Author's Note:
Plenty of reviews this time, so let's get started...
"Will other Bomberman characters like Max or the Hige Hige Bandits show up? How soon will Tawna from Crash Bandicoot show up is Pit using is voice from Brawl or Uprising? And finally what are your thoughts on the recent Nintendo Direct?"
Perhaps. Haven't got anything planned for Tawna yet. Pit is using his voice from Uprising. And I liked the Nintendo Direct...well, everything except for that Disney game. Really hyped for Super Mario Maker 2 and the Link's Awakening remake. Another anonymous review:
"Have you done a chapter on sonic mania plus or mega man 11 yet?"
Not yet, though in retrospect, I probably should've done a chapter based around both games...oh well. There's always time for redemption. Next is El Pollo Campero:
"Are we gonna get more Pit and Kirby Chapters? They're my favorite."
I haven't been writing as much Pit and Kirby stuff lately...mainly because I've been focused on other characters/storylines. Pit and Kirby chapters will be back on the menu, after the Seattle Stalker arc is over with. Moving on:
"Also isn't Maria like, 12 years old? :/"
Maria Renard? Yeah, funny story...somehow I got her mixed up with Annette as Richter's wife, in the previous chapter. Used the adult version of Maria. Luckily I have rectified the mistake (thanks to Roydigs22). 12-year old Maria will appear in the story in the future. Derick Lindsey's got a question about Link's Awakening:
"After watching the direct on Wednesday are you going to have anything from Link's Awakening since that's going to be remade?"
I'll do a Link's Awakening chapter, in time for the remake's release. PinkRose4452 has more questions for me, and a suggestion:
"1. Will you be doing a Mario Maker 2 and Link's Awakening chapters when the games are released?
2. Does Researcher Zelda have a alter ego in Researcher Sheik like Zelda has one in Sheik, and if so, is it her appearance from Smash Ultimate?
3. Will you add some of the pokemon rivals of the pokemon protagonists (expect Blue of course), like Silver, since Silver is the son of Giovanni, the leader of team rocket.
4. If you do add Silver, how about having him visit the mansion, maybe with his rivals, Ethan and Lyra, and while he mentions that he's the son of Giovanni, the residents start to acuse him for working with his father, being in team rocket, and trying to do evil things in in mansion during his visit. So Silver, and possibly his rivals and someone who believes that he's not evil like his father, all have to prove that Silver doesn't like his father much, not working for team rocket, and not evil like how the residents make him out to be."
1. Yes and yes!
2. No alter ego whatsoever.
3. I can add Silver, and a few Pokemon rivals. Got a few in mind.
4. That would be a great way to have Silver debut in the story.
Next is Maric0830:
"Can you make the official gang of bowser's kingdom set to show up at the mansion consisting of the following: Jeff the Goomba, Hal the Koopa, Paul the Amazing-flying Hammer Bro, Rick Finkelstein the Lakitu, The Inaudible Thwomp who talks in gibberish and Steve the Piranha Plant who is known for being happy all the time, look it up if you're curious"
All those characters are from an online show on Newgrounds...don't think I can add them to the story. Not canon. GreaterDoomerUKI is back with some questions:
1)What's your thought on Mario Maker 2?
2)Speaking of which, is Mario going to wear his builder outfit.
1) I really love all the new features in Mario Maker 2 - the cat suit, the new enemies, the clear pipes, etc.
2) Mario will wear his builder outfit for the SMM2 chapter.
Last up is Waddle-Dedede:
"Is Ridley going to get his own voice box like Kirby and game & watch?"
That would be convenient, since writing about Ridley is quite a struggle at the moment...FORGIVE ME, RIDLEY FANS!
Episode 166: BlackHole, Part 1
Words could not begin to describe how big of a fool Shadow felt last week, at last week's Valentine's day party.
The hedgehog, who had his mind occupied about the Seattle Stalker and who this individual was, suddenly grew a hutch that Rouge was either the stalker, or someone affiliated with the stalker. Just when Shadow was about to express his concerns over the matter to Sonic, Bowser - or as he was called in the previous episode, A Pimp Named Bowser - would intervene and assume that Shadow still had feelings for Rouge, and that Shadow wanted to put the bat in her place.
Needless to say, A Pimp Named Bowser's mentorship over Shadow got the hedgehog absolutely nowhere. First, he had Shadow attempt to communicate with Futaba as if she was Rouge, which did nothing for neither individual. Then, A Pimp Named Bowser had Shadow confront Rouge at the party, and had him slap the bat silly. Instead, Shadow slapped Fox, earning him a beatdown at the hands of the pilot...and Falco, who just wanted to join in.
Having learned his lesson, Shadow put his suspicions over Rouge to bed, as the hedgehog was now chilling in his room, resting on his bed. He was looking up at the ceiling, and got bored of it. Perfectly understandable. So he hopped down from his bed and looked outside his window, where he saw something he never saw before...four new houses, situated near Mario and Luigi's houses.
"Nobody ever told me that we were getting new neighbors..." Shadow furrowed his brow, as he saw Mutoh and the Carpenters putting some finishing touches on the fourth house. "...I should ask Crazy Hand about it."
"Alright Rouge, talk to you later, goodbye," Knuckles said into his cellphone, on the phone with Rouge, as he entered the room. He would soon end the call, as he closed the bedroom door behind him. "Whatcha lookin' at, Shadow?" Knuckles asked the hedgehog.
"Apparently we're getting neighbors, it seems like...has to be Master Hand's doing. Knowing him, he couldn't resist the urge to let anyone live within the mansion premises..."
"That's funny, 'cause I heard from Mario that a bunch of folks are gonna be moving out of the mansion soon." This made Shadow turn around and face Knuckles. "Yeah, it was mostly Mario's intention. Said it was a bit of a 'consolidation', or something. Who knows."
Knuckles: Not gonna lie, Shadow calling my girlfriend a skank definitely left a sour taste in my mouth...but he explained everything to me after the party was over, and apologized. Which is very rare, since Shadow hardly apologizes for anything. Still kinda wish he had a new car, though.
"As long as we're not getting newbies, then it's fine by me," said Shadow, as he headed towards the bedroom door. Knuckles would stop the hedgehog in his place, before he could leave. "What do you want?"
"Where are you going? About to see who's moving out?" asked Knuckles, holding his hand in front of Shadow's chest to prevent movement from the hedgehog. Shadow lowered Knuckles' hand, feeling like it was too close. "You've never been this interested with other people."
"I just need an excuse to get some fresh air, okay?!" Shadow would brush past Knuckles, as he left the room entirely. Shadow left the door open, as Knuckles just stared through the doorway.
"Wonder if the Seattle Stalker's got anything to do with Shadow's behavior..." Given that he was Shadow's roommate, Knuckles had a legitimate reason to worry.
Shadow would hurry down the stairs, and to the lobby area, where a resident of the tower was inspecting the mail delivered today. That resident was Kururin, a bird of Kuru Kuru Kururin fame. You might remember him as the bird piloting the blue helicopter in Brawl. Or maybe not...
"Bills, bills, bills, bills, bills..." said Kururin as he shuffled through the mail, putting the important bills on a nearby table. "Why do we have so many bills...ooh! An all-paid trip to the Bahamas! Meh, it's probably just a scam, gonna throw that one in the trash."
