Welcome to another chapter of Game Jumpers! Last chapter, the party took down the powerhouse known as Tubba Blubba, freeing both the trapped Dust Devils and Kimani and Jordan. With the now docile Tubba Blubba under new management, the team is now one Star Spirit closer to uniting the Star Spirits and taking the fight to Bowser! Bow and Bootler also decide that staying with the party would be the best idea for both sides, strengthening their team. We now join our party on their next destination. Shall we tune in?
(Sorry for the delay. Since I did a double post last week, I needed an extra week to recuperate and organize my notes. Uploads will be back to every other Friday again unless stated otherwise. Apologies for not making it known this past chapter, but I hope you guys are still enjoying Game Jumpers!)
Chapter 15: Toad Story!
The group was standing outside the Windy Mill, face to face with the third Star Spirit, who was currently fixing his glasses. He gave Bow and Bootler a somewhat agitated look before he turned to Mario while Kimani and Jordan were picking out their Level-Up rewards. Kimani went with BP while Jordan got more HP. Kimani's BP went to 12, while Jordan's HP went to 45 naturally, with the HP Badge putting it at 50.
"Ah... Free at last. Tubba Blubba captured me, but I was able to escape. However, I crashed on the Boo's Manor and was weakened to the point of being captured... A rather embarrassing moment on my behalf," The Star Spirit started.
"Sorry. I needed you for reassurance," Bow apologized.
"Hmm... Quite... Anyway, my name is Skolar, and I am one of the Star Spirits. If record is correct, I'm the third Star Spirit you've rescued. Well done, my friends. I need to go join the others, but please, allow me to bestow some of my powers upon you," Skolar told them, circling the group for a second, causing them to glow.
"Mario and the gang can now use Star Storm during battle! Their Star Power has also increased to 3!"
"Phew... What a day... After getting eaten, I need a quick rest. Can we stop at House Shivers?" Kimani moaned. Dylan instantly told the group they were going to House Shivers, causing Kimani to laugh as Dylan picked him up and borderline started marching towards House Shivers. The others sweatdropped before they waved goodbye to Skolar as he took off. When they turned around, they also saw Dylan dragging Jordan behind him by his collar... somehow while Austin was poking fun at the two of them being manhandled. Kimani didn't mind it as he was sitting on Dylan's shoulder pretty much, but Jordan just grumbled under his breath. The others smiled and followed after them.
House Shivers- 30 minutes later
After a quick power nap and a hearty lunch provided by Bootler, the gang sat in the dining room to plan out their next move.
"So, Mario. Where should we go next?" Bow asked. Mario shrugged. Skolar didn't have any leads for him, and it's been a while since Twink came down to inform him of any news. It was actually kind of troubling. He brought his suspicions up to the group, who also noticed it.
"Good point. We've been doing just fine without Twink, but the lack of news involving Peach must not be sitting well with Mario," Jordan answered. Mario rapidly nodded.
"Well, I guess we can run around town and ask around if anyone's spotted anything off. We gotta finish up a few more errands anyway,"
"Like what, Little Buddy?" Dylan asked.
"Taking down Lee for that embarrassing loss we took yesterday!"
"Oh, Kimani..." Bombette sighed, giggling afterward.
"Hey! Lady Bow! We got a situation brewing in Toad Town!" A Boo suddenly blurted out, phasing into the room. The volume made Kimani jump, which caused Dylan to glare at the Boo.
"Dylan. Loving the protective side of you, but you should know I'm not that easy to take down. You can go back to your lovable self," Kimani told him, stopping him from turning into a Boo to assault him.
"...OK!" Dylan said, going back to his usual mood.
"It can not be that easy," Kooper deadpanned. Kimani patted Dylan on the head, giving Kooper a cheeky grin. Mario swatted in their direction before he asked the Boo to elaborate.
"Oh, uh. Shy Guys are running amok there! They're stealing items from the residences, committing vandalism, and even worse... SCARING THEM!"
"That's our job! Mario, we can't allow such crimes to continue! To steal aBoo's job is to steal their very identity! We must make haste!" Bow exclaimed, floating above the table and pointing with her fan. Everyone, minus Dylan and Bootler, fell over in embarrassment.
"Not the most sound reason, but it's a reason, I guess..." Parakarry deadpanned. Mario nodded, picking himself up before he pointed towards the exit. The group nodded before they sprinted out the door and headed towards Toad Town.
Toad Town- Toad Square
Once the party got into town, they instantly heard the cry of a familiar Toad.
"No! My favorite Frying Pan!" Tayce T. yelled from her house. Running away was a Shy Guy holding said pan.
"Oh, hell no! No one robs us of our delicious cooking lady's services! Get him!" Kimani yelled out as most members, minus Parakarry, Bow, Bootler, and Austin, ran off, chasing the Shy Guy around the area. Mario sweatdropped before he went around town, trying to spook off the ones causing trouble in other ways. It took him a few minutes, and he had to run into some of the buildings to clear them out, but once he was done, the threat was contained to some extent. The others rejoined them, puffing and panting.
"We couldn't nab the little bastard... Sorry, Mario," Kimani sighed. Mario lightly scolded him for the bastard remark before he thanked him for trying, at least. He then asked him if he saw where he ran off to.
"Uh... No. We chased him into a building, but it's just an empty building, at least as far as I can tell..."
"Empty building? Mysterious disappearing Shy Guys? Sounds like a job for me. Lead me to where you saw them disappear, Bro," Austin told him. Kimani nodded before he led the team into the building. As he explained, besides some random items lying around, it was an empty house. Austin focused his eyes on the wall, noting that his Thief Lights were dancing around a specific spot on the wall. He walked over and started tapping on the wall where his Thief Lights were guiding him. After a rather hard tap from his knuckles, a hidden door opened up.
"Open says me, boys... Oh, and Bombette and Lady Bow," Austin told them, ushering them towards the door. He corrected himself afterward. Bow and Bombette snorted in amusement as they walked inside the room, being greeted by walls covered with drawings and a large Toy Box in front of them. A spring was located nearby. Curious, Mario jumped onto the spring, launching himself towards the Toy Box, which opened and shrunk him. The others followed suit, entering the Toy Box as well.
