Chapter 13: Initiation Part 1
Wardington…
Marucho's Home…
"Wait…what did you just say?" Ryder questioned as he and the rest of the Battle Brawlers stood shocked at Dan's sudden declaration.
"I wanted to petition for you to become part of the Battle Brawlers," Dan repeated.
"Are…are you serious? This isn't some sort of joke, right?" Ryder asked in disbelief.
"I have to agree, Dan. This is very sudden." Marucho agreed.
"Well, Ryder's basically a part of the group anyway. He's just as involved in the mission to save Vestroia as the rest of us anyway." Dan pointed out.
"Plus, with him on the team, we'll have all six elements on the team," Dan added.
"Dan has a point. Masquerade has targeted Ryder. He's already a part of this." Shun agreed.
"Plus, after battling him myself, I can tell he's around our level," Shun added as Marucho took note of his point.
"Yeah, I don't mind Ryder becoming a Battle Brawler!" Julie smiled.
"I also think it's a good idea." Alice nodded though one could argue she was biased.
"It would make finding and protecting the Infinity Core easier." Runo pointed out.
"Not that we have any leads on it," Preyas commented as Runo glared at the Bakugan.
"Is…Is this really happening?" Ryder questioned.
Ryder stood motionless, still processing what was going on around him. Dan had wanted him to join the Battle Brawlers. Not only that, but it seemed the rest were warming up to the idea of him joining the team.
"I think it would be most advantageous bringing Ryder onto the team, but I suggest we have a little test," Marucho suggested.
"A test?" Ryder questioned, curious as to what the point of this test would be.
"While I believe we're all well aware of Ryder's skill as a brawler, however, he has only beaten one of us. I think we should have Ryder battle the rest of us before he joins." Marucho explained.
"This way, we can not only confirm he's at our level, but it will help him raise his rank for the tournament," Marucho added, showing the benefits of such a test.
"Sounds good to me." Dan nodded as he turned to Ryder.
"So what do you say, Ryder. Want to join?" Dan asked as everyone turned to look at the boy. It felt like he was dreaming, and if he was, he didn't want to wake up.
"I'm ready for whatever test you've got for me." Ryder smiled as Leonidas flew eagerly next to him.
"Yes! Let us battle!" Leonidas laughed as he circled Ryder.
"Seems Leonidas is more eager to battle than ever," Alice commented as she laughed at the Darkus Bakugan, who seemed to dance in the air excitedly.
"Getting the opportunity to battle some of the strongest Bakugan around isn't something that happens every day," Leonidas said.
"Fair enough." Ryder nodded.
"I have to say I am excited at an opportunity to battle Leonidas as well," Tigrerra informed.
"I could pass," Preyas murmured.
"It would be exciting to battle you again, Leonidas." Drago smiled.
"I feel the same, Drago," Leonidas replied.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's do it!" Dan exclaimed as the group got up and made their way to the indoor auditorium.
"Seriously, how many rooms are in this place?" Ryder wondered as he looked through the large space.
"Too many to count, probably," Dan commented as everyone took their place.
"Must be nice being rich," Ryder whispered.
"So, how is this going to work?" Ryder asked.
"You'll be battling each one of us individually. One on one." Marucho began.
"You won't have to beat us, but you'll have to give it your all." Marucho continued.
"I've been meaning to get more data on Leonidas anyway," Marucho noted.
"Alright then, who will be going first?" Ryder inquired as he turned to the rest of the Battle Brawlers.
"Oh, oh, pick me! Pick me!" Julie begged as she jumped around excited.
"I'd feel bad if I don't pick her now." Ryder thought as he rubbed his head.
"Alright, we can battle first, Julie." Ryder smiled as Julie jumped forward, and the two stood across from one another.
"You better be ready, Ryder, because Gorem and I aren't going to make this easy for you!" Julie smirked as Gorem floated next to her.
"I wouldn't want it any other way," Ryder replied as everyone brought out their field cards.
"Field Open!" They all shouted as time slowed to a stop, and they entered the battle field.
"Gate Card Set!" The Two Brawlers continued as they threw their gate cards.
"I'll go first if you don't mind?" Julie insisted.
"Not at all," Ryder replied as Julie grabbed onto a Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Centipoid Stand!" Julie yelled as she threw her Bakugan onto her gate card.
"Subterra Centipoid G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced as Centipoid appeared on the battlefield.
Though it was his turn, Ryder hesitated as he was just taking all of this in. He was battling for the chance to become a Battle Brawler, and it still didn't feel real. So he couldn't disappoint them as he grabbed onto a Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Laserman Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Julie's gate card.
"Darkus Laserman G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced as Laserman readied its cannons for battle.
Laserman fired off several bursts of energy at Centipoid, but the Subterra Bakugan dodged each one before slamming its body onto the Laserman, pinning it to the ground. The Darkus Bakugan struggled to push Centipoid off.
