Episode 92. - Kaijudo Uncertainty Principle

Jake Stonewall took a swig from the bottle he was holding, the liquid refreshing him immediately. Even in this weather, certain drinks were still best cold. Near him, two youngsters were tussling over a large bag of potato chips, until finally they ripped it open, showering the chips all over themselves and the nearby area. Jake sighed and slipped his beverage back into his bag. The 'please do not eat in the store' announcement was sure to follow that fairly soon, even on a day like today.

Today was one of the special twelfth set release events. The main one had been last week, but KirriCorp made it a point to hold at least three of them, since it made better use of the setup, and for those who could not attend one or two of the others. Jake had not actually found anything he wanted in the cards of the new set, but he had managed to trade what he did get for cards he did want, finally obtaining enough copies of Petrova, Channeler of Suns, to stop himself from needing to take them out of one deck to add to the other.

A youth with sandy reddish hair now approached him. The boy's hair was long, and ponytailed, and darkened almost to black at the end. Jake wondered if it was natural.

"Excuse me... hi... do you have any Necrodragon Bagrazard? I'm looking for them. I haven't got a lot of stuff to trade, but if you don't like what I've got, I can bring my cousin over..."
The voice was that of someone who was just short of puberty. Jake guessed thirteen. Around his own age. The card he referred to was one of the promotional cards released along with the twelfth set. One could only obtain them by being at release events, and they were designed to help with the use of the new hybrid and Vortex Evolution creatures. Mostly, they were just different race versions of already existing cards, to make the play easier.

Jake rummaged in his bag, taking out a small box.
"Yeah, I got one of those. I don't think I'll use it... let me see what you've got to trade?"

The youngster handed Jake a card pouch, and Jake quickly found something he considered useful. Valkyer, Starstorm Elemental. It seemed like a fair enough trade to him, and the boy agreed to it as well just as his older female cousin came up to them.

"Good trade?" she asked him, nodding to Jake with a sweet 'hello'.

"I got it! I got the last one!" the boy laughed jubilantly, "And yeah, he was cool, he just traded for Valkyer, didn't try to rip me off or anything."

She nodded, smiling, and turned to Jake, "I'm Harriet Torren, this is my cousin Remil. Nice to meet you. Thanks for trading with him."

"Jake Stonewall. No problem. Haven't seen you guys around here before. From out of town? Or just getting into the game? I could swear I've heard that name before..."

Harriet laughed, the same melodic laugh as always.
"I'm honored to know that. I've been in the finals of a few tournaments, though I've never won anything. That might be where you've heard the name. We drove in to try to track down more Bagrazard for him, and to expose him to a new metagame. Let's just say people are a little tightfisted with their Bagrazard back where we're from."

"Expose him to a new meta?" Jake wondered now, looking at Remil.

"I'm a beginner!" Remil laughed, "Harriet's been teaching me, and she says I'm getting really good really fast, but everyone back home plays the same sort of thing, and she was worried I'd start messing with my deck to make it more like theirs or just beat it. I don't know what the big deal is, but here we are."

Harriet smirked, "I told you already, you'll understand when you play some people here."

"Well, I've got the last Bagrazard now, so maybe I can play him?" Remil asked, sitting. Harriet's Kaijudo rose now, surprising Jake a little. He knew of the force and could feel it, and could even use it at times, in response to another, but had not often encountered someone with this level of potency behind theirs. Harriet seemed to be gauging his for some reason.

"Okay, you can play him if he agrees," she said finally, after her 'investigation', "But I'll have to ask that he take it easy, if he can. Do you have more than one deck, Mr. Stonewall?"

"Actually, yeah... I've got a copy of my friend Vlad's deck. I sorta upgraded it for him since he's busy lately and can't duel much to test... though I'm beginning to think I didn't actually make it better... hehe... but why would you ask... and you want me to hold back?"

"No, I don't want you to hold back, just don't use your main deck against Remy. It would be... going easy while still playing your best. If you used your main deck against him... things might get a little... 'mental'... if you know what I mean."

Jake was not absolutely sure, but he assumed that she meant that the boy could use the Kaijudo as well somehow, and she wanted that part of the match to be more even. He nodded, accepting the conditions, and simply deployed his five shields. The deck had already been out. It had been the one he wanted the Valkyer for.

"You can go first..." Jake said, drawing his cards.

"Uhh... thanks? But I'm the challenger, right? You don't have to--"

Jake cut him off. "This deck is better going second a lot of the time, and you're definitely playing Darkness. I'll take my chances with that choice."