"Out of my way, you stupid bird, coming through!" Shadow called out to Kururin, giving him a warning as he was dashing towards the front door. Kururin saw Shadow advancing towards him, and stopped the hedgehog in his track by holding out a letter in front of him.
"I believe this is for you, kind sir." The letter Kururin was holding had the Assist Tower's address on it, and it was also addressed to Shadow. Shadow took the note, immediately knowing what it was.
"Crap, it must be that Seattle Stalker creep again...this is completely getting out of hand. I should definitely show Mario this, see what he thinks. Especially since Sonic is hardly any help..."
Shadow left the tower, and was about to head over to Mario's place. But before the hedgehog could take off, he saw Marth in the far distance, rolling a suitcase. This befuddled Shadow since A) Marth didn't look like he would have enough belongings to carry around in a suitcase, and B) the very thought of a medieval prince like Marth rolling a suitcase was hard to imagine. As if that wasn't enough, accompanying the hero-king was his wife, Caeda.
"Marth, can you please roll that suitcase any faster?" Caeda called out to her husband, standing a far distance from Marth with her hand on her hip. Marth was struggling mightily, having to pull on the suitcase with two hands.
"I'm...doing my best...sweetie..." wheezed Marth, rolling his suitcase with all his might. "...had a lot more stuff than I imagined." Caeda facepalmed at her husband's weakness, and Shadow would've done the same...if he cared enough.
"C'mon Marth, put your back into it!" Olimar told the hero-king, who was coming down from the mansion porch with Pac-Man. Both men had suitcases with them, with Olimar's slightly bigger than Pac-Man's. This bewildered Shadow even more.
"What the...what is going on?" the hedgehog question, as he glanced at Marth, Olimar, Pac-Man, and Caeda. Things would come full circle for Shadow when a moment later, Berkut and Rinea exited the mansion with their belongings.
"Finally, a chance to live on our own away from those peons..." smiled Berkut, who has been longing to move out of the mansion for a long time. "...my patience was really starting to wear thin."
"Such a shame you probably won't get to see Alm as much," remarked Rinea, as Berkut felt too indifferent to reply. The paladin said back in episode 157 that he would leave Alm alone, but he hasn't said much since then.
Caeda: So, our wish finally came true...we all get to stay with our husbands! Even better, Master Hand was kind enough to build new homes, just for us to stay in! I'm actually surprised, Mario really must've changed his mind.
Mrs. Olimar: I know my Olimar's going to be happy...now he won't have to worry about Hocotate Freight sending him suspicious mail and packages anymore. He totally lost it when he got that Beheeyem in the mail, and it tried to eat his Pikmin. Now, it will be Alph's problem!
Mrs. Pac-Man: And now my husband can plan parties on his own accord, without any of Master Hand's input! No forced participation! And no celery sticks either...
"I've told Charlie and Brittany to pick up our children and take them to Seattle," Olimar said to Pac-Man, before leaning in close to the eater of ghosts so he could whisper something. "Just between the two of us, if anything happens during their trip...then blame Charlie."
"Pfft, I would've blamed him anyways," snorted Pac-Man, as he and Olimar went over to the new houses. "And I've never even met him in person! As my day always said, NEVER trust anyone named Charlie."
"Seems like your dad and my dad were both cut from the same cloth..." As Olimar and Pac-Man went to the new houses, along with Marth and Caeda, Shadow finally went over to Mario's home. It was a good thing for the hedgehog that the new neighbors weren't entirely "new".
After ringing the doorbell, Shadow would be let inside Mario's house by Peach. Inside, the hedgehog would find Cilan, in the living room, surrounded by Mario, Impa, Lana, Linkle, Joker, Makoto, Layton, and Luke. If you recall from the last episode, Cilan started to remember bits and pieces of the Seattle Stalker court trial, and even met someone Layton and Luke believed to have been at the trial, named Frank West. Cilan was now truly in the hot seat.
"I'm telling you guys, the Seattle Stalker was innocent!" Cilan expressed his feelings to Mario and company, who weren't ready to believe the connoisseur. Even Mario and Peach, although they scarcely remembered anything about the trial. "I am NOT insane!"
"I have to agree with Cilan, I think Guy Swanson was an innocent man all along," stated Hunter, stepping inside the living room uninvited. "At first I thought Swanson was guilty, but after taking a second look at his mugshot..."
"Guy Swanson is NOT an actual person, Hunter," Spyro had to tell his best friend, as he pulled Hunter away from the living room. "Just let it go already..."
"Do you have any concrete evidence suggesting that the Stalker was innocent?" Joker asked Cilan, who started to stroke his chin in thought.
"Not exactly, but if I recall correctly, I was literally pressured into convicting the Stalker in the first place. Don't know by whom, or why I had to do it, but I do remember that much..."
"What about that man you spoke with last week, Frank West?" Layton would be the next to ask Cilan, asking a question that's been on his mind for quite a while. "You know, the man with the torn-up clothes. He did a choking gesture...what was that all about?"
"Frank West? Oh, yes, a friend I've made while I was on the jury! He was one of the jurors, I believe...he was the only person I could vaguely remember from my participating in the trial. Everyone else, just a blur..."
"But that still doesn't explain-a the choking gesture," said Mario, who like many of the others had his doubts about this Frank West character. "Was that a reference to some-a thing? Or is it a part-a of some kind of secret hand-a shake?"
"Mario, no person in their right mind would use a choking gesture as part of their 'secret handshake'," Impa told the plumber - this coming from a Sheikah who hardly knew how to act friendly until after the Christmas Ball.
"Well I don't know about-a you, Impa, but Luigi and I grab-a our pelvises during our secret hand-a shake and it works out just-a fine." Unsure of how she should react to Mario's response, Impa kept her mouth shut.
Impa:...I would highly recommend not saying that out loud in front of everyone. Especially when your spouse's around.
"Choking could've been one of the few things the Seattle Stalker did, I don't know," replied Cilan, wishing he knew the concrete answer. "However, I do know that I've been doing some research on finger printing lately. Really fueled my claims about the Seattle Stalker being innocent."
"Oh really, then why don't you explain how it exactly worked?" questioned Impa, as sweat started pouring down Cilan's face. The connoisseur did not have an answer, and it made his hot seat even hotter.
"Instead of interrogating Cilan...why don't you interrogate the hedgehog who's been harassed by the Stalker?" someone asked, as everyone turned their attention to the front door. Everyone looked at Shadow, who still had the letter in his hand.
"You've been harassed by Guy Swanson this whole time?" questioned Hunter, as Spyro facepalmed. "Wow man, what an absolute bummer..."
"No...I'm pretty that guy doesn't even exist. Anyways, I've been receiving strange messages from this Seattle Stalker creep, for as long as I can remember, and not a single person bothered to ask me about it." Shadow walked over to the living room, letting everyone know how ticked he was. "And yet you think that peon Cilan can give you all the answers, just because he was on jury duty."
"To be completely fair, you are a pretty withdrawn person, so..." said Makoto, only for Shadow to shoot a quick glare at the brunette. "...what I'm trying to say is, you should've voiced your concerns earlier."
"Well, I did...but to the wrong person, Sonic. Every time I told him about the Seattle Stalker, he'd always laugh his stupid butt off and call the stalker an urban myth. But what would he know? He hardly takes things seriously..."
