Smash Life Chapter 404: Episode 404: AreaZero, a super smash brothers fanfic

Author's Note:

Well now...that Wednesday projection never came to fruition, huh? Lesson of the day - never go out Christmas shopping during the week before Christmas. Nor attend holiday social events. I'm only kidding, of course.

As intended, Chapter 404 has much to do with the Indigo Disk DLC for Pokemon Scarlet/Violet. A lot of story beats in this one, so spoilers abound. Read at your own peril. Now as for where this leaves chapter 405...it'll be published on either Christmas Eve, or even Christmas Day! That means that I might have to do some writing on Christmas Eve...but it is what it is. Anyway, enjoy!

Episode 404: AreaZero

The teleportation device was among the finest inventions ever created under the mansion's roof. It was first created during the 2016 Summer Olympics so everyone could attend the games in Brazil - and it has come in clutch ever since then. Whether you needed to make a trip to Spatsville, or even rescue Donkey Kong while he was stuck in Japan, just ask Mega Man or his friends to boot up the teleportation device, and away you go.

Since the events of episode 389, however, the teleportation device has been out of commission. Master Xehanort put an absolute killing on it with X-blade, nearly getting away with destroying the machine entirely. In the wake of the destruction, it was up to Mega Man to repair the machine and get it back to working again.

When asked by Master Hand about when the reconstruction of the teleportation device would be finished, Mega Man said that the goal was to have things completed by the end of the year. Fast forward a couple of months later, and Mega Man and friends were well on their way to meeting their deadline. The repairs were all done today, and Mega Man wanted Master Hand and Isabelle to see the teleportation device up and running.

"Would ask you to close your eyes, but that'd be a stupid question to ask," Mega Man said to Master Hand, as he gingerly led the giant hand and Isabelle down the hallway. Isabelle had her eyes closed tight, with Mega Man holding her by the hand.

"It's okay, you can just pretend," Master Hane encouraged Mega Man, as the group soon arrived at the teleportation room. The big reveal was about to take place, and Master Hand couldn't wait.

"Alright, Isabelle, you can open your eyes...and uh, you too Master Hand." So Isabelle opened her eyes...as she and Master Hand were greeted by the sight of a newly repaired teleportation device. All the folks who helped Mega Man work on the machine throughout the year - X, Zero, .EXE, Volnutt, Geo Stelar, Proto Man, and Bass - were all standing by.

"Introducing...the new and improved teleportation device!" exclaimed Zero, with Master Hand and Isabelle both floored as the machine looked as good as new. "Okay, it's not exactly new and improved, but...only said that just for the hype."

Mega Man: I won't lie, there were times when I didn't feel like working on the teleportation device. There were also times when I felt like scrapping the device altogether! Thought that it felt like a giant cheat code to have. But then I thought, "No, Mega Man, you need this thing. You never know when you need to leave Geo Stelar at some deserted island and leave him stranded there forever." Because Lord knows how annoying that guy was during the whole repair process.

"The teleportation device looks amazing!" exclaimed Master Hand, even though the machine looked the same as it did before Master Xehanort went ham on it. "This is a superb Christmas gift."

"Took a lot of elbow grease to get it back to working, too," remarked Geo Stelar as he took out a large vat with a strange substance inside, dubiously called "elbow grease" as indicated by the name tag attached. "Any of you guys want some?"

"No thanks, we're good," replied Proto Man, and so Geo Stelar helped himself as he shrugged and ate a handful of the so-called elbow grease. Much to everyone's disgust.

"Are you planning on doing a test run with the teleportation device?" Isabelle asked Mega Man, who watched Geo Stelar eat his elbow grease before finding the willpower to look away from the sight.

"We plan on sending Bass down to Zimbabwe, to work out any kinks," explained Mega Man, as Bass overheard the blue bomber and became incensed. "If he makes it back alive without any trouble, then we're officially back in business."

"Why you little..." Bass seethed Mega Man before lunging at his rival, only to be held back by X and Volnutt. "...hold me back, hold me back!"

"Why do you want to be held back if you're that set on pummeling Mega Man?" X asked Bass, living up to his pacifist robot persona as he did a great job at keeping Bass in check.

"Maybe he's just confused," surmised Volnutt, as Bass was trying to break free from X and Volnutt. Ayaha Oribe, Master Hand's "other" assistant, appeared at the doorway.

"Master Hand, are you available?" Ayaha asked the giant hand, who was so busy admiring the completed teleportation device that he almost didn't hear Ayaha speaking to him. "A few visitors would like to see you..."

The holiday spirit had overtaken Omnis Adest, as everyone and their mom was gearing towards Christmas. Perhaps nobody was in the holiday spirit more than Gex, who was ringing a bell while standing next to a large red Salivation Army kettle. Did Gex acquire this kettle legally? Your guess was as good as anybody else's.

"Donate to the Salivation Army! Please donate!" Gex called out to folks passing by, as they all ignored the lizard's presence. Claude C. Kenny and Rena Lanford were a few of the folks who gave Gex the cold shoulder.

"Nobody cares, Gex," Claude said to the lizard as he walked past, wise enough to know that whatever funds were in the kettle wouldn't be donated to a worthy cause. Many inferred that Gex would keep the money raised all to himself.

"No need to be a grumpy elf this time of year," Gex scolded Claude, only to brighten up when Louie approached him. The perfect sucker. "Season's greetings, kind sir! Care to donate?"

"The Salivation Army, eh?" said Louie as he saw the Salivation Army kettle, before making his big contribution...by simply spitting a wad of saliva into the kettle. From the back of his throat, no less.

"...we accept donations of any kind, so your contributions will be appreciated. Happy holidays!" Gex rang his bell as Louie left, only to later grimace and shake his head. Seconds later, Kieran passed by. "Hey, kid - wanna donate?"

"Sorry, but I can't - I'm broke," Kieran kindly replied; rather than ambushing Kieran and running his pockets until he found some moolah, Gex kept his cool as he kept on ringing his bell.

Gex: Claiming that you're broke is the biggest lie that any Pokemon trainer can tell. You can't possibly tell me that you're dirt poor after spending your career kicking other trainers' butts and then taking their entire life allowance. It's impossible! My theory is that the kid spent his dough on rare candy, just to level up his strongest Pokemon. Or his favorite Pokemon - both are mutually exclusive. That is very justified behavior, in my opinion.

Kieran kept walking down the street, but then he saw something that caught his eye and brought him to a stop. A long distance from where he was was his older sister, Carmine, and she, along with Mario, was mingling with what appeared to be a masked Pokemon.

"Is that...Ogerpon?" Kieran crinkled his nose, before rubbing his eyes with his hands to ensure he wasn't seeing things. Once he took his hands away, the sight of Mario and Carmine with the Pokemon remained.

"Ogerpon? You mean the legendary Pokemon that resides in Kitakami?" a mysterious voice called out to Kieran, who assumed that this voice could only be heard in his consciousness. "The one associated with the Loyal Three?"

"Yeah, that's her! But...what the heck is she doing with Mario and Carmine?" Kieran had a lot of questions racing through his mind, and the mysterious voice speaking to him was kind enough to answer them.

"What's the matter? You didn't know? Those two were spending time with Ogerpon...and they never told you!"

"They were hanging out with Ogerpon, behind my back? And they never told me?" Kieran was greatly stunned by this revelation, eyes filled with horror.

"Indeed. When the Mario Bros came to your village to recruit you and your sister to Omnis Adest, Mario had an encounter with Ogerpon during the Festival of Masks. Carmine was there as well, as you can see."

"So Carmine got to meet Ogerpon, and kept it a secret from me..." Kieran was so upset, that he was clenching his fists tightly. He was ready to sucker punch somebody.

"She has kept it a secret for only a few months now." Soon Mario, Carmine, and Ogerpon vanished out of thin air, proving to be nothing more than a mirage. "That is what I wished to share with you."

"But why them? Why would Ogerpon choose them over me? I'm her biggest fan! I've always admired how strong and independent and..."

"The reason she chose Mario and your sister over you...is simply because you're not strong enough. She finds you weak."

"I'm not strong enough? Then I need...I need to become stronger." As Kieran said this, a dark corridor opened up in his midst, and that only meant trouble.

"You thirst for strength," the mysterious voice spoke to Kierian through the dark corridor, as Kierian cautiously looked around. "Follow me into this corridor, and you can find your treasure..."

Allured by the offer, Kieran cautiously approached the dark corridor before stopping as he thought things over. Then a second later, he bravely stepped through the dark corridor which closed afterward.

"Hehehe...that illusion worked like a charm," cackled a certain jackal, as Infinite descended to where Kieran once stood. Joining Infinite was Xigbar, who exited from a dark corridor.

"Sure did - now we gotta trust Xemnas and Ansem to handle the rest," Xigbar said with a smirk, tickled by how easy it was to lure Kieran in. "I'll go share the news with the boss man."

Dimentio was back at Omnis Adest, spying on Big and Cream at a playground while conducting a phone call. Big was pushing Cream on a swing, unaware of Dimentio spying from a far distance.

"You have a history with the mansion? Good to know!" Dimentio spoke into the phone, as a dark corridor appeared and Xigbar stepped out of it. "I hope to meet with you in person so we can discuss your worth to the coalition. Ta-ta!"

Dimentio: Ah, it feels good to be back! Spent more time recovering from getting shot at by Magolor than I should've, but my body it's back to its normal condition. What did I do while you were away? Oh, I dunno - just doing some exploring in a lovely place known as the Great Crater of Paldea. Hoping to find a "hidden treasure", if you will. I've gotten bored of it over time, so I asked my underlings to do the dirty work for me. And on that note, some good news...we're getting close to finding the jackpot!

"Finished talking with the new guy?" Xigbar asked Dimentio, walking on the jester right after the phone call had concluded. "Heh, who knew he was that tech-savvy!"

"Aw, phooey Xigbar! I've made a grave mistake," lamented Dimentio as he put away his phone. "My return letter, I left it back in 2019! Shouldn't have brought it with me when I used that time machine!"

"Eh, it's not the end of the world. But, on to more important things...we reeled in Kieran! We're in the driver's seat, baby!"

"Superb! Only one step closer to finding that treasure." Dimentio took out a book, and it was the scarlet book that he was caught reading last December. "I'll need it to 'announce' my return!"

As Blueberry Academy teacher Brair stated on Thanksgiving, four more students from her academy would be joining Carmine and Kieran at Omnis Adest. Carmine - the real Carmine - was at the apartment office building, on the lookout for her younger brother.

"Kiki! Kiki!" Carmine called out to her little brother, as Kieran was nowhere to be found. "Where are you, Kieran?" Approaching the building were Mario and Bowser, walking side-by-side - truly a sight to behold.

"I didn't know you wanted to see the Blueberry Students that badly," Mario said to the Koopa King, who was holding several large white cards under his arm. Any guesses as to what was on those cards?

"I must test their Pokemon knowledge since they're from Unova," stated Bowser, whose strange personal vendetta with Unova stemmed from the moment he first met Cilan. "Or as I like to call it, the most sheltered Pokemon region in all of existence!"

"You are a trip, Bowser..." As Mario shook his head, he and Bowser soon caught up to Carmine, who was still looking for Kieran. "...Carmine! What's the word?"

"Oh, hey Mario - have you seen Kiki anywhere?" Carmine asked the plumber, greatly ignoring Bowser's presence as she quickly returned to her search. "He's going to miss out on seeing his classmates."

"No, I haven't seen-a him anywhere. Did he run-a off because you were being mean to him?" Mario's comment got Carmine enraged, as he had the Pokemon trainer angrily clench her fists. And her teeth.

"I wasn't being mean to him! I mean...I still tease him now and then, but I've been nicer to Kiki over the past few weeks."

"Only because it's the holiday season," snickered Bowser, as he and Mario shared a laugh. Safe to say that Bowser didn't make Carmine's mood any better.

"Bowser, you..." Just when Carmine was about to let Bowser have it, a roar was heard from inside the apartment office building. A roar befitting for a dragon-type Pokemon, perhaps.

"Mama Mia! Was that a dinosaur?" asked Mario, so frightened that he was about to leap into Bowser's arms. Bowser was ready to drop Mario to the ground like trash if the instance occurred.

"I think I know what it is. Follow me," replied Carmine, as she led Mario and Bowser inside the office building. Near the front desk was Briar, and with her were the four students from the Blueberry Academy. Oh, and Barry was there as well.

