Round 1: Robin vs. Shulk
Robin's match graphic appeared first, using a wavy circular gesture to levitate a lightning tome and his Levin sword. A montage of his greatest moments from the last tournament played quickly, including receiving a silver medal.
Next, Robin was in the now-infamous interview chair.
"So… what do you think of fighting Shulk?" asked Nikki from off-camera.
Robin grinned. "I've always found him to be quite interesting, seeing the future and all. He's proven to be a great asset to Smash, and I'm happy to face him in the ring."
"Now," Nikki began, suddenly sounding deadly serious, "Critics are no doubt wondering if you will be able to achieve the heights you were able to achieve in the last tournament, being the runner-up."
Robin paused, hanging his head in thought, before looking back up at Nikki.
"The danger of a Smash tournament is that, after enough wins, you begin to think you're the best at your craft. The smartest, the most powerful. But then I met Cloud. His ability as a tactician can be debated. Mine often is. But what can't be debated is raw power. And we've got that in spades this time. Sephiroth, the devil brothers, I could go on. I've even heard murmurings that Sans is powerful when he cares. I will not be caught off guard this time, in short. I cannot afford to."
"I would ask who you're looking forward to fighting, but who you listed about covers it right?"
Robin nodded.
"Alright, that's it," Nikki stated
The silver-haired mage nodded once again as the camera cut.
Shulk cycled through the different strengths of Monado, causing a flash of colors to erupt. Shulk's interview had come.
"So, what do you think of Robin?" Nikki asked.
Shulk smiled brightly, "He's swell! Him and Lucina are so good together. I hope I'm half the man to Fiora he is to Lucy."
Nikki stifled a snort, "She'll kill you once she hears you called her that."
"Oh I know, her chain's too fun ta yank," Shulk winked.
"We went through this last time, but I have to ask, are you looking forward to fighting anyone?"
Shulk's answer was emphatic.
"Nope! You know me, gettin' to learn Smash Tech and all that were the reasons why I signed on. I keep meanin' to retire with Fiora to some island somewhere with the winnings, but bein' an admin is how boss man convinced me to come back."
Nikki laughed unrestrained this time, "Alright, thanks for your time."
"No problem mate!" waved Shulk as he walked off camera.
"Shulk's just a kid. Now Robin, on the other hand, he's a champion!" ranted Cranky.
9-Volt sighed, "Joining us now is Futaba, who we gave this match off to spare Cranky's raving to the contrary!"
"And I thank you so much for that," Futaba sighed, "Alright, Robin's picking up the duke this time boys."
"Alright, let's throw it down to…"
To the shocked gasps of the audience, green pulses of energy erupted from the sky, slamming down on the AstroTurf and metal duality that was the floor of Smash Stadium. From the sky floated down a mysterious hooded man, tome encapsulated by green energy open in his hand. As realization dawned, the members of the audience began to chant for Robin. When the cloaked figure landed, he removed his cloak to reveal it was in fact, Robin. The squeals of young women punctured the air as he sheepishly waved to the crowd to the opening symbol taps of the Fire Emblem theme.
"Robin's skills make me able to overlook the fact that he's an anime sword boy, but sometimes the patience is tested," Cranky admitted.
As Robin stood in his space in the arena, a high-energy rock song played as Shulk jogged out to the center of Smash Stadium, Monado sheathed on his back.
"This is Mechanical Rhythm. Some say it isn't the theme of Xenoblade, but it is in my heart damnit," shouted 9-Volt.
As soon as Shulk reached the middle point of the stadium, Mills Frames appeared between the two.
"The following contest is a Round 1 match in the Super Smash Bros Ultimate Tournament. The winner will face Pacman in Round 2. Introducing in the corner to my left, he comes to us from the Fire Emblem universe. He was the runner-up in the Duel tournament, he is The Tactician Magician, he is ROBIN!"
Robin whipped out his lightning tone to threateningly summon sparks, to which Shulk only laughed.
"Introducing in the corner to my right. He comes to us from the Xenoblade universe. He is The Visionary, he is SHULK!" Mills announced.
Shulk pumped his fist in the air, "NOW IT'S SHULK TIME!" he cheered, most of the crowd following along with him.
"Now guys," Mills said, "You know the rules if Robin wins the coin toss…"
Shulk blinked, holding his hand out, "Which I'm going to lose. I differ the coin toss to you."
As the inhabitants of the Smashers' Box clamored about yet another differed coin toss, Sans chortled, "Man I need to take that kid to the craps table when we're off the clock."
"I heard that," teased Quinn, shouting it loud enough so the entire room could hear.
Wario sighed, "We've-a all tried-a. He absolutely refuses."
