Game 6: Clashing Styles
As the rangers were about to confront the Journeyman Rivitriol, the Journeyman fled after using a Muger teleportation device, called the Muger Ball. From that, Mugers came out, ready to fight the rangers. "You know I haven't forgotten what you did two weeks ago, you mopheads!" said Pink Ace, bearing in mind when the Mugers messed up her outfit. "I haven't forgotten, either…" said Green Ace, as he then glanced towards her.
"Weapons…activate!" the rangers said, as they then charged towards the Mugers. Blue Ace first used his Giga Gloves to defend against the enemy's racket weapons, surprisingly strong against their sword-like weapons. "Wow, these gloves are sturdy." he said.
However, a horde of Mugers then suddenly surrounded him, attacking him all at once with their rackets. "Ahhhh!" groaned Blue Ace as he crouched, as his gloves then instantly released a shield-shaped force field. "Whoa." he said in amazement.
"Cool." said Blue Ace, as he then charged towards the Mugers. "AGGGHHH!" he roared, as he then knocked out the Mugers with his gloves, like a bowling strike. As the shield then slowly waned, the Mugers also started to recover. Blue Ace then prepared for the offense. "Hey, why not face me one–by-one?" he dared, as each of the Mugers then attacked him. Evading their attacks and countering them with different techniques, he was able to knock out all but one.
"Hey, come at me!" challenged Blue Ace to the remaining Muger, as both then tried to make their winning strike. The Muger made a stroke, but missed. With a straight jab, Blue Ace knocked out the Muger for a clean sweep. "That's what you call a pull counter! WHAT!" he said in victory.
Yellow Ace meanwhile used her Handy Hammer to smash the Mugers. Using the tip, she then thrust it to knock one out. "Time to take it for a spin!" she said as she whirled her hammer. Knocking out the Mugers in a dizzy spin, she then prepared for her final blow. "Let's shake things up!" she said, as she then bounced up with her hammer off the ground.
Pink Ace in the meantime blasted off Mugers with her Boom Blaster. "Will you pay the outfit you ruined?" she asked a Muger, who then shrugged. It angered Pink Ace, who then shoved the Muger out of her face. She then blasted the Muger, and continued attacking more with destructive fury.
The ground shook with Yellow Ace's finisher, as the Mugers were flung by the quake's powerful vibrations. However, with Pink Ace more focused on the Mugers, she didn't notice the quake. The vibrations launched Pink Ace up in the air, falling on her face after.
"HEY!" shouted Pink Ace to Yellow Ace in frustration, as she tried to stand up. "Oops, sorry about that." apologized Yellow Ace. Pink Ace thought she did it on purpose. "Really? You can't smash the other way?" she said. "They were there, OK?" Yellow Ace replied.
While Green Ace used his Sling Slasher to attack, a Muger fired blasts towards his way. Red Ace then quickly saw the blasts, hastily cautioning Green Ace. "Andy, look out!" he said. "What?" said Green Ace, as he then peered on his side. "OH!" said Green Ace, as he then saw energy balls rapidly approaching him.
Quickly, Green Ace tried to block the attack with his Sling Slasher. As the projectiles hit his weapon, it then suddenly curved, somehow catching them. "What in blazes...?" said Green Ace, as energy slowly grew on his weapon.
Some Mugers then approached him, as he suddenly had an idea. "I wonder…" said Green Ace, as he then flung the energy blasts back to them. The Mugers then blew up from the boosted blasts. "Hubba wobba…" At the same time, Red Ace used his Slick Staff to knock off the Mugers, using it like a fencing sword.
As the fight continued, the girls bumped into each other as they got too close. "Hey, watch it!" said Yellow Ace. "I'm sorry, I just bumped!" apologized Pink Ace, but Yellow Ace didn't buy it.
"Sure that's not payback for earlier?" asked Yellow Ace. "No, it's not! What's your deal?" retaliated an annoyed Pink Ace. "I mean come on, I flung you by accident, and you thought it was on purpose. Now you're paying me back, just like the other times." replied Yellow Ace. "Only when you deserve it!" Pink Ace retaliated, again.
Finishing his Muger foes, Green Ace then was saw the two fighting. Rushing to the girls, he then tried to intervene. "Whoa, whoa, I think both were just accidents. Just focus on the Mugers, OK?" he said, as he then closed his eyes, then took a breath.
"What are you doing?" asked Pink Ace. "I am showing you both how to relax. Close your eyes, breath, and count from 1 to 10." said Green Ace. "Sure it's gonna work?" asked Yellow Ace, as the Mugers start to recover from the girls' attacks. "There is no time! Trust me." said Green Ace.
Urgently, the girls followed Green Ace's instructions. "…8…9…10." "There! How do you feel?" asked Green Ace, as the two replied in relief. "Huh, I actually feel better…out of beast mode for now." said Pink Ace. "Yeah, I kinda feel lighter." said Yellow Ace. "Nice! Come on mates, let's finish them off!" said Green Ace. With their focus returned, all Mugers were defeated by the rangers.
Finishing the job, the rangers then powered down. "Phew, well that sure was tough… Now, where did Rivitriol go?" asked Roger. Suddenly, Maria remembered something. "Wait a minute…Andreas and Simoné!" she said. The rangers then rushed towards the two. Andy tried to touch the barrier, but he suddenly got shocked. "This barrier seems impenetrable. How are we going to get through it?" he asked.
