Yu-Jyo A Yu-Gi-Oh!Episode Guide

Focusing on the differences between the American and Japanese episodes

Episode 155: The Challenge (Target the Nameless Pharaoh)

Kaiba, Joey, and Yami hold up their glowing dragon cards. Kaiba insists his mind must be playing tricks on him, but Joey says his card is doing the same thing. Yami says it feels as though the dragons are calling out to them. (Japanese Kaiba says it's impossible! Jounouchi says he can feel a strong flow of power coming from the cards, and Yami says the three cards are responding to each other.)

The glow fades and disappears, and Yami says he was told that fate had chosen three modern-day warriors to release these legendary beasts. (Japanese Yami says it's their destiny to defeat Doma, since they have the three cards.) Kaiba tells Yugi to get real—he's the one who decides his fate! Yami asks him to be reasonable for once. They have to do this as a team. But Kaiba says he doesn't do the teamwork thing. He's got a multi-million dollar company to run. Kaiba walks away, with Mokuba trailing after.

Joey says they don't need Kaiba weighing them down. With Hermos, those hoodlums won't stand a chance. Tristan's glad to see Joey back to his old self. Meanwhile, Rex and Weevil are searching the room for more Duel Monsters cards. Tristan wonders what they're up to, and Weevil pretends to be looking for his glasses.

Téa wonders what they should do next, and Joey thinks they should find Dartz and his goon squad and rescue Mai. Tristan points out that the goon squad split without leaving an address, so that's not going to work. Duke suggests that they chill out at his place and play a little Dungeon Dice Monsters. Then Yami remembers that Professor Hawkins lives around there. He might have some information that could help them. But how are they going to get there?

They see Kaiba's jet lifting off and run to the window to try to flag him down for a lift. But the jet flies off without them. Duke says no problem—they can take his car. The five of them will fit. Weevil asks what about him and Rex? Tristan wants to know what they're doing there anyway, but they just laugh nervously. They end up riding in the open trunk with the luggage. (Cut from the US version is this conversation between Haga and Ryuuzaki. First Ryuuzaki complains that even after following Yugi this far, they've gotten nothing. Haga says show time's about to start—Professor Hopkins is a crazy card collector who must have lots of rare cards. Then Haga mentions that Mai has really gotten stronger.)

Téa's in the front seat with the map. (Cut from the US version is this close-up of the map, which is a map of Arkansas and Missouri. Heh. They really drove a long way from San Francisco! Or else they're really, really lost.)

Tristan offers unhelpful suggestions from the back seat. (In the Japanese, he suggests they take a certain shortcut. Anzu asks him why he wants to go to Alaska!)

Joey's thinking they've got to get Mai back. He remembers her telling him that the Mai he knew is gone. He still can't believe she'd join some evil plot to destroy civilization. (Japanese Jounouchi thinks that they all want to become True Duelists, but it shouldn't be this way.)

Spirit Yugi tells Yami that based on what Pegasus said, Dartz controls a force that's ten thousand years old—even older than Yami. Yami says the Orichalcos appears to be more powerful than any magic they've ever experienced. Yugi says it seems to be connected to Professor Hawkins' theory. He hopes he can tell them what to do. (Japanese spirit Yugi tells Yami he must calm down. Yami says he knows, but Mai's been bought out by their enemies, and Pegasus' soul was taken away, too. He's lost too many things. Yugi agrees that's so, and adds that they failed to get Kaiba's help. It will be a hard task.)

Meanwhile, atop a mesa near the Industrial Illusions building, Mai is yelling at Valon for interrupting her duel just as she was about to win. Rafael tells her Valon saved her soul—and this is how she repays him? Valon appears to be down for the count. Mai says, who asked to be saved? Maybe next time he'll butt out. (Japanese Rafael says Valon is in this condition because of what he did for her. She says it doesn't matter to her—it's because he stopped her duel.) Rafael stands up, looking grim and telling Mai she has no idea the danger she was in. He reminds her of the Hermos card, telling her it's an ancient dragon that can only be controlled by a chosen one. Mai says Joey was chosen to have that scrawny butt of his kicked by a real duelist, and drives off in a huff on Valon's motorcycle, saying Joey won't escape her this time.

