Tomoeda, Tokyo
A woman wearing a balaclava entered an empty toy shop in the middle of the night through the ceiling. The woman walks down an aisle towards the back room, which happens to have a hole in the wall, connecting to the bank next door where a bunch of already waiting vault raiders were waiting outside the vault.
"You're late."
"Sorry about that," said the woman as she takes out a card and her staff. "Give me a minute to unlock this baby."
Just before the woman could attempt to open the vault, her cell phone rings. "Cardcaptor for hire. Kinomoto speaking. Oh, hey Ash. What? You're kidding. I'm on my way." She puts away her phone. "Sorry guys, you're going to have to party without me."
Sakura removes her balaclava, and walks out of the hole in the bank.
Ketchum's Thirteen
01: Heart Attack
A PikaFlash's Studio Fanfiction
Disclaimer: All characters, songs and scenes belong to their respective owners...
An A/U Crossover Type fanfic...
Tokyo Airport
Sakura was carrying some luggage as she walked up to a private jet that was on the tarmac. Sakura enters the jet and sits in front of Ash Ketchum, mastermind of the Kaiba Land Heist...
"What's the latest?" asked Sakura.
"Nothing. They say the first 24 hours..."
"Right," said Sakura.
Ash fidgets with his favorite red cap on his head and Sakura noticed. "Did she understand?" she asked, referring to Ash's wife, Misty.
"It's not important," said Ash.
"I asked did she understand?"
Ash sighed. "It's not her fight."
"Fair enough," Sakura said. "Syaoran would."
Mahora Airport
The jet lands and Yugi Moto was there to meet Ash and Sakura. He notices that only Ash and Sakura left the plane.
"Hey guys! Where are Misty and Syaoran?"
"It's not their fight!" yelled Ash.
Yugi was caught off guard by Ash's outburst. "Whoa, calm down, Ash."
Sakura decides to change the subject. "Any change, Yugi?"
"He's still in critical condition but still alive." The trio walked to a car. "You know, if he doesn't..."
Yugi was interrupted by Sakura. "Is Joe Kido there?"
Yugi nods. "Yeah, he's been there for over an hour.
"Joe can tell us what's going on," Ash said.
Mahora University Teaching Hospital
Taichi Kamiya, the man who financed the job at Kaiba Land years ago, is lying on the hospital bed, recovering. Joe Kido, a doctor friend from Taichi's past was doing a checkup. Surrounding the doctor and his patient are ten of Ketchum's Eleven: Ash Ketchum, Sakura Kinomoto, Yugi Moto, twins Koji and Koichi, Metabee, Eriol Hiragizawa, Keitaro Urashima, James and Pikachu.
"To put it simply, it's a heart attack," explains Joe. "For someone as young as Tai, it has got to be an incredible shock for him to make it this bad. Can he recover? Yes. Will he recover? Well, it would help if he has something to live for. Family?"
Joe looks around. It was clearly obvious that none of the ten visitors are closely related to Tai. "Friends? Maybe that would be enough."
As Tai is lying on the bed, Ash recalls what happened four weeks ago...
Flashback: 4 Weeks Earlier in Domino City
"When dealing with Chazz Princeton, you can't rely on contracts, Tai..."
"Listen Ash, my lawyers told me that it's iron clad. Come on Ash. At least give me some credit with my business savvy."
Ash was following Tai into his mansion from the garden. "I just think it's not a good idea. And neither does Sakura."
"I'm doing it, no matter what you say," said Tai. "And why should I listen to a woman who has to pull jobs to keep her hotel from liquidating."
"Come on, Tai..."
"I've been doing this for many years, Ash. Besides, I will not be left out to die if I lose my flames of passion." A servant puts a cup of tea for Tai on the coffee table. "Thanks."
"Still..."
"I won't let anything happen to me before that happens. And this is my opportunity to get back my old glory before Kaiba destroyed my joint," said Tai. "I remember the old days that whenever I went into a full restaurant I'm a regular at, they would give me a table with the snap of a finger."
"If you want a place in history, Tai, why not get a road named after you?" Ash suggested. "Or maybe even a building."
"Save that when I'm dead, Ash. But I really appreciate you coming here to see me, but this is my big chance..."
Ash never said a word after that...
At a construction site, a man in a blue suit was supervising the construction of the new game corner in Domino City.
"Kamiya!"
"Hey, partner!"
"It's so good of you to come, Tai."
Tai walks up to the man in the blue suit, Chazz Princeton.
"Thanks. So, are there more things needed to be done?" asked an excited Tai. "I couldn't sleep from the excitement."
"Ok, visas for the chefs?" asked Chazz.
"My man in Tokyo said that it will be done by the time we open."
"Sorry, not good enough," said Chazz
"That's what I said." Tai pulls out a folded sheet of paper with an official document. Chazz was pleased once he reads the document.
