Ben 10 - Ultimate Series

The Tennysons were finally having a moment of peace, parked at a campsite in Yellowstone National Park. The Rustbucket was set up near a river, surrounded by imposing sequoia trees and the tranquil sound of nature. Max was finishing organizing the site while Gwen observed the environment with a slight smile, clearly happy to be there.

"Ah, Yellowstone," sighed Max, looking at the horizon. "One of the most beautiful places I've ever been."

"It's breathtaking," commented Gwen, taking in the landscape. She then looked around. "Doesn't Ben think so...? Ben?"

Ben was sitting on a nearby rock, staring intently at the Omnitrix and scrolling through the list of available aliens.

"Ben? What are you doing?" Gwen asked, curious.

Ben shrugged, without taking his eyes off the watch. "I was thinking of turning into XLR8 and popping into town to grab a double cheeseburger with pickles."

"Ben!" Gwen exclaimed, clearly irritated. "Yellowstone is amazing. Why don't you go out and enjoy it a bit? We can think about dinner later."

"She's right, Ben," Max added. He approached a fallen log, turned it over, and revealed a bunch of crawling worms. "We can live off the land! Look here: worms full of protein."

He picked one up and, without hesitation, put it in his mouth, chewing it with relish. Gwen and Ben made faces.

"Eww!" they said in unison.

Max laughed. "When you taste alien delicacies, your palate becomes more... open. But, if you grill them with a sun-dried tomato paste, it's delicious."

Ben rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Oh, great. I'll just stay here hungry while you invent another weird recipe, Grandpa."

He activated the Omnitrix, setting it to the XLR8 icon. "Enough of this. I'm getting my burger."

Before he could press the watch, Gwen grabbed his arm. "Maybe I should try to help. I'd prefer a cheeseburger with chili."

"I'd appreciate that too," Ben said, letting out a small smile.

When he finally pressed the Omnitrix, something unexpected happened. Instead of turning into XLR8, Ben became a completely new alien. His form was rounded, with yellow armor covering a good part of his body, white skin with metallic details, small, bright eyes, and teeth as sharp as blades.

The alien took a step forward but stumbled clumsily and fell on his back.

"Now that's a heroic pose," said Gwen, laughing.

Ben grumbled, his voice deeper and more profound. "Very funny." He got up with difficulty, looking at his large, awkward hands. "I didn't even scan anything this time! How do I walk in this body?"

Gwen pulled out the alien compendium that Tetrax had given her and began to flip through it quickly, until she found what she was looking for. "Here! Arburian Pelarota. You're a Pelarota, Ben."

"A what?" Ben asked, as he took another stumbling step.

"Pelarota," Gwen explained, reading the information. "They're aliens from Arburia who can curl into balls and roll at high speed. Super tough and... agile, apparently."

"Agile? I can barely stand up!" Ben said, swaying from side to side before falling again.

"You just need... to get used to it," Max said, trying to hold back a laugh.

Ben started moving his arms and legs, trying to balance, but ended up curling into a ball. Unintentionally, he began to roll downhill.

"Hey! I didn't mean to do that!" he shouted as he disappeared towards the river.

Gwen looked at Max, crossing her arms. "Do you really think this is going to end well?"

Max smiled. "At least he's going in the right direction."

They ran after Ben, who finally stopped near the riverbank, still trying to figure out how to control his movements.

"Okay, this has gone past funny," said Ben, uncurling from his ball form and standing up. He looked at himself, thoughtful. "What else can this alien do?"

Before they could answer, a loud sound cut through the silence. A meteor streaked across the sky, crashing a short distance away with a deafening impact.

Gwen pointed to the horizon. "That... looks like a problem."

"Great!" Ben said sarcastically, looking at the Omnitrix. "Just another normal day with the Tennysons."

They started heading towards the impact site, with Ben, still in his Pelarota form, stumbling along the way. "I hope this guy is useful. Because, so far, all he knows how to do is roll."

As Ben tried to balance in his clumsy Pelarota form, Gwen rolled her eyes, clearly impatient.

"Ben, you can't be stumbling around like this right now," she said, approaching him with determination.

"Hey! I'm trying, okay?" Ben retorted, swinging his enormous arms to try to keep his balance.

Without listening, Gwen pressed the Omnitrix symbol on his chest. With a faint green glow and a characteristic sound, Ben returned to his human form. He blinked a few times, confused.

"Why did you do that? I was almost getting the hang of walking!" Ben complained.

Gwen crossed her arms and pointed towards the fallen meteor. "Because now is not the time to be testing a new alien. Let's deal with this first, and then we'll figure out what this Pelarota does."

Max was already on his way, pulling out his badge and shouting to the two of them, "Come on, kids! We don't know what fell there, and we need to act fast!"

Ben sighed, adjusting his watch. "Alright, alright. But for the record, I could have rolled there in no time."