"I don't know, but maybe Laverus could help." said Roger, as he then called him. "Laverus?" "Yes?" "Andreas and Simoné are acting odd, fighting each other." said Roger, as he then showed what was happening. "Hmm, this barrier seems surrounded by a large concentration of nega-aura." Laverus replied.
"Anyway, how can we break it and stop them from bickering?" asked Roger. "Well, it seems the strong nega-aura is making them uncontrollably angry. It is virtually impossible for them to simmer down. Let's see what I can do, and in the meantime you Aces try to think of something to solve this conundrum." Laverus replied.
"OK. Thanks!" said Roger, as he then hung up. "We must think of something else while we wait for Laverus. Any ideas?" he asked. "We could pour lots of ice cold water so they'll cool down." Nole suggested, as the others just snickered. "Stop kidding around, Nole." said Roger. "What? Do you have a better one?" Nole replied.
Suddenly, Andy had an idea. "Hold on…I do have one!" he said. "What is it?" asked Roger, as Maria then knew what Andy was thinking. "Oh, I think I know what Andy's planning! she said. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" asked Andy. "Yes! We'll make them count from 1 to 10, right?" Maria replied.
"OK. But how are we going to do it? They are in their own world, that they didn't even notice us!" said Nole. Serena then had an idea. "Ooh, what if we turn it to a contest?" he said. "What do you mean?" asked Andy, as Serena then approached the barrier. "I get what you're doing, but does simple counting work?" asked Roger, not confident about the plan. "Trust me!" Serena replied.
Unable to enter the barrier, Serena tried to get the guys' attention from the outside. "Hey! Andreas, Simoné?" she said. "Can they hear you? They're still not responding." said Andy. "Do you want a new way to know who's better?" teased Serena. Suddenly, Andreas responded: "I'm listening…" "Well, I have a challenge – both of you must count from 1 to 10 and whoever gets to 10 first wins. How does that sound?" Serena replied.
Neither seemed willing to do it. "What kind of a challenge is that? That's weak." objected Simoné. "Well, in that case, that means you forfeit and Andreas wins..." replied Serena. Not wanting to lose against Andreas on everything, Simoné decided to go for it. "NO, NO, I'll do it!" said Simoné. "Not if I do it first!" said Andreas, not wanting to be left out.
"OK! But, I have a twist! You two must first close your eyes." said Serena, as then both guys asked "Why?" "After you finished counting, you must officially show that you're finished by opening your eyes. It's hard to hear what you're saying around here so I need visual proof. That also means you have to clearly say the numbers, so you actually have to pace yourself a bit, while still being quick." she continued.
"That's too many rules." argued Simoné. "What, think you can't do it?" taunted Andreas. "What are you talking about? The harder, the better!" answered Simoné.
As both then agreed on her terms, Serena started the challenge. "OK, let's start. Close your eyes, and when I say go, we'll start the challenge, OK?" she said. The two guys agreed, as they then closed their eyes. "On your mark, get set…GO!" shouted Serena, as the two started: "1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10."
As the two then opened their eyes, the nega-aura surrounding them slowly disappeared, as they started to calm down, and then returned to back to normal. "Wait, what happened? I was going to shake Simoné's hand, but I forgot everything after that." asked Andreas. "Yeah!" said Simoné. "A monster attacked you and made you argue with each other. It's a good thing the Ace Rangers came and saved you!" said Serena.
Andreas then apologized to Simoné. "Whoa, well I never would have thought I would argue with one of my friends. Sorry if I did…even if I don't know what exactly happened." he said. "It's OK, Andreas." replied Simoné. "Hey, why don't both go back to your center and keep safe?" advised Serena, as the two players then decided to run back to the tournament's Tennis Center.
Suddenly, there was a scream inside the building. "Wait, I think I hear screaming!" said Serena. "I think Rivitriol's already causing trouble outside! Come on!" urged Roger, as then the rangers went outside the stadium.
On the roof, Rivitriol was absorbing the nega-aura created in the indoor center. "So much chaos, I love it! Just a little more and I'm in full power!" said Rivitriol. "Good, good. We may have enough to affect the whole city." said General Ferron, who was behind him.
Back inside, the indoor center was filled with arguing players. "Yep, Rivitriol was here…" observed Nole, as the rangers tried to find Rivitriol amidst the chaos. While searching, Andy found a pair of players in a practice court arguing about serving: "Hey, I'm serving first!" "No, I am!"
"Wait up, guys. I will try something…" said Andy, deciding to help the players. "Where are you going?" asked Roger, as then the rangers followed Andy. Just close to the arguing players, Andy asked them to do the same thing Serena did to Andreas and Simoné. "Guys, want to play a game? Let's see who could count 1 to 10 first…" he said. "Is he doing what I think he's doing?" said Serena. "I think he is!" Maria replied.
The two arguing players later calmed down, bewildered. "It worked! We can do it to stop other arguments." said Andy. That gave Roger an idea. "Guys, I think I know how to stop this all at once!" he said. He then quickly fled to the hallway, confusing the rangers. "ROGER, where are you going?" asked Serena. "Just follow me, QUICK!" replied Roger, as the rangers followed his way.
"Where is it?" murmured Roger, as he kept running on the halls, stopping on each room. "Slow down, twinkle-toes! We are we going, exactly?" said Nole. Searching from room-to-room, Roger finally found what he was looking for. "Here we are!" said Roger, entering a room with audio controls. "This is the commentator's box, right?" said Nole, looking around the booth. "Yes it is!" said Maria.
"That's right! We can make all players inside the building count to 10 using these equipment, cooling them off all at once." said Roger about his plan. "Good thinking, Roger!" complimented Serena.
