"Waaaah…"

"Uhh… is everything okay, man?"

Spring Man and Isaac frowned at the lanky man sitting at the table. He didn't seem to pay the two any mind, instead choosing to glare out the door at passersby. "Look at them," he grumbled.

"...Look at who, exactly?"

Waluigi jerked a thumb in the direction of the hallway. "You know," he said. "Them."

Both the assistants poked their heads out the door to see what the man was talking about. To their left, Incineroar could be seen showing off for some of the younger Smashers, flexing his muscles. To the right, they could see Princess Daisy taking a walk with Luigi, clearly enjoying herself. And right in front of them, the water Pokémon Greninja was wiping some dirt off a framed portrait of Yoshi. The moment after he hung it back on the wall and walked away, a shoal of Inklings rushed past, one of them accidentally knocking it loose with their weapon and sending the portrait crashing to the floor. Greninja sighed and left to get a broom.

In other words, business as usual.

"...I don't get it," said Spring Man at last. "What am I looking for?"

"Isn't it obvious?!" said Waluigi, standing up. "Look at all of those nobodies waltzing around, when it should be me out there in the spotlight! Especially him," he added, pointing at a young man in a school uniform who was accompanied by a cat. "They'll pick any random schmuck that's got a fancy new gig, but not Waluigi…"

Spring Man simply looked even more confused, while Isaac just pinched the bridge of his nose. "This again…" he sighed.

"Yes, this again!" retorted Waluigi. By now, several other Assist Trophies, including Knuckles and a man with a ponytail wielding a katana, had paused their activities to listen to the purple man's lament. "Let me tell you a story. It all started—"

"Oh, jeez, here we go," said Knuckles, who had heard this story many times before.

"—a long time ago, in the last tournament. Waluigi was one of the top candidates to join the battle, you know. But who did they add? That space girl and all of Bowser's horrible children! And then they put Waluigi back on as a B-lister again! It's-a not fair! So then…"

Isaac had grown tired of Waluigi's bellyaching. He tuned him out and made his way toward the table where Knuckles was sitting. "This guy again, am I right?" he muttered.

"Indeed," sighed Takamaru, the katana-wielding man. "It seems that every day, his complaints grow worse and worse."

"Yeah, and it was even worse during the Olympics," sighed Knuckles, rubbing his temples. "Every other word out of his mouth was—" here, Knuckles put on his best Waluigi impression— "It was, 'it's-a not fair!' or 'everybody's cheating!' He's just such a drain, y'know? It's a wonder Mario and his friends even put up with him…"

Isaac stifled a giggle at Knuckles' imitation. "Was he this bad last tournament?" he asked.

Takamaru nodded solemnly. "I do remember he was very hostile towards the lady of the stars. Mercifully, nothing too bad happened between them. Of course, he tried it again later when the Koopa prince joined the tournament. He…" A small smile played on the samurai's lips. "His father nearly snapped him in two."

Both Isaac and Knuckles burst into giggle fits. Even the samurai, normally stoic and stalwart, had to hide his laughter behind his sleeve.

By now, Waluigi was finishing up his story. "And now, here I am, stuck in the dregs with the rest of you losers," he sighed. "This whole thing is a sham…"

"Are you quite done yet?" asked Hammer Brother, a Koopa soldier with a helmet on his head and a hammer in his hand. "We've heard this spiel like, seven times this week."

Waluigi sneered down at the turtle. "I'm just speaking the truth! Look at me, stuck here rotting and languishing with the lowest of the low! Why do I have to be stuck here with the likes of you?"

Isaac pouted as he turned in his chair to face the purple-clad man. "What do you mean, "the likes of us?" he asked warily.

"You know, the dregs. The refuse, the riff-raff, the underclass of this shindig," explained Waluigi. "In other words," he added in an undertone, "everyone else in this room."

"I heard that!" barked Knuckles. "Who are you calling the 'underclass'?! We've all been in plenty of adventures!"

"Indeed," nodded Takamaru behind the echidna. "In fact, most of us have been on more adventures than you."

Waluigi sneered. "Oh, really?" he scoffed. "Well, what about you? You haven't done anything since the eighties!" He pointed an accusing finger at Baito, who was standing by the coffee maker. "Or you!"

Baito blinked, clearly not expecting to be dragged into the discussion. "H-huh? Oh, hey, Waluigi. What did you need?"

"What kind of adventureshave you been on?!" asked Waluigi.

The rabbit was slightly taken aback. "Er… adventures? Well, I… I haven't been on an adventure, per se, but I ran the Badge Arcade with Nikki for a few years…"

"Really?" scoffed the purple man. "And how's that Badge Arcade holding up now?"

"It's, uh…" Baito seemed uncomfortable. "I mean, it's still going but… they stopped adding new badges to the rotation, so…"

"So," said Waluigi, his eyebrow raising and his lip curling, "you've been abandoned, then."

Knuckles pounded his fists together and started to stand up, but Takamaru put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Don't do anything foolish," whispered the samurai.

Baito looked down at the floor. "What do you mean, abandoned?" he asked quietly.

"I mean, let's look at the facts," replied Waluigi flippantly. "You've had exactly one measly gig that wasn't even a real gig, and didn't even bring in that much attention otherwise. Then they tried to bring in some new badges to pump some life into it, and, I will concede, it worked out okay. But then again, it was one of those—ugh!—microtransactions," he hissed. "And now look at you, running your measly little shop and barely scraping by as an assistant… If that doesn't scream abandonment, I don't know what does."

At this, Isaac slowly and deliberately got up. "Lay off him, Waluigi," he warned.

Waluigi simply scowled down at the boy. "Of course, the fellow reject comes to defend him."

Isaac simply crossed his arms over his chest and took a deep breath. "Look, man, it's just that… Baito is new, you know? It's not his fault his thing got shut down. The last thing he needs is your negativity souring things for him."

"Bah! I'm just speaking the truth!" spat Waluigi. "Him, you, that knucklehead—" he jabbed a thumb at Knuckles for emphasis— "you're all a bunch of damp squibs!"

There was a silence as everyone present paused to digest the man's words. "...A damp squib?" asked Baito, who was more confused than hurt.

"Who's calling people damp squibs?" came an unfamiliar voice.

Everyone present turned to face the source of the sound. A red bird had poked her head inside the main lounge, glancing contemptuously around the room.

"Wah? Who are you?" asked Waluigi.

"I should ask the same thing," replied the bird. "Banjo, get in here! Who are these guys?"

