All right, here's chapter 2, and this is where everything begins. I hope you like it!
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Between my Brother and Me
by Green Phantom Queen
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Chapter 2-The Destined Journey
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"You're...serious?" May asked Atem. The pharaoh slowly nodded his head in reply. "Great evil is coming...does this have to do with Manaphy and Samiya?"
"Who and what?" Atem replied to the question. "Manaphy...and Samiya?"
"How do I explain it..." May muttered to herself. She then noticed the book that was left on the pile of books. "I wonder..." She walked past the Pharaoh and picked up the open book. What was interesting was that it was opened to the page that contained a picture of two boys; one of them looked like a younger version of Atem, the other was white haired, and had a scar on his right eye and was also wearing a long red cloak. From what she could see, it was if they were holding hands and smiling...how cute.
"What are you doing, Goddess?" Atem asked as he saw May turning the pages of the book. It soon came onto an empty page near the very end. There was some silence as May rubbed her chin in thought.
Some goddess I am. She said in her mind. Now what do I do?
"Is something wrong?" A voice asked her. May nodded her head, not looking at who was talking to her.
"Yeah..." She replied. "I've been trying to explain my dream..." She looked at the empty pages some more as moonlight shone on her body. "In my dream...I'm swimming in the ocean with many types of Pokémon like Chinchou, Mantine and Luvdisc swim by. Then, Manaphy, The Prince of the Sea appeared to me, and that's when I saw it..." Her arms started to tremble as the memory came back to her. "A giant shadow, that looked like a giant Arbok or Seviper...it started to destroy Samiya...and Manaphy went toward it..." She closed her eyes shut as she said the last lines. "I cried for Manaphy to come back, but then...I woke up. Manaphy..."
She soon felt arms wrap around her neck and a finger wipe away a tear that was falling down her eye. Slowly letting her eyelids open, May looked up to see someone embracing her. She did a double take, before staring at the book. But instead of empty pages...the pages were filled with the scenes from her own dream. It looked as if it was made out of crayon, but everything—the Mantine, Chinchou and Luvdisc, the small image of her swimming in a pink ocean and Manaphy swimming to Samiya—was as if someone had perfectly interpreted the entire dream.
"What is this?" May gasped before turning to the person hugging her. She then screamed at seeing him and immediately dove for the flashlight on the ground. The figure covered his eyes when the light appeared...but from what May could see then...it was an older version of the white haired boy she saw in the book. A red cloak with golden lines across the sleeves and end of the fabric, a white shenti and golden sash, tan skin and a scar across the right eye...
"Turn that thing off!" The man snapped. May didn't understand, but then looked at the flashlight. She immediately pressed the button, and the darkness returned. May was trying to calm down, but then grabbed the book from the boxes. The scene of her swimming in the ocean, and Manaphy's journey to Samiya...it was real...and the man in front of her must've been real also...
"Goddess," May looked up to see Atem walk toward the two. "Forgive me, I did not introduce my friend yet." He placed a hand on the white haired man—or as May put it, monster, "This is Kura, the Thief Lord of Egypt."
"Thief?" May exclaimed. "And a Pharaoh? Together? That...doesn't make any sense!"
"Tch." Kura said in response. "Well, you've grown up to be a cheeky little falcon, haven't you?"
"Huh?" May asked with some confusion. "Do I know you?" Atem nudged his elbow into Kura's ribs when she asked the question. "It's strange...but..." She was interrupted with a small squeaking sound. May turned her head to her right and nearly screamed at the site. It was a brown fur ball with huge eyes and claws.
"Kuri! Kuri!" It cried as it bounced onto May's lap. The little creature cooed as May ran her hand through the creature's fur. "Kuri..."
"Well, hello there, Kuriboh." Atem chuckled kneeling down near his supposed 'Goddess'. "How have you been doing?"
"Kuri! Kuri!" Kuriboh squeaked. Kura sat down, but didn't look at the little monster.
"Kuriboh, huh?" May replied as she wrapped her arms around it. "That's so cute!" That's when she realized something. "Atem, what about this great evil that's about to come?"
"Yes, 'Farrow'," Kura asked. "What's this great evil?" Atem snarled a bit, but couldn't help but let a smile creep on his lips before he answered May's question.
"An ancient monster that uses the souls of humans and monsters." Atem explained. "It is said that the great Gods will be used to power this behemoth, and once the soul of the dark king arrives, then all is lost."
"The dark king?" May repeated. Then she remembered the person on the cover of the magazine, and how it resembled Atem, all the way down the Millennium Puzzle on its chain. "You mean..."
Atem nodded. "Before I explain the evil, Kura and I have a story to tell." Grabbing the book, he soon flipped onto the beginning, where there was a picture of three pyramids nestled in the sand. The Kuriboh in May's arms cooed a bit, because it was too dark.
"Oh." The Pokémon Coordinator replied as she picked up her flashlight. She clicked it on as the cone of light shined on the pages.
"5000 years ago," Atem explained. "An evil spread on the land, that massacred everyone in the village of Kul Eruna, Kura's hometown. Everyone was killed...except...for him."
May looked at the Thief Lord, noticing that there was a tear falling down his eye. Kura's grey eyes saw this and he immediately turned his face away from the young girl.
"And that's when I came in." Atem continued, turning the book to a page with a younger Pharaoh and Thief Lord meeting. "I ran away from my father and explored the ruins of the village, hearing someone crying. That's when we met...and when everything soon fell."
"Every now and then the two of us went on adventures." said Kura. "But one day...the two of us encountered an artifact known as..."
"May?" interrupted a voice from the outside. "Are you in there? And who are you talking to?" May's voice reached her throat when she heard the voice of her brother. Lifting the flashlight to the doorknob, she saw that her brother was trying open the door.
"Oh no!" May whispered, her grip on the Kuriboh being released.. "My brother...What do we do?"
"I wanted to show you something I found in the magazine! Take a look!" May crawled to the door, seeing two cards slide under the crack. "Aren't these awesome?"
"Why are you awake, Max?" May hissed as she stared at the three spirits. She looked at the cards. One had a orange border, and the other was yellow. She flipped them to show a black oval on the center while orange yellow lines curved near the shape.
"I couldn't sleep!" Max explained. "Shuppet brought me the magazine and I started reading it. Apparently, monsters with an orange border are monsters with special effects, and yellow border cards are Normal monsters with no effects. Then there are blue cards which are monsters used with Ritual spells, and purple cards who are called 'Fusion Monsters' that need a card known as Polymerization to activate. Then there are green cards that are magic cards, and magenta cards which are traps!"
"Very interesting, Max." May replied. She then picked up the cards and handed to Atem. "Say," She whispered to him. "Is it possible if...if..."
"What is it Goddess?" May looked away for a second at the name before whispering something in his ear. The Pharaoh nodded his head in reply as he soon grabbed onto the cards.
"Still trying to please her after all these years, eh?" Kura said with a grin. "You always were calling her a 'beautiful thing' and that she was 'always cheerful'." Atem, in response to that, shoved one of the cards to his "friend's" chest.
"Goddess," Atem said to May. "We will use these cards as a way to communicate with you, would you like that?" May didn't know how to respond except by nodding her head.
"Good, now hold still." May stepped back and watched as both Atem and Kura were chanting...the abandoned book had its pages flapping as orbs flew around the two spirits. The Kuriboh bounced to May's side, giving her a small wink before it disappeared into sparkles of light.
