Next chapter done!

Enjoy! ;)

Chapter 3: Secrets and Red Coins Galore

[BGM: Delfino Plaza – Super Mario Sunshine]

The Inklings came out of the Rainbow M from the Grand Pianta Statue, as they had previously defeated Petey Piranha at Bianco Hills.

"Oh, there you two are!" Trifle said as the others came up to them. "What took you both so long?"

"We just took down a large plant-like beast back there, and we got a Shine Sprite from it!" Inkling Boy replied as Inkling Girl held out the Shine Sprite.

"A large plant beast, you say?" Jewel pondered. "Sounds like you've just dealt with Petey Piranha."

"Oh, so that's what that thing was called?" Inkling Girl asked.

"Yep. Good job, both of you!"

"You're welcome!"

"…D.E.B.S. ALERT…Isle Delfino Police are investigating a possible connection between recent graffiti incidents and the loss of contact with Bianco Hills and Ricco Harbor…"

"Ricco Harbor?" Toon Link asked.

"It's the name of another location in this island." Melissa answered.

"Oh, okay."

"So, what now?" Haru wondered.

Jewel thought for a bit, before deciding, "You know, let's make a little pause for a lunch. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great!" Ann exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Ryuji threw in. "I was startin' to get hungry, anyways."

"I can see a restaurant nearby." Melissa looked over. "Let's bring in the rest not with us and have ourselves a nice meal!"

"Oh, yeah! I can't wait to taste all that seafood broadcasted back in the plane!" Mario exclaimed, his gluttonous side kicking in as everyone laughed before they all left.

[BGM End]

Soon…

[BGM: What's Going On? – Persona 5]

In the restaurant, everyone sat next to each other while happily enjoying their ordered meals. Mario was devouring his lunch that consisted of various types of seafood, Jewel, Melissa, and Peach were eating cooked fish, Toon Link, Trifle and Red were having lobster, the Inklings and Toadsworth were eating Blooper Takoyaki (a Japanese food that consists of battered and fried pieces of octopus), the Phantom Thieves and Sae were sharing a mussel pizza while Morgana was just having his favorite food, sushi, the Pokémon were all eating a fruit salad, and Neri decided to go for a grilled pineapple, since she felt a bit uneasy about eating a sea creature.

"Good heavens!" Toadsworth exclaimed, watching Mario down all the seafood like a wild animal. "Master Mario sure was excited about the seafood!"

"I'll say!" Peach threw in. "I even saw him daydreaming about it back in the plane!"

"Does Mario usually eat like this?" Yusuke wondered.

"Sometimes, yes." Jewel replied. "Especially if he's having pasta or ravioli."

"Sheesh… Talk about gluttony."

"Hold up, aren't you always the one who gets very excited about food, Inari?" Futaba questioned. "You should know better!"

"H-Hey! I told you to not bring this up in front of our new friends!" Yusuke retorted, as everyone else laughed at this.

"Anyways, guess Mario's still into Italian foods, huh?" Red said after they all stopped laughing.

"Indeed." Melissa nodded.

As Mario continued to eat wildly, an oyster shell flew out and accidentally smacked on Morgana's head.

"Ow!" Morgana yelled.

"My bad!" Mario apologized as he continued to chow down.

"Oh dear…" Melissa giggled before they all resumed on eating their meals.

[BGM End]

[Resume "Delfino Plaza" BGM]

Once they were done and feeling satisfied, everyone left the restaurant and headed back for Bianco Square.

"We'll remain out here in the plaza like last time." Sae said, as she was standing beside Peach, Toadsworth, and the Toads.

"We're counting on you to save this island!" one of the Toads exclaimed.

"And we'll do our best to keep the Princess safe." Toadsworth added.

"Good luck to you all!" Peach waved before they left to do some walking around, leaving the heroes on their own.

"…D.E.B.S. ALERT…This just in. The boathouse west of town has disappeared. Isle Delfino Police are overwhelmed by the recent epidemic of strange events and note that the investigation of this mystery may take some time…"

"Ah, perfect timing!" Jewel exclaimed. "Let's go!"