"Alright, I'm coming…"

Footsteps were heard just outside. The door opened, and a bear wearing shorts and a blue backpack walked in. From the honeycomb in his hand and the honey around his mouth, it seemed he was in the middle of a mid-morning snack. He seemed surprised to see such a colorful cast staring back at him, nearly dropping his honeycomb. "Ummm… hello," he greeted, awkwardly waving a paw. "Kazooie, who are they?" he whispered to the bird.

The bird, evidently Kazooie, shrugged. "Beats me." She turned to face everyone. "Who are you people? Are you new fighters or something?"

An ambiance of disappointment spread throughout the room, something that Banjo and Kazooie quickly picked up on. "No," said Takamaru at last. "This is the room for the Assist Trophies."

"Ohhh," said Kazooie, clarity crossing her face. "This is the place for the also-rans."

Banjo looked shocked. "Kazooie!"

"Hey, I'm just stating the facts, Banjo," said Kazooie with a shrug of her wings. She peered over at Knuckles. "See, look. Case in point. They let that no-hoper in here."

"E-excuse me?!" growled Knuckles, standing up. "Who are you calling a no-hoper?!"

"Well, I was aiming at you," smirked Kazooie, "but I feel like that goes for most of you, doesn't it?"

"Okay, Kazooie, I think that's enough," interrupted Banjo, looking nervously at the increasingly angry-looking crowd and feeling more and more like he'd rather be anywhere else. "I mean, they're not all no-hopers! Look at, uh, Krystal! She's one of our colleagues, remember?"

"Huh?" Kazooie craned her neck to get a better look at the vixen. "Wow, they actually plucked her offa that dinosaur planet? They musta dug deep for that." She turned back to the crowd. "So let's see, we've got a couple of no-hopers, some runners-up, small potatoes, a handful of has-beens, aaand...the ghosts from Pac-Man, I guess. And then there's you," she concluded, turning to the thin, wiry man at last.

"What about me?" hissed Waluigi. In the background, Banjo covered his face with a paw, silently praying a fight wouldn't break out.

"You, of course," replied Kazooie, simpering smirk creeping up her beak. "You, who's never had an adventure of your own, always being passed over in favor of the real VIPs… or a plant." The breegull leaned in close, close enough to lower her voice to a still-audible whisper. "The dampest squib of all."

Waluigi glared at Kazooie as though she was the proverbial doorknob that had snagged the headphones off his ears. "Why, you…!"

"Okay, I think that's enough," cut in Banjo, seizing Kazooie by her neck and shoving her inside his backpack. "I'm sorry for any frustration my friend has caused," he said, beginning to back away from Waluigi's angry glare.

Quick as a whip, Waluigi brandished his tennis racket. "You cheaters!" he yelled as he lunged towards the bear.

Luckily, Banjo was quick enough to avoid the initial swing of the tennis racket. He leapt back out of the room and bolted down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him. As he fled, Kazooie poked her head out to blow a parting raspberry at the group. "Have fun in the trash bin, washouts!" she called as Banjo turned a corner.

There was a tense, sullen ambience in the room. Everyone was shocked into silence. No one knew how to respond to Kazooie's mockery. At last, Starfy's voice cut through the quiet. "She… she didn't really mean it, did she?"

"Of course she meant it!" growled Waluigi. "Look at us! Stuck on the sidelines, while those overrated losers hog the spotlight! Well, I'm not like the rest of you. I'm actually an asset to this establishment! I'm-a gonna go show those losers what-for! Waaa!" And with that declaration, Waluigi stomped out, leaving his coworkers to ruminate on his words.

Waluigi's words had quite a lasting effect on the Assist Trophies. After his little outburst, it seemed that everyone was in a sour mood that day. Some of the more chipper assistants, like Starfy and Spring Man, were notably more sullen and glum, while the crabbier assistants like Shadow were even snappier than they usually were. As a matter of fact, when Samurai Goroh was summoned later that day, he wasted no time recklessly slashing not only at his opponents Shulk and Ganondorf, but at his summoner Ness as well, claiming that "the stage was too crowded". Not many people bought his claim (least of all Ness), but no one could prove it either.

At lunchtime, Knuckles walked up to where Isaac, Phosphora and Spring Man were sitting and slammed his tray of fruit salad on the table. He flopped down in his chair with a huff, crossing his arms.

"…Rough day?" supplied Spring Man.

"It's just… Waluigi's such a scumbag, y'know?!" grouched Knuckles. He picked miserably at an apple slice on his plate. "Like, we know that being an Assist Trophy is the worst thing that ever happened to you. We get it, alright?!"

Phosphora nodded in agreement. "I dunno how anyone's able to be in the same room as him for more than five seconds. He's like, every jerk we've ever known rolled into one!"

"He wasn't this bad back in the Brawl tournament," mumbled Isaac, idly picking at his food. "I mean, he was still a jerk, but back then, all that happened was that he had it out for Luigi."

"And now," said Knuckles, head in his hands, "he has it out for everyone else. I mean, seriously, who does he think he is, putting everyone down like that?"

Spring Man cleared his throat. "Well, I can't say I know him that well, but he definitely seems like a… like a jerk." His spiraled eyes were downcast. "Baito… Baito didn't deserve that." A hum of approval went through the table.

"Hey, are you guys talking about me?"

The rabbit in question was approaching their table. His normally light, upbeat steps were slow and plodding, and his ears were lowered in an uncharacteristic droop. He flopped down in the seat next to Knuckles and sighed deeply.

Knuckles looked over at the rabbit. "Hey, you alright?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'm… I'm okay." Baito's normally chipper voice was subdued and quiet.

"Hey, y'know, listen," began Knuckles. "Waluigi talks a big game about how he's so much better than everyone else, and how everyone else is just a bunch of cheaters, but y'know what? I know for a fact that he's just a self-important blowhard. Don't let 'im get to you."

"And you know what?" added Isaac. "So what if the Badge Arcade had microtransactions? Lots of people around here have done work with microtransactions!"

"Those are mostly, like… gacha games, though," said Phosphora, wrinkling her nose.

Everyone winced at mention of the genre. Nobody would dare appear in a gacha game if they could help it. Even some of the more unscrupulous among the Assist Trophies would balk at the offer of a gacha game, even if they were told it would be their key to fame. Isaac quickly realized that his statement wasn't as helpful as he thought it would be. "Yeah, never mind," he mumbled, turning his eyes to the ground.

Spring Man tried to change the subject. "At any rate, you certainly haven't been abandoned. Try to look towards the future! Let's see… maybe… maybe the higher-ups could retool the Badge Arcade to customize the Home Menu! I mean, who doesn't love badges? Am I right?" He glanced around at the others, expecting assent.

