Hey folks! We're back with some more of "Omni Force: ORIGINS" after a bit of a break to work on both "Space" and "The Challenge of a Lifetime", the latter of which I'm excited to get closer to finishing. For now though, I'm glad to get back to this story after a while. So, let's talk about Gingka Hagane!

I had prior experience with the Beyblade series before Metal Fusion and those that followed released, but I never really got into it as much as I did when Gingka was the main character. He was something different compared to others I had seen. Someone who was quite possibly the strongest of all beybladers to take the lead. But there were struggles for him as a character. And suddenly, he had to pick himself back up again.

That's a character moment that always resonated with me. Even someone as seemingly unstoppable as Gingka had his own faults and weaknesses. Since then, I've written a lot with his character. From my earliest stories that I don't look back on fondly to later ones in which Gingka really shines, I wanted to give him a big role in my Omni Force series.

Now I'm sure you're all wondering where it all began. Well, I'll let Xiaomei take it from here. Enjoy the story, everyone!

OMNI FORCE: ORIGINS

I don't believe we'll be in for a long story this time around, but you never know. The past three have certainly proven otherwise. Welcome back, everyone.

By the time the MPGs had been properly established, Ben Tennyson, Ash Ketchum, and Naruto Uzumaki could travel to and from their respective worlds freely, interacting with all sorts of people. It wouldn't be long before one's curiosity would lead to an introduction to a new world.

Having just completed his journey to conquer the Battle Frontier facilities, Ash and Pikachu found themselves with time to spare, especially as they wound up parting ways with their friends for the time being. So why not take the opportunity to possibly make some new ones? And thus, they've gone to a new universe. One not so much different from their own…

UNIVERSE-3316

METAL BEY CITY

"Whoa!" Ash yelped as he stumbled out from the alleyway. He was dressed in a black and red hat with a green Poké Ball on it, a blue sleeveless hoodie with gold trim and a white hood, a black short-sleeved undershirt with a red stripe, black fingerless gloves with light green borders, light blue jeans, and blue sneakers. Pikachu hopped out onto his shoulder, marveling the sprawling city around them.

"Peekah…" he uttered in surprise. Several passing people looked over at the Mouse Pokémon in concern, wondering what it was.

"This universe doesn't seem all that different from our own…" his trainer noted as he looked around, "But it sure is big…" he pointed out with an excited smile, "Let's go check it out!" he insisted of his partner, hurrying off into the streets. Curiosity was always one of Ash's traits. And ever since Ben had introduced him to the concept of the multiverse, purely by accident, he couldn't help but wonder what universes were like.

Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary in this one, though he could immediately tell that Pokémon weren't present, given the weird looks people would shoot Pikachu. They wandered about for what felt like a long time, trying to discern what made this universe unique. Ash took notice of a peculiar building later, peeking inside to see several kids seemingly playing with what looked to be spinning tops inside small arenas. One in particular was a short boy with bright green hair with brown eyes. He wore a yellow t-shirt with a straight blue stripe running across his chest and arms, and also a pair of blue shorts. He also donned blue-and-white trainers with white socks.

Ash noticed one of the spinning tops fly out from the ring it was in, clattering to a stop on the floor. The green-haired boy went to retrieve it, having somewhat of a distraught expression, though it wasn't because of seemingly losing the match. The Pokémon trainer could tell that there was something else on his mind. And then, he watched him leave the building, hurrying off down the streets.

"Pika?" Pikachu squeaked in confusion, sharing a glance with his trainer.

"Let's go," he insisted, jogging off after the boy. Elsewhere in the city upon a grassy hill lied a boy with dark red spiky hair. He donned a blue headband with a design of the mythical creature, Pegasus, upon it, but it had only one wing.

He also had golden-brown eyes and a bandage over his nose. His outfit consisted of a long white scarf around his neck, a short blue short-sleeved jacket, a plain orange shirt, white and blue fingerless gloves, and both a red and a brown belt around his waist, which had a pouch on his left side. He also wore black pants, and red and navy blue colored shoes.

"Hmmm…" he hummed, staring up at the passing clouds in the sky above, "A Beyblade coach, huh?" he said, reminiscing over something he had been asked about by a group of kids, "Is it my own fault?" he wondered aloud. Just then, a figure approached, getting his attention. It was the short, green-haired boy.

"Hey, Gingka?" he said, "I have a favor to ask you," he confirmed.

"Uh, Kenta…" the redheaded boy said, standing up as he gave off an ashamed expression, "Listen, I'm sorry…" he apologized, while watching from afar curiously upon arriving were Ash and Pikachu, "but I don't think I can be—"

"That's not what I'm here for," his friend interjected to his surprise, holding up his spinning top at him with a determined look on his face, "Let's have a real battle, man-to-man!" he insisted.

"A battle…?" Ash repeated to his surprise, remembering the spinning tops he had seen in action earlier, "Is that something people do in this world?" he inquired of his partner, who could only shrug.

"You sure about this, Kenta?" Gingka asked of the green-haired boy, "You're talking about having a serious battle with me…" he pointed out.

"Please, Gingka," he pleaded in response, still determined to go through with his proposal.

"…Okay then," the redheaded boy responded, "But I'm not going easy on you," he affirmed with a clenched left fist.

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Kenta replied firmly. Holding onto the railing and watching with intrigue, Ash smiled. Getting to see another kind of competition in another universe would definitely be worth the trip.

OPENING

Insert "Hero" by Martin Garrix X JVKE

Opens with a young Gingka Hagane holding his beyblade, Storm Pegasus, in his hand as he laments on seemingly watching his father perish in the mountains after seeing him try to stop Ryuga from stealing the forbidden beyblade, L-Drago. He clutches his beyblade tightly as he looks toward the horizon, determined to grow stronger to one day stop his foes. He heads off into the distance, departing from Koma Village.

Time goes on, and Gingka one day arrives in a city to help save Kenta Yumiya from a group of Face Hunters and Benkei Hanawa, much to the little boy's amazement. He then gets to witness Gingka defeat the likes of Kyoya Tategami in an effort to win his beyblade back. The redheaded beyblader gets to meet many people on his journey: Madoka Amano, Tetsuya Watarigani, Hikaru Hasama, Tsubasa Otori, Yu Tendo, and many others.

One day, as he's running off to the B-Pit, he winds up accidentally bumping into someone on the sidewalk, falling over onto the ground. He looks up in surprise to see Ash Ketchum there, with Pikachu perched upon his shoulder. We cut to various scenes of Gingka getting to experience the multiverse alongside Ash and their friends, catching Pokémon, learning about the Leaf Village, and even fighting enemies with Ben Tennyson and Naruto Uzumaki.

We see Gingka use Pegasus to help in the battle against Dialga and Palkia in Alamos Town with Darkrai, followed by him watching Naruto perform a Rasengan in front of him, making him wonder if he could do something similar, too. Next, we witness him hurrying away from getting attacked by E.V.O.'s in Rex Salazar's world. However, he manages to lure one in, readying his beyblade and firing it off to knock the beast away with ease.

As closely bonded Gingka is with his friends, the dark cloud of Ryuga still looms over him, along with the various members of the Dark Nebula who follow. He lowers his head, wondering if he's strong enough to even face them. A hand then comes onto his shoulder, enticing him to look back in surprise to see Skyla there, smiling at him. We suddenly see Gingka as a man, smiling back at his girlfriend before kissing her warmly.

What follows are various scenes of him and Ash landing upon and standing on water as they face down Sasuke Uchiha at the Samurai Bridge, going up against Lysandre and the Megalith before it can reach the Anistar Sundial, and battling against Erza in a field as members of Fairy Tail and the original members of the Omni Force watch. It culminates to the point where we see Gingka in Koma Village once again, looking at his beyblade, which is now Samurai Pegasus. This time, he smiles, ready to see where the future will take him.

END OPENING

GINGKA HAGANE

"Three… two… one… Let it rip!" both Gingka and Kenta exclaimed as they pulled their respective ripcords sharply to launch their beyblades at each other. The battle between Storm Pegasus and Flame Sagittario seemed like an easy victory for the former at first. However, the latter had been shot in a way that it wouldn't take a direct hit, thus making the impact lessen. So with every hit it took, it would still keep spinning.

