Chapter 2: Alliance Forged
Dan: My whole world changed one day when all these random cards started raining down everywhere. At first they seemed harmless enough, so a bunch of us kids invented this cool new game. That's when we realized those cards weren't so harmless after all: they were packed with incredible powers from another world! My name is Dan, and together with my friends Runo, Marucho, Julie, Tsuyoshi, Mr. Hotshot himself Shun, and Alice, we are...
Everyone: The Bakugan Battle Brawlers!
Dan: Bakugan! One war, two worlds!
(Bakugan: English Opening.)
(What are you gonna do?)
Dan is shown entering the battle field.
(The odds are stacked against you.)
Tsuyoshi and Dan both enter battle, with Runo and Marucho looking on.
(Back against the wall, gotta give it your all.)
Both of them toss their Guardian Bakugan, and upon landing on the gate card Drago and Leonidas engage in battle.
(This is the final stand.)
Clips of Drago fighting Reaper and Leonidas fighting a mysterious Darkus Bakugan, along with other clips of Bakugan are shown.
(The power's in your hand!)
Dan and a green haired masked brawler are seen tossing a gate card.
(Two worlds collide, on the inside!)
Naga reaches for the silent core as an explosion happens in Vestroia and cards start raining down on Earth. Meanwhile, Leonidas is shown escaping from the Doom Dimension.
(You've gotta fight for what's right, before it's gone, gone, gone...)
Drago fires a Boosted Dragon and Leonidas an Alpha Blaster, before Dan and Tsuyoshi are seen preparing to fight Shun and Masquerade.
(This is Bakugan!)
Tsuyoshi and Dan catch their Guardian Bakugan and the logo of the series is shown.
Tsuyoshi: 1 Bakugan Left
Akira: 2 Bakugan Left
Tsuyoshi scowled as he watched his Darkus Stinglash get defeated by his opponent's Subterra Centipoid.
Akira caught his Bakugan in his hand. "Heh. I can now see that you beating Shuji was nothing but a fluke!" he taunted.
Leonidas, who was floating next to Tsuyoshi, scoffed "That small human sure is arrogant." he commented.
Tsuyoshi grunted in agreement "And it's starting to annoy me." he glanced at Leonidas "He's got two Bakugan left. Think you can handle it?"
The Darkus Bakugan snorted "Do I think I can handle it?"
Tsuyoshi nodded, taking a look at his Baku-Pod. Akira currently had one Bakugan in play.
Subterra Juggernoid: 300Gs
His opponent also had a Centipoid, whose power was 320 Gs. With Leonidas' strength he could take both Bakugan down at the same time with the correct strategy. With a plan in mind, he took out a gate card "Gate Card, set!" he said tossing it. He looked at Leonidas "Get ready."
"About time!" Leonidas grumbled, before closing into a sphere.
Tsuyoshi caught Leonidas in his hand before throwing him onto the battle field "Bakugan Brawl! Leonidas, stand!"
Upon landing on Tsuyoshi's gate card, a pillar of dark energy surrounded Leonidas, knocking Akira on his butt in the process. From the purple pillar, Leonidas emerged in his true form. He had three horns, two over his ears and one in the middle of his muzzle. He had three toes on each foot. He also had three fingers on each hand. His tail was long and ends in an arrow. He also had three light purple stripes on his feet. His body was black in color, with his chest are being grey and his horns, claws and wings being purple. He gave a mighty roar, making Akira squeak in fear as he checked his Baku-Pod
Darkus Leonidas: 380Gs
Akira gulped "Th-Three Hundred and Eighty Gs?! I have never seen a stronger Bakugan before!" he exclaimed.
"What are you waiting for, a written invitation?" Tsuyoshi asked "If you want to win, you have to face my Leonidas."
Akira gulped, before steeling his nerves and taking out Centipoid "Bakugan, brawl! Centipoid, stand!"
Subterra Centipoid: 320Gs
As soon as the opposing Bakugan landed on his gate card, Leonidas snarled, and immediately launched an assault upon Centipoid. Akira gulped and looked at Tsuyoshi "H-hey! Tell him to relax a bit!" he spoke to his opponent with urgency.
Tsuyoshi growled "Leonidas! Hold your fire! This isn't part of the plan!"
Leonidas growled at Tsuyoshi "Why stop? I can take him!"
Akira used that moment to activate his ability card "Ability activate! Attractor!"
Centipoid's eyes glowed, before orange strings of energy dragged Juggernoid towards it and Leonidas.
Juggernoid and Centipoid: 620Gs
Leonidas: 380Gs
Akira smirked "Heh! Now that I have two Bakugan, your aggressive dragon is toast!"
Tsuyoshi smirked "Fool. You just made my plan easier. Gate Card, open! Energy Grab!"
Juggernoid and Centipoid: 520Gs
Leonidas: 480Gs
"Energy Grab is a command card, that transfers 100Gs from your Bakugan to mine." Tsuyoshi explained.
"But it's still not enough to beat me!"
True to Akira's words, Leonidas aggressively slashed at Centipoid, but the centipede like Bakugan coiled around Tsuyoshi's guardian Bakugan, before Juggernoid charged and bit Leonidas' tail. Leonidas roared in pain, before glancing at Tsuyoshi "Human!" he called out to him.
Tsuyoshi nodded "Ability, activate! Alpha Blaster!"