"Let the show begin!" Julie exclaimed.
"Gate Card Open! Energy Merge!" Julie declared as the gate card glowed in activation.
"Darkus Laserman G power decrease by 100 Gs. Darkus Laserman G power 400 Gs. Subterra Centipoid G power increased by 100 Gs. Subterra Centipoid G power 620 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Mirror!" Ryder countered as he threw his ability card into Laserman.
"Darkus Laserman and Subterra Centipoid G power switch. Darkus Laserman G power 620 Gs and Subterra Centipoid G power 400 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"No way!" Julie gasped as Laserman tossed Centipoid off of it.
The Darkus Bakugan got back onto its feet before spinning its waist around to face Centipoid, allowing it to fire its cannon. Unable to fight back, Centipoid was at Laserman's mercy as the Subterra Bakugan was pelted by attacks before being defeated.
"Ryder really has improved greatly since we first met him," Dan smirked.
"Yeah, he didn't even hesitate to make a move," Runo commented.
"He got lucky. If it wasn't for that ability card, he would have lost the battle." Shun noted.
"That being said, he's probably saving his stronger cards for the battle between Gorem and Leonidas," Shun added.
"Then we'll just have to see how the battle continues," Marucho said.
"Oh man, how could I lose the first battle?" Julie pouted.
"We'll just have to win this next one," Gorem replied.
"Yeah, you're right!" Julie exclaimed as she picked up another gate card.
"Let's go! Gate Card Set!" Julie shouted as she threw another gate card next to Ryder's.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Griffon Stand!" Julie added as she threw her Bakugan onto her gate card.
"Subterra Griffon G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced as the Subterra Bakugan took to the sky as flakes of dirt fell off its wings.
"Great. At least it will be more even this time." Ryder sighed as he assessed the situation.
He could throw his other Bakugan onto his gate card and force Julie's Bakugan to move, or he could go headfirst into the battle. After giving it, some thought, he decided to save his gate card for the battle against Gorem and Leonidas as he took out another Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Rattleoid Stand!" Ryder yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto Julie's gate card.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced as Rattleoid hissed at the opposing Bakugan.
Griffon dove down and attacked Rattleoid, but the Darkus Bakugan easily avoided the attacks and slithered around the field. When Griffon got close, Rattleoid managed to wrap its tail around one of its legs, allowing it to throw the Subterra Bakugan to the ground.
"Not this time!" Julie shouted.
"Gate Card Open! Subterra Sinkhole!" Julie declared.
"Subterra Griffon G power increase by 100 Gs. Subterra Griffon G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Getting up, Griffon grabbed onto Rattleoid's tail and swung around the Darkus Bakugan before throwing it to the sky. Griffon soon followed as it bit into Rattleoid with its jaws and proceeded to fly higher into the sky.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Surge!" Ryder countered as he threw the ability card into Rattleoid.
"Darkus Ratteloid G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Rattleoid G power 620 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With newfound power, Rattleoid bit its fangs into Griffon, causing the Subterra Bakugan to howl in pain, releasing Rattleoid. The Darkus Bakugan hit the ground as Griffon continued to fall from the sky toward the ground.
"Ability Card Activate! Subterra Smash!" Julie declared as she responded to Ryder's move in turn.
"Subterra Griffon G power increase by 120 Gs. Subterra Griffon G power 720 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Straightening itself out, Griffon dived down and crashed into Rattleoid, creating a large cloud of dust with only the Subterra Bakugan coming out. Rattleoid however, fell at Ryder's feet, having been defeated.
"Oh well, it's time for the main act to begin," Ryder smirked as he picked up his Rattleoid.
"Wouldn't you agree, Leo?" Ryder asked as Leonidas floated next to him.
"Oh yeah! Let's do this!" Leonidas exclaimed.
"Let's show them what Subterra Bakugan can do, Gorem!" Julie cheered.
"I'm ready when you are, Julie!" Gorem replied as Julie grabbed onto her partner.
"I'll save my last Gate Card for later." Julie thought.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Gorem Stand!" Julie shouted as she threw Gorem onto Ryder's gate card.
"Subterra Gorem G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced as Gorem towered over the field with several birds flying around his head.
"Time to topple a giant!" Ryder declared as he grabbed onto Leonidas.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Leonidas Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw Leonidas onto his gate card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced as Leonidas took flight above Gorem.
"Get ready, Leonidas. I won't go easy on you." Gorem stated.
"Good, I wouldn't want it any other way!" Leonidas replied as he dove down.
Leonidas spun around before crashing into Gorem, who held his ground, refusing to budge until Leonidas ran out of speed. When Leonidas stopped, it allowed Gorem to hammer down on the Darkus Bakugan, putting him into the ground.
"That won't be good enough, Leonidas!" Gorem stated.
"Gate Card Open! Leonidas Strike!" Ryder declared as he activated Leonidas's character card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 400 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1000 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Then how about this?" Leonidas asked.
