So, the Inventory is a former speakeasy that caters to an extremely wide range of clients from various media. And has only gotten crazier after emerging into the Core Timeline. So what happens when a young wizard from Japan who is also a Power Ranger walks into a bar that's hosted by a retired pirate for a game of poker with a Corellian scoundrel and smuggler, a French assassin and mercenary, and a (somewhat) reformed clown girl and former criminal psychologist at a table that's run by an incredibly murderous and corrupt AI...
It's Poker Night at the Inventory in the Core Timeline. Where the stakes are high and stories are to be told. And while playing a game of high stakes poker, Michiru tells his unlikely audience about a high stakes encounter he had had where his life was on the line.
High Stakes Rangers Part 1
and Part 2 is a short story that occurs in the Coreline Shared Universe.
Currently under construction. Please add tropes as you see them!
This story has the following Tropes:
- Adaptational Badass: A downplayed example with Trigger Machine Crane. While a powerful component in the formation of the various Kaisers, it's Keisatsu Boost is only used three times with fans considering it too clunky to be of any real use. When Michiru uses it against the Psycho Rangers, he's not only able to effortlessly restrain them, but destroy them all with one shot.
- Alas, Poor Villain: A downplayed version of this with Lord Drakkon.
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: Lord Drakkon is revived in a new body by Thailog. One with a variety of Explosive Leash fail-safes which will force him to be part of the Vanguard for some time to come.
- Beginner's Luck: Michiru has never played a game of poker in his life, and only recently read up on the hands and rules. He winds up getting a Royal Flush and winning the tournament.
- Call-Back: In Poker Night 2's Army of Darkness themed eliminations, Max would deliberately bungle the Necronomicon Ex Mortus's incantation, causing it to swallow the player that had busted out. In this story, it's Max that got trapped in the book, with Sam asking Michiru to get him out.
- Chick Magnet: As always, Michiru is this trope. At the end of the story, Harley tags along with the Monster Mashers and even expresses an interest in joining the harem.
- Dangerous Phlebotinum Interaction: The cause of Lord Drakkon's Villainous RRoD is that he's jammed together too many different Power Coins and other Power Ranger power sources that aren't completely compatible. By the time the battle is over, Drakkon's body is breaking down completely.
- Destructo-Nookie: Michiru, Raven and Nefertina get into a threesome in Part 2 inside of Bigfoot's cabin. The monster truck rocks like a demented carnival ride as a result.
- Due to the Dead: Lord Drakkon's Power Morpher is taken by Zordon to be placed alongside that of other fallen Rangers, in honor of the man Tommy was (rather than who he became) and in memory of his victims.
- Heroes Gone Fishing: The story starts out with Michiru Kururugi being brought to the Inventory by Dr. Tommy Oliver for a game of poker to relax after a deadly battle.
- Jaw Drop: Han and Harley's reaction to Spy informing them as to the size of Michiru's harem.
- Never Found the Body: Lord Drakkon's Villainous RRoD finally kicks in fatally while Michiru tries to absorb him into some Power Coins to save his life. The evil Tommy undergoes a final Villainous Breakdown and tries to kill Michiru, causing his body to dissolve into energy. Nothing remains save for Tommy's Morpher and Power coins, so Mitch and the other Rangers assume Tommy finally bought it. In reality, he was taken by Thailog and given a new body, to force him to be part of the Vanguard.
- Other Me Annoys Me: An Alternate of Han Solo (a younger version, to be specific) makes clear that he has no love for the path his life took in the trilogies (or being more specific, how it ended).
- Sequel Hook: Lord Drakkon gets forcibly inducted into the Vanguard.