At the activation of his signature ability, Leonidas' body was surrounded by a purple aura, as he roared and freed himself from Akira's Bakugan.
Leonidas: 580Gs
Juggernoid and Centipoid: 520Gs
Leonidas' mouth opened as an energy blast started forming. "Out of my sight, weaklings!" he said, before firing a beam of white lightning at Akira's Bakugan. The lightning covered the arena, temporarily blinding the two brawlers. The two Subterra Bakugan gave an agonizing cry, before they turned into their ball forms and rolled past Akira.
Akira: 0 Bakugan Left (LOSE!)
Tsuyoshi: 1 Bakugan Left (WIN!)
Leonidas roared, before he turned back into his ball form and returned to Tsuyoshi who caught him in his hand. The area around both Brawlers then shifted and they were transferred back to Wardington Park. Tsuyoshi looked at his Baku-Pod and nodded at his ranking.
Tsuyoshi Godric: #298th in the World.
Two weeks had passed since he obtained Leonidas, and ever since then he kept on winning. Leonidas has truly been a valuable asset.
"You should have let me out earlier. We would have won much sooner!" the Darkus Bakugan complained.
'When he cooperates that is.' Tsuyoshi added in his head. He went to reply, but was interrupted by Akira calling out to him.
"Hey! What gives?! Why was your Bakugan so aggressive?!" Akira asked.
Tsuyoshi stared at the young boy, but he didn't reply. Ever since he found Leonidas, one thing he couldn't understand was why his Bakugan seemed so aggressive. At first, he dismissed it as an extreme thirst for a good challenge. But after many battles Tsuyoshi could clearly see that Leonidas' anger was fueled by an inexplicable intense hate towards his opponents.
Akira huffed "Whatever! Next time will be different, you'll see!" he said before he rushed off.
Leonidas scoffed "Weak human…"
Tsuyoshi gave Leonidas a small, sideway glare "He's got a point though. Your moves are too aggressive." he pointed out.
"Tch. It isn't my fault my opponents are weaklings!"
"Aight, what's with that tone? You speak as if you hate every opposing Bakugan. As if you are completely different compared to them!"
Leonidas remained silent, prompting Tsuyoshi to raise an eyebrow. The football prospect sighed before shaking his head and starting to walk towards his home. Unbeknownst to him however, some of his words resonated with Leonidas.
'Completely different compared to other Bakugan, huh?' Leonidas thought.
Dan sighed as he tossed his bag to a random direction, before sitting down in front of his desk and logging into the network. The last two weeks had been relatively quiet. Masquerade hadn't made any major moves, other than sending a few mooks after him, Runo and Marucho (who had moved recently). Other than that though they hadn't made any significant progress in finding out who Masquerade actually was, and how he was related to Naga, or the human who went to Vestroia, Michael.
After logging in the website, he entered the chatroom where the rest of the Brawlers, minus Shun who hasn't logged in for a long time, were already online.
"Hey guys!" Dan greeted his friends.
"You're late again, Dan." A girl with blue pigtails pointed out.
Dan glared "Hey, cut me some slack Runo. School lasted longer than expected today."
Julie Hayward-Makimoto, a tanned skinned girl with white hair and blue eyes, frowned "Aw, come on you two. Danny just entered and you are already at each other's throat."
Marucho bobbed his head in agreement "Regardless, has anything happened on your end Dan?" the short blonde asked.
Dan frowned and shook his head, before Drago responded for his partner "Nothing more than you guys know."
Tigrerra, Runo's Guardian Bakugan, hummed in thought "That's weird. It's been a while since Masquerade has done anything major."
At the mention of the masked Brawler Dan scowled. His distaste for Masquerade is no secret, and it has been growing ever since he learned the truth about Bakugan. "Yeah…" he replied absentmindedly.
Marucho cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention "Well, I think I may have a lead to something." he revealed.
Alice, the orange haired Russian girl, tilted her head "What is it Marucho?"
Marucho then proceeded to share some posts from other members of the community "There have been many rumors recently, all centered around an extremely violent Bakugan unlike any other!" he informed his fellow Brawlers.
"A violent Bakugan?" Julie parroted "Well I haven't heard such a rumor before."
"I have." Runo said "It's been all over the web the past week."
"You think that Bakugan is related to Masquerade?" Dan asked.
Marucho shrugged "I can't say for sure. But reports say it is a Darkus Bakugan."
"Do we even know what its name is? Or who is using it?" Alice asked.
Marucho nodded "Although I can't say for sure, this is the Brawler that has been linked with the aggressive Bakugan." he said, showing Tsuyoshi's profile on the screen.
Dan's eyes widened at the sight of Tsuyoshi's profile "Hey, wait a second! I know that guy!" he exclaimed, much to the surprise of his friends.
"Wasn't he the kid we met at the park?" Drago asked his human partner.
Dan nodded "Yeah, my new classmate from England." he affirmed Drago, before looking back at his monitor "But I've seen him brawl. He was new to the game, but quite good, and his Bakugan all seemed normal."
"Maybe the rumors are false?" Alice suggested.
"Or he had a little run in with the masked freak, after you saw him brawl." Runo added.
"Wait a sec…" Julie interrupted, staring at Tsuyoshi's profile picture "I think I know who this kid is!" she said, leaving her seat, before returning with a sports magazine in hand and showing an article on camera.
"15-year-old British Wonderkid shines as England's U-18s beat Spain's U-18's!"
