Operation: DRONERS

This Third Gen story introduces a new crossover! Not just to the Gameverse, but… is there even any fanfiction about this show? It doesn't even have a wiki, and that makes actually remembering character names or lore elements a pain!

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Kids Next Door mission…

Operation:

D.R.O.N.E.R.S.

Drone

Racers

Owe

Newbies

Energetic

Ride

Stat

Loading transmission…

"ORRIGHT, CREW! Someone pick the coolest-looking island and go for it!"

Jason Dimalanta had no real plans in coming to Planet Aquaria. He just loved the environment. An oceanic world dotted with islands was any pirate's dream. Jason rode the keel of the Young Sunny like an amusement park right, rocking his legs whenever the need struck him. Modeled like his mom's pirate ship, it had two extra decks and cabins chained to its back like a train. This was to make Shimmy more comfortable in steering it. "How about that little island over there?" Christina pointed, chilling on a recliner chair with a fishing rod in the water.

"That's just a reef, Chris." Laruta corrected.

"I know. I wanna punch it, see if it breaks."

"Then swim on over and do it." Silica remarked, eyed glued to her handheld game. She sat under the shade of an umbrella.

"You should get ready to swim, too!" Silica wouldn't bother to lower her game to Laruta's snotty, spectacled face. The ponytailed gymnast was fit in a gray one-piece, highlighting the pudginess of her short frame.

Just seeing her in that garb made Silica cringe. "I am not wearing a soggy fatsuit."

"It's not a fatsuit! And besides, the art of swimming is supposed to help you feel more comfortable with your physique. Just let your limbs float free in the water!" Laruta lay on her front and mimicked swimming. "Stop caring about mean people's comments and keep on swimming!"

"Ugh…" Silica twisted around, repulsed and annoyed by Laruta's expressive demeanor.

"I'm ready to swim, Laru-chan!" Mali Anderson danced out. She was clothed in a purple one-piece with a pink ballet-like skirt, a single rubber duck design on it, and purple flippers. "Did I get it on right?" She turned so Laruta could give a thorough analysis.

"Looks just fine, Mali! Now all we need is an island to target!"

Even if they didn't have an epic adventure today, the Sector V teammates didn't mind simply going on a cruise, enjoying the sunlight and salty air, and enjoying each other's company. Unless you were Silica. Isabelle Rivera blessed their cruise with a harp-strung melody, the Shandian relaxed atop the main sails. Ralph Gilligan occupied the crow's nest, but instead of keeping watch, he was lain down in the nest while surveying the area with a remote plane, connected to his terminal. "Wouldn't you rather do lookout the right way, Ralph?" Isabelle asked.

"I have more mobility this way. Besides, your eyesight is better, you should lookout."

"Don't have to tell me!" Isabelle had already been letting her mind wander, gazing around sea and sky. "Hm?" When she glanced at Ralph's plane… she saw something else beyond it. "?!" It was a small, flying drone, dark-colored, crab-like, and a fan in the center. "Ralph! You see that?!"

"WHOA!" A laser shot the plane's left wing. "I do now!" He shifted it upward and fired small lasers from his own plane. The other ops (sans Sill) looked up when they heard commotion. The two crafts engaged in a dogfight, with some of the drone's stray lasers hitting the deck. "Owie!" The lasers left the teeniest burns on Mali's skin, but she still felt them.

"Hey, you don't aim lasers at a kindergartner!" Ralph destroyed the drone's laser turret with a well-aimed shot. However, the drone boldly flew to the plane, Ralph gasping and diving it down. The drone chased and performed a spinning motion to catch up, seizing the plane's wings in its claws. "HEY! YOU JERK!" The claw's clenched, causing Ralph's plane to plummet in the sea.

"Surprise!" Isabelle loosed an arrow while the drone was immobile, lodging it into its propeller. The propeller got stuck as it fell, but the arrow snapped as the device regained flight and zoomed along the sea.

"My turn now!" Christina cast her fishing hook and snagged the rim of the propeller. The drone flew as far as possible to unravel the line. Once it was at its limit, "WHOA!" Chris went stumbling toward the bow, refusing to release her rod. She hit the railing, but was nearly pulled over. "I got you!" Jason jumped down and pulled her belly, but even he was nearly pulled off.

"I'LL HELP YOU!" Mali ran up—her giant flipper flapped against Silica's chair and flipped it right over. The gamer snarled like an angry beast from underneath her chair. Mali cupped both friends in her hands and added her strength into pulling the string.

"MALI, GIVE US A SPIN!" Chris ordered. Mali spun in place as all their combined strength wrapped the string around them and pulled the drone in. "Alright, we got it! Mali, smash it!"

"I can't! I'm all tangled up!"

"RAAAAH!" Needing to vent her rage, Silica sent her shadow, Inky to gnash the drone up. A green and brownish, hologram creature with an eyepatch flew out out of the drone. It zipped across the sea and flew behind the rock Christina pointed at earlier.

"What was that thing?" Laruta asked as the three untangled their selves.

A boat sped from around the rock: it was white and blue with shiny tech, a large propeller at its back, and a pirate flag waving the face of the hologram they just saw. "Blimey! They're pirates!" Jason beamed.

"On that teeny boat?" Shimmy grinned. "Let's run them right over!"

"Now you're talkin'!" Chris supported.

"Don't!" Laruta shouted. "Let's hear them out!"

Three teens occupied the motorboat, all tan-skinned. The tallest, Shark, was a boy with a tall, light-blonde pompadour. The shortest, Ed, had a runny nose and a red knitted cap over dark-brown hair, and like Shark, only wore dark-brown mechanic gloves and ragged white shorts tied with rope. On the bow stood the leader, Max, who wore a black top, thick green shorts, and a red headband over a thick bush of brown hair.

"This is your first warning, pirates! Turn your ship around and leave these waters at once!" Max declared with a slight Australian accent.

"Yeah?! Says who?!" Chris glared.

"Name's Max, captain and pilot of the Shorescrubber Pirates. These here are my crewmen: Shark, Ed, and our G.En.I.E., Patch." The hologram flew out of Max's wristband.

"We're the supreme salvagers of Terraqua!" Shark said. "You oughta take your hunk of wood and get lost!"

"Yeah! Get lost, shrimps!" Ed snorted.

"Oh ho, you dorks are asking for a beating~" Chris cracked her knuckles.

"We're not dangerous pirates." Laruta reasoned. "We're just exploring. We aren't planning to hurt anybody, but if you plan to bother, we won't go easy on you."