As Roger got to the audio box, Maria had an idea: "Wait…you need someone to convince people all at once? Roger, could I try?" Seeing her eagerness, Roger agreed. "Here…and make it LOUD!" advised Roger, as Maria then prepared to speak. "Time for some Maria Magic!" she said, as she then talked to the mic:
"Attention, everyone! It seems all of you have been arguing who's the better player, yet none of you seem to agree. However, I – Maria Krasavina – suggests a tiebreaker for ALL! Whoever counts from 1 to 10 the fastest would be the declared the best player here! However, there's a twist…do it fast, but clear, because I won't accept sloppy work! Keep focused, and you will win a special gift, courtesy of moi!" said Maria, as her booming voice was heard all around the indoor center.
Immediately, the players around the indoor center accepted Maria's challenge, as the ruckus then seemingly disappeared. "Hey, the bickering have stopped!" said Nole. "Good job, Maria!" said Roger. "Yeah, although the gift I thought was a bit much...I think the challenge was enough." commented Andy. "Everyone wants a piece of me – that's my secret weapon." winked Maria. "Whatever." groaned Serena. "Just kidding around!" Maria replied.
"Let's just try to find Rivitriol, OK. I think we can use the Scan app." said Serena. However, Andy remembered something. "Oh dear! All nega-aura have disappeared from the players. There is none left leading us to him!" he said. "Oh man, maybe we should've found him first, THEN turn the others back to normal." said Nole.
"That's not OK, though, Nole." said Roger. Quickly using the app, he finally found some remaining traces of nega-aura. "Quick guys, follow me! I think there's still some nega-aura there." said Roger. "Hey, don't leave us hanging!" said Nole, frustrated as Roger fled all of a sudden.
The rangers again followed Roger, leading them to the roof. There, Rivitriol kept absorbing nega-aura, until finally none was left. "Huh? No more?" complained the Journeyman. "What happened, Rivitriol?" asked General Ferron. All of a sudden, the Ace Rangers arrived.
"Haven't you had enough?" said Roger. "Huh? How did you cancel my clashes?" Rivitriol replied. "Well, you just need the right words that is all!" said Serena, as Roger called the rangers to morph. "Let's not waste any more time, guys…are you ready?" he said. "Ready! Serve it up!" the rangers replied.
"I'm now seeing five colors!" said Rivitriol. "If you don't like it, then we'll just give you two – black and blue!" Red Ace replied. As the rangers readied to fight, the general then suddenly spoke: "Stop right there, Rivitriol." The general then walked in front of the Journeyman. "Hang about… Who are you?" asked Green Ace.
"Greeting, Ace Rangers. I would like to introduce myself. I am Intelligence General Ferron, the Faultissimo Armada's head tactician." Facing an armada general, the rangers got startled. "You're an armada general?" asked Blue Ace. "Yes, I am. I was sent here with my creation Rivitriol, to spread discord and chaos." replied the general.
"Yup, that's right! Now, be amazed at my cannons' full power!" said Rivitriol, as he then blasted his Bicker Blasters to the city. "He's firing everywhere!" said Blue Ace. "Haha, more arguments throughout the city, more nega-aura is released!" said Rivitriol. "But the only way you could stop it all at once, is to defeat him." said General Ferron.
"And if you want to defeat me? Catch me!" said Rivitriol, as he then jumped out of the roof, landing to the ground below. "Let's follow him, guys!" said Red Ace, as they also jumped to face the Journeyman. Meanwhile, General Ferron switched on a strange device from his cloak. "Now, while Rivitriol is fighting those meddling rangers, I'll absorb as much nega-aura as I can without any disturbance!" he said.
"So you followed me here, huh? Then, you have made the wrong choice!" taunted Rivitriol, as he shot his blasters towards the rangers. "Guys, evade!" alerted Red Ace. "Run, run as fast as you can! You can't avoid this; I am the man with the plan!" said Rivitriol, as the blasts created cracks and holes on the ground.
"Oh great, he's making rhymes!" said Blue Ace, ruffled by Rivitriol. "His blasts are too fast!" said Red Ace. "I'm slowing…all this running is depleting my reserves!" said Yellow Ace. "Any ideas how to attack this creep?" asked Pink Ace, as the rangers kept avoiding. "Freeze, you chickens! Your running is useless!" said Rivitriol, as he kept blasting.
Suddenly, Yellow Ace and Pink Ace tripped on cracks. Unfortunately, they bumped into each other. Both rangers then fell to the ground, not realizing it was an accident. "Hey, watch where you're going!" said Pink Ace. "Hey, you're the one who should!" Yellow Ace replied. "I mean, this is the second time today I tripped because of you!" said Pink Ace. "Girl, it's not me, OK?" replied Yellow Ace.
"This is not the time to be at each other's throats!" said Green Ace, who was still occupied. As they argue, Rivitriol found an opening. "Ha, it seems they're arguing without my help! Time to amp it up..." he said, merging his blasters.
As Rivitriol stopped firing, Red Ace and Blue Ace noticed something is amiss. "Hey, Roger…he stopped shooting!" said Blue Ace. Just as then, the two guys glanced towards Rivitiol, ready to fire against the girls. "LOOK OUT!" hastily warned Red Ace.
"Gotcha!" murmured Rivitriol as he shot his Bicker Blaster. With the blast about to hit, Red Ace and Blue Ace then raced towards the girls, moving them out of the way. Bumping into each other, they were still able to save the girls. They, however, got hit.
Green Ace: "NO!"
