Remnant: Time to Duel
Chapter 3
"So, where's the card shop?" Coco asked as she and the others exited the bathrooms.
"About five blocks away." Jaune answered.
"Lead the way, you two." Yang said.
"Okay. Follow us." Ilia said, rolling her eyes.
"So, what deck do you use?" Ruby asked Ilia as they made their way to the card shop.
"I use Crystal Beasts."
"Crystal Beasts?" Yang asked.
"What are they about?" Velvet asked as she and Pyrrha moved to stand on either side of Jaune. But while Jaune was oblivious to their intentions, Ilia quickly picked up on it.
"Crystal Beasts are all about sending Crystal Beast monsters to the graveyard or to the field in the Spell and Trap card zone. And once I have enough, I banish them to summon out my Rainbow Dragon." Ilia answered.
"Wait. I thought you couldn't place monsters in the Spell and Trap card zone." Yatsuhashi said, confused.
"Typically, no. But Crystal Beasts have an effect that allows them to act as continuous spell cards in the Spell and Trap card zone."
"Are there any other cards that can do that?" Blake asked.
"The only other monsters that come to mind that can do that are Union monsters. And they have an effect that allows them to equip themselves as Equip Spell cards to other compatible monsters." Jaune answered.
"Are there any decks that are all about Union monsters?" Yang asked.
"Only two archetypes come to mind. The first is the original Union Monster deck which is the VWXYZ deck. And the other deck is Inzektors."
"Speaking of archetypes. How many are there?" Pyrrha asked.
"Wow. I'm not too sure." Jaune answered. "Do you know, Ilia?"
"That's a little hard to say for a few reasons. But the last time I saw a list, I think there were roughly two hundred and fifty archetypes." Ilia answered.
"Damn. That's a lot." Coco said.
"Not really." Jaune said, confusing his friends.
"What do you mean?" Ren asked.
"Archetypes are a group of cards that belong in a family. The thing is that most archetypes do not have enough cards for someone to use them as a deck. The best example of that is the Iron Chain archetype. It literally only has six cards. Seven, if you include another card that seems it belongs to the archetype."
"Don't forget the kitchen utensil archetype." Ilia said.
"They made an archetype based around kitchen utensils?" Ruby asked, confused.
"Well, only three cards. The spoon, fork, and knife. But that's not the weirdest archetype." Jaune answered.
"What's the weirdest?" Yang asked.
"That depends on your definition of weird. But the most recent 'weird' archetype that the creators released was the Gunkan archetype. And that archetype is basically just sushi. If you look at the card artwork, you'll see that you're literally just making sushi."
"But you have to admit; it does look good." Ilia said.
"Along with hungry hamburger." Jaune chuckled.
"I'm not too sure about that."
"Okay. You guys are making us hungry." Blake said.
"Oh. Since we're in Vale, maybe we can try out that new sushi place after we finish with the card shop." Nora suggested.
"Sure. Sushi does sound nice." Ren said, with the others agreeing as they arrived at the card shop. And just like Jaune and Ilia when they first visited the card shop, the others' jaws dropped in shock at what they saw.
"Wow." They said, amazed as hundreds of decks and cards lined the shelves.
"Everyone, welcome to the Kame Game shop." Jaune said as he and Ilia chuckled.
"Damn. This is amazing." Coco said, admiring the shop.
"Wait. I thought you said there were only around two hundred and fifty archetypes. And there's clearly so many more in this room." Yatsuhashi said, confused.
"That's because, young whippersnappers, that many archetypes have sub-archetypes. Not to mention, many like to create varied decks composed of different archetypes. Some even make gimmick decks." An older male with grey hair that was wearing a bandana explained as he approached. "Welcome to the Kame Game shop."
"Thank you. Are you the owner?" Weiss asked.
"Yes. I'm the owner of the Kame Shop. My name is Sugoroku Mutou." The man said. "Now. What are you all looking for?"
"We're just browsing. And I promised to take my friends here to the shop to look for more cards to add to their decks since I recently introduced them to the game." Jaune answered.
"That's nice. It's always nice to see more people getting into the game. But anyway, as much as I would like to help, I have a few errands to run. If any of you need any help, my assistant will help. She's in the back and will come out in a few moments." Sugoroku Mutou said before exiting the store.
"He seems nice." Ruby said.
"He is." Ilia said.
"Do you know him, Jaune?" Velvet asked.
"Yeah. He was the one who taught me how the game is actually played when I thought the game was played like in the show." Jaune answered before adding. "Which, as you probably already know, is not at all how you play Yu-Gi-Oh."
"Yeah. Sometimes I feel like they are making half the things up on the spot." Blake said.
"And some cards either have different effects or are something else entirely." Ren said.
"Like the fusion monster that has the flaming sword." Yatsuhashi added.
"Well, you have to forgive them somewhat. When the first series came out, especially the first season, no one really knew what Yu-Gi-Oh was about or the rules. It wasn't until, I think, the third or fourth season of the first series that they started using the actual rules of the game." Ilia said.
"But even with the current series, they don't follow the rules one hundred percent." Jaune added. "But anyway. Care to look through the store?"
"Of course. I want to see if there are any cards I can add to my Ice Barrier deck. Or if there is another deck of ice-based monsters." Weiss answered.
"But I am curious who is... the owner's assistant." Yang said, curious. But before anyone could say anything, the back doors opened to reveal the assistant carrying some boxes. And to everyone's shock, except for Jaune and Ilia, it was someone they were not expecting.
"NEO!" They nearly shouted, shocked, that one of Vale's most notorious criminals was working at a card shop.
"Did they have to yell?" Ilia asked, slightly annoyed.
"Well, can you blame them?" Jaune said as Neo set the boxes down before turning to them with a surprised and annoyed look.
"What's she doing here?" Yang asked, ready for a fight, as her eyes turned red.
'I work here.' Neo signed.
"Uh. What?" Yang asked, confused as her eyes returned to their lilac color.
"Neo just said she works here." Weiss said.
"What were those weird hand gestures?" Ruby asked, confused.
"It's sign language. It's a system of communication using visual gestures and signs, primarily used by deaf people and people who can't speak." Weiss explained with Neo nodding.
"Well. Uh. This might be a little awkward." Yang said, as she didn't know sign language and knew Weiss would be annoyed if they had to rely on her to translate everything Neo said.