Spreading his wings, Leonidas took off at high speeds, hitting Gorem and knocking the Subterra Bakugan on his back. The Darkus Bakugan then dove down and landed on Gorem's chest before grabbing onto his shoulders and dragging him up.
"Let's see how you can fly, Gorem!" Leonidas roared as he dropped Gorem from the sky.
"Julie!" Gorem cried as he fell toward the ground.
"I've got you, Gorem!" Julie called as she pulled out some ability cards.
"Double Ability Activate! Mega Impact and Subterra Fissure!" Julie countered as the ability cards glowed in her hand.
"Subterra Gorem G power increase by 450 Gs. Subterra Gorem G power 1050 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With his power increased, Gorem grabbed onto Leonidas's tail before he could fall too far. This caused the Darkus Bakugan to be pulled down with Gorem as the two hit the ground. As the dust settled, the two Bakugan still stood against one another.
"Not bad," Leonidas commented.
"The same to you, Leonidas," Gorem replied.
"Let's kick this up a notch! Ability Card Activate!" Ryder began.
"Alpha Blaster!" Leonidas finished in his partner's stead as he fired his beam.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 200 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1200 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Gorem held his hands out as the beam hit him, using all of his might to push back against the attack. But the Subterra Bakugan was pushed back, inching closer and closer toward the edge of the gate card.
"Hang in their Gorem! Ability Card Activate! Subterra Break!" Julie shouted as she threw the ability card into Gorem.
"Subterra Gorem G power increase by 150 Gs. Subterra Gorem G power 1200 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With the powers at an equilibrium, Gorem was able to hold off Leonidas's attack causing the ground below to shake. Neither Gorem nor Leonidas moved an inch as the power went just continued to grow larger and larger.
"Ryder, let's finish it!" Leonidas insisted.
"You bet, partner! Ability Card Activate! Darkus Twister!" Ryder countered as he threw the ability card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 250 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1450 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Leonidas spun around and covered himself with his Alpha Blaster as he charged toward Gorem. The Subterra Bakugan was knocked back, unable to defend himself against Leonidas's devastating attack.
"It's just been back and forth, but it looks over now," Runo commented as the rest of the Battle Brawlers watched the match.
"Maybe not. I'm sure Julie still has some fight left in her." Dan smirked.
"Hang in there, Gorem! Backup is on the way!" Julie declared as she pulled out an ability card.
"Ability Card Activate! Gate Swap!" Julie revealed as the card glowed.
"Oh no," Ryder murmured, realizing that the scales of battle were tipping.
"Gate Card Swap! Turn to Triple Battle!" Julie declared as the gate card transformed.
"Darkus Leonidas G power decrease by 400 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1050 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"What?!" Leonidas gasped as he stopped spinning.
"Now, Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Griffon Stand!" Julie shouted as she threw in her last Bakugan.
"Subterra Griffon G power 500 Gs. Combined G power of Subterra Gorem and Griffon 1700 Gs." The bakupod announced.
When Griffon appeared on the field, it helped up Gorem before flying up toward Leonidas. The Subterra Bakugan flew above Leonidas before knocking him down toward a waiting Gorem, who grabbed onto Leonidas and slammed him onto the ground.
"Way to go, Julie!" Runo exclaimed as she watched Leonidas go down.
"I knew it wasn't over yet!" Dan smiled.
"That being said, we might just see Leonidas grow stronger to win much as he had done many times before," Marucho noted.
"He's right. Then there's also the power Ryder said helped him in his battle against Masquerade." Shun pointed out.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Dan replied.
"Hopefully, we might see them and get a better understanding of them." Marucho hoped as everyone looked at him.
"Wait, did you suggest this to see that power?" Dan inquired.
"Not entirely. I suggested it for the same reasons as I stated earlier, but if Ryder can learn to draw on those powers on-demand, it will help us immensely." Marucho responded.
"I see if Ryder can master that power, he would become much stronger," Runo noted as they returned their attention to the battle save Shun, who looked at Alice.
The girl had been silent the entire battle so far, and Shun could guess why. She probably was having trouble choosing who to cheer for between Julie and Ryder. Both were her friends, and it felt wrong to cheer for one over the other, but deep down, Alice wanted to cheer for Ryder.
"It's over, Leonidas!" Gorem declared as he went to finish off the Darkus Bakugan.
"Not yet!" Ryder countered as he pulled out an ability card.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Balance!" Ryder shouted as he threw the ability card.
"Combined G power of Subterra Gorem and Griffon decreased by 325 Gs. Combined G power at 1375 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 325 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1375 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Leonidas got back up and pushed Gorem back before whipping Griffon away with his tail. The three Bakugan were locked in a stalemate as their G power was equalized from the ability card. But Ryder was looking to finally end this battle once and for all.
"Let's end this! Ability Card Activate! Rapid Darkness!" Ryder declared as he pulled out his final Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Laserman Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw in his final Bakugan.
