Venomoth vs Markoth | |
---|---|
Season | 1 |
Season Episode | 3 |
Air date | 3/21/23 |
Written by | Salty Gibus |
Episode guide | |
Previous [Reinhardt vs Olberic] |
Next [Lucas vs Akira] |
It's day and night between these two, even if they're both moths. This Death Battle features Venomoth from Pokémon and Markoth from Hollow Knight.
Description[]
Pokémon vs Hollow Knight! Moths are always known for blending the line of day and night, but for these two, that line's clear as day. Or night. Between these two battle-hardened moths, who'll win a fight beyond death? Can Markoth keep his undefeated streak, or shall Venomoth be the only one to hold power over this ancient memory?
Interlude[]
[(Now Playing: Wiz and Boomstick - Death Battle)]
Boomstick: Man, moths are kinda annoying, aren't they Wiz?
Wiz: I don't know, Boomstick. They're actually pretty interesting creatures, being some of the few that can stay awake both night and day.
Boomstick: Meh. Least they're not as super-powered and armed like these two beasts.
Wiz: Like Venomoth, the Poison Moth Pokémon.
Boomstick: And Markoth, the Spirit of the Undefeated from Hollow Knight. He's Wiz and i'm Boomstick!
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armors, and skills to find out who would win...a Death Battle.
Venomoth flutters into DEATH BATTLE![]
[(Now Playing: Area Zero - Pokemon Scarlet/Violet)]
Wiz: From Buterfree that fly around the plains, to Beedril that make nests in the forests, the Kanto region is filled with many kinds of insect-based life during the day.
Boomstick: But don't think that the big 'scets are the only ones that're around, cause there's one more kind of bug, and it ain't zombie mushroom bugs.
Wiz: Evolving from the Insect Pokemon Venonat, this nocturnal creature is known as the Poison Moth Pokémon, Venomoth.
Information[]
- Name: Venomoth
- Species Name: The Poison Moth Pokémon
- Ability: Shield Dust/Tinted Lens
- Prevents secondary effects of opposing moves
- Powers up moves that the target resists
- Type: Bug/Psychic
- Height: 4'11"
- Weight: 27.6 lbs
- Habitats: Forests
Boomstick: Uh...Wiz, are we really doing this again? That's just a moth.
Wiz: It's not 'just a moth'! These Pokémon are highly adept at hunting at night, with their compounded eyes giving them increased detail in vision, to the point that even a Venonat's less developed eyes can act as a perfect radar.
Boomstick: Which is kinda like what moths actually have, right? That's not really all that impressive.
Wiz: But you see, it's not just that. They can compound this with the dust-like scales on their wings, which can be flapped off with enough force to scatter around an area, meaning that anyone trying to attack them is almost guaranteed to be covered in those scales!
Boomstick: ...and why's that important?
Wiz: Because, Boomstick, these scales can be both highly toxic and highly paralytic! I actually a sample of both kinds of scales, and it's fascinating. It seems like the color of the scale determines which side of the coin it falls on, with the darker shades being more poisonous, while lighter tones mean that it's more likely to paralyze someone.
Boomstick: Oh shit--yeah, that actually DOES sound cool. But sides being a living gas bomb, isn't it also just a basic bug?
Wiz: It's not just that. As all Pokémon do, Venomoth has 2 potential abilities they can have in a fight, passive and conditional powers that can give them the edge over their opponents.
Boomstick: Oh yeah, like Shield Dust, right? That Ability that only lets Venomoth be affected by the primary ability of attacks hitting them.
Wiz: And Tinted Lens, which powers up the power of moves that the opponent resists. Sure, it can only have one Ability in it's lifetime, but since both have an equal chance of being its' Ability, we'll look at both for this battle.
Boomstick: Speakin' of not very effective moves, though, how DO we know which moves are effective, and which aren't?
Wiz: That's simple, Boomstick. We just look at what the Pokémon Universe calls types.
Typing[]
- Type: Bug/Poison
- Resists: Fighting, Poison, Bug, Grass, Fairy
- Weaknesses: Flying, Rock, Fire, Psychic
Wiz: Being a Bug/Psychic type, Venomoth is strong against--
Boomstick: Uh...Wiz? That's Butterfree.
Wiz: Wait, what?
Boomstick: That's Butterfree's type, dude. Venomoth's a Bug/Poison type.
Wiz: No, Butterfree's a Bug/Flying type. Bug/Poison is Beedrill.
Boomstick: I'm tellin' you dude, you're wrong on this one. C'mon, lemme just get the phone--
Wiz: Wait not while we're filming--
Boomstick: It's just for a second-!
Boomstick: There! See!? Bug/Poison.
Wiz: I...guess you're right...
Boomstick: Hell yeah I am! Confusing as hell though.
Typing (Real)[]
- Type: Bug/Poison
- Resists: Fighting, Poison, Bug, Grass, Fairy
- Weaknesses: Flying, Rock, Fire, Psychic
Boomstick: Bein' a dual Bug/Posion-Type, Venomoth's able to only take half the damage from the superpower of Fighting-Types, the icky Poison-Types, the maws of other Bug-Types, the blades of Grass-Types, and even the fairytale power of the Fairy-Types.
