BEGINNERS' LUCK [ALAN]

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

Ah, the Vs. Seeker. It was a nifty little tool that didn't actually exist when Kenneth had begun his first journey, and he thought it quite wise of the Professors to start handing them out to Trainers. He'd met a few people since he'd started out, but not enough people for him to keep sharpening his skills against; the others had journeys of their own to focus on, and they couldn't be at his beck and call all the time. That was why he was glad to have the Seeker. He could use it to send out an open challenge to any Trainers who happened to be near enough to respond, and he had managed to set up a battle just a few hours ago. He stood on the outskirts of Nacrene City where random passersby would be less likely to get in the way (or, more importantly, to come by and see if he happened to be losing). It was there that he was to meet someone named Alan, who had agreed to a battle with him.

Feeling nervous about the affair, Kenneth had released his Charmander already. He wasn't sure that he wanted to lead with the lizard, but he did want the company; it would help him maintain his composure. "I bet he'll have Pokémon we've never seen before," he said, musing about the upcoming Trainer. "We can use the Pokédex to give us a brief rundown on the new faces, but we'll have to play it by ear for the most part. It only tells us so much after all." Charmander nodded as if he was only half listening, expressing a marked lack of interest in hearing things that he already knew. He was just ready for this whole affair to get started, and he was ready to be pissed off if his Trainer decided not to include him in the line-up. He wasn't worried about strange Pokémon or nosy strangers. He just wanted some action.

[Alan Shinada]

It wasn't until after he had left the poke mart in Nimbasa City that he had received the alert form the Vs. Seeker, essentially saying that his request for a battle had been queued with a trainer named Kenneth. Although excited, he could not help but begin to add the flavor of trudge to his steps as he realized he would need to go further east to get to Nacrene City. In all truth, he was not bummed out about the distance, in fact, he liked hiking for the sake of adventure. The problem was he had nearly spent his last purchasing an HM for Bouffalant, and he was sure that the mochi he had just finished eating would not be enough to hold him until after the battle.

Despite the fact that his stomach had growled louder than an angry growlithe a majority of the way, he had finally made it to the renown city of art. The makeshift galleries established out of old abandoned rail and textile shops helped keep his mind off of his hunger while he passed through, heading to the outskirts of the city. As he approached from across the vast field of grass and dirt, two silhouettes quickly came into view. Upon closing the distance he saw an older boy with awesome blue short cropped hair and a pair of icy blue eyes that rivaled his own. Beside him was one of the more popular yet rare pokemon in the world, he did not need his pokedex to recognize it was a charmander. "Hope I'm not late, had to hike here from Nimbasa. The names Alan, I take it you are Kenneth, right?"

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

A small number of people had come and gone without drawing Kenneth's attention, but at the sound of an unfamiliar voice speaking without receiving a reply, he turned his head. As he'd guessed, the stranger was addressing him, and his brief introduction made it clear that he was the one that Kenneth was to battle. A polite smile graced the blue-haired young man's features as he addressed his soon-to-be opponent. "Yeah, that'd be me," he said cheerfully, accenting his statement with two subtle waves of his hand. "It's nice to meet you. I appreciate you coming out to battle me. Only way we Trainers can hope to get any stranger, hm?" While Kenneth took care of the initial pleasantries, Charmander kept his eyes trained on the opponent with an intensity that matched the heat of his flame. Kenneth was trying to ignore him so as not to validate his arguably rude behavior, especially since he didn't intend to lead with Charmander. Still, the Fire type's spirit was admirable.

"Anyway," he continued, "you're right on time. Shall we begin?" Without waiting for an answer, Kenneth pulled a Pokéball from his belt and tossed it into the air. It opened up and fired a stream of white light at the ground several feet in front of Kenneth, and the light coalesced into the form of a small, scorpion-like Pokémon: Skorupi. Oddly enough, she didn't cry out enthusiastically as most Pokémon did upon being released into battle, instead murmuring unintelligibly (most likely some variation of its name, of course). Kenneth wasn't worried, as he was beginning to get used to her and was sure she'd respond to him so long as he didn't command foolishly. Charmander, on the other hand, fell back onto his rear end, crossed his arms as effectively as he could, and stared with contempt at Skorupi, disappointed that he hadn't been allowed the lead position in the battle. "I'll be leading with Skorupi here," Kenneth said, remaining polite for the moment. He looked down at Charmander through the corner of his eyes and smiled, silently asking him to hold on for a bit; no way this battle would end without the starter getting a shot.

