LINK TO SECTION BELOW

We now cut back to Drake and Ashley still in their Christmas outfits and grinning brightly.

"Anddddd we are back!" Drake grinned.

"Just in time for…" Ashley started.

Then, a familiar alarm went off.

"...The next Mystery Fighter!" Ashley beamed.

"Now let's see what Santa Xero and his elf partner, Maurice, has for us!" Drake smirked.

Ashley paused. "...Isn't it Santa MAURICE and his elf partner, XERO, have for us due to their respective heights?"

Drake rolled his eyes before he looked like he was about to snark back. Until he paused as if he just realized that Ashley's comment was not too far-off.

"Umm… Let's focus on that later." Drake admitted. "For now, let's focus on the first Mystery Fighter!"

BOYD

NODE: THE RUMBLE FISH

Drake and Ashley both blinked twice.

"...I would like to point out when Xero and Maurice were recapping the second Battle of the Luminaries, when they got to Sketch Turner from Comix Zone, Xero asked "Where is Tiny finding these obscure fighters?" Drake asked.

"Oh, how the tables have turned." Ashley noted, still looking at Boyd in awe.

Then, Drake's phone started to ring. The vampire raised an eyebrow before answering it.

"Yello?" Drake asked.

"Okay, okay, okay, I admit that Maurice and I are reaching into really obscure bits to try to find Mystery Fighters." Xero admitted. "But hey, that is kinda the charm of the UVR-spinoffs. You could pick from whatever franchise you want."

"Hey, despite what we said, we never meant that in a bad way." Drake retorted.

"Indeed. We actually enjoy learning about new franchises!" Ashley added, grasping his hands together.

"Indeed, not only did Wally & Catherine make it look like fun, but so did Danglars & Tybalt." Xero noted. He then spoke in a sad tone. "I am just upset that Maurice and I didn't give the nodes and subnodes the proper love it deserved."

"Hey, hey, look on the bright side." Drake reassured before smirking. "You get to make up for lost time, right?"

"Um, yes, about that. When the third Battle of the Luminaries comes out, who will be covering it?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.

Xero paused. "...We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But for now, this isn't about us. This is about Boyd."

"Well said, man!" Drake smirked before looking off-screen. "Yo, guys! It's your turn!"

We now cut to Wally and Catherine, both nodding their heads.

"Aye, ya got it, mate! First off, Ah should warn ya that the Rumble Fish should not be confused with Rumble Fish, the S.E.. Hinton novel or the film directed by Francis Ford Coppola based on it." Wally started.

Catherine blinked twice. "...I am in awe that there are two franchises in the world that unironically called themselves "Rumble Fish"."

Wally chuckled nervously. "Anyway, THE Rumble Fish is a 2D fighting game developed by Dimps and published by Sega Sammy Holdings. It was originally released for the Atomiswave arcade platform and was later ported to the Playstation 2."

"In the 21st century, a large natural disaster tore through the Eastern side of an unverified country, destroying its economical and political operations and taking 158,000 lives" Catherine frowned. "A corporation called PROBE-NEXUS moved its base of operation to the ruined east side and began rebuilding the area."

"Now ya would think that hearing the word "corporation" that they would have a hidden agenda, but no. They did what they said they were going ta do. Rebuild the area and turn it into a wealthy and busy city called Zone Prime." Wally explained. "And while they DID hold an underground tournament, it is mostly fer sport."

"Could have fooled ME considering they called it the F.F.S. which stood for fight for survival." Catherine scoffed. "But yeah, the first Rumble Game is where they are having their FIFTH F.F.S."

"As for your gameplay, it is your standard 2D fighter, though it does have something to set itself apart from other fighting games mechanically." Wally said. "There are TWO meters. An offensive meter and a defensive meter which is exactly what it sounds like."

Catherine nodded her head. "The offensive meter plays out like your standard meter that fills up whenever you attack an opponent, regardless if they are blocking or not. You could use 1-bar supers, an attack that causes a definite knockdown and an unblockable attack that is perfect combos."

"The defensive is of course, the complete opposite as it fills up by BLOCKING enemy's attacks. With it, you could recover from attacks better, do a parry-like move and of course, do a defensive SUPER that is a great "get-off-me" tool." Catherine added.

"Oh, and what's better than using one meter? Using BOTH of them!" Wally grinned. "Ya could use a Boost Art to put the fight on a red, dynamic screen and give the character a trait that is unique to THEM. Also, there are Critical Arts that are basically the Limit Break or in Super Smash Bros terms, a Final Smash."

"So yeah, the game is obscure as hell, but it must have seen SOME love at the time." Catherine shrugged. "It did get a second game in the arcades and when the game was ported to consoles, two characters from the second game appeared in the first game as a promotion for the eventual console port of the second game. So it is worth something to SOMEONE. We will fill you in on Boyd. Back to you guys!"

The camera then went to Drake. "Thanks, guys!"

"Now even though he is obviously stronger than he looks, seeing that he is a fighting game character, I am getting warm vibes from this guy!" Ashley smiled. "I mean the man keeps a turtle in his hat and has him walk around the arena while he is fighting!"

"...That's. Kinda what he wants to think." Drake said with a stunned expression.

Ashley's smile vanished before turning to Drake. "...Huh?"

"Turns out that this guy is an assassin hired to enter the F.S.S. to assassinate the competition." The mayor frowned.

Ashley's eyes bugged out at this. "What!?"

"Apparently! Also, the game has a Parts Crush system that, while only for aesthetics, will destroy the opponent's clothes." Drake said. He then paused. "I wonder why Wally didn't bring that up."

"Oi…" Wally muttered from off-screen.

"And when they used a Parts Crush on HIM, he would close his glasses revealing his true form." Drake said. "Blood red eyes, wild hair and beard and vein-exposing muscles."

Ashley paused with wide eyes. "...Suddenly, it is all clear why Xero and Maurice invited this guy."