Wiz: But on that end, it's also weak to the ferocious Flying-Types it's prey to, the rugged Rock-Types known for their bulk, the sheer firepower of the Fire-Types, and the intelligent Psychic-Types.
Boomstick: Yeah, that last one actually kinda makes sense. I mean, this thing ain't exactly the smartest of 'mon.
Wiz: Regardless, Pokémon Moves also have their own strengths and weaknesses, as all of them have their own Types not determined by the user's own. Moves that match the user's type, however, gain a boost in power thanks to the user being naturally adept at those kinds of attacks.
Boomstick: Right! We call these kinds of moves STAB, cause they...stab you?
Wiz: No, STAB is an acronym. Same Type Attack Boost. And Venomoth has a variety of STAB moves at it's disposal.
STAB Attacks[]
- Bug-Type
- Bug Buzz
- Leech Life
- Signal Beam
- Silver Wind
- Poison-Type
- Poison Powder
- Poison Fang
Boomstick: For Bug-Type attacks, these moves are best used on Grass, Poison, and Psychic types, and are worse off against Fighting, Fire, Flying, and Ghost types.
Wiz: Moves under this type include Bug Buzz, which fires off soundwaves of buzzing energy to both chip foes' health and weaken their non-physical resistance, Leech Life, which is a biting attack that restores the health of the user on hit, and Signal Beam, which is a beam made of light that can confuse the target with flashing colors.
Boomstick: Don't forget Silver Wind, which is like Bug Buzz, but instead of lowering the foe's stats, it can raise all of Venomoth's own stats! Talk about a boost.
Wiz: Meanwhile, for Poison-Type moves, they're best used against Fairy and Grass-Types, while being far less effective against Poison, Ground, Rock, and Ghost-Types, and being completely ineffective against Steel-Types.
Boomstick: And this guy...actually doesn't have many moves from this type. Like, it's got Poison Powder to Poison people, and Poison Fang to do the same by biting them...but that's about it.
Wiz: But what it lacks in STAB, Venomoth makes more than up for it in the variety of Types it can tap into.
Misc Types[]
- Flying
- Gust
- Air Slash
- Grass
- Stun Spore
- Sleep Powder
- Mega Drain
- Normal
- Tackle
- Disable
- Supersonic
- Foresight
- Psychic
- Confusion/Psybeam
- Zen Headbutt
- Psychic
Boomstick: It's got the Flying-Type moves Gust and Air Cutter, which are both it flapping it's wings so hard it flings air at someone. These moves deal double damage on Bug, Fighting, and Grass Types, but aren't exactly good at hitting faster Electric types and sturdier Rock or Steel types.
Wiz: Venomoth also knows the Grass Types moves Stun Spore and Sleep Powder, which are based on the paralytic properties of their scales. A proper landing from either of these moves will afflict a foe with either Paralysis or Sleep. It also knows the powerful Mega Drain, which drains the opponent of vitality on contact. Grass Type moves are great against Ground, Rock, and Water types, but have much less success on other Grass Types, along with Bug, Fire, Flying, Poison, Steel, and especially Dragon Types.
Boomstick: No duh, Wiz. It's a dragon, of course some grassy magic isn't gonna be good on it. That said, it's also got some Normal Type attacks, even if only one's actually an attacking move, the basic Tackle attack. Moves like this aren't really good for much, are barely effective against Rock and Steel types, and can't even hit Ghost-Types!
Wiz: What the Normal Type lacks in raw power, however, is made up in the sheer versatility it provides the user. Moves like Disable can briefly lock foes out of one move, Supersonic is guaranteed to make foes dizzy enough to possibly hurt themselves instead of attacking, and Foresight, making up for one of the Normal Type's weaknesses, allows Normal-Type moves to actually hit a Ghost-Type target, along with making it easier to hit an evasive target.
Boomstick: Okay, okay, maybe it's not as trash as I thought. Still it ain't as cool as it's tooootally STAB-boosted Psychic Type moves.
Wiz: One time, Boomstick. It was one time.
Boomstick: A time that was on-air.
Wiz: Ugh...well, whatever. Moves under the Psychic Type best effect Fighting and Poison-Types, whilst fairing worse against other Psychic Types, Steel-Types and are completely ineffective against Dark-Types.
Boomstick: Moves like these include the Confusion-inducing Confusion, which weirdly enough isn't the dedicated move for the Confusion status, which is instead Confuse Ray, which Venomoth doesn't have, even though it has Supersonic, which DOES inflict Confusion. Confusing, I know.
Wiz: It also knows Psybeam, which is...almost exactly like Confusion, but with stronger power.
Boomstick: It's like I said, confusing.
Wiz: But that's still not all. Venomoth can also learn Zen Headbutt, which is a rare physical form of a Psychic-Type move that can make a target flinch, alongside the powerful Psychic attack, the true form of psychic potential that allows the user to strike the foe telekinetically, potentially weakening their resistance to non-Physical attacks.
Boomstick: But with all that said, all of these moves rely on Venomoth's actual strength and speed to be useful. So just how strong IS it?
Wiz: We actually know a good measure for both power and speed, funny enough. First of all, we can use the calculations we got for the weakest Pokemon imaginable, Magikarp, thanks to it...well, being the weakest Pokémon.
