Yuugi buries his hands in his pockets and awkwardly jumps from foot to foot. He stands in a long queue before Akihabara's largest game store along with thousands of other otakus for the destined release of Pokémon Red and Green. Yuugi has been anticipating this game for months, and even though it is presumed to be top-selling game off the year despite being released in February, many games stores haven't been able to obtain any shipments. The Kame Game Shop, for example, has been denied rights because it is too small; apparently only the top stores can sell Nintendo's newest best-seller
But that hasn't deterred Yuugi. It ensured that at 5 o'clock in the morning he snuck out the door, managing to evade his sleeping grandfather who would've been outraged to hear his grandson bought a game from a commercial, rival company. His grandfather would never want him to support any large game store; however, Yuugi has to get this game. He and Jonouchi have been drooling over it for months. In fact, Yuugi is even in line to get two copies – one for him and one for Jonouchi. He isn't the first to do this, as many elite otakus are also purchasing both versions to acquire all 151 Pokémon without meeting up with other Pokémon trainers and trading. Only the rookie players will take one, believing that the end goal is beating all eight gym leaders.
Yuugi and Jonouchi consider themselves pros. Two week ago, they devised an intricate plan for this day. Both Jonouchi and Yuugi will buy the game, and they will each buy separate versions so that they can trade the version-exclusive Pokémon between their games and complete their Pokédexes. Because Jonouchi has to deliver papers that morning and will not be able to stand in line, Yuugi gets get first pick on the version (he had already chosen Red after hearing of its superior exclusive Pokémon and rumoured HD graphics). Together, Yuugi and Jonouchi will beat the Pokémon game. It is a flawless plan.
Yuugi shivers as a cold wind blows past him. I could've dressed a bit warmer, he thinks, looking down at his winter uniform with a small smile. The button up blazer and slacks are thin and offer no protection. Yuugi hadn't been awake when he'd run out the door, so he'd forgotten about dressing warm, or eating breakfast, or doing anything else that could have made this long wait more pleasant. Next to him stand people who have camped overnight – they are dressed in warm pyjamas and cradle mugs of tea and hot chocolate. Those are dedicated gamers.
"They're opening the doors!" a voice cries out, and the resulting rumble is of a thousand people pushing and shoving, packing up their gear with panic and excitement, as they prepare to receive their game. Yuugi stands on his tip toes to see past the crowd, yet all he spots is the rolling of the glass double-doors. Yuugi can't hear the security guards words – though he can hear the distinct rumble of someone yelling up ahead – so he shoulders his backpack and sticks close to the people before him.
Slowly, customers are led into the game store to purchase the game. The first 100 customers receive a special game package of official Pokémon game merchandise, and Yuugi is among the other fans who glower at these otakus as they walk by with their prize. These gamers have been sitting for over a day for the release; Yuugi just can't imagine waiting for so long for one game plus a collectible plushie, cup, and trading card.
Within a half-hour, Yuugi has moved up significantly. He tries to peer past the other gamers to see inside the store. How many games are left? Will there be enough for him and Jonouchi? Yuugi hears conversations from a group of friends before him and learns that his game, Pokémon Red, is selling out faster than the other version.
"Which one are you buying?" a boy in front of him asks. He has short, cropped hair and wears torn jeans. He belongs to part of the large group, which consists of many other high school students. Yuugi spots two other boys – one with brown hair and one with white hair – who stand a few paces ahead, looking at sheets of paper on which Yuugi can spot dozens of numbers and symbols. He wonders what they are doing, but the other boy continues to talk to him.
"Do you know which one you want?" the boy asks again.
"Red," Yuugi says. "How about you?"
"Green. I think Ninetales is such a versatile Pokémon; it'd be good in PVP battle."
Yuugi wants to mention that Red has Arcanine, which has higher chances at critical attacks and an overall stronger base set of stats. As well, Red features versatile mixed Pokémon such as Vileplume and Scyther that make this particular version better. However, Yuugi keeps his comments to himself and nods. The less people that buy Red, the more for him.
"Besides, there's a whole group of students already getting Red, and I want to trade from them." As the boy speaks, he points behind him to the group of two students looking at the spreadsheets. Yuugi had thought the entire group was together, but now he sees that these two boys must be a sort of team. Yuugi has heard of entire school game clubs meeting together to get the game. If Domino High had a game club, Yuugi would surely force every member to wait in line to purchase the game.
