#scizor then used agility and knock everyone out

[lwuoesu]

[the-awoken-crusader-blog]

The Judgement

[PoV: Meikakuna]

[Location: The Atiel League]

It took me several days worth of travel to eventually reach this Atiel League, despite the fact that I’m only running on the words of a pathetic Garchomp...it’s very much the only lead I have.

The place is...definitely something to say the least, seeing how towering the building is and the vast number of people going to and fro. I’m not really one for crowds, but at least the fighters are giving me of looks of curiosity and suspicion rather than suggestive smiles and playful winks.

Lashing out at others for flirting will draw a good deal of bad attention towards me, something I can’t afford. So I need to keep my temper in check if the situation does arrive, otherwise finding Tapferkeit will be...even more difficult than it already is.

But I doubt that’ll be the case, seeing that most of the people here seem to keep to themselves. Which is more than good enough for me normally, but sadly I need to inquire around in order to gain knowledge on Tapferkeit’s whereabouts.

Steeling my nerves I began the process of asking strangers, seeing if any individuals know of this Crusader. Surprisingly...they do, in fact one even informed me that a match with the Crusader involved is about to begin.

To find out that such a match is happening incredibly soon, it’s as if Arceus themself must’ve took pity on my plight and gave me the perfect opportunity to witness and judge Tapferkeit.

As quickly as I could I made a bee-line for the desk, paying whatever the fare is to have admission to the arena. From the sounds I’m hearing as I rush to the stands, the match is already preparing to start.

With some difficulty I make my way to my seat, my eyes falling upon the ring in the center where the fight shall take place. Standing to the side of the ring is an odd-colored Scizor with a microphone in one of her claws, it appears that she’s currently introducing the fighters of the match.

On one side I see a Delphox and a Toxicroak, despite the distance I could see the tenseness in their forms. Their body language shows that they’re experience fighters, however something is making them very nervous.

Before I could investigate further the voice of the Scizor breaks my train of thought. “-And now for the Titan of this Titan Match! We have the Metal Giant, Tapferkeit!”

The roar of the crowd intensifies, causing me to wince slightly as I shift my gaze to the other side of the ring. I couldn’t help but feel my jaw drop as my eyes fall upon the individual known as Tapferkeit, the words that described this Golurk did him no justice.

He stood twice as tall compared to the Delphox and Toxicroak, no wonder those two felt so nervous. His size alone is greatly intimidating, so I can only wonder how his might will compare.

During my admiration I seemed to have lost track of time, for the warriors have already taken their combat-ready stances as the Scizor began her countdown.

“Ready... Set... GO!” She shouts, signifying that the match has begun.

The Toxicroak immediately leaped into action, running at an angle to flank Tapferkeit’s side as the Delphox prepared a fire attack with her wand.

The Golurk didn’t move at first, instead standing stock still as he observed them. Once the Toxicroak got close his fist became enveloped in orange energy, what I recognize to be Rock Smash. The Delphox also conjures several floating spheres of fire before unleashing them at her opponent, if the Will-O-Wisps and the Rock Smash were to collide...they will surely deal a great deal of damage to the Crusader.

That is when Tapferkeit made his move, due to his size he’s unable to sidestep the attacks because of how quickly they came at him...so instead he angled himself to face the two and raised one of his arms. The lines on his hand flashes green before a large wall of similar-colored energy forms before him, its surface acting as a shield that blocked the attacks.

As quickly as it formed the shield vanishes, the Golurk bringing his other fist and delivering a powering swing at the Toxicroak. Being the agile Pokemon he is Frog easily jumped back to avoid the dangerous swing, for if it were to connect...it would most likely have knocked him out of the fight right then and there.

And so the fight continued, the Delphox and Toxicroak forced to using their speed and range to use hit-and-run tactics in order to suppress their giant foe. It left no choice but for Tapferkeit to be on the defensive, either forced to take the brunt of the attacks or blocking them with his make-shift shield. Despite how dire his situation seemed, he didn’t look like he minded. In fact, it’s as if he’s actually enjoying the fight.

The Toxicroak made a circle around Tapferkeit before leaping at his back, once again preparing to deliver another Rock Smash in hopes of finally crippling the giant...

...However little did he realize that the Golurk was waiting for him to do just that very thing.

Tapferkeit spins to face the Toxicroak with an outstretched hand, grasping the Pokemon’s body before he could even reach him. The Pokemon’s eyes widen in fear, realizing what kind of situation he just got himself into.

