Chapter 12: Rising Above
Wardington…
Ryder sat on a park bench, looking at the sky as he rested after battling several brawlers. He had managed to raise his ranking to the mid-eighties, and he was taking a break. The boy leaned back on the bench as Leonidas sat next to him on the top of the bench.
"We've been making good progress. With this much progress, we'll make it to the finals in no time!" Leonidas exclaimed.
"With only a few weeks left, we just might." Ryder agreed as he sat up straight.
"Still, though. It feels surreal that all of this is happening. If you told the me from a month ago that I would be out of New York and friends with the Battle Brawlers, I'd think you were lying." Ryder smiled.
"I suppose you were very different. This short amount of time has changed you." Leonidas commented.
"Yeah. Now I'm getting better and reaching the top of the world! And I won't be stopping now; I'll make it to the top! After all, why not?" Ryder smirked.
"Well said! Let us battle for number 1!" Leonidas exclaimed as Ryder stood up.
"Either way, that won't be for a while. But I'm sure we can get up there." Ryder replied.
"I think that's enough of a break. Let's get back to brawling before we have to train with Shun again." Ryder insisted as he remembered the training he went through the day prior.
"Sounds good to me." Leonidas agreed as he hopped onto Ryder's shoulder.
Ryder trekked through the park, looking for more brawlers to battle against. Thankfully for him, no one in the town knows who he is. Which made battling more people easier in comparison to back home in New York, where he had a reputation.
If he still had a reputation as a bad brawler, it wouldn't matter, but he had changed that reputation into being a very good brawler. Which meant that fewer people wanted to battle with him in comparison to those in Wardington.
"Thinking about it, though, it's probably nighttime back home." Ryder thought.
"I wonder how things would have turned out if I never met Leonidas. I probably would never have come here, that's for sure." Ryder noted.
"I probably also wouldn't have met…." Ryder began before he noticed someone in front of him.
"Alice?" Ryder questioned as he looked at the ginger-haired girl who walked in front of him holding a basket.
"Oh, hi Ryder!" Alice greeted, giving the boy a small wave.
"I thought you were back to working at Runo's shop." Ryder pointed out.
"I am, but they needed a few things from the store, so I offered to get them," Alice explained, patting the basket in her arms.
"Ah, I see," Ryder replied.
"Are you and Leonidas battling to increase your rank?" Alice inquired.
"Yep. We want to get as many battles in as we can so we can increase our chances of getting to the finals." Ryder answered.
"Sounds good." Alice smiled.
"I uh…should get going. I don't want to keep Runo waiting." Alice said.
"Oh. Right. We don't want to make her angry." Ryder agreed.
"Right." Alice laughed as neither moved an inch from where they stood.
"Would. Would you mind if I come with you for a little?" Ryder asked, blushing a little.
"Not at all," Alice responded also with a slight blush.
"Does that mean no battles?" Leonidas questioned as he looked at the two walking off.
"I still don't understand humans." Leonidas sighed as he followed.
"So, has the restaurant been busy today?" Ryder inquired, making small talk with Alice.
"No, it seemed the rush from yesterday was because of a special event for the day. Today has been pretty slow." Alice responded.
"Well, that's good. I doubt Runo would be happy losing more training because of a rush." Ryder commented.
"That's true." Alice laughed as she looked at the canal next to them.
"You know, I never thought I'd see such calm running water at this time of year," Alice commented.
"Back at home, the only running water around this time would be very rapid due to the cold," Alice explained.
"Do you miss your home?" Ryder asked.
"Yes. While I don't mind being in the warmth, I do miss my old home and the snow." Alice answered.
"The fresh snow on the ground was always beautiful," Alice added.
"I always associate snow with Christmas, but I have to agree that it is a sight to look at," Ryder replied.
"Though it must have been cold living in Russia," Ryder commented.
"It wasn't always bad. Sitting by the fire was very relaxing." Alice replied.
"Do you miss your home?" Alice inquired.
"A little, yeah, but until you came around, it was really empty," Ryder answered.
"I don't really have friends in New York either, so the one thing I looked forward to every day was battling," Ryder added.
"But now I'm friends with you and the other Battle Brawlers. I haven't had this much fun in a while." Ryder smirked.
"So I'm glad to be here," Ryder grinned.
"I'm glad you're here too." Alice smiled before she noticed something or, more specifically, someone by the canal.
"What's he doing?!" Alice gasped as she pointed to a boy next to the canal holding up an Aquos Bakugan.
"Oh no!" Alice cried as she ran towards the boy.
A confused Ryder quickly followed as Alice ran down the steep hill before she tripped. Upon seeing this, Ryder leaped forward and caught her but couldn't stay up, causing both to fall. Ryder took the brunt of the fall as the two landed next to the boy who dropped the Aquos Bakugan.
"Are you two okay?" The Boy inquired as Alice and Ryder opened their eyes and got embarrassed at the fact that both fell and that Alice was on top of Ryder.
"We're…we're fine," Ryder answered as he and Alice got to their feet, and Ryder noticed the Aquos Bakugan on the ground and picked it up.
"Is this your Bakugan?" Ryder asked as he held the Bakugan out.
"N-No…it's not mine. You can keep it." The Boy denied.
"That's not true," Alice stated, drawing the two boy's attention.
"I saw you getting ready to throw it away," Alice explained.
"She's…" The Boy thought as he recognized Alice.
"That explains why you ran down," Ryder commented.
"Why were you going to throw this Bakugan away?" Ryder asked, catching the Boy's attention.
"Does it matter?" The Boy questioned, not looking either of the two in the eye.
"Bakugan are living beings, so throwing one away is pretty bad," Ryder responded.
"Exactly. What would bring you to throw it away?" Alice agreed.