"Darkus Laserman G power 500 Gs. Combined G power of Darkus Leonidas and Laserman 1875 Gs." The bakupod announced.
When Laserman appeared on the field, it fired at Griffon, shooting it out of the sky, allowing Leonidas to focus on Gorem. The Darkus Bakugan dove down from the sky and crashed into Gorem, who failed to hold his ground as Leonidas towered over him.
"Oh no! Gorem!" Julie cried out.
"It was fun Gorem, but this is the end!" Leonidas declared.
"Yes, it truly was," Gorem replied as Leonidas finished the battle, winning the match.
"Alright!" Ryder exclaimed as he caught his Bakugan.
"Aw man, I was so close." Julie sighed as she picked up her Bakugan.
"But that was really fun! Now I know how much I still need to grow to avenge Billy!" Julie smiled as Ryder nodded.
"You're closer than you might think. That last bout was a tough one." Ryder commented.
"Yeah, that battle was sweet!" Dan smirked.
"Now then, who wants to go next?" Ryder asked as Runo stepped forward.
"I'll take you on next!" Runo declared as Tigrerra floated next to her.
"Now that we've seen you battle, we know what to expect!" Tigrerra pointed out.
"Then show us what you've got!" Leonidas replied.
"Alright then, let the second battle commence," Marucho said as the rest of the brawlers backed up.
"Field Open!" They shouted as time slowed to a stop and the world shifted into the Bakugan Battle Field.
"Gate Card Set!" Ryder and Runo yelled as they threw their gate cards.
"I'll be going first this time around!" Ryder stated as he took up one of his Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Rattleoid Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced as the serpent appeared on the field.
"He wants to battle on his terms," Tigrerra noted.
"Fine by me. He'll lose either way," Runo smirked as she grabbed onto one of her Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Haos Fear Ripper Stand!" Runo yelled as she threw her Bakugan onto Ryder's gate card.
"Haos Fear Ripper G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced as Fear Ripper appeared before Rattleoid.
The Haos Bakugan used its giant claws to slice at Rattleoid, but the serpent was able to nimbly dodge its attacks. Rattleoid slithered toward Fear Ripper before wrapping it up in a tight bind. However, it didn't take Fear Ripper long to rip Rattleoid off and throw it away.
"Gate Card Open! Darkus Siphon!" Ryder declared as the gate card glowed.
"Haos Fear Ripper G power decrease by 50 Gs. Haos G Fear Ripper G power 480 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power increase by 50 Gs. Darkus Rattleoid G power 570 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Rattleoid whipped its tail, knocking Fear Ripper off its feet and to the ground. The Darkus Bakugan towered over Fear Ripper and bit into its shoulder. Fear Ripper clawed at the serpent's body, attempting to free itself from the Darkus Bakugan's clutches.
"Ability Card Activate! Lightning Shield!" Runo countered as she threw the ability card, causing Rattleoid to be pelted by lightning.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power decrease by 100 Gs. Darkus Rattleoid G power 470 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Fear Ripper tore Rattleoid off of it before grabbing onto the Darkus Bakugan's head. Rattleoid was at Fear Ripper's mercy as the Haos Bakugan tore into its back with its claws. However, Rattleoid wrapped its tail around Fear Ripper's head and tossed it off.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Surge!" Ryder shouted as Ratteoid hissed loudly.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Rattleoid G power 570 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Rattleoid charged toward the fallen Fear Ripper and bit into its leg to throw it up into the air. The Darkus Bakugan then flipped over and whipped Fear Ripper back into the ground with a thunderous thud. When the smoke cleared, Fear Ripper fell at Runo's feet.
"Oh come on!" Runo grunted as she picked up her fallen Bakugan.
"Wow, he won the first battle here too." Julie gasped.
"Well, Runo did rush into the battle." Dan pointed out.
"That's nothing new she's always rushed headfirst into battle." Marucho reminded.
"She'll need to do better than that to beat Ryder," Shun stated.
"Surely, she has something up her sleeve, right?" Preyas asked only to get silence as a response.
"Still. It won't be easy for Ryder to beat Runo." Alice commented as the others nodded in agreement.
"First battle went pretty well, but should I keep her coming to my Gate Cards?" Ryder wondered.
"I'll save my gate cards just in case," Ryder smirked as he picked up his Laserman.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Laserman Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Runo's gate card.
"Darkus Laserman G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Right then, let's show him how it's really done!" Runo snickered as she pulled out her next Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Haos Robotallion Stand!" Runo yelled as she threw her Robotallion onto her gate card.
"Haos Robotallion G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Robotallion ran toward the Darkus Bakugan, who fired at the Haos Bakugan with its large cannons. But the blasts did not hit Robotallion as it managed to avoid the attacks allowing it to tackle Laserman to the ground.
"Gate Card Open! Haos Trigger!" Runo declared as the gate card opened up.
