Episode 3

"Dark Town - The Stolen Pendulum Summon!!" (ダークタウン 奪われたペンデュラム召喚！！Dāku Taun Ubawareta Pendyuramu Shōkan!!), known as "Trade Bait: Part 1" in the Dub version, is the third episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V anime. A shadow approaches Yūya who is trying to master Pendulum Summoning with help from Yuzu and the gang. That "shadow" is Shingo, a student of the Elite Duel School, LDS. Shingo claims he wishes to see Yūya’s Pendulum Summoning, but…!?

Summary
One night in You Show Duel School, Yūya is in the middle of a Duel. He activates "Stargazer Magician" and "Timegazer Magician" in his Pendulum Zones as his opponent, Gongenzaka watches. Yūya declares, "Pendulum Summon!" as he Summons "Entermate Whip Viper", "Entermate Sword Fish", and "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon". Gongenzaka is moved to tears because Yūya managed to figure out Pendulum Summoning after 291 tries. He blames himself for Yūya taking too long, even if he was only Yūya's training partner. As Gongenzaka embraces Yūya, Yūya congratulates himself and drifts off to sleep.

The next day, at Maiami Second Junior High School, Yūya has fallen asleep in the middle of class, muttering "Pendulum" between snores. A concerned Yuzu looks frantically between the sleeping Yūya and the teacher, who writes a math problem on the blackboard. He calls on Yūya to answer the problem. To Yuzu's surprise, Yūya is still asleep. The teacher yells Yūya's name again and he promptly wakes up. Yūya jumps from his seat and "activates" "Stargazer Magician" and "Timegazer Magician" in his Pendulum Zones, before realizing he isn't at You Show right now. Unsatisfied, the teacher gets right up into Yūya's face and asks Yūya for an excuse. Yūya replies that the answer is "the right one", earning him a smack from Yuzu's fan. She says the answer was "never right" and calls him stupid.

After school, Yuzu admits that she knows that Yūya was trying to master Pendulum Summoning, but reminds him not to go daydreaming in class. Yūya addresses Yuzu's concern with the notion that she got off a funny punchline because of it. Yuzu tries to tell Yūya that this isn't the problem, but they find Futoshi, Ayu, and Tatsuya waiting for them in front of the school gate. Yūya greets them and Futoshi says he heard that Yūya perfected Pendulum Summoning. Tatsuya asks Yūya to show them, and Yūya decides to head to You Show to do just that. After a few steps, three sucker-tipped darts hit Yūya on the face. Yuzu asks what's going on as a boy in front of them yells that he scored 150 points. Yūya calls the boy's shots a bull's-eye and the boy shakes Yūya's hand. He introduces himself as Shingo from Class 1 and says it's nice to meet him. Shingo adds that he watched Yūya's Duel against Strong Ishijima on TV and was amazed at the Pendulum Summon. He also pulls the darts off of Yūya's face. Shingo asks Yūya about the cards he used for the Summon. Yūya replies, "Pendulum cards" and Shingo says rare cards like those can only be used by the chosen. Yuzu tells Shingo that he didn't need to flatter Yūya this much. As Yūya is flustered by Shingo's behavior, Shingo replies that what he said was true. Yuzu whispers to Yūya that he should show the children the Pendulum Summon at You Show. Shingo offers them a better place to show the Summon, at LDS's Center Court. Yūya and Yuzu are surprised that Shingo made a reservation there, and he tells them he is a top student at LDS. He also adds that his father will be Maiami City's next mayor. Shingo elaborates that he asked his father for the reservation. The children are excited to see the Pendulum Summon at LDS, one of the top Dueling schools. Yuzu is unimpressed and mutters they could have done it at You Show instead. Futoshi tries to convince her that this is LDS's Center Court they're talking about here. Tatsuya and Ayu nod, and Yuzu reluctantly agrees to come along too, but only as a member of a rival school to check the competition. The children cheer as Shingo responds he thought Yuzu would say that and decides to bring all five of them to LDS. The five You show students make their way to the prestigious Duel school, with Yuzu yelling at the children to slow down. Shingo lets them go ahead and stops. He makes a motion with his hand as if he is about to throw a dart and mutters that everything is going according to plan. The group makes it to LDS, with Shingo welcoming his companions. The children are impressed at the school's interior. On a screen, "Heroic Champion - Excalibur" dodges beam attacks from "Cyber Dragon Nova". In the school itself, students are Dueling, discussing various card tactics, and even training themselves physically to draw cards. Shingo explains that the Leo Duel School (LDS for short) is run by the Leo Corporation; however, attending the school itself is invitation-only. Tatsuya adds that LDS is the top Dueling institution and Futoshi is impressed by his knowledge. Tatsuya reveals that his mother thought LDS would be the better school for him. Shingo tells the group that the best facilities, lectures, and curriculum is LDS's motto. Ayu says LDS basically has everything that You Show doesn't. Shingo commends her for her prior knowledge. An unimpressed Yuzu sarcastically apologizes to Shingo for their school being run-down. Futoshi tries to calm her down; even cheap places have their strong points. Yūya admits that it's true that LDS has things that You Show doesn't; they even cover the basics on Xyz, Synchro, and Fusion Summoning as he looks at a poster on LDS's curriculum. As he does so, a young boy with blue hair tied into a ponytail passes him by, licking a lollipop. The boy looks at Yūya for a brief moment before continuing his way. Yūya watches him until Yuzu snaps him out of his thoughts. Shingo points out that the Center Court is to his right.