"Because…because I'm tired of losing!" The Boy cried.
"I battle every day but never win! Everyone beats me and picks on me to get easy battles, and I'm sick of it!" The Boy added.
When the boy's words hit Ryder's ears, the older brawler felt a familiarity with it. He had experienced the same back in New York before he met Leonidas. Everyone sought him out for an easy battle, and Ryder could only accept.
Sometimes he too would think of quitting battling, but Ryder never could bring himself to do so, and now he was far better of a brawler. It made him sympathize with the boy as he understood exactly what he was going through.
"Sounds like someone else I know," Leonidas commented.
"Look, just because you lose all the time doesn't mean you need to quit," Ryder assured.
"Why not? If brawling is no fun, then why continue?" The Boy questioned as Alice approached him.
"What's your name?" Alice inquired.
"Christopher," Christopher answered.
"Why do you think your only choice is to quit Bakugan?" Alice asked, kneeling down to the boy's level.
"Because I only lose, and I never improve," Christopher stated.
"But you can if you really try," Alice assured.
"I have tried, but nothing ever works." Christopher pouted.
"That doesn't mean things won't change!" Ryder declared, getting both Christoper and Alice's attention.
"I was once like you. Everyone wanted to battle me because I was the easiest to beat, but I've gotten a lot better." Ryder explained.
"How did you improve?" Christopher inquired as the boy's shattered hopes lifted a little.
"It took me a while, but after a lot of practice, I got better. But the first step is having confidence in yourself to win." Ryder answered.
"Is that really how you did it?" Christopher asked.
"Well, there are a few other things, but those are the major factors," Ryder responded.
"But how could I do that? I've never won a battle before. I can't believe in myself not to fail." Christopher murmured.
"It may be hard, but only you can take the first step," Ryder replied as he got an idea.
"How about we battle?" Ryder suggested, much to the boy's surprise.
"You want to battle me too?" Christopher questioned, looking nervous as he didn't want to be beaten so easily again.
"I don't wanna!" Christopher cried as Ryder stood shocked, worried that he scared Christopher.
"I think we should go about this a little differently, Ryder." Alice pointed out with a small chuckle at how Ryder was having a hard time.
"Sorry, I'm not really good at this." Ryder sighed as Christopher calmed down.
"I just don't want to battle knowing I'll lose," Christopher explained.
"But you don't know that you'll always lose," Alice replied.
"I never win," Christopher murmured.
"Then let's change that!" Ryder exclaimed.
"I'll help you get better at brawling!" Ryder declared, placing a hand on Christopher's shoulder.
"Really?" Christopher asked.
"Yeah. I was in your shoes once, so I'll help you out!" Ryder smirked as Christopher looked at him with awe.
"Okay!" Christopher smiled.
"I can help too." Alice offered as she stood up.
"Wait, don't you need to bring that stuff to Runo's?" Ryder inquired as he pointed at the basket in Alice's arms.
"Oh no! I better get these to Runo before she gets mad." Alice gasped.
"I'll be back later to help!" Alice waved as she ran off.
"Was she really Alice from the Battle Brawlers?" Christopher inquired.
"Yeah, that's her," Ryder responded.
"I can't believe I just met one of them. And she wants to help me." Christopher murmured.
"I'm here too. I may not be a Battle Brawler, but I'm still pretty good." Ryder commented.
"Well, uh…thank you." Christopher thanked.
"My name is Ryder, by the way, and this is my partner Leonidas." Ryder introduced as he motioned to Leonidas.
"Greetings, little human," Leonidas said.
"You have a talking Bakugan?!" Christopher gasped as he stared at the Darkus Bakugan.
"Yep, but that's not the reason I've gotten better at brawling," Ryder replied.
"At least not all of it." Ryder thought.
"So, since you don't want to battle, let's see what you have in terms of Bakugan and cards," Ryder suggested as the two went to a nearby bench.
Christopher laid out everything he had on him, placing each card individually and all his Aquos Bakugan parallel to one another. Ryder inspected them carefully and noted he had some good cards and Bakugan.
"What you have here is pretty good, Christopher. I'm surprised you lose so much." Ryder commented.
"Tell me do you get nervous when you battle?" Ryder inquired.
"Yes. Most of the people I battle get in my head, and it causes me to make a lot of mistakes." Christopher explained.
"Hmm. Maybe we should try that sometime." Leonidas suggested as Ryder just shook his head at him.
"Well, maybe we should work on that first," Ryder smirked.
"But how to go about it?" Ryder wondered.
"Well, Well, if it isn't little Christopher." A Sly voice mocked as another boy approached the two brawlers.
"T-Travis!" Christopher stuttered as he hid his Bakugan and cards.
"Who's this?" Ryder asked.
"He's a bully. He the one who comes to battle me the most because I'm an easy win," Christopher answered.
"What's wrong, Christopher? Don't want to battle?!" Travis goaded.
"He's not battling right now. How about you battle someone else." Ryder insisted brushing the bully off.
"He doesn't look busy," Travis stated.
"Neither do any of the other brawlers here." Ryder pointed out as several other brawlers were in the area.
"Listen here, bud. This doesn't involve you!" Travis hissed as Ryder got up.
"Well, my new friend Christopher here doesn't feel like battling. So how about you battle me? Or are you scared of going against someone you're not sure you can beat?" Ryder challenged.
"Scared?! No way!" Travis denied as he began to sweat nervously.
"Then how about it?" Ryder smirked as Travis gritted his teeth.
"Are you sure about this?" Christopher questioned.
"Yeah, it's fine. Just watch closely, Christopher." Ryder smiled, giving the boy a thumbs up.
"Someone's overconfident." Travis hissed.
