Spike's Journey as a Fossil Fighterby Caecae97ChaptersSpike's Graduation Part 1: The First VivosaurSpike's Graduation Part 2: The Battle BeginsSpike's Graduation Part 3: The ReactionTrue Friends and False ConclusionsUltra Instinct... What is it...?Spike's Graduation Part 1: The First VivosaurToday was the day. Spike could hardly believe it, today was the day he graduated from the FFA. He walked through the halls with his childhood friend Ember, who was also a student. Ember told him, "You know you're not in the clear yet. You have to pass the final test. You have to excavate a real fossil and win a battle with it. Real fossils are much harder to clean than practice fossils, and if you damage them, you'll end up with a weaker Vivosaur." Spike rolled his eyes and said, "I know that! I've even prepared, I bought some Buster Sensors. The professor says there's no restrictions on items we can use to excavate the fossil. A perfectly positioned stone buster will get the fossil more than clean enough to pass the test. Plus, I stocked up on Support Shots for the battle test." Ember smirked and said, "Well, seems you don't need my advice then. You've really thought this out. Any idea what kind of Vivosaur you'd like? I'd personally like a V-Raptor." Spike smiled and said, "V-Raptor, species name Velociraptor. A close relative of the bird family, the Velociraptor was covered in feathers. Though its reputation is quite large, in actuality it was only about the size of a wolf." Ember scoffed and said, "Showoff." Spike raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Says the girl who gave a 2 hour lecture on the formation of Golden Fossils." Ember blushed and said, "Touché. But seriously, what Vivosaur would you like to get?" Spike thought for a bit and said, "Personally I'm a fan of Dimetro, but any Vivosaur is fine with me." The two graduating students hurried to their test. Professor Trip Cera smiled as they arrived and said, "You two are early, but I can still give you the tests. First off, you two will need the proper supplies. First up is the Fossil Sonar. Without one of these, you'll never find a Fossil Rock. It's pretty basic right now, but if you win enough tournaments and sell some jewels you excavate, you'll be able to upgrade it. Next up is your Medal Case. A Fossil Fighter's team consists of three Vivosaurs, as well as two reserves. However, with a Medal Case, you can carry all your current Dino Medals, and switch them in and out of your team at any time. Last, but certainly not least is the MCRS, also known as the Mobile Cleaning & Revival Station. For a long time, you would have to take Fossil Rocks to a cleaning station and revive them with a very large machine, the MCRS was designed to be able to clean and revive fossils on the go." He took a deep exhale and sighed before saying, "Now, I know you've seen multiple graduation tests during your time at the academy, but things have changed since last year. As you know, all teams are made up of three Vivosaurs, as well as two reserves. You'll need to excavate and revive three Vivosaurs. As you know, you'll need a head fossil before you can revive a Vivosaur. Good luck on your test! Once you've revived three Vivosaurs, report to your dorms and get some rest for tomorrow's battle test." before walking away. Spike smiled and said, "Let's get digging, Ember!" he activated his Fossil Sonar and started following it towards a rock it was picking up. He swung his pickaxe into the ground and saw the outer layer of a fossil rock. He carefully dug around it so that he wouldn't damage the fossil before he started cleaning it. He lifted the rock out of the ground and set it down. He took out his MCRS and pressed the plunger on the capsule like device and threw it a short ways from himself. The cleaning station popped out of the capsule, and he took the fossil rock and put it on the cleaning table. He started out by using the X-Ray to see what kind of fossil it was. He may be smart, but he wasn't smart enough to identify the fossil just by looking at it, but he could still tell it was a head fossil. "Step one, test the rock's strength. Fossil rocks come in all varieties of strength, the rock can be as hard as steel or as brittle as styrofoam." he tapped on the rock with his hammer in a section where there was no bone. The rock crumbled away into nothing, signifying that the rock was very brittle. He thought it over for a moment and said, "The best course of action would be to drill through the brittle rock. It'll take longer, but it's much safer. Tapping the rock softly with the hammer in areas far from the bone could help, but I'll avoid that for now." he took out his drill and started drilling into the rock, taking breaks to blow away the dust that formed from drilling the rock. Spike was surprised, he could dig out a practice fossil in about 15 minutes, but he'd been working on this fossil for almost an hour. Ember smirked from her own cleaning station and said, "Told you, real fossils are harder to excavate." Spike rolled his eyes and said, "Yes Ember, I heard you the first time." as he drilled away the last of the rock, he said, "Perfect! Next step, analyze the fossil integrity, if the fossil is damaged beyond 50%, the revival machine cannot collect enough DNA to perform the revival." he put it into the processor and waited for it to scan it. The machine beeped and said, "Fossil is 100% undamaged. Fossil identified as Stegosaurus head. Commencing revival!" The machine lit up and scanned the fossil a second time. After about five minutes, a Dino Medal popped out of a small slot with a small picture of the Vivosaur Stego. Spike took the Medal out of the machine and collapsed the machine back into its capsule form. He smiled and flipped the Stego Medal like a coin and caught it saying, "One down, two to go!" The two students continued to dig and clean for a few hours, and about 1 hour before curfew, they each had three Vivosaurs. Spike said, "So Ember, what'd you dig up? Along with my Stego, I found a Dimetro and a Brachio." Ember smiled and said, "Lucky, you found a fossil you wanted. I got a U-Raptor, a Zino, and a Hypsi. Still, Hypsi's not bad, pretty cute. We'd better get back to our dorms. We'll need all our strength for the Fossil Battle Test tomorrow." The two students headed back to their dorms and wished each other luck for their Fossil Battle Test, which was first thing in the morning. Spike smiled before going to sleep as he looked at his first Dino Medal, Stego. He said to himself, "Almost... I'm almost a Fossil Fighter. Tomorrow's the most important day of my life. I better rest up." before going to sleep. Spike's Graduation Part 2: The Battle BeginsSpike had woken up early in the morning on the day of his battle test. He decided to go back to the Test Dig Site to see if he could find other fossil parts for his three Vivosaurs. The more parts a Vivosaur had, the stronger it was. He was able to find the body fossils for Stego and Dimetro, but Brachio turned out to be much harder. The professor said Brachio fossils were fairly rare in the dig site, so he decided he'd dug up enough for now. He headed towards the Fossil Stadium and was met with a very familiar voice that said, "Didn't think I'd miss my little brother's big day, did you?" Spike turned towards the voice and saw Twilight, his older sister, as well as his brother Shining Armor, his sister in-law Cadence, his niece Flurry Heart, his parents, and Twilight's friends, who were all skilled Fossil Fighters. Twilight was a strategical fighter, she always had one Vivosaur of each element, Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Neutral, so she could adapt to any situation. Rarity, Spike's long-time crush, used very elegant, but equally fierce Vivosaurs. Rainbow Dash specialized in fast Vivosaurs. Her Vivosaurs weren't especially powerful, but they made up for what they lacked in strength with their incredible speed and agility. Fluttershy didn't particularly like Fossil Battles, but that didn't mean she wasn't good at them. Her relationship with her Vivosaurs was so good, she could give them commands without even speaking. Applejack was known to use strong and tough Vivosaurs that could take hits and deal their own blows. And finally, Pinkie Pie was very erratic and used Vivosaurs that had skills that could mess with the