EPISODE 14: MOUNTAIN LION
(Adapted from "The Summit Eyewitness")
We start this episode off in the morning at the African Lion habitat of the Savannah Sector. In terms of design, there are 3 parts to it. First up is the main house for visitors to walk into/staff members and zookeepers to work/lions to rest. The second part is the main outside exhibit itself. A large and circular grassy setting dotted with big rocks, dead trees, and strong glass viewing windows for visitors to step up to and view the big cats from a safe distance. Finally, there's the third area. One that is outside and also grassy, but it's at the north end that only staff members and zookeepers can access. And while there are some environmental editions to it like rocks and vegetation, it seems more like an open training ground. And that's because it is.
Down in this area, we get 6 seconds of a lioness running across quickly after a lure with a ball on the end of it. This ending with her catching up to and getting her jaws around said ball. Then, from a perch above this lure, we see Caleb with a bucket in his hand and another zookeeper standing next to him.
Caleb: Brilliant work, m'lady! (reaches into the bucket) And now for your reward!
He then tosses a small chunk of meat down to the big cat, who catches it.
Caleb: Alright, now go join the rest of the pride. I have to get going.
But instead, the lioness decides to lay down and yawn, likely tired from the exercise she just did.
Caleb: (sighs) Guess I should have seen that one coming.
The Other Keeper: Oh, you can get going, Caleb. I'll take it from here.
Caleb: Much appreciated. See you later!
He then starts making his way off this perch via a latter as we then cut back to the visitor side of the lion exhibit to find Benny, looking inside the exhibit at one of the lions currently out (maybe even another keeper with one of them, causing a slightly jealous reaction from Benny if you want) before Caleb walks up.
Caleb: Sorry I'm late, Benjamin.
Benny: Hey, Caleb. So, you're done with the lion's exercises?
Caleb: I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.
Benny: Fair enough. Then what do you wanna talk about?
Caleb: Well, it's something that's been—
Frida: Caleb! There you are!
The two then look off and see…Frida, the rockstar girl from Episode 8, walking up with a smile. BTW there's still a cast on her right hand, because it's only been a few weeks since we first saw her in this story's time, and because despite this being fiction, sprained hands don't just heal overnight or in a few weeks.
Caleb: Hold that thought, lad. (walks over) Frida! How've you been?
She then speaks as they approach/high-five each other.
Frida: Pretty good. My hand could be out of the cast, but it's been easier to manage.
Caleb: Well, that's good to hear. Again, sorry about that by the way.
Frida: Eh, it's water under the bridge, now.
Benny: Uh, Caleb? Should I come back again later, or…
Frida: (smiles) Who's your friend there?
Caleb: OH, right, you haven't met yet! Benny, meet Frida, Frida, meet Benny.
Frida: Nice to meet you. Do you work at the zoo, as well?
Benny: Uh, y-yeah, sort of, but…not a lot. I mostly just work as an information booth guy.
Frida: Well, some work is better than none, right?
Benny: Huh. Yeah, I guess that's true.
We get another second of Frida smiling before Caleb keeps talking.
Caleb: So, what brings you to my neck of the zoo?
Frida: Well, actually, I just got back from a vacation to Japan, and…
She then looks around for a second to make sure nobody is super close by and starts whispering.
Frida: …I saw something strange.
Caleb: (whispering) Strange, how?
Frida: Strange as in…it might need rangers to help.
Benny: Really?... Well, what did you see?
Frida: …Would it be weird if I say I saw…a bird person?
Caleb and Benny's eyes instantly widen and look at each other upon hearing this.
But before we find out what exactly happened, we cut to the Washi Residence kitchen, the trio now joined by Winston, Jackie, and Sylvia.
Caleb: Team? Meet Frida Quinn.
Frida: Hello! It's…cool to meet more real rangers!
Jackie: It's nice to meet the rockstar redhead Caleb's talked about too.
Frida: Oh. You've heard about me? That's uh…that's nice.
Sylvia: So, Frida. You say you saw a Birdman?
Frida: Yes. Is that too weird?
Winston: No, it's good, actually. We haven't heard from him in a while so, it's nice to hear SOME kind of news.
Benny: So, what exactly happened when you saw him?
Frida: Well, one day on my vacation, I took a hike at Mount Onoiwa Park.
We then get a flashback to said hike as she keeps talking, Frida being joined by other hikers (some tourists, some locals visitors).
Frida: I took a moment to stop and take in the sights, and…then I saw him on the other side of the mountain.