Yellow Ace: "ROGER!"
Pink Ace: "NOLE!"
Slowly, the Bicker Blasts affected the guys. "HEY, you were in my way!" said Blue Ace, as he shoved Red Ace. "I was trying protect them." Red Ace replied, who shoved back. "I'm already doing that! But you tried to play hero, just so you can get all the credit!" Blue Ace replied. "Really? Who between us wants to get attention?" Red Ace argued.
The war of words persisted, and the other rangers got worried. "This doesn't look good! How are we gonna stop this?" asked Pink Ace. "Well, we can do our tried and tested method." replied Green Ace. "Great idea! What if you let me and Maria try and stop them?" asked Yellow Ace. Green Ace then nodded in approval, as the two then approached the altercation.
"Guys, guys…you are both great heroes by saving us from Rivitriol." said Yellow Ace. "However, there's one way to determine whose the BETTER hero." said Pink Ace. "Being a hero means being quick of wit." said Yellow Ace. "And to test that, you two would have to face this challenge!" said Pink Ace.
"What kind of test is that?" asked a cranky Blue Ace. "All you have to do is count from 1 to 10." said Yellow Ace. "And whoever gets to 10 the quickest will be the better hero and ranger between you two!" Pink Ace said. "So, what do you think?" asked Yellow Ace. Surprisingly, it did not work.
"Hey, are you doing that trick against me?" figured Blue Ace. However, Red Ace decided to settle the matter differently. "Just forget these two. I have a better way to settle this…" he said, as he then declared: "A 1-ON-1 RAZOR RACKET DUEL! The first person to surrender or de-morph, will have the right to the title of the best ranger!"
"Um, he knows we are here too, right?" said Pink Ace. "Come on, Maria, this is serious!" Yellow Ace replied. After Red Ace declared the challenge, Blue Ace then accepts. "Alright, let's do this…en garde!" said Red Ace. Suddenly, a surge of dark energy surrounded the two, knocking and de-morphing the others.
"Ugh, what just happened?" asked Maria, trying to get back up. "It seems we are trapped on a similar force field Simoné & Andreas were in." said Andy. "I cannot morph back." he said. "Oh my." said Maria. "Anyway, why are we trapped too?" asked Serena. "I don't know. But stopping this duel may again be the only solution." Andy replied.
While the duelists locked eyes, the other observed. About to fight, they crossed their Razor Rackets against each other. Red Ace had his first choice of words. "It is natural that I'm the leader! Being the best player is the reason why I'm the Red Ace and you're not!" he said. Blue Ace, however didn't back down. "How could you be a leader if you don't have the warrior's drive that I have, twinkle-toes?" he said.
"We can't just watch and let them finish each other!" said Serena. "How are we exactly going to stop them? This rivalry isn't what I call friendly." Maria replied. "No matter what, I am sure there is a way to halt this squabble. There has to be something both can agree on." said Andy.
As the duelists exchanged strikes, Blue Ace was ready for a final blow. he said. "Now, ready to face my final strike!" As Red Ace was about to be hit, he blocked the attack with his own Razor Racket. "A hero is said to be good of wit, but I am not sure if you have any!" taunted Red Ace, as he thrust his Razor Racket towards Blue Ace's, pushing him back.
"Oh, come on! I outwitted you during The Aussies, didn't I?" bragged Blue Ace, making Red Ace furious: "You call pushing outwitting?" "I am not a pusher…I am a tactical genius! Finding the right time to attack is my play!" replied Blue Ace.
Moments passed and the two kept fighting, neither one yielding. Atop the roof, General Ferron continued his scheme. "Excellent…the nega-aura coming from every player in the area now belongs to the armada! Not only that, this melee is giving me lots of it." he said.
With tension at its peak, Blue Ace ordered Red Ace to surrender: "Had enough? I could do this all day." "As I said, I still have a few tricks up my sleeves." Red Ace replied, as he then swiftly switched his Razor Racket to his other hand, catching Blue Ace off guard with a stealth strike on his side.
As the situation got out of hand, the other rangers were alarmed. "This has gone over the line. Let's stop this…now!" said Serena. "You're the idea guy, Andy! Still nothing?" asked Maria. "I could not think of any! They are opposite as they could be." Andy replied.
Suddenly, Andy had an epiphany. "Yet, it seems that is what makes them stronger." he said. "What do you mean?" Maria asked. "Even as polar rivals, I do think they respect each other as competitive peers." said Andy.
"Really? Their words don't seem to be friendly." said Serena, and Maria agreed. "They may not show it, but they always play the best matches, playing against each other. Sure, Nole typically loses, but he always gives a smile at the end. On-court, they seem to enjoy each other's company, as odd it sounds." said Andy. "Guess so." said Maria.
"When I think about it, you feel the same facing Serena." said Andy, which Maria responded with a shocked "WHAT?" "There is that fire in your eyes when you face Serena. You're like Nole, but with some layered personal animosity." said Andy. "She does?" Serena replied, as she then glanced towards Maria.
After an awkward pause, Maria spoke. "Fine! I admit. Every time we play, not only do I feel that I have to beat you, but I also feel that I need to be the best version of myself. Winning a game or a set against you, makes me feel like the best player in the world…and I don't want to waste any moment feeling like it.
"Wait, is that why you were adamant during the incident? You just can't let those moment go?" realized Serena, as Maria then returned with a nod. "Yeah! I mean, we may have a rough history, but I sort of always look forward to our matches. Just pumps my competitive side, and you know how competitive I am…and sometimes, I admit, a bit too much." Maria said.