"Not sure if you knew-a this or not, but Sonic used-a to believe that the Seattle Stalker was-a real," Mario told a now surprised Shadow, as he wrapped his arm around the hedgehog. "Like you, he would receive-a mysterious notes from the Stalker, often telling Sonic to build some sort-a of machine."
"Yeah, Shadow showed me the machine to Knuckles and I one day in December. Didn't really think much about the machine. What do you know about it?"
"Honestly, I hardly know anything about-a that heap of metal! But when I saw Sonic with-a one of the machine parts, I felt a little...suspicious. Granted I would've asked-a Sonic how he got the machine-a part, but I wasn't in-a the right mood at the time..."
"Told you dressing up as the Ghosts of Christmas was a bad idea!" Spyro called out to Mario, who turned and frowned at the dragon. Spyro and Hunter refused to let that humiliating experience go.
"I only did it for the spirit-a of Christmas!" Mario fired back at Spyro, before returning his attention to Shadow. "As I was saying, I felt suspicious about the machine-a part, and whatever the heck-a he was building, but I never thought about-a asking him. My loss."
"That machine could be around somewhere, mostly likely in the mansion," assumed Joker, who had no idea how right he was. Do you remember where the machine was placed? "I doubt Sonic ever destroyed it."
"Asked Sonic about that machine one day, and he just laughed at me," stated Shadow, as the sound of Sonic laughing at him played like a broken record in the back of his head. "You guys might have better luck with Sonic than me."
"Princess Peach, can-a you call the mansion house-a phone for me?" Mario asked his wife, who dutifully ran to the landline phone. "I highly doubt-a Sonic's phone is even on..."
"On it!" Peach happily replied, as she picked up the phone and dialed a number.
Berkut: Not only do I move out of the mansion, but Rinea and I also get our own home, while still remaining in the city. Everything has been perfect so far. What could possibly ruin my day?
Marth, Olimar, Pac-Man, and their wives were all checking out their new homes, all marveling at how Mutoh and the Carpenters were able to finish the houses in such little time. Unwritten Rule #135: never doubt or underestimate the power of a bunch of Hylian carpenters. Berkut and Rinea were about to check out their home, which was the fourth house finished that day. Mutoh and his boys had to put on a few finishing touches first, before Berkut and Rinea could officially move in.
"Bet you two never lived inside a modern house before, huh?" Mutoh asked Berkut and Rinea, before bursting into a laughing fit. Berkut and Rinea laughed too, albeit very awkwardly. "You're really gonna dig this place!"
"But Mutoh, they both lived in a mansion, that's pretty modern," stated Ichiro, only to be aggressively backhanded by Mutoh. Safe to say that Mutoh still got tired of the crap that exited Ichiro's mouth.
"A mansion isn't a house, you fat dummy! Not like Berkut and Rinea could do things like walk around their home naked at free will, like I tend to do." Mutoh returned his attention to Berkut and Rinea, after being interrupted. "I know that you guys and the other tenants will have a great time in that house!"
"Excuse me, did you say 'other tenants'?" Berkut raised an eyebrow, making sure that he wasn't hearing things. "Don't tell me what I think it means...oh no."
"Sorry we were late, Carpenters!" a voiced called out, making Berkut cringe. "That King Dedede sure knows how to hold someone up." Berkut slowly turned around, and saw Alm and Celica - the former obviously being his most bitter rival.
"Oh, you'll be living with us in the same house?" Rinea asked Alm and Celica, with Berkut hoping and praying that either Alm and Celica would say yes. He didn't want his perfect day to go imperfect.
"Yes, that's what Master Hand told us," replied Celica, as Berkut faceplanted unto the ground. Ichiro and a few other Carpenters checked on the paladin, to see if he was okay. "We were told on very late notice, by the way."
"Master Hand did say that this house can hold two married couples...he never really specified who the other couple would be," stated Mutoh, as Ichiro and his Carpenter friends helped Berkut back up on his feet. "Berkut, Rinea, it's your lucky day!"
"I beg to differ..." frowned Berkut, as he turned and glared at Alm. Alm smiled, as the king walked over to Berkut and rested his elbow on the paladin's shoulder. "...please stop touching me."
"Would you look at this - going from bitter rivals to best buddies, in only a matter of time!" exclaimed Alm, as Berkut gently took the king's elbow off his shoulder. "Funny how things work, eh?"
"We aren't buddies just yet...and you have a LOT to do to fully earn my trust. Don't think we start getting along just fine..." As tension was slowly building between Alm and Berkut, Celica and Rinea were standing together, looking at their husbands. Remarkably, those two never had any beef between each other.
"How long do you think it'll take for those two to get on the same page?" Rinea whispered to Celica, as Alm and Berkut were having some kind of mini staredown.
"As of right now, I'd give them a week or two - and a month, at the very latest," Celica whispered back as Alm held out his hand to Berkut, expecting a handshake...only to be left hanging. Shulk knows how sucky that feeling was. "Anything longer than that, and we're in trouble..."
Mario had called Sonic earlier, just so he could speak with the hedgehog about where he placed the machine at - the machine he used to work on. Figuring that Sonic didn't have his phone on at the moment, Mario asked Peach to call the house phone, and tell someone to fetch Sonic...
...only problem was, Sonic was fast asleep, snoring away while sleeping on his bed. Tails, Shaymin, and Captain Falcon - the guy who answered Peach's call - were in Sonic's room, attempting to wake up Sonic.
"If you ask me, a good ol' Falcon Punch might do more than enough to wake up Sonic," suggested Captain Falcon, with Tails not that keen on the idea. "He'll wake up faster than you can say..."
"The objective is only to wake up Sonic, not wake him up and then kill him afterwards," stated Tails, acting like the Falcon Punch was the most brutally fatal move in Smash history. "We need something that could really get Sonic's blood pumping."
"Alright then...how about a Falcon Kick instead? That won't kill Sonic!" Again, Tails was bothered by the suggestion, as he facepalmed. Captain Falcon sure loved to give unreasonable suggestions.
Captain Falcon: Falcon Punch is not only great for hype Smash moments, but great also for waking people up. Even woke up Link that way, when he was sleeping on the hammock! Granted he ended up on the other side of town when the deed was done, but it wasn't an absolute failure.
Link: I ended up in some dude's ranch after Captain Falcon "woke" me up...next to a bunch of cows. It was super smelly. Why are there barns in Seattle, let alone the Pacific Northwest?
"You know anything that DOESN'T involve punching or kicking?" Shaymin asked Captain Falcon, who stroked his chin in thought. That's when the perfect idea popped in his head.
"There is one really good method - something I've learned from watching anime," replied Captain Falcon. A method of waking, derived from an anime? That didn't make Tails feel nervous at all. "For it to work, I need someone to turn Sonic over on his stomach."
"I don't like where this is head..." worried Tails, as he turned Sonic over on his stomach. Captain Falcon looked at Sonic's body - more specifically, his anus - with his hands together, and his index fingers pointed.
Then, without second thought, Captain Falcon stuck his index fingers into Sonic's anus and thrusting the hedgehog slightly into the air. Miracously, this painful method woke Sonic up, as the hedgehog yelped in pain.
"Ha ha, it actually worked!" Captain Falcon proudly grinned, as Sonic rested on his bed while holding his butt. Did Falcon have any regrets about forcing his fingers up a hedgehog's anus? Nope, not in the slightest.
