LINK TO SECTION BELOW
Drake and Ashley came back, trying to look professional.
"Well, we are back…" Ashley sighed.
"And boy, do we have a lot to say about the twist for this section." Drake muttered. "Or rather the twist for the rest of the tournament."
Ashley rolled his eyes. "Okay, you know how Xero is able to use his wheel to make people who are fighting stop dead in their tracks, take away AND give people powers? Well, it turns out that it wasn't him."
"It was provided by a "generous" sponsor. I said generous because said sponsor wanted something in return." Drake frowned.
"One word: DESPAIR." Ashley muttered.
"That's right. THE Junko Enoshima is the benefactor of the Battle of the Luminaries." Drake frowned. "And she has hijacked the tournament, making her as the "third" co-host."
"Ugh… What was that bunny THINKING?" Ashley asked. "I mean, Junk O. Eni-Shi-Mar. Who would fall for something like that?"
"Obviously Xero." Drake sighed, shaking his head.
"So yeah, now Junko via Monokuma is going to host via Monokuma, of course…" Ashley lamented.
"Okay, first things first, Monokuma has banned Big Guy or rather the status of it." Drake explained. "Which means there are no double eliminations. By itself, that isn't TOO bad…"
"But after someone eliminates another fighter, they will be chained to a seat for the rest of the round and after the section ends, they would be forced to vote someone out in form of a classic Danganronpa execution." Ashley frowned.
"If Ah may step in, mates. There is hope." Wally piped up from off-screen.
The camera then went to Wally and Catherine, looking stern.
"Remember, Junko is OBSESSED with despair." Wally reminded.
"So?" Ashley asked, off-screen.
"So she gets off whenever she sees it, even to herself!" Catherine agreed.
"She may have originally been the Ultimate Analyst, but she doesn't make sure that her plans are COMPLETELY perfect." Wally agreed. "Because there is a chance that she would screw up and blow up in her face."
"So you are saying…" Drake said, off-screen.
"Monokuma isn't going to tell anyone anytime soon, but she purposefully let a hole in her plans." Catherine said. "It is small, but if Xero and Maurice find it, it will come crashing down."
The camera then went back to Drake and Ashley.
"...The more I hear more about Junko's psyche, the more I am dreading what made her like this." Drake winced.
"Xero, I swear you BETTER find this loophole." Ashley muttered.
Drake shook his head. "We will all cross that bridge when we get to it, but for now, let's introduce the fighters. But first, the ones who survived the section.
AKANE OWARI
NODE: SUPER DANGANRONPA 2
ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 39
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4
"And by coincidence, we start with obviously Junko's biggest opposition in the ring, Akane." Drake grinned.
"She has already eliminated Karin from Street Fighter V, Jigglypuff from Super Smash Bros, Leona from King of Fighters XIV and Numbuh One from Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion!" Ashley agreed. "And with Junko temporarily hijacking the section, she has even more reason to fight!"
GOOFY
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/CLASSIC DISNEY SHORTS
ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 50
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 6
"And having the record of both the most eliminations, but also the luckiest person in the ring, Goofy." Ashley announced.
"Despite stumbling around the ring the entire time, he managed to get rid of Kim and Chang from King of Fighters XIV, Blue Bayou from Tokyo Mew Mew, Mr. Game & Watch from Super Smash Bros and Guile and Nash from Street Fighter V!" Drake grinned. It then faltered. "But thanks to that Big Guy Blocker, his streak of getting double eliminations has finally ended."
"I hope that this isn't an omen for him…" Ashley frowned.
PIKACHU
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 54
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4
"One of the many survivors of the champion free-for-all is THE sole winner of the Battle of the Luminaries himself, Pikachu!" Ashley beamed.
"With his eliminations of Stitch from Kingdom Hearts, Sagat from Street Fighter V, Clayface from DC Comics and now Geese from King of Fighters XIV, he is proving why he is a little energy machine and is willing to go!" Drake grinned.
PARASOUL
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
ENTERED IN: Section 3; Number 67
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3
"Showing a pleasantly surprising showing in the ring is the princess from Skullgirls, Parasoul!" Drake grinned.
"Against the odds, she overcame Isaac from Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, Kagome from Inuyasha and Olimar from Super Smash Bros!" Ashley smiled. "Question is… Could lightning strike THREE times?"
RAVEN
NODE: DC COMICS/TEEN TITANS
ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 81
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Off to a slow start, Raven is proving that she is never one to underestimate!" Ashley warned.
"Yeah, Piranha Plant from Super Smash Bros learned that the hard way!" Drake grinned. "And while she isn't as enthusiastic as other people, she is here to stay!"
STICKS THE BADGER
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG/SONIC BOOM
ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 90
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"And showing that being from a polarizing spinoff does not ruin your chances in the ring, is Sticks the Badger!" Drake grinned. "Using her wits… And paranoid nature, she overwhelmed Blossom from Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion!"