"Cool…" Ash uttered out.

"Pikah…" Pikachu squeaked curiously.

"That's not bad, Kenta!" Gingka complimented to his opponent.

"Normally, that'd be a stadium-out and I would've lost…" he pointed out.

"But there's no stadium here," his fellow blader noted in response, "So this battle all comes down to who stops first, right?" he presumed.

"Mm-hmm," Kenta replied with a nod. The only way a stamina-type bey like his Sagittario could hope to win in a battle against an attack-type like Pegasus would be to outlast it. The latter sped out, clashing against the former as sparks flew between them.

'So it's like a Pokémon battle in a way…' Ash noted to himself.

"A bey's strength comes from the heart!" Kenta suddenly exclaimed, "You can do it, Sagittario! Don't give up!" he yelled on. The battle raged on, and it seemed like the stamina-type bey wasn't going to go down, even with all the hits it was taking. The sky was dusking as Ash and Pikachu watched on.

"Wow, you're totally hanging in there, Kenta!" Gingka pointed out.

"Thanks…" his opponent breathed out gratefully, "Beyblade's all about heart, ya know…" he mentioned, "It'll be over if you don't keep your emotions in check…" he added further, still determined to win. And it looked like he would. With Pegasus' stamina reaching its limit, the last attack seemed like it would settle things.

It dashed out at its opponent, slamming right into it and sending it flying back. However, it wound up landing atop a ramp beside the set of steps, still spinning. And Pegasus was right at the end of the ramp, in the perfect position for Sagittario to attack.

"Now go, Sagittario!" Kenta yelled as it sped down the ramp, colliding with Pegasus and sending it flying through the air, "Alright! We beat Pegasus!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Not so fast, Kenta," Gingka said to his surprise. Ash and Pikachu blinked out of confusion themselves, followed by looking up and gasping. They could see the visage of the mythical flying horse soaring down, as the beyblade was descending rapidly.

"Ah!" Kenta gasped, "Pegasus' Star Blast attack!" he yelped in realization. Unfortunately, it was too late, the attack-type bey struck Sagittario from above, knocking it over as it clattered to a stop on the ground, while its foe remained spinning. The green-haired boy fell to his knees in defeat. "I lost…" he uttered out, "I couldn't do it after all…" he noted on, "I'm just… no match for you, Gingka…" he admitted sadly. The redheaded boy approached as Pegasus jumped into his hand for him to catch.

"But you did great, Kenta," he pointed out in a complimentary tone, "The only reason we won was because of our special move at the end," he mentioned.

"Yeah… but…" the green-haired boy tried to say.

"That was awesome!" Ash's voice suddenly called out, getting their attentions as they turned to see the capped boy run and jump down the hill to them, "You sure made it close back there!" he complimented additionally.

"Um, thanks…" Kenta responded gratefully, "But… Gingka…" he began sadly, "now you'll wanna leave since there aren't any strong bladers for you to battle…" he noted.

"Huh?" the redheaded boy uttered in confusion, while Ash arched an eyebrow, "What gave you that idea?" he asked.

"Well… you said you weren't sure about teaching me and my friends…" Kenta answered, glancing away ashamedly.

"Oh, that," Gingka uttered in realization, "Well, Kenta…" he continued, putting his hands at his hips, "Beyblading isn't something that can be taught," he noted, "Your true strength in battle comes from the heart, not from training," he pointed out additionally. Hearing that made Ash and Pikachu blink in surprise. "Besides, why would I stay when I've got a new rival to help fire up my spirit?" he questioned back, making Kenta perk up, "I'd be glad to stay a little while longer," he affirmed, "I like this town, too," he mentioned.

"You really mean it?" the green-haired boy questioned. His friend merely nodded, making him smile.

"And you two can make each other stronger by battling!" Ash pointed out, "At least, that's the way I see it!" he remarked with a grin.

"Peekah!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement. Both Gingka and Kenta blinked twice at the sight of the Mouse Pokémon. They yelped out of surprise after a moment.

"Wh-What is that?!" the latter of the two questioned with a stutter.

"Some kinda… rabbit?" the former guessed.

"Pika?" Pikachu uttered in confusion as he tilted his head to the side.

"Oh, this is my partner, Pikachu," Ash introduced.

"Pikachu…" Gingka repeated.

"And my name's Ash," the capped boy mentioned, getting his attention, "We were watching your battle and thought it was amazing!" he complimented with clenched fists.

"Oh, thanks!" the redheaded boy responded with gratitude.

"So you call it beyblading, right?" Ash inquired curiously.

"Huh? You've never heard of it?" Gingka questioned back.

"No…" the capped boy admitted sheepishly in reply, "We're… kinda new here…" he mentioned with a nervous chuckle.

"Peekah, chu," Pikachu chimed in as he nodded.

"Well, I know a place you can come crash at if you want to!" Gingka affirmed, "Come on!" he beckoned, waving for his friends to follow him.

"Hey, slow down!" Kenta called out, laughing as he hurried after the redheaded boy. Ash and Pikachu looked to each other for a moment in thought. Their curiosity was still proving to be the very thing they couldn't quell.

"Wait up!" the Pokémon trainer called out, chasing after his new friends.

X

"He's a what?" Gingka asked as he and Ash were eating food across from each other at a table in the B-Pit, while Pikachu was licking up ketchup on a small plate.

"A Pokémon," the capped boy answered, taking a bite of rice, "He's the one who's been traveling together with me for the whole time," he pointed out.

"How long ago was that?" the redheaded beyblader asked.

"About three years," Ash replied to his shock, "Yeah, he's been by my side forever," he noted, looking over at the Mouse Pokémon, who nibbled on some pieces of food put out for him in a bowl, "The same goes for you and Pegasus, right?" he presumed of his new friend.

"Yeah," he replied, "We've been together for a while now," he pointed out, "In fact, we're a lot like you and Pegasus," he admitted on.

"Huh? How?" Gingka asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, where we're from, we have battles against other trainers and their Pokémon," Ash explained in response, "We battle to be the best we can be, giving it all we've got," he noted further, "Of course, it's not just Pikachu who gets stronger," he added, "I've got other Pokémon who get stronger, too," he confirmed.

"Others?!" Gingka exclaimed in shock, "That's a bit different from bladers having a single bey…" he pointed out. His new friend laughed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" he admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Just then, a door opened, getting the boys' attentions. Walking out was a girl that had short maroon hair which went down to her face, but extended to her shoulders in the back of her head, wearing yellow goggles on top of her head. She had bright blue eyes, and wore a sleeveless pink jacket with yellow buttons over a white t-shirt with a blue 'B' on it, which had a brown belt that was around it with gold buttons and a pink-and-gold pouch. On her hands, she donned brown fingerless leather gloves. She also wore a short dark blue skirt, thigh-high white socks with pink trim, and pink boots with golden buttons.

"Pegasus is all set, Gingka," she said to the beyblader as she held his bey in her right hand, "No big issues other than a few scratches," she told him.

"Thanks, Madoka," he said gratefully, accepting Pegasus into his hand as he stood up. The mechanic smiled, followed by going over to pick up Pikachu in her arms.

"For once, I'm actually happy you decided to come here," she admitted, nuzzling against the Mouse Pokémon with her head, "You brought me such a cute little thing~!" she sang delightedly, while Pikachu was trying to break free from her grasp. Both Ash and Gingka chuckled nervously.

"Thanks for letting me stay here for the night," the former said gratefully as he bowed to Madoka. She blinked in surprise.

"What?" she uttered out, "Uh, I don't remember making that promise…" she noted, raising an eyebrow before turning to Gingka, "Did you tell him he could stay here?" she assumed, making him grimace.

"I thought it'd be fine!" he proclaimed, raising his hands in a defensive manner, "You let me stay overnight…" he pointed out.

"Huh…" Madoka sighed out.

"Pikah…?" Pikachu squeaked expectantly, getting her attention as she saw his pleading eyes shaking while looking up at her. She panicked for a moment, trying to steel herself. But ultimately, she caved in.