In the flashback, she takes out binoculars.
But as she looks out with them…that's when it happens.
She spots the base of a large rock on the mountain summit (more on that in a moment) and standing next to it with his hand on it is indeed Harris.
This makes her lower her binoculars and look confused as to what she just saw.
Cut back to the present day.
Frida: He was just kinda…standing there.
Benny: Onoiwa? That means "ax-rock" right?
Frida: Right. There's a giant hatchet-like boulder on the summit's left side that gives it its name.
Jackie: Wait, you can speak Japanese, dude?
Benny: Oh, uh, yeah! I just don't do it often since…you know. Not a ton of people speak Japanese in this city.
Jackie and Frida: Huh. You know, that's pretty cool.
The two then look at each other, a little surprised at their synced dialog (Caleb included).
Benny: …Umm, double thanks?
Winston: OK. (clap hands together) How do we get there?
Caleb: We teleport of course!
Frida: (gasps) You can teleport!?
Sylvia: Could we though? We've never teleported across continents before.
Jackie: PLUS, Harris could be gone by now.
Benny: (exhales) Well…it's worth a shot, isn't it?
The team then ponders this for another second and then nods in agreement.
Speaking of which…we then cut to Mount Onoiwa. After a 2 second shot of the forest-covered mountain, which indeed, has a big ax shaped rock on the left side of its summit, we cut to another rocky part of the peak, presumably on a trail that leads up there, to a new monster (Adapted from the player "Noborizon") with spiky shoulders and a mostly red body, who's carrying a massive device and looking out over the mountain while yelling…
Oranguquake: Yahoo!... This is perfect!
(He sounds like Wild Storm from 'Skylanders: Imaginators')
He then takes the large black and gold device and plants the screw/drill-like bottom piece into the ground beneath him.
Oranguquake: And now to extract the energy from this mountain!
With that, he grabs a crank at the top of the device and begins turning it slowly before giving us one final mountain view shot as he chuckles/continues to work.
Cue Theme Song (1 Minute)
As per usual, we then cut up to the Arrow Galion.
Insidion: Have either of you seen Blockhead?
Midaria: He's on Earth prepping for a hunt. Guess you inspired him to go early.
Insidion: (chuckles) Well at least he's planning ahead.
Sagittar: (chuckling/grabbing a drink) I look forward to seeing what he has planned.
Part of this is said as we cut back to a wide shot of Mount Onoiwa.
Speaking of which, back on the ground, we see our heroes + Frida (who's in hiking clothes and a backpack) teleport next to the start of a walking trail/a trail map. Oh, and text at the bottom of the screen reads "!2 OM, JST" implying that the team waited a little while before going to the mountain, due to them being 3 hours ahead of Japan.
Frida: (shakes his head) My head is dizzy.
Caleb: Yeah, that takes some getting used to.
Benny: You okay, Frida?
Frida: Y-Yeah, I think I'll be fine.
Her smile at Benny makes Caleb look a little jealous for a quick moment, but he quickly shakes it off.
Winston: We actually just teleported to another country!
Jackie: Nice to know we can do that in case Sagittar decides to fight outside Dolphin Coast.
Caleb: And now, all we gotta do is teleport up! (holds up Morpher) Doubutsu! …Huh? Doubutsu!...What the heck? It's not working!
Sylvia: I guess teleporting across countries drains their power a bit more?
Benny: (holds up his Morpher) Doubutsu…Yeah, I think you're right.
Jackie: Well, looks like we'll have to hike up then.
The team then looks at the climbing path ahead of them.
Winston: I hope Harris is still up there.
Benny: Yeah. Me too.
Jackie: And if we're wrong?
Sylvia: Well, even if he's gone, there could be something on this mountain we're not seeing yet.
Frida: Lucky for you 5, I brought my appropriate hiking gear with me. Plus, it's plenty of time to get to know you all better, right?
Benny: That's…actually a good way to look at it.
Then, Caleb gets an idea in his head.
Caleb: Y-You know, Frida, if you want, I could carry that backpack there for you. Looks a little heavy right now.
Frida: Oh, thank you, but I think I'll be okay for most of the hike.
Caleb: Nonsense, I insist. Ooh wait, I have a better idea!
Frida: Wait, what does that—Gah!
She's cut off by Caleb catching her off guard and lifting her onto his back, piggy-back style.
Caleb: Onward to the Onoiwa Summit!
Frida: What!? H-Hold on a second!
But Caleb then begins running up the trail while carrying her upward.
Benny: Wait, where are you—C-Caleb!
