Author's Note:
A little heads-up before we begin...I'll be heading down to Florida next weekend, so the next chapter of Smash Life will be published much earlier than usual. Want to have some rest and relaxation before making the trip down to Florida. The new chapter might be published after midnight, on Thursday, so be on the lookout. Also, I won't be answering any PMs or even log into my Fanfiction account while I'm in Florida, so another heads-up for ya. On to the reviews:
"Can you include the rest of the Dot Hack GU characters? A scene with Corrin interacting with Kratos from Tales of Symphonia? (Cam Clarke voices them) a Detective Pikachu chapter? Has anyone called out Celica for trusting Jedah? Is Katt's appearance from Star Fox 64 or Star Fox Command? And finally, will you include any of the King of Fighters charcters in your story?"
Probably. Maybe. A Detective Pikachu chapter has been in the books. I don't think I'll have anyone call out Celica. Katt's appearance is based off of Command. And I don't much about King of Fighters, so I don't know about including characters from that franchise. Here's Derick Lindsey, with the other review of the day:
"I don't remember if Revali interacted with Link when he first showed up but if Revali does show up again can you do it where Revali keeps trying to get Link's attention while Link just flat out ignores him not even acknowledging his existence because he's busy focusing on something else."
I highly doubt Revali will appear again in this story (barring a holiday-themed chapter that is chock full of callbacks and whatnot), but if he does, then I'll go forth with this idea. Revali is my favorite Champion...my second-most favorite, at least least. My most favorite Champion is in this chapter...
Episode 120: PoolParty
Having lost whatever interest he had in the Pikachu Cheesesteaks, which were introduced in episode 111, Master Hand sought to look for the next great thing - the next food trend that would keep Pikachu Day ongoing and spread some awareness about the day. That was when Pit introduced Master Hand to his culinary creation...the Pikachu Sushi Rolls.
These sushi rolls were just like any other sushi roll - the only difference was that they had a yellow fish skin that perfectly matched Pikachu's skin. Master Hand was absolutely floored upon seeing the sushi rolls for the first time - so much, that he asked Pit and Kirby to sell them to the folks around town, hence the food truck in the previous episode.
So far, the sales of the Pikachu Sushi Rolls have been great, though the same couldn't be said about the overall reception. Moments before Cloud accrued food poisoning in the previous episode, several of the customers felt sick after consuming one of Pit's fine treats, due to the presence of the salmonella Pit neglected to clean off. These customers complained to Master Hand and demanded that they get their money back. Master Hand was never the one to give people their money back, so it was safe to say that those who voiced their complaints were already out of luck.
The more Master Hand neglected the claims of those who were sick from the sushi rolls, the more and more complaints he accrued, enough to the point where some folks filed their complaints, willing to go to court with Master hand to get their money back. Ayaha would go over the legal issues Master Hand was going through in his room, holding a bunch of legal documents.
"...and this person from Spokane, Washington, said that the sushi rolls not only made him sick, but it also got him kicked out of his family's house," Ayaha said to Master Hand, reading off one of the filed complaints. Master Hand had little to no regard of this person at all. "Sounds like a major personal problem, but it was still something worth mentioning. I think you should really address this situation before it becomes out of hand..."
"Why must that guy sue me, it's not like I was the one selling sushi rolls at some food truck on the street!" complained Master Hand, looking outside his window and seeing Pit and company, selling sushi rolls at their food truck. Said sushi rolls were no longer carrying the salmonella bacteria. "If anything, he should sue Pit - those sushi rolls were idea, not mine!"
Link: Yes, my master plan is already in motion even before I had to take action...people are suddenly realizing how pathetic the sushi rolls are, and are suing the heck out of Master Hand! I wish they would sue Pit as well, but he'll get this due soon. No matter, once the whole legal stuff comes to a glorious end, Pikachu Cheesesteaks will be back on the market, baby!
"I think they're suing you because you approved of Pit's sushi rolls, which means you carry most of the blame," explained Ayaha; Master Hand believed that he was the most blameless individual in the entire universe, so he refused to believe Ayaha by any means. "Nobody would ever dare to sue an innocent kid like Pit, so they're coming after you because you're all powerful and stuff."
"So what you're saying is, people don't wanna sue Pit...because he's a 'kid'?" questioned Master Hand, in complete astonishment. The giant hand would laugh heartily afterwards. "What, are they scared of suing Pit or something? Or are they giving him special privileges that no adult would ever have? I'm getting sick and tired of all these cowards, giving little children special privileges, just like the judges on those talent shows! Too afraid to tell child acts how crappy their acts are, because they're too afraid to hurt their itty bitty feelings...how else are they supposed to prepare them for the real world?!"
"You might want to cool off a bit Master Hand, before this whole things goes to your head..." Someone knocked on Master Hand's bedroom door, cutting off Ayaha. "Come on in!" Sonic would enter Master Hand's room, and he looked like he was on a mission.
"Sorry to disturb you, Master Hand and Miss Oribe, but I have some important details I must tell you," explained Sonic, stressing the sheer importance of these so-called details. "Caught Coco doing some suspicious things again...I saw her on her laptop, doing some online shopping! She's possibly buying horrible items that could be used to kill Alm..."
"Oh boy, not this stupid crap again..." sighed Master Hand, knowing what Sonic was rambling on about. "Sonic, for the last time, Coco (and Aku) have literally no business with killing Alm. Even if they did, I wouldn't allow it, as I've already told Berkut before that he isn't allowed to lay even the slightest finger on Alm, or he and Rinea will be booted from the mansion. Also, what possibly makes you think Coco would be interested in killing Alm?"
"It's actually pretty simple, really, when you think about it...Berkut needs a smart guy for his assassination pact, to keep all the personalities and egos together, and that's where Coco comes in. Every evil group needs a different personality to keep everything together and promote a sense of unity, and Berkut's group is no different. You got Berkut as the leader, Dark Pit as the second-in-command, Fox and Falco as the lancers, Balthier as the..."
"Don't you think that Berkut's 'assassination pact' would need...a big guy?" Ayaha asked Sonic, who was stumped real quick. "Look, Sonic, Coco has no business in killing Alm, and the same can be said for just about anyone else you believe is working with Berkut. Just let it go, will ya?" Sonic wouldn't, as he shook his head in disdain.
"You don't get it...you just don't get it, do you? There are traitors, walking among us, and you believe in what you perceive as the truth. But go ahead, keep believing in your own truths...eventually you'll learn that they're nothing but lies, fabricated by your own delusions. One day, you'll open your eyes to the real truth."
Ayaha and Master hand just looked at one another in confusion, as Sonic left the room. The hedgehog wouldn't get that far when he saw Fox and Falco, speaking with one another privately.
"I dunno, Falco, accepting this gift might be risky, it might break both of our reputations," Fox said to his best friend, as Sonic crept closer so he could listen closely to the conversation. "It might even break the reputation of Star Records!"
"You're acting like Star Records had a reputation to begin with..." replied Falco, as Sonic crept even closer - but not too close to the point where Fox and Falco would notice him. "We'll be just fine - it'll be beneficial for us in the long run."
"Yeah, I sure hope so. But I still have my lingering doubts. Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Falco placed his hands on Fox's shoulders, in an assuring manner.
"Don't get it twisted, we are doing the right thing. It's the only chance we got. Just gotta wait and see how it all plays out..." Having heard enough, Sonic walked away, now even more suspicious of Fox and Falco than before.
Meta Knight: Despite last week's salmonella scare, business at the food truck is still ongoing, despite the decreasing sales. Sucks for me, as I still have to wear this stupid cooking apron and working in the food truck day in and day out. *looks down at his cooking apron* "World's Best Chef"...what a lie that is.
Compared to the crowd in last week's episode, the crowd at the food truck this time around was very sparse, with only but a few people buying the Pikachu Sushi Rolls. Even though the salmonella was gone, the suspicions about the sushi rolls weren't.
