Author's Note:
Hero just got released this week, and man is he bonkers. (Still reminds me of Link and Robin, in a way.) So bonkers, that some people apparently want to ban him from the competitive scene already. Guess the competitive bros are really scared about that Thwack...and also that Kamikaze spell. But enough about the Hero. Let's answer some reviews:
"Will Miriam from Bloodstained:Ritual of the Night appear? Is the hero from Dragon Quest VIII a couple with Jessica? Will you add a Sega Rally Championship chapter? Has Wrinkly Kong made any appearances? Will the other Banjo Kazooie characters appear later on? And finally, what are your thoughts on Super Robot Wars V and X getting ported to Switch?"
Perhaps. Most definitely. I'd love to, but probably not. She hasn't made any appearances yet. There will be a Banjo-Kazooie chapter, this fall. And I didn't expect two Super Robot Wars games to be ported to the Switch, but hey - two is better than one! On to Sioresov:
"1.) I swear to god I'll shoot you with these potential characters to rescue Ratchet and Clank. Carl Johnson? Niko ('I want Roman Back') Bellic? Can you at least tell us One leak hidden in the next chapter? Oh please please please please please please please please please!
2.) Can Carl Johnson be added to the manor, he's a PS2 Original and has a Legendary Game. (This is T anyways, not PG)
3.) So... 2 Regular Reviewers... does that mean you are unpopular now?
4.) Can the FIB be in a chapter in some arc?"
1.) None of the characters you listed will rescue Ratchet and Clank. Also I don't do leaks (I only read fake ones just to laugh my head off).
2.) I won't be adding characters to the manor like that. Only those that are represented in PSASBR are at the manor.
3.) Honestly, I've never been that huge on popularity when it comes to this story - as long as people are still reading the story and still showing their support, then that's what matters the most.
4.) That...would be random.
And last for today is PinkRose4452:
"1. Will Researcher Zelda and Ridley have some more screentime?
2. Which of the three houses are you gonna join on your first playthrough?
3. How about having Copper and Brooker, from Animal Crossing, be the security guards for the smash mansion.
4. The best friends of the protagonists (like Ryuji, Yosuke, Junpei, Ken, as some examples), and a few others, decide to make a Best Friend club, where they, talk about their best friends and do things as best friends."
1. I main Researcher Zelda (or just Zelda, technically) in Ultimate, so obviously I should give her more screen time. Ridley on the other hand will be hard to figure out, but I'll find something for him to do once the current arc is over with.
2. Golden Deer, I kinda like their motif more. Their house leader, Claude, seems like a pretty cool guy. And the ladies from the Golden Deer are just flat-out amazing.
3. Hmm, that doesn't sound like a bad idea.
4. I probably won't be doing that club, sadly. That being said, the threesome of Ryuji, Yosuke, and Junpei will be hanging out with each other a lot regardless.
Episode 189: Katrielle
By no means was Professor Layton a capable fighter - one that would be worthy enough to fight among the greats in Smash Bros. It would be hard to picture Layton, fighting alongside the mighty likes of Mario, Ganondorf, Meta Knight, Pac-Man, Ridley - so on, and so forth. The very thought of Layton even standing on the Battlefield stage would be unfathomable to some.
Granted, Isabelle was a fighter in Smash, but she was an only exception.
But what Layton made up for fighting skills and physical ability was the one thing he and his apprentice Luke Triton did best - solving mysteries. Together, Layton and Luke made their worth known to the Smash Mansion, when they solved mysteries like the wedding day explosion fiasco and the Seattle Stalker incident. While the duo wasn't as involved in the latter mystery, it was their work and commitment to craft in the former that landed them spots at the Smash Mansion.
Ever since Layton and Luke were on the case since starting their investigation into the wedding day explosion, the two detectives from Britain have stayed at the mansion for a prolonged period of time - although many have stated that the two have overstayed their welcome. Even after solving a mystery or two, our favorite British duo remained at the mansion, refusing to head back home. The sentiments the residents shared about Layton and Luke's overstay continued until today, when the mansion was overwhelmed by a somewhat...bittersweet feeling.
Master Hand: Today, dare I say it, is the last day of one of my favorite residents. (Don't tell anyone that I have favorites.) I couldn't sleep last night. I woke up extra early. So much energy...there are certain days you know you know you will remember for the rest of your life, and I just have a feeling that today is one of those days.
Dr. Wily: Eureka! Thanks to my device, I was able to locate where Layton's daughter - from the future - was. All that's left to do is have whomever Layton's daughter was staying with to bring the daughter to the mansion. Which is the part I'm dreading the most. You'll see why, eventually.
Pushing Layton down the hallway on his wheelchair was Sonic, who was perhaps the least likeliest person for the job - until recently. Sonic, who used to hate on Layton - and to a lesser extent, Luke - for being most of the time, slowly began to warm up towards Layton, and became more accepting of the British detective as a small friend. The days in which Sonic would criticize Professor Layton were slowly numbered, in recent times.
"Good morning, Geno," Layton greeted the Star Warrior as he and Sonic passed him by. Geno looked on with a bittersweet look on his face.
"Good morning, Professor Layton," Geno responded to the British detective, before taking out a clock. "Here we go, just a matter of hours now, until the mansion population gets...smaller."
Sonic continued to push Layton on his wheelchair, until he encountered Samus in the middle of the hallway. Samus was in her housecoat, having returned from the bathroom with a toothbrush in hand.
"Top of the morning, Miss Aran," Layton greeted the bounty hunter - he was always friendly to Samus, no matter what mood she was in.
"I can't believe this is your last day," Samus said to Layton out of disbelief, as a very confused Sonic looked on. "How do you feel?"
"I feel fine, the same as I usually do. Never better!"
"Today's your last day?" Sonic questioned Layton, feeling like he was left out of a big secret.
"Oh no, today isn't my last day...Samus here is just pulling your tail!"
Despite Layton's claim, Sonic knew that something was clearly up. Why else would Samus mention today being Layton's last day, out of the blue? Not to mention Geno appearing sad when he saw Layton. There was something going on that Sonic didn't know about...and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.
So after he took Layton to the dining room for breakfast, Sonic sneaked out of the mansion and headed over to Mario's home, so he could ask Mario if Layton and Luke were leaving today. The hedgehog went to the backdoor, and saw that it was open - a usual occurrence at Mario's home, and Luigi's as well.
Opening the backdoor ever so slightly, Sonic stepped inside Mario's house and tip-toed to the kitchen, before ducking behind a kitchen counter. Then, very slowly, Sonic lifted his head over the counter, and saw Mario in the living room, gathered with Peach and Daisy. All three were in their pajamas. A very professional meeting.
"First-a thing on the agenda...actually, the only thing on-a the agenda, is the status of Layton and Luke's-a going away party," Mario said to Peach and Daisy, as the words "going away" hit Sonic like a bullet through the heart.
"We have a buttercream cake and a slideshow of Layton and Luke," stated Daisy, who probably had the buttercream cake ready to go. "But so far we only have two pictures of him. Thought we had more..."
"Okay, well, this will-a not do. Layton and Luke are-a going away indefinitely, and uh, we need to do some-a thing very, very special. In some cultures, when-a somebody leaves, like New Orleans culture, they have a parade and they have a band and people party in-a the streets..."
"Do you mean, leaves as in dies?" questioned Peach, who was having an uneasy feeling inside of her. "You want us to throw Layton and Luke a New Orleans' funeral?"
"I mean we could, but throwing a funeral for two-a people would be hard to pull-a off. Also, it would be in bad-a taste. What sort-a of party would you have?"