"Only if you want me to use sign language." A robotic voice said, surprising them. Turning back to Neo, they noticed she had her scroll out. "And before you ask, I downloaded a Text-To-Speech app as I was getting tired of signing everything and people misinterpreting what I say."
"Oh. Ah. So how... long have you been working here? And... why?" Yang asked, not sure what to say or how to respond.
"About six or seven years. As for why, there are three reasons. The first is because I like the game of Yu-Gi-Oh. The second is that some additional lien never hurts. I might have some saved up from my adventures with Roman, but it will run out eventually. And third. Uh. Let's just say it eventually became a form of community service after I got caught by some huntsmen."
"What about Roman?" Coco asked, internally regretting the question when Neo flinched.
"Let's not talk about him. It did not end well between us. Let's just forget he ever existed."
"How about we move on to a different topic?" Weiss suggested.
"I think that would be for the best." Ilia said.
"So, what decks do you use?" Ruby asked.
"I use two decks. The first is Ghostricks, and the second is Toons." Neo answered.
"What do they do?" Blake asked.
"And why is one deck called toons?" Nora asked.
"Toons are a special deck where they turn popular monsters into cartoon versions of themselves." Jaune answered.
"And Ghostricks?" Ruby asked.
"They are monsters themed after popular Halloween things like witches and ghosts." Ilia answered.
"As much as I want to continue this conversation." Neo said. And even though she was using a Text-To-Speech program, everyone could tell she was being sarcastic. "I have to get back to work. If you need me, I'll either be in the back rooms or behind the counter. "
"Well, this was unexpected." Yang said as Neo grabbed the boxes and left for another room.
"Yeah." Everyone else agreed.
"Fox is asking if you two knew Neo worked here?" Yatsuhashi said.
"Yeah. We've known for quite a while." Ilia answered.
"In fact, we actually met Neo at locals at one point. Granted, we didn't know it was her since she had a disguise." Jaune added. "But that's a story for another time."
"RIGHT! I WANT TO SEE IF I CAN FIND ANY OTHER CARDS TO ADD TO MY THUNDER DRAGONS!" Nora shouted.
"Nora. Calm down. We're right next to you." Ren said, causing the others to chuckle at Nora's boundless energy.
"If you need us, Jaune and I will be checking out the booster packs and accessories." Ilia said.
"Alright. We'll be here checking out the decks and archetypes." Yatsuhashi said.
Nodding, Jaune and Ilia went to the next room while everyone else stayed to look over the various decks on the walls. Yet, as Jaune and Ilia expected, it wasn't long before the others called them to help them out. Chuckling, Jaune returned to help the others while Ilia decided to check out the game mats. Although, he did wish she had come with him as she was more familiar with certain decks.
"What does this deck do, Jaune?" Blake asked.
"That is the Volcanic deck. They revolve around destroying monsters with card effects and inflicting burn damage to the opponent." Jaune answered.
"What was burn damage again?" Yang asked.
"Any damage that's not caused by your monsters battling."
"How about this deck?" Coco asked.
"That's the Gravekeeper's archetype. They're an archetype of Spellcaster monsters based on fictional ancient Egyptian tomb-keepers. Their playstyle centers around denying the opponent from using their graveyard."
"How about this one?" Weiss asked.
"Oh. Those are the Dragon Rulers. They were one of the most powerful decks to have ever existed. They even nearly made it to Tier 0 status."
"Tier 0? What does that mean?" Ren asked, confused.
"Tiers are another fan-made term but don't quote me on that. Basically, in Yu-Gi-Oh, tiers represent the frequency of how many people use that deck in tournaments, which generally ties into how powerful they are. And Tier 0 means about sixty percent of duelists were using a specific deck."
"They were that good?" Ruby asked, shocked.
"Oh, yes. They were so good that Dragon Rulers are still on the banlist."
"Did you ever go against them?" Nora asked.
"No. They came into the meta about a year after I stopped going to tournaments."
"Do you think they will even come off the banlist?" Blake asked.
"No, not without banning about seventy percent of cards currently in the meta. While most won't admit it, especially competitive players, is that they always love trying to find ways to exploit a card's effect. And Dragon Rulers can give a duelist an insane amount of advantage."
"What about this deck?" Velvet asked, pointing to the deck with the front card displaying a young female with clasped hands.
"Oh. That's a Maiden in Love deck. It's all about stealing your opponent's monsters that have Maiden counters on them. But in the Yu-Gi-Oh Gx series, they made it appear that the opponent's monsters fell in love with the Maiden in Love."
"Really?" Pyrrha asked, mind racing with ideas.
"Yup. But the deck, while kind of fun to play, isn't that great."
"Why?" Coco asked.
"It's because of the card's central mechanic, which is counters. Counters are generally bad because they are so many ways to get around them. And if you're not careful, you could even wind up getting rid of your own counters." Ilia explained as she returned.
"What's in the bag?" Yatsuhashi asked.
"Oh. Just some card sleeves and mats."
"That reminds me. We need to get you guys some card sleeves and deck boxes." Jaune said.
"Why?" Weiss asked.
"It's to prevent your cards from getting bent or damaged. And the deck boxes so you guys can bring your decks with you."
"Oh. Yeah. I've just been using a small box I found. So a deck box would be better."
"Yeah." The others agreed.
"Are there custom ones?" Coco asked. "Or ones we could customize ourselves?"
"Yes. But those are only online. Stores sell a wide variety of deck boxes, but those already have designs on them. The same goes for card sleeves." Jaune answered.
"How much do they typically go for?" Weiss asked.
"That depends on the style you want. But they range from six to forty lien. A little more if you're going for a custom one." Ilia answered.
"In that case, I think a regular one would do in the meantime." Yang said, not expecting the steep price.
"Imagine how they would react to those Shonen Jump Prize cards and how much they cost." Ilia whispered to Jaune, causing him to chuckle.
"So, where are the sleeves?" Velvet asked.
"Follow us." Jaune said as he and Ilia guided them into the next room. But they received another shock when they saw another familiar face.
"Neptune." They shouted, surprised.
"Oh. Hey." Neptune said.
"What are you doing here?" Weiss asked.
"Listen. Don't tell anyone because it could ruin me. But I love the game of Yu-Gi-Oh and come here every chance I get." Neptune nervously explained.
"Really?" Yatsuhashi asked. "For how long?"
"Since... wow. For nearly a decade, I've been coming here."