"Sure you could have," Gwen said with sarcasm, running ahead of him.

The three of them started running together along the trail leading to the impact site, the surrounding forest illuminated only by the orange glow of the distant meteor and the rustling of leaves in the light breeze.

"I bet it's another alien problem," Ben commented as he ran, keeping pace with Gwen.

"Well, considering our luck, probably," Gwen replied, holding the alien compendium as she ran.

"If it is another alien problem, at least we know the Omnitrix is unlocking new ones," Max said, with a somewhat optimistic tone.

"Great," Ben muttered, looking at his watch with a slight smile. "I hope the next one doesn't make me look so stupid."

Gwen laughed. "That's asking too much."

The Tennysons arrived at the impact site, illuminated by a reddish light emanating from the meteor. A deep crack opened on its surface as it slowly began to break into pieces. Ben, Gwen, and Max stopped running, cautiously watching what was about to happen.

"What is that?" Gwen asked, wrinkling her nose.

"I don't know, but it looks like it's going to be a lot of trouble," Ben replied, already reaching for the Omnitrix.

Before he could activate the watch, the meteor opened completely, revealing a colossal alien, with reddish skin and a body resembling a giant tick. Its appendages dug into the ground, emitting a grotesque sucking sound, and a putrid smell began to spread through the air.

Max grimaced. "This is not good. It looks like some kind of planetary parasite."

Before they could react, the sky above them lit up. A ship descended smoothly, and three aliens emerged from floating platforms, each supported by a sphere of glowing energy.

The first alien was tall and slender, with six tentacle-like appendages moving around it. He seemed to be the leader.

The second was shorter, with six thin arms and yellow skin, moving with agility as he carefully analyzed the enormous tick.

The third, of medium height, had four glowing eyes and held a large axe, with the intimidating posture of someone ready for a fight.

The alien leader raised one of his "hands" in a gesture of peace. "Relax. We come in peace."

"That's what they always say before they probe someone," Gwen muttered, her eyebrows furrowed.

Max gave a slight smile. "Actually, probing is just a rumor. Most aliens find it disgusting."

The alien with the axe tilted his head, his four eyes fixing on Gwen. "Ah, earthlings with an attitude. I've heard of you. You are many... or should I say, you were many."

"Yeah, yeah, and who are you, exactly?" Ben interrupted, crossing his arms suspiciously.

The alien leader ignored Ben's tone and stared intently at the large tick. "We have followed it from planet to planet. It has devastated our homes, rotting each world from the inside out and devouring it completely. Now it is here... and that means you are doomed."

Ben narrowed his eyes, but before he could respond, the smaller alien gestured towards the tick, emitting incomprehensible sounds as the massive monster dug deeper into the ground.

"If it starts digging, it will be the end," Max said with urgency.

"Then I'd better take care of this now," Ben said, looking at the Omnitrix and turning the interface.

"Ben, wait! We need a plan!" Gwen tried to warn him.

"Keep up with me." With a confident smile, Ben slapped the Omnitrix. In a flash of green light, his form began to change.

His arms and legs elongated, and a mint-green skin took over his body. Two tentacles grew from his head and one from the lower part of his back. His fingers became long and thin, while his feet acquired sharp claws, with two facing forward and one back. When the light faded, Ben had transformed into a slender and agile alien.

"Neurolizard is in the house!" Ben's voice echoed, now with a sharper, more calculating tone. He floated a meter off the ground, his sensory tentacles waving gently. He looked at the three aliens, a sly smile forming on his thin lips. "And it looks like today's test is 'Space Junk 101'. Someone's going to fail."

The lead servant, a tall creature with six agile appendages, pointed at Neurolizard. "The Omnitrix anomaly. Capture it. The Great One will appreciate an appetizer."

The axe-wielding alien, a brute with the skin of a Noxhound, roared and charged, his weapon raised for a crushing blow.

"Predictable," Neurolizard commented with boredom.

The axe blade sliced through the air, but stopped inches from Ben's face, suspended by an invisible force. The green aura around Neurolizard glowed. "Grandpa, the big one! Gwen, the little one on the platform!"

With a mental twist, Neurolizard redirected the axe, causing the brute to strike the ground with a thud. At the same time, he focused on the smaller alien, who hovered on a floating platform. With a precise gesture of his cephalic tentacles, he used his fine telekinesis to dismantle the platform's stabilizers. The small servant shrieked as the levitation disk began to spin uncontrollably, throwing him to the ground.

"Damn! He's stronger than he looks!" Max shouted, firing his energy weapon, forcing the leader to retreat.

Gwen, who already had her grimoire open, found what she was looking for. "Try to move now, weirdo!" she yelled. "Ligatio!"

Chains of blue-electric mana erupted from the ground, wrapping around the legs of the brutish alien, who was now struggling to get up. Meanwhile, Max activated the stun function on his weapon and, with a well-aimed shot, knocked out the smaller servant who had just recovered.

