It's been a few years since I ran away. Now, I live in a small city called Adventure Bay. Fortunately, I found out that many training camps designed to help pups get into bounty hunting groups gave anyone who wanted to join a place to live and train. Though I learned throughout the years of being there that bounty hunting groups were designed to hunt and kill demons, I knew that if I wanted to get my word out there, I needed to join one. However, I couldn't just join any group. I needed to join the PAW Patrol. I did extensive research on how to get into the PAW Patrol, and it turns out that they have a leader and a second in command. Their names are Chase and Rocky, two of the strongest pups in the world. Chase has the ability lycanthropy, which allows him to gain the form and strength of a wolf. Rocky has a self enhancing power, giving incredible strength and speed. Though these powers don't seem too impressive, they managed to reach the top, so who am I to judge?
In addition to this, the PAW Patrol has held recruitment tests annually, with either Chase or Rocky judging. The rules go as follows: the first portion consists of a 1 on 1 fight between participants. Those who win will move onto the next portion. However, the pups who lose still have a chance to make it into the second portion. Each losing pup will be able to fight either Chase or Rocky, and they will judge for themselves if they deserve a second chance. The second portion is an interview, and many say that this is the most brutal part. Many pups get denied at this portion, as they look for a very specific kind of pup. No one knows exactly what they are looking for. It has also been stated that a pup with the power of lie detection is always present in this portion, so lying is out of the question. This is why I am very nervous about the second portion. Though I know the world hates demons, deep down I want to give demons another chance. If I can't convince the lie detector that I hate demons, then my chances in PAW Patrol are over.
However, there is one last detail about the judging. Once you get rejected, you cannot try again ever, and Rocky is known to be notoriously harsh in judging. While Chase will test each individual pup that lost, Rocky has been known to flat out deny pups of that opportunity. He claims that he will test the pups that he deems worthy of testing, yet in the years that he has judged, not a single losing pup received a second chance. Additionally, he's also been known to sleep through many of the fights that take place. Regardless of what happens, I hope that I don't get Rocky as my judge, as I don't know how well I could fight and win against someone with my power.
These thoughts and concerns course through my mind every day. I yawned as I walked out from my room and towards the field. While there is no way to practice for the interview, I can always train in fighting. By the off chance I get Rocky as my judge, I need to win the first round no matter what.
"Hey Marshall!" a pup called to me. I glanced over and saw a brown lab pup walk up beside me.
"Oh, hey Zuma, I didn't see you" I responded with a smile on my face. For once in my life I actually found a friend. In actuality, it was him that found me. In my first few weeks here at the training camp, many of the pups picked on me for being weak and told me I should give up to work behind the scenes while strong pups like them try for the big shot positions. One day, Zuma found me getting cornered by some pups and decided to help me out. Unlike the bullies, Zuma saw potential in my power, and we became quick friends. Later, I found out that he has a power called ritesmith. He could create seals of different varieties that could do many different things, such as bind someone to the floor, cast elemental attacks, or lock doors. He seemed way out of my class, but somehow he took a liking to me.
"So where are you headed to?" Zuma asked, walking alongside me.
"I dunno, maybe to the field to train a bit more. Mind being my sparring partner for a bit?" I asked.
"Of course I don't mind! It's always fun to fight you" Zuma accepted cheerfully. I smiled back at him. I could always tell that he was going easy on me, but I also could never win against him, even if he was holding back. We headed towards the field, where we proceeded to tussle.
"So, when do you plan to try out for a bounty hunting group?" Zuma asked between attacks.
"I'm not too sure, I'm thinking sometime within this week actually" I gasped, tiring out from my attacks.
"Wow, really? I was too! I'm trying for the PAW Patrol which is being held tomorrow, but who knows if I can get in. What about you?" Zuma replied.
"I also want to try for the PAW Patrol '' I huffed. Suddenly, he grabbed me and threw me to the ground.
"Dude, if you want to get into the PAW Patrol, you're gonna need all the help you can get. C'mon" Zuma gestured, wanting me to get up and attack again. "If you want to get in, you really need to use that power of yours."
"I am, it's just that it's really hard to evade your attacks" I gasped. In the time I had trained here, I was able to gain control of my power. I could now control when I wanted to see the future, as well as how far in the future I wanted to see. Suddenly, a large barrier formed around me.
"You know, I might have to fight you in the first trial" Zuma joked, and started to shrink the barrier around me. I could feel the space inside getting smaller and smaller, forcing me to the ground. I knocked on the ground, signifying that I gave in. The barrier suddenly disappeared, and Zuma pawed up to me to lend a paw.
