This Trainer Has No Sportsmanship

"There was no need to fight. You have already passed the test, benefactor. Cultivation was also the cultivation of the heart. Some things were stronger than power." The abbot explained, "Please remember this trust between you and your Pokémon. It is the source of strength."

The blonde girl curled her lips, unconvinced.

You Zhi was equally unconvinced. Who cared about cultivation or cultivating the heart? Where was his experience?

Divergent Lizard Yihao also looked bewildered. It had finally gotten a chance to beat someone up and vent its stress, so how had it suddenly vanished?

But with things having come to this, You Zhi could hardly force the other party to summon Pokémon and have a match. Besides, the reward they offered was solid gold and silver, displaying ample sincerity: Skill Stones for Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Ice Beam, Energy Ball, Surf, and Moonblast. He could choose one.

Those were all high-end goods. Even in the Pokédex store, each cost at least 250 points.

After comparing them, You Zhi chose Energy Ball. He planned to use it on Silent Magician later to further broaden its offensive coverage. He also received a consecrated Buddhist prayer bead, said to be proof of clearing the Challenge Tower.

The duel ended without incident, which suited the blonde girl just fine. At least she would not have to wait so long. Just as she was about to step forward and continue talking to You Zhi, she heard him say, "This is not a place to settle disputes. Go outside. Do not disturb the others."

There was nothing wrong with that, and the blonde girl could not find fault with it. Still, climbing up and down in high heels was exhausting on the feet.

The two walked down seven flights of stairs and arrived at the open space outside the Challenge Tower.

The blonde girl could not help complaining, "If I had known there was no elevator here, I would not have come."

When climbing the tower, they fought once on every floor and had breaks in between, so it had not felt too tiring. It was not like descending seven floors in one go.

You Zhi asked in confusion, "Do you not have a large Flying-type Pokémon?"

The blonde girl proudly replied, "Of course I do, and it is my ace."

"Then why did you not just ride it down from the top floor?"

The blonde girl froze for a moment before arguing stubbornly, "That would not work. What if you ran away? I had to follow behind you."

You Zhi pointed at the Challenge Tower's entrance. "This tower only has one exit. Could you not just watch it?"

"W-what if you rode a Flying-type Pokémon and escaped midway?"

"Then you could ride your Pokémon and chase after me."

"..."

The blonde girl fell silent for a moment, then flew into a rage out of embarrassment. "I did not come here to discuss this! Stop changing the subject!"

"It is obvious you wanted to change the subject. So, what did you want from me?"

"I..."

The blonde girl hesitated. Right, what had she wanted to say to him?

Tell him not to keep deceiving Phile?

But the two had been apart for more than a month and had not even met again. He could not deceive her even if he wanted to.

Tell him to persuade Phile to stop obsessing over martial arts?

Of course not. A liar like him should be driven far away. She could not give the two another chance to meet.

Tell him to return Silent Magician?

The Pokémon had been given by the Crawford family. What right did an outsider like her have to demand it back? Besides, if Phile found out, she would probably blame her. How could a noble reclaim a gift they had given away?

After thinking it over, the blonde girl could only say, "You are not allowed to keep bothering the Crawford family in the future. Also, you have to admit that you are a liar."

He could have argued about "bothering," "personal freedom," or "whether she had asked Phile's opinion," but was You Zhi the kind of person who solved problems with words?

"There is only one way to make a Pokémon Trainer agree to your demands."

You Zhi held a Pokémon Card between two fingers and struck a cool pose.

"It seems you are very confident in your dueling skills. Fair enough. You and your Pokémon share intimate trust. But today, I will teach you a lesson: strength is strength. It has nothing to do with feelings or trust!"

Although she spoke with forceful denial, the blonde girl's gaze toward You Zhi held a little more appreciation.

She did not dislike people who were so pure. Even if their beliefs differed, those who held firm to their beliefs deserved respect. Perhaps he was not a liar after all. Maybe she had merely jumped to conclusions.

"Duel!" X2

The Duel That Ended Without Incident 2

The blonde girl summoned a stone dragon with a golden body and several pairs of wings, possessing a certain artistic beauty.

[Material Dragon (Level 6) LIGHT attribute]

[Lineage: Rock-type, Flying-type]

[Level: 27]

[Attack: 2400 (2280)]

[Defense: 2000 (1900)]

[Dragon-Type, Effect: While this card is face-up on the field, effects that inflict Life Points damage instead restore Life Points. Additionally, when a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster effect that destroys monsters on the field is activated, you can send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard to negate that activation and destroy it.]

Even without using his cheat, You Zhi recognized this Pokémon after just one glance. It was extremely famous, practically a trademark of the nobility. He had seen relevant information in the Pegasus family library.

