A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter of Wired with Strength! Special thanks to clapback for helping with a few scenes! I do not own ARMS or Nintendo. Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Entering the Competition
After a long plane ride, Evan started to walk to the ARMS tournament. As he walked, he noticed that his ARMS were coiling and uncoiling at random. He wanted them to stop coiling, but it was no use. He was in no control of his new ARMS.
Maybe I should call my parents and tell them I'm there, he thought. Despite his long wired ARMS, he was able to pull out his cell phone and dial the number. He then put his phone to his ear. He listened to the ringer, hoping for an answer. Then, the ringer came to a halt.
"Evan! How's my son doing? Are you at the ARMS tournament yet?" Evan's father greeted through the phone.
"Hey dad. I'm doing great. I just arrived at the ARMS tournament. But, what do I do now that I'm here?" Evan told his dad.
"Well, you'll need to go to the ARMS League Gym and check in as an ARMS fighter. I called the ARMS League before you left home, so they know you're coming to participate in the tournament. You will also need a fighter name for yourself." Evan's father informed.
"Why do I need a fighter name?" Evan questioned.
"It keeps your identity as a fighter separate from your normal self when you're in the ring." Evan's father answered.
"Ok. Thanks, dad. I'll be sure to think of a name." Evan thanked.
"You're welcome, son. Hope you have fun!" Evan's dad said.
"Ok. I'll call you later. Bye!" Evan said before hanging up.
Evan put his cell phone back in his pocket as he approached the ARMS League Gym.
He took a glance at the building. It was a large mansion-sized gym with the ARMS League logo on the top of the building. Evan was impressed at how big the gym was.
"Well, here goes nothing." Evan whispered as he opened the door to the ARMS League Gym.
As he walked in, he thought about what his fighter name should be. What could be my fighter name? Wire Boy? No, it has to be clever, he thought. He looked at his ARMS, which were made of wires. Well, wires do give people a shock of electricity. How about Shockwire? No, that's stupid. Maybe I could include part of my last name. Thundercolt? No, wait, Coltershock! Yes! That's perfect! I like the sound of that, he thought. Evan walked up to the front desk.
"Name?" the man at the front desk asked.
"My name is Coltershock. I am here to participate in the ARMS tournament." Evan answered.
"Coltershock. Ok…Just a minute." the man at the front desk said as he opened a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. He then gave it to Evan.
"Just sign right here, and you're all set for your tryout." the man explained.
Evan grabbed the pen and signed his name in cursive on the paper.
"Ok. There's a hotel at Buster Beach that you can reside in during your stay at the ARMS League. You will be called in about an hour or two for your tryout. Also, you're going to need this." The man at the front desk informed as he handed a grey mask to Evan.
Evan grasped the mask and looked at it.
"What is this for?" Evan asked, gesturing to the mask.
"It's to keep your ARMS coiled when you're not fighting. Go ahead, put it on." The man answered.
Evan hesitantly placed the mask on his face. His ARMS suddenly coiled up. Evan widened his eyes. Does wearing this mask lets me control my ARMS? He thought. He was shocked but relieved at the fact that by wearing the mask, his ARMS were in his control. After thanking the man at the front desk, Evan started to walk to the Buster Beach resort.
After thirty minutes of walking from the ARMS League Gym to the Buster Beach hotel, Evan was able to check in and get a room key. As he walked to his room, his mind was occupied with thoughts. What will the tournament be like? How will I make money while I'm here? He pondered as he found his room and opened the door with the room key.
He entered the room and put his luggage on the bed. He then saw an ARMS brochure on the nightstand. He stepped up to the nightstand and grabbed the brochure. He opened it, hoping to find some useful information. After flipping through a few pages, he saw something that caught his eye. The heading of the page read, 'Companies that will be supporting this year's Grand Prix.' Below the headline were the names of the companies and some of the ARMS that they sponsor.
Evan started to look at the companies to see if one of them could sponsor his future ARMS. Just then, his eyes got locked onto a company called Billy. He began to read about the company and the ARMS that were sponsored by them. These ARMS look interesting. This looks like a good company for me, Evan thought.
Suddenly, Evan's cell phone started to ring. Evan reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He pressed the answer button and pressed the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" Evan said.
"Hi, this is Biff from the ARMS League. Are you Evan Colterson, or Coltershock?" a voice answered.
This guy's voice sounds different than the guy at the front desk… Evan thought.
"Yes, I am." Evan affirmed.
"Your tryout is at 7:30 PM at the ARMS League building. Try to come a little early, we have a few things to discuss before your tryout." The voice informed.
