CHAPTER 49
-"DAN'S BAD DAY! MEGAMANexe MEETS MEGAMAN!"-
Well, while all of this plotting, scheming, and drama is going down, let's take a peek and see how some of the other characters in our story are doing…
This is Dan Hibiki, the self-proclaimed master of Saikyo-ryu, "The Strongest Style".
He's a Street Fighter who hasn't had good luck lately, whether in fighting, or with the girls. Fame and fortune have turned their backs on him, stuck their tongues out and given him a big double raspberry ("Th-Phhhhht!!"). This narrator WAS going to say they'd given him "the finger" too, but…
"HEY! You don't have to rub it in, you know!" a dejected and miserable Dan complains.
Recently, he had a Fan Club of his own, as well as a Cheerleading Squad.
He'd released a book called "From ZERO to HERO: The Dan Hibiki Story", which told all about Dan's supposed battles and victories.
He had wealth, power, the adoration of his beloved fan club, and hopefully... the love of beautiful women.
Oh well, three out of four isn't too bad…
"HEY!" Dan objects.
And he was having a great time too…until THAT guy came along.
That guy called R.
Out of nowhere, he shows up and exposes Dan to the crowd as the fake he was. He lost his fans…he even fought against R to prove he wasn't a fake, but a real fighter…only to have R kick his butt all the way downtown.
After that, Dan even fought the MCD, but just like his previous battle with R, he lost that one too.
These days, business has been EXTREMELY slow lately at the Saikyo-ryu Dojo. Dan didn't have many students training there anymore. After word got out about the incident with Mai Shiranui and his defeat at the hands of R and later THE MCD, people fled from the Saikyo-ryu Dojo. After all, who in their right mind would want to train with a perverted loser whose moves look retarded in addition to being completely useless in a fight?
We see Dan Hibiki in the new dojo he'd opened up way, way back in Chapter 3. He practically lives in it now. Sales of his exercise video "7-Minute Saikyo" were almost down to zip, zilch, zero. At least his autobiography "From ZERO to HERO: The Dan Hibiki Story was still selling well. The royalties he was being paid for every copy sold were about the only thing keeping the bills paid.
Dan's been depressed cause of his defeat at the hands of R and later THE MCD.
"Oh man! What am I going to do? First, that Inuyasha-lookalike R beats me up. Then, I get clobbered by that MCD guy. Ever since then, I've been reduced to almost nothing!"
We see a map of the world. Little pink pushpins are stuck in it, marking the location of Saikyo-ryu Dojos all over the world. Looking at the map, Dan sees what dojos he had left. Once he had several dojos, among them the ones in Hong Kong and Thailand (See Dan's endings in Street Fighter Alpha 2 and 3, respectively).
Now he only had one.
Sad and desperate, Dan continues, "And on top of that, I've only got the dojo I opened here in the city. I had to close down all my other dojos, and sell them in order to pay off my remaining debts, just to get some food and shelter…but now, I've got nothing left…if I don't do something soon, I'll be broke and living on the street! Boo hoo hoo!! It's all that guy's fault!"
Since then, Dan decided to go on a training trip to train and improve his skills, so he could face R again and defeat him…but…
LOCATION - HIGHLAND HIGH, USA:
Dan is doing some so-called Katas in a playground of a Park, burning with determination.
"Just you wait you Inuyasha-wannabe… when I get stronger, I will defeat you. And then I'll have the faith of my loyal fans once again. Because of you, I couldn't get the phone number of that hot cheerleader!
As he was working out…two teens were walking in the park and see Dan training…
Who were these two teens? Well, none other then…
"Wow, check it out Beavis. There's a weird guy, doing some stuff in the park," Butt-Head says, watching Dan's erm… training.
"Really!? He he he hee…!" his pal Beavis laughs.
They notice Dan's Gi and laugh…cause of the pink color:
Beavis snickers, "He he he he heee…who's the fag? Is he gay or something?"
Butt-Head figures, "Huh u huh u huh hu…maybe. That guy sure dresses like he's gay."
Dan hears some laughter, turns around, and sees the dumb teens. "Who are you guys? Are you fans of mine?"
Butt-Head blinks. "Uuuuuuuh…Fans?"
Beavis asks, "Fans? What the heck's this gay dude talking about?"
"Really! And what's with the pink color? That's so gay."
Stung by the remark, Dan objects, "HEY! I'm not gay! I'm the Great Dan Hibiki, the greatest Martial Artist in the world!"
"WOW! So you're, like, a fighter or something?"
"That's right! One of the best!" Dan proudly says.
Beavis snorts, "Heh! A gay fighter!"
"FOR THE LAST TIME I`M NOT GAY! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT!?"
"Uhhhh…well dude, for one thing, cause of the Pink clothes. Only gay people wear that," Butt-Head explains with a dumb laugh.
Ok, NOW Dan's offended. "THAT'S NOT TRUE! FOR INSULTING ME, I MUST PUNISH YOU BOTH!" He then strikes a defensive pose. "PREPARE TO BE AMAZED BY MY FAMOUS SAIKYO-RYU TECHNIQUES! HYAAAA!!"
Dan begins to demonstrate some Karate Moves for the dumb duo…then finishes with a Crane technique…with both his arms up high, and standing on one leg. – (Like Daniel-san in the Karate Kid movies) –
"Now, are you ready to face me!?"
Beavis and Butt-Head were in awe and dumbstruck (but that's nothing new). Next thing you know, it happens…Beavis walks toward Dan:
"Hey, get out of here, you gay man! He he he he hehehe! YAH!"
Beavis kicks Dan right in the balls with a football style kick. Dan screams in pain as he falls down like a bag of cement:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! MY BALLS!!" Dan hits the ground, clutching his wounded manhood.
"Woo…That was cool Beavis!" Butt-Head says, complementing his buddy.
With a dumb laugh, Beavis chortles, "He he he hee! I know, it was kinda cool. What a fruitcake!"
Butt-Head agrees, "Yeah…let's go to the mall to see hot chicks. Maybe we can score with one girl."
This gets Beavis excited. "YEAH, YEAH! SCORE, SCORE!" Shaking his head and his fist fast, he goes, "BOING! BOING! BOING! BOING!"
