Chapter 8: The Search for Tatanga Begins
Mario, Wart, and Peach enter Mt. Rugged and begin their search for Tatanga. The three start to climb the side of the mountain, looking for him but with seemingly no luck.
Mario: Where in the world is he?
Peach: He can't be back in town so the farthest he can be is Dry Dry Outpost.
Wart: Hmm. And where is that?
Peach: At the other end of the desert.
Wart: Okay. Well let's explore here then. I dislike deserts for numerous reasons.
Mario: Okie-dokie.
Peach: I suppose there is an arena here somewhere. You'll need to battle him, and he'll likely be there waiting for an opponent.
Wart: He is a psychic trainer, though. Shouldn't he pick a spot that best matches that type? Something like Shooting Star Summit?
Peach: It is the psychic type. You can take advantage anywhere with loose objects to levitate and toss.
Wart: It makes me wonder why I picked dark types.
Peach: Well I picked water, so really I'm only good at sea. Anyway, look up there.
Mario: What?
The three look up to see an arena half sticking off the highest ledge of the mountain. As they stare at it, Tatanga walks into view on it.
Peach: I knew it.
Mario: TATANGA! TATANGA! YOOHOO! LOOK DOWN HERE!
Tatanga, hearing the window-shattering screams, looks down to see Mario jumping and waving like an idiot.
Tatanga: Oh yay. He knows I have a piece of his picture. Well, no escaping it now. MARIO, COME ON UP!
Mario: OKIE-DOKIE! DON'T GO ANYWHERE!
Tatanga: I couldn't even if I wanted... OKAY!
Mario, Peach, and Wart run down the trail and proceed to use a series of slides to approach the top somehow. The three walk down the small trail and enter a cave. Going up the ramp within, they emerge on top of the mountain. Running up, they see Tatanga and Kamek.
Mario: Kamek, wow. Great to see you.
Kamek: Yes. Me and Tatanga were just talking about you. He guessed you were going to come looking for him, so I hung around to see.
Peach: Well, you were right. Mario, we'll step aside now.
Peach and Wart step aside.
Kamek: Actually, Peach, I'm looking through your pocket right now and I see you have one of my pieces.
Peach: You’re looking through my pocket... What do you have, psychic powers or something? Is that what you’re saying? HUH HUH HUH?
Kamek: Yes.
Peach: ... Oh! Okay.
Wart: What are you getting at anyway?
Mario: I think I know.
Kamek: I bet you do. Are you up to it, Tatanga?
Tatanga: Most definitely. Peach and Mario, Kamek and I challenge you to a double battle.
Peach: A double battle?
Mario: Peach, think about this. Remember back in the Mushroom League? We double battled Larry and he nearly wiped the floor with us.
Peach: True, but still, Kamek might have a piece of my picture.
Kamek: Well, do you accept?
Mario: Peach, do we?
Peach: Okay.
Mario: All right. We accept.
Wart: Oh.... Be careful then. They are both users of the psychic type.
Mario: We know. Let's go, Peach.
The four step into the arena and prepare
to battle.
Chapter 9: Double Battle Begin: Powers of the Mystics
Tatanga and Kamek stand at one side of the arena and face Peach and Mario, who stand at the other side. Kamek speaks the rules.
Kamek: Now to make the rules clear here. This is a non-timed double battle. Each of us can use two Koopamon, and when one trainer loses his or her two, they are out.
Tatanga: And because me and Kamek are real sweethearts we'll allow you to freely switch your Koopamon. Of course this can be a good or bad thing for you, but nonetheless it is something for you to think about.
Mario: Okie-dokie then. Shall we begin?
Kamek: Whenever you feel like it.
Peach: Okay then. I'm ready.
Mario: Me too.
Tatanga: Mario, why don't you choose first?
Mario: Will do.
Mario tosses out a Koopaball and releases his Ameboid.
Kamek: My turn. GET OUT THERE!
Kamek throws a Koopaball and releases a Jester.
Peach: All right then. I'll pick this one.
Peach sends out her Zeostar
Tatanga: And now me.
