Tournament of Kikai 2 Side Story

by Tinyhammer

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE READING THE MEGAMIX TOURNAMENT, BATTLE OF THE LUMINARIES, OKRON TOURNAMENT AND ESPECIALLY THE TOURNAMENT OF KIKAI, PLEASE READ THIS! It is a recap show where my characters host and introduce the fighters shown in the second Tournament of Kikai in an attempt to gain more voters for that fic. And just like the first recap show, this one will be full of personality!

9. Section Three Part One

LINK TO SECTION BELOW:

We now return to Cacey, still in the dark with the main source of light being her glowing eyes and her various crystal balls around the area.

"Welcome back. If you are just coming back, Mewtwo has gotten the top slot and he chose the 'Arena Shift' one." Cacey explained. "Basically, it is taking a previous gimmick and merging it on the original Ultimate Video Rumble."

Then, two orbs floated up. The first orbs had various King of Fighters characters while the second one had Super Smash Bros ones.

"In the first tournament, there was 'King of Smashers', a round where instead of thirty fighters, there would be FORTY." Cacey explained. "Also, due to King of Fighters XIV and Super Smash Brothers being the biggest nodes in the tournament, more characters from those nodes were entered regardless."

She then shrugged.

"But you may be wondering 'But Cacey, isn't the King of Fighters represented by XV which has a slightly smaller roster?'" Cacey said.. "That is correct. Thus the King of Smashers was not needed. Especially with the Pokemon and Kirby characters getting their own, thus lowering the number of Super Smash Bros, albeit not by much since Xero also added the DLC characters to the roster."

She then gave a smile.

"Thus it is time for a history lesson. Some of you may have already heard this but did you know that there was going to be a FOURTH Ultimate Video Rumble." Cacey explained. "It was brought by Wolfgang Krauser from Fatal Fury, however he also had two arenas as the MAIN gimmick. So basically they would be two arenas."

She then held up her finger.

"Here is how the Arena Shift works. It is rather simple. There are two arenas and twenty people in each. How do they decide who gets to go into who?" Cacey asked. "Well, let's pretend that there is only one arena and the voteform form continues as normally. Now let's split everyone with odds and evens. The odds go to Arena A and the evens go to Arena 2."

She then rolled her eyes.

"And yes, I am aware that the two names are a paradox." Cacey muttered. "But yes, there are two voteforms. Not just for the main tournament but for the Safe Zone. Along with putting in ten Live votes and ten Die votes for each arena, you also have to do the same with Safe Zones, having to pick five people each. But no repeat nodes."

She then let out a deep sigh.

"I guess Xero loves complicating this tournament for the sake of it." Cacey muttered. "But at the very least, this should give certain fighters a chance to survive where they wouldn't be able in a normal section. Back to you guys."

The camera then went to a grinning Barry and Rinky

"Thanks, Cacey!" Rinky grinned. "Well, personally I welcome this new gimmick!"

"Indeed, same here" Barry chuckled. "But yes, it should be easier for certain people to survive so there are more boons than banes."

"Indeed. Not many people could complain." Rinky nodded. "In that case, let's get to it!"

"For the sake of not confusing everyone, we will also put which Arena the fighters will be going in." Barry said. "...Even though it should be obvious if you are looking at odds and evens."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Rinky asked. "We got a LOT to cover so let's get to it!"

GARNET

NODE: MULTIVERSUS/STEVEN UNIVERSE

ENTERED IN: Section 1; Number 6

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3

ARENA A

"Showing that her rhythm could not be taken apart is 'Miss Stronger Than You', Garnet!" Barry grinned. He then paused. "...Okay, it was taken apart for that Limit Break in the last section but still."

"With a solid showing of Ed from Street Fighter, Landia from Kirby and Nasty Canasta from Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem, it seems that her gem would be shining for a long while." Rinky smirked.

LAUNCHPAD McQUACK

NODE: DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION ALL-STARS/DUCKTALES 1987

ENTERED IN: Section 1; Number 30

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS

ARENA 2

"And joining Garnet is the only other Section One survivor, Launchpad!" Rinky grinned. His face then faltered. "...No matter how many times I say that in the THIRD section it just feels weird."