"Welp, you can't say that they exactly pick their choices out of a hat." Drake said, chuckling nervously. "Also, Boyd has his own gimmick. You know that finger gun thing he did to Captain Falcon just now?"

Ashley gulped nervously. "Y-Yes."

"If he hits an opponent with it, he automatically stocks up one and keeps stocking up." Drake said. "And if he uses his offensive super, it will be stronger depending on how many finger guns attacks he stocked."

"A-And his Boost Art? Wally said that everyone is different." Ashley said, even though it was clear he didn't want to know the answer.

"Well, it is kinda simple, but effective. He fires THREE finger gun shots instead of just one, giving him more chances to stock up." Drake said. "Yes, no matter how well he does, Boyd WILL make you remember him."

MARTIAN MANHUNTER

NODE: DC COMICS/MARTIAN MANHUNTER

"Heh. Speaking of obscure, I just realized how little I see Double M screentime outside of the Justice League cartoon." Drake mused.

"Yes, I don't get it either. Especially when you think that he is one of the strongest members of said JL." Ashley mused.

"And because of that, there may be some viewers who never even heard of him before seeing him on the roster." Drake said, sternly. "Wally, Catherine, it seems that you are going to be the Santas here!"

The camera then went to a nodding Wally. "Aight, mate! Leave it to us!"

"So yeah… So even though the Martian Manhunter is powerful and a member of most Justice League teams, it is clear that the writers have no idea what to do with him." Catherine said, rolling her eyes.

"Ta be fair, when ya think about it, he IS an instant-win button so they have ta pull out ass-pulls as ta why he can't use his powers and just ignore them altogether fer the sake of story." Wally frowned.

"It isn't JUST that!" Catherine scolded. "His past got retconned so many times, even by comic-book standards and so did his personality!"

Wally chuckled nervously. "A-Aye, so let's start with his origin story."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "The Martian Manhunter or J'onn J'onzz for short, didn't have his own comic book. Instead, he debuted in issue #225 of Detective Comics. He is an alien teleported to Earth by a freak lab accident. Ugh, sure, it more or less worked out in the end, but when are humans going to realize not to mess with nature? Granted, it is not Earth's nature, but the point still counts."

Wally nervously chuckled. "Well, good thing J'onn is such a bro. He was all like "Yelp, seeing that these earthlings can't defend fer themselves, Ah might as well take it upon myself to protect these blokes'' That is the ONE consistent thing about him."

"...I know that we are supposed to cover him, but from what I could gather, he only has two ongoing series. Two are short-lived." Catherine frowned. "John Ostrander's 1998 series which had 38 issues and two annuals and Rob Williams' 2015 which only got a pitiful TWELVE issues."

"Well… At least he got several mini-series and one-shots. He even had a crossover comic with MARVIN THE MARTIAN! Ya know, the one from LOONEY TUNES!" Wally pointed out. "So it is not like DC COMPLETELY forgot about him."

"Even still, would it kill them to stick to a theme?" Catherine asked. "Is he the last of his species or not? Is J'onn J'onzz his real name? Is his current form his REAL form? Did he really love Oreos or is it some blatant pandering after getting paid?"

Wally blinked twice. "Wait… What?"

"Hell if I know! I was just looking at one of his many incarnations and apparently he loves Oreos?" Catherine exclaimed, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Granted, the character is somehow even MORE drastically changed than before, but still!"

Wally blinked twice. "Umm… Right? Sorry, mates, this is as much as we could give. We COULD talk about how his powers change over the series, but that is YER gig sooo… Back ta ya?"

The camera went back to a nodding Ashley. "That is more than alright. It was still an interesting read."

"Okay, Wally is NOT exaggerating about J'onn being inconsistent, but there ARE powers that he mostly, if not always had." Drake pointed out. "Super-strength, super-endurance, super-speed, flight, shapeshifting, healing factor, invisibility, intangibility, psychic powers and eye beams."

Ashley's eyes bugged out at this. "Woah. But surely, even he has a consistent weakness, right?"

"Um, yeah. He has a fear of fire." Drake said.

"Oh dear…Being frail to fire is not a good trait to have in a tournament where most of the fighters could wield fire.." Ashley frowned.

"Um, no, I never said that he was WEAK to fire, I said that he is AFRAID of it." Drake corrected.

Ashley blinked twice. "...Huh?"

"Yeah, apparently he could take fire better than… Well, most other fighters." Drake noted.

"...Did something happen to him in his childhood?" Ashley asked.

"Hell if I know because apparently his species is notorious for being pyrophobic!" Drake shrugged.

"Oh dear… I just KNOW somebody will try to exploit that fear in some way or another." Ashley frowned.

CEREBELLA

NODE: SKULLGIRLS

"I know that I shouldn't question logic in Skullgirls, but I always question how Cerebelle is able to carry that literally-muscular hat on her HEAD." Ashley mused.

"To be fair, she is the only one who could wield said hat so it is not like strength plays into the equation." Drake noted. "Still I could see her not missing Arm Day just to work out the forearms."

Ashley frowned before looking at Drake. "Really…? Just really?"

"Oh, like Doug Walker was the first one to make that joke!" The mayor scolded.

"That is NOT the iss…" Ashley roared before letting out a deep sigh. "Let's just get into Cerebella's fighting style."

Drake rolled his eyes. "So her hat is called Vice-Versa. While it is not the only living weapon in Skullgirls, it is arguably one of the most versatile!"

"Agreed! It could shapeshift its size, using muscular arms to fight and he is quite flexible. Which fits well with Cerebella because she is a circus performer herself!" Ashley added.

"Also, she is the grappler of the game." Drake said before realizing what he said. "Umm… The grappler of the ORIGINAL game. You know before Beowulf was revealed."

"Indeed. And not unlike other grapplers, while she is no speedster, she is not a slowpoke either." Ashley said. "Combined that with her powerful punches, multitude of grabs and long-range, she is another potential threat!"

SACKBOY

NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE/LITTLEBIGPLANET

Ashley smiled. "He is very endearing."