When they arrive, the children marvel at the court's massive size. Futoshi comments that he always wanted to be here. Shortly after this, three more boys approach the group. The boy with brown hair greets the group and Shingo clarifies that the three boys are Yūya's fans as well. He asks Yūya to show them the Pendulum cards. Yūya is uncertain, and Shingo says it will be only for a short while. He reluctantly agrees, digs into his pocket, and pulls out his "Magician" cards. Shingo snatches them from Yūya's hand and promptly shows them off to the trio who came after them. The brown-haired boy asks if they really are Pendulum cards, while the green-haired boy exclaims he must have them. Shingo takes the cards back and says these cards aren't theirs to begin with. He glances at Yūya and adds that he will put them in his collection. Yuzu asks what Shingo means. Shingo explains that he likes rare and powerful cards, and hates putting weak ones in his Deck. He says he will be taking the Pendulum cards off of Yūya's hands now, with the maroon-haired boy laughing in agreement. Yuzu realizes that this is why Shingo brought them here. Shingo says now that he has the cards, he can't wait to try them out. He asks his cohorts if they would like to see a Pendulum Summon. The maroon- and brown-haired boys agree. Shingo reveals that his plan was also why he made a reservation at Center Court. Yūya is confused, but Shingo insists it's fine because everyone came all this way to see the Pendulum Summon. As he finishes his sentence, he approaches Yūya, pulls his goggles, and snaps them back on his face, causing him to fall back. Tatsuya yells Yūya's name, but Shingo goads Yūya into Dueling him. His Duel Disk rings and a voice tells Shingo that's enough; his only job was to get the Pendulum cards. Shingo tells Nakajima that this isn't his only goal; he wanted Yūya's cards right from the start. Nakajima is furious at Shingo's change of plan; he yells at him not to do any unnecessary risks, but he gets cut off by the President, who convinces him to let Shingo proceed and use the cards.

Back at Center Court, Shingo says this is the deal, then. He snaps his fingers and two of his lackeys grab Yuzu, while the third grabs the children. Yūya yells at Shingo to let them go. Shingo tells him not to worry; they'll be here to help with the Duel. He adds that he felt bad for taking Yūya's cards, as he takes another set of cards from his coat and throws them toward Yūya. Shingo calls them "trash cards", cards that fit Yūya perfectly. Yūya is caught in a state of panic, as he looks at the stack. Among them are "Block Spider", "Six Warmen - Yariza", "Morinphen", "Hungry Burger", "Local Big Hurricane", and "The Humble Sentry". Yūya repeats, "trash?", kneels down, and gathers the cards he received. He wonders why Shingo treated the cards this way.

From a screen, Nakajima asks the President if this is a good idea. The President answers that he should let the Duel play out. Before the Duel, Shingo decides on the Action Field Magic Card, the setting that "imprisons feeble princesses", "Prison Tower of Darktown". The Solid Vision machine conjures up chains that surround Yuzu and the children. Yūya yells at them to hang on, and the five hostages are confined to a tower surrounded by chains. As the dark city continues to manifest, Shingo asks Yūya if the princess should be imprisoned in the tower. Yūya runs away from Shingo, jumping from building to building as he tries to make his way to his friends. Before he can get to them, a water canal and the tower's great height separates the two parties. As the tower continues to rise, Futoshi asks what's going on. Tatsuya explains that the still-materializing Solid Vision field is affecting them as well. Futoshi yells this is too real until the tower reaches its highest point, as part of a bridge. Yūya runs to them, but Shingo catches him. He tells them that if he wants his friends back, they will Duel. Yūya accepts and activates his Duel Disk. He adds "Block Spider" to his Deck and shuffles it.