Neurolizard now focused on the leader, who whipped the air with his six appendages. "Two down. Only you left, discount calamari."

The creature hissed and charged. But Ben was faster, his telekinetic flight allowing him to dance through the air, dodging the blows. "You're slow. Very slow. Earth's gravity must be a problem for your kind, isn't it?"

He concentrated, and a dozen rocks and metal debris rose from the ground, shooting like projectiles at the leader. The creature was forced to use its appendages to defend itself, blocking the barrage.

"So? Tired yet?" Neurolizard taunted. "Because I can go all night!"

While the leader was distracted, Max approached from behind. With a quick movement, he threw a storage egg that expanded and captured the creature in a yellow force field, shrinking it to the size of a marble. He caught it in the air.

"Three to nothing for the Tennysons," Max said, putting the device on his belt.

"Phew," Gwen panted, the magical energy dissipating from her hands. "That was a close one."

"Close, nothing," Neurolizard replied, landing softly. "With me here, we always have the advantage!"

Max looked at the gigantic creature that continued to dig, unfazed by the fight. "Don't celebrate just yet, Ben. We still have to take care of that big guy."

Neurolizard turned, his confidence replaced by a focused determination. "Alright. I guess it's time to show this big guy how we dance around here." The green aura around him glowed with renewed strength as he rose into the air and advanced towards the giant.

Neurolizard's mind became a scalpel. He didn't see a monster; he saw a system. Muscles, tendons, pressure points. He floated, the green aura around him vibrating with concentrated power, and focused all his telekinetic energy on "The Great One."

The air around the parasite rippled. The ground shook. Neurolizard tried to crush it, to compress its carapace with an invisible force that could bend steel. But it was like trying to crush a mountain with his bare hands. The Great One didn't even flinch. The resistance he felt was like a wall of reality, a force of nature that refused to yield.

"What... the hell...?" Neurolizard panted, the effort causing sweat to bead on his mint-green skin. He intensified the attack, the green aura almost blinding him. Nothing. The parasite seemed to be a gravitational anchor, immune to any external force.

"Ben, it's not going to work!" Max's voice cut through his concentration. "Fall back!"

Ignoring the warning, Neurolizard dove. He focused on one of the monster's massive legs, which was dug into the earth. Using all the strength of his mind, he pulled. The ground groaned. The earth split. Slowly, agonizingly, the leg began to rise from the soil.

A scream of mental effort tore through the air. Sweat poured into his eyes. The psychic energy was draining him at an alarming rate. He managed to lift the leg a few meters, but the cost was immense. With a heavy gasp that shook his slender body, the telekinetic connection broke. The Great One's leg fell back to the ground with a THUD that made the entire forest shudder.

Neurolizard retreated, panting and exhausted. The monster, almost as if it were smirking, simply adjusted its leg and continued to dig, indifferent.

"It's... not... possible..." Neurolizard whispered, his voice weak. "He's... too strong."

As Ben approached Max and Gwen, his grandfather was now interrogating the captured aliens. One of them spoke with a deep, grave voice.

"The Great One is absolute," the alien said, with a frightening calmness. "It has already destroyed many planets... Arburia was the last... Now Earth will be next. And so it shall be for all eternity."

Gwen looked at the encyclopedia she was carrying and, with a slight frown, read what was written about Arburia. "Arburia... That's the home planet of Ben's new alien! We have to do something before they do the same to Earth!"

Max pressed the Omnitrix. When the device flashed, Ben returned to his human form.

"It doesn't matter who 'The Great One' is. We're going to stop this, no matter the cost," Ben said, now with a renewed determination.

Ben pulled the hoverboard from his pocket and threw it on the ground. He jumped on it with agility and activated the mechanism, making it float in the air. "Let's see what we can do," he muttered to himself as he accelerated the device and soared as high as he could, right above the Big Tick.

Up there, he looked down and pressed the Omnitrix, turning the dial until he found Four Arms. "It's smashing time!" He slammed the watch, activating the transformation. In mid-air, his body began to expand, turning red and muscular, with his four arms taking shape. When the transformation was complete, he was hundreds of feet off the ground.

"CANNONBAAAALL!" Four Arms shouted as he dove at high speed, falling towards the Big Tick. His impact was tremendous, creating a crater around the creature's body and making the ground shake. Dust and debris flew in all directions. Four Arms stood up quickly, with a satisfied smile on his face – but that smile vanished when he saw that the Big Tick didn't even seem to have felt the blow.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Four Arms muttered, incredulous, as he began to punch the creature's carapace with all his strength. He used all his arms, blow after blow, but nothing seemed to have any effect. The Big Tick's skin was completely impenetrable.

Frustrated, he turned to Gwen and Max, who were watching from a distance. "Do you guys have any ideas? Because I'm running out of options here!"