"The party thing was yours and Master Hand's idea, not ours..." stated Daisy; at this point, Sonic couldn't stomach any more of the meeting.
"Like a beach-a blowout? Or a toga, toga...yeah, let's-a do a toga party!"
"See Mario, this is why I can hardly plan parties with you! We have a nice, modest party planned, and then you come in and demand the world. Let me be clear. We're not gonna spend lots of money on a party offering no more than a cake and a short slideshow...although Layton and Luke won't be in the slides."
"I thought that you might-a say that..." Smiling to himself, Mario took off his shoe, and took out some cash from said shoe.
Mario: Every year, Toadsworth sends me a check-a on my birthday for fifty dollars. And lately, he has been sending me, like nine-a or ten checks a year...uh, as Toadsworth starts to...but, I knew I should-a be saving it for something, I just didn't know what I should-a be saving it for. And then I had an awakening. "Mario, buy a motorcycle." So I put the money in-a my shoe, and then I forgot about it until-a now.
"I want a party that makes me feel-a like I am flying through the air, from-a the negativity of departure," Mario said to Peach and Daisy; Sonic wished that he could fly away from this meeting. " I want an anti-gravity machine. I saw it once-a in a movie. You drink a potion, and then-a you just start floating all around."
"So how much anti-gravity potion do you want?" Peach asked her husband, as Daisy looked on with a pained facial expression.
"You know what, I'm sick and tired of this crap!" frowned Daisy, as she got up and stormed away. "And I don't want your foot money, Mario, and I feel uncomfortable participating in your shenanigans." Daisy left the house, tired of it all.
"Suit-a yourself..." Shortly after Daisy had left, Mario looked over his kitchen counter, and saw Sonic hiding behind it. "...Sonic, how'd you get inside-a our house?" Mario asked the blue blur.
"Uh, that's a real good question Mario..." replied Sonic as he smiled sheepishly...before speeding out of the house through the backdoor.
Following breakfast, a visitor came to the mansion as evidenced by the ringing of the doorbell. Zelda, who was in the foyer, came to the front door and answered it, seeing a familiar face.
"Hi, Professor E. Gadd!" Zelda greeted the inventor himself, who was smiling with his one tooth. With him was a young woman, whose face was concealed by a veil. "Who's that lady with you?"
"She's a...she's a friend of mine, yes," replied E. Gadd, trying to subdue any lingering doubts Zelda had with the nod of his head. "Very shy. Do you know if Dr. Wily is home, princess?"
"He's actually at the Assist Tower next door." Feeling stupid, E. Gadd scratched his head as he looked to his left and saw the tower. The inventor frowned, stomping his foot on the porch.
"Blast it! Got the street address messed up somehow. Thanks a ton, Princess Zelda."
"You're welcome, E. Gadd." As Zelda closed the front door, she couldn't help but wonder who that young woman was...
Hovering at and looking out through the window in his room was Master Hand, who watched as E. Gadd and the young woman stepped down from the porch. E. Gadd looked like he was having a word with the young woman outside, whose identity was still concealed.
"There she is..." uttered Master Hand, watching the conversation taking place outside, as Pit came over to the giant hand. The angel only came by to check out the new paintings in Master Hand's room.
"So what should I know about her?" Pit asked Master Hand, who seemingly knew about the mysterious young woman before she came to the mansion.
"Well from what I've heard, she's from a different time - which means that she might be up to something. So, strike one, I hate her already."
"I hate her too..." Pit would echo Master Hand's sentiments, as she shook his head distastefully.
"Why do you hate her so?"
"Because she...stinks...with her...ways...and her...head."
"But you've never seen her head, and you don't know what she's like! You shouldn't say things just to agree with me, you know."
"Would that be such a bad thing?"
"Yeah! It would! Just have a thought. Have an original thought. Although, I will agree that her head is weird if she's covering it with a veil. You know what we need to do, Pit my man?"
"Lay it on me!" Pit started to grin, ready for whatever task Master Hand had prepared for him.
"We need to sell her an elevator pass."
"But our, our elevator doesn't require a..." Pit suddenly gasped, once he realized what Master Hand was hinting at.
"Exactly. A little old-fashioned hazing."
Rosalina: Mario is apparently dead-set on having anti-gravity machines at Layton and Luke's going away party, and since nobody at his house would do it, he put me up with calling someone to fulfill his dumb request. The nature of Mario's idea sounds dumb on paper, and even dumber in concept, but I guess you won't know how it works until you try? *shrugs, with a grin*
As ordered by Mario, Rosalina had to call someone about some anti-gravity machine. Peach did not want Rosalina to perform such an idiotic phone call on the house phone, so Mario let Rosalina call on his cellphone - much to Peach's chagrin.
"Hi. Are there any local companies that rent anti-gravity machines?" Rosalina asked the person on the phone, speaking in the bathroom so Daisy wouldn't hear the call.
"Anti-gravity machines?" asked the person Rosalina was speaking with, understandably sounding confused.
"That's right. Yeah." In that moment Rosalina instantly knew how the rest of the phone call would turn out.
"What do they do exactly?" Looks like Rosalina had a lot of explaining to do...
"They make you feel...lighter?" It was worth a shot.
"Anti-gravity...um...anti...depressants? I could put you through to someone on that."
"That would be ideal." Anything better than having a bunch of anti-gravity machines.
Now that he was at the right residence, E. Gadd went to the third floor of the tower along with the young woman, after Gray Fox let the inventor in. E. Gadd and the young woman were now standing in front of a bedroom door, with E. Gadd knocking on said door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" someone shouted from behind the door, easily irritated. The door would soon be opened by Dr. Wily, who looked even more irritated when he saw the man standing in front of him.
"Hey Dr. Wily!" E. Gadd happily waved to the robot inventor, who wanted nothing to do with the man he built the alternate universe transpiration device with a few years ago.
"Oh, hey, I take it you haven't croaked yet?" Dr. Wily had hoped that E. Gadd was dead years since the two last worked with each other.
"I'd like to formally introduce you to the young lady you found with that device of yours."
"Yeah, well, I'm not that interested now." Dr. Wily waved off E. Gadd, walking away as E. Gadd and the young woman stepped inside Dr. Wily's room.
"Come on, Dr. Wily! You did say that you wanted the young lady here before the end of the week, no?"
"No, I will still pass. Considering that she's with you, she could be an imposter for all I know."
"An imposter, eh? Katrielle, why don't you show Dr. Wily who you are?"
So the young woman took off the veil that concealed her head, revealing her visage to Dr. Wily. The young woman looked very peppy, with her blue eyes and light brown hair and even the small hat on her head.
"Katrielle Layton," the young woman said to Dr. Wily, extending her hand to the robot inventor himself, as she spoke in a British tongue. Dr. Wily looked at Katrielle's hand, before he shook it.
Dr. Wily: The moment I found out about Katrielle Layton's whereabouts on my locating device, I was very proud of myself and my genius. My emotions went south, however, when I found out about the man she was apparently staying with...
E. Gadd: The Katrielle Layton that is with me is an older one hailing from the future. How did she arrive at our present time? *smiles gingerly* Let's just say that it had most to do with me...and a mechanism Ema Skye formerly worked on. As well as the assistance of a rabbit and amphibian.
"Glad we could finally meet, Miss Layton," Dr. Wily said to the young woman, before redirecting his attention to E. Gadd. "Let's make one thing clear, four eyes - I was in the right, and you were in the wrong. And until you realize this, we'll continue to have an eternal struggle, you and I. And only one of us can be the winner. Spoiler alert: I'm gonna win."