Everyone then headed west, where they saw a mass of black goop on the pier along with the Generator. Like the previous occurrences, Mario sprayed water on the Generator, and then Greninja quickly slashed through the Proto Piranha's stem to defeat it and make the boathouse reappear. Everyone saw that the boathouse also sported a Rainbow M on it, and it depicted a pier in it.

"Where does this portal lead to?" Mario asked.

"To Ricco Harbor." Jewel replied. "However, much like in our previous adventure, we've got more Shines to collect back at Bianco Hills. So, who's going to do the next Shines in which course?"

After debating between themselves, Mario, Melissa, Trifle, and Toon Link opted to go for Bianco Hills, while Morgana, Ann, and Incineroar went for Ricco Harbor. Shortly after both teams left, Jewel told the rest of the group that something else will happen after two more Shine Sprites are collected.

[BGM End]

At Bianco Hills…

[BGM: Bianco Hills – Super Mario Sunshine]

Upon arriving back at the starting point, Mario and Melissa proceeded to go on ahead to the area beyond the opened doors while Trifle and Toon Link stopped by the village, where they saw Red Coins all over the place.

"So the Red Coins are back, huh…" Trifle commented.

"What's the deal with them?" Toon Link asked.

"Oh right, you weren't in that previous adventure." Trifle realized and then explained, "Apparently, collecting eight Red Coins would make a Shine Sprite appear since they're possibly the equivalent of Power Stars."

"Alright, then let's split up. We'll get this done faster that way." Toon Link said, as Trifle nodded in response before they got to work on gathering the Red Coins.

Meanwhile, with Mario and Melissa, Mario had just finished cleaning up a Pianta covered in goop as he thanked:

"Whew! You saved me! Thanks a bundle!"

"You're welcome, sir!" Mario smiled.

"Say, in return for saving me, let me tell you a secret."

"Oh? And what is it?"

"Have you two heard of the Hillside Cave?"

"Uh… No."

"I have." Melissa nodded before she pointed over to a hole in the wall on top of a hill in the distance. "It's entrance is over there, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is! Do you think you two can investigate it for me? You can get there by using the platforms and ropes over the lake."

"Okay!" Mario nodded and the pair went on ahead, jumping on platforms and walking on the tightropes while avoiding the Wire Traps travelling alongside some of these ropes, and then they walked up the hill until they reached the cave entrance as they went in.

[BGM End]

Mario and Melissa soon found themselves in a strange white void, where Shadow Mario came from absolutely out of nowhere and snatched up FLUDD out of Mario's back before he disappeared… and then Mario and Melissa were taken to a new area.

[BGM: Secret Course – Super Mario Sunshine]

This new area was unlike any other that Mario has seen before: an obstacle course around a night sky with train tracks drawn all over it. Like most obstacle courses, there was nothing but an abyss below.

"Well… This is new." Mario remarked.

"This is a Secret Course." Melissa explained. "These obstacle courses are hidden all over the island's main landscapes, and they usually require you to rely on your platforming skills, thus why FLUDD was taken away from you earlier."

"Oh…" Mario blinked, and then glanced up at the first obstacle: a group of moving back-and-forth blocks. "I think I can handle it."

"I know you can." Melissa encouraged as Mario nodded and went on ahead, and then she glanced over at a red switch next to her. "Meanwhile, I'll be going for the Red Coins." she said and pressed the switch to make the 8 Red Coins appear throughout the course, in which only Melissa could see them due to her pressing the switch, so Mario couldn't see them.

Mario has finished going up the moving blocks while Melissa was right behind him after she grabbed the first Red Coin, and then he came upon various sets of moving and stationary platforms as he carefully made his way across. Melissa grabbed the four Red Coins on this portion by just flying over to them, and then Mario made it past the next section, a narrow bridge with large tilting cubes that attempted to push him off, as Melissa flew over to the remaining Red Coins on each out of reach spinning star-shaped platforms, making a Shine Sprite materialize in front of the already existing Shine Sprite at the end of the course.

