A/N: I'm just gonna make this clear for all; this whole story arc happened the day after the karters made it back home. Link got a broken arm and leg when he was attacked by the swarm, which is why he is (or was) in a cast. Hope that clears things up for people!

In "news that very little people will care about," I've finished Dual Destinies for the first time the other day! Not to toot my own horn, but I managed to beat the last chapter on my first try with only one penalty!

I'm not old enough to get it on the eshop, so I had to get it on the iOS. What a good game! I still haven't done the bonus episode, though. Once I do, I will have completed all five main series games and the crossover with Professor Layton as well!

To the chapter!

Chapter 34: Red, The Best

This is SherLucario. I've decoded the scrambled signature (like a boss) and I came to a very surprising revelation, one that cast away all doubt on the previous suspects. Well, for three of the suspects, at least. I will pull them in for one last questioning, before I release them back into society. This is the Ace Detective, signing out.

Lucario stopped the recorder, and called in Lucina to his office. When she entered, she looked worried.

"What's wrong? Gonna confess?" Lucario asked.

"Um, no... It's just that Link's alone with a sleeping Kirby, Bowser, and Ganondorf. He has a broken arm and leg, and I don't think the two heathens would pass up a free shot at him." Lucina said.

Lucario reassured her. "Don't worry, he'll be fine." Just to be safe, he sent a couple guards to the room.

After a few minutes of questioning, Lucina was released, and Bowser was called in. His hair was ruffled, and he looked very tired.

"What happened to you?" Lucario asked.

"Link, he-" Bowser gasped. "He just kept yelling at us whenever we got within ten feet of him... His chords of steel nearby broke my eardrums!" Bowser said.

"Right... Moving right along." Lucario said.

After questioning Bowser, Kirby was questioned, and then Link, and then Ganondorf. None of them knew much about Red, and they were all released. So, Lucario called another meeting to discuss what to do about Red.

Smacking the gavel on the podium, Lucario called the attention of all of the smashers, including the retired smashers, who were still allowed to be at meetings.

"Alright, let's get started with the discussion." Lucario announced.

"Well, what is there to discuss?" Wario yelled.

Mario nodded. "We got our culprit! It's in the letter right there!"

"Well, it's the most logical choice..." Zelda muttered.

"Zelda said it, so it must be true!" Link yelled, standing up. Zelda looked at him happily.

Speaking of Link, you know how I said he stood up in the last sentence, even though he was supposed to be in a cast? Well, Peach had used her heart power on him for hours (giggety) to heal his wounds, and now his leg was completely fine. His arm still needed some work, though...

"Guys, wait!" Lucario yelled. He didn't seem to stop the growing muttering of the crowd as the smashers started bad-mouthing " Red the best."

"Like, what kinda name is 'Red' anyways?" Ike asked. "Kinda lame, if you ask me."

"Beep! Boop beep boop!" Game and Watch said. Translation: Yeah! It's even worse than my name!

"Yeah! That's it! He did it because he has a terrible name!" Falco shouted triumphantly.

Silence.

"No, I know! He did it because he was jealous that Pit moved on to be in the next Smash Tournament, but he didn't!" Screams of agreement rose throughout the stadium.

Meanwhile, Lucario was thinking to himself. All the clues point to Red being the culprit, but... I don't think he did it!

Cue flashback:

Lucario had woken up very early so he could see off Red. He had gotten his letter of leave two days ago, and yesterday, he announced that he would not stay in Smash-City for the end of the tournament vacation at Disney World (the location of the vacation was always chosen by the winner of the year's tournament. Who the winner was, though, I'm not telling).

There was something about Red that attracted Lucario (Not in that way, sicko!). He has met many trainers in his lifetime. Many of them had power, but many did not. Many of them tried to capture him, but none could. But when Lucario met Red on the first day of the third Smash-tournament, he knew that he could be captured by him. However, Red didn't try anything. Later on he told Lucario that he didn't catch him because he was very strong, and that he wanted to train with him. He respected his power, just like Lucario had respected his. Although they didn't hang out much, a mutual respect formed between them.