Tatanga throws his Koopaball and releases his Duplighost
Kamek: BEGIN!
Mario: Shadow Ball.
Peach: Water Pulse.
Ameboid fires a black, shadowy, wavey blob while Zeostar spits a ball of water. The attacks close in on the two Koopamon.
Kamek: Jester, use Full House.
Jester jumps in front of Duplighost and fires up a card barrier that absorbs the attacks. Jester then throws it into Ameboid, causing an explosion that throws him at Zeostar.
Peach: Quick, use Protect!
Tatanga: Disable.
Duplighost glows and Zeostar’s barrier stops rising and Ameboid flies into her and knocks her over.
Tatanga: Transform.
Duplighost jumps up and turns into Zeostar.
Kamek: Mimic.
Jester spins and shoots Duplighost, and sucks a ball of energy from him. Jester then transforms into Duplighost.
Mario: What? Quick, get up.
Zeostar and Ameboid begin getting up.
Kamek: Confusion.
Jester levitates Ameboid and flings it through the air.
Mario: Quick, use Double Team.
Ameboid splits into six copies that kick off the side of the mountain and all fly at Duplighost, who is currently Zeostar.
Kamek: Haze.
Jester, as Duplighost, spits out a haze that hits Ameboid. As it clears, it reveals that the haze got rid of the copies.
Tatanga: Use Bubble Beam.
Duplighost spits a stream of bubbles into Ameboid to hold off the attack from landing, and forces him back.
Peach: Mario, get them to use Disable.
Mario: SHADOW BALL!
Tatanga: Protect.
Still as Zeostar, Duplighost mimics her attacks and blocks the shadow balls.
Peach: Good enough. DISABLE!
Zeostar shoots the energy into Duplighost.
Kamek: Jester, Disable.
Jester shoots Disable into Ameboid and disables Shadow Ball. Both Zeostar and Duplighost, as Zeostar, now have Protect disabled while Ameboid has Shadow Ball disabled.
Kamek: Transform.
Jester, who is copying Duplighost, begins to change to Ameboid.
Peach: NOW DISABLE!
Zeostar shoots the energy into Jester and cuts short its transformation.
Kamek: Ugh. Pest! USE ROYAL FLUSH!
Jester throws five glowing cards at Zeostar, which hit and cause massive explosions. When the thrown up smoke clears Zeostar is desperately trying to get up with damage, confusion, paralysis, attraction, and stats down all at once.
Mario: Darn it. Ameboid, use Water Pulse on the ground.
Ameboid begins to shoot water into the ground around Duplighost and Jester.
Tatanga: So what? Duplighost, use Rapid Spin.
The Duplighost drops to the ground and begins to mimic Zeostar’s Rapid Spin.
Mario: Ice Beam, quick!
Peach: Protect.
Zeostar throws itself in confusion to the ground and begins to slap itself off the ground over and over, while Ameboid freezes the water and causes Duplighost to spin out of control and fly into Zeostar and flip it through the air, causing it to land and stick to Jester’s face.
Kamek: Agh! What did that? JESTER, USE MIMIC!
Jester copies Ice Beam and shoots at Ameboid as the disables wear off.
Mario: Ice Beam too.
The Ice Beams collide and Duplighost returns to normal, so all the Koopamon were in their regular form again. Duplighost jumps at Ameboid and shoves it aside and spins away the ice beam, which hits a section of the mountain, freezing it.
Kamek: ROYAL FLUSH!
Peach: Disable!
Zeostar shakes its confusion off and fires the energy and disables the Royal Flush.
Mario: Shadow Ball.
Tatanga: Confusion.
Duplighost levitates and tosses Zeostar in range of the attack. Both Zeostar and Jester are hit but only Zeostar goes down.
Peach: NO! Return. GO PARAGOOMBA!
Peach releases her only non-water type. It’s the one she caught alongside Mario when he caught Spiked Goomba.
Peach: Aerial Ace!
Tatanga: Disable!
Mario: Take it!
