This Trainer Has No Sportsmanship

This was easy enough to understand. A Duel where he held back could not trigger the trait that granted Spirit Cores, while in a Duel where he did not hold back, Silent Magician, at her current level, simply could not last until her opponent had forged a fifth Spell Card.

Unless it was like the battle against the Masked Killer, where he sent out two spirits at once and had the other one protect Silent Magician. Only then was there a faint chance of meeting the condition.

"Recording spirit information by absorbing spiritual energy particles really is a groundbreaking product, but isn't this thing illegal?"

You Zhi recalled the relevant provisions of the Spirit Information Protection Act and suddenly understood. The law prohibited people from privately disseminating spirit information, but it did not prohibit them from collecting it.

Collecting without disseminating was not illegal.

If the professional books in Pegasus's study that recorded spirit information were discovered someday, Pegasus himself would bear no legal responsibility, but the publishers and authors would be held accountable.

It sounded somewhat contradictory, but once one put oneself in the position of wealthy magnates and conglomerates, it became clear that this law was perfectly reasonable. It flawlessly protected the interests of the upper class.

Besides gathering spirit information, the Pokédex could also collect information on Spell Cards. As long as Scan Mode was activated, whether the caster was himself or someone else, it could record the Spell Card's true effect.

Furthermore, the Pokédex came with a built-in chat application called "Blog Community." Every Pokédex had its own unique ID, and after logging in with it, its holder could communicate with other holders.

In the community forum, Pokédex holders could exchange the spirit information and Spell Card information they had recorded, purchase it with money, or even post tasks to obtain information on specific spirits.

None of these actions were illegal. According to the Spirit Information Protection Act, only disseminating information to five or more people at the same time counted as illegal dissemination. One-on-one exchanges were clearly not included and could only be considered ordinary academic exchanges.

"It looks like they're constantly dancing along the edge of the law, but every step lands firmly within its boundaries. The inventor of the Pokédex must have consulted some top legal experts."

You Zhi tapped the application, went through the simple registration process, casually entered "Big Savage" as his nickname, and browsed the forum first. He found nothing particularly interesting, though he often saw posts with "Anomaly" in their titles. Every time he clicked one, however, he was told that he lacked permission. He could only give up regretfully and log into the chat room instead.

Granny: Welcome, newcomer. At last, some fresh blood has joined us. The last newcomer joined half a year ago, right?

Medium: To be precise, 216 days ago.

Thunder Mage: I've always thought there was a problem with the distribution system. Isn't it too strict?

Dr. Tony: The Pokédex is an extremely sophisticated machine, and production is limited. Strictly selecting its holders is only natural.

Strong and Powerful: If necessary, I can help contact a contract manufacturer.

Flying Dragon in the Sky: I object. Once the Pokédex's technology leaks, the consequences would be unthinkable. The current recommender system may be inefficient, but it is safe. If something goes wrong, the person responsible can be found quickly.

Granny: You've scared the newcomer. They don't even dare speak now.

Ice Queen: Maybe they're just shy.

Thunder Mage: Would a shy person give themselves a nickname like "Big Savage"?

Big Savage: Hello, everyone. I'm a novice Trainer with one and a half months of training experience. I'm currently traveling through the Johto Region for a Gym challenge. Do you seniors have any advice?

Strong and Powerful: A Gym challenge journey... What a distant memory. Looks like this time we really got a newcomer.

Medium: In the Johto Region, newcomers should avoid Cianwood, Blackthorn, and Goldenrod Gyms. Their Gym Leaders are rather strict and not very friendly toward beginners.

Ice Queen: "Rather strict"... That's quite a tactful way of putting it. You could be more blunt; it's not like we know each other well anyway.

Big Savage: Thank you for the advice, @Medium. I'll keep that in mind. What exactly is an "Anomaly," and why do I need permission to view it?

Flying Dragon in the Sky: Newcomers don't need to know. Once you obtain six Gym Badges, the permission will naturally be unlocked.

