Chapter 11: Show-Stopper
Dino was drawn to be against a fighter girl called Sasha. Duna was taking on another random fighter as well as Dina, and Dino was against Bill "Rockin' Billy" Presley. Duna and Hunter had done research on their opponents, finding them to be fighters who probably only made it so far by luck or because they had only opposed other low-caliber fighters.
"Did you guys bother to look up Rockin' Billy for me?" Dino asked. He couldn't explain why, but the name made him antsy. Fighters with nicknames or titles tended to be tough.
"Sorry, Dino," Duna said. "If I would've thought 'bout it, I would've looked him up real quick for you."
"You'll crush him, Dino," Dina assured him. "We made it this far, right?"
"No one can stop you and your vivosaurs, Dino!" Todd told his friend. "You and Aeros and Tricera and all your other vivosaurs… Rockin' Billy will walk away with a rockin' headache!"
Just then, it was announced Dino and Rockin' Billy's Fossil Battle was to begin. He stood and headed for the door, and was surprised to see the Elvis impressionist from the Jungle Labyrinth waiting for him at the doors to the arena.
"Heh, looks like you're my opponent," Rockin' Billy greeted Dino.
"Yeah. Good to see you again."
"Unh-hunh, it is good to see you again." His expression darkened with hate. "Now I can get my revenge on you!"
Dino took a step back. "Excuse me?!"
"You heard me. You couldn't just run like I told ya back at the Jungle Labyrinth, now, could ya? Had to go and wreck my monster I worked so hard on to scare all you other commoners and mess up all my plans to take Jungle Labyrinth's fossils to myself, unh-hunh."
"You…you were a part of that scheme?"
"Unh-hunh." He looked into the arena. "Come now, so I can get my revenge on you, unh-hunh."
The two stepped out into the arena.
At once they sent out their vivosaurs. Dino summoned his Aeros, Tricera, and Pacro, the trio of vivosaurs an iron wall of raw power. Rockin' Billy in turn sent out Neo, Parapu, and Nigo. Both teams were in Cambrian formation, with Neo and Aeros staring each other down at close-range in the AZ, the tyrannosaur and allosaur a bad mix.
Dino got first move.
"Okay, Aeros!" he ordered. "Attack his Raja!"
"GRAH!" it roared.
It took only a few steps and was on the enemy vivosaur. It clamped its fangs around its neck, shaking and twisting violently, but Neo managed to shake it off. Aeros managed to get a tail whip in before retreating back into formation. The attack was expensive and expended all of Dino's FP and he was forced to end.
"My turn, unh-hunh," Rockin' Billy gloated. "Neo, get your revenge on Aeros!"
The allosaur roared triumphantly, charging Aeros. It targeted one of its legs, using its large hooked horn to tear into its left leg. Aeros crumpled, the meat of its leg torn to ribbons, but it was still alive. Pacro would be able to heal the wounds, though it would use up his next turn and just get Aeros torn up again.
"Okay, now, Parapu, show 'im what you can do, unh-hunh."
The six-foot ammonite charged at an impressive speed at Aeros, headbutting its leg, but it barely flinched.
"My turn," Dino announced. "Aeros, now's the time to take out Parapu!"
Aeros wobbled to its feet and charged at Parapu, moving surprisingly quick despite its severe leg injury. The shelled sea creature didn't stand a chance when the tyrannosaur clamped its immense jaws on it. Dino had Pacro use the remaining FP points to heal up Aeros' leg injury, managing to stitch the tendons and muscle together with its song but it was still bleeding.
"You've only delayed the inevitable, kid," Rockin' Billy said. "Neo, I say it's time we took out that healer, unh-hunh."
Neo screamed, charging full speed at the vivosaur, using its horn to shred it and revert it to its medal. Nigo remained unused as he ended his turn.
"It's getting tough, Aeros," Dino said. "Hang in there and take out Neo!"
It roared and charged at its foe, bloodlust driving it from the insult of its earlier injury. Neo didn't stand a chance under the tyrant's fury, collapsing into its medal and leaving Nigo alone. By now Rockin' Billy's FP would be maxed out, and with Dino unable to make another move, Nigo would be ready to bring the hurt.
"Nigo, sweep his Aeros, unh-hunh!"