SKORUPI
Poison | Bug
Level 4 Female
Bite | Poison Sting | Leer
» ABILITY: Sniper
» STATUS: [Awaiting Orders]

[/size]

NOTE: Had to go back and edit in Skorupi's data sometime after the original post. My sincerest apologies for forgetting it.

[Alan Shinada]

"Ahaa, I suppose your right!" Although it wasn't a stand up comedy joke, he still appreciated the air of facetiousness. It was hard pressed these days for him to come across a descent instance of humor. This was partly because of the stiff and competitive disposition most trainers had, more often than not the trainers he came across were always locked in what he liked to call, "serious mode". However, the more potent reason for his respect of humor was the fact that he had a poor sense of it himself. He really couldn't pull a funny if his life depended on it.

Though after a refreshingly mild gut buster, the moment of innocently enjoyed company between he and his new acquaintance was interrupted by a determined change of topic. "Oh, uh..sure. I suppose we can get started!" He replied with an abrupt change of tone, switching from personable and casual to eager and excited. He liked the fact that Kenneth was keen on getting down to business, he could tell that he had a competitive edge to him just as he did. Walking backwards, he took four or five giant steps, lengthening the gap between them for sake of the upcoming battle.

"Skorupi?" Although he had not been a pokemon trainer for very long, he was well versed with most pokemon, at least with their names that is. However, he had never seen nor heard of one called Skorupi. "Skorupi, the poison/bug type pokemon, it grips prey with its tail claws and injects poison persistently into its foes." As the robotic monotone voice of his pokedex spoke, his brow raised with intrigue whilst his icy blue eyes jutted back and forth from the red hand held device to the purple scorpion shaped pokemon in front of him. "Your Skorupi looks pretty tough." He said with genuine compliment as he flipped his pokedex shut and stuffed it back into his pocket.

Running his fingers along the side of his belt holster he grabbed the second pokeball on his right hip and unclipped it from its respective leather hinge. "So it looks like I'll be using Yamask then!" He exclaimed with confidence as he pressed the center button on the pokeball with his right thumb, inflating it as preparation for release. With an arching overhand throw, the red/white porcelain ball sailed through the air before landing on the ground and expelling a white brilliance that quickly molded into the form of a black ghost replete with red eyes and a golden mask hanging from its tail. His Yamask gave the Skorupi a good old fashioned stare down, but he would retain his anxiousness until his trainer gave him instructions.

[/left]

YAMASK ♂
LEVEL 5
ASTONISH| PROTECT| DISABLE
ABILITY: MUMMY

[/size][/font]

• Currently staring down Skorupi and preparing to receive orders for battle.

[/center][/size]

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

Yamask, the Spirit Pokémon. Yamask is a Ghost-type Pokémon that wanders the ruins of ancient civilizations.

Kenneth was said to note that his knowledge of Pokémon wasn't as expansive as he would have liked, but then again, discovering new species was half the fun of training. He'd quickly slid his Pokédex out of his pocket to get a read on his opponent's Pokémon, and with the data gathered, he closed it and put it back in its place. While he preferred Psychics, he'd always had something of a soft spot for Ghost types since one of his idols and greatest inspirations specialized in the use of such Pokémon. He was going to enjoy the opportunity to test himself against this one and see how it stacked up against those trained by the leader of the Ecruteak Gym. "Capital," Kenneth commented briefly. He understood that the first person to call out a Pokémon in a battle among equals usually had the honor of making the first move, and this time, that honor would go to him.

"Skorupi, Poison Sting," he commanded in his characteristically calm manner. Taking advantage of the range between herself and Yamask, Skorupi utilized the ranged version of the attack, as was Kenneth's intention. Her mouth fell open, and a continuous stream of glowing purple needles began to shoot forth from it. With great velocity, they flew toward Yamask and would strike with extreme prejudice if not evaded. Kenneth subtly clenched a fist as he watched this first move play out. The idea of landing the first strike was so very appealing, and it could easily set the tone of the entire battle in his favor. Of course, he realized that victory could not be decided based on who made the first move. No, it all depended on who made the last.

