LINK TO SECTION BELOW

We now return to a grinning Drake and Ashley.

"We are back!" Drake grinned. "Last we left off, Starfire has gotten the top slot and has four choices between. However, Yuri Sakazaki wants to make up for the last round by asking for her to choose."

"And Starfire, being the pure-hearted soul that she is, agrees." Ashley smiled. He then shrugged. "But then again, she is more focused on the villain plot."

"Regardless, Yuri chose Mystery Reserves so now we will be having one more." Drake grinned. "So not only will we have three Mystery Fighters instead of just two, but the final one is a fan-submitted one. Today's welcome winner!"

Drake and Ashley then looked at each other with a smirk.

"...Is Tinyhammer!"

"That's right, the one who came up with this recap has one of his choices from all of the way from Section FOUR!" Drake grinned. "Sooo for this section, we will do something a little different."

Ashley nodded his head. "Tinyhammer has suggested TEN potential Mystery Fighters. So we will be going over nine of his unselected ones and briefly talking about them!"

"Well, what are we waiting for!?" Drake grinned. "Let's go in alphabetical order!"

ADELEINE & RIBBON

NODE: KIRBY

"Ah. Yes, before Metaknight, Adeleine was actually the fourth member of Kirby's crew!" Drake grinned.

"Yeah, even if she didn't do much in terms of combat, not even in her own fight, she makes up with her literal life-bringing art skills!" Ashley smiled.

"You noticed that even though we introduced Adeleine, Tiny also put Ribbon along with her." Drake noted. "Well, that is because Tiny is counting on their appearance in Star Allies where they worked together!"

"They were more defensive with Adeleine having lower HP than the other characters, but balanced this out by drawing various Kirby enemies, either as a projectile or to ride on." Ashley said. "She could even draw healing items!"

"She is the Kirby version of a Squishy Wizard. Poor in close-range, but have a lot of utility!" Ashley smiled.

AKIRA KAZAMA

NODE: RIVAL SCHOOLS

"Oh, right. She appeared in Street Fighter V, didn't she?" Ashley noted.

"Yeah, as one of the final fighters for it!" Drake grinned. "Isn't it awesome? They are going to bring Rival Schools into the canon!"

"Indeed. And what better way to celebrate is to have Akira in the roster, even as a Mystery Fighter!" Ashley noted.

"Though if she DID get in, she would only have options for one V-Trigger because she can't summon Daigo out of nowhere like in that game." Drake said.

Ashley blinked twice. "Wait, what?"

"Call me cheesy, but teamwork is the name of Rival Schools!" Drake smirked.

ASGORE

NODE: UNDERTALE

"...Yeah, we more or less went over why Tiny wants him in during Bowser's first elimination." Drake said with a smirk.

"Indeed… The only issue is that Bowser and his son are long-gone so we won't see any cute interactions." Ashley lamented.

"Eh. He should still be interesting without them." Drake reassured. "After all, he IS an Undertale character. Being interesting is in his blood."

"An Undertale WOULD have an unique fighting style." Ashley admitted.

BISHAMON

NODE: DARKSTALKERS

"Aka the runner-up at the first and second Ultimate Video Rumbles!" Drake smirked.

Ashley jumped at this. "Really!?"

"Yeah, poor guy. Always a bride's maid and never a bride!" Drake frowned.

"...Still, that is enough for Tiny to nominate for a potential Mystery Fighter." Ashley noted. "Especially with the UVR winner reunion."

"So it would only make sense for an UVR runner-up match-up. Especially since Kim, Chang, Roll and Mewtwo are all part of the cast." Drake agreed. He then shrugged. "Ah well… I could see why Orange-Ratchet wouldn't do that."

DIXIE KONG

NODE: DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

"Not going to lie, I really thought that she would be in Super Smash Bros. What with the big success of Tropical Freeze." Ashley frowned.

"Yeah, especially since she is the most useful partner in that game." Drake nodded. "I mean let's face it. Not to dunk on Diddy and Cranky, but objectively Dixie is the best one with her insane air-time she could give DK!"

