This Trainer Has No Sportsmanship

Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall's mechanical eyes flickered a few times before going completely dark.

Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse did not last long under the siege either. Divergent Lizard Yihao first cleaved it to the ground, then Silent Magician blasted it apart with a Shadow Ball, scattering broken parts everywhere.

The spiritual power of the two Pokémon that had consecutively defeated powerful foes surged violently. According to the cheat display, each had gained two levels. Even Neon Stone Sprite, who had been recalled, gained a level as well.

However, the battle had also greatly depleted both Pokémon's spiritual power. Divergent Lizard Yihao had suffered backlash from Axe of Fools and had barely any vitality left.

After weighing his options, You Zhi activated Compulsory Evacuation Device and bounced Silent Magician back into her Pokémon Card. Since Divergent Lizard Yihao was on the field, the hidden effect triggered, restoring half of Silent Magician's spiritual power. He then took out a Pokémon Card and recalled Divergent Lizard Yihao.

Turning to look at the battlefield, he saw the three members of the main group each facing a Mekk-Knight, fighting on fairly even terms. Ningirsu had even gained the upper hand. Alisa was holding back two Mekk-Knights, but she was close to reaching her limit.

Crystal Beasts were all Rock-type Pokémon and were naturally at a disadvantage against the Steel-type Mekk-Knights. Fortunately, Alisa had brought plenty of Pokémon. Besides Material Dragon, she had Amber Mammoth, Topaz Tiger, Emerald Tortoise, Amethyst Cat, Ruby Carbuncle, Jade Pegasus, and Cobalt Eagle—seven in total, all above level 20.

Ordinary Pokémon Trainers would not dare use a relay strategy in a Temporary Duel, because Pokémon suffered spiritual backlash when they were defeated. Before they could exhaust the enemy through repeated battles, they would collapse first.

But Alisa had no such concerns. When Crystal Beasts were defeated, they did not immediately return to their Pokémon Cards to reconstruct their spirit bodies. Instead, they became Spell Cards and remained on the field, absorbing spiritual power. Unless the enemy destroyed the Spell Cards on the field, she would not suffer spiritual backlash.

Even so, against powerful Mekk-Knights with a type advantage, her situation had become extremely precarious. Five of her Pokémon had already completely lost their fighting ability. Only Emerald Tortoise and Cobalt Eagle were still battling, the former relying on its defense and the latter on its speed to keep the enemy occupied.

Just as You Zhi was about to go help, Alisa stubbornly said, "I can still hold on. Go help the others. You should understand that this is what benefits us most."

"...Hold on. I'll be back soon."

You Zhi naturally understood what she meant. Given the current situation, helping Alisa would certainly let them gain the upper hand quickly, but defeating two Mekk-Knights would still take time.

In comparison, if he went to help one of the other three, they could create an overwhelming advantage and swiftly defeat an enemy, building momentum like a snowball.

"Don't worry about me. Of course I can hold on."

As Alisa spoke, she activated the Spell Card "Crystal Release," raising Cobalt Eagle's attack by 800 points.

Unexpectedly, Mekk-Knight Yellow Star, who possessed a pair of mechanical wings, seized the moment Cobalt Eagle paused to receive the boost. With an Agility, it slammed head-on into Cobalt Eagle, preventing it from maintaining flight. Then it unleashed a relentless series of Steel Wing attacks, scattering Cobalt Eagle's feathers and leaving it unable to escape. Even the gemstones on its wings began to crack.

[Mekk-Knight Yellow Star (Level 7) LIGHT]

[Type: Steel, Flying]

[Level: 35]

[Attack: 2200 (2200)]

[Defense: 2600 (2800)]

[Psychic-type, Effect: Omitted]

Jade Pegasus tried to step in, only to be stopped by Mekk-Knight Green Horizon. Holding an emerald-green staff, it summoned a mass of Vine Whips to intercept it.

