Mewtwo can easily set up and initiate a devastating sweep at the very end-game. I ran a bit of extra bulk on my Mewtwo, since there is only one Uber per team, and hopefully by the stage of the battle where he comes out, he'll have worn the rest down. Taunt and Calm Mind together keep a lot of things from doing much to him, while Aura Sphere and Ice Beam give excellent neutral coverage - especially against the Pokemon I am expecting to face in this LNT.
Okay, we're done now. Hope you enjoyed reading! :)
Team Fireburn:
Team Rising_Dusk:
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
Evasion Clause
Freeze Clause
OHKO Clause
Sleep Clause
Species Clause
Strict Damage Clause
Timed Battle
The log is in normal text.
My comments are in GREEN.
Rising_Dusk's comments are in BLUE.
Leftovers and residual damage from weather will be removed from the log after the first occurence.
FINAL ROUND, FIGHT!
Evasion Clause
Freeze Clause
OHKO Clause
Sleep Clause
Species Clause
Strict Damage Clause
Timed Battle
The log is in normal text.
My comments are in GREEN.
Rising_Dusk's comments are in BLUE.
Leftovers and residual damage from weather will be removed from the log after the first occurence.
FINAL ROUND, FIGHT!
Duskypoo sent out Primeape (lvl 100 Primeape ?).
Fireburn sent out Froslass (lvl 100 Froslass ?).
The battle begins and Dusk's NU turns out to be a Primeape. I'm guessing this one is Scarfed like 99.99% of all Primeapes. It will likely U-turn out to break my Focus Sash, but I figure now is as good of a time as any to set up Spikes.
This is bad. Froslass sets up Spikes on my whole team and I can't reveal Mewtwo early to Taunt it. As long as I don't switch much, Spikes won't be too much of a problem. I'll U-turn to Registeel here and Stealth Rock in case he's using Rayquaza or Ho-Oh as his Uber.
Primeape used U-turn.
It's not very effective...
Froslass lost 17% of its health.
Duskypoo switched in Registeel (lvl 100 Registeel).
Froslass used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
---
Froslass:83%
Primeape:100%
Registeel:100%
Dusk's UU is a Registeel; bad news for me because it could be problematic to my sweepers because of Thunder Wave. Froslass isn't doing jack to that giant tin can, so I might as well set up more Spikes to weaken it further along the road. He's probably going to just KO me with Iron Head.
Stealth Rock as it sets up more Spikes. Stupid Froslass, I wasn't prepared for it.
Froslass used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
Registeel used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around the foe's team!
---
Froslass:83%
Registeel:100%
Dusk instead decides to set up Stealth Rock. Maybe his team is deathly weak to Ho-Oh or something...anyways, my team doesn't care about Rocks, and this means I can get up a third layer of Spikes! WOOT!
It'll likely go for a third layer here, so I'll slow it down with Thunder Wave as it sets it up.
Froslass used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
Registeel used Thunder Wave.
Froslass is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
---
Froslass:83% and paralyzed.
Registeel:100%
Dusk instead decides to paralyze Froslass. She is now completely useless to me at this point, so its time to switch to switch to Kyogre to get my rain going and begin my offensive!
Now, it can't really do much to my Registeel and has all three layers up. He's going to switch out, so I'll pray to God that his Uber isn't Groudon and Thunder Wave the switch.
Fireburn switched in Kyogre (lvl 100 Kyogre).
Kyogre's Drizzle caused a storm!
Rain began to fall!
Pointed stones dug into Kyogre.
Kyogre lost 12% of its health.
Registeel used Thunder Wave.
Kyogre is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
The rain continues to fall.
Kyogre's leftovers restored its health a little!
Kyogre restored 6% of its health.
---
Kyogre:94% and paralyzed.
