Hello all and welcome to yet another (Late) chapter of Game Jumpers! Last chapter, our merry band of heroes set out to find the mystery of Dry Dry Desert. With a bit of digging, the group found the mysterious Moustafa, a Mouser whose ancestors were responsible for the secret of Dry Dry Desert. Learning of their quest and deeming them worthy, he bestowed the Pulse Stone to Mario, allowing the gang to have a way to both find and open the path to Dry Dry Ruins. The gang traversed the vast desert, finding more items and equipment for their journey, including the discovery of a Super Block, a block capable of powering up a Partner, which Kooper was able to experience first hand. After a bit more searching, the group finally found the long lost Dry Dry Ruins and ventured inside. What secrets do the ruins hold? Will they be able to traverse the various traps and paths ahead? Will I ever stop asking these questions? I'm not sure about that last question but lets see if the other two get answered, eh?
(Apologies for the delay on this chapter. My usual program wasn't cooperating this past month. Everything is OK now, and besides a small portion of this chapter, I didn't lose anything so we're good. Again, sorry for everything and I hope you guys enjoy!)
Chapter 8: Tomb Raiders!
The party walked into the ruins, noting that the sky had turned back to normal if the light protruding out the windows was any indication. Before they could get started, everyone jumped when a voice rang out.
"Bleeag! Blooooaaaagh!" The voice boomed. Kooper ducked into his shell, as did Kolorodo and Parakarry, while Goombario leaped into Dylan's arms. Dylan himself leaped into Kimani's arms, who grunted from the weight. Jordan just choked on his spit while Mario's eyebrow raised in surprise. Bombette laughed at everyone.
"I'm the huge, scary Tutankoopa! Remorseless king of the desert! Who dares set foot in this, my palace of the sands? Speak and be known!" The voice rang out again.
"Some salesmen! Do you have time to talk about your car insurance?" Kimani answered, getting bonked by Jordan seconds after.
"Begone from this place! Now! Or disaster will befall you!" The voice yelled one more time before it disappeared.
"Well, you heard him. Time to bounce!" Goombario exclaimed, leaping from Dylan and heading towards the exit, but Mario caught him, ensuring him that they would be fine. Kimani put Dylan down and told him never to do that again without warning before he started walking forward. Kooper, Parakarry and Kolorodo peeked out of their shell afterward.
"Well, that was certainly a fright... but I'm not so easily dissuaded!" He announced loudly, stepping forward with Kimani. Mario snorted before he and the rest of the party followed after them. (Mario hit the nearby Save Block beforehand.) They didn't get far before a nearby coffin opened up, unleashing a Pokey on Kimani, who panicked and punched it, suffering a First Strike.
"OW!" *Koff* *Koff*" Kimani yelped, coughing afterward and turning green. The rest of the party caught up as another Pokey as well as a walking skeleton.
"That's not good. Kimani's Poisoned! He'll take some damage every turn unless we heal him! That includes any of our turns as well!" Goombario told the group. As he said, Kimani cringed afterward, taking three damage from the poison, bringing it down to 16.
"Really? Damn, that's rough..." Kimani moaned, coughing again. Mario went first for the team, immediately giving Kimani the Tasty Tonic. He sipped it, gagging but healing himself of the poison. Goombario swapped with Kolorodo, going for a Tattle.
"Let's see why Kimani got Poisoned, eh? This is a Pokey Mummy. Pokey Mummies are Pokeys that dried out and then went to live in the ruins. Max HP: 6, Attack Power: 4, Defense Power: 1 Careful! They have spikes on their heads! Trust me— it'll hurt if you jump on 'em. The mummification also made 'em poisonous and those stiff wrappings are kinda tough to break. If you get poisoned when they attack you, you'll take damage for a while. What do you say we beat 'em before they can poison us?... Oh, too late..." Goombario Tattled. Kimani crossed his arms and huffed as Mario got ready to block the attacks. The Pokey Mummys threw a segment at him, causing Mario to block them. The skeleton took one of his ribs and fast-balled it in Mario's direction. He was so taken aback by him ripping his own rib out that he got clonked in the face by the bone for 5 damage, which dropped his HP to 8.
"Oh my goodness, that's bad!" Bombette exclaimed. Kimani stepped forward, using his combination of Dragon Uppercut and Descent to take out the first one and deal 3 damage to the second one. Goombario shifted behind Kimani, Tattling again.
"I need to get paid for this... Alright, we got a Dull Bones on our hands! A pretty crusty-looking guy, if you ask me. Max HP: 3, Attack Power: 5, Defense Power: 1. They're pretty durable, though a good explosion should take them down for good. They're immune to fire, though, so take care not to waste precious time on a Fire Flower. Needless to say, Kimani and Firebrand's firepower won't do it either. If you knock 'em down, they will get back up and attack after a moment. They seem to stay down if you just keep hitting 'em, though. As I said earlier, however, explosions will one-shot them, so this is Bombette's time to shine!" Goombario told everyone. Kimani nodded, parrying the 2 attacks effortlessly. Dylan went next, using an Ion Beam to cut the Pokey Mummy down and knock down the Dull Bones. Bombette Bombed it off the face of the planet for 11 damage before it got up, earning the team a victory. Before they took a step further, Mario immediately slapped his hands together, calling Eldstar to heal him back to full HP. Mario then asked if they could do some strategizing badge-wise. Kimani and Jordan nodded while Dylan hovered around, wanting to be a part of the conversation. Kolorodo and the others crowded around Kooper, who was currently reciting what little notes he had on Dry Dry Ruins.
"Alright, Mar. Shoot. What's on your mind?" Kimani asked. After some complicated hand waves and the occasional vocal grunt, Jordan put his hand on his chin.
"I wouldn't mind it. Should I have the Zap Tap badge then?" Jordan pondered.
"Would your element allow you to have it without it hurting you?" Kimani asked.
"I don't see why not?"
"Alright... Uh... Honestly, everything's been throwing things at us so maybe Zap Tap isn't the move anyway. You're free to drop Zap Tap, Mar. Jordan, give him your HP Plus Badge... Hmmm..." Kimani started, rubbing his forehead in thought. As he did this, Mario and Jordan were swapping and unequipping badges. Mario put the HP Plus on his shirt, raising his max HP to 20 while Jordan's fell to 25.
"There's a lot of poison enemies around... Maybe it's time to bust out the Feeling Fine Badge... Also, Jordan. Don't actually do this but imagine if you used the Double Pain Badge with Revenge Strike..." Kimani heckled.
"...Oh, that's evil," Jordan chuckled. Mario sweatdropped from the thought before he put the Feeling Fine Badge on, but noticed he had one too many badges equipped point-wise. He took off the Power Stomp Badge as a result.
"Hey, Mario. Can I have that Hammer Throw Badge? I need more options to attack anyway," Jordan asked. Mario nodded, handing him the badge. Jordan slapped the badge onto his hammer. He pursed his lips before he asked for the Peekaboo Badge as well, putting that one on his shirt. Kimani asked for the Starman Badge, just to have it. Jordan jokingly asked him about the Power Plus Badge, causing him to get kicked in the ankle. As Jordan hopped around, Kimani clipped the Starman Badge on his shirt. Mario asked if there were any other badges they were feeling, to which he received headshakes, causing him to nod before he looked at the others, who were still listening to Kooper.
"...rntly, the reason we couldn't find it at first was due to something called the Illusion Ruin... Oh, you guys ready?" Kooper recited, asking that question when the others floated over. Mario tipped his hat, thanking them for waiting before he pointed forward. There was the same party comp in front of them so the team blitzed through it with no problems. They looked inside the second coffin, earning a Fright Jar for their trouble. A few more steps caused another party of 3 Pokey Mummies to attack them. Both parties failed to land a solid hit so they started off on even footing. Mario asked the Professor to go first, causing him to reach into his bag, draining 3 from Mario's FP. He grabbed a dustpan and went to attack with it, but the dust caused him to sneeze, which blew it all over the party. Funny enough, it actually raised their evasion. Mario snickered at Kolorodo before he took his hammer out and charged it for a moment before he slammed it on the ground, causing a quake to run through the ground and damage all three Pokey Mummies for 2 damage. Both moves put his FP at 5 however. The Mummies came after Mario, who focused hard on their attacks. The first two whiffed due to the dust cloud, but the third one hit home. He blocked it, however, so he only took 2 damage. Kimani couldn't do anything without spending FP, and Jordan bluntly stated that he wouldn't be the best idea, so all eyes turned to Dylan, who spun in response to both the looks and music, shooting an Ion Beam forward, cleaving through the group and dealing 3 damage as well as striping their defense away. Kooper ran over and drained more of his FP, putting Dylan at 22 FP before he spun through the group, clearing the way for the party. They were greeted by a stairwell leading both up and down. The path above led to a locked door, so they went down, entering a small room with a key sitting on an elevated platform. Kolorodo sprinted over and snagged the key before they headed back and went upstairs, unlocked the door, and found a room full of sand. A pink button was over in the corner. Kimani tip-toed over the sand and jumped onto the button, but it didn't budge. A question mark appeared over his head as he jumped a few more times to no effect.