Hidden Plot

As a newcomer, You Zhi felt that he ought to speak less and lurk more. He could socialize after becoming more familiar with everyone.

Moreover, he vaguely felt that the people speaking were all big shots. Communication between people of unequal strength would only create one-sided dependence, and that did not fit his principles for dealing with others.

He also noticed something else: these Pokédex holders had no intention of breaking the knowledge monopoly!

At least, nothing in the chat room messages or forum posts suggested otherwise.

It was not that You Zhi had jumped to conclusions. The things Pegasus had said when they parted, coupled with the Pokédex's functions, made it difficult not to think of opposing the Spirit Information Protection Act.

But in reality, the Pokédex holders had gathered to eliminate Anomalies. As beneficiaries of the current system, it was hard to say which side they would stand on. In any case, You Zhi had no intention of revealing his thoughts to anyone and inviting danger.

"The closest Gym right now is Azalea Gym. I remember it was a Bug-type Gym in the game, and the Gym Leader's ace was Scyther. I wonder which spirits it has in this world... Damn it, a Bug-type Gym is severely unfavorable for me."

You Zhi counted the spirits at hand. The Psychic Silent Magician and the Dark-type Goblin Attack Force were both countered by Bug-types, while Demon Lizard Yihao's Fighting-type moves dealt only half damage to Bug-types. No matter whom he sent out, he would be at a disadvantage.

Did anyone really think they were some reverse-type master like Ash?

You Zhi could not help frowning. If this were a game, he could simply catch a spirit with an advantageous type. Even if he did not like it or it had poor potential, he could just leave it idle in the PC after it helped him clear the Gym. Reality did not work that way.

A newly caught spirit needed at least to build rapport, level up, and master some powerful moves before it had any hope of winning. Otherwise, it would only get crushed by the Gym Leader despite having a type advantage.

Gym Leaders in reality were not positions just anyone could hold. They had to be at least Six-Star Trainers and possess exceptional command skills. They were not cold data like in a game.

Putting in so much effort merely for one Gym Badge would be more trouble than it was worth.

But if he continued down that path despite knowing the spirit had no potential and kept training it as a mainstay, that would be even less worthwhile in the long run.

"Even if I don't pursue a type advantage and set aside my personal preferences, talented spirits aren't so easy to find..."

He had a cheat that could appraise a spirit's talent, yet he was choosing to settle. You Zhi felt that doing so would be letting down his identity as a transmigrator. But highly talented spirits had always been things one could only encounter by chance. So far, among all the wild spirits he had met, the highest talent had only been "Average."

The books in Pegasus's study concerning the distribution areas of rare spirits recorded rare populations, not rare individuals. A rare species did not necessarily mean high talent.

After all, if someone truly discovered a spirit with outstanding talent, even if the author lacked the strength to capture it, they could sell the information to the wealthy. That was far more profitable than risking breaking the law for a little manuscript fee.

As he pondered this, You Zhi caught sight of the date in the corner of the screen, and inspiration suddenly struck him.

"Wait! I remember there was a hidden plot in the cave beside Azalea Town that could only be triggered at a certain time. Could this world have the same setting?"

Though he had played the game twenty years ago, after thinking for only a moment, he recalled every detail.

There was a Union Cave on the way to the Bug-type Gym. After obtaining the secret technique Surf, one could enter Union Cave and ride a spirit across a stretch of water, reaching the underground lake deep within the cave. Every Friday, the Water-type spirit Lapras would appear on the lake's surface.

You might forget the classroom knowledge your teacher had drilled into you two years ago, but a game secret you accidentally discovered twenty years ago would be etched into your DNA forever.

Although he knew the game and reality were not the same thing, he had no better method anyway. He might as well treat a dead horse like a living one and give it a try.

You Zhi first went to Azalea Town to buy a map, then purchased some camping supplies and diving equipment. After confirming everything was in order, he set out for Union Cave east of Azalea Town.

