Episode 242: Picnic
As a suggestion from search committee members Tom Nook and Isabelle, the Smash Mansion and the Assist Tower banded together to hold a picnic of sorts. The last time the mansion had any sort of picnic was two years ago, just two weeks after Mario and a couple of others banded together to defeat Calamity Ganon. Fast-forward two years later, and now the denizens of the tower now had an opportunity to enjoy the picnic festivities.
The picnic had yet to begin, as a couple of residents were busy setting things up around the front of the mansion. Link and Zelda observed the work being done from the mansion porch, sharing some optimism about the picnic. The fact that there was no Master Hand around could explain why the Hylians felt so optimistic in the first place.
"Alright, you ready for this?" Link asked Zelda, stretching out his arms and flexed his fingers.
"We walk around, everyone sees our faces and we head back inside, right?" asked Zelda, who didn't sound like she wanted to stick around that long.
"Yeah. Good thing we don't need a getaway car." Both Link and Zelda would share a laugh, as Tom Nook walked by with Isabelle.
"If anyone asks, just tell them that we're having a peaceful protest..." Tom Nook informed Isabelle, in the event someone questioned the large gathering about to take place. "...one full of food and fun. And invite them, if you can."
Zelda: Oh, don't get us wrong, we like picnics.
Link: Come on, who doesn't like a picnic?
Zelda: Tell them what happened last year.
Link: At Mario's picnic? I had this huge spider in my baseball mitt.
Zelda: No, no, that one resident who hit on me.
Link: Oh, right, apparently Wario attempted to hit on Zelda last year. Said he was grabbing her for balance.
Zelda: Yeah, you don't grab these for balance. *gestures to her chest*
Link: Well…
"...I'm gonna say 30," Pit said to Cortex, as the two were looking at a bottle of insect repellent together. Like the other mansion residents, Pit and Cortex wore red shirts, whereas the tower denizens wore blue shirts.
"Ah, 40," said Cortex, as he and Pit were having a somewhat intellectual conversation. "Insect repellent, which we need, reduces the effectiveness of SPF."
"Good point, but, thought of that already. Combination SPF/repellent. You think the EPA would ever allow that much DEET?" Pit and Cortex would both laugh, as Pit was thinking of himself as some kind of intellectual.
Pit: Dr. Cortex is almost like my new best friend. We went to a shoe store one day, and I heard him asking for a shoe that could increase his speed and not leave any tracks. Which is funny, because I was asking the same question too! Great minds think alike!
Elsewhere outside the mansion, Berkut was hanging around with Mario. The paladin, who had a rather ugly night with Rinea during the previous episode's dinner party, was forced to stay with Mario and Peach so that he could "reform".
"Just stand-a with me, and we won't have-a any trouble," Mario advised Berkut, doing his best to keep the paladin away from his wife. It should be noted that Peach was with Rinea, to keep the noblewoman from her spouse.
"Sure, whatever..." groaned Berkut, before looking into the distance and furrowing his brow when he saw a familiar face. "...Mario, isn't that Impa?"
Suddenly delighted, Mario looked out and saw Impa, a former house guest of his. With the Sheikah were her closest confidants, Lana and Linkle.
"I'll be right-a back..." Mario said to Berkut, as he approached Impa and company. The plumber was trying to look cool, likely to give away the impression that he had street cred or something. "Hey, hey, wait a second. Who let-a you ladies in here, is what I want-a to know."
"I see they're letting just anybody in here..." replied Impa, with a slight scowl on her face...only to soften into a heartfelt smile. "...hello, Mario. It's been a while."
"Howdy! It's-a funny, a few months ago I was talking about how much-a I've missed your presence...and now here-a you are! Almost like my wish-a came true."
"Sadly you're the same as you were when I saw you back in December...I know you remember Lana and Linkle. They literally badgered into tagging along."
"Oh how could I forget? The cute-a girl with magic...and the Link-a impersonator. Hello, you two!"
"Which one of us is the 'Link impersonator'?" Linkle whispered to Lana, asking a question that had all the irony in the world.
Mitsuru: Mario said that he wanted to see Impa again...so I found out a way to make the impossible, well, possible. Granted it happened with a few sacrifices (and Junpei nearly getting killed, for reasons I'd rather not explain), but I found a way...
"So would you guys-a like some lemonade?" Mario asked Impa and company, directing their attention to a lemonade stand that Shulk and Fiora were running. "Or one of you? Or two of you? Or all three of-a you? Either or. The combinations are-a endless.
"Lemonade sounds great," replied Impa, before looking towards Lana and Linkle as she waited for confirmation. "How about you two?"
"I'd love an iced tea, actually," stated Lana, being the odd one out. Way to be a party pooper. Mario gave the bluenette an angry stare.
"You can get-a lost..." the plumber seethed at Lana, before laughing and slapping his knee. "..I'm kidding. Um, sure, I will get you the best iced-a tea in the world!"
Mario: I lied-a to Mitsuru. I gave her the impression that Impa and-a I were only allies working together towards a certain cause, when we're actually best friends. I wrote down a list-a of bullet points why Impa and I should-a be besties, and I'm going to find the perfect-a moment today and I am going to tell her. Number one: "Impa, you and I are soup snakes And the reason is…because…in terms of the soup, we like to..." ...that doesn't make-a any sense! We're best friends. Impa and I are best-a friends.
Link and Zelda were still chilling on the mansion porch, waiting for the big picnic to begin. Soon the Hylians were joined by what they might consider an unwanted guest...
"Link! Princess Zelda!" Master Kohga greeted the Hylians, greeting them with a sense of joviality that would be uncanny for any evil villain. "Nice day, huh?"
