The Fifth Badge / The Popular Battle Frontier

Second playthrough storyline?

Furthermore, the two are now safe to return, no longer needing to risk being besieged, thus escaping a calamity. However, the four left behind, including the Naturia Exterio, are doomed. No matter how strong their individual strength is, they cannot withstand the Fabled for ten minutes.

Although Jasmine looks gentle and weak, she is actually very responsible. Otherwise, she would not have made the decision to rush in the moment she discovered the Anomaly going berserk. You Zhi also doesn't like things to end without a conclusion. Besides, he is currently in high spirits. If he can thwart the Fabled's plan, which he thinks is like a mantis stalking a cicada, it will definitely make him happy for several days.

However, no matter how much the two resist, the reality is that their return is imminent, and no trainer has yet found a way to delay it.

"There's not much time left, we need to get something done quickly."

You Zhi glanced at the Spell Card he had just crafted, which was "Silent Magician Blast". He originally planned to wait for the Battle Tornado to pierce a large hole in the body of the Worm Zero, then have the Silent Magician Teleport to the center of the Cocoon, and then use the Spell Card to enhance the use of the exclusive skill, blasting the Worm Zero into dust from the inside out.

As it turned out, the Worm Zero collapsed faster than he had anticipated, or rather, the lower-level Worms were more determined to resist than he had guessed. They preferred to drag the mother down with them rather than become obedient slaves again, leaving him no chance to use this trump card.

Using this move to attack the Fabled is pointless, since the Fabled is basically Dark-type and is immune to Psychic- type moves.

"Cyber End Dragon, use Eternal Evolution Burst!"

In the rush, Jasmine couldn't think of any better way, so she could only order the Cyber End Dragon to attack with all its might, and try to eliminate the Fabled as much as possible in the little time before she returned.

At that moment, a brilliant idea flashed in You Zhi's mind, and he said to Jasmine, "Let's duel!"

Jasmine was taken aback, not immediately understanding what the other person meant or why they were challenging her to a duel at such a crucial moment. However, trusting them, she responded, "Duel!"

Once their energies aligned and they officially entered into a duel, You Zhi decisively activated the only Spell Card in his hand.

[Silent Magician Blast: This effect can be activated if you control a "Silent Magician" monster and have more cards in your hand than your opponent. Both players randomly create Spell Card until they have 6 cards in their hand.]

You Zhi had one Spell Card in his hand, while Jasmine did not, which met the activation condition of "more cards in hand than the opponent". In an instant, a large amount of spiritual power surged out from "Silent Magician Blast" and condensed into eight Spell Cards in the hands of the two. - Pokémon Card are also counted as cards in hand. Since each of them summoned two spirits, they could only obtain four cards.

"It has such an effect! This is comparable to the S-rank Forbidden Card 'Card of Sanctity'!"

Jasmine was amazed to see the four extra Spell Card in her hand, but she knew that now was not the time to be sentimental. She decisively picked out one of them and activated it, which was the most practical destruction Spell Card, "Dark Hole"!

In an instant, a pitch-black vortex descended upon the battlefield, slowly rotating as if it were swallowing even the light. All the elves it touched vanished, and a blank space instantly appeared in the Fabled's originally dense army formation, with at least five or six hundred elves being sucked in.

As mentioned before, a simulated Dark Hole is still Dark Hole, and Dark Hole cannot be resisted; at least, the elves present did not know how to resist them.

However, since they were in a battle, Jasmine couldn't just throw Spell Card into irrelevant places; she could only activate them using You Zhi's spirit as the anchor point.

You Zhi didn't want to experience the backlash of eight-star spiritual power at this time, so he decisively activated the "Compulsory Evacuation Device" to bounce the Giant Divergent Lizard Yihao back into the Pokémon Card.

The Silent Magician was caught in the crossfire and destroyed on the spot, but its ability was triggered at the same time, causing it to reappear in the form of "Silent Magician LV8".

You Zhi hurriedly said, "Use Gravity!"

The Silent Magician raised his staff, and the Gravity in the surrounding area suddenly increased several times. The Fabled were originally flying in the air, were all pulled to the ground and could no longer take off.

