We now return to Drake and Ashley, smiling brightly.
"Andddddd we are back!" Drake grinned.
"And ready to introduce the surviving and new fighters!" Ashley nodded.
"Now normally, we would talk about the theme of the section. However, despite it being supposed to be a Monokuma takeover, it will be a normal round." Drake shrugged. "Well, at least for THIS tournament."
"Yeah, for the MAIN story!" Ashley scolded. "For further elaboration, the Monokuma takeover means "Unleash the Despair". Basically, a known enemy from one of the fighter's nodes will appear in the arena to cause chaos."
Drake scratched the back of his head. "But… Xero managed to find a way to avoid this."
"Yes, by dumping it INSIDE of the dome!" Ashley scolded.
"Well, what do you expect them to do, Ash?" Drake challenged, sternly. "The Pink Elephants would get MORE eliminations than the fighters themselves! They have to go SOMEWHERE!"
"Yes, I know, but…" Ashley said before letting out a deep sigh. "Oh, what is the point? It is not like OUR host has been the most attentive, anyway."
Drake chuckled nervously. "Anyway, like I said, normal round. But don't think it will be a boring one! First off, let's speed over the people who survived the round!"
"...No, really, I think this may be our quickest recap of old fighters yet." Ashley muttered.
BENTLEY
NODE: SLY COOPER
ENTERED IN: Section 10; Number 210
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3
"Having some major shoes to fill is Bentley!" Drake grinned. Said grin vanished. "Wait, was what I said inappropriate?"
Ashley rolled his eyes. "But anyway, yes. He is the ONLY person in this section who lasted more than one section and his elimination record is looking more than impressive with Rainbow Mika from Street Fighter, Auron from Kingdom Hearts and even THE King of Evil himself, Ganondorf from Super Smash Bros."
TOM
NODE: TOM & JERRY
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 220
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Tom is already off to a fantastic start! At least for him, anyway." Ashley said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, not only did he manage to get rid of Inkling from Super Smash Bros, but even his nodal companion and THE main rival, Jerry!" Drake nodded. "Now let's see where we go from here!"
ZANGIEF
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 221
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
BIG GUY ALERT!
"Spinning his way through the competition himself is the Red Cyclone!" Drake grinned.
"Indeed, he has proven why he is THE poster boy for video game grapplers, literally overpowering Even from Kingdom Hearts and Ramon from King of Fighters XIV!" Ashley nodded.
RATCHET & CLANK
NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE/RATCHET & CLANK
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 222
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Ready to join their rivals, Jak & Daxter in picking up the slack for PSASBR is the Lombax & robot duo themselves, Ratchet & Clank!" Ashley smiled.
"Yes, so far, they used their vast and out-there technology to blast the Flash from DC Comics and Dark Pit from Super Smash Bros out of the ring!" Drake nodded.
PUDDING FONG
NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 224
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
CHOWDER & KIMCHI
NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION/CHOWDER
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 225
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Yeah, just like Donkey and Mushu, there is no way in hell we are NOT going to put these two together!" Drake grinned. "Hell, they even ENTERED the section together!"
"And they are already looking to be a powerful pair!" Ashley nodded. "With Pudding getting rid of the Contessa from Sly Cooper and Pit from Super Smash Bros and Chowder getting rid of Ridley from Super Smash Bros and Beetlejuice from… Beetlejuice."
SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 226
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Proving why he is Sonic's main rival, is Shadow!" Ashley smiled.
"Yeah, he may be seen as an edgelord, but the wounds that he inflicted on Jack Skellington from Kingdom Hearts and Yamazaki from King of Fighters XIV will not heal!" Drake smirked, earning a disgusted look from Ashley. "Yeah, you're right… Too cringe."
SPYRO THE DRAGON
NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 232
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"And proving why he deserved that Reignited Trilogy is Spyro!" Drake grinned.
"Indeed! With a combination of his classic moves and elemental breaths from later games, he overpowered Bean from Sonic the Hedgehog and Wolf from Super Smash Bros!" Ashley nodded.
YURI SAKAZAKI
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/ART OF FIGHTING
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 237
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"And we can NOT forget about Yuri, the top slot for the last section?" Ashley smiled. "She pulled an incredible comeback, not seen in recent UVR-spinoffs!"
"Yeah, not only did she get rid of her nodal companion, Mature, but also THE Luna Loud of the Loud House!" Drake smirked.
PRINCESS DAISY
NODE: SUPER SUPER BROS/SUPER MARIO BROS
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 240
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Okay, so Daisy definitely has the weakest start out of all of the surviving fighters, with her only elimination being a cheap shot on Alice from King of Fighters XIV." Drake frowned.
"But knowing Daisy with all of her energy, she will find a way to pull off more impressive eliminations in this section!" Ashley smiled.
DONKEY KONG
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/DONKEY KONG
ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 242
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
BIG GUY ALERT!
"And last, but certainly not least, Donkey Kong! The first member of the DK Crew!" Ashley smiled.
"Yeah, he barreled towards Gang-il from King of Fighters XIV and Protoman from Megaman!" Drake smirked. He then paused. "Also, he is cursed, not that never stopped him before."
"Because he doesn't understand the consequences of curses." Ashley muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, seriously, shut up." Drake scolded. "If you got time to bitch, you got time to introduce the new fighters."
Ashley just scoffed.
ROBO-FORTUNE
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
"...People like cat girls. People like robot girls." Drake said, blinking twice. "So I am not surprised that the devs at Skullgirls were like "Hey, let's combine the two."
"Yes. And as much as I could gather, there is no particular reason that Brain Drain has created a robotic clone of Ms. Fortune." Ashley admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Hell, I don't think Robo-Fortune even cares."
"Eh. I see weaker reasons for clones to be a fighting game. At least Skullgirls is self-aware around it." Drake said, shaking his head. "Now about Robo-Fortune's fighting style?"
Ashley nodded his head. "Based on what fighting game terms you used, Robo-Fortune is a zoner attack."
"Let me guess. Because she likes to go "IMMA FIRIN MAH LAZER!" Drake smirked.
Ashley rolled his eyes with an annoyed sigh. "Yes… But there is more to that. Due to being a robot in a cartoony fighting game, she could morph her limbs into limbs and there are also her head drones."
Drake raised an eyebrow. "Head drones?"
"It is considered her signature mechanic. She shoots out her head multiple times." Ashley explained, earning a weird look. "Don't ask. They could be used to expand her zoning, whether it would be for offense or defense."
Drake let out a descending whistle. "She sounds like a threat despite being so silly."
