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Chapter Text

The two of us had been friends since way before I could remember. We grew up in the same town, we went to the same school, we liked all the same things, and we went on the same adventures. However, one thing that separated me from Todd was our personalities.

Todd was a cheerful, hyper kid like me. The only thing was he got easily scared. I practically had to drag him on this adventure! On the other hand, I'm more of the outgoing kind of person that doesn't mind taking risks if I have to (or want to).

Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself! I'm Dina Sentōki! I'm hoping to one day become a world-renowned Fossil Fighter! That's why Todd and I are here today. He heard there are some Vivosaurs hanging around up on this mountain, and I'm hoping to catch one!

If you don't know already, Vivosaurs are dinosaurs that were revived and given special powers and types. People often challenge each other to Fossil Battles that involve each of their teams, which can have up to three Vivosaurs, battling against each other. They also have shorter names taken from the original dinosaur name they had, like "Tricera" for "Triceratops".

"Hey, Dina! How long are you going to stand around and look at the scenery? Huh?" Todd yelled.

I turned around and started walking toward him.

He was getting impatient, "Quit stalling and get over here, Dina!"

"Geez, Todd! I can only go so fast!" I growled at him.

His anger faded and he smiled when I got to him, "You know the people said there were wild Vivosaurs up here, right?" I nodded.

Todd jumped up and down excitedly, "Man, I never thought I'd get to see one with my very own eyes! What if we find a Compso? Or better, a T-Rex!" he was extremely excited.

"Well they're not gonna just waltz right up to us, so let's go find one!"

Todd nodded, "Yeah, standing here isn't going to help us! And we're not leaving until we get our hands on some Vivosaurs!" Todd sped ahead of me a little. "Race you to the top, Dina!"

I grinned mischievously, "You're on, Todd." I yelled, running after him.
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About eight minutes later we were at the summit of the mountain, gasping for breath from running.

Todd stood up, "Hey..." he started, "There's no Vivosaurs here! Someone must have lied to me!" he stomped his feet angrily.

I sighed, "They're probably around here somewhe-" then a huge tremor shook the ground, and Todd became terrified in an instant.

"Wh-what was that? What's g-going on?"

Another tremor shook the ground. We bother whipped around to the direction it was coming from. The bush in front of us shook slightly.

"Th-there's something over there! W-we'd better go!"

I stepped forward, "No, let's see what it is first."

"Are you crazy? What if-" Todd was abruptly cut off as the bush shook violently and a rush of blue came charging out.

"Th-that's an... Allosaurus!" Todd screeched. The massive Vivosaur raised its head to the sky and roared.

"Now Todd, just back away slowly and maybe it won't-"

"RUN FOR IT! WE'RE GONNA DIE! IT'S GONNA EAT US!" he whirled around and hightailed it away from the carnivorous reptile.

"Todd! TODD! Wait up!" I yelled after him.

But we were stopped in our tracks at the edge of the cliff.

Todd was trembling beside me, "AHH! We're screwed! We're so going to die!"

I stepped ahead of him, "I'm not letting that happen!"

Todd gasped, "D-Dina? What're you doing?"

"Protecting you. I refuse to go down without trying!"

Todd was silent. The Allosaurus was approaching us fast. I braced myself for its attack, but a screech broke the silence. Todd turned around, "EEEK! A Pteranodon!"

My face lit up, "Todd, look! That's not just a Pteranodon, it's-"

"Quick, jump on! Both of ya'!" there was a man on the back of the flying reptile.

"Huh?" Todd said questionably.

"Get a move on, now!" the man yelled again.

Todd froze to the spot.

"Todd!" I grabbed his hand, ran, and jumped onto the Pteranodon's back.

"Gaaaahhh!" he screamed before latching his arms around my shoulders.

The man smiled, "Yeee-haa! Hold on, partners!" he directed the Ptera away from the mountain. At the edge, the Allosaurus roared, angered that his prey had gotten away.

The man sighed, "You folks alright?"

Todd was still holding onto me with his eyes closed, shaking with fear. "Todd. We're safe. You can let go now."

He opened his eyes and his face turned red, "Sorry! Sorry! Yeah, I think I'm fine." he replied. I turned back to the man. "Yep. We're good!"

The man nodded in reply, then turned back toward the base of the mountain.

After landing, the man walked us back to the path where we first scaled the mountain. Todd suddenly gasped, "OH, MY, GOSH! Y-you're... Joe! Joe Wildwest!"

The man grinned, "Yep, that's me. Surprised you know my handle, kid."

"Of course I know you!" Todd said happily, "You're the greatest Fossil Fighter in the world! Your skills are legendary!"

Todd did another one of his jump-up-and-down happy dances, "I can't believe I'm actually talking to THE Joe Wildwest! This is the best moment of my life!" Then he sighed, "I bet I sound like an absolute nerd, right?"

But Joe just smiled. "Not at all, partner! It's nice to meet 'cha!"

Todd smiled again, and I smiled too, "Well, thank you for saving us, Mr. Wildwe-"

"GRAAAAAHHH!"

The three of us turned and saw the Allosaurus trekking around the mountainside near us. "EEEK!" Todd screamed before hiding behind me.

Joe frowned, "That Allosaurus is madder than a sack full'a hornets! But we can't just leave it riled up like that, or folks'll be in heaps'a trouble like you two were!" he gripped his bag, "Ain't no other choice! We gotta subdue the critter with a Fossil Battle!"

Joe looked at Todd, "How 'bout you, kiddo? You up for it?" Todd's face went blank, "I'll even loan ya' one's my Dino Medals for the fight. So, how about it?"

Todd looked at Joe, then at me, then at Joe again. Then he held his stomach, "Oooohhh! Ooowww! My stomach, it hurts real bad! I knew I shouldn't have eaten that rotten banana! Oowww!"

I looked at him suspiciously, Are you serious? A rotten banana? I thought. But I decided to leave him alone.

"I'll fight," I said. "I don't think Todd's well enough to do it." I saw Todd grin slightly from the corner of my eye.

"Well, I guess that's fair enough. Pick one'a my Dino Medals here for battle. There's four'a them to choose from. Pick whichever one strikes yer' fancy." he pulled them out of his bag and handed them to me.

It was hard to choose between them, Well, Aero is pretty cool, but Toba looks like it would have a better defense... Maybe Tsintao? But then I saw Dimetro's medal shine for a moment.

"I choose Dimetro." I said confidently.

"That's a fine choice there, small fry! Dimetro packs a punch in battle!" Joe said encouragingly, "Just remember, when you throw that Dino Medal yer' Vivosaur will be unleashed. The strength of a Fossil Fighter depends on how strong their bond is with their Vivosaurs." he turned to walk away, "So make sure to get along and have fun! Now go get 'em!"

I nodded then went up to the Allosaurus, Dimetro's medal in my hand. It noticed and turned to face me.

"Alright Dimetro... LET'S GOOOO!" I threw the medal at the Allosaurus, and it glowed brightly in mid-air. The light formed into the shape of a sail-back reptile before disappearing.

"Graahh, graaahh!" Dimetro growled. It glanced back at me for a second.

Oh, right! I need to make it attack! But the Allosaurus was faster and snapped at Dimetro with its massive jaws. Luckily, Dimetro dodged the attack. It's enraged, meaning it'll probably attack out of fury instead of aiming first! I decided to use that to my advantage.

"Dimetro! Attack Allo with Dimetro Fang!"

"Grrraaaahh!" it obeyed and ran at Allo, clamping down on its shoulder before retreating. Allo became more enraged and snapped at Dimetro, holding the poor Vivosaur in its mouth. It screeched in pain, but flashed suddenly before Allo growled and threw it at the ground.

"Dimetro!" I yelled. It simply growled and stood up.

Joe raced to the edge of the field, "That was Dimetro's special ability, FP Absorb!" he yelled, "Every time Dimetro gets hit by that there Vivosaur, it absorbs some of its FP!" I acknowledged him with a thumbs up before refocusing on the battle.

"Dimetro, use Dimetro Fang again!"

"Graarr!" it roared, then it attacked the Allosaurus again. Allo finally calmed down a bit, then a brief flash occurred before Allo returned to its Dino Medal.

"Good job, kiddo!" Joe said, picking up the medal, "You calmed down that big Dino with ease! You might just have the potential to be a great Fossil Fighter!"

"Yeah!" Todd exclaimed, "You handled that battle like a pro, Dina! You're awesome!"

"Thanks!" I replied, "But um..." I leaned over to him, "Didn't you have a stomach ache before?"

Todd gasped, "Oh yeah! My stomach ache's gone! But umm," Todd hesitated, "Oh, who cares about it now! You were amazing, Dina!"

"I agree with 'ya, partner! Now," Joe said, clenching the Allo medal in his hand, "This here Allosaurus was abandoned by a cruel fighter! Reckon' that's why he had his shorts in a bunch."

We both turned to face Joe. "Vivosaurs are meant to be with people they trust. If they're abandoned, they go feral and their true nature emerges. That's why I'm here actually," he continued, "The Fighters Association asked me to round up rouge Vivosaurs."

Then he stopped, "Aw shucks, where are my manners? You know this already, but I'm Joe Wildwest, and I'm a Fossil Fighter."

I introduced myself, "I'm Dina Sentōki! I'm hoping to one day become a famous Fossil Fighter!"

"And I'm Todd Tokage. Dina is my best friend! We always cheer for you on TV, Joe!" he threw his hand up in the air, "We both want to be great fighters, just like you!"

Joe bent his head down and laughed, "Aw, shucks. You two small fries are really makin' me blush. Well, I should be seein' you two home, but I ain't finished with my job yet here. But y'all seem pretty good on yer' own. I trust ya' to be alright."

I was about to say goodbye when I realized I still had Dimetro's medal. "Um, Mr. Wildwest? Here." I handed him the medal.

"Aww, bacon! I durn almost forgot that there Dino Medal I loaned ya'!" I sensed a sad aura emitting from it.

"Tell ya' what," Joe said before handing me the medal back, "You keep it, as a present from me. Plus, Dimetro seems to have taken a liking to you!" the sadness vanished and was replaced with happiness.

"Wow! Thank you, Mr. Wildwest!" I said with surprise.

I looked over at Todd, "Aww!" he moaned, "If only my stomach hadn't started hurting..." all of us laughed.

"Listen here, small fries. If you love your Vivosaurs and share their passion for Fossil Battles, then you can accomplish anything!" Joe said. We both nodded our heads in agreement.

"Alrighty! I look forward to one day seein' both of you as proper Fossil Fighters!" he turned and started off, then turned around, "Adios, kiddos!" and he walked off up the mountain.

Todd laughed, "Wow, we just met Joe Wildwest! Now we have to become Fossil Fighters! Let's do it, Dina!" We threw out hands into the air and jumped.

"Yeah!"

Chapter Text

[2 years later:]

The helicopter flew over the large, crystal clear, blue ocean. Waves rippled across the surface as the wind blew along it.

Todd and I were sitting inside the helicopter, admiring the view. I can't believe it's finally happening, Dina! We're going to be Fossil Fighters!" he said, "I can't wait!"

I could sense Dimetro's excitement, too. He seemed to be ready for this moment ever since I got him. "Neither can I!"

Todd continued, "We're gonna be competing in Joe's very own tournament, the Caliosteo Cup! Of course, all the cool fighters just call it the Cup for short."

"I'm really happy that we made it here! We're going to see so many Vivosaurs and fight so many Fossil Battles! It's going to be awesome!" I shouted.

Todd bawled his hands into fists, "I know! Joe would be amazed to know we made it through the preliminaries and came all the way here! And we'll probably meet him here, too! I wonder if he'll remember us?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, maybe he will. It'd be pretty cool if he did!"

I stared out the window again and saw the Caliosteo Fossil Park coming into view, "Todd, that's the park! We're finally here!"

As the helicopter descended, I could barely contain my excitement. The pilot slid the door open and we got out. Then it took off for the other islands. The gust from the vehicle's propeller blew my hair around and Todd had to hold his hat on his head so the wind wouldn't blow it away.

We were greeted by one of the attendants of the island. "Welcome to Caliosteo Fossil Park, a place of prehistoric dreams, dinosaurs, and adventure!" she said welcomingly, "This park was founded by none other than Joe Wildwest, the superstar Fossil Fighter." Todd's eyes shined at the mention of Joe's name. "The park is composed of three islands: Ribular Island, Cranial Isle, and Illium Island. You are welcome to excavate and revive as many Vivosaurs as you would like, plus there's also plenty of Fossil Battling to be done." She pointed to a large building in front of us, "That is the Fossil Station. You'll want to go inside and register for the Cup. But for now, please make yourselves at home here in Ribular Town."

I nodded. "Thank you, we will!"

"No problem, miss!" she replied.

Then an announcement came on the intercom, "All fighters who wish to compete in the Caliosteo Cup should make their way to the Fossil Station immediately. Registration will be ending shortly. Thank you."

Todd gasped, "Hurry, Dina! We need to sign up!!" he grabbed my hand and ran to the building.

The inside was huge. There were two staircases on either side and lots of doors leading into multiple rooms. In the middle was a counter. We headed over to it for registration.

"Welcome to Ribular Island. Are you here to register for the tournament?"

"Yes." I answered.

"Alright, may I have your names?" the receptionist asked.

"I'm Dina Sentōki." I replied.

"And I'm Todd Tokage."

The receptionist quickly pulled out a notepad and clipboard and jotted down the information, "Ok, next I must know your ages."

"We're both 14." I answered. She wrote down the information and set down the clipboard. Then she shuffled through a small booklet.

"Alright, Dina and Todd. Your qualifications through the preliminaries have been confirmed. Someone will be with you shortly to go over the rules of the park." We both thanked her and went to wait for the attendant.

Almost immediately a girl came through a door, "Hey there, I'm Stella! I'm the Staff Leader of Ribular Island." She walked over to us, "You two made it just in time! Since you did, I'll start the tour in the most important place."

Todd looked at me with a questioning look, "The most important place? Where do you think that might be?"

Stella dashed over to the door right of the reception area, "Right this way, please!" We both followed her into the room.

It was full of all sorts of high-tech fossil excavating equipment. She led us to one of the machines. "Welcome to the most important room for Fighters: the Cleaning Room! This machine here is the cleaning machine. It helps clean fossils out of their rocky prisons," She motioned over to another machine, "and that machine helps revive Vivosaurs from fossils." 

Todd jumped, "That's some pretty high-tech stuff!" he exclaimed. I just looked around in awe.

Stella nodded. "Yes, we try to stay up to date with our technology. As such, these machines may be different than what you've used before. How about you try reviving a Vivosaur?"

She placed a fossil rock on the counter, "Here's a fossil rock. Remember, when you start to see the fossil, use the drill to clean the rest. Otherwise, you might break the fossil! There's a gauge up here to monitor your progress. Good luck!" 

I quickly got to work. Within a few minutes, I had cleaned a perfect head fossil. Todd did the same, only with a few scratches on his.

"Amazing! Wonderful job!" Stella gasped, looking at me. "Only one other person got a hundred percent on their cleaning test! For doing so good, I'll let you keep those fossils. Let's go revive them."

Todd and I carefully placed our fossils into the machine. There was a crackle and a flash of sparks and then the machine revealed two Vivosaurs: Tricera and Stego. They flashed and turned into Dino Medals.

Stella handed them to us. "When revived, Vivosaurs take the form of a Dino Medal. These are yours."

Todd grabbed his Stego, "Wow! I can't believe I got a Dino Medal and we just got to the island!" I took my Tricera and placed it in my bag.

Stella then led us to the next room. "The Fossil Stadium is through this door," she said.

Todd held his hands up and bawled them into fists, "WOO! Fossil Stadium! I'm so excited I could puke!"

Me and Stella sweatdropped. "Yes, let's try not to do that. Our floors are very clean. Anyways, please follow me.." Stella stated. We both went to the stadium.

After taking me and Todd over to Deven Straight To explain Fossil Battles, we headed back to the lobby.

"One more thing to remember," he said, "If a Fighter lacks strategy or their Vivosaurs lack ability, victory will prove impossible. Remember that, alright? Now get out there and show them what you're made of! Good luck!" Deven then walked back to the stadium.

We turned back to Stella. "That's it for orientation, you two. You're now officially entered in the Caliosteo Cup! Your opponents will be automatically chosen by the computer, and when you finish a cup you'll be granted access to a new dig site!" Then her eyes grew wide, "Oh, I almost forgot! Here are your Paleopagers and Fossil Passes. We use the Paleopagers to send out news and updates via the Fossil Messaging System, or FMS. Fossil Passes show your information as a Fossil Fighter, such as your name, age, rank, etc."

Then the intercom came on again, "Attention, the Caliosteo Cup Opening Ceremony will be kicking off shortly. All interested participants should meet in front of the Fossil Station. Thank you."

Stella spoke again, "Oh, that's my cue! Good luck, you guys!" and she headed off.

Todd turned to me, "I bet the opening ceremony will be awesome! What if Joe is there?"

I grabbed his hand, "Well we'd better hurry if we want to find out! Come on!" I pulled him out the door.

There were tons of people outside. "Wow, Todd. This place is packed! Look at all the people! I wonder who we'll fight in the first match?"

Todd shrugged, "I don't know." Then his eyes lit up, "Hey look! Something's flying this way!"

I squinted my eyes. "Is that... a giant flying TV screen?" I muttered to myself. Sure enough, there was a huge flatscreen flying toward us. An image of Joe appeared on it.

"Welcome to Caliosteo Fossil Park, the place where dreams are made!" he said. "I'm the owner of this here park. The name's Joe Wildwest!" Todd and I were looking on in awe. "You Fighters'll love it here! We got three islands to explore!" Everyone clapped with joy.

"Now get ready for a surprise, cause I want y'all to know that the Cup champion will get my park! You'll own 'er free and clear!" There were gasps from some of the staff, especially Stella. "So let's get to battlin', folks! The Caliosteo Cup is now open!"

Fireworks shot into the sky and exploded in an array of colors. Everyone cheered. After everyone had gone out to the dig sites, Todd and I started talking.

"Man, just seeing Joe's face on that awesome video display was so exciting!" he leapt with joy. "But the champion gets the whole park? Wow!"

"I know!" I replied. "Just imagine, all the dig sites, the stadiums, this whole park, and one of us could own it! It's unbelievable!" Just thinking of it blew my mind.

"Hey, you two!" we turned and saw Stella coming toward us.

"Oh, hi, Stella," I said. "We were just talking about the cup."

"Oh, well did you get the message on your Paleopagers yet?" she asked.

We looked bewildered, "What messa-" the Paleopagers started beeping, 

"The dig site 'Treasure Lake' is now open. You're urged to head there and prepare for your first match."

"Oh, ok," I said, "We'll head over there now. Thanks, Stella!"

She stopped us, "Wait, I forgot to give you your room keys! Each island has rooms for the Fighters to stay in. Your room number will be the same on each island, you'll just be in different buildings. You'll also have a roommate. Ok, see you around!" Them Stella left.

"Well, I guess we'd better head over to Treasure Lake, huh, Dina?" Todd said.

I went to reply to him, but then Todd rushed off to the dig site. I quickly ran after him.

--------------------

An attendant was standing in the dig site looking around. "Oh, geez. He's already gone..."

I went up to her. "What's up? Who's gone?"

"Oh, sorry!" she said, turning to look at me, "A boy just rushed off without getting his Fossil Sonar. You mustn't have gotten yours either, so here you go!" she headed me a round, silver sonar.

She pointed at the buttons, "You press the green button to locate fossils, and the red button turns it on and off."

I looked up at her, "Thanks! But, umm, did the boy you were talking about have a beige and green outfit and blue eyes?"

She giggled, "Let me guess, he's your friend, isn't he?"

I lowered my head with embarrassment. "Well, um, yeah. Sorry about that."

She simply smiled, "No prob! Just give this to him, ok?"

I nodded, "Sure!" Then I turned to look for Todd.

The area was lush and green with a large rock carved like a T-Rex skull in the middle. Fighters were everywhere digging up and battling each other for fossil rocks. Todd running back and forth shouting, "WHERE ARE THE FOSSILS?!"

"Todd!" I yelled. He turned.

"Oh, there you are, Dina! What's that?" he asked, pointing to my sonar.

"It's a- well your- Fossil Sonar actually. You forgot to get one from the attendant on your way here, so she gave me one for you."

He sweatdropped. "Oh, uh, gee thanks!" he said. "I'm gonna go look for some fossils, so see ya!"

Todd rushed one way while I slowly ventured around the lake. I started digging for rocks and after finding three of them I found one that seemed extremely rare with part of a red fossil showing on top. Just as I picked it up another Fighter ran over to me. "Hey, that's the fossil I've been looking for! How's about we battle to see who gets it, huh?"

I grinned, "You're on!" I said. We quickly got into battle positions and my opponent sent out a Goyle. "Alright then, Dimetro! Tricera! Let's roll!" I threw their Dino Medals into the air and in a flash (literally) the battle was on.

I got the first attack, "Dimetro Fang!" I commanded. Dimetro leapt up and chomped on Goyle, but then leapt back in pain as his teeth met with rock hard skin.

This Vivosaur's rocky skin will make it hard to land a lot of damage, I thought, I wonder if Tricera can use a better attack.

"Your turn," I announced to the Fighter.

"Oh, yeah, I know." he said, "Goyle, Body Axe on Tricera!" the attack hit and Tricera took more damage due to the type advantage of Goyle.

"Alright, Tricera, hit him with Running Smash!"

"Roooooarr!" Tricera hit Goyle with a critical hit.

"Yeah, way to go!" I shouted.

The Fighter laughed, "That all you got?" he asked teasingly. I narrowed my eyes, he continued, "You wanna see an attack? Let's go, Goyle!" 

Goyle headed for Tricera with a full force Body Axe attack, but Dimetro jumped in front and got hit instead. He winced but held on by 3 LP.

"Dimetro, hang in there!"

"Ha! He barely even made it through that attack! And you think your pathetic team can beat mine?" he snickered.

Dimetro glanced at me defiantly, then back at Goyle, 'Pathetic? I'll show you pathetic!!'

I gasped, "Dimetro, you can talk?" but the Vivosaur ignored me.

"GRRAAAAHH!!!" he growled. He charged at Goyle and rammed him up into the air. He clamped his teeth around its leg and whirled around, spinning the poor creature into oblivion before slamming it into the ground. 'How's that for pathetic?' Dimetro snickered. Goyle lit up and faded back into a Dino Medal.

"Wow, amazing! Your team is terrific! Sorry about the little comment I made before..."

I laughed, "No problem, it was a fun battle." I shook his hand and he handed me the fossil rock, which I thanked him for.

When he left I called out Dimetro. "So, Dimetro, apparently I can understand you."

Dimetro rolled his eyes, 'Well, duh! Fighters that believe in their Vivosaurs can truly "understand" them.'

"Sounds kinda cheesy to me.."

'Precisely.' he replied. 'But you have more important things to do than blab to an ancient reptile all day. Let's go!' he turned to walk back to town.

We headed back to the Fossil Station with my fossils. The case we had could carry huge amounts of them but they didn't weigh more than a rolling suitcase. It was because the fossils shrunk when they were put inside.

Dimetro refused to revert back into a Dino Medal. He wanted to walk around for a bit, which was too hard to agree with since he was about the size of a bear. Compared to other Vivosaurs, though, he was tiny.

I headed into the station and heard girls screaming.

"Oh! It's him!"

"He's adorable!"

"I love you, Rupert!!"

Dimetro grunted beside me, 'Pfft, Fangirls. Never fails. You'd think they'd just seen a murder with the way they're screaming.'

Stella walked in with three other people and separated the mob of girls. "Ladies, please! Calm down and return to your usual activities." The girls sighed and began to disperse.

"Wonder what that was all about?" I asked, making my way to the Cleaning Room.

Dimetro shrugged, 'God only knows..'

"Yeah, I suppos- Urf!" I slammed right into someone and he fell onto the ground. "Err... I'm really sorry!" I helped the boy up.

He was around my age with silver hair to his shoulders. His cold, goldenrod eyes sparkled with a slight bit of surprise. A long, red cost flowed behind him and a faint smile creased his face.

"Pardon me, it was my fault for running into you," he said apologetically.

I shook my head, "No I wasn't watching where I was going." Dimetro growled beside me.

The boy looked at him, "Strange to see a Fighter with their Vivosaur outside of battle. Quite a defiant one, eh?" Dimetro seemed pleased with this compliment and ceased growling.

"I'm Dina, by the way," I said.

"Nice to meet you. Now if you'd excuse me, I must be on my way. Goodbye." he quickly scurried through the door to the outside. 

"Wait! I...." but he was gone.

I.. I don't even know your name...

-----------------

"Hey, Dina!" I heard Todd calling me just as I left the Cleaning Room. I had just added a body fossil to Dimetro and found that he was now capable of using Dimetro Whirl. Luckily I was also able to get him to become a Medal again and he went into my bag without question.

I bounded over to Todd, "What's up?"

He folded his hands together and looked at me, "There are camera crews over at Treasure Lake! Can you pleeease come with me? I want to check it out!" 

Todd's pleading eyes were hard to ignore, so I gave in. "Alright, I just finished cleaning my new fossil rocks, so it wouldn't hurt to go."

Todd cheered. "Oh, yay! Let's go come on!"

He grabbed my arm and started dragging me out the door. "Do you even know what they're doing?" I asked him.

He shook his head and continued to the dig site.

Chapter Text

People were crowded on the grassy area of the dig site, including the rabid fangirls from earlier.

"Ooh, he's so dreamy! All mysterious and soo hot!" it was one of the girls from before.

The boy next to her spoke up, "Well crud. I didn't expect to see him in the Cup! He's going to make it harder to win for sure!"

We walked up to the crowd to the crowd. Todd walked over to the boy and he murmured something back before Todd bounded over to me, his eyes wide with excitement, "Dina, did you hear that? Rupert's entered in the Cup! That's right, THE Rupert!"

I just stood there with a dumbfounded expression, "Who's Rupert?"

Todd gasped, "You don't know? He's the son of FossilDig Inc.'s CEO! He's extremely famous! They're going to start a TV interview with him now! Let's go watch!" He dragged me over through the crowd.

"Todd, I'm perfectly capable of following you. You don't have to drag me!"

Todd let go of my hand, "S-sorry!"

I smirked, "It's ok! I was just joking! Now, where's Rup-"

I looked up and saw him; silver hair, gold eyes, red coat. It was the boy who bumped into me before!

"That's Rupert!?" I gasped. Todd looked at me suspiciously.

I felt my face go a light red, "Nevermind... It's  nothing.." Todd still had the same expression but didn't say anything else.

But he's the son of FossilDig's CEO? No wonder those girls love him so much... I blushed a little more, but shook the thoughts from my head, Poor guy, having to deal with fangirls all day.

The reporter turned to the crowd and called for silence before signaling for the cameraman to start rolling.

"Good morning! This is Linda R. Porter reporting for Caliosteo TV! With the Caliosteo Cup underway, we have an exclusive interview with one of the Fighters." she turned to Rupert, "This undefeated child prodigy has had a long line of victories throughout many Fossil Fighting tournaments. He's also the heir to a multinational corporation that produces a wide range of goods for Fighters."

The camera turned toward Rupert, "It's the prince of FossilDig Inc. and the talk of every Fighter in town. Ladies and gentlemen... say hello to Rupert Kaseki!"

Rupert nodded his head in greeting. "Hello," he said softly.

"Ok, Rupert, let's get right to it. Do you feel confident about winning the Caliosteo Cup?" asked Linda.

Rupert nodded, "Oh yes, quite. There's little point in entering a competition if one does not expect to win."

Linda faced the camera, "Spoken like a true champion! This young competitor has the spirit if a true Fighter! If any other Fighter were to say it, we might accuse them of hubris. But from Rupert, it's a fact." Rupert sighed.

"Will this child be the winner? Or will someone step up to challenge this masterful Fighter? One thing's for sure all eyes will be on the Caliosteo Cup!"

Then Linda stepped up to the camera, "But we've been told to pass on a message. Despite his fame, Rupert is still just a Fighter in the Cup. Though you may be smitten by his roguish charm,  please do not mob him or try to steal locks of his hair!" I couldn't help but smirk at that comment. 

Linda continued, "Any competitors found to be annoying Rupert in any way will be subject to disqualification. From Caliosteo TV, this is Linda R. Porter signing off."

The cameraman ended the broadcast, "Well, let's go get lunch. I'm starved!" she turned to Rupert, "Thank you for the interview, Rupert."

"You're quite welcome," he said before the two ran off. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Idiocy..." he quickly turned and headed deeper into the marshy area.

Todd leapt up. "I'd like to chase after Rupert and see if he's really all that!"

I shot him a questioning look. "But Todd, the reporters warned everyone not to bug him! What if we get disqualified?"

Todd thought for a second, "Well, yeah... But they didn't say we couldn't challenge him to a battle!"

To me, that kinda seemed like the same thing, but I got the point and went with Todd to look for Rupert.

It didn't take long until we found him near the lake putting some fossils in his case.

"Hey there, Rupert!" Todd yelled. He looked up.

"What is it?" he asked coldly.

Todd grinned, "How about you and me have a good old-fashioned Fossil Battle? You know that excited feeling you get when you meet a tough Fighter? Well, I've got it!"

Rupert didn't say anything, so Todd continued, "You like Fossil Battles, and you know that feeling. So, let's have some fun!"

Rupert just shook his head. "Please go amuse yourself elsewhere. I don't have time to waste on the likes of you." He turned away. "'Let's have fun?' 'Excited feeling?' Such disgusting treacle makes me want to puke."

He looked back at Todd, who had his shocked-to-death expression on his face. "Frankly, I abhor to having to associate with Fighters such as yourself." Rupert stated, "If you wish to face me, you must win your way to my standing in the tournament." he smirked, "Of course, there's no chance of that happening... Now run along and take your sad Vivosaurs with you."

Both Todd and I became enraged. "You jerk!! How dare you!" I yelled. "We're waaay stronger than you think! You may be famous, but it doesn't mean you run the place!" I bawled my hands into fists and Todd almost had to hold me back to keep from punching him, but luckily I quickly calmed down.

Rupert looked at me with wide eyes. "Hey, you're..." but Todd cut him off.

"You don't have any idea of how talented I am! You're just a chicken!" Rupert and I both narrowed our eyes in annoyance.

"Todd..."

"Bawk, Bawk, Bawk!"

"TODD!"

Rupert shook his head and sighed, "Fine, you demand satisfaction? Very well. If it will keep you from stalking me in the near future... I will show you what a real Fossil Battle is like! But just don't go crying home to mommy like I didn't warn you!" 

Rupert reached for his Dino Medals, as did Todd. "Let's battle!"

Rupert sent out Raja and Mapo, while Todd sent out Stego. After saving up FP and having Stego's Spike Tail attack miss, Raja defeated Todd with a one-hit K.O.

Todd's face went blank again. "I lost... I lost A LOT..."

"Truly pathetic," Rupert mumbled, "Are you even paying attention to the elemental types of your Vivosaurs?"

"Elemental types...?"

He rolled his eyes, "This is truly sad... A Fighter that knows nothing about elemental types... Oh, very well! Pay attention!" Then Rupert went on to talk about type advantages and disadvantages of Vivosaurs.

"My Raja is an Earth type," he stated, "So if you were a smart Fighter, you would have targeted my Water type, Mapo." He continued, "Additionally, your Stego is a Mid-Range-class Vivosaur. Mapo was at a range where your Vivosaur's attacks would be more effective."

He turned away, "Not that any of this matters. I still would have crushed you anyway in the end."

I stepped up to him, "Then fight me." I replied sternly. He snickered, "Oh, come on! Must I battle every average Fighter that slinks into view?"

"Wait.." he hesitated, "You're the girl from before... with the Dimetro. Dina, correct?"

I placed my hand on my hip, "Yes, So?"

He blinked a few times. "N-nothing. Um, good day to you!" he slowly walked off to the exit of Treasure Lake.

I blinked as he walked away. "Well that was awkward..." Then Todd began to have a fit over his loss.

"AAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHH!!!!!" Todd growled, "I've lost a lot of times, but never before have I been so angry about it!" he stomped on the ground. "That's it, Dina! We have to win our way through the Cup! We have to take down that no good jerk-face, Rupert!"

I giggled a little at Todd's rage, "Well I agree, but maybe he's not all bad. Maybe he just had a rough day, I mean, with all the fangirls and stuff chasing him..."

Todd laughed, "Well, I suppose so..."

I was glad I cheered him up. "Yeah, but we'll still take him down!" We did our little "team cheer", but then my Paleopager started beeping.

"Round 1 of the Caliosteo Cup will now begin. Dina's round 1 opponent will be Todd." We bother looked at each other. "Please prepare yourselves, then check in at Ribular Town's Fossil Station." The message then ended.

Todd spoke, "So, you're my round 1 opponent?" he clenched his fists, "Boo, man! I wanted to face you in the finals!" he shoved his Paleopager into his pocket, "Stupid computer!" he turned away from me.

I stepped toward him, "Todd?" I asked quietly.

He whipped around quickly which made me jump back. His angered gaze softened, "Sorry, Dina. There's nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to give it our all out there!"

"Well then," I said, "I look forward to fighting you, Todd!" I winked and smiled at Todd. He smiled back.

"Ok, so that means until this round is over, we're enemies! See ya later, Dina!" he turned tail and ran off toward town. I quickly followed him.

Chapter Text

The Fossil Station attendants had just finished admitting people into the Stadium to watch the Round 1 battles. Todd and I had been sent to the Common Room to wait for our match. We- well I- patiently watched the battles on the large Flat screen set up in the corner. Todd fidgeted impatiently in his seat.

"When are we getting called?" he moaned.

"Todd, there are tons of people in line to battle! You have to wait patiently."

He groaned again, "I don't like waiting!" He sounded like a grumpy three-year-old but tried to sit quietly and watch the other battles.

The intercom came on, "Our next competitors will be Dina Sentōki and Todd Tokage! Fighters, please report to the stadium! Thank you!"

Todd leapt up, "Finally!" he sighed with relief. He readied his Dino Medals for the battle before turning to me.

"You better not go easy on me just because we're friends. I mean it!" he said. I looked him in the eyes.

"I have no intention to, Todd. This is a competition after all. You even said it yourself, 'Until this Round is over, we're enemies!'" I quoted him. "Let's do this!"

The door opened and revealed the large stadium. Hundreds of thousands of people crowded the stands, a section of the front row had a bunch of Fangirls (yet again) screaming Rupert's name. Aside from that somewhat humorous scene, I was pretty intimidated.

Todd and I took our places on the field.

"Alright, let's battle!" he yelled. He sent out Stego and Goyle. Their stats appeared on the large monitor in the stadium.

I grasped Dimetro and Tricera's Dino Medals, Shoot, he has a type advantage over Tricera. I'd better be careful.

"Alright... Dimetro! Tricera! Let's roll!" The two roared a battle cry and the battle began.

The announcer spoke, "According to her Vivosaur's stats, Dina will get the first turn." I smirked, "Ok, then. Dimetro! Hit Stego with Dimetro Fang!"

"Graaahh!" Dimetro charged at Stego, who held his ground, but the attack hit with a good bit of damage. Todd called his move and Stego retaliated with Spike Tail. Dimetro quickly activated FP Absorb. Now I have enough FP for both Vivosaurs to attack.

Dimetro looked back at me, as if reading my thoughts, 'Don't use Tricera! He can be a backup!' Tricera grunted with anger. Dimetro silenced him with a glare, 'Look, I'm just saying that if we use my attack we'll have a better chance! A Water move against an Air Vivosaur will take less damage then a Fire move!' I nodded in agreement, he did have a point.

Todd yelled from across the field, "Come on, Dina!" I quickly snapped back to the battle.

"Dimetro Whirl on Stego, now!" He leaned back slightly, then jumped up and spun in mid-air. Stego took the hit head-on before wobbling a little, then falling to the ground and turning back into a Dino Medal.

"NOO!" Todd yelled. "Alright then, Goyle! Body Axe on Tricera!" Tricera tried to dodge, but Goyle hit with a one-hit K.O. Tricera turned back into a Medal as well.

I nervously looked at the monitor. Dimetro had a little more than half its LP left. Goyle had full health. Dimetro growled, 'Stop zoning out! Focus!' I snapped back to the battle again. Dimetro attacked Goyle with a critical Dimetro Whirl, but Goyle attacked back with Body Axe.

"Looks like a draw. Both Fighters are neck-and-neck in this battle. Either one could come out on top!" the announcer spoke.

"Dimetro, attack one more time with Dimetro Whirl!" Dimetro paused and studied his opponent, then aimed the attack. Goyle jumped out of the way.

No! I shouted in my mind, If this attack misses, we're done for! Dimetro hit the ground, but continued spinning and bounced back into the air before coming down on Goyle, who proceeded to turn into a Dino Medal just as Stego had.

Todd and the audience gasped, "Whaa? But how!?" he shouted.

The announcers came back on, "An impressive victory for Dina! Never before has a Fighter shown so much skill! Congratulations!"

-----

Me and Todd stepped out into the lobby. Todd seemed kind of angry with me, which made my victory seem really bleak.

But Todd reassured me, "Dina, I'm not mad! You're unbelievably powerful! I'm just kinda irritated that I didn't try harder..."

I patted him on the shoulder, "You did your best, Todd!" I noticed Stella walking towards us.

"Congratulations, you're through to the second round! But hold your head high, Todd. That was a fine effort from you both." She held out a package. "Anyway, Dina, this is for you. It's your prize for winning round one!"

I looked at it with confusion as I read the label. "A time-plus prize pack?"

"Yes, it extends your cleaning time by 30 seconds every time you use it. Each one is good for a single use. They're available at the shop if you need more. Also, you are now promoted to Fighter Rank 2!" She gave me a new Fossil Pass with updated information.

"Good luck in round two! I look forward to seeing how strong you both become!" Stella then exited the lobby into her office.

"Well, you got me.. But you wanna know why I don't feel all that bad?" he grinned cheerfully, "I got to take you on in a Fossil Battle, and it was really fun! That's why I'm gonna cheer you on for the rest of the Cup!" He jumped up and down. "Until the end of the Cup, I'm going to be the president and CEO of the Dina fan club! You're my champ now, so I'm entrusting you with my dream!"

I felt a bit embarrassed, "Oh, Todd, it was just luck. Either one of us could have won."

"But you did win! So you have to try your hardest, promise?"

I smiled, "Yeah, I promise!"

"...I do not know what to make of the two of you." I jumped at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Rupert!" I shouted.

He glared at us, "You just faced each other in battle, and yet now you laugh about it?"

Todd stared at him, irritated. "You don't get it! We just shared an awesome battle together!" I nodded in agreement.

Rupert paused to think, "So you're satisfied with defeat, then? It doesn't gnaw at your soul like a rabid badger?"

Todd looked him in the eyes, "Well, yeah. I'm fine with it!"

He looked at him questioningly, "You are... a strange person..."

"Jerk," I whispered to Todd, who tried to hold in his laughter.

"Yes, well," Rupert turned to walk away, "unlike you, I have more important things to do with my time."

After he had gone, Todd started ranting, "What is with that guy? It's not like we asked his opinion or anything!" Todd said, "Alright Dina, I'm going to cheer you on like I've never cheered before!"

He held up his fists, "You have to make that no good, arrogant jerk eat his words! I'm counting on you!"

"Todd, I will do my best! Rupert needs to be shown what Fossil Fighting is truly abou-" The Paleopager started beeping.

"All Round 1 matches are complete. A new dig site has also been opened: Jungle Labyrinth. Fighters are urged to travel there and prepare for Round 2."

"Hey!" Todd said, "I just got a message saying any Fighter that lost in Round One is welcome to use the new dig site!"

"That's great, Todd!" I stated.

"Yeah! I mean, as long as I'm here I might as well try to have some fun!" he turned to leave, but whirled back around. "Don't worry, though! I'll still cheer you on just the same! Well, let's head to the dig site!"

He grabbed my hand to drag me there again, but quickly let go. He blushed, "Oh, yeah, um, you can follow me!" he said nervously. I laughed a bit as we rushed out the door.

"Stop it, Dina!"

"Your expression is hilarious!"

"Oh, come on! Let's just go already!"

"Whatever you say! Hahaha!"

Todd sighed.

-------------

Just as we were about to enter the dig site, Todd realized that he forgot his pickaxe in the Cleaning Room, so he went to get it. This left me standing outside the Fossil Station waiting for him.

"Hurry it up, Todd... It's 6:03. The Jungle Labyrinth will be closed by the time we get to it!!" I mumbled to myself.

I was about to go search for him when the intercom beeped on.

"This is an important public-service announcement from Caliosteo Fossil Park. The fossil canon's adjustments are complete. If you wish to use it, please proceed to the Fossil Lawn located east of the island. 

Hm, I thought, I could probably send my brother a fossil with that.

My older brother- by about 10 minutes that is- was an amazing fighter. His best friend, Hunter, and him looked almost exactly the same. He learned most of his Fighting skills from Hunter. The two of them were like lost brothers, though he always made time for me and he taught me a couple of basic things. I hadn't seen him since he entered another Cup on a distant island, the same one Hunter entered a few years back.

Then I realized that Todd wasn't coming anytime soon, so I headed off to the Jungle Labyrinth myself.

----------

I noticed someone lying in the grass as I entered the plant covered dig site. I rushed over to help him.

"Umm, excuse me, sir? Are you alrig-"

"Oh, right. Hello there. So sorry to bother you but I appear to be in a bit of a pickle."

Oh, great. Crazy old guy alert. I thought to myself. I was still a little concerned, though. "Ok, is there anything I can do?"

"Why yes! Hunger gnaws at my belly, you see, and I fear the only cure is a delectable melon spud."

My face twisted with confusion, What the heck is a melon spud?

The man continued, "You see, a single one of these sweet, subterranean spuds would have me up and about in no time. Ah, but the melon spud is a clever beastie... Where could it be hiding?"

I sighed and looked around.

The old man pointed to a spot over to his left covered with dense undergrowth, "I say, I sense a melon spud buried right over in that spot! You'll see a vibrant, green sprout marking the location of the precious melon spud. Now be a good egg and get it for me, will you? Or else I fear the worst for this old geezer..."

I groaned to myself, You're kidding, right? I have to dig up a freaking fruit? I mean I know this guy is old, but he's not that old! I halfheartedly agreed and searched around for the melon spud.

"Geez, with all these shrubs it's gonna be hard to find anything... Huh?" I noticed a peculiar sprout growing in a patch of tall grass. "Yes! That must be it!" I dug the sprout up and sure enough, there was a melon spud.

The old guy was being an absolute drama queen when I got back to him. "Oh, my vision grows weak... I think I hear angels... Good heavens, this looks like the end for me!

"Here," I said to the old man, shoving the melon spud in his mouth, "I got your fruit... thing."

He leapt up, "Oh my! That's it! The melon spud! Ho ho, well done, old bean! That melon spud has given me an injection of youthful vim and vigor!" He looked over at me, "Oh, but you went to great trouble to dig up that melon spud for me, yes?"

Well, no. Not really... I mentally said to myself.

"Well, in that case," he continued, "I would humbly request the pleasure of your name."

"My name is Dina, sir."

"Well, Dina, it appears I am in your debt. I am Professor Nigel Scatterly, a man of science and curator of the Caliosteo Museum on Cranial Isle," he chuckled. "I came here in search of Calio Slablets but somehow managed to get hopelessly lost. Also, I forgot my lunch on the counter, so it's a good thing you came along!"

I stared at him with confusion. "What exactly is a Calio Slablet?" I asked.

He replied with a smile, "Oh yes, let me explain what Calio Slablets are. There's little more I enjoy than discussing the wonders of science after all!" He cleared his throat, "Yes, now where to begin... Calio Slablets, you see, are a curious set of tablets hewn from dinosaur bones. I discovered one of these tablets a fair while back and found it contained the history of these islands. It claimed that the long-lost Kingdom of Caliosteo existed on this very spot, and was led by a mighty ruler known as ZongaZonga." He then explained how ZongaZonga wielded powerful spells that could even resurrect dinosaurs from fossils, which was very similar to how we revive Vivosaurs today.

"Naturally," he stated, "I yearn to know more of this civilization, but I only have Calio Slablet #1 in my possession... However, since they bothered to number the one I found, logic demanded that there must be others! So knowing this, I fashioned a special CS Sonar to search them out."

He took out a machine similar to my Fossil Sonar, but it looked much more complicated. The machine detected something and started beeping.

Prof. Scatterly's eyes lit up. "Hello, what's this then? It seems the CS Sonar has detected another Slablet!" He stepped over next to me, "Stand aside! I must excavate it with all due speed, as the sun is setting fast!" I took a quick look at the sky. The orange, glowing sun was sinking below the ocean, making it glow pink against the flaming sky.

"...Oh, sod!" I turned around to see Prof. Scatterly shaking his head with despair. "It seems I've forgotten my shovel today as well!" he turned to me. "Step lively now, Dina, for it falls to you to unearth this buried Slablet."

I looked at the ground uncertainly. ..But, what does a Slablet look like?

"Oh ho!" Prof. Scatterly chuckled, "The CS Sonar claims that the Slablet lies buried at my feet! Just under the old nose, if you will. Perhaps that pickaxe of yours is the key to unlocking the mysteries of the Kingdom of Caliosteo. Quickly now!" he shouted, "Unearth that Calio Slablet with all speed!"

I grabbed my shovel and pickaxe from my bag and shoved the shovel into the ground, tossing aside the soft earth. I cleared away a thin layer of rock with the pickaxe, and a piece of slate with ancient scripture carved into it emerged from the rubble. I dug around it and carefully pulled it out of the ground. I handed the Slablet to Prof. Scatterly.

He was overjoyed. "Good heavens! It is a Calio Slablet! ...And look! It's marked with the number three!" the only thing I could see was a strange marking in the corner, which I assumed was the #3 in ancient writing. Although happy, the Professor sighed, "I suppose the prudent thing would be to set this one aside until I find the second Slablet... Well, posh to that! My scientific curiosity will not be contained!"

Although I first thought this would just be a silly little rock tablet, it seemed to have a certain aura about it. I was curious to find the others as well, so I listened to him decode the script.

"According to my knowledge on this writing, here is what Slablet #3 says: 

"Once every several decades, ZongaZonga compelled his people to hold a tournament. Participants in the tournament were given revived dinosaurs and made to command them in battle. These brave warriors traveled to and fro across the islands, waging battles of gargantuan ferocity. The tournament's sole reason for being held was to choose a new Majestic Vessel. And when only one warrior was left standing, he or she would become the new Majestic Vessel.."

"I say!" Prof. Scatterly exclaimed, "A contest in which dinosaurs are made to fight across the three islands... The similarity to our own Caliosteo Cup is remarkable!" He stroked his chin, "However, I am at a loss to explain the meaning of the Majestic Vessel. Perhaps," he suggested, "it simply means one who has qualities of leadership that befit a king?"

"Maybe..." I somewhat agreed with him.

"Well then! I suppose that mystery will be left unsolved until we uncover the other Calio Slablets, yes?"

"Of course. I look forward to seeing the other ones too, Professor Scatterly."

"Hm, yes. Well, I shall make for Cranial Isle with this new Slablet posthaste. I owe you great thanks, Dina. You've been of remarkable assistance to me."

He started to walk toward the exit, but turned around quickly again, "Oh, if ever you find yourself upon the shores of Cranial Isle, you must stop by my museum! I promise you will not be disappointed! Good day to you now, Dina, and safe travels!"

He walked toward the dense jungle, "Wait! You're going the wrong way! That leads to the jungle!" I yelled after him, trying not to laugh.

"...I beg your pardon? You say that this path will only take me deeper into the deep, dark jungle?" He laughed, "Ho ho, yes, well it seems I am in your debt yet again, Dina." He rushed toward the actual exit. "This time, it is farewell for sure. Tallyhoooo!"

I looked at the sky, now releasing how late it was. The dig site would be closing soon. I checked my watch. It was 8:30 pm. "Shoot! I guess I'll have to come back tomorrow." I quickly rushed back toward the Fossil Station.

Little did I know that something was going to happen as soon as I left.

------

"Todd!" I yelled as I noticed him in the lobby.

He looked at me and his face went pale, "D-Dina! I-I'm sooo sorry! I went to get my pickaxe and then I decided to clean some fossils and-"

I simply laughed, "Todd, I'm not mad. I didn't did up a single fossil today! I was busy helping this guy named Prof. Scatterly dig up these things called 'Calio Slablets.' It was pretty interesting."

Todd sighed, "Well guess what happened to me? I went to my room and I'm stuck with a girl as a roommate! And that's not all! She's also crazy because she won't tell me her name, she wears this weird mask that she refuses to take off, and she's really annoying! Hopefully you'll get a better roommate, 'cause I hate mine!"

I snickered, "Oh, come on, Todd! Maybe you just need time to get to know her."

"Pfft, get to know her... She's crazy! Oh well, I won't bother you with my problems. G'night, Dina!"

"Goodnight, Todd!" I shuffled around in my bag to find my room key, then rushed down the long corridor.

"49, 50, 51, 52! Here we are!" I turned the key and the lock clicked. I opened the door slowly.

"Hello?" I called slowly, unsure if my roommate was there yet.

"Yes? I'll be there in a minute!" the voice came from the bathroom, obviously male, but somehow familiar though I couldn't be sure. The shower water was running and the door was locked. There was a red duffle bag lying on the bed closest to it.

I picked up my duffle bag, which had been taken to my room by the attendants I suppose, and plopped it down on the other bed. There were two closets so I took the one nearest to my bed and put all my clothes in it and then tossed the bag in the bottom.