"Yeah, despite having such a basic design, there is something charming about it." Drake noted.

"And to think, it is only the DEFAULT avatar!"

Drake and Ashley turned their heads towards Wally and Catherine.

"Huh? Default?" Wally asked.

"Of course, Wally. Just like Steve from Minecraft, just because the default design is iconic, that doesn't mean it is the default one." Catherine scolded. "I mean, there is no one stopping you, but that kinda goes against everything LittleBigPlanet stands for."

"Aye, that is true." The boxer nodded. "LittleBigPlanet is a video game series created by Media Molecule. It is basically if you combine Super Mario Maker and Yoshi's Woolly World on a Playstation format."

"Well, that isn't 100% untrue, I think that it is an insult to it. LittleBigPlanet…" Catherine said before raising an eyebrow. "I am talking about the titular planet, not the game. But yeah, it is a creative construct made out of dreams and imagination. Fueled by the creativity of people on Earth. Already this is blessed."

"I know, right? This is a platformer, but while ya COULD go around playing levels, ya could also create levels and have other people around the world play them." Wally explained. "Players can play as Sackboy."

"SackPERSON, Wally. They are Sackgirls too. But yeah, I know I already said this, but you could customise your Sackperson anyway you want. Whether in different fabrics or costumes." Catherine explained.

"The first game was praised by critics, but that did little fer the sales. Granted, that isn't the case NOW, but at the time, it wasn't looking too hot." Wally frowned. "Apparently, it was the timing of the game release or something."

"But despite this, we got a spin-off called "Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves" on the Playstation Portable which featured the same gameplay and features, but different levels." Catherine said. "It wasn't until much later till we got a proper console sequel which is basically more than the same, but much more polished. Also… There was a racing game?"

"Don't sound too surprised. Black Mage Maverick has shown that there are a lot of mascot and licensed racers in the genre." Wally pointed out. "We also got a new LittleBigPlanet game in 2014, giving us more levels AND more Sackpeople ta work with. It also got an Endless Running Game and… Aye, we should be getting a new spinoff called Sackboy: A Big Adventure."

"I was announced LAST year so even now, the series is going strong. Not surprising. Even without the added boost from appearing in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, the concept is not only charming, but so is the story." Catherine smiled. "Yes, there is a story in LittleBigPlanet, but it is more to warm-up for online levels."

"So aye, even after all of this time, LittleBigPlanet is still doing good fer itself." Wally said with a small smile. "Back ta ya, guys."

The camera went back to a grinning Drake. "Man, you guys are on the ball today!"

Ashley frowned. "Um, how are we going to cover Sackboy's fighting capabilities?"

Drake turned to his friend with a confused look. "Huh?"

"I mean sure we can go from his PSASBR moveset alone, but doing that would go against everything LittleBigPlanet stands for." Ashley frowned.

"Yeah, I don't think Orange-Ratchet wouldn't want to take advantage of a character that could summon nearly ANYTHING out of thin air." Drake mused. He then brightened up. "But that's not a bad thing, right? Sometimes it is nice to have a fighter with an unpredictable fighting style."

"I mean… There isn't anything WRONG about it. I just don't want to sit still and not say anything worthwhile." Ashley frowned.

"I mean he DOES have his gadgets. Gauntlets that allow him to suplex even the heaviest of people, a grappling look and a bounce pad that he normally uses, but also a counter-shield." Drake mused.

Ashley blinked twice. "Um, a bounce-pad as a COUNTER-SHIELD?"

Drake smirked as he tapped his finger against his head. "Creativity, Ashley."

VILGAX

NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION/BEN 10

BIG GUY ALERT!

Ashley winced at Vilgax. "Goodness, hate to face HIM in a dark alley."

"Oh, I would definitely recommend against it." Drake frowned. "Vilgax is a sadistic, violent and ambitious galactic conqueror."

"Oh? How are his… Worse feats?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know." Drake said before missing a beat.

Ashley blinked twice. "...Huh?"

"I won't deny that I watched a few episodes of Ben 10 throughout the series and while I DO know the basics, I don't know anything more than that." Drake admitted. "But that is why Wally and Catherine are here."

We now cut to Catherine blinking twice. "Is it me or are we getting a lot of screentime this late in the tournament?"

"It is not ya, but who's complaining?" Wally smirked before looking at the camera. "Ben 10 is a cartoon series created in 2005 by a group called Man of Action, which consisted of Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly and Steven T. Seagle. Okay, first off, that is a kickass name!"

"I suppose there IS something admirable in being shameless in your toxic masculinity." Catherine muttered before shaking her head while Wally's smirk vanished. "Anyway, the story is about a ten-year-old boy called Ben Tennyson ,who on the first night of his summer road trip with his grandfather, Max and his cousin, Gwen, found an alien watch-like device called the Omnitrix."

"That thing is sick! It allows the user to transform into various monsters, each with their own set of skills!" Wally grinned. "With it, Ben fights evil threats with the Omnitrix while acting like your typical ten-year-old mischievous kid. However, he soon learns that getting the Omnitrix is not a coincidence and his family is more involved with aliens than he initially thought."

"Ben 10… Period, focuses on said cross-country trip. There, various staples have been set up. Like the Plumbers, which is one of the worst names you could give what is essentially the Space Police, the various alien species." Catherine explained. "Also, Gwen becomes a Western magical girl along the way."

"Bet ya wasn't expecting THAT in yer cartoon about aliens!" Wally smirked. "But yeah, the cartoon did alright for itself, getting 4 seasons, 52 episodes and a TV movie. Ironically, one of, if not THE only Ben 10 things that Man of Action DIDN'T actually own."

"And like most well-received action shows, it got a sequel. A dark and edgy sequel where Ben and Gwen are now teenagers." Catherine explained.

Wally blinked twice. "Doesn't that go against the theme of a TEN-year-old hero?"

"They probably thought they could Ash Ketchum that crap in the original cartoon, but alongside the way, they said, "Hm, no. Let's actually have our characters grow"." Catherine said before shrugging. "And it is not like it wouldn't contradict with the title as he is called Ben TENNYSON."