"Hah! She sounds like a total wuss!" Ed laughed.

"Wuss?!"

"We don't trust outsiders." Max stated. "If you don't leave, we'll make you the hard way."

"Heh, then come aboard and make us!" Jason laughed. "I'll let me mates handle you!"

"You asked for it!" The pirates shot grappling hooks to the railing and pulled their selves up. "YAAAH!" Shark charged at Christina—a punch to the jaw was all it took to knock him out. Ed readied himself against Laruta, but never expected a Snot Rope to shoot out of her nostrils. Latching him, Laruta spun around and slammed him into the mast. Growing worried, Max decided to go for the captain, but Isabelle swiftly roped Max's neck in her legs and pinned them in a chokehold. "AGH! Patch, do something!"

The hologram remembered Ralph up in the nest. Deeming him the weakest one, Patch flew up and started zapping Ralph, sizzling him with each touch. "Ah! Stop it! Stop!"

"Now you better surrender or Patch will zap your friend into oblivion!" Max threatened.

Now, you better stop, little genie!

A mystic voice whispered directly into its soul. The G.En.I.E. faced Trella Dunfree, a green-skinned alien with short pink hair, two antennae, an orange dress, and magenta socks. Though her eyes were closed, she could sense the hologram's presence clearly. Let Ralphie go. And we'll let your friends go.

"Patch, what's wrong up there?" Max asked.

"This girl told me to stop. I dunno what it is, but… there's somethin' weird about her voice. It makes me want to listen to it."

"You talk?" Ralph asked.

"I didn't hear anything!" Max yelled. "Paaatch!"

"Mali, Bear Hug Bind!" Laruta ordered.

"Mmm!" Saluting, Mali scooped the three pirates in her hands and hugged them tight to her belly. The trio struggled to escape the 6-year-old's mighty arms. In a minute, all teammates surrounded them in an interrogative fashion. "So, you lot are local pirates, eh?" Jason asked. "Are there more of you?"

"What's that hologram thingy?" Ralph asked. "You were piloting your drone with it."

"We're not telling you anything!" Ed spat down at Laruta, who stepped back.

"They said this was Terraqua, right? Silica, they have a place like that on computer?"

Groaning, Silica pulled out a laptop and brought up a Digi-Maps view of Aquaria. "Terraqua's located in these approximate geographic coordinates. It's home to an archipelago and is famous for the drone races between its locals."

"Wait, if your computer could tell you that," Max began, "why didn't you know about this place when you landed?"

"We just picked a random spot to land and went from there." Ralph shrugged.

"Yeah, because I HATE using online guides!" Jason slammed the laptop shut. "Always ruining surprises and making a boring adventure! Let's go to this Terwhatever place and see what it's all about ourselves!"

"Luckily, we have a couple tour guides right here!" Laruta smiled.

"You think we're just gonna bring you to our homeland?!" Max yelled.

"Look, matey, I'm no ordinary pirate." Jason smirked, scratching his nose. "My mum is the one and only Sheila Frantic!"

"Sheila… Frantic?"

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Shark sighed.

"As in 'Sheila the Sunny Fist,' the Pirate King who conquered the Four Emperors??"

"All that and then some!"

"We haven't really studied the Pirate War in detail." Laruta said. "Silica, is that what happens in the games?"

"I 'unno, I think…"

"You DO look like Captain Sheila!" Max realized. "Are you really her son? Wow, it's such an honor to meet you!"

"Hee hee, the honor's all mine! Unless you feel like showin' us to your island~"

"Sure, we'd love to!"

"Man, you're such a sucker, Max." Ed remarked.

He and Shark piloted the motorboat while Max insisted on riding the Sunny's bow. As the archipelago pulled into view, the first distinctive landmarks they saw were the jagged rocks with huge wind turbines built into them. The active turbines generated an artificial breeze. "Oh, hey guys!" Max pointed up in panic. "Don't sail beside that-"

The sails passed directly by a hovering, technical white ring with glowing blue insides. "YO, SHIP, MOVE ASIDE!" To their right, two small drones were incoming, a yellow starfish drone and a blue one shaped like a long fish with plane wings. The starfish drone had to brake before crashing into the mast, while the blue drone turned vertical, swiftly flew between mast and sail, and through the ring.

"You wait, you're fish bait, Deejay!" retorted the drone's pilot, a girl with short dark-gray hair, a white top, and blue sarong.

"Whoa-ho! It seems we've got an unexpected obstacle in our race! Might I ask our visitors to direct their ship on the appropriate route?" the announcer spoke.

"So, is that a drone race right now?" Ralph asked, mouth agape.

"Duh." Ed said. "And to beat the race, you have to fly through all the rings in order. Everyone knows that."

"So, like a rip-off of Superman 64." Silica commented, returned to her game.

"And what about that thing?" Laruta inquired about the hologram creature. "I saw it come out of your drone when we… totaled it."

"Those are our G.En.I.E.s, of course." Max replied. "They're electrical creations that power our drones."

But how come I could communicate with it. Like a spirit… Trella wondered.

"Orright, I think this is close enough!" Jason said. "I'm swimming for it!" The captain dove in the sea and swam for shore.

"Laru-chan, should we go?"

"Yeah, Mali! Let's get our swim on!" Laruta dove in first, and as Mali followed, her tremendous splash sent a wave to push Laruta along. "Mali, make sure to get those fins all the way out, do it like this!"

"Okay, okay!"

"I'll get there ahead of any of you!" Isabelle leapt into the sea and strummed some notes, generating a Song Road that allowed her to gracefully tread along the surface.

"Shimmy, I think I see a pier." Ralph pointed. "Why don't we park the ship there?"

"Aye-aye, Ralphie!"

When the kids eventually regrouped on the beach of Nuï Island, they found two groups on separate platforms. The sarong-wearing girl was accompanied by a tall, thin, tan boy in a light-yellow top, messy brown hair, and green goggles; and a short girl in a yellow dress and blue hat with a white sun design.

On the other platform was Deejay, a huge, chubby, dark-skinned man using a controller like a DJ booth. He had yellow pants and magenta hair in dreads. Beside him was Debbie, a smaller girl with pigtailed hair, divided in light-blue and pink halves, a black top with a magenta star, the same dark skin, and pink goggles.

"And that's Team Tiki for the win!" the announcer declared.

"NO FAIR!" yelled Debbie, dropping off her platform and storming up to the visitors. "I demand a do-over! Who asked you jerks to bring your ship in the middle of our race?" She jabbed her finger at Jason in particular.

"They did." Jason pointed at the Shorescrubbers.