"Oh, she is. Trust me, you should have seen her ending." Ashley gulped nervously.
WII FIT TRAINER
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/WII FIT
Ashley looked in awe. "...I am STILL stunned that the Wii Fit Trainer made it into Smash."
"Even to this day, I still think she is the most WTF Smash inclusion of all time." Drake added. "At least the Jigglypuff and Piranha Plant have been established characters or at least species."
"And Mr. Game & Watch and ROB played a prominent part in helping the gaming industry." Ashley added. He then shrugged. "Oh well, more interesting node lessons to talk about. Wally, Catherine?"
The camera then went to Wally and Catherine.
"Indeed, we do." Wally nodded. "Now before we going ta start with Wii Fit, Ah think it is wise ta start with the Wii itself."
"Yeah, the Nintendo Wii is the fifth Nintendo console and came during the Seventh Generation of Video Games." Catherine said. "It was more than a big step for a company because it was the first time that it ever had internet use. Granted, one could say that it isn't that much of a compliment, considering how they are STILL struggling with it, but eh."
Wally rolled his eyes. "Anywayyyyy…. It is also the first ta use motion controls. Using the Wii Remote or Wiimote ta some, ya could either play it like a common controller or use motion controls like using it like a steel."
"The motion controls work. Fer most games, but this isn't about that. It is about the many controllers it has gotten over the years. The Wii Remote Plus, the Wii Controller, the Wii and Nunchaku. And of course, the Wii Balance Board!" Wally grinned.
"The Wii Balance Board is created for one game and one game only. The Wii Fit series. A fitness game where you do yoga, strength training, aerobic, balancing training and body testing." Catherine said. She then paused. "Anddddd that's it. You have to get fit."
"Sure, that is a very vague description, but what you see is whatcha get. Granted, there are obviously poor things added in the newer games like juggling and hula-hooping, but while there are a wide array of minigames, there is just variety to staying fit." Wally shrugged. "But that's okay. Sometimes you don't have to have a fun game. Sometimes you just need to exercise. it DID help Reggie Fils-Aimé gained his iconic catchphrase "My body is ready" so it still made its mark on history."
Catherine rolled her eyes. "Sorry, guys, that is all you are going to get from us for this one."
The camera went back to Drake and Ashley.
"Um, it's fine, Catherine." Ashley reassured, scratching the side of his head. "I wasn't expecting much."
"Okay, so WFT fights… With yoga." Drake said.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Like Dhalsim?"
"Um, no. Wii Fit's yoga and Dhalsim' yoga are as different as night and day!" Drake pointed out. "They are actually… Yoga stances."
Ashley blinked twice. "But yoga stances are made for equilibrium and tranquility."
"Yeah, I don't get it either. And yet she makes it work." Drake shrugged. "And apparently, she could hover for a little bit with hula hoops, get out a soccer ball out of nowhere and headbutt it, heal and power-buff herself. She could even use the power of the sun as a chargeable projectile."
Ashley jumped at this. "What kind of training did she do to do all of THAT?"
"Hell if I know, but considering that is her schtick, I wouldn't be surprised that she trained herself so hard that she gained these abilities without trying to." Drake noted.
"That…" Ashley said before rolling his eyes. "Sounds WAY too plausible."
CHAOS
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
"Ah, yes, who could forget the overarching villain of the very first Sonic Adventure?" Drake asked.
Ashley shuddered. "You don't think they are going to turn into his stronger Chaos forms here, do you?"
"Oh, relax!" Drake scolded, rolling his eyes. "They need Chaos Emeralds for that and even if they get it, he would still only be at Chaos ONE."
"T-True…" Ashley mused. He then paused. "Wait, doesn't that mean he is at his weakest here?"
"He SHOULD?" Drake asked. "But Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Battle have demonstrated that he could still put up a fight."
"Oh?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, apparently he is very slow. And not like "Compared to other Sonic characters" slow, but plainly slow." Drake said. "He could at least glide and he could stretch his arms out and even send out orbs of water and create high-pressure pillars and sprinklers."
"As expected from an aquamancer." Ashley nodded.
"Also, as a potential super, he could send out blue wave rings from anywhere as long as he is aiming." Drake noted. "He just has to make sure that nobody hits his brain."
"He better put in the effort." Ashley muttered. "I haven't seen such an easy-to-spot weak spot since Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz."
"That's… An oddly specific reference." Drake noted.
Ashley just shrugged.
Then, the alarm went off.
"Oh, speaking of odd references, let's see which one Xero & Maurice has prepared for us!" Drake grinned.
KURIBOH
NODE: YU-GI-OH!
Drake immediately grinned. "YU-GI-OHHHHHHHHHH!"
Ashley winced before glaring at his friend for giving his shout.
...He then got up to his feet.
"Um, Ash?" Drake asked with his grin vanishing.
The purple-haired man just walked over to Drake until he was face-to-face with the latter. The vampire gulped nervously.
"Um…
Ashley gritted his teeth.
"It's time to d-d-d-d-d-d-d-duel!"
Drake blinked twice as Ashley continued to glare into his eyes. Then, the two started to laugh while holding onto each other. The camera then cut to an amused Wally and an annoyed Catherine.
"Tch. Idiots." Catherine said.
"Lighten up, Cat." Wally smirked. "But anyway, Yugioh is a collectible card game, King of Monsters in the Japanese version. Ah will try ta go over the basics."
"And by basics, you mean what the game was originally like before it got all convoluted?" Catherine asked, raising an eyebrow.
Wally chuckled nervously. "Well, okay, you have this deck, that is usually 40-60 cards long. Ya can NOT have more than 3 copies of the same card in any deck. There are also three types of cards. Monsters: Which are the main attacking ones. Though otherwise by the existence of Kuriboh, there ARE defensive monsters. Magic cards are special effects and Traps that are… Traps."
"The goal is to get your opponent's Life Points to 0. Both sides start with 8000 life points. Trust me, it is not as simple as it sounds as they are types of monster cards, their element, laying them in attack or defense mode and placing them face-up or face-down." Catherine explained. "So yeah, we are done on the card game for now because I am NOT getting into the specifics!"
Wally chuckled nervously. "Fair enough. Anyway, otherwise, the card game came first, but the game is best known fer its anime, particularly the first season, mainly the English dub."
"...I still can't believe that playing a children's card game is responsible for the faith of the world. I am dead serious!" Catherine pointed out.
"...Ups the stakes?" Wally asked.
"Yeah, having totally not-realistics buzzsaws that send you to the Shadow realms!" Catherine snarked.
