Round 5

Red vs. Quinn: Bout 2

Smashers' Box

Rosalina stared at the screen before the Smashers in their suite. Both Red and Quinn stood silent. Red and Green stood lazily reclined against a wall, while Quinn and Ken meditated together.

"I wanna be, the very best, like no one ever was," the spectators in Smash Stadium sang so loudly that it vibrated the Smashers' Box's bay window.

"Hm," came a familiar grunt.

Rosalina winced. Lucario had moved to stand next to her without making a sound. But the cosmic wanderer welcomed the distraction.

Anything besides listening to a bunch of drunks chant a Pokemon song, she thought

"The crowd seems to be behind Red," Lucario said flatly, his arms crossed.

Jigglypuff floated up to them, an annoyed expression as she floated in the air,

"They're rooting for Quinn to lose, and over what? ? Some online rumors?" huffed the Balloon Pokemon.

"So it would seem," Lucario nodded, "And yet, I cannot detect a change in either of their Aura. I would expect this from Red."

"If everything's on the up and up Aura-wise," Sly Cooper asked, darting into the conversation, "Then what was that pre-match promo about?"

Jigglypuff giggled, "Green talked Red into playing for the camera definitely."

"What's most surprising is Quinn," Lucario stated, "His Aura used to flash all colors of the rainbow at any given moment, but now he has achieved inner peace."

Rosalina nodded, "I'm glad he chose a disciple of Shotokan in there with him and not me. I'd certainly make him nervous with my fretting."

"Hey, having Daisy in there helped me," Luigi said from a few feet behind them, Daisy shooting him a warm smile.

"You've thrived off of each other's energy since you first locked eyes," Rosalina rolled her visible eye, "Quinn and I are like oil and water sometimes."\

"Nah, you guys have been bouncing off of each other way better lately, at least since Quinn fought Akuma. You guys aren't idiots, ya learn stuff," Daisy insisted.

Just as Rosalina began to ponder her long time friend's words, the voice of Mills Frames echoed through the arena.

We will be immediately heading to the next bout," the voice of Mills Frames boomed from every sound system in the building "The first stage is Hyrule Temple 64, but the second is a mystery."

Ken and Green offered their final hushed advice as the two fighters disappeared.

Stage:Hyrule Temple 64/?

Rules: Best of 3, 3-stock, items high

Music: Overworld Theme (Legend of Zelda) (64)/?

3

Quinn strode onto the stage as he had before, finding Squirtle waiting for him

2

Squirtle stretched his tiny legs, Quinn mirrored the gesture.

1

Red's grip tightened around the pokeball in his hand, the rubber squelching against the metallic ball.

GO!

While Quinn charged, Squirtle struck the pose that meant a blast of Water Gun was coming. Unfortunately for the tiny turtle, Quinn bridged the gap faster than expected, launching with a running kick into Squirtles chest. As Quinn touched down on the edge of the temple roof, Squirtle confidently spun through the air, landing within striking distance.

"RAPID SPIN!" ordered Red.

Squirtle once again launched into the air, retreating into his shell and spinning. What felt like a million rock-hard impacts stunned Quinn, the Mii fighter forced to slump against the step to the green part of the roof.

"Wait," Cranky asked as Squirtle peppered Quinn with dropkicks, "There's a difference between Withdraw and Rapid Spin?"

"Well yeah, but…" 9-Volt stammered.

"See, this is why fanfiction was less complicated in my day. Because you were telling the story of a ,character who could do two things, move and jump."

"Ha! That's a new one!" 9-Volt laughed, "I bet Quinn wishes he was in a fic with all the kicks he's taking!"

Squirtle's final dropkick sent Quinn up and over the step. When Squirtle joined him, he was met by yet another running jump kick. Squirtle bobbled through the air much less confidently than he did before. Quinn cast a quick glance over to Red as he silently swapped Squirtle for Ivysaur. If the sudden change in the confidence of his youngest ward had shaken him, he didn't show it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Quinn saw the familiar flash of an item spawning behind him. Lazily marching rubber soles indicated it was a Bomber. Like a hockey goalie, Quinn kept his body between Ivysaur and the Bomber.

"What are they doing?" growled Cranky, "Just do a move!"

"They don't want to make the Bomber explode!" 9-Volt insisted,

Ivysaur's vines suddenly jutted forth, grabbing Quinn by the wrist and pulling him close.

"See?" Cranky explained, "That's just what I wanna see from these 90s game twerps, basic problem solving!"

