Chapter 18: Gim

On this fine Dreamland afternoon, Kirby decided to check out the local park as it's been a while since he had last visited it. As soon as he arrived, he immediately saw a friend of his, the robotic yo-yo master Gim.

"Hi Gim! How are you today?" He waved as he ran over towards his friend.

"Yo, yo, Kirby! I'm just walking my dog."

This response confused Kirby as he was quite sure Gim didn't have any pets. All he saw was a yo-yo. Upon seeing his confused face, his friend decided to elaborate.

"Just a bit of yoyo humor, my dude."

"Ohhhhh that kind of dog walking!" The child exclaimed in understanding.

"So, Kirby, what are you up to, dude?"

"Nothing, honestly. I just felt like hanging out at the park today." He replied while scratching his head.

"I see, hey maybe you can help me with something." Gim said, his laid-back mood becoming slightly serious.

"Is something wrong? Did someone pick a fight with you? Don't worry Gim, I'll-"

"No, no, it's nothing serious like that. I just need help practicing for next week's yo-yo competition."

He was met with a puzzled gaze.

"A yo-yo competition? I didn't know that was a thing." Kirby replied with honest confusion.

"Yeah, believe me, I know how silly it sounds. Competitive yo-yoing is very niche, but also very fun. I was just going to practice by myself, but if you're willing to help, I would be very grateful, yo."

"Sure! I'd be happy to help!" Kirby responded with a cheerful nod.

"What do you need help with? Oh, I know! You want to get better at grabbing and throwing right!?"

Gim just looked at him with a deadpan expression. "Dude, it's not that kind of competition."

"Oh, sorry, I've been hanging out with Joe too much, I guess." Kirby bashfully uttered with a laugh. "So, what kind of competition is it then?"

His friend nodded and began to explain. "The rules are pretty simple. Each contestant has three minutes to perform a routine of yo-yo tricks. During the performance, three judges will rate it. The contestant with the highest score at the end of the competition wins. Fairly simple, all things considered."

While Kirby easily understood how the competition worked, he was confused about one aspect in particular.

"How can I help you practice? You're a lot better at using a yo-yo than I am. If it's not about fighting or team battles, I honestly don't think I'll be much help." The puff questioned.

"Nah, dude, you'd be the perfect partner for this." Gim said in his usual laid back robotic tone. "You're already great with a yo-yo. Look, all I need you to do is copy my moves yo. I'll perform a trick then you'll perform the same one. That way, I can easily tell if something needs to be improved."

Gim's explanation put the child's mind at ease. Just copying his friend's movements is something he could handle no problem. Not only has he mastered the Yo-yo Ability, but he's the best copycat in all of Dreamland.

"Well, if you're sure I'll be useful, then I'll help the best I can! But... um... one question, why are you practicing in the park? Wouldn't a quieter place be better?" Kirby asked.

He was used to training in a private area due to how his mentor was. Meta Knight hated to be the center of attention, so they often trained in remote areas such as their usual grassy field, another rocky area, or at the Orange Ocean base.

"I just think it's peaceful here." The reply from Gim was blunt.

"Well, the park definitely is peaceful, that's for sure." Kirby agreed but still had one concern. "What if we draw in a crowd? Wouldn't that put pressure on you?"

"Eh, I guess I'm just used to crowds. Besides, it'll be good practice for the competition anyway." Gim seemed to shrug.

This explanation was good enough for Kirby, who was equally used to crowds. Besides, his friend was going to perform in front of others anyway, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Gim then took the puff to his usual training area in the park. The area was a large fountain area with pavement that spread out and around the area, creating a flat surface. There were a few people in this area, but not too many. Not that it mattered to either of them anyway. Both were equally experienced with performing for others.

"Ok then, what do I do first?" Kirby asked.

"Probably start by copying the Yo-yo Ability. That would be very helpful."

Upon saying that, Gim then threw a spare yo-yo at Kirby, who quickly inhaled it and copied the Yo-yo Ability.

"Ok, now what?"

"You just need to copy my moves."

Gim then got in position or "the zone" as he called it, with a yo-yo ready in his hand.

