Chapter 2

Aftermath

Mario, Luigi, and Peach walked into the lobby of the castle, having just come up from the basement. Because the shape-shifting intruder had tried to steal one of the keys to the Nintendo 64, they were quite worried about the other three.

As Peach entered the lobby, she saw one of her Toad servants coming down from the stairs in quite a hurry.

"Princess Peach! We found Doctor Herald unconscious in his office!"

"Oh my, is he okay?"

"I think so. Toadette is watching over him right now. I think he'll wake up soon, but I'm not sure. I mean, he's the doctor, not me!" The servant said in defense. Peach looked at the servant, and with a very serious tone said,

"Listen, I want you to get the plane ready immediately. Mario and I are going to Hyrule."

"Hey, I wanna come too! It's been forever since I've been to Hyrule." Luigi said, waving his arms.

"Very well, the Mario brothers and I will be heading to Hyrule." Peach said with a slight smile. It had been a while since she was able to enjoy the company of both Mario and Luigi.

"Right away, Princess!" The servant said, bowing his head. He ran towards the door, but just as he reached for the handle, the door swung open with a powerful force, slamming the servant in between the door and the wall.

"Princess Peach! You have an important visitor!" Toad said with a serious tone. He stood in the doorway holding the door opened, not having realized that he just slammed one of his coworkers with the door.

"Um, a little help here?" The other servant said, his mouth to the wall.

"Oh! Sorry! Didn't know you were there!" Toad then moved the door to let him by.

"So who is it?" Peach asked. Her question was answered, however, as just at that moment a Zox stepped into the lobby. Mario and Peach were taken back by this surprise, but Peach recognized something about him.

"Shin?"

"Ah, I'm glad you remember me." Shin's serious demeanor lightened a little to the response.

"How could I forget? You were the one who watched over us in that prison." Peach began to think back to the time they were captured by the Zox, waiting for days before they were rescued with the help of the Zoramites. She didn't think about it long though, as she was still curious why he had come to Nintendo. "It's nice to see you again. I don't think I can thank you enough for letting us escape."

"Yeah! That cell certainly wasn't fun!" Luigi added.

"I should be the one thanking all of you. It's through Mario's help that we were able to rid ourselves of the emperor." Shin then looked at Mario, and was surprised to see that he did not look as happy as Peach was. Shin then became serious again. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here?"

"Yes, I am. You're timing doesn't make me feel comfortable."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a few minutes ago, someone tried to steal one of the keys to the Nintendo 64." Mario said bluntly. Shin sighed and lowered his head.

"No good, I might be too late." He then stood firm and faced Mario straight in the eyes. "I'll get straight to the point then. I need to speak with the person in charge of Nintendo."

"This planet isn't ruled by one person." Peach said. "There are many lands, each of them governed in their own way. As for the Mushroom Kingdom, I am the one in charge."

"Then my secretary and I need to meet with the both of you immediately." Shin said while motioning to someone outside. Mario and Peach took a better look outside, and could see that a small spaceship had landed just outside of the castle, and another Zox was walking towards them.

Inside Peach's castle was a small rectangular room with a large, long table. There were no windows in the room, but it was lit by some lights from the ceiling. At the front of the room was a double-door entrance, which opened to let Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Shin and his secretary inside. Peach sat down at the front end, while Mario and Shin sat on the front sides. The large Zox tried to make himself comfortable in the chair, but to no avail; it was made for someone a lot smaller than him.

Shin surveyed the small room, observing the several pictures hanging on the wall. All of them were Toads, except one: a picture of Princess Peach.

"Former Kings and Queens?" Shin asked.

"Yes, they are." Peach replied. Shin started to wonder how a human became the ruler of what was predominately a Kingdom of Toads.

"So, what did you come here for?" Mario asked straight up.

"I came here to warn Nintendo about a possible invasion, and if someone tried to steal a key to the Nintendo 64, then it looks like that invasion is underway."

"But by who? Didn't the Zox government stop their invasions?" Luigi asked in surprise.

"Yes, we have managed to stop all hostile military actions against other planets, but therein lies the problem. You see, my people were essentially the most powerful race in all of known existence, and there are many people who have envied that power. Our government, literally overnight, went from being a power-hungry tyrant to a non-hostile race."