The crowd gasps at this sudden turn of events, for now the Toxicroak is at the Golurk’s mercy.

Seeing her companion in danger, the Delphox immediately thrusts her wand forward to unleash a powerful Flamethrower in hopes of forcing Tapferkeit to release her captured partner.

And Tapferkeit did in fact reelease, but in a way that she didn’t expect. Twisting his body the Golurk flings the Toxicroak right at the incoming attack, not only blocking the flames but sending him sailing right into the Delphox. The two Pokemon are sent tumbling to the ground, the force of the throw causing them to slide a good distance before eventually stopping.

I couldn’t help but wince at the impact as well as the noise from the audience due to the unexpected turn, combined with the Scizor’s energetic announcements it makes the roar of the crowd to an almost deafening point.

It’s obvious that the Toxicroak won’t be getting back up anytime soon, for not only was he used as a projectile but he also took the Flamethrower right to the face The Delphox herself doesn’t seem to be in good shape either, due to how hard her friend was thrown at her. However she’s still conscious and capable of fighting, while her friend is not.

I’ve seen enough to know that this is over, all it takes now is for Tapferkeit to charge and knock out the Delphox due to her being trapped underneath the Toxicroak.

And that is what I expected him to do, only...for me to be ver ywrong.

Instead the Golurk crosses his arms, waiting patiently for the Delphox to slowly push her companion off herself and get back to her feet. In fact he shouted words of encouragement, much to my surprise.

“Stand back up, lass! The fight is not over yet!” He booms, the intensity of his voice contesting with that of the crowd itself. “I know there is more strength in you! Show this Crusader what you have!”

What is he doing? He could’ve ended the fight right then and there, she was in such a state that she would’ve been incapable of stopping him. And yet he waits and even encourages the Delphox to stand back up, what is he getting out of that?

It’s obvious that the Delphox is just as confused as I am, seeing how she looks at the Golurk with a mixture of suspicion and uncertainty. But nevertheless she's now standing, her wand gripped tightly in her hand.

With her back on her feet, the Golurk resumed the fight by charging her. However unlike earlier he went completely on the offensive, relentlessly delivering powerful swing after swing.

Without her companion to distract him, the Delphox is forced to do nothing but dodge his attacks. With how much pressure the Golurk is putting on her, she’s unable to even retaliate back. She’s not built for agility like the Toxicroak, so she’s going to quickly exhaust herself at this rate or make a misstep that will immediately end the fight.

Tapferkeit could’ve kept the constant onslaught of powerful swings, to make the Delphox keep dodging until she tires herself out. But instead of prolonging the inevitable, he takes a different action. He stops his swinging and raises one foot before slamming it hard into the ground, channeling his power into the action he causes the floor before him to crack and shake violently.

The Delphox tried to avoid it, but due to how sudden the Earthquake was she ends up losing her balance and stumbling to the ground.

Tapferkeit covers the distance and approaches the Delphox, who is already utterly exhausted. Her eyes widen as she sees the titan looming over her, his fists clenched tightly. He leans over and extends one of his hands towards the Pokemon, lightly tapping her head with a finger.

“You fought well, lass.” He says quietly, giving her an approving nod.

Silence befalls the arena as they watch the situation tensely, waiting to see how the Delphox would respond. Eventually she closes her eyes and nods her head, saying something I could only assume was her admitting defeat.

With that the Scizor suddenly breaks the silence. “What a match, ladies and gents!” She announces, with her words snapping everyone out of their stupor the crowd roars in response. I couldn’t help but sit still, processing what happened.

That match... It’s not that those two warriors weren’t skilled, it’s just that they weren’t prepared to fight a foe such as Tapferkeit. Despite the onslaught, he held his ground until the Toxicroak gave him the opportunity to win. Even with the large number of burn marks and dents, he looks as if he’s ready to immediately participate in yet another fight.

He truly is a force to be reckoned with...

"And the winner of this round is Tapferkeit! Ladies and gents, let us give a loud round of applause to the Metal Giant!” The Scizor cheers. Due to the fact that Tapferkeit’s arm is too large for her to grip, she instead makes do with thrusting her free claw into the air with the Crusader following suit.

Seeing enough, I quickly make my way out towards the lobby in order to wait for him. Not a doubt in my mind the Golurk holds the potential, someone of his caliber...perhaps even he could possibly beat Kelviks.

