The Smash Bros. Mansion's training grounds were alive with activity as Red, Blue, and Leaf Green prepared their Pokémon for another intense session. The open field was bathed in the warm afternoon sun, and the Pokémon scattered across it were all in high spirits, practicing their moves and sparring with each other.
Mewtwo, silent and ever-observant, floated a short distance away, his piercing gaze fixed on the ongoing training, but his usual air of aloofness was tempered by curiosity. He unlike the other Pokemon is a free agent and there were only 3 incidents where he did freely take their orders, but only briefly. While his relationship with the trainers and their pokemon is respectful at best and fierce at worst, he still held them to a high regard.
Red stood with his arms crossed, watching Charizard unleash a stream of flames toward the sky. The giant red fire dragon like Pokémon roared as it soared upward, performing loops and dives. Not far from him, Blue guided Squirtle and Ivysaur through drills, both Pokémon deftly dodging and weaving around each other with impressive agility. Leaf Green was nearby, crouched down and giving words of encouragement to her Pikachu, who was sparking with electricity as it tried to charge up a powerful Thunderbolt.
Amidst all the training, however, one Pokémon stood a bit apart from the rest. Pichu, smaller, less experienced, and visibly less powerful than his companions watched the others with a mixture of admiration and frustration. The little yellow mouse Pokémon's eyes followed Lucario as the powerful aura Pokémon demonstrated its mastery of his Aura Sphere, then shifted to Greninja, who darted across the field at incredible speed moving around a small obstacle course like the ninja he is, launching shuriken's of water with precision.
He then turned to look at Incinaroar, who was doing some bizarre act where he appeared to be both lifting weights and juggling balls of fire at the same time while standing suspiciously close to a window where Isabelle was working and looking into a room where Bayonetta was taking a nap. Pichu then turned to look at Jigglypuff who was moving around the air as if she had won her 14th 1st place trophy in a Pokemon contest, which she did.
Pichu's ears drooped slightly. He couldn't help but feel a bit left behind.
"Pii-chuu..." It said more to himself than anyone else. (Why can't I be as strong or as good as them?)
The tiny Pokémon sparked with a faint flicker of electricity, but it wasn't enough to light up the training field the way Pikachu's Thunderbolt had done. His attacks didn't have the force of Incinaroar's wrestling moves or the skillful accuracy of Lucario's aura powers. And every time he pushed himself, he ended up hurting himself from his own electricity, something none of the others had to worry about.
Hell, even when it comes to his looks, it is typical for him to become overshadowed by Jigglypuff Pikachu and Squirtle when it comes to the girls, and whoever is more popular with the guys changes by the hour with Lucario, Incinaroar and Charizard being at the top 3.
That isn't to say that there were times where he isn't loved, hell even Sephiroth of all people would take a bullet for him, however there is a void inside of him that he wants to be filled but can't.
Mewtwo, his eyes glowing faintly as he hovered nearby, noticed the look of discouragement on Pichu's face. Without a word, he floated closer, landing gracefully near the small Pokémon. His telepathic voice echoed softly in Pichu's mind.
"I can see that you feel inadequate compared to them, don't you?"
Pichu looked up at Mewtwo, startled, but nodded reluctantly. His small cheeks sparked again, but he didn't dare use his electricity in front of the others. Not when Charizard could unleash firestorms or Lucario could obliterate targets with aura or Jigglypuff can take someone out with a sing.
Just then, Red walked over, kneeling down beside Pichu with a gentle smile. Blue and Leaf Green joined them, their Pokémon trailing behind, curious about Pichu's mood. Pikachu bounced over and gave Pichu a supportive nudge, but even that made Pichu feel a little worse his evolved form was already so much more powerful, so much more capable.
"Hey, Pichu," Red said calmly his voice above an inaudible whisper, "What's wrong, little guy?"
Pichu hesitated, his small paws clenching. He didn't want to disappoint his trainer, but the feeling of being left behind was gnawing at him. He pointed at Charizard, Lucario, and the others, letting out a soft, sad squeak.
"Pichu pi-chuu..." (They're all so strong... and I'm not.)
