Since my last warstory, I have wanted another really tense battle for so long. On random days I would have a couple of matches, then exit Shoddy Battle because the battles I had were mediocre at best. Today, I finally got what I wanted, thanks to a guy whom I had never heard of before.
I haven't listed all the clauses used because this is a standard ladder match. At that time, I couldn't challenge or be challenged by anyone so I had to use the find tab (not that this is something new to me). Now on to something more interesting: Objection's not-entirely-OU team.
And I suppose you'll want to know Kakimori's team too? Well, here you go:
PSYCHE!
Hey, if I didn't know what he had before the battle begun, why should I let you know what he had?
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for ...
ROUND 1
FIGHT!
Kakimori sent out Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Objection sent out Jirachi (lvl 100 Jirachi).
100% - 100%
Whenever I see an Azelf lead, I always think that its moveset is Stealth Rock, Flamethrower/Fire Blast, Psychic/U-turn/Trick and Explosion and that its item is Choice Scarf on a Trick set, Focus Sash otherwise. My Jirachi's moveset is Stealth Rock, Trick, Ice Punch and Zen Headbutt. If I opt for Stealth Rock on turn 1, I will be forced to switch on the next turn, possibly granting a free U-turn to Azelf if it doesn't carry Trick. If I opt for Trick, then the only case that would land me in very hot water is if the Azelf is also a Trick user, and I've found Trick Azelf to be extremely rare (because, frankly, the steel-psychics like Jirachi do the job better). Zen Headbutt and Ice Punch won't really do an awful lot to Azelf anyway, so it looks like I'm going to be using my Trick Scarf plan on turn 1.
Jirachi used Trick.
Jirachi obtained Focus Sash!
Azelf obtained Choice Scarf!
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's super effective!
Jirachi lost 66% of its health.
Whenever battling someone, I assume that they are noobs until they prove otherwise. I may not have heard of Kakimori before, but he has already proven that he is no noob, for a noob would have just used Stealth Rock.
So how did turn 1 go? On the one hand, Jirachi probably won't be taking on Salamence locked into Outrage any time soon (due to this team's lack of Wish support). On the other hand, I have two pokemon on my team that can get a fairly safe switch-in, since Kakimori's options are to switch or use Flamethrower again. Starmie and Hariyama will take laughable damage from Flamethrower (the latter due to Thick Fat) but Hariyama's most powerful move against Azelf would be a resisted Focus Punch, whereas Starmie can hit with a neutral Hydro Pump.
Kakimori switched in Mamoswine (lvl 100 Mamoswine).
Objection switched in Starmie (lvl 100 Starmie).
100% - 100%
This is actually a rather favourable matchup for me. I was expecting to have my Starmie dented by Flamethrower, but instead my opponent sends in something that will surely be OHKO'd by this Starmie's most powerful move. Because this battle is still in the early stages, even my opponent sending in Vaporeon when I use Hydro Pump won't be too costly, whereas scoring first blood on turn 3 will be extremely rewarding. Worst case scenario, I get to see what Kakimori's answer to Starmie is.
Kakimori switched in Dusknoir (lvl 100 Dusknoir).
Dusknoir is exerting its pressure!
Starmie used Hydro Pump.
Dusknoir lost 38% of its health.
100% - 62%
This is rather interesting. I suspect Kakimori, like myself, doesn't like to use the same old stuff that everyone and their mother is using. Most people would send in Vaporeon or Celebi to deal with Starmie. I'm not sure whether this Dusknoir carries the safer priority move Shadow Sneak or the more powerful priority Sucker Punch. Either way, he can really screw Starmie over, especially if Hydro Pump misses (unfortunately, Wide Lens isn't enough to make it 100% accurate). What I do know about Dusknoir, though, is that it is a tank, and tanks don't like losing HP every turn. There are two ways I can make this happen: my own Dusknoir's Will-o-wisp, or Shaymin's Leech Seed. Given that Dusknoir doesn't like being hit by its own STAB attacks and Shaymin has overall better defences, Shaymin appears to be the best pokemon to send in.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Dusknoir used Pain Split.
Dusknoir restored 38% of its health.
Shaymin lost 28% of its health.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
72% - 100%
Maybe my opponent thought that he couldn't get the 2HKO on Starmie before his Dusknoir was KO'd. I hope he's happy that his Dusknoir has recovered the HP lost from Hydro Pump, but at least Shaymin has a very strong chance of seeding him and recovering a bit of lost health. Even sending in Azelf or Mamoswine won't be too big an issue because Leech Seed will still sap from these pokemon. It is also highly unlikely that Kakimori has a grass-type immune to Leech Seed because he would surely have sent that in against Starmie.
Shaymin used Leech Seed.
Dusknoir was seeded!
Dusknoir used Will-o-wisp.
Dusknoir's attack missed!
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Dusknoir's health was sapped by leech seed!
Dusknoir lost 12% of its health.
Shaymin regained health!
Shaymin restored 9% of its health.
87% - 88% and covered in plants
The Will-o-wisp miss was rather handy. Not only does this mean that Shaymin actually does heal a little this turn, but it also means I can easily assume that my opponent will use Will-o-wisp again, hoping that it hits. This would grant a free switch-in to anything that isn't likely to be using physical attacks in this battle, especially Moltres. However, Jirachi has yet to set up Stealth Rock, which is really rather vital for any team, and being at 34% health, it's not likely to have many opportunities to switch in, as is indicated by Azelf having Flamethrower and Mamoswine's likelihood of having Earthquake. Now is perhaps the last chance I may have to send it in.
Objection switched in Jirachi (lvl 100 Jirachi).
Dusknoir used Will-o-wisp.
Jirachi was burned!
Jirachi was hurt by its burn!
Jirachi lost 12% of its health.
Dusknoir's health was sapped by leech seed!
Dusknoir lost 12% of its health.
Jirachi regained health!
Jirachi restored 11% of its health.
32% and on fire - 75% and still covered in plants
Not really much to say here. Despite Will-o-wisp landing this time, the plan does work. Jirachi outspeeds Dusknoir unless it uses a priority move and I doubt Shadow Sneak will KO him, so it's time to use this free turn wisely.
Kakimori switched in Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Jirachi used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around the foe's team!
Jirachi was hurt by its burn!
Jirachi lost 12% of its health.
20% and burning brightly - 100%
"We meet again, Mr. Azelf. Still have that Choice Scarf I see."
"Oh my God a talking pokemon!" *faints*
"And I thought it was the pokemon that was meant to faint."
One quick recovery later, I turn my thoughts to the battle once more. I figure that this Azelf will probably try to use Flamethrower to finish Jirachi off, making Starmie the best switch-in once again. No complex thinking involved at all.
Objection switched in Starmie (lvl 100 Starmie).
Azelf used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around the foe's team!
100% - 100%
Well I was right about the Azelf being a Stealth Rock lead, and Kakimori picked the perfect moment to set it up. After all, even if Jirachi wasn't hit by an attack, its already weak attacks against Azelf would have been even weaker. Between us, we have demonstrated what free turns are for, and how you can acquire them.
Starmie is notorious for being arguably the best Rapid Spinner in the OU metagame. I already know that my opponent has a ghost waiting in the wings to block the spin, so rather than most likely waste a turn with Rapid Spin, it would be much better to score as much damage on the anticipated Dusknoir switch-in as possible.
Kakimori switched in Dusknoir (lvl 100 Dusknoir).
Dusknoir is exerting its pressure!
