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Episode 12 Synopsis
The Promise
(Original Airdate: April 16, 2000)
Kuuga is in danger of being impaled on Xu Zain Da's horn. As he falls earthward he makes contact with the deadly spike. However, his quick reflexes allow him to grab the horn and pull himself out of harm's way. Kuuga hits the ground with horn in hand and sends Xu Zain Da to the ground. Xu Zain Da returns to his feet and grabs Kuuga in a reverse bearhug, attempting to squeeze the life out of him. Kuuga frees himself, and Xu Zain Da snarls a few more choice words before charging at Kuuga again.
Opening Credits
Ichijou closes in on the fight, checking in to see what the latest update is.
Xu Zain Da charges at Kuuga, who springs up and kicks Xu Zain Da in the chest, knocking him down and dazing him. When Kuuga lands he notices smoke issuing from the bottom of his kicking foot. Xu Zain Da appears knocked out, but he quickly rises to his feet again. The two are about to clash once more when something flashes in front of Xu Zain Da, tearing some skin from his chest. Xu Zain Da looks over to see Me Biran Gi on a nearby ladder. "Biran!" he yells, and Me Biran Gi attacks again, making two lightning-quick strikes that tear into Xu Zain Da's chest. Kuuga can only watch in astonishment. The two Grongis lock arms and exchange words, ready for battle. Their struggle takes them to the edge of a small cliff over a stream. After more wrestling they both fall into the stream and disappear.
Ichijou arrives at the cliff to find Yuusuke looking down. Yuusuke explains what happened, saying that the two Grongis were fighting each other, with the newer one intent on beating #22. Yuusuke is puzzled at how he will defeat Xu Zain Da.
Back at the bus stop Mr. Kanzaki returns and sees Sakurako sitting on the bench. He sits down to wait. Sakurako glances over and sees his name written on the side of his briefcase. "You're Mr. Kanzaki?" she asks him just as the bus pulls up.
At the Porepore Oya-san and Nana are washing dishes when Minori stops in. They greet her, but she is a little hesitant, as she has never met Nana before. Oya-san introduces her as his new help, and then Nana introduces herself (her family name is Asahina). Minori responds: "Hello. I'm Godai Yuusuke's younger sister Minori." Nana is relieved. "Look after my brother, will you," she says to Nana. "That'll be no problem, since I'm the first member of his new fan club," says Nana. She wonders when Yuusuke will return. Minori tells her he's gone to meet one of his old teachers. Oya-san seems both amused and puzzled by all the fuss over Yuusuke. Minori hopes Yuusuke will be able to make it.
Xu Zain Da, back to his humanoid form, staggers out of the creek some time later, his chest still bleeding. However his powers allow him to wish the wound healed, and it's fine again in a matter of seconds. Not without a few choice words from Xu Zain Da, however. A truck pulls to a stop nearby, catching Xu Zain Da's attention, and he heads off to do more damage.
On the bus to the school, Sakurako tells Mr. Kanzaki that she came in Yuusuke's place to keep him company until Yuusuke arrives. "But will he be able to come?" wonder Mr. Kanzaki.
Back in Tsukuba Ichijou meets up with Yuusuke by a stream, telling him they're still trying to find #22. Then Ichijou says, "Didn't you have something you had to do today?" "Don't worry," replies Yuusuke, "I've got it covered." Then he remarks about his earlier struggle with Xu Zain Da, saying that he tried the kick, but it was not effective. "If I can somehow make it stronger, I'm sure I can beat that thing," he concludes. "I think I have the answer." Ichijou is curious. "I will utilize skill #107," he says in explanation. Ichijou nods, and Yuusuke gets on the bike. "Call me if there's any more trouble," he says to Ichijou.
On the bus Mr. Kanzaki shows Yuusuke's page to Sakurako, saying Yuusuke wrote it when he was graduating from elementary school. Kanzaki continues, saying that he only happened on the book by sheer accident, and he wouldn't have come on this trip otherwise. Sakurako replies she's glad that he did come, or she'd have made the trip for no reason.
In an unidentified alley Rose and Xu Gouma Gu meet up with an older man, also a Grongi (Nu Zajio Le), who hands her a leather bag. Xu Gouma Gu is rifling through it when Rose grabs it from him and smacks him in the chest (she hits Xu Gouma Gu a lot…maybe they're married). She walks off, Xu Gouma Gu in tow, as the old man cackles.
Yuusuke is riding through the Numata section of Tsukuba when a tree catches his attention. He stops.
Mr. Kanzaki and Sakurako exit the bus near the Tachibana Elementary School, then head up the hill. When they reach the gate, they find it locked and barred. The sign hanging on the gate says the building is scheduled to be torn down beginning March 30, 2000. "They've disappeared from here as well," says Mr. Kanzaki. "All gone in pursuit of their destinies." He asks Sakurako is she has any way of contacting Yuusuke. She gives him a puzzled look. "We might as well go back." They look up at the building, and Sakurako gets an idea. "Why don't we climb the fence?" she proposes. Now it's Mr. Kanzaki with the puzzled look. "Yuusuke will be here."
Break
Sugita calls Ichijou from Chiba, telling him that all the incidents with #22 have involved idling vehicles. This must be what attracts him. Ichijou gets an idea, pulls a U-turn and heads back.