"Yeah, well, I've got the skills and partner to back it up," Ryder replied as he took out his field card.
"So. Are we doing this?" Ryder inquired as he waved the card around.
"Fine if you insist on losing that bad!" Travis answered as he took out his own field card, with Christopher doing the same.
"Field Open!" They shouted as time slowed to a stop.
"Gate Card Set!" The two brawlers continued as they tossed their gate cards.
"I'll be going first!" Travis stated as he grabbed onto one of his Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Mantris Stand!" Travis yelled as he landed his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Darkus Mantris G power 480 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"He uses Darkus too, huh? Interesting." Ryder smiled as he grabbed onto his Bakugan.
"Let's see what you've got." Ryder snickered.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Laserman Stand!" Ryder shouted.
"Darkus Laserman G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"What a fool!" Travis laughed.
"Gate Card Open! Darkus Reservoir!" Travis declared as the gate card opened.
"Darkus Mantris G power increase by 80 Gs. Darkus Mantris G power 560 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Mantris charged in toward Laserman, slicing at its fellow Darkus Bakugan. Laserman attempted to keep Mantris at bay by firing its shoulder cannons, but it was for not. It was knocked down to the ground as Mantris towered over it.
"Ability Card Activate! Shadowscratch!" Ryder countered, tossing the ability card onto the field.
"Darkus Mantris G power returned to normal parameters." The bakupod announced.
With Mantris's power gone, Laserman fired Mantris off of it before getting back to its feet. It slowly walked toward Mantris, firing off more shots as it walked forward. But this advantage wouldn't last for long.
"Fool! Ability Card Activate! Darkus Surge!" Travis laughed as he flung the ability card at Mantris.
"Darkus Mantris G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Mantris G power 580 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Just as Laserman was about to deal the final blow, Mantris shot back up and sliced into Laserman's chest. With its power boosted up, Mantris defeated Laserman causing the Darkus Bakugan to fall at Ryder's feet.
"HA! Guess you were all just talk!" Travis smirked as he caught his Bakugan.
Christopher was distraught at the sight of Ryder losing the first battle so easily but was surprised to see Ryder unaffected. In fact, Ryder continued to radiate confidence as if nothing at all was wrong as he crouched down and picked up his Laserman.
"Thank you for your sacrifice," Ryder whispered.
"Shall we continue?" Ryder inquired with a smile still on his face.
"If you're that ready to lose, then why not?" Travis laughed as he picked up his next Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Fear Ripper Stand!" Travis shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Ryder's gate card.
"Darkus Fear Ripper G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Not bad." Ryder complimented as he flipped his Bakugan into the air and grabbed onto it.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Rattleoid Stand!" Ryder yelled as he hurled his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Now then, Gate Card Open! Double Battle!" Ryder declared as his gate card shone brightly.
"You really must want to lose badly!" Travis cackled as his confidence over one battle blinded him.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Warius Stand!" Travis shouted as he threw his last Bakugan onto the gate card.
"Darkus Warius G power 530 Gs. Combined G power 1045 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Talk about déjà vu." Ryder thought as memories of his battle with Marduk came to mind.
"Ready, Leonidas?" Ryder asked as Leonidas floated next to him.
"Always partner!" Leonidas answered as Ryder grabbed onto him.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Leonidas Stand!" Ryder yelled as he landed Leonidas on the gate card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power 600 Gs. Combined G power 1120 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"A Bakugan with a base power of 600 Gs!" Travis gasped as he looked at his bakupod in shock.
Christopher was shocked, too, as he looked at Ryder, who had a big smile on his face. He had heard that talking Bakugan were strong but never thought that. It also seemed that Ryder had planned this all.
"So what if you have a 600 G power Bakugan! It changes nothing!" Travis hissed.
"How about this! Double ability activate! Poison Mace and Darkus Wave!" Travis added as he activated two ability cards.
"Combined G power of Darkus Warius and Darkus Fear Ripper increase by 200 Gs. Combined G power 1245 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Both Warius and Fear Ripper charged in at Leonidas and Rattleoid, who dodged their first attacks. Leonidas flew into the air, easily avoiding Warius's mace while Rattleoid slithered under Fear Ripper's claws and constricted its fellow Darkus Bakugan.
"Now then, Leonidas, let's take them out in one fell swoop!" Ryder smirked, confusing Travis.
"I should thank you for wasting all those Ability Cards. It made this battle easier." Ryder chuckled.
"Ability Card Activate!" Ryder shouted.
"ALPHA BLASTER!"Leonidas finished as he fired his laser as Rattleoid retreated.
"Combined G power of Darkus Leonidas and Darkus Rattleoid increase by 200 Gs. Combined G power 1320 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"What?!" Travis gasped as Leonidas laser knocked out the two enemy Bakugan.
"With that, there isn't much you have to use against me in the next bout," Ryder smirked.
"No, he's right!" Travis muttered as he realized his mistake.
Travis had used two ability cards and didn't win this battle, meaning he would have only two more in the next. With only one Bakugan left, there was no way he could win against Leonidas, who was up next for another battle.
"Even if I use Joker's Wild, he can just negate it with Shadowscratch!" Travis stuttered.
"Come on, let's finish this!" Ryder smiled as he pulled out another gate card.
"I…I well…" Travis muttered as his eyes darted around before he swiftly grabbed his two fallen Bakugan.
"FIELD CLOSE!" Travis shouted as the field closed.
"Wha..? Really?!" Ryder questioned as they returned to the real world.
"This isn't over!" Travis cried as he ran off.
"At least take the loss like a man," Ryder murmured.
"Oh well, it's fine." Ryder sighed as Christopher ran up to him.
"That was amazing, Ryder! You beat him so easily!" Christopher exclaimed.