I changed into my nightgown and pulled out my iPod. I set it to one of my playlists and lay down on the bed and just as I closed my eyes, the door opened

"Dina?" The voice asked. I opened my eyes and my mouth dropped open as I realized who it was.

I was sharing a room with Rupert.

Chapter Text

"Rupert? I-I... You're my roommate?!" I said with shock. Of all people, him? The guys a jerk!

"I'm as surprised as you. You'd expect that you and Todd would be roommates with the way you two 'battle.' Apparently, though, that computer system is... stupid, for lack of a better word." He looked at me, his face expressionless, "Well we might as well try to get along. It would be uncivil to just ignore one another."

I turned away. "Pfft, yeah right. You'll probably just complain about how fun things are a nuisance and you're all that and a bag of chips..." I muttered to myself.

"What was that, Dina?" Rupert asked.

I turned back around, "I said that sounds good; I agree."

"Yes, well... Have you been to the Jungle Labyrinth yet? I saw you go out after the Round One fights were over."

I sighed, "Well, yes. But I ended up helping this Professor guy dig up a Slablet..."

Rupert eyed me curiously, "What is a Slablet?" I explained the whole thing to him.

"Oh, sounds quite interesting."

I let out a loud yawn and Rupert jumped. "Sorry.. I'm just tired..." I groaned sleepily.

Rupert stretched his arms, "Me as well. We might as well get some rest and head over to that dig site tomorrow."

"We?"

He sighed, "Not together, but we're both going there on the same day so..."

"I get it, I get it... Well, I'm going to sleep." I crawled under the blankets on my bed. The soft pillow felt like a cloud and the warm blankets made me feel sleepy. I closed my eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.

-----------

[Rupert's POV]

I was tired, but I just couldn't get to sleep no matter how hard I tried.

Dina and Todd, I thought, You two are very lucky to be able to enjoy the battles you have together. I'm jealous of that, I admit it. I stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking.

I remember, back before the whole "FossilDig Co." thing, when dad and I used to go to watch Fossil Battles. I groaned, But now I'm just a pawn for my father's game. He just wants me to promote his company by winning this tournament and making friends 'will take my focus off the Cup' as he says. Ugh, he's a big idiot.

Mapo's voice sounded from my coat pocket, which was hanging on the bedpost. "You mustn't be so hard on yourself. You're a great fighter and I think you will make many great friends."

I sighed, "Pfft, I highly doubt that.."

"Well, whether you do agree or not, you need to try making friends. Maybe then Dina might even like you!" Mapo growled teasingly. My face went red.

I jumped up and grabbed the Dino Medal out of the coat pocket, "Now listen here, Mapo!" I lowered my voice a little more, "I do not like her. I mean, I do, but only as a friend."

Mapo laughed, "Oh, sure! Come on, Rupert, I know exactly how you feel about her!"

"Think whatever you want, I don't care." I tossed Mapo into the pocket again and he growled angrily. I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

------

[Meanwhile, at the Jungle Labyrinth:]

"Push, dude! We need to move this thing into the jungle before we get caught!" the first man yelled. He pushed the huge metal machine onto his buddy's foot accidentally.

The second guy jumped back and screeched with pain, "YEEEOWWECH!! Damn it, Jerry, you ran over my freakin' toes!" He fell onto the ground and held his foot.

Jerry sighed, "Get up you big baby! And stop shouting!"

He still sat on the ground. He examined his foot and pouted. "I-I think it's broken..."

Jerry grabbed his friend's arm and hoisted him up. "Just stop it and get over here, Lee... The boss won't pay us if we don't do our job!" he growled, irritated.

"Fine," Lee said, "But only because I need the money." They continued to push the contraption deeper into the thick jungle.

---------

[Rupert's POV]

The alarm clock beeped loudly. I groaned and smacked it. "Shut up..."

I looked up and saw that Dina wasn't in bed.

"Morning, Rupert!" she said. She was already dressed and was brushing her teeth at the sink.

I yawned, "Good morning, Dina..." I seriously did not feel like getting up this morning, but I got up and went to brush my teeth anyway.

Dina spit out her toothpaste. "So," she started, "Did you sleep well?" She obviously wanted to make an attempt to converse with me.

"Ugh, not well. But that's typical for me." I sighed, then grabbed my toothbrush and squeezed some toothpaste onto it. She clearly couldn't see that I wasn't much of a morning person.

Dina blinked, then turned and grabbed her backpack. "Ok, I won't bother you." I looked up at her as she walked out the door. "I'm heading to the Jungle Labyrinth. See you later, I guess." She rushed out and closed the door.

I sighed. Then continued to get ready, ignoring the fact that it was probably going to be a long day.

--------

[Dina's POV]

The Jungle Labyrinth was practically empty for some reason. I guess most people don't like to get up early. Either that or they were already here yesterday... I ran down the small slope into the jungle.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!" a voice sounded from behind me.

I was happy to see Todd heading toward me. "Hey, Todd!"

Todd snickered, "Hey, Dina! Are you digging hard, or hardly digging? Hahaha!"

I laughed with him, "Actually, Todd, I just got here!"

He looked at me with excitement, "Oh, well do I have good news for you! I heard that if you go deeper into the Jungle Labyrinth, you can find some really neat Fossil Rocks! And since we're both here, I was thinking we could go digging together!"

I was very happy about the thought of that. Considering Rupert was kinda grumpy this morning, being with Todd would probably lift my spirits.

"Sure!" I said excitedly. But my happiness was short-lived as a scream sounded from behind us.

Todd jumped as two guys came running toward us, one was limping slightly. "Wha-what's wrong?"

"B-back there, in the b-back! There's a terrible monster!" the first guy whined.

The second guy nodded, "Yeah! It was chasing Howard and I," he motioned to his friend, "and it was going to eat us!! I didn't want to be eaten!"

His friend gasped, "W-wait... Cary, what if it decides to keep following us? Wha-what if it comes HERE?!" he started shaking. The two of them turned. "RUUNNNNNN AWAAAYY!" they yelled while, obviously, running away.

I looked at them questioningly, "Do you really believe that?" He obviously sort of did, because he was shaking.

"W-well, there's no such thing as m-monsters, r-right? M-monsters aren't real..." he shook his head. "They must have been mistaken... Yeah, that's it, mistaken..." he said with hope.

"Now see here, folks," we turned and saw a guy that looked like a cheap Elvis impersonator, "I gotta disagree with you. Ain't no way two grown men are gonna make the same mistake, uh-huh."

He started to walk up to us, "Way I hear it, we got a big ol' monster lurking in this here jungle. Monster's got a mean of a face, and a personality to match! And if it happens to find ya," he looked at Todd, who flinched, "It'd bite yer little head clean off!"

I patted Todd on the shoulder. "It's ok, Todd." I hated it when people tried to scare him. "Look, I came here to look for fossils, so that's what I'm gonna do!" I yelled back at the man.

He sighed, "Do whatever, I'm just sayin' that if ya go any farther into the jungle you're gonna get yourself hurt, uh-huh!" he shook his head, "Fossil rocks don't mean nothin' if some monster gets to chew on you!" He turned swiftly and strutted along the path out of the jungle.

"Well, um, Dina? Maybe we should just stop for the day. What do you think?" Todd looked at me with pleading eyes.

I shook my head instantly, "No, Todd, this monster is probably an old tree with overgrown plants on it. A squirrel probably jumped on it, made the branches shake, and they ran thinking it was a monster. Come on, do you really believe it's a real monster?"

"S-so you still want to go, huh? Of course you do..." He blinked nervously a few times, "W-well I g-guess I'll go with you, it's just th-that...." his face twisted with pain and he fell onto his knees.

"Ooooowww, my stomach! It's killing me! Oh, I shouldn't have eaten that green tuna-fish sandwich for lunch!"

I sighed and looked down at him, "But you hate tuna, Todd."

His face went pale. "D-did I say tuna?! I meant..... turkey! Yes, it was a turkey sandwich! Ooooowwww...."

I giggled. I knew he was faking it again, but it was fun to mess with him.

"Ok, Todd, I'll go check it out on my own. You can stay here." He shouted something at me in protest, but I already ran down the gravel path and into the tropical maze.

-------

I made my way into the depths of the forest. My case already had a good amount of new fossil rocks in it, so it was well worth coming. I jumped as I heard the grass shuffle behind me.

"Hey, Dina! I'm feeling better now!" It was Todd. He winked. "Bet you were pretty lonely without me, huh? I mean, it's not like I was scared or anything! No, that would never happen! Anyways, we've come a long way, haven't we?"

Then the bushes behind us started rustling and Todd hid behind me, "Ah! What's that? Who's there?"

He walked forward cautiously, "...Maybe it's just the wind... Yeah, the wind... or a wild boar. That would be ok, too."

A girl with a mask jumped out of the bushes, "Hi, Todd!"

Todd screamed and ran away, "WAAHH! M-M-MONSTER!!!!"

The girl growled, "Did he just call me a monster? That's kind of insulting..." She turned to me, "I don't know if you noticed, but I happen to be charming and beautiful!"

I laughed at that comment.

"What's so funny?" she growled back at me.

"Well, um, your mask is a bit... intimidating..." I murmured, "Who are you anyway?"

She gasped. "Who am I? What, do you live in a cave or something? Pfft, alright, listen up!"

She put her hands on her hips and posed, "I'm the one who's going to win the Caliosteo Cup and be the biggest teen idol in the world!" She twirled around, "My name is Pauleen!"

I looked at her questioningly. She's a little full of herself, isn't she? I thought to myself.

She glared at me, at least I think she did, "Why are you looking at me like that? Is it the mask? Well, I have a perfectly good reason for why I can't take the mask off!"

I kinda just stood there with a blank expression, trying to think of what to say, but nothing came to mind.

She groaned, "I'm serious! I am totally beautiful underneath it! People faint when I walk by! Well, I told you my name, so what's yours?"

I introduced myself, "I'm Dina."

She raised her hands to her face, "Oooohhhh, so your Todd's friend! I'm his roommate. He mentioned me to you, right?"

I tried not to giggle at that, "Oh, yeah, he mentioned you."

She looked down at the ground, "He doesn't like me, at least, I don't think he does."

I sighed, "He's just kinda shy. He'll be fine once he gets to know you."

Pauleen then dropped her sad act. "Well, we can talk about that later. Did you hear about the monster that's running around the jungle?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I'm going to fight it, and I'm going to win. Oh, you know what? How about you come along, Dina?"

I thought that maybe my first impression of her was, but then she said it: "That way you can see how awesome I am and tell everyone about your new teen-idol Fighter!"

I sighed, then nodded in approval. She walked ahead and then motioned for me to follow.

This is gonna be weird...

------------

[Rupert's POV]

Rupert quickly headed for the Jungle Labyrinth. Dina will surely be tracking down that monster. But what if she gets hurt? Todd isn't likely to help her... and no, Mapo, I do not like her!

A muffled snicker that only he could acknowledge came from his pocket. He ignored it and carried on.

Sure enough, standing at the entrance, was Todd. His eyes were wild with fear and he was shaking violently, staring blankly into the jungle.

Rupert groaned and maneuvered past him, trying to avoid him, but failed.

"R-R-Rupert!!! There's a m-m-monster in th-there!!!" he stuttered.

Rupert looked at him, "It's probably nothing, Todd. I'm going to look for it, too, so you'll be fine."

"B-but Dina's in there!"

The words struck me. If she was in there then most likely he'd been with her up until they'd found that beast, then ran. Like I'd thought before though, it was probably nothing. But just in case...

"Todd, go get help. I'll go find Dina and try to assist her." Todd nodded and ran off.

As he disappeared along the path, I wandered deeper into the forest to track down the "monster", and hopefully put an end to this ignorance.

----------

[Dina's POV]

"I'm actually excited to see what this monster looks like. .....And I KNOW it's excited to see me!"

Pauleen had been rambling on nonstop since I'd joined her, and it was annoying. She'd talk about the monster, then brag about herself, then something dumb, and then the monster again. I was glad when Dimetro finally broke the silence.

'Hang in there, Dina. That "monster" is just ahead. I can sense it.' he growled.

I sighed with relief. Pauleen and I began looking around for the so-called "monster." There was nothing. Not even a footprint.

Pauleen and I looked at each other, "Well, this is the deepest part of the jungle, but I don't see a monster anywhere!"

Suddenly, there was a rumble and something scooted out of the bushes and roared. "GRAAAAHHH!!!"

Pauleen leapt toward it, "Alright, monster! Prepare to meet your doom at the hands of.... wait... this isn't a monster!" She faced me, "It's a fak-"

She was cut off suddenly as the "monster" exploded, throwing us both backward onto the ground. "Ow...." I said, rubbing my arm that I landed on.

Two guys came running over to the broken heap of metal.

"Aw, man. The darn thing broke..." the first guy whined.

"Well, Jerry, it's been scaring off Fighters 24/7. I'm surprised it lasted this long." He pulled a wrench from his pocket, "Come on. Let's see if we can fix it."

Pauleen jumped up from the ground in a rage. "Hold up! What's going on here?! Are you telling me you made this thing?"

Jerry chuckled, "Yep. Me and Lee here built it ourselves." Lee chimed in, "And it worked really good, too. All the Fighters were too scared to come to this part of the jungle. That meant we could take all the fossil rocks we wanted! Pretty smart, huh?"

I clenched my fists. "Pretty stupid if you ask me!"

Jerry stepped toward me, "Yeah, well ol' Mr. Monster here did his job real well. But now you know our little secret, and we can't allow that can we?" Lee stepped toward Pauleen, "How's about we lock 'em up somewhere until they forget, eh, Jerry?

Pauleen stomped down her foot in protest, "NOW HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! I deal with your fake monster, and I can even deal with your stupid names, but nobody, and I mean nobody locks me up!"

She looked over at me, "Let's take them down, Dina! You take that Fighter, and I'll take this one!" I nodded to her, and then the fight was on.

Jerry sent out Nycto and Anomalo. I sent out Dimetro and Tricera. Unfortunately, both of his Vivosaurs had an advantage over Tricera.

"Anomalo Twist on Tricera!" he commanded. Anomalo quickly unleashed its attack, which did a good bit of damage to Tricera.

Then I was up, "Alright, Dimetro, Dimetro Fang on Nycto!" He landed a critical that took out half of Nycto's LP. I ended my turn then to save up FP.

"Hehehe, not so fast, kid. This is where I take you down! Nycto, Beak Stab!"

Nycto flew towards Tricera at incredible speed, but Tricera caught Nycto in his horns and tossed him backward.

Jerry shouted in frustration, "Whaat? But how?"

I grinned, "Alright, Dimetro, this is it." I raised my voice, "Hit him with Dimetro Whirl!"

Dimetro smiled evilly, showing his razor sharp teeth, then he spun in mid-air and slammed into Nycto, who immediately fell.

"Urg! Alright, be that way! Anomalo, attack Tricera with Anomalo Twist again!!" Anomalo twisted its way across the ground and did an upward attack on Tricera. He still held on strong.

"Let me go. I can finish this." Tricera grunted.

"Fine then," I smiled at him, "Tricera, Running Smash on Anomalo!"

"Haha, you've got to be joking! Water against Air? It's suicide, you're going to lose!" But Tricera proved him wrong because just as he finished his sentence, Anomalo's Dino Medal hit his foot; the Vivosaur was defeated.

He gasped, "B-but, how? I thought I had my types matched up perfectly!"

I looked him in the eyes with a stern look, "It's not about advantage, it's about having fun. The bond you make with your Vivosaurs is more important than anything." I picked up my two Dino Medals after my Vivosaurs changed back to them. "Always remember that."

The sudden sound of rustling leaves and footsteps made me turn around. Stella, Rupert, and two of the attendants from the Fossil Station were heading toward us.

"Are you alright, Dina?" Rupert asked. I nodded in reply.

"Hmm," Stella said, examining the "monster." "A homemade monster? Now, what could this be used for?" She glared at Jerry, who jumped.

I explained exactly what happened to Stella. "Interesting. So they were scaring off the other Fighters in order to claim all the fossil rocks for themselves." Her usual cheerful attitude sudden turned incredibly harsh. "Seize them!" she commanded.

Just as the two attendants went to grab the men, they fled.

"Not so fast!" Rupert jumped in front of them and tripped Jerry, which in turn made Lee fall on top of him.

Stella turned to me, "You have Todd to thank for my being here, Dina. He came running to me in a panic, wailing about some monster that was going to swallow you whole."

She turned and giggled at the rusty pile of metal, "I was expecting some kind of trouble, but... Well, not this. Still," she said encouragingly, "Fighters are now free to dig for fossil rocks here, so I suppose it all turned out all right. We owe the two of you our thanks."

The two attendants came back with the culprits, "We rounded up these two ruffians, Stella. What should we do with them?"

She frowned and angry Stella came back out, "They're disqualified from the Caliosteo Cup, so throw them out of the park. I don't want to see their faces around here again!" Then she lowered her voice to a calmer volume, "And please send someone to collect the fake monster as evidence of their actions."

The staff began heading away, Stella waved goodbye, "See you later, Dina. You too, Pauleen."

Pauleen laughed, "Ha! Serves them right! Oh, and hey," she turned to me, "thanks for helping me out, Dina. You're pretty good at this, not as good as me, but pretty good."

A sudden gasp and excited screams followed her statement, "Dina! You're alive!" Todd ran over and hugged me, "I thought you were going to die!"

I hugged him back, "Oh, Todd... I'm fine."

He pulled away, then looked at Pauleen and screamed, "EEEEEEKK!! It's the monster!"

Pauleen growled, "Stop calling me a monster, you idiot! My name is Pauleen!"

"Oooohhh. Wait, why wouldn't you tell me your name last night?"

"I did, but you were to busy cowering over my mask!"

"Ok, ok, break it up, guys!" I shouted. "Pauleen, Todd can be a bit scared sometimes," Todd whined in protest, "but he's truly a nice person. And Todd," I said, turning to him, "Pauleen is really nice, so try to get along, ok?"

"Alright," he sighed, then turned to Pauleen, "but how come you wear that mask? Just take it off!"

Pauleen sweatdropped, "No way! I just... I can't do it!"

"Then we're just supposed to believe that you're a beautiful teenager? Pfft, whatever!" he crossed his arms.

Pauleen growled again. "How dare you! I'm beautiful! And young! And... and beautiful! I wear this mask for personal reasons that have nothing to do with you, and that's the end of it! Now goodbye!" She turned heel and rushed off out of the jungle.

I sighed, "Todd, why would you say that?"

He just looked at me, "Well, what kind of weirdo wears a mask for personal reasons?"

Just then my Paleopager started beeping, "The Caliosteo Cup Round Two matches will now begin. Rockin' Billy has been selected as Dina's Round Two opponent." I groaned at the thought of that weirdo. "Please get ready, then check in at Ribular Town's Fossil Stadium."

Todd jumped up with excitement. "Yes! Round Two is finally starting! I'll meet you back at the stadium. I'll be rooting for you, Dina! You're gonna be awesome, I know it!" Todd ran back to the Fossil Station.

Rupert came walking up to me as he left. "Well, that was pretty exciting, wasn't it?"

I smiled, noting that he seemed "happier" now, "Yeah, it was. Hey, do you wanna walk back to the Fossil Stadium with me? I mean, we're going to the same place so why not?"

Rupert blushed slightly, "Um, sure, I suppose that would be ok."

"Ok, well, come on!" I motioned for him to follow me and we headed to the stadium.

Chapter Text

Rupert and I headed into the Fossil Station. We had about 30 minutes before we had to report to the Fossil Stadium. Rupert went over to the VMM to switch out his Vivosaurs, while I went over to the Cleaning Room.

Last time I was here, KL-33N, the fossil cleaning assistant robot, was brought back. He was really awesome and encouraging during cleaning, especially when I royally screwed up and almost broke a fossil.

"Dina, how may I serve you?" KL-33N asked politely.

"I'm just cleaning some fossils before my Round Two match, I won't be long."

"Ok, Dina, I'll be happy to help you if you need it- BEEP."

"Thanks." I shuffled through my case and picked out a rock from the bottom, hoping it would be lucky.

The clink of metal hitting rock suddenly echoed in the room as I went to work. I used the x-ray to see the fossil inside.

"Head fossil- BOOP. Looks to be of the Pterosaur family- BEEP." KL-33N said excitedly. I chipped away at the rock until the fossil was completely unearthed.

"Coatlus Head. This fossil has not yet been revived. Commence revival!" KL-33N grabbed the fossil from the table and gently placed it in the revival machine. 

There were flashes of green sparks, and then a silhouette of a large, flying reptile shown inside the chamber for a moment. It flashed white and the door opened. A Dino Medal sat inside. The white and black ornate Vivosaur's picture was on it.

"Wow." I gasped. I searched quickly through my case for a body fossil. After a few attempts, I got lucky and found one, and also a body fossil for Tricera, just in time for the Round 2 matches.

"Best of luck to you, miss- BEEP BOOP."

"Thanks, KL-33N!" I hurried out the door to the check-in.

----------

"Dina Sentōki. I'm here for my Round 2 match." I quickly said to the attendant.

"Go right in, Miss Sentōki." I nodded and thanked her before walking in.

It wasn't a very long wait, but long enough to make me feel impatient. I leap up as I heard my name called.

"Dina Sentōki and Rockin Billy, please report to the stadium for your Fossil Battle."

I walked proudly to the door, and then I was greeted by Mr. Elvis Wannbe himself.

"You remember me there, babaloo?" he asked.

I nodded, "Of course I do. By the way, that monster ended up being a fake."

"Yes, and seems you proved that. That's some fine work there that ya did there, uh-huh. I only got one more thing to say..." He trailed off and glanced around, then fixed his eyes back on me, his voice full of rage, "Why'd ya have to go and do that?!"

I looked at him with a questioning look, "Wha...? What are you talking about?"

"I had a plan," he answered, "to take all them rare fossils, and now it's ruined!"

I stared at him, shocked, "That was you? You planned that whole 'monster' incident?!"

He smirked, "Yeah, that's right. I'm in cahoots with them two boys that ended up coolin' their heels in the hoosegow. So now," he grabbed the Dino Medals from his pocket, "I get to pay ya' back for what ya' did, uh-huh. And my victory's gonna taste sweeter than Aunt Mable's pecan pie!"

Dimetro and Tricera growled from their Dino Medals, but Coatlus simply stayed silent. I was a bit unsure about this fight. He seemed like a pretty strong opponent, but at the same time, a deep rage burned in my heart that drove me to fight. My simple reply to him was a nod.

"Alright then, kiddo. Let's rock!"

-------

The crowd cheered with joy as my Round 2 match began. By now, most of the Fossil Park knew about the incident at the Jungle Labyrinth, so I was getting quite the reputation. It would all be forgotten in a day or two, though. That's how it always is, and that's how I wanted it to be.

"This Round 2 match will be between Dina Sentōki and Rockin' Billy! Fighters, please choose your Vivosaurs!"

My heart was set on the battle. I tightened my grip on the three Dino Medals: Fire, Water, and Air. This would be a tough match, but my confidence made me feel braver.

"Dimetro, Tricera, Coatlus!" I called my Vivosaurs' names as the stadium lot with a luminous light before the trio appeared on the field.

Coatlus's magnificence was finally revealed to me in person. It's ornate wings and colorful patterns made it quite showy, but its strength was just as much a threat as it was beautiful.

Rockin' Billy decided to fight with Parapu, Nigo, and Raja. Nigo had come into battle asleep and Parapu had a raised defense. Either way, the three Vivosaurs were awaiting their commands.

I had the first attack. Dimetro had an advantage over Nigo with range and type, plus with the Vivosaur being asleep I could deal a good bit of damage.

"Dimetro Fang on Nigo!" Dimetro's mouth creased with a menacing smile. He growled, then charged at Nigo, clamping his jaws on the Vivosaur's shoulder. Nigo wobbled, but its sleep status kept it oblivious to the hit.

Then came Rockin' Billy's turn. He eyed the opposing Vivosaurs; my team. Then he ordered his attack. "Get Coatlus with Raja Fang!" Raja propelled itself high into the air and clamped its massive jaws on the large Vivosaur's wing. He screeched with pain and shook Raja off, himself landing clumsily on the ground to keep from using his injured wing.

The Vivosaurs' stats all went back to normal and it was my turn to attack. "Dimetro, attack Raja with Dimetro Fang!" Dimetro jetted across to Raja, who proceeded to dodge every attack that was aimed at him. Dimetro grew frustrated and knocked Raja's legs out from under him before landing a critical. Raja was left with just 16 LP.

I ended my turn with that and now it was time for Raja's attack. 

"ROOOOAAARRRR!" the deep bellow of Raja's battle cry pierced the air as he aimed toward Coatlus again, this time at his other wing. Coatlus gracefully dodged it with a jump and flip into the air, landing on his feet. Raja growled in frustration.

I now had enough FP for Dimetro's second move. Nigo is within range, and with a type advantage, I may be able to land a final blow to him. I thought.

"Give it all you've got, Dimetro!"

Dimetro grinned with a twisted sort of happiness as he whirled into the air. Nigo tried to brace itself for impact, knowing that it was to slow to get out of the way in time, but unfortunately for him, it was too late. Dimetro Whirl hit him full force and knocked him out. The Earth Vivosaur's medal bounced onto the ground. Rockin' Billy wasn't fazed.

"It'll take a lot more than a Dimetro Whirl for you to take out my team, uh-huh!" he stared at Parapu, "Parapu, Parapu Punch on Dimetro!"

Dimetro's eyes widened as the ancient ammonite dashed toward him. It's tentacles whipped him at all sides and a stinging sensation burned all over him from the multiple blows. The advantage was much harsher then Dina had thought.

Well, I can change that... she thought, smirking.

"Coatlus!" the rookie Vivosaur looked at her with wide eyes, "Diving Thrust!"

Coatlus clumsily got its bearings. It flapped it's long wings until it rose high into the air. It locked eyes with its opponent, Parapu, for a short second before zooming and jabbing its beak into the Vivosaur, sending it flying backward. Parapu held on by a sliver of LP.

Raja was looking weak as well; an easy target for Tricera. He aimed a Running Snash at the large carnivore and knocked him out. Next was Rockin' Billy's turn, and he was in shock.

"W-well then, I'll just have to fix this!" he commanded Parapu to attack Dimetro with Parapu Punch. Dimetro tried to avoid being knocked out but fell. I was in shock. Dimetro's never been defeated before!

As his Dino Medal landed on the ground next to me, I picked it up and held it. "You did well, buddy," I murmured, "now leave the rest to us."

"Coatlus," I said in a stern but calm voice, "Finish Parapu!"

Coatlus's wings speed out wide, revealing every little color on them under the bright sun, before he whirled at Parapu with his beak sending him back to his Fighter in the form of a Dino Medal. The battle was over.

--------

As the battle ended, Rockin' Billy and I were talking in the lobby.

"Aw, possum spit! That ain't how the plan was supposed to go at all... I ain't gonna forget this, babaloo! I got my eye on you now, and I'll see you fall if it's the last thing I do!" he swiftly turned away, "I'm gonna get you good, unh-hunh!"

Then, to my relief, Stella came walking over.

"That's enough, Rockin' Billy!" he jumped as she approached. "That pair of fools we caught in the jungle couldn't wait to mention you as the head of their scheme! You're coming with me!"

He shook nervously, "Uh... um... Time to go, unh-hunh!"

He quickly raced off toward the door, but Stella was grinning as he bumped directly into a group of staff members waiting for him. "There's no escape for you!" she shouted. The staff escorted him out the door.

She turned back to me and smiled, "Don't worry, Dina. I'll make sure he's banished from these islands for good. That way you can concentrate on the Cup, ok?"

I nodded, "Thanks."

She handed me a fossil rock, "Oh, this is your prize for clearing Round 2. And.." she stamped my Fossil Pass, "You're officially Fighter Rank 3! Good luck in the next round!" she walked away and headed to where the staff members had gone with Rockin' Billy.

I turned around and saw Todd walking up to me. "Way to go, Dina! You're already past two rounds! I know you're gonna win the Cup! You're amazing!"

I blushed slightly, "Oh, Todd. I'm not that good..."

The sudden screams and cheers of fans echoed from the Stadium. Todd looked over to the direction of the noise. "Wow, the battle after yours must be finished already," he said.

"That was fast," I replied. "How long was it? It couldn't have been over 5 minutes."

Todd jumped up excitedly, "The winning Fighter must be really good!"

Then the winning announcement came on, "The mysterious masked Fighter, Pauleen, has won in a masterful performance!" Todd gasped.

"Pauleen, the masked freak, won?" Todd said with surprise, but it didn't shock me because when she'd battled in the jungle she had been awfully skillful.

She automatically noticed us as she exited the Stadium and came running over to us. "Hey Dina, Todd." he stood there with an unreadable expression.

"So, Dina," she continued,  "It seems you got through Round 2, too! Congrats!" I was about to thank her when she spoke again, "Of course, you weren't as fast as me, but congratulations anyway!"

I sweatdropped, "Thanks, Pauleen. That's very... encouraging..."

"Well don't get too crazy about winning," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "Because I'm going to be the champ! The most beautiful champion there ever was!" she twirled, "Oh, and humble, too!"

Todd groaned, "Can it, sister! Dina isn't going to lose to someone like you! And if your so pretty, why don't you take off your mask and prove it?" He crossed his arms and stared at her expectantly.

Pauleen waved her arms disapprovingly. "No, no, no, I told you already! I have a personal reason for keeping this mask on. Anyways," she said, turning from Todd, "I probably have many fans waiting for my autograph so... bye!" She waved and scurried off outside.

Todd sighed. "She's not going to take that mask off, is she?"

I shook my head, "Just try to be nicer to her, ok, Todd?" But he didn't seem to hear me.

"You know," he said, "I bet she isn't even pretty under that mask! I bet she's hideous!" I sighed.

Our Paleopagers then started beeping, "All Round Two matches of the Caliosteo Cup are complete. We also open a new dig site: Mt. Krakanak! This dig site is located on nearby Cranial Isle. Please board a helicopter if you wish to head to the island."

Todd happily turned to me, "Dina, let's go now! I want to be the first person to set foot in that dig site!" he ran to the door, "No one's gonna beat me!"

I was left alone in the lobby. I quickly went to the Cleaning Room to restore my fossil.

"Coatlus (arms), a 95 point fossil! Commence integration! BEEP!"

KL-33N's usual words sounded within the small room. All the Fighters had probably already headed to the next island, so it was very quiet besides the crackling of electricity as the fossil was integrated. I picked up Coatlus's Dino Medal as the door opened on the revival machine.

"Thanks, KL-33N!" I said happily, then I headed to the heliport.

--------- 

The flight to Cranial Isle was very short. The sun shone brightly across the desert-like landscape overlooked by a huge volcano; Mt. Krakanak.

"Welcome to Cranial Isle!" I turned my head and saw a spiky black haired man coming toward me. His bright colored uniform shone even brighter in the hot sunlight.

"I'm Terry, the Staff Leader here on Cranial Isle. It's nice to meet you, Dina."

I blinked. How did he know my name?

He smiled nervously as if reading my mine, "Stella had a lot to say about you. Sorry if it scared you that I knew your name." I smiled back at him reassuringly. "Well, Dina, word on the street is that you took down some creeps who were scaring Fighters away with a 'monster.'"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I was just doing what was right."

"Yeah, but," he adjusted his visor, "you are some kind of Fighter. Everyone's talking about your last match, you know?" I was a bit speechless at that. It was crazy to think that my Round Two match was getting so much attention, especially when the Cup just started.

Terry suddenly spoke again, "Oh, right! I have some good news for you! The VMM has been upgraded with a new Medal Bank so you can store Dino Medals. That way if you already revived a Vivosaur, like T-Rex for example, and wanted to have two of them on your team, you would put one in the Bank and revive another T-Rex head for a second one! Sounds neat, huh?"

My eyes lit up with excitement, That'll be a cool thing to try out. Maybe I can make a whole team of Dimetro, or even Tricera, or Coatlus! It was neat to know I could do something like that.

"Well, that's it for me. I look forward to seeing what you can do on our little island!" Terry waved goodbye. "See you around!"

As Terry walked away, I heard a frustrated voice coming from my right.  "This CS Sonar is a right finicky device! It has to be practically on top of a Slablet to get a reading!"

It was good old Professor Nigel Scatterly.

He groaned, "I'd have to explore dig sites in a slow, painstaking fashion, and I'm far too old for such tomfoolery." He paced to his left, "Just as well as that, I'm too fat to walk around for hours at a time. Perhaps I should lay off the pudding, wot wot?"

I snickered.

Professor Scatterly turned to me. "Good heavens! If it isn't Dina! I was hoping I'd see you here on Cranial Isle someday!" I simply nodded. "Well, how does Cranial City find you? Does its unfamiliar layout confuse and befuddle you?"

This island's layout is the same as the last one so... I shook my head, "Well, no, not really..."

Professor Scatterly nodded back at me. "Yes, well, not to worry. I shall simply squire you about town as one scientific mind to another!"

I sighed, I know this guy means well but I could've found my way around on my own. I decided to listen, it would be good to know my way around.

He pointed to a building at the far left, "As you may know, Cranial City has its own Fossil Guild. It has a store so if you didn't pick up something in Ribular Town, you can simply buy it here!"

He pointed to the next building, a large, reddish-brown, brick tower with palm trees and a river circling the base. "That building there contains the Fighter Station. Incidentally, the large building above the station is Wildwest Tower, home to the famous Joe Wildwest. Imagine," he said, turning back to me, "building a tower above a station! The man must be mad for Fossil Fighting, wot wot?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he really does love Fossil Fighting." I murmured to myself. I glanced down at Dimetro's Dino Medal, recalling the day when I'd got it two years ago.

My thoughts were interrupted as Professor Scatterly pointed to the building right behind him, "And here we have the crown jewel of Cranial Isle, if I do say so myself... The Caliosteo Museum!"

My eyes widened, "A museum?" I asked. Although history bored me to death, I loved anything that had to do with dinosaurs, or any ancient creature for that matter.

The Professor must have noticed my interest and motioned for me to follow him inside. "Well, since you're so close and all, how about a tour of the museum? I would be delighted to have you as my special guest!" I nodded, and a wide smile creased my face as I walked inside.

------

"This," Professor Scatterly explained, "is the Caliosteo Museum, a gallery of rare and wonderful discoveries made on these very islands." I peered into a large glass box. A fossilized Trilobite was sitting on a rock. A plaque sat next to it:

This is one of my most interesting discoveries! This little guy was preserved so perfectly as if it were still alive!

I wandered around the museum, admiring the wonderful and strange discoveries within, such as the fossilized trees. Then I came to a table in the middle of it. Two familiar-looking slates were posed neatly on their display bases. I swore that I saw them somewhere before.. but where?

"Ah, yes! The newest addition to my collection, the Calio Slablet you helped me find!" the Professor exclaimed, meeting me at the table. "I've added your name to the plaque here, as well as a proper translation so we can bask in all its glory and wonder."

I glanced over at the first one, the one I hadn't seen before, "This is the first one, right?"

"Yes, of course. Let me read it for you." he adjusted his glasses, "Quite, now it says: the Kingdom of Caliosteo was ruled by ZongaZonga. He was a sorcerer of overwhelming power and might. Such was his sorcery that when he issued a command, the people had no choice but to obey." A silhouette of ZongaZonga was engraved next to the writing on the Slablet.

The Professor continued, "He even used strange magics to resurrect ancient beasts from fossils." He looked at me, "Quite nice, yes? Of course, I'd give a kipper dinner if I could somehow find the full set of Slablets. They give us an invaluable look at the full history of these islands, you see."

I nodded, "Yeah, I think I'd be cool to see the rest of them."

Professor Scatterly chuckled, "Yes, well. The Caliosteo Museum is always open. Stop by again for a spot of tea if you wish, Dina."

"I will. Thank you, Professor Scatterly!"

"Talloyho! Have fun digging up fossils!"

---------

I headed over to Mt. Krakanak. The place was hotter than anywhere I'd ever been before. The landscape was rocky and ash-covered, and a volcano was looming over the area, lava rushing down its flanks.

Just like always, Todd was waiting for me at the bridge.

"Hey Dina! This place is awesome! There are tons of fossil rocks that I've never even seen before!" He waved his hand over at the rocky earth, "Go ahead! Throw your pickaxe down and see what you find!" I opened my bag and took out my pickaxe...

...then a familiar voice sounded from behind me.

"...I knew you two were here by the way the air suddenly follows with high-pitched squeals of delight." Rupert was walking across the bridge, a violet robot was floating next to him.

Todd groaned, but tried to hide his irritation, "Rupert! Are you looking for fossil rocks for Round Three?"

Rupert groaned as well, "Ugh, Please. Don't sully me with such accusations. My Vivosaurs are already skilled enough to win Round Three with little trouble," he bragged. Then he gestured toward the robot, "I simply came here to run some field tests on a new product. This is Di66-R, an automated excavation tool recently developed by FossilDig Inc."

Di66-R spun around cheerfully, unlike his cold owner, "Good day, sir or madam. I am Di66-R."

"Di66-R contains a built-in sonar and has the ability to locate and excavate fossil rocks on its own. It's a very important product, which is why my father had me test it. It will surely have good sales. When Fighters see what it can do-"

Just as he went to finish his sentence, Di66-R sparked and a puff of smoke billowed from it, "W-w-welcome, sir! Go, madam! I am... I am-m-m-m-m..." it sputtered, then it screeched, "PLEASE INSERT TOKEN! YOUR CALL IS IMPORTANT TO US! I AM ERROR! ERROR ERROR ERROR...." It sparked again, shuttered, then was quiet.

Rupert rolled his eyes, "Oh, what now?"

It screeched again, "404 PAGE NOT FOUND! BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME! ABORT RETRY FAIL!" Rupert walked up to it, but it smacked him aside with its metal claw. His foot twisted and he fell backwards, gripping his ankle.

"No," he gasped, "...No! No, no, no, no, NO! T-that idiot robot just ran off with my Dino Medals! It's programmed with an automatic Fossil Battle system... if... oh.. I have to stop it!" He tried to get up, but fell back down, gripping his ankle again. "Urg... my ankle..."

Todd stood next to him, "Don't try to move! You probably sprained your ankle and moving it will just cause you more pain."

Rupert's eyes showed how dreadful he felt. "You don't understand," he said, trying to keep his voice calm, "If Di66-R starts randomly battling strangers, there will be chaos! The reputation of my father's company would be stained forever! I have to.. stop.. Gnnnh!" He tried to heave himself up again, but failed.

I walked in front of Rupert, "Let me handle this. I'll stop the robot for you, Rupert."

A faint smile crept across his face, "Thanks.. Dina."

I nodded, "No prob. I'll be back soon." I crossed the bridge deeper into the volcanic mountain.

-----

Mt. Krakanak grew hotter the farther I went up, and sweat was pouring down my face. I could see Di66-R at the top of the slope, but I didn't feel like running because I was already too hot.

"Di66-R!" I shouted as I neared it. There didn't seem to be anyone up here, lucky for me.

It screeched and turned toward me, macanical claws gripping Rupert's Dino Medals. "Green alert! Fighter located-ed-ed! Battle system i-i-i-initiated!" It whipped out three Dino Medals.

The three Vivosaurs that came out were Krypto, Tophis, and Brachio. Unfortunately, they were all Nutral types, leaving me at a disadvantage.

I sent out Dimetro, Tricera, and Coatlus. "Alright guys, we've done good so far, so let's not lose now!" I encouraged them. Dimetro's growl of approval echoed above the others, "Let's roll, guys!"

----------

The battle ended and I won by a sliver. Di66-R resumed screeching, "SYSTEM FAILURE DETECTED! A WINNER IS YOU! REBOOT! REBOOT! REBOOT!" it whirred for a moment, then spoke again, "...System restored. Reboot complete. Full functionality has been restored."

Footsteps pounded behind me before I heard Todd yell, "Way to go, Dina!"

Rupert was slowly limping up the hill, "Y-you... did it? You stopped the robot?" He seemed utterly shocked.

I nodded, grinning. "Yep, it wasn't that hard!"

He looked down in embarrassment, "Well, er... I mean to say... You shouldn't have taken matters into your own hands! I'm sure I could have dealt with it myself..."

He paused briefly, "Though you did save my father's company from financial ruin... Thank you, Dina. I'll see to it that when we launch Di66-R, you shall revive the first one."

I shook my head, "There's no need for that, Rupert."

He looked at me curiosly, "Come on now, there's no need for hesitation. That's what field tests are for. I'm sure the bugs will be worked out and it will never do such a thing again. You... You will accept one, won't you?"

I shook my head again. Rupert stared at me with confusion in his eyes, "I... I don't understand.."

Todd snickered, "For a smart guy, you're really kind of dumb, you know that?" Rupert glared at him.

I quickly explained it to him so they didn't fight. "Well, Rupert, it's not that I think it'll go crazy, it's just that I'd rather dig up the fossil rocks myself! Having a robot do it would take away the fun!"

"Yeah!" Todd exclaimed, "No Fighter wants someone else to dig up fossil rocks for them! Right?" He looked at me, and I nodded.

Rupert collected his thoughts, "It's... fun? ...Fun. Hmm..." He seemed a bit troubled.

He turned abruptly, "Come, Di66-R! We must be off." He limped down the slope with his robot following behind.

Todd yawned. "I don't know about you, but I'm going back to Cranial City for a little nap. Plus, it's kinda late." He pointed to the burning, sunset sky. "I'll meet you back there! See ya, Dina!" And he rushed off.

-----------

The air was a bit tense back in the city. People were talking to others about something, but I couldn't make out what. I walked up to a girl and boy.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked.

He looked at me, surprised. "You didn't hear? Someone stole the Mammoth Vision video screen!"

"Yeah," the girl continued, "I mean.. I'm sure they have a backup but why steal something so big?"

The little boy interrupted, "Hey look! Here comes the Mammoth Vision screen now!"

I turned quickly just as the screen's shadow came over the ground.

"Fools..." the voice echoed, "Bow before Don Boneyard, the one true leader of the BareBones Brigade!" There were gasps from the people around me.

I clenched my fists, Who does this guy think he is?!

"You foolish Fighters think you're strong? Well then come and fight me! I doubt any of you will come close to beating me, however..." he cackled evilly. "Bwa ha! This park shall be mine!" The crowd gathered started murmuring nervously.

"Don Boneyard?! Is he for real?"

"A living skeleton? How?"

"But... But why target the Cup?"

His voice boomed over the speaker again, "Hahaha, Fighters! I think you should just forget about your precious Cup! I've blocked the path to the volcano so you won't even be able to get anymore new fossils! Your Cup will soon be no more! Bwa ha, bwaaa ha ha ha ha!!" My eyes narrowed as the screen flew away, Don Boneyard's laughter still echoed around me. The people around me began dispersing as the tension faded.

I whirled around suddenly as something tapped my shoulder.

"Woah, it's just me, Dina!" Todd stared at me with a wide, alarmed gaze. I sighed.

"Did you see that? It was the leader of the BareBones Brigade! I-I mean, those guys are the biggest, baddest crime syndicate around! They're worse than the BB Bandits that used to be on Vivosaur Island!"

I felt a sudden emptiness as I thought of Hunter and my brother. Those BB Bandits caused trouble for my brother's friend. I'm not gonna let Todd get troubled by a skeleton guy! I thought.

"Todd," I started, "If my brother and his friend helped to take down the BB Bandits, then I'm pretty sure I can take down these guys."

Todd's eyes clouded with worry. "But Dina...!" he wined.

Then a guy came rushing up to me, "You there, you are Fighter, yes?" I nodded quietly. "Vell then, you have, how you say, axpick? Mt. Krakarak, it no good. A large rock blocks path. Not even Vlad can break rock. You vill break rock for me, yes?"

I tried to collect the words in my mouth, "Er.. um... yeah, sure. I'll do it." I agreed halfheartedly.

"This is good thing you do. I vill tell Terry." Vlad rushed off to the Fossil Station.

I closed my eyes for a second and felt like falling asleep. Todd put his hand on my shoulder. "Dina, you really think you can break the rock?"

I yawned, "It's worth a try, I suppose. But..." I yawned again, "It's really late and.."

"..And you're tired. I'm sure they'll understand if you do it tomorrow. I mean, you did battle two criminals, an Elvis impersonator, and a crazed robot in one day."

I sleepy blinked as I looked at my watch. It was 7:00 sharp. I was just now realizing how tired I really was.

----------

I got back to the room and got ready for bed. Since I had moved to Cranial Isle, all my stuff had been moved from Ribular Island to the new room. Like Stella had said, it was the same number room.

Rupert came back later and told me he had been cleaning fossils. "Hard day, huh?" he asked, placing his boots on the ground.

I just sighed, "I guess..." I was about to fall asleep when I noticed that Rupert's ankle was wrapped. "How is your..?"

"Sprained. It's minor, but still quite painful," he replied quickly. He didn't want to be reminded of the earlier incident, I suppose.

"So, Dina, did you hear about the BareBones Brigade?" he asked.

I nodded in reply, "Yes, and now I have to break the stupid rock blocking the path to Mt. Krakanak!"

Rupert blinked, "Break it? With what?"

"A pickaxe and some patience, I suppose." I joked. Rupert laughed with me.

"Perhaps I could be of some help?" he offered.

"You don't have to, Rupert."

But he insisted, "No, I owe you, Dina."

I smiled sleepily, "Thanks... Rupert." I layed down on the bed. My thoughts faded and I gave in the sleepiness tugging at my mind.

Chapter Text

Yesterday had exhausted the heck out of me to the point where I just wanted to lay in bed all day. Unfortunately for me, I had to go smash a gargantuan bolder of some-sort over in Mt. Krakanak. So I went over to the Fossil Guild, bought a Pepsi (not the best breakfast ever, but hey), and headed over to the dig site.

I heard the usual scuffle of feet behind me. "Heey, Dina!" Todd's high-pitched voice shouted behind me.

I turned and met his eyes, "Morning, Todd..." I said, still somewhat drowsy.

"So...err..." he stopped, "D-do you still think it's ok to break this bolder? I mean what if-" He stopped suddenly as I slammed my pickaxe into the giant rock.

"I mean... You're good and all, but this thing's on a whole different level!" Todd continued.

I turned, "Todd, it's a giant rock for crying out loud."

I kept breaking it, slowly but surely, and eventually, Todd sighed and started to help me.

After a while, I stopped to catch my breath. That's when a sigh sounded behind me.

"At this rate, we'll all be old by the time this boulder's gone." I turned to recognize Rupert. Di66-R was with him.

I smiled, relived. "Hi Rupert." I dropped my pickaxe on the ground and stood to face him. "So," I started, "Are you here to help?"

He nodded, "Of course. Now please stand aside." he turned to Di66-R, "Di66-R, please remove this boulder!"

Todd and I stepped over by Rupert as Di66-R floated automatically over to it, "Yes, sir or madam, I will be happy to assist you." It raised a metal fist, "Initiating digging mode! Digging... Digging... Digging... Digging..." Within five minutes time, the bolder was almost completely reduced rubble; only half of it remained

"Amazing, Rupert!" I stated, "That thing is really fast!" He smirked proudly at that comment, but then frowned as Di66-R once again sparked and whirred. "Digging... Diiigging... Diiiiiiiigggginng... ERROR. FILE NOT FOUND."

It's robotic arms flopped around as Rupert groaned with frustration at the robot, "It's running out of power! And we're so close to completion, too..."

I quickly grabbed for my pickaxe. Rupert looked at me curiously, while Todd grew nervous due to Di66-R's prior incident, "Be careful, Dina!"

I ignored him, slamming my pickaxe down onto what was left of the rock. Di66-R sparked, then rotated so it was facing me. "Does sir or madam wish to assist Di66-R?" I nodded.

"No one has ever assisted Di66-R with digging before... Now I know why it is that you humans smile." Di66-R whirled around happily, full of energy, "Digging mode initiated!" I turned back to face the boulder and Di66-R and I made quick work of it.

Todd cheered as he always did, "You did it, Dina!"

Rupert smiled; he seemed to smile a lot more often now, "Well done, Di66-R. You have made me very proud." He turned abruptly to me, "Urr.. Um.. Nice job to you, too, Dina.." he quickly added. I blushed at his praise.

"Well," he continued, "Whoever put this boulder here must still be in the area. I'm going to look for them." He motioned for Di66-R, "Let's go."

"I will obey, sir or madam." the two rushed toward the summit of Mt. Krakanak. Todd walked happily over to me, "Well, I guess people can start digging here again, huh?" he turned and began to walk back into town, "I think we should head back until they catch the culprits. What do you think?"

I shook my head, "No way, Todd."

His mouth dropped open, "Oh, come on! You want to help Rupert catch the boulder-rolling culprits?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he can't do it alone no matter how much he says he ca-"

Todd cut me off with a panicked shout, "B-but what if it's the BareBones Brigade?!"

"That doesn't matter, Todd. If it is them, well, that gives me more reason to go after them!" I turned around to leave, "So, are you coming?"

Todd blinked nervously, thinking, "Well.. um... I just..." he dropped onto his knees, "Oooohhh!! My stomach! It huuuurrts!! Why did I eat that mayonnaise that was left in the sun..."

For the first time in a while, I laughed, "Do you want to go back to your room for a while, Todd?"

"No, just go on without me. I'll catch up in a bit." I nodded and rushed off down the ash-covered, dusty path.

-------------

I wasn't more than halfway up the mountain when I met up with Di66-R, who was standing guard. "Sir or madam has gone ahead to search for the culprits," he said. I quickly ran up a little more until I saw Rupert.