SKORUPI
Poison | Bug
Level 4 Female
Bite | Poison Sting | Leer
» ABILITY: Sniper
» STATUS: [SKORUPI used POISON STING!]

[/size]

[Alan Shinada]

He began to feel his heart beat elevate, just as it did in his prior trainer battle. Even though it was ended abruptly and not thoroughly completed, he still considered this present battle to be his first. His palms began to sweat as he drummed his fingers against his thigh, waiting in anticipation. The sharp claws and tough rocky looking exterior of the Skorupi was rather intimidating to say the least, he just hopped Yamask did not share his opinion. After all, he was the one who would have to do the battling, the last thing he needed was for his pokemon to be afraid or intimidated to fight.

"He's a ghost pokemon for goodness sake, he should be the one striking fear in his opponents, right?" It made sense to him in that regard, but now such things were irrelevant, it seemed his opponent was ready to get the ball rolling."Try and dodge it Yamask!" He exclaimed as his icy irises caught the purple tint of projectile needles shooting forth from the Skorupi's mouth. Furrowing its brows in a show of great determination, Yamask attempted to side step the ranged onslaught, but it seemed this Skorupi in particular had a knack for accurately attacking from a distance. As Yamask jutted to the side, it managed to evade the majority of the attack, but found itself clipped in the tail by a few glancing blows. Although Yamask had been partially hit, it soon became obvious that the pain was more than manageable.

"Nice, it looks like Yamask is resistant to poison type attacks." He uttered in thought as he spit to the side whilst the wheels in his head turned for a strategy. "Yamask, approach evasively and use Disable, then quickly follow up with Astonish!" He cried as Yamask built up momentum in its weighted tail in a pendulum like motion before dashing forth in a sharp zig zag like pattern. "Yama - Yama!" Once the distance was closed, Yamask would attempt to perform Disable by aiming it's tail towards the Skorupi's front, looking to graze the side of it's face to apply the non lethal move. It would then attempt to follow up with a loud, shrieking, assault consisting of three punches and a tail bash aimed to the Skorupi's face and body."Yamask!"

[/left]

YAMASK ♂
LEVEL 5
ASTONISH| PROTECT| DISABLE
ABILITY: MUMMY

[/size][/font]

• Yamask is partially hit by poison sting, though effectively resistant to it, and not poisoned!
  
• Yamask attempts to hit Skorupi with Disable, approaching in an evasive zig zag pattern!
  
• Yamask attempts to follow up with Astonsih!

[/center][/size]

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

Kenneth observed with a more-or-less blank expression as Skorupi's attack struck a glancing blow. Even taking into account the fact that it hadn't been a direct hit, it seemed to do less damage than he would have liked. Perhaps Ghost types just weren't easily affected by Poison-type attacks? If so, he'd have to try not to rely on that attack too much, but he didn't rule it out entirely. After all, damage was damage. Rolling out of its quick dodge maneuver, Yamask sprung into action at its Trainer's command, darting forward in a zigzag pattern. It was an interesting move, but not altogether difficult to anticipate. Skorupi kept her eyes trained upon her mobile foe, so when Kenneth called out "Poison Sting!" once more, she knew just which way to aim her stinger. She thrust it forward just as Yamask grew nearer and would simply allow it to dash straight into the stinger.

Alas, Disable being the kind of attack it was, a successful Poison Sting would not be enough to put it of, and the fact that Skorupi was launching a counterattack precluded the possibility of dodging. Sure enough, the move took its effect on her body, freezing her firmly in place for a a time. "Skorrr!" She cried, struggling against the invisible chains that bound her, but until she was hit or given some time, escape would prove impossible. Kenneth's countenance grew grim as he beheld that round, reflecting his irritation with what might turn out to be quite an annoying move. He could only hope that Yamask actually needed to make physical contact with Skorupi to make Disable work; otherwise, there would be a lot of troublesome starting and stopping.

SKORUPI
Poison | Bug
Level 4 Female
Bite | Poison Sting | Leer
» ABILITY: Sniper
» STATUS: [SKORUPI used POISON STING!]
[SKORUPI was disabled!]

