Blanchblack Haunting [CRISPIN, CHRIS, MISSION]

[Eristotle]

By some stretch of luck, a rather bullshit stretch of luck but luck nonetheless, you manage to escape the grasp of the monster zoo. Then again, they weren't chasing you. I guess you got really lucky? Well, maybe not. After all, as you three escape that room, a new presence becomes obvious, awaiting your arrival in the next. However, where the previous antagonists were definitely inhuman, and mostly dead at that, this was certainly human. More than that, seemed to be alive, as well.

”Quite a bunch of noise going on back there. Seems like you're having fun.” The voice was full of energy. Too much so to be of the dead. A gentleman stood there, top hat, monocle, cane, and all. Clad primarily in black, with the exception of pink gloves, the man stood tall and casually. The man extended his hand upward, gripping his hat, and bowed. No rush for engagement, so he wasn't really looking to discard formalities, unlike the time in the city. ”Interesting to meet a group of you all here, though. Rather, the timing for it is interesting. Still, no need to be rude.” He coughed slightly, stood straight, and placed his hat back on his head. Then, producing a deck of cards out of his sleeve, he smiled.

”A name. A name, a name, a name. Ah.” He selected one card, sending the rest back up his sleeve. Reversing it, he revealed the Ace of Hearts. ”Good day, gentlemen. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. You may call me Ace.” “Ace” just grinned, seeming to be pleased with himself, before sending the card flying in the trio's direction. ”That said, you're free to introduce yourselves, if you like. If not, that, too, is fine. However, might I interest you three. . . in a battle?” With that said, the hand that sorted the cards out then held three Pokeballs. However, the man did not send out anything. No, a real gentleman, under proper circumstances, did not force things on the unwilling.

Options

A) Pass up the chance to battle (Mission Concluded)
B) Take up the Origin member's challenge

[Crispin Yates]

Crispin let go a breath of relief as they left the room and the heard of Pokemon didn't follow.  His heart was racing with adrenaline and he leaned over, hands on his knees to catch his breath.  Valdis sat down next to him, panting a bit but otherwise seeming okay.  At the sound of the voice, Crispin jumped a bit and looked up at him with a cat that ate the canary look on his face.  

As he studied the man, he drew his eyebrows together as he tried to remember where he had seen him before.  He was most definitely familiar, he just couldn't place it.  "Me name's Crispin," he said, still eyeing the man skeptically.  Valdis stood and cocked her head, tail unmoving behind her.  Something about the man seemed to unnerve her, and for him to be here in a place like this... granted, the same argument could be made that the three students shouldn't really be prowling around here, but hey, they were on an assignment!  

Just as he opened his mouth to respond to his challenge, his brain caught up with where he had seen the man before.  During the invasion, he was fighting his Dorm's warden.  Frowning deeply, he scowled at the man.  "Yer were dare in de fite."  He couldn't remember anything about his Pokemon or strategy, since Crispin was a bit tied up with his own battle, but he knew he was with that team.  Clicking his tongue as he thought for a moment, he finally gave his own answer, "Awrite', oi 'ill.  But if oi win, 'oy aboyt yer promise ter answer a quesshun for me?"

At her trainer's words, Valdis stood a bit taller, the end of her tail twitching. 

[Chris Thyodor]

Well... That certainly worked out better than expected, with everyone getting away with ease... To be fair the Pokemon didn't seem to be following, but still, you get the idea. Appearing next to the others with Sol thanks to her teleport, I smiled down at her, clearly grateful for the help. She smiled back, although she was clearly worn out from the psychic and teleport, especially under these kinds of conditions.

Upon seeing the strange man, honestly Chris didn't recognise him at all, having not been at the battle against the invasion, anyway, focus. When the man asked if we'd like to battle, he had to think for a moment, sure it could get us some answers... But... His pokemon are already tired and and in Argos's situation damaged... No... The pokemon have to come first. "I normally would accept... But my pokemon come first, I'm not going to have them fight when they're injured and exhausted... Maybe next time... I'm fairly certain you two can handle this one" Chris spoke, he viewed the Pokemon like family, not some tool to use as one see's fit... It wouldn't be right to have them battle in their condition.