"Indeed. And unless we forget, the male to female ratio is heavily unbalanced." Ashley noted. "Granted, it was either that or the HERO to VILLAIN unbalance in the case of K. Rool."

"Regardless, she should be a fun character to read for." Drake said. "That and she is SO cute!"

PARACE L'SIA

NODE: ARCANA HEART

Ashley blinked twice. "...I can't believe that Tiny actually non-ironically suggested this!"

"...I mean she IS the hardest fighting game boss in history." Drake noted.

"And THAT'S the problem!" Ashley scolded. "Do you really think people would want to watch an over-powered entity!?"

"...I mean she wouldn't be the first one invited to these things." Drake shrugged. "Hell, while not THE strongest in the DragonBall universe, Xero still invited PICCOLO."

"I… Guess…" Ashley frowned. "Still, I don't think most people will be rooting for her. For obvious reasons."

"Xero and several men and a few lesbians would say otherwise." Drake smirked.

Ashley immediately clamped his hands over his face. "Drake, oh my Shane!"

PASCAL

NODE: TALES OF GRACES

Drake rolled his eyes. "Of course Tiny would want to suggest a Tales of character!"

"But of course, he gotta have that Tales representative!" Ashley chuckled. "Now of course, he would want to choose a rep that he never got the chance to write for in the Battle of the Luminaries."

"Well, Pascal wasn't in because she is mostly a mage." Drake said. "Too bad because she has such a fun personality."

"Yeah, she was an unique mage, what with her having to come in CLOSE to her enemies while her weapon is used for long-range." Ashley explained.

Drake blinked twice. "Um, I know that you are more of the magic expert, but that doesn't break several mage laws."

"It does. That and Pascal is tougher than she looks stat-wise. No, really, her physical defense is surprisingly good." Ashley said. He then sighed. "I really wished Tiny realized that while having mages with limited physical attacks in a tournament like this may be dangerous, but they are NOT helpless."

Drake paused. "Yeah… I guess that is true."

"Despite what I said about Xero, at least HE gets it. That is why Lucca is here instead of someone like Crono, Frog or Magus." Ashley noted.

"...Yeah, you are completely right." Drake said.

VIVI ORNITER

NODE: FINAL FANTASY IX

"From an orthodox mage to a textbook one, it is Vivi!" Drake grinned.

"And unlike Pascal who is arguably more obscure outside of Tales, Vivi is well-known all over the world! Despite being a standard Black Mage!" Ashley beamed.

"It is helped that he is one of the recognised characters from one of the most underrated games, IX!" Drake beamed.

"It also helps that while he has never been in a single tournament, he was one of the security teams in the first Battle of the Luminaries!" Ashley smiled. "With a large array of offensive spells at his disposal, he will be a major threat!"

"If he doesn't trip over himself first." Drake snickered.

Ashley's smile vanished. "Drake!"

WOLFRUN

NODE: SMILE PRECURE

Ashley blinked twice. "Okay… Despite what I complained about Parace L'Sia, at least I could SEE where he was going from. But…"

"...He is a male wolf anthro." Drake reminded.

Ashley rolled his eyes. "Ah…"

"To be fair, the Precure series is apparently quite good." Drake pointed out.

"Oh, it IS! It doesn't have the same popularity power as Sailor Moon, but it was still enough to create several series!" Ashley pointed out.

"Oh, and fun fact: Wolfrun was actually one of the Mystery Fighters in the second Battle of the Luminaries!" Drake reminded.

Ashley's eyes widened at this. "Wait. really!?"

"Yeah, but then the crystals and vines fight happened and…" Drake said before wincing.

"Ooh…." Ashley frowned. "Well, regardless, that is everyone that Tiny has nominated."

"Kinda a weird way to start this recap, but this is a special case!" Drake grinned.

"Well, regardless we have to cover the fighters that survived the section first." Ashley said.

BENTLEY

NODE: SLY COOPER

ENTERED IN: Section 10; Number 210

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4

"And continuing to be the longest-runner fighter in the ring is Bentley!" Drake grinned. "Living up to the term "Turtle Power!"

