13 years ago, a nine-year-old Trent, and thousands, no, millions of people around the world, gazed upon a true legend, Leonidas, a Bakugan who appeared in the very first Bakugan video game and has never reappeared since. He, like everyone who knew Leonidas, wanted, no, demanded, to have a real Leonidas toy. Unfortunately, they never did.
But years later, that was about to change.
Trent was now a young man in his twenties, with medium-length black hair, eyes of that same color, wearing a black sleeveless jacket with a white t-shirt over it, sports tracksuits, a pair of sneakers, and a pair of discreet rectangular glasses.
He was strolling through a convention, observing the various booths or cosplaying, enjoying the moment. He even saw a guy dressed as Deadpool goofing off. Eventually, he passed a stand selling a lot of old merchandise from an anime he'd loved in his youth: Bakugan.
He'd loved it as a kid, never missing an episode. He had quite a collection, but sold it all like a fool when the series ended, except for the video games he still enjoyed playing from time to time.
He looked at the various products and found one that surprised him. He didn't recognize its appearance or its golden color, but the name on the box he knew very well: Leonidas.
He looked at the various products and found one that surprised him. He didn't recognize its appearance or its golden color, but the name on the box was familiar to him: Leonidas.
13 years after playing the game, his childhood prayers had been answered. With a reboot and redesign, admittedly, but he certainly wasn't going to be picky and bought it.
Some may think it's a childish thing to buy a toy from this license when you're an adult. But what's an adult life without its childish side?
Once home, he couldn't resist unwrapping the Bakugan to get a better look at it.
As he admired the toy's spherical shape with a look of nostalgia, it unfolded on its own. This startled the young man. He was sure, however, that the surface on which it was placed was not metallic.
His surprise was heightened when he saw the Bakugan glowing with a golden gleam that came to encompass the entire room.
When the light faded, he was now standing in a classic teenager's bedroom. He spun around to inspect the room. Until he came face to face with a mirror, now able to see something that had shocked him.
His body looked a few years younger, back to the way it had looked when he was 16 and without his glasses.
He touched his face, thinking he was hallucinating, but he was not. He had grown younger and was in a high-school bedroom.
"How long are you planning to admire yourself?" A voice in the room asked.
Trent looked around, but found no one.
"I'm here!" Said the voice again, seeming to come from the bedside table in the room.
On closer inspection, Trent could see the Leonidas he'd just bought, with an added detail that surprised the young man in a teenager's body: the Bakugan was moving. It was alive. This surprised him so much that, as he stepped back, he bumped his head against his closet door.
"Ooh, that must have hurt." Bakugan observed as Trent rubbed the back of his skull.
"But, but, but..." Said Trent, pointing at Leonidas as if seeing a ghost.
"I know, I'm talking. Now sit down, I'll explain everything." Said the Bakugan as Trent, too shocked to want to disobey, did as he said and sat down on the bed, turning to face him.
And Leonidas spent the next few minutes explaining everything to him.
A few days later, Trent was in a park facing two people whom his childhood memories described as nuisances.
The teenager in the black-and-orange jacket and his brother, a little boy in a cap and green T-shirt, regained their composure and prepared to attack. The teenager in the orange and black jacket stepped forward.
"So you're ready to lose to my fighting skills!" Said the teenager.
Trent could easily have made him eat the ground, but he was forced to stick to his plan.
"I don't have a plan. But if you keep looking for trouble with me, I have no remorse in coming to blows." Trent retorted.
Trent's statement made both brothers recoil; despite his build, the big brother in the orange jacket seemed to be bolder with his words than with his actions. But to keep face, like any good bully, he intended to mock his interlocutor for not having a popular thing.
"Pfft! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Shuji and Akira burst out laughing. The two Yagami siblings blushed with mocking laughter.
"Who doesn't have a Bakugan these days?" Akira asked.
"Hahaha! But what a loser!" Said Shuji.
"What's so funny, Shuji?"
Once the new voice entered his ears, Shuji's laughter ceased. His mirth quickly turned to annoyance as he turned to the newcomer.