(Note: As calculated in Magikarp vs Aqua (Konosuba))
Wiz: That means that, at a minimum, Venomoth can unleash a force equivalent to 6 Tons of TNT to actually injure a Magikarp, and possibly even take that much. And comparing it to the attack speed of one type of it's prey, Joltik, it can react to discharged lightning bolts, putting it at about 75 miles a second in terms of reaction time.
Boomstick: Yeesh...and here I thought it was just an ordinary bug.
Wiz: That's not even the best part, Boomstick. See, there's actually one move in Venomoth's arsenal I haven't quite yet mentioned.
Boomstick: Wait, huh? Well what is it?
Wiz: That would be Venomoth's possibly most signature move...Quiver Dance.
Quiver Dance[]
- Boosts Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed
Boomstick: ...'Quiver Dance'?
Wiz: Yes, Quiver Dance. It might sound stupid--
Boomstick: *Couch* Because it is *Cough*
Wiz: BUT, it's actually one of Venomoth's most useful moves, being that after an energetic dance-like movement, it boosts both of Venomoth's stats that apply to non-Physical attacks, alongside its' already amazing speed. All the way up to 6 stages, or a x3 boost. Especially useful since Venomoth is more focused on Special moves rather than Physical ones.
Boomstick: Wait, so taking that with the whole Magikarp scaling bit, AND the difference in Physical to Special stuff...
Wiz: That rounds out to about 25 Tons for Special Attack, 22.5 Tons for Special Defense, and gives it a reaction time of 450 miles a second!
Boomstick: Holy crap--nevermind, i'm totally down with this 'Quiver Dance'ing stuff! If fact, i'll start right now!
Wiz: Wait what-
*Noises of possibly drunk man with a gun for a leg getting on a table*
Wiz: Boomstick, wait, no!
Boomstick, audibly doing a jig on an unsteady table: Hahah! I can already feel it Wiz! No one's gonna stop meeEEEEeOH CRAP--!!!
*Noises of a fat and drunk guy hitting the floor*
Wiz: ...as I was trying to say, Quiver Dance actually translates to Butterfly Dance. So it's unlikely that you can actually perform it.
Boomstick, on the floor for being an idiot: Wish ya...told me...ugh.
Wiz: ...well either way, despite this absolute power, there are a few faults that one can take advantage of.
Weaknesses[]
- Type Disadvantages
- Flying
- Rock
- Fire
- Psychic
- Secondary Effects not guaranteed
- Intelligence
- Dedicated Stat Boosts leave them open
Wiz: First off, as said before, Venomoth takes twice as much damage from Flying, Rock, Fire, and Psychic-Type attacks.
Boomstick, getting back up from being an idiot: Ugh...yeah, plus most of its' attacks secondary effects are random when they activate. Not even a high roll, either.
Wiz: It's also...well, frankly stupid, reminding me of a certain someone. So don't expect it to create strategic plays with its' move pool.
Boomstick: And actually applying those sick stat-boosts takes time, which any enemy could take advantage of.
Wiz: But despite these shortcomings, Venomoth's still a deadly threat when they want to be. So you better watch out at night, else you might fall victim to the Poison Moth Pokémon.
Markoth draws his blade in DEATH BATTLE![]
[(Now Playing: Haunted Foes - Hollow Knight)]
Wiz: In the beginning, there was only darkness. That goes for every universe, no matter their circumstance. However, much like every universe before it, there was something to bring light to the darkness. A source of life, known as the Radience.
Boomstick: Now that's a whole can of worms we can't really get into right now, but the point is, this massive glowing bug here managed to spawn off a bunch of kids! Funny enough, they were moths.
Wiz: It was no mere coincidence, Boomstick. This Radiance created the Moth Tribe to worship it, to remember it. The light brighter than Essence...
Boomstick: Hey, no. We're not going spelunking in that rabbit hole today.
Wiz: What? C'mon Boomstick, this lore is actually really interesting!
Boomstick: And freakin' weird! Plus it's all so complicated and interconnected---we're running a versus show here, Wiz, not some lore channel.
Wiz: Sigh...fine.
Boomstick: SO, point is, these Moths were all pretty pacifistic, not even picking up weapons like other species of bugs. Which is totally lame, but don't worry! Two of these guys actually realized 'Oh shit, maybe having cool nails would actually be cool', and picked up weapons to head out in the world!
Wiz: They didn't do it because of that. They picked up weapons to explore the caverns of Hallownest, their birthplace. These adventurous bugs would be known as Thistlewind, and the one we're looking at today, Markoth. The Warrior Moth who has lost no battle.
Information[]
- Name: Markoth
- Height: ???
- Weight: ???
- Age: Unknown
- Likes: Battle, Exploration, Light
- Dislikes: Defeat, Interruptions, Peace
- One of two non-pacifistic Moth Tribe members
Wiz: Over the years, this Moth would explore as much as he could about the caverns he called home. Always trying to find new paths, new sections...and as such, new foes.
Boomstick: Yeah, unlike the virgin Thistlewind, Markoth actually honed his experience against many a foe, like a real chad would. He can contend evenly with people who can break bridges easy-peasey, and even dodge light-based attacks from these things called 'Crystal Crawlers'.
Wiz: However, his adventures would eventually lead him to Kingdom's Edge, where he would try to meditate on his actions, and in hopes of finding a truth long forgotten.
