2018

Professor Elvin Gadd knew that the ghosts of Evershade Valley would never harm him or his employees of their own free will, and the ghosts, in turn, seemed to know that he'd never hurt them. So, once the dust fully settled from the Dark Moon fiasco, they were more than eager to volunteer for his newest experiments. One of these experiments involved studying ghost energy to find out what made ghosts the way they were. Through a simple and painless process, Elvin extracted small samples of liquid ghost energy from his volunteers and placed them in a beaker, which he'd then evaluate.

So far, however, he'd had no luck, even after exposing this liquid energy to such stimuli as water, heat and touch. But like a good scientist, Elvin wouldn't give up. Neither would his employees or Toad Assistants.

Grace and Becky, especially, suggested more tests for the ghost energy, such as playing music for it, comparing its density to the density of other known substances and even exposing it to different light frequencies. Even though the tests yielded no significant behavior, Elvin had to give his employees credit for their creativity.

While they were conducting these experiments on ghost energy, other areas in their lives underwent some significant changes. One year after Grace and Roland renewed their vows, Naomi passed away in her sleep, joining her husband. She was buried with Eustace and Cora following a simple yet sweet memorial service. And in 2017, Roland and Grace decided to take a little—odyssey—to work on their marriage, exploring many different parts of the world and even helping Mario foil an evil plot along the way, emerging with their love stronger than ever.

Elvin still didn't think Grace taking Roland back was the best choice, but it was a choice he'd respect. Luigi, too—Roland was exponentially nicer to him now, but that tension lingered between them. The man in green would frequently snark about him during his visits to Evershade Valley. However, Elvin kept his mind open and encouraged Luigi to do the same. One time, the Butters invited Luigi to one of their therapy sessions, giving the plumber the opportunity to have his say. It—seemed to help, but Elvin didn't think Luigi and Roland would be total besties for a long time. He didn't have to worry about them coming to blows, though. There was another Smash tournament going on, giving Luigi many outlets for his aggression.

Early in 2018, Grace showed up for work looking a tad under the weather, admitting to Elvin that she felt a little queasy.

"Maybe it's something I ate," she said.

But as the queasiness persisted over the next few days, Elvin knew.

On the day Grace confirmed Elvin's suspicions, he offered her a cup of Lunoman Greenie coffee—a blend exclusive to Evershade Valley. Politely, she turned down the cup.

"I don't know how it'll affect Gavin's little brother or sister," she explained.

Becky's mouth flew open. "No—way," she breathed.

"I knew it," said Elvin.

Grace smiled. "Yep," she said. "Another Butter is on the way!"

Laughing, Becky hugged Grace. "Congratulations! When...?"

"About a few days ago," said Grace. "I told Roland by hiding a message in a course in Super Mario Maker. Then, I took Gavin aside and asked him, 'If you had a younger sibling, would you face your fears to protect them, like Luigi did for Mario?' He quickly figured out what I was trying to tell him, and he was so happy. He—hopes to get a sister."

"Does L know yet?" asked Becky.

"Yeah. We told him," smiled Grace. "I guess that trip—really helped us."

"It did," said Elvin, pouring himself a cup of Lunoman Greenie coffee and adding a dash of cream and sugar.

Later, Grace and Becky were helping Elvin analyze a vial of ghost energy.

"Gavin's—eyeing somebody now," said Grace.

"Really?" asked Elvin.

"Yeah," sighed Grace. "Her name's Miranda, and they've been classmates since the fifth grade. He says that they're just friends, but—a parent knows when they're child is crushing on someone. Mom and Dad certainly knew when I was crushing on Greg, and later on Roland. Grandpa Ben would tell me how he quickly figured out that Mom was eyeing Dad. And Grandma Naomi would tell me how Great-Grandpa Eustace would watch Grandpa Ben like a hawk whenever he was around her. I—don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"No parent is," said Elvin, remembering the similar talk he'd had with Eustace so many years ago, "but how do you think you came into this world, huh?"

"I don't know what worries me more," said Grace, "Gavin crushing on Miranda—or the fact that he wants in on this ghost-hunting business."

"He's really serious about this?" asked Elvin.