"Seriously? I'm too light for the button?" Kimani deadpanned. Jordan snickered before he walked over and put one toe on it, causing it to slam down. This caused Jordan to be offended, and Kimani hollered with laughter. As Jordan jumped and flattened Kimani under him, the sand in the room started to drain. Everyone else backpedaled before they were swept away. Once the sand finally stopped, they peeked back in to see Jordan sitting on Kimani's stomach and chest, only leaving his head and legs exposed. He was wheezing hard but it sounded like he was still laughing at Jordan.
"Ouch... Is Kimani still alive under there?" Goombario asked.
"Sadly yes... He's like a cockroach at moments..." Jordan grumbled, crossing his arms. He made his weight crash down on Kimani again, earning another wheeze from him. Mario shook his head before he told the two to stop fooling around. Jordan obeyed begrudgingly, squishing Kimani one last time before he got up and walked over to the group. Firebrand materialized next to Kimani, scraping him off the ground before Kimani got up, stretching and overall fixing himself before he walked over. Jordan gave him a glare, which Kimani returned with a cheeky grin. Dylan smiled and threw an arm over both of their shoulders, causing Kimani to let out a snort while Jordan rolled his eyes, allowing a slight grin to appear on his face.
"Seriously... How are you still alive? Jordan has to be at least 300 pounds!" Kooper asked.
"Hey!"
"He isn't wrong however," Kimani added, poking Jordan's gut. Dylan snorted loudly causing Jordan to round on him next.
"I wouldn't be laughing, Porky! Any more weight and you'll be right up there with me!"
"So? I'd be fluffy and lovable!" Dylan countered. Jordan sputtered for a bit, reaching for a counterargument while Kimani moved a bit from them.
"315 to be exact. And I'm fine. I wrestle with him all the time along with others. My body just naturally grew tough because of it,"
"Wow... Maybe he was right to call you a cockroach,"
"Hey!"
"Now now, Lads. Let's not forget we're in unexplored ruins. We must be cautious to some extent," Kolorodo lightly scolded. Firebrand and Typhoon appeared afterward as Jordan and Dylan's argument started to escalate a bit, causing Dylan to give Jordan a hug in response to his defiance.
"You haven't even seen the half of it. These guys don't have a serious bone in their body," Firebrand said as they went back to the bottom room, seeing that the sand allowed them to reach another path.
"Mmm-hmm... It'd be weirder for them not to be as laid back as they are now," Typhoon co-signed. Mario also nodded his head as well, sweatdropping in the process. He hadn't known them for long but Mario knew that if they were making jokes and fooling around, they were relaxed and not worried at all, which admittedly eased Mario himself... However, the roughhousing was something he was still getting used to. Kolorodo nodded in understanding as they entered another area, being greeted by Tutankoopa's voice again.
"Fools! You have ignored my warning, haven't you!?"
"Uh... maybe a little bit?" Dylan answered, still in Jordan's headlock.
"So what? Like we're going to listen to this bozo," Kimani heckled back.
"You will fall to my legions and become a mummy of the sands!" Tutankoopa shot back.
"You'll need a lot of wrap for Jordan..." Kooper deadpanned.
"I'm about to fight everyone here..." Jordan sighed.
"Sorry, it's kinda fun picking with you,"
"Wanna get sat on next?"
"...I apologize for my actions," He meekly said, taking another hit of his inhaler. Mario gave Kolorodo a slight glance in response. Kolorodo, seeing his point in real time, simply nodded, sweatdropping as well as they continued along. They were currently in a room with another staircase leading both up and down to different levels. Mario, Kolorodo, and Parakarry went straight ahead, peeking into one of the rooms ahead, while Kimani, Firebrand, Kooper, and Goombario went up the steps. Jordan, Typhoon, Dylan, and Bombette went down the steps. Mario and the gang didn't find much on their end, but Kimani's group ended up getting into a brawl with some shelled creatures and 2 more Dull Bones.
"Welp, you're by yourself, Kimani. Remember, you can run from combat if need be!" Goombario, who was behind him, mentioned.
"Who do you think you're talking to?! I got this in the bag!" Kimani exclaimed. Goombario rolled his eyes before he Tattled on the shelled creatures.
"I'll give you some information just in case... This is a Buzzy Beetle. Buzzy Beetles are cute— but mean. Max HP: 5, Attack Power: 3, Defense Power: 2. Fire attacks don't work very well against these hardheads so no using Firebrand on them... If you can flip 'em, though, their defense power drops. Keep flipping 'em, Mario! Whoops, I mean Kimani. I heard that they used to flourish all over the place, but now they're only found in dark, shadowy places,"
"Well, I can't flip enemies naturally,"
"Who do you think you're talking to!? I can flip them easily!" Goombario heckled. Kimani smirked before he turned towards the enemies.
"Alright then! Let's get to work! Focus!" Kimani exclaimed, spending 3 of his 25 FP to start charging a Focus Blast. When the enemies came after him, Kimani was still able to trigger his Counter, but instead of Countering himself, Firebrand materialized from his controller to do the Counter for him. The Buzzy Beetles were safe from Firebrand's claws, but the Dull Bones took a point of damage when Firebrand sent the bones flying back at them. Goombario got started on his job, flipping the first Buzzy Beetle so it wouldn't attack him while Kimani put more energy into his attack, charging it to the next stage. The wave of attacks came after him again. Firebrand got to work, but he missed one of the bones, watching as it bonked Kimani in the face for 5 damage, bringing his HP down to 15.
"Shit! Sorry! These bones are kinda hard to track," Firebrand apologized. Kimani grumbled as he spent one more turn charging. Goombario flipped the other one, which caused the wave of attacks to come at him once more. Yet again, Firebrand mistimed a parry and caused another bone to clock him in shin this time, bringing his health to 10.
"Damn it! I thought you'd be good at parrying!" Kimani exclaimed, sending the blast off and obliterating the entire party. Kimani dusted himself off before he crossed his arms while the rest of the team cheered in the background.
"Did you know your timing restrictions are absolutely scuffed?" Firebrand told Kimani. He sweatdropped in response before he looked and saw a gap he had no chance of jumping.
"Hmm.. Guess we'll need Parakarry to fly us over that one... Where did they go again?"
"Straight ahead last time I checked," Kooper told him. Kimani nodded before he led everyone back down to the main floor. At that same time, Jordan's group ran into the same party comp Kimani ran into. When they entered the battle, they could see the Buzzy Beetle's HP, which confused some of the other party members. Jordan simply chalked it up to his Peekaboo Badge.
"...Wait, I can tell what their defense and attack power are as well... I guess Goombario was able to Tattle on one upstairs," Bombette put together.
"So what's the plan then?' Typhoon asked, standing behind Jordan as the battle started.
"Flip 'em and Smash 'em!"
"That'a girl!"
"Calm down you two... But she got a point. Ty, give them a show!" Jordan commanded.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Typhoon said, punching the ground hard, which caused the room to shake. The earthquake flipped over the Beetles while the Dull Bones were able to stay up. Jordan readied his hammer and whirled forward afterward, dealing 2 damage to both Beetles and 1 damage to the Dull Bones. The Dull Bones chucked their ribs at Jordan, but his shield softened the blows, causing him to take a reduced 2 damage overall, bringing his HP to 23. Dylan went next, letting an Ion Beam cleave through the group. The Buzzy Beetles lost both a point of defense as well as 3 more HP, leaving them with 1, while the Dull Bones fell over, out of commission but not out of the fight. Bombette simply Body Slammed the first Beetle out of the fight while Dylan himself Jolted the other one. Next turn came and the Dull Bones shook for a bit but didn't reanimate so Typhoon and Jordan slammed their weapons onto the piles, defeating them for good.
"Nice! Another victory under our belts!" Bombette cheered. Dylan joined her, as did Typhoon, leaving Jordan just shaking his head with a smirk. He went down some more stairs and saw that the door ahead had a lock on it. He sucked his teeth before he told his group the news, causing them to head back upstairs. At this point, all three parties ran into each other. Mario informed the group that they had found a key out of reach, while Jordan mentioned the locked door. Bombette piped up, telling the group about another room that had a triangle gem. The kicker was that the stairs were blocked by a Stone Block. Finally, Kimani informed everyone that there was a gap they couldn't jump over, and he saw a cracked wall as well. Mario put his finger on his chin before he nodded. He sent Kimani, Dylan, Parakarry, and Bombette back upstairs while he led everyone back near the doorway on the center floor.
"What are we waiting for?" Kooper asked. Mario simply counted down from 3. Once he pointed forward, the ceiling caused a plethora of sand to spill out, filling half the room in a matter of seconds. This allowed Mario to walk over and collect it. When they walked out of the room, Kimani and the others leaped down.
"How'd you push that button up there? I thought you were too light?" Jordan asked, genuinely curious. Kimani still sneered a bit before he simply thumbed toward Dylan.
"I might be too light but Dylan isn't," He answered as Dylan slapped his gut, causing Mario to snort as he led the team down the stairs. He first went to check the room Bombette told them about, groaning when he set eyes on the Stone Block. Jordan led them to the locked door, which Mario unlocked and went into another room that had some weird looking stairs and a lone ? Block. Mario got a tingle in his head as the party went over to the block. Before Mario could 'voice' his opinions, Kimani hit the block. They didn't earn anything, but the three coffins they passed opened up, unleashing three Pokey Mummies at them. Mario sighed but sprung forward, whacking the first Mummy with his Hammer, starting the battle. He forgot about their defense so his First Strike only did one measly point of damage. Mario upped the ante, draining 2 FP for a Quake Hammer. His FP dropped to 8 as a result. but he knocked the opponents to 3, 4, and 1 HP, respectively. Kolorodo took 3 more FP to Improvise again. However, all he found was a rock, so he just chucked it at the first Pokey Mummy for 1 damage, bringing it to 2 HP.