"She also managed to outsmart Agent 9 from Spyro the Dragon and take his Smash Ball!" Ashley noted. He then shuddered. "Now I am afraid to keep about what will happen if SHE uses the Smash Ball… Hopefully for the fighters, she will be too paranoid to use it."
KASUMI TODOH
NODE: ART OF FIGHTING 3
ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 93
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"And here we have Megamix Tournament's first winner with a solid start!" Ashley smiled. "She made quick work of Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog and Air Man from Megaman!"
"Her days of the Megamix Tournament are a distant memory, but she is an eternal star and she will prove it!" Drake smirked.
KISSHU IKISATASHI
NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW
ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 94
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Intending to Ka-Bong his face to redemption is Kisshu and don'ttttt you forget it!" Drake smirked.
"...In hindsight, I should have expected to use Quickdraw McDraw's catchphrase." Ashley groaned, rolling his eyes. "But honestly, despite having literally no experience with his guitar, he certainly put it to good use, eliminating Poison Ivy from DC Comics!"
SAKURA KASUGANO
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 96
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"And where is the Megamix Tournament's other winner, Sakura!" Drake grinned. "She has the best start out of the previous winners by getting the top slot!"
"Indeed, Wartortle from Super Smash Bros and even Final Fight's Guy!" Ashley smiled. "It is clear that she is in it for the long run!"
HAOHMARU
NODE: SAMURAI SHODOWN
ENTERED IN: Section 4; Number 98
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"And last, but certainly not least is the original UVR winner!" Ashley smiled. "Haohmaru and all of his caffeine-induced talking!"
"Sure, he is off to a slow start with his elimination of Big the Cat, but don't forget. Big was the previous fighter who was the longest." Drake reminded. He then paused. "Thattttt and in hindsight, his elimination wouldn't be out-of-place in the original Ultimate Video Rumble. No, seriously, as hype as I make out the series, it is "What the Fuck?"
ROYAL HIGHNESS
NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW
"Hoo boy… We were afraid that we would have to cover one of the Saint Blue Crusaders again so this time, we asked Wally and Catherine to cut out the middle man and send as much information as they could." Drake said.
Ashley nodded before reading off of his tablet. "According to this, Sweet Highness is a mixture of two types of bishonen stereotypes. The classic gentleman bishonen and the bespectulated intellectual bishonen. He is also said to be well-mannered and proper, but could be extremely vicious."
Drake paused. "...So basically a human version of our Walter?"
"And with less black roses." Ashley chuckled. "Anyway, he fights with telekinesis and has some form of hypnosis."
Drake's face fell. "Do you think he would be able to do it in the ring?"
"I don't know. Then again, Gatomon used a similar technique in the Battle of the Luminaries and nobody batted an eye." Ashley shrugged. "Especially since Royal Highness has the element of surprise on his side."
Drake gave a weak chuckle. "Well, I suppose no one could say that about the Saint Blue Crusaders. In any case, he definitely has more of an identity than Blue Bayou did."
BATGIRL
NODE: DC COMICS/BATMAN
"And here we have one of the first distaff counterparts of superheroes, Batgirl!" Drake introduced.
"I have to ask: Who is her identity?" Ashley asked. "You know more than I do that they have been a few incarnations."
"Well, apparently she is based on the Batgirl from Batman: the Animated Series." Drake pointed out. "So this one is Barbara Gordon, daughter of James Gordon."
"Ah… So I assume that she is exactly said as Batman in terms of fighting style?" Ashley asked.
"Pretty much. She is a skilled martial artist and has a vast array of weapons like batarangs and a grappling hook." Drake explained.
Ashley frowned. "Do you think being a "gender-swapped" version of Batman would help or hurt her?"
"Hey, I strongly doubt that she will leave up to Batman's potential, but then again, who could?" Drake asked. "Still, don't underestimate Batgirl. She is a badass in her own right. You have to be to work under the Bat name!"
BUTTERCUP
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POWERPUFF GIRLS
Ashley frowned. "Ooh, if Blossom just lasted one more section, she would had been double-teaming with her sister…"
"Yeah, but on the other hand, if both Blossom and Buttercup were in the ring together, they would had dominated the entire thing." Drake mused. "But it is looks like that Buttercup isn't going to brush over Blossom's elimination."
"I could imagine…" Ashley gulped. "...So about Buttercup's power?"
"Well, Buttercup doesn't actually have a special power. Just the ability to roll her tongue." Drake shrugged.
Ashley blinked twice. "Um, roll her tongue?"
"Don't ask…" Drake groaned. "Anyway, while she doesn't have a special power, it is heavily implied that her physical strength is higher than the other two girls."
"Not only that, but she is the most aggressive." Ashley winced.
"Yeah, Buttercup may not "stand out", but she will make her OPPONENT stand out." Drake noted. "By beating them to a bloody pulp."
RAY THE FLYING SQUIRREL
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
"Ah, here is the second half of the unexpected duo to come to Sonic Mania R, Ray the Flying Squirrel!" Drake noted.