"Does Sun know?" Blake asked.
"No. He thinks I'm out buying some clothes or something. But please keep it a secret."
"Fine." Blake said, rolling her eyes.
"Thanks."
"What decks do you use?" Ruby asked. But she did wonder why Ilia and Jaune let out a groan.
"I use a U.A. Deck." Neptune said, pulling out his deck with the front card showing U.A. Midfielder.
"Knew it." Ilia and Jaune said to each other.
"WOW! THAT LOOKS SO COOL!" Nora said.
"But what does U.A. stand for?" Coco asked, curious.
"Ultimate Athlete. The U.A. archetype is themed after sports." Ilia answered.
"What about you guys? I know Jaune uses the Noble Knight and Infernoble decks while Ilia uses Crystal Beasts." Neptune asked.
"Wait. How do you know that?" Pyrrha asked.
"We've met before and dueled against each other a couple of times." Ilia answered.
"Makes sense." Velvet said. "But we should have guessed since that was obvious."
"But anyway. What decks do you guys use? Or are you looking to get into the game?" Neptune asked.
"Jaune introduced us to the game about a month ago. And this is the first time we're here to look for new cards and possibly get a new deck." Yang answered. "But I use a Brotherhood of the Fire Fist deck."
"Lunalights." Blake said.
"Ice Barriers." Weiss said.
"Thunder Dragons."
"Ancient Warriors."
"Heroic Warriors."
"I use the Superheavy Samurai deck, and Fox uses Spyrals."
"Spriggans." Coco said.
"And I use Elemental Heros." Ruby answered. "Do you want to duel?"
"Sure. And if you want, we can use the mini hologram templates." Neptune said.
"Uh. I'm not sure how to use them since we just learned about them not even an hour ago. And I don't have one." Ruby said.
"That's not a problem. The store allows duelists to borrow them so they can duel against each other. We just need to get the worker here to unlock the case."
"I'll go get Neo. Ilia. Can you show the others where the Deck Boxes and sleaves are?" Jaune asked.
"Sure." Ilia answered.
Ten Minutes Later
"Okay. I got the key." Neo said as she and Jaune returned.
"Did you show them where the deck boxes and sleeves were, Ilia?" Jaune asked as he carried a bag that had a deck in it that he planned on giving to Ruby later.
"Yes. I even showed them where the mats were." Ilia answered.
"Did you guys pick out some?" Jaune asked.
"Some plain ones since the rest is rather expensive." Weiss answered.
"But also, some of us want to see if we can get some custom ones." Coco added. "Speaking of which, do you know what sites sell them and if there are any discounts?"
"I'm not sure if there are any discounts right now. But I'll send the links to the sites later." Jaune answered.
"Okay. They're set up now. Anything else?" Neo asked.
"Uh. Maybe the instructions?" Ruby said, confused, as she looked over the template.
"Sorry. But there are no instruction manuels. Some people stole them. It's the reason why we keep them locked up now."
"Okay then. Can someone show me how to use it?"
"I think the best way would be through a duel." Neptune said.
"Yeah. I think that would be the best way." Ilia agreed before turning to Neo. "Do you mind dueling against Neptune to show Ruby how to use the hologram templates?"
"Sure. Why not. And my work day just finished. But pay attention. I don't like repeating myself." Neo answered as she sat across from Neptune and took out her deck. "Now. First, to turn it on, you move the switch on the side all the way to dueling, as the other option is only for showing what your monsters look like as holograms."
"So, like when Jaune showed us those God Cards." Ren said. But he became confused when Neo and Neptune's eyes widened in shock.
"You showed them the Egyptian God Cards?" Neptune asked, surprised.
"Yup."
"Were they shocked or in awe?" Neo asked.
"Both with a bit of fear. But can you really blame them?" Jaune said.
"No. Not really. They are quite intimidating."
"You know we're standing right here." Coco and Yang said.
"Anyway. What deck are you going to use?" Ilia asked.
"Ghostrick. I would use my Toons, but I'm fixing it."
"How do you want to do this?" Neptune asked.
"Roll some dice. Whoever is higher decides." Nodding, Neptune pressed a button on his hologram template with a hologram of two dice appearing. They rolled to show a total of eight before rolling again, with the new total being eleven. "I'll go first."
"Alright." Neptune said as they drew their cards.
"I'll activate One Day of Peace." Neo said as she placed the card in the back row of the hologram template.
"What does that card do?" Pyrrha asked.
"Both players draw a card, but neither Neo nor Neptune takes damage of any kind until the end of Neptune's turn." Jaune answered.
"Now I'll activate Ghostrick Mansion." Neo said as her template changed to look like an abandoned mansion one might see during Halloween. "I'll set one monster face down and one card in my Spell and Trap card zone and end my turn."
"My turn. I'll summon U.A. Midfielder. But I'll activate my U.A. Mighty Slugger's effect from my hand. By returning Midfielder, I can special summon Mighty Slugger to the field. Now I'll activate my Field Spell card: U.A. Stadium." Neptune said as his field changed to look like a sports stadium with a baseball player looking monster in the center column. "But since you take no damage, I'll set two cards and end my turn."
"Wait. I thought you said we can't bring cards on the field back to the hand?" Nora asked.
"You can't unless it's because of a card effect. One mechanic of the U.A. archetype is that they can special summon themselves by returning one U.A. monster from the field to the hand." Jaune explained.
"My turn. I draw. I'll flip summon my monster." Neo said as she flipped Ghostrick Skeleton into face-up attack position.
"Aw. It looks so cute." Ruby said as the Skeleton appeared on the field.
"Uh. Was it just me, or did that monster just smile and wave at us?" Coco asked as the monster turned, smiled, and waved at them.
"I think that's just a quirk of the hardware." Ilia lied.
"And due to Ghostrick Skeleton's effect, Neptune has to banish the top card of his deck." Neo said.
"Right." Neptune said as he banished the top card of his deck. "Damn. That's not good."
"Why's that?" Yang asked, curious.
"The U.A. archetype has a few fatal weaknesses. And one is that most of their monsters are high level, meaning they're dead in the hand unless you can activate their effects." Jaune answered.
"Now, I will activate Ghostrick Skeleton's other effect, which lets me put in face-down defense position. Next, I will set another monster and another card in my Spell and Trap card zone. I end my turn." Neo said as Ghostrick Skeleton waved before disappearing, almost as if it was hiding.