Wally rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, the anime has its campy moments. But it has ta be doing SOMETHING right. Hell, look at the different anime."
"Or instead we don't and I will just take your word for it. Seriously." Catherine muttered. "Mainly because I don't want to look at their edgy names."
Wally narrowed his eyes. "Is there ANYTHING ya like?"
Catherine paused for a moment. "Well, yes, because of how convoluted the series is…"
She then raised up a deck with a big grin on her face.
"I am a duelist myself!" Catherine grinned.
Wally jumped at this. "W-What!?"
"Yeah, there are so many adorable little critters, I HAVE to get in on the craze!" Catherine grinned.
Wally rolled his eyes. "Should have known… Anyway, back ta ya."
The camera went to an exasperated Ashley. "Thanks for that."
Drake shook his head. "Real talk though? I am with Maurice on this one. Kuriboh may be one of the most well-known monster cards in Yu-Gi-Oh, but he is also one, if not THE weakest one."
"Truth be told, he IS one of the most vertisabile. They even have their own "Kuriboh" strategy." Ashley pointed out. "Granted, it is not good competitively, but this tournament doesn't seem to care about competitive play so I suppose why should I?"
"Um, okay, what are their strategies?" Drake asked.
"Well, this is his most well-known one. The multiple one. Where he would multiply himself into a giant army. Sure it does nothing for his attack power, but while his defense power didn't technically get an increase either, it is still great evasive."
Drake nodded his head. "Yeah, even I know that."
"And there is the Detonate magic card that unlike "Multiple" specifically has him on it." Ashley said. "Basically, for as many Kuriboh or Kuriboh TOKENS you have, you could discard them to force your opponent to destroy cards in their opponent's hands."
Drake's eyes widened at this. "Wait… DETONATE? As in?"
"Yes, even though Kuriboh doesn't do direct damage, considering how much the original anime ignores certain rules, they could potentially by Electrodes using Self-Destruct." Ashley added.
"Woah! And he could do that to ANY of his little guys at any time!" Drake asked.
"Pretty much." Ashley said before smirking. "I don't blame Xero for this, but Maurice may want to add… Fixing Kuriboh-based damage to his list of Xero messed up on."
STARFIRE
NODE: DC COMICS/TEEN TITANS
"Starfire!" Drake grinned. "A fan-favourite!"
"AND another plot-based character!" Ashley noted. "It seems to be some unwritten law for at least one person from either group to meet each other in the ring."
"Yeah, but considering that they are hiding from the Wii Fit Trainer, it may take a while." Drake said before waving it off. "Eh. At least one of the kids should last long enough to notice Starfire."
"And vice versa?" Ashley asked.
"Of course! Starfire, while looking dainty, is the Flying Brick on the team!" Drake grinned. "Super strength, flight, eye beams, energy beams! Well, they are called Starbolts, but that is just her Tamaraean powers!"
"Also, even though she is heavily based on the original cartoon, isn't her hair usually literally on fire?" Ashley asked.
"Yes and no. Her flaming hair is little more than an "aura" if that makes sense." Drake frowned. "Too bad. She could be the embodiment of "whipping her hair back and forth"."
Ashley groaned. "Drake, please, knowing Beastboy, she heard enough of that as it is…"
VEGA
NODE: STREET FIGHTER
"And here we have the posterboy for the "Fighting Narcissist" trope!" Drake grinned.
"...Even though he is on break, that guy STILL creeps me out." Ashley said, shuddering.
"Yeah, he is a serial killer of those who he deems ugly." Drake said. "Which could be a lot of people."
Ashley gulped nervously. "S-So he looks like a speedy fighter."
"And then some." Drake nodded. "Most of his gameplay revolves around literally leaping across the screen as if he was a superhero and dealing deadly attacks with his claw."
"Wow…" Ashley frowned.
"Also, he has the inability to create invisible walls to not only jump off of, but also slam opponents into." Drake added.
Ashley blinked twice. "...Huh?"
"...Just because the Street Fighter EX games are not canon anymore. ESPECIALLY with the release of Fighting Ex Layer, that doesn't mean they can't use said moves." Drake pointed.
"That's not what I…" Ashley said before letting out a deep sigh. "Never mind…"
CHARIZARD
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON
BIG GUY ALERT!
"Charizard! If it wasn't for Pikachu, THIS guy would be the mascot for Pokemon!" Drake grinned.
"Yeah, seriously…" Ashley muttered. "I am still in awe that HE has gotten TWO Mega-Evolutions and a Gigantmax form while Blastoise and Venusaur didn't."
"To be fair, those two DID get Gigantmax forms." Drake countered.
"Yeah, during the DLC!" Ashley shot back.
Drake rolled his eyes. "Anyway, out of the Pokemon Trainer moveset, he is obviously the Mighty Glacier."
Ashley nodded his head. "Even I know a bit of Charizard's abilities. Not only does he have Fly for… Well, flight, but he could also breathe."
"And never forget his Flare Blitz. If you get hit by that thing, you might as well kiss your time in the arena goodbye!" Drake added.
"Yeah, but he causes recoil damage." Ashley reminded.
"True, but like I said, Charizard is such a heavyweight that it doesn't affect him too much!" Drake offered.
"Wow, he definitely sounds like a threat." Ashley mused.
"He should. Like him or hate him, he DEFINITELY has a lot of experience." Drake noted.
LUCIA
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V/FINAL FIGHT
"Not going to lie, before she was revealed for Street Fighter V, I keep forgetting about her existence." Drake mused.
Ashley rolled his eyes. "I am sure that there are a lot of men that would disagree with you."
Drake chuckled nervously. "But yeah, other than her… Specialized police uniform, Dean stood more to me. Then again, having your family killed by the Big Bad could do that."
"And now?" Ashley asked.
"Eh. They did a decent job making her interesting." Drake said. "I like her attitude and while accents doesn't equal personality, I think her New Yorker accent works best for her."
Ashley nodded his head. "And her fighting style?"
"She is a pyromancer. And while that is not anything new for the series, especially when the very game has Ken lean towards using more fiery attacks, Lucia will find her niche by having some long-reaching kicks." Drake noted.
"Having an elemental punch or kick at any time is always useful." Ashley nodded. "Except when the opponent absorbs them, of course."
"And in case she needs to fight those with a weapon, she has her trusty baton." Drake noted. "There is a reason like Cody trusts her. ...Even though as far as I could gather, the two never met each other before V, but eh."