"Rupert! Hey!" I said when I caught up with him. He jumped and turned around, frightened, "D-Dina? Oh, be still my heart. What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? I'm helping you catch the criminals!"

Rupert sighed, "I wouldn't have expected any less of you. I've spotted a few unpleasant types sulking about, and I have no doubts that they're with the BareBones Brigade." He motioned ahead to two people in black outfits, "Those two are our guys. Are you ready for battle?"

I grinned, "Of course I am! Let's go kick some bad guy butt!"

Rupert nodded, Right, let's go then." We both turned simultaneously and walked up to the pair of guys.

"We're gonna show those Fighters what the BareBones Brigade is all about!" the first shouted.

The second one laughed, "Haw, haw! There's no way they'll get past our awesome boulder.

Rupert spoke from aside of me, "Actually, we've reduced your boulder to pebbles."

The two gasped, "No way! How'd you break our beautiful boulder?!"

His accomplice simply laughed, "Well it doesn't matter, rich boy! Our magnificent boneysaurs are gonna make you regret the fact that you messed with us!" Rupert and I exchanged bewildered looks.

"Boneysaurs?" he questioned. "That's just absurd!"

"Shut up! It is not! BareBones Brigade members get special skeletal Vivosaurs called boneysaurs!" He smirked evilly as if he thought he'd convinced us otherwise. "They're truly horrifying, and now you'll see them in person! Ha ha ha!" he laughed.

Rupert reached for his Dino Medals, "Think you can handle that one, Dina?"

"You bet, Rupert!"

"Ok, here we go!" he shouted, then we started the battle.

"Attack 'em, B-Lambeos!" His three Vivosaurs- or boneysaurs, actually- were the strangest thing I'd seen in a while. They were living skeletons with a strange shadowy blackness that seemed to hold them together, their ghostly purple eyes glowed with an unearthly rage.

I sent out my usual team and let loose my first attack. "Dimetro Fang!"

Dimetro drew back and then ran at the first B-Lambeo, but it shifted sideways and gracefully ducked out of his reach. 'Impossible! They're faster than I'd anticipated!' Dimetro growled.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're chickening out already!" the BB Brigade goon shouted from across the field. He waved his hand at the B-Lambeo that dodged Dimetro's attack, "Boney Chomp on Tricera!"

Tricera's eyes lit up with fear and he jumped just as B-Lambeo hit him in the side with a sharp slam, knocking the breath out of him. He stumbled sideways before catching his breath and resuming his battle stance.

Dimetro growled in anger at his opponent and recoiled with a Dimetro Fang attack to B-Lambeo's side. The Boneysaur roared at him, the sound resonating throughout the volcano. Coatlus followed up with a Wing Cutter that quickly overwhelmed the Boneysaur, knocking it out. "Way to go, guys! Great work!" I cheered.

But we're not finished yet, I'm afraid. I thought. Dimetro's gaze told me he thought the same.

B-Lambeo struck out with another Boney Chomp against Dimetro, who quickly dodged but still got a bit of damage. A few turns passed before the second B-Lambeo was in a corner.

"Dimetro Whirl!" I commanded quickly. Dimetro spun at the enemy, its tail lashing and its fangs bared, until it slammed into the skeletal beast full force. Its mouth gaped open and it fell backwards, defeated. Dimetro growled confidently.

"Y-you haven't won yet!!" the goon yelled, his voice shaky. B-Lambeo glanced back at his master, "Get him!"

Its head snapped around and glared at Dimetro, the one who seemed to have taken down his brothers. With a valiant roar, he charged at Dimetro and skidded sideways, bashing his flank against the triassic Vivosaur which sent him rolling backwards. He shakily got up and struggled to regain his balance.

Coatlus stepped up next to Dimetro, changing their formation, and growled something to him to which Dimetro nodded. Coatlus took a quick look at me.

They're picking their strategies, amazing. I thought. "Alright, Coatlus, let's see if you can take him down." I pointed at the opposing Boneysaur and shouted, "Wing Cutter, now!"

Coatlus fanned out its wings again, screeching a battle cry before soaring high into the air. His eyes narrowed as he aimed at B-Lambeo, then he plunged downward at the enemy until he was within range. His body spun midair, landing multiple blows on the Boneysaur before finally retreating, leaving B-Lambeo to fall into the dust.

I turned to see how Rupert was doing just in time to see his Mapo take down his opponent's final Vivosaur. Both of the goons backed up as they realized their defeat.

"Nooo! We lost!" shouted one.

"They're completely unfazed by the horror of our boneysaurs!" shouted his friend.

The first stepped forward again, "Well don't feel so confident that you beat a couple of lackeys! Our boss, Don Boneyard, is the meanest dude around! He also has three commanders that are almost as strong as he is! It's best you don't mess with us again!"

"Ha ha! You're cruisin' for a brusin' now, chumps! Just remember that you asked for it!" With that remark, they ran off.

Rupert walked over to me, "Well, those two certainly are full of tough talk considering we just pummeled them into submission. I must admit, though, the BareBones Brigade does manage to inspire a certain kind of awe."

"It's the boneysaurs, I think. Those things are powerful, but not in the least bit creepy to me." I stated. Rupert nodded.

"Heeeey!!"

We both turned, unsurprised, as we heard a shout from the slope. It was Todd, of course.

"Are you guys ok? Did the BareBones Brigade show up?" he asked with curiosity.

Rupert nodded. "Yes, bit it was nothing we weren't able to handle. They've run home to mummy now," he joked.

Todd groaned, "Aw, man! I miss all the fun stuff!" He hung his head. "If it weren't for my stupid stomach ache I could've helped you!"

"Er, Dina?" I turned to Rupert, his eyes sparkled with a sense of gratitude. "Though this pains me to admit, that fight was not altogether easy. I'm not sure I could've handled them without your assistance. I owe you my thanks once again."

"Rupert, it was nothing, really."

He shook his head, "No, thank you, Dina. You fought well." He seemed a bit... shy when he talked to me. I wonder why?

Todd's amused laugh made me turn, "Rupert! You just acted humble! Are you feeling alright?"

His cold attitude suddenly returned, "And why would you find it amusing that I offer thanks for a job well done?!"

Todd laughed again, "Haha! It's just a joke, Rupert!"

His face turned red with embarrassment as he realized how harsh he'd been. I giggled.

Rupert's cellphone suddenly rang, "Hello, Father. What do you need?"

Todd's eyes glittered with awe, "Oh, wow! I forgot Rupert's dad is the CEO of FossilDig Inc.! That must be so amazing!

"...Di66-R's field test results?" Rupert paused, "I'm sorry to say that it suffers some fundamental design flaws from a consumer standpoint. Some problems can be overcome with a little redesigning, but I fear most Fighters will have little interest in it. It would work well as an emergency-assistance robot, however."

There was a short pause, "...Yes, Father. ...I understand, Father. ...Yes, of course, I will win the Cup. Goodbye, Father." He hung up his phone and put it in his pocket.

Todd stopped him, "Wait, Rupert. You just said you could launch the robot if you made a redesign. Was.. Was that a lie?"

Rupert shook his head, "I never lie. I do believe that Di66-R's technical problems can be overcome. However, the issue I see is that no one will purchase the device. You showed me that Fighters like to dig as much as they like to battle. They find it... fun."

I smiled. Todd spoke, "That's right, you get it now!" he turned to me, "Come on, Dina, let's head back to Cranial City! We can come back and dig later, ok?" I agreed, "Ok, Todd." I waved goodbye to Rupert, "See you later!"

He smiled, "Bye, Dina." then, just as soon as she was out of earshot, he murmured to himself..

"...Those two are quite the amusing pair."

----------

Todd and I arrived back in the city. "Hey look! The Mammoth Vision is coming around again!" Oh, God, I thought, Please don't let it be Don Boneyard again! I've had enough of him already!

Luckily, it was just Joe Wildwest.

"Howdy, Fighters. I know most of you may already know this, but it seems we're being hassled by a band'a crooks called the BareBones Brigade." Todd and I exchanged irritated looks.

"They're tellin' us we gotta cancel the Cup and vamoose outta this park once and for all. Well, horsefeathers to that! This here Cup is my dream, and I know y'all share it! So if they want me to cancel it, they'll have to saddle up and make me! The Caliosteo Cup will never surrender! We'll beat them varmints or my name ain't Joe Wildwest!" The crowd cheered with approval.

"Yeah, you tell 'em, Joe!"

"Yeah! Get 'em! Saddle up!" Todd shouted. I jumped up with excitement, which was then added to by my Paleopager beeping alerting me of my Round 3 match.

"...Nell has been chosen as Dina's Round 3 opponent." I'd never heard of Nell, but at least it wasn't a weirdo like Rockin' Billy!

"I'll be waiting at the Fossil Station, Dina. I'm counting on you!" Todd said.

I smiled, "I won't disappoint you, Todd!"

----------

"Dina!" I turned and saw Terry strolling over to me. "Hey, what's up?" I asked.

"You did a great job taking care of the BareBones Brigade over at Mt. Krakanak, so I've decided to level you up to Fighter Rank 4! Keep up the good work!"

"Thanks, Terry!" I quickly ran over to the door to the Fossil Stadium. I was called for my match almost immediately.

Nell and Dina please report to the Fossil Stadium for your Round 3 match. the usual announcement echoed. I met up with Nell, who was a seemingly harmless little girl.

"Bwa ha ha ha!" she laughed.

....or not. I sighed, then she turned around. "Tee hee! I sounded evil, right? After I heard Don Boneyard's laugh I decided to try it for myself!"

I sweat-dropped, "Uh, ha ha, yeah."

"Well, now I shall crush you in battle! Bwa ha ha!" she cackled as we entered the stadium. The usual round of applause and cheers erupted around us. Nell sent out her team of Fire Types: Berto, Yango, and Sungari. I sent out my main team and we started the fight.

I mixed things up and had Tricera lead off the battle with Running Smash on Berto, who was at a type disadvantage  and within perfect range.

Tricera charged at the large carnivore with sharp horns angled at its middle. The Vivosaur jumped but Tricera quickly copied its movement, depleting half of its opponent's LP.

Nell let Sungari attack next, "Sungari Beam on Dimetro!" she commaned. Sungari let out an earsplitting screech as its attack let loose. Dimetro winced at the loud noise booming through his head. He dug his claws into the ground to try to try to deal with the pain.

'...Geez.. I never knew something so loud could actually cause damage!' he growled. Luckily, the Enrage condition didn't affect him this turn or I would've been in trouble.

"Coatlus!" I yelled on my turn, "Wing Cutter on Sungari!" the winged Vivosaur whirled around and sliced through Sungari like a knife through paper, landing a major critical that knocked out Sungari with the first hit.

Dimetro sighed with relief. 'I'm glad that thing's gone...'

Leaving some LP for Dimetro to attack, he rushed at Berto with a swift run and leapt onto his back, clamping his jaws down. Berto roared and lashed out in fury as the medium Vivosaur held on. Finally, Dimetro let go before giving Berto one last snap on the side before retreating.

Yango and Berto rotated so that Yango was within range of Dimetro. He  walked closer to Dimetro, who stood his ground, then without warning spun in a circle with his tail out. The Spike Tail attack hit Dimetro directly in the face, leaving scratches across the side of it. He smiled suspiciously.

Next, he attacked first with Dimetro Whirl, putting all his effort into this one attack. He leaned back on his haunches, then leapt supremely high into the air. His back-sail wove in midair, then he flipped backwards, gaining speed as he fell before slamming into Yango's back, knocking the air out of him and almost depleting his health. Coatlus followed up with a Wing Cutter that took out Berto.

Nell whined, "Nuu! You can't defeat the great vivosaurs of Nell! I won't allow it!" she turned to her Yango, "Take down Coatlus!"

Yango jumped into the air this time, whipping its tail at Coatlus, who proceeded to duck. However, Yango smashed its tail into Coatlus's wing just before he landed, aggravating his former injury. Coatlus growled with rage and pain.

'Yango, I can tell you now that flight isn't everything!' Coatlus said mater-of-factly.

Folding his injured wing against his side, he ran at Yango, who froze in fear. Opening his good wing, he pushed himself off the ground and smacked Yangon with it repeatedly until the exhausted Vivosaur fell. The crowd gasped.

"Never before have we seen a flying Vivosaur attack on land! Impressive!" Coatlus cawed approval, and Dimetro and Tricera joined him with victorious roars. Once again we'd won in an impressive battle, and my heart swelled with pride.

------

Todd jumped happily again, cheering, "You did it, Dina! I knew you could! You were spectacular, fantastic... other words for awesome!" he grinned from ear to ear.

"Wow, that was a smoking-hot battle!" we turned and saw Terry heading over to us. "Congratulations for clearing Round 3, Dina! Here's your prize for making it this far!" he handed me a humongous fossil rock that I quickly shoved into my case. It was heavy!

Todd gasped, "That's a giant fossil rock! It acctually contains all four fossil parts! But since it's so big, I bet it'll beca nightmare to clean on your own."

Terry nodded, "Ah, yes. But you can always head over to the Cleaning-Party Emporium for help if you need it. Lots of people can clean one fossil at once, and in the end, you all get one!" he turned away, "Well, I'd best be going. Good luck in the next round!"

"Thanks, Terry!" I replied, and he headed away. Just that moment, my Paleopager announced the opening of a new dig site called Rainbow Canyon. Supposedly, it had many different elemental types of fossil rocks. I looked at Todd, who shared my excitement.

"Who knows what we'll find there? We have to head over there, A-S-A-P!"

A sudden, somewhat familiar voice spoke behind me, "Wait just a moment, Dina. Aren't you gonna say hi to me?"

I turned slowly, unsure of who it was, but as I recognized the face I ran over and hugged him. "Dino!"

"Hey, little sis! What'cha been up to? I heard you defeated some BB Brigade goons earlier!" he said.

As I mentioned before, Dino is my older twin brother. His best friend is Hunter, a kid who pretty much saved the world a couple of years ago from a planet eating beast. He often helps Dr. Diggins, a scientist over at Vivosaur Island, so I barely ever see him.

"I haven't seen you in so long! I missed you!" I exclaimed. There was so much to tell him. About Todd, about Joe, and Pauleen and Rupert.

And, as if reading my mind, he asked, "So what's up with you and that Rupert guy? Is he your boyfriend or something?" My face went pure red.

"Stop it! He's just a good friend, not my boyfriend! Besides, why would I want to date that rich snob?"

Dino laughed, "Um, because he's rich?" I punched him in the arm, "Ow! Well, Di, why don't I head to Rainbow Canyon with you?"

Todd suddenly chimed in, "Oooo, yes! I want to hear all about how Hunter defeated Gunash and the Dinurians, too!"

Dino smiled, now noticing Todd, "Hey there, Todd." Then he thought for a second, "Well, I don't know much about the battle, but I can tell you what I know."

Todd looked delighted, "Oh, yeah! I can't wait! Let's go now!!"

"Wait," I said to them, "I want to try cleaning my new giant fossil rock first. Why don't you guys come with me and help?" Todd looked disappointed, but I reassured him, "Dino can tell you the story while we clean it."

"Ok! That sounds cool!!" he ran out the door, not even knowing where to go, and jumped and waved his arms to signal that he wanted us to follow.

My brother laughed, "Oh, Todd. Same childish, hyperactive attitude he's always had." he said gleefully. We both walked outside and pointed Todd in the direction of the Cleaning Emporium.

----------

3..2...1.... GO!

The timer started as we drilled and hammered at the rock. Todd would glance at Dino every few moments to see if was going to start the story. Eventually, he sighed and started.

"This was about three years back, over on Vivosaur Island. There was a Cup similar to yours, vivosaurs, too, but not as many, and I had great friends. Hunter was my best friend, and the two of us ended up battling each other in the second to last round of the tournament. Of course, I lost, but only by a little bit."

Todd looked up from excavating, "What was your team, Dino?"

Dino thought, "Well, my first Vivosaur, the one that was always with me, was U-Raptor. In that battle, I recall having him, T-Rex, and Elasmo. Those three were, and still are, a great team." He looked at me, "I'd challenge you, Dina, but I won't. No offense, but you'd lose."

I stopped drilling for a heartbeat, "Why?"

He blinked. "Well, almost all of my Vivosaurs are Rank 20 and Super Revived. Your Vivosaurs aren't even close to being that strong."

"Super Revived?" I asked.

Dino nodded, "They can either change form or color by integrating a silver or gold fossil rock. I'll show you them later, and nice work on your match before, sis!"

"Thanks!" I smiled. Now I understood his concern. His Vivosaurs were at max power. They'd obliterate mine if I let them fight.

Then the timer beeped and all of us looked at the giant fossil. We'd gotten a little careless, but it was still able to be revived. The attendant put the fossil in a special revival machine that duplicated the fossil for us.

"It's a Peloro." he said. Bright, crimson sparks flew around in the chamber until a blinding flash lot up the room. Three matching Dino Medals were sitting there for us with little pictures of ox-like Vivosaurs on them.

"Cool, cool, cool, cool, COOOL!" Todd screamed. His eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

Dino smiled again, "I'll tell you the rest of that story on my way to Rainbow Canyon, ok?"

Todd nodded, speechless and excited.

I asked as we got outside, "What kind of Vivosaurs do you have right now?"

He grabbed his Dino Medals, "I have my team I said before, Neo, and Nycto. I don't use Nycto much though."

"Is there any Vivosaur you don't have?"

"I've got most of them, but I need Seismo, Onyx, Tsintao, and Tricera." he shook his head, "You can't imagine how hard it is to get a simple thing like a Tricera on Vivosaur Island."

I reached in my pocket and looked down at Tricera's medal, Would it be best if you went to him? I thought, looking at him. Tricera spoke to me.

'I may be a staple member of your team, but maybe having me with him will help him to think of you. You know, like having you there when you're really not,' he said, and I nodded, kind of understanding what he meant.

"Ok!" Dino shouted, "These are my Vivosaurs!" he threw the three maximum level Dino Medals into the air. A flash of bright, gold light shone as they appeared.

"This first guy is my U-raptor, Super Evolved with a silver body fossil." The U-raptor was different then normal U-Raptors due to its evolution. Its body was black, it had deep, ruby red eyes, pale blue feathers, a red belly and teal markings.

"And this is T-Rex, now evolved to a T-Rex Lord." This guy looked like an oversized, overpowered version of the carnivorous beast. It had narrow eyes, huge feet, and long, sharp claws.

"Finally, we have Elasmo. This guy doesn't even look close to his previous form! He's now a Kaishin." Dino was right. Kaishin was silver with pale, pale blue details and red beady eyes with small sharp teeth. It didn't have the slightest hint of being an Elasmo.

Dino quickly retrieved his Vivosaurs. "Well, that's my 'oh so legendary' team!"

Just then, his phone rang.

"Hello? ...Duna? Hey! What's up? ...Hunter's helping set up the next tournament? ...You want me back there?" There was a long pause. "...Yeah, I'm still here. Tell you what, I'll get on the next flight out of here and meet up with you guys, k? ...Alright, see ya!" He shut off his phone and frowned.

"Well, I knew the fun wouldn't last long..." he sighed. "Sorry that I gotta leave so soon, Dina."

My heart felt like shattering, but I said nothing of it.

"I understand. And Dino?" I took a glance at Tricera, who encouraged me, then handed him to Dino. "You might want this. Take good care of him for me, ok?"

"W-wha....? You're giving me your Tricera?! Dina, I-"

"That way you'll always be able to have something of mine with you." I said.

Dino smiled, then grabbed my hand and placed one of his Medals in it. "Then take this, to keep with you." he hugged me, and I returned it. Then he waved goodbye.

"Awww, man!" Todd whined again.

"What, Todd?" I asked.

"He didn't tell me the rest of that story!!" I laughed and put my hand on his shoulder. I watched my brother walk away, then looked down at the Dino Medal that Dino gave me.

...Nycto.
-------

I ran ahead of Todd, still disappointed that my brother had to leave so soon, but then I noticed a girl and her dog walking around the digsite.

Todd walked next to me. "What'cha looking at, Dina?" He looked over my shoulder, "Aww, cool! That Fighter has a dog! We should go say hi!" I nodded, knowing he would probably do it even if I said no.

"Hi!" he said as we approached them, "I've never seen a Fighter with a dog before!"

The girl's voice had a thick accent, "My goodness. I am glad, no? At ze moment I was thinking... Ah, but no. It is nothing." She smiled, "Bonjour, Fighters! My name is Joanie." She motioned to her dog, "And zis is Madame Pooch. She is entered with me in ze Cup."

"I'm Todd, and this is my friend, Dina."

"Hi." I said shyly. The girl suddenly gasped and I jumped.

"Sacre bleu! I was almost forgetting! I have discovered here a thing which is being quite lovely." She pulled an odd object from her backpack. It was a bowl with odd spikes coming out from underneath it.

"It is lovely, no? It is big and round, and so I have made with ze filling it with fruit!" Todd and I exchanged weirded out glances.

"...Well, she's different." he stated quietly to me.

"Bark, bark, bark!" Madame Pooch yapped. "Of course, Madame Pooch! We shall be making ze exit now." Joanie waved, "Adieu, Todd and Dina!" the pair then walked off.

Todd murmured, "Er, well, I guess we should deeper into the digsite now, right?" I nodded, "Yeah. I'm dying to see what kind of fossils this place has!"

We walked along the bridge to the other side. Todd kept glancing nervously from side to side as if the bridge would fall at any minute, which was impossible because that thing was being held together with so many cables. Terry was standing on the other side.

"Hey, it's you two!" he exclaimed, "You beatin' the heat and diggin' your digging?"

"Yes!" Todd said happily, though truthfully we hadn't dug up anything yet.

Terry pointed to the cliffside were a lift stood, "Well, one of the things that makes Rainbow Canyon a premier dig site is that Fighters can excavate using the gondola! All you gotta do is get in and pull the lever up or down to move."

Todd's eyes were wide with excitement. "There's also a place at the bottom for some additional digging. Well, you two have fun! See ya!" then Terry walked off.

Todd jumped in the gondola, "Well, come on, Dina! The digging won't do itself!" we rode slowly down the cliff, digging the whole way down.

--------

"I never would've expected that, I mean... You got two giant fossil rocks in one day!" Todd shouted. I'd just dug up a new one on the way down, as well as a new normal fossil rock.

"I told you you could help me so you can get one, too, Todd."

"But it's not the same as getting one myself!" he pouted. I noticed suddenly that a girl was walking around, distressed. She looked awfully familiar.

Todd followed my gaze, "What are you looking at, Dina?" he noticed the girl, too. "Oh, there's someone there." we walked a little closer to hear what she was saying.

"...Where is it, digadig?" she muttered, "Without it, I..." she walked around again, searching for something. "Hmm, I know I diga-dropped it right around here." She resumed searching again.

Todd looked up at me, "Do you see that, Dina? That girl..." he held his hands up to his face, "...She is SOOOO CUTE!"

Then it hit me. I knew I recognized her! It's Pauleen! She wan't lying about herself, I suppose. I didn't tell Todd, though. I wanted him to find out for himself that he had a crush on her himself. He would die.

"Come on! We should go help her!" he said with happiness, then slowly walked over.

"Hey," he started, "Are you having trouble? Because I can totally help!"

Pauleen whipped around, "Giyaa!" she screamed, then hid behind a huge rock, peeking around the side. Todd looked disappointed at scaring her.

"Woah, wait! Sorry! We're nice, I promise!" He turned to me, "Right, Dina?" I nodded, trying to surpress a laugh, "Look, I'm Todd, and that's Dina." A big smile crossed his face, "I wasn't expecting to find a cute girl like you wandering around Rainbow Canyon!" He adjusted his hat, "Someone must have dropped an angel, because I can see myself in your eyes! ...Wait, that's not how it goes." Todd was terrible at flirting with people, but it was amusing to watch.

He blushed faintly, "N-nevermind, what do you need? We saw you looking for something."

She stepped forward hesitantly, "Can you... help me, digadig?"

Todd jumped forward, making Pauleen jump back a little, "SURE!" he shouted, then looked at me, "Right, Dina?"

"Todd, you're scaring me..." I murmured.

"What was that, Dina?"

"I said yeah, sure!"

Todd jumped gleefully, and we both listened to what she had to say.

She looked down shyly, "Ok... I dropped something very important, digadig. Please, diga, help me find it," she said softly.

"Don't you worry!" Todd said, "Just stay right there and we'll find your... Um... Your... Hey, what are you looking for anyway?"

She met Todd's eyes, "You will know, digadig. It is big and round and helps to protect me."

Todd gasped, "Hey, that sounds like the bowl Joanie found!"

"We'd better find her, then." I said to him, then turned to Pauleen, "We'll find it for you."

"Thank you, digadig," she said happily.

Todd turned and walked to the gondola, "Well, let's go then, Dina! We have to find Joanie!"

---------

We got to the top and we found Joanie almost instantly. She was at the top of the cliff with her dog admiring their "bowl."

"A bowl zis big, it is rare, no?" she asked Madame Pooch, "I can fit so many things inside it! Like cheese! Or ze baguette!"

"Ar-ooooo!" her dog exclaimed.

"Wait! Waaaaaaait!!" Todd yelled as if they were going to just disappear into thin air.

The pair jumped at his sudden shout. "Ah, it is Todd and Dina. You are well, no?"

We explained the whole ordeal about the girl and how she was missing the "bowl". Joanie blinked, surprised, "Escargot! The owner of ze bowl, she is missing it, no?" she sighed, "Ah, it is a shame. We have grown so attached to ze bowl, you see?"

She thought for a moment, "Very well, we shall return ze bowl..."

"ARF, ARF, ARF, ARF!"

"No, no, Madame Pooch! If we do not return ze bowl, we are no better than the burglar of cats, no? Although, you may be more of ze dog burglar."

Todd and I exchanged embarrassed looks, then Madame Pooch proceeded to growl.

Joanie laughed awkwardly, "Ah! You do not find ze joke to be amusing, no?" But Madame Pooch suddenly barked an idea, or at least I think it was. "...Ah, I see, I see. Very well, zat is what we will do." Both Joanie and her dog turned to us, "Ahem!" she cleared her throat, "...We want to make ze Fossil Battle with you. If you can defeat Madame Pooch, we shall give you ze bowl."

Todd looked completely confused, "You want us to battle your dog?"

Joanie shook her head, "Ah, no. I have not said zis correctly. You will make ze Fossil Battle with me, Joanie."

Todd nodded, now understanding, "All right, we can have a Fossil Battle!"

Madame Pooch started whining. "No, no! Zat will not do! She wishes for me to make the battle with Dina. Zis is good, no?"

I stared at her, "Me?"

Then Todd had to chime in, "Look, lady. We just want the bowl."

Joanie looked at me, and I whispered to her, "He likes the girl that owns the 'bowl.'"

"Ah, zat makes sense. Well, we shall start now, yes?" Joanie asked. I agreed, "Yes, let's battle!"

I was up against Joanie's Peloro, Tryma, and Machai. I looked down at my Dino Medals. Next time, Nycto. Next time you can battle with me. I thought.

Dimetro assumed his position in the AZ, backed up by Coatlus and now, temporarily, Peloro. I got the first attack, so Dimetro went first.

His back sail waved cheerfully as he charged at Tryma, his teeth gleaming in the bright sun, and he clamped his jaws on the little ostrich-like Vivosaur, who squawked angrily. Peloro followed up with Peloro Horn, using the last of our FP. With both range and type advantages over Tryma, we just about took down the bird in one turn.

Joanie's turn is next. She also had a Peloro, who charged quickly at Dimetro. But Dimetro leapt out of the way, just barely missing its sharp horns.

"Oh, zis is not good... Machai! Attack ze Dimetro with the Machai Fang!" Machai obeyed, baring its long, saber-teeth at the red Vivosaur. His mouth opened wide as he smacked Dimetro in the side and then sunk his teeth into his arm.

"GRAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!" his pained roar resonated within the large canyon. Joanie's attack landed a critical on Dimetro, meaning he was probably going to be a bit slow for a while due to his injury. He did gain me some FP, though, like his ability always does.

"Coatlus!" I commanded, "Wing Cutter on Peloro!" The air Vivosaur screeched a battle cry, then angled himself at the ground and moved swiftly forward, turning only when he spun to deliver the attack. The rounds go on for a while before Peloro is finally knocked out by Coatlus's Diving Thrust.

Joanie and I are now sweating from the heat. I call out one more attack, "Dimetro Fang on Tryma!" The little bird jumped from the ground, but it's too late. Dimetro already has it in his mouth as he whips it to the ground. Tryma was defeated. Machai is last.

"Machai Twist!"

The saber-tooth jumps at Coatlus, baring his fangs before head-butting him in the ribs. Then he regained his aim and whipped Coatlus's side. The Vivosaur, who had already taken multiple hits from Peloro before, went down. I grabbed his Dino Medal as it landed near me.

"Now, Peloro Combo!"

Peloro charged at Machai, who proceeded to dodge, but not before Peloro jumped aside of him in surprise and head-butted him backward. He then ran at him again and hit him into the air. Within a few more turns, Machai was knocked out; Peloro was only hanging on by a thread.

Dimetro lets out a victory roar, his scars from the previous Cup battle now showing by his eye. I felt a bit sad that he was injured that bad, but it seems that he takes it as a sign of strength.

Joanie wailed, "Our Vivosaurs, zey have lost!"

She patted Madame Pooch's head, "Do not be angry. It was bad luck, no?" Madame Pooch wasn't convinced and proceeded to growl. Joanie simply turned to me. "Well, you have defeated me, so I shall return ze bowl." She grabbed it from her pack and handed it to me.

"ARF, ARF, ARF! Madame Pooch woofed happily. "Madame Pooch says ze Fossil Battle was fun. But for now, adieu!" Joanie called Madame Pooch and she followed immediately.

Just as we headed for the gondola, Todd began to talk about Pauleen- or "the girl"- again. "..She's got to be thankful, right? Maybe she'll even like me!" he smiled, then laughed a little. When he obsessed over a girl, it creeped me out.

The sudden beep of my Paleopager alerted me of something. I quickly grabbed it. Surely Round 4 can't start this soon?

"This is an alert for all Fighters. The BB Brigade has begun kidnapping Fighters from Rainbow Canyon.

Todd and I both gasped, "Th-they're whaat?!" he exclaimed. I quickly quieted him, "As of now, they appear to be targeting young females. Female Fighters are urged to seek shelter immediately."

Todd panicked. "They're kidnapping girls? How low can you get?" he gasps. "Joanie's got her dog, and you've got me, but what about that cute girl? She's probably in real danger!"

He quickly jumped into the gondola and drug me in without a second thought. "Come on, we have to get back and find her!"

-----------

The instant we got to the bottom of the canyon, the more panicked Todd got as the girl was nowhere to be found.

"Hello? Hey, cute girl! Are you there?" He turns to me, "W-where'd she go?"

"HELP ME, DIGADIG!"

We turned to see two BareBones Brigade goons putting the girl into the gondola. She looked right at us as they stood guard by her.

"Uh-oh, Meddlers!" one of the goons shouted. "Let's book it!" They quickly shoved the lever up and headed to the top.

"NOO! Dina, come on! We have to go after them! They can't get away with this!" His eyes were watery and he looked extremely mad.

I quickly nodded my head. "Alright, Todd. Let's go now."

Chapter Text

Todd was furious about Pauleen's kidnapping. He stomped his feet out of the gondola.

"Where are they? I'll beat them up so hard their moms won't even recognize them!! I'll-"

I ran over and stopped him. "Todd, calm down! We'll find them, but you can't get violent! I don't even recall you ever being this way before..."

Todd frowned. "I don't want them to harm her, that's all..." he said sadly.

"They won't, trust me. These guys aren't that bad, they just want to give you the impression that they are."

After that, he seemed to simmer down a bit. We both walked over to what looked like a wooden door covering a mine or something. Todd eyed it carefully.

"Hm, this looks suspicious," he said. Footsteps pounded the ground beside us, and Todd screamed.

"Wah! It's the BareBones Brigade! Wh-what do we do?!"

We then both turned frantically, looking for a place to hide.

"Todd, over there, quick!" I shouted. We both dove behind a wooden crate just as the two BB Brigade nuisances came trotting over. I cautiously peered around the side of the crate to listen to their conversation.

The first one was holding a large box. "Whew! Fruit is a lot heavier than I thought! I'm covered in sweat!" he complained.

"Quit your griping! Those girls are waiting." He jabbed the large, yellow button next to the door and walked in, but not before glancing around to make sure it was safe. I ducked behind the crate before he spotted me.

Todd tapped my shoulder. "What did you see, Dina?"

"Nothing that wasn't already obvious. The yellow button opens the door, so we press it and we're in."

Todd grinned,  "Let's go check it out!"

I stepped towards the door, pressed the button, and the door opened.

"Nice!" Todd said. "Now let's go help that cutie!"

As we walked inside, we quickly had to hide behind a rock because the place was littered with goons.

"Geez, look at all the kidnapped girls!" Todd whispered. Then he gave them a curious look, listening carefully.

"Hm," he turned to me, "Listen to this, Dina!" We both started listening to the conversation one of them was having with one of the goons.

"I ordered some juice nearly five minutes ago, where is it?" One of the girls whined.

The goon nervously answered, "Umm, I get that for you right now, ma'am!" He quickly grabbed a pitcher and began pouring the juice.

Another girl, about 10 or 11, sighed. "I'm bored! You there! Do something funny!"

"Of course, ma'am! Feast your eyes on the BB Brigade Shuffle!" Then the goon started doing some sort of weird dance.

The girl giggled. "Ah ha ha, that is soo adorably creepy!" Then the goon went to see what the next girl wanted.

Todd and I were confused. "Um, are these girls really kidnapped? Because they're treating them like royalty!" Then he gasped, "Look! Over there.. it's...!"

Just then Pauleen came walking in, looking terribly nervous.

"It's the cute girl!" Todd murmured to me. "Let's go rescue her!"

Without any warning, he leapt up and ran up to her, which probably would've blown our cover if the BB Brigade members weren't oblivious to everything.

"Hey! Are you ok?" Todd asked.

Pauleen jumped and turned around. "Oh, it's you. I'm ok. They haven't diga-done anything to me." Todd smiled with relief.

"Those goons are just glorified servants, diga," she continued. "They've been pampering us nonstop. Most of the girls love it! They say they don't even care about the Cup anymore, digadig!"

"They're being nice to the girls so they lose interest in the Cup? That's just diabolical!" Todd said.

So that's what they've been plotting, huh? I thought. Well, I guess they could've have done worse for a plan...

"...But why only girls?" Todd asked. Pauleen and I exchanged questioning looks with him, as we were confused on that as well.

"...Well, let's worry about that later." He looked at Pauleen. "Have you learned anything from your time here? If we find who's in charge, we can knock him out and chase off the rest of the BB Brigade!"

She nodded, "I think the man in the back is the boss, digadig."

Todd snickered, "I'm gonna show him what's what!" He motioned for me to follow him. "Let's go, Dina!" I nodded in reply.

Pauleen stopped us. "Be careful, digadig! I heard he's a BB Brigade commander. Everyone, including the other BB Brigade members, is afraid of him!"

Todd froze. "W-well then, I can see why they'd be afraid. B-but I'm not scared! N-no sir! Not me!" He quickly grabbed my hand. "Let's go, Dina!"

He drug me to a space in the back of the caves, sectioned off by a tunnel that was a bit narrower than the rest of the cave. Todd raised his voice a bit. "H-hey! BB Brigade commander guy! Sh-show yourself!"

"I do believe you are referring to me." Todd and I turned in the direction of the voice and my jaw dropped.

Oh.. my God... What the...? Words couldn't even form in my mind to describe this guy. He was about 5' 7", spiked red hair with a bit of black, freaky face-paint like a star on his right eye, white coat, black lace-up boots, glasses, and black pants.

"You have the guts to come in here and challenge me, the most revered of the three BB Brigade commanders?" He gracefully turned and held up a fist. "Say hello to Cole!"

"Wha..?" I once again was lost for words.

"Yep, pretty slick, huh?"  Cole continued.

I simply stared at my shoes. Suuurre it is, I thought.

He began speaking again. "Just try not to be jealous of my image if you can. It's thrift store chic, so I doubt you'd understand."

Todd decided to butt in out of nowhere and shouted really loud, "Ugh!! He's a hipster! Now I understand why the other goons are scared of him!"

Cole groaned, obviously mad at his comment, and changed the subject. "So I suppose you want us to stop pampering the ladies, eh? Not gonna happen, bro." He crossed his arms and smirked at us. "We spoil the chicks, and they don't give a care about the Caliosteo Cup. Without ladies to impress, all the male Fighters lose the will to fight!"

He walked around, bragging about how great his plan was, "...and you don't get this pretty by accident, you know?" He winked at me, but I scoffed and turned away. He sighed, "Why don't you just shake a leg and scram, or I'll feed you to my boneysaurs." I rolled my eyes.

But then Todd started again. "B-boneysaurs?" He turned nervously to me. "D-did he say boneysaurs, Dina?" I nodded and explained.

"Oohh, like a skeletal... Vivosaur?" He paused for a moment. "...Like a dinosaur g-g-ghost?!"

He shook for a second before crumpling to his knees. "Ooooohhh, my stomach! I shouldn't have eaten those oysters I found in the swimming pool! ...Urp! I gonna be sick." He hobbled away, "Get him for me, Dina."

"Feel better, Todd," I said with a sigh. I turned to Cole.

"Still here, huh?" he said. "You're not just trying to steal my style, are you?"

"Save it! I'm not even that into fashion, that's more of Pauleen's thing!" I growled.

Cole seemed a bit surprised. "Well, well, you have potential, I'll give you that. Now, feast your eyes on my beautiful boneysaurs!"

He threw three Dino Medals at the ground. One was B-Lambeo, and the other I recognized as one of the boneysaurs Rupert battled at Mt. Krakanak, B-Rex. But the last was different from the others. It lacked their ghostly purple eyes and pale white bones, and instead had beaming yellow eyes with ocean blue colored bones. It was a plesiosaur; B-Plesio.

Since he was the strongest Boneysaur on Cole's team and a Water Type, I picked two Air Types to back up Dimetro: Nycto and Coatlus. Peloro would be staying on the sidelines for this one, and Nycto gave me an advantage with FP plus.

"Alright, Coatlus, Wing Cutter!" I called. His body spun at B-Plesio, range at an advantage, and it took out a big chunk of B-Plesio's LP.

Next, B-Plesio aimed at Dimetro. He squirmed across the ground, quick as a snake and moving like one, too, until he hit Dimetro with a poison-inflicting attack. Dimetro luckily avoided the status condition.

Now I was up again. This time I would take a chance and use Nycto.

"Wing Hurricane!"

Nycto's light little figure let him glide gently through the air, his sail-like wings and crest allowing perfect precision, and he took a sharp turn causing a gust of sharp, fast moving air to whirl and whip at B-Plesio. The beast was down to a sliver of health.

With some of my remaining FP, I let Coatlus finish him off. He whirled upward and sliced downward through the air, whipping B-Plesio. The Boneysaur was now down for the count.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. I still had 60 FP left, but I was going to save it until the next round.

Cole looked pretty cheesed, "Alright then, Bare Tactics on Nycto!"

Little Nycto got smacked upward with a strong tail before taking a chomping blow from B-Rex. He still held on, and surprisingly the move did little damage.

I let Dimetro go this turn with a Dimetro Whirl. Leaning back again, he built up strength for a leap into the air and then whirled like a top at B-Lambeo. The Boneysaur jumped to dodge but Dimetro was quicker and hit it in the legs, causing it to fall to the ground with a critical hit.

"Boney Chomp!" Cole yelled.

B-Lambeo retaliated with a punch to Nycto's side. This attack was also a critical hit, and Nycto just barely made it. He retaliated back at him with Wing Hurricane and both Vivosaurs were neck and neck.

B-Lambeo, knowing this was its final turn, let out one last attack on Coatlus with B-Lamb Combo, double-punching Coatlus's wings with its hard fists. Dimetro made quick work of B-Lambeo on his turn with a Dimetro Fang to finish him. With three against one, Cole was in a corner.

"Wing Cutter, Coatlus!" I shouted. Coatlus spun like a tornado again, this attack aimed at B-Rex, but it did little more than chip away at his health. He used another Bare Tactics on Nycto, but once again Nycto held on by a sliver.

There was one move that I had yet to use of Coatlus's, and now would be a good time to try it. I thought. "Alright, Coatlus!" I shouted, then gestured my hand in a vertical slicing motion, "Great Vortex!"

Coatlus hovered for a moment, his wings slowly gliding him to the ground, but suddenly he jetted forward and hit B-Rex with his body which was followed by a strong whirlwind. B-Rex held on, and unleashed a Boney Roar.

Dimetro, Nycto, and Coatlus all drew back at the scratchy roar. It sounded old and broken like a rusty music box. No one on my team lost at this point. Now it was the true final round.

"Coatlus, Great Vortex again!"

Coatlus once again flew at B-Rex, his outstretched wings carrying the gust gently and quietly until it met with its victim. B-Rex stumbled to the side and fell, reverting to a Dino Medal again.

Cole backed up. "N-no! This can't be happening! How could I be beaten by someone so terminally unhip?" he shouted.

I groaned, "Unhip? I'll show you unhip!" But his eyes were watery and he started crying. That made me feel kinda bad, even if he was one of the bad guys. After taking a quick glance at me, he ran off.

Todd grinned unsurely, unknowing if I was mad for him ditching me or not, but I reassured him with a grin back.

"Way to go, Dina! That hipster ran off bawling his eyes out and the rest of the BB Brigade went with him!" he shouted.

"Then the girls should leave. They won't have anyone to tend to their needs anymore," I said.

We went over to see what the girls were doing and Todd explained everything to them. One whined about how she wasn't getting any juice, while another thanked us, and yet another ran off complaining about how bored she was. Luckily, they all left after that.

The "cute girl," Pauleen, came walking up to us. "Thank you, Dina and Todd. Now I can keep going in the Cup, digadig." Todd just smiled at her happily.

"Oh, no need to thank us. We were happy to help! Oh, and," he reached in his bag, "Here's the bowl you were looking for." He handed it to Pauleen, who was overcome with joy.

"Th-thank you! This was just what I was looking for. But... this isn't a bowl."

Todd looked puzzled, "Then what is it?"

"It's a mask, digadig. It goes on like this..." She tossed it into the air, causing the fruit in it to fly everywhere, and then it landed on her face. Todd stumbled backward and I laughed.

"Y-you.." he started, "You were Pauleen all along!" His face blushed a deep red.

"Yep, the one and only Pauleen! So, what took you two so long, huh? When a beautiful girl is in distress, you drop everything and come to help her!" Todd just stared speechlessly at her until I helped him to his feet.

Then Terry came trotting over to us, "Well, looks like you're heroes once more!" he exclaimed. "A few kidnapped girls just told their whole story to us I can't believe that you chased the BB Brigade off on your own! You must be some kind of Fighter!"

Pauleen brushed back get hair and put her hand on her hip. "Pft, the BareBones Brigade was no match for an idol like me!" She twirled and posed. "Miss Pauleen is on the scene!"

"Yeah, except you didn't do anything!" Todd yelled.

Pauleen narrowed her eyes. "Oh, sorry, did you say something?"

I looked at Terry sympathetically, sorry that he had to be here in the middle of their bickering. He nodded to me, "Well, thanks anyway! And Dina," he stamped my Fighter Card to level 5, "Just have those two stop by so I can promote them later, too, ok?"

"Will do, Terry," I said. Then he walked off quickly.

Pauleen's voice rang out once again. "...Well, unlike some people, I don't have time to waste so I'm going digging! You should do the same, Dina." She winked at Todd. "Seee ya!" then ran off.

Todd blushed again. "...Man, Pauleen is weird when that mask is on. She's like a whole different person!" He looked down at his feet, "But... I can't believe I actually like her..."

Then my Paleopager beeped and startled him, "Round 4 matches will now begin. Lucinda has been chosen as Dina's Round 4 opponent."

"Oh, juice girl!" I exclaimed. Todd and I laughed before listening to the rest of the announcement.

"Please get ready, then head over to the Fossil Station." The message ended.

"Well," Todd stated, "you'd better get your act together, Dina. I know you can win, but that means we only have a little bit of time left to look for fossil rocks!" He ran off towards the mouth of the cave without warning, and I quickly followed behind him.

--------------

As I sat down to wait for my Round 4 match, Rupert came walking up to me.

"May I sit down?" he asked politely.

"Sure!" I replied, smiling. Rupert was starting to be a lot nicer towards me and Todd, though his snobbish attitude did resurface every once in a while.

"So," he started, looking at me, "I heard you fought a BB Brigade commander?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle!" I held up my Dino Medals with pride.

Rupert laughed cheerfully. "Of course. Hm, well... I saw Todd before as well. He seemed a bit shaken up."

I snickered, "Trust me, Rupert, it's a long story." Just as Rupert was going to reply, my name was called.

"Good luck." he said, shaking my hand.

"Thanks!"

As I made my way down the corridor and through the lobby, I walked towards the door to the stadium to meet my opponent. She was the "juice girl," Lucinda, from the BB Brigade hideout.

"Woo! It looks like we're battling each other!" she said, then her eyes grew wide. "Wait, you're the girl that drove off the BB Brigade from their hideout, right?" she asked.

I smiled. "Yep! That was me."

She frowned, "Oh, I'm glad you did that. They were terrible people... They promised me juice and never got it! ...Well, and they kidnapped me so I'd forget about the Cup, there was that, too."

The door to the stadium then opened. "Let's make a deal. If I win, you but me some juice, ok?"

"You got it," I smirked.

Lucinda's team I found was composed of three Camaras in varying colors. I sent out the same team I had for the battle with Cole.

Nycto's FP Plus ability, again, gave me some extra power to work with. Dimetro, my usual team leader, was up first.

"Dimetro Fang on the first Camara!"

His eyes shone brightly as he landed a successful hit. Camara flinched, but was barely fazed. I followed up with Nycto.

"Beak Strike, Nycto!" He gained some altitude, then flew directly at Camara. She got critical damage and was almost down to half of her LP. I ended my turn.

Lucinda's second Camara, a blue one, used Camara Stomp on Nycto. She rushed as fast as her legs would let her and slammed down her front feet on Nycto's tiny body. The air was knocked out of him, but other than that he sustained little damage. Camara groaned with disappointment.

I turned to Dimetro. "Dimetro Fang again on the first Camara!"

Dimetro nodded and rushed at Camara, chomping down onto her side. She roared with agony; the damage was critical again. Coatlus lent a final blow with Diving Trust. Just two more Camaras to go.

Lucinda smiled mischievously. "I intend to win this you know." She glanced at her third Camara, a green one, "Camara Buster on Nycto!"

Turning slowly, Camara balanced its heavy body before slamming its feet hard against Nycto. He fell out of the air, wings folded, and bounced into my hand as a Dino Medal.

I frowned, You did good, buddy.

Her other Camara aimed a kick to Coatlus's face which made him hit the ground with a thud. Quickly recovering, he shot a glare at the blue Vivosaur before resuming his flight position.

Within six more turns, both of Lucinda's vivosaurs were left with less than half their LP. She called to her green Camara for an attack.

Camara kicked Coatlus with her powerful front feet, but he sustained little damage. The other Camara retaliated with another kick, this one an uppercut, and Coatlus was launched up into the air with a screech of surprise. He glided gently down from the high elevation and aimed at his attacker. A powerful gust of wind spun around in the Stadium as Coatlus unleashed a violent Wing Cutter. Camara was struck several times in the side before a strike to her shoulder made her stumble sideways. The stadium shook from the impact of the large Vivosaur's fall, but now I only had to take out one more of them.

Dimetro's eyes glittered with pride as he jumped at the last wide-eyed sauropod. He bit down hard on her shoulder and then jumped back. Roars of victory escaped my Vivosaur's as the last opponent fell. We'd moved on to the next round yet again.

------

"Hahaha, you're really good at this! It's no wonder you defeated that BB Brigade commander!" I blushed at Lucinda's praise.

"Thanks!" I replied.

She smiled, "If we ever meet again, let's battle again, ok?" She waved and walked off. As she did, Todd ran up to me and gave me a high five.

"You know what? I really think you can win this Cup, Dina!"

"Well, I don't know... but I'll keep trying, Todd. If you think I can do it then I have to believe it, too."

I noticed that Terry was approaching us from the corner of my eye.

"Hey, Dina," he greeted me, "I suppose all this BB Brigade fighting has taken away from your fossil hunting, huh? Yet you STILL cleared Round Four! You're really something, Dina." He quickly handed me a Fossil Rock. "This is your Round Four prize! It's a Wonderous Fossil rock that can power up Vivosaurs, but it's very fragile so be cautious when cleaning it!"

I admired the large rock, thinking of which Vivosaur I should use it on. Then Terry interrupted my train of thought.

"I also have a message for you two. It seems that word of your heroic exploits has reached the highest levels. Joe Wildwest himself wants to speak with you!" Todd and I gasped.

"You mean THE Joe Wildwest!?" Todd exclaimed. "He wants to meet with us? Really?!

All Terry replied was, "He sure does!"

Todd grinned happily and I was somewhat speechless. "So," I hesitated, "When does he want to speak with us?"

"Now, I suppose, would be best. I'll give you clearance to use the elevator. Joe'll be happy to see you!" He gave us a salute before walking off.

Todd hopped up and down. "Oh, what if he remembers us? Gyaahh! I'm so excited!" He tugged on my sleeve. "Let's go, Dina! Come on!" I quickly put the Wondrous Fossil Rock in my fossil case.

We ran up the stairs, Todd leading the way. He stopped suddenly a few feet from the elevator.

"What's wrong Todd- Oh."