"No fair! How come you have a better-looking steel-type Pokemon than I do?" complained Barry, as he was face to face with a Pokemon that looked similar to Duraludon - with a few noticeable physical changes. "Congrats on getting your first fine, mister!"

"I'll happily take the fine," said the owner of the Duraludon-esque Pokemon, one of the Blueberry students, as he ran his fingers through the white hair. "I can be the resident bad boy if needed."

"You already give off the vibe at the academy, that's for sure!" said another one of the students, his fiery red hair befitting the frying pan he was holding. He was likely a chef or something.

"Settle down you two, settle your banter for..." Briar was about to say, only to look over and see Carmine standing by with Mario and Bowser. "...Carmine! I see you've brought guests..."

"...and still no sign of Kieran," Carmine sighed in defeat, lowering her head in sadness as she was left to wonder about her brother's whereabouts. "But I guess these two dorks will make up for his absence."

"Who is she calling a dork?" Bowser whispered to an equally offended Mario, as he and the plumber followed after Carmine to the front desk where Briar and her students were gathered.

Bowser: Tell me, tell me, has Clavell asked Briar out on a date?...He hasn't?! Why not?...Age difference?! Don't give me that age difference crap! Age ain't nothin' but a... *pauses* Wait, the guy who wrote that song that ended up in prison...

"Good seeing you two," Briar smiled and waved to Mario and Bowser, recalling seeing the two during her last visit at Omnis Adest. Her encounter with Bowser was slightly more memorable. "Carmine, do you wish to introduce your classmates to the guests, or..."

"Hold on - you're Mario and Bowser!" exclaimed one of the Blueberry students, a tender-hearted girl with pink hair, as she ran up to Mario and Bowser to get a closer look.

"That's me, alright!" gleamed Bowser, hogging all glory and attention as he pushed Mario off to the side. "Man do I love name recognition..."

"Rude-a much?" Mario frowned at Bowser, dusting off his overalls as he stood back in his original position. Bowser tried to push Mario away a second time, but Mario quickly stopped his advance.

"Whoops! I should introduce myself," said the pink-haired student, who almost let her eagerness get her carried away. "I'm Lacey - a second-year student at Blueberry Academy. I see that my teacher's well-acquainted with you both."

"You can call me Crispin - you need a sandwich, I'm your guy!" the student with the frying pan introduced himself as he flashed a smile. There's no need for Mario and Bowser to ask you for a sandwich, pal; Arven frankly has them covered.

"I am Amarys," said the fourth Blueberry student - a bespectacled girl who in true genius fashion adjusted her glasses. Even if they needed no adjustment. "Assuredly, this is a most unprecedented meeting."

"And who's he?" asked Mario as he pointed at the student with the white hair, who was patting his Duraludon-looking Pokemon. Barry was seething with pent-up jealousy.

"That, Mario, is the annoying toothpaste-haired bozo known as Drayton," replied Carmine, showing just how little she cared for her classmate. Drayton was certainly at the very bottom of Carmine's friendship totem pole.

"Quite the introduction, I appreciate it," smiled Drayton, before noticing that Mario and Bowser were both gawking at his Pokemon. "I know what you dudes are thinking - my Archaludon's pretty rad."

"Pfft! That Archaludon is nothing," boasted Bowser, fairly certain that he had seen far cooler Pokemon back at the Pokemon sanctuary. "Nothing compared to the awesome Duraludon!"

"Archaludon is an evolution of Duraludon," Amarys pointed out, as she made Bowser look stupid in the process. The dumbfounded Bowser excused himself to avoid any further shame.

"These are the students that will be joining this community," Briar explained to Mario, who looked over his shoulder and saw Bowser standing all alone. "Master Hand wanted more 'firepower'...and so he got his wish!"

"He's a greedy one, I'll give-a him that," remarked Mario, as he got a good look at Carmine's four classmates. "Well, it's nice getting to meet-a you all."

"Yup...you're looking at the best of the best," Drayton said to Mario in a bragging manner, confidence overflowing despite his slacker attitude. "The Blueberry League's very own Elite Four!"

"Drayton, you can't just tell Mario stuff like that," Lacey frowned at her classmate, before doing an X-cross with her arms. "It's just not right!"

"Meh, he was bound to find out sooner or later," said Crispin, leading Lacey to shake her head in dismay; Briar held her hand up to her mouth as she giggled at her pupils.

"You all will get along here just fine," Briar said to her students, pleased to know that the chemistry between them would remain intact even while they were away from the academy. "Now why don't you all run along now?"

"WAIT! Before you all depart..." said Bowser as he returned to the group, taking out the cards that he was holding onto. "...since you guys are from Unova, I must test your Pokemon knowledge!"

"No, no, that won't be necessary." Briar led Bowser away, holding, the Koopa King by the hand, and Bowser was trying to resist. "These students know plenty about Pokemon."

"But they come from a very sheltered region! Do they at least know what a Glameow looks like? I promise to leave them alone if you answer yes!"

"That Bowser...what are we gonna do with-a him," Mario shook his head, watching as Bowser had to be forcibly escorted out of the office building by Briar. The plumber then looked up at Carmine, seeing the Pokemon trainer upset. "Still worried about-a Kieran?"

"I am...he also hasn't been quite himself lately, to be honest," admitted Carmine, before looking down at Mario while trying to remain upbeat. "Wanna go help me find him?"

Once he was available, Master Hand went to his room so that he could meet the two visitors. Ayaha brought the visitors in, and their choice of attire alarmed Master Hand.

"Organization XIII?!" boomed Master Hand, as Ayaha led two hooded Organization members into his room. He was ready to sound the alarm. "I know what you're after. You can't have my Fully Clothed Women magazines, I just renewed my subscription!"

"Boys, take off your hoods..." Ayaha commanded the Organization members, who took off their hoods to reveal themselves as Vexen and Demyx. Master Hand only recognized one of the two Nobodies.

"Even?" Master Hand said to Vexen, as there was understandable confusion taking place. Nothing that Vexen wasn't acclimated to. "You betrayed Ansem the Wise and defected to the Organization?"

"Even I am not...rather, I am his Nobody, Vexen," Vexen introduced himself to Master Hand, forming a smile as he held his hand over his mouth. "My human form has gotten around quite a lot, I'll say."

"I can tell you one thing - you fit the creeper scientist vibe as much as Even does." As Master Hand insulted Vexen with his remark, he turned his attention to the other Nobody, Demyx. "And who is that loser?"

"A loser? Where? Where is this loser? Who is the..." asked Demyx as he looked around the room, only for his face to fall when realization slowly seeped in. "Aw, dang it..."

"Link and Zelda made mention of a pair of turncoats that were a part of E. Gadd's project," Ayaha explained to Master Hand as she gestured to Vexen and Demyx, the latter caught up in his feelings. "This is who they were referring to."

Vexen: We were not welcomed to Dimentio's lair because of what we did. Now Demyx, he's more of a given...
Demyx: *frowns* How come? Is it because the other bad guys can't stand my haircut? *brushes hair with his hands* I know they're jealous.
Vexen: More to it than just your hair...much, much more I'm afraid. it appears that we've been blackballed from Organization XIII, and as of now we have no viable means of getting back home, and...what is that strange substance you're putting in your hair?
Demyx: Never heard of a thing called hair lotion? *holds up hair lotion bottle* Born yesterday much?
Wendy: *from afar* Daddy, have you seen my hair lotion? I think it got stolen again!
Demyx: I've been framed! *panics as he hides behind Vexen* Hide me, hide me...
Vexen: *facepalms* To say that you're an embarrassment would be underselling it...

"You boys contributed to the effort in rescuing Raiden?" Master Hand asked Vexen and Demyx, wanting to give the Nobodies a small gift as a token of his appreciation. "Then you have my thanks!"

"You are most welcome, Master Hand," responded Vexen, as his and Demyx's efforts put them on good terms with Master Hand. No other Organization member could ever say that. "But we did not come just to receive your praise."

"Gasp! So you are after my Fully Clothed Women magazine collection! If you want, I'll surrender the half-naked edition - that is the worst of the bunch."

"Half-naked women is not what we're after." Vexen's reply brought much dismay to Demyx, who turned away and snapped his fingers in disgust. "Rather, we came to alert you about some...happenings in a certain region."

"I really wanted that magazine..." Demyx muttered quietly to himself, so dejected that he took himself out of the ongoing conversation. Neither Vexen nor anybody else paid Demyx any mind.

"Even though we are no longer in the Organization, we can still pick up the scent of the members. We have picked up a few scents, all of them coming from a region known as Paldea."

"You can smell the other Organization members, even if they're far away? Good gravy, you people truly are grade-A stalkers!"

"Comes with the territory, I suppose...anywho, we have also picked up Dimentio's scent, as well. If his presence is any indication, whatever lies in Paldea is implied to be very powerful."

"So what are you saying? Are you saying that we should send a crew to this place in Paldea, and stop the villains?"

"Precisely! However, I will warn you that the location is believed to be highly dangerous. Scarce of any human occupancy!"

"Ayaha, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Master Hand asked the secretary, who was drawing some doodles on her notepad when she heard her name called. Ayaha looked greatly befuddled.

"Am I supposed to know what you're thinking?" asked Ayaha, who had tuned out most of the conversation as the doodles took up much of her time.

"C'mon, Ayaha! You're supposed to share the same brain cell as Isabelle and I do! Is your brain damaged, is it fully working?"

"Sometimes I have to stop myself from asking you that very question..." Ayaha tore off the paper that she was doodling on off her clipboard, before crumbling up and tossing it away. "...but what is it?"

"Well, since we got the teleportation device back on...it's time that we put it to good use. Get Mario on the phone!"

Guile made a shocking confession in the last episode, revealing that he had former homeless man Earnest framed so that he could take his truck. But when Guile felt bad about what he did, he gifted the truck to Orson and hoped that the authorities wouldn't come knocking on his door.

But after his confession at the hands of Malva, Guile chose to be the bigger man and turn himself in for his crime. His punishment was community service, and the major was hard at work through Seattle cleaning up the local communities. As for the truck, well...

"Guys, come quick! It's snowing!" chirped Tio Plato, looking outside the window on the Special Support Section's second floor. It was indeed snowing, as snow was raining down from the sky.

"That's weird, the forecast didn't call for..." said Lloyd Bannings as he joined Tio at the door...only for his eyes to nearly bulge out when he saw a vehicle pull up into the driveway, with a giant bow on top. "...is that what I think it is?"

"Merry Christmas, you guys!" exclaimed Sonic, as he was riding in the vehicle - a 2022 Ford F-150. The same truck that was operated by Earnest, then Guile, and then Orson. Now it was going to be in the hands of the Special Support Section.

"Is that truck...for us?! Elie, Randy...the rest of you guys come quick!" Lloyd pulled away from the window, with Tio doing the same as Lloyd was rounding up the gang. Soon all the SSS members ran out the door to check out the truck in their driveway.

"Oh wow, someone gifted us a truck!" exclaimed Elie MacDowell, as Sonic turned off the truck's ignition and got out of the vehicle. "How wonderful!"

"It has to be for me," assumed Noel Seeker, as Luigi got out of the truck on the passenger side. "Lloyd can barely even drive yet!"

"Did you have to mention that out loud...?" Lloyd questioned Noel, only for Sonic to toss the car keys to him. Lloyd miraculously caught the keys in the air.

"This truck is all yours," Sonic said to the Special Support Section, pleased to make Christmas wishes come true whether someone wanted them or not. It was better to give than to receive. "Have fun with it!"

"Thanks for the truck, but...where is the snow coming from?" asked Wazy Hemisphere, knowing that mostly cloudy was the weather forecast for today. He and the others would find their answer, as they saw Orson operating a snow machine.

"They never told me how to operate this thing!" Orson, a free man, shouted at the Special Support Section - having to shout over the noise coming from the snow machine. "Just gave me some hard cheese!"

"Keep it up, Orson! You're doing great!" Sonic called out to the ghost, as Blanka passed by ogling the Special Support Section's new truck. Chun-li caught up to Blanka and saw the Brazilian monster's intent eyes.

"Don't even think about it..." Chun-li warned Blanka, who grumbled to himself as Chun-li led him away from the premises.