"Yeah, no arguments there." Barry sighed. He then brightened up. "Fortunately, Launchpad is making up for quality over quantity with his elimination streak of Boyd from the Rumble Fish, Kitty Ko from Sidekick, Dr. Shemp from Spyro the Dragon and Link from Super Smash Bros!"

RICK

NODE: KIRBY

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 31

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

ARENA A

"Crikey! Dat dere bloke, Rick, has managed ta prove that he is no drongo!" Barry said in a mock-Australian accent.

"Gnarly! He basically made that bugger, Cerebella from Skullgirls, shrimp on the barbie." Rinky smirked. "Do y'all think he could dominate the arena? Fair Dinkum?"

Suddenly, Barry's phone started to ring. Raising an eyebrow, he answered it.

"Ello? Uh-huh. Uh-huh." Barry said. His face then fell. "Oh… Oh, okay, I will relay the message."

With that, he hung up before looking down at Rinky.

"...That was Wally. He said the next time we try to speak like an Australian, he will kick us to the moon via Chie Satonaka." Barry explained.

Rinky merely rolled his eyes.

GUMBALL

NODE: THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 35

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

ARENA 2

"Despite being arguably the least-combat oriented of the Wattersons, Gumball still manages to prove that he could keep up with the rest of them!" Rinky smirked.

"Granted, he WAS in the last slot of the survivors." Barry noted. "But with his elimination of Beaky from Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem and being the first official Safe Zone Challenger, there may be a chance to get a second elimination at least."

PATRICK STAR

NODE: NICKELODEON ALL-STARS/SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 37

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

ARENA A

"Patrick seems to already be making up for his poor score in his first UVR tournament but not only surviving the section but getting TWO eliminations!" Barry smiled.

"Yeah, admittedly his elimination of Elmer Fudd from Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem is nothing to be too proud of." Rinky shrugged. "But his elimination of Sulley from Kingdom Hearts balances it out."

GARBODOR

NODE: POKEMON

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 38

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

ARENA 2

"Garbodor may stink but he definitely doesn't suck." Rinky smirked.

"Indeed. While he covers pollution all around him, his elimination of Bambi from Kingdom Hearts is definitely clean." Barry chuckled.

ANTONOV

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XV

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 39

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

ARENA A

BIG GUY ALERT!

"Showing why he is one of the… 'first' champions of the King of Fighters is Antonov himself!" Barry grinned.

"With his elimination of Raphael from Nickelodeon All-Stars, he is truly shooting for the stars!" Rinky beamed.

WOLF O'DONNELL

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/STARFOX

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 40

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

ARENA 2

"Another fighter that redeemed themselves from their first post-resurgence era tournament is Wolf!" Rinky added.

"Not only did he eliminate Demyx from Kingdom Hearts but also Espeon from Pokemon!" Barry grinned. "And I don't think he is just content with those two eliminations so expect more fierce fights from him!"

KING ANDRIAS

NODE: DISNEY TELEVISION ANIMATION ALL-STARS/AMPHIBIA

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 41

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1

ARENA A

"Showing off not only his strength but also his pragmatic nature is King Andrias!" Barry introduced.

"Sure, he didn't exactly get the Safe Zone benefits like he was hoping for but he DID eliminate Rocky from Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem so it is not all bad." Rinky shrugged.

MEWTWO

NODE: POKEMON

ENTERED IN: Section 2; Number 45

OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2

ARENA 2

"Showing why he is the runner-up at the first Battle of the Luminaries AND the first Tournament of Kikai is Mewtwo!" Rinky grinned.

"Sure, he isn't going to be a three-peater finalist here but at the least with his eliminations of Numbuh One from Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion and Bentley from Sly Cooper, it shows that he is still in it for the long run." Barry said. "Well, that is everyone. So let's get into the new fighters!"

PYRA/MYTHRA

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/XENOBLADE CHRONICLES 2

ARENA A

Rinky blinked twice. "Huh. Weird."

"What is, Rinky?" Barry asked.

"Pyra and Mythra are actually fighting as one unlike in the fourth Megamix Tournament where they are separated." The ghost said.

Barry's eyes widened in realisation. "Oh, right. Yeah, that was weird. Especially since being a Tag-Team was their entire thing.

"Regardless, get ready, boys. Here comes your first research segment!" Rinky smirked.

The camera then went to a grinning Drake. "Oh, don't worry! This is something that we covered multiple times so this should be easy."