SIMBA
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/THE LION KING
Ashley's face scrunched in disgust. Not at Simba himself, but more at Xero and Maurice. "Really? I mean, really?"
"To be fair, Disney villain songs are more of a bop than the more "heroic" songs." Drake shrugged.
"Okay, but that is no reason to change the song to the one that killed Simba's fath…" Ashley started.
"WWWWWAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Drake and Ashley winced before slowly turning their heads off-screen. Cue an annoyed Wally and a bawling Catherine.
"...And people call ME insensitive to women." Wally muttered. He then gave Catherine a sympathetic look while putting a hand on his shoulder. "We could go on a break."
"N-No… I am fine." Catherine said, trying to stop her tears.
"No, ya are not." Wally muttered.
"I-It doesn't matter… The Lion King does NOT deserve to get half-assed on." Catherine said. "J-Just… Go solo for now. Ah will try to catch up."
"Um, okay." Wally said before stifling a cough. "The Lion King is the 32nd entry in the Disney Animated canon and THE fourth best-selling movie of all time. Topped only by Frozen, Zootopia and… Frozen II."
"N-Not surprisingly considering the infamous Frozen phase everyone went through." Catherine said.
"Despite being a Disney movie with talking animals, it heavily takes inspiration from Hamlet, Macbeth and a little bit of Henry IV. Some say Kimba the White Lion, but other than having lion cub protagonists with similar names, that is where the similarities end." Wally said. "Now speaking of said protagonist, Simba is a young prince who is set to inherit the role of king. However…"
"However, his evil uncle, aptly named Scar, was jealous that a kid would get to be the heir and not him so he has plotted to have his nephew killed!" Catherine piped up.
Wally jumped at this. "Ya bounce back fast!"
"But of course! Like I said, there is no way I am going to half-ass it!" Catherine nodded. "Anyway, after his first plan failed, he…"
With that, she bit her finger.
Wally frowned. "Ya could always skip it."
"No, I could do it!" Catherine reassured, before taking a deep breath. "Scar… Succeeded. In killing Simba's father and gaslighting him that it was his fault, getting him to run away from home. A few hours later, he ran into the comic relief of this movie, Timba and Pumbaa. There, they heard Hakuna Matata which means "no worries."
"Aye, but of course this is a Disney movie so when Simba becomes an adult, he has to go back home and come to terms with his actions and his shitty uncle." Wally nodded.
"The movie was an acclaimed success. It even spawned two sequels." Catherine said. She then paused. "Well, a sequel and a… Midquel? With the sequel being inspired by Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth and the Midquel being inspired by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead."
"It also has a prequel cartoon called the Lion Guard. Hell, Timon and Pumbaa got their own cartoon." Wally said. "And unlike other franchises where giving a comic relief their own show like Planet Sheen and Cars 2, this was actually… Good!"
"IKR? Even the three hyenas got their own spinoff in that cartoon!" Catherine smiled. "So yes, the Lion King has so much influence on the history of Disney. Back to you guys!"
The camera went back to a nodding Ashley. "Thanks, guys. I knew I could count on you for this."
Drake put his hand on his grin. "...I must admit, I am drawing a blank on how Simba fights other than "He does lion things."
"...Well, his roar is stronger than other roar attacks as evident by his summon in the first game and his Limit Break in the second game." Ashley said. "Also, he should have a few healing herbs which act like potions with him."
"So he could more or less self-heal." Drake said.
"Also…" Ashley said before smirking. "Did you forget about Stitch?"
Drake's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, right! He could turn himself into a giant, flaming version of himself! How could I forget that?"
"To be fair, I think it is linked to a Smash Ball." Ashley mused, rubbing his chin. "And for good reason. No, really, summons are broken in 3. Even more so than FIRE."
GRENINJA
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON
Ashley blinked twice. "First, Pikachu, Squirtle and Jigglypuff show up in the same section and now Charizard and Greninja show up in the same section."
"And don't forget." Drake piped up. "Pichu was in the previous section. Dollars to donuts say that this will be the case for the remaining Pokemon."
Ashley shook his head. "Whatever… Now Greninja is a… Ninja?"
"Oh, he is!" Drake grinned.
Ashley blinked twice. "But… He is from Kalos and Kalos is based off of France. So he is a French ninja?"
Drake's grin vanished. "Don't be a wiseass! Anyway, Greninja has your standard ninja fighter. Going into the shadows, athletic, a counter attack that using a ninja log only said log is a Substitute Doll."
"Oh, that's… Actually clever and cute." Ashley smiled.
"Oh, and he is a Water-type Pokemon so he could literally create blades and shuriken of water!" Drake said.
"That is also very creative. Though not surprising. Water IS a very flexible element." Ashley said. His face then fell.
"What is it?" Drake asked, concerned.
"Do you think that Greninja will be a victim of Xehanort's plan?" Ashley asked.
Drake's eyes widened. "Damn, you may be right. Then again, Corrin is an aquamancer and they decided that she wasn't good enough. Or something like that. On the OTHER hand, Greninja is THE most popular Pokemon in the world."
Ashley's eyes widened at this. "No lie?"
"No lie. There has been an official poll by GameFreak and HE is the winner." Drake winced. "So yeahhhhh, he is one to watch out for. In more ways than one."
NARIKO
NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE/HEAVENLY SWORD
Drake and Ashley blinked twice.
"...Oh, right. I actually forgot about her." Drake noted.
"Then again, there are a lot of franchises we would have never heard of if it isn't for this weird crossover." Ashley sighed. "Let's not even beat around the bush."
With that, the camera focused on Wally and Catherine.
"Well, at least we are getting a good chunk of screentime so far." Wally noted.
"Even if there is a strong chance that this may be our shortest research segment of this section." Catherine muttered. "Now Heavenly Sword is a Hack-and-Slash game, created by Ninja Theory. For those who don't know, they are the creators of the Warrior series."
"APPARENTLY the game takes place in an Asian setting, even though either has British or Australian accents." Wally mused, confused. "Anyway, the story is about Nariko, the unwanted daughter of a clan whose duty is to protect the titular sword from the evil and ambitious King Bohan. She and her clan sister, Kai, escape and now must stop Bohan and save Nariko's father."
"Also, the game apparently got a movie seven years later so they must be doing SOMETHING right?" Catherine asked with a shrug. "I don't know. I WANT to talk more about games with female protagonists more, but again, I don't even know her if it wasn't for PSASBR."
"Ah, well, at least she is generous with her skin!" Wally grinned.
Catherine slammed her tablet against her head. "...I'll send you the details on Nariko's fighting style. Back to you guys."
