Good day to all of you currently reading this. How's it going? Good, I hope.
Welcome to the official start of the 'Ultimate' era of this story. From now on, there will be appearances by all those who have returned to Smash and those that are new to it as well. There may also be the occasional reference to modes present in Ultimate that weren't in Smash 4. Either way, the Ultimate fight has begun.
3 Question Marks: While I am familiar with both, since neither game has characters that show up in Smash, (Spirits don't count) I don't think I can make something from that. But still, thank you for your suggestion.
Althea Sirius: I'm glad I was able to surprise you. And I'm also glad you liked the wedding chapter. Also, thank you for your suggestion. I admit, after I read it, I played around with your idea for a bit and ultimately turned it into this. So congratulations on having your suggestion picked. Also, thank you for your holiday wishes. The holidays were good to me. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were all tons of fun, not to mention filling. And I hope all your Christmases, or Hanukkahs, or Kwanzas, or whatever you celebrate around that time of year turned out well to all of you reading this.
Guest: You are correct. And now that we're in the Ultimate era, expect more frequent appearances by Chrom in this story.
Blackhawks8: I completely respect your opinion, and sympathize with it as well. While I'm glad you enjoyed the wedding chapter, and while I'm satisfied with how it turned out, I admit I could have taken my time a little more with it. There were several concepts I was going to use for the chapter, but ultimately scrapped. Such concepts include a conversation between Shulk and Dunban/Lucina and Chrom the night before the wedding. (I also contemplated switching Dunban and Chrom's places here) As well as a conversation between Shulk and Fiora/Lucina and Cynthia at the reception. (Though, that last one was mostly going to be played for laughs) But, fear not. I do intend to have a meaningful conversation between Chrom and Shulk play out in one of my future chapters. When I manage to get that far, I hope you enjoy it.
Well then, now that I have that finished, let us begin.
Super Smash Bros. © Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai
*Shulk and Lucina's bedroom*
*8:00 AM*
Lucina's eyes awoke at the start of a new day. The first thing she saw was the man she called her husband still sleeping beside her. She couldn't help but smile at his sleeping form. It had been a full week since they had been married, and yet the happiness she felt toward him had not diminished at all.
She quietly got out of the king-sized bed Master Hand had provided for the couple. She was shocked the first time she saw it, as she had never shared a bed before, but it only took one night to win her over, as she found the warmth Shulk provided gave her a sense of comfort and security she hadn't felt in a long time. As she was getting ready for the day, she heard Shulk start to stir as he awoke as well.
As soon as Shulk rose, Lucina began to blush and her heart rate picked up. She was very shocked to learn that Shulk slept without a shirt. The only thing he wore to bed at all was a pair of sleeping trunks. As soon as Shulk and Lucina locked eyes, they smiled at each other.
"Well, there's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Shulk said.
"Oh, thank you! You look dashing as well." Lucina replied.
"Any big plans for today?" Shulk asked.
"I do have a battle against Mega Man and Incineroar with Snake as a teammate at 1:00." Lucina stated.
"My first match today isn't until 4:00. I think I'm going to watch a few other matches until them. I want to see what all the new fighters are like."
"I see. Perhaps I will join you. I am still quite curious as to what abilities our new opponents hold."
The couple did just that. After breakfast, they made their way to the Spectator Room, where a team match with newcomers Simon Belmont and Ken Masters against veterans Wolf and Corrin on Battlefield, one of the oldest of stages in Smash Bros.. The match was to be a stock match, with everyone having three stocks. As Shulk and Lucina took their seats in the Spectator Room, the announcer counted down to the fight.
3
2
1
GO!
Corrin made the first move, jumping up and hitting Simon with his powerful sword. Wolf immediately followed it up by swiping his claws at the Belmont. Corrin then landed another sword swing on Simon. Ken tried firing his Hadoken at Corrin, but it missed and Corrin just retaliated with another sword swing.