Zelda: All is right in the universe - Guile turned himself in, Orson has his name cleared, Earnest has his name cleared as well, and the truck is in good hands! The court ruled for Earnest to have his truck back, and Earnest was kind enough to give the truck to the mansion so that he could purchase his very own vehicle. (With the money that he was rewarded, no less.) The sweet taste of karma. The truck deserved a new steward, and Anna happily gave us a recommendation.

Sonic: Aight, let's address something - those car commercials that usually air during the holidays. How come no one talks about how impractical they are? Like, how is it possible for the dad to wake up early Christmas morning, bring the new car out to the driveway, and then wake up his family and bring them outside to see their surprised faces? And why does he never consult his wife before making that big of a purchase? And why only do it during the holidays? Why not do it any other time of the year?! "December to Remember" my butt...

"Hope-a you all enjoy your new ride," Luigi said to the Special Support Section, before noticing Sonic giving him a face that was meant to clue him in on something important. "Yes, Sonic?"

"Aren't you gonna, I dunno, tell them about this truck?" Sonic asked Luigi, who didn't seem up for the task as he nervously pulled on his collar. When it came to truck expertise, Luigi wasn't that well-versed.

"You put-a me on the spot, so it looks-a like I have no choice. Um..." Luigi loosened up a bit, hiding his visible nervousness as he turned his focus to the truck. "This is, uh...a 2022 Ford F-150...um, it combines class-a winning...and leading, um...you know, technology and stuff...with, um..."

"I'd hope this truck has technology and stuff," remarked Randy Orlando after letting out a yawn he was trying to hold in, while team pet Zeit was busy sniffing around his feet. "What else it got?"

Luigi didn't get the chance to answer his question because guess what happened? He was doing the thing! The flailing-arms-at-the-side thing. Additionally, Luigi was saying words such as "green", "thunder", and "lightning". Everyone was understandably concerned about what their eyes were seeing.

"Should we call 9-1-1?" asked Elie, more than ready to run back inside the townhouse and contact the paramedics. "This is kind of concerning..."

"Maybe this is the kind of thing he does whenever he feels overwhelmed," assumed Tio, as she was the only person to find Luigi's current behavior amusing. "He pretends he's a fairy to calm his anxiety!"

"He's not pretending, I'm afraid," stated Sonic, who knew what the case was based on a past conversation he had with Daisy. "His wife thinks this is some kind of seizure."

"Looks more like stimming to me," Randy provided his observation, and a split second later he looked regretful as he looked around for any possible blowback from his squad mates. "Not much of a difference...is there?"

"Tell that to the neurodivergent community," replied Wazy, making Randy feel even worse than before. A moment passed, and soon Luigi's "seizure" stopped.

"Ack! Sorry you all had-a to see that," Luigi apologized to everyone, seeing all the concerned faces that were beaming on him. "I was daydreaming."

"No, you were having a seizure, Daisy told me about your..." Sonic was about to say, only to look over and see Robin walking by looking oddly lethargic. Like he was on his last breath. "...uh, hold that thought!"

"Daisy told you about-a my seizures? What is it with-a that woman sharing my private business?!" Luigi got angry as he was about to kick the side of the truck (before catching himself in time), while Sonic sped off to consult Robin. Robin was on the brink of collapse.

"I got you, buddy!" Sonic said to Robin as he grabbed the mage, keeping him standing upright. The blue hedgehog escorted Robin down the sidewalk, helping him walk at a gingerly pace.

"Thank you, Sonic," Robin thanked the blue hedgehog, taking the time to catch his breath as he appeared to be exhausted. "This hypothyroidism I have is killing me..."

"Oh yeah, you do have hypothyroidism! Lucina told me all about it." Yet another instance of someone's wife sharing their spouse's personal info with Sonic, as Robin furrowed his brow mightily. "Think I know just the thing to get you back in tip-top shape. To the gym, we go!"

"Why would Lucina share that with you?" As an angry Robin was escorted down the sidewalk by Sonic, Briar later showed up with a bottle of lemonade in one hand. In her other hand was a book - a violet book.

"Vending machines need to be restocked; this lemonade tastes expired," frowned Briar, unable to finish off her beverage as she tossed her lemonade bottle in the nearby trash can. Then suddenly, Dimentio appeared behind Briar.

"Many holiday greetings!" Dimentio greeted Briar, who turned around and almost shrieked when she was face-to-face with the jester. "Pleased to meet you. I am Dimentio."

"Dimentio? I have heard about..." Briar stopped speaking, as she was quick to notice the book that Dimentio was holding onto. "...is that...the Scarlet Book?!"

"Indeed it is the Scarlet Book! And you seem to have the Violet Book! Wouldn't have expected anything less from a descendant of Heath."

"How did you know that I'm..." Briar was almost at a loss for words, as she held her hand up to her mouth. She was stunned, her eyes growing wide.

"Come, we have much to discuss! I am sure that you are privy to the treasure that lies within the Great Crater of Paldea..."

A week after the auditions for the Star Records Christmas musical, it was time to see who made the cut and who didn't. A list of individuals who made it into the play was posted at the mansion, and anyone who auditioned last week checked out the list that was placed in the foyer.

"Cripes...I got the part," muttered Mio, seeing that she landed the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Her friend Taion, who had to audition for the Mouse King role, was spared.

"You got in the play? That's excellent!" Zeke shared his congratulations with Mio, who growled as she lashed out at the Crown Prince. "No, no, that's a good thing! Why are you attacking me?!"

"This is not very Sugar Plum Fairy-like..." Taion said to Mio, as he had to restrain the Gormotti; those near Mio had to back away for their own safety.

"Who cares, if this kind of behavior gets me out of the musical, then so be it," responded Mio, who wanted another piece at Zeke. She managed to scratch Zeke's face, as she had the crown prince down on one knee acting all dramatic.

Tsubasa: Fox made it clear to us that Zeke was forbidden to audition for the musical. He and Falco didn't want any potential "show stealers". Zeke's name was at the very top of the "banned" list, right under Gex, so you can imagine how our bosses felt about him.

"Would you look at that, I'm the only person who got the singing part," Dorothea said after checking out the list, as Cloud showed up hoping that his name wasn't on there. "Guess that means I'll be the one carrying the show!"

"I got the Santa Claus role? Over Polar Bear?" Cloud frowned when he saw his name, as Sephiroth crept up behind him looking to add some salt in the wound. "My audition wasn't that great."

"I saw you through the door, your audition was phenomenal," Sephiroth said to Cloud, cutting in real deep into the swordsman when he applauded him. "I give you five stars."

"Shut up, Sephiroth..." Cloud turned to face Sephiroth, who was delighting in seeing his arch-nemesis's annoyance as evidenced by his smirk. "...not like you' could've done any better."

"Are you insisting that I won't be a better Santa than you? We'll have to see about that..." Done clapping, Sephiroth ventured off as Cloud was much relieved from the one-winged angel's departure.

"Rehearsal will start in thirty minutes!" shouted Fox, as he and Falco both entered the foyer to spread the message. "I repeat, rehearsal will start in thirty minutes!"

"No bathroom breaks during rehearsal, so you better handle of your business before then!" added Falco, and those in the foyer had something to say about that as they murmured among themselves.

"Is it cool if you can wear a diaper?" asked Yoshi, who was left ignored as Fox and Falco moved on from the foyer. Looking down, Yoshi patted near his nether regions. "Don't worry, bladder...you got this."

"Hate to ask this, but how do you urinate?" Zeke questioned Yoshi, quizzically staring at the green dinosaur's crotch; a greatly uncomfortable Yoshi backed off from Zeke.

One person sadly didn't make the final cut for the musical...and that person was Ryu. The fighter sang his heart out in his audition, but that wasn't enough to win over the judges. Wearing his "I'm Kenough" hoodie, Ryu sat alone at Omnis Adest choosing to sulk alone.

"Guess I wasn't Kenough for the idol singers..." lamented Ryu, sitting alone on a bench as he let the depression take over him. Lacey and Drayton, who were doing some "exploring" around Omnis Adest, came across the lonesome Ryu.

Fox: No lie, Ryu's first audition was good...if it were for a Ken Carson movie or something. But his second audition was what we were looking for, and boy, it was a trainwreck. For a guy who hates "hip-hoppy" so, he sure took some liberty in incorporating beatbox into his performance. Literally had the microphone dripping in saliva.

"Woah, is that Ryu?" asked Drayton, able to recognize the fighter by the red headband on his head. Ryu couldn't be seen anywhere without it, even in private. "And is he...is he wearing a pink hoodie...?"

"It looks so cute!" gleamed Lacey, smiling as she put her hands together. Drayton stared blankly at Lacey before rolling his eyes.

"Word of the wise, princess: not everything pink is remotely cute." Wanting to get closer to Ryu, Drayton quietly inched closer to the bench that Ryu was sitting on as Lacey trailed behind.

"No...don't come any closer," Ryu commanded Drayton, as he immediately sensed the Pokemon trainer's presence. Doing as he was told, Drayton stopped in place and Lacey would do the same.

"Relax, dude, I just wanted to chat. Couldn't help but notice that you're all shaken up." Acknowledging Drayton's observation with a sigh, Ryu had no choice but to share his story.

"I have failed...I failed in my audition for the Nutcracker musical held at the mansion." Ryu let out a defeated sigh as he held his head low, while Drayton looked on with his brow furrowed.

"You auditioned for a musical? You of all people?" Drayton doubted that Ryu was telling the truth, as he looked at Lacey and whispered, "He's joking, I'm sure of it."

"He sounded pretty serious to me," Lacey whispered back, before bravely approaching Ryu as she placed a comforting hand on the fighter. Ryu tensed up.

"Don't touch me!" Ryu snapped at Lacey, who retracted her hand as Ryu went back to moping a moment later. "I don't deserve to be touched..."

"No way you're the real Ryu," Drayton said to Ryu, who looked up as if he was greatly offended. "The Ryu that I know wouldn't be all mopey, nor would he wear a pink hoodie."

"You bring up that hoodie like it's a bad thing," Lacey said to Drayton, wishing she could try out Ryu's hoodie for herself. Drayton's comments struck a cord in Ryu, who slowly rose from the bench.

"Are you saying that...I'm a fraud?" a slightly reinvigorated Ryu questioned Drayton, who liked what he saw from the reanimated fighter.

"Just saying, your butt buddy Ken Masters wouldn't wear a hoodie like that," replied Drayton as he gestured to Ryu's "Kenough", which Ryu looked down at with some regret. "You gotta get your mojo back, man."

"And we can help you find it!" offered Lacey, smiling while Ryu had his doubts; could two Blueberry Academy students possibly get Ryu back in the groove?

While Lacey and Drayton stuck around at Omnis Adest, Crispin and Amarys headed to the mansion to see what was happening there. Meanwhile, their classmate Carmine was searching for Kieran, and she found some assistance in Mario.

"I can't believe that he would run off like this," said Carmine, as she and Dingodile were desperately looking around the back of Dingo's Diner. Mario was looking through the inside of a large trash bin when he heard his phone ring.

"Why do they keep-a calling me?!" questioned Mario, with a hunch for who was calling him as he whipped out his phone and answered the call. "...hello, Merry Christmas, and no, I'm not donating any money to the baby whale-a fund. Call-a my brother instead."

"Hey Mario, it's me, Mega Man," responded the caller, Mega Man, as Mario was now all ears. To think that Mario was just about to end the call. "About time you answered. Master Hand wants you to come over and..."

"He wants-a me to come over?! Oh boy!" Now Mario was ecstatic that he didn't drop the call, as he tried to climb out of the trash bin. "Good things really do happen-a to those who wait."

"Yeah, sure...anyway, Master Hand needs you at the mansion for something important. So don't keep him waiting." Frankly, Master Hand might have to wait a little, since Mario found himself stuck in the trash bin.

"Digging for food scraps, aren't ya mate?" a certain mutant asked Mario, as Dingodile approached the trash bin looking to throw some food away. "I'm gonna charge you the full price for whatever you find."

"I just need-a to get outta here," stated Mario, and Dingodile was more than willing to help as he pulled the plumber out of the trash heap. Mario was smelly, with his overalls muddied and flies flying around his head.

"If you ever need a good ol' Austrailian bubble bath, I'm your guy." After throwing away the food, Dingodile smiled and pointed at Mario hoping to hear his name called as he went back inside his diner. Sniffing his overalls, Mario was on the verge of puking.

"Sorry, Carmine, but I'm gonna let-a you fly solo," Mario informed the Pokemon trainer in an apologetic tone, daring not to come any closer to Carmine given his current smelly state. "Master Hand wants to speak-a with me."

