Disclaimer: I don't own any of the names of both the characters and the cards. I do have one original character.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Spirit Caller
Chapter 20: Hassleberry's Truth
It's already after school and everyone, but me, left the classroom. Why am I here? Well, I just want some peace and quiet for me to prepare my deck for the upcoming School Duel. Ever since that I won the duel for being Duel Academy's representative, my friends have been bugging me to put their cards in my deck. I know that they're trying to support me, but they're just adding more pressure on me than I really need.
I brought a small box filled with my extra cards for my deck. Though I have more back in my room, but I decided not to bring them all because I fear that all my classmates may steal them. This small box contains the necessary cards for me to modify my deck. Right now, I'm working to make my deck into a plant-type deck that works well for my Black Rose Dragon. As I finish modifying my deck, I heard someone coming in.
I quickly grab my box that holds my extra cards and my other box that holds my modified deck and put them in my vest's pocket. I turned to see Bastion, Syrus, Jaden, Chumley, and Alexis. From that moment, I knew what's going to happen next.
Bastion said, "Sora, we were looking for you!"
"You were?" I nervously ask. "What is it you guys want?"
They explained that they're going to help me with my deck despite that I already finish it. They all offer their cards to be in my deck: Bastion offers his Water Dragon, Alexis offers her Cyber Blader, Syrus offers his Gyroid, Jaden offers his Elemental Hero Shining, and Chumley offers his Des Koala.
I calmly decline their offer. "I understand that you guys trying to help me, but I couldn't take more of the pressure that you're giving me."
"We're sorry," said Jaden with a smile.
Alexis pats me on the back. "You are this Academy's representative and as your friends, we are going to give you our supports."
Bastion nods his head. "With that said, you should use my Water Dragon!"
"No way!" Alexis stands in between Bastion and me. "She's using my Cyber Blader!"
"How's about my Elemental Hero?"
"Try my Gyroid!"
"Des Koala can help you!"
My patience has finally gone out as I screamed, "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" I quickly ran out the door with my friends chasing after me.
"Sora! Sora!" I could hear my friends calling me from underneath the cliff of the rocky area near the Red dorm.
As soon as their voices are gone, which means that they're moving to a different area, I sigh in relief. I know that they are my friends and all, but I really don't want them pressuring me about the School Duel. Well, since I'm alone here in this rocky area, I might as well just check my deck again to see if I balance it properly.
Then before I knew it, Hassleberry of all people has spotted me. Hassleberry looks at me and said, "Good, I'm glad I found you here! Duel me!" He activates his duel disk.
I scratch my head and wonder if I should duel him. Though I really want to know if my plant-type deck is perfected, so I activate my duel disk.
Sora's Life Points: 4000
Hassleberry's Life Points: 4000
I start the duel as I draw a card from my deck. "I summon Botanical Lion in attack mode!" I said as a plant-like lion with a mane that looks like it's from a rose appears in front of me.
Botanical Lion: Level 4, Earth
ATK: 1600 DEF: 2000
"Botanical Lion's special ability activates! It gains 300 attack points for every plant-type monsters that I control."
Botanical Lion: ATK: 1600 + 300 = 1900
"I end my turn by placing two cards facedown!" Two cards appear behind my lion.
Hassleberry draws a card from his deck. "I special summon Gilasaurus!" Gilasaurus appears in front of him.
Gilasaurus: Level 3, Earth
ATK: 1400 DEF: 400
I notice that Hassleberry made a good move there. Gilasaurus's effect says that I can special summon a monster from my graveyard whenever Hassleberry special summons Gilasaurus from his hand. Since I don't have any monsters in my graveyard, he can special summon Gilasaurus without aiding me to win the duel.
"Now I sacrifice Gilasaurus to summon Dark Driceratops in attack mode!" A winged, bird-like triceratops replaces Gilasaurus.
Dark Driceratops: Level 6, Earth
ATK: 2400 DEF: 1500
"Dark Driceratops attacks your lion!" Dark Driceratops charges at my Botanical Lion.
However, I reveal one of my facedown cards. "I activate Wall of Thorns! If any of my plant-type monsters are targeted, this trap protects my monsters and destroys all your monsters."
Hassleberry gasps as a huge wall made out of thorns appears in between Dark Driceratops and Botanical Lion. Dark Driceratops touches the wall and gets instantly crush by the thorns that protected my lion. Once the dinosaur is gone, the wall is gone.
"I end my turn by throwing a facedown," he said as a card appears in front of him. "Your move!" he smirks.
I draw a card from my deck. "I return Botanical Lion from the field and to my hand in order to special summon the Fallen Angel of Roses in attack mode!" Fallen Angel of Roses has replaced Botanical Lion as she whips the ground to show her dominance.