Simon tried swinging his whip upward, but it missed Wolf, who merely jumped out of its way. Corrin then created a lance with his draconic powers and stuck it to the ground. He then swung forward with it and managed to kick Ken in the head. Just then, Simon jumped downward in an attempt to strike Corrin, but the dragon prince saw this coming and sent two dragon fangs upward, knocking both Simon and Ken in the attack.
The four combatants danced around each other for a few seconds until Wolf sent a powerful kick at Simon's face. He immediately followed it up with a kick. Corrin then sent a kick of his own at Simon. Ken was also caught up in this kick. As Ken and Simon were falling back toward the stage, Wolf attempted to fire his blaster at them, but missed.
Ken and Simon quickly got up, but were instantly put down again, thanks to a powerful claw strike from Wolf and another dragon lunge from Corrin. This attack hit Ken and knocked him off the stage, and despite his attempts to recover via Shoryuken, fell down and was KO'd.
Simon attempted to throw his Cross in an attempt to hit Wolf, but the Cross stopped just short of Wolf before returning toward Simon. However, Corrin, who jumped down in an attempt to rush Simon, was caught in the return swing of the Cross. Corrin was slightly knocked back and found himself next to Wolf. The teammates rushed toward Simon in an attempt to KO him, but the Belmont threw an axe at them, knocking them both back.
Wolf responded by rushing forward, grabbing Simon, and throwing him to the ground. He then followed up this attack by running forward and kicking Simon in the face. Ken, who had returned to the stage after his KO, tried to attack Corrin again, but was just met with another Dragon Lance in the chest. Wolf attempted to prevent Simon from returning to the stage, but was caught up in Simon's uppercut attack. Corrin jumped up, hoping to intercept Simon, but Ken jumped up as well, and sent a powerful kick at Corrin's back, knocking the dragon forward. Corrin managed to get back on the stage, only to be immediately hit by Simon's whip. The vampire hunter ran forward and attempted to attack Corrin again, but the latter used his dragon powers to create a large ball of compressed water. He then launched it at Simon, who was hit and nearly thrown from the stage. However, he managed to recover.
Ken sent a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku at Corrin, which almost knocked him off the stage, but he managed to recover. Corrin then sent one of his water balls at Ken in retaliation. The combatants then danced around each other for some time until Wolf sent a kick at Simon. This was followed up by a more powerful kick that launched Ken upward, and KO'd Simon.
Wolf and Corrin went after Ken, but Simon returned to the stage and smacked Corrin with his whip. Corrin was thrown far by the attack, but managed to stay on the stage. Once he returned to the ground, Corrin ran forward and grabbed Ken. Corrin then threw Ken behind him with the help of his Dragon Lance. At the same time, Wolf fired his blaster at Simon, but the blast was deflected by the latter's whip. Wolf then switched gears and went for Ken, and managed to send him flying with his powerful claws. Before Ken could make it back on the stage, Corrin sent another powerful water ball at him, sending him flying into the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing him.
Corrin then sent another water ball at Simon, knocking him back. Corrin sent another one, but this one was blocked by Simon's cross. Wolf and Corrin then turned focus and began wailing on Ken, who had returned to the stage. This was broken up when Simon hit Corrin with his Cross. But as soon as he recovered, Corrin continued attacking Ken with Wolf. There was little Ken could do to get himself out of his jam. Eventually, Wolf managed to grab Ken and throw him off the stage, and a water ball from Corrin KO'd the fighter, costing him his last stock, leaving only Simon. That is, until Simon gave up one of his two remaining stocks to revive Ken, leaving both of them with only one stock each.
Corrin jumped up and attacked Simon numerous times until he was almost KO'd. Simon fell downward while Corrin returned his attention to Ken. Simon then sent a powerful downward kick at Corrin, who was knocked back a fair distance. Wolf swiped one of his claws at Ken, nearly knocking him off the stage. Simon responded by throwing one of his axes at Wolf, but it missed. Corrin then swung his sword at Simon, nearly knocking him off the stage. Simon attempted to recover, but Wolf jumped after him and slashed the vampire hunter with his sharp claws. This caused Simon to hit the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing him for the last time.
