author's note - if your email said a different game, i mixed up the titles and quickly deleted it. sorry for the mistake! :(

Review Time:

James Birdsong - Thanks!

Demdrops - Shenmue was not in my plans, but Crazy Taxi is actually something that can work...yes...

Chapter 43 – Sonic Adventure 2: Battle

"Coming, coming!"

Tomo raced downstairs to not chase after the bus….but rather, sit down and eat breakfast with her dinner.

"So Tomo….did Koyomi ever get her entrance results?" her mother wondered.
"Yeah! She got in!" Tomo knew she would, after all. Instead her mind was picking what game she would bring today….but her father spoke up.

"Tomo, graduation is just around the corner. Your mother and I….well, we're proud of you for coming this far. You've improved your grades! You need a reward."

Tomo's eyes shined. "Well, Yomi's parents got her a Nintendo Switch…."

"Oh honey, don't be silly, you already have so many video games!" her mother laughed.

"Yeah!" her father joined in. "I was thinking like, a pair of sneakers of something…."

"…"

XXXX

"Shoes? Wow Tomo, your parents sure spoil ya…."

"Osakaaaaaaa, they're getting me sneakers! That's so lame compared to a new video game console!" Tomo whined. Yukari's class was about to start.

"Tomo, you should be grateful they're getting you a present!" Chiyo scolded. "The Switch isn't going anywhere. You could always get it for your birthday!"

"Chiyo you're a genius!"

"ALL RIGHT!" Yukari came in and slammed her books down. "Time to start the lesson! And I'd better not even SEE any of you yahoos play your fancy new Switch! You kids make me sick! Hogging all the consoles for the adults that actually have time to play it!"

"But Miss Yukari, don't you need to teach lessons?" Chihiro asked.

"Yeah, but….I DON'T HAVE ENTRANCE EXAMS! KEEP STUDING, SLACKERS!"

After school, Chiyo, Osaka, Kagura, and Chihiro walked together towards their usual spot. It was Tomo's turn, but there was still the sense of anxiety in the air. How many more times did the group even have before high school was over?

"You don't think Tomo did something drastic to get a Switch?" Kagura asked.

"Forget Tomo, I hope Yukari didn't rob some college student for one…" Chihiro replied. Then a loud honking sound jolted her and the rest of the girls. It was Yukari, fresh from the Yukarimobile.

"VERY funny, Chihiro. That's just what Nyamo said, before I'm an adult! I can be patient! Patient….like you think they restocked them at the game store just now? Maybe I should drive there quick…"

"Miss Yukari! Patience is what you and Tomo both need." Chiyo opened her gate for them. "Let's just go inside, relax, and wait for Tomo to show up!"

"HOLD ON!"

In the distance…..it was Tomo, furiously pedaling on her bike, despite the chilly weather. On her back was not her usual schoolbag, which naturally made Chiyo nervous. She had no Yomi to play mediator.

Did she really steal one?!

XXXX

"STEAL?! Are you nuts? I'm trying to be Interpol! I can't have a record!"

"M-My apologies, Tomo…."

Instead the wildcat pulled out a Gamecube and related wires. "Today's game is something fast and furious, like the F-Zero Kagura picked! But Yomi hates these kinds of games, so she declined. I did need a Gamecube, though."

"You found one?! It's been discontinued for years!" Yukari exclaimed.

"Huh? No, I borrowed Miss Sakaki's."

Blank stares.

"By asking for hers to borrow! Geez! She couldn't come today anyways! She didn't have a problem!" Tomo then showed the game. "This one I found in that retro shop! Remember it, Osaka?"

Sonic Adventure 2: Battle

"Ooooh…..Sonic the Hedgehog….." But Osaka didn't quite recognize the black hedgehog opposing him on the cover. "Who's this?"

"Osaka! That's Shadow, Sonic's rival!"

"Hang on a minute…..this game was for the Dreamcast!" Yukari thought fondly on her youth. "The last console Sega made before they bit the dust…."
"Yukari, Sega still makes games…." Chihiro said. "This is just the Gamecube port of it. It gave us multiplayer."

"DING DING!" Tomo pulled out two controllers. "And we're gonna have a little competition!"

The theme of the game was Hero vs. Dark….Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles (three well-known characters) were opposed by Shadow, Dr. Eggman, and Rouge the Bat (two of which were created for the game). With six players, Tomo got to work.

"Team Dark…..will be us Boneheads! Me, Kagura, and Osaka! We can only pick the baddies!"

"Oooh! Dibs on Dr. Cortex!"