Under the article, a picture of Tsuyoshi dribbling the ball past a defender was displayed "He is considered a generational talent. The world's top clubs are all scouting him!"
"Huh. Now that you mention it, I have heard the rumors about big name scouts looking for prospects in my school's team." Dan said rubbing his chin.
"You think he was approached by Masquerade?" Tigrerra asked.
Dan frowned "I dunno… If he was somehow involved with Masquerade, don't you guys think he would have approached us by now?"
"Maybe he is waiting for the right time to make his move." Marucho replied.
Dan pondered on Marucho's idea, before eventually deciding on a plan "You know what? I'll talk to him tomorrow!"
"Are you nuts?!"
"Hey, think about it Runo. I talk to him, find out whether he was brainwashed by Masquerade, and if he is." he punched his hand "I beat him until he isn't!"
Runo ran her hand over her face "You're hopeless…"
~One Day Later - Wardington High~
Tsuyoshi sighed as he played around with his pencil. History had to be the most boring class of all. Sure, he knew that it was important, but the teacher's ceaseless talking and the large amount of text they had to memorize by heart weren't helping. Thankfully the bell rang, as his teacher said something about homework. He packed his stuff before leaving the classroom. Today was bound to be a boring day. Practice got cancelled because Kochi got sick and he had nothing else got scheduled. 'Perhaps I should hit the gym. Maybe go to the park later?' he pondered.
"Hey! Wait up, man!"
Tsuyoshi raised an eyebrow at the familiar voice. He turned around, and to his surprise Dan Kuso was running up to him. The corner of his lips shifted downwards. 'Ever since our meeting 2 weeks ago he hasn't approached me. What changed?'
Leonidas from his spot in Tsuyoshi's jacket pocket, glanced up at the black-haired teen "You know this human?"
Tsuyoshi's eyes narrowed as he gave a slight nod, before he fully turned around to face Dan "Kuso. You need something, mate?"
Dan smiled at him "Nah man, relax! Just wanted to catch up! Also, please don't call me by my last name, just call me Dan!"
Tsuyoshi seemed a little uncomfortable at the red eyed teen's easygoing nature, but shrugged his shoulders "Whatever floats your boat."
Dan nodded at him, before gesturing towards the road "Well, come on! From what I've seen we take the same path home."
Tsuyoshi frowned, but started walking with Dan towards home. He couldn't help but feel suspicious about the whole thing however. He wasn't naïve, the Pyrus must have had a reason to approach him.
"So, how are things these days?" Dan asked in an attempt to create small talk.
Tsuyoshi glanced at him, before answering "Fine, I guess. Gaffer is working our arses off in practice, so I'm usually quite knackered these days."
Dan nodded "Yeah, I hear ya. You know I saw you in an article. About an international game."
Tsuyoshi looked at him as if he had no idea what he was talking about, before a look of realization came upon his face "Ah, that. I remember my mother showing it to me."
"You act like it's no big deal."
"If I allow things like fame to sidetrack me, I'll never make the pros." Tsuyoshi replied.
Dan hummed before continuing "Anyway, football stuff aside, how about Bakugan? Do you have time to brawl these days?"
Tsuyoshi looked at him and nodded "After practices, yeah."
Dan hummed again "You know, there is this rumor. Something about this extremely aggressive Darkus Bakugan."
'Of course.' Tsuyoshi though before stopping and looking at Dan "That's the reason you wanted to walk with me?"
Dan's gaze suddenly turned serious as he looked at Tsuyoshi "Look, I don't want to accuse you about anything, but things have been really bad lately." he explained "Does the name Masquerade ring a bell?"
Tsuyoshi thought about it for a second before nodding "Yeah… Some guy who sends Bakugan to the Doom Dimension?" he asked.
Leonidas, who went back in Tsuyoshi's pocket, was startled at the mention of the Doom Dimension. He could suddenly feel an intense anger flaring through his entire body, which was only fueled by the mention of the human known as 'Masquerade'.
Dan nodded "Yeah… Have you ever seen the guy?"
Tsuyoshi scoffed "What? Just because I have an aggressive Bakugan, that means I'm suddenly a villain?"
Dan shook his head "I didn't mean it that way, but hey." he shrugged "You can never be too careful."
Tsuyoshi kept his gaze locked to Dan, before closing his eyes and sighing "Yeah, I can understand that." he nodded "Look, you don't have to worry about anything. I don't work with that masked freak, nor do I plan to." he assured the Pyrus Brawler.
Dan held his gaze, before smiling slightly and nodding "I see. Again, sorry for the suspicion."
"Don't mention it."
"Although, the matter of the aggressive Bakugan still stands." he added "From what I remember, all your Bakugan fought normally."
Tsuyoshi sighed, hoping the interrogation had ended "Well, I… made a new addition to my roster."
Dan raised an eyebrow "New addition?"
Leonidas, deciding it was no use hiding anymore, came out of Tsuyoshi's jacket pocket and floated next to him "I believe he is referring to me, human."
Dan's eyes widened at the appearance of the Darkus Bakugan, as Drago also came out of his hiding place "You… What kind of Bakugan are you?" the Dragonoid asked.
Leonidas scoffed at Drago "The type of Bakugan who crushes its opponents, Dragonoid. So be careful with the attitude, or you might be next on my list!"
"What was that?" Drago asked.
"I don't need to repeat myself!"
"Hey, shut your gob Leonidas!"
"Drago, no need to fight!"
