Chapter 9: Trying to Reach the Beach
Mario arrives back in the plaza once again this time to not be greeted by the mayor, but by a Noki.
Noki: Hi-hi-hi-hi. I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN, MARIO!
Mario: *brushes
hair back, at least tries to talk all posh* Of course
you are. Aren't
we all my biggest fan? I remember this one guy...
-FLASHBACK-
Bowser Jr. walks up to Mario
Bowser Jr: I'm your biggest fan.
Mario: You too.
Bowser Jr: I even have a gift for you.
Mario: Oh really? Thank you.
Bowser Jr. turns around and bends down and lets loose a fart.
Mario: Hey, the last guy gave me the exact same thing. Thank you.
-END FLASHBACK-
Noki: Ummm, you see, I was wondering... um... if I could... if I could maybe join you on your trip temporarily.
Mario: Why?
Noki: Well you coming from Pinna Park would mean you only have two badges here. The official Koopamon guide book states that Gelato Beach is the home to the third gym. It is also where I live. I thought maybe you'd accompany me.
Mario: Why not?
Noki: Oh thank you, thank you! You won't regret this.
Mario: That's what Bowser Jr. said when I decided I'd like to see his gift.
They begin to walk.
Mario: So how do I get there anyway?
Noki: Well you could try to get there from the lighthouse. There should be a walkway around there.
Mario: Okay.
They begin walking when they come across some sludge bubbles bouncing around.
Noki: What the?
They get around them to see Jr. again. This time he has a massive sludge bubble and it is spurting smaller ones.
Jr: Okay, Sludge Blob, keep it up. I'm glad you evolved. Now I can wreck havoc. Maybe then I'll meet the legendary trainer Shadow Mario.
Mario: HEY! STOP THAT!
Noki: Oh, he's so heroic!
Jr: Ugh, not you again. I'm a little busy.
Noki: Leave this place forever.
Jr: Who are you? Ah, who cares? GO SLUDGE PIRANHA! Maybe this will evolve him to Goo Piranha.
Mario: GO...
Noki: PINWHEEL!
The Noki calls on a fan propellor.
Mario: What?
Jr: You want in too? Fine! GET IN THERE, SLUDGE BLOB.
Mario smiles.
Mario: GO DARK CLONE
Jr: What is that thing? ... A Duplighost, eh? They hate dark moves so DOUBLE UP AND USE DARK ARROW!
Both Koopamon shoot a dark arrow at Dark Clone, but Pinwheel flies in the way and blows them away with Gust Wave. Dark Clone then goes berserk and stampedes through all three of them, plowing them into a knockout with his violent assault.
Jr. and Noki: WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE WORLD WAS THAT?
The two recall their Koopamon and Mario recalls Dark Clone.
Jr: Umm.... Ummmmmm... Gotta go.
Jr. turns and goes to run, but stops.
Jr: Wait... What did you call that Koopamon?
Mario: Dark Clone.
Jr.: ... That's a lie... That isn't it's name.
Mario: It's a nickname
Jr: The nickname... That Koopamon... You met... him, didn't you?
Mario nods and Jr. backs away and runs.
Noki: What was that all about? And why did your Koopamon go berserk like that?
Mario: It's hard to explain. Let's just go before people get suspicous.
They continue
on to the lighthouse and down the path to the next location.
Chapter 10: Helping Out in the Festivities
Mario and the Noki arrive. An older Noki runs up.
Old Noki: Shellson, there you are. You worried your mother.
Mario: This is your mom?
Noki (Shellson): Yes. I've been with Mario the whole time.
Mom Noki: Oh wow. How nice. Thank you for keeping watch on my son, Mario.
Shellson: Oh, can I go with Mario? Please, Mom, please?
Both Mario and the mother Noki are shocked by this.
Mario: But shouldn't you be, like, going to school and hanging out with friends at the park and the beach and the... ghetto and all those other places teenagers like you talk about?
Mom Noki: Well I have no problem with it if you're fine with it, Mario.
Shellson displays a very cheesy begging sad face.
Mario: *sigh* Okay. Welcome to the group, Shellson.
Shellson: Oh thank you, Mario.
The two say goodbye to Mom Noki and move on towards people pushing watermellons out around the beach. They go up to a Pianta.
Mario: What's going on?
Pianta: Watermelon festival.
Mario: Never heard of it.
Pianta: Well the
Piantas in charge of the beach push many watermelons all around and people
go on a hunt to try to find the biggest one. Whoever gets the biggest one
wins a prize of fruit for life. Also we take the
biggest one that
was found and make smoothies for everyone.