"My turn. I draw." Neptune said as he drew his card. "I'll activate Reinforcement of the Army to add U.A. Libero Spiker from my deck to my hand. Now I'll summon U.A. Midfielder to the field, but then I'll activate U.A. Libero Spiker's effect to special summon it by returning Midfielder to the hand. Now I will activate U.A. Signing Deal to special summon one U.A. monster from my deck. I'll summon U.A. Rival Rebounder."
"Don't forget you take damage equal to Rebounder's level times 300." Ilia said.
"Right. So I take 800 points of damage." Neptune said as his life points dropped to 7200. "But it's worth it since my monsters gain 500attack because I special summoned a U.A. monster this turn."
"And since you normal summoned U.A. Midfielder this turn, you can add another U.A. monster to your hand." Jaune said.
"Right. I keep forgetting that. I'll add U.A. Goalkeeper to my hand." Neptune said. "Now. I will activate my trap card: U.A. Penalty Box."
"What does that card do?" Blake asked.
"If a U.A. monster battles an opponent's monster, Neptune can banish that monster at the start of the damage step, but he can only activate that effect once per turn." Jaune answered.
"Now, I'll activate U.A. Powered Jersey and equip it to my Mighty Slugger."
"And in response, I'll activate my trap card." Neo said as she flipped her card to reveal Heavy Storm Duster. "And I'll target your set card and Field Spell."
"And I'll respond with my card. U.A. Turnover Tactics." Neptune said, thinking he outplayed Neo. But realization soon dawned on him as he remembered what the card did. "And I messed up."
"How?" Yatsuhashi asked.
"I mixed up this card effect for another card effect. But it's too late. I already activated it."
"So what happens now?" Yang asked.
"Both Neo and Neptune shuffle all the monsters they control into the deck and special summons the same amount. But they must have different names." Jaune answered.
"And U.A. monsters can't attack this turn." Ilia added. "And since U.A. Powered Jersey was an equip card and the monster it was equipped to is no longer on the field, it goes to the graveyard."
"And Neo's trap card still goes off since Neptune did not negate it. So Neptune's Field Spell card goes to the graveyard."
"Wow. Talk about a blunder." Blake said.
"I know. I know." Neptune said as he shuffled his monsters into the deck before bringing out U.A. Playmaker, U.A. Blockbacker, and U.A. Midfielder. "At least I have my Penalty Box Trap card on the field."
"Which won't do you much good, Neptune. Neo has Mansion on the field." Jaune said.
"Right. Your turn, Neo."
"I draw. First, I'll set one card and then activate my trap card: Ghostrick-Go-Round." Neo said as she set another card in her Spell and Trap Card zone before activating her trap card. "Now. I'll activate my monsters' effects to set Ghostrick Skeleton and Ghostrick Jiangshi. And I end my turn."
"I draw. And this card won't help me." Neptune sighed when he noticed the card he drew was another Penalty Box Trap Card. "I'll set this card and summon out Midfielder to then use him to special summon U.A. Goalkeeper. Since I have another Midfielder out on the field, I'll return him to the hand to summon out another U.A. Playmaker. And I'll move to the battle phase. I'll attack with my Playmaker."
"And since you attacked, I'll activate my trap card: Quaking Mirror Force." Neo said, flipping over her trap card.
"This is not going to end well." Neptune said as he set all his monsters in face-down defense position.
"Why's he doing that?" Pyrrha asked.
"Quaking Mirror Force effect is that it changes all your opponent's monsters to face-down defense position. And the only way to get them back to face-up attack position is by a card effect." Ilia answered.
"Anything?" Neo asked with a smirk.
"No. Your turn." Neptune answered.
"I draw. I'll start by flipping up Ghostrick Jiangshi into face-up attack position. And it's effect allows me to add a Ghostrick monster from my deck to my hand with a level equal to how many face-up Ghostrick monsters I control. I have one, so I'll add Ghostrick Specter to my hand. Now I'll flip up my Skeleton, and its effect goes off, meaning you send the top two cards to the graveyard."
"Hopefully, nothing too important." Neptune said as he banished the cards face-down.
"Now. While I could attack, I'll think I'll let you off the hook for now by setting my monsters and ending my turn." Neo said as she set her monsters.
"I draw. Okay. This might help. I'll summon Midfielder. And now, I will activate U.A. Dreadnought Dunker's effect from my hand. I return Midfielder to special summon U.A. Dreadnought Dunker. Moving to the battle phase, I will attack. And because of Mansion, it will be a direct attack."
"You're really not good with that deck. I'll activate Ghostrick-Go-Round's second effect. I target one face-down monster I control and flip it face-up. And if it's a Ghostrick monster, which it is, I get to change one face-up monster you control to face-down defense position."
"Damn. Now I have a full field of face-down monsters that I can't change to face-up attack position." Neptune said. "Ugh. I end my turn."
"I draw. I'll flip summon Jiangshi and activate her effect, allowing me to add Ghostrick Mary to my hand. And since I have a face-up Ghostrick monster on the field, I can summon Ghostrick Stien in face-up attack position."
"Why does she need another Ghostrick monster on the field to do that?" Ruby asked.
"Ghostricks have a restriction that they cannot be normal summoned unless there is another face-up Ghostrick monster on the field." Ilia answered.
"Now, I'll flip up my Skeleton, causing you to banish three more cards." Neo said.
"And I'm already halfway through my deck." Neptune muttered as he banished three cards.
"And I set my monsters again and end my turn."
"My turn." Neptune said, hoping his next card could help him. But he groaned when he saw it was U.A. Signing Deal, which led him special summon a monster to his field. Yet he had no free monster zones. "Yeah. You win, Neo. I concede the duel."
"At least you lasted longer than others." Neo said as the holograms disappeared.
"Why did Neptune give up, Jaune?" Weiss asked.
"The U.A. archetype is more of a battle-focused deck. They have limited card removal effects, and practically all of them are monster effects that activate on special summon. But Neptune has a full field of face-down monsters, so he can't do that. And face-down monsters can't activate their effects." Jaune answered.
"What about tributing? Can't he tribute summon a monster to make space?" Ren asked.
"He can. But remember, U.A. monsters need to be special summoned for their effects to activate." Ilia answered.
"What about some spells or trap cards?" Pyrrha asked.