"So in other words, the Zox society has been turned upside-down."

"Yes, Mario, you can put it that way. And it's because of this that those who envied our power have taken their opportunity to try to gain dominance."

"I see. There's been a large shift in power, and things are no longer in balance. It looks like this means that there will be a lot of dust before things settle, and balance is achieved."

"Quite so, your Highness; this is why I've come here. Because the people of dimension N were able to defeat two War Masters, you will be high on some people's hit list."

"Do you know who it was that tried to steal the key?"

"I can't be certain. Describe to me the attempted thief."

"He was a shape-shifter." Luigi replied. "He took the form of a giant purple snake when he fought us."

"Shape-shifter?" Shin said in surprise. "If he transformed more than once then it can't be a Zoramite, and there's only one other race I'm aware of. I doubt it would be them, though. Technology wise, they're quite primitive, so I doubt they're even aware of you. Can you tell me anything else?"

"Well, there is the odd way he knew exactly how to reach the key."

"Hmm, is it possible he's been a spy living with you since you sealed the key?"

"No, I doubt that." Peach said. "When he took the form of Toad, he was acting quite odd. If he had been a spy that long, I imagine I would have noticed it." Peach then saw that Shin sat back in his chair, and slowly drifted his sight to the table. He seemed to be unsure of what to think. After a moment of silence, Shin's assistant spoke up.

"Sir, are you thinking of the same thing I'm thinking of?"

"I think so." Shin shook his head. "I still think it's a hoax, but it's hard to explain otherwise."

"What is it?" Luigi asked. Shin then turned to his assistant.

"Hand me the data pad." The assistant opened the case he carried and handed him a flat, electronic device with a touch-screen. Shin made some motions with the touch-screen and then placed it on the table. A holographic projection was then displayed above the device.

The image that was being displayed was a humanoid creature, 1/3 in scale. Its body color was similar to the Zox, except it seemed to have scales like a lizard. It was wearing dull-silver armor, with black runes written on them. Its hands were thin, but their claws seemed as sharp as a piranha plant's teeth. It didn't seem to have hair, but the top of its head had what seemed like pointed dreadlocks, a feature that reminded them of Knuckles. The creature seemed to be formidable, but the feature that drew everyone's attention was its face. It bore a wide grin with pointy teeth, and sinister red eyes. It seemed almost as if it was staring right into their souls, wanting to tear it apart. Peach began to feel a little scared when looking into those eyes, as they reminded her of her nightmare.

"This," Shin stated, "is an Echna. While the former government of my people may have dominated many planets, there are some who fought against us. Of all of them, the Echnens are our greatest foe. Even now, when we have issued pardons to everyone, they still continue to fight us. Actually, their attacks have greatly increased within the past week."

"So what makes you think it's them?"

"Of the Echnens we've actually managed to extract any information from, they speak of their all-knowing Lord. They claim he is all powerful and all knowing, all most as if he was some sort of God to them. Obviously, I don't think he's a God, but somehow he does seem to know a lot. There are times when an Echna will infiltrate our defenses as if he knew exactly what to do. If this is truly the people who sent that shape-shifter after you, then…" Shin was interrupted when the doors to the meeting room suddenly flew opened and Toad rushed in.

"P-princess! Princess Zelda and Master Link are here to see you! They say it's urgent!"

"Then please, let them in. Oh, and Toad, it looks like you can cancel that flight to Hyrule." Princess Peach said as she stood up. Mario started to feel more uneasy after Toad's message, and he knew it wasn't last night's lasagna. Zelda then stepped into view, with Link following behind.

"Zelda, it's a pleasure to meet you again. Please, take a seat" Peach stated with a small bow.

"It would be a pleasure if we were meeting under different circumstances. We come with bad news: one of the controllers has been stolen." Zelda said, continuing to stand. Everyone else in the room groaned. "We also wanted to warn you, in case the thief comes after the one hidden here."

"I'm afraid you're too late." Mario said. Zelda and Link took their seats.

"He took your key too?" Link asked.

"No, actually, we managed to stop him." Mario said. Link then sighed.

"Well, as long as we have that one, the 64 can't be used by the wrong hands."

"This is bad. This means the other two might have been stolen!" Luigi said, his eyes darting back and forth. Luigi's words seemed uncanny as Toad came running back to the room.