Wally shook his head. "Anyway, the sequel called "Alien Force" takes place five years after the original cartoon. Ben was actually living a normal teenager life. However, evil never stays dormant for now and Ben now wears his Omnitrix with the help of his cousin, Gwen and his former enemy, Kevin Levin."

"Oh, we didn't mention it? One of Ben's enemies was an eleven-year-old kid called Kevin who had the power to absorb energy, but after accidentally absorbing some of the Omnitrix's power, he became a grotesque amalgam of Ben's alien forms." Catherine explained. She then rolled her eyes. "And somehow he blames BEN for that. I mean, really?"

"Thankfully, he got better." Wally said. "But aye, along with the matching art style to fit the scene, the show has gotten three seasons, 46 episodes and even had Dwayne McDuffie from the Justice League cartoon as the supervising producer."

"It has gotten ANOTHER sequel in the form of Ultimate Alien. Basically, Ben has gotten a new Omnitrix called the Ultimatrix which allows him to transform into "Ultimate" versions of his original alien forms." Catherine said before rolling her eyes. "Sure, why not go into crazy power levels?"

"Ta be fair, usually Ben kept his identity a secret from the public and in this series, he actually got exposed. So now we have interesting things to think about." Wally noted. "It lasted 46 episodes, three seasons and even had a crossover with Generator Rex."

Catherine blinked twice. "What…?"

"...Maybe we will get a chance to talk about that show when we get the chance. But yeah, Ben 10 has its haters here and there, but yeah, the series has been good in MY opinion." Wally smiled. He then breathed in while pinching the bridge of snout. "Then, Omniverse."

"Basically, the plot of Omniverse is that aliens have been officially revealed to the world and Ben is now officially part of the Plumbers. Good, right?" Catherine asked. "Except the writer decided to go back to the original cartoon and make it more wackier and not in a good way! Seriously, Ben acts like he is ten again! They actually chickened out and went Ash Ketchum on him!"

"Ah. Ah love my comedy, but having the next sequel be that seems like it goes against the previous two seasons. Ah mean it is not Teen Titans Go bad, but still…" Wally winced.

"And get this, the cartoon lasted EIGHTY episodes. The freaking comedy sequel has gotten more love than the previous series!" Catherine exclaimed.

"...Ah mean. Rook is pretty cool." Wally said.

Catherine just let out a sigh. "Yeah… Too bad he debuted in this show. But where do you go with this series when you go this way?"

"Why ya reboot it, of course! That's right, Ben 10 has gotten itself a reboot of the original cartoon!" Wally grinned. "While it is back-to-basics and it is STILL kinda wacky, they at least put in characters from later versions so they weren't JUST focusing on the original character."

"Eh… So yeah, Ben 10 has gotten a lot of ups and downs. But even now, I am still stunned that Ben got TWO forms in CN: PTE." Catherine said.

"Ah don't get it either, but at least they play differently." Wally shrugged. "Back ta ya, guys."

The camera went back to a confused Drake. "Yeah… I don't think they included teenaged and kid Ben 10s either."

"Let's… Go over that when we eventually get to Ben himself." Ashley offered. "For now, let's focus on Vilgax."

"Right… So anyway, despite being the main villain of a sci-fi based cartoon and having his own blaster, Vilgax is actually more of a swordsman." Drake explained.

"Huh. And not even a lightsaber-like blade?" Ashley asked.

"Nope. Not that he needed a laser, anyway, he could just shoot out beams from his eyes." Drake added, pointing his own eyes.

"Oh, in THAT case, fair enough." Ashley nodded.

"He has a lot of range and power in his sword and while his projectile isn't the best, he could use a shield if he is up against a zoner." Drake added. "His biggest weakness is that he is quite slow."

"Ah. Classic villain." Ashley noted.

"Yeah, even though I am not into Ben 10, I think out of all villains, Vilgax earned his place in CN: PTE." Drake said, sternly.

PETER PAN & TINKER BELL

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/PETER PAN

Drake blinked twice. "Um, I am not opposed to it, but they are acting like a duo fighter?"

"While Peter Pan and Tinker Bell were separate… Lack of better word fighters in the original Kingdom Hearts, they showed up in II as a duo." Ashley explained.

"Oh, in that case, fair enough. I WAS going to say what Tinker Bell would do on her own." Drake said before letting out a dark chuckle. "But then Xero more or less demonstrated that she could fight on her own."

Ashley laughed at this. "Fair enough. Now upon Wally and Catherine!"

The camera then went to a… Grumpy Catherine, crossing her arms. "...You really want me to open this can of worms, guys?"

"Um, yeah?" Drake asked, though it was evident that he was NOT liking where this was from going.

Catherine let out a deep sigh. "Alright, alright, let's start with the basics. Wally, could you start us off?"

The kangaroo frowned before taking a deep gulp. "Um, okay, Peter Pan is the fourteenth entry in the Disney Animated Canon and the last one distributed by RKO studios. It is based on the 1904 stage play… Though one could argue that it is based on the 1911 book adaptation."

Catherine nodded her head. "I'll take it from here. The story is about the Darling children. Yes, that is kinda an on-the-nose name, but whatever. Anyway, the three children, Wendy, John and Michael who are living their normal lives in London. Then, one night, they were visited by their childhood idol, Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up."

She then took a deep breath.

"Turns out that he has been… Keeping an eye on the Darling children for a while now and I only waited until that night to make his move to enter their bedroom." Catherine said. "Turns out Wendy has been telling her younger brothers stories about him and he decided that he would be a great mother for his gang the Lost Boys. ...Shall I go or do you need more?"

Wally frowned. "Cat, that was the original story!"

"So? That doesn't make it any less creepy in the Disney version! He just takes the kids to Neverland and expects them to live there forever, abandoning their family!" Catherine scolded.

