Vile: After a two-week chapter delay, I've completed this chapter! It's the second Neo World Circuit battle, so Mac should expect a tough fight. Enjoy!
Punch-Out! Second Round
Chapter 13: Giving Up The Ghost
Mac, Doc, and Megan returned to the locker room, Mac feeling really good about himself after making his mark on the Neo World Circuit. On the bench, however, there was an envelope. Mac picked it up and saw an "L.M." on it. This was odd to Mac: Usually L.M. sent him gifts, but a simple envelope? Regardless, he opened the paper and pulled out the note within.
Dear Mac,
I knew I was right to become a fan of yours. You've already made it back to the World Circuit. Eh heh heh… I hope it isn't a bad time to mention that I have a huge crush on you. I don't have any more gifts to give you, but I'll do something even better. When you make it to the match against Heavy Hammad… I'll reveal myself to you, so you know who I am. Until then, keep fighting the good fight. I'll never stop rooting for you, Mac!
Love,
L.M.
Mac blushed madly. This fan had a crush on him? This made things complicated. "Ah hah hah hah hah! Jeez, Mac baby, you're getting' all the ladies!" Doc said, slapping Mac on the back and making him drop the letter. Unknown to both of them, Megan was blushing madly.
*The Next Day*
Mac climbed into the ring with Doc and Megan nearby, ready to fight, but the moment he saw his next opponent, he became unnerved. His opponent had his head down, a skin tone identical to his own, having pale green boxing gloves and white trunks. Though he seemed young, his hair was, for some reason, bleach white.
Boxer Stats: Grave Digger
Rank: Neo World #3
Fight Record: 21-26 (13 KO)
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 142 lbs.
Age: ?
Birthplace: Jakarta, Indonesia
Signature Move: The Scare Flair
Rendition of Punch-Out theme: Medium-paced yet depressing piano remix
Starting Heart Count: 17
*Pre-fight Slideshow*
Scene 1: Grave Digger, having black hair, kneels by a gravestone that is glowing green with his hands in prayer, memories of his horrible boxing career seen in thought bubbles.
Scene 2: A green spirit shoots out from the gravestone, scaring Grave Digger.
Scene 3: The spirit inhabits Grave Digger's body, turning his hair white and causing him to scream.
Scene 4: Grave Digger pummels an opponent in the ring, his upper body shadowed, no pupils seen where his eyes are.
*End Slideshow*
The round display showed that it was Round 1.
"Something feels strange about this fight... Be careful Mac, this doesn't feel right!" Megan told him, not bothering to get into cheer mode. Mac nodded in response.
Grave Digger slowly moved to the center of the ring, his arms hanging limply down, his left foot dragging along the ring. "Ayo… (Come...)" When he reached the center, his head rose to show his eyes fully blank: No irises, no pupils. "…untuk saya… (…to me…)" Placing his left foot out of dragging position, Grave Digger held his arms limply in front of him with a moan.
The referee then got in. "Fight!"
"Uhhh…" Grave Digger made an odd turning motion, his right arm dangling limply. Then, Grave Digger moved and flung his arm upward in a whip-like uppercut, but Mac saw it coming and dodged, but Grave Digger stopped right before he hit Mac. When Mac recovered from his dodge, Grave Digger followed through with the uppercut, nailing Mac. "Di sini… (Here…)" He stepped backwards slightly, then suddenly lunged forward, slamming Mac with a left jab from his lunge. "Uhhh…" He went down for his uppercut stance, but Mac knew how this was going to work. Grave Digger went to fling his arm up, but stopped right beforehand. When he was really going to attack, Mac quickly dodged it. "Apa…? (What…?)" Mac then punched Grave Digger five times. He seemed to not be reacting much, but it was clear that he was taking damage. "Uhhh…" Another uppercut was coming, but Mac dodged it again after seeing him stop. "Tidak…! (No…!)" Mac went into him for five more hits. "Gooyah…" He leaned back and prepared to lunge forward, but Mac saw it and dodged. "Aku rindu…? (I missed…?)" Mac then went into him for four hits. Grave Digger then limply leaned forward, as if he was falling over. Mac saw the opportunity and socked the Indonesian boxer for a Star.
Star Count: 1
"Uhhh…" Grave Digger went down for his delayed uppercut, but Mac was aware of the delay and dodged. "Tidak…!" Mac then went into him for five hits. "Di sini…" Stepping back for his jab, Mac had the idea and went for his Star Punch to intercept the attack. However, he mistimed when he used it, ending up Star Punching nothing while Grave Digger slammed him with his jab.