Bayonetta sighed as well, "Even refused at gunpoint," she remembered.
"Shit," Wolf groaned, fishing in his pocket for a cigarette, "With all those morals, he may be a bigger wuss than McCloud."
"I heard that!" snapped Fox.
"Wolf, if you light that in here you're going to wish Bayonetta would have blown your brains out last tournament," Peach snapped, before transitioning flawlessly to eerily cheery, "Pay attention everyone!"
The Smashers who'd been absorbed in conversation turned towards the TV screen. Colosseum was the stage, the Meeting Series Medley blared over the speakers, The "Go" command had been given. The match had begun.
The two Smashers had bolted at each other, Shulk gaining the advantage with a quick, wide side slash. However, Shulk often telegraphed his movements, both with exaggerated motions and screaming attacks. So Robin was able to narrowly avoid a Back Slash, getting in a quick cut of his own. However, Shulk took control of the momentum, suckering Robin in for a Back Slash. However, Shulk stayed in the pose a second too long, enough for Robin to throw a quick, exploding fireball, staggering the young man.
"And already Shulk is blinded!" Cranky shouted.
"How blind can you really be if you can see the future?" inquired 9-Volt.
Robin went in for a lunging blow. A blue aura slowed him down as Shulk appeared behind him, slicing him across the back, as the scruffy blond mopped the soot out of his eyes.
"Ha, told ya," snickered 9-Volt.
Another lunging blow was parried, followed by a quick horizontal slice and a Back Slash. Robin staggered backward, lying splayed out on the ground, his hand shuffling around in the many crevices of his cloak. His eyes were wide. The man was disoriented already.
The earth beneath them rumbled, as the platforms and obstacles of the Colosseum erupted from the sand and stone.
"SPEED!" declared Shulk.
Before Robin could even think of getting up, Shulk had already cleared his vulnerable form in a jump, slashing at the downed man. However, even scurrying up was not enough two jumping plunges, with Monado's blade of energy extended all the way was next on Robin's lists of trials. Even a fire spell did not keep the determined machinist away, as he mirrored Robin's jump to the mechanical platform.
"SMASH!" Shulk cried.
Eyes wide with horror, Robin ducked through the platform. The two charged one another again, this time Robin avoiding his opponent's wild slashes. As they stared each other down, Shulk hastily swiped a freshly spawned capsule from the floor, revealing a yet-to-bloom Healing Plant. Spiking the plant down cockily, its inviting green aura enveloped Shulk.
Robin glanced at his Smash communicator. Shulk's percentage began to tick down, while his was worryingly close to 100. Robin kept his face neutral.
When he looked up, Shulk held a Super Scope, primed and aimed to fire. Instinctively, Robin slammed the communicator's center button, activating a shield. His shield nearly evaporated, Robin briefly weighed the options in front of him. Tank a hit, or risk further shield degradation, and the stun state that a completely depleted one wrought.
Robin calculated the math in his head, his poker face briefly faltering. He could make this work.
With the supreme confidence of a man with nothing to lose, Robin dropped his shield, tanking the next hit.
99 percent, Robin confirmed as he silently launched through the air. He was in the Blast Zone now, its dark energy poking at him as if he'd fallen into a thorn bush.
Wait for it... thought Robin, a bead of cold sweat forming on his brow
100 percent.
From the Fairy Bottle hidden in his cloak, a fair burst out, healing him to zero.
As the Smashers clamored inside their staging area, Cranky Kong surmised the mood of the room, and likely the untold numbers in the stadium, "WHEN DID HE GET THAT!"
"I think…" 9-Volt said, "Yes! When he was messing around with his cloak earlier. He must've smuggled the bottle.
"Hey, we're going to replay, so if you guys could just hang out until I give the go-ahead that'd be awesome," came the voice of Sans in duplicate on Robin and Shulk's communicators.
"Yes sir," Robin agreed.
"I don't mind at all mate, that was top," Shulk laughed.
And so the replay the slow-mo replay confirmed, that after landing, Robin smuggled a fair bottle into his cloak.
"Championship level move right there!" cheered Cranky.
"And go," Sans commanded.
The two clashed swords in the still-active Healing Plant, a quick blast from the Super Scope stunning Robin only temporarily, the mage slashing the mechanic ever closer to the Blast Zone. Robin managed to roll behind the stock-ending blow. Shulk wheeled around, clashing swords with his adversary. Magical Levin and mechanical energy sword clashed as a Bomber spawned, completely unnoticed by them. Annoyed by the lack of attention, the sentient bomb erupted, burning both men. Despite both combatants hurdling towards the opposite blast zone, their swords remained interlocked.
Time seemed to slow for the former host of Grima. He saw his window to jump, attack, anything, pass.
