So here is something else that I used to post on yugiohcardmaker.net. Despite the issues that I have with my login there (I really should go back and see if I can get on yet or not, but oh well), I do recommend the site for anyone interested in Yu-Gi-Oh! Making the cards is fun, and there is some good stuff in the Creative Writing section. Anyway, this was a community-driven project where people on the site would vote on whatever match-up they want out of three or four choices, and could even submit there own fanfiction characters for consideration. This would allow readers to experience matches that we would never otherwise see, in the form of a series of short stories which I would try to make as plausible as possible. It started out as nothing but disjointed stories, but I actually had an idea for something like a storyline. Too bad the fact that I've left the site effectively ended this series as well.
Anyway, there are quite a few match-ups already posted on yugiohcardmaker.net. Because Reaper is going even slower than I thought, I will be posting these here as well to fill any lulls. I don't know what I'll do once these run out. I guess I'll actually have to...*gulp*...try.
This first match is my main character's best friend Tucker against the best friend of the premier Yu-Gi-Oh! main character Yugi Muto, Katsuya Jonouchi (known as Joey Wheeler in the U.S.). Enjoy!
Duel One
Tucker vs. Katsuya Jonouchi, Part One
So my buddy John gave me all of this money to go to school, but then I found this grant program specifically for poor, troubled kids. John didn't want his money back, so I kept it. My break came, and I decided to take a trip to Japan. Specifically to Domino city. Specifically to the parts of Domino that were the site of the famous Battle City Tournament. Every Duelist worth his Duel Disk knows all about the Battle City Tournament. So why do I care about it,you ask? To answer that, I should tell you a little more about myself.
I'm Tucker. I'm eighteen, tall, and a little gangly (that's a word, right?). I have spikey red hair, and I'm fascinated by fire. It's one of my favorite things. Another of my favorite things is Duel Monsters. I've loved Duel Monsters since John saved me from a violent life and taught me to play as a way of relieving stress and challenging my mind. There's this whole epic destiny thing, too, but that's a whole other story.
Anyway, I was in Domino City checking out the sites. Or, rather, I was trying to. I'm not very good at reading maps, and my phone doesn't have GPS, so I'd been wandering around the city. It got to the point where not only had I completely lost sight of my hotel, I'd also lost site of everything around my hotel which could have led me back to it. And I was hungry. I noticed pictures of sushi rolls in the window of a restaurant, and decided what the hell. I'd always wanted to try sushi, and what better place to try it than Japan, right? So I went inside and asked for a sample, only to spit it out violently in my best accidental impression of Matt Smith in the first episode of Doctor Who Series 5. Needless to say, I was asked to leave.
I walked outside, still hungry, and saw a pair of familiar golden arches in the distance. Fifteen minutes later I walked out of McDonald's with a bag containing three quarter pounders with cheese, and a funny-tasting Coca Cola. I realized that I'd gone even further from the beaten path, and that I was even more lost that before. I checked my map again, with no luck, and started wandering again, eating as I went.
I ate slow. By the time I'd finished my last burger and was on my way toward finishing off my drink, I'd found my way to a considerably rundown part of the city. I'd slurped the last of my soda and begun searching for a garbage can or a dumpster when I stumbled across a suspicious going on in an alley. Two guys who looked to be a few years older than me were standing bruised and a little bloody over a couple of punks who were clearly unconscious. One of them was blond with longish hair and wore a green jacket, and the other had much shorter brown hair, spiked in the front, wearing a brown jacket and jeans. I'd have given then a good job for knockin' out some obvious gang thugs (trust me, I know gangs), except that they were still surrounded by seven thugs who were obviously the previously mentioned thugs' gang-mates. The conflict had paused momentarily, but I got the feeling that it would resume any moment, and that when it did, the thugs would go in with the intention to kill. My hunch was confirmed when the largest of the thugs, a dude who was a good 6'7" and totally ripped pulled out a switchblade, and his lackeys followed suit.
So, like the dumbass I am, I set my bag, containing my cards and Duel Disk, on the ground next to an air conditioning unit, waded up all of my McDonald's trash together and threw it, nailing Super Thug in the back of the head. He turned slowly to face me and said something angrily in Japanese.
"Sorry," I replied, "but the only Japanese I know is 'konichiwa' and 'arigato'. Oh, and 'sushi'."
"I said keep out of our business," the thug repeated in better English than some Americans I know, "or I make it your business too."
"Then make it my business," I said smugly, and all Hell broke loose.
Super Thug came right at me with his knife, alternating stabbing and slashing. I sidestepped, stepping in closer, inside his reach, where I deflected his knife hand with my left hand while I jabbed with my right. The force of the blow caused Super Thug to stumble back, further into the alley and closer to the wall. I grabbed his wrist and swiftly slammed his knife hand into the wall, attempting to disarm him, but he kept his grip and kneed me in the gut. I endured it and stepped in closer, using a trick John taught me. I pushed in on the tip of Super Thug's pinkie finger, which was gripping the knife, sending a sharp pain through his hand. He jerked back, dropping the knife, and I kicked it away with my foot at the same moment that I jump-kicked the thug in the stomach. He stumbled again, but he was otherwise unfazed. I stepped in close and took a swing at his jaw, but he ducked and swung right back.
He was faster than I expected him to be, but I still barely managed to avoid his punch, only to take another knee to the gut. I staggered, and Super Thug took the opportunity to sock me in the face. Man did it hurt. I was seein' stars. Before I could shake it off Thug kicked me in the stomach and I doubled over. I knew what was coming: an all out assault against my exposed back and head. Trying to guard myself would do little good, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out my lighter, clicked it on, and held the flame up in the path of my opponent's strike. He pulled his hand back, and I scrambled back, out of his reach, and put my hands up. I was just thinking that things were looking bad when the blond guy stepped up behind Thug and tapped him on the shoulder.
