All right, folks! Here is the 27th chapter of this story!
Now, I don't have anything to say here for now, since everything I needed to was said in the author's notes in the previous chapter. I'll save it for the end.
In the meantime, in this chapter, Andrew and his four partners are now in the Major Leagues, they encounter the Rawk Hawk who barges into the Major League locker room, Andrew can confirm with his partners that the Crystal Star; the Gold Star on the Champ Belt is a fake, and some comments that are made infuriate Rawk Hawk.
Additionally, Andrew receives an e-mail from someone called X, who sends him e-mails to help with finding out more about the Gold Star's location, Andrew gets a new bat, and the Armored Harriers show how sore they are when they barge into the ring unexpectedly, and Andrew receives a death threat e-mail, and some other stuff too, regarding the Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit.
How will things go for Andrew and his four partners? Read and find out, now!
IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE LOCKER ROOM:
It didn't take long for Andrew and his four partners to enter the Major League Locker Room as they were escorted in there by Jolene.
The place looked the same as it did when Grubba showed them the locker room earlier, so there wasn't much observation placed into it right now. It was then Jolene decided to tell Andrew what he needed to know.
"This is the major-league locker room," Jolene informed him. "You will use this room from this moment on."
"That makes sense," Andrew understood what she said.
"The match system is the same as the minor league...but the bouts are harder," Jolene continued to inform him. "Try not to get 'completely' destroyed out there, OK, Mr. Presto?"
"We'll try not to," Andrew informed her. "Thanks, Ms. Jolene."
"Well," Jolene adjusted her glasses again. "If you'll excuse me... I must be going now."
With that, Jolene walked out of the Major League Locker Room, leaving the five fighters to take another good look at the place, and the fighters that were in there. As Andrew placed his backpack in one of the lockers, he got a good look at all four of them.
Andrew noticed that one of them was the Koopinator that he saw lose to the Rawk Hawk earlier.
Additionally, he took notice of a Shady Koopa named Shellshock, who looked almost the same as King K. The only difference was that his skin was duller in color. And his shell and shoes were cyan.
Aside from them, there was a red-shelled Spike Top; a Buzzy Beetle with a spike on their backs, and a regular Hammer Brother.
It was then the five of them noticed something. Unlike the case in the Minor League Locker Room, these guys didn't look friendly in the slightest. They were even casting the five fighters with cold looks. Naturally, this was unnerving to them as they had to comment on it.
"Uh, yeah... What, no hellos?" Goombella couldn't help but snort. "These guys are 'totally' freezing us out, Andrew."
"Ummm... Judging by the dead silence, I'd say these guys don't like us much." Koops had to admit awkwardly as he felt uncomfortable by the stares they were getting.
"Oh, dear... These fellows don't seem quite as friendly as the minor-leaguers..." Flurrie had to admit in worry.
"What's the deal?" Yoshiam couldn't help but let out a retort at the disturbing silence in the locker room. "Would it kill these guys to show a little friendliness? Sheesh!"
"You know, these guys are not as friendly as hospitable as the gang from the minor leagues, as Flurrie pointed out," Andrew had to comment. "I'm guessing it's because they're major leaguers and each of them has developed an ego from being this high up in the ranks."
Of course, none of them have as much of an ego problem as one fighter in particular... Andrew thought to himself.
Then right on cue, footsteps were heard approaching the door, as the door got slammed open. Barging into the Major League Locker Room was the Rawk Hawk himself. And he was wearing the Champ Belt with the supposed Crystal Star on it. He was in the locker room for someone in particular.
"Studly guy, coming through!" Rawk Hawk announced rudely before getting to the point. "Listen up, losers! I've been hearing about some rising star tearing up the league..."
Andrew had to clear his throat loudly at that. He knew for sure that the Rawk Hawk was talking about him, considering how quickly he got into the Major Leagues.
This got Rawk Hawk's attention as he turned around to come face to face with Andrew. He was the guy that he was looking for.
"It's you, isn't it? Yeah! You fit the bill, brawny!" Rawk Hawk proclaimed. "A muscle named Presto!"
He then observed and realized what he was dealing with. He came in here just to see this two-bit wimp, who was supposedly becoming a problem to him? Why did he have to worry about this chump?
"Man, I came 'all the way' over here for YOU?!" Rawk Hawk snorted before he laughed and said. "Harharhar! What a waste of time!"
Andrew didn't 'really' appreciate that comment he made. However, he didn't comment on it. There was something more important that he was focused on. And it involved the so-called Gold Star that was on the Champ Belt.
Oh, he's wearing the Champ Belt! Perfect! Andrew thought. Now's my chance to observe it more closely...
With that, Andrew had to squint his eyes and lean over towards the supposed Gold Star. After a few moments of observing it closer up, he realized something was wrong. Aside from the sparkles not being present, he noticed something particular; the Crystal Star looked like it was made of glass.
The two Crystal Stars that he got previously WEREN'T made of glass and were the real deals. On top of being out in the open for the general public to see, these were all of the answers that Andrew needed to confirm his suspicions.
Holy cow! This Crystal Star looks like it is made of glass! There's no way a Crystal Star is made from glass. This is 'definitely' a fake Crystal Star... Andrew thought to himself. Now's my chance to confirm it with my partners. I hope they can see for themselves that it's a fake...
With that thought in mind, Andrew turned to face his four partners as he got their attention.
"Uh, excuse me? Guys?" Andrew asked them.
"What? What's wrong, Andrew?" Goombella asked in confusion.
"Ummm... What's up, Andrew?" Koops quizzed.
"Andrew, darling, what is it?" Flurrie wondered.
"What's your deal, Presto?" Yoshiam was also curious about this.
Andrew motioned them over to him so he could whisper something in their ears.
"Listen..." Andrew was then heard whispering to them, before saying clearly "Champ Belt", and then he continued whispering into their ears. The last words that he whispered to them was "Fake Crystal Star."
Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie were wide-eyed when they heard him tell them this fact, while Yoshiam looked confused. Yoshiam had never seen a real Crystal Star up close, so he wouldn't know for sure what they looked like in person. Still, he was curious about what Andrew meant by that.
"WHAAAAT? Are you saying the champ's belt..." Goombella had to gasp in shock.