The red ranger then starts going after them but appears to have underestimated Caleb's speed despite him carrying someone, because he's already a good distance from Benny before making a turn down a different path connected to the main one they were looking at.
Jackie: AND we've lost them.
Winston: Caleb is really trying to keep Frida to himself on this one.
Sylvia: I think he's setting himself up for disappointment.
Winston and Jackie: Huh?
Sylvia: I could be wrong, but…I think Frida might like Benny.
Winston: Wait really?
Jackie: Oh, come on! They barely even know each other! (folds her arms)
Winston: …Jackie Is it me or do I smell…jealousy?
Jackie: (blushes) What!? N-No! No, I'm just…stating the facts is all!
Sylvia: Facts can be said with bias, you know.
Jackie: W-Whatever, let's just get moving already!
She then starts hiking way up the trail ahead, Winston and Sylvia cheekily smiling as they follow her.
Back to Caleb and Frida, he's now covered a bit more ground as they're now running down a shadier point of the trail. After 3 seconds of such, Frida speaks up.
Frida: Caleb! We've been separated from your friends.
Caleb: I'm sure they'll be fine!
Frida: Okay, but…can we at least stop?
Caleb: Oh, of course!
He then slows down and lets her hop off his back.
Caleb: Here you go. I could use a quick break anyway from all that running. (stretches his arms)
Frida: So, while we're stopped, I have a quick question.
Caleb: You have but to ask.
Frida: …That Benny guy. What's he like?
Caleb: Oh, well, Benny's a great new friend and addition to the team! As our Red Eagle Ranger, he can pull out a chain sword, and fly, and go into a Gorilla mode, and…actually, for a new guy, he's been very crucial to most of our victories, and…he's even outdone some of us despite our…experience and training.
We way Caleb thinks more about benny's strengths, his face seems to get more…I suppose lost in thought?
Frida: (smiles) Wow. Benny sounds pretty cool.
Caleb: (snaps out of it) Uh, yeah, well…I'm pretty cool too—
Then, out of nowhere, he's cut off by the sound of his foot tripping on something. The two look down to see he's triggered what looks like a hidden rope wire. But before they can fully process it, two rope snares right under their feet quickly wrap around and hoist them up, making them yell.
Frida: (screams) What the heck!?
Caleb: A-Are you okay!?
Fortunately, Benny finally catches up and comes to a stop.
Benny: (as he stops) Huh!?
Caleb: Where did these snares come from!?
Frida: Get us down from here!
Benny: Uh, o-okay! Hold on! Uh, Eagle Shredder!
He quickly whips out his blade and cuts at the wire holding the two up. But because of how quickly he acted, Caleb and Frida fall to the ground with a thud and groan.
Benny: (as he comes over) Sorry! I didn't think that one through!
Frida: (groaning/sitting up) Head dizzy again.
After kneeling down next to them, Benny takes the snares off both of their shoes with quick light cuts from the Eagle Shredder.
Benny: (as he cuts the snares) Who put these traps here?
Frida: Thank you for saving me.
Benny: No problem. I'm glad you're okay.
Caleb: (makes a jealous face) ...I mean, (stands up) I could've handled it before you arrived.
Benny: O-Okay, but this happened because YOU recklessly ran off, so…
Caleb: Are you saying it's my fault?
Benny: I don't know, but you shouldn't have run off like that. Just try to be more considerate of Frida, at least.
Caleb: Tch. Alright, calm down, Mr. showoff.
Benny: Show off!? (stands up) What's that supposed to mean!?
However, before either can speak again...
Benny and Caleb: Huh?
…out of nowhere, a massive log held up by rope comes swinging at them! The two just quickly get out of the way, both landing on the ground. But right as Benny looks up and grabs onto Frida to protect her, he looks behind Caleb with a gasp. Quickly picking up on this, Caleb turns around and sees 3 gigantic boulders rolling toward them like it's an adventure film, making the three scream all at once and start to run as the boulders catch up (and as a fun little detail, the log swings back into the shot as they run for it and hits a boulder). They keep going down the trail faster and just narrowly get off to the side as the boulders catch up and pass them, leaving the trio out of breath.
Anywho, we then hard cut down to Winston, Sylvia, and Jackie, still walking down the path from earlier.
Jackie: (stops) WAIT…I hear rustling nearby.
Sylvia: Could just be a critter or a bird.
Winston: (sniffs) No she's right. Something smells—
Then out of nowhere, the team is surrounded by Amoebanoids. The camera then cuts ahead of them to show the larger portion of this group standing together on some rocks and pans up to reveal Blockhead is here too.
