Okay, okay, I know some of you that are reading this want me to be updating "The Shadow Games" and making the chapters spiffier and whatnot, maybe posting new chapters sometime this century. Trust me, I'm working on it, but for now I don't feel entirely too much motivation so I thought I'd write this to get my inspiration back. I don't plan on continuing this, at least not for very long, as this kind of came randomly. If anyone likes it though, I may keep writing it.

We're all familiar with Capsule Monsters…at least some of us are. Well, I always liked the concept of people getting tossed into a new realm entirely. (Like what happened with Sora in the beginning of Kingdom Hearts? That kind of thing.) The Capsule Monsters arc fit this pretty well, so I decided to write at least the beginning of it, maybe continue if people were interested. (Now that I think about it, was this show ever released in Japan…?)

For the sake of everyone's sanity, however, I'll use the English version of the characters' names. That also means Yugi gets only one "u" in his name instead of two. Also, Yami's going to stay Yami. Calling him Pharaoh just sounds silly. I won't, however, be using some of the typical Japanese expressions. I know some of you really like that, but I've decided not to use them.

(I recently edited this once I released it, error that Yugi spoke instead of Joey. That was fixed. XD)

Saa, geimu no jikan da! Let's go!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters!

Game One: A Ruined Vacation

It was dark. Very, very dark. Yugi wandered about aimlessly as he tried to make heads and tails of his new environment. All he saw was a long line of pillars before him and the tiled ground he walked on; everywhere else there was just a shadowy mist. Every now and then he would call out, but there was usually no answer. A bad feeling was running up his spine. Something definitely seemed out of place. Not only that, but the air seemed to give off an incredibly foreboding vibe.

A sudden jolt shook Yugi out of his thoughts, and he gazed about wildly for the source of it. It didn't take long; a familiar figure landed on the ground in front of him. Yugi didn't have to look for very long to find out who it was.

"Yami? What're you doing here?" Yugi did a double take. It was Yami alright, but for some unknown reason he was wearing some sort of gold armor…

There was a roar and Yami threw one of his arms to the side, signaling his partner to stand back. "This isn't the best time for questions," he said sternly. Normally Yami always sounded stern and serious, but not quite to this extent. Yugi had known the spirit for quite some time, and as such he could tell when something suspicious was going on. It didn't take him long to find out what; an enormous shadow stood above them both, its eyes gleaming a fierce, blood-red tint.

Before either of them could move, the shadow swiftly reached downward, its hand aiming for the spirit. Yami leapt to the side nimbly, causing the fist to slam into the ground, kicking up not dirt, but more shadows. The spirit spun around, his crimson eyes locking onto his partner. "Run while you can!" He screamed frantically before he was bound by the shadows. As he was lifted into the air threateningly, the shadows spoke.

Your little friend belongs to me now, boy!

Yugi was scared – terrified, even – but he stood his ground. He glared furiously at the beast in front of him. "Who are you?!" he demanded.

It'll be clear in good time, mortal…just as soon as you join our little game, that is!

As the shadow cackled in laughter, Yugi raced forward, crying out desperately for Yami. He had to get him out of there, he had to save him! There was no telling what could happen to him. As he stepped forward, however, he fell into an endless abyss…

…and landed on his bedroom floor.

Yugi groaned as he pushed himself up off the floor. For a while now, he kept having nightmares that were very similar to each other…they were beginning to get on his nerves in more ways than one. Glancing at the clock, he noted that it was time to get dressed for school. As he stood, however, something else caught his attention: the Millennium Puzzle that took him eight years to solve, the same puzzle that had introduced him to the spirit he called Yami. For some reason, it was pulsing.

That Friday started just like any other, and Yugi had brought yet a new game to play with. At recess, he set up a desk with his best friend, Tea Gardner, and he began playing. The game went smoothly with Yugi explaining the rules as he went (he usually did, since he was constantly bringing new games to school). As the brunette girl found, however, this was yet another game filled with strategy.

It wasn't long before a new face showed up: Tristan Taylor. "Hey, guys!"

Tea waved cheerfully. "Hey, Tristan! Feel like replacing me before Yugi beats me again?"

