The next morning
Everyone was currently in class. The first years, including Ash, were at the bottom of the row while the upperclassmen were at the top.
Speaking of Ash, he was currently staring into space.
The first teacher then showed up and it turned out to be Dr. Crowler.
"Take your seats!" Dr. Crowler said. "I won't repeat myself; I am your first teacher of the day, Dr. Vellian Crowler and I teach the different types of cards. Now can anyone tell me the three types of cards in Duel Monsters and their categories? How about you, miss Rhodes?" Alexis nodded and stood up.
Ash then snapped back to reality.
"Duel Monsters cards can be grouped into Normal, Effect, Ritual, Fusion, and the Trap and Spell cards that can also be monsters or summon token monsters. Trap cards can be grouped into Normal, Continuous, and Counter Traps. And Spell cards can be grouped into Normal, Quick-Play, Field, Continuous, Equip and Ritual Cards." Alexis addressed to the entire class.
"Perfect!" Crowler said, happily. "Outstanding! Of course, I'd expect nothing less from one of my Obelisks!"
"Yes, Dr. Crowler." She responded as she sat back down.
"Hmm, now who shall we question next?" The doctor directed his attention to the lower seats, eyeing the Slifers until he found a perfect vic… I mean candidate. "You! Syrus Truesdale!" His voice caused the little, light blue-haired boy to jump to his seat. "Explain to the class, what a Field Spell is, please."
"Uh… a Field Spell… is the thing… that affects the thing…" Syrus started stammering and shaking, trying to avert his eyes from the class.
"Even pre-duelers know the answer to this one, ya Slifer Slacker!" One of the Obelisk students taunted causing most of the Blues to laugh out loud. Chazz was smirking but Alexis was shaking her head at everyone laughing.
"Leave him alone." Ash demanded. He wasn't thrilled to hear them disrespect Syrus.
He then raised his hand.
"Perhaps you can answer the question." Dr. Crowler noted.
"A Field Spell is a type of spell that as the name suggests affects the entire field. Skyscraper is a example of one." Ash correctly answered Dr. Crowler's question
"He's right Doc." Jaden said. "And by the way, you really should stop making fun of the Slifers because I'm a Slifer and I beat you with Skyscraper so when you make fun of the Reds you're really making fun of yourself."
The Slifers began laughing at that comment causing Dr. Crowler to bite his handkerchief in anger.
Sometime later
Thankfully, the next teacher was Slifer Red Headmaster...
"Alright class, as some of you may know, my name is Professor Lyman Banner." He greeted. "I specialize in some of the lesser know tactics in the world of dueling, some that might be unnatural to even the expierenced duelist..."
By the way," Syrus whispered to Jaden who was dozing off during Banner's lecture. "Thanks, Jay."
"No problem Syrus, for what?" Jaden asked, sleepily.
"For sticking up for me!" Syrus replied a little too loud, making the Professor stop his lecture.
Jaden noticed Banner looking in their direction. "Uh-oh, I may have to do it again."
"Syrus?" Banner asked.
Syrus stood up from his seat like he did during Crowler's lecture, "Uh,Yes?"
"Do me a favor and pick up Pharaoh will you?"
"Uh, Pharaoh?" Syrus questioned.
"Unless you're thinking about minoring as a scratching post." Banner joked.
Syrus was confused until he felt something brush up against his leg. It was the fat tabby cat that was sleeping during the Slifer Welcome dinner. Once again, a chorus of laughter was had at Syrus's expense as the boy picked up the cat and returned it to it's owner.
In Crowler's office
He was currently writing a letter.
"I'll make Jaden Yuki regret defeating me during the entrance exam." He grumbled as he folded up the letter and placed inside an envelope. "It'll be the last mistake he'll ever make." He then picked up a mirror and start placing red lipstick on his lips. As he finished, he kissed the back of the letter and chuckled to himself. "The big kiss-off!" Next, he ran out of his office and into the boys' locker room, since Jaden's next class was gym with Fonda Fontaine, the gym instructor. He placed the letter into what he thought was Jaden's, after seeing his boots at the bottom of it and left as quick as possible.
During the gym class, while most of the students were being introduced to their gym instructor, Syrus was running late.
"Lousy girl's gym!" He said to himself. "Why did they have to make the signs so small?" He ran inside and opened the locker and noticed Jaden's shoes. "I see Jaden's still using my locker." As if by some divine movement, he also noticed envelope that fell literally onto Syrus's feet.
