Anime #17- Zatch Bell (Konjiki no Gash Bell)

NOTE: This anime can be referred to as either title. The main character can be referred to as Zatch or Gash. I will call him Zatch in this description, but you're welcome to call him Gash as well.

Intro (some spoilers)

Every once in a while, a strange, small being called a Mamodo will come to planet Earth. The only things they have with them are their clothes and a book. Unfortunately, the Mamodos cannot read the spells listed inside the book. These spells are powerful, but need to be read by a human. So, the Mamodos look for a human partner that can unlock their powers. One catch: if the book is destroyed somehow, the Mamodo is destroyed along with it.

And that's how the story begins. A young Mamodo named Zatch Bell is flying through the air on a bird, and drops to catch a fish.
14-year-old Kiyomaro (or justy Kiyo) Takamine wakes up and tells his mother that he doesn't want to go to school. This isn't just teen angst, this is because Kiyo is a genius, and school is too easy for him. His mother gets angry, but then Zatch falls from the bird and into the apartment building. He tells Kiyo that he should be at school and be a good boy. Zatch also gives Kiyo a letter from Kiyo's father. His father congratulates Kiyo on his 14th birthday, and he says that he found Zatch in a forest. To repay Kiyo's father for his kindess, Zatch travels to Kiyo's place to make sure he goes to school.
Kiyo spots a red book and accidentally says something from the book, he says "Zakur". Suddenly, lightning bolts come out of Zatch's mouth, and his room is almost blown to pieces!
Kiyo's mom tells Kiyo that he has to take care of Zatch if he stays home, so Kiyo goes to school, for the first time in a few months. On his way out, he takes the red book that Zatch had.

When he arrives, Zatch follows him without his consent. During one of his classes, Kiyo starts to look at the writing in the book. Some is red, and some is blue. It's in a language he's never seen before, yet he can read the red writing. He is interrupted by the teacher, who tells him to solve a long equation. Kiyo solves it in two seconds. His sheer genius is the reason he doesn't have friends. Upon exiting the class, he sees Zatch and tries to hide him.

Zatch tells him that he should be nice and try to make friends, and then tells him about his plan: Operation: Hero of Justice. Kiyo thinks the plan is grabage, and that he has his own plan. Kiyo guides Zatch up the stairs to the rooftop, and tells Zatch that this is where the bullies hang out, and that Kiyo will be there in case Zatch needs help. As soon as Kiyo closes the door, he walks down the stairs and smirks.

On the rooftop is a girl named Suzy, who thinks she is Kiyo's girlfriend. Kiyo, however, thinks she is a waste of time. Then, the door opens again and a bully named King steps out. He instantly starts to beat up Zatch, and Zatch isn't doing a thing to stop him. Kiyo can hear the sounds of Zatch being pulverized, and wonders why Zatch isn't shooting lightning bolts from his mouth like her did earlier. A little bit worried, Kiyo goes up the stairs and listens outside the door. Suzy is horrified, and Zatch is hurt.

King goes on about how much Kiyo isn't wanted at school, and this makes Zatch angry. Zatch says that Zatch had friends in middle school, but in high school, people got jealous of him and changed into cruel people. He said it was them who changed, not Kiyo. This speech hit Kiyo hard. Listening outside the door, he almost opened it.

When suddenly, out of the sky, a boy riding a board lands on top of King! It turns out this boy's name is Eido, and he also has a Mamodo named Hyde. Hyde can control wind. Eido goes over to Suzy and declares her his girlfriend. She refuses, and gets Eido mad. He starts thrusting wind out of his hand and knocks Zatch and Suzy back. Unable to take watching anymore, Kiyo bursts out and figures out that shouting "Zakur" can make Zatch use his power. He yells it and lightning explodes from Zatch's mouth, making Eido and Hyde flee.

And so, the adventure begins.

Zatch
A young Mamodo found in the neck of the woods by Kiyo's father. He is unusually optimistic, and will protect Kiyo no matter what happens. He is determined to help Kiyo make friends.

Kiyo
A genius who thinks school is a complete waste of time. For a 14th birthday present, he receives Zatch. He becomes Zatch's partner, and helps unleash his incredible lightning power. This helps him become a better person.

There are many other Mamodo-human counterparts, but the main ones have been listed.