Yu-Gi-Oh! Kaimon! (Season 1)

by CosmoK13

After a devastating fight between darkness and light, six souls were sealed away in mythical items. A prophecy foretold that these six spirits will come together to defeat the darkness. Join Yugi Mutou, as he and his friends, along with the other five chosen hosts, set out on a bunch of adventures to uncover the past, battle against all odds, and use the Power of Spirit Monsters!

8. Chapter 7

Episode 7: The Ultimate Digital Pet

Another morning had awoken the skies on Domino City as Yugi Muotu himself was walking towards school. He was only a few blocks away from his destination, holding his backpack behind him with a smile on his face. Even though it was only Thursday, he was very excited for today. Well, when wasn't he excited actually? But today he had a reason because he wanted to check up on everyone and see how they were doing. Especially since the most recent trend had come out.

"Yugi!" The short boy turned around, seeing the familiar female brunette hurry over to him. Anzu waved as she caught up with him, smiling as she looked at her childhood friend.

"Good Morning, Anzu." Yugi grinned as he saw her walking side by side with him.

"Morning, I hope your pet didn't keep you awake last night." She wondered.

"Nah, it's always hard for me to keep him happy 24/7, so I shut him off before I went to bed." Yugi sighed. "Wish I had learned that before, he kept me up all night the first time I got him."

"Yeah, they are a lot of work. But they sure are fun to play with." Anzu admitted. The two of them soon entered into the gate, hearing the commotion of many other students, mainly females, talking.

"I can't believe my pet died yesterday. All because I didn't pick up his poop." One girl complained.

"No way, you have to make sure they are always cleaned." The other girl told her.

Yugi listened to those girls, as they were talking about the same thing him and Anzu were discussing. "Looks like we aren't the only ones that seem to have Digi Pets."

Anzu smiled, taking out a red squared keychain with an LCD screen. "Well, despite these Digi Pets making a comeback, they have become popular with girls and elementary schoolers." Anzu mused as she pressed one of six buttons that were on the small device. Yugi smiled as they headed into the building, looking over at the other students who were talking about their own pets they had. That was when Yugi took out the same keychain device that Anzu had, except his was blue. He smiled, looking at the screen even though it was turned off. As much as he would love to see his Digi Pet right now, he best to keep it switched off since class would be starting soon. Though he would be sure to check up on him during break periods.

Yugi and Anzu had gotten one yesterday, and Yugi was already attached to his new buddy. He preferred the portable system more than the computer one, so he always had his Digi Pet with him. He was hoping that him and Anzu could get together and check out each other's pets since they only hatched recently. For now, Yugi had to focus on his first class. So, he went to the classroom and entered through the door. As he was about to head over to his desk, he noticed Honda looking kind of down as he sat at his table. Strange, the Beautification member was usually one of the students that was excited to learn. Since he was a caring friend, Yugi went over to see what was wrong with him. "Honda, are you alright?"

The brunet turned towards the short high schooler, his eyes were full of disappointment though he kept his head high. "Yugi, have you seen Miho on your way here?"

Upon hearing that question, Yugi blinked as he raised a brow. "Miho?" He held a finger on his chin as he tried to think. Now that he thought about it, he didn't see the ponytailed girl in the class or in the halls. She was usually one of the first students that came into the class, so seeing her empty seat was sort of a surprise. "No… I haven't seen her." Yugi admitted. "Maybe she got sick or slept in late?" He suggested.

That answer only made Honda more depressed as he laid his head and arms down on the surface of his desk. "My Miho… Where are you?" He wondered as he went back to being sad once again. Yugi didn't pay much mind to it, since it was just Honda. Though he still wondered where Miho Nosaka was. It wasn't like her to be late. Then again, maybe he was just overthinking it. Missing one day wasn't that big of a deal, and knowing Miho, she must have had her reasons. Regardless, Yugi took his seat and got ready for the first class of the day. For the most part it all went smoothly, nothing to be worried about. The lesson was easy for him to understand and he didn't have to worry about any homework in that class. It seemed that the morning was going to go by without any events. That was until his second class, which was economics.

He had that class with Jounouchi and Anzu, as they were reading from their textbooks. The teacher was speaking, talking about the origins of the trade system and how it has expanded and evolved since the old times. "Since the mid 1900's, over half of the world's products have been made in many parts of Asia, from China to Taiwan. Ever since the early 2000's, the percentage of Asia exports have risen to…" The teacher was cut off as he and the whole class heard a strange blaring and beeping sound. Yugi looked up from his text book to see where it was coming from, it sounded familiar. Yugi was slightly panicked as he reached into his pocket where his device was, feeling it and wondering if it was causing the noise. However, it was still switched off so that meant the beeping came from somewhere else. Every student turned around, trying to find the cause. Soon, Yugi's amethyst eyes landed on a particular blond that was in the second to back row. He was holding onto a keychain and was having a hard time trying to hold it.

He then went under his desk, looking at the screen as his fingers pressed the buttons. "Man, I just cleaned ya… I'm taking care of it." He sighed, as his device made a flushing sound like that of a toilet. Jounouchi smiled, as he seemed happy to have gotten that taken care of. Though his relief was short lived as the teacher leaned over his desk, coughing to gain his attention.

"Katsuya! Mind telling me the meaning of this?" His arms were crossed, showing that he was getting a bit impatient with the student.

Jounouchi sat back on his desk, looking at the teacher with a confused expression. "Oh, you don't know, Sensei?" Jounouchi asked. "This is a new digital game product called Digi Pet. It was based off of the Tamigatich portable pet system from the 90's, but this got started on an internet server. Many followers logged in and they received their own egg to hatch it and raise the pet that was inside. However, the programmers of the server worked with a company to create a portable device for fans to download their pets and carry them on the go. Though you can just buy the device if you don't have access to the server itself. Each keychain comes with it's own egg and can only hold one pet at a time.

"You take care of your pet by cleaning after it, playing with it and feeding it. Depending on how you raise the pet will determine how the pet looks and turns out. Also…" Jounouchi smirked as he kept explaining about the Digi Pets to the teacher and the class. "A new feature with the portable devices is that you can connect them with other players and have your pet interact with theirs. Which means that both pets can play together and will gain certain traits from them to create a new version of your pet. It's gotten really popular with many age and sex brackets!" Jounouchi felt pretty proud, holding up his key chain to show off to the teacher. Even though Yugi was pleased that his friend was getting really into it, he had a bad feeling that their teacher wouldn't share the same ideas.

And his suspicions were right when Jounouchi got a fist pounded into his head. The adult in the room glared intensity at the blond as he raised up his fist. "I don't care about any of that! I simply wanted you to turn that thing off as we are learning a lesson! Either shut it down, or I'll take it away!" It was Jounouchi's only warning he was getting from the teacher. The student rubbed his head as he winced in slight pain. Yugi breathed a sigh, at least they let him off with a warning, which was way more than what Jounouchi usually got. He was forced to comply and shut off his Digi Pet the rest of the class period.

The class only lasted twenty more minutes before the second bell sounded. Everyone began to pack up and wanted to take their ten minute break before the next class. Yugi, Anzu and Jounouchi stayed in the room, since they would be having their next lesson in the same class, only with a different teacher. While they waited, Anzu and Yugi went over to the blond's desk. He seemed better now, as he switched his pet back on but held his head still. "Geez, that teacher hits hard. I thought the school was supposed to crack down on student violence from faculty." He complained.

"Well, you did technically disturb the class." Yugi pointed out sheepishly.

"Idiot. Why did you keep your pet on during class?" Anzu questioned with her hands on her hips.

"Because the pet won't grow if it is switched off. I need it to grow to the final stage fast." Jounouchi stated with urgency. Yugi didn't know why he was in such a rush to get his pet to grow so quickly. Usually, the Digi Pet had a set amount of stages; Egg, newborn, child, teen, adult and fully grown. Depending on how you care for your pet and how much time you spend with it, will determine how quickly it will move onto each stage. Usually you can tell how close they are to a certain level based on the happiness meter they have in the corner. If it gets filled, they are ready to move onto the next stage of their lives.

"Taking care of a pet takes time and patience." Anzu stated. "You can't rush it." As she spoke, she took out her red keychain and turned on her pet, checking on the status as she was pressing buttons. "Well, I don't mind. I prefer that mine stays cute like this." Anzu smiled at her own pet.

"Only by taking proper care and time will you get a good outcome." Yugi assured him as he was checking up on his own pet. "You have to treat it like a real pet. They may take up a lot of your time, but that is how it usually works."

"Tell me about it." Jounouchi held up his own pet for everyone else to see. "Right now I'm devoting half of my day just for him." He seemed proud of that statement, showing how dedicated he was to his pet.

