The day was warm over a port city, and the ocean breeze invaded people’s noses.
Seagulls flapped across the sky as gracefully as they could, dodging fluffy white clouds.
The month was August, two days after kids returned to school, including seventeen-year-old Bakugan Battle Brawler Dan Kuso, who was now a high school senior. He was almost eighteen—wow. He was growing up, but he still fought Bakugan with his Pyrus Dragonoid, Drago.
Dan was to return to Bakugan Interspace later that day to battle a young lady his age named Kit, and he was stoked. He rode his bike toward his neighborhood.
Drago, in ball form, tried to keep up with him.
Dan wore a white shirt with a blue stripe stretching across his chest, blue jeans, brown shoes, and a red jacket. Goggles were embedded in his brown hair, and a grin stretched across his face.
Drago was falling behind. Dan was just too fast! He called to him in his wise voice, “Dan, you’re killing me! Can we stop?”
Dan heard him and chuckled, stopping his bike. “What’s wrong, Drago? Can you not keep up?” He placed his foot on the ground and adjusted the white-and-black backpack on his back.
Panting, Drago hovered before him. “I know how excited you are, dude, but take it easy on a poor Pyrus Bakugan. I’m about to hurl.”
Dan rolled his eyes, chuckling again. “Drago, it’s been a week since I’ve brawled, and Kit sounds like a really sweet opponent. You’ll feel the fire of brawling again, buddy!” He lifted his foot and rode away as fast as possible. As he rode, he closed his eyes and sang, “Brawling, brawling! Who’s the best brawler? Me!”
Suddenly, Dan heard a voice before him. “Watch out!”
Dan opened his eyes, gasping when he saw his friend, Runo. Yelling, he rode to the side to dodge her, and then, one heard the loud crash! of the bike falling.
Runo gasped. She was a tall girl who had two long blue pigtails.
Drago sighed. “Sigh, humans.”
Dan sat where the bike landed and rubbed his head.
Runo approached him and asked, “Oh, Dan, are you all right?”
Laughing, Dan stood and rubbed himself down. “Of course I am! Nice to see you again, Runo!”
“Well,” Runo said, “you sure are chipper today. Are you finally going back to Bakugan Interspace?”
Dan closed his eyes and nodded. “I sure am!” Drago hovered beside him, and Dan glanced at him. Then he focused back on Runo.
Drago said, “Be careful, he’s overdone it.”
Suddenly thinking of an idea, Dan gasped. “Hey, Runo, would you like to come to Bakugan Interspace and see the battle? It’ll be wicked!”
Runo, open-mouthed, said, “Are you serious? Sure!”
“Awesome,” Dan shouted, and the two high-fived, “but before I go, I need to swing by home, put up my book bag, and choose another Bakugan for my team, just in case. I’ll meet you in front of my house in fifteen minutes.” He released Runo’s hand, and she nodded. Dan picked up his bike, climbed aboard, waved, and rode away with Drago panting behind.
At Dan’s house, his mother, Miyoko Kuso, was doing yoga. She heard the front door open and Dan’s voice: “I’m home, Mom!”
His mother smiled and looked up to see him running up the stairs. “Oh, hi doll! How was sch—?” She didn’t finish, because Dan’s bedroom door slammed shut. “Dan, don’t slam the door! Sigh, teenagers.” She hung her head and ran her fingers through her brown hair.
In his room, Dan threw his backpack on his bed and hurried to his desk, opening a drawer. Inside were six other Pyrus Bakugan balls.
Dan said, “Drago, Mantris hasn’t battled in a while. Maybe I should take him?” He glanced at Drago, and he nodded.
“That’s not a bad idea, Dan. I’ve been talking with him, and he really wants to brawl.”
Nodding, Dan took out Mantris’s ball. “Mantris, do you want to brawl?”
Mantris gasped and opened his hand, revealing a miniature praying mantis. “Are you serious, Dan? I’d love to!”
Dan nodded, and Mantris floated out of his hand, cheering. He and Drago happily circled Dan’s head. Then, they hurried outside and met up with Runo.