Ameboid jumps in front of the Disable and takes it and loses Shadow Ball again, as Paragoomba slams into Jester and causes it to go flying into the mountainside, where the frozen part shatters and falls and buries him.
Tatanga: CONFUSION!
Duplighost levitates the ice and throws it at Ameboid.
Mario: RETURN!
Mario calls back Ameboid, getting rid of Disable as well as dodging the ice.
Mario: GO G KING!
Mario calls out his Goomba King.
Peach: Quick, use Tail Wind.
Paragoomba flaps its wings and sends a breeze behind her and G King to speed them up.
Peach: NOW USE BITE!
Mario: Sandstorm!
Kamek: NO!
Tatanga: It can use Sandstorm?
G King sends up a sandstorm and blinds Tatanga and Kamek and their Koopamon, as Paragoomba flies into the sand and bites onto Duplighost.
Tatanga: Oh no you don't. Transform.
Kamek: Temperature Bust!
Jester glows and the sandstorm wares off and everything becomes calm. The weather moves become useless.
Mario: Darn it.
Duplighost transforms into Paragoomba and spins into Aerial Ace and slams himself and Paragoomba into the wall, causing them to tumble down.
Mario: ROYAL BEAM!
Peach: Use Quick Attack!
Paragoomba kicks off of Duplighost and the beam hits him, and Duplighost is unable to battle as it returns to its normal form.
Tatanga: DARN IT! RE...
Kamek: Leave it to me. FOCUS BLAST!
Tatanga: What?
Jester throws a massive energy blast that hits and sends G King and Paragoomba flying.
Kamek: NOW AGAIN! FINISH THEM!
Mario: USE ROYAL BEAM!
Peach: Quick Attack!
G King jumps up and hits the Focus Blast and forces it back toward Jester. Paragoomba speeds in and kicks Jester, causing it to drop power on the Focus Blast, which is sent back into Jester and sends it flying.
Kamek: Use Mimic.
Jester copies Quick Attack and uses it to run vertically up the side of the mountain and backflip off right into G King, knocking him over.
Tatanga: Amazing.
Kamek: QUICK ATTACK!
Mario: Spin Kick!
G King jumps up and kicks Jester so it stumbles back.
Mario: ROYAL BEAM!
G King shoots a beam into Jester, throwing it down and out.
Kamek: Return. Not good. Hurry, Tatanga! GO SNIFARO!
Tatanga: GO MAGIKOOPA!
Tatanga sends in Magikoopa and Kamek sends in Snifaro.
Kamek: ANCIENT POWER!
Snifaro levitates and throws rocks into G King.
Tatanga: Diamond Saw!
Peach: Quick Attack.
Paragoomba dodges the diamond saws and speed in at Magikoopa!
Tatanga: Thunder Punch!
Mario: Spin Kick!
G King jumps in and takes the punch so Paragoomba can slam Magikoopa so it slides back.
Peach: TAIL WIND!
The wind comes in again and speeds them up.
Kamek: Psychic!
Snifaro glows and G King is sent flying to the ground, down and out.
Mario: Return. Go Ameboid!
Peach: We only have one left.
Kamek: Same here. Now things get interesting. The only difference is that you’re two have battled longer, so you’re in trouble. HAHA!
Tatanga: Good! Good!
Mario and Peach stare in terror as the
psychic duo are laying a pounding on them. Could they possibly lose?
Chapter 10: Peach's Terror Strikes
Kamek: Let's get it on! BULLET SEED!
Peach: Use Aerial Ace.
Mario: Water Pulse!
Tatanga: Thunder Punch!
Paragoomba spins and twirls through the barrage of seeds and hits Snifaro, causing low damage due to hitting the crypt-like thing that Snifaro hides in. Magikoopa punches the water pulse, causing it to blow into raining sparks.
Tatanga: DIAMOND SAW!
Mario: Shadow Ball!
Ameboid blows up the diamond saws as they fly at him, then fires another which hits Magikoopa and causes it fly on its back. As it begins to stand up, Ameboid fires another.
Kamek: Ancient Power.
Snifaro levitates rocks and throws them into the shadow ball.