"Golly, he must not really like you," Katrielle whispered to E. Gadd, slanted that Dr. Wily was more interested in putting down his arch-nemesis than getting to know the woman he sought to find.
"Don't think that I didn't hear what you were whispering about, girlie! The beef between E. Gadd and I is none of your business."
"What did you even do to him?" Katrielle asked E. Gadd, who let out a sigh as he held his head low.
"Nothing, it's mostly just a big fat misunderstanding," replied E. Gadd, as he shook his head. Dr. Wily haughtily looked on.
"He tortured me...with his awfulness," Dr. Wily said to Katrielle about E. Gadd, trying to think of the bad things E. Gadd had done to him in the past.
"Um, well look, Professor E. Gadd wishes to show me around the mansion, before I see you-know-who," Katrielle said to Dr. Wily; it was fairly obvious who this you-know-who was. "But it was nice getting to speak with you, Dr. Wily!"
"Y-You can call me Albert." Having some regret over what he said, Dr. Wily waved to Katrielle, who smiled and waved back as she left with E. Gadd. Once E. Gadd and Katrielle (but especially E. Gadd) left, Dr. Wily let out a sigh of relief.
Dr. Wily: Thanks to Professor E. Gadd, I have an even stronger prejudice against other scientists and inventors like myself. I'm starting to believe that my field of study is a breeding ground for monsters. What I failed to consider though, is that not all monsters are bad. Are there a few exceptions? Maybe. But E. Gadd has proven that those exceptions are far and few in-between.
Returning to the mansion with Katrielle, E. Gadd learned from a resident that Layton and Luke were busy doing stuff with Sonic and Tails. With Layton and Luke preoccupied, that gave E. Gadd enough time to introduce Katrielle to a few folks before the "big shindig" as E. Gadd called it. One of the first residents Katrielle got to meet was Snake.
"The pleasure's all mine," Snake said to Katrielle, as he shook the young detective's hand. And yes, Katrielle was a detective like her dad, in case you weren't aware.
"Thank you very much," Katrielle thanked Snake, before ending the handshake. "I really want to know more about you and finding out about what you do in your spare time, Solid Snake."
"Your wish is my command." Snake got all giddy inside, as hardly anyone ever bothered to ask the former spy about his life and personal matters.
"What do you like to do at the mansion, during your retirement?" The giddiness Snake had vanished away, the moment he heard the word "retirement" exit from Katrielle's lips.
"Excuse me?" Out of all the things Snake wanted to be asked about, retirement was far down the former spy's list.
Snake: What is wrong with this woman? She's asking about stuff that's nobody's business. "What do I do?" Really, what do I do here? I should've written something down, and see if Katrielle believed it. "Qua" something, uh... qua... quar... quibo, qual...quir-quabity. Quabity assurance! No. No, no, no, no, but I'm getting close.
"Psst, have you been introduced to Wario?" Pit whispered to Katrielle, tapping the young detective on her shoulder to grab her attention.
"No, where is he?" asked Katrielle, as she and E. Gadd looked down the hallway for Wario. They would soon find the fatso, who was holding in a giggle.
"He's here on a special work program. He's slow, you know, in his brain."
"So he works for you guys?" Kinda makes sense, considering that Wario raked in that dough. "Good for you."
Pit: Hazing is a fun way to show anyone - whether it's a new employee, a rookie, or just some guest - that they are not welcome or liked.
Having some form of interest in Wario, Katrielle went over to go speak with the fatso. E. Gadd and Pit remained where they were, both interested in how the exchange would turn out.
"Hi there," Katrielle said to Wario, who was initially spooked as he jumped and turned around looking like he had a heart attack.
"Uh...hi," Wario would return the favor, wondering why on earth that Katrielle was speaking to him of all people.
"What do you do?" Katrielle held her hands behind her back and smiled, leaning in her head close to Wario.
"I rake in them dollar bills." Of course, Wario could be humble about his money-making ways, but humility was seldom in the fatso's DNA.
"Oh, I'm sure that's fun! How nice!"
"Do you want some M&M's or something?"
"Oh, no, that is so sweet. But thank you though."
"Yeah. I keep them here in my pants so that everybody doesn't take them. Away from the butt crack."
"...well that is a very safe place for them."
"Ha ha, about time someone agreed with me!"
Just then, the man of the hour showed up in the hallway...the great Mario himself. The plumber, who was planning Layton and Luke's going away party, looked delighted to see the young woman who was sure to be a fixture at said party.
"There-a she blows!" Mario said to Katrielle as he walked over to the young detective. "Howdy, Katrielle - Mario here. You know, if we hung-a you from the ceiling, we'd have to kiss underneath-a of you."
"I don't believe that would be necessary," smiled Katrielle, as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry for even-a suggesting that. Answer me this: are-a you a human...or a cat?"
"Oh, a cat..." Katrielle started to giggle, and Mario giggled along with her. " Nice, I've never heard that one before actually."
"I bet. Guess that means-a I did something right."
"That was good, not gonna lie. So good."
"I bet. Are these guys boring your ears-a off?" Mario looked at the suspects - Pit, Wario, and Snake.
"No, they've been very pleasant company...so far."
"Oh...what, um, what was your-a commute like? How long does it take-a you and to get here?"
"I believe that's a question E. Gadd should answer himself..." Katrielle looked back at E. Gadd; Mario mentally slapped himself, for not noticing E. Gadd earlier.
"You know, I should make-a you a mix. Do you have a, uh, a CD player?"
"Um...sadly I do not. I don't have one."
"Alright-a then...thanks anyways."
Done with their fun and games, Sonic and Layton were brought to the lounge by Zelda. Interestingly enough, Luke had to come along too, which made Sonic nervous to some extent.
"Do you like it? It's a photo of everyone in the mansion," Zelda showed a photo to Layton and Luke, which was in a picture frame. A whole lot of bodies in that one photo. "So you can take it with you back to Britain."
"But it's a good thing that Layton and Luke don't have to go back so soon...right?" asked Sonic, with a smile on his face; neither Zelda nor Layton and Luke offered to answer Sonic's question.
"You're not in the photo, Princess Zelda," observed Luke, seeing that the princess of Hyrule was absent within the photo.
"Well I was taking the picture," stated Zelda, as Sonic started to scratch his neck uncomfortably.
"I love it, I love it..." Layton approved of the photo, as he nodded his head. "I would love a picture of the four of us, to also take to Britain. Me, you, Luke, and Sonic."
"Seems a little too soon to be taking such pictures, don't ya think?" Sonic grinned at Layton, fearing that the inevitable was coming.
Sonic:: Yep, the writing appears to be on the wall...Layton and Luke are heading back home! And it sucks too, because Layton and I were just starting to gel and actually get along. Luke, on the other hand...we're not as tight, but I guess it took a harder time for me to reform Luke than Layton. So it took me less time to, you know, get to know his weaknesses. Which were far less prevalent than Layton's.
"Sure, do either you or Luke have a camera with you?" Zelda asked Layton and Luke, who both looked at each other with dubious looks. Clearly neither one of them had a camera on them.
"No, we don't," replied Luke, before looking at Sonic who was looking fairly tense. "Do you have a camera on you, Sonic?"
"I'll go...look for one," replied Sonic, as he left the lounge. The hedgehog sounded pretty hurt, and saddened.
Cloud was in his room, just lying on his bed and taking it easy, when Link entered the room. The Hylian had the biggest grin on his face, which concerned Cloud to some extent.
"So I just made a huge catch with my hookshot earlier today," Link announced to Cloud, who didn't care in the slightest. "It was a really big catch."