"Yes, Xenoblade Chronicles is a JRPG published and produced by Nintendo, though actually developed by a company called Monolith Soft. The Xeno part is out of respect for the people behind the Xenosaga series and they went through."

"The game or particularly the sequel's plot takes place in Alrest, the last remnants of civilization live on the backs of giant beasts called Titans, which swim on an ocean of clouds." Drake explained. "However, one after another the Titans are slowly dying and sinking into the depths of the Cloud Sea."

"The main character is Rex, a young man who works as a salvager who dives into the Cloud Sea to retrieve and sell the various pieces of ancient technology that lie within." Ashley explained. "One such lost technology is the Blades, which are sentient weapons that bond with their user called 'Drivers' and fight as one."

"Then, one day, Rex is hired by a mysterious organisation to help retrieve one of the rarest Blades of them all: the 'Aegis'-class called Pyra." Drake grinned. "Rex ends up becoming bonded to Pyra and together, they embark on a journey to reach Elysium, a mythical land of plenty said to exist at the top of the World Tree and having enough place to live."

Ashley then frowned. "For those who played the first Xenoblade game, you would think that it would be similar to the themes of the first game but…"

"Anime…" Drake sighed. "Some things are the same like the cast having a British voice cast and healers being useless, things are vastly different. Especially in the characters' designs and personalities."

"Now there isn't anything wrong with anime-ish designs. But the designs in the first game were more grounded." Ashley frowned. "And don't even get me started on the female cast. Some of it looks like it is written by a fetish artist."

"The worst case is Dahlia. I am sorry if I sound like I am kink-shaming but she is WAY over the line." Drake said in disgust. "...I mean look at her feet. How could anyone think her bear feet are okay!"

Ashley gave Drake an exasperated look. "...Can't resist a Chuggaaconvoy comment, huh?"

"But yeah, Rex may be the weakest protagonist of the trilogy, I think he redeemed himself in the final DLC of the third game." Drake said before looking at the camera. "No, really, his glow-up in that game is the embodiment of 'Be careful who you pick on in middle school.'"

"Yes, I also think it helped with 2's story." Ashley said before sighing. "Too bad because while it pales in comparison to 1, 3 and even X, I don't think it is THAT bad."

"It isn't. IF it was from a completely different game series." Drake frowned. "But hey, what are you going to do? Back to you guys."

The camera then went back to Barry and Rinky.

"Nice one, guys!" Barry smiled.

"Now like we said earlier, Pyra & Mythra are a Tag Team fighter. So in some regards, they are a stance fighter." Rinky said.

"Pyra is the Mighty Glacier pyromancer while Mythra is the Fragile Speedster photomancer." Barry explained. "While not everyone's strategy with them, Mythra deal quick, rapid damage while making sure that she doesn't get hit too much while Pyra comes in to deal the KOing blow!"

"And if they come across a fighter that one Aegis is weak too, they could just switch to the other." Rinky noted. "I don't mind SSBFreak's decision to keep them separate but I personally can't wait to see these two fight as one."

"Indeed. You know what they say. Two is stronger than one." Barry nodded.

TRON

NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/TRON LEGACY

ARENA 2

"...I am STILL in awe that this is a Disney property." Rinky said in awe.

"Not all Disney shows have to be like the animated movies." Barry scolded. "Though it IS a shock for it to show up in Kingdom Hearts II, alongside Pirates of the Caribbean and the Nightmare Before Christmas."

"AND also showing up in Dream Drop Distance." Rinky added. "I can't believe THEY made it in and yet the Jungle Book and Robin Hood DIDN'T."

Barry merely shrugged. "Well, regardless of who gets in or not, Tron DID get in. So it is time for Drake and Ashley!"

The camera then went to a nodding Drake. "Well said, Barry. TRON is a Sci-Fi film made in 1982, written and directed by Steven Lisberger. Basically, the story is about a video game developer named Kevin Flynn that got his video games stolen by a corrupt CEO and was trying to prove it."

"Unfortunately, he ended up getting literally sucked into the world inside of the computer where the programs are forced to fight in what is essentially Sci-Fi Gladiator Games." Ashley frowned. "So now with the help of TRON, an independent security program, Flynn must destroy the MCP which stands for Master Control Programs, free the programs and return home."

