[STORY] F4-Programmer (Season 1: Duelist Kingdom) : #012

Episode 12: Trial by Red Eyes (Black Flame! Red-Eyes Black Dragon)

Joey has Rex Raptor down but not out. Rex says Joey's horned freaks may have control of the field, but now it's time to see if he can hold it. He plays Trakodon (800 DEF) in defense, and Joey attacks it with Lava Battleguard and destroys it. Tristan says, look at the Battleguards glow! Those guys are some kind of tag team, and Yugi agrees, saying that the power bonus they get from being on the field at the same time makes them a tough duo to beat. Tristan adds that since Joey already took out Rex's best monster card, the rest will be cake. He tells Joey to finish Rex off. (Japanese Honda tells Jounouchi to show Ryuuzaki the power of their friendship.)

But Rex says, who said that Serpent Night Dragon was his best card? He draws, then smiles. His supreme monster is a different dragon—the Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400 ATK)! Everyone gasps in awe, and even Mai is astonished, as the mighty dragon appears on the field. Rex tells Joey his pair of primates are no match for Rex's beast. (Japanese Ryuuzaki says this card is very rare—it's an honor for them to see it.)

Yugi says his Grandpa told him about this card—its powers nearly rival those of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Mai says it's about time Rex played a card that would put Joey in his place. Then Rex powers up his Red-Eyes even more with Dragon Nails, increasing its attack to 3000. He attacks, and both the Battleguards are destroyed. Joey and Tristan are both shocked—how could he torch them both with one shot? Rex says that those that defend together are destroyed together. Their little clubs weren't enough to save them from his dragon's wrath.

Joey's down to 235 life points, and he's really sweating now. Mai tells Rex he's a good boy, and Rex continues to gloat, telling Joey, that odor in the air is the stench of his defeated Battleguards. Who's up next for the roast? (Japanese Ryuuzaki tells Jounouchi it's his turn.) Joey tells himself he has to stay calm, and Tristan tells him to hang in there. Téa asks Yugi to tell her that dragon isn't as tough as it looks. There must be something Joey can do to stop it. But Yugi can't answer her. He thinks, there is one last move that could save Joey, but can't give Joey any advice in this duel. Joey will have to figure it out on his own.

Rex tells Joey to play every monster he's got—his dragon will turn Joey's whole deck into a smoldering pile of ash. Joey thinks, Rex is right. There's not a creature in his deck that can stand up to that thing. He guesses this is where he gets his butt handed to him. But Tristan calls out to him that he may not have the monster to beat that thing, but he's got the smarts. Yugi tells Joey not to give up, and Téa reminds him that dueling's more about heart than strength.

Joey draws, and Rex tells him to go ahead and slap down another monster for his Red-Eyes to fry up. But then he notices Joey's face-down card, and reminds himself that Joey still has his Time Wizard on the field. That's the card he played to clobber Mai and her Harpies—with Yugi's help, of course. It's a shame he's too much of an amateur to know how to use it himself.

Mai starts to yell at Rex, asking him if he's going to nab her the victory he promised, or is he going to sit around with that dumb look on his face. He's not thrilled with the way she's pushing him around, and can't wait to wreck that arrogant attitude of hers when they duel. Then he gets an idea—if he can snag Joey's Time Wizard, it would be a perfect way to shut her up. She can't win against that card. He suggests to Joey that they make the duel more exciting and stake the cards they currently have on the field on the duel. (Japanese Ryuuzaki suggests they each stake their best Rare Card, and tells Jounouchi he wants his Time Magician.) Joey at first doesn't remember that he has any cards on the field, then he sees the Time Wizard. Rex says he'll put up his Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Mai chews Rex out some more, telling him he's there to take Joey out of the tournament, not to improve his deck. Rex tells her to stay out of it, but she keeps on harping, calling him a double-crossing snake. While they go on sniping at each other, Joey thinks that the Red-Eyes Black Dragon could really improve his chances of winning the tournament and getting the prize money to help his sister, but he hates to risk the card Yugi gave him. Then he thinks, maybe he doesn't have to. He tells Rex he's got a deal—Rex's Red-Eyes against his Time Wizard. (In the Japanese, Jounouchi reflects that if Ryuuzaki is willing to risk his Red-Eyes for it, the Time Magician must be a much more valuable card than he realized. Jounouchi still doesn't know what would happen if he played the Time Magician on its own, but he thinks it's time he found out.)