"Congratulations..." uttered Cloud as he looked up at the ceiling, wishing he could just take Link's hookshot and throw it away, So far, far away.
"Thanks, Cloud, I knew you would appreciate it."
"I was only saying that just to be nice..."
"What do you mean? You trying to pull my tail?"
"I know what you're doing, Link." Cloud sat up on his bed, taking a look at his best friend. "You're just trying to hone your 'hookshot' abilities so that one day you could 'catch' Zant."
"You're saying that like it's a bad thing...Zant is bad news, Cloud, and you know it."
"Huh, can't tell, considering how we saw him discouraging those manor guys from messing with us."
"They're just...playing along, that's what it is. Zant told those manor guys to make him look all authoritative and stuff."
"And even if he did, how would that benefit either Zant, or the manor?"
"You see...the thing here is that..." Left at a loss for words, a frustrated Link grunted as he left the room, closing the door. Cloud went back to relaxing shortly after.
One thing that Spyro liked about living at Mario's house, compared to living in the mansion, was how tranquil the atmosphere was. Save for Jennifer's crying fits, and maybe some nagging from Peach, it was always peaceful at the Mario household - no shenanigans, no drama, and no annoying residents.
However, there were a few moments when the tranquility was often interrupted. Today would have such a particular moment, when Spyro was trying to take a nap only to be interrupted by some loud music from the living room. Feeling bothered, Spyro went to the living room and saw Mario, playing music from his computer.
"Hmm, Spyro?" Mario said as he looked to his right, and saw a ticked off Spyro glaring at him. "Don't mind-a me, I'm just downloading some-a tunes!"
"You're seriously downloading music?" questioned Spyro; did Mario not have headphones or something lying around? "For what?"
"It's for a CD mixtape I'm-a building for Katrielle Layton. And I'm looking for perfect-a songs that work on two levels."
"What are the two levels?" Like Peach, Spyro thought that Mario tended to be over the top when it came to being friendly and wholesome.
"The two levels being, uh, 'Welcome to Seattle'...'I Love You Daddy'."
"Okay. Let's start with the 'I Love You Daddy' level." Spyro for the life of him could not believe that he said the word "daddy" out loud...
"Hey, what's the name of that group from-a Finland that made it big? Is it U2?"
"Yeah, sure, but let's talk about this...daddy thing."
"I personally see nothing wrong-a with it."
"But it might make everyone else uncomfortable."
"Well, it'll be like a Father's Day thing. Love at first-a sight. But more-a familial."
"Oh, okay, Father's Day doesn't work like that..."
"How would-a you know, you never knew-a your father."
"That may be true. But I have seen a lot of dads, in my adventures."
"Oh really? What fathers have-a you seen?"
"I know plenty of dragons from the Artisans realm who are dads, raising baby dragons. And guess what? They didn't need any music or songs to show affection."
"Yeah, probably because-a they're too busy painting. Duh."
"Well at least they're happy...and reasonable."
"I just want Katrielle to feel loved-a and special when she meets...you know."
"And that's really sweet. And you can do that. But you shouldn't put her or anyone else in an uncompromising position."
Link went from his bedroom to the picnic table outside, where Rosalina was brainstorming things for the party. Rosalina was looking over a list, with Luma looking on over her shoulder.
"I was thinking...we should have fireworks for the party," Link suggested to Rosalina, grabbing the mother of Luma's attention. "What do you think?"
"I appreciate your help, but I think we should save Blacephalon for another time," replied Rosalina, not wishing to utilize the fireworks Pokemon.
"Don't wanna use Blacephalon, huh? In that case, we could ask the Yiga Clan if they still have any fireworks leftover from the 4th of July."
"Why do you want fireworks so much?"
"Because I'm gonna miss Layton and Luke. Yep, they're both awesome and I think we should send them off right. It doesn't matter. Here's some rupees to entice Master Kohga."
"Seriously, Link?" Rosalina watched as Link pulled out a few red rupees from his wallet.
"Well we all want a good party, right?" Link looked at Rosalina with a grin, but Rosalina was hardly even buying it.
Link: I'm about to do it, you guys...I'm gonna propose to Zelda! If Fox can man up and propose to the love of his life, then so can I...
Figuring out what to order from the vending machine was always a tough choice for Wario - so many options for the fatso to choose from. Wario stared at a vending machine in deep thought, scratching his chin as Katrielle entered the vending machine room...with E. Gadd as a chaperone of sorts.
"Hi Wario, do you need some help?" Katrielle kindly asked the fatso, who has always refused help at every chance possible.
"I can't decide what to get," replied Wario, growing more distressed by the second. The fatso had to make his choice very wisely.
"What do you like to eat?" If he could, Wario would just list off his favorite foods rapid fire, nonstop.
"I like to eat garlic most of the time, but I really like potato chips."
"How much money do you have in your wallet?" Wario took out his wallet, and showed Katrielle what was inside. Lots of big bills. "Oh dear, that's a lot...how about I give you some change?"
"Yeah, that would work out best..."
Wario: I totally dig that Katrielle chick! She's cute, and helpful, and she really likes me, for some apparent reason.
Like any responsible fiance, Fox went to the tower to see how his fiancee Krystal was handling herself. The pilot entered the vixen's room, and saw Krystal sitting on the floor adjusting a bed...Phosphora's bed.
"Woah girl, what are you doing?" questioned Fox as he ran inside the room, stopping Krystal from her task. "You don't, uh, you don't have to do that. I mean, the bed already looks put-together."
"Oh, I'm trying to adjust the lumbar support on Phosphora's bed," replied Krystal, as she immediately went back to adjusting the bed. "Phosphora would endlessly complain about how her back feels, so I'm doing her a solid. I took the whole bed apart, and then...that's how I ended up on the floor. It's pretty good, right? I should sell the movie rights."
"And the sequel, 'Space Vixen Stands on Bed and Works'. So, I have no idea how you work on the floor like this." Fox sat on the floor, next to Krystal.
"What can I say...I do a lot of yoga with Wii Fit Trainer in my spare time...the female one, that is."
"Sit on floor and put together bed we will," Fox said in a Yoda accent, before laughing out loud. "Yo-da. Um..."
"Pass tall wooden piece, you will," Krystal said to Fox, trying to mimic Fox's Yoda accent. Fox thought the attempt was ingloriously cute.
"So are you in down this weekend? Cause, I'm not...I'm not gonna be in town. I'm going out of town."
"You're not heading to Sauria without me, are you?" Krystal looked at Fox with an innocent puppy eyes look, before she burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding!"
"Oh man, you nearly had me fooled there!" Fox would laugh along with Krystal, wiping away a tear from his eye.
Chilling in the lobby of the tower was Falco, who was doing his usual wedding planning stuff. Fox would come down to the lobby from the elevator, to speak with his main main.
"I did it!" cheered Fox, pumping his fists in the air as he ran to Falco and gave him a high five.
"Awesome man, what did you do?" asked Falco, as Fox rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"I talked to Krystal and got her acting all bubbly and stuff. Just pleasantries, nothing, you know...not like, do you want kids or, religion, or what side of the bed do you want. Hey, I can take either side of the bed at this point."
"You got Krystal to act unlike her normal self? Sweet. So how does it feel?"
"It was hard. I wanted to kiss her and make out with her and junk."
"Oh, I'm so glad you didn't. Someone could've walked by and watched you."
"Tell me about it...just gotta keep on building from here, until our wedding day."
"That's the way to go! There's plenty of foundation-solidifying left, right?"
"You bet..." Fox had a proud smile on his face, with his hands on his hips.
