This Trainer Has No Sportsmanship

The beautiful woman understood at once and hurriedly called after You Zhi. "Young man, thank you for saving my daughter. If you don't mind, please come inside and rest for a while."

You Zhi looked up at the sky and figured mooching a dinner wouldn't be bad.

The beautiful woman mistook his hesitation and quickly said, "If we let our benefactor leave just like that, the Crawford family will be mocked for having no manners."

"Then I'll take you up on that."

Seeing You Zhi agree to stay, the girl could not help but smile. But when she noticed her mother's teasing look, she quickly restrained herself and put on a ladylike pose.

You Zhi followed the mother and daughter into the villa. Along the way, he encountered a butler and two maids. Sure enough, the beautiful woman invited him to stay for dinner, while the girl first returned to her room to change clothes.

After waiting in the living room for a while, just as You Zhi wondered when the man of the house would appear, he suddenly heard an odd accent coming from the stairs.

"Oh~ my poor darling Phile! It's all because that Autumn Fields painting was so enchanting that it stole Daddy's soul away and made him forget to protect you! Come here, let Daddy see where you were hurt. Does it hurt?"

A silver-haired man radiating artistic flair hurried down the stairs and rushed toward the girl, intending to give her a huge hug.

"Dad, you're covered in paint. Don't touch me, you'll get my clothes dirty."

The girl held out a hand to stop him, her face full of disgust.

"Oh~ NO~! My precious daughter has started to despise her father! Could this be the rebellious phase?"

The silver-haired man grabbed his head and screamed in terror, looking as though World End were about to descend.

"Dear, there's a guest present. Please compose yourself."

The beautiful woman reminded him, then looked at the dumbfounded You Zhi and explained, "My apologies for making you witness that. My husband normally isn't like this. It's just that whenever our daughter is involved, he forgets everything else."

You Zhi was not shocked by their theatrical father-daughter interaction. What truly concerned him was the silver-haired man's identity.

Wasn't this guy Pegasus, the boss of Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Duelist Kingdom arc, known as the father of Duel Monsters, the holder of the Millennium Eye, and someone capable of reading minds?

Other People's Pokémon

While sharing a lavish dinner with the Crawford family, You Zhi became absolutely certain that this silver-haired man really was Pegasus from Yu-Gi-Oh! At least, his character setting was identical.

In Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pegasus was the son of a wealthy owner of Las Vegas casinos. He dreamed of becoming a painter, but after his beloved Cynthia died young from illness, he was devastated. To ease his grief, he traveled to Egypt, where he accidentally obtained the Millennium Eye. He later became the president of Industrial Illusions and invented the Duel Monsters card game.

The Pegasus of this world was also the son of a tycoon, but his life had not been nearly as tragic. Not only had he fulfilled his childhood dream and become a famous painter in the art world, but he had also married the childhood sweetheart he had grown up with and had an adorable, well-behaved daughter. His love life and career were both flourishing.

A man living such a happy and fulfilled life naturally had no need for a soul-searching trip. Nor would he have one of his eyes forcibly replaced out of curiosity. Thus, instead of covering half his face with his hair like in the manga and looking like a scheming old fox, he openly revealed his entire forehead, his long hair falling over his shoulders and giving him the air of an artsy middle-aged man.

No matter how You Zhi looked at it, the Pegasus before him was merely an ordinary winner in life. Aside from his slightly strange manner of speaking, there was nothing unusual about him. That reassured You Zhi greatly; at least he did not need to worry about his secrets being seen through.

"So, you're currently traveling and training? Do you have any goals? For example, becoming a Pokémon Master or a Pokémon League Champion?"

"I don't have such a clear goal. If I had to say, I just think the world is so big that I want to go out and see it."

Having finally crossed over into another world, You Zhi sincerely wanted to travel everywhere and experience different customs and sights, especially Pokémon.

"Mm, indeed. Sometimes life needs a journey with no destination, a trip taken on a whim. When you grow up, these memories will become incomparably precious treasures."