There was no response. Knuckles looked awkwardly away, while Phosphora picked at her sautéed fish. "I like badges," mumbled Isaac.

"Or, you know, umm…" Spring Man racked his brain for an idea. "Oh! I hear there's some really great opportunities in the Animal Forest! I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms!"

Baito briefly glanced at Spring Man. "Yeah, I guess," he said softly.

Spring Man nodded excitedly. Another idea suddenly came to him. Biting back a grin, he declared, "I'm sure they'd welcome you with open arms!" He stretched out his spring-like arms in a goofy flexing gesture.

Nobody laughed.

"Open arms." he repeated. "Arms. …'Cause I got… the arms."

"I get it," said Phosphora, only barely smirking.

"Anyways," said Isaac, eager to steer the conversation away from any more arm-related puns, "the point is, you haven't been abandoned. You're still running the Trophy Shop, right? The fact that you're here at all is proof that they saw something in you! And who knows? Maybe you could be a dark horse candidate for the next tournament!"

Phosphora pulled a hesitant face. "Ehhhh…"

"I mean, he could!" added Isaac hurriedly. "Just look at Richter! No one really expected him to get invited!"

"He… wasn't an Assist Trophy, though," replied Knuckles.

"Plus, I hear he's pretty prominent in some circles," added Spring Man.

"The point is," said Isaac, "Baito still has a chance to get in next time!"

Phosphora looked sideways at Isaac. "Again, ehhhh…"

Knuckles shot her a look. "Phosphora, come on."

"I mean, realistically, though!" she said defensively. "Like, I don't mean this in a mean way, but what makes Baito so special?"

"Guys, it's okay. I get it."

Everyone at the table paused to look at Baito. He hadn't spoken at all through the whole conversation. His face was dour, and his voice was low but plainly dejected.

"I get what you guys are saying. I know popularity isn't everything. I'm not about to pretend like I'm super legendary like Mario or Link. I consider myself really lucky to be here." Baito sighed lightly. "Anyways, I should… I should go get the Trophy Shop ready." With those final words, the rabbit got up and trudged away, with the other assistants looking sadly after him.

A heavy fog hung in the air.

The day's matches came and went in a whirlwind of activity and explosive crates. The assistants had headed back to the lounge to freshen up after dinnertime. But that evening was different. Instead of the laid-back, relaxed atmosphere that was normally present after dinner, there was a strained, uncomfortable silence as everyone busied themselves with their own affairs, giving each other a wider berth than normal. For Bomberman, the silence was unbearable.

"So!" he said, clapping his hands. "How was everyone's day today?" he asked the room.

The room didn't answer. The only sound was from Midna, quietly sipping her Pep Brew.

"Um… did you guys see that match between Peach and Samus today? That was… that was fun…" said the robot, his voice trailing off.

This time, Knuckles grunted in acknowledgement, staring off into space. Bomberman perked up a little. Okay, that was good! He was making progress! "Yeah, I sure hope they saved the replay for that one!" laughed the robot. "I, uhh… I sure hope I get summoned tomorrow!"

"Why? So you can get mauled again?" asked Ashley, not even bothering to look up from her cauldron.

"Er—" Bomberman was a little caught off-guard. It was true that he had gotten beaten up in the last couple of matches that he had been summoned, but he still managed to score a couple of points! He decided to change the subject. "I hear Snake is gonna fight Banjo and Kazooie tomorrow! Isn't that—"

This time, the silence was broken by Knuckles' sudden angry exclamation, making everyone jump. The echidna huffed and sat back down, muttering to himself. "Stupid bird… who's a no-hoper…"

Oh, yeah. That. Bomberman hadn't been present at the time, but he had heard of the conflict that had arisen when Kazooie had popped in for a visit. Based on eyewitness accounts, the bird had rather coldly slandered most of the assistants present, coming to a head when Waluigi had attacked. Speaking of which…

"Hey," said Bomberman out loud. "Where is Waluigi, anyway?"

The reaction was immediate. Ashley pounded on the rim of her cauldron, Midna threw her drink on the ground, and Knuckles slammed his fists on the couch, while Krystal just sighed loudly.

Bomberman looked surprised. "What? I was just asking where—"

Knuckles stopped him. "Don't… don't bring up that…" He paused, noticing that the young Starfy had wandered into the room. "That jerk," he finished.

"O-oh…" The robot guiltily looked down at the floor. He supposed that was to be expected. "Yeah, he's kind of a jerk."

"Waaaah…"

Like an unsightly worm in a seemingly delicious, juicy Gala apple, Waluigi suddenly appeared in the doorway. This time, he appeared even crabbier than usual, with gnashing teeth, clenched fists, and throbbing veins on his temples.

"See what you did?" said an exasperated Knuckles. "Speak of the devil, you know."

The purple-clad man said nothing as he stomped into the lounge and flopped down onto the couch, grumbling and muttering. "Everybody else gets a starring role, but nooo, not Waluigi. Never Waluigi…"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room. No one seemed willing to make the first move. At that moment, Baito walked in, wiping sweat from his brow. "Phew! What a day!" he yawned. "I must've gotten summoned like, twelve times today! And some of those were on that Dracula's Castle stage! I know I can't really get hurt in these matches, but those monsters really… really creep me out…"

Baito's voice trailed off as he glanced around the room, fully taking in the tired, irritated faces of his fellow assistants. He absentmindedly rubbed at his neck. "Umm… everything alright here?" he asked hesitantly.

"Oh, no, everything's fine," said Waluigi in a mock-jovial manner. "Everything's great. Wonderful, even. Everything's just hunky-dory!"

Baito was a bit taken aback by the sudden outburst. "You… you don't sound hunky-dory," he mumbled.

"Of course I don't!" shouted Waluigi, suddenly standing up. "It all started a long time—"

Waluigi's story was abruptly cut off by a purple bolt of light hitting him clean in the side of the head. Several people shouted in alarm. There was a burst of foul-smelling smoke, forcing everyone to cover their mouth, lest they inhale it and suffer the consequences. When the air had cleared, Waluigi was flat on the ground, lying face-down.

Except… he didn't really have a face to speak of.

Waluigi's entire head had been replaced by a large, fat-looking eggplant.

Baito's eyes were wide with shock. "Wh—?!"

"Ashley!" came the voice of Red. "Was it the eggplant spell again?!"

"Yeah." The witch gazed dispassionately at Waluigi.