"Princess! Ciel is here! S-she says it's urgent!" Toad said. Peach again stood and asked to let her in. Ciel came in, surprised to see that there were several people gathered there.

"I have a feeling that I'm too late to warn you." Ciel said, looking disappointed in herself.

"Let me guess: someone stole the key you were keeping safe."

"I'm afraid so, Mario. Please forgive me. The thief seemed to come out of nowhere, and nothing we attacked him with was effective." Ciel's gaze lowered towards the ground, and she then spoke in a low voice. "We lost two soldiers. Perhaps if Zero was still…"

"Ciel, please, you can't blame yourself." Peach said, stopping Ciel.

"So, two keys have been stolen and one key has been kept safe. There was one other, correct?" Shin asked.

"Yes, the one under professor Oak's care."

"We should send a message to him quickly in case they haven't attempted to take it yet. Ciel, can you contact Professor Oak?"

"Yes, I'll go do tha…."

"Sir! Six dimensional portals just opened over Nintendo!" A voice shouted from a device Shin wore on his belt. Shin picked it up and spoke to the other Zox on the line.

"Who is it?"

"Not who, it's what, sir. We're detecting massive energy spikes. They're black crystals! Sir, the Echnens are attempting a terra drain!" The Zox replied. Shin quickly gave the Zox on his ship an order.

"Go! Destroy the black crystals! And avoid hurting any civilians if possible."

"And if we're too late with some of them?" The Zox asked. Shin gripped the radio device tightly, and spoke in a low voice.

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

"Shin, what are these black crystals?" Peach asked, worried that it was something very bad. Shin looked directly at Peach, and told her plainly.

"It's the source of the Echnens' power, and their greatest weapon."

Just north of Veridian City was Route 2, a passageway through the forest often taken by Pokémon trainers. The lush green grass and hills provided a scenic walk when travelling, especially when going downhill on the small slope. Some Pokémon pass through the area, but many will run away when humans come through.

During the day, while Mario and the others were at Peach's castle, a young trainer came dashing downhill on his red bike. He was peddling faster than usual, leaving a dust trail behind him. As he came to some of the short cliffs, he flew right off them, the shocks on his bike absorbing most of the landing. He continued his furious pace, his white hair whipping against the wind.

As Veridian City came into his view, so did a larger cliff. It seemed a little steep, but he was in a hurry, and the other route would take too much time. He picked up the pace a bit, and as he came to the cliff, he made sure to keep the bike steady. The cliff was steep, but he was sure he could manage. As he reached the edge and his bike went over, he could feel the lightness as he was no longer held up by the ground. Keeping his angle right as gravity pulled him down, he landed on the steep slope. The tires couldn't grip the loose soil, and so his bike slid down the cliff. Dust flew into the air as he tried to keep control, turning the bike sideways and putting his left foot on the ground to slow his descent. The level ground was approaching fast, and there was only a few feet of dirt at the bottom to stop on before running right into a road. The young boy could only grin.

"Oh well. Guess I'll just have to dive right in." He thought to himself. He put both his feet back on the bike and turned to head straight down. As he approached the bottom he scanned for any cars, and one was coming down the road from the right. It was close, but not moving too fast. If he went fast enough, he figured, he could get past before the car would hit him. Shifting to the lowest gear he had, the boy peddled hard, increasing his speed. Once the boy came onto the road the driver spotted him, and slammed on the brakes. It was too late to stop all the way before hitting him, but just as the driver thought the boy would end up on his windshield, he passed the car unscathed.

Once the boy passed the road he jumped the curb of the sidewalk and came onto the lawn of a school. With the grass adding to the friction, he was finally able to come to a stop. He placed his feet on the ground and gave a sigh of relief.

"Whew, that was close. I might have gotten a little carried away there." He couldn't help but chuckle despite coming close to death.

"Hey, you okay?" The driver shouted from her car. The boy turned around to see a driver who turned quite pale.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" The boy said as he smiled and waved to the driver.

"Then watch what you're doing! I oughta' come over there and whack you ever the head!" Her voice quickly went from concerned to furious.

"Sorry!"

"You will be if you keep that up!" The driver warned as she drove off.