"While computer-generated special effects were always a thing, TRON was the first film where said computer-generation made something "real" rather than computer graphics." Drake continued.

"...I STILL think that is an oxymoron." Ashley muttered.

"Also, a good chunk of the special effects are HAND-DRAWN, even the objects and environments." Drake said. "The light cycles, tanks, recognisers and the Solar Sail are in CGI, but everything was done on black and white on a piece of paper."

"Unfortunately, it didn't do well at the box office." Ashley sighed. "Not helping is that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences considered it 'cheating' to have computers to create the special effects. This not only put a damper on TRON's reputation, but also CGI in general."

"Fortunately, it wasn't until Jurassic Park where people's views on CGI changed a bit. That and the movie got a cult following." Drake added. "It even spawned two video games, a graphic novel and television series."

"And as Barry and Rinky said, it was selected to be in 2 AND Dream Drop Distance." Ashley said. "In fact, Tron was actually supposed to be in the FIRST game."

"Well, Tron may not be as well known as the Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast but at least we have people like Nomura keeping it alive." Drake smirked. "Over to you guys!"

The camera then went to a nodding Rinky.

"Thank you, guys." Rinky said before smirking. "Heh. So this is what it feels like."

"Now Tron is a zoner, which is quite interesting because all of the Disney members' weapons are close-range." Barry explained. "Even the mages like Donald and Jack Skellington."

"However, not only does Tron have range but also acts like a boomerang, he only has one accessory slot, one armour slot and two item slots." Rinky frowned. "Along with long damage output."

"However, he DOES have the equivalent of a Thunder spell and he is one of the few Disney party members required to meet their world's boss." Barry explained.

SHUN'EI

NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XV

ARENA A

"I feel bad that my first thought when seeing this kid is his odd fashion sense, especially since everyone else has been dunking on him for it." Barry frowned. "But I can't help it."

"Aw, come on, it is not THAT bad." Rinky scolded. "Besides, you like ISLA'S design. And that is arguably just as if not MORE mismatched than Shun'Ei."

Barry looked down at Rinky in disbelief. "That… That is completely different!"

"How so? At least Shun'ei doesn't have mismatched socks." The ghost retorted.

Barry raised his finger before closing his mouth with a sigh of defeat. "...Never mind. Let's cover his fighting style."

"Yes, let's…." Rinky said, sternly. Suddenly, he grinned. "...So we all talk about how cool it is!"

Barry chuckled. "Yeah, no one could deny that in terms of fighting style, Shun'ei is a breath of fresh air from the pyromancers that was plaguing the protagonist's side."

Rinky's smirk vanished. "But Alba Meira doesn't have pyromancy."

"Umm… Alba Meira isn't canon." Barry said, blinking twice.

"I mean, HE isn't canon yet, anyway." Rinky pointed out. "But with Xiao Lon, there may be a chance."

Barry opened his mouth to retort but then paused when he realised that he can't come up with a response.

"Okay, fair enough." Barry said. "Anyway, Shun'Ei fights with two giant hands. One made out of fire and one made out of water."

"He uses them with his martial arts for a tricky playstyle that is harder than the other KOF protagonists." Rinky added. "Also, said hands gave him crazy range."

"Not so much that he could be considered a zoner but still able to dominate the mid-range." Barry said.

"Also, he is the first KoF protagonist in a long while to get an elimination." Rinky added.

"Yeah, barely though. Do you remember that he tied with Sephiroth for fifteenth place?" Barry frowned. "If Drake chose the latter to be the final fighter of the Kirby section instead of Pacman, we wouldn't be here."

"Okay, fair." Rinky shrugged. "But I think he has a chance. At least in the Arena Shift."

Barry blinked twice before smiling. "True."

LILY

NODE: STREET FIGHTER

ARENA 2

"...I can't believe that we lived in an era where T. Hawk has been brought back, albeit through a spiritual successor." Barry noted.

"Yeah, I don't get the dislike for T. Hawk." Rinky frowned. "Sure, he wasn't the most exciting but you could say the same for E. Honda."

"Maybe people find him a Native American stereotype and those are usually frowned upon." Barry said with a shrug.

"Was T. Hawk really that bad?" Rinky asked.

"Okay, hot take. In comparison to the early designs of Nightwolf from Mortal Kombat and Chief Thunder from Killer Instinct, no?" Barry said, shaking his head.