Remil nodded, "Volcanic Arrows to mana. End turn."

Harriet stood to the side slightly, then said to Jake, "You don't mind if I help a little, do you?"

She demonstrated immediately what she meant by help. Her Kaijudo warmed both theirs, causing the image of a dark set of cliffs to appear in Jake's mind, even without Remil charging any darkness mana. She did not actually seem to expect an answer directly. If Jake objected, he would make it known.

Jake accepted the extra Kaijudo boost, and his Rumble Gate went to his own mana zone, but without creating much image on his own side save a few rocky hills. Remil charged another Volcanic Arrows to mana, and summoned his first creature...

"Kooc Pollon!" he smirked. The energy spike was one Jake recognized. It had not come from Harriet, but directly from Remil. A beginner, already with such a card.

Jake placed a Diamond Cutter into his own mana zone, "Sol Galla, Halo Guardian."

"My hand is just so normal today," Remil laughed, "My two Volcanic Arrows, and now this sort of thing. Wow. Cloned Nightmare to mana. Cast Cloned Nightmare."

Harriet leaned over to see what was so weird about her cousin's hand of cards, then chuckled, and stood upright again. Jake had discarded another Rumble Gate, and now put another Diamond Cutter into his mana zone. His hand was not normal either. He ended turn.

"Oh, you're kidding me!" Remil laughed as he drew his next card. Harriet leaned over again, and shook her head, muttering something about odd luck. Remil placed the card he had drawn on the previous turn, into his mana zone. Uberdragon Bajula.

"I guess all I can do is this... cast the other Cloned Nightmare."

"Aaack, seriously?!" Jake exclaimed, as he lost one Petrova and yet another Rumble Gate. The power between the two did not seem to be taking any clear form yet. The duel had started too oddly for even Harriet's help to do much for their imagery.

"Apocalypse Vise to mana. Cast Volcano Charger on your Kooc Pollon."
The imagery finally took form. Harriet's Kaijudo was, to say the least, good at handling the concept of 'volcanoes'. The blast of explosive rock destroyed the Fire Bird despite its flaming nature. Concussive shock was not something tiny creatures handled well. Remil made a sad face, as his own Kaijudo dipped, but it lit up again when he drew his next card.

"Ooh, lucky now. Corpse Charger, to revive my Kooc Pollon. End turn."
The black cliffs seemed to open up, and Kooc's spirit flew back out, returning to Remil.

Jake drew his card, and ended his turn, wondering how Vlad ever managed at all with a deck like this one. His own style was quite different, and did not involve all this waiting.

"I summon Kooc Pollon, and Gigappi Ponto!" Remil laughed. The sound of Fire Birds filled the air, and their illuminated bodies filled the sky over the black cliffs. Jake merely charged Holy Awe, and ended his turn.

"This is so totally weird. Cast Cloned Nightmare again."
It was his only move, and the card took only one from Jake. Bolmeteus Steel Dragon. Remil did not attack, either, giving Jake the opportunity to build up anyway. He summoned Jil Warka, Time Guardian, and ended his turn.

Now, the two Guardians circled their own territory, and the Fire Birds flew above the cliffs in the distance, the energy between the two already starting to build. Harriet exhaled slowly, increasing her influence and control over the balance. On the edge of her perception, she could feel something like another duelist 'watching', but somehow, slightly different. Remil drew his card and smiled, showing it to Jake before summoning it. Bagrazard.

"That's really not a good thing for me at this point..." Jake laughed, as the great dark dragon roared into being, surging out of a cave on the black cliffs. There was not much he could do particularly quickly against Bagrazard, but he did get something. His Ruthless Skyterror roared now also, joining the two Guardians in the sky.

"Who would have thought that after all that trouble, I'd actually manage to get it out..." Remil noted now. The card he had been holding in his hand since his fourth turn, was what he referred to. His hands moved toward the table, to complete the move, but in their minds, the event was far more spectacular.

Gigappi Ponto swarmed around the Necrodragon Bagrazard, adding to its power, fusing with it, until finally, in a burst of dark flame, the great destroyer came into being. Death Phoenix, Avatar of Doom. Remil had not fused his avatar into the creature either, despite Gigappi's strength, and the reason was now shown. The Death Phoenix let out a mind-shattering screech, and swooped down toward Jake Stonewall's shields.

"Sol Galla, intercept!" The guardian, despite being nothing more than a flick of the wing to the Death Phoenix, did its task, preventing the dark bird's power from obliterating shields completely. Kooc did not move. Jil Warka was still there.