Tatanga: Thunder Punch it.
Peach: Bite!
Paragoomba bites into Magikoopa’s arm to stop the punch, but Snifaro flies in and hits away Paragoomba!
Peach: MARIO, NO!
Mario: Double Team!
Ameboid copies itself to avoid the punch, and springs up and surrounds Magikoopa!
Kamek: Psychic.
Snifaro sends waves that blast through the clones and hits Ameboid.
Mario: Water Pulse.
Tatanga: Shadow Punch!
Magikoopa punches the water pulse, destroying it, then punches Ameboid, dropping it out.
Peach: EEEEEEKKKKKK!
Mario: Return.
Mario falls to his knees, knowing that things are the exact reverse of his and Peach’s battle with Larry. Now a Goomba with wings is fighting a magician Koopa and an ancient pharaoh Snifit at once.
Peach: Mario!
Kamek and Tatanga: Uh oh. Now what?
Mario: Just do your best. If only you picked Mega Unagi you'd probably get them at the snap of a finger, but....
Peach: No! I'm going to win. AERIAL ACE!
Kamek: Oh, good luck with that, Peach! BULLET SEED!
Tatanga: Psychic!
Magikoopa holds Paragoomba in place while the seeds fire into it one after another at a speed like a machine gun. Paragoomba takes minimum damage due to being part flying being hit with grass, but the damage begins to build up.
Peach: TAIL WIND AND QUICK ATTACK!
Paragoomba speeds up, then super speed dashes through the Psychic and knocks Snifaro on the side, causing it to spin around. Peach begins to cringe as the sun gets in her eyes, and Kamek grins.
Kamek: NOW IS OUR CHANCE! ANCIENT POWER!
Peach: Dodge with Quick Attack!
Paragoomba goes up over the rocks.
Peach: Wait....
Wart: Does she... have an idea?
Peach: UP! UP, UP, UP!
Tatanga: Sorry, missy, but we'll just follow ya.
Kamek: UP, SNIFARO!
Snifaro jumps out of the crypt and lands on its back and Magikoopa jumps onto the crypt too, and the two ride it up after Paragoomba.
Peach: That's right. You just do that.
Tatanga: FLAME STONE!
Due to the intense sun, the launched fireballs grow to super size.
Peach: Use the Tail Wind to dodge with Aerial Ace.
Paragoomba begins to spin and flip about frantically at high speed and just dodges the fireballs as she climbs higher and higher.
Peach: NOW GO UP DIAGONALY!
Paragoomba turns slightly and aligns with the sun.
Peach: Close your eyes and keep going.
Kamek: Keep going. Bullet Seed.
Snifaro begins to spit at Paragoomba, who tilts and lets the seeds go under her.
Peach: SLOW DOWN!
Tatanga: What?
Paragoomba slows down and the sunlight shines around her and into Snifaro and Magikoopa’s eyes. The two shield their eyes and begin to lose control.
Kamek: NO!
Mario: Oh my... She's... winning…
Peach: AERIAL ACE!
Paragoomba spins around behind the two and smashes through the crypt, causing it to explode and sending the two plummeting towards land.
Tatanga: Psychic.
Magikoopa holds itself and Snifaro in the air and they begin to float down.
Peach: Oh, like I'm letting you two get away with that. Aerial Ace!
Paragoomba flies at them and smashes into Magikoopa, stopping the Psychic so the two fall down and crash into land. Sand blows up as Tatanga and Kamek stare in shock. The smoke clears and Magikoopa is down and out, but Snifaro gets back up.
Tatanga: This is not happening. Come back.
Kamek: No it isn't, Tatanga. Thunderbolt!
Peach: Quick Attack.
Paragoomba swoops over the bolts and zooms in and hits Snifaro, sending it right into Kamek down and out. Kamek gasps and recalls Snifaro.
Kamek: ... What?
Mario: Peach... You... won…
Wart: You won.
Tatanga: But... why? We were at our best. Our psychic powers were overcome by a flying Goomba?
Peach: I... I did win.