Red appeared in a puff of smoke. "Jeez, Ashley, you gotta—" He stopped, noticing that Waluigi was touching his eggplant head, frantically searching for a face. "Oh, it was Wally?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, okay. Never mind, then." There was another burst of smoke, and Red was back in his scepter form.

"Y'know what, I'm gonna take this as an opportunity to hit the hay," said Knuckles, standing and stretching out his arms. "G'night, you guys."

One by one, the assistants plodded out of the main lounge and into their bedrooms. Spring Man, he noticed, had significantly less spring in his step. Waluigi waddled out the door, bumping his head on the doorframe in the process. The robot alone was left alone in his chair as a single lamp bathed the room in a warm light.

Bomberman sighed, resting his head in his hands. Things really were rough, it seemed. He understood that some people had a right to be bitter, but now it seemed like everyone was a little sour. He sat and looked at the moon outside, hanging lazily in the sky.

"Everything all right, Bomberman?" asked Baito.

Bomberman sighed again. "Not really, no." He turned to face the rabbit. "Listen, man, I'm… I'm sorry you had to see that."

"See Waluigi get an eggplant for a head?" asked Baito.

"What? No, I was—well, to be honest, yeah, that, too, but I was talking about what happened this morning with Waluigi and Kazooie. I wasn't there, but I heard."

Baito shook his head. "Nah, it's okay. I don't take those things too personally. Believe me, when the Badge Arcade was still open, I heard plenty worse." There was a heavy, thoughtful silence.

Bomberman put his hands behind his head. "Yeah. It's like there's a…" He paused, searching for the right words. "A… weird amount of… pessimism that people seem to have around here. Have you noticed that?"

Baito nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. Sometimes, I hear some guys talking about us around the water cooler. Stuff like 'the rejects' or 'that nobody over there'… or even 'that weirdo rabbit with the microtransactions'. And I'll be real with you, I don't really blame them for that last part."

Bomberman was quiet. His eyes fell to the ground. "...Oh," he said at last.

"But you know what bugs me the most?" continued Baito, staring up at the moon. "A lot of my colleagues around here will say that being an Assist Trophy is the worst thing that can happen to you. But I feel like they… they just can't see the forest for the trees. I mean, look around you! Mario is here! Pikachu is here! Sonic the Hedgehog is here! Pac-Man, Mega Man, and even you, Bomberman! I feel like this isn't just a tournament of the multiverse's greatest, this…" He motioned with his paws, unable to find the right words. "This is something more. Aren't they excited to be a part of all this?!"

Bomberman nodded sagely. "Yeah, I see what you mean. I just wish that other people saw it that way…"

"Mmm." Baito checked his watch. "Well, at any rate, I've gotta open the shop early tomorrow, so…" He took the robot's hand and shook it. "Take it easy, man." With those final words, the rabbit turned and left the room. The robot was now alone.

Bomberman let out a heavy sigh as he watched an ant crawl up the wall. Morale was really at an all-time low. Knuckles seemed miserable, Ashley was even grouchier than usual, and he hadn't even seen Isaac all day. Even Baito seemed a little down! What was he to do?

The robot trudged back into his bedroom and flopped down onto his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, as though doing so would give him an answer. The only thing it gave him was a headache. His mind drifted to the conversation he'd had with Lyn and Starfy all those weeks ago.

As long as you have loved ones, wherever they are, know that they're thinking of you… And when you have that, then you can do anything.

Bomberman thought of Planet Bomber, and the rest of the Bomberman Brothers. He thought it strange that they were referred to as such, despite the fact that two of them were girls. Then again, he supposed, it was probably like the Super Smash Brothers tournament he was in now.

The images of his siblings filled the robot's head as he closed his eyes. Red Bomber, who was always so fiery and passionate… he'd probably be psyched to be in a place like this. Yellow Bomber, always smiling, even if he had his head in the clouds most of the time… Pink Bomber, who was so bubbly and optimistic… if those three were here, maybe the other assistants wouldn't feel so down. Bomberman suddenly began to wonder how Chef Kawasaki was holding up; he hadn't heard from him in a while. The poor guy was probably being worked down to the bone!

What they needed, Bomberman thought, was a good pick-me-up. Something to lift everyone's spirits, a small breather from the stresses of the tournament. But what could he do…?

He knew that the manor had a couple of recreation rooms scattered around. Maybe he could do something there? Hmm…

…

…

"…That's it!"

Bomberman leapt up out of his bed, sat at his desk, and began to write. The night was still young, and the ideas were practically writing themselves. This was gonna be perfect! All he'd need to do was print some flyers out in the morning…

The next day, two specific Inklings, one clad in magenta and the other in green, were strolling down the hall, shooting the breeze with no clear destination in mind. The one in magenta was constantly glancing around with wide eyes, eagerly taking in all her surroundings. Her lime green-clad companion, however, was much less enthused, instead focusing on her phone.

"Hey, Marie?" asked the magenta Inkling.

"Yeah?" replied the green Inkling, not taking her eyes off her phone.

"You know werewolves?"

Marie stopped walking. "I'm sorry, what?" she said.

"You know, like werewolf-ism?" She hunched over and bared her teeth to illustrate.

Marie stared blankly at her. "That's lycanthropy, Callie," she said with a small smile.

"Yeah, that's the word!" replied Callie. "I was thinking, what if there was that, but with birds instead?"

Marie was silent. She seemed to ponder this scenario for a moment. "Hmmm… a werebird, huh?"

Callie nodded excitedly. "Yeah, like, would you be like, half-squid and half-bird, or would you just be a regular bird? Actually, now that I think about it, how would it even spread? Birds don't bite, as far as I know, so, like…"

"Well, you were the one that brought it up," replied Marie with a grin.

"Yeah, but—wait, what's that?" Something behind Marie had caught Callie's attention.

Marie turned around to see a cork bulletin board hanging on the wall. Stuck to the board was a colorful flyer, standing out among a sea of obsolete event notices and sticky notes with crude drawings on them. Both Inklings moved in closer to read it.

Bomberman's Blowout Bonanza!

Come have a blast, or simply relax!

All are welcome, from fighters to assistants to Final Smash helpers!

Located in Recreation Room B-3, West Wing

Saturday at 8 PM

The text was arranged to resemble a large, cartoony bomb.

Both Inklings stared as they took in the information. Marie was the first to speak. "This sounds really…"

"Cool!" finished Callie. "Marie, we should totally go."