Star Count: 0
Little Mac Stamina: 7/16 of max.
'Damn. This isn't going well.' Mac thought. Grave Digger limply leaned forward, so Mac took the hint and punched him for a Star.
Star Count: 1
"Gooyah…" Grave Digger leaned back and was ready for his jab. Mac tried something different and waited slightly. When his opponent lunged forward, Mac tried his Star Punch again, timing it right so he dodged the incoming jab, socking Grave Digger right after with the uppercut. He must've hit a weak spot, as Grave Digger backwards onto the mat unceremoniously. His feet, however, remained as if he was standing.
Grave Digger Knockouts: 1
Round Time Left: 1:13
Star Count: 0
1! 2! 3!
Grave Digger's body began to limply stand back up onto his still-planted feet. A low moan came from him as he righted himself. "Come on, come on! Fight!"
Grave Digger Stamina: 13/16 of max.
"Di sini…" Grave Digger stepped back for his lunge jab, but Mac saw it coming and dodged. "Ungh…?" Mac then hit him for four punches. "Sekarang… (Now…)" He went for his whip-like uppercut, but he was smiling this time. Mac waited for his pause, which it did, but while Mac dodged when he thought Grave Digger would attack, the Indonesian instead raised his hand above his head, slamming down on Mac's head when he recovered from his dodge. Mac now had another thing to remember. "Uhhh…" He went down for his uppercut, and Mac saw that he didn't smile. When Grave Digger paused during his uppercut, Mac dodged when he thought it would come, and it did. "Aku rindu…?" Mac was able to nail him five times this time. "Uhhh…" Another uppercut came, catching Mac off guard and slamming him, knocking him to the mat. Grave Digger let out a simple moan as he turned his head straight up.
Little Mac Knockdowns: 1
Round Time Left: 0:37
1! 2! 3! 4!
Mac pulled himself up by the ropes, moving back into position. "Come on, come on! Fight!"
Little Mac Stamina: 3/4 of max.
The round continued slowly, Mac scoring a Star and dealing some more hits to Grave Digger. The bell rang, ending the round.
Grave Digger Stamina: 7/16 of max.
*Intermission*
"Aku… akan menang… (I… will win…)" Grave Digger moaned, holding his arm up limply, before letting it fall, leaning forward and lowering his head.
"The guy's got one bad case of noodle arm, Mac baby!" Doc Louis said as Megan held an ice pack to Mac's head. "I guess he's making the best of what he's got, and that ain't much! HA HA HA HA!"
*End Intermission*
The round display showed that it was Round 2.
Grave Digger stood up off his stool, but suddenly fell on his face. The boxer slowly picked himself up. "Waktu... untuk lebih... (Time… for more…)" He moaned, holding his arms out.
The referee got in. "Fight!"
"Gooyah…" Grave Digger stepped back for his jab, but Mac blocked it easily. "Apa…?" Six hits followed. "Sekarang…" He stepped for his uppercut, but Mac noticed his smile. Grave Digger did his uppercut stop, then raised his hand for a downward slam, but Mac dodged it. "Ungh…?" Six hits came as a result. "Uhhh…" Grave Digger went for his normal uppercut, but Mac socked him right when he froze for the delay, scoring a Star.
Star Count: 1
"Sekarang…" Grave Digger smiled this time, so Mac watched for the double delay, dodging when he actually went to attack. "Apa…?" Six hits followed. When Grave Digger was out of the stun, he activated his Star. "Tidak…!" Grave Digger only widened his eyes as Mac socked his opponent. "Ugh…!" Grave Digger spun around limply, his tongue hanging out, before falling over backwards, landing on his rear before ending on his back.
Grave Digger Knockdowns: 1
Round Time Left: 2:11
Star Count: 0
1! 2! 3! 4! 5! 6! 7! 8! 9! Te-!"
Right before the referee could complete the count, Grave Digger's fallen body glowed green and began to shake. "What's going on?" Mac wondered.
Then, Grave Digger groaned, and something began to come out of his chest: It was white and transparent, but outlined in green. It grew larger as it emerged, two arms coming out of it. The arms in ended in boxing gloves that were the same color as its body. Then, something emerged and formed: A head, with hair so curly, it was almost snake-like. The eyes shot open, glowing fully blue, before it shot its arms out. "URAAAAAAHHHHH!"
The audience gasped. "W-w-what is that?!" Megan cried.
Then, Glass Joe, who was in the audience, recognized the being and approached them. "Il était l'un des plus grands d'exister... la Grave Digger original! (He was one of the greatest to exist... the original Grave Digger!)" Joe cried.