Boomstick: Instead, he just got a bunch of people constantly trying to interrupt him. So he beat the crap outta them! Y'know, I think I can get behind this guy, I do that a lot too.
Wiz: Well, this lifestyle certainly didn't help him, as while he might have been able to fight off the intruders to his meditations, he was never able to stop the inevitable force of time. And so, his mortal body withered away until there was no soul left inside.
Boomstick: Wait, waitwaitwait. He's DEAD!? That's how his story ends? Old age!?
Wiz: That's not quite true. See, in the world of Hollow Knight, there exists a force known as Dream, an eternal force that contains the memories of all bugs, both alive and dead. Essence, which Dreams themselves are made of, can collect on a body, effectively allowing the soul a life after death known as becoming a Spirit.
Boomstick: Oh...so basically, he just became a ghost?
Wiz: Well, I mean, yeah, but--
Boomstick: So ghost moth, got it!
Wiz: It's way more nuanced than that!
Boomstick: Well as a ghost moth, Markoth gained quite a few tricks up his sleeves based on his skills when he was alive.
Techniques/Gear[]
- Spirit Physiology
- Nail Barrage
- Dreamshield
- Dream Warp
- Shield Cyclone
Wiz: Right. As a Spirit, Markoth can't even been seen or touched without a means to explicitly perceive spirits or Dream Entities, like the Dream Nail. Alongside this, he can slip in and out of the realm of Dream at any point, effectiely teleporting short distances, making him a slippery opponent to hit.
Boomstick: Not like getting close is a good idea, cause he can summon SPIKES from his MIND! Like...some kinda psychic!
Wiz: They're not spikes, Boomstick. They're copies of Markoth's own Nail, also made of Dream Essense. While he can only summon one at a time, he can summon them incredibly fast, even aiming them at foes while both he and them are on the move.
Boomstick: Okay, that's impressive and all, but not 'busted' kinds of impressive. C'mon Wiz, just give us the good stuff already.
Wiz: Well in that case, we should probably look at the shield that Markoth has on his person. The Dream Shield, a powerful artifact known for its' absolute defense.
Boomstick: Now we're talking! With this baby, Markoth's got no problems in terms of defense. It can block fire, your standard weapons like spears or spikes, wind--shoot, it can even block LASERS!
Wiz: And keep in mind, Markoth has 2 of these shields, which he can have orbit around himself at will will defend on two separate sides. He can even compound this with the technique 'Shield Cyclone', which allows him to spin one of his shields outwards for a devastating lariat-style strike, whilst keeping the other close for defense. A combination of both offense and defense.
Boomstick: With all that and his experience, no wonder no one's been able to beat him! He's practically a wrecking ball in insect form!
Wiz: This doesn't mean he's invincible, however...
Weaknesses[]
- Shield Break
- Destabilization
- Impatience
- Shield Gaps
Boomstick: Oh, right, yeah. Since Markoth's relying on those shields to defend himself, he's WAY more vulnerable if they break. ...CAN they break?
Wiz: Yes they can. As seen with how the Knight uses these shields, they can break if they take too much damage at once. Plus, Markoth's spirit can be separated into Dream Essense if he himself takes too much damage, effectively making him a glass cannon in a sense.
Boomstick: Plus, unlike what his experience would let you believe, he's not all that patient with his foes, leaving himself open whenever doing something like Shield Cyclone. Heck, he just lets his shields rotate instead of holding them in the target's direction, meaning that foes regularly have the chance to strike him if they can get between that gap.
Wiz: These weaknesses are possibly why, after years of being an undefeatable spirit, Markoth was eventually felled by the Knight. A supposed number to his win-count, finally putting down the spirit of the last warrior of the Moth Tribe.
Boomstick: But don't think death's gonna stop him. Long as he's got that shield and something to fight for, I don't think Markoth's going down ANY time soon.
Pre-Death Battle/Poll[]
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set! We've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLE!!!
- Poll Results - Total (15)
- Venomoth: 87%
- Markoth: 13%
Death Battle[]
Location: Dark Cavern[]
(Now Playing: Union Cave - Pokemon)
Deep within the caverns of the night, all was quiet. A peaceful silence of undisturbed nature, one that many would love to see for themselves. However, this silence was broken, as what appeared to be a moth fluttered in from above. Somewhat wet, they were made up of a few pale purple hues, a three-pointed crest making up their antennae and two bulbous orbs with large black dots within being their eyes. Of course, this was the Poison Moth Pokémon, Venomoth. This specific one had just gotten separated from their eclipse, having been forced to seek shelter from a terrible storm just outside.
"Venooo..." the moth bemoaned, shivering from the cold. In fact, they were so distracted, they hadn't even noticed they were hovering towards a particularly rough stalagmite hanging from the roof of the cavern until they bumped into it, suddenly flapping backwards with a squeak! It created a small mark over one of their eyes, looking like a somewhat nasty scar, that they didn't even notice as they floated down, slightly disoriented.
However, when they blinked their eyes open, they noticed something before them. A glowing orb of...something, radiant and bright. Being a moth, they were instantly attracted to it, curiously looking it over before then trying to eat it. Surprisingly, they could, perking in surprise before practically feeling the cold of the rain wash away. A perfect snack for rainy weather! With a happy flutter of their wings, they would zip around themself with excitement before then noticing...an entire trail of these shiny snacks! A sucker for these strange balls of light, now, they would follow the trail with ease.
