A/N: Here we are, Thursday, and I manage to pull myself away from Pokemon X long enough to give you guys the promised update. Enjoy! We don't own Yugioh GX.


When Natsuko said Karen was welcome at his place, he meant it. She was even welcome to help herself to some snacks—namely, as much food as she wanted to...from the snack table. And, boy, was she eating.

"Oh, my!" Momoe said, watching with Junko. "She sure can eat, huh?"

"I can't look!" Junko said, covering her face. "We're next, I know it!"

"Oh, grow up," Akiko told them. "She's not going to eat you. Right, Jim?"

"That's right, Akiko. She's perfectly harmless," he answered, smiling at the girl.

"But—"

"Don't worry about it!" Jim and Akiko both cut her off—though Akiko sounded annoyed while Jim was reassuring.

Regardless of the difference in tones, Kenzan stared. "Hey, did you two just—"

Akiko and Jim just stood there, staring at each other.

Natsuko smirked. "Kiki! Does this mean you've found a boyfriend!?"

"Shut it!" she snapped.

Momoe sighed, "How sweet. When's the wedding?"

"Can I be Maid of Honor?" Haruko asked.

"We're not getting married!" Akiko snapped.

Asuka, certain this conversation would give Manjoume or her brother ideas, decided to step outside for some fresh air. Glancing off to the side, she realized that Fubuki already was getting dumb ideas—he was showing Fuyuko his matchmaking success scrapbook (which Asuka still couldn't believe he had made) as he tried to encourage the older man to take his advice.

She headed for the door, passing the late arrival, Ed, along the way.

"Where are you going?" asked the duelist dressed as his monster, Double Dude.

"To get some air," she answered, heading out the door.


Foxes—the cunning tricksters. This nekomata had a job he wanted done, and he knew that a fox could definitely help. Now, if only he could find a fox. It would be a lot easier if they were—

There was a kitsune right outside of town.

The nekomata made his way out into the wilderness, tracking down a nine-tailed fox with golden fur. The creature demanded to know his business, and he explained.

As he finished, he said, "The thing's taunting me, wanting me to be their 'good luck' charm, but I'm black, and, in this country, that's bad luck! I can't go on like this! Please help me!"

The kitsune thought about this for a moment. "Hmm. I see. Okay," he said. "I'll help."

"Thank you."

"No problem. So, here's what we're gonna do."


Asuka was standing outside in Natsuko's front yard, taking in the creepy decorations, when she saw an old woman out on the sidewalk in front of the house.

"You over there," the woman called, "could you kindly help an old lady out, please?"

"Who, me?" Asuka asked.

"Why, yes, dear. I need your help with something. Won't you please follow me."

The woman started walking off. Confused, Asuka followed.


Fubuki, meanwhile, had managed to convince Fuyuko to talk to Asuka. When she came in moments later, he walked up to her.

"Hey. You know, your brother's a real nuisance."

"I know," she said. "Now, if you'll excuse me..." She walked right passed him, heading for the back of the room.

Fuyuko stood there a moment, evaluating the stupidity of his latest attempt at conversation. At last, he said, "Well, here we have another good example of why I don't talk to girls..."

"Sissi!" Fubuki said, stepping in front of Asuka and blocking her path. "How can you be so cruel!? That's no way to treat a guy you just met!"

"I apologize, but—"

"No buts!" he cut her off. "Look, Judai's long gone now, so quit wasting time on him and go talk to Fuyuko!"

"Can I do just one tiny, tiny thing first?" she asked, leaning around her brother.

"No," he said. "Now hurry before you completely hurt his faith in girls!"

She sighed and turned, heading back over to Fuyuko. "Look, I'm..." She trailed off, sniffing the air. "STARVING!" she said suddenly. "Oh my gosh! Is that real shrimp!?" Her attention had suddenly turned to the snacks. "Yippee!"

With that, she lunged at a tray of shrimp.

Fuyuko stared for a moment, disturbed, before asking, "Is she usually like that...?"

"Asuka's eating shrimp rapidly, it's the curse of the nekomata!" Sho cried. "Asuka's been eaten by a nekomata!"

