Prologue (Part 1) - The Ultimate Tournament
Mario and Luigi were relaxing in their cozy Mushroom Kingdom home. The sun gleamed through the windows, and Luigi hummed a cheerful tune as he sipped his tea. Mario, leaning back in his armchair, had his eyes closed, happy with a rare break from adventuring.
Just as Mario was beginning to doze off, a rapid fluttering of wings broke the silence. It was Parakarry, the friendly mail carrier from Toad Town, swooping down with an envelope in his talons.
"Special delivery for Mario!" Parakarry called as he landed. Mario opened his eyes and gave a wave, while Luigi grabbed the envelope and read the letter aloud.
"Dear Mario," Luigi began, his eyes widening as he skimmed the text. "You are invited to participate in the prestigious Smash Tournament! Hosted by Master Hand and Crazy Hand, this contest brings together the greatest fighters worldwide. Your strength and skill are legendary, and we believe you have what it takes to reach the top!"
Mario gave a wide grin, pumping a fist into the air. Luigi chuckled, though there was a bit of concern in his voice. "You know these tournaments always mean trouble, right Mario?"
"Ah, it's-a fine, Luigi!" Mario replied with his trademark confidence. "And you're coming with me! Along with Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, and Rosalina."
Within the hour, Mario and Luigi were at Peach's Castle, gathering their friends for the journey. Peach, as always, was supportive of the tournament, while Daisy was bouncing with excitement. Rosalina, more serene but just as interested, agreed to come along, and Yoshi let out a happy cry, already imagining the thrill of watching his friend compete.
Suddenly, as the group assembled in the castle courtyard, a blinding flash of light filled the area. Master Hand appeared, swirling in a graceful arc.
"Mario, are you ready?" Master Hand asked as Mario responded with a nod.
They spun around the group, and with a burst of power, everyone was teleported to the tournament arena. The atmosphere was electrifying—massive crowds roared from the stands, and the competitors lined up, each one sizing up their opponents.
The other fighters assembled: Kirby, Sonic the Hedgehog, Cloud Strife, Pit, Link, Captain Falcon, and Lucario. Mario waved to Luigi, Peach, and the others who were now seated in the audience before turning back to his fellow competitors. The announcer's voice boomed across the arena.
Master Hand floated above the arena as he shouted, "Let the Ultimate Tournament... BEGIN!"
The first match was Mario versus Pit. As they stepped into the arena, Pit summoned his Palutena Bow, twirling it with finesse. Mario clenched his fists, adopting a fighter's stance. The bell rang, and Pit charged forward.
He launched a flurry of attacks with his split blades. Mario dodged and blocked, narrowly avoiding a slash aimed at his head. He countered with a fireball, which Pit deflected with his blades, sending a wave of energy back toward Mario.
But Mario wasn't backing down. With a quick leap, he launched a series of punches, each one forcing Pit back until he was near the edge of the stage. Just as Pit tried to fly over him, Mario executed a powerful headbutt, sending Pit soaring.
Pit desperately tried to regain his footing as he shot a volley of arrows at Mario, but Mario weaved through them and leaped into the air. With a final spinning kick, he knocked Pit off the stage and sealed his victory.
"Mario wins!" Master Hand bellowed.
Next up, Captain Falcon faced off against Sonic the Hedgehog. The bell rang, and Captain Falcon dashed forward, fists glowing as he prepared a Falcon Punch. But Sonic was faster, darting around him in a blur of blue, making Captain Falcon swing wildly at nothing.
Sonic dashed behind him, striking him with a quick homing attack that sent him reeling. Captain Falcon tried to counter with a Raptor Boost, but Sonic was too quick, zipping to the other side of the stage and delivering a series of rapid kicks.
Despite Captain Falcon's strength, Sonic's speed was simply overwhelming, and with a final Spin Dash, he sent Captain Falcon flying off the stage.
"Sonic wins! HAHAHAHAHA!" Crazy Hand declared.
Cloud and Link entered the arena next, both brandishing their swords. Link raised his shield, charging forward with a spin attack, but Cloud met him head-on with a Cross Slash, sparks flying as their blades clashed.
Link attempted to keep his distance, firing arrows and tossing bombs, but Cloud dodged each one with precision, closing in and launching a series of brutal strikes. As the battle raged on, Cloud activated his Limit Break.
His entire body glowed blue, and he raised his sword high. With a swift, devastating slash, he unleashed his Finishing Touch, a whirlwind of energy that sent Link crashing off the stage, defeated.
"Cloud wins!" Master Hand declared.
Lucario fired an Aura Sphere, which Kirby inhaled, eyes gleaming as he copied Lucario's power. Now equipped with his own Aura Sphere, Kirby launched it back at Lucario, the blast even stronger than Lucario's original attack.
