Chapter 29: Up Into the Trees We Go
Mario, Tatanga, and PM's ship arrive at the Plaza and they get off.
Mario: Well Tatanga, where is the last gym again?
Tatanga: Pianta Village, I believe.
Mario: Okay.
PM: Well Mario, I must be off now. It was a pleasure to battle you and to... kind of travel with you.
Mario: No problem. I enjoyed our battle.
PM: I'm glad, and I wish for the best results in the rest of the Delfino League.
Mario: Thank you.
PM: Goodbye.
PM Walks away to some other part of the Plaza.
Mario: Well now that that is over with, let's go.
Tatanga: You got it. How do we get there again?
Mario: I don't know... *gasp*
Tatanga: What?
Mario: Maybe if we close our eyes real tight and picture Pianta Village in our minds, we'll warp there.
Tatanga: ... No, only I can do that.
Mario: Oh... Well we could ask for directions.
Tatanga: That might work.
Mario walks up to a Pianta and gets his attention.
Mario: Excuse me, do you know the way to Pianta Village?
Pianta: Hmm. The only way I know of is by plane since the village is so high. The only person with a plane is that Pianta over there.
Mario: Okay.
Mario and Tatanga run up to him to see the... mayor.
Mario: Oh for the love of god, it's you.
Mayor: Oh, hello Mario. I was looking all over for you. I haven't seen you since our trip to Noki Bay.
Mario: I know... I was so glad. Listen, we need a way to Pianta Village.
Mayor: Pianta Village... You have SEVEN BADGES.
Mario: Yeah, cool huh?
Mayor: Oh, it's just dandy. Come with me then. We'll use my handy dandy plane.
Mario: Okie-dokie.
A few minutes later the three of them are on a plane.
Mario: Okay, Tatanga I guess this will be grass types, right?
Tatanga: Right, which is why you SHOULD probably open the battle with Eeker to try to finish them ASAP. I'd use B Bass for the ice beam attack and Fat Stack for the Airball.
Mario: Yeah, I had Eeker in mind. I wasn't really thinking of the other two, though.
Tatanga: Who did you have in mind?
Mario: Clone and Billy-Pa-Joe.
Tatanga: Yeah, I guess.
Mario: No no, I'm using your three. I forgot about Ice Beam and Airball for some reason.
Tatanga: That's okay. Let's just wait for us to land.
Mario and Tatanga sit back and talk about things that fat plumbers and aliens usually talk to each other about until the plane lands and the mayor comes in.
Mayor: We’re here, boys. Let's get off.
Mario: Okie-dokie.
The three of them
get off the plane, awaiting the battle that lies ahead.
Chapter 30: Distractions Before the Fluff Festival
Mario and Tatanga go across the bridge with the mayor up to the village, where there are many Piantas running around and dancing while fluffy things float around.
Mario: Wow, what is this?
Mayor: We arrived just in time, I see. This is the Fluff Festival. Many fluffs float in and all the Piantas try to grab onto them and fly around with them.
Mario: Cool.
Tatanga: Yeah but... aren't Piantas too heavy for the fluffs?
Mayor: No way. Those things can carry quite a bit.
Mario: Oh wow... Hehehe, they look funny.
Tatanga: Can we get on one?
Mario: But my gym battle…
Mayor: If you don't mind me butting in, Mario, the Fluff Festival is only a once-a-year thing, just in case you want to participate.
Mario: Weeelllllllllllll, okie-dokie.
Tatanga: YAY! Can we let our Koopamon ride them too?
Mayor: I don't see why not. I'm sure this place’s mayor won't mind.
Mario: Yeah, where is this place’s mayor anyway?
The mayor looks at Mario.
Mayor: Can we go? I actually want to try this out.
Mario: Okay.
Mario calls out Mecha B, B Bass, Fat Stack, Billy-Pa-Joe, Eeker, and Clone. Tatanga calls out Duplighost, Lanturn Ghost, Eeker, Magikoopa, Shamin, and Snipharo; Mayor Pianta calls out an M. Bush.