"Indeed. Rainbow Mika from Street Fighter V, Auron from Kingdom Hearts, Ganondorf from Super Smash Bros and Robo-Fortune from Skullgirls learned not to underestimate him!" Ashley nodded.

RATCHET & CLANK

NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE/RATCHET & CLANK

ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 222

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3

"Speaking of fellow Playstation mascots, Ratchet & Clank aren't slacking off that much either!" Ashley smiled.

"Indeed, they showed why they are just as much Playstation icons as Sly Cooper by getting rid of the Flash from DC Comics, Dark Pit from Super Smash Bros and Menat from Street Fighter V!" Drake grinned.

SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG

NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 226

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3

"Throwing it all away to reveal all of him, All Hail Shadow!" Drake grinned.. "Heroes rise again!"

"He has always demonstrated his ultimate power on Jack Skellington from Kingdom Hearts, Yamazaki from King of Fighters XIV and even his own nodal companion, Chaos!" Ashley smiled.

SPYRO THE DRAGON

NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON

ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 232

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4

"Continuing with the platforming mascot, we have THE Spyro the Dragon!" Ashley smiled. "...Wow, we are covering a lot of those first, huh?"

"And he is currently tied with Bentley for most eliminations in the ring with his impressive streak of Bean from Sonic the Hedgehog, Wolf from Super Smash Bros, Vega from Street Fighter V and Nakoruru from King of Fighters XIV!" Drake grinned.

YURI SAKAZAKI

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/ART OF FIGHTING

ENTERED IN: Section 11; Number 237

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3

"Tying with Joe Higashi as the King of Fighters XIV MVP is the spunky dragon, Yuri!" Drake grinned.

"While it is usually normal to write her off, here, she shows that she is not one to be trifled with." Ashley smiled. "With her eliminations of her nodal companion, Mature, Luna Loud from the Loud House and Daisy from Super Smash Bros."

STARFIRE

NODE: DC COMICS/TEEN TITANS

ENTERED IN: Section 12; Number 247

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

"Okay, we could all agree that Starfire got off to a slow start, but it is not her fault as she is more focused on the villain plot." Ashley admitted.

"Yeah, Chowder & Kimchi from CT: PTE and Pudding from Tokyo Mew Mew needed to leave the arena." Drake nodded. "However, she should find more… "motive" to get more "regular" eliminations."

SIMBA

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/THE LION KING

ENTERED IN: Section 12; Number 251

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

"Showing why lions are the king of beasts is King Simba of Pride Rock!" Drake smirked.

"Demonstrating some impressive wit, he came up with a plan that got rid of not only Crush from Spyro the Dragon, but also Kuriboh from Yu-Gi-Oh!" Ashley smiled.

GRENINJA

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON

ENTERED IN: Section 12; Number 252

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

"Off to a slow, but steady start is Greninja!" Ashley announced. "Fitting for a ninja!"

"Yeah, albeit with the help of Yuri Sakazaki, he still managed to overpower Lucia from Street Fighter V!"

NORBERT & DAGGETT

NODE: THE ANGRY BEAVERS

ENTERED IN: Section 12; Number 259

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

"Unleashing their anger on the arena and Ashley's expectations are the Angry Beavers!" Drake grinned.

Ashley groaned, rolling his eyes. "...Indeed. They were the ones that broke the Smash Ball curse and… Overpowering Nariko from PSASBR and Lucina from Super Smash Bros. Ugh, I am NEVER going to live this down!"

PETE

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS

ENTERED IN: Section 12; Number 261

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

BIG GUY ALERT!

"Okay, so I think we could all agree that Pete has the worst introduction out of everyone in the tournament thus far and that isn't going to change…" Ashley frowned. "But at least he could bounce back from it!"

"Yeah, he already showed how pragmatic and ruthless he could be with his elimination of Wii Fit Trainer from Super Smash Bros and Zangief from Street Fighter!" Drake nodded. "Well, that is everyone! Let's go to the next batch of fighters!"

EL JEFE

NODE: SLY COOPER

Drake's grin vanished. "Oh, right. I have forgotten about that guy."

Ashley frowned. "Oh, he is THAT bad."

