When Spike finds a strange capsule machine in the forest and releases a strange spirit from it, his life will never be the same.
Spike's life was rough to begin with. He lives with a single mother, and neither of them know what happened to his father. One day during a walk in the forest, Spike comes across a strange capsule machine in front of a giant tree. He hears a voice telling him to put a coin in the machine, and against his better judgement, he does. He releases a strange spirit known as a Yo-kai named Whisper. He is given a watch called the Yo-kai Watch, which lets him see the mysterious spirits known as Yo-Kai. He soon finds out he's not the only one with a Yo-kai Watch, and that there's a secret organization called Y.U.C.S, also known as the Yo-kai Undercover Combat Squad. They work together to stop Yo-Kai from causing too much chaos. But little do they know that in the Yo-Kai world, an evil Yo-Kai is plotting against them. Along with stopping this evil Yo-Kai, Spike is also on a mission to find his missing father.
Spike was writing in his journal at home, "It's the 9th anniversary of the day my dad disappeared. Mom never talks about what he was like. I'm not completely surprised. Thinking of dad must bring up sad memories of the day he went missing. To be honest, I'm not completely sure my dad is even still alive. All I have to remember him by is a family picture from when I was a baby."
Spike's mother called him down, "Spike! Your friends are here!"
Spike called back down, "Ok mom, I'll be down in a minute." before finishing his journal entry and heading downstairs where Ember, Thorax, and Starlight Glimmer were sitting in the living room waiting for him. He walked over to them and asked, "Hey guys, you ready to go out?"
Ember smiled and nodded, "Yeah, let's go. summer vacation doesn't last forever, we should have as much fun as we can."
As the four of them walked around town, Spike asks, "Did you guys really have to ask me to come out today? You know I never really like doing anything on the anniversary of the day my dad vanished..."
Starlight Glimmer sighed, "Yes, we know, but you can't keep living in the past."
Spike rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever. Listen, I'm just going to go be alone. It's nothing personal, I just need to be alone."
His friends sighed, and Ember said, "Ok, I guess there's no convincing you, so we'll see you tomorrow then."
Spike walked towards the old forest shrine. His mom said that his dad always went there to pray and meditate. He had been doing the same lately. When he arrived at the shrine, an old man said to him, "Spike, it's good to see you. Here to pray for your father?"
Spike smiled, "It's good to see you too Mr. Oikawa. Yeah, just like always." he took his shoes off as he walked up to the alter. He closed his eyes and prayed, "Great Goddesses of Sun and Moon, Celestia and Luna. All I ask of you is to keep my father safe if he's still out there." before opening his eyes and putting his shoes back on.
As Spike walked through the forest, he heard a feminine voice saying, "Child, follow my voice."
Spike recognized the voice, it was very similar to the voice of the Goddess of Moon Luna, or at least the voice he was taught she spoke in. He wasn't one to believe in fate, but if the voice really was Luna, maybe she was answering his prayer. He followed her voice until he went deep into the forest, and found a strange machine in front of a massive tree. "A capsule machine? Why is this here?"
The voice said, "Place a coin in the machine. What's inside the machine can help you fulfil your deepest desire."
Spike's eyes widened when he heard that he could fulfil his deepest desire by placing a coin in the machine. His deepest desire was finding his dad. If putting a coin in would really help, he'd do it. He dropped a coin in the machine and turned the crank to release a capsule. "This is really weird... Maybe this is all some freaky dream..." Spike pinched himself until he was sure this wasn't a dream, and then opened the capsule.
When the capsule opened up, a cloud of smoke came out of it and as it cleared, a white ghost-like creature came out, "Free at last! Thank you so much for freeing me from that capsule! You have NO IDEA how cramped it is in there! But that's beside the point. You freed me, I shall be your butler! My name is Whisper, Yo-kai Butler at your service!"
Spike had fallen back from the smoke and his eyes widened as the Yo-kai who introduced himself as Whisper appeared, "Yo-kai!? You mean... they're real!?" He'd heard of Yo-kai before, but never thought they were real. He stood up and asked Whisper, "So, if you're my butler... are you going to be of any help finding my father? The voice that led me here told I could fulfil my deepest desire by putting a coin in the machine."
Whisper smiled, "Well, I can help you with anything, but I'm not a fighter. Here, take this coin. If you put it in the Crank-a-kai machine, it's 100% guaranteed to let out a Yo-kai friend!"
Spike's head was spinning, but he didn't really care. He'd do anything he needed to do to find his father. He put the coin in the so-called Crank-a-kai machine and opened the second capsule to reveal a dragon-like Yo-kai. "So what's this Yo-kai Whisper?"
Whisper looked at a tablet like device and said, "That's Draggie, a Dragon Yo-kai who makes people who he's inspirited show their true potential."
Spike smiled and rubbed Draggie's head, "It's nice to meet you Draggie, I'm Spike."
The dragon yawned lightly, "Nice to meet you too. I've been so cramped in there, I couldn't get a good night's sleep."
Spike chuckled, "I suppose being forced in such a small place could be uncomfortable."
Whisper nodded, "It really is. Oh! Before I forget, you'll need this!" he summoned a strange watch onto Spike's wrist, "That's a Yo-kai Watch, it lets you see other Yo-kai. Spike, I don't know where your father is, but if you befriend enough Yo-kai, I'm sure we can find him!"
Spike smiled, "Thanks Whisper, you're a good friend. My friends who aren't Yo-kai keep telling me I'm stuck in the past, but none of them understand how hard it is to grow up without a father." As the sun started to set, he started panicking, "Oh shit! If I'm not home before dinner, my mom's gonna kill me!" before running back towards his house, being followed by Whisper and Draggie. Before he opened the door, he asked Whisper, "Are you sure I'm the only one who can see you?"
Whisper nodded, "Well, technically anyone with a Yo-kai Watch, or anyone who's really a Yo-kai in disguise can see us, but other than that, you're the only one who can see us."