Blue exchanged a glance with Leaf Green before crouching down next to Pichu as well, ruffling the little Pokémon's fur. "C'mon, don't say that." He said with a small smile "You've got your own strengths. Power isn't everything."
Leaf Green knelt down too, her voice soft and encouraging. "Exactly, Pichu. Look at how fast you are! You are just as fast as Greninja, and how determined! You may not be as strong as some of the others right now, but that doesn't mean you don't belong here."
Pichu's ears perked up slightly but doubt still lingered in his eyes. He knew they were trying to make him feel better, but no matter how fast or determined he was, it didn't change the fact that he couldn't match the raw power of his friends.
"Pii..." (But I still can't fight as well as they do.)
Mewtwo, still observing silently, lowered his gaze to meet Pichu's. His tone was calm but firm, cutting through the doubts swirling in Pichu's mind.
"Strength takes many forms, Pichu." Mewtwo said, his tone flat yet encouraging in a way "You have power that you haven't even begun to realize. Your size, your speed, and your cleverness and so on. Those are tools that can be just as formidable as brute strength. It is not the raw force of a Pokémon that determines victory. It is their heart."
Pichu blinked up at Mewtwo, his tiny body trembling slightly. Mewtwo's words struck a chord, but it was hard for Pichu to accept when he felt so overshadowed by his friends. He glanced at Incinaroar, who was flexing his muscles with pride, and at Pikachu, who was sparking with more controlled electricity.
Red, noticing the lingering doubt in Pichu's eyes, smiled softly and scooped the tiny Pokémon into his arms.
"Listen, Pichu." Red said patting his head "A very wise man once said to me to never give up no matter the costs. You've already come so far, and we believe in you. You don't have to be like the others. You just have to be you. And that's enough."
Pichu stared up at his trainer, his heart warming slightly at the words. He wasn't fully convinced yet, but he appreciated the effort his trainers and friends were making to support him.
Leaf Green chimed in, "Besides, remember when you helped us in that last battle? You may be small, but you pack a punch when it counts."
Pichu managed a small smile, his tail twitching as a spark of confidence flickered inside him. He still felt outmatched by his friends, but perhaps... maybe he had something to offer too. Even if it didn't feel like it yet. However, he wasn't even sure what to offer that the others can't.
Blue, ever the competitive one, grinned and added, "You know what? I bet with a little more practice; you'll be zipping circles around everyone here."
Lucario gave Pichu a nod of respect, his aura sensing the emotional struggle within the small Pokémon.
Pikachu hopped up onto Red's shoulder, giving Pichu another playful nudge and sparking with a small, friendly jolt of electricity like an older sibling would do to their younger. Jigglypuff floated over and patted Pichu's head, while Greninja flashed a silent thumbs-up from across the field.
Pichu giggled at their gestures, feeling a bit better, even if the weight of self-doubt still lingered in his chest.
Mewtwo, hovering nearby, observed Pichu's reaction closely. Though the small Pokémon was still unsure of himself, Mewtwo sensed a determination deep within him a spark that could grow into something powerful. With time, and perhaps the right circumstances, Pichu might just realize that he, too, could become a force to be reckoned with. Yet privately to himself Mewtwo struggled to think of someone or something that's both harmful and threatening, and yet one that Pichu could take out on his own.
For now, though, Pichu simply settled into Red's arms, feeling comforted by the presence of his friends and trainers, even if he wasn't fully convinced of his own strength yet. There was time. And maybe, just maybe, that time would come sooner than he thought.
The cold, sterile interior of Samus's ship hummed softly as it drifted through the starry void of space. The battle had ended not long ago, and the silence inside the ship felt heavy, as if each atom in the air was made of anvils, a sharp contrast to the chaos they had just endured.
Snake sat in one of the metal chairs, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed in thought, he fiddled with an unlight cigarette eyeing it as if trying to light it with his eyes alone, as he tried his best not to touch the wound on his left shoulder. Nearby, Samus stood at the control console, her hands gripping the edges a little too tightly. The faint glow of distant stars illuminated the cockpit, casting long shadows across the floor.
