-Park Location-
This whole day has been truly surreal. First, I wake up in a strange house in a body that isn't my own. Then, a system reveals that it brought me here thanks to a survey I took online. It tells me I can earn rewards by starting relationships with girls and interfering in plot events. And now I'm talking to a real, fully alive Bakugan. I don't know who brought me here, but I thank them for giving me this opportunity.
Snapping out of my inner monologue, I refocused on Leonidas.
"Leonidas, I definitely like the name. You can also just call me Ryu. My name is a bit long, and that's what my friends call me." I wasn't lying. Fighters and online usually call me simply Ryu. Even at the top, that's my name.
Leonidas answered me in that deep tone he usually uses, although there was also a hint of discomfort, "I see. So, Ryu. Friends, what do you mean?"
Well, it shouldn't surprise me that he doesn't know what a friend means. "Well, basically, they're people who get along and are close," I answered as best I could. After all, the definition of friends can change depending on the person.
"Mm, so why do you call me a friend? We just met. According to your definition, we shouldn't be friends." Well, that's blunt and rather dry, although I guess I can understand it.
I replied with some discomfort and a wry smile. "Haha, well, that's true, but on this planet, two people can often become friends over almost anything." Although I was straying from what I was supposed to ask him, so I went back to the reason I came.
"Actually, I wanted to ask you. Would you like to become my partner? That could also make us friends?" I said this sincerely, looking him straight in the eyes. It must certainly be surreal to see a boy talking so seriously with something that could pass for a toy. If someone saw me, they'd probably think I'd gone crazy.
"Partners?" He responded with bewilderment.
Of course, I forgot. He probably doesn't know much about relationships in general, and probably not how things work either. So I explained the whole Bakugan owner thing to him, and also said something about how problems could arise later and that this wasn't even a game anymore.
When I finished explaining everything, I saw him lower his little head for a moment, as if to think. A minute later, he raised it and looked at me again to ask something. "So you're saying that if I team up with you, I'll be able to battle with other Bakugan?"
It seems that's what mattered most to him, although I expected that too. I remember that in the beginning of the game, he was also someone who cared a lot about battles and defeating other Bakugan.
Well, it worked in my favor, so I just nodded. "Yeah, that's the whole point of having a partner."
"I see, very well, Ryu, then I'll be in your care, I agree."
Then I was trying not to scream with joy, so I just smiled at him and said, "Same here, buddy. I'll be in your care as well."
With that, I officially got my own Guardian Bakugan and a partner to help me deal with any problems that came up later.
Instead of going straight home, I preferred to stay a little longer in the park to meet Leonidas and connect with him more.
He's someone who came from the system but is now alive, so it's better to create a sincere bond with him on my own. He told me quite a few things about himself, although he gave short answers and didn't ask much more. It certainly didn't bother me. If the story is the same as the game, then in the end, he's someone who was alone for who knows how long, so the fact that he can't interact with others properly is normal.
I talked about various things with him and told him about this world and the fighters, and that I would introduce him to them tonight. In his case, he didn't really tell me his true origins. He only told me that his home was called Vestroia. While it wasn't a lie, I knew it wasn't the whole truth, but I'm not going to pressure him right now. I know he'll tell me when he feels better enough to talk.
Even though he grew up in the dimension of doom, I know he's not as bad as Vladitor was. He just needed someone to talk to. While the game only said he became better by interacting with the protagonist, the best thing I can do is talk to him and get to know each other better. I hope it will have the same result as in the game.
Although it didn't seem like that much time had passed, I saw the sky starting to turn orange, indicating that it would get dark soon. So I put Leonidas in my shirt pocket and stood up to leave.
"It'll be dark soon, we better go home Leonidas, I'll show you where I live and also introduce you to my friends," this was something that also excited me since even if it was online I was going to meet the legendary Bakugan fighters, it's really exciting.
"Mm," Leonidas just made an agreeing sound and turned into a sphere.
It will definitely take a lot of work to get him used to interacting with people, so I grabbed my bike and started pedaling back home.
-Change of location, protagonist's house-
When I got home, I put my bike in the garage and went up to my room. On the way, I saw Leonidas stick his head out of my pocket and talk to me.
"Do you live with anyone else?"
It's surprising that he spoke; he was very quiet the whole way back, but I still answered him.
"No, I live alone, although sometimes some friends come here to hang out." I remember Julie, Runo, and sometimes Shun and Dan coming over, which surprises me, although of course they never all came together, so Dan hasn't met Runo or Julie outside of online meetings yet.
I blamed the plot for that, since it's funny how every time I invited Dan, Runo, and Julie were busy and couldn't make it, and the same thing happened the other way around.
"Hmm," Leonidas said, turning back into a sphere. It wasn't much work.
