Having bested many obstacles and busted many R.O.B.s and Primids, Pikachu and Samus finally reached their point of destination: a large chamber, with a tube-like apparatus in its center containing a familiar futuristic suit of armor.
“My Power Suit...” Samus muttered to herself. She began running towards her armor, Pikachu dashing in behind her. “But why is it just sitting-”
As they approached the center, the bridge connecting the doorway to their isolated platform retracted, stranding Samus and Pikachu. Two purplish suits of armor appearing otherwise identical to the inactive Power Suit – False Samuses - marched towards the two.
“Pika!” shouted Pikachu, looking at the newcomers.
Samus sighed. “Looks like we'll have to fight our way out of this one.”
And fight they did. Samus was somewhat surprised to find the suits fighting exactly like she usually did in her Power Suit. She was able to slip by the slow-moving dark suits and strike from behind with an assortment of kicks and whips from her Plasma Whip. Pikachu also took advantage of his speed to evade and attack their adversaries. Eventually, the two suits fell off the edge of the platform into the facility below.
“Well,” Samus remarked, “that wasn't too bad. I guess I'm better in the Zero Suit than I thought. Maybe I should try it out more often... well, when Boshi isn't in the audience.”
“Pikachu!” Pikachu exclaimed, gesturing towards the doorway. The pathway once again connected the suit's platform with the doorway, but a troop of R.O.B. Sentries streamed into the chamber, advancing on the heroes.
A few seconds later, the two mechanical doors blasted open, several charred R.O.B.s flying through the open doorway. A battle-armored Samus stepped into the hallway. “Then again, it's nice to be back in the Power Suit,” Samus smirked.
“Kachu,” agreed Pikachu, stepping around fried machinery.
Samus and Pikachu continued through the research facility, fighting more Subspace villains and R.O.B.s and solving the puzzles in the building's structure. After a quick break with a pair of Heart Containers, the duo dashed into another large chamber.
Pikachu halted, an odd and unpleasant scent meeting his nose. Though he couldn't identify it, he knew that whatever it was, it wasn't friendly. Arching his back, Pikachu began to growl, “Chaaaaaa...”
Samus turned around and stared at her companion. “What's the-”
Before she could finish her sentence, a giant, reptilian hand clamped onto Samus and dragged her away, flying high into the air above the angered Pikachu. Samus looked up and stared, shocked, at her captor. “Ridley? What the-”
“Hunter! It would seem that even taking your Power Suit won't stop you. The warlock has failed Mother Brain,” the draconic Ridley commented, staring hatefully at his arch-nemesis.
“'Warlock'? ...Ganondorf? What's Ganondorf doing dealing with you Space Pirates?” Samus demanded, struggling to free herself from Ridley's grasp.
“It matters not. You will be terminated before our plans are fully launched. Now... to peel off your armored shell,” Ridley hissed. He ascended higher into the chamber and shoved his clawed grip against the wall, crushing Samus. Ridley began to circle the room's perimeter, continuing the damage to Samus' Power Suit and wearing it down.
Though Pikachu couldn't see what exactly was happening, he knew that Samus was in trouble, and he needed to repay her for saving him earlier. With a mighty leap, Pikachu exclaimed, “Pika!” summoning a strike of Thunder to shock Ridley. The result was the two beings falling to the platform below, Samus by Pikachu and Ridley on the far corner.
Her Power Suit slightly damaged in the fall and by the attack, Samus struggled to stand back up. Pikachu stood before Samus, blocking Ridley's path to her.
Ridley shook his head as he stood up. Staring at Pikachu, he coldly questioned, “How can such a small rodent contain such a power?”
“Kachu!” bellowed Pikachu, enraged.
“No matter. You are still only a rodent. I consume vermin twice your size; I will have no problem consuming you.” Ridley glared viciously at Pikachu. The electric mouse appeared unmoved by Ridley's threat.
Getting up, Samus stood at Pikachu's side. “Not if I stop you first,” Samus stated boldly, charging her blaster as Pikachu charged his electricity.
Ridley laughed. “Have you stooped so low, Hunter, that you must defend rodents? Very well.” Ridley opened his wings and barred his fangs and claws, giving him as huge an appearance as he could have. “COME TO ME!”
Samus and Pikachu charged at Ridley, but Ridley simply flew away before he could take any serious damage. Ridley attempted to lunge and grab one of his foes, but every time he approached one, the other attacked him and drove him back. Ridley also tried using his wings to keep away the fighters and to send them into the abyss below, but they kept their ground and retaliated. As Ridley flew at the duo, his razor-tipped tail threatening to pierce Samus' armor, Pikachu launched himself at Ridley with a Skull Bash to drive him away. And though Ridley tried to crush the duo by hurling himself at the ground from high up, the two simply rolled away and fired at him with their respective weapons. Finally, a Charge Shot from Samus ended a lunge at Pikachu, sending the beast into the ground.
“Mother Brain will be most displeased,” Ridley mumbled as he fell unconscious. Casting one final glare at him, Samus left the factory through a newly-opened passageway. Pikachu skipped behind, happy to be free.
Samus glanced at Pikachu. “Our work here is done. If I can find my ship, we can return to the stadium,” she told him.
