Welcome viewers to another chapter of Game Jumpers! Last chapter, our merry band of heroes braved the many puzzles and challenges that awaited them in Boo Mansion, eventually reaching the throne room and the creator of the challenges—a Royal Boo by the name of Bow. Bow quickly informs the group that she had to test the heroes and needed their help in taking care of Tubba Blubba, a gluttonous brute that's been eating members of her race for a while. The reward for such a challenge? The third Star Spirit! With their hands tied, the gang agrees to work with Bow, and with the deal done, Bow and her faithful butler, Bootler, join the party! After a large feast and a great night sleep, a new day begins. Will the heroes be able to take down the supposedly "invincible" Tubba Blubba? Or will they be gobbled down like the rest? Let's find out!
Chapter 13: The "Invincible" Tubba Blubba!
The grandfather's chime rang throughout House Shivers, causing the room full of heroes to wake up, stretching and yawning slowly.
"Oh, man... No offense to you, Mario, but sleeping in a bed is a lot better than sleeping in a sleeping bag..." Jordan told him, still laying on top of Austin, who woke up with a crink in his neck. Mario, halfway there and halfway asleep, simply shrugged in response. Luigi, who was usually up bright and early, was still sleeping. Chainston nudged him in a questioning matter, making one of his eyes crack open. He slowly reached over and petted Chainston.
"Mmm... Been a while since I slept in... Feels nice..." Luigi mumbled, turning over and hugging his pillow. Mario snorted before nudging Luigi, telling him they had to get up. Luigi groaned before he got up fully. Kimani sleepily came over and yanked Austin from under Jordan, who thanked him before they and the other partners got dressed. After a few minutes, they were fully dressed and ready for the day. Austin moaned about his back being messed up from sleeping under Jordan all night, causing Typhoon to appear and pick him up before he bent him in various shapes and angles. Once he was done, Austin felt a lot better.
"Oh... Thanks, Ty!" Austin exclaimed. Typhoon just grunted as the party walked out of the guest room and arrived back in the main foyer, where Bow was waiting.
"Ah. Good morning, everyone. I hope our hospitality met your liking?" She asked. Dylan rapidly nodded.
"Yeah! It was great! Thank you, Ms. Bow!" He exclaimed. Bow uttered a small giggle.
"Glad to hear it. Bootler is currently getting us a few pieces of breakfast to eat on the road. We should take this time to plan out our day,"
"I'm all for it," Kimani said, crossing his arms.
"Well, Chainston and I have to head back home anyway. Got some errands and chores I have to do around the house,"
"Want us to join you on the way home? I think we have to do some things in Toad Town anyway before tackling Tubba Blubba if Mario's expression has anything to say about it," Kimani said. Mario realized his facial expression, apologizing before he mentioned wanting to double-check Toad Town Sewers for any last secrets. Bow recoiled from the thought of going through the sewers, but Mario mentioned that the Toad Town Sewers were well-kept, causing her to nod slowly.
"If I recall correctly, there should also be a shortcut in the sewers. Finding it would give you an easy way to return here whenever you wish," Bow's father mentioned.
"In the sewers, Daddy? Who approved of that move!?"
"Your Great x4 Grandfather. He thought it would be wise to have a secret route back home. We never used it but might as well bring it now,"
"Huh... Interesting," Kooper muttered as Bootler flew into the room with various goodie bags in his hands.
"Apologies for the wait, My Lady. I was just getting the master's goodie bags in order. Now, shall we proceed with our day?" Bootler asked. Everyone nodded before they walked outside and started returning to Toad Town. The gang figured out that taking the wrong path actually put them closer to Toad Town.
"Hmm? I know this spot... B- Uh, Lady Bow. You know the secret behind these woods?" Kimani asked, catching his mistake.
"An old enchantment my father placed on the woods long ago. It makes it so non-Boos are teleported back to the woods entrance should they take a wrong path. It was designed so no one would ever get lost in the woods. On top of that, Oakley, one of my father's companions back in the day, watches over it as well," Bow explained as they slowly walked through the forest.
"Cool... Uh, wait. How'd your dad get turned into a Picasso drawing?" He asked next. He got assaulted by Mario's deft slap, Jordan's head bonk, and Austin's prude elbow colliding with his side.
"Kimani!" Goombario exclaimed.
"What!? Picasso is a good artist!" Kimani fought back, rubbing the spots he was hit at. Bow laughed hard at that one.
"I must say, I've never heard of that comparison. I have to remember to tell him that one. But he's a painting because of the enchantment of the forest. Using it cost him his incorporeal form. Bootler was able to place his spirit into a painting, however, to keep him with us,"
"...Wow. This is a lot of lore I wasn't familiar with..." Kimani muttered to himself. Before they could talk more or even get further, a scream rang out before Jr. Troopa flew out of the bushes, tripping and landing on his face.
"Mario!? Oh, I'm sa- I mean, AH HA! I found you losers again!"
"Uh... Mario, who's your friend?" Bow asked, tilting her... body in confusion. Mario sighed and raised his hand, explaining that this was Jr. Troopa, a brat who kept picking a fight with him and Kimani due to accidentally "trespassing" and "beating him up."
"Shut up! You didn- Whatever! I'm your worst nightmare! Here comes the pain!" He screamed back, diving at the group and entering battle. A Koopa with a purple shell borderline materialized in front of Jr. Troopa.
"Don't think I'm as vulnerable as I was before! I've hired some of Bowser's goons! Do you know what that means? It means you're in trouble!" He continued yelling. Mario scolded him for getting involved with Bowser, worrying about the Koopa King potentially using him.
"Shut up! I'm not done yet so check this out! MORE POWER!" He yelled... again, causing both a purple circle of power to form around him as well as causing him to spin before he suddenly grew wings and started flying.
"Ha ha! Yeah, that's right! Let's see how you like the new, improved Jr. Koopa!"
"Oh brother, here we go again with this..." Goombario moaned from behind Mario.
"No, seriously. Who is this kid again?" Bow asked, still confused about the whole situation.
"It's Jr. Troopa. I can't get enough of this guy! Waa ha ha ha! Did the little guy get lost in the big, bad forest? Max HP: 15, Attack Power: 4, Defense Power: 1. Apparently, he's grown wings, so he can fly now, making all of our ground all-stars useless against him. I guess that romp through the forest cut his HP and Attack a bit. Say... didn't we get someone who's an expert at aerial foes? Might be best to let them handle Jr. Troopa," Goombario explained. Bow nodded as Mario jumped on the Purple Koopa, knocking it over and dealing 1 damage with his new spin jump technique.
"Hmmm... I do say, that's a Dark Koopa, Young Masters. Dark Koopas are Koopa Troopas who live in the Toad Town Tunnels and they're known for their dizzy applying attacks. If I recall correctly, their HP is 11, Attack is 6, and Defense is 3 when standing and 1 when on their backs. They have a habit of grinning before using their dizzy attack. Might I advise Master Mario on jumping on them so their defense is lowered?" Bootler suddenly blurted out. Goombario looked hurt.
"Hey, that's my job!" He exclaimed.
"Apologies, Master Goombario. I was a bookworm and was in charge of gathering information when I was an adventurer back in my younger days. Should you Tattle on foes, I shall follow up with additional information or provide insight on a non-Tattled foe,"
"Goombario's Tattle has been upgraded! Whenever he Tattles, Bootler will provide additional information on the same target or Tattle on a completely different target should they not have been Tattled yet!"
"Are you doing a tutorial while in battle with me!? How dare you!" He exclaimed as he dove at Mario, clocking him in the head for 2 damage. The Dark Koopa got up and attacked Mario with a Shell Shot, which caught him off guard and had him eat 6 damage, placing him at 22 HP.