"I will be there." Evan announced.
"Splendid! I'll see you there!" the voice exclaimed before hanging up.
Evan looked at the clock. 6:30 PM.
I should probably get going. After all, the ARMS League building is thirty minutes away, Evan thought.
He put the brochure back on the nightstand and turned to his suitcase. He opened his suitcase and took out a yellow and grey hoodie that he decided to wear for his tryout. After putting on the hoodie, he grabbed his room key and walked out of his hotel room.
Evan finally arrived at the ARMS League building. He looked at his watch. 7:05 PM. Looks like I made it just in time, Evan thought. Evan grabbed the door handle and pulled open the door. Evan sighed with anticipation as he walked in.
"There you are!" A voice called out to Evan.
A small, yellow humanoid-like being approached him. He had a fist extruding out of his head. He was a short being as well. Despite being unsure of what exactly he was, the little guy was rather cute. He gave the young man a smile and stretched out his hand towards him.
"I'm Biff," He greeted, "I'm the mascot of the ARMS League and I'll be your guide for today."
So this was Biff? That wasn't what Evan was expecting. Prior to meeting him, his only interaction with him was a simple phone call. From his voice, Evan expected a middle aged man. It was a slightly strange surprise, but that seemed to be the norm for this sport. He took him up on his offer of a handshake, looking around the building.
"Thanks," He returned a smile, but temporarily paused as he saw the building's directory, "How many floors are there?"
Biff clicked his pen, getting it ready to take any notes or observations.
"Don't be intimidated, kid," He replied, "We're only going to the 10th floor. That's where we work with the legalities. Y'know, all that fun stuff." He winked as he jokingly nudged Evan.
Evan smiled and rubbed his side. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of him. The two walked into the nearest elevator, continuing their conversation from there.
"So, how old are you?" Biff asked.
"Twenty-one." Evan responded.
"How tall are you?" Biff questioned.
"I am 5 feet and 8 inches tall." Evan answered.
"What are your hobbies?" Biff asked as he wrote the information given by Evan on the clipboard.
"Well… I'm pretty good at fixing technical problems. I studied technology back in high school and I played a lot of sports as well." Evan replied.
"Would you like me to choose a company that will sponsor your ARMS?" Biff suggested.
"Actually, I have a company in mind," The new fighter explained, "I really like the company called Billy."
Biff gave him a curious look, as if this comment surprised him. He quietly wrote something down on the paper attached to his clipboard. Evan frowned at the mascot's lack of response.
"What, is that a bad choice?" He asked, "Or is it already taken by someone else?"
The announcer shrugged.
"Not exactly for the former and no to the latter," Biff answered, "You do know Billy's mostly a toy company, right? They don't work on or make any new ARMS. You probably won't get any weapon leverage in the ring because of that. However, keeping yourself close to a toy company isn't a bad idea if you want to get popular quick. They'll slap your face onto anything."
The door opened with the two promptly leaving. Evan wasn't entirely sure what his end goal was for the sport. All he wanted to be is a good fighter.
"I should show you some of my favorite merchandise featuring myself," Biff grinned, "The yo-yo's my favorite – they really captured the shape of my head!"
He continued talking as he made his way down the hall. Evan's attention shifted when he heard the distinct sound of a camera snapping.
He paused and redirected his course to the room he just passed. He peered into the window, curious on what was happening inside.
"Alright, now wink!" said a voice inside the room.
It seemed to be a photo shoot for a new ARM release. It was a party favor shaped fighting glove. It was green with red highlights and yellow ribbons decorating it. Evan's eyes slowly went to the star of the advertisement. It was a young woman, maybe a little younger than him. Following the photographer's commands, she twirled and posed accordingly. She was a natural! Her appearance was almost of a cheerleader's. Evan then noticed that her arms were made of ribbons, which strangely enough, her hair also matched the material. She's….beautiful! Evan thought as his eyes widened with amazement. She then equipped the weapon and activated it. It made a loud 'pop' sound that was easily heard outside of the room. Evan jumped back from the window, startled by the intensity of it. He put his hand over his chest, his heart beating rampantly from the surprise. He then felt a tug at his hoodie which he promptly looked down.
"We'll have you in there in a little while," Biff spoke, "We actually need you in room seven." He then pointed to the direction of it.
'Yeah…" Evan replied, his voice sounded distracted.
He briefly looked into the room again. The girl was laughing while she spoke – it looked like she was apologizing to the photographer about the sound. He noticed that Biff had quite the lead, which made him catch up to the little announcer in a hurry.