Pikachu was about to reply, but he caught something moving from the corner of his eye and turned his head in another direction. Spying two R.O.B.s carrying a Subspace Bomb from a darkened passageway, he pointed out, “Pi pika, pika pi!”
Samus followed Pikachu's gaze. “More R.O.B.s? I suppose we should investigate.” The two headed into the tunnel.
---
My name is Captain Olimar. I have again been stranded by the ruins of an ancient civilization. My spacecraft, a loan from my company, has been shot down by robots resembling our previous customers. I must wonder whether my wages will suffer more from unsatisfied customers or destroyed business property. Currently, my Pikmin allies are trying to fight a giant robot, but to no avail. Still, as I have learned, with the right instruction, a troop of trained Pikmin can take on any creature.
Olimar backed up nervously. Though the Pikmin continued to climb and attack their foe, a giant R.O.B. Sentry, their numbers gradually lessened with each successive retaliation by the R.O.B. With a quick shake, the Pikmin were thrown into the ground and their count was halved.
A Red Pikmin spotted something in the distance. Quietly approaching Olimar, it tugged his space suit's arm and pointed behind them.
His radio was blaring familiar race music. His speedometer exceeded 1,000 kilometers per hour. His mouth bore a content smirk. Slamming on the breaks and popping open the cockpit, he lunged from his seat and hurled himself at the colossal robot, pulling his arm back. When in range, he hurled his arm forwards, exclaiming, “FALCON... PUUUUUNCH!!!”
Captain Falcon lived for this.
The robot was easily felled. It toppled backwards, sending the Pikmin flying behind it. With the continued momentum, Captain Falcon slid into the crowd of Pikmin, accidentally killing the survivors, and posed.
Captain Olimar stared.
The Red Pikmin stared.
Captain Falcon maintained his pose.
“...”
“...”
“...were those yours?”
---
Captain Olimar and Captain Falcon decided to team up, seeing how tough their previous foe was, and they explored the outskirts of the ruins. Olimar had managed to recruit more Pikmin, giving them ample strength and numbers to take on the R.O.B.s and Subspace Soldiers before them. Though they were ambushed once or twice by opponents, the two captains managed to make it to a seaside cliff relatively unscathed.
As they stopped to catch their breath, a jet-propelled cruiser flew by the cliff. By squinting, Captain Falcon could make out the trophy of Donkey Kong, strapped to the cruiser and guarded by several Primid.
Suddenly, an Arwing screamed through the sky, rapidly approaching the cruiser. The cockpit was crammed with both Diddy and Falco. As they neared the cruiser, Diddy started shouting, “I see him! I see him!”
Turning upside down and opening the cabin, Diddy jumped out and descended upon the cruiser, Rocketbarrels on back and Peanut Popguns a-blazing. The Primid were blown clear as Diddy sent his foes flying.
As the monkey landed, Captain Falcon smirked and, spotting a few Primid clinging to the side of the cruiser, commented to Captain Olimar, “Looks like he'll need some help.”
Captain Olimar stuttered, “Y-y-y-you mean jump over there? The chance we'll actually land on it-”
Before Olimar could finish his thought, Captain Falcon grabbed the Hocotate Explorer and leaped off the cliff, shouting, “Who wants to live forever!”
Olimar just panicked.
Pulling out the second Prototype Timed Badge, given to him by Falco during their flight, Diddy tapped Donkey Kong's trophy stand. Though the badge shattered, stinging Diddy's hand in the process, the gorilla was still brought back to life. Donkey Kong easily broke through the chains holding him down. “DK! You're alright!” Diddy shouted, happy to see his bestest pal in the whole world back in action.
The two Captains landed on the cruiser. As Olimar regained his senses, Captain Falcon saluted the two Kongs. “Captain Falcon to the rescue!” he proclaimed.
Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong looked puzzled. “I thought I sent all of those shadowy guys flying with my Peanut Popguns,” Diddy wondered.
Captain Falcon shook his head. “Nope! We spotted a couple more clinging onto the side.”
“And that's why you jumped off that cliff?”
Before the discussion could continue, the Primids pulled themselves onto the cruiser and glared at the quartet. Donkey Kong smirked. “I've wanted to smash something for a while now. I guess I can take out my rage on these guys.”
Though the Primids tried to fight back, they were simply no match for an angry Donkey Kong and his friends. Diddy's Peanut Popguns and Olimar's Pikmin kept the Subspace adversaries at bay while Captain Falcon and Donkey Kong made short work of those who tried approaching. Soon, Captain Falcon kicked the final Primid into the ocean below, clearing the cruiser of Subspace fiends.
“Banana Slamma!” shouted Donkey Kong, high-fiving Diddy Kong. Donkey and Diddy began to perform a victory dance as Captain Falcon and Olimar smiled and caught their breath, content to have a second to rest.
As Diddy and Donkey Kong cheered, Falco's Arwing flew by. Smiling and flashing him a thumbs-up, Falco shouted, “Alright, you guys are on your own. I've got a plane to catch.”
Diddy waved. “See ya later, Falco!”
A shadow appeared over the cruiser. As the four turned around, they found themselves entering a tunnel on the side of the floating island. The cruiser began to slow down as it approached the docking bay.