Corrin sent a Dragon Lance at Ken, who was knocked toward Wolf, who fired his blaster. The blast stunned Ken, allowing Wolf to grab him and throw him off the stage. Ken managed to recover via Shoryuken, but Corrin was waiting for him. He flew upward, attacking Ken with his dragon wings. Corrin repeated the attack, causing Ken to nearly be KO'd. Once everyone was back on the ground, Ken executed a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, which sent both Wolf and Corrin off the stage, though they both managed to recover. Wolf then swiped his claws, sending Ken across the stage. Corrin ran forward to intercept Ken, and managed to pin him in place with his Dragon Lance. With Ken unable to move, Wolf executed a powerful upward kick, knocking Ken into the invisible barrier, KO'ing him, an ending the match.
"GAME!" Cried the announcer.
"Wolf and Corrin win!"
Both Shulk and Lucina were surprised by the battle they had just witnessed. Despite the fact that they were both newcomers, the married pair expected Simon and Ken to give a better performance than they did.
"Well, that was somewhat underwhelming." Shulk commented.
"Indeed. I was hoping for something more interesting from the newcomers." Lucina replied.
"Y'know, I wonder if we were like that when we first started here."
"I admit, I struggled at first, but still won some of my earliest battles."
"Yeah, same here. But still, it took some time and training before I got to where I can hold my own against everyone here."
"Perhaps we need only give them time before they start improving." Lucina said.
With that, Shulk and Lucina walked out of the Spectator Room and went about their business for the rest of the day. The next day, Shulk found himself in the Training Room, hoping to get a little practice in before his next match. However, as soon as he entered, he saw Ken training on a sandbag. The red gi wearing fighter was punching and kicking away when Shulk approached him.
"C'mon! Just a little more strength." Ken said to himself.
"You're trying too hard." Shulk said.
At that statement, Ken, who had not seen Shulk approach him, got overly startled and fell to the ground with a scream.
"GAH! Don't sneak up on me!" Ken said.
"Sorry." Shulk replied.
"And what do you mean by 'trying too hard'?"
"I mean you're not gonna get far in this tournament if all you use is brute strength."
"Please, I've fought countless different people with countless different fighting styles before. And more often than not, I've come out on top." Ken boasted.
"Maybe, but when's the last time you fought a pink ball that can eat you? Or a hedgehog who can run circles around you? Or a person wielding a sword that can see the future? My point is, there are loads of people here with fighting styles and abilities you've probably never seen. And just going in, fists swinging won't help. You'll have to adapt to new techniques if you want to get ahead." Shulk explained.
"But how?" Ken asked.
"I'll show you." Shulk said as he pulled the Monado off his back.
Later that evening, Lucina was walking around the gardens behind the mansion, taking in the beautiful scenery. However, once she made her way to the center of the garden, she saw something very peculiar. Simon Belmont was out there as well, and it seemed like he was training alone, using a scarecrow as a practice dummy.
"Have at you!" Simon yelled at the scarecrow.
Using his mighty whip, Simon managed to knock the head off the scarecrow. The head landed at Lucina's feet, which is when Simon finally saw her watching him.
"Oh, forgive me. I did not mean to disturb you." Simon said.
"No, it's quite alright. It's just… are you training?" Lucina asked.
"Yes, I was in fact training. After my horrible performance in that last battle, I felt I had no choice but to try and become stronger. I will not bring any more shame upon the Belmont name."
"You are aware there is a room in the mansion specifically for training purposes, yes?"
"I was unaware of this. I will be sure to try it out as soon as I can. Still, I doubt I will get ahead in this tournament if I train only on lifeless dummies."
"Well, if you wish, I can give you some guidance on how this tournament works and how to improve your battle performance."
