After Team Universal came back from the Mushroom Kingdom, a new year brought new challenges without Aurafu. Kooper was shoveling snow outside Noiwave's house. Latias came over for a visit.
"Happy new year, Kooper!" she greets him with a warm smile. "How have you been?"
"Same old thing, nothing great." He gives an unendorsed reply.
Latias noticed how he was not paying attention to her. Turning away when she tried to give him eye contact.
"This isn't like you. Are you pretending that I don't exist? Tell me what's wrong and everything will get better." Latias holds him by the arms. "I won't be mad."
Kooper struggles to look at her eyes but takes a deep breath and says. "Back in December, we found Aurafu back in the Mushroom Kingdom. However, a Void Shadow took control of him. And right when we thought he was going to be free, Kalvin blew himself and Aurafu up and off a cliff.
"Why did you never tell me!?"
"Because I did not want to hear anything about the jackal bear anymore. After all that time searching for him, only for Kalvin to take him away…"
"You wanted to preserve my feelings? Kooper, you know Kalvin can't die. There still is hope that Aurafu is alive as well."
"You don't understand! These Pokemon worlds have ripped me apart!" Kooper snaps.
"Remember your training with Palkia and Dialga? You told me how much you loved Pokemon in your world. You've shown the games off." Latias recalls. "That same passion and love I saw for adventuring and they reignited Pokemon's hope for a passionate hero."
Why me? I'm not a Pokemon, I'm a random Koopa Troopa that tagged along with Mario.""Listen. Palkia told me the other day that if you play your cards right and are innovative, you could rival the power level of Silvally."
Kooper burst out laughing around in the snow. "You legendries are too funny."
"I'll take you to them right now, but first there is somewhere else in Celetris. I have to take you."
"If you say so." Kooper runs back into his house to grab his Star Rod and Game Boy Horror. "Noiwave, I'm going out with Latias."
"W-what?" The Noivern wakes up from her nest. "A-alright, Kooper. Love you."
When Kooper closed the door, Noiwave ran right into his room to look at his small game collection that he brought over to her house after his own got destroyed. "Now it's time that I do some research."
Back in the Mushroom Kingdom, life there was looking more bleak and dire for a world so happy and colorful. In late November 2021, a Dynamax Pokemon showed up in the kingdom and wrecked Toad Town, causing thousands of coins in damages. It was not until a month later when Team Universal found out that it was Aurafu at the tip of the Crystal Palace. No one was sure about Aurafu and Kalvin's fate, except one. The king of Koopa's, Bowser, found the two on the side of the palace. The thing was that Bowser now was in his undead Dry Bowser form. But not only that, he was less of a jokester and more malicious, taking both of them into his care to lock the duo deep into his castle. Dry Bowser took this time to torture Aurafu and do his bitting, before dragging him back into his cell where Kalvin was laying there with nothing but a virtual boy.
"That's for killing me. Now stay there before I make mincemeat out of you! Gwar har har har." Dry Bowser's walks away laughing.
"Well, Bowser sounded bone chilling before his dumb laugh. You don't look too hot, Aurafu," Kalvin says while taking his eyes away from a Virtual Boy.
"What happened to your eyes? They are a bright red now!" Aurafu kneels down to examine Kalvin's eyes.
"I've just been playing the Virtual Boy since Bowser has not let me out of our cell. Not only can it give you a headache, it also turns your eyes red, apparently."
"I failed you, my child. Bowser drained all of my power points." Aurafu said.
Aurafu shows off how bruised, beaten and burnt Aurafu was from his body and outfit. He lays down on the icy prison floor. Kalvin looked worried as he noticed Aurafu lost a little weight.
"A-Aurafu... there is something I never told you about my past that you have to know about." Kalvin's bones rattle in fear.
"I've never seen you in such distress… I'm here for you."
Aurafu places his two paws onto Kalvin's hands.
"I never told you about my past… and that was because… I was part of Bowser's army. Now I know you can read my mind and aura, but let me explain. I was born in a realm known as 'Sarasaland', a peaceful country ruled by Princess Daisy. My parents and I were Bombshell. Koopa's, just like a normal Koopa Troopa with removable shells, but the difference is when you jump on one, Bombshell Koopa's explode. I spent my childhood there, playing lots of sports. One day, my family visited the Mushroom Kingdom so my parents could find a job down there. Bowser tricked them into working for his army and they also dragged me into it. All I ever did was polish, armor and sort of inventory. Bowser called all his minions for a mandatory assault course with wrecking balls, skewers, and pools of lava. Lucky mostly dead, there's a difference. I became a Dry Bones. My parents didn't recognize me. So instead, they escaped to Bowser's castle to search elsewhere. Just like that… never saw them again…"
Aurafu lets go of Kalvin's hands, clasping his own together with a loss for words.
"K-Kalvin… n-now I understand why you're like this. Your past still haunts you in the afterlife."
"No, not really. Just a fun story." Kalvin shrugs.
"... That's enough! Your death won't be in vain! Let's plot our escape!"
"... If you say so, just keep it down." Kalvin reluctantly agrees.
At long last, the prison mates get ready plotting out their great escape from Bowser's castle.
Loading back to Celetris.
Latias escorted the Koopa Troopa towards the Autumn Forest, pushing him on a swing set.
"I made it just for you, you like it?"
"Actually… I do like it. Finally, something positive." Said Kooper.
"Atta boy! That's all I wanted to hear!" She smiles.