As Yuugi continues to gape at the two boys, the one with white hair raises his head. He looks at Yuugi, blank expression, and then smiles.
Yuugi feels his face heat up and looks to his feet. He can feel himself burning up from embarrassment, but he refuses to look up again until he knows the other boy has returned to his papers. Yuugi hadn't meant to be staring. He just wanted to see what the boy was doing; he wanted to ask him about it, maybe start a conversation since it appeared this boy was as much into gaming as Yuugi was. Plus this boy is also buying Pokémon Red, which means Yuugi could learn some tips and tricks from him.
"What's wrong?" the boy next to Yuugi asks.
"Nothing," he says, and Yuugi takes two steps to catch up to the line. It has been almost an hour by this point, and Yuugi is just before the double-doors. Behind him, the line stretches down several roads and around corners, winding through narrow alleyways. Not everyone will get the game, but many are also standing in line to put their name on the reserve list.
Just as Yuugi steps through the doors, someone in the front of the line exclaims, "There's only one left!" Yuugi doesn't have to ask for clarification; he's steps away from the counter, so he can see the white-haired boy take the last copy of Pokémon Red and hold it between his thin hands, calloused from day of hardcore Pokémon battling. As the boy turns away, he smiles to the crowd – an action of pure innocence, yet Yuugi's blood boils and his heart races in his chest watching the handsome boy take away his game!
"Well, it looks like you're not getting it," says the other boy. All Yuugi can do is ball his hands in fists and watch the other boy leave. Yuugi debates asking the boy for it, perhaps introducing himself and explaining his reason, yet he knows that the boy paid for it fair and square; therefore, Yuugi fumes silently.
He pays for two Pokémon Greens – one for him and one for Jonouchi – and stomps home. What a pretty-boy, Yuugi thinks.
Later on, after Jonouchi comes home from work with a weary smile and a bag of candy, he and Yuugi settle on the carpet and open up their games. Jonouchi grins when he spots his own game; however, Yuugi doesn't miss the confused look he receives when Jonouchi spots the exact same game lying a few feet away.
"We got the same on …?" Realization dawns on him a second later. "How? You were in line for hours – and the stores even bought extra. They knew how popular the game would be."
"Yeah, well they weren't prepared for the geek storm who all bought Red."Yuugi sighs and sets down his game. It''s not that Pokémon Green is a bad game; rather, it's that it's not as good as Red, and Yuugi lost the game to the boy he'd been gawking at. Yuugi doesn't mention this detail to Jonouchi as he recounts the rest of the morning. Jonouchi might laugh at him for staring at a boy, and then he'd ask if Yuugi got the boy's phone number (which Yuugi regrets not doing, because then he could've made a friend who already had Pokémon Red and they could've traded Pokémon).
Remembering this final detail, Yuugi adds, "But it's OK, Jonouchi-kun: we'll find someone that we can both trade with. I heard from a few people in line that there's an online website designed for meeting up with other Pokémon trainers and trading Pokémon. Maybe someone with Red will want to trade with us."
This news seems to please Jonouchi, and the two of them settle down and play their games. Within minutes, they become Yuugi and Jou, two naive Pokémon trainers ready to take on the world. Yuugi chooses Charmander as his starter: it looks the coolest, has amazing stats, and has been considered the best starter on Pokémon forums. To be different, Jonouchi picks Squirtle because of its awesome-looking final evolution.
The rest of the week seems to blend into long nights of catching, training, and battling Pokémon. Yuugi and Jonouchi beat the game in two days, and two days afterwards both have obtained all the Pokémon available in their version. They both prime their best tradeable Pokémon (by glitching the game using the secret sixth inventory slot to duplicate rare candies) to ensure that by next weekend, they are both ready to meet at Yokan Café to trade with other professional Pokémon trainers.
"I really want a Mew," Jonouchi explains on the train ride over. Yuugi nods in agreement – he wants one too. The two of them sit side by side in a long, narrow train car, squished between sleepy businessmen on their way to work. Yuugi muffles a yawn; he and Jonouchi pent all night preparing their party for the trade event. Yuugi wonders if he will recognize anyone from their class or school, or anyone from the dozen gaming blogs and forums he's subscribed to since purchasing the game.
"But isn't Mew from special events only? Unless you want to cheat."