Together, they hiked to the large Bakugan Interspace building. It was enormous and white all over. Inside were teleporters that teleported kids into the actual Bakugan Interspace. It was actually pretty high-tech stuff.
Dan jumped up and down like a little kid because of all the excitement. He wanted to hurry in, meet up with Marucho and Shun, and start the battle. Oh yeah, he can feel the fire burning inside!
He and Runo took their places in their own teleporters, and Dan said to Drago, “This is so exciting! Finally, a Bakugan brawl!”
“Take it easy, dude!” Drago said as they started to teleport and disappear.
Since Dan had been there plenty of times, he wasn’t freaking out, but Runo was.
Screaming, she closed her eyes and held her head. “I’m done for!”
Eventually, the two reappeared, and Dan peered forward to see that he, Drago, Mantris, and Runo were in a plain white room, but outside, a surprise awaited Runo.
Dan stepped out of the teleporter, and a robotic voice was heard over the intercom. “Welcome to Bakugan Interspace, and remember, play nice.”
Drago, Dan, and Mantris glanced at Runo, who took deep breaths and checked to make sure her body parts were still attached.
Dan said, “No need to freak, Runo, we’re here! Follow me!” He ran ahead, Runo running after him.
Drago said, “He’s acting like a five-year-old!”
The door to the white room opened, and Runo and Drago joined Dan outside.
Runo gasped in astonishment, and her jaw dropped.
Inside Bakugan Interspace, a green computer screen was the ceiling. Buildings were everywhere, as well as dangly screens that showed the top three brawlers and upcoming battles.
Kids examined the screens, and Dan smiled to be cool when he saw that he and Drago were still Number One. Under them, though, catching up was a teenage girl who had short blonde hair. Beside her stood her partner, an Aquos Bakugan named—
“Tristar!” Runo yelled, and Dan nodded. “Say, Dan, doesn’t Marucho also have a Tristar?”
Oh man, Dan forgot all about Marucho’s Tristar—he was so psyched. He saw that the girl on the screen, in Rank #2, was Kit, and laughed. “Ha, she doesn’t look so tough!”
Drago gulped. “Don’t be so sure, Daniel.”
Dan glanced at him.
Soon, the four friends found Marucho and Shun. They stood under the screens that announced who was battling against whom. On one screen, it was shown that in Area B, Kit Jasper would fight against the Number One brawler… Dan Kuso.
Dan clenched his fists and said, “Finally!” shaking them. “Oh, I’m so pumped!” He hopped up and down.
Drago said, “Calm down, human! She’s just a regular girl, and like any other girl, she is too into makeup.”
That offended Runo, who asked, “What?” She narrowed her eyes and leaned toward Drago. “Watch it, Drago! I know more about brawling than you think! Now, Dan—”
Dan turned to her.
Runo added, “Hurry to Area B, and we’ll be there shortly.”
Dan nodded, and he and Drago took off.
Marucho watched them and smiled, saying, “It’s so great to see Dan himself again.”
“I don’t know,” Shun spoke calmly, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
The friends stared at him, but brushed off his statement and took off. They found Area B, where the bleachers were filled with cheering fans.
Below, on the rectangular battlefield, stood the two opponents: Dan on one side and Kit on the other.
Dan had his brawling face turned on.
Kit wore blue jeans and a pink shirt. Tristar floated beside her.
Kit laughed. “That’s Dan Kuso? He doesn’t look like much. Let’s do this, Tristar.”
Tristar nodded.
Before long, the announcer was heard. “Field open! This battle will be against Dan Kuso of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers and Kit Jasper of Team Rainbus!”
Rainbus? What was that? Well, it didn’t matter because Dan was ready.
His friends watched from the seats while the bleachers separated, giving the brawlers more room. The field glowed and turned into a rocky landscape.
Grinning, Dan said, “A rocky landscape, perfect! Ready, Drago?”
“I sure am, Dan,” Drago spoke.
Kit glanced at Tristar. “Let’s do this, Tristar!”
Tristar nodded.
Dan drew his gate card. “I’ll start!” Throwing it forward, he yelled, “Gate card, set!”
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n9wz5o6sJ
End of Part One!
Current Word Count: 1440
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and then Add to home screen.