LINK TO SECTION BELOW
We now return to Stinky and Allison, looking just as excited as ever.
"Andddddd we are back!" Stinky grinned.
"And just in time to explain Garnet's decision to choose Big Guy Blocker. However, things aren't like they seem." Allison noted.
"Basically, there are twenty-eight official fighters left with two Mystery Fighters." Stinky frowned. "By itself, it won't be enough for TWO sections and this section will be the final one."
"However, Xero actually thought ahead and created a system. By merging the Big Guy Blocker with the Mystery Reserver Fighter twist, rearranging a few fights and adding THREE Reserve Mystery Fighters, we managed to have a system where all fighters get to fight." Allison smiled.
"...Well, except for one, apparently." Stinky muttered.
Allison chuckled nervously. "So yes. We will be having one official Mystery Fighter, three Reserve Mystery Fighters and the fighters filling up the rest."
"And to make things even more interesting, when the first half of the final thirty survives this section, we will have exactly one more fighter from each node, including the final Mystery Fighter!" Stinky nodded. "Keep it mind, said Mystery Fighter is a BUNNY so with Ashley, Wally and Catherine still on the board with their picks of Alice from Bloody Roar, T-Hoppy from Clayfighters and Judy Hoops from Zootopia, things will be even more hype."
"I must say, I am quite impressed with Xero. Sure, he acted like a lunatic most of the time, he really brought his A-Game for the finale." Allison noted.
"It almost makes you forget that he inadvertently gave JUNKO FUCKING ENOSHIMA control of the tournament!" Stinky muttered.
Then, Stinky's phone started to ring. The skunk paused before picking up his phone and examining who was calling him. Once he saw who it was, he rolled his eyes before answering the phone.
"Hey, Xero…" Stinky muttered.
"Okay, first off, I said I was sorry! I make mistakes too!" The bunny groaned.
"Then, why are you so determined to hide the fact you forgot Zack Fair even though most people forget that HE was a party member in Kingdom Hearts?" Stinky challenged.
"I didn't forget!" Xero roared, angrily.
Allison paused. "...Xero? Why do you always waste your breath on ridiculous things like these?"
"Also, going back on topic, Junk O. Eno-Shi-Mar? Really? You fell for THAT?" Stinky asked in disbelief. "Also, do you have me on speaker!? Because you are not getting away from me either, Maurice! While it may be too little, too late at the time, you should have realised who Xero's generous benefactor was immediately!"
Maurice paused. "...Okay, fair, but this is NOT what I expected our first interaction with each other would be, Stinky."
"Alright, alright, I admit it! Mistakes were made, but hey, it all worked out, didn't it?" Xero insisted.
Stinky paused. "...I am just going to let you watch things after the tournament."
"Ugh, whatever. That is not what I wanted to talk with you about." Xero muttered.
Stinky let out a sigh. "What is it?"
"I wanted to tell you that in-universe, everything you said was correct." Xero explained. "However, OUT-universe, there will actually be FOUR Reserve Mystery Fighters!"
Stinky jumped at this. "Wait, really!?"
"Well, yes and no. I had this Mystery Fighter in the wings LONG before the first Reserve Mystery Fighter round and it was just a coincidence that somebody suggested this character." Xero explained. "Think of it as how TotalFanatic got two Mystery Fighters in when he suggested Spyro the Dragon and… Ugh, Bubsy the Bobcat because Brony4Ever suggested."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Allison noted before smiling. "In fact, it makes things even more hyped."
"Yeah, who suggested the Mystery Fighter who is now an official/reserve hybrid?" Stinky asked.
"It's Tinyhammer, guys!" Xero cheered.
Stinky's eyes bugged out. "Get out…"
"I won't!" Xero chuckled.
"Wow, thanks for this info. It doesn't change too much, but it is time to know." Stinky mused.
"It is no problem!" Xero grinned. "Best of luck to you guys! And even though we haven't interacted at all until now, thanks for all of your hard work!"
"Hey, we were basically just Reserve hosts!" Stinky chuckled.
"Even still, you still put in a lot of work just like the others." Maurice noted. "It is a shame that we won't get a chance to thank you in person.
"Still, it is more than alright." Allison smiled. "I am just happy we get this chance to shine!"
"Well, shine on because this is your final bow! Make it count!" Xero encouraged."
Stinky gave a small smile. "Thanks, Xero."
