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Post by Jenna Tinsley on May 25, 2020 7:15:49 GMT -5
With the two combatants taking their place on the battlefield, the Hagane's began announcing their names and profile: "Out of the blue corner:" "He's one of the most recognized faces of the PBL. He's one of four brawlers to ever be crowned a 'King/Queen of Brawlers', and is now considered to be the second strongest professional of all time. Give it up for the Seattle Olympian, DeAngelo Jackson!"The crowd cheered for this King of Brawler. Their noise level made it easy for newcomers like Jenna to get even more nervous. The young, African-American male sported a white shirt with a golden omega symbol in its center. His mean look was backed up by his impressive muscles. "And out of the red corner:" "This upcoming battle will be her third, and she's already made it this far! She gained nationwide infamy for being able to combat a Resistor. Now, she's looking to upset the competition full of veteran brawlers, and maybe show them how this career path really isn't for them. Let's hear it for Jenna Tinsley!"Jenna was a little taken aback by all the applause she was getting. She nearly stumbled on her side's platform. This platform took her to the center to meet with DeAngelo up close. The referee also came down to greet them. Jenna and DeAngelo met each other first. She noticed that he was rather pissed... "I heard about you... You used to be undefeated before Calvin beat you," Jenna recognized. "That's the first thing that comes to mind?" he responded. "Well, yeah.""That hurts... Hmph... I never even considered the possibility that I'd lose to him. I didn't take it seriously enough. You see all these people? They fed into my ego. I began to believe I was invincible, until I wasn't. That's when I got a taste of how ruthless this business is. You know my career may end if you beat me, right? I can't let that happen." "It'll be salvageable. Might want to plan for it, just in case. Don't want to repeat the past.""Heh... Well, Jenna, you may be a newcomer, but from what I just said, and how I look right now, I'll be as ruthless as I've ever been. Sorry in advance." The referee came to the center via her own platform. She saw that both combatants were rather cordial, so not much had to be said. "Rules are standard. The last one STANDING wins. Keep it clean. Any reckless, negligent, or intentional acts of serious harm to a brawler, Bakugan, audience member, or official will get you disqualified. Whenever you're ready, shake hands, and let's do this."Jenna and DeAngelo shook hands, and their platforms hauled them off to their respective sides. The battle is on. ( Former Champion)
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on May 30, 2020 5:20:11 GMT -5
DeAngelo impatiently threw in a Clear Bakugan orb. It immediately opened to unveil a surprise for most people: a Scorpion. It gracefully landed on the rocky battlefield without uprooting the ground.
"Legend says this Scorpion was mutated from being exposed to the Dharaknoid's energy when it was born," Yuji threw in for some context behind Scorpion's appearance. It looked like the plain old Scorpion, so it's a wonder how DeAngelo went undefeated for so long with a generic-looking Bakugan. There should be more to the story than that...
"Go, Geos!" Jenna yelled. She pointed her necklace towards the battlefield. Light burst out of it and struck down on the field, leaving Geos there before disappearing.
"Awww. None of them had the usual fanfare when Bakugan gets thrown in. This is typical behavior from DeAngelo, but I thought Jenna would do it..." Miko commented.
"...I don't know if that's a Bakugan though..." Yuji said with some concern. "I thought Bakugan came in orbs, not from necklaces. ...Right?"
The crowd started gasping when Geos started wincing uncontrollably. He was struggling to look in Scorpion's direction. He shook it off quickly by powering up a little bit more. He growled loudly at his foe for its unforeseen antics.
"...I half-expected for that to work on you. Guess your rise isn't exaggerated in the slightest," DeAngelo recognized.
"Geos, what was that?" Jenna asked with some concern.
"This one emits a strange aura. It acts like an energy field that prevents others from facing it. Probably an automated self-defense mechanism against its predators," Geos explained. Geos engaged his eyes towards Scorpion to unleash invisible energy waves of force. To its surprise, it was immediately canceled out before it crossed the middle of the field. "What kind of sorcery is this...?"
Jenna looked down at her BrawlX to see that Absolution was activated: the offensive application of force. It didn't have any cracks in it, so it was likely set to Continent Procedure. Geos unleashed a force wave from the palms of his hands. This time, it was stuck in a tug-of-war with Scorpion over the pushback. Somehow, forces were meeting in the middle of the battlefield. The center of the field was progressively tearing apart. Geos was sliding backwards, but Scorpion was staying put. Eventually, the tug-of-war was canceled, and Geos was thrown into the walls of the arena. Jenna's side of the arena was blown apart and sent dust into the air.