"Well, I just hope that I don't have to fight you then" I laughed. There was no way I could beat him. After a few more practice sessions, the time was almost noon, and lunch was being served at the cafeteria. Me and Zuma walked towards there and picked up some kibble. We placed our bowls on the ground and started eating. While eating, I could hear bits of conversation about how some of the pups around me also wanted to try out for the PAW Patrol tomorrow morning. I shook my head, knowing that the competition was going to be fierce. As we finished our meals, I said goodbye to Zuma and headed back to my room. Though the interview portion wasn't something that I could prepare for, I knew that a question that would be asked was "what is your opinion on demons." I needed to convince myself that I truly hated demons, or else I would be thrown out on the spot. After all, everyone hates demons. I repeated that I hate demons over and over again in my head, trying to make myself believe it. However, deep down I still want to like demons. Hopefully the lie detection isn't too accurate.
The rest of the day flew by quickly. Everyone said their goodnights, and the manager of the camp made an announcement to all of the pups trying for PAW Patrol tomorrow. He wished us good luck in the selection, and hoped that everyone trying would get in. However, we all knew that there hasn't been a new pup in the PAW Patrol for almost two decades. As I rested my head on my pillow, I repeated that lie in my head once more, hopefully getting it to stick before the trials tomorrow.
As the sun rose, all the pups who were trying out started waking up one by one to get prepared for the big day. I yawned and stretched and started heading towards the cafeteria once again to pick up an apple for breakfast. I needed as much energy as I could get for later. Once again, I heard Zuma calling me and walked up beside me.
"It's the big day! I hope you're prepared, and good luck in the trials!" Zuma cheered. I rolled my eyes. I knew that Zuma was more than qualified to win the first round, but I couldn't help but smile back at him. I wish I had his confidence. I took a bite out of my apple and started to pack my items. It was half an hour before trials started, and a nervousness came over me. This was it. The day I've been training for was right around the corner. As I finished packing, I walked out of my vacant room and went straight towards the bus. There, I met up with Zuma who was waiting for the bus to arrive. Once the bus arrived, we were off to the PAW Patrol headquarters. As we approached, we could see how massive the tower was. It was multiple stories taller than our training camp, and it was easily the tallest building in the entire bay area. I gawked at the height and gulped, knowing that my fate would be decided once I stepped into the premise of that tower.
The bus had stopped at the front of the PAW Patrol tower, and me and Zuma hopped off. We wished each other good luck one last time before heading to our separate locker rooms where we could prepare for the upcoming fight. Right before entering, a pup took my name and wrote it on a list, registering me for the competition. I placed my belongings into a cubby, and sat on a bench next to a screen that would show who would be fighting who. After a while, the other pups gathered around this monitor, the pups around me mumbling about who they would have to fight, as well as who the judge would be this time round. The screen soon started to change, and each bracket was placed. There were a total of eight pairs, totaling 16 pups. As the first few brackets came in, I could hear pups around me yipping with glee or crying in despair, as they knew their limits and who they could and couldn't beat.
After the seventh bracket, I still didn't see my name. I gulped, hoping that I didn't accidentally forget to give my name, but soon enough on the last bracket, my name was displayed. I gave a sigh of relief, before I instantly regretted it. The name that was written underneath mine was Zuma. I felt a chill down my spine. There was no way I could beat him. There was only one hope, to hope that Chase was the one judging. As the first pair walked out to the battlefield, the pups inside the waiting rooms were allowed to see the fights in action. Soon, we could hear the announcer start the trials.
"Good morning pups and dogs! Welcome to the annual PAW Patrol trials to see if there will be a new member joining! While the last few years did not produce any recruits, we hope that this year will bring them a new bunch of power filled pups! For this year's trials, your judge will be…" the announcer broadcasted. I stared at the screen intently, hoping that a German Shepard would walk onto the balcony seat. Soon, I could see an ear poke out and then a gray head. It was Rocky. My heart sank. My dreams of joining the PAW Patrol suddenly started to disappear. There was no way I could forfeit, as it would count for disqualification. I trembled backwards to the bench and I contemplated what to do. There was no way I could win. Ever. Even with Zuma holding back I couldn't win. With butterflies in my stomach, I slowly lifted my head to the screen displaying the matches. I watched as each pair of pups fought, ultimately deciding on a victor. The expressions on the losing pups were filled with devastation, as they all knew that Rocky would not give them a second chance. Rocky was also in view, seen sleeping throughout the matches.