They had just finished a harrowing mission Ridley, the monstrous space pirate, had somehow managed to steal a Metal Gear, turning it into a destructive weapon far more dangerous than anything Snake had faced before, turning it into one that can not only send a nuclear weapon anywhere in the galaxy, but equipped with a bomb that can take out an entire planet.
It had taken both of them to bring Ridley down, but even in the aftermath, Snake couldn't shake the memory of what had happened during the fight. The look in Samus's eyes as she faced Ridley had been... unnerving.
Snake leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he spoke, breaking the heavy silence.
"You almost went too far back there, Samus." Snake said. He didn't raise his voice or even change his tone, and yet his voice echoed out in the ship as if he was shouting at the top of his lungs.
Samus didn't turn to face him, her back still to Snake as she pretended to focus on the ship's controls. Her grip on the console tightened until she heard a small snapping sound of the plastic and metal cracking, her knuckles white beneath her armor. She didn't respond right away, but she knew that Snake wasn't going to letting it drop.
"If I hadn't stopped you..."
He trailed off, the unspoken words hanging in the air. They both knew what he meant. He didn't need to say it out loud. The ferocity with which Samus had attacked Ridley had gone beyond mere combat, there had been something darker in her, something Snake had never seen before. For a moment, he had been genuinely worried that she was going to cross a line. One that couldn't be uncrossed.
Samus finally turned to face him, her expression calm, though her eyes were still burning with residual anger from the fight. She crossed her arms, her tone dismissive.
"I wouldn't have done it." She said as if she wanted to be anywhere but here "I knew when to stop."
But Snake wasn't buying it. He shook his head slowly, his eyes sharp as they met hers. He stuck his cigarette into his mouth, tried to reach for his lighter, remembered that his lighter was gone and that it was unwise to light one in a spaceship, then put it back into his pocket.
"You can't lie to me, Samus." He said gruffly, "I saw it in your eyes. You were ready to end him, as well as..."
But Samus raised her hand as if to stop him. Her jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, she looked away, her gaze flickering to the ship's viewing window, where stars continued to drift by, indifferent to the turmoil inside the cockpit. Ridley had been a thorn in her side for years, a constant, lingering reminder of her past, of the people and family he had taken from her. Facing him again, especially after he had stolen a Metal Gear, had ignited something deep within her. Something she didn't want to admit was there. And yet when she had a clear sight of him a clear good shot at him, Snake stopped her, not by using CQC, or yelling at her or whatever, but chose to shoot her in the head with one of his tranquilizer rounds. Knocking her out for a few precious minutes for Ridley and his associates to escape.
She turned back to Snake, her voice colder this time "I would never be like Ridley. Never." She spat.
Snake leaned back in his chair, studying her carefully like a doctor would do to an interesting lab specimen. He had been a soldier for most of his life, he knew what it looked like when someone was teetering on the edge, about to lose themselves to anger or vengeance or even fury. And that's what he saw in Samus during the battle. For a brief, terrifying moment, he had seen her ready to unleash something far worse than anything Ridley had ever done.
Snake shook his head "I'm not saying you are Ridley." He said calmly "But back there, I would say that you were close to becoming something worse than him."
Samus stiffened at that, her blue eyes narrowing as she regarded Snake with a mix of frustration and something else, something she wasn't ready to admit to. She hated Ridley. Hated him more than anything. And seeing him with a Metal Gear had pushed her over the edge. She had wanted to destroy him. Not just defeat him, but obliterate him. She had felt the rage boiling inside her, pushing her to do something she normally wouldn't even consider. She felt it every single moment the two of them are in the same room, and yet today even when she was about to deliver a finishing blow to him, she was so fixated on him that she didn't even bother to see what was standing behind Ridley. Had Snake not been there, and if there was a God, a new floor would have been built in hell, Samus would have avenged her parents, and yet…Samus tried to close her eyes, trying not to imagine what such a thing would have been like to see. And yet she Snake had been the only thing standing between her and that line she almost crossed.
But she couldn't admit that.
"You don't know what it's like." Samus said though her teeth "To have someone like Ridley... to have someone who has taken everything from you. If you were in my place, you wouldn't have hesitated."
Snake's eyes darkened at that. He did understand far more than she realized. But this wasn't about him.
