Chapter 5: Meet the Foster Parents and the Quest Goes On
When they entered the Toadsleys' house, they couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was like if Lady GaGa redesigned Pee-Wee's Playhouse. The furniture looked abstract and surreal, with crazy colors and designs. The floor was the same way, except it only affected areas that had carpeting. Even the walls looked crazy. Then they saw Bennita's foster parents. Mr. Toadsley looked like a flamboyant fashion designer with nerd glasses, while Mrs. Toadsley looked like a vagabond (well, dressed like a vagabond, anyway).
"Benny, hun, who are your friends?" Kieran asked his foster daughter.
"They are the legendary Mario Bros. we know and love so much and the newcomers we've just heard about," Bennita answered.
"Oh, yeah, that's right," Leona realized. "The Mario Bros. who always save the day." Leona then walked over to the newcomers and looked at them for several minutes, as if studying them.
"Uh, Leona…" Bennita started to say.
"Hush, child," Leona interrupted. "I'm not sure the newcomers can be trusted."
"Of course, we can be trusted," Gardevoir started to speak up. "We're kinda like the Mario Bros. back where we come from, except we're…." Ninetales put one of her paws over Gardevoir's mouth.
"Gardevoir! Don't give away our jobs!" Ninetales said through clenched teeth.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Gardevoir realized. Then she turned to Kieran. "We can't tell you what we do for a living because it's a secret."
"I understand," said Kieran. "If anyone tells me a secret, my lips are sealed."
"So, anyway," Bennita began. "I met them outside. Bumped into them's more like it, actually. They're going to find a Koopa Troopa who kidnapped one of the newcomers. What does she look like, guys?"
"Actually, the one thing that makes her stand out more than anyone else is her goddamn teeth." Gardevoir said. "And I seem to be exaggerating, yet I'm not, but they seem alive."
"Moving teeth? Pretty weird." Bennita said.
"Yeah, so will you let her come with us?" Gardevoir asked Kieran and Leona. "Her Pokémon could be of good use."
"Yes, we will," Leona replied. "Good luck on your journey, Mario Bros. and friends. And you be careful, Benny. We don't want to hear you've been killed nor do we want to hear your seeing-eye Kirlia ran off."
"I promise so," Bennita assured Leona.
The Mario Bros. and the visitors (now including Bennita and her Pokémon) went on their way and while watching them, Leona decided to sing.
"I pray You'll be my eyes and watch her where she goes," she sang. "And help her to be wise. Help me to let go. Every mother's prayer. Every child knows. Lead her to a place. Guide her with Your grace to a place where she'll be safe. I pray she finds Your light and holds it in her heart. As darkness falls each night, remind her where You are. Every mother's prayer. Every child knows. Need to find a place. Guide her to a place. Give her faith so she'll be safe. Lead her to a place. Guide her with Your grace to a place where she'll be safe."
While all that was going on, Doctor Doctor found herself in a cell made from stone walls and a stone floor.
"Hello, 'prisoner'," said a voice in a musical tone. "Remember me? I took you while you were sleeping."
"Would someone fill me in on what's going on?" Doctor Doctor screamed.
"Oh, yeah, that's right," replied the voice. This was the same Koopa Troopa the newcomers saw, except he had a violet shell and his boots were revealed to be silver. "I am Raul Augustus. I am what you people call me, a seductor. You do not try to escape, you hear? If Bowser hears you have escaped, he'll be so angry he'll have us all killed and we do not want that now, do we?" He left and then came back with an oversized dragon/turtle. He had a green shell covered with spikes, horns on his head, and carnivorous teeth. He also had claws, a spike choker like Raul was wearing, and metal bracelets. He even had red hair.
"King Bowser's my name. Lady, you are a lucky one," the dragon/turtle said.
"What do you mean, lucky? Raul kidnapped me!" Doctor Doctor yelled.
"Yes, he did. I had him kidnap you because I need a lady to spend the rest of my life with!" Bowser quipped cheerfully.
"Don't you usually kidnap someone else to fulfill your goddamn need?" Doctor Doctor asked, confused.
"Let me explain," Bowser began. "Yes, usually I kidnap Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom to fulfill that need. But I'm in a mid-life crisis, so now I'm bored with her. For months, I kidnapped other ladies, but sadly, none of them had the 'magic' Princess Peach has. But you do and now I'm-a force you into marriage."
"No! I may be just as evil as you but…." Doctor Doctor started to speak up.