So engrossed with these orbs, the Venomoth didn't even notice as they passed under the skeletal ribs of a long-dead beast.
Finally, it seemed like they reached the end of their trail, the Bug-Type finally stopping before noticing yet another object up ahead! A body, seemingly of another bug of some kind, just sitting on the ground. In other words, the perfect meal to compliment their light lunch. Joyous about their new snack, Venomoth began to hover over, ready to eat. Sure, the fur could be less...floofy, but they were sure they could get a good meal out of this.
At least, until a noise caught them by surprise. A light whoosh, like wind...except there wasn't any breeze in this dead-silent cave. Suddenly put on-guard, the Poison Moth turned around, a noise of alert coming out of them. Glancing around for a moment, they would soon find the cause of the noise, as a new figure seemed to just...appear. A moth, much like the one they were just about to eat, would float just slightly above the ground, the ends of their ragged cloak not quite touching the floor as they simply stared with blank, white-gold eyes. Unnerving.
To Venomoth, this was a creepy bug...but to the new figure, they were a hardened warrior. One of two moths who dared carry a Nail and ventured outside of their society. Markoth. And to him, this new bug just flying into his domain was a great annoyance. And having seen the scar-like mark over the Venomoth's eye, he assumed he was just all like the others before. With a deep, annoyed voice, he spoke. "You have come a long way, just to die here at the edge of the world." Markoth claimed, which greatly confused the Venomoth. They would squeak out to try and ask what he was speaking about, but the warrior shushed them.
"No, do not speak." he would command, before pulling out a glowing blade. Gold in color, it felt almost ethereal, generating light that drew the Pokémon's attention. "I have heard thousands and thousands of empty words from those like you. Your pride. Your desires. Your desperation... you will take all these things with you once I strike you down." he then declared.
Venomoth was just hungry, absolutely no clue what the more composed bug was saying.
Taking more battle-ready stance, leaning forwards, Markoth's eyes narrowed at the ditzy moth of a Pokémon. "Raise your weapon then, and die like those who came before you." he warned, prepared to strike this foe down like the rest. Venomoth, sensing the rising tension, at least seemed to get a little more serious, fluttering their wings and hovering over the ground. This, seemed to actually briefly surprise the warrior moth. "You bear no weapon, even though you have the mark of a warrior?" he questioned, only to shake his head. "Foolish. This will be quick." he decided, before hunching over, and immediately darting towards the Poison/Bug Type with his Nail scraping the ground, a golden trail forming behind it!
FIGHT![]
(Now Playing: Tinted Radiance - Death Battle Fanon Track)
Venomoth, surprised by such a bold rush, squeaked out a shocked noise before flapping their wings hard, flying high into the air and leaving light purple scales scattering in a cloud. This let them just narrowly dodge Markoth's slash, the ghostly moth landing in the middle of their Stun Spore attack instead. However, they didn't seem affected, just briefly glancing at the strange cloud in a brief confusion. Looking up to spy his target, the warrior moth crouched down, before then LAUNCHING himself into the air, actually managing to briefly knock the Bug-Type off course.
However, after realizing that their pursuer was already on their tail, Venomoth tried to book it, straightening out before flying off further into the cave in a blur of purple! Markoth wasn't far behind, the natural light glowing off of him allowing him to keep sight of his nocturnal prey. Two glowing nails spun into existence around him, before he fired each off at the moth--even if Venomoth managed to dodge thanks to spying them from behind, they still startled the bug enough that the ghostly bug got a kick off on their back. "You dug this hole, now lie in it!" he claimed, spinning out the bug.
Venomoth managed to stop themself half-way through their fall, however, and managed to flap around somewhat haphazardly before darting to the side, dodging yet another thrown blade with just how skittery they were being. "VENO!! VENONONO!" they hurriedly cried, twisting and turning around thrown blades. In fact, they were so caught up in this endeavor that they didn't even notice as one of the blades flew into the cave's ceiling, slashing straight through a stalagmite and causing it to fall. They did, however, notice the shadow darkening around themself, managing to look up towards the falling boulder.
They then took the reasonable action, and flew down, managing to barely outpace the stalagmite as they slipped under it.
Markoth took the more unreasonable action, simply slashing the stalagmite apart with a brief cloud of dust.
As Venomoth made distance from the shattered stone, they would look around for a way out of the cave, only to notice something glimmering near another set of stalactites. More of those shiny, dreamy orbs that they had before. Immediately forgetting about the fight in lieu of food, the Poison-Type would fly down towards the small clump, happily going to chow down. Mmm...it tasted so good!
Markoth, meanwhile, swung their blade, dispersing the smoke and looking around for Venomoth. After a second, he managed to lay eyes on them once again, the Pokémon looking like it was...what!? Markoth's eyes squinted, questioning "What does that fool think they're doing?". And for good reason, as that wasn't just any light snack, but Dream Essence! Who would be dumb enough to actually eat the stuff? Keen to strike while the iron was hot, Markoth readied his blade, summoning two more Nails around himself before darting in to strike!
However...Venomoth was so happy eating these delicious and free snacks, that their wings fluttered by quite a fast margin. So fast, in fact, that blades of wind were starting to fly from behind themself, which actually managed to knock the warrior-less nails off-course, and actually push Markoth back! Venomoth used Gust!
