Ash Ketchum Attends Duel Academy

Duel Distractions Part 1

Bastion was standing on a cliff, staring out on the horizon as the morning sun slowly began to rise. He took a breath and stretched his arms, taking in the morning air. With his morning stretches done and his head clear, he gazed back at the waves.

'Ever since Ash defeated Camula, things have been eerily quiet...too quiet. When the next Shadow Rider arrives, it may be my turn to duel and with one of the Spirit Gates open, it's more important than ever...that I be prepared.'

Bastion reached into his pocket and pulled out his own Spirit Key, the thin necklace thread tied to his belt loop. He stared at the Key for a short moment, and then began to undo his blazer buttons.

After opening his blazer, Bastion looked at the six decks he carried around on a vest. One deck was used on Chazz that day he dueled him for the chance at Obelisk Blue. Bastion had made these six decks to fit each attribute of monster cards. The one he used against Chazz, the one with that used a Water Dragon, was his water-attribute deck. The other five were his Fire, Earth, Wind, Light, and Darkness decks.

'Good thing I'm well equipped.' He thought as he took out one deck and began to look through the cards. Some he recognized from previous duels, but there was one that he didn't recognize at all. It was a monster card that showed an image of a small girl in white with a white lamb hat and red pom poms on her robes. It was a White Magician Pikeru (1200/0).

Bastion raised an eyebrow and held up the card. 

"Where on earth did this card come from?" He asked himself. He looked around a few times, then back at the card, shaking his head. 

"Silly distraction..." He muttered, placing the card back into the deck, "Nothing distracts me!"

Later that day, the Slifer Boys, Bastion, and a small handful of other students from different dorms sat in Banner's Alchemy class.

Banner frowned at the sight of so many empty seats as he pet Pharaoh. "There certainly a lot of absences today. Perhaps there's a bug going around,"

'None that I've heard of.' Bastion thought, looking around at the empty seats, 'There's definitely something strange in the air...well...' his eyes roamed over to Syrus, Jaden and Chumley, who were enjoying a well-earned, yet badly timed nap, 'Besides all that snoring.'

The sound of the door hissing open made Banner turn to see a young lady in yellow walking up to him, holding a duffel bag.

"Can I help you?" the Slifer head asked her.

"Well." The lady in leaned in close to him.

"Do you recognize this bag?" She whispered.

Banner looked down at the bag, "Yes, it belongs to one of my students, why?"

While the girl whispered some more to Banner, Jaden fully woke up and saw what was going on. He took one look at the bag and knew that something was up, as did the other Key-Keepers that sat nearby.

After class, Jaden led Syrus, Banner, Chazz, Alexis, Bastion and Ash through the woods, holding his own bag close to him.

"Wonder why that pack was left all the way out here...?" He wondered aloud, walking through a thick area of trees.

Bastion nodded, "Indeed...also, where the owner of the pack is right now?"

"I hope that no one is hurt." Banner added, worriedly.

After what seemed like hours of walking, the group of duelists exited the forest and entered a large clearing, surprised at what stood before them. A very large stone and wooden structure loomed nearby, against a small cliff. It looked just like an old coliseum from ancient Rome or Greece.