"Does the cheat work?" Jonouchi asks. He and Yuugi had contemplated using it, but both were worried it would corrupt their save files days before the big trade at the café. Neither had been willing to risk their hard work.
"No, there's another step. You have to restart the game and go back to square one, and I'm just not ready for that yet." Yuugi laughs. "But someone already has Mew and several other rare Pokémon. I'll just ask to trade them for it."
"It's gonna cost you," Jonouchi tells him. "Last night, I saw someone willing to sell their Mew for cigarettes or money. On the Black Market, people have been selling their farmed Mews for thousands of yen. It's a shady business for that Pokémon. I wouldn't want to get involved in a Pokémon gang."
Yuugi senses the implication: he and Jonouchi stay as far from gang activity as they can. "I don't think we'll meet anyone like that, though. I think it's just going to be a casual meet-up."
When the boys get to the station, they slip out the train doors and head down the concrete platform. Fluorescent billboards blare at them from wall and windows, calling out huge sales for the spring season. Crowds huddle around the platform, many of them holding cellphones and listening to music. Yuugi spots several strangers wearing Pokémon merchandise, and he resists the urge to ask them, "Are you trading too?" The more people that come to the café, the more likely he'll be able to get better Pokémon.
They take the stairs down from the station and walk east along a long, wide sidewalk. It is busier in the city, Yuugi notes with trepidation. The dense, eclectic crowds make him feel claustrophobic as he weaves between them on wobbly legs. When did he start getting nervous? The only thing grounding him at this moment is the loud cries of "Welcome!" or "Please try this!", and it drowns out Jonouchi's words even though he is next to him. Both boys keep themselves together by linking arms and taking short-cuts down small avenues.
At last, they reach the café: a small, cosy building tucked between a bar and a 100 yen store. Yuugi peeks his head inside and finds that, despite the lack of lighting, the place is small enough that he can clearly see the back wall. Directly ahead sits a small bar with four small stools; to the side is a small path that leads to four tables – two of them booths – three of which are occupied. The dim lighting of the oil lamps provides Yuugi with just enough light to make out the faces of twelve or so adolescents staring at him. Each one holds a Game Boy in their hands. The heart-racing battle theme song blares from one game.
"Welcome!" the shopkeeper calls out.
Jonouchi struts forward to the group of boys, confident and proud. Yuugi follows, head bowed slightly. Jonouchi's behaviour isn't embarrassing by any means, yet Yuugi now feels shy around these gamers. They all look professional … if their unwashed, exhausted faces say anything about their gym battle records. As a way of greeting, Jonouchi holds up his own Game Boy and says, "We're looking for someone with Pokémon Red who is willing to trade."
Several of the strangers look around. Yuugi feels his heart begin to sink; this wasn't how he expected the meet-up to go. He'd expected everyone to be chatting and laughing and trading, not sitting around in a quiet circle, each member playing their own game. A Pokémon gaming group had seemed like such an exciting idea; however, as Yuugi watches the group slowly return to their own game, he realizes that perhaps gamers are best when they are behind respective computer screens.
"You're looking for someone with Red?" a boy asks. Yuugi turns around, gaping at the white-haired boy before him. Of course he would be a professional otaku. A spark of anger shoots through Yuugi's veins at seeing the boy who took his game, yet the emotion is quelled by the overwhelming sense of longing. Like Yuugi and Jonouchi, the boy looks like he hasn't slept in days, judging by the bruise-like bags under his eyes and the messiness of his long hair, which is currently tied in a loose ponytail.
Jonouchi doesn't recognize the boy. Yuugi remains mute and open-mouthed.
"Jonouchi Katsuya," he greets. "We're looking for someone whose willing to trade an Arbok and a Scyther, and whose willing to trade back our Kadabra so it can evolve into Alakazam," Jonouchi explains. He sounds as though he's rehearsed these lines for days in preparation for trading.
The other boy smiles. "Bakura Ryou. I have all of those for you. Is there anything you can trade in return?" He pulls his game out of his backpack and turns it on. Fingers ghost the screen; Yuugi's stomach drops. He wonders why he feels so strange around this boy, and why this feeling never occurs with anyone else. It's as though Yuugi's calculating Bakura – calculating how smooth his fingers would feel, how strong his Pokémon are, how deep his voice can get …
"I've got Ninetales and Magmar," Jonouchi exclaims. He holds out his Game Boy to show Bakura. "Both level-capped and boosted special attack. How good is your Pokémon?"