Mario: Oh, you only have the one?
Mayor: Nah, I have three others. Just this one for now. Last one there is a rotten fruit.
Mario and Tatanga: ...
The mayor runs off.
Tatanga: Let's go... Mario... Mario?
Mario: Tatanga...
Tatanga: What?
Mario: Could he be…?
Tatanga: What?
Mario: Four koopamon... one an M. Bush.
Tatanga: ... You mean...
Mario: Yeah.
Tatanga: He couldn't be.
Mario: Okay. Let's
go.
Chapter 31: Up Up and Away We Go with a Huge Surprise
Mario and Tatanga catch up to the mayor and they begin to run around and try to grab fluffs while their Koopamon try to do the same just spread out.
Mayor: Come on, guys, catching these things can be tricky.
Mario: Okay.
Mario jumps at a fluff and misses, flying down towards land, but catches one and floats up. Tatanga jumps up and grabs one and so does the mayor. They begin to float up when Mario's fluff moves in towards B Bass'. B Bass doesn't seem to have control on his, though, and they get closer and closer.
Mario: How do we change directions?
Mayor: ... I DON'T KNOW, MARIO!
Mario: MAMAMIA!
Mario and B Bass collide, throwing up dust. When it clears, Mario's fluff is seen flying up with Mario grabbing on and B Bass biting onto his feet to hold him in the air.
Mario: B Bass, you’re hurting me.
Tatanga: Mario, I don't think he cares right now.
Mario: Why not?
Tatanga: Well a guess from nowhere says that maybe he doesn't want to take a drop of about a hundred feet.
Mayor: He has a point, Mario.
Mario: Ah man. Why are our fluffs going so high?
Mayor: I do not know. The village is getting farther and farther out of view... I can't see anybody but us and your Boss Bass.
Mario: B Bass.
Mayor: Who cares right now?
Mario: *gasp* You little…
Mario kicks and squirms, trying to make his fluff move to the mayor’s but he kicks so hard B Bass loses his grip and flies off and hits the mayor, whose fluff bust. The major and B. Bass drop towards land.
Mario: B BASS! … PIANTA GUY!
Tatanga: He's the mayor, Mario.
Mario: Who cares right now?
Tatanga: ...
Mario jumps off the fluff and soars down towards them. He grabs B Bass since he for some reason is falling slower, and lands on the mayor, breaking the fall.
Mayor: OOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!
Mario: What? We aren't that heavy.
Mayor: He isn't... you are. Get off of me.
Mario: Oh... Sorry.
Mario jumps off and looks up.
Mario: Where is Tatanga?
Up… several thousand feet from the village…
Tatanga: Mario... Mayor... B Bass... Anybody... *cries*
Mayor: Oh boy. He shouldn't have been carried that high.
Mario: What do we do?
Mayor: I don't know.
Mario: I know. My gym match. Do you know who the gym leader is?
Mayor: Yes I do. He just so happens to be the mayor here.
Mario: Hmmmmm. This is strange. Unless I really know the leader well, the gym leader always seems to be outside of the gym when I meet up with him or her.
Mayor: Well maybe he's up there.
The mayor points to the golden Mushroom.
Mario: Let's go.
Mario runs to the Mushroom.
Mayor: But Tatanga…
Up in the sky…
Tatanga: Okay, one… two... three... one... two... three... one… two... three... I can't jump, I just can't.
A Lakitu flies by and busts his fluff with a Spiny egg. Tatanga plummets to the village and lands in the hot spring. He gets out and runs up to Mario and the mayor, who are climbing the gold Mushroom.
Mario: Oh, you finally decided to jump.
Tatanga: Oh haha. What are you two doing?
Mario: Me and the mayor think the gym leader is up here.
Tatanga: Who is the gym leader?
Mario: The mayor.
Tatanga: Okay...
Mario and Tatanga get up first. The mayor's wife is there and spots them.
Mrs. Pianta: Oh my.
Mario: Hello, Mrs. P. Is the mayor here?
Mrs. Pianta: Oh, I'm sorry, but he’s been on vacation to the Plaza for quite some time now.