Blockhead: Tch. I should've known you Zoo-Keepers would eventually show up.
Sylvia: You again!?
Jackie: Why are YOU here, block butt?
Blockhead: Simple. I'm keeping people off this mountain so that we may acquire its…energy. As we speak, my hunter, Oranguquake, is working on the summit.
He says the last part of this dialog as we cut back up to Oranguquake, showing him still turning that weird device's crank.
Oranguquake: Yes, YES. Drain the life from this land!
After finishing this dialog, we cut something similar to what happened back in Episode 9 with the illustration of Rosebug's plan, only this time we hypothetically show what this device will do if they're successful. And as they just said, yes, it will literally suck the life and energy out of this mountain, leaving it grey and dead.
Sylvia: (as she whips out her Morpher) Ha! You just gave away your entire plan!
Winston and Jackie quickly do the same as she says this.
Jackie, Winston, and Sylvia: (press the buttons) It's Morphing Time! Zoo Mode Go! (said as they turn the tops)
After instamorphing, the three charge forward, now having their Savage Sabers out in hand.…only for said charge to be cut short by Winston stepping right onto a comedically large bear trap on the path, making him scream.
Winston: OOOOOOW!
Jackie: (turns around) Dude!
She then runs up to him to try and help, but then a surprise net comes down on both of them.
Sylvia: Amigos! (said while attacking the Amoebanoids)
Blockhead; Good luck stopping my plan with these traps in the way.
He chuckles to himself as he leaves the fight.
Back higher up on the mountain, we hard cut to Benny, who has his Morpher out, listening to Sylvia over a call, while Caleb is next to Frida.
Benny: Blockhead's here!?
Caleb looks over confused and walks over to Benny.
Sylvia: (over the call) Apparently there's a new monster at the summit!
We then quickly cut back down to Sylvia single-handedly fighting Amoebanoids while on the call, Winston, and Jackie still in the net, which is now off the ground/swinging.
Sylvia: (fighting) We may not get up there fast enough!
Winston: Get us out of here!
Jackie: Let me down!
Sylvia: Sorry guys, but you're on your own!
Benny: …Alright. (hangs up) …Frida. You should get off the mountain.
Frida: I-I can't make it down alone! We're way off the path and…there could be more traps.
Benny: Shoot, that's right. And we can't teleport right now.
As he says this we cut over to Caleb, whose expression has turned to slight worry.
Frida: …Well, at least you two are here to help me…You know Benny, you remind me of my brother a lot.
Caleb and Benny: Brother?
Obviously, Caleb is a bit more surprised.
Frida: Yeah. My brother's always busy with medical school, but he was good at keeping me safe as a kid and making sure I was okay.
Benny: ...(smiles) W-Well then, I…appreciate the compliment.
As she says this, Caleb seems to have an epiphany and his expression starts to showcase guilt.
Caleb: (to himself) So she…But I thought…(silently groans) What have I been doing?
He then looks up the mountain ahead for a few more seconds and gets an idea as a more serious expression then begins to form on his face.
Caleb: I got it. Benny. Fly Frida down to safety…Leave the summit to me!
With that, he takes off fast.
Benny: Oh yeah! Why didn't I—Wait, the summit!?
Frida: C-Caleb, stop! You can't go alone!
But it's too late. Caleb's already way far ahead of them, running forward and not turning back. We then cut several seconds ahead to him further down the path, but after 3 more seconds of him running, we see his foot trip another white rope wire. From there, he just keeps charging forward, letting out a battle yell as an almost comedic number of traps including more boulders, some explosions, and more swinging logs are activated before getting to a point of the path where he can leap up onto some rocks, and start quickly climb/leap up those; large rocks still falling toward him and explosions still going off as he does.
We finally cut back up to Oranguquake at the summit, still turning the crack.
Oranguquake: I'm starting to get bored…Huh?
He hears a yell getting closer and closer, only for us to see Caleb arrive, covered in dirt/soot and with leaves and twigs on his clothes/in his hair.
Caleb: Aha! There you are!
Finally, he opens his Morpher and presses the buttons.
Caleb: (closes the top) It's Morphing Time! Zoo Mode Go! (said as he turns the top)
With that, he instamorphs and rushes in.
Oranguquake: Yahoo!
The monster steps away from the crank and starts fighting Caleb bare-handed, and after a few seconds go by, he starts speaking.