Mario: Congratulations, Peach.
Kamek: Umm, okay... Pick your pieces, you two. You two get one from each of us.
Mario and Peach go up to them.
Tatanga: Mario, I take it you want this.
Tatanga hands over his Mario piece.
Mario: I do. Thank you. And as for you, Kamek... I don't want one of your pieces. I'll take this mystery one. It looks like a Shy Guy.
Peach: And I will take... Awww, none of me. Okay, I'll take the one of Bowser Jr. and Birdo.
Kamek and Tatanga: Done and... Thanks for not taking our pieces... And good job, Peach.
Peach: Thank you.
Wart: Way to go, Peach.
Wart, Peach, and Mario wave as Tatanga and Kamek turn and walk away.
Somehow Peach managed to win, and now
all three have collected a piece in some way. Mario and Peach now have
four pieces and Wart has three. Will Mario get his last five or will he
lose some of his current four?
Chapter 11: Into the Desert
Mario, Wart, and Peach step into the Dry Dry Desert from Mt. Cleft. They begin to travel towards Dry Dry Outpost as a sandstorm kicks in, and they begin to slow down.
Mario: What is this?
Peach: I think it’s a sandstorm.
Wart: Nah, ya think? Hmmm, it's much too heavy. This isn't normal.
Peach: Well then, what is it?
Wart: Could it be... I think it's an attack. There is a Koopamon making this.
Mario: Cool. I'm catching it.
Peach: It's probably not water or dark, so go right ahead.
Mario: Let's go then.
They proceed but the storm gets worse and the wind mixed with it begins to blow them slightly. They turn south and go to the south edge and proceed along the south. The sandstorm begins to die down. Then a claw rises from the sand and trips Mario as soon as it stops. Mario spins to see the claw go under ground.
Mario: I SAW THAT! GET OUT HERE NOW!
Wart: I know just what it is. It seems to know Dig. I think it's a Monty Mole.
Mario: Great. I need a ground type. GO AMEBOID!
Mario calls out Ameboid. Mario then begins to kick the sand about while Ameboid sprays it with Water Pulse making it a muddy mess. Monty Mole springs up from across the area and comes running at Mario. It then begins to freak out for no reason.
Peach: What is up with that? It seems scared. Not of us but just in general.
Mario: Yeah! Come with us, Monty Mole. I'm sure you won't need to freak out then.
As Mario tries to calm the Monty Mole down they hear an engine sound growing louder by the second. Soon a roofless, camouflaged car flies over a rise of sand and the driver, dressed in black, comes zipping from the car and pulls out a net. The Monty Mole quickly digs beneath the sand as the cloaked person takes a failed swing at it with the net. Mario gasps as the car makes a speedy turn and zooms after the trail of moving sand that is Monty Mole.
Mario: What? Is that a Koopamon thief?
Peach: Oh no! This is horrible. Who would do this?
The car stops suddenly and the driver jumps out.
?????: Look, I'm no Koopamon thief, see. Not in originality. I'm telling so nobody will point fingers at me like so, see. I was hired by a person who looks an awful lot like you, toady boy. I'm getting paid a pretty penny for capturing wild Koopamon, see.
Wart: Like me... Oh, come on… It's that psycho.
Peach: Listen, stop it. Do you know what they are doing with the Koopamon?
?????: Nada. But still, I was told about you, Mario. Though I don't need to remember you, see.
The person flings the suit off to reveal Popple.
Popple: Listen here. I myself am a Koopamon trainer, however I am still a thief nonetheless, and so right now I have to capture that Monty.
Mario: Not a chance.
Popple: You want to mess with me? No chance.
Mario: Oh yeah? Well I challenge you.
Popple: Oh yeah? Fine then. I don't have much time, though. Two on two for now. I'd go five on five but I don't have the time. Monty will get too far away.
Mario: Fine, let's go.
The two set up apart from each other as they each pull out a Koopaball and prepare to battle.
Wart: This'll be simple for sure.
Chapter 12: Robbing Battle in the Desert
Mario: GO G KING!