"That would be grand. When can we begin?" Simon asked.
"Please meet me in the Training Room tomorrow after breakfast. We shall begin then." Lucina said as she walked off toward the mansion.
"Alright, now that you've shown me some of your fighting moves, let's work on a few defensive techniques. You don't have too much in the way of long-range attacks, do you?" Shulk asked.
"Well, I have my Hadoken, but other than that, I prefer going hand to hand." Ken answered.
"Well, there are loads of others here who would say the same, and they have either more brute force than you or have a weapon to help them. So if you find yourself at a disadvantage, you need to do everything in your power to keep them away from you until you think you can knock 'em out." Shulk said.
"Alright, let's give it a shot!" Ken said enthusiastically.
Shulk then walked about ten feet away from where Ken was before he began speaking again.
"Ok, now I'm gonna run up and attack you, and you're gonna try and keep me at a distance for as long as you can. If I manage to get up close, you're gonna try and knock me back. Got it?" Shulk said.
"Let's do this, man!" Ken screamed.
Shulk then took a running start toward Ken. As soon as he began, Ken charged up a Hadoken and fired it at Shulk, but Shulk easily dodged and kept running at Ken. Once the two were face to face, Ken tried sending a powerful punch at Shulk, but the Monado wielder dodged and jabbed his powerful blade at Ken. The force of the blow was enough to send Ken flying into the wall. Ken eventually peeled off the wall and fell face first to the floor. He slowly got back up, but was clearly dazed by the attack.
"You alright?! Maybe I hit a little too hard. But still, the Monado is a powerful instrument in battle, and like I said, many others wield similar instruments of battle." Shulk said.
"Instruments…. Is mayonnaise an instrument?" Ken said in his dazed state.
"N-no, Ken. Mayonnaise is not an instrument." Shulk said, clearly confused by what he had just heard.
"Horseradish?" Ken asked, still dazed.
"Horseradish is not an instrument either." Shulk replied.
"Sorry. I'm back. That's a damn powerful sword, dude."
"I know. And you'll have to learn how to get around it, as well as everyone else's weapons if you wanna get ahead in this tournament. Now, let's get back to it."
As soon as Ken got back to his feet, he and Shulk immediately resumed their training session.
"Alright, let's try working on your dodging a bit. This time, I will throw a bunch of sword swings and jabs at you, and you're gonna dodge for as long as you can. If you see an opening, take it." Shulk said.
Ken got into a battle stance, indicating he was ready. Shulk then ran toward Ken and swung his sword. Ken dodged numerous times until he saw his opening. He punched Shulk in the ribs before sending him to the ground with a kick.
"Not bad, Ken. Not bad." Shulk complimented as he got to his feet.
"Hey, thanks, man." Ken replied.
Shulk then quickly swung the Monado at Ken's legs, knocking him off his feet and sending him falling to the floor.
"Of course, I won't always be aiming at chest level. Sometimes your opponent will go for low blows. Both figuratively and literally. You'll have to be able to account for all kinds of attacks." Shulk said before helping Ken to his feet.
"Now then, let's keep going, shall we?" Shulk said.
"Very good, Simon. Your ranged weapons are all quite impressive. But now I believe we should focus on your close-range combat. Tell me, do you have any useful weapons for use when an opponent gets close?" Lucina asked.
"Well, I am familiar with some basic hand to hand combat, but my most effective tool would without a doubt be this." Simon said.
The vampire hunter then held up what looked like a chain whip with a spiked flail on the end.
"A whip?" Lucina asked.
"Yes. Do not let its mere appearance fool you. This whip is known as the Vampire Killer. It has the power to return nearly any monster and demon to Hell where it belongs. It has been passed down throughout my family for generations, as those of the Belmont Clan are the only ones able to wield it. It is, by far, my greatest asset in battle." Simon explained.
"I see. Well, let us see how you fare with it in battle." Lucina said.