Like with the Red Coins, Mario couldn't see that materialized Shine Sprite, thus he was completely unaware of its existence as he jumped across the spinning star-shaped platforms and ran straight past the Red Coin Shine Sprite as he went for the one he could already see waiting for him at the end, while Melissa took the aforementioned Red Coin Shine Sprite before they both left the course via a portal.

[BGM End]

Now with 5 Shine Sprites in the heroes' possession, let's head back to Delfino Plaza a little quick…

"…D.E.B.S. ALERT…According to new information, the lighthouse on the eastern coast has disappeared. Investigations are now underway…"

"You hear that? Let's head for the lighthouse right away!" Jewel said to the rest of the group as they made their way to the eastern coast, where they saw a mass of black goop as Jewel and Neri proceeded to splash the Generator with water to make the Proto Piranha appear, and Greninja finished it off.

The lighthouse came out with another Rainbow M on it, and a Toad popped out nearby as Neri kindly cleaned him up.

"Thanks!" the Toad thanked.

"No problem!" Neri smiled before she curiously walked over to the Rainbow M, in which it depicted a beach. "That looks like an interesting beach. I'm going in this one!"

"I'll come along with you." Greninja volunteered and then the two hopped into the Rainbow M.

Back at Bianco Hills…

"WHOOOOOOOA!" Trifle yelled, as a Wind Spirit rammed into him while he was going for the last Red Coin at the top of a tall house next to some turning wind sails, and he was knocked all the way down to the ground. "Ugh, stupid wind thing!"

"Don't worry, I got it!" Toon Link exclaimed as he used the Hookshot at the windmill's wooden pole next to the Red Coin to get up quickly and snag the coin, causing a Shine Sprite to appear at the top of the tallest windmill of the village. Toon Link then went up on the rooftops and walked across a tightrope to get the Shine Sprite.

"Whew! Good work!" Trifle praised as Toon Link came back down to the ground with the Shine Sprite.

"You're welcome." Toon Link replied with a smile before the two left through a portal.

Now, at Ricco Harbor…

[BGM: Ricco Harbor – Super Mario Sunshine]

Ricco Harbor is a trading post located at the lower fin of the dolphin-shaped island, west of Delfino Plaza. There are loads of grated platforms supported over the water, making it look like a big construction zone, a large docked boat, some houses along the wall, and a pile of containers at the far end, in which a strange-looking tentacle was sticking out of one of them. The name 'ricco' translates to 'rich' in Italian.

"So this is Ricco Harbor, huh?" Incineroar looked around, along with Morgana and Ann as they were standing at the port area with a few storage sheds. "So far, no goop around here."

"That's a relief." Ann said.

"Still, I'm pretty sure we'll run into some later." Morgana stated as they moved on, but then they overheard two Piantas nearby having a conversation:

"Look at that slimy water up ahead! It's gross!" the orange Pianta exclaimed. "Our lovely port is ruined!"

"Yeah, but something's fishy in the freight area at the far end of the port." the blue Pianta said. "We can't quite see it from here, but I'm sure that thing has something to do with this slimy water…"

Incineroar sweatdropped. "Well, I spoke too soon…"

"Told you." Morgana said.

They proceeded to head up the metal ramp to take them to the docked boat, where there they could now clearly see patches of black goop up ahead, and got to the top of it to climb up a narrow platform and jump down to an area filled with Bloopers, in which Incineroar quickly disposed them off by using Darkest Lariat. Afterwards, they just went on ahead until they got over to the containers leaking out black goop into the water below, but they were obviously more focused on the tentacle.

"This is… odd." Ann mused as Incineroar approached the tentacle and grabbed it.

"Come on out, whoever you are inside!" he said as he started to pull it… and due to his strength, the tentacle actually snapped off.

[BGM End]

"…Oh." Incineroar blinked and tossed the tentacle aside as it landed in front of Ann and Morgana… but the problem was that the tentacle was flailing around on the ground, making both of them get extremely disgusted by that as they shrieked.