Pointed stones dug into Dusknoir.
Dusknoir lost 12% of its health.
Starmie used Hydro Pump.
Dusknoir lost 43% of its health.
100% - 19%
Now Starmie can easily finish off Dusknoir with another Hydro Pump as even Sucker Punch from the latter would not OHKO. Whether Starmie actually scores the KO on Dusknoir or not will tell me whether or not Kakimori places high value on Dusknoir, and whether or not the god of hax is on my opponent's side.
Dusknoir used Shadow Sneak.
It's super effective!
Starmie lost 35% of its health.
Starmie used Hydro Pump.
Dusknoir lost 19% of its health.
Kakimori's Dusknoir fainted.
65% - defeated
Objection 6-5 Kakimori
Ah, so that Dusknoir's priority move was Shadow Sneak. There is still one thing that bugs me: Dusknoir didn't get any Leftovers recovery, so what was its item? Lum Berry perhaps? Not that it matters anymore. What's important is finding out what my opponent is going to send in next.
Kakimori switched in Empoleon (lvl 100 Empoleon).
Pointed stones dug into Empoleon.
Empoleon lost 6% of its health.
65% - 94%
Empoleon, eh? He probably thinks my Starmie has Choice Specs because it's only used Hydro Pump thus far and a Timid Starmie would not have been able to do 43% to his Dusknoir. Unfortunately for him, what I have is a Modest Starmie with Wide Lens. In previous battles, Starmie's Thunderbolt has 2HKO'd Empoleon, so I don't see why it wouldn't do so again. Thus begins round 2.
ROUND 2
FIGHT!
Starmie used Thunderbolt.
It's super effective!
Empoleon lost 61% of its health.
Empoleon is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
Empoleon used Agility.
Empoleon's speed was sharply raised.
65% - 33% and sluggishly agile
Looks like the god of hax is on my side today. With Empoleon operating at half its usual speed (paralysis reduces his speed to 1/4, but Agility doubles this to 1/2), Starmie can score another easy kill. Unlike the Dusknoir situation, I can be certain that Kakimori will leave Empoleon for dead because an Agility sweeper paralysed is deadweight.
Starmie used Thunderbolt.
It's super effective!
Empoleon lost 33% of its health.
Kakimori's Empoleon fainted.
65% - death by hax
Objection 6-4 Kakimori
Kakimori switched in Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Pointed stones dug into Azelf.
Azelf lost 12% of its health.
65% - 88%
There is only one reason why someone would send a scarfed Azelf in on a Starmie when Stealth Rock is already up. Kakimori's Azelf must have a move (possibly U-turn) that can KO Starmie. However, if my switch to another pokemon is predicted, then Kakimori will gain the advantage. I don't want to have to rely on prediction to get a safe switch-in.
Luckily, I don't have to. Jirachi is down to 20% and has a burn. A perfect candidate for death fodder. Besides, the Iron Genie has so far only granted me two wishes. Now, Iron Genie, I wish for you to sacrifice yourself so that I may find out what Azelf's move of choice is and act accordingly.
Objection switched in Jirachi (lvl 100 Jirachi).
Pointed stones dug into Jirachi.
Jirachi lost 6% of its health.
Azelf used Thunderbolt.
Jirachi lost 14% of its health.
Objection's Jirachi granted Objection his last wish and fainted.
out of wishes - 88%
Objection 5-4 Kakimori
I was actually expecting U-turn, but at least I know that Shaymin can switch in for free and start planting seeds over my opponent's pokemon again. After all, Azelf isn't going to stay in and fire resisted Thunderbolts at something with base 100 special defence and base 100 HP.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Pointed stones dug into Shaymin.
Shaymin lost 12% of its health.
75% - 88%
Kakimori switched in Tangrowth (lvl 100 Tangrowth).
Pointed stones dug into Tangrowth.
Tangrowth lost 12% of its health.
Shaymin used Leech Seed.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Tangrowth's leftovers restored its health a little!
Tangrowth restored 6% of its health.
81% - 94%
So he did have a grass-type! But why didn't he send it in on Starmie?
Now I have a problem. Firstly, I'm not entirely sure what to expect from this Tangrowth. Is it a typical set seen in NU or UU play, or is it one specially designed for use in OU play? Secondly, the only pokemon I have that will resist Tangrowth's STAB attack is Moltres, who will lose half of his health when he switches in. I can't send in Starmie to get rid of the rocks because Starmie might be Power Whipped to kingdom come. I can't even just leave Shaymin in because Shaymin can't do squat against Tangrowth. All I can do is hope that my next move won't be my downfall ...
Objection switched in Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
Pointed stones dug into Moltres.
Moltres lost 50% of its health.
Tangrowth used Sleep Powder.
Tangrowth's attack missed!
Tangrowth's leftovers restored its health a little!
Tangrowth restored 6% of its health.
50% - 100%
If Sleep Powder had hit Moltres, I would have simply sent Shaymin back in and used Aromatherapy. Fortunately, the god of hax is still smiling upon me, though I can't help but wonder for how much longer. Either way, Tangrowth is going to be a big problem for this team, so I need to take it out as soon as possible. The good news is, I know that my opponent also has a Mamoswine who is weak to Flamethrower, and an Azelf that will take a buttload of damage from Flamethrower despite not being weak to it. From this information, it would appear that Flamethrower is the best choice.
Kakimori switched in Salamence (lvl 100 Salamence).
Salamence's intimidate cut Moltres's attack!
Pointed stones dug into Salamence.
Salamence lost 25% of its health.
Moltres used Flamethrower.
It's not very effective...
Salamence lost 33% of its health.
50% - 42%
Now I'm thinking of a word that starts with 'b' and ends in 'ollocks'. Exactly what you would be thinking if you saw a Salamence on your opponent's team. Not knowing which set this is (though ruling out any bulky ones due to lack of Leftovers recovery), I need to send in a pokemon that either stands up to whatever dragon-type move it uses, or doesn't have much use now that I know what pokemon this team is made of. Jirachi's already dead so I'm going to lose a pokemon now anyway, Starmie's needed to get rid of the rocks, Shaymin's needed to heal any status that the Tangrowth might spread, Moltres is needed to kill the Tangrowth. That leaves Hariyama and Dusknoir. After careful consideration, I make my choice:
Objection switched in Dusknoir (lvl 100 Dusknoir).
Dusknoir is exerting its pressure!
Pointed stones dug into Dusknoir.
Dusknoir lost 12% of its health.
Salamence used Draco Meteor.
Dusknoir lost 88% of its health.
Objection's Dusknoir fainted.
Salamence's special attack was harshly lowered.
came, saw, got conquered - 42%
Objection 4-4 Kakimori
At least Hariyama would be able to either take care of Mamoswine or lure in Azelf for another pokemon to deal with. Due to the lack of a spinner on my opponent's team and Dusknoir's pitiful offensive capabilities and only mediocre support capabilities, I decided that he should take the blow. Dusknoir's death was not in vain: Salamence used Draco Meteor instead of Dragon Dance or Outrage and his health was neither restored by Leftovers nor reduced by Life Orb. This can only mean that this Salamence is a Specsmence. Now that I know this, I can send in my best special wall to take the reduced Draco Meteor blow.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Pointed stones dug into Shaymin.
Shaymin lost 12% of its health.