"Ooooh, uhh…" Marie's face made an odd expression that was somewhere between hesitation and distaste. "You sure about that, Callie? I mean, 'Blowout Bonanza?' That title's really… how do I put this…" She fumbled for the right word. "Stupid."

"Oh, come on, it's a cute name! Look, 'have a blast'! That's hilarious! We should go to this thing!"

"Nah," said Marie, turning away.

"Come on," said Callie, positioning herself in front of her cousin. "Please?" she asked, putting on her best pleading face.

Marie was not taken in so easily. "You're gonna keep doing that until I say yes, aren't you?" she asked.

"Pretty much, yeah," shrugged Callie, still keeping the pleading face.

"Uuugh, fine," relented Marie, rolling her eyes. "But if it's lame, I'm bailing."

Elsewhere, Bomberman was quite busy indeed, putting up his flyers in every room he could reach. From the gym to the billiard room, to the cafeteria, to the trophy shop, a flyer could be seen hanging on the wall.

Bomberman was about to hang up another flyer in the library, but his hand slipped and it flew out of his hands. Mentally cursing the lack of fingers on his build, he put down the stack he had in his other hand to look for it. Just as he was about to pick it up, another hand plucked it off the ground from behind a bookshelf.

"Hmmm, what do we have here? Let's see… 'Blowout Bonanza', huh?"

A pink robot with an oblong head floating above his torso and hands with no visible arms was holding the paper, scratching his head. He was reading the flyer in a scrutinizing manner before noticing Bomberman standing in front of him. "Is this yours?" he asked.

"Hey, Sukapon," said Bomberman, offering a small wave in greeting. "Yeah, I'm setting something up soon. Do you wanna come?"

"Ha! Boy, do I!" Sukapon nodded, pointing at the flyer. "I mean, just look at that pun! 'Have a blast'! Hilarious!"

"I know, right?!" said Bomberman. "Gosh, it's so nice to meet someone who gets it, y'know?" As the two robots laughed over wordplay, a thought suddenly came to Bomberman. "Wait a minute, Sukapon. You… you're a comedian, right?"

Sukapon stood up a little straighter and held his floating head a little higher. "Sure am! After all, I was literally built for stand-up!"

"That's perfect!" said Bomberman, clapping his spherical hands. "Sukapon, you can be our entertainment that night!"

"R-really?" Sukapon stammered. "You want me at this shindig? Well, gosh, I'd love to! Luckily for you, I thought up a whole slew of jokes for just such an occasion! I'll gladly lend a hand for ya!" he added, waving around one of his floating hands.

Bomberman laughed. "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! Bring some more of that on Saturday!"

As Sukapon left, Bomberman couldn't help but smile as his mind buzzed with ideas and anticipation. Sukapon was going to be a great opener! He'd put up flyers all over the place, so at least like, seventeen or eighteen people would show up. Plus, they could have a movie night, or play some Mario Kart, or even just sit and talk!

But first, he'd have to get some snacks! After all, snacks were probably the most important part of any party! He hoped that Chef Kawasaki would be willing to lend him something… Gosh, this was gonna be great!

The week passed in a whirlwind, and before anyone knew it, the weekend had arrived. On Saturday night, Bomberman was ready, with an assortment of chips and dips in bomb-shaped bowls, a fountain borrowed from Chef Kawasaki, and a fair amount of company consoles hooked up to a television. So far, everything was going great! All that was left to do was wait…

He didn't have to wait too long, for there was a distinct tappa-tap-tap at the door, just as he was getting out the fancy beverages. "Be right there!" said Bomberman as he jogged towards the door.

It was Sukapon, wearing a lavender bowtie on the top of his floating torso and looking quite nervous. "...Too much?" he asked, wringing his hands.

"No, no, it's fine," said Bomberman. "It's great. Come on in! Have something!"

"Man, oh, man… I'll admit, I'm a little nervous about this," said Sukapon as he placed a few barbeque chips on a paper plate. "I mean, this is the first time I've done this in what, twenty-seven years? What if I've gotten rusty?"

"Hey, you'll be fine!" reassured the white robot. "This is just a small thing between friends, so it's not like it'll make or break your career. Here, lemme hear some of what you got."

"Well… okay," said Sukapon. He straightened up and cleared his throat. "Hey, everyone, you ever been to that Pokémon Day Care? Yeah, I heard they got a new low cholesterol Pokémon… Butterfree!"

"Ah-ha! That's great! Low cholesterol…" laughed Bomberman. "Although… that one sounds kinda familiar…"

"Familiar?! You mean you've heard it before?!" cried Sukapon. He sank to the floor in despair. "Oh, man… I really am gettin' rusty…" he moaned.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay! You're fine!" stammered Bomberman. Just then, another knock at the door called for his attention. "Coming!" said the robot as he hurried towards the door.

This time, Baito was standing there, dressed in his usual attire. "Hey, am I late? Did you guys start without me?"

"Oh, no, we were just getting started! Come on in!" replied Bomberman. The rabbit obliged, trotting over to the snack table and sampling some of the chips.

"Thank goodness! When I saw that flyer, I spent all night trying to make the perfect mixtape!" He took out a small flash drive from his pocket.

"Oh, did you?" asked Bomberman. This was going better than expected! "Well, what are you waiting for? Put on some tunes!"

Baito took out a laptop and plugged the flash drive in. He tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and peppy orchestral music filled the room:

"Saiko boru ga hikari hanachi,

Atena no sugata terashidasu no…"

"Oh, is that the new remix?" asked Bomberman. "I love that song!"

"Saiko pawa o kokoro ni himete,

Hateshinai michi o hashiru,

Ima wa mou aosora mienai kedo…"

Baito plucked out a microphone from his pocket and began to sing:

"Fire! Fire! Psycho Soldier!

Fire! Fire! Psycho Soldier!"

Sukapon stared at Baito with wide eyes. "Wow, I didn't know you could sing like that!"

Baito bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "Haha! Well, you know… Oh! By the way, did you know that this is the first game song to have lyrics?"

As the second verse began, Bomberman caught the sound of a light rapping at the door. "Just a second!" he called as he rushed towards the door.

The Squid Sisters were standing in the doorway, with Callie wearing a simple pink beanie and matching hoodie, while Marie had on a light green cap and shirt combo.

"Surprise!" said Callie, striking her iconic pose. "I hope we're not too late! I heard the music so I thought you were holding a concert without us!" Marie, who so far hadn't bothered to look up from her phone, simply offered a half-hearted wave in response. It was very clear to Bomberman which of the two was more enthused about the get-together.