Oranguquake: (while fighting) I'm impressed that you made it through my traps!
He then grabs Caleb, kicks him, and tosses him aside.
Oranguquake: But you won't stop this device!
Caleb then gets back up and gets trying to fight hand-to-hand, but the great ape monster keeps fighting him while bluffing.
Oranguquake: (still fighting) Because the final obstacle is ME. Oranguquake!
After another kick to the gut, he tosses Caleb aside again with ease, but before the Yellow Lion Ranger can fully stand back up, the monster whips out two pickaxes as his eyes glow yellow, and then slams one down into the ground, causing a red shockwave like attack that blasts Caleb off the mountain, screaming as he falls down.
Back with the others, Jackie seems to have broken free of the net as we hard cut to her, somersaulting into the shot.
After pushing back an Amoebanoid she runs over to her teammates.
Sylvia is still fighting as she was earlier, and Winston, though out of the net, is now dangling from a snare that was likely hidden beneath his feet.
Jackie: (as she keeps fighting) We gotta push through!
Sylvia: (fighting in the background) No need to tell me twice! (slashes an Amoebanoid)
Winston: (swaying back and forth) Where the heck are Benny and Caleb!?
Cut back to Caleb higher on the mountain.
He seems to have been knocked unconscious from the hit/fall he just took, but he wakes up and quickly sits up, wincing from the pain.
And after looking around for a second, he realizes he's not where he needs to be anymore.
Caleb: (groans) Well this sucks.
Benny: Caleb!
Caleb: Huh?
We then see Benny land fully Morphed with his wings out a few feet away. He then takes off his helmet as he runs over.
Caleb: Benjamin!
He gets up and walks toward him, wincing as he does.
Benny: Are you okay?
Caleb: Mostly. I got knocked off the summit. How's Frida?
Benny: She's safe. I took her to the base of the mountain like you said.
Caleb: Good…(exhales) I'm so sorry.
Benny: I-It's okay. We haven't lost this fight yet—
Caleb: No, let me finish! This is all my fault! I went off the trail, I nearly got myself killed, I got beaten down by the monster up there, and…since I didn't immediately know that you reminded Frida of her brother, I saw her smiling at you a bit and…I was getting a little jealous of you…I thought that for a few moments…she LIKED-liked you.
Benny: (Blushes) …Wait, really?
Caleb: (sits down/sighs) I've been a complete screw-up today…I'm a moron.
Benny: …But that's not true. (kneels next to him) You're not a moron, you just…rush into things sometimes…You know, I didn't think of flying down immediately. YOU were the one who suggested that. Plus, now that you've set off a lot of those traps, it should be easier for the others to get here. And, jealous of me!? I should be jealous of you! You get to work with lions, and you show much less fear and you're more confident, and…you know I've made my mistakes too! Heck, had it not been for you, Winston, Sylvia, and Jackie, I…I don't think I'd be where I am now or even have any real friends.
Caleb takes in his words for a moment, feeling better about himself, but also feeling a bit sorry for Benny.
Benny: You might have made mistakes.
He stands up while putting his helmet back on.
Benny: But we can't let that stop us.
He then offers Caleb his hand.
Benny: So, let's go save this mountain together.
Caleb: …(smiles) When you're right, you're right, lad.
He grabs Benny's arm and gets helped up.
We then cut back up to Oranguquake, once again, still draining energy from the mountain by turning the crank. Maybe to make it a bit more obvious, we edit the footage so that the device has a slight green glow or hue to parts of it just emphasize the seriousness of the situation a bit more and that he's getting closer to his goal.
Oranguquake: Soon, the energy will be ours, and this land with wither away!
Caleb: (climbing back up) Not if I have anything to say about it!
As he appears, the monster stops turning and steps away from the device while saying…
Oranguquake: Tch. Back for more, you mountain lion?
Caleb: You bet I am, scarlet simian! (as he runs up to Oranguquake) And I don't give up that easily!
A few more seconds go by of Oranguquake blocking his path to the device.
Caleb: And I won't stop! (dodges a kick with a leap)
He keeps speaking as he keeps fighting.
Caleb: Or quit! (blocks more hits) Until I rip that thing out of the ground!
He says the last part while reaching for the device, but the monster keeps holding him back with nothing but his arms and hands.
Oranguquake: (grabbing him) I like your guts, Yellow Ranger! But this is MY mountain now!