"Oh, I can't say no to that face!" she affirmed, hugging him tightly, "Okay, you two can stay the night!" she decided, much to Ash's relief as he smiled. However, he blinked and then grimaced.

"Uh… you might not wanna squeeze him too tightly…" he advised.

"Hm?" Madoka uttered in confusion. She noticed the sparks of electricity coming from the Mouse Pokémon too late, as he zapped her instantaneously. "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" she screamed, while both boys gasped. Once the electricity subsided, the mechanic coughed out a puff of smoke. "Noted…" she winced out while still holding Pikachu. Later that evening, Ash was curiously wandering about the B-Pit store, seeing the various beys on display for purchase.

"So people buy these Beyblades here?" he inquired of Gingka while grabbing one of the boxes on the racks, looking at it closely.

"I'm sure they can be bought anywhere," the beyblader answered as he approached, "But some people like to just put their beys together piece by piece," he mentioned.

"That's right," Madoka chimed in, entering the store via the back door as she set a box down onto the counter, "Beys consist of five different parts," she pointed out, "Their performance tip, the spin track, the fusion wheel, the energy, and the face bolt to keep it all together," she listed off thoroughly, "In Gingka's case, his Pegasus has a rubber flat performance tip to make it go faster and increase its attack power," she explained on.

"Oh, so that's what Kenta was focusing on…" Ash realized, recalling the battle he had seen earlier, "He said his bey was a stamina-type, right?" he inquired.

"Yep," Madoka confirmed in reply with a nod, "There are also beys that focus on defense and balance," she added, "Gingka actually had a battle against someone with a defense-type bey recently," she pointed out while pulling up her touch-screen laptop.

"Yeah, Kyoya," Gingka responded, narrowing his eyes in remembrance, "He's the leader of this group of guys called the Face Hunters," he told Ash, "They stole Kenta's Sagittario once just to get me to battle him," he mentioned.

"Well, I guess you must've won, though," the Pokémon trainer commented, earning a chuckle from the beyblader.

"So how do you get a Pokémon like Pikachu?" he asked curiously, while the Mouse Pokémon himself was snoozing upstairs on a couch under a blanket.

"He was given to me when I started on my journey," Ash answered, "All my other Pokémon were found out in the wild," he pointed out.

"The wild?" Madoka repeated as she blinked.

"We don't buy Pokémon like beyblades," the capped boy pointed out, reaching down to his belt to pull off a Poké Ball, pressing its button to enlarge it in his hand, much to the surprise of his new friends, "We catch them out in the wild," he confirmed, having the spherical container open as its white light formed upon the floor, dissipating to reveal his Swellow.

"Swelloh!" he squawked in greeting as he spread his wings.

"Whoa!" Madoka yelped.

"Cool!" Gingka exclaimed as his eyes sparkled.

"I have a few others, too," Ash mentioned, returning the Swallow Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "In fact, I've got plenty of them back home!" he added on with a smile.

"But where in the world did you find them?" Madoka asked to his surprise, "I've never seen a creature like this before… or Pikachu…" she pointed out, "Are they from another country?" she inquired on.

"Uh, well… the thing is…" Ash began, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Moments later, he told the pair the story of where he was actually form. Needless to say, they were both shocked.

"WHAAAAAAAAATTTTT?!" they exclaimed simultaneously, causing Pikachu to jolt awake upstairs for a few moments, only to end up going right back to sleep.

"Another universe?!" Madoka yelled out.

"Mm-hmm," Ash responded, holding his MPG out in his right hand for his new friends to see, "And I used this to come here," he mentioned to them, "In fact, I can travel to all sorts of different worlds," he added further.

"Cool…!" Gingka gasped out.

"Wait, do you really believe all that?" Madoka inquired of him.

"Why would he lie, Madoka?" he questioned back, "Besides, he already showed us all sorts of incredible things," he pointed out, "He's a good guy, too!" he mentioned with a smile. Ash laughed.

"Thanks, Gingka," he said gratefully, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Huh…" Madoka sighed, "Well, you're gonna have to show us this 'universe' you're from someday," she advised as she walked off, "I'd love to see the other kinds of Pokémon that live there," she affirmed with a smile.

"Yeah, it's a promise!" Ash assured, letting out a yawn, "But for now, I think we oughta' get some rest…" he noted tiredly.

"Yeah…" Gingka agreed, releasing his own long yawn as well. The two boys went upstairs and drifted right to sleep respectively, both snoring loudly. Madoka walked by their room and peeked inside, flashing a little smile.

'He's a lot like Gingka in a way…' she noted to herself, 'I bet they'll be great friends,' she affirmed inwardly as she headed off to bed.

X

Madoka couldn't have been more right. Ash and Gingka became fast friends, and soon enough, he was introduced to the multiverse as one of the wielders of an MPG. Between meeting the likes of Ben Tennyson to Naruto Uzumaki and all their friends, Gingka was getting to experience new worlds aside from just his own. He even became a Pokémon Trainer like Ash, joining him as he ventured out to the Sinnoh Region. All seemed well…

But darkness was lurking around every corner. You see, Gingka was being targeted by a group known as the Dark Nebula, an organization that was determined to see him defeated in a rise to power. Between the bladers that were sent to best him to ones that they trained themselves, he defeated them all with ease. By the time he was fully aware of their involvement, he vowed to stop them, as they had possession of a forbidden Beyblade that could wreak havoc on the world: Lightning L-Drago.

Through trials and tribulations, Gingka fought his way through the Dark Nebula, hoping to take back L-Drago before it was too late. Ash joined him on this endeavor, along with the likes of Kenta, Madoka, Benkei, and Kyoya. Together, they helped Gingka make his way through their foe's base of operations. Unfortunately, they were too late to stop L-Drago's blader from awakening…

"What do you think that blast was?" Kenta asked as he and the others were hurrying outside.

"I don't know…" Ash responded with a shake of his head, while Pikachu was leading the way, "Maybe Pegasus used its special move?" he presumed.

"No, the readings were off…" Madoka pointed out to his surprise, "Whatever happened, it was much more powerful than Pegasus' Shooting Star Blast attack…" she mentioned.

"More powerful than Pegasus?" Kyoya repeated in shock.

"B-B-Bull!" Benkei stammered, "If that's true, then Gingka's probably in trouble!" he presumed worriedly.

"We gotta help him before it's too late!" Kenta insisted. At that moment, Pikachu perked up slightly.

"Peekah, pika!" he called out to the others.

"I think we're close!" his trainer confirmed to his colleagues, turning a corner with them.

"Gingka!" they all exclaimed upon spotting the redheaded beyblader with his launcher in hand, prepped and ready to fire off his beyblade. That wasn't what surprised Ash, though. It was the expression of genuine anger on his friend's face. He turned to see what he was looking at, blinking in confusion.

Standing atop a nearby ledge of the building was a muscular young man with spiky white hair that had a red patch on the left side, amber eyes, and a slim build. He was wearing a black-and-gold tank top underneath a white coat, along with black pants. He also had a gold crown and a gauntlet over his left arm.

"Who's that guy?" Benkei wondered aloud.

"Peekah…" Pikachu squeaked nervously, backing up a few steps. His trainer noticed, sweating a little. He could sense the dark, sinister aura built up around the young man.

"Wait…" Kenta said, noticing that he was holding a peculiar bey in his right hand, "Is that what I think it is?" he inquired.

"Correct," a voice chimed in as another figure arrived on the scene, being none other than Doji, "L-Drago, the forbidden bey, my friends," he introduced.

"That's the forbidden bey?!" Benkei exclaimed.

"Pikah…!" Pikachu growled as his cheeks sparked with electricity.

"If you're intent on trying to take it back, I'd think again," Doji advised suddenly to the group's surprise, "Now that Ryuga's recovered, he's mastered control over it…" he confirmed, "Even I'm surprised…" he admitted aloud with a hand on his right hip.

"So that guy… is Ryuga…?" Ash guessed.

"I've trained for this day!" Gingka proclaimed to the white-haired young man, "Make no mistake, I will defeat you!" he vowed, "And I'll be taking L-Drago back!" he added firmly, having an aura build up around his body as well, though his was blue.