"You? A bad guy like me?" Bowser interrupted in a mocking tone. "Seriously, do you have any troops? You have powers? Anything?" Nothing came out of his prisoner's mouth, for she was shocked from what she was hearing. "I didn't think so."
"Good God. They better hurry. I don't know how much longer I can take!" Doctor Doctor murmured to herself.
Back with our heroes, Mario and his gang decided to stop inside a forest and rest.
"I'm tired." said Mario, yawning as he said this.
"Yeah. Let's rest up for tomorrow and hopefully get somewhere with this journey," Peach quipped.
They all laid down on the ground and each struggled to find a good spot to sleep. Just when they were finally going to get some shut-eye, they heard something again.
"Gardevoir?" Victor whimpered in a very scared tone. "Something's scaring me."
"Ah, shut up, you coward," Gardevoir laughed. "There's nothing to be scared of in this creepy-looking forest."
"You're not helping, Gardevoir," Mario said.
Then they saw a figure of what looked like a two-tailed fox running on all fours with another fox-like thing with weird-looking ears and a tail. Gardevoir picked up a Pokéball and threw it at the two-tailed fox.
"Ow, that hurt, stupid!" shouted the fox. He had blue eyes and light brown fur.
"Oh, it's a regular fox, not a Pokémon," Taco Llama pointed out.
"We're sorry if she hurt you, sir," Anita apologized. "She's with us."
"It's all right. I've been hit by worse," said the fox. "By the way, I'm Julius, and this Umbreon's my friend, Ri." He turned his head toward Ri, who had purple rings on her fur and hazel eyes.
"Hi. I'm Ri. Who are you all?" asked Ri.
"I'm Gardevoir," Gardevoir replied. "These people are the ones I'm traveling with: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, Yoshi, Victor, Anita, Professor Professor, and….." She stopped for a moment.
"What? You're not going to tell me who this handsome fella is?" Ri asked again, now pointing towards Taco Llama with one of her paws.
"He, uh, introduces himself…." Gardevoir answered.
"Right. Speaking of which, it's already midnight." Taco Llama pointed out. "For reasons of security, my name is Changed Daily. As of right now, you may call me…"
His phone beeped. Once again, he felt disappointment.
"Ohhh… Starfish Buggy."
Everyone, even Julius and Ri, laughed for a few moments. As the laughter died down, Julius stepped forward to ask something.
"So, where are you guys going anyway?" Julius asked.
"We're on our way to save one of the newcomers from a Koopa Troopa who kidnapped her," said Bennita. "She's the one with the moving teeth."
"Ooh. I'm guessing she's one of the undead?" Julius assumed.
"Um, no, she's a human like most of the newcomers," Mario replied. "She just has those moving teeth."
"Oh yeah. They freak me out. Why, back home, we fight her in almost all of our miss…." Gardevoir started to say, but Ninetales covered Gardevoir's mouth with one of her paws again.
"Gardevoir, seriously, if you blab anymore about our jobs, you'll give away our fucking secrets," Ninetales warned through her clenched teeth.
"You mean you guys aren't supposed to tell us who you work for?" Julius asked again.
"Nope. It's a secret. But Gardevoir just won't shut up." Ninetales said, sounding rather frustrated.
"What about Starfish Buggy?" Ri asked. "He can't tell us, either?"
"Uh-uh," Ninetales replied. "And he's the one in charge of the newcomers."
Julius's eyes widened and he realized something.
"You said one of the newcomers was kidnapped, right?" Julius said, sounding surprised. "Well, in that case, we're going after her."
"Oh boy!" Victor shouted happily.
"Not you," Julius assured Victor. "Me and Ri. We work alone."
"What? We can't come with you?" Gardevoir asked. "But I can sense Doctor Doctor in trouble. She needs us to save her. I can also sense a dragon thing trying to force her into marriage."
"We'll go and rescue her." Ri assured Gardevoir.
"But she doesn't know you guys!" Gardevoir argued. "She's more familiar with us."
"Yes. I see no reason why we can't come along." Anita agreed.
"Just let us come with you." Mario pleaded Julius.
"Okay, okay," Julius gave in to Mario's plead.
And so Julius and Ri joined Mario and his gang (or rather Mario and his gang joined Julius and Ri) on their journey to save one of the newcomers from King Bowser and his Koopa Troopa. Along the way, they would come along unbelievable sights and more.
