It has been many years since Tea, Joey, Tristan, the kaiba brothers, and Yugi himself have departed from the great pharaoh, Atem. The gang may have gone their separate ways, but their friendship with one another, still remains. Strong and intact.
Though' they miss their great friend Atem they have not forgotten him or the great battles they fought together to the end. The bravery and the courage Atem showed and gave Yugi. Unfortunately though many other things have changed since Atem has left... Even dueling.
Now there are new duelists, who want nothing more but to be the King Of Games. But since the great pharaoh has left, Yugi hasn't been dueling much. In his heart reside the great duels him and Atem fought, and he feels dueling will never be the same without him. Today we leave you where Yugi story begins.
Chapter 1
The duelist within
It's a bright sunny morning and Grandpa is out and about cleaning the shop. Organizing it as well, when he happens to look at the time.
Ten o' clock? He thinks to himself, and Yugi has yet to come down. He grabs his broom and heads upstairs to Yugi's room. Bangs on the door hard with the broom till it opens and rushes inside. Swinging the broom at Yugi's bed yelling-
"Damn it Yugi! If you don't wake up and start helping me out around the shop-"
Yugi jumps from out the bed, in time, dodging the broom and running for his life!
"I'm up Grandpa, I'm up!" Yells Yugi.
And runs to the bathroom to wash up. He can hear grandpa outside the door.
" Hurry up and bring your behind downstairs." Says Grandpa.
"Will do..." Replies Yugi with very little effort.
And he can hear grandpa leaving and heading down the stairs. Yugi brushes his teeth and washes his face and looks in the mirror. He starts thinking and remembering about a particular duel. The last duel he ever had with his best, and very much missed friend, Atem. He remembers when he was face to face with all three Egyptian god monsters.
" I'm glad I won. I'm glad I helped you in your mission to save the world and I'm glad you have gone to the afterlife. But what is my mission now?" He asks himself looking at his reflection in the mirror.
He dries up gets dressed and heads downstairs to help grandpa.
"Grandpa sorry I slept in I'm here-"
But grandpa puts his hand up for silence and says
"Yugi it's just not only today. You been like this ever since-"
But Yugi quickly interrupts him.
"I know I don't need you to say it."
Grandpa sighs and decides to let it go. Walks away and points at a box.
"This just came in today. Put those cards on display."
Yugi nods his head yes and picks up the box, and he starts to open it up and takes out the cards to put on display. He looks at them one by one as he puts them away. Then he sees a card that brings him back to another duel. Relinquish, he thinks to himself, Pegasus monster. That was one of the many though duels to come that I will never forget. Especially since it was Atem who defeated him and saved grandpa.
Yugi sighs and quietly mumbles-
"Thank you Atem."
For some particular reason Yugi finds himself walking down memory lane today. He begins to remember every evil force him and Atem fought off and send to the Shadow Realm. Where they can't hurt no one else. Besides with the Millennium Items gone, the Shadow Realm is no more. All the evil is no more, as well for the danger that came with them. Yugi continues to put the cards up on display.
Yugi is quietly putting up a poster for an upcoming tournament when a group of young duelists walk in.
"That's him right there!" yells one of them, pointing at Yugi.
Grandpa sits back and observes as the young group of duelist circle Yugi.
"Are you competing in the upcoming tournament?" Asks the same boy.
Yugi quietly nods his head no.
"My dueling days have been over for quite some time now." He says very monotone.
The group of young duelist looked very disappointed.
"But why? You're the King Of Games" asks the same boy.
Yugi remained quiet, then looks away and says-
"The true King Of Games is long gone."
The group looked very confused. Grandpa decides to show them all the new things that just came in.
"Come on long now everyone, these just came in today."
The group decides to check out the rest of the shop. Grandpa gives Yugi a quick scowl and walks away. Yugi just sighs. He decides he wants to hit the bed already but Grandpa insists.
The day goes by and Yugi and Grandpa had a busy day at the shop. Yugi heads upstairs to hit the bed already, but Grandpa stops him.
