Pokemon Umbral Discussion 29: I Dare Nintendo To Make This a Game

[Menarker]

I think we're pretty much decided on this one AB:

Harliette: Aquashot, fuck yeah. STAB plus weather bonus (on Wildfire, silly!). Nidoqueen to use focused earthquake, Illumise to use helping hand on its master
Charlotte: Pike to use Thunder, Hammond with Stone edge
Pierce: Aria using Thunder, Kingdra using a water attack on Harliette
Rachel: Rage Rocket on Wilhelmina. Rage Rocket on Rachel.
Renny: Swampert use Surf on Impact and Fanthom for cleaning. Magnezone to use Mimic to mimic a water move on Matt for same reason.
Moon: Deploy Fathom and Starmie, one using a water moves on Impact and the other on Matt.
Wilhelmina: Maid to Mistress, two Dark Shots toward Wildfire.
Matthias: Paradigm shift to Porygon Z, use Hyper Beam (paradigm-shifted pokebrids don't need to recharge, do they? If they do, thunder instead.)
Lexhur: Save up his rage.
Impact: HV rifle. Hopefully gets water and fire armor next turn. Hint hint.
Trainer attacks to hit wildfire as well, if they can.
If a water move to wash off oil is used on an already-clean ally, have that water move redirect to Impact. If Impact's clean, wash off Matt, if Matt's clean, wash off Harliette.

[Geminex]

I knew that water attacks against allies don't do damage. But backlash still hurts them, doesn't it? Like, Surf hits two targets, and an ally. As long as the "Primary" targets are allies, sure, they need take no damage. But the ally will take full attack damage, no?

As for the rest...
Fair enough. Let us wing it. But don't be surprised if we start losing horribly, and we start insulting you, because you smell.

Because the only thing that's kept us alive so far is strategy. If we lose that, then we die. WE DIE SO HARD.
Mind you, I don't think you'll take it all away. There'll be enough predictability to set up some stuff. But we'll have to play cautiously.

And you're right. You are testing us. You're testing us OOC. But we're testing you as well. Because see, unpredictability lasts only until we become genre-savvy. And it also only lasts until I start predicting you.
I give you 2 missions.

Edit:
Also, dibs on Burkmont's head.
Edit2:
In fact, dibs on his life. Villain to villain, y'know?

[Menarker]

Hmmm... so you call dibs on Burkmont. Any chance I can call dibs on Faynoc? Or do I have to wait for a third tremendous threat? (Which for all we know might be Idolus or whoever is higher than him or the Ruin Generals in general.)

[Astral Harmony]

I wouldn't worry about backlash damage. If the attack is greatly lessened to function as a cleaning effort, why would the backlash hurt? Effectively, one could attempt to clean three allies that way.

It may seem a little unfair that a Pokemon could wash three why Impact would need Rage just to wash two, but since oil really shouldn't be an issue anymore, I can't see myself making up a rule based on that.

What I'm most concerned about these days is underwater combat. I cannot think of a logical way for you guys to fight the Water Ruin General (Lathiron if I remember? Names imagined on the fly, as well) in a way where you're on the shoreline. Obviously, this'll happen during Mission 4 at the beach. There's always the "fighting on a floating platform", but it only makes sense that Lathiron would smash into the platform to knock combatants into the water.

Here's my guess as to how underwater combat would go:

- Obviously, no problems whatsoever to water Pokemon. I daresay Fathom's Water Absorb ability will give him regenerative powers.
- Fire moves would be wildly ineffective. Electric moves would be just as dangerous to you as they are to Lathiron. I may remove this logic because it really sucks to cripple units.
- Running out of breath would be a huge concern, forcing you to surface (leave combat for a turn) to get a few gulps. This will most likely become an issue should...oh, Lathiron actually destroy the floating platform and force you all to engage him underwater. Aqualungs would be supplied, but the possibility of having those devices destroyed should be taken into account.
- Or maybe I'll just give you guys the breath-holding ability of Blitzball players.

If I could get underwater combat thought up really well, I'd do additional segments of it (actually I'd pretty much have to since Amplaive is also aquatic), maybe even at the arena. Arena matches should be exciting and spontaneous, y'know.

I thought about Gem's idea for a Scout, and I think I'll very well do that. You are right, of course. I should really think ahead of what a boss could do and give that info to some special Recon unit to give you guys before you're commited to the first phase. That should provide you with some early direction while still giving the boss a few tricks to surprise you with later on in the battle.

[Geminex]

If I could get underwater combat thought up really well, I'd do additional segments of it, maybe even at the arena. Arena matches should be exciting and spontaneous, y'know.

Drownball!

I thought about Gem's idea for a Scout, and I think I'll very well do that. You are right, of course. I should really think ahead of what a boss could do and give that info to some special Recon unit to give you guys before you're commited to the first phase. That should provide you with some early direction while still giving the boss a few tricks to surprise you with later on in the battle.

You are awesome. As is this RP. Also, we're one step closer to this:

Which just makes everything even more awesome.

As for the water general... yeah, it'll probably have to be underwater. It'll be cool, though. Especially if we find a few creative ways to modify weather effects.

[Astral Harmony]

If underwater combat could be ironed out sooner, it might be possible to use it in Pierce's sidequest.

Then we can figure out how to do the other kind of battling. Eventually, we're gonna hafta find a way to take battles to the sky, at least in excess of 15,000 feet. I know a few bosses who wouldn't fly any lower.

[Geminex]

We can all do some thinking on underwater battles. It'd make sense for some pokemon to be more effective than others, but to what extent?


And I don't think air battles will be a problem. I mean, come on, one word. Jetpacks.
Next problem?

[Astral Harmony]

Probably one of the most chaotic aspects of aerial combat will be when (not a matter of if) fighting on a flying airship. I have ideas about using the Recon unit to range hack certain engines and temporarily shut 'em down so the airship tilts but remains airborne, then using flying-type moves to overpower an enemy's balance and known 'em over the side. After all, what fun is fighting in the air when no one is sent screaming towards a certain new life as a pancake of questionable consistency? Burkmont is definitely the fucker who would have airships to send plummeting into the ground.

Impact would definitely have a jetpack. Matthias can fly thanks to his Venomoth form, Charlotte has Hammond, Renny has Togekiss and Magnezone, Pierce has...can Aria fly?

[Geminex]

Aria, probably, as well as Skarmory. Plus, most legendaries can fly, right?

[Dracorion]

Aria can Fly.

Also, Enmakki could just shapeshift into a big flying thing.

And Christ, it's about time we finished up the Mollesk discussion.

Originally Posted by Menarker

Hmmm... so you call dibs on Burkmont. Any chance I can call dibs on Faynoc? Or do I have to wait for a third tremendous threat? (Which for all we know might be Idolus or whoever is higher than him or the Ruin Generals in general.)

Sorry. My sidequest.

And really, flying battles? I got one word for you: Ram them. I can see Pierce taking control of the wheel and crashing PATCA's airship into Burkmont's, sending both crashing down to earth in a twisted heap of metal and fire.

Because you know what's cooler than air battles?

Falling battles.