"Ew ew ew!" Ann yelled while looking away with her eyes closed.

Morgana's face went green. "Oooogh… I shouldn't have eaten all that sushi…" he groaned nauseously.

Thankfully, the tentacle dragged itself towards the goop-filled water and fell into it. But suddenly, at this moment, a humongous Blooper, known as Gooper Blooper, launched itself out of the containers, breaking them apart as Incineroar watched it soar high up into the sky before landing back down with a heavy thud.

"Hey, guys! We've got a massive squid here to take out!" Incineroar informed Ann and Morgana, who have both recovered from their disgusted states and focused their eyes on Gooper Blooper.

"Alright, let's do this!" Ann exclaimed before changing into Panther, her Phantom Thief identity.

"You said it, Lady Ann!" Morgana nodded while taking out his scimitar and slingshot.

[BGM: Boss Battle – Super Mario Sunshine]

Gooper Blooper rose up its tentacles and slammed them down on the trio, but they jumped away as Ann summons Carmen and manages to burn one of the tentacles with an Agi, and then Morgana slashed the tentacle off as Gooper Blooper cried in pain. And in the midst of that, Incineroar eyed at the cork in Gooper Blooper's mouth and ran up to it and grabbed it before pulling it back, as Gooper Blooper tried to stop him by slapping two of its tentacles at him, only for Morgana to shoot one of them with his slingshot while Ann swung her whip at the other one.

With that, Incineroar let go of the cork once he pulled it back far enough as it flew back right onto Gooper Blooper's face. This made it enraged and without warning, it suddenly spat out black goop around it and on the trio, leaving all of them covered in this icky stuff.

"My fur!" Morgana exclaimed.

"MY HAIR!" Ann shrieked.

"Okay, now you've done it!" Incineroar growled in annoyance as he blocked another tentacle assault from Gooper Blooper before punching one of the tentacles and immediately grabbing it and yanking it off, and then Ann used Maragi to burn the remaining tentacles before Morgana proceeded to cut them all off.

"Now, Incineroar!" Morgana hollered. "Slap that cork literally at it again!"

Incineroar immediately nodded and grabbed the cork and pulled it back, and this time, Gooper Blooper could do nothing about that as it just remained there and panicked. Then, after pulling it back long enough, Incineroar releases the cork and it smacked back into Gooper Blooper for a second and final time.

[BGM End]

Gooper Blooper was sent flying up high into the air and fell into the goop-covered water, and from the sky, a Shine Sprite came down at the spot where Gooper Blooper used to be.

"There we go." Incineroar said while dusting off his hands, but some of the goop got caught into his hands. "Urgh…" he grimaced.

"We seriously need to take a dip into the ocean…" Ann said unenthusiastically after she took the Shine Sprite.

"As much as I don't want to, you're right."

Morgana looked over at the remains of Gooper Blooper's tentacles lying around. "Ugh, I am never doing this again…" he groaned as a portal showed up in front of him. "Let's just get out of here." he said before they went into the portal.

And now, Gelato Beach…

[BGM: Gelato Beach – Super Mario Sunshine]

Gelato Beach is a beach resort located on the stomach part of the dolphin-shaped island, east of Sirena Beach. It is the largest and sunniest beach on Isle Delfino and also the resting place of the legendary Sand Bird egg, and as of now, Cataquacks and Dune Buds were currently roaming the sandy areas of this beach. The name 'gelato' is a word for a type of ice cream of Italian origin.

"Whoa, this beach is amazing!" Neri beamed after she and Greninja landed on a small island just off the coast of the beach.

"It sure is." Greninja nodded in agreement, and then a Pianta nearby welcomed them:

"Welcome to Gelato Beach, you two! But remember, don't get the water dirty here! And don't step on the Dune Buds!"

"We would never get the water around here dirty!" Neri chirped.

"Dune Buds?" Greninja asked.