Then, Beavis and Butt-Head head for the mall, leaving poor Dan alone in the park. Dan was feeling kinda humiliated.
TWO DAYS LATER:
Dan returns to Japan, after his so-called, erm… training trip. Now, he undertakes his quest to find R and challenge him to a rematch to prove the might of his Saikyo-ryu.
That was SUPPOSED to be his plan…but unknown to Dan, things will not be easy for him.
LOCATION – AKIHABARA STORE:
Dan passes by a store, and looks at the sign and the store's name:
"Hmm…Akihabara Store. What kinda store is this? Perhaps I should look into it?" Dan shakes his head. "Nah, I have an opponent to find and…"
BOOM!! CRASH!!
A loud crash and an explosion came from the store:
"What the…what was that?""
Next…two girls came from inside the store. Dan gets a good look at the girls, who are now fighting each other. One wears a blue and white maid's uniform, a hat of the shape of a cat, and has green hair. The other girl was taller than the first one. She dresses the same way as the other girl, but has long, purple hair, two long white bunny ears, and a bunny tail.
Dan blinks, "Who are those girls…and why are they dressed like maids?"
Rabi-en-Rose taunts, "NYA NYA, CANT GET ME DEJIKO!"
An angry Dejiko yells, "DEJIKO WILL BEAT YOU USADA!"
Rabi-en-Rose taunt Dejiko back, giving her the raspberry. "DEJIKO`S TOO SLOW, DEJIKO`S TOO SLOW!"
"GRYAAAAAAAAAA!!"
Dan observes, "Those girls are sure weird."
Then, Rabi-en-Rose stood in front of Dan. She hasn't noticed him at all. "CAN'T GET ME DEJIKO! NYA NYA!"
"DEJIKO WILL GET YOU…BANKYO BEAM!!" Then, from her eyes, Dejiko launches a Hyper Beam toward her opponent. But, Rabi-en-Rose jumps away; unfortunately, Dan was in the way of the beam:
Wide-eyed, Dan shouts, "WHAT THE HECK…OH NOOO!!"
KABOOOOOOOOM !!
Dan was hit by the beam and blasts up toward the sky.
"THIS IS NOT COOOL!!" Dan wails as he's flying away and disappears into the sky.
THE NEXT DAY:
Dan is walking through the streets of Domino City, Japan, yet again looking for R.
He curses, "Damn those little girls. Wonder how that girl – (Dejiko) – did that blast from her eyes? Was it a Ki attack? Was she a Martial Artist? Oh well, I'll wonder about that later. Now… TO LOOK FOR R!"
With renewed determination, he continues his quest for vengeance.
Dan was passing by a Park…when he sees a gorgeous Lady sitting on one of the benches. Dan is in awe of her beauty…she has long, dark hair, wears a black skirt, black high heel boots, brown pantyhose, a white jacket, dark sweater, and a little skull bow in her head:
"WOW! What a woman! Wonder if she's available."
Next, he goes to her, to try to charm her with his good looks. Channelling Don Juan, he greets her, "Hello, pretty lady."
Unaware to Dan…The woman who he was trying to conquer was…DELIA, Erick's Fiancée! (Danger, Danger! Code Red, Code Red!)
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those of you who were wondering, this happened during Erick and Delia's date way back in Chapter 36. We now resume our story currently in progress. Thank you.]
Delia was waiting for Erick, because he went to buy ice cream…
Delia blinks, briefly startled by Dan's presence. "Huh! Excuse me?"
Dan starts flirting with her, "What's a pretty lady like yourself doing all alone here?"
"I'm not alone…I'm waiting for my fiancée."
"Your fiancée? That means you're taken?"
"Yes."
Unfazed, Dan turns up the charm a notch. "But tell me miss. Wouldn't you like to leave him, to be with me…? You know, I'm a Martial Artist, and one of the best."
Delia quickly shoots him down. "I don't think so."
Dan gasps, "WHAT! Oh, come on! After all…I am a hunk and a great fighter. I bet that I could mop the floor with that boyfriend of yours."
How dare he! Delia thinks angrily. Aloud, she calmly says, "That…would be impossible."
Dan laughs, "Impossible…you mean for him. I bet he's a wimp…and can't compare to my supreme skills! HAHAHAHAHA!"
The nerve of this stupid mortal. Delia warns, "I suggest that you use your head more then your mouth mister. It's not wise to make such foolish declarations."
It was then that Erick returned with two ice cream cones…
"Delia, I'm back with the ice cream…"
….and sees a man flirting with his fiancée! "Who's this?"
Delia, relieved at Erick's presence, says, "Erick darling, thank goodness you're back. This simpleton is annoying me."
Erick addresses Dan. "Who are you mister? And why are you bothering my fiancée?"
Dan strikes a heroic pose. "The name's Dan Hibiki."
"Dan Hibiki? Hmmm…Where have I heard that name before…?" Erick then remembers, "Ah, I know you. Dan Hibiki, a so called Street Fighter."
"So you've heard of me! Dan Hibiki, one of the greatest Street Fighters in the world."
Erick laughs, "Not quite…Dan Hibiki; A miserable, worthless, weak man. A man who's never won anything in his life, and a con artist. A man who takes someone else's glory, and claims it for himself. And also a pervert."
On hearing this, Dan's face quickly changes from happy to hurt to sad. Offended, he objects, "HEY! THAT'S A BIG LIE! I'VE FOUGHT AGAISNT POWERFUL FIGHTERS….TAKE BISON FOR EXAMPLE! I TOOK HIM DOWN, AS WELL AS HIS SHADOWLOO!"
"Really? Is that so?"
Full of pride, Dan replies, "That's right!"
"Just like you took down the "Emperor of Muay Thai" Sagat…right?"
"Um…well…the thing is…that…"
Erick chuckles, "Truth is Dan…you didn't. And that book of yours called…- "From Zero to Hero" - , I read it and I found it kinda, how should I say it…so fake. It tells tales of your fights against many powerful warriors. But, all those fighters that you claim you fought…were defeated by someone else. You only wrote that you did it…how pathetic of you Dan."
Dan decides to stand up to this guy. "THAT'S IT! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO INSULT ME OR MY MIGHTY SAIKYO-RYU!"
