Bonus Chapter: The Path of the Psychic
Location: Final Destination
Time: ?
On this flat stage, octagonal in shape and appearing to float with a black hole exuding white light, the background constantly transforms to reflect various forms of scenery, as if the platform itself was a vessel capable of interstellar flight. Worlds pass by like grains of sand on the beach, the heavens like wild flowers flying in the wind. Infinity itself is graspable in one's hands, and eternities can be counted down by the hours.
("Final Destination" Trophy Info: As time passes on this stage, the level appears to travel through a wormhole from the imaginary Super Smash Bros. Melee world into reality. You move through a cloud-filled sky over a vast mountain range, then into a deep-space vista of dark blues and purples. The scenery is as real as you get in this fantastical world.)
On "Final Destination", as both Master Hand and Crazy Hand have named it, four mighty combatants are locked in heated combat. Each of them are driven to claim victory in the "Melee" tournament. And upon first impressions, all four of these characters appear as if they were taken from the four corners of the universe, brought here for the sole purpose of fighting each other to the death.
The first of this quartet is an anthropomorphic fox with blue eyes and brown/white fur all across his body. He wears a headset, a white jacket, green pants, gloves, metallic legs, and a red scarf. His weapons of choice are his rapid-fire blaster, his speed, and his fearlessness in battle. His full name is Fox McCloud, but everybody in this tournament simply refers to him by Fox for short.
("Fox" Trophy Info: Fox McCloud is the leader of a band of adventurers-for-hire known as Star Fox. Fox and his fellow pilots Peppy, Slippy, and Falco patrol the Lylat system in their mother ship, the Great Fox. From the cockpit of his Arwing, Fox leads the ceaseless pursuit of the evil scientist Andross, who doomed Fox's father.)
The second combatant in this quartet is a heroic knight in character, but not in appearance. While most holy soldiers are clad in armor, the Hero of Hyrule known as Link wears next to none of it. Instead, his attire consists of a green tunic, green pointed hat, brown boots, and white tights. He has blonde hair, blue eyes, elf-like pointed ears, and a silent countenance. He may not look like it, but he is armed too the teeth and highly skilled with a Bow, Boomerang, Bombs, and Hookshot. However, his most iconic weaponry―and the general basis of his somewhat slow yet punishingly brutal fighting style―is the legendary sword and shield he wields from his home domain: the Hylian Shield and Master Sword.
("Link" Trophy Info: Even in his youth, Link was already becoming the warrior who would carry the destiny of Hyrule (and many other lands) on his shoulders. His epic struggles against the forces of darkness are written in legend, and he is bound to the Princess Zelda and the archfiend Ganondorf by the awesome power of the Triforce.)
The third fighter in this quartet is an intergalactic bounty hunter, female to those who know her and as a total shock to most that are on the receiving end of her mercilessness. Samus Aran is her full name, and alien technology is her game. Her entire body is donned in what she has identified as her Varia Suit, appearing akin to a bulky yet flexible space suit of armor, orange and a dull shade of yellow, outside of the red helmet over her face. The suit itself is equipped with an arsenal of weaponry alongside her trademark arm cannon over her right arm. With this suit, she can perform devastating Charge Shots, fire a barrage of Missiles, drop deadly Bombs, pull foes in with her Grapple Beam, and then buzz-saw them into submission with her Screw Attack. In short, her presence on the battlefield knows no boundaries.
("Samus" Trophy Info: This intergalactic bounty hunter's full name is Samus Aran. Clad in a Power Suit made by the Chozo race and infused with their enhanced blood, she cleared the planet Zebes of a Metroid infestation. Samus is an orphan, the sole survivor of a Space Pirate raid that destroyed an Earth colony named K-2L.)
Lastly, the fourth and final fighter in this tournament is me, Mewtwo. Outside of my virtually limitless brain bestowing me with incomprehensible telekinetic abilities, alongside my abilities to stun opponents through DISABLE, TELEPORT, use CONFUSION to discombobulate my targets and reflect back their projectile attacks, and fire off intimidating barrages of SHADOW BALL attacks, I need not introduce myself once again.
All you need to know about me, at this moment in time, is that I will stand victorious over these formidable adversaries.
("Mewtwo" Trophy Info: A genetically created Pokémon, Mewtwo is the result of many long years of research by a solitary scientist. Although Mewtwo was cloned from the genes of the legendary Pokémon Mew, its size and character are far different than its ancestor. Its battle abilities have been radically heightened, making it ruthless.)
The battle we four are currently locked into is an untimed match on the Final Destination stage, with five stocks ("lives") and item use kept to a minimum in terms of spontaneous materialization. My adversaries have no doubt lost track of time, but I have not. No more than 432 seconds―or two full cycles of the background changing on Final Destination―have passed by at this very moment. And it was clear that, by our current stock, who held the greatest advantage here.
Fox McCloud – 2 Stock Remaining – 93% Damage
Link – 2 Stock Remaining – 86% Damage
Samus – 2 Stock Remaining – 86% Damage
Mewtwo - 4 Stock Remaining – 15% Damage
Final Destination (Smash Bros. Melee)/Super Smash Bros. Melee/Super Smash Bros. Brawl OST
(Song Begins)
Fully intent on retaining the greatest likelihood of victory, I hovered over towards my three adversaries as they were intertwined with one another through a series of blaster shots, sword swipes, and charge shots. I saw the best opportunity for me to strike them down one after the other, and I took it.
Before the other two could react, I grasped Fox with my telekinetic abilities, before tossing him off the stage. Both Samus and Link reacted to this and peppered me with bombs and missiles. I flew back but came back stronger against them, a SHADOW BALL fully charged and stored back within me (as per the "rules" of this tournament). Samus attempted to come rushing towards me with her arm cannon discharging a small path of volatile explosives, but I twisted my body to evade it at the last possible moment, countering with a rising swing of my tail, amplified in strength by my back flip and my psychic power. And when she flew off the stage by being launched straight up, Link leapt up in the air with a rising Spin Dash, lacerating my body bloodlessly with his Master Sword, connecting multiple hits on my body and increasing my damage. But striking back at him with my SHADOW BALL was easy enough as we came back down and I reacted first, making him leave the stage by its right side.
Mere seconds was all it took for me to be made alone on Final Destination, before all three of my combatants embraced their final stocks by hopping off of the revival pads that carried them back here beside me. When that happened, we all took our positions as we did when this fight began, when I had already gained the upper lead on them and made the final match of this tournament less and less in their favor to win.
So, in knowing that, I could see the four of them take a couple of seconds to look at each other, set aside their differences in this four-way free-for-all, nod in wordless agreement of one another, and turn this match into a three-on-one.
In other words, what was once Fox vs. Link vs. me (Mewtwo) vs. Samus is now me vs. Fox, Link, and Samus. The remainder of this fight will go down as one lone Genetic Pokémon vs. a fearless mercenary, a legendary swordsman, and a merciless bounty hunter. One psychic cat vs. a pilot fox, a hylian hero, and a Chozo/human hybrid.
