[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6W7bqko.png[/img]
[h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa Troop[/color][/h2]
[b][color=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,492 (+3)
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 14 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (232/140)  (+1 bonus pending)
[b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 14 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]////////////////////////////////////// (115/140)  (+1 bonus pending)
[b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 13 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]/////////////////////////////////////// (107/130)  (+1 bonus pending)
[b][color=Aqua]Rika: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=Aqua]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color](126/90)  (+1 bonus pending)
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Carnival town: Ballyhoo’s Big Top -> the avenger: spirit chamber
[hider=warp locations]
[s]
Central hub: Smash City Alcamoth
Accessible locations:
Peach’s castle
Limsa Lominscuttle Town
Lumbridge
Twilight Town
Kosm’s Beach
[/s]
[/hider]
[/center]

[color=SpringGreen]”Ahhhhhh”[/color] Was how Jr began his ascent, but once the initial shock was over fear turned into delighted cry of [color=SpringGreen]”ah ha ha, Woooooo!”[/color] till he came to a stop in the sky, bobbing on the attached balloon. 

He was joined a few moments later by the rest of the troop, Bowser with his arms cartwheeling for several moments after they came to a halt, Rika looking like she didn’t get what all the fuss was about, and Kamek, who sat atop his broom, balloon less, having simply teleported up after them once they’d reached their max altitude.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”So, how was that?”[/color] the mage asked, just a little bit smug at having been able to avoid the trip.

[color=Aqua]”Kinda neat, though we are kinda sitting supply ships up here”[/color] Rika replied after Jr had given a simple [color=SpringGreen]”Great!”[/color] 

To demonstrate her point, she sent out her singular remaining scout plane and had it do a fake attack run on her balloon, making [color=Aqua]”Pew pew pew”[/color] noises followed by [color=Aqua]”Pop, and then down we go”[/color] which put pause to Jr’s delighted, prompting him to look nervously down at the mighty drop down below.

[color=Aqua]”I could catch you with my grappling hook and then just float all the way down, I think”[/color] she told her brother, sort of picking up on the discomfort she’d caused, and looking a little pleased with herself when he perked up in response to this news. 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”And I will naturally go after your father”[/color] Kamek added, preempting the follow up question from his royal majesty.

With worries about falling to their doom put to rest, all there was to do was float, wait, and chatter till they got picked up by the invisible spaceship. They didn’t get a good look at it, unfortunately, due to the whole invisibility thing, which meant the more straightforward among them could not judge its combat capabilities by its cover. Not that they were going to be able to use it as a warship, given the million times punier than Jr children that were onboard, an argument that easily convinced Bowser not to take it into battle when it had been down below in the tent.

Still, they did get to learn about one capability right away, which was the room it had that was dedicated to spirits, which was very convenient. It was lacking in some former functionality apparently, but they had bits and pieces to fill that in. For one, the resetting orb. For two, well, Kamek was more than happy to show off their own little helpful fusion tool.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”For those of you not in the know, this is the Snaktivator”[/color] he said as he held aloft an odd little gismo that looked like a fishing rod with the rod part replaced with an aerial or raygun nozzle [color=DeepSkyBlue]”and it can be used to localize the physical changes a fusion causes to a singular body part”[/color]

As he said this, Bowser Jr popped open a pokeball, releasing Peeka the Fluttermane, and then held up the spirit of a [url=https://i.imgur.com/kqTPQ7t.png]tentacled being[/url]. The spirit was then pressed into the pokemon as Kamek poked the creature’s ‘necklace’ during the fusion process, Jr having already talked about this fusion idea while they were floating.

[hider=For Peeka] Spirit Consumed: [b][url=https://i.imgur.com/kqTPQ7t.png]Vel'koz[/url][/b]('Necklace') The host's coloration is slightly greener, and the pink feathers a little more like tentacles. The main change concerns the 'pearls' around the host's neck, which are now brilliant glowing slitted pink-purple orbs like the eyes of Vel'koz itself. This spirit confers the ability Plasma Fission, allowing the host to fire out a plasma bolt that inflicts damage and a heavy 70% slow that quickly decays. While in flight, the host can will the bolt to split, firing off to the left and right at perpendicular angles. This spirit also confers the Weakness [b]Low Mobility[/b], decreasing the host's movement speed while floating[/hider]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Observe how the majority of the effects are localized in the desired area, while the rest of the form is (mostly) untouched”[/color] he declared, thinking this demonstration a complete success even if having the half a dozen purple eyes strung around Peeka’s neck stare at him while he spoke was a little unnerving. 