"I have some that could have helped me. But Neo's Ghostrick Skeleton banished all but one." Neptune answered as he looked through his deck and banished cards.
"What card is that?" Velvet asked.
"Twin Twisters. By paying 500 life points, I can destroy two spell or trap cards on the field. But Neo has Ghostrick Stein on the field, which allows her to add one Ghostrick spell or trap from her deck to her hand. Which means she can easily replace the cards I destroy."
"So Neo basically took away all outs Neptune had and put him into a position where he could do nothing, right?" Yatsuhashi asked.
"Pretty much." Ilia answered.
"Do you understand how these hologram templates work now?" Neo asked as she gathered her cards.
"I think so." Ruby answered. "You just play normally, right?"
"Pretty much. Just play as you normally would without a hologram template. The only thing to keep in mind is the buttons on the side, as they control some other stuff like dice and tokens. And the hologram template does the rest." Neo said as she stood up. "Anything else you guys need?"
"No. Thanks, Neo." Jaune answered.
"Wait. You said you're clocking out. Does that mean the store is closing soon?" Weiss asked.
"No. The store is open for another few hours. My shift just ended." Neo answered.
"Are there any other employees?" Blake asked.
"Yes. But they work on the weekends. And the owner should be here any second." Neo answered. And no sooner than she said this, the bell rang. "And that's probably him."
But it wasn't.
"Oh. Hello, students." A cheery and eccentric-sounding voice said.
"Professor Peach!" Jaune and his teammates said, shocked. And who could blame them? They were certainly not expecting to see Beacon's resident herbologist and wilderness survival expert at a card shop.
"That's me." Peach said with a giggle.
"What are you doing here, Professor Peach?" Coco asked.
"I thought you had something to do at Beacon." Weiss said.
"Oh, I finished that. It was simply identifying some plants and seeing what dust types were affecting them. But to answer your other question, I'm doing a simple survey of shop owners with plants outside their store." Peach answered.
"Well, you're a bit out of luck. The owner is not here." Neo said, having already created an illusion so Professor Peach wouldn't recognize her.
"Aw, pooh. But do you know when he will be back?"
"He should be back..." Neo began before a message from the owner appeared on her scroll. "In about a half-hour."
"Well, that gives me some time."
"So, what are you going to do, Professor?" Pyrrha asked, curious.
"Well, seeing that I have roughly half an hour to spare and I'm in what seems to be a card game shop. I might as well try out whatever card game you all are playing."
"Really?" Velvet asked, surprised.
"Of course. I might be a botanist and survivalist expert, but I have other hobbies and enjoy learning new things."
"That makes sense. But yeah, we can teach you if you want." Jaune offered.
"I would appreciate it, Jaune. But first things first. What is the name of the card game, and what do I need?" Peach asked.
"It's called Yu-Gi-Oh. And all you would need is a deck. Fortunately, you're in a shop dedicated to Yu-Gi-Oh."
"What kind of decks are there? Are there any themed ones?"
"There are hundreds of different types of decks with themes." Ilia answered.
"Are there any plant-based ones?"
"If memory serves me right, there are four archetypes relating to plants. They are Sylvans, Predaplants, Aroma, and Rikka. Although Rikka is kind of new, so I'm not sure if the shop has it yet." Neptune answered.
"We don't. We're not expecting copies of the deck for another month." Neo answered.
"What do you all suggest I choose?" Peach asked.
"I don't think Predaplants since it's a very aggressive archetype with menacing plants. And their lore is a bit dark as well." Jaune said.
"What about Sylvans?" Yang asked.
"Sylvans are basically the entire forest, as the name roughly translates to 'all things in nature.' Plants, food, trees, you name it, it's in the archetype." Ilia answered.
"And Aromas?" Coco asked.
"Aromas are all about monsters named after tools and various species of flowers, all of which are used to produce and utilize medicinal and culinary herbs. And the herbs, flowers, and spices they use are generally used for aromatherapy." Jaune answered.
"I think I will choose the Aromas then." Peach said.
"Are you sure?" Jaune asked.
"Yes."
"Alright. Give me a moment, and I'll get the deck." Neo said before heading to the other room.
Ten Minutes Later
"Sorry, that took a while. I forgot the owner rearranged some of the decks." Neo said as she returned.
"That's fine. While you were gone, my students were teaching me some of the basics of the game." Peach said.
"It is a lot to take in." Yang said.
"No, not really. But then again, I have dabbled in some Table Top RPGs where you need to know a lot of rules before you can even play. So I might just be used to games with a lot of rules or mechanics."
"Speaking of which, what's the hardest deck in Yu-Gi-Oh?" Yatsuhashi asked.
"There's no clear-cut answer to that, mainly because some decks have a harder mechanic to learn than other decks. But I would say the most complex deck to play is a D/D/D deck as that deck's strategies constantly changes with the game state." Jaune answered.
"Wouldn't that be with every deck?" Blake asked.
"No. D/D/Ds are a special case, as they use every summoning mechanic in the game." Ilia answered.
"Luckily, Aromas aren't that difficult. They're pretty straightforward." Jaune said.
"Here's the deck. And where's the other guy?" Neo asked.
"Neptune left. He said he had to meet up with Sun for something." Yang answered.
"Well, if you need me, I'm at the front desk." Neo said before leaving.
"Okay. Now that we have the deck and have shown you how to use the hologram templates, we need someone for you to duel against." Weiss said.
"Actually. Let's let Ruby duel against Professor Peach." Jaune said.
"Me?" Ruby asked, surprised. "Why?"
"It will be good practice. Plus, remember how the owner said there were sub-archetypes?"
"Yeah."
"Well, the Hero archetype has many sub-archetypes. And I got you one to use in your Elemental Hero deck." Jaune answered as he pulled a deck out of the bag. And the front of the deck shows a card with the name Masked Hero Dian. "This is a Masked Hero deck."
"Cool. Thanks, Jaune." Ruby said, looking through the deck. But she became confused when she realized some of the monsters were the same. "Uh. Some of them are Elemental Heroes. I thought you said this is a Masked Heroes deck."
"It is. Masked Heroes monsters are a special kind of Fusion Monsters. Rather than using a fusion spell card, they use the spell card: Mask Change. And Mask Change targets Hero monsters and sends them to the graveyard to summon a Masked Hero monster from the Extra Deck with the same attribute."