"Hey, who was that in there?" Evan nudged his head slightly to the back, 'In the studio?"
Biff looked back at the man, briefly thinking about his question.
"Oh, that's Ribbon Girl," He answered, "She's just in to make a magazine advertisement for the Popper. We're really excited that she decided to join the League. She's been adding a whole new demographic to our audience! And, I'll confess, I'm kind of a big fan of her." Biff slightly blushed in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh, and by the way, I like your fighter name. It's pretty unique." Biff complimented.
"Thank you." Evan thanked.
Evan and Biff walked up to a door.
"Here we are, room seven." Biff announced as he opened the door.
Evan walked in the room. He turned on the lights and he gasped in amazement.
The room was like a miniature museum of the entirety of ARMS. It had photos of every Grand Prix that was ever held, newspaper clippings, outfits of famous fighters, but it also featured the one honor that every starry-eyed newcomer wanted to have eventually: the championship belt. Evan approached it in awe. Of course, it was framed and placed high on the wall for protection. It shined brilliantly, looking far more impressive – and heavier – than it ever did in photos. Heck, even filmed footage did not do the belt justice. Below the belt, there were information about every fighter that had ever won it. It seemed by the 90's that Max Brass had completely dominated the sport. No one had beaten him since, and looking at the past battles, it didn't appear that no other brawler could beat him anytime soon. Regardless, hopefulness stirred in Evan's chest.
Biff closed the door, looking at the young man knowingly. He's been the mascot as long as the commissioner's been the champion and that hasn't been the only time he has seen that expression.
"Not to discourage you," He warned as he approached the fighter, "You're not the only one who wants that."
Evan then looked at him with his hopes flickering temporarily. He knew very well that this wasn't going to be an easy task. Heck, the writing was even on the wall in front of him. His heart sank slightly after coming to a realization. He hadn't even bothered to mention to the announcer that he's never been in a fight before. He opened his mouth, preparing to speak, but was quickly cut off by the little guy.
"But we're all friends here in ARMS," Biff then smiled, "Every loss means room for improvement. To help you out on your first day, I've hired some help to get you established."
Evan turned around, only then noticing the large table that was in the room. Four nondescript, professional appearing figures were sitting by it. Evan sat at the far right end of the table while the rest of the group was sitting at all the back in the left side. The conversation started awkwardly, but Evan quickly became comfortable with sharing his ideas and listening to their advice. Every one of their responses truly felt that they wanted to help him out.
"So," One of the women adjusted her glasses and looked at her notes, "You're going with the name Coltershock, the company Billy, and an electricity themed motif?" She raised her head from referencing the papers.
All eyes were focused on Evan.
"Yep!" He grinned widely.
One of the men got up from his seat and brought Evan to a table of ARMS.
"Because you're a new fighter, we've got some new ARMS for you." the man informed.
"What kind of ARMS are they?" Evan asked.
"The first one is called the Stormer. It's a mediumweight glove arm with an electric attribute. You'll give your opponents a real shock with this!"
The Stormer was colored gray and was shaped like a storm cloud. It almost looked exactly like the Sparky.
"Ok, what about the next one?" Evan questioned.
"This one is the Striker. It's a heavyweight hammer arm with an electric attribute. With this, you can electrify and hammer down your opponents!"
The Striker was adorned with yellow and blue. It looked like it was styled off the Whammer.
"And what about the last one?" Evan asked.
"This one is called the Trijolt. It's a lightweight multi-shot arm with an electric attribute. This arms fires three shots at once!"
The Trijolt was decorated with the colors yellow and orange. Unlike the Tribolt and the Triblast, its missiles were shaped like lightning bolts.
"Each fighter has a set of three ARMS, that's just the rules of the sport. The fighters can change their ARMS in between rounds as well. If you get accepted, these ARMS will be yours."
Hearing his explanation, Evan looked back at the photo of Max Brass. He felt a little silly for not noticing that the boxer had two sets of weapons in that shot. One resembled a grenade, while the other looked like a red hot hammer. He went back to the display of ARMS in front of him. The Stormer looked simple but reliable. It was probably the most traditional glove that was being presented to him.
"However, every fighter does have one ARM they're associated with more than the rest," The man explained, "I'll use Kid Cobra as an example – he's always seen with the Slammander in press release photos and etcetera."
Evan's eyes went back to the table.
"It's really your choice on which ARMS you want to be associated with," He finished with a small shrug.
The newcomer picked up the gray gloves, putting them on out of curiosity. They were comfortable and lightweight but still felt like they could pack a punch when used correctly. Evan threw down his arms to make them coiled and the ARMS charged up. Sparks flew out of them, eager to strike an opponent. He smiled and held up his hands.
