Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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After breakfast.

Back in the classroom.

Watching the others shuffle in while leaning against the wall, Li Xiang couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia.

Back when he first started martial arts training, he had been the same way.

After a day of intense practice, his legs would tremble uncontrollably the next day, making it hard to even walk straight.

Thankfully, his senior brothers had helped him relax his muscles, and eventually, he got used to it.

Once his physical fitness improved, it was no longer a problem.

Before long, the second batch of breakfast-goers returned, and the first class bell rang.

Today's first lesson was, once again, physical training—exercises to improve their fitness, held out on the field. And it had absolutely nothing to do with Pokémon.

The schedule had been handed out yesterday afternoon. Core subjects like language, math, and English were gone, replaced by only three things:

Pokémon General Knowledge

Practical Training

Trainer Physical Conditioning

Dull and monotonous.

The so-called "competitions" were just physical challenges and pre-meal Pokémon battles.

Every night, there was mandatory wilderness training.

During the day, it was all about endurance drills, with occasional rankings (top 100 or top 50) thrown in as a "reward."

Even though Zhong Qizhi had said this was just a temporary schedule and would eventually change, the students couldn't help but feel disappointed.

'Is this really what the Youth Training Camp is like? Where's the competitive pressure in Pokémon battles?'

They weren't police cadets.

Why were they being forced to train their bodies so much?

'Trainers only need their Pokémon to be strong, right?'

—At least half the students shared this sentiment.

As for Li Xiang, when he noticed that the training facilities had been completely shut down since the second day, he immediately sensed something was off.

He had wanted to check if other training camps had similar setups, but then he remembered the confidentiality agreement they'd signed—no leaking camp details.

With no other options, he reluctantly gave up and the first week passed by uneventfully.

The nighttime training group slowly grew in size. Some of those who had fallen behind on the first day, after much internal struggle, decided to push themselves—mostly to fit in.

No one wanted to be left out, and these teenagers were no exception.

With Li Xiang deliberately controlling the pace, they gradually managed to keep up.

Additionally, quite a few students from other schools tried to join in, while others simply followed behind, using Li Xiang's whistle as a guide to form their own groups.

This was inevitable.

Li Xiang didn't mind. If they wanted to piggyback off his rhythm, so be it.

As long as he stayed in the top 100, that was enough.

If they could keep up, more power to them. After all, he'd still get credit for leadership.

That aside, while he kept winning his two daily pre-meal battles, Li Xiang couldn't shake a sense of dissatisfaction.

His opponents were just too weak, making it hard for him to get excited. He wondered when he'd finally get to face one of those ten elite students.

As if answering his thoughts, in the third week, he finally encountered one of them during a lunch battle.

A girl with dyed blonde hair—from No. 2 Middle School, if he remembered correctly.

"Vice Class President?"

When she saw Li Xiang, her expression turned complicated.

Li Xiang blinked. "Huh?"

"You're Li Xiang from Class 3, right?"

She schooled her features. "Everyone calls you Vice Class President, even though there's no such position. You're really strong, specializing in Incineroar..."

Like pouring beans from a sack, she rattled off a rough summary of Li Xiang's known strengths—clearly having done her homework.

"My name is Wu Ruoxue. Remember it—I'll be the first one to defeat you."

She pulled a Poké Ball from her waist, her face radiating absolute confidence.

Li Xiang, who hadn't gotten a word in edgewise, silently took out his own PokéBall. He had no idea where this Wu Ruoxue girl got her overwhelming confidence.

It was almost delusional.

But confidence wasn't a bad thing. A Trainer needed some degree of it to bring out their full potential.

Still, he was going to crush her anyway.

The referee ignored their exchange. After announcing the rules, he blew his whistle.

"BEGIN!"

Bang! Bang!

Both Poké Balls flew out at the same time!

Li Xiang's choice was Wash Rotom, which had fully adapted to its compact form by now.

His opponent, meanwhile, sent out a white, humanoid seal-like Pokémon resembling a mermaid, with light blue tied-up hair and a lower body that looked like a fitted gown.

—Primarina, the Water/Fairy-type Siren Pokémon.

Li Xiang quickly recalled its data.

Level 37. Hidden Ability: Liquid Voice (converts sound-based moves to Water-type).

Signature moves: Sparkling Aria, Hyper Voice, Misty Terrain, Dazzling Gleam, etc.

A powerful Pokémon.

Unfortunately…

'It's weak to Electric.'

A Bad matchup!

Wu Ruoxue's expression shifted slightly. She had sent out Primarina expecting Li Xiang to use Incineroar, only to get outpredicted.

But it wasn't over yet!