"Level-capped, too." Bakura doesn't look surprised. Yuugi thinks that this boy might already have all 151 Pokémon. He probably also has Mew. All of his Pokémon must also be level-capped, and he probably understands the complex breeding aspect of the game. Bakura Ryou, therefore, doesn't need their Pokémon; he's probably doing "charity work" to help newbie gamers like Yuugi and Jonouchi who still have bedtime curfews and piles of homework.
Bakura looks to Yuugi. "Would you like to trade too?"
Yuugi's stomach flutters again. He smiles, although it probably looked more like a grimace, and nodded. "If you have enough Pokémon." And of course the boy does – he has two level-capped Pokémon. How much time has Bakura invested in this game?
"Well, I only have two Arboks, unfortunately. I could give you each one of those." He then turns to Jonouchi for confirmation. "And in return, can I please have your Ninetales?"
"Works for me!" Jonouchi cheers, and Yuugi jumps as his arm is pulled towards an empty booth. Bakura follows along, still smiling and watching Yuugi with brown eyes. Yuugi pushes Yuugi into the booth and slides in next to him; Bakura takes the other side, pressing close to Yuugi so that he can feel the boy's warm skin through his cardigan. Before Jonouchi can explain that neither he nor Yuugi have a Game Link Cable, Bakura pulls one of out his jeans pocket and passes one end to Jonouchi as a peace offering.
"We can trade first." He looks to Yuugi. "Is that OK with you, um ..?
"Mutou Yuugi." He's talking to me, Yuugi thinks. He licks his lips, noticing that his mouth has gone dry. Bakura is still looking at him, brown eyes wide and shining in the dim lights. "Uh, sure." Eloquent as always.
Bakura plugs the cable into his console and loads the game. The screen flickers before illuminating, and the memorable tune bellows through the tiny café. Jonouchi's game has already loaded, and the sprite travels through Veridian City to the Pokémon Centre. Bakura takes his character to the Pokémon Centre and opens up the PC. Yuugi shouldn't be surprised to see duplicates of Pokémon, all who are level-capped, yet he cannot help but gape.
"How much play time have you logged?" Yuugi dares to ask.
"One hundred and fifty hours," Bakura mumbles, and he seems embarrassed by his words. Though Yuugi's maths skills are strong, even he knows that Bakura must've taken the entire week off from school and devoted it to playing Pokémon. No one could log that many hours and still have time to go to classes.
Bakura's sprite speaks to the nurse, who then takes him through the doorway to the Cable Club. On queue, the Cable Club dialogue box appears, and Jonouchi and Bakura begin the trade. Ninetales is traded for Arbok, and once complete, Jonouchi pumps his fist in the air and cheers.
"I got it! I got it!" Jonouchi exclaims. He shoves his game into Yuugi's face. "Your turn now! We can both get an Arbok!" He peeks over his game at Bakura. "Did you get your Pokémon?
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Jonouchi-kun."
Jonouchi hands Yuugi the cord, which is attached to the side of Yuugi's game boy. He loads his game and moves his sprite to the Link Centre. As Yuugi sets up the trade, he realizes that Bakura's hasn't chosen which Pokémon he'd like in return.
"Is there one of my Pokémon that you'd like?" Yuugi holds out his Game Boy. "You can look through the PC." To himself, he hopes Bakura will pick something mediocre. He thinks the boy won't try to rip him off because the way he holds Yuugi's gaze before he takes the device speaks of compassion and kindness. Yuugi watches twirl his hair around his finger as he debates. After a moment, he returns to the device. One Pokémon is highlighted.
"Magikarp?" Yuugi says.
"Yuugi has better Pokémon than that," Jonouchi adds. He takes the game from Yuugi's hands and fiddles with the control. "He's got Dragonite, Articuno – hell, he's even got the evolved form, Gyarados! Don't sell yourself short."
Bakura nods. "I still want this one. I'll make a level 100 Magikarp and never evolve it."
"But it only learns 'Splash' and 'Tackle –" Yuugi begins.
"– Which means nothing good will come from it if you don't evolve it," Jonouchi finishes. Yuugi sighs. It seems wrong to trade such a weak Pokémon for a rare one, yet Bakura doesn't seem to care. Yuugi's morals tell him this is such a wrong choice.