Their moment was short lived though as Honda came walking up to them, raising a brow. "Half your day? That seems like a waste. To spend all of your time on that, it seems worthless and deprives you of reality." Honda stated in a stuck up tone. Jounouchi and Anzu were pretty defensive by those words that he called out.

"What crawled up your ass today?" Jounouchi raised a brow at the burnet.

"There was no real reason for you to have said all of that." Anzu scolded at him.

"Yeah Honda, this is still fun." Yugi tried to defend in a less angered tone. "Why don't you get your own Digi Pet?"

"No thanks. I have no interest." Honda stated firmly. "Besides, I had enough experience with animals after I dog-sat for my aunt when I was a kid."

"Then why not get a Digi Pet for yourself?" Jounouchi asked as he swung the keychain in his palm, smiling at his device. "They are better to watch over and no real messes to pick up."

Honda had a smug look on his face as he turned away, preparing for another great speech. "I didn't become a Beautification Member so I could clean up the digital world of electrical pets." He then looked back over at the group, a serious expression in his eyes. "I clean up after people, not creatures made out of code. Even if everyone wants to spend their time trying to pick up droppings online… I'll remain in humanity and pick up trash that has contaminated the world we live in. For I, Honda Hiroto, Beautification Member, will honor and stay true to this vow!" He stated proudly, as he stood where he was to deliver his speech with his friends once again.

Anzu breathed a sigh of annoyance. "Seriously, how long are you planning on milking this club of yours as an excuse?" Even Jounouchi nodded in agreement that his spheal about his position was not going to last forever. Yet Honda was still confident about his position and what it stood for.

Just as he finished his speech, a familiar bubbly girl walked through the door. She smiled cutely as she waved to everyone. "Good morning."

Everyone turned, seeing Miho enter into the classroom. Honda especially raised his hand to greet her as well, with a blush and smile written on his features. "A-ah! Miho! Good morning…"

"What do you mean "Good morning"?" Anzu asked with a raised brow and sarcastic smile. "Second period is over. Where have you been?"

Miho giggled as she reached into her skirt pocket, taking something out and holding it. "Well… it's been hard keeping up and taking care of her." She opened her fingers, showing off a pink Digi Pet device in her palm while pointing at the screen. She kept her smile as she explained to everyone. "She didn't go to bed until late last night." Everyone looked at the screen, seeing the pet Miho was raising. It looked just like it's owner, with the same eyelashes, hairstyle, even ribbon on top. The resemblance was uncanny, and even Miho knew it as she giggled. The moment that Honda saw this, his eyes grew in the shapes of hearts as his whole face flushed red. Steam came out of his ears as his heart rate increased. "T-too adorable!" He cried out, once again infatuated by Miho's actions.

Yugi however was surprised and thrilled, seeing that another one of his friends had gotten into the Digi Pet phenomenon that was going on. "Woah! So you're raising a Digi Pet too, Miho?" He asked.

She held her keychain close and smiled. "Yeah, I'm working my hardest so I can go to Australia." She explained.

Anzu tilted her head, hands still on her hips as she stared at Miho. "Huh? Australia?" Even Yugi was confused, what did Digi Pets have to do with going to another country? Miho saw the look of bewilderment on their faces, so she got out something from her magenta shoulder bag.

"Here. Take a look." In her free hand, she held up a poster with images of the Digi Pet portable device and even some common Digi Pets that could be given to beginner trainers. It wasn't too colorful, but the bold wording and action bubbles show that it seemed serious. "You didn't hear about it?" Miho asked, sounding confused herself now. "The creators of the Digi Pet Server are hosting a Digi Pet Competition this Sunday. It will be on the Server and will be world wide. The winner of the contest will have their Digi Pet as an official rare pet that someone can get. Not only that, they will be able to meet the creators of the Server face to face and get access to special deals and even limited edition Digi Pets! And there's more! You will be meeting them in their home country, which means you get a trip to Australia." Miho twirled around as she showed off the poster saying the last sentence.

Yugi gasped, hearing about this. He had not heard about such a contest. The prizes seemed really worth it, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this explained why many more students had Digi Pets. A lot of them must be trying to win the contest. Anzu must have come to the same conclusion as she turned towards Jounouchi. "I see. So that explains why Jounouchi is so desperate with his pet."

The blond laughed, he wasn't even denying it as he responded. "Well, I'm mostly in it for the foreign trip. But, I can't get there unless I have this device. The competition is fierce, so I have to spend as much time as I can around my pet to get him to be the best!"

Miho nods. "It's why I'm also keeping her on throughout the night. I want to make sure she grows up as fast as possible and be as cute as she can be." Even though she was filled with optimism at first, Miho's voice soon lowered as she looked at the ground. "However, Miho has gotten tired from taking care of my pet. I wish I could take a break, but I can't switch her off now when the deadline is pretty close."

"So, what are you going to do then?" Anzu asked.

"I was hoping I could find someone who can watch over my Digi Pet. Just for a day or two, so I can get some good rest and catch up on my homework." Miho stated, sounding desperate despite how perky her voice was. Most of the gang knew where she was going with this, she was hoping to get someone to feel sorry for her so they could take her pet off her hands for a while. Yugi, Anzu and Jounouchi were not that weak minded to fall for that, plus they already had their own pets to take care of. However, Yugi's amethyst eyes traveled over to Honda, who was swaying back and forth like a metronome as he was blindly and deeply obsessed. "I wouldn't ask them for free of course!" Miho assured. "If I win the contest, I would end up taking them with me to meet the creators. After all, the Australian trip is for a pair or a group."

Honda's body stopped, looking at Miho as he heard only a bit of what she said. "P-Pair?" That was the only thing that set Honda off. He reached over, grabbing Miho's hands and holding them in his own as he looked her straight in the eyes. "Miho dear, leave it to me! I swear on my Beautification oath, I will take care of your pet and make sure we win!"

Everyone was more or less dumbfounded by his vow, but Miho was pretty excited. She smiled, cheering as she looked at the brunet. "Really?!"

"Of course! I promise I won't keep my eyes off of them for a second." Honda assured.

"Thank you, Honda! I promise to repay you!" Miho promised, happy she was able to take a small break.

Jounouchi raised a brow at the burnet, as he was the only one that could try and talk some common sense into him. "Hold on. Didn't you say you didn't want to pick up digital droppings?"

Honda, of course, responded with his new viewpoint thanks to Miho. "I now realized that we shouldn't distinguish the digital and real world when we cherish both so much. We should do our best to clean up both sides for everyone to be happy." He seemed confident in what he was saying.

Anzu shook her head, giving up on him all together. "Whatever makes you happy, I guess." Even Yugi didn't really seem like he was for Honda at this point, but as long as he seemed content, there was no reason for him to argue either. Miho stared up at Honda, smiling as she wished him luck. All Yugi could wonder now was if Honda was prepared for taking care of a Digi Pet. It was a lot harder than one believed, and Yugi could speak with experience. Hopefully Miho would remember to tell Honda the basics at least.

Speaking of, Yugi's amethyst eyes caught a glimpse of someone with green passing by the hallways. He smiled, hurrying out of the classroom since there was still some time before third period. He tried to hurry to her, hoping to catch up with her. "Cosmo-chan!" The green haired girl stopped in her tracks. She turned around, holding the books in her arms as she looked to see Yugi rushing towards her.

"Ah, Yugi…" She smiled back as he was near her now. "Are you having a good day so far?"

He nods. "Yeah, I wanted to ask if you were going to play with your Digi Pet?"

She blinked as she looked at him confused. "Digi Pet?"

"Yeah, your Digital Pet? From those keychain devices?"

Her eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. "Oh, those keychains? I've seen a few students playing with those in between breaks."

"They're in your classes as well?" He asked, sounding more pleased to see how popular the Digi Pets were in the whole school.

"Yeah, they have become popular it seems. Though I haven't got one…" she admits a bit disappointed. Yugi seemed confused upon her response, so she went on. "I thought about getting one, but money has been a bit tight. Between the shop not getting a lot of business, and my older sister going to school, I prefer not to ask for so many personal things, otherwise I would feel kind of selfish… I know it may seem silly, but our business has only just started and we can't make any big investments with such a small place." She admittedly sheepishly.

Yugi listened, and after having her explain it, it made more sense. He could relate, there were times where his grandfather was late to pay the rent due to the game shop not doing so well in sales for a certain month. It's why his grandfather always put savings in the bank for emergencies such as that if the Game Shop was coming up short. Especially in today's age and economy, smaller businesses were finding it harder to stay alive. It was a bloody battle just to keep afloat, but Yugi was never too worried. That shop had been around since his grandfather was his age, and he planned on inheriting it when it was his turn to take over the store. He told his grandfather that when he began middle school, and his mind hasn't changed since.