"Blast it all. What a wasted turn that was," Kolorodo muttered. Mario blocked the bone flung by the Dull Bones and blocked one of the Pokey Mummy's attacks, but he mistimed the second guard, causing him to get hit in the chest. Altogether, he took a total of 8 damage, bringing his HP to 12. Dylan sparked up, getting 5 FP back before he fired an Ion Beam at the group, taking out the first Pokey Mummy, knocking down the Dull Bones, and leaving the last Pokey with 1 HP. Dylan drained even more of his FP (7 to be exact, which brought his total down to 15) to Jump Start Mario, healing 5 HP for him and bringing it back to 17. Bombette drained yet another 3 FP from Dylan's reserves to Bomb the Pokey to submission. The skeleton just shook, allowing Kimani to run over and kick it. Mario thanked everyone for their help before he asked Dylan to send Bombette to the second Pokey Mummy in order to get a strong start on it. Bombette did just that, dealing a nice 4 damage to the front Pokey. Dylan had to save up some FP so rather than him go first, Kimani took over. He did see an enemy on the ceiling.
"Goom. Sorry to ask again, but we got a new face," Kimani apologized.
"It's no problem at all. Besides, you always ask nicely. Ahem... This is a Swooper, a ghost bat. Swoopers got their name because they swoop down out of the shadows. Max HP: 5, Attack Power: 4, Defense Power: 0. Even Jump attacks can't reach 'em when they're hanging on the ceiling, but earth tremors will knock 'em loose. Parakarry can also knock 'em loose with one of his moves. You can attack 'em however you choose once they're hovering in the air. Kimani's Uppercut won't reach them either if they're attached as well, so save your FP if you see them clinging to the ceiling," Goombario answered.
"Really?... Oh, I got an idea..." Kimani said, using his Dragon Uppercut on the Pokey. He knocked his head off and sent it at the Swooper, dealing 3 damage to it. He even Poisoned it! He didn't follow up with his Dragon's Descent so he only drained 5 FP overall, leaving him with 17 FP.
"Woah! You can do that?!"
"Well, yeah, but I didn't know that they could also get hit by their status effects as well," Kimani truthfully answered, watching as the Swooper succumbed to the poison before he had a chance to attack. Kimani effortlessly Parried the shell shot, dealing no damage but at least he didn't take any. Dylan went next so he could start building up his FP again. He sparked up, bringing his FP up to 17. He couldn't do much since his Jolt didn't pierce defense, so he just slapped his hands together, using Refresh. He didn't get any HP due to being full but he did get the FP regen, bringing it back to 24. Dylan then shot out an Ion Beam, piercing its defense for 3 and lowering its defense to 1. Bombette swapped with Goombario just so he could flip the turtle before it could attack. He did land a hit on it, bringing its HP down to 1. It couldn't get up, so Jordan just bonked it on his turn, ending the battle. The group picked up the hearts, flowers, and Tasty Tonic the enemies dropped before Dylan gave Bombette a small shock, Charging her and allowing her first Bomb to completely destroy the Pokey Mummy.
"Way to go, guys!" Kimani exclaimed. The two of them beamed with pride as Jordan and Typhoon took the lead. Typhoon rolled his arm before he brought his fist down, shaking the area and two enemies. He dealt a point of damage to the Dull Bones and did 1 damage as well to the Swooper, dislodging it. Jordan smirked before he walked over to the Dull Bones and slapped the D-Down Pound Badge, causing his hammer to glow. He then whacked the Dull Bones, piercing his defense and knocking it down. The Swooper started to harass Jordan, but he was able to block its dive with his shield, taking only one damage, leaving him with 24 HP. Dylan finished the battle with two Jolts (Since Alpha just used Assist to pass his turn back to Dylan), causing a key to drop in front of the second coffin. Mario grabbed the key while Kimani peeked up the stairs. He saw another button, causing him to slouch slightly before he looked across and saw a Stone Block across the way, making him groan out loud.
"Everything OK, Little Buddy?" Dylan called up. Kimani pursed his lips for a moment before he came back down.
"Yeah, just another one of those weighist buttons..." Kimani deadpanned. Firebrand and Parakarry exhaled loudly before they started cackling while the others simply sweatdropped.
"Anything else?" Parakarry asked after getting his breath back.
"Another Stone Block... We really have to find a way to break those. They're becoming a problem..." Kimani answered. Mario rapidly nodded his head. He was getting sick of them himself, but there wasn't much he could do with his current hammer. Mario started to daydream of a better hammer before he shook his head and pointed at the door. Everyone nodded before they walked over, unlocking the door and reaching another stairwell. Across the way was another pathway. Parakarry nodded before he got to work lifting everyone over. Once he was done, he landed and stretched for a moment before he started flying again as they walked through the door.
"Uh... Wait! C'mon, don't go into that room!" Tutankoopa's voice whined. When the group looked at the ceiling bewildered, they heard him cough and clear his voice.
"I mean... Flee now while you still can! If you continue… uh… you'll feel a horrible curse!" He warned, back in his 'spooky' voice.
"You heard him. Time to do the complete opposite of what he told us to do," Firebrand translated as they walked further into the room. They saw a plethora of stairs and buttons, causing Kimani to let out another groan. Mario patted him on the shoulder before he looked at the stairs, buttons, and opening at the top left. Kolorodo also saw this before he brought out his notepad.
"Ah, a puzzle! Never fear, my dear lads! I shall solve this in a matter of seconds!" He exclaimed as he sat down and started to write stuff down, pausing occasionally to look back at the stairs and buttons. After a few minutes, he ushered everyone over.
"What's up, Doc?" Dylan asked.
"Professor, actually. But I have the answer here! Mario, my dear boy. You'll be our man of action!" Kolorodo corrected before he pointed at Mario. Mario pointed at himself with a surprised look.
"Yes, my dear boy! You! Never fear, as I shall be your faithful navigator! Now, let's get started! Please head up the green stairs and hit the green button!" Kolorodo answered. Mario blinked before he nodded, not seeing the harm. That and he trusted him. Mario jogged over to the stairs and leaped up the stairs before he landed on the button, causing it to go down. The green stairs shifted until the top was now at the bottom and vice versa for the other side. Mario gave Kolorodo a sideward look.
"Now, head up the green stairs once more and hit the other green button!" He said next. Mario did just that, putting the stairs back to normal. Kolorodo guided him to the red button before he had Mario drop down to the ground floor. He then told everyone to follow after Mario as he basically did the same thing. Once they climbed the red stairs again, they looked down to see an enormous chest. Mario's senses went off again before he scooted around the edge, finding a faux wall and going inside, finding a small chest holding a Slow Go Badge and another Green Shard. Everyone leaped down before they walked up to the chest. Mario was in the center, while Kimani, Jordan, Dylan, Kolorodo, Kooper, and Goombario were on his sides, eager to see inside. Mario sweatdropped but opened the chest and leaned inside. After a minute of scrounging, Mario leaned out and held up a hammer with a happy expression. Kimani fist-pumped, Jordan crossed his arms and nodded in satisfaction; Dylan leaped into the air and cheered while the other partners celebrated in their own ways.
"Mario got the Super Hammer! The Attack Power of Mario's Hammer increases! Mario can also smash Stone Blocks! He'll need some help from Kimani and Dylan in order to do so, however..."
"How'd you know that, Dylan?" Parakarry asked. Dylan shrugged, causing others to sweatdrop. Mario also handed Kimani, Jordan, and Dylan each a Smash Shard, only they looked like they had a corresponding element inside it.
"Oh! An Element Shard? Didn't realize we lost some of our elemental powers as well..." Kimani said.
"Element Shard?"
"Same as a Smash Shard, only it gives us our elemental powers... Didn't actually know we lost them,"
"Really?" Goombario asked. Firebrand flew out of the controller.
"You haven't lost them fully. It's more so, I'm in control of your element rather,"
"...Hence why you have Fire Form and Fireballs and all of that?" Kimani guessed.
"Exactly. Guess that Star Rod separated your powers between us,"
"I'm guessing it's the same as us, Ty?" Jordan guessed.
"Right on the nose. Sparkplug over there doesn't seem to follow the same river however, seeing as how his moves all use his element," Typhoon answered.
"My guess is because Alpha's a robot so he's just providing Dylan with the charge needed... Wait, I just noticed... Dylan, where's your Upgrade Disk?" Kimani asked. An exclamation point appeared over his head as he looked behind him, or well, tried to. He just kept flipping as a result.
"...Just take my word for it.," Kimani deadpanned.
"Well... shoot. No wonder Alpha's Copycat is a bit weaker... And now that I think about it, I can't activate the Isle Exoskeleton..."
"...Firebrand, can we Soul Sync?"
"...No. I can't feel the usual energy needed for it... Sheesh, that Star Rod put us through it, eh?" Firebrand muttered, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah... Well, let's see what this Element Shard does for us..." Kimani sighed, smashing the shard into his chest. Rather than Kimani glowing, Firebrand himself started to glow before he grunted, flexing slightly and causing his mohawk to flare up a bit. He then looked himself over.