opponent's strategy, no two battles with Pinkie Pie were ever the same. His older brother Shining Armor was actually a Gym Leader on Caritico Island. He specialized in Neutral Vivosaurs. He hoped he could challenge his gym when he got strong enough. Spike smiled and said, "I'm glad you guys are here. I'm excited for my Battle Test. This is my first real Fossil Battle. I've done good in the simulations, but this isn't a simulation. If I lose, I don't graduate." The professor walked over to the group and said, "Ahem, I hate to break up the reunion, but it's time for your test Mr. Drake, Ms. Sapphire has already passed hers, and you're up next." Spike smiled and said to himself, "So Ember passed, and now it's my turn." he walked through the doors into the arena and was met with the Exam Droid. Exam Droids were different for each student, so they couldn't use other students' strategies. The announcer said, "The next student, Spike Drake has entered the arena! Let the Fossil Battle begin!" The Exam Droid's mouth opened and spat out three Dino Medals, which materialized into a Dilopho, an M-Raptor, and a Tro. These Vivosaurs were small, and had a size disadvantage against Brachio and Stego. He threw his three Dino Medals, and released his Vivosaurs. In the stands, Twilight adjusted her glasses and said, "Spike's team is well balanced, he has a close-range, mid-range, and long-range Vivosaur, the Exam Droid's Vivosaurs are all close-range. Spike also has a size advantage with Stego and Brachio. The jumbo-screen lit up, and showed the stats of the two teams. The announcer said, "First up is the Speed Check!" the numbers appeared on the screen and the announcer said, "Spike's team has greater speed than the Exam Droid's! Spike has the first move!" Spike thought about his first move. His Fire-element Dimetro had an advantage over the Air-element M-Raptor, so he checked his Fossil Power Meter and nodded, "Dimetro, use Dimetro Fang on M-Raptor!" his Dimetro ran at the M-Raptor and delivered a powerful bite. While Dimetro was charging, Spike used two Attack Up Support Shots, increasing the strength of the attack enough to KO M-Raptor. Afterwards, Spike was out of Fossil Power to use any other skills, so he ended his turn. The announcer said, "And Spike delivers a devastating Dimetro Fang to M-Raptor! With the help of two Attack Up Support Shots, Spike has KOed one of the Exam Droid's Vivosaurs!" Spike ended his turn after moving Brachio as far back as he could be. Brachio worked best from the sidelines, it wasn't suited for close combat. The exam droid attacked Dimetro using its Dilopho, which had an elemental advantage. Spike used a Defense Up Support shot to lessen the damage, and it saved Dimetro from being knocked out. Spike thought to himself, "Dimetro's in a pinch... I better use a LP Recovery Support Shot during its next attack..." Two people in the stands watched the battle intently. A girl with long blonde hair said, "Are you positive he's the one brother?" A boy with spiky black hair sighed and said, "Not entirely, I must admit I have my doubts based on the way this battle's going... However, its best that we focus on our assignment and observe him and the girl, I believe her name was Ember?" The girl nodded and said, "Yes, that's correct. I still don't understand the point of this assignment. We determined the native creatures of this planet evolved from mammals. Although I can't say I'm displeased... He is cute..." The boy rolled his eyes and said, "Focus sister. We're here to observe and report, not get involved with the subjects." Back on the battlefield, Spike felt strange. He felt his blood heating up, as if he was a carnivorous dinosaur getting ready to strike. He jumped from foot to foot, the feeling got him excited, and his Vivosaurs were reacting to his excitement as well. "Brachio, Mountain Wave!" Brachio roared and swung around, hitting both Dilopho and Tro with its neck and tail. The two Vivosaurs were hit hard, but not enough to KO either of them. However, the two of them seemed as though they'd had energy drained. Spike's skin sparkled for a moment, but the only person who noticed it besides Spike was Twilight. Twilight took off her glasses and wiped them with a small cloth before putting them back on and said, "So it's not just my glasses... Spike's skin is sparkling like a diamond!" Rarity squinted her eyes at Spike and said, "She's right!" and the others started conversing about what was going on. The boy in the stands smirked and said, "It seems we were both wrong. You saw what I saw sister... The reaction is occurring. It seems he is the one we're looking for..." The girl nodded and said, "But what about the girl? She didn't show any signs of the reaction occurring." The boy closed his eyes and thought. He opened his eyes and stared between Spike and his Brachio before saying, "Perhaps it is the bond between the subject and his Vivosaur... I'm picking up faint waves of an unusual energy between them... This situation is unexpected... Perhaps his time among the natives has altered the conditions for the reaction to take place." The girl twirled her hair and said, "This does make things more interesting for us. Your theory is plausible, but we'll need to conduct more research into it. We've collected enough data for this observation. Let's get going." She started to get up, but her brother grabbed her arm and forced her back down saying, "No, I'm quite interested in these so called Fossil Battles. I want to see what the subject is capable of if the reaction reaches its peak." Spike thought to himself, "Something's different... I've never felt like this! I don't know why, but every nerve in my body is telling me to get in there and battle the droid's Vivosaurs myself! What's going on?" To be continued... The girl sighed and said, "Another cliffhanger. And why do we get so little face time?" The boy snarled and said, "You know, we wouldn't be in this situation if you had let me read over the contract before agreeing to the cameo appearance." Spike's Graduation Part 3: The ReactionThe boy and girl in the stands were watching the way Spike was reacting. The boy said, "His blood temperature is rising quickly... If this keeps up, the reaction will reach its peak quickly." The girl nodded and replied, "Still, do you think anything good will come if it does? Look around you, everyone is noticing something is happening. If he jumps into the fray, it's going to cause a panic." The boy sighed and said, "We'll need to deal with that, but let's just focus on our observations." Spike was getting antsy waiting for the Exam Droid to make its move. The longer he waited, the more he wanted to jump into the fray. He finally had an opening when the Exam Droid's Dilopho knocked out his Dimetro. When it did, he smirked and said, "Let's get it on!" jumping high in the air and landing perfectly where his Dimetro was standing. Twilight's eyes widened and she said, "I-Is he insane!?" Shining Armor looked at his parents and whispered, "It's that thing again... he was like this when we first found him." Night Light nodded, "We never found out why though, and it hasn't happened since." Twilight Velvet gulped and said, "I hope he doesn't get hurt..." The announcer stuttered into the microphone and said, "I-It seems Spike has jumped into the arena to take the place of his fallen Dimetro! Technically there's no rules restricting the use of extra Vivosaurs, but this!? Never before has a fighter jumped into the battle!" Pinkie squealed and said, "This calls for some exciting background music!" she pulled out a computer and typed something in, and suddenly, music seemed to play from nowhere. The boy with spiky black hair looked around confusedly and said, "The fuck? Where is that music coming from?" The girl said, "Ignore it and focus." although she found herself tapping her foot as the music played. Spike closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose before exhaling. He opened his eyes with a glare. His vision had turned into something that looked like he had heat sensing goggles on. When the timer turned to his turn he jumped at Dilopho. As he did, his nails turned sharp and claw-like, and his teeth grew in a way that they looked like fangs. He screeched like a raptor as he clawed at Dilopho and kicked it doing a backflip. As Dilopho passed out and returned to its Dino Medal form, the announcer said, "Incredible! Spike attacked the Exam Droid's Dilopho head on, and actually managed to knock it out! I have never seen a more exciting and wondrous battle in all my years as an announcer!" Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes and said, "Holy crap, Batman! How could he do that!?" Twilight's glasses were falling off on one side and as she adjusted them she said, "This can't be real... It defies the laws of... I don't even know what kind of laws this defies! There's no scenario I can think of where this makes sense! Even Pinkie Pie couldn't do something like this!" As his turn ended, Spike seemed to start to return to his normal self. He looked at his hands, seeing that the scales of Dilopho were underneath his nails. He was still excited, but he was also a little scared. He didn't know what happened after Dimetro had been knocked out, but it was obvious that he was on the battlefield. The Exam Droid had its Tro attack Spike. Spike's eyes widened and he shut them in fear of the incoming attack. He felt the Vivosaur biting his arm, which he had put up in defense, and strangely enough, he wasn't screaming in horrible pain. As Tro returned to its side of the field, Spike opened his eyes, looking at where he had been bitten. His clothes had bite marks through them, but there were no signs of blood. Twilight Velvet put her hands on her cheeks screaming "My baby boy! Is he hurt!? Stop the battle, something's not right!" Shining Armor looked through his binoculars and said, "No, he's not even bleeding from the attack! This is not normal. No human could ever knock out a Vivosaur, and then tank an attack like that." Night Light looked at his wife and said, "We did find that strange device when we found Spike. He was in a crater, and it looked like he had been encased in stone... Maybe we don't know as much about Spike as we think we do..." Spike shook his head, "I don't have time to think this over! I've got to get my head in the game!" he started heating up again, and the changes in his body started to take place again, claws and fangs started to form again. He attacked Tro, but this time, he used a three part combo. First he slashed at Tro, jumped with a backflip, kicking twice, and when he landed, he cupped his hands and sent out a burst of energy. As Tro fainted and turned back to its Dino Medal, the announcer said, "And Spike has defeated Tro! That was the Exam Droid's last Vivosaur! With some sort of miracle, Spike Drake has passed his graduation test!" Spike roared like a raptor again, before the form ended and he fell to the ground, unconscious. First Aid responders, along with Spike's friends and family rushed onto the field and put Spike on a stretcher and took him to the First Aid office. The girl and boy in the stands had disguised themselves as First Aid responders. When the others were gone, the boy told his family, "Please, Spike is going to be fine. We need to take some blood samples, and hopefully they can explain what happened out there." Meanwhile the girl was collecting a blood sample and when she did, she walked out and said, "We've got all the vitals we need to okay him for visitors. We'll be on our way." The two quickly left, and Spike's friends and family rushed into Spike's room. A doctor walked in and took out a needle, and took blood from Spike, causing Twilight to ask, "Didn't you just collect blood? Two of the responders already came in here and took a sample." The doctor raised an eyebrow and said, "No, none of our staff have come to check in on Spike. If somebody did come in here, it was unauthorized. I'll look into it later. For now, Spike needs to rest and then celebrate. Although the battle did have an unexpected outcome, the academy has decided to pass him. Don't worry, he'll be fine. I think this may have been a spur of the moment sort of thing." The boy said to his sister, "So Duna, how is the blood analysis coming?" Duna said, "You pestering me is not going to analyze the sample any quicker Raptin. Just put a sock in it and wait." Spike started to wake up and said, "Ugh... What happened?" he looked at his arm and saw the bite marks in his clothing and said, "Dammit! This is my favorite hoodie!" Twilight glared at him and said, "Your hoodie is fixable, what isn't is you! Why would you jump into a fossil battle like that!?" Spike's eyes widened and said, "I did what!?" he started remembering what happened and said, "I don't know... something in my brain was telling me to fight..." True Friends and False ConclusionsIt had been a week since Spike's graduation test, and he was just getting out of the first aid office. The medics still weren't able to figure out what happened on the battlefield. Spike couldn't really remember what happened, but he knew that something inside of him was telling him to fight. Spike met up with Ember and said, "Hey, you ready to head out?" Ember smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm glad we're going on our journey together. Just try not to get yourself killed by jumping into another battle." Spike rolled his eyes and said, "It's not like I was in control, something just told me to get in there..." As the two new Fossil Fighters walked down a path out of the school's grounds, a voice said, "So, you're the boy who beat a Vivosaur on his own?" and a girl jumped out of a tree, it was the same girl who had taken Spike's blood a week ago. Ember growled and said, "I recognize you! You're that fake First Aid staff!" The girl said, "I do apologize for the deception, but it was necessary to further our research. But before that, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Duna. My brother Raptin is out researching right now, but I'd like you to meet him as well." Before Ember could refuse, Spike said, "I'd be glad to meet your brother. If you're researching what happened to me out there, I want to hear what you have to say." Ember was about to retort, but she realized that if this girl and her brother knew something about what happened to Spike, they should listen to them, for now at least. Spike and Ember dug for fossils while they were waiting for Raptin, and Raptin's voice said, "I'm back sister." he saw Spike and said, "You must be Spike Drake. I'd like to thank you for furthering our research, and apologize for deceiving your family." Spike looked over to Raptin and said, "It's fine. If you don't mind me asking, what do the two of you research?" Duna smiled and said, "We research bringing out the true power of Vivosaurs. We believe that it is the bond between fighter and Vivosaur." Raptin continued on, "We believe that the incident during your battle was a rare chemical reaction that happens when the bond between a Fighter and his or her Vivosaur becomes stronger than diamond. We call the reaction Ultra Instinct. We don't know much about the reaction, but one thing we're sure of is that when the reaction starts to occur, the subject's blood starts to heat up, their heartbeat speeds up, and they experience an incredible feeling of excitement. The one thing we can't explain is why your nails and teeth took the form of claws and fangs." Duna smiled and said, "With your permission, we'd like to continue with you on your journey, to continue our research." Spike thought about it for a moment and said, "Ok, sure. I want to know more about what happened to me out there. If your research can tell me that, I suppose it's ok for you to travel with us." Ember nodded and said, "Just don't try doing any freaky experiments on either of us." Raptin nodded and said, "We never conduct experiments without the consent of the subject." After cleaning the fossil rocks they dug up, Spike had revived an Ankylo and an Aeros, which he put in his Medal Case. As for Ember, she revived a V-Raptor and a Dimorph. Afterwards, the group went towards the next city, Cranial City. Ember looked around the huge city and said, "Wow, this city is huge! It's nothing like back home." Spike smiled and said, "Yeah, this place is even bigger than Caritico Island." Duna stroked her fingers through her hair and said, "We're still getting used to the cities in this area. Raptin and I are from the far north, it's almost always cold. We're not used to such warm weather." Raptin looked at Spike and said, "I believe there's a Vivosaur Gym