Join the Battle
Author's Note: A fic commemorating the awesome debut of Piranha Plant in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Enjoy the story and R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Super Smash Bros. series.
Summary:
Lucas is cornered by Captain Falcon on the battlefield, until an unexpected new challenger arrives to win the day.
Lucas fell to one knee, dirt streaking his ketchup-and-mustard-hued striped shirt. The thrashed boy with slicked blond hair held out a hand, partly in deference to and partly in fear of his opponent. Ahead, platforms hung perpendicular on pulleys, and rows of bricks blocked his exit. His last hope was to leap across to the other side, down the green pipe, and warp straight out of there, away from Mushroom Kingdom.
His muscular attacker would have words with him on his plans to flee. The aeronaut advanced, ostensibly slowly in spite of the flaming speed he'd demonstrated to wallop Lucas earlier. Not having seen anyone move as quickly, the Tazumili native noted the F-Zero pilot seemed to be dashing at him even in his default gait.
If Lucas concentrated, he might be able to muster enough of his PSI powers to PK Freeze the masked racer back to the Ice Age.
"Show me your moves!" Captain Falcon taunted.
Every fibre in Lucas' being told him not to jump the gun.
That's just what he wants! To waste your PP and render you defenceless! If only I had a Super Scope!
Yet there was no alternative.
Now or never. Do or die.
Lucas closed his eyes, locking onto his target. Raw psychokinetic energy gathered. Using the full extent of his will, Lucas directed the swirling cloud forward, settling into a polar vortex.
"PK Freeze!"
The tempest exploded, momentarily blanketing the contenders in an iceberg-cold flurry and minus-sixty-degree wind chill.
Seconds later, the bounty hunter disabled his grey shield. He dusted off his scarf, and swaggered beside the child.
Accepting his fate, Lucas bowed. It was Captain Falcon's victory.
Shrieking fire bracketed the fighter's fist as he lined up his finishing blow.
"Falcon –!"
But before he landed the punch, slobbery jaws snapped around his upper body.
Halfway between grossed out and relieved, the kid regarded the Mute City resident struggling in the mouth of some bizarre, red-and-white spotted plant. "A new challenger joins the battle?"
After spitting free its poison breath-dazed victim, the killer weed – a Piranha Plant – whipped its leaves in a circle like a helicopter, propelling itself and Captain Falcon off the ground.
When the man came plummeting, the Piranha Plant ptooied a spiked pellet, which whomped him several feet.
Knocked senseless by the intruder, Captain Falcon forfeited a truly auspicious prize.
There, in the 8-bit sky, floated the much-coveted Smash Ball.
"Oh, mother!" Lucas could almost hear the oohs and ahhs.
Withdrawing into its pot, the carnivorous perennial stretched for a long-stem strike, crunching the subspace nucleus.
Invigorated, the combatant unleashed its ultimate technique. Another climbing vine, a giant mutated variety differentiated by ridged lips, a crown of petals, and speedo, appeared and jerked about, swinging cages in its fronds. A relative, perhaps?
Captain Falcon got scooped behind the bars. The megaflora slammed the cages down upon the platforms, rending both the effort and load and dropping the officer to his doom in the pit below.
Thunderstruck, Lucas hobbled over through sore legs.
Did it talk at all? Why did it rescue him? What claptrap! It appeared sapient, or at the very least, sentient.
"Sweet Saturnian! That was amazing! Mister, er, Miss?"
The flycatcher made no motions to self-declare.
"Can I have your autograph?" Lucas hustled, thrusting a pen and pad of paper.
Instead, it hawked a purple loogie onto the page.
Nasty. Though, hey, it understood.
"Are you alone? Do you need a partner? Let's team up!"
In this World of Light where the King of the Koopas and the princess he habitually kidnapped tagged in melees with electric mice, where an oversized ape and KO'ing boxer brawled a duck carrying a dog, Lucas and his unlikely friend were the biggest oddities among oddities. Who ever heard of a psychic joining forces with a garden showpiece?
"My name's Lucas!"
They shook on their alliance.
And so, that day, the Piranha Plant earned a fan and invaluable teammate, and went on to win many a battle.