"I don't mean to overreact or anything, but I think that we honestly peaked last Friday," Pit would tell his co-workers Viridi, Pit, and Meta Knight, in response to the few crowds coming to the food truck today. "A mascot would help us out in the long run. Having some guy dress up as a Pikachu Sushi Roll and promote our food truck would do wonders. We could pay him fifteen bucks an hour - twenty-five if he's super desperate."
"We wouldn't have peaked if someone cleaned the fish off..." remarked Viridi, her arms folded, as she glared at Meta Knight. The Star Warrior was just minding his business when he saw Viridi glaring right at him.
"Oh, it's MY fault some stupid angel neglected to properly prepare the fish?!" retorted Meta Knight, throwing some obvious shade at Pit. "I just put the sushi rolls together, that's all I do! Also, why do I have to be the fall guy for, I'm Hispanic!"
"Hmph. Debatable. But just because you're 'Hispanic' doesn't mean that you're safe from..." Viridi stopped, when she saw a guy with blonde Jimmy Neutron hair come to the food truck. "...look alive people, we have another customer!"
The customer was none other than Lucas, who approached the food truck with nothing in his hand. Perhaps the PSI whiz had his money in his pocket. We know everyone else does.
"Well if it isn't my favorite PSI teenager!" exclaimed Viridi; Ness must be feeling pretty salty now. More importantly, did Viridi just say something positive about a human, let alone Lucas?! Must be trying to get on Lucas' good side, making him more inclined to not leave the food truck. Veteran business move right there. "You want a Pikachu sushi Roll? Good timing, because we have a new batch ready and prepared for adoring customers like you!"
"Actually, I was wondering if any of you guys have seen by dog, Boney," stated Lucas, who was holding a ball in his hand - the very ball he used to play catch with his pet dog. "We were playing catch in the backyard outside, and I thew this ball as far as I could, as Boney chased after it. Waited a good while, and Boney never came back...found the ball lying on the ground, exactly where I threw it at."
"I would invest in a Silph Scope if I were you, your dog could've turned into an invisible ghost and could be waiting to devour your soul," Pit had this to say, garnerning a strange look from Viridi. The angel would shut his mouth in an instant.
"I'm sorry Lucas, but we haven't seen your dog anywhere. I would go look for it, but I have to run this food truck - can't trust Pit and Kirby to run the truck themselves. Also, with Meta Knight around, someone's gotta be there to keep his spirits high, and Pit and Kirby are only doing the bare minimum in that regard."
"Okay then, I completely understand..." replied Lucas, holding his head down in sadness as he walked away. Viridi placed her hand on her heart, feeling Lucas' heartache and pain. "I'll just...wait on the porch and wait for Boney to return...if he's even out there, alive..."
"You should invest in a Silph Scope while you're at it!" Pit called out to Lucas, before shutting his trap yet again when Viridi looked at him.
Pit's food truck business was seemingly on a downfall, and nobody at the mansion was happier than Link. The Hylian saw this downfall as a good thing, and was waiting patiently for the moment the food truck would be put out of business, forever.
But for now, Link had more important objectives to do other wishing ill will towards a food truck operated outside the mansion. One of his objectives involved carrying a giant water canister outside, where Mario waited.
Link: *holding giant water canister* This giant canister of water came to the mansion this week, and after several discussions about what to do with it, Mario opted to use the water as part of a pool that would be in the mansion's backyard. The Carpenters worked on building the pool, and now they're all done - only thing left to do is pour the water inside. Thanks to the Iron Boots I'm wearing, carrying this canister is like holding an empty box, almost...it would suck if someone were to sneak up in me right now.
As fate would have it, someone did sneak up on Link while he was carrying the canister, and it was the person the Hylian most expected - Midna. The imp would fly up to Link, too close to the Hylian for comfort, and flicked the ear lobe of his right ear.
"Gaaah!" screamed Link, nearly losing his balance as he almost dropped the large canister of water to the floor. However, the Hylian would remain standing upright, as he took a deep breath. Poor guy almost had a heart attack. "Midna, was that you?! That wasn't funny..."
"Awww, you know me too well..." smirked Midna, having found Link's sudden shock so amusing. Always put a gleeful smile on her face. But that smile would fade away, eventually. "...where on earth is your green hat?"
"Beats me...it's been missing for as long as I know what. About time you noticed. That must mean you really don't know me that well...so you essentially lied. For shame, Midna, for shame!"
"Ah well, it's not like it's the end of the world...better be glad I just flicked your ear lobe, I could've done much worse. I was this close to kissing you on the cheek, but I couldn't take that risk, given your contagious skin."
"Contagious skin? Me? Wow Midna, you really don't know me that well! I practically take care of my skin every day, 24/7 - such is expected from yours truly, the hero of Hyrule. Every hero requires good looks, good skin, good hygiene, and everything else. Otherwise, they're nothing but a lousy faker. And thanks to the skin lotions I've borrowed from Zelda before rooming with Cloud..."
"There you are, Link - how do these earrings look on me?" Zelda showed up, as she asked her boyfriend. Link became nervous, hoping his girlfriend didn't hear him. "Celica was kind enough to buy me these from the jewelry, and I think they match my dress!"
"Those earrings, uh, look great on you, Zelda - though you look great regardless of what earrings you wear. You're just that special, when it comes to your beauty." Midna took note of how nervous Link was, and wanted to make him miserable by bursting his bubble.
"Princess Zelda, Link had stolen your skin care products before he and Cloud became roommates," the imp told the princess, as Link gave Midna a death glare, gritting his teeth. "He said it, not me."
"You can't say that to Zelda, she's gonna kill me!" Link quietly whispered to Midna...before redirecting his attention to Zelda and seeing the princess frowning, with her arms folded. "Hey, Zelda, how's uh...how is the kingdom of Hyrule coming along, I know you haven't been there in a while, but..." Link slowly backed away, with the water canister in hand, and Zelda drew closer...
Eventually, Zelda slapped Link so hard, that she caused the Hylian to fall down, and drop the large water canister in the process. The canister would fall on top of Link, crushing him and injuring him in the process. As you would believe, Zelda instantly regretted what she did, and helped Link off the floor and escorted him to the fitness center, where he would be treated by Leia.
"Oughta be glad that canister didn't do any more damage, otherwise you would have broken bones all over your body!" Leia told Link, who was resting on the patient bed recuperating from his injuries. The water canister in question was outside the fitness center, since it was too big to be brought in. "The fact that the canister didn't break is a miracle - good thing it's indestructible!"
"Yeah, you can say that again..." remarked Link, before realizing what Leia just said. "Wait, what? The water canister was indestructible this whole time?!" Link overreacted to this news more than he should, as he threw a mini tantrum. Acting like someone stole his wallet of rupees.
"That's what Mario told me, anyways. He said he would tell you, but he didn't think that such information would be that important for you to know. So, it's kinda your loss, in a way..."
Leia: Once the pool outside is all set up, Mario is planning on having a pool party - the first of its kind at the Smash Mansion. I'm not entirely sure if the water is safe for swimming in, or if it has some underlying uses that we don't know of...
Bowser: That bozo Mario wants to use the water for his stupid little swimming pool! He's doing it wrong, all wrong! According to the note attached to the water canister, the water inside is called Sparkle Water, and whomever drinks it is "blessed with good fortune, happiness, and even romance"! (Already had a sip of the Sparkle Water, and so far nothing has happened to me- perhaps I needed to drink a bigger sample size.) For that reason, I cannot afford to have anyone swim in that water by any means! Could you imagine Pit swimming in that water, and peeing in it?! The allure and effects of the Sparkle Water would be ruined forever!
"Wait here and get some rest, while I find you some antibiotics," Leia said to Link, before leaving the Hylian. A mere moment after the nurse left, Cloud would enter the room, wanting to check on his best friend.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Skin Care Thief?" Cloud asked Link, who grumbled and looked the other way. "Look dude, nobody told you to steal any skin care products, let alone those that belong to a chick...you've got some serious problems, my friend."