Simon responded by cracking his whip at the ground, hoping to knock Lucina off her feet. But the blue haired princess simply jumped up and avoided the attack. Simon then tried swinging his whip directly at her, but she sidestepped. She was now right in front of him. Simon tried swinging his whip at her again, but she countered with her sword and sent Simon to the ground.
"I admit, I am quite amazed at your agility." Simon commented.
"Well, I am no mindless monster to be easily killed by your weapons. I have years combat experience to back me up." Lucina responded.
"Indeed. However, there is one thing I must ask. What is that sword made of? Most normal swords would cave under the power of my whip." Simon asked.
"Well, much like your whip, it is quite special. It is an indestructible blade forged by the goddess Naga and can only be wielded by those descended from Ylissean royalty, such as myself. Even within my family, only certain people are able to wield it." Lucina answered.
"Really? Well that would certainly explain its power. Wait, did you say royalty? You mean to say that you are a princess?"
"I am."
"Well, I cannot say I have had the privilege of sharing the battlefield with royalty before. I look forward to fighting with you, Lady… Forgive me, I don't believe I ever learned your name." Simon said.
"My name is Lucina."
"Very well, Lady Lucina. Shall we resume our training?"
"Yes. Now, I want you to keep me at a distance using only your whip. I wish to see it's use to its full capabilities. It seems to have impressive range. You will have to use that to your advantage, as there are many fighters who prefer fighting up close. Now then, shall we start?"
"Of course. Have at you!"
Ken threw a punch at Shulk, who dodged, but followed it up with a powerful kick that sent Shulk to the ground. The Monado wielder quickly got up and swung his powerful blade at Ken, who dodged by rolling backwards. Shulk swung several more times, but Ken dodged each one. Ken then jumped toward Shulk, intending to land a kick. However, Shulk responded by jabbing the Monado upward, knocking Ken into the air. He managed to land on his feet, and continued attacking Shulk. A couple of quick punches were thrown, all of which hit Shulk. Shulk responded by thrusting the Monado forward, but Ken sidestepped the attack. He then sent one of his most powerful attacks at Shulk.
"Shoryuken!" Ken yelled.
Shulk was launched upward in a fiery pillar. When he landed, he and Ken ran for each other. Both blondes jumped in the air and threw a powerful attack at the other. The attacks canceled each other out and they both fell to the ground.
"You're doing great, Ken. You've really learned a lot." Shulk complimented.
"Hey, thanks, man." Ken replied.
"Though, while you have learned how to hold your own against me, I'm not the only person you'll fight here. There are loads of opponents here, all of whom fight quite differently from me. For instance, Donkey Kong. He's not overly fast, but he's got loads of brute strength. His punches have KO'd plenty of people in one go. One of his favourite moves is to pound the ground with enough force to knock them off their feet, then rush in and attack. How would you approach an opponent like that?" Shulk asked.
"You mean the giant ape? Well, I'd stay out of range of his arms until I felt confident enough to rush in, then I'd do what I could to knock him off his feet and keep him from getting up." Ken answered.
"Show me. Pretend that sandbag there is your opponent." Shulk said while pointing to a sandbag behind Ken.
Ken approached to sandbag and made ready to attack it.
"Now, pretend that your opponent in winding up to throw a punch that you know will KO you. You want to hit him first before he can end you."
Ken ran for the sandbag and performed a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. He then repeatedly punched and kicked at the sandbag before it could hit the ground.
"Now, your opponent is hitting the ground, hard. If you get too close, you'll be knocked down and open to attack." Shulk said.
Ken launched a Hadoken at the sandbag, then ran in and performed his Hell Wheel attack on the sandbag.
"You've been knocked into the air and you see your opponent is ready to slap you with both his massive hands when you get in range of them." Shulk said.
Ken jumped into the air, over the sandbag. He then performed a Shoryuken in midair and angled his fall so he was far away from the sandbag.