"Yep! All it took was some confidence and strategy." Ryder smirked.
"And you can do it too, Christopher!" Ryder assured as Christopher held his head down low.
"But….I don't know if I can. I always fail. I don't believe I can do it." Christopher murmured, looking down.
Ryder sighed as he scratched his chin. This boy had been beaten to the point he could believe an ounce in himself. He couldn't entirely blame him as he used to be fairly similar, but unlike Christopher, Ryder had Leonidas to open his eyes.
"Then how about I believe in you!" Ryder exclaimed, shocking Christopher.
"What?" Christopher questioned.
"I'll believe in you. Since you can't, I will." Ryder smirked.
"So if you can't believe in yourself, then believe in me. The me who believes in you." Ryder added.
"Do you really believe I can do it?" Christopher inquired.
"I do! So how about some practice?" Ryder asked.
"Okay!" Christopher smiled.
Masquerade's Mansion…
Masquerade paraded through the halls of his mansion, heading to the main hall to confront the traitors among his underlings. Thanks to always watching from the depths of Alice's mind. He knew that three of his subordinates had been freed from his influence.
It was time to get rid of them along with the other two, as they all had outlived their usefulness. They would now be stepping stones to further Hydranoid's path to evolution. Eventually, he reached the main hall where everyone had been waiting for him due to his calling.
"What's this about Masquerade? Do we have another mission?" Julio questioned.
"No. No more missions." Masquerade stated, shocking the group.
"What do you mean no more missions?" Chan Lee asked as Klaus looked at Masquerade with suspicion.
"This can't be good." Klaus thought.
"Is something wrong, Masquerade?" Klaus inquired.
"In fact, there is Klaus," Masquerade responded.
"The fact is I've realized you have betrayed me and have been acting as a double agent along with Chan Lee and Billy." Masquerade explained.
"What is that true?!" Komba gasped as he and Julio looked at the others.
"Yes. We've been freed from Masquerade's control, so we decided not to help in his plans." Klaus answered.
"Control?" Julio questioned, confused.
"It doesn't matter. You all have lost your usefulness." Masquerade stated as the room began to shift and change.
"So it's time to take out the trash," Masquerade smirked as he pulled out his field card.
Klaus got ready to pull out his own field card but hesitated. The first time he battled Masquerade, it was five against one, and Masquerade still won. While they have gotten better, he questioned if they could even win.
"We can only try." Klaus thought as he pulled out his field card.
"Chan, Billy with me. Julio and Komba, I hope you'll join us too, but I understand that your mind is still clouded." Klaus said as Chan Lee and Billy took out their field cards.
"Is this really happening?!" Julio questioned as he and Komba stood still.
"Field Open!" The Four Brawlers shouted while Julio and Komba refrained.
"Gate Card Set!" The Four continued.
"Doom Card Set!" Masquerade said as he dropped the doom card onto the ground.
"We need to thin him out." Klaus insisted as the other two nodded.
"Get ready for the worst Sirenoid," Klaus said as his partner floated next to him.
"Understood." Sirenoid nodded.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Sirenoid Stand!" Klaus shouted as he launched Sirenoid onto his gate card.
"Aquos Sirenoid G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced as Sirenoid appeared on Klaus's gate card.
"Not holding back, I see," Masquerade smirked.
"Of course, we aren't!" Chan Lee replied as she loaded Fourtress into her launcher.
"Bakugan Brawl! Pyrus Fourtress Stand!" Chan Lee yelled as she launched Fourtress onto her gate card.
"Pyrus Fourtress G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"So that's your plan," Masquerade murmured, realizing they wanted to keep him from using too many Bakugan.
"It won't work," Masquerade whispered.
"It's our turn now, Cycloid!" Billy smirked.
"Let's do it!" Cycloid replied as Billy loaded him into his launcher.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Cycloid Stand!" Billy shouted as he launched Cycloid onto his gate card.
"Subterra Cycloid G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Impressive but pointless," Masquerade stated as Hydranoid floated next to him.
"Throw me in!" Hydranoid insisted.
"Not a problem." Masquerade snickered as he loaded Hydranoid into his launcher.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Hydranoid Stand!" Masquerade yelled as he launched Hydranoid onto his gate card.
"Darkus Hydranoid G power 650 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"HAHAHA, let's have some fun!" Hydranoid cackled.
"You won't be having any fun today, Hydranoid!" Sirenoid shouted.
"Yeah, the only ones who'll have fun here are us!" Cycloid laughed.
"Somethings not right," Klaus murmured as Masquerade pulled out an ability card.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Attract!" Masquerade declared as dark energy filled the battlefield.
"No!" Klaus gasped as Sirenoid, Fourtress, and Cycloid were forced onto Masquerade's gate card.
"He wouldn't do this without a plan." Chan Lee muttered.
"Combined G power of Aquos Sirenoid, Pyrus Fourtress, Subterra Cycloid 1800 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"That's right now Gate Card Open! Wall Lock!" Masquerade declared preventing the others from using ability cards.
"Now then, Triple Ability Activate! Darkus Nova, Auragano Revenge, and Fusion Ability Destruction Buster!" Masquerade declared.
"Darkus Hydranoid G power increase by 850 Gs. Darkus Hydranoid G power 1450 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"You're a few hundred short on G power to beat us!" Billy laughed.
"Don't be so sure," Masquerade smirked.
"Because this should be more than enough to trigger it." Masquerade snickered.
"Somethings not right here," Sirenoid commented as Cycloid and Fourtress ran in.
Hydranoid kept low as he swept the two Bakugan off their feet with his tail before bringing it down on them. Sirenoid stopped the attack by summoning water with her harp. She played a song that caused the water to throw Hydranoid into the air.