"Hey Master Kogha, how are you?" Link waved to the leader of the Yiga Clan, while at the same time wondering why Kogha's presence was needed. Kohga was even wearing a red shirt!
"Must be nice to get a rest from all the hoopla." Master Kohga would casually walk away, whistling a happy tune while Link and Zelda questioned him ever being here.
"I don't get it, he's not even a resident of the mansion or the tower," Link said to Zelda, now expecting the Yiga clansmen to follow their leader's lead and join the picnic.
"Do you want me to beat him up for you?" Zelda asked Link, who didn't expect a question of that nature from the princess. Zelda was usually as pacifist as they come, even more so than X.
"No, I shouldn't have to ask you to do stuff like that. You should just do it." Zelda beating up Master Kohga - let alone anyone, for that matter - would be quite a sight to behold.
The original plan at the picnic was to have the mansion and manor residents square off against one another, in a game of volleyball. Said plan was put to rest, as the manor denizens complained about there being an "unfair balance", which was fairly understandable. So instead, there were two teams consisting of both mansion and manor folk, with Ghirahim and Cloud as captains of their teams (and Cortex and Dr. Wright as assistant captains, respectively).
"Listen up everyone!" Ghirahim addressed his team, licking his lips creepily as he held a dodgeball in his hand. "I've gone over this lineup very carefully. We can't risk any humiliation, like when Link had a spider in his mitt that one time we played baseball. Right?"
"Well, I could've died, so..." said Link, who found out that the spider in his baseball mitt was a black widow. One bite could've been the end of him. "...I looked it up online afterwards."
"Tiki, back row. Lloyd, you move up a row!" Cortex saw Tiki moving back, and didn't like how the Manakete was moving further away from him.
"Pardon me, Ghirahim, you think you could put Tiki on my row?" the evil genius politely asked the demon lord, refusing to have Lloyd stand anywhere close to him.
"Why? I don't understand." But Ghirahim would understand real quick, as evidenced by the slick smile on his face. "Oh, I get it. You want her to set you up so you can spike it."
"I mean if you put it that way...I guess so," Cortex laughed sheepishly as he looked around, the others (save for Tiki) aware of the stunt he was trying to pull.
"I'll tell you what, I'm gonna do you one better. I'm gonna put you next to Rosalina. She is the best setter on the team. Sly dog..."
"That's...not what I meant. But if it helps us gain victory, and it makes me look good in return, I'll deal with it..."
"Come on, everyone! Victory is our only option. I better not see anyone not giving it their all!"
Away from the softball game, Mario was busy doing some catching up with Impa and Lana. Linkle was doing the same somewhere else, with Yuffie.
"What is up with-a you two, Impa?" Mario asked the Sheikah, hoping to hear an exciting story about how Impa and friends defeated an army of Bokoblins, or saved the Great Deku Tree from going malnourished.
"Um, not much," replied Impa, which led to a lot of disappointment from Mario. That Sheikah sure knew how to let Mario down.
"We're designing a house," replied Lana, saving the day as Mario's hopes were immediately lifted.
"Cool. For who?" inquired Mario, wondering if Mutoh and the Carpenters had any involvement with the project.
"For us. We're trying to build a house for the both of us. And Linkle."
"Wow, that's pretty neat. As for myself, I finished-a making my home movie, Threat Level: Twilight. It was a huge-a hit."
"Ah, yes, I remember when you made that movie in secret," said Impa; she recalled Mario filming a few scenes, back when Calamity Ganon was a real threat. "Thank Hylia that I wasn't a part of that drivel..."
"It was so unfair that you never asked me if I wanted to be in your movie!" Lana frowned at Mario, as Impa couldn't imagine why anyone would want to be in Mario's project. "I demand to be in the sequel."
"Alright-a now, don't be greedy..." Mario warned Lana, before softening on the bluenette. "...but since you asked, I'll let-a you be in the sequel." Lana would squeal with delight, as Meta Knight and Lucario both approached Mario.
"Excuse us, Mario, but can you help us...rehearse?" Meta Knight asked the plumber, hoping that he would help him and Lucario out. "If it's not too much trouble."
Meta Knight: Well, in their infinite wisdom, Tom Nook and Isabelle have authorized us to put on a little presentation during the picnic.
Lucario: Apparently, we're supposed to be some kind of old comedy team. Like Abbott and Costello, but only more deadpan.
Meta Knight: Tom Nook and Isabelle shouldn't have picked me, I'm not that funny. I can't even do a New York accent, for crying out loud!
Lucario: Well why don't you just give it a try?
Meta Knight: *clears throat, before speaking in a New York accent* Have ya hoyd the news? Extry! Extry! Read all about it! Newspapers for sale! First come, first served!
Lucario: Okay, just stop it...
The volleyball game was coming along well, as both teams were giving their all. But when Tiki hit the ball out of bounds, tempers started to flare.
"Are you blind?! Are you blind?!" yelled Cortex, almost as if he was yelling at Tiki...when instead he was yelling at Dark Pit, who was wearing some shades. "Dark Pit, are those sunglasses making you blind? I'm concerned you might be in danger.
"These are expensive Ray-Bans, jerk..." Dark Pit growled at Cortex, as he adjusted his sunglasses - just to show off how cool they were.
"Okay, I was just looking out for you." Cortex would calm down, as he looked towards Tiki. "You're doing great, by the way," the evil genius said to the Manakete.
"Thanks, Dr. Cortex," thanked Tiki, making Cortex extremely delighted just by saying his name.
