Round 1

Ness vs. Captain Falcon

Ness, bashfully rubbing the back of his head, dominated the screen. Notable were the highlights of Ness' losses, different from the other video packages which focused on their career highlights, even if there wasn't exactly a bevy of footage to work with.

"So, that video package," Nikki began, Ness now in the interview chair, "You requested I make your video package that way for you, why?"

Ness looked downcast, shifting his gaze away from the camera.

"Motivation I guess. All the other Smashers, they age, grow up, go on new adventures. I feel like I get called back every month, Smash being outside of time and everything. But like…why? I've never won, and even though I'm not the only guy in that boat, they at least do new shit occasionally you know?"

There was a pause, Nikki going for the jugular with motherly love, "But that isn't what you've been telling your friends is it?"

"No," was Ness' barely audible response.

"I thought not, though I understand."

"Yeah. I mean, showing weakness is like being chum in shark-infested waters," nodded the Onettian

"Right, but tell me what you're thinking about going into your match with Captain Falcon?"

Ness blushed. "I'm…a little embarrassed to admit it, but my heart sunk when I realized how things were being drawn up. The Captain's been like the older cousin I never had. He's a hell of a fighter, one of the best I've ever seen do it, but I've got to win. Do you understand me Nikki, Falcon? I HAVE to win!"

"It…it seems inappropriate to tack on additional anxiety, ask who you want to fight and whatnot."

"Oh no, it's fine," Ness blurted, sounding worried, "Dream scenario is that I get to fight all my friends I've been training with, make it up to them for lying to them, and kick Porky's ass again in the final."

"I appreciate your motivation, Ness. That's all I've got, thank you for your time and…sorry that all had to come out."

Ness shook his head.

"Oh no," he said again, "I needed to get that out,"

With that, like so many others before him, he shuffled his way out of the interview area.

"Happy to help," Nikki called after him, the screen transitioning to Captain Falcon's graphic.

The brief "Show me ya moves" salute over with, his highlights played, almost exclusively well-timed Falcon Punches and Lightning Knees. The Falcon who sat in the interview chair however looked stern, solemn, perturbed, a deep frown on his face.

"Miss Nikki, would it be too much trouble to ask if I got the floor first?"

"Oh, um…not at all." Nikki stammered.

Falcon stood up, spinning the interview chair around, and sitting in it backward, his chin leisurely rested upon the headrest.

"You know, history'd show I was a standout in the old days. Semifinalist in The 12 and in Melee. Then I underestimated Olimar in Brawl, and I got stomped. Then in Duel, I gave it my all against Sonic but still lost. Both round one loses. So, here I am in Ultimate, thinking that I could start a new, and I must admit, when I saw my opponent was you, Ness, my heart broke. I've never had a son, but you're the closest I've ever been to it. It's been a marvel watching you take in lessons from each loss, even though it must be a short amount of time in your world. I watched back the Subspace War stuff I wasn't there for. You faced down Wario to save a friend with no hesitation. I couldn't have been prouder of you. But, I also see you."

Falcon paused, his lip uncharacteristically quivering.

"I see you shooting longing glances at the win screens when they see you popping up. I see you distracting yourself, bein' the de facto leader of the kid Smashers. And I don't say that to call you out kiddo, because I see you in me. I distract myself as well, being a superhero to not only the people in the Galactic Federation but the kids around here that are new, Torri, Quinn. I too long for that winner's podium. Hell, do you remember why we bonded in the first place? We bonded because we were both in ruts before Master Hand picked us up for the first time. And, while I'd be honored for you to be the one to ground The Falcon forever because Lord knows you can do it."

Falcon laughed, "If you can take out Giygas, you can take out this old man,"

\ Now, Falcon snapped back to a frown.

"But I warn you I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. See you out there, my son."

Falcon abruptly stood, marching out of the interview room.

"An intense interview from Captain Falcon and Ness." 9-Volt said, All that's left, is to get a prediction from the one and only Oracle herself."

