Dust settled while the victory chime sounded off. The credit sequence ran its course and the bounty huntress walked into the lounge after another victory. Taking off her helmet, a familiar electric rodent welcomed her from the Classic session she took.

"Pika! Pika!" he squeaked, racing up her suit and nuzzling her cheek. Pikachu managed to cause a slight giggle from the ever feared hunter. His reward for doing so was some gentle petting on his crimson cheeks. "Chaa~"

Silently, she began walking toward her room to change out of her suit. It was stuffy in a casual place like this.

The arena and the rooming areas were very different; one was for the professional, fighting attire while the other was meant for rest between matches. Being tired after the match ups, she wanted to strip off the heavy armor.

Many fighters held their breath from her intimidating air as a warrior. The power in her stride had always done that, though it wasn't as though she intended for that. A few brave souls shyly waved, as she passed by. None received any wave in return, though Princess Peach managed to get a small nod out of Samus.

Through the hallway, the galactic heroine entered her room, not minding Pikachu jumping off her shoulder and curling up in her bed. The little creature had been rather useful once, and seemed to be very fond of her. She recalled the Pokemon Trainer explaining something about a bond.

It was a shame the little thing couldn't come with her onto her ship when she returned to her world. At least they could spend time together here in this odd space-time controlled by Master Hand. He was truly an enigma...

Putting the Chozo metal away into a sort of capsule, Samus stretched and enjoyed the comfortable feeling of her skimpier Zero Suit. Flopping down in her bed ungracefully, she grabbed a futuristic tablet to begin reading a digital book.

Pikachu moved over to her shoulder again, nuzzling his cheek against hers once more. She instinctively began to pet him. It was an absent-minded reaction to the little creature these days. She was essentially his mistress whenever these get-togethers happened, and she didn't mind the companionship.

A sudden buzzing caught her attention. Someone was apparently at her door. That was rare...

Pikachu looked up, ears pricking. He frowned slightly.

Now that made her curious. Usually if it was one of the girls, the Pokemon would be content or apathetic. No one else aside from them really ever bothered with her, as she intimidated too many of the others.

Sighing, she got up with the electric mouse in tow.

Opening the door, she spotted a face she had not expected to see.

Pikachu let off a few sparks of warning near Samus' legs, feeling protective of her. She hushed a low growl from him with a gentle nudge from her foot.

"Good day," the King of Darkness, as Zelda had once called him, was smiling slightly while looking down at the blonde hunter. The air around him felt thicker, like a sort of toxic miasma, though the half-Chozo warrior hardly considered it a threat. She had faced far worse.

"What do you want?" Samus asked calmly, not appearing angry or even slightly intimidated. She was more curious about his visit, though her social skills weren't quite up to par for pleasantries. The other girls had told her she really needed to work on that. It was difficult when her work was often solo with her barely speaking anyway. It wasn't as though socializing saved the galaxy.

Ganondorf chuckled a little and glanced down at the rat itching to electrocute him. "I just wanted to say we had some good matches together, during the Classic session we had. I don't intend to bring you any harm, miss."

She glanced down and gave Pikachu a another nudge with her foot. The Pokemon frowned and hugged her boot while glaring daggers.

"Ah, yes. Our team matches. Thank you for having my back," she nodded respectfully. "You were a good partner for the Classic matches. You made almost as many kills as I did."

"And thank you as well," he spoke, rubbing his hands together before looking around the seemingly deserted hall. "Would you be interested in a drink or two? I believe that is something fighters do after a match together."

Well, that was certainly a custom she wasn't entirely familiar with. Then again, this was a new space-time gathering. Who knew what sort of maddening events would happen this time?

Perhaps Peach and Zelda simply left her out to get to know the newer girls first. They had said she was a bit aggressive-looking. Bounty hunter; didn't anyone get the memo?

Shrugging she finally replied with a quiet, "Sure."

"Excellent. I'll come by around seven," he made a small, bowing-like gesture before slowly walking away.

"...I think I have some coins lying around. I need to buy him something for that save in one of our matches..." the blonde mumbled to herself before closing her door. "He also owes me for that other round..."

Pikachu seemed a slightly calmer without the evil monarch around. He climbed up to her shoulders again, tilting his head. "Pi?"

"Hm? It's just a drink, right? You can come too," she hardly minded the other's company. Pikachu didn't piss her off. "You can pick whichever you like."

Smiles burst from his little cheeks. "Chaa~"

"But that means you have to spend some coins on us too," she warned with a smirk.

Pikachu's eyes rolled before he nodded. "Pika, pika..." He jumped off from her shoulder, landing on her bed. He gave a stretch and yawn as the hunter started to take her clothes off. She needed to clean herself off before going anywhere else today.

Samus started moving toward her bathroom, finding the Pokemon quickly following her. "You want a shower too?"

