Long, long ago,
in an age of myth, the Gods dashed through the depths of space.
They would grab a star, stealing it back and forth, vying for absolute supremacy.
And one day...
One of them dunked it right into this world.
At the end of their furious struggle,
the gods' footprints became the seas and the rivers,
and the marks left by the dunk became the cornerstones of civilization.
Yes.
The first people to take a ball and play sports with it...
...did so in memory of that long-ago battle.
Among those sports played is the ultimate, the king of sports—
Basquash!
League, League, League!
Time for round two!
The stage ought to be the toughest part of Turbine City,
a brick neighborhood in the industrial core!
Its random little hills and twisty little streets might end up the stars of the show!
Sheesh, those are some pretty vague rules.
The match venue and tip-off point change every round...
And they're scattered willy-nilly all through the city,
and the time limit is pulled at random from a number pattern.
But it's all in line with our calculations.
Our preparations for victory are rock-solid.
Our fame precedes us.
The bookies are quoting some interesting figures for this match.
Let's make that little Legend squeal!
But what's this? The opposing team is also the youngest, the Trysters!
The what?
I'm trusting all of you, including the crowds at the other arenas,
to cheer on both of these exciting visions 'til my ears rattle!
For this round, the hoops are placed above and facing each team,
there on the double smokestacks!
And the time limit for this match will be chosen at random...
...from ten, fifteen, thirty, or no time limit at all!
Fifteen!
Fifteen minutes!
Piece of cake! Just as the random number table said!
Plan A, no holding back!
Play Basquash!
Gotcha!
I'll give you a little handicap.
Guess we might as well get started.
Triplets?!
For close-up magic, you need an open view.
Shit! Which one has the ball?!
The yellow one!
You really like to get us into fixes, don't you?
No ball.
Yep, the yellow kid has it.
There!
That way's the sea.
I'll corner you.
Huh?
He's gone?
He's got the ball! The blue one!
Where are you looking?! Don't drag me down!
Who'd want to get close enough to your stinky feet?
Over there! It's him!
No, here! It's this one!
You blind? It's the pink kid!
No, the blue, stupid-head!
They're fast...
Worse, I can't even keep my eyes on them...
Misdirection.
What's that, Gramps?
A new twist on beauty pageants?
Feeding your opponent false info to lead them on.
It's the foundation of stage magic.
They've passed up so many chances...
Why don't they shoot for a basket?!
They're buying time...
Huh? What's wrong with them?
Isn't something strange?
Something's strange about this!
Let's switch to another camera!
Th-That's—
That's not the ball!
It's just a board!
That one expands!
That one folds up!
It's connected with elastic that snaps it back to him!
I see!
It looked strange because the ball didn't spin!
When did this start?
Try the rear-view camera!
No! What's this...!
And here their strategy depends on the slope.
What won't kids think of.
That's something they won't notice.
Even by my calculations, that ball will end up at the base of the basket.
Dan and the others can't see this video feed, after all.
They'll think it's hilarious later.
Is this really allowed?!
It is!
If an item is attached to a Bigfoot, it counts as an accessory!
Furthermore, parked cars, and anything else normally found in a city,
aside from hazardous items, is all okay!
One basket...
One basket is enough.
Zero versus one.
Nothing versus something.
Not defeat, but victory!
Good, we got away with it!
Time to go on the attack!
Yeah, right!
Huh?!
How many of those blue-haired kids are there?
It's nearly at the foot of the basket.
I can't tell who is who any more...
Why don't they try to shoot?
Not good!
I know!
Steal that ball however you have to!
Time is running out!
Destroy!
Basquash!
Sorry. We lost.
All those bets are down the drain, huh?
Oh, I'm an Iceman fan, so I bet on them.
Woman's intuition.
And maybe fate too!
So we made bags of money!
There was mirror film put up in certain places all through the city.
Gives the impression they came fully stocked with all sorts of hidden tricks.
It seemed like Iceman had caught on from the start.
Me too.
Wha—! Bastard! Why didn't you tell me?
Magic is so much fun!
All right, the next match is the fighting popstars Eclipse vs. the fearsome Bloody Hannibal!
NEXT TIME
Next time on Basquash, Secondary Break!
SECONDARY
BREAK
Right after these commercials!
The Perron family felt something lacking in their lives.
But now that old life is turned on its head!
They're now living all their dreams.
Mama visits a spa.
I'm going to college.
I'm glad we got that loan from Lunatic Bank.
Lunatic Bank's new service plan is to help you fulfil your dreams.
We're waiting for you!
Giving you the future, and the security of a lifetime of low interest.
Come get a loan today!
A world of your wildest dreams, covering the Lunar surface.
You'll enjoy your time here.
Moon Resort.
Gather in adult high society with ladies and gentlemen.
Enjoy pleasurable company and new encounters.
Try Earthdash gazing, which speaks of an eternal love.
Create wonderful memories for the whole family at the Moon Resort, Lunatic Dream.
We'll do our best!
We did our best!
SECONDARY BREAK
They're good!
Eclipse claims an overwhelming victory!
Those moon passports aren't just for show!
Thank you!
Cheer for us again!
Eclipse is so popular!
Showoffs.
"Moon passport," huh?
But aren't they pretty formidable?