"It's not called 'serious problems', it's called equality. Anyone a woman can do, a man can do as well...well, certain things anyways. It's just like that old song, 'Anything you can do, I can do better, I can do anything better than...'" Link immediately paused, when he thought over the lyrics. "...I probably shouldn't finish the rest of the song, should I?"
"I dare ya to sing that around a bunch of feminists, they would definitely have a field day with you that's for sure...anyways, how about I do you a little favor and take the water canister outside to Mario? That way, you can heal from your injuries and ponder over how much of a weirdo you truly are."
"Hold on just a second...you're voluntarily offering to do a huge solid for me? Wow Cloud, I don't think you've ever did a favor for me before...maybe you're the one with serious problems. You might be changing for the better! Are you undergoing...character development, Cloud?"
"Okay you can just shut up now..." Cloud headed towards the door, as Link laid back in his bed. "I'm not sure if you knew this yet, but Mario is planning on having a pool party outside, with the newly-installed pool. The water might heal your aching bones, for all I know. But if you wanna show up at this party, it's your chance...you know I won't be there. Your missing hat might be there."
"If Aerith goes to the party, you know she'll force you to come along. You should go anyways - attending this pool party would do leaps and bounds for your character development. Leaps and bounds!"
"Keep that to yourself, buddy..." These were the last words Cloud had to say, as he left Link alone to recuperate.
Cloud carried the water canister outside to the backyard, where Mario, Peach, Shulk, Tsubasa, Coco and plenty of others were waiting outside next to the newly-installed pool. Everyone was wearing their swim gear, with Coco in her bathing suit, and Mario wearing spotted red trunks. Upon stepping outside, Cloud would see Mario wearing his trunks, and was understandably disturbed.
"Man I'm so glad I won't be at this stupid pool party..." Cloud said to himself, as he set the water canister down next to the empty pool. Did his best not to look at Mario, or his nipples, but the sight was too ghastly to look away from.
"About time some-a one brought the water outside," remarked Mario, who was waiting impatiently the whole time as evidence by the tapping of his foot. "What, did Link punk-a out or something?"
"No, Link didn't punk out...he just got slapped by Zelda, and was so overwhelmed by it that it completely destroyed his mojo and willpower, thereby preventing him from taking the water canister to this destination."
"HA! So Link did punk-a out at the last-a minute, just-a as I predicted! Now I will finally have-a something to make fun-a of him about in the next-a few weeks or so. Been a long-a time coming..."
Cloud: Clearly Mario was waiting a long time to finally find the opportunity to pick on Link... *shakes his head* ...thank goodness he's married to Peach, because if not for her, then his life would be terribly sad right now.
"What are you waiting on, Cloud?" Peach asked the swordsman, who was left slightly confused. "Are you going to pour the water into the pool or not?" Cloud was more than content with doing so - provided he wouldn't be forced to partake in the pool party.
"Oh yeah, the water canister, how could I forget," replied Cloud, taking the water canister and pouring its contents into the pool. In a matter of seconds, the pool was all filled up, ready for swimming.
"Alright, party people, the pool is now-a filled, which means our pool-a party can finally begin!" announced Mario, as everyone (well, mostly everyone) cheered. "Everybody hop-a in the pool!" Several residents hopped in the pool, while others opted to sit near it. Mario went over to a boombox and pressed the play button, as some summertime party music began playing. "Wait a minute, where's-a our grill cook? We need a grill-a cook!"
"I'm over here, Mario..." Lucario called out to the plumber, standing a far distance from Mario. The aura Pokemon was wearing the same apron he wore in episode 65, as he stood behind a grill with his girl Lopunny at his side. "I've been standing here for as long as you have."
"COWABUNGA!" screamed Crash, as he jumped off the springboard and cannnballed into the pool. He would make a big splash - pun intended - as he splashed water on those around him, and Lucario and Lopunny as well.
"Honestly I don't like standing here, I feel like my well-being might be threatened...so I'll just move somewhere else." Lucario would take the grill and relocated, with Lopunny following after him. As Lucario moved to his new spot, Mario would be approached by Master Hand, who heard all the music and commotion from inside.
"What is all this happy commotion going on, why do I hear laughter and music and all those horrible things?" Master Hand would question Mario, before seeing the residents swimming in the pool. "Since when did we get a pool?! It's not even summer yet, for crying out loud!"
"Master Hand, you were the one-a who approved of the idea in the first-a place, when we received the water in-a the mail..." stated Mario, as Master Hand watched Tsubasa, Kiria, and Eleonora playing around in the pool. Just seeing those idol singers having fun made Master hand furious, for some reason. "Having a back-a yard pool was at the very top-a of your bucket list of things to add-a to the mansion!"
"I did not approve of having a pool in the backyard! You must've made that suggestion to me when I was half-asleep, and I unconsciously said yes by accident. That wasn't an answer of confirmation - that was a Freudian slip, of contrite proportions. I was just...feeling tired at the moment. You know how taxing being the creator of the Smash universe can be. Also, what is this 'bucket list' that you speak of?"
"Yoo hoo, Mario, over here!" Peach called out to her husband, seated in a beach chair waving to him. Mario would turn his head around, and saw an available beach chair next to his wife. "Reserved a beach chair, just for you!" Although Mario wish he could chat with Master Hand a bit longer, he knew that sitting at a pool with his wife at his side was too big of an opportunity to pass up.
"Sorry Master Hand, but I gotta go - can't-a leave my wife hanging, if ya know-a what I mean," Mario told the giant hand, before winking at him and walking away. Master Hand was left distraught, as he continued to stare at the pool wondering where the heck it came from.
"Trust me pal, this pool party's only just the beginning..." Cloud would say to Master Hand, before retreating back inside the mansion. All the happiness and euphoria taking place outside was too much for the swordsman to soak in. So much for his "character development".
Bowser: Mario has done many, many terrible things to me - beating up my children, throwing me into lava, and worst of all, stealing my destined wife away from my clutches. Not only did that mustached loser steal Peach from me, he also stole the Sparkle Water, the one thing that would make my wildest dreams come true! (If only I had drunk more...) I hope, and sincerely hope, that Mario isn't going to use the water for his stupid little pool, because if he does... *pauses* ...what is that noise going on outside?
Bowser would head outside, and upon arrival, he would see everyone in or near the pool, having fun. The koopa king's mouth was left agape, as he observed the party scene.
"Awesome, dad, you made it to the pool party!" exclaimed Bowser Jr, who was in the pool along with his Koopaling siblings. "Come and dive right on in!...You know, you don't have to do it, that was just a suggestion! Just a suggestion..."
"Y-You are all grounded, every single one of you!" Bowser aggressively pointed at Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings, completely disgusted. This led Bowser Jr. and company to look at one another in bewilderment. "Grounded, I say!"
"Grounded because we didn't invite you to the pool party?" asked Wendy, noticing how extremely agitated her father was. Bowser was deeply seething, and he felt like breaking stuff to display how angry he truly was.
"No, you're grounded because this pool party flat-out SUCKS!" And right on cue, Bowser screamed at the top of his lungs, fire roaring out his mouth, as everyone stopped and focused their attention on Bowser. The koopa king would go on a rampage, grabbing random beach chairs and throwing them aggressively on the ground, before heading over to Lucario and knocking his grill into the pool.
"Eh, I was told to only grill the veggie burgers, so that was probably for the best..." Lucario had this to say about the grill's fate, before Bowser grabbed him and held him up in the air. "NO BOWSER WHAT ARE YOU DOING, PUT ME DOWN PUT ME DOWN!" Bowser would indeed put Lucario down...somewhat, as he tossed the aura Pokemon into the pool.
"My work is not yet finished...I'll be back, and with an even greater vengeance!" Bowser vowed to everyone, as he marched back inside the mansion. Once Bowser was gone, the pool party resumed, with everyone acting like nothing happened before. In fact, nobody seemed to care that the grill was afloat on the pool surface, likely down for the count.