Despite that, the Kame Game Shop had been around for ages and outlived many other smaller businesses. Yugi didn't know how long Cosmo's flower shop would last, but since this was the time of the year where people would be planting and getting bouquets of different floras, they should at least be alright for the first year if anything. Even so, Yugi felt a bit selfish, he always asked his grandfather for certain items and he sometimes felt like he drained him of money they could be using for food or rent. His grandpa always told him not to worry about such trivial stuff like bills or taxes until he was older, but he would need to know about them eventually. "Well, you shouldn't feel guilty." He tried to tell her. She stared at him, her eyes went wide as he explained more. "I mean… sure, saving money is important. But you should treat yourself every once in a while, and as long as you spend your cash wisely, not saying you shouldn't be flaunting around money either!" He waved his hands as he trailed off, not sure where he was going with this anymore.

Despite his confusing rambling, Cosmo soon found herself laughing a bit. Yugi looked at her, seeing her eyes sparkle with a blue hue as she smiled. "Thanks Yugi… I know you are trying to make me feel better and it's working. I actually did kind of want a Digi Pet myself...but, money wasn't the only issue either." Yugi blinked, wondering what else could be the problem that would make Cosmo not want a Digi Pet herself. He was just about to ask her when a booming voice could be heard down the hallway.

"Get out of my way!" Cosmo and Yugi turned as they heard such a powerful voice nearby. They looked at one another before running towards the source to see what was going on. They turned a corner, seeing an awful sight. A young boy that seemed the same height as Yugi was lying on the ground, his back against the wall as he was wincing. He had golden rimmed glasses and short black hair with purple highlights. Towering over him was a larger student that was exceeding both weight and height than the average high schooler. He had on an orange shirt that showed off his round belly as his jacket was too loose to fit around him. His fat chin made his grin stand out even more creepily. And that bowl cut of ugly swamp green hair only added to his hideous expression.

Yugi didn't recognize the bigger student right away, but Cosmo gasped as she saw the scene. The purple haired boy tried to get up, but knew better to stay down until he was gone. The bigger of the two reached into his jacket pocket, taking out a bundle of cash. "Looks like your uniform got dirtied. Here, to help with your dry cleaning." He tossed the cash onto the smaller high schooler, letting it fall around him. The taller one laughed, walking away with his hands in his pocket. "Next time, make sure to get out of my way when I'm coming." He warned as he left, walking away. Once he was out of eyesight, Cosmo hurried over to help the other kid up on his feet.

"Are you okay, Haiyama-kun?" She asked, looking at him.

The black haired kid nodded as he kept his eyes on the ground. "It was my fault, I didn't get out of the way in time." His voice was low, as if he was trying to cover up something bad he did.

Cosmo shook her head. "No, he was in the wrong. He pushed you, you know how Kujirada is." She assured him.

"Kujirada?" Yugi repeated, trying to remember where he heard that name. He recalled a few girls mentioning it but he didn't listen to anything else they spoke about.

The one student, Haiyama, turned towards Yugi as he explained. "Kujirada is from class 2-A. He's a grade above us, so we don't see him except in the halls."

"Haiyama-kun and I are in the same math and history class." Cosmo explained. "He was the one that told me about Kujirada-kun. He's a self-absorbed guy who loves to flaunt his money around." As she said that, her eyes landed on the cash that the taller bully had spread out for Haiyama. "He used to be a quiet and shy student last year. But during the summer, his father got a better position at his company he works at, he got more money and gave his son a bigger allowance. Ever since then, his attitude has really changed as well as his physical appearance."

Cosmo sighed, holding her books close to her chest. "I really wish that someone would put him in his place. He has become such a bully to the other students, not just in his grade but others as well." She shuddered.

Haiyama looked at Cosmo, holding her shoulder. "There's really nothing we can do, if we just lay low and not go near him we should be safe. I just mostly feel bad for those that have a Digi Pet."

Yugi blinked, holding onto his own pet in his hands. He looked back at the two students and raised a brow. "Is Kujirada into Digi Pets?"

They turned back to face Yugi, both of them serious and nervous as Haiyama answered. "He says that he wants to win the contest so badly, so he's been trading money in exchange for people's Digi Pets. Sometimes, he would even take them by force. The only thing stopping him are the teachers who have confiscated the devices because they become too distracting."

"At least the teachers aren't too influenced by money." Cosmo sighed. "But that's another reason why I don't want a Digi Pet. I'm scared that Kujirada would end up taking mine away, and once they are gone from the device, you can't get them back…"

Haiyama sighed in sadness as he looked down, kicking his shoe against the floor. "I stopped bringing my pet to school because of that as well. I know once this contest is over, maybe things can go back to normal and we can play with our Digi Pets like before." Haiyama, despite his words, held no promise or confidence in them. Even his brown eyes didn't shine with any hope in them. Despite that, he tried putting on a brave smile and looking at Cosmo. "Thanks again for helping me. We better get to class though, the bell will be ringing soon."

"Yeah, you go on ahead. I'll meet you there, Haiyama-kun." Cosmo assured. He nodded, turning around and heading towards his classroom. As she and Yugi watched, he wondered how upset not just him and Cosmo were, but the other students that feel they can't play with their Digi Pets because of Kujidara. A pet wasn't something that should be used for a show, they're supposed to be cared for and loved, whether real or digital. Yugi didn't even care about the contest, he just wanted to take care of his own pet and raised it how he wanted to. He wasn't interested in the fact his pet may not be contest material, he would love his pet no matter what he would look like or how he turned out.

Cosmo turned back to Yugi, putting on a brave smile like Haiyama. "Maybe once this whole contest is over, or Kujirada somehow changes his attitude, we can play Digi Pets again without any worry. But for now… this is how things are. We don't have the power to change them, but maybe something will happen. Things will always work out in the end if you strive for a better goal, right?"

"Uh…" Yugi wasn't sure how to answer that. Actually, that was what he used to believe, but he knew it couldn't always turn out as well as he would hope for.

His thoughts were interrupted as the bell began to ring, signalling for students to hurry to class. "I guess we better get going. Don't want to be late for the third period. See you later, Yugi." She waved to him and turned on her feet, starting to head off to her class as well. At the moment, all Yugi could do was watch her back as she was making her way towards her next class, quietly and doing her best to remain small. He could remember a time when he felt the same way: the loner. Someone that kept to themselves despite wanting to have those to laugh with and share enjoyable moments in life.

'She reminds me of how I used to be before my friends.' Yugi noted as his eyes wavered, his face showing that of pain and worry. Come to think of it, she was like that when he first met her. So shy and quiet, wanting to be with someone and yet… there was usually a moment of hesitation. Almost as if she was scared to be rejected. Yugi knew that feeling all too well, and it was one he could empathize with. He didn't want her to be like the old version of who he was, no one deserved to be left alone. "C-Cosmo!" Yugi called out to her. It was enough to get her to stop, gasping as she turned to him, wide eyes as she stared with a confused expression. "Ummm… you know… if you ever want to talk or hang out, don't be afraid to come to me at any time. After all, we are friends."

The moment Cosmo heard those words, her eyes began to light up and sparkle like before. It was as if she was a different person every time she smiled. Cosmo giggled as she gave Yugi a friendly face. "Thank you, Yugi. You're a really nice person."

Upon hearing that, Yugi scratched his cheek as his face had a slight blush on it. "N-not really…" He was modest as he replied back to her. That was when he remembered that he wanted to give her something. "Oh yeah, hang on!" He ran over to her, grabbing something from his pocket and holding it. Once he was by her, he held her hands and placed the item in her palms. "I know you said you couldn't get one, but I saw this one and it spoke to me." He looked at her as his smile widened. "I figured you could have it. Then later on we can see how ours looks. If you have any questions, let me know. See you later." He waved as he turned on his heels and hurried to his class before the start of the next period.

Cosmo watched him run off, then turned her attention to the item he gave her. In her hands, she held a green Digi Pet device. It was brand new, not even turned on. She looked at it, seeing the color mostly as her smile widened. "My favorite color… did he know?" She wondered.

Yugi managed to make it back to the class just as the teacher was coming in. He quickly ran towards his desk to take a seat as the teacher placed his notes on the desk, looking over the class. "Order." He called out to silence everyone that were still talking. When everyone had taken their seats and hushed, they turned to their teacher and looked at him. "Alright, if everyone is here, we can begin home room…" The teacher stated as he looked over at the students to see if they were all here. However, his eyes landed over on an empty chair, confusion written on his face. Yugi and a few other students turned to it as well, as they knew who sat there. "Where's Honda Hiroto?" Yugi was curious about that as well. He was here this morning, and he seemed alright. Honda was never one to have taken a day off unless he was incredibly sick or it was a family emergency. He hoped nothing bad happened and that he was alright.