Pauleen was standing there. She turned and looked at us. I began dragging Todd over to her.

"Oh..." she complained, "Don't tell me Joe invited you two jokers along!"

I groaned, "As a matter a fact he did!"

Todd looked at me and sighed. "Aww, man.. This is the pits. I thought we were going to chat about old times, but if Pauleen's coming that seems unlikely..."

Pauleen walked up next to Todd, much to his disliking, "Well?! Are we going to speak with Joe or stand around acting depressed all day?!" Pauleen walked into the elevator and I shoved Todd in along with her. The door closed and we rose slowly to the top.

------

When we reached Joe's suite, he was staring out his window. As we walked off the elevator platform, he turned to greet us. "Sorry to take up yer time, folks, but I'm real tickled y'all came to see me."

He walked up to the three of us. "I'm Joe Wildwest, owner and proprietor of this here Caliosteo Fossil Park. Now," he continued, "I've heard from Terry that you've been helpin' take care of them BB Brigade goons, and I ought to say I'm a mite impressed. He told me how y'all rescued them girls from their no-good kidnappin' scheme."

He frowned. "If it weren't for you I might've had to shut down the whole Caliosteo Cup..." He smiled again, "So, it seems I owe you my thanks."

Pauleen walked ahead of us. "Oh, there's no need to thank me! I just did what any beautiful and talented Fighter would do!"

"Yeah, like stand around and do NOTHING!" Todd growled.

Pauleen whipped around. "You stay out of this!"

I nervously looked at both of them as they glared at each other.

"Excuse us for a sec, Joe," I said to him, then I turned to Todd and Pauleen and pushed them apart. "Stop it right now!" The two of them stared at me with nervous looks and backed away quietly.

I turned back to Joe, "You were saying?"

He sweatdropped. "Well, I can tell y'all are skilled Fighters with a strong sense'a justice. And that's why I've got an offer for ya'... I'd like y'all to join the Caliosteo Patrol team!"

We exchanged curious glances.

Joe explained, "Them BB Brigade varmits are persistent in tryin' to wreck this Cup, and I reckon they'll strike again before too long. So I'll need ya' to keep yer eyes peeled for anything that looks suspicious. If y'all see anything, just let me or a staff member know, ya' hear? That's the job of the Caliosteo Patrol Team."

I looked at Pauleen, who shared my concern, but Joe reassured us. "Of course, Dina and Pauleen would continue fighting in the Cup. Just consider this a little side job to make everything easier for Fighters in the Cup."

Todd stepped forward. "You can count on me, sir! I'll do anything it takes to stop the BareBones Brigade!"

Pauleen twirled. "It sounds like fun! Plus you'll need a beautiful idol like me so you can succeed!"

Joe blushed. "Aw, shucks, you two.." Then he turned to me. "So, Dina, can I convince ya' to join the Patrol Team?"

I nodded. "Of course! I'm ready for anything they throw at me!"

Todd cheered, "I knew you'd say yes, Dina! Plus, this is our chance to pay Joe back for saving us two years ago!"

Joe looked puzzled. "Pay ya' back? What'n the heck are you talkin' 'bout, small fry?"

Todd looked up at him with glee. "Don't you remember, Joe? Two years ago you came along on your Ptera and saved us from a rogue Allosaurus!"

Joe still didn't seem to recall it.

Todd frowned, "Don't tell me you've forgotten us."

Joe frowned in reply, "Sorry, pard, but my memory ain't what it used to be. I can't recall anything like that."

Todd halfheartedly smiled, "No, it's... it's ok..."

Joe then looked at all of us. "Well then, I hereby declare the Caliosteo Patrol Team open for business!"

The three of us jumped up with joy. "Yeah!" we shouted.

"Now, I'm expected great things from the three of you, so don't let me down, ya' hear?"

---------

[Meanwhile, at Don Boneyard's base:]

"I have a bone to pick with you, Cole.."

Cole hesitantly stepped in front of Don Boneyard's podium. "Y-yes sir..?"

"Our brilliant kidnapping scheme has been foiled by a pair of children! One of these children even defeated you in combat, despite my giving you a team of powerful Boneysaurs." The skeleton leader turned away. "I am disappointed in you Cole, very disappointed.."

Cole spoke nervously, "P-Please forgive me, Don Boneyard! It's a minor setback is all! It doesn't reflect on my natural style or talent... or beauty!"

There was no reply.

"M-my hair wasn't messy enough, see?"

"Garr har har! You sure like makin' excuses, Cole!"

A young man, somewhat fat with a green mohawk, metal wrist bands, a leather jacket, and white pants, charged into the room.

"Lester!" Cole growled, "How dare you interrupt-"

"Listen, Don Boneyard," Lester continued, ignoring Cole, "What'd say you let me take a whack at this next? I got a rockin' plan! Once it's on, the Cup will be the last of their worries! Gar har har!"

Don Boneyard cackled, "Bwa ha ha, do tell, Lester. I would like to hear this plan." He turned to Cole, "As for you, leave.

"B-But..!" Cole protested.

"Now," he said sternly. Cole ran out of the door.

He sobbed, Great, now the boss hates me... he thought. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Like, what happened, Cole?"

"Hi, Lola," he said sadly.

Lola smiled, "You should, like, cheer up, man. So you made a mistake. It's not, like, the end of the world!"

Cole continued to frown.

Lola quickly pulled him into a hug, making him blush. "Just quit bein' such a downer! I don't like it when you act all, like, sad and stuff!"

Cole smiled faintly, "Thanks, Lola. I'm glad you're here..."

"Oh, shut up, you!" she said, turning to walk down the hall. Then she turned around, "Oh, and Cole?"

"W-what?" he asked.

She ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek, "I bet your next plan will be waay better." she winked. Then she ran off down the hall.

Cole smiled and sank onto the ground, drowning out the world in his happiness.

------

Pauleen smiled. "The Caliosteo Patrol Team! I'm excited just thinking about it!" She whirled around, "Soon it will be time for me to shine! ...More so than usual." Todd bit back an angered remark.

Our Paleopagers started beeping as per usual. "All Round Four matches of the Caliosteo Cup have been completed. A new dig site is now opened: Hot Spring Heights! Hot Spring Heights is a hot resort and dig site located on the cold Illium Island. If you wish to visit, please board a helicopter near the heliport."

Pauleen squealed with glee, "Finally! They opened Illium Island! That's the third and final island in the Caliosteo Fossil Park! Now I know I'm on the patrol team and all, but I'm not gonna neglect the Cup! Seeee yaaaa laaatteerrrr!" With that said, she ran off down the stairs.

Todd sighed once she'd gone.

"What's wrong, Todd?" I asked softly.

He frowned and looked up at me, "I can't believe Joe didn't remember us at all... It was one of the best days of our life and he just..."

"Todd," I spoke, "It's not his fault. He's a busy man and he's probably has a lot to think about. I'm sure he remembers, but for now, it just slipped his mind." Though, in the same sense, I shared his disappointment.

"Well, Dina, I have a plan!"

I gave him a questioning look, but he continued, "If we try our best to be great Patrol Team members and if you try to win the Cup then he'll have to remember us!"

I nodded, then he ran down the stairs. "Well, come on! Illium Island isn't gonna patrol itself!

I smiled at Todd and ran down the stairs after him.

Chapter Text

The helicopter slowly descended as I arrived on Illium Island. It was freezing cold and I shivered, but I could bear it for a while.

"Hey, dude! Welcome to Illium Island!" I turned and saw a brown-haired guy walking toward me, who was apparently the Staff Leader of this island.

He noticed me shivering. "We get some pretty gnarly weather here, dude. You'd better make sure you stay warm!"

"I'm-m f-fine for now..." I said, still shivering. Then the guy gave me a look as if he knew me, which meant I knew what was coming next.

"Wait... Are you Dina?"

Yep, I was spot on with that one.

He continued on with his speech, "Well, my name's Kent. I'm the Staff Leader here on Illium Island. Terry and Stella told me you're a pretty radical dude, but if you need anything, just lemme know."

I nodded, "T-thank you, Kent."

"Wait a sec, I wasn't done pointing out all the awesome facilities here in Illium Village!" He began showing me the locations of the Fighter Station, Fossil Guild, and the newest dig site, Hot Spring Heights. He also mentioned that there were some neat sonar upgrades in the shop, so I thought I'd head there and get them. I'd also give me a chance to warm up.

"...and since you're a Patrol Team dude I'm expecting some totally tubular things from you! We gotta stop those gnarly BB guys from messing up the Cup. 'Cause, ya know, that would be a bummer!" He waved goodbye to me and walked off.

I got a quick message on my Paleopager saying that a pay-to-dig site had opened at Treasure Lake, but I was too busy freezing to do anything. I walked shakily to the Fossil Guild.

I felt the sudden warmth of a coat on my shoulders and turned to see Rupert behind me. "You looked cold..." he said plainly.

I laughed a little, "Thanks, Rupert, I was."

Both of us headed into the Fossil Guild.

I went up to the shop counter and asked about the Sonar upgrades. I got the first one, which gave you a bigger sonar screen, and another that blocked out most normal rocks. Then Rupert and I headed over to the Fossil Station so I could grab my coat from my room, which luckily all my stuff had been brought over during my Round Four match.

My coat was dark blue with some soft, light blue, fuzzy material inside it. It was really warm and felt like being wrapped in a blanket. Rupert was patiently waiting by the door when I came back, and we headed to Hot Spring Heights.

When we got there, I decided to go look for Pauleen and Todd, and Rupert went off to look for fossil rocks so I waved goodbye to him for now. I saw Pauleen up ahead near a snowman, so I ran towards her. My foot suddenly snagged on something and I fell facefirst into the snow.

"Ow! What the..?" I looked around until I spotted a mysterious rock jutting out of the ground. Only it wasn't a rock, it was a fossil. I quickly got to work digging it up and found it to be a carnivore head, but I was unsure of the exact name of it. I searched around for other rocks, and all I found was a leg fossil for Dimetro. That was worth it enough, though.

I finally managed to approach Pauleen, but I stopped because I noticed she had her mask off and was... talking to the snowman..?

"Ok, breath, girl, breeeeeattthhee..." She took a deep breath and looked confidently at the snowman. "Hello, diga! My name is Pauleen! Nice to meet you, digadig!" She paused, then sighed, "I can talk normally to a snowman, diga... But when I talk to people... I get too flustered and my face turns red and.. ugh!" She grabbed her mask and put it back on, "I hope I can get rid of this mask soon, digadig..."

I ducked behind a tree as she came running by, then walked out into the open once she'd gone, only to find my Paleopager beeping again. "Joe Wildwest here with a message for my new Caliosteo Patrol Team. I got a little job for ya. Can y'all meet me at my suite in Wildwest Tower? I'll be waiting!"

I gave it an irritated glare, Are the BB Brigade up to no good again already? I thought. I quickly ran back into town and headed for the heliport, only to find Rupert standing there. I smiled at him, and he nervously looked back at me. 

"Oh. Hello, Dina. My father is taking a moment out of his schedule to come by the fossil park. I have been ordered to wait for him here," he said.

"That's great, Rupert!" I exclaimed. He mustn't get to see his father much due to his job.

The whir of helicopter blades overhead signaled that he had arrived, and Rupert looked up.

A man stepped out of a private helicopter. His purple suit was made of an expensive fabric of some sort and he wore yellow shades as glossy as ice.

Rupert nodded to him. "Thank you for coming to see me, father. I know your time is most valuable."

His father nodded back. "So, Rupert, I hear you are making steady progress through the Cup? However, I expect you to continue on and win. I will accept no less than victory." He smiled. "Your winning streak is the finest advertising FossilDig Inc. could want, and it must continue at all costs." He looked Rupert in the eyes, "Do not fail me, Rupert."

Rupert looked nervously at him. "Y-yes, father."

I bit back a scowl as Rupert's father turned and left.

Rupert turned to me as the helicopter flew off. "Well, as you can see, my father is a very..." he paused for a moment, "...driven man."

"Well, I thought of another word for him, but I guess that works, too," I said bitterly.

Rupert smiled faintly, but it didn't last long. "He wants what's good for the company, what will be easiest to make a lot of profit. Those are the things my father thinks about." He paused and mumbled to himself, "That's all my father thinks about..."

I blinked at him, concerned, but he continued, "Yes, well, this is really none of your concern, Dina. Please forget any of this happened." His voice was distant and cold, and he rushed off into the Fossil Station. As I turned and boarded the helicopter, I couldn't help but feel pity for Rupert and deep inside, I swore I felt something else, but it was probably my imagination.

------------

"Took you long enough, Dina!" Todd joked.

"Yep, The Caliosteo Patrol Team is finally all accounted for!" Pauleen yelled. I was going to explain, but decided to keep it to myself. I stuffed my coat messily into my pack and slung it back over my shoulders.

We all turned to Joe and saw he was with another man in a blue suit with a green tie and brown, spiked hair.

"Sorry for callin' y'all here on such short notice, but this is kinda urgent." He turned to the man, "Lemme introduce ya to someone. This here's Minister Pomposa from the Kingdom of Nomadistan."

The man walked up to us. "Harrumph! I am Minister Pomposa! See that you address me by my full and proper name!"

Behind him, I swore I saw Joe facepalm.

"Geez," Todd whispered in my ear, "no need to act like a big shot..."

Minister Possum, or whatever his name was, began speaking again,  "Now, the words Minister Pomposa will now speak are of great importance to the Kingdom of Nomadistan!"

"I've never heard of the Kingdom of Nomadistan!" Todd whispered to me again.

Pauleen turned to both of us and whispered, "Duh! It's a country in the west! ...Or maybe in the north. Actually... I don't know."

"NO ONE may whisper when Minister Pomposa is speaking!"

Both Todd and Pauleen jumped as he shouted at them.

"Now then," he continued, "If you are done being rude... The Kingdom of Nomadistan has a lovely princess whom the people treasure above all else. However," he paced the floor, "our beloved princess has recently gone missing! Minister Pomposa has traveled far and wide in search of the princess, but to no avail."

He approached us again. "We now believe we are close to finding her whereabouts. It seems she has entered herself in the Caliosteo Cup! That means she is here in this very fossil park! Minister Pomposa is sure of it!"

Joe butted in, "As you can see, this matter is to be kept secretive. But I figured if anyone could form a posse and track down this little lady, it would be my Patrol Team!"

Todd frowned. "I wouldn't mind looking for the princess, but Minister Jerkface is really started to cheese me off!"

Minister Pomposa came right up to Todd's face, "Whaatt did you say?!"

Todd jumped back, "I.. said you have a very nice mustache, sir!"

He smiled boastfully, "Yes, Minister Pomposa brushes it with 100 strokes every night. Now then," he got back on topic, "If you return our princess, we will reward you most generously. You shall be given a Miraculous Fossil Rock so fine, Fighters shed tears of joy just to be near it."

Todd and Pauleen lept at Minister Pomposa, who almost fell over. "A MIRACULOUS FOSSIL ROCK?! REALLY?!"

I understood how valuable those rocks were- they could transform your Vivosaur into a more powerful Super Evolved form of itself- I don't think I'd leap in this poor guy's face for it.

Minister Pomposa nodded to us. "Yes, you have the word of Minister Pomposa himself, and his word is stronger than oak!"

Todd jumped with excitement. "Ok, it's a deal! I'll find your princess!"

"Step off, shorty!" Pauleen yelled at Todd, "You need someone beautiful and clever like me to find your missing princess!"

Both of them rushed off, but stopped abruptly at the elevator and turned back.

"Wait, what exactly does this princess look like?" Todd asked.

Minister Pomposa let out a bellowing laugh. "Har har, yes it seems that information would be helpful." He pulled a picture from his pocket. "Behold, our beloved princess!" We all gasped.

It was Joanie.

"It seems you appreciate true beauty! Your lips utter the cry that your heart cannot!"

This time I definitely saw Joe facepalm in the background, then he stepped forward.

"Sorry to drop in on y'all, but I don't know who else to trust. Ya might wanna ask around first. See if some'a the townsfolk know anything. But for heaven's sake, don't tell 'em yer lookin' for a princess!" He signaled for us to leave. "Alright, Patrol Team dismissed!"

----------

"You saw it, right? It was Joanie, I'm positive!" Todd exclaimed. "I can't believe she's a princess!"

Pauleen groaned, "Look, if you guys want to stand around and talk be my guest. But I'm going to find that princess and get the Miraculous Fossil Rock!" She winked and rushed down the stairs.

"Ha ha, that Miraculous Fossil Rock is MINE, Pauleen!" Then Todd chased after her, leaving me to stand alone.

I got a heads up in town that Joanie had boarded a helicopter to Ribular Island, so I headed there to find her. Then I caught a glimpse of Todd asking someone where Joanie had gone, and I faintly heard them reply "Jungle Labyrinth," so I quickly ran into the dig site.

After heading deep inward, I heard some voices talking and found Joanie and some guy obsessing over Madame Pooch.

"No no, widdle doggy! Don't squirm now! You have to be a nice widdle doggy!" The guy started rubbing Madame Pooch's head roughly. She growled at him angrily.

"Arf, arf, arooo!" she howled.

"Stop zis!" Joanie shouted at the man, "Madame Pooch... she does not like you!"

The man snickered, "You're wrong, sister! All dogs love me! I have this natural way with animals." He patted Madame Pooch. "Don't you wove me, widdle poochie? Who's a happy puppy, hm?"

The dog looked like she could bite his head off at any second. Then the man looked up at Joanie. "You know what, lady? You're starting to mess with my dog bonding here, so how about you get lost?" He laughed, "Unless, of course, you'd rather me beat you in a Fossil Battle!"

Joanie backed away, murmuring, "I must make with ze rescuing of Madame Pooch from zis terrible oaf of a man, but I cannot fight ze Fossil Battle... Oh, what shall I do?"

I walked up to her. "Joanie?"

She whirled around, relieved. "Ah! Dina, my friend! You are here at just ze right time, no? Please," she pleaded, "You must make ze Fossil Battle with zis terrible man and save Madame Pooch!"

"Don't worry, Joanie, I'll save her," I reassured. I turned to the guy. "Hey, you!"

The guy groaned and stood up. "I oughta smack you with a rolled-up newspaper, kid. But if it's a fight you want, bring it on!"

I nodded, "So be it then." I grabbed my Dimetro, Coatlus, and Nycto.

"All right, kid. Time to show you who the real alpha dog is!" He sent out two Machai, different colors, and a new Vivosaur unlike anything I'd seen before.

"Impressed?" he boasted, "That's a Super Evolver, Heracles. He's top dog on my team!"

The large-horned Vivosaur was dark grey with blue armor layered around its shoulders and head. It stood on four legs and its narrow eyes glared from across the field.

"Alright, then!" I turned to Nycto, "Wing Hurricane!" Nycto whipped a swirling wind toward Heracles, but the Vivosaur barely budged. The wind whirled over him and he continued his violent stare.

"Machai Twist, Machai!"

The saber-tooth Vivosaur leapt at Nycto and bit down on him, then delivered an uppercut as a direct hit. His second Machai did the same, only this one dealt critical damage.

I slowly chipped away at Heracles's LP, but for every bit of damage he took, one of my Vivosaurs took a critical. Finally, Nycto was down for the count.

"Coatlus! Attack his Heracles again!"

Coatlus screeched and let loose a Great Vortex on Heracles, who actually took a great bit of damage. But we still had a while to go.

Heracles' horn glowed, it was an attack he used before called Heracles Blade, and he rammed into Coatlus which sent him flying backward. He damaged him with a critical followed up by two link attacks from his Machai. I let loose another Great Vortex, but it had little effect. Heracles still held on strong.

The Machai duo came at Dimetro one by one, scratching him only slightly despite gaining more critical hits. Finally, the pressure of defeat built up and Coatlus and Dimetro let go of their frustration in their attacks. Coatlus hit the Super Evolver with gale-force winds in a final attempt to defeat him, and Dimetro attacked with a Dimetro Fang. Heracles was finally defeated.

The next two rounds went pretty quickly until Coatlus was down to 5 LP. Then we were in a corner.

"Dimetro, use Dimeteor on the opposing side!" Dimetro had recently learned this attack, but I never used it. He charged a flame in his mouth before releasing a burning slew of large meteors at the pair of Machai. One was down with a one hit KO, but the other held on by a hair. After the remaining opponent's turn was done, and though he knew it was his last, Coatlus used Wing Cutter to slice his way to victory.

The guy was mortified. "N-no! How can this be when I wove my little bubsy-wubsy so much?!"

I sighed, "She HATES you, man. Get over it."

Then, to confirm it, Madame Pooch chomped on his foot.

"Ow! ...Well, I'm starting to think you're right.." He pouted, then ran off.

Joanie knelt down and petted Madame Pooch, "Madame Pooch, you have suffered ze terrible ordeal, no? But now all is well." She looked up at me, "I cannot zank you enough, Dina! Had you not made with ze coming by just now-"

I interrupted, "Acctually, Joanie, I was looking for you guys."

Joanie looked puzzled. "...You say you were searching for ze two of us?" I explained the whole ordeal about Minister Pomposa and finding the princess.

Joanie gasped, "M-Minister Pomposa? He is here?!" I nodded, but then I heard a shout behind me as footsteps pounded the ground.

"There she is!"

Then there was a thud as someone was pushed to the ground.

"No, I saw her first!"

I turned to see Pauleen rushing toward me and Todd laying in the dirt, scowling. He got up quickly and ran ahead.

"Minister Pomposa is waiting for you, Princess!" Todd said.

Then Pauleen butted in, "Oh, please allow me to escort you to Wildwest Tower, Princess!"

Joanie stared at them with wide eyes, shaking her head. "Oh, I am sorry, but you are making ze mistake. I am not... er.. AHH!"

They both grabbed Joanie and drug her off. Madame Pooch whined.

I patted her head. "It's ok, Madame Pooch. I'll take you back with me. Joanie will be ok." I scooped her up and carried her back to Wildwest Tower.

--------------

"I brought the Princess back!"

"No, I brought the princess back!"

Pauleen and Todd exchanged angered glances.

"Please," Todd begged, "you have to give me the Miraculous Fossil Rock! You promised!"

"No!" Pauleen argued, "I saw her first, so I should get the fossil rock!"

They growled at each other.

"SILENCE!" Minister Pomposa quieted them. "...Now then, where is the Princess?"

Todd and Pauleen stared at him with puzzled looks, "Um, what do you mean?" Todd asked. Just then I walked in with Madame Pooch. 

Minister Pomposa shouted with excitement. "Oh, joy of joys! You have returned, Princess Pooch! Minister Pomposa is so very relieved to see you safe, Your Highness!"

I looked at him with surprise.

Pauleen gasped, "WHHAAATTT?! Ok, somebody better explain what's going on here!"

"I am sorry," Joanie explained, "but ze Princess you are looking for is Madame Pooch."

Pauleen gave her a confused look.

"She was called Madame Pooch to hide her identity," Joanie continued, "but her true name is Princess Pooch Poochian. I am, how you say, her attendant."

Everyone still looked boggled.

"Allow Minister Pomposa to explain!" Minister Pomposa butted in. "For many years, the Kingdom of Nomadistan was constantly at war. The people grew weary of conflict and came to believe it was caused by the frailties of human leaders. So one day, we decided to make a dog the new king."

Pauleen interrupted, "Well that sounds desperate..."

"Perhaps," Minister Pomposa continued, "but in the end, the plan was a success for the wars ended and we all reunited in peace. Since that day, the Kingdom was always ruled by a dog and, of course, our royal family is all canines as well."

Todd groaned, "You know, that would have been REALLY good to know earlier!"

But Minister Pomposa ignored him. "Your people have been so worried for your safety, Princess Pooch! The dear Queen Mother has refused to play with her favorite ball!"

Princess Pooch whined.

Joanie stepped forward. "Minister Pomposa! You must not make with ze chastising of ze Princess! It was I who allowed her out of ze palace. She asked for my help, and I could not refuse..."

Minister Pomposa knelt down in front of the Princess. "Is your desire to engage in Fossil Battles really so strong, Princess?"

She barked in agreement.

Minister Pomposa thought for a moment. "Very well, you may stay here until your next match. But you must hear this message from your dear Father King: 'If the Princess is serious in pursuing her dreams, then I give her my blessings to do so. However, Minister Pomposa must confirm this passion personally.'"

Joanie cheered, "Haha, Princess Pooch! Zis is wonderful, no? If Minister Pomposa sees your passion for Fossil Battles, you'll be allowed to stay in ze Cup!"

"ARRRROOO!" she howled with joy.

"Now then, it seems you are the one who found our missing princess," MInister Pomposa said to me. I looked at him and nodded, still a bit baffled at the situation, and he continued. "As Minister Pomposa is a man of his word, you shall now receive your reward." He handed me a large fossil rock; the Miraculous Fossil Rock. Todd and Pauleen sighed with regret.

Princess Pooch then barked at me.

"Princess Pooch wishes to zank you for your assistant earlier, no?" Joanie translated.

"You're welcome, Princess!" I said politely.

"Well, perhaps Minister Pomposa will see what charms this fossil park has to offer..." Minister Pomposa muttered.

Princess Pooch and Minister Pomposa walked into the elevator to leave. Just as Joanie went to follow them, Todd stopped her.

"So," he asked, "You were the one battling... right, Joanie?"

"No, it was Princess Pooch who waged the battles. I pretended to be the Fighter so she could keep her identity a secret. Also, I do not think they would allow a dog to enter ze Cup, no?" She turned and walked off into the elevator.

"So a dog advanced in Cup, but I got beaten?" Todd realized, "Aww..."

Pauleen and I stifled a laugh.

After the initial confusion died down, Joe called us to speak. "Heck, Dina, it looks like you done saved the day again. But thanks to you, too, Todd and Pauleen. I know y'all gave it yer best shot."

All of a sudden, our Paleopagers went off, "The hot spring at Hot Spring Heights is now open. Park guests are welcome to use this free facility."

Joe smiled. "Well it took a good long time, but we finally got the durn thing open. Y'all should check it out. It's a good place fer soakin' yer old bones when ya need to rest."

"Heck yeah! A hot spring would be just the thing for me!" Todd shouted happily, "I'm gonna go check it out, Dina. You should come along, too!" With that, Todd ran off.

Pauleen smirked, "Pfft, while you two have fun splashing around in the pool, I'll be getting ready for Round Five! See ya!" Pauleen left, and I walked down the stairs to the heliport outside.

---------

Once I got to Hot Spring Heights, I ran back to the cave where the hot spring was. It was such a relief to be in the warmth rather than the bitter cold of the snow. As usual, Todd was waiting for me.

"Hey, there you are, Dina!" Todd waved at me, and I ran over to him.

"This is the biggest hot spring I've ever seen!" he continued. "I can't wait to try it! Come on, let's go!"

We both ran into the changing rooms and put on our swimwear. Once we were changed, Todd and I went out to the spring. He cautiously walked into the water.

"Ahhh, this is great... I may never leave..." Todd sighed, "Come on in, Dina!"

I went to walk over when suddenly the water began turning a murky purple.

Todd looked around with alarm. "Huh? What the... EEEW! The water's all goopy and gross!" He struggled to climb out, but was stuck fast. "Aaahhh! What's wrong with this water?! I can't move! HELP ME!"

I suddenly smelled a grape scent in the air. "Todd, this isn't water, it's... jelly!"

"Jelly, huh?" He ate a mouthful. "This is yummy, er... um..." He gulped down the jelly and looked up at me. "Look, Dina, I don't care how delicious this is, you gotta get me out of here!"

"I'll try..."

Grabbed his shoulders and tugged, but it was no use. He was stuck.

"...Not working?" he asked.

"NOOO, Todd, I thought it was." I said somewhat jokingly. He laughed a little.

"Wait," he said suddenly, "Remember what Joe said when we joined the Patrol Team?"

"What?"

"He said that if we find anything suspicious, we should report it to a Staff Leader! So quick, Dina, go find Kent! I don't want to be trapped in grape jelly forever!" I quickly sprinted to the changing area and switched into my normal clothes- because I didn't want to freeze my butt off- and then rushed to Illium Village.

------

"Kent!"

As soon as I had gotten back, I rushed to the Fighter Station and met up with the Staff Leader, Kent.

He looked puzzled. "Hey, little dude. Whatcha need? And why do ya smell like fruit?"

I then explained about the hot spring and how everyone was trapped in the sticky jam.

Kent looked at me in shock. "You mean the whole hot spring turned to jelly? Bummer, dude... It just opened, too." He adjusted his cap, thinking, "Well, if there are Fighters trapped in there, we gotta help 'em out. Come on, dude, we'd better head over to that spring!"

Once we were back at the spring, Kent tried pulling Todd out, but to no avail.

"No good, dude. He's stuck in there like a dude stuck in a pool of jelly. I wonder who did this. It's so uncool."

I frowned. "The BareBones Brigade..." I muttered under my breath.

"Yeah," Kent replied, because he must have heard me, "they probably messed around with the hot-spring water supply or something, huh?"

"Where does the water come from, anyway?" I asked him.

"An undersea pipeline. It comes straight from Mt. Krakanak over on Cranial Isle. So, dude, you'll have to visit Mt. Krakanak's crater to fix the problem."

"Me?" I asked. I hadn't expected to have to do this alone.

"You mind going, dude? I mean, it's waaay too hot for a snow guy like me!"

I shook my head. It wouldn't be a problem, considering I'd been there before.

"Alrighty, then! I heard they just installed a gondola to take you down into the crater, so it'll be a breeze to get to the water supply."

"Okay, I'll head over now." I agreed.

Kent ran back to the village to get some rescue staff, and I ran back with him. However, before boarding a helicopter I decided to integrate my Wondrous and Miraculous fossil rocks. More power could give me an extra boost should I have to battle some more goons.

I carefully cleaned them, because at first I didn't realize how fragile they were and almost broke one. After that, I decided to use the Wondrous fossil rock on Nycto.

I placed his Dino Medal into the machine and placed the cleaned fossil next to it. Once everything was ready, I started the integration. The machine glowed with a bright silver light from within, and Nycto, now in his Vivosaur form, now was an ocean blue color with green outlining his beak, arms, and crest, and vibrant violet eyes beaming with pride. I petted his head, then he reverted back to a Dino Medal in his new, more powerful form.

Next, I decided the best candidate for my Miraculous fossil rock was Dimetro. He'd been with me the longest and he was one of the most powerful on my team. The same thing happened with Dimetro as with Nycto, only this time instead of a silver glow there was a golden glow. After a few moments, the light ceased and out stepped Dimetro, but he looked nothing like before.

He was twice his normal size, deep red with ruby eyes, and he had light blue fins on his back, head, legs, and tail. He smiled a sharp-toothed grin at me.

"I look great, don't I?" he growled in a deeper voice, "I've evolved into a Lugmos, one of the great Super-Evolved versions of Vivosaurs. Hehe, those BB Brigade losers don't stand a chance now!"

"Well, they won't if we go after them now, Lugmos!"

He understood and reverted to a Dino Medal, then we set off for another encounter with our enemies.

Chapter Text

I quickly ran into the rocky landscape of Mt. Krakarak, readying my Dino Medals in case of a surprise attack from the BB Brigade. I hadn't run more than a few feet before someone stopped me.

"Wait," Rupert's voice rang out loud and clear. Surprised, I turned around to face him.

"Kent told me you were going to the volcano to check on the hot spring's water supply." He hesitated for a moment, "Um.. I.. I'll go with you. I, um, feel pity for Todd. No one deserves to be trapped in jelly." A faint smile crossed his face.

I smiled back, "Oh, thanks, Rupert! I wasn't expecting to see you here, but that's ok." We continued on through the volcano.

After a long trek up the somewhat steep and unbearably hot ridges, we reached the top. The gondola down into the crater was waiting. We boarded and descended, lava bubbling down the cliffs all around us. When we finally reached the bottom, the temperature felt like it has soared at least ten degrees.

Rupert pointed to the far end of the crater, "Look there, Dina!"

As I followed his gaze, I saw BB Brigade goons, as expected. A strange machine was pumping purple goop into the water. The goons and an unfamiliar person, whom was most likely a commander, were chuckling at their accomplishment. Unfortunately for them, the machine gurgled for a moment before stopping, and a frustrated goon kicked it back into power.

"I knew I detected the stench of the BareBones Brigade on this plot," Rupert growled. "Let's make haste to take them down."

I nodded, "Let's do it."

We hurried along the winding slopes, careful not to slip, and reached the overpoweringly grape-scented water supply.

The commander guffawed as his goons worked the machine. "Faster, my roadies! Keep dumping that jelly powder in the hot spring well!"

"Halt, fiend!" Rupert yelled, running at them. I ran to catch up with him.

All the BB Brigade members lined up and faced us as the commander stepped forward. "Well, looky here! You got guts showin' your ugly mugs in a place like this!" he laughed. "Since you came all this way I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm one of the three BareBones Brigade commanders!" he posed in a fighting stance. "The name's Lester, and I'm gonna rock your world!"

Lester had a bright, lime green mohawk, a spiked collar and metal wrist-cuffs, a leather jacket with a skull shirt underneath, white jeans, and black eyeliner around his eyes.

"He he, my plan's tighter than a snare drum!" he continued. "I fill the hot spring with jelly so the Fighters can't move! If they want out, they have to eat their way out! But by the time they're free, they'll be to fat to compete in the Cup!" he smirked. "Gahar har har har! Man, I'm pretty great... Oh, and don't even think about trying to stop me or I'll stomp your head into the ground!"

"You trapped my friend with your stupid plan! He's not even competing anymore!" I grabbed my Dino Medals. The rage of my Vivosaurs and I was almost palpable.

Rupert faced me, "Think you can handle this Lester character, Dina?" I nodded, ready to get the fight on. "Alright, I'll take out the lackeys guarding that machine."

"Alright, Lester, let's see what you got!" I growled.

"Gar har har, my Vivosaurs are gonna rock you!" he mocked. He sent out B-Rex, B-Brachio, and a unique red-colored Boneysaur, B-Tricera. Its ghostly blue eyes burned right into my soul.

My newly evolved Lugmos and Nycto went out first, then Coatlus. Lugmos's tail waved back and forth impatiently.

"Well, what're you waiting for? It's your move!" Lester yelled.

I narrowed my eyes, "Lugmos Tail!"

Lugmos leapt at his opponent, B-Rex, and smacked him sideways, then slapped him to the ground. He shakily got to his feet as another blow was struck to his head. He slowly stood up as Lugmos retreated, then stood in a wobbly battle-stance.

B-Rex let out a low growl and prepared to attack, but Lester called him back and strangely skipped his turn.

"Umm, alright then," I said, boggled. "Lugmos, attack B-Rex again with Lugmos tail!"

B-Rex held his ground, then took a sharp turn to the right to dodge, but Lugmos recalculated his aim and hit B-Rex square in the snout, sending him staggering backward with a loud CRACK. Lugmos let out a bellowing laugh.

Lester's expression became angry, "Okay, if that's how it is then..." he motioned for B-Brachio's attention, "Get Coatlus with a Boney Tsunami!"

B-Brachio reared up on its hind legs, then, using its tail as a counterweight, spun around in a full circle so that its tail whipped Coatlus. The pterosaur wobbled in the air as he was struck in the side, then landed briefly to get his bearings and shook it off.

Lester then ordered for B-Tricera to attack Lugmos with a Boney Rush. The attack didn't even scratch the Super-Evolver despite the fact that he was at a disadvantage.

Next up, I commanded Coatlus to attack B-Tricera with Great Vortex. He whipped up a strong stream of wind with his wings that sent the red Boneysaur flying backward in a mid-air spin.

Retaliating, B-Brachio used a Boney Tsunami attack on little Nycto, sending the flying Vivosaur to the ground with a loud thump. He flinched as he stood, then flew upwards. Next turn he finished off B-Tricera with Wing Whirlwind before Lugmos took out B-Rex with another Lugmos Tail.

"Urg, you're a tough one, aren't ya?" Lester growled. "B-Brachio! Finish the little flying one with Boney Stomp!"

Nycto's eyes grew wide as the titanic Boneysaur stomped straight down onto him, then let out a high-pitched shriek. Satisfied with the hit, B-Brachio retreated to his position with a smirk.

Nycto laid there, hurt. He still had a good amount of power left in him, but he was too injured to do anything.

"You rest, buddy," I whispered, then glared at Lester, "We'll take care of him.."

"Lugmos!" he glanced back at me with his ruby eyes, "Lugmos Sphere! Make him feel what Nycto feels!"

Lugmos stood on his back legs, then began to charge a ball of fiery energy within his mouth, fueled by the rage of seeing Nycto hurt like that. He released the inferno right at B-Brachio, whom stepped back in fear, but it was too late. By the time he was ready to dodge the fire hit him and he collapsed.

We cheered, but Nycto shrieked again, 'Quick! Look!' We all turned to see a charred B-Brachio slowly emerging from the smoke ready to battle despite his injuries. As Lester was about to call an attack, Coatlus raised his head in a screech, then used an insanely powerful Wing Cutter on B-Brachio. The attack left white scratches against the Boneysaur's blackened exterior, and he collapsed to ground, his body transforming back into a Dino Medal that slid to his master's feet.

"M-My Boneysaurs got beat like the bass player at an easy listening concert!"

"And that means... what?" I asked with a half angry, half puzzled look.
Lester went to reply, then paused. "Wait.. You're the Fighter that beat Cole, aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" I shouted back, then I kneeled down to pick up Nycto's Dino Medal, which was dented and scratched to show how badly he'd been damaged.

Rupert looked at me like he'd had enough of the BB Brigade. "Di66-R!" he shouted, turning to face behind him. The purple robot began floating over to Rupert, then Rupert signaled with his hand to the machine, "Destroy the machine!"

"Of course, sir or madam. It will be my pleasure." He seemed to have a hint of satisfaction in his robotic voice. Effortlessly, he made his way to the machine and began pounding on it like it was a punching bag. "CONTROL ALT DELETE!!"

Lester's eyes grew wide and he clenched his teeth. Di66-R made quick work of the metal contraption, allowing the hot spring water to purify itself.

"N-NOO! Operation Fill Hot Spring with Jelly is ruined! RUUINED!" He whipped around and put a fist up in front of my face. "I won't forget this, punk! You and I will have a special reunion someday-"

"I would appreciate it if you would back off," Rupert said sternly, pushing Lester back. Lester looked at him, then him and his goons fled.

Rupert continued glaring at Lester until he was out of sight, then he turned back to me, smiling. "The hot spring should be okay now."

Kent came running down the lava-bordered path just as I was about to reply. "You ok, little dudes?"

"Yeah," I said. "The BB Brigade used that machine back there," I motioned with my hand, "To pollute the hot spring water, but Di66-R broke it so everything should be alright now."

"I knew the BB Brigade hosers were behind this mess!" Kent yelled. "Sorry it took so long to get here, dudes, but you seemed to be ok without me." Rupert and I looked at each other and smiled.

"So," Kent spoke, "You dudes wanna head back to Ilium Village."

"Anything to get out of this heat," Rupert sighed. We all laughed then headed up the gondola.
-------

"Heeeyyy!"

It didn't take long to get back to Ilium, so we went inside the Fighter Station before I froze to death. Sure enough, Todd was the first to meet us there.

"That jelly finally melted, so I was able to crawl to safety!"

"And you smell like a Jolly Rancher!" I laughed.

Todd laughed too, "I just Vivosaurs don't mistake me for candy." All of us laughed together.

We all turned to Kent as he was about to leave. "Well, dudes, you totally saved the day once more. The reputation of the Caliosteo Patrol Team is growing by the day! Totally gnarly, dude!" He turned around and waved goodbye, "I gotta go wax my snowboard, so I'll see ya later!"

Pauleen came stomping up to us, "Hey! I heard! I heard all about it!"

"Hey Pauleen-" Todd started, but Pauleen cut him off.

"We're supposed to be a team here, guys! I mean, I'm the most beautiful member and all, but we're still a team!" She got up in Todd's face, making him blush, "So why was I not informed? Huh?!"

"U-Umm... because I was stuck in jelly?" Todd said, his face pure red.

"Ohhh, I see. So it was Dina who did all the work, hmm?" she asked.

"Well, Rupert was a big help, too. He tagged along with me," I told her.

"Oh, so Rupert was there, too? What made the little rich boy decide to help? Were they carrying gold coins or something?"

"PAULEEN!" I yelled.

Rupert's face turned red, and he turned away, "I-I will not defend myself to you! I-I just.. felt like helping, that's all..." Luckily, Pauleen was willing to drop the subject.

"...Huh, well, whatever! I guess the reason doesn't really matter anyway," Pauleen stated, and Rupert sighed with relief.
"But there's no backing down now, Rupert!" she continued.

"W-What do you mean by that?" he asked nervously.

"You fought the BB Brigade, and you protected the Caliosteo Fossil Park for the sake of the Cup. There's no doubt about it," she winked, "You're the newest member of the Caliosteo Patrol Team!"

Rupert gasped.

Todd smiled, "That's a great idea! We'd love to have Rupert join us!" he turned to me, "Right, Dina?"

"Yeah!" I looked at Rupert, "Whad'ya say, Rupert?"

"You want me... to join? To be your friend?" he said, a small smile creasing his face.

"Wow, Rupert. You look almost happy. It's so unlike you!"

Rupert blushed a little again, "It's.. it's not that. I'm just... I mean..." he sighed and smiled, "Oh, very well. I suppose I'm a bit happy."

"Yeah, Rupert!" I pulled him into a hug, and he gasped and blushed a deep red, smiling faintly.

"Great! Then from now on, the four of us are the Caliosteo Patrol Team! Just remember that I'm the pretty one, alright?" We all laughed, except Pauleen.

"That was not supposed to be funny you guys!" she fumed. "Ugh, alright then, let's do the Patrol Team Cheer!"

Pauleen started doing some cheerleading hand motions, "Go, team, go! Fight, team, fight! We fight creeps all day and all night! Goooo, Patrol Team!" We all lept up with our fist in the air, except for Rupert.

"Come on, Rupert, just copy us," I said to him.

"Ok, let's try it once more.. Go, team, go! Fight, team, fight! We fight creeps all day and all night! Goooo, Patrol Team!" All of us lept up with joy.

Rupert smiled, "Heh heh, this is fun!"

"What is this nonsense?" I recognized the voice instantly.

"F-Father!" Rupert look at his father with fear. I narrow my eyes into a glare.

"What do you think you are doing, Rupert? I've heard reports that you helped another Fighter take on the BareBones Brigade!" Rupert looked down at the floor. "Need I remind you that you are the public face of FossilDig Inc.? We cannot afford to have you going off on such fool's errands! You might have destroyed our image!" he turned away from his son. "This is a sad day for me as your father."

He looked at his father with ready eyes, "I'm.. I'm sorry, father. I only wanted to-"

"Apologies are worthless without action! If you are truly sorry, you can prove it by winning Round 5 of the Caliosteo Cup. Crush your enemies, Rupert, and I will know where your loyalties lie." The FossilDig CEO then turned and walked off.

Todd groaned, "Wow, Rupert. Your Dad's a real hard case. I can't believe he said that stuff to you!"

Rupert sighed, "Don't concern yourself with it, Todd. I-I... I'm used to it." He looked up at me with a sad expression, "I'm sorry, but I won't be able to join the Caliosteo Patrol Team." He looked at all of us, "From now on just... just leave me alone!"

He went to run off, but I pushed forward and stopped him, "Rupert, please..."

"You know," he started, "I remember a time when I used to think Fossil Battles were fun. I loved my Vivosaurs, and I felt excited to battle with them." He looked at me, tears running down his face, "But at some point, I stopped becoming a carefree child and became a walking advertisement for FossilDig Inc. The more famous I got, the less I was allowed to be myself."

He closed his eyes and took a breath for a moment, "That's when Fossil Battles stopped being fun. They were just work and, eventually, they bored me."

He let a small smiled come upon his face, "And yet when I was with you... For just a moment... I-I... I remembered how I used to feel." He looked me in the eyes, his tear-filled gaze blocked the emotions his eyes were showing, then he blinked and turned away. "Thank you, my friends... and goodbye."

Rupert ran off, but I ran after him outside. "Wait! Rupert, please!"

Rupert paused, his silhouette outlined by the moonlit sky. I paused to talk to him, but he turned around and beat me to it.

"Dina, I need to tell you something. If we never get to see each other again.. I..." he stopped.

"What Rupert?" I asked. Then he looked up at me and hesitated.

"Dina, you are the closest thing I've had to a friend in years. I just want you to know that... I'll never forget you.." he kissed my hand, and I blushed. I pulled him into a hug.

"Rupert, I'm positive this isn't the last time we'll meet. Don't worry, when we see each other again we can go get ice cream or something, ok?" Tears ran down both of our faces as we stood there. Then he finally backed away and ran off, leaving me crying alone.
----------

(Rupert's POV)

...I am such an IDIOT! I mentally yelled to myself.

'I told you that you should have told her! But nooo, you had to chicken out!' Mapo whined.

I threw his Dino Medal onto the ground. "Shut up! Shut the hell up right now! I know I screwed up! I know I never told her! But that doesn't matter now! I can't go back, at least not now..." I felt tears starting to form in my eyes and blinked them away.

Oh, Dina. If I hadn't been so nervous then I would have told you the real truth.. Why I truly wouldn't forget you..

...I love you.

Chapter Text

(Dina's POV)

I walked solemnly back inside, my face red from crying.

"So, did you catch up to him-"

"Yes, Pauleen, but he's gone..." I let out a depressed sigh.

Suddenly, our Paleopagers beeped, "Due to recent events in the Fossil Park, Round 5 matches will start tomorrow. Thank you, and have a good night."

I dropped onto my knees and sighed, then Pauleen put her hand on my shoulder and bent down to talk to me. "I know you're sad, but it's time to step up!" She stood up, "I'm going to rest up and prepare for my battle, and I suggest you do the same."

I just groaned.

Pauleen grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me off the ground. "I swear, Dina, you better fight with everything you got! I'm planning to battle you in the final round, so I won't forgive you if you lose!" Then she released me and walked off.

I just kinda stood there with a startled expression, but Todd came up to me and snapped me out of it. "I think Pauleen was trying to cheer you up... in her own way. But seriously, Dina, tomorrow you have to go out there and have fun! I'll be cheering for ya'!" Then Todd ran off, too.

I took a deep breath, then grabbed Nycto's Medal from my pocket. Vivosaurs usually heal within minutes when they revert back to Dino Medals, but Nycto took a lot longer. Now he was fine again, and I was glad. "If he can repair himself after an incident, then so can I." I muttered to myself.

Rupert will be back, I just know it! I thought.

'That's the spirit, Dina!' Nycto encouraged. I smiled and walked over to the corridor with my room.

As I opened the door, I noticed Rupert's things were missing. There was a note taped to my closet.

To Whom it May Concern,

I have decided it's best for Rupert to move into his own room. It is none of your concern why, but it has nothing to do with you or anyone related.

Sincerely,
Rupert's Father (Mr. Kaseki, FossilDig CEO)

I angrily crumpled up the paper, stomped on it, then ran to the bathroom and flushed it down the toilet. If his father is that dense that he made him get his own room so he won't get distracted by his friends, then he is the biggest jerk that I have ever met in my life! I sank down onto my bed and let out a long sigh of frustration.

"Guys, we are gonna win this thing! For Rupert, and to show his dad that he deserves to live his own life!" I shouted. My Vivosaurs roared back in agreement.

I got up, changed into my PJs, and just as I was about to put my fossil case in the closet for the night I noticed that there was still a fossil rock in it. It was the carnivore head fossil that I'd found in Hot Spring Heights just before the jelly incident. I decided to revive it after the match tomorrow.
----------------------------

"The Caliosteo Cup's Round 5 matches will begin now. Joanie has been selected as Dina's Round 5 opponent," then there was a pause, "Sorry, there's been a correction. Princess Pooch will be Dina's opponent. Please prepare, then check in at Ilium Village's Fossil Stadium."

I was ready. A good night's rest restored all my energy and I was ready to fight. Lugmos, Nycto, and Coatlus all growled with eagerness and I headed into the waiting area without hesitation.

With so many Fighters now out of the competition, the wait was even shorter. Before long, Joanie, Princess Pooch, and I were called to the Stadium.

Princess Pooch barked something at me, and Joanie translated, "Fate, she is cruel to make us battle each other so. But if it must be, know zat I shall not be defeated." Joanie smiled with glee, "I am so very excited to see you make with ze Fossil Battle!

Princess Pooch's team was composed of two Gomp and a Marple; a water-type Super-Evolver. I sent out Lugmos, Nycto, and Coatlus, but as soon as they hit the ground they began sliding around on the ice. Luckily, my two air-type Vivosaurs were in the Attack Zone, meaning my opponents were at a major disadvantage.

"Nycto, attack Marple with Wing Whirlwind!"

Marple went flying backwards as Nycto's wing hit her. Despite the strong hit, Marple only took a slight bit of damage. Coatlus followed up with a Diving Trust that took out a quarter of her health.

Princess Pooch barked a command, and her Marple formed a whirlpool that headed right at Coatlus. He spun around for a long time before swirling downward towards the ground, dizzy.

Next up, Lugmos slid into the AZ, but since he was at a disadvantage I let Coatlus attack.

After shaking off the dizziness, Coatlus hit one of the Gomp with a whirling vortex that took down almost all of its health. It retaliated with a kick at Coatlus, but he flew up and dodged. Nycto finished off Gomp with a Wing Hurricane.

Infuriated, Princess Pooch comanded Marple to attack, sending a wall of water crashing down on Nycto. Nycto got up, but not before the second Gomp followed up with a Gomp Combo, knocking out Nycto.

"Coatlus, use Great Vortex on Marple!"