Valon struggles to his feet, saying he can't let Mai get hurt. (Japanese Valon says he'll make up for Mai—he'll defeat Jounouchi.) Rafael tells him to forget her and focus on the Pharaoh. Once they get him out of the way, the others will fall right into their hands. Rafael says his plan is already in place.

Meanwhile, in a home below a hillside dotted with wind turbines (could be near Altamont Pass, which is a couple hours west of San Francisco), Professor Hawkins sits at his desk studying the photos from the Atlantean ruins. One image appears over and over, he says, but what is it? (Japanese Professor Hopkins says, "Doma.")

Outside in the hills, Rebecca is riding her horse, Copernicus (Billy), when a helicopter flies overhead. It lands in front of their house, and she's shocked when men in black jump out and kidnap her grandfather. She tries to ride to his rescue, but arrives too late. Then, as she turns her horse to follow the helicopter, the house explodes, knocking her and her horse to the ground. A Duel Monsters card flutters to the ground beside her, and she picks it up, shouting for her grandpa.

Later that night, Duke's car pulls up to the ruins of the Hawkins house, and the gang look around in horror at the damage, calling out for Professor Hawkins. Rebecca shows up, says that her grandfather was taken, then flings herself onto Yugi crying. He promises that they'll find him. (Japanese Yugi asks what happened. This shot of startled Anzu and Honda is cut from the US version.)

They gather in the Professor's motor home. (This shot of the gang is cut from the US version.)

As she makes tea, Téa wonders who would kidnap the Professor. Joey thinks it had to be Dartz. (Japanese Jounouchi says it was Doma. Honda wonders why they would kidnap the Professor, and Otogi says it must have something to do with the ruins he found.) Yugi has an idea, and asks Rebecca if she still has the stone he gave to her grandpa. She's wearing it on a chain around her neck, and she gives it to Yugi. Tristan says maybe that's what Dartz is after. Duke thinks they ought to find this Dartz guy, break in, and rescue Hawkins, and Rebecca wants to know how they'll find him. Yugi points out that the Professor doesn't have what Dartz' people want, so they'll probably come back. (Japanese Otogi says they should call the police. Rebecca says no, it will put her Grandpa in danger. Yugi says they have to be careful and observe their enemies first.)

Tristan says if they're going to wait, he wants something to eat. Joey says he'll whip something up, but Téa's not eating anything he cooks. (Japanese Jounouchi doesn't say anything. Anzu asks Rebecca if she can use their kitchen. Otogi says he'll help, and Jounouchi asks him if he can cook. Their conversation goes on in the background, while Yugi reassures Rebecca that her grandfather will be okay.)

Duke and Téa get to work cooking dinner, while Tristan sets the table and Joey raids the refrigerator, coming up with a mouthful of sausages. Tristan kicks him in the head, telling him to eat that! Then he wonders where Rex and Weevil went. (Japanese Jounouchi adds that Yugi and Rebecca aren't there, either.)

Rex and Weevil are searching through the ruins of Professor Hawkins' house, looking for rare cards. Rex thinks he's found something, but it's just a deck of playing cards. Weevil urges him to keep looking, but Rex says the old guy doesn't have any rare cards. He's a professor, not a duelist. They complain about how hungry they are. (Japanese Ryuuzaki says there aren't any cards there, and if there were, they've burned up. Ryuuzaki sits back, saying he wants some takoyaki [fried octopus], and Haga wants sushi.) Then they hear something, and look over the ruins to see Yugi and Rebecca, who've gone outside to talk.