"Heh, she didn't seem very happy." The boy said to himself, smiling. He reached behind him to grab his water bottle from his bag and took a healthy sip. He shook some of the dust from off of his black and red shirt and his black pants. After readjusting his headband he stepped off of his bicycle and walked with it. He walked back to the sidewalk and, finding a man walking by, approached him.

"Excuse me sir, do you know where I can find the Veridian Hospital?"

"Hmm? Are you injured?"

"No, a friend of mine is there."

"Ah, well, actually, just follow this road to the west. Once you see the grocery store, turn right and keeping heading down for about three blocks and you'll reach it."

"Thanks!"

"Hope you friend is well."

"Me too!" The boy turned to head down the road, but then something odd happened. The sky turned dark, even though the sun was still visible.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"I've seen this before!" The man said. "It's a dimensional portal!" Sure enough, a small portal opened only a hundred feet above them. It was aimed right towards the ground, but the swirling black hole was only open long enough for something to fall out of it. A wooden staff fell to the ground, landing and implanting itself into the grass field in front of the school. The portal closed and daylight returned, but the strange staff remained.

The boy approached the staff, as well as a few people nearby. It seemed to be just a plain old wooden staff, except with very dark, purple crystal on top of it. The crystal somewhat looked like the inside of a geode, but much darker in color, almost as if there was something corrupted about it. He approached it closer, but then the crystal began to glow, and the air around it grew cold.

Everyone took a step back, not sure what to make of it. As the crystal started to glow brighter, the grass below it began to decay. The decay slowly spread outward in a perfect circle away from the crystal. The grass decayed quickly, and soon gave way to barren, blackened earth. The rate of the spread of decay was growing, and the crystal was glowing brighter, perhaps even growing in size. This was enough warning to cause everyone to turn tail and run, except for the boy.

"I don't know what this is, but it can't be good." He reached for a Pokéball clipped to his belt and brought it in front of him. "Magneton, come out!" In a burst of light, the magnetic Pokémon emerged from the Pokéball.

"Magneton, strike that crystal with a lightning blast!" From the trainer's command, the Pokémon directed some of its charged energy towards the crystal, and a surge of electricity shot forth. However, as the electricity neared the crystal, it grew thin and dissipated. Magneton continued to fire the electric bolt towards the crystal, but the crystal, it seemed, merely absorbed and glowed brighter.

"Magneton, that's enough!" The boy shouted. He withdrew his Pokémon back inside its ball and tried to think of what else to do. The area that was decaying was now larger, and so was the crystal. It seemed like he merely fed it more.

"This isn't good. What should I do? Ash! I need to warn Ash! If this is from another dimension, he might know what to do!" The boy then turned to hurry and get to Ash, but as he did, he heard someone's voice.

"Use fire." The voice seemed to come from behind him, but as he turned around, he saw no one. In fact, there was no one even around him, as they had all fled.

"Who's there?" The boy asked. But no one answered. He looked back at the crystal, with the area of black earth around it now ten feet in radius. It had now even reached a tree, and the tree was withering just as the grass Heeding the voice's advice, he summoned a new Pokémon, a large, fire-red lizard.

"Charizard, blast that crystal!" Upon the trainer's command, Charizard leaned its head back as it brought flammable fluids to its throat. Then, in a forceful flick of its head, threw a large fireball from its mouth. As the fire blast entered the area that was being consumed by the dark crystal, the fire began to dissipate, but not before it reached the crystal. In just half a second, the crystal heated up brightly, and then exploded. The explosion itself was no bigger than a small firework, but the visible shockwave that came from it was enough to knock both Charizard and its trainer out cold.

"What makes these black crystals so dangerous?" Luigi asked, his legs shaking underneath the table.

"Our scientists still don't know how it works, but essentially, it's a highly compacted form of energy. What makes it dangerous is that they grow by absorbing all forms of energy around it. Everything it leaves in its wake is death."

"What? How fast can it grow?" Mario asked, now alert.

"Exponentially. The more energy it absorbs, the faster it can grow."

"What can we do to stop it?"

"Fortunately, they're highly flammable. Enough exposure to fire, or a good laser fire, will start a chain reaction that will shatter the crystal."

"Well, as long as we can stop it."