Grace nodded. "He's reaching that age where he needs to make a decision about his career and major. Did I mention that he also wants to go to UCLA?"

"Goodness," breathed Becky. "He's growing up so fast."

"Too fast," Grace put in.

Everybody laughed.

At that moment, however, a nearby Hider decided to play a prank on Elvin, sneaking up on him from behind.

Elvin, still holding his cup of Lunoman Greenie coffee, let out a startled cry as he jumped in surprise. The cup stumbled out of his hand, but Becky was able to snag it before it could shatter on the floor.

Its contents, however, weren't so lucky, and they landed directly into the vial of ghost energy!

The trio watched, fascinated, as the liquid in the beaker changed to a vibrant green color, matching the color of Elvin's new favorite beverage, the professor keeping Grace a safe distance away so she wouldn't inhale any fumes. Becky whipped out a notepad and began recording her observations, with Elvin following suit. As the minutes elapsed, the substance attained a noticeable level of viscosity and consistency. Now, it was a green gooey blob, thrashing against the vial's walls.

"Oh, my God," intoned Grace. "Did we just make slime?"

"It looks more like goo than slime," said Becky.

Elvin's eyes danced like pinwheels as he watched the gooey substance. Moving quickly, he placed it in a container. He was pleased to see that this substance was maintaining its composition.

"Ladies," he said, "I think we've just discovered a new element."

His two employees joined him, staring at the gooey substance in wonder.

"I'd say this is was a rather fortunate accident," said Becky.

"What—what do we call this new element?" queried Grace.

Elvin smiled hugely as he observed what he'd inadvertently created.

"Let's call it—Goo."

EEE

Over the next few weeks, Elvin and his employees found out more about Goo through rigorous experimentation, testing its reactions to the stimuli they used to try and test the ghost energy. They found that Goo was vulnerable to heat and water and actively attempted to evade these hazards. Goo also pushed back against tactile stimuli, and when Grace played some music for it, it leaned toward her Android phone, along with many other sounds in its vicinity! After recording the results of these experiments, Elvin knew deep down that Goo would provide invaluable assistance in capturing ghosts.

"How?" asked Grace. "Luigi still has the Poltergust 5000. And the vacuum itself will slip right off—unless you mold Goo into a human shape."

And just like that, Grace had given Elvin another idea.

Elvin and his employees constructed a generic human mold and poured Goo inside. Unfortunately, Goo couldn't maintain this humanoid shape for extended periods of time. The trio tried different molds, but the result was always the same. As April rains came and the flowers bloomed, they decided to put this endeavor aside for now, hoping that something would come to them later.

In the meantime, the trio decided that it was time for Luigi to have yet another new Poltergust. Grace had pitched the idea to Elvin while they were still studying Goo, pointing out that many ghosts had given Luigi a hard time during his last adventure, and that maybe he should be equipped with more defensive tools. Elvin wholeheartedly agreed with her—and also decided that the new Poltergust would be a nod to its wielder's occupation as a plumber.

The first defensive feature which came to Elvin's mind was a projectile function. This newest Poltergust model would come equipped with plungers on a rope that Luigi could shoot out, either at ghosts or at anything dangling to provide a tether. This feature would be known as the Suction Shot, and both Elvin and Grace reasoned that it would come in handy to yank away anything a ghost tried to use as a shield.

Grace helped come up with the next defensive feature, which Elvin simply named Burst. She told Elvin that large groups of ghosts liked to gang up on her and Luigi, and they could only stun so many at a time. With the Burst function, a quick yet powerful burst of air would knock attacking ghosts away and give Luigi ample breathing room and time to regroup.

The third new feature could be used both offensively and offensively, and it would replace the Power Surge function. With the aptly-named Slam function, Luigi could relentlessly bash ghosts into the floor and into other ghosts, especially armed ghosts, allowing him to get more handsy with attacking spirits. In addition, it could allow him to heave objects and remove obstacles.

Combined, these new features would surely make the perfect Poltergust. However, the Strobulb and the Dark-Light Device also returned to play, albeit upgraded from the 5000 model.

"Luigi's gonna love this," gushed Grace as they put the finishing touches on the Poltergust G-00 late in May. "Don't you agree?"