Now, Harriet could no longer ignore the feeling of being watched. Slowly, and with serious effort, she sent her Kaijudo out behind her, searching for the source of the feeling, even as she stabilized the mindscape of the duel in front of her.

"Summon Pala Olesis, Morning Guardian," Jake said now, and yet another aircraft joined the other two flying creatures over his mountains. He ended turn. Remil drew Critical Blade, which he wasted no time using on Pala Olesis. The Death Phoenix screeched again, and dove in.

Jil Warka intercepted this time, stopping any attack from Kooc Pollon as well, and Remil's turn ended. Jake drew his card, looked at it in concerned confusion, and ended turn.

"Summon Gigappi Ponto! Death Phoenix, ikei!"
This time, there was nothing to stop the dark Phoenix from ripping the shields utterly apart. The cards would not go to Jake's hand. This creature had power equal to that of Bolmeteus, in that respect. It soared upward again with a triumphant shriek, as Kooc Pollon came in to break another. Jake's Kaijudo spiked slightly.

"You probably shouldn't have attacked with Kooc, even though you'll still win," Jake noted, "Not even creatures like that are invincible. Petrova, Channeler of Suns!"

The powerful illumination from the Mecha Del Sol made even the black cliffs seem merely grey, and the rocky hills were shown to have life even then. More importantly, the power caused a glow in the aura of the Ruthless Skyterror...

"Skyterror, attack Death Phoenix! Ikei!"
The event totally distracted Harriet's efforts at discovering her aim. The imagery now yanked most of her Kaijudo back, as the dual screeches, and powerful wingbeats, heralded one of the most intense battles she had ever witnessed. The Skyterror's strength, even with Petrova's help, only barely exceeded that of the Death Phoenix, and its blades were met time and time again by the Phoenix's claws.

The whole event seemed to amuse Remil immensely, causing Harriet to smile again, despite the interruption of her 'investigation'. Her young cousin cheered the Death Phoenix on, almost as if unaware that the outcome would be decided by the numbers on the cards, rather than the battle he was now watching. Finally, the Death Phoenix did fall from the sky, into the rocky mountains, and exploded in a shower of flame and ash that effectively robbed Jake of the Jil Warka still in his hand. Jake ended his turn, panting slightly.

"Cocco Lupia to mana. Cast Terror Pit on your Ruthless Skyterror."
Vengeance was Remil's, and Kooc Pollon flapped in celebration as the one who had destroyed 'big brother' was dragged away into the darkness by the spell. Then, Kooc and Gigappi Ponto moved in, swiftly, to break the last two shields.

"Summon Sol Galla, Halo Guardian, and Szubs Kin, Twilight Guardian," Jake now said. Petrova did not attack. Now Remil was the one to draw a card and do nothing. An Apocalypse Vise. Enough to win easily, but he did not have the mana to cast it. He held onto it, knowing that nearly nothing could easily stop both Fire Birds.

Jake drew the same card. The grinding heatwave spell could capture even Fire Birds, and soon, Gigappi and Kooc were no more, leaving Remil with nothing to attack with, even if he did cast his own Vise. Now, Petrova moved.

"Shield Trigger! Critical Blade!" The spell slashed even the powerful Twilight Guardian open cleanly, and it descended to earth, a rumbling crash and the sound of twisting alloys, filling their minds when it impacted. Remil's next turn was a Volcano Charger to finish off Sol Galla.

"Summon Szubs Kin, Twilight Guardian. Petrova, ikei."
The shield did not trigger. Remil took a deep breath. It was another Kooc Pollon. Now, he drew a Necrodragon Bagrazard. He contemplated. Summoning both should work, but he also had a Terror Pit in his hand he could use, for safety, instead.

"Go go go!" Kooc chirped exuberantly. Remil nodded a happy affirmative, and together, the great Zombie Dragon and tiny Fire Bird made their entrance, causing Jake to groan again.

"And to think I was just about to handle the situation..." Jake laughed, "Summon Bolmeteus Steel Dragon. Looks like this one is over. Good game, kid. End turn."

"Terror Pit on your Twilight Guardian! Bagrazard, get rid of that evil shiny thing! Ikei!"
The command referred to an attack on Petrova, and the Mecha del Sol's disruption barrier did not protect it from such things as the jaws of Zombie Dragons. Kooc streaked in to fan flames cutely in Jake's face, for the final attack. Jake appeared unamused by the image.

