Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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Junior Ho-Oh Cup, Round Three.

Li Xiang and his Litten arrived on time for the match.

In the previous rounds, he had faced some rather gimmicky Pokémon, leaving him quite speechless.

Thankfully, this third opponent was finally a "normal" Pokémon.

It was a large-winged Pokémon adorned with vibrant, dazzling patterns resembling a snowy landscape. Its gray and white body and black-and-white compound eyes made it look like a stunning butterfly.

—The sixth-generation regional bug Pokémon, Vivillon.

According to scientific research, Vivillon's wings feature 20 distinct patterns, each incredibly vivid and highly sought after by Pokémon collectors.

Some Vivillon with rare wing patterns fetch sky-high prices in certain private markets, sometimes even surpassing the value of pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

Of course, the Vivillon before him didn't have rare wings.

If Li Xiang recalled correctly, this one had light blue "Snowfield" patterns. There was also a darker blue variation known as "Icy Snow," with both patterns bearing a strong resemblance.

"Powder, Compound Eyes, and Friend Guard... so I'll need to fight at a distance?"

Li Xiang muttered to himself. After learning his lesson from the Chatot encounter, he had spent the night memorizing the abilities of many niche Pokémon.

This included Vivillon, whose glamorous appearance made it more popular than Butterfree.

He also came across a peculiar move Vivillon could use:

Powder.

A Bug-type status move that, when scattered on an opponent, would explode if they used a Fire-type move, dealing damage.

In the games, it caused fixed damage equal to one-fourth of the opponent's HP.

In reality, it wouldn't work exactly like that, but it was enough to demonstrate its dangerous potential.

He needed to watch out.

Li Xiang licked his lips and exchanged a glance with his Litten, who turned to look at him.

"Get ready, Litten! This one won't be easy!"

"Meow!"

Litten crouched low and let out a growl to show its determination.

Practice was practice, and battles were battles.

No matter how much the burned catnip incident unsettled them, once they stepped onto the battlefield, there was no room for distractions.

Focus on the match at hand!

At that moment, the referee finally finished reciting the standard competition rules and blew his whistle.

"Begin!"

Intimidation!

This was Litten's usual opener—a tactic that proved effective in these lower-tier tournaments.

When opponents hesitated out of fear, it guaranteed Litten the initiative.

Nasty Plot!

A haze of question marks floated around Litten's head, signifying the move's activation.

The opponent, realizing they'd fallen behind, showed slight panic but quickly regained their composure.

An early lead had its advantages, but there were ways to fight back from a disadvantage.

Vivillon approached cautiously, vigorously flapping its wings. Large clouds of bright green powder began spreading across the battlefield, drifting outward rapidly.

Clearly, this was Powder!

But it didn't stop there.

After scattering the powder, Vivillon used Tailwind.

A strong wind roared across the arena!

Sand and debris flew as the low-power Flying-type move amplified the range of the drifting powder, sending it swiftly toward Litten.

"Whoa! A double-move combo to create distance! Not bad!"

Li Xiang's eyes lit up in rare admiration at the clever strategy.

Unfortunately, theory often outshines execution.

"Phew—"

Litten inhaled deeply, then unleashed a fiery whirlwind.

The fan-shaped wave of heat surged forward, expanding rapidly as it advanced. In an instant, the scorching winds collided with the approaching powder.

BOOM!

It was like a spark meeting gasoline or a collision of worlds.

The powder ignited in an explosion, producing a deafening roar.

Li Xiang shielded his eyes from the blinding flash of flames and stepped back, feeling the intense heat wash over him.

Sweat quickly beaded on his forehead.

Litten had timed its move perfectly.

It didn't attack when the powder was still distant, nor did it wait until the powder was right in front of it and Vivillon had begun retreating.

Instead, it chose the midpoint—when Vivillon had just started its Tailwind and was still close to the powder.

The Heat Wave, strengthened by Nasty Plot, set off the powder, engulfing Vivillon in its own trap.

On the field, thick smoke from the explosion quickly enveloped both Pokémon. The stench of the scorched air was overwhelming, causing discomfort to both trainers.

But neither of them cared about such minor details.

Vivillon's trainer anxiously ordered it to use Tailwind again. In the split second of the explosion, he had caught a glimpse of his Vivillon being scorched by the flames.

With his view obscured by the smoke, he could only vaguely make out its outline. He desperately needed feedback from his Pokémon.

But under such intense heat, Vivillon's Flying-type advantage meant little. Its endurance paled compared to Litten's.

"Meow!"

A sharp cry echoed.

Then came a pale blue streak of wind energy that swept away the smoke, revealing the battlefield.

Both trainers focused intently.

They saw Litten being blown backward, rolling across the ground and kicking up dust.

But just as quickly, it got back up, shaking its head before exuding an energetic and spirited demeanor.

Its strength was far from depleted.

On the other hand, Vivillon wasn't as fortunate.

Unable to evade, it took the brunt of a second Heat Wave directly.

With its Bug-type weakness to Fire, its limited stats, and low defensive capability, surviving such a powerful move was impossible.

Vivillon's trainer could only watch helplessly as his Pokémon, singed and smoking, collapsed to the ground.

The referee blew the whistle.

"Vivillion is unable to battle. The winners of this match are Li Xiang and Litten!"

....

"Hold still; I'll clean you up."

Li Xiang used a brush to remove the dirt from Litten's fur.