"Dan?! What are you doing here?!" Shuji asked.
He wasn't the only one shocked, Trent looked at the Battle Brawler in amazement.
"Dan?! You mean Dan Kuso from the Battle Brawlers?!" Trent said, almost sounding like a fanboy. But he didn't know if it was acting or if the 9-year-old he'd been when the first Bakugan anime was on TV had been resurrected by seeing the protagonist.
Dan turned his attention away from Shuji and looked at Trent.
"What's the matter? Looks like Shuji's giving you trouble. Do you need help?" Dan asked.
"Yeah, a little help wouldn't go amiss." Trent agreed.
In response Dan walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulder.
"Good, because you're going to fight."
"Okay... It's going to be complicated because I've never played the game before." He said.
Dan was a little shocked. He'd never met anyone who hadn't done a Bakugan fight before other than Alice, but he quickly dismissed the thought from his mind.
"Never mind, I'll guide you all the way. Shuji will make a good training opponent."
"Hey! I heard that, Dan!" Shuji shouted.
"It's true, he looks as dangerous as a poodle. He makes a lot of noise to make people think he's dangerous, when in fact he's dumb as a brick..." Trent conceded.
"Hey! I heard you!" Shuji roared, indirectly further proving Trent's comparison.
His cries were ignored by the two teenagers as Dan handed Trent a Gate Card. At the same time, Shuji and his brother Akira pulled out theirs.
"Now, pay attention to my advice. If you succeed, I may not charge you for the training!" Dan joked.
"Field, open!"
Trent didn't know what he'd expected when the world around him began to slow to a halt. The wind sweeping through the park froze as a blinding white light overwhelmed his senses.
When Trent opened his eyes again, he saw that he and the others were no longer in the city park. The world he once knew was now replaced by emptiness. The ground beneath his feet was almost brilliant white, and the sky was a mishmash of colors. Almost as if a painter had splattered the sky with his paint.
"W-where are we?" He asked, pretending to be a neophyte, yet genuinely amazed by what he was seeing.
"You really don't know anything about Bakugan, do you?" Dan chuckled, finding amusement in Trent's wondering face.
"... I did say I'd never played before." Trent replied nervously.
Dan waved his hand reassuringly.
"That's cool, man. You remind me of my friend Alice, she was just like you when she first saw this place." He said.
Dan couldn't see him because his back was to him, but Trent grinned slightly at the mention of Alice.
"Okay, can you explain to me what this place is?" Trent asked, a little disappointed that he had to play the neophyte to the hilt to avoid looking suspicious. "Of course I gave it to him. The question now is whether or not Trent realizes he can use it?" Dan thought, staring at Trent's back.
"Of course!" Said Dan as he straightened up, apparently enjoying this teaching role. "This is an alternate dimension to ours. While we're here, time in our world is completely frozen. This is where we fight all our battles!"
"Fascinating..."
"HEY!"
The novice and his teacher turned their attention to the two brothers standing on the other side of the void, looking impatient.
"Do you want something, Shuji?" Dan asked.
"What! Of course I do, Dan! We're here to fight! Not to do some stupid tutorial!" Shuji shouted.
"And? You're the number one choice for a tutorial," Said Dan as if it were common knowledge.
"WHAT?!" Said Shuji with tenfold anger. "Just for that, I'm going to crush this newbie here with everything I've got!"
Shuji pulled out a Gate Card.
"Yeah, Shuji's gonna beat you!" Interjected Akira.
Dan as he pulled out one of the three Bakugan Pyrus in its holder on his belt.
"Here you go, Trent," he said, handing the teenager a Bakugan Pyrus.
"O-Oh... yeah. That's right..." Said Trent, holding the Bakugan in his hands. The boy was a little overwhelmed at the moment. "What else do I need?"
"Some Gate Cards and Ability Cards." Dan replied, holding out six cards to Trent. "I'll explain the Ability Cards once the fight starts. For now, you and Shuji both need to throw a Gate Card."
Trent examined the two sets of three cards in his hands. He could see the attribute symbols on the Gate Cards and their effects, while the Ability Cards listed only their effects.