With that, he hung up the phone before he and Allison looked at each other with smiles.
"Shall we, Allison?" Stinky asked
"Let's, Stinky!" The alligator reassured.
The skunk chuckled before looking at the camera. "Then, let's go into the people who will be fighting for a chance to be in the first half of the Final Thirty. First things first, let's go into the people who DID survive the section."
BUBBLES
NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION/THE POWERPUFF GIRLS
ENTERED IN: Section 15; Number 306
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 10
"And we are starting off strong with Bubbles who just recently managed to beat Luna Loud for the most eliminations overall with a whopping amount of TEN eliminations which consisted of…" Stinky grinned before taking a deep breath. "Link and Mario from Super Smash Bros, Ed and Kolin from Street Fighter V, Batman and the Martian Manhunter from DC Comics, Gulp and Gnasty Gnorc from Spyro the Dragon, her own nodal companion, Father and Sho from Battle Arena Toshinden!"
"And seeing where she places on the charts, she has a decent chance of making it to the Final Thirty. Granted, her fatigue isn't going to make it easier and the people here are definitely going to make sure of that." Allison nodded as Stinky took a glass of water. "However, she is fortunately not alone because she also has her own alliance. One of said members is…"
ISABELLE
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/ANIMAL CROSSING
ENTERED IN: Section 19; Number 387
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3
"Isabelle! Despite being from a Slice-of-Life Simulator, she managed to find a way to overtake the odds!" Allison smiled. "With her impressive eliminations of Waluigi from Super Mario Bros, Benimaru from King of Fighters XIV and now Captain K'Nuckles from Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion."
"While not as much as Bubbles, Isabelle has been in the arena for a while, but still got a decent shot of making it to the Final Thirty." Stinky smiled. "Especially since she, Bubbles and the others managed to keep their alliance together."
BUGS BUNNY
NODE: LOONEY TUNES
ENTERED IN: Section 19; Number 390
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 5
"So yeah, is anyone surprised that THIS guy has a decent shot of making it into the final thirty?" Stinky asked. "It is Bugs Freaking Bunny!"
"Indeed, with his eliminations of Big Band from Skullgirls, Donald Duck from Kingdom Hearts, Happy Child from Tokyo Mew Mew, the Panda King from Sly Cooper and now Birdie from Street Fighter V, he has a strong chance to make it to the final section!" Allison smiled.
SAMURAI JACK
NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION
ENTERED IN: Section 20; Number 402
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4
"Well, he is always fighting to go back to the past, Samurai Jack is fighting to be in the future!" Allison smiled. "He already got a good selection of eliminations ranging from Keith from LiEat I, Turbo Man and Snake Man from Megaman and now Infinite from Sonic the Hedgehog."
"Keep in mind that outside of Bubbles, of course, it is actually quite rare for a CN:PTE character to get double eliminations back-to-back so it wouldn't be a stretch to see him in the final thirty." Stinky mused.
ELLIS
NODE: BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN
ENTERED IN: Section 20; Number 410
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"And here we have the third member of the alliance!" Stinky smirked. "Ellis! Out of the five, she benefitted the most from this alliance, eliminating Prince Phillip from Kingdom Hearts and her nodal companion, Fo Fai, making her the MVP of Battle Arena Toshinden by not only getting one more elimination than everyone else, but actually surviving more than one section."
"Even still, she still has the biggest hurdle out of the surviving fighters, but hey, I still think she has a decent chance of making it to the final thirty." Allison smiled. "I know we shouldn't praise Monokuma, but she definitely would benefit from the Big Guy Blocker."
PENNY PROUD
NODE: THE PROUD FAMILY
ENTERED IN: Section 20; Number 411
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"And here is the fourth member, Penny Proud. Another Slice-of-Life character and yet she managed to make it work with her eliminations of Kat & Dusty from Playstation All-Star Battle Royale and Urien from Street Fighter V!" Allison smiled.
"While not as large a hurdle as with Ellis, it may be tricky for her to make it to the Final Thirty." Stinky mused. "But hey, as long as she finally found allies that ACTUALLY got her back, she has a chance."
THE JOKER
NODE: DC COMICS
ENTERED IN: Section 21; Number 419
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
Stinky let out a deep sigh. "As much as I hate to admit it, but the Joker definitely has a strong chance of making it to the Final Thirty. I mean, he is THE face of the comic-book version and he has gotten off to a strong start with his elimination of Zakuro from Tokyo Mew Mew and Sonic the Hedgehog."