"You think I don't know what it's like?" Snake said as he shook his head as if in disbelief on what he is hearing "I've been there, Samus. I can name several other people who went through those things. I've been pushed to the edge, where it feels like the only way to stop the pain is to end it all, no matter the cost. But that's exactly why I'm telling you this. If you let that rage control you, if you let it guide your actions, then you lose. No matter what you do to Ridley."
Samus's fists clenched at her sides, but she stayed silent. Snake's words were hitting a little too close to home.
Snake continued still looking at Samus like how a father would do to a daughter who had stolen his credit card "If you had gone through with it, if you had done that, especially in front of, well…" Snake shook his head as if he was trying to control his anger as to what he saw Samus almost do. "You wouldn't be any better than Ridley. And I know you don't want that. You'd hate yourself more than you could ever hate him."
The tension in the cockpit was palpable, the silence between them heavy and uncomfortable. Samus, always the lone wolf, had never been good at talking about these things. She handled her trauma through action, through fighting. But Snake was different. He had seen what unchecked rage could do to a person, how it could hollow them out from the inside.
"You and I both know that if Ridley died…" Snake said coldly "Then in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, it would come back to bite you in the butt so hard…"
Samus cut him off, her voice overly restrained "I would never become like him," she said again, but this time, there was less conviction in her voice. She sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince Snake.
Snake stood up from his chair, walking over to the viewing window. He stared out at the endless expanse of space, his voice calm but firm.
Snake let out a sigh as he shoved a mountain of peppermint gum into his mouth "Maybe." He said "But you were close today, Samus. Too close."
Samus watched him, the weight of his words sinking in despite her best efforts to shake them off. She knew he was right, and that's what scared her the most. For a moment, during the fight, she had felt the darkness rising within her, the desire to do more than just defeat Ridley. To end him, utterly and completely. And yet seeing Ridley with…and if Snake hadn't been there...
She swallowed hard, her voice quieter now.
"I won't let it happen again."
Snake nodded but didn't turn around. "Good. Because next time... I might not be there to stop you."
The words hung in the air, heavy and real. Samus stood in silence, her eyes fixed on the stars outside as the planet earth loomed ahead. The mission was over, and Ridley had been stopped, but the real battle was still happening inside her.
And as Snake stood there, watching the moon, the sun, and the stars, he hoped that the battle within her didn't end in another kind of destruction.
The simulated training room inside the Smash Bros. Mansion was alive with the flickering light of holographic enemies, the glow from their projected forms casting long shadows across the floor. Ness and Lucas stood side by side, both of them slightly out of breath, their hands glowing faintly with psychic energy. The simulation had been challenging, intense waves of enemies designed to push their PK powers to the limit.
But something wasn't right.
Ness wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing over at Lucas, who was breathing heavily, his brow furrowed in concentration. He had been off the entire session, his attacks were slow, his dodges clumsy, and it felt like his heart wasn't fully in it. They had failed the last wave of the simulation, and now the holograms flickered, resetting to the start.
"Lucas, come on! You're not even trying!" Ness said through gritted teeth.
Lucas flinched at the frustration in Ness's voice, his grip on his stick tightening. He lowered his head, his blonde hair falling into his eyes, his face flushed with embarrassment and something deeper, something Ness hadn't noticed until now.
"I... I'm sorry, Ness. I'm just... I don't know. I'm not feeling it today." Lucas said.
Ness let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't used to Lucas being this off. Normally, they worked together like a well-oiled machine, their PK abilities combining to overwhelm their enemies. But today, Lucas seemed distracted, lost in his own head.
Ness sighed heavily "We're supposed to be training, you know? You're barely even using PK Love right. What's going on with you?"
Lucas remained silent for a moment; his eyes fixed on the floor. Ness crossed his arms, waiting for an answer, but when Lucas finally spoke, his voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper.
"It's... the anniversary."
Ness blinked rapidly, his frustration immediately cooled to awkwardness and then to sadness as he realized what Lucas meant. He stepped closer, his voice softening.
"Oh... Lucas, I didn't know. I'm sorry."