The big brute then smacks Caleb in the back of the head, knocking him down for a second, before he's lifted back up and punched aside by Oranguquake. But as he walks over to keep fighting Caleb one on one, the camera then pans over as we see Benny, helmet back on with his wings out, and flying in super-fast with a yell. This gets the attention of our already brawling ranger and monster as he lands next to the device.
Oranguquake: You flew up here!?
Caleb tries to strike Oranguquake when he's distracted but the monster dodges it.
Benny then grabs onto the device, trying to rip it up.
Oranguquake: (as he smacks Caleb aside) Mountain Climbing is about taking each step! Not cheating with flight!
Caleb rushes back over and keeps trying to hold the monster back.
Oranguquake: Get out of my way!
Once again, he smacks Caleb away from him.
Oranguquake: I'm done being distracted with you!
Caleb: (leaps over/grabs his left foot) Well I'm not done with you!
Oranguquake: Release me!
Benny: Gorilla Mode, Go!
Naturally, he flips his helmet up, transforms into his muscly form, and grabs back onto the device, steam coming out of his helmet's "nose" as he pulls on it, all while Caleb keeps holding onto Oranguquake's leg even as he now strikes at him with one of his pickaxes.
Oranguquake: Let me go, you yellow pest!
Caleb: (as he's getting hi) Not until you're stopped!
Benny, still struggling with the device, keeps giving it all he's got with his strength.
Oranguquake: No! Don't!
Caleb: Rip it out of the ground, lad!
With one more scream of frustration and a bit more strength, Benny finally yanks the device right out of the ground, its chain-like drill at the bottom used to get into and drain the energy of Mount Oniowa along with it, and as it falls to the ground…
Benny: GORILLA SLAMA!
...he throws a massive punch that utterly DESTROYS the device. In fact, the punch is not only strong enough to make it explode, but thanks to a sentai footage edit, it sends out a green shockwave, which is meant to showcase the stolen energy returning to the mountain.
Oranguquake: All of that work…stopped by one punch from a single RANGER!?
The moment he finishes saying this, Caleb punches Oranguquake hard enough in the torso to both cause a mini-explosion and send him off the cliff in a jumpcut.
With said jump cut, we're now down on a different part of the mountain covered in grass as Benny and Caleb leap on down.
Benny: (stands up) Good job, Caleb.
Caleb: (as he stands up) Likewise!
The two high five, and finally, the others show up.
Jackie: Dudes! There you are!
Sylvia: So, you stopped the monster's plan?
Caleb: Yep! Thanks to our backbreaking work!
Benny: That's one way to put it. (said as he punches his shoulder)
Caleb: Ow!
Benny: S-Sorry.
Caleb: No, you're good.
Oranguquake: (as he stands up) No more playing around!
Caleb: Then you know what that means.
Benny: Yes we do.
And finally, the roll call for this episode can begin.
Benny: Keeper of the Jungle! Red Gorilla Ranger!
Jackie: Keeper of the Ocean! Blue Shark Ranger!
Caleb: Keeper of the Savannah! Yellow Lion Ranger!
Winston: Keeper of the Forest! Green Elephant Ranger!
Sylvia: Keeper of the Tundra! White Tigress Ranger!
Benny: (raises fist in front of greenscreen) Power Rangers! (throws a fiery/windy punch)
The Rangers: Zoo-Keepers! (cue sentai footage greenscreen pose)
Oranguquake: I'll knock every one of you off this mountain!
Benny: if you go ballistic, we go…
Caleb: ANIMALISTIC.
With a quick pose and a charge, the final fight begins. After about 6 seconds of dodging and trying to punch, Benny tries to slam his fists on Oranguquake, who blocks them with a pickax before trying to hit Benny with it but missing due to a quick dodge. Winston lands a quick hit after blocking a punch, followed by Jackie and Sylvia taking advantage of the opening and striking at Oranguquake's torso like they're clawing at him. But he just takes it all.
Oranguquake: I'll crush you ranger with the force of an avalanche!
He says half of this while being clawed at and the other half while pushing Jackie and Sylvia off before spin slashing them with his pickaxes. Then, he uses said tools to launch a red energy slash right at Caleb, but he blocks it while yelling out…
Caleb: Primal Power!
With a bit of arm force, he deflects the blast.
Caleb: Lion Lightning!
The slash hits Oranguquake's torso, making him step back a little from the strike.
Benny: Zoo Mode Go!
He says this while grabbing his helmet, and flipping the Eagle side back down, before doing a spin as the muscular elements disappear, ending with a pose.
And then, the team pulls out their Savage Blasters.
We then get several seconds of everyone grouping back up as they fire at Oranguquake from all sides.