Gwen thought for a moment before answering. "Maybe... maybe I can use a spell to make you stronger."

Four Arms raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? So what are you waiting for? Let's do it!"

"Ben," Gwen hesitated, her voice full of concern. "I've never tried this before... What if it goes wrong? I don't want to end up hurting you."

Four Arms smiled, trying to reassure her. "Relax, Gwen. No damage stays when I turn back to normal, remember? Go ahead. I can take it."

Gwen took a deep breath, raised her hands, and began to recite a spell: "Fortis Fortitudo!" A blast of magical energy shot from her hands and hit Four Arms directly. His muscles began to swell, becoming even larger and more defined. He looked at himself in admiration. "Now we're talking! Let's go!"

Four Arms went back to attacking the Big Tick, punching its carapace with much greater force. Each blow echoed like thunder, cracking the ground around them. However, despite the increased strength, the creature's skin remained intact. As Four Arms continued to attack, his muscles began to swell even more, almost grotesquely.

"It's getting to be too much!" Four Arms shouted, feeling like his muscles were about to explode. "Gwen, stop this before I turn into a walking balloon!"

Gwen immediately canceled the spell, and Four Arms' muscles began to return to normal. Four Arms turned around, frustrated, and jumped back on the hoverboard, flying to where Gwen and Max were.

As soon as he landed, Max approached and pressed the Omnitrix on Four Arms' shoulder, forcing him back to his human form.

"Brute force is no use, Ben," Max said firmly. "We need to be smart to deal with this."

Ben huffed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "So, what's the plan, Grandpa?"

Max gave a determined smile. "Stinkfly. Start firing the flammable liquid while I run to get the Rust Bucket."

Stinkfly flew around the Big Tick, firing his slime at various points on the massive tick's carapace, covering it with a sticky substance. "Come on, big guy, have a taste of my special sauce!" Ben taunted as he continued to launch the liquid. Meanwhile, Gwen held up her magic book, muttering words in a long, complicated spell, beads of sweat running down her face from the effort of concentration.

Suddenly, the familiar sound of the Rust Bucket filled the air. The ship advanced towards the battlefield, its sides expanding to reveal a series of advanced weapons, missiles, and laser cannons pointed directly at the Big Tick. Stinkfly quickly flew into the ship as soon as it was in position. Max, already at the controls, pressed a button, returning Ben to his human form. "You're going to need something better than Stinkfly now," Max said as Ben nodded.

Ben, exiting the Rust Bucket, leaped into the air and activated the Omnitrix. In mid-fall, he transformed into Heatblast, landing beside Gwen, his flames burning intensely. He looked at her, who was clearly exhausted, and asked, "Are you ready?"

Gwen, still sweating, gave him a tired but determined look. "On your signal," she replied, her voice a little hesitant.

Heatblast gave a confident smile. "Alright, then. Let's heat things up!" He began to concentrate his flames, forming a huge fireball between his hands. "One... two... ten!" he shouted, throwing the ball with all his strength towards the Big Tick, while simultaneously firing fireballs as fast as he could.

At the same instant, Gwen finished her spell, releasing a huge gust of wind from her palms. The wind collided with Heatblast's fire, intensifying the flames and spreading them like a ravenous inferno towards the Big Tick. The Rust Bucket then went into action, launching a shower of lasers and missiles, which, upon hitting the slime spread by Stinkfly, caused large chain explosions.

When the fire and smoke began to die down, the three of them were silent for a moment, observing the result. However, to their despair, the Big Tick emerged almost unscathed, with only a few superficial scratches marking its carapace. The fire, however, had destroyed the poisonous veins the creature was infiltrating into the ground.

Max's voice came over the communicator he had left with Gwen: "Well, at least we managed to disrupt its work. This attack may not have killed the tick, but it seems to have incinerated all the poison and the veins it was using to contaminate the earth."

One of the Big Tick's servants, watching from a distance, commented sarcastically: "They've cleaned the Great One very well. Now it's purified to continue its work!"

Heatblast advanced towards the servant, annoyed, before turning back to the Big Tick. "If many explosions don't work," he muttered, concentrating, "a well-focused one should. Grandpa, back me up on this."

As Max adjusted all the targeting systems of the Rust Bucket, Heatblast began to absorb all the remaining fire from the battle around them, gathering it into two gigantic fireballs in his hands. He then fused them into a single sphere of incandescent energy. "FINAL FLASH!" He fired a concentrated beam of fire directly at the Big Tick, while Max used all the firepower of the Rust Bucket to aim at the same spot.

The impact made the spot on the Big Tick's carapace glow red, as if it were about to crack. Gwen, seeing an opportunity, shouted: "We can cause a thermal shock! Ben, your turn!"