"DeAngelo hasn't even activated an ability yet, and Geos was violently slammed into the wall!" Miko announced.
"He IS the #1 ranked defensive brawler in the world from a competition standpoint, for the folks at home who don't know," Yuji explained. "It looks like Jenna will have to think hard and fast to get around DeAngelo's almost-perfect defense."
"..." Jenna was stuck in thought over what this Scorpion was doing. She had the rookie jitters a little bit, but it wasn't noticeable. "Geos, Command! Planetary Procedure!"
Without objecting, Geos complied with the order. Its eyes and Jenna's flashed at the same time, which could mean they're starting to link. Geos rose into the air to show everyone it pointing its spear towards Scorpion. Suddenly, an array of comets started showering the field.
"Ability activate! Reflection Boost!" Scorpion unveiled a glass-looking apparatus hidden in its shell. It shined a bright light over the celestial projectiles. Energy particles left each of them and went into Scorpion's body. Then, they were infused with Clear-attributed energy before being flung down towards Geos' position. "Nice try, but not today!"
Geos paid no mind to this. Using the Planetary Procedure, it erected a gravitational field that allowed the comets to revolve around it. It was planning to throw them back at Scorpion, but to its surprise, they all detonated right in its face...
"I don't think your girl is doing too well out there, Miko," Yuji believed from what he was seeing. "That's a really bad hit... We may be looking at a defeat real soon here..."
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Post by Noland Hardy on May 30, 2020 5:25:51 GMT -5
Noland was nearly smothered with all of the people getting up and howling at the one-sidedness of the brawl so far. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. They were starting to annoy him. No need to get his mind derailed before he has a chance to battle. Jenna's performance was worrying him a little though, but not for a reason most people would expect.
"This guy's strong, but Jenna's making him look stronger right now... Can't really blame her for that. She's fresh blood," Noland shrugged. "I wonder how the big guy is holding up..."
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Post by Allen Silva on May 30, 2020 5:56:04 GMT -5
Surprisingly, Allen was nowhere near Noland. All of the competitors had to be spread out, so Noland and Alana were off doing whatever they do from what Allen knew. He was calm though. He wasn't biting his nails or anything. People were just excited to see the former champ bouncing back. That will only take you so far though.
"Come on, Jenna... He's using your own power against you... That's what his defense is about...at least right now, it is," Allen kept to himself.
"Thinking about something?" Gorem asked him.
"Yeah. They weren't kidding when they said they're throwing the big guns," Allen now realized. "I haven't felt this nervous about our chances of winning in a long time..."
"...Is that good or bad?"
"Sorta in the middle... Just like it should be."
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on May 30, 2020 7:11:35 GMT -5
Geos was noticeably battered from the attack's aftermath, but it showed no signs of backing down. It was too consumed with the thought that it would let Jenna down. "...Didn't think I'd have this much care so soon..." Geos said out loud by accident.
"Huh?" Jenna gasped.
"I'd rather not wrap this up so soon. This is a SHOWcase, but if you're not up to the challenge, let me know so we can go. I don't want to drag this on for too long, for your sake of course. You still have a good career ahead of you," DeAngelo proposed with confidence.
"'Wrap this up', then, mortal," Geos defiantly challenged.
"Hm..." DeAngelo heard a lot of fight in...whatever Geos was. He understood and respected that Geos shouldn't be counted out yet; however, "If you insist, here you go. Ability activate! Karma!" Since Jenna still hasn't figured out a way past his defense, DeAngelo was going to make it even worse. Scorpion released a ball of light from its mouth and planted it in the center. A force field began to grow from it. It will continue to expand, but it will never cover the entire arena. For those that are within the force field itself, any attack they do will automatically be subjected to the user, and their attack will be canceled. Unfortunately, this doesn't discriminate, so Scorpion could be harmed by this too.
"That's one of the best defensive abilities ever used..." Yuji shuddered, since Jenna was already in a tough spot.
"It's looking like DeAngelo is trying to corner Jenna and leave her with no option to attack," Miko analyzed.
"Geos, we're going to lose if we keep trying to attack directly," Jenna accepted. "We can't play his game anymore. I think I know how to beat him though."
"She what!?" Yuji gasped.
"...Heh...so do I..." Geos gripped his spear and had it crackling with onyx-colored energy.
