Friend or Joe?

Ni-Ki-Oh! S01E03 - Friend or Joe? is the third episode of Ni-Ki-Oh! Season One. The episode first aired on August 31, 2002 in the living room of 35-D Edgewater Park, playing from the unique VHS copy onto which it was recorded using a tape-to-tape method of linear editing.

This is a synopsis of the DVD version.

The next match of the Duel Monsters Playoffs is between Joey and Niki. The winner will go to the next round, and the loser will face Seto Vacca.

Joey begins by summoning Petit Angel [600/900] in defense mode, which Niki destroys with a Silver Fang [1200/800]. Joey plays Shield and Sword to switch around Silver Fang's attack and defense points [800/1200]. He then summons Gyakutenno Megami [1800], but Niki destroys her with Trap Hole. Niki switches Silver Fang to defense mode. Joey goes on the offensive with Baron of the Fiend Sword [1550/800], but Niki defends with a Prevent Rat [500/2000] and then attacks with King of Yamimakai [2000/1530]. King of Yamimakai also destroys Joey's Neo the Magic Swordsman [1700]. Joey uses Stop Defense on Prevent Rat and attacks it with Battle Ox [1700]. He destroys King of Yamimakai with Fissure.

Joey: 1250 Niki: 800

Niki uses Dian Keto to recover 1000 life points and Fissure to destroy Battle Ox. Both players defend for a few turns, then Niki starts going on the offensive with Battle Ox [1700/1000] and Dragon Zombie [1600/0]. Niki also plays Sparks.

Joey: 1050 Niki: 1800

Seto Vacca is happy with the way the duel is going so far. Neither player will give in. Niki continues attacking Joey's defenses. Joey plays Card Destruction to discard his hand and draw a new one. He then destroys Niki's Dragon Zombie with his own Dragon Zombie. Joey's Man-Eater Bug destroys Niki's Battle Ox. Niki defends with a Giant Soldier of Stone [1300/2000] and then continues attacking with more powerful monsters: Ansatsu [1700/1200], then Musician King [1750/1500], then Curse of Dragon [2000/1500]. Curse of Dragon wipes out several of Joey's defenses until Joey plays Dark Hole, sucking all of Niki's monsters into a black hole. Joey plays Giant Soldier of Stone in defense mode [1300/2000], but none of Niki's monsters can destroy it. Joey then summons Spirit of Flames [1700/1000]. Niki equips Neo the Magic Swordsman with Book of Secret Arts [2000/1300] and attacks Spirit of Flames. Joey summons The Rock Spirit [1700/1000] and uses Reverse Trap to change power-ups to power-downs, making Neo's attack power 1400, but Niki activates Reinforcements to power down The Rock Spirit by 500 points. Niki summons Skull Knight [2650] and destroys Joey's Giant Soldier of Stone. Joey plays Shield and Sword, making Neo 1300/2000 and attacks with Destroyer Golem; however, Niki uses Reverse Trap to make Neo's attack power go up instead of down [2700/600]. Joey loses many life points.

Joey: 200 Niki: 1800

Joey plays a second Dark Hole and is disqualified. Since he lost the duel, his next opponent is Seto Vacca.

• "Friend or Joe?" is the third episode on the Ni-Ki-Oh! The Lost Episodes DVD.
• This episode covers part of the Duel Monsters Tournament that was hosted in July 2002 by the Pok?mon Trainers Club.

• Vacca: Things are looking good for me, Ted, but things are looking very bad for you, because I will move on and I will destroy you, as soon as I conquer Joey. He knows I'm gonna destroy him.
  Joey: That little jerk thinks he can beat me but he can't.
  Vacca: I can beat you, actually.
• Vacca: You know you guys sound retarded? In my opinion, see, when me and Ted duel, it's cool, but when they duel, it's retarded, becaus?actually, it's just Nick. He slows down his speech and makes himself sound like he's, like, trying to fake his voice.
• Pegasus: Uh oh. He has two Dark Holes in his deck.
  Vacca: He is disqualified.
  Niki: That is cheating! You may only have one of a Dark Hole in your deck.
  Joey: I forfeit.
  Pegasus: Well, that's good, because you were about to be disqualified in two seconds anyway, which means your next opponent will be...
  [Seto Vacca stands up.]
  Joey: Oh, shit...
  Niki: Seto Vacca!

• Seto Vacca calls Pegasus Ted.
• When Joey uses Reverse Trap and Niki's Neo becomes 1400 and his Rock Spirit becomes 1200, Joey loses 300 life points when he should have lost only 200.
• Niki uses Reverse Trap on Shield and Sword, but Reverse Trap only works on increases and decreases to attack and defense powers. Shield and Sword only switches the attack and defense and is not considered increasing or decreasing the monsters' stats.