The party folk wouldn't be safe from Bowser for long, when the koopa made his triumphant return...with Robin's tome. As you might've expected, Bowser did not kindly ask Robin to hand over his tome, and so the koopa king was embroiled in a tug-of-war battle with Robin over the spellbook.
"Gimme your magic book you stupid albino!" Bowser said to Robin, pulling the tome closer to him. The tug-of-war battle garnered everyone's attention. "I need your book to draw the water out of the pool!"
"First of all, it's called a tome!" stated Robin, pulling the tome closer to him. "Secondly, I'm NOT albino, don't get it twisted!"
"Well in that case, you're a grandpa who somehow cheated the aging process! Cheaters like you don't deserve this book, which means it's all mine!"
"It's...called...A TOME!" Robin and Bowser both pulled on the tome, causing it to fly up in the air and land in the pool. Robin shrieked as he ran over to the pool, kneeling down at the side, and looking inside through the water surface for his beloved tome. But it was nowhere to be found. "Look at what you've done, Bowser...my tome must be at the bottom of the pool, and it's soaking wet!"
"If you care about that book so much, then go and get it! Or are you as much of a hydrophobe as Sonic is? Always knew you weren't the most exciting guy around..."
"For the last time, it's not a book, it's a..." Robin was driven to tears, as she shed his tears on the ground and banged his fists in frustration. Everyone looked on, feeling bad for Robin, whereas Bowser believed that the mage was having serious issues. "Oh what's the point, my tome is ruined forever, and it's all your fault, Bowser..."
Bowser: What was I going to use Robin's book for? Driving the Sparkle Water out of the pool and back into the canister, of course. I'm sure that Robin had a spell like that in his spellbook, manipulating water and whatnot. If he didn't, then he needs to take his butt back to wizard school!
Robin: Welp, there's no point in retrieving my tome if it's soaking wet...I know all the pages are ruined. Lucina told me to get over it, but you can't easily replace a tome like that, the one I had. There are just some things in life you cannot replace.
"Hey Robin, I'm really sorry for what happened to your book...erm, tome, I really am," apologized Bowser; very hard to decipher if the koopa king's apology was truly heartfelt or not. "I can always buy you another tome, good as new!"
"You can't just 'buy' another tome, you idiot - it's not like you can find one on the street somewhere!" retorted Robin as he got up, angrily shouting at Bowser. "Do you realize how out of hand people would be if they could just buy tomes like they're candy? We'd have violent, senseless riots on the streets for days, even months or years!"
"Wow, someone takes their spellbook seriously...how about this: I'll retrieve your tome from the bottom of the lake, and I'll call my buddy Kamek over so he could use his magic or whatever to restore your tome back to its normal state. A magician helping out another magician - yes, I know it sounded wrong, but hopefully you caught my drift. Deal?"
"Normally I wouldn't trust you to do anything, not without underlying motives...but I feel like I'm left with no other choice. You got yourself a deal, King Bowser." Bowser really wanted the Sparkle Water for himself, but he had to get on Robin's good side first.
While the female idol singers were chilling in the pool, two of their fellow Star Records employees had more important matters to deal with - matters that were important for the future of Star Records, as a whole. Itsuki and Touma were standing outside the mansion with Fox and Falco, expecting something important to arrive soon.
"Touma, if nothing exciting happens, and you just had us standing here for an eternity, then we're booting you out of Star Records," Fox said to the redhead, who was busy checking his watch. "We should've kicked you out anyways when we had the chance...it's not like you ever did anything for us."
"Yes I don't do anything as a Star Records employee, that may be true, but today might be my chance to redeem myself," replied Touma, confident that the gift Fox and Falco discussed earlier in the episode would arrive today. "Today, my action hero career shall continue!"
"Is it necessary for us to wait outside, can't we just chill out in the foyer?" questioned Itsuki, who really wished he could be at that pool party right now. He and Tsubasa would've had a lot to catch up on. "We look like complete dorks!"
"Like you're the one to talk, buddy...I'm fairly confident our little gift...or gifts, rather...will arrive soon. Then and only then will you two..." Touma was referring to both Fox and Falco. "...you two see what I'm serious about."
Touma was serious about being an action star, and as stated in some of the previous episodes, he was a huge fan of the whole tokusatsu genre - you know, Power Rangers and martial arts and the works. At the moment, Sonic was serious about "exposing" Berkut and those working with the paladin, and now the hedgehog was spying on Fox and company from the foyer window, certain that Itsuki and Touma were joining forces with Berkut.
"You know Sonic, it's rude to be spying on others, especially without their consent," Tails would say to his best friend as he walked by, as always miffed by the blue blur's behavior. "And for the record, Fox and Falco have no business with Berkut, as they should."
"So if I spy on someone, but with their 'consent', would it be acceptable then?" retorted Sonic, leaving Tails speechless. Tails wasn't owned or anything - he just knew that firing back at Sonic would lead you on the road to nowhere. "Ha, that's what I thought! Fox and Falco are waiting outside because they're expecting Katt to stop by with weapons. Weapons used to assassinate Alm!"
"You said that when Falco and Balthier went to the park, and instead of 'receiving weapons', Falco just asked Katt Monroe out on a date. Your zany suspicions and conspiracies won't lead you anywhere, so you should just throw in the towel while you can, Sonic."
Tails; Being a roommate of Sonic's, I have to suffer from hearing Sonic's running his mouth every night. It's the same things every time..."Berkut wants the throne of Valentia", "Fox and Falco are turning Star Records against Alm", "Balthier's gonna return on the 4th of July and kill off Alm with an explosion of fireworks", "Coco is building a time machine so she could bring John Wilkes Booth from the dead and have him..." *shakes his head* ...Sonic should go live with the aliens in Area 51 with those conspiracies of his. You know I'd throw him in there in a heartbeat.
"No Tails, I won't quit...I won't quit until I find out if I'm right or wrong," affirmed Sonic, refusing to take his gaze from Fox and company. "Hopefully I'm right in the end, otherwise I'd look like a big fool." Dude was looking like a big fool already. "I'll share anything worth telling with you at the dinner table tonight. Capiche?"
"Tell me all you want but I won't be listening..." remarked Tails, as he walked away and left Sonic be. Sonic was expecting something exciting to happen outside, but the most exciting thing to happen was a squirrel running across the front lawn. Sonic was hoping he wasn't wasting his time...
...then all of a sudden, he heard loud talking from afar. Sonic would walk away from the window, keeping his gaze intact before heading down the hallway. There, he would find X and Zero speaking with Celica.
"This jewelry I got from the store just isn't working out for me, and I need a ride so I can take the jewelry back," Celica would explain to X and Zero, as Sonic listened closely. Just to make sure X and Zero weren't using Celica as a means to get closer to Alm. That was how paranoid Sonic had become. "You boys wouldn't happen to have some form of transportation, do you?"
"Auto did give me that jeep for Christmas...it was meant for Mega Man, but evidently he gifted that vehicle to the wrong robot, if you know what I mean," replied X, who like anyone else accepted the gift with open arms. Anyone who would turn down a jeep, let alone a new car, must be crazy. "I can take you to the jewelry store in there, if you like."
"Oh, that would be wonderful! Thanks a bunch! I would take a ride in Captain Falcon's Blue Falcon, but I've taken a ride in that thing before, and I felt more cramped than ever. Not to mention that Falcon's vehicle smells like testosterone. Does testosterone even have a smell? I don't know, but I did smell a like of men's deodorant...so that could've been it."
"Captain Falcon uses AXE products like everyday, so that could be the reason behind the smell," theorized Zero, having caught Falcon red-handed several times. "If you like me to, I can tag along and be your bodyguard, Celica. A bunch of men might try to approach, and do something inappropriate...and there's where I come in! I'll stab those thirsty losers with my Z-Saber, and I'll do the same to any security guard that even tries to stop me! No mercy!"
"Now now, Zero, you don't have to do that...well, the whole stabbing the security thing, I mean. Everything else is completely fair game." Hearing this conversation, especially the last bit, Sonic would step away as brain juices started flowing, until an idea was developed...