"Oh, I see…" Doji uttered in realization, "Through Gingka and Pegasus' combined power, Ryuga was able to recover quickly…" he noted, rubbing his chin, "How ironic is that?" he remarked.

"Wait, what are you talking about?!" Ash inquired, clenching his fists.

"And don't get ahead of yourself!" Kyoya shouted, "You've still got us to deal with!" he pointed out.

"Hmph," Doji scoffed, turning to face the others, "You call yourselves bladers, but you don't even know the truth about beyblading," he noted to them, "As for you, otherworlder," he continued to Ash, getting his attention, "I wonder just how other worlds would be affected by the powers of beys…" he noted aloud, much to the Pokémon Trainer's shock.

"I won't let you even a foot into another world!" he vowed firmly with a clenched right fist.

"Peekah!" Pikachu agreed, making his cheeks spark wildly.

"Hm," Doji huffed with a smirk. He went on to explain how beys had tremendous, untapped power dwelling within them. Legends had said people had used them to fight in wars, disrupt nature, and even control the very laws of physics. "The one with the most fearsome power of all is that of L-Drago!" he proclaimed, gesturing to Ryuga.

"As the one chosen by L-Drago, I am the strongest blader in the world!" he declared.

"You only think you're the strongest!" Gingka shouted back, "Like I said, I'm taking you down!" he vowed fiercely.

"Gingka…" Ash uttered worriedly.

"Ha!" Doji laughed, "Well, why don't we see who's really the strongest?" he offered. With a command to his A.I. program, he was able to bring forth a bey stadium out from the ocean, which extended a bridge out for the two bladers to cross. Ryuga jumped onto it, while Gingka was ready to cross the bridge. However…

"Wait!" Ash called out as he grabbed the redheaded young man's right arm, stopping him before he could go, causing him to look over in shock, "Gingka…" he began, "are you okay?" he asked of him.

"Yeah…" he answered, "I will be when I beat him," he affirmed on, yanking his arm free of his friend's grasp before making his way to the stadium. There, he stood across from Ryuga as lightning flashed above. The others made their way over to pay witness to the upcoming match, with Pikachu crawling up onto his trainer's shoulder.

"Peekah pi…" he uttered worriedly.

"I know, bud…" Ash responded, looking over at Gingka's stern expression. Whatever it was, he had a very serious resentment toward Ryuga. And he wanted nothing more than to defeat him.

"Three… two… one…!" they counted down, having readied their respective beys upon their launchers, "LET IT RIP!" they yelled simultaneously, pulling their ripcords and firing off their beyblades. They collided as another blast of lightning went off, making Gingka grimace. He then gasped upon seeing the manifestation of the opposing bey, being a purple, serpent-like dragon.

"Pegasus!" he called out, watching his bey collide with its opponent as sparks flew. To everyone's shock, the former of the two was sent flying.

"No way!" Kenta exclaimed. Fortunately, Pegasus was able to land down and keep spinning, regaining its speed. However, it was again struck by L-Drago, which slammed into it, sending it flying again.

"What just happened?!" Kyoya inquired aloud.

"Don't beyblades go in the same direction when they're launched to keep up with each other?" Ash questioned, looking over to Madoka, who pulled out her laptop.

"Hang on a second…" she said as she typed, hitting the enter key. Her eyes widened. "I knew it!" she exclaimed, enticing everyone to peek over her shoulders to see what was on her device's screen, "Normally, beys rotate to the right and go around a stadium counter-clockwise," she explained, "But L-Drago's rotating to the left!" she pointed out emphatically.

"You're kidding…!" Kyoya gasped out.

"Haha," Doji laughed, getting their attentions, "Out of all the beys in the world, the only one that rotates to the left is none other than the fearsome L-Drago," he told them, "You ever wonder why it's called the forbidden bey?" he inquired of his enemies.

'Gingka…' Ash uttered with a grimace. It looked to be a struggle for the redheaded beyblader and his Pegasus. Not only was L-Drago's rotation proving too much for them to handle, but its design was overwhelming its foe's attack power. Gingka was finding himself knocked over again and again with each repeated blow, as if he and his bey were one in the same.

"Gingka!" Kenta cried out.

"B-B-Bull!" Benkei stammered, pulling his hat down over his eyes, "I just can't watch this anymore!" he exclaimed.

"Ergh…" Gingka grunted as he got back onto his feet, "No… I'm fine…!" he proclaimed to his colleagues' surprise, "Pegasus and I…" he continued, staggering into a firm stance, "We're not gonna give up that easily!" he declared fiercely, "I have to win this… I gotta stop him here and now!" he added on.

"Gingka…" Ash uttered out.

"Pika…" Pikachu squeaked worriedly.

"Heh, heh…" Ryuga chuckled sinisterly, making his opponent clench his fists with anger. He knew that with him having just awoken, he couldn't be back to his full strength just yet. Now was the best time to stop him for good.

"PEGASUS!" he yelled out with a swing of his arm. His beyblade charged in toward its target, which was coming right at it.

"Bad move," Ryuga remarked, "You're rushing right to your defeat!" he declared, watching as L-Drago again knocked Pegasus away with ease. However, that was part of Gingka's plan. And Kyoya noticed.

By using L-Drago's power while being sent up into the air, Pegasus was increasing its rotation speed. And it was beginning to gain ground on its foe, managing to slightly knock it back. Ash clenched his fists, having faith in his friend.

"Now Pegasus!" Gingka exclaimed as he pointed out upwards, "Special Move…" he continued, "Shooting Star Blast!" he roared as the visage of the mythical horse appeared, soaring down at its opponent.

"There it is!" Benkei shouted excitedly.

"With all that momentum it built up, there's no way Pegasus' Special Move won't work!" Kenta proclaimed, "It's all over!" he exclaimed.

"Oh really, now?" Ryuga chimed in, getting their attentions, "You really shouldn't underestimate… the power of L-Drago!" he roared. Pegasus collided with its opponent from above, but it didn't budge at all. In fact, the dark aura surrounding it only seemed to grow stronger, and it repelled its fellow attack-type bey away.

"Huh?!" Gingka yelped out. Everyone gasped, looking up to see the visage of L-Drago seemingly coiling its body around Pegasus, shattering it into glowing blue feathers. "PEGASUS!" the redheaded beyblader screamed. His bey fell back into the stadium, still spinning but evidently tilting as its stamina was severely depleted.

'Even Pegasus' Special Move wasn't enough to stop L-Drago…' Ash noted to himself, 'It's almost unstoppable…!' he added inwardly with a grimace. Something about Ryuga was reminding him a lot of a person that he himself considered a formidable foe. And it was making his skin crawl.

"Peekah…" Pikachu uttered out.

"There's one more reason L-Drago's called the forbidden bey, Gingka," Ryuga pointed out to his opponent, causing him to perk up, "At the moment of impact, L-Drago's dark power absorbs and nullifies any attack it takes," he told him, causing him to widen his eyes in shock. "So even if you built up your speed and power, it'd mean nothing!" he bellowed, "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he cackled out maniacally.

"Ergh…" Gingka growled out, "Ryuga…" he snarled.

"So the more Pegasus battles L-Drago, the more of its power gets taken away…" Kenta noted aloud, "Does that mean…?" he started to guess with shaking eyes.

"It's not over yet!" Ash declared, getting everyone's attention, "Gingka, you can still do this!" he yelled out in cheer, "Don't give up!" he insisted.

"Pika, pikah!" Pikachu squeaked out.

"Ha!" Doji laughed, "You can cheer for him all you want," he remarked, "He'll still lose," he affirmed confidently. Pegasus was suffering repeated blows again from L-Drago, unable to do anything about it. No counterattack would work, no special move would do damage, nothing was seemingly possible. And Ryuga was growing bored of it, especially as his bey chipped away at its foe's metal wheel.

"Might as well give up already…" he advised of Gingka, "Your bey's pretty much done at this point…" he pointed out, much to his foe's chagrin, "Why not get a better one from your old man?" he suggested. The redheaded beyblader's eyes widened.

