July 12th, 1994

Ness, Paula, and Jeff are back in Threed and are celebrated as heroes to the point where they spend free nights at the hotel, room service included.

July 13th, 1994

The next morning, after breakfast, the kids decide to take a bus to Fourside. When they got to Dusty Dunes Desert, there was a traffic jam preventing them from going any further, so they get off the bus and head to the drug store. Ness withdraws some money from the ATM, and they all stocked up on Wet Towels, Refreshing Herbs, Cans of Orange Juice, and Picnic Lunches. They began to trek through the desert. The sun was blazing hot. As they trekked for what seemed like... 3 hours, Jeff was starting to feel dizzy.

"Oogh... quick, someone hand me a Wet Towel!" said Jeff.

Ness hands Jeff a Wet Towel to use.

"Man, let's use a Wet Towel each right now!" Ness suggested.

And they did. However, while Ness was rubbing the towel all over his face, he falls into a hole.

"Ness!" Paula exclaimed.

"I'm okay!"

Just then, a miner comes up.

"Holy smokes, kid, are you alright? Here, grab this rope."

Ness climbs the rope and gets out of the hole.

"This hole's great! Good hole, good hole, good hole..."

"Why are you digging that hole?" Ness asks.

"First, someone asked me to dig for buried gold. I began to feel like I was obligated to find it."

"Okay..."

"Man, am I starving. Do you have any food you can spare?"

"Well, we have some Picnic Lunches. Would you like one?"

"You mean the ones with the octopus sausages and cake? Of course I'd like one!"

So, they all go inside the Miner's Shack and eat.

"By the way, my name's Gerardo Montague. I'm a miner, and I'm the go-to guy for fresh gold."

"I'm Ness, and these two are Paula and Jeff. We're trying to get to Fourside, but there was a traffic jam."

"Well, right now, the traffic jam ended, so you kids be on your way; I gotta go back to diggin'."

"Okay, bye!"

The kids eventually find another bus stop and take the bus to Fourside. The scenery was beautiful because they were crossing a suspension bridge above the water. Finally, they arrive in Fourside.

"Wow," the kids gasped in unison.

Just then, they see people in a crowd at the Topollo Theater.

"Hey, the Topollo Theater seems to be attracting quite a crowd," said Jeff.

"Wait, I remember now!" said Ness. "The Tonzura Bros. are performing there! Let's go see them!"

"I didn't know you were a fan, Ness."

"Actually, we're FRIENDS with the band," said Paula.

"WHAT? Cool beans!"

The trio joins the crowd, which slowly depletes as more and more people go inside. Ness got 3 tickets for himself, Paula, and Jeff, and they go into the theater room.

"'Have I got a bombshell for you tonight, kids! aaaaaAAAAAH! Ka-Boom! The Tonzura Bros.! Yeah! 3- 2- 1-GO!"

The Tonzura Bros. perform on stage. After it ends, the crowd cheers. However, the trio seems to notice that the band is not having a good time. They head to the green room.

"Hey, it's Ness and Paula!" said Lucky.

"And I'm their friend, Jeff!"

"Well, bad news, we're stuck in another contract. We owe the Topollo Theater $1 MILLION this time," said Gorgeous.

"$1,000,000?" said Ness. "Hmm... don't worry, Gorgeous, Lucky, we'll find a way to pay off that debt for you guys."

Back in the Dusty Dunes Desert, the trio head back to the Miner's Shack. Gerardo offers for them to spend the night, and they accept.

July 14th, 1994

The next day after lunch, they see a huge crowd by the entrance to the freshly-dug gold mine.

"Whoa."

"Hamburgers, Orange Juice, Popsicles! Come on up and get whatever you'd like!" a vendor called out.

"Hey kids, do you like what you see?" said Gerardo.

"Yes, actually," said Jeff.

"Mr. Montague, can we go find some gold to pay off the Tonzura Bros. debt?" Ness asks.

"I don't see why not, but be careful of those 5 moles."

The kids enter the mine as the crowd cheers them good luck. They search high, and low, but not a single karat of gold could be found, until Jeff finds something. He thinks it was gold, but it wasn't. It was a Coin of Defense.

"Darn."

Just then, he turns around to find that a giant mole was standing behind him the whole time! Jeff starts shooting at the mole, but the ammo just bounces off of it! Jeff tries to run away... and did!

Meanwhile further in the mines, Ness and Paula find somethings, but rather than gold, they found a Platinum Band.

"Well, no gold, but look, a Platinum Band!" said Ness.

"Ness, you can buy these for a LOT less than a million clams," said Paula.

"Aw, nuts."

"Ness! Paula!"

Jeff meets up with Ness and Paula, with 5 huge moles chasing after him now chasing all 3.

"Jeff, what happened?" said Ness.