"Pi!" was the reply she got. That could only mean "Yes."

Swapping into her other Zero Suit, blue eyes watched Pikachu shake off the water from their shower and give himself light shocks to dry himself off.

Samus sighed in relief, feeling cleaner and refreshed. These gatherings were such a luxury. In the field, staying clean was so hard to do in her line of work. Some alien always had to ruin the day with some odd gunk or chemical-heavy sludge.

She shuddered slightly at her recollection of her Phazon incident.

The hunter sat down with a stretch. Smiling as Pikachu leaped onto her lap, she stroked his soft fur like a kitten. The mighty savior of space giggled when she felt his throat vibrating with enjoyment. "You like that, huh?"

"Chuuuu~" he hummed, looking quite pleased. His face rubbed at at her shorts as if to show some gratitude. He was such an adorable companion.

Samus blinked when she heard the buzzer from her door going off again. She could feel Pikachu sighing as his petting time was slipping away. She gave the rodent a playful poke and walked over to the door.

Upon opening it, she looked up to face Ganondorf with her usual lack of emotional expression. She didn't know what Zelda was talking about. He wasn't as frightening as she told. He seemed alright so far.

"Hello, Samus," he greeted formally, moving to the side for her to exit. The king was staring slightly at her hair. It wasn't tied up yet. "That's an interesting look."

Though it didn't last long. "Mmhm," As she walked out, her hands reached behind her head to tie it up. "Hello," her own greeting was just as cold as normal. The darker seemed amused by that.

"Pi," Pikachu followed after the female, once again riding on her shoulder. He watched the darker like a hawk.

Ganondorf snickered as he followed them. "You and the little rat seem to be getting along, miss."

Pikachu stuck his tongue out while Samus huffed in amusement. "He's not a rat. He is a Pokemon, more specifically a Pikachu. They're quite sentient as far as lifeforms go."

"I take it he will be joining us?"

"Is that a problem?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Certainly not," he shrugged, giving a more menacing grin to the yellow creature. "Pets are allowed after all."

A hiss came from Pikachu's mouth.

With a sigh, she brought out her gun, placing the front to his neck as they walked. "Could you refrain from riling him up? It's annoying."

Ganondorf simply chuckled, moving his hand closer to move the weapon. However, he stopped when she made it click. Never joke around with an annoyed bounty hunter.

"Very well," he sighed, staying relatively cooperative. There was still a smirk still on his face. "I rather like your style, miss. You're not as passive as the others, or obnoxious. I take it pleasantries aren't something you care for?"

"I hunt and exterminate incredibly dangerous aliens on a daily basis," Samus put her gun away, hand moving to her furry companion to pet and calm down. "I can't afford to be very passive. People would die."

Pikachu nuzzled up to her more contently with her touch. He returned the favor with his tail stroking her back.

"So I've heard," Ganondorf opened the door to the food court, letting her enter first. He was chivalrous. Given when in time he, Zelda, and Link were from, it wasn't surprising. Samus paid it no mind. "I assume Princess Zelda has told you about me?"

Samus walked over to one of the drink stations, humming over which one to pick. "She has," she responded without much concern. "You haven't done anything to me here, so I don't have any reason to kill you yet."

He bellowed in laughter at her response. "Straightforward, aren't you?"

"Unless you have a bounty for me to collect, I don't really care too much." She smiled and picked up a pink, fizzy drink. "Do you know what you want?"

"So terribly cold, miss," Ganondor's chuckles died off as he picked up some Lon Lon milk. "If I gave you a bounty for Princess Zelda, would you bring her to me?"

It was her turn to laugh. "No, pay up."

Pikachu held up a Soda Pop and a few coins. He was smiling at the banter, appearing to be more at ease.

"Fine, fine," the king jokingly sighed, putting out his share of the coins.

The trio moved over to some tables, enjoying their beverages.

"...So, why do you want to take over Hyrule?" Samus asked after a quick sip. Small talk was something people did. She was going to try it. Worst case scenario, they never talk to each other again, which was fine.

Having his milk practically vanish after a few gulps, the bottle was set down and shoved away to the empty seat near him. "Because I like power, I suppose. I would like to rule everything, and watch all of Hyrule bow to my will. People praising and worshiping my name... fear, respect... the simple things in life."

"I suppose that's what everyone wants, ultimately." She shrugged, not really too thrilled about that answer. Her deadpan voice gave that much away.

"What about you?" He leaned in curiously, resting his head on his hand. "Is that why you're a bounty-hunter, miss? For the glory? I know many tremble in your presence, like myself."

Samus took another sip of her drink and drummed her fingers against the glass bottle. "I need money to live, the Federation needs my strength to get things done, the Chozo made me into a super-human warrior to save the galaxy, and I run into my enemy, Ridley, in this line of work and get my chance to kill him," she responded simply.

