Pokemon Umbral Discussion 16: Should We Throw a Sweet Sixteen Party?

[Astral Harmony]

I don't know, either. But I must say that Misty isn't very good at cosplaying as a Stantler.

Anyways, some questions my eyes slipped over in the last thread:

Like Kiyomi said in the RP, the Signature Sequence Hotwheel hits two designated targets for crazy-go-nuts damage with a burn inflicted. It's great for when you have two really HP heavy foes that need to go down.

Because of Lexhur's current position (Sniper), he's being considered to be not in the battle area. There's no "A Ruin General has appeared" effect at current. No Legendaries or Pseudo-Legendaries will force deploy, no Testament Drives will be used.

Impact can switch without wasting a turn. Hell, Pierce can don a Snorlax costume without wasting a turn. Just note that the BGM won't change from "More Human Than Human" to "Bow Chikka Wow Wow".

And before a question starts about that, I'll let you guys designate a Sniper role for future missions. Like the Medic specialization that Rachel, Lola and Dormond have, some characters will be upgraded with a Sniper specialization that will allow them to attack the enemy from long range without suffering any kind of retaliation. There will be various rules in effect for that. Don't expect a Sniper to hit very well when a sandstorm is in effect, for example.

[Dracorion]

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

Absorbers will actually take quite a bit of punishment before being destroyed. They have a great amount of hit points with no type weaknesses. However, when you actually get to fight the Ruin General, you'll be to target Absorbers directly.

Great. So how quickly can Lexhur make more Absorbers?

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

*sigh*

Someone stop me before that becomes an in-joke to piss off Bard.

Well it won't be me.

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

@ Dracorian: Gawd, that fucking D key, I'm gonna stab it!

Don't do that. Then I'd just be Racorion.

So, about the Absorbers. Can we hit them now? Because, see:

"The hell are those things?" Rayleen asked Mika.
"I wish I knew," Mika said. "We can't hit them from here, though. We'll just have to proceed carefully."

Here Mika says we can't hit them, but then:

"If we pump enough moves of a certain type out, we could probably destroy the Absorber for that type as it gobbles all those moves up."

Kiyomi seems to imply that we can. Of course, she could just be talking about how we could take them out once we can target them later.

[Astral Harmony]

What all that stuff that was typed up means is that an Absorber is damaged by what it absorbs. In other words, if you pump out enough dragon type moves, the Dragon Absorber will absorb them all, but it'll also take damage from all that it absorbs and, with enough moves, it will be overcome and destroyed.

It's not an effective tactic, but since Lexhur's dumbass is a Sniper at this point, it's all you got, Racorian.

As for how soon Lexhur replaces fallen Absorbers, each other turn, he'll generate an Absorber. This starts whenever you destroy one. And then again, it may not be the same Absorber as what you destroyed. It really depends on what types of moves you use most frequently. So, if you're clever, you can fool Lexhur into generating an Absorber that really doesn't help his side much. He'll auto-kill it and generate another if he finds he's been duped, but that's still a couple extra turns you've netted yourself.

[Dracorion]

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

It's not an effective tactic, but since Lexhur's dumbass is a Sniper at this point, it's all you got, Racorian.

I find myself oddly empathetic with Bard right now...

It's probably nothing.

Anyway, can physical moves hit flying enemies like Harpressors?

I'm assuming that flying pokemon can use physical moves on fliers, I just wanna know whether or not any pokemon can do it.

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

As for how soon Lexhur replaces fallen Absorbers, each other turn, he'll generate an Absorber. This starts whenever you destroy one. And then again, it may not be the same Absorber as what you destroyed. It really depends on what types of moves you use most frequently. So, if you're clever, you can fool Lexhur into generating an Absorber that really doesn't help his side much. He's auto-kill it and generate another if he finds he's been duped, but that's still a couple extra turns you've netted yourself.

This sounds very stupid.

I mean, sure, let's waste a couple of turns using moves that totally suck on a goddamn tanktrain that probably has ungodly amounts of HP, only one fuckin' weakness, resistances to damn near everything and enough guns to qualify as a giant death ray.

[Astral Harmony]

Physical moves can hit fliers, sure. Just pretend it's Final Fantasy XIII and jump 50 feet off the ground to smite 'em with a stick.

And yes, it is stupid. It's up to you to find a smart way around it.

Actually, there's a couple of actually helpful methods of crippling Absorbers. Electric and Water type attacks. Against mechanical foes that aren't Pokemon, like those Absorbers, you can inflict two unique conditions: Overload and Short.

Electric attacks can inflict an Overload condition on an Absorber, temporarily making it sort of "switch" and work against your enemies instead of you.

Water attacks can inflict a Short condition, temporarily disabling its ability to Absorb anything.

When you gain the ability to actually hit them directly, those two attack types might help you against Absorbers, the Gabriel Force, all kinds of mechanical non-Pokemon foes.

[Dracorion]

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

And yes, it is stupid. It's up to you to find a smart way around it.

I'd just go with the tried-and-true approach: Kill Everything. Specifically, throw enough Dragon moves in one turn to overwhelm the Absorber and put the hurt on Lexhur.