"Grandpa I've been feeling kind of odd today-"
Grandpa cuts him off though.
"Today? It hasn't been only today!" He yells. "You haven't dueled since Atem left!"
Grandpa finally said it. Yugi just looked at him and heads upstairs to his room, and Grandpa doesn't bother to stop him. He knows he has gone too far. Yugi is up in his room and lies down, not believing what Grandpa just said. Grandpa doesn't know what it is to lose a best friend, Yugi thinks to himself, whatever, he closes his eyes and his thoughts drift him away into a deep sleep.
Slowly Yugi begins to dream. He starts dreaming about the very last moments, of his very last duel, between Atem and him. He can clearly see it now, Atem has already send Dark Magician Girl to attack alongside Dark Magician due to the effects of his spell card; Magicians Unite. The attack still wasn't efficient enough to destroy Yugi's Silent Magician. Yugi's dream starts to fade out, but slowly starts to fade back in.
It's the same dream, the same duel. Only Atem is now using Monster Reborn to resurrect Slifer The Sky Dragon. Yugi, of course, foils his plan and Silent Magician attacks, the very little life point, Atem has left, directly. Thus, winning Yugi the duel. The dream fades out once again, and when it finally returns, Yugi finds himself back at Stone of King's Memories.
He looks around in great disbelief and denial. How can this be?
"Yugi..."
Yugi's eyes widened up, very big, he recognizes the voice.
"Atem."
"Yes Yugi... It's me..." Atem's voice says, but Atem himself is nowhere to be seen.
"How can this be? Where are you?" Asked Yugi.
"Why can't this be? This is, after all, you're dream. Here anything is possible. Yugi I told you even in my after life, we still share a bond, a connection, and I feel what you feel. I told you we will never be truly apart."
Yugi smiled and nods his head.
"Of course, I've should've known..." Yugi looks up and starts to say-
"It's just... After a while, I've finally realized how different things are... I realized-"
Atem interrupts him.
"Yugi allow me to tell you what I've realized. I've realized I would've never found the courage and friends, you gave me. I've realized the great power, strength and courage that compel you, is there. I've realized you are Yugioh, you are my reincarnation, and you are The King Of Games."
And just like that Atem has said the word that will help Yugi through his tough times. He can fell his spirit and energy all through the room.
"I'm still not ready though." Says Yugi.
"But you will be." Replied Atem.
And just like that the room of Stone Of Kings Memories is gone, and Yugi finally awakens. Yugi looks around just to find himself back in his room, on his bed. He decides to get up and go out and about around Domino City for some fresh air.
"I need to put myself together."
He starts to grab his clothes one by one till he accidentally finds and drops something he hasn't seen in a long time. His duel disk, along with his deck. Yugi just stares at it for a while. So many memories are running through his mind right now. So many and too fast. He grabs his duel disc and deck looks one more time and just sets them aside.
"No not yet. "He says.
He dresses up and leaves the shop to see Domino city. Yugi walks down the street and sees many duels going on. He can even hear some.
"I discard this card to special summon The Tricky!" He hears one duelist saying.
"I activate my face down trap card!" Yells his opponent, "Bottomless Trap Hole!"
Nice Yugi thinks to himself. And decides he would like to see the rest of the duel. So he sits down so he can watch.
"You might've destroyed my monster", says the boy who summoned The Tricky, " but the card I discarded to the graveyard to special summon him was Dandelion. This activates his effect. When this card is in the graveyard I can special two fluff tokens out on my field!" As soon as he said that two tokens appeared on his side of the dueling field. Damn very good move, Yugi keeps thinking to himself. Wonder what you will do-
"I have yet to normal summon a monster. So I sacrifice my two tokens to summon Tri-Horned Dragon!" Yells the duelist to his opponent.
The two fluff tokens disappear and Tri-Horned Dragon appears on the field. A dragon type monster, thinks Yugi, and he remembers the ultimate dragon duelist. Seto Kaiba. Yugi finds himself, once again, down memory lane where the images of kaiba and Atem first duel with one and other. The duel where Atem summoned Exodia and defeated Kaiba.
