In the Tortuga, Nic was showing the Wild Kratts the day he had planned.
"Okay, so y'all remember when I told you that I'm an apprentice for Ares? Well, he has decided to use his best trainers to help you work with your new powers," said Nic.
"What?! Are You serious! This is great! Finally, we get to really use our powers." said Martin.
"I'm with you, Martin. But, I'm confused. How are we going to get there? I mean, Ares is a Greek god, and..." said Chris.
"No worries. Nothing a little portal can't cure," said Nic. He shot a blast out at the sky, and it opened a portal.
"Everyone, hang on to your hats!" said Rico as he drove into the portal and set it on autopilot. As they were going through it, Aviva noticed Shira was doing something.
"Hey, Shira. What are you doing?" she asked.
"Oh, Hi Aviva. I'm just writing in my journal. I've been writing in this journal since I was little. I wrote about my dreams, adventures, and now I'm going to write about my adventures with the Wild Kratts," said Shira.
"You should write about how I, Rico Martinez, will blow away the minds of millions! With his impeccable teeth, six pack abs, every girl's phone number, and..." he boasted.
"Not even in this lifetime. Dude, six pack? Really?" Shira replied.
"What, I mean look at this," he said as he flexed his muscles, "I've been working out. Don't you see these muscles?"
"I don't see anything but skin and bones," she said, as she laughed.
"Okay, I'm going to leave you two alone. We'll let you know when we arrive," said Aviva.
"Whats with the bravado attitude lately?" asked Shira.
"Look," he started to explain, "we almost messed up big time when we first started out, and Chris was considering to let us in. I'm not about let Chris think I'm an incompetent tool."
"But he doesn't! Chris was happy to make us part of the team," replied Shira.
"Yeah, but Chris wants perfection on his team. How would it make him look if he had a dummy on his team? Not good! But, with my skills as a pro surfer and skater champion, I think I can wow Chris with my talents into liking me during this training sesh!" he exclaimed.
"Rico, I think this is a bad idea. You shouldn't do something just to impress others. Try being yourself," said Shira.
"But that's not enough!"
"We're here, guys," said Nic.
"Trust me. I know what I'm doing," assured Rico.
Which is what I'm afraid of, thought Shira.
As they exited the portal, they headed towards a big temple in the middle of the woods. There they saw a tall male with armor plates and a warrior cloak. He was holding a sword in one hand and a shield in another. He waved at the team. As the team got off the Tortuga, they were greeted by the Greek God.
"Welcome, my fellow warriors to my temple. I've heard so much about you all. And hello, Nic, my favorite apprentice," greeted the God of war.
"Nice to see you to, Master Ares," said Nic.
"Come on in. I'll show you to the dojo," replied Ares.
They all went in the temple. What they saw amazed them. Warriors of different elements testing their own powers, apprentices using weapons. They reached the middle of the temple.
"Now, Wild Kratts. Today, Nic has sunt me a letter allowing you to use my dojo as a training session place. However, I may warn you that you may find these sessions rigorous and hardcore. Many people have fled due to this. Are you sure you are willing to do this?" asked Ares.
"Relax, muscle dude. I have dealt with worse in my lifetime. I mean, how hard can it be?" said Rico. Everyone had a look of confusion.
"Rico, will you please?!" asked Shira.
"Alright, but you've been warned," said Ares, as he clapped his hands. A tall muscular man came out
"Wild Kratts, this will be your trainer, Hugo. He will be showing you the ropes. I will leave you all to your work," said Ares.
"Alright, time to train. But first, y'all need to change," said Hugo.
A few minutes later, the Wild Kratts came out in t-shirts, gym shorts and sneakers. "Okay, Hugo. Tell us all your knowledge about the elemental powers." said Martin.
"Ha-ha-ha! Your joking?! Listen buddy, I give the orders around here!" yelled Hugo.
"Sheesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," whispered Shira. Chris nodded in agreement.
*gulp* Okay, this man sounds Paul Bunyon!, Rico thought as he looked at Chris, But I got to make this look good for him.
"Now listen up. For this week's schedule, we will do some of the most vigorous exercises, the most painful treatments, and the most extreme diets. So that means we got to work hard, hard, hard! GOT IT?!" said Hugo.
"Yes sir," they all said, nonchalantly, and a little scared.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" screamed Hugo.
"YES SIR!" screamed the crew.
"GOOD! NOW LET'S US GET TO WORK!" said Hugo.
*BG Music-In My Head by Jason Derulo*
Hugo trained each one of them. From push-ups to sit-ups, the Wild Kratts exercised real hard.
Everyone went through an obstacle course. Everyone except for Rico struggled with it. They also did some target practice and Rico was able to blast every one of them. Then, they went on a 10 mile jog, and Rico was blasting ahead of everyone. Chris and the others were surprised by Rico's talent, while Shira was just shaking her head in disappointment.