69% - 42%
Yeah, yeah, I don't have a Blissey or Snorlax on this team. Neither of them get Leech Seed, do they. And Snorlax can't heal status, can he. At this point I'm not entirely sure what to expect, so I don't really have much to say here except, when in doubt, Leech Seed hits almost everything.
Kakimori switched in Tangrowth (lvl 100 Tangrowth).
Pointed stones dug into Tangrowth.
Tangrowth lost 12% of its health.
Shaymin used Leech Seed.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Tangrowth's leftovers restored its health a little!
Tangrowth restored 6% of its health.
75% - 94%
And Kakimori sends in the one thing he has that Leech Seed won't hit. Last time Tangrowth showed up, I sent in Moltres because it was the best course of action since Shaymin was never going to even dent Tangrowth. If I do that again, Moltres will be stuck with just 1 HP and even Tangrowth will have an easy time picking him off. Starmie can't come in for fear of Power Whip, so my only option is to send Hariyama in to take the blow.
Objection switched in Hariyama (lvl 100 Hariyama).
Pointed stones dug into Hariyama.
Hariyama lost 6% of its health.
Tangrowth used Sleep Powder.
Hariyama fell asleep!
Hariyama's leftovers restored its health a little!
Hariyama restored 6% of its health.
Tangrowth's leftovers restored its health a little!
Tangrowth restored 6% of its health.
100% and asleep on the job - 100%
The god of hax has turned a blind eye to me now. At this point, I have to get Hariyama back in action. I don't know if he can survive a Power Whip or two so I have to get him out of there. The only pokemon I have that could definitely survive is Shaymin. The good news is, Shaymin has Aromatherapy to wake Hariyama up so sending him in won't put me in a horrible position. Time to put my plan for round 3 into action!
ROUND 3
FIGHT!
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Pointed stones dug into Shaymin.
Shaymin lost 12% of its health.
Tangrowth used Leech Seed.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
69% - 100%
"Now you know how it feels to have your attacks absorbed!"
Shaymin used Aromatherapy.
Hariyama woke up.
Tangrowth used Stun Spore.
Shaymin is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
75% and paralysed - 100%
Although it is annoying for my status healer to be hit by a status move, at least I know now that Tangrowth is only going to have Power Whip to deal damage with. Although Tangrowth can do slightly more to Shaymin than Shaymin can do to Tangrowth, if it comes down to a showdown between these two, the battle is just going to go on and on and on. For now, the best thing to do is to keep Shaymin in until Tangrowth switches out.
Tangrowth used Power Whip.
It's not very effective...
A critical hit!
Shaymin lost 38% of its health.
Shaymin used Aromatherapy.
Shaymin is no longer paralysed.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
49% and no longer paralysed - 100%
That critical hit is rather annoying, but now that Shaymin is free from paralysis, Tangrowth might try using Stun Spore again. To prevent such a move from working, as well as restoring the health lost from that critical hit, Shaymin's going to have to take a nap. At least he can survive Tangrowth's barrage until Power Whip runs out of PP.
Shaymin used Rest.
Shaymin fell asleep!
Shaymin restored 51% of its health.
Tangrowth used Power Whip.
Tangrowth's attack missed!
100% and taking a nap - 100%
The Power Whip miss means that Shaymin has made a full recovery and I just need to wait for him to wake up. I would switch him out and heal him with Natural Cure, but nothing will like switching in on Power Whip, which is most likely what Tangrowth is going to do.
Kakimori switched in Mamoswine (lvl 100 Mamoswine).
Pointed stones dug into Mamoswine.
Mamoswine lost 12% of its health.
Shaymin is fast asleep!
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
100% and still taking a nap - 94%
In my bid to take down Tangrowth, I completely forgot about Mamoswine! I expect he's going to use Ice Shard to take out Shaymin, and this is where Hariyama becomes useful. He can switch in on Ice Shard, then survive Earthquake and be able to put up a Substitute, and then Focus Punch Mamoswine to oblivion.
Objection switched in Hariyama (lvl 100 Hariyama).
Pointed stones dug into Hariyama.
Hariyama lost 6% of its health.
Mamoswine used Substitute.
Mamoswine lost 25% of its health.
Mamoswine made a substitute!
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
Hariyama's leftovers restored its health a little!
Hariyama restored 6% of its health.
100% - 75% and hiding behind a Substitute
I've never seen a Mamoswine use Substitute before. This is bad, because the next move Mamoswine uses will most certainly be an attack, so I can't use Focus Punch. Mamoswine's attack stat is anything but lackluster so trying to put up my own Substitute is too risky. The only thing I can do is Ice Punch Mamoswine and hope that the Substitute breaks. At least I can be pretty sure it'll take at least two Earthquakes to KO Hariyama.
Mamoswine used Earthquake.
Hariyama lost 49% of its health.
Hariyama used Ice Punch.
The substitute took damage for Mamoswine!
Mamoswine's substitute faded!
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
Hariyama's leftovers restored its health a little!
Hariyama restored 6% of its health.
57% - 81%
All is not lost! If Mamoswine puts up another Substitute, Ice Punch will just break that one as well and his HP will be whittled down. If Mamoswine uses Earthquake, Hariyama will survive and hit the real Mamoswine with Ice Punch. Here's hoping that Kakimori opts to try the first strategy.
Mamoswine used Earthquake.
Hariyama lost 48% of its health.
Hariyama used Ice Punch.
Mamoswine lost 31% of its health.
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
Hariyama's leftovers restored its health a little!
Hariyama restored 6% of its health.
Alas, no. Hariyama has at least managed to break Mamoswine's Substitute and prevent it from setting up another, but his usefulness has failed to reach its usual level. I guess it's now time to make another sacrifice so that another pokemon can finish the job. Round 4 is just around the corner.
Mamoswine used Earthquake.
Hariyama lost 16% of its health.
Objection's Hariyama fainted.
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
defeated - 62%
Objection 3-4 Kakimori
Objection switched in Starmie (lvl 100 Starmie).
Pointed stones dug into Starmie.
Starmie lost 12% of its health.
53% - 62%
Before finishing Mamoswine off for good, there is one thing I need to do now that I have finally managed to get Starmie back in. Once I have sent Mamoswine packing, it is likely that Azelf will return and Thunderbolt Starmie to death. If I have not removed Stealth Rock from my side of the battlefield by then, Moltres will be practically deadweight, being unable to switch in to anything. And once Moltres is gone, Tangrowth and Salamence will walk all over me. So, before I dispatch Mamoswine, I need to dispose of Stealth Rock.
ROUND 4
FIGHT!
Mamoswine used Ice Shard.
It's not very effective...
Starmie lost 16% of its health.
Starmie used Rapid Spin.
Starmie blew away the pointed stones!
Mamoswine lost 3% of its health.
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
I knew I could do that safely because Kakimori has no ghosts alive at this stage. He probably used Ice Shard because he expected me to go for the KO on Mamoswine. Thankfully, Ice Shard's damage is pitiful so I can safely go in for the kill with Hydro Pump. If Mamoswine tries to use anything other than Ice Shard, he will be outsped and KO'd before he has a chance to do anything.
Starmie used Hydro Pump.
It's super effective!
Mamoswine lost 64% of its health.
Kakimori's Mamoswine fainted.
37% - defeated
Objection 3-3 Kakimori
Kakimori switched in Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Pointed stones dug into Azelf.
Azelf lost 12% of its health.