"Mighty Saikyo-ryu?" Erick then laughs, ridiculing the idea. "Please, your so called "mighty Saikyo-ryu", is nothing more then a cheap, unfinished, and ridiculous imitation of Gouken-ryuu Shotokan Karate, just like you. Why…Ryu's student Sakura is more of a warrior than you'll ever be, and she's only 16 years old."
Delia giggles, "Tee hee hee heee!!"
Dan roars with pure rage, "STOP THAT! MISTER, YOU'VE JUST EARNED YOURSELF A KICK IN THE BUTT!" He assumes a battle pose, ready to deliver some punishment… er, yeah. "PREPARE TO BE BEATEN BY THE GREAT DAN HIBI…"
But Dan couldn't finish his sentence as Erick raises his arm, and a big explosion of dark Ki from under Dan feet, like a geyser, blows him up into the sky:
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
" …KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!" Dan cries as he's sent flying away.
Delia watches Dan soar off into who knows where. She thanks Erick. "Thank goodness you got rid of that stupid mortal, he was really a pain in the…butt."
Erick smiles at his beloved. "Quite right you are De-Chan. Now, how's about if we sit down and enjoy our date."
THE NEXT DAY:
Dan is yet again walking through the streets of Japan, for his match against R.
"Man, never thought it was gonna be so hard to find that miserable white-haired Inuyasha wannabe. But I will find him, and when I do…MY REIGN WILL RISE UP AGAIN! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
The people look at Dan as if he was crazy:
A little girl blinks, and asks her mom, "Oh mommy, what's wrong with that gay man?"
The lady just pushes her daughter away from Dan. "Nothing dear, just… just don't look at the weirdo."
"Is that guy crazy?" a man wonders.
Dan ignores what the people were saying, or likely, he wasn't listening to them…
"Prepare yourself, R! I'm coming for you!"
"Well hello, young customer," a man's voice cheerfully says.
Dan turned around and saw at the corner of a store a man. This person was a very familiar character from the Ranma-verse. A fat man dressed in European clothing, with curly blonde hair and beard. With his unusual clothing, he looks like the King of spades…it was none other than that con-artist of the cards…THE GAMBLING KING:
Dan points at himself, "HUH! You're talking to me?"
King replies, "Of course I am sir. Tell me, would you like to play a game with me?"
"A game?"
"Yes…would you like to play a game where someone always wins?"
Dan's interested. "Really!? Tell me more."
The Gambling King explains the rules of his game, "It's quite simple sir. We'll play Poker, using these cards I have here. If you pick a card with a higher number…you'll win…however, if you pick the Joker, you lose. So, do you want to play?"
Dan smirks, thinking, Hmmm…I think this'll be easy! I can taste the money! "Okay sir…let's play!"
The Gambling King just flashes his famous evil smile.
40 minutes later, we see Dan, wearing a wooden barrel to cover his body, and walking away, while hiding. He lost ALL OF HIS MONEY (!) and the clothes off his back against the Gambling King.
Dan curses, "Damn that man…I'm gonna get him for this."
-(BEGIN FLASHBACK)-
Dan's pleading, "Come on baby, come on baby. Let this card be a winner for a change!"
Dan picks a card but…it's a Joker:
"Ha!" King shoves the Joker in Dan's face. "You lose!"
Dan cant believe it! "NOOOO…!! Hey! You said that in this game, someone always wins, but you lied!"
King corrects, "No, I did not. Someone always wins in this game…" He laughs while he mocks poor Dan. "ME! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"But…but…but…OKAY! ONE LAST TIME!"
-( END FLASHBACK)-
"Oh man. Now I gotta get money!"
THE NEXT DAY:
After getting some more money, Dan resumed his quest, - (yet, yet again) -. He's on his way to Nerima…
As he's walking near a park…he hears some mechanical laughter:
-"OH YEAH!! SOON MY LOVELY RAN, YOU WILL BE MINE FOREVER!!"-
"Huh! What's that laugh? It came from that park. I'd better check it out." Dan rushes to the scene. When he gets there, he sees a weird robot, shaped like a grenade:
Dan blinks. "What the heck is that robot? He looks like a giant grenade!"
Grenademan is laughing, thinking about his plan to get rid of Ranma, and getting the love of Ran, unaware that he's being watched by Dan. "Guahahahahaha…when I destroy Ranma for good, Ran will be mine…MINE! HAHAHAHA! OH YEAH!"
A heroic-sounding voice declares, "You'll do no such thing you hunk of metal, because I'm here to stop your evil plans!"
Grenademan turns around, expecting to see Megaman, but…much to his surprise, he sees a man wearing a Pink karate getup:
Grenademan blinks three times. "Um…A man dressed in pink? What the hell do you want you gay man!?"
"DAMN IT! I AM NOT GAY!" Dan calms down, then says, "I'm the Greatest Martial Artist in the world…!" He strikes a cool sentai pose. "…DAN HIBIKI!! Tremble before me evil one!"
A moment of total silence is seen…a bush rolls by:
Grenadema's like, "Oh great…A Gay Pink Power Ranger wannabe's gonna stop me…?" He starts laughing hysterically, "THAT IS SOOOO FUNNY! BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
Dan:" I'm giving you the chance to surrender you hunk of metal…so what do you say?"
"Hmph! I'll choose THIS…!" Grenademan tosses a Flash Bomb at Dan. Dan grabs it and gasps in fear, as the bomb flashes white then…
"OH NOOOOOOOOO!!"
KABOOOM!!
Dan goes flying toward the blue sky once again:
"WHY MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…!!"
Dan disappears once again.
THE NEXT DAY – LOCATION: NERIMA, JAPAN:
Dan was getting very tired of the events that have been happening to him…getting blown up into the sky so many times was something that Dan didn't like doing. However, those were forgotten once he remembers his mission:
Annoyed, Dan recaps his previous attempts. "Man, this has not been my best week. First, a crazy weird little girl, dress in maid's clothes with a cat hat – (Dejiko) – blows me up with that Ki blast from her mouth, then, that strange person – (Erick) – blasts me away with an unknown blast from out of nowhere, - (angry) – that fat, European guy, who was dress like a King from somebody's deck of playing cards– (Gambling King) – steals all my money, and then, a strange robot that looked like a giant Grenade – (Grenademan) – blows me up with a strange flash grenade or something. And I still haven't found that cursed R. But I mustn't give up! I know I will find him!"