Primarina was her ace—it wouldn't go down so easily!

'Electric-type? So what?'

"Misty Terrain!"

"Substitute!"

Both Trainers issued commands the moment their Pokémon landed.

"Lurrr—!"

Primarina let out a high-pitched cry as a pink wave of light rapidly spread across the battlefield, covering the entire area in a soft, glowing haze.

Tendrils of pink mist swirled through the air.

[Misty Terrain]: Prevents status conditions for grounded Pokémon and halves damage from Dragon-type moves!

A perfect counter to Dragons!

Li Xiang had expected this, which was why he didn't bother with Thunder Wave to cripple its speed.

Electric moves were fast, but not necessarily faster than setting up terrain. If he missed the timing, he'd waste the opportunity. Better to try something else.

Meanwhile, Wash Rotom glowed faintly as a dough-like mass of light split from its body, transforming into an identical copy—a Substitute!

"Hyper Voice!"

Wu Ruoxue's command came fast, as if she didn't want to give Li Xiang time to react.

Not that he needed to.

Rotom had run this playbook countless times before.

One of the Wash Rotom clones suddenly opened its washing machine hatch, unleashing a swirling vortex of black-blue wind straight at Primarina!

At the same time, Primarina straightened up like an opera singer and released visible ripples of soundwaves—piercing, high-pitched shriekes that tore through the air!

Li Xiang covered his ears and stepped back. The real danger of sound-based moves lay in those tangible shockwaves; the noise was just a side effect.

As long as Trainers avoided the shockwaves, they wouldn't go deaf.

The two attacks collided mid-air, exploding like ignited gas!

A deafening BOOM echoed as white smoke erupted from the impact point, instantly obscuring vision!

Move clash—neutralized!

Wu Ruoxue's eyes widened.

This usually only happened when two moves were perfectly matched in power.

Primarina's Hyper Voice, thanks to its Ability, was treated as a Water-type move, gaining a STAB boost.

But Rotom was currently Water/Electric—why was its Ghost-type Ominous Wind still so strong?!

'This guy… is terrifyingly powerful!'

Remembering the warnings from others who had faced Li Xiang, a bead of sweat rolled down Wu Ruoxue's forehead.

But she didn't panic. Instead, she immediately ordered Primarina to use Sparkling Aria, creating a swarm of bubbles.

Primarina had the ability to produce water balloons (bubbles) and control them through song.

These bubbles came in two varieties: fragile and durable.

Wu Ruoxue had opted for the fragile ones this time.

Primarina straightened up like a diva and began singing an ethereal melody.

Above its head, a sphere of shimmering blue water rapidly expanded before splitting apart, forming countless translucent bubbles that shot toward the smoke-covered battlefield!

The moment the bubbles touched the smoke—

Pop! Pop! Pop!

They burst on contact, their explosive force dispersing the obscuring haze in seconds! In no time, a clear path emerged, revealing the two Wash Rotom clones at the far end!

But Sparkling Aria wasn't done yet!

The remaining bubbles surged forward and detonated right in front of the clones!

Direct hit!

Wu Ruoxue's face lit up. Even if Water was weak against Water, the move would still slow Rotom down!

Except—The bubbles hadn't hit the real Rotom, but just an illusion.

"Double Team!?"

Wu Ruoxue gasped, immediately scanning the surroundings for the real one.

That's when she realized—Primarina was already surrounded by multiple Wash Rotom clones.

Her face paled.

"Hyper Voice—full sweep!"

Primarina opened its mouth and unleashed another devastating soundwave, this time in a wide-area sweep to obliterate every last clone!

Most shattered instantly—

Except one.

When the shockwave hit a particular Rotom, instead of vanishing, it flinched in pain!

A direct hit!

Wu Ruoxue almost sighed in relief—until she remembered Rotom had used Substitute at the start.

"That's a decoy!"

She hissed, realizing the real Rotom was still unaccounted for.

'Where is it?! The battlefield isn't that big—'

Then it hit her.

A shadowy figure with a question mark-shaped cloud zipped past her from behind!

It had been hiding right behind her the whole time!

"Dazzling Gleam!!"

Wu Ruoxue screamed, scrambling to the side.

Primarina's Hyper Voice was near-omnidirectional—except for one blind spot: the Trainer's position.

'I didn't even notice! Such a rookie mistake!'

Regret flooded her, but there was no time for second-guessing.

Rotom's Thunderbolt was already in motion.

A brilliant flash of electricity lashed out like an invisible whip, striking the glowing Primarina and instantly interrupting its move!

Primarina convulsed as it was locked in a cage of crackling lightning!

All Wu Ruoxue could see was the blinding, flickering blue light.

The match was over.