Though training in Strength-Weakness Mimicry had made his body increasingly superhuman, he was still far from being capable of Nezha stirring up the sea. He still needed to pay attention to safety. There was no reason to be reckless over something like this.

The real Union Cave's terrain could not possibly be as simple as it was in the game. Not only was it sprawling, dark, and deep, but wild spirits could leap out from the shadows and attack at any time. Only the main route running from north to south was considered safe.

Once one strayed from the main route, there was no telling what dangers might be encountered. Therefore, enormous warning signs stood at both cave entrances, cautioning Trainers who lacked strength but possessed an adventurous spirit.

Even if You Zhi could remember the route from the game, he could not apply it to reality. Fortunately, he remembered one thing: he had to cross a river to find the entrance leading to the underground lake. Thus, he did not search for anything else in the cave. He only searched for water. Once he found some, he sent Demon Lizard Yihao swimming across to see whether there was a downward entrance on the other side.

After searching Union Cave like this for ten hours, he still found nothing. However, because of the wild spirits they fought, Silent Magician absorbed a great number of spiritual energy particles and leveled up once. Combined with the Spirit Duel against the masked brute earlier, she had reached Level 16 and caught up with Demon Lizard Yihao.

Just as You Zhi was considering calling it a day, Demon Lizard Yihao, who had swum to the other side of a pool, let out a sharp roar. This was the signal they had agreed upon earlier. He took off his clothes and put them into a waterproof bag, then jumped into the icy pool and dragged the bag as he swam forward.

What, cross the river by walking on water with qinggong?

Unfortunately, You Zhi had studied martial arts in his previous life, not mystical martial arts. The only somewhat fantastical technique he possessed, Strength-Weakness Mimicry, merely enhanced his physical fitness. He did not have some physics-defying skill like Lingering Wave Step and could not do anything so stylish.

The water was not wide, and You Zhi soon reached the opposite bank. After climbing ashore, he took out a towel, dried himself, put his clothes back on, and followed Demon Lizard Yihao's directions to spot a passage leading downward.

"This kind of terrain couldn't have formed naturally, but it probably wasn't carved out by humans either. So was it influenced by spirits?"

You Zhi summoned Silent Magician and ordered her to use the skill Flash. Her small magic wand immediately shone like the sun, illuminating the pitch-black cave as brightly as day and startling quite a few bats into flight.

One human and two spirits cautiously headed downward. After walking roughly ten meters, they reached another underground level. There were more pools here, and they were larger. Water also dripped down from the ground above from time to time.

As they continued deeper, You Zhi prepared himself to encounter powerful spirits. Yet the journey went unexpectedly smoothly. They encountered nothing at all, and after walking three hundred meters, they instead saw another source of light.

"Did someone get here before us?"

Before he could have Silent Magician extinguish her light, the owner of the light across from them also noticed his side. After a brief hesitation, they even took the initiative to approach You Zhi.

Before long, the lights cast by both sides began to overlap. You Zhi clearly saw the other person's face. She was a red-haired young woman around eighteen, with a graceful figure and a spirited bearing. Her limbs were strong, the contours of her muscles visible. She was clearly a martial artist as well.

HERO Trainer

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The red-haired young woman spoke first.

You Zhi replied with a question. "Before asking someone else, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"

The red-haired young woman fell silent for a moment before answering, "My name is Yuan Ying. I'm a spirit Trainer, but I can't tell you my purpose for now."

You Zhi had prepared a whole pile of evasive excuses, but her honesty made him disdain deceiving her. He answered honestly as well. "My name is You Zhi. I'm also a spirit Trainer. My purpose is probably the same as yours. After all, no one would normally come to a place like this."

"You're here for the mysterious spirit too!"

The red-haired young woman did not realize she had been tricked into revealing information. With a serious expression, she said, "I was here first."

You Zhi said, "There's no such thing as first come, first served when capturing spirits. Whoever captures it owns it. If a rare spirit appeared somewhere and I got there first, drew a circle around the place, and refused to let anyone else enter, would you agree with that?"