Unfortunatly, yet again for poor Dan, fate was gonna grant him his wish.
Just two blocks away from him…We see R and Kodachi… coming from the Movie Theatre.
The Black Rose is happy, hugging R's arm. "Oh R. I loved that movie so much..."
"You did?" R asks.
"Yes…so full of Romance, Drama. I love how that warrior held that lovely woman in his arm…" She happily sighs, blushing, "…that was soooooo romantic!"
"Ah. You mean like this Kodachi-Chan?"
R then grabs Kodachi and holds her so close to him. Kodachi blushes and her heart beats fast.
In a smooth voice R tells her, "Oh my Kodachi, my life is yours forever, and my heart will always be yours."
Kodachi blushes to the max. "Oh R….!!" She hugs him tightly.
They enjoythe moment. 5 minutes later, they separate and continue on their date:
"So, how did I do?" R asks her.
Kodachi comments, "Just like the star of that movie…I love it!"
"Yeah, I know. Hey, guess what? I just finished perfecting an attack that I will use on Ranma."
"Really?"
"Yep." R frowns, "Too bad that there isn't anyone that I could test it out on. If only I could find a fool to challenge."
"But where are you gonna find a fool?"
"R!!"
Kodachi and R turn around and see Dan Hibiki in front of them in the park:
"R, I`VE FINALLY FOUND YOU!"
Kodachi blinks. "Huh! R darling, who's the fruitcake in the Pink clothes?"
R smirks, introducing Kodachi to his erm… rival. "That Kodachi-Chan, is the lamest warrior I have ever met…Dan –"Wussy-Boy" – Hibiki."
Kodachi giggles. "Is he gay or something?"
An exasperated Dan shouts, "ARRGH! GOD DAMN IT!! WHY IS IT THAT EVERYONE THINKS I`M GAY!?"
R laughs, "Probably cause of the way you're dressed. Pink is NOT a cool color for a fighter."
Dan angrily points his finger (no not THAT finger!) toward R. "R, I`VE COME HERE TO CHALLENGE YOU TO A REMATCH!!"
"A rematch you say?"
Dan was eager to fight against R. But R answer to Dan request was:
"……No."
Obviously, Dan wasn't listening to R's reply. "Good, now you will see my spe…What did you say?" Too late, Dan just realized that R has turned him down.
"I said no."
"No, NO, NOOOOOOOO!? Are you refusing my challenge R?"
"Yeah. See, I only fight against truly, worthy, powerful opponents. And YOU, buddy boy, don't fit ANY of those categories."
Dan refuses to accept this – his vengeance will NOT be denied! "NO! I'VE TRAINED HARD TO FIGHT YOU! AND YOU WILL FIGHT ME!"
R shrugs his shoulders. "Whatever, do what you want. Let's go Kodachi."
Kodachi sweetly says, "Of course R-Darling"
R and Kodachi turned around and began to walk away from the park, leaving Dan alone. Dan was feeling offended by R's answer…he wasn't gonna allow R to insult him, decline his challenge, and walk away like that:
"HEY! YOU CANT WALK AWAY FROM ME LIKE THAT!"
R laughs, "News flash you baka wuss. I already am."
"Wha…? GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME…OR…OR…OR ARE YOU A COWARD!?" That will get him for sure! Dan thinks confidently.
R turns around and faces Dan with a serious look:
"Heh… You're calling ME a coward. You insane?" But…now that I think about it, this could be a great opportunity for me. I wanted to test some of my Special Moves, and this bozo showed up.
Kodachi's worried for her beau. "R-Darling. What are you thinking about? Don't tell me that you intend to accept the challenge of this fruitcake."
"I will. I was telling you that I had some moves that I wanted to put into practice…" He flashes a wicked smile, pointing at Dan, "…and this joker showed up…what better way to do it…than by fighting this buffoon? Wouldn't you agree Kodachi-Chan?"
"Yes, you're right R. That is a great idea. So go for it."
R then turns to address Dan. "Very well Dan. You want to fight me? Then bring it on! Hahaha!"
Then…the battle started… - (yeah, right) –
Dan takes the offensive, running toward R. "PREPARE TO FEEL MY POWER…GADOU-KEN!" he yells, throwing his small Ki-blast.
Bored, R says, "Whatever…here goes…SILVER METALLIC!!"
Then…
R unleashes a shower of punches. They were similar to Ranma's Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken…but the only difference were that…R's interpretation of Ranma's signature attack creates small silvery blades of force with each punch. R's move destroys Dan's little fireball and strikes him hard. Dan receives the shower of punches and his clothes are getting torn apart.
Kodachi's very impressed with R's attack.
When the move ends…Dan is all bloody, weak, dizzy, and loses his pink shirt… "Wha…who…what…what was that?"
R considers this fight over. "THAT, wussy boy, was a REAL technique…now get out of here."
Dan refuses to quit. "NEVER…I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE…KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Once again he charges toward R.
"You never learn…do you? Very well…"
Summoning his Ki, bolts of lightning flash around R as he prepares to use a new technique he'd developed.
"Take this… LIGHTNING YELLOW PEARL!!" R then blasts a yellow and purple tinted ball of electricity toward Dan:
Scared, Dan reacts, "WHAT THE…!? OH NOOOO!!"
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Dan, for the fourth time was blast toward the blue sky:
"NOT AGAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN…..!!"
After that:
R dusts off his hands. " And that's that…good riddance."
Kodachi hugs him. "R, you were great. And that move was awesome."
"Thanks Kodachi. It was pretty cool. I can't wait to use it on someone…like Ranma for a change."
"I know you will. Now come to my house R so that I can make a delicious meal for my little sweetheart."
"ALL RIGHT!"
MEANWHILE…
Dan is flying through the air, cursing, "I don't believe my luck. I've been blown up like, what, four times into the sky…? This is SO annoying. Am I the only one who's ever been blasted into the air, I wonder?"