Sonic pushed Layton down the hallway on his wheelchair, knowing that the detective's farewell was bound to happen soon. Master Hand would suddenly appear in the hallway, in front of Sonic and Layton.
"Ah, there you are Layton!" Master Hand greeted the detective, who smiled in response. "Sonic, why don't you take Layton to my room? I want to give him a little present, a token of my gratitude."
"Better not be a going-away present..." mumbled Sonic, as he pushed Layton down the hallway.
Master Hand: I'll let you in on a little secret: I've been very much looking forward to this moment. Very, very much. I have been steeped in anticipation. Like anyone that has lived underneath this roof, Layton has been cruisin' for a bruisin'. And Tom Nook is his cruise director, and his name is Captain Bruisin'.
Tom Nook: Apparently I'm giving Professor Layton an "exit interview"? Master Hand was "supposed" to do one for Aerith and Sora, but Aerith's date with Cloud muddied his plans.
Sonic took Layton to Master Hand's room, which was just down the hallway, and placed him at a desk where Tom Nook was seated at along with Luke. The hedgehog then chilled near a wall, in a darkened part of the room, not wanting to look.
"Is this my present?" gleamed Layton, when he saw a present on the desk with his name tag on it. Master Hand, entering his room, was pleased to see how delighted Layton was by his gift. "How very swell!"
"Hello!" E. Gadd greeted everyone in Master Hand's room, poking his head through the creaked open door. Master Hand looked fairly relieved that E. Gadd was only here by himself.
"Professor E. Gadd, what a surprise..." the giant hand said, as E. Gadd stepped foot inside the room.
"We're having a little exit interview over here," Tom Nook said to E. Gadd, as Layton continued to marvel at his present. "We can't afford any interruptions."
"I see. In that case, I'll just sit near the wall and keep quiet."
"Um, no, this is very boring stuff," Master Hand told the inventor, wanting him to vamoose. "Why don't you take a tour? Have you seen our Jacuzzi?"
"No, no, I'll look at it later." Isabelle would enter Master Hand's room - the more merry company that Master Hand was expecting.
"Master Hand, did you need me to take notes?" Isabelle asked the giant hand, wielding a pencil and her trusty clipboard.
"Yes Isabelle, please stay," replied Master Hand, as Isabelle hurried over to the desk. Master Hand need a visible pair of eyes, to keep watch of E. Gadd.
"Alright, well then, I will proceed," announced Tom Nook, ready to begin the exit interview as he took out some note cards. "I just have some questions that I want to ask you, Layton and Luke. Um...who do you think you are?"
"I'm Professor Herschel Layton, and that's Luke Triton," Layton responded proudly, as he turned his top hat around on his head.
"Yeah. Correct. Um...what gives..." Tom Nook had to squint his eyes for this one. "...what gives you the right?"
"I brought the binder," Isabelle said to Tom Nook, presenting a binder to the tanoki. "Do you wanna take a little look?"
"Sure. You know what? That sounds good. I'll take a little look-see."
"Here you go!" Isabelle handed the binder to Tom Nook, who immediately put the note cards away.
"Thank you." Tom Nook opened the binder, seeing a question he was more comfortable asking. "What would you improve about the Smash Mansion?"
"I'm glad you asked, because we have a few ideas..." smiled Layton, as he adjusted the collar on his shirt.
"No, I'm not asking the question. I'm just reading it out loud."
"I wouldn't mind hearing your answer, Layton," Isabelle said to the detective, sitting around patiently.
"Well let me see...we would, uh..." said Layton, with a finger underneath his chin, before Master Hand hovered close to him.
"Say anything bad about my mansion, and I will kill you..." Master Hand threatened Layton and Luke in a whispering tone, before hovering away.
"...I guess everything's okay," was Luke's definitive answer, accompanied with a simple shrug.
Luke: We've made it this far without dying at the hands of Master Hand, right? Nothing to lose...
"Layton, why don't you open your present?" Luke asked the detective, who was just dying to know what was inside (okay, not really to that extent).
"No, not yet, the exit's interview not even over!" growled Master Hand, but Layton unwrapped his present anyways. The detective took off the wrapping paper and opened the box...seeing a rock inside, with a Post-It note attached.
"'Suck on this'..." Layton read the note attached on the rock, scratching his head in confusion. Luke, Isabelle, and Tom Nook looked on feeling discouraged.
"What in the name of...?" questioned Tom Nook, who was starting to feel bad for Layton right now.
"Master Hand..." Isabelle scolded the giant hand; the shih tzu never would've imagined that Master Hand would even do Layton like that.
"What do you mean, 'Master Hand'?" Master Hand snapped, sounding pretty distressed and enraged beyond belief. "That's not even my handwriting, I can barely write for crying out loud! I'll be right back..." Master Hand would disappear...
...and appear in the gaming room, commanding attention from everyone present. All the commotion in the gaming room came to a screeching halt, once Master Hand made his appearing.
"Hey! What the heck is going on here?!" Master Hand shouted at everyone, looking for the culprit. "Who thought it would be hysterical to give Layton a rock for his going-away gift?! The audacity..."
"It was your idea," said Pit, the person who was perhaps responsible for wrapping Layton's gift. Master Hand grunted.
"No it was not. Don't accuse me like that, Pit."
"You made me wrap it!" Not wanting to deal with Pit, Master Hand grunted once more as he vanished away. Pit looked around, and saw people staring at him. "Personally, I thought it was over the line."
Pit: Whoops, I made a big mistake...the gift I wrapped up was meant for Katrielle. I wrote her last name on the name tag, but forgot to put down her first name, hence the mix-up. I dun goofed up.
"Okay, you know what that is?" Master Hand said to Layton, after returning to his room. "You know what that is? That is... a psyche. Psyche. So, that is not my real gift to Layton."
"So what is your real gift?" inquired Luke, as Master Hand struggled to come up with a suitable response.
"My gift is forthcoming, Luke. My gift to Professor Layton, is..."
"Is it your watch?" guessed Isabelle, right before Master Hand could finish.
"Yes, I am going to give him my watch. That was it. How did you know that?"
"Because you never even use your watch to begin with, Master Hand. You know it's not the right size!"
"What can I say? That watch is just like my Lamborghini outside - I just use it to flex on my haters."
"Master Hand has 'haters'?" pondered E. Gadd as Isabelle went to Master Hand's dresser, opened up one of the drawers, and took out an Apple watch. Isabelle then hurried back to the desk, handing Layton the Apple watch.
"Thank you for the gift," thanked Layton, accepting the watch from Isabelle and putting it on his left wrist. "I should set it to London time."
"That's good," said Tom Nook, as Sonic quietly walked out of the room.
With E. Gadd gone, Katrielle was left alone to scour the first floor of the mansion by herself. The young detective passed by a bathroom, when she heard someone seemingly whimpering from within said bathroom.
"Are you okay in there?" Katrielle asked whoever was in the bathroom, as she knocked on the bathroom door.
"I'm just sad about my friend," replied Sonic, the person who was in the bathroom. His voice was strained.
"It's okay, I'm sure you'll get over it soon."
"Just, I'm fine. I'm holding it together."
"Do you need a hug, to ease your sorrows away?"
As if it were magic, Sonic suddenly stopped whimpering as he opened the bathroom door. He saw Katrielle, who was smiling at him before extending out her arms for a hug.
"Bring it on in..." Katrielle said to Sonic, who fell into the young detective's arms and hugged her. "...you can let yourself be upset. I know how it feels, to lose a friend. But in the end, you'll be fine."
Sonic: I know I've only known her for like a moment, but man...Katrielle is sweet and simple, like a lady baker. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that she had worked in a bakery before being some kind of detective. She has that kind of warmth. I'm pretty sure she's baked on a professional level.