"Hey, so glad you could make it!" greeted the robot with a smile. "We were actually just getting started when Baito brought his mixtape in! There's some refreshments in the back if you need anything!"

"Yeah, I'd love some! See, Marie?" nudged Callie to her cousin. "And you said this party was gonna be lame!"

"I'm still not convinced," said Marie, finally putting away her phone as she walked over to the couch.

"…Okay. Have fun." Bomberman was a little put down by her comments, but he remained undeterred. The Blowout Bonanza was going great, regardless of what Marie or anyone else said!

"Oh, by the way," said Callie as he piled her plate high with jalapeno chips, "I hope you don't mind if I invited a couple of people along."

"No, no, that's fine. That's great, actually!" said Bomberman. "It's like they always say, the more the merrier!"

In waddled Starfy, smile as wide as ever, gently bobbing to the music. "Hi, Mister Bomberman!" waved the star creature. Behind him, Knuckles and Takamaru padded into the room, the latter's hand drifting towards his katana. When the samurai glanced at Sukapon, he seemed to relax a bit.

"Hey, Starfy!" Bomberman knelt down and low-fived the little star.

Takamaru glanced around the room, at Sukapon looking through some note cards he had brought, at Baito clicking through his laptop to choose another song, and at Callie stuffing her face by the snack table. "If I may ask," he whispered to Bomberman, "what, exactly, is the purpose of this 'Blowout Bonanza'?"

"Hmm? Well, you see, I've noticed that a lot of people, like most of the Assist Trophies are just, weirdly… bitter about the tournament recently," explained the robot. "So I figured I'd try to cheer everyone up with a party!" He gestured around the room. "Y'know, a way to lift everyone's spirits!"

"I see," said Takamaru, looking around the room. "A respectable goal, I suppose."

"Yup!" nodded Bomberman. "No negative vibes allowed here!"

"Waaah!"

"Oh, come on."

Like a horrid, mustachioed roach in an otherwise lovely fruit cobbler, Waluigi popped into the doorway, now seventy percent less eggplant. Any and all activity died on the spot as he stomped into the rec room, his trademark scowl as unpleasant as ever. He paid no mind to the unimpressed looks sent his way. "What's this I hear about a shindig?" he asked the room.

Bomberman, picking up on the obvious tension in the room, stepped forward. "Hey, Waluigi. It's a party I'm holding to—"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," interrupted Waluigi, twirling his mustache. "I read your dumb flyer. I just came along 'cause I didn't have anything better to do." He shoved past Callie towards the snack table and began to pile his plate high with salt and vinegar chips. "Oh yeah," he added through a mouthful of food, "I brought a guest."

A shiver went through the other assistants. Who would be awful (or unlucky) enough to attend any social gathering with Waluigi? As they pondered this question, the realization hit Bomberman like one of his own misplaced bombs. His skin prickled with irritation and a sudden weight made itself known in his core. Indeed, he could think of only one person that could tolerate Waluigi for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time, and it could only be…!

"Wahahaha! It's-a me, Wario!"

Wario, clad in his classic yellow shirt and purple overalls, appeared in the doorway, much like a swarm of wasps would appear during a lovely picnic. But for Bomberman, the key difference was that wasps at least were valuable to gardens as biological pest control, whereas Wario provided no such benefit. And from the looks of things, his guests weren't terribly enthused about the new arrival either.

But Wario paid them no mind as he strutted towards the snack table, his large rear end swinging from side to side. He plunged his (thankfully) gloved hand directly into the bowl of onion and garlic flavored chip and poured them into his mouth, loudly chewing and making noises of pleasure as he did so.

"Oh, cod, no," said Marie, getting up and walking towards the exit.

Knuckles leaned over to whisper to Bomberman. "I know you had good intentions and all, but… why them?!" he hissed.

"I didn't invite anyone, per se," replied the robot, feeling the energy drain out of him as he watched Waluigi double dip his vinegar chips. "I left it open to all that were willing to come."

Starfy, the only one seemingly not bothered by Wario and Waluigi's presence, toddled up to the yellow-clad man. "Hi, Mister Wario! It's me, Starfy!"

"Eh?" Wario looked down at the star-creature staring up at him. "Oh, hey, kid." He offered Starfy some chips. "How's life been treatin' you?"

Bomberman couldn't believe what he was seeing. Starfy, so young, so innocent, walking up to Wario as though they were old friends? And Wario, so greedy, so crude, was actually being nice to him?! What was going on here?! He glanced at Knuckles, who seemed just as shocked as he did, eyes wide and jaw hanging to the floor. No, no, something was up. He had to get to the bottom of this.

"Excuse me!" he said, marching over to where Wario stood. "Wh—what's going on here?!"

Starfy looked inquisitively at the robot, while Wario simply sneered at him. "Whaddya want, Bomb Boy?" asked Wario disdainfully.

Bomberman glared at the man before taking a deep breath. "Wario. Starfy. How do you two know each other?"

"Oh! Oh!" Starfy jumped up and down eagerly. "He's my friend! He helped me save Pufftop once! And he shared some of his treasure with me!" He took out a copy of Wario's hat and placed it on his head. "It's-a me!" he imitated, stubby arms akimbo.

"Wahahaha! Excellent fashion sense!" laughed Wario. "Yeah, that was a good one."

Bomberman found himself struggling to parse this new information. Friends? From what he had heard, Wario only had a few friends, separate from Mario's usual crew. Helped him? Wario only ever helped anyone if he got something out of it. Sharing his treasure? Wario was loath to share anything, let alone treasure.

"Really?" said Bomberman after some time. "That's, uh, that's very interesting."

Wario took a swig of cherry soda as he fixed Bomberman with an odd stare. "What's your problem?" he asked. "Jealous that the kid likes me better?"

"Hrmm! You would say that!" grumbled Bomberman. "As if you didn't try to invade Planet Bomber!"

Wario's face went blank. "What?"

"Oh, don't pretend like you don't know!" retorted Bomberman. "You discovered a portal to my world and tried to plunder it for all it was worth!"

"…Hmm." The gears were slowly turning in Wario's head. "Oh, yeah! Now I remember! It was the same type of deal with Yoshi and those girls from Popples…"

"Well?" said Bomberman, tapping his foot. "Are you going to explain yourself or what?"

Wario shrugged. "Eh, it was a contractual obligation. Lemme tell ya, the nineties were a wild time for everyone…"

"And you didn't have any ulterior motives for helping Starfy?!" Bomberman was nearly at the end of his wits.