"Woo! That was a rush! I didn't get any new moves, but I certainly feel stronger!" Firebrand exclaimed.
"Stronger, how?"
"My attack power went up by 1. Also, I'm slowly starting to feel our Soul Sync energy. Can't say we can Sync just yet, but, this is a step in the right direction," Firebrand explained.
"I'll take it for now! Sucks we can't Soul Sync, however. It would come in handy for our tougher battles,"
"True,"
"Alright, Ty. Our turn," Jordan said, slapping his shard into his chest. Like Firebrand, Typhoon glowed for a bit before he flexed, letting out a hearty laugh.
"Hah! That's what I'm talking about!"
"So, same as Firebrand?"
"Exactly!"
"Our turn!" Dylan exclaimed, using his shard as well. Dylan sparked up for a bit before it died off.
"Performing self scan... Results found. My systems have improved," Alpha told him.
"So you do more damage?"
"Affirmative. I can also spend my turn to Charge you as well. However, this will prove to be hazardous to your HP and will drain 5 HP from you,"
"Great!"
"Nice... So how do we get out of here again?" Jordan asked, looking around.
"Well, as Dylan told us earlier, Mario and I can bust through these Stone Blocks now," Kimani answered, ushering Mario over. Mario walked over, heaving the hammer over his shoulder. Dylan came over and gave them a healthy jolt of electricity, which caused Mario and Kimani to jump high into the air and bring their hammers and fists down onto the block, breaking it into pieces. Kimani, Mario, and Dylan shared a high-five before Mario asked for Jordan's Hammer Throw Badge.
"Fair enough... Hey, for shits and giggles, let me get your Power Stomp Badge," Jordan agreed, asking that question next. A question mark appeared over Mario's head before he shrugged and traded badges with him. Mario's badge points were kinda lacking still so all he put on was the Hammer Throw Badge.
"Not to joke around for once, but I wonder if Jordan does more damage with Power Stomp due to his weight," Kimani pondered. Jordan shrugged, promising to test it on the first enemy they could. Luckily, they didn't have to go far as they got attacked by a Buzzy Beetle shortly after leaving the room with the stairs. He didn't come alone, however. Another Beetle, a Dull Bones, and a Dry Bubble joined him afterward. Mario wanted to test his new hammer capabilities, so he winded up a Hammer Throw and hurled it at the Dry Bubble, dealing 5 damage and taking it out immediately. Mario gave his hammer a look as Parakarry used more of his FP to Shell Shoot the Dull Bones, knocking it over and preventing it from attacking. Mario's eyes shot up when he heard the Buzzy Beetles come after him, causing him to block the two attacks, only taking 2 damage overall, bringing his HP down to 18. Jordan went next, allowing Typhoon to shake the room and knock over the Buzzy Beetles. Since Ty got a boost to his damage, he actually managed to deal a point of damage to the front one, leaving it at 4 HP. Jordan tapped the Power Jump badge on his shoes and leaped into the air, surprising everyone. True to what Kimani said, since Jordan was heavier than the average person, his first jump did 3 damage. When he did the action command for it and crashed down on the Buzzy Beetle again, he did another 2, flattening it and taking it out of the battle.
"...I don't know if I should be offended or relieved," Jordan muttered.
"Be both!" Dylan exclaimed, causing Jordan to snort as he watched the enemies shake as they tried to get up. Dylan zapped the last one twice before Bombette Body Slammed it away, finishing the fight and earning another level up for their troubles.
"Hell yeah!" Kimani exclaimed as their stats were refilled as a result. Mario pondered his options heavily before he decided to upgrade his HP this time around, bringing it to 20 naturally. The HP Plus badge just brought it up to 25. Jordan went with HP as well, bringing it to 30, while Kimani upped his BP to 9. Dylan went with FP this time around, raising it to 35. They weren't the only ones to get an upgrade as Firebrand, Typhoon and Alpha glowed as well.
"...Sweet. I got Dragon's Roar back," Firebrand told Kimani.
"I can use Njǫrd's Fury again," Typhoon said next. Everyone looked at Dylan, who shrugged in response.
"You didn't get a new move?" Kimani asked.
"...Should I have? I already have all my normal moves," Dylan answered. Kimani shrugged before Mario ushered them out of the room, jumping down and running into the next room where Tutankoopa yelled out again.
"Turn back, thief! Your time is running out!"
"...Speaking of time, what time is it now? Also, what are having for dinner tonight?" Goombario asked. Everyone shrugged in response with Kolorodo and Parakarry sweatdropping in response.
"If you do not retreat, you'll be in grave trouble! I do not lie! You will regret it!" He finished, fading away again.
"We must be on the right track if that rapscallion's warnings are continuing!" Kolorodo exclaimed. They continued down the hall, seeing statues of Chain Chomps to their left with an opening in the middle of them. While Kolorodo gave them a closer look, Goombario started rambling.
"Look at the Chomp statues! Even though I know they're just statues, they still scare me. This seems to be the very center of the ruins. In case I haven't mentioned it before, the architects of this place were geniuses. Moustafa's ancestors must have been amazing people," He sighed.
"That they were, dear lad! So let's make them proud by solving the puzzle they left us with!"
"They could throw us a bone and stop locking doors for starters..." Jordan deadpanned, looking at the topmost door ahead and seeing a lock on it. The bottom pathway was open, so they just went that way. They saw a pit and a key sitting on a lone platform. However, the shape of the room threw everyone's depth perception off badly.
"My head hurts... Is that key far or can we jump it?" Kimani asked, rubbing his head. Mario shook his head in response. He couldn't tell himself. He decided to wing it, leaping for the key. Not only was his jump too short but apparently, he was just off in general, not even getting close to the platform. Parakarry tried to fly over to snag it, but as he got closer, his head started swimming even more. It got so bad that he had to land next to Mario and take off his cap for a moment before he grabbed it in an effort to stop the room from spinning. Everyone else gave their goes in their own ways. Kimani got a running start and tried to long jump it, but he just crashed into the wall next to it. Jordan, with Kolorodo's measurements, tried to hurl both him and Kooper to it but they missed as well. Goombario and Bombette worked together as Goombario jumped on Bombette's head just as she exploded mid-air, giving him some extra air time, but like Mario, he was nowhere close to the platform. Jordan and Dylan, noting their lack of jumping capabilities didn't even try, opting to just leap down with the rest of the party.
"Wow... That's devious..." Kimani slurred out, his eyes becoming swirls at the moment.
"Optical illusions, eh? Very interesting," Kolorodo muttered. Once Kimani got his barrings straight, he, Dylan, and Mario attacked a nearby Stone Block, which was hiding a button. Jordan stepped on it, causing some platforms to appear, leading to the key. They still looked rather wonky, so it took Mario a moment to leap up them, but eventually, he got to the top and nabbed the key.
"We're not getting back up there so I guess we have to go through this path here," Parakarry said, pointing to a path on the left. Mario nodded before he leaped down, stumbling a bit from the illusion before he led the party through it. They didn't get far before they ran into a Buzzy Beetle. Mario was able to leap on him, starting the battle with him flipped over. He was joined by 2 Dry Bubbles and a Swooper, however. Mario assaulted one of the Dry Bubbles while Parakarry Shell Shot the other one, taking the two enemies out. The Beetle wasn't able to flip over yet so he wasn't a problem, so all Mario had to block was the Swooper, which was done without a problem, only taking 2 damage and dropping Mario's HP to 23. Kimani went next, assaulting the Buzzy Beetle with a Dragon's Uppercut, KOing the Buzzy Beetle, and dealing 3 damage to the Swooper with the Beetle's body. Firebrand put him out of his misery with a Fireball, winning the first set of battles for the team. Another Beetle was on the ceiling a few steps ahead. No one could hit it, however, and the group was feeling rather confident, so with their permission, Typhoon challenged him to come down and fight, causing the Beetle to leap off the ceiling with fume clouds over his head. Mario hit him with another First Strike jump attack, knocking him over when the battle started. Another Beetle was on the ceiling, as was another Swooper, who was also peeved.
"Alright, guys! Remember what Typhoon's challenges do? To everyone who hasn't had the chance to experience it, basically, the enemies have double their normal stats! So, for the Beetles, they now have an attack of 6, a defense of 4, and a whopping 10 HP. They're still weak to flipping, however, so we should be fine. The Swooper is kinda scary with their 10 HP and 6 Attack Power. If we have a way of slowing them down somehow, that would be great. With that being said, let's get to work!" Goombario instructed, earning grunts from everyone. Since the first Beetle was flipped over, they weren't too worried so they had Jordan and Typhoon start the battle. Typhoon shook the ground, dealing 3 damage to the front Beetle, leaving it with 7 HP while the other two enemies got knocked off the ceiling. The Swooper got hit for a point of damage, leaving it with 9. The second Beetle landed on its back as well. Jordan simply used his Bodyguard ability to prep himself to guard the next team. The Swooper tried to smack Jordan upside the head, but he blocked it with his shield, only taking 1 damage and being brought down to 29 HP. Dylan went next, firing an Ion Beam that cleaved through the Buzzy Beetles for 3 damage. The front one was left with 4 HP while the second one had 7. Dylan zapped the Swooper, which surprisingly did more damage, dropping it to 6.