"Ooh I know, I'll be Alm's bodyguard!" exclaimed Sonic as he snapped his fingers. What if Alm turned down Sonic as his bodyguard (which would be bound to happen regardless), what would Sonic do then? "I'll protect him every minute, every second - anyone who dares to infiltrate Alm's space will be served justice! And pain! And even more justice! Speaking of justice..."
Due to the lack of severity of his injuries, Link was out of the fitness center in a snap after Leia gave him some antibiotics. The Hylian had to consume the antibiotics in order to deal with the pain. While the pain was of utmost concern to the Hylian, something else was concerning him as well...his hat. More importantly, the whereabouts of his hat.
"My hat, has anyone seen my hat?" Link called out, as he searched high and low for his green hat. He checked the place where Zelda slapped him, but it wasn't there. "Hello, missing hat here, don't leave a man hanging!"
Link: Um, no, I'm not gonna go around Seattle and post signs of my hat, asking "Have you seen this hat?"...that's too childish, and beneath my level. Besides, that stuff only applies to dogs and pet fish. Instead, I'll report my missing hat to the U.S. government, and have their highest-ranking government agents search diligently for my hat. That is, only if I haven't found my hat before the end of the day.
Much like his Master Sword, Link was usually exasperated whenever his hat went missing, and this time was no different. The Hylian considered his hat a part of his image, and without it, he would be unrecognizable...or at least that's what he thought. Link felt incomplete without his world-famous hat on his head.
During his trek, Link would find a fellow swordsman in Corrin in the cafe, fixing himself a cup of coffee for the first time. This moment of firsts wasn't without blemish; Corrin would burn his hand fixing his coffee, and spent much of his time screaming in pain and shaking the pain off his hand, like that would do him any good.
"Lesson learned Corrin...never put your hand underneath the coffee machine when the coffee is being poured," said Corrin, making this mental note to himself after he was done coping with the pain. "I'll just have to check the temperature of the coffee another way..." Corrin mixed his sugar and creamer together in his coffee, and took a sip of it as he was about to head out. The prince wouldn't get that far when he saw Link standing at the doorway, without his hat - the sight of a hatless Link was apparently enough to make Corrin scream, and drop his coffee to the floor.
"Something scary behind me?" Link wondered in confusion as he turned around, before turning back and seeing Corrin still in fright, like he had seen a ghost. "What's the matter with you?"
"Link, you scared me! Seeing you without your hat on is so...so ghastly! It's almost like you look like an entirely different person!" Link found this laughable, as he laughed at Corrin's expense. Is Corrin a bigger scaredy cat than Luigi ever was.
"C'mon now, I don't look that different...I understand if some people can't recognize me without my hat on, but my tunic should be recognizable enough. Sadly my hat has gone missing, and without it, I feel incomplete, a broken vessel...I'm sure you feel the same way about your...uh...um...er..."
"Hush Link, I know exactly where you're coming from...being forced to wear shoes makes me feel incomplete. I just love being barefoot sometimes. But I must know why you value your hat so much. Is your hat a trademark of yours? Will you die soon if you don't wear your hat again?"
"No I won't die Corrin...but having my hat as a trademark, that's a really good suggestion. Could make a whole lot of money from that. I shall look into trademarking my hat once I find it, wherever it is." Link looked down the hallway and saw Midna, knowing that she meant trouble. "Crap, Midna's coming this way...if you see my hat anywhere, don't hesitate to give it to me, okay?"
"I shall be on the lookout." Giving Corrin a vote of confidence he would've never given before, Link would smile and nod at the prince as he ran away, in the hopes of escaping from Midna. "Hmm, wonder if I can make tea with the coffee maker...time for some experimenting."
The sparse crowd at the food truck today gave Pit and company a sense of confidence, a feeling that more customers would be coming their way...unfortunately that did not happen, as business was even slower than usual. The whole salmonella scare might've messed up their entire business...
...regardless, Pit remained forever optimistic, for he knew what the number one goal of selling the Pikachu Sushi Rolls was - to spread awareness about Pikachu Day. Perhaps the townsfolk were so aware of Pikachu Day, that they found no point in buying anything related to the day. But Pit was certain someone would come to the food truck soon. Soon...
"Meta Knight, would you be a gentleman and take out this trash?" Kirby asked the Star Warrior, holding a trash bag in his hand. This trash bag was quite smelly, and the flies flying around really sold how smelly the bag truly was.
"This trash bag smells revolting, the stench even penetrates through my mask," grimaced Meta Knight, as he begrudgingly accepted the garbage bag from Kirby. Almost felt like he wanted to puke. "I also did not know we had trash to begin with..."
"Oh yeah, the trash is actually the waste from the portable potty in the food truck. Pit had it installed so he wouldn't have to worry about ever leaving the food truck to take care of his business. Gross, I know...but for the record, it was mainly Pit who used the potty."
"Gah, no wonder the trash bag has a putrid smell...might have to hold my breath on my way to the trash bin. I could possibly die from a lack of oxygen by the time I get there..."
Meta Knight: First they made me prepare the sushi rolls, and now they're forcing me to take out the trash...think I know why they're doing making me do it for...they must think that I'm trash...it's their way of sending me a message.
Meta Knight would leave the food truck and fly over to the trash bin, tossing the trash bag inside and taking a deep breath after the deed was done. Thank goodness that smell was gone forever...it'll be the junk removal workers' trouble now.
Just when Meta Knight was about to return to the food truck, he would overhear a conversation, one that involved Jacky and Mega Man. The Star Warrior would leave the premises, and encounter the racer and the robot having a discussion.
"Dude, you will not believe what tried to attack me today..." Jacky said to Mega Man, sounding like he almost got attacked and saw his life flash before him. "...it was a dog with rabies! Foaming at the mouth and stuff! I would've given that mutt a dose of my kung fu skills, but I'm pretty strict about my morals."
"Where did you find this dog, and what did it look like?" asked Mega Man, who never had to worry about his pet dog Rush having rabies. Although Rush could catch the Roboenza virus.
"Found it not so far from the mansion - I think I was at a convenience store at the time. It was a small, brown dog, and its intimidating nature and foaming mouth made up for its small size. I made dang sure to drive away from that store ASAP!"
"What is this I hear about a dog with rabies?" asked Meta Knight, joining in on the conversation; he recalled Luas asking about his missing dog, Boney, though the Star Warrior didn't think that much of Lucas' concerns at the time.
"A dog with rabies tried to attack Jacky at a convenience store," recapped Mega Man, while Jacky scratched his arm. Most likely out of fear. "Fortunately Jacky got away in time before the dog could bite him."
"You should've seen the look of that mutt, Meta Knight - it was small and brown, but it was frightening enough to give me the creeps!" exclaimed Jacky, shivering in fear just thinking about the dog. "Might even have nightmares about that dog..."
"Small and brown dog...given that description, that dog with rabies could very well be...Lucas' pet dog..."
Formerly determined to get the pool water - the Sparkle Water - back inside the canister, Bowser was now determined to retrieve Robin's tome from the bottom of the pool, so he wouldn't have to hear the mage cry and moan again. He refused to enter the the pool and retrieve the tome himself, which is why he asked Proto Man to warp a "professional swimmer", as he called it, to the mansion in the teleportation room.
"Just so you know, even if we do bring her to the mansion, there's a likelihood she'll turn down your request and wish to return back home," Proto Man said to Bowser, like he cared about that stuff. The koopa king would use excessive force regardless.
"Yeah, whatever, I just need someone to fetch that tome from the pool," replied Bowser, as Proto Man keyed in the coordinates on the teleportation device. "Easy peasy. I already hit up Kamek, and he's gonna come to the mansion and use his funky magic to make that tome good as new. Said he was coming to the mansion anyways, so everything worked out fine."
"Had no idea you and Kamek were still tight with one another..." This remark from Proto Man earned him a glare from Bowser. "...I was kidding, I was kidding! Honest! You know what, lemme just warp our guest to the mansion, before you kill me..."