"His… what?" Kenta uttered in confusion.

"Though I gotta say, I always knew your old man was second-rate compared to me," Ryuga noted to his opponent, "His bey was nothing against L-Drago…" he added coldly. Gingka snarled. The fierceness in his expression surprised everyone, especially Ash. A vivid image of someone pointing to him amidst falling rocks flashed through his head.

"What… did you say…?!" he growled out, His colleagues gasped. "Don't you dare… MAKE FUN OF MY FATHER!" he roared angrily.

"Gingka…!" Kenta exclaimed, while the others grimaced.

"I'll say it a thousand times," Ryuga said as he smirked, "Your father was a weakling!" he yelled. The redheaded beyblader's growls grew louder. And the aura of anger building around him was also engulfing Pegasus.

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he bellowed out. His bey started spinning faster, rushing out and clashing with L-Drago again. However, it seemed as if it was finally on even footing with its foe, not getting blown away. Even so, the others couldn't help but worry.

"Gingka, you can't go attacking head on like that!" Benkei pointed out.

"Yeah, take it easy!" Kenta insisted.

"We'll come up with a plan for you together!" Madoka assured, "Just calm down and let us help before it's too late!" she insisted of the redheaded blader.

"I don't need a plan!" he proclaimed in response, much to her surprise, "It doesn't matter if it takes my power!" he yelled on, "I'll give L-Drago more than can it handle!" he declared further.

"Gingka…" Ash uttered in shock, remembering how friendly and upbeat his friend was during their own ventures together through the other worlds they had been to. Seeing him in such disarray wasn't only jarring, it was downright frightening.

"Don't stop, Pegasus!" Gingka yelled to his bey, "Keep pushing him back!" he ordered with a swing of his right arm.

"If this keeps up, Pegasus isn't just gonna lose…" Kyoya began, "it'll be destroyed!" he pointed out, much to everyone's shock.

"Gingka, you gotta stop it!" Ash shouted out, "Please!" he begged.

"Pikah, peekah!" Pikachu screamed in panic. However, the redheaded beyblader was too overcome with rage. And that's exactly what Ryuga wanted. The angrier his foe, the stronger L-Drago would get.

"You've served your purpose well, Gingka…" he noted to his opponent, getting his attention, "But I'll end this now," he decided. All of a sudden, the dragons upon his bey shifted. Orbs of purple energy appeared in Ryuga's hands, which he brought together. "Dark Move…" he began to bellow, unleashing a beam of light up into the sky as everyone watched with widened eyes, "Dragon Emperor… SOARING BITE STRIKE!" he roared. Lightning rained down onto the stadium. And with it, the visage of three draconic beasts emerged from the forbidden bey.

"Ah!" Gingka gasped.

"Gingka, get Pegasus out of there!" Ash insisted desperately. But it was already too late. L-Drago made its charge, slamming into its foe and pushing it up into the air. It then came down upon its fellow attack-type bey, with everyone seeing the three dragons that had emerged ensnare the mythical horse, slamming it down onto the stadium fiercely.

"PEGASUS!" Gingka screamed, while Ryuga sneered. The smoke settled, revealing Pegasus lying in the center of the cracked stadium, no longer spinning. Everyone looked in sheer disbelief. They couldn't believe that the redheaded blader had lost.

"Well, that's that," the white-haired young man said as his bey flew back to his right hand, allowing him to catch it as smoke emitted in between his fingers, "L-Drago's surely satisfied with its meal of your blader spirit," he pointed out, seeing Gingka drop down to his hands and knees in defeat.

"Gingka…" Ash uttered, followed by letting off an angered expression of his own, "You…" he growled out at Ryuga, getting his attention, "You won't get away with this!" he shouted in declaration. The white-haired young man smirked.

"Then why don't you stop me then?" he suggested of the Pokémon Trainer, causing him to blink in surprise. At that moment, Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder, making his cheeks spark with electricity.

"Pikachu…" his trainer said, followed by taking on a determined expression, "Yeah, we'll take you on!" he decided, clenching his fists tightly. Thunder boomed overhead. Ryuga's expression shifted into a frown.

"Unfortunately, I've got other plans for the moment," he confirmed to his foe's surprise, "Doji!" he called out, "It's time to make our preparations for Battle Bladers," he told him.

"But of course," his subordinate agreed, "We'll have everything ready soon," he vowed. The pair then left the scene.

"Hey!" Ash yelled out, ready to chase after them. However, he stopped as he looked back to see Gingka still on his hands and knees, contemplating his defeat. Pikachu went over to check on him, giving off a worried look.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he cried out in dismay up to the stormy sky overhead. He hadn't suffered a loss so great in a long time…

X

Gingka was never the same after that loss. The post-traumatic stress was getting to be quite severe, to the point where he was uncertain of his own strength as a blader. To put it simply, he decided to leave Metal Bey City in order to find himself again.

Returning to home of the Beyblade Village, he sought to gain the secrets of blading passed down from his father, Ryo. Even as he was struggling to keep himself composed and Pegasus' wings were smudged, he still vowed to get stronger. And though that was something Ash could admire, he could also see how it was eating away at him.

Thankfully, he was found with most of his confidence restored. I won't go into too many details, but he had to realize that a blader's true strength still came from the heart, much like his father had taught him. So now, with time to relax, Ash was ready to learn more about his friend and what awaited them in the future…

"So that's what happened to your dad?" Ash inquired of Gingka, who leaned back on the couch in the room upstairs for the B-Pit.

"Yeah…" he answered, lowering his head, "He saved my life… and gave me Pegasus," he pointed out in remembrance, "That's why I got all angry back then…" he recalled, knowing how furious he had been when Ryuga mocked his father in the midst of their battle, "You know…" he continued, "he kinda reminds me of Paul in a way…" he admitted, much to the Pokémon Trainer's surprise.

"You think so…?" he inquired back with a nervous smile.

"Whatever Ryuga's up to now, it can't be good…" Gingka noted.

"Yeah…" Ash agreed, "And that L-Drago's so powerful…" he mentioned on, "We'll need to get stronger if we're gonna stop him," he affirmed.

"We?" the redheaded beyblader repeated in surprise. His friend smiled.

"Of course I'm gonna help you fight," he affirmed in response, clenching his right fist, "Even if I'm not a blader, I know Pikachu and I can bring out Pegasus' full power through training!" he added confidently. Gingka grinned after a moment.

"Thanks, Ash," he said gratefully. The Pokémon Trainer looked up in thought for a moment, letting out a sigh.

"I bet your dad was really cool, huh?" he presumed, making his friend blink in surprise.

"Yeah, he was," he responded, "What about your dad?" he asked curiously.

"Ah… well…" Ash stuttered out to his confusion, "My mom told me he went out on a journey like I did," he noted, "But he never came back," he mentioned, causing Gingka to lightly gasp, "I always heard stories about how he was a failure of a trainer, someone who couldn't cut it," he added on, "So I said that I wouldn't turn out like him," he stated, clenching his fists, "And even now, I'm still telling myself that," he affirmed, looking over to his friend.

"You made a vow to yourself…" Gingka realized.

"Exactly!" Ash responded with a chuckle, "What would you tell yourself?" he questioned.

"Hmm…" the beyblader hummed out, looking down in thought. Since that day he had lost his father, he had never lost in a bey battle once… until his encounter with Ryuga. He gripped the couch with his hands. "What I'd tell myself…" he began, "is to keep believing in my spirit, no matter what," he said with a smile, "Even if I lose, I know I can use the lessons from that to get stronger," he affirmed further.

"Yeah, that sounds great!" the Pokémon trainer agreed, chuckling with his friend. Just then, Madoka came up the stairs.

"Hope you two are hungry!" she remarked, getting their attentions as they saw her hold out a pair of paper bags to them, "Because I ran over to get you some burgers!" she pointed out, causing them to beam excitedly.