Lucario dodged and countered with a Force Palm, but Kirby managed to evade. In a flurry of quick movements, Kirby launched another enhanced Aura Sphere, this one hitting Lucario squarely and sending him flying off the stage.
"Kirby wins! HAHAHAHAHA!" Crazy Hand declared.
The semifinals arrived, with Mario and Sonic stepping onto the stage. They exchanged serious faces as Sonic glared at Mario with animosity.
"Mario! You may have won in the past, but I'll show you who's boss this time!" Sonic yelled.
"History repeats itself, Sonic," Mario replied, "I won, and I'll win again!"
Sonic sped around the stage, weaving in and out of Mario's range. Mario struggled to keep up with his speed, getting struck left and right by Sonic. But he finally managed to grab hold of Sonic, throwing him up and delivering a powerful kick.
Sonic recovered, using a Homing Attack to slam into Mario, knocking him back down to the stage. Sonic went back down and struck Mario with a diving kick, striking Mario while he was down.
Mario got up as Sonic came in with a flying kick. Mario uses his Cape to flip Sonic the other way, making him nearly run off the stage. As Sonic was disoriented, Mario struck Sonic with a powerful headbutt, knocking him into the air. Mario then weaved through the platforms to follow Sonic up.
In a tense moment, Sonic went for a final Spin Dash, using all his rage from Mario from all those years. Sonic used all his might to ram into Mario with an ultra-powerful Spin Dash. The two of them tumbled together, even breaking part of the arena from the force. But Sonic's momentum pushed him slightly farther, causing him to fall first.
"Although it was close, the winner is MARIO!" Master Hand declared.
The second semifinal saw Cloud facing Kirby. Cloud lunged forward, swinging his Buster Sword, but Kirby darted around, avoiding each blow. In a bold move, Kirby inhaled Cloud, gaining his power and copying his Omnislash.
Cloud's eyes widened in surprise as Kirby unleashed the move, sending a flurry of slashes that left Cloud barely able to stand. The little pink fighter's versatility proved too much, and with a final swing, Cloud was off the stage.
"Kirby wins! HAHAHAHAHA!" Crazy Hand laughed.
The final match was set: Mario versus Kirby. The crowd held its breath as the two combatants sized each other up.
"Let's make this-a fight one to remember, eh Kirby?" Mario remarked, gesturing Kirby to come on.
"Poyo! (Let's do it!)" Kirby responded.
Kirby charged at Mario, hammering down with his hammer and knocking the wind out of Mario. Kirby went to inhale Mario, but he foresaw it, leaping over Kirby and striking with a powerful flying kick. As Kirby tried to dodge, Mario hit Kirby with a spinning uppercut, launching him into the air.
Using the platforms to his advantage, Mario repeatedly kicked Kirby up into the air, juggling him up for a combo. He then struck Kirby with a powerful uppercut as Kirby landed.
Mario went in for the knockout, but Kirby quickly dodged and countered with a powerful kick, sending Mario tumbling through the air and off the stage. He barely managed to recover, grabbing the edge of the arena at the last second before vaulting himself back up.
"Crazy Hand, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Master Hand announced, drawing attention to them.
"Yeah! Let's make this battle CRAZY! HAHAHAHAHA!" Crazy Hand laughed as he snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, the crowd was awestruck as a radiant, multicolored orb appeared above the battlefield. It was a Smash Ball. Both fighters' eyes narrowed, recognizing the power it held.
Kirby immediately took to the air, his stubby arms and legs moving in swift flurries as he attacked the Smash Ball with all his might, desperate to break it.
Mario wasn't about to let Kirby get the advantage, and with a quick leap and a well-timed back-air kick, he intercepted Kirby, knocking him aside just long enough to land a direct hit on the ball.
The Smash Ball shattered in a dazzling explosion of light, and Mario felt its power surge through him, his eyes blazing with fierce determination.
Kirby knew he was in trouble. He tried to retreat, running across the arena to make aiming at him harder, but Mario wouldn't let him escape. Taking a deep breath, Mario raised his fists and unleashed his Final Smash, the Mario Finale.
A blazing wave of fire poured forth from Mario's hands, sweeping across the stage in an unstoppable wave. Kirby struggled as he was caught in the torrent of flames.
Desperately, he tried to float away, but the force of Mario's attack was too much. With one final burst, Kirby was launched off the stage, spiraling into the sky until he disappeared.
"AND MARIO IS YOUR WINNER!" Master Hand bellowed.
The crowd erupted, cheering as Mario stood victorious. The Ultimate Tournament's first champion had been crowned. Mario raised a fist to the sky, grinning as his friends cheered from the stands.
But he knew this was just the beginning of a new adventure—one that would take him and his friends to new heights of battle and beyond.