"Not quite." Shin said. "The crystals can reach a 'point of no return.' In other words, its ability to absorb energy will be so strong that nothing can stop it. Compet has an automated, planet-wide system that detects dimensional portals and responds to them, preventing an enemy from attacking us directly. However, not being able to catch them right away is how we've lost many planets to the Echnens. I'm sure my men though will be able to…"

"Sir, we've managed to neutralize the situation." A voice said from Shin's radio.

"That's good to hear."

"We destroyed five of the black crystals with no casualties, the sixth, however, seems to have been destroyed by a local."

"Really? That's surprising. Well, either way, inform the council about the situation." Shin put away the radio and relaxed a little. A moment passed without anyone saying anything.

"It would seem that we've been dragged into this conflict." Zelda stated.

"I'm afraid so. After all you've done for my people, I didn't want this to happen, but it looks nothing can change that now; the Echnens want you dead as much as they want us dead."

"But you seem to have made quick work of those crystals, so we shouldn't have to worry, should we?" Luigi asked.

"Rest assured, there will be more. You may view this as nothing more than a test. I'm sure I can pull some strings and help you get some systems installed to prevent this from happening again."

"Princess Peach, there's another visitor!" Toad said as he came bursting through the door. Princess Peach sighed.

"Let him in." Just as she said that though, a Pidgeotto flew into the room, carrying by its talons a video screen. The bird Pokémon sat the screen on the table in front of Peach and then pecked at a button in front of it. The screen turned on, showing Professor Oak's face.

"Professor Oak, it's good to see you. I assume you have bad news though."

"How did you know?" Oak asked, surprised. "Wait, don't tell me that the other keys have been stolen?"

"I'm afraid so. We have been able to hold onto one though. I'm glad you contacted us, as we now have a confirmation on all the keys."

"This is bad news indeed. On the bright side, it would have been much worse if he got all four keys. Who knows what he would have done with the Nintendo 64."

"He?" Peach asked.

"Hmm? Did you not see who stole the keys?"

"No, we saw them, but the creatures were all different. Who is 'he'?"

"Well, this is making even less sense now. Well, I guess the only way to explain this is to show you what the security cameras recorded." The screen then switched to a view of the complex that was holding the key in Pallette town. The view was from the ceiling looking downward and towards the wall in front, where two officers were standing on either side of a large vault door. Princess Peach turned the screen around so the rest could see.

A portal opened right in front of the vault door, and the officers immediately pulled out their guns and aimed it at the portal.

"Stop where you are!" One of the officers shouted. Someone had come through the portal, but the portal itself was blocking the camera's view of seeing who it was. A loud thud was heard, and the officer on the left fell to the floor unconscious. The other officer then opened fire on the intruder.

"What the?" The officer said in shock, but was then blasted by the intruder, which sent him flying down the hall. The intruder could be heard making a grunting noise, where soon after the vault door was ripped from the wall and thrown aside. The intruder walked in and the portal closed. All they could see was the intruder's feet as he stood inside the vault, but as he walked out and his face could be seen, everyone watching became shocked, but not anymore shocked then Link was.

"Gannondorf!" Link shouted as he slammed his fists into the table, his strength cracking the wood. "What's he doing here? He's supposed to be trapped in the Sacred Realm!" Link's shock had quickly turned to rage.

"Hey, put that back!" Everyone looked back at the screen. Someone else was confronting Gannondorf, but was outside of the camera's view.

"Was that Ash's voice?"

"Don't bother me, boy!" Gannondorf raised his arm towards Ash, and shot out a ball of purple energy towards him. They didn't see what happened to Ash, but they could clearly hear him scream in pain and Pikachu yelling.

Another portal then opened, and Gannondorf stood in front of it.

"Here," he simply said, tossing the controller in. The portal closed, but once it did, Gannondorf clenched his fist as evil energy surged through it. He then punched the air, ripping a hole between the dimensions. Gannondorf continued to pour energy into the hole until it became a stable portal, and he jumped in. The screen then switched back to Oak. Peach, with a hand over her mouth, asked hesitantly, "Ash…is he…."

"He's alive, thankfully." Oak said. The room seemed to collectively give a sigh of relief. "He barely made it though; he'll be in the hospital for a while."

"Grr, we have to do something now! With Gannondorf on the loose, Hyrule is in danger again!"