somewhere in town. You're planning on entering the Fossil Championship, aren't you? You'll need to get registered at the Fossil Center before you can officially challenge Gyms." Spike smiled and said, "Thanks Raptin, let me pull up my map." he took out a small phone like device and clicked a button on it, and it brought up a map of Cranial City. He looked it over and said, "It looks like the Fossil Center is in old downtown. We should go get registered and get some rest for tomorrow. The Gym's going to be closed by the time we get to the Fossil Center, so we'll just have to wait until tomorrow." When the group arrived at the Fossil Center, Spike walked up to the receptionist and registered himself into the Fossil Championship. After Ember did, the group went to dinner in the center's restaurant. Raptin took a small break from his steak and said, "So Spike, you've seemed to take this whole Ultra Instinct thing very calmly. I was expecting a more shocked reaction based on what happened at the stadium." Spike swallowed the bite he'd taken out of his burger and said, "To be honest, I was shocked at first, and I still am a little shocked, but we live in a world with living, breathing dinosaurs, so I decided that there's not really anything that sounds impossible." As they finished their dinner, Spike said, "Hey, do you mind if we go out into the park? There's something I've always wanted to do." Ember thought to herself, "Oh good lord, he wasn't kidding..." Raptin and Duna nodded and they went to the park. Spike pulled out his Brachio Dino Medal and threw it out into the open space of the park. He climbed up onto Brachio's head and said, "Kids, don't try this at home. As a matter of fact, grown-ups, you don't try it either!" Duna whispered to Ember, "Who is he talking to?" Ember whispered back, "Long story, too complicated to explain. It's best to just roll with it." Spike slid down his Brachio's neck and said, "Yabba Dabba Doo!" and jumped off from its tail and landed on the ground. Duna giggled lightly and said, "I have to say, that is kind of cute." After Spike's little moment of acting like Fred Flintstone, they headed back to their room at the Fossil Center. When Spike and Ember had fallen asleep, Raptin said quietly to Duna, "I'm quite surprised they believed our story." Duna told him, "Be honest, do you actually think he'd believe us if we told him we were aliens, and that he was also a member of our species?" Raptin nodded and said, "Point taken, we'd probably be in a mental institution if we told anyone that. Let's get some sleep. Spike's journey will be the first step of our research. Good night Duna." Duna yawned and said, "Good night Raptin." before the two of them fell asleep. Ultra Instinct... What is it...?It was morning. Spike was out on the Fossil Center's balcony. He looked at his arm, which while he had fixed his hoodie, the bite marks were still there. He said to himself, "Ultra Instinct... but why me? I'm just an ordinary kid. I'm not special..." He heard Duna's voice say, "That's not true Spike. Everyone is special in their own way." Spike smiled and said, "Thanks Duna. Do you mind if I ask you, has anyone else ever shown signs of being able to use Ultra Instinct?" Duna shook her head and said, "No, you're the first one we've seen use it. It was just an old legend at home, but me and Raptin decided to research it when we were old enough to leave home." Spike looked out on the sunrise and said, "It's beautiful isn't it?" Duna stood next to him and watched the sunrise as well saying, "It's just as beautiful as the first snowfall back home. Spike... do you mind if I ask you your opinion on something?" Spike looked at her and said, "Shoot." Duna sighed and said, "Before we started researching Ultra Instinct, Raptin wanted to study evolution. Our ancestors believed they evolved from reptiles, not mammals. How different do you think life would be if they were right?" Spike thought about it and said, "It's not an easy answer... I've never thought about evolution in that way. But despite what I think... I don't think humans could survive the harsh winters that some areas go through if we evolved from reptiles. We'd be cold-blooded if we did, and while reptiles and amphibians have been found on every continent besides Antarctica, it doesn't make life any easier for them during a harsh winter." Duna smiled and looked back into the room to see if Ember and Raptin were still sleeping. "I might not get another chance Spike." she kissed his cheek and said, "We've only known each other for a short time, but I feel we've known each other forever." Spike blushed and said, "You know... I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the same way. Something about you just feels familiar." A few hours later... The group had just finished breakfast and started heading towards the Fossil Gym. Raptin told Spike, "I believe you should try your hardest to hold back if Ultra Instinct comes into the picture. After how much it took out of you during your graduation exam, your body can't handle that much power for a long period of time." Spike nodded but sighed, "I know, I just don't know about it. When I started getting excited during the battle, something inside of me just clicked and bypassed my common sense and told me to jump in." Duna nodded and told Spike, "From our research, once Ultra Instinct occurs, it takes full control of the body. If it does happen again, you don't really have much choice." As they approached the Fossil Gym, a man walked out of the Gym and when he saw the children, he said, "You must be challengers. I'm sorry to disappoint you but-" when he got a closer look at Spike, his eyes widened and he asked, "You're that kid who jumped into battle during the FFA Graduation Exams, aren't you?" Spike was surprised the man knew about him, but nodded, "Yes, that's me, but how do you know about that?" The man chuckled, "It was all over the news, so it's hard not to recognize you. Like I was saying, I'd like to accept your challenge, but there's something the requires my attention. Some fighters reported a Rouge Vivosaur near the city limits. If it gets into town, a lot of people will get hurt." Spike's eyes widened and said, "In that case, I'll go with you! I'm not going to stand around and let people stay in danger!" The man sighed, "Well, I suppose I can't stop you, but don't do anything reckless. Names Drake by the way." When Drake started running, Spike and the others followed him. Spike didn't notice it at first, but he felt his blood heating up and him getting excited. He said to himself, "Crap, it's happening again, and I haven't even started a battle." As they reached the city limits, Spike saw the rouge Vivosaur, a Zino. He could hear a voice in his head telling him, "Don't hold back! Show your true power!" Spike's eyes widened in a crazed way, and he hissed like a lizard would. He told the others, "Get back. I'm gonna play this one out." Drake widened his eyes and said, "I believe that is a poor decision!" Spike scoffed, "Maybe, but it's mine to make." As Drake tried to stop Spike, Raptin put his hand on Drake's shoulder and said, "Wait, this is Ultra Instinct. When it occurs, there's no telling what Spike will do. The form takes control of his body, and it may not be able to distinguish friend from foe." Drake sighed, "Fine, I'll let it be this time. I don't want the kid getting hurt though. If I feel he's going too far, I'm stepping in." Spike dashed towards the Zino. As it slashed its claws, Spike jumped up and maneuvered himself through the gaps between the two claws and jumped on top of its head before delivering a fierce kick. As the Vivosaur fell to the ground, it quickly got back up, throwing its claws into the ground and ripping up chunks of earth at Spike. Spike jumped from rock to rock as they flew from the air, all while taking a deep breath. When he jumped from the last one, he sent out a large breath of wind, KOing the Vivosaur. Drake's eyes were wide and his mouth hanging. "H-How did he do that!?" As Spike got down from the unconscious Vivosaur's back, he regained his senses and sighed, "Again, with the Ultra Instinct... It was even crazier than last time." Drake smirked, "Well, I hope you bring everything to the table in my Gym. I'll be expecting you there Spike." as he headed back to the Gym, he thought to himself, "That kid... he's got potential. But that Ultra Instinct thing is incredible. I wonder how far he can take it..."