"Haos Robotallion G power increase by 100 Gs. Haos Robotallion G power 615 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The Haos Bakugan grabbed onto Laserman's cannons and threw the Bakugan over its shoulders. Laserman hit the ground with a resounding thud before shifting itself back up into the upright position.
"Ability Card Activate! Shadowscratch!" Ryder countered as he negated Runo's gate card.
"Haos Robotallion G power returned to normal parameters." The bakupod announced.
"I'm not done yet!" Ryder declared.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Surge!" Ryder shouted as he tossed the ability card.
"Darkus Laserman G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Laserman G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Laserman hailed blasts at Robotallion, who was pelted relentlessly. The Haos Bakugan was unable to hold off the attacks forcing it to move further and further away. But Runo wasn't going to let herself be beaten so easily.
"Ability Card Activate! Haos Flash!" Runo yelled.
"Haos Robotallion G power increase by 100 Gs. Haos Robotallion G power 615 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The two cannons inside Robotallion's chest began to glow before releasing a massive flash of light, blinding the opposing Bakugan. Robotallion took this chance and rushed in, knocking the Darkus Bakugan down, defeating it.
"Now that's how it's done!" Runo smirked as she caught Robotallion.
"Not bad, a little straight forward though," Ryder commented as he picked up Laserman.
"That's just how I brawl," Runo replied as he and Runo pulled out gate cards.
"Gate Card Set!" The two shouted as they threw their gate cards.
"It's time Leo!" Ryder smiled.
"Excellent!" Leonidas exclaimed as Ryder grabbed onto him.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Leonidas Stand!" Ryder yelled as he threw his partner onto his gate card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"As impressive as ever. Let's go Runo!" Tigrerra insisted.
"You've got it Tigrerra! Let's tear them apart!" Runo smirked as she grabbed onto Tigrerra.
"Bakugan Brawl! Haos Tigrerra Stand!" Runo shouted.
"Haos Tigrerra G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"You better be ready to lose Leonidas!" Tigrerra roared as she appeared before Leonidas.
"I don't plan on losing any time soon," Leonidas replied as he kept to the sky.
"Gate Card Open! Positive Delta!" Ryder declared as the gate card flashed open.
"Haos Tigrerra G power decrease by 200 Gs. Haos Tigrerra G power 400 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"No!" Tigrerra cried as her power left her, causing her to fall to the ground.
"Time for some fun!" Leonidas laughed as he dove down and pinned Tigrerra to the ground.
The Darkus Bakugan flapped his wings, lifting Tigrerra off the ground, but the Haos Bakugan wasn't going to allow it to happen. She bit into Leonidas's leg, causing the dragon-like Bakugan to howl in pain and drop Tigrerra but not before whipping her with his tail.
"Hang in there Tigrerra! They're not taking us down that easily!" Runo stated as she pulled out an ability card.
"Ability Card Activate! Cut in Saber!" Runo declared as she threw her ability card into Tigrerra.
"Haos Tigrerra G power increase by 200 Gs. Haos Tigrerra G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"That's more like it!" Tigrerra roared as she stood back up.
Tigrerra rushed toward Leonidas with her claws sharpened and clawed at him, but Leonidas kept out of her reach. But Tigrerra had seen and been in far more battles than Leonidas has in his entire life, which was only a few months long.
So she had a trick or two she could use. First, she jumped into the air to catch Leonida's attention before using her claws to reflect light into Leonidas's eyes. This blinded Leonidas just enough for Tigrerra to dive back down and land a blow to his chest.
Leonidas struck back with his own claws slicing at Tigrerra's back, pushing her into the ground. He then planted his foot onto Tigrerra's head, but the Haos Bakugan pushed Leonidas off of her. With both of their powers equal, neither Bakugan was going to win the battle.
"Let's kick this up a notch! Ability Card Activate!" Ryder began.
"ALPHA BLASTER!" Leonidas finished as he flew up and fired his beam at Tigrerra.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 200 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 800 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Tigrerra ran out of the way to avoid the massive beam, but Leonidas moved his head to follow her. But the Haos Bakugan wasn't fast enough to run away as it grazed her sending her flying back as Leonidas maneuvered to finish her off.
"Not yet! Ability Card Activate! Lightning Tornado!" Runo countered, creating a large lightning twister that hit the two Bakugan.
"Darkus Leonidas G power decrease by 100 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 700 Gs. Haos Tigrerra G power increase by 100 Gs. Haos Tigrerra G power 700 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With the powers equalized once more and Leonidas's Alpha Blaster stopped, the two Bakugan were on equal grounds. Tigrerra and Leonidas shook off the lightning that hit them and charged at one another before colliding into one another, ending the battle in a draw.
"That was intense. How was it Leonidas?" Ryder asked as he picked up his partner.
"Amazing! But next time, I'm going to win!" Leonidas exclaimed.
"That's the spirit," Ryder smirked as Runo picked up Tigrerra.
