Chapter 15 – The Princess
POV: Rex
Time: 11:30
Location: Jungle Labyrinth (Ribular Isle)
So, in our investigation… mainly Sarah talking to other people. We made our way into jungle Labyrinth, the last supposed known place of Joanie… also Sarah is moving slower than she ever has before…
"Come on, this will be a good way for you to get over your fear." I say to her.
"What! Then after this we need to get over your fear of people!" Sarah shouts back at me.
"I've been working on it, out of all the people we talked to I barely stuttered." I retorted, I stuttered like twice, better than what I usually do by a lot.
"…" And Sarah lost her argument.
"And if you think of changing it to vehicles, I'm going to be working on it." I say. "I've been planning on taking the Helicopter more."
"What!? Really?" She actually sounded more surprised to hear about that…
"Yeah, now come on, let's find Joanie and Madame Pooch." I say to her… I look up a head. And see them… and third person… Is that a Dog fanatic?... this doesn't seem good.
"No, no, widdle doggy! Don't squirm now!" The man said, aggressively petting Madame's Pooch's head… "You have to be a nice widdle Doggy!"
Madame Pooch started to bark! "Arf, arf, Aroooo!"
"Um… Rex…" Sarah tugged on my shirt trying to pull me away.
"She's being bothered. Would you like to have your head rubbed like that?" I counter her.
"N-no…" She understands, but still doesn't want to go over.
"Stop zis!" Joanie tries to intervene. "Madame Pooch, she does not like you!"
"Wrong again, sister. All dogs love me!" I seriously doubt that right now. "I have this natural way with animals, see? Don't you wove me, widdle poochie? Who's a happy puppy? Huh? Whooo's a happy puppy?!" I think the petting just intensified. "You're coming home with me, aren't you, widdle snookums? Yes, you are! Yeees, you are!"
"Um… I think that is kidnapping?" I barely keep myself from saying that. But that does drag the attention of both sides.
"Ah! It is my friends, The Luceratolas!" Joanie spotted us waving us over. "You are here at just ze right time, no?"
"R-right!" Sarah agreed but keeping a wide distance. Keeping me in front of her…
"Hey, You three are messing with my dog bonding here, so why don't you get lost?" He says. "That is, unless you want me to clean your clock in a fossil battle."
"Confident, are you?!" Oh, he picked famous fighting words. Sarah's now fired up. "Let's see if you actually have the skill to back up those words!"
"Why I oughta smack you with a rolled-up newspaper, kid. But if you want a fossil battle, bring it on!" The man says tossing out three dino-medals, Two Machai, and a Heracles… Oh, so it's the evolution of Tricera, good info.
"You got this?" I look to Sarah who's already in battle mode.
"Oh, I got this." Sarah said, tossing out three Medals herself. Aeros, Machai, and Allo… thought she'd pick Spino for this one… hopefully she has a strategy.
"Ha! I get first go!" The mand had a higher speed… Machai's are fast. But really? Are we getting over-leveled or is he just too weak? Hundred FP, Really? "Machai! Fang attacks, both on Aeros!" yeah… with his positioning, there is no Link skill activating. Good for Sarah. But he did use sixty to use both Machai. So Aeros is now below fifty percent… and turn switched. How will she counter.
"Heh, you think that'll scare me! Aeros! Fang attack!" With her FP hitting one twenty, then minus seventy from that attack, she'll still have a little left over… but with this close range and air being stronger than water… Not to mention Machai's and Allo's boosts.
KAPOW!
Yup… that Heracles didn't even have a turn… but that also means that she doesn't get Machai's skill link. And back to the other guy's turn… no clue he got max FP from that. oh, he looks surprised. "Wh-what!? How… no! Machai's get revenge Machai Rend!" and the two Machai attacks, Ooh… one got a critical down goes Aeros… and the other attacks Sarah Machai… wow… that was not good. And got the one twenty FP steal… damn Sarah is down to just her Allo now… not looking good.
"You think this scares me? I shouldn't even need to use that much FP for this! Allo Bite either one!" one word… Wow, I guess she found her counter for my Daspleto. that Bite attack just one shot that Machai.
"…" The man gulped as his FP hit maximum once again. "M-Machai! Rend this…"
Though he could barely give the command his Machai followed attacking Sarah's Allo. Though it just brought Allo below seventy… nothing to prevent what was about to happen. Sarah just smiled. "Allo! Finish this!"
As the Man's Machai returns back to the Medal the man cries out in despair. "…N-no! How can this be when I wove my widdle bubsy-wubsy so much?!"
"That has nothing to do with fossil fighting?!" Me and Sarah both shout at the man.
"Grrr…" Oh yeah, Madame pooch has been growling at this man all this time. It looks like she's about— "CHOMP!"