37% - 75%
Here's that Azelf I was expecting. Even if it didn't have a Choice Scarf, it would still outspeed Starmie and Thunderbolt it before Starmie could Hydro Pump it. Therefore, anticipating a Thunderbolt to finish Starmie off, I decide that I need to preserve Starmie in order to revenge kill Salamence with Ice Beam. The only pokemon I have that can take a Thunderbolt is Shaymin. Let's hope that this works.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's super effective!
Shaymin lost 43% of its health.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
63% - 75%
Wow, this Kakimori guy is really good at predicting! Shaymin's not going to KO Azelf with Grass Knot, Leech Seed won't save him from death by fire, nor will Rest, and Aromatherapy is just plain useless in this situation. Hopefully Flamethrower won't do an awful lot to Starmie so that I can Hydro Pump the Azelf and Ice Beam the other two and claim victory.
Objection switched in Starmie (lvl 100 Starmie).
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's not very effective...
A critical hit!
Starmie lost 37% of its health.
Objection's Starmie fainted.
death by critically-hitting fire - 75%
Objection 2-3 Kakimori
I don't know whether that critical hit would have been needed actually.
For those wondering why I didn't send Moltres in on Flamethrower, remember that Moltres is at 50% health and, now that Stealth Rock is gone, is a key player. Without him, I won't be able to defeat Tangrowth. Now that Moltres has a free switch-in, however, it's time to make the most of it.
Objection switched in Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
50% - 75%
ROUND 5
FIGHT!
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's not very effective...
Moltres lost 16% of its health.
Moltres used Air Slash.
Azelf lost 74% of its health.
34% - 1%
Annoyingly, Azelf just about survives. However, at least I now know that Moltres has the bulk to take repeated Flamethrowers. What also makes this Moltres special and a key late-game player, is Roost. It would be foolish for Azelf to switch out because it would die the next time it came in, but with Flamethrower doing pathetic damage, Moltres can easily start restoring the health it lost from Stealth Rock and Flamethrower.
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's not very effective...
Moltres lost 17% of its health.
Moltres used Roost.
Moltres restored 50% of its health.
67% - 1%
And of course, once Moltres has Roosted enough, he can finish Azelf off with his own Flamethrower. This battle has been a rough one for both of us, but now it looks like I might be able to gain the advantage.
Kakimori switched in Salamence (lvl 100 Salamence).
Salamence's intimidate cut Moltres's attack!
Pointed stones dug into Salamence.
Salamence lost 25% of its health.
Moltres used Roost.
Moltres restored 33% of its health.
100% - 17%
Once again, Salamence's presence makes me curse, but for quite a different reason. Neither Shaymin nor Moltres will survive a Choice Specs Draco Meteor, so one of them has to go.
If I sacrifice Moltres, I'm left with Shaymin, who can survive the Draco Meteor after the special attack drop and then Rest. Azelf's Flamethrower will be of no concern because Azelf will die when it next switches in. Tangrowth, however, might be able to get past Shaymin at the end. It will be an incredibly long stall war going right down to the Struggle and I have no idea which pokemon will come out on top.
If I sacrifice Shaymin, I'm left with Moltres, who will probably survive the second Draco Meteor and be able to KO Salamence with Air Slash. If Salamence switches out, it dies when it comes in again. Tangrowth will be OHKO'd by Flamethrower and Azelf won't even be able to switch in. Therefore, it is definitely worth sacrificing Shaymin in order to clean up with Moltres.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Salamence used Draco Meteor.
Shaymin lost 64% of its health.
Objection's Shaymin fainted.
Salamence's special attack was harshly lowered.
nobly sacrificed - 17%
Objection 1-3 Kakimori
Objection switched in Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
100% - 17%
This is it. If Salamence switches out, or if Moltres survives Draco Meteor and KOs with Air Slash, victory is mine. If Moltres dies to Draco Meteor, or if Air Slash misses and Salamence's third Draco Meteor nets the KO, then I have lost this battle.
Here goes nothing.
Salamence used Draco Meteor.
Moltres lost 58% of its health.
Salamence's special attack was harshly lowered.
Moltres used Air Slash.
Salamence lost 18% of its health.
Kakimori's Salamence fainted.
42% - defeated
Objection 1-2 Kakimori
Kakimori switched in Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Pointed stones dug into Azelf.
Azelf lost 1% of its health.
Kakimori's Azelf fainted.
42% - death by pointed stones
Objection 1-1 Kakimori
Kakimori switched in Tangrowth (lvl 100 Tangrowth).
Pointed stones dug into Tangrowth.
Tangrowth lost 12% of its health.
42% - 88%
Moltres used Flamethrower.
It's super effective!
A critical hit!
Tangrowth lost 88% of its health.
Kakimori's Tangrowth fainted.
42% - death by unnecessary critical hit
Objection wins 1-0
Well done Kakimori for providing such a tense and spectacular battle. Now, instead of a generic props and slops section, I shall talk about how much each pokemon contributed to this battle.
Objection's pokemon
Though the Iron Genie only granted three wishes, they were extremely helpful. If not for Stealth Rock, Azelf would have been able to take out my last pokemon after Salamence died.
Early on in the game, Starmie managed to take out two of Kakimori's pokemon, and then later on, it got rid of the Stealth Rock that Azelf set up, allowing Moltres to clean up at the end. The Ocean Gem shone today and hopefully showed you all that Rapid Spin is by no means a waste of a moveslot.
Whenever I needed a pokemon to fall back on, I could always rely on the Flower Hedgehog. Aromatherapy also proved to be useful in this battle.
Today, the Fire Bird demonstrated that losing half your HP from Stealth Rock is not the end of the world. A very key pokemon in the later rounds of the match.
Alas, this Shadow Guardian did no more than help to identify what kind of moveset Kakimori's Salamence was running. If it had been able to stick around for longer, it might have helped in the battle against Tangrowth.
Today, Giant Warrior failed to do his usual. These things happen, but the power of Hariyama is far, far greater than what was demonstrated in this battle. He would have been able to do more if Tangrowth hadn't put him to sleep the first time he came in.
Kakimori's pokemon
Considering that this pokemon was given a Choice Scarf at the start of the battle, Azelf did a really good job of keeping my team in check, as well as proving how important Stealth Rock can be.
His first impression was terrible, but once Mamoswine's time to perform came, boy did he perform! And with an uncommon moveset too. Mamoswine proved that the surprise factor is far from negligible.
Like my Dusknoir, Kakimori's Dusknoir proved to be rather useless in battle. The damage it did was superficial and its time in battle was rather short. The hit it scored on Starmie did leave an impression later on though.
Empoleon was extremely unlucky today. It could have taken Starmie out early on and proceeded to KO another team member, but the god of hax was cruel to him this time.
Kakimori's pokemon of the match is definitely Tangrowth. With Stealth Rock up, Tangrowth found it easy to keep my team at bay, forcing me into undesirable situations. He proved just how annoying status can be by putting Hariyama to sleep when it first came in.
Like Starmie, Salamence managed to score two KOs. The impact of these was in the late game rather than the early game, and if it weren't for Stealth Rock, Salamence could have scored a hat trick that would have won Kakimori the match.
Final comments
Sure, there was a bit of hax here and there, but overall this was a truly fantastic battle. I congratulate my opponent on his skilful playing and hope for more battles like the one he gave me today.
I haven't listed all the clauses used because this is a standard ladder match. At that time, I couldn't challenge or be challenged by anyone so I had to use the find tab (not that this is something new to me). Now on to something more interesting: Objection's not-entirely-OU team.
