The Weird, Wild, and Wonderous World of Beyblade

Valt-down but not out

  Always kinda thought it was a bit weak how Valt just bounced back after his first time getting stomped by Lui, so I tried to make something a little more dramatic. Give me your thoughts and critiques in the comments.

All rights reserved to Hiro Morita

Valt was beginning to think that the world could read this mind. The gray skies poured on the streets around him, causing his spiky blue hair to bend back. He couldn't stop thinking about last week's battle at the Blading nationals, with him and Valkyrie losing Lui and Lost Longinus.

Sure, it wasn't his first loss, but this one hit differently, harder. When he lost to everyone else, while he got frustrated, he always felt eager to bounce back and train harder. But being beaten by Lui felt like slamming into a wall of cinderblocks.

Lui scared Valt. He'd met some jerks in his day but never fought somebody like Lui. Daina punked him, and Wakiya talked down to him, but Lui was ruthless. He didn't come to a match to beat you, he came to destroy you, rip you down, and show you how helpless you were, and given how Valt felt his head hang low ever since the match, he'd say it was working. He'd say it was true.

I mean, tons of people always said that he was a loser. Did they have a point? He always embarrassed himself and thought the dumbest things. Heck, a few months ago, he couldn't even launch right. What right did he have to call himself a blader, much less try and become a champion?

But then again, a good chunk of those people also changed their tune when he beat them, just like Daina and Wakiya; Heck, those two were his teammates now, his friends. Did they think he was a loser? For losing to Lui, for letting them and the rest of the team down?

Valt wasn't sure he felt like asking them that question or how they'd respond, but there was one person he could. With that, he reached for his brown holster and pulled forth his beloved partner, Victory Valkyrie.

"What'd you think, partner?" He asked the Top, only to be answered by a shock of blue light bursting from his bey. Overwhelming his eyes, only for him to gasp at the new forest environment around him. This forest was like one during Fall, only if the ember-colored leaves were tossed out for shades of ethereal blue. Particles of light blue flooded the area.

" Wha-what the-" He stammered before being cut off by the gentle crunching of leaves and the sound of footsteps. Along with what sounded like a horse letting out a soft cry as he turned to find the source of the noise. Which only caused his eyes to pop out further at what he saw.

Valkyrie's avatar in all its glory. Stopping there on horseback as if it were completely natural, oblivious to Valt's confusion before gently lowering its sword in front of his face. Causing Valt to tilt his head to tip back on instinct.

"What is wrong, partner? Stand firm and face this foe of yours.", it-no she spoke calmly.

"But that's the thing I'm not strong enough. I'll never be." He groaned as he closed his eyes shamefully. "It's just like everyone told me from day one. I'm just a loser who got lucky."

"So what? You speak as if your defeat against Longinus' blader has somehow cursed you to never best him in kind as you've done to so many others. What is troubling you so harshly that you cannot do it again."

"I don't know," Valt said before hanging his head to the cluster of leaves on the ground. "I guess...I'm just not used to fighting guys like him ya know?"

"I see.." Valkyrie said before raising her sword from the ground, " But that is simply something we must face. There will always be those that try to tear us down, but you must learn to shut their jeers out, To surpass them, pierce through them."

At that, Valt stared up from the ground, his hazel eyes carrying a wavering contemplation. Valkyrie had made a good few points, he had gotten back up before, but Lui was still Lui. The same Lui that tried to crush him, crush Valkyrie. But then he thought of his partner. How much she had gotten him through, how she supported him; who would he believe? Her or Lui?

Clenching his gloved fist and steadying his gaze on his partner, Valt's hazel eyes closed as he exhaled.

"Okay," he said with a nod, "I'll try,"