"I don't know! I was looking for gold, and then these moles are chasing after us!"

Eventually, the trio are at a dead end, and the moles catch up.

"Since I am the 3rd strongest, I will fight you!" one mole said.

"Wait, WHO is the 3rd strongest?" the second mole interjected. "I am!"

"You must be joking! I'm the 3rd strongest!" the 3rd mole said.

"No, I am the 3rd strongest!" the 4th mole said.

"No, I am!" the 5th mole said.

As the 5 moles argue over who the 3rd strongest was, Ness and Paula immediately kill them with PK Rockin and PK Freeze respectively.

"Did I forget to mention that I can't kill them with my gun?" said Jeff.

Just then, quaking ensues inside the mines.

"Oh no, the mines are collapsing!" cried Paula.

As they speak, a family of mice come up to the trio.

"We can help you guys escape! We are Exit Mice!"

So, the kids follow the Exit Mice out of the collapsing mines.

"So, why are we following these mice?" Jeff asks.

Everyone gets out fine, but without any gold, the Tonzura Bros. are stuck performing in Fourside for 100 years, which is something that Gorgeous would snark. So, as Gerardo gets back to digging, the kids head back to Fourside by bus. Halfway across the bridge, a steam shovel catches up to the bus, which stops and the trio gets out.

"Ness! Greetings! I'm George, Gerardo Montague's brother. Gerardo is in his mine, but he hasn't found any buried treasure yet. We did, however, find a diamond instead. Gerardo told me to give it to you."

Ness got the Diamond.

"Thanks, George!"

"Well, I've got to go... I'm busy working at the other mine... busy, busy, busy!"

Back at Topollo Theater, the kids got in and bought 3 more tickets. But first, they have a talk with the manager, Ms. Fake.

"What are you brats doing here? No children allowed!" she said.

"Perhaps one of THESE, will get you to let the Tonzura Bros. out of their contract?" said Ness as he shows Ms. Fake the diamond.

"Yaaaieeee! That that that Diamond... you're going to pay with that Diamond? O... o... okay, th... that's fine. I'll rip up this contract."

Ms. Fake rips up the contract.

"Don't tell anyone about the Diamond... Now the Runaway Five are free! ...You should thank me. That Diamond is worth maybe... MAYBE... $50. So I gave you a bargain."

After the contract is completely null and void, the Tonzura Bros. perform one more show, and hang around Fourside for a little longer. They, along with the kids, spend the night in seperate rooms at the hotel.

July 15th, 1994

The next morning after breakfast, the kids go sight-seeing in Fourside. After a few hours, noon came around, so they decided to stop at the food court at the department store for lunch and eat some Hamburgers, or in Ness' case, a Double Burger, which he wolfs down.

"Sheesh, Ness, you have the appetite of a herd of Gruff Goats!" said Jeff.

Just then, the lights go out, and everybody panics in the inky black darkness.

"Ness, HELP ME!" Paula cried out.

"Paula? Where are you? Ness responds.

"Ness, it's very dark!" said Jeff. "Use that light PSI you speak of!"

"Okay, but shield your eyes everybody! PK FLASH!"

A light surrounds Ness.

"Your attention please, would the customer from Onett, Mr. Ness, please proceed to the office on the fourth floor." a strange voice said on the loudspeaker. "That was customer Ness, 4th floor office... Gwehehehehehe!"

Ness and Jeff head up to the 4th floor office. Along the way, they get attacked by coffee cups, records, and guitars, but Ness breezed through them like a hot knife through butter. The boys make it to the 4th floor, enter the office, and see the Department Store Spook.

"Gwehehehe! I'm impressed you actually made it here. This department store is going to be your grave! Gwehehe! Die and go to..."

Ness interrupts the Spook by hitting him with the baseball bat.

"Oww... I was going to say heaven, you impudent twerp! BRAINSHOCK!"

The Spook Brainshocks Ness.

"Ness! Are you okay?" Jeff asks.

Ness swings his bat at Jeff.

"Whoa, careful there! You're under the effect of Brainshock!"

"Gwehehe! Now it's up to you to fight me!"

Jeff shoots at the Department Store Spook once, hitting him directly.

"Oww... ...Even thought you could beat me...Master Gyiyg will avenge me... At this moment, Paula should be...Monotoli... Gwehehehehehehe!"

After the Spook dies, Ness snaps out of his Brainshock.

"Jeff? What happened? Did we win?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid Paula isn't here."

"Well, where is she?"

"The Spook said that she's in the clutches of someone named Monotoli..."

Ness and Jeff stare out the window and see the Monotoli building. Why did Paula once again get kidnapped? What could Monotoli want with her? Why are pizzas expensive in Eagleland and other places? The answers except for the last one will be revealed next time.