Iron Genie
When I wish to cripple an opponent's lead or rack up damage prior to an attack, Iron Genie grants my wish.
Ocean Gem
No matter what the opponent has on his or her team, Ocean Gem can always find a moment to shine.
Flower Hedgehog
Despite its flowers' therapeutic effects, not everyone is happy to see Flower Hedgehog planting seeds.
Fire Bird
Out to prove that he is better than his cousin Thunder Bird, Fire Bird doesn't let anything get to him, least of all Stealth Rock.
Shadow Guardian
When his spirit burns, Shadow Guardian likes nothing more than sharing his pain with others, tormenting even the hardiest Lucario.
Giant Warrior
It's bigger! It's badder! Ladies and gentlemen, Giant Warrior is about to wreak havoc on the battlefield! Not even Skarmory can stand up to him!
When I wish to cripple an opponent's lead or rack up damage prior to an attack, Iron Genie grants my wish.
Ocean Gem
No matter what the opponent has on his or her team, Ocean Gem can always find a moment to shine.
Flower Hedgehog
Despite its flowers' therapeutic effects, not everyone is happy to see Flower Hedgehog planting seeds.
Fire Bird
Out to prove that he is better than his cousin Thunder Bird, Fire Bird doesn't let anything get to him, least of all Stealth Rock.
Shadow Guardian
When his spirit burns, Shadow Guardian likes nothing more than sharing his pain with others, tormenting even the hardiest Lucario.
Giant Warrior
It's bigger! It's badder! Ladies and gentlemen, Giant Warrior is about to wreak havoc on the battlefield! Not even Skarmory can stand up to him!
And I suppose you'll want to know Kakimori's team too? Well, here you go:
PSYCHE!
Hey, if I didn't know what he had before the battle begun, why should I let you know what he had?
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for ...
ROUND 1
FIGHT!
Kakimori sent out Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Objection sent out Jirachi (lvl 100 Jirachi).
Whenever I see an Azelf lead, I always think that its moveset is Stealth Rock, Flamethrower/Fire Blast, Psychic/U-turn/Trick and Explosion and that its item is Choice Scarf on a Trick set, Focus Sash otherwise. My Jirachi's moveset is Stealth Rock, Trick, Ice Punch and Zen Headbutt. If I opt for Stealth Rock on turn 1, I will be forced to switch on the next turn, possibly granting a free U-turn to Azelf if it doesn't carry Trick. If I opt for Trick, then the only case that would land me in very hot water is if the Azelf is also a Trick user, and I've found Trick Azelf to be extremely rare (because, frankly, the steel-psychics like Jirachi do the job better). Zen Headbutt and Ice Punch won't really do an awful lot to Azelf anyway, so it looks like I'm going to be using my Trick Scarf plan on turn 1.
Jirachi used Trick.
Jirachi obtained Focus Sash!
Azelf obtained Choice Scarf!
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's super effective!
Jirachi lost 66% of its health.
Whenever battling someone, I assume that they are noobs until they prove otherwise. I may not have heard of Kakimori before, but he has already proven that he is no noob, for a noob would have just used Stealth Rock.
So how did turn 1 go? On the one hand, Jirachi probably won't be taking on Salamence locked into Outrage any time soon (due to this team's lack of Wish support). On the other hand, I have two pokemon on my team that can get a fairly safe switch-in, since Kakimori's options are to switch or use Flamethrower again. Starmie and Hariyama will take laughable damage from Flamethrower (the latter due to Thick Fat) but Hariyama's most powerful move against Azelf would be a resisted Focus Punch, whereas Starmie can hit with a neutral Hydro Pump.
Kakimori switched in Mamoswine (lvl 100 Mamoswine).
Objection switched in Starmie (lvl 100 Starmie).
This is actually a rather favourable matchup for me. I was expecting to have my Starmie dented by Flamethrower, but instead my opponent sends in something that will surely be OHKO'd by this Starmie's most powerful move. Because this battle is still in the early stages, even my opponent sending in Vaporeon when I use Hydro Pump won't be too costly, whereas scoring first blood on turn 3 will be extremely rewarding. Worst case scenario, I get to see what Kakimori's answer to Starmie is.
Kakimori switched in Dusknoir (lvl 100 Dusknoir).
Dusknoir is exerting its pressure!
Starmie used Hydro Pump.
Dusknoir lost 38% of its health.
This is rather interesting. I suspect Kakimori, like myself, doesn't like to use the same old stuff that everyone and their mother is using. Most people would send in Vaporeon or Celebi to deal with Starmie. I'm not sure whether this Dusknoir carries the safer priority move Shadow Sneak or the more powerful priority Sucker Punch. Either way, he can really screw Starmie over, especially if Hydro Pump misses (unfortunately, Wide Lens isn't enough to make it 100% accurate). What I do know about Dusknoir, though, is that it is a tank, and tanks don't like losing HP every turn. There are two ways I can make this happen: my own Dusknoir's Will-o-wisp, or Shaymin's Leech Seed. Given that Dusknoir doesn't like being hit by its own STAB attacks and Shaymin has overall better defences, Shaymin appears to be the best pokemon to send in.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Dusknoir used Pain Split.
Dusknoir restored 38% of its health.
Shaymin lost 28% of its health.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Maybe my opponent thought that he couldn't get the 2HKO on Starmie before his Dusknoir was KO'd. I hope he's happy that his Dusknoir has recovered the HP lost from Hydro Pump, but at least Shaymin has a very strong chance of seeding him and recovering a bit of lost health. Even sending in Azelf or Mamoswine won't be too big an issue because Leech Seed will still sap from these pokemon. It is also highly unlikely that Kakimori has a grass-type immune to Leech Seed because he would surely have sent that in against Starmie.
Shaymin used Leech Seed.
Dusknoir was seeded!
Dusknoir used Will-o-wisp.
Dusknoir's attack missed!
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Dusknoir's health was sapped by leech seed!
Dusknoir lost 12% of its health.
Shaymin regained health!
Shaymin restored 9% of its health.
The Will-o-wisp miss was rather handy. Not only does this mean that Shaymin actually does heal a little this turn, but it also means I can easily assume that my opponent will use Will-o-wisp again, hoping that it hits. This would grant a free switch-in to anything that isn't likely to be using physical attacks in this battle, especially Moltres. However, Jirachi has yet to set up Stealth Rock, which is really rather vital for any team, and being at 34% health, it's not likely to have many opportunities to switch in, as is indicated by Azelf having Flamethrower and Mamoswine's likelihood of having Earthquake. Now is perhaps the last chance I may have to send it in.
Objection switched in Jirachi (lvl 100 Jirachi).
Dusknoir used Will-o-wisp.
Jirachi was burned!
Jirachi was hurt by its burn!
Jirachi lost 12% of its health.
Dusknoir's health was sapped by leech seed!
Dusknoir lost 12% of its health.
Jirachi regained health!
Jirachi restored 11% of its health.
Not really much to say here. Despite Will-o-wisp landing this time, the plan does work. Jirachi outspeeds Dusknoir unless it uses a priority move and I doubt Shadow Sneak will KO him, so it's time to use this free turn wisely.
Kakimori switched in Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Jirachi used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around the foe's team!
Jirachi was hurt by its burn!
Jirachi lost 12% of its health.
One quick recovery later, I turn my thoughts to the battle once more. I figure that this Azelf will probably try to use Flamethrower to finish Jirachi off, making Starmie the best switch-in once again. No complex thinking involved at all.