"Without a doubt," smiled Elvin. "We should have him come over so we can give it to him personally—wait a minute."

"What?" asked Becky.

"The Pixelshifter—it picked up Luigi's biological data when he was using it," said Elvin, "and now I think I know what I can do with that data..."

It took Elvin a few days to convert that biological data into electricity. Once that was accomplished, he exposed Goo to the electric signals. And before his and Becky's eyes, Goo began to take on Luigi's unique form, cap, gloves, moustache, overalls and even some of his mannerisms!

Goo Luigi smiled and waved at his creator.

"It's alive!" laughed Elvin. "It's alive! It's alive!"

Becky rolled her eyes. "Professor..."

Grace walked into the room, skidding to a halt when she saw Goo Luigi.

"What—how...?" she stammered. "Professor—you crossed Goo with Luigi's DNA?"

"Exactly," said Elvin.

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't creepy," said Grace.

She gasped as Goo Luigi bounded forward and gave her a gooey hug.

"Easy, there!" cautioned Becky as she eased Goo Luigi away. "She's in delicate condition!"

"Sorry," said Goo Luigi, his voice slightly gurgly.

"That's okay," said Grace. "It's nice to meet you, Goo Luigi—Gooigi?"

"Gooigi!" laughed Elvin. "That's the perfect name!"

Gooigi seemed to think so, for his gooey face lit up instantly.

"So, Gooigi," said Becky. "How would you like to help us catch ghosts?"

Eagerly, Gooigi nodded.

"Perfect," said Elvin. He really couldn't wait to get started!

EEE

Gooigi's training started the very next day. He, Elvin, Grace and Becky sat in the study, watching the footage Elvin preserved of Luigi capturing ghosts, passing around a bowl of buttered popcorn. Gooigi, for his part, seemed very absorbed in the images before him, and he not only understood what Luigi was doing, but also why he was doing it. After an hour of viewing footage, Elvin and his employees took Gooigi to a practice area. And as soon as they started the simulation, Gooigi began copying his flesh-and-blood counterpart, quickly molding part of his own body into a Poltergust of his own.

"He can do that?" asked Grace, jotting down notes. "Interesting."

Day after day, it went on like this. Gooigi watching the footage of Luigi and applying what he'd learned in the simulator, his performance improving with each training session. While Gooigi trained, Elvin and company put the last touches on the Poltergust G-00. This vacuum had a tank on the apparatus, and Elvin had a feeling that Luigi could use that tank.

In June, Grace and Roland learned that they were expecting a girl, the former beginning her maternity leave that same month. Enthusiastically, Gooigi agreed to hold down the fort for her, sending her off with a heartfelt, gooey hug.

One month later, Luigi dropped by for another visit, Polterpup at his heels.

"Sorry I haven't been around often," he apologized. "I'm getting ready for another Smash tournament."

"That's quite all right," said Elvin, brewing some Lunoman Greenie coffee for himself, Luigi and Becky.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet," Elvin went on. "Gooigi, could you come in for a minute, please?"

When Gooigi walked into the room, he studied Luigi very intently, with Luigi responding in kind. Then, Gooigi laughed and hugged his doppelganger.

"Nice to meet you, too, I guess," Luigi chuckled.

After telling Luigi about how he discovered Goo, its properties, and a way to mold it into an exact replica of the man in green, Elvin said, "He's quickly learned how to capture ghosts, but he's not quite ready yet. Perhaps later this year, I can send him on a real ghost-hunting mission. I'm studying ghost energies, you see, and I think Gooigi will be an excellent addition to the team."

"I hope you won't antagonize the peaceful Evershade Valley ghosts in the name of science," Luigi stated apprehensively.

"Of course not," Elvin chuckled. "You think I'm that mad of a scientist?"

"Well..." said Luigi.

In a more serious tone, Elvin continued, "I've actually thought of a better destination, but I can't tell you just yet—it's a surprise." He winked.

Polterpup barked happily as he sniffed at Elvin's hand.

"Don't worry—he's doing fine," Luigi told him, kneeling down and lightly scratching the paranormal puppy behind the ears. "Professor—is it okay if I spend a few days here?"