Following that, You Zhi activated three Spell Cards in succession: "Goblin's Secret Remedy," "Earthquake," and "Hammer Shot." First, he healed the Dragunity Knight - Trident's injuries, then caused the battlefield to shake violently, causing all the Fabled to lose their balance and fall to the ground. Finally, a giant wooden mallet fell from the sky, crushing the three the Fabled.

Unfortunately, none of the Spell Card he possessed had the effect of "destroying all spirits on the field," so this was all he could do.

In comparison, Jasmine undoubtedly has a much wider variety of Spell Card. After "Dark Hole," she activated a second large-scale, field-wide attack Spell Card.

[Charge Spell: Flash Shield - Power of Light -]

[Effect: This effect can be activated when your opponent declares an attack if they control 3 or more Attack Position monsters. Destroy all Attack Position monsters on your opponent's field.]

Armored Black Dragon took the initiative to meet the enemy's attack, but just as it was about to be hit, a crystal light shield suddenly appeared in front of it. While blocking the attack, countless beams of light shot out, hitting every Pokémon on the field, including its own Thunder Oni.

This attack was within the understanding of the Pokémon, unlike Dark Hole, so they all attacked to defend themselves. Some of the stronger Pokémon could survive even after being hit by one, but the weaker Pokémon were inevitably blasted to pieces on the spot, and the weak always make up the majority.

In an instant, the battlefield was filled with explosions and fireworks, and countless Fabled perished under this attack.

Before they could even confirm the outcome, the countdown ended, and Jasmine, unable to activate her remaining two Spell Cards, disappeared along with You Zhi.

The two felt a sudden dizziness, and soon they passed through a time tunnel. Their bodies were thrown out, but You Zhi, whose physique had been enhanced, was completely immune to the dizziness. He quickly adapted to Gravity and used a princess carry to pick up Jasmine and land steadily.

"Whoosh—a brilliant HERO saves the damsel in distress; I give this move a 9.8 out of 10."

The one who made the sarcastic remark was Morty, who even clapped his hands.

You Zhi looked around and found that besides Morty, there was also the old man who looked like the butler, and another unfamiliar man wearing a cloak who looked quite dignified.

"Welcome back safely to both of you."

The stranger stepped forward and introduced himself, "I am Wataru. Can you tell me what happened in the Spirit Realm over there?"

As You Zhi put down Jasmine, whose pretty face was slightly flushed, he said, "Before that, could you please answer me why you didn't come to help?"

Morty spread his hands and said, "It's not that we're unwilling, but we can't go. The Anomaly solidified after you went in. If you don't believe me, turn around and look."

You Zhi turned his head and found that the colorful Space-Time Vortex did not disappear after the mission was completed like other Anomaly, but instead turned into a sculpture, remaining motionless in place.

Chapter 163 The Fifth Badge

"What's going on? We did complete the story, otherwise we wouldn't be able to come back, but the Anomaly didn't disappear after the mission was completed. Has anything like this happened before?" You Zhi asked in confusion.

"You're asking me? Who should I ask? I've never seen you before," Morty explained. "I received a message from this old man saying that the Space-Time Vortex has started spinning again, so I rushed over in a panic. But before I could even go inside, you two flew out of there."

After a slight hesitation, A-Lv finally spoke up, "I've heard that Steven, the champion of the Hoenn Region, encountered a similar situation. Is the Spirit Realm you're entering this time particularly vast?"

You Zhi nodded and said, "It's an entire planet, and there are many forces involved. The two Anomaly I dealt with before, one only had two forces, good and evil, and the other had an additional hidden mastermind in addition to the good and Anomaly forces. This time, there are seven or eight named forces alone. The villain is even from outer space, and the hidden villain is from underground. Moreover, we were sent back before we could eliminate the hidden villain."

He briefly described their experience on the planet, focusing on the situation of the Fabled, since the Zerg, the overt Worms, had already been eliminated.

However, despite the emphasis on describing it, he didn't actually know much; he only gleaned some information from the Ally of Justice.

"The Fabled Clan has been slumbering underground since ancient times. They were awakened by the war between the Worms and the Ally of Justice. Their underground world is divided into three layers, named after the Demon World, the Roar World, and the God World. Under the absolute power of the 'God,' each person's rank and position determine their rank."