"WOMBO COMBO!" she cheered, "Cap's got this."

"Alright, let's throw it down for entrances." nodded Cranky.

Dramatic string instruments same gave way to strange chimes, which were soon replaced with electric guitar and bass.

I believe the morning sun always gonna shine again and
I believe a pot of gold waits at every rainbow's end, oh
I believe in roses kissed with dew
Why shouldn't I believe the same in you?

Ness appeared out of the tunnel, pointing his bat at the crowd, jogging to center stage.

"And as usual," 9-Volt began, "Ness comes out to I Believe in You (Polyanna) by Catherine Warwick, the number one song on the Onett charts in summer 1994."

"Or as Smash fans know it, the bathroom breaks national anthem," Cranky grumbled.

"Cranky! Ness is a helluva fighter!" 9-Volt snapped.

"And the record book says he stinks, like the trash marketing for his game!" Cranky snapped back, pausing to cackle at his joke.

Ness had just made it to the center when a different arrangement of guitars hit. Ness turning his back and bowing his head in concentration

In this world, you've got to be strong.

You've got to fight to keep your spirit alive.

And you might feel like there's nothing left to go for if I fall.

But it's the fight that keeps us ready and on guard.

Even I can feel the power
When I think of him I see no fear.
Feel no pain.

As the refrain of Captain Falcon's F-Zero GX theme blared, The Blue Falcon itself zoomed out of the tunnel, screeching to a halt a few feet away from center stage. The cockpit slowly opened, Captain Falco strode wordlessly the rest of the way.

"Falcon forgoing the usual high adrenaline ejection entrance," 9-Volt explained.

"I don't think this is a high adrenaline occasion," said Cranky, his voice uncharacteristically solemn.

"Yeah…I guess not," agreed 9-Volt.

Immediately, Ness closed his eyes, letting go of all his senses in the ways of Mu. Mills' heartbeat was perfectly level, while Falcon's jackrabbited.

And then, blackness,

And them, the world as seen through Mu again.

Ness tried to steady his breathing, but he couldn't. Shockwaves of sound indicated the crowd was cheering, but Ness couldn't care less.

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out

Another shockwave of sound, the world through the eyes of Mu fading in out.

Breathe in, breathe out, breath in, breathe out

Another shockwave of cheers, followed by a second blinding one from the fireworks of the luxury cruisers above them.

Blackness
Mu comes back into focus as Ness steadies his breathing The coin flips through the air as Ness snapped between the darkness of one's eyes shut and his psychic power. A blast of sound from Falcon indicated he called it.

Ness' eyes snapped open.

"TAILS!" bellowed Mills.

Ness saw a grin tug at Falcon's mouth. The two friends had talked over their stage picks on the ride over. The boy from Onett was now in for a scrap on Big Blue. Ness nodded instinctually, despite being too zoned in on Captain Falcon's expression to hear him. The blackness and the rules that followed indicated that the agreement was good enough for Mills.

Stage: Big Blue

Rules: 2-stock, items medium

Music: Big Blue (Mario Kart 8)

3

Ness shot out of a PSI blast, shaking himself out of a cartoonish blanket of soot.

2

Captain Falcon begrudgingly stepped out of a swerving Blue Falcon.

1

The shoulders of both Smashers slumped, recovering instantly as they snapped into their fighting poses atop the Falcon Flyer.

GO!