"May, what's with the light?" Max replied through the door. May couldn't answer as the orbs soon became cards; some had green borders, others had magenta, but most of were orange. The girl couldn't help but smile at the site, but was soon interrupted by a familiar Pokémon.
"Shuppet!" May blinked her eyes and got out of her trance when she saw the Puppet Pokémon staring in interest at the site. The Coordinator returned her sites to the scene of the Thief Lord and Pharaoh slowly starting to disappear. Then, there was nothing left of them, there were only two cards floating down. May and Shuppet gasped when the pages were blank and different cards surrounded it.
Do not worry, Goddess...all you have to do is carry these cards close, and we will come answer you. We are always by your side. May gasped but slowly nodded when she heard Atem's voice. Shuppet stared at the pieces of paper in interest and a blue outline surrounded its body.
"Shuppet!" It replied as the cards started to float into the air and encircle the young girl. Stretching her hands out, the cards flew into her hands until they formed a deck. In all, May counted around ten to twenty cards created.
Then, the door opened. Max came in, gasping for breath. The dueling magazine was in his hands as he entered the basement. Shuppet flew to Max and talked to its trainer.
"May, what was going on?" Max asked his sister. He then noticed all of the cards in her hand. "Hey! Where did you get those cards?"
"Um," May replied, trying to come up with a good story. "I...found them in my bed." She explained. "And I didn't want to surprise you, so I went downstairs and looked at them...and what about you?"
Max opened the magazine and showed it to his sister. Using the flashlight, May let it shine amongst a picture of a yellow building with a green roof. The word "KAME" was shown in purple letters, and a sign with a green turtle and arrow was near the door.
"This is the Game Shop where Yugi lives in." He explained. "His grandfather was his inspiration to duel...maybe we can get Duel Disks and some new cards there also! Hey!" He said to himself. "Maybe there are cards in my bed also!"
"Who knows?" May asked in response. She then looked at her brother. "Hey Max, can I read the magazine?"
"Sure!" Max replied. "If you let me see your cards." May was hesitant, not wanting to reveal to her brother what transpired a few minutes ago. But...she needed to see what was in store for them. With a sigh, she handed the cards to her brother while Max handed her the magazine.
"Let's see," the younger boy muttered under his breath while Shuppet looked at the cards in curiosity. "These are weird...these cards...look like the people in the magazine. There's one that looks like Yugi Muto, and one that looks like Seto Kaiba, and a third one that looks like Joey Wheeler...what type of cards are these?"
May shrugged her shoulders. "Don't look at me, I didn't design them!" She replied. "Anyway...it's getting late...Max, can you promise to give me those cards in the morning?" Max nodded his head as Shuppet nodded in approval. "Great..." May tried to stifle a yawn, but it came out. "Well, it's time for bed."
"You're right." Max replied as the three started to leave the basement. They silently crept back into the hallways, until they were at the doors of their own rooms.
"Goodnight." The two siblings said to each other before closing their doors shut. And all was quiet.
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Morning arrived earlier then expected. May stretched her arms as she stared at the magazine that was at the edge of the bed. She smiled as she read all of the information that it contained: the symbols that were shown on spell and trap cards, different types of strategies to be used in duels, and information of the Battle City Tournament. It was very interesting, and it made her excited to head off to Domino City.
"Goddess?" May looked up to see the figure of Atem staring at her. May nearly screamed, but remembered what happened the night before. "Are you alright?"
"Well, a bit." She replied. "But...about that great evil...do you know what it is? You told me a different story before then, and I don't want that...I want to know what the great evil is and how it relates to Manaphy and Samiya!
Atem sighed. "Well..." He began. "I don't know what's going on, but my theory, is that this evil is feeding on other sources of power. This 'Samiya' must be very powerful, and Manaphy...who is somehow related to Samiya, is also now going to be nothing but energy for the beast to eat on."
May gasped at the thought...Manaphy, the Seafaring Pokémon whom May had to give up so it could go home...and how it said goodbye to her...and the thoughts of it being used for evil...tears fell down her eyes at the thought.
"No...no that can't be!" She cried out. "Manaphy...Manaphy!" Many tears fell down her eyes and onto the floor. "Why, Atem? Why?"
Seeing her sad, Atem sat down at the edge of the bed and wrapped May in a gentle embrace. "I don't know, Goddess." He murmured. "But I promise you, I and Kura and the cards in your hands, will protect you and help you save both this Manaphy and Samiya."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. May got out of bed and opened it, seeing her brother falling on top of her. Max was clinging onto her sister's legs, panting for breath. Tears were filling his eyes as Shuppet floated near May; the Puppet Pokémon had small frown on its face as May began to comfort her brother.
"What's wrong, Max?" asked May. "Is something wrong?" Max slowly nodded his head as he sniffled. "What is it?"
"It's...Jirachi..." He croaked. "I had a dream that Jirachi was talking to me...he was asleep, but he spoke in my mind. He told me that an evil presence is coming...but just as I was about to ask what it was, someone...someone in a hooded cloak with a blue and yellow eye...took Jirachi away! What does this mean?"
"I don't know, Max." May replied. "But whatever happens...that person won't get away with it. We saved Jirachi and Manaphy already...and we stopped Team Aqua and Team Magma from destroying the world...if we can do that, nothing can stop us!"
Max wiped the tears from his eyes. "You really think so?"
"I know so." May turned around to see Atem walking toward them, completely forgetting that he was there. "With the Goddess of Joy, she will bring us happiness."
Max cried in terror seeing the Pharaoh and hid behind May. "Who is he?" He whimpered.
"He's a good guy." May explained, standing up. "Max, meet Atem, the Ancient Pharaoh. Atem, this is my brother Max. Don't be shy, he's okay."
"H-hi there..." Max replied shyly. "Nice to meet you." Max brought his hand to the Pharaoh's and gasped when he felt the warmth through the skin. Shuppet noticed this, cocking its head to the side in confusion.
"Shuppet?" It replied. May laughed a bit at the site; it was pretty cute. Then, she remembered something.
"Atem," She said to the Pharaoh. "What were you saying about that treasure...with you and the Thief Lord?"
"Thief Lord?" Max asked. No sooner than he said that, a figure appeared out of the wall, a figure with white hair and tanned skin. "No way..."
"Max." May began. "Those cards you saw, they weren't given by mom and dad...they were created by these two..." She motioned to the two Egyptians. "They created the cards from the information and cards you gave me. I haven't been able to see any of them, but...now isn't the time..." The Pokémon Coordinator turned to the Thief Lord. "Kura, what was that treasure?"
Kura sighed as he sat at the edge of the bed. "It was an item known as the Heart of Chaos." The thief answered. "In that time, we did not know what that was...and both of us grabbed at it simultaneously. Then, it broke into two pieces, and they pierced through our bodies. After that...things changed."
"Those heart halves protected us from death." Atem continued. "Unfortunately, it also made us more irritable, and bitter. The darkness took over our bodies, and terror rose through the streets. An evil monster known as Zorc Necrophades...and we were nothing but pawns to that thing. I was somehow able to fight the darkness long enough to summon the Egyptian Gods and seal it away...Kura was soon sealed into the Millennium Ring for all eternity."
"But that doesn't make any sense at all." May exclaimed. "Kura is standing right here, so he couldn't be trapped in the Millennium Ring...or whatever it's called!"