Pleased with the fact that she brought Impa and her friends back to the mansion, Mitsuru strolled around the picnic, taking in all the sights and sounds. The young woman eventually encountered Rinea, sitting alone at a picnic table.
"Peach told me that you and Berkut had a little domestic dispute," Mitsuru said to Rinea, taking a seat at the table next to the noblewoman. "Need some marriage counseling?"
"I suppose that would be nice..." replied Rinea, without giving much thought about the idea. Right now, the noblewoman was stuck in a rock and a hard place.
"Did you know that is the only kind of counseling I have never had? Granted, I'm still single and all - but I'm in no rush to find a soulmate."
"You know, Berkut's usually kind of nervous about marriage counseling, but I think it could really help. I mean, we've been having some issues even before the dinner party. It can't hurt to talk about them, right?"
Back to the volleyball game, where Team Cloud was keeping up with Team Ghirahim. Min Min, who was playing for Team Cloud, smacked the volleyball over the net.
"I got it!" shouted Magnus, of Team Ghirahim, as he tried to hit the ball, only to miss terribly.
"Oh, Magnus! Come on!" Ghirahim scolded the warrior, who fell down to the ground getting a face full of dirt.
"Are you blind?!" Cortex shouted at Ghirahim, taking out his anger and frustration on the demon lord as emotions were boiling over.
"I could've gotten that, nitwit!"
"Can you see things with your eyeballs?!
"It's not a sledgehammer! Come on, everyone! We need to get our heads in the game! Let's focus! Come on, you're better than this! I am better than this! Rosalina, why are you sitting on the ground?!"
"We've been out here for a while," replied Rosalina, chilling with Luma and seated on the ground away from the volleyball game. "I don't need this." Ghirahim grunted, as he buried his face in his hands.
Sonic was open to playing volleyball at first, but assumed that his speed would put the opposing team at an advantage. Of course, the hedgehog could always run at a slower pace, but he loved to flaunt his speed. So while the volleyball festivities went on, Sonic was enjoying a chili dog, having some solitude to himself. Until...
"Hey, Sonic, I wanted to ask you a question," Berkut approached the hedgehog, whom he had been on good terms with. And still is, to this very day.
"Oh, sure, ask away my man!" replied Sonic as he finished up his chili dog, nearly scarfing it down in just one bite.
"It's a little, uh, personal."
"Let's do it. Let's get personal!"
"I wanted to talk to you about romance."
"Woah, back off buddy!" Sonic backed away from Berkut, keeping his distance.
"Sorry. I...no, no, no, what I meant...what I meant actually was..."
"Oh, yeah, no, it's okay. I can handle it." Seeing that Berkut meant to harm, Sonic took a few steps closer to the paladin.
"I assume that you and your girlfriend Amy Rose went through some troublesome times together, before getting on the same page. I was wondering if you ever did any couple's counseling."
Berkut: I feel more comfortable asking Sonic about couple's counseling than Wolf. Sonic at least has a girlfriend - how many girlfriends did Wolf have?
"Oh, sure, lots of times!" said Sonic, remembering the times he and Amy went to couple's counseling. Most of the time, it was against Sonic's will. "Yeah. Wait, you and Rinea aren't in couple's counseling, are you?"
"It's just an idea that's up in the air," stated Berkut, who didn't seem to be fully sold on doing couple's counseling. "Peach spoke with us about it separately."
"Oh, you guys. Samus called it. Right after you got married...So...how can I help? I'm here."
The volleyball game continued, and Ghirahim wanted everyone on his team to be on their A-game. One person who wasn't on their A-game was Lloyd, who wasn't paying attention as he hit the ball away.
"Come on, Irving!" Ghirahim hissed at Lloyd, before looking at the person that served the ball over to Lloyd, which was Yuri. "W-wait. Net. Net. Her hand's on the net."
"So what?" Yuri questioned Ghirahim, who was pointing accusingly at her. "It's not like we can do a do-over."
"Rule violation. Ball is ours. Give it to me. Our point." Ghirahim grabbed the volleyball, and brought it over to his side of the field. "Hey, Ann, how are you doing? Hey, do you know if you're right-handed or left-handed? Or do you even know? What hand do you use to answer your cellphone?"
"Back off, Ghirahim..." Ann said to the demon lord, before the blonde served the ball. "Hyuh!" Team Cloud would miss the ball, as everyone on Team Ghirahim cheered.
Ann: Maybe I played a little in elementary school...and in junior high...maybe a little in high school...and went to volleyball camp most summers.
"Hyuh!" shouted Ann, as he served the ball once more. Team Cloud would miss yet again, as Team Ghirahim cheered in victory. "Well, look at that, we win!"
"Nice job, Takamaki," Link commended the blonde, holding out his hand for a high-five...only to be left hanging. It must suck to be ignored like that.
"Yes! We advance to the next round!" exclaimed Ghirahim, as his team was now on a roll; the demon lord truly believed that Team Ghirahim couldn't possibly be stopped.
"Oh, my goodness..." Rosalina facepalmed, fearing that Ghirahim was taking the volleyball tournament to the extreme. The demon lord had never felt this motivated before.
"Had to be part of the group," Doc Louis said to Rosalina, before laughing and taking a quick bite out of his chocolate bar.
Lucario and Meta Knight were both tasked with putting on a special presentation for the picnic, and the duo had absolutely no idea what to do. Which was why they came to Mario, asking the plumber for guidance. Unfortunately for them, Mario was too busy entertaining Impa and her friends.