- "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" -
"What the…what was that?"
Dan turns around and saw two people and a white cat near him, and a weird blue thing. When he looks at them closer he sees a girl with long red hair, and a boy with short blue hair. Both of them were dressed in white outfits with the letter R on them. The cat had a golden coin on his head:
Jessie cries, "DAMN THAT PIKACHU!!"
James whines, "I THOUGHT WE HAD THEM THIS TIME!"
"BUT LIKE ALWAYS, WE LOSE!" Meowth says.
"WUBAAAAA!" Wubbofet says.
"Um…excuse me."
They see Dan:
"Hey, who are you? I don't think we've seen you before." Jessie asks.
James agrees, "Yeah."
Dan introduces himself. "Well, I am Dan Hibiki. Who are you guys?"
"If you want to know…I am Jessie."
"And I'm James."
"Meowth's my name," their cat (!) says.
Dan groans, "A talking cat…now I've seen everything."
Jessie declares, "We're Team Rocket."
"Team Rocket…Cool name you guys have."
Jessie smiles, "Thanks."
"Hey, we've never seen you up here before…why are you here?" James wanted to know.
Dan explains, "Oh…I was blasted off by a guy named R. You?"
"By a Pokemon called Pikachu." Jessie says.
Dan's like, "Ooookay."
"Is this your first time here?" James asks.
Dan tells him, "No. My fourth. It's getting to be a pain in the butt being sent into the sky and landing somewhere else."
Jessie smiles. "Oh don't worry. We have plenty of experience doing this."
"You have?"
"Yeah, for a long time, so we've gotten used to it," James says.
"Cool! But it's painful to land on the ground."
"Oh we can give you pointers on how to land on the ground without hurting yourself so much." Jessie says.
"I'd like that a lot thanks…but…I'm gonna get that R. That I will!"
"That's the spirit. Never give up! We haven't!"
James extends his hand. "So…welcome to the Blast-Off Club."
Dan shakes hands with James. "Thanks."
And so…
Jessie, James and Meowth chime in unison, "LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET…"
Dan adds, "…AND DAN…!"
"…ARE BLASTING OFF AGAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!!"
Wubbofet wails, "WUBAAAAAAAA!!"
And they all disappear into the clear blue sky.
MEANWHILE, AT A BUS STATION IN NERIMA, JAPAN:
Lan Hikari steps out of the bus, with his bag and starts walking toward the exit. The little Persocom Sumomo was seated on Lan's right shoulder. "Well…. So this is Nerima, Sumomo?
Sumomo happily replies, "Hai. This is the Nerima Ward of Tokyo, home of Martial Artists"
Lan blinks, "Martial Artists?"
"Hai. This is a place where many weird things have been happening, next to Juuban, home of the Sailor Scouts."
"Sailor Scouts?"
"They're Magical Girls who fight weird creatures…" Sumomo giggles, "But dress up pretty funny."
"How so?"
"They wear short skirts, so short you can almost see up their panties!"
Lan blushes at the thought.
Sumomo blinks; she notices Lan's checks turning shades of red. Concerned, she asks, "Um…why are you red in the face Lan? Are you hot or something? Is the sun too hot?"
MegamanEXE laughs, "Hahaha! Oh, he's hot alright, but it's not from the sun!"
Sumomo's pondering about this. Then it hits her:
"Oh I get it!" She teases poor Lan, "You're blushing from the sight of those girls' panties…right Lan?"
Totally embaressed, Lan blushes, his face red as a tomato, as he's waving his arms frantically. "ACK! NO I DIDN'T! IT WASN'T LIKE THAT!"
Sumomo giggles, "You're like Hideki. You were thinking about those girls' panties…- She daces around singing, "Lan is a pervert! Lan likes panties like Hideki! Lan is…!"
Lan's face is a deep red now from all that blushing. He stops the little Persocom, yelling, "SUMOMO, CUT THAT OUT! I'M NOT A PERVERT!"
Scared, Sumomo cowers! "EEP! Okay okay!"
MegamanEXE scolds, "Hey Lan, you didn't have to yell at her. She was just teasing you."
Lan admits, "Yeah, bro, you're right. Listen Sumomo, I'm very sorry for yelling like that."
Sumomo apologizes, "Well, I'm sorry too. I guess you're not like Hideki, and you are not a pervert. I was joking, that's all!"
"Now that that's settled, were should we go?"
"Location of Dr. Light's address is located 45 degrees North, 6 South, and 23 West"
Sumomo then points, "That way!"
And they begin their quest…
Lan bought some donuts and milk from a convenience store. He begins to view Nerima, and its surroundings. "Hey Sumomo, I thought you said that this was a place of Martial Artists. How come I haven't seen anything?"
Sumomo says, "Well, it's not like they appear every single hour."
Lan nods, "Good point.
"So Lan, what are you gonna do once you find Dr. Light?"
"Ask him if he could help me to find a way home."
"Cheer up Lan, I'm sure that he'll help you."
MegamanEXE agrees with Sumomo. "She's right. Cheer up."
Lan does just that. "Yeah, so let's go."
As they were walking in the streets, Lan hears some shouting near him… "Hey, what's all that shouting?"
MegamanEXE observes, "Hmmm… Its looks like women shouting"
"Wonder why the shouting?" Sumomo asks.
Lan tells them, "Don't know. But it's getting closer"
Next thing happen…they see a little old man, wearing a mask, carrying a big, black sack with him …it was Happosai. Behind him, they saw many, many angry girls following him:
Happosai whoops in mad glee and delight, "WOOHOO…WHAT A HAUL, WHAT A HAUL!!"
One angry girl yells, "GET HIM GIRLS!"
"PERVERT!" a second girl yells at the Old Pervert.
"GET BACK HERE WITH OUR PANTIES!!" a third girl demands.
Likewise, a fourth girl. "GIVE THEM BACK YOU PERVERT!!"
Lan blinks at the scene – which if you've lived in Nerima for a while, you get used to. "Who… or what was that?"
MegamanEXE replies, "I don't know. It looks like those girls were chasing that little old man. As for why, I'd like to know."
Sumomo gasps, horrified, "That's Happosai!"
Lan's like, "Happo-what?"
