All right, fellow readers. Here's the 24th chapter of this story!
Now, this is where Chapter 3 officially starts, so be sure to look forward to this.
One more thing I should point out, though, is that with this chapter, Andrew's only sane man traits shine through here in regards to the Champ Belt.
Anyway, for this chapter, Andrew and his three comrades arrive in Glitzville, they watch a wrestling match before seeing the Champ Belt with what supposedly looks like the Crystal Star in the center, Andrew gets suspicious of the Gold Star being out in the open like this has his suspicions on the Champ Belt.
Aside from that, the four travelers decided to register as athletes, Andrew is given his Glitz Pit name, he goes through the basics of being a wrestler in the Glitz Pit, and some other stuff will occur. How will this go? Read and find out now!
IN THE SKY - IN A BLIMP BOUND FOR GLITZVILLE:
It only took seven to ten minutes for Andrew to fall asleep on the blimp that was heading to Glitzville. Goombella couldn't sleep because she was too eager to get to Glitzville and see the attraction, in addition to getting the Crystal Star.
Koops was a little nervous about this wrestling business they'll be in for, but he decided to keep himself calm anyway. And then there was Flurrie, who was also looking forward to this as if she was preparing herself for a stage comeback.
Andrew couldn't help but think about what would be in store for himself and his three traveling companions. Because Glitzville was a public attraction, there was a chance that finding the Gold Star would be far trickier than one would think. It's not like the Gold Star would be out in the open for the public to see, right?
Nonetheless, Andrew was preparing himself for when they get to Glitzville, and to get through whatever trials that they'd have to handle. They've already taken care of Hooktail from its castle, and they drove out the X-Nauts from the Great Tree and helped the Punies regain their home. This quest shouldn't be any different.
Andrew had been asleep for no longer than ten minutes when he felt Goombella tugging on his shirt and nudging him to wake up.
"Hey, Andrew!?" Goombella tried yelling at him. "Andrew get up! You gotta wake up and take a look at this!"
"Huh...wuh..." As soon as Andrew yawned and rubbed his eyes, he looked at Goombella straight in the eyes. "What do I have to look at, Goombella?"
"Just come see! We're approaching the floating city of Glitzville!" Goombella advised him to look out the window. "Take a look!"
"What?" This is what got Andrew to get himself up as he stood up and queried. "We're already approaching Glitzville?"
"Duh!" Goombella told him while rolling her eyes. "Take a look for yourself, silly!"
Goombella ran back over to the window that Koops and Flurrie were also looking at, as Andrew approached the window and looked out to see the floating city of Glitzville for himself.
It looked exactly like it did on the map from a distance. He saw some flashing lights pointing upward and moving back and forth, and he could've sworn that he saw some balloons floating up from within the busy city.
"Oh yeah. That's Glitzville," Andrew was convinced. "Looks like a festive place, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," Koops muttered as he looked in awe. "Sure looks 'really' busy from up here too."
"I daresay, I look forward to exploring the city," Flurrie had to admit. "I am certain that there are many sites to see here, such as the wrestling matches. I am just astounded in awe from just thinking of it."
"We know, Flurrie. But remember," Goombella had to remind her. "We're here to look for that Crystal Star too."
"I shan't forget about that. I have forgotten about it now," Flurrie assured her.
"Well, I guess we should get ready to disembark since the blimp is approaching the city right now," Andrew made sure that he had his backpack on. "Prepare yourselves for when we have to get off."
"You betcha, Andrew," Goombella winked at him. "I'm more than ready for this!"
"Ummm...I'm ready too," Koops told him. "Let's see what this city has in store for us."
"I am quite ready as well," Flurrie assured him. "This'll be a smashing experience for all of us!"
"Right," Andrew nodded as the blimp got closer to Glitzville until it was right over it.
IN GLITZVILE:
It didn't take long for the Blimp to finally make it to Glitzville, as the bottom part of the blimp that Andrew and his three traveling partners started descending, allowing the four of them to get off and set foot onto Glitzville once it reached the bottom.
Immediately afterwards, Andrew, Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie stepped out of the basket before closing it up before him. Once they were out, the basket went back up and the Blimp remained right above them whenever they were ready to leave.
The Cheep Cheep pilot Stewart was standing to the side, waiting for them to let him know when they were ready to head back for Rogueport.
In the meantime, the four travelers got a good look at their surroundings. There was a giant circular emblem with a star in the center of it right in the center of the city. Andrew got to see all the attractions for himself.
There was a souvenir shop to the left, with a Hot Dog Stand on the right side of the shop. Next to the Hot Dog Stand was a hot dog cut-out, which served as a photo prop stand for tourists to take pictures of their faces in the center hole of the hot dog.
On the right side was a juice bar. And in the center of the city was the main attraction; the Glitz Pit, where all the fights and brawls take place for all to see.
There were plenty of signs of famous fighters who were wrestlers in the Glitz Pit, and there were many palm trees, lights, balloons, flags, and other such colorful sights that would look perfect in the big city. And perhaps in a casino.
"Wow. This is Glitzville," Andrew had to admit, this place looked cool. "Some fancy place, huh guys?"
"That's right! There's no doubt about it: this is Glitzville!" Goombella beamed in that preppy manner as she couldn't believe that she was in a public place such as this. "Can you believe it 'actually' floats, Andrew?"
"It is quite a magnificent feature to see, Goombella," Andrew had to muse.
"Yeah, that's something that I'd like to know; how do they make it float?" Koops asked before elaborating. "I mean, it hasn't ever, you know, plunged from the sky or anything, has it?"
"You know, Koops? Some things are hard to understand, like how this city floats," Andrew explained. "Trust me. If someone told you, it would be very complicated for you to understand."