As I saw my unified opposition make the most of their final stock by slowly approaching me, I knew that I had to give them my final words on this matter before defeating the three of them, and claiming victory in the Melee tournament.
But what should I tell them? Should I tell them that their odds of victory are near as makes no difference unchanged by their choice in allying themselves alongside each other to fight me? After all, this isn't a Team Battle, so they can still harm each other, even "betray" one another if any one of them feels the need to. Should I tell them that my I.Q. is so incomprehensibly high that I can slow down time to a frame-by-frame rate, therefore ensuring that my attacks land with almost perfect precision? Should I make it clear to them that the intelligence I possess, which is much greater than their own combined and even multiplied, not only bestows me with inconceivable psychic abilities, but also flattens my learning curve of their tactics? Should I tell them that, even though the number of possible moves enacted from here on out is virtually limitless, I can perceive them all, based on their particular fighting styles that I've long since memorized? Should I remind them that I have more lives than the three of them combined, and that I'm the only character in this fight that can successfully make my way from one end of the stage to the other, by going below it? Or should I tell them that I'm the only Newcomer of the four of us, and that I've been fighting my way here with the experience of a Veteran two tournaments prior, even though there has only been one before this, consisting of only half of the characters in comparison to this tournament?
I already had the most appropriate axiom to tell them within a couple of seconds of thought, cryptic enough to keep my mental machinations an enigma, and foreboding enough to throw off my adversaries, via intimidation or provocation.
"You've all already lost." I told them outright. "I'm merely toying with you lot, until you break or I grow bored."
Unsurprisingly, this provoked the three of them, and they looked ready to lash out at me, in order to prove the genetic Pokémon wrong.
But they all stopped dead in their tracks when I retrieved the Cloaking Device item that had landed behind my back.
"At least this item will make your final moments enjoyable to me."
Equipping the Cloaking Device as quickly as I had retrieved it, my body disappeared from sight, no longer visible to my trio of seemingly mismatching combatants. They stood idle and watched all around themselves for any signs of me for a few seconds, before opening fire all around themselves, in an attempt to strike me through blind fire alone.
What they didn't know what that I had indeed moved myself from one end of the Final Destination stage to the other by jumping and using TELEPORT underneath the platform, during the moment that I overheard their pointless attacks. When they ceased, they had no chance of preventing my approach and my use of DISABLE as I stunned them, one after the other after the other. And after I struck them all with a blast of sable psychic energy (as my "Side Smash" attack), they were sent flying a fair distance away, nearly off of the stage. However, they quickly reoriented their balance in midair, since their sustained damage is minimal to properly launch them off of the stage, and homed in on where they believed I was presently at.
…
If the realm we were fighting in wasn't of Crazy Hand's and Master Hand's creation, where cleaving sword swings don't cut our bodies apart, explosions don't vaporize our bodies and aerosolize our blood, blunt trauma doesn't break our bones, and general exertions don't tire us out, then the "alliance" that Fox McCloud, Link, and Samus Aran have agreed upon themselves would already be tattered and their hands painted sanguine. It wasn't long before I was evading each of their attacks, and their inability to see my cloaked body causing them to hit each other, almost as potently as they were doing to themselves earlier in this match.
Through a combination of explosive, slashing, and swift attacks, all three of my adversaries were racking up damage quickly, with my hit-and-run tactics through the veil of my Cloaking Device further dwindling their overall chances of victory from zero to indefinable. Even when my Cloaking Device clocked out and my adversaries began to retaliate against me, it didn't improve their odds of victory. Because, even though they made my damage near 100%, I had already KO'ed both Fox and Link. The fox I sent flying first, by discharging dark energy by its feet, and the Hylian I cast off almost immediately after by using DISABLE to prevent him from using his Hylian Shield to block the SHADOW BALL I had fully charged and fired in succession.
All that remained was Samus Aran, and the only difference between her state of being and my own was that I still had three more stock than her.
Fox McCloud – 0 Stock Remaining – DEFEATED!
Link – 0 Stock Remaining – DEFEATED!
Samus – 1 Stock Remaining – 95% Damage
Mewtwo - 4 Stock Remaining – 95% Damage
"Even if you get lucky with a Heart Container falling before you," I mentioned. "Your odds of victory against me are nonexistent."
Samus wasn't the type of woman to speak in the middle of a match. But before me, she couldn't hide her countenance and therefore her emotions within her Varia Suit. She might as well be naked and ashamed before my eyes, an open book for me to flip through the pages, skimming her walls of words and learning her entirety better than she ever could.
That being said, she also wasn't the type to give up. And even though this tournament wasn't one where we fight to the death, she fought with that mentality. It is without question a superior mindset, channeling the fear of death and transforming it into the most primal and powerful of motivational weapons.
Which is why, when a Poké Ball landed by her feet, Samus didn't hesitate to pick it up with her left hand and launch it my way with all of her might.
Inwardly, I sighed and almost yawned as I raised an arm to flick the infernal red and white capsule away from me with CONFUSION. And after doing so, the Poké Ball landed directly between us, opening up like a Party Ball, unleashing pure energy that quickly manifested itself into the Pokémon within.
And that Pokémon, out of all of the 251 Pokémon that the Hand Duo decided to either capture actual specimens of or create replicas of for the sake of this tournament, was the only Legendary Pokémon outside of me that accompanied me, and actually decided to "participate" in the Melee tournament, in its own particular way.
Mew.
Shortly after materializing, Mew merely giggled as it floated between us within a psychic bubble. Mew rose higher and higher within the stage, two pairs of eyes unable to look away from the seldom sight, both for different reasons.
"(Even though we've long since settled our differences, I'm still dubious that I came to be from the crude reconstruction of your DNA.)" I nearly rolled my eyes at Mew, distancing myself from the New Species Pokémon with my prodding thoughts alone. "(We're polar opposites, the two of us. We're as different as night and day, light and darkness, summer and winter, life and d―)"
Samus took advantage of my diversion of the battle and rushed over towards me, colliding into me with her right shoulder plate, sending me flying clean off the stage, with no hope of returning back without a lost stock.
Mew disappeared from sight seconds later, and I returned before Samus after departing from my descending Revival Pad. And even though Samus managed to strike me when I was distracted, therefore dropping me down to three stocks, I didn't necessarily give her the pleasure of having impacted into me, nor did I show any anger.
All I did was TELEPORT towards her, behind her back, and grasp her visor by holding out my right hand towards her visor, when she turned around a fraction of a second before I immobilized her.
In the second that I held her in my grasp, she could see the visible sigh I let out, from my apparent boredom of this tournament and the combatants I've faced, not because they were patsies, but because I was leagues above them with my level of intelligence alone.
Then I tossed Samus behind my back and that was the end of it.
I had won, with three clean stock to spare.
(Song Ends)
The next thing I knew, I was no longer in the Final Destination stage.