"The ORIGINAL?!" Doc cried. "That can't be! The original Grave Digger died 20 years ago!"
"But that means…" Megan realized, her eyes widening. "Mac's fighting a GHOST?!"
"Istirahat, kapal saya. Sekarang giliran saya untuk melawan. (Rest, my vessel. It's my turn to fight.)" The ghost said to the fallen man before looking at Mac. "Akulah Grave Digger benar ... Tunjukkan apa yang generasi baru ini mampu! (I am the true Grave Digger... Show me what the new generation is capable of!)" The ghost moved his hands into a fighting stance, its tail still lodged in the human's chest. "Saya tidak akan menggunakan tubuh saya untuk menghindari hantu serangan Anda. Ini akan mengalahkan titik laga ini. (I will not use my ghostly body to evade your attacks. It will defeat the point of this fight.)"
The referee wasn't sure what to make of this, but he was handed a note from an official. "Continue the fight as normal." It said.
Shrugging, the referee decided to keep it going. "There is still a fighter standing for Grave Digger, so the battle shall continue! Fight!"
Grave Digger Stamina: Max.
Grave Digger grinned, then his body phased out, suddenly re-appearing on Mac's right. "Menipu! (Fool!)" Mac was suddenly slammed with a quick uppercut. Grave Digger crossed his arms and chuckled at Mac with a toothy grin. Mac wasn't sure if she should attempt an attack or not, thinking the ghost might be lying, but he punched, surprisingly socking the ghost and scoring a Star.
Star Count: 1
Now aware that he could damage the ghost, Mac had renewed confidence. Grave Digger phased out again, this time appearing on Mac's left. "Lihat ini! (Watch this!)" He went for another uppercut, but before he hit Mac, his body flickered out, then back in. Mac didn't see this coming and attempted to dodge, but he ended up dodging nothing. Grave Digger, who continued into a wind-up for another uppercut, nailed Mac, who failed to attempt another dodge.
Star Count: 0
Phasing out again, Grave Digger appeared on the left again. "Menipu!" He went for an uppercut again, but Mac dodged, Grave Digger not phasing out. "Apa?" Mac then hit the ghost five times. With another phase out, the ghost then appeared behind his own host. "Aku datang! (Here I come!)" He began doing a spinning motion, angling left to attempt a spinning hook. Mac saw this technique before and ducked under it, causing the ghost to twist back with a look of shock. "Beruntung! (Lucky!)" Mac went into him for a six-hit combo. Grave Digger didn't look fazed. Then, he rose up slightly, grinning. "Anda AKAN tahu takut! (You WILL know fear!)" He said, his eyes gaining an eerie blue twinkle. Then, after two seconds, a bright flash was emitted. Mac's face was suddenly frozen in a fear-struck gaze, his eyes glazed over, his body not moving. With Mac stunned, Grave Digger proceeded to nail him with two consecutive hooks in the motion of claw swipes.
Little Mac Stamina: 1/16 of max.
Mac shook his head, recovering from his stun. 'The heck was that?' Mac thought. Grave Digger crossed his arms and chuckled at Mac, so Mac punched him for a Star.
Star Count: 1
Grave Digger phased out, re-appearing on the right. "Lihat ini!" He went for an uppercut, which Mac tried to dodge, but he flickered out before he hit. This time, however, Mac saw the second uppercut and dodged again. "Kecil…! (Little…!)" Mac hit him five times. The ghost phased out and appeared on Mac's left. "Menipu!" He went for an uppercut, but Mac counterpunched for a Star.
Star Count: 2
With two Stars, Mac charged up his Stars for a Star Punch. "Argh!" Grave Digger yelled, throwing an arm in front of his face with a terrified look. "AAAH!" He was socked hard with the two-Star attack, making him reel backwards. His body staticed, and gravity finally took over, falling on top of his host.
Grave Digger (Ghost) Knockdowns: 1
Round Time Left: 0:46
Star Count: 0
1! 2! 3! 4!
Grave Digger attempted to float back up, but he fell back down.
5! 6! 7! 8!
Grave Digger rose into the air and growled with a twinkle of his eyes, moving back into position. His body, however, was still staticy. "Come on, come on! Fight!"
Grave Digger (Ghost) Stamina: 3/4 of max.
The round continued with neither boxer giving up. Mac had managed to prevent himself from being knocked out again while also dealing some slight damage to Grave Digger. Mac was saved by the bell, as it rang right before the ghost could stun him with the Scare Flair again.
Grave Digger (Ghost) Stamina: 9/16 of max.