Spike smiled, "Good, my mom won't let me have a pet." before walking inside and saying, "Mom, I'm home!"
Spike's mother looked up from the kitchen table, "Good, I just finished making dinner." She set a plate with a rib-eye steak, garlic roasted potatoes, and green beans on the table for Spike.
After Spike finished his dinner, he headed up to his room to go to sleep. He muttered to himself as he laid on his bed, "I don't know how these Yo-kai are supposed to help me, but if Celestia and Luna really answered my prayer, I don't have much choice."
Meanwhile...
A girl who was two grades senior to Spike walked through the forest to the Crank-a-kai Machine. She whistled sharply, and a humanoid Yo-kai with dark blue hair in a ponytail, purple gi, and two living dragon-like scarves appeared and asked, "Yes Twilight?"
Twilight looked at her Yo-kai Partner, "Venoct, has anyone been here recently?"
Venoct moved his hair to expose his right eye, which in contrast to the amber eye that always shows, was blood red and had a scar over it. He looked at the Crank-a-kai Machine and said, "Yes, that boy with green hair from school was here not too long ago."
Twilight seemed shocked when her Yo-kai partner told her who had been here earlier, "Spike? Why would he be here? No... could the Goddesses of Sun and Moon chosen him as well? Strange... well, let's go home. He's probably asleep by now. We'll see if we can talk to him tomorrow."
And now, Spike finds himself into a whole new world with the power of his Yo-kai Watch. The voice who led him to the Crank-a-jai Machine told him that with the power of the Yo-kai Watch, he could find his father. But there are more mysterious things happening because of Yo-kai. It seems that Twilight Sparkle, Spike's senior by two grades, knows more about the world of Yo-kai than Spike does. And so, Spike's quest to find his father begins...
After having met Whisper and Draggie, Spike was a little on edge, not knowing that other people had been introduced to the Yo-Kai, he thought he was the only one who could see them. He didn't want to look like he was crazy by talking to them in front of people who couldn't see them. Spike got out of his bed and asked Whisper, "Hey Whisper, do you know how I can befriend more Yo-Kai? I have a feeling that one Yo-Kai alone won't be much help in finding my father."
Whisper shook himself awake as he slept floating, "Ah, yes, well, there's multiple ways to befriend Yo-Kai. Sometimes a Yo-Kai will attack you upon being discovered, but if you defeat them, they may respect you and become your friend. And then there's the Crank-a-Kai of course, but you're not always guaranteed to get a Yo-Kai, sometimes you'll get items from the capsules. Finally, helping a Yo-Kai out with a problem might earn you their friendship."
Spike nodded, "Well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens." he walked downstairs and ate his breakfast before heading outside. "Hey, I just remembered, there's been weird things happening down at the farmer's market recently. People keep walking into traffic and nearly get hit, then the car suddenly stops. Could that be a Yo-Kai?"
Whisper thought for a moment, before nodding and saying, "Well, unless these people are thrill seekers, I'd say that it most likely is a Yo-Kai. Why don't we check it out?"
Spike nodded and the two of them headed to the farmer's market, where a man started crossing the street while the crosswalk light was still red, before the truck suddenly stopped. "See what I mean? It happens every day!"
Whisper nodded, "It's strange indeed that all these people are almost getting hit by cars." he heard a warbling sound and said, "Oh! Your Yo-Kai Watch is picking up a Yo-Kai! That means this is indeed the work of a Yo-Kai! Here, click this little button, and look through the Yo-Kai lens!"
Spike wasn't sure what Whisper meant, but did as he instructed, and when the lens of the watch popped up, he looked through it to see if there was a Yo-Kai. As he did, he was shocked to see the Yo-Kai that seemed to be causing the trouble. "Whisper, what Yo-Kai is that?"
Whisper looked at his tablet and after a while replied, "It seems that the Yo-Kai is known as Jibanyan, he's a location bound spirit who fights trucks. For what reason, I'm not sure."
Spike raised an eyebrow, "He fights trucks? Daredevil much? Still, we can't let him risk people getting hurt"
Whisper thought for a moment before saying, "Well, we have two options, negotiation or confrontation."
Spike sighed, "So basically talk or fight. Let's talk first, I'd like to not resort to violence unless we need to." He walked over to the Yo-Kai, and since people were so focused on getting onions, nobody noticed that he appeared to be talking to nothing. "Hey, Jibanyan, right? I'm Spike."
The feline Yo-Kai yawned before seeing Spike, "Oh, nyice to meet you Spike... Wait... You can see me!? Nyo, nyo, nyo, nyo, nyo! I'm nyot ready!"
Spike raised an eyebrow, "Ready for what?"
Jibanyan sighed, "I used to have an owner, her name was Amy, and she used to take me here every day. But then I got hit by a truck... and the only thing I remember before becoming a Yo-Kai was Amy calling me lame for getting run over..."
Whisper was shocked, "What a horrible person!"
Jibanyan pout, "Nyo, she's nyot a bad person! I'm sure she had a good reason for saying that! I stay here every day hoping Amy will come back and I can talk to her, but she's never come since the day I became a Yo-Kai..."
Spike felt sorry for Jibanyan and said, "If you don't have any friends, I'd like to be your friend. I think that you're really cool for staying so loyal to Amy. I'm sure you're right, if I had a cat that got run over, I'd never call him lame. I'd be in tears actually. I also think it's cool you're attacking trucks to impress a girl. There's no way I could ever do something like that, I'm not brave enough."
Jibanyan teared up and purred, wiping his tears, "For the record, these tears aren't of sorrow, I'm just so happy I finally have a nyew friend!"
Suddenly, as Jibanyan jumped in the air, a small medal appeared and fell into Spike's hands. Spike looked at it, and noticed there was a small picture of Jibanyan, "What's this?"
Whisper explained, "That's a Yo-Kai Medal! It's a symbol of your friendship with Jibanyan!"