"Hey!" Max yelped. "I thought the race would've finished by now!"

"Yeah, well I'm posting about this!" Debbie snapped a picture of them with her phone-like device. "'Pirate… jerks… totally… ruined… ra-'"

Christina snatched the phone away and crushed it. "I didn't come here to be defamed."

"AAAAHH!" Debbie cried over the remains of her phone.

"What's… going on down here?" The sarong girl and her teammates stepped down to meet the visitors, carrying their blue plane drone.

A similar-colored, eel-like G.En.I.E. flew out of the drone. "Th-That one is huge!" it panicked at the sight of Mali. "Guys, be careful! They look dangerous!"

"And what are YOU guys doing with them?!" The short girl stomped up to Max.

"Everyone, relax!" Laruta raised hands in caution. "We're just tourists! We're sorry if we ruined your race… and your phone."

"Ah, it was no biggie!" the sarong girl smiled. "Especially since it helped~" then sported a smirk. "I'm Corto! This here's Enki," the thin boy waved, "and Mouse!"

"Don't just introduce us to pirates!" Mouse shouted. "I can't believe you guys would bring them here!"

"But Mouse, this guy's related to the one and only Pirate King!" Max said. "She's a legend!"

"Besides," Enki began, "they don't look like they can rip our island out of the ocean."

"What about THAT girl?" Mouse stomped over to Mali. Though she was remarkably tiny compared to her, the giant shirked back like an elephant scared of a mouse. "She's even got the giant hands!"

"Kid, this brat can barely lift a house, let alone an island." Christina marched over to Mali and casually picked her up by one of her flippers.

"Why would you think we would rip your island out, anyway?" Isabelle asked, thinking the notion sounded familiar.

"It's something that happened 25 years ago." Max answered. "Our home island, Paroa, was taken by a band of sky pirates. I'm sure you guys know the Pirate War."

"THE PIRATE WAR?!" Jason exclaimed. "NO WAY! You guys were part of the flying kingdom?!"

"That's why Dad says we can't trust pirates!" Mouse argued. "Or they'll let wild, crazy people into our home and destroy everything we have!"

"Blah, blah, pirates are bad." Jason twisted a finger into his raccoon ear in an unconcerned manner. "Can I go exploring now? Great! SEE YA!" And the captain sped off with light on his heels!

"JASON! Don't just abandon your team!" Laruta called.

"Then I order you all to split up and explore more areas!"

"You heard him, Lar." Christina walked away with hands folded behind her head. "I'm gonna go find some guys to beat up."

"I'm gonna find a quiet place." Silica left as well.

"Ho…" Laruta sighed. "Well, Mali, why don't you and me go shopping? Can't go around in these soggy swimsuits forever."

"Hai!" Mali picked her friend up and carried her away.

Ralph approached Enki, who was holding the blue fish drone. "That's your drone? It's really cool! How does it work?"

"With these bad boys~" Corto twirled her twin controllers, round like steering wheels with handles in them. "These paddles and these goggles put me in touch with it. And once Oro powers it up, the magic begins!" The G.En.I.E., Oro, entered the drone as Corto performed some somersault maneuvers.

"Cool…" Ralph drawled out, a glimmer in his blue eyes. "You mind if I give it a try?"

"Outsiders can't pilot drones!" Mouse shouted.

"Yeah they can." Corto eye-rolled. "I'll let you try it for a bit. Lemme just…" She put her goggles over Ralph's head, "readjust these… there. Good fit?"

"Feels fine to me. So, how's it…ah!" Ralph found himself encased in a blue, holographic bubble. A screen displayed from Oro's perspective. "Um…" Ralph made his arms steady, clasping the paddles. "Whoa!" When he motioned forward, the drone flew. "Ah!" He pulled back, his screen zooming out. "Yeesh… it's a lot different… from a model plane—eeehhhh!" His arms flailed about, causing his screen to shake wildly.

"Lemme show you how I do it." Corto got behind him and positioned his arms properly. "Just stand like this… and move like this."

The drone flew over the sea in a stable fashion. "Ah…okay…" He swerved right under Corto's guidance. "Heh…this is nice! Almost like… flying a hang-glider… not bad!"

"Yep! Let's fly over the sea and-"

"HEY!" A yellow starfish with stereos on its points zoomed in front of Oro, causing him to spiral uncontrollably and Ralph's head to sway in circles.

"Oh, no!" Shimmy screamed. "What happens to the drone happens to Ralph!"

"It just takes getting used to!" Corto said. "And it doesn't help when flashy jerks try to mess him up!"

"These chumps made me lose the race!" Deejay said, equipped with his goggles and DJ controller. "There's only one fair way to settle this: a rematch with the newbies!"

"We'll wipe the floor with you, pirate dorks!" Debbie flashed poses. "You don't stand a chance against Big D!"

"Look, Deejay, your rematch is with me." Corto said. "Don't embarrass the new guy."

"EMBARRASS?!" Shimmy shouted in her face in offense. "Ralphie's the best darn pilot around! He don't need anyone to embarrass him but himself!"

"I'm just saying he can't be a pro Droner in one day. He needs to find his own G.En.I.E., bond with it, build his own drone; it doesn't work like your typical spaceship."

"Or that cheap, G.En.I.E.-less drone you were using!" Shark retorted.

"It's called an RC plane, dumb-dumb." Ralph stated, taking off the goggles. "But since we might stick around a while, why not? Where can I get me one of these G.En.I.E.s?"

"We'll take you!" Enki offered.

"Seriously?" Mouse sighed.

"Why don't you look for the others, Mouse?" Corto suggested. "Make sure they don't get lost or, I dunno, rob people."

"Might as well have some fun, too, Trella." Isabelle smiled, holding the alien's hand and leading her.

Mouse begrudgingly left. Deejay and Debbie were left alone and awkward. "I feel like dust in the wind." Deejay wept. "Debbie, take a selfie of my misery." He gave her his phone and posed majestically. Debbie eye-rolled and left him frozen there.

In the island's jungle

"YAHOOOOOO!" Jason had gone from a raccoon to a monkey swinging the jungle's vines. "Ha ha!" He rested on a vine to look over a deep trench with a river at the bottom. Chomp…chomp…chomp… Hearing a munching sound, Jason looked up. "WHOA!" The vine he was on was the tongue of a piranha plant, the captain jumping off before it could eat him. "Haha! I guess that veggie ain't vegetarian! Yikes!" Several more piranhas gnashed at him from the shrubs.

"Captain Jason!" The G.En.I.E., Patch flew out and electrified the plants. Captain Max caught up with him.