Layton and Luke's going away party was all ready to go, as many carnival attractions were set up at the front of the mansion. Those attractions being a dunk tank, a small merry-go-round, a bounce house, and even a Ferris wheel. Many residents were showing up already, including the Crash clan.
"Oh cool, a bouncy house!" squealed Coco, as she and Crash excitedly ran to the bouncy house. Crunch remained, not wishing to indulge in his inner childhood.
"Crash, Coco, take off your shoes first!" the burly bandicoot called out to his young siblings. Mario walked by, checking out the scene, before running into Rosalina.
"No anti-gravity machine, huh?" the plumber asked Rosalina, seeing no anti-gravity machines in sight. How will Mario ease the "negativity of departure" now?
"Sorry, Mario, I don't think they're real," apologized Rosalina, watching as Crash and Coco were bouncing around in the bounce house. Because the bounce house belonged to Toon Link, he and Young Link had to keep watch of Crash and Coco's behavior.
"Gotta admit, Ferris wheel's pretty cool-a though."
Also showing up outside were the two Hylian lovebirds, Link and Zelda. Both were startled by how nice everything looked.
"Wow, things are really...popping out here," remarked Zelda, surprising herself by using some lingo.
"Yeah, who would have thought?" asked Link, as Zelda looked around and saw members of the Yiga Clan, setting up fireworks in secret. Zelda smiled.
Zelda: Is Link actually going to propose tonight? He is, isn't he? No, he's not...is he?
Layton: Why are Luke and I flying back to Britain today, you ask? We both believed that today would be the perfect time to head back home. Luke and I have greatly overstayed our welcome, but I truly believe that it was the best overstayed welcome ever spent.
Meanwhile, at the driveway, Pit was waiting around near some red car - and no, it wasn't Jacky's. It was some snazzy, eccentric-looking car - one that the Luminary was trying to unlock.
"You got it?" Pit asked the Luminary, who was trying to unlock the car with his sword by prying the car door open.
"Almost there..." replied the Luminary, putting some oomph into it before opening the door completely. "...got it!"
"Okay, here we go. Here we go." Pit looked over and whistled to someone; Incineroar came over with a cage, with a Zigzagoon inside. "Quick, Incineroar, put it in!"
"Um, what are you boys doing?" someone questioned, right after Incineroar placed the Zigzagoon in the car. Pit and company looked over, and saw E. Gadd standing with Katrielle. "That's my car."
"We can explain..." Pit looked to Incineroar to back him up, but Incineroar would ditch Pit and run away. "...Incineroar!"
"What on earth is going on here?!"
"N-Nothing that you need to know the details of."
"There is a Zigzagoon in my car, Pit!"
"N-No there's not. You're just seeing things."
"Why did you do that?"
"It was playful hazing. I originally thought this was Katrielle's car."
"NO!" boomed Master Hand, as he appeared in the driveway to scold Pit. "There is no such thing as playful hazing. Pit, I want you to look at Katrielle right now, and maybe if you look at her deeply enough, you will see what everyone else sees in her. Katrielle being here is the best thing that has happened to us since World War II. She is truly the best. Now, take care of that Zigzagoon."
"It's a Pokemon, it's not rabid."
"Thanks for bringing that up," said the Luminary, as he proceeded to take the cage out of E. Gadd's car.
Master Hand: At first, I thought that Katrielle would be like any other person from the future - trying to start some trouble in the present time, just to screw everyone over. But over the course of the day, I've learned that Katrielle is anything but. I was wrong for wanting Pit to haze her.
Kirby: Totally vetoed Pit's hazing idea, and let the Luminary go in my place. It's about time I let the others know the kinds of shenanigans I have to put up with, on the daily.
"I'm really sorry, that Pit was trying to haze you," Master Hand apologized to Katrielle, saving face as the Luminary took the cage out of E. Gadd's car and returned the Zigzagoon to the mansion.
"Thank you so much for saying that about me," Katrielle thanked the giant hand, as she placed her hand on his. If only she had idea whom she was dealing with. "Really made me feel welcome here."
"No problemo..." Usually Master Hand would put someone on blast for touching him without permission, but since Katrielle was a special guest, she was an exception.
Fast forward an hour later, and the going-away party was now in full swing. Mario was now standing on a stage with Layton and Luke, and Sonic who was still feeling some type of way about today's events.
"Alright! Let's hear it for K.K. Slider and his one-a man band," Mario said to the crowd, speaking into a microphone. K.K. Slider, who was standing behind his keyboard, waved his hand to the crowd and was greeted by cheers and applause. "Let's also give a shout-a out to Rosalina for this awesome party, huh?"
"Yay, Rosalina!" cheered Researcher Zelda, as everyone cheered and applauded once more.
"Probably one of the best-a ones that we've ever had,.But the real-a reason that we are here, is to say good-a bye to two British guys who we will probably won't-a see for a foreseeable future. Professor Herschel Layton, and Luke Triton."
Cheers and applause sounded once more, as Layton and Luke waved to the crowd. Then the unthinkable happened...Layton stood up, out of his wheelchair! The detective was standing proud, his leg no longer bothering him, as he continued to wave. Sonic was shook, as he clutched his pearls.
"I didn't expect us to receive this much fanfare," Luke said to Layton, as Sonic marched over to Mario and snatched the microphone away.
"Woah woah woah, that's enough, that's enough," the hedgehog said into the microphone, as the cheers and applause died down. Sonic looked at Latyon, looking and feeling hurt. "Layton, you never told me that your leg was healed!"
"Oh yes, the numbing went away finally," stated Layton, who understood how miffed Sonic was feeling right now. "Went away on Sunday, actually."
"But I can't be the only one who didn't know about this, right?" Sonic, exasperated, looked to the crowd. "Did any of you guys know?"
"Everyone knew about Layton's leg feeling better except you, Sonic," stated Yukari, as Sonic acted like a bullet was shot through his heart. "And we also knew that Latyon and Luke were leaving today. Layton and Luke never told you about it..."
"Layton just let you push him around on his wheelchair, to make it seem like he was still injured," added Male Wii Fit, as Sonic was about ready to fall on his knees. "That was his master plan."
"Seriously?" frowned Sonic, as he redirected his attention to Layton. "Why would you do that, Layton, why leave me hanging?! Why not tell me about your leg, and you leaving Seattle?!"
"Well, I figured that since you were being such a jerk to me during my stay at the mansion..." started Layton, who couldn't help but smile. "...I thought I might return the favor, and be a jerk to you. Had to be a little subtle about it."
Originally angry with Layton, Sonic slowly began to smile when he learned what Layton was trying to do - give the hedgehog a taste of his own medicine. And Sonic seemed to be in approval, as he smiled and nodded his head.
"Ah, okay, I see what you did there," Sonic said to Layton, wanting to give the British detective a slow clap. "In that case, how about I return the favor right back at ya, and be a jerk to you? One last time, just for the memories."
"I wouldn't mind at all," replied Layton, giving Sonic a thumbs up for confirmation. Sonic smiled, before he faced the crowd to address them.
"Now, I'm not sure many of you know, but I'm an accomplished songwriter."
"Song parody writer," stated Tails, pointing with his index finger up high so he could be recognized.
"Shut up, Tails...anyways, I am going to be singing something I wrote specifically for Layton. A song I've written months ago, and been feigning to sing. K.K. Slider, do you know 'Goodbye Stranger'?"