"Um... Right," Koops decided to drop it.
"I must admit, the prospect of some hurly-burly gets me a touch piqued!" Flurrie commented.
"Yeah," Andrew admitted. "Any wrestling fan would just dream of watching the fights that take place in the Glitz Pit."
"Now, darling, let's find that Crystal Star, hmm?" Flurrie made the proper suggestion for them.
"Right Flurrie," Andrew nodded as they headed for the building leading towards the Glitz Pit. "Though something tells me that finding this Crystal Star isn't going to be easy. Remember, this is a public attraction, so we better keep our eyes peeled."
"Gotcha," Goombella nodded before she noticed something near some of the signs with fighters on each of them. "Hey Andrew? Don't look now, but I found something that would get your interest."
"Hmmm?" Andrew then looked and saw it for himself.
It was another Shine Sprite, in that clear yellow box. Andrew walked over to it and noticed the problem. He was unable to reach it. But then he realized that there must be something hidden right underneath where the Shine Sprite box was hovering over.
"Well, it's a Shine Sprite, all right. The problem is I can't reach it," Andrew admitted before rubbing his chin. "But something tells me that there's something hidden underneath. I wonder..."
Then deciding to investigate it for himself, he took out his bat and slammed the particular spot down with his bat. It was then a hidden block appeared out of nowhere, earning Andrew a single coin out of it.
"Omigosh! Andrew, how d'you know that was there?" Goombella had to give him a confused look.
"I just guessed that it was there," Andrew shrugged as he pocketed the single coin.
"Wow. You've been doing good with finding those things," Koops admitted.
"I must say, darling, it is a neat treat for you to find something like that in front of the main attraction," Flurrie commented.
"Yeah," Andrew nodded as he went on top of the block, and jumped up and punched the yellow clear box, causing the Shine Sprite to fall into his hand.
"All right. That takes care of that," Andrew put the Shine Sprite into his backpack. "Great find, Goombella."
"Anytime, Andrew," Goombella smirked as she rushed over to Andrew, along with Koops and Flurrie.
"Now, why don't we check out the Glitz Pit for ourselves," Andrew suggested as he approached the front entrance of the Glit Pitz.
Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie nodded at that as they followed him. After Andrew claimed another Star Piece that was lying around and pocketed it, the four of them entered the building which led to the Glitz Pit.
IN THE GLITZ PIT:
As soon as they entered the building, they were greeted by a lobby, which didn't seem anything too particular to them. Several posters on the walls in the foyer showed pictures of fighters that were in the Glitz Pit. There was a second story above which also had some posters.
Andrew also took notice of a Lakitu who was a cameraman, who only did interviews of fighters in the major leaguers onward. There was also a reporter accompanying him that looked like a pineapple. But mostly, there were just male and female Toads walking the hallway in the lobby, with a Toad father and his son near the door on the left side.
The muscular man couldn't help but notice someone else standing nearby; a familiar face. He had seen Ms. Mowz just standing around, waiting for her chance to get into something that probably had some more rare badges.
Andrew decided to disregard that for now, as his partners were oblivious to her presence nearby. He then saw a door in the center that probably led to the ring.
"Hmmm, doesn't seem to be anything noteworthy here," Andrew had to rub his chin. "Let's check out that door over there. It might lead us to the ring."
Andrew already stormed for the door, with Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie trailing right after him. Andrew opened the door, as the four travelers went right through it.
They were then greeted by a crowd of people, which consisted of male and female Toads, Doogans, and Lakitus. Right above in front of them was the wrestling ring where all the fights and brawls take place. Right along the side of the ring was a massive TV screen that showed the fights taking place, which was also used to broadcast all of the fights that took place there.
There was no doubt that these fights were oftentimes broadcasted life through cable and satellite TVs all around the world. Needless to say, the four of them were impressed by this.
"So this is the Glitz Pit itself," Andrew had to muse from the crowd.
"Whoa, 'totally' AWESOME!" Goombella beamed rather loudly.
"Wow! This place is so cool!" Koops agreed with her.
"Oh, dear me! What a positively glorious venue!" Flurrie had to confess about this.
"It sure is," Andrew then saw that a fight was taking place in the ring. "Hey guys, look at THAT!"
"OH YEAH! Someone's about to catch a beating up there!" Goombella proclaimed excitedly.
"There's a battle match going on right now!" Koops had to wonder if it'll get too violent.
"Those two brutes are about to have at each other!" Flurrie felt like she was about to swoon as she waved her hand in front of her face.
"I know," Andrew looked at both fighters. "They're already duking it out."
In the right corner of the ring was someone pretty famous around Glitzville. He was known as the Rawk Hawk. Rawk Hawk was identified as being some oversized yellow chicken hawk of some kind who had a massive beak, wore shades over his eyes, had a massive yellow flaming hairdo, wore a headband on his head with a yellow circle, and had two small Paratroopa wings on both sides of his head.
His chest showed that he had quite a muscular-looking body for a chicken hawk, as he wore an orange striped crest around his neck, had yellow bracelets on both hands, wore a belt and orange battle shorts, and wore yellow combat boots on both feet. And in on his backside were his yellow tail feathers.
And in the left corner was what appeared to be a single Dark Koopatrol; a variant of a Koopatrol who wore darker shades of armor, hence their name. This Dark Koopatrol was called the Koopinator, and he was about to be on the receiving end of a beating from the Rawk Hawk.
"That's right! Unh!" Rawk Hawk yelled out to the crowd before haughtily looking towards the Dark Koopatrol. "I think it's about time for you to FEEL THE RAAAAAWK!"
With that said Rawk Hawk took to the air and dove right into the Dark Koopatrol with a fighting move that seemed similar to Lucha Libre. This resulted in the Koopinator falling flat onto his back and being unable to get back up.