Joey flips the Time Wizard (500 ATK), and activates its effect, to Rex's horror. Yugi says Joey just figured out the best possible move, and Mai tells Rex this wouldn't be happening if Rex had just obeyed her commands. Joey says he hopes Rex packed his bags—if the spinner's arrow lands on a Time Machine, Rex will be on the next boat off this island. Rex asks Joey if he knows what will happen if the arrow lands on a skull, but Joey says it's a risk he has to take, and tells Time Roulette to go!

The arrow spins and spins and spins. Téa asks what happens if the arrow lands on a skull, and Yugi explains that it will self-destruct and take a chunk out of Joey's life points. Tristan says, all he's got is a chunk! (The real Time Wizard would take half the attack points of all the monsters on Joey's side of the field. Since it's the only monster Joey's got on the field, it would take half its own attack, or 250 points, from Joey's life points. He's only got 235 life points left at this point, so he'd lose.)

The arrow spins some more. The gang watch nervously. All they can do now is hope that arrow doesn't land on a skull. And the arrow goes on spinning. Joey thinks, come on Time Machine! Rex thinks, come on skull!

The arrow begins to slow. And slow. It stops for an instant on a skull. Then takes one more little hop. it's a Time Machine! The gang cheer, and Joey tells the Time Warp to go. The Time Wizard does his thing, while Rex complains that the entire space-time continuum is speeding out of control! Eons are passing like seconds.

The Red-Eyes Black Dragon is fossilized. Mai insists he's fine, and tells Rex to attack. Rex tries, but the Red-Eyes' head falls off, as Rex wails, No! Yugi explains that the millions of years that Joey's Time Wizard made pass have turned the Red-Eyes into a brittle shell of dust. Rex's life points drain away to zero, and says he guesses Joey won his Star Chips. Not only his Star Chips, Joey reminds him, but he won his Red-Eyes, too, fair and square! Yugi adds that he did it all by himself.

Triumphant, Joey leaps down from the dueling platform and runs to his friends, calling out that he did it! Joey and Tristan rush together, shouting "You're the man!" "You know it!" "Give me some skin!" "Up high or down low?" (in the Japanese, they're shouting "Honda!" "Jounouchi!" over and over), and meet with a crash! (BOM! in Japanese; just stars in the US version.)

When the stars clear, Joey's on the ground, and Tristan's standing over him, looking pleased with himself, saying he guesses Joey's down low. (Cut from the US version is this shot of Honda's fist in the air in front of Jounouchi, as Jounouchi falls to the ground.)

"You shoved me!" Joey protests. ("You punched me!" Japanese Jounouchi says.) Tristan says now they're even for when Joey pushed him. (Japanese Honda says Jounouchi deserves it for making him worry.) Joey jumps up, saying two wrongs don't make a right (Japanese Jounouchi says he doesn't need Honda to worry about him, he was doing just fine), and Tristan asks if he wants to make it three. Yugi tells them there's no need to fight, but Téa says maybe they ought to stay out of it. She thinks this is their bizarre way of showing each other they care. As Joey and Tristan continue to wrestle and grab and insult each other, Yugi says okay, he just hopes they don't care about him that much! (Japanese Anzu says she still thinks that they're acting like Idiot 1 and 2.)

Later, they're walking through he woods in the dark, and Téa says maybe they ought to set up camp somewhere. Tristan tells Téa she shouldn't be afraid—she's got them to protect her. She asks, but who's protecting them? Good point, Tristan says. Let's set up camp. Joey tells them all to relax—there's nothing in these woods but crickets and squirrels. (Japanese Yugi says it's getting late, and Honda says it's too dark to see the competitors. Jounouchi says probably no one will be dueling this late, and Yugi suggests that they find a place to set up camp for the night. Anzu asks if they really have to spend the night in the woods.) Beyond the gang, the leaves rustle ominously, and a pair of red eyes glow in the dark.

They sit in a circle under a tree and start to tell ghost stories, although Tristan's story ends up being about pizza instead of ghosts. Téa asks, what kind of ghost story is that supposed to be! (Japanese Jounouchi exclaims that he's so hungry! Honda asks, how can they not provide food for everyone? Anzu points out that, other than Yugi, everyone came voluntarily.) Joey complains that if he doesn't get some food into him, he's going to turn into a ghost. Téa comments to Yugi about Joey and Tristan and their stomachs. (Japanese Jounouchi shouts that he doesn't want Star Chips, he just wants food! Anzu says she'd like a hot bath.) Joey finds himself a big fat mushroom growing near a tree, but Tristan grabs him before he can stuff it into his mouth, while Yugi warns him that wild mushrooms are poisonous.