"Are you serious? The champ's belt?" Koops had to make sure he wasn't hearing things.
"Come again? The champ's belt, you say?" Flurrie was perplexed and shocked by this.
"Oh! The champ's belt..." Yoshiam just nodded and went with it.
At that moment, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam approached the Champ Belt to examine the fake Crystal Star for themselves, to confirm Andrew's suspicions officially. Rawk Hawk 'clearly' didn't like this as he had to voice himself.
"What in the... Hey! You!" Rawk Hawk sneered at the four of them. "Get too close to the Hawk and you might get RAWKED!"
At that moment, Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie were wide-eyed at what they had seen from the Champ Belt, while Yoshiam was still confused.
Was this what the real Crystal Stars looked like, only with the sparkles and being a gemstone-shaped star? Either way, Yoshiam was willing to take Andrew's word for it.
"I'm not sure, but it 'definitely' looks weird," Yoshiam had to scratch his head at this.
"You're 'totally' right, Andrew!" Goombella yelled.
"Andrew! You were right!" Koops shouted.
"My stars, it's completely true!" Flurrie yelped.
"This Crystal Star...is a fake!" All three of them shouted simultaneously.
"I think you're right, Presto," Yoshiam then yelled in agreement. "FAKE!"
"Uh huh," Andrew nodded as he was right about it being fake. "Just as I thought."
Rawk Hawk, meanwhile, didn't appreciate these five fighters making insulting comments about his Champ Belt. He didn't care if they were jealous about not having it, they had no right to insult it in front of him. And he had to let them know that, personally.
"Hey, you think you can just smack-talk the Rawk Hawk?" Rawk Hawk had to shout at them. "I DON'T THINK SO!"
This got all five of them to look at Rawk Hawk straight in the eye as he sneered at them.
"You got some guts, calling my belt a fake, you shrimpy, no-belt-having wimps!" Rawk Hawk told them off. "Didn't your momma teach you any manners?!"
"Sheesh, sorry, Mr. Birdie." Goombella apologized while rolling her eyes. "I didn't mean to say your belt was fake. Take it easy."
"Ummmm... Gee, sorry, man..." Koops apologized more nervously as if he had set him off. "I didn't mean to insult your fancy belt, there..."
"Oh, I do apologize, sir," Flurrie apologized adequately. "I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your belt."
"Whoa, sorry, yellow dude!" Yoshiam apologized in a retort. "I didn't mean to rip on your big, bad belt!"
"We're sorry, Mr. Rawk Hawk," Andrew also apologized more calmly. "We had no intentions of offending your Champ Belt. No harm done. Really."
This only set off the Rawk Hawk even further, as he was growing furious with them.
"Stop making fun of me, punks!" Rawk Hawk snapped angrily at them. "You're alive ONLY 'cause we ain't in the ring right now! If I see you under those lights, I'll tear you apart! Remember the RAWWWWWWK!"
In a fit of fury, Rawk Hawk stormed out of the Major League Locker Room, slamming the door right behind him. Andrew was a little shocked by his outburst while his four partners went back over to him, wondering why he reacted like that.
"Oh dear, I do 'believe' we made that chicken angry," Flurrie had to admit shamefully.
"He's got a massive ego problem for sure," Andrew had to smirk slightly at what Flurrie said before he frowned more seriously. "Unfortunately, he's the least of our worries right now."
"You're right Andrew," Koops agreed. "We have bigger fish to fry."
"Yeah, we have a problem now," Goombella had to say. "The map 'definitely' pointed to Glitzville..."
"It sure does," Andrew took out the map and unfolded it, pointing to where Glitzville was while Yoshiam was rather fascinated by the Magical Map he was seeing for the first time. "This place in the sky is 'definitely' Glitzville."
"Well if the ornament on that fellow's belt isn't the real Crystal Star, then..." Flurrie had to trail off when she said that.
"Then where the heck is the real one?" Yoshiam finished for Flurrie in a demanding tone as Andrew put the Magical Map away.
"That's something that I'm still unsure of. I'm still trying to figure out where the real Crystal Star is located," Andrew had to admit while crossing his arms and thinking this over. "Perhaps the Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit might hold a clue to its whereabouts..."
"Gotcha Andrew! I'm happy to hear you say that!" Goombella beamed. "If we look into them, then maybe we can-"
Goombella couldn't finish her sentence when Andrew's Mailbox SP started going off, with a completely different ringtone being heard. Yoshiam was completely confused by this, as he had to react.
"Whoa! Man! Presto, dude?! What the heck is that!?" Yoshiam asked him. "Where's that ringtone coming from!?"
"Oh, that would happen to be my Mailbox SP, Yoshiam. It means that I just got an e-mail," Andrew took out his Mailbox SP and looked at it. "But I dunno who would be e-mailing me at this time..."
"Well, open it, Andrew!" Goombella suggested. "Who'd you get mail from?"
Andrew opened it up and saw the message he got was from an e-mail he received. Andrew read it out loud for them, as his four partners leaned over to see what it said. This is what was written in the message.
"iF yOu WaNt ThE cRyStAl StAr, HeEd My InStRuCtIoNs."
[FrOm] X
Andrew and his four friends had to jump at this. Never mind the fact that the person known as X didn't know about using proper capitalization, he was confused about who X was.
"What the...?!" Andrew voiced himself. "X?"
"What? Who's this X guy?" Goombella had to query at this.
"He talks like he knows all about the Crystal Star..." Koops had to comment shyly.
"What would motivate him to help us in our quest, though?" Flurrie wondered suspiciously.
"This whole deal seems kinda wack..." Yoshiam had to admit before kicking his right foot at nothing.
"What I wanna know is who is this X person," Andrew needed to know. "And how the heck did this X get my e-mail address?"
"Probably someone we know. Maybe," Goombella took a guess.
"It has to be," Andrew proclaimed. "Otherwise they wouldn't e-mail us about the Crystal Star. Whoever this X character might be..."
"Well, until we hear back some more from X, how about we get ready for another match? Huh, Presto?" Yoshiam suggested to him.
"It's probably the only thing we can do for now," Andrew started walking over to the computer terminal screen on the wall. "We just have to wait to hear from X about what we should do to find the real Crystal Star."