Shingo is satisfied that Yūya accepted the Duel. He and his lackeys recite the Action Dueling chant, and the two Duelists yell, "Duel!" Yūya decides to go first and runs past Shingo. He enters a building, runs upstairs, and Normal Summons "Entermate Whip Viper", which coils itself around Yūya's wrist. Yūya approaches an open window and uses "Whip Viper" to anchor to another building and swing from it. After he lands on another rooftop, he ends his turn. Shingo starts his turn and draws "Lightning Board". "Timegazer Magician" is in his opening hand as well. He is about to activate it in a Pendulum Zone, but a voice from his Duel Disk reminds him not to. Shingo demands who he is talking to because he felt this was the perfect time to activate the card, and the President repeats his order not to use the card yet. Shingo wonders why the President is being worked up over this. Regardless, he heeds the order and Summons "Lightning Board". He hops on it and starts chasing after Yūya. As Yūya swings to another building, Shingo chides him for being desperate, but this is part of his plan, too. "Whip Viper" anchors itself to a bridge rope and Yūya swings from it. Yūya looks around the bridge until he spots an Action Card lying on the floor. When he picks it up, it turns out to be a Trap Card. Shingo contacts Yūya and confirms the card's name - "Break Shot". The card disappears from Yūya's hand and pool balls roll over Yūya and "Whip Viper". "Whip Viper" ends up being flattened, while Yūya gets caught running on one of the balls. Shingo explains that "Break Shot" decreases a monster's ATK by 900. The ATK of "Whip Viper" lowers to 800 before it recovers. Shingo chides Yūya again for his foolishness; not all Action Cards are meant to be helpful, as Traps are among them. He also warns Yūya that his friends are in even greater danger, too. Yūya crashes into a tower's wall, causing a tremor that is felt by his friends. Futoshi falls and is about to slip off the tower, but Yuzu saves him by catching him by the legs. He panics because he was about to fall into the canal, while Yuzu, Ayu, and Tatsuya try to calm him down.

Yūya is disgusted by Shingo's underhanded tactics. Shingo declares the start of his Battle Phase. He attacks "Whip Viper" with "Lightning Board", declaring "Lightning Darts!". "Lightning Board" shoots bolts of lightning at "Whip Viper" while Yūya runs looking for another Action Card. He manages to find and take another one on the bridge's railing, only to realize it's another Trap. Shingo calls it too bad, as he reveals the card is "Jump Shot", which decreases a monster's ATK by 400. A cue ball appears overhead and squishes "Whip Viper", reducing its ATK to 400. The lightning of "Lightning Board" destroys "Whip Viper" and Yūya is down to 3000 LP. Shingo advises Yūya that if he's not careful, he'll get hurt. The cue ball is about to drop on Yūya, but he jumps out of the way in time. It bounces back up, then down again, and destroys part of the bridge. Shingo ends his turn, musing that it won't be long before the tower Yūya's friends are on is destroyed, too.

Yūya climbs back up, to find his friends in greater peril as the tower starts to collapse. Yuzu is still holding on to Futoshi, with Tatsuya and Ayu holding on to her. Yuzu asks Futoshi if he's okay, but he only yells that he doesn't want to fall. Yuzu tells Futoshi that boys shouldn't cry, with Ayu and Tatsuya agreeing. The latter states that Yūya isn't crying, so he shouldn't cry either. Yūya promises to save everyone, and Shingo mockingly agrees, stating that if it ended here, their party would be disappointed. Yūya begins his turn and draws "Entermate Amenboat". He realizes that if he can't navigate on land, he'll have to do so by sea. He Normal Summons "Amenboat" and boards it to reach his friends. Shingo mutters that Yūya's LP is only at 3000. He can shoot them down to 0; as he makes that statement, he makes another dart-throwing motion with his hand.