A student in the front with darker skin and a shaved head held up a small, white envelope. "He left this on his desk. Said to give it to the teacher." The kid handed the note to the adult, who looked it over. On the back was Honda's handwriting, as it stated: Taking the day off to raise a child. The teacher was dumbfounded by this as he read over it for the whole class to hear.

"Taking the day off… to raise a child?" He was bewildered by that statement, which soon became anger as he furrowed his brows. "What is the meaning of this?!" Yugi didn't get it right away, until he looked over at his friends that were in their seats. Miho had a smile on her face as she seemed giddy and hopefully. Anzu had a look that showed she had given up on something and Jounouchi held his head as he called Honda out for being an idiot. That was when Yugi put two and two together and figured out that by child, Honda must have referred to the Digi Pet that Miho had asked him to watch over. He did promise her that he would take care of the pet for her so she could get a break, but to think Honda actually took the rest of the day off to spend time with something he did not care for only an hour ago. Sure, he really only became passionate about it after Miho was into the craze, but to drop everything just for that was really idiotic. Then again, if it meant getting on Miho's good side, Honda would do anything. No doubt he was just doing this in the hopes of winning the contest and going to Australia with her. Well, whatever made him happy, the high schooler couldn't disagree.

The day soon came to an end, students were gathering their things, heading out to either their club activities or home. Yugi was walking with Jounouchi, Anzu and Miho, as they all agreed to stop by Burger World and grab an afterschool meal before heading back home. It was Yugi's idea, and he figured that since they hadn't been there in a while, they could hang out.

"I have to admit, it was a good idea to head to Burger World again." Jounouchi stated as they were walking down the sidewalk towards the restaurant.

"I could definitely go for a burger myself." Anzu agreed. Yugi was happy that they could only see that restaurant as something with good memories. Sure, the last time they went there a criminal had them all at gunpoint, but it has been quiet as of late in the city of Domino. No loose killers, no thieves stealing prized possessions and no curses. For the most part, things had simmer down in regards to crime. Aside from the bullies at school, the city has become pretty silent. So, Yugi was glad to be strolling down the streets with his friends by his side.

"It's kind of a shame that Honda couldn't join us though." Yugi chimed in, holding onto the straps of his backpack.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance. "Seriously, what was that guy thinking? Skipping school just to raise a Digi Pet. And he complained about me spending half of my day around mine."

"He sure took a 180 when it came to his view on the Digital Pets." Anzu noted as she had to agree with the blond for once.

Miho however, was none the wiser to it all. She just smiled, holding her chin with her fingers. "I am sure he must be taking care of my pet with all his strength. I can't wait to see how those two have gotten along. I'm looking forward to the contest every day." She cheered as she giggled. Jounouchi and Anzu sighed in disbelief, they didn't even want to try and put up with Miho's delusions. They focused on heading to the restaurant, and that was where they were heading. However, on their way to their location, Yugi noticed a commotion going on a bit ahead of them. He saw a bunch of younger children, elementary schoolers, staring at a large window in a shop. Yugi was the first one to notice, seeing the children crying out.

"Hey, look over there." He pointed at the group.

"There sure are a lot of kids looking through that window." Anzu noted.

"Wonder what they're staring at." Jounouchi pondered, making the group of high schoolers go over to see for themselves what the fuss was all about. They went behind the group, since they were much taller than the kids so they could get a better view. There wasn't much in the window, just one small object. However, this object alone was enough to get anyone to view it. Especially those that were into the trend of the digital pet.

"What?!" Yugi gasped as he looked at the portable device for the Digi Pet, which was a shiny, yellow color. "No way! It's a gold Digi Pet!"

Jounouchi looked at it as well, but wasn't as impressed as Yugi was. Even Anzu wasn't sure what the big deal was though Miho stared at it herself with some interest. "Is it a big deal?" Anzu asked.

Yugi looked at her, his eyes wide as he still thought about that item. "It's a limited edition pet that you won't be able to find anywhere else. They sell only 100 of them from what I was told. They say that the pet inside there is a very rare one with an amazing design and abilities." Yugi explained. Which meant that, according to Miho, the winner of the contest this Sunday would have their Digi Pet as a rare one and be created as a Gold Pet. It was a high honor, and it meant that you would have the only one of a kind pet for a long while.

The blond of the group perked up, hearing about the golden pet that was inside. "Wait, are you saying that if you had that kind of pet, yer sure to win the contest?!" Yugi nodded, confirming Jounouchi's question.

This made Miho even more excited as she jumped up and down. "I want it! I want it!" She giggled, imagining what kind of pet could come out of the Golden Digi Device.

Yugi knew Miho would want that type of Digi Pet, especially if she was interested in using it in the contest. Though his face told everyone that was not gonna be possible, as his eyes looked down to the floor. "Unfortunately, the device cost 50,000 yen." Jounouchi jumped, looking surprised and disgruntled as he repeated the amount that Yugi said. "It is a premium item from the creators, so of course it will be pretty expensive." Yugi explained, which made sense. Though there were only a certain number of them out there, the Digi Pet inside was only produced a number of times, so of course the price would be very high. Miho kept saying that she wanted to buy it, even though everyone knew she didn't have the money to pay. Even if all four of them put their allowances together, they would still most likely come up short.

However, there was one person in the crowd that was determined to get that pet. The high schoolers and the younger kids were being pushed against a large body, as a booming voice called out from the crowd. "Move it! Out of the way!" Yugi heard that voice before, and when he looked to see who had spoken, his face had utter shock written on it.

"Kujirada?" Jounouchi was just as surprised, watching from the sidelines as the fat student made his way to the window, pushing everyone else out of his way. Yugi couldn't believe his eyes. Why was Kujirada here? Yugi didn't expect to see him in such a place, and his anxiety spiked seeing the big high schooler making his way to the window. Wait a minute, was Kujirada interested in what was on display?

"That Golden Digi Pet is all mine!" He declared, raising his hand up as Kujirada launched his whole fist into the glass, smashing it and scattering shards of the fine material all around. The other kids were forced back as they were scared to be cut. Kujirada, however, was not phased as he held the keychain in his stubby hand. He smiled down at it, as if he just caught a big prize, which technically he did. His actions didn't have any consequences at first, until the door to the shop opened to reveal a middle aged man coming out, with a bald head and small, round glasses. He was pissed, and Yugi knew it was the owner. He screamed at Kujirada, clearly upset that his window was broken. For a moment there, it seemed that he would actually be in trouble for the destruction of the store. Only for Kujirada to give the man what he wanted.

"I believe this will be enough for the pet and the repairs." He stated, throwing a bunch of yen down upon the old man. The shop owner's attitude changed as he saw the cash falling down, he smiled and frantically tried catching the yen, making the other kids uncomfortable. Kujirada just laughed, walking away with the Gold Digi Pet in his hands. The young kids were upset about the fact that they lost out on getting the item, but the high schoolers were even more upset.

"That bastard…" Jounouchi glared at his back as the fat student walked off. "Before, he didn't even have enough money to buy a full lunch, just rice."

Anzu sighed, looking defeated once again. "It's just as everyone has been saying. He used to be a good kid, then he went wild once he got all that money. I heard he was even forced to quit cram school." Yugi remembered that part, apparently he got into a feud with some kids and stopped going to cram school for extra credit. He really had changed as a person, even though Yugi didn't know much about him. He had to wonder though, how far would Kujirada's greed take him? And would it end up being his downfall at one point? Yugi pondered that thought as the green haired boy laughed, holding onto his new Digi Pet.

---

It had been two days since Kujirada had taken the golden item, and for a while, things seemed to have gone quiet since then. Yugi had finished his second class for the day, and everyone was taking their break. It was Saturday, and they only had half classes today which meant that Yugi didn't have much to worry about. However, this was the third day in a row that Honda wasn't in class. Yugi figured that with the contest tomorrow, he was doing everything he could to raise Miho's pet so she would win the competition for certain. The young high schooler had to wonder how Honda was fairing with the Digi Pet life, but if he was gone for three days straight, he must at least be showing his dedication.

Yugi figured that since it was a break, he took out his Digi Pet and started playing with it. He could still hear the other students talking though, especially the conversation between Miho and Anzu who were a few desks away from him.

"This is the third day that Honda has been absent. Just what is that guy doing?" Anzu had to ask as she was standing above Miho's desk.

"I guess he's just been watching over my pet this whole time." Miho smiled. "Which means that Miho's pet must be a shoe in for the championship if he is taking such great care of it."