"Wait a minute Andrew! Before we register for a match, I just gotta ask you something," Goombella started. "How did you know that the Crystal Star on the Champ Belt was a fake all along? What tipped you off?"
"Well, I'd say several things tipped me off. First off, I was highly suspicious of the fact that the Crystal Star was out in the open like this for the public to see," Andrew had to explain. "And secondly, the sparkles that we saw with the Diamond and Emerald Stars weren't present in the Gold Star on the Champ Belt. And then there's the fact that it looks like it's made from glass instead of being a real gemstone like the other two Crystal Stars that we got."
"Omigosh! That makes sense! It was real smart of you to maintain that suspicion of yours," Goombella smirked in admiration at this. "You waited to tell us until you can confirm it to be true?"
"Exactly," Andrew nodded before he noticed a bathroom nearby. "Hey look! They have a bathroom in here. Let me check it out."
Andrew walked over to the bathroom door and was just about to open it. However, as soon as he grabbed the doorknob, he heard someone shout in the bathroom.
"OCCUPIED!" An unknown person yelled out for Andrew to hear.
"What the...!?" Andrew jumped in confusion at what he just heard.
"Oh yeah. That's right. I forgot to tell you about that, Andrew," Goombella felt like sharing with him. "There's ALWAYS someone in the bathroom. Creepy! Y'know, it's kinda necessary to have access to a bathroom now and then..."
"Got that right," Andrew agreed with a smirk. "A guy has to do his business whenever he needs to."
"No kidding. Girls gotta do their business too, y'know," Goombella smirked.
"Glad to see we're thinking alike about that," Andrew sighed as he decided to move on. "Now that we got all of this squared away, we might as well wait to hear back from this X to learn more about the Crystal Star."
"Good thinking, Andrew," Koops had to agree. "We just got to wait to hear from X about the Crystal Star."
"By the stars, I do believe you're right," Flurrie had to say in admiration. "You are quite the smart handsome fellow that I thought you were. We shall hope to find out more from this suspicious character."
"Yup. Now, let's just register another match for us," Andrew suggested.
"You got it, Presto!" Yoshiam grinned. "Let's rock out and deck some more chumps in the ring!"
"I'm on it, Yoshiam," Andrew smirked at this as he could only register for a match with his four friends until they heard back from X. Whenever that may be...
It was fortunate that Andrew and his four partners had got done with two matches in a row. The first one was against the Tiny Spinies; two Red Spike Tops. And the second one was against the Poker Faces; which were two Bristles.
Neither one of them proved to be an absolute challenge for Andrew and his four partners, especially the two Bristles since he and Goombella faced something like them back on the path to Shhwonk Fortress. Needless to say, they were victorious against both of those teams.
Jolene made sure to give Andrew his prize money for both matches, before announcing that she must be going now. As soon as she gave Andrew the prize money for beating the Poker Faces, she left the Major League Locker Room.
As soon as she left the room, Andrew felt his Mailbox SP going off again, meaning he had gotten another e-mail from someone.
"Whoa! Andrew!" Goombella yelped at this. "That was another e-mail, right?"
"Sure seems like it," Andrew took out his Mailbox SP and opened it.
"Go on, Presto! See what it is, man!" Yoshiam encouraged him.
"OK," Andrew then decided to read what the e-mail said to them. It said the following.
"gO tO tHe WaTeRiNg HoLe OuTsIdE ThE gLiTz PiT."
[FrOm] X
"It's from that X guy again. Great," Goombella rolled her eyes at how mysterious X was being.
"Gee whiz! That X guy again?" Koops had to wonder.
"Now he's directing us to some 'watering hole,' hmmm?" Flurrie rubbed her chin at this.
"OK, whatever!" Yoshiam yelled as he threw his arms out. "I'd give anything to know who this dude is."
"Yeah. Wait, watering hole?" Andrew then had to say. "Doesn't X mean to say juice bar?"
"Probably," Goombella did a shrug. "Guess we oughta go to the juice bar to see what is waiting for us there, huh?"
"We might as well," Andrew grabbed his backpack and put it over his back. "Let's head to the juice bar outside of the Glitz Pit."
Andrew decided to leave the Major League Locker Room, with Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam trailing right behind him as they walked through the backstage corridor of the Glitz Pit before getting to the door that led straight to the lobby.
As soon as they set foot into the lobby, Andrew was greeted by what appeared to be a bunch of young Toad girls, who were smiling eagerly at him.
It would appear that a good chunk of the Toad girls were very hormonal teenagers, but there were also a couple of them who looked to be in their early 20s. The looks on their faces screamed 'fangirls' and they had their sights set entirely on Andrew.
Andrew had to jump slightly at this while Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam raised their eyebrows at this.
"Whoa," Andrew then had to admit. "Now this is something you don't see every day."
It was then one of the young Toad girls felt like squealing. "Hey look girls! It's the Prevailing Presto!"
"Oh my gosh! The Prevailing Presto is the best," another fangirl yelled in excitement.
"Him and his manly hunky body," a third Toad teenaged girl swooned and said in admiration. "Not to mention those arms, those muscles, and that six-pack abs on his stomach. He's to die for."
"I'd love for him to show me a good time!" One of the Toad fangirls yelled.
"Presto rules! He'll be the champ for sure!" Another Toad fangirl declared.
"He far better than the Rawk Hawk for sure," one of the Toad girls couldn't help but admit.
"Omigosh girls! Unpopular opinion here!" Yet another Toad fangirl said, who had blond hair draping under her cap, as she spoke with a valley girl accent. "The Prevailing Presto is like, so totes hotter and BETTAH than the Rawk Hawk ever was!"
"I dream of sleeping in bed with him!" Another redhead Toad fangirl squealed in delight.
Andrew couldn't help but blush profusely upon hearing these fangirls gush about how much they wanted to sleep with him and his muscular body in bed. Surely they were just going through their hormonal phases when they talked about sleeping in bed with him, were they?
By contrast, Goombella was rather aggravated and irritated by these fangirls and their lifestyles. She was red in the face with fury as she needed to get rid of these fangirls.
