Case File #23:
"Sword of the Shinobi"
guest starring:
PHIL LAMARR
as Hong Kong Phooey/Penry Poochmund
BRITTANY ISHIBASHI
as Miyumi
KELLY HU
as Ms. Mirimoto
TOGO IEGAWA
as Sojo
JAMES SIE
as Kenji
MAILE FLANAGAN, YURI LOWENTHAL, KATE HIGGINS & ROBBIE RIST
as Ninjas/Student Walla
KEONE YOUNG
as Matsuhiro
YUKI MATSUZAKI
as Tanaka
MINAE NOJI
as The Fox
NOTE: Some elements of this were based on Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword, as well as some elements being inspired by the works of Cybereman2099 from DeviantART.
On a dark, clear night in Tokyo, Japan, a group of ninjas were breaking into a museum. After opening the skylight, they descended to the floor. Once they were inside, they moved on catlike tread, ignoring some of the other artifacts, like warlord helmets and family-owned suits of armor.
And why, I hear you asking? Because they had a far greater target in mind.
Suddenly, the doors to the room swung open, prompting them to quickly hide. As they did, the nighttime janitor, Kenji, was coming in to clean the floors. However he didn't notice the ninjas anyway because he had his headphones on. While he sang loudly as the music blared in his ears, the ninjas crept stealthily along, searching for the target they had come to collect.
Soon, their target was in sight:a solid gold dagger with a dragon design on the handle.
Before they could claim their prize, something shot out of the dark and caught one of them in the head, before boomeranging back to the hand of the one who threw it.
"Sorry, folks—didn't anyone tell ya?" asked a rough-sounding voice. "Museum's closed. You want in? Buy a ticket tomorrow like everyone else."
Turning their heads, the ninjas saw who'd thrown the projectile. It was a dog, dressed in a red robe, and a black bandit mask around his eyes.
The ninjas went after the dog to fight, while one was left to sneak closer. When each of them leapt at him, he effortlessly fended them off with blows, elbow drops, and spin-kicks.
As he did, the last ninja snatched the dagger from its pedestal and sheathed it, before they readied a smoke pellet. The dog guy did his best to keep the smoke pellet from blowing up, but the ninjas eventually made one blow up and escaped amidst the smoke.
"Dog-gone it!" The dog exclaimed. "Looks like I'd better am-scray myself before I end up takin' the fall!"
And so, he did.
One thing was for sure: that little dagger could lead to some very big trouble.
(End of cold open.)
"SWORD OF THE SHINOBI!"
(guest starring Hong Kong Phooey!)
The next day, the gang had arrived in Tokyo, looking for a friend of one of their own.
"I can hardly believe it," commented Fred. "Our Daphne is gonna be taking part in a fighting tournament right here in Japan! How cool is THAT? Like something right out of a manga!"
"It IS a pretty neat opportunity," Velma agreed.
"And, like, we get to travel to the capital of food vending machines!" Shaggy mentioned.
"Roh, yeah! Rorayaki, rakiroba, onigiri, rakitori, rempura..." Scooby rattled off, as his mouth began to water hungrily.
"Wow, this place has something for everyone!" Scrappy said enthusiastically.
Maybe it'll have something for me, too, he thought.
"Alright, now remember: Miyumi said she'd meet us by the statue of Hachiko," said Daphne. "I'll check my phone and see what it looks like."
Suddenly, they heard some local kids mentioning Hachiko and they looked to see a boy taking a picture of two girls standing next to a dog statue.
"...I guess that must be the place," commented Daphne.
"Yup," responded Velma. "It's also in the English portion of the scenery brochure."
"What's the story?" Fred asked.
"Hachiko was a loyal dog who'd wait for his owner to get home every day, at this station," read Velma. "But when his owner died in 1925, Hachiko spent the rest of his life waiting here. So this statue was dedicated to him in his honor."
"That's one dedicated friend," Daphne declared.
"Boy, I'll say!" Shaggy responded. "Major props to him."
"Reah!" Scooby agreed.
"Maybe one day, you'll get your own statue like his, Uncle Scooby," commented Scrappy.
"Reah...I probably could!" Scooby responded.
"Stranger things have happened," A voice said, prompting everyone's attention. Everyone turned to see a young Japanese girl around Daphne's age, with her hair in pigtails.
"You must be Miyumi, right?" Daphne said as she went over to the girl.
"Yep," nodded the girl. "And you're Daphne. I recognize that orange hair anywhere!"
"Thanks," Daphne said as they bowed to each other.
"Haven't seen you since 8th grade," Miyumi replied. "But I have been practicing since then!"
"Good, because so have I!" Daphne replied. "I'm ready for when we get in the ring!"
"That sounds pretty nice," Fred said as he enjoyed watching the reunion.
"Oh! I almost forgot," Daphne said. "Miyumi, you remember the gang: Velma, Freddy, Shaggy, Scooby-Doo, and our newest member, his nephew Scrappy."
Miyumi gasped. "He's so...so..." she began.
Scrappy's eyes lit up. "Cool? Tough?" he suggested.
"So cute!" Miyumi finished as she reached over and patted his head.
Scrappy was about to insist that he wasn't cute...but that would've been rude. "Thank you," he responded with a sigh.
"It's rust a rase," Scooby assured his nephew.
"So, how are we getting to the tournament exactly?" inquired Fred.
