Disclaimer: Monster Rancher, Monster Rancher Advance and related copyrights are properties of Tecmo and I do not work for them. In other words I do not own Monster Rancher or any related concept, this work of fiction is done purely for fun and not money. Don't sue me I'm poor!
AN: You guys had a good Holyday season? Mine was great, but now I'm ready to go back to a more steady pace of writting. While this story is inspired by Monster Rancher Advance 2 I don't want to make an exact copy of the events in the game. Beside I don't even remember half of them :p. You'll see in this chapter the begining of more original thing to comes. Anybody remember the name of that FIMBA man who drags you and Holly in ruins expedition in MRA2? I forgot ^^;;. Well, on to the story now!
Episode 9: A Day in Town
It was once again a beautiful day in the valley where the Hopestar Ranch was located. It was already past ten in the morning and yet nobody was outside training. Today was a day of rest after the tiring events of the Youth Cup the day before and so the little gang was not home but actually in town, enjoying a day at the market.
Metin was fascinated by the scene. There were shops lining the large city place and many little stands at it center, organised around a large statue of a man almost overshadowed by the large bird behind him. The creatured seamed to wrap the man with it's long tail. The statue was a bright red color and was shimering in the morning sun.
"Hey Holly... what's that statue?" He asked, not looking at the girl beside him.
"That's a statue of Magna and his Phoenix, he was one of the greatest Breeder of all time and he was from Age Island." She explained, as Metin locked eyed with the lifeless statue.
"It's an impressive statue... a Phoenix...wow." He said softly.
Kanar was as transfixed by the sight as his breeder"One day we'll have a statue of our own!"
Mei giggled "But you'Re not a Phoenix Kanar." She said, poking the Kokkung's head.
"It doesn't matter!" Both Kanar and Metin answered at the same time, startling the Lip Pink who floated a few feet back after the outburst.
"Hmm... anyway... I'm gonna go gather some supplies with Mei, you boys run along and try not to get conned into buying something useless." Warned Holly, handing Metin some coins "But you can buy yourself a treat. I think you deserve it after the performance of yesterday. See you guys in two hours, we'll meet here before going for lunch!" She said, leaving Metin and Kanar.
The two looked at each other, then at the coins in the boy's hand and came to the same conclusion.
"More Dodorin Cake!" They said with a smile.
The Market was a busy place with lots of humans, but also a few monsters. The most commons were Suezos and Hares, but also some Tigers, Momos and Suzurins. Most of the larger monsters didn't come to the Market unless they were carrying merchandise for the merchants. Metin and Kanar even had to get out of the way of a green colored Golem as it carried a large crate down the aisle betweem stands.
Lots of things were on display, from fruits and vegetables to fish and live animals and even various handcrafted items. Many aromas were titilating Kanar and Metin's nostrils, some good, other bad. They were getting hungry and they had yet to find where to buy Dodorin Cake. They decided to settle for the next item of food they could find, it just happened to be potatoes cooked over an opened fire on sticks. Metin paid the Momo manning the little stand and he and Kanar kept going, eating their potatoes.
"That's odd..." Commented a Suzurin bouncing beside the Momo. "That boy... he's eating a Ghiro Potato... I tought humans couldn't stand the taste of those." She said, looking at her furry friend.
"He paid for it. Not my problem if he ends up sick."
"That hit the spot... not as good as Dodorin Cake but those things are pretty good for potatoes." Commented Metin, throwing away the stick in a waste basket.
"Yeah... we could ask Holly to cook some for us sometimes." Replied Kanar, doing the same. "We should head back to the statue, we better not keep the girls waiting." He proposed.
"You're right... The 'taters were cheap, we'll probably still have enough for a dessert after lunch." Replied Metin, looking at his monster as he turned a corner.
Since he wasn't looking where he was going Metin collided with someone and felt to the ground with a 'ow'. He looked up at the person he had hit and who was still standing as if he hadn't been hit by someone.
"Look where your going." Replied Chiroh venomously.
Metin sprung back to his feet in an instant and glared at his neigbhor. "What are you doing here Heruno?" He asked.
"I have the right to come to the market, it is a public place. What I came here for is none of your buisness but if you must know I'm buying food for the week." Replied the boy, not the least intimidated by Metin's firey glare.
Kanar was glaring at Darkalon who didn't seam to bother either, in fact, the Phantom simply yawned.
"I heard you participated in the Youth Cup yesterday but you didn't win." Added the other boy, locking his black eyes with the green pair glaring at him.
Metin took a second to realize that news travel fast before replying "We finished with a tie against Aroma and her Suzurin!" Complained Metin.
"It doesn't matter if you lose by 1% of by 99%, all that matter is winning, and a tie is not a victory." Coldly stated Chiroh, enraging his neigbhor to the point where his hat would fly off his head.
Before Metin could say, or do, anything foolish, there was a loud crashing noise followed by screams and even more crashing noises. People and monsters suddenly ran past the two pair from the direction of the noise!
"What's going on?" Asked Darkalon out loud as he and Chiroh turned toward the origin of the noise.
"RUN! IT'S A MAD STRAY!!" Shrieked a Suezo, bouncing cowardly away from the scene.
"Let's go Darkalon!" Called Chiroh, taking off in the opposing direction of the fleeing crowd.
Metin only took a second to decide "Let's go too Kanar!"