"Fine then, go ahead - I'll go about this alone," responded Carmine, hiding how she truly felt about Mario leaving her behind as Mario took off running. Running with a little too much excitement.

A few months ago, Link and Zelda visited E. Gadd's mansion primarily to see how E. Gadd and company were coming along with the machine. This time around, the Hylian couple planned on stopping by just to check things out. It was E. Gadd's first Christmas with Cortex's minions, and Link and Zelda were both interested in seeing how E. Gadd was handling all the chaos.

"Is it just me, or does E. Gadd's mansion more decorated outside this year than the last?" Zelda asked Link, who noticed how many holiday decorations lit up the decor of E. Gadd's mansion before reaching the front door.

"I'll say; usually he just decorates the porch and calls it a day," replied Link, who rang the doorbell; the Hylian expected the wait to be long, as usual, but the door was opened much sooner. And it was opened by an unlikely face.

"Season's greetings, Hylian couple that I invented!" greeted the person who opened the door, Dr. N. Brio, only to later frown and pinch the crown of his nose. "Drat...I promised him I'd stop doing that!"

"Dr. N. Brio? E. Gadd let you stay with him?" asked Link, stunned to see Brio's face again long after the success of the Raiden rescue mission. "Does he want to be the most depressed man to have ever lived?"

"No, for I have him beat...I-I mean, I'm not staying with E. Gadd. Permanently, that is. Cortex was gracious enough to invite me over the holidays so that we could...repair our bond."

Cortex: Wily and E. Gadd got back on the same page following the success of that transport machine. That had me thinking...what if I recaptured the same magic with Brio? I mean, we were at odds at one point...
Uka: That was only because Brio saw the light. He knew just how weak you were, so he cut you off. Addition by subtraction.
Cortex:...but hey, if Wily and E. Gadd can be friends again, then so can Brio and I! As the old saying goes, time heals all wounds.
Uka: Time heals all wounds, huh? Then why hasn't it healed all the wounds that I've suffered from putting up with YOU?! My existence feels wasted...

"Brio, who's that?" asked Cortex as he joined Brio at the door, delighted to see Link and Zelda stopping by for a visit. "Link and Zelda, welcome! Care to join us for some Christmas tacos and hot chocolate?"

"Sure, though we don't plan on staying long," replied Zelda, as she and Link stepped inside the mansion with Brio closing the door. The warmth of E. Gadd's mansion hit the Hylians like a slap to the face.

"Feels great to be out of the cold..." remarked Link, who along with Zelda was taken aback by a large Christmas tree that was set up in the foyer. "...is that E. Gadd's Christmas tree?"

"One of two Christmas trees," stated Cortex, as the large Christmas tree was decked from head to toe in Christmas lights and decorations. Cloud could never.

"Mind you, I have..." Brio was about to say, but a stern look and clearing of the throat from Cortex caused the evil genius to reverse course. "...er, I have contributed to the decorating of this tree! Which I did NOT invent."

"Who did most of the decorating?" inquired Link, and then two individuals stepped inside the foyer...Professors Sada and Turo. Both were acting pretty normal. Even then, Link and Zelda were wary, as they recalled Sada and Turo's actions in episode 400.

"Hello, Link and Zelda," Sada greeted Link and Zelda with a friendly wave, as the Hylians didn't know what to think. "It is nice to see you again."

"Merry Christmas," greeted Turo, as he and Sada both came off as...rather robotic. E. Gadd showed up at the foyer; maybe he could explain some things.

"There you two are, you can't just meander off without..." E. Gadd was about to tell Sada and Turo, before noticing Link and Zelda as he brightened up. "...Link, Zelda, welcome! I take it that you were speaking with AI Sada and AI Turo?"

"I'm sorry, did you say...AI?" Link warily asked Zelda, before dropping down to his knees and putting his hands on his head. "Oh no...E. Gadd has become a slave to the AI fad!"

"Stop being so overdramatic," Zelda told Link, who was very much bothered by how much AI was dominating the culture these days. His reaction made it abundantly clear.

"Perhaps I should explain," said E. Gadd, before clearing his throat as he was about to clear the air. "What you see before you are the AI versions of Sada and Turo. AI that was likely crafted by the professors themselves."

"They were out of commission, sitting in E. Gadd's lab, but then Brio came in and reprogrammed to do our bidding," added Cortex, who felt the need to correct something as a big smile grew wide on his face. "My bidding!"

"It was his call," Brio stated to Link and Zelda, as Cortex came over to the AI professors and wrapped his arms around them. The image was off-putting to Link and Zelda.

"Allow me to demonstrate." Cortex had just the perfect command for his "demonstration", as he happily cleared his throat. "Sada, Turo, I ask that you two prepare our meal. Have the tacos and hot chocolate ready!"

"As you wish, our liege," AI Sada acknowledged Cortex's command with a two-finger salute, as she and AI Turo headed to the kitchen. Link and Zelda watched as the AI professors left, and Link shook his head at Cortex.

"Think of it as a Christmas gift for Cortex, two for the price of one," insisted E. Gadd, and soon enough Link was eventually shaking his head at him.

Lamenting over the fact that he wasn't "Kenough" to make it into the Christmas musical, Ryu was down in the dumps. He was confident that the Mortal Kombat guys (and gal - shoutout to Sonya Blade) would never respect him again. But Lacey and Drayton were determined to turn Ryu's frown upside down and get him back to the Ryu of old.

"You can do it, Ryu - rip it off!" Lacey encouraged the fighter, who had his hands on the front of his "Kenough" hoodie. Ryu had yet to find the energy to do even so much as a slight tear.

"Yeah man, just rip off that ugly hoodie," Drayton followed up on Lacey, who gasped at her classmate out of shock. The pressure was mounting for Ryu, as he felt a drop of sweat running down the side of his face.

"No, I can't do it!" conceded Ryu as he took his hands off the hoodie, hating the fact that Lacey and Drayton were seeing him in such a sad state. "I am simply not Kenough to..."

"News flash - you're not Ken Masters. You're Ryu, for crying out loud! Just be your own man! Be yourself!" Drayton's pep talk lit a fire in Ryu, who looked down at his hoodie with a newfound energy.

"Ryu...I am Ryu...I AM RYU!" Bellowing a battle cry, Ryu grabbed the torso section of his hoodie with both hands and ripped the garment completely off. The fighter took a deep breath as the ripped sweater pieces lay on the ground.

"Atta boy!" Drayton liked what he saw, certain that he brought back the Ryu of old. Lorenz, who was passing by, saw what occurred and left smirking while shaking his head.

Lorenz: Simply pathetic; Ryu needs two kids to motivate him. And here I thought that he was a self-motivator!

Due to their collaboration with the Ice Climbers, Cafe Leblanc was asked by the duo to sell their ice cream along with their usual coffee and curry products. Slight correction: Popo demanded that the cafe sell their precious ice cream. Joker obliged, but only if it meant getting Popo off his case.

"Please eat this ice cream, Popo will kill me if you don't," Pit said to Brewster and Blathers, as the two friends were visiting the cafe. Pit cautiously looked over his shoulder, as if Popo was at the window spying on him.

"I'll gladly take a scoop of this Christmas Latte concoction," smiled Blathers, as Pit gave Incineroar the cue to fix Blathers a bowl of ice cream. Pit then looked at Brewster, eagerly awaiting the pigeon's response.

"Coo...does this ice cream contain pigeon milk?" asked Brewster, willing to file a complaint to the Ice Climbers if necessary. The Ice Climbers wouldn't like Brewster when he was angry (as Pit found out the hard way).

"Ew, no! Why are you so gung-ho about pigeon milk?" questioned Pit, blissfully aware of the agitation that was slowly building inside Brewster. "Do you like it when humans drink their own blood or something?"

"I fail to see the point you are trying to make. You won't see me asking for any of this ice cream." Brewster left the counter, leaving Blathers alone to delight himself with some Christmas Latte ice cream. Brewster had no idea what he was missing out on.

"This wonderful ice cream is giving me a brain freeze, and I welcome it with open arms!" Blathers exclaimed with joy, so addicted to the ice cream that he couldn't put the spoon down. And he wasn't the only one...

"You appear to be in extreme pain," Amarys said to Crispin, who was sitting at the counter devouring the Ice Climbers' ice cream. "May I be of assistance in consuming this ice cream with you?"

"No thanks, get your own!" replied Crispin, who was scrunching his face up in pain as he ate his Christmas-themed ice cream like there was no tomorrow. "Another bowl, please!"

"If you say so," replied Joker, reluctantly fixing another bowl of ice cream for Crispin. Felt like an enabler doing it, but who was he to say no to a paying customer?

Rehearsal for the Christmas musical took place where the auditions were held, in the lecture hall. Fox and Falco were the ones directing the musical, with Eleonora pegged as the assistant director. So the pilots had a lot of sway in how the rehearsal was conducted.

So far, rehearsal was coming along nicely, and everyone was playing their part to the fullest. Even Cloud, who was still bemused that he had to play as Santa Claus. The man who took his Jack Frost role, Raiden, had yet to show up for rehearsal, but Fox and Falco were able to carry on without him.

"Fox, Falco, I'm sorry...why am I playing Santa in a Nutcracker suite?" Cloud asked the pilots, dressed up as Santa Claus and even wearing the white beard against his will.

"Bruh, it's a Christmas musical," replied Falco, in slight disbelief that Cloud would even have the audacity to ask that question. "Stop acting ignorant."

"Exactly. And yes, you have to say 'ho, ho, ho' when you walk unto the stage," Fox said to Cloud, who was already questioning the script. More specifically, how the musical should be opened. "It sets the mood."

"So am I Santa Claus, or am I the narrator?" asked Cloud, confused as to what his role in the musical was. Fox and Falco never really went over the details with him - shame on their part.

"We think you have it in you to do both," replied Falco, and Cloud was inclined to disagree as he felt out of place so far. "Now give us your best 'ho, ho, ho'!"

"Here goes nothing..." Taking a deep breath, Cloud sucked up his pride as he looked to get things over with. "...lady-of-the-evening, lady-of-the-evening, lady-of-the-evening."

"Great effort, Cloud!" commended Fox, as Cloud couldn't help but notice someone peeking in through the lecture hall door. "But next time, channel your inner Santa a bit more."

"And maybe don't say lady-of-the-evening," added Falco, taking away the one crutch that made Cloud a unique Santa Claus. "There will be males in attendance, so the joke won't hit well with them."

"That's it, I'm done..." said Cloud, taking off his Santa hat and beard as he threw both items onto the floor. But before Cloud could officially call it quits, a certain mercenary entered the lecture hall.

"Fox, Falco, sorry if I'm late for rehearsal," Raiden apologized to Fox and Falco as he came down the aisle with a brown sack. No gifts were inside, mind you. "Had to get some...essentials."

Raiden: *takes a gallon of fake blood out of his brown sack* Wasn't kidding when I said that the musical would be a violent one. Some people need to know that not everything Christmas-related has to be all cheery. This will help introduce a little nuance to the holiday season.

"You're good, Raiden, we were just getting started," Fox informed the mercenary, who marched up to the stage to drop his brown sack. Yoshi later took a peek inside Raiden's sack and gasped at what he saw.

"Good to know, because the store clerk was giving me a hard...time," responded Raiden, before trailing off when Yoshi fainted and fell right off the stage. Whatever was inside Raiden's sack was not for the faint of heart - or maybe Yoshi was that sensitive.

"Pardon the interruption, but is..." said Ayaha as she took a peek inside the lecture hall; she then came inside after spotting Raiden. "...there he is! Fox, Falco, Master Hand needs to borrow Raiden for a minute."

"But he has to rehearse the Nutcracker musical," Fox stated to Ayaha, who remained in disbelief that Raiden agreed to join the musical without force or peer pressure. Raiden's reason for joining might alarm Ayaha.

"Master Hand comes first, I'm afraid," said Raiden, leaving the pilots stunned after he made his decision. "Whatever he has in store for me might be of importance."

"But..." uttered Falco, watching helplessly as Raiden walked off the stage. Yoshi was still unconscious on the floor as Raiden casually walked over him.

"Right this way, Raiden," Ayaha said to the mercenary, leading him out of the lecture hall; the Nutcracker cast looked at Fox and Falco, with Cloud hoping that rehearsal would be called off.