"All right girls! All right! That's enough! Get outta here! Go! Scram, you buncha hussies!" Goombella screamed as he tried charging for them. "We already have one floozy to deal with in Ms. Mowz! We don't need to handle a bunch of them!"
Andrew then looked up as Goombella mentioned Ms. Mowz by name, and he then realized something. Ms. Mowz was no longer seen in the lobby. Perhaps she had finally gotten into whatever location she needed to get into so she could find some rare badges here.
Regardless, Andrew would end up interacting with the white Little Mouser before she went on her way, and this goes for Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam too. He could already feel it.
With any amount of luck, Goombella was successful in driving off the rather seductive bunch of teenage Toad girls who were attempting to flirt with Andrew.
Andrew couldn't help but sigh in relief at this, as he didn't need to worry about the horrifying implications of having a bunch of groupies on his tail.
"Thanks Goombella. That was close," Andrew thanked her for driving them off. "Now we don't have to worry about them for a bit."
"Anytime Andrew," Goombella winked at him. "Just making sure they don't try anything naughty with you."
"I get it," Andrew wiped his forehead.
"Wow. Gosh. Gee whiz," Koops had to comment. "You are such a lucky dog, having that many fangirls, Andrew."
"So they say, Koops," Andrew murmured.
"Well, I am not surprised in the slightest," Flurrie huffed. "It comes with becoming a popular namestay such as yours truly. It's to be expected that our marvelous man here gains some fangirls from how he's been tearing through the leagues in the Glitz Pit."
"I figured that to be the case, Flurrie," Andrew remarked.
"I don't get it. What's the big deal about it," Yoshiam had to express how he doesn't see anything wrong with it. "So Presto here has a bunch of fangirls who look up to him. So what?"
"You wouldn't be saying that Yoshiam if you had gotten the chance to interact with a certain floozy twice during this adventure," Goombella had to tell him.
"Wait, why are we still talking about this?" Andrew had to ask as he knew who Goombella was referring to. "Shouldn't we be going to find the juice bar outside?"
"Right on, Presto my man!" Yoshiam cheered. "Let's find this juice bar like this X guy suggested!"
And that's what they did, as the five of them went outside of the Glitz Pit to get to the juice bar...
OUTSIDE OF THE GLITZ PIT:
Unfortunately, Andrew found himself heading to the Souvenir Shop the moment he stepped outside. His four partners followed him as they looked around to see what they had.
Needless to say, Andrew was ecstatic when he found that the store was selling Power Punches. As such, Andrew had to buy at least six Power Punches. Aside from those, he also purchased three Repel Capes, two Earth-Quake items, a Thunder Bolt, and a Super Shroom. Andrew managed to get a good deal on these items, as he was also seen throwing away the Dried Shroom that he bought at the Westside Goods store earlier, saying that he wouldn't give that to him or his partners.
Once they were done with shopping, the five of them left the store and headed straight to the juice bar across from where the store was.
As soon as they entered, they were greeted by the bartender, named Polder, who looked eerily identical to Podley.
He had the same Beanish-shaped green head. The same bald head. Same glasses. Same small mustache. Same sleeveless green vest shirt. Same white suit underneath. And the same brown shoes. Right down to polishing a glass cup with a cloth.
Andrew was surprised to see him come up to him and observe his entire figure.
"Oh, you're Mr. Presto!" Podler proclaimed. "Yeah, those're the muscles I've been waiting for!"
"Wait, you've been waiting for me?" Andrew was confused by this.
"'Actually', you're pretty late..." Podler had to admit.
"Yeah. Sorry that we're late. We got tied up with dealing with fangirls," Andrew explained. "Not to mention we bought some good stuff at the Souvenir Shop store."
"I see," Polder adjusted his glasses before continuing. "In any case, somebody left a package and a note by the door a bit ago. The letter said: 'Look for a brawny muscular man named Presto and give him this.'"
"Wait, you have something to give to me?" Andrew was now wondering what it was. "What is the gift you are referring to?"
"If you must know, the 'this' the letter was talking about is...this," Podler then took out the object he got with the letter and showed it to Andrew.
It was a bat. Specifically, it was a Super Bat. Unlike Andrew's wooden bat, this bat was dull blue, and it looked like it was made out of stone. Andrew's eyes lit up upon seeing it.
"Holy cow! Is that a new bat!?" Andrew wondered as he held the new bat for himself.
"That's called the Super Bat," Podler explained. "And that's not all. The letter also came with these instructions on how to use the Super Bat."
Andrew then received the paper that Podler gave him as he opened it up.
"Well Andrew, don't just leave us curious," Goombella then requested. "What do the instructions say?!"
"All right, Goombella," Andrew then read off the instructions. "It says that with this bat, I can twist myself around and swing the Super Bat in circles."
"Gee whiz, Andrew," Koops had to admit. "That's pretty cool..."
"That's not all," Andrew continued. "'Apparently' I can use that Super Bat swing move to break down giant yellow blocks that are in the way."
"Why, that is quite fabulous, darling," Flurrie had to swoon. "I daresay, that bat must've been a lucky gift."
"No kidding there," Andrew then read the instructions some more. "Oh! I can use the Super Bat swing in battles too! And my batting attacking has gotten stronger too."
"Now that's wicked cool, Presto!" Yoshiam seemed eager to hear that from him. "I bet you can clobber more fighters with that bat, huh?"
"You said it, Yoshiam," Andrew smirked as he then remembered about his old bat. "Anyway, with my old wooden bat, I might as well bring it back to the Rogueport Inn once we're done here. Then I'll just leave it in the pile with my old combat boots."
"Smart idea, Andrew," Goombella beamed. "This is so 'totally' AWESOME! Isn't it?"
"Yeah," Andrew nodded slowly before putting the Super Bat into his backpack as he looked at Podler. "So you're saying some stranger left this gift behind for me to claim, right?"
"That's right," Podler nodded.
"I take it that you are exactly an expert on bats, are you?" Andrew had to ask.
"I'm afraid not. Sorry to say that, Mr. Presto," Podler told him honestly. "I'm more of an expert and fan of hammers."
"Right," Andrew sighed.
"I have a cousin who is an expert on bats though," Podler decided to share. "And from what he told me, that particular bat right there had earned him 47 home runs in a row."