[Mekk-Knight Green Horizon (Level 6) LIGHT]

[Type: Steel, Grass]

[Level: 33]

[Attack: 2100 (2205)]

[Defense: 1600 (1680)]

[Psychic-type, Effect: Omitted]

Before long, Cobalt Eagle was completely defeated by Mekk-Knight Yellow Star and turned into a Spell Card covering the field.

Seeing this, Alisa gritted her teeth and summoned Material Dragon to continue the fight.

Material Dragon was not a Crystal Beast and lacked the corresponding trait. Once defeated, it would cause spiritual backlash, so she had saved it until last... or rather, second to last.

She still had one Pokémon she had never used: Ultimate Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon. That was her final trump card!

Because Rainbow Dragon was an eight-star Pokémon while Alisa was only a six-star Trainer, it would not obey her commands. Thus, unless absolutely necessary, she would not summon Rainbow Dragon. She could only secretly pray that You Zhi moved faster.

The Girl Evolves

You Zhi first chose to assist Ningirsu, because Ningirsu held the greatest advantage. With help from Silent Magician and Gagaga Girl, what had been an upper-hand battle immediately became a crushing one.

Before long, Silent Magician spotted an opening and blasted Mekk-Knight Red Moon away with a Psybeam. Ningirsu took the opportunity to swing his spear and sever the arm holding its battle axe, while Gagaga Girl followed up with a Fire Punch.

Even after suffering such a series of attacks, Mekk-Knight Red Moon, as a seven-star Pokémon, still had strength left. It raised a leg and kicked Gagaga Girl away.

"Die!"

Ningirsu spun forward like a drilling spear, piercing Mekk-Knight Red Moon through the chest and pinning it to the wall. He then pressed down on his spear with both hands and unleashed his power. Star Power surged through the shaft into the Mekk-Knight's body, making it tremble violently as sparks flew everywhere. Before long, it stopped moving, its glow fading away.

"Split up!"

Without waiting for You Zhi to speak, Ningirsu threw down those words and hurried off with his spear to help his sister.

"Concern clouds judgment."

You Zhi sighed and hurried after him.

The best tactic now was not to split up, but to keep the snowball rolling.

With the arrival of the two reinforcements, Eve's previously strained situation immediately reversed. Before long, they defeated Mekk-Knight Lantern Shadow.

According to plan, they should have gone to support Auram next. But when You Zhi swept his gaze across the battlefield, he found Alisa in grave danger. Emerald Tortoise had been defeated once more and turned into a Spell Card covering the field, leaving only Material Dragon barely holding on.

"Silent Magician, go with them and help Auram."

You Zhi made a swift decision. He assigned Silent Magician, their strongest fighter, to the others so they could keep building momentum, while he took Gagaga Girl to support Alisa.

Seeing this, Ningirsu and Eve were deeply moved. Ningirsu squeezed out more spiritual power and quickened his pace, gritting his teeth as he said, "End this quickly!"

At that moment, Mekk-Knight Yellow Star had Material Dragon tightly entangled. Mekk-Knight Green Horizon did not join the siege. Instead, it drove its Vine Whips toward Alisa.

A summoner's weakness was their own body.

All Mekk-Knights shared the same database. Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall was not the only one who knew that.

Fortunately, Alisa was not some delicate young lady raised in seclusion. She dodged to the side, but her opponent did not give up. The follow-up attacks came immediately after.

Alisa knew she could not keep dodging forever. She reached into the void and took out her final Pokémon Card. Just as she was about to summon Ultimate Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon, a black shadow flashed across her vision, crashing into Mekk-Knight Green Horizon amid a series of panicked cries.

Mekk-Knight Green Horizon channeled spiritual power and summoned a barrage of Magical Leaves. Yet the instant they struck their target, a violent explosion erupted. The spreading shockwave directly blew it away.

"Are you alright?"

You Zhi arrived beside Alisa in time. Goblin Survivor, trembling timidly, followed behind him.