Tristan laughed quietly. "I think I'll pass this time," He replied, quickly turning his eyes to the landscape-decorated board in front of him. "What's this new game you've got here, Yugi?"

"Capsule Monsters," Yugi explained, beaming happily. "I played it with Mokuba a long time ago (1), but they made a newer version recently. Grandpa seemed interested in it a while ago, so I'm trying it out myself."

"Looks like fun," Tristan said, holding up one of Yugi's spare pieces to examine. It closely resembled one of Yugi's favorite Duel Monsters, the Celtic Guardian.

"It is," Tea replied as she moved one of her pieces forward, "But nothing changes how hard it is to win when you're up against Yugi."

"You can say that again!" Tristan said, laughing. After a moment, he turned his gaze back to his other friend. "By the way, is your Grandpa back from that expedition in India yet?"

Yugi shook his head, his smile fading into a somewhat disappointed frown. "Not yet…his flight was supposed to have come in last night. I guess it got delayed."

Before anyone could say another word, one more familiar face burst through the door holding four strange scraps of paper in his hand. He was apparently very happy, as he was cheering and laughing constantly. This, of course, would have earned him strange looks from everyone in the classroom, but it was such a regular occasion that people only gave him a passing glance.

Yugi, however, paid attention. "Hi, Joey. Having a good day?"

Joey Wheeler, however, hardly heard his friend over his own excitement. "You'll never guess what I've got in my hand!" He cried, giggling like a boy who had just won a pony from the circus.

"Looks like scraps of paper to me," Tea muttered loudly, cocking an eyebrow in slight embarrassment. Joey could act a bit immature and downright strange sometimes, but she couldn't remember the last time he got this excited over anything.

Fortunately, she didn't have to ask for an explanation. "I entered a contest on the way to school," Joey began in-between breaths, "And I won the grand prize! Four tickets to India for a week! You hear that?! A whole week!"

Yugi laughed. "What do you plan on doing with all those tickets, Joey?" He asked. "I see four of them and only one of you."

"Well, do you guys wanna come?" The blonde immediately asked, his grin spreading even further across his face. "The scheduled date for the trip is during Spring Break, so it works out perfectly."

"Sure," Tea replied. "I'll ask my parents. They're off on a business trip then."

"I'll leave my grandpa a note," Yugi said, agreeing. "I'm sure he won't mind."

Tristan nodded. "My parents are on their anniversary vacation. I'm pretty sure they'll agree whole-heartedly."

"Then it's settled!" Joey cried triumphantly, throwing a fist into the air. "We're goin' to India in two days!"

That day after school, the four of them were walking home feeling particularly cheerful thanks to Joey's luck earlier that morning. Joey was, of course, dancing while walking down the street, which earned a roll of the eyes and a smirk from Tristan while Tea and Yugi were following behind, chuckling.

It didn't take long for Joey and Tristan to whip up a mock-argument. Yugi grinned, and cast a glance to his friend next to him. "This sure sounds like fun. It definitely won't get dull around those two."

To Yugi's surprise, Tea suddenly seemed less enthusiastic about the idea. "I guess," she responded weakly, quickly looking away to avoid Yugi's concerned look. She definitely had a bad feeling about this. Whenever Yugi went anywhere with them, some sort of trouble usually ended up happening. She couldn't list the number of examples there were; her friend just seemed to be a magnet for trouble ever since she first knew him. For once, she just wanted to have a vacation and simply relax, without having to worry about magic or Shadow Realms…

"Tea?"

The brunette quickly snapped out of her daze when she heard the voice next to her. For a moment she thought she had been hearing things, but sure enough, there stood Yugi's other persona. "Oh…hey, Yami."

The spirit grinned at her and turned toward the two in front of them, whom had already begun a sort of victory chant. Tea chuckled. Even if they did run into trouble in India, at least those two would be there to entertain them.

The trip to the airport was relatively short thanks to the public bus and the fact that all four of the friends lived close to the airport. It was worth it, however; they got their own private plane to travel in. Joey and Tristan were the first to board, followed by Tea (whom was reluctant to board at first since it looked so small, but once inside it seemed just fine) and finally Yugi.