Mario: Sounds fun.
Pianta: Well if you push all the melons out on the beach and then go to a cabin and wait, then when we start you two can participate.
Shellson: I'd love that.
Mario: Let's do it.
Mario and Shellson begins shoving watermelons out onto the beach, but are disrupted by Cataquacks.
Mario: Oh no. Here comes the partypoopers.
Shellson: I'll handle it. GO CATAQUACK!
Mario: What...?
Shellson releases a green Cataquack. The green is the most uncommon kind, and there are only two othersrunning on the beach.
Shellson: USE FLIP UP!
Cataquack moves rather fast, flipping the other Cataquacks through the air. Some land in the water and some smash into the sun tower.
Mario: What...? How?
Shellson: Hurry, Mario, push the melons to the beach.
Mario calls out
Fatty and B. Bass to help him push them out to the beach. Ten minutes later
everything is done and the festivities begin. Will Mario win, will Shellson
win? Read the next part a few lines down to find out.
Chapter 11: Melon-Hunting with the Gym Leader
Mario and Shellson are standing at the entry to the melon hut with many Piantas and Nokis. One Pianta walks up to Mario.
Pianta: Mario, is it? I am a researcher. I do studies on the Sun Tower. I am Sandy Pianta. I am this area's gym leader.
Mario: WHAT?
Sandy: Yes, I remember when you first came here. We talked at the tower base. I was still waiting for the sand bird. Are you in on this game?
Mario: Yes, me and my friend here are.
Shellson: Friend... YAY!
Mario: I know.
Anouncer Pianta: Okay, people, we are going to start now. On your mark....get set, and all that stuff. Now just go... Go people, go! RUN!
Everyone runs, noticingly even the gym leader, who seems to be rather speedy for a massive thing like a Pianta. Mario and Shellson split up and go in different directions. Mario goes up on the ledges and makes his way on the back hill, while Shelldon roams around the end of the beach. Sandy is seem coming up behind Mario.
Mario: Come on out, big melon. You shouldn't be this hard to find.
Sandy: Mario, there you are.
Mario: What? Do you need something? I'm trying to find me a big melon.
Sandy: Oh no... Hey, look over there.
Mario looks aside and Sandy runs by him.
Mario: Hey!
Sandy: I've been trying to win this for thirty-five years now! I AM WINNING!
Mario: Oh no you don't.
Mario runs after him. Down on the beach, Shellson heads up to Mario's area. Mario and Sandy find a massive melon and run at it. Both leap into it, causing it to roll away.
Mario: NNNNNOOOOOOO!
Sandy: OH NO YOU DON'T!
Sandy runs after it with Mario close behind. Sandy leaps in front of it and Mario rolls it over him and off the hill. Shellson comes up and jumps over Sandy and come up beside Mario. Sandy gets up and goes on the other side. Shellson slows down and Mario and Sandy shove the melon over the finish line.
Pianta Anouncer: We have a melon over the line. Let's see... This is it. This is the biggest one. You two win... or I wish I could say.
Mario and Sandy: WHAT? There is more?
Pianta: Yes. You see, there can't be a tie, so you two need to battle it out.
Sandy: Oh... Being the gym leader, this WILL be fun.
Mario: Yes. Bring it on, Sandy.
Shellson runs up.
Shellson: OH MY GOD! MARIO IS GOING FOR A BADGE!
Sandy: Oh yes. That's right. If you win you get a badge too.
Mario: Oh, I'm lovin' this.
Shellson: Mario... would you... take one of my Koopamon with you and use it? I have six as it is. Two of them are the same. I accidentally captured two of the same Koopamon.
Mario: Why thank you, Shellson. I can't wait to see what it is.
Pianta Anouncer. There you have it. A battle will soon begin. Maybe this should go to the gym.
Sandy: Right. Follow me.
Sandy takes them to the Sun Tower and they go to the top. Mario and Sandy stand on platforms floating at an equal distance from the huge roof top of the tower, and Shellson and the Pianta anouncer are on a cloud over to the side.
Sandy: Three on
three, Mario. BEGIN!
Chapter 12: An Earthly Gym Match High Above Ground
Mario: Let's see your Koopamon, Shellson. GO WHOEVER YOU ARE!
Mario releases an M. Bush.
Mario: OH! A GRASS TYPE!
Sandy hisses at this.
Sandy: GO POKEY!
Sandy releases a cactus into battle. The ground grass faces off against grass poison.
Mario: M. Bush..
Shellson: CALL HIM BUSH! THAT'S HIS NICKNAME!