"Thanks, Madoka!" they exclaimed gratefully, taking the bags from her hands and opening them to grab their food, "Let's dig in!" they decided at the same time, enjoying their meaty sandwiches as their friend giggled. She was happy to see them no longer depressed over the past and ready to look to the future. But that future would be riddled with challenges…

Indeed. You see, Ryuga's grand plan was to unveil Battle Bladers, a nationwide tournament to decide the best blader in all of Japan. And of course, hosted by none other than the Dark Nebula…

To compete, bladers would have to obtain at least 50,000 points from various Beyblade events jet throughout the country. By doing so, the strongest of bladers would be present for the tournament. And as such, L-Drago would be able to absorb all their power for itself.

Gingka's journey to obtain those points came with highs and lows. From meeting new friends to making new enemies, the wins and losses, and the lessons he had to learn along the way, it was a grueling ordeal. But ultimately, he was able to qualify for the tournament in the nick of time.

Needless to say, that event was even more frustrating. Between seeing his friends lose battles so gruesomely, Gingka was struggling to stay waiting for the chance to stop Ryuga. Watching Hyoma, Hikaru, Kenta, Tsubasa, and Kyoya all lose to the Dark Nebula's bladers so cruelly was almost too much for him to bear. In spite of that, he'd persevere in his own battles with Pegasus, while his friends would cheer him on.

And so comes the final match between him and Ryuga… Will he win and put a stop to L-Drago for good? Or will he lose and become its nourishment like all the other bladers that fell before him yet again? I suppose we'll find out…

Standing outside the B-Pit, Gingka took a good long look at Pegasus in his right hand. Up to now, they had gone through countless battles. And they had experienced their fair share of losses, including won where afterward, the redheaded blader made a vow to never lose again. If he did, he would quit beyblading forever.

"You're heading out already?" a voice inquired, getting his attention as he saw Ash step outside from the B-Pit's doors, with Pikachu perched on his right shoulder.

"Ryuga's waiting for me," Gingka pointed out, "Better to settle this now than later," he added firmly.

"I had no idea how intense these battles were gonna be…" Ash admitted as he clenched his fists, "It's nothing like Pokémon battles…" he noted with narrowed eyes while looking down in thought.

"Thanks for being there for us, Ash," the redheaded beyblader said gratefully, making his friend perk, "You helped save our friends from Ryuga and those other bladers," he recalled, remembering how Pikachu had intervened during the last match of the first round to protect Hikaru Hasama from getting struck by L-Drago's signature attack, likely saving her from a worse fate.

"Pika, peekah…" the Mouse Pokémon squeaked out worriedly.

"Do you really have to go at it alone?" Ash inquired in concern.

"If I don't, then other people could get hurt," Gingka responded, "That includes you," he mentioned to the Pokémon Trainer's surprise.

"But…" he tried to say.

"I'm lucky, you know," the redheaded beyblader pointed out, causing his friend to blink as he looked up at him, "To have all these friends like Kenta, Madoka, Yu, Hyoma…" he listed off, "and you," he added, "That's exactly why I have to do this alone, so none of you get hurt," he affirmed, "After what happened to Kyoya…" he started to recall, trembling a little with frustration, "I know that I'm the only one with a chance of stopping Ryuga for good," he confirmed.

"Gingka…" Ash uttered out.

"Besides, it's not like I'll actually be alone," the redheaded beyblader noted assuredly, "Pegasus is with me, just like Pikachu's with you!" he confirmed with a smile. The Pokémon Trainer's eyes widened before he grinned back.

"Do your best, Gingka," he insisted of his friend, holding out his right fist to him.

"Yeah," he responded, bumping his extremity against the capped boy's. He headed off, still smiling with confidence.

'You'll be with me in spirit, everyone,' he affirmed inwardly, 'I'll do my best,' he promised through his thoughts. A little while passed before he arrived at the ruined colosseum, walking out into the stands. He grimaced at the memory of the destruction caused from Kyoya and Ryuga's semifinal match.

"Hahahaha…" a familiar voice chuckled out, getting his attention, "So you showed up after all, huh?" he noted, being none other than L-Drago's wielder, who was sitting upon a rock in the arena.

"Ryuga…" Gingka uttered out, seeing him sneer at him. He hopped down to face him. "Wouldn't wanna keep you waiting," he remarked with a grin, readying Pegasus upon his launcher.

"No need to rush," Ryuga advised to his surprise. All of a sudden, the ground started to rumble. "I wanted to show you something before our final battle," the white-haired young man pointed out, "Here's the stage we'll decide this upon!" he declared. The earth shattered as emerging from the ground was a towering bey stadium that rose up to the sky, having two platforms for its eventual battlers to stand. Gingka held onto the railing of one for dear life as he found himself going higher and higher, right to the point where it stopped, towering over every building in the city. He pulled himself up onto the platform safely, letting out a relieved breath.

"What kinda stage is this…?" he asked. Ryuga chuckled.

"One where there'll be no distractions, and you can show me all of your power!" he proclaimed in response as he pointed at his opponent.

"I'll be happy to," he responded, "And with that power, I'll beat you!" he declared as he held his beyblade out, "Let's settle this Battle Bladers finale!" he insisted, setting his bey onto his launcher. Ryuga did the same with his.

"Three… two… one…!" they counted down together, "LET IT RIP!" they roared, pulling their respective ripcords to unleash their beys, which instantaneously collided. From just outside the B-Pit, Ash could see the flash of light that emitted from the towering stage.

"Gingka…" he uttered out. Back at the towering stadium, both beys slammed into each other as they rotated rapidly, with sparks flying from their clashes. Wind blew wildly from the force of their impacts, which the redheaded beyblader had to brace himself from as he grimaced. He was pressed up against the railing, glancing down at the city below. However, he steeled himself and stood firm.

"Already got a problem?" Ryuga inferred upon noticing, "The battle's only just begun!" he pointed out. Both beys knocked each other back before veering around to collide yet again. The visages of the beings that swelled within them appeared before their wielders, with L-Drago knocking Pegasus up into the air.

"Pegasus!" Gingka cried out, "Hang in there!" he cheered with a pump of his fist, "Now Star Blast Attack!" he yelled, seeing the mythical horse soar down at its target. However, Ryuga smirked.

"You never learn, do you?" he inquired of his opponent, causing him to perk up in surprise. Pegasus slammed down onto L-Drago, or at least it would have, if not for the dark aura building around its foe. It was then repelled away into the air.

"Wha…?!" Gingka gasped out, followed by growling in remembrance. Any of his bey's attacks would just get absorbed by L-Drago, allowing it to become much more powerful. All of the other battles in the tournament were meant to provide it with that unstoppable power. "In that case, let's try this!" the redheaded beyblader decided as he clenched his right fist. A blue, fiery aura built up around Pegasus, who circled about its foe as a torrent appeared,

"L-Drago!" Ryuga called out. The visage of the forbidden bey appeared, lunging towards its target. However, it retaliated with crescent-shaped blades of energy, making its opponent disappear instantaneously.

"Okay, this is it!" Gingka declared, "Special Move… STORM BRINGER!" he bellowed as his bey was ready to collide with L-Drago.

"Not good enough…" Ryuga remarked as he sneered. The two beys collided… and the flaming aura around Pegasus contorted before it was blown up into the air.

"N-No way!" Gingka stammered out. L-Drago's visage emerged from the opposing bey, striking Pegasus fiercely. "Pegasus!" the redheaded beyblader screamed, seeing it crash onto the stadium in a flurry of dust. He was knocked against the railing from the impact, wincing as he stood up. "Pegasus…" he uttered. The dust settled, revealing that his bey was still spinning, but was stuck in between the cracks that its impact had caused, with sparks flying wildly. Fortunately, it managed to free itself, speeding about the arena once more. "L-Drago's as strong as ever…" its wielder noted in frustration.

"Hmph," Ryuga scoffed, "Is that really all you've got?" he inquired, "Is that the extent of everything you have to offer?" he questioned on, "Show me more, Gingka! Give me more of that power!" he demanded of his foe.

"I'm not here for your amusement, Ryuga!" he shouted back, "I'm here for all my friends!" he affirmed, "For everyone who's supported me… and for everyone you've defeated, I will defeat you!" he proclaimed fiercely.