"It's totally okay! I'd love for us to catch up!" Elvin replied. "You and Gooigi can bond, and with Mrs. B on maternity leave, I'll need all the help I can get until her return."

"The fifth Smash tournament starts this December, though," said Luigi.

"That's quite all right," said Elvin, "I'll be hiring in earnest again soon. Grace has told me that her son is looking toward a career in the paranormal."

"Gavin's told me the same," said Luigi, "but right now, he's focused on being a good brother. Plus, he's only 13, but maybe when he's older, he can take a summer job with you."

"Actually, I'm starting an internship program," Elvin told him. "When Grace came to me, she'd just started college, and her plight inspired me to help other youngsters who want a higher education. In addition, I'm going to establish a scholarship fund for those interested in paranormal studies. Gavin will be working under the close supervision of myself, Grace, Becky and my Toad Assistants. I won't send him on any dangerous missions until he turns eighteen. And if need be—would you be willing to supervise Gavin?"

"Of course," nodded Luigi.

Elvin laughed, clapped his hands and spun around in his chair. "I knew I could always count on you, Luigi!"

After Luigi finished his coffee, and as he got situated in one of the Bunker's rooms, Elvin leaned over to Becky and whispered, "We'll wait until later to give him his present."

EEE

And they did, five days later. Luigi looked over the moon as Elvin presented the Poltergust G-00 to him and explained all of the functions. Delicately, Luigi slid the new Poltergust onto his back and followed Elvin and Becky to the practice area, where he spent an hour to ninety minutes testing it out. He was a rather quick learner.

"Professor, this was very thoughtful of you," said Luigi. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Elvin. "After five years with the Poltergust 5000, we all had a feeling that you were yearning for an upgrade. Remember, though—the Poltergust G-00 is not a toy."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "Of course."

"Bear it well and wisely."

"Will do. Listen..." Luigi cleared his throat. "With the new Smash tournament coming up, I could use a change in my fighting style. And some of these new features will serve me well in a heated battle, the Suction Shot in particular. Is it okay if I...?"

"Absolutely," smiled Elvin.

"Perfect! I'll go write a letter to Master Hand!" And Luigi raced off into the study to do just that.

Two days after that, Luigi told Elvin and Becky that Master Hand agreed to somehow incorporate the Poltergust G-00 into his fighting style. He spent the next few weeks practicing with it, with Gooigi sometimes acting as a sparring partner. The two played off of each other very well, and Elvin closely noted the interaction. His long-term plans for Gooigi involved him and Luigi cooperating to solve problems and of course, capture ghosts. And the professor liked what he saw so far.

When he wasn't breaking a sweat in the practice area, Luigi was catching up with Rod, Eric, Peter, Shawn, Don and the Evershade Valley ghosts. He was also making sure that he was still in that vault, and Elvin, Becky or both would accompany him in case something happened. But King Boo was still trapped in his new prison, as he had been for the past five years, with no hope of escape anytime soon.

Early in August, Luigi departed the valley to prepare for the upcoming Smash tournament. Shortly thereafter, Elvin, Becky and the Toad Assistants began some modifications on the Pixelshifter. These modifications would make it work similar to a time machine.

"Why would we need a time machine?" asked Rod.

"You'll see," winked Elvin.

While this was happening, Elvin and his employees kept in touch with Grace, frequently video-chatting with her. During their downtime, they'd use one of the other Pixelators to travel to Los Angeles, where they'd help Grace, Roland and Gavin baby-proof their home—again. Gavin was super-excited about having a baby sister to dote upon and hoped to model himself off of both of the Mario Bros.

"And maybe she'll look out for me, too," said Gavin. "That's what siblings do—they look out for each other."

"I think you're ready," said Elvin. "What do you think, Grace?"

"He is," Grace nodded.

Grace had her baby shower in September, with Elvin, Becky, Todd, Rod, Eric, Peter, Shawn, Don, Peach, Daisy and the Mario Bros in attendance. Luigi and Roland were cordial enough with one another, but Elvin was reading in between the lines. There was a lot of lingering hurt on the former's part, hurt that might never go away. But at least they were on speaking terms.

