Disclaimer: I do not own Fossil Fighters, any of the vivosaurs or characters (Except for Creed), and am simply writing this for my own amusement.
A/N: As the sequel to my previous fic, Dark Horse Gambit, this story will continue building up on the foundation I have already laid down. It shall detail the adventures of novice Fossil Fighter Vestello Leoncor as he competes in the infamous Caliosteo Cup. What sort of troubles will he face? You are welcome to read and find out.
Acknowledgments: Firstly, I would like to thank Devaro Ayanami for his wonderful help as both my Beta and my sounding-board. Secondly, I would like to thank Tempest Bound for encouraging me to post this story now, rather than later. Thirdly, I would like to thank Vathara for all the wonderful stories, which I highly recommend you read, he has posted. Reading them has helped me find ways of expanding my own writing style.
Chapter 1
To The Island I
*Two Years Later*
From: Harmattan
Subject: We're going!
Todd and I made it through the preliminaries! Thanks for all the advice, it really helped. Do you have any more that could help me at the Tournament?
/\
Amber eyes stared down at the water far below, and the miniscule shadow cast by the helicopter. A smirk tugged at the sixteen-year-old's lips. Almost there, we're almost there. Easing back into his seat, Vestello closed his eyes. Lord, thank you for giving me, giving us, this opportunity.
Whispers of eager yellow-oranges darted across an expanse of aloof blues.
::Soon, soon. We fight? Play?::
::Settle, Vicious.:: A gentle rebuke towards the gradually rising currents of aggressive reds. ::We'll play soon, but not yet.::
The Air Bone vivosaur sulked, retreating back to the shadows of Vestello's awareness.
The bluenette couldn't help the sense of amusement his partner's antics stirred up. He could be such a spoiled child at times.
Beside him, Todd fidgeted.
"I can't believe it's finally gonna happen, Vestello!"
Slouched as far down in his seat as physically possible, Vestello eyed the outstretched hand flexing where his head had just been.
"My heart is beating like a jackhammer!"
That's not the only thing beating. Blue hair bobbed up and down in time with Todd's insistent bouncing. Vestello sighed, then whistled a crisp note-of-warning. Naturally Todd didn't notice.
"We're gonna be in Joe's very own tournament, the Caliosteo Cup!" A pause, then Todd straightened arrogantly. "All the cool Fighters just call it the Cup for short."
Which cool fighters?
Blue met amber. "Joe would be amazed to know we made it through the preliminaries and came all the way here!" Todd grinned.
Vestello smiled, fingers tracing the rim of Vicious's Dino Medal. All the way through the preliminaries, with only two vivosaurs between us. Yes, Joe probably would be amazed.
"Hey!" Todd strained against his belt. "I can see Caliosteo Fossil Park!"
Again with the bouncing. One would think Todd suffered from un-medicated ADHD. Actually…
"That's where the Cup's going to be!"
Well… Vestello shrugged, settling back in his seat, watchful for anymore flailing limbs. There will be no calming him now.
At a rate not nearly fast enough for his liking, the helicopter made for the fossil park.
/\/\/\
"Welcome to Caliosteo Fossil Park-" A smiling attendant greeted them. "-a prehistoric world of dreams, dinosaurs, and adventure!" She waved to the town around them.
"This park was founded by none other than Joe Wildwest, the superstar Fossil Fighter. It is composed of three islands: Ribular Island, Cranial Isle, and Ilium Island. Visitors are welcome to excavate fossils and revive as many vivosaurs as they like."
She paused, smiling again. "And of course, there's plenty of Fossil Fighting to be done!"
Todd looks like he's about to explode. Vestello noted, smile tugging at his lips.
"But for now—" The attendant continued. "—please make yourselves at home here in lush, green Ribular Town!"
Oh we will. He just wanted to start moving. All that time in the helicopter had done nothing for his limbs, he almost felt like he was hyped up on caffeine. Of course, he could practice self control unlike some people he could name.