Spike's Graduation Part 1: The First VivosaurToday was the day. Spike could hardly believe it, today was the day he graduated from the FFA. He walked through the halls with his childhood friend Ember, who was also a student. Ember told him, "You know you're not in the clear yet. You have to pass the final test. You have to excavate a real fossil and win a battle with it. Real fossils are much harder to clean than practice fossils, and if you damage them, you'll end up with a weaker Vivosaur." Spike rolled his eyes and said, "I know that! I've even prepared, I bought some Buster Sensors. The professor says there's no restrictions on items we can use to excavate the fossil. A perfectly positioned stone buster will get the fossil more than clean enough to pass the test. Plus, I stocked up on Support Shots for the battle test." Ember smirked and said, "Well, seems you don't need my advice then. You've really thought this out. Any idea what kind of Vivosaur you'd like? I'd personally like a V-Raptor." Spike smiled and said, "V-Raptor, species name Velociraptor. A close relative of the bird family, the Velociraptor was covered in feathers. Though its reputation is quite large, in actuality it was only about the size of a wolf." Ember scoffed and said, "Showoff." Spike raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Says the girl who gave a 2 hour lecture on the formation of Golden Fossils." Ember blushed and said, "Touché. But seriously, what Vivosaur would you like to get?" Spike thought for a bit and said, "Personally I'm a fan of Dimetro, but any Vivosaur is fine with me." The two graduating students hurried to their test. Professor Trip Cera smiled as they arrived and said, "You two are early, but I can still give you the tests. First off, you two will need the proper supplies. First up is the Fossil Sonar. Without one of these, you'll never find a Fossil Rock. It's pretty basic right now, but if you win enough tournaments and sell some jewels you excavate, you'll be able to upgrade it. Next up is your Medal Case. A Fossil Fighter's team consists of three Vivosaurs, as well as two reserves. However, with a Medal Case, you can carry all your current Dino Medals, and switch them in and out of your team at any time. Last, but certainly not least is the MCRS, also known as the Mobile Cleaning & Revival Station. For a long time, you would have to take Fossil Rocks to a cleaning station and revive them with a very large machine, the MCRS was designed to be able to clean and revive fossils on the go." He took a deep exhale and sighed before saying, "Now, I know you've seen multiple graduation tests during your time at the academy, but things have changed since last year. As you know, all teams are made up of three Vivosaurs, as well as two reserves. You'll need to excavate and revive three Vivosaurs. As you know, you'll need a head fossil before you can revive a Vivosaur. Good luck on your test! Once you've revived three Vivosaurs, report to your dorms and get some rest for tomorrow's battle test." before walking away. Spike smiled and said, "Let's get digging, Ember!" he activated his Fossil Sonar and started following it towards a rock it was picking up. He swung his pickaxe into the ground and saw the outer layer of a fossil rock. He carefully dug around it so that he wouldn't damage the fossil before he started cleaning it. He lifted the rock out of the ground and set it down. He took out his MCRS and pressed the plunger on the capsule like device and threw it a short ways from himself. The cleaning station popped out of the capsule, and he took the fossil rock and put it on the cleaning table. He started out by using the X-Ray to see what kind of fossil it was. He may be smart, but he wasn't smart enough to identify the fossil just by looking at it, but he could still tell it was a head fossil. "Step one, test the rock's strength. Fossil rocks come in all varieties of strength, the rock can be as hard as steel or as brittle as styrofoam." he tapped on the rock with his hammer in a section where there was no bone. The rock crumbled away into nothing, signifying that the rock was very brittle. He thought it over for a moment and said, "The best course of action would be to drill through the brittle rock. It'll take longer, but it's much safer. Tapping the rock softly with the hammer in areas far from the bone could help, but I'll avoid that for now." he took out his drill and started drilling into the rock, taking breaks to blow away the dust that formed from drilling the rock. Spike was surprised, he could dig out a practice fossil in about 15 minutes, but he'd been working on this fossil for almost an hour. Ember smirked from her own cleaning station and said, "Told you, real fossils are harder to excavate." Spike rolled his eyes and said, "Yes Ember, I heard you the first time." as he drilled away the last of the rock, he said, "Perfect! Next step, analyze the fossil integrity, if the fossil is damaged beyond 50%, the revival machine cannot collect enough DNA to perform the revival." he put it into the processor and waited for it to scan it. The machine beeped and said, "Fossil is 100% undamaged. Fossil identified as Stegosaurus head. Commencing revival!" The machine lit up and scanned the fossil a second time. After about five minutes, a Dino Medal popped out of a small slot with a small picture of the Vivosaur Stego. Spike took the Medal out of the machine and collapsed the machine back into its capsule form. He smiled and flipped the Stego Medal like a coin and caught it saying, "One down, two to go!" The two students continued to dig and clean for a few hours, and about 1 hour before curfew, they each had three Vivosaurs. Spike said, "So Ember, what'd you dig up? Along with my Stego, I found a Dimetro and a Brachio." Ember smiled and said, "Lucky, you found a fossil you wanted. I got a U-Raptor, a Zino, and a Hypsi. Still, Hypsi's not bad, pretty cute. We'd better get back to our dorms. We'll need all our strength for the Fossil Battle Test tomorrow." The two students headed back to their dorms and wished each other luck for their Fossil Battle Test, which was first thing in the morning. Spike smiled before going to sleep as he looked at his first Dino Medal, Stego. He said to himself, "Almost... I'm almost a Fossil Fighter. Tomorrow's the most important day of my life. I better rest up." before going to sleep.
Spike's Graduation Part 2: The Battle BeginsSpike had woken up early in the morning on the day of his battle test. He decided to go back to the Test Dig Site to see if he could find other fossil parts for his three Vivosaurs. The more parts a Vivosaur had, the stronger it was. He was able to find the body fossils for Stego and Dimetro, but Brachio turned out to be much harder. The professor said Brachio fossils were fairly rare in the dig site, so he decided he'd dug up enough for now. He headed towards the Fossil Stadium and was met with a very familiar voice that said, "Didn't think I'd miss my little brother's big day, did you?" Spike turned towards the voice and saw Twilight, his older sister, as well as his brother Shining Armor, his sister in-law Cadence, his niece Flurry Heart, his parents, and Twilight's friends, who were all skilled Fossil Fighters. Twilight was a strategical fighter, she always had one Vivosaur of each element, Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Neutral, so she could adapt to any situation. Rarity, Spike's long-time crush, used very elegant, but equally fierce Vivosaurs. Rainbow Dash specialized in fast Vivosaurs. Her Vivosaurs weren't especially powerful, but they made up for what they lacked in strength with their incredible speed and agility. Fluttershy didn't particularly like Fossil Battles, but that didn't mean she wasn't good at them. Her relationship with her Vivosaurs was so good, she could give them commands without even speaking. Applejack was known to use strong and tough Vivosaurs that could take hits and deal their own blows. And finally, Pinkie Pie was very erratic and used Vivosaurs that had skills that could mess with the opponent's strategy, no two battles with Pinkie Pie were ever the same. His older brother Shining Armor was actually a Gym