"Yeah!"
And the two took off after their rivals, not sure of what was awaiting them up ahead. It seamed this beautiful day was not calm anymore. As they aproached the scene they could see smoke already rising up ahead. Quickly Metin and Kanar had catched on with Darkalon and Chiroh who seamed surprised to seam them there.
"What do you think your doing?" Asked the Victory Blade breeder.
"Helping." Simply answered Metin.
They were reaching the area of trouble when suddenly a bunch of pieces of wood were hurled in their direction as a stand was pulverised. Metin quickly pushed Chiroh out of the way while the two monsters followed them.
"I could have avoided that easily, don't expect any gratitude." Said the black haired boy, pushing Metin off of him.
There was a sudden roar and they finally saw who was causing the destruction. It was a green colored Naga monster.
"I know that, it's a Stinger, a Naga combined with a Zuum!" Commented Metin as the two returned to their feet.
The Stinger was surrounded by devastated stand, pieces of food and scurrying rabbits a chicken. It looked mad, completly mad. And to make matter worse, one of the stand that was serving food had caugh on fire after before demolished and it threatened to spread to the nearby building! Metin spotted through a window a woman and a child hiding in the building behind the flaming stand.
"Chiroh! Look! We have to beat that thing before the house catches on fire!" Declared Metin.
Chiroh took a glance were Metin was pointing "Fine... I'll take care of the Stinger and you go save those two. Darkalon doesn't need anybody's help to handle this."
"What?!?" Asked Kanar, ready to lay the smack down on the boy until he had admitted he was wrong, but Metin stopped him. The boy was looking at his Mon Unit and looked grim.
"Chiroh... look at this thing's stats, they're twice those of Darkalon, even with your UpCritic I doubt you'll have much chance. I know Kanar is tired from yesterday's Tournament but he can still fight. Once we got those two person to safety Kanar will go help Darkalon, wether you like it or not." Metin said calmly, as the Stinger destroyed one more stand.
Chiroh was taken aback. Metin had never shown this kind of serious behevior before, at least no as far as Chiroh knew. As much as the Victory Blade breeder hated to admit, he had a point, Darkalon was not yet strong enough to face that Stinger, but accepting help from such a stupid newbie?
"Fine... but don't feel forced to be hasty. Take them to safety first." Simply said Chiroh before he and Darkalon ran toward the Stinger.
"Stop it right there!" Called out the Phantom, "You better stop that rampaging or I'm gonna have to used force!" He challenged.
The Stinger stopped his destruction of a large wooden sculpture on display to look at Darkalon. The Naga monster was about the size of an adult human and Darkalon was about half his size!
"No puny slave is a match for me, the great Green Blade!" Boasted the Stinger, now known as Green Blade "It is YOU who should leave before I crush you like the puny bug you are!" He roared.
"Let's go while he's distracted!" Instructed Metin to Kanar as the two dashed toward the house just as the flames were starting to lick it's outer walls.
Suddenly Green Blade lunged at Darkalon with his mighty clawed hand. Chiroh called his order in his shiny black Mon-Unit and the Phantom easily dodged to the side before he basically rebounded on the ground and charged with a flaming fist, hoping to catch Green Blade off guard as he was attacking from the same side as his opponent's outstretched hand. The Stinger barely gave Darkalon a glanced before he quickly bent his arm and elbowed him in the stomach. The little antlant was thrown a feets by the force of the attack.
"Darkalon!" Gasped Chiroh.
He knew Green Blade's stats were higher than Darkalon but he had fought stronger strays before, but never were they THAT strong! Could it be that that stray had actually been trained by a human? The Stinger suddenly noticed Metin and Kanar running toward the other side of the make shift battlefield.
"Where do you think YOU'RE going?" he said, slithering toward them as he unleashed a cloud of purple gas from his mouth.
Metin and Kanar were caught in the Poison Gas attack before they could do a think and Metin quickly lost sight of what was around him as he started to cough loudly. The purple gas was stinging his eyes and throat. He suddenly saw a form coming straight at him and in an instant he realised it was Green Blade's clawed hand. He was suddenly hit but not from the front, from the side, and tackled out of the path of the attack, AND out of the poisonous cloud. Through his teary eyes he could see Kanar standing before him, protecting him.
"You really tought a little poison could harm a metalic Monster?" Asked Kanar, teasingly.
Darkalon was back to his feet and rushed toward Green Blade from behind, ready this time to attack him with everything he had.
"Forget them I am your opponent!" He declared.
Green Blade barely looked back and flicked his tail, smashing it into the Antlan and sending him to the ground again. That's when two missile hit him straight in the face! He had let that attack distract him long enough for the Ducken to attack. Kanar charged, hoping to catch the Stinger off guard and smack him with his Wing Slap attack. Green Blade swiped at him with his hand, forcing Kanar to back away to avoid the attack, but the Naga wasn't finished and swiped again with his other hand, barely missing, and then he quickly whipped around, taking Kanar by surprise and sending him flying into a stand with a vicious tail slap.
Green Blade locked his glare on Metin, still in a coughing fit on the ground. The boy tried to crawl away as the taller monster slithered toward him. Chiroh watched in horror as Green Blade lift a clawed hand.
"And now for you..." Growled the Stinger.
To Be Continued...
AN: Aren't I evil? Hehehehehe.