Toy Box- Blue Station
The group landed on another spring, bouncing off it and landing on the ground. They looked around in amazement.
"Say… are we actually inside the Toy Box right now? How could all this be inside this little box? Best not to think about it too much… Looks like this is Blue Station. It's a train station. I think if we use that jump pad, we can go back to Toad Town whenever we want," Goombario rambled.
"So we're toys now? Sheesh... The layers keep getting deeper... Where's Woody when you need him?" Kimani joked, only to get elbowed by Jordan and Austin. Mario chuckled at them before he looked around a bit more. He spotted a Toad nearby, so he started talking to him.
"Oh, hey, folks. Wanna take the train? I would allow you to, but we have the station and the tracks, but no train!" He exclaimed.
"Are you a toy?" Kimani blurted out. Mario glared at him as a question mark appeared over the Toad's head.
"A Toy? That's a new one... No, I don't think I am. Born and raised here," He answered. Mario thanked him for his time before he dragged Kimani away by the back of his hoodie. They went to a pathway leading to the left, seeing a few Shy Guys roaming around. Dylan noticed a Star Piece behind some blocks, so he grabbed it for the party before they got into a fight with one of the Shy Guys nearby. When they entered battle, they saw a whole party of them to fight.
"Oh wow... That's... Ok. Let's start with the one in the front. This is a Shy Guy. They're ne'er-do-wells. Big-time rascals. No good… Max HP: 9, Attack Power: 6, Defense Power: 0. If you block their attacks, they get offended and will attack again, the dirty little cheats! Who knows what lies in the hearts of these troublemakers? I guess they're dangerous, but they're pretty small time. Be sure to block their attacks, or else we'll get even smaller," Goombario Tattled.
"Masters, the flying ones are known as Sky Guys. Sky Guys are masters of aerial HP: 9, Attack Power: 6. If you attack their balloons, the rapscallions will fall, becoming regular Shy Guys. Please show caution as their stone attacks will Shrink whoever doesn't block it. As they're flying, most of our more grounded members are rendered useless until they're grounded. Master Venom could easily take them out of the air, however," Bootler followed up. Mario nodded, mentally planning on swapping his Power Quake with Power Smash once they were done with this fight. He started by just jumping on the Shy Guy in front, dealing 4 damage to it and bringing his HP down to 5. The two Shy Guys tried to do a flip and land on his head, but he blocked both hits, only taking 8 damage. As Goombario told him, they got very offended and tried to shoulder tackle him afterward. He blocked that as well, taking a reduced 4 damage. Altogether, he took 12 damage, putting him at 13. When the Sky Guy sniped him for a full 6 damage, that changed to 7 HP while also Shrinking him for 5 turns. The Medi Guy, as Goombario called him, just healed the Shy Guy for all his HP. While Mario laminated on his life choices, Austin went next, getting Venom to take out the Sky Guy. Austin hurled some Sleep Darts at the group, but only the Medi Guy felt like taking a nap. The Shy Guys attacked Austin, but he was able to sidestep their attacks. Kimani went next, destroying the first Shy Guy with a Dragon Uppercut and Decent while Goombario Tattled on the Medi Guy.
"Like I said earlier, this is a Medi Guy. Medi Guys are the emergency workers of the Shy Guy clan. Max HP: 9, Attack Power: 4, Defence Power: 1. They have the power to heal their wounded companions. Of course, they also attack. We'd better hurry up and take them out of the mix. It's a pain if they keep fixing all the damage we do. That cute car of theirs gives them a bit of cover, and that spike on the bottom is laced with sedatives. One stab and it's lights out for a few turns, so be sure to block them when they swoop at you. Luckily, they'll prioritize healing, so as long as we keep inflicting damage on other enemies, they shouldn't attack us," Goombario told them.
"Remember that the Medi Guys are flying, so it would be a great idea for Master Venom to defeat them. Another idea would be to allow Master Dylan to Copycat him, which would give us a reliable source of healing. Shy Guys also have terrible depth perception due to their mask, so spinning them around is bound to make them dizzy easily," Bootler added. Kimani Countered the Shy Guy's attack, dropping his HP to 3. This was foiled by the Medi Guy healing him for 6, putting him at max HP. Kimani sucked his teeth in annoyance. Dylan went next, doing just that and Copycatting the Medi Guy after shooting the Shy Guy with an Ion Beam, putting him at 5 HP. Bow charged up a Slap before she assaulted the Medi Guy 5 times, taking him out. Dylan, who was now hovering in his custom Medi Guy car and wearing a Shy Guy outfit, did a small dance before he healed Mario for 6 HP, putting him at 13. The Shy Guy bopped Dylan with his jump attack, dealing 6 damage and Shrinking him, putting him at 24 HP. Since he was in the air, the shoulder charge missed so he was safe from it. Jordan finished the fight by assaulting him with a Slam, and Typhoon knocked him out with a Smash. With the battle won, Mario caught his breath as Ebony went around and healed all of their HP.
"Dangerous little things, aren't they?" Kimani asked. Jordan gave him a look for that one.
"Kimani... For once, I'm not picking on you, but you should know size doesn't dictate how scary someone is..." He deadpanned.
"Yeah! You're the smallest one out of all of us, but you're easily the scariest!" Dylan co-signed.
"Excuse me?" Bow asked, offended.
"No, no, shut up. He has a point, so I'll let that size comment slide," Kimani said, waving her off. When Bow threatened to slap the taste out his mouth, he sweatdropped. He still didn't apologize, so Dylan had to calm her down instead. While they did that, Austin glanced at a black-cladded Shy Guy. The scary thing about it was the amount of Thief Lights dancing around him. Once Ebony was done, she glanced over and immediately had her fur stand up.