Rinky narrowed his eyes. "Then, why do THEY get new redesigns and has to go with the 'Moe Sells' to salvage his fighting style!"

"Well, I think it is more that…"

BZZZT!

Barry and Rinky jumped before looking off-screen. The camera then went to the research team to see Drake holding a buzzer with a stern glare and his arms crossed and Ashley looking exasperated. The camera then went back to Barry and Rinky who were looking with blank stares.

"...Alright. I know how much you disliked talking about politics during these recaps." Barry said.

"You know what? Valid." Rinky sighed. "Now before covering Lily, I think it only makes sense to explain how T. HAWK fights."

"Basically, he is a grappler. However, unlike Zangief, he is actually quite mobile despite his archetype and size." Barry nodded.

"Yeah, his signature Condor Dive has him jump up and fly downwards like a… Well, condor, giving a lot of mobility you wouldn't expect from him." Rinky smiled.

"Now you may be thinking, how does Lily, the SMALLEST character in 6 replicate T. Hawk's moves when he is one of the LARGEST." Barry said before smirking. "Easy. She wields a pair of ball-headed war clubs called pogamoggans to make up for her short limbs."

"Not only could she match T. Hawk's moves but she is also an aeromancer which could summon the wind around herself to make her special moves stronger." Rinky noted.

"Do you think she will be able to put in a good word for the rest of her fellow 6 newcomers?" Barry asked.

"Bruh, I think ALL of the 6 newcomers have a chance to be a great opening act." Rinky offered. His face then fell. "If anything, I am concerned about who is going to be getting the axe if they appear in Drake's '6 per team' rule."

"Well, Luke and JP are locks, but I can't say the same for everyone else." Drake piped up from off-screen.

Barry blinked twice. "But Luke was in V."

"Yeah, as an early-bird advertisement for 6." Drake retorted. "And they are advertising Luke as the hero for V sooo…"

"I guess…" Barry mused.

PUDDING FONG LING

NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW

ARENA A

CHOWDER

NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION/CHOWDER

ARENA 2

Rinky blinked twice while Barry let out a laugh.

"Makes sense that those two would end up entering the same section together." Barry chuckled. "Also, it seems that they really…"

Suddenly, he heard someone tapping a phone. Looking down, he saw Rinky tapping a number with an annoyed look on his face. Barry's face fell.

"Uh-oh…" Barry said.

Soon, someone answered it.

"R-Rinky?" Maurice's voice answered nervously.

"What? Especially Ashley or Drake?" Rinky said before missing a beat.

"Well, yes, I kinda forget how there is this unread tradition that unless something comes up the research hosts will be the MAIN hosts every three hosts." Maurice said, sheepishly.

"Well, now you know." Rinky shrugged. "Now that you are here. Answer me this question."

Maurice let out a deep sigh. "...What is it?"

"Why are Pudding and Chowder allowed to have a performance not the others?" Rinky asked.

Barry blinked twice as everyone paused.

"...What?" Maurice said, finally.

"Yeah, why does everyone have a problem with Pete's, Bison's, Oume's and Vega's, but not theirs?" Rinky elaborated.

"Um, well, because Pudding and Chowder remember that this is a fighting tournament?" Maurice asked.

"What kind of argument is THAT!? Sure, the basis is a FIGHTING tournament but at the end of the day, it is a POPULARITY contest!" Rinky shot back. "And what usually elevates contestants in popularity contests? TALENT shows!"

"Um, well, you see…" Maurice sputtered.

"Furthermore, the most vocal people did song segments for the Halloween AND Christmas for the Tournament of Kikai!" Rinky added. "So it is only okay when THEY do it!?"

"I…" Maurice started.

Suddenly, BARRY'S phone rang. Raising an eyebrow, he got it out. His pupils then shrank.

"Oh no…" Barry said before answering the phone. "H-Hello? Carver?"

"Sorry, for calling you out of the blue, but could you put me on speaker?" The brown-skinned man asked.

Barry let out a deep groan. "...Very well. Carver, ladies, gentlemen and non-binaries."

"It is as Maurice said! Those things are completely different!" Carver insisted.

"Oh, yeah? How?" Rinky challenged.

"Well, we are not fighters. We are hosts." Carver added.