NOTE: Assuming that Yamask opts to press the assault through Poison Sting or maneuver around it, you are within your rights to assume a successful strike with Astonish.[/size]

[Alan Shinada]

Although Yamask had chosen to go about his approach in a zig zag fashion, he did not neglect the detail of evasiveness his young trainer had mentioned. The pattern of approach was merely chosen for the sake of not charging head on, though it was a rather predictable range of motions, Yamask was not using it to try and confuse his enemy, but rather to retain momentum for an anticipated evasion from a possible attack during its transit. "Yama!" Yamask exclaimed as he "zagged" out of his previous "zig", using the recycled momentum to abruptly propel him out of the way of Skorupi's jousted stinger. "Woah..." Though he was the one giving the commands, he was impressed with Yamask's battle IQ.

Every trainer loved to see their pokemon not only following their orders but using their own mind to make them better. Shortly after Yamask's impressive maneuvers, the dark haired trainer quickly realized the swipe of Yamask's tail had effectively delivered the Disable move he had previously called for. Now with Skorupi out of position from its failed counter attack, he would watch as his pokemon began shouting as it assaulted the scorpion type pokemon with a punch and tail combo. "Great! Now keep up the assault, continue using Astonish!" Now was a great a time as any to keep the pressure going on Skorupi, there was no guarantee they would get another opportunity like this to capitalize upon. This time around though, Yamask would attempt a punch, tail bash and then another punch towards Skorupi's head and body.

[/left]

YAMASK ♂
LEVEL 5
ASTONISH| PROTECT| DISABLE
ABILITY: MUMMY

[/size][/font]

• Yamask dodges poison sting due to prior readiness for evasion and the use of stored up momentum!
  
• Yamask attempts to follow up with another Astonsih right behind his previous one!

[/center][/size]

Note: Not sure how long disable is allowed to last, most sites say until end of battle or until returned to pokeball. But to be fair, you can decide, though I think at least for one more round Poison Sting should remain disabled.

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

"It's quick," Kenneth commented harshly, making a mental note to himself. His reflexively clenched his other fist as Skorupi failed to land her Poison Sting and ended up struck by another attack for her trouble. She reacted by pushing herself backwards several times with one of her eyes shut tightly because of the pain. She was standing on shaky legs after Astonish hit its mark, but she certainly wasn't going to let one attack take her out. She took a few deep breaths, and her Trainer allowed her what time he could give her to do so, understanding that taking part in a battle wasn't as easy as mindlessly going back and forth. Still, standing in one place for a long time wasn't an option either, a truth that became all too apparent when Yamask came at Skorupi yet again.

Given her condition, Poison Sting was out of the question, but it wasn't exactly the ideal attack in their situation anyway. Quickly, Kenneth came up with what he believed would be an effective command string. "Leer, then Bite and tear!" In what time it had, Skorupi took her opportunity to send an intense glare Yamask's way, which would hopefully do something to reduce its defensive abilities. That wouldn't stop it from pressing the attack, of course, but she had something for that. With her gaze focused as securely on Yamask as it was, it was no large feat for her to shift out of the way just as it the Ghost Pokémon began its assault. The attempted punch was a narrow miss, and the relatively long arm right in front of Skorupi in that moment was the perfect target for her Bite. She opened wide her mouth and shifted forward to clamp down on her target, and if she got her fangs into it, she would shake her body violently to rend and tear as much as she could in that moment.

SKORUPI
Poison | Bug
Level 4 Female
Bite | Poison Sting | Leer
» ABILITY: Sniper
» STATUS: [SKORUPI used LEER!]
[SKORUPI used BITE!]

[/size]

[Alan Shinada]

As much as he wanted to stop and relish in his feelings of being proud for his Yamask for being such a tough competitor, they were still far from being out of the woods just yet. A smirk fell upon his face as he found it facetious how momentary success could so easily cloud one's perspective. It may have been true that they were the one's pushing the pace and really bringing the fight to their opponent, but that did not necessarily mean that they were winning. He and Yamask would need to go on with all they had if they wanted to secure a victory, he could tell how Skorupi took that Astonish assault that it wasn't about to go down easy.