The twelve original smashers were there when he arrived, and all of them were saying their goodbyes to Red. They were also required by Mario to give him an inspirational quote "for the road." Some, like Captain Falcon, stayed up all night to find the perfect quote. Others, like Fox, just whispered a naughty-human-part into Red's ear, causing both of them to burst out laughing.

When Lucario arrived, Red was about to leave.

"Red, wait!" Lucario called out to him.

"Yeah, Lucario?" Red asked. "What is it?"

"It's just... I'm sorry that you didn't make it in again." Lucario said. "I'll remember you forever..."

Red smile at him. "You think I'd wanna go on a lame vacation like that? I thought you'd know me better!" He laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the tournament was fun and all, but I only got to battle once in a while, which will not do for a champion such as myself. I was actually gonna quit myself if I had been accepted for the next tournament. I need to keep training, and this tournament does not offer what I need."

"I see..." Lucario said.

"I just have one regret." Red said, chuckling.

"Oh?"

"That I couldn't fight you one last time before I left." Red said.

"Well, what's to say you can't?" Mario asked. "Right here. One last battle."

"Well, Lucario? You up to it?" Red asked, taking out his Pokemon. Lucario nodded. They looked each other in the eyes one last time, before fighting to see who was the greater champion.

Lucario didn't remember who won that fight, but he did remember what Red told him. "I was actually gonna quit myself if I had been accepted for the next tournament..." Lucario thought to himself. There's no way Red did it!

"Hey, let's go get Red and bring him to justice!" Bowser yelled. "By ripping his head off!"

"Yeah! Except maybe not that last part!" Mario yelled. He led the smashers out of the stadium and to the portal pedestal, which is where portals to other video game worlds and places could be opened. E. Gadd had finished it just the other day, and it wasn't tested yet. But it was the quickest way, so they had to take a chance. Mario inputted the multidimensional coordinates into the machine, and a portal similar to the one in Jimmy Neutron showed up.

Lucario was watching everything unfold, but he was unable to say anything. He knew that if he did, he would be fingered as the criminal, or as an accomplice to the criminal.

"Alright, guys! This'll put us inside the Pokemon universe. Where in the Pokemon universe should we be put into?" Mario asked.

"I've played the Pokemon games," Ike spoke up, "and Red is always at Mt. Silver, training his butt off."

"Alright." Mario put in a few more coordinates into the machine. "Alright, we should be all set now! Now, please get into a single file line so that the portal is not overloaded by too many people entering at once."

As Lucario watched everyone shoving to get a good spot in line with their friends, he saw Villager and Megaman at the very end of the line. He ran up to them, grabbed them, and used Extreme Speed to get them out of there and into a nearby alley quickly.

Villager panicked. "What's going on?!"

"Listen to me." Lucario said. After taking a quick look around to make sure nobody was watching them, he continued. "I don't think it's a good idea if all of us smashers go into the Pokemon world."

"Wait, you think it's a trap?" Mega Man asked.

"I don't know, but I do know that if we all leave Smash-City, then the real criminal will be able to walk around the place with ease."

"The 'real' criminal?" Villager asked. "Does that mean that you don't think Red did it?"

"Like I said, I can't say anything else with certainty yet." Lucario responded. "But with all the smashers gone, we would have the perfect chance to do some 'deep' investigating, if you know what I mean."

"Oh? OHHHHHHHH!" Mega Man gasped. "You mean we're gonna steal Shulk's underwear and sell it on the Black Market?"

Lucario shook his head and face-palmed. "Um... No." He pointed towards the residential district. "But we are going to check the smashers' houses."

He led the way towards the Mario household, which belonged to Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Rosalina. As he heard the other smashers enter the portal, he couldn't help but feel uneasy for them. Little did he know that his suspicions would turn out to be more than just a gut feeling...

It would also be a butt feeling! Hahaha! Cuz he needs to poop.

I'm not a twelve year old boy, I swear. No, I'm really not. I'm like, 1.25 times that age. Or am I actually 76? You guys will never know.

Just kidding! I'm none of those ages. I'm actually 2 years old, so yeah.

To be continued...