Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I DO NOT OWN KIRBY OR ANY CHARACTERS MENTIONED. THEY BELONG TO NINTENDO, GAME FREAK, AND HAL LABORATORY.

In the beginning..

Our story begins with a lone spaceship, drifting through outer space. Inside slept a pink puffball, completely unaware of what was to come.

His name.. was Kirby. Kirby, despite his cute appearance, was a natural warrior- born with the unique ability to copy his foes power to his advantage.

As he snoozed, a warning flashed on the screen with a loud electronic voice, which startled the poor puff into waking up.

WARNING. WARNING. FUEL LEVELS CRITICAL. HYPERSPEED MODE ACTIVATED.

"Poyo?"

Kirby stared at the screen in confusion for a few seconds before the spaceship rocketed forward at a supersonic speed, leaving Kirby very lethargic afterward.

"P..Poyo.." Kirby groaned as he attempted to collect himself. Shaking off the last bit of dizziness, he looked out of the window covering the top of his spaceship.

Not too far away, Kirby could see a large planet, in the shape of a golden star. Two iridescent rings surrounded it, making it glow the seven colors of the rainbow.

"Poyo? Poyo, poyo!!" He gasped in awe, staring starry-eyed at the beautiful sight as he pressed his small pink face against the window.

At that moment, he knew..

This was going to be his new home.

About a year later…

It was a beautiful summer's day. The children of Cappy Town were playing various games with each other, like tag or hopscotch underneath a large maple tree in the center of town. One of the children, a young lady named Tiff, was curled up reading a book as she watched the others play out of the corner of her eye to make sure they didn't roughhouse with Kirby.

She was the oldest child in Cappy Town, so she had taken it upon herself to look after the younger children. It wasn't her designated job, but no one seemed to mind. She already looked after her younger brother Tuff and Kirby well enough when her parents were busy, after all..

"Hey, sis! Watch this!" Tuff called to Tiff, who looked up from her book as her brother attempted to do a backflip, only to fail miserably.

"Keep practicing, Tuff! You'll get it soon enough!" She called, stifling a chuckle.

It had been several months since NME was defeated, and in that time the people of Dreamland were happier than ever.

…Or, so you'd think.

There was one person who absolutely refused to accept the peace. Holed up in his Castle overlooking the Town, King Dedede watched the townspeople with a grimace.

"Ugh! Look at em'! They're enjoying themselves too much, if ya ask me!" He growled, pointing down at the children playing. "Don'tcha think so too, Escargoon?" He called to his right hand man, who was reading a newspaper.

"I nunno.. they just look like they're enjoying themselves, sire.." The snail countered as he was met with a disappointed glare from his superior.

"Are you KIDDING me, Escargoon?! They've caused me enough trouble in the past, blowin up all my monsters! Now I have no possible way to get ridda Kirby!" He huffed, grumpily crossing his arms like a child.

"Sire.. As much as you don't like Kirby.. he did kinda save the world from NME.. Shouldn't we be at least a little bit grateful for that..?" Escargoon suggested nervously before he was launched into a wall by a furious Dedede's hammer.

"Of all the.. OF COURSE NOT! Kirby was and still is a threat to Dreamland and, more importantly- my sanity." He growled as Escargoon sighed and pulled himself off the ground.

"Okay, I know that.. but still-" Escargoon was cut off by another angry rant from Dedede, who just wasn't having any of it.

"So.. what's your plan now? You can't get rid of Kirby anymore, now that you can't order any new monsters.." Escargoon sighed as Dedede spied on the townspeople with his binoculars.

"Hmm.. there's gotta be some way to get ridda that there Kirby..

___________

Meanwhile, in the town square..

"And.. done! Phew, that was a good book! Finished it in under an hour, with some time to spare!" Tiff sighed contently as she stuffed the book into her bag. After a while, she looked at her watch, which was close to curfew.

"Hey, Tuff! Kirby! We have to leave now, Mom wants us back home by 1:00 for lunch.

She could hear Tuff groan in protest before dashing off, Kirby running close behind. The little puffball was slightly older and bigger than when he first arrived a year ago, so Tiff no longer had to carry him around when he was tired. That said, he was still very young, and he still had plenty of things he had to learn.

Surprisingly, Dedede allowed them to stay in the castle because their Father worked for him. Actually.. 'allowed' is a strong word. He tolerated the family on his good days.. which were unfortunately sparse.