Registeel:100%
Dusk predicts correctly that I would switch out and paralyzes Kyogre. I don't really care about that though as my Kyogre is a physically defensive tank and can always rest off the damage. However, the fact that he STILL didn't attack Froslass leaves me to wonder if his Registeel has anything to hit it. If not, its moveset is probably more akin to the standard Ubers Registeel, which is Stealth Rock/Thunder Wave/Ice Punch and...Explosion. He's already set up Stealth Rock, he's always paralyzed two of my Pokemon, and Ice Punch does lol damage to everything on my team. I bet Dusk is going to Explode to try and take out Kyogre or one of my Rain sweepers. I can't afford to let Kyogre die as he is my only weather changer, so I'm going to have to switch out. Froslass is immune to Explosion and can use Destiny Bond to take out Registeel if it decides to beat me down with Ice Punch, and she's just death fodder now anyway, so I decide that she's the best switch-in here.
Nailed the Kyogre. Leftovers suggests that this thing is durable, likely a Calm Mind variant or something. It'll probably go for setting up on Registeel, since there's not much I can do to it and if it has Rest, it doesn't care about Thunder Wave. I decided to run Explosion on my Registeel for just such an occasion. He shouldn't be expecting it from a Registeel at max life, either, so let's try to get rid of his weather early.
Fireburn switched in Froslass (lvl 100 Froslass ?).
Pointed stones dug into Froslass.
Froslass lost 25% of its health.
Registeel used Explosion.
It doesn't affect Froslass...
Duskypoo's Registeel facepalmed itself.
Duskypoo's Registeel fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Froslass:58% and rofling while paralyzed.
Registeel:Gone.
Score: 6-5 Fireburn
YEAH! I actually predicted something correctly. XD Anyways, not much for me to do here but see what Dusk switches in.
God damnit! He totally called that. Time to bring out Stratagem and deal with this Froslass right away. AncientPower will do the trick and cover any switch-in he might throw at me in case he tries to pull that.
Duskypoo switched in Stratagem (lvl 100 Stratagem).
Stratagem was hurt by Spikes!
Stratagem lost 25% of its health.
Dusk's CAP Pokemon is a Stratagem. The fact it took damage from Spikes suggests it is a Technician variant; probably an all-out-attacker. In any case, he probably going to just KO Froslass. I'll just let it die, as she has already done her job and this way I can being in one of my Rain sweepers for free.
Stratagem used Ancientpower.
It's super effective!
Froslass lost 58% of its health.
Fireburn's Froslass is no longer rofling.
Fireburn's Froslass fainted.
Stratagem lost 10% of its health.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Froslass:Stoned.
Stratagem:65%
Score: 5-5 Tie
Fireburn switched in Kabutops (lvl 100 Kabutops ?).
Pointed stones dug into Kabutops.
Kabutops lost 12% of its health.
Okay, so Kabutops is in and ready to rip some Pokemon up! Dusk will probably switch out Stratagem, meaning that I could get a Swords Dance, but chances are I'll be forced to switch out anyway, so I just decide to go for a Waterfall. It will severely damage Dusk's Kabutops check while KOing Stratagem.
His first rain sweeper comes out, as expected. I'll have to switch straight to Abomasnow in order to stop the rain. He'll Waterfall off the bat, which Abomasnow can take fairly well.
Duskypoo switched in Abomasnow (lvl 100 Abomasnow ?).
Abomasnow's Snow Warning whipped up a hailstorm!
The rain stopped.
Hail began to fall!
Abomasnow was hurt by Spikes!
Abomasnow lost 25% of its health.
Kabutops used Waterfall.
It's not very effective...
Abomasnow lost 38% of its health.
Kabutops lost 10% of its health.
The hail continues to fall.
Kabutops is pelted by hail!
Kabutops lost 6% of its health.
---
Kabutops:71% and making a sad face.
Abomasnow:37%
Blargh you stupid tree! Abomasnow comes in and kills my glorious rain which makes me very sad. However, thanks to my Spikes, Kabutops could brake that stupid tree with another Waterfall, but the lack of Leftovers on Abomasnow suggests that it is probably a Choice Scarf variant. He's probably going to try to KO Kabutops with a Wood Hammer, so I'll send in Cyclohm to take the hit.
He's probably expecting Wood Hammer here, but I can't risk using a resisted Blizzard and giving it a turn to Stone Edge me. I'll Wood Hammer and if he switches, hopefully hit whatever comes in hard.
Fireburn switched in Cyclohm (lvl 100 Cyclohm ?).