"Oh! I guess that shard buffed my electric powers like it did with Ty and Fire!" Dylan exclaimed as Bombette Bombed the first Beetle out of the fight. The Swooper came after him as did the second Beetle when it flipped over. Dylan flinched and forgot to block, but Jordan's shield appeared over him, taking the blows for him. Altogether, he took 12 damage for Dylan, dropping his HP to 15.
"Oomp! Dylan, I need you to focus, buddy! I can't block those hits all the time!" Jordan yelped, wincing from the hits.
"Oh no! I'm sorry, Stay Puff!"
"It's alright. I'm not mad; just focus a bit, OK?"
"Will do. Sorry," Dylan said, getting a more focused look. Mario couldn't help but smile slightly at how they handled that as he went next. Mario checked his pockets before he tossed Jordan a Super Shroom. Jordan thanked him, as did Dylan, as he healed up, getting his full HP back. With Kolorodo back behind Mario, he reached into his pack, pulling out a camera this time. He smiled and took a picture of the enemies. Fortunately, Kolorodo's flash was so hilariously bright that it ended up Blinding (Dizzy) the other two enemies. When they went to attack Mario, they missed as a result. Kimani went next, not having many options on his end. He let Firebrand blast the Swooper with a Fireball, dealing 4 damage, dropping the HP to 2. After pursing his lips, he just did a Dragon's Uppercut, dropping his FP to 17 as he sent the shell flying towards the Swooper, which bonked it in the face for 3 damage. When the Swooper came after him, he missed due to the Dizzy, allowing Kimani to get a free Counter, leaving him hurting with one HP. Since Dylan nailed him with an Ion Beam earlier, Kimani was able to deal 2 damage from his previous Dragon Uppercut, leaving him with 5 HP. He even got flipped from the attack!
"Nice job, guys! We got this in the bag!" Goombario exclaimed. Since everyone got a turn, they were free to pick who started again. After some thought, they let Dylan go next, who sparked up and was Charged. With the extra power, Dylan was able to zap the Buzzy Beetle twice. The first bolt he fired jumped from the Beetle to the Swooper, taking it out as well, winning the battle for them and allowing them to finally breathe. On the way through the path, they saw a map, showing a few points of interest. Kooper, Kolorodo, and Goombario cross-referenced this map with Kooper's own map and saw some similarities.
"By Jove, I believe this is the map to the Ruins! These colored dots seemed to be some important items. See how the purple dot came from the same room where Mario and the others acquired their items?" Kolorodo started, rapidly looking between the map in front of Kooper and the wall.
"Yep, I'm seeing it. Also, one of those dots is where I saw a gem blocked by a Stone Block, so they're important, and we can figure out where and how to get to them!" Kooper put it together, already starting to trace the map in his notebook.
"And those stones probably fit in those Stone Chomp statues, don't they?... But there are 5 statues and 3 gems, so I guess we gotta track down the order or what statue takes what, eh?" Goombario finished. The other two nodded as Kooper was finishing up the trace. As they did that, Mario and the others stood to the side.
"As much as I want to make a nerd joke, I have to admit. It's fun to watch them figure stuff out like this," Kimani admired. Mario nodded rapidly. He always loved seeing people do the things they loved. Once they were done, Mario asked them if they were ready to move on, causing them to nod.
"Thank you for your patience, dear boy! I believe my lovely assistants and I have figured out the location of some much-needed items!"
"Goombario, pinch me because I think Kolorodo just called me his assistant..." Kooper asked, fanning himself. Goombario was too busy squealing in glee to do so. Mario thanked them for the help before he ushered them forward, allowing them to guide the party. The trio shared looks before they nodded and squeezed forward. The party walked until they finally cleared the tunnel, being greeted by a trampoline, a Heart Block (which everyone eagerly hit), and another Super Block.
"Alright, who's getting it this time?" Parakarry asked. All eyes rested on him, causing an exclamation point to appear over his head.
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, you can safely attack every enemy here. I can't jump on fiery or spikey enemies," Goombario said.
"Yeah! And anything flying is off-limits to me! That and these Beetles kinda eat up my explosions!" Bombette added on.
"I'm in the same boat as Bombette. Haven't figured out a way to hit airborne foes just yet," Kooper finished. Parakarry nodded before he hit the block, glowing before it died off.
"Phew! What a feeling! My wings are stronger now and I got a new move called Air Lift! If we have some troublesome foes, I can carry them out of battle!"
"Can't wait to see it in action!... Ooh ooh! Bombette, a crack!" Dylan exclaimed, rapidly pointing at the nearby cracked wall. Bombette yelled as she bum-rushed it, exploding and creating a hole. The group ran through and saw one of the gems in question. The path was blocked by a Stone Block, so Dylan, Kimani, and Mario assaulted it, breaking it... and immediately getting ambushed by a Stone Chomp.
"Yeow!" Kimani exclaimed, being the unfortunate one to get bit for 6 damage, dropping his HP to 14. Jordan went first, replacing Typhoon with Goombario for the time being.
"Ouch... I don't envy you right now... That's a Stone Chomp. He's apparently guarding the treasure in this room. Max HP: 6, Attack Pow: 6, Defense Power: 3. As the name implies, he's made of stone, which means it's hard to actually hurt him. His jaws can supposedly crush a Coconut. I don't know about you, but I don't want to become a snack. Jordan could make use of his D-Down Pound badge right about now and Dylan's Ion Beams would be lovely. Professor Kolorodo can also assist with his Chisel on top of that. Needless to say, we got options!"
"What would we do without you, Goombario?" Jordan said as another Stone Chomp appeared.
"Waste your turns and die most likely,"
"...Thanks for the vote of confidence..."
"Hey! Focus up!" Kimani yelled, clapping his hands and halting the conversation. They sweatdropped before Jordan tapped his D-Down Badge and whacked the Stone Chomp for 2, dropping it to 4 HP. The Chomp came after Jordan, who whacked it away with his shield, only taking 3 damage. The second Chomp lunged at him but stopped just before he hit him, causing Jordan to block too early and catch a rather harsh bite to his shield arm, making him drop his shield and take 6 damage, dropping his HP to 21.
"Son of a!" He winced. Dylan frowned before he forced his turn next, Jump Starting Jordan for 5 HP, bringing it back up to 26. He then pointed his hand at the Chomps, causing Alpha to shoot out an Ion Beam to cleave through the Chomps. He took out the first one and left the second one with 2 HP and a lowered defense of 2. The Chomp came after Dylan, but he ducked at the right time, allowing Alpha to make a shield stave off the attack slightly, causing Dylan to only take 5 damage, dropping his HP to 20. With the lowered defense, Mario was able to bonk it to smithereens, winning the battle. Mario sighed in relief as he grabbed the Diamond Stone, The party went up via trampoline and had Bombette bomb yet another hole open, which brought them back to the room before the Super Hammer. Mario walked up to the rightmost door, unlocking it with the key he grabbed earlier before they walked into a room full of sand and Stone Chomp statues, or at least the top of them. Mario saw a button on the far side of the room, so he waited for everyone to get to a safe spot before he pushed it, watching as the sand drained out of the room. Once it was gone, they saw some icons on the base of the statue. A triangle was on the far left, a diamond was in the middle, and the last one on the right had a crescent moon.
"Well, that's the order down," Goombario deadpanned as Kooper scribbled the order down quickly. Mario led his group out of the room and to the one right under them. Since it was filled with sand, they were able to walk to the next room, which held a crescent stone. Another Stone Block greeted them, causing Mario and Kimani to share a look before they whispered something to Dylan as they pulled their weapons out. Once they bashed the block, they rolled behind Dylan as he aimed his goggles forward. When the rubble cleared, they didn't see anything, causing the three of them to sweatdrop. Mario still wasn't too sure, but he sucked it up and grabbed the Lunar Stone. As soon as he grabbed it, he got divebombed by a random Stone Chomp, starting the battle with a tooth mark on his side and 6 less HP, leaving him with 19 HP. Mario's mustache twitched in frustration as he gruffly asked Dylan to teach them a lesson. Dylan first sparked up, restoring his FP before he shot an Ion Beam through the two Stone Chomps, dealing 4 to both of them and lowering their defense to two. He then tried to zap the front one, but since it was stone, it did absolutely no damage. Bombette went to Bomb the front one, but she blotched the command a bit, so she only got 1 damage on the front foe, leaving it with 1 HP. The two Chomps bit Alpha's shield, dropping Dylan's HP to 10 and putting him in Danger. He also sparked for a second before a holographic X appeared over Dylan's goggles, informing him that Alpha was out of commission for 2 turns. Jordan and Typhoon got revenge for him, Slamming and D-Down Pounding respectively, winning that battle as well.