Ah, screw it. I'm implementing plan Know Thy Enemy.

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

Electric attacks can inflict an Overload condition on an Absorber, temporarily making it sort of "switch" and work against your enemies instead of you.

Water attacks can inflict a Short condition, temporarily disabling its ability to Absorb anything.

Huh. You know, I could've sworn there was a pokemon that was perfect for this. Maybe you know which one it is: kinda bitchy, super jealous, has an inexplicable crush that would put hardcore stalkers to shame on a jerk.


Okay, so. New plan:

---------
Rachel: Return Regigigas, Pokeshift, Paradigm Shift, Magnet Crush.
Charlotte: Heal Buck, Dragon Pulse Harpressor A.
Shizuka: Attack Harpressor A.
Rayleen: Deploy Salamence, Dragon Claw Harpressor B.
Dormond: Signature Technique Snap Trap on the Juggernaut that wasn't Mika's.
Impact: Pull out Dragon Slave, attack Harpressor B.
Pierce: Kingdra to Divide Dragon Pulse between Harpressors A & B. If one of them is dead, Divide between live Harpressor and Mika's Juggernaut.
Charlotte's personal: Attack Orbishriek B.
Pierce's personal: Attack Orbishriek B.
Kiyomi & Mika: Prep Hotwheel.

I'm tempted to just have Charlotte and Pierce concentrate on Mika's Juggernaut, since we don't actually have to worry about Orbishriek B until next turn.

Still, their attacks are pretty weak so they may be of better use in putting down a weak opponent rather than trying to take on a Juggernaut.

How many Absorbers can Lexhur have active at the same time? Just four?

[Bard The 5th LW]

Well it won't be me.

Hate. Growing.

Why can't you all just express exasperation by saying so like normal internet robots. It makes me angry when you don't.

[Geminex]

How long does magnet crush last? How long will we be able to attack without absorber interference?

Also, will the Ruin pokemon keep getting reinforcements?

Rachel: Return Regigigas, Pokeshift, Paradigm Shift, Magnet Crush.
Charlotte: Heal Buck, Dragon Pulse Harpressor A.
Shizuka: Attack Harpressor A.
Rayleen: Deploy Salamence, Dragon Claw Harpressor B.
Dormond: Signature Technique Snap Trap on the Juggernaut that wasn't Mika's.
Impact: Pull out Dragon Slave, attack Harpressor B.
Pierce: Kingdra to Divide Dragon Pulse between Harpressors A & B. If one of them is dead, Divide between live Harpressor and Mika's Juggernaut.
Charlotte's personal: Attack Orbishriek B.
Pierce's personal: Attack Orbishriek B.
Kiyomi & Mika: Prep Hotwheel.

Ok... Looks good so far. I agree with killing the Harpressor the way you're suggesting.
Two things, though:
First, from what I read in the RP, the Orbishriek won't die from hot wheels, just get weakened.
Second, don't we have any sleep moves? I'd much prefer to put Mika's Juggernaut to sleep.

[Dracorion]

Originally Posted by Geminex

Two things, though:
First, from what I read in the RP, the Orbishriek won't die from hot wheels, just get weakened.

And Signature Sequences take a turn to charge. But see, the Orbishrieks are prepping a Syncstrike with Absolute Blast, an attack of theirs that takes a turn to charge. So their Syncstrike won't be this turn (the one we haven't started yet because no one's posted), it'll be the one after that. We can finish them off then.

Originally Posted by Geminex

Second, don't we have any sleep moves? I'd much prefer to put Mika's Juggernaut to sleep.

'Fraid not. Sorry.

EDIT: AUGH PIERCE IS A CANNIBAL.

EDIT 2: Here's something I forgot to address way back from the last thread:

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

That was my bad on the Shadow Tag shit as well. Definitely no more big battles in the future. It's difficult to keep up with all the abilities and whatnot. Hell, last night I was confused as shit because I couldn't for the life of me figure out if Steelix was Mr. Skarmory's Pokemon or Mr. Donphan's.

I don't know about the rest of the PCs, but I like the big battles. They're fun.

I'm willing to help you keep track of abilities and moves and shit if they're getting too difficult for you. Maybe the rest of the players can pitch in too.

I mean, if you want to tone them down that's fine, just don't get rid of them completely.

Also, you said there would be two more battles without any healing inbetween? Does that mean they're going to be consecutive and there won't be a sleepover during this mission? Because Pierce wanted to talk to Mika. Plus he hasn't gotten shitfaced yet.

EDIT 3:

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

When you gain the ability to actually hit them directly, those two attack types might help you against Absorbers, the Gabriel Force, all kinds of mechanical non-Pokemon foes.

And this. Does Lexhur count as a "mechanical non-Pokemon foe"?

[Menarker]

AB: Quick question to ask. Do trainers have the ability to use an item as well as attack on the same turn? I could have sworn it was asked before, but my memory is foggy.

Also, how do moves that operate on being hit first like Avalanche and Payback operate? (Since the good guys all move before the bad guys, regardless of speed it seems)