His right hand man- or rather snail- was more tolerable than his superior. That being said, he was still quite rude to almost everyone who wasn't King Dedede. On rare occasions, he could be persuaded otherwise if the situation was dire enough.

_______

The siblings entered the castle, where they were met with a strange and frightening sight. In the center of the room, there was a large multicolored portal right where Dedede's monster transporter used to be. Several Waddle Dees surrounded the portal, all holding out spears as if they were preparing for some kind of threat to appear from it. In front of them stood General Doo, the war general.

"Whoa!! What in the world is going on?!" Tiff freaked, running over toward the crowd of Cappies frantically trying to understand the situation. "Where's Dedede?!"

"Poyo? Dede?" Kirby babbled in confusion. The puff was still learning how to speak.

"I-I don't know! This.. thing just appeared out of nowhere!" A little girl named Honey whimpered fearfully as she held her mother's hand tight.

"We have no idea where the King or his lackey are either.. we checked the entire castle!" General Doo exclaimed worriedly, flapping his arms. I've been trying to calm everything down, but the townspeople are in a panic!"

"Oh no, that's awful!" Tuff gasped in shock. "Do ya think he had something to do with that weird colorful swirl over there?"

"I'm sure of it.." A familiar Spanish accent interrupted suddenly as Meta Knight swooped down from the shadows. He didn't use his wings much, so it was always a shock whenever he did so.

"Meta Knight! Thank goodness you're here! Do you have any idea what's going on??" Tiff asked worriedly.

"Well, you see.."

Chapter Text

One hour earlier..

"HEHEHE!" Dedede guffawed, rubbing his hands together much like the way a villain would. "Escargoon, I think I might have an idea!"

Escargoon looked up from his newspaper with mild interest. "Eh? That's new.." He remarked snidely before receiving a glare from Dedede.

"What?! No, listen to me!" He raised his voice. "What if.. we just call Nightmare enterprises again? They might have a monster or two roamin' around somewhere!"

Escargoon stared at Dedede with an expression of what could only be extreme disappointment.

"Really? Nightmare enterprises? The cooperation that we blew up? I'll pass on that one." He groaned, attempting to reason with Dedede. "They're probably pretty ticked off that we managed to beat them.. if they're even still around. Wait, weren't you the one who said we couldn't order any new monsters?"

"Gah.. You do make a good point.." Dedede huffed, clearly upset that he was in the wrong. "I mean, it's not like they can just call right now-"

Suddenly, the screen behind Dedede's throne turned on by itself, revealing none other than the N.M.E Sales Guy. .

"N-N-NIGHTMARE ENTERPRISES??" Dedede and Escargoon yelped in unison as the sales guy sneered. "YOU'RE STILL ALIVE?!"

"Why, of course I am still alive! You and your puny fleet of ships only destroyed one of our space stations, we still have plenty more elsewhere in the universe!" He cackled wickedly.

"Technically, it wasn't our fleet.. it was Meta Knight's." Escargoon mumbled under his breath as Dedede gave him a furious glare.

"Hahaha.. you're silent, Triple D? I'm impressed.." The sales guy remarked sarcastically as Dedede crossed his arms. "You're normally much more talkative than this.."

"We don't have anything to say to you! Right, Sire?" Escargoon pleaded to his King, who was still thinking.

"Oh? Well, let's just see what Big D thinks of that.." The sales guy countered, grinning ear to ear.

"Do ya have a monster to clobber that there Kirby?" Dedede asked as Escargoon fell to the floor.

"Hahaha.. I knew you would say that, Triple D! That's why I called you.. because I have found the perfect deal!" He grinned again, showing every one of his teeth.

"Sire, are you insane?! You know this is a terrible idea! Every single time you've ordered a monster after Kirby, they've all caused massive catastrophes!" Escargoon pleaded as he got up off of the floor. "Plus, I don't think your bank account can handle it.."

"Don't you worry, my snail friend.. we have prepared for exactly this situation. At the low, low price of 10,000 dollars, we can open a portal to a world filled with monsters of all kinds! What do you think of that, eh, D-Man?" The Sales Guy grinned toothily as Dedede started to consider his offer.

"Hmm.. that is a bargain.." Dedede thought aloud as Escargoon facepalmed. "Just what kinda world are we talking'?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see, Triple D! It's a cooperation secret.. I'm sure you'll understand! Now then.. Do we have a deal?"

"Hmm.. well, if you insist it's such a good deal.. then I'm in!" Dedede exclaimed happily as Escargoon fainted.

"Good choice.." The sales guy cackled as he pressed a button and signed off.