"Ta be fair, they were thinking of putting Wendy up for adoption due to their financial issues." Wally frowned. "And it is not like Peter Pan stopped the Darling children from wanting to return!"

"AFTER treating them like crap! He just laughed when the mermaids tried to DROWN her! And they were not subtle about it either!" Catherine scolded. "I mean, you get what you came for from a boy that never grows up!"

"Anywayyyyy, just like most Disney films, it has gotten a sequel and unlike the original, while the protagonist, Wendy's daughter, Jane was kidnapped. It was by CAPTAIN HOOK, you know, the BAD GUY, not Peter Pan." Wally added. "Basically, Jane's issue is that she is growing up TOO fast."

"I… Just think the guy is a little shit. Sure, he has some heroic traits, but he is immature, stubborn and downright an ass." Catherine said. "Like let's face it, Disney heroes aren't all paragons, but at least I could empathise with them. Peter Pan… Has Peter Pan Syndrome. Which is treated as a serious thing in the real world."

"...Said the woman who has a large stuffed animal collection." Wally muttered.

"THAT'S different!" Catherine roared.

Wally shook his head. "Ah think we better end this before we piss off Drake."

"Hey, I actually had no problem continuing with the research, but YOU spent most of it trying to defend Peter Pan!" Catherine scoffed. "But whatever, if that is how you want to act, I could see why you are willing to go to bat for him!"

The camera then went back to an annoyed Drake. "...And you guys were on a roll."

"Well, not all segments could be considered home-runs." Ashley sighed, shaking his head.

Drake rolled his eyes. "So anyway, even someone who didn't grow up reading Peter Pan, could tell from a single glance that he is a Fragile Speedster. He could fly, and spends a good chunk of his time doing acrobatic flips and fights with a dagger, which is built for speed, not power."

Ashley nodded his head. "Also, in the first Kingdom Hearts game, he has aeromancy, but only in the form of defense, summoning a barrier of wind around him and could forced people to stop allowing him to do

Drake blinked twice. "Since when is Peter Pan a chronomancer?"

Ashley merely shrugged. "Maybe it has to do with Big Ben being an iconic scene in the movie. As for Tinker Bell, combat-wise, she is more support, but what a support she is."

"Yeah, even I know that when Sora summons her into battle, she could use her magic to create a permanent Regen spell around him for the rest of the battle." Drake said. "The only time she leaves is if Sora gets KO'D where she will automatically revive him, but she will leave the battle indefinitely."

"I am not surprised that you already knew that." Ashley mused. "I remembered how frustrated you got trying to keep Maleficent's dragon form and Kurt Riza."

"DON'T." Drake said before breathing in and out. "Just don't."

Ashley chuckled nervously. "On onto their appearance in II, their summon is mostly like we described. Sora & Peter Pan will fly together and attack each other while Tinker Bell slowly heals and auto-revives Sora when he is knocked out. However, they DO have a Magnet spell so there IS that."

"Between Peter Pan's speed in his movement AND speed while Tinker Bell's healing will make up for the former's frailty, they should be annoying to deal with." Drake mused.

"Welp, I'll give him this." Catherine muttered from off-screen. "He is consistent."

Drake and Ashley (and Wally) all groaned.

Then, the Mystery Fighter alarm went off.

"Ooh, it is the next Mystery Fighter!" Drake said.

"Let's hope THIS one isn't as controversial as the last fighter." Ashley muttered.

EARTHWORM JIM

NODE: EARTHWORM JIM

Drake's eyes lit up. "Groovy!"

"Even I am excited to see him in the arena!" Ashley smiled. "He is a classic video game character!"

"Anddddd depending on who you ask, a classic CARTOON character." Drake said. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, guys!"

The camera then went back to a grinning Wally. "Leave it ta us, mates! Now Earthworm Jim is a 2D platformer from Shiny Entertainment, formed when Playmates Toys approached Virgin Software alumnus, aye, Ah know, unfortunate name, Dave Perry, who also worked on Cool Spot and the Virgin Games version of Disney's Aladdin."

"Basically, they want Dave to create an iconic and marketable video game franchise, going off the success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! The plot…" Catherine said before taking a deep breath. "The plot is about an alien suit crash-landing onto Earth and speaking of Earth, an earthworm has curiously crawled into it and got mutated into the titular hero, Earthworm Jim."

"He takes it upon himself ta rescue the beautiful Princess What's-Her-Name from the Evil Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-Filled, Mal-formed Slug Fer A Butt." Wally explained. "But while doing that, he has to go through the literal dumps, hell itself and towards the lair of the Mad Scientist and inventor of Jim's suit, Professor Monkey-Fer-A-Head. All while avoiding the alien crow mercenary Psy-Crow ta get back Jim's suit."

"...Yeah, it is one of THOSE games." Catherine said with a blank face. "The gameplay is relatively simple. Earthworm Jim has two attacks, he could either use his ray gun for long-range shots with little ammo or use...Himself as whip for a close-range cost-friendly attack."

"While most of the levels play like your standard platformer, there are actually various gameplay shifts. Like riding around in a submarine, doing an escort mission against a puppy that could literally hulk out when hurt or angry, racing against Psy-Crow in outer space and bungee-jumping into a booger-filled volcano against another boogey-like creature." Wally said in disgust.

"As you could expect, a game so… Wacky was an instant hit and as you could expect, it got its own game where Earthworm Jim has to save Princess What-Her-Face from a shotgun wedding with Psy-Crow." Catherine said before pausing. "...If the joke isn't that she is a blatant shot of how early video game women are undeveloped, I would be more missed."

Wally chuckled, nervously. "Earthworm Jim, like most video game mascots, has gotten his own 3D platformer where the plot literally takes place in the titular hero's mind when he took one too many falling cows ta the end. And aye, cows are a huge thing in this series."

"He also appeared in a Game Boy Color game called Menace 2 The Galaxy and even ended up as a Guest character for Clayfighter 63 ⅓ and Sculpture's Cut and…" Catherine said before gasping. "A guest fighter in Battle Arena Toshinden on the PC version as a secret character."