Returning Sol for her own safety, I began heading for the exit. 

[Oleg Kirrlov]

Oleg panted a bit as he escaped, resting his hands against his knees, his breath still heaving as this man, Ace he called himself, begun talking and challenged them. Crispen? No, Crispin, seemingly decided to accept the challenge while Chris simply said they could handle it as he begun to leave. He grit his teeth at this, almost snarling out a few choice curse words. He simply retorted to a simple "Coward!" as he then turned around, standing up.

He then sighed as he turned around to face this... Ace. "I like the name. But I think I'll just call you Hatty. Sounds more fit for me than Ace." He chuckled to himself as he reached to his belt, releasing Hoare the Probopass.

[Eristotle]

”Understood then. Take care on your way.” Ace casually wished the third boy a safe trip before one of the three balls he had produced vanished in much the same manner. ”Now then. I suppose that would be fair. Should you two win, I will, to the best of my abilities, answer a single question the two of you agree upon. As for the nickname, by all means, young man. A name is simply one's means of identification, after all.” With that, he smiled. One ball flew to the ground, then the other. On the one side was his Excadrill. The other, his Archeops. The duo was powerful offensively. As for how hardy they were, it really varied.

”Well then. Crispin, young man, show me the strength of the bonds you have with your Pokemon. You shall have the first go.” He had not only revealed his two openers, but also refrained from attacking. Considering the fact that Team Origin was supposedly attacking people, he was a very refined individual in terms of character. Of course, if his Pokemon didn't show it, he was also capable in a fight.

Notes: Released Excadrill and Archeops; no action taken.

[Crispin Yates]

Crispin just watched their other member up and leave, saying that their Pokemon were too tired to go on.  He looked at Valdis, who stood tall and perfectly fine.  That one attack from earlier hardly scratched her, and a little running never hurt anyone.  Shaking his head he backed up, letting his Houndoom take the center field.  Nodding skeptically at the Team Origin member he replied, "Dat sounds gran' wi' me.  Awrite den Val,"  he hesitated briefly as he decided what to do.  While it was tempting to beef up an an attack first, Valdis was weaker against both types, so if the older trainer decided to gang up on her she would be out of luck.  Instead, he decided he had little choice but to go all out.  "Use Dark Pulse on de flappy wan!"  The Houndoom focused in on the Archeops, opening her mouth.  A large dark orb appeared, and just as quickly as it did, a beam of purple energy shot out towards the opposing Pokemon.

---

Houndoom used Dark Pulse on Archeops, 80BP plus Stab, 20% chance to cause flinch.  100% accuracy.
Roll for flinch;
p0Dtahg_1-10 If 1-2, target flinches.1-10

[Oleg Kirrlov]

Oleg watched as Crispen? Crispin, doing his move. He was being smart, or so Oleg thought at the very least. Straight attacking, probably enough to weaken the target. He then grinned as he threw his own pokeball, releasing his Probopass. The big nose spun around for a moment before humming loudly, noticing the targets with his beady little nose. "I forgot to tell you my name, Hatty. Just call me Oleg." He smirked. "Rock slide, Hoare!"

Hoare hummed more, the three smaller noses spinning around him for a bit before rocks suddenly appeared above both of the pokemon, crashing down at them, but still giving them enough time to dodge. If lucky.

Action: Used Rock slide, hitting both opponents. Super effective against Archeops, not so effective against Excadrill. Base power of 75, backed by STAB and attack of 55.

Note: Rolling for flinch chances and accuracy.

ehpDpBD51-10

If 1-9, will hit Archeops.

1-10

If 1-3, Archeops will flinch if hit.

1-10

If 1-9, will hit Excadrill.

1-10

If 1-3, Excadrill will flinch if hit.1-10·1-10·1-10·1-10

[Eristotle]

”Not a bad bit of teamwork.” The man observed as his Archeops crumpled to the ground. His Excadrill was a-okay, though. This was due to a double resistance to the Rock-type. The man returned the bird. What came next was a bubbly ball of doom, destruction, and mischief. Well, no, it had arms and legs. And ear-things. So it wasn't just a ball! The Gengar grinned wildly. ”Good show. Now, if I were to guess. . . that Probopass you're using, Oleg, would have the ability Sturdy. At least, I would hope it does, or this move would have been wasted.” With that, the man smiled pleasantly. This was a battle, yes, but he was entirely in good spirits.