"Indeed… That is more than the rest of his fellow villains done in Xehanort's group. And in all fairness, if he makes it to the final section, he actually deserves it." Allison frowned. She then smirked. "Because he sure as hell is not going to have an easy time!"
ROCK HOWARD
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/FATAL FURY
ENTERED IN: Section 21; Number 422
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Despite not wanting to have the blood of Geese Howard, Rock manages to make it work with him surviving the section by overtaking Ms. Fortune from Skullgirls." Allison smiled.
"He also barely managed to survive the section though." Stinky frowned. "Sure, that isn't an immediate death sentence. Especially since this round is a Big Guy Blocker, but he definitely needs to put in the work."
RANNO
NODE: RIVALS OF AETHER
ENTERED IN: Section 21; Number 424
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Same for Ranno. Especially since while he is not aware of it at the time, he shows how his node will fight in the third Battle of the Luminaries." Stinky lamented.
"Oh, don't be like that. There is a reason why Rock is the main character of Mark of the Wolves." Allison scolded. "That and Ranno managed to overtake THE Tarzan from Kingdom Hearts. It definitely is not going to be easy, but it is not impossible."
BENTLEY THE YETI
NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON
ENTERED IN: Section 21; Number 425
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Take Bentley for example. People are afraid that Spyro the Dragon's slow progress may think he won't even appear in this round, but here he is… Managing to avenge his nodal companion after she was eliminated by Sheep Man from Megaman." Allison continued.
"True… And honestly? I never predicted KASUMI TODOH to be the first Megamix Tournament winner. At all." Stinky said. " If she manages to pull it off then ANYONE could do it."
PEACOCK
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
ENTERED IN: Section 21; Number 426
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Especially when you are Peacock! Not only has she proved that she could keep up with the likes of Kingdom Hearts' Mickey Mouse himself, but also eliminate him!" Stinky grinned.
"It is no surprise to think that Peacock will be the fan-favourite of Skullgirls so if there was a Skullgirls rep to make it into the final thirty, it would be HER." Allison nodded.
GARNET
NODE: STEVEN UNIVERSE
ENTERED IN: Section 21; Number 430
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"And here we have the final member of the alliance, the Reserve Mystery Fighter, Garnet!" Allison smiled. "She demonstrated her skills as a strong warrior against Jean Bison from Sly Cooper, but also her skills as a surrogate mother against Big Daddy and Little Sister from Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale."
"Let's face it. She has the best chance out of her alliance. She is the freshest. She has relevance in recent times. She is a fan-favourite." Stinky said, counting off his fingers. "Make no mistake though. The other fighters are NOT going to make it easy for her."
"Indeed and we will give an example soon enough. However, we will cross that bridge when we get to it." Allison smiled. "For now, let's introduce the new fighters!"
ISA
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS
Stinky blinked twice. "So let me get this straight. Despite being a douche in II and ESPECIALLY 358/2 Days, Nomura really went in III 'Yeah, no, he was actually good all along. Just misguided.'?"
Allison scratched the back of her head. "Apparently? The only hints of that though is that he and Lea used to be friends."
"On the OTHER hand, why not?" Stinky groaned, throwing up his hands. "They expect us to accept XEHANORT'S 'redemption'."
"I mean, make no mistake. I totally get what Nomura is trying to say. 'Light isn't always good and darkness isn't always evil'. That was the story of the recent Soul Calibur games." Allison nodded. "But… The execution could have been better."
"I am just glad that we are having this conversation WITHOUT Drake. He would have hit the ceiling." Stinky snarked.
Allison just sighed before holding up her tablet. "So anyway, Isa wields a giant claymore and his element is… Moon?"
Stinky blinked twice. "Moon? What? Is he a werewolf?"
"More or less. When not under the moon's light, he is calm, cool and collected. But when he collected enough moon energy, he became a berserker and became faster and stronger." Allison explained.
Stinky blinked twice. "But wait… Doesn't Isa… Or rather Saix gets his power from, well… Kingdom Hearts. You know. The iconic heart-shaped moon?"
"I was thinking that, but it is not a stretch for Even and Ienzo to help Isa improve his affinity with lunacy." Allison mused.