"He's tough, but we can take him as long as we do it on our terms," Tigrerra stated.
"We'll take them down for sure, don't worry." Runo snickered.
"Don't be too sure. We might want to strategize here." Tigrerra replied.
"It'll be fine. Just you watch, we'll win for sure." Runo said, ignoring Tigrerra's concerns.
"Right then, let's start ending this battle," Ryder said as he grabbed onto his Rattleoid.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Rattleoid Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Runo's gate card.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Let's go! Bakugan Brawl! Haos Robotallion Stand!" Runo yelled as she threw her Bakugan onto her gate card.
"Haos Robotallion G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
When the two Bakugan were faced with one another, they didn't hesitate to attack. Rattleoid slithered toward Robotallion, who kicked at the serpent only for it to wrap around the Haos Bakugan.
"Gate Card Open! Haos Arena!" Runo declared.
"Haos Robotallion G power increase by 150 Gs. Haos Robotallion G power 665 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Robotallion tore Rattleoid off of it and then threw it around before slamming it to the ground. It then walked over and grabbed onto Rattleoid's head before forcing the Darkus Bakugan's jaws open.
"Ability Card Activate! Shadowscratch!" Ryder countered, negating Runo's gate card.
"Haos Robotallion G power returned to normal parameters." The bakupod announced.
Rattleoid slammed its mouth shut over Robotallion's hands, allowing it to swing Robotallion onto the ground. It then wrapped its tail around Robotallion's legs and swung it around, and threw it away.
"Now, to finish it off! Ability Card Activate! Darkus Surge!" Ryder continued.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Rattleoid G power 620." The bakupod announced.
The Darkus Bakugan's power now dwarfed its Haos opponent and trampled over it, ending the battle. Runo would have used an ability card, but she knew that she and Tigrerra needed everything they had to defeat Leonidas.
"Runo must be saving her strength." Shun theorized.
"Yeah, this next bout is going to be the best!" Dan hummed.
"I'm ready to see more of Leonidas's power," Drago noted as Alice watched the battle in silence.
"Good luck Ryder." Alice smiled as she whispered a small apology to Runo for rooting against her.
"It's all come down to this," Ryder smirked as Leonidas floated next to him.
"Sure. But it won't end the way you think." Runo replied.
"There's only one way to find out." Ryder pointed out as the two took out gate cards.
"Gate Card Set!" The Two shouted as they threw their gate cards onto the field.
"Throw me in partner!" Leonidas insisted.
"With pleasure!" Ryder replied as he grabbed onto Leonidas.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Leonidas Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw Leonidas onto his gate card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"On his Gate Card. Not good." Tigrerra commented.
"It won't matter," Runo smirked.
"Bakugan Brawl! Haos Tigrerra Stand!" Runo yelled as she threw Tigrerra onto Ryder's gate card.
"Haos Tigrerra G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Ready to lose?" Leonidas inquired as he towered over Tigrerra.
"Of course not! I'm going to win! After all, light defeats dark." Tigrerra responded as she charged at Leonidas.
"That is yet to be seen!" Leonidas replied as he flew towards Tigrerra.
The two collided and reeled back in pain. Leonidas was the first to recover as he flew over Tigrerra and lifted her up into the sky before dropping her down. But as they say, cats land on their feet, for Tigrerra quickly reorientated herself and landed perfectly.
Leonidas dove down with his claws out as Tigrerra stood at the ready for him. The Darkus Bakugan sliced at its Haos opponent as Tigrerra responded in kind. The two Bakugan exchanged several blows, but neither could push the other back.
"Gate Card Open! Leonidas Strike!" Ryder declared as Leonidas's character card activated.
"I don't like using the same strategy twice, but I can't really switch out my cards right now." Ryder thought.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 400 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1000 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With a loud roar, Leonidas landed in front of Tigrerra and grabbed onto her before tossing her into the sky. No sooner did he follow her than he flew up to knock her right back down to the ground. At least that was the plan.
"Double Ability Activate! Cut in Saber and Lightning Spear!" Runo countered, powering up Tigrerra.
"There we go!" Tigrerra smirked as her claws sharpened and her body was covered by lighting, causing her to fall down like a spear toward Leonidas.
"Haos Tigrerra G power increase by 450 Gs. Haos Tigrerra G power 1050 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Rocketing down, Tigrerra slammed into Leonidas, stopping his ascent and crashing him straight into the ground. If it were any other Bakugan, Leonidas would have lost then and there, but he was tougher than most.
Instead of being beat, Leonidas sprung back up and flew out of the way of Tigrerra's follow-up attack though the lightning that surrounded her grazed his body. However, Tigrerra was fast, very fast, making it hard for Leonidas to dodge.
But it didn't take Leonidas too long before he saw a pattern for Tigrerra's attacks. Because of the Lightning Spear ability card she could only move super fast in a straight line. With this knowledge, Leonidas was able to easily dodge Tigrerra.