"I think I know I said this back with Mighty, but those two really went a long way…" Ashley mused.
"Yeah, Sonic Mania was truly a love letter for classic Sonic fans." Drake agreed. "So anyway, Ray is a "Flight-type" character."
"Oh, he is more focused on hit-and-run tactics using flight?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah, that and in the right circumstances, his flight is extremely broken." Drake nodded. He then realized something. "Okay, technically it is not flying, but gliding, but still that if the player times it right, he could glide the entire time if there isn't a wall. Think of it like the Cape Feathers from Super Mario World."
"Ohh… So even though he is very easy to throw out, he could easily fly back in." Ashley deduced.
"Yeah, this is his chance to show why his work in Sonic Mania R did for him!" Drake nodded.
SHULK
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/XENOBLADE CHRONICLES
"Hey, look, it is Shulk time!" Drake grinned.
Ashley blinked twice. "But… Isn't his friend, Reyn was the one who said that?"
Drake's grin vanished. "Oh, sure… NOW you are a wiseass about memes now?"
Ashley rolled his eyes. "Ugh, whatever, Wally, Catherine, will you?"
The camera went to Wally nodding his head. "Aight! Xenoblade Chronicles is a JPRG that while published and produced by Nintendo, it was actually developed by a company called Monolith Soft. Oh, and not ta be confused with the Xenosaga series."
"It is interested that you said that, Wally, because the name Xeno in Xenoblade came out of a honor to the struggles that the producer of the series went through." Catherine noted.
"Aww, that is sweet!" Wally nodded.
"Yeah, anyway, the story is about two continent-sized gods whose corpses are used AS continents." Catherine said. She then paused. "Woah… Context or not that is creepy to think about…"
"And on each other continent are two types of people: Organic and mechanical people." Wally explained. His face then fell. "But they were at odds…"
"Yeah, the mechanical people called Mechons wanted to wipe out the people of Bionis. They caused a war in the past and in the present, they destroyed Shulk's hometown." Catherine frowned.
"So that is why he decided to use the Monado. A powerful weapon that could not only slash through the Mechon's tough armor, but also give him the power to see the future, not unlike Raven. ...The "That's So" one." Wally corrected.
"However, things get… Complicated." Catherine winced. "Like not Kingdom Hearts and Blazblue complicated, but still."
"So yeah, the game was praised for its lovable characters, vast world, unique gameplay, beautiful soundtrack." Wally said before smirking. "And of course, the voice acting."
Catherine put her hands on her hips with a smirk. "Oh, because YOU are one to talk."
Wally chuckled nervously before scratching the back of his head. "Aye, aye, ya're right. But yeah, everyone in the game sounds British. But not surprisingly seeing that the voice actors are all from the UK, but still that is a rarity for video games to have a cast full of accented voices WITHOUT being stereotypical."
"The game had gotten big success, earning a spin-off AND a sequel. Though keep in mind, said games are treated like Final Fantasy where the setting is different, save for some similarities like the cute mascot like Moogles and Nopons." Catherine noted. Her face then fell. "Though I heard that said games were… Mixed."
"Regardless, the Xenoblade Chronicles series is iconic in its own right and there is at least one thing for everyone in there!" Wally grinned. "Back ta yer mates!"
The camera then went back to Ashley. "Thank you, guys!"
"Anyway, Shulk may be ANOTHER "anime swordsman", but he still got his way to distinguish himself." Drake pointed out. "He could extend his sword with light for more range."
"And don't forget that he could use his Monado for a "stance system"." Ashley added. "He could improve one of his attributes at the cost. Jump increases his jumping ability at the cost of defense, Speed makes him go faster at the cost of jumping ability, Shield makes him a tank at the cost of speed AND power, Buster makes him attacks stronger, but NOT have more knockback and Smash is opposite of Buster."
"Not only that, but like Wally and Catherine said, he could see the future." Drake added. "So he could predict people like a counter and prepare for it."
"Also, I think he has a healing spell in his debut game. Sure, it is a basic healing spell, but it still counts." Ashley mused, rubbing his chin. "Wow, he sounds overpowered."
"He does, but while he is definitely a threat, he is not broken. He doesn't always have his visions and while his Monado Arts are powerful, wise fighters will take advantage of their weaknesses." Drake nodded.
BIANCA
NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON
"And here we have, Hunter's girlfriend, Bianca!" Drake grinned. "Let's see if Agent 9 has set a path for the Spyro characters!"
"Indeed, Agent 9 has left an impression and it is time to see that the others could put up the slack!" Ashley nodded.
Drake was about to say something until his face fell. "Um, Ash, do WE know how Bianca fights?"
"Unfortunately, we don't." Ashley sighed.
Drake blinked twice. "...And you are okay with that?"
"I mean, sure that we have to stretch out imagination a bit, but at the end of the day, that is what magic is." Ashley said. "Going past your limits."
Drake paused before chuckling. "Fair enough…"
"So when you think of mages, you think of elemental attacks." Ashley started, holding up a finger. "Fortunately, Bianca has seven or eight elements to use. Depending on how you count the last one."