”Gengar, use Dazzling Gleam. Excadrill, follow up with Earthquake.” A Fairy-move would be resisted by a Steel-type, but, on the assumption that it had Sturdy, that ability would be ruined. Plus, the damage would be a nice “cushion” for coverage. As for the hound, the dual-typing brought it to “neutral”. As for the Earthquake, that was effective all around. The man watched as the Gengar wiped its teeth. The resulting cleanness fired off a blast of dazzling light! Following that, the Excadrill whirred its drills to life before slamming them to the manor flooring, causing a massive tremor! Naturally, neither attack hit either of the man's Pokemon, but they were directed at both of the boys'!

”But, once again. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, you two. I look forward to a wonderful fight!”

Actions

Gengar: Replaced fainted Archeops. Used Dazzling Gleam on all enemies. No misses.

Excadrill: Used STAB Earthquake for maximum destruction on everything. No misses. Gengar unaffected due to Levitate.

[Crispin Yates]

Cussing sharply to himself as he saw his poor Houndoom get bombarded with attacks, he wasted little time in recalling her as soon as it was apparent she wasn't getting back up.  Making a note to heal her up as quickly as possible, he reached for his bag for his next Pokemon.  He wasn't about to do what the other kid did and leave just because Val was down for the count.  Yes he loved her like family, but she was in that fight too.  He doubted she would be happy if she found out he ran just because she couldn't fight any more.

"Tara, you're up!  Noight slash on de Gengar!"  After going through his options from what he had on his team she was his best bet.  Even if the opponent intercepted it, it at least did some damage on the Excradrill.  Not to mention the chance to crit was nice.  The Skarmory took little time in judging her surroundings before watching the Gengar with a gleam in her eye.  Her wings darkened for a moment before she charged with them at the Gengar.  Crispin just hoped his teammate had a good backup from that Probopass.

---

Skarmory used Night Slash on Gengar, 70BP plus Super Effective on intended target.  Chance for critical hit.
3Tr_C5qd1-8 If 1, critical hit.1-8

[Oleg Kirrlov]

Oleg bit his lip as Hoare first got bombarded by the dazzling light, only to then be knocked down and shaken until flopping by the earthquake. "Smart move, Hatty, smart move." He granted his opponent one grin as he then released Rinnie the Altaria. She let out a coo as she floated slightly above the floor, staring at her opponent.

Oleg smirked. "Use fire blast on that excadrill, Rinnie." The altaria nodded, cooing as her specks sparkled, fire slowly forming at her beak as she suddenly cooed once more and shot the fire blast towards the excadrill. "Say, Hatty. What brought you to the life of crime? You seem cool enough to just be... Something else."

Action: Altaria used Fire Blast, Base Power 110, super effective, Choise Specs, backed by special attack base of 70. Will roll for hit chance and burn chance.

UkY6TQ9u1-20

If 1-17, will hit.

1-10

If 1, will burn if hit.

1-20·1-10

[Eristotle]

”Gengar, protect Excadrill and take the Night Slash.” Gengar obeyed, and, despite not being that durable, managed to take both shots without collapsing. Ace was still smiling. He was pleased. ”You weren't expecting a fight against another trainer. On top of that, you're only students. However, you're doing well- very well. Whether you win or lose is irrelevant. Remember the feelings you have during battles- the bonds with your allies, the competitive spirit with your opponents. Hold those feelings dear, no matter how old you become.” Whether it was the prospect of him battling younger trainers, or if he was normally like this, was uncertain. All the same, it seemed like he had no qualms with taking it easy.

”Now then. Gengar, use Icy Wind. Excadrill, follow up with Rock Slide!” And, as ordered, the two fired off their attacks. The ghastly ball of poison created a chill wind! Following that, though, the burns did it in. The Excadrill, however, launched an assault of rock shards at both opponents without issue! The Excadrill was in good shape, but both his Archeops and Gengar were out. It was somewhat exciting. Returning the Gengar, Ace sent out his Nidoking. The battle, as far as he was concerned, was nearing the end.