"Yes, Link, but we don't even know where he went." Zelda stated.

"This might be a good time to bring up my proposal." Shin said. Everyone turned their attention to him. "While I did come here to warn you of the coming danger, there's also a plan of action that I and the council put together." Shin paused for a moment, like he didn't want to say what was coming next.

"And that is?" Mario asked, raising an eyebrow. Shin sighed.

"I know I said earlier that we wouldn't bother you again, but we were hoping you could do us a favor. You see, we're currently in the process of forming alliances and peace treaties with other nations, in hopes of preventing abuses of power like before. We've already made peaceful agreements with some, but others are hesitant, and like with the Echnens, others are still hostile. We were hoping that you and your team, with the Nintendo 64, could help us with this work. Because many still fear us, we would like you to put in a good word. And, per chance, help us out with some of the hostiles, as our forces have been greatly reduced. The 64 being unavailable puts a wrinkle in the plan, but I'm sure we could work something out." Shin spoke to everyone in the room, with everyone looking intently, except Mario. Mario had happily protected his own land, but now his charity was running low, and he snapped. He quickly stood up, knocking his chair over.

"What is this, some sort of cruel joke? As soon as I relax from risking my life, time after time, something else comes up. First it was the Mushroom Kingdom, then it was Nintendo, and now I'm expected to save some alternate dimension! Where does it end? When can I just go back to being a plumber? Why do I have to be responsible for saving everyone?" Everyone was shocked to see Mario's anger; it was a side they've never seen. Shin lowered his head, regretting having asked such a thing. Luigi stood up and tried to place his hand on Mario's shoulder, but Mario put his hand up, refusing his brother's attempt to calm him.

Mario was about to go off on them again, but he heard a small pout. He looked at Peach, and tears were trickling down her face. She was trying to keep herself from crying, but she couldn't stop the tears. Peach's broken heart was like a cold slap to Mario's face.

"I'm…sorry. I guess this is just…my destiny."

"You're not alone, you know." Luigi said, gripping Mario's arm. "You know I'm always with ya! And these guys as well!"

"Yeah…I know."

"You do know why we're called heroes, right?" Link asked. "It's not simply because we save people's lives, but for what we stand for. People look up to us. They emulate us." Link's words stun a little, as Mario saw why he had hurt Peach. Mario looked at Peach, her tears having stopped now.

"I'm sorry, Peach, and shouldn't have lost my cool. Heh, I suppose I plumbing might even get boring compared to this stuff." Mario smiled a bit, and so did Peach.

"Shin, if you'll allow us to also search for the culprits that took the controllers, we'll help you out." Link said. Shin regained his composure.

"Yes, of course. If you'll all follow me to my ship, we can go over the details."

In a small hospital room, a young, white-haired boy laid in a hospital bed. He wasn't hurt, but was unconscious. A nurse carrying some paperwork work came into the room to check up on the boy. She wasn't sure why he was unconscious, but his health appeared to be just fine. As she looked down at his face, the boy snapped awake and quickly sat up, so much that the nurse jumped and dropped her folder.

"Yeesh, boy! At least you're awake now."

"Huh? How'd I get here?"

"You were lying unconscious next to that strange thing that came out of nowhere, so we brought you here."

"Wait, where's my Charizard?"

"We took it to the Pokecenter."

"Thanks. I'll have to go get him…." The boy's thoughts then wondered elsewhere. "Wait, if this is the hospital, then Ash must be here too!" The boy then leaped out of the hospital bed and hurried out of the room.

"Hey, come back here!" The nurse went after him, exiting the room. She then shouted to him across the hallway. "Wait, we have to make sure you're all right!"

"Don't worry, I feel fine! Thank you!" The boy shouted back. He walked down the hall, looking at the room numbers, only taking a few minutes to find the one that he had been told where Ash was. He opened the door to the room, walked in, and found Ash lying in the hospital bed, with bandages covering his arms, legs, and half his face. Ash turned his head to see who had walked in, and weakly smiled as he saw the white-haired boy.

"Max, it's good to see you."

"I came over as soon as I heard. How ya doing?"

"Heh, I've been better."

"Just what happened anyways?" Max asked.