An ordinary family might have found You Zhi's answer too frivolous, but for an artsy middle-aged man who had never needed to worry about making a living, it struck right at his heart.

"Dear, are you dissatisfied with your current life?"

Having lived with him since childhood, Cynthia heard the hidden envy in her husband's words.

"Oh, of course not. I am very satisfied with this happy and peaceful life. My greatest wish is for times like these to continue forever, until you and I lie together beneath the earth. It's just that I've recently encountered a bottleneck in my creations. I cannot paint anything that truly makes people's eyes light up. Perhaps I lack the kind of inspiration that comes from a shooting star streaking across the night sky."

"Dear, I think you need to accept reality. A forty-year-old man who can't even fry an egg cannot survive in the wild."

Pegasus spread his hands and sighed. "What a heartbreaking reality."

Cynthia smiled and comforted him. "You're already past the age when you need tempering. Leave such opportunities to the young."

Phile said softly, "I'm one of those young people who needs tempering."

"A child who runs into danger after walking a thousand meters from home has other things more worth learning than going out for training."

Phile's little scheme was suppressed in an instant. She could only sulk and stab the cake before her with her fork, cutting it into eight pieces.

"Miss Phile, was the Pokémon you commanded in the forest caught by you?"

You Zhi asked curiously. A Pokémon with such outstanding talent was rare.

Pegasus explained, "It was her sixteenth birthday present from me, but she doesn't seem to like it very much."

Put simply, it was the power of money.

In the world of Pokémon, there was a setting where Pokémon could be exchanged for tokens at game centers. Naturally, this world was no exception. There was even a profession known as Pokémon Hunters, who specialized in capturing rare Pokémon and reselling them to the rich.

Compared to Poké Balls that had to be carried on one's person, Pokémon Cards that could be stored in spiritual space were undoubtedly far safer. Thus, no one had thought of forcibly stealing someone else's Pokémon, and Pokémon that had already been captured could not be captured by others.

Phile said, "I like Pokémon that are tall and imposing, the kind that look like they can make you feel safe at a glance. Silent Magician isn't even as tall as I am."

You Zhi deeply agreed. He also liked burly Pokémon, such as Gyarados, Tyranitar, and Incineroar.

What, some people liked Gardevoir, Lopunny, and Tsareena?

Was that really liking them? They were clearly lusting after their bodies. Disgusting!

"Looks like my precious daughter did not inherit her father's artistic sense of beauty." Pegasus sounded regretful.

You Zhi recalled the Toon World deck Pegasus had used in Yu-Gi-Oh!, as well as his ace monster Thousand-Eyes Restrict. Your taste isn't much better.

Cynthia said, "This time, I'm on our daughter's side. Safety is more important than artistic taste. Silent Magician is good, but its ability only works when battling Trainers. I suggest replacing it with something more suitable. At the very least, she shouldn't fall into danger whenever she encounters wild Pokémon."

Pegasus said, "All right. I'll have someone keep an eye out at the next Pokémon auction."

Suddenly, Phile's expression changed, and she said with slight nervousness, "Don't go to the auction. I'd rather not have a Pokémon!"

"I won't go, I won't go. I'll listen to my darling. At most, I'll ask someone else to buy one for me. I absolutely won't go personally." Pegasus hurriedly reassured her.

Phile's expression eased slightly, and she added, "Then I don't want a Spellcaster. Dragon-Type or Warrior-Type would be fine."

"Spellcasters can be tall and imposing too," Pegasus said helplessly. "Our family has always commanded Spellcaster Pokémon. If we switch to another type, people will laugh at us."

Phile had been raised well and did not have the spoiled brat habits of a pampered child. After thinking for a moment, she nodded. "All right, but I have to see it first. If it's ugly, that won't do."

You Zhi could not join in a conversation among the wealthy. He cared about appearances too, but if he encountered a Pokémon with exceptionally strong talent, he could convince himself to accept it. Commoners had no right to be picky.

Practicality came first, with personal preferences taken into account afterward.

After dinner, the Pegasus family naturally invited You Zhi to stay the night in the villa. You Zhi was not one to stand on ceremony. Why refuse when he could save on lodging?