"...You're right. Spirit Trainers compete with one another, and each relies on their own strength. There really shouldn't be any talk of first come, first served."

To You Zhi's surprise, the red-haired young woman actually nodded in agreement with his view. She then pulled a Pokémon Card from thin air and assumed a battle stance. "Let's decide who gets it the Trainer's way. The loser leaves willingly."

"..."

As though he had encountered a panda, You Zhi stared straight at her.

The red-haired young woman frowned slightly. "You're not going to say there's a dangerous spirit behind me, trick me into turning around, then ambush me while I'm distracted, are you? Let me tell you, I can sense the aura of living beings. Even without using my eyes, I can see my surroundings clearly. A crude trick like yours won't fool me."

"What a pity. If you had been the first person I met after arriving here, it would have been wonderful. But there's no going back now."

You Zhi sighed with emotion.

"What are you talking about?"

The red-haired young woman was initially stunned and confused, but then panic appeared on her face. "Y-you're not c-confessing to me, are you? I-I'm not such a frivolous woman! Give up on that idea!"

Since she was so sincere, You Zhi could only abandon his idea of using his spirit to distract her before ambushing her himself. Instead, he said, "Fine. We'll decide the winner the Trainer's way. Whoever wins gets priority in capturing the spirit."

One could use any means against villains, but against honorable people, one should be upright and fair. He still possessed that clear distinction between good and evil.

The moment the subject turned to a Spirit Duel, the red-haired young woman immediately became serious and no longer let anything else distract her. "Let's use the most common format. The first side to have a spirit defeated loses. How about it?"

"Fine."

The two exchanged a glance, each pinching a Pokémon Card between two fingers and holding it before their chest.

"Duel!" X2

The red-haired young woman swung her hand and shouted, "Go, Elemental HERO Sparkman!"

[Elemental HERO Sparkman (4 Stars) LIGHT attribute]

[Lineage: Electric-type]

[Level: 18]

[Attack: 1600 (1520)]

[Defense: 1400 (1330)]

[Warrior-Type. Description: A LIGHT attribute warrior-type Elemental HERO skilled in using all kinds of weapons. Holy radiance shines forth, cutting off every evil path of retreat.]

"An Elemental HERO..."

Though You Zhi was only a casual Yu-Gi-Oh! fan, he had still heard of the famous HERO deck. Elemental Heroes in particular were the signature monsters of the second-generation protagonist, no less renowned than the first generation's Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

He vaguely remembered, however, that the HERO deck needed two monsters to fuse in order to display its combat strength. Yet nobody in this world seemed to do that. Instead, they could use specific Evolution Stones to evolve spirits into Fusion Forms.

"Wait, you said your name was Yuan Ying."

You Zhi suddenly noticed something interesting.

The red-haired young woman stiffened, then her gaze drifted aside as she pretended not to care. "What? Am I not allowed to have that name?"

"Of course you are. I'm just wondering whether it's your real name or a codename. After all, saying Yuan Ying has absolutely no connection to Elemental Heroes would be self-deception. But if you deliberately chose the name because of Elemental Heroes..."

"That's right! My parents liked Elemental Heroes, so they gave me this name. And I just happened to capture an Elemental HERO spirit. This is a connection of fate, okay?"

Seeing that she could not fool him, Yuan Ying simply gave up trying.

"I never said it wasn't okay. Actually, Yuan Ying is quite a nice name, even without associating it with Elemental Heroes."

At those words, Yuan Ying's cheeks reddened slightly. She hooked a strand of hair by her temple around her finger and twirled it in circles. "Thank you. It's the first time anyone has said that."

"You're welcome."

"But even so, I won't hold back. Going all out is the proper respect for a Trainer!"

"As it should be. Go, Goblin Attack Force."

Four green-skinned monster uncles carrying metal clubs appeared on the field, cackling sinisterly and radiating evil.

"Sparkman, use Quick Attack!"