aaaaaaaaaaa--
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Now, -a-you guys! Hit-a-him with everything we've-a-got!
Rrrrrrrgh!
Why isn't anything working?
(Just.. A... little more...!)
DON'T YOU IDIOTS SEE!? YOU CAN'T WIN NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY! I'LL DESTROY TOAD TOWN, BECOME BOWSER'S MAIN MAN, AND SQUASH ALL YOU DO-GOODERS ONE BY...... huh?
!!!!!
What the... Huh!? NO! DON'T--
!
(Alright, Betalix... This is your first fight in over a year... Deep breaths. You can do this.)
*Huff* *Huff* Clearly... You will... Never win. ...I... will-

Alright, now where did that little sneak run off to?
Goldyba A | Level: 32? | HP: ???/??? (76%) | OTHER STATS UNKNOWN
Goldyba B | Level: 32? | HP: ???/??? (100%) | OTHER STATS UNKNOWN
Goldyba C | Level: 32? | HP: ???/??? (76%) | OTHER STATS UNKNOWN
Oh yeah! Wario number one!
That's-a-good and all, but I-a-have a feeling we're-a-forgetting someone.
I'd recognize that voice from anywhere... Ludwig von Koopa!
Ah. I remember you. You were one of the two toads there to aid the Mario Brothers ten years ago*.
But I have a question for you..
Just how do you meddling menaces plan on escaping this scenario?
Koopenstein!
Ah, my marvelous monarchist counterpart! To what do I owe the pleasure?
More of those idiot interlopers are coming to the Mushroom Kingdom! At this rate, Ludwig might lose in no time! We need to send more--
My friend, we need to capitalize off of this moment. The Mushroom Kingdom is merely a distraction!
A distraction!? I'll have you kn--
Know what, Bowser? Think of it this way: Once they all realize what's happening with the Chaos Emeralds and go off to restore their precious balance... then that will create yet another opening for you to strike. Understood?
...Alright, I suppose you have a point there.
GREETINGS SUBJECTS "BOWSER" AND "LORD KOOPENSTEIN". SUBJECT "DUPLICATE EMERALD" IS COMPLETE.
What the--!? "Lord Koopenstein" !?
Wonderful... And I know just what to do with this little thing.
Fools. You have made it painfully obvious you know nothing about hostage situation. I will merely let you live with the misery of knowing that you have ruined this citizen's life. I wish you extreme magnitudes of fortune on turning him back to normal, by the way... The magical spell that binds him is permanent.
How about you save yourself the trouble and leave town before we kick you to the curb?
You all simply couldn't; No matter how hard you tried.
Alright, this'll have to do for a pit stop. 'least until we find a secure place of our own to stash loot in.
D'uh, J--
Boss.
Boss? Those guys on the statues... I think they looked familiar.
Oh, those good-for-nothing dorks? Don't sweat it! They'll never-- *Ouch!*
Ah crud, is that them?
No, but look.
A Chaos Emerald!? Wow! I can barely remember the time I had all seven of them!
Who's to say that Emerald isn't fake? Perhaps it was dropped here to trick us.
I'll take my chances, thank you very much! Even if it's fake, a buyer will be none the wiser!
What're you gonna do with the Emerald, boss?
For now? I'm just gonna tuck this away. I don't feel like becoming some kinda Mammoth Mogul*.
We'll stay here for now. Until then, we sit here... and wait until the time is right.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no. You have made your bed. Lie in it.
You see, I only went out here to partake in a little test of sorts. As a preface, I would also like to mention this fire form is not modified.
I've been meaning to experiment a little with a silly little invention of mine, and this is the greatest opportunity.
What if I could access any power-up I desired without hassling to get them in the first place? Why, we would be unstoppable!
And if a little prototype gadgetry will work the exact way I want it... that will soon become a reality.
DON'T DO IT, KING KOOP! THIS ISN'T WORTH IT!
So you're behind this too, aren't you, Shake King!
Who?
Y-you!
(Oh, to heck with this, I'll leave the smooth-talking to the Doctor.)
Got ourselves a situation, stuck in a new location--
O-oh! My reptillian colleague! What brings you here t-this f-fine time of daylight!?
Gah! Beat him up!? Are you insane!? Just who's side are you on, anyway, greenie?
(...Deep breaths, Koopenstein. Deep breaths! You did not make it this far to crumble. Everything will go according to plan.)
...Bowser. Did you know about this? This "infringement"?
What? No! Ludwig came to me and said that he had finished on the prototype of an unfathomably powerful item that he was working on with Lemmy and Iggy!
...I see. Then the infringement was completely unintentional. And as said before. It is a mere prototype. Items such as Smash Balls would be impossible to replicate. So, there is nothing to worry about...
...Other than the fact that you and Shake King have now exposed yourself to those lousy reprobates.
...But it is fine nonetheless! A man must be no less than flexible in these situations should he wish to succeed.
...What just happened?
I don't know, but it feels like there's a bigger picture happening in the background...
...Huh. ...Well, anyways...
What in the name of Lethal Lava Land is wrong with you!? Do you have any idea how hostage situations work!? You don't just go and do something rash like that! You have to calculate the situation! Make an actual plan to get the hostage out of the situation safely! What are you, INSANE!?
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