Ghost: Hey there!

Kitsune: Hello, dearest readers!

Ghost: Welcome to Pokíoh, a crossover between Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh GX!

Kitsune: Mainly GX. We actually will be using all current summoning methods.

Ghost: For those of you who don't know, that's Normal, Synchro, Fusion, Ritual, XYZ, and Pendulum. If you don't know what those are, yugioh. wiki .com (just remove the spaces, because FF is weird like that...) is a useful tool! We'll also be using Evolution Summoning, but we can explain more about that later. Anyway! We'll be using Pokémon as the card characters! For example, Necro Gardna is a Zoroark, and Red Eyes Black Dragon is a Shiny Haxorus.

Kitsune: We made other changes, but… We'll leave that as a surprise.

Ghost: *Sort-of-Evil Laughter* We've had so much fun with this! There will be some characters you know, and characters you may not recognize. But not everything is as it seems…

Kitsune: Sit back...

Ghost: …and join us on a crazy ride! Let's duel!


"I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE PROMISE I MADE THOSE MANY YEARS AGO. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOUR CRIES, WHICH I DID NOT ANSWER. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THE SUFFERING THAT WAS INFLICTED ON YOU."

"I TELL YOU THIS: I WILL KEEP MY PROMISE."


For many years, Pokémon have been the thing of myths. Some people doubt that they even existed, while others wonder what it would be like for them to be alive today.

I know the truth of what happened. Not just what history tells, but I know those who caused the downfall, and those who suffered. I may not have been there, but I know exactly what happened.

Hundreds of years before we were alive, Pokémon roamed the planet, interacting with humanity, becoming friends and allies, fighting alongside humans and other Pokémon in great battles. There were many different species, and different attributes-types, each Pokémon unique in itself. Some of these were Warriors-Fighting types, Light-Psychic or Fairy types, Thunder-Electric types, Wind-Flying types, and Inferno-Fire types. A human who specialized in training and befriending Pokémon was a Trainer. They could participate in a number of events, such as contests or battles, depending on what they and their Pokémon loved to do.

But that's in the past, now.

Because of humanity's greed, Pokémon slowly vanished, dying off, until not one remained in the world. All that we had left were the memories, which faded with time, information recorded on Pokédexes, devices that lost their purpose, and the fossils they left behind. Humanity was alone, even as long-extinct animals such as dogs and cats were brought back to life. All attempts to restore Pokémon ended in utter failure, and it became the ultimate taboo.

Then, thirty years ago, a team of scientists discovered a way to insert coded Pokémon DNA into cards chips. A young scientist, just out of high school, then created a program to read the code, and coupled with technology from the Devon Corp., a new form of battling was created.

It quickly evolved from a child's game to a hobby to a lifestyle. Clubs, tournaments, conferences, and leagues were created, just like the old days. Schools began forming, to train duelists for survival of the Pro League, the highest level of competition.

One of the most prestigious schools is Jaden Ketchum Academy, located on an island in the Eastern Sea, near the region of Alola. It's named after Jaden Ketchum, the first Champion of the World Tournament and Pro League, and the only Champion to give up the title.

This is where the story begins.


Phoenix Infernis made her way through the groups of students standing at the top of an arena. All of the students wore a uniform, but the colors and design were not unanimous. There were students wearing long blue coats, yellow sailor tops, and red vests. Each had a device attached to their arm, mostly white sans accents coordinating with their uniform color, and a deck holster attached to their belt. Several of the students ducked their heads in acknowledgement, but she continued by them until she reached the barrier that separated them from the potential students.

Three years...three years and the emotions that hung in the air were still addictive as the day she had been taking her own Entrance Exam. Hope, excitement, disappointment, and sadness. She personally prefered the first two, knowing how heartbreaking the last two were. Looking down at the teenagers in the bleachers, she observed as they interacted with each other, all friendly for the most part. How that may change when they're placed. Someone they are friends with now may become their rival or 'enemy'. Phoenix thought about a pair of girls she knew. How will they be assigned? Will they be placed into Kyogre Blue? Raikou Yellow? Or Moltres Red? Not that she cared for the caste system, but it was the way the school worked. Motivation to do better, determination to escape the bottom, the works. A load of B-and-S if you ask me. The girl in the white-yellow uniform scoffed. Who needs it?

"Phoenix." She looked over at the person who said her name and smiled.

"Shio." She nodded back to the Kyogre Blue before turning her gaze back to where the new students were gathered. "An interesting group this year, don't you think?" Shio's eyes skimmed the crowd.

"Who's caught your eye?"

Phoenix nodded in the direction of a lone, green-haired boy who was looking down at his deck with worried eyes, then pointed at a brunette who was off to one side, whose eyes were kept firmly on her boot-clad feet. "Those two, so far."

"Well, you only get one." Shio giggled, referring to a bet the girls had made the previous year, in which they they would chose a candidate, and see which would go further during their first year. The bluette pointed to a boy with dark blue hair, who was surrounding by the students who had already completed their duels. "My bet's on him." Phoenix thought a moment before she had an idea.

"Choose another, just to keep it even. It's our last year. Why not raise the stakes?" Both girls laughed.