As both Brawlers tried to make their Guardian Bakugan calm down, Drago was trying hard to remember if he had ever seen a Bakugan like Leonidas before, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing came to his mind.
"We didn't come here to pick a fight Leonidas! Come on, let's go home!" Tsuyoshi said, taking Leonidas and stuffing him in his pocket.
"Hey! At seven I'll be meeting up with a few friends in the park! You can come if you want to!" Dan called after the retreating Tsuyoshi.
"Are you sure that's a good idea Dan?" Drago asked.
Dan nodded "Yeah. I want to see what the others think about him and Leonidas. We may even get to see him in action."
"What the hell was that display back there?" Tsuyoshi asked Leonidas. The black-haired wonderkid had returned home and was currently siting down in front of his desk, where Leonidas was currently standing on.
"I don't know what you mean." Leonidas scoffed.
Tsuyoshi sighed in exasperation "Listen, I get that you are confident, but that doesn't mean that you can pick a fight with anyone just because!"
"The Dragonoid was asking for it!"
"Drago only asked about your origins."
"Well, I didn't feel like answering."
Tsuyoshi shook his head "This conversation is getting us nowhere." he stood up and started looking over his Bakugan, before picking two, along with some Gate and Ability cards "Just try to behave when we meet the Brawlers."
"You are going to accept that human's invitation?"
Tsuyoshi nodded "I need to prove that I'm not related to that Masquerade bloke. I don't want my name being associated with criminals." he explained, his gaze growing distant at the last sentence.
Leonidas remained quiet at Tsuyoshi's mood change. To Leonidas, it seemed that Tsuyoshi was being haunted by something. A darkness that he keeps hidden inside him. He couldn't help but scoff at the irony as he retreated into his sphere form 'Perhaps you and I have something in common, human.' he thought.
~Wardington Park – Later that Day~
"Are you sure he will come?" Runo asked Dan.
"Maybe he thinks we are on to him!" Marucho suggested.
"Will you guys tone it down?" Dan told his friends "And what's all that about us 'being on to him', Marucho? I already told you guys, he is not working with Masquerade."
"And how can you be so sure?"
"He was honest Runo! Geez, since when have you become so suspicious?"
Runo narrowed her eyes at Dan "Since our Bakugan have been getting sent to the Doom Dimension when we least expected."
Preyas, Marucho's Guardian Bakugan, shifted his gaze towards Drago "What about you Drago? You think this guy is one more of Masquerade's peons?"
Drago turned towards Preyas "No, I don't think so. I didn't feel any negative energy from the Silent Core. But still, that Bakugan, Leonidas…"
"You know, I've never heard of a Bakugan like that." Tigrerra said.
"Yeah, first I've heard of him as well."
"Hey wait." Dan said noticing Tsuyoshi approaching them "Hey, Tsuyoshi! Over here!" he called out to the half-brit, half-Japanese boy.
Tsuyoshi kept his expression stoic, though on the inside he was prepared for the worst, knowing how Leonidas could get around other Bakugan. And he himself didn't respond the best when being confronted. He nodded at Dan and the other two Brawlers "I wasn't too late, was I?"
Dan shook his head "Not at all man, glad you're here!"
Runo shifted her suspicious gaze to Tsuyoshi "So you are the brawler with the violent Bakugan." she muttered.
Tsuyoshi shifted his gaze at her "No need to speak under your breath. I don't bite." he told her. Runo's gaze shifted to a glare, one that Tsuyoshi gladly returned.
See the atmosphere getting thicker between these two, Marucho was quick to break the ice "I-I'm Marucho Marakura! It's nice to meet you, Tsuyoshi!" he introduced himself, extending his hand.
Tsuyoshi tore his gaze away from the only female in the group, and shifted it towards the youngest. He nodded at the young boy before shaking his hand "I know you. Your father spoke with pride about you when I met him." he told the blonde boy.
Marucho tilted his head "You met my father?"
"Doesn't he own some shares in a shoe company? Well, they were interested in sponsoring me."
"Oh! Yeah, I remember him talking about his company sponsoring an athlete."
Dan looked at Marucho "I thought your father was in the construction business."
Marucho nodded "Yeah, that's his primary focus, but he also invests in other companies here and there." Marucho explained.
Tsuyoshi scoffs "Well he sure knows how to make loads of moolah."
"Huh? Moolah? Is that edible? Sounds tasty!" Preyas commented.
"British for money." Tsuyoshi explained to the Aquos Bakugan.
"Oh, dang it. Now I'm hungry for no reason." the Bakugan whined.
Tsuyoshi stared at the Aquos Bakugan "You're… Aquos Preyas, correct?"
"Yup! That's right!" the Bakugan affirmed.
"What about Leonidas? Did you bring him along?" Dan asked.
Tsuyoshi nodded "You can come out now." he told Leonidas, who came out from his jacket pocket. Runo's and Marucho's eyes widened at the sight of the unfamiliar Bakugan.
"Leonidas…" Drago growled.
"Not happy to see me, Dragonoid?" Leonidas taunted.
"Leonidas." Tsuyoshi warned.
"So that is the extremely violent Bakugan?" Runo asked.
"Darkus Leonidas…" Marucho muttered "Now that I see him, I can say for sure, I have never seen a Bakugan like him before." he said, with Runo nodding in agreement.
Tsuyoshi's eyes narrowed "So? He's unique and that makes us evil?"