The mid-sized sauropod reared, then spun around, its long tail whipping Aeros across the arena. It transformed back into its medal. Now it was one-on-one, Nigo versus Tricera. It was going to be a close battle.
"Tricera," Dino commanded, "rotate into the AZ and use Triple Threat!"
"HROOON!" the ceratopsid cried, moving into the AZ.
It charged at the larger vivosaur, goring it and making it collapse. It then leapt up, nailing it under the jaw, and dive-bombed it while spinning like a bullet. Nigo cried in pain before transforming back into a medal.
five minutes later
"Good job, Dino!" Todd congratulated as the bluenette stepped into the station lobby.
"You rocked him!" Dina agreed.
"Think he's a sore loser?" Hunter asked, noticing Rockin' Billy who was storming over to the friends.
"Don't you think this is over, unh-unh," Billy growled, jabbing a finger at Dino. "I will get my revenge on you for messing up my perfect plan, unh-hunh."
He headed for the doors to exit the Fighter Station, but was stopped by some staff who threw some cuffs on his wrists. He started trying to shake them off, shouting for them to get off him, and was lead outside. Stella noticed the friends' confused expressions, with the exception of Dino, and headed over to them.
"Remember those cheats from before?" she said. "After we caught them, they were quick to place the blame on their mastermind. Turns out that mastermind is Bill Presley."
"What are you going to do about him?" Dino asked. "I seem to be on his hit list for messing up his plans."
"Don't worry, Dino," Stella said. "Like Jerry and Lee, he's going to be kicked off the island. I'd say he was disqualified, but it would seem as though you knocked him out of the tournament anyways."
"Thanks, Stella."
The staff leader departed. Though only a few minutes had passed since Dino's battle, the crowd was already cheering as the victor was announced.
"Must have been Rupert," Hunter said, watching the doors to see who would walk through them.
Instead, Pauleen, still in her creepy mask, stepped out. When she saw the friends, she headed towards them.
"Hey, looks like you won your round three match, too, Dino," she said. "Of course, not nearly as quickly as me, but you'll get there." The announcer came on, saying it was time for Hunter's match. "Looks like you're on next, Hunter. What's your battle plan? I'd like to see you beat up something other than construction equipment, if you don't mind."
"His opponent is fire-type specialist," Duna said. "He's going Alectro, Plesio, and Paki against her. He's going raw offensive."
"Fun," she said. "Well, good luck!"
that evening
"You could have ended that match like three turns sooner," Holt said to Hunter. "Why'd you let it go on so long?"
"I like watching vivosaurs with Link move," Hunter said innocently. "Besides, she wasn't getting anywhere."
"I liked that Machai," Rosie said, referring to the fighter's smilodon-like vivosaur she'd used. "If I find one, it's totally going on my team."
"You should try to be a little more versatile in your elements," Holt said. "A team of Siamo, Maia, and Machai? Good skills, but bad elements."
"Actually, I was going to switch out Siamo with it," Rosie said, recognizing that it didn't make much difference in the elements.
"But then you lose your offensive threat," Hunter said. "Now, you've got virtually no attacking power."
"Not like it matters! I'm out of the Cup anyways."
"All that fire really worked against you," Dina commented. "Thalasso, Tricera, and Shoni were having a hay day then."
"You forgot the Pepsi again," Todd whined after giving up searching through the cooler. Suddenly, one landed on his lap, and he stared wide-eyed at it. "Never mind."
They turned to see Pauleen up on the roof.
"You guys are loud," she said, inviting herself to sit in an empty lawn chair. "I could here yo all the on the ground."
"I'll bet Rupert just loves us, then," Hunter stated, stomping on the ground. "What're you doing up here, Pauleen?"
She shrugged. "Figured I deserved a present for another well-rounded victory and came to watch the sunset."
"Join the party, digadig," Rosie said, slapping a hand over her mouth. "Diga-dang it! Not again, digadig…"
"You're a Digadig?" Pauleen asked.
Rosie shook her head, refusing to say anything.
"About five years ago, Rosie and I did the Digadigs a favor," Hunter explained. "Their chief zapped Rosie, making it so she would speak Digadig. He removed it, but it still flares up now and again."
"I've never been fond of the language," Pauleen said.
They all stayed up on the roof together until the sun set, laughing and talking together.
End Chapter