"Okay then." Shio looked around before pointing to a boy with rusty red hair and amber eyes. "I'll go with him."

"Same rules as last year?" Phoenix asked, a challenging tone to her voice, before it turned mischievous. "Or raise the stakes?"

"You're on." Shio was beginning to grin like a madwoman. "We'll decide the stakes later." She began to extend her hand, the pulled back, a wary look in her eye. "You're awfully confident. Are you pulling something like you were last year?"

"Huh?" The blue-coated girl waggled a finger.

"I'm talking about how you knew about your two friends were coming from Sinnoh, and then the painful loss I suffered because of that knowledge!" She put a hand to her forehead and pretended to faint. Phoenix rolled her eyes in response.

"I don't know anyone who's taking the Entrance Exam. I swear on my duel disk." She placed her right hand on the yellow-accented duel disk attached to her arm. Shio eyed her for a moment before holding out her hand.

"Then may the odds be ever in your favor."

"And the same to you!" They shook.


A pair of teenagers, a boy and a girl, raced down the paved road, dragging suitcases behind them that jumped with every crack. Both wore middle school uniforms, and had commercial duel disks attached to their arms. The girl, whose pink hair was pulled back into a ponytail except for a few strands, led them. The boy, who had short-cut brown hair, was muttering under his breath as they ran towards a domed building that stood at the end of the road.

"Come on, Chase!" The girl yelled as she pulled further ahead. "We're going to be late!"

"Well whose fault would that be?" He muttered under his breath, but sped up anyway. The pair continued to run towards the arena.

"Where's the entrance?!" The pink-haired girl came to a halt in front of the dome, looking around. There was no sign telling them where to go.

"Hold on." Chase reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a PokeNav, and scrolling through the options. "Alright. This way, Alice."

"Right behind you!" Chase led the girl, Alice, towards the left side, and after a few more minutes of running, they saw an entrance. "Alright! This must be it! Onward!" She cheered, taking the lead again and jogging to the doors, which slid open. The reception area was quiet except for a pair of security guards who stood nearby, chatting to each other.

"Heelloo!" Alice cheered, and they looked up. "We're here for the dueling portion of the entrance exam!" The two guards looked at each other before one shrugged.

"You're a little late, but we first need your identification."

"Alright!" Both duelists reached into their bags, and pulled out identification cards, handing them to the guard, who turned to a computer.

"Application ID Oh-Two-Four-Three-Two-One-Two-Two-Three-Five-Two-Four." A picture of Alice appeared on the screen, followed by her information.

"Cleared." The guard handed Alice's card back to her, and she walked through the gate.

"Application ID Oh-Two-Four-Three-Two-Three-Two-Three-Three-Four-Three-Seven." The same procedure was done for Chase, and his picture and information appeared on the screen.

"Go ahead." The guard returned Chase's card and opened the gate. "But you might be too late. Duels are supposed to end any minute now."

"Thank you." Chase bowed and joined Alice. "Come on. No wasting time."

"Okay!" The two walked further into the building, following the ever-increasing sound of talking and cheering. Alice was shaking with excitement. She had been looking forward to this day for over a year, and now she was finally going to start her dream of entering the Pro Leagues. And with her best friend by her side, she felt like nothing could stop her.

Heading down a tunnel, the two teenagers finally emerged into the sports stadium-turned-dueling arena. Students wearing different colored and styled uniforms were spread out, talking to those around them, or grouped against a rail, watching the duel below them.

"We're finally here!" Alice cheered, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Key word is finally." Chase grumbled, setting down his bags. "Why'd your dad have to take the long route?"

"But it's the scenic route!"

"Alice..." He warned.

"Oh look, they're dueling!" The spastic girl dashed off, leaving her friend with her bags.

Alice pushed her way through the crowd, hearing the sounds of attacks being delivered and cards being activated. It was addicting. She grinned, feeling the excitement flowing from her holster. They were ready to tear up the school, like she was.

"I play Green Eyed Riolu!" She heard someone's voice, over the crowd's cheer. "And special summon Magnet Warrior Gamma from my hand with Green Eyed Riolu's ability! I play one card face down, and end my turn!"

"I draw." A deeper voice, a teacher? "I summon Volbeat, the Flirt and attack your Green Eyed Riolu with Signal Beam."

"I'm activating Mirror Force! Your attack is negated, and all your Pokioh are destroyed!"

"Too bad! I activate his effect. Because Miss Illumise is on the field, he cannot be targeted by trap cards. Green Eyed Riolu is going down."

"Holy Arceus! What's going on?!" The announcer yelled, and a blast of light emerged from the center of the arena. The people around her shielded their eyes, but to Alice, it seemed more like a soft light one might find in a dappled forest. She took the opportunity to push closer to the edge so she could actually see what was going on, and gasped when she broke through to the edge.

The Riolu down on the West end of the arena was glowing. And not the type of glow when Instant Evolution was played. No, this type of glow was more calming...more peaceful than the sudden, forced burst that followed Instant Evolution. The light grew stronger, and Riolu began to grow, legs growing longer, ears sharpening, spikes coming out of his paws. The burn marks on his tail began to fade into smooth fur, but it wasn't the normal blue. It was dark blue, but instead of having bone-white markings, green and gold body armor and gauntlets appeared on his body. The now-Lucario's eyes opened, and Alice gasped when she saw they were glowing green. She reached to her deck holster, touching her own cards. Her deck was practically vibrating in excitement.