Mario: Oh, okay. BUSH, USE YOUR LEAF DART!
Bush shoots out a long, pointed leaf.
Sandy: SANDSTORM!
Pokey spins its segments, sending up a sandstorm that weighs down the leaf, pushing it down.
Sandy: PIN MISSILE!
Pins fly out of the sand at Bush.
Mario: GET OUT OF THE WAY AND USE NATURE BOMB!
Bush jumps aside and fires leaves, logs, rocks, and other land forest objects into the sand.
Sandy: SHARP DRILL!
Pokey's spikes shoot across a wider range and all the objects become chopped down on the spikes.
Mario: SLUDGE BOMB!
Sandy: There we go. Use Sludge Tackle.
Pokey turns purple and dashes into the Sludge Bomb unharmed due to temporary toxication. It then collides into M. Bush. Both Koopamon are hit with a poison explosion.
Mario: That's not good. Try a Poison Ball.
Sandy: Pin Missile.
Bush whips up and shoots a poison glob that Pokey breaks down by piercing many holes in it with Pin Missile.
Sandy: Now use Sludge Tackle.
Mario: NATURE BOMB!
Sandy: Oh poot.
Bush fires many wooden objects into the Pokey coming right at it. The collision causes an explosion.
Sandy: OH NO!
Pokey goes flying down and out.
Sandy: Return. GO MONTY MOLE!
Mario: LEAF DART!
Sandy: Monty Mole, use Mud Rage.
Monty Mole's body turns to mud, which the leaf goes through. It then charges at Bush.
Mario: Jump aside and use more leaf darts.
Bush jumps aside and Monty Mole just turns and keeps after Bush. The darts go through the mud and the tackle connects. Bush is sent reeling back.
Sandy: Finish it with Rock Throw.
Monty Mole pulls a rock from... well nowhere and throws it at Bush, knocking it out.
Mario: Come back. GO FATTY! Use Tackle.
Fatty runs at Monty Mole.
Sandy: Use Slash.
Monty Mole simply slashes Fatty aside.
Sandy: You won't get anywhere that way, Mario.
Mario: Okay then. SPIN TACKLE!
Fatty spins at high speed and hits Monty Mole head-on. The two Koopamon bounce apart from each other.
Mario: Tackle.
Sandy: Not this time. Slash the ground.
Mario: What?
Monty Mole slashes the ground in front of it and drags a line to the left. Fatty spins over like a top, falls in one of the small holes from the slash, and is pushed along the hole away from Monty Mole.
Sandy: ROCK THROW!
Monty Mole throws a rock into Fatty, smashing it on him and stopping the spin tackle.
Mario: Darn.
Sandy: Mud Tackle.
Mario: OH OH! WINDBALL!
Monty Mole turns to mud and the windball splatters him. The mud comes together.
Mario: TACKLE!
Fatty slams the now non-mud Monty Mole, knocking it out.
Sandy: Return. That's it, no more playtime.
Mario: Mamamia.
Shellson: Come on, Mario.
Sandy: Now the big guns. No Koopaball for this baby. Introducing my find... my capture... my ultimate weapon. ARISE, SAND BIRD!
The tower rumbles and the whole area shakes.
Mario: WOAH!
A massive, MASSIVE sand block-made bird about fifty times the size of the two trainers combined flies up the side of the tower.
Sandy: THIS IS IT, MARIO! DOWN YOU GO!
Mario: NO WAY! WINDBALL!
Fatty blows away a sand block, which just regenerates.
Sandy: AHAHAHAHA! WING ATTACK!
Sand Bird goes into a flip and lines up with the tower and rushes its wing along the top. Unfortunatly the wing is longer than the tower top, so it covers up the full space and slams Fatty into the air and over, where it struggles to get up.
Sandy: SAND BLOCK!
Sand flings its
tail, out aiming at Fatty, and launches the ten sand blocks
at him. All odd
numbered blocks hit. Two hit the tower, forming
a hole, and the
rest miss altogether. Fatty is knocked out.
Mario: Oh no, I'm in trouble... Wait!
Shellson sees Marios expression.
Shellson: No, Mario! It's too dangerous.
Mario: TOO LATE! GO DARK CLONE!
Mario releases the Duplighost.
Sandy: Okay then. This shouldn't be hard.
Mario giggles.
Sandy: SANDSTORM!
Sand Bird fills the whole area, even off the field, with sand.
Sandy: WING ATTACK!
Sand Bird swoops by and the result can't be seen. When the sand clears, Dark Clone can't be seen.
Mario: Oh no. I don't believe it.
Sandy: AHAHAHAH!