In the midst of clashing razor noise, Serena made a big decision. "You know what, I think someone deserves an apology." said Serena. "Why? I'm the one who should apologize for accusing you!" Maria replied. "No, not that. I'm sorry for the way I reacted on court. I was just aggravated when you kept on insisting about that point. And yet, I know it's almost impossible that I could've won that. I should've just given it to you." said Serena.
"Oh. Well, I guess I shouldn't have acted like a crab about it. Was just the heat of the moment, I guess. Sorry about that." apologetically said Maria. "Yeah, me too. We may not like each other, but we are now part of a team. As you said, we seem to bring the best out of each other in our game. Now, seeing how much harm our spat has made, I say let's have a truce…for real!" said Serena, as she then extended her right hand.
"Really?" said a skeptical Maria. "Really." said Serena, as the two then shook hands. "OK, but I won't promise that we will not fight about stuff from time to time. But I will try to be my pleasant best." said Maria. "Couldn't have it any other way." said Serena.
"Great!" said Andy, when suddenly his and the girls' morphers glowed. "Hey, it's glowing!" said Maria. "I think we could morph again!" said Andy. "Now, I'll try to get these blokes back into reality! Surely the guys could reconcile if you two can. Wait right here!" said Andy to the girls, as he quickly morphed back: "Serve it up!"
"Hey, mates!" Green Ace said, trying to call the rangers' attention, as he then clashed his Razor Racket with the two. "Listen, I know you are rivals. However, I know in your guts, you two respect each other." he continued, as he then retreated. "Respect? Ha! We are bitter rivals! There is no room for respect." replied Blue Ace. "I agree. Enemies…they don't deserve your respect!" answered Red Ace, as he kept attacking.
"That is not true! I see here not only two fierce rivals battling it out, but also fierce rivals who enjoys challenging each other!" said Green Ace. The duelists, however, did not agree. "Really? You think I enjoy someone who can talk the talk, but not walk the walk?" said Red Ace. "Hey, I dislike seeing your smug, gloating face, either!" Blue Ace retaliated.
"I understand both of you do things that bug the other, but those things actually motivates you both!" said Green Ace. "Those tense battles? They made you the players you are today. Without the other, I doubt you two would have the drive you have now." he continued.
Still fighting, the dueling rangers suddenly became reluctant. "Hey, it's working!" said Maria, seeing the duelists hesitate to move. "Come on Andy, keep going!" said Serena.
"Remember that first head-to-head, Nole! You won only 1 game, but that seemed to be a catalyst on your next tournament to win your maiden title!" said Green Ace. "Also, have you forgotten about the time Nole forced you into a match-deciding tiebreaker, Roger? It was long and tense, but it proves that you ARE a fighter!" he continued.
Rivitriol's effect looked to be withering away, when all at once they became angry again. "Wait a blooming minute..." said Green Ace, as another surge of nega-aura pushed him back to the girls, de-morphing him again.
"What happened, Andy?" asked Serena. "I don't know. The plan seemingly worked, yet they suddenly went aggro. Apparently resisting makes it worse." Andy replied. "What are we gonna do now?" asked Maria. "Well, what I can think of right now, is why we are here." said Andy.
"Well, the argument started after they saved us. They then started arguing about who's the better hero." said Serena. Immediately, Andy had an idea. "I got it!" he said, running off again. "Hey, are you sure this time's going to work?" said Serena, as Andy ran off and morphed, with no reply.
"You're just wasting your time!" said Blue Ace. Fixated on Red Ace, he did not notice a crack on the floor, making him trip. Finding an opening, Red Ace responded quickly. "Finally!" he thought, as he swiftly struck Blue Ace from behind, de-morphing him. The others were shocked, as they then saw Nole dropped on the ground.
With Nole cornered, Red Ace puts his Razor Racket on Nole's neck. "Finally, I will have my revenge!" said Red Ace. "Revenge?" Green Ace wondered. "Finish me, and I will still have the last laugh!" said Nole. "Fine, then." said Red Ace, ready to take his final blow.
"Wait...STOP!" shouted Green Ace, as Red Ace then suddenly froze. "Roger, I think I know what's happening! You wanted to get back on Nole after The Aussies. I know it was hard to lose a match like that, but this is not way to resolve it." said Green Ace.
"But that's why I'm finishing him here – there can only be one, and I'll finally win again!" said Red Ace. "In theory. However, you said you want to prove that you're better hero, right? On the contrary, if you destroy him, he'll be the hero. Do this, and you'll become the villain." said Green Ace, looking towards the girls, who nodded in agreement. "And you do not want him to win AGAIN, do you?" he continued.
Confused on what to do, Red Ace started to hesitate. "Must destroy him to be the best, yet he will be if I do..." he thought. Struggling on his decision, Red Ace then finally let go of his racket. "It's working!" said Maria, as Red Ace finally fell flat on the ground. Exhausted, he de-morphed as he then dropped. "I just can't move my legs." said Roger. "Me too." said Nole. Slowly, the two began to calm down, as Rivitriol's effects slowly disappeared.
Moments later, the guys finally broke out of Rivitriol's influence. "Ugh, what happened?" said Roger, as he tried to stand up. "Well, I think we almost killed each other." said Nole. "Weren't you doing that whenever we play?" said Roger with a grin, as Nole then just scoffed. "WHAT? How are you not fighting?" said Rivitriol in shock. "A dash of irony is all they need. They win, well, by losing." said Green Ace.