Drake raised an eyebrow. "And those are…?"
"Fire, ice, electricity, wind, nature, light, darkness and magic." Ashley pointed out.
Drake blinked twice. "Um… Magic?"
"I don't get it either. I mean I DO have several theories about it, but nothing concrete." Ashley shrugged. "The closest I got is non-elemental."
"Um, and where did you get these elementals?" Drake asked.
"Again, this is a stretch but these are based on the elemental wheels from Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled." Ashley explained.
Drake's eyes widened at this. "Oh, right! I actually completely forget about those!"
"Well, I didn't. And while this is a stretch, I wouldn't put it past Bianca to use those wheels as inspiration." Ashley explained. "Also, she has power over teleportation which is useful if a close-range fighter gets too close to her."
Drake chuckled at this. "Should had known that you would put so much thought into a mage without battle experience, whether as a hero or a villain."
Ashley just smirked. "Again, magic is going past her limits and while it is stated that Bianca is still learning, she definitely has a lot of potential."
ZEKU
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
Ashley frowned. "Ouch… First Buttercup missing to double-team with her sister and now Zeku failing to double-team with his former star pupil."
"Yeah... " Drake winced. "Especially since we never see them interact since Guy's Alpha 2 ending."
Ashley's eyes widened at this. "Wait… Wait… WAIT, Zeku ISN'T an original character?"
"No, he appeared all of the way back in 1996!" Drake smirked. "Though he would never know by how different their appearances are."
"Wow…" Ashley said. "So because he is Guy's former master, he has a similar fighting style."
"More or less." Drake nodded. A glint then appeared in his eyes. "Expect he could transform himself into a younger version of himself at will."
Ashley jumped. "No lie?"
"No lie! And while he is still speedy, his fighting style changes!" Drake agreed. "Oh, and get this? It is heavily implied that Zeku is the very first Strider."
"Strider? Strider…" Ashley said before trailing off. His eyes then bugged out. "As in Strider Hiryu?"
"I know, right!?" Drake grinned. "Now Strider Hiryu is back of the Street Fighter canon!"
"Wow… So he should do well hopefully…" Ashley mused.
EIJI SHINJO
NODE: BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN
"Heh. We were just talking about how Battle Arena Toshinden was the one who didn't have an elimination thus far." Drake mused.
"Well, considering that he is the main character, he should be the one to get one." Ashley smiled.
Drake looked at his friend with blinking eyes.
Ashley noticed this. "Um… What?"
"Dude, did you NOT see how Hanzou, Hayate and Rolf did for World Heroes, Kizuna Encounter and Galaxy Fight at the Megamix Tournament?" Drake asked. "Other less prominent characters had to put up their lack. Hell, KAZUMA of Galaxy Fight has gotten an elimination before Rolf did."
Ashley winced at this. "Well, when you put it THAT way…"
"That being said though, Edward Falcon has gotten an elimination at the Battle of the Luminaries and you saw how poorly THAT node did." Drake reminded. "So yeah, it is up in the air at this point."
"I guess…" Ashley said. "So because he is the main character, Eiji is your basic balanced character."
"That's right. No major strengths, no major weaknesses. He won't be outclassed, but he won't outclass anyone either." Drake mused. "It all depends on his opponent."
VECTOR THE CROCODILE
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
BIG GUY ALERT!
Ashley blinked twice. "Um, do we even need that Big Guy Alert for this section?"
"Maybe as a "What if" scenario if Monokuma didn't have that Big Guy Blocker." Drake mused before looking off-screen. "But yeah, turn off the Big Guy Alert for this section!"
Ashley just sighed. "Anyway, Vector is the first member of Team Chaotix to show up."
"Despite looking like the stereotypical muscle, he is also the leader AND the brains!" Drake smirked. "No, seriously, he managed to deduce that Dr. Eggman was their client in Sonic Heroes before Espio, who on paper has more of a level head on his shoulder than Vector."
"Wow, strong AND smart. Topped by him being a Sonic the Hedgehog character, he must be fast as well, huh?" Ashley mused.
"Oh, he is. Also while he doesn't mind going in fists-a-blazing, he also has several breath attacks!" Drake added. "Sonic waves, fire and even explosive bubblegum."
Ashley blinked twice. "Explosive… Bubblegum?"
"Which he could use to float down in the air." Drake added.
"Wow…" Ashley said.
"So yeah, he has a lot of good qualities and while he is not as refined as other fighters, his determination and strength will make him last a good while." Drake agreed. He then smirked. "After all, he still has to find…"
"NO!" Ashley roared at the top of his lungs.
Before Drake could roll his eyes, a familiar alarm came off.
Ashley sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. The next Mystery Fighter couldn't had come any sooner."
Drake just scoffed. "Spoilsport."
LUNA LOUD
NODE: THE LOUD HOUSE
Drake and Ashley blinked twice as this.
"Umm, since when is SHE a fighter?" Ashley asked.