As Yamask lurched forth to press on, looking to overwhelm Skorupi with another assault, the young trainer noticed a particular glare in Skorupi's eyes. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but it seemed Yamask was unaffected by it, whatever it was, if anything at all. "Maaassskkk!" The red eyed ghost pokemon exclaimed in agony as Skorupi had dodged and countered its follow up assault with a vicious bite to its right arm. He could tell that the bite was exceptionally painful for some reason, perhaps whatever type of attack it was, Yamask was weak against it. "Oh no, I need to think of something fast!" He had quickly realized that Yamask was in trouble, finding itself on the receiving end of the most successful counter attack of the battle thus far.

"Quick Yamask, swing Skorupi towards the sky and use Protect!" Yamask's eyes had glowed red at that moment for some odd reason, a dark shroud seemingly attempting to transfer from itself to Skorupi. Despite this odd phenomena, Yamask was geared to follow his orders past the excruciating pain, swiftly swinging it's arm with the violent shaking Skorupi clamped to it towards the sky. There was only one thing that could hope to free Yamask of this deathly grip, a move of solid protection from within.

As Yamask jerked its Skorupi attached armed toward the sky, his entire body soon became enveloped in a vibrant blue lining. Then instantly after, a blue 360 degree sphere would forcefully protrude from its body that would attempt to expel and launch the dangling Skorupi up into the air. "Then follow up with Astonish!" Should the Skorupi be effectively ejected into the air, Yamask would take advantage of its slight air superiority and conduct a loud assault consisting of two punches and a finishing tail bash to the Skorupi that would be helplessly airbrone and hurdling towards the ground.

[/left]

YAMASK ♂
LEVEL 5
ASTONISH| PROTECT| DISABLE
ABILITY: MUMMY

[/size][/font]

• Yamask is unaffected by Leer due to it being a normal attack!
  
• Yamask is bitten in the arm by Skorupi!
  
• Yamask's Mummy ability activates!
  
• Yamask's attempts to counter with protect, looking to eject Skorupi into the sky!
  
• Yamask looking to pummel the potentially airborne Skorupi with Astonish to help send it crashing into the ground!
  

[/center][/size]

Note: Should Skorupi somehow not end up airborne, Astonish can just be considered to have adjusted accordingly towards its target.

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

Kenneth had made a foolish underestimation of Yamask's spead a few moves ago, and Skorupi was attacked quite viciously for that mistake. This time, it was the other Trainer's turn to make a miscalculation, which became apparent with Yamask's failed attempts to move Skorupi significantly as it struggled to obey Alan's command for an air toss. The difference in weight between the two Pokémon, being as significant as it was, worked in Skorupi's favor, and she was able to hold her ground rather effectively despite its struggling. Protect, on the other hand, proved to be more effective. As expected, it did push against the Poison type with significant force, and she had to go with it by jumping backwards in order to avoid the damage that attempting to resist it might have done to her. She was sent several meters backwards, but managed to land on her feet and slide to a rather rough stop, staring angrily at Yamask all the while.

Protect faded almost as suddenly as it had manifested, and the enemy Pokémon rushed forward as Alan had commanded with intent to strike with Astonish yet again. "Skorupi, Poison Sting! Kenneth ordered emphatically, becoming noticeably more excited as the battle went on. "Spread fire!" This time, he remembered that Yamask was quick and nimble, and his additional order was meant to account for that. Skorupi opened her mouth and began to fire numerous glowing purple needles from it in a continuous stream. This time, she turned repetitively from her left to her right and back again as she fired, creating as she did a veritable wall of poisonous spines that would probably be difficult to avoid. This violent offensive left her unprepared to counter if a counterstrike was necessary, but Kenneth was sure that Yamask's rapid advance combined with the spread and range of Skorupi's attack would make that unfortunate scenario unlikely.

SKORUPI
Poison | Bug
Level 4 Female
Bite | Poison Sting | Leer
» ABILITY: Sniper Mummy
» STATUS: [SKORUPI's ability was changed to MUMMY!]
[SKORUPI used POISON STING!]

NOTE: If Poison Sting fails, assume that Astonish strikes successfully[/size]

[Alan Shinada]

"It's too heavy!" A bead of sweat sank down the side of his face as the situations seemed to get more intesne. Though Yamask, bless its determined heart, tried everything it could to whisk Skorupi into the air, just did not have the strength to make up for their weight difference. As much as he would have liked to blame it on his pokemon's weakness or inexperience, he knew that he was the only one to blame. He was getting overzealous and had now started to give commands that were next to impossible. Despite this, the young trainer was determined to salvage his mistake.