"Oh, we're using the private jet." Miyumi replied. "Please, follow me." Curiosities piqued, the gang each followed her off to the jet.
Once they were onboard, the jet did a vertical takeoff. "Whoooooa!" exclaimed the gang as the plane soared off into the air.
After a few minutes, soon it was safe to move around.
"Wow, is this ever fast!" exclaimed Shaggy.
"This jet is one of the most advanced and fuel-efficient vehicles in the world," Miyumi revealed.
"So I see," commented Velma. "Definitely impressive! Honestly...I'm a little jealous."
"In Japan, we have managed to make all sorts of advancements that we intend to share with the world." Miyumi explained.
"Now that's pretty cool!" Scrappy complimented.
"You know what would be cooler?" Shaggy asked. "Like, a pilot!"
"Don't worry, Shaggy," Miyumi explained. "It's on autopilot. The route is preprogrammed!"
"Now that's highly advanced!" Velma declared in excitement.
"Ohhh, yeah," responded Miyumi. "In Japan, technology always seems to find some new way to progress further!"
"No kidding!" Fred said as he was enjoying the flight.
"Well, we're almost there," said Velma. "Let's see what we'll be dealing with."
"You know, this IS a massive honor," responded Miyumi. "Miss Mirimoto only chooses from the best of the best to compete in her tournaments."
"I have heard plenty about that," Daphne admitted. "I'm very surprised and honored to receive an invitation."
"Should be fun seeing what you can do after so long," Miyumi responded as the jet arrived at the island, soaring over the heads of dozens of training students.
"Looks like there's gonna be some stiff competition," Shaggy mentioned as he spotted the students.
"No kidding!" commented Fred.
"Aw, they're not so tough!" Scrappy responded.
"Looks can be deceiving," Miyumi told Scrappy as the seatbelt signal came on.
"Speaking of which, buckle up!" said Velma. "We're about to land!"
Immediately, the gang buckled themselves in as the plane came in for a landing. A moment later it landed, vertically, on a landing pad located near a Japanese zen garden. The side door opened, and the gang and Miyumi disembarked from the jet.
Standing outside were a woman in her 30s, and a tall, burly man with a goatee.
"All must wear uniform!" The man declared before he grabbed Shaggy and Scooby and put them both into training gis.
Miyumi facepalmed. "No, Sojo! Bad!" she chastised. "Not them—the redhead!" she pointed at Daphne.
"All must wear uniform!" Sojo declared as he tried to grab Daphne.
"HAI-YEE-AAH!" Daphne exclaimed as she grabbed the mountainous man and judo-slammed him to the floor. "Sorry, Sojo...but I handle my OWN wardrobe," she informed him.
The woman was quite impressed as she gave a short and slow clap. "Impressive," she declared in amusement.
"You wouldn't happen to be Miss Mirimoto, would you?" asked Daphne.
"Indeed," responded Mirimoto. "And you must be Daphne Blake."
"It's an honor to meet you," They both said together as they took a bow of respect and greetings.
"It will be interesting having you compete," said Mirimoto. "Especially against the other challengers."
"I don't know if I'll win, but I'll do my best." Daphne replied.
Mirimoto smiled, her interest piqued. "Please, follow me to the main yard," she said. "For the exhibition match."
They all agreed and followed her. As they headed to the front yard, they saw all sorts of unusual competitors getting ready to throw down.
But the last of them was a canine janitor, clad in a blue shirt and a red cap, humming to himself while he mopped up a spill.
"At least they have a nice janitor around here," Scrappy pointed out.
"Yeah, that's not so bad!" said Fred, as they continued to look around as they spotted the competition.
"Man, get a load of this place, Scoob!" remarked Shaggy. "It's like one big karate carnival!"
"Aside from my own students, I have also summoned many well trained fighters from across the globe," Mirimoto explained.
"No kidding," mused Velma. "There's some impressive guys and girls out here, all looking for a chance at glory."
"Not glory, greatest of honors," Miyumi corrected. "Mirimoto Academy is highly exclusive and will only accept those that prove to be, not only victorious, but also honorable."
"...my bad," replied Velma as she continued following the others.
"It's okay," Miyumi assured her. So the group sat off to the side, as Mirimoto approached the podium.
"Most honored participants...welcome to Mirimoto Academy's Tournament of Champions," announced Miss Mirimoto. "The finest martial artists in the world have gathered here today for one single purpose—to prove they are the best!"
One thing was for sure: everyone was excited for the opportunity that was being given to them. However, the janitor just shrugged as he continued mopping. Scrappy looked a little curious, so he decided to follow behind and see what he was up to. After all, long speeches like this didn't really interest him.
"To kick off the tournament, I will select two challengers to compete against each other," declared Miss Mirimoto. "Consider it an exhibition match."
"I wonder who they'll be?" Fred mused as they awaited the names of the challengers.
After a few minutes of deliberation, Miss Mirimoto made her choice.
"Miyumi Mirimoto, and Daphne Blake," she declared. "Step forth and enter the ring."
Daphne was both excited and nervous as she stepped forward with Miyumi. They got to their positions and took a bow of respect towards each other.
"It will be an honor to fight you," said Miyumi.
"頑張ってください！ [Do your best!]" Daphne responded, bowing as well.
Then they got into fighting positions. "Ready?" Mirimoto said as she raised an arm. "Begin!"