"Alright, Ven. Do your thing!" Austin told him, dashing forward and slicing the Dark Koopa. He nailed his Action Command and got a Lucky Strike, causing him to deal a total of 4 damage, leaving it with 7 HP. Venom snorted, taking aim with his Bow and firing an accurate shot at Jr. Troopa, nailing him in the wing and dealing a whopping 10 damage to him, leaving him with 5 HP.
"Yeow! That hurt!" Jr. Troopa exclaimed.
"That's what you get for flying in my presence," He told him. Jr. Troopa didn't like that at all, so he went and kicked Venom in the beak, putting him out of commission for 3 turns due to his wing's injury.
"القرف!" He exclaimed in Arabic.
"Ven, you ok?" Austin asked as the Dark Koopa whirled at Austin. His Thief's Reflex kicked in, causing him to auto-dodge the attack.
"Mmm. Yeah... he got me in my bad wing," Venom huffed. Dylan went next, using his Copycat to copy Austin for free. He then used his Bow to fire at Jr. Troopa 3 times, hitting the Action Command and dealing enough damage to take him out.
"Ow! No fair..." He whined. Bow laughed at him before he noticed the Dark Koopa smiling.
"Hmmm. Dylan, might I show you the power of my Outta Sight?" She asked.
"Sure thing, Ms. Bow!" Dylan exclaimed. She smiled before she grabbed Dylan's shoulder, making them intangible. Bootler just turned intangible himself. The Dark Koopa flew through them, obviously missing them. After some thought, the team had Luigi and Chainston go next. Luigi gave Chainston some Words of Encouragement. Chainston barked happily, causing his attack to shoot up by 3. This made Chainston's next attack deal 7 damage, which was enough to take out the Dark Koopa, winning them the battle.
"Wow, we steamrolled through that fight!" Austin exclaimed, doing his win animation, which had him toss his daggers in the air, spin, and pose before they fell back into his pockets, somehow not cutting through them. Venom simply landed before he flourished his cloak and turned his head to the side. The group even got enough Star Points to level up again, bringing them to Level 10.
'Nice! It's been a minute since we leveled up!" KImani exclaimed. He went with BP this time, bringing it to 12, while Jordan went with more FP this time around, going up to 25 FP. Dylan was feeling HP this time, going up to 30 HP, while Austin just went with more BP and up to 12 BP. Mario liked their cut of the jib, so he went with more BP as well, going up to 15. After that, Mario looked at Kimani and practically begged for the FP Plus badge. Kimani looked at him, growled something incoherent, and pulled off the badge, dropping his FP to 25 before he roughly passed it to Mario, who sweatdropped and thanked Kimani for his "noble sacrifice," putting it on and going up to 15 FP.
"If that's the case, Level up screen! Come back right now, and let me change my choice to FP!" Kimani threatened. Nothing happened, but before Kimani could start punching the air, Dylan slid over and made a puppy dog expression, causing the screen to pop up again with a sweatdrop. At the top, they read, "Seriously, stop doing that, please," KImani raised an eyebrow at this while Dylan patted Kimani on the head as he picked FP, bringing it up to 30 and dropping his BP back to 9. Once they were done, Jr. Troopa got up, said dang it like 12 times before he sprinted off. The group shared looks before they followed him, eventually reaching...
Toad Town
Jr. Troopa exited the forest, tripping and falling on his face.
"Oh! I made it out of the forest! I could kiss this ground!" He cried out. The others were right behind him, watching him do just that. He noticed them a few seconds after that.
"U-uh! I mean, well fought, Mario! I'll let you have this win! When we meet next time, I won't be so merciful!"
"Bootler?" Bow simply said.
"Yes, My Lady. Ahem... BOOOOOOO!" Bootler answered, clearing his throat and disappearing for a moment. He reappeared in front of Jr. Troopa and grew 5 times his size while shifting his face to an indescribable horror. Jr. Troopa screamed bloody murder before he ran away, crying. For a moment, Kimani was Spooked, but Dylan was able to shake him out of it. Luigi had just cowered behind Chainston for a moment.
"Excellent form as always, Bootler,"
"I aim to please, My Lady. Master Mario, we shall leave the leading to you," Bootler answered, floating back to Bow's side. Mario sweatdropped but walked into town, spotting Merlon standing outside his house. Merlon noticed the group and waved them over.
"Ah, Mario, Kimani. It's wonderful to see you again. I see that you've found not only your missing friends but have gathered quite the team!" Merlon started.
"Yep. Thanks to you and your family's predictions. What brings you outside, Merlon? Thought you didn't like people," Kimani answered. Mario sweatdropped again.
"Hah! Right you are. I've been working on being more of a people person, so to speak, so I've been stepping outside more. These Toads have been lovely, and I've made a few friends with similar interests,"
"Glad to hear, bro,"
"Now, I do actually have some info for you. After talking with Russ T., he mentioned a secret in Dry Dry Outpost. He said, 'If you keep going around and around the red palm tree in the distant desert town, - Dry Dry Outpost -, something good will happen.' Not sure exactly what secret is there, but it might be worth exploring, eh?"
"Nice. We'll go check it out now. Thanks, Merlon," Kimani said as they walked off.
"Hmm? Isn't Dry, Dry Desert like... hours away from here?" Bow asked.
"The sewers have a bunch of shortcuts to places. Dry Dry Outpost is one of them," Jordan explained.
"Well, it seems you don't need me and Chainston anymore, so we'll get out of your hair. Lady Bow, meeting you and spending the night at your house was a pleasure. If you don't mind, feel free to spend the night at our house after today. It's the least we can do for your kindness," Luigi said, bowing to Bow and Bootler. He waved to the group afterward before he hopped on Chainston and took off towards the pipe leading to his and Mario's house.
"Luigi and Chainston have left the party!"
That said, Mario led his party to the pipe leading to the Sewers. Bow scrunched her face at the pipe, but Dylan grabbed her hand before softly leading her into the pipe with the rest.
Dry Dry Outpost- 5 minutes later
"Oh, you weren't kidding. How quaint," Bow mentioned, looking around the Outpost. A few Toads saw her and waved to her, which she shyly returned.
"First time out the house, Bow?" Kimani teased. Bow hissed at him, making him flinch slightly.
"I did not need to step outside my house,"
"Sounds like you and Merlon are in the same vein," Kimani said again as Dylan ran over and started running around the tree Merlon told them. Bow grumbled slightly, causing Bootler to scold Kimani for teasing her. After Dylan ran around the tree for the 15th time, two of the Dryites looked over.
"Hey! What are you doing, Kid? You're making me dizzy!" One of them yelled, causing Dylan to flinch. They made the mistake of doing so in front of Kimani, who saw and heard him, so he stomped over. Mario saw him approaching with fire around him, so he quickly stepped between him and the Dryites. He quickly whispered to the Dryites to apologize before they got mauled, causing them to sweatdrop.
"Oh, that's your bodyguard, eh? My apologies. I didn't mean to sound so coarse. Why are you running around the tree, however?" The Dryite tried again. Kimani mean mugged him still so the others came by. Jordan and the partners tried to keep Kimani distracted and calm while Austin took over the conversation.
"Sorry about that. He's protective over Dylan. But, a friend of ours said that we'd get a secret if we ran around the tree," Austin explained.
What? You're joking. You believe some crazy guy? Well, OK… I guess…," He answered.
"Well, if we're just passing stories, If you Spin Jump three times inside Merlon's house, something good should happen to you..." The other Dryite jokingly brought up.