Anzu sighed in annoyance as she walked over to Yugi's desk, her hands behind her head. "I swear…" Yugi smiled as he saw them coming towards him. He had just woken up his pet and was planning on feeding and cleaning him up before shutting down for the next class. "Hey Yugi, how's your Digi Pet doing?" Anzu asked.

"Mine is really happy and healthy. I've been spending as much time as I can with him, and he really loves the attention." Yugi looked at his screen, as he and the girls got a good look at the pet that Yugi was raising. It was a round body with big eyes and a similar hairdo that Yugi had, along with crazy long eyebrows that had hands at the end of them.

"Aww, he's so cuuute!" Miho gushed, looking at the Digi Pet that belonged to Yugi. The short high schooler pressed a button, summoning a square shaped object in front of the creature with a capital E on it. When it appeared, Yugi's pet started munching on it as it slowly disappeared. "Look, he's eating!" Miho squealed as she watched the Digi Pet being taken care of by his owner.

"He really looks like his owner." Anzu commented with a smile.

Yugi blushed upon the comment, holding onto his device. "Hehe, I guess so. I call him Yu-2. I had a hard time figuring out the name, so I went with that." Yugi admitted. "Right now, he's a teen, but I'm certain he will become an adult soon." Yugi said, looking back at his digital creature. Over the past few weeks since he first got Yu-2, Yugi has grown attached to the little guy. So much so, he really considered Yu-2 his own pet, and one he was proud to take care of. Though he wouldn't admit this to everyone else since even he found it weird. But he loved Yu-2 and would be proud to spend as much time as he could with him. "Hey Anzu, what about your Digi Pet?" Yugi asked, curious how Anzu's pet was doing.

She giggled, digging into her pocket. "Mine is doing pretty good herself." She said as she held up her red portable device and showed it off to everyone. Inside the screen was a plum shaped creature with a ribbon on top and small eyes with large eyelashes.

"Anzu's looks cute too!" Miho gushed again, seeing Anzu's Digi Pet.

"Her name is Sumomo. She just hit the teenage stage yesterday." She held up her device proudly, with her hand on her hip and a big smile on her face. "I'm pretty proud of how she turned out. I can't wait to see how well she grows up into adulthood."

Yugi was curious to see how Anzu and his pet were gonna be when they get older, Yu-2 should be entering the adult stage soon, but he needed something more. Yugi was about to ask Anzu about it, until a certain blond character walked in, making a big entrance as he rushed into the room while having his voice boom out. "Wait a moment!" Jounouchi stood in a pose you would see someone from an action animes make. His legs apart, holding out his Digi Pet Port in his hand and holding it as if it was a special item to help transform him into a magical girl. He had a sly smirk on his face as he approached everyone, holding out his device for them all to see. "Too bad for you all, but that championship is going to my pet, Joe."

Everyone leaned in to take a look at the pet that was displayed on the screen, wondering what kind Jounouchi raised. Their curiosity was met with disappointment as they looked to see the fat beet body with judgmental eyes and a curly strand on top of it's head. Even the Digi Pet that Jounouchi had looked like he was upset to be the one getting raised by such a man. "Your pet isn't as cute…" Miho commented, losing her cheerful tone.

"It has the same cheeky look as it's owner." Anzu commented.

"S-shut up!" Jounouchi retorted. "I just need to get my guy to interact with more Digi Pets and get some traits from them."

Anzu raised a brow his way. "Forget it, I'm not having Sumomo go anywhere near that beet." She turned away, keeping her portable device in her hand.

Miho looked over at Jounouchi, raising up her hands in defense. "Sorry, but Honda has my Digi Pet and he isn't even here."

Jounouchi scoffed, realizing that the girls were a lost cause. Luckily, there was still one more person he could turn to. "Yugi, please! Let's have our Digi Pets do a data exchange. I need all the help I can get with Joe for him to stand a chance." Jounouchi was desperate, he really wanted that prize and Yugi knew that he would do anything to get it. He did admire his admiration, and even though Yugi wanted to ask Anzu for a data exchange, Jounouchi was his second option. Thinking about it though, perhaps Yu-2 could benefit from it.

"Well… Yu-2 is kind of timid, so if Joe has any of your confidence, I wouldn't mind giving some of that to my pet." Yugi admitted. As much as he liked Yu-2's obedient behavior, he didn't want his pet to be as weak as him.

"That settles it! Let's have our pets mate immediately!" Jounouchi declared, getting excited as he held up his device.

"Can you try to be less discrete?" Anzu cringed her face as she heard what he said. Jounouchi nor Yugi listened, as they connected their ports together, watching what their pets would do next. Both Digi Pets looked up on their own screens.

"Hey, I think they're looking at each other." Jounouchi noted.

"That means that the connection is working." Yugi smiled.

Before their eyes, Joe began waddling away from the screen, going to the edge and disappearing. "Mine left the screen." Jounouchi was getting more enthused as he watched Joe soon appeared on the same screen that Yu-2 was on. "Ah! There he is! He's approaching Yu-2!" For a moment, it seemed like things were going well. That was until Joe made the first impression. Everyone was in shock as Joe started kicking Yu-2, making the poor Digi Pet cover himself with his hands.

"He's bullying him!" Miho pointed out.

Anzu glared at the blond with a disapproval face. "Geez, he really is just like his nasty owner." Not even Jounouchi could come back from that comment.

Thankfully, the kicking soon stopped and Yu-2 responded by placing one of his eyebrow hands on Joe, as if petting him. "Phew, looks like they're getting along now." Yugi sighed, happy that it turned out well. The pets stood on the same screen for a bit, before Joe started waddling off. "Ah, looks like the data exchange is done."

"Sorry about that, Yugi… I guess he picked up on my old habits." Jounouchi unlinked their portable devices and sighed.

Yugi held onto his, eyeing the screen where his pet was. "Don't worry, the exchange worked out in the end. There should be some kind of growth in the next few hours, so we will have to see how they turn out by then." Yugi smiled, wondering what kind of data Yu-2 had gotten from Joe and how that data will change his code. Would Yugi's pet change in personality and looks? He could only wait for the results at this point, but hoped it would be soon.

"Alright! I'm gonna win the contest for sure!" Jounouchi declared, holding onto his Digi pet with some hope.

"You think you will win?" Upon hearing that voice, everyone turned to see the big bully himself enter the classroom, his wicked grin on his face as he looked down upon them. "The one who will be winning the contest is going to my Digi Pet." He smugly stated as he held up his golden portable device, letting it shine in the light for everyone to see.

Jounouchi did not let that get to him, trying to act cool as he had his own smug smirk. "Hey now, don't think that just because you got a Gold Pet means you have the advantage. Besides, someone like you could never raise an award winning pet."

Despite Jounouchi's words, Kujirada was not at all phased. "You believe so? Then feast your eyes on my ultimate pet! Devil Master!" Kujirada held up his device and showed the four his Digi Pet. On the screen, a large creature was there, wide eyes with short, stuffy hands and feet along with a black star on its body. It looked a lot bigger than the Digi Pet Yugi and the others had, no doubt it must have been at least an adult. At first glance, he didn't appear as intimating in such a pixelated style though. Anzu and Miho were confused, Jounouchi looked like he was ready to laugh but Yugi still had a bad feeling about it all.

"I dunno… he doesn't look like he has a lot of personality." Anzu commented.

"That's what you raised?" Even Jounouchi didn't seem intimidated by the Digi Pet.

Kujirada laughed, keeping his prize high for everyone to see. "With the right amount of money, you can pay to learn all kinds of tricks."

Jounouchi was starting to get pissed, glaring at Kujirada at the mention of his wealth. "Money won't help you win!"

His words did not reach the student, as Kujirada grabbed Anzu's red Digi Pet. She screamed, trying to grab it but he was too tall for her. "It's not just his strength, but rather his ability that will win me that championship." He forced Anzu's Digi Pet to link up to his, a look of terror and sadism plagued Kujirada's eyes as he watched his own pet. "Go! DevilMaster!" The group watched, wondering what kind of torture this high schooler was going to put Sumomo through with DevilMaster. To their horror, they could only watch as Anzu's pet started digitizing away, being deleted per say.

"No!" The brunette screamed in heartbreak. "Not my Sumomo!"

Kujirada held up his golden pet, his eyes devoid of any emotion other than greed as he kept cackling. "DevilMaster grows by eating other Digi Pets. Meaning no one will be able to go up against him unless they want to lose their precious pet." Then that meant that Sumomo had been deleted, making Anzu's device empty of any digital life. Yugi couldn't believe that someone would raise such a creature with an ability like that.

Even Jounouchi was not going to stand for it. "You son of a bitch!"

"Oh? You want your pet to be next on the chopping block?" Kujirada asked, staring at Jounouchi with intensity.