Pointed stones dug into Cyclohm.
Cyclohm lost 12% of its health.
Abomasnow used Wood Hammer.
It's not very effective...
Cyclohm lost 20% of its health.
Abomasnow was hit by recoil!
Abomasnow lost 7% of its health.
The hail continues to fall.
Cyclohm is pelted by hail!
Cyclohm lost 6% of its health.
---
Cyclohm:67%
Abomasnow:29% and locked into Wood Hammer.
Cyclohm easily takes the Wood Hammer, and the fact Abomasnow stayed in to attack confirms for me that it is a Scarfer. My Cyclohm is Choice Scarfed itself, and my options are as follows:
-Thunder
-Dragon Pulse
-Flamethrower
-Hydro Pump
Thunder probably won't KO Abomasnow and the chance of it missing means that's not a good option. Flamethrower would assuredly KO Aboma, but I'm hesitant to use it since Dusk hasn't revealed his Uber yet. If it is DD Rayquaza and I'm locked into Flamethrower, its gg for me. The best choice here is Dragon Pulse since it will KO Aboma while likely getting a strong hit on his switch-in. Its great neutral coverage means whatever he switches in probably won't be able to set up.
Cyclohm gets in for free basically. Okay, on a rain team, he's likely got Thunder on Cyclohm over Thunderbolt. Without rain up, he won't risk it, so I can safely assume it'll Draco Meteor. Skarmory should be able to take this fairly well, and I really need to get some layers going here.
Duskypoo switched in Skarmory (lvl 100 Skarmory ?).
Cyclohm used Dragon Pulse.
It's not very effective...
Skarmory lost 30% of its health.
The hail continues to fall.
Cyclohm is pelted by hail!
Cyclohm lost 6% of its health.
Skarmory is pelted by hail!
Skarmory lost 6% of its health.
Skarmory's leftovers restored its health a little!
Skarmory restored 6% of its health.
---
Cyclohm:61% and locked into Dragon Pulse.
Skarmory:70%
Dusk predicts my Dragon attack and switches in Skarmory. Not good for me, as now he can lay down Spikes to decrease my ability to switch around. One thing's for sure though, I need to get my Rain started again, so I'll switch in Kyogre to hopefull threaten out Dusk''s Skarmory with Surf.
He'll send out Kyogre on this turn to start the rain again. I don't have any options, though, and without layers I can't wear him down so Mewtwo and Stratagem can really do their work. I'll set up Spikes this turn and deal with Kyogre when it comes.
Fireburn switched in Kyogre (lvl 100 Kyogre).
Kyogre's Drizzle caused a storm!
The hail stopped.
Rain began to fall!
Pointed stones dug into Kyogre.
Kyogre lost 12% of its health.
Skarmory used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
The rain continues to fall.
---
Kyogre:87% and paralyzed.
Skarmory:76%
Good, my rain is going again. I'm thinking Dusk is going to go to Abomasnow to get rid of my Rain, so I'll double switch to Cyclohm to threaten it out and wear it down with Spikes.
Kyogre comes out as expected. If he has Thunder, he'll use it here. I have nothing that can switch into anything Kyogre does here except Abomasnow, which he'll expect to come out. He'll probably double switch to Cyclohm to wear Abomasnow down with Spikes, so I'll risk it here and go for a second layer of my own.
Fireburn switched in Cyclohm (lvl 100 Cyclohm ?).
Cyclohm was hurt by Spikes!
Cyclohm lost 12% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Cyclohm.
Cyclohm lost 12% of its health.
Skarmory used Spikes.
Spikes were scattered around the foe's team!
The rain continues to fall.
---
Cyclohm:36%
Skarmory:82%
-___________________-
Ugh, Dusk predicts my switch and gets in another layer of Spikes. Now all of my Pokemon will take 31% damage just by switching in... Anyways, my Rain is up and I doubt Dusk has anything to take Cyclohm's Thunder, and its likely that he's just going to sacrifice Skarmory, since the only Electirc resist he's revealed is Abomasnow who will die to a poke thanks to Spikes. So its time to RIDE THE LIGHTNING!
