Ash Ketchum had faced many strange and thrilling adventures throughout his journey, but none of them prepared him for what was happening now. One moment, he was walking through the woods with Pikachu, enjoying the fresh air, and the next—

FLASH!

A bright, blinding light engulfed them both. Ash shielded his eyes, and Pikachu let out a startled, "Pika?!" The sensation felt like being sucked through a vortex, wind rushing past them as if they were falling through a tunnel of swirling colors.

And then—

THUMP.

Ash groaned, pushing himself up from the ground. "Ugh... What just happened?"

"Pika…?" Pikachu blinked and shook its little head, fur ruffled from the unexpected journey.

Ash finally took a good look around. The sky was a brilliant blue, cartoonishly perfect. White, fluffy clouds drifted lazily above, and the landscape was filled with bright green hills, brick blocks floating in the air, and…

"No way."

A massive red castle with a golden crown emblem stood in the distance. Short, mushroom-headed people walked around cheerfully. Some were even bouncing in place.

Ash's jaw dropped. He knew this place. It was impossible, but—

"This… this is the Mushroom Kingdom!" he blurted out.

"Pika?!" Pikachu looked equally shocked.

Before Ash could fully process the absurdity of the situation, a voice called out.

"Hey! Over here!"

Ash turned to see a red-capped, mustached man jogging toward him with surprising speed. Beside him, a taller, green-clad man followed hesitantly. And running alongside them was—

"YOSHI?!"

The little green dinosaur gave a cheerful, "Yoshi!" waving its stubby arms excitedly.

Ash couldn't believe it. Right in front of him stood Mario and Luigi—actual living legends of the video game world. He had played their games, heard their names, but they weren't supposed to be real!

Mario stopped just in front of Ash, grinning. "Mamma mia! You're not from around here, are ya?"

Ash was still struggling to wrap his head around this. "Uh… no! I mean, I don't even know how I got here! One second I was with Pikachu, and then—"

BAM!

Something heavy crashed into the ground behind them, shaking everything. Pikachu's fur bristled as Ash whipped around—

There he was.

A giant, hulking, spiked-shelled menace.

Bowser.

His red eyes gleamed with mischief, his mouth curling into a smirk. "Heh! Looks like we've got a new challenger," he rumbled, cracking his massive knuckles. "I don't know where you came from, kid, but if you're here, that means you're ready to fight!"

Ash blinked. "Wait, what?"

A triumphant voice suddenly rang from the sky, loud and booming.

"NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHING!"

Ash barely had time to react before Bowser lunged.

"Whoa!"

Ash barely dodged to the side as Bowser's clawed fist smashed into the ground, leaving a crater where he had stood just moments before.

"Pikachu, look out!" Ash warned.

"Pika!" Pikachu zipped away just in time to avoid another claw swipe.

Mario jumped in front of Ash. "Looks like you're in the Smash Bros world now, pal! You'd better fight if you wanna stay standing!"

Ash clenched his fists. He had no idea what was going on, but there was no way he was backing down now. If Bowser wanted a fight, he'd give him one.

"Alright, Pikachu! Let's show him what we're made of!"

Pikachu sparked with electricity, ready to battle.

"Pikaaaaa—CHUUUUU!"

A bolt of lightning shot forward, striking Bowser square in the chest. The giant Koopa growled, stumbling back but far from defeated.

Mario grinned, giving Ash an approving nod. "Not bad! But in this world, we fight with style!"

Luigi, looking much more nervous, adjusted his hat. "Ohhh, this-a is gonna be rough…"

Bowser growled, steam practically pouring from his nostrils. "Alright, you little twerp! Now you're asking for it!"

Ash smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Bring it on, Bowser! I'm always up for a challenge!"

The battle was just beginning.

Bowser wiped a trail of smoke from his snout, his red eyes gleaming with excitement. "Heh. You're still standing? Good. I was hoping for a real fight!"

Ash smirked. His adrenaline was pumping, and Pikachu stood by his side, sparks flying from its cheeks. They had to end this with something big.

Then—something unexpected happened.

Ash suddenly felt a strange energy building up inside him. His hands tingled, and a faint blue glow surrounded his body. It was warm, powerful, familiar.