Something around them beeped, signaling the use of loud speakers.
"This is an important public-service announcement from Caliosteo Fossil Park. Registration for the Caliosteo Cup will be ending soon. Fossil Fighters who have not yet registered should enroll at the Fighter Station immediately."
With some fascination, Vestello watched joy/excitement/sudden-panic dance across Todd's face in rapid succession.
"They're gonna end registration!" If one went by his tone alone you'd think the world was ending. "Come on! We have to get to that Fighter Station right now!"
The attendant simply looked amused.
"The Fighter Station is the building right behind us." Todd and Vestello leaned to the side and looked passed her. "The Fighter Station is an integrated facility serving all your Fossil Fighter needs. It has a Cleaning Room for fossils and is also home to a Fossil Stadium, where Fossil Battles are held."
"Come ooon!" Todd danced in place. "Let's stop standing around and go register already!"
And he was off like a homing missile, leaving his friend in the dust.
Vestello blinked, shrugged, and then followed at a more sedate pace: up the stairs, through sliding glass doors, and into a large lobby.
"Heeey! Over here, Vestello!"
Spotting his impatient friend, Vestello approached the front desk. Together they looked up at the receptionist.
"Hello and welcome! I take it you want to enter the Caliosteo Cup?" At their eager nods, she laughed. "In that case, may I please have your name?"
"I'm Todd Flanigan—" Todd waved at Vestello. "-and this is my friend, Vestello Leoncor."
"Thank you very much." The receptionist looked at a computer screen, scanning through various data files. "Your qualification through the preliminaries has been confirmed. Please wait here. Someone will be along shortly to instruct you on our facilities and rules—"
A whoosh drew their attention to a side door. Stepping into the lobby, a light brunette approached with an amicable smile on her face.
"Hey there! I'm Stella." She greeted. "I'm the Staff Leader here on Ribular Island." Stopping in front of them, she looked the two boys over. "You guys made it just in time! But since you did, I'm going to start the tour in the most important place."
Passing them, she made for a door at the far side of the front desk. "Right this way, please."
"…The most important place?" Todd whispered as they followed. "What do you think that is?"
Vestello shrugged. How should I—Automatic doors slid open—oooh, I get it.
"Welcome to the most important place for Fighters." Stella grinned, gesturing around them. "The Cleaning Room!"
I've only heard about these rooms from Leveche. Vestello stared at the sophisticated technology around them. This is amazing.
Almost dazed, he followed after Stella as she walked them through the basics.
/\/\/\
It's just like Leveche said it was. Amber surveyed the imposing Fossil Rock before him. Leveche also said it was simple to clean fossils, he just had to start. But…where was he supposed to start? And how? The hammer in his hands suddenly felt too clumsy. Too heavy.
Nearby, he could hear Todd gleefully pounding away at his own Fossil Rock.
Calm down. Breathe in, hold, then let it out slowly. What's that saying? Kick some rocks, say bad words, and just start walking?
He eyed the boulder again.
Lord help me, I'm nervous, I'm not sure what to…do…
There. Was that a flaw in the rock? There was only one way to find out.
He held the hammer up, then brought it down on the flaw. On impact a spider-web of cracks spread across the surface, revealing another flaw.
Connect the dots. Another blow, more cracks, another flaw. One more time and—
Wow.
Chunks of stone just fell free, revealing the pristine fossil underneath.
Somehow, I don't think Leveche had that in mind when she said cleaning fossils were simple. Still, he wasn't complaining. The rest of the cleaning seemed so much easier now.
/\/\/\
"99% on your first try? I don't know why I'm still here." Stella laughed as the dusty, blue-haired boy, Vestello Leoncor, smiled at his handiwork. "Actually, I think one of the only other person I know of who did the same thing was Creed Peregrine of Vivosaur Island."
"Who's Creed Peregrine?" The blonde boy, Todd Flanigan, asked.
Stella blinked. "You mean you don't know who she is?"
Both boys shook their heads.
