The Battle Starts! A Shadow Game!

   

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Episode Information
First AiredApril 4, 1998
 
Rating

Average Rating:9
Number of Votes Cast:3 
Episode Rank:73 
Synopsis
Back in Egypt three men discovered the Millennium Puzzle. They were relieved that it wasn't stolen just yet. Something happened to them. Then we cut to a young boy named Yugi Motou, of Domino High School. It was lunch time; Yugi was building cards when one of his classmates asked him to play basketball with him. Yugi refused his offer b/c he knows he'll end up losing anyways.
Yugi said he always wanted to play with them, but he has so many games to play with. He remembers that he had the still unsolved Millennium Puzzle. Yugi said it was secret and now it would be revealed and asked us *the audience* what it was. He was being teased by his classmate Jounouchi. He was playing keep away with Yugi's box. He said keeping this golden box made him sick b/c he was so girly. Jounouchi said if he wanted the box back he must fight them like a man. Yugi shouted he hated violence and didn't want to fight with him. Jounouchi said he shouted like a girl. Honda comes in and told Jouounchi to give it back to Yugi. Jou teases Honda b/c he just changed classes from freshman year. Honda was saying something to Jou, but asked Yugi what was in the box. Yugi said he could look at it, but just don't lose the pieces inside of it.
Anzu took back the box, and said to leave Yugi's things alone. Jounouchi replied that they were just teaching Yugi how to be a man. A classmate of theirs, Miho didn't know that they were in the room. Miho said she wanted to get lunch but she saw the long scary lines that she didn't. She asked the boys to get lunch for her. Jounouchi yelled at Anzu some more, and Miho interrupted that she's really hungry; the guys said they were on their way and ran off.
In the hallway, Honda asked why he was coming along. Jouounchi replied he couldn't stand Anzu. They bumped into the hall monitor, Ushio. The bully asked if they were bulling a certain classmate. Jounouchi was going to reply, but Honda shut his mouth with his hand, and said they weren't. Ushio walked away, but told them to remember that the uniforms had to be buttoned all the way. Honda let go, Jouounchi yelled at him for holding his mouth shut. Honda said the hall monitor would have kicked their asses, if they said anymore.
Anzu and Yugi were in the classroom. Yugi said saying all that stuff to them, Jounouchi and Honda ran away. Anzu said to him he had to protect himself, but was happy to help him out. She said what was in the golden box. Yugi told Anzu to keep a secret of the what was in the box. He opened the box; Anzu said it was really beautiful. Yugi said it was a puzzle and it took him about forever to solve. He explained how he was digging around the shelves in the Game Shop and discovered the box. Grandpa was about to sell it, but Yugi liked it so much, Grandpa let him keep it. Yugi said it was from Egypt, b/c of the hieroglyphics on the box. Yugi believe the puzzle will grant a wish to whoever would solve it. Anzu wanted to know what was his wish, but of course he wouldn't tell.
Jounouchi showed Honda the piece of the puzzle w/ the eye. Jounouchi said he took it out from Yugi's box when he wasn't looking. Honda said he was mean and should give it back to Yugi. Jounouchi ignored his statement and asked he was supposed to be getting lunch for Miho. She leaned against the wall and cried out she was hungry. Honda ran to her and said he would get the lunch for her. Jounouchi threw the piece out the window, into the water.
It was after school, Ushio was coaching the other monitors exercises. He caught Yugi and asked if he was being bullied by some of the classmates in his class. Yugi denied it. Ushio said he didn't have to worry anymore, and from that point on, he would be his bodyguard. Yugi ran away and thought he was a weirdo.
Yugi comes home, and to his surprise, Anzu was there. She said she hasn't come over to play for such a long time. Grandpa asked if he was still solving the puzzle, he warned him that there was a curse among it. He said that whoever would solve it, would have to associate with the Darkness Games. Anzu said it was a bad idea to solve it now. Yugi told them he was curious what the Darkness Games were and still believe the puzzle would grant him the wish. Yugi said he was more determined to solve the puzzle. Grandpa told Yugi to give it back to him so he can sell it.