"And of course, we can't forget the cartoon as it is one of the very few video game cartoons around that time that was… Good." Wally noted.

"...Granted, I chalk it up more to that Earthworm Jim doesn't really have any… Boundaries so the creators were free to do what they want." Catherine added. She then brightened up. "But hey, even I can't complain too much with the results. Especially when we have Peter Puppy as the adorable sidekick and Princess What's-Her-Name may be a princess, but she acts like a queen in that series!"

"Despite all of the love Earthworm Jim got. Especially when you compare him to Battletoads, the Cheetahmen and Bubsy…" Wally started.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Raising an eyebrow, he took out his phone and pulled it out putting it to his ear.

"Ello?" Wally answered.

"WE DON'T TALK ABOUT BUBSY!" A familiar angry voice yelled.

Wally winced before Xero quickly hung up. Catherine blinked twice as Wally wrung his finger in his ear.

"...In hindsight, Ah should have seen that coming considering how he acted in the Battle of the Luminaries." Wally muttered.

Catherine chuckled nervously. "But yeah, it is not like Earthworm Jim didn't TRIED to revive itself. It tried to have a remake of the original game on the Playstation Portable, but was cancelled. It DID get a HD remake on the Playstation Network in 2010, but for some reason it got delisted in 2018. In 2017, there were rumors for a fourth game, cartoon AND motion picture, but those turned out to be fair."

"It seems that Earthworm Jim is doomed to obscurity. UNTIL… A second cartoon was announced in late 2021!" Wally grinned. "Sure, it is not a game, but it is still giving love ta the original cartoon and giving Earthworm Jim his time in the spotlight again!"

"In other words, the stars have been aligned for him." Catherine smiled. "He isn't here as an obscure pick, but a celebration of his name back into the limelight. Does that make up for my Peter Pan rant?

The camera then went back to a clapping Drake. "Oh, did it ever! Thanks, Cat!"

"I have to ask. Did Earthworm Jim get picked BECAUSE of his new cartoon and it was just luck?" Ashley asked.

"I won't be surprised if it was either way. Or that Xero always had Earthworm Jim on his Mystery Fighter list, but made him go earlier because of the announcement." Drake admitted before holding his tablet. "Eh. Doesn't matter."

"...I guess if your theory is correct, there isn't anything WRONG with that." Ashley said. "So what are you looking at?"

"Earthworm Jim's appearance in Battle Arena Toshinden and Clayfighter, seeing as wacky as the series is, what you see with him with his whip and laser is what you get." Drake explained. "Not much to say about Battle Arena Toshinden, seeing that he is a moveset clone of Rungo, using Snott, his goo friend, as a club."

Ashley blinked twice. "Um, okay, and Clayfighter?"

"Well, he more or less plays like a Shotoclone with a Shoruyken and of course, using his blaster as a projectile." Drake explained. "However, his "Hurricane Kick" is just him charging forward while inflating his suit while charging forward."

"Well, I guess even the wacky fighting games need a Shotoclone." Ashley shrugged.

"Also, he could summon a cow to drop on an opponent's head as a finisher." Drake said.

Ashley blinked twice. "...It is a good thing Wally more or less warned us that cows are a central thing or else I would be more confused."

Drake chuckled. "But yeah, Earthworm Jim has it all. Cult-classic fans, fighting game experience and a new cartoon coming out. And you could bet that he wants to show the world what they will be getting into!"

MINT AIZAWA

NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW

"And here we have the second Mew Mew to enter the ring." Drake said.

"...I know that the appeal of the UVR-spinoffs is that a ragtag team of misfits band together to stop an evil plot, but did Mint, or the others for that matter, not question the absence of Ichigo, Retasu and Pudding?" Ashley asked.

"...I am going to be blunt, Ashley." Drake said, flatly. "If nobody questioned why King never realized that her brother was kidnapped in the first Megamix Tournament or how the cast of My Little Pony: FRIENDSHIP is Magic didn't notice that Spike was gone for most of the night, why start not?"

The androgynous man let out a deep sigh. "Should have known."

"Just tell everyone what animal Mint is representing." Drake scolded. "No, really, at first, I thought she was based on a swan because of her Ojou personality and graceful ballet-like appearance, but I saw blue feathers in her transformation instead of white."

"Yes, that's because she is based on the Blue Lorikeet." Ashley explained, reading the tablet. "It is found in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands."

"Heh. Never thought I would hear from the Cook Islands outside of Survivor." Drake mused.

"Hey. But real talk though, it is a pretty bird. I think it is perfect for Mint." Ashley noted.

"And so is her weapon, the MinTone Arrow, a Cupid's Bow that shoots out wind-based arches." Drake explained. "She is also the long-range specialist of the team. And those wings on her back aren't for show, she could fly with thm."

"I mean, THAT makes sense. Why be based on a bird if you can't fly?" Ashley asked.

Drake nodded his head. "Mint may be your classic snobby girl, but that doesn't make her any less competent of a fighter."

ABIGAIL

NODE: STREET FIGHTER V/FINAL FIGHT

BIG GUY ALERT!

Drake immediately scrunched his face in disgust while Ashley scratched the back of his head.

"Um, maybe it is my lack of experience with Final Fight, but I never knew this guy was from that game until just now." Ashley said, scratching the back of his head.

"That's because he is the second-to-last boss." Drake answered.

"Oh, so he is the Dragon to Belger's Big Bad?" Ashley mused.

"Um, no. Sure, he is the penultimate boss, but there is NOTHING saying that Abigail is Belger's second-in-command." Drake said. "And frankly, Street Fighter V has confirmed that's the case."

Ashley frowned. "Um, what do you mean?"

"The dude's a total meathead! I mean, admittedly I rooted for guys who are meatheads, but this guy takes it to a whole nother level!" Drake said. "He has spent his entire story mode running away, crying like a child trying to look for his monster truck and pissing off various fighters. In the end, it turns out that he loaned his truck to his crew and then forgot and he acted like THEY stole it and beat them up!"