"OOOOOOOOOF!" The Koopinator moaned in pain.
"Stay down, pincushion! You don't want more of this! Why'd you even show up? Yeah, you hear me talking, Wimpy! Stay outta the ring, or feel the burn, baby!" Rawk Hawk didn't even waste time in telling off the Koopinator for being a complete joke. "Tell you what: do about a million push-ups and then come see Uncle Rawk Hawk! I'll give you another world-class spanking and send you crying home to Momma again!"
As Rawk Hawk was boasting about this like he owned the place, someone else had approached him. He was a short blue Clubba of some kind. His shell was orchid in color with a yellow rim, and his hair was a fiery orange color in a flaming fashion.
He was also wearing a fedora hat on his head, a black sleeveless button-up shirt, a green shirt worn underneath that, and right under his orange-lipped mouth was a red bowtie. He was also wearing circular shades over his eyes, and in his right hand was a blue microphone.
This Clubba approached the Rawk Hawk and decided to speak to him.
"Hooooo-WEEEEEEE! Champ! That was a grade-A whuppin'!" He commented with a strong southern accent. "Yer thoughts on the match!"
"You call that a match? Ain't there a fighter out there who can challenge me?" Rawk Hawk scoffed before going straight into boasting again. "No! No one can! Hear me? Ain't a fighter out there that can even make me sweat! They're all a bunch of little crybabies, running around in stinky diapers! You got a bone to pick?! Come fight me! Bring it! I'll take on anyone!"
The Rawk Hawk pointed towards those in the audience before continuing his gloating. "You weaklings might as well stick to video-game fighting, and sissy fan-fiction writing, OK? Because I'll hurt you. YEAH! NUMBER ONE, BABY! RAWK HAWK IS THE CHAMP! Harharharharharharharharharharhar!"
As soon as Rawk Hawk did his trademark laugh, he held the champ belt right over his head. And right in the center of the Champ Belt was none other, than the Crystal Star.
"Huh? What the...?" Andrew had to raise an eyebrow at this, as his partners also took notice of it.
"Woah! Look, Andrew! There!" Goombella pointed out. "On the champ's belt! Isn't that a Crystal Star?"
"Yeah!" Koops added. "The thing on that shiny belt!"
"Right on that uncouth bird's belt too!" Flurrie proclaimed with a huff.
"Yeah... Sure looks like the Crystal Star..." Andrew was now getting deep in his thoughts as his partners commented on it.
"That's because it's gotta be a Crystal Star," Goombella proclaimed before she wondered. "But why would that be in a sweaty old pit like this?"
"Umm...that doesn't make sense at all," Koops commented.
"It's such a tawdry place to find it..." Flurrie said before asking. "Why would it be here, of all places?"
Andrew was completely lost in his thoughts now. He was growing very suspicious about all of this. Why would the Gold Star be found in such an easy-to-spot location that was the Champ Belt, which could be viewed by the general public? It's common knowledge that Crystal Stars were hidden from plain sight, especially if they're being kept in a public place such as Glitzville.
The Diamond Star was kept right inside Hooktail's belly at Hooktail Castle. Koopley was fortunate enough to stumble upon it when he was eaten by the dragon and kept it as a souvenir for the ten years that he was inside that dragon's stomach.
The Emerald Star was hidden at the bottom of the Great Tree, kept inside that bowl-shaped vase on top of that Puni Statue, of which it would only be exposed with the company of all 101 Punies. This was done before Lord Crump had gotten his dirty mitts on it where Andrew claimed it back. But otherwise, it was also secluded from the public eye.
The Gold Star, by contrast, was apparently on the Champ Belt that was now in the custody of the Rawk Hawk. No. Andrew refused to believe it. He could not accept the fact that the Crystal Star was out in the open like this. Not expressing himself to his partners, he then decided to advise them.
"Let's go, guys," Andrew muttered before walking out the door he came through, along with his three partners.
As soon as they were back in the lobby, Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie were debating about what they should do about the supposed Crystal Star that's on the Rawk Hawk's Champ Belt.
"What do you think we ought to do?" Goombella wondered. "We can't just steal that nutcase's belt, can we? This stinks."
"Yeah. It's not like we can just steal that guy's belt..." Koops admitted.
"I daresay, I don't fancy the idea of stealing that fellow's belt..." Flurrie confessed.
"What do we do, Andrew?" Goombella asked him.
"What should be our move here?" Koops queried.
"What shall we do, Andrew?" Flurrie questioned.
Andrew was still lost in thought at this. On top of not wanting to commit theft and robbery, he had grown very suspicious of the Champ Belt. In addition to being shown in the public eye, Andrew also noticed something else. The Gold Star on the belt did not have those beautiful sparkles accompanying it like it was the case with the Diamond and Emerald Stars that they had gotten.
There's no way around it. The Crystal Star on the belt has to be a fake... Andrew thought to himself. But I can't tell my partners yet. I need to confirm my suspicions first...
Seeing that they needed to get the real Crystal Star somehow and that he wasn't getting anywhere by just standing here, Andrew knew that there was only one decision they could make. And it was the most obvious choice, too.
After having thought about it, Andrew finally said something to his partners.
"Hey guys," he started. "I think maybe we should register and become athletes, and battle our way to the top of the Glitz Pit."
Needless to say, his three partners couldn't have been more overjoyed by the decision he made.
"There you go!" Goombella beamed before nudging and rubbing her head against Andrew's left leg. "You and I are, like, TOTALLY on the same 'exact' wavelength!"
"Good choice, Andrew," Koops walked up to him and gave him a thumbs up. "Do this thing RIGHT!"