She pressed the Omnitrix, returning Ben to his human form. He nodded, immediately turning the dial to Diamondhead and activating the transformation. Bright crystals emerged from his body, and he ran towards the Big Tick at speed.

When he got close, Gwen recited an ice spell, launching a frosty blast directly at the weakened spot. As soon as the ice covered the area, Diamondhead plunged his crystal blades with all his strength into the spot. He smiled as he felt he was penetrating the creature, but his joy was brief. The Big Tick, with a subtle movement, closed the hole, tearing off his arm along with it.

"Damn it!" Diamondhead shouted, frustrated, as the Omnitrix flashed red, forcing him back to his human form. He fell to his knees, exhausted, but quickly stood up, pulling out the hoverboard and throwing it to the ground.

When he returned to Gwen, he found her passed out on the ground, completely drained from the excessive use of mana. "Gwen!" Ben shouted, kneeling beside her. Max came running, observing the situation with concern as they thought about their next move.

Ben turned the dial of the Omnitrix, transforming into XLR8. He started running in circles around the Big Tick at high speed, using his enhanced vision and reflexes to look for any weak spots in its carapace. However, no matter how much he analyzed and tested, he found nothing vulnerable. "Nothing... not a single flaw!" He stopped beside the Rust Bucket, breathing heavily, frustrated.

Without wasting time, Ben transformed into Upgrade and quickly merged with the Rust Bucket. "Grandpa, let's boost the power of this thing!" Ben said, as he used his abilities to enhance the targeting systems, the power of the weapons, and the energy efficiency of the ship.

The Rust Bucket began to fire even more powerful lasers and missiles towards the Big Tick. Max piloted with precision, adjusting each shot to hit the points weakened by the previous attack. Nothing. The Big Tick remained as firm as an impenetrable mountain.

Upgrade tried another approach: absorbing the Big Tick's servants' ship. He merged with it, adding its capabilities to the Rust Bucket, but even with double the firepower, the result was the same—no significant damage.

"This isn't going to work! It's not technology... so I can't merge with it!" Upgrade said, frustrated, as he came out of the fusion.

The Omnitrix spun again, transforming Ben into Ripjaws. With his sharp teeth, he tried to bite the Big Tick's carapace, but the creature was simply too hard. In the process, Ripjaws ended up breaking some of his own teeth. He retreated, moaning in pain, before the Omnitrix began to flash, returning him to his human form. "That was... a terrible idea," he muttered, holding his jaw.

Thoughtfully, he chose Greymatter, the small genius alien. "Okay, if brute force doesn't work, let's try something smarter," he said, as he ran to the Rust Bucket. He quickly analyzed the available tools and resources. "Buzzshock! That's it!" After some time, he returned to normal and, pressing the Omnitrix, transformed into the electric alien.

Buzzshock went into action, devouring all the remaining energy from the Big Tick's servants' ship, absorbing it to the limit. He became visibly energized, glowing intensely. "It's now or never," he said, before flying straight at the Big Tick.

He penetrated the creature through small openings in its carapace and began to attack from the inside, releasing massive electrical discharges directly into its internal organs. With each attack, the Big Tick trembled, but it seemed completely immune to electricity. Buzzshock, exhausted and out of energy, tried one last direct attack on the creature's heart. He launched a powerful bolt, but the result was the same—no significant damage.

When the Omnitrix turned red, Buzzshock was forced to exit the Big Tick, falling next to Gwen, who was starting to wake up. Ben returned to his human form, lying next to her on the ground, exhausted and powerless. "I... I tried everything," he said, breathless.

Meanwhile, Max's voice echoed through the communicator. "This is Max Tennyson. Requesting immediate backup. Change of plans: extract the Petrosapien Crystal. Authorization code: Alpha-X-Ray-7-6-Bravo…" He quickly typed the codes on his device, trying to speed up the process.

Ben looked at Max, with a mixed look of defeat and hope. "Are they going to make it, Grandpa?" he asked, as his eyelids began to feel heavy.

"We have to buy time until then, Ben," Max replied firmly, as he continued to coordinate the operation through the communicator. "They'll make it, but we need to prepare for the worst in the meantime."

"What else can we do?" Gwen asked, her voice faltering, her eyes blinking with exhaustion.

Ben looked at her, seeing how drained she was. His mind was racing, trying to think of a way to turn the tide. The Big Tick was relentless, and his attacks were failing, one after another. They were running out of time. Every second dragged on like an eternity, and the giant alien seemed like an unbeatable wall.

Max looked up at the sky, his face grim. "If we keep this up, we'll end up destroying the Earth before we even have a chance." He pressed a button on his jacket and turned on his communicator. "Code 6-9-3, we need the Petrosapien crystal! I repeat, code 6-9-3. The location is on the maps. Connect the extraction and confirm!"

Meanwhile, Gwen tried to get up, still determined, and looked at Ben's Omnitrix. "There's still something we can do, Ben... We're not giving up now. Ben, turn into the Arburian Pelarota. Maybe that will work!"