The camera went to an exasperated Ashley. "...She wasn't kidding. Not only was that the shortest research segment of the section so far, but THE shortest segment PERIOD."
"And the sad thing is, I doubt that this will be the only case of this." Drake muttered before sighing and reading his tablet. "Ooh, at least her fighting style has at least something to talk about."
"Oh? Well, don't leave me in suspense." Ashley said.
"Well, her titular sword technically makes her a Stance fighter." Drake noted. "The Quick Stance which splits the sword into two for swift attacks, the Heavy Stance which has the blade at it is for heavy attacks and the Ranged Stance which splits the swords again, but this time flailing them with chains attached to them!"
"Ah, so she is prepared for any kind of battle." Ashley mused.
"Considering that she is the main protagonist of a Ninja Theory game, she better be." Drake noted. "Also, apparently she is a VERY angry woman. Like not Kratos angry, but still angry. Then again, being outright called unwanted could do that to a person…"
NAKORURU
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/SAMURAI SHODOWN
Ashley blinked twice. "So let me get this straight. Nakoruru is allowed to carry her ATTACK HAWK in battle with her?"
"Like I said, King of Fighters doesn't care about rules." Drake said, waving it off.
"But she appeared in XIV and Antonov was the tournament host there!" Ashley retorted. "Why did HE allow it?"
"...Knowing him, he probably just thought that the hosts of the King of Fighters tournament are legit." Drake shrugged.
Ashley shook his head. "Whatever… So along with her attack hawk, Mamahawa, she is also a skilled swordswoman, right?"
"Right. She is a Fragile Speedster. She can't deal much damage, but she makes up for it by dealing SWIFT damage." Drake noted.
"Fair enough." Ashley nodded.
"Also, she could ride on Mamahaha just like Mario did on the Owl in Super Mario 64!" Drake added.
Ashley jumped at this. "What kind of Sonic Heroes Fly Formation logic is THAT!?"
"Wow, I know I said this before, but you are getting on the ball with these references." Drake noted.
"I am serious. Sure, Nakoruru is quite petite, but how could a hawk lift up an adult woman?" Ashley asked.
"...Um, power of nature?" Drake asked. "No, really, considering the time period between Samurai Shodown and King of Fighters, Mamahaha should be dead by now."
JOKER
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/PERSONA 5
Drake immediately grinned. "Wake up, Get up, Get Out There!"
Ashley rolled his eyes. "Couldn't resist, could you?"
"How could YOU!? Every song from Persona 5 is a banger!" Drake retorted. His eyes then widened in realization. "Oh, before I forget! Yo, Wally, Catherine, how long do you think THIS segment will take?"
"Um, arguably the longest one of the sections thus far?" Wally asked. "We have a LOT ta uncover here."
"Sweet, I have to check something on my tablet and I may need some time!" Drake smiled.
Ashley raised an eyebrow and the camera went to Wally and Catherine who looked just as confused.
"Um, kinda rude and unprofessional, but okay, whatever." Catherine said. "First, we will cover Shin Megami Tensei or "True Reincarnation of the Goddess" also known as MegaTen. It is a longtime running JRPG Dungeon Crawlers and developed and published by Atlus."
"Sure, some of you may be going "what", but apparently in Japan, it is competing with the likes of Dragon Quest and even FINAL FANTASY. It is based on a book series called Digital Devil Story where you use technology to summon monsters based on various mythological creatures." Drake explained.
"It is known for its deconstruction of various RPG story tropes, having a bleak story and… Bizarre monsters. No, really, whoever created Mara deserves to get stomped in the…" Catherine started.
"Cat, NO! What if somebody Googles it?" Wally asked.
"They WILL when you say it, idiot." Ashley muttered from off-screen.
Wally shook his head. "A-Anyway, the series has several games, but they are focused on one thing: Following one's beliefs. Usually they are between Order or Chaos. You could choose either one."
"Or realize that yeah, no, both sides are WAY too intense and go the Golden Deer route and not pick a side and kick both representatives' asses." Catherine muttered. "You know, like a sane person. Now what IS a hard decision is the gameplay. No, really, it is known for its tough enemies and where situational attack, one-hit kills and status effects are IMPLORED here.
"Because of its high success, it has created various games and of course, spawned several spin-offs." Wally said before smirking. "Like Devil Survivor, of course, Persona!"
"Admittedly, we should have been more clear from the beginning. Shin Megami Tensei takes place in a cyberpunk apocalypse while the Persona series… Takes place in a high-school setting…" Catherine said. "A major difference is the monsters you could control on your phone? Here, they are either Personas or shadows. A Persona is like manifestations of their own personalities and shadows are… The collective darkness of people's hearts."
"In terms of story and gameplay, the tone is comparably softer, but DON'T underestimate either aspect!" Wally pointed. "Anyway, the game has spawned five games."
Catherine raised an eyebrow. "...The series has more than three mainline games."
Wally glared at Catherine. "Catherine!"
"Oh, come on! If Atlus wants to treat the first two games as the first Street Fighter, why can't I!?" Catherine scolded.
Wally shook his head in hopelessness. "Anyway, Persona 5 is the… Fifth game in the series and is considered the most acclaimed game in the series."
Catherine scoffed. "Yeah, seriously, I swear that you can't go ANYWHERE before hearing about the Phantom Thieves. But in all seriousness, it is not exactly unearned.
"Aye, the game is about rebellion against corrupt authority figures and considering how Japan is so gung-ho about being obedient, Ah think it is a game that needed ta be made." Wally said, narrowing his eyes. "Seriously, the main protagonist got arrested just fer trying ta stop a corrupt politician from sexually harassing a woman."
"Then, that is why the main color throughout is red, the colour of… Well, rebellion and the main cast is dressed like… Well, thieves." Catherine said. "To be fair, they are not really regular thieves, but their costumes and their Persona reflect that. Tch! Personally, it is just an answer for Ann's skimpy outfit."
"Aye, Ah actually buy what they are going fer, but… Some parts are mismanaged and… Let's leave it at that before Drake bitches at us." Wally said.
"Damn right, I will bitch at you!" Drake roared from off-screen.
Catherine just scoffed. "Yeah, you are right. Anyway, the game has spawned an updated release, a DANCING game, which oddly enough isn't even the first one and last, but not least, Strikers, a Musou Spin-off! And that does not even get over the multiple crossovers Joker and the Phantom Thieves do!"
"So yeah, Joker's inclusion in Smash was unexpected, but definitely fits." Wally smirked. "Was that long enough fer ya, Drake?"
