The Adventures of Pete and Pete/Recap/S2/10-11 Farewell My Little Viking

{{quote|Artie: Not the same...and...you are...different viking now. Yes, I have to go.

Little Pete: No!

Artie: Yes. Everything you need to learn is (points to Pete's heart) in here. Out there is...some boy who needs me. He's small--heh, he's puny, like you were.

Little Pete: But Artie, you're my best friend!

Artie: And I always will be, my little viking.

Little Pete: But...but...will I ever see you again?

Artie: Heh heh heh. Worry not boy, worry not. For I am Artie! The strongest man...Fanfare}...in the world! ''Woot!'|Artie's farewell}}

Our story begins with Big Pete narrating as always and telling us of two super-villains: Papercut, master of his namesake as well as Rock-Paper-Scissors, and aluminum siding salesman and agent of the International Adult Conspiracy, John McFlemp, whose goal is to remove Artie from town and erase him from everyone's memories.

The story begins in full swing with McFlemp luring the Petes' dad, Don, to a community meeting about Artie and guilt him into trying to get rid of Artie, figuring that Don's the only adult Artie would listen to. Meanwhile, Papercut terrorizes the playground at Little Pete's school by forcing everyone to play Rock-Paper-Scissors and pick rock, losing to him and his paper and accepting their punishment...until Little Pete chooses to defy him and is narrowly saved by Artie. But the victory is hollow, as Papercut remarks that it's easy for Little Pete to be brave when he can just hide behind Artie. This seriously gets to little Pete, leaving a small wound in his very soul.

Pete walks home the long way, alone, startling Artie, and later explains to his mom that sometimes he needs to "be his own viking", and that having Artie stand up for him makes him feel like a bit of a wuss. Don overhears and sees this as an opening, as Artie's walk home alone through his shortcut (the neighbors' yards) earns him scorns and threats.

Don tries to get in Pete's good graces, but only succeeds in demonstrating that he doesn't quite get his son, and his thinly-veiled attempt to make him give up Artie only tick off Little Pete. Meanwhile, Big Pete and Ellen are trying to sell the town on Artie, but it's unsuccessful.

Nevertheless, Don tells Artie Pete doesn't want him around anymore, and gives him a lift out of town. Little Pete and friends see Artie (who hates riding in cars) Don's car and try to rescue him on bike but fail to catch up. Little Pete falls straight into Papercut's clutches, courtesy of a bike-tire-popping dart, while Don leaves Artie on the outskirts of town and tells him that Little Pete no longer wants Artie to be his friend, crushing Artie's spirit.

Enter part two, where Little Pete is saved once again, this time by his friends brandishing water hoses, crippling Papercut's arsenal, but Papercut swears he'll be back and his weapons will be laminated. Little Pete kicks off a large scale hunt for Artie, selling Artie memorabilia, letting the air out of tires (tire air is Artie's favorite smell) and setting up a Bat Signal-esque device showing Artie's face. Unfortunately, two things cripple their search: Artie is facing in the opposite direction of the signal, and before he can turn around McFlemp orders Don to replace it with a smaller bulb, which will burn just bright enough to fool Little Pete.

The next day while Little Pete begins to lose hope, McFlemp recruits Artie to work for him by offering him slacks and uses him in a commercial. The commercial is seen by Little Pete and the children of Wellsville, crushing Little Pete's spirit. With Artie out of the way, McFlemp holds a bonfire of the Artie memorabilia, and Little Pete throws his Artie doll into the fire, having lost all hope. Papercut then approaches Little Pete and challenges him to a rematch on Friday and tells him to choose rock in front of everybody. While his friends beg him to throw the fight, Little Pete just walks off, forlorn and conflicted.

After talking to a demoralized Little Pete, who seems set on throwing the fight, Don finally realizes the damage he's done and goes off to search for Artie with the restored signal attached to his car, telling off McFlemp once and for all. When he fails to find Artie at first and his car breaks down, Dad tries one last gambit: tire air.