Marucho waved his arms franticly "O-Of course not! I was just making an observation."
Runo however didn't back down "How can you be so sure your Bakugan isn't up to something? Where did you find him anyway?" she asked Tsuyoshi.
Tsuyoshi hesitated for a split second, before relenting and telling the Brawlers the exact circumstances under which he met Leonidas.
"So, he came to Earth after all other Bakugan?" Marucho wondered.
Tsuyoshi nodded "Seems like it, yeah."
"And that isn't even a bit suspicious to you?" Runo asked.
Tsuyoshi glared at her and shook his head "Look, I get that Leonidas can get aggressive in battle. And the circumstances of his arrival may seem odd. But all the time he has been with me, we've never been approached by that 'Masquerade' bloke."
"When he is with you, maybe not." Runo said "But how do you know that Leonidas doesn't have a hidden agenda from you?" she proceeded to ask Tsuyoshi. The other two brawlers appeared thoughtful for a moment, considering Runo's suggestion.
Tsuyoshi scoffed as he whipped his arm to the side "What a pair of camel's bollocks! Leonidas has only been by my side! He is not conspiring behind my back! That I can assure you!"
Everyone, including Leonidas, was surprised to see Tsuyoshi defending the Darkus Bakugan so willingly. Said Bakugan turned towards his human partner "Tsuyoshi…" he muttered under his breath.
Runo however wasn't impressed "Is that your final answer?" she asked Tsuyoshi, who nodded firmly in response. Runo sighed "I see…" she said before taking out a gate card, with everyone's eyes widening at the gesture "Well, I'm far from convinced about his innocence, so here's what we're gonna do: We brawl, and if you win, you get to keep your Bakugan. If you lose however, Leonidas will have to go. Throw him in the trash, down the river, I don't care! No matter what you choose to do, he goes!"
Dan and Marucho both glanced worriedly at their female friend "Um, Runo. Don't you think you are being a little too harsh?" Dan asked.
Before Runo could answer however, Tsuyoshi took out a gate card of his own "Deal!"
Dan's and Marucho's eyes widened, while Runo simply smirked. Tigrerra floated next to her human partner and looked at her "My lady, are you sure you are doing the right thing?"
Runo nodded "I know what I'm doing Tigrerra. I don't plan on leaving any loose ends."
Tigrerra nodded "I see. Well, no matter what you choose to do, I'm always at your side."
Runo smiled at her partner, before she locked eyes with Tsuyoshi.
Dan and Marucho also took out a gate card "This isn't going to end well." The Pyrus Brawler mumbled to his fellow Battle Brawler, who nodded in agreement.
The two opposing Brawlers flipped the gate card in their hand "Field Open!"
The attribute hexagon surrounded the two Brawlers before they were transferred to the battle arena. Tsuyoshi and Runo took out a new gate card "Gate Card, set!"
As the cards landed on the playing field and grew in size, Runo took out and additional gate card "Gate Card, set!" she then proceeded to take out her first Bakugan "Bakugan Brawl! Robotallion stand!"
Upon landing on her first gate card, the Robot-like Bakugan took its original form.
Haos Robotallion: 310Gs
"Alright human, put me in!" Leonidas told Tsuyoshi.
Tsuyoshi took another Bakugan form his belt "Not yet! Bakugan Brawl!" he exclaimed tossing a Bakugan at his own gate card "Stinglash stand!"
The scorpion like Bakugan took form upon landing on Tsuyoshi's gate card, roaring at Runo while waving its massive pincers.
Darkus Stinglash: 300Gs
Dan nodded "Looks like the stage is set." he said.
"Now it's just a matter of who decides to attack first." Drago added.
Runo took out another Bakugan "Playing cautiously, huh? Well, I don't plan on waiting for you to make a move. Bakugan Brawl! Griffon stand!"
The Haos attribute Bakugan, resembling the mythical chimera, rose to full height and roared at Stinglash.
Haos Griffon: 330Gs
Tsuyoshi frowned at the opposing Bakugan's power level, before thrusting his hand forward "Gate card, open!"
Darkus Stinglash: 300Gs 450Gs
Runo smirked "Is that all you got? Ability Activate! Cut in Saber!"
As the ability card activated, Tigrerra glowed as she turned into her ball form, before flinging herself onto the battle field. As soon as she touched the gate card, the tiger-like Bakugan took on her true appearance and attacked Stinglash along with Griffon. Tsuyoshi's Bakugan didn't have the time to defend itself, as it turned back to its ball form and rolled past a stunned Tsuyoshi.
Runo: 3 Bakugan Left
Tsuyoshi: 2 Bakugan Left
Runo's smirk didn't leave her face as she caught both Bakugan in her hand. Tigrerra flew out of her palm and went back to her partner's side, and Runo smiled at her "You did great Tig!"
"Happy to have helped." the Haos Bakugan replied.
Tsuyoshi scowled, as Leonidas floated in front of him "Look at what happened. If you had put me out there instead, I could have bought you enough time to do something!" he complained.
Tsuyoshi glared at Leonidas "What you would have done is charge like a bull in a glass store, before I could come up with a strategy!" he countered.
Dan frowned "Looks like these two aren't getting along so well."
"It's natural." Drago replied "It all comes down to the way Tsuyoshi thinks of all his Bakugan as pieces on a chess board, instead of cooperating with them." he explained further.