The two slowly approached each other. Ness immediately parrying Falcon's first blow, a forearm smash, Falcon staggered, giving Ness enough space to jump into the air, channeling PSI power to his shoes, the otherworldly force rippling down Falcon's chest as the athletic sneakers compounded against spandex. Double-palming him into the air, once, twice, thrice, Ness leaped into the air, his finger making a swirling motion as he smothered the racer with psychic energy. Ness jumped in mid-air, just in time to avoid a Lightning Knee. Ness kicked at Falcon's shins just as he landed. As if the universe was teasing the mysterious bounty hunter, that was the moment the Falcon Flyer began to fly at an angle. But, this flyboy was used to a bumpy ride. Rolling down the approximation of his ship like he'd done it a hundred times before, Captain Falcon gripped the edge. Ness followed, but just as he was in striking distance, Captain Falcon vaulted forward. Ness jumped up, which gave The Captain all the room he needed to find his ground again. Finally landing the vaunted forearm blow, and following it up with a Lightning Knee.

"No matter how old they get, the wily veterans are always gonna be wily!" 9-Volt proclaimed.

"Damn skippy hippie!" agreed Cranky.

Falcon cursed inwardly as Ness began to effortlessly flip through the air, contemplating that one missed step could mean an early death.

"PK FIRE!" Ness cried

And, like a hundred times before, a firecracker-sized ember exploded into a bonfire, tacking on the damage. A second PK Fire and Ness was retreating backward. No items in sight to bridge the gap, Falcon reluctantly gave chase.

"FALCON-!" Captain Falcon roared, rearing back, his dominant hand glowing an otherworldly yellow.

Ness' eyes widened, as the crafty boy flipped over him, running in the other direction. At that moment, the race leaped off a jump, Ness walking off the makeshift staircase of hovering automobiles with the ease of playing hopscotch on a playground. Falcon undershot his first jump just as the precession landed, sucking him into the Blast Zone.

Ness: 2
Captain Falcon: 1

"Falcon picked this stage but it's Ness who might have the advantage" Cranky explained, sinister mirth in his voice.

"Seven Stars, what's with you?" 9-Volt squeaked

"He debuted in manual comic. The only way he could be lamer is if he showed up on the notes page."

As soon as Falcon landed on top of the automation of the yellow and green Wild Goose, Ness launched yet another PK Fire. This stopped Falcon in his tracks as the fire enveloped him. Everyone was invincible three seconds after getting off the Revival Platform, everyone knew that.

Through the fire, a PSI-addled push rocked him briefly. Without hesitation, The Captain cocked his fist back.

"FALCON PUNCH!"

The blazing silhouette of a falcon rocked Ness. As it did, a Smash Ball appeared. Ness, on instinct, flipped through the air, the aftereffect of PSI power use encircling him as he did. All Falcon had to do was watch his arch and he could meet him where he would be. Like the bird of prey that wore his name, Falco launched up, grasping Ness firmly by the shoulders. With his signature cry of "YES!" an explosion separated the two, the boy in the baseball cap colliding with the Blast Zone.

Ness: 1
Captain Falcon: 1

"Ah ah ah, wipe that look off your face boy," Cranky snarled, "He's still gotta navigate a moving platform stage. And we've all seen the super famous movie 'Blue Falcons can't jump'"
"Isn't it White Men Can't Jump?" 9-Volt enquired.

"It's a joke, ever hear of one?" retorted a flustered Cranky.

On the dismount from the Falcon Dive, he crushed the Smash Ball under his weight. When Ness appeared on the Revival Platform, Falcon tutted, "What have I always told you? Never take your eye off the ball."

Ness growled, feebly charging his father figure, only to be flicked away.
Suddenly he found himself in Port Town's F-Zero track, staring down the barrel of 2,000 miles per hour of greased lightning.

"C'mon!" Falcon screamed from the cockpit of his racer, barreling ever closer, "BLUE FAL-CON!"

Ness could only close his eyes as the racer hit him back into Big Blue, nearly sending him to the Blast Zone. Luckily, he wasn't hurt enough for a Final Smash to be a killing blow. Floating back onto the Wild Goose's hull, over a Falcon Punch, and onto a Master Ball, Ness spiked the ball onto the ground, Latios and Latias swooping out of it.

"Hey old man," Ness smirked, "What was that about taking your eye off the ball?"