"I must admit that I am at a loss for words." Drake said, just as stunned.
"Oi, may ah remind y'all why WE are here!"
Drake and Ashley looked to the direction of the voice as the camera turned to a confident Wally and a confused Catherine.
"Wait, you KNOW why Xero picked someone from a slice of life cartoon?" Catherine asked.
"Ah do, but fer now, could ya introduce Luna's node. If Ah butt in, this segment would be the Wally show!" Wally offered.
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Okayyyyy, leave it to me. Anyway, the Loud House is a modern slice-of-life Nickelodeon cartoon that was inspired by the creator's extended family and love of newspaper comics. And evident by the art style. It is about a Lincoin Loud, a normal, everyday kid. With five older sisters and five younger sisters."
"Their mom is no supermodel, but she is STILL looking good fer someone who gave birth to eleven children." Wally said with a lecherous smirk.
"Wally, oh my god, NO!" Catherine grunted in disgust before shaking her head. "Anyway, because this is a slice-of-life comedy cartoon, there is not much in terms of plot, but rather focused on Lincoln, dealing with his over-the-top sisters. While each one could be summed up as a stereotype, they are so crazy that the situation makes up for it."
"Not only ta lie, they would be lit as a newspaper comic!" Wally nodded.
"Agreed. Despite being a comedy, there is a lot of heart in it, showing how much your family gets on your nerves, they are still your family and the show goes to great lengths to show that." Catherine smiled. "It spawned four seasons and even got a spinoff, the Casagrandes! It is especially showing that this has one of the shows that turned away from the dark age of animation."
"So true, so true…" Wally solemnly nodded.
Catherine then looked at Wally. "So… About Luna being a fighter?"
The kangaroo then slapped his hands together. "Aight… There is this little app called Nickelodeon Super Brawl Universe!"
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I think I heard Maurice mentioned it, but what is it?"
"Well, it is a… Simplified fighting game starring Nickelodeon characters." Wally explained.
Catherine frowned. "I do NOT liked how you said simplified."
"Okay, okay, so compared to other fighting game apps, the game itself… Is lacking, but DAMN, do they managed it out with the fanservice!" Wally grinned.
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "No lie?"
"No lie! Not only do we have characters from the Loud House, but also Rugrats, Invader Zim, Hey Arnold!" Wally grinned. "There are even the main heroes from the Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!"
Catherine's eyes widened at this. "Woah… So the roster is THAT large?"
"It IS! We have Rocko, Catdog, Aang AND Korra, Danny Phantom and Jenny Wakeman!" Wally grinned. His grin then vanished. "Oh, and the cartoon version of Kid Danger."
Catherine's face immediately soured. "EWWWW!"
"So aye, the game itself is subpar at best, but it is clear that whoever designed this app, at least more or less knows what their fanbase wants!" Wally grinned.
"If it is not too much trouble, Wally, could you also explain Luna's abilities?" Ashley asked.
"Sure, while this goes without saying, but seeing that Luna is not a fighter in canon, she is now decent in close-range combat." Wally explained. "Also, while she didn't use it a bludgeoning weapon in Super Brawl Universe, it is not too much of a stretch to assume that she will use her guitar as one. Also, just like everyone, she has a super move."
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Super move?"
"Yeah, they are not that impressive, but still, it is something." Wally shrugged. "HERS is summoning a lot of speakers and rocking out in front of her opponent."
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Shocker…"
"So aye, while Super Brawl Universe is not a GREAT game, it gives Luna, and everyone else has fighting game experience." Wally said. "Andddd back ta ya, mates!"
The camera went to Ashley. "Thank you, Wally. No really, you are a lifesaver! Right, Drake?"
The wizard then turned towards Drake. However, his face fell when he saw that Drake was in a trance.
"Um, Drake?" Ashley asked.
"H-Huh?" The vampire said before breaking out of his trance. "Um, yeah, thanks, man."
Ashley frowned. "Um, are you okay, Drake?"
"Um, yeah." The mayor said. "I just got side-tracked. I promise it wouldn't happen again."
Ashley raised an eyebrow.
ANSEM
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS
Drake takes a deep breath. "Okay, let me guess. This is a clone of the REAL Ansem."
"Um, no, he is Xehanort's Heartless…. In a grown-up clone body of Terra's body." Ashley said. "Taking Ansem's good name."
Drake blinked twice before slowly covering his face with his hands. "...Fuck Kingdom Hearts' story."
Ashley chuckled nervously. "A-Anyway, even though his main powers primarily comes down to "darkness overload", I think he is more defensive, even though he is a threat offensively."
"Oh?" Drake asked, putting his hands from his face.
"Yes, a lot of attacks seem long-ranged from his laser-shooting dronies, to his Heartless guardian to sending out Touhou-styled fireballs of darkness." Ashley explained.
Drake rolled his eyes. "Greatttt… A Touhou boss."
"Though when you think about it, isn't any Kingdom Hearts boss with a projectile counts as a Touhou-like boss?" Ashley asked.