The camera then went to Drake and Ashley, the former was dejectedly putting away his phone with a sigh.
"Aye… Turns out that I didn't need the long time." Drake sighed.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "What were you trying to look up?"
"It is Persona's 25th Anniversary!" Drake pointed out.
Ashley's eyes widened at this. "Really?"
"Yeah, September 20th and to celebrate, Atlus is going to release 7 Persona Projects." Drake added.
"Wow, that's neat!" Ashley beamed. His face fell. "But realistically, it is wishful thinking that any projects would be revealed…"
"Yeah…" Drake lamented.
"...Okay, but why do you feel the need to check DURING a recap?" Ashley asked. "Are you THAT psyched for Persona 6?"
Drake paused. "Um, more or less."
Ashley blinked twice.
"Look, you are right. This is the worst possible time to talk about it. Come on, there are more fighters to cover." Drake sighed.
Ashley raised a suspicious eyebrow. For some reason, we now cut to Wally and Catherine with blank looks on their faces before looking at each other.
"...Isn't Ashley supposed to be the smart one?" Catherine challenged. "Shouldn't he figure out what Drake is planning?"
"Then again, Maurice is supposed to be the rational one and yet he fails ta connect the dots on the disappearance of Captain Olimar and Nack." Wally retorted.
We now cut back to Drake and Ashley.
"Anyway, as being a "thief", Joker is quick on his feet, very aerobatic, wields a swift knife and even has a gun." Drake noted.
Ashley blinked twice. "I thought that Sakurai was against using realistic guns."
"He is. However, his gun is a MODEL gun. Due to the power of the Metaverse, his mind makes it real." Drake said, earning a weird look. "Don't ask. And we can't forget about Arsene, his not-so-little comeback mechanic."
"...Isn't Arsene supposed to be "Baby's first Persona"?" Ashley asked.
"As Ann says, who cares? Arsene is awesome so he FIGHTS awesome!" Drake smirked, crossing his arms.
CRUSH
NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON
BIG GUY ALERT!
"Huh. History is repeating itself." Drake mused, rubbing his chin as the camera went back to him and Ashley.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "What is?"
"Spyro shows up and not too soon, Crush shows up in the same section." Drake noted.
"Wow…" Ashley said before smirking. "Too bad I strongly doubt that it would help him in the long run."
"Yeah, let's face it. The only reason Crush and Gulp are here is because they are two of the only non-final boss enemies that showed up in more than one game." Drake nodded. "Personally, I think other bosses are more memorable than him."
"Yeah, but Spyro the Dragon doesn't exactly have a large cast of characters, focusing on quality over quantity." Ashley shrugged. "Why do you think we get Cynder, someone from ANOTHER game series under Spyro's game?"
"True…" Drake said. "So what you see is what you get from Crush in terms of fighting ability?"
"Yes, usually he has more in his boss fight, but he has to stand over specific magical sewer manholes." Ashley explained.
Drake blinked twice. "...So this is how it feels like to be stumped at such an odd question."
Ashley just chuckled. "I like to revel in that whenever I can. But yeah, club goes smashy-smashy. It is as basic as it could get."
"I mean, sure, other fighters make that work, but I don't think that Crush will be one of them." Drake frowned.
CHICKEN LITTLE
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/CHICKEN LITTLE
Drake and Ashley's faces immediately soured when they saw this.
Ashley then sighed. "...Now, now, let's be nice."
"...I know that he is a good kid, but that's the thing." Drake frowned. "He is literally THE only good thing about his movie."
"...Well, if you want, we could just focus on his combat capabilities and leave the hard part to Wally and Catherine." Ashley shrugged.
With that, the camera immediately went to a furious Wally and a… Frowning Catherine.
"Well, fuck ya too, mate!" Wally roared.
Catherine paused. "...Can I at least ask for a favour?"
"Um, it depends." Drake said from off-screen.
"If at least one of us covers Chicken Little completely, can Wally be absent the entire time?" Catherine asked.
Wally's eyes widened at this. "W-What!?"
"...I know that you will be all "We Do Not Talk About Chicken Little" if given the chance and frankly, I do NOT want to talk about it either." Catherine frowned.
"Cat…" Wally frowned. Even though this was understandable, this was still a first from Wally's eyes.
"HOWEVER, there is something I wanted to get my chest about the subnode for a long time and it makes me hate the film even more, but at the same time, I feel the need to share." Catherine said.
Wally paused.
"...Well, if you are offering." Ashley reassured from off-screen. "What do you think, Wally?"
"...Ah am staying." Wally offered.
"R-Really?" Catherine asked.
"Ah even help with talking about it." Wally said. "Ah am FAR too interested ta what ya have ta say."
Catherine gave a small smile. "Wally… Well then, let's start. Chicken Little is a CGI movie made by Disney and is THE first CGI movie as a whole not made by Disney."
"And it CLEARLY shows…" The boxer muttered. "But ah getting ahead of myself. It is obviously based on the fairy tale of the same name. In the original tale, the titular character gets hit on the head with an acorn and thinks that the sky is falling and goes to warn the king while gathering up several people to try to warn him."
"However, they came across Foxy Loxy and he used everyone's naivete against them. It was a story about not jumping to conclusions. Granted, in some cases, said conclusions doesn't involve a predator ta take advantage, but Ah could see where they are coming from." Wally said. He then breathed in and out. "A lot better than how Disney put their spin on it."
"Basically, the story is about Chicken Little making the same mistake, however, after everyone freaked out over it, he was made an outcast by the entire town. Even his own father is ashamed to have anything to do with him." Catherine said. "Okay, let's get out of the way. How could a town so full of such adorable animals be so… So…?"
"Human?" Wally asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I almost thought that. I WANT to say that, but even humans have more standards than… These guys!" Catherine spat.
Wally's pupils shrank at this. Drake even made a noise like he saw someone slam a sledgehammer against someone's groin.
"But yeah, they are some of the vile Disney characters I've ever seen. Even certain Disney villains would be like, um, bruh, I don't think you are supposed to do that." Catherine frowned.
"Aye, they are so mean-spirited. Like seriously, the gym teacher separated the "popular" and "unpopular". Mate, Ah know that gym teachers could be assholes, but still." Wally frowned. "But the worst character of all HAVE ta be Buck Cluck!"
"Objectively, Buck Cluck didn't commit the worst crimes in the world, but apparently we are supposed to want to see him and Chicken Little get back together." Catherine frowned. "And while I DO for Chicken Little's sake, I think he is a horrible person!"