"Guys, get away from him, now," Ebony sternly said. Everyone heard her tone and quickly walked past him. Luckily, he made no effort to chase them, signaling that whatever was in that chest was valuable. Mario made a note to come by when they were in a better spot before they went through an opening through a wall made of blocks. A Shy Guy wearing a loud outfit danced over and started battling the group. When they entered battle, another Shy Guy wearing the same outfit boogied over while a Cherry Bob-omb just lurked in the back. As Mario promised himself, his hammer now sported the Power Smash badge, which he used to clobber the front Shy Guy for 7 damage. He was still up, much to Mario's chagrin, as Goombario started Tattling.
"This is a Groove Guy. Groove Guys wear weird clothes. They're probably stage clothes. Pssh… You know performers… Max HP: 9, Attack Power: 0, Defense Power: 0. They shake their booties to call in reinforcements. They also spin around in front of you and make you feel dizzy. These rock 'n' rollers are a drag, so let's ditch 'em as fast as we can. Luckily, they don't deal any damage, so we just gotta worry about the reinforcements," Goombario Tattled.
"The best advice I can give you, Young Masters, is to focus on the Groove Guys. Otherwise, we'll be burning through more resources than we need to," Bootler added on. Mario nodded before the first Groove Guy tried to spin into him to make him Dizzy, but Mario was able to block the attempt. The second one did a series of dances before he pointed forward. From backstage came a Shy Guy that was on fire. Kimani snorted in amusement as the Cherry Bob-Omb lit his fuse and charged Mario, exploding for 10 damage since he guarded it. Goombario did as well, so he avoided being injured. Mario shook the soot off him, glaring at his now 15 HP with disdain. Dylan went next, allowing Goombario to waddle over to Tattle as Dylan, who was still transformed, healed Mario for 6, putting him back at 21.
"This is a Pyro Guy. Pyro Guys are on fire, so any contact with them will cause damage. Max HP: 9, Attack Power: 8, Defense Power: 0 They're tough opponents, mainly because their attack power is so high. Any attacks that involve water or snow are our best bet because… well… you know. Kimani's in a weird spot. Since he's an expert in fire attacks, he actually takes 3 less damage from fire attacks but his fire attacks will heal it. Jordan takes 2 less because water while Austin takes an increased 3 because... well, I'm not sure why with him... Dylan takes normal damage, but Alpha will overheat for a turn. Pay attention to who goes next whenever a Pyro Guy is on field," Goombario rambled.
"They have a simplistic way of attacking, so Master Austin can easily dodge their attempts to strike while the other Masters can avoid or block them with their various actions. Direct contact will harm whoever tries it, so projectiles or indirect attacks such as Sir Kooper and Sir Parakarry's Shell Shots or My Lady's Screech attacks are acceptable alternatives. Our best bet is to allow Sir Typhoon to handle them," Bootler added. Everyone nodded as the Pyro Guy charged at Goombario since Dylan was out of reach. He blotched the block, however, getting burned and injured for 2 turns. The other Groove Guy also spun into Goombario, extending his injuries to 3 turns.
"Hey! Leave him alone!" Kimani exclaimed as Jordan went next with Typhoon in tow. Typhoon made a wave wash over the enemies, dealing 4 damage to the Groove Guy while the Pyro Guy took 8 damage. It also shifted their formation around so the Pyro Guy was in the back, and the Groove Guy was now in the front. The Pyro was left with 1 HP, while the Groove Guy was still partying with 6 HP. Jordan decided to gamble, activating Berserk and then using Revenge Strike. The Groove Guy boogied some more, attracting another Pyro Guy while the other guy rammed Jordan for 6 damage. Once he did, Jordan swung back, causing a solid shockwave to rattle the enemy party for 5 damage. The first Pyro Guy went down, while the second one was up with 6 HP. The Groove Guy was barely standing with 1 HP. Kimani went next, opting to assault the Groove Guy while Firebrand just scratched the Pyro Guy out of the battle.
"So why are these weirdos actually the hardest enemies we've fought so far?" Kimani asked. Everyone just shrugged.
"No idea. Makes me wonder how strong the black one is," Austin pondered. Everyone shrugged before Mario jumped up some blocks to hit a ? Block, getting a coin. He leaped back down, and the group entered the next room, which had a set of toy blocks shaped like a blockade. There were more in the distance.
"Wow! It looks like the Shy Guys went all out to stop us! This looks like a pretty serious battlefield. ...Okay, on second thought, with all the toys and bright colors, I can't take this seriously at all," Goombario said. He changed his mind after some thought; however, he laughed afterward. Everyone sweatdropped as they pushed forward towards the blockade, entering battle with a Shy Guy and his fellow brothers. In battle, they saw they had another Shy Guy to deal with alongside a Cherry Bob-Omb and Sky Guy. Mario used his Quick Change badge to swap Goombario with Kooper before he leaped and popped the Sky Guy's balloons, dropping him to the ground.
"I already see your plan, Mario! One Dizzy Shell, coming right up!" Kooper yelled, ducking into his shell and spinning rapidly before he dashed at the 4 grounded threats, making them Dizzy for 3 turns.
"And that's why you're my favorite partner!" Kimani exclaimed. Mario smirked as the party made quick work of the enemies. Once they were done, they continued forward, leaping up and hitting a block, gaining a Stone Cap for their troubles.
"A Stone Cap, eh? That's a good item. It makes the wearer entirely invincible and taunts all foes into attacking them for the duration!" Goombario explained. Mario raised a hand, asking a question.