Then Mai's voice is heard, telling Tristan to let him eat it. The gang all turn to her, as she takes a bite out of a snack. Angrily, Joey tells her she can duel him, she can insult him, but she's not eating in front of him! She offers to trade food for his Star Chips, but he tells her to forget it. Then she says she was just kidding, and says she'll share—if Joey can ask nicely. He thinks she'll make fun of him for that, too. (Japanese Mai says she didn't think Joey was that crazy, and he says she's horrible.) She says that by this time tomorrow, she'll have won the tournament, so there's no point in hanging onto a whole knapsack of food. (Japanese Mai suggests they call a truce for the night, saying she thinks everyone needs a break.) Yugi thinks it would be nice not to have to duel tomorrow on an empty stomach, but Joey still thinks it's a trick. Mai says it's either her or that poisonous mushroom. They're convinced.

Mai spreads her bounty out on the grounds, and the gang is amazed by all the food. (The writing is removed from the supplies in the US version. The First Aid kit, well, it says "FIRST AIR NALGED." The brown packages beside the plates, say "Curry," the bar beneath them is "Chocolate," and the soda cans say "Pepsi.")

But Mai tells them they're not getting any of it before they do their chores. (Japanese Mai says a duelist doesn't rely on others. Preparation is a must. But she thinks they should do the cooking.) She instructs Yugi to go find firewood, and Joey and Tristan to fetch water. Joey's not thrilled, but Tristan pushes him along, saying he's willing to swallow his pride if it means swallowing some food. Then she says Téa she can use her camp shower to freshen up—hanging out with those boys is no reason she has to smell like them. (Japanese Mai says only another woman would understand Anzu's need.)

Later, Téa's getting ready for her shower while Mai oversees the boys preparing dinner at the campfire. Téa thinks Mai's a hard one to read—first, she's starting trouble, and now they're sharing a campfire. (Japanese Anzu thinks that at first she hated Mai, but now she thinks she's quite nice. The words "Sun Shower II" are removed from the shower in the US version.)

Mai says, look at Joey go! Now all he needs is a chef's hat and an apron. Joey grumbles while she orders him to keep cooking. (Japanese Mai tells Jounouchi not to stop working, but to cook something good for them.) From inside the camp shower, Téa tells Mai she's tough, and Mai says the gals have to look out for each other, especially with a bunch of bozos like them around. (Japanese Mai tells Anzu she'll keep a lookout, and won't let anyone bother Anzu. Anzu thanks her, and Mai says, no problem. Cut from the US version is this bit where Mai notices an ocean liner passing by. Anzu asks Mai why she came to the island. Was it for the prize money?)

(Mai recalls that she used to work as a dealer on a ship-board casino that traveled around the world.)

(Every day she came into contact with rich card players. The people she dealt with only dreamed of money and power.)

(Eventually, she came to hate herself.)

Mai says she doesn't see why Téa bothers to hang out with the guys. Téa says that's easy—they're her best friends. Mai says that in her experience, their type is only good for moving furniture or fixing cars. (Japanese Mai says that whenever she sees these people, they remind her of something she's lost.) Téa is about to say something more, when suddenly she screams. Mai runs into the shower to find out what's wrong, and Téa says she heard something moving right outside. Mai looks around, but doesn't see anything. (Cut out of the US version is a bit where Anzu cowers in the shower from a new commotion, while Yugi holds Honda and Jounouchi back by their coattails as they try to rush to Anzu's aid. Then there's another "BOM!" as Mai clobbers them both.)

The gang gather around the campfire, and Mai joins them for dinner. (Again, the words are removed from all the packages. It's the curry rice that's cooking in the pot.)

(And the PEPSI name and logo are removed from Mai's soda can.)

Yugi asks Mai how many Star Chips she has now, and tells her it sounds like she's in the zone. But she says she won't be fooled by his nice guy routine. (Japanese Yugi says Mai will probably be the first one into the castle. She says that may be, but she wants to duel Yugi sometime.) Téa asks if they can't just forget about the tournament for one night, and Tristan suggests they just make fun of Joey instead. Mai agrees, but first she wants to make it clear—any duelist in her way is going down. (Japanese Anzu suggests they talk about it later, and Honda agrees—otherwise they won't be able to enjoy the food. Mai says that she's eating with them now, but tomorrow, they're enemies. That's what being a duelist is about.) As the gang stare open-mouthed, she gets up and goes for a walk. Joey grumbles that she can really ruin a meal.

Standing by the sea, Mai thinks that she should never have sat down with those losers—even if they do seem like nice losers. She can't afford to go soft now. She's a duelist first, and that means everyone is an enemy. No friends for her. She wants to win, and she'll do it all alone. (Japanese Mai says that she cared about her past too much.) Just then, a huge shadow looms behind her.