"I'd expect nothing less, you darling man!" Flurrie cooed and rubbed his shoulders. "You're ten times the man of anyone here! You'll be champion in no time!"
"Aw, come on guys," Andrew sounded flattered by their support. "I just do the best that I can. Really."
"That's because it's the truth, Andrew," Goombella told him assuringly.
"Yeah," Andrew said sheepishly. "So, I guess we better get started."
"Too right, Andrew!" Goombella seemed eager to become a registered Glitz Pit fighter. "Let's get busy, huh?"
"There must be a novice sign-up somewhere..." Koops had looked in all directions to see if there was one, to no avail.
"Our next step is to become official fighters, I imagine," Flurrie had to muse.
"Yeah," Andrew nodded. "I'm starting to feel eager to get us started as fighters. How do you guys feel?"
"Ooh, I'm kinda getting stoked about this!" Goombella said with a mad smile on her face, showing that she was more than ready.
"My tummy's getting upset..." Koops frowned as he rubbed his stomach.
"Ooh, my heart is positively THUMPING!" Flurrie placed her hand on her chest to feel her heart beating in anticipation.
"Then we better find out who's in charge of accepting new fighters," Andrew directed. "And see if we can find out where they are."
"Got it," Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie said in unison as they headed to the left of the room where the Toad father and son were.
From there, they saw a door that was being blocked off by a Glitz Pit Security Guard.
The Glitz Pit Security Guard was shown to be a blue-skinned muscular man who had yellow tufts of hair, wore black shades and a suit, and held his hands behind his back so that people wouldn't see how strong they were unless they looked at them from behind. Andrew saw him as being particularly important as he made the proper suggestion.
"Maybe this guy might know something about how we can become fighters," Andrew told his partners. "We better go ask him."
His partners didn't argue as the four of them approached the security guard, and Andrew then decided to get his attention.
"Excuse me, sir? But we'd like to become fighters for the Glitz Pit," Andrew then proceeded to ask him. "Do you know where we can become fighters here?"
"You wanna become a fighter, bub?" The Security Guard asked him.
"That's what I said," Andrew confirmed.
"...Hmmm." The Security Guard was a little hesitant before he finally went with it. "Well, if you're serious, you'd better go meet with Mr. Grubba, the promoter."
"Mr. Grubba?" Andrew asked in confusion.
"Mr. Grubba's office is just down the hallway," the Security Guard continued. "You can't miss it. Head on through."
The Security Guard moved aside, allowing Andrew and his partners to go on through.
"Let's go, guys," Andrew motioned as he opened the door and went on through, with his three partners trailing behind him.
The four of them saw themselves walking through the backstage corridor behind the Glitz Pit. There were Security Guards everywhere just like the one that they saw previously. Each room was being blocked off by them.
Eventually, they found the office of Mr. Grubba, whose office door was being guarded outside by a security guard. Andrew then saw the sign on the door that said 'Grubba's Office', and he was convinced.
"This must be his office," Andrew told his partners before walking up to the guard and then told him. "Excuse me? We're looking to become fighters, and we were told to see Mr. Grubba. This is his office, isn't it?"
"Oh, all right, go on in," the Security Guard told him. "Mr. Grubba's just inside."
"Very good," Andrew said as the Security Guard moved aside for the four of them to make their way into the office.
Without saying a word, Andrew motioned his partners to follow as they entered Grubba's office single file, intending to become Glitz Pit fighters.
The office didn't seem any different from any other office. There were office plants in pots in different parts of the room, a lounge sofa was shown, and a curio cabinet was placed right near where the lid to an A/C vent was located. And behind the desk in the left corner was Grubba, who was the same blue Clubba that was seen earlier.
Andrew and his partners had entered the room, with no time to examine it as they immediately got Grubba's attention from behind his desk. This got him to jump as he demanded answers.
"Who in tarnation are you, son?" Grubba queried before saying sharply. "And who let you in?! This is Grubba's office! Yep, that's me, Grubba! An' you, yer one rude dude, comin' in without knockin'!"
Andrew didn't want to make a bad impression on this guy, so he decided to be formal with him and approached his desk.
"Uh, terribly sorry for coming in like this, sir. But I'll cut to the chase," Andrew was standing in front of his desk with his partners by his side. "My friends and I would like to become registered athletes to take part in the Glitz Pit."
"Oh. I see," Grubba started to calm down before asking. "You wanna be a fighter?"
"That's right," Andrew nodded as did his three partners as they were eager to become fighters.
"Hoo-WEE! That 'do' change a thing or two, son!" Grubba seemed to be in better spirits as he said that. "I always got time for an up-an'-comer! Yep, this place is packed to the gills with young fighters, all primed and a-rarin' to go!"
Grubba then decided to get a good look at Andrew and the overall posture of his body.
"I gotta say, son, yer a bit skinny fer my tastes," Grubba had to admit, getting Andrew to frown slightly. "But I'm willin' to give you a shot."
It was then Grubba decided to ask Andrew a straight-up question. "Now, play me straight, son: you wanna live the glamorous life of a champ, don'tcha?"
Andrew had to take this in for a minute. He never had the goal of becoming a glamorous champ. Truth be told, he never saw himself as amazing like the hotshot celebrities and stars that he'd heard about. He was merely small, at least compared to the Mario Brothers, or for that matter, Madame Flurrie.
However, seeing that he'd have to become a fighter to find out where the real Crystal Star is, and not wanting to draw attention to his suspicious reasons for being here, Andrew was willing to go along with it.
"Uhhh...darn skippy, sir," Andrew finally said, albeit awkwardly.
"All right! All right, son!" Grubba decided to accept that answer from him. "I hear where yer comin' from, son, loud [an'] clear!"
It was then Grubba walked away from his desk and walked over to where Andrew was standing with Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie by his side.