"Ow man, what the actual heck?!" frowned Sonic as he sat up on his bed, rubbing his butt to ease the pain. He looked and frowned at Tails, the first person he saw. "Tails, was it you who tried to anal probe me? Had a feeling you were secretly an alien!"
"It was mostly Captain Falcon's doing," replied Tails, as he pointed at the racer. Sonic frowned at Captain Falcon, who acted like he did nothing wrong.
"Are YOU an alien, Captain Falcon? Only aliens like you would think about sticking a probe up a random hedgehog's butt. Considering that you're a part of a galactic racing competition, I got all the evidence to prove that you're..."
"No Sonic, you got it all wrong! It was an initiation for a...uh...a special club! Have you never heard of a new club called, uh, The Good...Smash Fighters Club! Yeah, the Good Smash Fighters Club! High-tiers only."
"Only high-tiers in the club, eh?" Guess that means Little Mac, Ganondorf, and especially Jigglypuff literally have no shot at getting in. "How long has this club been around? And why initiate someone with the fake Naruto jutsu trick?"
"The club only started recently. The fake jutsu trick serves as basis for initiation because it...uh...it helps alleviate your buttocks for future club meetings! Can't be sitting at a club meeting with a sore butt, amirite?"
Captain Falcon: Wow, I can't believe Sonic believed everything! Especially the initiation part. Really pulled that one out of my butt. *snickers*
"That is not what Captain Falcon woke you up for, Sonic," Tails informed the hedgehog - now it was time to get serious. "He wanted to wake you up because Mario needs that machine you were working on a few months ago."
"What, that crappy piece of junk?" snorted Sonic, as he laughed hard enough to lower the seriousness of the situation. "I'm surprised anyone even wants that thing. Sounds to me like Mario is desperate."
"You mean that crappy piece of junk that caused a black hole in the tower? Knuckles told me all about that, after he heard it from Gray Fox. Still think that machine is meaningless now, Sonic?"
"That was just a simulation, a mirage if you will. Nobody got seriously hurt, which means that the black hole was fake, and nothing to be scared of. Dumb machine couldn't even hurt a fly!"
"Then what about that time you used it to try and kill Berkut?" questioned Shaymin, putting her owner on the spot. No other pet in existence could say they've ever done that before. "You kept telling me about your plan, and 'doing Alm a favor'."
"I was ignorant back then, and I've learned my lesson since. It was more of a baseless assumption than anything, really. Didn't really know what I was thinking.
"But you have seen the machine activated before, haven't you?" Captain Falcon asked Sonic, who was getting annoyed by this onslaught of questions.
"Yes I did, I was the one who turned the thing on...and it hardly did anything. Literally had no reason to be scared!"
"Sonic, if you could...could you let us see this machine for ourselves?" asked Tails, leading Sonic to sigh and roll his eyes. "Just to see if you're right. Because knowing you, you always stretch the truth..."
"...aight, aight, I'll show you guys the stupid machine. Happy now? Don't know why you're so interested in such a meaningless piece of metal junk, but whatever makes you guys happy..."
Dark Pit knew what it was like to be stalked by someone. The doppelganger found himself on the receiving end of stalking one time, when succubus girl Lilith became infatuated with him after seeing him at a tattoo parlor. Being stalked by Lilith left Dark Pit with a very uneasy feeling, and said feeling would last until Lilith was finally dealt with for good in episode 157.
But for some reason, that uneasy feeling Dark Pit had returned once more, and he needed to speak with someone about it. At first, he wanted to speak about it with Flora, but he didn't know how Flora would react. Which meant that the doppelganger had to resort to his second option...
"Oh yeah, we're back in business baby!" grinned Travis Touchdown, who was a racing video game with Pit in his bunker. "Back in the lead!" Travis was down to Pit at one point? He should feel extremely ashamed for himself.
"Don't think you got the lead just yet, Travis - just wait until I stop crashing into this wall!" responded Pit, trying his best to turn his vehicle around. Much emphasis on the trying part. "I'm gonna blow you out of the smoke!"
"Not sure if that even makes sense, but okay...WOO HOO, would you look at that! Crossed the finish line!" Travis sped his car past the checkered line, as the otaku pumped his fist in celebration. Pit on the other hand tossed his controller unto the floor, in bitter frustration.
Travis: That poor Pit has yet to beat me in any video game...racing games, fighting games, you name it. He even has yet to beat me in those girly party games that I strangely found on my console. Still have no clue why Pit keeps doing it to himself...he must really love the pain. I think him and Pichu would be the best of friends.
"That race was rigged, rigged I tell you!" complained Pit, as he stood up and walked around so he could cool off and let his frustration die down. "My controller started to act up for no reason."
"Or maybe you were too focused on hitting the reverse button," stated Travis; Pit walked over to his controller and picked it up, before realizing his mistake. "You snooze, you lose..."
"Oh I see...why didn't you tell me that earlier?" Pit frowned at Travis, who just smiled and shrugged. Travis knew the reason why he never told Pit.
"Hello, Pit, are you here?" someone knocked on the door to the bunker - sounded an awful lot like Dark Pit. "Dark Pit here, I've been told by Kirby that you were hanging out with Travis again...can I speak with you for a minute?"
"You can go ahead, I'll start a new race by myself," Travis told Pit, who ran out of the living room and to the front door. "Hopefully the computer racers will put up a bigger challenge..."
Pit answered the front door, and saw Dark Pit standing by. For some peculiar reason, Dark Pit looked...unsettled. Not scared or saddened, but the near opposite of how he used to be.
"How do ya do, Dark Pit - wanna play some games with Travis and I?" Pit offered to the doppelganger, who furrowed his brow at the angel. Clearly Pit must've missed the memo.
"No you dummy...I clearly said that I wanted to speak with you for a minute," replied Dark Pit, as Pit took out his cellphone and put on a timer. "Put the cellphone back in your pocket or else..."
"You know, you could've asked nicely..." Pit did as he was told, putting his cellphone back where it was. "So, what's up? Need someone to cover for you for your groundskeeping duties? Wanna tell me about our future play date?"
"No, and most definitely no. I got something that I really need to share with you." Dark Pit dug into his pocket, and pulled out a letter and unfolded it. "Apparently this came in the mail, and it was addressed to me. Would you mind reading it?"
"Well I don't really know how to read, so I'll try and do my best..." Pit accepted the letter from Dark Pit, and started to read the letter's contents...
Greetings, my friend!
Or, as my associate calls you...edgy boy.
Really hate writing that...
I don't believe we've ever met before,
But I've met your other friends, in the past.
Just by mere accident. My apologies.
I wanted to let you know that we'll be meeting each other soon...
...me and the girl that I've been working in cooperation with, in secret.
She's a girl that has known you for quite a long time.
This whole thing...it was her idea, mostly.
And she let me take all the credit...sadly.
Sorry for not contacting you earlier.
I am looking forward to our meeting!
Best regards,
The Seattle Stalker
It was a good thing Pit managed to finish the letter in time...or at least skimmed through it...for a loud alarm sound was heard. Pit dug into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone, smiling innocently.
"Whoops, forgot I still had the timer on," the angel said, as he turned the alarm sound off and placed his cellphone back in his pocket. "My bad, hehehe..."