I was standing directly in the center of an arena larger in size than any Pokémon Stadium in existence. All of the tens of thousands of seats were taken by the Fighting Wire Frames, somewhat sentient humanoid beings created by Crazy Hand and Master Hand for the sole purpose of practice and challenges. Their cheering, through whatever means they possessed to speak, were surprisingly vociferous and fitting enough for the conclusion of the Melee tournament.
My attention returned closer to my core rather than the seats of the arena when I heard the sounds of dozens of explosives detonating all around me, a deluge of confetti raining down around me, around all of the combatants involved in the Melee tournament, both fighters and assisting Pokémon, be they real or fake.
Crazy Hand and Master Hand were to my left and right sides, as entities that best resembled gloved humanoid hands should be. On the victory platform that I stood on, Fox, Samus, and Link shared in my glory, standing on segments of the platform that reflected their overall position within this tournament: fourth for Fox, third for Link, second for Samus, and first for me. Everybody else stood by the stage that the four of us and the Hand Duo were on, clapping and cheering at our overall positions and my dominating victory.
…Well, when I say all of us, I mean all of us except for both Bowser and Ganondorf. They simply had their backs turned towards us, no doubt seething within themselves for not having won in this tournament. Of course, when one loses to their respective damsels in distress, in a one-on-one fight, in the first round no less, one would sulk with their shattered pride too.
Regardless, my attention returned to the Hand Duo as they were no doubt ready to give the closing ceremonies.
"First and foremost," Master Hand began, its words immediately causing all of the cheering and applause to quell. "I want to thank each and every one of you for your determination and valor throughout this tournament."
A common way to begin a speech, by vaguely regarding everybody and acknowledging their participation, regardless of their overall position. Shortly after my birth, I would've thought this to be a petty way to acknowledge mediocrity alongside superiority. But because I've learned otherwise, I've abandoned my prejudice (alongside my "brief" ambitions for global domination), thinking of everyone as residing on the same level surface as I, regardless of how well we perform in a competition and how easily I may or may not trounce them.
"Without your participation, this tournament would've been impossible."
Perhaps, or perhaps not. It would be monotonous to say the least, if the participants consisted of those Fighting Wire Frames, the replica Pokémon, and/or replicas of each and every single one of us, seeing as it is within the powers of the Hand Duo to create life, a marvelous feat to say the least.
"But with your participation, and acceptance of our invitation, we were able to bring together the strongest fighters across this universe, for a clash of epic proportions until one individual stands victorious."
Strongest fighters across the universe might be pushing it, if you asked me. Some of these characters, outside of the safety of the realms that we're transported into for our matches, wouldn't last a second against others. Others are far more powerful than they let on. So, within my thoughts, I scratched out the word "strongest" and briefly listed more fitting terms. And out of hundreds of words I thought up within a couple of seconds, the words "iconic", "famous", and "popular" were in the top three.
"In our first ever Super Smash Bros. tournament, that sole victor was Mario!"
Upon Master Hand's mentioning of that name, all eyes turned to the mustachioed man to whom it belonged to, just as Mario gave a mighty spiraling jump into the air, his fist punching the sky, and his defining "Wahoo" escaping his mouth before he came back down to earth with a round of applause from everybody…except Bowser, whom everybody knows is Mario's archenemy, just as Ganondorf is the moral antithesis to Link.
I myself applauded this peculiar man, because there was next to nothing about Mario that was worth despising him for. He appealed to just about everyone, plain and simple. And for me, the only thing that I disliked about him was never getting the chance to fight him officially in this tournament. Link was responsible for that, and I had a sliver of satisfaction of beating the Hylian that was responsible for beating the jolly plumber.
"And in our second ever Super Smash Bros., the victory crown has been passed down to a new challenger!"
Addressing the victor immediately without giving first regards to the runner-ups. Unsurprising, considering almost all individuals only care about who comes out on top, instead of those defeated shortly before reaching it. Even the three combatants that I defeated in the final round didn't necessarily care whether they were addressed or not. They already are by standing here beside me, four finalists amongst twenty-four total combatants in the Melee tournament.
"In fourth place…"
…I thought prematurely, and Master Hand would address us all but felt the need to mark me twice nevertheless.
"For blazing past the competition even without his Arwing…" Master Hand snapped his fingers and made a bronze trophy appear in its grasp. "…Fox McCloud!"
The bronze trophy was handed to the furry finalist, and he accepted it wholeheartedly, despite the fact that the trophy was his size, and perhaps even his weight. Fox appeared quite content with simply making it this far, and it showed when his smile triumphantly and raised the trophy high over his head, to the delight of the surrounding audience.
Oddly enough, I noticed that the only individual who appeared unenthusiastic about Fox's placement was the blue avian known as Falco. And all of us in attendance here can understand why.
"In third place," Master Hand continued, snapping another trophy into its grasp, this time composed almost entirely of silver. "For displaying legendary feats of swordsmanship that all evil trembles in fear over…"
I could hear the faintest of scoffs from the nearby audience, from Ganondorf as I quickly identified. I could also hear stifled laughter from Bowser, directly beside him, no doubt taking advantage of Ganondorf's current state.
"Link!"
"Hyaah!"
My cleared heart nearly skipped a beat when I heard Link give out a battle cry, for coming in third place in the Melee tournament. He held his Hylian Shield in his right hand, and held his Master Sword over his head with the other, its tip aimed skyward. Master Hand simply set his silver trophy down beside the Hero of Time, the trophy itself being equally as large as the bronze trophy Fox received.
This made me think that the prestigious awards we would all receive were no different in size, only the basis of their metallic properties.
"In second place," A gold trophy was summoned into Master Hand's grasp by the authority of its gloved fingers. "For tearing through the competition with all manner of explosives…Samus Aran!"
Just like me, Samus wasn't the type of individual to boast or showboat her success, even though she had every single reason to for coming in second place. Instead, she simply took off the red visor of her helmet, exposing the pre-established fact that Samus is indeed a woman despite what the shape of her armor may lead others to believe. Then, she gracefully jerked her hair back to whip her blonde ponytail back over her head, before looking at Master Hand as it set down her solid gold trophy, a matching color to her Varia Suit.
In seeing her face, I briefly recollected on the shock that came to all of the Newcomers of this tournament when they realized that Samus was a woman. The only Newcomer that this didn't surprise was me. And because of that, I inadvertently planted the seed that has already sprouted into our budding friendship.
The proof of this was when Samus immediately looked over towards me and gave me a serious nod, which I returned the gesture with a simple nod of my own.
"And in first place," Master Hand was seconds away from addressing me. "For having won the war even before the first attack has been launched…Mewtwo!"
What a fitting description to describe my preference for combat. And shortly after Master Hand shouted those words for all to hear, my trophy was snapped into existence, directly beside me, for me to inspect in its entire splendor, while simultaneously plugging my ears from the deafening applause.
Outside of the fact that the trophy was composed entirely of platinum, the entire structure of the skeleton was laced with scaled down trophies of each and every single one of us combatants, organized in the order that we each placed in this tournament.