Thug turned, surprised, and looked back over his shoulder just in time to see Blondie's fist connecting with his face. He spun back around to face me, and I socked him one myself. He stumbled back in a daze, and Blondie stepped up beside me. We threw our punches side by side, nailing Super Thug square in the jaw, and he finally went down like a sack of potatoes.
Needless to say, we got the hell outta there. I grabbed my bag, the two guys grabbed bags of there own from the ground alongside the alley wall, and we took off together, ending up in another alley a couple blocks away. We stopped for a breather, and I heard sirens. The dark haired guy pointed at his cell phone, a smile on his face, said something in Japanese, and I realized that he'd called the cops to come pick up the trash. They high fived, and then they turned to me. Blondie said something in Japanese, beginning with 'arigato'.
"Arigato," I said, probably looking as clueless as I felt. "That means 'thank you', right?"
"I forgot," Blondie replied, "no Japanese. I said thanks for the save back there. If not for you, we woulda been finished. You're an American?"
"Yeah," I answered. "I'm in town to see the locales from the Battle City Tournament, but I got a little lost."
"Wait, you're a Duelist?" Blondie asked. " Then you should know who I am." He pointed at himself, beaming with pride, and held his pose, waiting for me to recognize him.
"Here we go," his buddy said, facepalming. "I'm Hiroto Honda, and the idiot here is my buddy (lord knows why) Katsuya Jonouchi."
"Jonouchi?" I said. "Hey, I do know you! You're Yugi Muto's buddy. You made it to the finals in Battle City, and you came in second at Duelist Kingdom."
Jonouchi exhaled sharply, and I realized that he'd been holding his breath along with his pose the whole time.
"That's right!"
"Oh, wow," I blurted, " you're, like, one of my heroes!"
Honda facepalmed again, "Don't tell him that."
"But you are!" I exclaimed. "A complete underdog who went so far? When my pal John started teaching me Duel Monsters I would look to you for inspiration. I'm Paul Tucker. Tucker to my friends."
"Well, Tucker," Jonouchi said, still beaming, "I'd be happy to sign your cards for you."
"That'd be cool," I told him with a smile, "but what I'd really like is a Duel."
Jonouchi returned my confident smile, "I think that can be arranged."
We took out our Duel Disks and stepped back from each other.
"I hope you know what you're gettin' into," Jonouchi told me. "Maybe you should think of this as less of a Duel and more of lesson."
"As sweet as that would be," I replied, "I'm the kind of guy who goes all out against every opponent."
I drew six cards from my deck (LP: 4000), "I'll start us off with a monster in defense mode."
"Pretty good," Jonouchi said, sounding quite knowledgeable, "but you shouldn't defend so casually on the first turn. I'll show you how it's done."
He drew (LP: 4000), "I start out with an old favorite of mine. Summon 'Gearfried the Iron Knight', and attack the defending monster!"
A hologram of a black metal knight with a blade built into his arm appeared and charged my field (ATK: 1800). My monster, a large turtle sporting a UFO rather than a shell, appeared in the knight's path, and was cut clear in half.
"And that's how it's done!"
"Not quite," I asserted. "The monster you destroyed was 'UFO Turtle'. When it's destroyed, I get to summon a Fire monster from my deck!"
In a burst of flames, my dark-skinned, tattooed 'Flame Ruler' appeared at my side, his arms crossed defiantly (ATK: 1500).
"Wha-," Jonouchi began, surprised by this latest development, but he caught himself, "Of course I knew you were planning something like that."
"Sure you did," Honda heckled from the sidelines.
"Shut up," Jonouchi snapped, "I know what I'm doing. Besides, his monster can't beat mine, and I've got this. Face-down card!"
A hologram of a face-down Duel Monsters card appeared directly behind Jonouchi's knight.
"Maybe you did see my 'UFO Turtle' coming like you said," I countered, "but I bet you didn't foresee this! My 'Flame Ruler' here can act as both tributes for a Level seven or higher monster. I tribute him to summon my 'Tyrant Dragon'!"
'Flame Ruler' disappeared and was replaced by a towering copper dragon with a green jewel in its forehead. It let out a mighty introductory roar (ATK: 2900).
"I attack your 'Gearfried'," I declared, and my dragon roared in response.
"Notsofast!" Jonouchi responded. "I've got this! 'Skull Dice'!"
A small, flying devil appeared, carrying a giant d6.
"The dice devil throws the dice it carries," Jonouchi explained, "and divides the Attack of your dragon by the result."
The devil threw his dice, but as soon as it hit the ground, my dragon's jewel flashed and the dice and devil shattered into individual pixels.
"What?!"
"My 'Tyrant Dragon' negates any Trap that targets it," I explained, beaming.
"Awe man!" Jonouchi exclaimed. I smiled uncomfortably.
Is this guy really the great underdog duelist that I've heard so much about? The Duelist who most consider third in the world?
"My dragon destroys your knight," I declared, and 'Tyrant Dragon' breathed fire, melting 'Gearfried' to slag (4000+1800-2900=2900).
"I end my turn," I finished.
"Then it's my turn," Jonouchi said, drawing his card. "I may be down, but I'm not out!"
And in that moment I saw a fire in Jonouchi's eyes that told me that he was right, and that I might just be in more trouble than I thought.
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