Latias watched Kooper from a distance, turning invisible to avoid being seen by other Pokemon. Kooper looked relaxed and happy. The Koopa was enjoying himself until time and space warped in Celetris again. Before Palkia and Dialga returned to the land, the Pokemon adapted. Everyone in the Autumn Village felt the change, panicking and running all over the village. While everyone got distracted, Latias grabbed Kooper and flew away. The duo freeze in shock. Dialga and Palkia were being pulled into a portal by Giratina. When Latias attempted to fly towards the portal, she was stuck by an aura sphere. Sending her and Kooper crashing down to the ground.
Kooper pulls his head out of the ground and nudges Latias.
"Latias, please get up!" Kooper yelled.
Latias whimpers and cries, nuzzling Kooper for comfort as he wipes her tears with his scarf. All hope seemed to be lost. Until two Noivern carrying a Zoroark and Helioisk came down.
"Oh, my Arceus! What happened!?" Said Silver.
"No time for dumb, irrelevant questions, Silver! Just take Latias and go! Kooper demands.
"Not without me, you won't!" Said Noiwave.
Noiwave saddles Kooper on her back. The other three wish them luck before flying off. She races towards the shrinking portal as she avoids Giratina's attacks.
"Get ready for a ride, Kooper! I'll protect you, even if it kills me! Said Noiwave.
She rockets off into the portal. Kooper holds onto her giant ears for dear life.
The next day in the Mushroom Kingdom, Aurafu and Kalvin were secretly plotting their great escape from Bowser's Castle. Kalvin's body came apart for Aurafu to slip past the bars, including his skull. When a guard passed by and opened their jail cell, Kalvin came back together and uppercuts them before Aurafu runs out with Kalvin. The alarms went off as Bowser's minions chased after the prison mates. The two get cornered by an outside bridge of the castle, stuck between Bowser and his minions. Bowser slowly and manically clapped.
"Gwar har har har! This is the end of YOUR road. Which hand will you die on, Aurafu?" Bowser asked.
"Be a damn shame if it was yours!"
Aurafu tells before grabbing Kalvin and jumping off the bridge. Both airships were right above Toad Town. Aurafu survived the fall, still feeling good.
"Whatever happened to this adorable town!? It looked like some monster ransacked the place." Said Aurafu.
"Umm, Aurafu… you see those giant front prints? Those… look like yours!"
"What are you talking about? Urshifu's don't have four-toed feet!"
Aurafu examines the footprints closer, having no recollection of when a Void Shadow possessed him. So when the residents of Toad Town came out and started throwing accusations at Aurafu, claiming he destroyed the time, he was confused. Kalvin grabbed Aurafu and ran east and out of Toad Town and down the Pleasant Path. The mob was no match for Aurafu's superior speed, and he quickly outran them. He came across a fork-like mountain that holds a high and low path.
"Aurafu, take the low path! That leads to Koopa Village, that's where Kooper lived. If I could explain to the Koopa's our circumstances, they may help us!"
Aurafu nodded and ran down to Koopa Village. When they arrived, they saw the same footprints from Toad Town. The small houses got demolished or were in terrible shape. Population in the village was zero, it was dead quiet.
"Where has everyone gone… bingo?" Kalvin shrugged.
"Quite the contrary, my boy."
A Koopa Troopa comes out of one of the remaining houses.
"Hold it there, hold it there! Are you the famous Kolorado? We may have your boy." Said Kalvin.
.
"My adventure loving mad lad, Kooper!? I've been searching for that boy for many moons now!" Kolorado shakes.
"You know the kid as well? I haven't seen him either, but I hope he's still fighting the good fight." Said Aurafu.
A faint scream from the mob spooked Kolorado, and he followed the other two into his house.. Their house only comprised two rooms, the front room with just a single chair and counter, and the back was just Kolorado's research room, not even a bedroom. Kolorado's wife, a pink Koopa Troopa, hides inside her shell as she recognized Aurafu when he wrecked Koopa Village.
"Pump the brakes, pinky. Long story short, my blue bear buddy basically got possessed, and Bowser locked us up this whole time."
Kalvin shows the Koopa couple all the scars and slashes on Aurafu's body. There were deep cuts in his fur. He looked malnourished. And he has bags under his eye. However, Aurafu expressed a quivering smile. He felt bitter sweet relief. Being free finally.
"We're here to alarm you. That kooper has been in another universe for quite some time beside us." Said Aurafu. "However, I don't know his current whereabouts. Wherever he is, I will say that… knowing him… has been the grandest adventure… I know."
"That's a fact of life, lad. He takes a load off my aging back." Said Kolorado. "Thanks for looking out for my boy. I pray he's still out there.
As the Koopa couple and Aurafu kept talking about Kooper, Kalvin heard a bunch of screaming outside. They run outside and witness Giratina grasping Kooper and Noiwave with their maw. Aurafu goes into a hesitant fighting stance. Giratina death stares Aurafu, when their planned backfired and Aurafu overthrown Giratina. They roared at the top of their lungs, horrifying Aurafu unexpectedly. Giratina used Earth Power to knock Aurafu out effortlessly. Kolorado's wife gets into Giratina's face to tell them off. Kolorado and Kalvin warned her not to, which she paid the price as Giratina kidnapped the Koopa and flew back into the portal.
"GREAT HULLABALOO! My… my wife… my everything… us two may never have another tomorrow together…" Kolorado blankly stared into the dark sky, speechless.
To be continued.
Created, edited, and written by Denzel The Eternal Understudy.