Stinky paused. "...Isa should be the final ORIGINAL Kingdom Hearts character. So what do you think? Do you think he has a chance of making the final thirty."
"I mean he DOES have his fans, but he also has his detractors. Especially after III." Allison frowned. "Though it depends on how you think of him. Like for example… Like you said, he is basically a werewolf so he has the wolf fans' votes at least."
Stinky paused. "Wow… You really had nothing to say so you just thought of whatever shallow thing Tinyhammer was thinking about."
Allison narrowed her eyes. "Just go to the next fighter."
DOUBLE
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
Stinky and Allison both paused when they saw Double.
"Nah, that's alright. Sleep is overrated, anyway." Stinky muttered.
Allison shuddered. "I know that Skullgirls could get dark, but she looks like she would fit more at home in Silent Hill."
"THAT works out. I think there is a church in Silent Hill." Stinky noted.
Allison shook her head. "So basically we don't have to do that much research, she is a Ditto Fighter, right."
"Right. In her game, she could transform into any character in the game. Even those who weren't a playable character yet." Stinky noted. "It shouldn't be a stretch to see her using moves from other fighters."
Allison gulped nervously. "I have to ask without bias… What do you think about her chances?"
"I don't know. It depends on what you think about Ditto Fighters." Stinky noted. "Some think they are a fun idea while others think they are lazy and lack originality. I could see both sides of the story so I could see Double making it to the final thirty or bombing horribly."
"I suppose THAT works out." Allison frowned. "I don't know what to expect with her, anyway."
Then, a familiar alarm went off, startling the two.
"Oh, that is the Mystery Fighter alarm!" Allison smiled, putting her hands together.
"And according to Xero, this one should be the OFFICIAL Mystery Fighter of this section, but at the same time, one that Tinyhammer suggested much later!" Stinky grinned. "Let's see who it is? Vivi? Dixie? Adeleine & Ribbon?"
BISHAMON
NODE: DARKSTALKERS
Stinky paused. "Huh. That… Actually makes sense. So far, Bishamon is the ONLY UVR Tournament runner-up that hasn't appeared yet. Or Mewtwo's case, on the main roster."
"And with that winner reunion all of the way back in Section Four, it only makes sense to let every runner-up enter, even if they don't meet each other." Allison nodded. "Should have known Xero would have thought of something like that LONG before this."
"Plus, Bishamon is a demon samurai. That also adds to the hype." Stinky smirked. "But yeah, we got a new node."
"And you know what that means? It is another visit to the node research team!" Allison beamed.
The camera then went over to… Cacey looking annoyed?
"What team!? I am doing all of the work here!" Cacey scolded.
"Sorry, Cacey, but you were the only OC who is more or less a regular." Allison apologised from off-screen. "And Drake wanted you to do some research as well!"
"Drake COULD give you a partner, but it would be weird and unfair to just add an OC at the last minute, wouldn't it?" Stinky added.
"Well, that is really nice of him, but I don't have ANY experience with doing node research!" Cacey added.
"Neither did we and we did decently." Stinky offered. "Besides, I don't think you need TWO people to do research. It is just for more witty banter."
"If you want, we could pipe in here and there to give you something to alternate between breaks." Allison said.
Cacey rolled her eyes. "Dr. Gerald never made me do stuff like this. Alright, alright… As long as it is just for this section."
"Thanks, Cacey." Allison encouraged.
The secretary took a deep breath. "Darkstalkers is another one of Capcom's fighting games. Also known as Vampire in Japan. …I know, not the most creative title for a game."
"Especially since the vampire of said game HAVEN'T been the main protagonist for a long while." Stinky muttered.
"Stinky, Drake made us promise that Cacey would have the spotlight!" Allison scolded
"It is alright, Allison. It is a fact that even the casual Darkstalkers fan knows." Cacey giggled. "But yes, speaking as which, even a non-fan would know what the theme of the fighting game is. Creatures of the night. Vampires, Frankenstein's Monsters, the Wolf Man and even the Creature from the Lagoon."
"And we can't forget about the obligatory catgirl…" Stinky muttered.
"Having it wasn't just Street Fighter II on Halloween. Well, not completely. The gameplay is actually quite fast-paced and you would see characters literally zipping around the arena." Cacey nodded. "It is not unheard of for a match to end in mere seconds. You don't even have to wait for the characters to do a win pose before quicker going into the next one."