"What's this?" He noticed the lipstick smudge. "This isn't Jaden's, somebody wrote me a letter!" He quickly ducked in between two sets of lockers and opened the letter. "Wonder what this says?"
From the moment I first set eyes on you, I've been in love with you. Meet me tonight in the back of the Obelisk Girl's Dormitory so I can give you a big kiss.
Endearingly,
Alexis Rhodes.
Syrus nearly passed out after he wrote it. "This is way better than what my mom writes me!" He exclaimed and started having a daydream about him and Alexis getting together.
Ash had chosen to take a walk around the island to clear his head.
He observed Syrus running off somewhere, with a big, happy grin on his face.
"Where's he going?" Ash followed him to see where he was going. By the time he caught up, Syrus was already in a rowboat heading off to the girls' dorm.
"Alexis! I'm coming for you, my darling!" Syrus said.
'I'm going after him.' He thought to himself.
While he went to find another rowboat, Syrus made it to the girl's campus where he was thought he was going to meet Alexis at. Little did her know, Crowler was hiding in the bushes in that designated spot, wearing a tight, black leotard.
'This will be perfect, thanks to that faux love letter I wrote!' Crowler thought, going over the plan in his mind. 'I'll just wait here for Jaden to come around while he searches for Alexis. And when the time's right, I'll snap a picture of him, creating evidence that will get him expelled!'
Meanwhile...
Alexis was relaxing in a hot spring with her friends Jasmine and Mindy.
She was impressed with what happened in class.
"I'm intrigued by him." She said.
"Who?" Jasmine asked after coming over to her.
"Ash Ketchum." Alexis responded. "He and Jaden seem to be really good duelists."
"Well, let's find out how good they are." Mindy suggested.
"Alexis!" Syrus called out. The Obelisk Headmaster's eyes bugged out seeing him here.
"That's not Jaden, it's that field spell nitwit!" Crowler shouted. His yelling ended up attracting some trouble, if you were a male that is...
"What's a boy doing here!?" A girl called cried out, alerting the other girls.
"I'm not a boy, I'm a man..." Crowler said, thinking he was discovered. He then covered his mouth and dove into the water to escape, clumsily. But it wasn't him the girls spotted, it was poor, little Syrus. The guy didn't have a chance as a crowd of angry girls in their pajamas surrounded him, tied him up and brought him into the dorm for questioning.
"A love letter from Alexis?" Mindy, a black haired girl asked after hearing Syrus's explanation. She also brought Alexis, still in her uniform to confirm it. "You've got to be kidding!"
"Just ask her, it's true!" Syrus replied, winking at Alexis.
"Uh, hello..." Jasmine, a brunette girl, retorted. "Alexis is really tall and skilled at dueling, and you're reall short and an amateur."
"But it's true!" Syrus protested, pulling out the letter. "Just read it!" Alexis took the note as she and the other girls looked over it.
"Syrus, my name's not spelled right." She said.
"So you don't love me?" He asked. The girls groaned at his persistence.
"Hey, hold on!" Jasmine interrupted, looking over the front of the envelope. "This note's addressed to Jaden Yuki!" And for emphasis, she pointed it out to the little guy, disappointing him.
"Aw, I can't even get a fake love letter?" The young Slifer complained.
"Sorry, Syrus." Alexis apologized. "Guess we have no reason to keep you here."
"Hold on, he could've written the note as an excuse to come here!" Jasmine wasn't ready to let this go.
"So we should turn him in then?" Mindy asked.
"Girls, just what is going on down there?" The girls looked up in the balcony seeing Miss Fontaine looking over the balcony. Jasmine and Mindy hid Syrus, so she wouldn't see him as well. "Alright, what's going on?"
"Sorry about the noise, Miss Fontaine." Alexis said to the Obelisk Headmistress. "We'll be sure to keep the noise down."
"Well I hope so, it's nearly Midnight!" Miss Fontaine said as she headed back to her room. "And I have Pilates in the morning." As soon as they were sure that their headmistress was sound asleep, they got Syrus out of hiding.
"So, what now?" Jasmine asked.
"I'll tell you what now, girls..." Alexis said, putting a smirk. "We'll use Syrus as bait."
"What for?" Mindy asked.
"Remember what we were discussing earlier?" Alexis asked. "We're gonna find out how good he is."
Ash was using a rowboat to follow Syrus when he heard beeping from his Duel Pilot.
"We're holding Syrus hostage." A deep and mysterious voice said. "Meet us at the girl's dorm."
He continued rowing to the girl's dorm.
He continued rowing to the girl's dorm.