"So far, so good. Now, let's see how you fare against attacks that describe some of your other opponents." Shulk stated.
"One thing you must be wary of is fighters who have incredible speed. Their attacks are not very powerful, but they have the potential to land multiple hits on you before you can react." Lucina warned.
"What would be the best strategy for dealing with these fighters, Lady Lucina?" Simon asked.
"Your best chance lies in keeping these fighters at a distance. Many of their stronger attacks can only be dealt at close range. Though, some of them also have long range attacks. Let us practice with that sandbag. I will tell you how your opponent is acting, and you will act accordingly." Lucina stated.
"Very well." Simon replied.
"Now, imagine your opponent is sending a swarm of shots at you. They are not very painful, but they come rather quickly and can add up." Lucina said.
Simon responded by grabbing his whip and twirling it around him.
"My whip is capable of deflecting minor projectiles similar to what you have described." Simon explained.
"I see. Well, what would you do if your opponent was running at you as fast as he could, intent on kicking you when he got close?" Lucina asked.
Simon ran toward the sandbag as fast as he could. When he was close, he quickly sidestepped around the sandbag and flung his whip at it from behind.
"Your opponent is charging up a fiery attack that will return him to the stage after being thrown off." Lucina stated.
Simon quickly threw his axe at the sandbag, hitting it from an angle. He followed this up by quickly jumping over it cracking his whip at it, hitting the sandbag from above.
"Your opponent is about to bring a massive hammer down on you." Shulk said.
Ken rolled behind the sandbag, waited a second, then ran forward and delivered a Shoryuken.
"Your opponent is charging at you, intent on ramming into you." Lucina said.
Simon threw a vial of Holy Water at the sandbag, causing it to erupt in flames. He then ran forward and swung his whip in a circle around him, hitting the sandbag numerous times.
"He's about to shoot a pillar of flame at you." Shulk said.
Ken immediately threw a Hadoken at the sandbag before performing a legsweep, knocking it over. While the sandbag was down, he threw a series of punches at it, constantly knocking it back.
"She's getting ready to grab you with a powerful tether and throw you." Lucina said.
Simon quickly jumped over the sandbag, hoping to avoid the 'grab'. He then grabbed the sandbag himself, hit it with his knee, then threw it to the ground.
"Excellent. I believe you have learned all you can from me. From here, you must test your might against your opponents." Lucina stated.
"Thank you very much for your assistance, Lady Lucina. I will not forget this kindness." Simon stated.
"Hey, thanks for everything, man. I'll be sure to remember all this when my next fight comes." Ken said.
"Well, next time I see you have a match, I'll be there to watch and see how you do." Shulk responded.
"Sweet, see you then." Ken said before walking out of the Training Room.
That night, Shulk made his way into bed next to his wife. The couple smiled at each other as they settled into their bed.
"Good evening, Shulk. Did you have a good day?" Lucina asked.
"I did. I spent nearly all day giving some advice and training to one of the newcomers. " Shulk responded.
"Truly? I have been doing the same thing."
"Really? That's interesting. But knowing you, you'd probably be a great combat teacher."
"Thank you, Shulk. That means a great deal to me."
"I only say it 'cause I mean it."
"I love you, Shulk. May we be together always."
"I love you too, and I always will."
The pair then gave each other a kiss before drifting off to sleep. The next day, after breakfast, they made their way to the Spectator Room, intent on watching a match that was about to occur. It was Simon against Ken. Both Shulk and Lucina were eager to watch as those they trained put their new knowledge to the test. However, neither of them knew that the other combatant was the one that their spouse had trained. The fight was taking place on a stage called the Great Bay. This was going to be a timed battle, with two minutes and thirty seconds on the clock. The announcer then began counting down to the fight.
3
2
1
GO!
