When he's 14 years old, Shmoop moves with his mother to a coin-changer's coin-box. He's anxious about his new home and about his future, so he starts using videogames to calm his nerves. He wins a game of "Strike" in the arcade, and he'd like to beat the guy who's been playing the game for the last few years. But he can't, because he has to find someone else to play with. He runs into Satoshi, who is playing the same game as him, and they both agree that he'll be the best at this game ever. They both want him to try out for their league, but he refuses, saying he just does the game because it's fun.