시즌 1, 에피소드 3: Masquerade approaches a young Bakugan player named Rikimaru while he's walking in the woods. Playing to Rikimaru's competitive nature Masquerade offers the boy a very special Bakugan ball. Across town Dan begins training for his rematch with Masquerade while Drago watches from the sidelines. Drago is still unsure of Dan's motives but decides to team up with him in the hope that he can help save his home world Vestroia. Rikimaru surprises Dan on a bridge and challenges him to a battle that sees three of Drago's kind sent into the Doom Dimension. As the battle continues Drago decides to ignore Dan's orders and uses a dangerous technique to save himself and win the battle. Drago berates Dan for his careless Bakugan playing and this causes a rift between the two allies. Insulted and angry, Dan curses the day he ever met Drago and throws him into the ocean.