"Ahoy, Maxie! Fancy some adventurin'?"

"Captain, you shouldn't just wander out here alone. The islands are full of dangerous—LAND SHARK!"

A shark with four legs pounced out from the bushes, Max's heart stopping—Jason slapped his fist back and sent the shark falling down the trench. "What's the problem?"

"Crikey… how did you do that? Even old Krass needs both arms to handle one. Well, arm and claw."

"Did ya already forget, mate? Me mum's been takin' me on adventures since I was a weeborn! Haha, it was way scarier back then!"

"WHOOOOAAAAA!" Three-year Jason clung the horn of a rhino as it ran with a stampede. "AAAAAH!" He went sliding down a waterfall. "Mmmm-mm-mmm!" The child was bound and gagged as a tribe of raptors prepared to cook him over a bonfire.

"That… doesn't sound very fun."

"Relax, she busted those dinos before all the tail fur burned off. But thanks to her, I ain't afraid of anything! Not even THIIIIIIS!" And the captain went diving backward headfirst into the trench, Max reaching out for him in fear. Luckily, he avoided any rocks and splashed in the deep water, resurfacing. "Haha! C'mon, Max! Come swim with me!"

"…" She could almost feel his bravery enlightening her. She was actually tempted to try. Max set her toes to the edge of the cliff. "You ain't really goin' down, are ya?" Patch asked.

"Best stay in my glove, Patch." Max raised a fingerless glove with a round light. Patch sighed and entered the glove. Max took a breath and fell, the wind rushing through her. The water weighed and stopped her descent, holding her breath as her pants inflated. Jason submerged with her, and he giggled seeing air bubbles escape from her pants. With puffed cheeks, she gestured that wasn't what he thought!

His grin inviting, Jason took Max's hand and swam with her up the river. They swum into a dark cave lit with jellyfish. Max had seen this place through the eyes of her drone, but seeing it herself put her in awe. Jason punched gentle Light Spheres to brush the currents and move them aside, the pirates safely swimming through. But naturally, being underwater too long wasn't healthy: they swam down and stuck their heads into it. "HUUU…" But it was only then they realized what they were doing. "Your breath smells like soda!"

"Yours smells like clams!" Jason returned.

"I had some this morning!"

"You're makin' me hungry for some!"

"If we make it out to sea, we can eat 'em fresh."

"Heeheehee!" Both shared a laugh. "ULP!" But had to quickly seal their breaths as the bubble popped, resuming their swim.

Somewhere at sea

"!!" Isabelle felt something off-balance in the air. She couldn't tell what it was… some kind of thief, threatening to steal something that belonged to her. "Hey, Trella… I'm starting to think we shouldn't have split up."

Why?

"These islands… they're full of thieves and swindlers." A sharp glare fixed itself on her visage. "We must stay vigilante… or we'll lose everything that we cherish."

Trella was unsure what she meant. As the girls calmly explored the shores on their motorboat, the alien felt a presence and alerted Isabelle. There was a figure sitting on an island rock. Tall and thin, he wore an orange Xiaolin robe with tall black socks. His hair was light-blonde, a red mark dotted his forehead, and his eyes were closed. The man was in the midst of calm, martial arts poses when he acknowledged them. "We have visitors. Lotus, go see who they are."

The girls lit up as a G.En.I.E. flew up, a sunny yellow and resembling an eel with waving protrusions. "Hello there! Are you girls lost?"

"Um, no, we're just exploring. You're a G.En.I.E., aren't you?"

"Yes. My pilot and I were just meditating. Care to join us?"

The girls drove up to the orange-robed boy. "Greetings, ladies." He smiled. "I'm Sun. You two seem quite exotic for visitors."

"Hehe, our classmates tell us that all the time!" Isabelle grinned. "We're from Earth! I'm Isabelle the Shandian, and this here's Trella the Pumparian!"

I can feel a spiritual connection between you two.

"My bond with Lotus is different from other pilots. I've had him since I was a child… and he's been my only means to see."

You mean you're blind?

"I am… and I can see you're no stranger to it either. …Lotus says you have a pretty voice."

"Don't say that out loud!"

"Haha, you got another admirer, Trella!" Isabelle laughed.

My voice can only be heard by spirits. So, if Lotus and other G.En.I.E.s are able to hear my voice… it must mean that they're spirits.

"I don't know the secrets of Professor Whale's Aqua Tech, but I always felt there was more to the G.En.I.E.s beyond just technical creations. Still, if you have this ability, that would make you a Ghost Whisperer, wouldn't it?"

That's right! Would you guys like to meet my friends?

"Of course!"

Rainbow Monkeys, Rainbow Monkeys, all so very round and super chunky… Spreading love wherever they go! Everyone's made of the big rainbow!

Trella sang a more relaxing version of the classic theme song, she and Isabelle performing a graceful dance on the boat. The area was slowly surrounded by the spirits of colorful monkeys with rainbow antennas, projecting an aura that filled Sun and Lotus's hearts with delight.

Aqua Tech H.Q.

"!!" Corto felt something off-balance in the air. She couldn't tell what it was… some kind of thief, threatening to steal something that belonged to her. "Corto? Why'd we slow down?" Enki asked.

"Huh? Uh, sorry." Corto pressed the gas pedal and kept the motorboat moving. "Just remembered I… have to visit Sun later… about something."

"WHOA!" Shimmy screamed, leaping and propping herself on Corto's shoulder with one hand and pointing with the other. "Who lives up there?!"

A long, white tower was situated along a river between a canyon. "That's where Professor Whale lives!" Enki answered. "He invented most of the technology here in Terraqua, along with the G.En.I.E.s. He'll get you set up with the right G.En.I.E.!"

"Sounds dope!" Ralph grinned. "It's kind of like picking the right starter in a Pokémon Journey."

"Oh, I love Pokémon!"

"Well, have I got a bit of news for you!"

"'kay, how about we focus on our thing for now?" Corto inferred.

"Yeah! We don't need any more Pokémon tangents from this nerd!" Shimmy retorted.

The four journeyed up the tower and reached a large door with the design of a dark-blue G.En.I.E. with red eyes. "Mr. Whale!" Corto knocked. "Neptune! It's the Tikis! We brought some new Droners!"

After a moment of waiting, no one seemed to answer. Corto pushed the door opened, but the office was empty. There was a hologram device on the desk, so Enki walked up and tapped it. A hologram of a beefy, bald man with a thick, fluffy beard projected. "Howdy, visitors! If you're seeing this message, I'm out traveling on personal business. Feel free to leave a note and I'll get to you when I can. Don't you think of throwing any parties while I'm gone!"