Thank God. My prediction pays off and I get a second layer. Rain's out, though, and he's probably expecting Abomasnow for sure this turn. If Thunder hits Abomasnow this turn, though, he's dead. I can't lose my weather user just yet. I'll sacrifice Skarmory here in case he expects Abomasnow and tries a Dragon Pulse.
Cyclohm used Thunder.
It's super effective!
Skarmory lost 82% of its health.
Duskypoo's Skarmory was deep-fried.
Duskypoo's Skarmory fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Cyclohm:36%
Skamory:Cooked.
Score: 5-4 Fireburn
Cyclohm successfully nails Skarmory, and I'm left wondering what he'll switch in. It is now officialy late game, as we've both gotten massive amounts of entry hazards up, each of us preparing our sweepers to go on a rampage.
There goes Skarmory. The lack of Leftovers or Life Orb on Cyclohm bothers me. After a quick calculation based on the damage it did to Skarmory with Dragon Pulse earlier, I decide it's probably using Choice Scarf. If it is, my own Choice Scarf Abomasnow won't outspeed it, so I need to guarantee that I can take it down. Primeape is assuredly faster and can't really do anything to Kabutops later on, so I'll use him to bring down the dragon.
Duskypoo switched in Primeape (lvl 100 Primeape ?).
Primeape was hurt by Spikes!
Primeape lost 25% of its health.
Crap...With all of Dusk's entry hazards Close Combat will O-2HKO the rest of my team since Froslass, my only Fighting resist, is dead. The best thing to do here is to sacrifice Cyclohm and then attempt to revenge kill the angry ape with one of my rain sweepers.
Primeape used Close Combat.
Cyclohm lost 36% of its health.
Fireburn's Cyclohm was beaten to the ground.
Fireburn's Cyclohm fainted.
Primeape's defence was lowered.
Primeape's special defence was lowered.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Cyclohm:Pwned.
Primeape:75%
Score: 4-4 Tie
Cyclohm dies, as expected. I decide to bring in Kingdra to revenge kill the Primeape.
Fireburn switched in Kingdra (lvl 100 Kingdra ?).
Kingdra was hurt by Spikes!
Kingdra lost 19% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Kingdra.
Kingdra lost 12% of its health.
Outrage is my most accurate attack and I really need to KO that Primeape, so I decide to use that.
Kingdra, eh? I saw it coming, but there's nothing I can do to it. I have to sacrifice Primeape here to get Abomasnow out.
Kingdra used Outrage.
Kingdra went on a rampage!
Primeape lost 75% of its health.
Duskypoo's Primeape couldn't match Kingdra's rage.
Duskypoo's Primeape fainted.
Kingdra lost 10% of its health.
The rain continues to fall.
---
Kingdra:59% and Outraging.
Primeape:Torn to shreds.
Score: 4-3 Fireburn
Duskypoo switched in Abomasnow (lvl 100 Abomasnow ?).
Abomasnow's Snow Warning whipped up a hailstorm!
The rain stopped.
Hail began to fall!
Abomasnow was hurt by Spikes!
Abomasnow lost 25% of its health.
And Abomasnow comes in to revenge kill Kingdra and kill my rain one last time. (Man I wish I had SR on this team...) I can't switch out because I am locked into Outrage, so my only hope is that Kingdra can survive Blizzard and BRAKE STUPID TREE with Outrage.
Assuming this Kingdra is a mixed sweeper and has no defensive investment, I will do 54.3% - 63.9% with Blizzard. That's a pretty good shot at KOing it, given that it can't switch out.
Abomasnow used Blizzard.
Kingdra lost 55% of its health.
Kingdra used Outrage.
Abomasnow lost 4% of its health.
Fireburn's Kingdra finally brakes the stupid tree.
Duskypoo's Abomasnow fainted.
Kingdra lost 4% of its health.
Fireburn's Kingdra went emo.
Fireburn's Kingdra fainted.
The hail continues to fall.
Kingdra:Suicided.
Abomasnow:Torn to pieces.