Leader on Caritico Island. He specialized in Neutral Vivosaurs. He hoped he could challenge his gym when he got strong enough. Spike smiled and said, "I'm glad you guys are here. I'm excited for my Battle Test. This is my first real Fossil Battle. I've done good in the simulations, but this isn't a simulation. If I lose, I don't graduate." The professor walked over to the group and said, "Ahem, I hate to break up the reunion, but it's time for your test Mr. Drake, Ms. Sapphire has already passed hers, and you're up next." Spike smiled and said to himself, "So Ember passed, and now it's my turn." he walked through the doors into the arena and was met with the Exam Droid. Exam Droids were different for each student, so they couldn't use other students' strategies. The announcer said, "The next student, Spike Drake has entered the arena! Let the Fossil Battle begin!" The Exam Droid's mouth opened and spat out three Dino Medals, which materialized into a Dilopho, an M-Raptor, and a Tro. These Vivosaurs were small, and had a size disadvantage against Brachio and Stego. He threw his three Dino Medals, and released his Vivosaurs. In the stands, Twilight adjusted her glasses and said, "Spike's team is well balanced, he has a close-range, mid-range, and long-range Vivosaur, the Exam Droid's Vivosaurs are all close-range. Spike also has a size advantage with Stego and Brachio. The jumbo-screen lit up, and showed the stats of the two teams. The announcer said, "First up is the Speed Check!" the numbers appeared on the screen and the announcer said, "Spike's team has greater speed than the Exam Droid's! Spike has the first move!" Spike thought about his first move. His Fire-element Dimetro had an advantage over the Air-element M-Raptor, so he checked his Fossil Power Meter and nodded, "Dimetro, use Dimetro Fang on M-Raptor!" his Dimetro ran at the M-Raptor and delivered a powerful bite. While Dimetro was charging, Spike used two Attack Up Support Shots, increasing the strength of the attack enough to KO M-Raptor. Afterwards, Spike was out of Fossil Power to use any other skills, so he ended his turn. The announcer said, "And Spike delivers a devastating Dimetro Fang to M-Raptor! With the help of two Attack Up Support Shots, Spike has KOed one of the Exam Droid's Vivosaurs!" Spike ended his turn after moving Brachio as far back as he could be. Brachio worked best from the sidelines, it wasn't suited for close combat. The exam droid attacked Dimetro using its Dilopho, which had an elemental advantage. Spike used a Defense Up Support shot to lessen the damage, and it saved Dimetro from being knocked out. Spike thought to himself, "Dimetro's in a pinch... I better use a LP Recovery Support Shot during its next attack..." Two people in the stands watched the battle intently. A girl with long blonde hair said, "Are you positive he's the one brother?" A boy with spiky black hair sighed and said, "Not entirely, I must admit I have my doubts based on the way this battle's going... However, its best that we focus on our assignment and observe him and the girl, I believe her name was Ember?" The girl nodded and said, "Yes, that's correct. I still don't understand the point of this assignment. We determined the native creatures of this planet evolved from mammals. Although I can't say I'm displeased... He is cute..." The boy rolled his eyes and said, "Focus sister. We're here to observe and report, not get involved with the subjects." Back on the battlefield, Spike felt strange. He felt his blood heating up, as if he was a carnivorous dinosaur getting ready to strike. He jumped from foot to foot, the feeling got him excited, and his Vivosaurs were reacting to his excitement as well. "Brachio, Mountain Wave!" Brachio roared and swung around, hitting both Dilopho and Tro with its neck and tail. The two Vivosaurs were hit hard, but not enough to KO either of them. However, the two of them seemed as though they'd had energy drained. Spike's skin sparkled for a moment, but the only person who noticed it besides Spike was Twilight. Twilight took off her glasses and wiped them with a small cloth before putting them back on and said, "So it's not just my glasses... Spike's skin is sparkling like a diamond!" Rarity squinted her eyes at Spike and said, "She's right!" and the others started conversing about what was going on. The boy in the stands smirked and said, "It seems we were both wrong. You saw what I saw sister... The reaction is occurring. It seems he is the one we're looking for..." The girl nodded and said, "But what about the girl? She didn't show any signs of the reaction occurring." The boy closed his eyes and thought. He opened his eyes and stared between Spike and his Brachio before saying, "Perhaps it is the bond between the subject and his Vivosaur... I'm picking up faint waves of an unusual energy between them... This situation is unexpected... Perhaps his time among the natives has altered the conditions for the reaction to take place." The girl twirled her hair and said, "This does make things more interesting for us. Your theory is plausible, but we'll need to conduct more research into it. We've collected enough data for this observation. Let's get going." She started to get up, but her brother grabbed her arm and forced her back down saying, "No, I'm quite interested in these so called Fossil Battles. I want to see what the subject is capable of if the reaction reaches its peak." Spike thought to himself, "Something's different... I've never felt like this! I don't know why, but every nerve in my body is telling me to get in there and battle the droid's Vivosaurs myself! What's going on?" To be continued... The girl sighed and said, "Another cliffhanger. And why do we get so little face time?" The boy snarled and said, "You know, we wouldn't be in this situation if you had let me read over the contract before agreeing to the cameo appearance."
Spike's Graduation Part 3: The ReactionThe boy and girl in the stands were watching the way Spike was reacting. The boy said, "His blood temperature is rising quickly... If this keeps up, the reaction will reach its peak quickly." The girl nodded and replied, "Still, do you think anything good will come if it does? Look around you, everyone is noticing something is happening. If he jumps into the fray, it's going to cause a panic." The boy sighed and said, "We'll need to deal with that, but let's just focus on our observations." Spike was getting antsy waiting for the Exam Droid to make its move. The longer he waited, the more he wanted to jump into the fray. He finally had an opening when the Exam Droid's Dilopho knocked out his Dimetro. When it did, he smirked and said, "Let's get it on!" jumping high in the air and landing perfectly where his Dimetro was standing. Twilight's eyes widened and she said, "I-Is he insane!?" Shining Armor looked at his parents and whispered, "It's that thing again... he was like this when we first found him." Night Light nodded, "We never found out why though, and it hasn't happened since." Twilight Velvet gulped and said, "I hope he doesn't get hurt..." The announcer stuttered into the microphone and said, "I-It seems Spike has jumped into the arena to take the place of his fallen Dimetro! Technically there's no rules restricting the use of extra Vivosaurs, but this!? Never before has a fighter jumped into the battle!" Pinkie squealed and said, "This calls for some exciting background music!" she pulled out a computer and typed something in, and suddenly, music seemed to play from nowhere. The boy with spiky black hair looked around confusedly and said, "The fuck? Where is that music coming from?" The girl said, "Ignore it and focus." although she found herself tapping her foot as the music played. Spike closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose before exhaling. He opened his eyes with a glare. His vision had turned into something that looked like he had heat sensing goggles on. When the timer turned to his turn he jumped at Dilopho. As he did, his nails turned sharp and claw-like, and his teeth grew in a way that they looked like fangs. He screeched like a raptor as he clawed at Dilopho and kicked it doing a backflip. As Dilopho passed out and returned to its Dino Medal form, the announcer said, "Incredible! Spike attacked the Exam Droid's Dilopho head on, and actually managed to knock it out! I have never seen a more exciting and wondrous battle in all my years as an announcer!" Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes and said, "Holy crap, Batman! How could he do that!?" Twilight's glasses were falling off on one side and as she adjusted them she said, "This can't be real... It defies the laws of... I don't even know what kind of laws this defies! There's no scenario I can think of where this makes sense! Even Pinkie Pie couldn't do something like this!" As his turn ended, Spike seemed to start to return to his normal self. He looked at his hands, seeing that the scales of Dilopho were underneath his nails. He was still excited, but he was also a little scared. He didn't know what happened after Dimetro had been knocked out, but it was obvious that he was on the battlefield. The Exam Droid had its Tro attack Spike. Spike's eyes widened and he shut them in fear of the incoming attack. He felt the Vivosaur biting his arm, which he had put up in defense, and strangely enough, he wasn't screaming in horrible pain. As Tro returned to its side of the field, Spike opened his eyes, looking at where he had been bitten. His clothes had bite marks through them, but there were no signs of blood. Twilight Velvet put her hands on her cheeks screaming "My baby boy! Is he hurt!? Stop the battle, something's not right!" Shining Armor looked through his binoculars and said, "No, he's not even bleeding from the attack! This is not normal. No human could ever knock out a Vivosaur, and then tank an attack like that." Night Light looked at his wife and said, "We did find that strange device when we found Spike. He was in a crater, and it looked like he had been encased in stone... Maybe we don't know as much about Spike as we think we do..." Spike shook his head, "I don't have time to think this over! I've got to get my head in the game!" he started heating up again, and the changes in his body started to take place again, claws and fangs started to form again. He attacked Tro, but this time, he used a three part combo. First he slashed at Tro, jumped with a backflip, kicking twice, and when he landed, he cupped his hands and sent out a burst of energy. As Tro fainted and turned back to its Dino Medal, the announcer said, "And Spike has defeated Tro! That was the Exam Droid's last Vivosaur! With some sort of miracle, Spike Drake has passed his graduation test!" Spike roared like a raptor again, before the form ended and he fell to the ground, unconscious. First Aid responders, along with Spike's friends and family rushed onto the field and put Spike on a stretcher and took him to the First Aid office. The girl and boy in the stands had disguised themselves as First Aid responders. When the others were gone, the boy told his family, "Please, Spike is going to be fine. We need to take some blood samples, and hopefully they can explain what happened out there." Meanwhile the girl was collecting a blood sample and when she did, she walked out and said, "We've got all the vitals we need to okay him for visitors. We'll be on our way." The two quickly left, and Spike's friends and family rushed into Spike's room. A doctor walked in and took out a needle, and took blood from Spike, causing Twilight to ask, "Didn't you just collect blood? Two of the responders already came in here and took a sample." The doctor raised an eyebrow and said, "No, none of our staff have come to check in on Spike. If somebody did come in here, it was unauthorized. I'll look into it later. For now, Spike needs to rest and then celebrate. Although the battle did have an unexpected outcome, the academy has decided to pass him. Don't worry, he'll be fine. I think this may have been a spur of the moment sort of thing." The boy said to his sister, "So Duna, how is the blood analysis coming?" Duna said, "You pestering me is not going to analyze the sample any quicker Raptin. Just put a sock in it and wait." Spike started to wake up and said, "Ugh... What happened?" he looked at his arm and saw the bite marks in his clothing and said, "Dammit! This is my favorite hoodie!" Twilight glared at him and said, "Your hoodie is fixable, what isn't is you! Why would you jump into a fossil battle like that!?" Spike's eyes widened and said, "I did what!?" he started remembering what happened and said, "I don't know... something in my brain was telling me to fight..."
True Friends and False ConclusionsIt had been a week since Spike's graduation test, and he was just getting out of the first aid office. The medics still weren't able to figure out what happened on the battlefield. Spike couldn't really remember what happened, but he knew that something inside of him was telling him to fight. Spike met up with Ember and said, "Hey, you ready to head out?" Ember smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm glad we're going on our journey together. Just try not to get yourself killed by jumping into another battle." Spike rolled his eyes and said, "It's not like I was in control, something just told me to get in there..." As the two new Fossil Fighters walked down a path out of the school's grounds, a voice said, "So, you're the boy who beat a Vivosaur on his own?" and a girl jumped out of a tree, it was the same girl who had taken Spike's blood a week ago. Ember growled and said, "I recognize you! You're that fake First Aid staff!" The girl said, "I do apologize for the deception, but it was necessary to further our research. But before that, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Duna. My brother Raptin is out researching right now, but I'd like you to meet him as well." Before Ember could refuse, Spike said, "I'd be glad to meet your brother. If you're researching what happened to me out there, I want to hear what you have to say." Ember was about to retort, but she realized that if this girl and her brother knew something about what happened to Spike, they should listen to them, for now at least. Spike and Ember dug for fossils while they were waiting for Raptin, and Raptin's voice said, "I'm back sister." he saw Spike and said, "You must be Spike Drake. I'd like to thank you for furthering our research, and apologize for deceiving your family." Spike looked over to Raptin and said, "It's fine. If you don't mind me asking, what do the two of you research?" Duna smiled and said, "We research bringing out the true power of Vivosaurs. We believe that it is the bond between fighter and Vivosaur." Raptin continued on, "We believe that the incident during your battle was a rare chemical reaction that happens when the bond between a Fighter and his or her Vivosaur becomes stronger than diamond. We call the reaction Ultra Instinct. We don't know much about the reaction, but one thing we're sure of is that when the reaction starts to occur, the subject's blood starts to heat up, their heartbeat speeds up, and they experience an incredible feeling of excitement. The one thing we can't explain is why your nails and teeth took the form of claws and fangs." Duna smiled and said, "With your permission, we'd like to continue with you on your journey, to continue our research." Spike thought about it for a moment and said, "Ok, sure. I want to know more about what happened to me out there. If your research can tell me that, I suppose it's ok for you to travel with us." Ember nodded and said, "Just don't try doing any freaky experiments on either of us." Raptin nodded and said, "We never conduct experiments without the consent of the subject." After cleaning the fossil rocks they dug up, Spike had revived an Ankylo and an Aeros, which he put in his Medal Case. As for Ember, she revived a V-Raptor and a Dimorph. Afterwards, the group went towards the next city, Cranial City. Ember looked around the huge city and said, "Wow, this city is huge! It's nothing like back home." Spike smiled and said, "Yeah, this place is even bigger than Caritico Island." Duna stroked her fingers through her hair and said, "We're still getting used to the cities in this area. Raptin and I are from the far north, it's almost always cold. We're not used to such warm weather." Raptin looked at Spike and said, "I believe there's a Vivosaur Gym somewhere in town. You're planning on entering the Fossil Championship, aren't you? You'll need to get registered at the Fossil