Both Simon and Ken ran for each other, intent on landing the first hit. Ultimately, Simon struck first, cracking his whip and sending Ken flying backward and landing on a platform right in front of a giant turtle. He then threw an axe toward his opponent. He missed, forcing him to jump down in front of his opponent. Ken responded with a Hadoken, which knocked Simon into the water. Ken sent sever more Hadokens at Simon, keeping him in the water. Eventually, Simon managed to jump out and knock Ken back by spinning his whip, catching Ken in the attack.
Ken sent a powerful kick at Simon, knocking him back. A few more kicks were then sent Simon's way. Ken then approached Simon and the two danced around each other until they both fell into the water. Simon was the first to get out, though Ken was not too far behind. Simon then remembered what Lucina had once said about his whip.
'It seems to have impressive range. You will have to use that to your advantage, as there are many fighters who prefer fighting up close.'
Simon took that advice to heart and used it. He quickly cracked his whip at Ken, knocking him back and into the water, as the turtle from earlier had sunk beneath the waves. Ken quickly returned to land and knocked Simon into the water with another Hadoken.
After that, both fighters jumped up to the top platform of the stage. Simon twirled his whip around him, managing to hit Ken with it. Ken responded by executing a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku that almost sent Simon back into the water. However, he managed to stay on the stage and the fight continued. Simon swung his whip in a circle around his feet, which knocked Ken back. This caused Ken to recall part of his training with Shulk.
'Sometimes your opponent will go for low blows. Both figuratively and literally. You'll have to be able to account for all kinds of attacks.'
Because of this, when Ken saw Simon making ready to use his whip again, he was prepared. Once Simon cracked the whip, Ken dodged, then ran up to Simon and delivered a powerful kick, KO'ing Simon.
"Alright, Ken!" Shulk screamed from inside the Spectator Room.
"What are you saying, Shulk? I would have thought you would show your support for Simon, like me." Lucina asked.
"Why would I do that? I'm rooting for the one I trained. I'm hoping that he comes out on top." Shulk said.
"Wait, are you saying the one you trained was Ken? The one I trained was Simon." Lucina responded.
Shulk and Lucina stared at each other for a few seconds before Shulk started laughing.
"Well, that's rather humourous. What are the odds that the very people we helped trained would be made to fight each other right as we were done with them? Now we'll just have to see which of our training styles wins out in the end." Shulk said.
Upon returning to the stage, Simon immediately cracked his whip a couple times. He missed the first time, but the second one hit, knocking Ken onto a rock in the middle of the water. Ken quickly jumped back up and punched Simon square in the face. He then grabbed the monster hunter, threw him to the ground, and punched him again. Once Simon got to his feet, he ran for Ken while spinning his whip in a circle next to him. The attack knocked Ken off the platform he and Simon were standing on. He fell on the rock again and Simon jumped after him.
Simon attempted to knock Ken into the water using his whip but failed. Ken then attempted to knock Simon into the water using a couple kicks and a Hadoken and succeeded. Once Simon got back up, the two combatants danced around each other for a few seconds, with both eventually falling into the water. Upon getting out of the water, on a platform next to the giant turtle, which had resurfaced, the battle continued. Ken grabbed Simon and threw him to the ground again, before launching him skyward with a Shoryuken. They began dancing around each other once again until Simon threw a vial of Holy Water at Ken. The vial exploded into a pillar of flame, which immobilized Ken. Simon took the opportunity to strike Ken with his whip yet again, knocking Ken into the water.
Once Ken got up on dry land, Simon attempted to jump after him. However, Ken intercepted with another fiery Shoryuken. Simon then threw his Cross at Ken, then Holy Water, then cracked the whip, putting Ken right back in the drink. Once Simon jumped after him, Ken grabbed him and performed his Hell Wheel attack, which put Simon in the water. Once on a platform, Simon flung his whip at Ken, who was attempting to swim after him. They both jumped in and out of the water as they attempted to attack the other. Simon sent his Cross at Ken numerous times, attempting to stop him from approaching. Eventually he did approach, but Simon simply sidestepped Ken's attack and knocked him on the turtle's shell. Simon then threw another vial of Holy Water, stunning Ken with its flames. Simon then flung his whip at Ken, which resulted in the fighter getting KO'd.