Managing to catch himself mid-air, Markoth redoubled his efforts, pushing against the gust with his might and preparing to swing his blade. One clean slice through Venomoth, that's all he needed...however, at the last second, the Poison Moth Pokémon ducked their head, the sword swing missing by a narrow margin. This actually caught Markoth off-guard, the warrior dream blinking in surprise. Did that nail-less bug just dodge his strike without even looking? Hmph...perhaps he judged them too quickly. Narrowing his gaze, the Nail-wielding moth uttered something under his breath.
Finally, this seemed to catch Venomoth's attention, the Bug-Type pausing in their chow-down to turn around, squeaking out in brief confusion. This allowed them to stare face to face with the opposing moth, Markoth menacingly holding his Nail.
Ah, right. They were being chased, weren't they?
Swiftly remembering that their life was in danger, Venomoth scrambled about for a second before flying off, Markoth merely shaking his head in return. Suddenly, he vanished in a brief flash of light...before reappearing before Venomoth, briefly stunning the moth with such a bright light before then swinging his Nail overhead! This knocked Venomoth down, although surprisingly didn't even draw blood. To remedy this, Markoth summoned another Nail, firing it down as well towards the falling Pokémon. However, at the last second, Venomoth once again darted out of the way, letting out another squeak of panic before starting off yet again. And just in time, as a barrage of Nails suddenly struck where they once were, now trailing behind the Bug-Poison Type like golden lightning strikes!
Venomoth kept flying about, looping around the rocks and stalagmites to get brief reprieves from the Nail Barrage attack. In one of these breaks, Markoth would halt his assault for a moment, before then once again spreading his arms. A golden disk appeared before him, before with a clockwise shimmer, it transformed into a flower-themed shield! Nodding in satisfaction, Markoth and his shield warped back before the fleeing Venomoth. The Bug-Type quickly skittered backwards, startled, but now aware to not just blindly rush forwards again. This time, they would try to go on the attack, rearing back as a green and yellow energy circled around their antennae.
Then...firing it forwards, Venomoth unleashed a Signal Beam to hopefully confuse the ghostly moth! However, right as it got close...
It was blocked! Venomoth watched in shock as the beam ineffectively bounced off the shield like it was nothing, Markoth raising back up with a newly intimidating aura.
"I have never been beaten...and that will not start now." he claimed, before unleashing another rush of power--causing the shield that was circling him to spin around like a whirlwind! The Bug-Type Pokemon tried to track it, but by the time they were able to catch where it was, it had already smashed into their face, causing Venomoth to stumble through the air in a daze. Before they could even catch themself, Markoth rushed in, swinging his Nail and striking true! The impact briefly stunned the Poison-Type in a brief daze, allowing the warrior moth to unleash a flurry of lightning-quick strikes.
A downwards slash that bumped the bug's head, a sweep that actually tore off a few scales from the intensity, a poke that doubled the bug over, each attack lead into the other like a dreadfully beautiful dance of sorts. Finally, right as Venomoth seemed like they were about to dodge back from another swipe, the moth feinted, faking out another sweep with a powerful jabbing kick, which caused the Pokemon to be sent spiraling back. Before they could even try to recompose themself, however, Markoth was already on their tail--flinging dreamt-up nails at them and pushing them farther and farther back.
Then dashing towards the completely out of it Poison Moth Pokémon, Markoth prepared his shield...before SMASHING it into Venomoth's face, flinging them back once more!
This time, Venomoth finally managed to catch themself, shaking their head to shake off any dizzy stars in their mind before trying to focus. They haven't even landed a proper hit on this ghostly moth! Attempting to have an easier time landing a hit, they would close their eyes, focusing latent energy within themself. As they did, the air around began to softly distort, a pinkish hue that seemed to ebb in waves. Markoth watched curiously, as yet another eye seemed to form above their forehead, a psychic symbol that glanced around briefly...before finally locking onto the Warrior Dream himself. Suddenly, all three eyes flashed a pinkish purple, locked on the ghost's position!
"That technique...do not think it will win you this fight, fool." Markoth growled, before then rushing forwards with his Nail primed to strike! However, as he closed in...the world briefly slowed down, Venomoth swiftly changing to a charging stance as a pink glow surrounded the front of their head. They watched as the shield slowly looped just under the moth, waiting for their chance...before suddenly rushing forwards, preforming Zen Headbutt! Markoth's gaze widened as the moth closed in, quickly switching his stance mid-flight to block the attack. Psychic and Dream energy briefly clashed, struggling against eachother...before Venomoth then pushed straight through, blasting through Markoth's defenses with a sudden cry of power!
Crashing through the cave, they would eventually stop as Venomoth halted their momentum, causing Markoth to slam into the cavern wall, creating some cracks as he bounced off. The ghostly moth managed to recompose himself, shaking his head before then summoning yet another Dream Shield around himself. "Hmph...it appears that I might have misjudged you..." he admitted, ready to fight again...
...and saw Venomoth once again being distracted by a batch of Dream Essence, this batch having fallen off of him during the charge.