"We'll start off with a classic trick. The "around the world"."

"Ah, ok! Let's see it then!"

Nodding his head, Gim proceeded to perform his trick. The yo-yo left his hand and with a quick flick of the wrist created a perfect circle. Once the yo-yo returned to him Gim looked at Kirby.

"Now it's your turn, yo."

The puff nodded and copied his movements. Just like Gim Kirby created a perfect circle. Not just that, Kirby copied Gim's movements perfectly.

"Heh, I knew you'd be the perfect person for this dude."

"Heh heh... thanks!" Kirby replied with a timid laugh. "Now what?"

"Alright, this one might even take you a bit to get down. It'll be better to just show you."

Gim threw his yo-yo forward then with a flick, made the yo-yo come flying towards his face. Right before it could hit him Gim did another flick and performed the "Around the World".

"I call it the "fake-out Around the World". Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah! I wanna try it, too!"

He then got in position and readied his yo-yo. He threw it and flicked his wrist to send it back, but whether it was from excess power or something else, Kirby ended up hitting himself in the face. Thankfully, it didn't hurt the child much at all. If anything, it only stunned him for a moment.

"Yo, you ok, dude?" Gim asked.

"Uh-huh..."

Without wasting time Kirby attempted the trick again, this time making sure not to overexert himself. This time, he successfully pulled it off.

"Not bad at all, little dude." Gim said happily. "Now one more trick before we start practicing my whole routine."

Seeing a nod in response, he then began the trick. Gim threw the yo-yo forward and quickly made a triangle with the string. He then had the yo-yo itself go back and forth between the triangle.

"This is called "rock the cradle"."

Kirby nodded in understanding before performing the move himself. The puff had a much easier time with this move, despite it seeming more complicated than the last trick. Perhaps it was Kirby's natural talent with the Yo-Yo Ability. Or maybe he was just a quick learner. Regardless, it seemed to be helping Gim out, so he was more than fine with it.

"Alright, now let's work on the most important trick for my routine. The break dance trick."

Kirby was familiar with this as he himself used it for combat multiple times. Gim took a step back and lunged forwards landing on his head and began spinning. Once the spin got going, he threw out the yo-yo. From Kirby's perspective, it looked like a mini yo-yo tornado. It was quite impressive to see in all honesty. It looked like his normal breakdance move whenever he used his Yo-yo Ability, but the yo-yo was also being spun throughout it. Eventually Gim stopped himself, not dizzy in the least.

"Alright, dude, now it's your turn."

Kirby nodded and then gave a running start. After this, he began spinning as fast as he could and threw out his yo-yo. His mini tornado was mostly identical to Gim's. The main difference was the dizzy look in Kirby's eyes.

"Alright, dude, you can stop now." His friend uttered in slight concern.

In response, the spinning died down and Kirby fell on his back with a plop, unable to see straight due to the dizziness.

"Is... the sky... a yo-yo...? It's spinning... so much..." The child uttered in a slight monotone.

"The world itself is a yo-yo when you think about it." Gim said absent mindedly. "Wait... that's not important, are you ok?"

"Dizzy..."

The puff rolled over to his stomach, facing the ground in an attempt to stop the spinning.

"Yeah, that'll happen. Let's take a break and we'll get back to practice."

"Ok..." The puff uttered, finally feeling the spinning and his brain begin to slow down.

After a few more hours of practice, Gim was ready for the competition, which was apparently going on at the same park the very next day. Kirby arrived at the same time as his friend to cheer him on during the competition.

"You sure you don't want to compete dude? You'd do great for sure." Gim said to his friend.

"Nah, I'd rather just support you!" The puff replied with a smile.

What Kirby didn't say was that his actual reason for not participating was because he was still a bit tired from the training session he had this morning with his mentor. Regardless, his friend seemed to understand.

"Well, alright. Now we wait for the games to begin."

Kirby gave a nod in response. "Ok, good luck, Gim! I know you can win!"

Before Gim could give a response, the announcer, Walky, called for everyone's attention.