"That's pretty cool," Andrew had to admit.
"Yeah. And from what he shared with me, the commercials for this kind of bat say that this bat chooses its users," Podler explained. "They aren't cheap, either, so whoever gave this to you must be a big fan."
"Or someone we already know," Andrew uttered.
"But... Why leave it in this juice shop?" Podler had to wonder. "Doesn't that strike you as a bit odd?"
"Yeah. It does seem a little abnormal," Andrew remarked.
"I mean, it's not like it's that hard to hand a gift to a pro fighter..." Podler proclaimed calmly.
"No kidding," Andrew deadpanned.
Goombella looked like she was dying to say something to Andrew. But before she could, Andrew's Mailbox SP was going off once again.
"Wow, Andrew!" Koops had to admit. "E-mails are coming fast and furious now!"
"Yeah. I wonder what it is this time," Andrew opened his Mailbox SP and read what the message said to his four partners.
"SmAsH tHe BlOcKaDe In ThE minOr-LeAgUe LoCkEr RoOm."
[FrOm] X
"The blockade in the minor-league locker room?" All five of them asked simultaneously.
"Hmm? What could be behind it?" Flurrie wondered while rubbing her chin.
"I guess there's only one way to find out," Andrew informed them. "We better head back to the Minor League Locker Room and smash it for ourselves."
"You said it, Presto! Let's beat feet!" Yoshiam pointed towards the door.
And so the five of them left the juice bar and headed back into the Glitz Pit building.
Once they entered, they were relieved to know that the fangirls didn't try to stop them.
One thing Andrew did take notice of that he didn't before was the fact that one of the posters on the foyer wall was replaced by a poster that was of the Prevailing Presto, who happened to be Andrew.
As flattered as he was to see it, Andrew had no time to dwell over it. He led his four comrades back to the backstage corridor of the Glitz Pit ring until they came to the door that led into the Minor League Locker Room.
He saw that the Security Guard was standing in front of it, and he then had to explain it to him.
"Excuse me, sir?" Andrew started. "But I need to get into the Minor League Locker Room."
"Ah, Presto isn't it?" The Security Guard asked as Andrew nodded at this. "I got the word that you wanted to move back down to the minor league again."
"You did?" Andrew was confused by this.
"Can't say I understand why." The Security Guard expressed his confusion about this. "Anyway, go in."
The guard moved to the side and allowed Andrew and his four partners to enter the Minor League Locker Room.
As soon as Andrew entered the locker room, he noticed that the room was pretty much the same as he left it.
Cleftor and Master Crash were still in the locker room. But then he noticed a Swooper; a purple bat creature, in the locker room now, known as Sir Swoop.
But the one thing that Andrew took notice of was the Armored Harriers, who were in the Minor League Locker Room. And he took notice of the nasty glare that both of them were giving him like they wanted him dead on the spot.
"Goombella, don't look now," Andrew had to utter to his Goomba partner. "But the Armored Harriers look like they want to kill us..."
"No kidding," Goombella shivered as she whispered. "I don't think they took their loss to you too well, Andrew. I'd be careful around them... They 'totally' hate you."
"As if it weren't obvious already," Andrew sighed. "Anyway, I guess I can just use this Super Bat to bash down this huge yellow block that's in the way."
His four partners encouraged it as he performed the move for the first time. He twisted his body several times with the Super Bat in both hands until he released himself and swung into the huge block, bashing it and breaking it down after hitting it multiple times.
He then went into the secret room, where there was a single lamp hanging from the ceiling, a bookshelf, and a shelf up above a desk with a dated 90s computer monitor and desktop. The monitor had a crack, indicating that it was broken long ago.
It was then Andrew saw a document on the bookshelf, as he motioned Yoshiam to follow him up onto the shelf above the computer desk. Feeling Andrew get on his back, Yoshiam flutter-jumped over to the bookshelf, when he jumped off of him shortly afterwards.
As soon as he got off, he walked over, grabbed the Dubious Paper, and looked at it.
"Hey Andrew? What is that paper supposed to be?" Goombella asked him.
Andrew didn't hear her at first, as he was looking through the paper. He was then surprised as he jumped down with Yoshiam before he told his four partners.
"Uhhh...guys?" Andrew held the Dubious Paper out. "You might want to look at this for yourselves."
Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam nodded as all four of them looked at the paper and were shocked, surprised, and stunned by what they had read and seen from this paper alone.
"Andrew! Do you believe what that is?" Goombella had to express. "It's a scientific report on the Crystal Stars!"
"Yeah! That's a research document on the Crystal Stars!" Koops had to express his surprise at this. "Unbelievable!"
"Someone was doing scientific studies on the Crystal Stars," Flurrie had to muse in curiosity.
"They even took pictures!" Yoshiam had to point out. "Who'd leave something like this lying around? This is just REEKS of funny business!"
"Perhaps someone else was wanting to research the Crystal Stars too," Andrew had to take a guess. "And they were looking into the one that's located here."
It was then something else came back to him. And it involved one of the Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit. And he had to ask Goombella about it.
"Come to think of it, now that it's crossed my mind, Goombella," Andrew felt like asking his Goomba partner. "Didn't one of the Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit say something about this?"
"Well, kinda. The Sealed Wall is this one, I suppose," Goombella explained. "It's about how the remains of fallen athletes are rumored to be stored behind a sealed wall in a minor-league locker room. I guess the wall is actually that large yellow block you just broke with your Super Bat. And while there weren't any bodies of fallen fighters here, we found this research paper on the Crystal Stars. So I suppose this is one mystery that has been solved, with six more waiting to look into."
"No kidding," Andrew patted her on the head. "Now we better get going."
As soon as they left the secret room, they saw that Jolene was in the locker room and was in front of the door. She noticed that Andrew and his group were in the Minor League Locker Room, even though they're major leaguers now.
"You again... Mr. Presto," Jolene had to voice herself. "What are you doing in here?"
Andrew and his four partners walked away from the secret room as Jolene continued her explanation of this.
"This is the minor-league locker room," Jolene had to tell him. "Major-league athletes are forbidden. Even if they weren't, it's hardly appropriate to bash down our walls, hmmmmm?"