Ben looked at her, his expression a mixture of exhaustion and disbelief. "Are you asking me to turn into him, Gwen? Are you serious?" He took a step back, clearly exasperated. "The fatigue is really getting to you... and you want me to turn into an Arburian Pelarota? If a whole planet of them was destroyed, what difference is one going to make?"

Gwen didn't hesitate. "I know it's hard, but do you have a better idea, Ben?"

Ben opened his mouth to answer, but, realizing he had no solution, he just let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, okay, I'll try... But this is stupid…" He then took the Omnitrix, pressed the button, and prepared to transform.

When the light faded, Ben had transformed into the Arburian Pelarota. He looked at his hands, then at his rounded body, clearly surprised by what he saw.

"Ugh, this is... weirder than I imagined."

"Go, Ben!" Gwen encouraged. "Test your skills!"

"Alright, alright. But if I look like an idiot, it's your fault."

Ben took a small leap, curling up into his spherical form. As he touched the ground, he began to roll slowly, as if he were getting used to the movement. His first attempt was clumsy, and he ended up hitting a tree, which just swayed.

"That was... disappointing," he grumbled, uncurling.

He tried again, this time applying more force. His speed increased, and he began to gain control over his movements. Rolling towards another tree, he collided with enough force to knock it down.

A smile began to form on Ben's face. He ricocheted off another tree, then a rock, and began to have fun.

"Okay, this is way more fun than it should be!" He started to speed up, rolling like a giant pinball, hitting everything around. He slammed into the Big Tick's legs, momentarily unbalancing the creature.

"This is like... a pinball game! I'm the ball and the giant tick is the target!"

Ben began to move even faster, repeatedly hitting the Big Tick and ricocheting off trees and rocks to increase the impact. Gwen watched, somewhat worried, but Max shouted to stop him.

"Ben! Enough playing around! Concentrate before something gets out of control!"

Ben braked suddenly, uncurling and looking at Max with a guilty expression.

"I was just... you know, testing my capabilities." He scratched the back of his head, embarrassed, but still smiling.

For a moment, the Omnitrix glowed. Ben looked at the device on his chest, confused.

"Oh, great. And what's happening now?"

The device flashed green and began to emit that familiar characteristic sound of transformation, but something strange started to happen.

As the green light was replaced by a pulsating purple glow, Ben felt a shiver run through his body. His plates, normally yellow, began to change color, turning a deep, threatening purple. Cracks began to appear all over his exoskeleton, spreading as if his body were shattering. His claws began to grow grotesquely, their shapes now sharper, more deadly.

"I… I'm not feeling right!" Ben shouted, feeling the energy in his body change in an incomprehensible way. He looked at his arms, now covered in a purple skin and a network of black cracks. His eyes, once yellow, were now completely purple, glowing with an alien intensity that made him tense.

Gwen, next to Ben, watched with wide eyes, not knowing what was happening. "Ben! What happened to you?!"

Ben put his hands to his head, trying to understand what was happening, but the feeling of power was overwhelming. "I… I don't know, Gwen. But this… I feel like GhostFreak… Like his DNA has invaded my form!" He looked at his body, feeling a strange energy flowing from within, a disturbing fusion that he couldn't control.

Before Gwen could answer, Ben, now immersed in this new transformation, leaped forward and began to roll, adopting his spherical Pelarota form, but this time, with purple plates and the cracks emitting a strange energy around him. He accelerated, picking up a brutal speed, and went towards the Big Tick with the intention of hitting it head-on.

Instead of hitting the monster's carapace as before, Ben went through its skin in an impressive manner. He felt the creature's resistance for a moment, but was soon able to continue on his way, penetrating the Big Tick's carapace. What happened next was absolutely unexpected: spikes began to emerge from the cracks in his purple exoskeleton, as if his form were adapting to destroy everything in its path.

Inside the creature, the spikes penetrated the monster's organs and tissues with frightening ease. Ben felt the power coursing through his veins, stronger with each second, and there were no longer any limits to what he could do. "This is… much stronger!" he shouted, his words distorted by a fierce excitement as he crushed what was left of the creature with his energetic spikes. The Big Tick, which had previously seemed like an impenetrable fortress, was now just a bag of flesh being torn apart from the inside.

As the internal struggle intensified, Ben continued to spin with more force, each movement causing a devastating impact. "Come on, giant tick! Take this! You thought you could swallow the planet? Now I'm swallowing you! HAHAHA!" Ben's laugh echoed psychopathically, and the energy in his body seemed to be fueled by the destruction. The spikes grew even longer, releasing bursts of spectral energy that burned everything around.