When he got there, Alexis and her friends were waiting,
"Here he comes!" Mindy called out.
He pulled up to shore and approached the three.
"Alexis." Ash calmly greeted her.
"Your friend trespassed into the girls' campus." Jasmine said.
"I told you." Syrus interjected. "It wasn't like that!"
"Now that you're here, you're trespassing, too!" Mindy added, ignoring Syrus's comment.
"Let me guess, you want a duel." Ash assumed with a sigh.
Alexis and her friends were caught off guard that he figured out what their intention is.
"Alright, let's duel." He said in a flat tone.
The duel took place on the lake with Ash and Alexis standing up in a couple of boats. Syrus was in his boat, while Mindy and Jasmine were in Alexis's.
Crowler floated in the water nearby, finally coming out of hiding, but still far away from the students. "Teach him a lesson, Alexis."
"Duel!" Both players drew their opening hands.
Alexis: 4000
Ash: 4000
"Let's do it." Ash declared.
Alexis drew her sixth card. "Etoile Cyber, rise!" A red-headed ballerina in an orange leotard spun as she appeared.
Etolie Cyber
EARTH
Level 4
Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 1600
If this card attacks, it gains 500 ATK during the Damage Step only.
"I'm also playing one card face-down."
"Well then, I guess it's my turn." Ash announced before looking at what was in his hand.
"I'll summon Tribe-Infecting Virus in attack mode." He declared
Tribe-Infecting Virus
WATER
Level 4
Aqua/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1000
Discard 1 card from your hand and declared 1 Type of monster. Destroy all face-up monsters of the declared type on the field.
"Now I'll use Tribe-Infecting Virus's effect." He declared, placing 1 card in his hand in the graveyard. "I'll declare Warrior."
Etolie Cyber then exploded.
"What just happened?" Jasmine asked, slightly confused.
"Tribe-Infecting Virus is what happened. With it, I can declare 1 monster type and destroy all monsters with that type." Ash briefly explained.
'He didn't take the bait.' Alexis thought, surprised. 'I was expecting him to attack so I could activate my trap card Doble Passe.'
It was clear he was a lot smarter than he let on.
"I'll bring Etolie Cyber back to my hand with The Warrior Returning Alive." Alexis announced.
Then she placed another card in her duel disk.
"Next, I fuse it and Blade Skater." Alexis's new monster had light blue skin and hair wearing an orange and white leotard and a set of futuristic glasses over her eyes.
Cyber Blader
EARTH
Level 7
Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 800
A Fusion Summon of this card can only be done with the above Fusion Materials. This card gains the following effect, based on the number of monsters your opponent controls.
1: Cannot be destroyed by battle
2: This card's ATK is doubled.
3: Your opponent's activated card effects are negated.
"Now Cyber Blader, attack Tribe-Infecting Virus with Whirlwind Rage!" The monster went into a spin as she launched towards Tribe-Infecting Virus. Suddenly a foot lashed out and destroyed it.
Alexis's friends cheered for her as she took the lead.
"Way to go Alexis!" Mindy said.
"I knew this guy beating Dr. Crowler was just luck!" Jasmine added.
"She won't be in the lead for long." Ash argued, starting his turn.
"I summon Spirit Reaper in defense mode." A skeleton wearing a purple cloak appeared.
Spirit Reaper
DARK
Level 3
Zombie/Effect
ATK: 300
DEF: 200
Cannot be destroyed by battle. After resolving a card effect that targets this face-up card, destroy this card. When this card inflicts battle damage by a direct attack: Discard 1 random card from their hand.
"Can you get past my Spirit Reaper?" He asked.
It would be difficult to do so because Spirit Reaper can't be destroyed in battle.
'This is going to be tough.' Alexis thought to herself.
"You leave me no choice." She stated. "I'll use Snatch Steal to take control of Spirit Reaper."
As a card targeted it, Spirit Reaper was destroyed.
"And now Cyber Blader, attack him directly." Cyber Blader once again spun and this time he was kicked.
Ash: 1400
"Uh-oh, your life points are looking a little low." Alexis teased. "I hope you boys haven't unpacked yet."
"That's right." Mindy said in an equal manner like Alexis. "Because once she wins, both of you are being expelled."
"We are?" Syrus said, frighteningly.
"You assume I'm going to lose." Ash shot back."I still have 1400 life points and my turn is coming up."
"My move." He drew a card. "I use Pot of Greed."
Ash drew two more cards.
"I play White Dragon Ritual." He declared.