Sitting on the table, Asuka stopped eating the shrimp and protested, "Hey! That's mean! I hate eating people!" Realizing what "she" had just said, "she" sweat. "Oops..."

"STOP IMPLYING THAT WARU'S EVIL!" Akiko bellowed. "AND...wait a sec, what?" she said as the girl's words finally registered.

"Uh, look at the time!" Asuka—or the yokai—said, jumping off the table and running for the door. "Gotta run!"

"Nekomata! Nekomata!" Sho cried. "First it ate Asuka, and we're next! I really wish Aniki was here! He'd save us!"


In India, meanwhile, Halloween may not have been a celebrated holiday, but there were monsters involved in the day's events. Duel Monsters were running rampant, destroying everything in sight.

"Aw, dang it!" Judai said, activating his duel disk. He smacked a card down on it, calling, "Neos! Help me out here!"

"Sorry," said a scientist standing nearby. "I thought I could control them. I never imagined this would happen."

That scientist had brought the monsters to life in his lab. Why he had done that was anybody's guess, but he had, and now they were running around his town, destroying it.

"It's cool! Don't worry about it! I got this!" Judai said, smiling.


Back in America, Johan asked, "So, what just happened? Was that really a—"

"Of course not!" Akiko cut him off, certain they were all getting ahead of themselves.

"You sure?" Kenzan asked. "'Cause it sure looked like—"

"Will you cut it out already!? It's not!"

Natsuko stared after Asuka. "Hmm... Your sister's kinda weird, Fubuki. What's gotten into her?" It couldn't be alcohol—I didn't even spike the punch this year.

Fubuki was quiet a moment, staring after his sister. "A nekomata," he said at last. "I'll get that thing for that! I swear! You're gonna pay for that, Waru!" He dropped to his knees, sobbing, "She was so young. And she never even had a boyfriend. It's just not fair!"

"Yup! I'm out of here! I just hope that getting away from here will be enough! Later!" Sho said before running for his life.

"Waru did not eat Asuka!" Akiko insisted. "Superstitious idiots... He never even bites anyone, and he's a normal cat!"

"Don't be so sure. Asuka never acts like that," Kenzan said. He started crying, adding, "Aw, man! What are we gonna tell Aniki? He'll be devastated when he finds out!"

"Now, hold on," Natsuko said, trying to be the voice of reason—which was a new experience for him. "Isn't it possible she's just possessed? And how do you know it's my cat, anyway? I've got neighbors, you know."

That did it—everyone was crazy. Akiko rolled her eyes, muttering, "This is ridiculous..."

"'Cause you've got the bakeneko!" the superstitious Japanese people—Kenzan, Junko, Momoe, Fubuki, and Manjoume—said, pointing at the cat statue in the back of the room.

Natsuko stared at them all for a moment, having difficulty believing any of them had actually grown up in Japan. "Okay, isn't that supposed to be a good luck charm?" he said at last. "Because, the last time I checked, it was. It's a maneki neko, guys!" Silently, he added, Besides, black cats are good luck in Japan! So Waru's a lucky cat!


Outside, a nine-tailed kitsune smacked himself in the face with his paw, having watched that scene play out. "Arg! Those dumb cats! Can't do nothing right! Looks like it's up to me now."

He saw a small, blue-haired man run out of the house. He watched for a moment.

"Hmm," he finally said. "Not really my style, but he'll do."

The creature approached Sho, who never saw it coming.


Meanwhile, Judai was being charged by a very familiar monster—Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill. It looked crazed, which was weird since the other monsters didn't look half as insane as this thing. Why did a monster Sho used have to look crazy?

Regardless of the behaviors of this mad scientist's wild monsters, Judai called out Grand Mole and Flare Scarab, having them contact fuse with Neos to form Magma Neos so he could deal with the giant drill.

"What's with that thing!?" Yubel asked, watching the drill as it started laughing the way Toon monsters often did. "It looks like a lunatic!"

"Don't ask me. I don't have a clue!" Judai said, rather disturbed. This guy has a sick mind...