"There's no stopping this!" Ben shouted, his body growing larger, his cracks widening and more spikes emerging from his exoskeleton. He expanded, seeming to absorb all the energy around him, becoming even more threatening. The Big Tick, unable to defend itself, began to collapse as its organs were crushed and torn from the inside out.

Outside, Gwen and Max watched, tense and in shock. The Big Tick's carapace began to crack, and roars of pain echoed from the creature as Ben continued his relentless destruction. Gwen, in disbelief at what she was seeing, shouted, "He's really doing it! He's… destroying the Big Tick from the inside!"

Max, in response, watched the communicator screen, worried: "This is crazy, but it seems to be working. We need to be ready to get Ben out of there as soon as he's done."

Inside the monster, Ben felt that the time for the final blow had come. He prepared himself, concentrating all his energy. His body glowed an intense purple, and he spun even faster, creating an immeasurable centrifugal force. "This is your Game Over, giant tick!" he shouted, launching himself directly at the creature's heart. The internal explosion was brutal, and the Big Tick's carapace collapsed, spreading goo and fragments across the field.

Outside, Gwen and Max covered their faces as the blast of energy sent pieces of the monster in all directions.

From within the goo, Ben emerged in the hybrid form, with a manic smile. He was engrossed in the pleasure of destruction. "Who's the bag of pus now, huh?!" he exclaimed, his voice still distorted.

He was covered in a layer of goo and monster blood, but nothing seemed to bother him anymore. Instead, he began to laugh, but it wasn't a normal laugh. It was a psychopathic laugh, full of excitement and malice.

"This is... SO GOOD!" Ben shouted, his voice distorted with the laugh echoing sinisterly. He couldn't stop. The power was addictive. "I feel… invincible! This was… amazing!"

His posture was erratic, as if he were completely immersed in the sensation of strength, as if he were lost in the pleasure of destruction. He observed the Big Tick's corpse around him, a wild glint in his eyes.

Gwen, observing Ben's transformation and behavior, felt a chill run down her spine. This was far from the Ben she knew. She looked at Max, who was also worried, but didn't know how to act.

"Ben!" Gwen shouted, already out of patience and with a clear concern in her voice. "This isn't you! You have to go back to normal!"

She didn't hesitate. With a quick movement, she pressed the Omnitrix. Ben, still laughing insanely, stopped for a moment, feeling the change in the Omnitrix. He looked at Gwen, and, before he could say anything, the transformation was interrupted.

The fusion quickly unraveled, and GhostFreak's energy was drawn from his body. Ben returned to his human form, falling to his knees with a deep sigh. The power he had experienced quickly faded, leaving him exhausted, but relieved.

"Ugh..." Ben groaned, feeling the exhaustion and the weight of what had just happened. He looked at Gwen, who was there, worried, but also relieved to see him back to normal.

"Ugh…" Ben groaned, feeling the heavy fatigue and deep exhaustion. He looked at Gwen, who was relieved to see him back to normal, but still had a grave expression. "Thanks, Gwen," he said, his voice hoarse and trembling. "I… I don't know what happened. But that was scary."

Gwen, relieved, looked at him with a serious but slightly smiling expression. "I know, Ben. But now, we need to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Max, after observing the situation, took the communicator out of his pocket and quickly made the call, his voice firm and decisive. "Canceling the extraction of the Petrosapien Crystal. Send the cleanup crew to the area immediately. The job here is done."

He hung up and approached his grandchildren, a smile of approval on his lips. "Good job, Ben," Max said, gently patting his grandson's back. Ben, still processing what had happened, nodded with a tired smile.

"Thanks, Grandpa," Ben replied, the adrenaline from the fight still fading from his body. His eyes fixed on a piece of broken carapace, and with an almost instinctive movement, he bent down to pick it up. Placing the fragment on the Omnitrix's panel while activating scan mode, the device glowed with an intense green light.

"Wait a minute..." Ben muttered, confused. "This isn't right. Instead of unlocking a new form, it seems like it's recharged the watch..."

He looked at the device on his wrist, which was pulsing gently, as if it were absorbing something. But before he could fully understand what was happening, a beam of energy shot out from the Omnitrix. Ben raised his arm, covering his eyes with his hand, as the blinding light made the field around him glow.

When the light finally faded, Ben opened his eyes, and what he saw made him stop for a moment, in complete astonishment. The park that was once destroyed and chaotic now seemed completely restored, with vibrant green flowers growing everywhere, trees standing tall, as if time had turned back. The sky was clean and clear, and the environment seemed peaceful, as if nothing bad had happened there. However, some pieces of the Big Tick were still scattered on the ground, the broken carapaces and fragments spread across the field.

Max and Gwen watched Ben, who was still perplexed, holding the fragment of the Big Tick's carapace, with the Omnitrix turning back to red. Gwen looked at Ben with curiosity.

"Ben, what was that?" Gwen asked, still trying to understand what had just happened. "The Omnitrix has never done anything like that before. Wasn't it just for transformations, right?"