The giant, flying Vivosaur flew up and flapped its wings, causing huge gusts of wind, the flew in a circle to create large whirlwinds that it sent at Marple. The little Super-Evolver held on strong, so I took a chance and had Lugmos attack. The damage was just enough to take out Marple, who spun around before falling and reverting to a Dino Medal.

Last up, Gomp used Gomp Combo again on Coatlus, which took him down to about half his health. Coatlus, in a lucky critical hit, took out Gomp. Princess Pooch growled with fury, but my Vivosaurs roared triumphantly. I felt so much happier knowing I'd gotten past another round.
------------------

Todd was, once again, jumping for joy after seeing me win. He congratulated me, and Princess Pooch, on a great fight.

"You really gave it your all out there!" he exclaimed. Princess Pooch shook her head with regret.

"Ah, but ze loss is ze loss, no? Zere is nothing more we can do," Joanie stated, looking down at Princess Pooch. "Come, Princess. We must be getting back to ze Kingdom of Nomadistan."

Princess Pooch let out a whimper.

"Your Highness!" Minister Pomposa came sprinting over to her. "That was magnificent! Minister Pomposa has been most inspired this day! Minister Pomposa curses himself for ever doubting the wonderfulness of Fossil Battles. One can now see why Princess Pooch is so enamored by them."

He thought for a quick moment, "Very well... Minister Pomposa can see that your passion for battling is strong and true. Princess Pooch is hereby granted permission to remain here as long as she wishes."

Princess Pooch's eyes grew wide and she leapt up and down, howling with joy.

Joanie petted her head. "Zat is most exciting for you, no?"

Princess Pooch barked in reply.

"Zat idea, it is fantastique! We will go excavate ze fossil rocks right away!" Princess Pooch scurried off with Joanie, leaving Minister Pomposa behind.

"It has been far too long since Princess Pooch has been so happy..." Minister Pomposa murmured. Then he turned to me, "You did very well! Minister Pomposa expects to see you succeed at this Cup. Do not let him down!" With that, Minister Pomposa walked off.

"Dudes!" Kent came running over. "That was a seriously smokin' battle. You made it all the way to the semifinals!"

I gasped, "It's the semifinals already?"

"Yep. Now I know you're not in it for the money and stuff, but here's a prize anyway." He handed me a weird, red-colored mask.

"That's a special mask, dude. It has, like, eerie powers! If you wear the mask when you excavate fossil rocks, you'll see what I mean." Then he walked off. "Good luck in the next round, dude!"

Todd was about to speak when another interruption- this time our Paleopagers- happened.

"All Round 5 matches of the Caliosteo Cup have been completed. Also, a new dig site has opened: Icegrip Plateau. It is a frigid dig site made up of massive ice flows on a vast sea. Fighters are urged to go there and prepare for the semifinals."

Todd finally got to speak, "Icegrip Plateau? Woah, I can only imagine what types of fossils could be there, considering that the whole place is made up of ice! Just thinking of it gives me chills! ...not because I'm cold, because I'm excited!"

The two of us put on our coats and headed off to the digsite, hoping that nothing would come and ruin what was turning out to be a great day.
---------------

(Meanwhile, at the BB Brigade Base)

Don Boneyard glared at Lester, "It seems our little jelly plan has ended in abject failure... First Cole, and now you..."

Lester gulped. "I-I'm s-sorry, Don Boneyard!"

Cole snickered, "Don't worry there, pal. I'm sure your little brain worked as hard as it possibly could." Lester whipped around and growled, but Cole ignored him and stepped forward.

"Please, Don Boneyard, hear me out! I have a new plan that's bound to work! We just distract the male competitors with fancy gadgets! I just need video games, DVD players, about 300 cell phones, and the world's largest flatscreen TV!" Cole smiled mischievously.

Lester pushed Cole back. "Don Boneyard, wait! My new plan is gonna rock your socks off! See this time I'm gonna sneak chocolate pudding into the hot spring! We can call it... Operation Put Chocolate Pudding Into The Hot Spring!"

Lester snickered at Cole, "Stick THAT plan in your mirror, wannabe!"

"Lester, you are such an-"

"Ugh, are you fighting againnn?"

Both guys turned and stared as a girl with orange hair walked in.

"Ah, Lola, there you are." Don Boneyard said.

"Yeeaaahh, sorry I'm so late. I had to, like, do a bunch of stuff. But I think you can relax now, Don B. I've got a plan that'll cancel that Cup in a flash. It's groovy, man. You're gonna love it."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Lester spoke up, "I had a great plan, and even that failed!"

"Your plan sucked, Lester..."

"Cole, shut the hell up, 'K?"

"Guys, your plans both, were, like, totaaally useless. Get over it." Lester frowned, and Cole just kinda stood there with a blank expression. Lola continued, "You guys gotta be like me. Keep your minds, like, open."

Don Boneyard hung his head and sighed, then looked up at Lola. "...I must admit, after seeing these two fools fail I have my doubts about your plan as well. However, Lola, you are one of my three commanders, so I suppose there's a chance for you..." he thought for a moment, "Very well. We will execute Lola's plan immediately."

Lola smirked, "Aw, thanks, Don B. But I could use a little help from the boys..."

"Cole! Lester!" Don Boneyard bellowed. The two flinched as they were addressed. "You two will give Lola whatever assistance she requires. And make no bones about it... I will not accept another failure!"

Cole shuddered. "O-of course, Don Boneyard!" He steadied his voice, "Whatever you wish."

Lester groaned, "Aw, man. I don't wanna play second fiddle to some backup singer!" Lola stomped on Lester's foot, "...Gah! Okay! I'll do it."

Lola looked at Don Boneyard with a menacing expression, "You're totally gonna looove this plan, Don B. I promise."
-----------------------

(Back at Illium Island)

Just before we headed off, I remembered that I had to clean my new fossil rock. Todd came with me, and as we put it in the machine, green sparks erupted from each side. A large, blue carnivore with yellow feathers on its neck and above its eyes was depicted on the Dino Medal. Its name was Aeros, so I put him on my team in one of the reserved spots.

As we arrived at the dig site, I spotted Pauleen near a large chunk of ice that seemed to look like a person. I told Todd to go on ahead so I could figure out what she was doing, and he walked off.

Pauleen was just standing there, her mask off, talking to the ice like she was to the snowman at Hot Spring Heights.

"Hello, digadig. It's very chilly here, isn't it? Take care, diga, not to catch a cold." She frowned and narrowed her eyes with frustration. "Aw, digadig! Practicing like this isn't helping me at all!"

I approached her slowly, "...Pauleen?"

She whipped around and screamed, then hid behind a chunk of ice and put her mask back on. "You were spying on me, weren't you, Dina?" she asked turning back around. I nodded and explained how I saw her at the last dig site as well.

"Wait, what?! You also spied on me at Hot Spring Heights?!" She growled, "Y-you are a terrible person, you know that? You don't spy on people when they're embarrassing themselves, and you ESPECIALLY don't do it twice!"

She glared at me for a few moments before apologizing, "...I'm sorry. I guess it's not really your fault. So, um..." she nervously spoke, "I guess you want to know what I was doing just now?

"Um, well yeah... I guess so," I replied.

"Well, I'll tell you, Dina, but only because I trust you... I was..." she hesitated, "practicing talking to people."

"Really?" I asked. Then she broke down crying.

"Oh, Dina, I'm such a fraud! I act boastful and snobby, but I'm really just shy and terrified! I can't even talk to people without getting jittery and nervous and... everything just falls apart..."

"Pauleen, it's okay. Everybody gets nervous sometim-"

"But not like me! Every time I meet someone I don't know, my face gets red and my tongue starts tripping over itself..." she took a deep breath.

"Anyway, the only way I can get around is by wearing this mask. You see, it's a magical mask. It gives whoever wears it a cheerful, sunny personality. Because of that, it's one of my village's greatest treasures. And yet..." she bawled her hands into fists and turned away, "I want nothing more than to be free of this mask forever. I... I want to talk with my own voice and see with my own eyes, but... but... I'm too scared to do it, and that's why I was practicing."

She looked back at me, "So, um, what do you think, Dina? Will I ever be able to take off this mask?"

I nodded and smiled, "Of course I do, Pauleen! And, if it makes you any happier, Todd actually likes the real you."

"You do, and, h-he does?!" she exclaimed, "...Heh. It's kinda funny, but after you said that I felt a little braver. B-but, Todd likes me? The real me?"

"Yeah, but don't tell him I said so because he'll probably die if he knew," I replied.

Pauleen, or I assumed she was, smiled. "I'm going to keep trying, and I'm going to fight with all I've got! You'll see! Before the Cup ends, I'm gonna take off this mask for good! But.. could you maybe cheer me on?

"Sure, Pauleen!" I agreed.

"Alright, see ya, Dina!" She walked off, but paused, " ...And thanks for listening." Then she continued on.

I walked on, trying to find Todd, when I noticed a man sleeping on the ground, snoring like a bear.

Once again, it was good ol' Professor Scatterly.

"Hey, Dina!" Todd shouted as I approached the old man. He came running down the slope towards me.

He shivered, "Brr! It's really cold here, and I'm wearing a coat! I bet if you fell asleep here you'd never wake up!"

I gave him a startled look, "Um, Todd, we may have a problem then..."

He went to ask why, but gasped when he saw Professor Scatterly. "Holy crow! Someone did fall asleep here! Quick, Dina, we gotta wake this old guy up before something terrible happens!"

I shook the old man. "Umm, Professor Scatterl- WAAHH!" I jumped back as he leapt up from the ground.

He murmured something incoherent, then began talking, "...Good heavens! I appear to have fallen asleep! How terribly careless of me, eh wot?" He then noticed me standing beside him, "By my stars, if it isn't Dina! I appear to be in your debt yet again, youngin'!" He turned to Todd, "And you are a friend of Dina, I presume?"

"Yep, I'm Todd! Nice to meet you," Todd said.

"Well met, old bean! I am Professor Nigel Scatterly, curator of the Caliosteo Museum. I have detected my entire life to studying the history of these islands." Then he got an idea, "I say, perhaps I should acquaint young Todd here with the history of the Calio Slablets!"

Todd's eyes grew wide, "Uhh, actually, you don't have to-" but Professor Scatterly continued anyway, and after about ten minutes he had summarized everything he'd found out.

"...That is everything we know so far! Yes, quite."

Todd facepalmed, "Ugh, that was like sitting through history class!"

Professor Scatterly interrupted, "But hold up! There's more!" Todd groaned. "For you see, I have discovered yet another Slablet in this very spot! So without further ado, please allow me to translate it for you." He examined the Slabet and cheered.

"...Aha! This is Slablet #2! I knew you couldn't stay hidden forever, you cheeky little artifact!" he chuckled.

"Now then, the Slablet reads: "ZongaZonga's immortality spell unleashed a great and terrible power. With this magic, he could force his own skull into the head of another, thereby assuming his very being. By taking over new bodies as his current one aged, ZongaZonga assured himself of eternal life."" Todd shuddered at the thought of it.

""The unfortunate victim chosen to give his body to ZongaZonga was known as the Majestic Vessel. To be chosen as a Majestic Vessel was a fate worse than death, and the people feared it above all else.""

Professor Scatterly was shocked, "Good heavens! It seems ZongaZonga was nothing more than a common magical body thief! ....Not that there's anything common about that, eh wot?"

"Uhh, yeah...." Todd muttered. I kinda nodded my head.

"I say, this is all quite fascinating, don't you think? I wonder if the people of ancient times endured ZongaZonga's rule across countless generations? Or perhaps they were clever enough to defeat this terror?" he looked at us with a distraught look, "By my knickers, I must know what happened to those poor peopl-"

A sudden beeping alert came from Todd and my Paleopagers, and we quickly looked at the screen in surprise.

"Howdy there, pards," Joe greeted us, "I'm afraid we got a problem on our hands. I need the Patrol Team to mount up and gather in my suite immediately." The message ended with that, no explanation.

Todd and I exchanged worried looks, "This sounds bad. We'd better get over there right awa.. ACHHOO!" Todd sneezed, then continued sneezing uncontrollably.

"Todd, are you alright?" I questioned. He frowned.

"Urrgh... My head hurts... and-d I'm f-f-freezing..." he shuddered. The Professor quickly grabbed the Slablet and checked Todd's temperature.

"Sweet fish and chips! This lad is ruining a dangerously high fever! Not to worry, Dina. I'll see to it that your friend is up and attam in no time!" he reassured me.

Todd sneezed and shuddered again, "S-sorry, Dina. I d-don't think I'll make it to see Joe."

"It's alright, Todd. I'll let him know what happened." Todd nodded, then Professor Scatterly led him off while I rushed to the heliport to head to Cranial Isle.
-----------------

Pauleen was already at Joe's suite, and he greeted me as I arrived.

"Thanks for comin', Dina. Now we just have to wait for Todd, and-"

"Sorry, Joe, but Todd's got a fever and can't come today," I explained.

Joe frowned, "Poor feller went and caught himself a cold? Now don't that just beat all!" He sighed, "Well, I reckon this is all the Patrol Team we're gonna have today."

Pauleen spoke up, "Actually, Rupert should be here, too."

I looked at her doubtfully, "What makes you say that? He specifically said that he isn't going to come because of what his father said!"

She shrugged. "Well anyway..." Pauleen continued, "What's this about, Joe? You said it was serious."

"Keep this under yer hat, but some varmit went and stole our Super Electrominites." both of us looked confused.

Joe explained, "Ya' see, these Electrominites are extremely rare fossils that put out a near preposterous amount of energy. In fact, this entire fossil park runs on just three Super Electrominites. Anyway, a little while ago, three intruders busted into all the park's Fighter Stations. They went straight to the generator rooms and made off with the Super Electrominites. We're running on regular Electrominites now, but I reckon them boys ain't gonna last much longer."

Pauleen looked a bit frightened, "Wh-what happens then...?"

"Nothin' good, I'm afraid." Joe said regretfully, "Lights'll go out, auto-doors won't open, KL-33N and all them VMMs will fail... We'll pretty much be sittin' in the dark, I reckon. And forget about revivin' yer fossil rocks!"

"That's terrible!" Pauleen exclaimed, "It would be the end of the entire Caliosteo Fossil Park!"

Joe nodded, "I know. That's why we gotta recover those Super Electrominites as soon as possible! I've heard rumors that the culprits are hidin' out at one of the dig sites. I sent Stella, Terry, and Kent out to look fer' em', but I'm hopin' you two can join the search."

I agreed, "Of course! I'm in!"

"Yeah! I won't stand by and let a bunch of jerks shut down this park!" Pauleen exclaimed.

"Glad to hear it, little lady. Anyway, I'd like ya' to search out at Icegrip Plateau. Good luck, y'all!" Joe dismissed us.

"Alright, we'd better head over there right away," I told Pauleen.

"Right," she agreed. And we headed down the elevator.

We rushed for the door, but bumped into Rupert instead.

He scowled, "I told you I want nothing to do with you people. Now if you'll excuse me-"

"Rupert, please! We need your help. Todd's sick today and it's only me and Pauleen..." I frowned.

"...Help you? I'm sorry, what part of 'leave me alone' was confusing to you?"

Pauleen walked up to him, "Listen, Rupert! Someone stole the Super Electrominites that power this park. If we don't get them back, no one will be able to clean or revive their fossil rocks! Joe asked Dina and me to search in Icegrip Plateau, so that's where we're headed," she said sternly. "Come on, Rupert! We need your help!"

Rupert's eyes showed how conflicted he felt, "This... This is none of my concern. Excuse me." He began walking away.

"You say that, but I know it's a lie!" Pauleen shouted after him. He stopped suddenly.

"Deep down, you love battling, Rupert. I know you do. And you'd be heartbroken if they canceled the Cup!" He turned around a bit, but he was looking at the ground.

"It's time to be honest about your feelings! It's time to show some backbone and stop being your father's puppet!"

"Rupert... please..." I asked.

He looked into my eyes, but turned back around and murmured, "You're right..." then he ran off. I tried to catch up, but stopped.

"I can't believe I told him to show some backbone. I'm not even brave enough to take this mask off. I don't have the right to yell at anyone..." Pauleen said with guilt.

"I think that's just what he needed, though, Pauleen," I smiled.

Pauleen shrugged, "I guess so.. Well, we'd better head off to Icegrip Plateau."

I nodded, and we both headed for the heliport.
------------------

(Rupert's POV)

"God, I must seem like a real jerk now, huh?" I murmured.

'You got that right.' Mapo replied. Truthfully, I should be calling him Mapo King since I just evolved him, but Mapo just kind of stuck. ...Despite the fact that I had two more.

I pulled his Dino Medal out of my pocket, "You're really discouraging, you know that?" I said to him.

'That's what I'm here for!' he teased.

I groaned, "You know, although I hate to admit it, Pauleen was right..."

'About what?'

"About showing my true feelings. Not just to my father but to Dina...." I clenched my fist. "I feel like such an idiot for refusing to help her."

The lights suddenly flickered as the power began to run out.

"There's still time, you know. You can always meet with her and Pauleen." Mapo growled, and for the first time he was actually encouraging.

"Well then, I've got to hurry." I leapt up and stuck Mapo in my pocket, "Let's go." I ran out the door at full speed.

Mapo laughed, 'Well, you're the one running! I'm just kinda idling here.'

"Mapo, just shut up for a little while, alright?"

'...Fine.'
-----------------

(Dina's POV)

"There's some creepy people up there, Dina. We'd better stick together," Pauleen whispered as we crept along an ice bridge.

"Pauleen, over there. I think it's one of the commanders." I pointed to a girl dressed in black and white with her orange hair done up in some strange bun with a skull clip. We ran up to her.

"Oh, heeeey, you made it. Cool. I kinda thought you'd be here sooner but... yeah. Like, I was expecting someone to find us sooner 'cause, like, this is a pretty big deal." she spoke.

"So you are with the BareBones Brigade!" Pauleen shouted.

The girl smirked. "Toootally. And I'm one of the three commanders." She posed with her hand on her hip and the other out to her side, "I'm the groovy chick, Lola! Hehe, sooo, did you dig my plan to steal the Super Electrominites? 'Cause I thought it was totally wicked." She put a piece of gum in her mouth and blew a bubble. "See, 'cause if you can't clean or revive, then, like, there's not going to be a Cup, man. It's gonna be totally harsh for the Fighters, man. I can't wait."

Pauleen growled, "You won't get away with this, hippie! Give back those Super Electrominites right now!"

"Yeeaaahh, but no. I don't think you heard me. Remember how I said, like, I wanted the Fighters to be sad about the Cup? So then, I'm prooobably not gonna give the Super Electronimites back," she said casually.

"Fine then!" Pauleen shouted, "we'll settle this with a Fossil Battle!"

Lola laughed, "Oh man, that's toooo funny." She stepped back and snapped her fingers. "Cole, sweeety. Lester. Come here for a sec."

Pauleen and I stepped back as the other two commanders walked up to her.

Cole smirked, "Well, well. If it isn't the Fighter who ruined my awesome plan. I am very excited to see you again, kiddo. You have no idea."

"I'm gonna thrash you good for what you did to me at Mt. Krakanak!" Lester bellowed.

"Uh-oh..." Pauleen turned to me nervously. "I don't know if we can take on all three of these creeps, Dina!"

"We've won before it's even begun! ...Oh, that, like, rhymed. Cooooool." Lola boasted.

"...It looks like all three of you suffer from a severe case of overconfidence."

My heart skipped a beat as I turned and saw Rupert charging towards us. His eyes were burning with rage.

"R-Rupert? ...But why?" Pauleen asked. She was as shocked as I was.

"Because you were right. Because I need to start being more honest with myself. I like this Cup, and... I'm looking forward to facing Dina in a Fossil Battle. I'd be most disappointed if it was canceled," he stated.

"I knew you would come, Rupert." I smiled at him.

"Ha!" Pauleen sneered at the BB Brigade commanders, "Now it's three on three! Who's winning now, losers?"

"Just back down while you can," I growled.

Lola groaned, "Ugh, man. This is l, like, toootally annoying!" she turned to her fellow commanders. "Guys, it's time to take out the trash!"

"With pleasure," Cole snickered.

I readied my Dino Medals. "Pauleen, you deal with Cole. Rupert, you fight Lester. Leave Lola to me."

"Got it," they said simultaneously.

"This is what you get for kidnapping me!" Pauleen tossed her Dino Medals in the air.

Rupert glared at Lester. "This will teach you not to threaten my friends!" Rupert let out his Vivosaurs. He had a Giga Raja, a blue Giganoto, and his Mapo was now a Mapo King. The three brilliant Vivosaurs roared at their opponent.

I met Lola's eyes, "You guys aren't as tough as you say, so you'd better hope your Vivosaurs make up for that!"

"Suuurre. B-Jara! B-Lambeo! B-Brachio! Let's rooollll!!"

Her B-Jara, a clumsy flying Vivosaur, had a bright green skeleton with glowing purple eyes. B-Brachio was just as titanic as the usual Brachio, and with the usual plain white skeletal coloration instead.

"Alright, guys. Give it your all!" Lugmos, Nycto, and Coatlus let out angry growls and screeches as they locked on to their opponents. Either side could win as there were no advantages or disadvantages.

My vivosaurs began to slide around on the slippery terrain, like usual.

"Coatlus, attack B-Jara with Great Vortex!"

The large twister swept up the klutzy Boneysaur and whirled him around in the air, sending him plummeting full force to the ground. He staggered back, then flew back up into position, enraged.

B-Jara was pushed into the attack zone and let out a Boney Screech, but Nycto was unaffected as B-Jara's status caused him to miss. B-Lambeo followed up with a successful critical hit on Coatlus that took out a great amount of his LP.

Lugmos attacked next with a Lugmos Tail on B-Lambeo, who was whipped from side to side. B-Lambeo wasn't effected much, though, and quickly resumed position.

B-Jara tried to attack Lugmos with another Boney Screech but was unsuccessful once again. B-Lambeo, however, retaliated with a Boney Chomp and clung on to Lugmos's leg. He easily shook her off and took little damage.

"Nycto, use Wing Whirlwind on B-Jara!"

The small, flying Vivosaur swooped at his opponent and brought forth a gust of powerful wind, knocking B-Jara to the side. He didn't take much damage, though, but Coatlus went after B-Brachio and battered him with his wings. The Boneysaur took a huge amount of damage from the unexpected attack.

B-Brachio growled and kicked Lugmos right in the face, which made him go flying backward. The vivosaurs then reorganized their positions on the field but slid back around until Lugmos was in the AZ.

Lugmos retaliated at B-Brachio by hitting him in the face with a Lugmos Tail, then knocking him sideways with a powerful critical. B-Brachio was down within two hits.

Lola was infuriated, "Ugh, fiiiiine if you're gonna play like that... B-Jara," the Boneysaur turned back at her, "Boney Beguile!"

B-Jara screeched at Coatlus with a powerful sound wave that, although it didn't cause much damage to him, took all of our FP and gave it to Lola's side.

"Hey, how is that fair?" I yelled.

She blew a bubble with her bubble gum, which popped. "Who said I was trying to be fair?" she snickered. Then she looked at B-Lambeo, "Now go get the little one."

B-Lambeo bit down onto Nycto's wing and threw him into the air. Then, as he was dazed, she jumped up and double punched him upward, sending him falling to the ground. Coatlus flew under him so he wouldn't hit the ice.

'Thanks,' he said to Coatlus. Coatlus nodded and Nycto flew back up into the air.

Nycto glared at B-Lambeo, then unleashed a huge Wing Hurricane. The gust sent B-Lambeo hurtling backward, and me and Lola trying to avoid being blown away. Lola looked up just in time to catch her Dino Medal.

"Drat." she muttered under her breath.

B-Jara let out a Boney Screech, which sent Coatlus to the ground, asleep.

"No, Coatlus!" the Vivosaur was completely vulnerable to everything now.

Lugmos angrily leapt up and repeatedly hit B-Jara with his tail. The Vivosaur screeched and then flew back at Lola, transforming back into a Dino Medal. As she caught it, she looked at me in disgust.

"Ugh, no! This is a tooootal bummer, man!" she growled.

"All this losing is really starting to cramp my style!" Cole whined.

Lester was positively enraged. "I AM SO ANGRY!! NNNRRRGGHH!" Rupert was glaring at him but said nothing else.

Pauleen stepped forward, her hand out. "Alright, chumps! Hand over the Super Electrominites!"

The three of us began to corner the BB Brigade commanders, but a sudden tremor shook the ground.

"Oh, man. Like, what was that?" Lola looked around.

Lester panicked a bit, "I don't know, but it don't feel right!"

Cole turned and pointed to water suddenly, "Gah! What is that?!"

A huge, island-sized whale began swimming towards us. Pauleen screamed, and Cole held onto Lola for dear life. We were frozen to the spot, too scared to move, and before we knew it everything went black.

Chapter Text

"Ugh... Where are we?" Rupert got up, then Pauleen and I did, too.

All of us looked around. There were large puddles, pieces of boats, and a bunch of random and unrecognizable stuff.

"Well, we were at Icegrip Plateau and then there was... Oh, no. We've been swallowed by a whale!" Pauleen broke down and started crying, "W-We're gonna be digested!"

"Pauleen... It'll be alright," I tried to tell her.

"I don't wanna be whale food! I'm too beautiful! Waaaaahhhh!"

"Well, slap a fish and call me roughy! I come over to investigate all this racket, and instead, I find company!"

Pauleen stopped crying, mostly, and we all turned around to see a strange man who looked like he'd been here a really long time.

"W-Wha..? Oh, hello. Do you... uh... live here?" Pauleen asked.

The man nodded, "The name's Robinson! It's a right pleasure to meetcha. This whale's called the Bonehemoth, see, and he likes to chew on ice cubes."

He motioned his hand to the right in a sweeping motion, "So there I was, doin' a bit'a fishin', when up he swims. Dangnab fish up and swallowed me in one bite! That was near ten years ago, give or take a few."

"You've been here for ten years... by yourself?" Pauleen exclaimed.

Robinson shook his head, "Nah, I ain't by myself! I done gone and made a friend, see?" He held up a rubber, green ball. "Lemme introduce you to m'best friend in the whole, wide whale... Balliver!"

The ball, expectedly, stayed quiet.

"Now, Balliver, where's your manners? Go on and say hello to the nice folks now! ...Uh-huh. Yeah, I know. It's gonna be a lot louder with all these folks here. ...Well, Balliver, that's good to hear! I'm happy to have company myself!" He kept going on talking to "Balliver."

"...Uh, Dina? Rupert? That's just a ball with a face drawn on it!" Pauleen whispered.

"Perhaps his loneliness was so great he felt the need to invent a friend," Rupert replied.

"Aw, look at me! Flappin' m'gums while you stand there ankle deep in chum!" Pauleen looked down in disgust as Robinson said that. "You folks should wander around, see the sights! Get acquainted with your new home. This here Bonehemoth swallows all kinds of stuff, so if you want it, you can probably find it here."

He pointed over to our left, "See?"

Pauleen gasped, "Oh, my, God..." She ran over to a pile of objects, "It's KL-33N and a VMM!" She began pushing buttons, "Aw, nuts. The Teleporter's broken, but you can still switch out your Dino Medals."

"BOOP- If you need, I can assist you with cleaning as well. BEEP," KL-33N spoke.

"Oh, that's handy! Thanks, KL-33N!" Pauleen ran back over to us.

"Robinson," Rupert asked, "Is there any way to escape from this place?"

"Escape? Fish guts! Why would you wanna go and do a thing like that?" Robinson thought for a moment. "...Well, I suppose you could take it up with Lord Tonzilla. He's watcha might call the supreme ruler of this here place, see? He's at the top of the food chain, and the top of the Bonehemoth's digestive track!"

"Eww..." Pauleen gagged.

"If you folks could defeat Lord Tonzilla, you might be able to leave this place. ...But why would you wanna do such a thing?!" Robinson turned around and left.

Pauleen turned and grabbed me by the shoulders, "I don't care what the crazy man thinks! We have to beat Lord Tonzilla and get the heck out of here!"

"I hate to be the optimist, but at least we can excavate, clean, and revive fossils while we're here." Rupert paused for a second and thought, "Maybe we should split up and prepare, then meet up again when we get to Lord Tonzilla."

All of us agreed, then Pauleen and Rupert ran ahead. I sighed, then gagged because it smelled horribly like dead fish.

Although I was anxious to get out of here, I dug through the muck and found a Giant Fossil Rock. I walked a little further and saw streetlights, boxes, coelacanth skeletons (not the vivosaur kind), and a load of other unusual things.

I went further and saw the BB Brigade members, so I turned and hid behind a nearby boat.

"This place is, like, sooo not groovy. It's dark, gooey, and smells terribly like fish. I tooootaaally wanna get out of here now, man!" she whined.

Cole patted her on the back, "It's alright, Lola. We'll be out of here soon enough... hopefully."

"I hate enclosed spaces! I think I have closetphobia!"

"Lester, no one cares," Cole groaned.

"Someone has to!" Lester wailed.

Cole ignored him. "I don't even think my hair can stand having this much goo in it! We have to get out of here before I lose my just-woke-up look."

I walked forward. "As much as I hate you guys, I know how we can get out," I told them.

Lola freaked out. "You! This is, like, all your fault! You are such a total buzz kill!"

"My fault? If you hadn't stolen the Electrominites in the first place we would have never come to Icegrip Plateau!"

"Well, whaaatevverr. If you'd just give up the islands to us we wouldn't have to fight you!"

"Why do you want the islands, anyway?" I shouted.

Lester stepped forward, "You wanna know why we want the islands? Ha! Like I'd tell you! We've got plans! Big plans! "

"Look, our boss, Don Boneyard, told to cancel the Cup and drive off the Fighters, so that's what we're doing. We'll deal with other stuff when the time comes." Cole answered.

"Soooo, like, you're not even a member of Don Boneyard's evil gang, right? So, like, stay out of this and stop asking questions." Lola blew another bubble with her bubble gum.

"Okay, fine then! Find your own way out," I turned away from them and ran forward. Ahead, I spotted Rupert and Pauleen.

"There you guys are!" I said, relieved.

"We think that Lord Tonzilla is ahead, are you ready?" Rupert asked.

I nodded, "As I'll ever be..."

"Let's go, then! The sooner I get out of here, the better!" Pauleen turned around and shouted down the passage, "We're coming for you, Lord Tonzilla!"

All three of us ran quickly down the fish-smelling path. Rupert stopped abruptly and pointed ahead, "That must be Lord Tonzilla..."

We all stared up at a fleshy mass covered in assorted debris.

"But! But it's just a giant tonsil!" Pauleen stated, then she stepped back a few feet. "Stand back, kids! Pauleen's gonna perform a little oral surgery on this loser!"

She ran up and did a jump kick at Lord Tonzilla, then kicked him, or it, again. It began shaking and made a growling sound.

"Pauleen, no!" Rupert pulled her back, "Stop kicking it!"

Tonzilla whipped the two of them aside. Pauleen screamed.

"Dina, be careful!" Rupert shouted. I turned around and Lord Tonzilla whipped itself at me. I jumped out of the way.

I have to battle a tonsil? Okay, if I get out of here alive then I'm pretty sure this will be the weirdest day of my life...

Lugmos didn't even give me a chance to grab his Dino Medal before he released himself, and the others followed. Areos was still too low a level to go into battle.

"Grraaaahh..." Lugmos growled. He attacked Tonzilla with a Lugmos Tail. Tonzilla whipped back around at Lugmos, but Nycto jumped ahead and hit it with a Beak Strike. He was sent flying backward towards Rupert and Pauleen, and stayed behind to protect them.

Coatlus screeched and took flight, then a torrent of wind and water blew forward. His new attack, Blow Away, hit Tonzilla full force. It wobbled around, but all my Vivosaurs were well out of its way. Coatlus attacked again, this time with a Diving Trust, and Lord Tonzilla flopped onto the ground.

I returned my Vivosaurs' Dino Medals to my pocket.

"I never thought I'd be pummeled by a giant tonsil. It's... It's a little embarrassing," Pauleen groaned.

"It's just... I fail to understand how this will help us escape the whale," Rupert wondered out loud.

"Y-you actually did it! You knocked out Lord Tonzilla!" Robinson came running up to us.

"Yeah... Why are you concerned? We're should be getting out, then," I asked.

"Because, there's a flood a'comin now, no denyin'." He looked at Balliver, "Come on, Balliver! We gotta get to the boat! All aboard who's goin' aboard!" Then he ran off into the depths from where he came.

Pauleen was puzzled, "How can knocking over a tonsil cause a flood..?"

A thundering roar resonated in the whale's throat. Pauleen jumped, "What was that?"

"Perhaps Robinson is not the madman we took him for. If by battling the tonsil Dina triggered the gag reflex, then perhaps... Oh, God..."

"So you're saying... What's going to happen is..?"

The thundering got louder, and a huge wave came crashing forward. Pauleen started running away, and I saw the BB Brigade members running forward as well. They were quickly caught up in the torrent.

Rupert and I were swept off our feet. I tried to keep hold of his hand so we wouldn't get separated, but it slipped out of my grip. Soon we were shot into the air, hundreds of feet above the water, and crashed back below.

I popped my head back out of the freezing water and gasped. Frantically, I turned my head back and forth, trying to find the others. The BB Brigade members were nowhere to be found, but I saw Rupert swimming toward me, and Pauleen in the distance.

"Are... you alright?" Rupert gasped.

"Yeah..." I panted.

"Heeeyyy!! I'm over heerrreee!!" Pauleen yelled.

I laughed. "Head to shore!" I shouted back. All of us swam, freezing, towards the ice. Robinson was just ahead of us when we got there.

"Oh, there you are! Thought you folks were lost for good, I did."

"Well, I'm just glad to be out of that thing... but I smell like dead fish now," Pauleen groaned.

"I told you not to mess with the natural order'a things!" he shouted. "You lot are lucky to be up and walkin' around, you are. Still... I'm a free man once more, and I suppose I owe you m'thanks."

He turned to the ocean and stared into the distance, breathing in the air. "It's been ten years since I last smelled fresh air. Ten long years..." He admired everything for a few moments before turning back to say goodbye.

"Well, I best be gettin' back to my trade. Them fish won't catch themselves! Good day to you, folks."

"Bye, Robinson. And thanks!" I said to him.

"Ok... That was kind of a low point for the Patrol Team," Pauleen sighed, "but what matters is that we're out! I should thank my lucky stars we're even alive. Oh, and I suppose Lord Tonzilla, too."

"I just hope the BB Brigade trio escaped. Despite their intentions, no one deserves to be trapped in a whale..." Rupert stated, shaking his head.

"Aw, you're worried about me? Reeeeally?" a familiar, high-pitched voice said. We all looked to see Lola and her fellow commanders walking over.

"What a trip, man! Maybe this rich kid, like, likes me."

Rupert blushed. "Uhh, n-no. Of course not! I.. I, uh, prefer someone else."

"You better hope so, buster. She's mine," Cole growled.

"So, you made it out, did you?" Pauleen asked.

Lester nodded, "Yeah, some Robinson guy came along and rescued us."

"...And he totally digged my style," Cole bragged.

Lola kept quiet for a moment. "Yeeaahh, so I gotta go, like, split this scene and hose myself off. Sooo, like, take these." She handed me the three Super Electronimites.

"But.. why are you giving these back? Don't you need them to succeed with your plan?" I asked.

"Like, we heard it was you that made the Bonehemoth horf us up, right? Sooo, you totally, like, saved our lives... even though you're, like, our mortal enemies." She pushed her bangs out of her face, "Annyywaay, it's bad juju to leave a debt like that unpaid. So we're all square now, riiiight?"

"Are Cole and Lester ok with this?" Pauleen asked.

Cole shrugged, "Hey, this is Lola's crazy plan. I just do what she tells me."

"I don't think-" Lola stomped on Lester's foot again. "GAH! I mean, I agree, too!"

"But this is, like, a one-time kind of thing, k? Next time we meet I'm totally gonna flip your wig!" The three of them turned and walked off.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Pauleen spoke, "But... They're not all that bad."

"We can discuss the relative merits of our enemies later. Right now, each of us should take a Super Electrominite to an isla-"

I let out a loud sneeze.

"Are you alright, Dina?" Rupert asked. I sneezed again and shivered.

"It... I'm just a little cold... I'll... ACHOO!"

"Pauleen?" Rupert asked. She turned to face him. "I need you to take these two Electronimites to Ribular and Cranial Isle. I'm taking Dina to the Fossil Station so she can warm up."

Pauleen nodded and took the Super Electrominites from him, "Okay, Rupert. After all, she did save me from that fish-smelling prison."

"Thanks." He turned back to me. "Let's head back. We don't need you catching a cold like Todd."

We headed back and Rupert took the Electrominite to Kent, who came over to me with a blanket.

"Feel better, dude. And thanks for getting the Electrominites back!" he walked over to the power room.

I sat on the couch in the lobby and wrapped myself in the blanket. Rupert sat next to me.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah... But Rupert, why are you so worried about me? A few hours ago you didn't want anything to do with me! What made you come to your senses?"

He looked down at the floor and thought, "I... I just... I felt I needed to stand up for myself. I don't want to be pushed around by my father anymore, and I realize that I almost lost a great friend." He looked at me and smiled.
--------------------

(Rupert's POV)

Dina's eyes glowed, "Well, I'm glad you did. You're one of the best friends I've ever had. I was really sad when you left."

I felt my face start to turn red, so I turned away from her.

"I'm going to go to my room. We'd better let Joe know what happened." Dina got up. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Rupert."

"See you..." I smiled. She walked away down the corridor to her room.

I sighed again, "...and there goes my chance."

'You should have told her. I think she likes you, too,' Mapo growled.

"Eventually I will, but... I just need to find the right time." With nothing else to do, I got up and opened my cell phone to call Joe.

"Hello? This is Rupert... Yeah, we got them back, but Dina got a bit of a cold so we had to take her back to the Station... I'll let them know... Yes, we'll be there first thing tomorrow... Okay, bye." I shut it and put it in my pocket, then I went to tell Dina and Pauleen.
--------------------

(Dina's POV)

Rupert told us that Joe wanted to see us this morning, so we all headed up the elevator to his suite.

Joe smiled. "Thanks to you, we've got power back in the entire park."

"It was no problem, Joe," Pauleen said. "But I smelled terribly like fish..." she muttered.

"But still, that was some fine work there, Dina and Pauleen! Oh, and you too, Rupert!" he thanked us.

Rupert stepped forward. "Pardon me, Joe, but... I have a favor to ask of you." He paused. "I... I would like to be allowed to join the Caliosteo Patrol Team."

Pauleen and I were shocked. "Rupert, really?" I exclaimed.

He nodded at me. "I want to protect the Caliosteo Cup, no matter what."

"You kiddin'?" Joe said, "I oughta be on my hands and knees beggin' ya to join!" He stepped forward. "Rupert, I hereby name ya as a full-fledged member of the Caliosteo Patrol Team."

"Yeah, Rupert!" Pauleen cheered.

"Thank you," Rupert said happily.

"Now listen up." We all paid attention to Joe. "We only got two rounds left in this here Cup. The BB Brigade's runnin' out of time, and there's nothin' more dangerous than a cornered rat! Y'all gotta be on yer guard, all right? Do whatever it takes to save the Cup for Fighters everywhere!"
--------------------

"Are you sure about this, Rupert?" Pauleen asked him, concerned. "Your father's going to be furious."

He shrugged. "Most likely, but that's alright. I've decided that it's time for me to stand up. I'm going to tell my father what's what and live my life how I want to live it."

Pauleen thought for a second, "...Hm. All right, then. If you can do it, so can I!" She looked at me. "Remember my promise, Dina? Well, I'm going to be brave and take off this mask for good!"

Rupert looked at both of us like we were nuts.

"I mean, I'll probably blush like crazy and stammer when I talk to people, but... I think I'm ok with that now. For the rest of the Cup, people will see my face. Here we go!"

She tugged on the mask. It wouldn't budge. She tugged again. Nothing.

"...Uhh, that's weird. It won't come off." She pulled and pulled on it, but it just wouldn't come off.

Pauleen became flustered, "Oh my gosh, th-the mask won't come off!! What do I do, what do I do, WHAT DO I DOOOO?!?"

"Pauleen, calm down!"

"I'm cursed! I'm gonna have this mask on for the rest of my life! No, no, no, no, noooo!" Pauleen whirled around and booked it down the stairs.

"I don't understand... Is that some kind of special mask?" Rupert asked.

"Pauleen, well, she said it was from her village," I explained, "Supposedly, it grants the wearer confidence or something."

"I see. So the mask has magical powers?"

"Yeah. But... I'm worried. We should go find her."

"I'm worried about her as well. Let's go."

"PAULEEN!"

Both of us looked down at the lobby as a man shouted after her.

"Wait, digadig! Pauleeeen!"

I ran down to the man that was yelling. He gazed over at us.

"You are... friends of Pauleen, digadig?"

We both nodded.

"Ah, yes, diga. I... am the chieftain of the Digadig people from Vivosaur Island. I am also... Pauleen's grandfather, digadig." He gave me a look, as if he was certain he recognized me. "You, diga. You wouldn't happen to know Dino and Hunter, would you, digadig?"

"Actually, Dino's my twin brother," I told him. "I'm Dina. This is Rupert."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," he greeted the chieftain.

"Of course. Well, the... mask that Pauleen wears is enchanted with a spell of ill will, digadig. It gives the wearer... confidence and cheer, diga. But there is a... price," he stated doubtfully. "Once the mask takes hold, it is... impossible to remove. The mask... becomes the master, digadig."

Both Rupert and I looked at each other with worry. "Oh, no," we stated.

"When I learned Pauleen... took the mask, I came right away. But, digadig, I came too late. Please, diga," he pleaded, "you must pursue her, for I am... too old, and my back is too sore."

"Of course we will," I assured him. I looked at Rupert. "It just has to be one thing after another, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Rupert groaned, "but we have to find her. I'll search Mt. Krakanak if you take Rainbow Canyon, agreed?"

"Agreed."
--------------------

I walked into Rainbow Canyon. She could be anywhere... I thought. Then it hit me, That's it! She's probably in the abandoned BB Base where she got kidnapped!

I ran over the bridge and over to the door. It was open, so she must have gone in.

"Pauleen?" I called.

She didn't answer back.

I ventured deeper in, back to the place where I first battled Cole. Pauleen was standing there, her back to me.

"Pauleen! There you are!" I ran towards her, but she turned and halted me.

"No, Dina! Stay away from me!" she pleaded. "I have no control over my body! This mask makes me attack everyone I see!"

I shook my head, "Pauleen, I'm going to help you!"

"N-no, please! You have to... run... I c-can't.. stop... myself..." she began slipping out of control.

I quickly reached for my Dino Medals. "Then I'll have to fight you. It's the only way!" Pauleen got into a battle stance and sent out her Berto, Berta, and Krypto.

"Nycto, Wing Whirlwind on Berta!" Nycto ripped through Berta with gale-force winds, spinning as his wings battered the Vivosaur. A huge critical hit and type advantage got him down to half of his LP.

"Use Skewer, Berta," Pauleen's stated in a dark and emotionless tone. Her Berta leapt back at Nycto and jabbed him with its horns, knocked the air out of him. He fell face-first to the ground and lost a quarter of LP.

Krypto ran at Lugmos and bit down on his tail, attempting to throw him off the ground. Lugmos, however, twisted his head around and shot a fiery sphere at him. The close attack hit Krypto full-force in the face, which sent him flying back to his side.

Berto retaliated with Thick Jaws, successfully throwing Lugmos into the air and then slamming him down again. Lugmos was bruised, but nothing more.

"Coatlus, attack Berto with Blow Away!"

The wind and mist Coatlus sent whipped at Berto, and then others were momentarily blinded. Then, in the confusion, Nycto hit Krypto with a critical Beak Strike while his guard was down. Krypto was instantly defeated.

"Both of you, use your combo attacks," Pauleen commanded.

Berta ran at Lugmos and pushed him into the air, then hit him again and made him go flying behind him. Berto then slammed into Lugmos before snapping at him. The whole thing looked like a messed up volleyball match, and Lugmos took a ton of damage.

Coatlus attack Berto with Wing Cutter, slicing at his side, and Nycto did the same to Berta with Wing Whirlwind, knocking its LP lower than its partner.

Berta was furious and rammed Nycto into the air again. Just as Lugmos tried to catch him, Berto slammed into him and bit down on his neck, tossing him to the side.

Coatlus decided to finish off Berta with a Great Vortex, enraging Berto more.

He breathed fire right in Lugmos's face, scalding him. He became Enraged, so I had Nycto attack. He flew up high and jabbed Berto in the side with his beak, then Coatlus let loose another Blow Away as Berto was regaining his footing. Berto flew backward and a loud click sounded as his Dino Medal hit the rocky ground.

I quickly called my vivosaurs back to their Medals and stared hopefully at Pauleen.

Pauleen stepped forward, and Lugmos abruptly released himself from his Dino Medal, roaring at her.

"Aaah! Wait, diga! It's me, the real me!"

"Lugmos! Get back in your Dino Medal!" I yelled. He complied.

As I turned back to her, Pauleen's mask fell to the ground, and she gasped. "...It's off. Yes! The mask is off, digadig!" she laughed happily.

"I don't need you anymore, mask. I'm going to fight on my own and talk on my own from now on, digadig!"

She ran up and hugged me. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Dina! I'm so happy right now, diga!"

I blushed a little with embarrassment.

"...Heh. That's amusing. The mask is off, but the one that's red in the face in Dina!" Rupert laughed. I turned around and scowled at him.

"Pauleen! Are you unharmed, diga?" All of us turned as the chieftain came rushing in.

Pauleen jumped up and down ecstatically. "Look, grandpa, look! The mask came off, digadig!"

The chieftain laughed. "This makes me... very happy, diga."

"It's hard to believe this little mask caused so much trouble," Rupert said to us. I nodded in agreement.

"Well, this is a dangerous item. It might be best if we destroyed it here and now."

Pauleen looked at him with shock. "No, please don't break the mask, digadig! This is my fault, I'm the one who took the mask without permission. And besides, it diga-did help me for a while, so it's not totally evil."

She picked up the mask and handed it to her grandpa, "You should take this back to the village, digadig."

Rupert nodded, "If this is your wish, Pauleen, then I'll accept your decision."

The chieftain let out a soft laugh. "You have changed, Pauleen. You are... talking to others, diga-despite having no mask."

"I know!" she cheered, "it's awesome!"

She smiled at Rupert and me. "It's all thanks to my friends, diga. They taught me to trust my feelings and showed me I could just be myself."

"It does my heart good to see you grow. You grow... before my very eyes, diga!"

All of our Paleopagers beeped and interrupted, "This is an announcement regarding the Caliosteo Cup semifinals. Due to adjustments to the facilities, the semifinals have been postponed to tomorrow."

"Perhaps that's a good thing." Rupert said, "We could all use some rest after the events of today."

"Tomorrow, diga..."
--------------------

Rupert sat on a log by a large firepit. I walked up and sat next to him.

"Hey."

"Hi. Did Pauleen ask you here as well?" he asked.

"Yeah, she did."

"I wonder what this is all about?"

"Hey, guys!" We turned as we saw Todd running up as well. "Pauleen asked me to come, you guys too?"

"Yeah. We're waiting for her right now. How's your fever?" I asked.

"I'm good as new!" He smiled.

"Sorry I'm late, digadig!" Pauleen apologized, sitting down on one of the other logs. Todd sat beside her.

"Woah, Pauleen! You took off your mask!" Todd gasped.

Pauleen blushed. "Uh, yeah, diga. I did."

Rupert spoke up, "I'm curious as to why you asked us here in the middle of the night."

"Oh, of course, diga. Well, there's two reasons. First off," she faced Rupert and me, "the semifinals are here, digadig, and that means that only two people can advance. So, no matter what, one of us will be leaving the Cup. I've been thinking about it, and it makes me sad. So I thought maybe we could talk about it, diga. That's why I called you here."

Rupert sat silently, staring into the fire, "...I, too, have been feeling some sadness about the upcoming end of the Cup."

"This has been so much fun, diga! I wish it could just go on forever! Wouldn't it be great if we all just kept winning?" Pauleen shouted excitedly. She then looked at me, "What do you think, Dina?"

"I know what you mean. I just want the Cup to go on. I've made so many great friends... All of you!" I smiled.

"I knew you'd agree!"

There was a pause.

Rupert sighed. "Dina?"

"Yeah?" I asked.

Rupert blushed a little. "...There's something I've never told you, Dina, but this seems like a good time. It's something I've been thinking about for a long time, something that drives me to compete. It's even enough to make me forget the sadness I feel about the end of the Caliosteo Cup."

"What?"

"Do you remember when I told you I'd never forget you... because you were such a great friend? Well... I kind of lied. Not about you being a great friend, but about why I'd never forget you." Rupert took a deep breath. "Dina, I love you."

All the air went out of my lungs and I felt my face go red. Todd and Pauleen almost fell off their seats... Well, Todd did. Rupert looked away and his face turned pure red. "Look, it's okay if you don't love me back it's just... I needed to tell you. It's something that's been bugging me for a really long time."

I pulled him into a hug, "Of course I do!"

"R-Really?" He exclaimed. "Dina, I'm glad we finally got to realize our feelings for each other..."

"I knew it, digadig!" Pauleen yelled, jumping up and pointing at us. Todd was still dumbfounded.

"Well... guys? I have something to ask Pauleen... Now that she's gotten rid of that terrible mask," Todd said.

Pauleen smirked knowingly. "I know what you're gonna ask, and yes, I will go out with you!" She pulled him up and kissed him. Todd absolutely must have peed himself. Rupert and I tried our best to hold in our laughter, but failed.