"Wow… That is just…" Ashley said in awe.

"And you know what? If they wanted to have a meathead comic relief, that's fine!" Drake said. "But Hugo is RIGHT there! AND even before his appearance in III, the Andore family is much more iconic than Abigail. And that is not getting into the characters that people would want to see more: Rolento, Sodom, Mike fucking Hagger!"

Ashley paused. "Wow… You… Really feel passionate about this."

"It's not just me. Watch Abigail's reveal trailer on the Street Fighter official Youtube site and see that there are MORE dislikes than likes!" Drake scolded.

Ashley frowned. "...So he is a poor fighter."

Drake let out a sigh of defeat. "No, I would be biased if I said he was. In terms of raw strength, he is one of, if not THE strongest in Street Fighter as Ryu said in his win quote against him."

"Not surprising seeing that he dwarfs over everyone else. Even Zangief." Ashley pointed out.

"Also, he could be surprisingly technical. He could use his endurance to counter attacks depending on if he is standing or crouching in one V-Skill." Drake explained. "Also, he could summon a tire in a second V-Skill."

Ashley blinked twice. "What…?"

"Oh yeah, he is obsessed with cars." Drake noted. "So while clearly slow, he hits hard and has a big reach, but he has to play it smart to make the best of his power."

Ashley blinked twice. "Wow… Never expected HIM to be the technical type."

"Me neither. I have no problems with his gameplay-wise, but… If people were asking for Final Fight characters that DIDN'T appeared in Street Fighter already, they would have asked for Dean, Belger or at the time, Lucia." Drake lamented.

RAJAN

NODE: SLY COOPER

Ashley blinked twice. "The Sly Cooper Rogue Gallery has TWO tigers?"

"El Jefe is a SIBERIAN tiger!" Catherine shouted from off-screen. "Rajan is an BENGAL tiger! My god, Ashley, do you think every Chinese or Korean is Japanese!?"

Ashley paused. "...I refuse to acknowledge that statement with a response."

Drake rolled his eyes "Anyway, Rajan may seem like your prissy aristocrat and to some extent, he is, but he is tougher than he looks."

"Not surprisingly considering that he is a tiger." Ashley mused.

"Yeah, he is a skilled staff-fighter, even without using the powers of the Clockwork Heart." Drake explained. "Also, he could take a beating. No, really, his opponent was THE MURRAY and even had a long time whittling down his health bar."

Ashley jumped at this. "What? Even he had trouble with him!"

"Yeah, and that is not getting into the fact that he could electrify his staff." Drake noted.

Ashley blinked twice. "Wait, he is an electromancer too? What is it with Sly Cooper and electric tigers?"

"What is it with you and nitpicking every single thing!?" Catherine shouted from off-screen.

"Welcome. To. My. World." Drake muttered.

Ashley just rolled his eyes.

IKE

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/FIRE EMBLEM TELLIUS

"...Even to this day, I am still in awe to see a Fire Emblem lord with meat on their bones." Drake said in awe.

Ashley rolled his eyes. "I probably shouldn't say this, but Ike didn't start out that way. He grew into it."

"You know what? That's fair." Drake nodded. "I'll take what I got."

"...I pray you never find out about Hector." Ashley muttered, slapping his head. "Wally, Catherine, it is your turn again. And don't worry, I promise that this is the final Fire Emblem character."

The camera went to Catherine shrugging her shoulders. "Eh. At least it is a Fire Emblem game that people talk about outside of Super Smash Bros."

"Oi…" Wally muttered. "Now you see the sub-node is represented as Fire Emblem Tellius. There is a reason behind that. Unlike most games in the franchise, one of the games got a sequel. We shall talk about the first game… Well, first."

Catherine nodded her head. "The first game, Path of Radiance, is the ninth game in the series released on the Nintendo Gamecube as part of its fifteenth anniversary. It is the first game since Thracia 776 to get a home console release, the first game in the series to feature voice acting and the first console game to get an international release."

"The game stars not a member of royalty or even nobility, but a mercenary called Ike, part of a group called the Greil Mercenaries, named after Ike's father." Catherine said before rolling her eyes. "Wow. Narcissistic, much?"

"Things seemed pretty normal. Until they were assigned to help Princess Elincia in reclaiming her kingdom of Crimea from the aggressive nation of Daein." Wally said. "However, being a Fire Emblem game, things escalate real fast."

"Also, Greil dies… Apparently, this was played up as some big thing, but really, anyone with a brain could see that coming." Catherine muttered.

Wally glared at Catherine. "Anywayyyyy, Path of Radiance is praised for its complex plot, along with bringing up weapon triangles and the Skill system that was absent from the earlier games at the time. It also brings in things like a base menu and Bonus Experience that you could use to level up your weaker units or beef up your stronger ones."

"Also, it brings in the Laguz! An animal-like race that could transform into different animals!" Catherine added. She then scowled. "However, they are discriminated against and a major part of the story is to focus on the prejudice against them. Like, not Tales of Rebirth-heavy, but still prominent."

"Ooh, nice reference." Wally complimented with a smirk. "But we got the sequel: Radiant Dawn on the Wii with the story taking place three years after the first game. The game is actually divided into four arcs."

"The first arc features Micaiah, the leader of the Dawn Brigade, who is trying to free the country of Daein. You know, the antagonist country in the last game. The second arc features Elincia, now queen, dealing with rebellious nobles." Catherine explained. "The THIRD arc features Ike and the Greil Mercenaries aiding the Laguz kingdoms."

"The final arc involves all three parties coming together. So yeah, the story is even more complex than the last arc." Wally said. "It also introduces Dark Magic, terrain heights actually affecting battle, third-tier character classes, oh, and despite appearing on the Wii, there are no motion controls!"

Catherine giggled. "Well, that is it. The Final Fire Emblem game we are doing and honestly, it is one of my favourites so I am glad we are ending it on a high-note!"