Her mind recalled a piece of information that she had once heard. It had been more like a rumor, an urban legend, something that was only spoke about on chat sites or when there was nothing else to talk about. About a type of Pokioh card that, under certain circumstances, would undergo a strange type of evolution that no one could explain. An evolution that would permanently alter a card, a glitch that broke many of the Duel Monsters rules.

"So that's EVOlution...wow…" Alice whispered, as the light began to die away. The students around her were rubbing their eyes and giving startled yells.

"Alright!" The dark-haired duelist yelled. There was a look of confusion on his face, but his excitement seemed to mirror Alice's. The Lucario turned to look at his duelist, and bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Desert Tomb Lucario's stats are raised, so your attack won't work on him!" This was confirmed when the Lucario raised his armored wrist, deflecting the beam of light towards the green-coated adult, whose Hit Points dropped as a result of the failed attack.

"End...turn." The teacher said slowly.

"I draw. You're going down! I attach Sir Aaron's Staff to Desert Tomb Lucario," an ornate staff appeared, and the Warrior Pokioh grabbed it, "and activate Roundabout. This card was down for six turns, so I can attack you directly! And with Sir Aaron's Staff, you get hit twice! Desert Tomb Lucario! Double Bone Rush!" The Lucario dashed around the two Insect-type Pokioh, bringing down a green bone-staff down twice on the man, dropping his HP to 0.

A cheer shook the arena, and Alice joined in as the illusions vanished. The teacher stepped forward, and shook the blue-haired boy's hand.

Wow, wow, wow! The pinkette was shaking in her shoes from excitement. That was so cool! So awesome! I wanna duel him! Really badly! And I know you do too!

"Alice!" Chase pushed his way through the slowly dispersing crowd, pulling their bags behind him. "Why'd you run off like that?"

"They were dueling! You should have seen the EVOlution, Chase! It was so awesome! It's not just a myth! It's real!" Chase sighed. He understood Alice's enthusiasm for anything that had to do with dueling, and he shared it, but there was a time and place for that, and now was not that time.

"I'm sure it was. But come on. We need to get checked in." She glanced down at the field one more time before nodding resolutely. I'll do my best, so that one day I'll get a chance to duel that Desert Tomb Lucario.

"'kay!" The two of them made their way back through the crowd of students.

"Excuse me, miss." Chase tapped the shoulder of a girl wearing a red jacket. "Could you point me in the direction of where we go to be signed up for a duel." The girl seemed concerned.

"You just arrived?"

"Yep!"

"But that was supposed to be the last duel!"

"EH?!" The red-vested girl stood on her toes, looked around quickly, and pointed to their left.

"Over there, look for a tall, blonde man! He's in charge of the schedule! You'll have to hurry!"

"Okay! Thanks a lot!" Alice called as she and Chase dashed away.

"Good luck!" The red-vested girl called back.

"Come on! Come on!" Chase grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her along behind him.

"Right behind you!" It was hard to miss the man they had been directed to find. While all of the students were wearing red, blue, or yellow uniforms, the adults were wearing green coats, and a group of them were gathered around a computer, talking about the results. The tallest of them stood near the rear of a group, examining a clipboard. They had blonde hair, but their appearance could belong to either a man or woman. Is this the person we were sent to find?

"Excuse us!" Conversation in the group ceased when Chase came to a halt two feet from them and Alice almost collided with the table. She gave them a cheesy grin.

"Hey! We're here to take the dueling part of the entrance exam!" Several of the staff members glanced at each other. The one in the back glanced down at their clipboard, then at a golden watch.

"You are too late."

"What do you mean we're too late?!" Chase exclaimed.

"Exactly what I said." The official said stiffly. Their voice was too deep for a woman, although the feminine appearance had been misleading. "You came late four minutes late, and are therefore eliminated from the entrance exam."

"But we've already taken the written section of the exam!"

"That's irrelevant."

"Please, we've come a long way! We've been looking forward to it! And what are we going to do if we can't take it?!"

"Under no condition am I revoking my judgement. Try again next year." The blonde-haired official scowled at them, and turned to walk away, the others on his heels.

Dammit! We've come too far to let this stop us! Chase turned to Alice, unclipped his deck holster from his belt, and handed it to her. "Stay here and don't cause trouble."

"Yes sir!" Alice attached Chase's holster to her belt and went into a salute. Chase gave a weak chuckle, before running after the officials.

It wasn't long before the pink haired duelist became bored. Everyone around her was talking excitedly, wondering how'd the new students would get placed and various aspects of the Academy.

From what she could gather, the students who had the best shot at Blue were those who had cleanly won their duels; Yellows had also achieved a clear victory; Reds had just narrowly won.

The pink-haired girl gravitated towards one particular group of students, and began to listen in on their conversation.

Meaning she zoned out the conversation of her and Chase's partners.

"We're finally aqui!" A girl's voice squealed.

