Plitheon had waited for Jesse to return. Day turned into night and returned to day, but Plitheon could be patient. Jesse was just angry. He just needed some time to cool off, then he'd come back. Plitheon knew it. In the meantime, Plitheon would be here, sitting on the pillow to Jesse's bed. After being away for so long, it didn't really smell like Jesse anymore, but enough of the paper and ink and Jesse were there to pick up.
Finally, on the third day, the cleaners had come to empty Jesse's room. Plitheon had been greeted by the cold, sharp truth. Jesse wasn't coming back.
That's okay, he had told himself. I don't need him. I can go to that interspace thing. Plenty of people there, better people.
Satisfied with his plan, Plitheon had stealthily made his way to the teleporter. On his way, he had nearly run into Mason and Lena as they walked past. He had hid himself in a nook in the hallway before he could be seen.
"Heard from Jesse?" Lena had asked Mason.
"No, why?" Mason asked.
"Just curious. No one has since he left, not even Zenet. It's like he dropped off the face of the planet," Lena replied.
"Mmph, is that so bad?" Mason had shrugged.
"Different, without him here," Lena said passively.
"Who needs him? Never understood a word he said anyway."
"What ever happened to Plitheon?" Lena went on.
"Probably hiding himself away somewhere, maybe Interspace. Probably knows he's not welcome here. If Jesse left him, something must be wrong with him."
"I guess the rumors were true," Lena assumed, turning the corner with Mason.
Sooner I get out of this dump, the better, Plitheon had thought to himself. He finally turned into the teleporter room. The keypad loomed high above him, but it wasn't the height that gave him pause. It was the buttons themselves. He knew the code, but pressing them would be another matter altogether. I've got this, Plitheon told himself. He began to throw himself at the keyboard. Five, Nine, Two, he grunted with every hit. Seven. The teleporter charged and he got inside just as it commenced.
Interspace, here I come.
That had been a year ago.
Plitheon's current partner put him down near the fountain.
"You're insufferable!" She cried. One of the reason's Plitheon thought she might have worked out was her vocabulary, which although not as good as Jesse's, was still pretty impressive.
"You can't brawl worth a penny! You never even activated the gate card! Who doesn't activate the gate card!" Plitheon retorted. This was after their third loss, which had been pretty spectacular on all accounts. Plitheon regretted ever going with her.
"We're done," the girl said and stormed away, leaving Plitheon on the fountain.
Freaking noob, Plitheon thought to himself. The gate card is one of the most important moves. Whenever Jesse threw his he always crushed his opponents. What kind of idiot doesn't know that?
Still, he felt vaguely uncomfortable. That was the last in a long line of partner failures, and Plitheon was starting to recognize old exes. That never ended well.
Plitheon just couldn't find anyone right. That last one never used his potential. A couple of them couldn't even throw him right, doing this flicking thing with their wrists or hauling him out there. And there was this one – Plitheon shuddered – that smelled like some horrible mix of green apple and disinfectant. That relationship hadn't lasted long at all.
Plitheon made his way to the bookshop he had grown used to staying at. Why there was a bookstore in Interspace he couldn't fathom, but there it was. It didn't do much business, but occasionally a customer would walk out, book in hand. He snuck in through the open door and hid himself on one of the shelves. It was warm here, and dark where he was, behind the books. It kind of reminded him of Jesse's pocket, the one in the bottom of his coat. He preferred the one higher up, near the middle where it didn't swing too much when he walked, but it was ok.
He slowly drifted off as the last customer left and the owner shut down, turning off the lights and locking the door. Jesse had always locked his door, but Plitheon never asked why. The government back then wasn't the friendliest of places.
Finally, sleep overtook him and he fell into a dreamless dark. He was glad when dreams didn't come. They were never happy.
Suddenly, he was floating above what looked to be a dark lake. He was in full figure, his wings stretched out behind him. Then he realized who else was there. Lena and Zenet and Mason and Ren were all present, Phosphos, Contestir, Avior, and Linehalt standing behind them respectively. But most importantly, Jesse was standing right in front of him. Everyone was looking around in shock, but Jesse was frozen on him, his purple eyes wide with surprise. Plitheon stared in return. Jesse hadn't changed a bit, shoulder length choppy blond hair and his green long coat. That old book was still in hand, currently being nervously thumbed through.
Abruptly, the Sacred Orb appeared before them. "Agents of Gundalia," the Sacred Orb spoke. "A great evil is coming. Only you can combat it, lest Gundalia fall." Jesse had turned to face the Sacred Orb, so he didn't see his face, but the set of his shoulders indicated Jesse wasn't convinced. He had to agree, it seemed rather false.
"I give to you the powers of your attributes," the Sacred Orb boomed. Suddenly, each of the bakugan was surrounded by light, pouring into them its power. Plitheon's own green light excited every nerve, and when it was done left a wonderful burning feeling. Plitheon felt like he could win anything.
"And to you, brawlers, the keys. Each one unlocks your partner's power." Cards, similar to ability cards, floated down to the Gundalians. Each reached up and grabbed them, staring at them all the while.
"The future is in your hands," the Sacred Orb intoned. "Do not let it be destroyed."