Spike smiled and petted Jibanyan before saying, "Hey, I'll visit you if you'd like me to. My mom and I come here on a regular basis, we do a lot of shopping here."
Jibanyan purred again and said, "That'd be nyice of you Spike. I'm glad I met you. I have a feeling we'll be great friends."
As Spike talked with his new Yo-Kai friend, Twilight Sparkle was watching them from afar. As Venoct appeared, he said to his human partner, "He's certainly talented, it took you three days after releasing me to befriend another Yo-Kai. Do you think he's the one we're looking for?"
Twilight scratched her chin, closing her eyes saying, "It's possible, but he's still new to the world of Yo-Kai. But like you said, I'm impressed he befriended another Yo-Kai on his first day. Although... I have a feeling there's more to him than meets the eye."
Venoct nodded, "As do I, something about him feels... familiar. We should monitor his progress though. I'm sure that in time, he'll be a good candidate for the team."
Twilight nodded, "Yes, that's true. Well, let's get back to see the others." before walking away from the farmer's market with Venoct following her.
Spike was walking through town with Whisper at his side. He was looking to see if he could find any other Yo-Kai that would like to be his friend, but wasn't having any luck. "Looks like there's no Yo-Kai in this area. Let's look somewhere else."
As Spike and Whisper walked towards downtown Canterlot, a black van drove up to them. Two guys in all black jumped out and put a burlap sack over Spike's head, one of them saying, "Don't forget the Yo-Kai!" as the other shoved Whisper into another burlap sack. They got back into the van with Spike and Whisper and one of them said, "Drive, drive!" and the van sped off.
As Spike tired to resist his kidnappers, he said, "Whisper! What the fuck is going on!?"
Whisper, who tried to respond muttered, "Other than the fact that we're being kidnapped, I have no idea!"
Spike realized something, "Wait... they got you... that means they must have Yo-Kai Watches! Hey you thugs, what the hell is going on!?"
One of the kidnappers took the burlap sack off Spike's head and said, "The boss will explain this later, so for now just keep quiet. We're not here to hurt you or demand money from your family."
Spike rolled his eyes, "Fine, but tell me this. You saw Whisper right? Does that mean you also have Yo-Kai Watches?"
The kidnapper nodded, showing him his Yo-Kai Watch. When the van stopped he said, "We're here, come on." before grabbing Whisper's bag and opening the back of the van to get out with Spike. As they walked out, they saw a strange mansion. The kidnapper said, "This is Y.U.C.S headquarters. You're our new recruit."
Spike's eyes widened, "You mean you kidnapped me just to have me join some stupid club!?"
The kidnapper nodded, "It happened to all of us when we learned about Y.U.C.S. The boss seems to think you're something special, and she wants to oversee your initiation personally." As they walked into the mansion, he said, "Boss, we're back with Spike."
Twilight turned around in the spinning chair she was sitting in behind a desk, "Good to see you Spike. Sorry about the kidnapping, it's just not safe for us to discuss business outside safe areas. Don't want any eavesdropping revealing our organization."
As the kidnapper untied Spike's hands and let Whisper out of the burlap sack, Spike's eyes widened, "Twilight!? You have a Yo-Kai Watch!?"
Twilight explained, "Yes, and I'm the leader of the Yo-Kai Undercover Combat Squad, AKA Y.U.C.S. We use our Yo-Kai friends to stop bad Yo-Kai from causing chaos. We know very little about why these Yo-Kai are causing so much trouble, but with each new member we recruit, we inch closer to the truth."
Spike sighed, "And you want me to join this organization of yours. Well, I have a feeling it'll help me find my father. You know me well enough to know that my father disappeared nine years ago."
Twilight nodded, "Yes. I suppose that these Yo-Kai may have something to do with your father's disappearance. Do you accept my offer?"
Spike nodded, "Of course, I'll do whatever I need to do in order to find out what happened to my dad. Consider me part of the team."
Twilight smiled, "Welcome to the team Spike. It's good to have you here. Now, if anyone asks about the kidnapping, just say it was hazing for a junior detective club. That's what we pass ourselves off as, so people don't know what we're really doing."
Whisper shouted out, "You expect us to help you out after being kidnapped!? What kind of-"
Spike growled lightly, "That's enough Whisper. I'm helping them. Remember, I'm trying to find my father. If helping them helps me find my father, I'll do it."
Whisper sighed, "Well, I suppose I can't argue with you."
Spike sat down in front of Twilight's desk and the kidnappers took off their ski masks, revealing themselves as Astral Shadow, the captain of the high school football team and Chocolate Harmony, the lead cheerleader. Astral said to Spike, "Again, sorry about the whole kidnapping thing."
Spike was surprised that Astral Shadow and Chocolate Harmony were the ones that kidnapped him, but he smiled lightly and said, "No worries, it's not a problem. Although I have a feeling I'll be talking to cops when I get home."
Astral Shadow grinned nervously, "Well.... yeah. We'll go home with you to explain the situation to your mother and the police."
Spike smiled, then turned to Twilight, "So what's first?"
Twilight looked at some papers, "Let me find an assignment for you. Wait, how many Yo-Kai Medals do you have?"
Spike pulled out the medals for Draggie and Jibanyan, "These are the only two medals I have."
Twilight sighed, "Well, that's unfortunate. We only allow members with six or more Yo-Kai Medals to go on actual assignments... Chocolate Harmony, do we still have any of those Crank-a-Kai coins?"
The light skinned girl with chocolate brown hair nodded, "Yes, we just got a new shipment this morning. I'll go get Spike some." before heading off.
Twilight smiled, "Well, your first assignment is to use the coins that Chocolate Harmony is getting to get four more Yo-Kai from the Crank-a-Kai. After that, head home. It'll be dark by the time you leave the forest. Chocolate Harmony and Astral Shadow will be waiting for you at home to talk to your mother about the kidnapping."