"Did you read the entire letter?" asked Dark Pit, hoping that Pit's awful reading skills didn't get in the way of understanding the letter's message.
"I kinda skimmed through it, to be honest, but I got the whole gist. So the Seattle Stalker is a girl, and has met your friends in the shadow realm? Oh man, this really puts a spin on the whole situation!"
"The letter never specified the stalker's gender, you dork...but it did suggest that he has some kind of accomplice. And that said accomplice has a crush on me. Do you think Lilith's back to her old tricks again?"
"After the way Kirby and I dealt with her? I highly doubt it. Might be going out on a limb here, but I think the girl could very well be Pandora!"
"Pandora, the goddess responsible for creating me, having a crush on her own creation..." Dark Pit snorted at Pit's theory, smirking and shaking his head. "...like you even expect me to believe that. Nice try, Pit."
"If Pandora having a crush on you is true, does that mean you'll be stuck in another threesome?" Unsure of how to respond, Dark Pit just gave Pit a dubious look before slamming the door on the angel.
Dark Pit: Pfft, Pandora, having a crush on me? *snorts* Ain't buying it. But if she really is working with the Seattle Stalker, then I got no clue what she would even want with me. I've kicked her butt once before, and I wouldn't mind doing it again if I have to.
Now that Fox finally confessed his inner feelings to Krystal at the Valentine's Day party, he and Krystal were back on the same page again, and back to doing romantic things together. Things such as looking into each other's eyes lovingly, in the Star Records room, with Falco and Itsuki both looking on.
"This is fine and all, you guys, but this is proving to be a major distraction," Itsuki said to Fox and Krystal, with Fox sitting in a chair and Krystal all over the Star Records desk. Krystal didn't care if she was resting on some important documentation.
"You're a major distraction, Itsuki..." replied Fox, while still staring into Krystal's loving eyes. It was like the pilot was having an intense eye-staring contest with his girlfriend, and both lovebirds were forbidden to lose.
"Saw Fox sneak out last night so he could hang with Krystal, should've stopped him when I had the chance," Falco said to Itsuki; the avian pilot was happy Fox and Krystal were back together, yet at the same time didn't expect the couple to be so...out there with their love.
"Like you don't slip out in the middle of the night to hang out with your girlfriend..." responded Itsuki, as Falco guiltily looked away. "...what was her name again? Katt Monroe, is that correct?"
"Bruh that's like, the millionth time you forgot Katt's name! How many times do I need to tell you? It's so simple...KATT...MONROE. Just three syllables. Only three syllables. What's so hard to understand?!"
"Itsuki, could you do Krystal and I a solid, and get Falco outta here?" Fox kindly asked the young man, getting tired of Falco's crap. "Falco is being a little too loud right now...no offense, Falco."
"Screw it, I'll just show my own self out..." Falco threw his hands up in defeat, as he left the Star Records room. If the avian pilot wanted to see Fox and Krystal act romantic together, he would've asked...actually, he wouldn't. Nor shouldn't.
Upon exiting the Star Records room, Falco saw Shaymin fly up to the ceiling, where the attic door was, and opened the door with her mouth. A ladder descended, coming down next to Sonic, Tails, and Captain Falcon, who were standing by.
"Before we head up there, I just wanna apologize to you guys in advance, for having your time wasted," Sonic told Tails and Captain Falcon, who were probably tuning out the hedgehog. "The machine isn't anything worth..."
"Yeah, Sonic, we get it, the machine is practically useless..." said Tails, as he started climbing up the ladder to the attic. "...which is why Captain Falcon and I are gonna prove you wrong."
"Exactly what he said!" Captain Falcon smiled as he pointed at Sonic, who grumbled as he climbed up the ladder. "Mark our words!" Captain Falcon was about to climb up the ladder too, until Falco grabbed his shoulder.
"There's a machine up in the attic?" Falco asked Captain Falcon, having been interested in the conversation that had occurred. "I thought Pikachu and Pichu turned that machine off a year ago." Falco forgot to mention that Pikachu and Pichu did it with Team Rocket's help. Can't forget that!
"I think that machine is still there...nobody has given any thought about removing it yet. But there's another machine up in the attic, one Sonic had worked on. Left it up in the attic."
"Oh, I know what you're talking about! Yeah, I've seen Sonic work on that machine before. Back when he thought the Seattle Stalker was legit. Sonic would get machine parts in the mail, and he would just work on that machine like it was his life duty."
"Machine parts that came in the mail, eh? Sounds pretty suspicious, I'll say..." Shaymin soon poked her head out of the attic door entrance, wondering what the holdup was with Captain Falcon.
"Captain Falcon, what's taking ya so long?" the gratitude Pokemon called out to the racer, grabbing his attention. "That machine isn't gonna find itself, ya know!"
"Sorry, just having a conversation!" apologized Falcon, before climbing up the ladder. Falco, feeling intrigued, climbed up as well.
Captain Falcon and Falco joined Sonic, Tails, and Shaymin in the attic, as they were all looking for the machine Sonic previously worked on. Since Sonic was the one who put the machine away, he should be doing most of the looking.
"I'll just sit right here and let y'all look," the hedgehog said to Tails and company, as he sat in a folded chair and ate a chili dog. "Wanna see if you guys are as smart as I am."
"Don't know how the task at hand equates to intelligence, but okay," replied Tails, as he shuffled through a few boxes. He has always known Sonic to not be very helpful at times, so he wasn't that surprised by the hedgehog's behavior.
"Care to explain what the machine even looks like?" asked Captain Falcon, spotting the Paper Mario storybook sitting peacefully on a desk. He dared not to mess with said storybook, after witnessing the events of episodes 33 and 34.
"Man, you really must crave details, don't ya? The machine is medium-sized, kinda cube-like, and it has a large red button. You can't possibly miss it."
"Is this the one?" asked Falco, as he held up a machine in his hands. It was indeed the machine, as Sonic smiled and stood up on his feet.
"Yup, that's the one! That's the trash heap of metal Tails and Captain Falcon are apparently so interested in. Or was there someone else who wants their hands on the machine? Tails?"
"Mario was the one who wanted to see the machine for himself," stated Captain Falcon, answering for Tails. "He said that he spoke with Shadow earlier, and Shadow as you know is still preoccupied with..."
"...yeah, I know, the Seattle Stalker. Poor guy just won't stop annoying me about that loser. I've never seen the man so overwhelmed by anything, ever. Rouge must still be on his mind somehow."
Sonic: I gotta say this...Shadow calling Rouge a skank IN FRONT OF KNUCKLES was hands down one of the best things to ever happen at this mansion. Him accidentally slapping Fox and getting beat up for it was truly the icing on the cake.
"You know, if you actually helped Shadow, then maybe he wouldn't be acting that way," said Tails, leading Sonic to scoff. Nothing Sonic could do would ease Shadow's worries and concerns. "Why not talk things out?"
"Talk what things out?" questioned Sonic, as Falco secretly walked down the ladder, carrying the machine with him. Shaymin saw this, but did not say anything. "This isn't a therapy session. I can't help the fact that Shadow believes in urban legends."
"Hey, where did Falco go with the machine?" wondered Captain Falcon, looking around for Falco's whereabouts. "That bird practically bailed on us!"
"He's probably just interested in seeing how worthless that machine is. Though if I were him, I'd destroy it on the spot. Don't want anything using that crap."
