A young man wearing a black shirt, white pants, boots and coat with a furry hood was standing in the middle of a store.

He looked at the store, shelves with locked glass doors were full of cards, glass terrariums so that visitors could see the Bakugan in their layout and terrain of choice, and the counter with glass windows with some decks behind them, for newbies, and also some Balumeters and Gauntlets.

He was satisfied, as the system had only given him the materials to do all of this, but not much about how to do this.

And the Bakugans didn't help much, not just because they couldn’t, but also because they were feeling mischievous most of the days.

But the store was ready to start business.

“Are you guys ready?” He asked.

Many cheers came from the terrariums, the Aquos elements soon wetting the floor.

He sighed, taking a mop from his spatial bag, already cleaning the mess.

But Alix knew.

Today was bound to be a good day.

_______________________________________

A man passed through the door, making the bell ring.

“Welcome!”

A young man with dark skin and long black hair tied lazily in a ponytail, making it look like he would fall out at any moment, welcomed him, a little fox-like smirk in his face.

The man looked around, surprised not only by the design of the place, but also by the broducts.

“Are these magic toys?” He asked, approaching one of the terrariums.

There were six different terrariums.

One filled with water and sand, making a small beach senario, um full of rocks, making it look like a small canyon, a dark one hided in a corned with too little light, one with some grass and flowers, but also full of light, one with coal and charcoal obviously still hot, and one that reminded him a bird cage.

All full of little toy-like things, moving by themselves in such a natural way that amazed him.

It made the man think they were magic toys, seeing how well they moved.

“No” The boy answered “These are Bakugan, they’re actually living creatures, this appearance is like a sealed form”

The man looked at the man, still with that smirk on the face.

The man was annoyed by the young man, thinking that he was trying to scam him, but stayed calm.

“I was thinking of buying one of these for my daughter’s birthday” He said “Any recommendations?”

The young man stopped, looking at the man for a moment.

“May I ask your daughter's age?”

The man raised a brown, confused and intrigued.

“Fourteen” He said.

“And Class?”

“A Mage”

“Are there any elements she is good at?”

“Water and ice” The man said proudly.

Ice mages were hard to come by, as learning ice magic took time and effort, so most ice mages were already adults.

But his daughter learned it at the age of fourteen!

She was already ahead of her peers!

He watched the young man, expecting some kind of reaction, but the response was not what he expected.

The young man paused, pensative, smirk disappearing.

“I’d say a Aquos Bakugan would be a better choice than”

He then got out of the counter, approaching the aquarium, turning his back at the man and revealing a circle with six different symbols on the back of his hoodie, each with a different color.

He soon came back with one of the ‘Bakugan’, it was a tortoise looking one, still a little wet.

“This is a Aquos Juggernoid” He said “This guy would be a good match to your daughter since he’s pretty patient, and being a Aquos Bakugan, he had a good understanding of water related abilities, he can help your daughter with training”

He stared at the Bakugan, it didn't look like it could do much, but the young man kept saying it was that good.

“I’ll take it” He said.

The young man smirked again, guiding the man to the counter.

The young man them put the Bakugan on a small mox, similar to the ones used for wedding rings, then opened the glass door behind the counter, taking a rectangular box and a few cards, putting then on the box, and a wristwatch, them opened the cabinet behind him and took two books, putting everything on the counter.

“The Bakugan is ten low-grade cores” He said “The Bakumeter and the deck are both twenty five credits, but since you are one of our first ten costumes, you only get to pay for the Bakugan”

The man nearly spat blood when he heard this, eyes going red at the same moment.

“Ten low-grade cores?!”

A person can only obtain a core by fighting a Demonic Beast, ten low-grade cores were ten low-grade beasts.

Anyone can fight a low-grade beast such as slimes and honed habits, even the weakest hunter, but to receive cores as payment…

Scam!

This place is a scam.

But the young man started talking before he could say anything.

“Let me explain something before you start cursing at me, these place have a lot of arrays, protection arrays are one of them, not only to protect the place from attacks, but also from theith, everyone knows that beast cores can be used as energy source for said arrays, and since I’m just a merchant without a class, I’m legally unable to go hunting for cores and the ones you see on the market will cost me a kidney, so I have to get them some way”

That made the man stop, closing his eyes to concentrate.

Then he felt it.

There really were a lot of arrays in this place, protection was the most used.

He opened his eyes, more calm now.