"Well, it doesn't do much good if they can't get admitted."

"You are such a killjoy Tiempo." Another girl muttered to the boy's comment.

"Hmph."

"My dear Tiempo, lighten up! There are several others here! I can sense them." A sing-song voice exclaimed.

"We all can Crystal."

"I wonder who they are."

"How about we go find out?" SMACK!

"And leave Alice? Verguenza!"

"..."

"My dear Tiempo? Is something the matter?"

"...no..." A strangled whisper.

"Eve? Are you okay?"

"...he is here…" The same, terrified whisper.

"Quien?"

"HE...him...how dare he show his face here…"

"Tiem...? Are you okay?"

"Tiempo! Where are you going?!"

A boom shook the stadium, causing everyone to fall to their knees. When Alice managed to rise to her feet, she gasped. Chase's partner was at the bottom of the arena, exchanging blows with a shadowy figure. "Oh Arceus!" She grabbed Chase's holster, shuffling through his cards quickly until she came upon one. It's surface was glowing, and that glow intensified every time the arena shock.

"TIEMPO GROVYLE!" The pink-haired duelist screamed, running down the stairs. She could see two figures duking it out, neither gaining the upper-hand. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Alice! Move!" Something slammed her off the stairs, just before a green orb exploded where she had been moments before. Unfortunately, her momentum carried her into a group of new students. One of them, a blue-haired boy, had no chance to react before Alice collided with him, both toppling to the bleachers.

"Alex!"

"Hey!"

"What the hell is that chick doing?"

"Dude!"

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" Alice cried, struggling to her feet. But the boy she had collided with didn't respond; he was out cold. "I'm so sorry!" She pushed herself off him, stumbling towards the stairs. Got other things to worry about! Tiempo and the shadow's fight was growing more violent, causing the whole building to shake. "All of you! Help me!" She yelled, drawing the attention of nearby students.

"On it!"

"Tiempo! Enough!"

"Of course!"

"Alice!" She turned, seeing Chase standing at the top of the stairs. Unlike everyone else, who was looking at her, his eyes were fixed on the fight down at the center of the arena. "What's going on?"

"I don't know! Tiempo's going crazy!"

"Where's my deck?!"

"Deck?" She scratched her head.

"Yes, deck! We need his card to seal him!" Alice looked down at her belt, and swallowed when she only saw her holster attached.

"Uh...I don't know?"

"Alice! At your dos!" The pink-haired duelist turned, and spotted Chase's deck holster, some of the cards spilling open. Unfortunately, it was near the fight at the bottom of the arena.

"Aha!" She leapt forward, taking the stairs two at a time as the explosions grew worse. She could hear Chase behind her, charging down the stairs. The explosions were the least of her problems, though, so she kept running towards the cards. "Protect!"

"Yah!" A blue shield appeared around her, unseen by everyone else. It took the worst of a direct explosion, but the after-blast knocked her off her feet. "Alice!"

"Protect her!" Chase yelled, running past Alice. "Crystal!"

"Yes!" A shield appeared around the brown-haired duelist, this one stronger than the one that had surrounded Alice. He reached the bottom of the arena, grabbing his holster and scooping the loose cards off the floor. The power cut, throwing everything into darkness and chaos, and screams rose. But Chase could see, thanks to the glow the shield gave off. Using it, he located the card he needed. Arceus help me. Trying to ignore the shadows that raced around him, he spotted the individual he was looking for because of the green glow they gave off. He moved forward.

"Tiempo…" Chase ground his teeth, smacking the card against the green fighter. "Return!" There was a frustrated scream, accompanied by a flash of light as the card in Chase's hand grew unnaturally warm. When the light died away, both figures were gone. The arena's power flickered back on

Alice and Chase looked around, and found the entire staff and student population staring down at them. Chase looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. Alice had the decency to look embarrassed, although there was a grin on her face like she had been caught with her hand in the Poffin Jar.

We are in deep, deep shit...


"This is an outrage! Never in my time at the academy has such misbehavior occurred!" Doctor Eis, head of the Entrance Exam screeched. "You've caused a ruckus and sent one student to the nurse! I have no idea how you managed to disturb the power generator, or cause the earthquakes, but it's clearly your fault!"

'He's a Whismur who woke up on the wrong side of the bed.' Alice mouthed to Chase, who didn't respond.

"What do you have to say for yourselves?!"

"I plead the fifth." Said Alice solemnly. Chase resisted the urge to facepalm.

"You have no understanding about what you've done, do you?!"

"But we didn't do anything!" Alice tried again.

"That is the biggest lie I've ever heard! How else do you explain all the disasters?! The Entrance Exam is a dignified part of Jaden Ketchem Academy's legacy, and you and your mischief have ruined this year's!"

"Have you ever heard of someone being able to control things like that?" Chase tried to argue while Alice said plainly,

"We can't do stuff like that."

"Regardless, you have caused a huge disruption in the Entrance Exam, and showed up four minutes late to boot! Give me ONE," Alice winced as his voice took a sudden pitch, "reason why I should even CONSIDER your applications, after all the chaos you've had a part in?!" The two duelists were quiet, and Doctor Eis smirked. Then Chase quietly asked,

"...have we done anything wrong?"