"Domain!" Jenna activated. Geos erected a spherical barrier around itself. It started expanding in the same way Scorpion's Karma was. The crowd knew that if Karma extended too far out, Jenna essentially lost the brawl. So, for an ability that automatically counterattacks users of attacks, it did not do a good job of contesting Domain. In fact, Domain easily overpowered Karma and began pushing it back. Karma eventually imploded on itself. The crowd went crazy.
"...Do you believe in miracles, folks?" Yuji asked.
"It's no miracle! Jenna's found her footing! She can come back!" Miko excitedly reported.
"...I'll be damned..." DeAngelo said in both amazement and horror that Jenna found a critical weakness.
"Try something else," Geos challenged. Using Domain, Geos used heat vision to create a circle around Scorpion. A barrier was erected around Scorpion. Unlike Geos' earlier attempts, this was not reflected. In fact, the poor arachnid was helpless as the barrier shrunk down to crush it. When it did, a loud boom rocked the entire stadium. For a while, sound was very limited. Would Scorpion survive something like that though?
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on May 31, 2020 3:02:17 GMT -5
The crowd was completely silent. They were frozen in shock even. There was a good reason for this. "Ladies and gentlemen, you've just witnessed the first person to ever hit Scorpion in DeAngelo's entire life as a brawler," Yuji confirmed. "Scorpion lost to Calvin's Dragonus through self-destruction. No one has ever done what this young lady just did..."
Scorpion took the first ever hit pretty well. It was still standing from the crushing, which was likely because of its tough exoskeleton. If it didn't have that, maybe it wouldn't have.
"...I never considered that to be a key weakness... Thanks..." DeAngelo surprisingly thanked. It would seem like the nature of the reflections only allow them to reflect things that are actual attacks. If it's a defensive ability, the reflections ignore it. So, with Geos using Domain - its defense paradigm - its moves can hurt Scorpion. Less than .01% of people would be capable of actually using defense as an offense on this scale, so it's not surprising that DeAngelo never considered that this could happen.
"...I hope you enjoyed that... You're not hitting us again..." DeAngelo promised. Now knowing that he had to take this more than 100% seriously, DeAngelo pulled out his very best. "Ability activate! Four Corners Formation!" A Clear-colored pillar of energy shot up from Scorpion's body. It then split into four pillars, circled around Scorpion, and then disappeared. Actually, they didn't literally disappear, but from normal viewing standards, they did. Basically, only one of the four corners will be active for a period of around 10 seconds, and then another one takes its place. Whenever the opponent wants to make a move against Scorpion, either them or their attacks will only flow from the active corner. This defense system will not allow Scorpion to be caught off guard. This also addresses the weakness that Jenna was exploiting.
"Hm?" Jenna's BrawlX started to beep. A card popped up on the UI. It was an actual ability card, not the passive abilities that Geos was using. "So you CAN use ability cards then?"
"That device was made to register Bakugan capabilities. I have to put effort on my end to make my capabilities readable. You now have a rough translation of what I can do. Consider this as us gaining more trust with each other," Geos reported.
"Ability activate! Satellite Boost!" DeAngelo activated. Scorpion revealed its apparatus. Its automatic repulsion was disabled; however, in exchange, the repulsion can now become much stronger. Scorpion can manually release this for more focused usage. The amount of damage inflicted depends on how strong the opponent is. Much like the automatic use that hurt Geos in the opening phases of the battle, their own power will be their undoing.
"About time," Geos commented when Scorpion finally rushed it. Geos attempted to use the same attack it used last time. To its surprise, nothing happened. Instead, an onyx-barrier rose up from the west point of the arena. The barrier then flew high into the sky until it couldn't be seen anymore. Alas, Scorpion's Four Corners Formation was working as intended, and Geos couldn't hope to hit Scorpion, at least not in the same way. "...That's new..."
Scorpion unleashed a repulsive wave that blew the arena apart. There was no dust this time though. Geos held strong. Much like the time when Geos blocked a punch from Hydranoid, the force from Scorpion's attack was non-existent.
"...Are you sure you trust me?" Jenna asked for closure.
"Yes... What's going on?" Geos wondered.
"Don't move, okay?"
"Hm... Not like I can do anything better... Okay then."
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on May 31, 2020 4:26:48 GMT -5
"It seems like whatever this Domain is completely nullified Scorpion's Satellite Boost," Yuji noted. "The Four Corners Formation and Karma is good and all, but maybe we need to pay more attention to this Domain..."