"Huh? Nothing's happening-" Dedede was cut off by a portal appearing in the center of the room, swirling in many colors.

"Ugh.. what was tha- OH JEEZ WHAT IS THAT THING?!" Escargoon screamed as he woke up, immediately scrambling behind Dedede. "SIRE, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"Honestly.. I have no idea." Dedede gasped as he stared breathlessly at the portal.

"WELL DO SOMETHING, TURN IT OFF!" Escargoon yelled as he turned away from the spiral. "Those colors are making me dizzy!"

"No way! Didn't you hear the Sales Guy? There's tons of monsters behind that Portal, I'm not passing up that!"

Dedede gave a terrified Escargoon his best smirk and jumped into the portal, disappearing through it.

"SIRE!! WAIT FOR ME!!" Escargoon panicked as he dashed into the portal after Dedede.

_________

…And that's what happened. I was getting a bad feeling about Dedede, so I stayed in the castle to spy on him. Turns out my hunch was.. way more than a hunch." Meta Knight sighed as everyone gasped.

"NME ISN'T DESTROYED?!" An older Cappy shrieked as she tried to stop herself from fainting.

"Yes.. I'm afraid that we only made a dent in their forces.. Meta Knight stated in disbelief.

"Ugh.. has that overgrown chicken learned ANYTHING from the past year?! Unbelievable!" Tiff yelled as she threw her hands up in protest.

"Ooh, if Dedede heard that, he would probably have you thrown into the dungeon.." Tuff teased as Tiff slugged him on the arm in retaliation.

"Owww.. not cool, sis!" Tuff whined, rubbing his arm.

"What is going on out here?!" A shrill french accent echoed as their mother Lady Like entered the room alongside their father. "Tuff, Tiff, Kirby, you're not supposed to be out right now! It's time for lunch, so please wash up."

"Poyo.."

"But mom! There's something super serious going on!" Tuff protested, pointing to the rainbow portal in front of them.

What is THAT?! ..Kids, get inside! It looks dangerous!" Lady Like freaked as she backed away from the portal warily. Looks like one of Dedede's foul tricks.."

"It is! They ordered a portal to another world from NME! I swear, those two morons are biting off WAY more than they can chew.." Tiff sighed, shaking her head.

"Hey now children, watch your language.." Sir Ebrum sighed. "Even though King Dedede isn't here, it is disrespectful to insult your elders."

"Ugh.. fine.." Tuff caved in, a slight grimace spread across his face. "But still! Who knows what they could be doing now that they don't have Kirby to stop their schemes!"

"Poyo?" Kirby perked up at the mention of his name.

"He's right, we gotta do something!" Tiff agreed, addressing the whole crowd. "They could cause serious trouble if we don't find them.. and fast.

"Tiff.. we don't know what's out there! It could be dangerous!" Lady Like countered, crossing her arms. I won't let you get hurt out there, young lady!"

"But- We can't just-" Tiff protested as her mother shook her head firmly.

..Sir Meta Knight, what should we do?" Sir Ebrum asked nervously as Meta Knight's eyes turned a deep green.

"Your daughter.. She is right. We have to stop Dedede from causing any more chaos.. By any means necessary." Meta Knight affirmed, staring down the portal with caution.

"I will take a small group to follow them.. to wherever this…Portal is going to take us." He sighed, adjusting his mask slightly. Tiff, Tuff… I request your assistance. I might not be able to handle this on my own.."

"Sure, Meta Knight!" Tuff beamed, blissfully unaware of the danger of the situation.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Lady Like whispered to Sir Ebrum as he nodded.

"I think we should trust Meta Knight.. It was him who helped us take down NME, after all.." Her husband whispered back. "He'll be able to protect them if they get in trouble."

"Okay." Lady Like nodded shakily as she approached Meta Knight. "Sir Meta Knight.. You may take the children with you. Please.. keep a close eye on them, okay? Tuff is a pretty rowdy guy when he gets bored."

"Hey!" Tuff yelled, flushing red from embarrassment. "Mom...you know I'm too old for this.."

"Just kidding, sweetie.." Lady Like chuckled, giving her son a kiss on the forehead. "Be safe out there, okay?"

"Okay.." Tuff sighed.

"Tiff? Please.. take good care of yourself.. and Kirby, too." Sir Ebrum sighed, patting Tiff on the shoulder before giving her and Kirby each a hug goodbye.

"Tiff, Tuff, Kirby- are you ready? I have no idea where we'll end up.." Meta Knight warned as they all nodded.