"That is because, part of his soul—thee darker half, the one with no knowledge of his own past—was sealed." Atem finished. "The one you see is the 'light' side of him, who was sealed alongside with me in the book in the basement. I too, had a darker half, whose soul was sent into the shards of the Millennium Puzzle, and only one who was pure of heart could solve it."
"So that means Yugi Muto has unlocked your darker half, Atem!" Max gasped, piecing everything together. "And we're going to Domino City...and that means we can..."
"Under no circumstance are we to tell that information." Atem interrupted. "If we tell such crucial information to him, then I fear dangerous things will happen...no matter what, that information must be kept a secret, understand?"
Max and May looked at each other before nodding their heads in reply. They closed their eyes and crossed their hearts, a childish way for them to keep such promises.
"Shuppet!" Shuppet cried disappearing in thin air. It then returned with May's cards which were being held in the air with a Psychic attack.
"My cards!" May replied as she held out her hands. Shuppet then let the cards land in a messy pile until the last card landed on top. "Thank you, Shuppet!"
"Shuppet!" said the Ghost Pokémon. The sounds of footsteps got everyone's attention; May turned to see Atem and Kura disappearing in front of her eyes just like they did before...until nothing was left.
"May, Max." Caroline replied as she entered May's bedroom. "What's going on? Why aren't you getting ready for breakfast?"
"We...were just thinking about what were were going to do when we reached Domino City!" Max replied quickly. "It'll be great to have a break from Pokémon for a while, won't it May?"
"Y-yeah..." May answered. "But, we should still bring our Pokémon so they could see a non-Pokémon town. Please, mom?"
"Please?" Max chimed in while Shuppet also asked. Caroline could only laugh at them when they were asking.
"Well, why not?" She replied. "But make sure that you eat breakfast before then. After that, wash up and pack your bags; you'll be heading to Domino City on the first cable car before noon!"
"HOORAY!" May and Max cheered.
"Shuppet!" Shuppet replied in glee.
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Usually, both May and Max would take the time to savor the food that their mom prepared for them. But not today; they were excited to head for Domino City, partially because of the concept of Duel Monsters, and also partially because of meeting Yugi Muto and the Millennium Puzzle around his neck.
May was already dressed in a similar version of her old outfit; it contained a blue shirt with a black collar and a white line going down the middle. A white Poké ball was on the right side of the blouse and two white diagonal lines were at the end of the blouse, where there was a triangle cut so it would expose her navel. She was still wearing her bike shorts, but her sneakers were blue and she even had black socks covering her ankles. Her gloves didn't change a bit, except at the end was a blue stripe in the middle of the elastic. Her bandanna was also blue with two white rectangles sewn on to look like dashes. She even had her yellow waist pack where she was placing five Poké balls into one of the pouches.
Max was also getting prepared, throwing a yellow jacket over a brown shirt. He was also dressed in blue shorts just like his sister, and his regular sneakers. Packing some spare clothes in his backpack, he couldn't help but laugh at the fun they were going to have...but then the images of Jirachi being taken away frightened him, interrupting his happy thoughts.
"Shuppet?" Shuppet replied, seeing Max's sad face. "Shuppet!" Max gasped to see his backpack floating in midair. He tried to jump for it, but Shuppet made it float away.
"Come back!" Max cried as he left his room in pursuit of his backpack. He soon was lead outside of the house and into his father's greenhouse, the door being left wide open.
"Shuppet!" Shuppet said in reply as he used its Psychic powers to drop the backpack onto the ground. Max picked it up and let his arms hook beneath the yellow straps.
"Shuppet, were you trying to cheer me up?" Max asked the Puppet Pokémon. Shuppet didn't respond, but it was grinning all the same. Max smiled and stretched his arms, inviting his friend for a hug.
"Thank you." Max replied. "That was very nice."
"Vigoroth, use Slash!" Cried Norman. Max and Shuppet turned to see the Wild Monkey Pokémon using its black claws to slice at a tree. With two swipes, the tree fell down with a thud.
"Hey, Vigoroth!" said Max as he ran up to his father. "That was an awesome attack!"
"Vigor?" The white ape replied as he turned to see the young boy. "Vigoroth!" It soon ran toward Max and gave it a hug. Max could only laugh at the sign of affection.
"It seems Vigoroth has a thing for you, Max." said Norman. Then an idea came to his head; he rummaged through his pockets and brought out a regular Poké ball. "And I've been thinking, what do you say if you train it for a while?"
"Really?" Max asked in surprise. He turned to Vigoroth. "Would you like to travel with me for a while?" The Pokémon in question nodded his head in approval. "Then it's settled!"
Norman took his son's hand into his own and handed him the Pokeball. "Train Vigoroth well," The Gym Leader simply stated. "I can count on you to help it grow."
"I promise dad!" Max replied as he stepped back. "Vigoroth, return!" A red beam appeared from the sphere and hit Vigoroth. It transformed into a beam of light and entered the Pokeball as Max smiled to himself.
"All right!" He cried, doing the same victory pose Ash usually did whenever he caught a Pokémon. "I have a Vigoroth!"
"That's awesome!" Max turned to see his sister coming toward him. She was carrying a few bags in hand and Beautifly was perched on top of her head. "You get to train one of Dad's Pokémon!"
"I know!" Max said in glee. "And now I can bring it to Domino and show it what a town outside of Petalburg looks like!"
"Just make sure that Vigoroth is fed with fresh grass and fruit." said Norman, patting his son on the head. "Now come on you two, we need to get you to the cable car."
"Right!" May and Max replied. Both Beautifly and Shuppet nodded their heads in reply.
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Norman and Caroline brought their children to the cable car station, both May and Max chatting away at the idea of Duel Monsters. But deep down, the siblings were worried about their friends Jirachi and Manaphy, just hoping that whomever was targeting them made sure that the young Legendaries were safe.
"Now behave while you're there, you two." said Caroline as she handed them two tickets. "And to mark this occasion, I'm giving you this..." She brought out a small gift basket that contained a multitude of berries and a Pokeblock maker.
"A Pokeblock maker?" May gasped when she took the basket in her hands. "Mom...you didn't have to..."
"I didn't." Caroline replied. "But it's for you to create Pokéblocks in the hopes that you'll one day be a Master Coordinator. I was a bit upset that you didn't want to follow in your father's footsteps...but if you really love Pokémon Contests so much, then all I can say is good luck."
"Thanks mom." May replied, reaching up to wrap her arms around her mother's neck. Caroline smiled and soon returned the hug.
"Max," Max turned around to see Norman hand him a small blue tag with a yellow star sewn onto it. "This tag was given to me by my grandfather when I started my journey. When I was young, I used to wish for good luck and for many things for my family. But, it's time that it belonged to you."
"Dad, I'm going to be gone for a week." Max replied, trying to not let tears show. "Then I'll be back, and maybe I can enroll in the Pokémon School at Rustboro City..." He sniffled, wiping his tears. "Don't make me get so emotional..."
"It's okay, Max." said Norman, hugging the young boy. "Just always remember that no matter what happens, your family is always with you."
"My family...is always with me." Max repeated. He then smiled and placed the tag into his pocket. "You're right. And as long as I have Shuppet and Vigoroth, then I'll never be lonely!"