However, as the seventh match took place, the pups fighting suddenly stopped in the middle of the fight. They both looked up at the balcony, glaring at the sleeping Rocky. After muttering something, they started charging a ball of ice and fire with their powers combined, and shot it directly at Rocky. I gasped as they released the energy ball, and knew that it would do a massive amount of damage near the balcony. Suddenly, the ball changed directions and moved into the sky, exploding as it hit the clouds. The crowd, the fighting pups, and the pups in the waiting room were stunned. However, Rocky was no longer found on the balcony.
"You pups. What were you planning to do" Rocky sternly commented, slowly walking towards the fighting pups. The pups were completely silent. "While I commend you both for combining your powers into a very powerful attack, did you even consider what damages you could've caused both for the tower and the audience around?"
"N-no sir" one of the pups responded. Both of the pups were trembling, backing away with their tails between their legs.
"Well now, let's say if that attack had landed. Sure, I would've escaped with no trouble, but there would be multiple wounded in the aftermath, and possibly some death. Even though you two are competent in strength, you both are dismissed from the competition because of your ignorant actions" Rocky stated plainly and walked away. He proceeded to jump up onto the balcony and set his head down, going back to sleep. The two pups left with their heads down, ashamed for their actions.
Soon, it was my turn to fight. I gulped as I walked out onto the battlefield. I glanced up at Rocky, who still had his head resting on his paws. I gulped as Zuma approached me, his eyes filled with determination.
"Hey Marshall, no hard feelings, okay?" Zuma asked, grinning slightly. I nodded. "Well, may the best pup win!"
"You too" I muttered weakly and just like that, the fight began. I activated my foresight, and saw that Zuma would start with a bind seal. I quickly jumped as he cast his seal underneath me, landing right outside the circle. I could see him starting to cast another seal, most likely one that would send a fireball at me. I needed to hit him before he could finish his cast, so I quickly dashed over to him to land a blow. Almost instantaneously, another vision came to my head, and it showed him dodging and a barrier trapping me. It was a trap. As I almost reached him, I quickly hopped away from him as the barrier started to form. Zuma had a surprised expression on his face, but then gave me a nod of approval before starting his next cast. I used this time to one more jump towards him, and I was able to land a hit onto Zuma. I smiled as I watched him stumble to the ground. I finally landed a hit on him! I felt a twinge of pride, which was suddenly interrupted by a pain in my paw. I quickly looked down, and saw my paw bound in one of Zuma's seals. I realized that when I struck Zuma, he had trapped himself so that a binding seal would be placed on me. I tried to shake it off, but it soon locked my paw into place, rendering it useless. I could see Zuma slowly approach me, and I hobbled backwards, hoping that Zuma would back off. He cast another barrier spell around me, this time I couldn't hop out, and slowly started to shrink it, just like in training. I whimpered as I was forced to the ground once more and I looked up at the balcony. However, this time I could see Rocky awake and looking right at me. His glare was ice cold, and I could almost see disgust. I must've done so poorly that I woke him up. Zuma was declared the winner for the last round, and he let me out of the barrier.
"You know, you really did catch me by surprise. I didn't expect you to predict my traps" Zuma complimented. All I could do was look at the ground. I lost my only opportunity to make it into the PAW Patrol. There was nothing left. Soon, all the losing pups were brought back into the arena. This usually would be the time where the judge would tell us that we had a second shot if they could win against them, but we all knew Rocky was not like that. I found a place between two pups and watched as Rocky jumped down from the balcony to face us. He did not look pleased, giving all of us a grimace.
"To all of the losing pups, you would've had a second shot. However, I do not run these trials like Chase, and see this as a waste of time. There's no point in testing your skill when I do not believe you do not have the skill to join." Rocky announced. We all cowered down, waiting for Rocky to dismiss us. "That being said, Marshall, step up. Everyone else is dismissed."
I looked at Rocky with my mouth wide open. Rocky had never given any pup a second chance. I stepped forward, my hopes rekindled. I could hear the other pups whispering behind me questioning why he had given me a second chance and what he saw in me. To be honest, I didn't even know what he saw in me. I gulped as I saw the other pups leave out of the corner of my eye. Rocky soon gestured to me to follow. I walked behind him, not making a sound. He went out of the arena and through a few hallways until he stopped me at an indoor arena. I looked around, noticing that there was a balcony where all the winners sat, among them was Zuma. I gave a small wave to Zuma, and he smiled and waved back, mouthing "good luck" to me.