"QUICK SOMEONE TURN THIS THING OFF!" Falco shouted from below, sounding like he was in danger. Curious, Sonic and company headed down the ladder, out of the attic...
...and saw Falco, holding unto a window curtain for dear life. He was being sucked in by a black hole...a black hole summoned by the machine, which was in the center of the hallway.
"Still think that machine is 'worthless', huh?" Tails asked Sonic, who was hardly reacting to Falco's situation. Almost like he didn't care if Falco died or not. Treated the black hole like any mundane situation.
"I mean, that black hole hasn't killed Falco yet, so that should show you how much of a piece of junk that machine really is," replied Sonic, as Tails smacked his forehead in utter disbelief.
"Falco, I'm coming to save you!" Captain Falcon told the avian pilot, drawing closer to Falco while trying to fend off the strong winds of the black hole. Soon Falcon got pulled closer towards the black hole, and soon had to grab and hold unto the window curtain Falco was holding unto.
"You'd make for a terrible lifeguard..." Falco mumbled at Captain Falcon, as the window curtain started to tear. Soon Fox, Krystal, and Itsuki exited the Star Records room, seeing the black hole going on.
"WHERE IN THE WORLD DID THIS BLACK HOLE COME FROM?!" shouted Fox, as the winds coming from the black hole started to pick up. Even the biggest tornado in Oklahoma had nothing on how raucous the black hole was.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU, WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Falco shouted back, leading to what appears to be a shouting match between friends. Always oodles of fun.
"HE SAID, WHERE DID THIS BLACK HOLE COME FROM?" shouted Krystal, inserting herself into the shouting match. Itsuki, always ever the calm and collected one, didn't even wanna bother shouting around.
"J. COLE? DID SOMEONE SAY J. COLE? YEAH, I LISTEN TO J. COLE! BUT WHAT DOES THAT EVEN HAVE TO DO WITH RESCUING CAPTAIN FALCON AND I FROM THIS STUPID BLACK HOLE?!"
"COULD YOU SPEAK UP LOUDER, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!" shouted Fox; things were really a hot flaming mess right now. "CAN YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID?"
"HEY GUYS, IS THIS THE PART WHERE WE SHOUT OUT RANDOM STUFF FOR NO REASON?" shouted Sonic, wanting to hop in on the fun. "FRENCH TOAST TASTES BETTER WITH CHEESE WHIZ ON TOP! YOU GUYS SHOULD DEFINITELY TRY IT!"
"We'll never get this situation fixed at this rate..." said Tails, looking for a solution, as Captain Falcon and Falco were close to getting sucked in into the black hole. That window curtain was on its last legs. "Sonic, can I borrow your chili dog?"
"WHAT ABOUT MY CHILI DOG?" Without warning, Tails snatched the chili dog out of Sonic's hand. "HEY GIVE IT BACK!" Tails then threw the chili dog at the machine, hitting the red button. And in a few seconds, the black hole went away.
"HOLD ON FALCO, WE'RE BOTH GONNA DIE!" Captain Falcon told the avian pilot, before screaming for his life...only to realize that the black hole was gone, and that he and Falco were on the floor, safe and sound. "Oh, it's gone..."
"About flipping time," remarked Falco as he stood up and dusted himself off. Captain Falcon got up as well, as Falco looked at the machine that almost killed him and picked it up.
With Marth and Caeda having moved into their new home, Link, Cloud, and Zelda offered to stop by to pay the blue-haired couple a visit. Check out their digs and stuff. For the most part, Marth and Caeda's home was pretty..."medieval", for the lack of a better term. No television, no computer, no microwave, and no toaster.
"How do you even expect to heat up food around here?" asked Cloud, as he looked through the fridge. At least Marth and Caeda agreed to keep that - ditching a refrigerator was the dumbest thing any human being could possibly do.
"That's why we have an oven and a stove, for such purposes," replied Marth, who seemed to have a final say on what wasn't allowed in his home. Gotta wonder how he and Caeda even agreed on the same page.
"Marth didn't want that many electronics in our home, apparently," said Caeda - so Marth had his final say, and Caeda just let the hero-king do whatever the heck he wished to do. "He's already considering using candles instead of ceiling lights..."
"As I've told you, Caeda, it'll help us cut our costs on the light and utility bills. Especially since Master Hand didn't give us enough stipend to work around with...not much you could do with $200."
Master Hand: What will I miss the most about having Marth, Pac-Man, and Olimar around at the mansion? Not much, really, though I really gonna need a new party planner. Unless Pac-Man's fine with being replaced. But what will I miss the least about those three? Not being freeloaded! Those three bums literally came to me, and asked me for money - just because they're living in their fancy shmancy homes, with their stupid wives! "We need enough funds for a good foundation..." Do they think they're freshman college students or something? Do I have to pamper them?!
"Your fault for not getting a job - that hair salon downtown would've welcomed you with open arms," remarked Link, in a very joking manner; Marth glared intensely at the Hylian. "It was just a joke, man!"
"Moreover, we will also save on the water bill by using water bottles for our needs," continued Marth, picking up right from where he left off. "We'll use water bottles to wash our hands, wash ourselves, and keep the toilet operating."
"I never agreed to this, just wanna make that known," stated Caeda, holding her finger up high so she could be recognized. "In fact, this is the very first time I've heard of this...got any more backwards customs, sweetie?"
"Wouldn't say they're backwards...but, if you consider drying our clothes outside rather than in the dryer to be backwards, then go ahead and be my guest. The laundry area would be a great spot for a second dining room, if you ask me."
"A second dining room? Ugh..." Frustrated with her husband, Caeda walked out of the kitchen, unable to deal with Marth anymore.
"I'll be right back, boys," Zelda told Marth and company, as she followed after Caeda. "Caeda! Where are you going? What up for me!"
Suddenly a loud banging sound was heard, and it came from the backdoor in the kitchen. Cloud headed over to the door, and pulled up the curtains to see who it was.
"Oh, it's just some random dude with torn up clothes," announced Cloud, like the individual standing outside was hardly of any importance. Sounds a lot like a certain man we saw in the previous episode, huh?
"Well don't be rude, he could be homeless...let him in," ordered Marth, already showing a higher regard for wholesomeness than many other homeowners. Cloud opened up the back door, and let the man in.
"Howdy boys! Sorry for coming in through the back door," the man with torn up clothes greeted the swordsmen, closing the door behind him. "That lousy Duck Hunt Dog was outside near the front door. Kept chasing me around last time I showed up near the mansion..."
"Excuse me sir, but what's your name?" asked Marth, who was perfectly chill with this man with torn up clothes being in his house. "And when did you ever stop by the mansion?"
"The name's Frank West - I'm a bit of a freelance reporter. And a zombie hunter...on the side, that is. Last time I was near the mansion was last week, when I was speaking with a friend I met from the Seattle Stalker trial."
"A friend, you say?" Frank mentioning the Seattle Stalker trial really tipped Marth's interest in the conversation. "Who exactly was this friend?"
"I think you might know him...Cilan, he's one of the jurors I met after the trial was over. I was covering the trial like crazy - you guys wouldn't believe how much attention it got around the city."
"So you where around when the trial happened? That means you know the identity of the Seattle Stalker, right?"