The blond was not gonna back down. "Just try it if you can! I'll be the one making your pet eat your own words!" Jounouchi accepted the challenge, knowing the consequences as he linked up Joe with DevilMaster. The beet like Digi Pet still seemed nonchalant about the ordeal, until DevilMaster slid onto Joe's screen, making the smaller digital creature hide in the corner as the bigger one was searching for his next meal.

"Go get em, Joe!" Jounouchi cheered for his pet. At his command, Joe appeared behind DevilMaster as his back was turned, using his small stub of a foot to kick him and tilt him to the side as a flash of an explosion appeared in the background. "Alright! Take that!" Jounouchi was getting cocky as he managed to land a hit on the creature. Yugi was slightly impressed but he felt his friend shouldn't be celebrating too soon.

Kujirada retaliated as he towered over everyone, getting annoyed by their defiance. "It's no use! Get him, DevilMaster!" Upon his orders, the larger Digi Pet managed to snatch Joe in his clutches, and just like Sumomo, Jounouchi's pet began to get deleted until there was nothing left. With the loss, Jounouchi had tear-streaked cheeks as he wept over the loss of his Digi Pet that he had spent so much time on. Calling out Joe's name as his heart was aching over the death. Kujirada kept chuckling, as he relished in the pain of Jounouchi's defeat. "That Australian trip is mine!" The greed had gotten to his head, along with his money.

Yugi was not going to stand by any longer, he had to say something, even though he knew there would be a chance Yu-2 would be next, he had to speak out. "That was uncalled for, Kujirada! How can you use the Digi Pets belonging to others to strengthen your own?! Everyone here has raised their Digi Pets with love and care! Using them as food for your own pet is unacceptable!" Yugi was doing all he could to be strong, he had to because no one else was going to stand up to the bully before them. Even with his words, they just reached deaf ears.

"Shutup!" Kujirada warned. "The ones that survive in this world are those that have the most money! I'll show you by eating your pet next!" Kujirada leaned in, ready to take Yu-2 from Yugi. For a split moment, the short student feared for the life of his Digi Pet, knowing he would not be able to stop his devastating fate. He didn't want to say goodbye to the little guy he grew attached to, but it seemed there would be no way out of it.

"Hold it!" A familiar voice called out as everyone, including Kujirada, turned to stare at someone coming into the doorway.

It was Jounouchi who recognized the one coming into the classroom. "Honda?" As he was finally in sight, everyone got a good look at him after three days of absence. Lose strands of hairs were sticking out of his mane, as his hair looked tangled and messy. When he looked up, he not only had large bags under his eyes, but his pupils were so constricted, that they just looked like tiny dots. Despite his tiredness, he still bore an approved smile upon his face.

"I have finally done it. I raised the ultimate pet." He declared himself in such a sleep deprived state.

"The ultimate pet?" Kujirada repeated.

"Three days without sleep or rest, minimum bathroom breaks and showers… It was all worth it for my masterpiece of a Digi Pet!" Honda reached into his pants pocket, grabbing Miho's device that he has been taking care of for the past few days. "He's now known as Super Ichigo!" Upon showing off the Digi Pet, it certainly looked much different than when Miho had it last. It now had a humanoid body, with an oval head that was cut at the top, a goofy smile and wide eyes along with a broom stick in hand. Upon seeing the new pet, Yugi and his friends couldn't help but laugh. It looked pretty goofy, a bit cute yes, but definitely didn't seem like it stood a chance against DevilMaster. Honda looked at them, passion and determination in his eyes. "Did you really think that I, a Beautification member, wouldn't put in 110 percent of my effort to create this creature? I'll show you what this Digi Pet can do!"

Kujirada only howled in laughter as he looked at Honda. He wasn't as intimidated as the others, and it clearly showed. "What can that pet possibly do? He'll only just be another meal for DevilMaster!"

Honda inwardly chuckled as he still smiled, even with all of the mockery, he was not wavered in the slightest. "Just try it, you trash!" Honda declared as he dramatically linked up Miho's Digi Pet with Kujirada's. In no time at all, DevilMaster appeared on the pink device, staring at Super Ichigo as it leaned in closer, ready to devour its third pet of the day. Miho screamed as everyone else watched in terror, believing that Super Ichigo would meet the same fate as Sumomo and Joe.

Even so, Honda kept his smile as he let Miho's pet do the work. And right away, he got to it as Super Ichigo used the broom stick he was holding and sweeping away on DevilMaster. "What the hell is he doing?" Jounouchi asked, watching as the pet cleaned up DevilMaster, making him pixelate out of existence. To everyone's surprise, Jounouchi spoke up. "He… He did it!" They couldn't believe it, the pet that Honda had raised for three full days had beaten a Gold Pet with ease. As if to show off his victory, Ichigo did a peace sign with a victorious smile before sweeping away more on screen.

"Super Ichigo does not tolerate trash in the digital world. If he finds anything trashy, he will erase it within five seconds." Honda explained as Super Ichigo finished cleaning his small LED screen, sparkles appeared as he had his goofy, wide eyed smile upon his face again. "A true Beautification Member of the Digital World!" He said with pride as he held onto the pink Digi Pet.

Kujirada took the loss as a sore loser, slamming his now empty Digi Port onto the desk, cursing as he walked off in a fit of rage. Jounouchi laughed as he watched the once powerful Digi Pet master be defeated and had to take the walk of shame. "That's what you get, greedy pig!" He called out, as even the girls watched him leave with resentment on their faces.

Yugi turned back to Honda, impressed by how strong the Digi Pet was. For someone that wasn't for such a thing, he showed that he was clearly a great master at it. "That was incredible, Honda!"

"He truly took up after you, Honda." Anzu noted, getting a better look at Super Ichigo.

The brunet responded with laughter. "Well, in the past three days I will admit I have grown attached to this guy. And I am deeply proud of how he has become." For a moment, it seemed that Honda was about to cry in pure joy. "He really has made me proud…"

"Don't go getting all mushy on a Digi Pet." Jounouchi warned in a mocking tone.

"You were the one crying after Joe got eaten." Anzu pointed out.

The blond glared at her. "Hey, don't disrespect the dead! Have you no shame?!"

Anzu simply rolled her eyes. "I lost one too, Jounouchi."

"At least Kujirada learned his lesson." Yugi smiled. "I just hope he doesn't cause any more problems." He prayed as this whole Digi Pet fiasco was over.

"Anyways, Super Ichigo has me seeing him in a new, cute light." Miho chimed in with a smile. "I can't believe how well you raised him, Honda."

"Well, I promised you I would." He laughed nervously with a blush as he was being praised by the ribbon haired girl.

Miho was still gushing. "If he can win against a gold pet, he is a shoe in for the competition for sure!"

Honda nodded, becoming determined once more. "If there are those that try to get in the way, Super Ichigo will sweep them away just like DevilMaster!"

"A true janitor through and through." Jounouchi sighed.

"I can't wait!" Miho squealed in excitement. She was even more happy with the idea, and it seemed she would really be winning the contest or at least a good shot of it. Yugi was glad that there was a moment of peace now, he just hoped it would last until tomorrow.

---

School had come to an end for the day, everyone was getting ready to leave. Yugi was gathering his stuff from his desk, before heading to his locker. As he was gathering his belongings, he could still hear Honda and Miho who were planning on walking home together. Miho had agreed to take her pet back from Honda, since she figured he could use the sleep after being awake for three days. And with Super Ichigo as he was, she saw no reason to worry too much about over working to keep up with the competition. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Miho chimed in a happy tone. "If I win, I'll be sure to take Honda and everyone else to Australia with Miho. Since it will be summer down there, I was thinking of buying a new swimsuit as well."

Upon hearing that, Honda's face immediately became red. "A… s-swimsuit…" clearly he was imaging the young girl in a beautiful two piece water outfit.

"I'll also need some new night wear, since I don't know how hot or cold it will be down there… Oh! I wonder if Miho would need pants or a skirt…?" She asked herself as she held her briefcase then began to walk out of the classroom. Honda followed, as he kept muttering 'nightwear' while catching up with Miho. Yugi exhaled in contempt, but Honda was happy in his own weird way. And Miho did agree to bring him along to the trip as payment for helping her raise her pet, so at least she was generous enough to let Honda share in her success. Yugi wasn't sure if Miho would win, since he didn't know what the competition would be like, but he wished them the best of luck. Once all of his things were gathered, he too made his way out of the classroom and headed for the lockers to change out his shoes. As he was near the entrance of the school, he once again found himself looking towards the young green haired girl.

"Cosmo!" He called out as he walked up to her. She had finished putting on her home shoes, looking over to catch Yugi.

"Ah, looks like we've bumped into each other once again." She smiled with amusement. "Do you want to walk home together?"

