Boom!
Under the deafening impact, a cloud of smoke instantly enveloped Golem. Unfortunately for Vaka, the "smoke means no damage" trope didn't trigger; as the haze cleared, everyone saw a battered and scarred Golem.
"Golem!"
Vaka's voice rang out in concern. Golem struggled to straighten its body, as if trying to say it could still go on. However, Alakazam was like a demon, launching another attack under Gu Yuan's command.
The Psychic Triple Play was unleashed, and Golem was defeated without surprise, falling helplessly to the ground.
At this point, Vaka only had one Elite Rank Pokémon left. Despite the odds, he chose to fight to the end. Facing an opponent like Vaka, Gu Yuan did not hold back. Instead, he went all out, viewing it as the ultimate form of respect.
The result was never in doubt, and the battle naturally ended with Alakazam's victory.
"You are a strong opponent. If there's an opportunity in the future, I'd like to have a head-to-head battle with you. I hope you'll agree then," Gu Yuan said seriously to Vaka after the match.
"No problem! We can battle anytime!" Vaka replied, clearly appreciating Gu Yuan's attitude. He flexed his muscles and agreed with a smile.
Based on the information Ray had provided, Gu Yuan knew the identity and background of every opponent. He had no intention of befriending family scions like Shimura, but geniuses like Vaka, who belonged to the same camp as him, were exactly the people Gu Yuan wanted to know. In the future, these individuals could become valuable connections.
After chatting with Vaka for a while, the two returned to the hotel together. Since Gu Yuan had learned everything he needed to know during the previous advancement matches, he saw no reason to stay in the stands and watch the others.
Upon returning to his room, Gu Yuan received a message from the organizers. Although it contained plenty of fluff, the useful information boiled down to one thing: Gu Yuan should hold back a little in his next match and try not to destroy the battlefield.
After reading it, Gu Yuan recalled his two matches. Wait, it was my opponents who destroyed the terrain, what does that have to do with me!?
Despite his thoughts, Gu Yuan knew he wasn't strong enough to openly defy them. He could only reply saying he understood and would be careful next time, though such things weren't always within human control.
As the number of participants dwindled, the pace of the matches quickened significantly. The third round began shortly. Looking at his opponent, Bella, Gu Yuan recalled her information; it seemed this girl didn't have many moves capable of destroying the battlefield. It looked like he could finally fulfill the organizers' request.
However, when Bella saw Gu Yuan let out a sigh of relief, she thought he was looking down on her. She assumed he felt he could win easily without being serious, and her anger began to simmer. If Gu Yuan knew her thoughts, he would have advised her not to overthink things, as it was bad for everyone involved.
As the referee's voice signaled the start, Gu Yuan and Bella released their Pokémon simultaneously.
"Alakazam, Nasty Plot."
"Victreebel, Power Whip!"
At the command, Victreebel swung its head, immediately launching an offensive. As the massive vine-whip crashed down, Gu Yuan wondered if it was necessary to use such a strong move right away. Furthermore, had she not watched his previous battle? Did she really think that could hit Alakazam?
Despite his confusion, Gu Yuan didn't forget to give Alakazam an order. Teleport was released, and Alakazam, having successfully boosted its stats with Nasty Plot, vanished from the spot.
The next second, the Power Whip landed, leaving a visible dent in the battlefield. In the stands, the trainers responsible for maintaining the arena nodded in satisfaction. It seemed the warning had worked; although Gu Yuan hadn't completely changed, the destructiveness was significantly lower than before.
"Victreebel, keep up the pressure!"
Undeterred, Bella had Victreebel maintain its assault. Seeing Alakazam constantly darting around the field, she nodded in triumph. However, the situation reversed instantly.
When Victreebel swung its vine again, Alakazam teleported behind it on Gu Yuan's command.
"Disable, Psychic Triple Play!"
A glowing pentagram appeared on Victreebel, causing it to freeze briefly while sealing Power Whip. Then, three waves of Psychic sent Victreebel flying, right into the path of the emerging Future Sight. Victreebel was slammed into the ground, creating a deep crater.
Seeing this, the maintenance trainers felt they would be working overtime again today. And this was only the beginning.
Teleport was used again, and Alakazam appeared above Victreebel. Psychic was released repeatedly as if it cost nothing, forcefully crushing Victreebel.
"Come back, Victreebel! It's your turn, Venusaur!"
"Venusaur, lock on with Magical Leaf, then use Vine Whip to bind it!"
After a quick swap, Bella immediately ordered Venusaur to attack. Leaves glowing with emerald light shot out, followed by several vines. A cunning light flickered in Alakazam's eyes; it waited until a second Nasty Plot was successful before Gu Yuan let it strike back with Psychic.
With the boost from Nasty Plot, the strength gap between Alakazam and Venusaur had widened. The Magical Leaf was instantly dispelled, and Alakazam used Teleport to dodge the vines.
After reappearing, Alakazam used Teleport in rapid succession, closing in on Venusaur while evading attacks.
"Now, Venusaur! Frenzy Plant!"
As Alakazam drew near, Bella suddenly gave the command. Venusaur channeled its entire strength, using itself as a power source to force a massive amount of roots and stems to erupt from the ground, attacking Alakazam frantically.
"Use Teleport continuously! Be ready to use Psycho Cut to sever any incoming plants!"
At Gu Yuan's voice, Alakazam sprung into action. Whenever a root attacked, it teleported away instantly. Even if it couldn't dodge, its Psycho Cut carved out a path. Nevertheless, Alakazam was forced to pull back, and Venusaur's Frenzy Plant followed close behind.
A bizarre scene unfolded. Wherever Alakazam moved, the battlefield was completely pulverized. In the stands, every time Alakazam teleported, the maintenance trainers felt their hearts twitch. Fortunately, Frenzy Plant didn't last long, but the battlefield had already become an eyesore.
"Honey..."
"Yes! Overtime."
"No, I really don't have another woman outside!"
Hearing the dial tone from the other end, that trainer's resentment toward Gu Yuan quietly increased by one.