So in short, I was the apex of this trophy, because I finished first. But as Fox, Link, and Samus soon discovered, the trophies within their trophy were interchangeable, and can have their positions altered. I noticed how each of them replaced the Mewtwo trophy on top, with their own respective trophy a segment further down, just to give them more sympathy for how nearly they achieved victory.
"The first of many Melee tournaments is now over!" Master Hand finalized the gloriously brief ceremony. "In the weeks that follow, we hope that you all share in their spotlight, and achieve victory across a wide spectrum of challenges!"
With that, Crazy Hand, who has been jittering in place all this time, no doubt outside of its element in retaining a calm and quiet demeanor, was finally given its signal to act…as only Crazy Hand can. The Left Hand literally rocketed up into the night sky like an oversized rocket, before giving off the impression of exploding into thousands of individual fireworks, quickly turning night into day with their dispersing rainbows of colors.
As this and the deafening cheering was all going on around me, I drifted elsewhere within my thoughts, silencing my environment by disabling my sense of hearing, but still attentive of my environment with my perception alone.
"(All of these individuals are cheering us all for fighting in this tournament.)" I assessed the situation. "(They're cheering me in particular for finishing first in a tournament of fighters.)"
Like a dam exploding and releasing a wall of water, thoughts of my life before my confirmed birth and before changing for the better came flooding back to me. The visions I had of Mew flying across the outside world, the glass cylinder that I floated within as I grew, the hellfire destruction I unleashed to those that created me, the despot that took me in after "promising" to strengthen me, the Aura Pokémon that I loosely befriended whom wanted to escape with his friends, and the young Pokémon Trainer that helped me see life for what it is and not for what it is premeditated to be. All of this happened in a second, without me batting an eye or breaking a sweat, giving my audience no need to grow disquiet over me.
And after it passed, I looked at these individuals under a different light. I looked at their cultural and biological diversities, how mismatched we all appeared, and how we all remarkably fit together like pieces in a puzzle without any of us standing out in particular.
Not only that, but as it became clear to me, starting with Crazy Hand, Master Hand, Mew, and Samus, then moving on with the rest of them, I can label them all, regardless of their personalities, as something that I've labeled Xeno Lucario and all of the Pokémon alongside the two of us.
As friends.
Knowing that they were indeed my friends, and that they also saw me as such, I actually formed a smile on my face. And as far as smiles go, it was almost unrecognizable, simply because my face lacked the musculature that human beings actively exercise to outwardly display a wide arsenal of emotions. But that mattered not to me, because all of this attention struck a good chord within my heart, and made me smile on the inside.
A few months went by with heated competition encompassing a vast multitude of events, many of which were variants of the original Melee tournament format. According to Crazy Hand and Master Hand, these modes have been named Classic, Adventure, All-Star, Event, Stadium, Versus, Special, and Tournament, most of them branching out further into individual subcategories.
None of these events, in comparison to the first Melee tournament that I won, held as much vigor and energy. But because of the diversity of these events, competitive nature of the combatants, and all-around variety in the field of battle thanks to these combatants' fighting styles alongside the appearance of beneficial items, all of these events came close. By my calculations, about 90%-95% close.
Even the Lottery and Training segments saw their frequent use. The former of which, alongside all of these events that anybody can participate in at any given time, granted everybody enough trophies―both award-based and collectibles―to made a few complete sets of. By my count, there are precisely 293 trophies available, all of them providing the lot of us brief, but vivid lore and history on the worlds that we all come from.
Through these trophies, we all were given a helpful prod in understanding our competition and how to defeat them in the combat scenarios that the hand Duo would transport us into, or defeat them in the multitude of pastimes that we've all taken part in, such as the Home-run Contest, Multi-Man Melee, and Target Test. But in my case, they benefitted more in the same way a library would to a student. Each trophy bestowed upon me enough information to understand most of these characters, learning their sometimes surprising and seldom terrifying secrets.
("Bowser" Trophy Info: Bowser has a long history of kidnapping Princess Peach to lure his nemesis, Mario, into traps. He leads an enormous group of mischievous creatures, not the least of which are his seven children. With outrageous strength, flammable breath, and more spikes than you can shake a Star Rod at, Bowser is a constant threat.)
("Captain Falcon" Trophy Info: Usually a relentless bounty hunter, Captain Falcon shifts gears to become a race pilot once the F-Zero Grand Prix begins. His beloved racer, the Blue Falcon, can exceed the speed of sound, and he knows how to drive it; he'll go down as one of the all time-greats. Now 36 years old, Captain Falcon wears his F-Zero X visor.)
("Donkey Kong" Trophy Info: While he now prefers the laid-back jungle lifestyle to construction site mischief, DK is often forced back into action by the Kremling Krew. The great ape is quite fast despite his burly physique, and he keeps his strength up with a steady diet of his favorite food: bananas. His one extravagance (and only piece of clothing) is a monogrammed necktie.)
("Falco" Trophy Info: Star Fox team pilot, Falco's constant air of casual indifference belies his precise piloting skills. He avoids discussion of what he did before joining the team, but many consider it likely that his past was filled with reckless behavior. He's not much for cooperation, but he does respect those more skilled than he is.)
("Ganondorf" Trophy Info: Said to be the sole man born to the Gerudo tribe in a hundred years, Ganondorf aspired to conquer the world. He plundered a piece of the sacred Triforce from the Temple of Time when Link pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal. With the Triforce of Power in Ganondorf's possession, Hyrule was plunged into darkness until Link and Zelda defeated the fiend.)
("Ice Climbers" Torphy Info: That's Popo in the blue and Nana in the pink. These two stars of the game Ice Climber have scaled many an ice summit in their mountaineering careers. Back in their glory days, they chased eggplants, cucumbers, and other vegetables that inexplicable fell from frosty summits where a condor reigned supreme. They're rarely seen apart.)
("Jigglypuff" Trophy Info: This balloon Pokémon invites its opponents in close with its big, round eyes and then puts them to sleep with a soothing lullaby. It puffs itself up when angry, and while it may look adorable, it's not to be trifled with; it knows several powerful techniques. Jigglypuff evolves into Wigglytuff after exposure to a Moon Stone.)
("Kirby" Trophy Info: A denizen of the far-off, peaceful planet Pop Star, Kirby became a citizen of Dream Land after defeating King Dedede. Even though he's only about eight inches tall, Kirby is an extremely skilled technician. He has the ability to absorb the powers of his enemies, and his elastic body makes him a versatile adventurer.)
("Luigi" Trophy Info: Although Mario's younger brother has always played second fiddle, Luigi finally garnered the spotlight with his very own game, Luigi's Mansion. Things are looking up for the eternal understudy; he's even picked up his own rival in Waluigi. The day he's referred to as the "lean, mean, green machine" may not be too far off.)
("Mario" Trophy Info: Known worldwide as Mr. Nintendo, Mario uses his incredible jumping ability to thwart the evil Bowser time after time. While he's best known as a hero, Mario has played many roles, including racer, doctor, golfer, and villain. His tastes have changed over 20 years of gaming; he long ago swapped the colors of his shirt and overalls.)