"When I was just a poor pup, I didn't give a Pokey's patoot for fancy, big-city ways," Grubba had talked about his early life before getting into further details. "But I jumped into the world of martial arts and fought my way to fame and riches! An' know what I realized? Bein' rich [an'] famous is diggety-dang DYNAMITE!"
"I see," Andrew had to muse at this as he crossed his arms.
"Now, I can't mix it up in the ring no more, but I earned enough to set me for life," Grubba continued. "You readin' me here, son? Dreams do come true, even if they ain't yours, exactly!"
"I get it, sorta..." Andrew uttered.
"Yep, that's the key, son!" Grubba told him. "Dream big, and you'll GET big, that's the winner's way!"
Now this got Andrew thinking. While he had no interest in making himself 'become' famous and well-known, it didn't hurt to have a little extra money on hand in case it was needed.
With enough money, he could be able to afford supplies, materials, nourishment, and food for himself, and for his partners...however he may end up getting along the way.
"And when you make it big, you'll look back at all those small dreamers and LAUGH!" Grubba then asked Andrew before facing him. "You readin' me here, son?"
This caught Andrew's attention and he placed his arms down.
"Uh yeah," Andrew nodded. "I understand what you're saying, sir."
"That's the spirit, chief!" Grubba remarked. "Here, let's have us a little walk 'n' talk. C'mon, now!"
Grubba motioned Andrew to follow him out of his office for a moment. Andrew instructed his partners to follow, which they did. Grubba led the four of them down the hallway until he made it to a door that was on the other end of the curve. After letting the Security Guard know of his intentions, the guard moved out of the way, and Grubba entered the room with the four travelers following him.
The room they entered happened to be the Champion's Room, which was nicely decorated with yellow wallpaper, the gift boxes placed on the side, the weights near the mirror and sink in the left corner, and the fuzzy dark purple rug. And the neatly made bed with a tiger-print blanket. Though Goombella didn't seem too phased by it, the others were merely curious as Grubba decided to share with Andrew.
"Now how you like THIS, pard?" Grubba told him. "Just feast yer eyes, go on! This...is the champion's room. Isn't it a sight?"
"Yes," Andrew trailed off.
"This is the champion's room? Wow..." Koops uttered under his breath.
"Deee-luxe! You become champ, son, and you get the key to this room!" Grubba continued. "That ain't all, of course! That's on TOP of the big money and screamin' fans!"
"I can see that," Andrew had to smile slightly.
"Yeah, no doubt about it, son!" Grubba proclaimed. "Apply yourself [an'] a life of wealth [an'] comfort awaits!"
"Right," Andrew said as Grubba then led them into another room.
They were now in the Major League's Locker Room. It didn't look as spazzy as the Champion's room, but the floor looked like it was polished and cleaned. The lockers were neatly aligned against the wall. The bench and small table were a nice touch. And there was even a somewhat comfy bed in the right corner, with a bathroom to the left.
"Now, uh, here we have the major-league locker room," Grubba revealed to him. "A lotta contenders here! Whatcha think, son? Huh?"
"It looks alright," Andrew said.
"Yeah. Not exactly glamorous, but it's clean and comfortable. 'Totally' sanitary, too," said Grubba. "Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I CARE about my fighters, darn it!"
Grubba then led the four of them back into his office, as he went back behind his desk, with the four travelers standing right in front of it.
"Now... I'm sure you know this already, son, but there ain't but one world champion. Clawin' your way to the top an' takin' the belt to become champ ain't an easy thing... But that's the point, son!" Grubba had to tell him. "Wouldn't be worth it if there weren't no challenge! I can see you got the fire for it, too, pard! You got the eye of the tiger, there! Yer gonna be champ, I can just FEEL it! I ain't never been so sure about a fighter!"
"There's no doubt about that," Andrew admitted. "And yeah. Maybe so..."
It was then Grubba just remembered something else that he had to do, as he took out an important piece of paper and a pen and placed it on his desk right in front of him.
"Oh, hey, one other thing... You gotta sign an itty-bitty contract to be a fighter," Grubba held the paper and pen out to him. "It ain't no thing, just take a second or two of yer time. Just jot your name here, OK?"
"Hey ummm...Andrew? You sure we should sign it?" Koops asked as Andrew was just about to sign it. "What if something happens to us?"
"What do you mean?" Andrew turned around and raised an eyebrow at his Koopa partner.
"I mean, if we sign that contract, we could be selling our soul away," Koops explained. "I've seen it before. We could be throwing away our lives just by signing this contract."
"Come on! Don't be ridiculous," Andrew had to assure him. "There's no way that any of that will happen to us."
"But..." Koops started before Andrew stopped him.
"Look, Koops. I know this is all a bit sudden. But we don't have a choice but to do this," Andrew had to put on an act to keep anyone from being suspicious. "Anyway, we have our DREAM to live, about making it BIG! Don't we?"
"Uhhh...Yeah. Yeah, I guess we do," Koops nodded. He understood what he was saying as he sighed. "OK. I guess we can go for it."
"All right," Andrew smiled as he took the pen and contract.
"Go for it, Andrew," Goombella encouraged him.
"There we go," Andrew successfully wrote out his name on the line of the contract before he gave it back to Grubba. "All signed and taken care of."
"Best thing you ever done, son!" Grubba told him. "Now, yer Andrew? Ain't a bad handle..."
"Isn't he?" Flurrie had to admit in a slightly dreamy manner.
"Still, I gotta say, pard, it lacks a little punch as a fighter's name, get me?" Grubba had to admit as he decided that Andrew would need a fighter's name.
"Huh?" Andrew looked at him in puzzlement. "Do you have something in mind?"
