Explorer Antics III

The late Explorer Antics III, commonly referred to his postmortem name, Explorer III, is a ghost residing in the Mausoleum Skyscraper, and the third member of the Antics Family to carry the Explorer name. As a blood descendant of the current Explorer, he shares very similar characteristics to him, though he had a fixation with bones and a seemingly troubled acceptance of life.

His claim to fame, and the legacy his family tells, is his role in the Team Spaceship holdup that occurred at his grave. He was also the first Explorer to leave Lichenblossom. Explorer III was a lesser Fourth Wall Breaker than most of his family, one of the lowest, in fact (Class III), only discovering he was a parody long after death and his served purpose.

In life
Explorer hatched in Lichenblossom, in the year  . As a chick, he was like any other Explorer in his family line: always playful, inquisitive, and a very good prankster. Still, he did have a few differences from his past and future relatives.

Explorer III, for one thing, was facinated with bones. He enjoyed archeology as a hobby, and collected bones for fun. No one was able to explain this odd fixation until long after his death.

His parents, themselves master Fourth Wall breakers, had a horrible feeling that their chick was slated to be a parody of something. Disappointed at the lack of original content, but loving him anyway, they urged that he leave Pi Island in search for a more enjoyable life. He did so.

Through his entire time as a living penguin, Explorer III had a consistent feeling that he was somehow being used as a pawn for a greater purpose or story. However, he would not fulfill his purpose until after his death.

In death
Explorer III breathed his last on October 1st, 1999. He held, and still holds, the current record for the longest lifespan of an Antics family member. He died of choking. Though penguins always swallow their food whole, this was different, because the fish was too big for him. The bone of the fish got lodged in his throat, taking him out. It was one heck of a giant bone, too. It is ironic that his hobby was what took him out.

Explorer III had requested, at death, to buried amongst normal penguins. Mirroring the actions of his later descendants, Explorer III chose not to be given a noble's funeral, as his ancestor had received for saving Redlink Abbey. Reports say that, in the coffin, he seemed "a bit troubled", and, though peaceful, looked to have something "unresolved in his life".

Mayor McFlapp knew, of course, the reasons that he was troubled, and was to apply for Explorer III's ghost license, so that he could return and fulfill his purpose. The BOF had recently seen the rise of Director Benny (oh joy), who had planned to have each Explorer remain vanished, never to reappear in the mortal plane (or the Ghost Dimension, for that matter) again. Benny had no reason to deny Explorer III's ghost pass other than the fact that he hated him.

Unfortunately, that rascally Mayor McFlapp managed to sneak Explorer III a ghost license, letting him back in to the mortal world. He would manage to do so quite a few more times under the sneaking eyes of Benny.

Explorer III chose to stay in Periwinkle Town as a ghost. He didn't know it at the time, but this was in fact his destiny as a parody.

Involvement
Explorer III's claim to fame was definitely his role in the Team Spaceship hostage crisis. He manifested himself at the last floor, blocking the final entryway to Fujitsu, the Mausoleum's founder, who was "his best friend of all time".

Explorer III, unlike the other ghosts in the building, who were also angered by the hostage crisis, preferred to speak to the mourners over frightening them, but he totally refused to allow passage. More often than not, nonetheless, he attacked folks that didn't leave with a ghastly shovel because he mistook them for Team Spaceship goons, much like Explorer VIII mistook Santa Claus for a burglar. Of course, with underworldy powers, Explorer III was much more threatening.

That PKMN-Jitsu Trainer endured the frightening events of the Mausoleum Skyscraper to reach Explorer III. Wearing his "evil" costume, and swinging his shovel, Explorer III looked like something that had been released from Diss. The poor Trainer was strongly tempted to turn back, but he fought his fear and used the technology to remove the disguise. After winning at a battle of Card-Jitsu (a game Explorer III had never lived to see), That Trainer and Explorer III teamed up to expel Team Spaceship from the premises, rescuing Fujitsu, who had been alright all along. He had been shoved in the back by the villains, where he was seen offering a shovel at Explorer III's grave. It was rather touching to them.

Fujitsu was later proud to report that Explorer III was back to his happy-go-lucky self, pranking mourners and what-not.

Still, he was confused as to why Explorer III was unable to go back to the ghost plane (not the dimension), implying that his ghost was not truly put to rest. It was actually Explorer XIII, the current Explorer and possibly one of the greatest Fourth Wall breakers of all time, that revealed his pre-written purpose to him. This, along with That Trainer back in 2001, finally put the spirit to rest.

Now at ease with himself and his purpose, Explorer III had the option of vanishing. He chose to stay with his friends and family, though. His license was renewed.

Trivia

 * Later Explorers don't speak of their forefather's foolish meta-fictional blunder. Why didn't he simply let that PKMN-Jitsu Trainer go and save his best friend without the need for scaring him off and requiring a second visit? Would that have not been easier? Explorer III states that and that.
 * The truth, though, is seldom mentioned by the Antics Family. Explorer III was retroactively made the parody of the Vengeful Ghost of Marowak from the Pokemon series of video games. He thus had to carry out similar actions to the creature he was to parody. Really, though, he couldn't help it. Yet, he still has no regrets, so he seems to be content with this, and he seems to believe that what he did was needed and just.


 * Explorer III is one of the few Antics Family members that were actually parodies of something.
 * The whole parody thing did explain his fascination with bones that he had as a chick.
 * It was actually Explorer XIII, the current Explorer, that revealed his pre-written purpose to him. This, along with That Trainer back in 2001, finally put the spirit to rest.
 * Explorer III's ghost license, and the maneuvering performed by McFlapp to get it, was one of the earliest instances of Benny bias regarding death. It would directly lead to the creation of his impartial secretary nine years later. To spite Benny, they had said secretary hail from Periwinkle Town, the very place he had hoped that each heir to the Explorer line would forever rest.