"Ooooooohhhhh, you're just asking me to throw a party here, man!" Shimmy trembled.

"That's alright." Enki smiled. "I know where he keeps the G.En.I.E.s, anyway. Follow me!"

He led them downstairs to a room where pods were attached to a central machine. G.En.I.E.s of various designs were asleep inside, such as one with a sickly green color, a brown one that looked like a mole, or a fiery one that looked like a phoenix. Ralph walked around and observed each one… "Perfect!" His eyes fell to a sky-blue one with plane-like wings, a brown aviator hat, and yellow goggle-like eyes. "Hah! It's like that G.En.I.E. was made just for me! Let's open it up!"

Enki hacked the terminal and opened the pod in question. Ralph was in awe as the G.En.I.E. woke from its slumber. The creature seemed to return the feeling to Ralph, circling and studying the Gilligan from every angle. "Ha! Ha! Ha ha!" it laughed.

"Uh…ha ha ha to you, too!"

"It's a newborn G.En.I.E., so it doesn't exactly know how to talk." Corto said. "He seems to like you, though! Looks like you found your match!"

"What're you gonna name it?" Enki asked.

"I think I'll go with a Gilligan classic:" Ralph smirked. "Joaquin!"

"Joaquin! Joaquin!" the G.En.I.E. repeated.

"Joaquin? Where'd you get a random name like that?" Shimmy asked.

"Mom said it was the name of a legendary hamster that used to protect our treehouse. A hamster so great that it conquered a massive sandwich demon!"

"Joaquiiiiin!" He did excited loops in the air!

"Now all you need is a drone and you'll be set!" Corto said.

"Then it's time for you to earn your pilot's license!"

Paroa

"Ho! This is great for airing out of those soggy swimsuits!" Laruta cheered, showing off her gray sarong and white toga.

"Hahaha! I look like a froggy!" Mali wore a lily pad skirt with a light-green top.

"A really big froggy!"

"Hahahahaha!" Mali crouched down and, "Ribbiiiiit!" hopped into the air, shaking the boardwalk upon landing.

"GAAAH!" cried the elderly tailor. "Don't jump around like that, you'll crush the whole town!"

"Sorry!"

Paroa was a bustling town built up along the island mountains. The primary commerce center of Terraqua, there were food stalls, clothing shops, scrap shops, and even game stores. There were a handful of tattooed brutes, but Mali dwarfed them as the biggest one here.

"Thanks for paying for our clothes, Mouse-chan." Mali smiled down at the hat-wearing girl.

"Well, I didn't think you'd have much on you." Mouse replied. "And I wouldn't want you pirates hassling for clothes."

"We're not full-time pirates. We're KND operatives on an expedition." Laruta held up her black and yellow badge as proof. "Are there any sectors on this island?"

"You could say the Droners are the only ops around here. But operatives or not, I've got my eye on you two."

"We're not here to hurt anybody, Mouse." Mali curtsied.

"I couldn't say the same for the others but Trella." Laruta said. "But Mali and I are good girls. You can count on us to follow the rules!"

"Hai! We're the Tiny Two!" Mali perked up. "The Tiny Two are sweet and gentle!"

"How do you pass for tiny?" Mouse inquired, looking Mali over head-to-toe.

"Mali's big, but she's a sweet little girl at heart!" Laruta answered. "You can count on her to be good!"

"What do you do for fun, Mouse?" Mali asked. "Is it just those drone thingies?"

"I'm not just a Droner. I'm a Shorescrubber!"

"Shorescrubber? You mean you're one of those pirates?"

"No, those three are the pilots. I mean, the pirates. Shorescrubber is our culture. We comb the shores for treasure and sell them on the market."

"That sounds like fun!" Mali clapped. "Can we go look for treasure with you?"

"Mmm…I don't see a problem with that." Mouse shrugged. "Alright! Follow me!"

Mouse led the duo down to an open bay. Hunched over, they trudged around in the shallow water, finding all kinds of things from coins, bolts, to shoes, and tossing them into bags. "I see! It's not about finding treasure so much as cleaning the beach. It's not only fun, it's productive!"

"Yep! And in the end, we sell and recycle what we can." Mouse smiled.

"This is hard." Mali said sadly, picking her fingers against the shallow ground. "Everything's too tiny to pick up."

"Try to follow the fish." Mouse suggested, picking up a few rocks and taking what was underneath. "The fish often lead you to more valuable treasures."

"Really…" Laruta observed the small fish swimming around. Some swam under rocks, which she picked up to find handfuls of coins and scrap parts. "It certainly makes it easier to find stuff!"

"Mmmm…" Mali tried to follow the fish, but most of them only cowered away from the huge waves she was making. "Oh?" She heard a splash and looked further out to sea. There were some big fish flapping their tails out of a deeper area of water. The giant walked out there and sank up to her waist. The big fish were circling around a large rock, which Mali was easily able to move with her size. "Ah!" The end of a thick chain was sticking out of the sand. Eager for what this might be, the giant squatted up to her head in the water and gripped it. "Hnnnn! Hnnnn!" Though she gave her all into her young muscles, the chain was stubborn to leave the ground.

"Heeeeey! Laru! Pipsqueak!"

Laruta and Mouse looked up at a familiar voice. Christina came rushing across the water, hoisting up a huge, mechanical crab claw. "My name's not Pipsqueak, it's Mouse!"

"Yeah, and that's a total pipsqueak name!"

"What are you carrying, Chris?" Laruta asked suspiciously.

"Haha, I challenged this big guy to an arm-wrestle contest! He had this for a prosthetic, but now it's mine~"

"Chris, you need to give that back!"

"Wait!" Mouse gasped. "I recognize that arm! That's-"

"THERE YA ARE, YA WEE THIEF!" A huge, tan man with wide and wild red hair, along with a beard, stormed onto the coast. He had no left arm, but a mechanical connector. "GIVE BACK MY ARM OR I'LL FEED YA TO MY LAND SHARK!"

"AAAAAAHHH!" The girls ran out to sea. "That's Kass Krane!" Mouse cried. "He sells drone parts, but he's also a bully!"

"Chris, give that claw back to him!" Laruta yelled.

"No way! I earned it fair and square!"

"Hnnnnnn…sigh. It's too heavy." Mali sighed. "I know! I'll use Gas Rocket!" Mali grabbed the chain again and poured a great sum of chi to her lower intestine. "Huuuurrr…HAAAAA!"