Those images quickly disappear out of Yugi's thoughts as a new one emerges. He sees Atem and Kaiba at the battle city finals. Obelisk The Tormentor behind Kaiba and Slifer The Sky Dragon behind Atem. This was the battle of the gods. The stone slab image where Kaiba and Atem first have their epic battle.
"Hahaha! You lost!"
Yugi hears a voice say this, and he quickly snaps back into the real world.
"You lost! So now hand them over!" Says the duelist from earlier.
Yugi realizes the duel has come to an end. So he gets up to leave.
"A deal is a deal." says the duelist.
"What deal?" yelled the losing duelist, "I made no such deal with you!"
Yugi stops and looks again. He sees the winning duelist, a big tall dark boy with short black hair and two earrings walking toward the losing duelist with aggression.
"You didn't have to. As soon as you decided to duel me to this rule applied." He said.
I don't like the sound of this, Yugi thinks to himself.
"Now hand it over. Or I'll beat you down till you do." Says the winning duelist making his hand into a fist.
Yugi runs up to him to stop him.
"Hey!" Yugi yells," you heard him he made no deal with you!"
"Out of the way shrimp or I'll crush you too" said the winning duelist. Trying to push Yugi aside but Yugi stands his ground.
"What kind of duelist are you trying to forcefully make others give up their best cards?" Yugi asked.
"I'm Flash! The best," he replied, "and the best need the best cards from the weak like you and Jack!" And points to the losing duelist who is hiding behind Yugi.
"I bet you're not even a duelist!"
"What makes you so sure!?" asks Yugi.
"You don't have a duel disc," he replies, "only true duelists have a duel disc."
Damn he's right I don't, thinks Yugi. And I don't have my deck. Besides it's been so long-
"Now out the way chump!" Says Flash and he shoves Yugi aside. And grabs Jack, the losing duelist, by force. Yugi looks in disbelief and can't think of what to do. Then he asks himself, what Atem would do. I got it! Yugi thinks.
"Hehehe" chuckles Yugi.
Flash looks at him with a very angry face.
"What seems to be so funny?" He asked.
Yugi looks at him dead in his eyes and replies "you are. You're not a real duelist you're pathetic picking on the weak. Pick on someone on your level like me."
Flash starts to laugh.
"Like you?" He says. " Do you know who I am?"
"No I don't. But I know what you're not." Yugi replied. He walks up to Jack feeling such a rush and thrill he hasn't felt in a long time. He grabs Jack's duel disc and deck and says-
"Give me good vibes, and let your deck bond with me for just this duel."
Jack looks and says-
"Don't my deck is too weak, you won't stand a chance."
"Just give me one chance," Yugi says.
"What do you think you're doing?" Asked the winning duelist.
Yugi grabs the deck and duel disc and looks at Flash, his soon to be opponent.
"I'll make you a deal you fool, I challenge you to a duel if I win you will hand over your duel disc and deck and your dueling days will be over."
Flash laughs once more.
"You?" he says, "you don't stand a chance why should I? And if I win?"
Yugi just stares at him before answering and remembers what Atem would do in such a situation.
"If you win I will handle you over not only this deck, but my own deck, and my title."
"Title? What title?" Asked the winning duelist.
"My title... As for I am Yugi Motou.
The King Of Games!"
The winning duelist looks in disbelief.
"Fine. I accept" he says
Yugi nods his head. Not believing what he has just done. He looks at the losing duelist who is also in disbelief. Why have I gotten myself into this mess? Yugi thinks. Why did I make this my problem? I don't even have my deck with me.
"No you don't but you have the heart of the cards" Yugi hears a familiar voice say in his head." Yugi you are the duelist within now duel to protect what you believe in!"
"Right!" Says Yugi out loud.
He looks at Flash and puts the duel discs on and places the deck in the Yugi and Flash look at each other and yell-
"Duel!"