Getting a running start, Miyumi leapt into the air and launched a flying kick at Daphne, who quickly blocked it with her arms, though she stumbled back from the force of it.
"So that's it, then!" Daphne said as she put her fists up.
Miyumi charged forward and dished out a few blows to Daphne, who blocked and dodged most of them, but she grabbed her leg and pushed her backwards.
"Hmm, both are strong, but they still have a ways to go," The janitor mentioned.
"Yeah, I'd say so myself," replied Scrappy as he watched the two combatants continue battling.
Daphne and Miyumi showed no signs of slowing down as they seemed to be equals. They traded blows, going pound for pound as they battled across the arena; of course, as they clashed fists...Miyumi reached up and grabbed her headband, making Daphne's hair fall down over her eyes.
"Hey! My hairband!" she shouted, as Miyumi grabbed her by the arm and flipped her onto the floor.
The janitor shook his head in disappointment. "The things some folks will do to win," he sighed.
Daphne pulled herself to her feet as Miyumi waited for her to get up. "What the hell was THAT for?" the redhead asked.
"In order to win, one must do whatever their opponents aren't willing to," Miyumi responded calmly.
"That is what we teach here at my academy," Mirimoto declared.
"...I've noticed..." Daphne grunted, a little irritated.
"Perhaps you could study under us?" Mirimoto suggested.
"Maybe," said Daphne. "But I'm a little more interested in fair play."
"I see..." Mirimoto replied. "Regardless, I'm certain that you'll enjoy your stay."
"I'll try," Daphne replied as she made her way over to the sidelines.
"Hopefully, things change soon," The janitor said as he looked around, as if examining the area.
"Yeah...hopefully," mused Scrappy.
"What's up with you, kid?" The janitor asked.
"I'm just looking for someone who could train me to help fight and control my new powers," Scrappy replied.
"I might know somebody." The janitor replied.
"Yeah?" Scrappy asked, intrigued. "I'm all ears, in that case."
"Follow me." The janitor advised. "I got a pal who hangs around here sometimes."
Scrappy gave a shrug as he got to his feet and followed the janitor. "Name's Scrappy," he introduced.
"Nice t'meet ya, Scrappy," replied the janitor as he brought him to another room. "Name's Penrod. Penrod Poochmund, but folks just call me Penry. Wait here, okay?" he said, before he walked away.
Scrappy took a seat, then he got out a book of puzzles and a pencil, and started in on doing some to pass the time.
In a flash, Hong Kong Phooey appeared before him. "Hey there, kiddo!" he exclaimed. "The name's Hong Kong Phooey! How you doing?"
"Just fine, mostly," Scrappy responded. "And you yourself?"
"Oh, just keeping an eye on things!" Hong Kong Phooey replied. "Now, I was told that you need a bit of training."
"Boy, do I!" Scrappy said. "I wanna be able to use my powers, help my friends and uncle, plus at least learn how to fight. The world's tough, so I gotta be tougher!"
"I don't know anything about powers, but I can sure as shootin' teach you how to fight," Hong Kong Phooey declared.
Scrappy raised a brow. "...good enough for me!" he replied.
"Perfect," Hong Kong Phooey said with a smile. "Let's begin."
"Alright, so what's up first?" asked Scrappy as he jumped to his feet.
"How to fall." Hong Kong Phooey revealed as he flipped Scrappy. "Before you can learn to fight, you need to learn to fall."
The puppy landed on his back. "...so I see..." he grunted.
"Now the rest will come easy," Hong Kong Phooey assured him.
"Spiffy," remarked Scrappy as he got back to his feet.
And so, Hong Kong Phooey taught Scrappy how to do some kung-fu, while Scrappy did his best to try and follow the motions.
Soon enough, he gradually got the hang of it.
Then Hong Kong Phooey pulled out a brick. "Karate chop it," he instructed.
Scrappy took a few deep breaths, raised his paw, and brought it down with a yell.
For a moment it seemed like nothing happened, but then Scrappy groaned in pain while the brick split in half.
K-K-KRIK.
"Oops!" Hong Kong Phooey exclaimed as he quickly got some ice. "Looks like we'll need to work on your karate chop."
"Yeah..." Scrappy winced, trying not to cry. "...that would REALLY help!"
"For now, take five!" Hong Kong Phooey advised.
"Well, alright," nodded Scrappy. "Thanks for the lesson!"
"You're welcome." Hong Kong Phooey replied. "I'll be around."
And so, Scrappy headed off to rejoin the others while Hong Kong Phooey went on his way. Luckily they couldn't have picked a better time for it, because soon dinner was ready.
Naturally, the group followed the others into the dining room. Before them was a tremendous table of food that was laid out.
"Now that's a feast!" Shaggy declared.
"Roh, yeah!" Scooby agreed, as everyone sat down.
"To celebrate the first day of our tournament, we have prepared a bountiful feast," Miss Mirimoto responded.
Miyumi sat next to Daphne. "I hope you didn't take it personally, what I did earlier," she said.
"No." Daphne replied. "I may not agree with the methods, but I don't take it personally."
Miyumi smiled in response and made herself comfortable at the table.
As everyone tucked into the food, Scrappy came into the room. "Hey, guys," he greeted. "I'm back!"
Shaggy and Scooby each offered a muffled greeting while they continued eating.