"All contestants come forward and take a number out of this box. The numbers will dictate the order you will compete in."

"Well, I guess you should go get your number then, Gim. I'll be cheering you on from the audience!" The puff waved.

"Alright, I'll talk to you afterwards!"

Gim left his friend and grabbed a piece of paper with a number on it.

"Twelve, huh? Last I checked there was twenty contestants. At least I won't be waiting for long."

He then looked at the small line of people waiting for their turn in front of him.

Once every contestant grabbed a number, Walky walked on to the small stage that had been set up in front of the park fountain.

"Ok, contestant number one please step forward."

The one who came forward surprised everyone as it was Bonkers, another of Kirby's friends.

"I didn't know he liked yo-yos." Kirby thought to himself.

Gim, however, had a different thought than that of his friend. "Is he really going to use that thing?"

One quick look at Bonkers and it's easy to see why Gim was confused. The yo-yo Bonkers had was the size of a wrecking ball. It seemed that even Walky noticed this problem, as he was sweating profusely as he stared at it.

"Uh... are you really sure that's safe?" He uttered.

"What, you doubting me or something? Just give me enough space." Bonkers grumbled with a glare.

Walky sighed and did so. Not only that, but even the gathered crowd both stepped back and parted quickly, as if to avoid the inevitable result.

After this, Bonkers began spinning and everyone could see that he was doing the "around the world" trick, but instead of the traditional way of doing it, Bonkers was swinging it like how someone would horizontally swing a hammer. While this was admittedly impressive, it seemed like that was the only trick Bonkers had. That is until he started to jump above the yo-yo each time it got close to him, like some kind of one-person jump rope. In addition, this repeated jumping caused the entire ground to shake like there was an earthquake. The stage below him began to groan, as if it was going to splinter and crack at any moment.

After a minute had passed, Bonkers stopped and looked at the judges.

"So, how'd I do?"

The only thing he got in response was stares of horror from the two Waddle Dees and one Waddle Doo. Bonkers mistook the looks of fear as looks of astonishment.

"Does this mean I win?"

"S-sir, I think they mean to say that you're disqualified. That's a wrecking ball, not a yo-yo." Walky uttered nervously.

"What!? It is a yo-yo, I had it custom made for me! You can't disqualify me for that!" Bonkers responded angrily.

"Yes, but we can disqualify you for putting everyone at this tournament in danger." One of the judges replied, seemingly having enough courage to finally speak up.

"Hey, I told you all to give me space! Besides, no one got hurt, so you have no reason to disqualify me!" Bonkers grumbled stubbornly, making Walky more frustrated.

Before the back and forth could continue, Kirby took matters into his own hands. He jumped up to the small stage and inhaled Bonkers, quickly swallowing him to gain the Hammer Ability.

"I'll let him out later!" He said.

Both the judges and Walky seemed to accept this.

After a brief break to repair the stage, it was time for the next participant.

"Ok then... contestant number two, please come forward, and please have a normal yo-yo." Walkie said, whispering the last part.

Contestant number two stepped forward, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they floated forward. It was a Scarfy holding the yo-yo in their mouth. While everyone was confused at the sight, at least they didn't need to worry about becoming collateral damage again. Though one person was the opposite of confused. Gim knew exactly who this Scarfy was. They went under the alias of "Y" and competed in every contest that Gim participated in. He wouldn't necessarily consider them a rival, but definitely good competition.

"How are they supposed to yo-yo with just a mouth?" A spectator asked.

Kirby had an idea as he was no stranger to strange methods. Many of his abilities are what most would consider unorthodox.

In fact, the moment the Scarfy began his performance, the puff already noticed that there was a metallic sheen on the yo-yo string. It was more than likely that he used some kind of flexible metal instead of regular string to allow him to use his teeth to hold on to it. It seemed to be quite similar to the yo-yos that his Yo-yo Ability and Gim used. The key difference was that both of those yo-yos were fully made of metal, making them effective weapons. While Gim knew what to expect from this performance, everyone else was stunned. For many of the viewers, it was unbelievable that someone could perform tricks that even professionals would have issues with, with just his teeth. Though there was one issue: he didn't really have that many tricks, only about four total. He just cycled through them so effortlessly most didn't notice. Gim, Kirby and the judges did, though. Soon, the performance ended, and Y looked at the judges with a hopeful gaze. Unanimously, all three judges gave him a nine.