"OK!" Dylan exclaimed, already running towards the pipe. The two Dryites started laughing, causing Kimani to actually catch on fire.
"Ha ha ha… I just made that up! Guess he'll probably go try it, though, since he'll believe anything," The other Dryite said behind his snicker. Mario frowned before he walked off towards the pipe. Mario flashed Kimani a look and gave him a quick thumbs-up before he led the rest of his party to the pipe. Bow also wanted a piece of the action, and Austin whispered something to his remote, causing Ebony, Ivory, and Venom to appear. While the others disappeared down the pipe; Kimani, Bow, Venom, Ebony, Ivory and Austin walked up to the Dryites.
"So... Let's have a little chat, shall we?" Kimani threatened, still in his Fire Form.
"I promise you. It shall be educational," Bow added on, with Bootler simply turning a blind eye to the soon-to-be murder.
"...Uh oh..." The two of them gulped before Kimani and Bow dragged them into one of the nearby alleyways while Bootler just floated by the entrance with Austin standing guard. The Talons also joined them in the alley.
"Like father, like daughter, I suppose. Right Sir?" Bootler said to himself as thuds and grunts of pain sounded behind him.
"They deserved it, however," Austin co-signed. Bootler nodded as the sounds continued.
Toad Town
"...Mmm, so they said that Spin Jumping three times in my house would cause a good event to fall upon you?" Merion asked. The gang was currently standing in his house. Parakarry had to deliver some messages while he was in town, so he wasn't with the group at the time.
"That's the jist of it. They were rude, so Bow, Kimani and the Talons are teaching them a lesson," Kooper mentioned.
"I don't think they were trying to be rude! It does sound silly when you say it out loud," Dylan defended them. Everyone gave him a skeptical look, causing him to shrink on the spot. At that moment, everyone was glad Kimani wasn't in the room, or else his scorn would redirect to them.
"Well... I suppose there's no shame in trying it. It was rather specific," Merlon mentioned. Mario shrugged before he slammed the ground three times. After the third jump, a badge fell from above, clonking Goombario in the head.
"Huh? Oh, this Badge is Quick Change! I had no idea such a useful badge was in my attic… Mario, you are a very lucky man. You should put that badge on," Merlon told the group. Everyone sweatdropped.
"...Those poor Dryites..." Bombette muttered.
"Eh, screw it. They still deserved it," Jordan fought back. After some thought, everyone agreed. They waved to Merlon before they exited the house, seeing Bow, Kimani, Austin and the Talons back in town, talking and laughing while Bootler floated by with sandwiches and tea on a platter. Kimani, Austin and Ivory were munching on the sandwiches while Bow and Ebony politely sipped some Koopa Tea. Parakarry had also just flown back into the scene while Venom just rested on Austin's shoulder.
"So, how'd the shakedown go?" Goombario asked.
"We got 45 coins and a Lemon," Kimani said, tossing said Lemon to Mario, who caught it. Mario asked if they left them alive, to which he and Bow shared looks. Before Mario got on them, Bootler informed them that the Dryites were fine. Bootler had to step in before they really got mauled and got that payment as a promise to call them off. Mario gave them a thumbs-up before he raised a hand once more.
"Back to the sewers? For what?"
Another hand was raised from Mario.
"Right. Shortcut. Where are we heading to?"
Mario raised his hand once more.
"Boo Mansion? Yeah, that's smart. Lead the way," Kimani said. Mario nodded before they leaped back into the pipe.
Toad Town Sewers
The group appeared back in the sewers, with Venom and Ebony returning to Austin's pendant and Typhoon and Firebrand disappearing to take a break since they were already reaching their limit of existing. Mario looked at the wooden spot on the ground before he tapped Jordan's side with his knuckle. Jordan nodded before he and Jordan crashed through the floor. When the rest fell, they noticed a dock to the right of them. Kimani instantly pointed to the left side, which was a doorway, causing everyone to sweatdrop as they did so. They were greeted by a Dark Koopa, causing Ivory to get on all fours. She then uttered a high-pitched screech as she jumped on the Koopa, starting the battle with the Koopa on his back, who was robbed of 5 HP.
"...Shoot, he had more than 10 HP..." Ivory groaned, pulling out her dagger.
"What was that, Ivory?" Austin asked as another Dark Koopa and a Spiked Paragloomba joined the fight.
"My stalk ability! Anyone with 10 HP or less gets mugged for their life and an item!" Ivory exclaimed.
"So when y'all want to apologize for calling me the most bloodthirsty member, just let me know," Kimani heckled from his spot. Everyone sweatdropped as they let Austin go first since Ivory landed the first hit. Ivory did a quick spin and pose, setting up her Tag Team before she got into her pouncing stance again and launched herself at the Dark Koopa with the help of a vine, bringing it to 2 HP. Austin attacked afterward, with Ivory following up with her strike and taking out the Koopa. The second Dark Koopa came after Austin, who auto-dodged it before the Spiked Paragloomba came after him. He still wasn't entirely used to his dodge timing, so he mistimed his dodge, getting bonked in the face for 7 damage instead of 5, leaving him with 8 HP.
"Oof... That's harder than I thought it would be..." Austin moaned, smaller due to the Shrink status effect.
"Yeah, you'll get used to it. I wasn't the best with my counter, but you start to get the hang of it after a couple of battles," Kimani told him as he went next. Behind him was Kooper. After some thought, he used Dragon Uppercut on the Dark Koopa, only doing 3 damage due to his defense. Interestingly enough, the Uppercut also hit the Spiked Paragloomba for 5 damage. When Kimani followed up with Dragon's Decent, it hit both of them again, dealing another 3 and 5, leaving them with 5 and 1, respectively. The Dark Koopa made Kimani Dizzy, allowing the Paragloomba to Headbonk him for 5 and Shrink him, putting his HP at 20.
"Oy... I can already see Venom glaring at me now..." Austin moaned as Dylan went next, zapping the now Spiked Gloomba and blasting the Dark Koopa with an Ion Beam, lowering his defense to 2. and health to 1. Bow couldn't damage him, so she just veiled Dylan again so the incoming attack would be missed.
"Thanks for your help, Ms. Bow!" Dylan exclaimed, causing Bow to smile as Mario finished the fight with a few hops.
"Mmm. It seems I was correct in placing my trust in you four," Bow said.
"Yep! Leave any monster slaying to us!... Hmm... Now there's an idea..." Kimani exclaimed, placing a hand on his chin afterward.
"What?" Jordan asked.
"Oh nothing, just getting an idea of what we should do after this adventure,"
"...Can we take a break first before you throw us into more danger?"
"...Maybe," Kimani slyly answered. While Jordan tried to choke out Kimani, the party continued forward through the path, running into another group. Ivory disappeared, letting Venom come back out.
"Can never catch a break..." Venom sighed, his eyes closed. As the Dark Koopa came closer, Venom suddenly opened his good eye, glaring at the Dark Koopa. He locked up in fear, allowing Austin to slash him, starting the battle. When they entered, they saw that Austin had actually done 4 damage with his First Strike, thanks to his Field Ability, leaving the front Koopa Paralyzed for 2 turns and down to 7 HP. Austin attacked again with a Triple Strike, getting a Lucky Hit on the second strike and taking him down while Venom fired a shot at the Paragoomba, dealing 10 damage since it was flying, leaving it with 1 and grounding it.
"Alright, let's try this again!" Austin said, focusing on the incoming attacks. His auto-dodge handled the first Dark Koopa strike while the Gloombas tried to attack him afterward. He focused hard on their arcs before sidestepping the first one and leaping over the second one. Mario clapped for him before he asked Parakarry to use his Air Lift move on the other Dark Koopa. Parakarry saluted before he went over and grabbed the other Koopa by the shoulders. Then, he started flapping hard. The Dark Koopa tried to fight him off, but Parakarry was able to wrestle him into the air before he just tossed him into the water nearby, taking him out of the battle.