Green Ace ran towards the guys, helping them back up. "Was it bad?" asked Nole. "Well, let's just say you were more than bitter rivals for a moment." Green Ace replied. "Talking about rivals, I remember something — you said that we like our rivalry. How come you thought of that?" asked Roger.
"Well, ask Nole. He seems to enjoy it." Green Ace replied. "Why are you two looking at me? OK, I mean, to become the best, I must play with the best, right?" said Nole. "Wait, did you just compliment me?" asked Roger as, the two then laughed. "Come on now, let's morph back!" said Nole. "Splendid!" Green Ace replied.
"Don't leave us out!" said Maria, as the girls rushed to the other rangers. "Yeah! I mean, it is time we return the favor!" said Serena, as Roger replied with a nod. "Are you ready Nole?" said Roger. "Let's do it!" Nole replied.
"Serve it up!" said the four, as they then morphed back. "This is not good!" said Rivitriol, as the rangers then said their roll call:
Nole: "The Fighting Shield! Ace Ranger, Blue!"
Serena: "The Hammer of Justice! Ace Ranger, Yellow!"
Andy: "The Silent Striker. Ace Ranger, Green!"
Maria: "The Blast Belle! Ace Ranger, Pink!"
Roger: "The Slick Ace! Ace Ranger, Red!"
All: "Saving tennis, one ball at a time! We are…Power Rangers…Aces!"
"Saving tennis, huh? You haven't beaten me yet!" said Rivitriol, as he again fired his Bicker Blasters. "His blasts seem weaker than before!" said Green Ace. "Hah, that is why you should always pace yourself!" said Blue Ace, wagging his finger.
"Ugh, I have to recharge!" said Rivitriol, giving the rangers an opening. "Now is our chance!" said Red Ace. "Right!" replied the others. "Weapons...activate!" said the rangers, as Green Ace, Yellow Ace and Pink Ace ran into action.
Suddenly, Red Ace had an idea. "Nole, what if we combine our two weapons together?" "How?" asked Blue Ace. "By putting your Giga Gloves on the Slick Staff's ends, we can turn the two turn into a Giga Staff." replied Red Ace. "Awesome!" said Blue Ace.
Combining their weapons, the Giga Staff was formed. "You're no match for our heavy hits!" said the two. Even when the two served knockout punches, Ritriviol was not fazed. "Fools, you can't knock me out like that!" said the Journeyman. "Look behind." the two said, as the girls then suddenly attacked Rivitriol, making him woozy as he was struck down to the ground.
"Oh! What if we mix our weapons, like Roger and Nole?" said Pink Ace. "Let's try it!" Yellow Ace replied. Placing the Boom Blaster inside the Handy Hammer, they were able to create the Boom Hammer. "Now let's see what this combo could do!" said Yellow Ace.
Suddenly, Rivitriol jumped out from the ground, relieved from his dizziness. "I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU TWO! This might drain my energy, but it would be worth it!" said the angry Journeyman, as he then set his big blaster to destruction mode. "I will not miss this time..." muttered Rivitriol to himself.
As Rivitriol was about to unleash, Red Ace and Blue Ace suddenly appeared in front, as Red Ace then spun the Giga Staff. "HUH?!" said Rivitriol as he immediately unleashes the blast. From out the blue, a big energy shield emerged from the Giga Staff, deflecting the blast. "Cool, my shield's boosted, too!" said Blue Ace.
"What? How did you…" said a flustered Rivitriol, as then Blue Ace said "Look up!" As he did, he then saw the girls attacking from the sky. "Uh oh…" the Journeyman said. "Have a taste of our own blast!" said the girls, as a magnified attack came from the Boom Hammer. "Victory Vortex!" the girls said.
The blast hits the ground, but Rivitriol was able to evade in time. "Hah, what kind of sneak attack calls it out?" he said, but then Yellow Ace said "Look behind you!" With no time to react, Rivitriol was hit by Green Ace's Sling Slasher counterblast, as the Victory Vortex caught up him and got trapped inside. "I am so mad at myself!" said Rivitriol as he gets destroyed. "Smashing!" said Green Ace.
The rangers then celebrated in victory. "Great teamwork, guys! We managed to defeat our first Journeyman." said Red Ace. "Good thing the mission finished well! Thanks for your help earlier, from both of you." said Yellow Ace. "Yeah, thanks Roger! Things might've gotten ugly if it us who got hit seeing you two, haha."
With Rivitriol defeated, quarrels around the city began to subside, and the radiating nega-aura began to disappear. "Guys, listen…no more argy-bargy!" said Green Ace. "What?" asked the girls. "Argy-bargy? You know, squabbles?" replied Green Ace. "Ah, peace and quiet!" said a relieved Blue Ace.
Unknown to the rangers, General Ferron was looking from above the indoor center. "Just as I thought…the moment the rangers snapped out, I knew this would end badly. It's time to execute Plan B!" he said, as a tablet device then suddenly appeared from his hand.
Tapping a button labelled "Drop", a Bulk Pill then dropped from the Dreadful Default, into the atmosphere. "Let's see how they will deal with this." said General Ferron as he then teleported back to enemy base.
Back on Earth, Laverus contacted Red Ace. "We just destroyed Rivitriol!" he reported, but Laverus had dire news. "It's not over yet, rangers! A Bulk Pill has been dropped to revive the Journeyman. You must…" he said. Rapidly, the giant pill was about to plunge towards them. "Look out!" said Red Ace, as the rangers tried to flee.