Tatanga: ...
Mario: Okay.
Mrs. Pianta: And who might you be?
Tatanga: I'm Tatanga.
The mayor comes up.
Mario: You finally got here. Listen, thank you again for flying us here, but can I ask you a question?
Mayor: Sure, Mario.
Mario: Well... I saw the M. Bush and so I kind of thought...
Mayor: Go on.
Mario: Well, are you George Bush?
Mayor: ... No... No I am not.
Tatanga: Didn't see that coming.
Mario: Sorry. Ummm, well thanks again for flying us here. We can probably get back to the Plaza, so you can fly back now. The Plaza needs you.
Mrs. Pianta turns around from looking over the Mushroom.
Mrs. Pianta: I forgot to say hi. Hello, Mario, and nice to meet you, Tatanga.
Tatanga: Thank you. Nice to meet you, too.
The mayor steps out from behind Mario.
Mrs. Pianta: Oh, hi honey. I didn’t see you there.
Mario and Tatanga spin around.
Mario: What the **** did she just call you?
Tatanga: This I saw coming.
Mario: Well?
Mayor: My wife called me honey. Is that a bad thing?
Mario: She's your wife...but then... all this time... since I first arrived on Delfino you never said anything...
Mayor: I didn't want to. You were too weak. I gave you so many clues though. I told you the leader used grass types, I said it was the mayor, you knew leader eight had four Koopamon. I told you I had, four one of which is grass. I told you in the Plaza I was a very powerful trainer you'd at that time stand no chance at all against.
Mrs. Pianta: Oh my. It looks like you’re a bit taken back, Mario.
Mario: I never saw this coming.
Mayor: Mario, I think we have done enough talking. Meet me at the gym. It's the front of the village just after the bridge over the fence, that big area before the many roads to the back. That area is our battle spot.
Mario: But...
The mayor jumps over the side.
Tatanga: Come on, Mario, get down there.
Mario: Okay.
Mrs. Pianta: Good luck, Mario.
Mario: Thank you.
Mario jumps off
and follows the Mayor.
Chapter 32: Botinic Battle
Mario and the Mayor are seen standing at the village entrance after the bridge getting ready to start.
Mario: I'm ready when you are.
Mayor: I'm ready. Again I'll say it's four on four. I hope that isn't too much for you.
Mario: It wasn't too much before, and it won't be too much now.
Mayor: Okay then... BEGIN!
Mario: GO EEKER!
Mayor: Going extreme already, are we... In that case GO SPLUNKIN!
Mario releases Eeker and the Mayor releases the ghostly pumpkin.
Mario: Hmm, part ghost. Not good. EEKER, USE FLAMETHROWER!
Mayor: Take the hit.
Mario: What?
Splunkin is hit face on by the flam thrower and it absorbs the fire. His insides light up like a normal pumpkin.
Mario: What?
Mayor: Splunkin absorbs fire and lights himself up. Now it's like an endless sunny day for just him. SOLAR BEAM!
Splunkin fires a massive beam towards Eeker.
Mario: Psychic and QUICK!
Eeker uses psychic powers to slow down the solar beam, then jumps aside as the beam shoots by.
Mario: Flamethrower over and over.
Mayor: What?
Eeker shoots many blast of fire, are of which all absorbed into Splunkin.
Mayor: GASS KNOT!
Splunkin fires out a long whip and wraps it around Eeker and pulls him towards him.
Mario: Psychic and Mystic Wave.
Eeker uses Psychic to slow down the speed Splunkin can pull him in, and then fires a huge wave of pinkish smoke that fills the space in between them, blocking their view for a spit second until a shadow ball fires through the smoke and hits Eeker away.
Mario: NO!
Eeker bounces across the ground and springs to his feet.
Mario: Oh thank god... If a littlle fire won't work maybe a LOT will. FLAMETHROWER THE GROUND!
Mayor: Oh poot.
Eeker burns the ground and the area goes up in flames.
Mayor: I've still got a chance, Mario. USE SHADOW BURST!
