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On the right side of the level, Ness clocked Kirby with a low yo-yo spin and then ran up and followed by shoving Kirby to the ground. A box appeared under the right platform and when Kirby tried to pick it up, Ness engulfed the entire box with a PK fire. Kirby was burned, and the box broke open, with a star rod popping out to land on the right platform. Kirby jumped his way up with a final cutter attack, but he was facing the wrong way (silly Kirby!) and so Ness came up from behind him on the left and gave him two quick stomps. Kirby rolled up from where Ness had planted him on the ground and picked up the Star Rod, not unlike young Arthur Pendragon drawing the sword from the stone to claim his place as King. Actually, on second thought, it was nothing at all like that. Let's move on.Just when Kirby had picked up the Star Rod, Ness shot a PK fire at him, but Kirby jumped above it and then went into stone form to drop down on Ness' head, but Ness dodged around and was unscathed. When Kirby returned to his normal form, Ness was ready, and ran up to shove Kirby off the right platform and knock the Star Rod from his hands, only for it to disintegrate on the ground where it fell. Things were looking bad for Kirby, because the last bout in this battle had brought his damage all the way up to 74% to nearly match Ness, who had been untouched and still remained at 75%. Ness tried to PK Fire Kirby again, but Kirby jumped over it yet again and this time he drill-kicked Ness off the left side of the platform. Ness jumped back up to the right platform and pushed Kirby off his feet, and then used the setup to head him into the air like he was a soccer ball. When Kirby came back down, Ness back-kicked him way off the left side of the level. This was the beginning of the end for Kirby, because Ness ruthlessly followed up to make sure Kirby couldn't squirm out of this one. Before Kirby could touch land, Ness was already on him and pushed him off the level again. Kirby came back again, with damage already built up to 110%, and Ness once again hit him before he could make it back to the stage. Kirby's supply of puff-floats had been exhausted, and with nothing left he dove into a final cutter, but he was much too far away from the stage, and dropped off the level to end his first life.
Ness was already at 85%, but Kirby couldn't repeat what happened last round, where he only earned 10% on Ness while Ness completely destroyed him. Kirby came back tough this time, starting off with a cartwheel that knocked Ness off his feet. Before Ness could respond, Kirby sucked him up and stole his hat, and then when Ness popped out Kirby trapped him in his own PK Fire attack. A red shell dropped onto the left platform, and when Ness jumped up to get the item, Kirby drilled Ness down into it and activated the red shell, which immediately klonked them both. Yes, klonk is a word. Today at least. The shell klonked them both again, sending both to the left, with Ness at 141% and Kirby at 20%.
A Pokéball appeared on right side of the stage, and Kirby got it and threw it down where he stood. Ness was right behind him, and tried to burn him with a PK Fire, but Kirby dodged around it and trapped Ness between him and the Pokémon. Clefairy burst out of the ball and imitated Meowth with a PayDay storm of coins. Ness caught enough coins in the face to keep him unable to move, and Kirby took the opportunity to grab him by the collar and rocket into the air for a devastating piledrive that shot Ness way off the stage to lose his second life.
Ness came back down to the level with a drop slam on Kirby, and then they exchanged light hits and shuffled on the ground for awhile. Kirby cartwheeled Ness and then snuck off to grab a capsule that appeared in the middle. He threw at Ness but missed, and a Pokéball popped out on the right edge of the stage. Ness jumped over and gave Kirby an aerial kick, but Kirby caught him with an upward kick, so both dropped to the ground hurt. Ness rolled himself over to the right of the level to grab the Pokéball, but Kirby was on top of him in an instant and before he could throw it down, Kirby brought him up and back down into a piledrive that brought his damage to 34%, just under Kirby's own 44%.
Ness used the elevation from the attack to his advantage, and when he floated back to the level he chucked the Pokéball down right onto Kirby's head. It bounced back into the air after knocking Kirby far left, and fell onto the right platform to let loose an Onyx. Ness grabbed a capsule that was under the right platform, and threw it upwards to land on the right platform and reveal a bumper.
Kirby floated down to the left platform and Ness jumped up to give him some trouble. But it was he who received the trouble! Kirby unleashed his furious fists, hitting Ness again and again and again without stopping, while a beam sword dropped onto the top platform. Ness finally brought his shield up but Kirby just wasn't stopping. He wore the shield down and then tried to break it with a light upward kick, but it still barely held. Ness slipped away and grabbed the sword, but Kirby's manic assault wasn't over. He drill-kicked Ness until the sword right out of his hands and he was tossed off the right side of the stage. Ness spun a PK Thunder onto himself to kamikaze his way right back at Kirby. He soared towards the puff ball sparking with energy, but Kirby calmly and decisively spun into a low smash attack that rejected Ness' attack and sent him right back where he came from.
Ness directed another PK Thunder into himself but Kirby picked up the beam sword and took a running dash to stab him out of the air again. Kirby then dropped off the top platform down to the ground, while Ness was hit so far that he had to use him PK Thunder just to get himself back to the level, rather than for a huge attack. Ness was at 88% after Kirby had dished him back the same treatment of continued hits off the edge that he'd received earlier, and Kirby was now at 94%.
Ness climbed back to the level, and gave a slight roundhouse to kick Kirby to the left side of the level. Kirby, still in possession of Ness' cap, tried to shoot off a PK Fire, but Ness jumped into the air and kicked out with both feet to knock Kirby on his back at the extreme left of the stage. Ness walked over to Kirby like he was the man or something, like he could just put Kirby back "in his place" with one more hit. Well you know what, Ness? NOT THIS TIME. Kirby got to his feet, and before Ness could execute whatever ultimate assault he hand in mind, Kirby pulled the beam sword back, took a slight leap, and put all his force into a smash attack slash! Ness was sent flying fast and far, making a bee-line for the right edge of the level. Game over, Kirby wins.
Looked in the beginning like Kirby's luck with Pokémon and Maxim Tomatoes was robbing Ness of victory, but by the end of the match Kirby really showed that he was made of the right stuff. Even if those Tomatoes hadn't granted him the advantage of a full life of health on Ness, it seems that Kirby still would have pulled it out in the clutch, since he won with two lives remaining. So hats off to the hat-thief! He's going to the Semi-Finals.
Next week, there's no need to choose who fights; The only two left are Fox and Link! Just give us the stage and the item selection, and it looks like it's going to be the most exciting fight of the First Round matchups.
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