"Well, this has been an exciting turn of events!" I laughed. Everyone laughed with me.

Todd yawned, composing himself. "Well, I'm heading to bed. G'night, guys!"

"Me too, diga. I'm beat..."

Pauleen and Todd walked off to the Fossil Station. Rupert and I continued to sit by the fire. He was silent.

"What do you think your father will think?" I asked him.

"I don't care what he thinks! I love you, that's all that matters to me," Rupert said sternly. Then he realized how he'd said it. "Sorry if that came off angry..."

"It's alright," I yawned, "I think we should be getting to bed. Goodnight, Rupert."

I kissed him on the cheek, then turned and walked into the Fossil Station.

"...Goodnight, Dina," he murmured.

Chapter Text

I'd just heard from Robinson that the Bonehemoth had swallowed another VMM with a working teleporter, so apparently it was now a "dig site." Robinson, much to my surprise, decided he'd rather live in the Bonehemoth so he returned there.

The events of the past few days still whirled in my head. I'd been eaten by a whale, attack by a mask-controlled Pauleen, Todd and Pauleen were now a couple... and Rupert.

I still couldn't believe he actually loved me. The rich, seemingly-heartless guy I'd wanted to slap at Treasure Lake was now in love with me. He'd changed so much from that first day...

My Paleopager suddenly alerted me to my semifinal matchup, "Pauleen has been selected as Dina's semifinal opponent."

I sighed. It was hard to know that, if I made it to next round, that I'd most likely be battling Rupert if he passed through as well. At least I didn't have to battle him now... But I did have to battle Pauleen, so it felt just as disheartening.

I made my way to the common room and was immediately sent to battle. Pauleen stood, for the first time since the incident, without her mask and prepared for battle.

"There you are, Dina! This is going to be my first battle in front of people without my mask, digadig," she sighed. "But... That's okay, diga. Your faith in me has made me brave."

I smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Pauleen." I showed her my Dino Medals. "You ready for this?"

"Ha! I'm not going to be intimidated!" She held up her fist. "I'm going to show the world that I am reborn, digadig!"

We walked into the stadium and I sent out my usual team, which slid around due to the icy conditions. Pauleen sent out Omias, her main Vivosaur, Plesio, and Synthos.

"Lugmos! Charge!"

Lugmos began sparking and energy built up within him. While he powered up, I had Coatlus use Wing Cutter on Plesio. The small water Vivosaur was battered by the powerful attack. Coatlus turned and smirked as he flew back to position. Plesio flashed a glare back at him, teeth bared.

"Darting Blur on Coatlus, digadig!" Pauleen commanded.

The small Vivosaur lunged forward, eyes narrowed, and launched itself upward at the flying reptile. Coatlus flipped backward upon impact, and Synthos added to the damage through a link attack. Both attacks gained a critical, but Coatlus was still standing strong.

However, Synthos turned and attacked again with Synthos Spring. His horn met with Coatlus's wing, causing him to screech. Synthos backed away before Coatlus could retaliate.

Nycto came from the back of my team and whipped up a powerful gust. Startled, Plesio tried to dodge but unfortunately was swept up before he could move. He returned to Pauleen as a Dino Medal. I let Lugmos Charge again afterward.

She stared me in disbelief, "What? Well then, Omias, use Omias Dos!"

Omias nodded back to her and ran up full speed at Nycto, uppercutting him and knocking him out in one hit. Synthos followed up behind her, running and darting up with his horn at Coatlus, but Coatlus flew up and dodged.

Lugmos growled and reared up on his hind legs, then built up a charged Lugmos Sphere and launched it at Synthos. He whipped around and ran, but the flames engulfed him and he tripped forward. His Dino Medal spun through the air, then landed at Pauleen's feet. She picked it up and growled.

"Go, Omias! Use Omias Dos again on Lugmos!" She motioned forward, and Omias followed her order.

Once again, she charged forward and slammed into Lugmos, jabbing him with her horn. He flinched, but since their power was pretty much matched he was barely fazed by the attack.

Coatlus spread his wings and spun, sending a vortex at Omias. She became Enraged and roared at Coatlus. Using a second attack, Lugmos jumped at her and used Lugmos Tail, battering her around.

Omias once again used Omias Dos, attacking Lugmos once again. Despite her status, she gained a critical hit with perfect aim. She snickered at Lugmos, gloating over her success.

Coatlus screeched, flying at Omias and hitting her with his wings repeatedly. She retaliated with Omias X, but Lugmos jumped back and dodged. Then he leapt forward and hit her with Lugmos Tail. She stumbled backward, then fell over, transforming back into a Dino Medal.

The crowd cheered. "Congratulations to our first finalist, Dina Sentōki!" the announcer said. Pauleen then motioned for me to follow her out of the Stadium.

"Your Vivosaurs are unbelievably powerful, diga!" she said with amazement.

I nervously looked down. "Yeah... Sorry you didn't win, though, Pauleen..."

"Aw, who cares about that! I was finally able to be confident, digadig." She smiled. "Sure, I lost the Fossil Battle, but I didn't lose to myself!"

"Well, I guess you're right."

"Yeah, I am! All those people were watching me, but I never got nervous or flustered! Not once! This is a pretty special day for me." She jumped at me and gave me an unexpected hug.

"Thank you, Dina. Thank you for everything. I'm looking forward to seeing you in the final, digadig." She stood there for a few minutes before jumping back. "Daaah! Why am I turning red now, digadig?!"

"Hey!"

Pauleen and I turned to see two boys walking up to her.

"Oh, wow. It's Pauleen! You became my favorite Fighter the moment you took off that mask!" the one said.

"I LOVE YOU!!" the other said.

Pauleen backed up, "Uhh.."

"Um... I mean.. maybe we can be friends or something? Heh..."

Pauleen began getting flustered, "Uh.. um.. I can't deal with this right now, digadig!" She ran off towards her room.

"Waaaiittt! Paaaulleeenn!" they shouted, running after her.

The sudden sound of cheering began coming from the stadium. Rupert walked out, then noticed me and walked over.

"Dina, hello," he said, smiling cheerfully.

"Hi," I said, blushing.

"Well... I won. So I guess we'll be facing each other in the finals. Good luck, Dina, I'm looking forward to it." He smiled, then hugged me, "I'll see you later."

"Bye," I said, trying to shake the blush from my face.

Kent walked over to me. "Nice work, little dude! That was some epic ownage you dealt out there. Well, here's your prize for winning your semifinal match." He handed me a Miraculous Fossil rock, then stamped my Fighter Pass. "You're also Fighter Rank 8! Sweet!"

"Thanks, Kent, but... Isn't this a little much?" I said, gawking at the rare Super Fossil Rock.

"C'mon, dude! You made it this far, so you totally deserve it! And, like, if you win you get the whole park so this is nothing compared to that! And I know you'll totally shred through the finals, dude. I have faith, man," He winked. Then he walked back to his office.

"Hey, Dina!" Todd yelled. Just like after every match he came running up to me.

"Great job out there! I knew you could do it!" He gave me a high five.

"So, I heard about how you went into the Bonehemoth's belly and fought Pauleen's mask! You're a world-class Fighter now, it's crazy!" he said excitedly. "And I guess you'll be facing Rupert in the finals, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm happy about it, but it's still kinda sad because it's the end of the Cup..." I sighed.

Todd made a fist, "Don't worry, Dina. Either way, you guys will have fun, and I'll cheer you on with all I've got!"

"Thanks, Todd." I hugged him. "But.. um... Two boys were chasing Pauleen before so can you go che-"

"They were whaatt?!" he turned and ran off towards the direction Pauleen went. I've never laughed so hard in my life. His reaction was priceless.

My Paleopager beeped and I checked the message, "A new dug site is now open: Dusty Dunes! You are urged to travel there and prepare for the finals."

Hearing that, I headed off to the new dig site, but the thought of the finals still made me feel a slight bit of sadness.
---------------------

(Meanwhile, at the BB Brigade Base)

Everyone stood in silence, except Lola, who looked up defiantly at Don Boneyard.

"Soooo, Operation Lights Out was kind of a bummer, huh?"

"...THAT'S YOUR EXPLANATION?! IT WAS A 'BUMMER?'" he roared. Cole looked about ready to pass out from fear. Lola only flinched, seeming unfazed by this sort of thing.

"Idiots..." he muttered, "Perhaps you're not aware that the Caliosteo Cup final is about to take place!" He turned away from them, "I wanted Fighters slinking away in fear from this island, not sticking around and building up excitement!"

"Don Boneyard?" Lester asked.

"No, I'm not taking suggestions anymore! It seems I must take matters into my own hands." He turned back to his commanders. "There is but one course of action left for me to take. One I wished not to take, but it is the only way... No matter, this is all that can save us now."

Cole looked terribly nervous. "Um... I'm not sure if I like the thought of a plan that even Don Boneyard finds unappealing."

"Yeah, that's not cool, man. It sounds bad, like reeaallyy bad, you know?" Lola stated.

"GET YOUR ACTS IN GEAR, FOOLS! ...and understand that failure on your part will be dealt with most harshly."

The three commanders stepped forward, ready to hear their orders.

"It's time to bury the Caliosteo Cup once and for all..."
---------------------

(Back at Dusty Dunes)

"...Why do I always bump into him?" I muttered to myself.

It seems Professor Scatterly was once again "in a pickle," as he says. Somehow he got his water bottle mixed up with a flyswatter and was now dehydrating.

"My legs are weak... My eyes grow dim... My mustache withers... Yes, it seems death stalks me once more old bean. I need... w-water... Urgh... Tell science... I love her."

I sighed. "If you ever do die it'll probably be from stepping on a thumbtack." I grabbed my water bottle from my bag and poured it in his mouth.

"W-water! It's water!" he gurgled. After drinking pretty much the whole thing, he leapt up. "I say, that hit the spot! Thank you for pulling me back from the jaws of oblivion, eh wot?" he chuckled.

"No prob, Professor..."

"Wait... You're Dina! Oh, it seems you have rescued me yet again, old bean! Well, you can trust that I'll not forget my water in such a place ever again!"

Don't count on it... I thought.

"So, it seems I've found the location of the last Calio Slablet! However, the soil is so loose here... So as quickly as I dig, it fills in my hole. I've buckled my garter trying to think of a solution, but alas, I have nothing..."

"Well, um.. you could-"

"I say!" he interrupted me, "I heard you battle your way to the Cup final? I wager excavating here should be no problem for one of your caliber!" he said excitedly.

"Yeah, sure. I'll dig it up," I told him.

"Wonderful! Well, according to the sonar, the Slablet should be just in front of me. I say, do your thing!"

Carefully dug through the loose, dry soil and pulled out the Calio Slablet. Professor Scatterly was ecstatic.

"Excelsior! That's Calio Slablet #4! Now we may learn what happen to ZongaZonga and the ancient Kingdom of Caliosteo!" he studied the tablet, ""The people finally rose up as one against ZongaZonga's reign of terror. Though the struggle was long and difficult, they ultimately succeeded in defeating ZongaZonga. To prevent him from ever stealing a body again, his skull was sealed away in a stone chest. They then constructed the giant Stone Pyramid and locked the chest deep inside." Fascinating! So ZongaZonga was overthrown by his own people, eh? But there's that bit about sealing his skull inside the 'Stone Pyramid.' Quite odd, that is."

"Where is the Stone Pyramid?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure myself, but my scientific curiosity is quite piqued! Well, I do have all the Calio Slablets, so I suppose I shall go search out this Stone Pyramid!" He walked off. "Tallyho, Dina! Best of luck to you in your final match!"

"Thanks!" I smiled.

After wandering a lot and getting plagued by normal rocks, I decided to take a break and go back to town. Just as I walked up the stairs from Dusty Dunes, a tremor shook the ground. I was thrown backwards down the stairs, but Lugmos unleashed himself and caught me.

"Eeek! W-what's going on?!"

"It's an e-e-earthquake!"

The people screamed and ran about until the quake subsided. Lugmos pushed me up but refused to leave my side. The jumbo TV screen came flying over, and Don Boneyard appeared.

"Bwa ha ha ha ha! Behold, mortals, I have returned! But not to worry, I only came to wish you all farewell... For you see, your pathetic Caliosteo Fossil Park is about to sink beneath the waves!" he bellowed. Lugmos let out a deep, threatening growl.

Don Boneyard continued, "All three islands will be swept away like grains of sand on the shore. So unless you're an exceptional swimmer, I would suggest fleeing for your lives right about... NOW! Bwaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha!" The TV went black and flew off. Lugmos narrowed his eyes.

'How are we gonna stop this?' he asked.

I felt worried. "I don't know, but you should revert back to a Dino Medal. It's bad enough there's earthquakes, but people might get frightened seeing a huge Vivosaur prowling about as well."

Hesitantly, Lugmos obeyed.

Just then, Pauleen came running to me in a panic. "D-did you see that, digadig? He said he's going to sink the islands, and right before that was an earthquake! I think he's serious, diga!"

I nodded. "I know, that's what scares me. Rupert and Todd probably did or will hear the news, so our best bet is to go to Joe. He'll know what to do."

Pauleen nodded, and we ran to do so.

At the top, Rupert and Todd had already arrived.

"How are you already here?" Pauleen gasped.

"I came as soon as that stupid skeleton finished talking!" Todd shouted.

"I figured this was a job for the Patrol Team, so I came right away," Rupert said, then turned to me, "Are you alright, Dina?"

"Mentally, no; I'm really freaked out. But physically, yeah," I told him.

Joe sighed, "Well, we're in a whole heap'a trouble right about now, so it's understandable, pard."

"Joe, is Don Boneyard really capable of sinking these islands?" Pauleen asked.

Joe shook his head, "I'm afraid you got me there, little lady. I don't know much 'bout that sort of thing. I did ask one of the local experts to run by and help us out..." He stared expectantly at the elevator. "Figured he should'a been here by now."

Just then, the elevator made a ding sound and up came none other than Professor Scatterly.

"Pardon me for being so late! I had the most fascinating lunch you see.."

"Professor, can you please help us?" I pleaded.

"Hm? Oh, Good Heavens, Dina! I seem to run into you wherever I go," he thought aloud. "Well then... I would conclude that the recent quake is the result of the Spinal Pillar being weakened."

We all gave him confused looks, so he explained, "The Spinal Pillar is a massive structure that supports the Caliosteo Islands. Theoretically, if someone were to chip away at this pillar, it would eventually snap in two. This would send the islands plummeting into the sea, which would be quite terrible."

"That's low, even for the BB Brigade..." Todd stated, "We can't let them get away with it!"

"We must stop them from eroding the Spinal Pillar further," Rupert said.

"Er, yes. Well... you see, I fear that stopping further erosion will not suffice," he said sadly. "There's already too much damage to the Spinal Pillar... We must reinforce and repair the damage if we are to stop this."

"And just how are we gonna do that?" Joe shouted.

The Professor smiled. "With calcium, my good man! The Spinal Pillar is composed of a very hard type of calcium, you see."

"Like a bone?" Pauleen asked.

"Precisely. If we were to inject a similar substance into the pillar, we could save the islands! However, there is but one thing that contains the type of calcium we need. That us the prehistoric fish, Sardinisaurus!"

Joe spoke up, "I reckon we can find Sardinisaurus fossil rocks deep inside the Petrified Woods. It's a dig site over on Ribular Island. We'd closed it for maintenance, but I'll open 'er up right now." He held out his hand. "Lemme see yer sonar there, Dina."

He grabbed a screwdriver and reconnected a few wires and stuff in my sonar, then handed it back. "Done. I fiddled with yer sonar so it'll pick up Sardinisaurus fossil rocks. Now there's no time to waste! Get over to the Petrified Woods and find one'a them fossil rocks!"

"Got it!" I said, backing up.

"Rupert, Pauleen, and Todd, I got another job for y'all. Folks are in a panic out there, and I'd like ya to help calm 'em down. The last thing we need right now is a bunch'a scared folks stampeding around!"

Rupert nodded. "Understood." He turned to the others. "Come on, you two. Let's go."

"Got it!" Todd said. We all headed into the elevator.

"Are you sure you're alright to go alone?" Rupert asked me, "With the tremors and the BB Brigade after us I'm worried."

"I can take care of myself, Rupert. Don't you worry. Plus, I've got my Vivosaurs to protect me," I reassured him.

"Excuse me, you two lovebirds, but once you're finished can we please get moving?" Pauleen said with a bit of fear.

Rupert turned red and walked over to her. "Sorry. We can go now." He took a glance back at me, then ran off.

Lugmos snickered, 'Your boyfriend's worried about you. How sweet!'

"Oh, shut it, Lugmos," I said, flustered. Then we headed to the heliport.
-------------------

(Rupert's POV)

"Miss, please stay calm. I assure you we are doing our best to get everything under control," Rupert said to a frightened girl.

"I-if you say so..." she said, then walked over towards a group of other people.

Todd laughed. "You know, you really worry about Dina too much."

"Why? I just want to make sure she's alright," he stated.

"Well, let me tell you something," Todd started, "Two years back, when we first met Joe, we went up a mountain to look for Vivosaurs. The two of us ended up cornered by an Allo on the edge of a cliff with the choice of jumping to our deaths or being torn apart. Dina stepped in front of me to guard me, but then Joe came and saved us. If she hadn't grabbed my hand and jumped onto his Ptera, we wouldn't be here today."

"Why were you up there in the first place?" Rupert asked.

Todd shrugged. "It was Dina's idea, but when she does dangerous stuff, she knows how to get out of it. That's pretty much what I'm trying to say."

Rupert sighed, "That's what scares me... She's always doing stuff like that."

Pauleen put her hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Rupert. Back then it was only her and Todd. Now she has her Vivosaurs, too, digadig. I'm sure she'll be fine."
--------------------

(Dina's POV)

"AHHH!"

I screamed as a tremor made me lose my balance and I fell off the petrified, wood path to the sea below. Lugmos suddenly appeared and caught me with his tail.

'Goodness, be careful!' Lugmos growled.

"Sorry! Geez..." I pouted, "I didn't know that was gonna happen!"

'Just stay close to me. We're almost at the end.' Lugmos had refused to leave my side while the tremors were still happening, especially while we were trekking around these slippery pathways.

When we finally did reach the end, it was a small cavern hallowed out of the inside of a giant petrified tree. Lugmos stayed outside to guard while I went in.

There was a long, thick set of intertwined vines growing down from the ceiling. I carefully gained my footing and crawled up. Once at the top, I detected a red "X" on my sonar, and after digging I discovered a Sardinisaurus fossil, gleaming like a diamond in the sun. I quickly rushed back down and took off down the paths with Lugmos.
--------------------

Joe smiled welcomingly upon my return, "Well, look who's back! And with a bit of treasure to boot!

I walked up and handed him the fossil. "Yep, I found it!"

"Well then, we gotta squeeze the calcium outta you, little guy. Let's get a move on, shall we?" He went down the elevator, then a few minutes later he came back up with a large, needle-like object filled with liquid.

"All right then, pards. This here's the Calcium Injector. Accordin' to the Professor, we gotta drive this into the Spinal Pillar at the seafloor. I got Stella standin' by with a sub, so y'all get down there and-"

Joe's phone rang suddenly, and he answered, "...Oh, howdy, Stella. What's wrong?" He paused, then became panicked. "What?! Somebody wrecked the sub's engine?! Possum spit! Them dang BB Brigade boys are one step ahead'a us!"

That suddenly gave me an idea. A crazy, but helpful, idea.

"What about the Bonehemoth?" I blurted out.

"Oh, hey! That's a great idea, digadig! We can just use the Bonehemoth!" Pauleen agreed.

Rupert hesitantly spoke, "...Yes, of course! The Bonehemoth would be able to get us to the seafloor with ease. Of course, it might not be that simple. Perhaps we should ask Robinson for advice?"

All of us turned to Joe who chuckled with amusement. "Well, heck! I can't believe how quick y'all are on yer feet. Can't say I understand the plan fully, but if y'all think it'll work, then I'm for it." He handed me the Injector. "Just get down to the seafloor and fix that Spinal Pillar!"

Chapter Text

"I'm here, guys!"

Everyone turned as I walked down the pathway.

Pauleen frowned. "Well, I guess it's back to fish-gut city for us.."

"Yuck... I swear I just got that smell out of my mind, too." I shook my head in disgust.

We headed over to the teleporter and were taken into the Bonehemoth. Robinson immediately recognized us and ran over.

"Well shake m'fins and call me Flappy! What brings you landlubbers back here so soon?"

"We need to use the Bonehemoth to go down and fix the Spinal Pillar," I explained.

.The Spinal Pillar? You mean that big ol' thing holdin' up the islands?" he questioned.

Rupert nodded. "Yes, and we need to get there right away. Is that possible?"

Robinson scratched his chin. "Hm, can't say as I've never done it, but I s'pose it can't hurt to try." He walked over to the side of the whale. "Now if we tickle this here spot, the whale dives deeper." He started tickling the whale.

"That Spinal Pillar is a ways down, so we gotta dive this beastie a bit deeper than usual." He looked over at Todd. "You there! Greenie!"

Todd's eyes grew wide, "...Huh, me?"

"Yeah, you, son! Get over here and help me tickle this here whale!"

Todd smiled. "Sweet! I'm good at tickling!" He ran over and did just that.

"Is anyone else weirded out by this?" I muttered.

"...Yes," Pauleen whispered.

Robinson turned to us. "Now listen up. Beneath each one'a these islands is a cave that'll take you to the Spinal Pillar. Seein' as how we got three islands here, where do you wanna go?"

"...I guess it makes sense to split up," Rupert said. "Todd needs to stay here and help with the Bonehemoth, so... I'll take Cranial Isle, Pauleen can take Illium Island, and Dina will go to Ribular Island. Sound good?" Pauleen and I nodded.

A few minutes later we'd reached our first stop, which was Illium's seabed cavern.

Pauleen gulped, "I guess this is my stop, digadig. But... how do I get out? I diga-don't want to fight Lord Tonzilla.."

"Not to worry, little miss. You don't have to fight him no more. Turns out that the Bonehemoth opens his mouth whenever you give Lord Tonzilla a little tickle!" he stood there for a moment, "..Welp? Whatcha waitin' for? Get going!"

Pauleen sighed, "Wish me luck, digadig..." she ran off. Once she was out, we dove deeper until we came to Rupert's stop. After he hesitantly left, we arrived at my destination soon after.

"This here's the seabed cavern 'neath Ribular Island. Once you're out, just walk forward until you run into the Spinal Pillar."

"Rupert and Pauleen should be close by now," Todd stated, "I'll stay here and tickle the Bonehemoth so it stays calm. Good luck, Dina!"

"Er... um, you too, Todd," I said.

Getting out was easy, but once I saw who was ahead I mentally facepalmed. Not that joker again!

"Come on, you lazy dogs! Dig! Dig as if your life depends on it!" Cole yelled.

"You got it boss!" his lackeys replied.

"He he, soon these islands will sink beneath the waves," Cole murmured. "Good thing I stocked up on skinny jeans before all the stores were flooded."

"Give up now, hipster. This has gone on long enough!" I growled.

"Who's there?" He turned around and saw me, then facepalmed. "...Seriously?"

He smirked. "You know, I have to admit, I'm almost impressed with you. Every other fool on this island is running in terror from us, and yet here you are. Not bad, my man. Not bad at all."

I narrowed my eyes, reaching for my Dino Medals.

"But no matter, I can't let you interfere when we're so close to victory." He threw his Dino Medals into the air. "Prepare to get your rear end handed to you!"

His team differed from the last time we fought, but only because he now had two B-Rexes. He still had his trademark B-Plesio.

"Nycto! Wing Whirlwind!"

The small, air-type Vivosaur sent B-Plesio soaring backward through the air with a growl. Coatlus followed up with Wing Cutter and took out B-Plesio.

"N-no way!" I gasped, "That... That did not just happen.."

'We've gotten a lot more powerful than you think. Plus, there's no losing this fight if you want these islands to stay upright,' Coatlus cawed.

"I guess you're right, but I'm just surprised..."

"B-Rex! Attack Lugmos with Bare Tactics!"

I snapped out of my thoughts as Lugmos took a head-on tackle and then had his front arm chomped down on. The other B-Rex used Boney Roar, blowing back all my Vivosaurs with a powerful soundwave.

Lugmos whipped the first B-Rex side to side with Lugmos Tail, then Coatlus used Blow Away to switch them around a bit. The one B-Rex was almost down to half of his health.

Cole scowled at me, then commanded his B-Rex to attack Nycto. He whipped his tail at the flying Vivosaur, who dodged but came back around for a follow-up bite. Nycto retaliated with a critical Wing Whirlwind.

Cole's second B-Rex unleashed a second Boney Roar, almost knocking out Nycto. Lugmos jumped in front of him and charged up a fireball in his mouth, releasing it in a powerful Lugmos Sphere attack that knocked out the Boneysaur. Cole was down to his last B-Rex.

B-Rex lunged at Lugmos, grabbing him in his jaws, then throwing him into the air. He whipped him to the side with his tail, then let out a breath of fire. Lugmos winced as he got up, weakened terribly by the assault.

"Hang in there, Lugmos..." I murmured, "We're almost done here."

I turned to Coatlus, "Attack with Great Vortex!"

He rammed into the B-Rex, pushing him backward, then created a twister that dizzied the skeletal reptile. Lugmos began to Charge the remainder of his energy.

B-Rex roared at Lugmos, then attacked him with a last-resort Bare Tactics attack. He weakly dodged, then attacked with one last Lugmos Tail. B-Rex fell to the ground, defeated. Lugmos sighed and collapsed with exhaustion. He reverted back to a Dino Medal, as well as the others, and I picked them up.

"Had enough?" I shouted.

Cole was awestruck. "Such style! Such grace! I... I was actually distracted by your battle skills... I'm not used to being beaten in battle... or in beauty.." He turned away. "I've lost my style, and without that, I'm nothing!" Once again, he ran off... crying.

I ran as fast as I could to the Spinal Pillar. It was weakening extremely fast, so I quickly injected the calcium into it. Within a matter of seconds, it was whole again without a single sign of damage.

I began to walk back when a message from Joe rang on my Paleopager. "Joe here. That's some nice work, y'all! Seems the tremors have stopped on all three islands. Fer that, I'm promotin' y'all up a Rank. Get yerselves back to my suite as soon as ya can, all right?" The message ended, so I rushed back to the Bonehemoth.
--------------------

Joe smiled as we returned successfully, "Y'all saved Caliosteo Fossil Park from a watery grave, but that ain't even the best news of the day!"

"What is, diga?" Pauleen asked.

"When them BB varmits fled, they led us straight to their base!" He exclaimed with excitement, but then turned away. "Now I'd love to chase 'en down and settle this once and for all, but we still got guests runnin' all over the park. I can't afford to send m'self or the staff out until things calm down 'round here..."

I turned to Rupert and the others, and we could all tell that we had the same idea.

"Joe," I spoke up, "We could all go to the BB Brigade base for you."

He blinked with surprise. "Come again, pard? You wanna go to the BB Brigade Base?" But then he shook his head. "Ya got guts to spare, pardners, but I'm afraid I've gotta say no. This here's my fight, ya see? And besides, it's far too dangerous, even for the Patrol Team."

Rupert stepped forward. "I have to agree with Dina. The BareBones Brigade is on the run and in disarray. We'll not likely have such a chance again."

Pauleen stepped forward, too. "Rupert is right, digadig! We have to go take care of Don Boneyard once and for all!"

Joe thought for a few minutes. "...Can't say I'm comfortable with this idea, but I suppose yer right. I'm issuin' one last order to my Caliosteo Patrol Team. Saddle up and ride to the BB Brigade Base and take out that dastardly Don Boneyard!"

"Where's the base located?" I asked.

"It's on a tiny piece of land called Bonechip Island." He took out his cellphone. "I'll talk to the helicopter pilot so y'all can fly there from the Cranial Isle heliport. Soon as things tucker down here, I'll make my way over there to help y'all out. Just promise to be careful, 'cause them BB varmits ain't goin' down without a fight!"

All of us nodded, then headed into the elevator. Todd looked very worried, but Pauleen had his back so he would be fine.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe this is the last time we will be fighting the BareBones Brigade..." Rupert said. "The beginning of the Cup, and everything, seems so long ago now..."

"I know... but at least these guys will stop being so annoying!" I smiled, trying to brighten his mood.

Rupert smiled back just as we reached the lobby. "I suppose you're right. Well, we had better get going."

I nodded, and all four of us rushed to the heliport where we boarded a helicopter.

We flew for around ten minutes before a thick fog rolled in. Todd shuddered and edged closer to Pauleen, who groaned and patted him on the back.

"Calm down, diga. I'm sure it's nothing."

The pilot came on the speaker, "We will be arriving in a few moments. Please prepare for the descent to the island."

The vehicle slowly flew downward and the pilot got out as we landed, opening the door. All of us hopped onto the sand of the beach and the helicopter pulled up and flew into the distance. Rupert stepped forward and gazed upward.

"So this is the BareBones Brigade's secret lair, eh?"

"Nice skull, digadig. Maybe be a bit more obvious next time," Pauleen laughed. Todd was still latched onto her arm.

I started walking towards the entrance. "Well, we'd better get going..." The door suddenly opened and I came face to face with two BB Brigade lackeys.

"Aw, nuts! Them Fighters are here!" the one scowled.

His friend was more panicked. "We gotta call backup! Call Don Boneyard!!" They both hightailed it back inside.

Rupert turned to the others. "Let's try to finish off these fools before Joe and his crew arrive."

"Right," I nodded.

"Okay then, team. Move out!" All of us ran into the base, but Todd collapsed onto the beach.

"Ooohhhh... my stomach..."

Not now, Todd! I rolled my eyes at him.

"Whyyy did I go to that all-you-can-eat chili-dog buffet?" He motioned his hand at me. "Go on without me, Dina! I'll catch up soon.. Ooohh.."

"See ya, Todd..." I sighed.

Once inside, I saw Pauleen fighting the first lackey. Rupert was a few feet away battling the guy's friend. He glanced at me, telling me to go on, and I silently nodded in reply. Unfortunately, I was instantly stopped by none other than Lola at the top of the stairwell.

She smirked. "Oh, woooww. You're not, like, following me or something, are you?" She put a hand to her chin. "Or maybe you're just persistent... I had an aunt like that once. She was wiiiiilld, man!"

"I can only imagine..." I groaned.

"Sooo, like, you know we're even from that whole Bonehemoth thing, right? Which means I'm totally not gonna go easy on you."

"Save it, Lola! We both know what has to happen," I growled.

She shrugged. "Suit yourself..." she tossed out her Dino Medals, "but I'm totaallly not letting you past me this time!"

"We'll see about that."

Our rematch had begun, and I wasn't about to lose easily.

Lugmos whipped Lola's B-Brachio with a Lugmos Tail, then Nycto followed up with a Beak Strike attack. B-Brachio still stood strong and came back at Nycto with Boney Stomp, but Nycto swiftly dove under the Vivosaur as his massive foot came crashing down.

B-Jara let loose a Boney Screech, but it missed by a long-shot. Coatlus whipped up a Great Vortex in an attempt to finish off B-Brachio, but it failed to give him much damage. Lugmos began Charging power for his next attack.

B-Jara once again let out a Boney Screech, this one successfully hitting Nycto and knocking him out cold with the Sleep condition. He fell to the ground, immobilized for the next couple of turns.

Lugmos retaliated at B-Jara with Charged and powerful Lugmos Tail, landing a supremely successful critical and knocking out B-Jara with a load of damage.

"N-No way!!" Lola gasped, "I-I will not be defeated! This is just a warm-up!"

She probably wished that was true because by the time she said that, Coatlus had already taken down B-Brachio with Diving Trust. She stood there in shock.

"W-well then... B-Rex! Use Bare Tactics on her Lugmos!" she stammered.

B-Rex chomped onto Lugmos, then batted him back with his tail. Lugmos suffered a critical hit, losing a huge chunk of LP, but this battle was already over.

"Coatlus, use Wing Cutter!"

Coatlus hit B-Rex with his winding attack, then I commanded Nycto to attack with Wing Hurricane. B-Rex was barely fazed and hit Lugmos with another Bare Tactics, bringing him to a little less than half of his LP.

Alright you guys, this is it... I thought, Let's finish this!

"Lugmos Tail! Then use another Wing Cutter!"

The two Vivosaurs leapt at the lone boneysaur, who stumbled backward. The two attacks quickly overpowered him and he fell to the ground, defeated.

Lola's looked at me wide-eyed. "You... You are some kind of groovy Fighter, you know that? I.. I, like, can't beat you anymore. It's totally craaazy." She turned around. "I'm gonna make like Cole's pants and split... bye." She ran down the stairs I'd come from.

I had to hurry up and get to Don Boneyard's quarters. Running forward, I came to a long, dim corridor.

This is it, the end of the BB Brigade. I thought.

I suddenly bumped into something... or someone. He turned me to face him and grabbed me by the shirt. I recognized the face and became a little frightened.

"L-Lester?" I gasped.

He smirked. "I knew you'd be the one to break into our base. You're just metal like that." He held up a fist. "Well, too bad for you. This is my chance to settle the score. After our first match, you made me look like a coward, but when we were at Icegrip Plateau I thought I would be able to best you in a rematch, but pretty boy had to come along and ruin that."

"B-but!"

He tightened his grip on my shirt. "You wanna get to Don Boneyard? Fat chance! I'm gonna show you who's the boss around here, and it ain't gonna be you!"

Footsteps pounded the floor, then I heard Lester scream. I fell onto the ground as he released me and hit the floor. As I squinted I made out two figures in the blackness next to me

"Dina, run!"

It was Rupert. He had Lester pinned to the ground.

"Go! You have to get to Don Boneyard!" he shouted again.

I was speechless, so I just nodded and scurried up the dim hallway. Loud roars could be heard as Rupert began battling Lester for the second time.

I stopped as I came to a large, black door with the skull symbol of the BB Brigade on it. I took a deep breath, then pressed forward.

Chapter Text

With his back to me, all the way at the end, I could see Don Boneyard. I tried my very best to hide my intimidation.

Noticing my presence, he began to speak.

"Bwa ha ha!" he cackled, "You have done well to make it to my inner sanctum. But playtime is over. Let's see if you have the guts to beat me!"

I readied my Dino Medals in my hand and got into a battle stance. Don Boneyard turned around and faced me, but was silent for a moment. "...Wait. Do I... know you?"

I glared at him in reply.

He continued to stare at me, thinking. "...Never mind! I'll have time to bone up on such things later. Until the Caliosteo Cup is canceled, I will not allow myself to be defeated!"

Chilling, hollow roars came from Don Boneyard's boneysaurs as they were unleashed: B-Rex, B-Brachio, and a stealthy pterosaur: B-Ptera. With me having the first move, I aimed right for B-Ptera.

"Use Lugmos Tail!"

Lugmos ran at B-Ptera, but he flew higher. Leaping, Lugmos caught him by the wing and drug him back down, smacking his tail across his face with huge force. A thin crack had formed over B-Petra's eye socket.

B-Ptera flew forward, enraged, but Don Boneyard halted him, "Let her go."

Confused, I kept attacking. What is he plotting? I thought.

Coatlus used Diving Trust on B-Rex, ramming his beak into B-Rex's chest and pushing him backward. Claw marks were scratched on the ground as the boneysaur attempted to stand his ground. Nycto came up behind with a second attack, spinning B-Rex around in a gust of gale-force winds. Lugmos ended with a Charge for good measure.

B-Rex charged at Lugmos and hit him forcefully to the side. He was airborne for a few moments before B-Rex scooped him up in his jaws and slammed him onto the ground. B-Ptera went after Coatlus, tackling him to the ground with Boney Swirl.

Lugmos flashed a cold glare at B-Brachio, who stood unscathed. He took a deep breath, building fire in his throat, then unleashed a huge fireball in his direction. B-Brachio reared up to counter it with a stomp, but was too slow and got hit in the ribs. He fell onto his back, struggling to get up, then stood still as his form faded to white.

B-Rex came at Lugmos head-first, then Lugmos ran at him with a counter-attack. The two rammed into each other, trying to throw the other backward until B-Rex swept Lugmos off his feet and pushed him backward. He weakly pushed himself off the ground and got back up.

Meanwhile, B-Ptera had sliced through the air and temporarily stunned Nycto. Just as he was about to regain his bearings, the flying Boneysaur caught him by the wing and threw him upward in a spiral, then knocked him back to the ground with a headbutt.

Angered with the heartless attacks dealt to Nycto, Coatlus flew up to B-Ptera. Winds swirled around him as if he was a hurricane, then he stopped and the winds hurtled forward, blowing back B-Ptera until he hit the wall. He glowed briefly, then disappeared and turned back into a medal.

By now, my Vivosaurs were exhausted. Lugmos, who had been hit the hardest, was on his last leg.

Don Boneyard cackled, "Alright, B-Rex," he motioned forward, "Bare Tactics!"

For the last time, Lugmos was hit, hard. He stumbled back and forth, his eyes wary, and he collapsed onto the ground and reverted into a Dino Medal. As I caught him, my heart sank.

One Vivosaur left on his side, barely any of his LP gone. My most powerful Vivosaur's been defeated, and the others barely have enough stamina to stand.. or fly. I took a deep breath, my hands trembling.

'You will pay for this!' Nycto's shrill voice yelled, 'No one hurts Lugmos to the point of defeat... and succeeds.'

Screeching, Nycto flew forward until he was just a blur. B-Rex suddenly roared as Nycto hit him. The Boneysaur held his ground, slipping back a few inches as Nycto tried to push him back.

Coatlus copied Nycto, flying forward and blurring against the air. Within seconds, a cry of defeat was uttered from B-Rex's jaws. He fell backward, then hit the ground with a force equal to a small tremor. As he disappeared, Nycto and Coatlus collapsed to the ground, panting, then turned back into their Dino Medal forms.

Don Boneyard was in disbelief. "M-My Boneysaurs were defeated? But it would take a Fighter of such unbelievable skill to..." He suddenly paused again, "I knew I had met you before... Dina."

I suddenly realized the voice was familiar to me, but I couldn't tell who it belonged to. Surely I'd never met this person, or skeleton, before... or had I..?

"Of course. It really is you, isn't it, Dina? I had no idea you were in the Cup," he said with surprise.

"I... I don't know who you are..." I murmured.

He continued, frantic, "You must listen to me, Dina. The Caliosteo Cup must not be allowed to continue! Do not trust anything the present Joe Wildwest says because he is-"

"Are you alright, Dina?!" I turned to see Rupert rush in, followed by Pauleen.

"We will meet again, Dina!"

As I turned back, Don Boneyard had disappeared and all that remained was a fading wisp of smoke. I sighed, then turned to Rupert. He stared at me with worry, then looked up at Don Boneyard's podium.

"...Where is Don Boneyard?" he asked.

"He... escaped..." I dropped my head.

Pauleen growled, "He got away?! Aw, digadig it all!"

"I wouldn't worry yer pretty little head 'bout that, now." We turned to see Joe walking into the room. "Thanks to y'all, we captured the three commanders and all their BareBones lackeys. Without them, ol' Don Boneyard can't do much more'n stamp his feet and twiddle his thumbs."

All of us nodded. The BB Brigade was no more. Even if their leader was on the loose, he was still extremely vulnerable.

"Now we can hold the final like we've always wanted! I can't wait to see which one'a you two emerges as the champ!" Joe gave us a salute, then exited the room.

"Yeah! The BareBones Brigade is finished!" Pauleen exclaimed. "This is the ultimate victory for the Caliosteo Patrol Team!" She ran off, skipping and jumped happily. Rupert turned to me, smiling.

"I'm across this is where our era of cooperation ends, Dina. The next time we meet, we'll be rivals in the Fossil Stadium." He hugged me. "Best of luck to you."

"You too, Rupert." He pulled back and nodded to me, the ran out of the base as well. Just as I was about to leave, Todd came running up to me. We high-fived.

"Dina, you are awesome! You pretty much took out the entire BB Brigade by yourself!"

As I thought of it, Don Boneyard's conversation came to my mind. What did he mean by "Don't trust the current Joe Wildwest?" And where did we meet before?

Todd gave me a boggled look. "Uh... Dina? What's wrong?"

I explained everything.

"He knew who you were? ...Well, I wouldn't let it bother you! You're in the finals, so you're pretty famous already! Now come on!" he said, grabbing my hand and dragging me out the door, "you gotta get ready for the final!"

"Todd? Didn't we talk about the dragging-me-around-thing?" I laughed.

He laughed, too. "Oh, who cares! You're gonna win this thing and I'll be cheering for you all the way!"

--------------------

This was it. The final battle. I'd been waiting for this day my entire life. Not only was I a finalist, but I was also sharing this battle with Rupert. The alert rang on my Paleopager and I squealed with excitement. I ran into the Cranial Fossil Station, but there was one last thing I had to do before my match.

"Are you ready for this, buddy?" I asked.

'Absolutely.'

I quickly, but carefully, cleaned the Miraculous Fossil Rock. It shone bright gold like the rays of the sun. I excitedly laid it in the revival machine and placed my chosen Dino Medal beside it.

A flash of lights and sparks engulfed the room, but after a moment it all began to dim. I looked up as the door opened and out stepped my newest, more powerful addition to my team...

...Nycto Ace.

'Wow, this is awesome!' he admired his wings, which were now attached to his arms, 'We are gonna own the competition!'

"Let me remind you that the competition is Rupert, Nycto Ace." I looked at him with bright eyes.

'He's still going down,' he stated, crossing his arms. 'Well? What're we waiting for?' He leapt up, spinning mid-air, then transformed back into a Dino Medal. 'Let's go fight Rupert!'

I walked nervously to the Common Room door. The attendant stood there, waiting, but Rupert was nowhere in sight.

"Are you Dina?" the attendant asked.

I nodded. "Yep! That's me!"

"Okay. Well, once Rupert arrives you may head straight into battle.."

A male attendant walked up to the attendant waiting for Rupert and whispered something to her. She jumped back. "Rupert did what?"

I gave her a suspicious look. "Umm..."

She turned to me, disappointed, "I... I don't know how to tell you this, but Rupert... Well... his father just came and took him away."

My heart shattered. "H-He what?"

"Dina!" Pauleen ran up to me, frantic.

"Pauleen!" I was deeply worried, "Where is Rupert? Do you know if they're still on the island?"

"Yes, diga! Follow me!" she ran off, and I quickly followed behind.
--------------------

"Do not make me repeat myself. You will withdraw from the Cup, and you will do so now." Rupert's father was stern, and he didn't seem to want to change that decision.

Rupert glared at him. "No, father! I've come so far already, and I cannot leave now!"

His father crossed his arms and turned away. "I've analyzed the Fossil Battle data of your opponent, this 'Dina' person. I used that data to run simulations against your team..." He sighed and turned back to face his son. "The results were disheartening. Your chance of victory is only fifty percent. This event will be seen worldwide. If you lose, it will cause irreparable harm to FossilDig, Inc. We cannot take that risk, for the sake of the company-"

"You know what, father? Screw the company!" he snapped. "You will never understand Fossil Battles. There is no way to tell who will win until you get into the Stadium, and it's fun! I've been looking forward to this battle for a long time, and I'm not going to let you ruin my chance to fight against Dina."

His father shook his head. "I expect that kind of meaningless tripe from third-rate Fighters, but not from you! I never should have let you enter this tournament. It is a mistake that I will not repeat again." He turned, ready to leave. "We will address the issue of your self petulance later. The company helicopter is waiting. Let's go."

"Father, wait!" Rupert ran forward.

Just as his father was about to leave, Pauleen and I walked in front of him, arms crossed.

He growled, turning back to his son. "Are these your 'friends,' Rupert? The ones who have filled your head with nonsense?"

He nodded, eyes looking at his father defiantly. "They are my friends, and they have taught me valuable lessons about the joys of battling."

"Rupert cannot leave, Mr. Kaseki," I stated, flashing him a glare. "You have no idea how important this battle is to him, or how important it is to me."

He paused looking at the both of us. "...Very well. If it is fun you desire, I will simply remove that from the equation." He held up his wrist, which had a mechanical gauntlet on it. "Rupert, I challenge you and one of your friends to a Fossil Battle! There is no place for fun in battles, and it's time for you to remember that!"

Rupert gasped, "Th-That..! That thing is a Fossil Battle computer developed by FossilDig, Inc. A Fighter can use it to control two Vivosaur teams at the same time!" He looked at me with pleading eyes. "Please, Dina! I need your help! You have to join me in this battle against my father!"

I smirked and nodded. "Gladly."

"Ha!" Pauleen smirked, "The team of Rupert and Dina is the best ever, digadig! You will never win against them, diga!"

"I have run the numbers. The odds of you winning are below five percent. My victory is assured!" He flashed his gauntlet, and then six Vivosaurs appeared on the field. Three were against me, and three were against Rupert.

"We've got this, Rupert," I assured him.

He nodded. "I trust you."

He sent out Giga Raja, Mapo King, and Giganoto. I sent out Lugmos, Nycto Ace, and Coatlus. Threatening glares were cast from both sides, claws scraping the floor impatiently while the vivosaurs waited for the first command.

I began to concentrate on my half of Mr. Kaseki's dual teams. It was composed of a Super Evolver named Ryden, Seismo, and Perso. Two Earth types going against Lugmos was a piece of cake.

Finally, I broke the silence, "Lugmos, use Lugmos Sphere!"

Concentrating harder than ever before, a roaring fire built up within Lugmos's jaws, flaring towards Ryden. It hit, but barely fazed the powerful Vivosaur. He brushed it off and gave me a look that said, 'Is that all you got?'

Nycto Ace swirled upward, curving backward and into a head-first dive, then launched himself forward with a huge amount of speed. The air whirled around him like he was a shooting star, and he rammed right into Seismo with a huge critical hit. We waited for a second, but none of our opponents moved.

No power attacks... Not now! I thought with a sudden fear.

Lugmos once again attacked, this time with Lugmos Tail hitting Perso. The Vivosaur stumbled to the side after impact, hitting the ground, but slowly rose back onto his feet. His LP was already depleted greatly.

Costlus followed up with Diving Trust, but despite a direct hit, Ryden still stood strong. His menacing, fanged smile sparkled high above me.

Finally, Perso attacked. He went at Nycto Ace with his front feet reared into the air, then slammed the stealthy Super Evolver down. He screeched, and as Perso withdrew his feet, Nycto Ace struggled to rise back up. Despite his extra strength, he was just as fragile as before.

Angered, Lugmos felt a power awaken within him. His entire body radiated a fire, shining like an inferno, then he launched forward, butting into Seismo and knocking him out. As he withdrew and landed safely back on his side, the fire abruptly faded. Coatlus followed up with Diving Trust on Perso, but didn't cause too much damage.

Ryden finally stepped up to attack. He rose onto his back legs, concentrating hard on the force he was going to use, then slammed down, hard, on the earth. A large crack formed and rocks flew everywhere. Lugmos was smashed with several of them, though he only suffered a few scratches.

Perso, ready to finish off Nycto Ace, ran forward and slammed him down. He gasped, and with a final look at me, faded. I caught his Dino Medal as it came back to me.

"Coatlus, use Blow Away!"

Spinning the Vivosaurs out of order, Costlus's windy attack caused Ryden to come right within Lugmos's range. With a Charge for his next attack, Lugmos happily smirked at his opponent.

Once again, the opponent's side didn't attack.

"Lugmos, use Lugmos Tail on Ryden!"

He aimed several blows at him, hitting directly every time. Battered and finally defeated, Ryden fell to the ground and turned back to Medal form. And just as quickly as the fight started, Coatlus had ended it with an attack on Perso, and victory never tasted sweeter.

"I... I-I don't understand! My simulations assured me of victory!" Rupert's father stammered, the shock of losing weighing down on his mind.

Rupert looked him in the eyes. "Listen to me, Father. I want to face Dina in the finals." he stated, his voice stern. "I want to battle without any restrictions. Even if I lose, I'll never regret that I tried."

His father sighed, "Oh, Rupert... It's time I told you the truth." He turned away, "I wasn't trying to keep you shackled for the sake of the company." All of us looked at him with surprise.

".,.What?" Rupert asked.

"You were always skilled at battling," he explained, "even as an infant, the joy on your face when you won a battle was something to behold. I vowed early on that you would never know the bitter sting of defeat."

He turned back to face Rupert, "I only wanted you to be happy... but now I see I was wrong."

"Father..."

"I look forward to seeing you battle in the final," he stated.

Without hesitation, Rupert hugged him, "Thank you, Father..."

He patted his head. "Well, you have a battle to fight, so you'd better go do so." He turned and walked off to the stadium seats.

Pauleen smiled. "Yay! All the problems are solved again! Now you can finally battle in the finals!" Pauleen ran to the seating area as well, and Rupert began to walk off as well.

Rupert cleared his throat, "I'll be waiting for you in the Common Room, Dina." I nodded to him, and began to follow when Todd sudden jumped in front of me.

"You beat the FossilDig CEO, Dina! I can't believe it!" he squealed.

"Aw, Todd... it was nothing...." I blushed.

"You've really got guts! Unlike me..." he trailed off.

He saw me giving him a worried look, but he said, "It's nothing! I'm gonna cheer for you harder than ever! I wanna see the AWESOMEST Fossil Battle ever, too!" He, too, ran off, jumping excitedly.

As I headed for the Common Room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness, the same nervousness I felt in my first match. I thought of all the battles I'd fought to get here, and I thought of all the great people I'd met.

But one thing's for sure, win or lose, this day is going to be one to remember.