"So that's what happens during Air Lift. Nice going, Karry!" Kimani shouted. Parakarry scratched his head sheepishly as Mario leaped onto the weakened Gloomba, taking it out. He blocked the Headbonk attempt, taking 3 damage and leaving him with 27 HP. Kimani went next, spending more of his FP to deal two Power Strikes to the lone Gloomba, dealing 8 damage and leaving it with 3 HP. Kooper was able to take it out with his Shell Shot, winning another battle for the team and earning them a POW Block for their troubles. Once they were done, Mario hit the blue ! button in front of them, revealing a Blue Warp Pipe. Mario ushered the others to follow him as he hopped in. The rest followed, ending up...
Forever Forest- House Shiver's Entrance
...In front of House Shivers. Bow looked at the pipe with a satisfied expression.
"Oh, yes. That'll work out just nicely. Nice job, Mario!" Bow praised. Mario waved a hand disarmingly, thanking her and her family for thinking of building a shortcut. With that done, Mario offered Bow free reign for the party, causing her to nod.
"Right. Please follow me and Bootler," She said as the two Boos started floating towards a side gate. The party leaders quickly hit the nearby Heart Block, and Mario saved his progress before they hurried after them.
"Gentlemen, if you'd be so kind as to open the gate," Bootler said out loud. Jordan and Dylan stepped forward to open the gate while Kimani shook a nearby bush and got a Strange Leaf, which he gave to Mario. Before the two teens could reach the gate, two Boos appeared and opened the gate for them.
"Oh, you meant them," Jordan muttered.
"Thank you, Frank and Stine," Bow thanked. The two Boos nodded before they disappeared again, closing the gate when the others went through.
"Pfft, Frank and Stine? That's a funny pairing," Kimani snorted.
"How so?" Goombario asked.
"...Wait, really? Huh... Ok, where we're from, there's a book about a mad scientist who creates a monster made out of different body parts and is brought to life by a lightning strike. The monster's name was Frankenstein," Kimani sweatdropped before explaining.
"Wait, I thought the scientist's name was Frankenstein, and the monster was just... well, unnamed," Austin piggybacked as they continued.
"No, they're both named Frankenstein! At least the version I read named them the same name," Dylan exclaimed.
"And monster implies he was incapable of speech. The one I read for class had him capable of talking. He was actually pretty smart," Jordan added on. The four of them shared a long look while the other partners just sweatdropped.
"Anyway... We're on our way, Mario. Are you scared?" Bow asked. Mario rapidly shook his head, punched the air several times, and jumped twice before brandishing his hat. He pointed forward after that, causing Bow to chuckle as she and Bootler walked ahead. Mario looked back at the group, who were all talking about whatever book Kimani had brought up earlier, causing Mario to snort as the party followed after the Boos.
Gusty Gulch
After a few minutes of walking, the party noticed the sky was turning brown, there was a bunch of sand and dust on the ground, and the wind was picking up.
"Master Mario and Co. I humbly welcome you to Gusty Gulch, the town of Boos," Bootler introduced to the gang, causing them to nod and look around. In the far distance, they could see a bunch of rundown houses and buildings, while close to them was a windmill. The party noticed some green Paragoombas, so Mario prematurely swapped his partner to Goombario before he coaxed one into diving him. When it did, he clobbered it with his hammer for 2 damage. When the battle started, he leaped on it 2 times, dealing another 4 damage to it, but he was still moving with 3 HP, according to Jordan's Peekaboo badge. Goombario stepped up afterward, giving Bootler a nod as two more joined the fray.
"Alright, guys, look sharp! We got a Hyper Paragoomba in front of us! Hyper Paragoombas are basically Hyper Goombas with wings. Max HP: 8, Attack Power: 4, Defense Power: 0. They sometimes charge their power before attacking, and that attack really hurts, so watch out if they start glowing," Goombario started.
"Master Goombario is correct. They can't hit us should Lady Bow use Outta Sight, so prioritize defense and avoidance should these ruffians charge. I'm also pleased to announce that my Spring Cleaning can also strip their charge away. Other than that, I'd advise treating them as normal Paragoombas. Master Mario can jump and ground them so the rest of the party can reach them, or Master Venom can use his superior marksmanship to deal respectable damage. The choice is yours, Young Masters," Bootler finished. Mario nodded as they divebombed him, dealing a total of 6 damage and placing him at 24 HP. Austin went next, having Venom take one out with a clean shot while Austin tried his luck with a basic attack, only dealing 2 damage and leaving it alive. Venom glared at a sheepish Austin as both enemies charged as a result.
"Ah, an opportunity has arisen. Master Dylan, may I turn this moment into a learning experience?" Bootler asked.
"I mean, sure!" Dylan exclaimed.
"Splendid! Please allow Lady Bow to go first," He asked. Dylan did just that.
"Now, My Lady, you should see an option to swap to me. Please do so,"
"Of course, Bootler," She said, doing so and causing Bootler to float to the front.
"Now, as I mentioned with Master Goombario, I have the ability to clean status effects off of your choosing. This includes enemies, and I can clean buffs as well. Please choose the cretin in the back as our target,"
"OK, Bootler. Go after that one!"
"As you command," Bootler answered, flying over and spraying them in the face with some cleaner before he scrubbed them with a rag for a second before the enemy was squeaky clean.
"...Oh wow, he actually did get rid of the charge. That's going to be handy in the future," Kimani exclaimed. Just so Dylan didn't take any damage from the tutorial lesson, Bootler cheated a bit and also socked the weakened Gloomba in the face, knocking it out. Dylan used a combination of an Ion Beam and then Copycatted Kimani to Power Strike the grounded Paragloomba, winning the fight. The party had to fight another duo of Hyper Paragloombas, but Venom, Austin, Mario, and Parakarry took care of them quickly, causing them to reach the windmill finally. However, it was locked. Austin noticed that Thief Lights were dancing around the lock.
"Well, whatever's in there, it's certainly a secret if my Thief Lights have anything to say about it," Austin told the group. Ebony and Ivory popped out at this point.
"...Yeah, my lights are reacting as well," Ebony co-signed.
"Same here!" "Mmm-hmm..." The other two mentioned.
"Think you can crack it open, Eb?" Ivory asked. Ebony pursed her lips before she reached into her pack and pulled out her lock picks. She then started working on the lock. After a few minutes, she stood up, sourly looking at the lock.
"Mmm... I've never dealt with a lock like this... Seems like magic is involved so I can't do much on my end..." She dejectedly said.
"Well, let's head to town and see if my informatives were able to gather any additional info," Bow offered. Everyone nodded before they walked into the next area, ending up in town. A light brownish Boo came into the scene, waving to Bow.
"Oh! Lady Bow! What a surprise, seeing you! Sir Bootler, a pleasure to see you as well!" The Boo said.
"Good Morning, Debris. How's it going?" Bow asked. Debris made a slight face to that question.
"Mmm... the same problems, sadly. You know, Your Ladyship, you really shouldn't come around here. It's dangerous,"
"I know! I came to teach that Tubba Blubba a lesson!"
"Oh really? Well, if anyone could do it, it would probably be you and Bootler. Make yourselves at home!" Debris exclaimed, letting them in.
"Debris? Also, why are the Boos here a bit darker colored, Bow?" Kimani asked.