"They were trying to clean up Wario's image. Make me less of a bad guy and more one of those anti-heroes, eh? What can I say? I'm a complicated guy." As Wario was about to take another bite of dip, an up-tempo pop song began to play from the speakers. "Ooh, this is my jam! Watch out!" He abandoned his snacks and picked up a microphone, ready to croon to lyrics he only knew halfway.

"I…" Bomberman's eye twitched involuntarily. "But—you—seriously? That's it? Contractual obligations?!" Suddenly, he felt the urge to take out a Power Bomb and watch him go up in smoke.

As Bomberman huffed and puffed, Takamaru gently pulled him aside. "I believe you said something about 'no negative vibes allowed'?"

The robot sighed. "Yeah, I guess…" As he surveyed the rec room, most of his anger was already starting to melt away. Baito was clearly enjoying his role as disc jockey, Marie had drifted back to her seat on the couch, and even Waluigi seemed like he wasn't miserable and grouchy for once! He had nothing to worry about after all!

As the last strains of "That's Paradise" faded out, Bomberman stood up straight and tapped on a glass for attention. "Excuse me! Hello! We've got a great surprise tonight!"

"A surprise?" repeated Starfy. "I like surprises!"

"Well, then," chuckled Bomberman, "you're gonna love this one! Put your hands together for the comedy stylings of our very own Sukapon!"

Applause filled the room as the pink, limbless robot shuffled to the makeshift stage at the front. He appeared very nervous, adjusting his tie and mopping at his brow. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Howdy, everyone! How're we doin' tonight?"

"Hi, Mister Sukapon!" called Starfy from the crowd.

"Thank you, you're too kind," responded Sukapon. "Boy, that Chef Kawasaki, huh? Let's hear it for him." Some scattered applause went through the room. "Yeah, that's right. I heard he's teaming up with the folks at the Pokémon Day Care for a new low fat Pokémon… Butterfree!"

There was a long silence that lasted only a couple of seconds, but to a comedian like Sukapon, it may as well have lasted for hours. "Bu… butter free…" he repeated weakly.

At last, Starfy laughed, a genuine high-pitched laugh that only a child could produce. "Ahahaha! Butter free!" he said, clapping his hands.

Sukapon smiled. Okay, he made a kid laugh. Good start, good start! "And speaking of Pokémon," he continued, "just today, Mega Man was in a tough spot in his bout with Roy. Yeah, high damage 'n everything. And to make matters worse, Roy threw a Poké Ball with that red bug Pokémon in it!"

"Scizor!" called Starfy.

"But you know, he ended up alright. Yeah, that bug didn't even touch him. 'Cause y'know, rock beats Scizor."

More laughs, this time from Starfy, Bomberman, and Callie. Waluigi, however, was much less amused. "Booo!" he heckled. "Get better material!"

Better material, eh? Sukapon was in the zone now. "Come to think of it, couple weeks ago, we celebrated Dr. Emon's birthday. Oh, you know, nothing too fancy, just a simple party with a simple cake. I can still remember the look on his face as I handed him his fiftieth birthday card." Sukapon sighed wistfully. "He looks at me, single tear down his cheek, and you know what he says to me?"

Everyone leaned in.

"He looks at me, he looks at his fiftieth birthday card, and he says, 'Oh, Sukapon… you only had to give me one!'"

This time, there was a much stronger reaction, with Marie snorting into her drink while Wario cackled raucously. Sukapon paused to wait for the laughter to die down, then cleared his throat. "Actually, another thing. A couple days ago, a sandwich walked into a bar, and the bartender said, 'Sorry, we don't serve food in here.'"

The audience was silent. A cricket could be heard chirping from a corner.

Sukapon wiped at his forehead. "Gosh, is it solipsistic in here or is it just me?"

One person laughed. To everyone's mild surprise, Waluigi was doubled over in his chair, crowing with his signature nasal laughter. Indeed, it was the first time anyone had seen him properly enjoy himself.

Once he had calmed down, he glanced around at everyone staring at him. Knuckles in particular was looking at him as though he'd grown a second head. "What? It's a joke about solipsism! You don't know? The philosophical idea that only the self is guaranteed to exist! Thus, 'is it solipsistic or is it just me'!"

The room was dead quiet. Even the cricket had stopped.

"Wehh," muttered Waluigi with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I wouldn't expect you losers to understand, anyways."

"Hey, what's the difference between Waluigi and an I-block?" said Sukapon. "One is tall, skinny, and an underestimated part of this establishment, with a colorful personality to match… and the other is Waluigi!"

The entire room erupted into unrestrained boisterous laughter, with Marie spitting her drink all over Callie, Takamaru nearly falling out of his chair, and Knuckles pounding the floor with his fists, making the whole room shake. Waluigi was most unamused, crossing his arms and gritting his teeth. To his dismay, he found that Wario of all people was laughing the loudest of all! "Hey! What are you laughing at?!" he asked of his yellow-clad companion.

"He got you!" chortled Wario, wiping a tear from his eye. "He completely got you!"

Sukapon grinned as he took in the mirth. "Anyways, folks, you know the—"

"What's going on here?"

Everyone in the room turned to face the source of the voice. A cat, standing on two legs and wearing a yellow bandana was standing in the doorway.

"Umm… hello," waved Bomberman awkwardly. "You here for the Bomb Bash Bonanza?"

The cat sneered. "Is that what it's called?" He looked disdainfully around the room. "So what is this, some kind of pity party?"

Bomberman suddenly felt a horrible weight in the pit of his stomach. Oh, no. Not again, he thought.

"Uhhhh… no," said Knuckles hesitantly, as though he knew that the cat would be trouble. "Bomberman put this together so that we could all—"

"So you could all what?" said the cat. "Get together and feel bad for yourselves?" He snatched a plastic cup off the table and scooped up a large helping of chips with it. "Because honestly, I don't blame you guys."

The previously merry mood had disappeared, leaving a tense air in its wake. Waluigi slowly stood up, scowl deepening. Off to the side, Bomberman prayed he wouldn't do anything stupid. "What do you mean by that?" asked the wiry man.

"Isn't it obvious?" smirked the cat, scooping up some dip with his snack. "You guys're the Assist Trophies. You're the Z-listers of this whole thing." He took a bite of his chip, then used that same chip to go for another dollop of dip. "Unlike me, of course."

Waluigi glowered down at the cat, recognizing him from earlier that week. "Oh, really?" he snarled.