"WHOOOAA!" The girls were agape as Mali went flying into the air, clutching a chain attached to a large, black metal barrel.

"WHAT THE-?!" Kass gawked at the unreal sight… but more so at the fact Mali was heading right toward him. "AAAARRRRRR!" The Shorescrubber tried to run, but wound up flattened under the giant's rump. The barrel slammed on the shallow ground and burst open, unveiling a pile of treasure inside.

"Hahaha! Wow! Laru-chan, look at all the money I found! …Oh?" Planted her feet down and stood up. "AH! How did that big dwarf get under me?!"

"YO, you squashed that guy FLAT!" Christina cheered, raising the metal claw at Mali. "It took me half a minute to wrestle that guy down, but you beat him like nothing! High claw, Mali!"

"Uhh…" The child was confused by everything happening, but she couldn't turn down Chris's offer. "Haha!" She slapped the big claw.

Library

Nuï Island had a convenient library for Silica to play her game in peace. In this nice, quiet sanctuary, she could go for her high scores without interrupt-

"YOUR FATTY FRIEND is goin' DOOOOOWN, girl!"

Debbie, the pink- and blue-pigtailed girl, shot over the table and jabbed a finger at Silica's squished nose. "…Do you want to be ripped to shreds?"

"You don't know who you guys messed with! We're Team Starfish, the hippest DJ duo in Galaxia! When we race your team, all our thousands of followers are gonna back us up! The most popular team always wins!"

"Pfft, then you're outta shape, sister. Do you know who I am? Silica York, prodigy gamer extraordinaire, champion of the KND game series." Silica showed her phone, which had her profile up.

Debbie skimmed the page, her pupils creasing at the sight of her millions of followers. "Wh…No way. That has to be hacked."

"It's the genuine thing, sweetheart. You may have decent popularity in the music community, but I'm a queen in the gamer world. And as far as Ralph goes, he's a master pilot. He won't lose to your crummy machine."

"No… I won't accept it!" Debbie began trembling, clutching her sweating face. "No way you're more popular than us! You're so ugly and uncool! You got the face of a pig and your voice has no rhythm! How?! How can that be popular?!"

"You're really asking to be ripped apart, aren't you?" Silica's shadow, Inky stretched under the table, snaking around Debbie and hissing venomously.

"'EY, DEBBIE!" Deejay burst in. "That Ralph boy is back! C'mon, we got a race!"

"Hah! We'll see who's more popular after this!" Debbie declared. "Get ready to face shiny humiliation, Pig Gamer!" With that, she danced out of the library alongside her partner.

"Grrr…y'know, I think I'm obligated to make sure Ralph wrecks her ass." And so, Silica paused her game and followed them outside.

Jungle

It took a couple hours for Ralph to make a new plane using Enki's equipment, along with paddles and goggles with which to connect with his drone. He also needed a bit of time to train and get more used to the VR-like control scheme.

Once he was confident enough to race, they called their teammates out to an area of the jungle, situated above a pretty waterfall cliff. The only ones not present were Jason and Max, though Shark and Ed had attended. Trella and Isabelle were accompanied by Sun. "Hey, Sun!" Corto greeted. "I see you've already met the visitors!"

"Indeed I have. Trella here is a very fascinating girl. I doubt you can see the apes clasping onto me."

"Uh…not exactly?" Corto replied in confusion. "Fascinating girl, huh? Well, she certainly stands out."

Sun talked a lot about you, Corto! He said you were the coolest racer around! You're really stylish and always figure out an answer to any problem! Sounds like he REALLY wants you!

"Now, let's not get into that, Trella." Sun blushed.

"What're you two talking about?!" Corto asked tensely.

"Nothing, Corto, really!"

"Didn't sound like nothing!"

"Geez, someone's got envy issues." Isabelle remarked. "Um…where's Jason?"

"Probably still exploring with Max." Shark figured.

"Huhu, maybe they found someplace private." Ed snorted.

"Huh…guys, I'm worried about Jason, I think we should postpone the race until he's safe."

"Too late for that, honeybun!" Deejay posed. "It's time for me to trounce this intruder!"

"Yeah!" yelled Shiny, Team Starfish's G.En.I.E.. "No way I'm gonna lose to a newbie G.En.I.E. like that!"

"Joaquin, quin?" The newborn G.En.I.E. was confused by her hostility.

"You're gonna be the newbie when you see Ralph in action!" Shimmy argued.

"You ready to lose, Gamer Girl?" Debbie asked Silica. "How about a wager? When we win, you gotta sponsor us!"

"Alright. Then when Ralph wins, you have to sponsor us. And you have to write a song saying why Silica is the greatest."

"UGH, you don't play cheap! Then in that case, you have to… make a game about us if we win!"

"Oh, that can be arranged."

"Droners, take your marks!" Enki announced. Joaquin and Shiny entered their drones as their pilots assumed starting poses. The drones flew into a holographic starting ring, facing downriver. "The rules are simple: fly through the rings in order until you reach the Finish Ring. They'll take you on a tour through the jungle, around some cliffs along the coast, and we'll fly through a cave on our way back here!"

"Seems a little complicated for Ralph's first race." Laruta said.

"That'll only make it easier to waste him!" Deejay taunted.

"I don't even care about beating you, man. I just wanna have fun."

"You don't have time for fun!" Silica got in his face with a finger jab. "I already made bets with these guys, so you gotta win this thing for me!"

"Yeah, Ralph!" Shimmy fist-pumped. "Win this for the honor of the Raccoon Crew!"

"Thanks for the pressure, guys. No matter. You ready or not, big guy?"

"On your marks!" Enki began. "Get set! Race!" (Play "Great Sea Battle" from Origami King!)

Ralph and Deejay thrusted arms forward and zoomed down. They maneuvered around piranhas leaping out of the river and flew through the first ring. They turned rightward as Shiny cut Joaquin off, the racers having to dodge around stalagmites. As they closed in on the next ring, the starfish drone blasted a soundwave, surprising Ralph as his drone spun in the air. "Gah! What the frick?!"

"That looked like soundbending!" Isabelle exclaimed, the others watching via monitors.

"Duh!" Deejay remarked. "G.En.I.E.s got Element Chi built into 'em and Shiny's a soundbender!"

"That means Joaquin should have bending, too, right?" Laruta asked.

"We never went over that in training!" Ralph yelled, regaining himself and flying through the ring. "Joaquin, if you got an element, feel free to bust it out!"

"Joaaaa…QUIN!" The drone released a jet of air that blew it at high speed.