"Well, not Sir Rayeigh, the Grizz and Penelope bad, in fact, he is technically not that bad at all!." Drake reassured. "But that's just it. He is just serviceable."

"Oh… What COULD you tell me about him?" Ashley asked.

"Well, apparently he is a twin swordsman who is a narcissistic military mercenary-for-hire and has a thing for cigars." Drake mused.

"That's… Not much to go off on. ESPECIALLY when you compare him to Rajan." Ashley frowned.

"Pretty much. Don't underestimate him though." Drake warned. "Despite being the first boss, he could actually put up a decent fight."

"Really? I actually heard that he ran away for most of the fight, not unlike Gnasty Gnorc." Ashley noted.

"Yeah, he did, but when he finally stops running away, he pulls out ALL of the stops." Drake nodded. "He infused his blades with either fire or electricity for powerful attacks. Also, he should have SOME flame resistance, considering he crushed a lit cigar in his palm."

Ashley winced. "Having both fire and electricity is a dangerous combo for his opponents."

"Also, his opponent should try not to come too close. He could usually grab them with the speed of the Flash himself." Drake added.

Ashley's eyes widened. "Oh well. Maybe he is a bigger threat than we thought."

"Yeah, he isn't winning any memorable villain awards, but he could at least backup as to why he has so many giant statues of himself." Drake noted.

Ashley paused. "Wait, what…?"

"Don't ask." Drake muttered.

HERO

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/DRAGON QUEST

Drake blinked twice. "...Hero? Really?"

"I mean it is not his actual name. It is more of a placeholder as you could pick from four different protagonists from across the series." Ashley pointed out.

"Oh, okay, so what is this one's canon name?" Drake asked.

Ashley winced at this. "Um, well. It is Eleven."

Drake paused. "Um, Ash, please don't tell me that he is from the eleventh game in the main series."

Ashley gave a sheepish grin. "Okay, I WON'T tell you…?"

Drake blinked twice as he grumpily looked at the camera. "Cut to Wally and Catherine."

The camera went to Wally and Catherine who were both snickering at the exchange.

"Aye, we got ya, mate!" Wally grinned before stifling a cough. "Okay, while Final Fantasy is the most well-known franchise in Square-Enix's library, Dragon Quest would definitely be a close second with its eleven main series events and its dozens of spin-offs!"

"Not surprisingly because despite being obscure in the West, it is actually THE first turn-based battle JRPG. Also, before Square and Enix merged together, Dragon Quest was the latter's brainchild!" Catherine noted. "It is also noticeable for having the art done by Akira Toriyama, the same man behind the art of Dragon Ball and Chrono Trigger, both which we previously covered."

"The game is said to be inspired by earlier RPGs like Ultima and Wizardry as well the very obscure Visual Novel The Portopia Serial Murder Case." Wally said before pausing and looking at Catherine. "Damn, we are uncovering a lot of obscure stuff here."

"Pretty much. So about the gameplay. It is hard to say. No matter how many main series games we had, there is almost always the same." The pink-haired woman muttered. "Oh, the spell list has got to be some of the most childish ones I ever heard! I mean, Frizz for fire, Woosh for wind, Crack for ice!?"

"Aye, Ah don't get it either. The games usually take themselves so seriously so why do we have stuff spell names that a five-year-old has thought of?" Wally asked.

"But on the bright side…" Catherine said before brightening up. "It has the cutest monster bestiary I have ever seen!"

Wally raised an eyebrow. "...Knowing ya, ya are going to have to be more significant."

"Okay, first off, there are ever-iconic Slimes! Now I am not into slime monsters and frankly, their designs are as simple as hell, but… I think it makes it work!" Catherine beamed. "That is not even getting into the Platypunks delinquent-styled Platypuses and Sham Hatwitches, little boars with giant mage's hats."

Wally blinked twice. "...Where do they come up with this stuff?"

"IKR? It is too good to be true!" Catherine grinned, shrieking heavily. "Oh, man, there is so much I could go into!"