"We need to secure a backup option," Fox stressed to Falco, before looking towards the assistant director, Eleonora. "Eleonora, can you do us a solid?"

Link and Zelda were in the living room of E. Gadd's mansion, watching as E. Gadd and Cortex were delicately lining up the Christmas presents around the Christmas tree. The one in the living room. The doorbell sounded, just as E. Gadd got his hands tangled in the Christmas lights.

"Oh boy...I hate when this happens," groaned E. Gadd, who was embarrassed - even more so when Link and Zelda had their eyes on him. Link, always willing to help a brother out, pulled out his Master Sword.

"Link, don't," Zelda cautioned her husband as she gently put her hand on the hand that Link was carrying the Master Sword in. "The Master Sword isn't the answer to every problem."

"It solved a domestic dispute between Pac-Man and his wife," Link told Zelda, who gave a quizzical glance as Link neared the Christmas tree with Master Sword in hand. "So how bad could cutting some Christmas lights be?"

"I prefer that you don't cut these Christmas lights, they cost me a...fortune," E. Gadd advised Link, only for Link to ignore the inventor's warning as he sliced the Christmas lights. E. Gadd's hands were free, though it came at a cost.

"Link, how could you?! Those Christmas lights could glow in the dark!" Cortex scolded the Hylian, as Zelda furrowed her brow and looked at Cortex quizzically. "What's with the look, Zelda? It's the truth!"

"We have returned," AI Turo announced, as he and AI Sada entered the living room. AI Turo was carrying Christmas lights, while AI Sada on the other hand had taco shells.

"We were running low on Mexican food supplies, so we went to the supermarket to fetch some items," explained AI Sada, as AI Turo dropped the Christmas lights onto the floor at E. Gadd and Cortex's feet. "Also got some Christmas lights, just in case."

"Sada, Turo, you have no idea how much I needed these!" exclaimed E. Gadd as he grabbed the Christmas lights on the floor, before taking the old ones off the tree. "Link...you still owe me money, though."

"You two weren't gone for that long," Zelda said to the AI professors, as E. Gadd and Cortex got down to putting the new lights on the tree. "Quick shopping trip, huh?"

"Yes, it was...or perhaps we sped it up a bit," AI Sada replied with a smile, making Zelda leery about what the AI might've done. "No thanks to my Roaring Moon."

"You sent out that Pokemon out in the public?" Zelda was at a loss for words, and yet AI Sada failed to understand why the princess was so upset. "E. Gadd, Cortex, can you..."

"Not now, my dear - the Christmas tree needs its new clothes!" replied E. Gadd as he cut off Zelda, entirely focused on his Christmas tree as Zelda sighed in exasperation. Remembering that they had food to prepare in the kitchen, AI Sada and AI Turo left.

Raiden met up with Master Hand in the teleportation room, as he was about to travel with Mega Man to Area Zero in Paldea. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Bass made it back from his trip to Zimbabwe, safe and sound.

"How was your trip?" Mega Man asked Bass with a smile, as Bass was looking rough. Looking like he just came out of a civil war.

"Never again..." seethed Bass, despising Mega Man more than ever before as he brushed past the robot. He came across Geo Stelar and Omega-Xis just as he was about to exit the teleportation room.

"Woah, Bass, you look pretty rough!" commented Geo Stelar, although "pretty rough" was lightly underselling how disheveled Bass appeared. "Did the African people give you a hard time? Did they try to bite off your limbs?"

"If I had seen one, they would have. Don't be a racist, Geo." Bass exited the teleportation room, as Geo Stelar had some unfinished business. By unfinished business, more unnecessary questions to ask.

"So did they try to bite off one of your limbs or not?" When Geo was left unanswered by Bass, he turned to Omega-Xis and asked, "Was that racist to ask?"

"Asking the wrong guy," replied Omega-Xis, as Master Hand was dying to send Raiden off to Paldea. However, he was missing one person.

"What is keeping him...?" wondered Master Hand, whose long wait came to an end when Mario arrived at the teleportation room looking fresh and clean. "Ah! About time, Mario."

"Sorry for the hold-up, I had to give myself a good-a shower," replied Mario, back to smelling good again; those flies that were orbiting around his head earlier had all vamoosed. "The trash-a bin at Dingo's Diner is no joke!"

"Okay...not sure what you were doing down in there, but I can't fault you for practicing good hygiene. That's more than what Wario can say."

"Mario...we meet again," Raiden said to the plumber, who acknowledged Raiden with a nod of his head. But upon seeing Raiden, Mario later realized.

"Oh wait...you didn't want to have that private-a conversation with me, did you?" Mario asked Master Hand, knowing that something was up when he couldn't locate Master Hand in his room.

"Whoever said anything about that?" asked Master Hand, not liking how Mario's inquiry got all eyes in the teleportation room looking right at him. "I just wanted to see if you were available to go with Mega Man and Raiden to Paldea."

"The Great Crater of Paldea, to be exact," Mega Man clarified to Mario, as the excitement that Mario once had was nearly quelled. "There's some Organization XIII activity taking place."

Master Hand: I know how dangerous the Great Crater of Paldea is. It's a place so dangerous, that everyone and their mother is forbidden from going down there. But then I ask myself - if it's so dangerous then what made Sada and Turo so confident in never leaving that place? They must be death fetishists...

"Well, Mario? Are you in?" Master Hand asked the plumber, who was bummed out that his private convo with Master Hand was still held off. Yet, Mario did not wish to lose Master Hand's trust.

"Meh, I'm game," Mario gave his half-hearted reply, and that was more than enough in Master Hand's book. Master Hand surmised that Raiden could keep Mario motivated if it wasn't happening the other way around.

"Superb! Mega Man, you know what to do - get those coordinates in! Wherever the Organization is in the Great Paldea, they must be stopped!"

Robin was starting to feel the symptoms of his diagnosed hypothyroidism, as he complained about feeling fatigued and lethargic. Fatigued and lethargic were trigger words for Sonic, and it made the blue hedgehog commit to getting Robin's energy levels up again.

"Sonic, I'm begging of you, put this treadmill on the lowest setting!" Robin begged the blue hedgehog, as he was running on a treadmill at the Omnis Adest public gym. Since he wasn't used to running fast, Robin's struggles were greatly prominent.

"Dude, you're literally the slowest person in Smash," stated Sonic, who would put the treadmill out of its misery if he ever ran on it. "You need this a lot more than I do!"

"Incineroar is the slowest...that much...I'm certain of..." Robin was so out of breath, that he was on the verge of collapsing. Sonic was left with no choice but to grant Robin's wish.

"Spoke too soon, buddy." After putting the treadmill on its lowest setting, Sonic took out a chili dog from his imaginary pocket. "I'll be back after my lunch break. Better not catch you passed out once I get back!"

"So...tired..." Robin was nearly tuckered out, his legs growing weary as he struggled to even walk. Confident that Robin could turn things out, Sonic took a bite out of his chili dog as he exited the gym through the backdoor.

But as he turned around the corner of the gym, Sonic came across an amusing sight...Briar speaking with Dimentio. The latter individual set off the alarm in Sonic's mind, as Sonic behind a wall to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I simply cannot trust you," Briar said to Dimentio, wisely choosing to turn down any possible advances from the jester. Good on her. "Clavell spoke of an evil jester appearing in Paldea, being up to no good...and you definitely fit the criteria."

"Or do I?" questioned Dimentio, playing mind games with Briar to get her to see that he was a good guy. "The jester he was referring to could be anyone!"

"True, but I can tell there's more to you than that smiley face of yours. Clearly, you're hiding something; you must be foolish to think I won't see through your facade!"

"Right you are, I am hiding something...feast your eyes!" Dimentio took out a blue disk, holding it up for Briar to see as Sonic got a closer look. "Taken straight from the Paldean Pokemon League."

"You stole from the Pokemon League? Why would you..." Briar couldn't be angry with Dimentio for long, for the blue disk captured much of her attention. "...what even is that disk?"

"This disk, dear Briar, is known as the Indigo Disk. I assume it has much to do with Area Zero. For all we know, it could possibly lead us to the hidden treasure..."

"Hidden treasure?!" Upon hearing the aforementioned term, the wide-eyed Briar took out her Violet Book and flipped through the pages, arriving at the page of what looked like a ginormous Pokemon. "I've wanted to uncover this treasure for so long..."

"And now you have the opportunity to do just that! But that is only if you agree to come along...do we have a deal?"

"Yes! I'll go with you! At last, my dreams of exploring Area Zero are finally becoming a reality!"

"You have made the right choice." Dimentio whistled into his fingers, as a dark corridor appeared in his midst. "Right this way, Briar!"

"Is this a shortcut to Area Zero? Very well then..." Despite any second doubts she had, Briar decided to take the risk and follow Dimentio through the dark corridor as Sonic looked on.

"Man...what are you cooking up this time, Dimentio?" Sonic wondered out loud, as the dark corridor closed; the blue hedgehog later heard footsteps behind him, as he turned around...and saw Vexen and Demyx.

"He took that woman with her..." remarked Vexen, as Sonic almost had a heart attack when he saw those black Organization cloaks. "...taking advantage of her obsession, I see."

"Hey, stranger! Been a while since we last saw each other," Demyx greeted Sonic - amusing that he was on good terms with Sonic given his first encounter with the blue hedgehog. "Wanna know why Vexy and I are back in town?"

"Do not call me that ever again..." Vexen hissed at Demyx, who smiled sweetly as he backed off from his partner-in-crime. Even if he was a Nobody, Vexen should learn to lighten up a bit.

"Kiki! Kiki!" Carmine was heard calling out to Kieran, as Sonic looked back and saw the Pokemon trainer walking down the street. Sonic looked at Carmine for another moment or two, before heading over to Vexen and Demyx.

So far, Cortex liked having the AI professors under his thumb, making them do his every little bidding. He loved that they were more competent than all his minions living with him, and were willing to obey his every command. However, his floating mask companion Uka was no happy camper.

"Dr. Cortex, this is unnatural!" exclaimed Uka, looking on with disgust after AI Sada and AI Turo fixed Link, Zelda, E. Gadd, Cortex, and Brio a five-course meal in the dining room. The floating mask almost wanted to vomit.

"What do you mean? Christmas tacos isn't that much of an anomaly," responded Cortex, unable to contain his excitement as plates of tacos and other Mexican food were on the table. AI Sada stood next to Cortex, fastening a napkin around his neck.

"Do not hesitate to let me know if I am massaging too hard," AI Turo said to Cortex, as he was massaging the evil genius's shoulders. As a request from Cortex, of course. Uka couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"I'm so sick to my stomach...please excuse me, everyone," said Uka as he excused himself from the dining room, before puking just outside the entrance. Link saw Uka vomit, and saw actual vomit exit the floating mask's mouth.

Uka: Why is Cortex bossing around the AI Professors? They should be the ones making that pathetic oaf their pack mule! I could care less if they're AI or whatever, they should know what the natural order is! *grimaces* I feel nauseous again...

"Well, that seems impossible," Link commented on Uka's vomiting as he quickly looked away - didn't want to have his lunch ruined. "So, uh, Sada and Turo, how long have you been...intact?"

"I guess he's trying to ask about your origins," Zelda clarified to AI Sada and AI Turo while fixing herself a taco; she had a lot of cilantro on her taco, for garnish.

"The original professors built us as a sophisticated AI to lend a hand in building a time machine," explained AI Sada, who used a napkin to wipe off Cortex's mouth. "In our mechanical bodies, we possess the original professor's knowledge and memories."

"It is thanks to the crystals in the Zero Lab that we can function," added AI Turo, still giving Cortex a massage as he moved on from the evil genius's shoulders to his back. "For that reason, we cannot leave Area Zero."

"...so why did you leave in the first place?" Zelda asked Sada and Turo, who both looked at each other with dubious stares. "I know someone sent you here." Neither AI professor was willing to answer, but they had to muster a reply.

"Sadly, the answer escapes us at the moment. Does anyone care for some hot chocolate?" Needing to get in his hot chocolate fill, Brio raised his hand.

"I will have a cup, AI professor that I..." replied Brio, who held his tongue when Cortex turned his head to him, daring him to say something he shouldn't. "...that I programmed."

"That is the correct answer," affirmed Cortex, as AI Sada went to the kitchen to get some hot chocolate prepared. Zelda kept her eye on AI Sada, certain that the AI was hiding something.