"...So you know how Borrow lets a member attack, and then the person they had the turn Borrowed has to defend the following attacks? The Stone Cap basically does that. So, whoever puts it on will be attacked in their team member's place," He went more in-depth after listening to Mario's question. Mario nodded, finally understanding what he was getting at. The group continued forward, assaulting another party of Shy Guys and a Sky Guy, getting a Mushroom and some coins before they hit a row of ? blocks, earning a Tasty Tonic and coins from the boxes before they got to a third barricade. They didn't see any Shy Guys lurking around, but Austin's Thief Lights set him off. He swapped to his bow and fired blindly into the barricade. To everyone's surprise, he hit a hidden Shy Guy, starting the battle with the advantage. Since it was technically Austin who began the battle, his First Strike did an additional 2 damage, leaving the Shy Guy reeling with 5 HP left. He added on to the pain with a Triple Strike while Venom Sniped the Medi Guy chilling in the back, defeating it. The Sky Guy threw a rock at Austin, which was auto-evaded, but the Shy Guy was able to land a cheeky somersault on his head, dealing 8 damage since he tried to dodge it, putting his HP at 12 and Shrinking him for 3 turns. On the plus side, the Zap Tap badge zapped him for 1 damage. Dylan finally lost his form, so he just zapped the Shy Guy with a Jolt and Ion Beam while Bow slapped the remaining health out of him. The Sky Guy shot him with a rock, which was blocked, making his HP drop to 24 HP. Parakarry grounded the Sky Guy before Mario took away the rest of his health via a Power Smash. The group quickly moved to the next room, which was open and had various Shy Guys carrying items running around.
"Guess we found the thieves that attacked Toad Town," Parakarry deducted.
"Right! Let's go get those items, Boys!" Bombette exclaimed.
"I like her attitude. How should we commence, Mario?" Bow asked. Mario momentarily pondered it before pointing at the Shy Guy carrying a Fire Flower. Before he could get too close, a rock flew from off-screen and jawed Mario, starting battle.
"You OK, Mar? That sharp rock kinda made you bleed a bit..." Kimani pointed out. Mario patted his cheek, feeling the minor laceration on his cheek. Angry, he pointed his hammer at the Black Shy Guy, who was wearing a bush on his head.
"Careful, Mario. That's a Spy Guy. Spy Guys look like they're ready for war in their spiffy camouflage gear! Max HP: 9, Attack Power: 6, Defense Power: 2. Their battle training means they can resist all sorts of status effects. They change their weapons each time they're attacked. You'd best try to avoid their hammer attack! Each time you're hit by it, you'll lose one of your commands! That's not all! Spy Guys will also whack you if you get too close to them when their hammer is out. On the offside, they'll dodge and shoot back if you try to hit them with a projectile, should they be armed with their slingshot! Pay really good attention to what they currently have so we don't take any additional damage or waste our turns!" Goombario told the group.
"Sheesh, so Jordan and I can't do anything to him right now," Kimani muttered. Mario grumbled as he saw the hammer in his hand, so he refrained from doing that. He wondered if he could counter jump attacks as well. Feeling experimental, he leaped at the Spy Guy, but to everyone's surprise, the Spy Guy backstepped the jump, causing Mario to fall on his face before he was whacked in the face by a golf swing from the Spy Guy's hammer, inflicting another 6 damage to Mario and knocking his gloves off his hands. He then kicked them out of the fight, rendering Mario unable to guard attacks for 2 turns. Mario rubbed his head, but he didn't get to lament his mistake for too long as the Pyro Guys and Sky Guys attacked him afterward. His Close Call made the second one miss, but the Sky Guy hit him, causing Mario to spin before he fell on his side and was knocked out.
"Mario's down!" Dylan yelled, causing Parakarry to leave the battle since he was without a leader. Austin went next, having Ebony run over to use Smelling Salts to revive him, but she messed up her command, causing him to stay down and for her to waste 10 of Austin's FP.
"Shit! I'm sorry!" Ebony exclaimed.
"Don't worry about it. We should be going more offense anyway," Austin told her, swapping to his Bow and Triple Striking the Spy Guy for 6 damage, putting his HP at 3. He got hit three times so he ended up on his slingshot. He took a potshot at Austin, who got hit by it as he was expecting his Auto-Dodge to handle it, causing him to take 6 to the face and make him Dizzy. This allowed the Pyro Guys and Sky Guy to take him out as well.
"We're dropping like flies here!" Kimani yelled next as Venom took over for Austin while Ebony idled behind him. Ivory dragged Austin out of danger before she disappeared into his amulet.
"Kimani, get rid of that Spy Guy now. Firebrand, bring down that Sky Guy," Venom commanded, temporarily taking over for Mario as the leader.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" "On it," The two of them said, doing what they were told. The Spy Guy went down while the Sky Guy was grounded with 4 HP. When the enemies came after Kimani, he was able to counter them with some Counters, dealing 2 to everyone, leaving the Pyro Guys with 7 each while the Shy Guy went down to 2.
"Ms. Bow? Mr. Bootler? Can you swap with Bombette?" Dylan asked Bow.
"Of course," "As you wish, Master Dylan," The two Boos said as they swapped with Bombette. She couldn't do anything but Dylan "Borrowed" Jordan's turn (with his permission) before he used an Ion Beam to cleave through the group, taking out the Shy Guy and leaving the Pyro Guy with 3. Jordan blocked the attacks with little effort, still taking 4 damage overall, dropping his HP to 38. Dylan cleaned the rest of them up with one more Ion Beam, finishing the battle and earning the team a Level Up for their hard-earned victory.
"Holy shit, we made it..." Kimani sighed as Austin and Mario woke up with a jolt. He rubbed his head, noting the lack of gloves, before he looked around and picked them up. He then asked if everyone was OK.
"All good here, Mario. We were able to clean up the rest, thanks to Ven's quick-thinking," Kooper told him. Mario sighed before apologizing for his recklessness.
"Eh, it happens, Mar. Besides, we didn't know they could counter aerial attacks like that," Kimani told him. Mario still felt terrible for falling in battle, so he instantly upped his HP as a result before he asked Jordan for his HP Plus Badge.
"Sure, I was going to level up my HP anyway after that scare," Jordan said, upping his HP as well, causing it to go to 50 with the HP Up Badge on. When he took it off, it stayed at 45. Mario glanced at his badge collection before he put the HP Up Badge on, draining the rest of his BP, but raising his HP to 35. Kimani wasn't feeling too in danger with his HP, so he just got more FP, bringing it to 35. Dylan also went with FP, reaching 50 FP. Austin wanted to up his HP, but he really didn't want to increase it by 2. After a mental argument, he bit the bullet and upped his HP anyway, bringing it to 17 naturally and then 22 with the HP Plus Badge's help.