"Yes, which means it is your job to host: NOT to sing!" Rinky shot back. "Just like it is the fighters' job to fight and NOT to sing."

"Yeah, but Pudding and Chowder's performances were enjoyable to see." Carver insisted. "The others were not!"

"How?" Rinky asked.

There was another pause.

"...What?" Carver said, finally.

"How are the performances not enjoyable to see?" Rinky asked. "I guess I could see the argument for Pete and Oume because no one wants to see an overweight man in a ballet tutu or an old woman dancing like she was Lady Gaga but even then, that was the only flaw with their performances. And sure, Bison and Vega's singing could use some work. But cut them their slack. They were drunk! Granted, they shouldn't enter a fighting tournament drunk to begin with unless they were using drunken kung-fu."

There was another awkward silence.

"Is… Rinky okay, Barry?" Carver finally said.

The mob boss just sighed. "You know how unpopular Rinky was during the Survivor Xover Version days? It… Kinda stunted his perspective as to what is good and what is bad."

Rinky's eyes widened. "What!?"

"...That's… Actually quite depressing. I am sorry." Carver said, solemnly.

"Yeah, not even Xero hatedom stunted him so much that he blocked out Patrick's song." Maurice said.

"Excuse me!?" Rinky exclaimed.

"I am going to leave now… Sorry, our first meeting ended up like this." Carver sighed.

"Well, I have to go too. Late." Maurice said.

With that, the two hung up. By this time, Rinky was casting Barry a dark glare. The bear just frowned.

"Um, Drake, Ashley, do you mind?" Barry sighed.

The camera then went to the two main hosts, blinking twice.

"Awkwardddddd." Drake winced.

Ashley let out a deep sigh. "Let's just cover Chowder."

Drake chuckled nervously. "Chowder is a show created by C.H. Greenblatt, who is formerly a writer and storyboard artist on both Spongebob Squarepants and the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and eventually did Jellystone."

"Oh yeah, I actually forgot about Jellystone." Ashley realised. "I wonder what happened to it. I remembered more people liking it than hating it."

Drake just shrugged. "It is basically inspired by the more… Twisted side Dr. Seuss. The setting takes place in Marzipan City, a weird place with weird creatures and weird food."

"The story is about Chowder, an… Animal who is the apprentice of Mung Daal, the chef and owner of his namesake catering company." Ashley added.

"They, along with Mung Daal's wife, Truffles and strong but silent Schnitzel, go on many misadventures with Chowder trying to be a chef, but his monstrous appetite keeps getting in the way." Drake explained.

"The series appeared on November 2, 2007. But the series was cancelled in August 2009 because apparently it didn't fit Cartoon Network's new target demographic of "older" boys." Drake frowned. "Basically, Chowder has the displeasure of coming out during the Dark Age of Cartoons."

"Fortunately, they realised that having CARTOON Network without cartoons was not a wise decision and had the series continue with the finale ending August 2010." Ashley saidsaid. She then sighed. "It is also known for its… Special brand of humour."

"Fortunately, if people didn't like Chowder before, the first Tournament of Kikai will help balance things out." Drake offered. He then frowned. "Um, back to you guys."

The camera then went to Barry and a grumpy Rinky.

"Um, thanks, guys." Barry said before looking down at Rinky. "Here, I'll cover Pudding. See if you could calm yourself down so you could cover Chowder."

Rinky merely scoffed. "...Fine."

Barry nodded before looking at the camera. "The animal Pudding's DNA is based on is the golden marmoset, native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil. Needless to say, Pudding is very athletic, aerobatic and quick. The fact that she works part-time as a street performer adds to her skills."

He then smiled.

"Her weapon of choice is called the Puring Rings, as the name expects, it gives her a pair of rings, not unlike Colette Brunel from Tales of Symphonia." Barry explained. "And her special attack is called 'Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno' where she traps her opponent in a giant pudding. …Yeah, as you would expect, she is the silliest of the Mew Mews. But don't underestimate silliness for weakness! Even if she is away from her partner. Rinky, your turn."

"I am still bad…" The yellow geist muttered before sighing. "I am mostly just going to cover his fighting style in Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion because if I just go with his abilities from his cartoon, it will just be like just basic toon physics."

He then gave a small smile.