"...perhaps not." Markoth then quickly changed his mind, before narrowing his gaze and summoning yet another array of Nails. Swiftly, he fired them at Venomoth once again, dispersing the Dream Essense and forcing the Bug-Type to flap back out of surprise. They would be pelted by a few of the incoming Nails, but after a moment of reprieve, they would flap their wings hard--causing silver blades of wind to suddenly shoot out and counter the rest of the weapons! A brief red aura raised up around the Poison Moth Pokémon, as they finally felt the confidence to strike back once again. Flying towards Markoth, they saw as he was already raising more blades against them--something they would swiftly counter as their eyes flashed with purple lightning.
Suddenly, Markoth was briefly enveloped with an electric purple pattern, leaving him just as briefly confused. But, then shaking his head as it faded, he tried to fire his Nails at Venomoth!
...nothing happened.
"What!?" Markoth asked, his eyes widening as he looked around. Only his original Nail remained, while all the others he summoned had vanished. It was like...like his ability to spawn and throw them was Disabled! "How did you--!?" he would try to ask, only to be greeted by a Tackle that sent him spinning back this time. Catching himself far easier than before, the Warrior Dream would refocus on the fight, the ends of his cloak briefly rising from his iron-will before he dashed towards Venomoth! Except, he wasn't trying to go for a single strike--it looked like he was circling around the moth, trying to speed-blitz the Pokémon.
He managed to get one, two, three strikes off in record pace, although as he turned to strike a fourth time, the Poison Moth Pokémon figured out his strategy, managing to narrowly slip by the strike. Surprised, Markoth would swing again--and like before, he just narrowly missed as the Bug-Type once again fluttered out of the way. Almost like they were dancing, Venomoth became a blur that dodged each strike that was intended to connect. Even as Markoth drew his strikes into a furious flurry of slashes, his Nail never made proper contact! Finally, Venomoth would dash backwards as Markoth threw forth yet another strike, putting too much pressure into this attack and going off-balance.
Flapping their wings with greater effort, Venomoth let out a powerful "Veno!", before then finally firing the attack they've been focusing on for this entire dance. Suddenly, their scales seemed to explode off of them, both dark and light kinds suddenly filling the air!
Markoth would actually be affected this time, coughing out a few times as he felt the effects of these scales quickly settling. "Wh-what..." he started, shocked. "What did you DO!?" the Warrior Dream questioned. Venomoth, now much more confident, responded with a series of chirps that Markoth seemed to understand. His eyes narrowed, before his patience finally ran out. "Fine! Then let us finish this...!" the moth cried, before pushing forth his spectral power! Both his shields began spinning again, pushing away the dust...but in that same moment, Venomoth pushed forth another attack, letting out a sonic screech that fired a shockwave of sound towards the attack-readying moth!
BRING![]
A direct hit! Markoth was struck by the Supersonic attack, forced to close his eyes as a dizzying spell washed over him. Light of Radiance swirled around his head, signifying that the attack landed perfectly. And as for his Shield Cyclone...well, it began spinning out of control as he tried to get his bearings, starting to spin in an awkward curve around his being. It missed Venomoth by a wide margin, but as it spun, it DID hit something. That being a collection of stalactites at the ceiling, causing them to fall out towards the two bugs! The Poison Moth Pokémon spotted them rather easily, beginning to fly out of the way of them again. However...they then got a rather genius idea, one that made them squeak in excitement. Preforming an upwards and backwards turn to get above the falling rocks, a pink glow would suddenly wrap around them, halting their fall rather quickly.
Then, spinning around to face the dazed Markoth, Venomoth pointed their now Psychic power towards him, causing each and every sharp rock to rocket towards him in a mirror of his own Nail Barrage Technique!
Markoth's shield managed to defend him from one of the rocks, but as he slowly managed to regain his bearings, each and every sharp stone managed to connect perfectly onto him! The Warrior Dream attempted to catch his breath after that suddenly flurry, the damage beginning to rack up--especially as he felt an inner pain in his being, the Poison and Paralysis still working their effects into him. Venomoth seemed unaware of his sheer panic, or if they were, they merely used it as motivation to keep up the pressure, as they started racing towards Markoth once again. This time, Markoth tried to swing his Nail to counter, but the daze of confusion he was still stuck in caused him to see double, weakly missing the strike as the Bug/Poison Type dashed past him.
The purplish bug then began to race around Markoth, seemingly taunting him with brief screes, or even repetitions of their own name. Growing more and more desperate as he started to feel his ghostly body fail his will, Markoth began slashing around at a wild pace, blurring around in an attempt at getting a single strike off. Unfortunately, his desperation gave way to a sloppy technique, causing him to miss each and every slice! Despite the fact that every which way he looked, there was that bugging moth Pokémon that was racing around him playfully, he couldn't land a single strike to save his life.
Right as Markoth began doubting his own ability to win, Venomoth seemed to finally vanish...only for their horn to suddenly come out of the Warrior Dream's chest, a green glow surrounding it! Markoth could briefly feel his essence being absorbed, like the horn was leeching his life. Struggling, his apparition briefly faded, before he finally found enough strength to struggle out of the hold. "Gah--!! Wh..what was...that..." he nearly breathed out, before he began to float towards the ground, a hole in his chest. Everything slowed down for him, the world beginning to grow darker than before. Finally, he landed in a collapsed heap, barely keeping himself up with an arm. While Venomoth cheered for their successful hit, the Nail-bearing bug would manage to briefly turn his head towards an object beside him. Maybe...maybe he could try to make a plan using it, and--
It was his own, long-dead body.