Once Scrappy saw the spread, he joined in for his first real taste of foreign cuisine. Grabbing a piece of sashimi, he ate it in a few bites. "Heeey, that's pretty tasty!" he exclaimed before he started eating some more pawfuls of food.
They were enjoying the feast as Sumo Wrestlers did a practice match, while Geishas went around. A few of the students clapped and cheered, enjoying the food and entertainment.
.
.
...then the lights went out.
Everyone was concerned and some were worried. A few of the students got up and prepared to defend themselves as everyone looked around. As the lights flickered on, the students suddenly saw they were surrounded by a wraith of ninjas!
"Ninjas!" One of the Geishas cried out. Immediately, some of the competitors stepped up to take on these unwanted guests; however, they were each easily defeated and countered by the ninjas.
Of course, one of the ninjas in particular wasn't here for a fight. "Deal with them," they said in Japanese. "I have more important things to handle."
"Looks like this trip has just become something other than relaxing!" Velma pointed out as they were surrounded.
"Like, yeah!" Shaggy gulped as he held Scooby. "Pretty sure relaxing just did a swan-dive out the window!"
"Kyah! Hoo-ah!" Hong Kong Phooey exclaimed as he chopped one of the ninjas down. "Next?"
The other ninjas turned to face him and two by two, leapt at him to face off against the number-one super-guy.
Hong Kong Phooey fought the ninjas while Shaggy and Scooby gorged themselves until they were as big as the Sumo Wrestlers. Then they tucked and rolled over some of the ninjas.
"Stee-rike!" Scrappy called. "That's Sumo, Scooby Style!"
"Reah!" Scooby agreed with a smile before he and Shaggy burped the weight away.
Most of the other ninjas were defeated, but one snuck away into the shadows...and with a sword in hand.
"Uh-oh, one got away!" Hong Kong Phooey exclaimed.
"No sense trying to pursue," responded Velma. "Best we can do is see if anyone's hurt."
"I'll go on ahead," Hong Kong Phooey said before he disappeared. And with that, the gang went off to go investigate and see if anyone was hurt.
Fortunately nobody was harmed, but they were convinced not to stick around.
"Miss Mirimoto, I'm a bit concerned that it might be unsafe here," explained Daphne. "Is there anyone who would want to attack your academy?"
"Nobody in particular, but there is something of value here." Mirimoto admitted.
"Such as?" inquired Fred, as Velma readied a notepad and pen.
"A sword that is also said to be one of two keys to a legendary cave of treasure." Miyumi revealed.
"Alright..." mused Velma as she jotted that down.
"And you're sure NOBODY else could know about it?" Fred inquired.
"Now that I think about it, there were a couple of rival schools that were sore losers," Mirimoto admitted.
"You mean the Tanaka school, mother?" Miyumi asked.
"Possibly." Mirimoto replied.
"Then that's where we go next," responded Fred. "As soon as we find them."
"I'll look up their location." Velma advised.
"Thanks, Vel," Fred told her.
After a few minutes of searching, Velma re-entered the room. "Looks like I've got a location," she said. "And we're heading to Osaka."
"Sounds like we better oh-pack-a dinner!" Shaggy remarked, before he yawned. "...or maybe breakfast."
Scrappy yawned as well. "It is kinda late..." he had to agree.
So everyone decided to go to bed for the night.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, the Gang and Miyumi headed to Osaka—and with it, the Tanaka Academy to question those who were in charge.
As they left the janitor changed into Hong Kong Phooey and left via a secret boat. "Those kids are gonna need some help," he murmured. "And who better to give it to them than the Number-One-Super-Guy?"
After two hours, the gang arrived at Tanaka Academy, where the students were participating in a meditation session.
"Like, I guess these guys take their naps seriously if they take 'em sitting up," Shaggy commented.
"They're not napping, they're meditating," corrected Velma. "...okay, that third guy IS napping, but still."
"Who has come to disturb our meditation?" mused Sensei Tanaka.
"Hi, we're Mystery Incorporated," introduced Fred. "And we've come to investigate. You see, last night, Mirimoto Academy was attacked by a bunch of ninjas who were looking for something."
"Well, it wouldn't surprise me," Tanaka responded with a scoff. "Mirimoto Academy specializes in how to fight dirty instead of honorable combat."
Miyumi looked a little incensed, but said nothing.
"Then if not you, might you have any suggestions on who would want to steal something from them?" Velma asked.
"Unfortunately not," Tanaka replied. "We usually keep to ourselves here to allow ourselves a strong chance to acquire peace within, so that we can focus our chi."
"I see," responded Velma. "Thanks for your time."
"You might want to run." Tanaka advised. "An ill wind approaches..."
Immediately, the group left the dojo within record time—and as they exited, there came a low, brassy sound.
"They need to lay off the beans!" Scrappy advised.
"Roh, reah!" Scooby agreed. "Reeuck!"
[Eh, this was mostly my co-writer's choice. Not really a fan of fart jokes in my stuff, so I guess we'll see how things go moving forward]
"Meditation relaxes EVERY part of the body," Velma explained.
"Guess it crosses those guys off the list," Daphne said. "So who should we ask next?"
"The only other individual who could've executed a theft like this is Kitsune, The Fox," responded Miyumi.
"The Fox?" asked the gang in unison.