"Heh. Now I have an image of Richard being like a ninja." Allison chuckled.
"But Darkstalker not only brought in super moves, blocking in the air and turning basic combos into lengthy one long before the Marvel VS Capcom series." Cacey noted. "As you could see, the games were a success with… Four games and SIX rereleased? You would think that several of its characters would join up in crossover games, right? Well…"
"Sex sells…" Stinky muttered.
"Stinky, don't be gross!" Allison scolded.
"Unfortunately, while vulgar, Stinky's words are correct. Morrigan and Felicia, who are by far the most sexualised out of the cast. Which is saying a lot." Cacey muttered. "They made the most appearances in crossovers. You would see the odd mix with Hsien-Ko and Demitri, but it seemed rare. What is worse, crossovers are what the series latch on to for relevancy."
"She's… Sadly not exaggerating." Allison lamented.
"Indeed. There have been many outcrys for a new Darkstalkers game. There was even a slogan at one point that Darkstalkers are not Dead. But…" Cacey frowned.
"Darkstalkers are dead." Stinky sighed.
"Unfortunately. Granted, they DID get a re-release in recent years with the Capcom Fighting Collection, but that's it…" Cacey lamented. "It seems that the only way for Darkstalkers to stay relevant is to plaster Morrigan and Felicia's face everywhere. Because instead of appealing to actual fans, Capcom would rather please the horndogs. Sorry, I am probably doing a horrible first job, aren't I?"
The camera then went back to a frowning Stinky and Allison.
"No, no! You did great for your first node research segment!" Allison insisted.
"Yeah, it is not YOUR fault the game reached a downer ending." Stinky frowned.
Allison just sighed. "Let's just go over Bishamon's fighting style."
"Yeah, alright." Stinky said before raising his tablet. "Now Bishamon is of course a samurai so naturally a few of his moves involve his katana."
"However, may we remind you that Bishamon is a DEMON-POSSESSED samurai so he has a few supernatural moves." Allison explained. "He could throw his katana and have it come back or send out one of his hitodama lights to possess an opponent. Well, he doesn't possess so much as paralyse so the point is the same."
"And for his supers, he could have the mouth in his torso send out a giant ghostly hand to squeeze the life out of his opponent, split himself into five ghosts in a line to slash the opponent or make his opponent lie on a mat while a few iron blocks landed on their back." Stinky winced. "Damn, Darkstalker is as violent as it is campy!"
"Also, his super trait which all Darkstalkers have literally gives him super armour." Allison added. "Huh. I wonder if all of that along with the fact that he is the runner-up at the original first AND second Ultimate Video Rumble help him make it to the final thirty."
"It should. Xero made a big deal about the original UVR winners so most likely more people know more about Bishamon." Stinky mused. "And that he is also competing with another runner-up in this section so the hype should be able to help him. And again, he made second place TWICE. He has to be doing SOMETHING right back then."
VILLAGER
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/ANIMAL CROSSING
"Oh, how cute! Isabelle and Villager get to be in the same section!" Stinky smirked.
Allison blinked twice. "Um, didn't you hear? That Isabelle and that Villager are completely different games."
Stinky looked at Allison, surprised. "Wait, what?"
"Yeah. The Villager appeared in Smash 4 so he mostly came from New Leaf while Isabelle appeared in Ultimate so she is from New Horizons." The detective corrected.
Stinky blinked twice. "Well, that's not confusing."
"It won't be if you remind yourself which Animal Crossing debuted in which game." Allison offered.
"Um, sure." Stinky mused. "So Isabelle is considered a semi-Echo fighter of the Villager so while they do share several moves, they also have their own unique ones."
"That's right. While the Villager could also pocket and throw back projectiles, ride on balloons and use various mundane tools to fight, the Villager could ride Lloyd like a rock and plant a tree, acting as a shield or potential KOing option." Allison nodded. "He could also use his axe."
"Thus why the Killager memes were born." Stinky muttered. He then paused before looking at Allison. "Do you think he will use said memes in the third Battle of the Luminaries."
"I don't think so. Tinyhammer started the second tournament back when he didn't want to get into the game." The pink-scaled woman mused. "The Killager memes were probably all he knew about him. However, things are different now that he actually played the game."
"Um, okay." Stinky mused. "So real talk? Did you think that the Villager would have a chance standing next to the mascot of Animal Crossing herself?"