Splunkin explodes, blowing a blast of darkness over the field and knocking out Eeker. Splunkin falls down and out too.
Mayor: There is my strategy. If I can't win... I blow my guy up just to send yours into a knockout with me. MWAHAHAHA! GO M. BUSH!
Mayor releases his M. Bush.
Mario: Return. GO MECHA B.
Mayor: Ah yes, I see. USE YOUR... Wha?
The fire burns a hole in the ground, revealing a way to the maze below.
Mayor: On second thought, GET HIM DOWN THERE! USE LEAF LEAF SPEAR!
M. Bush begins shooting a barrage of sharp-ended leaves at Mecha B.
Mario: Fire Torpedo. Hehehe.
Mecha B fires off flaming torpedoes, but to Mario's horror the leaves slice the torpedoes down the middle and chop up Mecha B, knocking him into the hole. Mario and the Mayor jump in and land on a Mushroom.
Mario: Use Ice Torpedo on the ground and move up.
Mecha B begins making a wall of ice.
Mayor: I've seen that before.
The wall goes up, blocking M. Bush.
Mario: There, now he's trapped. What are you going to do now?
Mayor: This...
Mario: What...?
Mayor: ...
Mario: Well? Attack.
Mayor: ...
Mario: Ugh. Mecha B, FIRE TORPEDO!
Mayor and Tatanga: IDIOT!
Mecha B destroys the wall, freeing M. Bush, who fires Poison Dart, which goes inside Mecha B and begins to cut up and poison him internally.
Mario: NNOOOOO!
Mayor: That's what you get for screwing yourself up. NOW USE LEECH SEED!
M. Bush shoots some seeds over on Mecha B and begins to suck energy from him. That and the poison eats away at his health.
Mario: Oh no...
Mayor: I don't lose. Hold up Protect until he falls.
Mario: No. BLOW IT AWAY WITH ICE TORPEDOES!
Mecha B fires off huge numbers of torpedoes that do nothing to him.
Mayor: Give up.
Mario: No... Wait. I can't hurt him but I can push him. TACKLE HIM OVER THE MAZE.
Mecha B, being a levitater, flies into M. Bush and pushes him through the air, where he smashes throgh numerous grates, hitting M. Bush's unprotected back. Mecha B then aims upwards and smashes his way up to land, where he slams the breaks on and lets M. Bush fly through the air and land in the hot spring. Mario and the Mayor come running.
Mayor: NO NO NO! GET OUT!
The water bubbles and M. Bush jumps up with the leaves on his head hanging down dripping wet.
Mario: ICE TORPEDO!
Mecha B goes to shoot a torpedo, but finally drops from the poison and leech seed.
Mario: No... Return. Go Clone. USE SHADOW BALL!
Clone fires a Shadow Ball that pushes M. Bush backwards to the edge of the hot spring.
Mayor: LEAF DART!
Mario: SHADOW PUNCH!
M. Bush fires many darts. Clone punches them all away, then punches M. Bush into the water again, only this time he rises knocked out.
Mayor: Darn. I was going to blow him up too. Now then... GO AMAZEE DAYZEE!
Mario: An Amazee Dayzee, huh. Okay then, SHADOW PUNCH!
Mayor: No WAY! MAGICAL LEAF!
Amazee Dayzee fires out glowing leaves that chase and slice through Clone. Clone jumps out of view and runs down the trail to the front of the village. Amazee runs after him.
Mario: After them.
Mario and the Mayor run after them too. Amazze and Clone reach the bridge and cross over it, with Mario and the Mayor catching up.
Mayor: Magical Leaf with Stun Spore.
Amazee shoots glowing leaves that chase down Clone and hits him. Then the stun spore paralyzes him and Amazee goes in for a photosynthesis attack and begins sucking in a whole lot of sunlight and charging up five energy balls.
Mario: SHADOW BALL OR DARK HOLE!
Clone's paralysis stops the shadow ball, but the dark hole comes out and sucks in Amazee, who is instantly released in a pile of goo.