As Chocolate Harmony came back, she handed four coins to Spike and told him, "These coins are guaranteed to give you a Yo-Kai from the Crank-a-Kai. Me and Astral Shadow will meet you at your house when you're done."
Spike headed back to the forest and arrived at the tree he'd first met Whisper and Draggie at. He put the first coin in and turned the Crank-a-Kai's turner before letting another capsule coming out. He opened it and was met with a strange looking Yo-Kai. Before bothering to ask what Yo-Kai it was, he put in the next coin and released another Yo-Kai. The third coin released a tough looking Yo-Kai. The fourth and final coin released a Yo-Kai that looked like an elephant with a cork in its trunk. When all four were released from the capsules, Spike asked, "Whisper, can you tell me about our new friends?"
Whisper nodded, taking out his tablet and said, "The first one you released is known as Ponsibell, he's a hard working Yo-Kai who insists on doing things for others. People who are inspirited by him take on responsibilities of others, even if they know they can't handle them. Next, there's Pumppy, he causes children to rake in the candy on Halloween, but then he goes along and eats all the candy that the children have gathered." He seemed startled of the third one before saying, "The third one is... Gargaros. He's known to punish bad children, so be careful around him. The final one is Enduriphant. When somebody is inspirited by him, they can endure just about anything."
Spike smiled and thanked Whisper, "Hey everyone, I'm Spike. I'm sure we'll be great friends." After the Yo-Kai introduced themselves to Spike, he headed home and found Astral Shadow and Chocolate Harmony in a police car. He ran inside and said, "Mom! What are Astral Shadow and Chocolate Harmony being arrested for!?"
His mom scowled, "They confessed to kidnapping you!"
Spike sighed, "Mom, it was just hazing, they didn't hurt me, they were just initiating me into a club."
The officer looked at his notepad and said, "Actually, I've heard this story before. The Canterlot Junior Crime Fighters club stages kidnappings as an initiation. Although, it's up to your mother whether or not to press charges against them for the kidnapping."
Spike growled back, interrupting his mother, "If you're pressing charges, I'm not testifying against them, they're my friends!"
His mother sighed, "Fine, let them go. Spike's fine, and I think they've learned their lesson."
The officer went back out and let Astral Shadow and Chocolate Harmony out of his car and undoing the handcuffs. "You're free to go, but I really wish you kids could find a better way of initiating your new members. This is the tenth call this week about you kids."
Astral Shadow nodded, "Yes officer, we'll see if our boss will be willing to think of a better initiation."
As Spike and his mother came out, Chocolate Harmony gave a polite bow and said, "We're terribly sorry for worrying you Ms. Drake."
Spike's mother sighed, but smiled, "I accept your apology, but promise me you'll keep Spike safe while he's in this little detective club of yours."
Astral Shadow nodded saying, "Of course we will. Spike, Twilight will be expecting you at HQ tomorrow morning."
Spike nodded back, "I'll be there. See you guys tomorrow then." After the officer, Astral Shadow, and Chocolate Harmony had left, Spike and his mother went back inside and had dinner. Spike said, "I'm going to bed mom, and I'm sorry I didn't call you to tell you I was ok." before going to bed
After Spike had finished his breakfast, he waved goodbye to his mom and said, "Bye mom, I going over to see Twilight and the rest of the club!"
His mom yelled out to him, "Just be home by dinner!"
"I will mom, see ya!" before walking outside and getting his bike. As he was about to pedal off, he noticed Ember, Thorax, and Starlight coming up to his house.
Ember asked him, "Hey, where are you going? I thought we were going to go down to the museum?"
Spike gulped, he'd completely forgotten about the plans he had with his friends about the museum, but he couldn't just keep Twilight waiting. He explained, "Well, I sort of joined a Junior Detective Club, and I'm heading off to my first meeting."
Thorax's eyes glimmered when he heard Spike mention the word detective. "Cool! Do you think we could come?"
Whisper panicked saying, "How are we supposed to say no to that!? We can't just tell him the truth!"
Spike mentally facepalmed, Thorax was a huge crime and history buff. He told them, "Well... it's an exclusive club, and I was actually kind of forced to join it. They hazed me by kidnapping me and bringing me to the clubhouse."
His friends' eyes widened and Starlight asked, "Did you say they kidnapped you? Why would you join a club if they kidnapped you to initiate you!?"
Ember rolled her eyes, "Isn't it obvious Starlight? Spike thinks this detective club might help him find his father. Seriously Spike, you need to-"
Spike snapped angrily, "Shut up! Don't tell me to let go of the past! I've lived my entire life without my father around!" before pedaling off.
Whisper yelled after him, "Spike! Wait up!" before hovering off after him, trying to keep up with him.
Ember was shocked when Spike yelled at her, and Starlight told her, "He has a point you know, how would you feel if your father was never around while you were growing up?"
Thorax nodded, "Yeah, we haven't really been very sensitive when it comes to Spike and his father."
Ember sighed, "You're right, we haven't, because we all grew up with our fathers at home. Let's give him some time."
As they were riding towards the HQ, Whisper asked Spike, "Spike, don't you think you shouldn't be yelling at people who are your friends?"
As Spike rode his bike up to the Y.U.C.S HQ, he said to Whisper, "Maybe I was too harsh on Ember... but she just doesn't get how hard it's been for me and mom without dad at home."
Whisper sighed, "I suppose that's true, but she is just looking out for you. I admire your dedication to finding your father, but if you're not careful, it'll become an obsession, and when you obsess over things, you can get hurt when you discover the truth."
Spike never thought of it like that. Maybe his dad wasn't out there somewhere, maybe he was dead. He said nothing and continued pedaling to the HQ. After locking his bike up, he walked into the HQ and said, "Twilight? You here?"
Twilight hurried down the stairs from the second floor and told him, "Sorry, just had to break up a fight between some rivalling agents." She noticed Spike looked a bit bothered, and asked, "Is everything ok?"