"Eeek!" Sarah pushes me in front of her, as the man gets bit.
"Gyaaa! You bit me!" No kidding. "My widdle fluffy-wuff bit me on the leggy-weggy!"
"Can you stop with that talking?" Is this man okay?
"…I'm starting to think this dog doesn't like me." Ah, he finally gets it. "Waaaaah!"
And the man runs off crying, leaving us with Joanie and Madame Pooch. Then Madame Pooch goes back to Joanie. "Arf, arf, arf!"
"Madame Pooch! You have suffered ze terrible ordeal, no? But now all is well." Joanie kneeled, consoling Madame Pooch. After that she got up from the ground and came to me and Sarah. "I cannot zank you enough, Sarah! Had you two not made with ze coming by just now…"
"N-no! This wasn't a coincidence; we were just coming to find you." I said to her, guess with scared dog Sarah over here, I'm talking.
"…Hmm?" Joanie gets a confused… and a suspicious look on her face. "You say you were searching for ze two of us?"
"Ugh… Yeah, Minister Pomposa came… looking for the princess." I tell her… looking down at Madame Pooch…
"A la Carte! Minister Pomposa, he is here?!" She exclaimed in surprise.
"Y—" Before I could even continue, I hear, Todd and Pauleen coming over
"There she is!" Todd yells.
"No! I saw her first!" I guess they're just ignoring the fact that me and Sarah are right in front of her.
"Minister Pomposa is waiting for you, Princess!" Todd exclaims grabbing on to Joanie's arm.
Pauleen ends up grabbing Joanie's other arm. "Please, Princess! You must let me escort you to Wildwest Tower!"
"Oh, I am sorry, but you are making ze mistake. I am not… Er…" Joanie didn't have a chance to explain as she got dragged off.
"Whiiiine…" Madam just looks sad as Joanie gets dragged off.
"Um… did they just—" I cut Sarah off.
I kneel on to the ground, next to Madame Pooch. "So, my fair Princess. Will you allow me and Sarah to escort you to Wildwest Tower and explain this mess?"
"Arf…" Madame Pooch barks back at me with a bark of defeat.
"Wait What?!" Sarah exclaims… I'll explain it to her on the way back.
Time: 13:00
Location: Wildwest Tower (Cranial Isle)
"I brought the princess back!" Ah, so we arrived just in time for this!
"No, I brought the princess back!" Pauleen argues against Todd. Joanie is just looking extremely worried…
"S—" I place my hand up to stop Sarah and whisper.
"*no, we wait*" I say to her. Those two brought this on themselves.
"You have to give me the miraculous fossil rock! You promised!" Todd exclaimed to the Minister.
Pauleen just looks back at Todd with an angry look… though it is hidden by the mask. "No! I saw her first! I'm the one who gets the fossil rock!"
"SILENCE!" Minister Pomposa yells at both of them. "…Now then. Where is the princess?"
Question marks appear over the heads of both Pauleen and Todd. "Um… What?"
"What do you mean? She's right there! Joanie is the princess!" Pauleen shouts back at the Minister.
"*Now*" I whisper to Sarah.
"Um! Sir! Me and my brother have the princess!" Sarah shouts from behind Joanie. Madame Pooch standing right between us.
"Oh, joy of joys! She has returned! It is Princess Pooch!" Minister looks around Joanie and spots Madame Pooch. Joanie moves to the side and lets him past, where the Minister goes to bow in front of Madame Pooch. "Minister Pomposa is so very relieved to see you safe, Your Highness!"
Pauleen and Todd just look on in utter shock. "…WHAAAAA?! OK, somebody better explain what's going on here, and fast!"
"I am sorry, no? But ze princess you have been searching for is Madame Pooch." Joanie starts to explain "She was called Madame Pooch to hide ze identity, but her true name is Princess Pooch Poochian. I am… how you say? Her attendant?"
Seeing that Todd and Pauleen are still confused. I will finish this. "If you want a more detailed rundown. The people of Nomadistan were very weary of conflict and came to believe it was caused by the frailties of human leaders. So, one day, they decided to make a dog the new king. I only read a book about Nomadistan once, and that was years ago. So, I almost thought it was Joanie until I remember, that this fact wasn't well liked by Sarah."
"Yeah… it seems scary." Ugh… she really needs to work on her fears.
"…That seems desperate." Pauleen added on. The decision of Nomadistan, might not of been the sanest option, but…
"Perhaps, but in the end, the plan was a success." The Minister answered. "The wars ended, and the people reunited in peace. Since that day, the Kingdom of Nomadistan has always been ruled by a dog. And of course, our royal family is all canines as well."
"You know, Rex this would have been REALLY good information to have earlier!" Todd says to me.