The Rangers: Wild Final Strike!
Their 5 finisher blasts are quickly fired and knock the monster off his feet.
Caleb: Savage Sabers!
He switches his blaster to its blade mode, just like the others.
The Rangers: WILD. FINAL.
The second part is said as they leap into the air.
Oranguquake: What the heck!?
At last, the team transforms into the giant CGI paw with colored claws, and brings it down while yelling…
The Rangers: Strike!
Finally, said slash does significant damage to Oranguquake.
The monster roars in pain, red lightning sparking off his chest, before exploding in a fiery burst.
Caleb: Alright!
Sylvia: We did it!
Now we cut back to the Arrow Galion, and see Blockhead is not happy.
Sagittar: Well Blockhead, looks like this was a misfire.
Insidion: (laughs) Such a shame. And you took so long setting up all those traps.
Blockhead: I haven't lost yet! Midaria!
Midaria: (sighs) No need to shout, I'm right here.
We then cut straight back down to her by Oranguquake's body, a continuation coin in hand.
Midaria: It seems this peak was too difficult for you. Let's hope the macros scale suits you better, Oranguquake.
She then slips the coin into the slot on the "gas mask" of his face.
Of course, his eyes flash yellow, and in a fiery burst, he comes back to life and grows.
Oranguquake: (laughs) Now am I as mighty as the mountain!
The Rangers: Cubimals Go!
All the zords grow big, the rainbow CGI tunnel footage from Zyuohger appearing as they do (which again, I'm no longer cutting out because of Episode 11).
The Rangers: Megazord Activate!
This is said as all their zords hop through the 8 rings of fire and form their biggest combination so far.
The Rangers: Zooman Fusion Megazord! Ready!
Oranguquake: WOW, that's big! It's like the size of a mountain!
Caleb: Ha! You scared!?
Caleb: Let's crush this guy!
Winston: Right!
The Zooman Fusion Megazord raises its right hand with the sword in it. Benny spins his command cube and the mech swings its blade at the monster, getting a hit to the torso, but it doesn't seem to do much as Oranguquake then blocks their next attempted clash with his pickaxes.
Oranguquake: (blocking/dodging) Hahaha, yes! The larger the foe, the more excited I get to fight!
The last part is said as he blocks a downward slash with his axes again.
Caleb: Wait, what now?
Oranguquake: The bigger you are, the harder you'll fall!
He then blasts a surprise attack AKA bright red laser beams out of the top of his axes, that shake up the Megazord, even making it drop the sword.
Winston: Oh, come on!
Oranguquake: Yahoo! Now to finish this!
He then starts walking toward them, ready to finish them off…but then…Benny hears something…Either a growl or roar.
The camera then cuts outside the cockpit…to show they're near Mount Onoiwa's famous "ax-rock".
With a spin of the command cube, Benny makes the Megazord grab it by the "handle".
One pickax is about to come down, but they block just in time.
Oranguquake: Ha! One rock won't stop me!
…But then…the rock starts to glow. Everyone looks up confused as to what's going on…Then, the glow gets brighter as lightning and gold energy start to swirl around it, and finally, it's revealed that the rock…isn't a rock at all! It's a new Cubimal with a rocky coating around it in the shape of an ax! (Adapted from "Cube Kuma").
The Rangers: WHAT!?
Said zord then lets out a roar.
Sylvia: The rock was a Cubimal!?
Caleb: It's a Brown Bear!
Jackie: Well I'll be.
Winston: But, how!?
Benny then snaps out of it and spins his Command Cube. The Zooman Fusion Megazord lifts their new ally up and then strikes Oranguquake twice in the chest, with the 2nd strike being strong enough to knock the monster onto his back and make him lose his weapons.
Benny: Alright, well…I guess we now have a Grizzly Bear Zord!
The zord then leaps out of the mech's hand.
Benny: Ok! (spins his command cube)
The Rangers: Grizzly Bear Zord! Go!
While saying this, the zord goes from ax form, briefly to block form and then to an animal form. The zord rushes forward, slashes the monster while he's down, and then goes cubic again just to land on top of him, the team cheering it on.
Benny: Let's finish this!
At last, the team turns the Morpher tops to the correct sides and plugs them back into their command cubes as the Bear Zord reconnects as the ax.
Oranguquake: (getting back up) OH NO.
The Rangers: Bear Zord Wild Final Strike!
Energy pours over them as they spin their command cubes.
The Zooman Fusion Megazord slashes Oranguquake right in the torso with the Grizzly Bear Zord as sparks burst out it.