Spike sighed, "Yeah, I just had a bit of a fight with my friends. They keep telling me that I'm living in the past and to get over my father. I know they mean well, but they don't know what it's like to grow up without a father. Also Thorax wanted to join the club after I told him it was a Junior Detective Club."
Twilight sighed, "Well, that's certainly a problem. However... Give me some time to think about it. I'll let you know if I think we can let them join. Our operations do lead us to solving actual crimes fairly often, so even if your friends don't have Yo-Kai Watches, we might be able to let them join."
Spike nodded, "Right. So what's my first mission?"
Chocolate Harmony walked downstairs, followed by Astral Shadow and said, "That's where we come in. Twilight's very busy, since she runs the Y.U.C.S. Astral Shadow and I lead our own squads, and part of your first mission is deciding whose squad you want to join. Don't be nervous, just know that I know how to have fun while on the job, whereas Astral Shadow is so uptight he killed the bug up his ass."
Astral growled lightly, "I am not uptight! I'm only strict because of Coach Iron Will's training regiment! I believe in being dedicated to the job, that's all."
Spike chuckled, "Well, no offense to you Astral, but I'll go with Chocolate Harmony."
Astral looked a bit disappointed, but smiled anyway, "None taken, as much as I hate to admit it, Chocolate Harmony is a much better fighter than me, she's beaten me in sparring matches fairly often."
Chocolate Harmony giggled, "Guilty as charged. But it's good to have you on my team Spike, follow me." before walking out of the HQ, "So, Twilight told me you solved that mystery with the people walking into traffic at the farmer's market."
Spike nodded, "Yeah, I found a Yo-Kai called Jibanyan, and he was causing people to go into traffic so he could fight trucks. I feel bad for him though, his owner called him lame after he got hit by a truck, but he still stays at that market hoping he'll see her again."
Chocolate Harmony wiped a tear from her eye, "That's so adorable, he stays loyal to his owner after all the time since his death."
Spike smiled, "Yeah, I admire his loyalty. So what's my first mission anyway?"
"Oh, right! Well, Twilight wanted me to teach you the basics of the Yo-Kai Watch, although that know it all butler of yours has probably told you a lot."
Whisper looked insulted, "I am not a know it all!"
Spike chuckled, "He's right, he can't identify a Yo-Kai without having to look at his Yo-Kai Pad."
"Th-That's not true! I'm an expert in Yo-Kai!" Whisper yelled
Chocolate Harmony giggled, "Ok, that's enough. Let's take you to Shoten Temple." before walking towards Blossom Heights, one of the neighborhoods in Canterlot.
As Spike followed her, he asked, "What's so special about Shoten Temple?"
"We'll get to that when we get there. It's best that you meet the monk there first. Actually, why don't we look for some Yo-Kai? I'll let you know if you find one that will be useful when we reach the temple." She thought for a moment and sighed, "Then again, your Yo-Kai Watch is at E Rank, and we can't upgrade it right now, so maybe going to the Crank-a-Kai would be the best idea..."
Spike raised an eyebrow in confusion, "E Rank? What does that mean?
Before Chocolate Harmony could explain, Whisper interrupted, "Allow me! Every Yo-Kai has a rank, those ranks are E, D, C, B, A, and S. The higher the rank, the stronger the Yo-Kai. However, your Yo-Kai Watch can only detect E Rank Yo-Kai right now, but Chocolate Harmony is right, the Crank-a-Kai may give you Yo-Kai of a higher rank than your watch can detect, such as Gargaros."
Chocolate Harmony sighed, "Yeah, that's it in a nut- Wait... Did you say you got Gargaros from the Crank-a-Kai!?"
Spike nodded, "What's so special about Gargaros?"
Chocolate Harmony smirked and glared at Whisper before he could say anything, shutting him up, "Well, I'd tell you, but that would spoil the fun."
Spike gulped and said, "Well, should we head to the Crank-a-Kai, or look for Yo-Kai?"
Chocolate Harmony thought for a moment, "Well, the Crank-a-Kai is all about luck, it doesn't take skill to win on a slot machine, so we'll look for Yo-Kai. Oh, one more thing, here." before pulling a book out of her bag and handing it to Spike, "This is a Medallium, it stores all the Yo-Kai Medals you've collected. I'd keep it with you at all times in case you need to summon a Yo-Kai. Just be aware, Yo-Kai live very normal lives, so don't be surprised if you have problems summoning Yo-Kai who are busy."
Spike nodded, "Got it, thanks. So where should we look for Yo-Kai?"
Spike followed Chocolate Harmony to a back alley, a bit nervous, he asked, "Is this where we're looking for Yo-kai?"
Chocolate Harmony nodded, "Yo-kai tend to like places like this, you'll always find a couple of Yo-kai in areas like this. Do be careful though, Yo-kai aren't the only thing you'll find in a back alley, so keep this for protection from any thugs that aren't Yo-kai." before handing Spike a capsule of mace.
Spike's eyes widened when she gave him a capsule of mace, but considering how nervous he was being in this back alley, he thought it would keep him safe from anyone lurking in the alley.
As they walked around the alley, both of the Y.U.C.S members' Yo-Kai Watches reacted to a hidden Yo-kai. Chocolate Harmony smiled and said, "Well, here's your first test, find the hiding Yo-kai and try to become friends with it. There's two ways to become friends with Yo-kai outside the Crank-a-Kai, negotiation or confrontation. But I'm sure you already knew that."
Spike nodded, "Yeah, Whisper told me that a while ago." before activating his Yo-Kai Lens and looking for the Yo-Kai. Suddenly, a small Yo-kai appeared, and Spike asked, "Hey Whisper, what's this Yo-Kai?"
Whisper looked at his Yo-kai Pad and said, "Ah, this is Ake. He causes mildly painful shoulders. You see him in gyms where people get sore from working out too much without proper rest and recovery."