Harriet laughed, patted Jake on the shoulder, then looked into her bag and handed Jake a card. Balesk Baj, the Timeburner.

"Wha?! I can't take this! You know how many people want this card?!" he insisted, trying to give it back to her immediately.

"Oh, come on. It's my 'thank you' for being nice to Remil. Tell you what. We'll duel for it. If you win, you keep it. Sound fair?"

"Can I use my own deck this time?" he asked skeptically. She laughed again and nodded.

She did not take long to shuffle and deploy her shields, and Jake caught up a bit later, after taking his own deck out and putting away the other.

"Well, at least go first?" Jake requested. Harriet sighed, smiled, and charged her first mana. Burst Shot. Jake winced. He hoped there were not too many more of those. He placed a Holy Awe into his own mana zone and ended his turn.

"This duel looks promising," Harriet said, settling her Kaijudo. Remil seemed to move closer, in order to enjoy the feeling of warmth his cousin created in him. She placed a Lightning Charger into her mana zone and ended her turn.

Jake placed one Quixotic Hero into his mana, and summoned the other. Somehow he seemed slightly disappointed at the play, confusing Harriet, but before she could analyze it, the feeling of being watched again overwhelmed her senses.

"Bombersaur, to mana... summon Kanesill, the Explorer."
The rise in heat expanded her influence out just enough for her to get an idea of what was causing the feeling, but it did not seem like a person, or anything she had ever felt before.

"Aqua Surfer to mana. Summon Aqua Hulcus..."
Jake's Kaijudo now created an interesting image. A prairie... a river... a large sprawling estate beyond. The wind blew across the plain, neither fierce nor gentle, as Aqua Hulcus stepped out of the river and joined Swine Snout. Quixotic Hero celebrated, but did not charge.

"Ah, I see. No fire. Well, sorry to spoil the beautiful scenery, but... Kulus, Soulshine Enforcer, to mana. Summon Flametropus!" she declared. A burst of magma shot out of the ground as the earth shook, the beginnings of a volcano appearing on her side of the grassy plain. The Flametropus crawled out of the hole and roared.

"Yes... this one will be fun..." she smiled, "Let's hope we both have good enough luck."

"Sure does, but I'm in a bit of a spot here already, myself... Gonta to mana, summon Bronze-Arm Tribe. End turn."

Harriet's attention still strayed toward the opponent in the distance. She placed her Cragsaur into mana, and summoned a Meteosaur. The lava jet got to the Quixotic Hero just before it could actually bulk itself up enough to survive. Flametropus reared up, unleashing its full power and destroying Harriet's Bombersaur from her mana zone at the same time.

"I think I should actually attack. Let's see if I am right. Flametropus, double break! Ikei!"
The first shield caused the river to momentarily flood, as the Aqua Surfer swept away her Kanesill. The second did not trigger. Jake charged Holy Awe to mana, and summoned Sanfist, the Savage Vizier. The Beast Initiate seemed to come riding in on the breeze. Jake paused.

"I can't imagine what I'd do if I managed to hit a Burst Shot now..." he noted.

"Hmm... I already put one into mana. I risked my attack, maybe it's your turn? Good luck."

"Thanks... same to you," he laughed, "Though I do need to think a little more..."

"I do hope you hit it, of course," she said, turning her head in the direction of the 'watcher', "But I at least hope, for the sake of good fun, that you only hit it with the third creature."

Jake laughed, and completed his move, "Pyrofighter Magnus! Pyro, attack Flametropus! Ikei!"

The clash between the two was conducted at blazing speed, with Flametropus' main defense being to simply explode with energy whenever Magnus struck it. The final explosion sent the charred body of the Dragonoid flying, but Flametropus did not rise again after it. His other creatures moved in. None of them hit any triggers at all, surprising Harriet completely.

She drew her card and summoned another Meteosaur, torching the Aqua Surfer. She could at least hope for triggers in the final two, if none before. Her deck was packed with them. Again, she turned her attention to the source of her odd trepidation, as Jake took his turn.

"Apocalypse Vise, on your Meteosaurs! Hulcus, ikei--" still no trigger-- "Bronze-Arm, ikei! Sanfist, todomeda!"

"No triggers at all," she sighed, "Always so unsatisfying. Now, you take that Balesk Baj. I have to go... er... check on something..."
With that, she rose from her seat, and wandered off in the direction of what she had sensed. Remil followed her quickly, leaving Jake slightly bewildered as to what she could have been checking. He looked down at his cards, still 'in play'... something felt like it was missing...