"If I'm going down you're going down with me," Robin growled.
"Fair enough," chuckled Shulk.
And with that, both men lost their first stock.
Robin: 1
Shulk: 1
"Will we even get past square one?" wailed 9-Volt.
"With tacticians like these, it's entirely possible not," Cranky proclaimed, awe in his voice.
Shulk and Robin appeared on separate revival platforms, stepping off, and assuming combat positions as the grace period in it. Robin summoned his lightning tome Shulk leaped into the air for Back Slash. Robin hoped to charge the electricity, banking that Shulk was slow enough in the air to allow him to build to Thoron.
Unfortunately, Shulk had been a fraction of a second faster, as the beam clipped Robin's wrist. Shrinking back at the sudden pain, he was merely a target as Shulk jumped into the air again, striking down at his head, and then leaping into the air as he flew from the impact of the blow, slashing him again.
"SPEED!" he heard Shulk cry.
Robin cast a glance at his tome as he tumbled through the air. The ancient book still crackled with electricity.
The silver-haired mage grinned. He had a chance, he just had to wait to play his card.
Shulk caught him in mid-air with a simple slash, bolting across the battlefield to deliver another blow while he was still in the air. Robin attempted to jump up and away, but Shulk pointed the hilt up, the blade meeting him in the air. A Smoke Bomb fell from nowhere, and Shulk caught it, throwing it down. With a quick step backward, Robin stood in the center of the fumes. Charging the energy within his tome for the last bit of energy he needed, he stepped backward, out of the smoke. Shulk had blinded himself in tactical error, and he'd take advantage of it.
"THORON!"
Direct hit. The blonde slashed at the smoke. Robin briefly let the arrogant self-praise of how light his steps had been coming out of the smoke materialize and fade as he charged yet another blow.
"THORON!"
Another direct hit.
Running as fast as he could, Robin struck the unaware fighter with a Levin Sword blow. Reeling back, Robin put his whole strength into another blow with the Levin Sword. With a muffled cry of anguish, Shulk jutted from the smoke, into the Blast Zone.
GAME!
On the Smash Courtyard, Robin extended his left hand, book in his right, as if posed to do a spell.
"I'm always three steps ahead," Robin chuckled.
A splash screen cemented yet another winner.
ROBIN WINS
On the bottom screen, Shulk clapped, a bemused smile on his face. When his side of the screen became the full screen, Rita was next to him, microphone in hand, "Thoughts on...?"
"Bugger me," exclaimed Shulk, "Thought I almost 'ad him out there, but I messed up. The smoke clouded me so bad that I couldn't even think clearly enough to see the future. Well-deserved win, but I feel like there's a few more battles in me yet. Thanks for bringin' that out of me mate!"
As Shulk happily walked off camera, Rita beckoned, "Mister Zero, Robin, the floor is yours."
Now, all eyes were on Robin, and the loudly dressed man interviewing him, "Congrats on the big win champ, what's your strategy going into your battle with Pacman."
"He's as much a tactician as I am," Robin explained, "Pacman, you'd better bring all your eons of experience to the ring with you when we go head to head, because my round yellow friend, you're going to need them."
Nodding concludingly at Mister Zero, Robin walked up the tunnel. Immediately seeing Shulk come in the opposite door, the two jogged towards each other, embracing in a hearty handshake.
"Man, I'm really feelin' it!" Shulk proclaimed amidst the replies.
"I'm glad," Robin nodded approvingly.
Unclasping his hand from Shulk, he turned right into Lucina throwing her arms around him, pecking him with kisses.
"That was beyond incredible,"
"Yes, I agree," said Chrom, "A wonderful show of showmanship. I…"
"And you," Lucina suddenly interrupted pointing at Shulk, "Because you have earned the respect of my beloved, I will let your use of that accursed pet name go ignored, once.
"Ya don't have to tell me twice. Fiora told me about the time you an' her worked together in that Ouma nonsense. I know you aren't to be trifled with."
Just as Lucina nodded assuredly, while Robin snickered in the background, one voice overtook all others
"Alright everyone-a, next up is Duck Hunt Duo versus…which of you?" Mario asked as the Koopalings marched up to the front of the room in formation, hands over the shoulders of the Koopa in front of them.
"We choose Morton!" announced Bowser Junior.
"Heh heh, dat me," Morton chuckled, hands on his hips looking to the side in pure triumph.
"Of course that's you dumbass," snapped Wendy while Larry cackled, "Now go make bologna out of those mongrels."
"Hey! We take offense to-" Otis began before Mikey's wing bopped him on the head.
"Let's settle it in the ring old friend," he quacked.
Otis nodded, turning away from the grey Koopa as they headed down opposite tunnels.