Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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On the tropical island of Qiong, another joyful day was spent. 

The third day. 

The Wind God Festival officially began. 

The entire island of Qiong was plunged into a frenzy of celebration!

 Both humans and Pokémon, whether in the city or the wild, were beaming with joy, even more so than during the New Year celebrations.

 On the streets, private cars were restricted, leaving only trams, light rails, and buses in operation, or bicycles for those who preferred to ride. 

Moreover, numerous water-sprinkling trucks began spraying clean water into the sky, creating an artificial drizzle that gently fell over the island. 

Of course, this was different from the water-splashing festival where people drench each other; here, the sprinkling was a one-sided act by the organizers. 

A plethora of fruits were placed on the streets, free for anyone or any Pokémon to take and enjoy. 

However, what caught Li Xiang's attention more than these were the pinwheels hung at the entrance of every household. 

Despite the lack of noticeable wind, these pinwheels spun vigorously. 

"This is the Wind of Blessing, and what's sprinkling down is the Rain of Harvest," Li Zhehan explained to his wife and son. "Legend has it that it was these two gifts brought by Lugia that allowed Qiong Island to develop into the land of berries." 

Indeed.

 The prosperous Qiong Island's development in the berry industry astonished the entire Zhuxia region.

 The people of Qiong proudly claimed that they supplied half of Zhuxia's berries!

 "Mmm... delicious." 

Li Xiang held a Wiki Berry, munching on it with a crunch, while his Riolu beside him ate a fruit resembling a dragon fruit. 

Behind them, Torracat trudged along, dejectedly avoiding puddles on the ground. Disliking the rain but unwilling to stay in the hotel or its Poké Ball, it had no choice but to wear a smelly rubber raincoat, trailing behind. 

It looked utterly pitiful. 

"Hang in there, it'll be better once we reach the main venue," Li Xiang turned to pat Torracat's head. Private cars weren't allowed on the streets except for emergencies, so they had to take the light rail early. 

But they hadn't expected so many people to be taking the train. 

The family waited through three trains, yet couldn't squeeze onto any. Thankfully, Li Xiang had spent a lot of time registering the day before.

 Speaking of which, there was actually an age limit for registration—participants over twenty years old were not allowed, and the results couldn't be transferred. No wonder there were so few outsiders participating.

 How many people under twenty would run all over the mountains just to "get wet"?

 Li Xiang had accidentally seen the participant list and found that fewer than fifty people had registered before him.

 Based on information gathered online, the final number of participants was only around two hundred. 

Usually, a competition of this scale would be dubbed by netizens as a "wild chicken competition."

 In fact, netizens also "teased" the Pilgrimage Trial in the same way, saying that such a big island couldn't even gather a thousand trainers under twenty.

 The young trainers of Qiong Island were naturally furious, engaging in one verbal battle after another with them.

 Li Xiang even spotted a certain standard phrase among the arguments— 

'To be honest, those who understand, understand; those who don't, won't get it even if you explain, so it's better not to say anything...'

 Typical know-it-all. 

But such humorous responses didn't amuse Li Xiang as they might have in his past life. 

Because Legendary Pokémon truly defy common sense.

 Reversing time sounds absurd, right? Time travel sounds absurd, right? Bringing the dead back to life sounds absurd, right?

Most Legendary Pokémon can do such things. 

...

 The main venue.

 At the foot of the mountain where the Pilgrimage Trial was held.

 Environmentally, it was a huge square with numerous large screens and tiered seating.

 Not many participants, but a lot of spectators. Perhaps even a sea of people.

 "Go for it! Bring back the championship!"

 Li Zhehan vigorously patted Li Xiang's back, seemingly more excited than Li Xiang himself, even though he wasn't the one competing.

 "It hasn't started yet! What's the rush!"

 Mrs. Yin glared at Li Zhehan, then straightened Li Xiang's clothes, saying, "Be careful, there are many dangers on the mountain." 