"Poyoyo!" Kirby affirmed, thumping his chest confidently.

"Well.. See you guys on the other side.." Tiff gulped as she stepped through the portal.

Chapter Text

Meanwhile..

"Dedede appeared from the portal, falling face first onto a damp forest floor. Escargoon appeared right after, comically landing on the King's head without noticing.

"Ugh.. that was quite a trip.." Escargoon groaned, rubbing the back of his eyestalk. "Sire..? Are you there?"

"I'M RIGHT HERE, YOU DIMWIT!" Dedede thundered in rage as he leapt up from underneath him, hammer in hand.

"Waah! I'm sorry, Sire!!" Escargoon yelped as he hid behind a nearby tree. "I didn't notice!"

Dedede huffed and put away his hammer, begrudgingly accepting the snail's apology. Taking a few steps back, he started to take in their surroundings. They were in a lush forest, brimming with plants of all kinds- some of which he had never seen anywhere before. The trees shone with morning dew, making the entire forest sparkle. It was breathtaking, to say the least.

"Well I’ll be.. This place.. it’s ..” Dedede gasped.

“..Beautiful..” Escargoon finished, also taken aback. They stared in silence for a while, watching the leaves sway in the gentle breeze. For a moment, the two of them had almost forgotten what they had come there for.

..Almost.

“Waitaminute! There’s supposed to be monsters here! And I don’t see any monsters!” Dedede shouted in realization, Escargoon jumping slightly from the shift in volume. “Grr.. I think that the Sales guy tricked us!”

“ Ya think?” Escargoon asked sarcastically, receiving a whack on the head from Dedede’s hammer.

“I DIDN'T ASK FOR YOUR OPINION!!" Dedede thundered as he crossed his arms in defiance. "Wait.. I don't see that darn portal anymore!" He yelled as he frantically searched for the rainbow vortex.

"D-does that mean-" Escargoon stuttered.

"WE'RE TRAPPED!!" They both cried out in realization.

"I- okay.. let's just stay calm..There's gotta be SOME way to get out of here! Escargoon pleaded to himself, trying not to panic. "M-maybe we can go.. try to find someone..? Y-know, to help?"

Dedede scratched his head, deep in thought. "You know.. that's not the worst idea you've had.. I guess that might work!" Escargoon looked at him in exasperation before nodding.

"I'm just going to ignore that comment.." he sighed.

The two of them started to make their way through the forest, trying not to trip over any stray tree roots or rocks along the path. Eventually, they managed to find a small clearing next to a river.. but there were still no signs of anyone being nearby.

"Ugh! Stupid forest!!" Dedede yelled, throwing a pebble across the river. Dedede didn't want to admit it, but he really needed some help.

Suddenly, the bush made a rustling noise, startling Escargoon into hiding behind Dedede- who held his hammer in a defensive position.

"Who's there?! I've gotta hammer and I'm not afraid to use it!" He yelled, attempting to hide his fear. The rustling stopped for a second before something swiftly leapt out of the bush.

It was unlike anything either of them had seen before. It appeared to be some kind of rodent. It was mainly bright yellow, with red cheeks and a tail- curiously shaped like a lightning bolt.

What it was.. that could have been anyone's guess.

"Woah.. do you see that..?" Escargoon gasped in awe.

"Yeah, I see it.. it gives me the same weird feeling Kirby does.. I don't like it." Dedede scoffed as he turned away from the creature. It squeaked in curiosity before dashing off into the bushes yet again.

“For a few moments, they were silent- that was, until they heard footsteps running in their direction.

“Hang on, Pikachu! I’m coming!!” A young male voice called out as the creature from before jumped back out of the bushes, followed closely by a young pre-pubescent boy. He had jet-black hair, and he was wearing a blue-collared shirt with short sleeves mostly covering a black undershirt- as well as dark blue jeans and a matching red hat and shoes. Curiously, he was holding a strange red and white ball in his hand. Dedede backed up apprehensively as the boy approached him, Escargoon hiding behind him once again.

“W-Who are you?!” Dedede sputtered, preparing to smack the boy with his hammer if he got too close.

The boy was silent for a moment, awestruck for some reason.

“What!? Is it something I said??” Dedede snapped at the boy, who tossed the strange ball at Dedede’s head. The ball bounced off, leaving a small lump on his head. Escargoon seemingly regained his composure, now reprimanding the boy’s actions.

