Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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So.

When Li Xiang realized he had been indulging in this strange sense of superiority, he found himself unable to meet Lin Feng's gaze.

It wasn't because he feared Lin Feng might recognize that "he" had been replaced.

Nor was it guilt or apprehension about locking eyes with him.

It was the frustration of realizing he had become the kind of hypocrite he despised the most.

If he truly looked down on someone, then why bother pretending to get along? Why fake a smile and act agreeable?

Wasn't that just pathetic?

As a result, Li Xiang decided to reflect on himself. First, he needed to reevaluate his relationship with Lin Feng.

Did he want to continue this "sworn brotherhood" game?

The answer was—yes.

Because Li Xiang wasn't someone who liked being a lone wolf. He craved a close friendship.

Setting aside Lin Feng's potential role as the "main protagonist" of this world, his character was solid.

Sure, he was young, but good character was a rare gem in today's society.

And Lin Feng wouldn't stay a child forever; he would grow up. The lack of common ground between them now didn't mean there wouldn't be any in the future.

Both of them were walking the path of Pokémon Trainers. Li Xiang was only temporarily ahead thanks to his adult mindset and logic.

Eventually, they'd be able to support each other and grow together.

Next, should he share everything with Lin Feng?

The answer was— absolutely not.

There's a saying: even among close brothers, accounts should be settled clearly.

Everyone has secrets they cannot share, and everyone should have the right to keep them.

If Li Xiang truly considered Lin Feng a good friend, he shouldn't disclose everything to him. Nor should he pry into Lin Feng's secrets.

Being too open and leaving nothing unsaid would only bring harm, not benefits.

Maintaining a bit of distance would help ensure the relationship remained strong and enduring.

Having sorted through these thoughts, Li Xiang finally found it in himself to face Lin Feng calmly. He met his gaze and simply explained that Litten had been experiencing some physical issues and would need a thorough check-up in Mancheng next week.

........

"I see."

After hearing this, Lin Feng's expression softened slightly. It was clear that, to him, the matter was now resolved.

The fact that Li Xiang was willing to treat him as a friend and share his concerns was more than enough.

As for Litten's "secrets," they didn't mean much to him. What mattered was the gesture.

Lin Lan, who had been quietly enduring the tense atmosphere, immediately perked up and excitedly chimed in, "That's just like my brother's Charmander!"

Charmander?

Li Xiang blinked.

"Yeah, my Charmander has the Blaze ability, but it's a bit different from a normal Blaze. When it activates, it seems like its speed, attack, and defense all increase, and it also gains a much higher tolerance for pain."

Lin Feng was open and honest, not only revealing the triggers for Blaze but also detailing the aspects it enhanced.

He even shared what had happened during a battle in Xiangcheng, as well as the follow-up examinations at the Pokémon Center.

After finishing, he leaned closer to Li Xiang and lowered his voice. "Right now, only you, my sister, and I know about this secret. Even my parents aren't entirely aware. Pretty loyal of me, huh?"

He sounded a little proud, as if sharing Charmander's "secret" was his way of reciprocating after Li Xiang shared Litten's situation.

It was almost endearingly naive.

Li Xiang was at a loss for words.

The truth was, changes in a Pokémon's physiology were often easy for others to notice.

Once they reached Master Ball level, Great Ball level, or joined a high-level academy's varsity team—or even gained some fame within the academy—people would begin analyzing their Pokémon and providing opponents with all sorts of information.

Videos of their past battles would be dug up and meticulously studied.

Abnormal abilities and traits like Litten's Burnt Catnip or Charmander's unique Blaze would inevitably come to light unless they were never used in battle.

Eventually, such secrets would be as exposed as Ash's Infernape's Blaze, which even Team Rocket could describe in detail.

People weren't blind, after all.

And with the advent of a data-driven world as they grew older, anything used in battles would no longer be a tightly guarded "secret."

If you had a tool, you might as well use it. Keeping it hidden served no purpose.

With this in mind, Li Xiang decided to share his thoughts with Lin Feng, hoping to prevent him from becoming overly obsessed with secrecy.

After hearing him out, Lin Feng was momentarily stunned.

"Really? You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

Li Xiang let out a cold laugh. "Just yesterday, weren't you talking to me about that battle magazine article mentioning someone's hidden ultimate move finally being revealed? Did you forget that already?"

Never underestimate humanity's "thirst for knowledge."

Even Master-level Trainers couldn't escape scrutiny. As long as there was money to be made and no laws prohibiting it, someone would dig into their secrets.

Lin Feng opened his mouth, recalling his own past experiences and realizing that what Li Xiang said was true.

Even his idol, Xia Chunyu, had several "secret techniques" used by his Charizard exposed, becoming featured topics in magazines and newspapers.

Some of those clippings even adorned Lin Feng's bedroom wall—ones he had specifically cut out, hoping to teach his Charmander someday.

"…Damn."

Lin Feng couldn't help but curse.

He had genuinely thought of this as a lifelong secret.

Thinking back now, he realized that during the Xiangcheng finals, after Charmander's Blaze outburst had secured the championship, the organizer's representative had looked at him in a particularly strange way.