"I know, you just watch from outside." 

Li Xiang smiled, hugging Mrs. Yin, then Li Zhehan, "Half a year of martial arts training wasn't for nothing." 

"Meow!" 

At his feet, Torracat scratched at his pants leg in dissatisfaction. 

Li Xiang crouched down, ruffling its big cat face, pouting, "Who told you to have poor stamina? Who told you not to be as fast as others? Who told you to be a Fire type?" 

This trial would take at least half a day, and it wasn't primarily about the strength of the Pokémon. Plus, surrounded by trees, Fire-type Pokémon weren't at an advantage. 

"Meow!" 

Torracat naturally understood this, but seeing Li Xiang's teasing, mischievous expression, it couldn't help but darken its face, giving him a loving cat punch to the chest!

 Thud! 

Caught off guard, Li Xiang was knocked onto his butt, coughing. 

"Cough... damn, you've learned bad habits from Purugly!"

 Despite his words, his face was full of smiles. 

Mrs. Yin helped him up, dusting off his pants, "What time is it for you two to be fooling around!" 

"Hahaha, that's the fist of victory!" 

Li Zhehan laughed heartily, giving Torracat a thumbs up. 

Torracat: "…." 

It had always wanted to lay hands on Li Xiang like Purugly did, because sometimes Li Xiang could be really annoying, and even Torracat, who thought it liked him the most, couldn't resist the urge to hit him sometimes. 

After the playful scuffle.

 Li Xiang didn't linger, temporarily saying goodbye to his family, and entered the blue-cloth-covered competitor's passage with his student ID. 

The preparation area was inside. 

...

 Preparation area.

 Unsurprisingly, Song Jie was already inside, having waited for Li Xiang for quite a while.

 "You really know how to drag your feet!"

 Accompanied by his Lycanroc, Song Jie glared at him, also sighing in relief.

 He had almost thought Li Xiang really missed it.

 "The light rail was crowded!" 

Li Xiang retorted confidently, Riolu also showing a look of lingering fear. 

It was the first time in its life experiencing what it felt like to be a sandwich filling.

 Too terrifying.

 Song Jie wasn't the only one participating in the Pilgrimage Trial.

 Among them was Abigail, the girl with the best figure among the four girls Li Xiang had seen on the yacht. 

She stood alone against a railing, coldly scanning her surroundings, accompanied by a black-furred, cat-faced Pokémon with red ears, a red fan-like head, a yellow gem on its forehead, and a pair of snow-white sharp claws.

 —A Dark/Ice-type Weavile. 

Extremely fast, very suitable for gamers to clear levels, also known as the Dragon Slayer. 

After all, it's Ice-type.

 The expressions of this girl and her Pokémon were almost identical, both wearing a world-weary look, exuding an aura of "don't mess with me." 

Thus, despite her good looks and great figure, no one dared to approach her, but Li Xiang wasn't afraid. 

"Senior Abigail!" 

Li Xiang greeted her with a smile. 

Abigail was taken aback upon seeing him, taking several seconds to react, then nodded slightly in acknowledgment. 

But that was all. 

"You're quite the social butterfly!" 

Song Jie looked at Li Xiang in surprise, truly not expecting him to initiate a greeting.

 "What do you mean social butterfly? Is saying hello being a social butterfly?"

 Li Xiang habitually bickered with Song Jie.

 However, the organizers didn't give them much time to chat.

 A person in charge appeared, explained a few rules, and then many staff began distributing PokéBalls to everyone present. 

Following that, numerous Psychic-type Pokémon appeared. 

"When the trial begins, they will teleport you to a safe spot on the mountain, where you can start directly," the organizer explained with a smile. 

In this world, Teleport has always been a move humans wanted to decode and repurpose. 

It's also an indispensable move for the Association.

If it weren't for the limitation that Teleport can't carry too many objects, the need for delivery personnel in this world might be questionable.