"Oh. That's why there's only a couple of Hero monsters here, and each one has a different attribute." Ruby said.
"So what do you say, Ruby? Care to be Professor Peach's first opponent." Jaune asked.
"YES!" Ruby shouted before zooming to sit across from Peach.
"Calm down, sis." Yang said, chuckling as Jaune set up Peach's hologram template while Ilia did the same for Ruby.
"How do we decide who goes first?" Peach asked as she drew five cards.
"Anyway is fine as long as both parties agree to it. Then the winner decides if they want to go first or second." Ilia answered.
"How about we flip a coin?" Peach suggested.
"Sure." Ruby answered as she drew her five cards. "Heads or tails?"
"I'll choose heads."
"Alright. And we just click the button with the coin on it." Ilia said as she pressed the button. The hologram templets then displayed a hologram of a coin that started to flip for a few seconds before landing on tails.
"You go first." Ruby said.
"Okay. Trap cards need to be set first, right?" Peach asked as she looked at the cards in her hand.
"Yes, and you need to wait until your opponent's turn to activate them. But there are exceptions." Jaune answered.
"Alright. I'll set two cards face-down. Next, I'll activate Aroma Gardening. And, uh. Where is the zone for... field spells?"
"Right here." Ilia said, pointing to the upper left zone.
"Okay. I'll summon Aromage Jasmine in face-up attack position. Next, I'll activate my field spell: Aroma Garden." Peach said while her field changed to look like a garden with hundreds of types of flowers. And in her center monster zone, a young girl with white hair carrying a bag appeared. "Now, I'll use my field spell's effect."
"And because of that, Peach's life points increase by 500, and Jasmine's attack and defense increase by 500 points. And Jasmine's effect activates, allowing Peach to draw one card." Jaune said.
"Okay. I'll draw and set the card. And I can't attack since it's my first turn."
"Right." Ilia answered.
"Okay. I end my turn. Your turn, Ruby." Peach said.
"I draw." Ruby said as she drew a card.
"Can I activate my set cards now?" Peach asked.
"Yes. You can." Jaune answered.
"I activate my three trap cards." Peach said as she activated Blessed Winds, Dried Winds, and Humid Winds.
"Wow. She got all those cards on the same turn. That's lucky." Ilia said.
"Why?" Yang asked.
"Those cards are the main playmakers of the Aroma archetype. With them, Peach now has plenty of options for almost anything." Ilia explained.
"Alright. Let's see. I'll activate Solidarity. Now I will normal summon Elemental Hero Woodsman. I'll then use my spell card: Mask Change. And it says that by sending one Elemental Hero monster I control to the graveyard, I can special summon one Mask Hero monster from my Extra Deck with the same attribute." Ruby said before looking through her Extra Deck. "I'll special summon Masked HERO Dian in attack position."
"Man. I can't wait to get our own hologram templates." Yang said as Masked HERO Dian appeared on the field and drew out its sword.
"I'll set two cards. And now, because I have no other cards in my hand, I can special summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman in attack position. Now I move to the battle phase."
"Since your monsters have more attack points, I think, and I have no other monsters in my hand, I will activate Humid Winds." Peach said.
"What does that do?" Velvet asked.
"Peach pays 1000 life points to add one Aroma monster from her deck to hand." Jaune answered as he changed Peach's life points to 7500.
"So, which card will you choose?" Ilia asked as she showed Peach some cards.
"I will choose... this one." Peach said, adding Aromage Marjoram to her hand.
"Now I will attack your cute Jasmine with Masked HERO Dian." Ruby said.
"Now Peach has the option to activate Aroma Gardening." Jaune said.
"I will." Peach said, looking at the card's text to see what it does. "While I have lower life points, I can special summon one Aroma monster from my deck."
"Which one this time?" Ilia asked.
"I'll summon Aroma Rosemary." Peach answered as she summoned Rosemary next to Jasmine.
"And because she summoned an Aroma monster, Aroma Gardening's other effect activates. Peach gains 1000 life points." Jaune said as he raised Peach's life points to 8500. "Since her life points increased, Rosemary's, Jasime's, and Dried Wind's effect activate."
"ALL OF THEM?" The others asked, surprised.
"Yup. Peach can now draw a card because of Jasmine's effect, change a face-up monster's attack position due to Rosemary's effect, and destroy one face-up monster Ruby controls due to Dried Wind's effect."
"I'll destroy Masked Hero Dian and change Bubbleman to defense position." Peach said as she drew a card.
"Okay. Since I can't do anything else, I guess I end my turn." Ruby said.
"My turn. And I draw. Since my life points are higher, I can special summon Aromage Laurel."
"And Aroma Gardening's effect activates, bringing Peache's life points to 9500." Jaune said. "Now Dried Winds, Jasmin's, Rosemary's, and Laurel's effect activate."
"So my Bubbleman is destroyed." Ruby pouted as she placed Elemental Hero Bubbleman in the graveyard.
"And I change Jasmine to defense position while I draw a card." Peach said as she drew a card. "But what does Aromage Laurel do?"
"You can choose one other monster you control, and it becomes a Tuner monster." Ilia answered.
"What are Tuner monsters for?"
"You need them to Synchro summon."
"Okay. I will choose my Rosemary." Peach said after looking through her Extra Deck. "And I will do that summon thing. I will bring out Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram. I gain only the effects of Aroma Gardening once, right?"
"Yes. Only once during either player's turn." Jaune answered as Peach sent Jasmine and Rosemary to the graveyard.
"Alright. And because I haven't used my once-per-turn normal summon, I'll bring out Aromage Cananga." Peach said as she summoned the monster next to Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram. "And before I battle, I will activate my Field Spell."
"And Peach now has 10,000 life points." Jaune said.
"Is there a limit to how many life points Peach can have?" Yatsuhashi asked.
"Nope."
"How high can her life points become?" Ren asked, curious.
"As high as she wants. The Aromage archetype is the best when it comes to gaining life points. If Peach wants to drag it out, she could theoretically get her life points to 100,000." Ilia answered.
"Wow, that's a lot." Nora said.
"And since Peach gained life points again, Aromage Cananga's and Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram's effect activates." Jaune said.
"What do they do?" Pyrrha asked.
"Aromage Cananga's effect lets Peach return one spell or trap card Ruby controls to the hand. And Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram's effect lets her destroy another card." Ilia answered.