"Of course, there's no need to panic too much. At least until you're famous, this ability can still catch your opponents off guard."

Li Xiang tried to reassure Lin Feng.

Undoubtedly, this was something that could be used as a trump card. Even when opponents later caught on, it would still make them cautious and hesitant to act rashly.

Thus, it definitely had its benefits.

However, the Lin siblings simply stared at him blankly without speaking.

Li Xiang: "?"

"It's nothing," Lin Feng smiled, "it's just that your demeanor has changed a lot."

Lin Lan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, even the way you talk is different now."

"This isn't a change."

Li Xiang calmly took a sip of his milk tea. "It's just common sense. If you're aiming for a prestigious academy, you should at least do some research."

The siblings neither agreed nor disagreed. They had noticed Li Xiang's transformation, but it was a good thing.

........

In the afternoon, the fourth match.

Once again, Li Xiang faced a "normal" rookie trainer.

The opponent's Pokémon was a petite creature with soft yellow fur, a white face, a black nose, and ears and tail tipped with red fur. Its crimson eyes burned like flames.

—Fennekin, one of the sixth-generation starter Pokémon.

A species beloved by many female trainers for its high cuteness factor.

In fact, Li Xiang's opponent was indeed a girl.

"Hidden Ability Magician... It's mostly situational. What egg moves does it have? Maybe Hypnosis? Better be prepared for that."

Li Xiang squinted slightly, murmured instructions to Litten, and then sent it out to battle.

The match began.

As usual, the opening move was Intimidate.

In such a beginner-level tournament, Litten's Intimidate often proved surprisingly effective.

Sure enough, the adorable yellow fox was startled, giving Litten the opportunity to strengthen itself.

—Bulk Up.

This move was something Litten had only barely mastered. Out of ten attempts, three might fail—a reasonably high success rate.

A reddish-brown glow briefly enveloped Litten's body, its muscles tightening and bulging. A surge of warmth gave the impression that it had grown in size.

Physical Attack and Defense rose!

"Meow!"

Litten growled lowly as it charged swiftly toward its opponent. With its Attack and Defense boosted, it was naturally ready for close combat.

Truth be told, after consuming so many Attack-enhancing items, this was Litten's first time engaging in melee combat.

On the other side, Fennekin snapped out of its brief daze and seized the moment to counterattack before the gap between them closed. It let out a high-pitched howl!

A layer of pale purple light shimmered around its body, swiftly spreading across the ground in all directions, forming a circle roughly five meters in diameter!

"Psychic Terrain?!"

Li Xiang was momentarily stunned, then his expression grew serious. "Disrupt it! Use Crunch to finish it off!"

Psychic Terrain, a Psychic-type status move, prevents priority moves from working and enhances the power of Psychic-type attacks for Pokémon on the ground.

Since Fennekin used it, it must know Psychic-type moves. It couldn't possibly be just for countering Fake Out, right?

As far as Li Xiang knew, Fennekin couldn't naturally learn any Psychic-type offensive moves at low levels.

The only possibilities were TMs.

Most likely candidates? Psyshock or Psychic, both of which were devastatingly powerful.

"Meow!"

Litten responded promptly. Now only three meters away from Fennekin, it needed just a second to strike at its current speed.

However...

That gave Fennekin the chance to "trap" it.

What does "trap" mean?

It refers to using Psychic-type moves to immobilize an opponent.

As shown in the anime, moves like Confusion, Psychic, and Telekinesis can exert control over a target's body.

But before that, one prerequisite must be met.

—Psychic lock-on.

To "trap" an opponent, a Pokémon must first establish a psychic connection. Without it, controlling the target is impossible.

Thus, what Litten needed to do now was evade Fennekin's lock-on and avoid being immobilized.

How?

By relying on its evasive skills!

In Fennekin's line of sight, the onrushing Litten abruptly halted and spat a fireball roughly the size of a fist!

The fireball wasn't particularly powerful, posing little threat to Fennekin, but it successfully obstructed its view.

Losing sight of its target, the Psychic attack that Fennekin had been readying fired straight ahead with no adjustments!

Blue light flashed in its eyes as layers of distorted purple ripples burst forth, colliding with the incoming fireball.

Boom!

Thick white smoke exploded into the air!

Fennekin's trainer, sensing something was wrong, tried to issue a warning—but it was too late.

Litten had already flanked Fennekin, emerging from the smoke with gleaming fangs coated in dark energy. It viciously clamped down on Fennekin's neck!

Crunch!

A dull thud echoed.

The Dark-type move dealt pure, devastating damage!

"Fennn…!"

Fennekin let out a sharp, piercing cry before collapsing, its limbs limp.

With Bulk Up, boosted Attack items, and Litten's naturally high physical attack, it managed to defeat Fennekin in one decisive strike despite not using a Same-Type Attack Bonus move.

The battle ended swiftly!

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Bonus Chapter Schedule:

100 Power Stones - 1 Bonus Chapter

250 Power Stones - 2 Bonus Chapters

500 Power Stones - 3 Bonus Chapters

750 Power Stones - 4 Bonus Chapters

1000 Power Stones - 5 Bonus Chapters