"Basically, if compared to Super Smash Bros, he is fittingly Kirby. He even has an inhale move, granted without the ability to copy the target's powers." Rinky explained. "He could also use Kimchi, his fart cloud for a makeshift projectile."

"Sure, they may be apart but I think this may be good for them." Barry shrugged. "After all, they are an iconic duo, but they are still strong."

IKE

NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/FIRE EMBLEM TELLIUS

ARENA A

"Psst, Barry." Rinky whispered.

"Yes, Rinky?" The bear asked.

"I still like Ike." The ghost smirked.

Barry paused before smirking. "And I assume that you want me to shout at a certain swordsman when he comes out."

"Please and thank you!" Rinky chuckled.

Barry returned the chuckle. "Your turn, guys."

The camera then went to a grinning Drake. "...And Tinyhammer almost wanted to keep these guys in the vault forever out of here."

Ashley rolled his eyes. "Well, there are worse people. Anyway, Fire Emblem is a turn-based strategy RPG set in Fantasy Mediaeval, created by Shouzou Kaga and developed in-house by Nintendo's Intelligent Systems, the people behind Advance Wars."

"The series pretty much pioneered strategic role-playing games and later popularised in the West by titles such as Final Fantasy Tactics." Drake explained. "It spanned a whopping FIFTEEN games on SEVEN different systems. "

"Moreover, Fire Emblem, being roughly as old as genre mainstays Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, helped make and codify many elements of the Strategy RPG genre." Ashley explained. "It is mostly known for its weapon triangle, breakable weapons and the fact that you have an entire army to command. But be careful. If someone's HP reaches zero, they die for good."

"Now onto Tellius, the only Fire Emblem that has a proper sequel." Drake pointed out. "The first game, Path of Radiance, is the ninth game in the series released on the Nintendo Gamecube as part of its fifteenth anniversary. It is the first game since Thracia 776 to get a home console release, the first game in the series to feature voice acting AND the first console game to get an international release."

""The game stars not a member of royalty or even nobility, but a mercenary called Ike, part of a group called the Greil Mercenaries, named after Ike's father." Ashley added. "Things seemed pretty normal. Until they were assigned to help Princess Elincia in reclaiming her kingdom of Crimea from the aggressive nation of Daein."

"Path of Radiance is praised for its complex plot, along with bringing up weapon triangles and the Skill system that was absent from the earlier games at the time." Drake explained. "It also brings in things like a base menu and Bonus Experience that you could use to level up your weaker units or beef up your stronger ones."

"Next is the sequel: Radiant Dawn on the Wii with the story taking place three years after the first game. The game is actually divided into four arcs." Ashley added. "The first arc features Micaiah, the leader of the Dawn Brigade, who is trying to free the country of Daein. You know, the antagonist country in the last game. The second arc features Elincia, now queen, dealing with rebellious nobles. The THIRD arc features Ike and the Greil Mercenaries aiding the Laguz kingdoms."

"Heh. I just realised that this is the first Fire Emblem we are covering and yet it was the LAST one Wally and Catherine covered in the last tournament." Drake chuckled.

"Hey, yeah, I just realised that too!" Ashley chuckled. "Well, back to you guys!"

The camera then went back to a nodding Rinky. "Alright, thanks."

"Unsurprisingly from his build and giant sword, Ike is actually a Mighty Glacier." Barry explained. "He moves slow and his moves are unrefined but his swings hit like a truck."

"And despite Barry staying, he moves slowly, that is just with his RUNNING speed." Rinky added. "He could use Quick Draw for mobility. Which is desperately needed because while Aether is a strong AND cool-looking Up Special, it is not that great as a recovery."

"He could also charge up blue fire around his sword and slammed it down for a powerful burst of flames." Barry explained. "However, he may hurt himself if he charges too much."

"And of course if you played Ike online, he arguably had the best neutral air attack in the game." Rinky noted before rolling his eyes. "Seriously, isn't his whole deal is that he is slow. How has it come out so far?"

Barry merely shrugged. "Well, regardless, he should at least get one elimination."

DJANGO

NODE: EHRGEIZ

ARENA 2

Rinky blinked twice. "Umm… Why is there a Red XIII recolour here?"

"Well, a major appeal of Ehrgeiz IS the Final Fantasy VII characters." Barry shrugged. "So it isn't THAT farfetched to have a recolour. Ironically enough, his alternate costume basically just makes him Red XIII."