"He is." Wally nodded. "And DON'T even get me started on how fair-weather they are when Chicken Little wins a baseball game. Ah actually preferred when they were openly being hostile towards him."
"Seriously…" Catherine said. "The movie has other problems too. Like their reliance on pop-culture references and the sudden twist that the thing that fell on Chicken Little's head was part out of a UFO? Yeah, this story gets WEIRD."
"But so yeah, because of that and the unlikable cast, save fer the main hero group, it was a horrible movie." Wally said before looking at Catherine. "How Chicken Little made it into Kingdom Hearts 2, anyway?"
"Apparently, it is because it was to promote the movie in Japan." Catherine said, scratching the side of her head.
"So basically, we got a Not-Dante case on our hands here!" Wally snarked, rolling his eyes. "So what is it that made ya hate the movie so much more than before, Cat."
"Because while I don't think it would be amazing or even great, I saw tidbits of what could have been a decent movie." Catherine lamented.
Wally blinked twice. "H-Huh?"
"For starters, the story was going to follow a more straight-forward one where Chicken Little was a girl and the main villain was a "Wolf-in-Sheep's-Clothing." Catherine explained.
"Um, okay, the sci-fi part that made it in the final film was dumb, but far from the movie's worst problems." Wally said.
"I know, I know. But Buck Cluck was actually somewhat redeeming in deleted scenes." Catherine said.
Wally's eyes widened at this. "Really?"
"Yeah, in one deleted scene, Buck was talking to his wife, who was dead in the movie about how fed up with Chicken Little as it was implied that the latter was very paranoid and Buck had to deal with the consequences." Catherine said. "Another deleted scene actually having him trying to make breakfast for Chicken Little and actually protecting him from the flock of reporters. He… Wasn't perfect, but it was clear he WAS trying."
"Woah… We could have gotten a decent film where at worst, we would have said "Oh, yeah, that movie existed." Wally shrugged.
"Yeah… That is why I hated that movie. I don't know WHY they changed, but damn they completely destroyed the initial integrity, they were going for." Catherine said before sighing. "Back to you, guys."
We now cut back to Drake and Ashley looking upset.
"Wow… When I saw Chicken Little's name, I expected to be angry. But now… I am just depressed." Drake frowned.
Ashley just let out a sigh. "Anyway, while Chicken Little is somewhat of an offensive summon, he is mostly used to help Sora with his combos then do any KOing damage."
"Oh?" Drake asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, he could throw firecracker balls which, while doesn't do much damage, they do send his target in the air if they are not too heavy enough." Ashley noted.
"Well, that's okay, but he doesn't have to actually knock out his opponent literally." Drake pointed out.
"True, but while the vertical height they fly at is decent, the HORIZONTAL distance is almost non-existent." Ashley said. "Fortunately, he has another trick. For some unknown reason, he could whistle and it works like a Magnet spell."
Drake blinked twice. "As in Magento?"
"As in Sora in Kingdom Hearts 2 when he could pull in enemies for a single spell." Ashley explained. "It is one of his best spells and summoning Chicken Little is a great substitute until he learns it."
"Wow. Chicken Little DOES sound like he has potential, but…" Drake frowned.
"But he has a LOT to work to do, coming off of his movie." Ashley sighed.
LUCINA
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/FIRE EMBLEM AWAKENING
"Huh. That's weird. I thought that Marth was not only eliminated, but knocked out by Slenderman." Drake noted. "Also, his hair wasn't THAT long."
"Drake!" Ashley scolded.
"I kid! I kid!" The mayor laughed. "Real talk, I actually like Lucina, despite being a blatant Marth clone!"
"I know too. She is quite endearing." Ashley smiled. He then paused. "Though I wouldn't trust her with fashion."
Drake chuckled at this. "Yeah. Anyway, unsurprisingly, Lucina fights like Marth. Only she doesn't have his "tipper" mechanic."
"So in other words, she is a more balanced Marth. Low-risk, low-reward?" Ashley asked.
"Pretty much." Drake nodded. "She may not be worried about Grima, but she is here to fight!"
Then, the Mystery Fighter alarm went off.
"Huh. Interesting." Ashley mused.
Drake raised an eyebrow. "What is, Ash?"
"I have been counting down and apparently Kuriboh showed up as the third new fighter of this section and this should be the third-to-last one." The wizard said.
"Huh. Spooky." Drake noted. He then smirked. "Well, let's see who it is!"
NORBERT & DAGGETT
NODE: THE ANGRY BEAVERS
Drake's eyes lit up while Ashley… Blinked twice.
"Huh? Those are two names I haven't heard of for a long time." Drake noted.
Ashley blinked twice. "Um, could you give me a minute?"
"Um, okay?" Drake said, raising an eyebrow.
With that, he got out his phone and started to dial a number. He then held it up, showing that he had it on speaker.
Then, Xero's voice spoke up. "Yes, Ashley?"
"Why are Norbert and Daggett chained up?" The wizard explained.
"I believe Norbert already explained." Xero reminded. "Daggett can't be trusted to be with Norbert for ten seconds with Norbert."
"...By THAT logic, are Billy & Mandy and Mac & Bloo going to be chained up?" Ashley asked.
There was a slight pause. "...Huh?"
"I mean, really, I know that Daggett is… Over-excitable, but I still trust him to stand here more than Billy and Bloo." Ashley pointed out.
"...Well, if you consider CN: PTE to be canon, then they have shown to be able to do so." Xero pointed out.
"Okay, fair, but that doesn't change that I still trust Daggett more than the both of them." Ashley added.
There was another long pause. "...That is a legit argument. But I got a legit answer."
"Oh?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Suddenly, the phone has hung up. Drake and Ashley both blinked twice.
"...I literally don't know what I was expecting." Ashley muttered.
"Look on the bright side." Drake offered. "At least Xero has no right calling you out about not trying to hear things from his side of view."
Ashley just slammed his phone against his forehead. "...Just cut to Wally and Catherine."
The camera then went to the two who were snickering at the entire scene.
"I am curious how an actual conversation between Xero and Ashley would go. Well, now THAT mystery has been cleared up." Catherine said before taking a deep breath. "EEEEEE! THE ANGRY BEAVERS!"
Wally winced at this. "...Huh. It's been a long while since you nearly deafened mah ears."
Catherine acted like she didn't hear this. "The Angry Beavers is part of the Nicktoon brand. It is about two adorable brothers, Norbert, a laidback tan beaver and Daggett, a hyperactive brown beaver."
Wally blinked twice. "...Ah never understood why they call it the ANGRY Beavers while only one half seems ta be constantly angry."