It was then Jolene felt a spark in her eye upon seeing the Dubious Paper that Andrew had in his right hand. Seemingly interested in it, she approached Andrew with the ambition of taking the paper from them.
"I'll just be confiscating THIS, thank you very much." Jolene insisted.
"Uh, OK?" Andrew said awkwardly as he held it out for Jolene to take from her.
As soon as she grabbed it, she walked for the door and exited from the locker room. Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam couldn't believe what had just happened, and Andrew was also curious as to how she knew that they'd be in there.
"What's that chick's beef?" Goombella had to gripe about Jolene's behavior. "It was totally hard work getting that info!"
"Yeah... Well, there she goes..." Koops agreed. "Taking that document we worked so hard to get..."
"And we worked so hard getting that paper..." Flurrie had to admit.
"Some people just gotta rain on parades!" Yoshiam couldn't help but complain about this.
"Look guys, I'll admit that all that hard work we've done went down the drain, all of a sudden," Andrew assured them. "But the important thing is that we know that the Gold Star is in Glitzville."
"No kidding, Andrew," Goombella beamed. "At least it sounds like the Crystal Star is somewhere in here."
"But what I wanna know is how did Jolene know that we'd be in here?" Andrew had to question. "Could the security guard have informed her about how we entered the Minor League Locker Room?"
"Man, that couldn't be far from the truth, Andrew," Koops admitted. "Now ummm...we better get back to the Major League Locker Room now..."
"Good idea, Koops," Andrew nodded. "We'd best continue registering for matches until X e-mails us again."
"I daresay, that's a fabulous choice, dearie," Flurrie told him joyously. "We have a crowd of such adoring fans to attend to with watching our brawny brawls."
"Good way to put it, Flurrie," said Andrew before he looked at Yoshiam. "Ready to get back into the ring some more?"
"Like heck I am," Yoshiam grinned. "I'm eager to bust some more heads out there."
"Then let's get going," Andrew motioned them to the door as he opened it and left the minor league locker room. With Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam following right behind him.
The five of them wasted no time in getting back to the Major League Locker Room to register another match in the Glitz Pit. They could only wait to see what other e-mail this X character would send to them...
IN THE GLITZ PIT:
It didn't take long for Andrew and his four partners to have gotten into the ring. They had just gotten done with taking down The Fuzz, which consisted of a regular Fuzzy, a Green Fuzzy, and a Flower Fuzzy. Andrew realized that it was easier since he still had a Volt Shroom that he found in the Boggly Woods.
"Meeeeeeork! No fair..." The regular Fuzzy moaned as his teammates Green Fuzzy and Flower Fuzzy were out cold from the fight. "You cheated... MEEEEEORK!"
"No, I didn't," Andrew deadpanned. "Grubba only said that we could only use our basic attacks. He didn't say anything about items. Plus, it ain't my fault that you guys were too dumb to try sucking out my energy when I ate that Volt Shroom, and electrocuting yourselves afterwards."
"MEEEEEORK..." The regular Fuzzy yelped one last time before being knocked out cold with the other Fuzzies.
"Well, that's one more battle down in this book and..." Andrew then looked up and took notice of something in the crowd, which cut his sentence off. "Huh?"
"PRESTOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A voice was heard shouting as Andrew and his five partners saw where that came from.
It was the Armored Harriers, as they stormed through the crowd and made their way onto the ring, unannounced. Grubba was rather surprised to see them barge into the ring like this.
"Whoa, nelly!" Grubba had to announce. "I don't believe my eyes, folks! The Iron Adonis Twins are in a rage!"
"OK. What are you guys doing here?" Andrew had to furrow his eyebrows as he said dryly. "Don't you know that it's illegal for you to come barging in the middle of a fight like this?"
"You made us look like suckers the other day, and now you're gonna pay for it!" The red-shoed Iron Cleft declared.
"Guess they 'really' were sore from losing the match against us, were they Goombella?" Andrew proclaimed.
"You think?" Goombella said dryly with a teasing tone.
"Awww... A little tired from your match, Prevailing Stinkwad?" The red-shoed Iron Cleft asked in mock sympathy before sneering. "Too bad! Prepare for pain!"
With no second to spare, the Armored Harriers both went Charging for Andrew and his four friends.
"Get out of the way, guys!" Andrew warned his crew.
In a matter of seconds, all five of them scattered and got out of the way in time before they got plowed by the Armored Harriers.
"Whew. That was close," Andrew wiped his forehead before looking toward Yoshiam. "All right Yoshiam! You know what to do!"
"I'm on it, Presto!" Yoshiam got his tongue ready to perform his Gulp move.
As Andrew, Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie were distracting the Armored Harriers away from Yoshiam, the little Yoshi kid flutter-jumped through the air until he landed behind the Iron Cleft.
Walking up to the red-shoed Iron Cleft, Yoshiam did the same thing before, by grabbing him with his tongue, and spat him out at the green-shoed Iron Cleft.
"Yowch!" Both Iron Cleft yelped in pain.
"Way to go, Yoshiam!" Andrew had to tell him. "You have them on the ropes!"
"I know, man," it was then Yoshiam noticed that the Iron Clefts were after him now. "What the...?"
He only barely got out of the way of their Charge attack in time as he flutter-jumped out of there. He felt one of their spikes poke him in the backside, but he didn't let that stop him.
Just like before, Yoshiam used his Gulp move to grab the red-shoed Iron Cleft with his tongue and spat him out at the green-shoed Iron Cleft.
It seems that no matter when the Armored Harriers tried barging into Presto's fights, he has Yoshiam there with him to deal with these sore metalheads. The Armored Harriers were dizzy again; a sign that Andrew and his team beat them again.
"Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurgh..." The red-shoed Iron Cleft moaned. "We lost, after all that... We reek."
"Great job, Yoshiam," Andrew congratulated him. "You are on the ball with dealing with those two."
"It was my pleasure, dude," Yoshiam walked over to him and exchanged a high-five with Andrew before doing that guitar-solo thing with his hands again.