The boy was telling the truth, with this many arrays, he could understand why he would take cores as payment.

But why should he pay this much for a toy?

“And Bakugan are more than just companions” The young man continued “This book as for this”

He pointed at the books he took from the cabinet, it had the same circle with symbols he saw in the boys back.

[Bakugan - Attributes and how to battle] Could be read in the front.

And the second, a much smaller one, had the watch on the front, along with the title [How to use your Bakumeter].

“Bakugan are usually used in battles” Said the young man “Compare it with chest, you can practice tactical skills using the cards and Bakugan”

He pointed at the circle in the book, more specifically the blue symbol.

“Aquos is the water attribute of the attribute exagon” He said “Since your daughter is a water mage, she can learn a few strategies and attacks to use in real battles in a fun way”

The man hesitated.

An educational toy was a good thing, especially if it could help with magid training.

But it didn't seem that useful.

“What about this”

The young man started packing everything in a paper bag with the ‘attribute exagon’.

“You take this to your daughter” He said “If she really doesn't like it, you can come here and I’ll refund you, sound’s good?”

He sealed the bag with a sticker of the ‘attribute exagon’, then handed it to the man.

“And what can give a guarantee that you won't run off with the cores?” The man asked.

The young man just shrugged his shoulders.

“Run to where? I don't have anywhere to go, this place is both my shop and home, and what use would have a Hunter hunting you? I’m just a civilian with no class, how far could I go?”

That was a fair point, and the point that made the man finish the transaction.

“Good to do business with you” The young man said, his smirk back “‘till next time”

The man couldn't help but feel that he just got scammed.

_______________________________________

‘First Bakugan sold’ Alix thought ‘Nine to go’

He had received a mission the moment he opened the shop.

[Sell ten Bakugan - Reward: Two Bakugan to yourself]

He let a satisfied smile appear on his face.

“You can’t smile to save yourself” One of the Aquos Bakugan said “You look like a scammer!

“Oh shush you!” Alix said “I can smile really well!”

He looked at himself in his cellphone reflection and smiled.

A fox-like smile welcomed him.

There was a beat of silence, Alix's face darkened.

“... I should practice…”

It didn't help that the Bakugan agreed.

_______________________________________

Lily Rockfield had come home for her birthday, like her father requested.

He had given her a whole party and all.

But what interested her the most was not the party, nor the expensive gifts brought by the men who wanted to impress her father.

But the one her father buyed himself.

She was in her room, sitting on her bed.

It was big and fancy, but not at all important.

She opened the paper bag, reaping the sticker, and found a few things.

The first thing was a wristwatch, she found it pretty and wore it, it was blue just like her eyes.

The second was a little rectangular box, she opened it, finding a few cards, some with a blue tortoise on them.

The next two were a pair of books, one with the strange circle in the front and the other with the watch (which, aparenty, it was called Bakumeter).

The book the circle got her attention, but she put it aside so see one last thing.

It was a little box, one that looked like the ones that stored wedding rings, it too, was blue.

She picked it up, curiosity eating her from inside out, and carefully opened it.

It was a small blue sphere.

She was confused for a moment, thinking it might be a joke or a mistake.

But the sphere opened, revealing a tiny ‘head’ and two tiny ‘legs’.

“Finally decided to check on me, huh?”

She froze, processing the situation carefully.

It only took her a few moments to register.

‘This thing just talked?!’

She let the box with the thing fall in the bed while she retreated at its confused and startled cries.

What has her father given to her?!

Lilian Rockfield, also known as Lily by those she deam close enough, stared as the thing pulled itself up, turning itself in her direction.

“You know what?” It said “That’s not the worst reaction you could have, no screams and all”

An awkward silence filled the room, the two of them staring at each other.

“This is more awkward than I thought it would be” Said the thing lowering its ‘head’ while moving from side to side, as if shaking its ‘head’.

Lily watched it with curiosity and causioness.

Manly the former.

“What are you?” She finally asked.

It raised its ‘head’, its hesitation bieng an possible sight of surprise?

But it soon answered.

“I am a Bakugan” It said “An Aquos Juggernoid, to be specific, a was sold to your father to be gifted to you, but I’m pretty sure he think I'm some kind of educational toy, even though the kid said him that we are were living beings”

“Well, you sure look like a toy” She said, approaching the ‘Bakugan’.

“Just for now” It said “If you take me to the Field I can show you how I really look like”

“Field?”