"Attention," a voice said through the speakers. "Cable Car 2A is about to head off to Domino City. All Passengers prepare their tickets and proceed to the marked areas." The whooshing sound of the cable car getting ready to leave caught the attention of everyone in the station. May and Max gripped onto their gifts and stood in line that was the entrance to the cable car.
"Goodbye then!" Norman cried, while May and Max waved to him. "Behave yourselves!"
The doors to Cable Car 2A slid open, and the line of people soon started to enter the vehicle. May and Max soon took their seats, looking at the window behind them to the scenery below. Hearing the doors close, the cable car soon moved, carrying its passengers to their destinations.
"A journey to Domino City." said Max as he stared at the Star tag. "I just wish that we can get some answers about Manaphy and Jirachi."
May gripped her brother's hand with her own, squeezing them tight. "Me too, Max. Me too."
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Amongst the roof of Domino High School, a teenage girl with short brown hair, dressed in a pink sailor uniform and blue skirt, let the palm of her hand rest against the chain-linked fence. She stared at the sun that was letting its rays reach against the bright blue sky. The wind whistled softly, blowing against her hair as a sigh escaped her lips.
"Téa?" Téa, the girl in question, turned to see two boys coming toward her. One had blonde messy hair and brown eyes, the other had brown hair jutted to a spike and grey eyes. Both of them were also in uniform: blue pants, brown shoes and a white shirt with a blue coat on top of it.
"What's wrong?" The blonde boy asked, his voice laced with a Brooklyn accent. "Anything the matter?"
"No, Joey. I'm fine." Téa answered back. "I'm...just thinking about something."
"About what?" The brunette asked.
"It's...about Yugi, Tristan." Téa replied. "He isn't himself...and I'm worried for him."
"Cheer up." said Joey, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's find him and figure out what's going on! We are friends after all!"
"Friends until the end!" Tristan added. "Never forget that!"
Téa smiled. "You're right!" She replied. "Let's go find him."
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Two hours later, May and Max exited the Cable car, stretching their arms and legs. They walked out of the stations and soon saw many people walking toward the entrance to Domino City.
"This is awesome!" Max replied while walking across the city. "It looks like a regular town! Who could believe that it would become so famous thanks to a children's game?"
"Just look at the magazine, and it'll tell you." said May, flashing out their copy of Duelist Monthly. "Apparently, this 'Seto Kaiba' you talked about is the CEO of Kaiba Corp., who is known for creating the Duel Disk, its hologram programs and known for handling shipments of Duel Monster cards."
"So it's just like Devon Corp." said Max, recalling his adventure and how he fought against a member of Team Aqua back at Rustboro City. "I wonder if we could get a sneak peek and see what Kaiba's creating."
"I doubt it." May muttered. "He looks like one of the guys who's very secretive about his work." She stopped as she turned a page in the magazine. It landed on the picture of the Kame Game Shop. "Say, why not we head off to the Game Shop and get us some decks? That way we can try and duel a couple of people here before heading back home."
"Good idea, May!" Max replied. "And it'll help us known some of the landmarks in the area!" Max immediately began to run, his backpack slightly bouncing with each step.
"Wait for me, Max!" The Pokémon Coordinator called back, chasing after her brother while one hand was gripping onto the basket of berries. She couldn't help but laugh at the fun that could happen.
Goddess...May gasped when she heard that voice. Please be very, very careful...dark forces are coming...
"Really, Atem?" May replied, still chasing after her brother, who was oblivious to what was happening. "But...I don't sense anything at all..."
Just because you don't sense it, doesn't mean it's not there... Kura replied in the young girl's mind. Just make sure that whatever you do, do not do anything...
"Look, May! There's the Game Shop!" May stopped as she found her brother pointing to the very same building from the magazine. "Let's go get our decks!"
"All right!" said May as her younger brother opened the door. Maybe there's nothing to worry about, it doesn't feel like anything has gone wrong...
Both siblings heard the bell ring, signaling their entrance. They looked around the small shop, seeing glass display cases with cards, action figures and many other games. Posters depicting humans fighting zombies or dragons were taped across the wall. Sitting behind one of the counters was an elderly man with spiked grey hair covered with an orange bandanna. A kind smile was on his face when he saw the two siblings approach him.
"Welcome to the Kame Game Shop!" He said, introducing the two. "I am known as Solomon Muto, grandson of the famous Yugi Muto. How can I assist you today?"
"Hi there, Mr. Muto!" said May, bowing to the man. "My name's May, and this is my brother Max." She pointed to her younger brother, who was staring at the display case in front of them. "We've come to visit Domino City for a week, and we wanted to buy some Duel disks and cards."
"You don't say," said Solomon with a chuckle. "Kids these days, always so eager to learn..."
"May has a few cards she wants to show you!" Max added. "She wants to find some cards that would go along with them!"
"Max, stop embarrassing me!" May replied, her face showing a red tinge. Nevertheless, she let her fingers go into one of the pouches of her waist pack, pulling out the cards she had received. She then spread them across for the old man to see. "What do you think?"
"Hmmm..." Solomon replied, rubbing his chin. He then picked up the cards carefully, inspecting them one by one. May and Max gulped, trying to make sure that the shop owner didn't find anything wrong with what he was seeing. After a couple of minutes, the old man let out a hearty laugh.
"I must say." Solomon said to himself, placing the cards into a neat pile. "Pegasus has a good sense of humor creating these cards. It was as if they were telling me a story of an ancient evil!" May and Max looked each other, sighing a breath of relief as the old man continued. "Now let's see...maybe a Gravekeeper's deck should be perfect to balance out your cards, Miss May."
"Gravekeepers?" Max asked, repeating the term. "What are those?"
Solomon took out a key ring, picking out one of the keys amongst the ones that were hanging on the piece of wire. "Well, what happens after the end of the Pharaoh's reign?" He began. "There has to be some secret group, dedicated to protect the Pharaoh's legacy long after he's gone, and wait for his return." Turning the key to the left, the door opened, and Solomon soon grabbed one of the decks that was shown on the display counter. "That's where the Gravekeepers come in. They are a sect of monsters that protect the spirits of the Graveyard."
May placed the basket onto the ground before the deck into her hands, As she was search the cards, she noticed many interesting things about them: the majority of the monsters had a Dark Attribute and were Spellcasters, some of the cards needed a card known as "Necrovalley" to be on the field, and that the Spell Cards were mostly used to help bring out more Gravekeepers.
"That's so cool!" said Max. "How about me? I don't have any cards, but I don't mind any type of deck."
"Are you sure about that, young man?" Solomon asked the young boy. "Neither you or your sister have ever dueled before from the looks of it, and Duel Monsters is about strategy and luck...you need to know how to use your cards wisely, or else you won't be able to have a good deck."
"Just like Pokémon battles or Pokémon contests." said Max murmured under his breath. "If you don't have a strategy, then you won't be able to defeat your opponents." He sighed, but then remembered the magazine May was carrying. Seeing her occupied with the deck she had in her hands, the young boy pulled the magazine from under the arm of the Coordinator, and began to skim. That's when he noticed an article regarding "Spell Counters." He quickly read through it, looking at all of the details of monsters who used that type of counter. What truly intrigued him was the card that was used as an example: a young girl with white hair and wearing a white robe with blue lining, wielding a scepter in her hands. It was known as "Silent Magician LV 4."