"You ok, buddy?" Kimani gingerly asked Dylan. He huffed in minor annoyance but nodded. Kimani then told Mario that he would take Dylan to the Heart Block from earlier. Kolorodo mentioned that they'd have to do some backtracking anyway so they went as a group, heading back to the room where they ran into the Pokey Mummy ambush. Mario, Kimani, and Dylan rushed to the outside of the Ruins, hitting both the Save Block and Heart Block outside before they rushed back through, joining the group again. Kolorodo pointed out a Stone Block above them so Mario walked up the stairs, hit a switch, and made the stairs change orientation before he and Kimani smashed the block. In front of them was an Artifact. Kimani and Mario raised an eyebrow at this before Mario just pocketed it, eager to keep moving. They exited the room from the right, went up the stairs and went through the door leading to the Triangle Stone they saw earlier. Before anyone did anything, Mario immediately rounded on the pictures in the room. He wasted no time and hurled his hammer at the picture, hitting the hidden Stone Chomp and starting the battle with him at 4 HP. Dylan went first, and Mario gave Alpha the Hustle Juice, allowing him to clean house with two Ion Beams. Everyone looked at Mario with various expressions before he just pointed at the Stone Block. Kimani chuckled as Dylan zapped both of them and caused them to plow through the block and grab the final stone, which was the Pyramid Stone. With the three of them in their grasp, they wasted no time heading back to the statues. Kooper read back the order, allowing Mario to put the stones where they needed to go. The room rumbled for a moment before a staircase opened up to their right. The group shared some looks before they went down, passing (and hitting) a Heart Block along the way before they got to a small room with a Save Block where Tutankoopa unleashed one more warning.
"This is your final warning! Enough of this foolishness! Leave at once!" He shouted once more. Everyone ignored him before Mario eyed the door leading to the final room, when everyone walked in, it was pitch black.
"Hey, who turned off the lights?!" Kimani exclaimed. He yelled afterward.
"What!?" Goombario yelled.
"Whose eyes are this!?"
"It's me! Goombario!... Why can't I see your eyes?"
"...Oh right, we don't have any eye whites in this universe..." He deadpanned. Before anyone could comment on that, a few torches lit up before the group saw a floating pharaoh's headgear, causing some members to scream. Dylan, after asking Kimani for permission, jumped into his arms while Jordan choked on his spit again. The headgear rose to the top right of the room just as the room brightened up. From the walls, a ton of paper scraps flew out and started circling under the headgear until it formed into a rather tubby Koopa.
"You! You ignored all those very scary warnings!" Tutankoopa shouted, pointing at the group.
"Hey, I tried to leave the first time!" Goombario argued. Kimani bonked him in the head.
"Don't you have the common sense to get scared and run away? What's wrong with you?! You shouldn't mess with Tutankoopa, a faithful follower of King Bowser!... Ooops... I mean..."
"Yeah, nice job dork. We're looking to cave Bowser's head in so I guess you'll have to suffice for now," Jordan muttered, summoning his hammer and slamming the hilt on the ground. Tutankoopa sweatdropped before he shook his head and growled back.
"You shall regret this!" Tutankoopa shot back, causing everyone to leap forward and start the battle. Once they were in battle, Mario immediately traded Kolorodo for Goombario, letting him Tattle on Tutankoopa.
"Alright, here we go! This is Tutankoopa. He's one of Bowser's followers, and he's been assigned to guard one of the Star Spirits. I've heard that he has sort of a pharaoh complex. Max HP: 45, Attack Pow: 3, Defense Pow: 1. He attacks by throwing shells from that high perch, but he also has some magic under his belt. Try and dodge when he does it because it'll stun us if it hits. He can summon Chomps, his loyal subjects. These Chomps have some serious attack power. Think hard about who to attack first, Tutankoopa or Chomp. If you want my personal opinion, I'd say go after Tutankoopa and stun or impede the Chomps," Goombario told them. Mario nodded before he started the battle off with a Hammer Throw, nailing Tutankoopa in the hookbill for 3 damage, dropping his HP to 42.
"Come, Chomp! Come! Bite this intruder!" Tutankoopa chanted, causing a Chomp to appear from a gate under him. He growled at the group, causing everyone to sweatdrop. Kimani went next, allowing Goombario to Tattle again.
"That's a Chomp. I'm certain you've heard of them before. Max HP: 7, Attack Power: 7, and Defense Power: 4. They're made of such hard stuff that most of your attacks won't faze them. I heard a rumor that the Chomps are a little peeved at Tutankoopa because he works them so hard, but enough about that. If we let them run rampant, they'll tear through us. We should have someone who can pierce defense focus on the Chomps while everyone else can jump Tutankoopa!" He told them.
"4? Well, I can't do anything nor can I reach Tutankoopa," Kimani said.
"Don't worry, Pint. Just keep our FP up. I can one-shot them with Dragon's Roar," Firebrand told him. Kimani nodded before he brought up his guard. When the Chomp launched himself at Kimani, he grunted and threw his shoulder into the approaching charge, countering it perfectly. He even Countered the thrown shell, hitting Tutankoopa for 1 damage.
"Phew..."
"Nice form,"
"I learned from the best,"
"Hey guys, me and Alpha can attack whoever. Where do you need us?" Dylan asked.
"Go get Tutankoopa, buddy. I'll shield you from the Chomp," Jordan said, going next and using Bodyguard on Dylan. Typhoon punched the ground dealing no damage to the Chomp, but he dealt 2 damage to Tutankoopa, bringing his HP down to 39.
"Bah! Try this on for size!" Tutankoopa yelled, humming an eerie melody afterward, creating an enormous Chomp.
"Are you for real?" Kooper exclaimed. Everyone covered their heads just as the Chomp slammed into the ground, causing an enormous quake. When nothing happened, everyone looked around before rocks fell from the sky, bonking almost everyone in the head for 2 damage. Kimani's HP dropped to 19, Jordan's went down to 16 since he was shielding for Dylan and the Chomp came after him naturally, Mario's dropped to 23 and Dylan was fine due to Jordan. The real problem was the aftermath as everyone that got hit was Stunned for a turn. This meant Kimani, Jordan, and every partner were out for a turn. Again, Dylan was fine since Jordan's shield took the blow for him while Mario's Feeling Fine Badge glowed, keeping his head straight.
"Oh no!" Dylan exclaimed. Tutankoopa looked very proud of himself. Dylan growled before he angrily shot an Ion Beam at Tutankoopa, dealing 4 damage and dropping his defense to zero. He then zapped him for another 3, dropping his HP to 32. Tutankoopa didn't like that at all so he hurled a shell at Dylan, dealing 2 damage to Jordan since he shielded. The Chomp lunged at Dylan, who wasn't prepared to block it so Jordan took the full 7 damage as well, dropping his HP to 7, placing him in Danger. Since everyone was stunned (Mario decided to just Guard) Tutankoopa went around the room, throwing shells and causing the Chomp to attack everyone else. Since they couldn't guard, everyone, minus Dylan and Mario, took 9 damage. This brought Mario down to 19 and Kimani to 10, placing him in Danger and Jordan...
"Shoot... Sorry..." Jordan muttered, staggering before he fell to his face. From Mario's pocket, a Life Shroom popped out and hopped over, landing on Jordan's back and healing him for 10 HP. Jordan jolted back awake, staggering to his feet.
"Wh- Huh?" Jordan groggily asked.
"Tootenkoopa stunned everyone, and since you were shielding for me, you took double damage! I'm sorry!" Dylan exclaimed. Jordan grimaced at the information while Tutankoopa screeched at the name before he patted Dylan on top of his head.
"It's cool. Don't worry," He told him. The turn order had wrapped back around to Dylan since everyone else was stunned beforehand.
"Ok. That's not ideal..." Kimani deadpanned, sourly eying his 10 HP. Mario checked on the partners, who gave him a thumbs up before he angrily looked at the faux Pharaoh. He was going to pay for hurting his friends like that! Kimani must have seen the furious look on his face because he nodded in return. Mario did as well before he started barking out orders. Once he was done, the plan was as followed: Firebrand would be passed around to take down any Chomps that appeared. Mario and Parakarry would focus on Tutankoopa alongside Dylan and Alpha. Jordan was purely on item and defense patrol, just in case someone got Stunned again. Dylan nodded, but he wanted to help out Kimani first so he had Alpha Charge him, taking 5 damage, bringing his HP to 20, and using the charge to Jump Start Kimani, healing him back to full HP and giving him the Zap Tap status for 3 turns. Mario nodded, seeing his point as Dylan blocked the two attacks aimed at him, taking 7 damage, leaving him with 12 HP.
"Go ahead, Mario!" Goombario told him. Mario nodded before he checked his FP, which was at 8 before he hurled his hammer again. His defense was back to normal now so it did 3 damage again. When Parakarry followed up with his Shell Shot, he tacked on another 4 points of damage, bringing him down to 25.
"Hah! Haven't learned your lesson yet, eh? Have another taste of this!" Tutankoopa yelled, summoning the large Chomp again. Everyone paid close attention this time, but a stone came and clonked Tutankoopa upside the head, knocking him off of his perch. Mario almost laughed at him, but he recoiled and rapidly waved his arms when the Chomp rushed at him. He got himself together, blocking the attack and only taking 5 damage and dropping his HP to 14. Jordan went next, and he had Typhoon give Jordan a Koopa Tea, bringing his FP back to full. He then used Defensive Shout to give his team some breathing room. Tutankoopa shook off the daze before he floated back to his spot and threw a shell at Jordan. He didn't even need to block as it just bounced off of him. The Chomp took a bit more work, causing Jordan to bonk him away from the shield, only taking 2 damage, dropping him to 8 HP. Finally, Kimani went next, and as promised, Firebrand charged up some energy into this hand.
"Say goodbye, Chomp! Draushum Etrerzz!" Firebrand announced, socking the Chomp in the face. Once he hit, a powerful burst of energy pierced the Chomp, dealing an enormous 8 damage, defeating the Chomp. It did take 10 FP to perform, however, so Kimani's FP dropped to 15. Kimani slurped a Honey Syrup, bringing it to 20.