"More importantly, it looks like DeAngelo is starting to hit a brick wall. Jenna is confident enough to tell Geos to stand still... It's a standoff now, but...we may be wrapping up shortly..." Miko anticipated.
Scorpion got close to Geos and continuously repelled it. The collision of both forces caused them to spontaneously rise into the sky. The continuous collision will make the resulting repulsion even stronger, which could result in a knockout blow. Now, Geos is stuck with Domain. If it switches to any other paradigm, it gets blown away and/or defeated considering it was damaged a lot by the hits it took. If Geos responds to anything Scorpion does, it will get sent away via Four Corners. Jenna is now trapped.
"This'll settle it," DeAngelo decided. "Ability activate! Mirror Image!" A clear-attributed crystal rose underneath the combatants. It stole Geos' energy from Scorpion, which was the energy it stole from the comets earlier. It then scanned Geos' body so it could be proportionally imaged inside of the crystal.
"I have to admit... I really enjoyed the comeback story Jenna was making, but this... She needs a miracle here. That mirror you see there copies the victim. If the crystal gets damaged, then the being it copied gets damaged also. If it shatters... I'll let you draw that conclusion..." Yuji reported.
"And DeAngelo seems to be moving the crystal in the middle of Geos and Scorpion's clash..." Miko noticed. "Ordinarily, it'd be possible to get out of this situation like Calvin did, but Geos is stuck in this clash, and Scorpion's Four Corners ability is active..."
"This is checkmate, unless you can shock us and the world again," DeAngelo laid down. The crystal shoved its way in between the collision. The poor object was butchered by the two powerful forces. Geos' condition was getting noticeably worse. It was very close to shattering in less than ten seconds, which is a testament to how powerful the two combatants are. Geos didn't say anything despite being less than seconds away from being defeated. It gave Jenna its word. It's on her now.
"Well, I AM desperate given the circumstances. That's when you should be paying attention the most," Jenna warned DeAngelo. Unfortunately for him, the warning was too late. "Continent Procedure," Jenna set. With Geos' level of power decreasing, one might think that Scorpion would overpower Geos instantly. This is not what happened. The struggle remained the same...
"I see..." Geos fully understood. Now, the area of operation for Domain shrunk until there was an onyx-colored aura flowing through Geos' body. The repulsion violently flung the crystal at Geos, which would normally be able to knock someone out; however, with Continent Procedure active, the attack must be able to blow up a continent. This is how Geos was able to catch the crystal and launch it into the stratosphere. The crowd as a collective gasped at Jenna surviving ANOTHER fatal situation. She wasn't done yet though.
"Now!" she signaled. Geos returned its Domain to its previous size.
"Ability activate! Max Reflector!" DeAngelo promptly activated. This time, Scorpion unleashed a repulsive wave so powerful that it would inflict twice the damage. Plus, it targets everything in the vicinity, so there was no escape.
"Ability activate! All-Embracing!" Jenna surprised everyone with.
"An ability...?" DeAngelo gasped. Indeed, this one was amazing. Domain's properties keeps things out. What would happen if it tries to keep something IN instead? Scorpion will have to find that out the hard way. The Domain expanded to cover more of the area. It was enough to include Scorpion. Instead of being unwelcome inside of the Domain, Scorpion was now more than welcome. This came as a surprise to DeAngelo. Why would you allow an opponent inside of your own defensive measures? The reasons: Geos simply put up another barrier inside of its own barrier; and - most importantly - Scorpion would have to be continent level on its own to walk free. Now Scorpion was the one who was trapped. It gets worse from there though.
"A warning. I'm reading here that anything inside of the Domain isn't governed by outside forces," Jenna warned DeAngelo.
"...Then that means..."
"Your Four Corners can't protect you from this..." 'This' was the enclosing of the original barrier. Geos simply flew backwards to get outside of the barrier. Scorpion was trapped on its own inside of it, and it was closing in fast. Scorpion impressively stopped the barrier from crushing it, but it wasn't going anywhere. That was a fact.
"Feast your eyes on what force really looks like," Geos invited everyone to see. Geos sent the barrier into outer space. Geos then allowed it to reenter the atmosphere. It was now traveling back down to the arena like a meteor. Scorpion was well-protected from the effects of reentry, but when it felt the impact of the barrier hitting the arena, it was immediately knocked unconscious. This cancelled its Max Reflector ability and subjected it to the full brunt of the impact.
