This Trainer Has No Sportsmanship

After checking, the receptionist nodded. "Please head to the right and wait patiently in the lounge. You'll be notified when it's your turn in about half an hour. It may be earlier or later, depending on how the previous match goes."

"Okay."

You Zhi had no objections. It was perfectly reasonable. The world didn't revolve around him, and Gym Leaders needed rest too. They couldn't possibly stay on standby twenty-four hours a day just waiting for protagonists to come challenge them.

Usually, Gym Leaders worked 9 to 5, five days a week, though some were especially diligent while others were especially laid-back. In any case, the Pokémon League conducted performance reviews every quarter, and those who failed could lose their qualifications as Gym Leaders.

Additionally, Gyms usually sold tickets to the public and welcomed tourists to watch the matches. After deducting the portion used to maintain the venue, the remaining ticket revenue belonged to the Gym Leader personally.

The Pokémon League encouraged this practice as well, believing it could improve Gym Leaders' motivation. If they faced trainers' challenges solely because it was their job, they could easily grow lazy, and over time, start going through the motions.

Moreover, Gym Leaders were the Pokémon League's public face. If every one of them were a miserable pauper, it would dampen trainers' enthusiasm. Giving them a respectable income also helped preserve the Pokémon League's image.

From a Gym Leader's perspective, making the audience feel their tickets were worth it required deliberate scheduling. The matches needed to be compact while still having exciting highlights, so an appointment system became a natural necessity.

Otherwise, people might pay for tickets only to find no challengers all morning, or nothing but rookie trainers, making every match unbearably dull. Who would be willing to waste money on tickets next time?

In short, the more You Zhi learned about how Gyms operated, the more his childhood dreams shattered.

While waiting in the lounge, he suddenly heard passionate cheers erupt outside.

"Sounds like there's an expert out there. Hmm, that's good news for me."

A while later, a staff member informed him that it was his turn. They also brought out a spiritual power tester to examine him before he entered, preventing trainers from pretending to be weak.

You Zhi cooperated and released his spiritual power. The instrument displayed Four-Star, just as he had expected.

Although his total spiritual power had reached the Five-Star level, its intensity was indeed only Four-Star. He had no idea whether the original owner of this body had possessed exceptional talent or whether some mutation had occurred after his transmigration.

After confirming that the information was correct and briefly explaining several precautions, the staff member led the way.

You Zhi rubbed his cheeks with both hands and took a deep breath. "I've finally taken the first step toward making my childhood fantasy come true. For some reason, I'm a little excited."

He wasn't exactly nervous. After all, he had experienced matters of life and death. Still, he couldn't suppress his eager excitement.

Following the staff member through the contestant passage, he arrived at the Gym's training field. Looking around, he saw roughly a hundred people scattered through the audience seats. Compared to the two thousand available seats, it looked rather empty. Some people were even getting up to leave, judging from past experience that the previous match had been the most exciting one on the schedule and that the upcoming battles would be nothing worth watching.

Naturally, You Zhi didn't care what the audience thought, and neither did Gym Leader Bugsy. With a girlish appearance and a delicate temperament, he first shook You Zhi's hand, then asked with concern, "You've never earned a Badge before. Is this your first time challenging a Gym?"

"Yeah. Azalea Gym is my first battle."

"Then I wish you luck in your first battle. Even if you lose, don't take it to heart. Most trainers lose their first match, but some of them still go on to become Champions."

After thoughtfully giving him a dose of preventive encouragement, Bugsy continued, "How about we use two Pokémon each?"

Although three Pokémon was the standard for an Official Duel, Gym Leaders would make appropriate adjustments according to a challenger's strength. Against newcomers, they would use weaker or even newly caught Pokémon for 1v1 or 2v2 duels. Against experts with seven Badges, however, they would bring out their strongest Pokémon.

According to the Johto Gym Challenge Guide in Pegasus's study, Bugsy's strongest Pokémon was a Great Moth with 2600 attack power. However, he obviously wouldn't send out that Pokémon against a rookie trainer.