Despite his brainwashing, the smell still attracts Artie. Dad then reveals he lied and that Little Pete needs him, and Artie returns to normal. He arrives at the playground...where Little Pete is already in mid-showdown fighting Papercut with his own imagination and rallying the other kids to his side as a result. Papercut retreats, McFlemp is defeated and Artie has realized that Little Pete no longer needs him and departs to find another kid in need. But his memory shall live on.

This is "Farewell My Little Viking". And this is it's trope list.
{{quote| Pete: Will I ever see you again?
 * Audible Sharpness: Papercut's paper-weapons.
 * Awesome Anachronistic Apparel: Papercut is dressed as a cowboy. No reason, just is.
 * Bat Signal: Artie's has his face on it.
 * Big Bad Ensemble: While both Papercut and McFlemp's plans end up benefiting each other, they have no interaction in either episode.
 * Big Damn Heroes: Twice, both with Little Pete and Papercut.
 * Artie saving Little Pete the first time.
 * Little Pete's friends saving him the second time.
 * But Now I Must Go: The ending. Somewhere out there, there's another, smaller kid who could use his own superhero.
 * Call Back/Clip Show: We get a brief one in tribute of Artie.
 * Catch Phrase: McFlemp's seems to be "No pressure." And, of course, Artie's final words to Little Pete...

Artie: Heh heh heh. Worry not boy, worry not. For I am Artie! The strongest man...Fanfare}...in the world! Woot! }} "Artie: Appearing in a timely fashion, seemingly from nowhere."
 * Cliff Hanger/To Be Continued: The end of part one had Artie being driven out of town (literally) and Little Pete at the mercy of Papercut.
 * Cool and Unusual Punishment: "Begone with you, pulpy, before I fold you into some type of brochure!"
 * The Corrupter: How the rest of the neighborhood sees Artie.
 * Darkest Hour: Mid-Part 2: McFlemp has transformed Artie into yuppie scum, all but taken over Wellsville, and is destroying every last reminder of the old Artie, and Little Pete has given up all hope and is going to surrender to Papercut in their rematch.
 * Drives Like Crazy: Don, when the kids come after him to stop him from making off with Artie.
 * Exact Eavesdropping: Don overhears Little Pete talking to Joyce (his mom) about how he's starting to feel the need to fight his own battles without Artie. This gives Don the emotional out he needs to get rid of Artie guilt-free.
 * Exactly What It Says On the Tin: Papercut is the master of the paper cut.
 * Hurricane of Puns: Regarding Papercut.
 * Ironic Echo: "Get out of the way, John. No pressure."
 * It Has Only Just Begun: "If your best friend had just been deported, and the International Adult Conspiracy had just put your world into a full nelson headlock, and a raging maniac with a thing for Rock-Paper-Scissors was about to paper-cut you to shreds, you'd probably think it was the end too--but you'd be wrong. It was only the beginning."
 * Just in Time: Artie pulls this when Papercut's just about to get Little Pete with an origami shuriken, and promptly lampshades it.


 * Manipulative Bastard: McFlemp.
 * OOC Is Serious Business: Artie riding in a car? Something must be wrong.
 * "Previously On..."
 * The Power of Friendship: Big Pete considers Artie's friendship with Little Pete to be Artie's greatest superpower.
 * Say My Name: Don, while looking for Artie to bring him home, pulls this in hopes of Artie hearing.
 * Seinfeldian Conversation: Little Pete and his friends are having one about snakes when they see Don drive off with Artie.
 * Super Breath: Artie uses it to clean the Wrigley's gutters.
 * Throwing the Fight: Papercut forces everyone else to do this in Rock-Paper-Scissors so he can dish out the losing punishment afterwards. It's Little Pete's refusal to do so that sets his subplot in motion.
 * Tear Jerker: Where do we start?
 * Artie's reaction when Don tells him Little Pete doesn't want him around anymore.
 * Little Pete having lost all hope.
 * Artie's goodbye.
 * Weapon of Choice: Paper for Papercut.
 * We Will Meet Again: "And next time, I'll be laminated!"