("Marth" Trophy Info: The betrayed prince of the Kingdom of Altea, the blood of the hero Anri flows in Marth's veins. He was forced into exile when the kingdom of Dolua invaded Altea. Then, wielding his divine sword Falchion, he led a revolt and defeated the dark dragon Medeus. Afterwards, Altea was annihilated by King Hardin of Akanea.)
("Mr. Game & Watch" Trophy Info: First appearing in 1980, the Game & Watch series is the father of all portable liquid crystal games. The main character is simple and monochrome but has a timeless individuality. There are 39 different games in the series and they've sold over 43 million units worldwide.)
("Ness" Trophy Info: Ness is a young boy who's mastered the psychic power known as PSI. Ness was living a normal life in the suburbs of Onett until a meteor crashed into a nearby mountain and sent him on a wild adventure. Believing in the ultimate powers of wisdom, courage, and friendship, Ness proves that some heroes come in small packages.)
("Peach" Trophy Info: Princess Peach presides over the Mushroom Kingdom from her huge castle. Her loyal subject Toad does his best to protect her but always seems to fail spectacularly. Besides her royal duties, Peach is interested in both tennis and golf; since she's so magnanimous, she'll even deign to play a few matches with the evil Bowser.)
("Pichu" Trophy Info: A baby Electric-type Pokémon identifiable by its big ears. Pichu evolves into Pikachu. It's not very skilled at storing up electrical energy and will sometimes discharge it if jarred. Although it's small, it has enough electrical power to give even an adult quite a shock. It's often startled by its own power.)
("Pikachu" Trophy Info: It's safe to say that Pikachu is the most famous and popular of all Pokémon. It has electric pouches in both cheeks; when in danger, it shoots electricity at its enemies. Although Pikachu can evolve into Raichu by exposure to a Thunderstone, many trainers like Pikachu so much that they don't let it evolve.)
("Roy" Trophy Info: The son of the lord of Pharae Principality, Roy was studying in Ostia when the Kingdom of Bern invaded League of Lycia. His father fell ill at this time, so Roy assumed leadership of Pharae's armies. After his fateful meeting with the Princess Guinevere, his destiny became inextricably linked with the fate of the entire continent.)
("Sheik" Trophy Info: This is Zelda's alter ego. Using a variation of the name of the ancient Sheikah tribe, she appears before Link and teaches him melodies instrumental to his success. It's believed that she's not just a quick-change artist, but rather that she is able to instantaneously alter her clothing and her eye and skin color by using her magical skills.)
("Yoshi" Trophy Info: Yoshis are gentle, fleet-of-foot dinosaurs that make their home on idyllic Yoshi's Island. They come in a variety of colors and have evolved an interesting trait to help increase their numbers: they can transform anything they swallow into an egg. With adhesive tongues and bottomless bellies, Yoshis have been known to eat anything.)
("Young Link" Trophy Info: Link's younger incarnation is often considered to be the true Link: he was a young boy in the very first Legend of Zelda game, and he has appeared as a youth in most of the subsequent games. Since his debut on the original NES in 1987, Link's appearance has changed over and over again, each time adding to the mystique of his incomparable story.)
("Zelda" Trophy Info: The crown princess of Hyrule. Zelda entrusted Link with the future of Hyrule after a revelation came to her in the world of dreams. She knows much about the Triforce; in fact, the only person who likely knows more about Triforce lore is Ganondorf himself, whom Zelda evaded in Ocarina of Time by transforming into her alter ego, Sheik.)
Their natures, alongside their accomplishments (or failures) are a different subject entirely. However, I won't bore you by going into vivid detail about each and every single one of them. That information stays with me.
All that I will say―and say briefly―is that I've made friends out of most of them, and enemies or rivals out of the remainder. Everyone here is diverse, emotionally colorful or monochrome, sane or insane, good or evil, gentle or hostile.
The fact that we're essentially living together throughout all of these events and tournaments and Smash Battles, and haven't torn each other limb from limb yet, especially when it comes to the individuals that come from the same world, is proof of just how competent and in necessary control both Crazy Hand and Master Hand are.
And alas, just as we were all truly getting to know each other, truly enjoying these events and the museums of information we were all learning, every beginning has an end. In other words, it was eventually time for the Hand Duo to return us all to our home worlds, and bring these tournaments to a close.
When that happened, some of us were eager to leave, others were reluctant. Regardless, none of us really wanted to say good-bye to each other, but we must nevertheless.
I found myself saying goodbye to everyone, one by one, as the Hand Duo returned them all to their respective worlds―or "prison" as was the case with Ganondorf. I found myself the recipient of many goodbyes, and even a few hugs, which I accepted nevertheless, albeit uncomfortably because I've yet to grow used to such physical displays of personal affection yet. And luckily for most of us, the Hand Duo were taking their time, meaning that we all had a few days at most before the last of us returned home.
That being said, three of us came here by our own means: Falco Lombardi, Fox McCloud, and Samus Aran.
Unsurprisingly, Fox's goodbye was rushed because of Falco's slapdash departure through those Arwing vehicles they use, and he followed after his friend and Star Fox team partner, squeezing out a fond farewell to the two of us and flying off into the final frontier, leaving two of us remaining here for a little while longer.
Samus and I.
Going Home/Bleach Original Soundtrack 1/Shiro Sagisu
(Song Begins)
The two of us, me beside the woman that I've best classified as the closest friend that I've made here, proceeded towards her Gunship as she was about to make her leave. And once we were here, the last conversation between us began.
"What plans do you have after today?" I asked her inquiringly.
"Survival," She indicated flatly. "I found myself deeply enjoying these tournaments and would definitely return to them in the near future."
"As would I," I added almost immediately. "My countenance and physical posture may not reflect my outward enjoyment, but inside of my body and my mind, I'm as elated as a child at play."
"I could say the same thing about myself."
A few moments of silence passed between the two of us, before we found ourselves chuckling at our mild, dry humor.
Both of us, as we've come to learn about each other, shared multiple things in common. We both come from traumatizing pasts, I being born as the result of an experiment to create the most powerful Pokémon of all time, while Samus watching all that she loved perish before her eyes at the claws of Ridley. We both shared similar behavioral characteristics, a generally serious aura that doesn't necessarily make us the life of the party, but does make us entirely honest with each other. We both have powerful drives to accomplish our goals, and will stop at nothing until they're seen through…even though I was misguided for a brief period of time.
But most importantly, what we both shared in common is that we're far from ordinary in terms of our biology.
Because I'm the closest being that Samus has to a trustworthy friend within this realm, I've learned the most out of her, at her willingness, without needing to read her mind or figure it out for myself. She has told me that shortly after her traumatizing events involving Ridley, the Chozo alien race found her, took her in, and altered her genetically through their blood, granting her both their advanced technology and superhuman abilities. And I, in response to her, told her that I was created by mankind as a clone of Mew, initially believing that destiny is premeditated by birth, not by the freedom of choice.