Ben, still with a confused expression, shook his head. "I... I have no idea, Gwen. This has never happened before, and honestly, I'm as lost as you are."

He then looked at Max, who was watching everything with the same surprise.

"Grandpa, do you know anything about this?" Ben asked, hopeful that his grandfather might have some explanation.

Max, clearly as surprised as his grandchildren, scratched his head and frowned. "I always thought the Omnitrix was just for transformations... I never imagined it would do this. But, well, I'll be honest, I'm not going to complain, because this helped a lot with the work." Max shrugged, still trying to process the new development.

Gwen crossed her arms and looked around, as if trying to calculate the implications of what had just happened. "How did you guys hide this before? If it weren't for the park being back to normal, we'd have a lot of questions."

Max smiled ironically. "Well, we'd probably end up burning the whole park down and making up that it was a natural disaster. I don't think anyone would question it much, as long as we didn't make a bigger mess."

Ben, with a raised eyebrow, looked at Max with a skeptical expression. "Really? All the natural disasters... are just the P.L.U.M.B.E.R.S. hiding something?"

Max gave a short laugh and shook his head, still trying to dodge the subject. "Not all of them, Ben. But honestly, a lot more than I'd like. The world has a peculiar way of dealing with things when something out of the ordinary happens."

Gwen rolled her eyes, tired of this old story. "That's what you call 'damage control', isn't it?"

Max gave a sly smile. "Exactly. And what matters now is that we're safe, the park has been restored, and maybe... just maybe... this new power of the Omnitrix is something we can use to our advantage. But let's take it slow. We don't even know what it's capable of."

Ben looked at the Omnitrix once more, still suspicious, but also a little excited about the possibilities. "Yeah, well, whatever... whatever this is, Grandpa. But for now, I think we just need to keep an eye on it. Who knows what else it's going to do?"

Gwen seemed skeptical, but Ben had already changed his focus. He turned towards the three prisoners, servants of the Big Tick, who were still restrained. A strange behavior began to emerge among the Big Tick's servants, still restrained and immobilized. One of them, the smallest, bowed his head and began to bow, making a gesture of reverence. The others, still stunned by the monster's defeat, followed the first one's example, bowing before Ben with a look of respect and submission. It was as if they, somehow, recognized Ben as a figure of power, as if his victory over the Big Tick was a sign that he was now their new leader.

The Alien Leader, the largest and most imposing of the prisoners, raised his head with a reverent look, and, with a deep and authoritative voice, uttered in a strange language: "Hail to the new Great One!"

The Alien Interpreter, who was right next to him, repeated with a more animated intonation, "Great one, hail!" The phrase, although not making much sense, seemed like a form of praise, as if Ben's presence were something supreme to them.

The Alien Enforcer, the third servant, was not as articulate as the others, but in a dry tone, muttered, "Whatever."

Gwen watched the scene, her piercing gaze reflecting surprise and skepticism. "Not very loyal, are they?" She commented, her expression suspicious.

Ben was visibly uncomfortable. He took a step back, trying to get away from it. "Okay, this is… weird," he said, scratching the back of his neck with an embarrassed expression. He wasn't used to being treated this way, especially by alien creatures.

Gwen, not missing the opportunity, let out a fun laugh. "Are you going to let them kiss your feet now?" She asked, teasing a little, but with a playful smile.

Ben, blushing slightly, shrugged and laughed nervously. "Oh, forget it. This kind of thing isn't for me." He then sighed and decided to ignore the servants, as if it were something irrelevant. He activated the scan mode on the Omnitrix, and in a nimble move, he approached the three prisoners, placing the device's panel in contact with their skin. The Omnitrix's screen began to glow yellow as their forms unfolded on the screen.

"Great!" Ben exclaimed, smiling with satisfaction.

The group walked towards the Rust Bucket, and Max commented, "We still need to wait for the cleanup crew. They'll take care of the rest."

Gwen looked at Ben and asked with a mischievous smile, "Can we at least sanitize Ben first?"

Ben looked at himself and almost jumped in horror when he realized the state he was in. "Great!" he exclaimed, forcing a smile. "Oh, maybe some fresh air will be good for me."

Gwen didn't waste any time and, with an ironic smile, added, "And a shower."

Ben looked at his body, covered in blood and goo from the Big Tick, and almost vomited. "Oh, I can't take this anymore."

"Besides cleaning myself up, I think my new alien deserves a name," Ben said with a glint in his eye, eager.

Max, still focused on the road, asked, "Did you come up with one?"

"Yes!" Ben replied, enthusiastically. "Meet CANNONBOLT! Pretty catchy, right?"

Gwen laughed, shaking her head. "Hmm, 'Cannonbolt'? I like it."

Max smiled, approving. "Good name, Ben. Now, let's get back to the RV, because you definitely need a good shower."