"I guess," Yuugi says. He connects to the Link Centre and selects his Magikarp. He looks up to Bakura, who grins at him. The connection is made. Yuugi feels his heart flutter when his screen blinks and the new Pokémon is transferred to his party. Arbok will be perfect for his PVP team; even better, Bakura had level-capped it and maxed its stats. Yuugi would have no difficulties with this Pokémon on the team.
"Anything else you'd like to trade?' Bakura asks. He keeps his eyes on his game, pressing buttons. Yuugi tries to peer over his screen again, but the boy pulls back, face flushed. "Sorry, I'm just rearranging my party. Your Pokémon will be a great addition to my team." He laughs nervously.
Yuugi looks to Jonouchi: his friend is grinning at his Game Boy. "I think we just need to evolve our Pokémon. Do you have time for that?"
"Of course." Bakura, it appears, has already connected with several people and evolved his trade-to-evolve Pokémon. Yuugi and Jonouchi each connect their devices to his and trade back and forth their Kadabra, Machoke, Graveler, and Haunter. When Yuugi connects with Bakura, his heart beats faster and his cheeks glow. Yuugi wishes he could hang out more, yet there appears there is nothing else to do until Yuugi completes his team and begins professionally battling.
"What school do you go to?"
"I'm not from around here," Bakura dodges. "I think we might be in the same online community though, so maybe we'll see each other there." Bakura stands and smiles. "It was great to meet you, Mutou-kun and Jonouchi-kun. I hope we can trade again soon." And with that, the boy leaves the café, black trench coat flowing behind him. Yuugi watches him with a longing expression; Jonouchi, with a shout of, "Time to battle, Yuugi! I'm taking you down!"
"Goodbye," Yuugi calls out, but he doesn't think that Bakura hears him before the door closes.
As soon as Yuugi gets home, he checks his computer. He opens the internet and scans through the websites, looking for anything that mentions Bakura. He checks the local, online community first, but there is no mention of the white-haired boy. Yuugi checks two other sites with no luck. On the fourth website, he sees an account called 'White Wizard Bakura' with an avatar of a boy with white hair and dressed in long robes.
Upon reading further into it, Yuugi ascertains this is Bakura. This elite player has collected all 151 Pokémon, as well as doubles, glitches, and level-capped versions. His teams are balanced and strategically planned, and have been used as templates for building one's own PVE or PVP team. While Yuugi considers himself the best at strategy games, it appears that Bakura is a local pro at adventure-based, battle RPGs.
The website also contains personal information about Bakura. He is in high school. His personality is outgoing and analytical. He freely shares his opinion and thoughts on the blog about current and classic games, including his favourite RPGs. None of this was shared during the meet-up on the weekend; Yuugi wonders if perhaps there are two Bakuras – one in reality and one in the virtual world. Why didn't Bakura tell them about his games? He and Jonouchi had asked him enough questions between trades to elicit a conversation, yet Bakura had remained reserved.
Let's try to meet again, thinks Yuugi, heart fluttering as he types out a message: "Hi, this is Yuugi! Let's meet up next week to battle Pokémon." When he sends the message, he feels regretful and anxious. Will Bakura know it's him? He hopes so.
The following week, Yuugi waits for Bakura at the same café. Despite Bakura saying that he lives far away and Yuugi's offer to meet at a more convenient location – even though Yuugi isn't quite sure where convenient could be – Yuugi still finds himself among the mismatched chairs and dark walls with a cup of tea in hand. He sips at it as he glances around. Unlike last week where there were twenty or more nerds crammed into one shop, today it is deserted.
"Hello, Mutou-kun!" Bakura says as he enters. He slips off his shoes and settles down next to Yuugi. Yuugi can't help but appreciate the other boy's sense of style: long hair done up in a messy bun, brown leather jacket, black slacks. He seems much calmer than last week as he peers over Yuugi's shoulder to see him Game Boy. Yuugi had paused after a battle, feeling bored with the game. Once he beat the final gym battles and caught all 151 Pokémon, the game became slower. He'd read up on Bakura's blog about breeding Pokémon and catching glitched Pokémon, yet he hadn't attempted it yet. No, he'd stayed up late every night perfecting his team for their battle.
"How are you?" Bakura asks him, passing him the Game Link Cable They attach their games. Both sprites head towards the Link Centre; Yuugi's hands begin to sweat in anticipation. Last night, he'd primed his top team by adding held items to each of his Pokémon. His team was already balanced and max-leveled. Together he and Jonouchi had created the perfect team: Tauros, Snorlax, Starmie, Alakazam, Rhydon, and Zapdos.