The next morning, after a full night's rest, You Zhi, who did not like sleeping in, arrived in the courtyard full of energy to do his morning exercises. It was a good habit from his previous life, one he had no intention of abandoning after crossing over.

After greeting the butler, who had also risen early, You Zhi arrived at the southern entrance of Ilex Forest. Just as he was about to find a quiet spot where he would not disturb anyone, he noticed that the Pokémon Phile had commanded yesterday was training nearby.

Silent Magician used Confusion to control countless leaves as they spun through the air. At one moment they formed arrows, at another crosses, then triangles, shifting back and forth between different shapes before transforming into even more complex animal patterns.

Even You Zhi, who had never studied Psychic training, could tell that she was clearly improving her control over Confusion. What made him most envious was that she was doing all of this voluntarily, without anyone supervising her.

"Other people's Pokémon really are something else!"

Pegasus's Invitation

A Pokémon's daily training could not increase its level, but it could help it learn new moves and improve its mastery of existing ones.

Reality was not a game. It was not as though leveling up would naturally grant new moves, nor could a move be used perfectly the instant it was learned. If one did not want to make mistakes in actual combat, one had to master moves through daily practice.

Levels were only linked to basic attributes. By gathering data samples, You Zhi had already deduced the formula for the Pokémon's actual attack and defense values displayed by his cheat: (0.5 + 0.1 * level/star rank) * base attack and defense values.

He could not calculate HP due to insufficient data samples, but based on his experience fighting wild Pokémon, he could roughly determine that it was proportional to star rank. The higher the star rank and level, the higher the HP.

Certainly, higher base attributes made learning moves easier, and some powerful advanced moves also had requirements for basic attributes, but the two were not necessarily connected.

Of course, it was possible that some highly talented Pokémon could comprehend new moves on their own.

"Want to train together?"

You Zhi stepped forward and asked.

Silent Magician hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

You Zhi decisively summoned Demon Lizard Yihao. After all, Goblin Attack Force was Dark-type, so summoning them would have no meaning for joint training. Besides, a bunch of green-skinned uncle monsters wielding spiked clubs and ganging up on a child would make it easy for indecent people to get the wrong idea.

The two Pokémon began sparring. Silent Magician had the type advantage, while Demon Lizard Yihao had higher base abilities. They traded blows back and forth, and for a time, neither gained the upper hand. Or rather, neither could do anything to the other.

Demon Lizard Yihao, lacking long-range attacks, tried to close in. Silent Magician used Confusion to force it back, but Pokémon senses far surpassed those of humans, and Demon Lizard Yihao immediately used its agility to dodge. Yet whenever it rushed close, Silent Magician would Teleport to another position. Demon Lizard Yihao then had to try closing the distance again, while Silent Magician once more sniped it with Confusion.

Their specialties had nothing to do with each other, so naturally the battle became a case of each fighting their own fight.

If the battle continued without either side making a mistake, victory would inevitably be decided by whoever ran out of stamina first.

After observing for a while, You Zhi asked Silent Magician, "You've only used Confusion and Teleport. Do you know any other moves?"

Silent Magician nodded, raised her staff, and released another psychic wave. This time, unlike the previous Confusion, the disturbance was smaller and more concealed. Under You Zhi's instruction, Demon Lizard Yihao did not dodge. After being hit, its gaze became unfocused, its eyelids began to droop, and its body swayed as though it were about to fall asleep on the spot.

"Hypnosis."

The characteristics of the move were so obvious that You Zhi naturally recognized it. What surprised him more was that Demon Lizard Yihao quickly broke free with a roar.

This was clearly another difference between reality and the game. In the game, once Hypnosis landed and took effect, a Pokémon entered the sleeping state. Whether it woke up the next turn or not, there would always be a period of sleep. In reality, even if a Pokémon was hit, it could force itself free through sheer will. Considering that Pokémon in battle were usually extremely excited, making them fall asleep on the spot was no easy task.