So Proto Man pressed the button on the device, as he warped the swimmer Bowser request to the mansion. Moments later, standing on the teleportation pad was a Zora, red in color, holding what appeared to be a trident. She was the princess of her people, and was even the Zora champion at that...she was none other than Mipha.
"Mipha, baby, welcome home!" exclaimed Bowser, holding his arms out wide like he expected a hug, as Mipha was both surprised and concerned at the same time. "Come into my arms, and give me some sugar!"
"I'll...I'll just...leave..." Proto Man said awkwardly as he left the room, not wanting to see how the exchange between Bowser and Mipha went.
Bowser: Mipha is an EXCELLENT choice to retrieve the tome from the bottom of the pool, a fine choice indeed! As much as I would do the honors of saving Robin's stupid tome myself, I simply cannot, for everyone knows that koopas can't swim. It's really a proven scientific fact.
"Is this...the Smash Mansion?" asked Mipha, quiet and reserved as she ever was. "What am I doing back here?"
"That is a very good question, my dear, so let me give you the 411," replied Bowser, as he took Mipha and walked her out of the room. "So you know Robin, right? The white-haired dude with magic skills, who looks like a cool grandpa but isn't? He accidentally dropped his tome at the bottom of the lake, like the clumsy doofus he is, and is worried sick that he might never see it again." Funny how Bowser changed up the details of the story... "That's where you come in."
"I had no idea this mansion had a pool - maybe I didn't see that last time, when Master Hand had that concert of his. I might've overlooked it completely."
"The pool was added to the mansion's backyard not so long ago - Mario just put some water in the empty pool today. Anyways, Robin's tome is in that pool, and it is your duty to..."
"What would even be the point, wouldn't the book be soggy from being underwater for so long?" Bowser's patience was starting to wear thin, and Mipha only just asked two questions - another question might make Bowser lose it.
"It won't be soggy for long, when my main man Kamek comes over and restores the tome with his magic. If he doesn't come, then we're gonna have some problems...but Kamek is a very obedient friend of mine, so I know he'll come. Pure epitome of a guy you could use as a packmule. But enough about him. We should head out to the pool while we're at it."
Bowser took Mipha outside to the pool party, and the atmosphere was bumping - the party music was lit, Lucario was grilling away, and overall, everyone was having oodles of fun. Still, it disturbed Bowser seeing so many people swimming in the Sparkle Water, acting like it was just plain ol' regular water.
"Ah, Mipha, welcome-a to the pool party!" Mario greeted the Zora princess, wishing she had brought her Zora folks along. "This party seems-a like your cup-a of tea, no? Come jump-a in the pool and..."
"Shut yer mouth Mario, Mipha is not interested in swimming in your silly pool!" Bowser yelled at the plumber, leaving Mipha with no choice in the matter. You'd bet she'd join Mario and company in the pool in a heartbeat. "She has all the lakes in Lanayru to swim in. Let the woman do as she pleases!"
"Now Bowser, that's-a no way to treat a guest-a of ours! You wish for Mipha to do-a as she pleases, so let her swim-a in the pool with us! No harm-a done there, right? Come on-a now, Bowser!"
"I wouldn't mind sticking around in the pool..." remarked Mipha, too quiet to speak up for herself, as Bowser aggressively grabbed the Zora and pulled her back inside the mansion. So much for letting Mipha do what she pleased.
Lucina: Had to leave the pool party on early notice so I could comfort Robin over his silly little tome. He has never cared about this particular tome so much before, so it'd better have some love letters dedicated to me provided all the sadness Robin is apparently going through.
"That Bowser, treating poor Mipha like she's absolute trash..." frowned Peach, knowing that the Zora princess and Zora champion should be treated better. But unfortunately for Mipha, the mistreatment wouldn't stop - moments later, the Zora would return to the pool party with a fishing line wrapped around both of her heels, and Bowser holding a fishing rod. "Bowser what are you doing?!"
"What does it look like I'm doing, woman - I'm teaching Zora how to fish, fish like a G!" replied Bowser; Mipha wasn't down with Bowser's plan, dying to return to the Zora Domain. "Since Mipha herself is a fish species, this will work out properly!"
"Couldn't you just fish for the tome without my assistance, Bowser?" asked Mipha, as Bowser's patience was soon becoming nonexistent. Knowing Mipha and her reserved nature, the koopa king couldn't afford to put the Zora on blast. So he had to keep his cool.
"No way, my chances of catching the tome with the hook would be difficult. Which is where you come in, to make this fishing expenditure easy. Now walk over to the side of the pool, like the good Zora you are, and wait until I give you the cue."
"Whatever you say..." Mipha would walk over to the side of the pool, giving a rueful look to the party people as she stopped. If she could, Mipha would stab Bowser with her trident...multiple times.
"Excellent work, Mipha! Good job! Such a great listener, unlike some people I know..." Bowser would glare at Mario as he said this, and Mario just took it in stride. "Time for part two...on the count of three, I want you to dive into the pool and get that tome - tug on the line when you got it? Okay? On the count of three...one...two..."
"Hey papa, catch!" exclaimed Bowser Jr, as he threw a beach ball at Bowser. The ball would catch Bowser in the face, sending the koopa king tumbling backwards as he fell into some nearby shrubbery. This caused Mipha to be pulled backwards, and the Zora slipped as she grabbed hold of the pool, holding on for dear life.
"Oh dear, this isn't good..." fretted Mipha, as everyone felt concerned for the Zora. Should Mipha be injured in any way, shape, or form, her father King Dorephan would have a serious grudge with the mansion. "Bowser, you have to let go of the fishing rod! You must trust me!"
"Uh, you sure about that? Okay then, but just so you know, nobody's gonna be paying for your medical bill or anything..." Bowser would let go of the fishing rod, as the rod came flying up in the air and landed in the pool. The force exerted was enough to make Mipha flip over and fall into the pool, sending her down below.
Being the good Samaritan that he was, Mario dove into the pool so he could save Mipha although the Zora could save herself (she can swim, after all). After several seconds of suspense, Mario would rise back up to the pool surface, with Mipha in his arm...and a book in his hand.
"I have found-a the tome!" Mario announced to Mario, holding up the soggy tome in his hand for everyone (but mainly Bowser) to see. "Not sure-a if it's still any good...but I have-a found it!"
"Awesome, now Robin won't have to kill me anymore!" cheered Bowser, still in the shrubbery. Probably just chilling. "Not that I should be worried, since he can't outright kill anyone, regardless of effort. Bring that tome over here so I can try and dry it off before Kamek comes and...Mario, where are you going?"
Toon Link and Young Link were in their "office", looking at several pictures of new suspects on their wall. There was Yoshi as "The Good Dinosaur", Professor Layton as "Wannabe Sherlock Holmes", the Flying Man as "Possible Superhuman Duck", and many others. One particular suspect the buddy cops had their focus on was Nathan Adams, the protagonist of Yo-Kai Watch. You might call him Nate for short.
"Make no mistake about it...that Nate kid is definitely half-Japanese," confirmed Toon Link, who was debating with Young Link over what Nate's ethnicity was. "In fact, I don't he's even Japanese at all!"
"Really, what makes you think that?" Young Link asked his fellow buddy cop, wanting to know what his reasoning was. He was eating a malasada as he waited for an answer.
"Think about it - his name is Nathan. Nathan. What Asian parent of any couple would name their child Nathan? While we're on the subject, Nathan is also a terrible name - the epitome of lazy name picking. Nathan deserves better biological parents."
"Quite the convincing argument you got there...I see zero flaws in your argument whatsoever. And for that reason, I am left with no choice but to vehemently agree with your position."
Young Link: Our investigative work extends far beyond the realms of the Smash Mansion. It is best that we investigate suspects outside of our comfort zones - gain new tastes and flavors, and adapt to the scene.
Toon Link: The tastes and flavors may be varied throughout the world, but none of them can even compare to the flavor...of friendship. *holds up an ice cream cone and licks it; Young Link does the same*
Young Link: Ah, yes, the flavor of friendship...tastes so sweet...