"I want a Spell Counter deck, Mr. Muto!" Max announced suddenly, placing the magazine on the counter. "Can I have one, please?"
Solomon stared at the article, trying to understand the abilities of that specific term. He looked at the young boy, whose eyes were filled with excitement before laughing once more.
"My, you are adventurous!" Solomon began. "You remind me of myself when I was younger. Always seeking for adventure, taking risks, seeking thrills...but I have no doubt that a Spell Counter deck is the best for you!"
"Thank you very much, sir!" said Max with delight.
Solomon got on his knees, pulling out a small tin box with a deck of cards on it. The box was labeled "Special Magic" and in front was a copy of the Silent Magician LV 4 monster. Max gasped when the box was taken into his hands, delighted to have his own deck.
May placed the Gravekeeper deck onto the counter. "Thanks for letting me look at the deck." She replied. "But, is there other ways to get cards?"
"Yes, there are also booster packs." Solomon explained. "Each pack comes with five cards that can be used to help strengthen the deck. They come under different groups like 'Magician's Force' and 'Power of the Beasts' which have cards related to the title. Why, just recently I received some Booster Packs from the 'Ancient Ruler' pack, and I think they might fit perfectly with your decks."
"But, we don't have a lot of money." said Max, soon realizing that none of them had any cash on them. "How are we supposed to pay for the cards and Duel Disks?"
Solomon laughed. "You two are nice kids, so I'll cut you a deal: All you have to do is pay for the decks I give you, and your Duel disks and Booster packs are free!"
"That's so nice of you!" May exclaimed. "How much do we owe you?"
"Around 1,500 yen." Solomon answered. "Do you think you can manage?"
May and Max looked at each other before rummaging through their bags. May found a 1000 yen note in her waist pack, while Max found four 100 yen coins in one of the pockets. Even with that, they were still 100 yen short.
"Aw, man!" May moaned. "100 yen short...wait a minute..." She pulled out a small envelope in one of the pouches, opening it to reveal another 1000 yen note. "I completely forgot about the money Mom and Dad left me when I started my journey."
She soon placed the money on the counter. "There you go, 2,400 yen. Now can we have our disks and cards?"
Solomon counted the money, ringing the cash register as soon as the paper and metal coins were in the palm of his hands. Pressing a couple of buttons, the change was revealed to be 900 yen and the money was soon set int the container inside the register. Solomon placed the money in their respective places, and soon pulled out a 500 yen bill and Max's leftover 400 yen.
"Here's your change." Solomon replied in a cheerful tone. "Now let me go get your Duel Disks."
"Wait a minute!" Max cried out suddenly. "Mom and Dad forgot to tell us where we'll be staying for the week." May gasped at that; she too had forgotten to ask where they would reside. How could she had been thinking of playing a card game when shelter was more important?
"You don't have a place to stay?" May and Max nodded their heads in reply to the question. Solomon sighed before he continued.
"What's say that you stay with me and my grandson for the week?" He told them. "It's not much, but if you want a place to stay..."
"We shouldn't." May interrupted. "You're already doing so much for us."
"Nonsense!" Solomon replied. "We rarely have guests staying over, and it would be nice for Yugi to meet you two. What do you say? Are you in?"
May and Max stared at each other for a while before replying with a 'yes'.
"Thank you so much for everything!" said Max. "And it's going to be so much fun dueling Yugi Muto."
"Good luck on that." said Solomon. "My grandson was the first person to ever beat Seto Kaiba in a duel, and Kaiba had the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon in his deck; three of them to be exact! He's also the winner of the Duelist Kingdom Tournament, aside from his victory here at Battle City."
"Wow, he must be pretty awesome!" May said. But she then added softly to herself. "But he might also be dangerous..."
"What was that?" May shook her head when she heard Solomon ask that question and laughed sheepishly.
"Nothing, nothing at all." The Pokémon Coordinator replied.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
After leaving their stuff upstairs in the second floor—the Pokéballs were still with them at all times—May and Max left the Kame Game Shop with their new purchases. The Duel Disks recently had attachments to make duelists have different from others, so May and Max could tell which Duel Disks was theirs should the need arise.
May's disk was bright bed, with the center—containing the life point meter and deck holder—being black, similar to her red shirt. Max's disk was green and brown; two of his favorite colors. The two were inspecting their new possessions when a lone Duel Monsters Card came to their feet. Max picked it up and gasped at what he was seeing: a monster card with golden coloring and the monster being a giant robotic bird with crimson eyes and a blue gem on the middle of its forehead. What was strange was that its attack and defense points were both at zero.
"What type of a card is this?" Max asked, peering at it closely. "A monster with zero attack points? Why would someone want to have that in their decks?" May was searching the magazine, immediately stopping about the main article of something known as the "Egyptian God Cards".
"Well, apparently it's called the Winged Dragon of Ra." May answered. "It's part of set of monsters known as the Egyptian Gods and they are all in the possession of Yugi Muto...it says here that the reason that Battle City was created was so that Kaiba could get all the cards. The three monsters are: Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon and the Winged Dragon of Ra. Apparently, we have what looks like the third card."
"We actually have a rare monster in our hands!" Max said with excitement. "I can't wait to try out this-"
"Absolute fake." Max turned to see Atem staring at them, his eyes closed in thought. The Ancient Pharaoh opened his eyes before continuing. "Although I do not know much about these 'Duel Monsters', I somehow feel as if the power of the Egyptian Gods now belong to this 'Yugi Muto'. But Max, the card in your hand is nothing but a duplicate...a fake. Should you try and play that card, then all you will get is the wrath of the real God, and you would be sent into the Shadow Realm forever."
"The Shadow Realm?" May asked with some fear. "What's that?"
"That is where all monsters and darkness originated from," Atem explained. "Where all sinners and evil is tested, for it reveals the truth about a person. People with magical powers were able to summon those creatures to do their bidding. However, the Millennium Puzzle and the other six Millennium Items, were used to purify the darkness and seal it away. I and the Six Priests, used them to destroy the darkness that plagued Egypt 5,000 years ago. Then, the Millennium Items were left in the ruins, waiting for whomever would wield them."
"So...are you saying, that Yugi Muto could have the power to send people into the Shadow Realm?" asked Max, placing the newly found card into his pocket. Atem nodded his head in reply. "That's...scary." The younger boy replied, shuddering a bit.
"Do not worry," said the Pharaoh, getting on one knee. "No matter what happens, I will protect my Goddess of Joy and anyone she considers valuable." May blushed a bit at the comment once more before the spirit continued. "If you should ever need me or anyone else, I'll be here...but be careful." He disappeared into thin air, leaving the siblings alone.
"Max, can I have that card?" asked May. "I somehow feel...that it'll be needed in the near future."
"Well, I guess if it makes you feel as if you're powerful..." Max muttered under his breath, pulling out the card. "Just make sure you don't play it when we duel."
"I promise." May promised, pocketing the card into her waist pack. "Now where should we go next?"
"Hey, that's the museum!" Max replied, pointing to the building across the street. "I read that they have this awesome exhibit about the Ancient Pharaoh; maybe it's about Atem's past!"
"Could be." May replied as the two crossed the street. There weren't a lot of people in front of the museum that day, so that gave the front area to themselves. "Say, how about a duel? We could use it as our own personal training."
"Good idea May!" said Max running a few yards away from her. "I want to try out my new deck and see if I can beat you!"