"Alright... Fully healed, stocked up on items still... Let's take out the rest of these Shy Guys, then go back to Toad Town to regroup," Jordan suggested. Mario nodded before he fixed his cap and rushed forward with the rest of his team.
Toad Town- 20 minutes later
After the group finished up the last of the Shy Guys in the room, they had booked it back to Toad Town and took another quick power nap to get their HP and FP back before they went back to Rowf and gave him back his calculator.
"You're telling me… you got it back from the Shy Guys? Yeah! In your face, Shy Guy! I can open my shop again! Oh man, how can I repay you? I know! Take this! This is a special Badge, bud, so use it with care," Rowf exclaimed, waking up to Mario and putting a badge on him. Mario looked down at it in interest, seeing as it didn't take any BP.
"Oh, the I Spy Badge! That badge will light up whenever we enter an area that has a hidden panel somewhere!" Goombario told them.
"Also, while you guys are here, check out my badges. We got some new ones in stock!" Rowf continued as his son unfolded the carpet, showing 4 badges.
"Here I go again... Ahem. We got the D-Down Pound Badge again, which allows Hammer attacks to pierce defense, the Jump Charge Badge, which allows you to charge your jump attacks like how I do with... well, my Charge Ability, the Spike Shield Badge, which allows the wearer to attack spiked enemies without getting poked and then we have Medicine Man, which makes it so you get 50% more healing from anything that heals. That includes FP Regening items as well. Oh, but it only works in battle." Goombario explained.
"Wait, these are some fire badges. I could really use that Spike Shield Badge so I can stop spending FP to hit them," Kimani admitted.
"I have a lot of HP, so Medicine Man would be helpful for me. I can see D-Down Pound being better on you, Mario," Jordan followed up.
"Jump Charge can actually work on whoever since anyone can use stomp badges. Kimani might be the best usage since he has the most FP out of everyone that can wear badges," Dylan brought up. Mario nodded before he bought all the badges but Medicine Man since he didn't have enough money. With the badges they had on their person, they went as followed:
Kimani kept his Power Plus and Power Rush Badge but added the Spike Shield Badge, Power Bounce, Jump Charge and Mega Rush to his arsenal. Jordan kept the Peekaboo Badge on his person but grabbed the Smash Charge, Pay-Off Badge, both D-Down Pound Badge, which made it stronger but took more FP as a result, and then the Power Quake Badge. Austin kept the Zap Tap and HP Plus Badge, but also got Dizzy Attack, First Attack, and Runaway Pay Badges. Mario wanted to the Medicine Badge for Jordan so he reached into his pocket and pulled out the Silver Credit. He told the gang to hang out here for a few moments before he ran off. The party gave him a confused look before he ran to a pipe in the far distance.
20 Minutes Later...
Mario came back, his pockets full of coins. He gave Rowf the money he needed for the Medicine Man Badge, adding it to his collection.
"Where'd you go to get the money?" Kimani asked as Jordan took off one of the D-Down Pound Badges and replaced it with the Medicine Man Badge. Mario simply said gambling, causing Kimani to sputter in response. Mario thanked Rowf for his badges before he noticed his I Spy Badge was already in effect. Mario took a bit of time to run around and grab two Star Pieces that were in town. Parakarry also delivered a letter to the fearful guardsman. Apparently, it was a letter from Bootler, promising to scare him when he least expected it, causing him to start spiraling again. Bootler, who was nearby but out of sight for obvious reasons, sweatdropped as he gave the group a Star Piece to thank them for the 'warning' before the party started making their way back to the Toy Box.
"Has it ever occurred to you Boos that maybe you should... oh, I don't know... stop being dickheads to people?" Kimani bluntly asked. For once, Mario didn't reprimand him for his language as he agreed with him for once. Bow and Bootler sweatdropped.
"Yes... I must admit, looking back on our behavior. It's rather shameful, isn't it..." Boolter admitted.
"But to scare is a part of a Boo's nature. It's almost as simple as breathing to us. Our very culture revolves around it," Bow retorted.
"Then scare bad people, I don't know!" Kimani exasperatedly yelled, walking a bit faster to get away from her. Bow pursed her lips in minor frustration but didn't press the issue any further. Dylan gave her a soft look.
"If it makes you feel any better, Kimani isn't actually mad at you. He just doesn't like it when people bully others unprovoked,"
"Isn't this the same person that starts fighting at a moment's notice?"
"Yes, but with us, it's because we've known each other for years. Also, he's just blunt with how he says things. But do you guys really revolve around scaring folks?"
"...Yes, we do. A Boo's worth is closely connected to how scary they are in our society. Granted, it's not our entire worth, but it's fairly important,"
"I think that's silly. I mean, you're not scary. You're one of the nicest Boo's I've ever met," Dylan innocently said. Bow paused for a moment before she allowed a small smile to appear on her face.
"Yes... well, as Bootler said... I suppose traditions can be changed after years of following them, especially if they're unhealthy ones... I shall keep what you've told me in mind. But now's not the time for this. We must continue on our quest to save the Mushroom Kingdom," Bow admitted. Dylan giggled in response. Kimani was close enough to overhear the conversation, which caused him to give a satisfied grunt. Mario, who was nearby, could only smile at the whole interaction. The group finally reached the Toy Chest, where they jumped in...
Shy Guy's Toy Box
...and landed back inside. Instead of going to the left, they headed to the right, entering a room with a bunch of Jack-In-The-Boxes. Kimani jumped on one out of curiosity, but nothing happened.
"Ah... Alright, so we're dealing with my lack of weight problem again..." Kimani deadpanned, stamping on it a few times, but it didn't budge. Jordan came over and slammed his hand on the corner, which launched Kimani into the air when the Jack-In-The-Box popped open. Kimani grabbed three coins that were floating near him before he did a flip and landed on his feet, posing afterward. All of the partners clapped for him while the Party Leaders just sweatdropped in response. Kimani looked at the giant wall of blocks ahead of them and got an idea.
"What is it?" Jordan said to Kimani's look.