"All right, then. Let's go!" Said Trent.
"Gate Card, position!" Said the two teenagers as they threw down their cards. Both cards grew to gigantic sizes as they landed on the battlefield.
"Since I'm a nice person, I'll let you get started." Shuji sighed.
"Okay." Said Trent, looking at the three Bakugan at his disposal. He wasn't sure which one to start with. "How can I choose which one to play with?"
Dan shrugged.
"It's all a matter of intuition and courage. Pick the one with the highest G-power and throw it on a Gate Card." He replied, pointing to one of the Bakugan in Trent's hand. "That one's Juggernoid. It's got 170 Gs. Not bad for a start." Dan suggested.
"Then let's see what he can do!" Said Trent as he pulled his arm back, lifting his leg to give himself more throwing power.
"Bakugan brawl!" Trent shouted, throwing his Bakugan with everything he had. The ball flew through the air before rolling onto his Gate Card. "Bakugan stand!"
Juggernoid came to life with a mighty roar, the Pyrus turtle stamped its foot loudly. Trent was baffled by the Bakugan's actual size.
On the other side of the battlefield, Shuji and Akira were seething.
"Let me show you how a fight goes, kid! Bakugan brawl!" Said Shuji, launching his Bakugan, sending it straight for Trent's Gate Card. "Bakugan stand!"
A Subterra version of Juggernoid joined the Pyrus version on the Gate Card.
Subterra Juggernoid: 170 G
Pyrus Juggernoid: 170 G
Dan looked down at his Bakupod as the AI spoke of power levels.
"Really, Shuji? You're just going to copy us, aren't you?" Dan commented.
"Hey, I didn't copy anyone! I just played it first!" Shuji shouted.
Dan shook his head, loving how easy it was to piss Shuji off. Turning to his student, Dan showed Trent the watch screen.
"A fight starts when two Bakugan land on the same map. Win the fight to win the round!" he explained.
Trent nodded.
"Sounds easy enough." He said.
"Hehehe! We'll see about that!" Said Shuji, raising a card in his hands. "Ability Card, activated!" The card in his hand emitted a brilliant glow as it powered up his Juggernoid.
Subterra Juggernoid: 170 G to 320 G!
"What?!" Trent shouted as Shuji's Bakugan grew stronger.
"You're going to get pounded, kid!" Shuji said with a menacing smile.
"Trent, open the Gate Card." Said Dan.
"How do I do that?!" Asked Trent, still in his noob role.
"Just tell it to open." Replied Dan.
"Uh, Gate Card, open up!" Trent shouted.
The Gate Card shone brightly, revealing itself to be a character card for Juggernoid.
Pyrus Juggernoid: 170 G to 370 G!
Subterra Juggernoid: 320G to 370G!
"What?! They're tied?!" Shuji shouted.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that the fight would end in a draw unless something happened. Trent turned to the Ability Cards in his hand.
"Maybe... this one?" Trent said before raising the card in the air. "Ability Card, activated!"
Pyrus Juggernoid: 370 G to 420 G!
"Gah! He's much too strong now!" Shuji shouted, shocked.
The Pyrus Juggernoid advanced, fueled by the card's effect. It jumped with all it had, head-butting the opposing Juggernoid with shattering force. The Subterra Juggernoid returned from the destructive blow, reverting to spherical form. It rolled to the ground at Shuji's feet.
Trent's Juggernoid and Gate Card returned to his hand. The boy stood there, shocked by the result of his first Bakugan fight. Clutching both Bakugan and the card in his hands, Trent leaped into the air.
"Yeah, I won!" He said, enthusiastically. "Maybe I'm overdoing it." He thought.
"Good job on winning your first Gate Card. The first to win three wins combat. So let's get on with kicking Shuji's ass!" Congratulated Dan.
"Yeah. It'd be silly to get too confident after winning just one round." Trent smiled.
Shuji and Akira were both fulminating with anger.
"You just got lucky! You won't be so lucky in the next fight!" Said the teenager in the orange jacket.
Riding the new feeling of adrenaline and confidence, Trent met Shuji's gaze.