"Bring it on!" May replied as she raised her arm into the air. In doing so, the cured disk soon moved so that it was in front of her. With a slight beep, the Duel Disk turned on. Max did the same motion as his sister, both of them drawing five cards soon after.
"Ready, May?" Max asked his sister. May replied with a "Ready!" of her own.
"Then let's-" Before either of them could finish the sentence, a giant scream caught their attention. Looking up, hundreds and hundred of monsters were swarming around them! In the sky, on the ground...it was if a giant parade was in town.
"Whose Duel Disk malfunctioned?" May exclaimed. "We have to make sure no one gets hurt from these things!" She returned the cards to the top of her deck and deactivated her Duel Disk, rushing toward one of the monsters. It looked like a Stegosaurus with orange and red splotches, blue spikes trailing down its spine, white claws and a whip-like tail.
"Blaziken, I choose you!" May cried, throwing her Pokeball. It opened and the tall Blaze Pokémon appeared. Its feet soon grew flames around it as it prepared to battle the monster.
"That's a Hologram, May!" Max explained when he caught up to his sister. "There's no way it could do any—" He was interrupted when the monster swung its mighty tail and hit Blaziken in the chest, causing it to fall down.
"A hologram...couldn't do that!" May gasped out as Blaziken slowly got back up. "Then that means..."
"The monsters are real!" The siblings cried out. The dinosaur stared at the two siblings and Pokémon, letting out a loud roar. It then charged toward them, its feet stomping against the ground. Max brought out a Pokeball, and pressed the button, causing it to become larger.
"Shuppet, use Psychic!" Max cried as the Puppet Pokémon flew out of its confinement. Shuppet flew toward the monster, its eyes glowing a bright blue. May and Max covered their own eyes, unable to watch themselves possibly being flattened into nothing but pancakes...
When the monster was soon floating in mid-air. May and Max looked to see Shuppet floating the dinosaur in mid-air, unable to attack...letting out a sigh of relief, May brought out a Pokeball, pointing it at Blaziken.
"Blaziken, take a good long rest." The Blaze Pokémon nodded its head as it transformed into a beam of red light. May placed the Pokeball back into her waist pack before grabbing her brother's hand.
"Come on, we have to make sure we're not in that monster's vision." She said, pulling her brother to the side. Shuppet—seeing them leave—stopped using its Psychic move, causing the monster to fall on its stomach, shaking the ground as it did. It didn't move as May and Max slowly backed away.
"This...doesn't look good, Max." said May, panting for breath. "It might have...something to do with Samiya and Jirachi..."
0 0 0 0 0 0
Yami, Téa, Tristan and Joey stepped outside to see a most peculiar site. While May and Max were oblivious to the acts, the fours teenagers noticed that they were fighting a Sword Arm of Dragon.
"Those guys are going to get killed!" Tristan exclaimed, seeing the monster charging toward the two. They then saw Max bring out a small red sphere—along with saying something of the lines of "Use Psychic"-and a small purple ghost with a horn on its head appeared.
"What the heck is that thing?" Joey asked, seeing the Ghost Pokémon use its Psychic attack. "And what the heck are those guys doing?" Just as the Sword of Dragon was about to strike, a blue outline surrounded the entire body, and it was floating in mid-air.
"Whatever it is, it stopped the monster from attacking." Téa answered as the four walked up to the brother and sister. They were still oblivious to what was behind them, but Yami was able to hear something along the lines of "Samiya" and "Jirachi".
"What the heck are you two doing?" Yami replied once the four reached the siblings. May and Max turned to see four teenagers staring at them weirdly. Both siblings immediately stared at them for a minute, before consulting the magazine once more; then it hit them.
"Oh my god!" May replied, pointing to the Pharaoh's reincarnation. "You're Yugi Muto! The champion of the Battle City and Duelist Kingdom Tournament!"
"And you're Joey Wheeler!" Max exclaimed, pointing to the tall blonde teenager. "You were runner up in Duelist Kingdom and 4th place in Battle City!"
"Shuppet?" The Puppet Pokémon asked in confusion seeing the site.
"A ghost!" Téa squealed seeing the little ghost move closer to them. "Get it away!"
"Hold on Téa," said Yami. "I don't think it means any harm. Do you?" Shuppet floated near them, showing them the happy grin on its face.
"Shuppet..." Shuppet replied. Max immediately brought out the Pokeball and pointed it into the air.
"Shuppet, time for some rest." Max stated simply as a beam of light took Shuppet back into the small sphere. He then placed back into his pocket.
"Look, we don't mean any harm." said May getting between the group. "We were just about to duel when we found these monsters attacking us. And this isn't some hologram or whatever it is; the monsters are real!"
"That's crazy!" Tristan replied. "And who are you? And what's with the ball, and that ghost?"
"I'm May, and this is Max." said May, introducing herself and her brother. "And that 'ghost' was the Puppet Pokémon, Shuppet."
"And what about you?" Max replied, pointing to Tristan and Téa. "I've never heard of you before in my life! And why are you hanging around the likes of Yugi and Joey?"
"I'm Téa, and the guy next to me is Tristan." Téa answered. "But...are you sure that the monsters are real? It could just be a bad hologram glitch."
"Trust me, Miss Téa." May said in reply. "I sent out Blaziken to fight that thing...but it got hit. That's when we found out that the monster was real..."
"Maybe we can talk to Kaiba about this." Joey suggested. "That old rich hog should figure out what's going on with this mess."
"What do you say?" Yami asked the siblings. "Want to join us?" May and Max stood deep in thought at the question. They then nodded their heads in reply.
"Well, it's not like we have anything better to do." Max muttered as he and his sister followed the other teenagers.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"This is the first sign. The age of destruction is nearing!"
"Your souls will be taken to the Great Leviathan, and then the world shall end."
Those were the words that May and Max heard when they met up with the two dazed figures on the sidewalk on their quest to head to the Kaiba Corp. building. The two figures in question—one with a blue bowl cut, yellow glasses and wearing brown shorts and a green shirt with a black beetle design, the other brown spiky haired, also wearing a pair of brown pants and a yellow shirt and green jacket—looked as if they were in shock.
"They're scaring me, May." Max replied, hiding behind his sister. "Just who are these two?"
"Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor." Joey answered to the question. "Two of the lowest scumbags you'll ever find in the history of Duel Monsters."
"Whomever they are, they can wait." May replied. "We have to get to Kaiba Corp. now." She grabbed Max's hand and passed through the shocked duelists She ignored the calls for Yami and the others to stop, as she neared the building. Unfortunately for her, there was a sea of media crew—photographers, people with cameras and anchormen—were surrounding the building, while a guard outside was trying to tell them to calm down.
"Kaiba Corp. is not to blame." said Roland, the guard. "Mister Kaiba is in America at the moment. So if you could please leave, we will be holding a press conference soon." May sighed as Yami, Tristan, Joey and Téa came up to them.
"So much for getting the answers the easy way." Tristan muttered under his breath, seeing the crowd.
"We need to head back to the Game Shop." said Téa. "Maybe this will all blow over in a while."
"Great idea!" Max exclaimed. "We still haven't got those booster packs, and we need to make sure our stuff is already upstairs."
"What stuff?" Yami asked the young boy. Max immediately covered his mouth in shock, completely forgetting that the King of Games had not known about that bit of information. May sighed and hit her forehead with her hand.