When I got to my room, I took off my shirt, leaving only my sleeveless shirt on, and headed to the computer on my desk. I placed Leonidas on the desk and turned it on, ready to join the meeting the fighters usually have at night—or I guess it would be correct to say we usually do since I exist now.
"What's that?" Leonidas asked curiously when he saw the computer turn on.
I replied, "This is a computer. It's something that was created a long time ago, and it has many functions. It allows you to play games, search for almost anything on the internet, and communicate with your friends or people from all over the world." I explained several other functions slowly, and stopped when I saw he didn't understand something.
"Humans are certainly fascinating, creating technology like this." He didn't seem too surprised, though who knows; he always speaks in a fairly calm tone of voice, so it's hard to know what he's really thinking.
At that moment, the computer finally turned on and several windows appeared, finally showing the protagonist group of this world.
The first is a dark-skinned girl with long white hair that she usually wears in a ponytail. She could be described as flirtatious and playful. She usually wears a short sleeveless shirt that exposes her navel, which also reveals her breasts, which are quite large for her age and look as if they're about to pop out. She also wears short shorts that expose her long legs and reveal her rather full thighs.
She always wears white headphones around her neck, as well as fingerless gloves that reach to her elbows and boots of the same color. This is Julie Makimoto.
"My cute ryu, you finally came online! I was already worried you wouldn't want to see me!" she said in a flirtatious yet somewhat seductive tone, so I responded in kind.
"Hey, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to see my favorite cute brunette."
That put an even bigger smile on her face. "Wow, looks like you haven't lost your touch, that deserves a reward." Then I saw her blow the camera a kiss, although it didn't make anyone else very happy.
"Hey, flirt, back off, what do you think you're doing!"
The one who spoke was another of the girls. She had cute light blue hair tied in two yellow and pink pigtails detailed with triangular decorations between said colors. She wore a short yellow shirt with small pink straps and loose sleeves with blue "X"s, two on her chest and two on each of her arms, as well as white spheres decorating the front and pink embroidery on the bottom.
She's wearing the same style of gloves as Julie's, but in her case, they're brown. She's wearing a white miniskirt that reaches mid-thigh, though not as full as Julie's. She's still attractive in its own way. She's wearing knee-high socks with alternating white and orange stripes.
This is Runo Misaki, someone with a rebellious and volatile personality, especially when it comes to someone like Julie.
"Come on, Runo, don't be jealous. You always have him all to yourself. It's harder for me to see him in person," Julie responded in her usual flirtatious and seductive tone, which only made her angrier.
"Having him all to myself, what are you talking about? Who would want that? Do whatever you want, I just don't want you to make others uncomfortable with your seductive attitude." Even though she said that, I could see her cheeks flushed. You could say she's the typical tsundere girl, although I'm used to it by now. I was about to intervene to calm her down, but someone was quicker.
"Come on Runo, don't get upset. You know that's how Julie is. She's just playing around, and everyone here knows how she is. It doesn't bother us."
"Nghh," I could see Runo gritting her teeth, but in the end, she didn't say anything and just sulked with a cute pout.
The one speaking is Runo's best friend, a beautiful girl who radiates maturity and warmth with the cute smile she usually wears on her face. She wears a yellow dress over a short green blouse. She also has short white shorts, although not as short as Julie's, which still allow us to see her beautiful legs and thighs, just a little less full than Julie's. On her feet, she wears small white boots. Her hair is a beautiful bright orange color that she usually leaves loose.
Her name is Alice Gehabich. She is of Russian descent and could be called the oldest sister in the group, being the oldest after me, along with her maturity and her instinct to care for others. She is also the group's strategist, with a great knowledge of the Bakugan game despite not having a Bakugan of her own at the moment.
"It's nice to see you too, Ryu," she told me with a small smile.
"Likewise, Alice. You look as pretty as ever. You too, Runo. It's a pleasure to see you. I missed your pretty blue hair." I said with a smile on my face. She asked to see Runo, simply snorting with a blush on her cheeks. "Hmph."
As for Alice, she only gave a small smile as she cordially thanked me for the compliment. "Thanks. You look very handsome too." Since I haven't interacted with her outside of online meetings, you could say we have a good relationship as friends, but nothing more. Although, well, that's fine. When the canon starts, there will be plenty of opportunities to strengthen our relationship. I can wait.
"Um, so guys, I know you get along, but can you stop ignoring us now?" The one who spoke was a short boy with glasses who had a blush on his cheeks, with a polite tone.