Mario, Mega Man, and Raiden were in Area Zero, in the middle of unfamiliar territory. Area Zero was said to be a dangerous part of the Great Crater of Paldea, full of very strong Pokemon. That's what Mario and Mega Man were told, although the two were led to believe otherwise.

"Look, it's a Jigglypuff!" alerted Mario as he pointed at a Jigglypuff - but one with yellow eyes, sharp teeth, and a tuft of hair resembling a tail. "Must-a be its prehistoric ancestor."

"I wouldn't trust it, it looks threatening," advised Raiden, who would later be proven right when the prehistoric Jigglypuff screamed at Mario before biting its hand. Indubitably, Mario screamed in pain.

"OOOOOWWWW! How does this prehistoric Jigglypuff know the move-a Bite?!" Mario tried to shake the prehistoric Jigglypuff off, but it was no use as the Pokemon's fangs were sinking into the plumber's skin.

"That's no Jigglypuff, that's actually a..." Mega Man was about to inform Mario, only to be greeted by a Delibird. But one that was robotic in appearance. "...oh, hi Delibird."

"Dededede-li-li-BIRD!" the robotic Delibird greeted Mega Man, before blasting the robot away with water out of its apparatus. Mega Man crashed with his back against a rock structure, before slumping to the ground a second later.

"Nope, not Delibird...that's an Iron Bundle." Mega Man slowly got up as he held his aching back, while the robotic Delibird - or Iron Bundle, as it was more accurately called - waddled away as if nothing ever happened.

Mega Man: It's not Mario's fault that he isn't familiar with the Paradox Pokemon; they were kept in the pits of the sanctuary, away from the residents. Sada and Turo stressed to Master Hand through a phone call that the Paradox Pokemon were highly volatile and had to stay in Area Zero at whatever cost, but Master Hand didn't listen. He never listens.

"Get it off, get it off!" Mario shouted at Raiden as the prehistoric Jigglypuff's teeth were still sinking into the plumber's hand. Raiden rushed in and grabbed the prehistoric Jigglypuff, before tossing it away.

"Lesson of the day - don't trust cute things," Raiden warned Mario, who was shaking his hand to shake off the searing pain. "I've followed that mantra for years, and it has truly done my life wonders."

"Will I get-a poisoned?" Mario asked Mega Man out of concern, feeling as if his hand was bleeding underneath his glove. He would take off his glove, but his hand hadn't been manicured in who knows how long.

"If that Jigglypuff, I mean, Scream Tail, had a Poison Fang or something, then..." replied Mega Man, before looking down below a cliff and spotting Dimentio, leading Briar through Area Zero. "...guys, I see Dimentio! He's right below us!"

"Lovely of him to stop by and visit," said Raiden as he unsheathed his katana; he had been waiting to get his hands on Dimentio. "He deserves a nice, warm welcome..."

Still flustered about that rundown he gave to Lloyd Bannings and the Special Support Section, Luigi returned home hoping to forget about his embarrassing moment. Daisy, the courteous wife she was, fixed her husband some lunch in the hopes of cheering him up.

"Fixed you a grilled cheese sandwich!" Daisy presented a grilled cheese sandwich to Luigi, who was sitting on his favorite sofa in the living room feeling dejected. Next to Daisy was Yuffie with a glass of eggnog. "And a glass of eggnog on the house."

"Is eggnog even safe to drink with a grilled cheese sandwich?" Yuffie asked Daisy, having no idea what propelled her to ask such a question. Maybe the thought was lingering in the back of her mind.

"You eat ice cream with cough syrup and consider it a meal; you have no room to talk." Taking the egg nog from Yuffie, Daisy placed Luigi's lunch items on the table next to her husband. Luigi barely moved an inch.

"Thanks," Luigi thanked Daisy as he continued to stare at the TV...which was off for the most part. Just a blank screen. "But I'm not hungry right-a now."

"Not hungry? I slaved my butt off in the kitchen to..." Daisy kept her emotions in check, pinching the crown of her nose as she took a deep breath. Yuffie safely guided Daisy to the kitchen so that the princess could let it all out.

"Listen, don't say stuff like that," Yuffie said encouragingly to Daisy, playing peacemaker as she was able to soothe the princess. "You can't say you slaved after fixing a grilled cheese sandwich. Now Christmas dinner? That's a different story."

"It's a different story because you refuse to help out. You have to forgive me, Yuffie...I'm just worried about my husband."

"Why worry so much? I mean, it's not like he's the only person in the world who has seizures...that, that might've come out wrong."

"You make a good point. I do have to stop worrying. I worry about Luigi all the other times in the past when I shouldn't have."

"Exactly! Luigi could simply go next door to the mansion to ask for some hair plugs, and you'd get bent out of shape for no reason."

"I do tend to get panicky for the..." Daisy stopped and crinkled her nose, as she missed a key detail shared by Yuffie. "...Luigi went to the mansion to get hair plugs?"

"He wanted me to keep it a secret from you. Oh well. But you should go in there, and ask Luigi nicely to eat his sandwich. And drink his egg nog, too."

"Yeah, I should. Thanks to the pep talk, Yuffie." Now in a better mood, Daisy returned to the living room to speak with her husband. However, there was a problem...

...her husband was missing! Luigi was once sitting on his sofa, and now he had seemingly disappeared as his grilled cheese and egg nog had yet to be touched.

"Luigi? Where did you go?" Daisy shouted as she looked around for Luigi, looking through the windows and everything. Wanting to partake in the search, Yuffie went upstairs to look for Luigi there.

"Uh...Daisy?" Yuffie called out to Daisy as she stood in the master bedroom, seeing the bedroom window open and the closet door open as well. Luigi's trademark overalls were also lying on the bed.

Berkut: The strangest thing just happened - I was outside in my backyard, becoming one with the poor common man by raking up some leaves, when Luigi jumped from his second-floor window! I complimented him for sticking the landing, but then he called me a loser and left. Very rude. And I've yet to get into the part about how he was dressed in black. Must say, I dig his new style...even if he's still a filthy commoner.

Should Raiden not be for the musical next week, for any reason, Fox and Falco decided to designate a situational backup actor. Cloud hoped to get out of playing Santa Claus and land the Jack Frost role but sadly for him, his request was not granted. Instead of Cloud, the person chosen to be Jack Frost was...

"Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul..." sang King Dedede, who was inserted into the Nutcracker musical playing the role of a certain snowman wearing a top hat. "...with a corncob pipe and a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal!"

"Jack Frost and Frosty the Snowman are the same person, look it up," Falco said to Cloud, who was giving the avian pilot and Fox a judging look. Miss Sugar Plum Fairy herself, Mio, was doing the same as she too had enough of the shenanigans.

"I was going to ask what Frosty the Snowman has to do with the Nutcracker," stated Cloud, watching as King Dedede was doing a kind of dance onstage that Frosty would likely do. "But you'll say that he's a holiday figure, so..."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Fox grinned at Cloud, happy that he and the swordsman shared the same thought. "King Dedede is a fabulous last-minute replacement...if we ever need him."

"Dedede the Snowman, that jolly ice king, with his trusty hammer, and his big pot belly, he'll make your heart sing!" King Dedede continued to sing, putting his own spin on the classic Christmas song since his ego called for it. "Thumping through the snow, causing a ruckus, Dedede the Snowman, the Christmas star among us!"

"I can't take this anymore...I'm done," said Mio, calling it quits as she tore off her tiara and stormed off the stage. She earned a Cloud seal of approval in the process.

"Done with what?!" Fox questioned Mio as he chased after the Gormotti, who exited the lecture hall in an irritated mood. "You can't just let Dedede steal your thunder like that!" Sepiroth was peeking through the doorway, pulling away when he made eye contact with Cloud.

Mario and company were delving deeper into Area Zero, reaching the bottom of the Great Crater of Paldea as they looked to find Dimentio. They were inside a cave, encountering all sorts of strong Pokemon - including a couple that looked otherworldly.

"Mama Mia! It's that Pokemon Turo sent-a out to attack us!" alerted Mario, as he and the crew came across Mega Salamence-looking Pokemon known as Roaring Moon. The Roaring Moon hovered above the cave intruders, fearsome as ever.

"That would be a Roaring Moon," informed Mega Man, as Mario became spooked yet again when a Pokemon that resembled both Gardevoir and Gallade showed up. "And that right there is an Iron Valiant."

"Which one should I take on first?" asked Raiden as he was armed with his katana, looking between Roaring Moon and Iron Valiant. "Kind of favoring the Iron Valiant more; he has a sword."

"It's a Paradox Pokemon; she has no gender," informed Mega Man, who mentally slapped himself as he made a slight error. "I mean, he has no..." Mega Man stopped speaking, not because he goofed up a second time...but because he saw Dimentio and Briar again. This time in front of a lab.

"This is the Zero Lab," stated Briar, as Mario and the others weren't that far off from where the teacher and Dimentio were. Mario, Mega Man, and Raiden hid behind a crystal formation as they spied on Dimentio.

"And this is the Indigo Disk," said Dimentio as he took out the Indigo Disk in question, revealing the item that was stolen from the Paldean Pokemon League as he placed it inside a sensor. "This could take us to the underdepths!"

"INDIGO DISK CONFIRMED. ZERO LAB ELEVATOR REDIRECTED TO AREA ZERO UNDERDEPTHS," said a computerized voice from the sensor, after Dimentio inserted the Indigo Disk. The door to the Zero Lab opened.

"So that disk opens the door...I see." Briar's moment of marvel lasted for only a moment, as she quickly got excited about what was lying in store. "We're one step closer to finding the hidden treasure!"

"After you, my lady," Dimentio offered to Briar, being a gentleman as he let Briar enter the Zero Lab first. He might be a villain, but Dimentio was never above not practicing good manners.

"Why is Briar with-a Dimentio?" pondered Mario as he and the others emerged from their hiding spot. "Can't she not see that he's-a evil?"

"No point in stopping a person motivated by their obsession," replied Raiden, able to tell that Briar was putting her personal interests over her overall safety. "Perhaps she'll come to her senses...but for now, let's see where this lab takes us."

Crispin had a strong affinity for cooking, but he also had an affinity for food in general. Nothing was more evident of this than him at Cafe Leblanc eating the Ice Climbers' ice cream without breaking a sweat.

"You are eschewing all the visible signs of brain freeze, or sphenopalatine ganglion neuralgia," a concerned Amarys said to Crispin, who was on his seventh bowl of ice cream. Might be even more than that. "I'd highly recommend putting the spoon down."

"If you want ice cream so bad, why don't you ask for some?" replied Crispin, under the guise that Amarys was asking to share with him. "I'm just getting into the holiday spirit, that's all!" Crispin continued to eat like a madman, while the wary baristas looked on.

So how were Amarys and Crispin's classmates Lacey and Drayton faring at Omnis Adest? The two students were working with Ryu, looking to get the fighter back to his regular self again. They wanted him to be the kind of man that anyone would respect.

"So now that we got that horrendous hoodie off..." said Drayton as he looked at Lacey, just to gauge her reaction. "...it's time to let the fun begin!" Taking out his Poke Ball, Drayton sent out his ace, Archaludon.

"Ooh, I like where this is going!" gleamed Lacey as she took out a Poke Ball of her own, sending out a Granbull. Granted the Granbull looked intimidating, but it was still cute in Lacey's eyes.

"You want me to beat up your Pokemon?" Ryu asked Drayton and Lacey, finding himself perplexed - yet he was still up for the challenge. "Will that break any moral guidelines?"

"You won't be beating up any Pokemon," replied Drayton, as Chun-li happened to walk by and take a peek and what was going on. "Rather, our Pokemon will be training with you and help you reclaim your former glory."

"I'll be training with...a fairy-type Pokemon?" Ryu crinkled his nose, before shrugging it off as he walked away. Chun-li kept herself away so that Ryu wouldn't see her. "Then so be it...let me go ask Balrog for his boxing mitts."

"He finally ditched that hoodie...took him long enough," Chun-li quietly said to herself before leaving, as Lacey and Drayton looked at each other with shared optimism about Ryu turning things around.

"Keep it up, Ryu! You got this!" Lacey shouted to the fighter, who was sparring with his sparring mates Archaludon and Granbull. Both Pokemon were wearing punching mitts, and Ryu was hurling punches at them.

Dimentio and Briar both accessed an elevator in the Zero Lab, which was used to take them to the depths of Area Zero. Mario and company used this elevator as well and ended up in a cave full of crystal formations.

