Ash Ketchum Attends Duel Academy

A Reason to Win

Thick storm clouds hovered in the sky above Duel Academy. Thunder boomed, and the sky rumbled. Given the time, most people were sleeping. However, one person was still awake: Alexis Rhodes.

She was sitting by her brother's bedside.

Flashback)

"Alexis... Alexis..."

Alexis looked up from her Duel Monsters deck to see Atticus peeking around the large tree she was sitting in front of. He was wearing a school uniform, same as her with her uniform.

"Atty!"

Atticus smiled as he walked up to his baby sister, "Watcha doing?"

He reached out and took the cards she was looking at, then whistled at what he saw, "Wow...some tough cards. But, dueling's about more than power..."

"What?" Alexis looked away sheepishly, "What do you mean bro?"

Atticus reached over and plucked the leaf out of his sister's hair, "What I mean is that you gotta have a purpose for dueling. That's what really matters in a match."

"Okay!" Alexis smiled widely, "Thanks, Atty!"

(End Flashback)

"You miss him so dearly. But there is a way to get him back..."

Alexis' eyes snapped wide open at a dark voice then came from behind her, who leapt up and stepped protectively in front of Atticus.

"Who is that...?" She whispered

A large wisp of dark flames appeared in front of them and the voice returned.

"Come with me... and I'll give Atticus back all his memories. If you can defeat me in a duel that is." The voice proposed as the black flames flicked around the room, "Back where we first met... the Abandoned Dorm!"

Atticus slowly opened his eyes and he watched in horror as a large being in a black coat appeared, wrapping both of his arms around Alexis, dragging her into a dark portal.

He slowly rose, staring at the now closing portal and his vanishing family members, eyes wide.

"W-what's... going on?" He stammered as the portal sealed shut, "Who was that?"

Jaden slowly opened his eyes, hearing the call of Winged Kuriboh, who was floating right by his head.

"No... Kuriboh, no wake ...must sleep." He mumbled, fighting to go back to sleep as his partner hooted wildly.

As Jaden began to close his eyes, a loud knocking on his dorm room door woke the other two Slifer's up. Chumley yawned and climbed down from his bunk, an irritated look on his already very tired face.

"Alright, alright, just a second!" He snapped as the knocking continued. He walked to the door and pulled it open, only to scream at the sight of a pale, zombie face that moaned loudly.

"STAY BACK!" Chumley shouted, backing away from the door.

Jaden looked away, horrified at the face while Syrus flinched.

"What's with you?" The smaller Slifer asked the 'zombie'.

Chazz glared at him as the Ojama Brothers hovered around his head. 

"Couldn't sleep because of the news I just heard." He muttered, glaring at the five monsters.

Jaden sat up, "What's up?"

Led by the Ojamas, Winged Kuriboh, and Chumley's Des Koala, the four Slifers ran down the hall leading to the Academy's infirmary. As they approached the room, a flash of lightning illuminated the hallway, and revealing three dark figures ahead of them.