"Time for our own Double Ability! Darkus Twister and Alpha Blaster!" Ryder declared.
"Perfect!" Leonidas laughed as he surrounded himself with his Alpha Blaster.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 450 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1450 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Diving down, he managed to slam into Tigrerra's back, cracking the ground beneath them. He flew back up before diving back down, slamming into Tigrerra over and over again. Soon he went for the final blow.
"Go Triple Ability Activate! Lightning Field, Lightning Shield, and Haos Flash!" Runo countered.
"Darkus Leonidas G power decrease by 200 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1250 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Haos Tigrerra G power increase by 200 Gs. Haos Tigrerra G power 1250 Gs." The bakupod announced.
On Leonidas's next pass, Tigrerra was able to get up and knock him down. Once more, they were on equal footing. Neither had power over the other as the battle was kept in a stalemate between the two.
"Very impressive Leonidas." Tigrerra complimented.
"Thank you Tigrerra. This battle has been very fun." Leonidas replied, returning the compliment.
"It has, but it seems we came ill-prepared." Tigrerra sighed.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Surge!" Ryder shouted as he tossed the ability card into Leonidas.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 1350 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Leonidas glowed with dark energy as his increase of power broke the stalemate and slammed Tigrerra onto the ground ending the battle. When it finished, they all returned to the real world as time resumed once more.
"I can't believe I lost," Runo murmured as she fell to her knees and picked up Tigrerra.
"Maybe we should have strategized more," Tigrerra suggested.
"Yeah, maybe you're right." Runo sighed as she got up.
"That was an amazing battle Runo." Ryder smiled.
"It was. But you won't win next time!" Runo replied.
"We'll have to wait to see!" Leonidas laughed.
"That battle was great you two! I can't wait for my turn!" Dan exclaimed.
"You'll have to wait a little while longer Dan," Marucho stated as he stood in front of him.
"Oh come on…." Dan groaned.
"Oh well, it's fine. Save the best for last, as they say." Dan smiled.
"Actually, I believe we should take a small break. After all, we've seen everything Ryder has on him, so it won't be exactly fair." Marucho pointed out.
"So we should go and switch out our decks so that everything can be fair," Marucho explained.
"He makes a good point." Shun agreed.
"Yeah, I don't want to use the same strategies again." Ryder nodded.
"Even so, you did great Ryder!" Alice exclaimed as she gave Ryder a smile.
"Thanks." Ryder thanked sheepishly, returning the smile as Runo's phone went off.
"Good timing too. My parents need me back," Runo informed.
"Let's go Alice." Runo insisted as the two began to leave.
"Oh okay. Goodbye everyone." Alice waved as they left.
"I should go and call my parents too. I promised to call them every day." Julie said as she ran off to her room.
"I should go too and catch dinner, or else my Mom will ground me." Dan sighed as he realized the time and left with Shun soon following.
"I should get ready for our battle later and get some of my studies done before my parents call about them," Marucho noted as he left, leaving Ryder alone with the Bakugan.
Leonidas looked up at Ryder as he felt the boy's feelings through their connection. He was confused as while Ryder looked fine on the outside, he could tell that he was deeply saddened about something.
"Are you okay Ryder?" Leonidas inquired as Ryder turned to face his partner.
"Yeah everything's fine Leonidas. I'm just gonna…get ready for our next battle." Ryder answered as he left the room.
"He seemed troubled," Preyas commented.
"Indeed though he seemed to want to hide it," Gorem stated.
"He started feeling down when Runo mentioned her parents…is that something for humans to be sad about?" Leonidas questioned as he looked at his fellow Bakugan.
"I don't know. Human relationships between their parents and themselves are complicated." Preyas responded.
"Aren't Ryder's parents deceased?" Gorem asked.
"No…well, I don't know. He just said they disappeared one day and haven't come back." Leonidas answered.
"Maybe he misses them," Preyas suggested.
"Hmm…I think that could be right. Back in New York, he seemed very saddened most days when we weren't brawling. That is until Alice came to stay with us." Leonidas explained.
"That does sound like he misses his parents. That or he misses Alice. Or both!" Preyas pointed out as Leonidas turned to look at where Ryder went.
"Whatever it may be, I feel he needs someone to talk to," Leonidas said.
"What are you going to say?" Gorem inquired.
"Hmm, I have a feeling about something to say. I can't explain it. But I know what to say." Leonidas answered as he flew off after Ryder.
With Ryder, he had finished putting new cards in his deck to battle against Marucho and was lying on the guest bed staring at the ceiling. He hadn't hit a slump like this in a while because he had been having so much fun. But now, his thoughts drifted back to his parents.
Ryder thought he had moved on from this sadness, but it seemed life was cruel sometimes. He had accepted that they were missing, but it still hurt sometimes. All he wanted to do at that moment was sleep a little. But he was taken out of his thoughts when he felt something small on his chest.