Marucho nodded "Yeah, and while there's nothing wrong with playing strategically, Tsuyoshi doesn't fully trust Leonidas to voice his own opinion. That along with their proud attitude, can even lead the best of strategies to go to waste."
Dan crossed his arms "Well if they keep going like this, they'll have no chance at beating Runo."
Leonidas and Tsuyoshi kept bantering for a bit, before Leonidas snapped "Enough! We are wasting time here human, just put me in already!"
Tsuyoshi's scowl deepened but he sighed as he encased Leonidas in his hand. He sighed before looking at Runo's Robotallion "Bakugan Brawl! Leonidas stand!"
Battle Brawlers and Bakugan alike watched in anticipation as Leonidas landed on the gate card. A pillar of dark purple surrounded the spot where Leonidas landed, and from that pillar his wings were spread first, before Leonidas fully emerged glaring at Runo "Prepare to eat your words about me, human!" he told her as he roared.
Dan's eyed widened as he looked at his Baku-Pod "Woah! Talk about power!"
Darkus Leonidas: 380Gs
"I've never seen such a strong Bakugan before…" Marucho said with awe.
"Talk about big and freaky!" Preyas shivered.
Runo glared at Leonidas "Yeah? Well, I'm not scared of you! Gate Card, open! Positive Delta!"
The command card where Leonidas and Robotallion were standing on revealed itself. A purple cloud came out of the card and surrounded Leonidas, who felt as if his powers were leaving him. He stopped flying as he dropped down on his knees and started panting heavily "Wh-What did you do?!" he demanded.
"It's Positive Delta!" Marucho exclaimed "This command card drains 200Gs from any Bakugan with a dark Attribute!" he went on to explain.
Darkus Leonidas: 380Gs 180Gs
Runo smirked "Your Bakugan is going down! Go Robotallion!"
"Hold your horses!" Tsuyoshi exclaimed holding an ability card "Ability Activate! Grand Down!"
Dan's eyes widened in realization "It's the same ability he used against Shuji!"
Leonidas snarled as he raised his hand "Here is what I think about your pathetic card!" he said as he drove his hand through the gate card, instantly destroying it.
Runo's eyes widened "Oh no!"
Leonidas: 180Gs 380Gs
Leonidas roared as he felt his strength coming back to him, before charging at Robotallion and grabbing it by the throat and smashing it to the ground, before tossing it up in the air, flying after it and slicing at it a few times. Robotallion cried in distress before turning back into a sphere and rolling past a shocked and disgusted Runo. Leonidas grunted as he also turned back into a ball and returned to Tsuyoshi's hand.
Runo: 2 Bakugan Left
Tsuyoshi: 2 Bakugan Left
The Brawlers and Bakugan watching were all appalled by the violence Leonidas showcased. Dan and Marucho were watching on wide eyed, as Preyas hid behind Marucho and Drago growled at Dan's side. Runo grinded her teeth together as she glared at Tsuyoshi "Look at how your Bakugan fought!" she shouted at him.
Tsuyoshi growled as he glared down at Leonidas "Do you see why I had second thoughts about using you?"
Leonidas looked at Tsuyoshi "How is it my fault that my opponents are weak?"
"What is your fault, is that thanks to you everyone things I am some sort of criminal!" he shouted at Leonidas. He shook his head as he started hearing the voices in his head once more.
'Scum!'
'Street Rat!'
'You should be at Juvenile Prison!'
"Human!" Leonidas called out to Tsuyoshi, snapping him out of his trance "Focus! The battle is still going!"
Tsuyoshi rapidly shook his head before glancing at Leonidas "I will, if you shut up!" he growled taking out another gate card "Gate Card, set!"
Leonidas saw that Tsuyoshi was about to pick another Bakugan "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"
"I said, shut up! Bakugan Brawl! Falconeer stand!"
Tsuyoshi's Bakugan landed on his Gate Card and took the form of a humanoid falcon.
Darkus Falconeer: 330Gs
"Bakugan Brawl! Griffon stand!"
Runo's Bakugan rose once again, this time facing Falconeer
Haos Griffon: 330Gs
"Their power is equal." Marucho commented.
"Not for long!" Runo said, hearing her friend's comment "Ability Activate! Medusa Glare!"
Griffon's snake-like tail hissed, as Runo's Bakugan eyes glowed while it glared at Falconeer. As soon as the Darkus Bakugan locked eyes with Griffon it remained completely still, as if it was petrified.
Haos Griffon: 330Gs 380Gs
Darkus Falconeer: 330Gs 280Gs
Tsuyoshi's eyes narrowed "Gate card, open!" he called out. However, the gate card remained closed. "I said: Gate card, open!"
"Don't even bother!" Runo said "Medusa's Glare is an Ability only Griffon has, and it renders all Bakugan and cards useless." she explained.
Tsuyoshi could do nothing but look on as his Bakugan was defeated and roll past him as Runo caught her victorious Griffon in her hand.
Runo: 2 Bakugan Left
Tsuyoshi: 1 Bakugan Left
Dan's eyes narrowed "Tsuyoshi only has Leonidas left."
Marucho frowned "Thinks don't look so good…"
Tsuyoshi actually started trembling. He hated the position he was in right now. As if he was answering for a crime he didn't commit. The memories kept coming back to him.
"You are a stain in the community!"
"Your mother should just let you rot on the streets!"
"The sins of the father are visited upon the son!"
"The sins of the father are visited upon the son!"