She was quite confused, does it want her to take it to an open field or something?

“It's easier to show” Said the Bakugan “Take the card with the same symbols as the bag and the one with a Juggernoid”

She said as she was told, taking the cards she saw earlier.

“So this is what you look like?”

“Yeah, now take me!”

She hesitated a little, but picked the bakugan.

“Now rise the card with the symbols and say ‘Field, open’ out loud”

She nodded, raising the card at eye level.

“Field, open!”

The card then lit up with a show of beautiful colors, the world around her started slowing down and distorting.

She saw the dancing colors around her, she saw her room disappear, and she felt the hard white flour under her.

“This is the field” Said the Bakugan.

She looked around, eyes shining with curiosity and wonder.

It's so vast!

“So how about I show you some really cool tricks?” The Bakugan asked.

She could only nod with enthusiasm.

_______________________________________

Maxwell Rockfield was curious about the reaction his daughter would have after the gift.

He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't like it, as she wasn't one to like toys.

He marched to her room, knocking when he got on the door.

But there was no answer.

He knocked again, no answer.

He got suspicious.

Lily doesn't usually sleep at this hour.

He was about to open the door when a maid appeared in the corridor.

“Master? Are you looking for the young lady?”

“Yes, she’s not in her room?”

“Oh, she’s on the training grounds!”

Training grounds?

He got curious, heading to the training grounds.

Lily wasn't one to train on her free days, that's one of the reasons he called her home to rest on her fithteen birthday.

Getting closer to the training grounds he started hearing voices, one being clearly Lily’s, but the other, of a male, was unknown to him.

Curious, he entered the place in silence, to not disturb the training section.

There he saw his daughter, her Silver White hair tied into a high ponytail, like she always did when training, her wand on her hand, a thick shell-like ice formation in front of her.

“I think it is too thick” Lily said “Good for protection, but I wouldn't be able to use your Super Shard”

“You're biting more than you can chew, you should try controlling your power first!”

The unknown voice talked, but Maxwell couldn't see a person, which made him feel worried.

“Should I try using less-”

“Lily?”

The girl stopped in her tracks, turning to Maxwell.

“Dad? What are you doing here?”

He took a good look at the girl, soon seeing the Bakugan on her shoulder.

“Nothing much” He said “Just curious to why would you be training at such an hour”

His daughter immediately smiled.

“I was training with Topaz!”

“Who?”

He looked around, trying to see this person his daughter was talking to.

He knew all the people that frequented his mansion, but didn't know anyone with this name, and there was no one in the training grounds beside them.

“Down here!”

Maxwell nearly jumped, looking to his daughter in surprise, as the voice came from her.

Just to see the toy he buyed for her in her head.

“What 's up?”

The toy talked.

The toy talked.

“Topaz gave some ideas and I was trying to imitate them” Said Lily.

“She still have some bad habits that she need to fix” The toy said “But yeah, she have a good potential”

“I already told you, they're not bad habits! That's how they teach us in the academy!”

“And I told you that it is stupid! What kind of idiot teaches someone such a sloppy method to use power?”

While the two argue, Maxwell only thought one thing.

‘What the hell!!’

_______________________________________

A timid boy found a new store on the way home.

He visited that street every week, looking for books or resources for his projects, so seeing the store there was a pleasant surprise.

The timid boy looked at the sight in the front.

[New Vestroia]

He didn't understand the name very well.

What was Vestroia?

Was it a place?

Curious, he entered the place.

“Welcome to New Vestroia! How can I help you?”

A man with dark hair and skin greeted him, his sharp eyes were close, not the ‘not-looking-at-you’ close, but the naturally closed eyes that made people wonder if the person could truly see, and he had a smirk on his face, an arrogant and mischievous smirk.

Everything on the man screamed scammer.

But only for those who're not used to the market.

So even though the man may look unreliable on the surface, he could see that it wasn't like that.

And the scammer's image could be ignored when the man was cleaning the messy flour in front of him.

“Sorry for the mess” The man said “These guys are kind of moodie”

A tiny pebble flew into the man's face, making him turn angrily to his side.

“You are only proving my point!”

The boy was surprised by the laughter and snickering he heard from the whole shop.

He then looked around, seeing all the terrariums in the store, each of them with strange toy-like things.

“What are those?” He asked.

“These guys are bakugans” Said the man “You can imagine them a particular teachers, but also companions or partners”

The man aproxed one of the terrariums, one that reminded him of a bird cage.