"Hey, Isabelle may be the mascot of Animal Crossing, but the Villager is still the face." Allison scolded. "And regardless of whoever is more prominent, he is STILL an Animal Crossing character, a franchise that is the second most popular game trumped by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe."
Stinky paused. "True… If you told me that they would enter the final thirty together, I wouldn't be surprised."
CAPTAIN PLANET
NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION/CAPTAIN PLANET
Stinky groaned before slumping in his seat while Allison happily clapped.
"Really? Just… Really?" Stinky groaned.
Allison glared at Stinky. "Oh, come on! That was a great introduction!"
"Yeah, yeah, I love how Xero didn't have the Planteers summon Captain Planet beforehand, but rather when it was his turn. And I especially don't want to agree with Monokuma, but he has a point!" Stinky agreed. "Out of all the characters that didn't start with Captain Planet to show up in CN:PTE, why HIM? Why not Scooby Doo? Why not Yogi Bear? Why not Fred Flintstone?"
"Oh, come on! The obvious should be obvious!" Allison scolded. She then smirked. "Captain Planet! He's our hero!"
Stinky let out a loud groan. "Cacey, take over! PLEASE!"
The camera went to a giggling Cacey;
"Captain Planet, or if we are going by the full cartoon, Captain Planet and the Planteers, a brainchild cartoon created by Barbara Pyle and Ted Turner as an attempt to entertain younger children while teaching them about the environments." Cacey explained.
"Honestly, there is nothing wrong with that, but… My god the show is preachy and campy as hell!" Stinky complained.
Cacey chuckled. "The story starts with Gaia, the spirit of Earth herself, and voiced by Whoopi Goldberg of all people for some reason had enough with the humans polluting her land and entrusted five magical rings, each with their own elements."
"Right. Elements." Stinky snarked. "Ever heard of the trope 'What Kind Of Lame Power Is Heart'?"
"By THAT logic, you should also hear that 'Heart Is An Awesome Power'?" Allison scolded.
"Ugh, at this rate, I better speed past this before this thing takes forever." Cacey groaned. "So the rings were given to five children, Kwame from North Africa, Wheeler from New York, Gi from Asia, Ma-Ti from Brazil and Linka from… The Soviet Union."
"Oof…" Allison winced.
"Yes, you could tell how far back this cartoon is. Anyway, the kids were tasked to solve a pollution problem/ However, while teenagers with powerful rings, they are still teenagers and almost every time get in over their heads." Cacey frowned. She then brightened up. "So every episode, they let their power combine and summon Captain Planet to finish the day!"
"...I know Kwame is the leader and all, but why does HE lead the charge?" Stinky asked.
"Because Earth isn't second, third and fourth!" Allison scolded. "It is FIRST. My god, Stinky. You are usually more perspective than this. Do better."
Cacey rolled her eyes. "But yes, as you could tell. It is a story about saving the environment. Though Captain Planet isn't afraid of touching other subjects like AIDS, gang violence and drugs. I admit that some of their attempts were… executed, but I can't be bad for a show trying to teach environmental messages. Especially in this day and age. Back to you guys."
The camera went back to a smiling Allison. "Thank you, Cacey."
"Okay, okay, okay. Let's face it. Captain Planet is basically an environmentalist Superman. He has super strength, super endurance and flight, but he also has the four elements at his disposal." Stinky said before frowning. "HOWEVER…"
"His weakness is pollution." Allison sighed. "Even I won't deny that stuff is more common than Kryptonite."
"Yeah, sure, as much as I love to grill Superman's weakness, at least you could argue that whenever it is exploited, it is because of dumb luck." Stinky admitted. "But pollution? That stuff's EVERYWHERE!"
"Maybe on the show, but not in the ring." Allison scolded.
Stinky was about to retort, but then realised that Allison was right. "...Well, when you put it THAT way. Still, I don't think Captain Planet may be able to make the Final Thirty."
"I personally disagree, but I do not deny it will be close." The alligator frowned. "Captain Planet is polarising to say the least so I could see it going either way."
"Yeah, he may make it, but despite him wanting to eat glass. Or in this case, dirt, than thank Monokuma, he would definitely be one of the candidates to benefit from the Big Guy Blocker." Stinky nodded.
"Still, he has a decent chance." Allison shrugged. "After all, his show DID give the chance for Ma-Ti, the so-called useless one of the group, to elbow Hitler."