Wally chuckled nervously. "We already lost a lot of time with Tiny's Mystery Fighter wishlist. But eh. While obscure in the West, the game series actually have a strong following in Japan. With its spin-offs being, but not limited to, a Warriors-styled game, Minecraft-like game and even a game starring a Slime!"

"With the amount of love Slimes get, it was only a matter of time!" Catherine said. "So yeah, the haters could drown in the salt mounds they have created for all I care. Hero EARNED his place in Smash! Back to you guys!"

We now go back to a grinning Drake. "Huh, drown in the salt mounds they have created. I gotta use that line sometime."

Ashley rolled his eyes. "Anywayyyyy, Hero is a swordsman that could use magic. However, what sets him apart from another magic-using swordsman is that he literally weaponizes RNG."

"Yeah, his main gimmick is that he actually has the most specials out of everyone in the Smash roster." Drake grinned. "Granted, most of them are linked to his Down Special, that is still a lot!"

"Indeed, along with a fire, electricity AND a wind spell, he also has…" Ashley said before taking in a deep breath. "Two more different fire projectiles, two explosion projectiles, a fire-infused sword slash, an ICE-infused sword slash, a slow yet powerful one-hit KO slash move, a slow yet powerful one-hit KO PROJECTILE, a guaranteed critical hit, a forced sleep spell, an anti-metal slash attack, a self-metallic turning spell, a strength buff, a defense buff, a speed buff, a projectile deflector, a self-healing spell, a super jump, an all-or-nothing attack, an all-mana draining attack and an even MORE random spell."

With that, he panted heavily as Drake nodded.

"As you can see, Hero has everything to deal with his opponents. His biggest flaw. As Ashley suggests, it is all based on Luck." The vampire explained. "While he is not dependent on it, a bad Command Selection could be costly for him…"

THE RIDDLER

NODE: DC COMICS/BATMAN

Ashley frowned after taking a drink of water. "I don't know how to feel about this."

Drake raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"The Riddlers… Focuses on riddles." Ashley pointed out. "He doesn't go for a one-on-one fight, he focuses on creating riddles for Batman to solve. That is his whole schtick."

Drake paused. "And that doesn't translate well in a fighting tournament."

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't." Ashley frowned.

"...Well, you could think of his fighting style like Sly Cooper. Someone who doesn't do direct fighting." Drake pointed out.

"Yeah, but the Riddler isn't as athletic as Sly!" Ashley pointed out. "I just don't get why Xero would invite someone who is such… An indirect fighter."

Drake just shrugged. "...Personal bias."

Ashley just gave an annoyed look. "If that IS the case, then that is far from the worst case of it."

DEXTER

NODE: DEXTER'S LABORATORY

"And here we have the two red-headed heroes finally team-up!" Drake grinned.

"This is when the story is really getting entwined, isn't it?" Ashley noted.

"AND where the story may be starting to get good!" Drake beamed. "But we are getting ahead of ourselves! We need a proper introduction for Dexter: Boy Genius!"

We now cut to a nodding Wally. "Aye! We actually have an interesting one here today! Dexter's Laboratory is actually THE very first Cartoon Network show ever that isn't based on an original character or an anthology series. It first appeared in What A Cartoon Show, a shorts showcase where Hanna-Barbera employees could show their stuff!"

"The story is simple. It is about a child prodigy called Dexter who has this secret lab inside of his room. ...Which is ironic because nearly everyone, BUT his own parents know about said lab." Catherine muttered, rolling her eyes. "Like they are not Timmy Turner's parents bad, but still!"

Wally winced. "Ah guess it IS kinda silly."

"Also, am I the only one getting red flags that Dexter has an accent and yet neither of his parents have them. I could see why people spread rumours that the mom has che…" Catherine started.

"ANYWAYYYYYY!" Wally piped up. "The premise is pretty much that. Dexter using his extreme intelligence, along with his more… laid-back and energetic coming in and messing everything up for him."

"...You would think a boy that smart would be able to learn to lock the freaking door…" Catherine muttered. "Like not even the lab entrance, but his REGULAR door."

Wally just shrugged. "The cartoon follows a three-shorts format with the middle one, usually reserved for either Dial M For Monkey, Dexter's lab monkey who is actually a superhero who goes on various adventures to protect the world!"