Yugi nods, slipping on his shoes as quickly as he could then once that was done, he walked with her out of the doors and headed in the direction of their homes. The day was still young since it was only a half day for the students. Yugi wasn't sure what he was going to do the rest of the day, most likely finish his homework and then help out at the shop. Maybe if he had some free time, he could check up on Yu-2, who should be getting close to his adult phase soon with the help of the data he got from the deceased Joe. He was still curious to wonder what Yu-2 will look like once he evolves, since the exchange would make his coding different. Speaking of which. "Hey, Cosmo… how is your Digi Pet doing?"

The green haired girl smiled over at Yugi, as she walked by his side. "I think I am doing alright. At the moment, my Digi Pet only looks like a small circle."

"Don't worry, that's how they usually look after they have hatched." Yugi assured her.

Cosmo nodded. "Well, so far she seems to be doing well. Pretty quiet though, but I'm doing all I can to spend as much time with her as possible."

"Have you given her a name?" Yugi asked.

"I've named her Sakura… I know it's not creative but I wanted to try to keep up with the flower themed." She admitted as Cosmo took out her green portable device out, showing it off to Yugi though the screen was turned off. Still, her eyes sparkled as she looked at the item she was holding. "I'm hoping that eventually, I want to be able to raise more Digi Pets and play with each of them. It's a really great pass time, and there is some satisfaction you get from raising it well." She sighed.

"Say Cosmo, have you ever had any pets?"

She shook her head sadly. "I do love animals, but never could see myself taking care of them. To me, raising plant life was always easier. But, if I did want to have some sort of pet… I suppose I would end up having a deer…"

Yugi looked at her, surprised by her answer. "Like a fawn?"

"Or perhaps a rabbit, something cute and fluffy." She admits. "I never really liked the idea of having a common pet, something more exotic."

"I don't know about owning a deer… but rabbits are pretty easy to get." Yugi stated.

"What about you, what kind of pets would Yugi have?" she asked.

Yugi looked at her, blinking as he had to think. He did always imagine himself to have an animal with him, but the shop was already small enough with his grandfather and him living there. Even so, he never knew what kind of pet he would have, there were so many options yet none of them fit the kind of personality that would go with him. So, he answered as best he could. "To be honest, I guess I would want a Duel Monsters card as my pet."

She looked at him, blinking in confusion. "You mean a monster from that card game?"

He nods. "I kind of like the fluffy one with the big eyes… Kuribo I believe it was called." It was the best answer he could give her, and she giggled.

"Well, this just gives me even more reason to want to learn more about Duel Monsters." She noted as she smiled at him. Yugi liked that smile, it really did remind him of himself. He grinned back at her as they kept walking, for a moment, it felt like there was real peace once again. Although, Yugi had to ask, since after today he wondered about Kujirada and how he had been towards everyone else. He fell behind Cosmo a bit as he wondered what he was going to say to her, how should he phrase it? He was so distracted by what to ask, his eyes drifted over to a moving figure in the corner of his eyes. Yugi stopped walking, seeing the big and familiar guy running off, carrying something over his shoulders. He stood there, watching the figure leave, but he could have sworn it looked like…

"Yugi?" Cosmo grabbed his attention as she called his name. He looked over at her, as she stared at him with worry. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

The young boy shook his head, it was best not to tell Cosmo nor get her involved. "I'm alright, I just remembered I left something back at school. If I hurry I think I can still get it."

"I see… well, I won't keep you waiting. I can walk the rest of the way myself, see you later Yugi." Cosmo waved, heading off as she would not ask anymore questions. Yugi was relieved she bought that excuse, he didn't want her to come with him in case something bad would happen. Still, he had to know what was going on. So he followed the figure, a bit away from the homes until he found himself near a warehouse facility. At that moment, Yugi had a very bad feeling as he wandered the place as the sun was nearly at it's set point. Despite what his gut was telling him, he had to continue as he knew that if he didn't check up, something worse would happen. Eventually, he spotted a particular warehouse where another familiar character was standing in the front.

When Yugi saw him, he called his attention. "Honda!" Yugi hurried over to where his friend was. As soon as he saw him, Honda had only one word written on his face: Anger. The brunet turned towards Yugi, making him confused for a split second only to get back to being enraged.

"Stay back, Yugi! This could get very dangerous!" Honda warned, as he was ready to kick open the door to the warehouse.

"It's Kujirada isn't it?" Honda turned, hearing Yugi's question which made him once again curious. "I saw him carrying something over his shoulder! I was worried so I had to follow." Honda's features settled, trying to contain himself. He didn't want Yugi or anyone else involved in this matter, but now it was too late. Still, Yugi had to know.

"Miho and I were walking together, she had some ideas about what to pack and asked me what I was planning on bringing. I was so deep in thought, I walked ahead of her and… when I heard her scream all I saw was a note by Kujirada telling me to meet here." He explained everything, and Yugi took it all in terror. Kujirada kidnapped Miho? Was it revenge for humiliating him earlier that day? "He told me to bring the Digi Pet I helped Miho raised. I will not forgive that bastard!" He snarled, flaring up with madness as he looked back at the door. Yugi didn't blame him, this was going too far. Even so, they had to do something before Miho suffered more. The smaller of the two looked up at his friend, indicating that whatever happens next, he was going to be by his side. Honda stared at him, as he was not going to waste another second. With a high powered kick, he blasted the door open as he ran inside. "Kujirada! Where are you?! Return Miho right now!" He demanded, rushing in and looking around the dark warehouse for the girl, Yugi ran behind him.

Honda kept calling out for both Kujirada and Miho, hoping either one of them would turn up. Yugi looked around, though the room was dimly lit, he did what he could to help Honda out. Soon enough, they both saw her. Miho Nosaka was hanging up by the wrists on some metal crates, suspended in mid air. "Miho!" Honda gasped, seeing her in such a state. She seemed fine physically though, but still. Honda began to run towards her, as Yugi was close behind. It wasn't until the lights were fully operational in the warehouse, did the two stop in their movements to see the surroundings around them.

It was much more full than they thought, tables containing several computer monitors, manuals about raising pets, specifically, Digi Pets. There were even portable Digi Pet devices scattered around the tables. "What is this?" Honda asked, as he and Yugi checked over the room. Even he wasn't sure what to make of any of this.

"Ah, welcome to my lab." The booming voice of Kujirada called out, appearing from behind a few crates, whip in hand and a sadistic grin upon his face. Yugi stepped back, looking up at Kujirada. He wasn't the same as back in the class this morning. There was something far off putting about him… something more dangerous.

"Kujirada!" Honda shouted his name, raising his fist to show he was ready for a fight. "What is the meaning of this?!"

The fat student raised a brow, holding his whip high for the other two to see. "It should be obvious, shouldn't it?" Kujirada spread out his arms for them to see. "This is my Digi Farm. I have had a fascination with these creatures ever since they came out. Raising these creatures, using them for my purpose, it made me feel just as powerful as my father after he got his promotion. Sure, I love money, but this is a great pass time. You could say it is my own side business. After all, there are those that would pay a fortune just to get a chance to take home a very strong, rare pet. After a while, my old man didn't get me much more of an allowance, so I had to think of more… creative ways to get what I wanted."

Honda and Yugi listened, hearing his plan as his whip was still high up. "However, I didn't expect to have one of my pets be defeated so quickly from someone else. After spending so much money on cheats and codes to strengthen them as well… yet yours took DevilMaster down without any effort." Kujirada chuckled as he stared at the brunet in the room. "At any rate, I want to thank you for raising my new pet for me. I'm sure that with the competition tomorrow, there will be those that will pay a million yen just to get such a great Digi Pet to win them the contest!"

It was at this point that Yugi had to step up to say something. "Kujirada, this is wrong! It's one thing to raise pets on your own and be passionate about them, but selling them off and using others to help you raise them is too much! Each pet needs to be valued for their affection and care, not their cost!"

Once again, Yugi's words fell on deaf ears as Kujirada glared at him. "You forget one thing, in this world, those that have the most money and power rule! You are nothing compared to me!" With a flick of his hand, Kujirada's whip rose in the air, hitting Yugi in the face which caused him to fly backwards and crash into many boxes. He landed face first on the floor, causing Honda to become increasingly worried.

"Yugi!" He gasped.

Kujirada chuckled. "He is just as weak as his pet, he would make a very worthless caretaker."

Honda looked over at the fat high schooler, balling his fists as he ran off to try and get to Kujirada. "You bastard!" He cursed. Kujirada raised his weapon, attempting to attack Honda the same as he did with Yugi. Honda was able to dodge the oncoming attack once, then twice as he kept his guard up. He was close to the student and was ready to fight him one on one, until a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over his body, making his eyes go blurry and his movements more sluggish. This was the perfect opportunity for Kujirada to hit Honda in the face with his whip, sending him face first on the ground just like Yugi. "Why must the aftermath of staying up all night have to affect me now?!" He wondered as his face fell to the concrete.