A scream is heard and they look up to see Dark Clone running along Sand Bird's wing.
Sandy: WHAT? SPIN AROUND!
Sand Bird spins, dropping Dark Clone to land in pain.
Mario: You need to listen to me, Dark Clone. PLEASE!
Dark Clone leaps to its feat and fires off a dark hole through the air which Sand Bird dodges.
Sandy: What was that? USE DIVE BOMB AND END IT!
Sand Bird gets in a downward dart position and shoots at a blinding speed to the tower top.
Mario: PLEASE LISTEN AT LEAST ONCE!
Dark Clone looks at Mario and brushes him off by flinging himself around facing away from him. He then looks up and fires off Shadow Ball, which smashes Sand Bird in the face. It keeps coming, though.
Shellson: I knew it. Using him is pointless.
Mario kneels down.
Sandy: HAHA! I WIN, MARIO!
Sand Bird collides with the tower. It splits right through the tower down and out of view. When it comes up Dark Clone is seen gripping Sand Bird by the beak block. He then pulls himself on to a block sticking out.
Sandy: Ugh. Don't know how you did that, but SPIN!
Sand Bird begins spinning and Dark Clone begins to lose its grip.
Mario: Dark Clone, you NEED to use Dark Hole.
Dark Clone sighs, and to shut Mario up, lets one loose which hits and disintegrates the Sand Bird's tail. The Sand Bird screams.
Sandy: WHAT?! IMPOSSIBLE!
Mario: DARK HOLE!
Dark Hole doesn't listen this time and gets to a higher block and hits the left wing with Shadow Ball, busting a block which regenerates. The tail blocks start to fill in again.
Sandy: So this thing has listening problems, eh?
Mario: EVEN A VIOLENT ASSAULT!
Dark Clone jumps to the right wing and sends a Shadow Ball down into Sand Bird's face. The face literally spins around.
Sandy: SAND BLOCK!
Sand Bird begins firing its right wing blocks off it and Dark Clone desperately jumps to the left wing at the time the right wing regenerates with the tail.
Sandy: Can you beat this god?
Pianta Announcer: This looks obvious. Mario should just give in.
Shellson: Mario would never. He just made a bad choice, that's all.
Mario: I won't give in. DARK CLONE, I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT!
Sand Bird slams its wings together, crushing Dark Clone and almost knocking it out.
Mario: I don't care if I lose, I don't want you hurt. I will give up if that is what it takes to stop you from getting knocked out.
Dark Clone looks at him with a twinkle in his eye. He then brushes Mario off.
Shellson: Almost. I don't think it'll be that easy, though.
Sand Bird spins around and Dark Clone drops from the left wing to the right. He grabs on.
Sandy: Darn it. WING ATTACK A FLYING PLATFORM AND PUSH IT OFF!
Sand Bird levels Dark Clone's head with a platform and moves at a blinding speed.
Mario: DARK HOLE!
Dark Clone backflips up and lands on the left wing as the right smashes the platform to dust.
Mario: Fine then, Dark Clone. I'm tired of being put through this suspense. Sandy I qu...
Dark Clone hisses.
Mario: Are you going to listen?
Dark Clone hangs his head but nods.
Shellson: Oh, he's tricky. Mario would never quit.
Mario: Now we're in business. LET'S DO THIS!
Sandy: NO WAY!
Mario: DARK HOLE, DARK HOLE, DARK HOLE! THE WINGS, TAIL, AND HEAD!
Dark Clone fires off dark holes.
Sandy: SPIN!
Sand Bird spins around and only one dark hole hits, but it belts the tail, sucking it into the hole. Sand flies out of it.
Sandy: Grrrrr... SANDSTORM!
Mario: DARK HOLE!
A dark hole hits each wing and they disappear. Sand Bird begins a dive bomb towards Dark Clone.
Mario: Jump to the ledge and Dark Hole the body.
Dark Clone leaps besides Mario and disintegrates the body. The tail and wings come back but fall due to having no support, and the body parts fall below view. The whole area shakes and a mess of sand comes flying up.
Sandy: ... I... I lost.
Sandy falls to his knees and their platforms lower to land to a big mass of sand. Sandy puts the Sand Bird in a Koopaball to regenerate it.
Shellson: Congratulations, Mario.
Sandy: Mario, take this. The Sand Badge.
Pianta Announcer: Well you win, Mario. You get a prize: the TM for Bullet Seed.
Sandy: And I give you the TM for Sand Block.
Mario: Thank you.
Pianta Announcer: Now let's have smoothies.
They all sit down to smoothies, then Mario and Shellson move on.