"Honestly, this is the first I've heard of her," responded Velma.
"Might wanna look her up." Daphne suggested.
"Already on it," replied Velma as she got her phone out, then began checking for any data on The Fox. "Well...a twenty-year career," she murmured, adjusting her glasses. "Impressive, at least."
"Known possible hideouts include a warehouse not too far from here." Fred pointed out.
"Then maybe we should go check it out," said Daphne.
"I guess it couldn't hurt," responded Shaggy. "As long as we don't get ambushed by anything."
"Rou never know," Scooby mentioned.
"And that's what worries me," Shaggy sighed.
As they headed to the warehouse, Miyumi couldn't help wondering if there might be some truth in what Tanaka had said. Sure, it made her mad, but she began to consider the old man might have a point.
Once they got inside, everyone got out their flashlights, and started looking around the warehouse. So far, nothing seemed out-of-the-ordinary.
"Alright, split up and search for secret passageways." Fred advised. So everyone began to search around and feel for anything which could constitute a passageway or be hiding one.
They ended up finding a hidden vault that surprisingly wasn't locked, a hidden nap room, and even a full-on arcade, but it wasn't until they reached the end of the building did they find The Fox herself in a hidden snack locker while was eating a candy bar, her favorite cheat day snack.
"Uh-oh...busted," she said after swallowing what was in her mouth.
"The Fox, I presume," said Fred. "We're Mystery Incorporated, and we'd like to ask some questions."
"About what?" The Fox asked while taking another bite of her chocolate bar.
"Namely pertaining to a sword," responded Daphne. "Last night, someone attempted to steal it from Mirimoto Academy."
"I was busy with something else," The Fox shrugged. "Specifically I swiped the giant pink ruby right off the Defense Minister's pinky."
"I guess that's an alibi, illegal as it is," Velma replied.
"And, on that note..." The Fox said as she put on a gas mask and dropped a smoke grenade, which filled the room. "You must understand, I didn't get where I am by taking chances."
A few minutes later, the gang reawakened outside the now-empty warehouse.
"...alright, I guess we should've seen that coming," replied Daphne. "Knowing her, she had to get us out of there so we wouldn't have any proof of where she was or what she did."
"And now you understand why she's called The Fox," Miyumi mentioned. "Not only is she sly and sneaky, but she's also tricky."
"Just as well," shrugged Shaggy. "Like, whatever she was up to wasn't really what we were investigating. But, at least we know neither of them took the sword."
"And yet, we still don't know who did," Fred mentioned. "It's almost as if it were an inside job."
"...ruff and double-ruff!" Scrappy remarked. "Now THERE'S a possibility!"
"It's the only other explanation we've got," Velma agreed.
Miyumi raised a brow at that, curious.
"Then we'd better get back to Mirimoto Academy," responded Daphne. "One problem is, since it took us a while to get here, it'll be the same for returning, so the culprit will have plenty of time to go after the sword."
"You mean this sword?" Hong Kong Phooey asked, arriving with the tool in question. "I took the liberty of doing a switch for extra protection, so while I'm guarding the real one the bad guys are going after a fake."
"Roh! Rice roing!" Scooby commented.
"Yeah, that sure was smart!" Scrappy added. "...hey, wait a second! You're that guy the janitor was friends with!"
"Hong Kong Phooey, at your service!" HKP said, taking a bow. "Figured this thing was important, so I decided to lend a paw."
"Well, we definitely appreciate the assistance," said Daphne. "This could get pretty rough."
"No doubt about that." Hong Kong Phooey agreed. "If you ask me I think we might find some answers on why someone's trying to take the sword in this book of legends." He suggested as he pulled out a book of Japanese legends. Everyone crowded around and looked over his shoulders as he opened it.
"Ah, here it is." Hong Kong Phooey declared as he found the page about the secret cave. "According to the full legend, the cave is actually a safe that holds dangerous magical items inside, but none more dangerous than a gemstone that gives a person the power of the deadliest monster of all, the Yamata-no-Orochi."
"The Yamata-no-Orochi?" asked Daphne. "What's that?"
"I did some research last night," replied Velma. "It's a legendary dragon with eight heads and eight tails."
"Eight heads?!" Shaggy gulped. "Like, he'd clean up at a buffet!"
"And it has the ability to regenerate, but fire is also its weakness," Hong Kong Phooey explained. "I have a sneaking suspicion that whoever's responsible for all this is trying to find the cave, but nobody knows exactly where it is."
"Then I guess that's fortunate," responded Fred. "If they don't know where the cave is, they can't get the gem."
"The legend says that the only clue is a place considered the Dragon's Gem," Miyumi revealed.
"Uh-oh," Hong Kong Phooey said in realization.
"What?" asked Scrappy. "What is it?"
"About a year ago, a group of Japanese sailors found an island off the coast in a near constant layer of fog and have claimed it to be the Isle of the Dragon's Gem," Hong Kong Phooey revealed. "They sent drones to examine the island and found an old temple, but nobody's dared to set foot on the isle due to legends and committees clashing."
"Then that must mean they suspect the hidden cave is there," Daphne replied. "It might be where they planned on taking the sword and the missing dagger."
"...rhaddo re do?" Scooby asked.
"For now, let's keep the sword safe!" Fred advised before they all heard all of their stomachs growl. "...and let's get some lunch."