After watching their counter turn up slightly successful, he realized now that since Skorupi was not airborne, Yamask would be out cold in a reckless charge. Though Yamask had already begun proceeding forth, he had not yet initiated Astonish, thus he had time wedge in one more quick command. "Yamask, use protect again to get through the poison needles, afterward, continue on with Astonish!" Even though he knew that using protect again in a row would weaken its capabilities, he could tell that it would not be of much hindrance. The Skorupi was not firing a concentrated stream of needles, but instead spreading it, encompassing a wider area, but making it effectively weaker to any one specific area.

This would bail them out greatly considering Yamask was on a frontal charge. It's protect, although a bit weaker then before, would still be more than enough to deflect the unfocused attacks in its path. Even more so, it appeared that its deadly accuracy from afar had waned as well, as if it had somehow lost the ability of its marksmanship. This too would prove to help them in their efforts, providing a small majority less of needles colliding with the weakened shield.

As the blue sphere encased Yamask yet again, the small ghost pokemon charged forth unharmed, breaking through Skorupi's counter attack and preparing to deliver another shrieking assault. "Give it all you got Yamask, lets put Skorupi down for the count!" He exclaimed as if he was some random fan in the crowd cheering for their favorite pokemon, somehow to suggest that such an action would enhance the chances of their success. "Yama - Yama - Maasskk!" Yamask shouted between each of its three strikes, putting a heavy exclamation on the finishing tail bash that forcefully ended its combination.

"Now circle it with evasive maneuvers!" In all truth, he hoped that Yamask's last attack was enough to put Skorupi away. He watched as his ghost pokemon cautiously circled Skorupi, occasionally strafing and dipping for the added elements of unpredictability, looking to evade should another attack soon rear its head. He could tell Yamask was almost fatigued, its heavy breaths and slumping posture a testament to this. He just knew Skorupi was just as tired if not more so considering it had taken a bit more damage than Yamask, but only time would be able to tell for sure.

[/left]

YAMASK ♂
LEVEL 5
ASTONISH| PROTECT| DISABLE
ABILITY: MUMMY

[/size][/font]

• Yamask uses Protect again before continuing with its previously commanded Astonish!
  
• Yamask is circling the damaged Skorupi in an evasive yet unpredictable pattern, giving itself a better chance to evade should it soon need to!
  

[/center][/size]

Note: I don't mean to be pushy but I think it's fair to call the match at this point. As hard as this might be for you to believe I'm not trying to be biased when I say I think Skorupi should be fainted from this. Though it is entirely up to you, still, just my two cents. But either way it ends up going, epic battle to say the least ^^.

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

A strange mixture of shock and glee overcame Kenneth at the sight of Yamask's move, and while he proceeded to clench his fists and teeth so tightly that it became almost painful, he couldn't help but smirk. He appreciated a sound strategy whether it came from him or from his opponent, and that one had been too good to warrant anger. On the contrary, he was a bit relieved to know that he would be defeated by an intelligent Trainer rather than some brute if he was going to be defeated at all. It honestly hadn't occured to him that such a technique as Protect could be used in the middle of a charge, and he admired the spur of the moment creativity that was inherent in the command. Skorupi's Poison Sting struck several times because of the the manner in which it had been fired, but it was stopped every time until Yamask finally landed its attack.

The battle wasn't over yet, though. Once again, Skorupi had to squint through the pain of the attack, and she was beginning to look a bit worse for wear. The important thing was that she was still standing and ready to fight. Unfortunately, Alan had made a wise decision and immediately commanded Yamask to back away and begin moving about in a circle, which put Skorupi in a difficult position. It was clear that her strong suit was counterattacking while Yamask's strong suit was evasion, so any sort of assault Kenneth could think of could only result in more damage to his Pokémon. His only option was to have her hold her ground and wait, but she didn't have to remain completely inactive during that time. "Use Leer," He commanded, and Skorupi followed through with the most intense glare she could muster. It helped her to focus in on her target so that she would not be caught off guard by whatever move it might happen to make, and if it was effective, it might even cause Yamask to show some hesitation if its Trainer had the guff to order an attack.