"I'm ready to battle!" Yuugi answers, and he accepts the request. His screen blinks once before the battle screen appears. Just a moment. Please wait! Player vs. Player. Player wants to fight. Player sent out DRAGONITE. Go, TAUROS!
Yuugi looks up a Bakura. "Dragonite's such a well-rounded Pokémon – great choice!"
"Thank you! And you too – Tauros has such a high crit chance, plus he comes with all the best attacks and can learned practically an TM or HM." Bakura looks down at his screen. DRAGONITE used Fire Blast! "You put a lot of thought into your party."
Yuugi couldn't help himself from saying, "Well, I did read your blog." Bakura blushes crimson. TAUROS used Hyper Beam! "You give such great advice! I didn't know anything about breeding, or glitches, or team building, or levelling, or anything. Honestly, I was so inspired … Thank you for coming out to battle with me."
Yuugi notices that his words have left Bakura stupefied. He's dropped eye contact to choose his next attack, but even when their next set of attacks begins – DRAGONITE uses Fire Blast! TAUROS uses Hyper Beam! - the other boy refuses to meet his eyes. Yuugi can understand his shyness, as he's always shrunk beneath compliments and attention, yet a larger part of him wants Bakura to look up and accept the praise. He wants to see the other boy say Yes, I am Domino City's top Pokémon Trainer who has beaten the game thrice-fold, collected all 151 Pokémon, and managed to create the top teams, breeds, and specs for all of these Pokémon, all of whom have reached level cap.
But Bakura doesn't; instead, he defeats Yuugi's Pokémon with a remorseful look. "I think we're evenly matched," he says.
"I still have much to learn from you," Yuugi tells him.
Yuugi brings out Starmie next. He curses himself for not choosing a WATER/ICE hybrid, as it is the only weakness to a Dragon type, but he hadn't thought he'd see Dragonite in Bakura's party. As well as doing research on his own party, Yuugi had scanned through Bakura's blog for any hints of his favourite Pokémon. He appeared to be interested in dark magic and occult-themed games, yet none of this could translate to a particular Pokémon type; to make the best team, Bakura had to choose well-rounded, specific Pokémon types.
"How did you make your team?" Yuugi asks out of curiosity.
"Type effectiveness," Bakura replies. "Some types are better than others; some types connect so well in a team that it's like they were made for each other." Yuugi doesn't understand why his heart flutters at these words. He attacks again with Hyper Beam, but Dragonite beats him to it and kills him with a final Fire Blast. Yuugi brings out Starmie next. He uses Surf, but it doesn't compare to Bakura's super critical Thunderbolt attack. Yuugi's Starmie goes down in one hit.
Some types connect so well, thinks Yuugi. He glances over to see Bakura debating his own move. When he catches the boy's eyes, he smiles and chooses his Pokémon with a determined click.
When did Yuugi stop thinking of Bakura as a rival? When did he forget that this boy took the last game, that this boy is possibly superior to him at games – his speciality – and that this knowledge doesn't bother him? When did Yuugi start seeing Bakura as a comrade – as someone he would happily spend a weekend with? Yuugi wants to introduce Bakura to his grandfather and bring him to the game store. He'd probably be good at any kind of game, though Yuugi already knows he prefers RPGs. He and Jonouchi like Street Fighter games at the arcade; maybe Bakura could come along for one of those.
The more Yuugi thinks about Bakura, the more he wants to reach across the table, cross the barrier between them, and grab his hand. Unlike Jonouchi, who will always make the first move, Yuugi feels himself in control with Bakura. It's not in control of Bakura, because he could never see the other boy giving up what is his own, for there seems to be a strong will to him, or at least a resolve to hold tight and remain strong. Instead, Bakura is someone who is willing to follow along on his own terms. He'll play Yuugi's game while furtively playing his own. And Yuugi wants a friendship just like that.
Yuugi's Zapdos screeches as it charges Bakura's unstoppable Dragonite. It takes the Pokémon down with one final hit, crashing in with a strong Dill Peck. Yuugi sees Bakura flinch across the table, but the expression is soon replaced with one of elation. Bakura leans forward, entranced by his game, and prepares his next Pokémon.