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on May 31, 2020 6:54:41 GMT -5
The impact outright destroyed the arena. The dust cloud was big enough to obscure everything on the arena grounds. For the final time this battle, the crowd was in a stunning silence. Even Yuji and Miko had nothing to say. They were anxious to find out what happened. The arena became sorta visible after fifteen seconds of waiting.
"The arena crew's gonna get their money today... That's a huge crater they'll have to clean up..." Yuji observed.
"H-hey! Look! There's Geos!" Miko pointed out. Geos was walking through the destruction it caused. It stopped when it noticed a beaten Scorpion stuck in between several rocks.
"Let me see... What did you say earlier..." Geos started off. "I'd rather not wrap this up so soon. This IS a Showcase, but if you're not up to the challenge, let us know. You do have a career ahead of you...right?" DeAngelo was speechless. He was horrified actually.
"Sorry in advance," Jenna shrugged. Geos allowed Scorpion to struggle to get back up. It was the least it could do before kicking Scorpion out of the crater. Scorpion was returned to a grayed ball form and landed at DeAngelo's feet. His life gauge plummeted all the way to zero.
"...Oh my goodness..." Miko said in shock.
"She really did it..." Yuji said in a little bit of disbelief. "Ladies and gentlemen...she got him..."
The referee came back to the field to officially rule DeAngelo out of the battle. She held up a red flag to show that the winner comes out of the red corner. A picture of Jenna was put up on the big screen. To top it all off, the standing ovation Jenna received for winning was enough to blow out eardrums. Jenna blocked all of that out though. Her victory hit her instantly. She was too surprised and overjoyed to notice that her platform was going back in the middle for the post-battle handshake.
"...I almost have nothing to say... This is only my second loss, so...I'm not used to this feeling..." DeAngelo expressed. "But...in a way, I'm happy. You're really special, and by beating me, you got to show everyone else why. I'm excited to see where you go from here. Congratulations." He held out his hand to perform the post-battle handshake.
"Wow... Uh... Thanks... Good luck to you as well," Jenna nervously returned. She shook his hand with no problems, but when she got back in the stadium hallways, she almost broke down in tears of joy. The crowd was still cheering for her. It was too amazing of a feeling for her...
"We did it," Geos acknowledged.
"Yeah...we did..." Jenna agreed.
"You seem very emotional... Did I do something wrong?"
"No...I'm just...happy is all..."
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Post by Father Tinsley on May 31, 2020 7:20:55 GMT -5
To Jenna's surprise, Father Tinsley was walking up to the stadium hallway. He had to make time out to see his adopted daughter after her moment of glory. Would she be happy to see him? Debatable, but it was worth a shot. He can say he tried at the very least. He took out his phone and snapped a picture of her. She'd probably hate him for that, but oh well.
"Well, look at you. Third brawl and you've beaten one of the greatest names in pro brawling already... Wow..." Tinsley said in amazement. "You and Geos were simply amazing... The way you both believed in each other, your intelligence, and making history on top of that... I can hardly put my excitement for you into words. I'm very proud of you, Jenna. Very."
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Post by Jenna Tinsley on Jun 2, 2020 11:50:35 GMT -5
Seeing Tinsley show up there unannounced meant a lot to Jenna. Her interaction with Geos before and during the battle encouraged her to be more open. So, when she approached Tinsley and finally gave him a hug, it was a genuine feeling of being content with what she has now.
Immediately upon exiting the hallway to the battlefield, Jenna was greeted with a bunch of college and professional recruiters. Before they could get to Jenna, an interviewer did. It was the same woman who was interacting with Father Tinsley in California: Mrs. Makimoto, or - as most people will remember her as - Julie Makimoto.
"Congratulations, Ms. Tinsley. You really ignited the entire stadium with that performance. Do you have time for an interview?" Julie kept short.
"Uh...I'm not very good with on-the-spot questions," Jenna informed Julie with an embarrassed look on her face.
"Oh, don't worry about that. We won't waste your time. It'll be two questions: your thoughts about the battle and how you can do these things so early in your career.
"Hm...okay. I can do that."
"Great! And...rolling! I'm joined by Jenna here who just pulled off one of the most shocking upsets in brawling history! The question on everyone's minds though is, how on earth did you pull this off?"
"My loss to Alana showed me how important it was to pay attention for certain cues. I saw how each of Geos' attacks were getting countered instantly, so I thought it was reflection. The comets being flung back to us proved that it was, so I thought to use something that can't be reflected: abilities that targets oneself. I will admit that the latter portion of the battle may have been luck. I'm still learning all of Geos' capabilities, and the method we used to win came at the perfect time. DeAngelo certainly deserves to be called one of the strongest."