"Hoooooooooo-WEEEEEEEEEE! That's our Prevailin' Presto, friends and neighbors!" Grubba had to announce. "Kid don't even blink when the Iron Adonis Twins barge in and attack! Woo! Tough! He's too dang tough! Yeah, this kid is only bound for bigger things, folks! Until next time, everyone... See ya!"
At that moment, Andrew and his four partners were escorting back to the Major League Locker Room while the Armored Harriers were taken away by two security guards and brought back to the Minor League Locker Room...
IN THE MAJOR LEAGUE LOCKER ROOM:
As soon as Jolene gave Andrew his prize money, she decided to take her leave again. Once she was gone, Andrew couldn't help but hitch his breath at how the Armored Harriers ambushed them in the middle of the ring.
"I can't believe it," Andrew huffed. "The Armored Harriers 'really' were sore at how we beat them. And now we beat them again."
"Why, it serves those louts right for barging into the middle of the ring when they weren't allowed to," Flurrie had to admit in a scoff. "Well, I'd never..."
"Gee whiz. Didn't expect them to come back for us," Koops said to Yoshiam. "Glad to know that you dealt with them, Yoshiam."
"Ain't no problem for me at all, Koops," Yoshiam declared. "They weren't so tough."
"Yeah. In any case, we dealt with them again," Andrew sighed. "And I don't think they'll be messing with us anytime soon."
Goombella looked like she wanted to say something else to Andrew. But before she could, Andrew's Mailbox SP started going off again, indicating that Andrew got yet another e-mail.
"Andrew! You're like, totally popular now," Goombella had to yell.
"I guess it comes with being a Major Leaguer," Andrew took out his Mailbox SP as he opened it. "Not to mention I already got that message from those fangirls we met earlier..."
"Anyway, Andrew, you got another e-mail!" Goombella had to declare. "What's this one?"
"Let me look at it," Andrew then read the new e-mail that he got and was completely shocked and horrified by what the message said in it.
"Keep sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong and you are D-E-A-D M-E-A-T."
"WHOA!" Andrew yelled in shock as he jumped at this.
His partners reacted similarly too, as they realized what this was.
"Whoa... That 'totally' sounds like a threat!" Goombella had to express her thoughts and fears regarding the message.
"Oh, gee whiz..." Koops had to agree. "That doesn't sound very nice."
"I daresay our X fellow didn't send it," Flurrie had concluded, especially since it didn't have that problem with the capitalization as the other ones, and it didn't say 'from X'.
"Who do you think would send something like that?" Yoshiam had to furrow his eyebrows as he didn't appreciate this threatening e-mail one bit.
"I don't know who sent this threatening e-mail to me," Andrew moaned. "Great. Now I have two unknown people e-mailing me. One is mysteriously telling me to do stuff to find out about the Crystal Star. The other is sending death threats."
"Hey Andrew? Something tells me that we better watch our backs from here on," Goombella had to warn him. "Would be a good idea to keep our guard up while in the Glitz Pit, don'tcha think?"
"Good idea, Goombella," Andrew sighed. "We'll just keep reserving fights in the meantime. And you can continue looking into the Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit to see if they'll hold the answer to the Crystal Stars' whereabouts."
"Gotcha, Andrew," Goombella gave him a look that looked like she was saluting him. "As an aspiring archaeologist, I will be happy to look into these mysteries for all of us!"
"Whoa! Hold up there a moment!" Yoshiam was a little confused by hearing this from Goombella. "Goombella? You're an archaeologist?!"
"Yes Yoshiam, she is," Andrew spoke on her behalf. "Goombella has been into archaeology ever since she was a little girl. It's been her dream to be an aspiring archaeologist."
"Got that right, Andrew," Goombella smirked at him. "And thanks to that, I should be able to look into the Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit further, for all five of us."
"Huh. Not too shabby," Yoshiam shrugged casually at this. "Well, if it's something cool, then I'm gamed!"
"That's not the only thing that you'll be gamed for," Andrew approached the computer terminal screen on the wall. "Let's register for another fight."
"I'm all for that, Presto!" Yoshiam grinned. "Let's roll!"
Andrew smiled at this as he registered another match for himself to take part in, along with Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam. They could only wonder what would happen to them next...
The next opponent that Andrew and his friends had to face, the Shellshockers, which consisted of two Shady Koopas and one Shady Paratroopa, were far tougher than the KP Koopas. Not only were they stronger than the regular Koopa, but the Shady Koopas were able to attack all five of them on their backs at double the strength they usually are.
Fortunately, Andrew prevailed through, living up to the name of the Prevailing Presto, as he managed to beat the Shellshockers, and made their way back to the Major League Locker Room upon being victorious over them.
As soon as she gave Andrew his prize money, Jolene decided to take her leave once again. Once she was gone, there was something that was standing on the small table nearby.
It was a Cake. Specifically, one that was yellow, likely vanilla, and had yellow frosting on the top, with plenty of cookie crust, and there was a strawberry on top of it.
The Koopinator wasn't sure if Andrew had noticed it yet, so he decided to let him know right now.
"Hey. You. Presto," he got his attention. "Jolene brought you a piece of cake. From a fan, I guess."
"A piece of cake? From a fan?" Andrew saw the cake for himself and was surprised. "Huh. What do you know?"
"Well Andrew, looks like you've gotten quite a dedicated fanbase going for you in the Glitz Pit," Goombella had to tease him. "From getting that Super Bat to getting this cake from someone. You have it made, Andrew."
"I guess so," Andrew smiled as he shrugged. "I should get used to having fans like this."
"Wow..." Yoshiam stared at the Cake fixedly, eager to start munching on it. "Man, that looks AWESOME! I'm drooling! I'M GONNA EAT IT!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Andrew had to grab Yoshiam by the diaper before he went to town with the cake. "Easy there, my little Yoshi buddy. We have to share this cake. Amongst all five of us."
"Do we have to? It looks so good," Yoshiam wondered.
"Yes, Yoshiam," Andrew told him firmly. "It's only fair that all five of us get a piece. Understood?"
"Oh, okay Presto. I guess I can work with that," Yoshiam sighed and went with it. "You're the man, after all, you know dude?"
"I know," Andrew put Yoshiam back down. "You guys OK with that?"
"Yeah... Guess so," Koops nodded as he then added in admiration. "As long as I get that cookie crust. It looks so good..."