"It's a bit of a long story," she replied. "But, since we're all heading back to the shop, I guess we could explain it on the way there."
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
"So, you're staying in Domino City for a week?" asked Téa, once the six were back in the Game Shop. "And it's before you're off to this place called Johto where you'll be competing in something called...'Pokémon Contests?'"
"That's the idea." said May, chopping some berries on the table. They were all in the living room while Solomon was busy dusting the Egyptian God Cards at the Game Shop side of the building. The berry blender was already plugged in while Max was helping feed the Pokémon that were scattered across the room. Squirtle and Eevee were sharing a bowl of food together while the same thing was happening with Vigoroth and Blaziken. Munchlax had a bowl full of Purple Pokéblocks, munching them down as if there were no tomorrow. Shuppet was currently asleep in mid-air, a small bubble appearing when he snoozed. Beautifly was resting on the edge of the couch, also asleep.
"There we go." said Max, refilling Munchlax's plate with the Pokéblocks. "Dig in." Munchlax heartily agreed, continuing his eating. A sigh escaped the young boy's lips as he sat near his sister on the couch. He immediately ripped open two booster packs from his pocket and poured the cards onto the wooden surface.
"So," said Joey, staring at the cards that were placed on the table. "What deck do ya have?"
"A Spell Counter Deck." Max replied, staring at his new cards. They included a Maiden of Macabre, a Spirit Caller, a Magical Exemplar, two Curse of Royals, a Bounce, a Magical Blast and something known as Miracle Flipper.
"Hey Max," May said to her younger brother, handing him a card. "Trade you one of these for a Curse of Royal."
"I don't know..." Max replied, staring at the card. "Curse of Royals are good to protect from almost anything."
"Then how about I add two Emissary of the Oasis cards and a Celebration of Creation card?" said May, bringing in three more cards. "You want that card now?"
"It's a deal!" Max replied, exchanging his cards. "This will really help my deck!"
"Guys, keep it down!" Tristan hissed, pointing to the blaring television. "We need to see this." Max frowned a bit, but turned to where everyone else was watching. It was showing monsters flying around many famous landmarks like the Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Giza and the Eiffel Tower. The news announcer was facing the camera as he began the headlines.
"As you can see, monsters have been seen across the globe for the past few hours." he said, addressing the audience. "These creatures are believed to be life-like holograms, associated with a popular game known as 'Duel Monsters'."
"Just great." Joey muttered under his breath. "This thing is happening all over the world."
"And still no mention from Kaiba." May added with some sarcasm. "I just hope mom and dad are all right."
"We now take you live to a press conference with Gaming Company President, Seto Kaiba." The announcer continued.
The screen then showed the brown haired, blue eyed CEO facing the camera, draped in a purple duster. There was a look of anger on his face—or it was seriousness, May and Max couldn't tell—as he began to speak.
"We've done extensive testing of our holographic simulation system." He stated. "Now, I can confirm without question that these sightings are unrelated to Kaiba Corp. Therefore, something else is causing those monsters to be appearing; our systems are working perfectly."
"Well, that's a relief." said Max, letting out a sigh. "I wouldn't want real monsters be wreaking havoc around my neighborhood."
"I say he's either bluffing or covering it up." Tristan stated. "Who else has the type of technology to create life-like monsters?"
"But, I think it's something else." said Téa. "Those monsters might not be holographic projections at all."
"You may be right, Téa." Yami replied to Téa's theory. "When I used the Egyptian God Cards at that tablet, I might have triggered the emergence of these monsters...which mean they are truly real after all."
"You what?" May exclaimed. "How could you use those powerful cards on some piece of stone? Do you not know the type of power those things have?"
"I do, May." Yami replied to the Coordinator. "I fought against a man named Marik Ishtar, who wanted those cards and my Millennium Puzzle to drain my powers and send me into the Shadow Realm; they are also the answer to unlocking the mysteries to my past, and that's why they are important."
"Oh, sorry." May answered softly. "I...didn't know."
"Wait," said Joey, piecing it together. "Are you saying that we're being attacked by actual monsters?"
"That's what he said," Max answered. Suddenly a loud crash was heard; the six turned their heads while the Pokémon stopped eating.
"Everyone, return!" May and Max replied, bringing out their Pokéballs. The seven Pokémon became nothing more than red lights as they followed Yami and the others to the Game shop.
It was a mess; there was containers and card packs scattered all over the place, and Solomon was on the ground, moaning in pain.
"Grandpa!" Yugi replied, switching places with the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. He knelt to his grandfather's side, trying to help him sit up. "Grandpa, are you alright?"
"What the heck happened here, Mr. Muto?" Joey asked, looking around.
"Your cards," Solomon muttered weakly. "They're gone."
"Which cards?" Max asked, looking around. "I don't see anything missing."
"The precious cards..." Solomon replied.
"The God Cards?" Yugi asked in shock. "They're gone?"
"Who did this?" Joey growled. He then started to run outside. "I'll find them!"
"No, wait!" Tristan cried.
Joey ignored the cry as he got outside of the Game Shop. Unfortunately, even he didn't expect the giant form of Obelisk the Tormentor emerging in Domino City.
"What the?" May cried as she and Max made it outside. "What the heck is that thing?"
"It's Obelisk the Tormentor!" Yugi gasped once he, Tristan and Téa made it outside. Just then, the imposing figures of both Slifer and Ra appeared next to Obelisk, making the sight even more frightening.
"And there's Slifer and Ra!" Max replied, pointing to the dragons.
"This is nuts!" Joey exclaimed. "What kind of idiot steals the Egyptian God Cards and then just summons for everyone to see?"
Before anyone could answer the question, a light blinded the six. Covering their eyes, they also heard the roaring of motorcycle engines amongst the evening sky.
"You blokes want those cards back?" One of the voices asked, hinting some sort of accent. May and Max lowered their arms to see three helmeted motorcyclists staring right at them. Both of them gripped onto their Poké balls while everyone else was talking.
"What do we do now?" Max hissed to his sister. "If we attack with any Pokémon, they'll get away!"
"I know..." May replied. She looked around, then stared at the forms of the Egyptian Gods. She had goosebumps when she saw the imposing figures in the magazine, but staring at them up close and personal was more terrifying than she thought.
Suddenly, she remembered something. She pulled out the fake Winged Dragon of Ra card the two had found and showed it to her brother.
"I have an idea." She replied. "But it's going to be risky." Max nodded as he let his sister whisper the plan into his ear.
"They're my cards!" Yugi cried to the bikers. "Give them back."
That reply was only met with laughter. The three bikers readied their Duel Disks, each of them shaped like a scythe, and the card holder having a circle with ancient symbols surrounding it.
"Then you're going to have to duel us!" The first biker exclaimed.
"But it's only fair to warn you," The second one replied—most likely the tallest and the leader. "We've been know to play dirty!"
"So, what's it gonna be?" The last one—probably the shortest—asked.
"How about you stand still!" May replied as she got one Pokeball out and Max two.
"Aww...how cute!" The short biker replied mockingly. "And how are three little balls going to hurt us?"
"That tears it!" May cried, throwing her Poké balls. "Beautifly, take the stage!"
"Vigoroth and Shuppet, come out too!" Max added, throwing his own Poké balls. The Poké balls opened, revealing the calm Butterfly Pokémon, the savage Wild Monkey Pokémon, and happy Puppet Pokémon.