"Of course I do! You should probably know about his identity too, since news about the trial was published in the local newspaper. You read the newspaper, don't you? I mean, I know people have cellphones and stuff, but..."
"Actually, now that I think about it, there was hardly any mention about the trial in the prints that day," responded Link, which made Frank very much concerned. "Even on the local news online, there was no mention of the trial."
"Dang, that ain't right...though for some reason, I don't believe you. I'm gonna need some proof...someone pull out a laptop or computer, we've got some major digging to do!"
"Sadly, the guy living here doesn't believe in using laptops or computer, or electronics in general," stated Cloud as he looked at Marth, who was whistling an innocent tune while looking away.
"Then we'll just have to check out some old newspaper. Don't really wanna look up old news on a cellphone, if you know what I mean. You guys do save old newspaper at the mansion, right?"
Frank: January 25th. That was the date when the trial took place. Looked up online to see a news article about the trial and the sentencing...and boom, there it was. So why wasn't it covered in the prints?!
"Thank you Zelda, I really needed that talk," Caeda thanked the princess, as the two ladies walked out of the hallway. "Really made me feel better about Marth and having to deal with his...mannerisms."
"If he ever drives you insane, you know who to call," assured Zelda, resting an assuring hand on Caeda's shoulder. Just then, Marth and company walked by, walking rather fast.
"We'll be right back, Caeda!" Marth informed his wife, as he left through the front door. Frank, the last person to leave the house, slammed the front door shut.
"Who was that man, with Marth and the others?" Caeda asked Zelda concerning Frank, as Zelda shrugged her shoulders.
Sonic, Shaymin, Tails, Captain Falcon, and Falco joined Mario and company at Mario's house, revealing to them the machine. Mario, Joker, and Layton all inspected the machine together, with Morgana peering at the machine from atop Joker's shoulder.
"How epic, everyone here will get to see how worthless that machine is..." smiled Sonic, as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "...the look on their faces will be hilarious!"
"Is that why you wanted to come here?" Tails questioned as he looked at Sonic, as Mario weirdly rubbed the machine against his stomach. An interesting way of seeing how powerful a machine was.
"Well, that, and I need to take the machine back to the attic. Sure it sucks, but every piece of garbage deserves a home. Some a whole lot less than others."
"You're darn right that machine sucks...sucked me right into a black hole!" frowned Falco, who thought he had seen his entire life flash before his eyes. "Thought I was a goner!"
"But you're still standing here, safe and sound, so that's what matters. Also, that was a baby black hole you were dealing with - it didn't even swallow the mansion whole! I mean, like, come on!"
"Can you two please pipe down, Mario and the others are little busy here!" Peach frowned at both Sonic and Falco, before turning her attention to her husband. "Sweetie, are you done inspecting the machine?"
"Yes, I'm-a done...just wanted to know what the machine felt-a like," replied Mario, as he stopped rubbing the machine against his stomach. "And also tasted like. Which is some-a thing I'll end up regretting..."
"Layton and I hardly got to look at the machine...but it's whatever," shrugged Joker, who honestly found the whole inspection thing by Mario to be pointless. "You said that the machine unleashed a black hole, right Falco?"
"Yeah, and it nearly sucked me in," answered Falco, nodding his head. "Me and Captain Falcon. Both of us could've been goners." Sonic found that laughable, as he looked away and chuckled in secret.
"In that case, it would be best to see what the machine is capable of...outside," suggested Layton, unaware of how powerful the black hole could be. "Just for safety precautions, obviously."
"I mean, it wouldn't make a difference either way, but whatever works best for you guys," said Sonic, who already knew that nobody would listen to him. If only they did...yeah right.
Frank West was with Marth, Link, and Cloud at the mansion, rummaging through some old newspaper. There was a secret bin of newspaper in the living room, behind a couch, and Frank and company were looking through the bin for the January 26th edition of the Seattle Times.
"Because the trial took place on the 25th of January, the cover story about the trial should've been posted on the issue released the next day," explained Frank, as he and his swordsman buddies were tossing newspaper unto the floor. "Keep on looking!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu came over to Frank and company, carrying a ball in his mouth. The mouse Pokemon ran over to Link and dropped the ball unto the floor, before tugging on Link's pants leg.
"Not now Pikachu, I'm a little busy at the moment," responded Link, looking through the newspaper like his life depended on it. Just then, Dark Pit showed up, holding the letter he revealed to Pit earlier.
Dark Pit: "Edgy boy"...that can't possibly be me, right? Always hate it when people are calling me "edgy" for no reason...considering that the girl mentioned in the letter and the Stalker's accomplice are the same person, who on earth could possibly call me... *pauses* ...oh no, I think I know who it is...
"Eureka, I found the newspaper!" announced Frank, as he excitedly grabbing the newspaper and held it up in the air. "Now let's take a look at the front page..." So Marth, Link, and Cloud gathered together around Frank, as they looked at the front page together. "Huh, I don't see anything..."
"Try flipping to the next page," suggested Marth, and so Frank did just that...only to see no mention of the Seattle Stalker court trial whatsoever. Frank kept on flipping, but he saw nothing about the trial, or the Stalker.
"Hoo boy, this ain't good...someone must've fiddled around with the newspaper before it even got published. Almost like some mystical being or magical person did this. I know for a FACT that the trial was covered in the newspaper, when it was first released."
"Um, Marth, who is that guy?" asked Dark Pit, as he looked at Frank. Marth and company turned around, startled to see the doppelganger standing by.
"Hey! Nice to meet you, Frank West's the name!" Frank approached Dark Pit, and earnestly shook his hand. "I'm a freelance journalist. Had to move here for the time being, to cover the Seattle Stalker case. Who are you?"
"I'm Dark Pit...did you say something about the Seattle Stalker? You were hired to cover the court trial, and everything?"
"That's right, I was the one! My cover story was even in the Seattle Times. Well, at least until someone, or something, took it out...why do you care?"
"Funny thing is, I got this letter in the mail today, from the Seattle Stalker." Dark Pit held out his letter, and gave it to Frank, who read the letter in its entirety. "Don't know what to make of it..."
"Hold up...you have actual friends?" Dark Pit looked at Frank, feeling slightly offended. "Woah, sorry, I didn't mean it that way...uh, how long has the Seattle Stalker contacted you?"
"Honestly this is the first time he ever wrote to me. But since you covered the trial, you know who the Seattle Stalker is, and his accomplice, right?"
"Of course; I can tell you guys who it was right now!" Frank cleared his throat, as Dark Pit, Marth, Link, Cloud, and even Pikachu looked on in anticipation. "The person, the Seattle Stalker, is none other than..."
Before Frank could even finish, a dart was fired at the journalist's neck, rendering him unconscious and sending him to the floor. Dark Pit and company looked at Frank's unconscious body, as Pikachu came over to Frank.
"Pika pika?" the mouse Pokemon said, as he tugged on Frank's shoulder.
Joker and Layton standing outside with the machine, joined by Peach, Impa, Lana, Linkle, Makoto, Luke, Sonic, Tails, Captain Falcon, Falco, and Shadow. But where was Mario, you ask? At his house, using the bathroom.
As everyone waited, Shadow took out the letter he received in the mail, reading it to pass the time...
Hello friend!
I hate to be the bearer of bad news,
But I somehow got you mixed up with someone else.
First I sent notes and machine parts to a guy that looks like you,
And then I realized my mistake and sent notes to a guy who is...you.