"Whoa…" Ash looked down at his hands. This feeling… it's like when I used Aura before!

Mario gasped. "Mamma mia! This kid's got aura power?!"

Luigi blinked in shock. "Ash-a really is a challenger!"

Bowser scoffed. "Hah! Whatever tricks you're pulling, it won't save you!"

Ash clenched his fists as the blue energy flared around him. "Pikachu, let's give them a Smash-style special move!"

Pikachu grinned. "Pika pika!"

Bowser charged forward, but Ash was already moving. He spread his arms wide, and the aura around him intensified, forming a massive sphere of pure blue energy between his hands.

Mario's eyes widened. "No way—that's an Aura Sphere!"

Ash planted his feet firmly on the ground. His entire body surged with aura, the sphere growing larger and brighter. Pikachu's sparks crackled even more violently as it leaped into the air above Ash, eyes glowing with determination.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt—NOW!"

"PIKAAAAAAAAAAAA—CHUUUUUUUUUUU!"

A gigantic bolt of golden lightning struck the Aura Sphere, infusing it with raw electricity. The sphere crackled and pulsed, transforming into a storm of blue and yellow energy.

Bowser took a step back. "What the—?!"

Ash grinned. "You're in for it now, Bowser!"

"AURA… STORM!"

With a powerful thrust, Ash launched the electrified Aura Sphere straight at Bowser. The King of the Koopas barely had time to react before the massive energy blast engulfed him!

"GRAAAAAAH!" Bowser roared as he was blasted backward, tumbling across the battlefield in a fiery explosion of blue and yellow sparks.

But Ash wasn't done yet.

"Pikachu—send me in!"

Pikachu grinned. "Pika!"

With lightning-fast speed, Pikachu grabbed Ash's arm with its tail, spun him around, and launched him forward—

Ash's right arm glowed silver, his Iron Tail fully charged.

He rocketed toward Bowser, spinning in midair like a living missile.

"IRON TAIL—IMPACT!"

WHAM!

Ash's glowing Iron Tail smashed into Bowser's gut with incredible force.

A shockwave erupted from the impact, sending Bowser flying into the air, spiraling out of control!

"BWWWAAAAARGH!" Bowser soared off the battlefield, disappearing into the sky with a blazing trail of smoke.

The world seemed to pause.

Then—

DING DING DING!

A booming voice announced:

"GAME!"

The battlefield fell silent. The dust settled.

Ash landed smoothly, breathing heavily. Pikachu landed beside him, looking just as exhausted.

And then—

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi erupted into cheers!

"Woohoo! That was incredible!" Mario cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

Luigi wiped his forehead. "Phew! That-a was close!"

Princess Peach smiled. "That was amazing, Ash! You really are a fighter!"

Yoshi bounced excitedly. "Yoshi! Yoshi!"

Ash grinned and gave Pikachu a high-five. "We did it, buddy!"

"Pikachu!"

Suddenly—

A fiery shape appeared in the distance. Bowser landed with a loud crash, shaking the ground.

Ash tensed, ready for round two—

But instead, Bowser got up, groaning and dusting himself off. "Grrr… I gotta admit, kid, that was one heck of a hit."

Ash blinked. "Wait… you're not mad?"

Bowser let out a deep chuckle. "Heh. You got guts, and you actually hit like a truck. I respect that!"

Ash smirked. "Guess that means I won?"

Bowser folded his arms and snorted. "Tch. Yeah, yeah, you won this round. But next time? I'm not holding back!"

Mario laughed and clapped Ash on the back. "Well, looks like you're officially part of Super Smash Bros, Ash!"

Ash blinked. Super Smash Bros?!

Luigi nodded. "Yep! And in this world, fighters get called in from different places! Looks like you're one of them!"

Ash grinned. "So that means I get to battle all kinds of fighters?!"

Mario nodded. "Oh yeah! And there's a lot more waiting for you!"

Ash turned to Pikachu, excitement in his eyes. "Did you hear that, Pikachu? This is our next big challenge!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu nodded eagerly.

Bowser cracked his knuckles. "Heh. You're gonna need all the training you can get. There are some real powerhouses in this tournament."

Ash smirked. "Then bring 'em on. We're just getting started!"

Just a project. Nothing too serious for now.