As I wait impatiently the doors eventually open, revealing the Crusader walking out. On his body he sports various injuries that his opponents have inflicted upon him during the fight, however he himself doesn’t seem too worse for wear.

Before I open my mouth to speak I freeze, noticing a giant hammer resting on his shoulder.

He...has a hammer?! Since when?! Why didn’t he even use it in the fight? Seeing how well he did, if he were to use that weapon...

By the gods...

Noticing my staring, the Golurk looks at me before laughing. “Greetings, lass!” He booms, making his way towards me. “I assume that you’ve watched the match, eh?”

Seeing that he approached me instead of vice versa, I quickly recollect my thoughts. “Yes indeed, Crusader.” I eventually say, putting my thoughts under much tighter reins. I couldn’t help but glance back at his hammer, the size of the weapon making the Golurk even more intimidating. “There is something I would like to speak to you about.”

The Crusader tilts his head slightly, the amused twinkle in his eye turning to one of curiosity. “Something you wish to speak to me about?” He asks. “Very well! I am all open, dear lass! Tell this Crusader what you have to say!”

Despite being put-off by his rather outgoing personality, I prepare myself for the main reason why I’m here. “Tapferkeit, the reason for my presence being here is because I’ve been searching for you.” This causes him to tilt his head ever so more, however he remains silent so that I can continue. “Where I come from, there is an Arena... The one who takes care of it has been searching for a warrior of great strength, one capable of defeating the arena.” I cross my arms over my chest, my pink eyes meeting his single yellow. “There is a dangerous force that is about to enter this world, in order to defeat it once and for all...he needs a warrior worthy of taking it on.”

A small smile works its way onto my face. “After witnessing the fight, I have no doubt that you possess the potential to be that warrior.”

Having absorbed what I said, the Golurk lets out a laugh. “A worthy warrior eh? I am honored for you to have approached me out of all the others!” His glance turns to his hammer. “However that fight, I have not used my full potential! Weapons are forbidden to be used here, so I was forced to make do without my mighty hammer!” He looks back to me, the glow in his eye intensifying. “If you seek a powerful warrior to challenge this arena in order to be worthy of fighting this force, I shall gladly accept!”

With that a massive weight was lifted off my shoulders, for I was prepared to explain in even further detail if he were to have no interest in going to the arena. Letting out the breath I never realized I was holding I reach into my bag for a piece of paper, containing directions. “Your willingness to go relieves me greatly, Tapferkeit.” I sigh. “We’ve been searching for someone for a long time, so to finally find someone who holds that promise and accept...it gladdens me immensely.”

“It would go against everything I stand for if I were to not accept, my friend.” He reassures, accepting the small paper in his massive hands. “However there are some things that I must take care of, but with these directions...I will meet you at this arena you speak of!” With his fist he taps his chest. “By the honor of a Talon Crusader, you have my word!”

Unable to suppress my smile, a grin makes its way onto my face. “Thank you, Tapferkeit.” I thank, bowing my head. “Until we meet again.”

With that I turn and make my way out of the Atiel League, all that’s left for me is to return to the Arena...

...And inform Kelviks that I have in fact, found a warrior with potential...

(Cameos: Rhoslyn of @thevaloroushearts)

[puclpodcast]

Pokemon of the Week #46 – Lanturn

Glub Glub PUCL readers, do you see that light in the distance, that haunting yet beautiful glow Illuminating the darkness of the ocean. If you get close enough you might see one of the most adorable Pokemon known to man but it might also be the last thing you ever see. Its a Lanturn and it happens to be my favourite Pokemon. It is another Generation 2 Pokemon with the perfect cross between simplicity and creativity in its design, and it has some interesting back story to boot. Before we jump into this article I want to shout out or Discord where I learned many of our members share a love of Lanturn and we had some great discussions.