"I'll return this card to the hand and destroy the other." Peach said, pointing to the left card to have it return to the hand.
"Can I activate my card in response?" Ruby asked.
"Yes. But only if you meet the conditions." Jaune answered.
"I do. I'll activate my Call of the Haunted, which lets me bring back my Masked Hero Dian." Ruby said.
"Unfortunately, Ruby. That's not going to work." Jaune said.
"Why?"
"Call of the Haunted has the effect where if it leaves the field, the monster you brought back gets destroyed. And Peach destroyed the card. So in the end, your monster ends up back in the graveyard." Ilia answered.
"Aw." Ruby pouted.
"And the other card returns to your hand." Jaune reminded.
"Right."
"Now I will attack with all my monsters." Peach said.
"Which will bring Ruby's life points down to 2100." Jaune said.
"Your turn, Ms. Rose." Peach said, smiling.
"I draw." Ruby said. "I'll activate my spell card: Mask Charge."
"What does that do?" Coco asked.
"It lets Ruby add one Hero monster and one Change quick-play spell card from her graveyard to her hand." Jaune answered.
"I'll choose my Elemental Hero Bubbleman and Mask Change quick-play spell card." Ruby said, adding both cards to her hand. "Now I will summon my Elemental Hero Bubbleman and activate my Mask Change on it."
"Which monster are you bringing out?" Yang asked.
"My Masked Hero Vapor." Ruby answered as the monster's hologram came appeared.
"And because Ruby's graveyard only has warrior-type monsters in it, Masked Hero Vapor now has 3200 attack points." Ilia said. "But Aromage Cananga lowers Ruby's monsters' attack and defense by 500. So Vapor only has 2800."
"How much attack does Professor Peach's monsters have?" Ruby asked.
"Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram has 2700 attack points. Aromage Laurel has 1300 attack points while Aromage Cananga has 1900 attack points." Jaune answered.
"That monster that lowers my monsters' attack points seems important, so I should attack it. But Laurel is weaker, so I can deal more damage if I attack it." Ruby said, going over her options.
"Don't forget that Peach's monster can destroy your monster with its effect." Weiss reminded.
"Actually, no." Ilia said.
"Really? Why?" Peach asked, confused.
"Masked Hero Vapor has an effect that says it cannot be destroyed by card effects."
"However, Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram can destroy Solidarity." Jaune added.
"Right. So I will attack Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram with my Masked Hero Vapor." Ruby said.
"Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram is destroyed, and Peach's life points go down to 9,900." Jaune said.
"Since I can't do anything else, I will end my turn." Ruby said.
"Wait." Ilia interjected. "Two of Peach's effects activate."
"Really? Which ones? I thought they only activate when Professor Peach gains life points." Ren asked.
"One monster in Peach's hand has the effect where it special summons itself when a plant-type monster is destroyed by battle. And Aroma Garden second goes off when an Aroma monster is destroyed by battle or card effect and is sent to the graveyard. Peach now gains a new monster and 1000 life points." Ilia said as she placed Aromage Marjoram on the field. "And when Aromage Marjoram special summons itself through this effect, Peach gains an additional 500 life points."
"So Peach is now at 11,400 life points. And because she gained life points, Aromage Cananga's effect activates. Peach can return one spell or trap card Ruby controls to her hand."
"So Solidarity goes back to my hand." Ruby said.
"Is that it?" Pyrrha asked.
"For now." Jaune answered. "Do you end your turn, Ruby?"
"I thought I already did?" Ruby asked, confused.
"Yes. But we forgot about some card effects. So, for this time only, we'll let you decide if you still want to end your turn or do something else."
"Okay. I will set one card and activate Solidarity again."
"Now is Peach's turn." Ilia said.
"I draw. I will activate my Blessed Wings Trap card to special summon my Rosemary from the graveyard." Peach said.
"And that brings Peach's life points down to 10,400. But Aroma Gardening's effect activates, giving Peach 1000 life points. So her life points remain the same." Jaune said.
"And let me guess. All her monster's effect activates." Yang said.
"Okay. Let me see if I got this. Aromage Laurel lets me change one monster into a tuner. So, I'll choose it. Aromage Cananga lets me return one spell or trap card Ms. Rose controls back to her hand. Am I right so far?" Peach asked.
"Yes." Jaune answered.
"Which card do you want me to return?" Ruby asked.
"Your face down card." Peach answered.
"Okay. Not too bad." Ruby said as she returned the card to her hand.
"Now Dried Winds activate, but your monster cannot be destroyed by card effects, so it does nothing. And what does Aromage Marjoram do?"
"Aromage Marjoram allows you to banish cards from Ruby's graveyard up to the number of Aromage monsters you control. You have four, so you can banish up to four cards." Ilia answered.
"I will banish Mask Charge, Quick Change, the Bubblema, and the other Mask Hero." Peach said.
"Wait. Can Peach look at my graveyard?" Ruby asked.
"Yes. The graveyard is public information. But it's best to tell your opponent you want to check their graveyard before doing so. And when you do, you cannot change the order of the cards." Ilia answered while removing the four cards from play.
"Alright. Now I will do the special summon from my deck. What was it called again? The one that required a tuner?" Peach asked.
"Synchro summoning." Jaune answered.
"I will Synchro summon Aromaseraphy Rosemary." Peach said, sending Rosemary and Laurel to the graveyard. "And I will activate my Field Spell."
"Peach's life points are now 11,900. Aromaseraphy Rosemary effects activate. All of Peach's plant-type monsters now gain 500 attack and defense points in addition to the attack and defense points Field Spell gives. And now Peach can target one card Ruby controls and negates its effect."
"I will choose Solidarity." Peach said.
"Mask Hero Vapor's attack is now 1900 because Cananga's effect is still in effect." Ilia said.
"I move to the battle phase and attack Vapor with my Aromaseraphy Rosemary."
"That's 1100 life point damage." Jaune said. "Ruby now has 1000 life points."
"And with my next attack, I believe I won." Peach said as Ruby's life points dropped to zero.
"Yup. You won the duel, Professor Peach." Jaune answered.
"Yes. That was fun."
"But not as much fun for me. I really wanted to see more of my Masked Heroes." Ruby pouted.
"Don't worry, Ruby. When we get back to Beacon, we can duel a bit more if you want." Jaune said.
"YES!" Ruby cheered. "But can we still buy some hologram templates?"