"Ah, a fair question. These Boos are a sub-race called Dust Devils. Boos can adapt to whatever location they're in. Prolonged exposure to that area changes their looks after a while. Dust Devils are Boos that frequent areas that have high wind and with a lot of particles such as dust, sand, and other grainy materials, and they tend to name themselves around that theme," Bow explained as they continued walking/floating.
"How many subspecies are there? If we go by that logic and mindset, then I've seen at least 5 sub-races then," Kooper followed up, pulling out his notepad and checking over his notes.
"Who knows, really,"
"So what sub-race are you, Ms. Bow?" Dylan asked.
"Pardon?"
"You're green. No one else is your shade," Kimani translated. Bow ahh-ed.
"I get that from my lineage. Royal Boos are this shade of green. The picture of my father doesn't portray it well, but when he was out and about, he was the same shade of green as me,"
"Wow... I'm learning a lot... Man! Mario, I should have gone adventuring with you long ago! I can't wait to tell Kolorodo about what I found out!" Kooper exclaimed, scribbling down notes.
"Kolorodo... it's been a while since I've adventured with him..." Bootler muttered.
"You adventured with Kolorodo? How old are you? I thought your family didn't live long?" Kimani asked.
"We're ghosts, dear boy. We still live a long time, just not to Boo standards," Bootler slightly scolded. Kimani sweatdropped as Bow reached another Dust Devil.
"Gust, do you got any news for me?" Bow asked him.
"Hi, Lady Bow! Uh, I had a friend who escaped from Tubba Blubba's Castle the other day, and he said, "The key to solving the secret is inside the innermost room. Pay attention to both the heart and body, and don't…" Then, just as he was finishing, Tubba Blubba ate him,"
"Mmm... I'm sorry for your loss..."
"S'cool... Kind of disassociated with everything going on now..." He said, shrugging. Mario frowned before asking if there were other informatives here in town. Bow nodded and guided him and the party around to a few more Dust Devils. From what they gathered, the windmill was indeed a part of the secret to Tubba Blubba's weakness, and something important was located next to his bed. The party continued along, eventually reaching another Boo.
"Hello there! You're going up to beat Tubba Blubba, right?"
"Yep, or die trying," Kimani answered, causing the living members to give him a bewildered look.
"Yeah! Get revenge! He'll never eat another ghost! Never!" He exclaimed once more before the area started shaking in rhythm. Mario noticed that the rhythm felt just like footst-... Oh, dear...
"Oh... Oh no! Tubba Blubba's coming! Everybody, hide!" The Dust Devil yelled out, causing everyone around to freak out before they disappeared. Bow quickly looked at Dylan.
"Dylan! We have to hide! Everyone, gather around, and Bootler and I shall veil you. Quickly!" Bow said. Everyone borderline glomped Dylan, who giggled softly at this before Bootler and Bow made them invisible. The group noticed that the Dust Devil in front of him didn't veil himself. Kimani shook himself free of the group, reappearing in front of him. Jordan bristled and reached out to him, also falling out of the Boo's range.
"Kimani, what are you doing?!" Jordan hissed at him.
"Trying to tell this idiot that he isn't invisible!" Kimani shot back, grabbing the Boo's hand.
"Eh? What's the worry?! Everything's cool, dude! He can't see us! Nope, there's no way Tubba Blubba can see us right now!" He exclaimed.
"You moron! You're visible ri-" Kimani started before a large shadow falling on them made everyone's blood run cold. The three turned around to see a large purple creature with a spiky shell and an orange tuff of hair on top of his head. His orange eyes were fixated on the group. Strangely enough, there was a patch on his torso, held together loosely by some stitches.
"...Shit..." Jordan muttered as Tubba Blubba reached for the group. Jordan summoned his shield and tried to smack his hand away, but it was almost like he had hit a wall. The hand wrapped around Jordan's form tightly, instantly causing him to wheeze and lose 10 HP before he got thrown into his mouth, being instantly swallowed. Kimani went berserk, catching on fire and performing Dragon's Dance. He got it perfectly, causing 5 phantom fists to appear behind him before they slammed into Tubba's form. He didn't budge or flinch as he grabbed both him and the Dust Devil before he swallowed them as well. Not seeing anything else, he stomped off back the way he came from. Once he was gone, Bow and Bootler dropped the veil as Dylan instantly rushed forward.
"STAY PUFF! LITTLE BUDDY!" Dylan practically screeched, running ahead.
"Shoot! This isn't good! C'mon guys! We gotta follow after him!" Goombario hollered, sprinting ahead. Mario nodded, leading the rest of the team after Dylan. When they caught up to him, they saw Dylan in battle with some green Clefts and a Hyper Paragoomba.
"Grrr... Get out of my way! We don't have time to deal with you (Censored)s!" Dylan yelled again, firing an Ion Beam at the Clefts, dealing 4 damage and lowering their defense by 1. He then zapped the Hyper Paragoomba for 3 damage, leaving it with 6 HP. Bootler covered Bow's ears while she just hid her face with her fan. Mario's jaw dropped, as did the others. They weren't used to seeing or even hearing Dylan remotely annoyed.
"Dylan, you gotta calm down, buddy!" Goombario called out as he got hit by all 3 enemies, not even trying to block the attacks. He ended up taking 16 damage, leaving him with 14 and causing Alpha to shut down.
"But Stay Puff and my Little Buddy are in danger!"
"And you'll also be in danger if you don't calm down and wait! Remember when Cackletta took Kimani? You started freaking out then, but when he sat down and planned it out, we got him back. Just breathe, buddy. We'll get them back," Austin coached as they and the others entered battle. Mario punched the air rapidly before he spun. Then, he turned into Kimani briefly before falling over and getting up, dusting himself off and punching the air. He stepped forward and turned into a mini Tubba Blubba before spinning and falling over. He returned to the previous spot as Kimani with a peace sign. After that, he returned to normal and gave Dylan a determined nod.
"...OK... Sorry... I lost my temper there..."
"No problem, dude. It's a valid reason to get angry, but we'll get'em back," Bombette told him, nudging him. Dylan didn't smile, but he calmed down. Mario offered to go next, telling Dylan to take a moment to breathe. Goombario eyed the Clefts, who seemed to be on their last legs. Jordan told them that Dylan had left them with 1 HP via his Peekaboo Badge.
"Alright, let's get through this fast. These are Hyper Clefts. Hyper Clefts have more Defense Power than typical Clefts. Max HP: 5, Attack Power: 6, Defense Power: 4 when standing and 2 when knocked over. They sometimes charge their power before attacking. That charged attack will really hurt you, so watch out when they start to glow. It'll miss if you can become transparent. Their defense power will drop if you use an explosion to flip 'em over. And in case you hadn't noticed, they have spikes up top! It'll hurt if you jump on 'em,"
"Like the other Hyper enemies, I can wipe their charge clean, or Lady Bow can make their attacks miss. Their defense is troubling, but Master Austin and Dylan can pierce their defense with specific attacks. A charged attack will do 14 damage, so Master Austin will need to pay close attention when it's charged," Bootler followed up. Luckily, Mario had seen Dylan fight the Clefts earlier, so he had time to swap his Power Smash with Quake Hammer. He brought his hammer over his head and slammed it down on the ground, causing the following earthquake to defeat the Hyper Clefts and deal 2 more damage to the Hyper Goomba, leaving it with 4. The Hyper Goomba tried charging, but Austin and Venom cleaned him up with their following attacks. Everyone looked at Dylan, who was calm, but his usual bright and cheerful expression had changed to a gloomy and worried expression. Bow hated seeing him like this, so he floated over to Mario.