"You know it!" replied K.K. Slider, as he pressed a button on his keyboard. The instrumental from "Goodbye Stranger" began to play, as Sonic was ready to sing:
It was early morning yesterday
I was up before the dawn
And I really have enjoyed my stay
Layton and Luke must be movin' on
Zelda: I'm going to miss Layton. He has a nice, calming presence in the mansion. Gonna miss Luke, too.
Captain Falcon: *singing* Goodbye Layton, it's been nice. Hope you find your paradise...
Eleonora: Don't tell him I said this, but I always thought Luke was kinda cute.
Come tomorrow, feel no pain!
Feel no pain! Layton! Luke!
Layton! Layton's goin' away!
See ya! He's outta here!
See ya! He's outta here!
Ohh! Goodbye Layton!
Goodbye Layton!
Goodbye Layton!
Goodbye Laaaaytoooon!
Moments after Sonic sang his song, the hedgehog was walking with Layton and Luke while the party was still going on. Sonic was taking the British detectives to the back of the mansion, for reasons unknown.
"Not bad singing out there," Layton commended Sonic, who surely has received many critical remarks about his singing abilities.
"Thanks, I take what I can get," responded Sonic, "not bad" might probably be the best comment about his singing Sonic has ever received.
"We would love to hear one of your parody songs, one day," said Luke, who was astonished to learn that Sonic was a supposed songwriter.
"Oh, okay. But just so you know, as a warning, most of my parody songs are very..."
Sonic would stop in place, Layton and Luke as well, as they saw two individuals hanging around in the backyard. One of them was Professor E. Gadd, who was just cleaning his glasses. And the other was Katrielle...Katrielle Layton.
"Is that...her?" uttered Layton as he looked at Katrielle, at a loss for words. Katrielle was also at a loss for words, as she began to tear up. "Katrielle?"
"...daddy?" said Katrielle, as she stepped forward to get a better look at her father.
"You've grown a lot, Kat."
"You..recognize me?"
"Of course I can. There isn't a parent in the world...who wouldn't recognize their daughter just because she grew up."
"Dad!" Katrielle started running towards Layton.
"Kat!" Likewise, Layton started running, towards his daughter.
"There are so many things I wanted to talk with you about...I've had a lot of lonely times, but...I've had a lot of happy times, too!"
"Kat...there's no need to rush, Kat. We've got plenty of time now; I'll listen to your stories all day."
"Dad!" Soon enough, Katrielle and Layton met each other, embracing one another in a heartfelt hug. Both were sobbing, as Sonic was starting to look teary-eyed.
"Stupid invisible onions..." complained Sonic, as he wiped his eyes erase any signs of vulnerability.
"Dad...you're finally here...I missed you!" Katrielle said to Layton; although she was seeing a past version of Layton, seeing him regardless was enough for her. "You're my one and only dad."
"Yes. Of course, Kat. I'll always be with you, forever. I promise."
"Really?!" Katrielle broke away from Layton, looking at her dad with a surprised face.
"I will. I won't lie. After all, that's not what a gentleman does.
"Dad!" Katrielle went back to hugging Layton, continuing the heartfelt moment. Professor E. Gadd came over, with a smile on his face.
"Professor Herschel Layton, how are ya?" the inventor said to the detective, as Layton ended his hug with Katrielle. "E. Gadd's the name!"
"Ah, Professor Elvin Gadd," Layton said to the inventor, as he adjusted his hat. "You must be the one who brought my daughter from the future here to our present time."
"Yes sir, that's me! Though I will say, I had brought your daughter here purely by accident."
"Whatever do you mean by that, Professor?" E. Gadd, fumbling around in the pocket of his lab coat, pulled out a ray gun - the one that Ema Skye formerly worked on, up to episode 77.
"You see, I was trying to work on my time machine in my lab, until that blasted Ema Skye stole some parts from it to craft this here ray gun. Apparently she used it to send out some baddies into this city."
"Oh yeah, I remember that - it was during the Heartless invasion!" Sonic blurted out, hearing what E. Gadd had said. "Sent out some Unversed!"
"Thanks for the info, Sonic...continuing on, I needed the ray gun so I could regain the parts needed for my time machine. Because I was a little adverse about doing it myself, I had asked Peppy Hare and Slippy Toad to retrieve the ray gun themselves.
"That Slippy was so annoying," remarked Katrielle - you know you're a pest when Katrielle of all people called you annoying.
"Yes, that much cannot be understated. But, Slippy and Peppy retrieved the ray gun from Miss Skye, before she revoked her mansion residency, and brought it to my lab safe and sound. With my machine parts back, I went back to working on my time machine for months, and eureka! It was completed."
"Then what happened?" inquired Layton, wanting to know how Katrielle ended up in the present time.
"I had invited Peppy and Slippy back to my lab, partly because they wanted to see me use the time machine. I typed in the initials 'KL' into the machine, to retrieve someone from the past. But thanks to an accidental input, I had accidentally made the time machine retrieve someone from the future...and viola, that's how your daughter Katrielle showed up. KL, Katrielle Layton...you get the point. Since the time machine malfunctioned and broke down after Katrielle's arrival, I let Katrielle stay with me in the lab this whole time until my machine was fixed."
"Slippy wouldn't stop complimenting on my looks, when he first saw me..." stated Katrielle, as she shuddered even thinking about Slippy. Good thing she hadn't seen the frog all day. Peppy would've been a more welcome sight.
"Who from the past were you trying to get, with the initials 'KL'?" Layton asked E. Gadd, who sighed deeply. Like he was too humiliated to admit who it was.
"...Karl Lagerfield," replied E. Gadd, looking down at the ground. "I just wanted Karl Lagerfield in his prime, to give me some fashion tips."
E. Gadd: All my friends enjoy picking on me for my fashion sense, or the lack thereof. Oh how I wanted to shut them up for good...
Layton: I had told Luke and several others that I wanted to see Katrielle from the future, before I head back home to Britain. And thanks to E. Gadd, I got my wish. *smiles*
"It's quite fascinating - I had lost the love of my life, Claire, because of a time machine," remarked Layton; this was news to Sonic's ears. "And I've connected with my daughter's future self...because of a time machine."
"Oh snap, so you DID have a girlfriend!" exclaimed an astonished Sonic, trying not to throw any unwanted shade at Layton. "Wait, so who was Claire?"
"Yes, dad, who exactly was Claire?" Katrielle asked Layton, who smiled as he tipped his hat.
"Well then...it looks like I have some stories to tell myself!" replied Layton.
Despite Layton and Luke not being there, the going-away party was still going on, and was still poppin'. K.K. Slider was playing soft music, with accompaniment from Barbara the Bat, as fireworks were fired into the sky.
"Oh look, they're starting," Zelda said to Link as she pointed up at the fireworks display. Link took the fireworks as a cue.
"It's about that time..." the Hylian said to himself, ready to make his move. It was time for him to propose to Zelda...
"Can I have everyone's attention please?" Cortex spoke into the microphone while onstage, as the soft music came to a stop. Link's perfect moment was being ruined, by Cortex of all people. "I was waiting for the right time to do this, and I can't think of a better time than right now, with the music playing, and all our friends around, and fireworks going off...Tiki, will you please join me onstage?"
"No thanks, I'm good," replied Tiki, who was hanging out with Marth and Caeda. The Altean couple looked on, cautious about Cortex's move.
"Okay, then I will come to you, my flower." Cortex would come over to Tiki, dragging the microphone cord along the way. The cord knocked over K.K. Slider's keyboard and loudspeaker.
"Dang it, Dr. Cortex!" K.K. Slider frowned at Cortex, who was now standing in Tiki's presence.
"Tiki, will you do me the honor...of going on a date with me?" Cortex asked the Manakete, as Marth and Caeda looked like they were gonna puke. Cortex took out a rose, and showed it to Tiki.