Already, the tension was running high, and Bomberman knew it. As Waluigi began to step closer, Bomberman quickly dashed in between them to keep them separate. "Wow, that's really interesting!" he interrupted in an attempt to defuse the situation. "Anyways, you're welcome to stay and—"

But to his surprise, the cat shoved the robot aside, sending him toppling to the floor. "Stay out of this, has-been. This is between me and the beanpole."

At this, Knuckles stood up. "What's your deal?!" he asked fiercely. "Who even are you, anyways?"

"Oh? You don't recognize me?" sneered the cat. "What, have you been living under a rock or something? Name's Morgana. But I wouldn't expect people like you to know, anyways. It's okay. I'm clearly out of your league."

Not even three minutes, and he was already challenging Waluigi for the title of most repulsive person in the room! Morgana went on. "I mean, let's be reasonable here. Our adventure is famous and super influential. People have been saying it's one of the greatest RPGs of our time. Hell, look at how we get treated here. A new stage, a bunch of music—they had the band record three different victory fanfares, y'know!—and even a bunch of costumes for those Mii guys! Yep, we sure got the VIP treatment! And you guys…" His disparaging gaze passed from the crowd to the limbless robot at the front of the room. "Well, they call you guys rejects for a reason."

Bomberman sat up, glaring at the cat. "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," he said slowly and carefully.

"Yeah, the truth hurts, doesn't it, has-been?" said Morgana, rounding on Bomberman. "You're one of the oldest people here, right? Well, old-timer, let's be real here: there's a good reason they had you on as just an Assist Trophy. You just don't have the status, like I do. You might've had some decent stuff like, twenty years ago, but have you really done anything important since then? I know you don't want to admit it, but—"

"You're wrong."

It was Baito, stepping out from behind his laptop. There was an uncharacteristically fiery look in his eyes. Morgana peered at the rabbit for a moment. "What did you say?" asked the cat.

"I said, you're wrong," repeated Baito. "About Bomberman, and about everyone here. He's just as much a superstar as Mario or Link."

Morgana was still unimpressed. "Oh, so now the rabbit with the microtransactions is gonna preach to me. That wasn't even a real game!"

Baito was undeterred. "Maybe… but all the same, they still chose me to be an assistant for the fighters. I may not be a real Smasher, but I still have a place here!"

Morgana gave him a sardonic stare. "God, that was cheesy."

"But it's the truth." Bomberman now stood up, frowning at the cat before him. "For starters, lemme correct you by saying yes, I have been on a recent adventure. I had to save the galaxy from the Buggler Army—"

"A one-off revival," countered Morgana.

"And you know what? People loved it!" continued Bomberman. "And, sure, I would've loved to become a Smasher, but being an assistant is great, too! 'Cause I'm still here! I'm still a part of all this! This is more than just a tournament starring a bunch of heroes from all over, this is… this is a celebration of legends. And if I'm here—if we're here," he said, gesturing to everyone in the room, "what does that make us?"

"Sorely mistaken," muttered Morgana with a roll of his eyes.

"No!" came a small voice. Starfy waddled out of the crowd, a determined frown on his face. He marched up to face Morgana directly. "It means we're all superstars, too!"

"Starfy's right," said Knuckles, coolly striding up to face the cat. "We might not have leading roles, but we are still an important part of this. Everyone contributes to make this place what it is."

Takamaru walked up beside the echidna. "And if you think you can come in here and tell us that we are somehow less deserving than anyone else, you are sorely mistaken."

Starfy nodded. "Everyone here is a superstar! Like Mr. Sukapon!" A cheer went through the crowd as Sukapon bashfully adjusted his tie and waved.

"Mr. Baito!" Another cheer sounded as Baito posed proudly, clapping his ears together.

"Knuckles!" The echidna grinned and flexed his arms, making shadowboxing movements.

"Mr. Waluigi!" called Starfy. The man in question stepped forward, ready to absorb the praise that he so rightfully deserved.

Exactly three people cheered, namely Starfy, Callie and Wario. Waluigi huffed, clearly expecting more. "Hey, what gives?"

Morgana simply scoffed. "Well, if you ask me, you're all idiots for thinking you're actually important."

Starfy blinked. "But we didn't ask," he said innocently.

Wario, who had been quietly observing these events from the side, burst into laughter. "Wahahaha! He's startin' to take after me!" There was some scattered laughter.

Morgana bristled. "Y-yeah, well… I'm the one that brought in the hype! At least I got picked because I have what it takes!"

"…You didn't," said Knuckles. "You're just part of that kid's Final Smash, aren't you?"

Morgana snarled at the echidna. "Better than being an Assist Trophy from some washed-out series that was never—"

Morgana was quickly interrupted by Knuckles' fist colliding with his face at high speeds, faster than anyone could react. He whizzed through the air and out of the room, nearly getting embedded into the wall outside.

Knuckles slammed the door shut. "Serves him right." There was now a profound, somewhat disconcerting silence.

"Well, anyways…" Baito slipped back behind the laptop and pressed a few keys on the keyboard. Music began to fill the air.

Take off at the speed of sound,

Bright lights, colors all around,

I'm running wild, living fast and free,

Got no regrets inside of me…

Bomberman observed the partygoers, laughing and making merry with each other. A feeling of great pride welled up deep in his chest. Look at everyone getting along so well! Even Waluigi seemed to be enjoying himself, laughing as Wario spilled punch on himself! Satisfied, he plopped down on the couch next to Marie.

"...It was a nice speech," said Marie after a pause.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks." Bomberman kicked his feet over the cushion.

"It really was," said Takamaru from behind the two. He sat down on the armrest, causing the couch under the newfound weight. "Truly inspiring. I'll admit that I didn't consider myself to be legendary at all, but after that…" He stared off into space. "It makes me want to fight ever further, if that makes sense."

Marie nodded. "That cat guy was a jerk. I know he said most of that stuff was cheesy, but it came from the heart. I can tell." She glanced at Callie, who was singing lyrics she only somewhat knew with Starfy. "Kinda refreshing, actually."

Bomberman smiled. "See, that's what I'm aiming for! I'm glad people are feeling a little better about this whole thing. And you know what? Next time we get summoned, we'll show 'em what we can really do! We'll blow them out of the water!"

Nobody laughed.

Bomberman rubbed the back of his head. "O-or not…"

Marie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah, maybe leave the jokes to Sukapon."

The party went on, the assistants reveling into the wee hours of the morning.

Author's Notes: I've had this one on the backburner since October. Of course, I did have to change a few things since then...

I do like exploring the worldviews of these characters, but I also like just having them relax without the stresses of the tournament. I'm trying to achieve that balance.