In short, because of our backgrounds, we've essentially become inseparable throughout our time in the Melee tournaments, almost as much as Nana and Popo, the "Ice Climbers" as everybody generally calls them.
"Are you sure I can't change your mind about returning here for the next tournament?"
In response to her question, I slowly shook my head with closed eyes and a firm countenance. And then I opened my eyes to her once again, telling her my reason why.
"I've made plenty of new friends here, at the expense of staying away from the friends I already have back home," I began to mention. "And before being invited here, I contemplated returning to them after my years of absence."
Samus' understanding of this was clear to me, despite the fact that she still wore the entirety of her Varia Suit and had her helmet on. I could see her close her eyes and nod at this.
"When you return home, I want you to do two things for me." She requested. "I want you to share your experiences in the Melee tournament with your friends."
"Of course," I understood wholeheartedly.
"And I want you to survive long enough for me to defeat you in combat." Her second request possessed a more competitive edge to it.
Once again, I gave her the faintest of smiles that I could unfortunately muster with my face. "Hmm. I have no plans to die anytime soon."
Before my eyes, Samus appeared to reach for something behind her back. Whether there was something definitively there or appeared there as if by magic was irrelevant. All that mattered was that she held a glowing orange sphere that bared the insignia she used throughout these past tournaments. And I soon found myself holding it in my right hand after she put it there.
"What is this?" I asked quizzically.
"An asset to remember me by." Samus responded cryptically. "When the times comes, use it wisely."
With that, Samus walks away from me and approaches her ship. And as she was within ten steps from being directly underneath it, her armor disappears as if it simply existed over her body in the form of a hologram. When it disappeared entirely, the skintight blue jumpsuit that Samus wore underneath her armor was visible, displaying her attractively seductive curves to me, a genderless Legendary Pokémon.
Samus' Gunship lowered its entrance door like an elevator, a second before Samus herself stepped onto it. When she did so, she turned around to face me, and gave me a thumbs-down with her right hand.
I found myself returning the gesture, but giving her a thumbs-up instead, for reasons that I've been told why by her.
And with that, Samus enters her Gunship and pilots it away from this realm, in a different direction entirely across the cosmos, until she was far enough away to engage its hyperdrive, where she was but a twinkle in the virtually infinite expanses of the universe.
I found myself standing still for at least a minute, staring off into the direction that she proceeded onward towards, barely paying attention to my own actions as I made my gift disappear through psychic energy. During this present moment, I only cared for her wellbeing.
…Until I was snapped into reality by my "Mini Mew".
(Song Ends)
"Aww, how cute! You've fallen in love with a human being!"
I didn't even bother looking up to see the New Species Pokémon flying over my head. I didn't tilt my head and level my countenance with that of the very same Pokémon that essentially gave birth to me, with humanity as the breeder, the surrogate, the midwife, and the poképhile. I simply acknowledged my former enemy as indifferently and as philosophical as always.
"Love is nothing more than a conflagration of happiness, friendship, and attraction of opposing―or seldom similar―genders, for the sole purpose of amalgamating mildly diverse genetics into the next generation of life."
"So you wish to mate with her?" Mew asked bluntly.
"…" I actually blushed a bit, and knew that Mew could sense that. Luckily for our sake, I didn't bother lying and therefore administering needless pressure onto my psyche. "I'd be lying if I said no. And in my case, I'm fortunate that the libido I apparently have is nearly nonexistent because of my lack of gender."
"You and me both," Mew added. "Besides, if I saw you make any funny moves against her, then I'd have to step in as a wall between you two."
Upon hearing that, my rosiness instantly gave way to smug satisfaction, one which I actually wished was more evident on its nearly empty visage. "…Are you jealous of my relationship with Samus?"
Just like me, there was no purpose in lying between each other. We're both mighty Psychic-Type Pokémon after all, classified as "Legendary Pokémon" by humanity and Pokémon alike. A duo of Mew able to read the thoughts and emotions of any living organism within the horizon, even if they're a Dark-Type Pokémon, in which case they require an altered mental frequency.
"…Well, with the understanding that she doesn't respond to cute as many a human female, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."
"That's what I thought."
After saying that, I gingerly plucked Mew from over my head like a fruit, and set it on my right shoulder, a direct result of the beneficial time we've both had together here, strengthening our friendship and having long ago set aside our differences, to the point where I feel as though a part of my body is missing if Mew isn't resting itself on my shoulders or even on my head. And then after that, I turned my attention away from the empty cosmos all around us, and walked away, seemingly to no apparent designation.
"Where are we going now?"
"To the Hand Duo's office," I reminded Mew. "I need to make it clear to them that I won't be participating in their third tournament, whether they want me to or not."
Upon entering Crazy Hand's and Master Hand's office, the entire scenery changed from a biome consisting of all of Earth's wonders in a mere fraction of its space, to what could best be comparable to the Final Destination stage. The only difference here however is that there's a table with a couple of chairs. Nothing too fancy, despite the godly wonders that Crazy Hand and Master Hand are capable of creating.
I took a seat on one of the chairs, and Mew hovered over the second. We expected the Hand Duo to arrive within the minute of our arrival, but after precisely three went by, both Mew and I strongly believed that they were running late with departing a fellow combatant, and we felt like discussing our future plans.
Mew began. "I wonder what your friends are doing now?"
"Our friends," I clarified. "And my most likely hypothesis is that they've all completed their crucial roles as Team Liberator, and have returned to Spear Pillar."
"What do you think they'll think of you when you meet them again?"
I didn't appear the least bit distraught by the multitude of possibilities, because I've already highlighted the most probable chain of possibilities. "Xeno, alongside everybody else, will initially inform me about the promise I failed to keep within the letter I wrote. Then, after introducing you as my evidence as to why my letter is a lie, and as a result explaining my time away from them, they will happily accept me back amongst their ranks, as if I never left."
"And you don't think that Charmeleon, Dusknoir, Luxray, and Tyranitar will hold some animosity towards you, for leaving them behind with Xeno instead of taking them with you?"
Mew brought up a valid point, one that I've already taken account of by simply saying "No".
"And what about Team Rocket? What about Giovanni?" Mew brought up two of the three names of my existence, my "parents" essentially.
"…" Understandably, I paused at the mention of my single most detestable vendetta against them. "…If I find out that they're still active, I will eradicate them. If I find out that they've acted discordantly against my friends, I will slaughter them. And if I ever see Giovanni again, humanity will have to invent a new word to describe the acts I will inflict upon him."
"…" Mew stared at me silently, meekly, as if I had snapped its likeness in two with my bare hands. "Has anyone ever told you that you're bloodcurdling frightening when you're livid?"
"Once or twice," I admitted. "What settles people off the most is that my face makes it difficult for others to gauge my emotions."
"Well, that's not a surprise." Mew retorted. "You wear your face like a mask after all."