"I hear some commotion up ahead," said Raiden, as he and the others reached an opening in the cave. Soon the three saw Dimentio and Briar, but it wasn't just them they saw...

...they also saw Kieran, and standing with him were Xemnas and Ansem. Kieran was seen trying to pull a stone out of a large crystal formation.

"Is that...Kieran?" Mario squinted his eyes at Kieran, who looked noticeably different as his hair was tied up. A lot of purple sure was showing.

"Take it, take the hidden treasure," Xemnas encouraged Kieran, who was pulling on the stone with all his might. "Prove your worthiness."

"Yes...I have to get stronger!" exclaimed Kieran, his thirst for strength giving him the extra motivation to pull the stone out. But nothing was budging.

"This place has a lot of Terastal energy radiating from it," Briar was heard speaking from afar, as Mario and the others hid. Briar showed up along with Dimentio, and then she saw Kieran. "Kieran?!"

"It seems that Kieran took a shortcut to Area Zero," assumed Dimentio, playing ignorant to Briar's familiarity with Kieran as Briar was flipping through the pages of her Violet book. "He has reached our destination before we did. Ha!"

"Yes...this crystal is the key!" Briar found the page that spoke about the stone, and put her book away as she was now smiling with anticipation. "Go on, Kieran - pull with everything you've got! Show us the hidden treasure of Area Zero!"

"Do we have an intruder?" questioned Ansem as he turned around and saw Briar, before softening when he saw Dimentio with him. "Hm. Nice of you to bring a guest, Dimentio."

"Let-a me get a closer look," Mario whispered to Mega Man and Raiden, wanting to get closer without getting noticed. Raiden tried to warn Mario, but it was too late; Mario was already making cautious steps.

But then Mario came to a stop, as Kierian successfully pulled the stone out of the crystal formation. Kieran picked up the stone, feeling like he just got a bit stronger.

"There's no doubting it!" exclaimed Briar as she came over to Kieran, taking her Violet book out and flipping to a certain page. "This crystal must be Terapagos!"

"It's glowing..." observed Raiden, as the stone began to glow and float up in the air. After the stone shone a blinding light, it turned into a turtle Pokemon that landed on the ground.

"For a legendary Pokemon, it sure looks cute," Cappy said quietly to Mario, as Terapagos yawned after waking up from its slumber. Then something remarkable something - Terapagos saw Mario, and began walking over to him.

"Mama Mia! I think he likes-a me," marveled Mario, as all eyes were soon drawn to the plumber. Dimentio, Ansem, and Xemnas didn't like that Mario was there.

"Mario?! Why you..." seethed Xemnas, who was confronted by Mega Man and Raiden as the two jumped out of their hiding spot. Mega Man pointed his Mega Buster at Ansem and Xemnas, while Raiden was wielding his katana.

"No...you're mine!" yelled Kieran, believing that he was the rightful owner of Terapagos...so he took out a Master Ball and threw it at the Tera Pokemon. Much to everyone's surprise, Kieran caught Terapagos without much trouble.

"Very well done, Kerian!" Briar commended the Pokemon trainer, who held the Master Ball in the palm of his right hand as he felt the power coursing throughout his veins. "The fact that you brought along a Master Ball tells me that you were well prepared for this!"

"Or we might've given him one," stated Ansem, choosing not to go into the details since he had some fish to fry. Specifically Mario, Mega Man, and Raiden. "The three of you, begone!"

"Mega Man, now!" Raiden shouted at the robot, who charged up a Charge Shot and fired it at Ansem and Xemnas. But Xemnas deflected the Charge Shot with his Ethereal Blade, sending it flying in another direction.

"They're getting away!" shouted Mega Man, as Ansem summoned a dark corridor so that he and Xemans could escape. "After them!" Mega Man and Raiden both ambushed Ansem and Xemnas, bringing the fight to the two Organization members deep into the cave.

"Don't tell me you're leaving too, Mario..." Kieran said to the plumber, who was the last man standing after Mega Man and Raiden deserted him. "...I'd like to challenge you to a Pokemon battle. Just to see what Terapagos can do."

"Uh...be right-a back!" responded Mario, taking out his phone as he excused himself from the premises. Kieran had high hopes that Mario would be a man of his word.

"A Pokemon battle?" gleamed Dimentio, as he too desired to see what Terapagos was capable of. Terapagos was essential to his evil plan. "This will be delightful, like two rivaling bands at a football game!"

Once again, the doorbell was ringing at E. Gadd's, and it was only a matter of time until it was answered. But then something rare happened...a minion of Cortex's had the energy to answer the door! N. Gin ran to the front door, with high hopes for who was standing at the doorstep.

"Please be that hot goth lady, please be that hot goth lady, please be that hot goth lady..." N. Gin was pleading under his breath as he opened the front door, hoping to see the "goth lady" he met back in August. To his great disappointment, no goth lady was standing at the door.

Instead, all N. Gin saw was Luigi...who for some reason was dressed differently. He was wearing black and had a black bandanna over his eyes to boot. N. Gin wasn't sure what to make of Luigi's attire.

"Uh, N. Gin, you forgot to flush the toilet..." Komodo Joe alerted the cyborg as he showed up in the foyer with his brother Komodo Moe, only to be taken back by Luigi. Komodo Moe almost fainted to the floor after doing a double-take at Luigi.

"Woah! Luigi, since when did you get edgy?" Komodo Moe asked the green plumber, thinking that the black attire was too cool even for a man of Luigi's caliber. "Someone's been shopping at Hot Topic lately!"

"Luigi, I am not!" Luigi proclaimed, before spinning around and striking a pose about to let everyone know about his true identity. "For I am...the Green Thunder...Mr. L!"

"You...you're not the goth lady I was chatting with..." N. Gin said to Mr. L, pointing at the brainwashed plumber with his arm shaking. "...you're a WEIRDO!"

"That so-called goth lady must've been real desperate," Komodo Moe whispered into Joe's ear, as Mr. L could only scoff at N. Gin's name-calling.

"Me? A weirdo? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black..." snorted Mr. L - and to his surprise N. Gin took a sudden keen liking to him. N. Gin was smiling at Mr. L as he rubbed his hands together.

"I love weirdoes like you," N. Gin confessed to Mr. L, delivering his line in a way that made the black-clad plumber feel slightly creeped out. "You could be of great use to me! Tell me, do you love science?"

"There's one thing I love more than science...kicking your butt!" Mr. L got into a fighting pose, as he was eyeing down N. Gin. Much to his joy, Mr. L was taken as a threat as N. Gin whipped out a rocket launcher.

"Oh, I get it...you're looking for a fight! Hate to break it to you, but only one weirdo will come out on top!"

"Have fun, you two," Komodo Joe said to Mr. L and N. Gin as the Komodo Bros left the foyer, with Joe returning to the bathroom that N. Gin previously used. "It's just not worth it..."

Down in the lab, AI Sada and AI Turo were asked to decorate E. Gadd's digs with some holiday decorations. Of course, such decorations were superfluous, but Cortex was out to prove that the professors were programmed to do more than shopping, preparing food, and other tasks.

"You see how the Christmas tree in the foyer ended up being so pretty?" Cortex asked Link and Zelda, grinning from ear to ear as the AI professors had the lab looking sparkly with their decorations.

"Someone's enjoying this a little too much," replied Link, believing that Cortex would never let go of the AI professors - even if the original professors asked for them back. As the decorating continued, a loud noise was heard.

"N. Gin?" Cortex uttered the name of the cyborg, who flew inside the lab - likely that someone kicked his butt and sent him flying. That turned out to be the case, as Mr. L stepped inside the lab wielding N. Gin's rocket launcher.

"Thanks for the weaponry, bub!" Mr. L sardonically thanked N. Gin, before looking around at the lab and liking what he saw. "Huh, this lab looks like an awesome place to wreck shop in."

N. Gin: *holding an ice pack to his head* I guess Mr. L is the bigger weirdo after all. Nothing wrong with second place, I suppose. *winces in pain* Ow, the ice is so cold that it hurts. I just love it!

"Luigi?" Zelda said to Mr. L, inadvertently triggering him; it was about time that Mr. L let Zelda and the others know what was up.

"It's Mr. L to you! And don't get it twisted!" Mr. L's bravado was too much for Link and Zelda to handle, as the Hylian couple was giggling. "What's so funny? You think I'm some kind of joke?!"

"Well, well...this is quite the intrusion," remarked AI Turo, as he and AI Sada stopped decorating and gave Luigi their full attention. "Dr. Cortex, did you call for this man by any chance?"

"His above-average attire is making me jealous...," replied Cortex, thinking that Luigi...erm, Mr. L, had ulterior motives based on his attire alone. "I ask that you dispose of him!"

"Gladly..." replied AI Sada, taking out her Poke Ball and sending out her Roaring Moon. The Roaring Moon peered at his prey, Mr. L, who was lightly afraid.

"We don't have to do this, we can settle this like adults..." Mr. L said gingerly to AI Sada, as the Roaring Moon flew closer to him. Mr. L gulped nervously.

Mario: Had to call a lifeline. I called Red and asked-a him what I should do in a Pokemon-a battle against a legendary Pokemon. He was no help - just told me to trust my gut and then hung-a up on the phone. Some "expert" he is.

Because Red the Pokemon Trainer had no idea how to help him, Mario was forced to rest on his laurels and go into his Pokemon battle with Kieran blind. The plumber returned to where Kieran was, as Briar and Dimentio chose to spectate the battle.

"Ready when-a you are," Mario said to Kieran as he took out his Poke Ball. Will Mario send out Calyrex, or did he perhaps have another Pokemon in mind?

"I can study Terapagos whenever I want...this is so wonderful!" said the ever-excitable Briar, happy that her dreams of seeing Terapagos in the flesh came true. Couldn't care less about everything that led up to this point.

"If that's what you think..." Dimentio said quietly under his breath, as he had plans of his own with Terapagos. Plans that had very little to do with any research.

"Go, Terapagos!" shouted Kieran as he sent forth Terapagos, who shifted into a different form upon joining the battle - its Terastal Form. "Show Mario what you're made of!"

"Hate that I have-a to do this to you..." lamented Mario as he threw out his Poke Ball, and the Pokemon he summoned was not Calyrex. Rather, it was the Pokemon that Kieran saw in that illusion of Infinite's...Ogerpon. Kieran gasped.

"So that mysterious voice was true! You did see Ogerpon! And you caught her, too, behind my back! Yet you dare to use her in this battle?!"

"I didn't want to, but if this brings-a you back to your senses...then so be it." Knowing what he was up against, Kieran solemnly nodded his head.

"Ogerpon might've chosen you because you're strong, but soon she'll who the strongest here is. Hold nothing back..."

Ryu was engaged in a sparring session, as Lacey and Drayton's Pokemon served as the fighter's sparring mates. During the sparring session, Chun-li came around the corner to check things out.

"Yes! I can feel the..." Ryu was about to say, but then he stopped sparing when he took notice of Chun-li. Tension quickly filled the air. "...oh, Chun-li! Y-You saw me?"

"I saw plenty," replied Chun-li as she approached Ryu, making the fighter weary about what she had up her sleeve. "That said..." Chun-li then did something unexpected...she kissed Ryu, and the moment was brief yet startling.

"Whaddaya know...Ryu's got game," smirked Drayton, as a perplexed Ryu started dumbfoundedly at Chun-li. Chun-li acted as if the kiss never happened, wiping her mouth.

"Was that kiss 'Kenough' for you?" Chun-li asked Ryu with a slight smile; Ryu was still staring, as Chun-li walked away. Then a moment later, Ryu fainted as Lacey came over to check on him.

Chun-li: The kiss should be enough to get him out of his feelings. As for him and those Mortal Kombat folks...that's his battle to fight.

Carmine had yet to find Kieran, and she had searched every inch of Omnis Adest for her brother. She even asked Nemona and her friends if they had seen Kieran anywhere, and they all answered no.

"He likely ran away because you were being mean to him," Gex spoke to Carmine at the Salivation Army bucket, ringing his bell. It was the second time today that Carmine was accused of being a mean older sister. "I remember when I ran away, just like Forrest Gump. 'Run, Forrest, run!', they would say."

"...you were the wrong person to ask," responded Carmine, leaving Gex alone as she walked away from the lizard and sighed. "Where are you, Kiki?"

Suddenly a whistle was heard, and it was directed at Carmine. Turning her head, Carmine saw Sonic, and with him were Vexen and Demyx.