"Hmm. I hate seeing him this way. We need to make for Tubba Blubba's post haste. His castle is up this hill," Bow told him. Mario nodded as they continued. A group of Hyper Goombas and a Hyper Paragoomba stopped them. Mario didn't see a need to tattle on the Hyper Goomba, so he was able to borrow Kooper and have him Power Shell through the grounded folks, dealing 3 damage to the 2 Hyper Goombas while Mario followed up with a Quake Hammer, bringing them to 4. The Hyper Paragoomba and Goombas attacked him, but he was able to block the attacks, bringing him down to 18 HP. Dylan took out the ground forces and zapped the Hyper Goomba for 3, knocking him down and allowing Bombette to blow him up. Another team of Hyper Clefts tried the party, so Dylan wordlessly zapped Bombette and sent her after the first Cleft, causing her to deal with 4 damage, leave it with 1 HP, and shrink it. When battle started, he just shot an Ion Beam through them, defeating the first one and setting up Bombette for another Bomb, ending the fight with no real problems.
"Man... He's really going through it..." Kooper muttered. Austin, who overheard it, nodded and slowed his pace so he was walking next to him.
"Yep. Kimani's his closest friend. Saved him from himself once," Austin lowly whispered. Kooper thought about it for a moment before he turned pale.
"Seriously? Him?" He clarified.
"Yeah. He wasn't always happy. It took Kimani kicking his door down and reminding him of his worth to get the goofy lovable oaf we know now. He'll return to normal once we get Kimani and Jordan back, but yeah. Sucks seeing him like this," Austin explained. Mario hit a block, earning some Repel Gel, and Parakarry found another lost letter. They also ran into another Hyper Cleft and 2 Hyper Goombas. Mario eyed Dylan's dwindling FP and offered to use Bombette this time around so he had a chance to recover. Dylan shrugged, causing Mario to give him a soft look before he ushered Bombette over and had her Bomb the Hyper Cleft. She didn't shrink it, but she knocked it over, dealing 2 damage and leaving it with 3 HP. Mario followed up with a hammer strike to its body, dealing another 2 and leaving it with one measly health point. The Hyper Goombas charged up, so Austin went next. He let Venom go first, who reached into his cloak and threw out a vial of poison. He shot it when it was above the enemy party, Poisoning everyone sans the Hyper Cleft. Austin just took out the Hyper Cleft. The Hyper Goombas first cringed from their ailment, taking 3 damage and placing their HP at 6, before they came after him. Austin backpedaled from the first Headbonk but he stumbled a bit, messing up his timing for the second dodge and he got nailed hard in the stomach, taking 12 damage and leaving him with 3 HP, placing him in Danger.
"OOF! That's my bad..." Austin wheezed out. Dylan vibrated in frustration, causing Mario to pat him on the arm. Dylan roughly shook it off before he Charged, draining 5 of his HP, placing him at 9 HP before he Jump Started Austin, bringing his HP back to 13 and Zap Tapping him for 3 turns. Bow quickly darted forward, using Outta Sight to protect him from the attacks that would have effortlessly knocked him out. The Goombas did take another 3 damage from the poison, leaving them with 3 HP. Mario didn't have to do anything, so he just used Refresh, picking Dylan as the target and healing him for 7 HP and FP, putting his HP at 16.
"You OK?" Dylan softly asked Austin.
"Thanks to you, bro!" Austin exclaimed, sending him a thumbs up. Dylan smiled softly for a few seconds before it went back to a neutral look. The party fought one more party of Hyper Clefts before Austin pointed out an invisible block. Mario hit it, which was smack dab in the middle of a large gap. Parakarry grunted before he got in position, ferrying people over and using the block as a stepping stone. They were surprised by a team of Hyper Clefts, causing Mario to get poked in the gut by the two of them, bringing his HP down to 6 and putting him in Danger. But other than that, they got through unscathed.
"Hey, Eb. Mind helping Mario out?" Austin asked. Ebony appeared out of the controller.
"Mmm hmm. Give me a minute, Mario," Ebony said, pulling out some bandages. She wrapped them around the areas Mario pointed out. Once she did so, they glowed green before disappearing, healing Mario for 15 HP and putting him at 21. Mario tipped his hat towards her in thanks, to which she nodded before she went over to Austin and smiled at him before disappearing back into the controller. The group continued along, hitting a block and getting another Super Shroom. Austin's Thief Lights were pointing at something behind a log, so he checked behind it and found a Star Piece. He gave it to Mario, who thanked him as the team reached the top of the hill and was face to brick with Tubba Blubba's Castle.
"Well... Here we are... Tubba Blubba's Castle..." Bow mentioned.
"We'll have to be on our A-game when we go inside there... Everyone stay on your toes," Austin told everyone. Everyone nodded.
"Don't worry, Little Buddy, and Stay Puff... We'll save you," Dylan whispered. Everyone heard him, however, but they didn't say anything. Mario and the other party leaders hit the Heart Block, and he hit the Save Block before he opened the door, leading his party in.
File Saved!
Current Party Status
Mario:
Starting Stats: 10 HP, 5 FP, 3 BP
Current Stats: 25 (30) HP,10 (15) FP, 15 BP (Level 10)
Equipped Badges:Close Call (1), Attack FX B, Damage Dodge (3), Quake Hammer (1), HP Plus (2), Feeling Fine (3), Hammer Throw (2), FP Plus (2)
Main Partners: Parakarry
Items: Maple Shroom x5, Maple Syrup x5, Fried Egg, Koopa Tea x4, Super Soda, Spicy Soup x2, Pow Block, Sleepy Sheep, Fright Jar x2, Egg, Whacka's Bump, Stopwatch, Maple Super, Sweet Shroom x3, Snowman Doll x2, Fire Flower, Super Shroom x2, Apple, POW Block, Lemon,
Current Star Pieces: 9
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, Shrink Stomp (2), Power Smash (1), Shrink Smash (2), HP Plus (2), FP Plus (2), Quick Change (2)
Kimani:
Area of Expertise: Grounded Combat, Single Target Damage, Countering
Starting Stats: 10 HP, 10 FP, 3 BP
Current Stats: 25 HP, 30 FP, 9 BP (Level 10)
Equipped Badges: Power Plus (4), Power Rush (1), Sleep Stomp (1)
Main Battle Partners: Firebrand, Kooper
Battle Talent: StrongerAttack 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 (PP: 2) (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 (PP:4), 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 (PP: 4) (1 turn), 6 (PP:7) (2 turns), 12 (PP: 13) (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 (PP: 6) (Enemy projectile pow: 3 (PP:4)), Style: Timed, Can hit flying and Spiky enemies. DD: (5 FP) Pow: 5 (PP: 6) (Enemy projectile pow: 3 (PP: 4))
Dragon's Dance: (20 FP) Unleashes a combo of 5 attacks upon a target. Reaching the max hits will permit Kimani to use Dragon's Fury, which unleashes 5 extra hits. Pow: If properly executed, 10 (PP: 15) 10 (PP:15) from Dragon's Fury. Style: Timing. Pierces Defense. Extremely hard to time, but easily the highest-damaging move in the entire game. Can hit all but flying enemies. Will leave Kimani Winded for a turn.
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.
Master's Potential Unlock: Kimani's focus is even more stable! Kimani can take a singular hit before entering In The Zone!
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: Firebrand's attack pow goes up by 1!
Element Shard Upgrade: Firebrand's attack pow goes up by 1 again!
FP Moves:
Swipe: Lashes out with a quick claw swipe. Pressing the A button at the right time launches another swipe. Pow: 3 (6), 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: 5, 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 3 as well. After 3 turns, Kimani will take 3 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! Pow: 9, (Energy Blast only happens from perfectly timing the command: 7 Pow to everyone hit by the energy.) Style: Charge, pierces defense.