"THE SINS OF THE FATHER ARE VISITED UPON THE SON!"
Leonidas stared at Tsuyoshi and thought to himself 'He did that again. Being thought of as a criminal does that to him.' he noticed. And then he felt a feeling of understanding grow inside him once more. He could now see it clearly that him and Tsuyoshi had a dark past that constantly haunted them. And if they wanted to work towards getting rid of that past, it was working together. With that in mind he floated in front of Tsuyoshi "Human." he called out to the distressed Tsuyoshi, who was still suffering from the small PTSD episode "TSUYOSHI!" he called out to him once more.
The sound of his Bakugan using his name, was shocking enough to snap Tsuyoshi out of his trance. Tsuyoshi looked at Leonidas who was floating in front of him, and shook his head a few times "Y-yeah. I'm okay." he said analyzing the situation he was in.
Runo: 2 Bakugan Left
Tsuyoshi: 1 Bakugan Left
The situation reminded him of his last brawl, but back then he got lucky. Despite Leonidas' recklessness, he managed to turn the fight around in his favor. Right now though he wasn't fighting against an overconfident brat, but against one of the most experienced Brawlers. Leonidas once again floated in front of Tsuyoshi "Tsuyoshi, listen. This situation may seem bad enough, but we should be able to turn this around."
Tsuyoshi blinked, once again taken aback by Leonidas' actions. He narrowed his eyes at the Darkus Bakugan "What's with you now? Why are you suddenly being cooperative?" he asked.
Leonidas huffed "Let's just say that you and I have more in common than we thought, human." he said. Tsuyoshi raised an eyebrow at this statement, but Leonidas continued "Listen, what I need you to do is stop treating me as an asset to use in battle, and actually start to pay attention to some of my words."
Tsuyoshi actually took a moment to think "And why should I trust you?"
"Because I realize what it means to be held back by your inner darkness… And… I apologize about making you go through that experience."
Tsuyoshi's eyes widened at Leonidas' words of understanding. Then he started reflecting back to all his previous battles with Leonidas. Maybe he should have gone about his alliance with Leonidas differently. He sometimes forgot that Bakugan weren't just toys to be played with. They were alive, and he was using them. He felt a pang of guilt, before he resolved to change the way he approached this fight. He nodded at Leonidas "Let's win this."
"That's the spirit!" Leonidas said approvingly.
Dan smiled "Would you look at that. Those two finally found a way to communicate."
"I think it might be too late Dan." Drago said.
"Drago is right!" Preyas agreed "There is no way this kid can beat Tigrerra and Griffon!"
Tsuyoshi reached for his card holder, but Leonidas floated in front of him "Wait human! Perhaps we should consider a different approach."
"Different approach? She's got two Bakugan and the only Gate Cards in play is hers."
"I know, and for that reason she is going to think she's got the upper hand."
"She kinda does have it though."
"But she also recognizes my power. So more than likely she'll attempt to double team once more. But when she uses both Bakugan, you can use the Auregano Revenge ability."
Tsuyoshi pondered on Leonidas' plan "Yeah… That could work."
Runo raised an eyebrow "Are you done yet? No matter what you try you can't win this kid!" she called out to him.
Tsuyoshi glared at her. He glanced at Leonidas and held out his arm. The Bakugan shifted in ball form and fell into Tsuyoshi's hand. "You know pigtails… You've made three mistakes today. The first was antagonizing me since we met. The second was calling me a criminal to my face!" he told her, tossing Leonidas up and down in his hand. He then threw him up high and did a 180 "Bakugan…" he jumped and launched Leonidas using a bicycle kick "BRAWL! Leonidas, stand!"
Leonidas landed on Runo's gate card and once again took his original form. He spread his wings and roared challengingly at Runo. The female Brawler frowned and glanced at her partner Bakugan "You ready to finish this Tigrerra?"
"Absolutely my lady." The Haos Bakugan affirmed, closing up. Runo grabbed her and threw her onto the playing field "Bakugan Brawl! Tigrerra stand!"
Tigrerra took her true form and roared at Leonidas, who looked unflinching as he roared back.
Haos Tigrerra: 340Gs
Darkus Leonidas: 380Gs
"You can still back out Tigrerra!" Leonidas taunted.
"Your winning streak is coming to an end Leonidas." she countered.
"Ability Activate!" Runo interjected "Crystal Fang!"
Haos Tigrerra: 440Gs
Tigrerra roared as she felt her power rise. She charged at Leonidas who narrowly managed to avoid her attack. Leonidas grabbed her and pinned the tiger like Bakugan to the floor "Hurry human! I can't hold her for much longer!"
Tsuyoshi nodded 'Let's hope this works…' "Ability Activate! Alpha Blaster!"
Leonidas roared as he felt himself getting stronger.
Darkus Leonidas: 480Gs
Runo huffed "Did you really think it was going to be that easy? Gate card open! Triple Battle!"
As the command card revealed itself, a barrier was raised that separated Leonidas from Tigrerra. Leonidas growled throwing his body against the barrier in an attempt to break it.
Runo shook her head "It's no use. Triple Battle won't allow the battle to go on before a third Bakugan is thrown into play." she said taking Griffon in her hand "Bakugan Brawl!"
Griffon rose next to Tigrerra and roared at Leonidas.
Haos Griffon & Haos Tigrerra: 440Gs + 330Gs = 770Gs
"It's over! Runo's won!" Preyas cheered.