"Excuse me?"

"Have we done anything wrong? If anything, the only thing we can be accused of is causing a disturbance. How can the earthquakes and power surges be our fault? We have no control over stuff like that."

"Good point." Alice nodded.

"Hush." Chase muttered, because he didn't want her saying anything that would reverse the small gain he had hopefully made.

"Look us up in the database. We took the written exam, and passed. That guarantees us a chance to participate in the dueling portion of the entrance exam."

"Actually," Alice raised her hand, "the dueling portion is only required to place students in the various houses! If you pass the written exam, you have a spot in the academy. Right?" She smiled at Eis, who ground his jaw.

They aren't as ignorant as I first took them to be...

"Sooo...can we duel?" Alice twiddled her thumbs, smiling brightly.

Eis scowled at the pair of them, thoughts turning like gears. I can't allow them to take the dueling portion of the exam, because that would ruin the reputation of this fine establishment. The students would never take me seriously ever again, and even some of the staff would question me. But I can't simply kick them out, or forbid them from taking the dueling portion of the exam. The board would be all over me, and Bentz would give me the whole "equal opportunity education" speech. They know this, and are using this against me...curses...I must speak with the others about this...perhaps they'll have a solution.

Turning to the teens, he gave them what could have been a stern look. "You will stay where you are sitting and not leave those seats. You will touch nothing, and don't even think about causing any more trouble."

"Yes ma'am." Alice nodded seriously. Chase blanched as Eis's face scorched.

"I'm sorry, sir!" Eis let out an wordless screech and stormed out through the door, slamming it on his way out. Alice blinked, realizing what she had said. She scratched the back of her neck nervously.

"Ah...oops?" Chase groaned, hiding his face behind both hands and letting his elbows rest on his legs.

"No words...I have. No words." It was honestly supposed to be a great day. Finally be able to leave Greenfield with Alice and her dad, and come to take the dueling portion of the entrance exam. We'd get admitted to Jaden Ketchum Academy and I would get placed in one of the dorms with Alice. Eventually, the two of us would be able to shake up the school.

And then...things...it would be an understatement to call things a disaster. Not only had they missed the deadline for the second half of the exam, but they had caused so much trouble that there was a snowball's chance in Hell that they would be allowed in. The moment we get into a private place, I will grill Tiempo into the ground. The brown haired duelist swore. What the hell caused him to behave like that? Either way... "We're so screwed."

"No we're not." Said Alice.

"Alice...they're not going to accept us, because of all the stuff that happened. Even if someone else did it. They need a scapegoat."

"And they won't because that would be a violation of some code or law or whatever." She argued. "'sides, if he was just gonna kick us out, he would have done it already. He wouldn't have just left us here." Her dark green eyes scanned the room, landing on a jar on the desk. "That looks like really good candy. Want some?" She meant to lean over and reach into the jar, but Chase grabbed her wrist and forced her to stay sitting.

"Absolutely not. You heard him."

"Chaaaasseee..." She whined. "If we did everything that everyone told us to do, we wouldn't be here!"

"Maybe...but you called the one who can cancel our applications a woman. We're in dangerous waters right now."

"Eehh..." The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes, then looked down at her arm. "Can you let go of me, now?" Chase looked down to see his hand still wrapped around Alice's wrist. His ears burned as he quickly released her.

"Sorry." She folded her hands in her lap and sighed.

"I wonder how long we'll have to wait."

They ended up waiting over half an hour. Alice was dozing in her chair, and Chase had his eyes shut when the door opened and Eis returned, closing it behind him. Brown eyes opened, and their owner quickly nudged Alice awake. Eis walked over to his desk and sat behind it. He placed his tablet on the desk and gave both duelists a long, hard look.

"Sorry about earlier." Alice said. Eis said nothing.

"So...um...what'll happen to our applications?" Chase hesitantly asked. Eis shut his eyes and let out a long breath of air through his nose.

"You...it has been decided that you will be admitted to the academy." He said through gritted teeth.

"Really?! Thank you!" Alice smiled brightly.

"On one condition." Chase saw an evil gleam in the man's eye, and swallowed. "Are you aware of the three dorms here at Jaden Ketchum Academy?"

"Uh-huh! Kyogre Blue, Raikou Yellow, and Moltres Red!"

"Well, you may not be aware that there is a fourth dorm."

"What's this dorm called?"

"There is no name."

"Eh?"

"This dorm has not been an active part Jaden Ketchum Academy, and, as a result, has never been assigned a color or mascot."

"But then it's at the bottom of the pecking order." Chase realized. "That's-"

"The only option available to you. Accept it, or have your application denied." Doctor Eis smirked, knowing he had trapped the two in a corner.

"I have a question." Alice raised her hand. "How many students are there in this dorm?" Even Chase could have answered that question. Eis's answer was sharp and simple.

"None."

"Really?" Alice's face fell slightly, before she brightened up. "Okay! I'll take that!"

"Alice?!"

"That's the only option, so of course I'll take it!" She smiled. "What about you, Chase?" He hesitated, but Alice's smile broke any argument he could have come up with.