Spike was slightly concerned about a Yo-kai that causes physical pain, but he also wondered what Ake was doing in a side alley like this instead of a gym like Whisper had mentioned. He walked up to the Yo-kai and asked, "Excuse me? My name's Spike. I was wondering, what are you doing here? You seem like you'd have more fun being in the gym a few blocks away."
The Yo-Kai sighed, not even realizing a human was speaking to him, "Normally, yeah, I hang out at that gym, but ever since that jerk Agon arrived there, he won't let any of us Ake in the gym anymore, says that we can't come in until we evolve into Payn, but evolving's not that easy..."
Spike was upset that even Yo-kai were subjects to bullying and said, "Hey, if you want, we can be friends and I'll help you evolve."
Ake looked to Spike with a gleeful look and said, "Really!? Thank you so much! It's a deal!" before summoning his Yo-Kai Medal and giving it to Spike. "Call me whenever you need me or think you can evolve me into Payn!" before disappearing.
Spike smiled, and Chocolate Harmony told him, "Good job Spike, part one of your test is complete. Now, let's go to Shoten Temple for the next part, evolving Ake into Payn."
As Spike followed Chocolate Harmony to the temple, he wondered what would be at the temple that could help Ake evolve. When he saw a monk, he asked, "Are you able to help me evolve Ake?"
The monk chuckled, "Indeed I am. I've been using these for a while, but I'm too old to use them anymore." before handing Spike a pair of 20 lb. dumbbells.
Spike realized that Ake must need the dumbbells in order to evolve into Payn and summoned him.
As he put Ake's medal into his Yo-Kai Watch, a song played, "Marvelous thee, gutsy free banshee, sing song Shady!" which must have been a summoning chant for Shady Yo-kai.
When Ake arrived, he noticed the dumbbells Spike was holding and said, "Th-Those are Buff Weights! That's just what I need to evolve into Payn! Are you really giving them to me?"
Spike nodded, handing the dumbbells over to Ake, saying, "Of course, friends help each other out. If you really want to show Agon that you're strong, you'll need the proper equipment to get stronger."
Ake nodded, "Thanks!" before lifting the dumbbells in his small hands and soon enough, he started to glow, and he looked completely different. He had some orange hair and a goatee, as well as a more muscular figure, and a pipe in his mouth. Ake, now Payn, thanked Spike, "Thanks a lot pal, without your help, I don't think I'd have been able to evolve. I owe you one, so if you ever decide to come to the gym, I'll make sure not to inspirit you and let you enjoy your workout in peace."
Spike smiled, "Thanks for that Payn. Now go show Agon how strong you really are!"
Chocolate Harmony smiled, "Good job Spike, you've learned about evolution now. Some Yo-kai evolve when they get strong enough, but others need special items, or even other Yo-kai in order to evolve. Learning about evolution was your test, and you passed with flying colors. But it's starting to get dark, you should get home before your mom starts to worry."
Spike nodded, "Right." before heading back to Y.U.C.S HQ to grab his bike and pedaled back home, thinking about how he reacted towards Ember earlier before. "I should apologize the next time I see her... I know they mean well, but they don't know what it's like to grow up without your father around."
Whisper nodded as he followed Spike, "Apologizing would be the best course of action."
As Spike put his bike in the garage for the night and walked into the house, his mom called for him, "Just in time Spike! I finished that spicy chicken stew recipe you've been wanting me to make!"
Spike licked his lips as he sat down at the table and started eating. The soup was so spicy that he had gone through three glasses of milk to cool his mouth down.
His mom giggled as he kept pouring himself more milk and asked, "Too spicy for you? I'll alter the recipe a bit next time, so it won't be as spicy."
Spike smiled, "Thanks mom, I'm going to go to bed." before stretching his arms and yawning, heading upstairs to bed.
As she washed the dishes, Spike's mom sighed, taking off her glasses and looking at them. "Should I tell him about the fact I can see that marshmallow ghost friend of his?" before putting them back on and continuing to wash the dishes.
Spike was still sleeping from his long night learning more about Yo-kai, so Mrs. Drake decided to go out. She left a note for when Spike woke up, saying she was going to run some errands and that his breakfast was in the microwave. She checked her phone and said to herself, "So that's where they're operating from..." before getting in her car and driving.
As she drove her car, she wondered, "I hope they can keep this secret. I don't know how to tell Spike this, I just can't..."
Meanwhile at Y.U.C.S HQ...
Chocolate Harmony rushed into Twilight's little office and yelled, "Twilight, we've got a problem! Mrs. Drake is driving right up to the HQ!"
Twilight gulped, "Did Spike get hurt the other day?"
Chocolate Harmony shook her head, "No, everything went just fine, he didn't even have to use the mace I gave him."
Astral Shadow walked in and said, "She's in the lobby Twilight, she wants to talk to all three of us about Spike."
Twilight nodded, "She's a single mother, she's just worried about Spike. We just have to reassure her that everything is ok, and we'll keep Spike safe."
As they walked downstairs, Mrs. Drake looked at them and waited for them to come over to her, and she asked, "Might we be able to talk about this in private Twilight?"
Twilight nodded and brought her back into her office, "Mrs. Drake, I can understand why you're worried about Spike, but-"
Mrs. Drake interrupted her and said, "That's not why I'm here Twilight. I know what this place really is. You investigate Yo-kai, I've seen that puffy marshmallow who calls himself Spike's butler."
Astral Shadow's eyes widened, and Chocolate Harmony stuttered, "H-How do you know about Yo-kai!? You don't have a Yo-kai Watch, do you?"
Mrs. Drake chuckled, "No, I don't." before taking her glasses off and polishing them. "These glasses were a gift from my husband before he disappeared. They're what allow me to see Yo-kai, they're made with Yo-kai Lens."
Twilight twiddled her thumbs, "So... do you wish for us to remove Spike from active duty? I assume if you and your missing husband know about Yo-kai, then you know how dangerous our work can be?"
Mrs. Drake nodded, "I'm very aware of the danger that being able to see Yo-kai brings, but I don't want you to remove Spike from your organization. Quite the contrary, I want you to help him find his father."