"...It is things like that made me flip back and forth whether I hate the series or not." Drake muttered.
MARIE
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
"Ooh, the final boss of Skullgirls is here!" Drake noted.
Ashley gulped nervously. "And as expected, she is creepy, even if she is a young woman with a vacuum cleaner…"
"Dude, NEVER underestimate maids who could fight!" Drake warned. "They are like assassins!"
"Yes, and this one doesn't even look subtle…" Ashley gulped nervously.
"So anyway, Marie has three forms. The first form is a giant barrier of bones which is hard to get through. The second form has her summon shadows from anywhere in the arena and attack her hapless opponent. And her third form?" Drake asked before giving a weak chuckle. "Hoo boy… She will become detached bones and send out skeletons, shadows and skulls, every second."
"...Do you think she will use every form at once?" Ashley asked.
"No… I think she will just use her first and second forms." Drake mused. "The third form… Is for when she is at death's door and this is not that type of tournament."
"Well, it WASN'T before JUNKO took away!" Ashley muttered.
ZELDA
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/LEGEND OF ZELDA
"Ooh, we have the leading lady and titular character of Zelda herself!" Drake grinned.
Ashley blinked twice. "I don't get it. When do they call it the Legend of Zelda when it is clear that LINK is the legend is?"
"Always with the details." Drake muttered, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, let's get to Wally and Catherine. There is a LOT to talk about."
The camera went to Wally. "Indeed, we do because hoo boy… Are we in for a doozy with this one!"
"Indeed, Wally! The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's biggest franchises, beat only by of course, Super Mario Bros and Pokemon." Catherine beamed. "And solidified the Action-Adventure genre!"
"Now it is kinda hard to talk about the plot of the Legend of Zelda, but like Fire Emblem, the setting changes every game with a few exceptions." Wally noted. "But every game has a similar presence."
"The realm of Hyrule is being threatened by mostly, but not always an evil warlock named Ganondorf who wants to Triforce." Catherine said. "Ganondorf is the wielder of the Triforce Piece of Power. The other two wielders are the Triforce of Courage which is Link and the Triforce of Wisdom which is Zelda."
"Zelda's appearance changes in every game, but she is always the princess of Hyrule and as TVTropes put it, a Barrier of Maiden." Wally noted. His face then fell. "Unfortunately, Ganondorf and in some way or another, inconveniences her in some way."
"Fortunately, Link is up to the challenge. Dressed in his trademark green tunic and that weird hat of him, he sets out to save her and all of Hyrule!" Catherine nodded.
"As you could expect, the game spawned several games. To the point where they have been different versions of the characters in Smash." Wally added. "In Melee, it was Ocarina of Time Zelda, in Brawl and Wii U, it was Twilight Princess Zelda and finally in Ultimate, there was A Link To The Past Zelda. Also, does Shiek comes?"
"I… Think? While one is definitely a descendant of the other, other than Melee, Zelda and Shiek were different people." Catherine shrugged. "Which makes it even more weird than Zelda and Shiek could transform into each other in Brawl, even though they are not the same people."
Wally shook his head. "But aye, like Ah, like I said, the games had made a lot of sequels and even a few spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors with a sequel in the works at the time of this segment!"
"Speaking of that game, it is based off of Breath of the Wild which is the fourth highest selling game on the Switch." Catherine added. "Topped over by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons & Super Smash Bros Ultimate!"
"So yeah, there is a lot to say about the Legend of Zelda, but at the same time, there is no need because those who aren't into the series know Zelda." Wally agreed. "Back ta ya."
The camera went back to Drake. "Thanks, guys! Ace as always!"
"Well, while this goes without saying, Princess Zelda is a Squishy Wizard, using her difficult but effective spells to not only get in some space between her and her opponents, but also deal heavy damage." Ashley explained.
"Yeah, she could deflect projectiles, create a giant ball of fire, teleport and even summon a giant possessed suit of armor." Drake agreed.
"And don't forget, she is the wielder of the Triforce of Wisdom so she is also a strategist of sorts." Ashley explained.
"It is also worth mentioning while it doesn't affect her actual power, but she was always low tier in the previous Smash Games, but it is at least decent to use in competitive play." Drake noted. "Yep, she is definitely going to be lasting a long time."
KUKRI
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV
"And here we have the new King of Fighters era's edgelord." Drake smirked.
"Or the most wanted of the Special Victims Unit…" Ashley muttered before turning to Drake. "Are you SURE SNK Heroines is canon?"
Drake just shrugged. "Apparently…"
Ashley shook his head. "...Let's try to focus on him as a fighter."
Drake rolled his eyes. "Well, Kukri is a geomancer, particularly with sand."
This sparked his attention a bit. "Oh?"
"Yeah, he could teleport, send out waves of sand and even do this cool spinning move by sending a mini-sand tornado on the ground." Drake explained.