"Leonidas?" Ryder questioned as he looked at his partner, who laid on his chest.
"You seemed down," Leonidas said.
"I came to help you cheer up," Leonidas added.
"You did?" Ryder asked as he sat up.
"Well…thanks Leo." Ryder thanked.
"Let's talk about strategy. I need to keep my mind off something." Ryder smiled.
"You know Ryder, I don't know much about your parents or where they are." Leonidas began as he hopped on the room's desk.
"But I have the feeling that wherever they are. They're thinking of you." Leonidas finished as Ryder sat on the desk chair.
"You know Leo. I'd like to think so too. Thanks buddy." Ryder thanked.
"It feels like you're right," Ryder commented.
Next Time Marucho prepares for his battle with Ryder, hoping to get him and Leonidas to display and master the growing power within them. Meanwhile, Marduk is haunted by the past, remembering how he came to be the power-hungry brawler he came to be.
Next Time on Bakugan Doom World: Initiation Part 2
Author's Note:
Alright! Hopefully I can get part 2 out faster than this, but the battles are getting a little harder to write. The only reason they are getting "harder" is because I don't want all the battles to feel the same, which as you can imagine, with original Bakugan, it can be pretty hard.
That's why I make up so many ability cards and gate cards so I can spice it up some. Though I do try to keep to my own rules, like I try to use only four ability cards per game but obviously, I forgot that in this chapter a little. But since I was facing a lot of block and the battles were pretty interesting, I gave it a pass.
Though that being said, I'm going to try to avoid breaking those rules in the future. Either way, the battles ended up being pretty good here, and I managed to throw in a little tidbit for Ryder's character in here at the end. His parents are going to be playing a big role in his character arc, so it's about time I brought them up again.
I also need to have the Bakugan interact with one another more because I feel like I sometimes forget to have them talk to each other and everyone. Especially since they are very important to the story. Next chapter, though we'll be having the conclusion to Ryder's initiation and Marduk's backstory.
While Marduk's backstory wasn't talked about much in the game, I'm going to be expanding on the idea in the fic. After all, I don't want Marduk to just be a super bland one-dimensional edge lord. I want to make him more of a sympathetic character, more so than what the game did since they pact that stuff in the final act.
Also, just a quick vent about something while I was writing this chapter, a new story (That has since been deleted) had been posted on FFN in the Bakugan fandom. It looked interesting, so I decided to check it out and was taken aback that the author blatantly plagiarized my story.
It was almost funny because the first few paragraphs were word for word copying Leonidas's birth from the first chapter of this story. They even copied other passages and even the strange bond between Leonidas and Ryder or technically between Leo and their OC. It was ridiculous how much they copied, so I obviously called them out on it.
So, in the end, not even a day passed since they published the fic before deleting it that, or a mod saw the report I made and deleted it, but if I had to guess, I'd say they deleted it. But the freaking audacity to post a plagiarized fic on the same website the fic you're plagiarizing is on is unfathomable.
Before anyone says that they may have just borrowed ideas, that isn't the case as, again, they copied actual lines from the story and plot points they didn't even understand clearly. What confuses me is that it doesn't look like their other stories are plagiarized, so it's a little odd that they chose to plagiarize me.
What's also weird is that they don't fav or follow my story though they clearly read it, so maybe they were trying to hide their tracks or something. Either way, I'm done with my little rant the whole thing is settled, and I won't be disclosing who did it as the fic is gone, and I'm not petty.
That's all I've got to say, so let's get onto the reviews:
HunterHQ – Though this review was posted on chapter 1, I'm going to assume you meant it to be on the last chapter. But I do like what you've explained here, and in fact, I've already had something like this in mind for this story. As for what that may be, you'll have to wait.
Guest – Glad you enjoy the story! As for Leonidas getting more evolutions, yes, he will though I haven't decided on how many just yet. I'm probably not going to go overboard, though. At most he'll evolve three more times after Omega Leonidas.
Ryder won't be replacing any other characters in the story, so people like Ace will still appear. That being said, Ryder will be amongst the best one day though he still has a way to go, and I don't want him to get too cocky.
You'll have to wait and see about who defeats Masquerade as I don't want to reveal too much here. Leonidas can only absorb negative energy, not other energy, so how he'll evolve will have to wait to be seen.
Again you'll have to wait and see for the rest of the stuff since, again, I don't want to reveal too much.
LHOCIN – Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.
Martin – You'll have to wait and see. God I'm sounding like a broken record.
Johannvanguard – Glad you liked the part with Ryder and Alice teaching Christopher. As for the battle between Masquerade, Klaus, Billy, and Chan Lee, by terrible, do you mean the battle itself was bad, or do you think what happened to them was bad?
Either way, I hope you enjoyed the battles in this chapter!
DarkFangs3 – Thanks. I'm glad you think of this story so highly!
That's all I have for today! See you guys next time!