Astral Shadow scratched his chin, "I don't mean any offense Mrs. Drake, but it feels like there's something you're not telling us. We can't help Spike without all the details."
Mrs. Drake nodded, "Of course, I should explain. My husband... is a Yo-kai. He used to be a high-ranking member of the Royal Family in the Yo-kai World, but he gave up that live in order to be with me. About a year after Spike was born, a hostile takeover in the Yo-kai World forced my husband to go into hiding. He didn't want Spike and I to be in danger, so he went into hiding without us."
Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing, Spike was part Yo-kai!? She cleared her throat and said, "Of course, we'd be happy to help, and I assume since you came here, you don't want Spike knowing about this?"
Mrs. Drake nodded, "Yes. Spike's old enough where he should know, but I just don't know how to break it to him. My husband... He's an Illuminoct, and most people don't know he even exists. He still wears his wedding ring, he promised me he'd never take it off so a piece of me and Spike would always be with him."
Chocolate Harmony was in tears, "That's so romantic and tragic at the same time!" before wiping her tears away, "We'll do it! I'm Spike's supervisor, and I promise I won't breathe a word of this to him until you think he should know."
Mrs. Drake smiled, "Thank you for that, I trust you. I should be off before Spike decides to come here." before getting up and leaving.
Astral Shadow sighed, "Who'd have guessed Spike was part Yo-kai? Is such a thing possible?"
Twilight's partner Venoct nodded, "It's very possible. There's many Yo-kai who live lives as ordinary humans, it's not that uncommon. However, while possible, it is rare. Not many human/Yo-kai hybrids have been reported to exist, either that or they're being hidden from bad Yo-kai. As Mrs. Drake said, there's a political takeover happening in the Yo-kai World, but none of us have the power to do anything about it. Not yet at least."
And so, Spike's mother has paid a visit to Y.U.C.S. HQ, not to talk them out of keeping Spike around, but revealing a shocking secret, that Spike's missing father is actually a Yo-kai, and that Spike himself is half Yo-kai. The team is determined to help Spike find his father now more than ever, but they must still keep this meeting a secret from Spike, as requested by Mrs. Drake.
Spike was sitting in his room doing his summer homework, something he hated doing. Despite keeping a B minus grade, he still hated school as much as any other kid his age did. Suddenly, his cell phone started ringing. He saw it was Chocolate Harmony and said, "What's up? I'm a bit busy with my summer homework."
Chocolate Harmony told him, "There's been reports from some of our agents, there's supposedly green slime showing up around the school overnight."
Spike sighed, "And let me guess, Twilight wants me to look into this?"
Chocolate Harmony rolled her eyes and said, "No, not yet, but I do have something for you to work on. Meet me at Timer's and More in about an hour, we'll talk there."
Spike nodded, "Got it, I'll be there as soon as I can." before hanging up and finishing the last question on the sheet was on before heading downstairs. "Mom, I'm going out, I'll be back-"
Spike's mom sighed, before saying, "Honey, you don't need to worry. You're not a baby anymore, I trust you enough to stay out after dark and stay safe. Just make sure to check in with me every once and a while."
Spike was surprised by what his mother had just said, but smiled, "Ok mom, I'll make sure to check in. I'll try to be back for dinner though." before heading out of the house and riding his bike to the watch shop that Chocolate Harmony told him to meet her at.
When Spike arrived, Chocolate Harmony said, "Good, you're here. This old place is more than a normal watch shop. The owner can see Yo-Kai, and he's the one who upgrades our Yo-Kai Watches."
Spike's eyes widened, "You mean he can make my Yo-Kai Watch stronger?"
Chocolate Harmony nodded, "Yes, he can. I'd like to help you with this, but I've got to get back to HQ, I have some stuff I need to catch up on. Good luck!" before riding her own bike in the direction of HQ
Spike opened the door and was met by an elderly man who said, "A new Y.U.C.S recruit? Glad to meet you, my name's Mr. Goodsight. What's yours?"
Spike seemed surprised that the man knew he was a Y.U.C.S member, but in retrospect, if he upgraded the Yo-Kai Watches of other members, it made sense he knew. He answered, "My name's Spike, Spike Drake. I was told to come here to get my watch upgraded. Can you help?"
Mr. Goodsight nodded, "Yes, I can, but I have a bit of a problem right now. I left my pair of lucky underwear at the hot springs nearby. I went to check the lost and found there for them, but the staff told me things had been disappearing overnight from the lost and found, only to reappear the next morning. I have too much work piled up to go there at night, so if you could get them for me, I'd appreciate it."
Spike's raised an eyebrow at the request, finding a man's lucky underwear? Who wouldn't think of that as an odd request? But he nodded, "Yeah, I can do that. I'll come back when I get them." before exiting the shop.
Whisper asked Spike, "Doesn't this seem a bit odd to you Spike? An old man asking us to retrieve an important item for him in order to continue on with our journey? It's almost like we're living in some sort of video game or fan fiction, or something like that."
Spike said nothing, but thought in his head, "Does he just enjoy getting on my nerves?" Before heading back home to wait until it was nightfall so he could go to the springs to investigate 'The Case of the Missing Underwear.'
Whisper looked in the sky and said "The Case of the Missing Underwear? Really? That's the best you could come up with?"
Suddenly, it started raining, and a bolt of lightning struck Whisper, and a mysterious voice asked him, "How about this? Case of the Toasted Marshmallow Butler?"
Whisper was barely conscious on the sidewalk, but mumbled, "Curses, you win."
Spike just watched in shock as Whisper was electrocuted, stepping back nervously, mainly because he had a feeling this was caused by a Yo-Kai with a grudge against Whisper, even though his Yo-Kai Watch wasn't detecting anything.
To be continued...
Whisper complained "Really!? You electrocute me and leave it at that!? Why I-" before a clap of thunder scared him into quieting down.