"By the stars, that would be a fabulous idea, darling," Flurrie was in awe upon hearing this. "It would be an honor to chow down on this beautiful-looking cake from a fan."
"But Andrew? How are you gonna split it amongst the five of us?" Goombella had to ask. "We have nothing to cut it with."
"Not a problem. I'm already on it," Andrew walked over to his backpack and dug through it to find something. "It's a good thing I never leave home without this."
Moments later, Andrew took out a butter knife to cut it up, paper plates for himself and his partners, and a fork for each of them. Though he assumed Yoshiam wouldn't need it since, as a Yoshi, he'd inhale it with his tongue.
"Jeepers, Andrew! You are prepared!" Goombella had to blink at this before she grinned. "I am impressed!"
"I do what I can, Goombella," Andrew smirked as he gave each of his partners a plate. "Now let's share this cake."
"Just as long as I can get the strawberry!" Yoshiam begged eagerly. "Strawberries are fruit! And you know how we Yoshis feel about fruits!"
"I know Yoshiam. You can have the strawberry," Andrew told him as he cut the cake into five.
He made sure to leave the cookie crust for Koops, and that Yoshiam gets the strawberry. As soon as all five of them got their share of the cake, Andrew then asked them if they were ready to eat.
"OK, guys. Is everyone ready to dig in?" Andrew wondered.
"Totally," Goombella beamed. "I'm already riding the sugar rush from this cake!"
"Sure," Koops smiled. "We'll get a quick energy boost from it too."
"I see no reason why you shouldn't treat ourselves!" Flurrie beamed joyously in delight.
"As I said, that looks AWESOME! I'm more than ready!" Yoshiam was eager to get started.
"All right! That's all that I wanted to hear, guys," Andrew informed them with his fork in his right hand. "Let's EAT!"
"Yeah! Let's eat!" Goombella beamed in excitement with a fork in her possession.
"All right! Cake time!" Koops had to cheer in delight with a fork in his right hand.
"Goodbye, diet!" Flurrie couldn't help but swoon as she held a fork in her right hand.
"Yeah! Let's chow down!" Yoshiam declared happily, being the only one who didn't have a fork on hand.
And with that, the five travelers went to town to eat their slice of the cake. Naturally, Yoshiam inhaled his piece of the strawberry with his tongue, devouring it in a matter of seconds as he was the first one to have finished his share of the cake.
The others used their forks to enjoy their respective slices of the cake. Koops was 'really' digging the cookie crust that he got, while Goombella was excited to be able to slurp up the sugar frosting on the top.
Flurrie was chowing down on the bottom cake part of it, feeling delighted for enjoying such a tasty treat like this, which she hadn't had in such a long time.
And then there was Andrew, who was ecstatic at how tasty the Cake was. Whoever was the one who sent him this cake must've had some good taste to have made it so good. As he finished his share, he noticed the card that came with the Cake that Jolene delivered to the Major League.
Seeming curious about this, Andrew picked up the card and read it to himself. This is what the card said.
"To the handsome muscular wrestler. From the mysterious badge hunter. Enjoy, my sweet."
Andrew couldn't help but smile as he figured out who this was from. Knowing how Goombella felt about the subject, he decided not to say anything about it, as he put the card into his pocket for now.
By now, Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie were all set with eating their cake slices, while Yoshiam was busy licking his lips from the tasty treat. Andrew decided to dispose of the paper plates, the plastic forks, and the plastic butterknife as they got trashed into the trash bin.
Andrew was feeling the burst of energy flowing through him from that cake. And so did Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and especially Yoshiam. By the looks of it, all five of them were raring to take part in another match.
"Hey guys?" Andrew had to ask. "Ready to reserve another match?"
"You betcha!" Goombella beamed in a preppy manner. "Gotta burn off that energy that we're feeling from the cake right now!"
"Good idea, Andrew," Koops had to admit. "Man, I could 'really' use the exercise to burn off this sugar rush."
"'Absolutely', darling," Flurrie swooned. "We shall make our way back to the ring and show these people that we are raring to battle some more."
"Aw yeah, dude! Now we're talking!" Yoshiam was definitely up for another match in the Glitz Pit. "Let's bash some more heads in!"
"Very well then," Andrew smiled. "Let's get going."
And so the five of them registered for another match in the Glitz Pit. It was apparent that the Cake was proving to be a good pre-battle treat that would aid them in getting through the next match or two.
But what they didn't know was that more unexpected events were waiting to happen and involve the five of them. They would find out what they are for themselves. That's for sure...
END OF CHAPTER 27...
Yeah. That's it for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. And I hope you're enjoying all that is being unraveled by this point.
So anyway, here's a fun fact for you. The dialogue that was used for Goombella, Koops, and Flurrie during the first scene in the major league locker room when the Rawk Hawk barges in was unused dialogue found on the Mario Wiki site in the game's pre-release and unused content.
They were never used since the Yoshi kid was the only one to beat the Iron Clefts, and there's no chance to change partners before that scene takes place. Just something that I felt like throwing out there for you guys.
Yeah, the fangirls scene I thought was a clever way to show that Andrew has a developing fanbase being built up in the Glitz Pit. And he's been learning to accept it slowly but surely while remaining modest about it.
Lastly, this chapter marks the start of establishing Yoshiam as a big eater, a trait that's common in Yoshis. It'll become more apparent in later chapters, particularly scenes involving meals.
Anyhow, for the next chapter, Bowser drops in unannounced in the Glitz Pit, leaving Andrew and his four partners to deal with him on live television in front of a public crowd.
In addition to that and another e-mail from X, Rawk Hawk warns Andrew in a threatening manner to quick hogging the spotlight from him if he knows what's good for him, Andrew ends up encountering Ms. Mowz once again, with Yoshiam meeting her for the first time, they eavesdrop on a conversation between Jolene and Grubba from the ceiling above the latter's office, and a few other stuff will occur. How will things go for them? Find out next time, readers!
In the meantime, only if you are up to it, you can leave a review for this chapter. Nothing else to say there.
Other than that, I have nothing else to say. So until next time, I do hope you look forward to the remainder of Chapter 3. And with that said and done, thanks again for reading, everyone!