Time seemed to fly by fast. Within hours, they were already over the continent of Asia, and the four friends were staring out the window in awe. Tea was already planning on bungee jumping, much to the relief of Yugi, whom had noticed her reluctance the previous Friday. Smiling brightly, he looked out his own window. He had a strong feeling that this trip was definitely going to be one to remember.

Little did he know that he was right…but not in a good way.

Tristan was readying his digital camera for a photo of outside the window when the entire plane shook. The copilot glanced back at them. "We're experiencing some minor engine problems," he stated, his calm tone betraying the nervous features on his face. "Please remain calm."

Of course, it was much easier said than done when the plane began plummeting to the ground. Terrified, everyone clung to their armrests as the humming of the propellers began to gradually halt. The pilot could be heard crying out "Mayday" constantly in the cockpit, and within moments the plane brushed across treetops and skimmed across the river where it finally smashed to a stop on the beach.

After what seemed like hours, Yugi slowly cracked open one eye to find that he (and everyone else) was, thankfully, still alive. The copilot approached him. "I apologize for the inconvenience, sir. Your friends are on the beach. Please wait there until we find help."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yugi unbuckled his seatbelt and stood, exiting the plane while Tea remained inside to approach the pilot.

Joey and Tristan were sitting near an outcropping of rocks. Yugi quickly joined them. "Are you two okay?"

Tristan nodded. "I am, but I think Joey isn't."

While Yugi was expecting an injury of some sort, it looked more Joey's morale had been harmed than anything. "I lost everything I packed," The blonde said in exhaustion. "Where's Tea? Is she hurt?"

Yugi shook his head. "No, she's fine. She just stayed behind to talk to the pilot for a moment."

Almost as though on cue, Tea emerged from the wreckage. "Everyone okay?"

"We're fine," Joey replied, still sounding as though he had run a marathon. "How's the pilot?"

"He said the plane is in bad shape, but the communication system is still working." She glanced back at the pile of metal that had once been their miniature private jet. "The pilot sent a distress signal, but he told me that it'd take a while before a rescue team gets here. The area's pretty remote."

Joey stood up with a renewed vigor. "I don't know about you guys," he said, "but I'm not going to spend my week off waiting for help. I'm ganna go look around." With that, he took off with Tristan in tow. "Later!"

Yugi winced. "Wait, guys! We have no idea where we are; we might get lost!"

"Give it up, Yugi," Tea said, half annoyed and half amused. "I don't think anything is going to stop them at this point." Reluctantly agreeing, Yugi followed Tea to join their other two friends.

To their surprise, the forest wasn't that intimidating. They were careful to avoid going too far from the plane, but the trees kept getting thicker no matter what direction they went. Soon, they couldn't even see the beach anymore, and decided that it was time to head back.

"Joey," Tea said bluntly, "I think we're lost."

"Quit worrying," Joey replied, a bright grin on his face. "I have a good sense of direction. This way should lead us to the plane."

"We've been walking this way for hours," the brunette promptly protested.

Joey almost sulked, focusing on the path in front of them. "Good point...but you got any better ideas?"

Tea sighed. "No, not really…" Joey might have gotten them into this mess – mostly unintentionally – but they really couldn't help it if they were lost. All they could do for now was keep walking.

"Guys, look!"

Everyone's heads spun in Tristan's direction as he turned to look back at them from over his shoulder. Joey had backed up anxiously against a nearby tree at the sudden sound, and Yugi did his best to stay alert. "Over here!" The brown-haired young man called, pushing through a nearby bush. "I found something!"

"It's not some creepy animal, is it?" Tea asked nervously.

"Not an animal...a person!"

To Be Continued…

I come in peace, I swear! I'm one of the few (the few that I know, anyway) that enjoyed Capsule Monsters, and I've wanted to novelize it for a while now. So, here it is.

(1) Capsule Monsters featured early in the Yugioh series as "Capmon" and "Capsule Monster Chess." Yuugi played it first against Mokuba (in the anime, he played it with Miho's stalker), and against Mokuba again in Death-T 4. The version in the spin-off show is a lot differently designed.