"Now that there are two kids in the household, he'll shape up for sure," Elvin whispered to Luigi. "You don't have to worry about him getting on your case again."

"I sure hope so," said Luigi. "I have better things than him to worry about. The Smash tournament—King Boo..."

"King Boo's locked away," said Elvin.

"He didn't just threaten my bro—he threatened all of my friends—Peach, the Toads and most likely Daisy," said Luigi. "Should he escape again, he'll go after all of them—along with Grace's family. I can see why Gavin's aching to work with you. He wants to protect himself, his sister and his parents."

"Trust me, Luigi," said Elvin. "If King Boo tries to pull something else, then we'll be ready."

Then, they stopped talking about King Boo, so they could enjoy this special event.

EEE

Grace and Roland welcomed Penelope Autumn Butter into the world one brisk October afternoon. Two days after her birth, the proud parents and brother visited Elvin and his employees in the Bunker to introduce the new arrival. Penelope, nicknamed Nelle, also had her mom's dark eyes, along with her jawline, but her hair color was closer to Roland's rich red hue. Similar to Gavin before her, Elvin and his employees had a chance to hold Nelle and talk to her, the baby watching the new faces intently as she sucked on her hand.

They quickly handed Nelle back to her mom when she began to fuss.

"Congrats, Grace," said Elvin, "and to you, Gavin. We know you're going to be an excellent brother."

"Thanks, Professor," said Gavin.

Finally, they let Gooigi hold Nelle, and she seemed to like him, smiling and gurgling as he cuddled with her.

"Later this month, we're going to send him on his first real ghost hunt," Elvin said. "I'm excited—and nervous."

"He performed well in his training," said Grace as Gooigi carefully handed Nelle back to her. "I'm sure he'll do fine on his own."

"He won't be on his own," Elvin said craftily. "He'll have some familiar company along the way."

"Who?" asked Grace.

"That information's classified," replied Elvin.

Grace turned back to Gooigi. "Good luck out there," she said, holding out her hand. "Whatever awaits you out there, don't let it bog you down!"

Gooigi shook the proffered hand, smiling ear-to-ear.

"See you next month, Professor," said Grace.

Elvin beamed. "See you," he replied.

Grace and her family shook hands with Elvin before taking their leave.

EEE

Later that month, Elvin's makeshift time machine was complete and had undergone several successful tests. After rousing Gooigi, he summoned Becky and the Toad Assistants to help see Luigi's doppelganger off.

"Gooigi, I'm going to run this machine, and then you'll be transported into the past," said Elvin. "Won't that be fun?"

Gooigi nodded.

"How far in the past are you taking him?" asked Becky.

"Seventeen years, to be exact!" replied Elvin.

"Seventeen years," said Rod.

"Wait a minute," Becky piped up. "We met Luigi seventeen years ago! Are you—sending Gooigi to that night?"

"We are sending Gooigi to the night we met Luigi," smiled Elvin. "As I recall, Luigi caught some interesting ghosts. And if Gooigi brings some of them back, then we can study their ghost energy."

"Past Luigi will be grateful for the help," said Becky. "He didn't quite relish the prospect of venturing into a haunted mansion with nothing but a vacuum cleaner. Grace was with him, but she was only nineteen back then. He'll need someone with more experience."

"That's—a good way to think about it," said Elvin as he pressed a few buttons on his console.

Gray-blue static appeared on the central monitor, which soon steadied into an image of—Elvin, Becky, Grace and Luigi! But those four were significantly younger, Grace and Becky in particular. It was hard to believe that one of those fresh-faced young women was now a mother of two, and the other was in her mid-forties.

"Thank goodness," said Elvin. "I thought I'd have more trouble getting connected."

"Oh, my..." gasped present-day Becky as she drank in 2001 Becky.

2001 Elvin stumbled back in shock and fell onto his bottom, while 2001 Luigi let out a scream and leaped high into the air. 2001 Becky helped 2001 Elvin to his feet, and 2001 Grace gawked at the scene before her.

"What on Earth...?" asked 2001 Grace.

"Hey there," said present-day Elvin. "Why do you look so surprised?"