Objection switched in Starmie (lvl 100 Starmie).
Azelf used Stealth Rock.
Pointed stones float in the air around the foe's team!
Well I was right about the Azelf being a Stealth Rock lead, and Kakimori picked the perfect moment to set it up. After all, even if Jirachi wasn't hit by an attack, its already weak attacks against Azelf would have been even weaker. Between us, we have demonstrated what free turns are for, and how you can acquire them.
Starmie is notorious for being arguably the best Rapid Spinner in the OU metagame. I already know that my opponent has a ghost waiting in the wings to block the spin, so rather than most likely waste a turn with Rapid Spin, it would be much better to score as much damage on the anticipated Dusknoir switch-in as possible.
Kakimori switched in Dusknoir (lvl 100 Dusknoir).
Dusknoir is exerting its pressure!
Pointed stones dug into Dusknoir.
Dusknoir lost 12% of its health.
Starmie used Hydro Pump.
Dusknoir lost 43% of its health.
Now Starmie can easily finish off Dusknoir with another Hydro Pump as even Sucker Punch from the latter would not OHKO. Whether Starmie actually scores the KO on Dusknoir or not will tell me whether or not Kakimori places high value on Dusknoir, and whether or not the god of hax is on my opponent's side.
Dusknoir used Shadow Sneak.
It's super effective!
Starmie lost 35% of its health.
Starmie used Hydro Pump.
Dusknoir lost 19% of its health.
Kakimori's Dusknoir fainted.
Objection 6-5 Kakimori
Ah, so that Dusknoir's priority move was Shadow Sneak. There is still one thing that bugs me: Dusknoir didn't get any Leftovers recovery, so what was its item? Lum Berry perhaps? Not that it matters anymore. What's important is finding out what my opponent is going to send in next.
Kakimori switched in Empoleon (lvl 100 Empoleon).
Pointed stones dug into Empoleon.
Empoleon lost 6% of its health.
Empoleon, eh? He probably thinks my Starmie has Choice Specs because it's only used Hydro Pump thus far and a Timid Starmie would not have been able to do 43% to his Dusknoir. Unfortunately for him, what I have is a Modest Starmie with Wide Lens. In previous battles, Starmie's Thunderbolt has 2HKO'd Empoleon, so I don't see why it wouldn't do so again. Thus begins round 2.
ROUND 2
FIGHT!
Starmie used Thunderbolt.
It's super effective!
Empoleon lost 61% of its health.
Empoleon is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
Empoleon used Agility.
Empoleon's speed was sharply raised.
Looks like the god of hax is on my side today. With Empoleon operating at half its usual speed (paralysis reduces his speed to 1/4, but Agility doubles this to 1/2), Starmie can score another easy kill. Unlike the Dusknoir situation, I can be certain that Kakimori will leave Empoleon for dead because an Agility sweeper paralysed is deadweight.
Starmie used Thunderbolt.
It's super effective!
Empoleon lost 33% of its health.
Kakimori's Empoleon fainted.
Objection 6-4 Kakimori
Kakimori switched in Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Pointed stones dug into Azelf.
Azelf lost 12% of its health.
There is only one reason why someone would send a scarfed Azelf in on a Starmie when Stealth Rock is already up. Kakimori's Azelf must have a move (possibly U-turn) that can KO Starmie. However, if my switch to another pokemon is predicted, then Kakimori will gain the advantage. I don't want to have to rely on prediction to get a safe switch-in.
Luckily, I don't have to. Jirachi is down to 20% and has a burn. A perfect candidate for death fodder. Besides, the Iron Genie has so far only granted me two wishes. Now, Iron Genie, I wish for you to sacrifice yourself so that I may find out what Azelf's move of choice is and act accordingly.
Objection switched in Jirachi (lvl 100 Jirachi).
Pointed stones dug into Jirachi.
Jirachi lost 6% of its health.
Azelf used Thunderbolt.
Jirachi lost 14% of its health.
Objection's Jirachi granted Objection his last wish and fainted.
Objection 5-4 Kakimori
I was actually expecting U-turn, but at least I know that Shaymin can switch in for free and start planting seeds over my opponent's pokemon again. After all, Azelf isn't going to stay in and fire resisted Thunderbolts at something with base 100 special defence and base 100 HP.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Pointed stones dug into Shaymin.
Shaymin lost 12% of its health.
Kakimori switched in Tangrowth (lvl 100 Tangrowth).
Pointed stones dug into Tangrowth.
Tangrowth lost 12% of its health.
Shaymin used Leech Seed.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Tangrowth's leftovers restored its health a little!
Tangrowth restored 6% of its health.
So he did have a grass-type! But why didn't he send it in on Starmie?
Now I have a problem. Firstly, I'm not entirely sure what to expect from this Tangrowth. Is it a typical set seen in NU or UU play, or is it one specially designed for use in OU play? Secondly, the only pokemon I have that will resist Tangrowth's STAB attack is Moltres, who will lose half of his health when he switches in. I can't send in Starmie to get rid of the rocks because Starmie might be Power Whipped to kingdom come. I can't even just leave Shaymin in because Shaymin can't do squat against Tangrowth. All I can do is hope that my next move won't be my downfall ...
Objection switched in Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
Pointed stones dug into Moltres.
Moltres lost 50% of its health.
Tangrowth used Sleep Powder.
Tangrowth's attack missed!
Tangrowth's leftovers restored its health a little!
Tangrowth restored 6% of its health.
If Sleep Powder had hit Moltres, I would have simply sent Shaymin back in and used Aromatherapy. Fortunately, the god of hax is still smiling upon me, though I can't help but wonder for how much longer. Either way, Tangrowth is going to be a big problem for this team, so I need to take it out as soon as possible. The good news is, I know that my opponent also has a Mamoswine who is weak to Flamethrower, and an Azelf that will take a buttload of damage from Flamethrower despite not being weak to it. From this information, it would appear that Flamethrower is the best choice.
Kakimori switched in Salamence (lvl 100 Salamence).
Salamence's intimidate cut Moltres's attack!
Pointed stones dug into Salamence.
Salamence lost 25% of its health.
Moltres used Flamethrower.
It's not very effective...
Salamence lost 33% of its health.
Now I'm thinking of a word that starts with 'b' and ends in 'ollocks'. Exactly what you would be thinking if you saw a Salamence on your opponent's team. Not knowing which set this is (though ruling out any bulky ones due to lack of Leftovers recovery), I need to send in a pokemon that either stands up to whatever dragon-type move it uses, or doesn't have much use now that I know what pokemon this team is made of. Jirachi's already dead so I'm going to lose a pokemon now anyway, Starmie's needed to get rid of the rocks, Shaymin's needed to heal any status that the Tangrowth might spread, Moltres is needed to kill the Tangrowth. That leaves Hariyama and Dusknoir. After careful consideration, I make my choice:
Objection switched in Dusknoir (lvl 100 Dusknoir).
Dusknoir is exerting its pressure!
Pointed stones dug into Dusknoir.
Dusknoir lost 12% of its health.
Salamence used Draco Meteor.
Dusknoir lost 88% of its health.
Objection's Dusknoir fainted.
Salamence's special attack was harshly lowered.