A hand, wearing a dueling glove, sneaks around and claps itself over Mai's mouth so she can't scream. The huge, shadowy figure drags her away into the bushes.

Meanwhile, back at the campfire, Joey stretches and yawns, saying he's fading fast. Téa thinks they should check on Mai, and Honda agrees that she has been gone for a while, but Joey suspects a trap. Then they hear the bushes rustling behind them. Téa gives off a little scream, while Joey and Tristan run to confront whatever's there. Joey thinks it's Mai, and tells her to come out, but it's Bakura who emerges from the woods. Téa says she told them! She remembers seeing Bakura on the ship and on the island, and says she hasn't just been seeing things.

Joey asks Bakura what he's doing there, and he says the same as them. Tristan says Bakura gave them a scare, and Joey laughs, saying that for a minute, he thought they had something to worry about. But Bakura looks as though he might not be as harmless as he appears.

Bakura joins the gang around the campfire. Joey's looking at his cards, Tristan asks him what's up. Joey admits that sometimes when he's dueling, he pretends he's on the field battling his enemies. (Japanese Honda notices that everyone is holding cards. Jounouchi says he knows what Honda means. No matter what, this is still Duelist Kingdom. All the duelists on the island put their hopes and dreams into their cards.) Bakura asks which card Joey would want to be, and Joey holds up his Flame Swordsman, standing up to slash an imaginary sword, and saying that the Flame Swordsman kicks everybody's butt. (Japanese Jounouchi says that from now on, everyone can call him Flame Swordsman.) Tristan holds up his favorite card, the Cyber Commander (Commander).

Téa laughs about the boys and their cards, but Yugi says he thinks everyone has a card they can identify with, and encourages Téa to pick one for herself. She looks through her cards and chooses Magician of Faith (Saint Magician). Tristan says she's got to be kidding, and Joey says it's more like the Magician of Freaks. (Japanese Honda says, Saint Magician, and Jounouchi says she must be a very mysterious woman.) Téa tells them both to shut up (Japanese Anzu calls them idiots), and they clutch each other, grinning foolishly.

Bakura asks Yugi which card he identifies with, and he says that's easy—Dark Magician. Téa thnks it's a little silly to be comparing themselves to playing cards, but Yugi says it's like his Grandpa says—it's not about the cards, it's about putting a little bit of your heart into anything you care about. (Japanese Anzu says she thinks she understands the connection between a favorite card and a player's confidence. Yugi says that Grandpa always tells him that you must feel the heart of the cards to fight your most powerful duels.) He asks Bakura which card he cares about the most, and Bakura says Change of Heart is his favorite.

Joey thinks it's a weird-looking card, so Bakura says if they want to see how it works, they could have a duel right now—not for Star Chips, but just for a little fun. They all agree that it sounds like a great idea, and Bakura suggests that they all put their favorite cards in Yugi's deck, so it will be as if they're all playing. Yugi says that with this all-star team of cards, he'll be tough to beat, as the gang all hold out their cards to Yugi. Bakura says he might surprise them.

They set up their dueling mats on a tree stump, and get ready to play. Téa asks Bakura if he's sure he doesn't mind playing alone, and Joey says they'll go easy on him. (Japanese Jounouchi tells Bakura that, even though he probably can't beat Yugi, he should do his best.) But suddenly, Bakura's expression changes, and he tells them that there's something he'd like to share with them all, and especially with Yugi. As the gang watch, wondering what's going on, Bakura holds his hands in a circle in front of his chest, and suddenly a necklace appears around his neck. Yugi says it can't be—it's a Millennium Item! Bakura says the magic of his Millennium Ring will take them all to the Shadow Realm. Their surroundings fade out, replaced by dark shadows.

Yugi asks why Bakura is doing this, and he says Yugi has something he wants. (Japanese Yugi exclaims, "A Dark Game!" Bakura doesn't say anything.) His Millennium Ring splits the gang's souls from their bodies, sealing them in the cards. The gang all collapse, and Bakura goes over to Yugi, saying that now, after countless centuries, the legendary Millennium Puzzle is his! (Japanese Bakura says they're all idiots. Then, he says the Millennium Puzzle is his.) He reaches for it, but just as he's about to take it, the Puzzle glows, and the spirit of the Puzzle takes over. Yami Yugi tells Bakura that if he wants the Millennium Puzzle, he'll have to duel him for it. But if Yami wins, Bakura must free Yugi's friends. (Japanese Yami says he accepts Bakura's challenge of a Dark Game.) Bakura accepts Yami's terms.

As the two face off, Dark Bakura tells Yami that this is one Shadow Game he can't win! (Japanese Yami Bakura says, is this the other Yugi? He's been waiting for him for a long time.)