Markoth was stunned. A sense of dread began to overtake his weakened form, as he slowly reached his hand out and touched the corpse. "Is...is this...me?" he questioned, shocked. "How long...how long have I been sleeping, hidden from the world...?" Markoth asked himself, before looking down at his own hand. Unclear, dimming, it was made clear that he hasn't been himself for a while. "Here at the edge of the world, no-one could find me...except you."
Markoth managed to struggle up, before turning towards Venomoth, who had finally landed and was watching the older moth in confusion.
"Warriors, knights, kings...even time itself...they have no power over me." the Warrior Moth claimed, barely holding himself up. "Only you." he then admitted, looking more and more haggard as he spoke. Staring into the beady eyes of Venomoth, a brief vision passed Markoth's eyes. A small insect wielding a long-forgotten blade, with a black body and a white head, slowly approaching him. "You are the darkness...come to consume me." Markoth then realized, a sense of defeat in his tone. Bowing his head, it seemed like he had given up the fight, and accepted his fate.
"Warrior with no blade. I pay my last respects to you...may your efforts lead you somewhere worthy."
Venomoth, with no idea what Markoth was talking about, would simply use yet another move to finish this fight. Markoth's body would glow green, before wisps flowed out from him--being absorbed into the Pokémon. The Bug-Type used Giga Drain, which absorbed the Warrior Spirit until there was nothing left of him.
Now the only bug in this cavern, Venomoth briefly hopped in place in satisfaction, glad that they had won! Their wounds faded rather fast with this absorbed health, before they turned their attention to Markoth's body. Time for dinner!
KO![]
- Ending Screen A: Venomoth returning to their group, now wearing Markoth's skull as a fancy hat.
- Ending Screen B: Markoth's true Nail finally corroding away, fading into naught but dust.
Results[]
Boomstick: DAMN! Who knew that little bug could be so freaking metal!?
Wiz: This was a close match, and it honestly could have gone Markoth's way under different circumstances. With his speed and combat experience, he certainly could have dodged most of Venomoth's attacks.
Boomstick: Hell, his teleporting and Nail Attacks could've actually managed to get enough blows to take down Venomoth, long as he stayed in the battle long enough.
Wiz: Unfortunately, besides also being smarter than his opponent and having a somewhat better arsenal, that's where Markoth's warrior background stops giving him the advantage.
Boomstick: Riiight. Remember how we compared Venomoth to Magikarp? Yeah, turns out that even Markoth's best feats of strength can't quite catch up to Venomoth's initial 6 Tons. And the little bug could just widen that gap in power, and close that gap in speed, with just about all of those stat-boosting moves they love using so much.
Wiz: Right. Beyond that, Venomoth's versatile pool of techniques gave them everything they needed to actually properly fight Markoth.
Boomstick: Yeah, like how Disable could either stop Markoth from using his shield moves or his Nail attacks. Both pretty dang bad for someone who relies on them so much. Or how Leech Life and Giga Drain could just absorb the life energy that makes up Markoth.
Wiz: Or, the greatest move in Venomoth's arsenal for this fight: Foresight. Using this move both makes Markoth easier to strike, and negates the immunities that him being a ghost would allow him, so he couldn't even rely on that part of his ghost-like form.
Boomstick: Don't even get me STARTED on that whole scale stuff. I mean, literally ATTACKING Venomoth could risk you getting poisoned, paralyzed, or both! And since Markoth's shields aren't all-encompassing, Venomoth could use this every single time he approached.
Wiz: While Markoth's better skill, armory, speed, and much greater intellect nearly gave him the win, Venomoth's power, durability, and wide array of skills eek out a win more often than not.
Boomstick: Guess we can Mark-off this fight, cause it's leaving me drained.
Wiz: The winner is Venomoth.
- Venomoth (Winner)
- + Stronger
- + More Durable
- + Wider Arrange of Techniques
- + Foresight can negate ghost physiology
- + Scales are near undodgable
- + Potential to widen power gap/close speed gap
- - Slower
- - Dumber
- - Lacking Experience
- Markoth (Loser)
- + Faster
- + Better Skill
- + Greater Arsenal
- + More Experience
- - Weaker
- - More Fragile
- - Ghost nature countered by Foresight
- - Vulnerable to Disable
- - Lacking Range of Techniques
- - Can be potentially overtaken in speed
Next Time[]
Two powerful psychics stands against eachother, upon a mountainside. The taller one would smirk in an agressive confidence, while the other briefly shuddered with anticipation of the soon to be fight. Without much fanfare, the taller of the two blonde psychics rushes forwards, preparing an elbow strike! And with the other, he would prepare a psychic attack from the tip of his finger, the energy surrounding it swiftly turning into multiple patterns of light before he finally aimed it at the charging aggresor.
"PK LOVE!"/"I'll send you flying!"
Lucas v Akira
Trivia[]
- The connection between these combatants is that they're both moths, representing night and day respectively.
- The name of the battle soundtrack would be 'Tinted Radiance', featuring Markoth being silhouetted by a massive ball of radiance. Venomoth's scales can be seen fluttering in the air, as the whole thing is overlaid by Venomoth's own tinted lens view.
- The battle would be 2D/Sprite animated.