A trace of joy appeared on Alisa's face, but she immediately put on a stern expression. "Why did you come back again? Didn't we agree that you would help the others? I can still hold on here. You need to think of the bigger picture."

"Don't worry. I already sent Silent Magician over. They'll win soon."

As he spoke, You Zhi recalled the Goblin into its Pokémon Card.

There was only one left, after all. If he threw the last one out to Self-Destruct, he would trigger spiritual backlash.

"Your only Pokémon left is Gagaga Girl, right? Then there's no point in you coming over. Hurry up and leave. I can hold them off by myself."

Alisa thought that even if Rainbow Dragon did not obey her commands, it was unlikely to attack her because she was its owner. But You Zhi's safety could not be guaranteed.

"As a qualified Trainer, you must trust your Pokémon. No matter what powerful enemy you face, you must have the courage to fight and win."

"Now isn't the time for grand speeches..."

Alisa's complaint abruptly stopped because she saw Gagaga Girl brimming with fighting spirit, as though flames burned in her eyes. Clearly, You Zhi's words had inspired her, putting her in peak condition.

As a Trainer, there was no reason to throw cold water on her at a time like this.

At that moment, Mekk-Knight Green Horizon drove its Vine Whips toward them again. Gagaga Girl took the initiative to meet them, flames rising from her hands as she burned away the vines. Then she sprinted forward, intending to engage in close combat.

Although Mekk-Knight Green Horizon was puzzled as to why a Psychic-type Pokémon skilled in ranged attacks wanted to fight at close range, any enemy objective had to be opposed. Besides, it truly was not skilled in close combat. It immediately unleashed a covering attack with Magical Leaf while gathering natural life energy and following with an Energy Ball.

Gagaga Girl once again burned through the Magical Leaves with Fire Punch. However, an Energy Ball had been concealed within them. The power of Fire Punch could not cancel it out, and she was struck head-on, sent flying with severe injuries.

The enormous difference in their stats meant that even a weakened Energy Ball brought Gagaga Girl's health down to the brink of death.

Mekk-Knight Green Horizon had no idea how to show mercy. It decisively summoned Vine Whips for a follow-up attack, intending to defeat the Pokémon in one push before dealing with the Trainer.

Gagaga Girl raised her skull bracelet and activated the newly learned move "Protect." An invisible wall of air appeared before her, blocking the Vine Whips.

"Just as I thought, it still won't work. The gap between you is too great. Courage alone can't make up for that kind of difference. Protect can't be used consecutively. Hurry up, recall your Pokémon and leave."

Alisa sighed and turned to urge You Zhi.

"Have faith in your Pokémon."

You Zhi remained completely unmoved. At the same time, he thought, if the Pokémon can't win, then the Trainer will have to step in.

Phile had said it before: there were other Trainers in this world who could defeat Pokémon through martial strength. He was only a little stronger than them. There was nothing strange about that.

As if sensing You Zhi's confidence, Gagaga Girl felt her courage surge. She recalled the moment she had begged her master to take her in, and only one thought remained in her heart: I must not betray my master's trust!

In an instant, the light of evolution shone as Gagaga Girl's figure and appearance changed.

[Magician's Valkyria (Level 4) LIGHT]

[Type: Psychic, Fighting]

[Level: 18]

[Talent: Fierce]

[Attack: 1600 (1520)]

[Defense: 1800 (1710)]

[Spellcaster, Effect: As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the opponent cannot select other face-up Spellcaster monsters as attack targets]

"Evolution in battle!"

Alisa opened her mouth in shock, momentarily losing her composure.

It was not as if she had never heard of evolution during battle. She had even seen quite a few related videos. But witnessing it with her own eyes was a first.

"It is said that only by relying on a powerful will to awaken the potential within can a Pokémon evolve without absorbing spiritual power. This kind of evolution has a high chance of improving its talent."

