Chapter 4: Hard Times.

"While the rest of the world goes on searching, here in on of Japan's biggest concerts ever, we have a winner. That's right ladies and gentlemen, there's only one golden ticket left in the entire world. Because, right here, we have golden ticket winner number four: Ms. Tia and her friend, the lovely pop idol: Megumi Ooumi!" a reporter spoke on t.v. He then walked over to the winner we all know as Tia and her partner Megumi. But Tia was watching t.v., but she was too stupid to realize that she was really watching herself and Megumi on t.v. "Ms. Tia, do you think we could shut that t.v. off?" the reporter asked Tia.

"No! Are you crazy?" Tia shouted at the reporter as she was still watching herself and Megumi on t.v.

"She won't stop until the station breaks." Megumi explained.

"Tia, please, we all want to hear you, the world is waiting." the reporter begged.

"Can't you shut up? I'm busy!" Tia shouted more loudly at the reporter this time. "Boy Megumi, I can't believe we are on t.v." she said happily.

"You like to watch t.v. Tia?" another reporter asked as he pointed his microphone at Tia.

"You bet." she answered into the microphone, then she turned her attention back to the t.v. But then a strange man went up to her and began whispering something in her ear.

Back At The Takamine House At Night.

"Hey Zatch. Wake up." Kiyo whispered over his bed at Zatch who was asleep in his little bed made next to Kiyo's bed. "Wake up Zatch." he whispered louder this time, but still no response. Kiyo thought of a way to wake up Zatch. Just like that, an idea popped inside his head. "Hey Zatch look! It's the yellow tail king!" he shouted in Zatch's ear.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! The yellow tail king? Where? Where?" Zatch screamed out as he literally jumped out of his little bed. "Why'd you wake me up, Kiyo?" he whispered loudly at Kiyo.

"Shh. Come here Zatch, I got something for us." he whispered. Zatch was a bit too tired to start asking questions so he just hopped onto Kiyo's bed and faced him.

"Okay. Why'd you wake me up Kiyo." he asked. Kiyo slid his hand underneath his pillow and pulled out a Wonka bar. Zatch gasped in surprise as he saw the candy with his own eyes. "Kiyo, where'd you get that?",

"I bought with a bit of my allowance Zatch. Come on, open it up, and let's us see some of that gold." Zatch tried to reached and grabbed the chocolate bar, but he was too nervous and excited to move his arms.

"I can't do it Kiyo. I'm too nervous. You have to open it." Zatch responded as he then pushed it back to Kiyo.

"Okay. Uh, which end shall I open?" Kiyo asked his former Mamodo partner.

"There." Zatch pointed at the top end of the Wonka bar.

"I have a feeling that we're going to be lucky this time. I could just smell that ticket Zatch." Kiyo said as he tore the front wrapper off of the bar.

"Or maybe it's just the chocolate you smell." Zatch spoke.

Kiyo began to slowly remove the top part of the aluminum wrapper off, but he only went slower and slower until he completely stopped. "I, I can't do it Zatch. You do it." he said as he push the Wonka bar to Zatch, but he only pushed it back at him.

"No, no Kiyo. You can do it. I'm still too nervous to hardly do anything." Zatch explained.

"All right Zatch. Well, here goes something." responded Kiyo as he then returned to opening the wrapper. He got to the point where most of the chocolate was visible to both him and Zatch. All that was there was just chocolate. Nothing in the wrapper was gold. Both Zatch and Kiyo sighed in unison.

"You know what Kiyo? I bet those tickets make the chocolate taste terrible." Zatch spoke to his former book owner. He lowered his head so all that he could see was his lap. Kiyo look closer at him and saw a tear streamed down Zatch's face. Kiyo felt sorry for the little Mamodo. They had good times and bad times during the battle for Mamodo king. Zatch had helped out a lot for Kiyo, getting him back on track for school and he even helped him made friends.Kiyo helped Zatch's dream to become a benevolent king come true, but now Zatch has another dream.And somehow, Zatch has grown close to Kiyo, as though they were brothers. But they will only be just half-brothers.

Kiyo embraced the little Mamodo into a friendly, brotherly hug. He wiped the tear off of Zatch's face with his finger. Zatch gave a weak smile, but he returned the hug.

The Next Day.

Zatch couldn't find any to do except go to the park while Kiyo was at school, again.