"Marshall was it?" Rocky suddenly spoke in a monotone voice.
"Yes, sir" I replied, giving a small nod. He closed his eyes and gave a small nod back.
"I usually do not give any pup a second chance, so consider yourself lucky. Though you did not win your first fight, I see some potential in you." Rocky explained. He then opened his eyes and looked straight at me. "I want to see what you are really capable of."
Almost immediately, I had a vision where he would dash beside me and strike with his left claw. As the vision ended, I quickly jumped away, noticing that Rocky was already at the spot I previously stood. He's much quicker than I thought, how do I beat him?
"That's all. Thank you for entertaining me. Let's see what the panel says" Rocky told me, looking up at the balcony where the other pups were writing something down. I was baffled. The fight barely began before it ended. I glanced up at the balcony where the 7 pups sat. There, I saw 6 fails and 1 pass. The only pass I received was from Zuma. My tail drooped. I failed again, even after the second chance I was given.
"Those ignorant pups. They can't see potential even if it was handed to them on a platter. At least one other pup saw potential in you. That attack isn't easy to dodge. I look forward to seeing you in the interview." Rocky growled. He looked at me, but this time there was a small smile on his face. My heart jumped. This was it. I just needed to convince him that I wanted to hunt demons.
I sat in the waiting room with the 7 other winners, each waiting their turn to enter. One by one, each pup entered and left, the looks on their faces showed a face of confidence. Soon, I heard my name being called. I nervously entered the room where I saw Rocky and a chihuahua that I didn't recognize.
"Hello Marshall, nice to see you again. This is Tracker, our lie detector. Don't try to pull anything in front of us, as it could result in an immediate denial" Rocky threatened. I nodded and gulped. "First, what's your full name?"
"Marshall. I was never given a last name."
"Where are you from?"
"Sunset village."
"Why do you want to join the PAW Patrol?"
"To change the world."
"Hmm. That's an interesting answer. Why do you want to change the world?" I gulped. I needed to give an answer that's vague enough to fool Tracker.
"Because of the experiences from my past." I replied. He looked at Tracker, who simply nodded at him.
"Fair enough. Sunset village you say? That's one of the original tribes from the olden days. If I remember correctly, they despise demons. What is your stance on demons?" Rocky asked. I took a deep breath.
"I… I want to hunt and kill them," I replied. I held my breath, hoping Tracker wouldn't detect my lie. I could see that Tracker's expression didn't change, nor did he do anything to notify Rocky. Maybe I got past it!
"That's a lie. I don't need Tracker to tell me that." Rocky stated plainly. He looked at me with a hard stare. "What do you truly believe?"
"I… I… I just want to help them" I sighed. Was I really that bad at lying? "I don't think they are as bad as others think. A demon helped me back in my village, and it suffered because of my big mouth."
"Interesting." Rocky responded. He looked at Tracker, and he nodded back. Rocky gave me a small nod and asked me to leave. The waves of anxiety caught up to me, and I collapsed in a seat next to Zuma. He gave me a thumbs up, which all I could do was smile back. All that preparation and training would go to waste now that they know I don't want to kill demons. After all, bounty hunting is all about hunting demons. As the final pup left the room, we could all see Rocky come out to meet with us one last time.
"You pups can leave now. Results will be given later in the day by private appointment. If you are not called back in by the end of the day, you can assume you did not get in. Good day everyone." Rocky announced and soon after left through the exit. The other pups exited right after Rocky, leaving me and Zuma alone in the room. Zuma gave me a small nudge and gestured to the exit. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the waiting room. This was it. The only chance I have to get in. Right as Zuma and I stepped out, a figure came up beside us. Startled, I backed up right into Zuma who caught me before I fell. It was a wolf who was much bigger than both me and Zuma.
"You two. Come with me." the wolf ordered. We both looked at each other and nodded. We followed the wolf until we exited the building towards the PAW Patrol headquarters. I gawked at the size of the building, it was much bigger than I thought. The wolf led us through a sliding glass door and entered the tower. Inside, the wolf stopped and turned towards us. Suddenly, he started to morph, changing from a wolf to a normal German Shepherd pup.
"Welcome, Marshall and Zuma. Sorry for surprising you, but it was necessary. My name is Chase, the leader of the PAW Patrol. I look forward to working with both of you in the near future" Chase congratulated. "Feel free to explore before you go on your first mission. Everything here is yours to try!"
I couldn't believe it. I did it, I made the PAW Patrol!