It was late, and Yugi was still solving the puzzle. Grandpa was eavesdropping Yugi solving the puzzle, but gave him props for trying to solve the puzzle, Grandpa said he tried to solve it himself and never could do it. He has faith in Yugi, but was afraid that he would find out the Darkness Games. Yugi fell asleep on his desk.
It was the next day of school. Ushio wanted to show Yugi that he beat up Jounouchi and Honda. Jounouchi accused Yugi of setting up him up. Yugi denied it, and never wanted it to be that way. The bully said he wasn't done beating Jouounchi and Honda into a bloody pulp yet. Yugi told him that they were his friends and shield them. He said they never teased him at all. He wanted to teach him how to be a man. The bully said his dues were up, and had to pay him 200,000 yen.
Yugi was at home, and counted the money in his piggy bank. Yugi didn't have enough, and had no clue where to get the money. Some how all the worries, made him piece the puzzle more and more. There was one piece missing, he started to freak out. He decided to go back to school and find the missing piece.
Jounouchi and Honda were walking away from school. Honda told Jounouchi that those monitors could have done more damage to them, if Yugi wasn't there. Jounouchi looked into the water way, and remembered that the piece of Yugi's puzzle was still in there. He jumped into the water.
Yugi was running to school, and the bully stopped him. Yugi said he didn't have the money yet and will pay him next time; he just wanted to look for something he left in school. The bully said the time was up, Ushio said he would have to beat him up.
Jounouchi found the piece of the puzzle. Honda threw him a towel, and said he didn't want to see his friend soaking wet, and just would return the towel back to him.
Honda saw Yugi following Ushio somewhere. Yugi was getting his butt whipped. Jounouchi and Honda stopped Ushio; they said they would take Yugi's place. Ushio said that they would never be able to win. They got their butt whipped too. Jounouchi put the piece into Yugi's hand. Ushio started to beat Jounouchi and Honda. Yugi said they got beat up for him, and realized the last piece was in his hand. Yugi put the last piece in. The puzzle started to glow; a large shadow appeared with the third eye on the forehead. A gust of wind blew...
Ushio turned around, "Hey, it's time to play a game." As soon as the bully knew it, his waist was tied with a rope on top of the school roof, and saw freaky, scary looking Yami Yugi. Yami asked if he wanted to play a game. Ushio agreed to play the game. Yami told him it was a special game, it was a Darkness Game. Yami had the rope tied to him too. Yami slid down the roof with a deck of cards sticking to the roof. The rope was tied to each of the player and the game was simple, he explained. Yami said, if he wanted the money he would have to win and get to the top where the pile of money was. Each player were to pick a card, the number on the card determined how many paces they had to walk to the top. Ushio drew a 10, Yami drew a king, Ushio drew a 2, Yami drew a queen, Ushio drew a 3, Yami drew a 9, Ushio a 6, and Yami drew a jack. Yami was almost up to the top. Ushio drew a joker, Yami said it didn't count, Yami drew an Ace, and he won. Ushio crawled to where Yami was, and tried to punch him. Yami missed the punch, but Ushio broke the rope between them and Yami fell onto the ground. Ushio found a deck of playing cards instead of money. Yami's third eye glowed; he had said to Ushio, he had lost the game. He was going to send him to his own dark place in his mind.
Early in the morning, students found him all freaked out. A bunch of girls were gossiping how Ushio went nuts.
Yugi was happy to have solved the puzzle, and saw Jounouchi and asked how he was. Jounouchi asked him the whole friendship riddle and asked Yugi if they could hang out some time. Jounouchi couldn't take the mushiness, and told Yugi he had to go class, and his shoe fell off. Yugi ran after him with his shoe.

Written By: DMG
Notes
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