"I brought some-a snacky snacks, in case-a we get hungry," Mario said to Impa and company, bringing some snacks to the table where the three were seated. Lucario and Meta Knight were also at the picnic table, waiting for Mario to acknowledge them.
"Oh, yes please," said Impa, as she grabbed one of the snacks - a steak kabob. She took a bite, and made a frowning face. "Mm, a bit too salty...but it'll do. It'll do."
"So what bright ideas do you have for us, Mario?" Lucario asked the plumber, who just looked confused as he ate a tuna salad sandwich.
"I beg-a your pardon?" asked the confused Mario, as he ate his tuna salad sandwich like it was nobody's business.
"The 'special presentation' that Tom Nook and Isabelle wants us to do," Meta Knight explained to Mario, having to jog the plumber's memory a bit. "Do you have a script for, I don't know, some kind of sketch, or..."
"Um, no, I just thought maybe you two would-a wing it," Mario said to Lucario and Meta Knight, clearly showing a lack of preparation. Didn't bode well for Lucario and Meta Knight. "That cool?"
"I see that your preparation skills are still pretty subpar, Mario..." Impa said to the plumber, hoping that Mario at least learned his lesson from Calamity Ganon. Unfortunately, Mario still had a ways to go.
Impa: Lucario and Meta Knight clearly need Mario's help, and the best thing Mario could do for them was to tell them to "wing it". He must be setting them up for failure. Or he still has some incompetence left in him.
Team Ghirahim had moved on to the next round of the volleyball tournament, as they were now going up against Team Falco. Since there was more on the line, Ghirahim was being more loud and abrasive as the team leader.
"Hit it Cortex!" Ghirahim shouted to the evil genius, who quickly passed the volleyball.
"Bump! I bumped it!" shouted Cortex, as he bumped the ball to the other side. Diddy Kong of Team Cloud would hit it right back.
"Set!" said Magnus, as Ghirahim immediately feared for the worst.
"Don't set it to yourself!" Ghirahim shouted at the warrior, only for Ann to save the play. Ghirahim would let out a sigh of relief.
"Ow, my ankle!" Rosalina winced in pain, falling down to the ground as she grabbed her ankle. Ghirahim came over to the mother of Lumas, seeing if she was okay.
"What happened?" Although he considered Rosalina the weakest link on his team, Ghirahim refused to lose any of his team members.
"I...twisted it." Ghirahim took a gander at Rosalina's supposedly injured ankle, and saw no redness or swelling.
"You weren't even moving. And besides, your feet don't even touch the ground!" That didn't stop Rosalina from leaving the court, in faux pain. "Okay, sub!"
"I can play," volunteered Rinea, as she raised her hand; she saw herself as a worthy replacement for Rosalina.
"Is there...Nowi here?" asked Pit, looking around for Captain Falcon's girlfriend; the angel would eventually find her, as she raised her hand.
"Yep! Man in!" squealed Nowi, as a distraught Rinea watched as Nowi joined Team Ghirahim on the volleyball court.
"Pit, did you not hear me?" Rinea scolded the angel, who pretended that he couldn't hear nor see Rinea on the sidelines.
"I don't hear cheaters, tramps, or women who break my friend's best friend's heart," replied Pit as Rinea furrowed her brow, bewildered by what the angel meant. "Let's go!"
Mario was going over ideas with Lucario and Meta Knight at the picnic table, with Impa and Lana listening along with the conversation. Impa was interested in seeing how Mario could save Lucario and Meta Knight's butts more than anything else.
"You could-a do a movie...sort of thing," Mario suggested to Lucario and Meta Knight, as if they had the necessary equipment for making such a movie. Threat Level: Twilight was honestly the first thing that came to mind.
"You could do Back to the Future!" Lana suggested to Lucario and Meta Knight, as she recalled watching the 80s film some time ago while staying up past midnight in Mario's living room. "You can do this thing where Master Hand and Crazy Hand go back in time...and fix their parents."
"Master Hand and Crazy Hand don't have parents, Lana..." Impa informed the bluenette, downplaying an already strange idea. "Also, where are you going to find a Delorean? Cars like those don't grow on trees."
"Okay then, how about...Jaws! Master Hand and Crazy Hand are swimming through the ocean, and they terrorize the whole community. Along with that tune. Mas-ter, Mas-ter, Mas-ter..."
"Hate to burst your bubble...but Master Hand and Crazy Hand aren't here," Meta Knight told Lana, who apparently didn't know about this until now. She was beginning to wonder why she, Impa, and Linkle had yet to be harassed.
"Fine then...it'll be Mario doing the swimming! Ma-rio, Ma-rio, Ma-rio, Ma-rio...nah, that doesn't sound nearly as catchy."
"I'll come up with-a something soon," Mario assured Lucario and Meta Knight, as he had heard enough of Lana's interesting suggestions. Time was of the essence - Mario knew he had to think of something soon.
Tom Nook was out playing volleyball, playing with his team - Team Nook. Team Nook had scored a victory, and was one step closer towards facing Team Ghirahim.
"Nicely done, everyone," Tom Nook said to his teammates, before seeing Ghirahim smirking away from the distance. "We're going to crush your squad, Ghirahim!"
"Yes we are!" shouted Master Kogha, who was on Team Nook, as he struck a pose. Said pose was meant to taunt Ghirahim, but it did nothing but make Kohga look foolish.
"You suckers are goin down!" vowed Pit, as he pointed at all the members of Team Nook. "We're gonna wipe your butts with our serves! Pee all over your faces!"
"Okay, Pit, relax buddy!" Cortex said to the angel, who was sticking his tongue at Team Nook. "Now's not the time for any unnecessary trash talk..."