"Hey! Don't treat my Chomps that way! Come, Chomp!" Tutankoopa exclaimed, making another Chomp appear. Firebrand groaned as a result as Dylan let him swap places with Bombette. He burned 10 of Dylan's FP to take out the Chomp before Dylan used a combination of Ion Beam and Jolt, dealing another 7 to Tutankoopa, dropping his HP to 18. Tutankoopa didn't summon another Chomp, opting to use his spell again. When the giant Chomp crashed into the ground, rocks fell on the group again. Kimani, Mario, and Jordan were able to block the hit, taking no damage due to their Counter, Damage Dodge Badge, and increased defenses respectively, but Dylan blotched his command, getting hit upside the head. He didn't take any damage due to Jordan's buff but he still got Stunned from it. As for the partners, Typhoon, Firebrand, Goombario, and Bombette were able to block the hits. Parakarry and Kolorodo blotched their blocks as well, getting knocked for a loop. Mario went next, gulping down his last Nutty Cake and refilling his FP. By this time, Defensive Shout ran out as well. Parakarry was still dazed so he couldn't swap partners for free. Tutankoopa threw his second to last shell at Mario, but it failed to do any damage since he blocked it. Jordan went next, using more FP to Power Stomp Tutankoopa for 7 more damage. Typhoon followed up with a Slam of his own, tacking on 3 more damage and leaving him with a measly 8 HP.
"You little jerks! Just go down! Chomp! I command you to attack!" Tutankoopa yelled, summoning another Chomp. The turns cycled back around, and since Dylan was stunned, Tutankoopa was free to yeet a shell at his head along with the Chomp taking a bite out of him, dealing 9 damage overall. This was more than enough to knock out Dylan.
"...Ah... I can't... keep going..." Dylan got out as he stumbled before he slumped to his knees. Kimani and Jordan were livid as a result. The gang allowed Jordan and Firebrand to finish the fight.
"Send our regards to Bowser, eh?" Jordan asked, using his Power Stomp Badge and Firebrand's Fireball to finally knock out Tutankoopa. The Chomp looked at the downed Tutankoopa before he looked back at the group. He nodded his head slightly after that and left the battle. The group cheered and did their win animations, earning 46 Star Points for the group and giving them another Level Up.
"Hey hey! We're out here, killing it!" Kimani exclaimed as he went HP, raising it to 25. Mario went FP this time, raising it to 25, while Jordan and Dylan (once he woke up and was informed of what happened) went HP after that rough battle, going up to 35 and 30 respectively. When they finished leveling up, they saw Tutankoopa getting up.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He boomed, causing everyone to jump again as he started summoning an even larger chomp. Dylan started hyperventilating, causing Kimani, Firebrand, Jordan, and Typhoon to instantly bristle and form a protective wall in front of him while Mario and the other partners just prepared for the worst, but before he could finish the spell, a Chomp came from behind and nipped him, halting the spell.
"Ow! You... wait, hold on! Ow! Waah! What're you... OW! Help!" He yelled as 2 more Chomps came out and chased Tutankoopa away. Once he was out of the room, one more Chomp came out with a card he was delicately carrying in his mouth. Once he bounced up to Mario, he released it, causing the card to grow before it started hovering in front of them. Mario grinned before he grabbed the card, causing it to circle around him before he held her in the air, letting out an enthusiastic "Yahoo!" In the background, the Partners were cheering while Dylan was leaning on Jordan, still trying to get himself together while Jordan kept watch on him. Kimani was simply patting the Chomp, who was wagging its chain in happiness. Typhoon simply sighed in relief while Firebrand was also petting the Chomp.
END OF CHAPTER 2!
Thus Mario and party unearthed the legendary Dry Dry Ruins deep within Dry Dry Desert.
They smashed Tutankoopa, the Pharaoh, and freed Mamar, the second of the wish-granting Star Spirits.
But the enemies awaiting Mario grow ever stronger... and the challenges more difficult.
What's in store for Mario and friends... Where will their adventure take them next?
File Saved!
Current Party Overview:
Mario:
Starting Stats: 10 HP, 5 FP, 3 BP
Current Stats: 20 (25) HP, 15 FP, 12 BP (Level 8)
Equipped Badges: Close Call (1), Attack FX B, Damage Dodge (3), Quake Hammer (1), HP Plus (2), Feeling Fine (3), Hammer Throw (2)
Main Partners: Parakarry, Kolorodo (Temporary)
Items: Mushroom x5, Fried Egg, Koopa Tea x4, Super Soda, Spicy Soup, Pow Block, Sleepy Sheep, Fright Jar x2, Egg, Whacka's Bump, Stopwatch, Fire Flower
Current Star Pieces: 23
Current Badges: Peekaboo, Speedy Spin (1), Close Call (1), Hammer Throw (2), Dizzy Attack (2), Multibounce (1), Smash Charge (1), Power Bounce (2), Refund (1), Attack FX B, Power Stomp (1), HP Up (2), FP Up (2), First Attack (1), Smash Charge (1), D-Down Pound (2), Zap Tap (4), Feeling Fine (3), Starman (1), Damage Dodge (3), Quake Hammer (1), Group Focus (1), Runaway Pay (1), Attack FX C
Kimani:
Area of Expertise: Grounded Combat, Single Target Damage, Countering
Starting Stats: 10 HP, 10 FP, 3 BP
Current Stats: 25 HP, 20 (25) FP, 9 BP (Level 8)
Equipped Badges: FP UP (2), First Attack (1), Group Focus (1)
Main Battle Partners: Firebrand, Kooper
Battle Talent: Stronger Attack Action Commands (can input one more action command, dealing more hits/damage) but stricter timing on ALL Action Commands.
Field Actions: Can strike enemies in the field with his fist, allowing him to perform his action commands for Strike early. (Basically, his first strikes have the potential to do 3 damage should he time the commands right) He can also help Mario break Super Blocks on the field.
FP Moves:
Strike: (0 FP) Strikes a foe with a punch or kick. Pressing the A button with correct timing allows up to 2 follow-ups. Pow: 1 (up to 3). Style: Timed. Can hit Top-Spike enemies, can't target flying enemies
Power Strike: (2 FP) Strikes a foe with a stronger punch or kick. Can press A at the right time to execute another Power Strike but will cost an additional 2 FP. Pow: 3, Style: Timed: Can hit Top-Spiky enemies, can't target flying enemies
Focus Blast: (3 FP) Charges up a devastating blast of energy. Gets stronger with each turn spent charging. Maxes at 12 damage. Pow: 3, (1 turn) 6, (2 turns) 12 (3 turns)
Dragon Uppercut: (5 FP) Launches a devastating uppercut that launches foes into others! Pressing A at the correct time allows Kimani to follow up with a Dragon's Descent, spiking the enemy back down for extra damage! DU: Pow: 5 (Enemy projectile pow: 3), Style: Timed, Can hit flying and Spiky enemies. DD: (5 FP) Pow: 5 (Enemy projectile pow: 3)
Passives:
Counter: Can't guard normally but can Counter attacks. Has stricter timing than the normal guard but will null ALL damage and damage the attacker for 1 damage.
Master's Potential Unlock: Kimani's Counter has been enhanced! Now, it can do 2 damage to whoever he hits!
Second Chance: Will survive a singular fatal hit with 1 HP. Will be available to use again once 10 HP is reached.
In The Zone: If Kimani goes undamaged for 2 turns, he'll enter The Zone, which is a focused state for Kimani. During The Zone, Kimani's attack and defense rise by 1 and the number of Action Commands he can input goes up by one as well! (For example, his normal Strike command can be followed up by 3 extra attacks and his Power Strike can attack up to 3 times!) Taking damage twice will knock him out of it.
Firebrand:
Area of Focus: Versatile, Ice Enemies, Single Target Damage
Field Actions: Can spend 1 FP to launch a fireball. Fireballs will ignite flammable sources and can First Strike enemies at a distance.
Element Shard Upgrade 1: Firebrand's attack pow goes up by 1!
FP Moves:
Swipe: Lashes out with a quick claw swipe. Pressing the A button at the right time launches another swipe. Pow: 2 (4), Style: Timed, Can't target flying enemies. Can hit Spiky Enemies.
Fireball: (2 FP) Launches a fireball at an opponent. Can hit all enemies. Deals double damage to Icy enemies but will heal Fiery enemies. Pow: 1-4, Style: Charge
Fire Form: (5 FP) Firebrand disappears into Kimani's amulet, allowing Kimani to flare up. Kimani's attacks deal fire damage for the duration, and enemies will take 1 damage from hitting him physically. His attack goes up by 2 as well. After 3 turns, Kimani will take 2 points of damage after every turn until he uses the Cool Off ability.
Dragon's Roar: (10 FP) Firebrand unleashes a huge burst of energy from a close-range punch. The energy hits everyone behind the original target as well! Backfires on Firebrand if he fails the command. Pow: 8, (Energy Blast: 6 Pow to everyone hit by the energy.) Style: Charge, pierces defense, will injure Firebrand for 2 turns if the command fails.