"Eggman! That's the wrong series, Osaska!" Tomo then pointed at Chiyo, Chihiro, and Yukari. "You three will be Team Hero! You can only pick the good guys!"

"You're on! Dibs on Sonic!" Yukari said immediately.

"First team to 5 wins!"

"Wait!" Chiyo cleared her throat. "What will we be doing? Some of us haven't even played this game before!"

"But I have," Tomo said matter-of-factly. "And Yukari played the original."

"Fine! So to be fair, you can only face Miss Yukari!"

"That's fair." Tomo started up the game. The intro began with Shadow opening his eyes on a bridge, only to have Sonic chase after him. "There's three types of games – race, run and gun, and treasure hunt! Yukari and I will demonstrate the first match!"

"Yer on, Tomo!" Yukari took the other controller but noticed something. "Uhhh….what's with the video camera?" She motioned to the nearby stand.

"Takino Productions, of course! You weren't there, but Chiyo and I finished Mario 64! I haven't had the chance to really make the channel grow…."

"Why don't you use a capture card and not point a camera at the TV screen?" Yukari demanded. "How can your channel grow if you have two amateur videos?! It's not 2005 anymore!"

"How do you know all of this?"

Yukari instantly thought of her speedrunning attempts….and how that panned out.

"Just…..start the stupid game….."

Match #1 –Sonic (Yukari) vs. Shadow (Tomo) – City Escape

An energetic song (in English!) played as the two hedgehogs descended a cityscape on makeshift boards. Both Tomo and Yukari could grind at the right points for more speed.

"Whoa! This is a crazy race!" Kagura loved it. "And this music! It's AWESOME!"

"Composed by Jun Senoue himself!"

"Uhhh sorry, grandma, this music is by Tomoya Otani!" Tomo fired at her teacher, while Sonic and Shadow switched to their own feet. "The Mega Drive was ages ago!"

"Wow! I don't think any of us have pointed out composers before…." Chiyo blinked. "There's a lot of great music I've heard from all these games!"

To no one's surprise, Tomo and Yukari took turns ramming into each other via Homing Attack, which always cost the hedgehog some valuable rings. Sonic quickly boosted ahead through a doorway, but made the mistake of-

"See ya sucker!"

-grinding down stair poles when Shadow darted down the steps themselves.

"It's really close!" Osaka said. "Say….Sonic's got some neat shoes. He don't usually wear those!"

"He doesn't?" Chiyo asked.

"EXCUSE me, we have more important things to worry about!" Both zoomed up a halfpipe down the side of the building. It was the final stretch! Neck and neck, until finally….

"BOOM!"

-Sonic cinched the victory while Shadow stood with his arms crossed.

"Fair game, Yukari….but the Dark Boneheads ain't going down without a fight! Kagura! You're up next!"

"Awesome! Can we race again?"

"Huh? You're our rep for the treasure match!"

Team Hero – 1, Team Dark - 0

Match #2 –Chihiro (Knuckles) vs. Kagura (Rouge) – Security Hall

The objective was for each character to find three Chaos Emeralds, using a blinking radar on the bottom. Of course, not only was Kagura thrown off guard by the game, but the character choice as well.

"Tell me why I couldn't pick the slime thing!"

"We're imitating the game cover, duh!"

But this sly-sexy bat character was clearly making the swimmer embarrassed. "Why does this girl have breast physics? It's not even human!"

"Yeah, and those jugs ain't like Crash's girlfriend!" Osaka chimed in.

Chihiro on the other hand, was in complete control. She knew how to play quite well, as Knuckles glided across the level for the stones. The radar went from off to green, to yellow, to red if it was right in the vicinity.

"Just stay calm Miss Kagura! You can do it!" Chiyo yelped as Yukari began pulling on her pigtails.
"Don't cheer for the bad guys!"

Both treasure hunters could dig through walls and holes for items. Kagura managed to find 20 rings.

"Alright!"

Then hit a robot and lost them.

"ARGH!" Kagura scrambled to get at least one. "Chihiro already has one! I'm gonna guess and say the locations are random?"

"Yep," said her opponent. She snagged….the third emerald?

"HUH?! What the hell was that?"

"You can still get treasure if the radar doesn't see it. It's not like the prequel game where the radar can light up in all spots, but if you know where the pieces can be, it's not hard."

"Says you! Tomo threw me into this, you clearly have practice!"

"Alright." Chihiro set her controller down. "Then I'll go get a soda."

"HEY!" Yukari stood up. "Don't just hand her the win!"