Some of the cards Seto Kaiba used were in this deck. White Dragon Ritual and Paladin of White Dragon.
"Come forth, Paladin of White Dragon." Ash yelled.
A man in armor riding a dragon flew down from the sky.
Paladin of White Dragon
LIGHT
Level 4
Dragon/Ritual/Effect
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1200
You can Ritual Summon this card with White Dragon Ritual. At the start of the Damage Step, if this card attacks a face-down Defense Position monster: Destroy that face-down monster. You can tribute this card; Special Summon 1 Blue-Eyes White Dragon from your hand or deck, but Blue-Eyes White Dragon cannot attack for the rest of this turn.
He then took another card out of his hand.
"After that, I play De-Fusion to split Cyber Blader apart." Cyber Blader faded away.
"Why?" Mindy asked, before pointing something out. "Etolie Cyber and Blade Skater will return to her field and then she can re-summon Cyber Blader on her next turn."
"No I can't." Alexis whispered.
"What's going on?" Jasmine questioned before glaring at him. "What have you done?"
"Etolie Cyber and Blade Skater are not in my graveyard." Ash responded. "As a result, Cyber Blader will not be making a reappearance in this duel."
Jasmine and Mindy were shocked.
"You're wide open. Attack her directly with Ionic Spear Burst." A blast of energy hit Alexis, making her scream.
Alexis: 2100
"I haven't normal summoned, so I play X-Head Cannon in attack mode."
X-Head Cannon
LIGHT
Level 4
Machine
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1500
A monster with a mighty cannon barrel, it is able to integrate it's attacks. It attacks in many ways by combining and separating with other monsters.
"That will be the end of my turn."
It was now back to Alexis. She quietly drew her next card and smiled.
"Meet Gemini Elf." A pair of female elves appeared.
Gemini Elf
EARTH
Level 4
Spellcaster
ATK: 1900
DEF: 900
Elf twins that alternate their attacks.
"Go after X-Head Cannon." Alexis ordered.
The elf twins threw a couple punches at X-Head Cannon.
Ash: 1300
'I only have Paladin of White Dragon on the field and 1300 life points left. Let's see what the top card of my deck is.' He thought, drawing a card.
It turned out to be Kaiser Glider. He smirked after drawing it.
"I sacrifice Paladin of White Dragon to summon Kaiser Glider."
Kaiser Glider
LIGHT
Level 6
Dragon/Effect
ATK: 2400
DEF: 2200
Cannot be destroyed by battle with a monster that has the same ATK. If this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard: Target 1 monster on the field, return that target to the hand.
"Take Gemini Elf out with Golden Burst." A burst of golden light enveloped Gemini Elf, making it cry out.
Alexis: 1600
She was slowly being overwhelmed and was forced to top deck.
'Mystical Elf. This won't help, but at least it drags out the duel a little longer.' Alexis thought.
"I summon Mystical Elf in defense mode." A elf in robes knelled down.
Mystical Elf
LIGHT
Level 4
Spellcaster
ATK: 800
DEF: 2000
A delicate elf that lacks offense, but has a terrific defense backed by mystical power.
"Your move." Alexis said. After summoning Mystical Elf, she ended her turn.
The duel was reaching it's climax.
"This is the final turn." Ash drew Monster Reborn from his deck. "I bring Paladin of White Dragon back with Monster Reborn."
"Kaiser Glider, attack Mystical Elf with Golden Burst." Mystical Elf was engulfed by golden light.
"Paladin of White Dragon, wipe out the remainder of Alexis's life points with Ionic Spear Burst." A blast of energy dropped Alexis's life points to 0.
Mindy and Jasmine were stunned, not even sure if what just happened had happened.
The two boats got closer together.
"Well I won, so Syrus and I are free to go." Ash said.
"We'll honor the deal." Alexis replied.
"If you ask me, we should turn them in anyway." Jasmine, who looked liked she was ready to snitch, said.
"You're the ones who set the terms of this challenge." Ash reminded her. "You can't go changing them just cause you feel like it."
"He won, so we're not going to turn them in." Alexis snapped, turning back to them. "You should leave."
Ash nodded.
"You have a lot of skill." He suddenly said.
"You...think so?" Alexis asked, surprised by his compliment.
"Yeah." Ash shook his head as if to say yes. "Let me know if you want to do this again."
"Later." He and Syrus rowed away from the dorm.
Even if I did win, I have no intention of turning them in.' Alexis thought. 'This school is a lot more interesting with them around.'
'Alexis didn't act this way before.' Jasmine thought. 'Does she like him?'