"Does he have some sort of bounty on his head?" Ganondorf pressed on, genuinely interested.

"No, he killed my parents." Her monotone voice really kicked in that time. "So, I want him dead. Simple as that."

Ganondorf nodded, seeing that as a reasonable vengeance.

"Pika," Pikachu tapped the table, trying to get the two's attention.

"What does the rat want now?" The king was very obviously irritated at the interruption.

"I know, Pikachu." Samus suddenly pointed her gun to the corner of a wall, clicking it as a warning. "Come out or I'll blast the wall open and drag you out."

"What the...?" The large man looked over, spotting Link slowly coming out from his hiding spot near a set of tables, along with the princess Zelda. Both had their hands up, nervous from the gun pointed at them. Ganondorf raised a brow before glaring at them irritably. "Am I not allowed to make friends here? How cruel."

"I can handle myself, Zelda," Samus snapped, lowering her weapon. "We're just sharing some drinks because we fought together in Classic mode. That is all."

"A-Ah... alright," the princess fidgeted uncomfortably, unsure of what to make of the situation. Her friend and worst enemy acting friendly to each other. "Well... Link and I are going to eat too... right over there." Zelda grabbed the silent hero's arm and made her way to the stand with cakes.

From the tables closest, Meta Knight and Rosalina looked mystified at the Hylians while Sonic and Mario simply shrugged and went back to their spaghetti and chilidogs. Greninja, Lucario, and Mewtwo seemed to be intenty watching Pikachu, only looking away when the yellow Pokemon nodded in reassurance. Pokemon stuck together more agreeably than the girls.

Samus clicked her tongue irritably. However, her annoyance seemed to melt away when Pikachu nuzzled at her cheek. "Perhaps I should have come in my power suit... People seem to forget I've saved entire planets single-handedly, despite looking the way I do."

Ganondorf shrugged. "We could move elsewhere. I just wanted to enjoy a drink with someone who was powerful."

That got a small smile to form on her pale face. "Really now?"

"I didn't have to save you as much as I would have with the others, nor was completely cast off for being myself" He folded his arms more casually. "I had fun defeating the others with you. I'd like to do it again sometime. You're a decent fighter, miss."

"It is pretty fun when the people you're fighting with aren't liabilities." She responded with a light laugh. Her hand absently petted Pikachu, making the little one smile contently.

"Pika, pika, pikachu!" he practically purred, knowing he was one of the good fighters as well.

"I remember losing once because my partners couldn't get their shit together." Her eyes rolled as she took a bigger sample of her drink. "If you can't handle the battle, get off the field! You'd be dead in seconds out there in the real world."

"Deadweight may as well just be dead," he grinned with amusement.

"Agreed!" she chuckled.

"Chuu," Pikachu suddenly poked at her bottle.

"No, you shouldn't have any. It might be a bit too strong for you." Samus smirked, keeping it away from the curious little beast. "I still don't know what's safe to give you without the Pokemon Trainer here."

Ganondorf's interest peaked again. "What is it, exactly? What you're drinking."

"It's from another planet," the huntress grinned deviously. "I don't know how in all the galaxy they got this here, but it's a drink I used to have when I was with the Chozo. It was the drink of the warriors. They were impressed I could handle it with my human base-genetics. It really burns most people's throats."

"Might I try?" His eyes tried to read the alien label's mysterious words.

Samus snickered to herself. "Be my guest," she offered the bottle, seemingly knowing what was going to happen. "Whatever happens isn't my fault."

The king brought the drink closer to his lips and took a nice shot. He tried to keep down any hints of coughing wanting to erupt from the odd flavor he his experienced.

The bottle fell down to the table with a somewhat loud bang. His free hand fell to his chest, hitting it roughly. Samus holding back some laughter made the attempt even more silly-looking. Pikachu had no qualms about laughing, however.

"That... that stuff wasn't terribly strong!" Ganondorf coughed, still hitting his chest. "Child's play."

Samus covered her smile with her hand. "I'm sure." She took back the rest of her drink, guzzling it down like water. "I coughed on my first time too. I was a kid at the time, but hey, still counts."

"Pika, pikachu~" The Pokemon grinned impishly, commenting on the situation.

"You have interesting tastes, miss," he commented.

The blonde patted down Pikachu and shrugged. "By the way, it's alright to call me by name. You're not one of the Federation members. We're all powerful fighters here." She paused. "...Most of us, anyway."

"Samus it is, then," a hand extended for a shake. "A pleasure."

Taking the large, roughly-skinned hand offered, she gave it a nice, firm shake with her more petite hand. Her stature certainly lied about her strength. "Likewise."

Pikachu placed his paw over their joined hands, giving the evil king and playful look. "Pika."

"...And the rat too." He chuckled, making Pikachu grin impishly.