Jordan:
Area of Expertise: Defense and Damage Mitigation
Starting Stats: 20 HP, 5 FP, 3 BP
Current Stats: 35 (40) HP, 25 FP, 9 BP (Level 10)
Equipped Badges: Smash Charge (1), D-Down Pound (2), Power Stomp (1), Pay-Off (2), HP Plus (2)
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.
Master's Potential Upgrade: Jordan's blocking techniques have improved! He can now block up to 4 points of damage!
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!
Dome of Protection: (All FP) Jordan projects a shield that covers everyone, preventing damage until Jordan's next turn. Jordan becomes Exhausted for 2 turns
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!
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: 4, (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: 4, 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: 4 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: 30 HP, 40 FP, 0 BP (Level 10)
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)
Friend Forms: Dylan can copycat his allies for free!
Element Shard Upgrade: Dylan and Alpha's attack pow goes up by 1!
Element Shard Upgrade: Dylan can take up to 15 HP a turn before Alpha shuts down!
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.
Austin:
Starting stats: 5 HP, 10 FP, 6 BP
Current Stats: 15 HP, 25 FP, 12 BP (Level 10)
Idle Animation: Austin will crouch on the ground and look around for any potential threats. If an enemy happens to be close during this animation, an exclamation point will pop up over his head, and he'll aim his bow at them.
Battle Animation: Austin will be in a crouched stance, ready to attack or defend himself at a moment's notice. Occasionally, he'll lose his balance, flail, and fall over before picking himself up quickly. He'll blush for a moment before it disappears, however.
Area of Expertise: Defense Piercing, Versatile, Avoidance
Field Ability: Austin's Thief Lights will highlight hidden paths and items for him. He can also point out weak points in Metal Blocks, allowing Mario and Kimani to break Metal Blocks. Austin's First Strikes do an extra 2 damage.
Battle Talent: Austin's Guard command is replaced by Dodge, allowing him to automatically avoid up to two attacks. His normal defensive Action Command also allows him to Dodge attacks should he time them properly. The timing is stricter as a result (not as strict as Kimani's), and should he fail the command, he takes an extra 2 points of damage. This extra damage doesn't happen if he doesn't attempt the command. Gains less HP on Level Ups. Also can only use Venom, Ebony or Ivory as Partners.
FP Moves:
Slash/Shot: Austin attacks a target with a deft strike from his dagger or a singular arrow from his bow. Pow: 1 (2) Can hit Top-Spiky enemies. (his Bow can hit Spiky Enemies) Pierces Defense. Can't target flying enemies (He can if equipped with his bow.) Style: Timed
Triple Strike: (2 FP) Austin lashes out with three quick attacks from his dagger or bow. Pow: 3 ( 6 if done perfectly) Can hit Top-Spiky enemies. (His bow can hit Spiky Foes) Pierces Defense. Can't hit Flying enemies. (Unless armed with his bow) Style: Timed
Sleep Darts: (5 FP) Austin throws a fan of darts laced with sleep-inducing chemicals. Any foe hit with them has a chance of falling asleep for 2 turns! Does nothing if the command is blotched. Style: Aim.
Arrow/Dagger Rain: (5 FP) Austin throws or shoots a plethora of projectiles into the air, causing them to rain down on the battlefield for a few turns! Pow: 1 every enemy turn. Pierces Defense. Style: Memory. The rain will last 1, 2, or 3 turns, depending on the timing.
Mirror Image: (5 FP) Austin creates a clone of himself that mimics his actions for up to 3 turns. However, taking a hit will disband the clone. This doesn't take up a turn. Style: None.
Stealth: (10 FP) Go invisible and avoid the attention of your foes! You can't be hit or targeted by anything for 2 turns! The command for it is rather difficult, however, and it won't work if you fail it at all. Attacking doesn't break the Stealth either! Style: Memory
Stance Swap: Austin swaps between his daggers or bow. This doesn't take up a turn.
Passives:
Thief's Intuition: Austin has a chance to deal 2 extra points of damage with any of his attacks, and he has access to Thief Lights, a special visual effect that only he can see. This points out hidden objects and pathways.
Thief's Reflex: Austin's training with the Talons starts paying off! He will now dodge the first attack thrown at him every turn!
Thief's Focus: Austin's Thief Lights allows him and his team to see and attack any invisible foes!
Thief's Warning: Austin's Thief Lights are always tracking danger. As a result, he's unable to be First Struck! He can also dodge moves that are normally unavoidable, such as grabs or other attacks!
Venom:
Area of Expertise: Flying enemies, Defense Piercing, Versatile, Debuffing.
Field Ability: Venom can glare at any nearby opponents, causing them to stop in fear. Entering battle with them will automatically allow a First Strike and will Paralyze the frontmost foe for 2 turns. Has a short range and takes some time to wind up, however.
Idle Animation: Venom flaps his wings to stretch them before he looks at the camera and hastily hides his damaged wing. He continues to glare at the camera until an input is detected.
Battle Animation: Venom hovers behind Austin. Occasionally, he loses some height and quickly flaps his wings to gain it back.
Special Characteristics: Venom will hover in combat or be perched on Austin's shoulder. Due to this, he can't be hit by any ground-based moves. He'll be injured for an extra turn if hit, however, due to his past injuries.
Element Shard Upgrade: Venom's attack Pow goes up by 1!
Element Shard Upgrade: Venom's attack Pow goes up by 1!
FP Moves:
Snipe: Venom fires an extremely accurate shot at a target of his choice. Pow: 4 (5) Deals double damage to Flying enemies. Pierces Defense. Style: Aim
Poison Bomb: (2 FP) Venom chucks a homemade vial of poisonous smoke at the enemies. Depending on how well he performs the action commands, this can Poison enemies for 1-3 turns. This doesn't affect enemies immune to Poison. Style: Memory
Vulture's Mark: (3 FP) Venom marks a foe as a priority target, causing the enemy to take 2 extra damage from Austin, Ivory, Ebony, or Venom himself. Should any of them take the target out, they'll earn extra coins. Can only prioritize one enemy at a time. Bosses will shrug this effect off after 2 attacks from Austin's party. Style: Aiming
Overwatch: (5 FP) Venom watches over Austin and protects him from 3 attacks. Should an enemy target him, Venom will shoot an arrow at them, dealing 3 damage and stopping the attack. Bosses can't be stopped, but they'll still take the point of damage.
Tag Out: Venom swaps places with either Ebony or Ivory.
Animation: Venom will throw his cloak back and disappear in a storm of leaves. If Ivory is picked, she'll do a front flip out of the leaves and pose. If Ebony is picked, she'll simply wait until the leaves stop, appearing in a crouched stance and flipping her hood up before getting into her battle stance.
Ebony:
Area of Expertise: Healing and Buffing
Field Ability: By spending 5 FP, Ebony can perform on-field first aid, healing 15 HP to any party member.
Idle Stance: Ebony will look at her satchel before digging through it. She'll periodically throw out some junk or pull out an item, inspect it, and put it back after a while. If an input is pressed during this, she'll flinch and close her satchel before giving the camera an apologetic look.
Battle Stance: Ebony will stand with her dagger out, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Her hood will occasionally fall into her face, causing her to blow some air, making it go back to its usual spot.
Element Shard Upgrade: Ebony's attack pow goes up by 1!
Element Shard Upgrade: Ebony's healing abilities heal an additional 5 HP!