National Dex #745 – Lanturn

Description: The Light Pokemon Type: Water/Electric Abilities: Volt Absorb/Illuminate Hidden Ability: Water Absorb Competitive: [Smogon PU] [Smogon NU] [Smogon RU] [Chinchou Smogon LC] Evolution: Chinchou -> Level 27 -> Lanturn

Origin: Lanturn’s name is a play on “lantern”. Since it learns Volt Switch I have linked the “turn” part to the Volt-Turn strategy. However, since that came out after Gold and Silver I’m sure the initial reason behind the spelling is that Lanturn “turns” all frowns upside down with its adorable, goofy appearance. Lanturn is based on an anglerfish and though its appearance is much friendlier, its Pokedex entries often speak of it luring prey using its light exactly how an anglerfish would. Original Appearance: Pokemon Gold and Silver Dex Entry [Day: Sun]: Should you peer into the ocean at night and see a light shining like the stars, that is Lanturn. TCG:

Sun & Moon

Shiny:

Analysis:

Lanturn in my opinion is what happens when you cross an anglerfish with a dolphin. It has the cuteness of a dolphin with the uniqueness of the anglerfish. I have always described it as derpy, floating through the ocean doing its own thing with a big smile on its face.

Lanturn comes equipped with Illuminate, the best ability in the game for anyone scared of the Dark or hunting in the ocean. For everyone else there is Volt Absorb and Water Absorb. There are few Pokemon with two different immunity abilities, Bronzong is sort of one and I actually can’t think of any others right now. Either way though it forces the opponent into a guessing game, do you have Volt Absorb or Water Absorb. With Lanturn you almost always choose Volt Absorb since you already resist Water but I remember back in ORAS RU I ran a Water Absorb Lanturn + Camerupt core that was a lot of fun. On the stats side, Lanturn is very PU looking. Its strongest feature is its large 125HP with decent SpDef and SpAtt. Its Speed is mediocre and its Physical stats are poor.

SumtimesIFly’s sister’s homemade present to him

  Lanturn’s attacking moves are well defined. The standard Water and Electric STAB moves like Hydro Pump, Scald, Thunderbolt, and Volt Switch are there plus it has Ice Beam, Dazzling Gleam, and Signal Beam for coverage. I even thought of running Watmel Berry and Natural Gift to lure in Ferrothorn or Magearna which were huge threats to one of my teams. Its utility goes on forever and all of the moves offer interesting sets. Ion Deluge, Heal Bell, Eerie Impulse, Whirlpool, Icy Wind, Agility, Aqua Ring, Amnesia to name a few. My favourite is Amnesia/Aqua Ring/Heal Bell because I have dreams where no Physical Pokemon exist and Leftovers Lanturn sits there in its ring of water as Pokemon try to bother it but it doesn’t feel a thing. Unfortunately, that never works as planned but its cute thought. As with every new game I hope that in Ultra Sun and Moon Lanturn get access to Tail Glow. I know it isn’t technically a tail but it fits so well and would be a huge buff.

There are a few sets on Smogon that I’ll cover here. The first is Choice Specs. It turns out that in PU Lanturn’s speed isn’t the worst around and it can actually be run as an Choice Specs user with really any combination of moves you desire. Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, Hydro Pump, Ice Beam, Signal Beam, Dazzling Gleam, or HP Fire. I haven’t played much PU so I don’t know how effective it would be but it sounds like a reasonable threat. A much more interesting set that relies on Lanturn’s strengths is that of a cleric. It runs Leftovers for recovery, Heal Bell for clericing…, Volt Switch, Scald, and Toxic. Some sets run Protect over Toxic to get more recovery but I think it needs Toxic to prevent it from being free set up fodder. In lower tiers, status is very common and having a cleric can be game winning and single handedly counter some teams that rely on status as a win condition. Lanturn has free switch ins on almost all Electric, Steel, and Water types giving it plenty of opportunity to use Heal Bell, throw off a Toxic, or pivot out with Volt Switch. You’ll notice throughout all of these sets that Volt Switch is present. I think that Lanturns #1 best use is as a pivot since it is bulky enough to absorb a hit and then pivot out gaining you momentum. For this reason it is important your team has answers to Ground types because they will prevent this strategy from really taking off.

For the past week I have been playing all sorts of Lanturn teams that I’ve made. I would have done PU where it finds itself currently ranked but I received some challenges to show off Lanturn’s true potential! That being said it is hard to make Lanturn the core of a team due to its poor offenses so you will see that I use it as more of a support Pokemon to help set the stage for other threats. Here is my team for RU. This was my first foray into SM RU meaning I won’t recommend this team. There is plenty of room for improvement once I understand the threats and counters present in the tier but it can be a starting point. I initially tried the Aqua Ring strategy I mentioned earlier but that never had enough impact and I switched it up. Welcome the Heatran of RU PUCL. With Whirlpool it can trap an opponent’s Pokemon that would cause your team trouble or if you are lucky that you counter completely. Something like Galvantula, Blastoise, or Diancie. Once it has fallen into your trap you throw off a Toxic and Protect every other turn until they are toast. Since Lanturn is typically too slow for Substitute, which Heatran runs, I replaced it with Heal Bell to prevent the trapped Pokemon from Toxic-ing you back. When not trapping this set can still act as a cleric, throw off Toxic, or gain momentum because whirlpooled opponents can’t switch giving you an easy prediction. Here are some replays i have of it in action! (ignore my Zoroark lapse in game 2 please, it was kind of late)