"Ah, this reminds me of the scientist convention last fall," Dr. Wily said to Tails, as he and the yellow fox watched Pit spanking his butt in front of Team Nook. "Lots of fun memories..."
"Oh yeah, with Dr. Light and Professor Sycamore!" responded Tails, as Cortex was forced to drag the still taunting Pit away from Team Nook. "That was hilarious. Really funny."
Berkut was still speaking with Sonic, learning about the ins and outs of repairing a broken relationship, or in this case, a marriage. The paladin never knew that Sonic of all people had some wisdom on the subject.
"So how does it work?" Berkut asked Sonic, inquiring about couple's counseling and how effective it really was. "It's like, you know, the action of talking to a third party breaks up the log jam, or..."
"You're really there to talk to each other," explained Sonic, recollecting his past experiences from couple's counseling - the good and the bad. "I would say that the therapist is more of a facilitator. He might start by asking each of you some silly question, like, 'Why do you think you're here?'"
Sonic: Amy and I were on the "young side" back then, so we had to get couple's counseling that was fitting for our age group. And let me tell ya, it was the WORST!
Team Ghirahim was back on the field, going against Team DK. If they won the game, they had the right to play Team Nook in the volleyball finals.
"Listen everyone, one more point and we play Team Nook," Ghirahim said to his teammates, before play resumed. Once Donkey Kong sent the ball over to Team Ghirahim, Roy hit the ball right back, sending it past Donkey Kong.
"Alright!" Roy pumped his fist, as Cortex ran up to Ghirahim and gave him a hug. Roy saw this, giving a cheeky smile. "Settle down fellas..."
"Good game!" Ann said to her teammates, with the sweet taste of victory on her lips.
With the help of Mario, Lucario and Meta Knight were ready to make their presentation, which was a sketch of sorts. Tom Nook stood at the front of the mansion on a stage, where everyone was gathered.
"Welcome to the first-ever Smash Mansion and Assist Tower Picnic, everybody," Tom Nook greeted the crowd, as he spoke into a microphone. "Thanks for being here. Now, a couple of residents, and Mario, have volunteered to entertain us with a song."
"Uh, it's a sketch now," Meta Knight shouted to Tom Nook, from behind some trees that he and Lucario were hiding behind.
"Okay, introducing Lucario and Meta Knight of the Smash Mansion, and Mario. I have not seen this." There was some applause, as Tom Nook went to his seat.
"And now, presenting..." said Mario, not calling for a forced drumroll like Master Hand would, as he, Meta Knight, and Lucario appeared from behind the trees and onto the stage.
"Smashdog Millionaire!" Mario, Lucario, and Meta Knight both exclaimed at the same time, with Lucario and Meta Knight emitting the same amount of fake excitement. They couldn't even force themselves to smile.
"I feel like they're internally dying from the inside," Cloud murmured to Link, with Meta Knight imitating the Who Wants To Be a Millionaire theme music as he and Lucario both sit in folding chairs.
"Are you ready to play Smashdog Millionaire?" Mario asked Lucario and Meta Knight, with Lucario turning around and looking into the crowd; to the aura Pokemon's surprise, nobody was laughing at him.
"Yes, we are," nodded Meta Knight, already wanting this whole sketch to be over with. Perhaps consulting Mario wasn't the best idea...
"For one hundred dollars, where did Master Hand meet-a Crazy Hand? A.) On easy street, B.) a tour of Subspace College, C.) they never met, D.) brushing their teeth?"
"I'm going to say...B, tour of Dartmouth College," guessed Lucario, and the aura Pokemon was right as Mario gave him a thumbs up.
"That is correct!" Mario, Lucario, and Meta Knight ran to another side of the stage, ready to act out another scene. "How did-a you know that?!" Mario pantomimed electrocuting Lucario, as Lucario played along.
"Ahhhh! I was there! Ahhh! I was a tour guide at Subspace College!" Lucario was fake screaming in pain, selling his imaginary pain by shaking violently.
Cloud: Gotta give credit where it's due...Mario successfully got Lucario and Meta Knight to do something remotely fun. He won't have much success with me anytime soon, I can guarantee you that...
"Nice campus. Think you'll get in?" Lucario, who was pretending to be Master Hand.
"Yeah, I'm definitely getting in," replied Meta Knight, who was pretending to be Crazy Hand. "I'm a shoo-in."
"I'm Master Hand." Lucario held out his hand to Meta Knight, who shook it.
"And I'm Crazy Hand." Taking a pause, Lucario and Meta Knight looked at the crowd for a response of any kind. "Ah, okay." Both Lucario and Meta Knight ran back to their chairs.
"Tabuu had a great-a life," Mario said to Lucario and Meta Knight, continuing the Smashdog Millionaire skit. "But unfortunately, had undiagnosed depression, which over nine-a million Americans suffer from and is very treatable. For two hundred and fifty dollars, how did he try to kill-a himself before banishing himself to Subspace? A.) A rope, B.) a knife, C.) a gun, D.) brushing his teeth!"
"Two hundred and fifty dollars is more money than I've ever seen in my life," remarked Meta Knight, before he was about to provide his answer. "I will say, C, a gun. He tried to shoot himself in the head."
"That is correct!" Mario held out his hand to Meta Knight for a high five and Meta Knight, rather begrudgingly, high-fived it.
Doc Louis: I usually don't enjoy the theater, but this is delightful.