Litten licked its paw silently, appearing utterly relaxed.

Although the battle hadn't been particularly intense, it had still helped the pair vent much of their pent-up frustration.

After all, exhaustion is one of the best remedies for negativity.

One moment, Li Xiang was drenched in sweat, feeling the oppressive summer heat.

The next, he was entirely focused on his opponent, fearing a single slip-up could turn the tide.

For the first time, Li Xiang felt the true thrill of battling—a surge of excitement and adrenaline.

"Here, pearl milk tea."

A plastic cup of pale green beverage was placed beside him by Lin Feng.

"This stuff's pretty good, try it."

Lin Lan followed closely behind Lin Feng, sipping her milk tea with big, bright eyes sparkling.

In this era, bottled milk tea was still relatively new and very popular among people.

Feeling thirsty, Li Xiang took the drink with a soft "thanks" and prepared to take a sip. However, Lin Feng pulled a chair over, sat beside him, and tapped the table with his fingers.

"You're not being fair."

"…Huh?"

Li Xiang froze. "What do you mean?"

Lin Feng frowned in dissatisfaction. "The other day, you ran off so fast. When I asked what happened, you dodged the question. Then, I texted you on WeChat, but you didn't respond. What's going on? Is there something you can't tell me?"

"Yeah, my brother and I were really worried about you," Lin Lan chimed in, sitting down next to Li Xiang. Her hand naturally reached toward Litten's belly, but the little feline wasn't having it and promptly rolled over, leaving Lin Lan visibly disappointed.

"Uh… it wasn't anything serious…"

Li Xiang tried to brush it off, but before he could finish, he caught sight of Lin Feng's disappointed expression.

Right, Lin Feng had been so concerned that day. Saying "it's nothing serious" now—who would believe that?

Li Xiang fell silent.

Lin Feng looked at him, as if staring at a stranger.

"I want to help you, Li Xiang. Why can't you tell me? I'd never hurt you…"

A long silence followed.

No one spoke.

The atmosphere at the table grew increasingly awkward.

Lin Lan and the Pokémon around them sensed the tension but didn't dare make a sound.

Even Purugly, who was usually rowdy and arrogant, hesitated for a moment before quietly shutting its mouth.

The "sworn brother" game.

This idea came from the "naïve" Lin Feng.

Maybe it was due to his family's influence or his past experiences, but Lin Feng had rejected terms like "childhood friend," "best buddy," or "close friend" and opted instead for the term "brother."

That's how he said it, and that's how he acted.

If Lin Feng considered you a brother, then to him, you truly were a sibling, even if you shared neither parent nor bloodline.

He took it seriously.

But honestly, were Li Xiang and Lin Feng truly close?

Not really.

The "Li Xiang" Lin Feng was familiar with had long been merged with the memories and personality of the Li Xiang from earth.

To the current Li Xiang, Lin Feng was just a kid—a straightforward, overly earnest boy still at the stage of finding joy in silly "sworn brother" games.

To put it bluntly—an 11-year-old brat.

As a result, Li Xiang couldn't help but subconsciously look down on Lin Feng a bit, feeling a subtle sense of superiority.

Superiority in age, in knowledge, and in life experience.

Especially after their first Pokémon battle, where Li Xiang exploited Lin Feng's lack of understanding of inertia and other basic principles, taking advantage of the information gap to achieve a decisive victory.

Even with his "cheats," the overwhelming win made Li Xiang's sense of superiority even stronger.

Isn't this why the internet is full of people dismissing others with labels like "just a student" or "too young"? It's the same instinct that led to the infamous term "elementary schooler."

Looking down on someone due to age or experience, and feeling smug about being the "senior," is a trap most people fall into.

Li Xiang was no exception.

But was this fine?

Not at all.

In fact, this attitude bordered on disgraceful, especially toward someone who cared deeply for him, worried about him, and treated him as a true brother.

Yes, to Li Xiang, the idea of "sworn brotherhood" seemed laughable.

In adulthood, many grow out of such bonds, with "brotherhood" reduced to an empty phrase, even a source of betrayal. Stories of childhood friends backstabbing each other are all too common.

But at this moment, standing in front of him, Lin Feng wasn't like that.

Lin Feng genuinely viewed Li Xiang as a brother, even as Li Xiang looked down on him.

Over the years, Lin Feng had always been kind to Li Xiang. He never mocked him for his weight, never called him "fatso," and often encouraged him to lose weight.

He'd regularly invite Li Xiang to his family's fruit shop to snack on fresh produce and even fulfilled his odd request to see a watermelon split by hand.

Back then, Lin Feng was only nine years old.

Yet he'd used his small hands to smash open a large watermelon, even though it earned him a beating from his dad.

Li Xiang had merely watched, laughing, yet Lin Feng never complained.

Of course, they'd had arguments and conflicts, but it was always Lin Feng who took the first step toward reconciliation.

Whenever trouble arose, Lin Feng would try to shoulder the blame himself and shield Li Xiang from the troubles.

His character was impeccable.

And now, with Li Xiang and the 11-year-old version of himself fully merged, the older Li Xiang couldn't help but feel that his current attitude was hypocritic and despicable.

As a renowned Pokémon scholar and Professor once said: "Humans need heart, and Pokémon need heart too."

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Read up to 35+ (previously 25) advance chapters of [Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer] and up to 25 (previously 20) chapters of [Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!] exclusively on my Patreon!