Sumomo explains, "Happosai might be a little old man, but he's an extreme pervert, who's also a master of Martial Arts."
Lan points in the direction of the fleeing Happosai. "THAT little man is a Martial Artist?"
"Yes. Don't judge him by his looks or size. He is a very powerful being. But also VERY perverted." Sumomo shudders. "We are very lucky that he doesn't live near our home. Poor Chii, or any Female Persocom would not be safe from him. Especially for Chii, who's very naïve and doesn't know quite much about those kinds of things."
Now that he understands, Lan agrees, "I can see why."
Later, Lan stops at a restaurant to buy something to eat. When he got his order, he sat down and ate. While he was eating, he sees a couple children close to him playing the game of Duel Monsters:
"I place 1 Card Facedown, and I Summon Jiraiya in Attack Mode!" one kid says.
The other kid counters, "Oh yeah? Well, I'll place 2 Cards Face Down and put my Monster in Defense Mode!"
Lan says, "Hey Mega, check it out. Those boys are playing Duel Monsters."
MegamanEXE says, "I see. That was an awesome game wasn't it?"
"Yep. Perhaps later on, I'll try to learn it and buy some Cards and take them to our world. I'm preety sure that all the other guys will love it, especially Dex."
MegamanEXE comments, "And I'm very sure that Chaud will like it too and become a great Duelist."
"Not before I do!" Lan's quick to say.
"I wonder what became of Kaiba? We haven't spoken to him lately since we left Domino City."
Lan admits to his Net-Navi, "Good point. And did he upgrade the program that he copied from my PET?"
"Guess we'll try to find out later."
DOMINO CITY – KAIBA CO. HEADQUARTERS – LAB:
Seto Kaiba is talking to some of his Scientists and Engineers regarding the work on his new Duel Disk System. "How's the development of the NEO Duel Disk coming?"
A scientist reports, "Great, sir. We're at 85%."
A female engineer says, "Pretty soon, we'll finish it. Sir, this could be a huge breakthrough. This PET technology is very impressive, unlike anything I've ever seen."
Kaiba says, "I know. Once the NEO is finished, I'll launch it to the public. Soon, everyone will want one, and I'll make a fortune."
"I know you will sir." Female Engineer 2 says encouragingly.
"Well, keep on working and tell me when you're finished."
"We will sir." Scientist 2 says.
Then Kaiba leaves for his office. His employees are unaware that while they're working hard on the next generation Duel Disk Kaiba's working on his own project.
He's trying to create…his very own NET-NAVI.
Using the data he took from MegamanEXE as a template, Kaiba's making a duplicate of his shape and in the process he's modified it to his own tastes. A Navi programmed with his own personality, and he had his eye on the Perfect Duel Monster to be his Net-Navi…
Kaiba says in anticipation, "Soon, I will have my very own Net-Navi!"
JAPAN – DR. LIGHT'S HOUSE:
This is a house that Dr. Light owns in Japan, whenever he was there for a conference, meeting, etc. It was a modest 2-story traditional-style Japanese home:
The reason that Dr. Light, Megaman, Protoman, and Roll have been in Japan is because of the incident they saw back home on the news - the report of his rival Dr. Wily in Japan, and the news of Slashman and Cutman.
And the Incident with Grenademan, by Protoman. This gives them more reason to investigate. While Megaman and Protoman go out to investigate, their sister Roll stays home helping Dr. Light.
LATER THAT EVENING, AROUND 6:00 P.M.:
Lan arrives at his destination. He was in front of Dr. Light's house.
"Well, guys, we made it. Are you sure that this is the house Sumomo?"
Sumomo confirms, "Hai. This is the house of Dr. Light."
"In that case…let's go."
Lan walks toward the door, once there, he knocks three times…then he rings the doorbell. Three minutes later the door opens, and Lan sees an old man, with a long white beard and mustache, and wearing a white lab coat. Seeing Dr Light for the first time, Lan is almost reminded of his own grandfather, whom he'd met in the Cyberword during the battle with Alpha (see Mega Man Battle Network 3)
Dr. Light asks, "Yes, can I help you?"
"Um…Are you Dr. Light?" Lan risks asking.
"Why yes, yes I am. Who wants to know?"
"Ehem…Mr. Light, um…my name is Lan Hikari, and I've come here to see you."
Dr. Light blinks. "To see me? But why?"
Lan replies, "Because I need your help. You're the only one who can help me."
"Come again? Help you? Help you with what?"
"Um…It's kinda complicated, and I don't know where to start."
"In that case, why don't you come inside, and tell me all about it."
"Okay, thanks"
Once Lan's inside, he sits in the Living Room. Dr. Light comes in and offers him a glass of lemonade, which Lan gladly accepts. After that…
Dr. Light sits down and talks with Lan, "So, Lan Hikari, exactly why do you need my help?"
Lan tells him, "Cause I heard that you're the only one who can help me get back to my home."
"Get you home?" The kindly old scientist chuckles, "Why don't you take a bus. It's the easiest way to do so."
"It's… not that simple."
"Oh? And why not?"
"You see…I'm not from around here…I…came from far away."
"So…do you live in the U.S.A?"
"Nope…very far away"
Dr. Light blinks. "Far away? I don't understand."
Lan groans, afraid that this would happen. "Gulp…listen…I want you listen to what I have to say. You may not believe what you're about to hear. But hear me out okay?"
Dr. Light smiles. "Okay…shoot."
"Well, it's like this…"
Like with Katsuhito and Kaiba, he told Dr. Light his story how he ended up in this world. When Dr. Light heard Lan telling him that he was from another dimension, he was in awe.
Lan finishes, "…and that's what happened."
Dr. Light is speechless. Then, he says, "So…you're saying that…you come from another world, a parallel Earth, similar to ours."
"Yeah."
Dr. Light takes it all in. "Unbelievable. That's… that's hard to believe."
Lan groans, "Like the rest of the people that I've told this to."
Dr. Light notices Lan's PET and Sumomo. "Excuse me Lan, but what is that thing that you're holding in your hand and that little robot on your shoulder?"
Lan introduces his companions. "Oh, them? This little girl is Sumomo, she's a Pocket Persocom."