"The economic downturn has been-a difficult recently, forcing the closures of many places in Seattle, to be followed soon-a by what other venue?" Mario asked the question, with Lucario and Meta Knight paying close attention for the answers. "For five-hundred thousand-a dollars, is it A.) the Space Needle, B.) the Assist Tower, C.) the Seattle Public Library, or D.) toothbrush!"
"I will say B, the Assist Tower," answered Lucario, as the denizens from the tower were looking at each other, rightfully confused. "Final answer."
"That is correct!" Soon there was a lot of murmurings among the crowd, as the tower denizens were worried.
"What is he talking about?" Shovel Knight asked over the murmurs, as Mario was now pantomiming biting off Lucario's fingers.
"How did-a you know that?!" As Mario continued his pantomime, Lucario saw the crowd and how distressed those from the tower were.
"Uh, I heard about it from Tom Nook," replied Lucario, as Tom Nook suddenly found himself in the hot seat with those from the tower turning their attention towards the tanoki.
"Tom Nook, is this true?" Lyn asked the taooki, who was acting all fidgety as he twiddled with his fingers. Not even Isabelle could bail him out.
"Uh, okay everyone, we're at a picnic today..." replied Tom Nook, with the murmurings now turning into commotion. Everybody wanted to know what was up.
"Are we moving out of the tower or not, Tom Nook?" Shovel Knight asked the taooki, not wishing to be evicted; like the others, the knight enjoyed staying at the tower.
"They didn't know?" Linkle whispered to Impa and Lana, the three ladies from Hylia having front row seats. Impa saw the dissent taking place, with the tower denizens asking Tom Nook all sorts of questions.
"I guess not..." Impa whispered back, before looking onstage and seeing Mario frightened by the mayhem he had caused. "...Mario sure let the cat out of the bag."
"I'm sorry, this certainly wasn't the time or the place to announce this sort of thing," Tom Nook addressed the crowd, commanding their attention as he stood up. "But there have been talks about closing down the Assist Tower."
"What for, what's the big deal?" questioned Barbara, as she and the other tower denizens were demanding answers from Tom Nook.
"We're behind on the tower's rent...or rather, Crazy Hand is. Master Hand claims that Crazy Hand rarely paid the rent anyways, and he's not here to pay it, so...yeah. Just like Master Hand, he hasn't answered the phone since he left, so contacting him is a pain in the butt."
"You've got to be kidding me!" shouted Knuckle Joe, as the other tower denizens were making their shouts of protest. "You've got to be kidding me! We're the best tower in Seattle! I can't believe it." Mario, Lucario, and Meta Knight awkwardly left the stage, seeing what they've inadvertently started.
Tom Nook was incensed with Mario and company, after the three broke the bad news. The tanoki and Isabelle spoke with the three at the side of the mansion.
"How could you possibly think that the right way to announce a tower closing was in a comedy sketch at today's picnic?" Tom Nook questioned Mario, Lucario, and Meta Knight, with Isabelle keeping him in check so he wouldn't get too angry.
"Well...we didn't know they didn't know," Lucario defended himself, although it wasn't enough; Tom Nook pinched the crown of his nose, as he shook his head.
"What about the fact that they're here today? What about that? That didn't throw up any alarms? No, Mario needed a little bit for his comedy sketch, and he thought, 'oh, this would be really funny.'"
"Thank you," Mario thanked Tom Nook, nodding his head towards the tanoki. The plumber could afford all the kind remarks he could get.
"Dang it, Mario, I told you that in confidence. Now Isabelle and I have to go over and deal with those from the tower, all by ourselves. The Squid Sisters literally asked me if their grandfather would be able to visit them in Seattle for Christmas!"
"Well, they're just thinking about their own gifts," said Meta Knight, making the assertion that Marie and Callie were both pretentious. Tom Nook groaned, as he and Isabelle walked away.
There was now an awkward vibe at the picnic, with the tower denizens worried about their future living prospects in Seattle. Despite all that was going on, there was still a volleyball tournament to finish.
"Maybe we shouldn't play due to the circumstances," Wii Fit Trainer suggested to her fellow Team Ghirahim members, wondering how Ghirahim felt. But Ghirahim wasn't going to let some bad news bring him down.
"People need volleyball now more than ever," said Ghirahim, who was more upbeat compared to his fellow tower residents.
"How do you figure?" Ann asked Ghirahim, who made a quick, condescending glare towards Tom Nook. The tanoki was on the phone, trying to contact Crazy Hand.
"Because if we don't play, then the other team wins. Can't let Tom Nook get his way!"
"Ghirahim's right - Tom Nook deserves to get his butt kicked," agreed Roy, as he now shared the same disdain for Tom Nook that Ghirahim had. "Let's do this!"
Berkut went back to speaking with Sonic, for he had a few things to share with the hedgehog. The more the paladin learned about couple's counseling, the more receptive he was to it.
"If she can just agree to do couple's counseling, it would be so huge for our marriage," Berkut said to Sonic, now fully committed to getting back on the same page with Rinea.
"Well, what are you looking for?" asked Sonic, asking a question that got Berkut to think.
"What do you mean? Am I supposed to be looking for something in particular?"
"I mean, what's the end goal? It must be really hard for her to try and not be unhappy if you're just gonna do the same old stuff you did before."
"That's kind of an impossible question."
Sonic: Phew...who knew that giving relationship advice could be so tiring? I know I'm speaking from experience, but man...Berkut makes it too hard. No wonder he and Rinea haven't gotten along as of late.
Team Ghirahim was playing against Team Nook, and Ghirahim really wanted a win. Not just for his team, or for himself...but for the tower denizens who were all being evicted soon.
"Fox, come on!" Ghirahim shouted at the pilot, who scored a point as he sent the ball flying over the net. Team Ghirahim cheered.