Back at the party, Sho calmly reentered the mansion.

"Sho!?" Kenzan asked. "What gives!? I thought you were getting out of here!"

"I changed my mind," he answered.

Akiko glared at him, not sure why he had a change of heart. After all, Sho had been a huge wimp back in school, and she doubted that had changed now. What's going on with that shrimp?

Ed voiced Akiko's unspoken question: "Why?"

"Sho! Did you forget about the nekomata!?" Johan demanded. "We should all be getting out of here before it—"

"There is no nekomata," Sho cut him off. "It's just a dumb cat. Speaking of, can I have it?"

Natsuko stared at him for a moment, confused. "If you mean Waru, then no. He's mine. If you mean the maneki neko, the good luck charm, then I have to ask why?"

"Well, that's not important. I just need it is all. Now hand it over." He held out a hand, looking stern.

"Is your luck that bad, pal?" Natsuko asked in disbelief.

"Sho, what's gotten into you, mate?" Jim asked.

"Huh? What do you mean, Jim?" the blunette asked.

"Well, you're acting a bit off... Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine! Now can I please have that cat? Please?"

"You'll have to ask my wife. That's hers, really."

Due to all of the strangeness involving a yokai earlier that evening, Ryo was beginning to wonder if that had something to do with Sho's behavior now. "Say, Sho, want some fox meat? It's really good for you," he said, testing his suspicions.

"Absolutely not, you scoundrel!" Sho answered indignantly. "Who do you think I am!?"

Natsuko stared for a moment—that was so unlike Sho it was almost scary. "Okay..."

"Is there a kitsune here, or is it just my imagination?" Haruko asked nervously.

"Or maybe Sho just doesn't like fox?" Fuyuko suggested.

"That doesn't matter! Just give me that cat, already!" the man in question said, lunging for the cat figurine.

Natsuko snatched the little figure up off the table while Jim and O'Brien grabbed Sho, holding him back.

"Now calm down, mate!" Jim said.

"Jim, you're talking to a fox," O'Brien said.

Haruko shrieked.

"Arg! Give it, already!" Sho screamed.

"What do we do!?" Johan panicked. "How do we get rid of it!? How!?"

"Now I really wish Aniki was here!" Kenzan said. "Maybe his powers could've exorcised it! Anyone know where we can find a monk!?"

"Oh, for crying out loud! Just give me the stupid statue!"

"Why!?" Natsuko demanded, severely freaked out. "What are you doing in my home, Kitsune!? And, more importantly, are you in my friend, or are you him!?"

Karen roared, conveying to Jim that she thought that was Sho, just possessed by a yokai.

Sho looked down at the crocodile as she approached. "Ahh! What's that doing here!? Go away, you monster!"

"Excuse me!?" Akiko demanded, thinking that the pot had just called the kettle black. "She's no monster!"

"That's right!" Jim agreed. "Now why don't you answer us, who—or whatever you are!"

Sho stopped struggling and muttered, "This is ridiculous."

A golden fox with nine tails came out of Sho's body. It looked at the group and said, "I'll be back! And I will get that maneki neko!"

With that, it was gone, leaving the party-goers to deal with the repercussions of its actions. Sho was just standing there, wide-eyed—it was clear a panic attack would be coming soon. Jim and O'Brien let go.


Back in India, the Jumbo Drill that had seemed unstoppable suddenly stopped and rolled over, dead.

"Huh!?" Judai asked, confused as can be.

"Uh, did I mention that wasn't one of mine to begin with?" the scientist said.

"Then where did it come from?" Judai asked.

"If I knew that, I'd tell you. But maybe you should worry about my Brain Dragon first!"

Judai looked to see the monster in question about to blast a couple of kids.

"Oh, crap," he muttered. "Right!"


A/N: Okay, here's this week's yokai lesson: Some yokai are believed to be able to transform, taking on the shape of other people. They can also possess a person. In addition, a nekomata that forms when a pet cat gets old and transforms is believed to eat people, sometimes taking the place of whoever they ate.