After an hour, Hugo was helping Martin lift weights. "So, you think you'll be able to handle this?" asked Hugo.
"Y-yes...I can...this...isn't...nothing. No pain..no gain." said Martin.
"Hmm, I like your attitude. But, can you handle this?" asked Hugo. He added more weights, which made him drop it.
"Now, is that better?" asked Hugo.
"Yes," said Martin, who was almost about to suffocate.
"Good. Now tomorrow, I probably won't go easy on you," said Hugo, as he walked away.
"*gasp*Chris...HELP!*gasp*" said Martin, as he was gasping for air, like in "The Mystery of the Squirmy Wormy" adventure when the bull frog stepped on him.
"Oh, brother. Why do you always get yourself into these situations?" chuckled Chris.
On the the other side, Aviva and Shira were running on treadmills, but Rico was just standing there.
"Um, Rico. Why aren't you exercising? You really need to train in order to test your powers," said Aviva.
"Relax, I'm a pro surfer and skater. I know what I'm doing. Besides, did you see me out there? I think I deserve a break," said Rico.
"Rico, pros don't stop at nothing to fullfill their potential. All you're doing is showing off just to impress one guy," explained Shira.
"Whatever. At least I'm doing something. I don't see you doing anything," said Rico.
"Wow, does he always act like this?" asked Aviva.
"Sometimes, I wonder the exact same thing," replied Shira.
Rico walked away after that statement.
At the end of the day, the Wild Kratts looked tired and achy, well except for Rico.
"Well, today was a good day. But, tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, we're going to be doing the hard stuff. So good night." said Hugo.
"Aww, this wasn't the hard stuff?" asked Martin.
"Ahh, Wild Kratts, I see you're still here. I hope the training session went well," said Ares.
"Yeah, it was easy. Nothing to it," replied Rico.
"Try hard," muttered Shira.
"Well, since you're here, your welcome to stay here for the time being," said Ares.
Everyone walked to their rooms. Chris stopped Rico, "Hey, is everything okay Rico? You look liked you were pushing it today."
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just working to be a true member of the team! You will not be disappointed, Chris," assured Rico.
"Okay, just making sure. I don't want you to exert yourself too much," replied Chris.
"Don't worry, I won't!" Rico went into his room and flopped on his bed in agony, "I'm going to need a chiropractor after this!"
One week later, Zach was in his jet, furious about the Wild Kratts.
"I HATE THOSE WILD RATS! FIRST THEY DESTROYED MY ROBOTS, NOW THIS. THEY'RE GOING TO PAY!" shouted Zach. Then he saw the portal that Nic opened.
The robotics inventor got an idea.
Back at the temple..
"Wild Kratts, today is the day that you will get used to your powers. Hugo has called up some of the best Element trainers. They will be the ones who will take your power to the next level. And speaking of them, here they are now," said Ares.
Five people came in behind Ares. "I will leave you all to your training," he said as he left.
Each one of the Wild Kratts went with a trainer. Chris and his trainer went to an empty room.
"Um, is this the training area? There's no equipment or practice weapons," noticed Chris.
The trainer conjured up a spark of green magic and the whole room became a clearing in the forest.
"Okay, let's start with something easy. Get into your meditating position," instructedinst Earth trainer.
Chris did exactly what they told, and crossed his legs. "Now, concentrate on your thoughts and make a vine grow, like so," he said, as a vine came up from his of the clearing.
Chris closed his eyes, and concentrated. In a matter of seconds, a vine bursted out of the ground.
"Nice, I think I can get used to this. This is easy!" he said. However, the vine started to constrict him.
"Hey, that's not fair!" said Chris.
The trainer chuckled. "You'll get used to it. Here let me help you.
"The other Wild Kratts were doing well. Aviva practiced conjuring blasts of wind and twisters. Shira practiced with bolts of lightning. Martin dealt with tidal waves and water spheres. As for Rico, he didn't get to far.
"Time to make a fireball, just concentrate on your power, and..." said the Fire trainer.
"Relax, I'm a pro," said Rico. With a flick of the wrist, a fireball floated over his hand.
"See? Easy as pie. Nothing to it." said Rico. The trainer looked at him, he looked disappointed.
"Well, if you can do that, maybe you can..." said the trainer.
"Conjure a fire ring? That's nothing." said Rico, as he made the ring, "Ares should've gotten a better trainer."
"Alright, I think I had enough of you bad attitude! If you don't want to learn anything, then you shouldn't have come here!" said the trainer.
"What's your problem? It's not my fault that you can't come up my standards," said Rico. However, the trainer left out of the room.
"Sheesh, what a grouch!"
Meanwhile, Zach was in front of the temple. Somehow, he found a portal to the temple.