"Don't be an Ashley, Wally!" Catherine scolded, earning an angry protest from Ashley. "Anyway, the premise is simple. It is about the two brothers living in their dam home and going on various misadventures."
"And that would be the MILD way of putting it. The show could get BIZARRE really fast. Like, really." The boxer noted. "Apparently, their world got destroyed at one point and some god, in their infinite wisdom, decided that THOSE two were the best people to recreate it."
"Eh. I've seen worse examples of that trope. The show is a cult classic, but I think it has made TV history." Catherine said. "It is the first cartoon, besides Kablam, that acknowledges it is a cartoon."
"Aye, the series finale, "Bye Bye Beavers" has the beavers, well, realized that it was the last episode and went to Nickelodeon themselves to see if they do anything about it." Wally said before wincing. "Sure, now it is not too uncommon for comedy shows, but fourth wall breaking was frowned upon at the time so it was cancelled."
"Tch. Man, times have changed." Catherine said. "Anyway, the game was a major cult-classic. Too bad we don't really see them much recently."
"Aye." Wally said before lightening up. "But hey, maybe they will show up in the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Ah mean Nigel Thornberry, Oblina and even POWDERED TOAST MAN made it in! Back ta ya, mates!"
We now return to a nodding Drake. "Thanks, guys!"
"...Can we talk about that chain because I am NOT going over "cartoon logic" again." Ashley spat.
"Alright, alright…" Drake said, rolling his eyes. "So basically they are the Pintel & Ragetti of the story."
"I don't know… They seem to remind me more of Spanx and Raymond from Whiplash." Ashley mused.
"Huh… Good reference." Drake noted.
"Thanks, but in all seriousness, I could see that chain making getting a few good eliminations in, but for the most part, it will be more a bane than a boon." Ashley muttered.
"Well, considering how dysfunctional and zany those two are, that is to be expected." Drake shrugged. He then brightened up. "Still should be fun."
Ashley just groaned.
MENAT
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
"A fortune teller from Street Fighter?" Ashley mused. "Does she know Rose?"
"Yes. Indeed, she is Rose's protege!" Drake grinned.
"Really?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah, but then Rose showed up, anyway…" Drake said before shrugging. "Eh, I am not that bothered. Until the case with Laura/Blanka, I actually like Menat despite her "replacing" Rose."
"Ah, so about her…"
"HOLD UP!"
Drake and Ashley jumped as a familiar crystal ball floated into the scenery.
"C-Cacey?" Ashley asked. "What are you doing here?"
Drake then smirked. "Let me guess. You want to take over this segment?"
"But of course. I saw that Orange-Ratchet is allowed to interrupt his own segments in the recap of the Okron Tournament so I decided to do the same." Cacey said.
"But Orange-Ratchet is the AUTHOR." Ashley pointed out.
"...And this is why Xero hung up for you." Drake scoffed before looking at the crystal ball. "Go on, Cace."
"Thank you, Mayor Drake." Cacey said. "Now I admit that my fighting game knowledge is not as good as Drake's, but even I could tell that Menat is unique from other archetypes. One could say that she is a zoner and while that is far from untrue, she is a little more than that. Her crystal ball is a part of her."
"Oh?" Ashley asked.
"Yes, without her orb, admittedly her attacks are… Unimpressive, but with her orb, her range is about the same as DHALSIM. She could use her crystal ball like a projectile, projectile-DEFLECTOR, set-up trap, Scorpion-like Get Over Here grab." Cacey explained.
Drake's eyes lit up at this. "Ooh, nice reference."
"Even I am afraid of Scorpion. Anyway, Menat is hard-to-use, but she could be a beast if should correctly." Cacey explained. "She may be a protege, but she at least knows how to maneuver her way around the way."
Drake clapped his hand. "Nice one, Cacey."
"Thank you. For the compliment and for letting me have this chance." The secretary said.
"Hey, you earned it for all your help." Drake said.
"Yes, about that, are you sure you will be able to find the time?" Cacey asked.
"What? EA-LEC has long been abandoned so it is not like there are going to be any new developments. Night Town is officially Tiny's as far as I am concerned." Drake pointed out. "And you know the rules? What Tiny says here is law."
Cacey let out a deep sigh. "True, true… Very well. I'll leave you to the final fighter."
With that, the crystal ball floated, leaving Ashley blinking twice.
PETE
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/CLASSIC DISNEY SHORTS
BIG GUY ALERT!
After seeing Pete's… Performance, Drake and Ashley were both stunned. The camera then went over to Wally and Catherine who were just as stunned.
Then, Catherine got out her phone and started to push a few buttons on it. After a bit of ringing, someone answered it.
"Ronnie?" Catherine asked.
"I… What… Why… Where… When…"
Catherine paused before lowering the phone and looking at Wally.
"...Well, it isn't a prank from Ronnie." She said.
"Well, it has to be a prank by SOMEBODY!" Wally exclaimed. "I mean how the hell do ya mistake this tournament as a TALENT SHOW?"
"I am more concerned about Pete's upbringing. Sure, that doesn't excuse some of the bad stuff he did, but…" Catherine said.
"Aye, Mickey was right. Gram-Gram used ta sing THAT?" Wally muttered.
We now went to Drake and Ashley, still looking stunned.
"Um, well, so apparently instead of his Kingdom Hearts' attire, Pete will be fighting… In a tutu." Ashley said.
"...I literally can't tell if that is better or worse." Drake muttered.
"...Anywayyyyy, Pete doesn't have any weapons so he can throw firework bombs." Ashley mused. "He SHOULD be able to create a powerful magical barrier around himself."
"Which really helps out with his defensive capabilities. Not that he needed it because for better or for worse, he could take a beating." Drake said.
"And not only that, but he is not afraid to play dirty." Ashley noted. "And considering that he severely handicapped himself, he may use said dirty tricks more frequently."
"...What I wouldn't give to travel into the future just to find out what happened that led to… This." Drake said.
Ashley shook his head. "Anywayyyyy, that is everyone."
"Zangief, Donkey Kong, Charizard, Crush and Pete are all Big Guys so twenty people will be eliminated this round." Drake explained.
"Also, Pit from Super Smash Bros is against Shenzi, Banzai and Ed from the Lion King." Ashley nodded.
"This may be a BREATHER round, but DON'T think it won't be memorable!" Drake grinned.
"...You could thank Pete for that." Ashley muttered.
LINK TO SECTION HERE: archiveoufourown / works / 25531129 / chapters / 80993446