“How DARE you attack his royal Highness! You ought to be ashamed!” He yelled, shaking his fists. The boy stepped back in surprise, apologizing profusely.

“I’m so sorry..For a second I thought you guys were some kind of mythical pokemon!” He laughed, receiving confused looks from both Dedede and Escargoon. “My name’s Ash.. and this is my buddy Pikachu!” Ash beamed, letting the yellow rodent climb onto his shoulder.

“What the heck is a pokemon, and why would I be one..?” Dedede questioned suspiciously as Ash deadpanned.

“You mean to tell me you don’t know what a pokemon is??” Ash gasped as both of them shook their heads.in confusion. “That can’t be possible..Where are you two from, anyway? You don’t look like you’re from here..”

Dedede and Escargoon both tried to explain the portal the best they could as Ash listened intently, eyes growing wider every second.

“Wow. That.. makes no sense, but I can’t help but believe you.. Come on, let me introduce you to my friends, they might be able to help you guys out!” Ash beamed as he called them to follow him down a forest trail.

30 minutes earlier…

“Hmm.. I wonder when Ash is going to be back.. He’s sure taking a long time..” A young lady sighed hopefully, tucking a stray strand of dirty-blonde hair behind her ear. She looked to be the same age as Ash. She was wearing a black t-shirt and a red skirt, as well as knee-length socks and black shoes. Atop her head rested a pink straw hat with a small bow attached to the side.

She was sitting on a log next to a little girl, around 8 years old. The girl had golden blonde hair tied into a side ponytail. She had blue eyes, and she was wearing a brown short-sleeved top with a small ribbon on the neckline and knee-length shorts covered with a fleece skirt. She was kicking her feet playfully off the side of the log, which were covered in pink mary jane shoes. She was carrying a small yellow shoulder bag.

They had set up a small camping spot, as it was close to evening.In the center next to a fire pit kneeled a teenage boy with a strikingly similar appearance to the young child. He was wearing a light blue skin-tight jumpsuit with yellow accents, as well as large round glasses that obscured his eyes. He had messy blonde hair with a lightning-bolt shaped tuft on top, and he wore black sneakers with white soles. He was clumsily attempting to start a fire, with little luck.

“I bet Dedenne wants to get brushed! Clemont, can I play with Dedenne now? The child asked the teen, who was starting to get frustrated with the fire pit.

“Sure thing, Bonnie.. Lemme just.. There! Finally!” Clemont exclaimed in relief as he put a couple branches into the pit to fuel a small fire he had just made. “That took way too long..” He sighed. He pulled out another one of the odd ball-shaped devices Ash was carrying.

“Come out, Dedenne!”

The ball he was holding opened, expelling a blue light from the center. The light quickly formed itself into a small pudgy rodent-like creature, scurrying onto the log and into Bonnie’s lap. It squeaked happily as Bonnie started brushing its tail and back with a small comb.

There, there.. That’s a good pokemon! Here’s a treat for behaving so well!” Bonnie beamed as she set down the comb and grabbed a small morsel of food from out of her bag, giving it to Dedenne, who almost immediately devoured it.

“I’m certainly impressed with how well you and Dedenne are getting along..” The girl next to Bonnie complemented, giving her a small smile. It’s only been a few weeks since Clemont caught it, and it’s already become super attached to you! I’m sure you’ll be a great pokemon trainer someday..”

“Really?!” Bonnie squealed, kicking her legs excitedly at the thought. “Thanks so much, Serena!”

Suddenly, the bushes nearby started shaking, catching everyone off guard. Clemont rushed over to the bushes to investigate as Serena and Bonnie cautiously watched from afar.

“Is Ash back?” Serena hoped as the shaking grew fainter and fainter.

“Could it be a pokemon?” Bonnie wondered aloud.

“There’s definitely someone here…” Clemont mumbled with worry as the shaking stopped, calling Serena and Bonnie to help. They pulled back the branches, causing two children and a strange pink creature to tumble out onto the forest floor, looking a little worse for wear.. One of the children appeared to be about as old as Bonnie, while the other was about a year older. Despite their age, they were surprisingly short. The pink creature on the other hand.. It looked completely unfamiliar. Perhaps it was a new pokemon?”

The girl was the first to speak.

Chapter Text

“W-who are you people..!?” She sputtered as she backed away from the concerned people surrounding her. “Where am I?

“This is route 4.. Are you alright? You look pale..” Serena noted worriedly as she knelt down next to the girl, who looked like she was about to faint.