"The second one is about the Justice Friends, think parodies of Captain America, the Hulk and a combination of Thor and Val Halen in a Friends-like sitcom. They are both well-received." Catherine said before rolling her eyes. "Until Major Glory and Valhallen showed their true colours!"

Wally's eyes widened at this. "PLEASE don't tell me ya are talking about the Members Only episode from the Powerpuff Girls!"

"How could I NOT!?" Catherine asked.

"Catherine, before that episode, those two haven't shown ANY form of sexism of any kind!" Wally reminded. "In fact, Major Glory has one time recruited DEE DEE as his sidekick! Ah don't know why they would do that to them when they could have created so many characters! Like they DID!"

"Maybe because Major Glory and Valhallen sound like basic power-fantasy males?" Catherine admitted. "I mean E-Male! Really?"

Wally shook his head in frustration. "Anywayyyyyyy, as you could expect, the show was a big success and it was even given a TV movie which was extended to be the finale. But it was renewed fer two more stories. That… Maybe a mistake."

"Tell me about it. Remember that golf short literally NOTHING happens?" Catherine asked, rolling her eyes.

"DON'T!" Wally roared before sighing. "Just… Don't."

"But yeah, despite having a stumble at the end, Dexter's Laboratory still remained strong." Catherine noted. "And as I said, it has seniority, back ta you guys!"

We now cut back to Drake, nodding his head. "Thanks, guys!"

"Now because he is a boy of science, he has a lot of gadgets, huh?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, for just his specials, he has a standard laser, a laser cutter, a heli-pack and even a teleportation device." Drake said.

Ashley nodded his head. "Saw it coming from a mile away, but he DOES seem like the type to stay in the background and fight from afar."

"Yeah, but don't think the kid is useless close up." Drake warned. "Dexter has actually been in a few brawls."

INCINEROAR

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON

BIG GUY ALERT!

Drake's eyes lit up at Incineroar's appearance and Ashley…

"...Even the fighters themselves are lampshading how ridiculous having the Pokemon so close to each is." Ashley said. "Did we jinx it?"

Drake's grin vanished as he glared at Ashley. "Wee-hoo. Wee-hoo."

The purple-haired man turned to Drake, confused. "What?"

"Oh, I am sorry. Is the fun police alarm too exciting for you?" Drake spat.

Ashley rolled his eyes. "Ugh, whatever. So what is the Top Cat homage?"

"Oh, don't you know? It is mandatory for wrestlers to have a flashy entrance for the fans!" Drake said with his grin returning.

"Uh-huh… And I take it that he is a grappler?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, and he could be the only one who could be considered a "true" grappler." Drake admitted. "Seriously, his Side Special is an Irish Whip."

"And on top of that, he is a fire-type Pokemon." Ashley mused.

"Um, yeah, but he focuses more on wrestling moves. Sure, some of his attacks have fiery attributes, but for the most part, he is pure power." Drake noted.

Ashley paused. "So he is ANOTHER Fire/Fighting type?"

"Um, no. He is a Fire-Dark." Drake said.

Ashley did a double-take at this. "Wait… What!?"

"I mean, he IS a HEEL wrestler." Drake said with a sheepish grin.

Ashley blinked twice before groaning and putting his face into his hands.

"...If it makes you feel any better, you have a bit of time to recover from this revelation." Drake offered.

Ashley looked up. "Oh, we are on the fifteenth fighter already?"

"Yeah, and we kinda spent a lot of time on Tiny's Mystery Fighter wish list so I think now is a good time to go back to the two-part!" Drake said before looking at the camera with a grin. "Sorry for leaving you in suspense, but I promise you that it would be worth the wait!"

Normally, this would be the part where we would cut off, but instead we are focusing on… a worried Wally and Catherine. They then shifted their eyes towards each other.

"...You remember the plan?" Catherine asked.

"Do Ah remember the plan?" Wally asked in disbelief. "It is all Ah think about."

LINK TO SECTION: archiveofourown / works / 25531129 / chapters / 82320346