But no worries, your lookalike friend already took care of the first part.
The second part will commence, once our intended target turns the machine on.
Who is our target, you ask? We'll just call him...edgy boy.
Or at least that's what my accomplice calls him anyways.
We'll explain everything later, perhaps.
But for now, sorry for the big inconvenience.
Goodbye!
Shadow: *holds up letter* So if this letter is any indication, the Stalker was delivering notes and letters to me by accident. They were supposed to send it to someone referred to as an "edgy boy". *grumbles* It's 2019 and people still think I'm edgy...the fact that the Stalker had mistook Sonic for me is just as appalling.
"Joker, Makoto, sorry we were late!" shouted Ann, as she and the rest of the Phantom Thieves - Ryuji, Yusuke, Futaba, and Haru - hurried out of the mansion to join the group. "We totally forgot we were supposed to meet today."
"It's okay, Ann - better late than never," replied Joker, as Mario showed up feeling very much relieved. "Feeling better now, Mario?"
"Much-a better - those tofu bars really hit-a the spot, and for all the wrong-a reasons," replied Mario; seemed like everything was making the plumber gassy these days. "Everyone ready? Anyone want to do the honors?"
"I volunteer myself to do it!" Captain Falcon volunteered, raising his hand...he was holding the machine already, in his hand. He gently placed the machine on the ground, making sure the side with the button was facing up. "Everyone back away!"
"You heard him, everyone back away so we can see how worthless the machine is," shouted Sonic, as everyone cautiously moved out of the way, leaving a lot of room around the machine. As Captain Falcon backed away, he spotted an acorn on the round, and picked it up.
"Alright, on the count of three, I'm gonna hit that red button with this acorn and turn the machine on. Any objections?...No? Great! On the count of three...one...two...two-and-a-half..."
"Yo, Falco, you done messing around with the machine yet?" asked Fox, as he and Krystal stepped out of the mansion and down the porch while Captain Falcon was still counting. Falcon was trying so hard not to count to...
"THREE!" Captain Falcon threw the acorn at the red button on the machine, as the black hole was automatically summoned. The black hole emitted gusts of wind enough to pull everyone closer to it.
"Why...is it...so-a strong?!" questioned Mario, as he was holding unto the grass for dear life. Unfortunately he could not hold on any longer, and so he was sucked in, inside the black hole.
"Mario!" cried Peach, as she saw her husband getting sucked in, but she would wind up having the same fate, as she too got sucked inside the black hole. Lana and Linkle were both next.
"This totally sucks bro, I was not ready for this!" said Ryuji, who was holding unto a nearby tree, only for him and the tree to get sucked in by the black hole. The Shadow Thieves, they got sucked in as well.
"Hold on Krystal, you're not going anywhere!" Fox told his girlfriend, holding unto the railing of the porch with one hand and holding Krystal's hand with the other. Krystal was flying in the air, with the winds of the black hole trying to pull her in. "Don't let go!"
"I don't think I can hold on any longer..." said Krystal, as she started to slip out of Fox's hand. Eventually, the vixen let go of Fox, as she was sucked inside the black hole along with Impa and Falco. Fox let out a big "NO!", as most boyfriends would do in such a situation, as Layton and Luke were next to get sucked inside the black hole.
"Still think the machine is worthless now, Sonic?" Tails asked the hedgehog; Sonic and Tails were outrunning and out-flying the the black hole, respectively. Shadow and Captain Falcon were outrunning the machine as well.
"Sonic, I'm starting to believe that this was your fault..." Shadow told the hedgehog, trying to outrun Sonic. "You were the one who built the machine, weren't you?"
"I was the one - got all the machine parts and everything," replied Sonic, who felt like was going backwards in terms of speed. That black hole was slowly reeling him in, and the others. "What, you wanted to build it yourself?"
"No, it's just that, in the letter I got today, the Stalker told me that he got me mixed up with you. And that he got some dude named 'edgy boy' mixed up with me. But the more I think about it, I'm starting to believe that this 'edgy boy' is actually..."
Before Shadow could even finish, the hedgehog was pulled inside the black hole. This gave Captain Falcon motivation to run even faster, but it was all for naught since he too got pulled in as well. Which left Sonic and Tails.
"I don't think...I can fly...any farther..." said Tails, and soon later, the fox got reeled inside the black hole. Sonic tried to run the fastest he could, but it was no use...he got sucked inside the black hole too.
Seconds after Sonic got pulled in, the black hole slowly started to die down, before going away completely. The only man left standing was fox, who was holding unto the porch for support; the pilot fell down on his knees, looking pretty shook.
"Looks like...I'm the only one left," remarked Fox, as he was huffing and puffing. That black hole almost took the fight out of him.
Fox: That dumb black hole took my girlfriend, and my friends! It even took a few of the cameramen too, now there's only one cameraman left outside...which is you, the guy recording me right now. Not entirely down with doing a rescue mission, but I won't sleep until I get my Krystal back!
Meanwhile, at Mario's house, Spyro and Hunter were left with babysitting Jennifer until Mario and Peach came back. Shaymin was also there.
"Hmm, Sonic and everyone else are taking a long time outside..." the gratitude Pokemon remarked, as Spyro and Hunter were busy feeding Jennifer...and failing miserably. Who knew feeding babies was so hard? "...we should go see what's up."
"No we can't, we have to watch over the baby!" frowned Hunter, whose face was covered with baby food. He was definitely a messy feeder - if that was even a thing.
"We can just bring the baby with us, Hunter," stated Spyro, thinking one step ahead of Hunter. One very big step, rather. "What's the worse that could happen?"
"Um, let's see...what if a bunch of sheep come out of nowhere on their spaceships, and take Jennifer away from us? Or even worse...the Sorceress returns, and decides that she wants to kidnap human babies! She'll come back the way Ripto did, and..."
"...enough, Hunter, just stop it already. Let's just head outside, before you run rampant with your dumb imagination..."
Spyro, Hunter, and Shaymin went outside, with Hunter holding Jennifer, and they were all surprised to see nobody in the front yard except for Fox. The pilot was holding the machine, trying to press the red button, but nothing was happening.
"Hey Fox, where did Mario and the others run off to?" Spyro asked the pilot, interrupting him from his current task. "Don't tell us they all went out for lunch without even inviting us!"
"They didn't run off...they were all sucked inside a black hole, caused by this machine," replied Fox, who was still trying to turn the machine on. No such luck. "Krystal included. Saw the machine doing its thing earlier today."
"A machine that summons a black hole? Sounds odd, but fishy. Any idea who built the machine in the first place?"
"Nope, no idea - only saw it after Falco and a few others came down the attic. Granted I was a little late to the party, but...hold up, what's this?"
Fox looked on the side of the machine, and saw some text, covered in dust. The pilot wiped the dust away, and saw the text clearly, holding the machine down so he could read what was written.
"Mind if we take a look?" asked Hunter, as he, Spyro, and Shaymin looked at the text together. It read:
To: codename 'edgyboy'
From: General of the Underworld Army
(this machine is a product produced and refurnished the Venomian Empire)
"Guys, I'm starting to have a hunch for who our Seattle Stalker might be..." remarked Fox, who raised his eyebrows when he saw mention of the Venomian Empire.
Does the name "Venomian Empire" ring a bell to any of you?