"Yeah.. I think so.." The girl sighed, attempting to catch her breath.

The boy spoke next- he seemed to be her brother.

"Woah.. this place looks very different from Dreamland.. you.. you guys are very tall..* He breathed as he looked up at Serena and the others- who were much taller than any person he'd ever met.

Kirby meanwhile was completely exhausted- which Tiff quickly took notice of.

"Oh no! Tuff, look at Kirby! He looks really tired.. Where's Meta Knight? Didn't he go through the portal with us?"

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie exchanged confused glances- as they've never heard of anywhere called 'Dreamland' before- and the concept of portals was just as unfamiliar to them.

"Wait.. Dreamland..? I've never heard of anywhere like that before.." Clemont thought aloud, his glasses reflecting sunlight as he adjusted them. "And what's this about a.. portal??"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Serena questioned worriedly as she helped the children to their feet. "Do you have any parents around here- or family?"

"Well.. it's kinda a long story-"

"Allow me to explain." A sharp Spanish accent cut Tuff off as Meta Knight swooped down from the shadows, startling everyone present.

"Meta Knight! Where were you?? Weren't you supposed to be watching over us?" Tiff questioned in annoyance, voicing her concerns.

"My apologies, children.. I'm afraid the portal separated us when we arrived. Thankfully, I was able to find you three.." He sighed, smiling in relief under his mask.

Now everyone had even more questions.

"Okay, can someone please tell me what's going on? Who are you guys, anyway?" Bonnie questioned, approaching Meta Knight curiously.

"Wha- Bonnie! That's very rude! .. Apologies about my sister.. Sometimes her curiosity gets the best of her." Clemont apologized, blushing slightly from embarrassment.

Meta Knight shook his head, offering him his hand. "No- you don't need to apologize. I'm sure you're just as confused as us. My name is Meta Knight. These two are Tiff and Tuff- and this is Kirby." He motioned to the others, who waved shyly as they were being introduced.

"Kirby.. is it a Pokemon..? I've never seen anything like it before.." Bonnie gasped audibly as she approached Kirby- who seemed to be resting.

"Pokemon..? What.. What are you talking about?" Tiff questioned, tilting her head in curiosity. "Are they.. some kind of monsters?"

"Wait.. you mean to tell me that.. you've never heard of Pokemon before..?!" Serena gasped in shock as Tiff and Tuff both nodded.

"How in the world..?!" Clemont adjusted his glasses again, gears practically turning in his head as he tried to find a reasonable explanation.

-------

Soon, lunch was ready- and Clemont has offered to share with the strange travelers- much to their gratitude. As they sat down, Meta Knight explained their situation.

"It's.. kind of hard to explain." Meta Knight sighed as he recalled the past hour. "You see.. someone we know happened to do something reckless- opening a portal to this world to cause mischief. We are from a world known as Dreamland- the rules of this realm are foreign to us." He explained, receiving several wide-eyed expressions from Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena.

"You mean to tell me.. that you're not… you're not from this world?!" Serena exclaimed in surprise, almost dropping what was on her fork.

Meanwhile, Bonnie was in complete awe and excitement- a million questions racing through her mind as her eyes grew wide with wonder.

"Are you.. Are you ALIENS?!" She gasped in excitement. "I've never met aliens before!!"

"Bonnie!" Clemont scolded. "It's not nice to assume things! Besides, that's absolutely ridiculous.."

Tiff and Tuff both exchanged confused expressions before giggling.

"Aliens? I dunno.. you're alone on that one." Tuff laughed, remembering the alien movies that used to air on TV.

They continued to eat and talk amongst themselves. Serena seemed to be getting worried about something, fumbling with her pink hat.

".....Hmm.."

"What's wrong, Serena?" Bonnie asked sweetly. "Is something on your mind?"

Serena sighed, pushing several strands of golden brown hair out of her face. "Yes.. it's about Ash. He should be back by now.. I'm worried about him."

"Ash? Who's that?" Tiff wondered aloud.

"He's a close friend of ours. He left to explore the forest.. but he's been gone for quite a while." Serena sighed. "I think we should go look for him after we finish Lunch."

Clemont nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

-------

Soon enough, they had finished lunch, with plenty of leftovers to spare. As Clemont and Serena cleaned up their supplies, an approaching shadow caught Tiff's attention.

*rustle rustle*

"Huh..? Who's there?" She asked, a hint of worry in her voice. "Guys- there's someone here!"