"Nice to meet you!" Sumomo greets Dr. Light.
Dr. Light blinks, and then realizes, "A Pocket Persocom. OH! So there are small ones too! Hahahaha!"
"You…know of Persocoms?"
"Indeed I do Sumomo. I, along with Icchan, was one of the persons responsible for their development."
Sumomo lights up. "You were!?"
"Yes. I was the one who equipped them with a conscience…to be able to act like humans."
Sumomo's squealing in joy, "WOW! REALLY!?"
"Yes. In fact…one of his greatest works was a special girl, called Chii. She was the most human of them all…A Chobit."
"THAT IS SOO COOL! SO YOU'RE LIKE HER FATHER?"
Dr. Light sighs, remembering his old friend and esteemed colleague, "Before Icchan had passed away, he'd entrusted most of the knowledge of his work on Persocoms to me, some of which I've since applied to my robot designs. So in a way…yes, I am. So tell me, do you know her? If she's fine?"
"OH! SHE'S FINE! SHE'S LIVING WITH HIDEKI, AND THEY'RE HAPPILY IN LOVE WITH ONE ANOTHER!"
Dr. Light is pleased. "They are? I'm happy to hear that. Like I said, she is the most closest to humans, and has feelings. So, Lan, what IS that in your hand?"
Lan shows it to him, "This…this is my P.E.T."
"P.E.T?"
"It stands for Personal Exploration Terminal."
"It is?"
"Yes. In my home world, we have these beings inside the Cyber-world called Net-Navis. The Navis are our friends, and they help us, by fixing things inside the Net, like battling Viruses, talking with others' Navis, and many things."
Dr. Light observes, "Fascinating. These Net-Navis are awesome."
Lan introduces to Megaman, "And inside, is MY Net-Navi…MegamanEXE."
From inside the PET, MegamanEXE greets, "Hello Dr. Light."
Needless to say, Dr. Light is shocked! "Wh-WHAT? MegamanEXE?"
"Why the shocked face Doctor?" Lan asks.
"This…this is amazing. His name is identical to the one living with me."
"What do you mean?"
Dr. Light begins to explain, "Lan, it's like this…"
-"Dr. Light! We're home!" –
Hearing his family enter the house, Dr. Light says, "Perfect, they've arrived just in the nick of time."
"Who?" Lan wonders.
"You'll see. Just wait right here."
Then Dr. Light gets up and goes to the entrance…15 minutes later, he comes back. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Listen; remember when I told you that the name of your Net-Navi was identical?"
"Yeah?"
"Well…I want you to meet my children…" He ahem's, clearing his throat, "Lan…meet Megaman, his sister Roll and their brother Protoman."
Now it's Lan's turn to be shocked. "WHAT!?"
Then, a person steps in. He's wearing a blue helmet and blue armor. A small blonde girl, wearing an orange dress and white tennis shoes came behind him. And a another person taller than the blue one, with a red helmet, gray clothes, red iron boots and a big shield on his back:
Megaman greets Lan, "Hi, my name is Megaman."
"I'm Roll."
"And I'm Protoman"
Lan, as well as his Net-Navi MegamanEXE, is shocked "NO…NO WAY. YOUR NAME IS MEGAMAN? I CANT BELIEVE IT!"
Megaman blinks. "Why?"
"It's just that…your name is identical to my Net-Navi's."
"Your what?"
Dr. Light interrupts, "Lan, perhaps it would be best if you tell them all about you."
The three siblings listen to all of what Lan told them. They were amazed to know that Lan came from another world. But most of all, the story of the Net-Navis they had in their world. In the end, they were in awe:
Megaman says, "So you're from another dimension. That's so cool."
Roll's like, "And those Navis you told us about. Cool!"
Protoman agrees, "She's right. Damn awesome."
"What amazes ME is that your Navi has the same name as I do. I can't believe it." Megaman looks at the PET. "I can't believe that you're so like me."
MegamanEXE shares Megaman's amazement. "Tell me about it. Who wouldn't thought that in this world would be a Megaman AND in the real world."
"Yeah. And you also fight this Viruses inside the Net. Kinda like the robots I fight in this world too."
"Can you tell us more Lan, please?" Roll asks.
Lan nods. "Sure. Dr. Light, can I plug this PET in your T.V so that I can show them some pictures?
Dr. Light gives him permission, "Of course Lan, go right ahead."
"Thanks."
Lan then takes out a cord and plugs his PET into a USB port on the TV. He runs his PET's media viewer and sets it up to run a slideshow of the pictures he has saved on it. Next, using the PET's controls, he begins to show the Lights many pictures:
"These are my friends and their Net-Navis."
A picture of Mayl and her Navi RollEXE is first. "This is Maylu Sakurai, my best friend, and her Net-Navi RollEXE…"
Megaman comments, "She looks pretty, same as her Net-Navi."
With a kawaii face Roll says, "So that's RollEXE?. She looks so cute…kinda like me."
Next, Lan pulls up a picture of Eugene Chaud and ProtomanEXE:
"…this is my friend and rival Eugene Chaud, and his Net-Navi ProtomanEXE. And he's a very tough Net-Navi, next to MegamanEXE of course"
They were amazed at the Net-Navi ProtomanEXE. Especially Protoman.
"Wow…that Protoman looks cool, and tough!", Megaman says.
Protoman coolly agrees, "Yeah…same as me. Awesome armor he has, along with shield AND beam sword. Pretty awesome."
Then, Lan shows them a picture of RushEXE. Back in Lan's world, Rush is a canine program created by Lan's dad and installed into Maylu's PET who can travel between the real world and the cyber world with advanced holographic technology. "…This is RollEXE pet, RushEXE…"
The siblings had funny looks on their faces when they see the Cyber-Dog RushEXE:
Roll giggles, "That Rush looks kinda funny!"
Megaman agrees with her, "Yeah. Not like OUR Rush, right boy?"
Rush hmph's, saying, "Bark Bark bark! (That's right, I'm cuter!)"
Lan shows them all the Pictures of all his friends and their Net-Navis.
Megaman's excited. "WOW OH WOW, they all look so cool. So your friend Dex has GutsmanEXE, and Tory has IcemanEXE…"
Lan says, "Yeah, but Dex's always bothering me in battles, and I always beat him."