Stinky paused. "What…?"
MEWTWO
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON
"Remember when we were talking about runner-ups with Bishamon?" Stinky asked before jerking his thumb towards Mewtwo's picture. "THIS is the guy we were referring to!"
"Indeed. He had a late draw, but that doesn't make his run any less impressive!" Allison smiled.
"However, while a fight between him and Bishamon would be awesome, he has better things on his mind!" Stinky said before smirking. "He saw the alliance of Garnet, Bubbles, Isabelle, Penny and Ellis and what does he do? Well, make a counter-alliance, of course!"
"Indeed! Apparently, while he was in the Ready Room, he had asked four other fighters to create an alliance to combat… Let's just call it Penny's own for now." Allison offered. "Which is really impressive because we know that out of all things, social is not usually one of them."
"I know, right?" Stinky asked. "Anyway, Mewtwo is obviously the counter to Isabelle, seeing that they are both Smash characters."
"Now onto Mewtwo's fighting capabilities!" Allison added. "Mewtwo is a legendary Pokemon so naturally he is pretty strong by default."
"Granted, he is also a Glass Cannon so it isn't hard to get him out of the arena with a decently-strong strike." Stinky noted. "However, he has a lot of psychic power to do so whether it would be telekinesis, sending out shadow energy, teleportation, deflecting projectiles. He could even stun opponent for a short while!"
"Indeed! It is no surprise that Mewtwo has a decent chance of making it to the Final Thirty!" Allison smiled. "Not only is he a fan-favourite and someone who made it to the Final 2, but he has his own alliance! Considering how it worked for the first one so far, it is clear that the sky's the limit! Now let's see what allies he aligned himself with!"
CHARMY BEE
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
Stinky's smirk vanished. "Charmy? CHARMY!? MEWTWO willingly chose CHARMY?"
"To be fair, one could argue that Charmy IS made of Sugar." Allison mused, putting her hand on her chin. "So it makes sense for him to be Bubbles' counterpart.
Stinky rolled his eyes. "Ugh…"
"Okay, okay, okay. I know that you are still mad at Charmy for what happened six months ago…" Allison frowned.
"Thanks to him, I spent the next 24 hours getting honey out of my fur!" Stinky roared. "That boy is the worst kind of wild card!"
Allison paused. "I mean, true… But he is just as valuable as Vector and Espio. After all, there are things that he does that the others cannot."
"I guess… I mean he IS the only Sonic 'Fly' character that could fly indefinitely." Stinky muttered.
"AND he could carry people much heavier than him. AND he is just as fast as his nodal companions!" Allison said. "AND he is a great support character, using honey to heal himself and his allies!"
Stinky blinked twice. "Where did you…"
"Have you forgotten about that old game Sega Heroes?" Allison smirked.
"Oh, right… That was an interesting mobile game to say the least." Stinky noted.
"So yeah, considering that he is going to be in a five-person alliance, they NEED a healer." Allison noted.
"Okay, okay, I'll admit it. The kid is a potential asset." Stinky admitted. "Still, if he survives the section, I think it would be because of the Big Guy Blocker."
"It WOULD be close, but if the original alliance was able to help ELLIS." Allison reminded.
Then, the alarm went off.
"Oh! The Mystery Fighter alarm!" Allison smiled.
"That means it is time for our first Reserve Mystery Fighter!" Stinky grinned. "This one has been submitted by Herosue! Let's see who he is!"
ARYA STARK
NODE: GAME OF THRONES
Stinky paused. "...Oh."
"That's a… Weird response." Allison noted, raising an eyebrow.
"Sorry, I couldn't find a way to immediately point out that if it wasn't for Multiversus, would Xero even think about inviting Arya Stark?" Stinky asked, scratching the back of his head.
"That's…" Allison said before her eyes widened. "That's a good point."
"Eh. He saw a chance, he took it." Stinky said, waving it off. "Can't really fault him for that. Anyway, Cacey, it is your time."
The camera went to Cacey, nodding her head.
"The Game of Thrones is an 8-season HBO series based on George R.R. Martin's fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire which is apparently a best-seller." Cacey explained. "Said story is set in a mediaeval fantasy world where it follows various political and supernatural threats to the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, a vast nation still recovering from a civil war that ousted the previous ruling dynasty of three centuries, the Targaryens."