Indeed, someone stepped out of the shadows of the trees- who Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont immediately recognized as Ash. To Tiff and Tuff's collective surprise, a yellow rodent-like creature was perched happily on his shoulder. it wasn't just the appearance of Ash and the strange creature that caught Tiff and Tuff off guard..

There were two other people with him- and Tiff had recognized them immediately. Without a doubt, they were King Dedede and Escargoon. Tiff inwardly groaned in exasperation as the the two of them stared back at her in utter bewilderment. It seemed they didn't expect the children to follow their footsteps- no less accompanied by Meta Knight of all people.

"Escargoon.. why are they here?"

Chapter Text

"Speak of the devil.." Tuff groaned as Dedede's face reddened with anger. The king of Dreamland was certainly caught off-guard from the two children and Kirby- he certainly didn't expect anyone to follow them into the portal- no less his worst enemies.

"Ugh.. of course it's you two and that pink puffball.. I should've known you'd stick your noses where ya don't belong!" Escargoon groaned in exasperation as he crossed his arms- clearly ticked off about their current situation. "Oh great, The Knight's here too.. Lemme guess, it was your idea to follow us, huh??"

Meta Knight nodded with a stern, yet surprisingly calm expression. "Yes.. it was I who chose to follow you and the King. It would have been foolish of me to not do so, after witnessing your terrible decisions beforehand.."

"Oh, you little-"

Before Dedede could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Bonnie- who was practically bouncing on her heels in excitement as she looked up at him and Escargoon in child-like adoration.

"Oh my goodness!! You two are soooo cute!! Are.. are you some kind of.. super-cute legendary Pokemon?"

Dedede and Escargoon stared down at Bonnie, blinking in complete disbelief and bewilderment as Clemont started to turn red in second-hand embarrassment, completely baffled with his sister's naive behavior.

"Uhhh.. I'm sorry, what?!" Dedede exclaimed angrily as Bonnie's statement resonated with him. " 'Cute'? Are you outta your mind?? Y'all should be intimidated by me, not- whatever THAT was!!"

"Oh, I can't believe you, Bonnie..! ..Activate Aipom arm!". Clemont sputtered as he pressed a button on his backpack. In an instant, a large mechanical arm resembling the tail of an Aipom came out of it, dragging Bonnie away from Dedede and Escargoon. "I'm really sorry about that- my sister sometimes.. doesn't think before she talks.."

"What.. was that..?" Tuff asked in confused awe as he watched the contraption. He had never seen technology like it before, and it intrigued him. Escargoon also glanced at it for a moment, seemingly somewhat interested- ..though he certainly didn't want the others to know.

"Oh, that? That's one of Clemont's inventions! He makes all kinds of really cool things all the time.. Science is so amazing!" Ash explained, smiling warmly at Tuff- who looked absolutely fascinated by the Aipom arm.

Kirby, meanwhile, was also quite fascinated with the Aipom arm- mimicking its movements with his little nub arms. Almost everyone except for Dedede and Escargoon seemed to be amused by the puffball's antics- charmed by the adorable sight.

"Awww! Isn't the little guy just precious?" Serena cooed as she knelt down to pat Kirby on the head. Kirby gratefully accepted the head pats, laughing playfully all the while. Dedede merely scowled in annoyance, finding Kirby's cute behavior unbearable.

After recovering from his sister's shenanigans, Clemont suddenly remembered something.

"Aww geez, I can't believe this.. We forgot to introduce ourselves to you guys! ..I suppose it's because so much stuff happened so fast, hehe.." Clemont chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

Tiff and Tiff perked up at this, realizing that they still knew next to nothing about Clemont or the others. "N-no, you're fine! We'd all love to learn more about you guys!" Tiff reassured, motioning toward everyone. "Right, Dedede? Escargoon?"

"Of all the-" Dedede began, but was cut off by Escargoon, who shook his head in disapproval. "Escargoon, WHAT GIVES?!"

Escargoon spoke in a whisper, sounding almost guilty. "Sire.. we're not exactly in the best situation right now. As much as I HATE to admit it.." Escargoon sighed as Dedede raised an eyebrow. "We should probably act civil- a-at least for the time being!" Escargoon added nervously as Dedede glared at him. It was clear that the King didn't approve of this idea- and he seemed to hate it even more once the thought occurred to him that Escargoon.. was probably right.

"Oh, are you KIDDIN' me, Escargoon??" Dedede exclaimed angrily as he stomped over to Kirby, glaring down at him as if he had just insulted his mother. "I'd rather learn how to read than be friends with that troublemakin', annoyin' little-"

Dedede was cut off yet again, this time by Tiff- who was not amused with his attitude towards Kirby.