"What?" Tristan exclaimed, staring at the three Pokémon. "And just what are these going to do?"
"They're no help!" Téa added. "They could barely hurt a fly!"
"That's what you think!" May replied pointing to the motorcyclists. "Beautifly, use Psychic on them all!"
"Beautifly!" Beautifly replied, as a blue outline surrounded it. In seconds, a blue outline appeared on the motorcyclists themselves, the three of them floating in mid-air!
"What the heck?" One of them cried. "Get us down from here!" May smirked as she drew five cards from her deck. She pulled one of them out, staring at its image. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, trying to communicate with the card she had found.
Atem...May thought to herself. Tell me...where is the Winged Dragon of Ra?
Goddess...Came the Pharaoh's reply. I can sense its energy; it's weak...but I feel it. You'll find it... There was some silence as May opened her eyes...then she was able to see a glowing outline on the leader's pocket; where the Winged Dragon of Ra was.
"There it is!" May cried, pointing to the leader. "Max, now!"
"Vigoroth, use Focus Punch on the ground!" Max commanded the Normal Pokémon. Vigoroth nodded its head as its fist started to glow white. It then charged toward the motorcyclists then punched the ground, causing debris and dust to fly in the air.
"What the?" Was one of the cries before May came in. She immediately rushed toward the motorcyclists, much to the displeasure of everyone else.
"Are you crazy?" Téa cried. "You're going to get hurt!" Atem heard this, and appeared in an astral form near May.
Do not listen to her, Goddess...I will protect you from these monsters. May nodded her head as she jumped into the air.
"Shuppet, use Psychic to lift my sister!" Max cried while Shuppet nodded its head. "And Vigoroth, use another Focus Punch to cause more dust to appear!" May immediately felt herself floating in air while she heard the crash of Vigoroth's massive fist connect to the ground once more.
"There it is." May whispered to herself, seeing the glowing outline. It was floating in air—whether it was from Beautifly or Shuppet's Psychic attack, May was unsure—and immediately tucked the counterfeit into the pocket.
"Not so fast!" May gasped when she felt the leader of the cyclist's grab her wrist. "And just what do you think you were doing?"
"Trying to make sure that those cards aren't use for evil!" May snapped, wrestling out of the man's grip. Kicking her feet in the air, her shoe accidentally knocked the helmet out of the guy's face.
"May!" Max cried, running once the dust had settled. "Are you okay?"
"She's going to get hurt!" Yugi exclaimed seeing May trying to pull away. She soon let her eyes connect with the person; blonde spiky hair and fierce grey eyes...it was if it was a lifetime, but for some reason...May knew this person.
Come here! May broke out of her trance when she felt someone push the man away and she was taken by invisible arms back to the ground. The Coordinator opened her eyes to see Kura and Atem carry her onto the ground.
"Thanks..." She whispered to them both once she got to the ground. Of course, no one could hear her, so..."
"May, who are you talking to?" Yugi asked, seeing May staring off into space. May blinked and turned to Yugi with some surprise.
"N-nothing..." May replied. She then turned to Beautifly who was still using Psychic. "Beautifly, you can end the attack."
"Beau." Beautifly said simply, its blue light dimming. This caused the motorcyclists to fall on their motorcyclists with a loud crash. May could only laugh as she brought out Beautifly's Pokeball, causing the Bug Pokémon to return.
"Why you..." The small, accented motorcyclists replied with anger. "How dare you try and humiliate us like that!"
"How dare you try and steal something that doesn't belong to you!" Max snapped. "You got what you deserved!"
"And speaking of stealing..." The roar of a motorcyclist got everyone's attention. Just as May had finished pocketing her prize, someone zoomed by through a motorcycle and grabbed her.
"MAX!" May cried as the motorcyclist drove off. "Someone help!"
"May!" Max replied as he could only see his sister become farther and farther away. Anger was shown on his face as he said, "Shuppet, follow that motorcyclist! Vigoroth, return!"
"Shuppet!" Shuppet said with determination, disappearing in thin air. Vigoroth nodded its head as it returned to its Pokeball.
"Raphael," The first cyclist—the one wearing a black padded coat—replied to his blonde haired partner. "Let him deal with the girl, we've got a score to settle with the Pharaoh."
Yugi gasped at the statement. How do they know about the Pharaoh? He thought.
"Listen, Yugi." Raphael announced, pointing to the King of Games. "If you want your God Cards and your little friend again, then follow us!" The roar of the engines were louder as he turned the motorcycle around.
"Let's roll." He stated simply to his partners, both who were laughing as he left. Yugi snarled while he saw them leave.
"I guess we have no choice." Yugi stated with determination. The Millennium Puzzle began to glow as Yami soon came into view. Joey and the others nodded their heads while Max stared off into the distance.
May... The young boy thought to himself, before following the teenagers to their next destination.
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"Let me out of here!" May cried, trying to struggle out of the motorcyclist's grip. "When I get out of here, you'll wish that you were dead!"
"On the contrary," the motorcyclist replied, stopping his ride. "You wish that you didn't face off against me!" The two were in a dark alleyway as May was pushed off of the ride. Growling, the Pokémon Coordinator stood up, activating her Duel Disk.
"I'll show you!" said May. "And tell me who you really are, before I call Blaziken to punch that helmet off your face!"
"You want to know who I am? Fine!" The person removed the helmet, revealing the face of a man in around his late 20's or early 30's. What was interesting was the long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail with a bandanna of the American Flag tied on top of it. Brown sunglasses covered his eyes, and he was also wearing jeans, a white shirt and a leather jacket. He also was wearing metal wristbands and a silver chain that had a green stone dangling around his neck. What scared the young Pokémon trainer the most was the duel disk on his left arm; it looked similar to the ones on the bikers at the Game Shop.
"The name's Bandit Keith." The motorcyclist grinned. "And you, miss, are toast!" May snarled at the comment.
"I'd like to see you try and defeat me!" she replied, trying not to show fear. Unfortunately, it didn't help when she saw Keith's Duel Disk activate, the card slots appearing to make it look like a scythe. May could only stare as he drew five cards from the top of his deck, before smiling at his hand. The field slot opened, and he immediately placed a card there.
"Then take a taste of the Seal of Orichalcos!" Before May could say anything, a green glow filled the area as a giant green circle lined with ancient symbols surrounded the two. Lines appeared, forming a six pointed star inside the ring, making it sinister. What was worse was that Keith had a miniature version of the Seal on his forehead, his eyes gaining a crimson glow.
"You'll wish you've never fought me, miss." Bandit Keith laughed. "For the loser of this duel, loses their soul!"
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Max: May, are you alright?
May: I don't think so, I have to duel or else my life is at stake.
Keith: You're not going to win, at least, not against a former Intercontinental Duel Monsters Champion.
Atem: Believe in your deck, Goddess...and it will lead you to your victory!
May: What? That Orichalcos thing is giving my opponent a major power boost! That's not fair!
Max: Yugi's in trouble also! And his opponent has summoned an Egyptian God!
May: How dare they!
Max: Next time: "Between my Brother and Me" chapter 3: "Hearts of Darkness and Chaos".
May: No matter what, I won't let those creeps take me like they did Manaphy and Jirachi!
Max: Trust in the 'Heart of the Cards', May. It's your only hope!