Soon Hydranoid fell to the ground, but he was not beaten yet. But the assault was not over as Fourtress pinned Hydranoid to the ground as Cycloid swung his club into Hydranoid's head. Sirenoid aided them as she played her harp and surrounded them with water.
"If we beat Hydranoid here, we'll be guaranteed to win!" Billy exclaimed.
"I don't think so," Klaus stated, confusing Billy.
"What do you mean?" Billy questioned.
"Masquerade wouldn't have started this fight if he wasn't prepared to finish it," Klaus explained.
"You're right, Klaus. As always, you prove to be the smartest of the group." Masquerade commented.
"I needed a strong battle to trigger what will happen next." Masquerade stated.
"What do you mean? What are you doing?!" Chan Lee asked as dark energy spurred from Hydranoid, causing Masquerade to smile.
"I'm turning Hydranoid into the Ultimate Bakugan!" Masquerade declared as a dark pillar of energy came from the battlefield.
Cycloid and Fourtress were knocked back by the pillar as Sirenoid could only watch as Hydranoid's silhouette began to change. Hydranoid, who usually stood on all fours, got up on his hind legs as his tail split in two.
His head thrashed around wildly until it seemed there were two heads. No, there were two heads as Hydranoid had spawned a second head! Much like his namesake, one head became two! Then his chest burst open, and the sound of a saw could be heard.
"It can't be! He's evolving!" Sirenoid gasped.
"Evolving!" Klaus repeated as he looked at the Bakupod.
"Evolution detected." The bakupod announced.
"Darkus Hydranoid evolution to Darkus Dual Hydranoid." The bakupod announced.
"Darkus Dual Hydranoid base G power 750 Gs. Darkus Dual Hydranoid G power increasing by unmeasurable parameters." The bakupod announced.
"Impossible!" Klaus denied as the pillar disappeared, and Dual Hydranoid stood tall.
"Yes!" One of Dual Hydranoid's heads exclaimed.
"I have truly evolved!" The other cackled.
"Even better than I could have hoped," Masquerade smirked.
"So go Dual Hydranoid destroy them!" Masquerade ordered.
"With pleasure!" Dual Hydranoid replied as he attacked the three Bakugan.
First, Dual Hydranoid knocked Cycloid down with his tail before using his two heads to bite into Fourtress's shoulders. He threw both of them away and turned his attention toward Sirenoid, who attempted to keep him at bay with water.
But it was for not as Dual Hydranoid easily strode through the water and grabbed onto Sirenoid with his new arms and lifting her up. The saw blade on his chest spun to life as he slowly brought Sirenoid toward it.
"Let's see what this can do!" Dual Hydranoid laughed.
"HANG IN THERE, SIRENOID!" Klaus cried as he watched his partner be pulled into the saw screaming in pain.
"I'm coming to help!" Cycloid shouted as he got up with Fourtress and the two charged at Dual Hydranoid.
The Darkus Bakugan was unfazed as he spun around and threw Sirenoid into the two knocking them down. Stopping his saw, Dual Hydranoid prepared to finish the battle and send the three Bakugan to the Doom Dimension.
"Let's see what you can do now," Masquerade smirked as a new Ability Card appeared in his hand.
"Ability Card Activate!" Masquerade shouted as he threw the ability card at Dual Hydranoid.
"Dual Gazer!" Dual Hydranoid finished as he fired two balls of fire from each mouth.
"No!" The Three Brawlers cried as the attack hit, and a portal to the Doom Dimension opened up.
"This isn't goooooodddd!" Cycloid yelled as he fell into the portal with Fourtress.
"I'm sorry, Klaus!" Sirenoid bawled as she fell in two before the portal closed.
"They…they're gone." Chan Lee stuttered as Masquerade caught Dual Hydranoid.
"How does it feel?" Masquerade inquired.
"I feel like I can take anyone on!" Dual Hydranoid exclaimed.
"What should we do now?" Billy questioned.
"There isn't anything we can do. With such a strong Bakugan on his side and our partners gone. We've already lost." Klaus responded.
"But I'm not going down without a fight," Klaus stated.
"He's right! I'm not going to let Fourtress's sacrifice be wasted by just running away!" Chan Lee agreed as Billy nodded.
"Then let's continue," Klaus replied as they loaded their next Bakugan.
Wardington…
Marucho's Home…
Dan sat with Marucho and Shun as they looked at the current battles going on worldwide. They had noticed that the number of battles worldwide had increased dramatically, with the rankings fluctuating greatly save for the top twenty.
When it came to the top twenty in the world, moving up became harder as they had to beat higher-ranked brawlers or a great amount just to move up a rank. But what they were most focused on was Ryder's rising rank.
"He just won again! Ryder's doing great!" Dan smirked.
"Agreed. Compared to when we first met Ryder, he's gotten a lot better at brawling." Marucho agreed.
"With his help, we could take out Masquerade and the rest of his little minions." Dan smiled.
"We can't say that for certain, Dan. We have no idea what awaits us in the finals." Shun pointed out.
"Come on, Shun, you're helping him practice. You've got to admit with all of us together, we stand a good chance of winning." Dan replied.
"I don't deal in absolutes, but I suppose our chances are good." Shun sighed.
"You know I've been thinking." Dan began.
"Ryder's been a good help to us for a while. He and Leonidas may be just what we need." Dan murmured.
"What do you mean?" Marucho inquired as Dan scratched his head.
"You know what. I think I'll wait to tell you when we see the others." Dan replied, keeping his thought a secret.
"But why are we looking at the rankings again?" Dan asked, having forgotten.
"We're looking for anyone rising through the rankings very fast," Marucho responded.
"I believe someone who raises through the ranks faster than anyone else might just be the one with the Infinity Core," Marucho added.