"I know a good sushi place nearby," Hong Kong Phooey revealed. "Green Dragon, it's top quality at affordable prices."
So, that's just where they went.
"Welcome!" The chef and owner, Matsuhiro, greeted. "Come eat sushi."
"Thanks," said Fred. "And that sounds great!"
But before they could sit down, the ninjas broke into the restaurant.
"Great, it's the ninjerks again!" Scrappy commented.
"Not to mention, they're robots!" Hong Kong Phooey revealed.
"Robot ninjas?" Matsuhiro said as he pulled down a samurai sword from his wall and drew it. "Ya-ha!"
Suddenly he slashed a robot in half as he stood in the center of the restaurant.
"Now we shall have some fun!" Matsuhiro declared as he waited for the next move.
And so, the robot ninjas started attacking while Matsuhiro sliced through each of them that came his way.
"Like, wow!" Shaggy remarked. "Now that dude knows his stuff!"
All of a sudden a ninja snagged the sword with a whip and got away. Then after Matsuhiro cut down another robot, the rest fell back.
"They're gone!" Matsuhiro exclaimed.
"Then we need some way to figure out where they're going!" said Fred. "If only we had some kind of tracking device..."
"But in the meantime, like, those were some slick moves!" Shaggy exclaimed Shaggy. "Matsuhiro definitely isn't a cold fish with a samurai sword!"
"That is because I am samurai." Matsuhiro revealed.
"I guess I forgot to mention that," Hong Kong Phooey admitted. "I had a feeling that the ninjas are working for whoever might be going after the treasure, so I wanted to enlist the help of the samurai order, who've been guarding the secrets of the isle for generations."
"I guess it's not just what you know, it's who you know too!" Scrappy commented.
"My order has known all about the Isle of the Dragon's Gem for centuries, so to protect its secrets, we shall go there and defend the temple from anyone wanting to gain access to the cave," Matsuhiro declared.
"Alright!" Fred exclaimed, standing u[. "We're definitely ready when you are!"
And just then, everyone's stomachs growled. BEEEEYOOOOOOWLLLL...
"...as soon as we get some food," Shaggy finished.
"I make plenty on the house." Matsuhiro declared as he got back to the kitchen.
So, the gang and Miyumi got their sushi after all.
After they ate their fill, they headed to the jet, and once they had boarded it, they were on their way once again.
Naturally, Matsuhiro gave directions on how to get to the island, so they had to input them in order to properly complete the trip.
Eventually they made it to the isle and found a place to land. Once they did, they disembarked from the jet and made their way onto the island.
"This way to the temple," Matsuhiro said as he led the way. As he led, the gang followed, keeping an eye out for anything that could be considered suspicious.
Of course, someone was following them while keeping out of sight.
Soon enough the gang made it to the temple.
"The temple of the Dragon Samurai is the entrance to the cave in disguise," Matsuhiro explained. "It was built in honor of a samurai warrior with a green dragon as his symbol, who defeated an evil warlord that sought to conquer the world by using the magic gemstone within the cave."
"I can see why," remarked Shaggy. "With eight heads, he could've eaten anyone who dissed him!"
"Looks quiet right now." Hong Kong Phooey pointed out.
"See how long it lasts..." murmured Daphne as they kept going.
"Row ruch rurther?" asked Scooby.
"Uh, Scooby, we're already here." Hong Kong Phooey revealed as they were right in front of the temple.
"Re are?" Scooby looked up and saw the temple entrance. "...roh! Rokay!" he said, sheepishly.
"Now to keep an eye out for anything..." Fred advised as the ninjas came out of hiding. "Like them!"
"Get ready!" said Hong Kong Phooey.
"We'll do what we can," responded Fred as he and the others took defensive stances.
Before a fight could break out, two cloaked strangers approached. One was tall and muscular, while the other was smaller and more petite.
"...okay, who are they?" Velma asked.
The smaller one laughed softly before uncloaking, revealing herself to be Mirimoto, and the tall one was Sojo.
"Miss Mirimoto?" everyone exclaimed.
"...Mother," said Miyumi.
"Indeed." Mirimoto said as she revealed the sword and the dagger. "Now move away or suffer."
Seeing as they had no other choice, the gang decided to back away.
"What are you guys even doing here?" asked Velma. "Don't tell me you're here to open the cave..."
"I'm here to do more than just that," Mirimoto assured her. "For years, I have watched my country become soft and I shall lead it to greatness once again."
"And you intend to do that with the power of the Yamata-no-Orochi?" asked Daphne.
"I seek to do what my ancestor attempted to do: control the world," Mirimoto replied.
"...ancestor?!" the gang exclaimed.
"Lord Yuki Mirimoto, the warlord that the order stopped before," Matsuhiro explained.
"Turns out that Mirimoto here has one rotten family tree." Hong Kong Phooey added.
"...indeed..." Miyumi responded, her tone low and head down.
"Regardless, I shall complete my ancestor's work." Mirimoto declared. "Attack!"
Immediately, the robo-ninjas crouched and sprang forth, ready to rumble. Daphne and the others got into fighting stances, prepared to fight back as the robots attacked them.
"So what's the plan?" asked Velma.
"We fight," said Daphne.
"Are you sure?" Fred inquired as he dodged a punch. "We've barely had time to practice with our powers!"
"Powers?" Matsuhiro, Miyumi, and Hong Kong Phooey asked in confusion.