"WHOA!" Ralph made a sudden and tight turn up before he could crash into a wall. "Hey, slow down! Slow down!"

"Quin!" The drone slowed to a halt, allowing Ralph to regain control and fly back down. The next route would take them through the jungle, in which Joaquin would evade Piranha Plants gnashing out at them. "Agh!" Ralph screamed when a plant clenched the drone in his teeth. "Joaquin, do that again! Use the boost to get out!" The G.En.I.E. channeled power back into its propellers and released another gust of air. It blew out of the plant's mouth, but flew too fast past the ring.

"Uh-oh! You missed the ring." Enki said. "You'll have to go back to the previous one and redo this part."

"Man, that stinks!" Ralph swerved the drone back around and made its way back. "It looks like Joaquin is an airbender, but he's too fast to control."

"Well, you better learn to control it soon!" Silica argued. "That punk's way ahead of you!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ralph made it back to the previous ring. "At least I memorize the route. Let's get a bit higher and… Joaquin, boost again!" The drone did as told and blew forward, zooming past several Piranhas, "Okay, slow down!" Joaquin slowed to carefully maneuver around the shrubs and fly through the ring properly.

By now, Shiny had already reached the cliff and dove into the next ring. She nearly hit the surface of the sea, but unleashed a sound blast to halt her fall and fly along the surface. "Huh? What's goin' on over there?"

"Yahooooo!" Jason and Max were riding what looked like a hammerhead shark, except with a vertical head, with a horde of sharks chasing them. Jason had both hands around the head with Max's arms around his waist. "These Screw Sharks sure ain't screwin' me! This place is amazing!"

"Captain, can we please swim back to land?! Aaaahh!" One of the sharks tried to reach up and bite her foot.

"BACK OFF!" Jason kicked a Light Foot from his own and bent the shark's head back.

"Is that Jason?!" Isabelle asked in anger. "Grrrr, why didn't he invite me to shark-surfing?!"

"Whoa, Debbie, you seeing that kid?!" Deejay asked, watching them midflight.

"DEEJAY, THE RING!"

"Whuh?" As if just remembering what he was doing, he nearly crashed into the side of the half-submerged ring, but hastily dodged around it.

"A miss!" Enki announced. "Deejay's gonna have to move back!"

"Watch the race, not the crazy kids!" Debbie shouted in panic.

Ralph made it to the cliff and dove down to the ring, seeing Shiny making her return. She reached the ring and resumed the lap a second before Joaquin passed through, halted, and flew along the surface. "At least I can leave you a little gift!" Shiny released a shockwave that splashed a huge wave, knocking Joaquin underwater.

"Dang it!" Ralph shouted. "I didn't design this thing for underwater! Joaquin, get up!"

"Get ready, Max!" Jason exclaimed. "We're goin' under and launchin' into the air!"

"Jason, look at these rings! I think someone's set up a drone race."

"They ain't the only ones racing! Hold your breath!" Jason steered the shark underwater, the two holding breaths. They made a U-turn and headed for the surface, ramming the sunken Joaquin and splashing it out of the sea. "YAHOOOO!" The pirates flew skyward and made a brave leap off the shark, grabbing hold of the cliff. Ralph was able to regain control of Joaquin and positioned the drone straight, getting back on course. He flew through the half-submerged ring and would have to lift up and curve left toward a small grouping of water spouts.

"Okay, I can see the ring through 'em!" Ralph said, twisting the drone vertically. "Let's just get lined up… now Joaquin, boost!"

"Joaquiiiin!" With another outburst of air, Joaquin zoomed straight between the spouts and through the ring at a diagonal angle.

"Nice move, Ralphie!" Shimmy cheered. "Now just turn back around and head through that cave!"

"And hurry up!" Silica demanded. "They're almost at the finish line!"

"I don't need your yelling, thank you!"

"We got this race in the bag, Shiny!" Deejay proclaimed. His drone had a flashlight active as it flew through the cliffside cave, maneuvering around stalactites. "Now, uh…wait, which way is the ring?"

"Deejay! Don't tell me you got lost!" Debbie shouted.

"Turn back around!" Shiny demanded. "I'm pretty sure the ring was the other way!"

"They got held up, Ralph, now's your chance!" Isabelle exclaimed as Joaquin entered the cave. "I saw them take the left route, so take the right!"

"Alright, let's take this moderately fast and steady." Ralph carefully maneuvered through the cave and followed the route in question. It led into a wider cave where the water glowed with the lights of jellyfish. There was a ring clearly visible in the air, so Ralph flew through it.

"You ain't getting away from me!" Deejay picked up the pace and through the same cavern. Ralph made it outside into a canyon filled with giant spider-webs. Thankful he wasn't there in person, Ralph carefully steered around the webs. The next ring was near the bottom of the trench, the boy having to twist Joaquin at several angles to make it through. "It's time for a wake-up call!" Deejay blasted a soundwave from Shiny and vibrated all the webs.

"Oh, cruuuuud!" Ralph was in panic as giant spiders crawled out of caverns and tried to jump him. Some had latched on, but Ralph barrel-rolled to shake them off. Shiny suddenly zoomed past Joaquin, so Ralph picked up the pace to catch up. After bypassing the spider canyon, they were back over a river and flying up. Shiny blasted soundwaves into the water, splashing up large waves to force Ralph to dodge around. With the Finish Ring closing in, Ralph made a final act of desperation. "It's now or never, Joaquin! BOOST IT!"

"Joaaaa-QUUUIIIN!" His propellers exploded with wind as he shot up the river, flying just over the next wave. Joaquin bumped Shiny's roof so hard that she spiraled out of control, causing her to fly under the Finish Ring while Joaquin was able to fly through.

"And Team Raccoon is the winner!" Enki cheered.

"NOOOO!" Deejay cried. "You gotta be kidding me!"

"YEEEAAAAHH!" Shimmy, Isabelle, and Mali shared cheers.

"Eh, not as cool as Mario Kart." Silica brushed off.

"Hah, wow!" Ralph laughed, returning Joaquin to them. "I can't believe I won!"

"What're ya sayin', Ralph?" Christina smirked. "Flying is all part of your Gilligan blood. Just like how ripping peoples' arms off is in my Uno blood."

"Wait, did you say Gilligan?" Deejay asked, taking off his goggles.

"That's right." Ralph smirked. "Sound familiar?"

"You mean like the rap sensation, Harry Gilligan?!" Deejay whipped out his phone and brought up a picture of a music cover, showing the African-American man alongside the Inkopolis band, Off the Hook.