Material Dragon possessed top-tier Attack and Defense among Level 6 Pokémon, along with two highly practical traits. One reversed the effects of Spell Cards like Thunderclap and Fireball, turning Life Points damage into Life Points recovery. The other negated destruction effects by discarding any Spell Card.

Of course, its appearance was also a major advantage. If it looked like a Goblin, then even with the same Attack, Defense, and traits, the nobles would never have chosen it as their signature.

By etiquette, two Trainers who did not know each other had to announce their names before dueling.

The blonde girl crossed her arms over her chest. "Remember this. The person who defeats you is called Alisa Hopkamp."

You Zhi nodded, summoned a Goblin Attack Force with only two members remaining, and ordered one of them to use Self-Destruct. Using the smoke and dust from the explosion as cover, he sprinted low to the ground and reached the bewildered blonde girl's back in the blink of an eye.

"My name is You Zhi. Remember, a duel is not the same as a Spirit Duel."

One chop to the neck knocked her unconscious.

You Zhi caught the girl as she collapsed backward, handed her to the somewhat flustered Material Dragon, placed her on its back, and patted its wings. "Take your master somewhere safe."

Material Dragon hesitated in place for a while before deciding to take its master home first and leave her in her parents' care.

Watching the golden figure rapidly disappear into the distance, You Zhi sighed. "The world is dangerous. Hopefully, today's experience will make her remember this lesson. One fall in exchange for a smooth road ahead—what a bargain."

Thinking back on his own experiences, he had been abandoned as a corpse and targeted for assassination. One wrong step could have cost him his life. Compared to that, she was incredibly fortunate to meet such a selfless teacher as him and gain such valuable experience without paying any price at all. It was truly enviable.

The next day.

You Zhi headed to Violet Gym. As before, he waited in the waiting room for a while before entering when it was his turn.

Violet City was larger and more economically developed than Azalea Town, and that showed in the gyms. Violet Gym was nearly twice as large as Azalea Gym, and its battle arena resembled a football stadium, hollow in the middle. Looking up, one could see a clear, cloudless sky. The design allowed Flying-type Pokémon to better display their abilities.

Gym Leader Falkner was a man of few words and little expression. It was said that he had dreamed of becoming a police officer as a child. Although he became a Gym Leader after growing up, he still often patrolled the streets, catching many thieves and robbers. Whenever the police needed help, he was also the first person they contacted.

After confirming that You Zhi currently had only one Gym Badge, Falkner followed the usual rules and decided that each side would use two Pokémon to determine victory.

For the first battle, Falkner sent out a birdman Pokémon. Not a sexy Harpie, but a winged humanoid with bulging muscles that looked fast at a glance.

[Sonic Shooter (Level 4) Wind attribute]

[Lineage: Normal, Flying-type]

[Level: 24]

[Attack: 1300 (1430)]

[Defense: 600 (660)]

[Winged Beast-Type, Effect: If there are no cards in your opponent's Spell and Trap Card Zone, this card can attack the opposing player directly. When it does, the battle damage inflicted to the opposing player becomes equal to this card's original Attack.]

This Pokémon's Attack and Defense were not high, but anyone who looked down on it because of that would be fooled. Its true threat lay entirely in its trait.

In Card Duels, "attacking the opposing player directly" translated in Spirit Duels to "ignoring the opponent's Defense." It was also jokingly called a piercing trait, and it was an extremely powerful ability.

If he had not already drawn a Pokémon Card, You Zhi would have wanted to switch his combatant to Goblin Attack Force. Those guys had only 0 Defense, so the piercing trait was practically useless against them.

Of course, he could shamelessly put the Pokémon Card back into the void and draw another one. Gym Leaders generally would not pursue the matter, since their duty was to test Trainers rather than make things difficult for them. But doing so would be embarrassing and would surely draw boos from the audience.

As a pragmatist, You Zhi did not care about empty reputation. He simply felt there was no need. The Pokémon he had sent out was not incapable of winning.

"I'll leave it to you, Demon Lizard Yihao."

"Hiss—"

Perhaps because it had not been able to vent its stress yesterday, or perhaps because it did not have to undergo special training today, Demon Lizard Yihao was in high spirits and brimming with fighting intent.

"A Fighting-type?"

Falkner frowned when he saw it.

Just as the medium had said, when he saw an opponent use a Pokémon with a disadvantaged attribute, he instinctively felt that they were unprofessional and would increase the difficulty of the Gym challenge.

You Zhi said, "It is a Fighting-type for now, but it will not be in a moment."

As he spoke, the light of evolution bloomed around Demon Lizard Yihao. Before long, a layer of steel armor appeared over its body, transforming it into Divergent Lizard Yihao.

Falkner took one look and immediately understood. "It seems to be an unstable evolved form. That is why it can only be used in battle and cannot be maintained in daily life."

Steel and Fighting-type together were no longer at a disadvantage against Flying-type Pokémon. His expression eased considerably, though his words remained stern. "It looks like evolution has greatly improved its defense, but that is meaningless against Sonic Shooter. Use Agility and Wing Attack."