"Heh," the white-haired young man chuckled, "What a joke," he remarked, "Fighting for your friends?" he repeated, "Their power's already mine!" he yelled as the dark aura around his bey was building as it collided with Pegasus again, pushing it back, "L-Drago's taken all that power for itself!" he affirmed on, "And once it steals Pegasus', it's all over!" he declared on.

"No… it's not!" Gingka shouted as he held onto the railing, keeping himself steeled, "The reason we all Beyblade is because it's the bond that connects all of our hearts!" he pointed out, "And it's not just that…" he mentioned as he thought back to his promise to Ash earlier in the evening, "It connects beyond just this universe, giving us the chance to let others see what it can offer," he told his opponent, "And with that, there's a light of hope for all of us!" he proclaimed.

"A light of hope…?" Ryuga repeated, "Don't be absurd!" he yelled after a quick cackle, "If you really want to avenge your friends who've fallen, then show me your fury, your anger!" he insisted of his foe, "Use that power and maybe you'll have a chance of defeating me!" he inferred mockingly. Gingka growled.

"Pegasus!" he called out, enticing his bey to speed out toward its target, with its visage appearing.

"L-Drago!" Ryuga roared, having the forbidden bey charge at its opponent, making its visage appear as it closed in on its foe from above. On the streets below, Ash was running towards the towering stadium with Pikachu in pursuit, screeching to a halt upon seeing the sudden burst of light emitting from there.

"Gingka…!" he gasped out, while the Mouse Pokémon hopped onto his left shoulder, giving off a worried look. The stadium was cracking massively, as L-Drago spun on top of Pegasus, pushing it down to keep it from moving.

"Pegasus, no!" Gingka cried out.

"AHHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ryuga cackled, "That's it!" he yelled, "All of Pegasus' power…" he continued, "I can feel it going straight into Lightning L-Drago!" he proclaimed, laughing on. His opponent gasped.

"Pegasus…" he uttered, seeing his bey get pressed deeper and deeper into the stadium. He wasn't even paying any mind to how the platform he was standing upon was starting to break off. The only thing on his mind was his bey's condition. And it looked like he was going to lose…

"GINGKA!" Ash's voice yelled, causing him to perk up instantly.

"PIKA, PEEKAH!" Pikachu screamed.

"You can do it, Gingka!" Kenta cried out.

"It's not over! Don't give up!" Madoka insisted. Looking around, the redheaded beyblader was shocked to find most of his friends together on a nearby helipad just beside the towering stadium. All of them were shouting his name, cheering him on. And it wasn't just them. Many people below with Ash were chanting his name in support.

"Don't let anger get the better of you, okay?!" the Pokémon Trainer yelled on, "Remember, you always say that a blader's at their strongest when they've got the spirit to fight!" he pointed out emphatically.

"Ash… everyone…" Gingka uttered. He didn't know if he could be strong enough to stop Ryuga and L-Drago. But at the same time, he couldn't just let the hard work of every other blader that fell go right to waste.

"You swore to fight with all our feelings rolled into one, remember?!" Kenta cried out.

"That's right!" Madoka yelled, "You're not alone!" she affirmed.

"Win or lose, we're all in this together!" Benkei bellowed as he arrived on the scene, "You don't have to tough it out all by yourself!" he assured with a clenched left fist. The redheaded beyblader smiled, thankful for his friends' support. The sun was starting to rise up.

"Tch," Ryuga scoffed angrily, "You miserable brats…" he growled out. Even the Blader DJ was present, aboard a helicopter that flew around the towering stadium as he was commentating on the match thanks to a headset he had on.

"Who will be the number one blader in all of the world?!" he questioned loudly, "Will it be Ryuga?! Or Gingka?!" he inquired on. Everyone cheered excitedly, wanting for the latter of the two to emerge victorious.

"…Guess I was wrong…" he admitted with a small grin, "I figured I'd be carrying everyone's feelings with me into this battle, but…" he continued, closing his right hand over his chest, "With everyone here with me now, I can feel their strength," he affirmed confidently, "And with that… I won't lose!" he declared. All of a sudden, Pegasus started pushing back against L-Drago.

"What?!" Ryuga exclaimed upon noticing.

"Lend me your strength, everyone!" Gingka called out to those cheering for him, "Together, we'll win this battle!" he promised, "Let's go!" he yelled. Ultimately, his bey blew its opponent off, with its visage rising back up strong. Ryuga growled as he clenched his fists with frustration, watching as the opposing bey began its counterattack. It struck L-Drago, knocking it away again.

Things looked to be getting better for the redheaded beyblader, having been reinvigorated with his friends' support. Even his father was watching from afar. Though the battle looked to be steered in his son's favor, there was still one element he lacked in order to obtain victory. Time would tell if he'd be able to find it… because there wasn't much time left…

"You think I'll lose to pathetic attacks like that?!" Ryuga bellowed in question as his teeth were gnashed together, "Don't underestimate me…" he snarled out, "Now… Dark Move!" he yelled, making his opponent grimace, seeing the orb of purple energy building upon his right hand, "Dragon Emperor… SOARING BITE STRIKE!" he bellowed, unleashing a ray of light onto his bey. As it became engulfed in the luminosity, its dragons shifted positions, followed by charging out at its foe. The visage of three mythical beasts were coming towards Pegasus. However, Gingka steeled himself.

"We're not gonna lose!" he yelled, thrusting his hands forward. A blue light enveloped his bey as it sped out and collided with L-Drago, pushing it back. Ryuga grimaced with shock. Even with his bey's signature technique, his foe wouldn't go down like he expected.

"Yeah, that's it!" Kenta called out in cheer.

"You've got this, Gingka!" Benkei shouted.

"Finish him off!" Hyoma yelled on.

"Okay, here we—!" The redheaded beyblader stopped himself as he noticed something. Ryuga fell to his hands and knees as a dark purple aura was enveloping his body. Ash and Pikachu could see it from afar, wondering what was happening.

"L-Drago… why…?!" the white-haired young man grunted out. All of a sudden, the visage of the three dragons flew right into his body as he was forced to his feet, much to his foe's shock. His body contorted slightly as his skin darkened, with his eyes glowing red.

"Ryuga…?!" Gingka gasped out. A bright beam of light was shot into the sky, followed by dark clouds swirling about with purple lightning. Emerging from the sudden change in weather was an even larger visage of the mythical beast, being a deep, dark purple as it soared down and coiled around its master. And he was completely changed as well, looking like a living monster with sharp teeth and fingernails, while his veins bulged on his skin, and his white coat was lost. The battle was becoming all the more intense…

X

"Wh-What happened to him?" Madoka stuttered in question, just as shocked as anyone else watching.

"Guys!" Ash's voice cried out, getting their attentions as they saw him and Pikachu running over from the entrance onto the helipad.

"Ash!" Kenta exclaimed upon seeing him approach, making his way through the crowd with his partner, looking out at the stadium and widening their eyes.

"Is that… really Ryuga?" the Pokémon Trainer inquired as he was sweating a little.

"I don't know…" Yu answered unsurely. It seemed as if the white-haired young man was struggling to control himself. Or rather, L-Drago was trying to take control of him.

"STOP! STOP IT!" he begged loudly.

"R…Ryuga…" Gingka uttered.

"Seriously, what's going on?" Benkei asked.

"Just as I feared," another voice chimed in, getting the group's attention as they turned to see Ryo approach, "Until now, no one's ever been able to control L-Drago," he pointed out, "It's said that those who've tried were taken in by its dark aura… and destroyed," he mentioned, much to everyone's shock.

"So then… Ryuga…" Ash started to infer, "He's…" he continued, only to clench his fists as they trembled.

"Through the battles of Battle Bladers, L-Drago's power has gone far beyond what Ryuga must've anticipated," Ryo assumed, "And now, he's struggling to maintain even a semblance of control," he mentioned further.

"GAAAAAAAAHHHH!" the white-haired young man yelled with pain, unable to fight back against the dark energy engulfing him, grabbing at his head.

"A bey doing that to its own blader…" Kenta noted, quite shocked by the turn of events. Ryo mentioned how both L-Drago and Pegasus were borne from star fragments, though the former had diverged on a path that led it down a course of darkness. And thus, that darkness was what it longed for, destroying the world in order to attain it.