"...sure, I'm in."

"Yay!"


"CHARLOTTE!" The brunette who was being addressed didn't look up from her laptop screen, probably because her earbuds, turned up to full volume, were blocking out her roommate's voice. "CHARLOTTE LOBIS!" Her blue-haired roommate tried again, this time pulling out her earbuds both from the laptop and the girl's ears. "CHARLOTTE!"

"What the hell, Jacklyn?!" The punk-haired girl yelled, hazel eyes snapping up from the anime she had been watching. "Do you have a death wish or something?!"

"Heck no! But why weren't you at the Entrance Exams?!" The white-and-red-vested third-year couldn't contain herself.

The brunette-Charlotte, scoffed. "I have better things to do than watch the shit-for-system corrupt the minds of the new kids." She paused her anime and reached for her earbuds, but Jacklyn held them away. She growled. "Give them back, Jacky."

"No! Listen to what happened!" Charlotte sighed, dropping her head into her bed covers.

"Do I have to?"

"Do you want your earbuds back?" Jacklyn dangled them in front of her face. Charlotte made a grab for them, but missed. She glared at the blue-haired girl, then gave up.

"Fine, make it quick."

"It was going normal, like how it was last year when you came," Jacklyn took a quick breath and continued, "and then all of a sudden, the arena started shaking, and the power was going crazy!" She waved her hands around, trying to convey the chaos. Charlotte wasn't paying attention to her words; she was watching her earbuds get whipped around. "And these two kids, started yelling at each other! Half of what they said didn't make sense," Jacklyn lowered her arms, and Charlotte considered making a grab for her earbuds, "but they managed to stop the earthquakes and power surges! Then Eis dragged them off to the office! And here's the crazy part! He actually admitted them to the academy!"

"You're kidding." The Moltres Red girl was finally paying attention.

"No, I'm dead serious!"

"So I'm assuming they're got placed in Red with us?"

"Nope!"

"No?" Her eyebrows stitched together in confusion. "Where else would they go? You can't go any lower than Red, and no way in hell would Eis put them in Yellow."

"Eis stuck them in the Unnamed Dorm." It took Charlotte a moment to make the connection.

"But that dorm's been-"

"Dead for fifteen years, I know! But you know what that means?"

"I have no clue."

"We're not at the bottom anymore." Her voice was a whisper, full of excitement. "We're not at the bottom anymore, and less at risk of expulsion."

"And the system consumes another victim." Charlotte rolled her eyes and held out her hand. "Earbuds, now, please."

"Charlotte…" Jacklyn whined.

"I listened. I commented. Earbuds, now." The third-year rolled her eyes, but complied.

"I'm going to go help move the new kids in. Don't forget we have school tours tomorrow, Red Queen."

"Yeah, yeah. I hear you, Duchess." Both girls laughed before Jacklyn left the room, shutting the door behind her. Charlotte put her earbuds back into her ears, but didn't press play on her anime. Instead, she stared at the screen, thinking.

"The Unnamed Dorm, huh? I wonder how they'll handle that..." She shrugged. "Who knows..."


The forest was quiet except for the sound of crickets chirping in the distance. Light from the half moon trickled down to the dirt path Alice and Chase were walking on, illuminating it.

"Are we there yet?" Alice moaned, dragging her bag behind her as Chase led the way, guided by his Map. The path they were trudging down was dark, with only a crescent moon to guide them. Trees stood on every side, like silent guards escorting them during their journey from the school's main building.

"Not yet." Chase sighed, glancing up from the screen for a moment before his eyes flickered down again. "This place is a bit off the grid, from what I can tell."

They had arrived on the island via boat along with the rest of the new students, but instead of being led towards the auditorium like the rest of the student body, Chase and Alice had been separated by a blue-haired woman claiming to be Eis's secretary; she had been nice enough, compared to Eis.

Because of the 'unofficial-ness' of the dorm, Alice and Chase would have to do a lot of hard work. The secretary had listed off the tasks they would need to complete, and then once those were decided, they would be able to receive an advisor, have the dorm updated, unique to the dorm, and have

So when the other students had broken off, some going West, others going South and East, Chase and Alice had headed North, eventually breaking off from a paved path and walking past a calm lake that gleamed silver in the moonlight.

"Boooorrrriiiinnnngggg..." The pinkett groaned. "And we're gonna have to take this walk every...single...day…" Chase would have expressed his displeasure alongside Alice, but someone had to keep face, and he was the only one who could.

"We're almost there, c'mon." The map on his screen showed they were getting closer.

"I heard that the Blue dorms have workout rooms." Alice commented. "With a walk like this every day, who needs a workout room?"

"Heh." Was all the response the younger boy gave, and they continued to move forward. Finally, something large and symmetrical began to emerge from the woods, and the trees began to become less closely packed together.

"I think I see something!" The shape was large, looming over the two of them and stretched out to the left and right. The two duelists came to a halt and let their eyes adjust and take in the building that would be their new home.

"Is this it?" They stared up at the building, whose dark form loomed above them.

"..." Alice reached into her bag, and pulled out a flashlight. Clicking it on, she swung it from the second floor all the way to the door. No zombies, bats, or other creatures jumped out at them. "Well, looks like we're here."