Shingo's turn comes and he draws "Release Trade". The President says Shingo drew a good card. Shingo is confused at first, but immediately understands. He Releases "Lightning Board" to activate "Release Trade". This lets him add a monster whose Level is 1 higher than the Released monster from his Deck to his hand. As "Lightning Board" is Level 4, Shingo adds the Level 5 "Stargazer Magician" to his hand. Yūya exclaims the monster's name, and Shingo confirms it, stating that it's his now. He reminds Shingo that he can't Pendulum Summon with only one Pendulum card. Shingo only chuckles and tells Yūya that he's a "chosen one". Yūya mutters, "It can't be," but Shingo corrects him - the reaction should have been "Of course!", since "Timegazer Magician" was in his hand from the beginning. He says a "super rare human" like himself is worthy of wielding super-rare cards before breaking out into laughter. He adds that the cards favor him now. From his control room, the President orders Shingo to set the Pendulum cards. Shingo is confused and the President reiterates his command. He starts with, "I, using the Scale 1 Stargazer Magician", while Shingo repeats his words and motions. Yūya is in disbelief that someone other than him can Pendulum Summon. The President and Shingo continue with "and the Scale 8 Timegazer Magician", as they activate both "Magicians" in the Pendulum Zones. They declare "Pendulum Summon!" and Shingo Pendulum Summons "Power Darts Shooter", "Rocket Darts Shooter", and "Ultimate Darts Shooter" from his hand, all in Attack Position. Shingo is amazed and calls the Pendulum Summon the best. Meanwhile, Yūya mutters this can't be happening, as his friends watch his disbelief. Yuzu mutters Yūya's name. The blue-haired boy from earlier is also watching the Duel. The President is satisfied with what Shingo had done.

Yūya Sakaki vs. Noboru Gongenzaka
Duel already in progress.

Yūya's turn

Yūya places "Timegazer Magician" (Left Pendulum Scale 8) and "Stargazer Magician" (Right Pendulum Scale 1) in his Pendulum Zones. Yūya Pendulum Summons "Entermate Whip Viper" (CG Star 4/1700/900), "Entermate Sword Fish" (CG Star 2/600/600) and "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon" (CG Star 7/2500/2000) from his hand in Attack Position.

As the Duel was meant as a means for Yūya to figure out Pendulum Summoning, it ends here.

Yūya Sakaki vs. Shingo Sawatari
At the start of the Duel, the Field Magic Card "Prison Tower of Darktown" is activated, as per the rules of an Action Duel. It will allow the players to use Action Cards, but they may only have one in their hand at a time.

Turn 1: Yūya

Yūya Normal Summons "Entermate Whip Viper" (CG Star 4/1700/900).

Turn 2: Shingo

Shingo draws "Lightning Board" and subsequently Normal Summons it (CG Star 4, 4/1400/1200). Yūya finds and activates an Action Card, but it turns out to be the Trap Card "Break Shot", whose effect reduces the ATK of "Whip Viper" by 900 ("Whip Viper": 1700 → 800/900). "Lightning Board" attacks "Whip Viper". Yūya finds another Action Card, but it again turns out to be a Trap Card, "Jump Shot", which lowers the ATK of "Whip Viper" by 400 ("Whip Viper": 800 → 400/900). The attack continues and "Whip Viper" is destroyed (Yūya: 4000 → 3000 LP).

Turn 3: Yūya

Yūya draws "Entermate Amenboat" and subsequently Normal Summons it (CG Star 4/500/1600).

Turn 4: Shingo

Shingo draws "Release Trade" and subsequently activates it, letting him Release a monster to add a monster from his Deck to his hand that is one Level higher than the Released monster. He Releases the Level 4 "Lightning Board" to add the Level 5 "Stargazer Magician". Shingo's hand contains "Breakthrough Skill", "Power Darts Shooter", "Rocket Darts Shooter", "Ultimate Darts Shooter", "Timegazer Magician" and "Stargazer Magician". Shingo places "Timegazer Magician" (Left Pendulum Scale 8) and "Stargazer Magician" (Right Pendulum Scale 1) in his Pendulum Zones. Shingo Pendulum Summons "Power Darts Shooter" (CG Star 5, 5/1800/700), "Rocket Darts Shooter" (CG Star 6, 6/1900/100) and "Ultimate Darts Shooter" (CG Star 7, 7/2400/300), all from his hand in Attack Position.

Duel continues in the next episode.

List of Featured Cards
The following cards appeared in this episode. Cards in italics debuted here.