The moment he finished speaking, Sonic Shooter's figure flashed, leaving a blurry afterimage in the air. It attacked at a speed beyond the reach of ordinary eyes, its wings striking Demon Lizard Yihao.

The piercing trait ignored Defense. Demon Lizard Yihao gave a pained grunt and staggered back several steps. Electricity gathered in its palm as it prepared to retaliate with Thunder Punch, but it could not catch up to its opponent at all.

Sonic Shooter spun around, circled halfway around the field, and launched a Sucker Punch from behind, knocking Demon Lizard Yihao off balance.

Demon Lizard Yihao swung back, but struck nothing but air.

"If you cannot keep up with its speed, stop trying to follow it. Do not use your eyes. Try using your instincts to catch the opponent's movements."

After giving that command, You Zhi focused on forging a Spell. Demon Lizard Yihao would struggle to defeat its opponent through its own strength alone, even though its overall stats were superior.

Gladiator Evolution

Although You Zhi had given it a hint, Divergent Lizard Yihao still could not do anything against Sonic Shooter. Whether it used Thunder Punch or Rock Slide, it could not hit its opponent. It could not even catch a shadow.

It was merely an ordinary Pokémon that had just escaped its unremarkable talent. It did not possess the ability to break through in battle or attain enlightenment on the battlefield. Skills it had not learned in everyday training could not suddenly be used in actual combat.

After several exchanges and repeated beatings, Divergent Lizard Yihao's health plummeted. It could only reduce the damage by protecting vital areas, but anyone with eyes could see that if this continued, defeat was inevitable.

Quite a few spectators had already pronounced it finished and turned their attention to the Trainer's second Pokémon, wondering how he would handle the combination of "high speed plus piercing."

However, You Zhi himself had not given up. After quickly forging a Spell, he decisively set it on the field and absorbed spiritual power.

Sonic Shooter immediately lost its piercing trait. When it struck Divergent Lizard Yihao with its wings as usual, it could no longer inflict real damage like before. Its opponent did not even take a step back. Instead, the recoil hindered Sonic Shooter itself, causing it to pause briefly.

Seeing this, Divergent Lizard Yihao immediately threw a Thunder Punch in retaliation. Even while being beaten one-sidedly, it had not given up and had been ready to counterattack at any moment.

Sonic Shooter hurriedly dodged sideways, but its body was too large to avoid the blow completely. Its wing was grazed, and threads of electricity raced through it. Its body went numb, and it nearly fell to the ground. Fortunately, the paralysis only lasted a moment before vanishing.

Falkner hurriedly gave an instruction. "Fly into the air!"

Sonic Shooter flapped its wings and rose in altitude, dodging Divergent Lizard Yihao's attacks.

In such a spacious arena, the advantage Flying-type Pokémon displayed against Fighting-type Pokémon was far greater than the elemental advantage in games.

Falkner glanced at the set Spell Card, then at You Zhi's expression, and reached a conclusion. "It seems you gathered intelligence and knew Sonic Shooter's trait requirements."

Sonic Shooter's piercing trait had a prerequisite. It could only activate when the opposing Trainer had no set Spell Cards. Once the opponent set a Spell Card, its trait would fail.

Though he had been countered, Falkner appreciated him even more. As a Trainer, one ought to learn to investigate opponents beforehand, especially for Gym challenges.

Gym Leaders remained stationed in one location year-round. The local residents generally knew what Pokémon they used and what traits those Pokémon possessed. Such information was not difficult to obtain and barely took any time to gather.

Yet some Trainers could not be bothered to spend even that little time collecting intelligence. They made no preparations and wanted to challenge a Gym the moment they arrived. Perhaps some people admired that reckless behavior and considered it straightforward and pure-hearted, but Falkner only felt that such people lacked the qualities of a Trainer.

"Your tactics are correct, but as Sonic Shooter's master, how could I have failed to prepare!"

Falkner decisively activated the Spell Card he had been forging since the battle began: Mystical Space Typhoon, which possessed the effect of destroying Spell Cards.

When You Zhi challenged the Bug-type Gym, Gym Leader Bugsy had also used this Spell Card. It was extremely versatile, and nearly every Trainer capable of summoning it would obtain one for emergencies.

A fierce whirlwind suddenly rose from nowhere on the field and swept toward You Zhi's set Spell Card. Just as it was about to tear it apart, You Zhi activated it first.

"I activate 'Order to Retreat,' returning the Pokémon on the field."

The set Spell Card flipped over and activated, firing a beam of light toward Divergent Lizard Yihao. Before the whirlwind could destroy it, it returned the Pokémon to its Pokémon Card.

In formal Spirit Duels, Trainers could not freely replace Pokémon already on the field. They could only retrieve them through the effects of Spell Cards.