"I like these ones!" Evan continued to watch the weapon, "They're perfect for the concept I'm going for!"
The rest of the people in the room backed away from him. A worried expression appeared on Biff's face as he approached him in a hurry.
"We really appreciate that you like what we chose," The mascot frowned, "But we don't allow any ARMS tests here – you're going to start a fire hazard!"
Evan uncoiled his wire arms and the Stormers immediately stopped.
"Oops," Evan let out a faint chuckle, "Sorry about that." He apologized, feeling slightly embarrassed by how quickly he was taken away by them.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. The door opened, revealing the commissioner of the ARMS League, Max Brass.
"The champion has arrived!" Max boomed.
"Mr. Brass! Just in time! The new fighter was just about to begin his tryout!" the woman said.
"Follow us." Biff instructed to Evan.
Evan walked with Biff, Max Brass, and the four judges across the hall. They stopped at a door that said "Teleportation Room." Max opened the door to reveal many green teleport slots to different stages. Evan was surprised at the sight of this.
"Now, you see that teleport slot that says 'Electrical Room'?" Biff asked Evan as he pointed to the teleport slot.
"Yeah." Evan answered.
"Every fighter has their own stage, and that stage is yours." Biff informed.
"Cool. So, what do I do for my tryout?" Evan said.
"You have to try and beat 100 opponents. Don't worry, you don't have to beat them all. If you can beat 50 or more, you're qualified for the tournament." One of the judges explained.
"Just step into the teleporter, and the trial will begin." Biff noted.
Evan walked to the teleporter slot and stepped into it. He was suddenly transported to the Electrical Room.
Evan looked around the room. The room had a few flickering lights hanging from the ceiling, fuse boxes on the walls, and wires on the floor. This stage really fits with my electricity motif, Evan thought.
Evan then saw three strange gray creatures appear on the stage. Evan threw a punch at them. The creatures went down. After he punched through five of the grey creatures, he noticed that they didn't try to fight him. Well, that was easy! Evan thought.
A few more creatures appeared in front of Evan. He threw two punches at two of them. Just then, Evan was grabbed by one of them. The creature threw him across the stage. Now we're getting serious, Evan thought as he stood up. The creatures threw some charged punches at him. Evan jumped to dodge them. After punching some more creatures, he looked at a screen on the side of the stage. He looked at how many enemies he had defeated. 20. So far, so good, Evan thought.
As the third wave started, a small robot drone dropped a green potion in the center of the stage. Evan curiously walked up to it. He then felt his body regain strength. He smiled at the fact that he could heal himself during battles. He then remembered that he had to continue fighting the creatures. Evan turned around and threw a few punches at them. He dashed and dodged some punches that the creatures threw at him. As he dashed, he noticed that the Stormers were electrifying with sparks. Do the ARMS charge whenever I dash? Awesome! Evan thought. He dashed and threw a few fully charged punches at a few of the creatures.
After a few minutes had passed, Evan had beaten 51 of the creatures and had half of his health left. These creatures are getting tougher by the minute, but I won't give up! Evan thought with determination. He grabbed a creature and threw it at another one. Both of them went down. Suddenly, Evan got hit with a charged punch by a creature with the same glove as him. It threw another punch at him. Evan crossed his ARMS in the form of an X and a blue force field with a curved lightning bolt symbol in the middle. Cool! This must be my shield! Evan thought. He threw more punches at the creatures, but they countered with grabs. After being thrown by a creature, he only had a quarter of his health left. He dashed and charged up his ARMS. He punched some of the creatures with the charged Stormers. But one creature seized the opportunity to grab Evan and Evan was thrown across the stage. Evan hit the ground and that was it. The trial was over. Evan looked up to see his final score. 62. He was then teleported back to the Teleportation Room.
He stepped out of the slot and looked at Max Brass, Biff, and the judges.
"How did I do?" Evan asked.
"You did pretty well. I'd say you did better than a few other fighters who tried out." One of the judges commented.
Max Brass trotted over to Evan and put his massive hand on his shoulder.
"Coltershock… welcome to the ARMS tournament." Max Brass declared.
Biff jumped and cheered at the fact that a new fighter had just been accepted into the ARMS League. Evan looked at his ARMS and sprouted a smile on his face.
You know what? I could get used to this, Evan thought.
A/N: So, now Evan just got accepted to be an ARMS fighter in the ARMS League! Next chapter, he will make a few new friends! What will happen? Find out next chapter! Please review!