“In this store we sell both bakugan and items that auxiliate both you and them, like card, Bakumeters and Gauntlets”

“Gauntlets?”

He looked around, not seeing the gauntlets, just a wristwatch and strange device that took his attention, making the man chuckle.

“May I know your class? It will help help with the explanation”

“I’m a wind mage”

The man looked stunned for a moment, but soon let an amused smile appear in his face.

“Your the second mage to appear ‘round here” He said “But well, they're no like like normal gauntlets, here, let me show you”

The man took one of the Bakugan from its enclosure and walked to behind the counter, opening it and taking one of the strange devices, a green one, and three cards.

“Monarus is a Bakugan of Vantus atribut” Said the man “Which means she can use wind attacks and abilities, she can teach you some good and easy spells that might be really useful”

It opened itself and revealed the appearance that reminded him vaguely of a feary, it inclined forward, similar to a greeting.

“I am Ventus Monarus, it a pleasure to meet you”

The bakugan talked with a feminine voice, it was calm and sweet.

“I-It's a pleasure to me too! I’m Koda Ferri”

He greeted back, clumsily, surprised by the greeting and by her voice.

“This form you see is a sealed form” Said the man showing him the bakugan “Bakugan can only show their true form on a Field”

He then took one of the cards, one that showed six different symbols and showed it to him.

“This card can will take you to the field” He said “Now hold on me”

Koda dutifully holded his wrist, watching the instructions carefully.

“Field, Open!”

The card on his hand glowed and the world around them started to distort.

He soon learned what the Field was.

“The Field is a place between time and space” The man told him “Even if you spend years in here, you won't get old, and, when you come back, no even a second will pass, but the limitation being that battles here a restricted to the cards rage”

Koda looked around, this place was vast and bizarrely amazing, even with its unnerving silence and nothingness.

“Now let’s go back to the store” Said the man “Field, Close!”

The card shined once again, and the world distorced to its original form, Koda releasing the man's wrist.

The man put the card back on the counter, along with Monarus, picking the Gauntlet and a second card.

“This is the Gauntlet” He said “And this card is what chard it”

He received the thing and put it on his arm, as instructed, and the man showed Koda how it worked, and how it needed the command ‘Gauntlet, Charge On’ to start itself, then he picked the last card.

“The Gauntlet let you create a small scale field” He explained “But not by itself, this Gate Card provide the field and gauntlet produce the energy for it to work, the bakugan can move freely on this mini field, and it's attacks won't be limited to to one or two opponents, attacks which need the Gauntlet to be activated on this realm, but that is not it only function, let me show you something before the demonstration of the field”

He gestured to Koda to show him the Gauntlet, and so he did, the man then brought Monarus to the device.

She promptly jumped on the button of the Gauntlet, which showed on its scream a lot of information.

“The Gauntlet let you see all the Bakugan information” The man said “Now let’s open a field”

The man then let the last card fall into the ground.

“Gate card, set”

As soon as it fell into the ground, it glowed in green and fused with it while expanding.

“Monarus” He said “Could you?”

“Of course”

The Bakugan jumped from the Gauntlet, much to Koda’s surprise, closing herself on the process and falling into the ground, just to open again.

But this time, Monarus herself glowed, and soon a green creature, similar to a fairy, but taller than him and the man by a lot, appeared on the place where Monarus once was.

“Monarus is a small Bakugan” Said the man “One of the smallest, so I thought she would be a good choice to show in the store”

That was small?!

The shop owner, who was pretty tall himself, was not even at her chest and he had the guts to say she was small?!

If she was small, how big was the biggest bakugan?

The man only taped the counter and Monarus and the floor glowed with the same green light before her form, the bakugan form fell apart, turning into a floating sphere, and the card from before appeared and shrink to its original size, both flying to Koda's hands, back to their original appearance

“So, what do you think?”

Koda was baffled, looking at the Gauntlet with eyes the size of plates, chin on the ground.

What he think?

“This is amazing!”

He was mesmerized!

How could there be such a thing? And how he didn't know about it?

He had to buy!

“How much?” He asked.

“For Monarus and the Gauntlet? Ten low-grade cores each, for the cards and the Bakumeter? Twenty five credits each, but as one of our first ten clients, the cards and Bakumeter are for free”

Koda hesitated a little.