Center before you can officially challenge Gyms." Spike smiled and said, "Thanks Raptin, let me pull up my map." he took out a small phone like device and clicked a button on it, and it brought up a map of Cranial City. He looked it over and said, "It looks like the Fossil Center is in old downtown. We should go get registered and get some rest for tomorrow. The Gym's going to be closed by the time we get to the Fossil Center, so we'll just have to wait until tomorrow." When the group arrived at the Fossil Center, Spike walked up to the receptionist and registered himself into the Fossil Championship. After Ember did, the group went to dinner in the center's restaurant. Raptin took a small break from his steak and said, "So Spike, you've seemed to take this whole Ultra Instinct thing very calmly. I was expecting a more shocked reaction based on what happened at the stadium." Spike swallowed the bite he'd taken out of his burger and said, "To be honest, I was shocked at first, and I still am a little shocked, but we live in a world with living, breathing dinosaurs, so I decided that there's not really anything that sounds impossible." As they finished their dinner, Spike said, "Hey, do you mind if we go out into the park? There's something I've always wanted to do." Ember thought to herself, "Oh good lord, he wasn't kidding..." Raptin and Duna nodded and they went to the park. Spike pulled out his Brachio Dino Medal and threw it out into the open space of the park. He climbed up onto Brachio's head and said, "Kids, don't try this at home. As a matter of fact, grown-ups, you don't try it either!" Duna whispered to Ember, "Who is he talking to?" Ember whispered back, "Long story, too complicated to explain. It's best to just roll with it." Spike slid down his Brachio's neck and said, "Yabba Dabba Doo!" and jumped off from its tail and landed on the ground. Duna giggled lightly and said, "I have to say, that is kind of cute." After Spike's little moment of acting like Fred Flintstone, they headed back to their room at the Fossil Center. When Spike and Ember had fallen asleep, Raptin said quietly to Duna, "I'm quite surprised they believed our story." Duna told him, "Be honest, do you actually think he'd believe us if we told him we were aliens, and that he was also a member of our species?" Raptin nodded and said, "Point taken, we'd probably be in a mental institution if we told anyone that. Let's get some sleep. Spike's journey will be the first step of our research. Good night Duna." Duna yawned and said, "Good night Raptin." before the two of them fell asleep.
Ultra Instinct... What is it...?It was morning. Spike was out on the Fossil Center's balcony. He looked at his arm, which while he had fixed his hoodie, the bite marks were still there. He said to himself, "Ultra Instinct... but why me? I'm just an ordinary kid. I'm not special..." He heard Duna's voice say, "That's not true Spike. Everyone is special in their own way." Spike smiled and said, "Thanks Duna. Do you mind if I ask you, has anyone else ever shown signs of being able to use Ultra Instinct?" Duna shook her head and said, "No, you're the first one we've seen use it. It was just an old legend at home, but me and Raptin decided to research it when we were old enough to leave home." Spike looked out on the sunrise and said, "It's beautiful isn't it?" Duna stood next to him and watched the sunrise as well saying, "It's just as beautiful as the first snowfall back home. Spike... do you mind if I ask you your opinion on something?" Spike looked at her and said, "Shoot." Duna sighed and said, "Before we started researching Ultra Instinct, Raptin wanted to study evolution. Our ancestors believed they evolved from reptiles, not mammals. How different do you think life would be if they were right?" Spike thought about it and said, "It's not an easy answer... I've never thought about evolution in that way. But despite what I think... I don't think humans could survive the harsh winters that some areas go through if we evolved from reptiles. We'd be cold-blooded if we did, and while reptiles and amphibians have been found on every continent besides Antarctica, it doesn't make life any easier for them during a harsh winter." Duna smiled and looked back into the room to see if Ember and Raptin were still sleeping. "I might not get another chance Spike." she kissed his cheek and said, "We've only known each other for a short time, but I feel we've known each other forever." Spike blushed and said, "You know... I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the same way. Something about you just feels familiar." A few hours later... The group had just finished breakfast and started heading towards the Fossil Gym. Raptin told Spike, "I believe you should try your hardest to hold back if Ultra Instinct comes into the picture. After how much it took out of you during your graduation exam, your body can't handle that much power for a long period of time." Spike nodded but sighed, "I know, I just don't know about it. When I started getting excited during the battle, something inside of me just clicked and bypassed my common sense and told me to jump in." Duna nodded and told Spike, "From our research, once Ultra Instinct occurs, it takes full control of the body. If it does happen again, you don't really have much choice." As they approached the Fossil Gym, a man walked out of the Gym and when he saw the children, he said, "You must be challengers. I'm sorry to disappoint you but-" when he got a closer look at Spike, his eyes widened and he asked, "You're that kid who jumped into battle during the FFA Graduation Exams, aren't you?" Spike was surprised the man knew about him, but nodded, "Yes, that's me, but how do you know about that?" The man chuckled, "It was all over the news, so it's hard not to recognize you. Like I was saying, I'd like to accept your challenge, but there's something the requires my attention. Some fighters reported a Rouge Vivosaur near the city limits. If it gets into town, a lot of people will get hurt." Spike's eyes widened and said, "In that case, I'll go with you! I'm not going to stand around and let people stay in danger!" The man sighed, "Well, I suppose I can't stop you, but don't do anything reckless. Names Drake by the way." When Drake started running, Spike and the others followed him. Spike didn't notice it at first, but he felt his blood heating up and him getting excited. He said to himself, "Crap, it's happening again, and I haven't even started a battle." As they reached the city limits, Spike saw the rouge Vivosaur, a Zino. He could hear a voice in his head telling him, "Don't hold back! Show your true power!" Spike's eyes widened in a crazed way, and he hissed like a lizard would. He told the others, "Get back. I'm gonna play this one out." Drake widened his eyes and said, "I believe that is a poor decision!" Spike scoffed, "Maybe, but it's mine to make." As Drake tried to stop Spike, Raptin put his hand on Drake's shoulder and said, "Wait, this is Ultra Instinct. When it occurs, there's no telling what Spike will do. The form takes control of his body, and it may not be able to distinguish friend from foe." Drake sighed, "Fine, I'll let it be this time. I don't want the kid getting hurt though. If I feel he's going too far, I'm stepping in." Spike dashed towards the Zino. As it slashed its claws, Spike jumped up and maneuvered himself through the gaps between the two claws and jumped on top of its head before delivering a fierce kick. As the Vivosaur fell to the ground, it quickly got back up, throwing its claws into the ground and ripping up chunks of earth at Spike. Spike jumped from rock to rock as they flew from the air, all while taking a deep breath. When he jumped from the last one, he sent out a large breath of wind, KOing the Vivosaur. Drake's eyes were wide and his mouth hanging. "H-How did he do that!?" As Spike got down from the unconscious Vivosaur's back, he regained his senses and sighed, "Again, with the Ultra Instinct... It was even crazier than last time." Drake smirked, "Well, I hope you bring everything to the table in my Gym. I'll be expecting you there Spike." as he headed back to the Gym, he thought to himself, "That kid... he's got potential. But that Ultra Instinct thing is incredible. I wonder how far he can take it..."