"They're those sprouts from all over the sand." the Pianta pointed to one. "Well, thanks for your cooperation!"

"You're welcome!" Neri replied as she and Greninja went over to the area with the roaming Cataquacks and the Dune Buds buried into the sand. "What are those things?" Neri wondered, looking at the Cataquacks. "They look kind of cute."

"These are called Cataquacks!" a Noki from nearby told them. "They love to flip anyone into the air, but don't worry, they're harmless and do not hurt you; they just want to have fun. However, the Red Cataquacks do hurt you, so be careful."

"So, stay away from the red ones, got it." Greninja nodded as he and Neri proceeded to walk away, but the Noki called out to them:

"Wait! Before you go, let me tell you something interesting about those Dune Buds!"

"And what is it?" Greninja wondered.

"If you spray a Dune Bud with water, it bloats up and… well, something interesting might happen!"

"Ooooh! I wanna try that out!" Neri chimed as she ran over to the Dune Bud directly in front of the beach's peninsula and proceeded to spray water at it, making it bloat up.

"Hey, hold up, Neri!" Greninja's eyes widened as he ran up to her. "We don't know what will happen!" he told her frantically.

"Well, we'll never know what will happen unless we do it!" Neri replied as she continued spraying water at the bloating Dune Bud.

Eventually, a large sand castle gate, known as the Sand Portal, emerged out of the sand, much to the two's surprise.

"Whoa! Look at that!" Neri exclaimed, but then Greninja noticed that the Sand Portal was gradually starting to crumble.

"Quick! Let's head through before it crumbles!" he hollered, and then he and Neri rushed over to the Sand Portal's entrance, where they suddenly vanished from sight.

[BGM: Secret Course – Super Mario Sunshine]

Neri and Greninja found themselves standing in a secret course with the same background as the one in Bianco Hills, but this one mostly featured sand blocks that led to a large structure made out of more of these blocks at the end, and a Shine Sprite was at the top.

"Oh my! Where are we?" Neri wondered.

"I believe we're in some sort of secret obstacle course." Greninja said, and then looked at the sand blocks in front. "Let's see…" he mused and started walking on the first sand block… in which it started to disintegrate below his feet. "Ah!" he exclaimed in surprise and quickly sprinted forwards while jumping over some gaps until he got to the green wooden platform at the end. "Phew…" he sighed.

"Oh, those sand blocks disintegrate?" Neri pondered. Thankfully, the sand blocks respawned. "Ah, at least they come back." she said and then rushed up to where Greninja was, as he was eyeing at a red switch.

"You can go on ahead, Neri. I'll be checking this red button." he told her.

"Okay! I'll go get that Shine Sprite at the end!" Neri took off to the next set of sand blocks as Greninja waited for them to respawn, and when they did, he pressed the switch to make the 8 Red Coins appear throughout the rest of the obstacle course.

"I guess I'll have to collect all of these red coins." he guessed and went over to the first Red Coin as he kept going.

Meanwhile, Neri made it to the structure at the end and all she had to do was to climb her way up to the orange block where the Shine Sprite was. As she was doing that, Greninja had reached the structure as well and proceeded to swiftly grab the two Red Coins on two corners of the structure and one in the middle before grabbing the last ones above by propelling himself up with Hydro Pump, and the Red Coin Shine Sprite appeared back at the platform before the structure.

By the time the Red Coin Shine Sprite appeared, Neri had grabbed the other Shine Sprite and left through a portal. Greninja then wasted no time in heading for the Red Coin Shine Sprite and taking it before leaving as well.

To be continued…

Let's just say that I had fun writing the part where everyone was having a lunch break! Choosing the foods was also fun!

Now, as you just saw, like in my 64 story, I will be combining certain episodes, but only when they're next to each other so that they'll be kept in order, and every secret course will feature both the normal and the Red Coin Shine Sprites being collected at once.

Now we're at 9 Shine Sprites! The next chapter will feature that moment from Pinna Park... and also a surprising return of an old friend! Stay tuned! ;D