"hey, you guys were getting competitive, and you both know that Dogs are Sarah's weakness. I still have trouble with people. Do you think that this was fair?" I respond back to him. "and besides, I mean neither of you even found Joanie first! It was me and Sarah."
"…" The both avoid eye contact. Thoroughly destroying any means they can turn this on me.
Though Minister Pomposa just brushed our argument to the side, and looked back at Princess Pooch. "Your people have been so concerned for you, Princess Pooch! The dear Queen Mother has refused to play with her favorite ball. And His Majesty the King cannot even gather the strength for his daily territorial markings."
"Whiiine…" Princess pooch just whines in response… probably upset for the trouble she caused… what? I don't speak dog.
"Minister Pomposa!" Joanie speaks. "You must not make with ze chastising of Princess Pooch! It was I who allowed her out of ze palace. She asked for my help, and I could not refuse."
Minister Pomposa then kneeled in front of Princess Pooch, again. "Is your desire to engage in Fossil Battles really so strong, Princess?"
"…Bark, bark!" Princess Pooch barks. What? Am I supposed to understand Dog?
"…Very well. In that case, Minister Pomposa sees no harm in staying here until your next match." Both Joanie and Princess Pooch looked surprised to hear that… good for them. "But first, you must hear this message from His Royal Highness King Poochund… 'If the princess is serious in purpose and pure in spirit, I give her my blessing to follow her dream. However, Minister Pomposa must confirm this passion personally.'" This ended surprisingly easy.
"Ah, Princess Pooch!" Joanie cheered. "Zis is so wonderful, no? If Minister Pomposa sees your Passion for Fossil Battles, you can continue in ze Cup!"
Princess Pooch responded with a jump in the air. "Ar-oooo!"
"Now then! It seems you two are the ones who found our missing Princess. As Minister Pomposa is a man of his word, I would give you the reward… But Minister Pomposa only has one." Minister looks disappointed, as he says this.
"Don't worry Sarah did most of the work. So, she should get it." I give a smile
"What?! Sarah's overcoming her fear of dogs?!" Todd exclaimed… really was now the time?
"Then, Sarah, was it? Minister Pomposa kindly bestows this Miraculous Fossil rock to you." The Minister bowed and handed it to Sarah, she can now Evolve one of her Fossils.
"Thanks…" Sarah shyly takes it… probably still afraid of the dog.
"Arf, arf, arf, ar-ooooo!" Sarah jumps out of her skin as Princess Pooch barks at her.
"W-what?" Sarah shakily asks.
Joanie though… from what I can only assume speaks dog, translates. "Princess Pooch wishes to zank you for your assistance of earlier, no?"
"Oh… It was no problem…" Sarah said smiling back at Princess Pooch. Maybe she actually is getting over her fears.
"Harrumph! Well then, perhaps Minister Pomposa will see what charms this fossil park has to offer…"
"Bark, bark!" Princess Pooch barks at Minister Pomposa… And they both walk to the elevator, while everyone else waits for Joanie to translate.
"Bon mot! Princess Pooch, she wishes to give ze minister a tour!" Joanie translates. "How delighted she must be!"
As Joanie starts after them, she is then stopped by Todd. "Um, hold on, Joanie. There's something I don't understand… You're the one doing the actual battling, right? Is Princess Pooch all right with that?"
"Au contraire! The battles, zey have all been waged by Princess Pooch herself." And Joanie is just the figure head, then?
"What?!" Sarah exclaims this in surprise… Didn't Sarah say she fought against her… guess Sarah didn't know she was fighting a dog princess… Well neither did I.
"Myself, I have only been pretending to be ze Fighter, no? Ze princes could not let people know her true identity." Joanie smiled while explaining. "Also, I do not think zey would allow a dog to enter ze Cup, no? Adieu!"
As Joanie left, I could hear Todd grumble to himself. "So, a dog advanced in the Cup, but I got beat? Aw, man…"
"Heck, Luceratolas. Looks like you two done went and saved the day again." Joe said as we all lined in front of him. "But thanks to you, too, Todd and Pauleen. I know y'all gave it yer best shot."
"Ugh… I feel so wounded." Todd groaned.
"Guess I'll just have to find the prize the old fashion way." Pauleen was also upset. Both of them left down the elevator before us.
"One more thing! Rex, Sarah. Looks like the two of you have a visitor." Joe calls over to me and Sarah. "How you know him is beyond me. But he wishes see you."
"A visitor?" Sarah looks at me confused.
"Yeah, He's currently in the lobby." Joe said… what visitor could we—
Oh! Wait… I never told Sarah… "Guess I forgot to tell you… Mom said Hunter was visiting us."
"What?! Come on, Rex this is huge! You shouldn't forget about these things!" Sarah shouted at me pulling me towards the elevator.
"It was the day that I did the hair dye mix up!" I explain why I forgot.