But Chihiro wasn't doing any such thing. She picked out a lemon-lime soda, patted Mr. Tadakichi on the way back, and came back to see Kagura still going every which way. Then she took her controller and grabbed the last one she needed.

"Good job, Chihiro! Heheh….you sure kicked Kagura's butt!"

"OSAKA YOU'RE ON MY TEAM!"

Team Hero – 2, Team Dark – 0

Match #3 – Chiyo (Tails) vs. Osaka (Dr. Eggman) – Deck Race

Both characters were in a mech. With a laser they could shoot at enemies and obstacles to get further. It was a race to the finish but a much slower, methodical one.

"I don't know…."

"Chiyo relax, they're just robots," Yukari coached. "If you get more rings you can really power up your armor! Unlike the other modes you don't automatically lose if your rings are 0!"

Luckily for Team Dark it seemed Chiyo was slightly inferior to Osaka in terms of shooting skill. She hestitated a few times, and while the Osakan shot everything in sight, it worked more for her.

"Chiyo, if you hold the button down, you can target more stuff," Chihiro said.

"R-Right!"

Meanwhile Osaka got hit by a robot's laser, and to her teammates' surprise….she really wanted to get them all.

"Did you not hear Yukari?!"
"Ah know. But if ah get 100, Ah'll get another life!"
"THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT!"

Chiyo picked up some rings and even a shield powerup. She felt encouraged….but missed a jump and landed in the water.

"Chiyo you have rockets to hover!
"I do?!"

"Argh….okay! After this, we'll switch the match-ups! But you need to pick a different character!"

"Hey!" Yukari got in Tomo's face. "Don't make new rules just to get another win! Scared I'll beat you again? Or Chihiro will smoke Kagura again?"

"It's…it's to make the game more interesting!"

"I like that!" Chiyo said.

"Me too!" Osaka said.

Then both landed in more water.

"JUST FINISH THE RACE!" Both speed players shouted. Eventually it was Eggman that got there first.

Team Hero – 2, Team Dark – 1

Match #4 – Amy (Chiyo) vs. Metal Sonic (Kagura) – White Jungle

Now Sonic's pink colored fangirl was up against his robotic doppelganger, in a high-stakes jungle race. Unfortunately Chiyo was getting disoriented from all the twists and turns.

"Damn it! Why did I agree to this?" Yukari groaned.
"Well hang on, Yukari…." Chihiro pointed to Amy's ring counter. "Speed isn't everything in all of these."

Metal Sonic had the lead but one disadvantage was clear – he couldn't stop in the same way the other hedgehogs could, meaning Kagura nearly fell off a bunch of times. And an advantage Amy had – despite being the beginner pick – reared its head.

"Huh? A command?" Chiyo had gotten 30 rings.

Amy promptly froze Metal Sonic in place….for 20 seconds.

"HEY! …..I forgot about those!" Tomo gasped. "Amy needs less rings for these!"

"And Metal Sonic has none of these!"

Kagura was alarmed. But Chiyo went as fast as she could to catch up. Once he was unfrozen Metal Sonic chased her down, but the pink hedgehog managed to win.

"I….I did it!"

Team Hero – 3, Team Dark – 1

Match #5 –Yukari (Tikal) vs. Osaka (Chaos) – Wild Canyon

Osaka's choice was the slime-like entity Kagura had originally wanted. Yukari's choice was an orange female echidna.

"Oh, these characters are from the first Sonic Adventure," said their teacher. Then she flinched at the music. "Bleehhh! What's with this rap?" The lyrics were in English.

"That's rap, Miss Yukari? Sounds pretty catchy."

The stage was far smaller than the last treasure-hunting affair, being composed of two areas connected by an upward stream of wind.

"Are you crazy? I'm gonna get those fools, they wanna play with my Emeralds?" Yukari echoed. "And he's calling the batgirl sexy and smooth?"

Kagura was even more embarrassed. Luckily her teammate had better experience with the game, but it was clear the music was grating on her. Osaka hummed it despite not understanding the lyrics.

"Ohhh! This music type must be for Knuckles!" Chiyo realized. "The last map had jazz, and I think that suited Rouge, right? City Escape had that upbeat rock….so that must be Sonic's music."

"Huuuh? Chiyo, you're actually paying attention to the music?" Tomo asked. Yukari snagged a shard but Osaka wasn't far behind.

"Uh huh! The music types reflect the character designs on the cover!"

"Well the deck thing was part of an Eggman stage….so more electronic and techno?"

"That's right!"
"HEY! Cheer me on, Chiyo!" Yukari demanded. But the lyrics looped to the point that it was getting on the teacher's nerves….which made her lose some focus. Osaka stumbled onto a shard by sheer luck. "HEY!"