The camera then went back to a smiling Ashley. "Thanks, guys!"

"Now as you could see from his biceps and large sword, Ike hits hard, but slow." Drake explained. "However, he has several moves to make up for it."

"Like?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, his Quick Draw that could draw the distance between him and his opponent and a Counter move." Drake added. "Also, he could charge up his sword to release a powerful burst of blue fire."

Ashley nodded his head. "That makes sense. When his sword, Ragnell, was powered up, it could emit blue flames."

"Also, he has the best neutral air in the game." Drake said.

Ashley paused. "...What?"

Drake chuckled. "Don't worry, you may or may not see it in action."

ROUGE THE BAT

NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

"And here we have the "sexy girl" of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise!" Drake grinned.

Ashley blinked twice. "Um, how old is she?"

"Don't worry, she's eighteen!" Drake reassured.

"Wait, then how old is Knuckles?" Ashley asked.

Drake's smile vanished. "Umm… 16."

"So Rouge is hitting on teenagers two years older than her?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um… Um…" Drake said before brightening up. "So what about their fighting capabilities?"

Ashley just rolled his eyes. "...Fine. What does she have?"

"Well, she is a "Flight" character obviously by her wings and she is a Kick Chick." Drake said. "No, really, not like Knuckles and his… Knuckles, Rouge uses her legs to drill into the ground when she wants to go treasure-hunting."

"Oh, wow. So despite looking glamorous, she isn't able to get her hands… Or in this case, feet dirty." Ashley noted.

"Yes. She is a jewel thief and a government agent." Drake smirked. "So she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve like bombs."

Ashley paused. "...So she is protecting her country, but also stealing from it?"

Drake's smirk vanished. "...You're a buzzkill, you know that, Ashley?"

TUNG FU RUE

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/FATAL FURY

"Oh, he is an existing Fatal Fury character?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, and seeing you just find out now kinda stings, but not really surprising." Drake frowned.

"Why? Is he that important?" Ashley asked.

"Well, in KoF, not really. He only showed up in XI as a bonus character so XIV was his very first KoF appearance." Drake admitted.

"Okay, so what is his role in Fatal Fury?" Ashley asked.

"He is the martial arts teacher of THE BOGARDS AND GEESE HOWARD!" Drake explained.

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

"Heh. Bet you didn't see that coming, did ya?" Drake smirked, crossing his arms.

"...Okay, you already convinced me." Ashley said. "So what are his feats?"

"Well, at first, what you see is what you get. A short, old man who is extremely skilled at kung-fu." Drake explained. "However, he is a master of Ki and could use it to create an aura in the form of a ripped version of him."

Ashley's eyes bugged out at this. "Huh?"

"Yeah and in the original games, he didn't need any aura. He could hulk out at will!" Drake grinned. "He is the Master Roshi of Fatal Fury!"

"Wow… This guy… Maybe a major threat." Ashley said in awe.

"Oh, he is. There must be a good reason why he is the one to be Shun'Ei's teacher." Drake said.

RUNGO IRON

NODE: BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN

Drake and Ashley both blinked twice.

"...Okay, if he and Earthworm Jim don't interact with each other at least once, I will be saddened by that missed opportunity." Drake said.

Ashley sighed before shaking his head. "So we have another Mighty Glacier."

"Pretty much. What you see is what you get with this guy." Drake explained. "However, he DOES have some form of pyromancy, slamming his club on the ground and creating a burst of fire."

"Wow…" Ashley said before gulping nervously. "Another guy I hate to meet in a dark alley."

"Well, if you did and saw you, he would probably… Ask you if you are alright." Drake smirked.

"...Huh?" Ashley asked.

"Despite looking like a brute, Rungo is a humble family man who only entered the first tournament to save his wife and child." Drake explained. "He would rather be using his strength for mining."

"Oh, wow." Ashley said. "This tournament has a way of surprising me."

SORA

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS

Drake and Ashley both smiled at this.

"A little late, but yeah, I think that this is the perfect section to show up in." Drake said.

"Agreed. Because of the whole Disney thing, I automatically shot down any and all chances of him appearing in Super Smash Bros." Ashley noted. "But here he is: The final Smash fighter."

"Yeah, Disney… Is known for being stingy so having Sora as the last one is the perfect way to end Ultimate." Drake smiled.

"And he will make up for the original Kingdom Hearts' lack of eliminations thus far." Ashley noted.

"No doubt. So what do we do now?" Drake asked.

"Hm?" Ashley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How do we cover his combat capabilities?" Drake added. "Remember, Sora has a lot of shared moves with his fellow Keyblade-wielders."

"That's… Not true. Granted, some of his moves in Super Smash Bros work differently." Ashley said. "Like his Thunder spell is more spaotic in the games while they go straight in front of him and while he could use his Sonic Blade to aerial attack people, he can't use it to "fly"."

"Speaking of fly, I am surprised that he is lighter than ISABELLE." Drake added.

Ashley paused before narrowing his eyes. "Now who is the one getting off-track?"

"Sorry, sorry, I just… Wanna mention that at least once!" Drake said, scratching the back of his head.

Ashley shook his head. "Regardless, that is everyone."

"Now Sulley, Vilgax and Abigail are Big Guys while Gutsman is the Really Big Guy of this section so twenty people will be eliminated." Drake explained. "Also, the top slot fighter will get THREE eliminations."

"Also, the Side Battle this time is a non-story one." Ashley explained. "Wreck-it Ralph from Kingdom Hearts and Emmett Graves from PSASBR versus Chun-Li from Street Fighter V and Shun'Ei from King of Fighters XIV."

"Stay tuned and Merry…" Drake started.

"Um, guys?"

Drake and Ashley turned to see a familiar crystal ball floating into the scene.

"Um, yes, Cacey, what is it?" Drake asked.

"Tiny wishes to ask you for a favour."

Drake and Ashley both blinked twice at this.

LINK TO SECTION: archiveofourown / works / 25531129 / chapters / 87910831