Score: 3-2 Fireburn
Kingdra is the BOSS! He barely survives Blizzard and brakes the stupid tree in his rage before succumbing to Life Orb recoil. Anyways, now its a blind switch for both of us. However, my switch is obvious...I'm going to Kyogre to set up rain again as Kabutops is my best chance at winning the match now.
Damnit! A lower roll brings Abomasnow down. There's no way I could switch out of the incoming Kyogre anyway, but a hit would've been a hit. Anyway, this is a pivotal turn. I know Kyogre is using Leftovers and has Surf; I have no idea what the rest of his moveset is. Whatever happens, I cannot afford to let Kabutops get out for free or I lose. My Stratagem can't really do much to a Kabutops in the rain, as it's probably running Aqua Jet. I've lost this game, I think, but I'll try for a Giga Drain on Kyogre.
---
Duskypoo switched in Stratagem (lvl 100 Stratagem).
Fireburn switched in Kyogre (lvl 100 Kyogre).
Stratagem was hurt by Spikes!
Stratagem lost 25% of its health.
Kyogre's Drizzle caused a storm!
The hail stopped.
Rain began to fall!
Kyogre was hurt by Spikes!
Kyogre lost 19% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Kyogre.
Kyogre lost 12% of its health.
That was a ton of hazards damage...anyways, Kyogre comes in while Dusk sends in Stratagem. Apparently his unrevealed Uber does not match up well vs. Kyogre, or he thinks that a Technician boosted Giga Drain from Stratagem will KO Kyogre. Even though Stratagem is Life Orbed and has Technician and base 120 Special Attack, I'm confident I can survive since Kyogre does have max HP and base 140 Special Defense.
Stratagem used Giga Drain.
It's super effective!
Kyogre lost 49% of its health.
Stratagem absorbed health!
Stratagem restored 30% of its health.
Stratagem lost 10% of its health.
Kyogre used Surf.
It's super effective!
Stratagem lost 61% of its health.
Duskypoo's Stratagem was thrown overboard.
Duskypoo's Stratagem fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
Kyogre:14% and paralyzed.
Stratagem:Sleeping with the fishes.
Score: 3-1 Fireburn
Kyogre fortunately does survive the Giga Drain and it swiftly KOes Stratagem with Surf. I may be up 3-1, but I feel like I'm in a bad position. Dusk still hasn't shown his Uber. I have a 14% paralyzed Kyogre, an unrevealed Quagsire, and a Kabutops that will be at 40% after taking hazards damage. Rayquaza will easily pick off everything that I have left, so lets hope his Uber is something I can handle...
Yeah, I saw that coming. My Uber will kill Kyogre, but his last unknown NU Pokemon and Kabutops will clean up handily.
---
Duskypoo switched in Mewtwo (lvl 100 Mewtwo).
Mewtwo is exerting its pressure!
Mewtwo was hurt by Spikes!
Mewtwo lost 25% of its health.
Seeing Mewtwo's ugly mug flash on the screen gives me mixed feelings. Sure, its not Rayquaza and it doesn't resist Kabutops' Waterfall, but Mewtwo is probably the most unpredictable Pokemon in the game. There are two sets that can possibly beat me right now...
1) Scarf Mewtwo with Grass Knot. (Outspeeds Kabutops in rain -_-)
2) Bulky CM Mewtwo with Leftovers.
I doubt its the first one as Dusk already has 2 Scarfers. Option #2 is bad since if Mewtwo is running HP EVs then it could very well survive Kabutops' Waterfall. I need to see what item the Mewtwo has, and Kyogre isn't getting a chance to Rest, so I decide to just sacrifice it.
Mewtwo used Aura Sphere.
Kyogre lost 14% of its health.
Fireburn's Kyogre gave up his throne to the other King of Ubers.
Fireburn's Kyogre fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
Mewtwo's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mewtwo restored 6% of its health.
---
Kyogre:Chatting with Davy Jones.
Mewtwo:81%
Score: 2-1 Fireburn
Kyogre goes down as expected, but then I find that, to my horror, the Mewtwo does indeed have Leftovers. Seeing Aura Sphere as well can only mean one thing: this is bulky CM Mewtwo. This is very, very bad. If this thing is running HP EVs, Kabutops may not be able to do enough with Waterfall. I fear that after all this, I may have lost...