"Sorry Miss Yukari. Can you translate the rest of the song for me?"

"LIKE HELL!"

Team Hero – 3, Team Dark – 2

Match #6 – Hero Chao Walker (Chihiro) vs. Dark Chao Walker (Kagura) – Hidden Base

It was Kagura's bad luck to be against Chihiro again, but this time both were playing a different style. Maybe she could finally win. But…..why on earth were they both controlling two little creatures?

"Chao, they're….like the Pokemon of Sonic!" Tomo explained. "That's Hero Chao, and that's Dark Chao. C'mon Kagura, you gotta win this for us this time!"

"I'll try! Wait….it's not a race?"

Tomo grinned. "Who said the shooting matches are all races?"

This time both players had to fight the other.

Kagura just grinned back.

"Chihiro! Don't be afraid, just blast her!" Yukari coached. Chihiro wasn't fazed but if Kagura was a master of anything….it was mashing the attack button.

"Take that! And that!"

"Well damn…."

Kagura clicked her tongue and pressed harder. "You're just like Sakaki, Chihiro, nothing ruins your cool. Well I can't lose to you again if I'm gonna beat her!"

The Dark Chao happily jumped when it won.

Team Hero – 3, Team Dark – 3

Match #7 –Knuckles (Chihiro) vs. Osaka (Chaos) – Mad Space

"Tomo, you're really taking what I asked to heart?" Chiyo wondered. "You're okay with only facing Miss Yukari in the speed matches?"

"Sure. It's gonna come down to me against her anyways."

Yukari snorted. "Please. We can take this!"

The treasure hunting stage was the largest yet, composed on different planets with altering gravities. And to make matters worse, the hints were all in reversed text.

"GUUH?! M-Miss Yukari, translate!"

"Osaka, I'm not on your team! ….and it's not in English!"

But Chihiro was struggling a bit too….which Tomo was glad for. Mad Space was a notoriously difficulty Rouge stage, and even though multiplayer always lowered the size and scope from the main story, it was still a nightmare for those unprepared.

"Good luck Chihiro!" Chiyo exclaimed. "You can do this!"

"Osaka! Just turn on your Osakan brain!" Kagura said. "The Boneheads can still win this!"

"Right, right…" Osaka stared at the next hint….then she quickly wrote it down her hand, backwards and all. "Tomo! If you know this game….then translate!"

"Whaddaya mean?" she asked not-so-innocently.

"Whut ah mean?" The Osakan™ brain was clicking. "You played all of these stages before…..so there's only so many hints they can give out!"

"HUH?!" Yukari, Chihiro, and Chiyo all shouted.

Silence.

"Yeah sure, the hint is-"

"No!" Osaka got in her face. "Ya gotta say it backwards. Only fair, right?"

"Osaka…..if I say it backwards WE'RE BACK WHERE WE STARTED!" Tomo's eyes looked to the TV. "Shoot, Chihiro got it."

Team Hero – 4, Team Dark – 3

Match #8 – Sonic (Yukari) vs. Shadow (Tomo) – Pyramid Cave

What was Tomo's plan? Yukari looked her over. "One more and we win."

"Yep. But I'm gonna win so the FINAL match will be all or nothing!"

"That's nuts!" Kagura said. "Tomo, don't tell me you've been holding back this entire time! We could've won those two battles I lost!"

"Sorry Kagura, it was Chiyo's rule. I'm not cheating!" she said with surprising humility. She turned to Yukari. "Let's go!"

Both hedgehogs darted down a chamber lit by torches and filled with rails. Yukari made Sonic curl into a ball, his famous Spin Dash. "Ah ha! THIS is what that tin can can't do!"

This time Tomo and Yukari were careful with their winds. Sonic managed to speed up for a bit with one command, but Shadow got enough commands for his signature move.

"Chaos Control!"

"Damn it, I'm frozen!" Yukari growled. "Wait….why does Amy have this ability too? She just swings a hammer!"

"Hey! Sonic can do it too, so it's just balance purposes," Tomo said still chugging along. Sonic finally resumed his own motion.

"Time Stop!"

…and froze Shadow.

"Geez, this is neck and neck…." Kagura sighed. "But how much of this is just Tomo holding back for Yukari's sake?"

"I think Miss Yukari is skilled at this game," Chiyo whispered. "But with Tomo picking this….it's hard to say. She hates to lose, but she was still considerate enough not to play too much…..?"