"Lemme see, here..." Grubba did some thinking for a few moments before it hit him. He knew exactly what Andrew's fighter name should be in the Glitz Pit. "Bam! Hoooooo-WEEEEEEEEEE! I got it!"
"You do?" Andrew seemed curious about this.
"Yer darn tootin' I do!" Grubba then revealed to him his new Glitz Pit name. "From now on, you're gonna be...the Prevailin' Presto!"
"The Prevailing Presto?" All four of them asked simultaneously.
"Hoo! Ain't that a beaut? Dang if that ain't a stroke of genius! A name that good comes ['round] once 'a' lifetime!" Grubba had to compliment the clever fighter name that he gave to Andrew. "Yep, everyone will soon bow before the Prevailin' Presto! Make me proud, son!"
"Uhhhh..." Andrew had to trail off in confusion at the fighter name that he was given just now before settling with it. "Well, that's great. Prevailing Presto. I like it. I guess..."
"Well, now that we got the business side outta the way..." It was then Grubba pressed a button on his speaker. "Jolene? Could you come in a minute, darlin'?"
As soon as he released the button, someone else entered his office. She was revealed to be Jolene, and she was a female Toad. Her white cap had red-violet spots on it, she wore secretary glasses over her eyes, she wore a red business shirt and skirt, and she wore red high heels.
In her right arm was a clipboard, and dangling over the left side of her head was what looked like a crescent moon, which was revealed to be her hair. Finally, she was wearing thin lipstick on her lips as Andrew got a good look at her.
Huh? Well, she seems pretty cute... Andrew thought to himself, but he decided not to share it with anyone.
"Yes, sir?" Jolene asked in a rather stoic and secretary sort of manner. "You wished to see me?"
"Sure did, hon. Jolene, this is the Prevailin' Presto, our newest risin' star," Grubba motioned her attention towards Andrew. "Be a peach and take him on down to the minor-league locker room, all 'righty'?"
"Right away, sir," Jolene obliged before facing Andrew and his team and motioned them to follow. "Mr. Presto? If you would be so kind, please follow me."
"Uhhh, OK," Andrew nodded before facing his three partners. "Come on guys. I guess we're going to the minor league locker room."
Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie nodded as the four of them followed Jolene out of Grubba's office and they headed directly towards the minor league locker room. As they followed her to the locker room, Jolene decided to give Andrew the basics for now being a Glitz Pit fighter.
"As you know, you are a contracted fighter now, so you must abide by some rules," Jolene instructed him. "First and foremost, what Mr. Grubba says, goes. Period. You must do what he says."
"OK. Got it," Andrew remarked.
"Also, as per your contract, you cannot quit until Mr. Grubba releases you," Jolene continued to explain. "There are many other small guidelines that I will explain as they become relevant."
"I see," Andrew uttered as they stopped in front of what they assumed was the minor league locker room. Jolene got the guard to move as she opened the door for Andrew and his three partners to enter.
As soon as they entered the minor league locker room, they were pretty shocked by what they saw. Unlike the champion's room, or even the major league locker room for that matter, the minor league locker room was indeed, a mess.
The wallpaper looked like it had been torn off in spots, one of the lockers was crushed and bent to the right, springs were being shown on the bench nearby, and the bed wasn't exactly the greatest bed to sleep on.
Goodness. This place is a mess. It looks horrible. Andrew had to cringe at the sight before him, as did Goombella.
The four of them got brought out of their thoughts when Jolene decided to get their attention.
"Well, here we are. This is your locker room," Jolene informed the four of them. "You're starting in the minor league, of course, as you've just now started your career."
"Hey Ms. Jolene, I got a question," Goombella felt like asking her. "Don't you guys have any girl's locker rooms here? And why haven't we seen any?"
Jolene looked rather reluctant to answer that question. She had to adjust her glasses before coming up with an answer.
"It is due to budget cuts, and the simple fact that we don't get female fighters very often to become Glitz Pit fighters, that we don't have any girl's locker rooms," Jolene told her dully. "Sorry to say that."
"Well, I gotta say it then. Ewww!" Goombella gagged. "This place is 'totally' gross."
"Wait, you guys seriously don't have a girl's locker room due to budget cuts?" Andrew then had to ask Jolene. "Doesn't that seem a little bias?"
"Well, uh, I do believe we're getting off-topic," Jolene decided to change the subject and get them back on track. "If you don't like this dingy room, I suggest you work your way up through the ranks."
"Right," Andrew figured it out. "So it's a motivational technique used to encourage fighters to become better and work harder to get into the major league locker room, right?"
"You can say that," Jolene walked up to the screen on the wall, which strangely resembled a Gameboy Advance system. "When you're ready to fight, you just log on to this computer terminal here. Mr. Grubba will then decide who you'll match up against. You will have no say in this."
"I see," Andrew decided not to argue with this, as he felt that this was fair for him and his teammates.
"Why don't you try it once?" Jolene encouraged him. "Walk up to the screen and log on by touching the screen. Then pick 'Reserve a Match'."
Andrew then walked up to the screen before putting his hand on it.
"You mean like this," Andrew touched it and he jumped at how it activated it. "Wow. It's amazing how far technology has gotten over the years."
"Yes. That's all very nice and all," Jolene said before getting him back on track. "Now select 'Reserve a Match'."
"OK," Andrew found the button on the screen that said Reserve a Match, just like Jolene said. He then pressed it, which seemed to do its job as Grubba then appeared on the screen.
"Well, howdy, Presto!" Grubba greeted from the screen. "Ready to get yer fists dirty, huh?"
"I guess so," Andrew remarked.
"There you go, son!" Grubba then told him who his first opponent was going to be. "I got a treat fer you: yer first battle's gonna be against the Goomba Bros.!"