Fireburn switched in Quagsire (lvl 100 Quagsire ?).
Quagsire was hurt by Spikes!
Quagsire lost 19% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Quagsire.
Quagsire lost 6% of its health.
I decide to use Quagsire just to weaken Mewtwo a bit to increase the odds of Kabutops' Waterfall KOing. I'm thinking Duskypoo will not use Substitute (if he has it) because he is probably expecting an attack, and the lost health means that Kabutops will KO Mewtwo for sure. Trouble is, I'm not actually running any attacks. :B My moveset is Toxic/Yawn/Recover/Encore. My Quagsire is running Max HP/Max SDef Careful, so I know it can take at least one Aura Sphere from Mewtwo. If I use Yawn and Mewtwo goes to sleep, Kabutops will be all but guaranteed to clean up, so here goes!
Interesting, Quagsire. All it has to do is Surf me to guarantee that Kabutops will take down Mewtwo. I'll Taunt just in case, though, as I can't KO it with any of my attacks.
Mewtwo used Taunt.
Quagsire fell for the taunt!
Quagsire used Yawn.
Quagsire can't use Yawn after the taunt!
The rain continues to fall.
Quagsire's leftovers restored its health a little!
Quagsire restored 6% of its health.
Quagsire:81% and crapping his pants.
Mewtwo: 87% and grinning evilly.
ASDFSKGJGNHKHJDJSJDJDKLNKKSKSKSLSKLKNKASDF
...and that was the worst possible thing that could have happened. Taunt renders Quagsire completely incapable of doing anything at all. Even worse, Mewtwo got a free turn of Leftovers recovery, increasing its odds that it will survive Kabutops' Waterfall. My only hope to win now is to Struggle and hopefully weaken Mewtwo enough so that Waterfall will KO it.
Oh? He must not have any attacks if he didn't Surf right away, so I can wail on it. Aura Sphere is my best bet here, just in case he tries to bring Kabutops out.
---
Mewtwo used Aura Sphere.
Quagsire lost 29% of its health.
Quagsire used Struggle.
Mewtwo lost 12% of its health.
Quagsire was hit by recoil!
Quagsire lost 25% of its health.
The rain continues to fall.
Quagsire:33%
Mewtwo:79%
Struggle does more than I thought it would, and Quagsire gets to live one more turn to weaken Mewtwo a bit more. However, 29% was an awfully low amount for Aura Sphere to manage even to a Max HP/Max SDef Careful Quagsire, so this thing very well could have HP EVs. I can't afford to swap Kabutops in on an attack, so my only option here is to keep Struggling. :(
No attacks. I'll keep using Aura Sphere in case he switches to Kabutops. If I can stay above a certain threshold of life, I may still win against Kabutops's Waterfall...
---
Mewtwo used Aura Sphere.
Quagsire lost 27% of its health.
Quagsire used Struggle.
Mewtwo lost 11% of its health.
Quagsire was hit by recoil!
Quagsire lost 7% of its health.
Fireburn's Quagsire failed at life.
Fireburn's Quagsire fainted.
The rain continues to fall.
Quagsire:Disgraced
Mewtwo:77%
Score: 1-1 Tie
Like a good boy, he sacrifices Quagsire to get Kabutops in for free.
---
Fireburn switched in Kabutops (lvl 100 Kabutops ?).
Kabutops was hurt by Spikes!
Kabutops lost 18% of its health.
Pointed stones dug into Kabutops.
Kabutops lost 12% of its health.
Kabutops comes in with enough energy to launch one last attack. This is it. If Waterfall KOes Mewtwo, I win, and if not, I lose. Its that simple. Here I go...
I immediately run a calculation. Waterfall, with my nonstandard 112 HP EVs, gives me a remote chance to survive. It does 73.5% - 86.9% damage and I have 77% life. That's something like a 25% chance to win, but God only knows I've been that lucky before... Here goes nothing!
Suspense...
More Suspense...
Even more suspense...
I bet you really hate me right now...
You REALLY wanna kill me right now, don't you?
...Fine, I'll show it now. Pansy.