"Heh. Good thing that portal I saw was still open. Now, I think it's time to get my revenge. ZACHBOTS, OPEN IT!" he commanded. But, the Zachbots started opening each other. "NOT YOU, THE GATE!" he shouted.
Inside the temple...
"Wow, I starting to like these powers. I wonder what else I can do with them," said Martin.
"In due time, Martin," said Nic, as he heard a knock on the door, "Oh, that must be the package."
"Package?" they all said.
"Ares sunt us a gift as a token of his appreciation." said Nic.
He opened a package, and inside it were four pairs of gloves with the finger part cut off. Each one was one of the Wild Kratts colors. Also, there were four ring like bracelets, just like Nic's, only the ones in the box had a short black screen at the end, just like the Creaturepods.
"Hey, there's a note." said Chris. He started reading it.
"Dear Wild Kratts, as a gift, I asked Hephaestus, the smithing God, to make these. They're called Elemental Braces, E-Braces for short. With these, you can access your elemental powers even more. Each one of the braces contain a shard of your Sacred Five totems in the middle. Also, they're compatible with communication systems and mapping systems. I hope you enjoy these.
Your friend,
Ares, God of War."
"Awesome!" said Martin, as he grabbed the blue and navy blue gloves.
"Wow, I wonder if I can make something like this," said Aviva.
Everyone got a pair, except for Rico.
"Hey, where's mine?" asked Rico.
"Maybe Ares forgot to tell Hephaestus to make five, I'm hoping," said Shira, somewhat knowing the inevitable.
"Hey, there's something else in the note." said Nic. He continued.
"P.S.
If Rico is wondering where his E-brace is, I purposely told Hephaestus not to make his. He doesn't show the ability or drive of a real warrior. He should know why."
"Rico, what did you do?" questioned Martin
"Well, I kind of didn't finish the training. My trainer left because I told him he wasn't a good trainer," he explained.
"Rico, you knew that you needed the training. Why didn't you do it?" said Chris, starting to get angry.
"What's the point?! I told y'all that I'm a pro. I don't need training. I mean you saw me on the first day. I was blazing through that training. So how is more training going to help me when I already have the skills as a pro," said Rico.
"But Rico, even pros have to train. If you say your pro, then act like it. Honestly, if you thought that joining the Wild Kratts meant you can get by with stuff, then you're wrong, and you shouldn't be a member of the team!" shouted Chris.
Everyone gasped. Rico looked shocked.
"Oh, so that's how it is? Well, fine. I don't need none of you. I'm out," he said, angrily, as he walked out.
"Chris, why did you say that?" asked Shira.
"He needed it," explained Chris.
"But Chris, he didn't mean to do it. He was trying to impress you," said Shira.
"Impress me? What do you mean?" he asked.
"Look, he still feels bad about what happened a few weeks ago, so he decided to go with this scheme to make you like him more. But, as you can see, it didn't go according to plan," said Shira.
Chris couldn't believe. Rico thought he felt left out, and he even told him that he couldn't be a member.
"Wow, I-I didn't know. I hope he'll forgive me." said Chris.
Suddenly, an alarm sounded off. The four Wild Kratts went to Ares's control center.
"Uh-oh. There's a perimeter breach! Someone has infiltrated my temple!" said Ares.
They all looked at the monitor. "ZACH!" they all said.
"Guess taking over the world wasn't enough. But how did he get here?" asked Chris.
"Oops, I may have forgot to close the portal, so..." said Nic, sheepishly.
"Oh great, that's all we need right now. We need to stop him. Let's use our E-Braces." said Aviva.
"But, we never used them before," added Martin.
"Well it's either this or being turned into burnt lasagna," said Shira.
"Okay, guys. Time to put these new powers to go use," commanded Chris as they ran out.
In another room, Rico was sitting down on the floor with a scowl on his face.
"I guess they don't want me here. Maybe, I am a fool for doing that. Man, I'm so lame!" shouted Rico, as he threw a fireball at plant, which burned in the process.
Nic then came into the room, "Hey, is this spot taken?"
"No, what do you want? Are you here to tell me whats wrong with me too?"
"Listen, I heard about how you were acting just to make a good impression, but you don't have to do this. We're happy with the way you are." said Nic.
"But Chris said I shouldn't be a member of the team. If I can't impress Chris Kratt, then what good am I?!" replied Rico.
"Look, Chris didn't mean those things he said. He wants you to be a member, but he also wants you to act like one. My mom always said, don't try to be something you're not. Nobody's perfect. Will you start acting right and be yourself?" said Nic.
Rico thought about it for a minute. He was acting silly. Not like a true Wild Kratt.
"Alright, I'll start acting like a real member," answered Rico.
"Good. You can start by helping us out. That's why I came to find you. Zach has infiltrated the temple," said Nic.