"Hey!! Dedede, please.. Can't you just- put a lid on your superiority complex for once?? Kirby is not causing any trouble!"

"Yeah- And he's not annoying, either!" Tuff added, giving Kirby a pat on the head. "Besides, you're one to talk- you were the one who got us into this mess!"

Dedede turned towards Tiff and Tuff- his facial expression contorted with rage. Steam was practically coming out of his ears as his face reddened. At this point, Escargoon was hiding behind a nearby tree- afraid to get in the way of the King of Dreamland as he already knew what was about to happen. Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, and Clemont watched with bated breath, each clutching one of their Pokeballs just in case.

"Why you little brats.. how DARE you speak to me in that way! I am your KING!!" To everyone's collective shock, Dedede prepared to swing his hammer at the two children, unaware of how reckless and dangerous he was being. Tiff and Tuff cried out in a panic, hugging each other for comfort as Dedede raised his hammer into the air. He was about to hit the children with the hammer when suddenly..

In an instant, Meta Knight rushed forward, unsheathing his sword and moving Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby out of the way. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to defend himself quickly enough and was hit full-force with the hammer, sending him flying into a tree. He fell to the ground, trembling somewhat from the pain.

"Meta Knight!!" Tiff and Tuff yelled in unison as they crowded around the swordsman, who was groaning as he tried to collect himself. "Are you okay??"

"I'm fine, children.." Meta Knight coughed as he sat upright, adjusting his mask. "You don't need to worry about me.. you need to worry about keeping yourselves and Kirby safe!"

Suddenly, Ash, Serena, and Clemont stepped forward, all sharing the same determined glint in their eyes. Bonnie was hiding behind Clemont, looking slightly nervous. Ash's Pikachu was sitting on his head, its lightning-bolt tail raised upright as electricity crackled from its cheeks.

"Stop that! You could have seriously hurt those three!" Serena scolded, standing in-between Dedede and the children. "Please, don't make us resort to fighting you!"

Dedede scowled, though his tone was laced with a hint of amusement. "Oh, yeah? And why should I listen to you, girlie? You're half my size, ya couldn't fight me if ya tried! In fact, I bet I could take on all three of ya in a fight if I really wanted to! HEHEHE!"

"Oh, yeah?" Ash challenged, his mouth curling upward into a smirk as he confidently approached Dedede. "I'll battle you and win, no problem!"

Dedede couldn't help but burst into laughter as he heard this. "BAHAHAHA! Oh, ya can't be serious!" Dedede guffawed as he wiped away a tear from his eye. "Kid, I hate to break it to ya, but you're.. what, ten years old? You're not gonna stand a chance against me in a fight."

"Who said Ash is going to be the one fighting?" Clemont questioned, looking somewhat confused as Pikachu squeaked, the electricity sparking from its cheeks becoming more intense. "You'd be fighting against his Pikachu, if anything."

"Pikachu..?" Dedede questioned as he looked around. "Wait.. ya don't mean.. Ya can't POSSIBLY mean the yellow rat, right?? You've GOTTA be kiddin' me! That lil' pipsqueak? Please."

Pikachu growled in annoyance as it bared its fangs, not liking the fact that it was being underestimated.

"It's okay, Pikachu!" Ash chuckled as he scratched the rodent Pokemon behind its ear. "Don't underestimate my buddy Pikachu here.. We've been through thick and thin together, haven't we bud?"

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped happily, forgetting its anger as it enjoyed the attention. Escargoon meanwhile stepped out from behind the tree he was hiding behind, trying to get Dedede's attention.

"S-sire? Um- I think they're being serious about this.. I don't think you should-"

Before Escargoon could finish his sentence, Dedede cut him off with a sharp laugh.

"BAHAHA! Escargoon, do ya really think there's anything to worry about? It's just a yellow mouse, what's the worst that could happen-"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu, hearing the all-too-familiar command, leapt up into the air- sparking with even more electricity than before. Escargoon started to panic, shaking Dedede to get his attention.

"Sire.. SIRE?! There's definitely something seriously wrong goin' on here!!"

"Escargoon, how many times do I have to tell ya.. there's nothin-"

Dedede looked up just in time to see Pikachu launching a large electric blast aimed directly at him. He tried to block it with his hammer, but it was too strong and he was zapped by the powerful blast of electricity.

ZZZZAAAAPPP!