"You seem to have a lot of knowledge about battles and you've learned fast... How does someone with your background achieve that, and then come here to beat the second strongest pro ever?"
"It's probably not the answer everyone's looking for, but...everything just clicked. I don't have the brawling experience to really tell anyone how I got here. All I have are memories. My biological dad was a researcher, so he showed me how a lot of things work. My mom was an analyst for the PBL, so she taught me the ins and outs. Other than that, I just took a chance on it. I figured it wouldn't hurt to at least see how things go. I still have A LOT to learn, but I'm having fun doing it."
"Well, it certainly paid off for you in a big way. I'm very happy for you. Congratulations once again."
"Thank you."
After spending some time talking with college and professional recruiters, Jenna searched for Allen with Geos' assistance. She was quickly bombarded with praise from people in the stands, but she eventually got next to him. It was unknown what the two would talk about from this point, but they did share a fist bump. Jenna then laid back and got comfortable. It was smooth sailing from here on out.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Jun 3, 2020 8:15:29 GMT -5
"So, the cleanup crew is just about finished, so we can start talking about the next matchup," Yuji offered to discuss.
"Uh...about that... You think we should just tell people before they come out? I think they might want to know," Miko suggested with some concern.
"Jenna inspired me. She opened the door for others to step up. Even if this totally backfires and you all hate on me in the comments section, it'll be okay. I'm gonna take a chance with this one."
Yuji was taking a chance with believing in a certain person: Maurice. He stood still in the battlefield hallway. He paid close attention to Jenna during that battle. He started comparing himself to her. Him, a national champion and who had been brawling longer than her, gets one-shotted by her. Then, she goes on to defeat DeAngelo. It hurt him. It really did. He almost turned around and went home, but there was a roadblock.
"...Noland..." Maurice recognized.
"Yeah. It's me," Noland confirmed the obvious. "I saw your facial expression in the stands. I had a feeling you'd think about turning back."
"...Can you blame me at this point? I know everyone's been drilling things into my head the past few weeks, but...it hurts me, you know? It gets me every time I see it... I try to just stay in my lane, but... You know... I start doubting myself. What if I was better off doing what I was told in the gang? I may not have been much stronger than I am now, but...I felt stronger. Now, I feel...weak."
"Are these thoughts coming from the fact you have a target on your back?"
"...Yeah... I really almost died back there. It really made me think about what I was doing with my life. I felt useless, man. It felt like I've wasted it all on something stupid. I know I'm not and that I've done some great things, but I just want more from myself..."
"I can relate to that... You're not gonna get anywhere near that if you walk away from this."
"Yeah..."
"I heard Jenna's post-battle interview. What she ended with tells me what separates her from you. She knows she's not there skill-wise, but she's having fun learning. Your circumstance is a lot different. You were pushed into this. It wasn't that you had any enjoyment out of it. You thought this was your best avenue for providing for yourself and your siblings. You're not like us. You know that?"
"...That makes sense... I see what you're saying..."
"You never had the time to learn the basic fundamentals. You're here in the big leagues, but you don't think like we do. That doesn't mean you can't. I know you can. You just need to tell yourself that you can."
"..."
"Look, you need to go out there and fight, so I can't preach to you. Just know this. You're a decent guy. You're the strongest you've ever been. I can't tell you if you had any passion when you first started or not, but the Maurice that made a run for the national title needs to be here. We saw you. You were having a blast. It was like no one could tell you were forcing high-level play just so you could be that hero big brother. Just go out there and do it for yourself. Have fun with it. You're somewhere that most people will never be at. Be blessed for that."