"Figures. I had a feeling he'd be the one to beat." Gim thought to himself.

"Alright, next contestant." Walky said after Y left the stage.

When contestant three walked up, Gim wasn't quite sure what to think. He wasn't alone, though. Even the judges and the audience seemed to have no idea what to think of it. At first glance, it appeared to a tall person wearing a trench coat. Upon closer inspection, though, it was anything but.

"Lololo, what are you doing?" Kirby asked from the audience.

The figure jumped in surprise.

"Uh... my name isn't Lololo. It's Lo... la. Lola yes, that's my name." The figured replied, making the puff pout in response.

"Just ignore them! Watch my performance!"

The now named "Lola" began performing, only to immediately lose balance and fall forward. To the surprise of nobody, the fallen "Lola" was actually two individuals: Lololo and Lalala.

"Does this mean we're disqualified?" They both asked at the same time.

"Yes." All three judges said in unison.

The pair quickly left after that.

The rest of the contestants were pretty decent, but nothing too memorable if Gim was being honest. Thankfully, there weren't any other disqualifications after Lololo and Lalala.

"Number 12, you're up!"

Gim heard.

"Well, time to let loose." He uttered.

"Good luck, Gim!" Kirby yelled to his friend, who simply nodded in response.

"Isn't it kind of cheating for him to compete because he's a robot?" A crowd member asked with a slight grumble.

Kirby turned to them with a pout. "Gim being a machine doesn't change anything. He's a living creature just like the rest of us!"

"It's all good Kirby, but thank you."

Gim began with his go-to moves, the "around the world" and its fake-out version. Then that's when he did something that separated him from the rest of the competition: He started dancing. With each yo-yo trick performed, a different dance move was used. The one that really got the crowd going was the around the world plus moonwalk. Kirby already knew what to expect, but that didn't make it any less incredible to him. Finally, Gim performed his breakdance combined with the Gazer Spiral move. This move transitioned to the breakdancing move that made the pink puff dizzy and the performance ended with that. Kirby could tell that Gim was proud of his routine. His friend then looked at the judges filled with confidence. He didn't know if he did enough to beat Y, but he knew he certainly came close.

"Nine." said the first Waddle Dee judge.

"Nine." said the other Waddle Dee judge. It all came down to the final judge, the Waddle Doo. "Ten."

Gim stood shocked. He beat Y by one point.

"Talk about cutting it close." he thought to himself.

It was then that the crowd erupted into applause however, he could hear that his friend, Kirby, was giving the loudest applause of all. Admittedly, Gim was overjoyed to hear it, but he simply decided to step off the stage calmly to let the other participants have their turn. However, it was clear to everyone that he was happy.

One by one the rest of the contestants performed, some of which came really close to matching Gim's performance. Eventually, all of the acts were finished and Walky stepped forward to announce the winner. Although it was obvious to the entire crowd who it was.

"Our winner with a total of 28 points, Gim!".

The crowd once again erupted into applause. As for Gim, he calmly accepted the award and gave thanks. He even shook hands and received congratulations from the other participants. From what the pink puff saw, it seemed like it wouldn't end for a while. Just as the thought crossed his mind, his friend hopped down from the stage.

"Congratulations, Gim! I knew you could do it!" The puff exclaimed happily.

"Thanks, Kirby. I couldn't do it without you! Our practice session was a lot of help!" Gim replied and received a smile in response.

"I'm glad!"

"I want you to participate in the next one, though."

The blunt sentence made Kirby laugh nervously.

I thought this was a fairly cute chapter. It's simple, yet cute. Just like Kirby himself, don't you think?

Omake (Bonus)

Gim: Um...Kirby, aren't you forgetting something?

Kirby: Hm? Oh, right!

(Kirby drops the Hammer Ability, returning Bonkers to normal)