"Y'all feel like flying? We can use these boxes to get over that wall," He responded, pointing to the wall and then at the nearby Jack-In-The-Box. He then pointed at the box on top of the wall. Mario nodded, seeing his plan before he gave him a hearty thumbs up. Everyone else also grunted in approval before they scooted past a Shy Guy who wanted problems. Jordan stood on the side of the box while everyone jumped on top of the box one by one. When someone jumped on, Jordan slammed the box, sending them up. Once everyone was up, Jordan jumped himself, his natural weight being enough to set the box off and make him fly up to the group. He did a repeat of everything for the second box. They leaped down from the wall, avoided the gaze of a Sky Guy, and then found a Star Piece hiding behind a hexagonal block. The next area had toy buildings and another wall of blocks that was way too high to jump over. Mario and the gang climbed the stairs attached to building... and immediately screamed when they saw an Anti Guy walking around. They quickly ducked back down the stairs.
"They can move!?" Kooper yelled, taking a quick puff of his inhaler.
"That's a first for me!" Goombario also yelled. Mario made sure his heart was still with him after that scare before he had Parakarry quickly carry him to the next building, snagging a Star Piece before the group barreled past the Anti Guy, leaped down onto a wall, and landed on top of a Shy Guy. They easily beat the enemies up, did a bit more platforming to earn a Thunder Bolt, and started walking up to a chest. But before they could open it, an Anti Guy leaped in front of them, causing some members to scream again.
"It's another one!" Goombario yelled from the safety of Jordan's shoulder, who sweatdropped in response. The Anti Guy giggled.
"You picked me? You could have had a free pass, and you chose to fight me? 3" He said in a voice that didn't fit him.
"What do you mean we picked you?!"
"The princess said I was your biggest fear! She could have picked something more tame, but oh well! I suppose I shouldn't disappoint you! I hope you're ready for a beating!"
"Time out! Time out!" Parakarry wailed, but it fell on deaf ears as the Anti Guy attacked, causing the group to enter battle. Goombario was able to get a cheeky Tattle before the battle started however.
"Oh boy... We're so dead... This is an Anti Guy. His attacks are so intense that he's also called Deadly Guy. Max HP: 50, Attack Power: 16, Defense Power: 0. Like other Shy Guys, he will do a sneak attack if we block his first hit. But if you don't block his attack, you'll be shrunk for a while! I guess whether or not to block is based on your strategy. Do you take less damage, or more damage? I bet there's a way to do both, though. But how? Austin's Auto-Dodge is useless against the Anti Guy's attack, so you'll have to do it manually. Other than that... I don't have anything else..."
"Young Masters, it's imperative that we manage our defense and try to hinder the Anti Guy as best as we can. Anything that lowers his attack or buffs our defense would be grand. Lady Bow's Outta Sight can make his attacks miss us while the Zap Tap status can make it so he can only attack once, even if we block him. Please be careful when proceeding," Bootler added on. Kimani sweatdropped before another idea hit him.
"I'm going to hate this but..." Kimani muttered before he went first and simply guarded. He told Firebrand to heat him up, causing Kimani to catch on fire, and raised his attack by 3, putting it at 5.
"What are you up to?" Dylan asked.
"I can actually one-shot him probably, so the rest of you just focus on not dying," Kimani told him as he guarded against the first attack, wheezing from the 15 damage he took. He purposely didn't counter, so the Anti Guy attacked him once more for 9, causing Kimani to take a grand total of 24 damage, leaving him in Peril with 1 HP.
"Yep! That really hurt!" Kimani whined.
"What's your deal!?" Austin yelled.
"Trust me, it's all a part of the plan..."
"Has anyone told you that you're insanely reckless at times!?" Jordan said as he went next, spending all of his FP to use Dome of Protection, which prevented the team from being hurt. Typhoon was curious about how much damage Kimani was going to do, so he didn't do anything either. Austin followed suit, as did Venom, while Dylan was ready to heal him, only to be stopped by Mario. He pointed at two badges that were currently glowing brightly. Dylan squinted before he noticed that it was the Power Rush and Mega Rush Badge.
"...Oh, Ok," Dylan worriedly said as he passed his turn as well alongside Bombette. Finally, it was Kimani's turn.
"Alright... Power Plus brings me to 2 attack. Fire Form gives me 3 more attack, Power Rush give me 2 and then Mega Rush adds another 4 on top of that, meaning..." Kimani muttered, adding up the numbers. Goombario quickly did the math as well before he grunted.
"Kimani's sitting at 11 Attack right now!" Goombario put together.
"...Oh damn, my math was off. But yeah! Let's go!" Kimani deadpanned before he snapped out of it and used Dragon's Dance. He did the command perfectly, causing 5 phantom fist to appear behind him before they jetted forward and whacked the Anti Guy. Once the attack was done, the group saw the Anti Guy on the ground, defeated. All together, Kimani did 140 damage to the Anti Guy.
"JESUS CHRIST! I REALLY DID THE MATH WRONG!"
"YOU'RE A NUTCASE!" Almost everyone shouted at him, causing him to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. He opened the chest, gaining the Storeroom Key for their troubles.
"Alright, so I think taking that jump and shoulder charge fractured my shoulder and ribcage. If we can head back to Toad Town, that would be great," Kimani told them as his adrenaline had finally died down, allowing him to feel all his injuries. Mario nodded, mentioning they should stop by the shop anyway to return the key. The group nodded before they made their way back to...
Toad Town
...Toad Town. Jordan and Kimani limped and tiredly went to the Toad House while Mario and the rest went to the shop. Once inside, Mario flashed the Shoptoad the key, causing him to clap in response.
"Tell you what. Take anything you like from the storeroom," He said, unlocking the door and letting the party inside. Mario thanked him before the party walked inside, seeing four items on the ground. Dylan spotted something familiar on one of the shelves.
"Wait, is that..." Dylan started, walking over to a shelf and picking up a disk. Alpha scanned it before he beeped in response.