"Look who just woke up!" exclaimed Master Kohga, laughing deviously as he scored on the very next play. Used his athleticism to good use. "I've been up for a while."
"It's six to six..it's a nail-biter," stated Lloyd, keeping up with the score, before the ball struck the swordsman in the face.
"Lloyd! Now it's seven-six," Rinea scolded the swordsman, as she stood at the sidelines watching the volleyball game. "Or is that too much counting for you?"
"Here's a counting question for you: what does one wife minus one husband equal?" Pit asked Rinea, stepping closer to the noblewoman. "Answer: one broken marriage!"
"Okay, knock it off, Pit!" Brio told the angel; little did Pit know that he was representing both Cortex and Brio on the volleyball court. Jawing with the spectators was a bad look.
"What? She is sitting there, casting aspersions..."
"Pit, please. I am asking nicely...leave it alone!"
In his talking head segment earlier, Sonic admitted that giving relationship advice was "exhausting". Little did he know that Mitsuru thought the same thing, as the hedgehog encountered the young woman.
"That was exhausting..." Mitsuru said to Sonic, who approached the picnic table that the young woman was sitting at. "...having to give Rinea romantic advice."
"Blah blah blah blah...had to do the same thing with Berkut," responded Sonic, glad that Berkut finally left him alone. The hedgehog thought he was gonna lose it.
"Well, they deserve each other, then."
"They do. That they do..."
The volleyball game between Team Ghirahim and Team Nook continued, with both teams playing in a fierce competitive battle. Given how high the competitiveness was, there was always a high risk of injury...
"I got it!" shouted Krystal as she ran for the ball, only to fall and trip on the ground. The vixen yelped in pain, as Fox and a few others came over to check on her.
"You all right?" Fox asked his wife, seeing that Krystal was clutching her ankle. Krystal tried to get up, only to wince in pain. "Hey, easy, easy..."
"No, no, no, I'm fine." Krystal tried to put some weight on her ankle, but to no avail as it left her in even more pain. A few members of Team Nook were looking on, hoping that Krystal was fine.
"Woah, you might wanna get that looked at," Master Kohga said to Krystal, seeing how bad Krystal's ankle injury was. He couldn't see the vixen walking with the injury she sustained.
"No, no, it's fine, just give me a second," said Krystal, as she tried to stand up once more, only to fail once more. She should just give up.
"I don't know. Now is not a good time to be risking anything, especially in a picnic environment, you know? Safest thing to do is get that examined, right Tom Nook?"
"I see no other option," shrugged Tom Nook, as he sided with Master Kohga...and that got Fox all suspicious for no reason.
"All right, you know what?" frowned Fox as he confronted Tom Nook and Master Kohga, standing behind the volleyball net. "You're just trying to get rid of our best player."
"Ahem!" Ann shouted from behind Fox, having to give the pilot a brief reminder.
"Okay...one of our best players. Don't think I can't see through your evil plan!"
"Oh, Fox, you're putting a volleyball game in front of your wife's health..." Master Kohga shook his head at the pilot, wondering where his priorities were at.
"Look, seriously, I can move it fine," assured Krystal as she slowly stood up, now limping on one foot. "Come on, let's go, it's our ball. Let's go!
"Yeah, I don't think we can let you play with that foot."
"Tell you what..." Falco came over to Fox, whispering in his friend's ear. "...there's that small hospital a few kilometers east of here. Get her back as soon as possible. I'll take your spot; Ghirahim and I will stall 'em."
"I guess that's it for you, Fox," Master Kohga said to the pilot, figuring that he wouldn't want to play volleyball anymore with his wife injured.
"Alright, you know what?" said Fox as he picked up Krystal, carrying her off the volleyball court. "Let's do this!"
"We'll be back!" Krystal assured the others as she was carried away. Once Fox and Krystal were gone, it was time for Falco to stall...
"Oh man, I am so mad that Krystal got hurt!" growled Falco, showing his inner frustration as he grabbed the nearby volleyball. "Argh! Rrrraah!" The avian pilot angrily kicked the ball, sending it deep into the woods. "I'll get it."
Away from the picnic festivities, Mario took some time to reflect on the sketch he did with Lucario and Meta Knight, and the controversy that ensued. Impa, Lana, and Linkle were all with the plumber.
"Probably shouldn't have-a mentioned the Assist Tower," said Mario, with a heavy amount of regret; he knew he should've done more planning.
"Hindsight...hindsight is always key, Mario," Impa told the plumber, lamenting the fact that she had to offer the plumber words of advice. "Never do anything on a whim."
"How do you think it went-a before the tower thing?" Mario asked Impa and company, wanting their honest thoughts; any critical comments were completely welcome.
"I think it went well," replied Lana, offering her honest thoughts - although Mario believed that the bluenette wasn't honest enough. "I think it was good."
"There weren't any laughs," stated Impa, who felt bad for Mario, Lucario, and Meta Knight in a way - a very strange way. "Hardly anyone was smiling."
"No, it was a tough audience," said Linkle; she wanted to laugh, but not at the risk of being the only one doing so. Would've been awkward. "Guess the material didn't connect with them."
"Yeah, but we wrote-a the sketch specifically for this audience," said Mario, wondering where things went wrong with the sketch - aside from the tower issue. "Believe me, I have seen a lot of tough-a audiences in my time, and that was one of them."
"Well, I'm glad you did it, and you didn't fail," Impa said to Mario, having to give the plumber some credit for giving his full effort. "In a catastrophic way, I mean..."