Rebecca's scared, but Yugi says they'll find her grandpa. (Japanese Rebecca asks Yugi to save her grandpa, and he reassures her that he will.) Then she shows him the card she found. It came with a note to Yugi from Rafael, telling him to come to Death Valley if he wants to see his friend again. (The Japanese note doesn't mention Professor Hopkins. Rafael tells Yugi to come alone.) Yugi asks how far away Death Valley is, and Rebecca says it's about an hour by car. But Yugi says he has to go alone. He's put Rebecca and her family in enough danger already. She says it's not his fault, but he says he's the one they want, and she'll be safer there. He asks her not to tell the others where he's going. He doesn't want them to follow him. Interesting, says Weevil.

Meanwhile, Professor Hawkins awakes on the floor of a shed. Rafael, standing in the doorway, tells him he must forget everything he's discovered. The Professor protests that those ruins are part of history. (Japanese Rafael introduces himself as Rafael of Doma's Three Swordsmen. Professor Hopkins says, "Doma?") Rafael steps inside the shed, and the Professor sees the Orichalcos stone around his neck. He asks Rafael where he got it. Rafael tells him he's too curious for his own good, and warns him again to forget his research. Then he tells the Professor that they've already burned down his laboratory and destroyed everything he found, so he's no longer a threat. (Japanese Professor Hopkins asks if there's some relationship between Doma and the ruins under the sea. And is it also related to Yugi—that is, the Nameless Pharaoh. Rafael tells him to stop wondering. He's burned the professor's laboratory to the ground to stop him from finding out any more. Professor Hopkins says they can't stop people from studying the ruins, as long as they remain in the world. Rafael says it's impossible, but won't explain why. Then he tells the Professor to stop worrying, he's free.)

In the temple, Dartz tells the leviathan that his time draws near. Soon they'll finish what they began so long ago. (Japanese Dartz recites something in another language.) A small ship tosses on the stormy seas. Soon, it's sunk by a crashing wave. Dartz laughs. (Japanese Dartz just smiles.)

The gang sleep curled up in the motor home. Yugi gets up, thinking he knows what he has to do. It's time to face those creeps. Rebecca wakes up and turns to him, but he tells her not to worry. He'll be back. Yugi goes outside where Copernicus waits, saddled up. As Yugi gets into the saddle, he switches with Yami, who sits up on the horse and rides away.

Joey, who's been sleeping sitting in the floor, falls over on his side and wakes up. He gets up and looks around, noticing that Yugi's not there. Rebecca says she promised she wouldn't tell, as Joey asks how she could let him leave like that! Pretty soon the whole gang's up. Téa tells Joey to take it easy on Rebecca, saying he would have done the same thing, but Tristan says he'd have talked Yugi out of it. (Japanese Honda says they should have called the police.) Joey can't stand it. He runs off after Yugi, with Tristan following him, telling him to slow down. But Joey stops outside the trailer—Professor Hawkins is making his way towards them, leaning heavily on a walking stick. Joey runs to catch him as he falls. Rebecca runs to her grandfather, who asks her, where's Yugi?

Still riding horseback toward Death Valley, spirit Yugi tells Yami that as long as they have Timaeus, they'll be fine. But Yami points out that Rafael has the Seal of Orichalcos. Yugi says they have a belief in the Heart of the Cards. (Japanese Yugi says Rafael is wrong on one point. Yami says, "So you figured it out, too?" Yugi says, no matter what, Yami will never be alone.)

Back at the motor home, Rebecca has put her grandpa to bed. Outside, Joey tells Téa to hold down the fort while he, Duke, and Tristan go after Yugi. Tristan warns her to watch out for Rex and Weevil—he doesn't trust those guys.

Meanwhile, Rex and Weevil are riding a beat-up tandem bicycle they found in the ruins of the Professor's house towards Yami and Rafael's showdown, determined to find out how they made Mai into such a strong duelist. They see Yami pass by on a ridge overhead, and start pedaling for all their worth.

Rebecca sits at her grandpa's bedside, with the Ties of Friendship card in her hands, urging Yugi to be careful.

In the car, Joey tells Yugi to hang in there. They're on their way.

Rafael waits on the far side of a suspension bridge across a chasm. He holds his deck, thinking he's ready for the Pharaoh. Wings appear behind him.

Yami rides to meet him.

To Be Continued

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