Objection 4-4 Kakimori
At least Hariyama would be able to either take care of Mamoswine or lure in Azelf for another pokemon to deal with. Due to the lack of a spinner on my opponent's team and Dusknoir's pitiful offensive capabilities and only mediocre support capabilities, I decided that he should take the blow. Dusknoir's death was not in vain: Salamence used Draco Meteor instead of Dragon Dance or Outrage and his health was neither restored by Leftovers nor reduced by Life Orb. This can only mean that this Salamence is a Specsmence. Now that I know this, I can send in my best special wall to take the reduced Draco Meteor blow.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Pointed stones dug into Shaymin.
Shaymin lost 12% of its health.
Yeah, yeah, I don't have a Blissey or Snorlax on this team. Neither of them get Leech Seed, do they. And Snorlax can't heal status, can he. At this point I'm not entirely sure what to expect, so I don't really have much to say here except, when in doubt, Leech Seed hits almost everything.
Kakimori switched in Tangrowth (lvl 100 Tangrowth).
Pointed stones dug into Tangrowth.
Tangrowth lost 12% of its health.
Shaymin used Leech Seed.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Tangrowth's leftovers restored its health a little!
Tangrowth restored 6% of its health.
And Kakimori sends in the one thing he has that Leech Seed won't hit. Last time Tangrowth showed up, I sent in Moltres because it was the best course of action since Shaymin was never going to even dent Tangrowth. If I do that again, Moltres will be stuck with just 1 HP and even Tangrowth will have an easy time picking him off. Starmie can't come in for fear of Power Whip, so my only option is to send Hariyama in to take the blow.
Objection switched in Hariyama (lvl 100 Hariyama).
Pointed stones dug into Hariyama.
Hariyama lost 6% of its health.
Tangrowth used Sleep Powder.
Hariyama fell asleep!
Hariyama's leftovers restored its health a little!
Hariyama restored 6% of its health.
Tangrowth's leftovers restored its health a little!
Tangrowth restored 6% of its health.
The god of hax has turned a blind eye to me now. At this point, I have to get Hariyama back in action. I don't know if he can survive a Power Whip or two so I have to get him out of there. The only pokemon I have that could definitely survive is Shaymin. The good news is, Shaymin has Aromatherapy to wake Hariyama up so sending him in won't put me in a horrible position. Time to put my plan for round 3 into action!
ROUND 3
FIGHT!
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Pointed stones dug into Shaymin.
Shaymin lost 12% of its health.
Tangrowth used Leech Seed.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Shaymin used Aromatherapy.
Hariyama woke up.
Tangrowth used Stun Spore.
Shaymin is paralysed! It may be unable to move!
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Although it is annoying for my status healer to be hit by a status move, at least I know now that Tangrowth is only going to have Power Whip to deal damage with. Although Tangrowth can do slightly more to Shaymin than Shaymin can do to Tangrowth, if it comes down to a showdown between these two, the battle is just going to go on and on and on. For now, the best thing to do is to keep Shaymin in until Tangrowth switches out.
Tangrowth used Power Whip.
It's not very effective...
A critical hit!
Shaymin lost 38% of its health.
Shaymin used Aromatherapy.
Shaymin is no longer paralysed.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
That critical hit is rather annoying, but now that Shaymin is free from paralysis, Tangrowth might try using Stun Spore again. To prevent such a move from working, as well as restoring the health lost from that critical hit, Shaymin's going to have to take a nap. At least he can survive Tangrowth's barrage until Power Whip runs out of PP.
Shaymin used Rest.
Shaymin fell asleep!
Shaymin restored 51% of its health.
Tangrowth used Power Whip.
Tangrowth's attack missed!
The Power Whip miss means that Shaymin has made a full recovery and I just need to wait for him to wake up. I would switch him out and heal him with Natural Cure, but nothing will like switching in on Power Whip, which is most likely what Tangrowth is going to do.
Kakimori switched in Mamoswine (lvl 100 Mamoswine).
Pointed stones dug into Mamoswine.
Mamoswine lost 12% of its health.
Shaymin is fast asleep!
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
In my bid to take down Tangrowth, I completely forgot about Mamoswine! I expect he's going to use Ice Shard to take out Shaymin, and this is where Hariyama becomes useful. He can switch in on Ice Shard, then survive Earthquake and be able to put up a Substitute, and then Focus Punch Mamoswine to oblivion.
Objection switched in Hariyama (lvl 100 Hariyama).
Pointed stones dug into Hariyama.
Hariyama lost 6% of its health.
Mamoswine used Substitute.
Mamoswine lost 25% of its health.
Mamoswine made a substitute!
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
Hariyama's leftovers restored its health a little!
Hariyama restored 6% of its health.
I've never seen a Mamoswine use Substitute before. This is bad, because the next move Mamoswine uses will most certainly be an attack, so I can't use Focus Punch. Mamoswine's attack stat is anything but lackluster so trying to put up my own Substitute is too risky. The only thing I can do is Ice Punch Mamoswine and hope that the Substitute breaks. At least I can be pretty sure it'll take at least two Earthquakes to KO Hariyama.
Mamoswine used Earthquake.
Hariyama lost 49% of its health.
Hariyama used Ice Punch.
The substitute took damage for Mamoswine!
Mamoswine's substitute faded!
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
Hariyama's leftovers restored its health a little!
Hariyama restored 6% of its health.
All is not lost! If Mamoswine puts up another Substitute, Ice Punch will just break that one as well and his HP will be whittled down. If Mamoswine uses Earthquake, Hariyama will survive and hit the real Mamoswine with Ice Punch. Here's hoping that Kakimori opts to try the first strategy.
Mamoswine used Earthquake.
Hariyama lost 48% of its health.
Hariyama used Ice Punch.
Mamoswine lost 31% of its health.
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
Hariyama's leftovers restored its health a little!
Hariyama restored 6% of its health.
Alas, no. Hariyama has at least managed to break Mamoswine's Substitute and prevent it from setting up another, but his usefulness has failed to reach its usual level. I guess it's now time to make another sacrifice so that another pokemon can finish the job. Round 4 is just around the corner.
Mamoswine used Earthquake.
Hariyama lost 16% of its health.
Objection's Hariyama fainted.
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
Objection 3-4 Kakimori
Objection switched in Starmie (lvl 100 Starmie).
Pointed stones dug into Starmie.
Starmie lost 12% of its health.
Before finishing Mamoswine off for good, there is one thing I need to do now that I have finally managed to get Starmie back in. Once I have sent Mamoswine packing, it is likely that Azelf will return and Thunderbolt Starmie to death. If I have not removed Stealth Rock from my side of the battlefield by then, Moltres will be practically deadweight, being unable to switch in to anything. And once Moltres is gone, Tangrowth and Salamence will walk all over me. So, before I dispatch Mamoswine, I need to dispose of Stealth Rock.
ROUND 4
FIGHT!
Mamoswine used Ice Shard.
It's not very effective...
Starmie lost 16% of its health.
Starmie used Rapid Spin.
Starmie blew away the pointed stones!
Mamoswine lost 3% of its health.
Mamoswine's leftovers restored its health a little!
Mamoswine restored 6% of its health.
I knew I could do that safely because Kakimori has no ghosts alive at this stage. He probably used Ice Shard because he expected me to go for the KO on Mamoswine. Thankfully, Ice Shard's damage is pitiful so I can safely go in for the kill with Hydro Pump. If Mamoswine tries to use anything other than Ice Shard, he will be outsped and KO'd before he has a chance to do anything.
Starmie used Hydro Pump.
It's super effective!
Mamoswine lost 64% of its health.
Kakimori's Mamoswine fainted.