"Oh, that's a good idea," said Tomo casually as Shadow ran into the goal ring. "I should've done all of you girls against me! Hehehe…."

Yukari was stunned.

It really was down to her against Tomo.

Team Hero – 4, Team Dark - 4

Match #9 – Sonic (Yukari) vs. Shadow (Tomo) – Final Rush

"You little sneak….." Yukari glared at her student. "These stage choices…I bet you planned ALL of them just to get to this moment!"

"Hehehehe…..ohhh, Yukari-chan….." Tomo wagged her finger. "I didn't touch the controller when I wasn't playing. And you can't randomize the stages when you pick characters! It's FATE you and I battle it out, one last time!"

"Tch. Just like Sonic and Shadow….."

The stage was set in space, with twirling rails, floating platforms, localized gravity, flashing lights, ad all sorts of hazards. Arguably, it was the hardest speed level in the game. Adding to the torture were the slime enemies that shoot lasers and also-

"COME THE F**K ON!"

-extend their limbs to knock Sonic to the floor.

"Miss Yukari!"

"I HATE these stupid things! Tomo probably knows how much they pissed me off when I was younger!"

"Yeah, cuz I hate them too!" Shadow bounced around on some springs and continued on a few rails. "Geez Yukari, it's not some kind of master plan! It's just a race!"

Sonic was catching up to his rival, this time armed with an attack.

"Sonic Wind!"

"You got him!" Chihiro said. But Shadow managed to get a few ring pods to restore his own count.

"Chaos Spear!"

"Crap!"
Both hedgehogs zoomed around cylinders, dodging more lasers and slime tentacles. But while Yukari was cursing and getting more anxious…..Tomo was calm. She was pressing controllers just as much as her teacher, yet not shouting or getting too ramped up.

"Come on, Tomo! We're almost to the end! You might lose!" Yukari tried to goad.

"…."

"Almost there!" Osaka said. "Tomo's gonna win!"

"No, Miss Yukari can still win this!" said Chiyo.

Closer and closer…..one final grind rail…..until…..

"AH HA!" Yukari stood up in triumph. "Team Hero wins! Sorry Tomo, but your little plan didn't work! The Boneheads just couldn't break the hurdle…."

"Okay. Guess we can wrap things up then."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Everyone stared at Tomo. No yelling back? No demanding a rematch?

"Ya….ya're really Tomo right?" Osaka asked.

But the wildcat turned off Sakaki's Gamecube. "I took a gamble and lost. That's life, right?" She began to pack up the wires. "I still had a lot of fun!"

"Tomo…." Chiyo went over to help her. "I'm s-sorry. If it was your pick….maybe you should've played it a bit more. I mean, you like to win!"

"Yeah. The class already said we're gonna write Hates Losing the Most in your yearbook," Chihiro said casually.

"Heh, that's cool."

"This….this is crazy, Tomo!" Kagura rolled up the controller wires. "Taking the loss so easily….did Yomi put you up to this?"

"Nah!" Tomo turned off her video camera. "Although she would probably think it's a dream. Thanks for playing, girls! I'd better get home for dinner."

The group all said their goodbyes, but Yukari had some lingering suspicions….

"Yo."

Yukari had waited when Kagura, Chihiro, and Osaka all were out of sight (none wanted to ride her car) to approach Tomo, whom was about to bike back to Sakaki's.

"Hey Yukari, what's up?"

"You really are something else, Takino. You're the QUEEN of shouting and making a fuss about everything. Tell me, did you throw our last race?"

"No way!" Tomo frowned. "Against you, Yukari? I never hold back!"

"….tch. Maybe you're growing up. When I was your age I was the exact way….always trying to be #1, competing with everyone…."

"Yeah, Nyamo was your Yomi." Tomo smiled. "You know, Yukari…..I'm gonna miss all of this. Hanging out with everyone, playing video games…."

"Well what about your channel idea? No need to give it up so soon."

"Nahhhh…..there's too much content anyways. I'd never break through. Besides….an Interpol agent can't be playing video games for the internet!" Tomo began to pedal off. "See ya tomorrow, Yukari!"

"Just remember!"

The bike stopped.

"They can still play them for fun."

Tomo turned back and nodded. "Yeah. They always can."

To be continued...

Yukari and Tomo are both correct in the sense that Senoue AND Otani composed for SA2. But Senoue composed City Escape, so Yukari is the winner. But since Jun Senoue has Sonic 3 credit, Tomo's not wrong in saying he's "Mega Drive" either. X)

Next Game - Crazy Taxi [Yukari, Nyamo, Kagura, Sakaki, Chiyo]