"Oh Vulcan, will I ever find one of Willy Wonka's golden tickets?" he asked his Vulcan 300 toy. He felt a great deal of depression inside him ever since he began his vacation in the human world. "Maybe I shouldn't have come here for a vacation Vulcan. I mean, I am the king of the Mamodo world now, and it's my duty to watch over my kingdom. Maybe I should just go to Kiyo and tell him that I'm going back to the Mamodo world." he got up on his feet and was about to leave until he heard a laugh coming from somewhere. That laughter was somehow familiar to him, like he heard it before. He ran pass a tree and through some bushes until he came into open view of the park. On the swings, laughing swinging with joy was the girl that he always secretly adores: Kolulu.

Maybe this was his chance to tell Kolulu how he really felt for her, and even perhaps ask her if she could be his queen. He can't let this fail. He has to tell her.

He ran over to the swings to greet the pink haired Mamodo. "Hi Kolulu." he said all cheerfully.

"Hi Zatch." she said as she jumped off the swings and ran over to him. "How are you doing as our new king." she asked.

"So far okay. But I decided to take a little vacation here in the human world. Hey and I also saw you on t.v., congratulations on finding the third ticket." he responded.

"Thanks Zatch. Have you got yourself a ticket?" she asked.

"No. But I really, really, really want one." he pouted for a bit.

"It's okay Zatch. You find one. I believe in you. If you could win the battle for king, then you find yourself a ticket. I know you can do it Zatch." she encouraged him. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like he wants to eat her all up and have her warm yummyness inside his stomach. Oh, man he just wants to have her with him forever, since she helped him discover his destiny. Kolulu reached into a pocket of her pink coat and pulled out some gum. "Want some gum?" she offered.

"Thanks." he answered as he then took the gum she offered. Kolulu pulled out some more gum and began chewing it. But at least she chews it with her mouth closed.

"You know Zatch. I always wonder what it would feel like to become gum and be blown up like a balloon." she spoke as they both chew their gum.

'She wonders?' Zatch thought to himself. Then a thought/dream bubble appeared above his head and it showed Kolulu being transformed into gum. Then he shows up and begins eating her and chewing her. Then last it shows him then blowing her up into a big bubble of living gum. Then she pops and her remains were splattered all over his body. That's when thelittle inflation fanatic within him was born.

Zatch quickly snapped back to reality. He was suppose to tell her how he feels for her, not daydreaming about her as gum. "Uh, Kolulu. May I ask you something?" he asked.

"Sure Zatch." she responded by blowing a bubble and it popped, then she placed it back in her mouth.

"I wanted to tell you this for a really long time, I wanted to tell you this ever since we first met during the battle for Mamodo king. Kolulu, I lo-"but before he could finish, Lori showed up from nowhere.

"Hi Zatch. How are you doing?" she asked.

"Oh, I'm doing fine Lori."

She nodded in agreement as she then turn her attention to Kolulu. "Come on Kolulu. My mom wants to take us shopping."

"Okay Lori. Bye Zatch." Kolulu spoke as she gave him a goodbye and a quick kiss on the cheek. Then both of them left.

Zatch just completely forgot about leaving the human world. He officially has to get a golden ticket. Or else he'll never get a chance to Kolulu how he really feels for her. He just has to get one.

Later At Night At The Takamine House.

Both Kiyo and his mom were watching t.v. while Zatch was in the bathroom. When he was done, he zoomed back to the living room, but soon stopped by the door as soon as he heard the news about the contest.

"It's all over ladies and gentlemen! Wonka contest is all over! The fifth and final golden ticket has just been found in South America!" the news reporter spoke as he showed a photograph of a strange looking man. "Here we have an official photo of the fifth winner: Mr. Mystery Man. He was darn lucky to find the last ticket. So pretty soon, within a few days, Mr. Willy Wonka will open his factory to the winners."

"Turn it off mom." Kiyo spoke. Hana Takamine grabbed the remote and hit the off button. "Well, that's that. No more golden tickets." he said.

"It's a load of rubbish, Kiyo." his mother responded.

"Not to Zatch. The little boy has to have something in our world to hope for. But since it's all over, what does he have left to hope for now?" he explained.

"I'm worried about him Kiyo. Should we tell Zatch?"

"Not right now mom. He'll be devastated. Just let him sleep. Let him have just have one last dream." Kiyo finished.

Zatch heard the whole thing outside the family room. Tears covered his eyes, then his face. He failed to get a single piece of worthless paper. Maybe him and Kolulu are never meant to be. Maybe his victory in the battle for king was just a fluke.

(I don't believe this. It's just that I have to right something.)

Zatch just walked upstairs into Kiyo's room and fell asleep in his little bed, without caring to say goodnight to Kiyo or his mom.

To Be Continued...