#I honestly wonder what Vestals think of the human race when three of the ones they know from their culture are

[senotsuri]

I realise from reading the tags that I missed out on the internal resistance interactions, and technically the rest of vestal.

Hydron wasn't afraid, despite the fact that a human calculator and an assassin-ninja hybrid were in the room, and his opposition, and while that's on brand for Hydron, it makes no sense in terms of the culture he had to have been raised in. If he hadn't been raised in it, would he have even captured the guardian bakugan that aren't Drago? Likely no.

The Dark ironic because they use haos Angels weren't afraid of Shun, although he was disguised. He reveals his identity halfway through the battle, and while he hasn't been an impressive brawler although Ace really wasn't helping, shouldn't one of them have realised who they were fighting? Shouldn't the whole stadium?

As for the Resistance interactions, Ace is canonically so similar to Dan that it's brought up to his face, and he doesn't deny it, so his complete "I'm better than you!" spiel when he's introduced makes sense.

But he does that spiel to Dan.

Dan may be one of the least scary brawlers at the time he's as scary as a puppy, but he did fight Naga, one to one, for quite some time (even if it was Drago who was doing the fighting, remember that bakugan in the first season rarely self activate their abilities; Dan is the one who activates Drago's abilities in that fight). Surely it would've crossed Ace's mind that he's not going to be easy, or potentially possible, to beat.

The fact that they fight to a standstill definitely cements Ace as a strong brawler, and determined as all hell, but if it did cross his mind, then his confidence would've grown after this.

His confidence doesn't grow, though. What does grow is how much of an asshole he is.

He treats Shun similarly, despite how much easier he is to work with than Dan, in Ace's case. He only treats Shun like he's worthy of his full attention after the dimension controller gets broken.

He doesn't really treat Marucho as bad, although I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that that's because Marucho is less of a fighter and more of an engineer (case in point, the interspace).

Baron gets starry eyed at the battle brawlers in general, so I can skip over him. Although I will note that Maron (as someone who speaks Welsh, her name looks like our word for the colour brown...) is much tamer in reaction to the battle brawlers, i.e. doesn't immediately go starry eyed.

Mira's a lot less easy to talk about in regards to how little her people's culture is used in her character, but given she canonically has some amount of feelings for Dan, I assume that's partially due to stories of grandeur, rather than only because of Dan as a person. It's not clear to me if Keith, before Spectra, was a pyrus user, or even battled at all, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was, and that because of it, Dan would've been a comforting presence by attribute-based association.

But, I don't think she uses her connections with the Battle Brawlers to help with Resistance based progress, or convincing the people of Vestal that the crown was being horrific; if the grand heroes of Earth and Bakugan are on the side of the Resistance, culturally that makes it logical to assume the Resistance are telling the truth and are heroes. And it'd only be cemented by the crown leaving Vestal so they're not punished for what they di- oh, wait, no, they did leave Vestal for that exact reason (albeit without Mira adding on the grand heroes part).

Part of me wonders if it ever crossed Hydron's mind to make the brawlers themselves into statues, along with their guardians, if they're so reverred... That sounds like angsty fanfic fuel.

It just seems weird it isn't used as often as it really should've been.

You know what? I don't think the fact that the battle brawlers are part of Vestal culture is used for character interaction enough.

These guys fought off Naga, Masquerade, Naga's hybrid gatekeepers (I'll come back to one of them in a bit), the six legendary warriors, anyone Masquerade tricked, and if you really want to stretch it out to the console game during season 1, Marduk and Vladitor.

The brawlers are no joke in terms of power, even when seperated and fighting alongside people who aren't battle brawlers, and may I add that they went to the doom dimension and left alive.

That makes them scary enough to have as an opponent.

Three of them are active members of the resistance during NV.

You cannot tell me that someone in the vexos saw one of them, found out their name and put 2 and 2 together, and didn't freak out.

The guys who stopped an ultimate bakugan from becoming too strong to stop, who are lauded as heroes and are, if anything, massively inspirational to the public, are on the opposing side to you? That's horrifying.

Of course, the point can be made that they couldn't care because they're the vexos, there's nothing to worry about!

You know how I said I'd get back to Naga's gatekeepers? Guns didn't work on them. But you know what did? A very specific human.

This is gentle reminder that Shun, at 13, kicked one of them and damaged them when a gun couldn't. That's when he was 13, mind you. He's 16 in NV, and so he's been able to train since.

Can you imagine having to fight a guy, who's movements are silent and as fast as a bullet train, and could physically snap your arms? Could physically hurt this massive monster that you send out against him, even if he doesn't have his own to retaliate with?

A guy who's pissed with you, because you're an obstacle in freeing his mother figure, and the rest of the bakugan by extention?

Tl;Dr. I find the fact that not one of the vexos is scared at first of the battle brawlers, especially considering what some of them can do, and it makes the whole "battle brawlers story are part of our culture" thing less interesting because it wasn't as utilised.