"Well…I suppose I can understand that, she doesn't battle publicly anymore. But she's an amazing fighter." A grin. "She beat the pants off of Joe a while back."
Todd sputtered. "She beat Joe Wildwest? No way!"
"It's true, really." What a fight it had been too. And both of them had just had so much fun, the fight had lasted for almost an hour before Creed had finally overpowered Joe. She had still had two vivosaurs on the field, none of them had Wondrous or Miraculous fossils integrated. It had been an amazing match.
Wait, I should be reviving those vivosaurs now. Oops.
"I'll tell you more later, for now let's get those fossils revived!"
/\/\/\
A triceratops, my very own triceratops. Vestello smiled at the vivosaur in the chamber, feeling faint wisps of what would soon be a new connection.
At least thirty feet in length with three foot horns, the tricera could almost pass for a living battering ram. However, it looked much more…refined than a mere battering ram. Blue with tan, it held itself almost regally.
Then the tricera vanished and its Dino Medal dropped out of the machine and into Stella's awaiting hand.
"Once revived-" She turned to the boys. "—a vivosaur is contained in the form of a Dino Medal. And here you go!" Grinning, she extended the two medals. "These are your very own Dino Medals."
My second vivosaur. Fingers closed around the blue-rimmed medal and Vestello connected with the distant wisps that represented the tricera.
A ripple of questioning pale oranges disturbed the surface of calm pale yellows and adobe browns.
::Partner, mine?::
A nod. ::Partner, you, me, and Vicious.::
Curious tendrils stretched out, as if to investigate the other link—
-recoiled back as the owner of said link lashed out with half-hearted malice.
A current of proud blue-greens welled up, broken only by faint wisps of gray-blue disapproval.
::'Partner you. Other…uncouth.::
A scoff of gray-blue splashed across unimpressed faint traces of disgusted burgundy.
::Soft-skinned leaf-gnawer.::
Vestello suppressed a snicker as the two vivosaurs refused to 'connect' with each other again and settled down, one bored and aloof while the other was affronted and disdainful.
::We are a team, Regal. You don't have to like each other to work together.::
Wind sputtered and water splashed as both vivosaurs blatantly expressed their opinions on that prospect.
"Now I'll explain the rules we use for Fossil Fighting." Stella turned towards the door. "Let's head over to the Fossil Stadium."
Ignoring his now sulking vivosaurs, Vestello followed the woman back out into the lobby, towards the same door where she had first come in.
"The Fossil Stadium is through this door."
"Fossil Stadium!" Todd whooped. "I'm so excited I could puke!"
Vestello felt his vivosaurs blanch, then stir closer to the forefront of his mind to watch the silent treatment forgotten.
Same old Todd. Shaggy blue hair shook as a fond smile traced his lips.
"Yes, try not to do that." Stella grimaced. "Our floors are very clean… Anyway, please follow me.
Doors whooshed, and they entered a long hall lined with benches.
"This is the Fossil Stadium's common room. Fighters entered in the Cup will often gather here." She stopped in front of another door and stood next to another staff member. "Oh, and when you get a notice about an upcoming match, be sure to come right away!"
"Hiya!" The other staff member greeted, waving. "I'm Devon Strait, and I'm here to get you familiar with all the Cup's Fossil Fighting rules." Turning, he opened the door behind him.
Todd whooped again. "We finally get to go inside a Fossil Stadium!" Strong fingers gripped around Vestello's wrist. "Come on, come on!" The blonde charged through the doors, yanking Vestello along behind him.
/\/\/\
So long range vivosaurs need a lot of distance in order for their attacks to be most effective, due to greater levels of momentum needed to charge up the attack. Vestello let his feet carry him through the common room on autopilot. And short range vivosaurs lose attack power if they try and hit something not within immediate range. They entered the lobby. Interesting.
"One last thing." Devon turned back to them. "If a Fighter lacks strategy or their vivosaurs lack abilities, victory will prove impossible. Remember that, alright?"
Both boys nodded.