After Spike got back to his house and ate dinner, he told his mother, "I'm going out. I'll make sure to check in with you mom."
Mrs. Drake smiled, "Thank you Spike, just don't stay out too long, everyone needs their sleep."
Spike nodded, "Ok mom." before going outside and getting on his bike. He headed to the springs and locked his bike up before going into the springs.
As he walked in, Whisper said, "Let's check the Lost and Found, I'm certain the old man just didn't look deep enough in it, it's called the Lost and Found for a reason."
Spike rolled his eyes, but nodded, heading over to the Lost and Found, digging down as deep as he could, getting to the bottom of the box, "Well, no sign of them in there. This has to be the work of a Yo-Kai!"
Whisper rolled his eyes and looked at his nonexistent fingernails as if bragging, "A Yo-Kai who steals people's underwear? Don't you think if there was a Yo-Kai like that, I'd know about it? What an imagination you-" before realizing Spike had gone into the men's bathing room and went after him.
As Spike scanned the area with his Yo-Kai Watch, he detected a very large pig-like Yo-Kai, and he was holding a pair of underwear. "Told you, I knew it was a Yo-Kai!"
Whisper stuttered before taking out his Yo-Kai Pad and saying, "Why of course, how could I be so forgetful? This Yo-Kai is Sproink, he loves hot baths and when he inspirits people, they can't help but take a bath in dangerously hot water."
Spike rolled his eyes, "You said, and I quote, 'What an imagination' before I stopped listening."
Whisper stuttered again and shook himself straight, "Just listen! Sproink is a powerful Yo-Kai, and I don't think we can reason with a Yo-Kai as strong as him."
Spike shrugged, "We can at least try. I don't like having to resort to violence." before stepping up to the Yo-Kai and saying, "Excuse me, Sproink? That pair of underwear you have, a friend of mine lost it here and asked me to pick it up for him."
Sproink was obviously dizzy from the heat of the bath and said, "Oh? Oh, you want Ol' Man Goodsight's underwear? I promise, I didn't mean any trouble, but he hasn't been coming to the springs as often anymore. I guess I stole his underwear to see him more often. He enjoys the hot baths here too, so even though he's never noticed me, I've always been here with him."
Spike thought for a moment and said, "If you give me the underwear, I can tell Mr. Goodsight about you, that you were just worried."
Sproink smiled and said, "Yeah, it's a deal." before handing Spike the pair of underwear he was holding. "Oh, one more thing, take this." before giving Spike his Yo-Kai Medal.
Spike smiled, "Thanks Sproink, I'm glad to be your friend."
Whisper watched with a shocked expression, not understanding how Spike not taking his advice was actually working.
Spike looked at Whisper, "Come on, let's get back to Mr. Goodsight." before leaving the springs and going back to the watch shop, "Mr. Goodsight, I found your lucky underwear. A Yo-Kai called Sproink missed having you at the springs, so he thought taking it might get you to come back."
Mr. Goodsight chuckled, "Well, I suppose I'll have to go back and thank him for returning them. Anyway, you've done your part, so I'll do mine." after Spike handed him his watch, he started working on it, before handing it back and saying, "Well, there you are, your Yo-Kai Watch can detect stronger Yo-Kai now. You should head home though, I'm sure you could use some sleep, staying up this late at night, you must be tired."
Spike smiled and said, "Thanks Mr. Goodsight." before yawning, "Yeah, I could use some sleep. Come on Whisper, let's go home."
When the two of them arrived, Spike's mom was sleeping, and as Spike walked into his room, he noticed Jibanyan on his bed reading a magazine. "Hey, Jibanyan, what are you doing here?"
Whisper cleared his throat and said, "I'll tell you why he's here, he just came to wish us a good night's sleep, and he'll be leaving soon, since he's bound to that intersection trying to prove he's stronger than trucks."
Jibanyan didn't look up from his magazine and said, "Actually, I got some good nyews, you guys. I decided to live here!"
Spike was surprised and asked, "Why's that?"
Whisper grumbled lowly, before saying, "Jibanyan, there's already a Yo-Kai living in this house, a Yo-Kai Butler named Whisper and he's not ready to share." when Jibanyan kept reading his magazine, he angrily asked, "Were you even listening!?"
Jibanyan continued reading his magazine and yawned, "Honestly? Not really."
Whisper grew angry and said, "I refuse to be replaced by an annoying cat!" getting in a bit of a tussle with Jibanyan, trying to throw the cat Yo-Kai out the window.
Spike took a rolled up newspaper and hit Whisper with it, "Whisper, don't you think you're being a little uncivilized? Aren't you a butler?"
Whisper realized Spike was right and released Jibanyan from the chokehold he was in and said, "Ok, I apologize for my uncouth behavior."
Spike raised an eyebrow and said, "Not buying it." before talking to Jibanyan, "Jibanyan, why do you want to live with me?"
Whisper crossed his arms and looked away, "He'll never say, he's much too stubborn." When Jibanyan started explaining, he growled, "Ok, now you're just making me look bad!"
Jibanyan told Spike, "I've lived in that intersection for a while, but one day when I left to get some... shopping... done, there were a bunch of other cat Yo-Kai in my spot. Cat Yo-Kai aren't rare, they're all over the place, and there's not enough room for us all to share. In short, I got kicked out by a Yo-Kai who was being a jerk after I confronted him about trying to get my spot back."
Spike thought for a moment, "Well, my mom can't see Yo-Kai, so as long as you don't cause trouble, you can stay."
Whisper's eyes widened, "Wh-What!? B-But-"
Spike glared at Whisper and said, "Whisper, how would you feel about being homeless?"
Whisper stuttered, but sighed in defeat, "Ok, you're right, it's wrong to let a friend be homeless. Just as long as he doesn't scratch up my Yo-Kai Pad!"
Jibanyan nodded, "Deal, I won't cause any trouble."
After that, Spike headed to sleep, so he would have the energy to go see Twilight in the morning.