"No problem." You Zhi naturally had no objections.

The two took their positions on opposite sides of the training field, and the Duel Barrier activated. After thinking for a moment, Bugsy drew a Pokémon Card from the void. "You'll be my first choice."

The card flashed, and a blue-skinned mantis appeared on the field.

[Invader from Another Dimension (Four-Star) DARK attribute]

[Lineage: Insect]

[Level: 16]

[Attack Power: 950 (855)]

[Defense Power: 1400 (1260)]

[Fiend, Description: An alien who came to Earth from beyond the Milky Way Galaxy]

You Zhi was momentarily stunned. This thing didn't merely resemble an Insect Person—it was exactly the same!

The two Pokémon clearly differed only in skin color, so why was one an Insect while the other was a Fiend?

Why was one a native insect living in the forest, while the other was an invader from outer space?

Its combat power doubled just because it got a different skin? What kind of trash pay-to-win reskinning mobile game was this?

As if he could hear You Zhi's string of inner complaints, Bugsy smiled and explained, "Do you think it looks just like an Insect Person? Haha, it really is an evolved variant of one. I was surprised too when I first found out."

You Zhi nodded expressionlessly, then drew a card and summoned the Neon Stone Sprite he had long prepared. "Use this battle to show the results of your training."

When Bugsy saw the Neon Stone Sprite, his eyes lit up. "What a beautiful Pokémon. I've never seen one before. Which region is she from?"

A commotion broke out in the audience. They were clearly just as amazed, especially the veteran spectators who had bought annual passes and watched thousands of matches. Every one of them felt that they had already gotten their money's worth today.

However, no one took out their phones to take pictures, because Gyms everywhere explicitly prohibited visitors from recording videos or taking photos unless they had the trainer's permission.

You Zhi disdained lying about such things. "She's from the Johto Region."

"Huh? She's a Pokémon from the Johto Region?"

Bugsy could not hide his surprise. "No one has ever discovered her before. Pokémon species really are as numerous as the stars... But being beautiful doesn't mean being strong. Let me personally test her abilities."

Traptrix

"Neon Stone Sprite, use Water Gun."

Seeing that Gym Leader Bugsy intended to let him attack first, You Zhi didn't stand on ceremony. He first set the automatically refined "Icejade Erosion" onto the field to absorb spiritual power, then casually gave an order while beginning to refine a Spell Card.

He understood his own strengths very clearly. Commanding battles was not his specialty; grasping the right timing was. So he would play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, using Spell Cards to assist his Pokémon.

Of course, what he was best at was fighting personally. Unfortunately, this was an Official Duel. Trainers were protected by barriers, making sneak attacks difficult, and doing so in full view of everyone would easily invite criticism. He could only regretfully abandon the idea of capturing the leader first.

"Dodge, then use Bug Bite."

Bugsy intended to test his opponent's strength so he could decide which Pokémon to send out second.

A Gym Leader's responsibility was not to make things difficult for trainers, but to test them. Therefore, evenly matched battles were more meaningful.

The blue-skinned Insect Person was extremely agile. It easily dodged the jet of water, then rapidly closed in to bite while repeatedly using Claw Attack with both arms.

The Neon Stone Sprite was dazed by the relentless assault. At a loss, she actually crouched down on the spot with her head in her hands. Her defense was twice her opponent's attack power, so she was safe for the moment. Amid the constant clanging sounds, she had not actually taken much damage.

Laughter erupted from the audience. They were clearly amused by the Neon Stone Sprite's reaction, while also mocking You Zhi for sending such a spineless Pokémon into battle.

Not all Pokémon were suited for battle. Some were simply decorative, usually used as mascots.

Judging by appearance alone, the Neon Stone Sprite was indeed perfectly suited to be a mascot. Unlike the Goblin Attack Force and Demon Lizard Yihao, she didn't look like a seasoned battlefield veteran at all.