With the pill dropping in breakneck speed, the rangers quickly dodged it. The pill then dropped on the destroyed Journeyman, turning him into a colossal monster. "I'm a mountain to you molehills!" roared the giant, stunning the rangers. "Um, guys…we have a big problem!" said Pink Ace in shock.
"Don't worry guys. Our Zords will take care of this! Are you ready?" said Red Ace, as the others prepared to summon their Zords: "Ready! Ace Zord Medals, Second Serve!" "Summoning Zords!" alerted their morphers, as the Ace Zords arrived on time.
"Right on cue!" said Red Ace, as they see the Zords attack Rivitriol. "Five against one? That's unfair!" protested Rivitriol. "Come on, Chameleon Zord. Prismatic Blitz!" ordered Green Ace. The Zord then attacked using its laser eyes, while the Journeyman tried to shield himself. "Ugh, so bright! Now, it's time to turn the tides! Bicker Blast!" said Rivitriol, as he then shot the Hammerhead and Leopard Ace Zords, making them fight each other.
"What? He blasted our Zords?" said Pink Ace, as her and Yellow Ace's Zords became aggressive – Hammerhead hammered Leopard, while Leopard retaliated with a scrape. "How are we going to stop this?" asked Yellow Ace, when suddenly she and Pink Ace received a call from Laverus. "Rangers, it seems Rivitriol disturbed the Zords' tennis aura, making them fight. You rangers must snap them out of it." he said.
"How are we gonna do that?" asked Pink Ace. "Just hold your Zord app buttons and re-balance their tennis aura with your own." replied Laverus. "We're on it!" said Yellow Ace. "Just make sure that both of your Ace Aura are in balance. I remembered you two bickering the last time I saw you." Laverus replied.
"Oh, that? It's old news. We're ready!" said Pink Ace, as Laverus then gives them the go-signal. "That is great to hear!" he said. "Are you ready, Maria?" asked Yellow Ace. Pink Ace nodded back, as they then tried to re-balance their Zords' tennis aura.
"Happy thoughts! Think happy thoughts!" thought Pink Ace. "My family, my friends, my fellow Aces…" thought Yellow Ace. Their positivity was then able to create more Ace Aura, enabling them to restore their Zords. "They're back!" said Pink Ace, as then Yellow Ace sighed in relief.
"Oh no, not again!" said Rivitriol, as he then tried to change to his strategy. "No more mind games! Time to destroy you two for good!" he said, setting his blaster to destruction mode to try destroying the Zords.
"Now you're finished!" he continued, as he then shot his attack. However, the Zords were able to evade, making Rivitriol mad. "Argh, now YOU'RE making me mad!" he said.
"Ugh, I am not sure if our Zords can handle this!" said Green Ace, but then Laverus told them a way to level up. "Rangers, I have good news! Based on my readings, all of your Ace Aura are in sync. Your Ace Zords can now combine into one big robot – the Grand Slam Megazord!" he said.
"Megazord?" asked Blue Ace. "By combining your five Zords, a giant mecha can be made, that is resilient to Rivitriol's blasts. Just tap the Zord app again to form the Megazord, but make sure you all do it at closely the same time!" said Laverus.
"Roger that. Let's try it!" said Red Ace, as the others replied "Right!" "Zords, combine!" shouted the rangers, as their morphers alerted "Megazord formation, standby!"
The Zords started to combine – the Ram Ace Zord became the torso and head, while the Chameleon and Leopard Ace Zords formed the left and right legs. Lastly, the Hammerhead and Stingray Ace Zords became the left and right arms. "Let's go guys, come on!" said Red Ace, as the rangers jumped to teleport into the Megazord's cockpit.
Inside the cockpit, there were podiums where the rangers could stand, a control panel in front of them to place their morphers, and a pad on their side where their Match Medals could be scanned.
The rangers were awed on what they saw. "Wow!" said Pink Ace. "So this is how it feels riding a Megazord. Awesome!" said Blue Ace. "Sis actually rode this thing, huh?" said an amused Yellow Ace. "This is just gobsmacking!" said Green Ace.
"You can say that again. Now, let's send him to anger management!" said Red Ace. "Yeah! Let's go! Grand Slam Megazord, ready!" shouted the rangers, ready to face Rivitriol. "Well the bigger they are, the harder they fall!" the Journeyman said. Rivitriol then fired a blast, but the Grand Slam Megazord was able to dodge it. "Ugh, I missed. Hey! Where are you?" said Rivitriol, confused as the Megazord seemingly disappeared.
"Look right!" said Green Ace, as a bewildered Rivitriol said "Huh?" Glancing right, a hammer punch swiftly thwacked Rivitriol by surprise. "Knock out!" said Blue Ace. "Hey, she's my Zord!" protested Yellow Ace. "Sorry!" Blue Ace apologized.
"Why are you hiding? Are you just chicken!" said Rivitriol, as then the Megazord hammer punched him from the left side. "Wait a minute, were visible again..." said Green Ace, as the camouflage wore off. "I see you!" said Rivitriol, as he then made quick-fire shots to the Megazord.
"Ahhh!" said the shaken rangers. "Just hang on!" said Red Ace, as Rivitriol continued attacking. "Haha, surrender now!" said the Journeyman. "You have been a pain this whole day! Argh!" said a furious Pink Ace, as she then knee-kicked Rivitriol with her Zord. "Ow, ow, ow, not the knee!" said Rivitriol.
"Rivitriol's weakened. Let's now cool this fiery fiend!" said Red Ace, when suddenly their pockets glowed. "Huh, what is this?" Red Ace wondered, grabbing a Match Medal from his pocket.