"Oh, yeah! He's my uncle!"

"I can't believe we were racing a musical legend!"

"Whoa, man, the music's on his side of the family! I'm part of the sky side of the family~"

"I guess you should have no problem sponsoring us now." Silica smirked at Debbie.

"You want a sponsorship, you got it!" Debbie gave a thumbs-up. "You guys are champs!"

"Well, that's a sudden 180."

"She can be kind of a suck-up." Mouse commented.

"You guys are too pumped over this." Shark said. "Everyone knows Team Starfish are the worst racers."

"WE ARE NOT!" Deejay shouted.

"Well, you did only join our sport to gain more subscribers." Sun reasoned.

"And thanks to them, I'LL have more subscribers." Silica smirked.

"AAAAAHH!" a scream rang from the jungle. "JASON, HELP!"

"That was Max's voice!" Ed said.

"Who does she think she is yelling for the captain's help?!" Isabelle flared up in anger. "Not on my watch!" The Shandian sped through the shrubs on her fleet feet.

"Jason, help! It won't get off me!" Max frantically tried to swat a large spider off her back.

"HYAH!" Jason whipped the bug off with his tail! The baby spider returned, so Max began trying to stomp it in panic. "I'll help ya!" Jason got across from her and contributed to her efforts, successfully crushing the spider beneath his sandal. Max stamped her smaller foot against his to add to the pressure.

"You think we got it?"

"Hehe, no way it can survive that!"

"AAAAAHH! What're you doing?!" The two saw Isabelle up in a tree, her face stricken with betrayal. "You're already stamping each other's feet?! Jason, I thought I was your best mate!"

"Whuh?! It ain't like that, Bella, we were just crushing a spider!"

"That isn't the only thing that needs crushing!" Isabelle pounced down from the tree and wrestled Max to the ground.

"AAAAHH! Get off of me! Patch, attack!"

Her G.En.I.E. flew out of her wristband and electrified Isabelle. She fell off, allowing Max to stand up. "Hehehehe! You can't be too careful around other pirates!" Jason laughed.

"You really can't…"

The operatives and Droners gathered at the picnic beach, enjoying their packed lunches under the lush sunset. Jason and Isabelle decided to try out a bowl of small clams, quickly adapting to the exotic seafood. "It was great getting to know you guys." Sun said. "But it saddens me that you can't stay."

"We've got a planet to protect in the end." Laruta said. "But we'd love to come and visit again!"

"I had fun Shorescrubbing, Mouse!" Mali beamed, her new friend sitting atop her soft black hair. "I can't wait to do it again!"

"I hope so! That was a great haul you picked up for us, Mali! From now on, you're an honorary Shorescrubber!"

"Yaaaaay!"

"Ahoy, kids!" a man's voice called. "Who are those people with you?"

"Hey!" Enki beamed. "It's Professor Whale!"

Ralph and Shimmy recognized the white-bearded man as he returned on a high-tech yacht. His legs were skinny while his torso was rotund, dressed in all-white except for his blue goggles. "Howdy, Wyatt!" Oro flew out of Corto's band and greeted him. "We got some new Droners!"

"New Droners, you say?"

"Uh, hope you don't mind," Corto blushed, "but we kind of borrowed one of your newborn G.En.I.E.s. See for yourself."

Joaquin flew out of Ralph's wristband. "I named him Joaquin!" ("Joaquiiin!")

"Ah!" Whale perked. "It's the one I was modeling after Hoagie Gilligan."

"H-Hoagie Gilligan?!" Ralph gasped.

"He's a pilot I met when I traveled to Earth 30 years ago. I visited an air show for inspiration. His technique was so impressive, I was remiss that he couldn't become a Droner."

"Hehe, you're in luck, Whaley!" Shimmy exclaimed. "This guy here is Hoagie's grandson!"

"Wait… Wyatt?" Isabelle repeated. "Wyatt Whale? WHITE Whale? Hah!"

"Hoagie's… grandson?"

"Hahaha…" Ralph blushed, not able to handle all this sudden fame. "Yep, that's me. Ralph Gilligan! I was wondering why Joaquin looked so familiar."

"Yeah, he was really good!" Corto said. "He won his first race like it was nothing! It's like he and his G.En.I.E. already knew each other."

"That's incredible!" Whale lit up in pride. "If only I could've seen it myself. I'm so thrilled to have you with us, Mr. Gilligan!"

"Well, we're not exactly staying." Laruta said. "We're KND ops from Earth and we have to leave soon."

"I see… I was afraid of that." Whale frowned. "But even so… I was hoping to invite the Gilligans here after this G.En.I.E. was ready. Now that you've found him, I would be honored if you could keep him."

"Really? I can?!"

"Of course! This little one was made for the Gilligans, after all!"

"Haha! Looks like you're sticking around, Joaquin!" Ralph raised a hand.

"Joaquiiin!" The G.En.I.E. high-fived, causing Ralph to be electrocuted.

"Yeah, don't do that." Corto cautioned.

"Hey, big guy!" Shimmy said to Whale. "I bet you're a super good racer, too! How about giving Ralph a run for his mulah?"

"I think that would be a big jump in difficulty." Max reasoned.

"And besides, I'm not in the best shape to race right now." Whale frowned, looking to his wristband. "Neptune is still recovering."

"Recovering from what?" Sun asked.

"Yesterday, a strange man attacked my office. He was red like a demon and had claws like a crab. He cursed Neptune with this strange gas that turned him monstrous, so I had to leave to find some purifying water."

"A crab demon?" Laruta asked in worry. "What happened to him?"

"Well, some angelic beings arrived to chase him off and promised to watch the island in case he returned. I trust nothing chaotic has happened in my absence?"

"Nothing except for these guys." Mouse answered.

"Still, to hear that such a monster has been here…" Sun said. "It seems like a bad omen." Trella bowed her head in agreement.

…

In the nearby sky, a mass of reddish-pink cloud began to form. A red-skinned demon with a black goatee and puffy pink hair hung out of the cloud. "Ah, Mr. Whale…" His voice was an ethereal echo. "As much as I'd like to play with you more… I'm afraid it's not quite time, yet. But how lucky this meddlesome young group decided to visit you." HIM focused his narrow green eyes on a certain operative. "Christina Uno… I can smell Malladus's chi even from here. Now when the Day of the Demon comes… we'll have to take that G.En.I.E. along with his spirit. For now, heed Mr. Whale's warning carefully~" HIM receded into the cloud as it dispersed. Trella, sensing a disturbance in the air, looked to where the cloud had formed.