"I see. If someone is using a Bakugan with the Infinity Core, then no doubt they could easily beat most brawlers." Drago noted.
"I'd hate to go against them," Preyas commented.
"Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be anyone that fits the bill." Marucho sighed as he turned off the rankings showing off his wallpaper of Jewls and Jenny.
"Guess that means we're no closer in finding the Infinity Core," Dan noted.
"There's still a chance it'll show up in the finals of the tournament. No doubt Masquerade is planning for that." Shun replied.
"Then, no matter what, we'll stop Masquerade from getting the Infinity Core!" Dan smirked.
"We should also take into mind the Silent Orb." Marucho reminded.
"Seeing as Masquerade can use it to empower any Bakugan he wants, it's safe to say we're going to want to deal with that in the near future." Marucho pointed out.
"We don't know where that is either, though," Shun stated.
"Maybe Klaus, Chan Lee, or Billy knows. After all, they're undercover in Masquerade's group." Dan suggested.
"Good point Dan. We'll have to ask them about it. Next, we see them." Marucho nodded.
Masquerade's Mansion…
Klaus, Chan Lee, and Billy all laid flat on the ground as Julio and Komba looked at them, shocked. After they had lost their partners, Masquerade had easily beaten them but decided not to send them to the Doom Dimension as a reward for fighting so bravely.
"Now then. Are you two ready?" Masquerade asked as he looked at Julio and Komba.
"Bu-But we haven't betrayed you! We're still on your side!" Julio cried.
"Doesn't matter. I don't need you anymore." Masquerade stated.
"If I need things done, I'll do it myself. Or use a disposable pawn to get it done for me." Masquerade smirked as Dual Hydranoid floated in front of him.
Wardington Park…
Alice walked down the walkway through the park. Having finished her shift at Runo's restaurant and taking a small nap, she was going to check up on Ryder and Christopher. Though she wondered if they were still at it as Ryder was supposed to practice with Shun today.
But she was pleasantly surprised to see Ryder talking to Christopher with the boy looking far happier than he did this morning. It seemed that at the moment, Ryder was showing Christopher ways to throw his Bakugan better.
"So like this?" Christopher asked as he tossed his Bakugan in the air before catching it.
"Yeah, but try catching it a little faster," Ryder answered as he demonstrated it again.
"You two seem to be having fun." Alice chuckled, getting the two brawlers' attention.
"Alice! You're back." Ryder smiled.
"I said I would come back to help. But it seems you guys made some progress." Alice replied.
"Yep, Christopher is definitely ready for any battle now," Ryder smirked.
"Right Christopher?" Ryder asked.
"Y-Yeah, I think so." Christopher nodded.
"That's great to hear!" Alice exclaimed.
"But Ryder, aren't you supposed to be practicing with Shun?" Alice inquired as a cold breeze swept through the area while Ryder stood stock still.
"AHHHH! I completely forgot!" Ryder cried as he fell to his knees.
"I felt like there was something we were supposed to do," Leonidas commented.
"I've got to find him before I get in trouble! I don't want to know what happens if he gets angry!" Ryder shouted as his imagination went wild over the possibilities.
"I have to go! Keep up the good work, Christopher!" Ryder insisted as he ran off with Leonidas in tow.
"Is he going to be okay?" Christopher asked.
"Oh yes, Shun won't be mad, just a little disappointed," Alice responded.
"Ryder just hasn't known him for a while, and Shun can be a little imposing," Alice explained.
"So, what did you two talk about while I was gone?" Alice inquired.
"Just about believing in myself and strategy. But to be honest, he wasn't all that good at describing strategy." Christopher explained, causing Alice to chuckle.
"Well, I can better help you with that, Christopher." Alice smiled as she gave Christopher a small lesson.
"For instance, you can take two Bakugan at once with this card," Alice informed as she held up one of Christopher's gate cards.
"Battle Sham?" Christopher asked.
"That's right. With this, you can wipe out most of your opponent's team." Alice nodded as she continued her lesson until they were interrupted by someone coming out from the bushes.
"I thought he'd never leave." Travis spat as he approached the two.
"Tavis! What are you doing here?!" Christopher questioned as Alice stood between them.
"Waiting for that guy to leave so I can get the battle I came here to get!" Travis stated.
"What is he talking about, Christopher?" Alice inquired as Christopher caught Alice up on what happened after she had left.
"That's terrible! Picking on someone for an easy win! You should be ashamed!" Alice said.
"Who cares! Maybe if he could actually play, it wouldn't happen!" Travis replied, not caring about his actions.
"You don't need to battle him if you don't want to, Christopher," Alice assured as Christopher looked conflicted.
"I...I'm going to battle him." Christopher stated, shocking Alice.
"Are you sure, Christopher?" Alice asked.
"Yes. Because I'm tired of losing to him!" Christopher responded.
"You think something is going to change today?!" Travis laughed.
"Fine! Whatever it takes." Travis smirked as he took out his field card.
"Field Open!" The Three chanted.
"Gate Card Set!" The Two Brawlers shouted as they tossed their gate cards.
"I'm first!" Travis smirked.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Fear Ripper Stand!" Travis yelled as he landed Fear Ripper onto his gate card.
"Darkus Fear Ripper G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Christopher grabbed onto one of his Bakugan but hesitated as he tried to think about what to do. He could throw a Bakugan onto the same gate card as Travis, but he was nervous about the idea. So it may be more profitable to use his own gate card and wait it out.
"Believe in me who believes in you!" Ryder had said to the boy.
"Okay," Christopher whispered as he grabbed onto a gate card.
"Gate Card Set!" Christopher shouted as he threw a gate card next to Travis's.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Robotallion Stand!" Christopher added as he threw Robotallion onto his gate card.