Lucas bit his lip, his eyes misting over as he avoided Ness's gaze. The pain of losing his mother had never fully gone away. No matter how many years passed, the anniversary of her death always hit him hard, dragging him back to that dark place where the memories of his childhood haunted him. The day when his world was shattered.
"It's okay. I just..." Lucas stammered "I guess I'm not in the right headspace. It's been hard to focus today. Everything reminds me of her... and I just—"
His voice caught in his throat, and he looked away, rubbing at his eyes to hide the tears that threatened to spill. He hated feeling like this—weak, helpless, stuck in the past. But no matter how hard he tried, the memories always came back, especially on this day.
Ness stood there for a moment, feeling a wave of sympathy wash over him. He knew how much Lucas had gone through, and while Ness had his own struggles, Lucas's pain was on a different level. The loss of his mother, the way it had torn his family apart—it was something that left scars deeper than any battle.
Ness though back to the moment where Bayonetta had just joined and when she and Lucas were in a training simulation, she said something that made Lucas burst into tears, while Ness didn't know what it was, he had never seen someone say 'sorry' so many times when Zelda whispered something into Bayonetta's ear.
Without saying a word, Ness placed a hand on Lucas's shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze.
"You don't have to do this today. We can stop the training if you're not feeling it."
Lucas shook his head, wiping at his eyes.
"No... I don't want to stop. I need to do something. I just... I don't want to keep messing up."
Ness smiled softly, trying to think of a way to lift his friend's spirits. Then, an idea came to him, a way to let out some of their frustrations while giving Lucas a bit of catharsis.
"How about this? We can reset the simulation and fight something we both really hate. Something that we can both blow off some steam with."
Lucas looked at him, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Ness smirked, walking over to the simulation control panel. His fingers flew over the buttons, and a few seconds later, the room began to shift, the holograms flickering and reforming. As the room changed, an all too familiar figure appeared, a holographic version of Porky, smirking arrogantly as he sat inside one of his grotesque machines.
Lucas's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise and recognition in his eyes. Porky had been the one responsible for so much of his pain, the one who had manipulated and hurt him, Ness, and so many others. Seeing his twisted, grinning face was enough to make Lucas's blood boil.
"How about we take out a few dozen of these Porky holograms, huh? Let's give him what he deserves shall we?"
Lucas stared at the hologram for a moment, and slowly, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. There was something satisfying about the idea of getting to knock Porky around, even if it wasn't the real thing. And right now, he needed an outlet for all the anger and sadness he was feeling.
"Yeah... okay. Let's do it."
Ness grinned and activated the simulation. More holographic Porkys began to appear, filling the room, each one wearing that same smug, taunting grin that made both Ness and Lucas's fists clench.
The first wave of Porky clones charged at them, and Ness wasted no time unleashing a powerful PK Flash, blasting the nearest holograms into pixels. Lucas followed suit, launching a quick PK Freeze, followed by a PK Love that caught several Porkys in an icy explosion. The two of them moved in sync, their psychic powers flowing freely as they attacked with renewed energy.
"Nice one, Lucas! Let's show these jerks what we're made of!"
Lucas's smile grew a little wider as he launched a barrage of PK Thunder, each bolt striking a different Porky hologram and sending them flying. His movements were more fluid now, more confident, and for the first time all day, he felt a little lighter. Ness was right, this was exactly what he needed.
As the simulation continued, the two friends fought side by side, tearing through the holographic Porkys with a mixture of vengeance and determination. Each strike, each blast of psychic energy, was a release, a way to channel the pain, the grief, and the anger that had been building inside Lucas all day.
When the last of the Porky holograms fell, with one giant one going down to a single PK Love, Lucas let out a breath, his chest heaving with exertion, but there was a small, satisfied smile on his face.
"Thanks, Ness. I... I really needed that."
Ness gave him a playful nudge, his own grin wide and proud.
"Anytime, buddy. And hey—after this, how about we go grab some ice cream or something? My treat."
Lucas chuckled softly, the sadness still there, but not as overwhelming as before.
"Yeah... I'd like that."
As they walked out of the training room together, Ness threw an arm around Lucas's shoulders, the two of them feeling just a little bit lighter, knowing that whatever the day threw at them, they'd face it together.