Their stance was strange. Initially, they did help the Ally of Justice fight the Worms, suffering considerable casualties in the process, which was no exaggeration. However, when the Worms were driven to the brink of defeat, they turned against the Ally of Justice and even plotted some rebellions, but these were exposed by us and failed. After that, they simply joined forces with the Worms."

Morty nodded and said, "I understand. They're from the chaotic faction, the kind of people who thrive on chaos."

A-Du said, "Steven encountered a similar situation. After returning from the first mission, the Anomaly didn't disappear; it just stopped functioning. After a while, the Anomaly reopened, and he went in and completed the mission again, which finally eliminated the Anomaly."

"So there really is a second playthrough."

You Zhi had already guessed this, so he wasn't too surprised. He turned to look at the Space-Time Vortex suspended in mid-air, reached out to touch it, but could only touch air. It was like a 3D projection, visible but untouchable.

Jasmine asked worriedly, "So there's nothing we can do now but wait for it to restart?"

"Yes, but don't worry. We didn't know before, but now that we're prepared, we won't let it go berserk again. We just need to install a camera and a spirit energy sensor in this room."

With A'du's strength, he naturally didn't care about the dangers of the Spirit Realm. After thinking for a moment, he added, "If possible, we'll need one of you to help us then. After all, you've established connections with the forces in the Spirit Realm, and having you as intermediaries will make it easier to gain their trust."

"As the Gym Leader of Olivine City, I have an unshirkable responsibility in this matter."

Jasmine took the initiative to take on the task.

"You can contact me then; I'm willing to help whenever I have free time."

You Zhi didn't refuse, after all, carrying over save data in the second playthrough is always easier than starting from scratch in the first playthrough.

"Alright, alright. Now that everyone's back safe and sound, and there's nothing else we can do, let's call it a day. You two should go back and rest. You've clearly just been through a big battle; you look exhausted."

Morty waved his hand, summoned a Flying-type Pokémon, jumped out of the window, and rode the Pokémon back to Ecruteak City.

He had a dojo challenge today, but received an urgent call, which is why he had to temporarily stop the match and rush over.

A-Du also advised the two to rest, saying he would handle the rest.

You Zhi and Jasmine did not refuse the offer. They hadn't felt anything before because they were highly focused, but now that they were reminded, they suddenly felt tired and hungry, and all they wanted to do was have a big meal before lying down to sleep.

Jasmine suggested going to a local sailors' restaurant, where the food was delicious and the portions were large, making it a favorite among sailors, You Zhi readily agreed.

"Do you think Elder Wood Dragon and the others can escape safely?" Jasmine asked worriedly.

"We have done everything we can to help them. Now it's up to them to do their best. They're not children. Since they're on the battlefield, they need to be prepared. Besides, our concern here won't do any good."

While offering casual words of comfort, You Zhi glanced at the menu and ordered a seafood fried noodle dish.

"... That's true."

Jasmine was no novice; she quickly relaxed, putting aside her worries, and said to the waiter, "I'd like a seafood cheese ramen, extra large."

Upon hearing this, You Zhi couldn't help but glance at the other person.

Jasmine quickly explained, "I'm using delicious food to relieve my worries. I have a lot of worries this time, so I'm eating more."

You Zhi noticed that the waiter who took the order had a completely normal expression and showed no surprise whatsoever. Clearly, this wasn't the first time Jasmine had ordered an extra-large size here, but he didn't call her out on it. He nodded and said, "Being able to eat is a blessing. Everyone has their own unique way of relieving stress."

"That's right, this is my way of de-stressing."

Jasmine's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously, seemingly very happy to have gained a legitimate reason.

Soon, the waiter brought over the noodles the two had ordered. Although You Zhi had only ordered a regular portion, it was still a third more than the fried noodles you'd get at a typical restaurant. A large bowl was piled high with noodles, since the restaurant's target customers were sailors, who couldn't do heavy work without a full meal.

The regular size is already like this, and the extra-large size goes without saying. The seafood cheese ramen bowl served to Jasmine was only one size smaller than a washbasin. At first glance, it looked like a competitive eating contest.