"Yeah, we'll see about that!" Trent retorted.
"Tch! I'll shut you up! Bakugan brawl!" Said Shuji, sending out his next Bakugan. "Bakugan stand!"
A large beast that looked like a rhinoceros, but stood on two legs instead of four roared to life. It was a Subterra Saurus.
Subterra Saurus: 180 G!
Trent was a little intimidated by it, but he managed to win a fight. So he couldn't start backing down now!
"Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand!" He said as his own Saurus went up against Shuji's.
Pyrus Saurus: 180 G!
"Heh, who's the copycat now?" Shuji laughed.
"Say that when you win a Gate Card!" Trent retorted.
"We'll see about that! Gate Card, open up!" Shuji shouted in frustration.
Subterra Saurus: 180G to 270G!
Pyrus Saurus: 180 G to 290 G!
"What?! Why has his G-power become higher than mine?" Shuji shouted.
Dan rolled his eyes.
"Are you sure you're not the one who needs a tutorial, Shuji?" He asked.
"Sh-shut up, Dan! I just made a mistake!" Shuji shouted.
"Big brother, teach them a lesson!" He said.
Shuji pulled out another Ability Card.
"Yay! Ability Card, activate! Sol!" He said.
Pyrus Saurus: 290 G to 240 G!
Pyrus Saurus felt the ground beneath him rumble as sand began to materialize underneath. The creature roared in pain as he felt his power diminish.
"What's going on?!" Trent asked, shocked.
Dan clicked his tongue.
"Shuji's Ability Card just activated. It decreases G Power the top attribute to 50. That means instead of a 110 G Power boost, becomes a 50 boost." Dan explained.
Shuji laughed at his assured victory.
"You can see that. You don't stand a chance, I was just kidding in the first round! I doubt Dan gave you anything to counter that!"
"Of course I gave it to him. The question now is whether or not Trent realizes he can use it?" Dan thought, staring at Trent's back.
The novice fighter looked down at the cards in his hand. If he didn't think of something fast, his Saurus would be bathing in sand! As he quickly finished reading the effects of the cards, he realized something.
"Wait... yeah, that'll work!" Trent said, raising the card in the air. "Ability Card, activated! G Power Exchange!"
Subterra Saurus: 270G to 240G!
Pyrus Saurus: 240 G to 270 G!
"WHAT?!" Shuji and Akira shouted.
Dan laughed, finding their faces hysterical. "Are you really surprised, Shuji? I've been grooming my new student to take you down!"
"All right, Saurus! Knock him out!" Trent ordered, shaking his fist.
As if answering his call, Pyrus Saurus sprinted out of the sand trap he'd been placed in. Raising his fist. The Bakugan Pyrus landed a devastating right hook in the Subterra's face. The enemy Bakugan flew off the Gate Card before resuming its spherical form, rolling beside Shuji's feet.
Trent grabbed his Saurus, grinning madly at the rush to win his 2nd fight.
"You can't beat me!" he said confidently.
Trent paid no attention to Shuji and looked at Dan.
"I've only got two wins and there are no Gate Cards. Do we just put in new ones?" Trent asked
Dan nodded.
"Yeah, just throw in another Gate Card." He replied.
Trent pulled out another Gate Card at the same time as Shuji.
"Gate Card, position!" They said.
"Bakugan brawl!" Said Trent, sending his Saurus back into the fight, landing on its own Gate Card instead of Shuji's. "Bakugan stand!"
Pyrus Saurus: 180 G!
"Like I'm going to lose to a stupid beginner! I'm going to beat you with this Bakugan!" Shuji declared. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan stand!" The brown ball rolled right in front of Saurus.
"The rookie's name is Trent." Retorted the teenager.
The creature that appeared was a Subterra Serpenoid, a large brown Bakugan snake.
Subterra Serpenoid: 150 G!
"Gate Card, open up!" Trent shouted, revealing the card.
Pyrus Saurus: 180 G to 320 G!
Subterra Serpenoid: 150 G to 200 G!
Shuji scoffed, not letting the big difference scare him. "Like I'm going to let that stop me! Ability..."