But that wasn't what Gingka cared about. It was the fact that L-Drago was putting Ryuga through such torment in order to fulfill its own desires. He had to put a stop to it before it was too late. His opponent had become a complete monster, with purple markings on his face and pointed ears.

"That is… my desire!" he bellowed out in voices that sounded as if they were overlapping, "Turn everything to darkness! Destroy it all!" he roared on.

"Hey, pull yourself together!" Gingka insisted of his opponent, "You can't lose to that dark power!" he pointed out.

"You'll become… a sacrifice for me as well!" Ryuga declared in response, sticking his right hand out. The dark aura around L-Drago intensified as it kept spinning, with sparks flying off of it. Charging forward, it slammed right into Pegasus in a fierce shockwave, knocking Gingka back as he slammed into the railing back first. The resulting blast shattered nearby windows and made those watching the battle brace themselves, looking on as Pegasus was struck up into the air again and again, with each collision in a more powerful shockwave.

"Gingka…!" Ash gasped out worriedly, grimacing while clenching his fists.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ryuga cackled out as the visage of L-Drago reappeared, towering over him and everyone else. His opponent could tell that this wasn't him. The dark power exuded by his bey was completely overtaking his control. And as powerful as it was, it wasn't going to make Gingka stop.

He had everyone on his side, even those who weren't present to cheer him on. Their strength gave him the courage to keep fighting, even if the odds weren't in his favor. With each collision of the two beys in the arena, the closer the end of the battle was. The redheaded beyblader that he had to save Ryuga from the darkness. Otherwise, he wouldn't be any better than him.

"Here we go!" Gingka yelled out, "This is everyone's power with me!" he proclaimed as the visage of Pegasus charged in.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Ryuga shouted back, while the visage of L-Drago lunged out at its incoming foe. Both of them collided while enveloped in their respective lights, which expanded and shot up into the sky in a swirling vortex. Their visages broke away from each other, with L-Drago firing off beams of dark red light from its mouths at its foe. However, Pegasus evaded it, retaliating by flapping its wings, raining down a barrage of needle-like projectiles onto its foe, which struck. It then neighed, galloping into a nearby nebula.

"This is it!" Gingka declared, "Special Move…" he began to shout, "GALAXY NOVA!" he bellowed. Pegasus was streaking toward its foe, engulfed in a blue light.

"Dark Move!" Ryuga roared, "Dragon Emperor… SOARING DESTRUCTION!" he exclaimed fiercely. A dark purple light shrouded his bey as it closed in on its foe. The two collided fiercely, being at a deadlock for several seconds. But ultimately, Pegasus was the one to break the tie as it pushed L-Drago back, breaking through the dark clouds as rays of sunlight peeked through. Gingka smiled.

"The thing that decides a battle isn't a bey's strength…" he pointed out to Ryuga, who perked up in surprise, "It's the blader's spirit!" he declared, right before both beys crashed onto the stadium fiercely, "Take back your blader's spirit, Ryuga!" he insisted of his foe. L-Drago cracked, while Pegasus still spun. The former's visage fizzled out, letting a pain roared escape its mouths before fading away completely.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ryuga bellowed with pain as he grabbed at his head, while Gingka barely held onto the side of the stadium as the wind rushed by. Bursts of light shot out from the stadium, heading all over the country. The tower then suddenly collapsed, with both bladers winding up falling.

"Gingka!" Kenta screamed. Ash was quick to pull out a Poké Ball from his belt, enlarging it with a press of its button. However, Pikachu blinked in surprise upon noticing something.

"Pika, pee!" he squeaked, pointing below. The redheaded beyblader somehow found himself landing on the back of Pegasus, as it soared around the collapsed tower. It flew over, allowing its wielder to take hold of Ryuga, who had reverted back to normal from his monstrous appearance.

"Ryuga!" Gingka called out. He stirred awake, widening his eyes in surprise to find himself being flown down by someone who was once his enemy.

"Gingka…?!" he exclaimed in surprise. They descended onto the ground, with the redheaded beyblader letting Ryuga go before hopping off of Pegasus. Its visage disappeared, revealing the bey still spinning, though wobbling slightly.

"Pegasus…" its wielder uttered. Meanwhile, L-Drago had crashed into the ground, dug into the street with cracks all along its form.

"The winner of the Battle Bladers' final battle is… G-G-G-GINGKA!" DJ Blader announced through his mic, as everyone cheered excitedly.

"I can't believe it…" the redheaded beyblader admitted aloud, letting off a little smile, "But in the end… you're the one who saved us…" he pointed out to his still-spinning bey, "Thanks so much, Pegasus…" he said gratefully, reaching down to grab it. However, it suddenly started glowing in a blue light, much to his surprise. The bey then disappeared into sparkling blue dust, which rose up into the air. "P-Pegasus?" its wielder stuttered out.

"Gingka!" Ash's voice yelled, getting his attention as he saw the Pokémon Trainer running over with Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Ash…" the redheaded beyblader uttered, "Pegasus… just…" he started to say, only to stop himself as he frowned a little.

"What? What happened?" Ash asked in concern. His friend exhaled a sigh, but then smiled as he looked up to the sky.

"I think Pegasus used all the power it had to stop L-Drago…" he answered to the Pokémon Trainer's shock, "But it's okay," he assured, "I get the feeling that we'll meet again someday…" he affirmed confidently, closing his right hand into a fist, "Until then, I'll keep getting stronger," he vowed, smiling at Ash. He blinked in surprise, but then smiled himself.

"Yeah, me too!" he promised, bumping his own fist against that of the beyblader's.

Gingka would reunite with Pegasus someday, though that's a story for another time. From this point on, Gingka had cemented himself as a powerful Beyblader. Even more so, he showed that his will would never waver, even in the face of adversity. Challenges would come at him throughout future battles, but he would persevere, striving to grow stronger still.

That's what makes Gingka a force to be reckoned with throughout the multiverse. Take my advice… never underestimate the power of a blader's spirit. And with that, I bid you all a fond farewell for now.

Goodbye!

ENDING

Insert "Kitakaze" by SIX LOUNGE

Starts with Gingka waking up with a yawn as he stretches his arms up. He gets out of bed, brushing his teeth before putting on his clothes, his fingerless gloves, his scarf, his belts, and his signature headband. He heads outside, taking a nice deep breath before running off.

We see scenes of his father training him to be a strong beyblader for the future, and that holds true as he faces down the likes of Benkei, Kyoya, and Doji. However, he comes to a stop as he ends up face-to-face with Ryuga, whose L-Drago looms over him menacingly. He steps back in fright, but then feels a hand come onto his shoulder. He looks over to see Ash there with Pikachu on his shoulder, both giving him reassuring nods. He grins, ready to fight on.

We get to see scenes of him commanding his Swellow, as he fights Paul Rebolledo's Torterra in the Lily of the Valley Conference, battling in the Fourth Great Ninja War with sword and beyblade in hand, and even working alongside members of Fairy Tail to stop the Oracion Seis during the Key of the Starry Sky Arc. We get a shot of him looking out over the horizon of Mistralton City, smiling as Skyla comes over and sits down beside him, leaning upon his shoulder.

As time goes on, Gingka one day returns to the B-Pit, meeting up with Madoka Amano, only for her to get upset with him when he shows her how damaged Pegasus has gotten. We also see him get to meet with Zyro Kurogane and Shinobu Hiryuin, telling them about his adventures. Of the various people he's bonded with, whether it's Ash, Ben, Naruto, Hinata, Rex, or any of the people he's met from his own universe, Gingka's grateful that he got to meet all of them.

The ending closes with him at home, sleeping on a couch as his daughter Rachael crawls atop him, snoozing gently at his side. Skyla comes into the room and smiles to see her husband and their daughter so close. It's something that Gingka hopes will last for a long time.

END ENDING

And so ends a thankfully shorter chapter for "Omni Force: ORIGINS"! As much as I like doing these stories, I do find myself wanting to work on the others more. But this was a fun chapter to write, and I'm looking forward to what I'll be doing next with Rex Salazar!

Thanks for reading, everyone!