"Heh. I heard a Song of Ice and Fire while browsing on TVTropes, but I never got the chance to see what it is all about." Stinky mused. "Never knew that it was linked to Game of Thrones."
"Well, the plot DOES begin with focusing on the STARK family. a noble house that rules the frigid North. However, they are forced to journey south and enter the capital, King's Landing where they must suddenly contend with deadly court politics, intrigue, plots, feuds and mysteries from a host of rival factions." Cacey explained.
"...Yep. Definitely linked to Game of Thrones." Stinky muttered.
Cacey giggled. "The set up for Game of Thrones has somewhat the same premise as the location, situation and… Speed Chess is the same, dealing with political AND supernatural stuff. The screenwriters even jokingly called it a mix between the Sopranos and Middle-Earth from Lord of the Rings."
"I could see it." Allison confirmed.
"All while this was going on, beyond a wall that was sparsely guarded by an ignored and underfunded order of pariahs-turned-soldiers wasa supernatural threat is building that would threaten to burst forth and destroy all life upon the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros entirely." Cacey explained. "Meanwhile, in exile across the ocean, the last remaining Targaryen scion slowly tries to rebuild her military and political strength with her goal of reclaiming her homeland through fire and blood.
"In layman's terms, it is a huge mess." Stinky muttered.
Cacey chuckled nervously. "Indeed. In fact, if you look on TVTropes, it has a lot of its own dedicated trope on the main page. Wham Episode. Hate Sink. Jerkass Has A Point. Surprisingly Realistic Outcome. And Asshole Victim."
"How come THAT series gets representation in Multiversus?" Allison asked in disbelief. "Aka the same franchise that has Bugs Bunny and Ultra Instinct Shaggy?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. Though considering the large cult-following of the series, it isn't that much of a stretch." Cacey shrugged. "I know I should go in more, but… Yeah, there is a lot to cover here and…"
"No, it is fine. I understand." Stinky offered. "I think this is all we could do here."
With that, the camera went back to Stinky and Allison.
"Okay, make no mistake. I am sure that Arya is a skilled warrior in her home node. But let's face it. Orange-Ratchet is mostly going to cover her skills in Multiversus." Stinky said.
"I think so too. Fortunately, the game has been doing a decent job portraying each other in terms of moves so it wouldn't be a stretch to say that they are mostly accurate." Allison mused before reading the tablet. "First off, Arya is classified as an Assassin. Which is one of the most accurate rules because, well, she IS an assassin."
"At first, she seemed like the Marth of Multiversus, but while there is a large prominence of her swordplay, that isn't all she could do." Stinky chuckled. "She does extra damage when attacking from behind. Think Shulk's Back Slash, but for ALL of her attacks!"
"She could also throw her dagger, not only as a projectile, but as an invisible grappling hook, going after where the dagger lands!" Allison added. "She could also 'Steal her opponent's face' which means she could turn her opponent and use their move five times or use the same move again to stun."
"Also, if her ally gets KO'd, she will get a rage buff, swearing revenge. And when you read what she is like when you mess with her, hoo boy…" Stinky winced.
"Speaking of KOing, when she does so under certain circumstances, she will spawn a pie which while heals the opponent, but also causes a slow debuff." Allison said. She then paused. "Hmm… I wonder why."
She then started to fiddle with her tablet. Stinky's eyes bugged out.
"ALLISON, NO!" Stinky pleaded, holding out his hand.
However, it was too late. Allison has found her answer as she dropped her tablet onto the ground with a look of pure horror on her face.
"That's… That's…" Allison started.
"Allie…" Stinky said, worried.
Then, the pink-scaled alligator's face turned green before putting her hands over his mouth while looking sick. She then got up before running off-stage.
"ALLIE!" Stinky gasped before chasing after her girlfriend.
Then, the camera went to a worried Cacey. She then realised that the camera was on her.
"Uh, well…" Cacey sputtered before giving a weak smile. "So yes, due to being the face of her series along with relevancy, Arya shouldn't have that many problems making the final thirty. I could see it being close, but she can do this! Now we are going to take a break, but don't worry! We will be back with the two Reserve Mystery Fighters, the next three of Mewtwo's counter alliance and me covering five more nodes!"
"BBBBBLLLLLLAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Cacey winced before looking off-screen.
"Though it may take a little while…"
LINK TO SECTION: archiveofourown / works / 25531129 / chapters / 98453634