"Ha! Finished already?" Kujirada laughed as he looked down upon the burnet, who was far too tired to even try and fight anymore. "Now then, let us agree to the terms upon this exchange. You give me your Digi Pet and I give you something in return. Usually, I allow everyone else a compensation fee for how much their pet makes, but, I think I know what you really want, Honda Hiroto." He turned on his heels, looking over at the strung up Miho. He used his whip as it landed on the girl, but not her face. Rather he used it to flick off her bow tie on her school uniform. Yugi managed to get a look himself, same with Honda as they both knew what Kujirada would give to Honda in exchange for Super Ichigo. "So? What do you think? Seems like a better trade, wouldn't you agree?"

Honda was not pleased at all, in fact he was even more disgusted as he glared at the big piece of trash before him. "Kujirada… I'll never forgive you for what you have done nor will I hand over anything to scum like you!" He attempted to once again lunge at the person before him, despite being overly sleepy. Kujirada however, was the one that got the last blow as his whip hit Honda square in the face once again, sending him against the wall and making him crash onto the ground, knocked out fully.

"What a fool. I tried being fair to him too." Kujirada smiled down at Honda, who was no doubt unconscious from the beating. Yugi watched, petrified as Honda went down so easily. If he wasn't so sleep deprived, he could have handled Kujirada despite being at a disadvantage. One way or another, he was going to get what he wanted, even if that meant beating and humiliating everyone around him. Yugi couldn't handle that, he didn't want anyone of his friends to suffer at the hands of this insane, greedy Digi Pet fanatic. It was at that moment, Yugi knew he had to do something, no matter what or how drastic it was. Once again, he felt the same warm and cold feeling as his Millennium Puzzle glowed around his neck. Encasing Yugi in both light and darkness, Kujirada turned around in time to see what was going on. Before him, 'Yugi' stood, much taller, with sharper and redder eyes than before. "What is this?!" Kujirada asked, seeing 'Yugi' standing as if he had not just been beaten.

"Kujirada… why don't you have one of your pets fight mine instead?" 'Yugi' offered.

"You want to fight one of my pets?" Kujirada asked, starting to get excited from the offer. "Very well, but if you lose, your pet becomes chow for my ShadowLord!"

"Then… let me tell you right now that this game will be a Shadow Game. Where the loser will end up losing more than just their pet." 'Yugi' warned.

Kujirada mused, grabbing a silver portable Digi Pet and linking it up with 'Yugi's'. "Then, let the battle begin!" He declared. Once they were linked, large illusions of their pets appeared behind them. Yu-2 with a yellow body along with red hair. White hands on his purple eyebrows and long, blue shoes. Kujirada's pet on his side was a dark blue and black lizard-like creature, sharp claws and a vocal sack like that of a frog, as well as green beedy eyes and a red star on his chest. "Go on, ShadowLord! Attack and eat your next meal!" Kujirada ordered his Digi Pet, who jumped in front of him and ran towards Yu-2. 'Yugi's' pet went over, preparing for battle despite the differences in levels. Yu-2 attempted to kick ShadowLord to throw him off balance, however, the enemy retaliated with a punch, making Yu-2 fly up in the air. Kujirada bellowed as he was watching the fight, too entertained to really question this reality he was watching. "Too bad, 'Yugi', your pet is no match for mine!"

Despite his decree, 'Yugi' still stared at him with determined eyes. "Don't underestimate this loser, when he can still beat you." 'Yugi' looked over at his Digi Pet, who nodded and squeaked in response, jumping towards ShadowLord to take the offensive.

"Try as you might, the outcome will be the same unless you can pull a trick up your sleeve." ShadowLord rushed towards Yu-2, grabbing him in his large claws and howled in victory. "Go on ShadowLord, eat up!" Kujirada ordered as his Digi Pet opened his sharp mouth wider. 'Yugi' gasped, shocked as he feared Yu-2 would become a meal for the more powerful Digi Pet. At this point, he could only hope for a miracle as not even he knew what he could do to turn this situation around. Thankfully, his prayers were answered as a loud beeping came from 'Yugi's' Digi Pet port, a sound he knew the meaning behind. Kujirada raised a brow, confused as he was not familiar with that noise, but 'Yugi' smiled as he was certain the battle would shift in his favor now.

"The data exchange between Joe and Yu-2 have been fully processed." He said. "Which means that the Digi Pet will evolve with the data that has been transferred."

"What?!" Kujirada questioned, beginning to get a bit worried. Yu-2 started to become surrounded in orange flames, making ShadowLord release his prey as he could only watch the effects take place. Yu-2 transformed, his body red and black instead of yellow and black. His gloved hands were much bigger in size as his purple eyebrows were now arched in the shape of thunderbolts, making him look more serious and all the more dangerous. ShadowLord blinked, just as confused as his master as he saw the Digi Pet growing more in confidence. Yu-2 readied his fist, running over and punching ShadowLord square in the face, causing the lizard-like creature to fall to the ground after just one hit.

Kujirada did not like this, as he did not want to lose a second time. "Hey! Get up already!" Kujirada used his whip, trying to get his Digi Pet back up again.

"Kujirada, the match is over. I won." 'Yugi' declared, with his newly evolved Yu-2 behind him.

"Not yet! Come on, don't forget who created you! I raised you, so get up and win me this match or I will erase you!" Kujirada demanded, whipping his Digi Pet more and more, until finally the creature began to stir. "Finally, now get back out there!" He told ShadowLord, but the Digi Pet only glared at Kujirada, snarling at him as it went closer. Fear began to creep up on the high schooler as he saw the beast tower over him. "W-what are you doing?! I raised you, remember?" But his pleads went unanswered, as ShadowLord towered over him, mouth unhinged while Kujirada was frozen by his nightmares to move.

"The door of darkness has opened." 'Yugi' declared as he watched the illusion of ShadowLord devour Kujirada, even though it was just the magic of the Millenium Puzzle, the effects that would be mental were real. "Pets are only loyal to their owners, if the owners treat the pets nicely. Otherwise, you will end up with their fangs in your skin." 'Yugi' declared, watching Kujirada faint to the floor. He was in a very deep sleep, and yet he still felt the night terrors of all of the pets he raised chasing after him, trying to eat him as per their revenge. 'Yugi' leaned down, seeing the pathetic mess that was left of Kujirada. "There is more to raising a pet than feeding and discipline. Love and care are a needed factor, something that not even you were able to understand in the end."

After that battle, Miho was the one to steer as she was laying down on Honda's chest. 'Yugi' managed to get her down from her prison and waited for either her or Honda to wake up. Since Honda was sleeping still, and after being up three nights in a row, it was logical that the purple haired girl would be the first to wake up. She yawned and looked around, noticing the warehouse was more of a mess than before with boxes scattered, tables broken and even an unconscious Kujirada. "Where am I?" Miho asked as she stood up.

"Miho!" The girl turned, hearing the voice of her friend as she saw Yugi standing there with a smile. "Thank goodness, I was worried you guys would be out the rest of the night."

She blinked, staring at Yugi. "What happened?" She asked.

"Kujirada took you here to try to get Super Ichigo from Honda. But I believe Honda was able to stop him." Yugi guessed, not sure what else happened since he blacked out during the near end of the fight. Miho looked over, seeing an unconscious Kujirada with many portable Digi Pet devices and a whip by his side. She had so many questions, but figured it best not to go into detail.

"Are you alright?" She asked Yugi.

He nodded and smiled. "Just a few scratches, but nothing I can't handle at this point. Honda should be alright to, but it seems like the late nights have gotten to him." He stated as he looked to see the Beautification member snoring soundly.

Miho couldn't help but giggle. "Even if we don't win tomorrow, I will still be grateful for how much he helped me. I think I should try taking him to the beach this summer as a way to make it up to him."

Yugi smiled, glad Miho was considerate enough for her to want to make up for what Honda had to go through. She did have her good moments at least. "Should we try and get Honda back home?"

Miho shook her head. "Nah, it's not that late. Let's have him sleep for a bit, he deserves it."

"Yeah, plus I don't think we will be able to bring him up with the two of us." Yugi added, realizing that Miho and his upper body weight would not be enough to even lift up Honda. So, it was best to let him get a bit of rest before waking him up and bringing him back to his house.

Honda snored as he was deep in sleep, muttering in his state. "Miho… you look… good in that suit…" he sighed with a blush on his face. Both Yugi and Miho knew what he was thinking, which made her giggle. Even in his sleep, Honda was determined to make his dreams come true. Really, it was his biggest flaw.