Chapter Text

We stared at each other, neither of us spoke in fear of breaking the silence. Rupert's eyes shone with determination, and mine glowed with excitement and nervousness.

Finally, the announcers spoke our names to the audience. Cheers were heard all around.

Rupert took a breath. "Well, this is it, Dina. Do you remember when I said I didn't care if I lost so long as I tried? Well, that's not quite accurate because I don't intend to lose today." Smiling he asked, "I'm sure you feel the same?"

"No doubt about it," I playfully punched his arm, "I'm gonna fight with all I've got!"

"I would ask for nothing else."

The doors slid open, blinding lights beaming around us, and thousands upon thousands of people were lined up in the stadium. I could recognize Pauleen and Todd at a glance, then I spotted Princess Pooch and Joanie as well as Minister Pomposa, and many other people we'd met along the way.

Rupert looked at me, then we shook hands. "Let's go show them what a real Fossil Battle is all about."

"This is it, folks!" the announcer bellowed, "The most anticipated battle of the year: the Caliosteo Cup final! On the right side, we have Rupert Kaseki, son of the famous FossilDig Inc. CEO!" Rupert waved to everyone as his image appeared on the screen in the stadium.

"And on the left side, the girl who fought the BB Brigade and defeated the notorious Don Boneyard, Dina Sentōki!" I smiled awkwardly at the attention I was getting.

"Now Fighters, choose your Vivosaurs!"

"Go!" Rupert yelled, tossing out three medals. All were water types: a red Super Evolved Mapo, a normal Mapo, and a Mapo King; his first Mapo, as expected, was now his strongest and the head of the team.

I shouted my Vivosaurs names, giving them recognition, "Lugmos! Nycto Ace! Coatlus!"

Roaring battle cries, the Vivosaurs prepared for one of the most important battles of their life. Winning meant fame and fortune, but losing only gave you the thought of almost winning; to get so far only to gain defeat was a terrible fate to be bestowed upon anyone, young or old.

I took the first attack, beginning the battle. "Nycto Ace, attack Mapo King with Nycto Star!"

Nycto Ace pushed himself off the ground, soaring upward, then flipped back and flew at the ground. He turned forward just a few feet from the earth and launched himself at Mapo King. The Super Evolver shook off the attack like it was nothing, smirking with knife-sized teeth at the smaller, green Vivosaur.

Coatlus quickly thought and came up with a second attack. His opponent dodged but was hit in the shoulder as Coatlus sped up and landed a hit. It wasn't much, but every bit of damage counted at this point.

Now it was Rupert's turn. "Mapo! Use Conquerer's Special on Coatlus!"

The red Mapo roared, running and leaping at the large pterosaur. He chomped onto his neck and slammed him onto the ground, then let out a gush of water from his mouth like a geyser. Due to the type advantage, Coatlus wasn't fazed LP wise, but he was now Enraged and probably couldn't land a good hit for a few turns.

Nycto Ace flew at Mapo King, letting loose a critical Nycto Hurricane that whirled Rupert's entire team around in a flurry of wind and mist. He let his team skip a turn to save up FP, so I attacked again.

"Lugmos, use Charge!"

It was like bringing knives to a gunfight, but using one of Lugmos's extra strong attacks might be able to bring down one of Rupert's vivosaurs. Either way, it was worth a shot.

"Alright then," I signaled to Nycto Ace, "attack the first Mapo with Nycto Somersault!"

Nycto Ace flipped himself in the air to uppercut Mapo with his feet, which sent him backward onto the ground.

"Good, but not good enough!" Rupert shouted across the field. "Now, Mapo, use Conquerer's Special again, but this time on Nycto Ace!"

The air-type Super Evolver was pummeled by the series of attacks dealt out by Mapo, and was also Enraged as a result. Luckily, Coatlus could cover for him because his status condition had just worn off.

Coatlus whipped up a twister with Great Vortex, whirling Mapo King around like he was a leaf in a windstorm. Then while he was recovering from his dizzy spell, I took a chance.

"Lugmos," I took a deep breath, "finish him."

Lugmos concentrated, staring down his target. Leaping, he whipped his tail in a charged attack. It glowed with a fiery power, then collided with his opponent. Mapo King staggered and fell to the ground as the crowd roared with excitement.

Rupert stared at me with astonishment, but quickly got back into battle mode. "Mapo, use Conquerer's Fang, then you," he motioned to his second Mapo, "follow up with Conquerer's Special."

In an instant, they knew who to target. The first Mapo grabbed hold of Lugmos's front leg but was shaken off effortlessly. The second one had come up behind, biting and tackling Lugmos, then finishing it with another gush of geyser-like water. Lugmos was barely hanging on.

"Coatlus and Nycto Ace, attack the first Mapo!"

Coatlus went for the regular Mapo, hitting him with Great Vortex. Nycto Ace followed up with Nycto Somersault and kicked him backward. Although dizzy and weak, Mapo still held on by a very thin thread.

Rupert's second Mapo attacked with Conqueror's Combo, biting and pushing Lugmos around. Lugmos couldn't take the damage and fell, causing another eruption of screams and shouts from the crowd. We were getting to the end, and Rupert had evened our teams out.

I growled with frustration and ordered Costlus to attack Mapo again. He used Wing Cutter, spinning at a terrific speed and slashing at Mapo with his wings as if they were blades. Nycto Ace followed up with another high-speed Nycto Star, crashing into Mapo and sending him flying backwards onto the ground. He glowed and reverted to a Dino Medal. I was in the lead.

Rupert was shocked again. He had his last Mapo attack with a full force Conquerer's Special. Nycto Ace flailed about as he was smashed to the ground several times. Glaring, he jumped back up and hit Mapo with Nycto Somersault again, bashing Mapo's jaws together with a loud crack. He dropped his head and panted for a moment, but as he recovered Coatlus swept him up with Blow Away.

Mapo, who had slightly more than half his health left, charged at Nycto Ace once again. He headbutted him down onto the hard earth, then lifted him up only to bring him down again. Nycto Ace turned back to a Dino Medal as well, bringing our teams to a one-on-one fight.

Coatlus quickly soared upward, gaining speed. Mapo squinted at the sun as Coatlus barreled down at him. Gusts of wind blew him back, and Coatlus slammed into him with a Blow Away and tackle combo. Mapo held his ground and grabbed Coatlus as he went to retreat, biting his left wing and stomping on him as he fell to the ground.

He recovered, whipping Mapo with Wing Cutter. The vivosaur growled with anger and aimed a bite at Coatlus, but he swiftly dodged and smiled as he came back around with a Diving Trust attack. Mapo, who was surprised at this sudden move, fell back. His eyes were still fixed on Coatlus, who landed in the center of the stadium. Mapo couldn't get back up and turned back into his Medal form. Rupert sighed.

"All of you did well. You've made me very proud. Win or lose, that was a wonderful battle." He looked up at me and walked forward. I did so as well.

Coatlus returned to his Dino Medal form as well and I picked him up. I stared into Rupert's eyes for a heartbeat, then extended my hand and he shook it.

"Thank you for sharing this battle with me, Dina," he smiled, "That was the most fun I've had in a long while."

The crowd was roaring with excitement. "Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the first-ever Caliosteo Cup, Miss Dina Sentōki! Congratulations on your astounding victory!"
--------------------

We walked out of the stadium into the lobby.

"You won, Dina," he laughed, "You know, I had always dreaded the thought of losing, but now that it's here, I feel... I feel serene, calm. Like I've been... cleansed somehow."

He grabbed my hands excitedly. "And the battle was so fun! Did you see how I attacked with everything I had! Wooo!"

"Uhh... Rupert?" I giggled.

He blushed. "...Ahem! Yes, well..." he released his grip, "I believe I am satisfied. I'm glad it was you on the final stage. I really am. It was a privilege and honor to meet a fellow Fighter such as you. Thank you, Dina."

"There they are!"

We both turned with surprise as a mob of cameramen and reporters stormed into the lobby. They circled us like flies, spitting out several questions.

"Woah, woah, woah! One at a time!" I shouted.

"Dina, how long have you been fighting in Fossil Battles?"

"Well," I thought, "probably only about four years. I got my Dimetro when I got to fight a full-fledged battle, but before that, I'd practiced with my brother's vivosaurs."

"Dina, is it true that you're friends with Hunter, the boy who defeated Gunash?"

I thought for a moment. "Not exactly..? I mean, I know him, but we've only met a few times. My brother and him are close friends, though."

"Rupert, there have been rumors that you and Dina are dating. Is this true?"

"Hm..." Rupert looked at me with a smirk, "Does this answer your question?"

He pulled me close and kissed me, right in front of them. Everyone around us gasped, but I could care less about them because right now I was having the best day of my life.

Rupert released me and turned back to the cameras. "Anything else?"

"N-No.. That's all..!" They all dispersed, leaving the room except for one person who was documenting everything. I don't know how Rupert deals with them all the time, they're annoying!

"Sorry about that..." he scratched his head nervously.

I gave him a cheerful look. "It's alright. I bet we'll be in the headlines of newspapers everywhere, though!" We both laughed at the thought of that.

"Well don't that just beat all!" Joe walked forward, and was relieved to see him instead of more papperazi. "Who woulda thunk this Cup would end with a new hero ridin' to save the day? And to think them BB Brigade fellers almost blew the whole thing! Dina, you took a stand against them and ended up savin' the Cup and the park. Yer passion fer battlin' and yer strong heart have allowed ya to claim the crown. Ain't no doubt about it, you've grown into a great Fighter and a true champion. So like I promised, I'm gonna make ya the owner of this here Caliosteo Fossil Park!"

He turned to the camera. "To all those who fought with their all... To all them fans who whooped and hollered 'till their throats were sore... To the loyal cowhands who worked day and night to make everything run smooth... With a hearty thanks to y'all, I declare the Caliosteo Cup officially over!"

He saluted to me. "Congrats, Dina! Ya truly are the chosen one."

"Thank you, Joe."

As the cameraman stopped his broadcast and left, Rupert turned to me. "I'm going to go talk with my Father. I'll see you later, Dina."

"Okay. See ya, Rupert."

"Oh, say there, pard." I looked up at Joe as he spoke to me. "There's somethin' I'd like to talk to ya about. You mind stoppin' by the suite in a bit?"

I nodded, "Sure. I'll be up as soon as I can."

"Alrighty. I'll be waiting." He walked off to the stairs just as Todd and Pauleen rushed at me out of nowhere.

Todd jumped up and down with unmeasurable happiness. "You did it, Dina! You really did it! You're the champion!" He pulled me into a tight hug. "It's wicked! It's awesome! It's wicked awesome! Aw, man... I can't believe you were my Round 1 opponent!"

He pulled away and shrugged. "But hey... Since you beat me there, and you ended up winning here... That means I would've come in second! Ooohh, it's so aggravating!"

Pauleen finally managed to get a sentence in. "Great job, digadig! Your battle was amazing, digadig! My palms are all sweaty and sore from clapping so hard!" she glanced at Todd, "...and I'm surprised he hasn't lost his voice from screaming yet, diga.."

Todd snickered at that remark.

"...But why are you standing here, diga? There's a whole bunch of people waiting to see you outside! Talking to your fans is a part of a champion's job, diga. You know that!"

"I'd love to talk to them, but... Joe wants to speak with me so it'll have to wait," I sighed.

Pauleen shot me a questioning look. "...Diga? Joe wants to see you?"

Todd gasped. "Maybe he's finally remembered how we met two years ago! Yeah! That must be it! If that's the case, then I'm going with you! Pauleen," she looked at him, "we're just gonna swing by Joe suite quick, okay?"

"That's fine, Todd. I'll talk to the fans and have them hold on, digadig." She turned to leave but stopped. "But don't keep them waiting too long!"

"Great, let's go!" Todd shouted.
------------------

"You wanted to speak with me?" I asked as Todd and I stepped out of the elevator.

Joe was staring out the window, hands behind his back. "I'm glad you came."

He turned and walked towards us, then gave Todd a surprised look. "Oh.. You brought Todd. Well, this doesn't exactly concern him, but... fine. He's here. How very nice for us all." His tone sounded almost cold, like when you're in a bad mood.

Todd was stunned, almost completely shell-shocked, but Joe paid no mind to him. He just went on talking. "Let me give you a little history lesson, Dina. I want to talk about a king. A great king who once ruled over all the Caliosteo Islands... I want to talk about ZongaZonga."

Todd spoke up, "Hey, ZongaZonga is the guy they talked about on those Calio Slablets, right? He was some horrible sorcerer that implanted his skull in other people's bodies!" He shivered. "...But, didn't they locked him away in the Stone Pyramid?"

I nodded, but I was becoming suspicious about this conversation. There was something fishy going on...

Joe nodded in agreement. "Well, you've got a good bit of knowledge there. That's exactly right." He paced around. "But that's not where the story ends. There's a second act that no one knows about."

I swallowed. "What happened?"

"This happened uncountable years after the skull of ZongaZonga was sealed away. A single man, acting on pure chance, found the Stone Pyramid and the chest, with no idea what was inside." He paced again. "The moment he cracked the lid of that stone chest, the poor man's body was stolen by ZongaZonga."

He smirked, deviously. "Do you want to know the name of that poor, wretched man? Shall I tell you?"

I held my breath, almost choking. I could feel the tension building between us.

"His name... was Joe Wildwest."

I backed up, and so did Todd. Both of us were frightened out of our wits.

The man cackled. "You are beginning to understand that I am not your foolish cowboy friend. I am King ZongaZonga!"

I shook my head in disbelief, "N-No.."

"D-Did he just say that he's... ZongaZonga..?"

"But," he continued, "this body is old. And smelly. Living in it forces me to fake that ridiculous accent! I need a body that's strong and full of life if I want to regain my full powers." We backed up.

"...that is why I held the Caliosteo Cup. Long ago I used this tournament to select the Majestic Vessel, and now I have done so once more!"

We backed up more, taking bigger steps.

"I... I-I won't let you!" I yelled.

He shook his head with a smile. "You should rejoice, Dina! You will become the new body for the great ZongaZonga! With you as my vessel, I will have no trouble regaining all of my former powers... and I will use those powers to rule the world!"

Todd grabbed my hand, and we backed up more. The elevator was within reach now.

"When your body withers with age, I will simply choose another! And another! And another! Hahaha! I am eternal! I am immortal! I WILL NEVER DIE!" That last sentence was more like an inhuman roar than a normal shouting voice.

"GO!" I yelled. We turned and ran for the elevator, jabbing the buttons rapidly.

Todd cried out, "Th-the elevator... It won't work!"

"Fools! There is no escape!" the fiend bellowed, "I, ZongaZonga, command you surrender your body to me!"

Just then, the wall crashed in, causing ZongaZonga to stumble backwards onto the ground. We took the chance and ran towards the wall, meeting with a familiar face... or two.

B-Ptera, the same one that Lugmos had given a scar down its face, and a skull met our eyes. "Jump on, both of ya!"

That voice... I recognized it all too well. Even though it was two years ago, that day still burned in my mind.

Joe was saving us again.

Once again, Todd was hesitant, so I grabbed his hand and leapt forward. We just barely made it onto the boneysaur's back. I looked back, seeing ZongaZonga glaring up at us.

"Impossible! That cursed skull!" he bellowed.

I gasped for breath, exhausted. My eyelids were heavy, and before I knew it everything went black.
--------------------

I slowly began opening my eyes, and a voice spoke up, "...Are ya awake?"

That gave me the slightest bit of hope that maybe I'd passed out after my match from over-excitement, but the eerie room surrounding me made my heart sink. I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all.

Then I saw a skull bounding towards me from the ground. Todd, who was sitting in a chair opposite me, flinched and froze to his seat.

"You!" I leapt up from my somewhat comatose state and stared fiercely at the skull.

He shuddered, "Y'all don't understand!"

"Wait..." recognition suddenly struck Todd, "I know you! You're Don Boneyard! ...Why would you save us?"

It hit me. The reason why Don Boneyard knew me, and why he was trying to stop the Cup.

"...Joe?" I questioned.

"Are you crazy, Dina?" Todd shouted, "You think this skull is actually... Joe Wildwest?!"

The skull was silent for a moment, but spoke up hesitantly, "I'm afraid Dina's right, small fry. I really am Joe Wildwest." He gave a dry chuckle, "I reckon I know how crazy it sounds, but y'all need to believe me. ...Especially you, Todd."

Todd flinched in surprise. "You... know my name?"

"'Course I do! Ya told it to me, remember? Two years ago after we battled that angry Allosaurus?" His voice seemed cheerful, recalling that day. Lugmos's Medal was brimming with happiness.

Todd thought for a moment. "...Two years ago? The Allosaurus? Only the real Joe could know about that!" He cheered, "It's Joe! It's really him, Dina!"

He sighed, turning away with regret. "I used to dream 'bout a place where Fighters could dig up fossil rocks and battle to their heart's content. That's why I built the Caliosteo Fossil Park. Just before the doors opened, I stumbled upon the Stone Pyramid and decided to take a peek inside. That's when I found me a big stone chest, and... well, y'all know what happened next..."

He turned back to me. "...and here I am, rollin' around like a tumbleweed on the plains. But my body's got a few miles on it, so ZongaZonga started lookin' for a new Majestic Vessel. He organized the Caliosteo Cup and summoned Fighters from all across the world. I knew I had to stop it, so I disguised m'self as Don Boneyard and formed the BareBones Brigade. Luckily flying skulls warn't the only thing I found. I also tracked down some boneysaurs, so I took as many as I could find and gave 'em to the BB Brigade. After that, we did everything we could to disrupt the Cup. ...'Course you didn't make it easy there, pardners!"

I lowered my head, "I had no clue, Joe. I really am sorry. If you would've told me what was going on, I-"

"Aw, heck! Don't go apologizin' now! Ya were just doing what ya thought was right. I gottta admit, y'all have surprised me at every turn. I never reckoned to get beat by the small fry I rescued two years ago! I saw ya still had yer Dimetro, too."

I smiled. "He's a Lugmos now."

Joe nodded, sort of. "Well I wish we had time to sit around and jaw, but we don't. Ol' ZongaZonga went to a whole lot'a trouble to hold that Cup, and he's gonna want Dina's body. He ain't gonna give up until he has it, so y'all need to vamoose from these islands right away!"

I shuddered. Never in my life had I been so terrified. If Joe hadn't come at that moment.. well.. I probably would be just a bouncing skull like him.

"Dina?" Todd's voice broke me away from my thoughts, "Joe's right. We should get out of here!"

I thought about it. If I left, I'd most likely be safe from harm. But my friends, and the people in the park, would be in danger. It was a huge risk, but I had to do it.

"No," I answered.

"What..? R-Really? You're not leaving?!" Todd exclaimed. All the color seemed to drain from his face.

I nodded. "I need to fight ZongaZonga! It's the only way that we can save everyone!"

"Aw, shucks," Joe spoke up, "I appreciate ya sayin' that, I really do, but I'd feel terrible if something happened to ya! Don't be a hero. Run while ya still can."

Todd shuffled his feet nervously. "I don't want to sound like a chicken or anything, but..." he grabbed my shoulders, "HE'S A FLYING SKULL THAT CAN STEAL YOUR BODY! Let's just leave, ok? Let's leave together." His pleasing eyes begged me to go, but deep in my heart, I knew I had to refuse.

I sighed, "Todd... I can't."

He scowled, "Don't you understand!? I'm worried about you, Dina!" He stomped his foot down, yelling, "Fine! Get your skull stolen! See if I care, because I don't!"

He ran off, stopping to look back as he reached the doorway, but then quickly whirled back around and ran off again. Small tears formed in my eyes and began to run down my face, but I brushed them off with my sleeve.

"Ya sure about this, pard?" Joe asked, turned to the doorway where Todd had run off. "Yer riskin' an awful lot to help little ol' me."

"I need to do this, Joe."

"Then I owe ya more than you'll ever know. I gotta tell ya, though, I don't have the first clue 'bout how to beat this ZongaZonga feller. I know them ancient folks managed to seal him up somehow, but I don't know how they did it." He growled, "Aw, horse apples! I wish we had someone around here that knew the history of these here islands!"

Instantly, a name came to my mind.

"Professor Scatterly," I muttered.

"How's that now? Ya say Professor Scatterly knows about all the islands' history?" Joe asked. "Hm... Well, heck! Maybe he knows how to defeat ZongaZonga then!"

"We've got no time to lose." I grabbed Joe's skull and placed it in my backpack. It felt... lumpy... which was really creepy. "Let's go."
--------------------

"How far now?" Joe asked, but his voice was muffled from being in the backpack.

I veered to the right on Coatlus. "Not far. We should be there in a moment." Cranial Island was within range, but I'd need to be careful so no one would spot me. I couldn't start a panic by telling them about ZongaZonga just yet.

"Coatlus, I need you to land in Dusty Dunes. No one seems to be there right now, so we shouldn't be noticed." The Vivosaur nodded, then dove towards the sand and landed softly on the ground. I hopped down from his back just as he turned back into a Dino Medal.

I hurried into town. People were walking around like they did every day, oblivious to the threat that was lurking just inside Wildwest Tower.

Upon entering the Caliosteo Museum, Professor Scattery was admiring his complete collection of Slablets. He noticed me in the doorway and rushed to greet me.

"Oh ho, welcome back, old bean! I hear you won the Caliosteo Cup, wot wot? Capital job, that was. Truly a nice spot of work!" His face became questioning in an instant as he saw my worried expression. "I say, what is the matter? You seem rather flustered."

I shakily sighed, then began to explain the entire ordeal.

"Good heavens! You're saying that ZongaZonga has taken over Joe's body, and that Don Boneyard was the real Joe trying to stop him all along?" He was silent for a heartbeat, then burst out laughing, "Oh ho ho ho! Oh, you are a witty young lass, aren't you? You almost had this old man for a second!"

I was absolutely infuriated when suddenly Joe hopped out of my backpack, landing next to Professor Scatterly, "Ain't no joke, Professor! Look at what happened to me!"

The professor gasped, "Good gravy! A skull that moves and talks! Well... this is simply fascinating." He turned to me, finally understanding. "With this proof in front of me, I have no choice than to believe your tale. Although if ZongaZonga has come back, I'm afraid that leaves us in a bit of a fix. If he were to seize your body and reclaim his true powers..."

I shuddered at the thought of it.

"Look, Professor," Joe interrupted, "we need to know how 'ol ZongaZonga was defeated the first time."

"How he was defeated?" The professor was puzzled. "Oh my... Oh dear me, I'm afraid I don't know... but if I were to investigate there..."

Just then, we all heard shouting outside like someone started a small riot.

I turned to Joe, who looked up at me, "Somethin' must've happened. We'd best go have a look, Dina."

He leapt back into my backpack, and it still felt lumpy. I walked outside, Professor Scatterly following, and to our surprise, we saw the Mammoth Vision screen flying towards us. I could only think of what this could be about.

The screen flashed on, revealing the fake Joe in all his glory. "Hello there, everyone. It's me, Joe Wildwest." He wasn't even bothering with the accent anymore. "I'm afraid I have some sad news about our champion, Dina."

My heart sank, He couldn't be..?

"I've learned that our champion is actually a member of the hated BareBones Brigade!" He paced back and forth. "Yes, it seems Dina has been running with them since the very beginning, and she's been rigging matches to assure her victory." He faced the screen, glaring with rage, "Our so-called champion is nothing but a fraud!"

People were looking around at each other, but I was backing away with terror into the shade of a palm tree. "No... This cannot be happening..."

"The cheater is hiding out somewhere with all the other BB Brigade cronies. Hear me well! I want Dina captured and brought to me!" he roared.

Everyone dispersed, as with the end of every announcement, then Terry and several staff members came out of the Fossil Station. They were searching for me, they all were.

Cautiously, the professor and I stepped out into the open. "Darn that ZongaZonga!" Joe growled, "He's gonna trick other Fighters into doin' his dirty work!"

Professor Scatterly nodded, "Indeed. This is a situation most dire. I suggest you two make your escape at once!"

Just as I went to run off, two people ran out of the doors, and I held my breath as I saw that it was Pauleen and Rupert. If they were against me than my world was going to come crashing down right here and now.

"You guys... That announcement was a lie! Please don't believe it!" I pleaded.

Pauleen walked forward. "It's alright, diga. We're on your side."

"We battled you in the Cup, and we know you won by fair means," Rupert agreed.

"We can't be wastin' time like this!" Joe yelled, leaping from my backpack once again, "We gotta gallop back to the BB Brigade Base, and fast!"

"Eep! It's D-Don Boneyard! What's he diga-doing here?" Pauleen yelped.

"I'll fill ya in on the details later, kid. Right now, we gotta hurry! If they track down Dina, the world's in a heap'a trouble!"

Rupert shrugged, "I can't say I understand, but I will trust your judgment." He motioned to Pauleen, "We should go."

Joe leapt back into my backpack just as footsteps sounded behind me. I froze and slowly turned, meeting face to face with Stella and the other staff leaders.

"...You've disappointed me. I trusted you, you know?" Stella stated, her voice cold.

"Who knew the champ was really a member of the BB Brigade? It's sad, really," Terry chimed in.

Kent stepped forward. "Come on, little dude. Just come with us and nobody has to get gnarly." They edged closer, cornering us more with every step.

Rupert became tense. "This is bad. We're surrounded."

"What'll we diga-do?" Pauleen held her hands to her face, eyes wide with worry.

"Rooooooaaarrr!!!!"

"What the..?"

Everyone turned, and Todd was running towards us at full speed, leaping in front of us to keep the people away.

"Todd! You came back!" I cried with joy.

"Run, everyone! Run now! I'll take care of these guys!"

He grabbed a Dino Medal from his pocket and turned around to look at me. "So, remember when I said I wanted to run because I was worried about you? Well, it's not quite true... I actually ran because... I was afraid... I'd always just hang back and let you do all the hard stuff."

He turned back to the crowd and walked forward. "You... you were always so brave, Dina! You took on everything, no matter how scary it was! Then Pauleen took off her mask, and Rupert stood up to his father and... and I realized I was a coward. It made me ashamed." Bawling his hand into a fist and readying his Dino Medal he shouted, "I'm done running! No more fake stomachaches for me! You're my best friend, Dina, and I'm gonna save you!"

I stepped towards him, but he stopped me. "Go already!"

Launching his Dino Medal forward, Stego appeared and growled at the staff leaders. He prepared to command his first attack.

Tears fell from my face and I tried to run at him, but Rupert grabbed my hand before I could do so.

"Todd can do this, Dina," he stated, "We must believe in him."

I took one last look back at him, then we turned and ran. Todd faced his opponents without fear. Just as we were about to fly off on Coatlus, I could hear Todd shouting to everyone.

"Bring it on, chumps!"

Chapter Text

I was absentmindedly staring into space, trying to wrap my mind around everything that had happened. I was so proud of Todd for finally standing up for himself and for saving my life. But at the same time... all the things I'd come to love were being torn apart right in front of my eyes.

Joe was explaining the situation to everyone, leaving me to recover a bit.

"I must admit, although the situation is quite dire, this is something of an amazing story," Rupert said with astonishment, though his eyes shone with worry. "I believe you, yet it's hard to imagine that Joe's body is being controlled by an ancient sorcerer... or that this bouncing skull is actually Joe Wildwest."

"I know, diga!" Pauleen shouted with surprise, "A skull that lives by stealing bodies? Talk about freaky, digadig!"

I sighed, then began to silently walk out of Don Boneyard's former quarters when Rupert ran up behind me. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"...Are you worried about Todd?" his eyes blinked with concern.

I just stared on down the corridor for a few heartbeats, deep in thought, but turned and nodded, crying, "I'm worried sick! He's never tried to face so many people on his own before! What if he gets hurt?"

Rupert reassured me, "This was his choice, Dina, and his path. I'm sure he'll be alright."

"Rupert's right, diga!" Pauleen agreed, "I know Todd pretty well, and deep inside he has a strong will to fight. He can last on his own, digadig, so cheer up!"

I wiped the now-drying tears from my eyes. "How can we defeat ZongaZonga, though? He's much too powerful for our average Vivosaurs..." Lugmos growled in his Dino Medal with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"We'll find a way, diga."

Professor Scatterly suddenly chimed in, "Good heavens! I just thought of something!"

All of us turned in his direction, a bit startled at his sudden, unexpected announcement.

"What?" I asked.

"Well," he paced back and forth, "according to the Calio Slablets, ZongaZonga was defeated by the people of the Caliosteo Islands. After that, they sealed him inside the Stone Pyramid, correct?"

I shrugged, "Yeah... but how does that solve our dilemma? ZongaZonga is too powerful to lock back up right now!"

"I believe that if he were sealed there, then the method of defeating him may be locked away inside that structure as well," he turned to Joe, "You know where the Stone Pyramid is, yes?"

Joe sort of nodded. "Sure do! It's in the Jungle Labyrinth! If ya check the bush at the deepest part, you'll find a path that leads to the Stone Pyramid."

Professor Scatterly beamed with excitement. "The deepest part of the Jungle Labyrinth, eh?" He turned and began to sprint towards the door, "Very well, then! I'm off!"

Joe bounded in front of him in an instant. "Whoa there, Professor!" he halted him, "ZongaZonga's been tellin' everyone that Dina here's a thief and a liar, and folks know you two are friends. If they see ya runnin' around, there might be trouble!"

We paused for a couple of moments before Joe had come up with an idea. He bounded away into the halls, and moments later returned dragging a bright orange, dinosaur mask behind him. "Here, try this on."

The professor quickly did as instructed, and as he did he chuckled. "Well played, old bean! No one will recognize this old man now!" Once again, he bolted for the door, "I'm off, then! Tallyho!"

I gulped, "Oh geez.. This won't end well... He... er... tends to forget what he's doing a lot and easily gets lost..."

"How's that now..?" Joe asked, "Aw, horseflies, why didn't ya tell me sooner! I got a second mask here, anyone gonna volunteer to go after 'em?"

Before anyone else could react, I grabbed the mask and put it on, and it was really hot inside but at least I wouldn't be recognized!

Rupert stiffened. "Dina, we can't send you after him!"

Pauleen stepped forward, too. "Rupert's right! It's too diga-dangerous for you! Take off the mask and let me go, digadig."

I turned to face them. "No way. I am not risking having either of you get hurt. This is my battle, and I'll fight it alone."

"I do appreciate the effort, y'all," Joe said gratefully, "but this is somethin' Dina and I need to handle." He lept into my backpack again, this time the skull felt lumpier than before, strangely. Probably my imagination, but it was creepy.

Rupert cautiously came forward, grabbing my hand. "Be careful, Dina"

"You're worse than Todd, Rupert," I laughed, "Don't worry about me. I promise I'll be absolutely fine." I smiled at him reassuringly, though the dinosaur mask hid it. I shook his hand and turned away.

With a nervous sigh, I ran through the base to the beach outside, unleashed Coatlus, and flew off.
--------------------

(Todd's POV)

"Let me go!" I wailed, "He's not who he says he is!"

"Why should I believe you?" Stella growled, tossing me onto the ground. "Here he is, Joe. Should I call the authorities?"

"That won't be necessary, Stella," he motioned for her to leave, "Carry on with your usual duties." She nodded and stepped into the elevator.

"Stella, wait!" But she ignored my pleas for help, simply glaring as the elevator lowered.

Once she was out of sight, ZongaZonga began to speak. "Well, well... I certainly didn't expect to see you here again anytime soon," he chuckled.

I glared, but deep down inside I felt like a scared kitten. "I don't know why you brought me here, but... but if it's to tell you where Dina is, then you aren't getting any information outta me!" I struggled to undo my bound wrists, grimacing. "Damnit, Stella, why did you have to tie it so tight?"

The sorcerer loomed over me. "She'll come to me eventually, looking for you." He turned to look out the window, "However, all she'll find is a strange person that used to be her best friend."

"Wh-what are you gonna do..?" I shuddered.

His eyes flashed a bright violet, "Nothing much. Just a simple spell." He waved his hand into the air and it sparked with a magic energy. "She's not your friend. She just used you to gain power and fame!"

I shook my head, "No! She'd never do that!" Then my mind became foggy, my thoughts fading slowly, "Dina... would never... betray me..."

"Or would she?"

"She..." I blinked, a sudden feeling of rage within me, "She did! All she ever did was leave me behind the sidelines! I never did any cool things! She never gave me a chance!"

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"I am going to get revenge."

ZongaZonga smiled mischievously, whispering, "Hehehe, Dina you are going to wish you never made an enemy of the Great ZongaZonga!"
--------------------

(Dina's POV)

People were all around me, digging and battling. I started getting uneasy thinking that any of them would see through my disguise.

Luckily, the thick foliage in Jungle Labyrinth was perfect for keeping me hidden. I hurried through the maze of trees and roots, running to the very depths of the forest. I came to the clearing where Pauleen and I fought the two guys controlling the metal "monster," and there was still some burned grass where the hunk of metal blew up.

Sure enough, there was a large, overgrown bush entangled in several large tree roots ahead where Joe said it would be.

It wasn't exactly easy to get through the mass of plant matter. I carefully stepped up from root to root until I was on top. I readied myself to climb over it, but a root snapped beneath me and I fell face-first in the dirt. I got up with disgust and brushed off my outfit.

Through the large trees, I could see a stone building: the Stone Pyramid. It was quite large and looked like something out of a history book on the ancient Aztecs.

Inside it, walls full of ancient paintings and murals were everywhere. One, in particular, caught my eye.

ZongaZonga, I presumed, was standing within a throne room. Several skulls were scattered about the room, and people were looking up at him in fear. His bright purple eyes were ghostly, like those of the Boneysaurs. It took everything in my being not to smash my pickaxe right into his little painted head.

The next room was obviously where ZongaZonga was sealed previously. Professor Scatterly was already there examining a large stone box, its lid laying on floor beside it. I removed my mask, as it was safe to here and it was beginning to make my face sweaty.

"Oh!" he exclaimed as he realized that I had entered, "It seems you decided to follow me here, eh wot? I expected that much, as this is your battle as much as it is mine."

Sure, I thought, That's why I came here, and not because you're a complete dunce that trips over his own two feet.

Joe once again leapt from my backpack. "This here's the stone chest that ol' ZongaZonga was locked up in," he sighed, "Sure wish I hadn't opened it..."

"It isn't your fault, Joe. You had no idea what it contained," I said.

Professor Scatterly scratched his chin, "I've been searching high and low, but I'm no closer to finding a way of defeating him..." He turned to the two of us, "I may need to enlist your help, my good eggs. What do you say?"

"Sure thing," I said. Joe agreed as well.

We wandered around the structure. Joe searched the front of the room, and the Professor searched the middle. I headed for the back wall.

There was a small plaque etched into one part of the wall, but it was in an ancient language which was unreadable to me. I called for the others, and they quickly ran and.. well, bounced, over.

"Have you found something?"

"Yes, but I need you to translate it," I said.

The Professor took a quick glance at it, "Yes, quite! Allow me to work my deciphering magic!" Adjusting his glasses, he read the script aloud.

"To defeat ZongaZonga, the people crafted an ultimate weapon called the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. They used this weapon to knock ZongaZonga's skull out of it's stolen body. This weapon could also keep ZongaZonga from stealing bodies for a short time. The people seized this moment to capture the skull and seal it away in the stone chest."

"The Caliosteo Pipsqueak?" Joe questioned. "Sounds like a pretty wimpy name for a weapon. If it knocks ZongaZonga outta my body, though, then I'm all for it!"

He turned to the professor, "Where can we find this 'Caliosteo Pipsqueak?'"

"Yes, allow me to continue," he said, "We fear the seal holding ZongaZonga may one day be broken. If such a day may come, know we have hidden the Caliosteo Pipsqueak here. Press the crest on the wall, and accept the trial of the guardian. If you prevail, the ultimate weapon shall be yours."

"Let's do this then," I smiled confidently.

"I dunno about this," Joe said reluctantly, "Doin' a trial from some guardian sounds a mite bit dangerous."

Professor Scatterly was unsure as well. "It's a difficult decision... Shall we press the crest or no?"

I growled, "How can you be hesitant?" I threw Lugmos, Coatlus, and Nycto Ace's Dino Medals into the air, letting them out. "If you won't do it, then I will. I have to save Todd... I have to save EVERYONE."

I rushed forward and slammed my hand onto the small, button-like crest. The room began to shake violently, and I leaned against Lugmos for balance.

"The Guardian is coming!" Professor Scatterly wailed.

Joe bounced backward, "Outta the way!"

The wall rose, revealing three sets of glowing, violet eyes. Three B-Rexes walked forward, one stepping just feet from me. I ran behind my Vivosaurs and commanded Nycto Ace to attack.

"Use Nycto Star!"

He rushed forward, landing a direct hit, but the B-Rex wasn't fazed and shook its head in annoyance.

Lugmos stepped forward, using Lugmos Tail. The second B-Rex was whipped by his lashing tail, losing a larger amount of LP than his teammate. The damage still wasn't sufficient enough, though.

None of the guardians moved, surprisingly, so Coatlus attacked.

"Use Great Vortex on the second B-Rex!"

Coatlus lurched back, then shot forward and whipped up a twister. The B-Rex whirled around and slammed dizzily into the wall, knocking a few loose rocks from the ceiling. Lugmos Charged for his next attack and ended his turn.

The lead B-Rex used Skeletal Assult on Lugmos. He dodged the boneysaur's lunging jaws but was swept up by his tail and burned by his flaming breath. He winced as he repositioned himself on his side of the field.

The other B-Rex used Law of the Jungle to recover but left his uninjured teammate with almost no LP.

Nycto Ace took this to his advantage and attacked. He did a backflip and kicked B-Rex backward. He fell to the ground, defeated, and disappeared.

Lugmos followed up with an assault on the lead B-Rex with a charged Lugmos Tail. He whipped him across the face, stunning him, then sent him flying against the ground with a loud crack. He, too, disappeared.

The last remaining guardian used Boney Roar, which let out a powerful force that blew back my teammates and me. I clung to the ground, but my Vivosaurs flew backward and hit the ground. Lugmos was getting severely weak.

Coatlus angrily used Blow Back, rotating B-Rex around and slamming him against the ground like he did the rest of my team. Filling in for Lugmos, Nycto Ace also attacked with Nycto Somersault. Neither attack did much, though, as our opponent still stood firmly.

Once again, B-Rex used Boney Roar. Though they stayed on the ground this time, my team was starting to show signs of exhaustion. The fight was seemingly easy, but the attacks were taking a greater toll on them than usual.

That's how the guardians succeed in battle. They tire their opponents! I realized.

Finally, Lugmos had enough. With a roar, he fired an inferno at the B-Rex. The beast was engulfed in flames and fell to the ground in a blind fit of rage.

'Let's end this,' Coatlus screeched to Nycto Ace. Nycto Ace nodded.

The two of them used their attacks in an ambush. Coatlus used Wing Cutter to spin his opponent, making him dizzy, than Nycto Ace slammed into him with unimaginable speed. They slammed into the wall and Nycto Ace fell back as the last guardian faded.

Lugmos jumped forward and caught his friend but the two of them glowed and turned back into Medals instantaneously. Coatlus followed soon after them.

I picked the three of them up, but then I noticed an object in place of where the guardians came from. I stepped forward to retrieve it and found it was a large, sky-blue hammer: the Caliosteo Pipsqueak.

I lifted it from its base, and it was actually lighter than it looked, then I walked back to Joe and the professor just as the wall fell back into place.

"By jove, it's the Caliosteo Pipsqueak!" Professor Scatterly bellowed.

"Let's head back to the base and plan an attack," Joe said, "We can use my B-Ptera to fly since your Coatlus seems tuckered out."

Coatlus breathed a sigh of relief, and I smiled. "Let's get going, then."
--------------------

"So you're gonna use that weird hammer-thing to knock ZongaZonga's skull out of Joe's body, digadig?" Pauleen asked.

"Yep," I nodded.

Rupert spoke, "I see... And after you do so, he will be unable to steal bodies for a short time..."

"That's our chance to return the skull to the chest in the Stone Pyramid!" the Professor stated.

Pauleen jumped forward. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's head to Wildwest Tower, diga!"

"And I shall go prepare for your arrival at the Stone Pyramid. Yes, quite." Professor Scatterly headed off, and we followed close behind him.

Once outside, Joe once again released his B-Ptera, "All right, y'all! All aboard my B-Ptera!"

We flew on for what seemed like forever. By now, it was almost completely dark out. The stars were bright and the clouds in the sky were sparse. It would have been a perfect night if we weren't about to go fight a vengeful ancient sorcerer.

In the distance, a tall building became visible, and we all knew exactly what lay just inside.

"I can see Cranial Isle!" Rupert exclaimed, "We're almost at Wildwest Tower."

I smirked. "This is it, Rupert. We're gonna save the world." He smiled back at me, but just then Pauleen spoke up.

"Wait, digadig..." she looked around, "W-we're not moving forward!"

B-Ptera flapped its wings weakly, then plummeted downward. We all screamed in fear.

"Is this one of ZongaZonga's spells?!" Rupert yelled, "Why is this happening?" He grabbed me and held me close. I shut my eyes tight and prepared for the worst.

Pauleen screamed, "We're going down!"

Just then there was a flash, and Coatlus appeared. He swooped under us and caught B-Ptera, gliding gently onto the ground. B-Ptera stood up and shook his head, then transformed back into a Dino Medal. Coatlus did the same, and I returned him to my pocket.

Joe sighed, "Well, we made it to Cranial Isle, but my B-Ptera's plum tuckered out. We'll have to climb up to Wildwest Tower on our own."

"Come on, digadig! Let's get going!" Pauleen shouted.

"Well now, that's a bold plan," someone said. My heart sunk as I turned and saw Terry standing before me. Stella and Kent walked up to us, too.

"You think you can go after Joe?" she growled, cracking her knuckles, "Think again!"

"We're gonna dump some cold water on your hot scheme, little dudes."

Joe bounced forward. "Stella! Terry! Kent! Ya gotta listen to me!" he pleaded, "I'm the real Joe Wildwest! That thing in the tower is just an evil skull that wrangled up my body! ...Sounds crazy when you say it out loud, but it's true! Now y'all gotta let us pass!"

The staff leaders stared at him blankly for a moment, but then Stella shrieked. "Eep! It's a talking skull!"

"That's totally uncool, dude! It's gotta be Don Boneyard!"

Terry stepped forward and shouted at us, "Are we supposed to believe every skull that hops in here and starts flapping its mandible? I think not!"

"It's the truth, pards! Why won't ya believe me..?"

"Enough!" Terry shouted again, "We'll let our Vivosaurs handle it from here!" He turned to Stella and Kent, "Let's get em'!"

Rupert glared the trio down. "We don't have time for this nonsense!" He pushed me out of their way. "Go, Dina! Get to ZongaZonga!"

"We'll handle these clowns, diga!" Pauleen agreed.

I stared at them fearfully; they could end up like Todd, where ever he was. But Joe made me snap out of it.

"We gotta vamoose, Dina! NOW!"

I grabbed Joe and ran between the staff leaders. They shouted at me as I ran without looking back.

"W-wait! Stop right there!"

Rupert and Pauleen jumped in front of them. "I'd stop worrying about them and start worrying about us, digadig."

"I'm going to teach you a lesson in manners." He held up his Mapo King's Dino Medal. "Don't mess with my friends... especially Dina."

I reached the doors of the Fossil Station, panting. Just beyond here I'd be facing the worst. I could win, I could get Joe's body back.

...or I could lose.

Losing meant the major probability that I'd get my body stolen, the world would be ruled by ZongaZonga, and my friends would be... I didn't even want to think about what would happen to them.

The only choice I had left was to try.

I ran up the stairs, heading straight for the elevator, but I stopped as someone stepped out.

I gasped and my eyes sparkled with joy, "Todd!"

"Hey there, pard!" Joe greeted him, "What are ya doin' all the way-"

"Save it!" he growled, "I'm here for Dina."

Gasping with surprise, I almost choked. "Todd..? W-what... why?" I now noticed that his eyes weren't the bright, joyful blue they usually were.

They were grey. Deep, emotionless grey.

"You never liked me, and I know you made fun of me for losing to you in Round 1. I was always the loser... nothing but a losing, weak child," he continued, "You think I'm a joke? I'll show you who's laughing!"

My eyes were watery. "Todd... I would never think that. Why are you saying this?" I paused, and the realization hit me. "Can't you see? This is ZongaZonga's spell!"

"Shut up!" he yelled, "You can't fool me anymore!"

"I'm not lying, Todd!" I wailed, "Snap out of it! You know that we've been best friends for a very long time... Please... Please... just stop.."

He only glared. "No. This is who I am, and I'm not going to be pushed around anymore! I'm gonna stomp you flat, and then I'm gonna laugh at YOU." He laughed maniacally, "All hail Todd! HA HA HA!"

"Dina, we gotta get someone to fight him if we want to snap him out of it," Joe said, "The stress of a Fossil Battle should be just enough to-"

"I'll fight him."

"What? YER gonna battle him?" His voice sounded worried. "Alright... just... try not to hurt the poor feller."

Todd smiled evilly. "I'm coming for you, Dina!"

Todd's team was composed of Super Evolved Vivosaurs. There were two normal Super Evolvers, Goyle and Spinax, and then their was his Barbaros.

"Let's do this..." I called out my team, all of them shared my emotions: conflicted, saddened, enraged...

"ZongaZonga..." I muttered, "when I'm through with you, you'll wish you never escaped from that chest... That you were never even born!"

"Barbaros! Use Barbaros Spin!"

"Lugmos, counter with Lugmos Tail!"

Both Vivosaurs were equally powerful, and they held their own as the attacks hit. Barbaros roared, but Lugmos only looked on with fright.

'Barbaros... Don't you remember me..?' he questioned.

Barbaros turned away, yet his grey eyes were unmistakable.

'Dina!' Lugmos roared, 'His Vivosaurs are under the same spell he is!'

I scowled. "Then we'll have to fight even harder." I signaled to Nycto Ace, "Nycto Somersault on Spinax!"

Nycto Ace ran at Spinax, who shifted sideways to dodge. Thinking quick, Nycto Ace followed him, then pushed off the ground with an uppercut.

Spinax bared his teeth, then snapped at Nycto Ace, catching his wing. He threw him to the ground like a scrap of paper.

Goyle quickly followed with a second attack: Wind Cannon. He whipped up small whirlwinds with his tail that cut through my Vivosaurs like blades. Coatlus was able to avoid most damage, but Lugmos and Nycto Ace took a hard hit.

Lugmos lowered his back frill, then sprang forward, headbutting Barbaros into the ground. Half of his LP was depleted, but he got up looking just as strong as he did at the start.

"Attack them with Wind Cannon again, Goyle!" Todd yelled.

Goyle obeyed, depleting most of my team's LP down to half. Lugmos still had a good bit left, however, and attacked next.

Charging fire, he shot a sphere of it at Barbaros. He attempted to leap up and dodge it but was thrown aside as it exploded beneath him. Coatlus took this chance to attack with Wing Cutter, which severely weakened his opponent.

Todd growled, "Is that the best you got? I'll show you real power!" He called to Barbaros, "Use Barbaros Mist!"

The Vivosaur charged at Coatlus, then unleashed a thick mist that scorched his opponent. Coatlus fell down onto the ground, struggling to get up, but collapsed again and returned to a Dino Medal.

"Nycto Ace! Use Nycto Star on Barbaros!"

Nycto Ace soared quickly along the ground, slamming into Barbaros. The vivosaurs tumbled over but was otherwise okay.

Lugmos had had about enough. He flew forward at Spinax, smashing him to the ground with Lugmos Blaster. The theropod panted, weakly standing, but now with a scared condition.

Todd skipped his turn, charging FP, so I targeted his weakest teammate.

Seeing what I was aiming for, Lugmos used a Lugmos Tail attack on Barbaros. The Vivosaur crumpled to the ground instantly and turned back into a Medal.

To avenge the defeat of his teammate, Spinax used Cyclonic Breath on my team, blowing them back and disabling then for a moment. Then Goyle used yet another Wind Cannon, confusing Lugmos.

Since Lugmos was too confused to do anything, Nycto Ace went after Spinax. With one simple Nycto Star, Spinax fell to the ground. All that was left now was Goyle.

He shot four sharp spears of wind forward, knocking Nycto Ace out of the air. He wobbled about in confusion. Now my whole team couldn't attack.

Todd... I'm sorry. I can't let you win this, I thought, Lugmos... Nycto Ace... please snap out of it.

"Attack Lugmos with Wind Spear!"

Goyle did just that, but as the attacks came at Lugmos, he dodged. His confusion subsided and he attacked Goyle with Lugmos Tail, temporarily stunning him.

Although confused, Nycto Ace gained his bearings enough to deliver a final Nycto Sommersault to Goyle. Todd's final team member fell, and the battle ceased.

Todd blinked, unsure of what had gone on. He looked up at me, "Wh-what..? ...Oh my gosh, Dina!" He ran over to me, and I embraced him, "I'm so sorry! I don't know why I..."

I cried tears of relief, "It's alright, Todd... It wasn't your fault..."

"No... I mean... I was always cheering for you, but... But I guess I was also jealous..."

"Todd..."

"Jealous of how you always won... Jealous of how easy it wa for you..." He started to cry. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

"Todd... I can never get mad at you. You're my best friend!" I told him.

He wiped away his tears, "You... you forgive me..?"

I nodded.

"'Course she does!" Joe chimed in, "We all get jealous from time to time! Heck, even I do! But what I can't forgive is ZongaZonga fer twistin' that emotion to make y'all fight each other!"

"I'll make him pay..." Todd muttered.

I looked at him, then smiled, "No, we'll make him pay!"

"Yeah! Let's go find ZongaZonga and give him what for!" He highfived me, but then paused, "Uh... just how do we do that exactly..?"