A Valkyria Naturally Uses Martial Arts

Magician's Valkyria resumed her battle against Mekk-Knight Green Horizon. Although she remained at a disadvantage, she was no longer completely suppressed as before. They traded blows evenly.

After recovering from her initial shock, Alisa calmly said, "Although she still can't defeat it after evolving, delaying it will be enough."

You Zhi disagreed. "If she can't win after evolving, then wouldn't the evolution have been wasted? Whatever a Pokémon lacks, the Trainer should make up for."

He looked at the six Spell Cards in his hand, selected one, and activated it: "Gagaga Shield"!

Unlike "Gagaga Thunder," which required a Pokémon with "Gagaga" in its name to be on the field, "Gagaga Shield" could be used by any Spellcaster Pokémon.

A flash of light appeared, and Magician's Valkyria gained a tower shield in one hand. Holding her staff in one hand and shield in the other, she charged forward through her opponent's attacks.

Mekk-Knight Green Horizon repeated its previous tactic, firing Magical Leaf and Energy Ball in succession. If both hit, even though Gagaga Shield had self-repair capabilities, it would shatter after exceeding its endurance limit. After all, in theory, it could only withstand two destructive attacks in a single turn.

However, even before evolving, Gagaga Girl had possessed considerable intelligence. How could Magician's Valkyria, whose talent had improved, fail to learn from her mistakes? The moment Magical Leaf struck the shield, she nimbly rolled toward the front side, evading the hidden Energy Ball. She successfully closed the distance and swung her staff directly at her opponent.

Mekk-Knight Green Horizon hurriedly raised its emerald staff to block. The two staffs collided with a metallic ring, knocking both back a step. Neither staff itself was damaged, but cracks appeared in the gems embedded within them.

After all, the staffs used by both Pokémon were proper mage staffs, not deadly melee weapons like iron monk's spades. They were simply not suited for close combat.

Mekk-Knight Green Horizon had no intention of engaging its opponent in hand-to-hand combat. It retreated to widen the distance while summoning Vine Whips to lash at her.

Magician's Valkyria raised her shield to defend. Obvious cracks immediately appeared across its surface, but she paid them no mind. She even charged forward behind the shield and slammed directly into her opponent.

Bang!

The already heavily damaged Gagaga Shield shattered on the spot. Mekk-Knight Green Horizon staggered backward from the impact, nearly falling over.

Magician's Valkyria took the opportunity to hook her opponent's staff with her curved staff and yank it outward with all her strength, forcibly making it lose its grip. She then swung her staff down onto the Mekk-Knight's face, knocking it to the ground. Her own staff was completely destroyed as well.

Magician's Valkyria casually tossed away the broken staff, stepped over the Mekk-Knight, and pinned it down. Flames gathered in both hands as a barrage of Fire Punches poured down like torrential rain.

As a Grass- and Steel-type Pokémon, Mekk-Knight Green Horizon had been immensely pleased when facing the Rock-type Crystal Beasts earlier. Now, against Fire-type attacks, it felt just as miserable. Worse, it had lost its staff, further reducing the efficiency of its spells. It could not even gather enough spiritual power to counterattack and was on the verge of being beaten apart by Magician's Valkyria's wild punches.

At that moment, Mekk-Knight Yellow Star noticed its companion's crisis. It did not bother delivering the finishing blow to the already struggling Material Dragon. Spreading its wings, it forcibly knocked Material Dragon away and dove toward Magician's Valkyria.

Seeing its movement, You Zhi was about to intervene when he suddenly spotted a figure rushing over from the distance and stopped.

That figure was incredibly fast. It intercepted Mekk-Knight Yellow Star sideways in midair, and the two crashed into a building together. It was Imduk the World Chalice Dragon.

After absorbing Star Power again, Imduk had not changed much in appearance, aside from growing a size larger. But through Cheat Appraisal, You Zhi discovered that its level had surged by 20 at once, although its attack was still only 2000.