"Toon Link, Young Link!" Sonic shouted, as he entered the buddy cops' "office" and scarfed a chili dog down his mouth. "You two aren't busy, are you? I was gonna stop by earlier, but those darn chili dogs kept calling my name."
"That's fine, Sonic, those glazed doughnuts and malasadas have called our names ever since we've been on the job," said Young Link, eating the remainder of his malasada. "Even got us on speed dial, for all we know. What business do you have?"
"Just wanted to know how your investigations with Berkut and Dark Pit are coming along. Found any startling details? Noticed our two crooks doing suspicious activities that should be reported?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary - Berkut has been spending much of his time with his wife Rinea, and Rinea might have her husband too preoccupied to have him think about murdering Alm. As for Dark Pit...we did see him eat ice cream bars outside on the hammock, but that could be a side-effect of his breakup. Or maybe he's intentionally giving himself brain freeze."
"I see, I see...thanks for the information, you two. If you see Berkut and/or Dark Pit do something evil, then you know who to call!" Toon Link and Young Link would both salute Sonic, and Sonic would salute right back as he exited the "office".
Standing at the "office" entrance was Sonic's good friend, Crash - perhaps the only person other than Sonic who believed in Sonic's suspicions. Quite frankly, Crash's scatterbrained nature often clouded his judgement, but that's what often made the bandicoot so likable.
"You were waiting outside just for me?" Sonic would ask Crash, who nodded his head. Wasn't like Crash was waiting for an eternity. "Aw, thanks man! What an awesome best friend you are! Always sticking for your fellow man...so, have you seen Alm anywhere?"
"Woah!" answered Crash, unable to say yes, as he pointed down the hallway. There was Alm, speaking with Bayonetta, doing his best not to be flustered by the Umbra Witch. Had to stay faithful to Celica.
"Just down the hallway, eh? Talk about easy picking!" So Sonic and Crash went down the hallway, towards Alm and Bayonetta. Bayonetta had caught the two friends with the corner of her eye, meaning that she had to finish up her conversation.
"So if Roy forces you to perform in his group ever again, you should call in sick, or fake an injury," said the Umbra Watch, finishing up her conversation just when Sonic and Crash showed up. "Your scheming will greatly outweigh Roy's delusion. I must go now - these nails aren't going to polish themselves!"
"You can't go just yet Bayonetta, what if Roy sees me through?" Alm asked the Umbra Witch, but he was too late as Bayonetta already strutted her stuff down the hallway. Alm sighed, before turning around and jumping in fright when he saw Sonic and Crash, standing there.
"Ahoy, Alm, didn't mean to scare you like that!" greeted Sonic, as Alm regained his composure. A king like him shouldn't allow a hedgehog and a bandicoot to scare the pants off of him. "Crash and I are thinking, and we both thought that maybe you need a pair of bodyguards. You know, to keep you safe."
"Having two bodyguards does sound nice...but I don't believe that won't be necessary. I feel pretty safe regardless - I'd hate for two bodyguards to feel bored from protecting someone who doesn't need protection. Appreciate the offer, but it's a no from me."
Alm: *shaking his head* What honestly made Sonic and Crash think they're qualified to be my bodyguards, let alone bodyguards for anyone in general?
"Alm you don't understand, your archenemy Berkut wants to kill you!" stressed Sonic, stressing the importance of a thing Alm was already aware of. "Even worse, he hired several folks to join him in his assassination plan! Folks like Dark Pit, Balthier, Fox, Falco, Coco, even Aku...they all want to kill you!"
"Dark Pit, Balthier, and everyone else you mentioned desiring to kill me?" questioned Alm, before letting out a hearty laugh. "You boys must've hit yourselves on the head pretty hard! What could Dark Pit gain from killing me? What benefit would it be to Balthier? Why would Fox and Coco even be interesting in killing me?!"
"I dunno, they might be secret sociopaths, or Berkut paid them off to join them. However, we can't allow them to get away with killing you, which is where Crash and I come in. We can protect you, 24 hours a day and seven days per week, and we'll even protect Celica too, just for consolation! Please Alm, make us you bodyguards, you know you wanna!"
"Are you hard of hearing?! I said I don't need bodyguards! Master Hand promised me that Berkut will not kill me as long as he's a resident of the mansion, and I will take his word for it. Therefore I do not need any protection! Please leave me alone!" Alm would walk away, but Sonic and Crash were desperate to make the king come around.
"Follow him!" Sonic said to Crash, as the two were chasing after Alm.
Fox, Falco, Itsuki, and Touma were still waiting outside, expecting Touma's gift to arrive soon. Soon already happened, and everyone but Touma started to to lose their patience.
"Alright boys, that was the last of my songs!" said K.K. Slider, kind enough to sing some songs for the bored Star Records screw. "Or do you want me to keep singing? I can always do rap songs - I can go full Ed Sheeran if you like!"
"No thanks, save your breath..." Falco moaned out of boredom, before glaring at Touma. Touma could only smile innocently. "Had to change my plans for today all thanks to you...my feathery hands are gonna look awfully nice around your neck..."
"Settle down Falco, no need to strangle Touma," Fox soothed his best friend, resting his hand on his shoulder. "That is, unless you're doing it alone. Then it wouldn't be fun. Strangling must always be a joint effort." Fox and Falco were so bored, that torturing Touma was their only available option.
"C'mon now, you're acting like we've been waiting for eons and centuries," said Touma, wanting to shed some light on the situation although there was no light whatsoever. "Patience is key! Isn't that right, Ituski?" Itsuki, who was half-asleep whilst seated near the mailbox, looked up at Touma and nodded.
"Hey guys, have any of you seen my hat?" asked a certain someone - someone enough to make Fox and company scream in fright. This someone was Link, and seeing the Star Records four so scared made the Hylian discontented. "Am I really that frightening without my hat on?"
"Oh it's just you, Link...our apologies," apologized Itsuki, on behalf of himself and his buddies. Falco, for whatever reason, was shielding his eyes so he wouldn't have to see Link. "Sometimes seeing you without your iconic hat makes you almost unrecognizable." Just then, Pit would join Itsuki and company, holding a plate of Pikachu Sushi Rolls and offering one sushi roll to the group. "No, Pit, we don't want any of your sushi rolls."
"They're called Pikachu Sushi Rolls - huge difference," corrected Pit, as Itsuki sighed and rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I'm selling the Pikachu Sushi Rolls for fifty cents apiece! A real bargain nobody would turn down!"
"Making those sushi rolls fifty cents isn't going to rev up your business," stated K.K. Slider; Pit didn't feel like correcting the hippie dog. "Honestly, I'm surprised your food truck had customers today, after that salmonella scare. Those customers must be dead set on making Seattle the most sickest city in America."
"Or maybe they're dead set on making Seattle the most woke city in America! Pikachu Day for the win!" Pit pumped his fists in the air and cheered, as K.K. Slider and others felt sorry for him.
Pit: To be fair, Seattle is a pretty woke city...most political pundits say Seattle is a pretty liberal city, whatever the heck liberal means. From what I've heard, most liberal cities accept new things...which means Seattle is the perfect city for the birthplace of Pikachu Day!
"No, Bowser, you can't have-a this tome, it's practically ruined!" Mario shouted at the koopa king, as he ran to where Pit and company were located. "We must-a dispose of it!"
"Mario you don't understand, I must get back on equal terms with Robin, or he'll hate me forever!" responded Bowser as he chased after Mario, dragging poor Mipha along with him. "Only you are allowed to hate me forever, Mario - it was how it's meant to be! Don't ruin the tradition!"
"Um, Bowser, can I please go back home now?" asked Mipha, feeling that her work was done. Bowser still had her tied to the fishing rod, although the line was now around her left ankle. "My father and brother must be missing me..."