"Aquos Robotallion G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"He's using that move," Alice noted, seeing where Christopher was going with this.
"Avoiding the fight won't win you the battle!" Travis scoffed as he picked up his next Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Mantris Stand!" Travis shouted as he threw his Mantris onto Christopher's gate card.
"Darkus Mantris G power 480 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Ability Card Activate!" Christopher declared, knowing he would need it.
"Rapid River!" Christopher added as he grabbed onto another Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Limulus Stand!" Christopher yelled as he threw Limulus onto his gate card.
"Aquos Limulus G power 530 Gs. Combined G power 1030 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Now Gate Card Open! Battle Sham!" Christopher declared.
"Good job Christopher!" Alice complimented as Travis looked shocked.
"What does that do?" Travis questioned.
"This Gate Card allows me to defeat one Bakugan on another gate card if I have two of mine on a single Gate Card," Christopher explained.
"So your Fear Ripper is gone!" Christopher declared.
"No way!" Travis gasped as Fear Ripper disappeared from the field and fell at Travis's feet.
"And don't forget about the battle with Mantris!" Christopher reminded as Travis turned to see both Robotallion and Limulus attack.
The two Aquos Bakugan slammed into Mantris and pinned it to the ground before defeating it, causing it to fall at Travis's feet. Travis was shocked at having lost two Bakugan in a battle against Christopher. The kid who used to never be able to put up a fight at all.
Christopher himself was beaming as this was the first time he had won a battle against Travis, and it was thanks to Ryder and Alice. But the battle wasn't over yet, and Christopher was going to keep going.
"Believe in myself." Christopher thought.
"What the hell happened to you?" Travis questioned.
"I'm simply believing in myself! I'm not going to be pushed around anymore!" Christopher shouted as cold sweat ran down Travis's forehead.
"This isn't over," Travis muttered.
"Gate Card Set!" Travis shouted as he tossed a new gate card.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Warius Stand!" Travis continued as he threw in his last Bakugan onto his new gate card.
"Darkus Warius G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced as Christopher grabbed onto his next Bakugan before taking a deep breath.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Juggernoid Stand!" Christopher yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto Travis's gate card since he didn't have a choice.
"Aquos Juggernoid G power 550 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Gate Card Open! Warius Mace!" Travis declared as he activated Warius's character card.
"Darkus Warius G power increase by 400 Gs. Darkus Warius G power 930 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Warius swung its mace into Juggernoid, knocking it into the air before the Aquos Bakugan crashed into the ground. It walked over and pressed its foot onto Juggernoid's back before raising its mace into the air.
"Ability Card Activate! Water Refrain!" Christopher countered, negating the gate card.
"Darkus Warius G power decrease by 400 Gs. Darkus Warius G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Juggernoid retracted into his shell before spinning around and knocking Warius off of him. With the Darkus Bakugan off of his back, Juggernoid got back up and ran toward Warius. The two Bakugan clashed with Juggernoid, slowly winning the power struggle.
"I'm not done!" Travis stated.
"Ability Card Activate! Poison Mace!" Travis shouted as he tossed the ability card.
"Darkus Warius G power increase by 150 Gs. Darkus Warius G power 680 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With poison mist surrounding its weapon, Warius slammed it into Juggernoid's head, knocking it back and causing it to become sluggish. The Darkus Bakugan continued its assault, pushing Juggernoid to the edge of the gate card.
"Once I win this battle, I'll bring back my fallen Bakugan and make sure you lose like you always do!" Travis goaded.
"Those two little wins were just flukes!" Travis smirked as Christopher began to sweat.
"Don't let him get to you, Christopher." Alice insisted, but Christopher began to question himself.
He was concerned that Travis was right, and his previous victories were just flukes. The boy had only just used a strategy Alice had taught him, so maybe alone, he wasn't good enough. But he remembered what Ryder had said to him, and he strengthened his resolve.
"NO! I won't give up! I'm going to win no matter what!" Christopher stated, confusing Travis.
"Well said!" An unknown voice exclaimed, shocking everyone on the battlefield when they saw who had said it.
"D-Did you just…talk?" Christopher questioned as he looked at his Juggernoid.
"That's right. Is there a problem with me talking?" Juggernoid replied.
"N-No, but you've…never talked before." Christopher pointed out.
"Your will and spirit have allowed me to grow stronger! So now I can talk and more!" Juggernoid explained as he knocked Warius back.
"Now you want to win, don't you? So how about we beat this chump!" Juggernoid smirked as Christopher nodded.
"Ability Card Activate! Aquos Barrier!" Christopher declared as water was summoned from under Juggernoid.
"Aquos Juggernoid G power increase by 150 Gs. Aquos Juggernoid G power 700 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Let me show you Darkus Bakugan how real Bakugan battle!" Juggernoid exclaimed as he used the water to sweep Warius into the air.
"N-No!" Travis cried as he watched Juggernoid swim over Warius and slam the Darkus Bakugan into the ground defeating him and ending the battle.
"I lost? To Christopher!" Travis gasped as he couldn't seem to accept the reality in front of him.
"I won," Christopher murmured as Travis ran off.
"I really won," Christopher repeated.
"That's right, Christopher, you did great!" Alice complimented.
"It served them right too!" Juggernoid laughed.
"I can't believe I now have a talking Bakugan too." Christopher smiled as he held up Juggernoid.
"What's this about a talking Bakugan?" Ryder questioned as he and Shun approached the two.
"I thought you two were going to be training," Alice commented as the two joined the group.
"Dan has something he wants to tell all of us so training can wait a day," Shun explained.
"What's going on here?" Shun inquired, confused at the current situation until Alice and Ryder caught him up, and finally, Christopher explained his battle against Travis.