"Looks more like a haunted house than a dorm." Chase's observation wasn't too far off the mark; most of the windows were boarded up, and the ones that weren't were cracked and broken. The doors were closed tightly and had a chain wrapped around the handles to keep them from being opened. Weeds grew next to the building, and something that looked like ivy was creeping up one of the walls. I should have known they were going to screw us over. Chase thought, shaking his head. First throw us into an unofficial dorm, then give us a haunted house. What's next?

"Well, let's check it out." Alice stepped forward, pulling the key they had been given out of her pocket. Inserting it into the lock, it took a little bit of work for the key to turn, as the lock was rusted. When it did turn, the lock clicked open and the chains clattered against the door.

The entryway had a thick layer of dust and dirt covering the tiles. There were shoe cubbies on each side, cobwebs filling them, and pottery shards littered the ground. These things were revealed by Alice and Chase's flashlights as they swung over all the surfaces.

"Ah…" Alice muttered as she rolled her suitcase in behind her and pulled the door shut behind them. Thankfully, it didn't swing open. "Could be worse."

"Don't say that yet." Chase sighed, stepping into what had to be the main room. There were two staircases ascending to the upper levels on either side of the entrance, and furniture was randomly placed around the room, protected by dust-covered cloth. The carpet was matted and stained, and a walkway that ran along the length of the room had it's guardrails breaking off. Torn green banners covered the walls and banisters, moving slightly when a small breeze snuck through the broken window.

"Woo-woo!" Alice's flashlight whipped around, landing on a small black and grey creature, that hissed angrily because it was being blinded.

"Oh, sorry." She lowered the beam so it was on the ground.

"You are apologizing to a raccoon." Chase said in a bland voice, looking at the creature who was sitting on a counter.

"But it worked!" She did have a point. When the light had been lowered, the black and white animal had stopped hissing and instead stared at them with the most intense look on its face. It then sat on its hindquarters and began to chatter in a disapproving way.

"Well, soorrryyy. This is going to be our home too, so you should get used to sharing." Alice put one hand on her hip. Chase sweatdropped.

It's at times like this that I wonder about her sanity... "Shoo!" He waved his arms, and the racoon hissed once before taking a flying leap out of a broken window.

"We'll be seeing him again." Alice said, placing her bags next to the covered couch.

"How do you know it's a him?"

"I just do." Chase shook his head in exasperation as he placed his bags alongside hers. "I think I found our kitchen!" She pointed her flashlight at a dark room off to the side, with a counter opening up to the main room. It had been where the raccoon had been sitting. "And the power's off." Alice tried flicking a light switch on the wall, but it didn't do anything.

"That doesn't surprise me at all." He rolled his eyes. "However, there's something we need to address."

"What?"

"I want to know exactly what caused Tiempo to go on a rampage." His brown eyes searched for something he couldn't find. "I know you four are listening."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Let's sit." The two duelists sat on one of the dusty, covered couches. "How about you make yourselves seen." Chase said, with a bit more authority in his voice.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...okay." Four balls of light slowly appeared in front of them, bobbing up and down at eye level. Two orbs, a green-blue and blue-orange one floated on the outside, with purple-yellow and pink-green orbs in-between them. The male duelist scowled in the direction of the green-blue orb.

"Tiempo, what the hell were you thinking?"

"..."

"He was not." The yellow-purple orb muttered, and Alice had the feeling of eyes being rolled. "Like a typical male, he did not stop to think." A low growl was ignored.

"Doing something is better than being struck paralyzed by your own Arceus-damn fear."

"It's a long story." The pink-green orb next to the green one tried to explain, floating up and down. "I assure you, it is very long and complex, and you don't want to hear it."

"So you're not going to explain why you acted like you did earlier today?" When none of the orbs responded, Chase sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fine. For the time being, you're all getting sealed." The blue-orange orb shot up.

"¡¿Qué?! That's not fair! It was Tiem who messed up! Why punish us?!"

"Because we did not stop him, and now look at where Alice and Chase are." The purple-yellow orb responded miserably.

"Oh come on, Chase!" Alice whined. "Sealing Anna and Eve will mess up my strategies! Plus it'll be boring!"

"Yes, please reconsider, Master Chase."

"I'll have to adjust my strategy too, since Tiempo and Crystal will be sealed away. And since we don't know what that shadow was," Chase gave the green-blue orb an odd look, "we should be on guard. Having them around could put a target sign on our backs." Alice fidgeted, looking down at her folded hands.

"Yeah...that's true…"

"..."

"So you're going to accept it?" The blue-green orb bobbed slightly.

"How long will we be away?" The orange-blue orb asked remorsefully, nudging Anna's arm. She reached out, and pulled the yellow-purple and orange-blue orbs into a hug. They bumped against her chin softly.

"At least a trimester, or until we find out what the shadow was." Answered Chase.

"Hasta luego."

"Jagbyeol insa." The two orbs vanished as Alice reluctantly removed four cards from her deck, and handed them to Chase, who placed them in a leather holder. The pink-green orb floated around Chase's head, while the green-blue orb remained stolic. Chase looked at the green-pink orb before he opened the pouch again, this time holding four of his cards in his hands.