Satisfied, Devon shooed them towards the door. "Now get out there and show 'em what you're made of!" He turned back towards the stadium. "Good luck!"
Stella chuckled, watching him go. "That's it for orientation, you two. You're now officially entered in the Caliosteo Cup. Your opponents will be automatically chosen by the computer." A pause. "Also, whenever you finish a Cup match, you'll be granted access to a new dig site."
She smiled. "Matches sort of act like the qualifying matches on Vivosaur Island. For each round you pass, you gain a higher level." A pause. "There are other ways to gain levels, but you'll have to figure those out on your own."
The smile broadened into a grin. "The tournament winner and the immediate runner ups will be counted as Master Fighters."
Neat. Vestello smiled, remembering what Leveche had told him about Fighter Levels. I wonder, will I be able to climb the ranks like she did? Or will it take me a few years to reach that point? Only the strongest of Fighters, Synchros—those with a deep intuitive connection with their viosaurs-could grow in skill so quickly. Could he ever measure up to them?
"Oh, wait. I almost forgot." Stella dug through a side bag. "I have your Paleopagers right here." She pulled two things out, handing them to the boys.
A bandanna? Vestello accepted the 'Paleopager', bemused. No, it looks like a bandanna, but it's more like a collar…
"What's this? It looks like a bandanna." Todd frowned, also puzzled.
"We send news and notices out to Paleopagers via the Fossil Messaging Service, or FMS—"
The pagers beeped. "This is an important public-service announcement from Caliosteo Fossil Park. The Caliosteo Cup opening ceremony will be kicking off shortly. All interested parties should meet in front of the Fighter Station."
Neat. Vestello examined the pager.
"—just like that." Stella finished. "And, in case you're wondering, it's designed to go around the neck because it's less likely to break that way." A laugh. "Fighters carry all sorts of things around in their bags, so if the pager went anywhere else it would either get lost or broken."
Makes sense. Flipping it around, Vestello tied it snuggly around his neck.
"Okay, that's my cue. Good luck, you two!" And then she was gone.
"I bet the opening ceremony is gonna be awesome." Nervous fingers fumbled slightly with the pager. "Maybe Joe will show up!"
That would be neat. Vestello smiled. I'd like to show him how much Vicious has grown.
Pausing, he blinked.
Where'd Todd go-oh.
The front glass door swung shut.
Vestello snickered. Always on the move, that one. Striding forward, he followed his friend.
/\/\/\
So many people…
The center of town was absolutely packed. People of all ages, builds, and race could be seen. Thankfully, no one wore anything even remotely similar to Todd's green-jumpsuit-and-hard-hat ensemble.
"Hey, look!" Todd pointed skyward as Vestello sidled up next to him. "Something's flying this way."
Vestello looked, blinked, then looked again.
A giant, flying television screen…
On the giant screen was a live image of Joe Wildwest, looking exactly as he had two years before.
"Welcome to Calisteo Fossil Park. The place where dreams are made! I'm the owner of this here park. The name's Joe Wildwest. You Fighters'll love it here, we got three islands to explore! Now—" The image of Joe grinned, eyes sly. "-get ready for a surprise! 'Cause I want y'all to know that…the Cup champion'll get my park!"
Say what?
"You'll own 'er free and clear!"
The crowd roared. The announcement was one which no one could have predicted, but fired up their fighting spirits all the more.
"So let's get to battlin', folks… The Caliosteo Cup is now open!"
The sky, though light with day, lit up even further with a sudden wave of fireworks.
"Man, just seeing Joe's face on that awesome video display was so exciting!" Todd gushed over the roar of the crowd, turning to Vestello. "But seriously. The Cup's grand prize is the entire fossil park! My mind is completely blown here!" He spread his arms wide. "This is huge, Vestello. We have to find a way to win, no matter what."
They shared grins, thrusting their fists into the air.
"Hello, Todd. Hello, Vestello." Stella walked up. "The cup is finally underway."