Kabutops used Waterfall.
Mewtwo lost 77% of its health.
Duskypoo's Mewtwo drowned.
Duskypoo's Mewtwo fainted.
Fireburn wins!
Mewtwo lost 77% of its health.
Duskypoo's Mewtwo drowned.
Duskypoo's Mewtwo fainted.
Fireburn wins!
Kabutops:40% and jumping for joy.
Final Score: 1-0 Fireburn
I exhale a sigh of relief as Kabutops does enough to KO Mewtwo with Waterfall, winning me the LNT. GG Rising_Dusk, and I hope to play you again. That was an awesome match!
I say my GGs. I can't help but think that maybe I could have won that! It was tense, though, and I feel like I made the best decisions I could at each step. Good game, Fireburn!
Props:
-Froslass for setting up 3 layers of Spikes and absorbing an Explosion.
-Kyogre, for setting up rain and being a general boss.
-Kingdra and Kabutops are beastly.
-Scarf Cyclohm is underrated.
-Mewtwo almost pulled off a late-game comeback.
-No hax!
-Rising_Dusk for coming up with the title (XD) and putting up a great fight.
Slops:
-Quagsire for falling flat on its face.
-Not having enough Fighting-resistances.
Props:
- Abomasnow for keeping the rain at bay
- Mewtwo for giving me a fighting chance at coming back from a 3-1 position.
Slops:
- Not having a good answer to Froslass.
- Exploding Registeel so early. It would've been really useful later in the match, and the chance to get rid of Kyogre was a long shot anyway.
- Being too scared to try to setup Mewtwo on his Kyogre. Vacuum Wave on Stratagem might have given me a better shot at beating Kabutops if he lacked Aqua Jet.
Team Analysis
Due to the strange nature of the teams of the tournament, we figured we ought to share them with you in detail.
Fireburn's Team
Froslass (F) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Snow Cloak
EVs: 6 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Spikes
- Icy Wind
- Shadow Ball
- Destiny Bond
Froslass's great Speed and typing made it a great Spiker. It usually always got down Spikes and then KOed something with Destiny Bond. It was also a brilliant Rayquaza check and it provided a Fighting immunity and a much needed Explosion immunity. It also blocked Rapid Spin. :D
---
Quagsire (M) @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP/6 Def/252 SDef
Careful nature (+SDef, -SAtk)
- Toxic
- Yawn
- Encore
- Recover
Quaggy's only real purpose was to shut down enemy Kyogre and Kabutops while giving a much needed Electric immunity. It helped force switches with Yawn and Encore, often giving Kabutops an opening to come in and set up.
---
Kyogre @ Leftovers
Ability: Drizzle
EVs: 252 HP/252 Def/6 Spd
Bold nature (+Def, -Atk)
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Calm Mind / Hidden Power Grass
- Surf
Kyogre was a shoo-in as my Uber because rain would definitely be the most threatening weather in this enviroment. Kyogre never really swept, but rather his job was to provide a bulky Pokemon that could set up rain reliably while also countering Darkrai, Groudon, Tyranitar, and a host of other things. With Rest and the highly defensive EV spread he always lasted throughout the match to keep my glorious rain going. I ended up switching to Hidden Power Grass over Calm Mind since I never used the latter and the former allowed me to absolutely own Eo's Quagsire. >:D
---
Kingdra (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 80 Atk/176 Spd/252 SAtk
Mild nature (+SAtk, -Def)
- Waterfall
- Hydro Pump
- Draco Meteor / Hidden Power Grass
- Outrage
Kingdra's main job was to revenge kill Dragon-types and lure in and beat Kabutops counters such as Groudon. This guy was a monster sweeper and he usually got at least 2 kills per match. The moveset is pretty standard, although I decided to use Hidden Power Grass in the semifinals, once again for Eo's Quagsire. :)
---
Kabutops (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Swift Swim
EVs: 252 Atk/6 Def/252 Spd
Adamant nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Swords Dance
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
Boss sweeper is boss. After a Swords Dance and his counters are gone nothing stops him. His STAB Water/Rock combo was awesome and he easily got the late-game sweep in every match. I usually pulled him out early to scout for counters so Kingdra could take care of them later, and late game he would come back in to sweep.