"Scan complete. Results match. This is my Upgrade Disk, Master Dylan," Alpha confirmed. Dylan squealed before he put it on his back, causing 2 wires to shoot out. They wrapped under his arms like a backpack before they attached to the disk. it fired one more to wrap around his waist before the disk started spinning. Dylan's goggles automatically equipped themselves before they glowed brightly. Once it was done, they went back to normal.
"Dylan got his Upgrade Disk back! Alpha can now activate Dylan's Isle Exoskeleton, changing Dylan's moveset to a more damage-focused form! While Dylan is channeling Isle Exoskeleton, he'll drain 5 FP per turn, but his defense rises to 2, and he has access to a new set of moves! Dylan's Copycat becomes stronger as it can now copy any foes, including Bosses! If the foe copied exceeds Dylan's current HP or Attack threshold, he'll only be allowed to use one move before the form drops! Alpha will be unavailable for 2 turns if this is the case!"
"Lucky. You got your Soul Sync before us technically," Austin muttered. Dylan laughed as Mario picked up a Toy Train, a Hustle Drink, a Snowman Doll, and some food item he couldn't identify. Goombario looked at it, mentioning that it was Dough.
"A Toy Train? What are you going to do with that?" Kooper asked. Mario shrugged, not sure himself, but if it was locked up, it had to be of some importance. Mario then led his team out of the storeroom, waved goodbye to the StoreToad, and walked out of the shop. They swung by the Toad House and picked up the freshly rejuvenated Jordan and Kimani before returning to the Toy Box. Before they hopped in, Mario pulled out the Toy Train and eyed it in curiosity.
"Eh? A train? Where'd you get that?" Kimani asked.
"We found it at the store. Guess what else we found?!" Dylan excitedly asked, turning around so they could see Dylan's Upgrade Disk. Kimani and Jordan's reactions were more or less how Dylan felt.
"Wait, so you have Isle Exoskeleton back!?" Kimani yelled, a bit jealous. Dylan rapidly nodded.
"Yep!"
"Nice find, buddy!" Kimani praised, causing Dylan to beam with happiness. He then looked at the Toy Train in Mario's hands. A light bulb appeared over his head afterward. Once he got the train from Mario, Dylan walked over to the Toy Box and held it over it before dropping it inside, causing it to land on the tracks inside. Everyone peeked inside before they looked at Dylan.
"How'd you put that together?" Austin asked.
"The spring shrinks us, so what if we just drop things inside normally?" Dylan simply said. Everyone sweatdropped from the simplicity of the answer before they used the spring...
Toy Box
...and landed back in the Toy Box. The train was sitting there, waiting to be ridden. Kimani held up a finger, however.
"Alright, hear me out," He started, causing everyone to give him a wary look.
"...What now?" Jordan carefully asked him.
"You remember that Anti Guy guarding the chest? After what I did to the last one, I think we could take the other one,"
"That depends. Are you going to self-destruct your life to destroy him again?"
"No. Hell no. I just wanted to see how much damage I can do when my back is against the wall. That was unpleasant, and it drained all of my FP afterward anyway so that's a last-ditch effort at best," Kimani deadpanned.
"...What does everyone else think about it?" Jordan said after a moment of staring at him, causing him to sweatdrop. Mario gave him a thumbs up, eager to see what was in the chest, while Austin shrugged, not caring one way or the other. Dylan made Kimani pinky promise him he wouldn't go overboard like that again before he agreed. The partners were all in as well. With the decision made, Mario and the team marched over to where the Anti Guy was sitting and challenged him to a fight.
"You wanna fight? Are you nuts? You don't wanna mess with us!️ Are you sure you wanna fight?"
"Wait, what do you mean by u-" Jordan started, only to be interrupted by Kimani booting the Anti Guy in the face.
"Less talking, more action!" Kimani heckled, getting into a fighting stance. The Anti Guy, who had slid back, only brushed the dirt off of his shoulder.
"What! Well, alright! I do love a challenge!️"
"I seriously think we should ha-" Jordan tried again, but he was interrupted when 4 more dark-colored Shy Guys of different types appeared from nowhere behind him, making the party shrink a bit.
"Here it comes, pal! You can blame your hotheaded friend for what happens next!"
"Where did these hooligans come from!?" Kimani yelled.
"That's what I was trying to tell you, bonehead!" Jordan scolded, bonking Kimani in the head as they were face to face with the Anti Guy and an Anti version of every Shy Guy they've fought so far.
"Guys... We're in really deep shit right now..." Austin moaned. Dylan just tensed up.
"Well, you have the first move. Don't let us down!️" The Anti Guy taunted. Mario tightened his gloves and fixed his hat. This was going to be rough...
File Saved!
Current Party Status
Mario:
Starting Stats: 10 HP, 5 FP, 3 BP
Current Stats: 30 (35) HP,10 (15) FP, 18 BP (Level 12)
Equipped Badges:Close Call (1), Attack FX B, Damage Dodge (3), Power Smash (1), Shrink Smash (2), Feeling Fine (3), Hammer Throw (2), FP Plus (2), Quick Change (2), HP Plus (2)
Main Partners: Parakarry
Items: Maple Shroom x3, Fried Egg, Koopa Tea x4, Super Soda, Spicy Soup x2, Pow Block, Sleepy Sheep, Fright Jar x2, Egg, Stopwatch, Maple Super, Sweet Shroom x3, Snowman Doll x3, Fire Flower, Apple, POW Block, Lemon, Stone Cap, Tasty Tonic, Hustle Drink
Current Star Pieces: 19
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 Plus (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), Power Quake (1), Shrink Smash (2), Mega Rush (1), HP Plus (2), FP Plus (2), Quick Change (2), Jump Charge (1), D-Down Pound (2), Spike Shield (3)
Kimani:
Area of Expertise: Grounded Combat, Single Target Damage, Countering
Starting Stats: 10 HP, 10 FP, 3 BP
Current Stats: 25 HP, 35 FP, 12 BP (Level 12)
Equipped Badges: Power Plus (4), Power Rush (1), Spike Shield (3), Jump Charge (1), Mega Rush (2)
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: 45 HP, 25 FP, 9 BP (Level 12)
Equipped Badges: Smash Charge (1), D-Down Pound x2 (2), Power Stomp (1), Pay-Off (2), Power Quake (1)
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, 50 FP, 0 BP (Level 12)
Area of Expertise: Area of Effect, Healing and Buffing, Versatile
Equipped Badges: N/A
Main Battle Partners: Alpha, Bombette, Bow
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!