"...sorry, I keep forgetting nobody knows," said Fred. "Well, no time like the present."
"Miyumi, come!" Mirimoto ordered. "Remember your place!"
"...understood, Mother," sighed Miyumi as she went over to Mirimoto, resignedly.
"Sojo, clear a path." Mirimoto ordered.
"Hai!" grunted Sojo as he attacked with the ninjas.
"OK, gang...now or never!" Fred said as he gripped his fists, and fired an energy net out. Alas, it was only a small one that barely covered one of the ninjas, who effortlessly batted it away and kept on charging.
"Care for a sword?" Matsuhiro offered.
"I have no experience with one, but okay," responded Fred.
"A sword seems to be much easier than whatever power you don't know much about," Hong Kong Phooey admitted. "Plus, as one of the presidents said, speak softly, and carry a big stick!" he added as he tossed Daphne a bo staff.
The redhead took the staff and spun it a few times. "OK...I know my way around this!" she smiled.
"I'll work on hacking into them," Velma said as she got her phone out.
"And I guess Scooby and I will just do some running to keep some of them busy," Shaggy suggested with a gulp. "But I don't think we'll be running forever."
"Rokay," nodded Scooby.
"What about me, huh?" asked Scrappy, eager. "Anything I can do? I'm ready!"
"Like, keep an eye on Mirimoto." Shaggy suggested. "She might try getting past us."
"...well, okay," relented Scrappy, bummed.
"Believe me, being a spy at your size tends to be the deciding factor of anything big." Velma assured him.
Scrappy didn't exactly believe that, but he decided not to be rude about it. "...I guess we'll see," he responded.
As each of the robots attacked, Fred and Daphne worked in tandem to fend them off, while Sojo was in hot pursuit of Shaggy and Scooby.
Scrappy was reluctantly watching as Mirimoto headed towards the cave. Meanwhile, Velma was working on hacking the robots and managed to figure out a code to a backdoor in their programming.
"Jinkies," she smiled. "Looks like I found it! Now to open it up and head inside."
"Go for it, because we could use less trouble." Scrappy advised. "Mirimoto is on her way into the cave."
Velma nodded, and continued on hacking into the robots. Luckily, she managed to have a few of them come after Mirimoto to delay her from getting into the cave. But they were no match for her skills with a pair of swords that extended to work like whips.
"Miyumi, put the sword and dagger into their slots on the statue," Mirimoto ordered.
With a heavy heart, Miyumi nodded, and headed towards the statue.
"Miyumi!" called Daphne. "You don't have to do this!"
"Do it, now!" Mirimoto ordered. "If you want to win, you must be willing to do what others are not willing to do."
Miyumi's hands trembled as she looked between them, wracked with indecision. Suddenly, it didn't seem as easy to decide her next course of action.
"今すぐやろう [Do it now]!" Mirimoto shouted in annoyance.
Miyumi relented, and went over to the statue. She took the blades...and inserted them into the slots.
Then the door opened. There, within the chamber, sat the treasure...and within, the gemstone.
"At last!" Mirimoto declared as she went inside. While she entered, the statue that acted as the door guardian came to life. With mighty steps, the statue approached the others.
I was obedient... Miyumi thought, completely ashamed of herself. I was loyal...and this is what it got me...
For the first time in her life, she was seeing things perfectly clearly. And she knew what had to be done.
Meanwhile, Mirimoto continued through the treasure room until she reached the gem. "The power..." she exclaimed, awestruck. "...so familiar..."
Mirimoto clutched the gem, and it sent out a massive glow of energy which engulfed her.
The group saw the glow and knew that it wasn't good. As the glowing light died down, Mirimoto had transformed into a gigantic, red-scaled, green-eyed, eight-headed serpent—the Yamata-No-Orochi!
"Ah, yes! THIS is the power I remember!" she cackled. "So glorious! So beautiful! Now I shall lead Japan back to glory!"
"You kids see what you can do about her!" Hong Kong Phooey advised. "Matsuhiro and I will handle the statue!"
Shaggy laughed sheepishly. "...oh, god, he's not kidding..." he realized.
"Sadly, he is not," Matsuhiro confirmed as he and HKP sprang into action.
Shaggy sighed, before looking at Scooby. "You ready, Scoob?" he asked.
"No," responded Scooby.
"Neither am I," replied Shaggy. "...but let's go anyway."
And with that, the entire group headed into the cave, sliding between the legs of the giant stone guardian. As they entered, they found Mirimoto, in the form of the massive Yamata-no-Orochi!
"I suppose I owe you children some gratitude!" she grinned wickedly. "I could not have reached this moment without your help!"
As the group members each took a combat stance, they were suddenly surrounded by colored auras which manifested in energy tattoos [think like the ones the Ninja Turtles had in the Mutant Nightmare game, or Crash Bandicoot's tattoos in "Crash of the Titans"]!
"Jeepers!" Daphne exclaimed, glancing at her wrists. "What's going on?"
"Maybe there's some sort of energy in this cave that's letting us tap into our mystic powers!" Velma responded.
"...jeepers, is that ever convenient!" remarked Daphne.
"We may as well put it to good use," said Fred. "So let's go get 'er!"
"I hear ya, big guy!" Scrappy agreed. "Time to rock 'em and sock 'em!"