---
Cyclohm (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shield Dust
EVs: 6 Def/252 Spd/252 SAtk
Timid nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Thunder
- Hydro Pump
- Flamethrower
- Dragon Pulse
Scarf Cyclohm is underrated. His resistances to Grass and Electric is why I chose him over Krilowatt. His job was to check random things such as Scizor and provide a reasonably fast revenge killer with his decent Speed, high Special Attack, and great coverage. Thunder in the rain really allowed him to maim stuff, and combined with Dragon STAB and the notable lack of Blissey in this meta and you have one heck of a Pokemon to worry about.
---
Rising_Dusk's team:
Primeape @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Vital Spirit
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Nature: Jolly
~ Close Combat
~ Ice Punch
~ ThunderPunch
~ U-turn
When building the team, I looked for Pokemon that could serve multiple roles and check many of the threats I was expecting. Primeape hits really hard, serves as my revenge killer against a lot of threats, such as Gyarados, Rayquaza, and whatever else I might run into. He also is my Darkrai check and leads the match off with a way to break Focus Sash. For an NU Pokemon, Primeape pulled his weight in this LNT. Primeape also serves as my #1 answer to Blissey, who I needed to be sure I could beat down if I ran into her.
Registeel @ Leftovers
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Nature: Careful
~ Stealth Rock
~ Thunder Wave
~ Iron Head
~ Explosion
Specially defensive Registeel was my attempt to check as much as humanly possible. I wanted a specially bulky Steel-type that could set up Stealth Rock, slow down scary threats, and take a few hits from things like Kingdra, Palkia, Dialga, and Rayquaza before going down. Registeel was my UU choice for the team, and he always got up rocks and did his job.
Abomasnow @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 140 Atk / 116 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Hasty
~ Blizzard
~ Wood Hammer
~ Earthquake
~ Ice Shard
Abomasnow is my answer to Kyogre and Groudon. I knew going into this LNT that Rain Dance and Sunny Day teams would be too easy and incredibly common. I wanted something that could mess with the weather, and my BL spot fixed Abomasnow up perfectly. He also serves as an excellent Water-type resistance for my team with his surprising bulk, given no investment. He was perhaps one of my most-pivotal Pokemon in every match.
Stratagem @ Life Orb
Ability: Technician
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
~ AncientPower
~ Giga Drain
~ Flamethrower
~ Vacuum Wave
Stratagem is my first monster Special sweeper. The idea behind this team was to use my other Pokemon to try to set up a special sweep between two immensely powerful and blazing fast Pokemon, Stratagem and Mewtwo. Stratagem is the All-Out Attacker, capable of OHKOing a lot of stuff with its power. Generally, Stratagem will come out early to try to soften up and lure out the Pokemon I need to deal with for Mewtwo, who will ravage teams in the late-game.
Skarmory @ Leftovers
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Nature: Impish
~ Spikes
~ Brave Bird
~ Whirlwind
~ Roost
Skarmory is my go-to Pokemon when Groudon rears his ugly head. If Skarmory can get a few layers up, it becomes incredibly difficult for specially defensive Pokemon to keep switching into Mewtwo and Stratagem. Also, Skarmory can check a few physical attackers that might show up in the LNT pretty damned well with his physical bulk, so I was banking on it as a physical pivot when necessary.
Mewtwo @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 112 HP / 144 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid
~ Taunt
~ Calm Mind
~ Aura Sphere
~ Ice Beam
My Uber. I could have picked predictable Pokemon like Groudon or Kyogre, but instead I wanted Mewtwo. Mewtwo can easily set up and initiate a devastating sweep at the very end-game. I ran a bit of extra bulk on my Mewtwo, since there is only one Uber per team, and hopefully by the stage of the battle where he comes out, he'll have worn the rest down. Taunt and Calm Mind together keep a lot of things from doing much to him, while Aura Sphere and Ice Beam give excellent neutral coverage - especially against the Pokemon I am expecting to face in this LNT.
Okay, we're done now. Hope you enjoyed reading! :)