Megaman frowns a little. "Too bad that the Gutsman here is evil."
Roll asks Lan a question. "You know…That character known as Commander Beef…I mean, if his Navi SharkmanEXE is a fish type, um, why is HE called Commander Beef as in meat?"
Lan sweatdrops, remembering Masa's heroic (but downright eccentric!) alter ego. "I myself have that same question."
So Lan and the Lights exchange stories about their adventures and the enemies they've faced. During the course of the conversation Lan shows them pictures of the Evil Navis he and MegamanEXE have faced, like MagnetmanEXE, FlashmanEXE, NapalmanEXE, and many more.
Megaman seems a little intimidated by the evil Navis. "*Gulp*…those Evil Navis sure looked more powerful then the ones here. That MagnetmanEXE looks bigger and more powerful then the real one. In fact, many of them look more powerful then the ones we have here."
Protoman agrees with his brother. "Yeah…and that Navi called PharaohmanEXE…". – He shudders behind his dark-tinted visor. "Brrr…!! The real Pharaohman can't hold a candle to this one!"
Roll says with some relief, "We are very lucky that they only exist in Lan's world, and inside the Net."
"You're right…if they were real, I don't think I could do anything against them." Megaman says, nodding.
Dr. Light speaks up about something that's bothered him about Lan's world. "And you say that there's a villain called Dr. Wily in your world?"
Lan tells him, "Oh yeah. He was the leader of the criminal organization known as the WWW, or World Three." He then pulls up a picture of Dr. Wily.
Looking at THIS Wily, Megaman says, "Man. The Dr. Wily of your world looks creepier that the one we have here."
Lan admits, thinking about some of the things Megaman has told him about the real world. "Man…it's too bad that the some of the robots here in your world are evil. I mean, in my world, some of them are cool friends and fight for justice. But on the other hand, they look kinda funny, except CutmanEXE and BombmanEXE. They looked just the same as the ones you have here."
Protoman says, "The only Navi that doesn't have a counterpart here, is that weird one called DesertmanEXE."
Megaman nods, "Yeah. And then there's the one called BassEXE. THAT was a real Bass; the one I fight here is a dummy. The Bass of your world would have surely beaten me. Hey Lan, does that Bass have a dog named Treble?"
Lan thinks about it. Not that I know off. But there was a Cyber-Menace called Gospel. That creature nearly wiped out all the Net."
Running his picture program again, Lan pulls up a picture of the fearsome Multibug Organism Gospel on the TV screen. He points at the beast, "THIS is Gospel."
Roll's scared. "EEEP!! THAT'S Gospel!? He's scary!"
Megaman's shocked. "NO WAY! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT!!"
Stunned by the sight of the creature, Dr. Light gasps! "Dear God! That's a monster!"
After 30 minutes…they decided to stop:
Lan finishes his presentation, "And that's what MegamanEXE and I've faced so far. Cool wasn't it."
Dr. Light remarks, "It sure was very interesting. Hard to believe."
"So this is why I've came to seek your help Dr. Light. They told me that you may be the only person with the knowledge to get me back home."
"Lan, umm… I don't know if I can. I'm only a scientist who specializes in robots. I don't know anything about opening gates to other worlds."
Lan is shocked. "Wh-what! You…you…you can't?"
Dr. Light sadly apologizes, "I'm sorry Lan."
Lan's trembling as he realizes, "But…but…but that means that…I'm stuck here…forever."
Dr. Light feels guilty. "As I said before, I'm very sorry Lan. I wish I could help you…but I can't."
Megaman notices the downcast look on Lan's face. "Lan!"
Lan was now crushed. "Um…I need to be alone for a second…okay."
He then dash away from the house…the siblings see some tears in Lan eyes.
10 minutes later, Lan was sitting on a park bench alone. He's sad and almost about to cry. His only hope to return to his own world was gone. He was going to remain in this world forever.
Lan's sobbing, "I'm…I'm…I'm gonna be here for the rest of my life. I won't be able to see my friends and my family again…? WHY?"
Sumomo's trying to cheer him up. "Lan…please don't be sad. It makes me sad too."
Lan softly cries, "How can I not be sad. My only hope to return to my world is gone. Now I'll be here forever. I won't be able to see anyone from my home."
-"Lan!"-
Lan turns around and sees Megaman, Roll and Protoman running toward him. "Oh, hey guys."
Megaman says, "Listen Lan. We know that you are sad because you won't be able to return to your home. So…we decided to ask you, if you 'd like to live with us."
"Live with you guys?"
Roll thinks it's a good idea. "Yeah, we'd love it if you could stay with us. It's like Dr. Light always said…- "When Life gives you Lemons, make a Lemon Pie" - ."
Lan blinks, " Uh…what does that mean?"
Roll blushes, admitting, "I…really don't know. But it sounded cool."
Protoman puts a hand on Roll's shoulder and flatly tells Lan, "What our well-meaning sister means is that, since you're gonna be stuck here for awhile, we might as well show you around. Teach you everything about this world. You'll love it."
"So what do you say Lan?" Megaman asks hopefully.
After some hard thinking, Lan says, "Well…" He sighs, "Since I will live here, guess I have no choice…but to accept your generous offer."
Roll's happy. "THAT'S GREAT!"
Megaman's pleased to have a new friend. "In that case, let's get back. Dr. Light wants to talk to you."
Lan nods, "Very well."
BACK AT DR. LIGHT'S:
Dr. Light talks with Lan. "Lan, I know that I couldn't help send you back to your world, but I can give you one here, with us. You'll be part of our family. And we'll treat you like one of us…right guys?"
Megaman nods, "Oh you bet Doc."
Roll agrees, "Me too. It will be cool to have you around."
Dr. Light adds, "And also…you could help me a lot in my work. Especially your Net-Navi. He could help me in the works on the Internet and other stuff that my computers normally couldn't."
Lan is touched. "I…I thank you very much you guys. And I know that since I won't be with my family…I can at least live with yours."
A happy Roll squeals, "GROUP HUG! Tee hee hee!"
Then, everyone hugs Lan. Don't you just love chapters with a happy ending?
TO BE CONTINUED…