"Touche,"

No sooner had the reply left Captain Falcon's lips did the two birds swoop in parallel slices in the sky. Ness smiled as the racer vehicles jumped in the staircase formation, only frowning when the last of the birds' volleys knocked him onto the staircase instead of away from it, this time onto the body of the jagged Wild Boar. Falcon was still winded, allowing the boy from Onett to bound across the now linear row of F-Zero machines and hit him with the tried and true PSI push. Ness briefly considered using PK Flash or Thunder as Falcon narrowly escaped the jaws of the Blast Zone but decided against it with a shake of the head. Ness drummed each of his fingers on the open air, tensing, waiting for Falcon to land. He did, and he readied his PK Fire hand motion. But, something caught him off guard. Was his dominant hand glowing?

Ness realized what was happening, and put up his shield.

"FALCON PUNCH!"

Like a balloon, his Smash Shield popped, sending the kid up in the air, electricity enveloping his body, standing there completely vulnerable.

Falcon turned away. Ness couldn't see him cry.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING OLD MAN!" slurred Ness through near paralyzed vocal cords, "DO IT!"
Falcon cocked his fist. It glowed.

"FALCON..."

He turned.

"PUNCH!"

Time slowed as the fist connected with fleshy cheeks, as Ness rocketed into the Blast Zone.

GAME!

Falcon wiped the tears away, the saltwater evaporating into the air of the Courtyard just as the camera drones appeared. Striking his simplest victory pose, stretching into some kicks before striking a superhero pose, the splash screen announced his advancement

CAPTAIN FALCON WINS!

Ness immediately walked away from Rita as soon as she went to interview him. Similarly, Captain Falcon shoved past Mister Zero. Walking through the tunnel, Ness was already at the front of the room, to the silence of the other Smashers.

"I quit," seethed Ness.

Unfurling his communicator from his wrist, and letting it fall to the ground, Ness began to push his way through the sea of stunned fighters, only to be spun around by Lucas.

SLAP!
The open hand palm strike courtesy of the blond psychic sounded like a gunshot, a blow so intense that even the most hardened fighters winced.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Lucas' shrill voice squealed, his pale complexion red with anger, "YOU ARE THE GLUE THAT HOLDS OUR CREW TOGETHER! DO YOU SEE THAT? NO, BECAUSE YOU ACT LIKE YOU'RE MISTER COOL, INSTEAD OF ADMITTING TO US, YOUR FRIENDS, BY THE WAY, THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU SUCK. YOU MAKE ME FUCKING SICK!"

"Lucas that's enough," Mario's voice boomed, "Ness, I think it'd be best if you went back to the Mansion for a bit, then we'll talk once you've cooled down."

"Yeah…I… yeah," mumbled Ness.

Shoulders slept, head hung, he parted back through the sea of Smashers, meekly retrieving his communicator, slowly punching in the Mansion, code and teleporting away. No one needed to silence the room as the randomizer cycled through the eight remaining matches.

"HAYABUSA VERSUS VERGIL!"

Immediately, Hayabusa disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Which tunnel did he go down?" Mario asked.

"Mister Hayabusa is in Tunnel A," ROB dryly announced.

"Ah, good," Mario said, "Vergil, you're in Tunnel B,"

With a dismissive, 'hmph' the silver-haired warrior strolled down the rightmost tunnel.

"Hayabusa's entrance'll probably take less than a couple seconds, so give the Goomb University choir their go-ahead cue," Mario ordered into his production headset.

"Choir?" inquired Dante.

Mario frowned, "Surprised Sans didn't tell you about that. He demanded a live choir to sing his walkout theme or he'd quit."

Dante laughed, but Mario's frown remained.

"Your brother better make my organization some money. Have you ever tried to book a damn choir on two weeks' notice? I had to call in favors from people I don't even know, and don't even ask me about the green I had to shell out,"

"Yeah, that…sounds like him," Dante rubbed the back of his neck.