"Care to come with us to Area Zero?" Vexen offered to Carmine, who now had the crazy idea that Kieran ended up in Paldea somehow. If only she knew how right she was...

Mario and Kieran's Pokemon battle was a back-and-forth affair but in the end, Mario prevailed. With a slew of moves from Ogerpon, Terapagos was down for the count.

"Wh-Why?" questioned Kieran, looking distraught as the sting of defeat pierced his very soul. "I thought if I had Terapagos, the hidden treasure of Area Zero...it would make me stronger..."

"Something's not right; its Terestal energy output is far too low," stated Briar, who was rather disappointed by Terapagos in its battle against Ogerpon.

"Come to think of it, it does look different from the illustration in the Scarlet Book..." added Dimentio, looking through the Scarlet Book as Briar was doing the same with her Violet book.

"So...Terapagos isn't the hidden treasure of Area Zero?" asked Kieran, disgruntled that he followed Ansem and Xemnas to Area Zero and that his efforts were potentially all for naught.

"No, I'm sure it is - has to be a way to transform it into the treasure," replied the certain Briar, looking through the Violet Book until she found what she was looking for. "Of course! Terapagos is made of Terestal energy! Kieran, you must Terastalize Terapagos...if my hunch is correct, it will resonate with the energy of your Tera Orb, and the hidden treasure will finally reveal its true brilliance!"

"Yes, Kieran, Terastalize Terapagos this instant!" Dimentio encouraged the Pokemon trainer, who had no choice in the matter as he took out his Tera Orb and pointed it at Terapogos.

"Kieran, don't!" shouted Mario, but it was too late...Kieran threw his Tera Orb at Terapagos, causing the Tera Pokemon to Terastalize. The Terastalization for Terapagos was quite a big one, as it resulted in strong gusts of wind.

"I KNEW IT! The Violet Book was right!" exclaimed Briar, soaking it all in while Mario was struggling to keep his hat on his head. "Terapagos is in its fully awakened form...this is the hidden treasure of Area Zero!"

Thanks to the power of Terastalization, Terapagos was in its Stellar Form; it took on the shape of a dome while emitting a strong energy field. Crystals surrounded Terapagos, each one representing a different Pokemon type. But things were going haywire, as Terapagos's power was overflowing.

"It's all mine for the taking..." cackled Dimentio, having no more use for Kieran as he summoned a magic shuriken. Just when he was about to fire this shuriken at Kieran.

"Hold it right there!" someone shouted from afar, as a Charge Shot was fired at Dimentio messing with his concentration. Dimentio's magic shuriken went away, as Mega Man and Raiden returned to the premises.

"You...how?!" Dimentio was no happy camper, as Mega Man and Raiden were back and looking for even more butt to kick. "Where is Ansem and Xemnas?"

"They're old news now," replied Raiden, eager to go toe-to-toe with Dimentio for the very first time as he readied his katana. "You're all alone now, Dimentio..."

Raiden: Had my first taste of Organization XIII today...and it was a worthy challenge. If those two are the best they have to offer, the rest will be easy pickings.

Mega Man: Squaring off with Senator Armstrong has given Raiden a lot of plot armor. That's my headcanon for today.

"Kieran, look out!" a voice shouted...a voice that sounded like it belonged to Carmine, as a beam from Terapagos was fired at Kieran. Kieran flinched in anticipation, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Vexen in front of him, blocking the beam with his shield.

"Truly our timing is impeccable!" remarked Vexen, holding off the beam for as long as he could, as Kieran noticed that he had some new company - Sonic, Vexen, and his older sister.

"It's the traitors..." Dimentio seethed when he saw Vexen and Demyx, having a bone to pick with the two rogue Organization members. But now wasn't a good time to pick that bone.

"Carmine!" shouted Kieran, as he and Carmine were happily reunited...but the good vibes had to be put on hold, for Terapagos was getting out of control.

"Mama Mia! This is getting out-a of hand!" exclaimed Mario, panicking as the ground was starting to crack. "Kieran, you should return-a Terapagos to its ball!"

"O-OK! Come back, Terapagos!" commanded Kieran as he took out his Master Ball and tried to recall Terapagos, although nothing was working. The power of Terapagos was so strong, that it even caused Kieran's Master Ball to break!

"Well, that's something you don't see every day," Dimentio had this to say about Kieran's Master Ball breaking, as he floated closer to Terapagos. "Maybe if I can get on his good side..."

So much for that, as Terapagos sensed Dimentio getting closer and fired a beam at him. Dimentio was sent flying out of the cave, as the others were left to deal with an out-of-control Terapagos.

"Serves him right," remarked Raiden as he put away his katana, happy to see Dimentio get his just desserts. Dimentio's plans for his "return trip" to the mansion were thwarted.

"Its energy output is going haywire!" fretted Briar, fearing for everyone's safety. "We're all in serious danger if we can't bring it under control! Terapagos must be stopped!"

"Sounds like a job for Mario to me," said Sonic, and Mario would answer the call as he took out a Poke Ball...and tossed it to Sonic. "Huh...?"

"Go, Ogerpon!" shouted Mario as he sent out the mask Pokemon, Ogerpon. A Pokemon that Mario had never seen before, as he did a double-take.

"Uh...go, Pokemon, go!" Sonic threw his Poke Ball as he sent out Calyrex, becoming slightly disappointed. "He would give me the big-headed Pokemon...wait, Mario, will Calyrex even obey me?"

"I'll join in," said Carmine, stepping up to the plate as she sent out her Pokemon, a Sinistcha. "You too, Kiki. We have to get Terapagos in control!"

"N-No...this wasn't supposed to happen...this is all my fault!" responded Kieran, holding himself accountable as Mario, Sonic, and Carmine were forced to battle without him. A three-on-one affair, if you will.

"It's using a barrier," observed Briar, believing that the barrier surrounding Terapagos would nullify any attack against it. "Terastalizing might help!"

"Let's see if this works..." said Carmine, taking up on Briar's advice as she Terastalized her Sinistcha. But Terapagos absorbed Sinistcha's Terstal energy, before knocking out the matcha Pokemon with a Zen Headbutt. "...oh no, it knocked out my Sinistcha! It's just too strong!"

"Kieran! You have to get in there and battle that Terapagos!" Mega Man stressed to the Pokemon trainer, as Mario and Sonic commanded Ogerpon and Calyrex to attack Terapagos, respectively. Nothing doing.

"I-It's no good! I'm useless..." responded the defeatist Kieran, lowering his head in shame. "...I can't help anyone."

"But you are strong," stated Raiden, attempting to light a fire inside of Kieran. "Show this Terapagos just how strong you really are!"

Raiden's pep talk seemed to work, as Kieran flinched his fist tightly before looking up with a newfound determination. Taking out his Poke Ball with a tear in his eye, Kieran let out a battle cry.

"Now that's what I like to see!" exclaimed Sonic, as Kieran joined the blue hedgehog and Mario in the battle against Terapagos. Kieran sent out his Pokemon, a Hydrapple, as he was reinvigorated.

"Okay, I'll help out too!" said the newly confident Kieran, back in good spirits thanks to Raiden's words of encouragement.

"Better late than never..." remarked Vexen, as he and Demyx stood with Briar a safe distance from the battle. "...you three need to clean this whole mess up!"

Amarys's concerns about Crispin were later confirmed - after Crispin finished his last bowl of ice cream, his teeth were chattering and he was in a great deal of pain. In other words, he had a brain freeze...and a very bad case of it, too.

"The warmth from his Rotom-Heat will insulate his body, and increase his body temperature," Amarys discussed with Pit outside the cafe, as Crispin had a warm blanket over his body. "But this blanket will suffice, for now."

"He can keep it; I haven't used that security blanket in forever," responded Pit, as Amarys escorted Crispin down the hallway to a warm place. "Come again!" Pit waved to Amarys and Crispin, as Brewster joined him.

"Coo...Blathers is in the fitness center, recovering from a headache," Brewster came by to inform Pit, who looked guilty as he got wide-eyed and ran back inside the cafe. "Thought that maybe you should know..."

Viridi: Crispin professes to be the feast fire-type trainer at his school, so you'd think that he would be able to handle the cold. And yet...

Pit: This is all my fault, I convinced Crispin that the Ice Climbers would make Cafe Leblanc go down under if enough people didn't eat their ice cream. It was a guilt trip ordered to me by Popo to help increase sales. So technically, it's his fault as well.

Daisy did everything possible to get in touch with Luigi - calling his phone, sending him text messages, the works. She also asked her neighbors about Luigi's whereabouts, with Berkut recounting Luigi jumping out of the window in his master bedroom. In case it wasn't obvious, Daisy was distressed.

"Where could he be?" wondered Daisy, sitting in her living room as Yuffie did her best to calm the princess. Daisy's worries were dashed as the front door opened, and a certain plumber came inside.

"Hey babe...I'm-a back," Luigi announced to Daisy, still wearing the black overalls but no bandanna as he looked bruised and battered. Daisy didn't care what condition Luigi was in, for she was happy to see her husband back in one piece.

"Luigi! You're okay!" Daisy hopped up and ran to Luigi, embracing her man in a hug as she kissed him repeatedly. "Don't you ever leave me like that again!"

Link: Just realized, Luigi was meandering as Mr. L, and Mr. L is a character in the Paper Mario storybook...Zelda and I will have to speak with Master Hand about that.

Master Hand was worried about Mario and company in Paldea - so worried, that he wouldn't leave the teleportation room until the group returned safe and sound. But his worries were quelled, as the teleportation device suddenly started up. In a matter of seconds, Mario and his crew were standing on the teleportation pad - while bringing some folks with them.

"You're back!" rejoiced Master Hand, as Mario and the others all got off of the pad. "Welcome back, Mario and Raiden...and Carmine...and Kerian...and Vexen...and Demyx...and Sonic...and Briar..."

"The threat in Paldea has been neutralized!" Vexen announced to Master Hand, and that was all Master Hand wanted to hear. "No more Dimentio or Organization XIII running amok in the Great Crater!"

"I need to get in touch with Geeta..." said Briar, enthralled by her experience down in Area Zero as she looked to document her findings. "...no, scratch that. I need a publisher first!"

"Man, that was the craziest Pokemon battle I've ever been a part of!" Sonic said to Mario as he gave the plumber a fist bump, fortunate to make it out of Area Zero alive. "Glad we came out on top."

"Hey, Mario..." Kieran said to the plumber, as Carmine and Briar turned their focus to the Pokemon trainer. "...I wanted to give you and everyone else an apology. Since I got you all in this mess. So...I'm sorry!"

"Apology accepted," Mario accepted Kieran's apology, and Sonic would do the same with a smile and nod of his head.

"I'm sorry as well..." Briar apologized to those in the teleportation room (sans Master Hand), as she too wished to make right with everyone. "I let my obsession take over! It was inexcusable..."

"You should be!" Sonic scolded Briar, while also scolding the teacher for following Dimentio to Area Zero. "Gotta get your obsessiveness in check!"

"Wanna show off your new Pokemon to Master Hand, Sonic?" Kieran asked the blue hedgehog, who took the hint as he smiled. Having Master Hand's interest, Sonic took out a Poke Ball.

"Look alive, Terapagos!" Sonic sent forth his new Pokemon...and it was Terapagos! Terapagos was happy to see Master Hand, smiling at him.

Sonic: Kieran was totally cool with letting me catch Terapogos after we defeated it. At first, he put Mario up to it, but Mario let me catch Terapagos instead. He even gave me a spare Poke Ball to catch it with! The downside, though, is...he gave me a Nest Ball. But at least we're even now. Mario's got two legendaries, and I got two legendaries...Shaymin is a legendary Pokemon, and you can't convince me otherwise. *folds arms defiantly*

"That's a legendary Pokemon, isn't it?" asked Master Hand, his inquiry later confirmed when Terapagos went into its Terastal form. "So much for keeping it in the sanctuary..."

"You've got enough Pokemon in the sanctuary as is," remarked Mega Man, as Mario and Sonic laughed along with the robot. During the laughing bit, Carmine put her hand on Kieran and smiled.

"I'm so happy to have you back, Kiki," Carmine smiled at her little brother; Kieran smiled in return, as whatever negative feelings he had towards Mario and Carmine vanished completely.

Carmine and Kieran, the two siblings hailing from Kitikami, were back together again...and what a joyous reunion it was.