"Looks like Hypnosis can only be used for harassment or sneak attacks in actual combat." After thinking for a moment, You Zhi asked again, "Can you use Confusion's advanced move, Psybeam?"

Silent Magician shook her head.

"Any other moves?"

Silent Magician raised her staff and released psychic energy, condensing an invisible wall of psychic force.

"Reflect. Right, you used it in the forest yesterday."

You Zhi reached out and patted it, finding it extremely solid, no weaker than a stone wall. This was another situation different from the game's settings.

In the game, Reflect halved the damage caused by physical attacks. In reality, it was simply a wall of air. Either one lacked the strength to break through it, or one had enough strength to pierce through it directly. There was no such thing as only dealing half damage to the opponent.

Incidentally, this world did not distinguish between physical and special attacks. Light Screen and Reflect were the same thing.

After thinking it over, You Zhi ordered Demon Lizard Yihao, "Use Slash on Reflect."

The muscles in Demon Lizard Yihao's arm bulged as its claws tore through the air. Its first strike hit the invisible Reflect and was bounced away, but its second claw successfully shattered it.

You Zhi stroked his chin and thought for a while before saying to Silent Magician, "I have two suggestions for you. Either learn Psybeam, which has greater damage, or improve the casting speed of Reflect. Its sturdiness is secondary. As long as it can block the first hit and give you a chance to counterattack, that's enough. Of course, that's only my personal opinion. Whether you listen is up to you."

Silent Magician nodded, then held her staff against her chest with one hand and gave a polite bow in thanks.

"Pokémon from noble families really are different."

You Zhi turned to Demon Lizard Yihao. "As for you, you really need to master some long-range attacks. Don't even think about advanced moves like Aura Sphere for now. Try Rock Tomb."

He remembered that most Fighting-type Pokémon could learn Rock Tomb through a Technical Machine. He did not know whether Demon Lizard Yihao could learn it by itself, but if not, he would think of something else.

This world had Skill Stones that functioned like Technical Machines, and there were even stores that specialized in selling them. However, every one of them was outrageously expensive, basically out of reach for the poor.

After guiding the two Pokémon, You Zhi summoned Goblin Attack Force as well, intending to follow the same approach and create future training plans for them. Yet he quickly discovered that it was all futile.

Goblin Attack Force had inherited Assistant Goblin's cleverness, but their discipline was atrocious. They were always chattering nonstop. Although they would not openly defy You Zhi's orders, they could not resist doing meaningless things while carrying them out, such as chatting and arguing, picking up stones and catching ants, or pulling each other's ears and kicking each other's butts.

This was not merely a matter of personality; Pokémon abilities also played a role.

The appraisal device's description of "changing to Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase" could be simply understood as the Pokémon Slaking's ability, Truant. They had to rest for one turn after acting for one turn.

One Goblin alone was irritating enough, let alone four gathered together. You Zhi felt as if he were trying to teach a group of bratty children, with a swarm of flies buzzing endlessly beside his ears. Before long, he could not endure it any longer and hurriedly recalled them into their Pokémon Card.

The world instantly became quiet.

"Forget it. These guys only need righteous beatdowns in groups. They don't need any fancy moves."

Afterward, You Zhi trained by himself for a while before the butler approached and respectfully said, "Pardon the interruption, guest. Breakfast has been prepared, and the master is waiting for you to dine with him. If you are busy, I can keep your portion warm."

"No need to trouble yourself. I'll head back now."

You Zhi returned to his room and washed his face. When he arrived at the dining room, he indeed saw the Pegasus family all seated and waiting.

"Sorry to keep the three of you waiting. I'm only someone staying here temporarily. It would have been enough to send someone to inform me. There was really no need to be so courteous."

"It is only proper. You are not only a guest of our family, but also our benefactor. No amount of courtesy would be excessive..."

Pegasus was about to launch into his usual polite pleasantries when Phile secretly tugged at his hem. He could only say helplessly, "I have an impertinent request. I wonder whether you would be willing?"

"Please, go ahead."

"I would like to invite you to become Phile's private teacher and teach her practical combat experience."

A Martial Maniac