Actions

Gengar: Guarded Excadrill. Used Icy Wind; hit both targets. Fainted from burns afterward. Replaced by Nidoking.

Excadrill: Used Rock Slide. No misses. No flinches.

[Crispin Yates]

 Fortunately this time around neither of the attacks were overly effective towards his Skarmory.  Unfortunately, he knew they were both very effective towards his opponent's poor Pokemon.  He knew he would need to help finish this fight as fast as possible.  As much as he wanted to use one attack that might deal a bit more damage on the Nidoking, considering all it would take was for Top Hat to intercept it and it would have been a waste.  Instead, Crispin was stuck using the same move until the Excadrill was out of his way.  "Tara, again, on de Excadrill dis time!"  Once again the Skarmory's wings grew dark as now she charged the Excadrill.  

---

Skarmory used Night Slash on Excadrill, 70BP. Chance for critical hit. 100% accuracy.
0STK7McZ1-8If 1, crit.1-8

[Oleg Kirrlov]

Oleg tapped his chin as poor Rinnie got knocked out. That seemed to happen to the poor thing way too often. He then released Walter the Electivire, who let out a furious roar as he slammed his fists together. Of course, he was never truly angry, and was just mostly showing off for the sake of coming off as cool. "Okay, Walter, use Ice punch on that Nidoking!"

Walter nodded, roaring once more as the electivire then charged forwards, his fists suddenly freezing and emitting cold as he then leaped and smashed his fists down at the king of nido's.

Action: Electivire used Ice Punch on Nidoking, 75BP, super effective, backed by base attack of 123. Will roll for freeze chance.

s4ddgWox1-10

If 1, will freeze.1-10

[Eristotle]

"If I may comment," Ace opened, seeming to be fine with his Pokemon taking the hits, "Crispin, I would suggest the addition of an enhancement move to that Skarmory. The utilization of 'Curse' could enhance its naturally high defense while, at the same time, enhancing its average offensive capabilities.” The man seemed to think it was fine to give pointers to his opponents while fighting them. Meanwhile, the two attacks slammed into his Pokemon. The Excadrill was still looking fairly good overall. Meanwhile, the Nidoking looked winded. That was, of, course, thanks to the force behind that super-effective punch.

”It's our turn again. Excadrill, another Rock Slide. Nidoking, put your all into Blizzard.” He had half-considered utilizing a different move, one to potentially neutralize the Electivire in one go, but the risk of it being neutralized was simply not worth it. The Excadrill lobbed a wave of sharpened stones at the duo. Meanwhile, the Nidoking launched a greatly-enhanced Blizzard at the foes!

Actions

Excadrill: Used Rock Slide; hit both targets. Flinch on Electivire's slot.

Nidoking: Used Blizzard; hit both targets. Enhanced by 60% via Sheer Force + Life Orb. No chance of freezing due to Sheer Force. Life Orb recoil negated via Sheer Force activation on applicable move.

[Crispin Yates]

This poor dang Skitty was going to hate him if this kept up, he was sure.  As he watched his Skarmory fall to the empowered Blizzard, though, he knew the move his Skitty had may be the only thing he had on his team to help.  They were immune to basically all of Jove's attacks, he'd love Valdis's help but she was out, and Wesley wasn't useless but was on the same par as Emer─except he didn't have a ground move like she did, and Rock Slide certainly wouldn't do them much good.  Recalling the fallen Skarmory, he released the Skitty he had been working so hard to build trust with.  "Sorry Emer, but we nade yer 'ere.  Mud bomb on de Nidokin'!"  Emer Blinked around, staring up in aw at the two larger Pokemon.  Still, she had come to trust Crispin so far and hunkered down to try and do what she was told to.  

---

Recalled Skarmory, sent out Skitty in replacement.  Skitty used Mud Bomb on Nidoking, 65BP, Super Effective. 85% Accuracy, 30% chance to lower accuracy.
_QjOMHQx1-20 If 1-17 hit, 18-20 miss 1-10 If 1-3, lowers accuracy one stage.
1-20·1-10