"Not bad, Christopher! What did I tell you! You just needed some confidence!" Ryder smirked as he patted Christopher's back.
"Thank you." Christopher thanked.
"So normal Bakugan can begin to talk if their brawler's spirit is high enough," Shun murmured.
"I didn't even know that," Skyress noted.
"It seems us Bakugan come with many surprises." Leonidas chuckled.
"That just means you'll become even stronger, Christopher! Maybe you'll be one of the best one day." Ryder encouraged.
"You really think so?" Christopher asked.
"Yeah, just keep up the good work," Ryder smirked.
"I hate to break the good mood, but we best get going before Runo gets inpatient," Shun suggested.
"That's probably a good idea." Alice agreed.
"I'll see you another time Christopher." Ryder waved as Christopher nodded.
"Right. Goodbye, and thank you!" Christopher thanked as the group dispersed.
Elsewhere…
"Ow…" Billy groaned as he sat up in a bed.
"Where am I?" Billy questioned.
"At my home," Klaus answered as he entered the room looking worse for wear.
"It seems Masquerade had the decency to let us stay around. Can't say the same for our Bakugan." Klaus explained.
"Guess Masquerade really discarded us. We didn't even get to find out who is giving him information on the Battle Brawlers." Billy sighed.
"True, but this isn't the end. We're still in the tournament even without our partners." Klaus replied.
"And I, for one, will fight to avenge the loss of Sirenoid," Klaus added as Billy got up.
"Yeah. I'm not going to let Masquerade get away with taking Cycloid away!" Billy agreed until he thought of something.
"Wait, where are the others?" Billy asked.
"Julio and Komba are recovering from being freed from Masquerade's control, and Chan is doing some research into a lead," Klaus answered.
"I see," Billy murmured.
"Then what do we do next?" Billy inquired.
"We get ready for the finals and aid the Battle Brawlers if possible," Klaus responded.
"Though there is still the wildcard of Vladitor and Marduk which can pose problems." Klaus pointed out.
Marucho's Home…
"So, what did we gather here for?" Ryder inquired as he and the Battle Brawlers sat in Marucho's computer room.
"We need to talk about the future plans for the tournament finals. Specifically finding the Infinity Core and Silent Orb." Marucho answered.
"We need to keep the Infinity Core away from Masquerade and take the Silent Orb from him and away from Marduk," Marucho added.
"But unfortunately, we don't know how to begin to do that." Marucho sighed.
"Which is why we need to converse with Masquerade's former comrades," Marucho explained.
"But something seems to have happened, and they are unavailable," Marucho added.
"What happened to them?!" Julie asked, concerned for Billy.
"From what I gathered from the net, Masquerade weeded them out, and unfortunately, all their Bakugan have been sent to the Doom Dimension," Marucho answered.
"That's terrible." Runo gasped.
"Are they okay?" Alice inquired.
"Yes, they seem to be okay," Marucho responded.
"This just means we need to get even stronger and train even harder!" Dan exclaimed.
"Aren't we already doing that?" Julie asked.
"Oh right." Dan chuckled.
"By the way, Dan, what is it you wanted to tell everyone?" Shun questioned.
"Oh right! I almost forgot." Dan laughed.
"I wanted to make a petition to make Ryder a new member of the Battle Brawlers," Dan stated, shocking everyone there, especially Ryder himself.
Next Time the Battle Brawlers vote to test Ryder to officially initiate him into the team! To pass, he must battle the Battle Brawlers he has yet to beat. Ryder is nervous but accepts the challenge as his first two battles are against Runo and Julie!
Next Time on Bakugan Doom World: Initiation Part 1
Author's Note:
Wow, that took me longer than I wanted to, but hey, I managed to get it done, lol. I'm pretty happy with how the chapter came out, too, especially as mid-way through writing, I noticed I could put a reference to my favorite anime Gurren Lagann and have it fit with the narrative.
The battles were always the hardest, but I think they turned out good even though with two, I had to use the same Bakugan in two battles with Travis. I don't fully recall how the battle with him went in the show or his personality, so I basically made him the stereotypical bully who picks on the weak because he can't go against strong people.
Which is why he pussed out when Ryder swept the floor with him. I also tried to make the evolution of Hydranoid to Dual Hydranoid much more cinematic and interesting than I did with Delta Dragonoid last chapter. Especially since there wasn't a frame of reference in the show as Dual Hydranoid didn't have an evolution reveal save his shadow.
Overall I think I did way better writing about his evolution than I did with Drago's. Hopefully, I can do the same with the rest of the evolutions to come. Either way, I don't have much else to say, so let's get to the reviews:
DarkFangs3 – Glad you like it hope you enjoyed the chapter.
HunterHQ – Yeah, I get it. I don't think I could have captured the same feeling as the cannon one did as it was a three on three battle compared to the two-on-two battle I had here.
Plus, it was the first evolution I had to write about, so hopefully, I'll do better with the rest, which I think I will, seeing as I think I did far better with Dual Hydranoid. As for the rest of the evolutions, they'll remain relatively the same save Leonidas as his will be triggered differently than how it happened in the game.
As for Leonidas's effect on Hal-G, I haven't thought about it, but I will need to keep that in mind in the future. You were right about the chapter being about Aquos kid (Christopher) though I made Ryder more of the mentor here than Alice since he shared similarities with him. Hope you enjoyed.
Martin – Masquerade's plans to deal with Ryder will still have to wait. As for Ryder and Alice, that too will have to wait, but their bond is still slowly growing.
Johannvanguard – Glad you liked how I had Ryder grow on his own. I felt like he shouldn't be too dependent on Alice's or the other Battle Brawlers help. Which just made his victory against Shun that much better.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
That's all I have for today. See you guys next time!