"The Goomba Bros?" Andrew asked in confusion.
"Don't you worry 'bout them... They'll be a piece of cake!" Grubba informed him. "Just mop 'em up, OK, son?"
"Sure," Andrew nodded sheepishly.
"Hey, we wanna get everyone fired up, though, so appeal to the crowd at least once!" Grubba also advised him.
"Appeal to the crowd at least once?" This got Andrew a little confused.
"Yep," Grubba nodded. "You got any questions about detailed rules, just ask the lovely Ms. Jolene, OK, son? Well, good luck, pard!"
"All right," Andrew said awkwardly as the screen turned off.
"OK, your battle is reserved. At this point, you just wait until Security comes for you," Jolene got his attention as she explained to him. "Fighting is pretty basic. The team that gets their opponent to be unable to fight any longer first, wins. If you beat an opponent who ranks above you, your ranking will go up. Then again, if you lose to a lower-ranking opponent, your ranking will go down."
"Well, that makes sense," Andrew admitted.
"Simply winning is not enough," Jolene had to add. "When Mr. Grubba sets fight conditions, follow them."
"Is this to make the fights a little more challenging for fighters?" Andrew had to guess with his arms crossed.
"Sure. We'll go with that," Jolene then continued. "In this case, the condition is to appeal to the crowd at least once. Fairly easy."
"I sure hope so," Andrew muttered before frowning and thinking to himself. I just hope it's convincing. I've never done anything like this before, let alone in front of a live audience...
"If you satisfy the condition and win, you can battle a higher-ranked opponent next," Jolene proclaimed. "If you can get your rank up to 11th, you'll get a shot at the major league."
"All right. Sounds fair enough," Andrew sighed.
"That's about all you need to know for now." Jolene then asked him. "Did you get all that?"
"Yes. I understood every word you said," Andrew told her honestly.
"OK, good," Jolene was satisfied with his answer. "For now, just wait until Security comes to get you, Mr. Presto."
"While we're waiting, I'm gonna need to get changed into some proper attire," Andrew took a couple of things out from his backpack. "Can you give me a moment to change?"
"Certainly. There are no rules against changing clothes," Jolene then advised him. "Just be sure to do it in one of the lockers."
"Right," Andrew went into one of the cleaner lockers in the locker room and closed it partway to give himself some privacy before getting out of his current outfit and into his gym-related clothes.
A couple of minutes later, he was all done getting changed up as he stepped out of the locker. He was still wearing his blue ballcap and his yellow-orange handkerchief, but he was now wearing a white undershirt and a pair of blue gym shorts.
The button-up t-shirt was still on over the undershirt. But that's only because of the badges that he was wearing that he needed to use for some of the fights. His other clothes were put into his backpack, which was in the locker for now.
He just hoped that no one would steal them.
"Well guys," Andrew got their attention. "How do I look?"
"Omigosh Andrew. You look like you could mop the floor with some of these fighters here," Goombella told him. "Seriously, though. That looks awesome."
"I'll say. Such a splendid choice of clothing, dearie," Flurrie agreed. "'Really' matches your masculinity and your muscles."
"Nice Andrew," Koops complimented. "Those look perfect."
"Thanks, guys," Andrew had to smile. "Now I know I'm ready for the match, especially since I have my bat with me."
"Well, perfect timing, Mr. Presto," Jolene told him. "Because your escort should be here right about now."
At that moment, one of the Security Guards came in to get Andrew and his three teammates.
"Presto! Match time! Follow me, bub." The guard instructed him.
"OK, Security's here to escort you to the ring," Jolene informed him. "Try not to get 'completely' destroyed out there."
"We'll try not to. Thanks, Ms. Jolene," Andrew then looked over towards his partners. "Well, let's get this match done and over with."
Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie nodded at that as the four of them followed the Security Guard out of the locker room and they headed for the Glitz Pit arena...
Out in the Glitz Pit arena, we see the crowd was already getting riled up for today's fight. Grubba was standing in the center of the ring with that microphone of his, getting ready for the match between the Prevailing Presto vs. the Goomba Bros.
In the right corner were the Goomba Bros. The Goomba Bros were simply just five regular run-of-the-mill Goombas, with no interesting attributes, aside from their attitude. Andrew hadn't shown up yet with his team, so Grubba decided to focus on the five Goombas.
"Squarin' off next, folks...are the Hoppin' Hardheads... the GOOMBA BROS.!" Grubba had to announce to the crowd in the audience. "Aaaaaand... A newcomer, with a hankerin' for battin', the Preeeeeevailin' PRESTO! The Goomba Bros. have been waitin' an' gettin' all het up for the fight. Let's check in!"
Grubba then walked over to the five Goombas and spoke to the leader of the pack.
"How do, Goomba Bros.!" Grubba then asked them about the incoming match. "How're y'all feelin' today? You ready fer this fight?"
"Ha! Are you kidding, man? We're ALWAYS ready to bonk a fool or two!" The Goomba snorted quite rudely. "Who is this Presto rookie?! A cocky idiot, that's who! Waiting just makes us mad!"
The leading Goomba decided to declare. "We're gonna teach this tardy punk how to respect fighters with seniority! I think maybe you oughta call an ambulance for him now, just to save time later!"
It was then that the other door to the left opened up, in Andrew made his way into the Glitz Pit with Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie. As he walks over and goes up the stairs that lead to the ring, Grubba takes notice of him and makes his announcement.
"Hot-diggety-DANG, fight fans!" Grubba commented. "There's the Prevailin' Presto now, stridin' on up! I tell you, this rookie's got some guts, strollin' up late like he owns the place! Hoo!"
"Well, not exactly," Andrew said shyly. "I was just ensuring that my clothes were decent enough for this match..."