Ivysaur tossed Quinn up, causing the Mii to wince instinctively. Whether Bullet Seed or Stun Spore was in his future, it wouldn't be good. The hesitation was all Ivysaur needed, jumping into the air and delivering Stun Spore. The thick cloud snapped Quinn out of it, leaving him clearheaded enough to deliver a diving kick, sending both fighters back to the ground.

"Quick thinking by Quinn!" announced 9-Volt.

Quinn grabbed the Bomber, holding it aloft. A light flashed as soon as he did. Where Ivysaur once stood, now Charizard leered down at him. His gigantic wings struck Quinn, bouncing him off the step and into the air. Charizard followed, pelting him with a jet of flame on the way down.

The world froze as the wick of the Bomber was lit.

"Brace yourself Charizard!" called Red

And with that, the two opponents were jetted in separate directions by an explosion. Quinn was flung clear across the arena, while Charizard lazily corrected course, flapping his wings in the air until he touched solid ground

Quinn's pained expression exploded into a manic smile as soon as an item spawned closer to him.

"A Rage Gun!" called 9-Volt.

Cranky cackled mischeviously, "This should be fun."

Quinn grabbed the gun mid-run in a single sweeping motion. Red energy seeped from the chamber. Charizard flew up to meet Quinn on the stage's center, but it made him an easy target for the first Rage Gun blast. The winged lizard narrowly dodged the second and third with quick pivots of his belly. Before Quinn could ready a fourth, Quinn found himself tossed over the beast's shoulders, and into the stage's infamous tornado!

"Hah!" Cranky cheered, "A tale as old as time."

Charizard watched Quinn spiral to the air, huffing as the scrappy Mii recovered.

"Get ready for it!" shouted Red.

Charizard zipped into position, squatting as Quinn landed.

"He's measuring his man for the signature Flare Blitz!"

Sure enough, as soon as Quinn landed, Charizard erupted into a horizontal spire of fire. Quinn readied the Rage Gun and fired. The fire immediately dissipated and Charizard was sent flying.

"WHAT?" 9-Volt gasped as Quinn bolted to meet Charizard.

"Brilliant," hooted Cranky as Charizard lumbered into the stage's gazebo structure, "The Flare Blitz party is over."

Quinn scoffed as Quinn lobbed the gun at Charizard as many times as he could, "In that specific instance. He got lucky."

"I like these kids with their stupid memes get their dreams crushed," Cranky said matter-of-factly as the Rage Gun sailed over Charizard's shoulder and into the abyss, "Can you at least let me have that?"

A single straight punch knocked Charizard into the Blast Zone!

Red: 2

Quinn: 3

Quinn hunched over, catching his breath, but that was the opportunity Squirtle needed to grab the rapidly falling pieces of The Day Breaker. Before Quinn could move, Squirtle had jumped down to the gazebo, firing the massive cannon, sending Quinn to the Blast Zone with ease!

Red: 2

Quinn: 2

As Quinn feltt to the ground, the world went white.

NEW STAGE: BOXING RING

Music: Stadium (Joy Mech Fight)

Quinn felt the instant relief of the stage of some of his greatest triumphs evaporate just quickly. The invincibility of the Revival Platform had gone away, and there was a huge lighting truss above him and Ivysaur. Quinn cast a quick glance to Red, who saw it too, judging by the grin on his face.

"Bullet Seed."

Ivysaur's pelted Quinn with his signature seedings, and with no hope of an upward exit, Quinn's damage percentage climbed in multiples of 10 faster than he could blink.

"Ivysaur," Red demanded, "Bring him down."

Once again, Ivysaur's vines wrapped around his wrists, slamming him down to the floor. Just as Quinn regained his bearings, he saw a Gust Bellows spawn behind Ivysaur. Bolting as fast as he could, he jumped over Ivysaur, the vines still hanging on. Fibers of the vine began to snap, and Ivysaur yowled in pain. The vines slinking off of him, Quinn grabbed the Gust Bellows, charging as he squeezed the mechanism that pushed Ivysaur further and further down the ramp, and eventually into the Blast Zone!

Red: 1

Quinn: 2

Squirtle immediately jumped from the Revival Platform. Unfortunately, Quinn was nearer to the Hammer that spawned directly underneath the turtle. Squirtle could only shut his eyes in resignation as Quinn began to swing the hammer wildly, three hits of the mighty mallet sending Squirtle to the top Blast Zone as quickly as he had appeared.

QUINN WINS BOUT TWO!

"I'll be my own uncle," Cranky muttered, "The kid squeaked one out. But he might have only delayed the inevitable as Charizard has a mightier Flare Blitz in his tool kit."

"For once Cranky, I agree," 9-Volt said, "And the fighters have a minute to ponder this, as whoever picks up the next win will go to Round 6!"