"Excellent. And the chandeliers?"
"An ex-girlfriend's new brother-in-law, no need to get into details, but it's done. At half price and already at the warehouse," said Tai. "And because I know that it mattered to you, so I appealed to the Domino City Council. Remember the one-way road that leads away from the rear entrance? Well, let's say that all one-way streets will lead to the Game Corner!"
"Very nice, Tai."
"This is perfect! The view's great from up here." Tai looks around. "So, where's the partner's desk going to be?" asked Tai.
"Well, no partner's desk," Chazz answered.
"Then, what about two desks?"
"Actually, only one desk. One Chairman's desk. Only one."
Tai was confused, so Chazz decides to explain. "The arrangement is changing...well, is changed. You know what, there was no arrangement."
Tai looks at Chazz. "Everyone said that you would try to screw me, like what you did with the other 'partners', but I defended you. In fact, I remembered that we both shook Doraemon's hand and there's a code among the guys who shook Doraemon's hand."
"Screw Doraemon's hand," Chazz casually said.
"Screw Doraemon's hand?"
"You're dead weight, Tai. You think I can carry you and pay you at the same time? Tai, you're out."
"Never!" protested Tai. "This is my land..."
"Was," corrects Chazz. "Was your land until you signed it to the corporation..."
"With fifty percent interest!"
"Which I'm going to ask you to sign over to me for a small cash payment."
Chazz's henchman walked up to Tai with a contract for Tai to sign.
"Hey, I'm not signing anything." The henchman was advancing towards Tai, forcing him into a corner. "What, you want to throw me off the building?"
"Nah, I don't want your body to mess up my property."
"This is wrong. This is all wrong."
Somehow Tai was 'persuaded' into signing the contract and he suddenly became short on breath. "You're leaving me with nothing."
"You know you're right and it's not the Chazz's style to be rude. Here..." Chazz tossed a money chip to Tai. "It's the first batch. Just got made."
Tai looks at the chip. On the chip, its value was $10, 000 but it was the name of the Game corner that shocked Tai. The new game corner is going to be called 'The Chazz'. "You changed the name?"
"That's because The Chazz liked it better," answered Chazz. "Don't you?"
The shock was too much for Tai. As a result, he collapsed on the floor.
End Flashback
Back at Mahora Teaching Hospital, Tai's friends were watching Tai as he is still in a state of shock.
"You know Tai. He was always too trusting," said Keitaro.
"Is, Keitaro, is," corrects Yugi.
"Of course. Is," Keitaro said.
" Chu pika pi pikachu pika pi pi pikachu."
"You try talking him out of it next time," suggested Sakura.
"Look, Chazz hurt Tai and I know how that makes me feel. I know what that makes me want to do."
"I'll tell you what I'm going to do. When I get close to Chazz, I don't care if it gets messy," said Koji.
"I'll drive you," adds Koichi. "We'll get him leaving his joint..."
"Good and I'll inject him," said Metabee.
"Yeah, and I'll get a spot to get rid of the body," said Eriol.
"All valid ideas, guys," said Sakura. "Great initiative, but..." Sakura looks at Ash.
"But...even though Chazz stepped over the line, we have to do what's best for Tai."
"Which means we offer Chazz a DragonBall."
"What and let him go scott free?" asked Koji
"That's the rule," said Yugi.
"That's the rule for someone who understands the rules," corrects Eriol. "Which Chazz don't because he already broke them. So he don't get the chance."
James' feelings was different. "For Tai, I'd say we give him a chance."
At the construction site, Chazz was chastising a foreman as Ash watched.
"I need answers before I ask questions. Now get to work!" ordered Chazz. As the foreman walks off, Chazz turns his attention to Ash. "So, some guys I take seriously. Tell me you're a serious guy."
"Good. What I want what's most important to me is that Tai gets his share of the Game Corner restored. Now I'm here to give you a chance to do that."
"You're here to give me a chance?" asked Chazz. Then he laughed. "Hahahahahaha! Ok, a Dragonball. Well, I'll pass on that. Last time I looked, it was my name listed on every valuable property in this region than anyone else in history."
"Which means that you got a lot more to lose," Ash points out.
"Oh no. The Chazz doesn't lose. People who bet on The Chazz to lose, lose and they lose big." Then he warns Ash. "If you come at me, you'd better know what you're doing because I move quick and I slice just as quick, because I am The Chazz."
"So you're not going to make Tai whole?" asked Ash.
Chazz looks at Ash. "If Tai was too weak or too stupid to see what was coming down, then you know what? He doesn't belong here and he's made the right choice. Roll over and die. Let him be."
Ash did not say a word. Chazz returns to supervising the construction as Ash walks off.
End of Chapter 1