"Oh no. But I can't help. I don't have an E-Brace," he said.
"You may not have an E-Brace, but you must believe in yourself that you can," said Nic.
He thought for a moment, "Let's kick some robot butt!" said Rico. They both ran out of the ran.
At the front of the temple...
"Alright, Wild Rats! I'm ready to fight. My Zachbots are upgraded to withstand anything you throw at it!" shouted Zach.
"Oh yeah? Guys, let's show him what we got. E-BRACES, READY!" commanded Chris.
Martin touched his first and it glowed blue. He moved his hands in a circular motion, and conjured a huge tidal wave, and threw it the army of Zachbots.
"SHIELDS UP!" commanded Zach.
Each one brought up a shield to protect them.
"HUH?!"
"My turn!" shouted Chris, as he touched his E-Brace. It glowed green. He held out his hands and a multitude of vines came shooting out of the ground. This knock out some of the Zachbots. "Nice!"
"Shira, let's go!" said Aviva, as she touched her brace and glowed purple.
"Right behind you!" she replied, as she touched her brace and glowed yellow.
They both did a combination attack thanks to Aviva's twister and Shira's lightning bolts. It destroyed and short-circuited some of them.
"THAT'S IT! YOU WANT TO PLAY HARD BRAWL, THEN SO BE IT!" growled Zach. He pressed a button on his controller and the remaining Zachbots merged together to form an even bigger one.
"Uh-oh! This doesn't look good!" said Chris.
"Now, let's see how you handle this!" shouted Zach. Zach pressed another button. Wires cane out of the body and wrapped around the Wild Kratts.
"*evil cackle* Top that!" said Zach.
"Not so fast, Zach!" said a familiar voice.
"RICO!" they all said.
"Well, if it isn't LavaBoy saving the day," said Zach.
"Alright, enough playing games with you. Time to finish you off!" said Rico.
"Ha! I like to see you try!" scoffed Zach.
Rico closed his eyes and concentrated his power. He thought about his friends and what he was fighting for. He brought up a huge fireball and threw it at the Zachbot. It was then engulfed in flames.
"Nice try, but my Zachbot can withstand anything!" boasted Zach.
"Oh, really? Look again," said Rico, with a smirk on his face.
The flames started to melt the top layer of metal, and then quickly melted the wires. It started to short circuit, and the wires that were wrapped around the Wild Kratts retracted. The Zachbot fell into the river, causing Zach to fall in as well.
The team laughed. "Help! Get me out of here! I'll be back, you Wild Rats!" shouted Zach.
"That's Wild Kratts!"
Back in the temple, the Wild Kratts were getting ready to head on back home.
"Well, it looks like things are back to normal, but I think that we head on home," said Chris.
"You said it. I think I'm going to eat twelve hot dogs, three orders for fries, and two milkshakes." said Rico.
"Decisions, decisions, decisions." said Shira.
Chris stopped Rico for a moment, "Hey Rico, I just wanted to say thanks for saving us back there, and I want to apologize for what I said earlier."
"Oh dude, it's all water under the bridge. But, I was acting like a jerk, so I'm sorry as well," he replied. They both fist bumped each other.
"Wait, don't go yet," Ares came running out.
"Rico, I want you to have this," he said. He gave Rico a red E-Brace with gloves.
"Your giving me an E-Brace? After all I did?" asked Rico.
"You deserve it. You may have started out a little rocky, but your skill and determination against that mad scientist really proved to me that you're like a true warrior," said Ares.
"And like a true member of the team," added Chris.
"Take care, everyone. I shall you soon," saidsaid , as the all left in a portal in the Tortuga.
"Hey guys, guess what?! Since we saved his temple, Ares said that we can used his temple as a second headquarters if we need it!" said Nic.
"Great!" replied Martin.
"I also have an announcement. I've decided that we can use my new journal to write about our adventures," added Shira.
"Alright. Since it's your journal, you can make the first entry," said Aviva.
Shira got up and went to her room, where she started to write.
"Journal Entry #1
Wednesday, August 25th
"This has got to be one of the most interesting days I've ever seen. First, me and Rico got to meet a Greek god with the Wild Kratts, and learned more about each other's abilities. We got our new E-Braces, which are stylishly fashionable. But, I think Rico learned one valuable lesson: don't act like someone you're not. You don't have fool somebody to get friends. Just be yourself, and they'll accept for who you are, and not what you're not."
"So, how does it feel to be the big hero?" asked Martin.
"Good, but I've could've done better. I could've made a bigger blast. Y'all can thank me later. Autographs start right here. Get in line, folks!" boasted Rico.
But he still acts his funny and exaggerating self, thought Shira as she finished her entry.
"I'm one lucky person to have a friend like him," said Shira.