You Zhi felt rather helpless at the sight. He could only slow his refining and split his attention to command her. "Don't be afraid. Use Icy Wind to counterattack."

Having received an order, the Neon Stone Sprite seemed to find her backbone. Without any obvious movement from her, a bone-chilling current swept through the surrounding area.

At such close range, the blue-skinned Insect Person had no time to dodge. It was struck head-on, frost covering its body and slowing its movements.

Bugsy frowned slightly as he refined a Spell Card and gave an order. "Use Quick Attack together with Fury Cutter to counterattack."

Fury Cutter was a move whose power continuously increased with the number of attacks, while Quick Attack could explosively boost speed for a short period. These two moves formed a relatively famous combination technique, one known by the vast majority of trainers.

The blue-skinned Insect Person swung its claws and launched a continuous assault around the Neon Stone Sprite. However, the Neon Stone Sprite's defense was too high. Before Fury Cutter's power could build up, it couldn't deal any meaningful damage.

You Zhi said, "Use Rock Throw for an all-around attack."

The Neon Stone Sprite swung her crystal ponytail, and rocks appeared out of thin air, smashing in every direction.

Bugsy hurriedly said, "Dodge!"

The blue-skinned Insect Person tried to pull back, but it was too close. Slowed by the freezing current, it had no time to evade and was struck head-on by the swarm of rocks, sent flying away.

Rock-type moves had a restraining effect against Bug-type Pokémon, so that attack was definitely not easy to take. The Neon Stone Sprite clearly wasn't Rock-type, yet she could use Rock-type moves... Though that was nothing strange. Charizard and Gyarados weren't Dragon-type either, yet they could still use Dragon-type moves.

You Zhi praised her. "Well done. Keep suppressing it with Icy Wind."

The Neon Stone Sprite raised her head to glance at her opponent's miserable state, gaining much more confidence. Following his command, she continued releasing bone-chilling currents. The move had a wide attack range and was almost impossible to dodge.

Realizing this, Bugsy considered briefly before decisively saying, "Don't be afraid. Rush in and use Slash."

You Zhi said unhurriedly, "Alternate Rock Throw and Icy Wind."

The Neon Stone Sprite obeyed, summoning another cluster of rocks that shot through the air and sent the blue-skinned Insect Person flying once more.

Icy Wind slowed it down, while Rock Throw dealt restraining damage. Both moves had wide areas of effect and were difficult to evade. By simply alternating the two, the Neon Stone Sprite beat the blue-skinned Insect Person until it couldn't fight back. It couldn't even dodge, let alone counterattack.

Bugsy hesitated, but he couldn't think of a way to break through. If Invader from Another Dimension had known Double Team or Air Slash, it might still have had a chance. Unfortunately, this Pokémon had not been trained much.

Of course, having the Pokémon run around the edge of the entire field to stall for time while he refined a powerful Spell Card to directly destroy the Neon Stone Sprite was also a possible solution. However, that would clearly go beyond what was appropriate against a rookie trainer and violate his responsibilities.

Thus, he ultimately did nothing. Watching the blue-skinned Insect Person get defeated, he praised, "Very impressive. I can tell you only caught this Pokémon recently, yet you perfectly brought out her strength. For a trainer, that ability is more valuable than battle command."

"I think so too."

You Zhi had never been the modest type, so he accepted the praise with a completely matter-of-fact expression.

"Ah-bo~"

The Neon Stone Sprite planted her hands on her hips, raised her chin, and wore an equally proud expression.

Bugsy might have rarely seen such a confident rookie trainer. He paused slightly, then smiled. "In that case, I'll have to get a little more serious. The Pokémon I send out next will be much stronger than Invader from Another Dimension, so be careful—before that, I'll activate a Spell Card to destroy your set card!"

[Quick-Play Spell: Mystical Space Typhoon]

[Effect: Destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field]

With over a hundred spectators watching, You Zhi couldn't possibly take out the Pokédex to inspect its true effect in such a situation. Fortunately, this Spell Card's effect was simple and straightforward. He could understand it through Cheat Appraisal alone.