Yuusuke is in the Numata Park sketching in the dirt with a stick. He's trying to figure out how to add more power to Kuuga's kick. He sketches an arc between the two figures he's drawn, but it doesn't look right. He scratches out the arc and tries again, this time adding a flip in the middle. "That's it," he proclaims. He gets up and stretches his legs, then springs forward, jumps, and does a full 360-degree flip, landing squarely on his feet (Odagiri Jyo does this stunt himself, no double).
Sakurako and Mr. Kanzaki are in his old classroom in the school. "So this is where Yuusuke did his learning," remarks Sakurako. Mr. Kanzaki reminisces about his teaching days with Yuusuke. Then he reveals to Sakurako that over time he forgot why became a teacher, believing that he was only rewarding the children for doing as they were told and not actually providing them with an education. He felt he was not preparing them for the future, and so he decided he should give up teaching altogether. Then he stumbled on the message from Yuusuke. He chose to come because if, on the off chance Yuusuke did show up, then he would feel that not all had been wasted. But since it was apparent Yuusuke was not going to make it, he was just going the go on with his plans to give up teaching. Mr. Kanzaki is visibly upset by the situation. Sakurako, however, reassures him that Yuusuke looked up to him. Mr. Kanzaki is puzzled why this might be so.
Yuusuke prepares to up the ante in practice. He faces the tree, runs, jumps, and does a mid-air flip, his foot landing squarely and forcefully against the tree branch he was targeting. He has found the additional power he needed.
In an open field in Ibaraki-ken Ichijou is driving a truck down a dirt road. He calls Yuusuke on the radio and gives him his location. He says that he hopes to draw #22 there by leaving the truck idling loudly. Just then something slams into the truck, knocking Ichijou over in his seat. When he gets back up he sees Xu Zain Da in front of the truck, looking outraged. Xu Zain Da henshins into his Grongi form and attacks Ichijou, knocking the window out with his horn. Xu Zain Da grabs him. Yuusuke jumps on his bike and heads off to help Ichijou. Xu Zain Da grabs Ichijou through the broken window, but Ichijou hits the accelerator and the truck speeds off.
Sakurako says Yuusuke's been working on his 2000 skills. This rings a bell with Mr. Kanzaki. He tells Sakurako that the promise Yuusuke mentioned in the book was that he would discover 2000 skills by the year 2000. "Well, he's done it," replies Sakurako. "He's a remarkable guy," says Mr. Kanzaki. "I think that's been his main purpose all this time, keeping the promise he mentioned in that note," she replies. Then she shows the thumb's-up to Mr. Kanzaki. "Do you know this?" she asks, but barely finishes her question when she sees Mr. Kanzaki returning the sign. The sign has triggered something in his memory. "What is it?" asks a concerned Sakurako. Mr. Kanzaki hurries over to the teacher's desk. He sets the book down, then looks out over the classroom, remembering something. Holding out the thumb's-up toward the rest of the classroom, he says, "Godai Yuusuke, do you know what this means?"
Yuusuke approaches Ichijou and the truck as Mr. Kanzaki continues to speak. His narration is given over the first part of the fight sequence. "In ancient Rome this signal was given to people as a reward for doing good deeds for others. I know you are a good person, Yuusuke. I know that your father is dead, but I also know that you will do your best to look after your mother and sister, and I know that you will also look after everyone who needs your help. That is why I give you this sign." Mr. Kanzaki breaks down in tears, overwhelmed with emotion.
During this narration Yuusuke arrives on the scene and knocks Xu Zain Da off the truck with his bike. The truck rolls to a safe stop. Yuusuke pulls around and jumps off the bike and henshins into Mighty Form. He jumps back onto the bike and attacks Xu Zain Da again on some rocky terrain. The battle is intense. Kuuga is knocked off the bike, and a slugfest ensues. He manages to knock Xu Zain Da off his feet, and while Xu Zain Da is down he backs up slowly and deliberately. Xu Zain Da gets to his feet and charges. As he does, so does Kuuga. The two rush headlong at each other, and at just the right moment Kuuga jumps into the air, does a spectacular somersault and kicks Xu Zain Da squarely in his horn with the Mighty Kick (although he does not call it out as he is performing it). The horn breaks off explosively. Kuuga lands, turns, and watches as Xu Zain Da's face begins to burn with a brilliant light. It can mean only one thing: Xu Zain Da's imminent demise. His body and belt crack violently, and with a burst of flame Xu Zain Da explodes into a thousand pieces (no, I didn't count, but you can if you like…). Ichijou arrives in time to witness the explosion, and Kuuga drives of into the closing day. Back at the school it's nighttime and Sakurako and Mr. Kanzaki are leaving the building. "I'm so glad I found this," says Mr. Kanzaki, thumbing through the book again. He flips to the back and show Sakurako a drawing of a boy giving the thumb's-up and saying, "It's okay ('daijoubu,' one of Yuusuke's trademark phrases)." "Guess who this is," says Mr. Kanzaki. "Our Godai Yuusuke, of course," replies Sakurako. As they share the moment Yuusuke arrives at the front gate. He climbs over the fence and rushes to meet up with Mr. Kanzaki. Standing face-to-face, the two simply smile at each other for several seconds, and then exchange thumb's-ups.
End of episode
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