"...okay," replied Tiki as she eyed around, wondering why Cortex was asking her out on a date at such an occasion like tonight.
"Into the mic, my love..."
"...I said okay," Tiki said into the microphone.
"She said yes!" Cortex said to the crowd, only to be greeted by light applause. "And the crowd goes wild! Woo!" Barbara began playing a happy tune from her guitar, as Link exhaled sharply.
Cortex: I've been carrying that rose around in my pocket for a while now. Because you don't know when you're gonna meet the right girl and the moment's gonna be right. And tonight, with the fireworks, and the music, and everything...it was right.
Uka: Would've been a more meaningful moment if, you know, proposed to the woman. Asking someone out on a date isn't that big of a deal when fireworks are involved.
Cortex: Eh, you might be right...now if you excuse me, I must take care of this itch on the side of my thigh... *walks away* ...why did that rose have to be so thorny...
Link: Dang it, I forgot to get a wedding ring for the proposal...my proposal was screwed from the very beginning.
Dismayed about not even having a wedding ring, Link walked around by himself frowning with his hands on his hips. His time alone would be interrupted, when a certain mad scientist ran up to him.
"Link!" Cortex shouted the Hylian's name, running up to him and hugging him from behind. "I'm going on a date! An actual date!"
"I know, that's awesome, man, that's great," Link congratulated Cortex, trying to hide how salty and distraught he felt.
"Mr. Neo Periwinkle Cortex...one day, that's gonna have a nice ring to it. Just gotta legally change that middle name..."
With Link temporarily gone, Zelda was left alone by herself. She would soon receive company, when Layton and Luke returned to the party with Sonic and Katrielle. Seeing Layton with his daughter warmed Zelda's heart up a bit.
"Princess Zelda, I just realized that we don't have a picture of the two of us," Layton said to the princess, his arm wrapped about Katrielle. "Mind taking a few?"
"Yes, but we'll need a camera first," replied Zelda, before turning around and spotting Yuri walking back. "Yuri, do you have a camera?" Zelda asked the woman.
"Uh, yes, got one right here," replied Yuri, taking out a digital camera and coming over to Zelda "You want to take some pictures?"
"With Layton and the others, yes." Zelda got up and went over to Layton and company, ready for some picture-taking.
"Okay. One two three..." Yuri took the picture, and then looked at the result. "Oh, let's do it again. Zelda, your smile is weird."
"Since you have a digital camera, just take as many as you want," Layton told Yuri, giving the woman the cue to take as many pictures as she liked.
Meanwhile, Krystal was seated by herself, having to enjoy the party by herself. Her fiance Fox was busy handling some business. But it seemed like Fox was finished, as he showed up at the party.
"Hi there," Krystal greeted her fiance, her face lighting up in an instant.
"Sup," Fox waved to Krystal, feeling bored. The business he did must've taken the fight outta him.
"So you missed something really big."
"Yeah, and what was that?"
"Cortex asked one of the assist characters out on a date."
"He seriously asked Tiki out on a date...?"
"It was completely out of the blue, but...Tiki said okay."
"Heh, I imagined that Cortex would have had better luck asking a blow-up doll out on a date."
"So...you know, somehow after all those ribs, I'm still really hungry. I don't know, I was thinking of maybe going somewhere, getting some dessert, or..."
"Oh, um, well, you know what? We should go to the Square Knot Diner. Ask King Dedede about that. Practically lives there."
"Having dinner at the Square Knot Diner, eh?" asked Layton, showing up along with Luke, Katrielle, and Sonic after taking photos with Zelda. "Mind if we come?"
"I want to come to the diner, too!" shouted Wario, as he ran over to Fox and Krystal. Wherever Katrielle was, Wario wanted to be there.
"Oh that would be great," replied Krystal, her eye twitching. Having dinner with Wario? Bleh...
"Yeah, we can go eat pie."
"I sure do love pie..."
Katrielle: Yeah, it was a good day. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Seeing Dad was undoubtedly the highlight of my day. *looks over* Looks like Wario needs some trouble putting on his seat belt!
Fox: Boy did I dodge a bullet, not having Wario ride with me in my Arwing...which is meant for me and Krystal only. Your loss, Sonic.
Once Layton and company had dinner at the Square Knot Diner, it was time for Professor Herschel Layton and Luke Triton to return to Britain. Layton and Luke were at the airport with their belongings, with Master Hand, Mario, Sonic, Katrielle, and E. Gadd - all of whom were there to see the duo off.
"Well this is it," Master Hand said to Layton and Luke. "We are here to see you off."
"Thank you as always for the opportunity, Master Hand," Layton thanked the giant hand, tipping his hat to him, before looking at Mario and Sonic. "And thank you, Mario and Sonic, for being great company."
"Like-a wise, my friend," replied Mario, giving Layton and Luke a thumbs up.
"Lemme know if you ever find another girlfriend!" Sonic said to Layton, certain that the detective could find another Claire in his life.
"What about me, Sonic?" Luke asked the hedgehog, whose lips were pursed.
"...just don't go falling head over heels for Layton's daughter, and you'll be fine."
"I mean there's a big age gap between the both of us, but...yeah, sure, thanks for the advice, Sonic."
"And thank you, Professor E. Gadd, for bringing my daughter to me," Layton thanked the inventor, who smiled with his only-one-tooth self.
"You are most welcome!" replied E. Gadd; soon Katrielle ran up to Layton, embracing her dad in a hug one more time.
"I love you daddy..." Katrielle said to Layton; Mario couldn't help but grin to himself.
"I love you too, Kat..." Layton said to his daughter, before ending the hug. Katrielle, smiling, would pat Luke on his shoulder.
"Take good care of my father, okay?" Katrielle said to Luke, like the apprentice was Layton's keeper or something.
"You got it!" Luke assured Katrielle, who nodded as she returned to Master Hand and the others.
"I think we should be going now," said Layton, as he looked at his new Apple watch. "Our plane should be leaving at any minute!"
"Got the tickets?" Luke asked Layton, who dug into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out the two tickets from the previous episode - plane tickets.
"Like I would ever lose these..." Layton would wink at Luke, before directing his attention to Master Hand and the others. "...goodbye, everyone! See you all again soon!"
Everyone was telling their goodbyes to Layton and Luke, waving to the detectives. Layton and Luke would wave in return, as they headed to the airport, and would keep waving until they were inside said airport. Layton and Luke were now home bound.
"And that takes care of that..." remarked E. Gadd, before clapping his hands together excitedly as he looked at Katrielle. "...so! Miss Layton, are you ready to head back to your own time? My time machine should be up and running again, after all the fixes I've made."
"Considering how late it is, I think so," replied Katrielle, as a giddy E. Gadd pumped his fist enthusiastically. How very...unnatural of him.
"Alright then! Time for me to get my Emmett Brown on! Woo!" E. Gadd walked away, with Katrielle following after him. The inventor turned around and waved to Master Hand and company. "Good night!"
"Good night, professor..." responded Master Hand, as Mario and Sonic waved to E. Gadd and Katrielle. "...man, what a nutcase he is."
"Poor Katrielle, having to live with an old coot like that in his lab..." remarked sonic, shaking his head in sympathy for Katrielle. "...could you imagine putting up with him for months?"
"You had to put up with-a Layton and Luke for two years," muttered Mario, as Sonic glared at the plumber...only for the glare to fade away, as the hedgehog shrugged.
"Eh, turns out that Layton and Luke weren't so bad after all. They were pretty nice dudes."
Oh, what a difference two years could make.