Oranguquake: (as he sparks up) I can't bear this!
With his goofy pun finished, the climbing titan falls onto his back and explodes.
Caleb: Victory! Aliens, zero…!
Cue one final shot of the Zooman Fusion Megazord and their new Grizzly Bear zord as the team says…
The Rangers: Animals, WON.
We then back cut up to the Arrow Galion.
Blockhead: Haha! Victory is ours!
Insidion: How could you consider that a victory? Oranguquake lost.
Blockhead: Exactly…Just as we planned.
Suddenly, Midaria teleports in…but with a few Amoebanoids next to her…carrying ANOTHER of those draining devices.
Midaria: Here's some energy as you requested, Sagittar.
Sagittar: Excellent work, my dear.
Insidion: What!? So, everything you did with the traps was—
Blockhead: A distraction for the rangers.
Sagittar: One that would allow a group of Amoebanoids to secretly drain some energy on the Mountain's other end with another device.
Midaria: It's not all of it, but it's enough for what we have planned. Told you this was a special mission.
Insidion: Huh. Impressive. Well done, Blockhead.
Blockhead: Speaking of that energy, what are you gonna do with it, boss?
Sagittar: (chuckles) You'll find out when the time is right.
The camera focuses a bit more on the device as the Amoebanoids carry the device out of the cockpit.
We then cut down several minutes later to the summit where the ax-rock was. Also, Frida is now with them, implying they either waited for her to join them or that Benny flew her back up to join them. Anyway, we get a few seconds of her looking around with her binoculars but...nothing. No sign of Harris at all.
Frida: (binoculars out) Sorry guys, but I'm not seeing your friend from here.
Caleb: It's okay. What's important is that we saved the day and returned the energy to this mountain.
Sylvia: Energy I'm gonna bet came from this little bear.
She holds up her hands while saying this, holding the now shrunken/roaring Grizzly Bear zord.
Winston: Speaking of which, hope the locals nearby don't mind us taking away the thing giving Mount Onoiwa its name.
Jackie: I mean, we need it to stop the Shooting Star Poachers, so…(shrugs)
Winston: Yeah, I agree, I just hope they don't get mad about it.
Benny: (walks over) Just got off the phone with mom. I am in for a LONG talk at dinner about today.
Frida: So, do you think your Morphers are recharged? I'd like to go home soon.
Benny: Might as well give them a try.
But as almost everyone whips out their Morphers…
Caleb: Wait. Frida, before we go back, could I…talk to you for a minute?
Frida: Oh, uh…sure. Why not?
The two then walk away from the others.
We then cut to the Lion Exhibit at closing time to find Benny waiting where he was earlier in the day. Then Caleb walks up with his arms behind his back.
Benny: Hey. So, how did it go with Frida earlier?
Caleb: (sighs) As surprising as this is to say…(smiles) She said yes!
Benny: (gasps) So, you're going on a date!?
Caleb: Correct! Preferably with no monster attacks occurring.
Benny: Alright man, that's awesome!
Caleb: Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. But, enough about me, I still wanna talk to you.
Benny: Oh, right. Is this what you wanted to discuss this morning, right?
Caleb: Yes. Straight to the point, I wanna help you.
Benny: (looks confused) Help me with what?
Caleb: Your confidence in working with animals someday. (this gets Benny's attention) Look, your mom told us about what happened with Buddy. And I just wanted to tell you that I understand. I almost gave up on my dreams too, once, and…it was because of a mistake I made. But if I can go through what I went through and still work with lions today, then, I'm positive, with enough time, and…maybe help from a friend or two…that you can work with Eagles just as well.
Benny: …You really mean that?
Caleb: I do. Of course, we'll have to wait till ranger stuff dies down, but the offer's open.
Benny: …(smiles) I'll keep that in mind…Thanks, Caleb.
Caleb: Excellent. Shall we shake on it?
Benny: Sure, why not? (Shakes on it) Welp, I've gotta get back home.
Caleb: Gotcha. Oh, and uh, one more question?
Benny: Uh, sure, what is it?
Caleb: Well, in light of me and Frida getting closer, I wonder…do YOU have a "special someone"?
Benny: (blushes) …UH…N-Nope! No idea what you're talking about.
Caleb: (grins) Whatever you say. See you later, lad.
The episode ends with the two friends going opposite directions, Benny being a little embarrassed by the question, and Caleb sporting a cheeky grin.
Tune in next time for "Episode 15: Lie for the Tiger"