As a student of the Magic Academy, he often visited the academy’s personal dungeon, so he did have both the credits and the cores to pay for everything.

But even so, it was a lot.

But he shrugged the thought away.

He could just hunt some monsters later, who knows how many Gauntlets the man would have.

“Ok” He said “But I’ll would like two Gauntlets”

The man raised a brown, curious.

“My subclass is Magic Engineer” Koda said “I want one to analyze and for use”

The response seemed to satisfy the man, who started to pack everything, along with three books.

“These books are a bonus” He said “They're manuals for the Gauntlets and Bakumeter, and a book for you to learn some basic information of Bakugan, their abilities, and their limits”

Koda nodded, receiving the paper bag with a pained smile while paying.

“Good doing business with you” The man said with a smile that resembled a smirk “‘till next time”

“Bye!” Koda said, returning the smile while leaving quickly.

He went back to the dormitory, he had so much to do!

He was already closing the door when he heard the man talk to the bakugan.

“See? I can smile just fine!”

He left the place, an amused smile on his face.

“He had a terrible smile, didn't he?” He heard Monarus say from the bag.

“One of the worst I've ever seen'' Koda said.

“And you still dared to buy me?” She sounded amused while saying this.

“I've seen worse”

They both chuckled on the way to the academy.

_______________________________________

“This place is ruge”

“I know”

Lily came back to the academy, her bakugan, Topaz, as she had named him, was hidden in the pocket of her uniform.

She brought him with her, as there's no rule that forbids his presence there, and she didn't want to leave him alone in the mansion.

And he was still teaching her some new tricks, saying that he didn't trust the academy's methods, as they were sloppy and unstable.

And after a weekend of training with Topaz, she had to admit, they really are sloppy and unstable.

Looking at the entrance gate, she let out a sight.

“Don't you like it here?” Topaz asked.

“Not really?” She said “All this place is about politics and connections, as soon as I walk in, there’ll be a bunch of people trying to gain my favor, there's even a girl who self proclaimed herself as my best friend, she chase me around the academy no matter where I go and even changed here room to be close to mine, I have to change the lock on my door a few times after every few days because she keep getting a copy of my keys”

“That's creepy”

“You tell me, and worst part is that she keep throwing herself into my fiance”

There was a pause.

“Aren’t you too young to have a fiance?”

“It's a contractual arrangement between our families” She explained “But his a good friend of mine, well, I still think we are friends, his kind of distant now”

She sighed again, giving the gate another look.

“Well, here goes nothing”

She passed the gate, barely taking five steps before being assaulted from her side.

“Lily!”

A grimace formed on her face, as a girl clinged to her.

Amelia Grace, the creep who keeps following her around the academy.

The girl used the same uniform as her, but shorter and more open, revealing her voluminous body, her petit face, short pink hair and pink eyes that could only be described as lovely, and her smile could only be described as cute.

But her gaze…

Lily could only describe it as predatory.

That girl who gave her chills since the first encounter looked at her like she was easy prey.

But Lily couldn't really tell if she was seeing things or not, as the gaze was gone as quickly as it came as the group of flies the girl call friends approached.

“I’ve missed you so much!” She said, clinging to her arm “Where have you been?”

“No of your business, and don’t call me Lily”

Lily pushed the girl aside, freeing her arm from the girl.

Lily was a nickname used only by those who were close to her, like her father.

It wasn't something that a girl like Amelia could use as she pleased.

But, even though she pushed the girl away, Amelia grabbed her once again while pouting.

“Why are you being so mean to me?” She asked “I just wanted to know where you were! Can’t I know as your best friend?”

Lily cringed, a frown on her face and as she started to get annoyed.

She shaked her arm, forcefully realizing herself from the girl's grasp.

“My personal life is none of your business” She said coldly “And don't act like we are friends, because we’re not!”

She then turned around, leaving the group behind.

“Please tell me it didn't look as unnerving as it sounds” Topaz murmured from the pocket.

“Unfortunately, it was”

“And you say she can enter your room?”

“Yes”

A pause, a bit too long this time.

“No way in the Doom Dimension I’m staying alone in your room”

She may not not know what this Doom Dimension was (Which she definitely would ask later), but by his tone, it couldn't be something good.

“And no way I’m leaving you there” She muttered to him “God knows how she god my keys”

With a deep frow, Lilian Rockfield held her head high and with pride.

She would survive this day the same way she survived the others.

With elegance and an stupid amount of self-control.