"Nuh uh, Shuji!" Said Dan, interrupting her.
"What are you doing, Dan?!" Shuji shouted.
"Showing you what an idiot you are by being in this trap." Dan smiled.
"A trap?" Both brothers asked, bowing their heads.
"Do you want to explain it to them?" Dan asked Trent.
The teenage rookie nodded.
"This door card is called Interrupted Support, which means no one is allowed to use Ability Cards for the rest of this round!"
All color disappeared from the brothers' faces.
"Mmm-but then that means..."
"Finish it, Saurus!" Trent ordered.
The beast roared. Pulling back his big fist, he hurled it forward like a missile. The Serpenoid couldn't protect itself from the incoming attack, its head thrown back by the game-ending blow.
Trent felt the wind blowing in front of him again, looking around, the teenager found himself with the others standing inside the park once more.
"I guess this means I win." he smiled.
Shuji grunted, his face red with embarrassment and humiliation.
"I-It's not over, kid! You'll pay for this at the tournament! And I'll prove to everyone that I'm the better fighter!" Shuji declared before running off with his tail between his legs.
"S-Shuji, wait!" Said Akira before pursuing his brother. However, not without giving the duo one last dark look.
Dan walked over to Trent, lightly tapping his shoulder.
"Good job! For a beginner, you weren't bad at all! How does it feel to be in a Bakugan fight for the first time?" He said.
"What's it like...?" Trent repeated. If he'd been asked that question half an hour ago, he'd just have scoffed. However, after finally trying it for the first time and even winning the fight, his whole outlook had changed. "I love it. I had little fear of feeling like a passive spectator. But there's something that makes me curious. Shuji mentioned a tournament. What was he talking about?"
"This is a tournament that was recently launched in the city by a mysterious donor. Apparently, it consists of 6 different tournaments. By participating in each tournament and winning fights, your ranking will increase. And only the top 10 ranked players are allowed to participate in the final tournament." Dan explained.
Trent nodded, the adrenalin in his system still pumping through his body. The idea of a tournament sounded like so much fun.
"However, I don't really have a Bakugan or cards. Nor do I have a Bakugan as strong as Drago." Trent declared.
After hearing his name mentioned, Dan's partner jumped out of his pocket.
"Hm? It's not just me who's strong. The bond between Dan and me is what makes us powerful." Explained Drago.
"I agree. A fighter's bond with his Bakugan is the most important part of fighting. How about heading to the Bakugan Store to build your team and card set. My friend Alice runs the place, and she'll be happy to help you." Explained Dan.
"The Bakugan Store?" Trent repeated, not remembering having heard of the place since he'd arrived in town... that's probably because he hadn't been out of the house since he'd arrived.
"Yeah! The Bakugan you choose are the ones you're going to fight! The more you fight, the more your bond with them will grow!" Dan exclaimed.
"Okay, thanks for the advice and the introduction to the game, Dan." He said.
Fighter Pyrus absorbed all the praise. He enjoyed being a teacher far more than he should. The teenager couldn't wait to tell Runo what a good teacher he was.
"No problem, Trent. I've got to go, but good luck!" He said before rushing out of the park.
Once Dan was far enough away, a golden ball jumped onto his shoulder and transformed into the spherical form of Leonidas.
"Too bad I couldn't nail that arrogant vermin's beak." He said.
"Don't worry, you'll get your chance in the tournament. It's even a good way for you to make a spectacular entry." Trent smiles.
"I'm counting on it. Shall we go to the Bakugan Store Dan mentioned?" Said the golden Bakugan.
"Of course." Says Trent, pulling out his phone to look up directions to the store on the Internet.
"Which of the other two Bakugan on our team will you choose?"
"I was thinking Darkus."
"I should have seen that coming."
"Bah what, you've seen that I prefer to be in the dark." Trent retorted.
"But yes, isn't this related to the alter-ego of a pretty girl we're going to meet and whose attention we'll surely attract by introducing me to her?" Leonidas retorted, his tone clearly indicating that he was smiling.
"... Shut up..."