Magikarp appears. A level 100 Magikarp, possibly the same one Yuugi gave him. No, definitely the same one; Yuugi can't imagine Bakura keeping any other Pokémon. Yuugi quirks another eyebrow but says nothing. It's a poor choice on Bakura's part: not only is Magikarp a seemingly useless Pokémon, but it is also weak against Lightning-type Pokémon like Zapdos. After battling such a strong Pokémon, Yuugi had expected to face another of Bakura's God-Pokemon. But no – this is disappointing.
"I didn't think you'd keep it," Yuugi says. "Does it have any special attacks?"
"You'll see. It's important to me."
Yuugi doesn't know how to respond, so he settles for attacking Magikarp head-on with Thunder. Critical hit! the screen exclaims, and Magikarp's health shoots downwards. Its cries pierce through the silent café, and Yuugi feels his heart tear in two. Thankfully, the Pokémon does not faint; it remains with only the slightest amount of health.
Magikarp uses Tackle.
It's anticlimactic and Yuugi watches as his health is nudged downwards. He looks to Bakura, hoping for an explanation.
"They say Magikarps can jump up to seven feet in the air. This helps them when they attempt to jump over the Dragon Gate to transform into beautiful dragons. I think that's rather magical, Mutou-kun." Bakura sets down his game. "Can you imagine jumping over something so tall – crossing that boundary to reach your final form?"
Yuugi leans over the table. "It takes a lot of strength," he murmurs. His fingers come to clasp around the Link Cable that ties him to the other boy. They are close enough to feel each other's breath on their cheeks, feel the ghost of their hands as they lower their games and press their foreheads together. Yuugi thinks he likes this. He grabs hold of the feeling, grabs hold of Bakura's hands, and doesn't let go until he hears the shrill cry of his Pokémon.
"Thanks for coming here," Yuugi whispers.
"I'm no longer alone," Bakura answers in the same quiet, lulling voice. Yuugi deepens the connection. Thunder crackles around them; the games blare incomprehensible sounds. Reaching up, Yuugi clasps a lost lock of Bakura's smooth hair and rubs it between his fingers. He's never felt something so tangible and full of life before. This feeling is beyond what happens when he and Jonouchi read erotica, or when Yuugi brushes up against a girl in the hallway. This feeling pierces his chest and spreads upwards, boiling and burning and consuming him with his emotion. Its speed and strength jolt him into looking up and seeing how Bakura is responding.
The boy is placid. His lips are quirked in a slight smile; his eyes are closed, yet he seems aware of his surroundings and of the body pressed against him.
"Should we continue the battle?" Yuugi dares to ask.
"I'm happy right here," Bakura murmurs into his hair. "I am happy when I'm with Mutou-kun."
And Yuugi doesn't have the will to argue. He presses up against Bakura – against a boy who maybe took something more than his favourite game from him – and holds his hands close to his heart. The cable that connects them draws their emotions together, binding them in a tight friendship
When they do pull apart, it is only because the café door opens and Yuugi worries that someone might question why two high-school boys are pressed up against each other in a booth. Bakura retains the glow inn his cheeks and the lustful look in his eyes as he starts up the battle again. Yuugi watches him debate his moves, even though he only has a choice between two mediocre attacks, and when their Pokémon do battle again, it is no surprise when Yuugi wins.
The rest of the match passes in a blur. Each time Yuugi reaches out to touch Bakura's hand, adjust the cord that connects them, or even just to feel his cheeks, hair, and face, Yuugi feels something pulse deep within him. They exchange several battles, ultimately claiming Yuugi as the winner. Yuugi himself isn't quite sure how it happens, only that when he is done, Bakura is the one leaning over the table to grab his hands and excitedly shake them.
"Good game!" he cheers. "You've gotten so strong!"
"We've worked hard," Yuugi answers. He squeezes Bakura's hands. He imagines crossing the boundary one last time – jumping as high as he can, stretching and reaching for that outstretched, glowing hand. "Do you … want to hang at my place? I have a couple games we could try – RPGs, card games, dice games, and the sort."
Bakura teases the answer by leaning side to side. "I'd like that," he finally says.
So when Yuugi holds tight to Bakura's hands and pulls him out of the café and into the sunlight, down the streets and to the train, and then through the doorway and into the house, there is never a question in his mind of being alone, of who won and who lost, but of who is there now and how this will end. Yuugi can't wait to find out.