"(*Sigh*) I do, don't I?" I responded emblematically, putting my stubby fingers over my face, finding my skin turgor to be the equivalent of Tauros leather, no matter how much I try to pull and even pinch at it. "I almost wish the scientists that created me could've altered the structure of my face, increasing its physical elasticity."
"Perhaps you'll age enough for your skin to droop?" Mew believed.
"Don't be ridiculous, Mew." I quickly gave Mew my emotionless rejoinder. "We share 99.99999999% of the same DNA, despite the fact that my genetics were split and spliced ad nauseam. We'll live for eons, just as any other Legendary Pokémon will, as long as we don't do anything particularly ludicrous or suicidal."
Our conversation ended immediately when I felt a hand place itself over my left shoulder. And when I felt its abnormally cloth-like touch, my reaction wasn't one of fear, but of nonexistence.
"Crazy Hand, in Kanto's Lavender Town of my home world, there's a recurring lore of ghosts putting their hands on people's shoulders." I stated flatly. "So, in other words, your attempts at eliciting fear or surprise from me are futile. In fact, they're childish at best."
Upon saying this, Mew watched as Crazy Hand fell limp on the floor, and I stayed statuesque, not even looking in the Left Hand's direction when it fell on the back of itself.
"I can scare the shit out of everyone in attendance here," Crazy Hand uttered meekly, trounced even. "Just my movements and cackling laughter bring about a creeping coldness across the backbones of my victims, even mildly. So why can't I scare you?"
"Firstly, the act of excreting post-digestive components as fecal matter, with fear as its stimulus, is beneath me. And secondly, you've exhausted your attempts at striking fear into my heart or even attempting to surprise me, even when we first met. In fact, the only surprise that you've managed to inflict upon me is when I first met you."
If a hand could weep, Crazy Hand was no doubt doing so. Its curled fingers were twitching slightly, as if the Left Hand was breathing heavily and sobbing inwardly.
"That being said, the creativity that you displayed before me and the other combatants, throughout our time here, is nothing short of extraordinary." I felt like pitying the broken hand.
"Nice try, but I can see through your lies." Crazy Hand assumed.
Before I could respond back, Master Hand appears out of seemingly nowhere and snaps its fingers to elicit our immediate attention. The harsh snap of fingers as large as my body rings heavily across my ears, alongside Mew's, and even gets Crazy Hand to completely abandon its earlier fit of depression, and hover alongside its Right Hand counterpart.
"I already know why you're here and for what reason, Mewtwo." Master Hand asserted.
"I expected as such," I admitted, feeling no violation of my thoughts in part of the Hand Duo, simply because this will only make this topic easier for us.
"But before we discuss it, I feel the need to digress and ask something else from you first." Master Hand requested. "Is that alright with you?"
"Of course," I responded.
With that, both Crazy Hand and Mew were essentially out of this picture, and simply hovered by their counterparts, interjecting if they needed to.
"Throughout your time here, do you ever regret your decision in accepting our invitation, even once?"
"Initially, when I first met you and Crazy Hand, I was doubtful and reluctant in participating in your tournament, because I wasn't entirely certain if you intended to make peace with me, or an enemy out of me, if you were telling the truth or lying to me. But because of Latias, Latios, and Mew," I briefly glanced my eyes over at Mew, as the New Species Pokémon smiled gleefully and even did a stationed back flip before me. "And because they indirectly informed me that this was all because of Arceus's intentions for me, I accepted your invitation and have not regretted it since."
"That's reassuring to hear, coming from you," Master Hand continued. "In fact, just about everyone deeply enjoyed their time here."
"The only individuals that stated otherwise, for their own reasons, are Pichu, Roy, and Young Link."
In hearing those names, I knew exactly why they stated otherwise, because their minds are as straightforward for me to read as a children's book.
"Pichu because of its colossal inexperience against juggernaut-like opponents, Roy because of his blooming rivalry with Marth, and Young Link because of the chronological confliction almost everybody has succumbed to in understanding how two entities of one person can exist at the same place and at the same time."
"Like Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader." Crazy Hand spontaneously implied.
In hearing this and disregarding Crazy Hand's valid outburst, Master Hand was in no ways surprised by my ability to gather knowledge out of apparent nothingness, and from the confines of individual minds. But Master Hand was curious as to my apparent invasion of other's privacy with my ESP. "Were they aware of your abilities to read minds?"
"Those that were smart assumed so. Those that were stupid couldn't be bothered to care." I stated, knowing well enough this information so that it wasn't merely an assumption. "The same can be said for Ness, the child that I kept a close eye on to appease my curiosity of his PSI abilities."
"I'm not surprised by that," Mew commented. "The first time you both met, Ness mistook you for Giygas and attacked you out of reflex. And ever since then, he was one of the individuals here that you actively sought to learn more of."
"I sought to learn as much as I could from everyone, regardless of clashing against them or not." I turned my attention to Mew. "Knowing is half the battle after all. And the other half is implementing that knowledge through decisive actions."
"That's all I needed to hear," Master Hand digressed long enough and prepared to ask me what we both already had in our minds. "So Mewtwo, tell me precisely why you've chosen to decline returning to our third tournament?"
"It's not that I don't want to," I admitted, feeling a bit torn of my choice but having my reasons to nevertheless. "It's because I still have important matters to attend to back home."
"Your friends."
"Exactly!" I emphasized, my telepathic tone of voice actually causing an echo within this seemingly limitless dimension. "Throughout my time here, with the memories of the individuals that I've befriended, eschewed, and defeated, as well as the priceless awards and trophies I've earned, what I've come to value most is my friendship."
"It's true. I can vouch for Mewtwo about friendship." Mew inserted itself into the conversation. "Why, this one time, when Mewtwo was studying his opponents for hours on end, and I fell asleep on my personal bed, Mewtwo actually tucked me in, which is something that he would never do when we were enemies, and unlikely of him to do when I came alongside him for your second tournament."
"Aww…" Crazy Hand cooed, picturing that scene perfectly. "Who can blame him? Anyone would build a soft spot in their hearts for you. Even Bowser and Ganondorf, and they're both pretty rotten to the core."
"So, just to be clear," Master Hand returned the topic back on track. "You wish to skip our eventual third tournament in favor of reuniting with your friends."
"Yes." Was all that I needed to say.
"We understand completely." Master Hand accepted without any attempts to bargain, beg, or force me to returning. "You will be missed, that much is certain."
"Well, until our fourth tournament…" Crazy Hand added, speculating into the future.
I decided to humor them, "At least there will be someone else to shine in the spotlight besides me."
"True," Master Hand knew. "Speaking of shine, do you know of any shining stars or plausible recommendations to join us for our third tournament?"
I struggled to maneuver my face into a faint smirk, but a smirk nevertheless. "Without hesitation, I would recommend Xeno Lucario to participate in your third tournament. Xeno's wide arsenal of Pokémon techniques will constantly keep his adversaries guessing his next move."