Impa: Mario still has some to learn...but he's still very much a work in progress. He's willing to learn. Which in itself is a good thing. Complacency can kill.
Fox was at the hospital with Krystal, who was having her ankle inspected by a nurse. The ankle injury Krystal sustained was so severe, not even Leia could remedy it.
"Yeah, she's with the nurse right now, so you'll have to stall a little longer," said Fox as he was on the phone in the room, speaking with Falco. "No, don't send in the subs yet...Falco, I don't know. Think of something!"
"To be safe, we should do an x-ray," the nurse suggested to Krystal, as she took a gander at Krystal's ankle. It was twisted pretty badly.
"How long will that take?" Krystal asked the nurse, as she and Fox couldn't afford to stay at the hospital for a long period of time.
"Oh, shouldn't be too bad, it's a slow day. So, no other radiation this year, no metal plates, no chance you're pregnant..."
"I'm sorry, can we just hurry this up? I've got a game to get back to."
"Oh good, because my next question was 'do you have a game to get back to.'"
It was now time for Impa, Lana, and Linkle to leave, as they had some important business to take care of back in Hyrule. Although she didn't spend as much time as she wanted to with the three ladies from Hyrule, Peach went to go see them off with Mario.
"What'd you think?" Linkle asked Peach about Mario's sketch; given that Peach was Mario's husband and all, the princess would most likely give a politically correct response.
"I loved it," replied Peach - she gave the kind of answer that Impa expected. "You know, there was a part near the end that seemed like that went on a little long, but...yeah."
"Well you guys should hit the road-a before...I close down another tower," Mario said to Impa and company, as Impa let out a slight chuckle. It honestly warmed up Mario's heart, seeing Impa showing a hint of emotion.
"Okay. So good to see you," Impa said to Mario and Peach, as she, Lana, and Linkle made their leave as they walked away.
"Good-a to see you. Take-a care on the way back home!"
Nearby, Tom Nook was having a word with Lucario and Meta Knight. The tanoki was very disappointed with the two.
"I discussed the tower's mortgage with Isabelle, and it was supposed to be a private discussion," Tom Nook said to Lucario and Meta Knight, who were both feeling very ashamed. "So how did you find out? Someone told you?"
"Someone might've told us," replied Meta Knight; he would reveal the person's identity, but he decided against it.
"Not only that, but Mario told me that bringing up the mortgage during the sketch was your idea. I haven't even told him about the mortgage."
"I'm afraid that is correct, Tom Nook," replied Lucario, bracing himself for whatever punishment he and Meta Knight would face.
"I see...so, Meta Knight, care to tell me who told you and Lucario this confidential information?" Tom Nook turned his attention towards Meta Knight, who was doing his best to keep his lips pursed.
"I would tell you who it was...but they want to keep their identity secret," replied Meta Knight, as he left Tom Nook mildly disappointed. "But we spoke with the person earlier, and they said they regretted telling us such sensitive info."
"Well, even if you told me who this eavesdropper was, it still won't atone for your sketch. So I have no choice but to end both of our candidacies. Oh, what a shame..."
"We sure let him down..." Lucario said to Meta Knight with a sigh, watching as Tom Nook walked away. A double elimination...who knew that was coming?
Tom Nook: Some good news - I just got off the phone with Master Hand (first time I've spoken with him since he left), and he told me that Crazy Hand had already paid the tower's mortgage. Took care of the problem just a few days ago. So the folks at the tower are staying. Still, that doesn't excuse how the sketch turned out. So many folks were on edge...they even wanted to cut off my head! Lucario and Meta Knight, they should've known better...thought I could trust them.
Team Nook and Team Ghirahim had yet to finish their volleyball game, for Team Ghirahim had yet to put in some subs. Ghirahim wanted to keep playing, but Falco discouraged him.
"Falco, come on now, it's time to put in the subs," Ghirahim said to the avian pilot, as he was waiting to put a wrap to the volleyball tournament with a sound victory.
"Yeah, it looks like Krystal won't make it back," said Master Kohga, as all the other volleyball players were getting restless. Seeing the restlessness on the volleyball court, Falco threw his arms up in defeat.
"Okay, fine..." sighed Falco, picking up the volleyball as he was ready to resume play - only to hold the volleyball close to his chest. "...except, you know what? It's not fine. How many people need to get hurt before we learn a valuable lesson? One? Two? Three? Four?"
"Falco..." Cortex frowned at the avian pilot, wanting to resume the volleyball game just like everyone else.
"No, no, hear me out. Five? Six?"
"Falco!" Tom Nook shouted at the avian pilot, getting tired of his shenanigans.
"Seven? Can I finish please? Eight?
Fox was back on the phone with Falco, after Falco was unable to stall the volleyball game. The phone call took place in the middle of the hallway at the hospital, while Krystal was in a private room.
"Oh, Falco, we're so close! Just buy us a few more minutes..." Fox spoke with Falco on the phone, before he saw a doctor beckoning to him. "...well, they just called me in for an update, so I'll call you right back...okay...okay, great.
Fox went into the private room where Krystal and the doctor were. Although the cameraman from the documentary crew wasn't allowed inside the room, he still got a glimpse through the open window. Inside the private room, the doctor was seemingly telling some good news to Fox and Krystal, who were left in shock as they embraced with a hug. Once the hug ended, Fox happily ran back into the hallway, and called Falco.
"Hey, Falco, uh...send in the subs!" Fox said into the phone, voice trembling with emotion as he laughed. Fox then ran back inside the room, to hug Krystal once more.
Looks like someone is...expecting. Huge news for Fox and Krystal.