Fallen Angel of Roses: Level 7, Earth
ATK: 2400 DEF: 1300
"Next I bring back Botanical Lion!" Botanical Lion appears next to Fallen Angel as it roars for its return. "Also, since Fallen Angel of Roses is here, my lion gains even more attack points."
Botanical Lion: ATK: 1600 + 600 = 2200
I order my two monsters to attack Hassleberry directly. However, Hassleberry activates his trap card, Threatening Roar to stop my monsters' attack for the moment. I end my turn with no adding more facedown cards.
Hassleberry draws a card from his deck. "I use Monster Reborn to revive Dark Driceratops!" Dark Driceratops pops out of the ground and roars at my monsters and me.
"Why do you bring back that dinosaur?" I ask.
"You'll see," he said with a smirk. "Now I activate the field spell, Jurassic World!"
The ground started to shake and our entire surroundings have been changed. We're now standing in a prehistoric world that looks like it came straight from a dinosaur movie. I could see other dinosaurs around us. Hassleberry explains that this field gives all of dinosaur-type monsters 300 attack and defense points.
Dark Driceratops: ATK: 2400 + 300 = 2700
He then orders Dark Driceratops to attack my Fallen Angel. The dinosaur charges at her, but I activate my other facedown, Graceful Dice: a spell that increases my monsters' attack points by 100 multiply by the number of the dice landed on. A blue dice came down from the sky, rolls, and later stops by the number 4, which causes my monsters' to gain 400 attack points.
Fallen Angel of Roses: ATK: 2400 + 400 = 2800
Botanical Lion: ATK: 2200 + 400 = 2600
Hassleberry gasps when he saw my monsters' increased power as my Fallen Angel whips the dinosaur down to submission.
Hassleberry's Life Points: 4000 – 100 = 3900
Hassleberry gritted his teeth as he ends his turn with one facedown card that appears in front of him. My monsters' attack power return to normal.
Fallen Angel of Roses: ATK: 2800 – 400 = 2400
Botanical Lion: ATK: 2600 – 400 = 2200
I draw a card from my deck. "I activate Bait Doll to destroy your facedown card!" The facedown card reveals to be a trap card called Mirror Force and it is destroyed, much to Hassleberry's surprise. "Now my monsters attack you directly!"
My two monsters charge at him. Hassleberry smirks as he allows their attacks to hit him.
Hassleberry's Life Points: 3900 – 4600 = 0
The holograms disappear as the Jurassic World reverted back to the rocky area near the Red dorm. Hassleberry walks up to me with a satisfied look on his face and said, "You really are a great Duelist, Soldier!"
"Hey!" Syrus's voice exclaims. I turned to see Syrus running up to us.
Hassleberry puffs his chest and exclaims, "I've decided!"
"Decided what?" I ask.
"I'm enrolling in this Academy!" he answers and it shocks us.
Syrus looks stunned. "But… aren't you a student here already?"
"Talk only when you're spoken to!" Syrus becomes quiet as Hassleberry explains, "I'm not enrolled here yet. See, no one has ever beaten me before. Then I heard that there's a school where they train the next generation of Duelists, so I had to see for myself."
I scratch my head and ask, "How do you get here on this island then?"
Hassleberry chuckles. "I sneaked on an ocean liner, and after a week, here I am."
My left eyebrow twitches a little. I'm starting to wonder if this Academy has security.
"But when I arrived, I was more than a little disappointed." We ask him why he's disappointed as he answers, "Because the first cadets I met, I totally thrashed them!"
Then Syrus spoke, "Umm, quick question. If you snuck in here, how come you're wearing a Ra Yellow's jacket?"
"I took it off from the first chump I beat," he bluntly said. "Now let me finish my story! I've met more elite Duelists at the mall than the ones here! I was totally giving up on enrolling here. Until I met you: you gave me quite the pummeling."
I felt something warm in my heart when he says that. I smiled and reply, "You're welcome!"
Hassleberry nodded. "I realized there were still plenty of Duelists in the world who can give me a hard time. So that's why I want to enter this Academy."
I chuckled and said, "You'll learn soon enough that there are still plenty of other great Duelists at this school!"
"I'll keep practicing!" Hassleberry smiles with delight. "And I'll be back to give you a Jurassic beat down. I'm heading home, but I'll never forget you."
We arrive at the harbor and, strange enough, the boat is here. We ask the captain of that boat to take Hassleberry home because he's not really a student here. The captain understands and accepts to take him home.
Hassleberry looks at us and said, "I'll definitely return to Duel Academy next year. Until then!" We see him get on the boat and the boat leaves with him on it.
Syrus and I wave him a goodbye. And as soon as the boat is gone even further into the sea, Syrus said, "What a strange guy!"
I nod and reply, "He may be strange, but I can tell that he won't be alone when he enrolls here. I bet he just wants to meet some people here in order to make some friends beforehand."
Syrus nods his head as his response. We headed back to the dorm, only to be ambush by the others asking me to use their cards for the School Duel.