"We found a weapon that can knock his skull out of Joe's body and stop him from stealing other's for a little while," I explained. "It's called the Caliosteo Pipsqueak."

Todd gave me a boggled look. "The Caliosteo Pipsqueak? ...Hm, well if it'll help get Joe his body back, then I'm all for it! Let's go!"

We went to get into the elevator when suddenly two staff members bolted after us.

"Quick! They're going after Joe! Stop them!"

Joe leapt forward. "Go on, you two! I reckon I can lasso these doggies all by myself!"

He turned to the staff members. "Now I now y'all aren't gonna believe me but I'm gonna say it anyway..." He jumped towards them, "I'M JOE WILDWEST!"

Todd and I got into the elevator and fearfully waited as it decended up to ZongaZonga. I grabbed his hand, and he looked at me with wide eyes.

"Are w-we really doing this, Dina?"

"We have to. It's the only way we can save everyone, especially Joe."

Both of us fell silent, and as light started to shine down, we knew that our final battle awaited us.

One thing was for sure, we were gonna kick some evil butt!

Chapter Text

I walked out into the suite, the wall that was broken before was blocked off with caution tape, shards of glass and brick still littering the floor. ZongaZonga was standing just feet away, staring out the window.

I narrowed my eyes. "We meet again, you evil tyrant."

ZongaZonga turned around, grinning at me maniacally. "I must say, I did not expect this," he said sarcastically, "still it spares me the bother of searching for you, so I suppose I should be thankful."

Todd shuddered, but didn't back away. He was staying by my side to the end.

"Well then, let's not waste any more time," he growled, "You will give me your body, and you will do it now."

"Oh really?" I smirked, grabbing the Caliosteo Pipsqueak. I held it in front of me, smirking at him.

ZongaZonga's eyes widened, "Where did you find that..? That... that thing is not supposed to exist anymore... I destroyed that several millenniums ago!"

Todd laughed, "Joke's on you, chump! And now we're gonna use it to knock you outta Joe's head!"

"Bold words from a small man..." he flashed a look at Todd, "but you have won nothing yet!"

With a swipe of his hand, the Pipsqueak was swept out of my grasp and through the opening in the wall. I flinched and drew back in surprise.

Todd ran over in the direction it went. "No! The Caliosteo Pipsqueak!"

"Now then, can we please get back to business?" ZongaZonga walked closer to me, and I backed away.

"Wait!" Todd yelled, "I see it! It's stuck on the wall of the tower!" He cautiously stepped outside. "I'm gonna get it! Just hold him off for a little while!"

ZongaZonga cackled, "What a fool! The wind will throw both him and that idiotic hammer off the tower before long," he turned back to me, "and yet you still defy me..."

"Todd is very agile. He can climb like a squirrel," I said, "and there's a lot you don't know about me..."

I reached for my Dino Medals. "One, I never back down. Two, I always take risks, no matter whether I need to or want to. And three..." I threw my Dino Medals into the air, my vivosaurs appearing around me, "people who hurt my friends will pay."

"Ha! Your friend is a fool to go out there, and you are a bigger fool to wait for him!" ZongaZonga laughed, "You think that's courageous? It's pure ignorance!"

I growled, Lugmos stepping beside me.

"Oh, look at me. I promised not to stall, and yet here I am chuckling over my inevitable victory. Your body is mine, and I will claim it in the guise of your hero, Joe Wildwest!" he bellowed, "You will be my Majestic Vessel!"

He threw forth three Dino Medals: Argento, Seidon, and Berto. My team easily had an advantage over the first two, but Berto, being a Fire type, was neutral advantage wise.

"Lugmos! Use Lugmos Tail on his Seidon!"

Lugmos jumped up, smashing his tail into the Vivosaur's side, knocking the breath out of Seidon. However, the Vivosaur retaliated with a hit to Lugmos's head, sending him backward in a discombobulated tumble.

Coatlus attacked next with Wing Cutter on Seidon. The vivosaur ducked down, Coatlus's swoop missing him, but Coatlus turned sharply and came back around, slicing Seidon's sides with two quick swipes of his wings. Seidon roared at the pterosaur angrily, stomping forward to attack.

"Stop," ZongaZonga ordered, "aave your strength." The vivosaurs reluctantly stayed put as his team saved FP for a larger attack.

Nycto Ace was up next. "Use Nycto Star!"

Nycto Ace flew up with a few beats of its wings, did a flip, then plummeted down. He continued by flying forward and slamming into Seidon, who roared at him. He slapped Nycto Ace aside, and he rolled onto the ground, but quickly shook it off and stood his ground.

Coatlus followed up with Blow Away, temporarily blinding ZongaZonga's team with a mist and mixing up their formation with a twister. When it cleared, Argento was in the AZ. A perfect place for Lugmos to attack.

"Berto, use Thick Jaws on Lugmos!"

Berto snapped at Lugmos, grabbing him in his large mouth and throwing him upward. Seidon then turned to the side, his tail glowing blue, and whipped a wave of water at his opponent. Lugmos plummeted out of the air, hurt, but still ready to fight.

"Very impressive," ZongaZonga said, "however, I can still beat you despite your strength!" He turned to Argento, "Attack Coatlus!"

Argento reared up, then brought his front feet down on Coatlus, who screeched. Stretching his wings, he flew back up and used Great Vortex on Seidon, sending the Vivosaur crashing back against the wall, enraged. Lugmos Charged for the next turn.

I looked at Nycto Ace, "Nycto Hurricane on Berto!"

He flew up and unleashed gale force winds and rain at his opponent, who stood and tried to bear it. He ended up taking little damage in the end.

Argento sent a Mountain Crush at Coatlus, rocks and earthquake-like waves of power slamming into him. He panted, half of his LP depleted, but managed to stay in battle.

Seidon then attacked Lugmos. He raised his front feet, forming a tidal wave, but his fit of rage messed with his aim and Lugmos easily dodged the attack.

Lugmos bared his teeth and formed an extra powerful fireball in his mouth, blasting it at Argento. Argento lost his balance and tumbled to the floor with a boom. He weakly got back up and resumed battling.

He roared and let loose another Mountain Crush, this time at Lugmos. The Vivosaur was scraped with the rocks and debris, but the attack did not faze him much. Berto decided to step in and attacked Coatlus, biting and tackling him to the ground. Despite being weak, Coatlus threw him off and went back into the air.

"Nycto Ace!" I'd had enough, and it was time to start showing my full power, "Finish off Seidon!"

He flew forward uppercutting the sauropod. Seidon fell down, but not before Nycto Ace gave him a final kick to the face.

ZongaZonga was shocked, but he mostly hid it behind his expression, "This is not over yet!"

Or maybe it is... I grinned.

Lugmos blasted another devastating fireball at Argento, almost knocking him out, and Coatlus followed with a Diving Trust which took him down.

ZongaZonga was beginning to get frustrated. "Berto!" he commanded, "use Blast Breath!"

Berto charged at Lugmos and unleashed a fury of flames from his mouth. Lugmos simply stood there, smirking at him through the fire. He leapt forward and bashed him with his tail.

"Alright, Nycto Ace!" I exclaimed, "Nycto Somersault!"

He once again did an uppercut but on Berto. The vivosaur snarled at the Super Evolver in a rage and let out a burst of fire from his jaws again. Nycto Ace fell to the ground, very weak.

"This is it..." I muttered, "I'm finishing it."

"Coatlus, end it with Great Vortex!"

Coatlus nodded and swooped down at Berto, swirled around him until he was enveloped in a swirling mass of wind. Berto struggled to attack or move and finally, when the winds subsided, he fell to the ground in defeat.

ZongaZonga, however, was unfazed by the defeat now, though in battle he was very angered at the thought of losing.

"Well played indeed, human," he nodded, "but I expected no less from my Majestic Vessel. ...And yet, without the Caliosteo Pipsqueak, I am invincible! So what will you do? Perhaps you'll send your vivosaurs to attack me, hm?"

I froze, unsure of what to do. ZongaZonga spoke once again, "You can't do that now, can you? Doing so would result in the destruction of the very body you came here to save. All things end the same." He took a step forward, "Your body will be mine, one way or another. Ah ha ha! Aahh ha ha ha ha!"

His evil laughter echoed throughout the room intimidatingly, but the sound of crumbling stones suddenly sounded near the broken window.

There stood Todd, holding the ultimate weapon. "I got it, Dina!"

ZongaZonga gasped, "Im-impossible! There's no way you could retrieve the-"

"I may not be good at much, but I'm really good at climbing!" he smiled.

Told you so. I smirked.

"Here, Dina! catch!"

The Pipsqueak flew through the air, and I caught it with ease. "This is the end, ZongaZonga!"

"No! Wait!" He drew back, but I leapt up and smashed the hammer right into his head, sending his skull flying across the room. Joe's body fell limply to the ground.

Todd chimed in, "I bet he feels pretty LIGHT-HEADED! Ha ha! Oh man, that's hilarious."

For the first time in many days, I laughed. The ding of the elevator suddenly alerted us to the rest of our friends’ arrival.

Joe leapt forward, "You all right, pards?!"

"We're fine!" I said happily. Pauleen took a glance over at ZongaZonga's skull on the floor, "Digadig! You knocked ZongaZonga's skull right out of Joe's head!"

"Quickly, Joe! Reclaim your body!" Rupert exclaimed.

"I'm on it!"

Joe bounced over and took back control. He shakily stood up and stretched his arms.
"Yeeeee-haw! I feel like a million bucks!" he quickly turned his gaze over to our enemy, "but we've got business to finish. Right now, ZongaZonga can't steal anyone else's body, which means we gotta catch that skull and lock it away for good!" We surrounded ZongaZonga, who looked up in despair.

"Come here, you!" Todd ran forward, but he jumped out of Todd's way.

Pauleen chased after him next, but he was too fast. She cursed under her breath. "Stupid... Digadig! Get over here!"

He crossed around the back of the elevator, and I ran around the other way to corner him. However, he leapt past me and I slammed into Pauleen, making us both fall to the ground.

Joe tried next. "This'll be easier than catchin' a greased pig at the fair!" He ran at ZongaZonga, but stumbled and the skull leapt away. "Dagnabbit! I've been outta my body too long! My arms and legs are goin' every which way!"

ZongaZonga jumped into the elevator and it began to descend. Pauleen yelled, "He's getting away, digadig!"

"Oh no he isn't!" Rupert leapt after him and the elevator disappeared.

Joe gulped, "Uh-oh. I do hope Rupert managed to catch that slippery skull."
--------------------

(Rupert's POV)

"Gotcha!"

I held ZongaZonga's skull in my hands. "You'll pay for the trouble you put everyone through!"

"Really?" he muttered, "I don't think so."

"What ar- Gah!" The skull head-butted me and I fell down. My vision was a bit blurred, and my head hurt really badly, but I realized suddenly that I couldn't feel my arms or legs.

"You will never catch me now, pitiful human," ZongaZonga bellowed.

I was blacking out, but as I was I could see someone smiling back at me... and it was me.

Dina... no... I thought, but I began to slip out of consciousness.
--------------------

(Dina's POV)

The elevator opened on the bottom floor, and Rupert stood outside. I held my breath, not knowing what happened.

"R-Rupert?" Todd asked nervously, "The skull didn't... get away, did it?"

He shook his head. "Not to worry, Todd. I got it." He held it up to show us.

Pauleen cheered, "All right! Way to go, diga!"

"So, what do we do now?" Todd asked me.

"We need to lock ZongaZonga's skull up in the chest in the Stone Pyramid," I said, "That way he won't be able to steal anyone else's body."

Joe nodded, "While y'all do that, I'll let everyone know what happened so that they stop chasin' ya around. Now hurry! Get to the Stone Pyramid and lock that ZongaZonga feller away for good!"

Rupert smiled. "I think you should carry this, Dina." He held out the skull. "After all, you defeated ZongaZonga. It's only proper that you carry his skull to the end. I gave him a sound thrashing, so he should be quiet for a while."

I nodded. "Thank you, Rupert."

"Right! Now let's get to the Stone Pyramid!" Todd shouted.

Pauleen cheered, "Professor Scatterly will be super happy to hear about this, digadig!"

We all ran down the stairs, and Joe went back up to his suite. None of us noticed that Rupert had stopped in his place.

"...Yes," he smirked, "I'm glad it all worked out. He he he..." As we exited the building, he walked along down the staircase.
--------------------

We ran to the Professor as fast as we could. He was overjoyed to see us.

"Have you got it?" he asked.

I held the skull up, "He's right here!"

"Yes, yes! Now let us seal this awful ZongaZonga away while we still can!" the Professor said, "It wouldn't do to have him escape and steal another body, eh wot?"

"Quick, Dina! Place it in the chest so we can lock it up!" Todd said.

I walked forward, finally glad to put this behind me. One of the greatest, and most terrifying, adventures of my life was about to be over.

"This is the end, digadig," Pauleen stated, "Finally..."

I reached forward, but suddenly the skull struggled free and hopped onto the floor.

Todd jumped back, and Professor Scatterly yelled, "Stand back! It will steal your body if you get too close!"

"N-no! Stop! I'm not ZongaZonga!" it shouted, "It's me! It's Rupert!"

I gasped and stepped back. If that was true, then...

Pauleen stepped forward. "Do I look stupid to you?" she yelled, "That's impossible!"

"I'm not lying! Please, my friends... you must believe me!" he pleaded.

I walked over to him, kneeling down, "Rupert..?"

Todd got ready to pull me back. "Dina! Watch out!"

He looked up at me, and even though he was just a skull, I could still tell that he was absolutely distressed. I had to be him, I just knew it had to be.

"It is you..." I cried.

Everyone gasped.

"Umm.. so, that's actually Rupert?" Pauleen asked, "You're sure?"

"I... I'm positive, Pauleen..."

"Dangit!" she stomped her foot, "We were so close, too!"

"I can't believe that's Rupert..." Todd said sadly. "You know your fans are gonna freak out if they see you like this. But... what happened?"

"I managed to capture ZongaZonga's skull in the elevator," he explained, "but before I could subdue the thing, it struck me with a headbutt. When I came to, I found myself in my current state."

I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Blast!" Joe yelled, "The effects of the Caliosteo Pipsqueak wore off sooner than we'd anticipated!"

"That skull is a good actor, digadig. I had no idea Rupert was really ZongaZonga."

"Wait..." Todd looked around, "Where did ZongaZonga go? He was just here! I mean... Rupert was... er... Rupert's body was... Oh, you know what I mean!"

I felt myself slowly breaking down, my emotions running wild, and I ran out of the pyramid. The others were yelling after me, but I ignored them. I just kept running until I was outside, then I collapsed onto my knees.

ZongaZonga took Rupert from me now... I thought, I should've gone after him! At least if I did maybe Lugmos would've caught ZongaZonga if he took control and he would've been gone by now...

"Dina? Are you alright?" Rupert bounded up to me, distressed. "Please don't cry..."

I scooped him into my arms. "This is my fault! I'm so sorry, Rupert! I never wanted this to happen! I never wanted you to get mixed in with this! I'm so, so sorry!" My whole face was soaked with tears now.

"Nothing is your fault!" he reassured me, "That damn sorcerer is the one who started all of this! And I'm the one that chased after him, not you. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But-"

"Dina!" Todd shouted, running after me, "Why did you run away like that?"

"T-Todd... I-I..." I couldn't speak, all the words I said came out as gibberish. I simply shook my head in disgust.

"She's mad at ZongaZonga, that's all," Rupert spoke for me. "We need to find him. I don't want to end up being a skull forever!"

I took a breath, calming down. "You.. you won't... I'm going to go after him.. I'm going to kill him for what he did to you." I stood up. "I've had enough of his crap, and now I'm going to end this. Once, and for all."

Rupert nodded.. "You'd better take me, too. I'm not letting you go alone, even if I can't do all that much..."

I agreed, "I won't object to that at all."

"You'd better ask the people in town if they've seen him," Todd suggested, "We'll come along, too."

"Yeah, diga," Pauleen said, walking out of the Pyramid with everyone else in tow.

"Thank you... All of you," I said, "We'd better get to it." I placed Rupert's skull into my backpack and ran as fast as I could into town.

The first place I thought of was the heliport. He probably wasn't going to stay on the island if he knew I'd try to find him.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked the attendant, "Have you seen Rupert at all?"

"Oh, actually yes. He just got on a flight to Illium Island!" she said, "And... uh.. sorry about the whole 'thinking you were a bad guy' thing."

"Trust me, I know you didn't mean it. Can I get on the next flight to Illium?"

"Sure," she nodded, then a helicopter buzzed overhead, "Speaking of which, here it comes now."

As soon as the door opened, I jumped inside and the pilot took off. We soared quickly through the air and over the blue ocean. It sparkled with the light of the dying sun as it slipped beneath the horizon.

It's almost nighttime, I thought, Illium's going to be freezing...

Just as I thought that, small, white snowflakes fell by the window, shining by the sunset.

"We'll be arriving in Illium Village shortly," the pilot announced. I readied myself to jump off, and the moment the door swung open I noticed a shiny object lying on the icy ground not too far away. I hopped out of the helicopter and ran over to it, and was shocked as I found that it was a Mapo King Dino Medal.

"Rupert," I muttered, opening my backpack to show him, "Is this yours?"

The skull nodded sadly, "Yes.. but why would ZongaZonga just leave my most powerful Vivosaur out on the ground? It just doesn't make sense."

'It makes perfect sense,' Mapo growled to Rupert, 'To him, I'm not even half as strong compared to his Vivosaurs...'

Rupert looked over the edge of the backpack. "Well.. since the Dino Medal was found nearest to Icegrip Plateau, let's try searching there."

I agreed, and carefully resealed my bag. I ran off in the direction of the dig site only to stop at the sudden sight of a familiar person walking around the digsite...

ZongaZonga.

"He is here," I muttered, "What's he up to now?" I quietly followed behind him, making sure not to give away my presence.

He kept going deeper and deeper into the now-freezing Icegrip Plateau. I followed him past the ice bridges and slippery turns, all glowing with the lights of the aurora borealis above. Eventually, he came to a halt at the farthest ridge and gazed into the sea.

"Hold it!" I ran forward, eyes narrowed threateningly at the poser.

He looked at me with worry, his voice a near-exact mimic of Rupert's. "What's wrong, Dina? Was there a problem with ZongaZonga's skull?"

"You know very well why I'm here..." I growled, "Give Rupert's body back or else!"

Acting puzzled, he shrugged. "I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about."

I thought for a moment. "If that's really you Rupert, then tell me something... Tell me why you stuck around for the Cup even after everything your father said. Why did you want to battle me?"

He smiled, "Because you're my friend, of course. I'd always wanted to battle you in the finals. You seemed like such a worthy opponent that-"

"Wrong!" I yelled, "You aren't Rupert, so drop the act!"

"He he he.. clever girl," he snickered, "I knew that boy wouldn't stay quiet for long. That's why you're here... Because I am ZongaZonga! Aha ha ha ha ha!"

He smirked mischievously. "You were so very close to defeating me! How frustrating this must be for you. Had the Caliosteo Pipsqueak's power lasted a second longer, this Rupert fellow would've had me."

"Just stop this," I yelled, "The fight you want is with me, not Rupert."

He shook his head. "But I have good news, Dina! I've decided not to steal your body after all. Rupert's body is equal to your's in every way. It is a flawless vessel from which to launch my glorious reign! Perhaps," he smirked, "that's why you adore him so much?"

My face went red and I ran at him, "SHUT UP!"

Just then, a blur of red and purple flew past me, blowing me backward in a burst of flames. I looked up to see an undead Pteranodon staring back at me. It's sunken, emotionless eyes glowed a bright blue.

ZongaZonga cackled, "Thought you'd get me that easily? I don't think so!" He turned back to the vast body of water, "Behold the power of the Majestic Vessel!"

Stretching his arms forward, he began chanting a spell, "ZongaZonga, ZongaZonga. Zonga, Zonga, Zonngaaa!"

A great, ghostly castle began to lift from beneath the waves, untouched by the countless years it spent in the ocean depths. "Rise my kingdom! Rise from your slumber! RISE!" ZongaZonga shouted.

The Pteranodon turned back to his master, who beckoned him forward. He got on its back and flew off just as ominous, violet clouds starting rolling in around the structure.

I slumped back onto the ground, defeated. No no no no... I cannot let him win! I readied myself to fly out over the water with Coatlus.

A hand pulled me back, "Dina, stop."

It was Todd, his face twisted with concern.

"You cannot go out there! It's almost pitch-black out... and do you see that storm?!"

I sighed, "What do we do, then?"

"Well, Joe probably saw what happened from Wildwest Tower, so we should head back there for now," he suggested. "Dina, we will get everything back to normal. I promise."

Chapter Text

"Well dang! I didn't know the feller could pull a castle outta the sea!"

Joe stared out in horror from the window at Wildwest Tower. The moment ZongaZonga had set off, I flew off with Coatlus to my current location.

Professor Scatterly seemed the most distraught. "He was able to raise the building despite being in Rupert's body for such a short time..." he stated gloomily, "Once he becomes fully adjusted, I fear he may prove himself unstoppable!"

"Well then," Joe grinned, "I guess we'll have to stop him before he can get comfortable! I sent Stella, Terry, and Kent on a Ptera to see if they can get into the castle. I sure hope they can..."

Joe's phone suddenly went off.

"That must be them now!" He put it on speaker and answered, "So, what's up?"

"Joe, it's Stella," she stated, though the reception was a little garbled. "We are approaching ZongaZonga's castle now. We're prepared to infiltra-" A loud gust of wind cut off her sentence.

Kent shouted, "Dude! There's a mad storm brewing around this castle!"

"It's some kind of hurricane!" Terry explained, "There's no way we can approach the castle..."

"I'm sorry Joe. We have to turn back. If we can... BZZ Try to... BZZZ ...Make it lat-" The connection broke off entirely.

Joe panicked. "Stella? Come in! Come in, consarnit!" The phone beeped with a no signal message. Joe bit his lip and turned away, "We failed..."

Pauleen jumped forward, "W-wait! If Ptera can't make it, then what about Jara? Or Thalasso?"

"Dina's got a Coatlus," Todd suggested.

Rupert, who was now out of my backpack, sadly shook his head. "I fear they will fail as well. Pteras have the best flying ability of all Vivosaurs. I doubt even a helicopter could fly through the kind of weather they described..."

"So what, digadig?" Pauleen yelled, "We just sit here and wait for ZongaZonga to take over?"

Todd shuddered, "I... I don't know, Pauleen. I just don't know what else we can do..."

"Unless one'a y'all has... like... a high-powered rocket we can launch through the storm?" Joe joked, though there was obvious worry in his voice.

I gasped, The Fossil Cannon!

Grabbing Rupert, I shouted to everyone, "Follow me! I think I know what we can do."

They all exchanged looks of confusion. However, we all ran into the elevator and headed to the heliport to Ribular Island's Fossil Lawn.

Once there, they realized the plan. Joe was shocked.

"You wanna use the Fossil Cannon to shoot yerself into the castle?"

I nodded with a smile.

Todd laughed, "You sure come up with some pretty crazy ideas, Dina!"

"I doubt that storm cloud could even bother you if we did this, diga!" Pauleen agreed with me.

"Well..." Joe thought, "I suppose it's possible... But this Fossil Cannon was designed to fire rocks, not people!" he exclaimed. "If we tried to fire ya out of it, ya'd be blown to kingdom come!"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance..."

Rupert abruptly turned and, walking up the path, we saw Mr. Kaseki.

"Father!" Rupert shouted.

"I've been briefed on the situation," he said, "and I wish I could say the good of the world is my first concern." He looked down at Rupert, "In truth, though, I'm more concerned with retrieving the body of my son." He blinked away the obvious tears in his eyes.

"I believe I can modify the cannon to fit your needs," he said to Joe, "Will you allow me to assist you?

"Father..." Rupert murmured.

Todd spoke up, "Um, but... Mr. Kaseki? Are you sure you can modify it?"

"Of course I can! I built the thing!" he shouted, "I'll make it so the cannon will be able to fire a person as easily as a fossil rock."

Todd stared in awe, "Wow..."

"However," he continued, "time is short, and it will need to be a rushed job. I fear we'll only be able to launch one person."

"Just one of us?" Todd said.

"Well, then it'll be me," I said, stepping forward. "I fought him once, and I'll fight him again. I won't let him rule this world... Not after everything he did..." I took a quick glance at Rupert.

Todd nodded, as did everyone else. "You're obviously the best choice, Dina."

"It's all up to you, pard."

"You can do it, digadig."

Mr. Kaseki began to prepare. "Alright. I'll need source parts and materials. I could also use skilled labor if there's anyone you trust."

"I'll arrange for whatever ya need," Joe said.

"Oh, woooow! Like, we're tooootally skilled at labor!"

That voice was all too recognizable, someone who I'd never thought I'd see again. Someone who I didn't want to see again.

Joe turned with joy, "Cole! Lester! Lola!"

Lola laughed, "Like, when we found out that Don B was actually Joe Wildwest, it totally blew my mind. You totally fooled us!"

Lester shrugged. "Yeah.. I was just comin' along because I liked breakin' stuff. I never knew there was a good reason for it!"

"Even I, the clever one, fell for your story." All of groaned at Cole's boasting comment. "You're a sly dog, Joe. I'll give you that."

Joe sighed. "I admit it. I used ya, and lied to you as well. Though my intentions were good, that ain't no excuse for lyin'... I'm sorry."

Lester spoke up, "Hold the phone, boss! Don't go apologizing! That's for suckers!"

"Yeah! And we're not angry! More like, 'Whoa, unexpected!,' you know?"

"You fooled us, Joe," Cole stated, "but that doesn't mean we hate you. I mean look at us! You've got a vain hipster, a creepy rocker, and a ditsy hippy."

Lola pouted, "Cole!"

"Lola, let me finish," he hushed her. "Well, folks don't like us... they never have... At least, not until you came along."

"You took us in like a new drummer in a cover band, and that means you'll always be our boss!" Lester smiled.

Joe scratched his head, embarrassed. "Aw, shucks. Thanks, y'all," he turned to Mr. Kaseki, "Well then, I guess we better get on with it."

Joe ordered the trio to gather the rest of the former BB Brigade to get supplies, and they were more than willing to agree.

Todd ran forward, "Oh! I wanna help, too!"

"Me too, digadig!" Pauleen did a twirl and giggled.

Joe turned to me with hope sparkling in his eyes, "We'll getcha into this cannon as soon as we can, Dina. If there's anything you need before the final showdown with ZongaZonga, you best take care of it now. If not, then give yerself a break. You've been fighting hard for days and you'll need the energy."

I yawned, but stayed determined. "Alright. But the moment this thing's ready, I'm heading out."

I plopped myself onto the grass and stared into the sky. Millions of stars dotted the mass of blue above, shining like fireflies in an endless jar. I shut my eyes and imagined that I was one of those fireflies, free and happy... living without a care in the world.

Soon enough, I would be.

"Dina! We're ready!"

My eyes shot open and I looked up to see the sky was beginning to turn a light pink. I jumped to my feet and was met with tired faces. Everyone must've worked all night on this thing...

I hopped up onto the platform, and Joe walked up to me. "Are ya ready to go to ZongaZonga's castle?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said half-heartedly. Despite the amount of rage within me, I still felt terrified of facing that monster again.

"Alrighty then." He called over to Mr. Kaseki, "How's the cannon comin' along, pard?"

"We're just finishing up. We should be able to fire a single person over to the castle," he replied.

Todd and Pauleen ran up to hug me.

"You can do it, Dina. I believe in you," Todd said.

"I'm cheering for you, diga. Just... promise to come back in one piece, ok?"

I nodded, "Don't worry, you guys. I will." With that, I turned and walked over to the cannon so I could get in.

"Hold on, Dina," Rupert bounced over to me, "Surely you're not leaving without me?"

"Rupert? Are you sure it's okay for you to come?" I asked with worry, "I don't want to-"

"I'll be fine. Besides, I'm not letting you go near that... imbecile by yourself." He leapt up into my arms, "Let's defeat ZongaZonga once and for all!"

I smiled, "Couldn't have said it better myself."

I climbed into the cannon and prepared for launch. Holding Rupert close, I stared forward at the dark castle ahead.

"All right, here goes!"

"Three..

Two...

One...

FIRE!"

I held my breath and felt myself get shot out of the Fossil Cannon. Slowly, I opened my eyes a saw the whole ocean passing beneath me. Thunder roared closer and closer as I neared the castle storm, but as I passed through it felt like nothing more than mist.

My feet hit stone and I balanced myself out, looking at my surroundings. Despite the violent storm swirling around it, the castle itself was unfazed and it was seemingly calm. Well, except for the eerie air about it.

"We made it..." Rupert said, "He must be up there."

A long staircase that seemed to go all the way to the skyline was laid out in front of us.

"There's only one way to find out..." I ran at full speed up to the top. There, standing on a platform with spikes on every corner, was ZongaZonga.

He groaned, knowing who had arrived. "You are beginning to annoy me, child..." he hissed, turning to glare at me with violet eyes.

"Look who's talking," I snapped back at him. He simply snickered.

"I'm afraid your effort is too little and much too late. I have already grown accustomed to this body, and my former powers have all returned to me! Aaahaa ha ha ha!" he cackled.

I shook my head. "Don't think that'll make me back down! I intend to fight to the end!"

"Well said..." he nodded, "but despite beating me the first time, you will not be as lucky the second time! Now I shall show you the true power of my sorcery!"

A loud, mangled screech came from above. The same zombie pteranodon from before flee downward, staring at its master through glowing eyes.

ZongaZonga motioned to the beast. "I will show you long-extinct dinosaurs from beyond time itself... The very same one's that once made the puny humans of these islands cower in fear!"

He lowered his voice, and spoke coldly, "I will show you undead dinosaurs born of the Stygian dark!" Raising his hands so they were level with the ground, he chanted a spell.
"Zongazongazonga! Zongazongazonga!"

"Stop!" I shouted angrily, but as suddenly as I said it, I froze. The pteranodon leapt forward and snapped at me, and ZongaZonga continued his chant.

"...Fallen dragons from a bygone age! Your master, the mighty sorcerer, compels you! Let your dark bones be cloaked once more in the flesh of hatred! Rise now! Rise now! RIIISE!"

Two shapes materialized before him: an undead Triceratops and an undead Elasmosaurus. They possessed the same blue, sunken eyes that the pteranodon had, and the same violet skin.

My hands trembling, I pulled out my three Dino Medals. "Alright, everyone. We have to do our very best. This battle means life or death. Not just for us, but Rupert as well. Are you ready?"

Lugmos growled, 'I'll tear his face off!'

'I'm ready anytime,' Coatlus cawed.

Nycto Ace was just about ready to fly out of his Medal, 'Let's do this!'

With a determined battle cry, my team was let loose from their Dino Medals. The undead reptiles opposite us growled in mangled voices that tore through me like nails on a chalkboard.

Lugmos prepared for the first attack. "Attack with Lugmos Tail!"

He charged at a zombie triceratops and leapt into the air, spinning so that his tail met with his opponent's side. However, the beast skidded out of the way as Lugmos's tail just barely grazed him. I glared in disgust at ZongaZonga, but he simply smiled at my miss.

"Alright, Nycto Ace!" I shouted, "Attack the pteranodon with Nycto Star!"

'Way ahead of ya!' he screeched, and flew forward, crashing into the zombie reptile and sending him crashing into a pillar on the edge of the field. He shook off the rubble, then got back up into the air with a beat of his wings

"Now, Z-Tricera, use Zombie Shuffle on Nycto Ace!" ZongaZonga commanded.

"Grrrooorrooaarr!" he roared, and headbutted Nycto Ace into the air. As he fell, he kicked him down to the ground. Loose stones clattered about as he rose back up.

Z-Ptera- as I now knew he was named- flew up behind Nycto Ace. As he turned to counter, a blast of fire seared the front of him. Z-Elasmo came around to finish him off, but Lugmos leapt in front and took on the attack, scratching his face.

'Keep away, you monster!' Lugmos growled. He whipped his tail at Z-Ptera, who tried to dodge, but Lugmos cleverly reared up and hit him in the jaw. He fell weakly out of the air and disappeared into dust.

ZongaZonga shook his head. "Such a shame. Z-Ptera was one of my best fighters. You got lucky, but don't think it will stay that way!" He turned towards Z-Tricera, "Attack Nycto Ace again with Z-Tri Combo!"

Z-Tricera obeyed and struck Nycto Ace down with his horns, then smashed him into the ground. Struggling, he pushed himself up with his wings, but he couldn't bear the damage and fell back down again, returning to his Dino Medal form.

I bit my lip, Not Nycto Ace...

Lugmos roared and charged at Z-Tricera with a Lugmos Blaster. His entire being was glowing with a fiery aura. Z-Tricera narrowly avoided a head-on attack.

"Coatlus!" I shouted, "Follow up with Great Vortex on Z-Elasmo!"

'Right!'

He whirled around the zombiesaur, who looked around with confusion. He was sucked up into the twisting winds and dropped back onto the castle ground, enraged.

ZongaZonga had the next attack. "Z-Tri Fury!" he shouted.

Z-Tricera went after Coatlus, headbutting him twice before slamming into him with a spinning attack. Z-Elasmo followed up with an attack to Lugmos. He snapped at him, missing, but Lugmos was caught up in a second whirlpool attack. He sustained little damage, much to my relief.

"Coatlus, use Wing Cutter on Z-Elasmo!"

He flew at his opponent and knocked him to the side, then sliced at him with his left wing. As Z-Elasmo turned around to snap at him, Coatlus dealt two more blows and knocked him out. ZongaZonga was left with one zombiesaur.

"Blast..." ZongaZonga muttered, "how can she be so strong? ...it has to be luck, that's all."

"Z-Tricera, use Z-Tri Fury again on Lugmos!"

The zombiesaur charged at him with a first headbutt, which missed, but the second one hit Lugmos head-on. As he was temporarily dazed, Z-Tricera leapt up and spun mid-air, crashing into Lugmos and causing critical damage.

Lugmos growled, forming a fireball in his mouth. He launched it at Z-Tricera, but he sliced it in half with his horns. Lugmos snarled with disgust.

Z-Tricera charged at him again with the same attack, only this time he knocked him to the side. Lugmos dodged his second attack, but Z-Tricera rammed him into another pillar. There was a bright flash, and Lugmos disappeared, Turing back into a Dino Medal.

"No!" I gasped. At this point my heart was racing a mile a minute. I looked at Coatlus with urgency, and he understood.

He flapped his wings and flew forward, air whirling around him. A twister appeared and swept up Z-Tricera, making him extremely angry. Coatlus landed in front of me, panting and tired. Z-Tricera wasn't looking much better.

"This is it, Dina," ZongaZonga cackled, "Are you afraid?"

"Barely," I growled.

"He he he, we'll see about that!" He turned to his last team member, "Finish off that pathetic Vivosaur with Z-Tri Combo!"

"Coatlus, use Blow Away!"

The two beasts growled at each other and attacked. Winds kicked up around us, clouding the field with dust. There was a loud crash, then nothing more happened. I held my breath as the dust cleared.

Then I saw it. There, in the center of the field, was Coatlus. Z-Tricera was gone.

"How..?" ZongaZonga gasped. "How is is this possible? Did I underestimate the amount of power you truly possess? Or... did you actually gain power from the very contest I arranged?"

Rupert hopped forward. "Power isn't everything."

ZongaZonga growled, "I cannot allow this. None can have such power save the great ZongaZonga! Enough foolishness, you're life ends here!"

A glowing aura surrounded him and his skull released itself from Rupert's body, which fell to the ground. The skull began to grow and morph into that of a theropod, growing red horns from it's sides and red teeth. The body of a tyrannosaurus appeared, zombiefied like the rest of its allies, and a spine was visible across its back. Flames burned along the back of its head and its eyes burned bright violet.

"You were foolish enough to challenge me, but now my true power comes into play," he cackled, his voice matching that of his zombiesaur form. "You walked right to your death, you foolish mortal!"

I backed away, frozen in terror. Roars from behind ZongaZonga alerted me to the presence of two Z-Rexes. They're appearance was a simplified version of ZongaZonga's, without the skeletal features and with the same blue eyes as the previous zombiesaurs.

I shakily took a breath, trying to think of what I could do. My vivosaurs are exhausted, there's a deadly storm surrounding this castle, and no one is here but-

Lugmos suddenly appeared, free from his Dino Medal. 'We can still fight, so don't give up. We will win this!'

"But how..?"

Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the battlefield. Two other familiar forms stood before me.

"Coatlus? Nycto Ace?" I gasped, "You, too?"

'We might have been close to defeat before, but this time we won't go down as easily!' Nycto Ace screeched.

Coatlus nodded, 'Don't count us out just yet!'

Joyful tears filled my eyes. "You guys..." I blinked, "Let's defeat him once and for all!"

"Ha! You think you're Vivosaurs can last another round against me?" ZongaZonga growled. "Well, if they have a death wish, let it be so."

"I don't think they can, I know they can." I turned to Lugmos, "Use Lugmos Tail on ZongaZonga!"

'I'm going to teach you why you shouldn't threaten Dina!' he roared. Charging forward, he cracked his tail across ZongaZonga's face, making him roar with disgust. Blue flames snaked up Lugmos's tail for an instant, but disappeared just as fast.

I nodded to Coatlus. "Now, use Wing Cutter on one of the Z-Rexes!"

ZongaZonga attempted to block him, but Coatlus swerved up over him. He glided past the first Z-Rex, then abruptly aimed a blow at his side. He continued spinning and attacking until the Z-Rex was dizzy.

"Z-Rex," ZongaZonga growled, "go after her Coatlus!"

Z-Rex obeyed and attacked with Undead Assault on Nycto Ace. He grabbed hold of Nycto Ace's wing in his jaws and hit him with his tail, then a burst of flames from the zombiesaur's mouth scorched him. He shook it off immediately. The second Z-Rex went after Lugmos, but Lugmos swiftly leapt over his head before he could even aim his bite.

"Lugmos, use Lugmos Sphere on ZongaZonga!" Lugmos charged the fireball in his mouth, then let it loose at ZongaZonga. He barely even had time to blink before it hit. He decided it was best to save up power for his next turn so I went again.

Lugmos stepped forward and hit the second Z-Rex with a Lugmos Tail. The Z-Rex shook his head to shake off the attack. Then Nycto Ace attacked ZongaZonga with Nycto Somersault. As he turned to dodge, Nycto Ace kicked him down. He got back onto his feet without hesitation.

"Enough! Now I shall unleash my full power!" He stomped his foot down and violet flames began to form around him. He roared, then a blast of energy struck my entire team. They all managed to survive it, but Coatlus was beginning to show signs of weakness.

Lugmos was sick of it. He charged another fireball in his mouth, leapt up so he was directly in front of ZongaZonga's face, then blasted him with a critical attack. Coatlus flew around him and attacked one of the Z-Rexes with Wing Cutter so he could weaken the team.

ZongaZonga's eyes closed and the air around him grew dark. He opened his eyes and a pulse of dark energy shot forward at Lugmos. He was tossed backward, panting heavily.

'I'm... finished....' he sighed, falling forward. He turned back into a Dino Medal and I caught him, my rage growing by the minute.

"Coatlus, use Great Vortex!"

Coatlus formed yet another violent twister and launched it at ZongaZonga, but he avoided nearly all the damage.

"You're not going to win against me, mortal!" he roared.

"I highly doubt that," I growled. "Nycto Ace, attack him with Nycto Somersault again!"

Nycto Ace jumped up and flipped, uppercutting ZongaZonga with a critical hit. He was barely hanging on.

ZongaZonga surrounded himself with shadows and let loose another Necromancy attack, this time on Coatlus. Coatlus fell to the ground, immobilized. The attack inflicted several different status conditions on him, and he was hanging on by only a thin thread.

Nycto Ace flew after him using Nycto Star. ZongaZonga was pushed backward, skidding along the ground while Nycto Ace continued to push him back.

"You.. cannot... defeat me..." he growled.

'We can... and we will!' Nycto Ace screeched, drawing back from the attack. ZongaZonga was hitting his limits.

Coatlus carefully tried to concentrate. He flew up and attacked the first Z-Rex with Diving Thrust. The Z-Rex slid out of the way, but Coatlus luckily turned and struck him down. The Z-Rex disappeared from the field.

"Finish him!" ZongaZonga demanded.

The remaining Z-Rex ran forward at Coatlus. He unleashed a furious flamethrower, making Coatlus fall. He barely even hit the ground before he transformed back into a Dino Medal.

"He he he... It seems you're the only one left, Nycto Ace," ZongaZonga smirked. "What a shame that I must defeat you now. You are such a determined vivosaur."

Nycto Ace glared at him. 'And it's a shame that you'll be the last one standing in a few moments!'

He attacked the last remaining Z-Rex with Nycto Star, knocking him straight down onto the broken stone. The ground cracked around the zombiesaur and he disappeared in a flash of light. Nycto Ace turned and flashed a grin at ZongaZonga.

"No... I will not let you win!" ZongaZonga bellowed. He charged at Nycto Ace, his horns glowing with dark energy, but Nycto Ace jumped upward. He flew back down and struck ZongaZonga with a final attack.

ZongaZonga stumbled back and forth, roaring with anger. His form began to shrink back into the helpless skull that he previously was. I retrieved Nycto Ace's Dino Medal at the same moment.

"Even my final spell... failed..." he said in shock, "How..? Where did you get this power?"

Rupert shakily rose from the ground, having now reclaimed his body. "My friend loves Fossil Battles, but she loves her Vivosaurs even more," he explained. "They respond to her affection and ambition, and they give their all to Dina's cause."

ZongaZonga growled, "Impossible! A pathetic, mewling child won the hearts of these ancient creatures? Is THAT what makes a Fossil Fighter?" He was in disbelief. "I don't understand! I don't understand any of this!"

ZongaZonga's skull lit up with a brilliant light. Cracks began to form around it, and in a heartbeat it was gone, obliterated into nothing.

Rupert and I sighed with relief, and he looked at me with a mix of astonishment and pride. "It's done, Dina. You've rid the world of that menacing tyrant."

I smiled, "I'm just glad it's finally over..."

"As am I," he nodded, "but also... thank you. Without you, I would still be just a bouncing skull."

"Oh, come here, Rupert!" I pulled him into a tight hug. "I was so worried that I'd never have you back again... So worried that I was going to lose..."

"You never would have lost. ZongaZonga had power, but he had no connection with his team. He didn't stand a chance from the start..."

"I just-"

I stopped. The castle was beginning to shake violently. "Wh-what's going on?!"

"Blast!" Rupert shouted. "Without ZongaZonga, the castle's starting to collapse!"

A large cracks began snaking across the ground. Rupert grabbed my hand and we ran to the edge of the castle.

"What are we going to do?! Coatlus and Nycto Ace are too weak to fly!" I shouted.

"...and my Vivosaurs are with my father," Rupert said sadly, looking at me. "Dina, if we don't make it out of here, I just want you to know-"

"I already know." I grabbed him and kissed him. Tears fell from my cheeks as I did so. I could feel the floor cave in as air replaced it. Rupert held onto me as we fell.

...but we didn't fall for long.

"Hey, digadig! You're not going to die on my watch!"

We opened our eyes, blushing furiously. Todd and Pauleen were smiling at us on the back of a Ptera.

"The rescue team has arrived!" Todd winked.

We all laughed. "Geez, I thought we were done for!" I said.

"The moment the storm cleared, we knew you'd won, so we got on Joe's Ptera and headed out," Todd explained, "and we're lucky we did!"

I turned to see nothing more than a few falling rocks and dust in the distance. ZongaZonga's reign of terror was finally over. Forever.

I yawned, "It's been a really long day.." I closed my eyes, then let my head fall onto Rupert's shoulder.

Rupert laughed, but he couldn't help but hide the blush on his face. "You did it, Dina. You're the champion."
--------------------

It was exactly a day after the defeat of ZongaZonga. All of us had gotten a goodnight's sleep after everything we'd been through, and the people on the island were absolutely amazed at my victory and, for the record, surviving.

Joe called us up to his suite saying he wanted to give an announcement on the Mammoth Vision screen, but we were confused as to why he wanted us to come with him.

"As y'all know, the Caliosteo Fossil Park, and the world, were facin' some grave times," he began, "The ancient sorcerer ZongaZonga up and tried to take over these here islands with his dark powers. But thanks to a single Fighter and her friends, the world was saved." He looked over at me.

"Now, let me introduce y'all to that Fighter... The courageous Fighter that not only defeated ZongaZonga once, but three whole times, Miss Dina Sentōki!"

"C'mon, Dina! Get it together!" Todd encouraged me. For the first time in a while, I was actually a bit nervous.

Pauleen reassured me as well. "It's alright. Cameras are fun, digadig! It's not like they're going to steal your soul or something, right?"

"I know, but if I mess up or something, it'll be on a video," I said.

Rupert shook his head. "You'll be fine."

I took a deep breath, then walked out next to Joe, who smiled. "Ol' ZongaZonga wanted to take Dina's body so he could rule with an iron fist, but our hero refused to give in! Through all her hard work and courage, ZongaZonga was defeated once and for all."

Joe turned back to me, "And so, as promised, I'm handin' over the keys to this here Fossil Park to her."

I gasped, "...What?"

"Now I know it wasn't me who made that promise, but it came from my mouth, so I feel partially responsible," he stated. "Besides, I can't think of a better way to repay ya for all ya have done. You're gonna be a right fine park owner, Dina. I know it."

"Joe... I can't accept the park from you," I explained. "The words might have come from your mouth, but that's not enough for me. I didn't compete in the Cup so I could get the park. I competed because you saved us and wanted our dreams to come true, and that's exactly what happened."

"That's right!" Todd backed me up. "Without you, Joe, we wouldn't never completed our dreams of becoming Fossil Fighters," he looked at me, "and I bet you want Joe to continue helping people believe in their dreams, right?"

I nodded. "That's exactly right."

"Well, shucks, Dina... I don't know what to say..." Joe thought for a few moments. "All right. If you wish, I'll stay this park's owner. However, I want you to help out as well, so I'm giving partial ownership to you. You made people's dreams come true as well. Just turn around."

I looked over at my friends and realized how true that was. They all had hopes and dreams they wanted to fulfill. Todd wanted to overcome his fears and become a master Fighter. Pauleen wanted to become brave and to be an idol. And Rupert... Rupert just wanted to be treated like a normal person. He wanted to know he was loved. Well... he got even more than he wanted.

Joe turned to face the camera again. "Well, now that we've got that all wrangled up, I have another announcement. This here tournament was a huge success, despite it bein' made up by some evil witch doctor. But while I was Don Boneyard, I did my best to mess it up, and I feel right shameful for it. So, sometime soon, I plan on holding a second Caliosteo Cup! It's gonna be the biggest, baddest, rootinest-tootinest tournament ever! So I want y'all to get ready for the Caliosteo Super Cup!"

All of us looked at each other with glee. Despite everything we'd been through, we were still going to give our all to win, even against each other.

"You're gonna enter, right, Dina?" Joe asked, "Wouldn't be the same without ya..."

"Of course I'll enter!" I exclaimed, "I wouldn't miss this Cup for the world!"

Joe turned back to the camera and cheered, "Yeeee-haaaa! Now let's show this world's dinos and dreams its biggest adventure yet!"

The crowd outside cheered with joy as balloons and fireworks flew into the sky.
--------------------

We sat by the fire again that night. The sky was perfectly clear so that you could see all of the stars and the full moon.

"I can't believe how much has happened!" Todd said, "I mean, we've only been here for a few weeks!"

"Two weeks exactly," I stated.

Rupert joined in. "It's been an amazing experience for me as well. I was able to experience the joy of battling again, and I reconciled with my father... and of course, there's you, Dina." We smiled at each other. "This has been an adventure I'll never forget."

"Me, too, diga!" Pauleen chimed in. "When I came here, I couldn't take off my diga-dumb mask! Now I can talk and laugh and all that stuff! ...Plus I'm not a total snob anymore!"

"And I learned to be brave," Todd stated, "Which means I'll never fake a stomach ache again!"

"You were faking?" I said sarcastically. Todd turned away, embarrassed.

"I can never thank you enough for all you've done, Dina," Rupert said.

"Yeah, big thanks, diga!"

Todd hugged me. "Thanks, buddy."

"But be careful, Dina," Rupert warned me, "because I plan to beat you in the Caliosteo Super Cup!"

"Aw!" Pauleen whined, "That's what I was going to say!" She turned to me, "I'm much more powerful without the mask, so you'd better watch out!"

"Oh, wait! Me, too!" Todd butted in, "I'm totally gonna do my best! I'll best all of you!"

We looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"I think we have more adventures awaiting us in the fossil park," Rupert said.

"I know!" Pauleen agreed, "There's going to be Fighters coming from all over the world! ...and I have about a zillion fossil rocks I need to excavate, digadig."

I nodded, "And I have an Areos to raise as well. Actually, how about we start right now?"

"Yeah! I feel the same way! Let's go digging!" Todd shouted.

"I'm gonna battle and clean fossil rocks until I fall over, diga!" Pauleen exclaimed.

Rupert agreed as well, "This park will be even better when I'm sharing it with friends."

"You know what we do now, right?"

"What?" Todd asked.

I took a step forward, "Race you to Rainbow Canyon, Todd!" I shouted, running ahead into town.

"Hey, no fair!" he yelled, chasing after me. Then everyone else ran after us.

So, as you know, the Caliosteo Fossil Park is full of dreams and adventures. But what you don't know is that behind every dream is a person with a story to tell. With every story comes a friendship.

...and with every friendship, there is an adventure.