Objection 3-3 Kakimori
Kakimori switched in Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Pointed stones dug into Azelf.
Azelf lost 12% of its health.
Here's that Azelf I was expecting. Even if it didn't have a Choice Scarf, it would still outspeed Starmie and Thunderbolt it before Starmie could Hydro Pump it. Therefore, anticipating a Thunderbolt to finish Starmie off, I decide that I need to preserve Starmie in order to revenge kill Salamence with Ice Beam. The only pokemon I have that can take a Thunderbolt is Shaymin. Let's hope that this works.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's super effective!
Shaymin lost 43% of its health.
Shaymin's leftovers restored its health a little!
Shaymin restored 6% of its health.
Wow, this Kakimori guy is really good at predicting! Shaymin's not going to KO Azelf with Grass Knot, Leech Seed won't save him from death by fire, nor will Rest, and Aromatherapy is just plain useless in this situation. Hopefully Flamethrower won't do an awful lot to Starmie so that I can Hydro Pump the Azelf and Ice Beam the other two and claim victory.
Objection switched in Starmie (lvl 100 Starmie).
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's not very effective...
A critical hit!
Starmie lost 37% of its health.
Objection's Starmie fainted.
Objection 2-3 Kakimori
I don't know whether that critical hit would have been needed actually.
For those wondering why I didn't send Moltres in on Flamethrower, remember that Moltres is at 50% health and, now that Stealth Rock is gone, is a key player. Without him, I won't be able to defeat Tangrowth. Now that Moltres has a free switch-in, however, it's time to make the most of it.
Objection switched in Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
ROUND 5
FIGHT!
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's not very effective...
Moltres lost 16% of its health.
Moltres used Air Slash.
Azelf lost 74% of its health.
Annoyingly, Azelf just about survives. However, at least I now know that Moltres has the bulk to take repeated Flamethrowers. What also makes this Moltres special and a key late-game player, is Roost. It would be foolish for Azelf to switch out because it would die the next time it came in, but with Flamethrower doing pathetic damage, Moltres can easily start restoring the health it lost from Stealth Rock and Flamethrower.
Azelf used Flamethrower.
It's not very effective...
Moltres lost 17% of its health.
Moltres used Roost.
Moltres restored 50% of its health.
And of course, once Moltres has Roosted enough, he can finish Azelf off with his own Flamethrower. This battle has been a rough one for both of us, but now it looks like I might be able to gain the advantage.
Kakimori switched in Salamence (lvl 100 Salamence).
Salamence's intimidate cut Moltres's attack!
Pointed stones dug into Salamence.
Salamence lost 25% of its health.
Moltres used Roost.
Moltres restored 33% of its health.
Once again, Salamence's presence makes me curse, but for quite a different reason. Neither Shaymin nor Moltres will survive a Choice Specs Draco Meteor, so one of them has to go.
If I sacrifice Moltres, I'm left with Shaymin, who can survive the Draco Meteor after the special attack drop and then Rest. Azelf's Flamethrower will be of no concern because Azelf will die when it next switches in. Tangrowth, however, might be able to get past Shaymin at the end. It will be an incredibly long stall war going right down to the Struggle and I have no idea which pokemon will come out on top.
If I sacrifice Shaymin, I'm left with Moltres, who will probably survive the second Draco Meteor and be able to KO Salamence with Air Slash. If Salamence switches out, it dies when it comes in again. Tangrowth will be OHKO'd by Flamethrower and Azelf won't even be able to switch in. Therefore, it is definitely worth sacrificing Shaymin in order to clean up with Moltres.
Objection switched in Shaymin (lvl 100 Shaymin).
Salamence used Draco Meteor.
Shaymin lost 64% of its health.
Objection's Shaymin fainted.
Salamence's special attack was harshly lowered.
Objection 1-3 Kakimori
Objection switched in Moltres (lvl 100 Moltres).
Moltres is exerting its pressure!
This is it. If Salamence switches out, or if Moltres survives Draco Meteor and KOs with Air Slash, victory is mine. If Moltres dies to Draco Meteor, or if Air Slash misses and Salamence's third Draco Meteor nets the KO, then I have lost this battle.
Here goes nothing.
Salamence used Draco Meteor.
Moltres lost 58% of its health.
Salamence's special attack was harshly lowered.
Moltres used Air Slash.
Salamence lost 18% of its health.
Kakimori's Salamence fainted.
Objection 1-2 Kakimori
Kakimori switched in Azelf (lvl 100 Azelf).
Pointed stones dug into Azelf.
Azelf lost 1% of its health.
Kakimori's Azelf fainted.
Objection 1-1 Kakimori
Kakimori switched in Tangrowth (lvl 100 Tangrowth).
Pointed stones dug into Tangrowth.
Tangrowth lost 12% of its health.
Moltres used Flamethrower.
It's super effective!
A critical hit!
Tangrowth lost 88% of its health.
Kakimori's Tangrowth fainted.
Objection wins 1-0
Well done Kakimori for providing such a tense and spectacular battle. Now, instead of a generic props and slops section, I shall talk about how much each pokemon contributed to this battle.
Objection's pokemon
Though the Iron Genie only granted three wishes, they were extremely helpful. If not for Stealth Rock, Azelf would have been able to take out my last pokemon after Salamence died.
Early on in the game, Starmie managed to take out two of Kakimori's pokemon, and then later on, it got rid of the Stealth Rock that Azelf set up, allowing Moltres to clean up at the end. The Ocean Gem shone today and hopefully showed you all that Rapid Spin is by no means a waste of a moveslot.
Whenever I needed a pokemon to fall back on, I could always rely on the Flower Hedgehog. Aromatherapy also proved to be useful in this battle.
Today, the Fire Bird demonstrated that losing half your HP from Stealth Rock is not the end of the world. A very key pokemon in the later rounds of the match.
Alas, this Shadow Guardian did no more than help to identify what kind of moveset Kakimori's Salamence was running. If it had been able to stick around for longer, it might have helped in the battle against Tangrowth.
Today, Giant Warrior failed to do his usual. These things happen, but the power of Hariyama is far, far greater than what was demonstrated in this battle. He would have been able to do more if Tangrowth hadn't put him to sleep the first time he came in.
Kakimori's pokemon
Considering that this pokemon was given a Choice Scarf at the start of the battle, Azelf did a really good job of keeping my team in check, as well as proving how important Stealth Rock can be.
His first impression was terrible, but once Mamoswine's time to perform came, boy did he perform! And with an uncommon moveset too. Mamoswine proved that the surprise factor is far from negligible.
Like my Dusknoir, Kakimori's Dusknoir proved to be rather useless in battle. The damage it did was superficial and its time in battle was rather short. The hit it scored on Starmie did leave an impression later on though.
Empoleon was extremely unlucky today. It could have taken Starmie out early on and proceeded to KO another team member, but the god of hax was cruel to him this time.
Kakimori's pokemon of the match is definitely Tangrowth. With Stealth Rock up, Tangrowth found it easy to keep my team at bay, forcing me into undesirable situations. He proved just how annoying status can be by putting Hariyama to sleep when it first came in.
Like Starmie, Salamence managed to score two KOs. The impact of these was in the late game rather than the early game, and if it weren't for Stealth Rock, Salamence could have scored a hat trick that would have won Kakimori the match.
Final comments
Sure, there was a bit of hax here and there, but overall this was a truly fantastic battle. I congratulate my opponent on his skilful playing and hope for more battles like the one he gave me today.