Upon returning to the stage, Ken ran on top of the turtle again, intent on KO'ing Simon one more time before the match ended. However, Simon managed to keep Ken at a distance using his various ranged weapons. With less than five seconds on the clock, Ken attempted to land one more attack, but Simon swung his whip at Ken, knocking him back onto the main platform. By then, the match was called.
TIME!
Since the score was 0 to 0, the match entered…
SUDDEN DEATH! GO!
The two combatants approached each other and attempted to land the decisive blow on the other. Though they both landed minor blows on each other, ultimate victory went to Simon, who twirled his whip in a circle and struck Ken.
"GAME!" The announcer cried.
"Simon wins!"
In the Spectator Room, Shulk and Lucina looked at each other.
"Well, it looks like you're the better teacher, Lucina." Shulk said.
"Do not sell yourself short, Shulk. Ken still fought admirably, and the match was rather close. I could actually see your influence in the way he fought." Lucina said.
"Thanks, love. Likewise, I could tell Simon learned a lot from you. And I know that both of them will do a lot better in the tournament from now on. Anyway, what's say we go and congratulate those two on a well fought match?" Shulk suggested.
"That sounds like a marvelous idea." Lucina said as she and Shulk walked out of the Spectator Room.
Just like I said back in chapter 7, I ran with this idea as best I could. Is it my absolute best? No, not really. But still, I hope you found it alright. If so, great. If not, fine. Just don't leave unnecessary hate.
Sorry it took over two months to get this out, but I do have my reasons. Among them being:
School work. The new semester started a few weeks ago, so I've been putting a lot of focus on doing my homework and keeping up with what I need to. The last thing I want is to be a college dropout.
My job. Still a dead end job. Still little pay. Still little time off. One of my New Year's resolutions is to apply for a better one and actually get it. Here's hoping I actually keep this resolution.
Family drama. I'll spare you the details, but I will say that something has happened. And I've spent a lot of time worrying over how things would turn out, and… let's just say I don't deal with anxiety very well. At it's worst, it makes it difficult for me to focus on other things, including writing. Fortunately, things have been starting to look up, but it will still be several months before the situation is fully resolved.
Lack of motivation. As I mentioned in a previous chapter, whenever I'm not 100% sure how I want a chapter to turn out, it sometimes makes it difficult for me to move forward with it since I don't know what to do next. And again, going into this chapter, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do at all, so I felt even less motivation.
Fortunately, though, I will no longer suffer from that specific kind of motivation loss. From here on out, I know exactly what I want all my upcoming chapters to be about. No more doubts, no more wondering what I should write about next. I'm confidant in what I have planned for the rest of the story. Speaking of which, according to my calculations, we're at about the 2/3 mark of this story. We're now entering the home stretch. We're nearing the end, people. So look alive!
Also, yes, that was a blatant SpongeBob SquarePants reference I put in during the chapter. That was meant to be my personal tribute to his creator, Stephen Hillenburg, who, as many of you know, passed away a few months ago after a battle with ALS. SpongeBob was one of the first shows I began watching on a regular basis as a kid, and I have a lot of fond memories of watching the sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Even to this day, I'll still put it on when I see one of the classic episodes is playing. And I will proudly admit that I signed that petition calling for 'Sweet Victory' to be played at halftime during Super Bowl LIII. It would be a great way to honor Mr. Hillenburg's memory and the legacy he left behind with his yellow square.
Rest in peace, Stephen Hillenburg. August 21, 1961- November 26, 2018.
Next time on this story: Shulk and Lucina will be celebrating a very important date. Or at least, they're going to try to.
I'll get to work on that as soon as I can. Hopefully, it doesn't take as long to get out as this chapter. We'll just have to wait and see. So until next time, everyone!