*Intermission*
"Aku merobohkan raksasa sebelum Anda bahkan lahir, anak binatang! (I was knocking out giants before you were even born, whelp!)" Grave Digger declared, pointing at Mac while he said it before resting above his host body, which had been moved onto the stool.
"Mac baby, you can't let that Scare Flair get under your skin." Doc told him, Megan massaging his shoulders worriedly. "Maybe you can stop it if you blind HIM!" He handed Mac a chocolate bar, which Mac ate to replenish his strength.
*End Intermission*
The round display showed that it was Round 3.
Grave Digger moved his host body back into the ring via telekinesis before facing Mac. "Waktu untuk istirahat Anda, satu muda. (Time for your rest, young one.)" He said before moving into position.
The referee got in. "Fight!"
Little Mac Stamina: 1/2 of max.
The ghost rose up slightly. "Sudah saatnya Anda gemetar! (It is time for you to tremble!)" Grave Digger declared, his eyes twinkling. Mac had an idea and jabbed Grave Digger during the twinkle, causing him to groan and cover his eyes. Ticked, Grave Digger decided to attempt the attacks anyway, unleashing a right hook, then a left, but Mac expertly dodged both of them. "Apa?!" With him vulnerable, Mac was able to deal eight hits to the ghost. Grave Digger phased out, appearing on the left. "Menipu!" He went for an uppercut, but Mac counterpunched.
Star Count: 1
The ghost teleported backward. "Aku datang!" He spun forward, angling right for his hook, but Mac dodged it easily. "Kecil…!" Mac went into him for six punches. He phased out and went right. "Lihat ini!" He phased out before his first uppercut, but Mac dodged the second one. "Beruntung!" Five hits followed. Grave Digger rose up. "Anda AKAN tahu takut!" When his eyes twinkled, Mac socked him, ticking him off so he went for the claw swipe hooks anyway. Mac, however dodged them both. "Apa?!" Mac punched him seven times, using his Star on the eighth punch for a final blow. Grave Digger was sent reeling from the punch, limply spinning around above his host, his body becoming very staticy. Then, his body leaned over limply, gravity making him fall into his host, dissipating upon contact with him.
KNOCKOUT!
*Cue Grave Digger's variant of the victory theme*
Mac panted with his head down, his arm clutching his side, before he looked up and weakly raised his fist with a smile. "He can always take a whoopin'! HA HA HA HA!" Doc Louis said, grabbing Mac's arm and holding it up, giving a thumbs-up as Mac merely smiled.
*After the Match* *Cue Grave Digger's version of the after-match theme*
"Awesome work, Mac baby! A strong mind helps keep strong fists!" Doc told him. "You look plenty ready for the next challenge!"
Little Mac
Fight Record: 12-0 (12 KO)
New Rank: Neo World #3
Unused Quotes
*Intermission*
Boxer: "Anda... akan kehilangan...! (You... will lose...!)
Ghost: "Satu-satunya yang bisa menghentikan saya sebelumnya adalah kematian ... Sekarang, bahkan yang tidak bisa menghentikan saya! (The only thing that could stop me before was death... Now, even that cannot stop me!)"
*Boxer Win Match* (If the ghost is not knocked out)
The boxer limply moved until he was standing over him, the light casting an ominous shadow over his face. "Anda... lemah... (You are... weak...)"
*Ghost Win Match*
The ghost began posing for the crowd, unaware that his host was sitting up, looking confused. "Ahh, rasanya begitu baik menang lagi! (Ahh, it feels so good to win again!)
(There is no Unused Little Megan Cheer, as she does not cheer during this fight, being too unnerved.)
Doc Louis Tips
Boxer: "Takes skill to turn that kinda technique into an art. Don't let this guy make a fool outta you!"
"He may be slow, but he's tricky. When he does that uppercut, don't dodge too soon!"
"That lunging jab is a thing of beauty. If you try to counter it too soon, you'll get buried!"
Ghost: "I fought this guy back in the day. He LOVED to fake people out with uppercuts. Be careful!"
"A wind-up punch is pretty nasty, Mac baby. Keep out of his way!"
"Who you gonna call? STARPUNCHERS! HA HA HA!"
"Ok, Mac, listen up! Grave Digger may be a ghost, but he promised not to cheat. I think his word is good. So knock him out!"
Vile: Mac did a little ghostbusting and won himself the match! Only three boxers remain before the Champion, so the Neo Circuits are almost done! If you guys liked this chapter, leave a review for me! Ja ne for now!
Computer Voice: Vile, logging out.