"I was at home in Pallet Town when I heard the alarm go off at the warehouse that kept the controller, so I went to check it out. There was some guy who was stealing the controller so I tried to stop him, but he was too strong. He used some weird power on me and Pikachu that blasted me away. It was cold, but it burned like a fire."

"And you're lucky to be alive!" Professor Oak said as he walked in. "Do you have any idea who you were up against?"

"Uh, no."

"His name is Gannondorf, also known as the King of Evil. He once ravaged the Kingdom of Hyrule for several years before Link defeated him. It was foolish of you to confront someone like him!"

"But he was stealing the controller! I couldn't just let him take it!" Ash then started coughing as his raised voice stressed his body more than it could take in his state. Oak then sighed.

"I understand, but still." Oak then turned to Max.

"I apologize, but have I met you before?"

"No, my name's Max Thornton. Good to meet you!" Max stretched out his hand. Professor Oak smiled and shook the boy's hand.

"Ah, yes, Ash mentioned about you once. You met just a couple weeks after the Dimensional War, right?"

"Yes."

"Oh, that reminds me." Oak said as he turned back to Ash. "Aside from scolding you, there was another reason I came here."

"What's that?"

"Mario and the others have been asked by Shin to assist the Zox in resolving some conflicts with other races, and that invitation was extended to you."

"Ah! I should go!"

"Not in that shape! The doctor said you'll be bed-ridden for more than a week, and it will be some time after that before you're ready to do battle again."

"I can do it! Let me go in his place!" Max said. Oak was surprised.

"What? Are you sure? Do you even know what you're asking?"

"Yes! Ash told me about his adventures with the Heroes of Nintendo and his fight against the Zox, and with something that important, there's no way I can let Ash disappoint them!" Max said. Oak looked at Max and could see a fire in his eyes, the same kind of fire in Ash's eyes before a Pokémon battle. Professor Oak knew of the dangers, but he saw that there was potential in Max.

"Very well, you can take Ash's place."

"Thanks, I won't let you down!" Max then turned to Ash. "Hope you get well soon, Ash! I'll see you later!"

"Good luck!" Ash said, and then Max quickly walked out of the room. Oak then thought to himself as Max went off to prepare.

"You know, in some countries, I could probably be arrested for reckless endangerment; just can't seem to stop these boys. Oh well, might as well go help him get ready."

The sound of steady footsteps resounded through the dim cave, followed by the tapping of a wooden staff. An old, cloaked Echna walked down the tunnel towards the inner cave, using his staff as a cane. There was no direct sunlight, yet the cave seemed to glitter with faint light. The ground, walls, and even the ceiling were covered with black crystals, the light from the outside reflecting off of the crystals in all directions through the tunnel. The thickness and size of the crystals became larger the deeper in the Echna walked. Soon he approached the main cavern which was about the size of home. In here the black crystals were even larger, some even formed as stalagmites and stalactites, but the most noticeable feature was the single, giant cave pillar in the center formed from black crystals. The old Echna stopped at the pillar and bowed to it.

"I have returned, my Lord." The Echna said. Then, as if the cave itself were alive, two giant, glowing red eyes opened from the top of the crystal pillar. The eyes looked down at the Echna, and in a disembodied voice said,

"Show me the fruits of your labor." The deep voice echoed hauntingly through the cavern. Upon its command, the Echna reached his left hand into his cloak and pulled out a metal ring, with the three controllers hanging from it like a keychain.

"I'm afraid that only three of the prisoners were successful in obtaining the keys."

"Then you have failed me, old friend. Without all four, those keys are meaningless." The voice said, his disappointment echoing in the Echna's ears.

"Please, my Lord, forgive me. I know where the fourth one is, I can still retrieve it." The old Echna seemed quite troubled at the voice's disappointment.

"Do not bother. It looks like the Nintendo 64's power will not be needed after all."

"Your pardon? I thought you said you needed that power to aid in your energy supply?"

"I did, but with all the new planets we've drained, we're moving along much faster now. My new body will soon be ready. At the very least, the 64's power cannot be used against me."

"Ah, this is great news, my Lord. What may I do for you now, then?"

"There's a planet that has resisted the black crystals. I want you to go there with an army and crush the inhabitants. Kill them all, and take their precious energy."

"As you wish, my Lord."