"Oh, hey, Stella!" Todd grinned at her.
Stella looked over them both, curious. "Why aren't you two off digging Fossil Rocks yet?"
That's a good question. Vestello shrugged.
Stella frowned. "You should have received a message on your Paleopagers by now—"
The pagers beeped.
"The first dig site, Treasure Lake, is now open on Ribular Island. Treasure Lake is ringed by thick woods, in the middle of which sits a lake. Fighters are urged to travel there to prepare for round 1 of the Cup."
Vestello sniggered as Stella sighed.
Todd squeaked. "We're really gonna do this!" A pause, his head whipped around. "H-hey! Everyone's gone!"
Blinking, Vestello scanned the area. So they are.
"We just got here and already we're behind!"
Stella pointed past them. "Treasure Lake is through that walkway there."
Todd jerked around so fast he almost overbalanced. "C'mon! Let's go before all the fossils are gone!"
And off he went.
"You know…"
Pausing mid-step, Vestello looked back at Stella.
"I'm actually shocked Joe would do something like that."
She didn't know?
"None of the staff knew he was putting up the park as a prize." Her head dipped. "Not even me."
Was that hurt in her voice?
"But—" The hurt vanished behind a hastily erected smile. "I suppose you have bigger things to worry about, huh?"
A shrug. No, not really.
"Good luck with the Cup, Vestello."
Smiling, Vestello waved and headed towards the path leading to Treasure Lake—
"Oh no. He's gone already."
-Paused again behind a distressed member-of-staff.
Curious, Vestello whistled a sharp note. The woman spun around, hands flying out.
"Wait!"
Amber eyed the halting palms. I'm not going anywhere.
"You haven't received your Fossil Sonar yet, have you?"
She seems a bit stressed.. A blink. Sonar? Forgot about that. He shook his head.
"Well—" Now indignant, the woman straightened, fists on hips. "—you're not going to find any Fossil Rocks without it!"
Head cocked, Vestello accepted a small machine.
"I tried to stop that boy who ran ahead of you, but he moved like his pants were on fire!"
A snicker. That's Todd. Vestello shook his head, smiling fondly.
"Oh, he's your friend?"
A nod.
"Well, that's convenient! Let's go give him his sonar together, shall we?"
Another nod, and Vestello followed her down the path.
/\/\/\
I wonder if that's what a beheaded chicken acts like… Vestello wondered a short time later.
"Stupid fossil rocks!" Sliding to a halt, Todd threw his head back. "Come on! Where are you?"
A dark brow quirked. You think they're just going to jump out for you? Vestello sniggered behind his hand.
"You won't find anything without a Fossil Sonar." The staff member chided, approaching the distraught boy. She held out the second sonar. "Here, this should make life easier." Her voice sounded almost as amused as Vestello felt.
She gave Todd a sly smile. "I tried to give it to you earlier, but you just shoved past me and ran off."
Oooh! A sympathetic wince. Burned.
Yet he couldn't help finding Todd's predicament, and following reaction, funny. Wide blue eyes met amber, seeking support—
[Turtle. Hare. Remember?]
And there was another wince.
"But that's okay." The woman's voice took on a decidedly chipper tone. "I know you're just excited about the Cup.
Teasing, she's definitely teasing him. Vestello bobbed his head. It wasn't like Todd hadn't been asking for it. He'd been hyper as a squirrel-on-caffeine-rush ever since the preliminaries, and thus prone to silly little mistakes like forgetting about sonar.
Not that Vestello was any better, he just had more external self-control.
The woman laughed. "Alright, let me show you how your sonar works."
Vestello perked up.
"Oh—" Sheepish realization flashed across the woman's face. "I'm Sally, by the way." A polite bow. "It's nice to meet you." A cough. "Okay, take a look at your sonar screen."
Both boys did so, and she proceeded to walk them through the process of using it. This included having them both search the immediate area for a fossil rock each.
"Yess!" Todd pumped a fist as Sally left. "With this sonar I can dig and dig and never run out of fossils!"