He is a boy with a thin build and short stature. He has short, light yellow hair, with some strands sticking out to the sides. He wears a short-sleeved T-shirt, usually green, and a red vest over it. He also wears shorts and sneakers. He has a kind and optimistic attitude. His name is Marucho Marukura. He's the youngest of the fighters, but he's often called a walking encyclopedia since he's also the smartest, with a wealth of knowledge on various subjects.
I apologized with a helpless smile on my face as I addressed him, "Haha, sorry, Marucho. I feel like it's been a while since I've seen you guys, so I got carried away. It's nice to see you too."
"That's weird since we talked yesterday, but it's okay. Nice to see you too, Ryu."
"Hey, Ryu, you better be ready because I moved up six spots in the top tier today. I'll catch up with you soon." The last guy who spoke with an arrogant and defiant tone could be called the focal point of the story.
He wears a red short-sleeved T-shirt with black and white details, and a yellow sleeveless shirt underneath. He also wears long red pants, blue fingerless gloves, and sneakers.
He has short brown hair that he wears in a messy style, with strands sticking out everywhere, and over it, he wears dark sports glasses with a green rim.
Dan Kuso, the main protagonist of the Bakugan series throughout all its seasons, as well as the partner of the one known as the Ultimate Bakugan, Pyrus Dragonoid, or simply Drago.
I just shook my head with a smile, but Marucho answered him before I could say anything.
"Wow, Dan, it's impressive to advance six places in one day. At that pace, you could really surpass him in a couple of years," he said in an optimistic tone. Anyone would think he was making fun of him, but no, he really meant it with the best of intentions.
I just saw Dan's face turn confused.
"A couple of years?" He said it with a shocked expression.
"Well, what did you expect? He's been top 1 since the game started. You can't expect to catch him that quickly," Runo was the one who told him that, in a condescending and mocking tone.
"Oh, Runo, do you want to fight? I'll show you I can beat him," Dan said in defiance of his words.
"Go ahead, whenever you want, I can beat you up. Ryu doesn't have to lift a finger!" Runo said this in a loud and angry tone as well.
I can see that their dynamic hasn't changed; they're like water and oil, although this time it's really because they can't stand each other, of that I can be sure. I suppose whether they like each other or not, they'll still end up arguing anyway.
I intervened to calm things down before Alice could intervene as she usually does, "Okay, guys, calm down. Runo, I'm glad you're defending me, but we can't take away Dan's credit, even if what you say is true."
"Who's defending you?! I just told him what I thought. Don't get me wrong. Hmph," Runo gave the standard tsundere response with an embarrassed face. How cute she looks embarrassed.
As for Dan, "That's right." It took him a while to process what I said,"¡Wait like the truth, you'll see one day I'll knock you off your throne!"
I just laughed "Hahaha, I'm eager whenever you want, Dan. Let's hope this time you manage to defeat at least one of my Bakugan. Otherwise, I feel like I'm intimidating you." In the fights we had before I took control, that's what happened. When we fought, he never managed to defeat even one of my Bakugan, and I usually beat him using only Reaper.
"Ryu is so handsome, that's why you're in the top 1. You're the best." The one who said that was my cute, white-haired brunette. I just responded with a smile that made her blush, a goofy grin on her face.
"Don't get discouraged, Dan. Not even Shun has managed to beat him, so just keep trying." Alice told him this, trying to cheer him up, but I think it only depressed him more because he hasn't even beaten Shun. I could almost see a dark cloud over his head.
But at that moment, Marucho asked a question. "Speaking of Shun, have any of you seen him?" When he asked that question, I could sense the discomfort in the call. The one who answered was Dan.
"No, I haven't seen him since that day. Do you know anything about him?" said Dan after quickly getting out of his funk.
Everyone shook their heads, and the question struck me.
"No, I haven't seen him. He seems to have vanished." Although I knew what was happening to him, for now it was best to leave him alone with his thoughts.
I could see their faces growing dark, so to cheer them up, I decided to do what I planned this time.
"Guys, come on, Shun. He'll be back sometime soon. He doesn't like being second best, so he has to show up sooner or later, but look what I got," I said as I lifted Leonidas up to the camera.
Runo: A Bakugan?
Marucho: I've never seen one like that.
Julie: "Oh, it looks good. It looks great on you, Ryu. It matches your eyes."
Dan: "What?" You got another Bakugan, now what am I going to do? I haven't even beaten the others.
Alice: Ryu, there's something special about him if you introduce him to us like this, right?
Hearing Alice's question, I nodded. "That's right, his name is Leonidas, he's quite strong, and that's not all," my friend greeted.
Hearing that, everyone looked at me like I was crazy, but when were they going to say something?
"Hello humans, so you're the ones my partner told me about. Nice to meet you," he said and quickly hid back in a ball. It's surprising that he could say so much in a single sentence, and everyone's faces were priceless.
Everyone: Did he just talk??!!