After saying that, Noland Hyper Motioned back to the stands. Maurice was left little time to reflect on those words. For what it was worth, he nodded and smiled. "I'll do my best... Thanks..." he returned.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Jun 6, 2020 0:15:12 GMT -5
"Alright... Looks like one of our contestants was brave enough to stick around," Miko began announcing. "He was sure taking his sweet time getting to the battlefield. We were beginning to think we'd have to disqualify him, but no worries! You're going to see a brawl right now... Hopefully. ...Keep your expectations low just in case. I'm sure you already know who I'm talking about now." "Out of the blue corner: He's...still the reigning high school national champion, depending on who you ask really. Most people still consider Noland to be the champion.""Do we really have to do the guy like that before he even battles?" "I'm just saying to make sure no one comes back at us for not mentioning that... Anyway, he's looking for a bit of redemption after being embarrassed by Noland and Jenna. Do not forget. He still made it to this competition, is still one of the top names in high school brawling, and he's only a sophomore! Please join us in welcoming Maurice Barker back to the arena!" As Maurice took his place on the battlefield, he was showered with a lot of boos. "That's just disrespectful," Yuji wished. "Well, he's not very likable when you consider how he behaved back then. He was one of those stars that people begged to have humbled. It was the perfect chance to make fun of him," Miko thought. "Now that you say that, it's making a lot more sense. I haven't covered him like this before, so it's all news to me. Let us know in the comments what you think about that. I'm very curious about why he's so hated. Anyway, the red corner." "I know a lot of you are going to be happy about this one. We have the Division 3 champion here. You don't usually see many standouts from that division that stands toe-to-toe with the competition from Division 1 and 2. This young lady does. In fact, her and the Division 2 champion have a rivalry with each other.""Please, please give a warm welcome to Widener's Leah St. Claire!" Unlike with Maurice, everyone cheered loudly for Leah's entrance. Maurice shook his head. The poor reception made him visibly angry. It was clear enough for Leah to notice when the platforms brought them closer together. He didn't make it known how he thought Leah was a super attractive woman with leggings on. That's how you know he's just tired of it all. "I'm surprised you came out here. These people are ruthless, aren't they?" she understood. "Happens every day. You learn to live with it... That's what I want to say anyway," Maurice shrugged. "How do you really feel about it?""Sad, annoyed, regretful." "...I feel sorry for you." "Not to be rude, but I'm not looking for pity." "Then what are you looking for? You won't get anything else. You have nothing else. You could defeat a Resistor and they'll still look down on you. No matter what you do, you'll always be known as the pompous asshole who can't compete when it's time. I say that to say...you should've let yourself die when your former best friend gave you the chance to... Would've been a lot better off...""...What did you just say?" This became personal for Maurice. How does Leah know that? The fact that she does suggests she knows far too much. Could she be the gang leader...? He didn't know what to think about that, but she took it too far. All Leah had to show for it was a wink. The referee came along, said the usual pre-battle rules, and gave them the chance to shake hands. Leah offered her hand, but Maurice smacked it away. "Oh...that's not very sportsmanlike. I see what you all are talking about," Yuji commented. When the platforms returned the brawlers to their respective sides, Maurice took a huge deep breath. He didn't know how in the world he was going to beat Leah. He knew full well what kind of power she packed. He just knew he had to do it. ( Division 3 Champion)
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Post by Noland Hardy on Jun 13, 2020 15:57:03 GMT -5
"Bakugan brawl! Stand, Nile Sprayzer!" Maurice exclaimed as he threw him in. Sprayzer stood in an impressive explosion of water pressure. He had gauntlets on his wrist that had sharp edges. These could be used to negate abilities. Other than that, there was nothing noteworthy about him.
"Eh, at least it's one of the few Bakugan species to have their evolutions named like they're actual animals," Leah shrugged. "Ability activate. Crystallized Assault."
"Wait...your Bakugan's not even out yet!" an alarmed Maurice shouted.
"It seems Maurice isn't aware that Leah can use all of her Bakugan's abilities without having to throw it in at all," Yuji debriefed "Of course, the rules will force her to throw it in either during or after this ability finishes."
Crystal spikes began protruding from the ground in a straight line. Their size easily allowed them to block off the sun. To make matters worse, they covered every square inch of the arena. This meant that there was virtually no escape for Sprayzer via dodging. Jokes on them though. In a surprising twist, Sprazyer conjured water molecules around his feet that propelled him upwards. This showed that he was able to use Free Form without having to play an ability now. He continuously hovered there until the crystals came for him.
"Ability activate! Pressurizer!" Maurice played. High water pressure is already strong enough to be used in industrial settings. What would happen if it could be harnessed in a blade-like form? Everyone would see what could happen. As Sprayzer conjured an orb of water in the palms of his hands and swung it downwards, the audience could see a stream of water flow downwards. The crystal was sliced completely off. In fact, all of the crystal constructs were butchered and left to fall. Sprayzer landed back on the ground safe and sound.
"I bet a lot of people weren't expecting Maurice to survive that. Leah has beaten a good chunk of Division 1, 2, and 3 brawlers with that move alone. The fact that he stopped it should tell you that he really doesn't suck. Just saying, haters," Miko pointed out. The audience seemed to see that point of view. They were all flabbergasted.