Mario calls out the Goomba King, who prepares to battle.
Popple: Okay then. Try this one.
Popple throws a Koopaball and releases a Bandit.
Mario: No surprise. Use your headbutt.
G King jumps at Bandit as he stands there, not seeming to be bothered. Just before the attack connects Bandit makes a speedy dash aside.
Popple: Thief see!
Bandit slaps G King from behind and a red berry is produced.
Mario: What?
Popple: Thief robs a Koopamon of a held item, see. Seems like he picked it up unnoticed.
Mario: Ugh. SPIN KICK!
Popple: Use Thief!
Mario: What?
Bandit smacks G King again over and over as it stumbles back. Nothing is getting stolen but G King is taking damage.
Mario: Headbutt!
G King bends down and hits Bandit with his head. Bandit goes flying to the ground but eats the berry and heals.
Popple: Hah! Use Torment!
Bandit begins to bounce about, annoying G King! G King begins to attack randomly with different moves. G King spin-kicks at Bandit, but it dodges. He then tries to headbutt but Bandit jumps and lands on him.
Popple: Shadow Punch!
Mario: Flip and Royal Beam!
G King flips upright and sends Bandit off of him. G King then spins and fires Royal Beam into him, dropping him.
Wart: Too easy.
Popple: Return. This is annoying, see. GO MOUSER!
Popple sends out the miniature Mouser.
Popple: Try this one. Use Fling, see!
Mouser pulls out his held item, which is a hammer. He then throws it into G King, hitting him in the head and making him dizzy.
Mario: Shake it off quickly.
Popple: No chance, see. Recycle, then Hidden Power!
The hammer magically reappears with Mouser before it shoots balls of energy into G King, knocking it out.
Mario: Return. Ugh, that thing is tough. And Recycle... eew. GO...
Before Mario can call out a Koopamon, Monty Mole jumps up in front of him from the ground.
Mario: Huh?
Peach: Mario, I think it wants to fight. You know, to get back at Popple for trying to take him.
Mario: Okay, Monty. May I help?
Monty Mole nods to Mario, then turns to Popple and puts on an enraged face.
Popple: Oh, spooky!
Mario: Yeah. Monty, use Fury Swipes!
Popple: *sigh* Use your Fling!
Monty goes to claw Mouser but Mouser throws the hammer at it.
Mario: DIG!
Monty Mole digs under the hammer. Everything goes quiet.
Popple: Where is it? Mouser, use Recycle.
Mouser makes the hammer return just as Monty pops up under a block and hits it. Something falls out and Monty grabs and hides it.
Mario and Popple: Hmmmm!
Popple: FLING, THEN THIEF!
Mouser throws the hammer at Monty.
Mario: Rock Throw!
Monty Mole grabs and throws a rock at the hammer, and the two collide and smash. Mouser then jumps at Monty Mole to rob it, and Monty... smiles.
Mario: Wha?
Just as Mouser closes in Monty, holds out a Poison Shroom which Mouser grabs. This activates it and Mouser becomes poisoned!
Popple: No way, see. Use Recycle!
A Poison Mushroom appears in Mouser’s hands. Knowing just what to do, he throws it at Monty Mole!
Mario: Dig and Fury Swipes!
Monty Mole dives beneath the sand and springs up and rapidly claws at Mouser, knocking it out. Popple calls it back and begins to freak.
Popple: No way. You win this time, see, but I'll be back, and trust me when I say I'll get you. For now I'll go take some more Koopamon.
Popple jumps in his car and drives away. Monty Mole then turns to Mario and walks up to him. He then swings a claw at a Koopaball on his belt, and Mario looks at it.
Mario: You want to come with me?
The Monty Mole nods and Mario throws a Koopaball at it. The Koopaball wiggles three times and stops. It flashes and Monty Mole is Mario’s.
Peach and Wart: Way to go, Mario. You have five now, Mario. One more to fill your team.
Mario: Yup. Now that I have a Monty, let's finish going to Dry Dry Outpost.
With that the three head off to the desert town as the sandstorm fully disappears.