They've gotten a lot stronger since their last match with us.
We've gotten even stronger.
That's true.
What have you been looking at?
The state of the city after these last few matches.
They've really been going to town!
Most of the buildings in this city are old, see.
Maybe they mean to use this as an excuse to redevelop.
Okay, let's see who's paired for the next round!
There's still plenty of teams on the board, so keep fighting!
Keep up those winning streaks!
Ready, go!
Mom.
Pretty small, isn't it?
But this house was filled with her kindness.
I love this house.
All right, this is the last.
Miyuki, repairing the soles comes first.
'Kay!
It's about time I'd like to get some new shoes.
Yes, make the coefficient of friction as low as you can,
and go for the lowest possible assumed road surface temperature.
It's in your hands after I send you the sole pattern, Nike.
May as well bet everything on that kid's premonition...
Do you think you'll be able to write a good report?
That depends on the team and the players.
Right now it looks to be going well.
The seething fever of a people's festival...
The rising heat will eventually spawn a storm cloud.
But it's an obstacle that must be overcome.
Team Basquash will win!
When did the team name get decided?
It just sort of happened.
Mr. Dan yells "Basquash!" and that's both the play style we're aiming for,
and the name for us ourselves. That's why.
Team Basquash.
I plan to see it through to the end.
What my big brother does, and what he wants to do.
What all these people are seeking from Basquash.
And what reply my brother will offer them.
Because you're the ultimate bystander?
Just like you're the ultimate princess.
The struggle has moved to the foot of the basket!
Post play! It's unfolding in mid-air!
With a back-pass... No, a steal!
That ball's drifted way off target, watch out!
Did you see that?! What power!
Big plays spun off by iron giants, one after another!
Don't look away! Run!
It's Sela Miranda!
The Platinum Hurricane!
Can I have your autograph?
Me too!
You don't wish to speak to her, sir?
I don't care. Drive on.
Oh, this is an unexpected formation!
That package is gonna get delivered directly through the hoop!
These matches are eliminating teams like clockwork.
And the enthusiasm of the spectators is simply fantastic.
But they seem to forget quickly.
Basquash!
Nothing we can do about that.
Officially it's Open City Basketball, or OCB for short.
Also called Basquash.
And that's how we'll spin it.
We can't be concerned about appearances?
Hello, you three.
What is it?
We have something to discuss.
Oh? What?
We think it's time we were told.
What is the true purpose of this tournament?
You asked Jan?
He's not the type of person who would give us answers,
so we all decided that asking the Chairman directly would be faster.
Do you want to know too, Violette?
Yes.
What good will knowing do you?
Ummm...
Simple pride or stubborness isn't enough to win against Basquash or King of Kings!
Oh?
And even assuming for the sake of argument that you don't want us to win,
we don't want to throw this fight!
Citron!
That's an insult to the Chairman!
I understand.
And I agree. You three may have a right to know.
It's gotten larger again...
The hope and the risk, both larger.
Destroy!
Not going to accept kindness from an enemy?
On the contrary, I have no problem with it.
I still remember when you changed.
Your play's been different ever since you met that man.
I became arrogant.
Thinking of myself as someone chosen...
And then I lost everything.
I cursed people.
That includes you, Falcon.
Well, we'll meet in the final match.
Don't break before then.
I'm back!
What are you doing?
Oh, welcome back!
We were just running a simulation of the matches.
Dan and I spent a whole day researching it.
Where is everyone?
Haruka has a meeting with Nike, and Ganz is driving her.
Iceman's out training.
Where's Dan?
Took a walk.
He said he wanted to look at the moon.
Dan's pretty poetic, isn't he?
"Poetic"?
Ask where I am too.
Time to turn on the lights!
Okay! On to the next game!
Not a care in the world.
Idol Red!
I told you, it's Rouge.
It's about time you remembered.
So what? Spying on me?
Dumbass.
What do you mean by dumbass?
That's right! What do you mean, "dumbass"?!
This squirt is a certified world-class dumbass!
What!? I'm gonna wring your...
Makes me lose all taste for hearing you described as possibly the man of legend.
Huh?
We three were brought together as a group in order to win.
So of course we won.
There wasn't any significance to it.
Huh? What are you talking about?
But now is different.
I want to win.
I want to face your team and beat you!
That's all I wanted to say.
See you.
Wait a sec!
What?
If you're selling a showdown, I'm officially buying it, Eclaire Kipper!
Keep the change!
It's Eclipse!
Sag-lipse!
Nothing's sagging here!
Not very big either!
Mega hips!
I said "Eclipse"!
What does she think she's doing?
I thought she would share what we learned with Dan.
No, no.
There's no way he would believe that fairytale.
And those two are just fine the way they are.
But...
Don't get jealous.
But it's certain that we have to win.
What he told us is too outrageous to swallow...
But it's clear now what we're here to do.
We're going to win this tournament.
We're the ones who'll bring the legend to life!
"She Holds the Key to the Final Round."
Look forward to it.
We're still in the runnings!
Of course we are!
I've got a showdown with her!
Next time: See You on the Moon.
NEXT TIME
SEE
YOU
ON
THE MOON
Are you waiting for us on the moon?
Just you wait, Idol Red!
This is complicated...