Dan frowned. No matter how suspicious of a case Leonidas was, he didn't know how to feel about the fact that they were ripping a Bakugan away from its partner. His eyes narrowed however seeing Tsuyoshi's expressionless face. When the Darkus brawler's lips formed a smirk and he started chuckling, both Dan's and Marucho's eyes widened.
Runo narrowed her eyes, as her Bakugan started attacking Leonidas "Hey! What's so funny?"
"Hmph! You and your mug!" Tsuyoshi answered taking out his last ability card "Time to reveal my ace in the hole! Go, Auregano Revenge!" he said tossing the ability card towards Runo's Bakugan. The card left a trail of purple mist as it flew through the air. When it reached its destination, the dark purple mist surrounded both of Runo's Bakugan.
The female Brawler's eyes widened "But that's-!"
"An ability that subtracts 100Gs from each of your Bakugan and adds them to Leonidas!"
The purple mist that surrounded Runo's two Bakugan suddenly started gathering around Leonidas, making him almost invisible. Suddenly a pair of yellow glowing eyes could be made out from inside the mist.
Haos Tigrerra and Haos Griffon: 340Gs + 230Gs = 570Gs
Darkus Leonidas: 480Gs 680Gs
"No way…" Runo whispered under her breath.
"Finish it Leonidas!" Tsuyoshi commanded.
The mist around Leonidas dispersed, and he once again became visible. His mouth opened wide as he charged his Alpha Blaster. He fired his attack towards Tigrerra and Griffon who were unable to dodge. Both of Runo's Bakugan cried out as they were covered by the lightning beam, before they returned to their ball form and rolled past Runo, whose eyes were wide.
"I-I lost?"
Tsuyoshi caught Leonidas in his hand and smirked "That's our skill talking." he said. The area around the four teens then shifted as they were transferred back in Wardington Park.
Dan and Marucho blinked at this turn of events "Tsuyoshi… won?" the Pyrus Brawler asked in disbelief.
"Seems like it…" Marucho muttered back, his tone similar too Dan's.
Runo kept on pondering as to what had happened. She had him cornered, but then suddenly Tsuyoshi and Leonidas managed to work as a unit. Runo was snapped out of her trance by a hand being offered to her. She looked up to see Tsuyoshi holding his hand out for a handshake "It was a good brawl."
Runo stared at his hand, before giving it a firm shake "Don't think this mean I fully trust you… But it was a good brawl non the less."
"It truly was impressive, man!" Dan told Tsuyoshi, as he and Marucho joined Runo's side "You have improved a lot the past two weeks."
Tsuyoshi shrugged his shoulders "Yeah well, I wasn't alone in this fight." he said sparring Leonidas a glance "But we need to work even harder if we want to avoid narrow victories."
"Well the fact you managed to win from the position you were in was impressive enough." Marucho supplied.
"Maybe, but I hate being cornered. If it weren't for Leonidas' idea to use the Auregano Revenge ability." he scoffed "Well right now we could be in a whole other position."
Dan smiled at Tsuyoshi's new stance on Leonidas, which the Englishman was trying to ignore "Well, regardless, after watching such an intense brawl, I'm hungry! What do you say we go get something to eat?"
"I'm in!" Marucho agreed with a smile.
Runo shrugged her shoulders "Why not?"
Dan looked at Tsuyoshi, who shook his head "Cheers, but I have to pick up my sister from her ballet lessons." he explained, before turning around and leaving.
Dan frowned a bit, but shrugged his shoulders "Oh well, there is always next time! See ya tomorrow at school!" he said waving at Tsuyoshi, who raised his hand and gave a single wave.
Runo frowned at Dan "Are you sure we can trust him?"
Dan shrugged "Well, he might be a bit socially awkward, and maybe kind of a jerk, but you can be a jerk too and we put up with you." he told Runo, who glared at him before placing him in a choke hold.
"You better take that back!"
"See what I mean?!"
"Guys please stop this!" Marucho said in an attempt to break them up.
"Yeah! No need to fight among ourselves!" Preyas added.
Drago and Tigrerra meanwhile sighed "Humans…" they muttered
The sun was beginning to set as Tsuyoshi walked towards the dance club his sister was attending. He looked at his Baku-Pod to check his ranking after beating Runo.
Tsuyoshi Godric: #256 in the World.
"Looks like that win really boosted us in the rankings."
Leonidas, who was currently placed on Tsuyoshi's shoulder, huffed "Well, it's still not good enough. I won't be satisfied before my name is associated with number 1!"
Tsuyoshi glanced at him before humming "We still have a long road ahead of us then."
"With your strategies and my skill, there's no force on this world or Vestroia that can stop us."
Tsuyoshi remained silent for a bit "You know… I always thought that I could face every challenge by myself." he looked at Leonidas "But today I was proven wrong. Maybe I do need to learn to rely on others sometimes."
"We both do human." Leonidas answered "We both do…" he answered as he stared at the setting sun.
Preview:
Leonidas: Hello readers, this is Leonidas speaking. It seems that human, Runo is quick to blame us about every mishap. Dan an Dragonoid were defeated by a mysterious violent Bakugan and its handler, and me and Tsuyoshi are once again being blamed. Well, we are not going to allow any more dirt to be placed in our name. Time to hunt this Brawler down, human!
Tsuyoshi: Bakugan Brawl!
Leonidas: Let's win this!