"Of course. But we still need to wait for the owner to return." Jaune said.
"Not anymore since I'm here, young whippersnappers." Sugoroku Mutou said, surprising them.
"Are you the owner of this store?" Peach asked, already standing with her clipboard in hand.
"Yes. I am."
"Good. I have a few questions for you." Peach said as she led Sugoroku back into the other room.
"But we might have to wait a while." Jaune said.
"Yeah." The other said, knowing that when Peach started talking about her hobby, it was very hard for anything to get her to stop.
"What should we do in the meantime?" Coco asked.
"We duel some more." Ren said.
"Which reminds me." Yatsuhashi said. "Is it possible to do duels with two or more players on a team?"
"Yup. Those are called tag duels. Typically they are two vs. two. But when it comes to casual play, you can have more people playing." Jaune answered.
"Maybe we can do one while we wait." Velvet said, moving closer to Jaune.
"It would be fun." Pyrrha added, doing the same as Velvet while glaring at her.
"Sure. But let's keep it at two vs. two. And since I promised Ruby, she can be on my team if she wants." Jaune said.
"YES!" Ruby cheered but went quiet when she noticed the glare Pyrrha and Velvet sent her way.
"Who wants to duel against us?" Jaune asked, oblivious.
"Well, I think whoever goes might need Ilia's help." Ren said.
"True." Ilia agreed. "So, who wants to duel with me?"
"I'LL GO! I WANT MY REVENGE!" Nora answered as she took out her deck, causing everyone to chuckle.
"We'll see about that. It's time to duel." Ruby said as she took out her new deck.
"Wait for us." Jaune and Ilia said as they sat down. Yet, as they dueled, Pyrrha and Velvet continued to glare at Ruby while the others watched.
Three Weeks Later
"Peach. May I come in?" Glynda Goodwitch asked as she knocked on the door of her coworker.
"Yes." Peach answered. Taking a step back, Glynda opened the door and stepped inside to see Peach sitting at her desk. "Yes, Glynda? Do you need something?"
"I just wanted to come and check on you. But I also wanted to ask if you have finished preparing everything you need for the Vytal Festival."
"Well, I'm fine. A little busy since I fell behind on grading some papers. But as for the Vytal Festival, everything is ready. And I triple-checked the medical wing to ensure we had the necessary supplies."
"Good. That's good. Knowing the students, it will be inevitable they will get into a fight outside of the matches." Glynda said, rubbing her temples as she still did not understand why someone thought it was a good idea to give teenagers weapons. But when she opened her eyes, she noticed some strange cards on Peach's desk. "What are those, Peach?"
"Oh, these?" Peach asked, raising some Aromage cards. "These are Yu-Gi-Oh cards."
"Yu-Gi-Oh cards?" Glynda asked, confused.
"Yes. Yu-Gi-Oh cards. It's a very fun card game. And some of our students play them."
"Do you know which ones?"
"Yes. Team Rwby. Team Jnpr. And Team Cfvy. But it was Mr. Arc from Team Jnpr that introduced the others to the game."
"Figures it's them." Glynda sighed. "But how do you know about it?"
"Oh, I was going around Vale, conducting a survey of store owners that have plants outside their store. And one of them just happened to be a card shop dedicated to Yu-Gi-Oh. And Mr. Arc and his friends were there. I thought it was only going to be a quick visit until an employee told me the owner wouldn't be back for about a half-hour. So, to kill some time, I decided to ask them if they could teach me how to play the game. And I liked it so much; I decided to buy the deck they allowed me to try out."
"Was it difficult to learn?"
"Not really. But that's because I'm used to games with many rules and mechanics. But I can see some people might have trouble learning the game's rules."
"Is it actually fun?" Glynda asked, curious.
"Oh, yes. But only if you find card games interesting."
"Hmm. I see. Well, anyway. It was good talking to you, Peach. But I have to go and check on Professor Port. Have a good day." Glynda said, making her way to the door.
"You too, Glynda."
"Oh, and before I leave. Your office smells nice, Peach. It smells of Jasmine and Rosemary." Glynda said, "What are you using? Candles or some diffusers?"
"Oh. Uh. Some candles a friend made and sent me. And yes. It's Jasmine and Rosemary. Do you like it?" Peach nervously asked.
"Yes. It's much more fragrant and pleasant than anything I had used before."
"Do you want me to send you some?"
"If it's not too much trouble." Glynda said before leaving and closing the door.
"That was too close." Peach said with a sigh. However, she smiled when the scent of marjoram wafted into her office. "Thanks, guys."
Notes:
I know Neptune didn't play his U.A. deck how it's supposed to be played. But there is a reason for that.
Spartastic 4: Yeah, I'm still not 100 percent sure if I will bring the Duel Spirits into the story. But if I do, they will be more life companions/good friends to their deck masters. They won't be all knowing or overbearing.
Masters123lfm: Yes, Ruby will have nearly all Hero cards except for Dark Heros and possibly Vision Heros. But also yes, she will soon gain the Neo-Spacian cards. And to answer your other question, yes and thanks for the suggestion. There will be a few duels during the Vytal Festival and a few ideas for it as well. And I will have them with real solid holograms when they duel.
Here are some deck ideas for future characters I have. Not sure if they fit or not since, despite having more than two hundred archetypes, very few fit.
Emerald: Vison Heros
Qrow: Black wings
Penny: Desk Bots or Sky Strikers
Maria: Summoned Skull
Salem: Earthbound Immortal
Glynda: Spellbooks
Neptune: Mermail. But because he is afraid of water, he chooses to use an earth deck that he thinks looks cool but he doesn't know how to use well, while his true deck is a water deck that he knows how to use but refuses to use.
Flynt: Symphonic Warrior or a Djinn deck. (Djinn as in the little demons playing musical instruments that are XYZ monsters. Not the ritual support monsters.)
Neon: F.A. (Kinda loose, but how she skates and the blur trail she leaves behind reminds me of the card artwork for some F.A. monsters.)
Ironwood: Either Cyberdragons or Cyberdark Reason: Ironwood was highly respected, had a humiliating lost, and then went dark. Similar to Zane.
Winter: Rikka or Icejade
Wiess: Might change to Nekroz.
Doctor Oobleck: Ancient Gears or a chronomaly deck
Ozpin: A Golden Castle of Stromberg deck or a spell caster deck
There will be more coming but that's what I have so far.