Grubba didn't bother responding to that, as he approached Andrew to give him a few pointers before the fight could start.
"OK, now, Presto, listen up," Grubba started to say. "Lemme just explain the rules of the match real quick..."
Grubba never got to finish that sentence as one of the Goomba charged for Andrew.
"Have a bonk, punk!" The Goomba declared, starting the fight before the bell rang.
"What the...!?" Andrew jumped to the center with his bat ready as he held it correctly.
Once the Goomba was close enough in range, Andrew swung his bat before the Goomba landed a Headbonk. It made contact and the Goomba was sent flying back a few feet as if he was a baseball.
After that was set, the other four Goombas looked as raring to fight as that other Goomba was, while Andrew and his four friends couldn't believe what they had just done.
"They... Those total COWARDS!" Goombella had to yell.
"You can't attack before the bell rings!" Koops declared. "That's cheating!"
"Come on, Andrew, darling!" Flurrie encouraged him. "We shan't lose to lowlifes! Let's teach them a lesson!"
"Aw, quit crying, will ya?" The Goomba in the center snorted. "That was just a little welcome gift for the rookie! Where's our thank-you?!"
"I think you're about to get your dues right now," Andrew told them sternly before facing his partners. "Guys, can you start fighting without me? I gotta take care of something."
"Uhhh, OK?" Goombella seemed confused by this. "Do whatcha gotta, I guess."
As Goombella started the fight by performing a Multibonk on one of the Goombas, striking at least 8 times, Andrew had to face the crowd of people and got their attention.
"Uhhhh, h-hi people," Andrew greeted them very sheepishly as he started waving and doing some poses with his hands.
It's as if it was his way of appealing to the crowd, even though it seemed very awkward. Although the audience wasn't roaring cheers, they were still satisfied by it and cheered a little bit anyway.
By now, Koops had knocked down the five Goombas with his Power Shell, before he got onto his back and did a breakdance routine. The audience took notice of this and started cheering for him as a result.
Andrew was satisfied by this as he charged over and leaped through the air. With one stomp, he landed on a Goomba, before slamming his bat onto the head of another one.
Flurrie then took her time to shine as she then Body Slammed right onto one of the Goombas, before performing her Lip Lock routine. With that, she grabbed the Goomba and kissed him like crazy, basically sucking the energy out of him and adding it to her own.
She dropped the Goomba on his head, and he was no longer capable of battling. Goombella and Koops did their Headbonk and Shell Toss, respectively, on two other Goombas, which took them down for the count.
Andrew decided to wrap this match up as he took his bat and performed his Quake Bat attack on the two remaining Goombas by slamming his bat into the ground, and it got the ground to quake slightly, causing both Goombas to fall over, as they were unable to battle any longer too.
"Uuuuuuuuuuurgh..." The Goomba who was upside down on his head moaned at the fact that he and his squad had just lost to the newbie.
"The Prevailin' Presto wins!" Grubba declared before asking Andrew. "Tell me, son, what was this first taste of victory like?"
"Uh, it was OK. I guess," Andrew then spoke modestly into the microphone. "Our win wasn't anything special, though. Just saying..."
"I'll tell you what I just saw, folks: a whuppin'!" Grubba didn't bother acknowledging Andrew's modesty, seeing that the man has the potential to become a Grade-A champ someday. "This kid's got skills! We got ourselves a new hero! Let's hear it for him, folks! Yeah! The Prevailin' Presto!"
"All right," Andrew said as the crowd in the audience cheered for him. "Thanks. Very nice. Really..."
"Oh, come on, dearie. No need to be nervous," Flurrie commented as she waved towards the fans in the audience, acting like she had resumed her actress career. "I've had tons of practice doing this in my time as an actress. I daresay, you'll grow fond of it in due time too, darling."
"Yeah! Besides, what do you expect from a team like us?" Goombella asked rhetorically before cheering in a preppy manner. "We ROCK! WOO HOO! YEAH!"
"Gee whiz... Sure glad that we won," Koops said shyly as he waved too. "This is pretty cool."
The four of them just stared off and waved at the crowd, except for Goombella, who was making a gesture that was similar to waving. They continued this until they were escorted back to the minor league locker room.
Andrew knew this was his first time doing this in front of a crowd of people, but he was already aware that his fighting career in the Glitz Pit was just starting. He would see how far he'd go soon enough. That's a given...
END OF CHAPTER 24...
Well, that's it for this chapter. I do hope you enjoyed the chapter everyone.
Yeah. I was the one who came up with the name Prevailing Presto for Andrew's Glitz Pit name. I settled on that because, to be honest; Great Gonzales is Mario's stage name, and as I said at the beginning of this story, Andrew is a completely different character from Mario, and being called Presto is proof of this.
Also, I decided to have Andrew conclude first that the Crystal Star on the champ belt is a fake, showcasing his only sane man traits, even though he doesn't share it with his partners just yet. Not until he can confirm it up close for himself, which will be once he gets into the major league locker room. Hope that is all right and it still helps the story flow forward.
Anyway, the next chapter will focus on Andrew, Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie touring through the minor leagues after being introduced to the minor league crew. Additionally, they talk about what they got when they weren't battling, such as Goombella learning about the Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit, which she'll look into later.
The four of them decided to have some of Mr. Hoggle's Hot Dogs for a lunchbreak when they see a bouncing egg getting away from the hot dog stand, Andrew decides to liberate the eggs, signs the autograph for a Bob-omb kid, and the egg decided to stick with Andrew and his three partners, and a few other things happen. How will this go for them? Find out next time.
For now, only if you like, you can leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Nothing to say there.
Otherwise, I have nothing more to say here. So until next time, I do hope you look forward to more. And on that note, thanks for reading once again, everyone!