"I—well—we..." spluttered 2001 Luigi.

"There are two of me?" gasped 2001 Elvin.

"Of course there are, silly!" chuckled present-day Elvin. "I'm you—from the future!"

"Huh—well..." stammered 2001 Elvin. "Nice to meet you, Future Me."

"It's nice to meet you, too," said present-day Elvin. "I'd like you guys to do something for me."

"If—if we're still your employees in the future, then we'll be happy to assist you," said 2001 Becky.

"Yeah," said 2001 Grace, recovering from her shock. "What do you need, Future Professor?"

"Just 'Professor' is fine," said present-day Elvin. "Hey, Luigi, my boy! I see you're about to set off to find your brother."

2001 Luigi nodded. "He's counting on me," he said.

"And I wanna come with him," said 2001 Grace.

Present-day Elvin nodded. "Before you go, I'm going to send someone from my time period who can help you," he said.

"Wait!" said 2001 Luigi. "If you're from the future, then do you know if I reach Mario in time?"

"All I can say at the moment is that you'll emerge from this adventure a different person—a better person, even," said present-day Elvin. "Sit tight—I'm sending your new friend to you right now."

He turned to Gooigi. "Ready?"

Gooigi excitedly nodded.

"All righty. Hold on to your moustache!" Present-day Elvin activated the Pixelshifter time machine and watched Gooigi disassemble into tiny particles.

Looking back at the image on the screen, present-day Elvin was relieved to see Gooigi arrive in the past in one piece. The occupants of the old research lab stepped back one pace, stunned.

"Allow me to introduce this green, gooey fellow," said present-day Elvin. "I call him—Gooigi!"

2001 Luigi approached Gooigi with an interested look.

"I created him in your likeness," present-day Elvin said to him. "He's also skilled with the Poltergust, like you—or rather, like you will be."

"Does that mean—I won't be afraid of ghosts in the future?" asked 2001 Luigi.

"Not as afraid," clarified present-day Becky.

2001 Luigi bit his lip in contemplation.

"This is Gooigi's first real venture," said present-day Elvin, "which is why I'm talking to you!"

"You—want us to show him the ropes," said 2001 Grace. It wasn't a question.

"Exactly!" laughed present-day Elvin. "I'm outsourcing testing for Gooigi to you all. Isn't time travel great?"

"Frankly, I thought you only saw that in the movies," said 2001 Becky. "On the other hand, I can see that I'm not about to get fired anytime soon, so..."

"If you could help me break Gooigi in," said present-day Elvin, "then how about you take him with you and do some exploring?"

"Sure," said 2001 Luigi. "The more people having my back here, the better."

"Yeah," added 2001 Grace. "We'll be happy to bring him along."

She opened her arms, and Gooigi dashed into them. Then, Gooigi glomped 2001 Luigi.

"Thank you so much!" said present-day Elvin. "Take good care of Gooigi for me, all righty? He burns and melts really easily."

"Don't worry," 2001 Luigi said determinedly. "We won't let Gooigi come to any harm!"

"On a more positive note," said Elvin, "even if he's defeated, he can revive as many times as he wants!"

"Kinda like—regeneration," mused 2001 Grace.

"That sounds like the perfect ally," said 2001 Luigi.

Gooigi smiled and waved at present-day Elvin.

"Have fun, Gooigi!" exclaimed present-day Elvin as he waved back. "I'll check in on you periodically, okay?"

Gooigi gave him a thumbs-up.

Present-day Elvin then looked over 2001 Elvin, 2001 Luigi, 2001 Becky and 2001 Grace, drinking in the growing confidence on 2001 Luigi's face. "Good luck to you all," he said solemnly.

"Wait," 2001 Luigi said quietly. "Wh—when will I see you again?"

"Sooner than you think," winked present-day Elvin before hanging up.

"Wow," said Becky. "Who would've thought that?"

"That mansion was where Luigi's story truly began," said Elvin. "What better place than that to begin Gooigi's story?"

Becky nodded. "Not only will Gooigi's story begin," she said, "but when he returns, he'll help continue Luigi's story."

"Yeah," Elvin said softly. "I have a feeling he will, Becky. I have a feeling he will..."