"Huh...seems you're a lot better than your reputation shows," Leah realized.
"Whatever. Where's your damn Bakugan?" Maurice demanded to know.
"She's already out there," Leah cryptically revealed. "Ability activate. Shining Obliterator." A sliced-up crystal column next to Sprayzer's feet. It protruded a long spike that pierced straight through his legs. Sprayzer fell on his back. Spikes from all around Sprayzer grew so he could be impaled as soon as he fell. This elicited a disturbed reaction from the audience since they weren't aware that something like this would happen.
From the tip of the newly-formed spike, bluish energy left it. Crystals all over the arena amalgamated to form the body for Leah's Bakugan: Shining Crystania, a Dragonoid with a crystal body.
"Jesus... You know, most people get hype over punches and kicks, but seeing someone get butchered like that is uncomfortable..." Yuji felt. "On a less violent note, how in the world is someone like this D3?"
"Stars can come from all walks of life, Yuji. Division doesn't matter," Miko insisted.
"I think Leah's making that point right now..." Yuji could see.
Maurice didn't think he'd be backed into a corner this fast. He never got a chance to attack Crystania directly, and he's already in a bad situation...
"You've definitely gotten a lot stronger, but...you're not as refined as my other competition," Leah noticed. "Hope you have a way to heal yourself. The water contained in these crystals are too pure for any Bakugan to have contact with. If that gets into Sprayzer's bloodstream, you may want to call it quits. Medical reasons."
"...Dammit...What am I supposed to do now...?" Maurice wondered to himself.
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Post by Markus Hederick on Jun 13, 2020 16:19:02 GMT -5
"That was a brilliant play..." Markus commented on Leah's move. "And she went right for Sprayzer's legs too... That's his main source of mobility, and her abilities control the environment so well already... Maurice is in serious trouble..."
"Just because he survived the initial assault, I think he can still fight her off for now," Gargulion believed with more optimism than most people. "Plus, this girl sounds like a real piece of work. I can't root for someone like that. She's far worse than what Maurice ever was."
"...I almost don't want to see how this will end..."
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Post by Noland Hardy on Jun 15, 2020 11:17:21 GMT -5
The crystallized Dragonoid was inching closer to the pinned Sprayzer. The stomping sent chills down Maurice's spine. He knew the end was coming.
"I hope Maurice has a plan, because it's looking like this battle will end before it even got started," Yuji groaned.
Crystania got behind Sprayzer. She converted her right arm into a blade. She then got ready to slice Sprayzer to finish him off. Maurice wasn't having it though.
"Not done yet! Ability activate! Hydronic Sphere!" The internal water in Sprayzer's body leaked out to form a water sphere. Sprayzer was within the construct, and while he was, he'd regenerate health. At the same time, the sphere itself was solidified. This allowed Sprayzer to ram Crystania while getting himself together at the same time.
"That's a new one. Nice!" Miko commended Maurice. Crystania comfortably held the sphere back with her hands. Sprayzer's ability didn't seem all that strong offense-wise. It may be a defense mechanism to escape from predators. That's what he should've done in the first place.
"Ability activate. Crystal Meteor." Leah scoffed. The Aquos sphere Sprayzer was surrounded in started to crystallize. Now, Sprayzer was stuck in a shiny, crystal ball that rose high into the sky. "I think I'll finish it off with Corrupted Crystal!"
A purplish veil washed over the encased Sprayzer. It would attempt to warp Sprayzer's mind, force it to act on its own primitive instincts than a civilized or domesticated Bakugan. This would be perfect, because if Sprayzer falls to this ability, using abilities for Sprayzer would be close to impossible. Not only that, but anyone encased in Crystal Meteor will break if it's shattered by Crystania's doing. In other words, Sprayzer would be defeated instantly.
"For those of you unfamiliar with D3 brawling, the Crystal Meteor crystallizes the victim trapped inside of it. So, similar to what you've seen DeAngelo do with Mirror Image, she can win by damaging the crystal," Miko explained.
"Also, the Corrupted Crystal ability will turn Sprayzer into a feral animal," Yuji mentioned. "I want to believe in miracles, folks, but it's looking like Leah's brawl to lose."
"The Master Blaze was very kind to you back then. Maybe even a little soft," Leah believed. "Unfortunately for you, I don't share his sentiments. I'm gonna make sure someone like you never gets in the arena again."
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