Warning: manic glint alert! Manic glint alert!
"Look out planet! I'm gonna scoop every treasure you got!" And away he went. Again.
Vestello shook his head, watching the resulting dust cloud disperse, before following at a more sedate pace.
/\/\/\
From: Leveche
Subject: Re: We're Going!
Congratulations on making the Caliosteo Cup. I know you'll do well. Not sure about your friend, though. I don't believe he's quite ready for something like that. Then again I could be misreading his apparent skill.
As for advice… here's a tidbit I think will help you. You're familiar with the five alignments a vivosaur can have, yes? Wind, fire, earth, water, and neutral. Wind has the advantage against water, but is weak against earth. Earth is weak to fire, and fire to water, and neutral has no official elemental affinity and thus isn't counted in the circle. But that's common knowledge. Here's the good part: Alignment also influences the nature of a vivosaur as well as the way they prefer to fight.
Neutral aligned vivosaurs vary from case to case and are perhaps the most adaptable of vivosaurs, likely to make up for their lack of an elemental affinity. Their fighting styles depend mainly on what kind of terrain they're familiar with. This means a neutral aligned vivosaur will become harder and harder to beat the more experience and variety they gain. They also tend to be the calmest of all the vivosaurs, and very loyal. My allo refers to me as 'sir' and acts very much like a trained soldier. Were he human I suspect he'd be either a shock troop or in a special operations unit.
Wind aligned vivosaurs are free-spirits. They don't waste energy fighting head on but instead dance around their enemy's guard to strike from behind, or at any weak-point they detect. The only time they do strike head on is if they believe their enemy will be overwhelmed. They are often quite mischievous, as your aeros can attest to.
Earth aligned vivosaurs are slow and patient. They favor enduring an enemy's blows until they detect just the right moment to strike. It could be at an injury, or a moment of instability such as someone mid-step. Of all the vivosaurs, earth vivosaurs tend to be the most powerful, but it takes a long time for them to muster all that strength and they rarely bother to go all out. In my experience, earth vivosaurs are among the easiest to handle and among the most dependable.
Fire aligned vivosaurs are aggressive and impatient. It's best not to try and control them outright, instead focus on directing their wild energy in constructive ways. They favor striking hard and fast, the quicker they defeat an opponent the better because they have the least stamina of all the vivosaur alignments. Be cautions of the wilder or strongest of fire vivosaurs, such as T-Rex, because they can amplify your emotions, such as rage, and make you lose all sense of reason. Fire burns, and you must be careful not to be seared. I say this from personal experience.
Water aligned vivosaurs are adaptable and tricky. Of the elements, water vivosaurs make me the most nervous. They swerve around an enemy's attacks in order to strike from the side. If an attack fails they recover quickly, looping around for another strike. If an enemy shows weakness then a water vivosaur will show no mercy. Beware of the strongest waters, such as Krona. Don't underestimate them and make sure to keep a firm grasp on what your wills and desires are because they can slip past your defenses and make their desires feel like your own. If it catches you, and you try and fight it, the vivosaur will try and drown you in guilt or pain, any weakness that'll make you yield to its control. My krona almost managed to get me when I first revived him, fortunately I have a wind attribute and managed to outmaneuver him.
(Should you wish to know more about how to deal with a strong vivosaur's manipulations let me know and I'll give you some tips to recognize and counteract them. But this message is long enough as-is, so I'll leave it at this.)
(Also, keep in mind that what I've told you may not necessarily apply to all vivosaurs. It's just what you will encounter most often)
Fun Fact: Joe is an Earth-affinity Fossil Fighter. That's why you felt secure near him two years ago.
P.S: I hope you'll enjoy the congratulatory gift I sent.
/\/\/\/\
Reviews are always appreciated. They let me know my story is not simply collecting virtual dust. And by reviews I mean something a bit more than 'awesome story' or the like. Tell me what you enjoyed, and even what you did not (though please refrain from going on a tangent).