Upgrade Disk: Dylan can now activate Isle Exoskeleton, changing his moveset to a more aggressive one. Dylan's Copycat can also copy any target but if their attack or HP surpasses his current threshold, he will only be allowed to perform one move before the form drops. Alpha will shut down for 2 turns. Dylan still can't copy strong opponents outside of battle.
Dylan (Isle Exoskeleton):
Areas of Expertise: Area of Effect, Status Infliction
Battle Animation: Occasionally, Dylan's suit will spark up for a second, causing him to look at himself in interest before he flexed slightly, making the energy shoot off of him and his suit glow for a moment before it goes back to normal.
Battle Talent: Dylan can Overcharge his attacks, doubling the FP consumption to get enhanced effects. Dylan's Isle Exoskeleton will drain 5 FP each turn it's active. While the suit is on, Dylan becomes immune to electric and fire-based attacks and his defense is increased to 2. Once Isle Exoskeleton deactivates for any reason, Alpha and Isle Exoskeleton are unavailable for 3 turns and Dylan's passive FP regen is halted for the same amount of turns.
FP Moves:
Plasma Blade: (0 FP, 2 FP to Overcharge) Dylan slashes a target with a plasma blade. Overcharging it will allow it to potentially paralyze whoever is hit. Attack Pow: 2 (3 if timed correctly) Can attack all but flying. Pierces Defense. Style: Timing
Photon Cannon: (5 FP, 10 FP to Overcharge) Dylan fires a large Ion Beam at the opposing party, damaging everyone in a line! This will lower everyone's defense by 2. Overcharging it will make the defense drop permanent! Attack Pow: 3 (4), can hit everyone. Style: Aim
Missile Lock: (5 FP, 10 FP to Overcharge) Dylan fires a missile at a foe of his choosing, dealing damage to whoever he hits and half of that to whoever is next to the foe. Overcharging the missile also causes the main target to burn for 3 turns. (Burn is a stronger Poison pretty much. It deals 5 damage per turn, but it can be affected by how much defense a target has) Attack Power: 5 (6) (Adjacent targets take 2 or 3 damage, depending on the success of the Action Command) Style: Aim
Fourth of July: (20 FP, All remaining FP to Overcharge) Dylan fires every missile he has in his suit, bombarding the field with rockets. For 3 turns afterward, rockets will rain on the field, striking every enemy visible. These rockets don't do splash damage. Overcharging increases the damage of the following missiles by 2 and causes foes to Burn for a turn afterward. Style: Memory. Can't be used again until the current Fourth of July is over.
Passives:
Superior Craftsmanship: Dylan's Isle Exoskeleton was built to last! While he wears it, his defense increases by 2, and he can't be harmed by fire or electric attacks!
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 (20)HP, 30 FP, 12 BP (Level 11)
Area of Expertise: Defense Piercing, Versatile, Avoidance
Equipped Badges: HP Plus (2), Zap Tap (3), First Attack (1), Dizzy Attack (1), Runaway Pay (1)
Main Partners: Venom, Ebony, Ivory
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.
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: (10 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 but it does double Austin's FP cost for everything until the clone is disbanded. Style: None.
Stealth: (20 FP) Go invisible and avoid the attention of your foes! You can't be hit or targeted by anything for 3 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: (5 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: (10 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 but ineffective against flying enemies and bosses. 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 turnaround (Think of Bow's Outta Sight)
Changes from Main Game:
-Star Storm's a bit more expensive to cast now. (Uses 3 SP instead of 2)
- Pretty sure Cherry Bob-Ombs aren't child friendly... So why are they in the Toy Box?
- Shy Guys are a bit more hearty (2 to every type of Shy Guy but Anti versions)
- Shy Guys become stronger and tricky to deal with. ( 3 to jump attack, 2 to ram attack. Jump attack shrinks if not blocked. Will attack twice if blocked)
- Sky Guys are now expert slingshot wielders. Knots a plenty. (3 attack, attacks shrink for a long time. Not shown yet, but they take 2 damage from electric attacks)
- Pyro Guys upgraded from using vegetable oil to ethanol. (4 attack)
- Spy Guys are now masters of CQC and OSA. (4 Attack, 2 Defense. Slingshot attacks inflict 6 turns of Shrink if not blocked. Will counter ranged attacks when armed with a Slingshot. Will counter melee attacks when hammer is equipped. Hammer can disable a broader range of abilities now, including the ability for one to guard or even use action commands! Not shown, but fire attacks pierce their defenses and inflicts 2 damage to them, very resistant to all status effects)
- Medi Guys now have a bit more medical knowledge under their masks. This is a good and bad thing. ( 3 Attack, 1 Defense, attacks inflict Sleep. Can now heal a single target for 6 or a team for 3 HP.)
- Groove Guys are just... the worst now...
-* Very likely to summon help now, and they can summon Pyro, Spy, Groove, Medi, or normal Shy Guys.
-* Will dizzy targets for a while if they don't summon.
-* More likely to summon Medi Guys or Groove Guys if the team is low on HP.
- Anti Guys live up to their Deadly Guy rumors. (4 to jump attack. Ram is the same. Both attacks can inflict a very long Shrink. Will double attack if blocked.)
- The Shy Guys have made a few blockades here in the Toy Box!
- I Spy Badge is now free to equip!
- Jump Charge is 2 FP and caps at 6 now.
- Another D-Down Pound Badge? Either there's two of them or the author didn't keep up with the badges! (Whoops)
- Spike Shield recovered from badge bandits but now costs a point more to equip!
- The storeroom now holds items worth locking up, including Dylan's Upgrade Disk!