Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof

-----------------

Winter Vacation.

Though there was still some time before the New Year, Li Xiang inexplicably felt like he suddenly had a lot of free time.

Song Jie was heading back to Jizhou for the holidays since he wasn't a local. Lin Feng's family, on the other hand, had all gone to Xiangcheng. 

His mother wanted to have a proper gathering with her own family before the New Year.

As for Qu Sheng and Yang Tianwang...

The best way to describe it was that Li Xiang was on one side, and they were on the other.

Qingcheng was still a big place, and finding them to hang out wasn't easy. It was simpler to just leave it at that.

But none of this mattered much.

The next day, Li Xiang's entire family took the opportunity to go on a trip together, including himself.

Duan Tianxing had generously approved his vacation time but didn't forget to remind him to complete his basic daily coursework during his free time.

Li Xiang, of course, agreed without hesitation.

The family piled into Li Zhehan's big pickup truck and set off toward Yunzhou, making stops to sightsee along the way.

Their final destination was Yunzhou's Qiongshan mountain.

Though it was called a mountain, it was, in fact, a massive island. The climate was springlike all year round—warm and comfortable—making it a prime location for growing various types of berries and fruits.

It was also home to an abundance of wild Pokémon that coexisted harmoniously with humans without interference.

A perfect spot for relaxation and vacation.

=================

"Coach Lu, if only it were that easy to learn…"

Li Xiang sighed, slouching like a lifeless blob in the back seat.

Beside him, Purugly, Riolu, and Torracat were huddled together, staring intently at the small MP4 screen, silently watching a movie.

Dogs and cats sticking together—a winter special.

In winter, many Trainers truly realized the value of having a Fire-type Pokémon.

Especially Pokémon like Growlithe, with their thick fur—they were practically living space heaters.

Riolu, though not particularly afraid of the cold, couldn't resist leaning close to the perpetually warm and cozy Torracat, especially since the surrounding air was chilly.

Torracat neither objected nor showed any reaction, and the two simply nestled together in tacit understanding, joined by a thick-skinned Purugly.

Peaceful and harmonious.

"Focus on your movie!"

Li Xiang waved them off and turned his attention to summarizing his progress over the past six months while drafting plans for the next half-year.

-----------------------

Current Stats for Torracat:

Pokémon: Torracat

Gender: Male

Level: 17

Ability: Intimidate

Type: Fire

Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Heat Wave, Nasty Plot, Crunch, Bulk Up, Flame Charge, Fake Out, Fire Fang, Lick, Roar, Double Kick, Protect, Hyper Voice, Flare Blitz (in progress).

-----------------------

With five TM-learned moves in six months, Torracat's progress was quite remarkable.

It had consumed plenty of PokeBlocks along the way. While they hadn't resulted in a significant level leap, they'd definitely made Torracat strong enough to hold its own at First High, on par with top-tier Trainers like Song Jie.

To further enhance Torracat's combat capabilities, Li Xiang resolved to teach it the ultimate Fire-type move—Flare Blitz. This move would undoubtedly boost its battle prowess to new heights.

It was also one of Incineroar's core offensive moves.

Once Torracat mastered Flare Blitz, it could proceed to learn U-turn, Parting Shot, and Taunt.

After completing these, the focus would shift to preparing for its evolution into Incineroar. At that point, it would be unstoppable—a powerhouse both on offense and defense!

-----------------------

Current Stats for Riolu:

Pokémon: Riolu

Gender: Female

Level: 19

Ability: Prankster

Type: Fighting

Moves: Foresight, Quick Attack, Feint, Endure, Bullet Punch, Vacuum Wave, Detect, Sky Uppercut, Agility, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Counter, Blaze Kick, Force Palm, Swords Dance, Copycat, Magnet Rise (in progress).

-----------------------

Riolu had learned three TM moves in the past half-year, slightly fewer than Torracat, but it had mastered Copycat, a highly versatile move.

Copycat allowed Riolu to replicate an opponent's recently used move, which could turn the tide of battle when used strategically.

Through battles and observations, Li Xiang noticed Riolu struggled against flying opponents adept at long-range attacks.

While Sky Uppercut theoretically enabled it to strike airborne targets, theory and practice were often worlds apart.

Vacuum Wave and Force Palm lacked the range and accuracy needed for such situations.

Learning Magnet Rise, however, could change the game entirely. Flying would enhance Riolu's agility and versatility while granting it immunity to Ground-type moves.

Why not take advantage of such an opportunity?

Down the line, Li Xiang planned to teach it support moves like Follow Me or Helping Hand to make full use of its Prankster ability. Wasting such a great ability would be a real shame.

===============

In this world, venturing deep into forests could be highly dangerous.

Wild Pokémon often formed groups and staked out territories, fiercely attacking and driving out intruders.

However, areas near highways were a different story.

Years of construction had turned the brightly painted gray roads into no-go zones for wild Pokémon.

The constant flow of high-speed vehicles frightened them, and they steered clear of the highway edges.

As a result, wild Pokémon near highways were usually solitary or scattered, and often quite docile. Large groups or aggressive ones were rare.

The Pokémon League's annual maintenance budget for highways wasn't wasted.

"Wild Pokémon, huh…"

At a rest stop, Li Xiang exhaled white breath as he watched a few Fearow cawing in the sky.

"If only I could find a rare or super cute Pokémon."

Having waited nearly six months, he was itching to capture a third Pokémon.

Once he had three Pokémon, he'd meet the requirements to apply for a Trainer's License. After that, he'd no longer be limited in the number of Pokémon he could own.

"Meow?"

Torracat, warm and toasty, trotted over and mewed curiously. What was so fascinating?

"I'm thinking about getting you a teammate."

Li Xiang rubbed Torracat's head, causing the Fire-type to stiffen.

It stared at him in disbelief, grappling with the bitter truth that humans were fickle creatures. Wasn't Riolu a recent addition?

—Half a year is not 'recent,' buddy.

Li Xiang expressionlessly nudged Torracat away. The cat's thoughts were written all over its face—far too easy to read.

Just then, Riolu walked over, happily clutching a snack container. But seeing Torracat's heartbroken expression, its little heart skipped a beat.

What... What happened?

"Come here. Don't just stand there, or someone might snatch you up."

Li Xiang beckoned to Riolu, all the while daydreaming about the kind of Pokémon he might encounter in Qiongshan.

Something Steel-type, perhaps?

If there were active volcanoes, maybe a Heatran…

Okay, let's be realistic.

A Magnezone? Excadrill? Ferrothorn?

Hmm… None of those felt quite right.