SKORUPI
Poison | Bug
Level 4 Female
Bite | Poison Sting | Leer
» ABILITY: Sniper Mummy
» STATUS: [SKORUPI used LEER!]

NOTE: In spite of the creative manners in which you've been using or attempting to use it, Astonish is still an exceptionally weak attack (so much so that it doesn't actually do damage at all in the anime or manga) and strikes at standard effectiveness in this case. I think it's fair to say that you'll have to hit with it more than twice for a knockout; however, since you've had to wait so long, I am willing to simply call this one in your favor should you wish not to continue with this particular match-up.[/size]

[Alan Shinada]

It was hard not to, despite how much of a conscious effort he put forth. The heat of the moment was something very powerful and was something that could easily skew ones thinking. Another round had gone by and they still had the upper hand on their side. He was now becoming convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were winning and there was nothing that could change that. A naive train of thought to be sure, but there was something about being on the better end of a round that gave such a profound security to where one could afford to assume such ideals.

Yamask, despite his growing fatigue, was still doing a great job none the less. He was circling the battered Skorupi perfectly, as he presumed, the scorpion type pokemon was reluctant to attack. Throughout the battle Skorupi had not only proved itself to be a marksman, at least in the beginning, but it also displayed a dependency for countering. Frontal attacks did not appear to be it's forte' and this was something worth noting.

"Yamask, just continue circling Skorupi!" He had heard Kenneth call out for a leer attack and his first instinct was to have Yamask charge in with another Astonish seeing as how it did not work the first time around. However, it was late in the battle and a mistake resulting in a heavy counter assault was not something he wanted to risk. He would need to be patient and wait for the right moment to strike, and it was clear to him at this point, that the moment was not now. "Yama-Yama!" Yamask exclaimed in determination as he continued his non patterned circling, the ghost type would have to hold out from attacking a little while longer.

[/left]

YAMASK ♂
LEVEL 5
ASTONISH| PROTECT| DISABLE
ABILITY: MUMMY

[/size][/font]

• Yamask is hit by Leer!
  
• Yamask continues circling the damaged Skorupi in an evasive yet unpredictable pattern, giving itself a better chance to evade should it soon need to!
  

[/center][/size]

Note: Although I am not familiar with Astonish's usage in the anime/manga, I can definitively maintain from an rp stand point that reference to the original universe of pokemon is acceptable, but when it comes to the strength of attacks and such it is fairest to leave it relative.

This way a pokemon's strength and the rp ability behind it can be the emphasis of a moves effectiveness. Even with that aside, I am still taking in the fact that our pokemon are of low levels, and by default, aren't going to have much endurance. If you add that on top of the damage they take in battle, I think it is fair to see how a few effective hits can be decisive at this point.

[KENNETH JACOB CAPHINOM]

His face didn't show it, but Kenneth was surprised that a round had gone by without Alan ordering an attack. Yamask had remained on the offensive quite consistently thus far, but he supposed that the circumstances had changed since then. A change in circumstances did call for a change in strategy, and the circumstances had definitely changed. If the use of Leer was enough to put Yamask on the defensive, Kenneth would have to change his strategy as well and incorporate that technique into it a little more heavily. That said, he wasn't entirely comfortable being the one pressing the attack, and it occurred to him that they might both be better off calling this match a draw and switching out. He chose to at least give Skorupi a chance, though, and he came up with a strategy he considered sound enough to pull them through.

"Use Leer again," he commanded calmly. "Follow up with Poison Sting." Enacting her orders immediately, Skorupi shifted her countenance to produce an intense glare yet again, aimed at reducing Yamask's defensive capabilities while simultaneously helping her to focus in. She then went on to launch Poison Sting, aiming slightly ahead of Yamask's path of motion so as not to miss entirely. It wouldn't matter much if she did, though; Kenneth only meant to break the ice. Skorupi couldn't know what he was planning, but she wouldn't need to know in advance. She'd proved herself quite capable of understanding his orders quickly and adapting them into her moves on the fly.

SKORUPI
Poison | Bug
Level 4 Female
Bite | Poison Sting | Leer
» ABILITY: Sniper Mummy
» STATUS: [SKORUPI used LEER!]
[SKORUPI used POISON STING!]

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