Oddly enough, both Crazy Hand and Master Hand appeared to withdraw and silence themselves, when I expected a reaction equal to excitement or full agreement.
My face sobered as a result of their bizarre reactions. "Is something amiss here?"
"…Yes actually," Master Hand eventually reacted. "While we would absolutely love to invite your friend Xeno Lucario into our third tournament, I'm afraid that we can't do that."
"On what basis?" I inquired, curious and expecting concrete answers.
What Master Hand told me next, I had no defense for.
"Xeno Lucario is no longer on this Earth," Master Hand began. "As Arceus has decreed it to Its Children, the Legendary Deities of Sinnoh, Xeno and Xeno alone has been transported into a parallel Earth outside of your own."
Even though I sometimes wish that I can be a bit more expressive with my facial lexis, its news like this that makes me grateful I'm incapable of extensive countenance manipulation. My face remained unchanged, even though I was astonished inwardly.
"…For what purpose?" My pause and disbelieving tone of voice in comprehending this new information was understandable.
"The Void of the Dark One."
Freedom Ship/Battlecry (Disc 2)/Two Steps From Hell
(Song Begins)
For the next few minutes, both Mew and I were spoon-fed new information regarding Xeno Lucario and the Void of the Dark One. As it turns out, Xeno Lucario is the "Pokémon of Prophecy", a Pokémon destined to prevent the Void of the Dark One with powers rivaling that of Arceus Itself, according to the inscriptions on Spear Pillar, etched down in the Language of the Unown―which Wanderer Lucario, Xeno, and I were wise at the time we spent in Team Rocket to wish to inspect.
From there, the Void of the Dark One is an impending event that will originate in the Earth that Xeno has been sent to. The Dark One is an entity with next to no information readily available about, outside of the fact that the Dark One is patiently waiting, no doubt plotting to strike at the most probable moment.
In the parallel Earth that Xeno has been transported to, he has united his strength into a team of seven. Including himself, the other members are the Man of Bulwark Eduardo, his adopted brothers Costas and Ian, the Eon Duo Latias and Latios―the very same pair of Pokémon that recommended I enter the Hand Duo's Melee tournament―, and even Tiny Riolu, having successfully albeit narrowly resurrected by the Original One Itself.
Their accomplishments so far, in the parallel Earth that doesn't necessarily follow a straightforward timeline alongside my home Earth, have included participating in Arceus' Game, combating a diverse set of participating Legendary Pokémon, being rewarded with a pair of holy weapons of Arceus own creation, defeating Roman Organization XIII, and learning a few new abilities as a result. The most notable of these, to me, is Xeno Lucario not only mastering Mega Evolution after a couple of uses of it, but learning from this "Eduardo" human and transmogrifying into an "Aura Dragon".
And as for the Pokémon that Xeno "left behind", they're being tested by Arceus in searching for Its sixteen scattered Elemental Plates across Sinnoh, in order to prove their strength in accompanying the Pokémon of Prophecy in preventing the Void of the Dark One.
"I'm beginning to feel envious of Xeno, for what he's been able to accomplish that distinguishes him from me." I admitted, speaking my own thoughts. "I'm also feeling a bit hollow inside of the fact that we've never officially fought against each other, only sparring together and even alongside each other in a Double Battle."
"Now you know why Xeno can't participate in the third tournament." Master Hand finalized. "That being said, we have considered adding a Lucario into our ranks. We're contemplating adding the Lucario that belonged to Sir Aaron…before he died of course."
"…" I was too entranced by my own thoughts to pay any particular attention to the Right Hand. I was pondering what Xeno looks like as an Aura Dragon, because I already knew what a Lucario looks like when they Mega Evolve, just as I know what I looklike when I Mega Evolve into a Mega Mewtwo X or a Mega Mewtwo Y, despite the fact that I've never done so before because Mega Stones are as elusive as Elemental Plates. But I know I'm capable of doing so, otherwise humanity wouldn't have labeled those stones as "Mewtwonite X" and "Mewtwonite Y".
"And this is also why we can't allow you to participate in the third tournament either."
"…!" My attention quickly returned to Master Hand upon hearing that.
"I know," Master Hand responded gladly. "You didn't want to participate in our third tournament because you wanted to reacquaint yourself with your friends, and Crazy Hand and I understood that. But now you don't really have a chance to change your mind. Your intended path is set."
Inwardly, and near nonexistent outwardly, I was smiling at the support I was receiving from the Hand Duo.
"Well then, why am I still here then? I should be returned back home, where I belong."
"I'm with not-stupid on this one." Mew added, before placing and securing itself on the back of my head.
"Of course," Master Hand understood, knowing that this conversation was reaching its end. "I trust that you're packed for your departure?"
In response to that, I held out my hands and created a treasure chest of pure psychic energy to spontaneously appear on the top of the office table. I opened this box with a wave of my hand and inspected its contents, just as the Hand Duo and Mew did in return. Inside was all of the trophies and awards I've received in my time here, hovering in an area of reality-defying space no larger than a small locker. Alongside this, there were also a few personal items I've come to gather in my time before the Melee tournament. A set of emergency provisions, food and water to last me for weeks, my brown cloak, an article of clothing that I've taken decent care of…
And the sphere that Samus gave me.
"I don't know, you tell me." I responded satisfactorily.
The Hand Duo were no doubt impressed by my abilities after surveying the contents within my chest, and hovered back after inspecting them.
"Good, good." Master Hand commented before snapping its fingers and having a small case of its own appear in its grasp. "But you'll be needing this back home as well."
Master Hand let go of its materialized box and telekinetically hovered it over towards me. I seized it psychically as well and opened the lid, inspecting its contents with a stable countenance.
"…Where did you both get these?" I wondered.
"Some of them were salvaged…" Master Hand started.
"…And the others were gathered." Crazy Hand ended.
In understanding that, I closed the box and put it within my own box, before dismissing it and returning my possessions back into the limitlessness expanses of my cerebral cortex.
"I'll see to it that they're used to their fullest potential." I thanked the Hand Duo.
"That's all we ask." Master Hand remarked.
"Think fondly of us when you use them." Crazy Hand added.
I nodded, telling them wordlessly that I indeed will.
And with that, the Hand Duo stood to the left and right sides of Mew and I, assuming the same position that they both took when they transported the two of us into this world, and using it again to bring us back home.
"Is there any particular place that you want us to drop you off at?" Master Hand asked me.
"We can drop you off right beside your friends if you wish." Crazy Hand suggested.
"Thank you, but I already have a location in mind." I clarified.
"…Really?" Master hand exclaimed in surprise.
"Where to then?" Crazy Hand wondered.
"Where do you need to go that takes higher precedence than your friends?"
I closed my eyes as I braced myself for the Hand Duo's clap, as I uttered these two words.
"Undella Town."
THE PATH OF THE AURA II: BROTHERS IN ARMS
TO BE CONTINUED…
(Song Ends)
"There are many choices, (…), and many reasons for choosing." —Orson Scott Card ("Speaker for the Dead") (296)