A lightning-filled vortex suddenly rose over the training field, sucking in the fully charged "Icejade Erosion" and destroying it in one blow.

"Defeated before I could even achieve anything..."

Why isn't he following the script? A newly acquired item should play an important role in the next battle—that's the normal plot development. Yet Icejade Erosion was gone after barely making an appearance. Isn't that just too unlucky? It's not even Sakuretsu Armor.

Bugsy ignored his opponent's frustration. Drawing a card from the void, he solemnly declared, "Lurking within the Bottomless Trap Hole, luring prey to its death with a cute appearance—the embodiment of pity and evil, descend, Myrmeleo!"

[Traptrix Myrmeleo (Four-Star) EARTH attribute]

[Lineage: Insect, Ground-type]

[Level: 28]

[Attack Power: 1600 (1920)]

[Defense Power: 1200 (1440)]

[Insect, Description: This card is unaffected by the effects of Normal Trap Cards with "Hole" or "Trap Hole" in their names. When this card is successfully summoned, you may add 1 Normal Trap Card with "Hole" or "Trap Hole" in its name from your deck to your hand. Additionally, when this card is successfully Special Summoned, destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on your opponent's field.]

(Author's note: Myrmeleo is based on an antlion, so her Ground-type attribute is perfectly reasonable.)

Countering Dig

Along with Bugsy's chant, a Pokémon with the appearance of a young girl descended onto the field. She had short white hair and clothes that seemed woven from leaves.

Compared to the Neon Stone Sprite, who looked obviously unreal, this Pokémon was actually closer to a human. Ignoring the horn on her head, she was no different from an ordinary human girl. Combined with her nervous, timid expression, she looked even more pitiful and delicate.

"That scared me. A mere Four-Star Pokémon needed an entrance chant? I thought it was one of the Three Egyptian Gods."

In You Zhi's memory, only the Three Egyptian Gods had lengthy summoning chants when they appeared, since he had only read the first manga series.

The Pokémon's adorable appearance did not make him relax in the slightest. Leaving aside the faint but unmistakable sense of danger radiating from her, the summoning chant had also mentioned "luring prey to its death with a cute appearance" and "the embodiment of pity and evil." Anyone who relaxed because she looked cute under those circumstances had to be a hopeless lolicon.

"No way, Gym Leader Bugsy actually summoned Myrmeleo? Didn't they say the opponent was a rookie trainer? Do the two sides have some kind of grudge?"

"That just means this rookie trainer has real skill. Didn't you see the previous battle? This rookie trainer's Pokémon won without any difficulty."

"How can that shiny Insect Person compare to Myrmeleo? Myrmeleo is Gym Leader Bugsy's main substitute. She's not someone a rookie trainer can handle. I'm confident I could beat that shiny Insect Person myself."

"It's not exactly bullying. Myrmeleo is Ground-type and is restrained by Water-type moves. Gym Leader Bugsy didn't send out any of his other main Pokémon, so he clearly considered that and deliberately limited himself."

"I thought the rest would be garbage time, but I didn't expect to see two girl Pokémon fighting. This match alone makes today's ticket completely worth it! Let those people who left early regret it!"

Seeing Bugsy's second Pokémon, the audience immediately exploded into heated discussion. The veteran spectators in particular were extremely familiar with the Gym Leader's Pokémon and leaked every bit of relevant information.

Bugsy did not stop them, allowing You Zhi to gather intelligence from the audience. At the same time, he set the Spell Card that had appeared in his hand onto the field and carefully explained, "Like your Pokémon, Myrmeleo has an effect that refines a Spell Card when she enters the field. Why don't you guess what this card is?"

What else could it be? If it isn't a Hole, then it's a Trap Hole. Too bad I don't have a flying Pokémon, otherwise I wouldn't need to worry at all.

You Zhi grumbled inwardly, but aloud he commanded, "Use the previous tactic."