"...sorry." He placed them in the pouch and clipping it closed, causing the last orbs to vanish. The two duelists were silent, staring at the empty space in front of them. It was strange. It was like a light had been on, and now someone had switched it off. The empty dorm had suddenly gotten much colder, emptier, and quieter.

Finally, Chase sighed.

"Let's at least get this area cleaned up."

"Yeah...good idea…" Alice muttered, fingering the couch cover.

"I'm going to check on water, and try and find a bathroom. You get this area decent."

"Alright." Chase turned and headed down the left hallway. He entered the kitchen first, which opened up to the common room, but no water came from the tap. Immediately across from the kitchen was what looked like a dining room. The hallway beyond that was dark, so he swung his flashlight from side-to-side. Doorways were on every side of the hall, and Chase swung his flashlight into one of them. It was a bedroom for two people, with a bunkbed and two desks pushed against the wall. Like the common room, cobwebs and dust was everywhere, covering the green sheets. He shook his head and continued on.

The rest of the rooms weren't the same condition. Many of them had their beds or desks broken, and several had graffiti covering the walls and blankets torn up.

Halfway down the hallway, he found a communal bathroom. The tiles were cracked and faded, but when Chase turned one of the facets, there was a bit of sputtering before water came out. He nodded, satisfied. That works for now. They had a place to wash up, there was running water, and the sheets would do for the time being, until they got things organized. Heading back down the hallway, he heard sounds of movement from Alice. Then,

"WAAAAAAH-CHOO!"

"Alice?!" He increased his pace.

"I'm okay! Just dust!" He emerged into the common room to see Alice rubbing her nose. He sighed. She was always getting into something, and without Tiempo or Crystal to help keep track of her, he had the feeling his stress level would shoot up through the roof.

Maybe sealing them isn't such a good idea… He shook his head. No, I'll just have to deal with it.

"So what'd you find?"

"I found running water, and a bunch of sheets we can use. The rooms are a mess, though."

"How about we just sleep out here?" Alice pulled off the covers of another piece of furniture, sneezing as dust filled the air again. "There're plenty of couches around." It was true, as Chase could count at least eight pieces of said furniture. "Think of it as camping!" A small smile made it's way onto his face.

"Alright. I'm going to get the blankets." Several minutes later, they had two couches pushed side by side, glowsticks on the ground to provide light. Both teens had changed into their pajamas and were curled up under the blankets to protect themselves from the cold air slipping through the windows. Silence consumed the room; even the usually-bubbly Alice was swallowed. Finally, she spoke.

"Hey Chase?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think this was a good idea?" The pink-haired girl stared up at the dark ceiling.

"...I don't know." Chase clenched the edge of his blanket. "I honestly don't know." So many things could go wrong. They were going to run into opposition, that was guaranteed, but to what degree he didn't know. There were going to be challenges, but he could hope that it wouldn't be too much for them to handle. Arceus, if you're listening, send the worst at me. Spare Alice, please.

"Well, it could be worse."

"You shouldn't say that." He scolded.

"No, I mean…" Alice glanced over at the boy on the couch next to her. "I know that with my best friend with me, I can accomplish anything." She smiled, face illuminated by the glowsticks.

"...Thanks, Alice. And...thanks for having your dad give me the scholarship."

"It was nothing! Even if you're my friend, I know no one else deserved it more than you."

"Anyway," he changed the topic, "do you think you'll be okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "It may be an unfamiliar place, but the glowsticks should last 'til dawn." Chase nodded in agreement.

"We need to get this place cleaned up as soon as possible. Electricity's going to be the first priority."

"Hmm." Alice agreed. Then she grinned. "Oh look. He's back." Chase followed her pointing finger and glowered when he saw the raccoon from before sitting at the edge of one of the windows, watching them. The moonlight was streaming past it, illuminating grey fur with a white glow. "Don't make that face." She scolded. "I don't think he means any harm, do you?" The raccoon tilted his head and examined him. Chase sighed.

"Maybe not, but it's still freaky." A sharp snort came from the raccoon, but Chase ignored it. Something else came forward in his mind.

"Oh great."

"What?"

"I just realized we don't have any food for breakfast."

"We do!" Alice grinned. "Mom sent me with some Poptarts for the road, but I never ate them!" She paused, and looked at the raccoon. "Don't go stealing them from me." There was a disappointed chatter. "I'll give you one if you behave." The raccoon sat up straighter.

Internally, Chase was wondering how much the raccoon actually understood, but knew better than to voice his opinions aloud. Alice turned so she was facing the ceiling once more and snuggled deeper into her blankets.

"We have two days to get ready...before school starts. So let's do our best."

"Yeah...let's do our best." He smiled gently, before drifting off to the sound of the wind whispering through the broken windows.


Shoutout to the anonymous reviewer PikaPika Paru! She has the first review for this chapter and story! I don't know about Kitsune, but your review was really encouraging to help push through and complete this chapter! No need for regrets, Kitsune is actually very punny too. Also, thanks, BlueKira. I hope we can meet your expectations.

Until next time,

Ghost