So, mustering their courage, the gang headed into action to deal with the transformed Mirimoto.
First, Fred created some energy nets, and slung them at several of her heads to wrap their mouths shut. "Gotcha, big-mouth!" he grinned.
Velma took a deep breath, and concentrated, while an orange glow surrounded her, enabling her telekinetic power. She tried to wrench the gem from Mirimoto's clutch, but she had one hell of a grasp on it.
"...okay, ruling THAT out..." she panted, before she set her sights on Sojo. "I guess we're goin' with the big guy!"
Velma reached out, and pulled Sojo off his feet, sending him flying into a nearby cavern wall. The resulting collision, of course, knocked him out cold!
Scrappy tried punching Mirimoto, but he couldn't cause a lot of damage. However, he did manage to knock a couple of her heads dizzy.
"This is great!" he grunted. "I finally get to show what I can do!"
"I'm going to make an appetizer of that little pest!" hissed Mirimoto as more of her heads lunged at Scrappy, jaws snapping fiercely.
Luckily Shaggy zipped by and grabbed Scrappy with his super speed. "I gotcha, Scrap!" he called.
"I had it covered, Shag," said Scrappy. "But I'm not sayin' the help wasn't appreciated!"
"Even with powers we, like, gotta be careful." Shaggy told his little buddy.
"Right!" Scrappy said. "...speakin' of which, JUMP!"
Shaggy quickly managed to jump over three of the eight tails as they almost smashed into him.
Meanwhile, Scooby was preparing to use his power. He took a deep breath, and felt himself getting angry. And with it, there came his transformation. He grew bigger, hairier, and gained fangs.
Once the change was complete, he let off a roar! With that taken care of, he immediately turned towards Mirimoto and darted towards her.
"Whoa," Scrappy remarked, awestruck as he watched his uncle spring into action. "I knew my uncle Scooby had guts, but WOW!"
Scooby let out a bark as he leapt onto one of the tails and bit down. Mirimoto thrashed her fourth tail around wildly, but Scooby didn't let go—not even for a second!
"Velma, hold down two heads while I hold down two more!" Fred suggested as he made some more energy nets.
"Sure thing!" Velma exclaimed as she aimed her energy towards two more heads.
"Time to go giant octopus for two more." Daphne said as she turned into a giant octopus and seized the last two heads.
"Awright!" Scrappy exclaimed. "You guys got 'em!"
"Shaggy, get the gemstone!" Fred advised.
"Scrappy, loosen her grip!" Velma added.
"Like, okay!" Shaggy nodded. "You ready?"
"Still am!" Scrappy responded.
As they charged forward, Scrappy punched Mirimoto in the gut and made her loosen her grip on the gemstone. Then, Shaggy ran up and kicked it out of her hand.
"Sorry, you've had your turn with the magical mojo, and it's been going on for a bit too long!" he called.
"NO!" Mirimoto exclaimed as the gem plummeted to the ground.
Then Matsuhiro slashed through it in mid-air, with his sword while Hong Kong Phooey did a double-chop to break the two halves!
As the gemstone was destroyed, Mirimoto's extra heads and tails retracted, and she returned to her human form, which of course caused Scooby to end up with the back of her robe clutched in his teeth.
"And that puts an end to the Yamata-no-Orochi caper!" declared Fred. "Great work, gang!"
"Now this was awesome!" Scrappy declared.
"Reah!" Scooby agreed as they high-fived each other.
A while later the authorities arrived, thanks to a tip-off from Hong Kong Phooey, and arrested Mirimoto and Sojo on the spot.
"I want to apologize," said Miyumi. "...I had a chance to help you earlier, and I was too cowardly to act upon it."
"It's okay." Daphne assured her. "She was your mother and she was no doubt extremely strict."
"Having someone like her as a parent tends to destroy your confidence and whatnot." Velma mentioned.
"Well, since her academy has been shut down, and I'm out a home, I guess I'll get out of Kyoto," said Miyumi. "I've got some relatives in Nerima who are willing to put me up. Mom's money shouldn't go to waste...but maybe I'll be able to make amends for everything I did, including taking the sword."
"I certainly hope so," Hong Kong Phooey mentioned. "I told the chief of police about how you helped when it mattered, and he's letting you off the hook."
"Thanks," Miyumi said. "I appreciate it, and I'll keep in touch with you all."
"Same here," Daphne assured her.
"I wish you best of luck in your family issues, as well as in my own," Miyumi responded before she boarded the train. "さようなら、友よ。また会う日まで。[Goodbye, my friends. Until we meet again.]"
The gang waved goodbye as they watched Miyumi's train pull out of the station.
"Well, that was a fun adventure, but I've gotta head on back to Hong Kong." Hong Kong Phooey told the gang.
Of course, that's where Hong Kong Phooey has to go, he thought. Penry's headin' back to the US of A!
"Well, it was fun teaming up with you," responded Velma.
"Same to you," Hong Kong Phooey agreed. "Hope to see you all again."
"Like, yeah!" Shaggy replied. "Maybe we'll be able to have lunch for a little longer!"
"Count on it, kids!" Hong Kong Phooey agreed.
And so, they went their separate ways again, setting off once more, this time with a bit more knowledge about their abilities, as well as memories of new friends, along with heightened hopes for the rest of their journey.
"Scooby-Dooby-Doo!"
CASE CLOSED!