"Oh, wow. He definitely sounds like a threat." Ashley gulped. "Especially since sand's only or at least most prominent weakness is water, a rare element among these fighters."
"Yeah, he also has the element of surprise seeing that he is so new." Drake added. He then smirked. "Unless an angry woman wants to have a few words with him."
Ashley rolled his eyes.
DHALSIM
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Correct me if I am wrong, but there aren't that many skinny fighters. Or at least THAT skinny."
"Yeah, I always worry about his eating habits when I look at him." Drake frowned. He then shook his head. "Regardless, do not underestimate him. He is a Yoga master."
"Yoga master? Just like Wii Fit Trainer?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Um, yes and no. Wii Fit wishes that she could stretch out her hands like she was Monkey D. Luffy." Drake warned.
Ashley's eyes bugged out at this. "R-Really?"
"Yeah, he could also breathe fire and teleport." Drake added.
Ashley blinked twice. "What type of Yoga training did HE do?"
"Beats me." Drake shrugged. "Anyway, Dhalsim may seem like a zoner, but again, he is no pushover. No, seriously, he is one of the few characters in Shadow Falls that looked good."
"Heh. Well, maybe he could continue that positive momentum in here." Ashley mused.
VENTUS
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS
Drake rolled his eyes. "And here we have ANOTHER Sora clone."
"To be fair, Ventus existed long before Sora and Roxas." Ashley corrected.
Drake glared at Ashley. "Yeah, but even still, context or not, do the creators at Kingdom Hearts did not think that all of these clones or semi-clones would backfire?"
The wizard rolled his eyes. "Now who is the nitpicking one?"
Drake shook his head. "Whatever… So what is Ventus' case?"
"While out of the Wayfinder Trio, he is the Fragile Speedster of the group… Technically." Ashley said, scratching the back of his head. "He is the fastest, but have the lowest HP growth and yet his defense is higher than Terra, albeit by a little bit."
Drake looked at Ashley with wide eyes. "No lie?"
Ashley shrugged. "Apparently, also fitting of his name, he has an affinity with wind magic and could even glide around."
"Wait… Ventus means wind?" Drake asked. Ashley nodded his head. "Sora… Sky… Ventus… Wind… Draculadamnit Square!"
Ashley gave a sheepish grin. "Well, you gotta admit that Ventus is still more original than Aqua and Terra."
Drake rolled his eyes.
MEITENKUN
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV
Ashley blinked twice. "Who goes into a fighting tournament half-asleep?"
"Juan from Suikoden III and Haar from Fire Emblem Tellius." Drake corrected.
"Okay, okay, fair enough, but how is he going to fight?" Ashley asked.
"Believe it or not, Meitenkun is an extremely skilled martial artist." Drake added.
Ashley's eyes widened. "Seriously? That guy who makes even Shannon look proactive?"
"Yeah. Tung Fu Rue wouldn't have trained him if he didn't have potential." Drake nodded. "Hell, apparently he has a lot of energy inside of him. More than other fighters."
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so he has his own fireball."
"More like a pillowball." Drake corrected.
Ashley paused. "...What?"
"Yeah, apparently he could induce his pillow in energy and throw it forwards or upwards as an anti-air." Drake explained.
Ashley paused before looking at the picture of Meitenkun. "...First Sylvie Paula Paula and now this? Where are SNK getting these new designs?"
MURRAY
NODE: SLY COOPER
Drake then smirked. "Ooh, here comes the Murray!"
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "THE Murray?"
"Yeah! That was what inspired the Koehan in the Megamix Tournament!" Drake smirked.
"Oh, you mean the one that Murray apparently sued Chang over?" Ashley asked.
Drake's grin vanished. "You are a buzzkill, you know that, Ashley?"
The purple-haired man shook his head. "So anyway, I take it that Murray is the muscle of the group?"
"And driver! But seeing that there are no tracks in the arena, his fists would have to do!" Drake grinned.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "I noticed that he did decently well at the second Battle of the Luminaries. Do you think he would repeat the same situation?"
Drake's grin vanished. "I hope so. The Sly Cooper node has not even done too well. Not even Dimitri who got an elimination had survived the section."
"Ah…" Ashley frowned. "Well, maybe things will be different now that one of the main heroes will be here."
Then, the alarm went off.
"Ooh, the second-to-last fighter is a Mystery Fighter!" Drake smirked. "Let's end this strong!"
SHEGO
NODE: KIM POSSIBLE
Drake's eyes lit up at this. "Oh, fuck yeah, Shego!"
"Kim Possible… That's a name I haven't heard for a long time." Ashley mused.
"You heard that, guys!" Drake smirked. "Looks like we need a refresher!"
The camera went to a grinning Wally. "Indeed, we do! Kim Possible is an action hero/high school dramedy starring an extremely-skilled cheerleader who goes to high school, but when trouble calls for it, she is called on many missions."
"Yeah, I know the concept is eye-rolling, but I promise that it is better than it sounds! Kim is a badass and yet so relatable!" Catherine beamed. "The series take a lot of post-modern takes on both genres Wally described!"