"Those are Basel Match Medals!" said Laverus, who suddenly appeared a projection from the control panel. "Whoa, you scared me!" said Yellow Ace. "Oh, I apologise for that. Anyway, you can use these medals to create an icy blast. I was ready to give it to you in order to cool quarrelers, but I had to charge them first." said Laverus.
"Better late than never." said Red Ace. The rangers then put the medals to their pads. "Basel Match Medal, scanned!" the mecha voice said. "Swiss Snowstorm!" shouted the rangers, as a snow vortex then came out of the Stingray Ace Zord.
"You cannot cool of me off!" said Rivitiol, as he then froze solid. "Time to finish this. Stingray Slash!" said the Rangers, as they finished the Journeyman with one slice. "Game, Set and Match!" said Red Ace, as Rivitriol was finally defeated.
Back at the Dreaded Default, Don Skeletoni was livid. "General Ferron! Your Journeyman wasn't strong enough to defeat the rangers!" he said. "My Don… While Rivitriol didn't destroy them for good, I still managed to amass loads of nega-aura. It was not a waste of time." rationalized General Ferron.
"Still, we need to find a way to defeat those rangers once and for all!" said Don Skeletoni, as General Ferron then presented what else he gathered. "Well, I have got something else that could very valuable, my Don." he said. "What is it General Ferron?" asked Don Skeletoni. "Not only had I obtained nega-aura from the rangers, but also their trace Ace Aura." replied General Ferron.
Don Skeletoni was content. "Well now…I think we can use it for Project V." he said. "Yes, my Don." replied General Ferron. "The Aces thought they had us, but they're wrong…because V Day is approaching. Hahaha!" cackled the Don.
Back at Laverus Lair, Serena and Maria had a one-on-one talk. "Serena, you know one of the reasons I wanted to better than you?" said Maria. "What is it?" asked Serena. "Well, on our tennis academy, do you remember Greg?" asked Maria. "Oh, Greg, I remember that guy. He was my boyfriend, before she dumped me for you." Serena replied.
"Yeah. Being rivals since juniors, it's frustrating how you always get the lead over me. I liked Greg, and when picked you over me, I was devastated – I felt I was a loser in life, not only in tennis." said Maria "I see." Serena replied.
"That is why when he asked me out later on, I was giddy. That there may be something I have that you don't, to have me over you. But the moment he dumped me too…I felt I was back to square one. It may be about Greg at first, but I eventually moved on. Yet seeing your game, going leaps and bounds, is a constant reminder that I will always be second best. I want to be first, and that is why I want to surpass you in everything." said Maria.
"But Maria, you already have surpassed me in many things – fashion and business, you have the edge there. Also, you also have a lot of suitors. Greg was probably one of the few that wanted to date me. Although as we found out, he wasn't worth our time." said Serena.
"You're right, haha. Still, I really want to be #1, win Slams, just a typical player's dream. I have not been nice to you, so could you forgive me again for the wrongs I have done?" asked Maria. "Hey, one apology is enough! We're teammates now...we'll have time to get along with each other." said Serena. "Frenemies?" she said. "Frenemies." Maria replied, as they then hugged each other.
"Nole, I am sorry for earlier." said Roger. "Hey, it was all Rivitriol's fault." replied Nole. "Not all. There was a bit of real frustration that came out. The frustration losing The Aussies fueled my darker side." said Roger. "Well as long as we move on and learn from losses, we could turn that frustration to motivation. That is my mantra in life." said Nole.
"Wow, who knew wise words could come out of you!" said Roger. "What can I say…I am a wise guy…on court, and on life!" said Nole, as the two chuckled. "Seems everyone are good mates now! United, everything will be brilliant!" said Andy, as they all came together to say their motto: "Saving tennis, one ball at a time. Ace Rangers!"
"Hey, can I join in?" "Of course you can, Laverus!" said Roger. "Well, I'm not Laverus…" The rangers then turned, all shocked on who they saw. "Wait, don't tell me…YOU'RE a veteran ranger?" said Roger. "Yes, I am, my students. By the way, congrats to your first Megazord victory! You surely will have a long ride ahead." said Pete Megalos, the veteran Red Ace Ranger.
Author's Notes:
Man, this may be one of my hardest chapters to make. Conflicts stories is something I am not yet sure how to handle that well, so creating and sort of resolve the issues of the characters in these last two chapters was a bit tricky, and also trying to resolve the Red-Blue fight did take a while, trying to figure out how were they going to snap out of it by not contradicting Rivitriol's rules as much as possible (i.e. a never ending struggle until at least one just gives out). I do admit there are some long in-between conversation during the monster conflict, but I thought they should be there to shed a light on their character focus here and their development. Still, I felt the lesson of just stopping, trying to relax, and just clearing your mind when there is conflict is something everyone should learn IMO.
Next episode is going to be interesting, as we will focus on new friendships made, and how it could make am early lasting impression. The rangers will now fly to Memphis, as they try to keep pace in Game 7: Time Violation.
Characters:
Being a direct continuation of the previous chapter, there are no new characters introduced. However, we did know who was Serena & Maria's love interest early...wonder if that guy will pop up later in the story.
Other Thoughts:
Andy saying "Hubba wobba" is a reference to Wobbuffet, the Pokémon that can't do anything by itself, but retaliates attacks with twice the power. That is what the Sling Slasher can do, except that it can be used as, well, slashers.
Disclaimer:
Power Rangers is a property of Saban Brands. The characters are only inspired by tennis personalities and should not be treated as their real life inspirations.