"Speaking of which, you booked a gym challenge the day you entered the Singularity, right?"

Noticing You Zhi's gaze, Jasmine quickly changed the subject, sounding rather abrupt.

"Yeah, I went to the gym that day and was told it was canceled at the last minute, which surprised me. I also heard that you often go to the top of the Glitter Lighthouse, so I thought I'd give it a try and went. I didn't expect to run into you there."

"I'm sorry, although it's not exactly an apology gift, please take this."

Jasmine secretly handed him a metallic badge.

You Zhi gladly accepted the badge without any embarrassment. After all, Morty had mentioned that Spirit Duel were just one method of testing, and Gym Leaders had a great deal of discretion. If they believed that the challenger's strength met the standard, they could award the badge.

"Thanks, now there are only three left."

Chapter 164 Popular Battle Frontier

Being a young man, You Zhi was full of energy the next day after a good night's rest.

After breakfast, he went to the elf supplies store that Jasmine had told him about yesterday and spent 100,000 to buy a Thunder Stone for Lunalight Blue Cat to use.

As expected, amidst the dazzling light, Lunalight Blue Cat evolved into Lunalight Cat Dancer, her white stockings turning black, and her figure becoming even more alluring.

In this way, Lunalight Blue Cat can evolve into Lunalight Cat Dancer on its own, without relying on the power of Spell Card. This not only saves spiritual energy but also makes it more flexible.

You Zhi tried using "Moonlight Fusion" on the other party, but it didn't work.

"As expected, Polymerization Spell Card are only effective against non- Fusion Form of Pokémon. Even if there are subsequent evolutionary forms, they can only be obtained through the Pokémon's own training."

He had read about this in a book, so he wasn't surprised.

Suddenly, You Zhi noticed that colorful flags were erected on both sides of the street, and banners were hung at some intersections, as if it were a festival celebration. He hadn't paid much attention to it yesterday because he was too tired, but now when he looked up, he saw that the banners clearly read "Warmly celebrate the official opening of the Battle Frontier (Johto Region). Trainers from all over the world are welcome to participate in various competitions and win generous prizes."

"I missed the unveiling ceremony again."

You Zhi took out the VIP card that a blond man named Palmer had given him when he was at the Ecruteak City Dojo. After thinking about it, he decided to go and take a look, even if he didn't participate, he could still treat it as a trip to relax.

The Battle Frontier is right next to Olivine City; it's less than a 20-minute bike ride away.

Passing through the main gate, the view suddenly opens up to a huge pentagonal plaza, brightly decorated and resembling an amusement park. Indeed, there are quite a few food and snack vendors, and even a few elf supply stores in the center of the plaza.

You Zhi went to check it out and found that they also sold Evolution Stone here, and the price was 15% off, so he could buy Thunder Stone for only 85,000.

"No wonder the shop owner was so enthusiastic when I bought the stone earlier, even advising me to use it on the spot to verify its authenticity. Turns out I was being taken advantage of."

Unfortunately, the Thunder Stone has already been used up, and now it's impossible to return it to the store. You Zhi has lost 15,000 yen for nothing and has no choice but to accept the loss.

Suddenly, a deep dragon roar came from above. You Zhi looked up and saw a blue dragon flying across the sky. The dragon was inlaid with rows of gems that shone brightly in the sunlight. In particular, its wings were like jet wings, full of sci-fi beauty.

[Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon (8-star) Light]

[Genealogy: Flight, Electricity]

[Level: 44]

[Talent: Ferocity]

[Attack Power: 3000 (3150)]

[Defense: 0 (0)]

[Dragon-Type, Effect: Omitted]

"So handsome!"

You Zhi's eyes lit up; when would he be able to catch such a cool Pokémon?

If this were a wild elf, he would stop at nothing to capture it, but it's obvious even to a fool that this creature already has an owner.

"It's here! It's here! The Blue-Eyes Chaos Dragon appears precisely at 10 o'clock every day! Don't just stand there, take a picture!"

"I used to only see it on TV, I never thought I'd witness it in person today. The sense of oppression is so strong, I feel my body trembling involuntarily."