"Huh… Well, it is still cool to see quadruped as the final boss." Rinky noted.

"Penultimate boss." Barry corrected.

Rinky turned towards Barry. "Huh?"

"Django is the penultimate boss. Red Scorpion is the actual final boss." The mob boss elaborated. "Why do you think the Big Guy Alert didn't turn on?"

"Red Scorpion?" Rinky asked, blinking twice. "You mean the organisation."

"No. The thing you fight AFTER Django." Barry said.

Rinky's eyes widened. "THAT was a boss! I thought it was a bonus credits scene just like the mook beatdown in Street Fighter EX3."

"No, you can't get KOed but you have to defeat it with proper means to get the titular sword, Ehrgeiz." Barry explained.

"Woah…" Rinky said in awe.

"But this isn't about Red Scorpion, this is about Django." Barry scolded. "As you would expect from a wolf, he has claw swipes, donkey-like kicks and tail whips."

"He also has a few breath attacks. Some are the generic fireballs but others are actually rotating projectiles." Rinky added.

"He may not be the true final boss but penultimate is nothing to scoff at." Barry said.

MR. FROSTY

NODE: KIRBY

"I tried the Mr. Frosty machine before." Rinky said, looking bored. "The treats are simple but nice but the actual machine is harder than it looks."

Barry immediately gave Rinky a weird look. It took the latter two seconds to notice this.

"...Oh, right. Sly Cooper didn't exist before OR during the nineties." Rinky realised.

Barry blinked twice. "...Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not. Like I said, the machine was overrated." Rinky shrugged.

"Um, alright." Barry said. "But yeah, Mr. Frosty is a Kirby classic. I genuinely think that he appears in more games than WHISPY WOODS himself."

"Yeah, he is a simple miniboss but still it is weird to have a Kirby game WITHOUT him." Rinky said. He then paused. "...Though it is weird that a serial twerker is in Kirby."

Barry jumped at this. "Rinky, what the actual hell!?"

"Oh, like I am the only person who sees that!" The yellow geist shot back.

Barry rolled his eyes. "Just cover his fighting style before someone yeets something at you for that."

Rinky returned the expression. "Alright, alright. As you would expect, Mr. Frosty is a cryomancer and uses his power to instead create ice blocks or snowballs to throw at his opponent."

"He can also use cryomancy via a breath weapon." Barry said. "He also uses his girth to great effect. Especially since he is more acrobatic than he looks."

"Yeah, did you see the flips he does in some of those games?" Rinky noted. "I think he may be a bigger threat than people give him credit for."

HUGO

NODE: FINAL FIGHT

ARENA 2

BIG GUY ALERT!

"And here comes the big potato of Final Fight, Hugo!" Rinky grinned.

"Kinda strange how he was the only Final Fight character to appear in 3." Barry mused, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah, well, Poison is the only one to appear in 4." Rinky shrugged.

"Yeah, alongside her fellow Final Fight nodal companions, alongside Hugo himself." Barry pointed out.

"True. But regardless, this would be a part when I'll say that you can't get bigger than Hugo." Rinky said before wincing. "Then, I remembered Abigail."

"Yeah, it takes a real giant to dwarf Hugo." Barry nodded. "Not to downplay Hugo's size, he definitely deserves his Big Guy status."

"Yeah, being a wrestler, Hugo has a lot of hard-hitting grapple moves." Rinky explained. "Not that he needs to grab you to hurt you."

"Needless to say though, with great great comes great sluggishness." Barry noted. "If he is not careful, a good hit-and-run fighter will basically turn him into a punching bag."

"Even if that is the case, I genuinely think he will end up alright." Rinky offered. "Remember, you don't have to actually beat your opponent, you just have to outlast them."

Barry paused before smirking. "Good one, little buddy."

"That is Fighter… Twenty, which means we should take a break." Rinky offered.

"But don't go away because I promise you that there will be a lot more to cower." Barry said. "We didn't even cover our first Mystery Fighter for this section."

"Yeah… About that."

Barry and Rinky looked off-screen. The camera then went to a frowning Drake and Ashley.

"...I heard that there is a tiny problem with the Mystery Fighters?"

LINK TO SECTION: / works / 47547247 / chapters / 130567237