It was certainly an alternative to the resonator, and likely one that, well, resonated with those who either desired to keep their true physical form mostly intact, or to limit the changes of a particularly discordant spirit.

A second demonstration was made with Dazzle as well, the other pre-planned fusion the troop had, which showed off its way to counter something Midna had had issues with, namely potentially massive size changes, as despite fusion with a whale, the resulting change was not quite so dramatic as might have been expected.

[hider=For Dazzle] Spirit consumed: [b][url=https://i.imgur.com/i8ISEIb.png]Bake-Kujira[/url][/b] (Tail) The host has slightly increased in size overall, while darkening in color. His tail is longer and broader, its flippers jutting out at a more perpendicular angle, and much less flexible. The tail is also increasingly spectral toward the end, divided between murky teal flesh and ghostly blue energy juxtaposed over bone. This spirit grants the ability [b]Twisting Dive[/b], which allows the host to execute a cursed corkscrew leap. While diving, the host inflicts damage plus brief stun, is knockback-immune, and carries struck targets with him to the end point (as long as the targets are not larger/heavier than himself). At the end of the dash, a concussive splash deals extra damage, and this dive goes farther when underwater. This spirit also grants the weakness [b]Lesser Pinniped Mobility[/b]. Due to the changes to the structure of the tail, he is no longer able to run on land like a sea lion, but must flop, roll, or slide like a seal [/hider]

As something of a trend, however, this also seemed to reduce the pokemon’s mobility, though not quite as badly as the previous dire penguin spirit had, which the prince had removed to replace with this one. Ironically though, he had, as it turned out, mostly replaced one spirit with a  functionally similar one given the power he’d later demonstrate, but at least the mon was once again more amicable, the use of the snaktivator seeming to result in personality changes somewhat less often being something of a stealth benifit.

That was not the end of the showing off of tricks however, as Kamek subsequently borrowed Sectonia’s mimic hat, and proceeded to crush the two pity spirits he had received while wearing it while exonerating its virtue of improving the outcome. The first went smoothly, garnering him a new casting implement that, while more cumbersome, he could feel the power within.

[hider=for Kamek]
[b]Horadric Staff[/b]
[i]A casting catalyst that provides a number of useful benefits to its wielder, including increased attack speed, HP and mana bonuses, 50% more damage to the undead, 10% more resistance to cold, fire, lightning, and 35% more resistance to poison[/i]
[/hider]

As a bonus, he even got to show off Sectonia’s other helpful gizmo, as after finding that the staff was solely empowering, absorbing its stat enhancing powers into himself via her Trinket Smelter. 

Very pleased with that result, he swiftly crushed the second as well. It, however, spawned a stone pedestal, which was familiar too, and perhaps detested, by a few of the seekers. Kamek certainly became alarmed as its spawning location caused him to instantly touch the item it held before he could assess it, prompting it to be absorbed.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Oh badness, what has that done”[/color] he worried, patting himself down, only for Jr to theatrically call out [color=SpringGreen]”It’s behind youuuuuu”[/color], prompting the mage to spin around on the spot, only for him to find nothing there. 

He began to turn his head back to complain [color=DeepSkyBlue]”This is no laughing matter young master!”[/color] to Jr, only to [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Ak!”[/color] in alarm as he found the change floating behind him.

[hider=for Kamek]
[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/CW7Ll2k.png]Incubus[/url][/b] [i]A batlike demonic creature. It binds itself to whoever touches it, then follows them around. When its host uses ranged attacks, the incubus will try to copy them using its demonic power, though such attacks are reduced in size, speed, and power by 50%[/i]
[/hider]

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Well then, that could be worse”[/color] he said after recovering, as if having a devil looming over your shoulders at all times wasn’t rather horrifying on its own, before pondering what it could do. 

With the tight and packed confines of the fusion chamber however, testing out any fusions or weapons would prove rather difficult. Its ability to mimic his spells, free of charge unlike his clones (who also gained one), certainly would prove a welcome boost to his firepower.

With the easy fusion and itemizing work out the way, the troop settled themselves down in a corner to mull over their remaining collection, be be nosy about the other’s ones, and generally go through the hard task of thinking about how to reinvent themselves with all the tools available, if at all.