Jordan:
Area of Expertise: Defense and Damage Mitigation
Starting Stats: 20 HP, 5 FP, 3 BP
Current Stats: 35 HP, 15 FP, 9 BP (Level 8)
Equipped Badges: Smash Charge (1), D-Down Pound (2), Power Stomp (1), Peekaboo
Main Battle Partners: Typhoon, Goombario
Battle Talent: Guard Action Command is more forgiving and will block up to 3 points of damage. Doesn't have any Attack Action Commands outside of Smash, however.
Field Talent: Can raise his shield, preventing foes from first striking him. He also turns into a platform during this stance. This allows his friends to reach high switches and enemies. Mario can perform an Enhanced Spin Jump from this position in order to break weak floor panels. (Once Mario acquires the Super Boots)
FP Moves:
Smash: Bonks foes with a downward swing. Pow: 1(2) Style: Charge, Can flip enemies. Can't target flying enemies
Berserk: (1 FP per attack) Jordan sacrifices his defense for more attack power! Effects: +2 to Jordan's Attack Power and +1 to all FP Cost, Defence Power drops to 0, can't Guard, Doesn't cost an action or FP to use or deactivate.
Defensive Shout: (5 FP) Unleash a rousing roar that increases everyone's defense by 2 for 3 turns. This stacks with Jordan's Stand Strong passive and enhanced guard.
Cyclone: (2 FP) Jordan spins forward with his hammer outstretched, plowing through all grounded enemies. Pow: 2, Style: None, Can't hit flying enemies.
Guardian Angel : (2 FP) Dedicates a turn blocking attacks for the next party member. Will take full damage from attacks, however. Guarded characters can guard, reducing the amount of damage Jordan takes.
Revenge Strike: (5 FP) Jordan assumes an aggressive stance, allowing his enemies to attack first! Once this is done, Jordan will swing his hammer, dealing half the damage he took to ALL enemies! Jordan's defense drops to zero during this stance and he's incapable of blocking attacks as well!
Passives:
Stand Strong: Gains a defense of 1, which automatically reduces damage by one. Doesn't stack with his Action Command, however.
Master's Potential Unlock: Jordan's defensive nature has been enhanced! His defense rises to 2! Still doesn't stack with his Action Command, however...
Typhoon:
Area of Expertise: Area of Effect, Ground Enemies, Ceiling Enemies, Displacement
Field Ability: Typhoon lets out a roar, taunting enemies towards them. Any enemy that attacks at this time will be twice as strong but they'll give twice the amount of Coins, Hearts, Flowers, and items upon defeat. Star Points aren't affected.
Element Shard Upgrade: Typhoon's attack pow goes up by 1!
Slam: Hits the ground with a powerful swing of his fist. The shockwave will damage all grounded foes. Deals less damage per enemy. Pow: 3, (To front enemy) decreases by 1 with each enemy. Can't target flying enemies. Will flip flippable enemies. Can hit enemies on the ceiling.
Disrupting Wave (2 FP): Summons a wave of water to wash over foes. Will shuffle the enemy formation. Pow: 3, can't target flying foes. Deals double damage to Fiery enemies.
Liquify (3 FP): Drag a foe to the depths of the ocean, temporarily taking them out of the battle! Typhoon will also be unavailable for the time being as well.
Njǫrd's Fury (10 FP): Typhoon will evoke Njǫrd's power, causing 4 water tentacles to appear on his back. For 3 turns, the tentacles will attack the opposing party. Each tentacle will track a different opponent if possible. If not, it'll hit the same target for reduced damage. Once the 3 turns are up, Typhoon becomes Exhausted for 2 turns. Pow: 3 per attack. If an enemy gets struck by another tentacle on the same turn, the damage will be reduced by 1.
Dylan:
Starting Stats: 10 HP, 20 FP, 0 BP
Current Stats: 25 HP, 35 FP, 0 BP (Level 8)
Area of Expertise: Area of Effect, Healing and Buffing, Versatile
Equipped Badges: N/A
Main Battle Partners: Alpha, Bombette
Idle Animation: Dylan will rock on his heels and swing his arms idly while looking around. After a moment, he'll start to dance. He'll actually dance to whatever background music is playing (Will match the tempo of whatever song is playing) until an input is pushed.
Battle Animation: Dylan will have a hand on his ear and snap his fingers to the beat of the music. When it's his turn, he'll upgrade into a mini two-step.
Battle Talent: Passively regenerates FP over time (5 FP every turn) and doesn't take lightning damage, but he takes double damage from Water attacks, and he can't use FP items or badges.
Field Ability: Dylan can give Mario and Kimani a jolt in order to strengthen their attacks, allowing them to break Stone Blocks. (Mario does need the Super Hammer, at least) Will also give whoever he jolts a free Charge (+2 to their next attack) if they enter battle.
Jolt: Dylan launches a Lightning Bolt at a target of his choice. The bolt will jump to other targets if he's Charged Up. Pow: 2, (3 if he does the action command correctly) Can't hurt electric enemies. Style: Charge
Copycat: (5 FP, Cost 0 if he's Charged Up) Dylan scans a target, copying their moves and attributes for 2 turns. Alpha becomes unavailable during the Copycat. Pow: 0, changes Dylan's appearance and attributes after usage. Doesn't work on bosses or enemies with more than 5 Pow or 10 HP (Subject to change. Might just allow Dylan's Smash Shards to upgrade the threshold) Style: Aim, doesn't end Dylan's turn.
Quicken: (5 FP) Give your buddy an energizing zap, giving them an extra turn for 2 turns! Should Dylan be charged up, Quicken will also restore 5 FP!
Jump Start: (7 FP) Dylan sends a large amount of electricity into a friend of his choice, healing them for 5 HP and giving them the Zap Tap status for 1, 2, or 3 turns! If Charged, the HP goes up to 10, and the Zap Tap status will be 3 regardless of success or failure. Style: Charge
Passives:
Static Charge: Dylan passively builds up static as he fights. After 2 turns, Dylan becomes Charged Up, giving him the Zap Tap status and empowering one of his moves. The charge goes away after attacking or getting hit twice, however. Guarding doesn't count as being hit.
Copycat MK.1: Alpha's processors have been upgraded! He can now copy foes up to 12 HP!
Copycat MK.2: Alpha's processors have been upgraded! He can now copy foes with Attack Power as high as 7!
Copycat MK.3: Alpha's processors have been upgraded! He can now use a copied foe's second attack! (if they have one)
Element Shard Upgrade: Dylan and Alpha's attack pow goes up by 1!
Alpha:
Area of Expertise: Debuffing, Area Of Effect, Information
Field Ability: Alpha can scan nearby enemies, exposing their weaknesses and lowering the frontmost foes' defense by 2 for one turn when they enter combat. He can also spend 5 FP to Copycat a friend or foe, and allow Dylan to start in said form.
Special Characterises: Alpha doesn't physically appear. Instead, Alpha will digistruct his tools for Dylan to use during his turn. Should Dylan take more than 10 HP damage in one turn or get hit by a water attack or fire attack, Alpha will Overheat or Short Circuit, which is his variation of being Injured for 1 turn.
Ion Beam (5 FP): Alpha digistructs an Ion Cannon onto Dylan's arm, allowing him to fire an Ion Beam at a target of Dylan's choice. The beam will cleave through a line, so if he aims at a grounded foe, all grounded foes will be hit. Pow: 3 (4) Ignores defense and lowers it by one point for 2 turns. Doesn't stack with itself. Style: Charge
Safeguard (2 FP): Alpha locks his systems, preventing him from being Overheated or Short Circuit next turn should Dylan take 10 damage or be hit by a Fire or Water attack. This will also raise Dylan's defense by 1 for this turn.
Scan: (10 FP) Alpha scans the enemies and gives his team pointers on their attacks and weaknesses, decreasing their Attack Power and Defense Power by 1, 2, or 3 depending on Dylan's success with the Action Command. This can cause an enemy to fall into Dylan's Copycat threshold. Style: Memory
Overcharge: (5 HP) Alpha overcharges Dylan, granting him the Charged buff instantly!
Assist: Alpha forgoes his turn, allowing Dylan to get an extra turn.
Notable changes from the Main Game:
-Those bandages are pretty strong!... Also gross... (Pokey Mummies: +2 HP, +2 Attack, +1 Defense, Takes +2 more damage from fire)
-Poison is something to worry about now (Does 3 damage instead of 1)
-No rest for the wicked... or the undead... (Dull Bones: 3 HP, 5 Attack, 2 Defense, Immune to fire. Can rez if not attacked when down. Very weak to explosions)
-The Spike Shield Badge has been pilfered! Dirty thieves... at least they left a Fright Jar.
-Buzzy Beetles polished their shells! (+2 HP, +1 Attack (goes up to 2 if they attack from the ceiling), can get up and attack on the same turn)
-Swoopers are a bit more swoopier (+1 HP, +2 Attack)
-Stone Chomps has taken a few boxing classes! (+2 HP, +3 Attack, +2 Defense, can now fake out their charge)
-The enemies have gotten a bit heavier for Parakarry! (Air Lift's FP cost goes up by 2)
-So, maybe the Mummy's Curse is real if Tutankoopa is evidence... (+15 HP, +1 Defense, Chomp Slam targets everyone and will stun Party Leaders and Partners.)
-Who let the dogs out!?... Oh, it was Tutankoopa... (Chomp: +3 HP, +4 Attack, +1 Defense, Can also fake out their charges)