Mayor: YUCK! NOW AMAZEE, FINISH HIM OFF BY SHOOTING THOSE ENERGY BALLS AT HIM!
Amazee throws one that hits Clone, sending him for a few flips in the air. The second is fired but Clone dodges. He narrowly dodges the third one, and the fourth come at him head on.
Mario: NOW SHADOW PUNCH!
Clone pulls back his arm and lets rip a shadow punch, smacking the energy ball right back into Amazee and sending it flying. The fifth one changes color.
Mario: What?
Mayor: Yes, that one can heal Amazee.
The energy ball flies at Amazee.
Mario: Shadow Ball.
Clone blows it up with Shadow Ball. He then runs up to Amazee and punches it with Psy Punch, which releases soundwaves and blows the ground away. Huge pieces of their platform begin to fall.
Mayor: Back over the bridge.
The four go running, but Clone and Amazee stop on the bridge when they fire Magical Leaf and Shadow Ball at each other. The shadow balls encase the leaves and blow up on Amazee, sending it flying to the middle of the bridge. Clone runs her over and gets to the other side.
Mario: SHADOW BALL!
Mayor: Stun Spore it.
The Shadow Ball hits first and blows Amazee into a knockout.
Mayor: Return. Mario, Clone really IS strong. I remember watching your Noki Bay match, but I never realized it was THIS powerful. Also, when did I listen to you so much and look less evil?
Mario: In Corona Mountain.
Mayor: Ahh, so it was only recently. Well I can't let this next one faint. And with that, I need a DOOZY of a Koopamon. GO FOREST FUZZY.
Mario: ... Eh?
Mayor: GRASS AND BUG! Use your Drain Bite!
Tatanga: MARIO, WATCH OUT! ALL FUZZIES ONLY KNOW LIFE-DRAINING MOVES!
Mario: Woah. Get out of the way.
Clone moves backwards with Fuzzy bouncing after him. Clone shoots it with a Shadow Ball but it just keeps coming and bites Clone and sucks energy from him.
Mario: SLAM THE GROUND!
Clone slams himself into the ground, damaging both. FF jumps up and uses Drain Bite and sucks the last of the energy out. Clone falls.
Mario: Return... Go Fat Stack.
Tatanga: WHAT? He can't help you.
Mayor: Silly Mario. Nature Drain.
Fuzzy begins to suck in energy balls from all around and starts healing.
Mario: AIRBALL WITH PROTECT!
FF lunges at Fat Stack but is blown away by Airball. FF leaps to a higher ledge and fires down Energy Orbs.
Mario: Protect.
Mayor: Watch yourself, Mario, it'll stop working soon.
Fat Stack blocks nine of the ten orbs but Protect wears off and Fat Stack is hit and the orb goes back and heals FF.
Mario: SEGMENTAL BLOW THE FLUFFS!
Mayor: Wha...? OH NO!
Fat Stack separates and flies into the air and latches onto Fluffs.
Mayor: Get up there.
FF goes to a higher ledge and grabs a fluff.
Mario: AIRBALL!
Mayor: Dodge and Energy Ring.
FF jumps to a new fluff and forms a ring around it and begins taking energy in.
Mario: Airball.
The balls bounce off the ring.
Mayor: YOU CAN'T HURT HIM WITH THE RING UP! MWAHAHAHA!
Mario: Then I wait.
Mayor: ...
Mario: ...
Mayor: UNLEASH!
FF shoots a massive beam and Fat Stack shoots Airball around it and blows away FF's fluff. Fat Stack's fluffs are blown away too and they all fall back to land. Fat Stack falls into the hot spring and FF smashes into the brick ground in front of it. FF gets up but falls over again down and out.
Mayor: Return... I lost... I can't lose, I'm the greatest gym leader in the world.
Mario: WAAHOO!
MAyor: *sigh* It can't be helped. You win. Take the Tree Badge and the TM for Drain Orb. Good job, Mario. Good luck in the League. Here is your pass allowing you on the plane there.
Mario: Thank you. Bye bye.
Mario and Tatanga walk away, excited to find out where the League is.