Episode 17 Synopsis
Battlethirst
(Original Airdate: May 14, 2000)
On an Ikebukuro street Rose is sitting on a park bench. A newspaper blows up against her leg. The headline reads "Unidentified Lifeform No. 24 Has Been Defeated." A figured stands before her. "I guess that makes me number 25…" he ponders, stroking his goatee. Opening his brass-knuckled fist, he shows her his rose petal. He follows Rose to an alley, where he changes into his Grongi form. It's MeGadoraDa, a Grongi being based on the form of a tiger. Rose gives him a bracelet. "72 people in 4 hours," she says, and charges his belt. He heads off to pursue his quota.
Opening Credits
Yuusuke is cruising down the road on the Trychaser when Ichijou, who is on his way back to Tokyo, calls him on the radio. "No. 25 has been spotted on a spree in Ikebukuro," he says, "I'm on my way there now." Yuusuke acknowledges and heads in the Grongi's direction.
Arriving in Ikebukuro, Yuusuke finds a walkway littered with bodies. He tries to rouse one of the victims, but to no avail. As he is doing so, MeGadoraDa appears before him. They have a brief staredown, then MeGadoraDa lunges. A narrator begins speaking over the action. (This episode consists mostly of flashbacks to previous episodes, with narration tying the scenes together and relating them to what's going on presently.) MeGadoraDa throws Yuusuke into a fence, then into the Trychaser. Yuusuke ducks out of the way just in time, but MeGadoraDa's blow lands squarely on the dash of the Trychaser, smashing it and rendering it useless. Yuusuke then transforms into Kuuga. "Kuuga…" says MeGadoraDa. The two charge headlong at one another. [The narration continues through the series of flashbacks, explaining the situation with Kuuga, the police, the players involved with Yuusuke/Kuuga, and Kuuga's special skills and weapons - this continues almost to the commercial break.]
Flashback: The police briefing from Nagano. Ichijou tries to defend No. 4, but can offer no solid proof (episode 3).
Flashback: Sugita arrives at the scene of Kuuga and ZuMebioDa's first battle, and the cops open fire (episode 3).
Flashback: Kuuga rescues Sugita from ZuMebioDa (episode 4).
Flashback: Yuusuke wakes up in the diner, and receives a tongue-lashing from Sakurako (episode 2).
Flashback: Yuusuke arrives to try to save Ichijou from Xu Gouma Gu in the church, and demonstrates the true form of the warrior Kuuga (episode 2).
Flashback: Kuuga and Xu Gumun Ba battle on the rooftop, with the hero besting the villain in explosive fashion (episode 2).
Flashback: Kuuga, astride the Trychaser, battles ZuMebioDa in the warehouse (episode 4).
Flashback: Ichijou answers chief Matuskura's questions (episode 5).
Flashback: Kuuga battles Xu Zain Da on his bike (episode 12).
Flashback: Oya-san misunderstands Yuusuke's other identity (episode 7).
Flashback: Yuusuke "breaks in" to Sakurako's office as she is working (episode 1).
Flashback: Ichijou and Yuusuke examine one of Me Bajis Ba's needles in Dr. Enokida's office (episode 8).
Flashback: Tsubaki speaks with Yuusuke in his lab (episode 6).
Flashback: Minori sees Oya-san's scrapbook (episode 9).
Flashback: The Wakaba children ask Minori about her thoughts on Number 4 (episode 9).
Flashback: Xu Zain Da takes the Mighty Kick right in the horn, with terminal results (episode 12).
Flashback: Sakurako tells Yuusuke about Kuuga Dragon Form's special weapon, the Dragon Rod, and the subsequent cessation of Xu Bazuu Ba's killing spree, as well as his corporeal integrity (episode 6).
Flashback: On the beach, Kuuga Pegasus Form transforms Ichijou's gun into the Pegasus Bowgun, and Me Bajis Ba is permanently thwarted as a result.
Flashback: Kuuga Titan Form destroys Me Giiga Gi with the super-powerful Titan Sword.
Back in Ikebukuro the fight between Kuuga and MeGadoraDa drags on into a residential area and into the evening. Kuuga gets tossed around quite a bit, but refuses to give up. He is about to transform to another form when MeGadoraDa grabs a chain, tosses it, and manages to wrap Kuuga's fist up, preventing the transformation. The villain gets the hero in a chokehold.
Break
MeGadoraDa tosses Kuuga into a fence, then throws him against a car. He tries to choke Kuuga with the chain, but Kuuga gets free and begins running across the parked cars, evading the Grongi's assault. [The narration resumes, and we are filled in on the Grongi's forms, methods and motivations.]
Flashback: Sakurako and Yuusuke look over her translation of the ancient writings, noting the terms "Rinto"(used by the people who created the writings for their race) and "Grongi" (the term for their nemeses) (episode 7).
Flashback: The mysterious shadowed figure emerges from the darkness and sends electric charges into the ground (episode 1). Narrator: "The Grongis. Referred to as unidentified lifeforms, they are a race of soldiers who have been brought back from ancient times."
Flashback: Xu Gumun Ba tosses the police around inside the police station in Nagano (episode 1).
Flashback: Ichijou and Sugita at the firing range, where Ichijou says there may be as many as 200 of the unidentified lifeforms (episode 7).
Flashback: Ichijou eavesdrops on the conversation between Rose and Xu Gouma Gu in the abandoned warehouse (episode 3).
Flashback: Rose passes bad news on to Xu Zain Da (episode 9/10).
Flashback: The police raid the Grongi warehouse and find only strange artifacts (episode 10).
Flashback: Me Bajis Ba logs his latest kills on the tally board (episode 7).
Flashback: Me Bajis Ba takes down another victim (episode 7).
Flashback: Me Biran Gi gets his orders…180 victims in 2 days (episode 13).
Flashback: Me Biran Gi wreaks terror on the ferry (episode 13).
Flashback: At the Grongi warehouse, Xu Zain Da is visibly upset. ZuGalmeLe tells him, "Rules are rules." (episode 10).
Flashback: The Grongi's get serious in the hothouse (episode 13).
Flashback: Ichijou watches the video of the massacre (episode 7).
The battle rages on, with MeGadoraDa making heavy use of a chain, eventually severing some electric cables that set fire to some oil cans. As the narrator says, "There is no one who can save the human race except the legendary warrior Kuuga," Kuuga rises to the occasion, landing a solid elbow in MeGadoraDa's gut, which knocks him off balance and sends him reeling. He connects with another punch that knocks the villain to the ground. Kuuga finds some room to maneuver and prepares to dish out the final blow. He braces, then charges at MeGadoraDa. As he does, his right foot begins to energize, glowing with orange fire. At the critical moment he jumps into the air, tucks forward into a somersault, and as the maneuver peaks he extends his supercharged foot forward, landing a tremendous kick squarely in MeGadoraDa's chest. Kuuga lands on his feet, then watches as MeGadoraDa succumbs to the power of the Mighty Kick. Kuuga returns to Yuusuke. It is only then that Ichijou arrives on the scene. "Godai…Sorry I'm late," he says apologetically. They look at the fire. Yuusuke then apologizes to Ichijou, saying that the bike got broken. Ichijou is surprised.
The narrator concludes: "He continues to fight. As long as we they need him, the warrior Kuuga will continue the fight. Today. Tomorrow. Believing that the day will come when there is no longer a reason to fight."
End of episode
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