"I told you good to stab Mario mercifully with your trident thingy so he'll give up the tome, and you didn't do it...so I'm giving you another chance to redeem yourself! Mario's in plain sight...now throw your trident at him!" With much reluctance, Mipha was about to throw her trident at Mario...but not before Alm ran across the front lawn, obstructing the Zora's view, as the king was being chased by Sonic and Crash.
"For the last time, I DO NOT need any bodyguards!" Alm said to Sonic and Cloud, threatening to jump into the road and let himself get run over, just so he could escape from the hedgehog and bandicoot. "I can do well by myself...and Celica! I don't need any protection!"
"You're acting like we're only protecting you from Berkut," said Sonic, cornering Alm as the king approached the mailbox, nearly one foot into the street. "We could protect you from other things, like...like...like that dog!"
Everyone would turn around and see the dog in question...a small brown dog with foam running out of its mouth. Exactly fitted the description of the dog Jacky had discussed earlier. But it was the orange bandana around the dog's neck that made him familiar...
"Holy smokes, that dog is Lucas' dog!" exclaimed Bowser, and indeed it was - Boney returned to the mansion, and the dog was infected by rabies. "And he has a green hat in his mouth!"
"Not just any green hat...MY green hat!" frowned Link, as he marched up to Boney. The Hylian would grab his hat and pulled it away from Boney, but Boney would also pull on the hat with his teeth, embroiling him and Link in a tug-of-war.
"I wouldn't fight with a rabies-infested dog if I were you..." Alm would tell Link, but eventually Link prevailed in his game of tug-of-war as he got his hat back from Boney. But in doing so, he forcefully sent Boney flying forward, as the dog crashed into Alm and proceeded to attack him. "GAAAH GET HIM OFF GET HIM OFF!" Alm would plead, although the others were to afraid too come close. Link, happy that he got his hat back, just walked away.
"See, this is what I was talking about Alm..." remarked Sonic, hoping the king had learned his lesson. Maybe Sonic will learn his own lesson one day...
Meta Knight: *watches Alm getting attacked by Boney from the food truck, then slowly turns to face the camera* ...called it.
Everyone watched helplessly as Alm tried to fend off Boney, on the ground as he tried to pry the dog off of him. This would continue until a Magikoopa arrived at the mansion on his flying broom...it was Kamek, Bowser's faithful advisor (...and packmule).
"I'm here!" the Magikoopa announced, as he hopped off his broom and landed gracefully on the ground. He would see Alm struggling to fend off Boney, and nobody doing a thing to save the king. "Is that a rabies-infected dog I spy? Allow me to help you out, my friend!"
With the wave of his wand, Kamek sent out a magical blast at Boney, striking the dog successfully. Alm, who had his face turned from Boney, would suddenly look up, and see that the dog was back to normal, healthy again. Even let out a bark and wagged his tail.
"Phew, thank goodness that's finally over..." Alm sighed in relief, as he got up and placed Boney on the ground before turning his attention. "I take it you were the one who saved me?"
"My magic may or may not have done the trick," smiled Kamek, motioning to his magical wand. "Glad I was able to cure that dog of its rabies. But that's not what I was here for. I came for something else..." Touma, realizing his opportunity, smiled excitedly as he walked up to Kamek...before being pushed aside by Bowser.
"About time you showed up Kamek - I need your funky magic to restore this tome," the koopa king said, snatching the tome away from Mario. "It's Robin's tome...poor guy might die if I don't..."
"Don't say anymore, King Bowser...mages like Robin always take their spell books seriously. I know I do. Hold up the tome please." Bowser would hold up the tome, and Kamek would fire a magical blast at the tome, restoring it to his original form.
"Woah, that was much easier than I thought! Worried I had to do some crazy ritual for the magic to work. Thanks a bunch, Kamek!" Bowser would walk away with the tome, bringing Mipha along, as Mario returned to the pool party. Touma, realizing his opportunity once more, approached Kamek...only to be shoved yet again, this time by Pit.
"Good afternoon Kamek - may I interest you with some Pikachu Sushi Rolls?" offered Pit, as Kamek grimaced at the sushi rolls on Pit's plate. The Magikoopa clearly wasn't a fan of Japanese seafood.
"Absolutely not...those things aren't even worth any of my magic." Pit held his head and walked away, returning to the food truck and allowing Touma to finally speak with Kamek. "...who are you again?"
"Touma Akagi, of Star Records?" stated Touma, hoping his name would ring Kamek's bell. "Called you two days ago...you promised you'd give me a gift that would be beneficial for my duties at Star Records. Did you not?"
"Touma...Touma...Touma...ah, yes, I know who you are! I know exactly what you're talking about! Good thing for you, I have the magic spell required for your little request! Now the four of you, stand together, but keep some space between you." Fox, Falco, Itsuki, and Touma did as they were told; Alm moved so he wouldn't be in the way. "Here it comes..."
"Can't wait to get a load of this..." Sonic whispered to Crash, who nodded as Kamek waved his wand in the air, building up the magic in his magical stick. Fox and company could feel the magic around them already...
Lucas: My pet dog, Boney, has finally returned! I was scared he would be lost forever...that'll teach me to never throw the ball far again when playing catch with Boney. I'll just do granny style throws from now on.
Link: *inspects his hat* Question: does coming in contact with saliva from a rabies-infested dog give you rabies?
The person that would reunite Lucas with Boney would be Alm, and the king would watch as Lucas bonded with his pet dog. Boney would happily lick Lucas' face, and the PSI whiz was absolutely fine with it.
"Poor Boney was suffering from rabies, but thanks to Kamek, he's fully healthy again," explained Alm, having no idea Kamek's magic was strong enough to heal anyone or anything. "The limits of his magic knows no bounds!"
"Is Kamek here, or has he already left?" Lucas would ask Alm, who shrugged. "No matter, I'll make sure to thank him whenever I see him."
"He may be chatting it up with Bowser...Bowser did say that Kamek was a good friend of his." Proto Man might think otherwise. "He should be in Bowser's room...let me go check."
So Alm left the fitness center, and as he headed to Bowser's room, he encountered the last person he wanted to see in the hallway...Sonic.
"Look Sonic, I appreciate what you and Crash are aspiring to do, but the deal is off," Alm would say to the hedgehog...but he noticed that Sonic was paying any attention to Alm. In fact, the blue blur looked disappointed, like he encountered a horrible revelation and his world was left shattered.
"I was wrong...about Fox and Falco...this whole time...I was wrong..." uttered Sonic, seemingly in his own world. Evidently he learned that Fox and Falco weren't conspiring with Berkut...took him long enough.
"What's the matter with him..." Alm would continue walking, wondering what was wrong with Sonic. By the time Alm reached the elevator and entered therein, a door from across the elevator would open, just a crack.
"Is the coast clear?" asked a voice from behind the door, belonging to Fox. "Good, now let's get outta here real quick..."
Just then, four individuals, dressed up as Power Rangers characters - red, blue, green, and yellow - exited from the door, with the green Power Ranger closing the door. Those four? Fox, Falco, Itsuki, and Touma.
"So boys, whaddaya think of these outfits?" Touma asked the others, who were feeling disgruntled as all heck. "With these Super Sentai outfits, my action career can finally take off!"
"Can't believe we waited the entire afternoon so Kamek could put us in these dumb outfits..." griped Fox, who found his outfit too tight. "He practically wasted his magic for this...this tragic mess..."
"Bruh I can't even breathe with his helmet on, this sucks!" complained Falco, who amazingly got his beak to fit inside his helmet. "I'm not even fit to be a Power Ranger!"
"Tokusatsu hero, you mean," corrected Touma, like Falco was supposed to care. "But you don't have to wear the outfit - you can always switch out with Yashiro. The outfits should be enough to fit everyone's size."
While Fox, Falco, and even Itsuki complained about their outfits, the elevator doors opened, and standing inside the elevator was Tsubasa. The idol singer, who was on the phone, saw Touma and company dressed up as Power Rangers, and quickly pressed a button on the elevator.
"Um, yeah, about that pool party..." Tsubasa said into the phone, as the elevator doors closed. They couldn't close any quicker...