FP Moves:
Dagger Twirl: Ebony performs a swift dagger strike that hits twice. Pow: 2 (3) per hit. Pierces defense. Can't hit Flying enemies. Style: Timing
Cheer: (2 FP) Ebony fills a teammate with confidence, giving them an extra 2 points of damage for their next attack. Does nothing if she messes up the command, however. Style: Memory, Doesn't stack with Austin's Thief's Intuition. Can target Party Members as well.
First Aid: (5 FP) Ebony uses her skills as a medic to mend a Party Leader for 10 HP. Should she ace her Action Command, she can heal up to 15 HP! Style: Memory
Smelling Salts: (10 FP) Ebony revives a knocked-out hero with her personal stash of smelling salts, bringing them back with Half HP plus an additional 5 HP. She can do this for any leader, and she doesn't need to be behind the knocked-out leader to do so. Doesn't work if she fails the command. Style: Charge
Tag Out: Ebony swaps places with either Ivory or Venom. Ebony will wave before throwing down a smoke bomb from her satchel. If Ivory is selected, she'll flip out of the smoke cloud and pose. If Venom is picked, Venom will flap his wings strongly, blowing the cloud away before he starts flying.
Ivory:
Area of Expertise: Single Target Attacks, Item Stealing
Idle Stance: Ivory's ears twitch before she glances around quickly. Eventually, a butterfly will land on her head, making her stop and swat at it. Afterward, she'll try to pounce on it every time it lands on the ground, missing. If an input is detected, Ivory will stop and wave to the butterfly as it flies away.
Battle Stance: Ivory will energetically bounce on her feet and twirl her dagger. She'll start flourishing her dagger with some impressive maneuvers before she drops it. Embarrassed, she'll pick it up and go back to her default Battle Stance.
Field Ability: By spending 5 FP, Ivory can stalk a selected enemy, instantly taking the front enemy out if its health is less than 10. If not, she will deal 5 damage to the enemy once the battle starts. Taking an enemy out this way guarantees they'll drop an item.
Element Shard Upgrade: Ivory's attack pow goes up by 1!
Element Shard Upgrade: Ivory can now dodge the first attack towards her every turn!
FP Moves:
Pounce: Ivory performs an impressive leap with the help of some vines, striking a foe with her dagger upon reaching them. Pow: 3 (4) Can't hit Fiery enemies. Style: Aim
Tag Team: (2 FP) Ivory prepares herself to assist Austin during his attacks for 2 turns. If Austin or Ivory finishes an enemy during this time, they'll earn extra coins. Pow: 2. Ivory will attack whatever target Austin attacks. This will be canceled should Ivory be injured during the stance. Coins earned depend on the level of the enemy. She can still use her turn afterward to use her other abilities or attacks.
Cat's Eye: (5 FP) Ivory attacks a foe and steals a random assortment of money or a random item. The amount of money or item rarity goes up depending on how hurt the target is, but there's a chance she won't nab anything. Pow: 3 (4), Can't hit Spiky or Fiery enemies. Style: Timing
Feline Fury: (10 FP) Ivory loses her patience and mauls an enemy. Has a chance of instantly defeating a foe. The chance increases as the enemy's health lowers. An enemy taken out this way drops an item. Can target all ground foes. Style: Charge
Tag Out: Swaps places with Ebony or Venom.
Animation: Ivory will give the enemy a cheeky salute before she does a flip, detonating a smoke bomb when she disappears. If Ebony is picked, she'll wait until the smoke clears in a crouched position. She'll then stand up, flip her hood up, and get into her battle stance. If Venom is picked, he'll blow the smoke away with a strong swing of his cloak before he starts flying.
Temporary Party Members:
Luigi:
Position: Party Leader
Area of Expertise: Healing and Buffing
Starting Stats: 15 HP, 40 FP, 0 BP
Field Ability: Can set up a Picnic for 5 FP, which will heal everyone sans Luigi for 10 HP and FP. Has a naturally higher jump than any party leader.
Battle Talent: Easier Action Commands for everything but takes 2 damage from all sources of damage unless blocked.
Moves:
Leap: Luigi performs an impressive leap that can bounce on an enemy three times! Pow: 1 (3 if both commands are inputted) Can't hit Spiky Enemies. Style: Timing.
Words of Encouragement: (5 FP) By complimenting a party member or cheering them on, you fill them with vigor! Raises target's Pow by 1, 2, or 3 for 2 turns depending on the success of the Action Command. Style: Memory
Emergency Snack: (5 FP) Luigi pulls out a snack from his personal stash! Heals 10 HP to the selected target. Can target himself with this move. Style: None
Banquet: (20 FP) Luigi whips up a grand feast for his party! If performed perfectly, it will heal all party members to full HP and FP, Raise everyone's defense by 2 and their Pow by 2! Luigi will also get the HP heal, attack, and defense buff but won't get the FP heal. Will only heal 10 HP and FP if the command is blotched. Style: Memory, Charge, and Timing. Will randomize the order of commands every time.
Kolorodo
Position: Partner
Area Of Expertise: Defense Piercing, Debuffing, Item Usage
Field Ability: Kolorodo can spend 5 FP to dig up an item for the party. The item will be either a Super Mushroom, Honey Syrup, or Fire Flower.
FP Moves:
Chisel: Kolorodo carefully chips away at an enemy, dealing damage and permanently lowering a foe's defense by 1 for the entire battle. This can stack with other defense-lowering skills and the permanent debuff as well. Pow: 1 (2) Can't target flying, front-spiky or fiery enemies. Style: Charge
Improvise (3 FP): Kolorodo rummages through his pack and randomly selects one of five items to use instantly.
Stone: Kolorodo pulls out a random stone and chucks it at an enemy. Pow: 2
Shovel: Kolorodo pulls out a shovel and digs rapidly, sending stones at the entire enemy party. Pow: 2
Camera: Kolorodo pulls out his camera and takes a picture of the enemies. The bright flash will Blind (Dizzy) foes for 2 turns.
Dustpan: Kolorodo pulls out a dustpan before sneezing and covering the party in a large cloud of dust, raising their evasion for 2 turns.
Pencil: Kolorodo pulls out a pencil and notepad, calculating the angles before he uses something from the environment to attack. (For instance, if a pillar is nearby, he'll calculate the right angle and whatnot to tip it on them) Pow: 5 to all enemies.
Chainston
Position: Partner
Area of Expertise: Single Target, Protection
Field Ability: Chainston can give Mario a ride, vastly increasing his speed and allowing him to clear gaps he can't jump over. (Same functionality as Parakarry pretty much)
FP Moves:
Chomp: Chainston takes a bite out of an opponent. Pow: 7, Can hit all but flying, Style: Timing
Guard Dog (3 FP): Chainston moves forward to protect his current Party Leader, chomping whoever attacks and stopping the attack. He's unavailable to act next turn around (Think of Bow's Outta Sight)
Changes from Main Game:
- Bootler's more than a butler, he's a tattletale! He'll join Goombario on his Tattles and either add more info or Tattle on a target Goombario hasn't Tattled on yet.
- Jr Troopa gets banged up from being lost (-25 HP, -1 Attack)
- But he is in cahoots with Bowser's minions now (Dark Koopa: 3 HP, 3 Attack, 1 Defense. Can get up and attack the same turn. Immune to Dizzy status.
- The best badge in the game got even better! (Quick Change cost one less BP to equip.)
- Hyper Paragoombas and Goombas need to lay off the sugar... (2 HP, 3 Attack, Charge attack is 2 attack)
- All that posh made Bow's Outta Sight technique a bit rusty. Now it's 2 FP more expensive.
- Hyper Clefts now have a bit of rock candy in them (1 HP, 3 Attack, Charge attack is 5 Attack, 1 Defense)
- Repel Gel now uses Faux Boo extract (Only last 1 turn vs 2.)