"Yeah, and the cast is just as colorful! Literally in the case of the blue-skinned Drakken and the green-clad Shego." Wally chuckled. "But yeah, Ron is like Kim's complete opposite and Kim's best friend and later, lover!"
"Ooh, and who could forget, Rufus, Ron's adorable sidekick?" Catherine grinned. "It gave so much attention to an underrated animal!"
"Um, right…" Wally said, blinking twice. "Anyway, the show had spawned four seasons and created a lot of story despite being a somehow spoof of the action genre. Again, Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are DATING!"
"Along with that and their kicking theme song, Kim Possible is a childhood classic!" Catherine smiled. "So practically anyone would be a great Mystery Fighter choice."
The camera went to a grinning Drake. "Thanks, guys!"
Ashley adjusted his glasses. "Also, so apparently Shego could summon green energy around her hands."
"Yeah, this could be used to melt or heat things up and of course, act as claws." Drake nodded. "However, she could also send them out like laser or even explosive blasts."
"Woah, so she sounds like a major threat." Ashley said in awe.
"Yeah, if Kim wasn't such a badass, she and Dr. Drakken would have taken over the world ten times over already!" Drake agreed. "That and she is not now for anyone's bullcrap."
Ashley suddenly smirked. "Sounds like she is going to have a fun time in the ring."
CHROM
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/FIRE EMBLEM AWAKENING
"And we are Chrom the final fighter!" Drake grinned.
Ashley winced. "...Dude, that is just cringe."
Drake's grin vanished. "Then, you would hate that there is an endless amount of puns with Chrom's days."
Ashley paused. "...What?"
"Yeah, I think that is best to go to Wally and Catherine." Drake frowned.
The camera went to Catherine rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Drake, I actually thought I got those stupid puns out of my memory."
Wally chuckled nervously. "Anyway, Awakening is an interesting game to talk about. Why? Because it was the one that single-handedly saved the series."
"No kidding. Despite Fire Emblem having Western ports and of course, having Fire Emblem characters in Smash, it wasn't until Awakening where its sales alerted more people to its existence.." Catherine nodded. She then scoffed. "Personally, I think it was more because it was the first time they actually did proper advertising."
Wally shook his head. "Anyway, while this wasn't the first Fire Emblem game to do so, this game featured an avatar character that you could customise. Though only in hair, eyes and body build."
"The story is about said avatar doing the stereotypical amnesiac plot with him choosing in front of the crown prince of Ylisse, Chrom. There, said avatar, Robin, joins the Shepherds, a militia run by Chrom." Catherine explained. "Naturally, this wouldn't be a Fire Emblem if things didn't escalate and turn into a war and Chrom and Robin picked up a vast amount of quirky characters along the way."
"This game introduced the Pair-Up system where two units could pair-up and gain stats boost." Wally said before smirking. "To both fighting AND relationship."
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Hoo boy… Let's get this out of the way. Fire Emblem Awakening is half-dating sim where you not only pair up your character with one of the many units and have said units pair up with others."
"Also, this game introduces time travel with children from a bad future going back in time to fix time." Wally explained.
"Okay, I promise it is better than it sounds." Catherine reassured. She then gritted her teeth. "UNTIL we get to Fates."
"WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT FATES!" Wally roared, making Catherine jump. "Not… Yet…"
"Um, okay, s-sorry…" Catherine said.
"It's fine… Ah just hate being reminded of it." Wally sighed. "Anyway, Awakening is many's first time Fire Emblem because of how accessible. Some say that they are babying their audience, but at least you have a CHOICE to play on the hardest setting."
The camera went to Drake. "Thanks, guys."
"Okay, okay, so let me get this straight." Ashley said. "Chrom is an Echo fighter of Roy AND Ike."
"Yeah, but mostly Roy. Being a more aggressive fighter." Drake explained. "With Ike's Aether."
Ashley paused. "...In other words, his recovery is about the same level as Little Mac."
"Well, not THAT bad, but yeah…" Drake winced.
"Ah, well, having work in recent years should help him." Ashley nodded.
"Yeah. He and Lucina even ended up Project X Zone 2." Drake agreed.
Ashley did a double take. "Wait, isn't that a Sega, Capcom and NAMCO crossover?"
"Yeah, I am surprised too…" Drake said, taking a deep breath. "Well, that is everyone."
"Normally, we would point out that Vector, Ansem, Marie and Murray are Big Guys, but because of that Big Guy Blocker, only fifteen characters will be eliminated this time." Ashley said.
"Even still, every vote counts so don't get comfortable just because you feel like one of your favourites will make the top 15!" Drake warned.
"Also, the Side Battle is Axel from Kingdom Hearts versus Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal and Yamato Man from Megaman." Ashley explained. "Remember to vote!"
"Not only do we have to see who will reach out on top of each other, but also if hope will win!" Drake grinned.
LINK TO SECTION: archiveofourown / works / 25531129 / chapters / 66764989