http://bit.ly/2gBeHIe http://bit.ly/2eEY9Ce

Alright now for the real test of Lanturn’s merit, OU. I have been climbing the suspect test ladder up to #148 (1332 ELO) with this set. It has been a lot of fun too and I am much more confident in this team than the RU one so I encourage you to try it out. My goal was to pair Lanturn with an Electric weak team because it is not only immune to Electric types it walls the common sets completely. Tapu Koko, Manetric, not Xircuitry because of Energy Ball, and most Magearna sets. For this reason you see Gyarados and Celesteela present. The key thing about Lanturn is that it is Ground weak so it needs good Ground switch ins surrounding it. Both Celesteela and Landorus-T fit that category, plus Mew is there for Zygarde and Garchomp. Landorus is Scarfed to deal with Volcarona as well. Finally, I needed another threat to round out my mostly defensive team which is why I chose Magearna. With Fairy/Electric coverage it hits most of the things that the rest of my team can’t deal with. It can also switch in easily on moves that threaten the rest of the squad, Will-o-Wisp, Knock Off, and Toxic, then proceed to set up. Enough about the team lets talk about the star. I wanted Lanturn to be a slow pivot and that was it. I wanted it to take a hit then Volt Switch out into a counter. Therefore it is max HP and SpDef with a snazzy Assualt Vest. For moves it ran Scald to avoid being a free switch in by Physical attackers, Ice Beam and Dazzling Gleam for coverage. With a lack of threatening Ground and Grass type Special Attackers there isn’t a Special move out there that can put a dent in this sharp dressed fish. It is a great teammate to have when fighting Tapu Koko rain teams as well because it counters Pelliper, Koko, and Greninja. I actually found my set was too fast and that I was outspeeding things like Clefable. If I were making this team again I might run even less Speed because being a slow pivot is that important. It lets you get in your Gyarados or Magearna to set up and win in the late game or Landorus to put on pressure mid game. One more change I would make is to run enough SpAtt to KO Landorus with Ice Beam. Ground types are a serious threat to this strategy so luring it in with your bright Electric type light before demolishing it with an Ice Beam offers game winning potential. My final comment is that Dazzling Gleam may not be that important. The only Pokemon I really needed it for was Kyurem but I far more frequently struggled with Ferrothorn and Scizor so it might be a good idea to use that lure on your head one more time and learn HP Fire. I added some replays below of it doing its thing in OU!

http://bit.ly/2eFit6p http://bit.ly/2gANqFU

xRainxWhenxIxDiex

This article is super long, but I find it fitting for my favourite Pokemon. Lanturn’s little brother Chinchou may not have its cuteness but it does have much better recognition in its tier. I won’t get too into the details but both the Berry Juice and Choice Scarf sets can be very effective in Little Cup. Even in VGC, if you are looking to play some goofy games, you can run Soak Lanturn with Tapu Bulu/Koko to get some surprise KO’s. There is plenty of room for trying new things with Lanturn which brings us to the theory crafting of the week. Ion Deluge Lanturn. Ion Deluge is a unique move that Lanturn learns with +1 priority. It transforms all normal type attacks this turn into Electric type allowing it to not only eliminate the damage but to heal thanks to Volt Absorb. By adding Toxic onto this set you can wear down threats in your tier, such as CurseLax or Swellow in RU, while they futilely try to attack you, only being able to heal you instead. I haven’t tried it but it is next on my list of Lanturn sets for sure.

Kezrek (my phone background for the past several years)

  In the icy depths the sea churns, lost Pokemon can’t find their way, until by the soft glow of Lanturns, they are guided back to light of day. I hope this article didn’t drag on too long and that it helped fuel PUCL’s Lanturn love. Let me know your favourite Lanturn/Chinchou sets or facts either here or in the Discord! Until next time, SumtimesIFly

from Pokemon of the Week #46 – Lanturn