Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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As mentioned earlier, moves have specific ranges and effective distances.

For instance, Heat Wave, a high-power move with a wide area of effect, has an effective range of up to six meters. Beyond that, its power diminishes significantly, more akin to a warm breeze.

Its truly effective range, however, was even shorter—only four meters.

Fortunately, Nasty Plot not only boosts move power but also slightly extends their effective range. With this enhancement, the effective range of Heat Wave increases to eight meters, allowing Litten to attack Miltank without engaging in close combat.

Boom!

Flames erupted!

The swirling orange-red firestorm roared forward, engulfing Miltank!

"Moo—!!"

Unlike a Charmander, Miltank does not resist Fire-type moves. Despite its potentially higher level, the direct hit from this Heat Wave, even against its rounded back, inflicted significant damage.

Unable to withstand the pain, Miltank bellowed loudly, faltering in its attack.

"Retreat and use Nasty Plot!"

Li Xiang seized the moment and gave a sharp command.

The expression on Miltank's face made it clear: the flames had inflicted substantial damage.

Its ability, Thick Fat, remained uncertain, but there was a strong possibility it had the Sap Sipper Hidden Ability instead. If so, the opportunity to strengthen Litten further was at hand.

A misty aura formed above Litten's head, with question marks materializing and vanishing as its power surged.

Li Xiang had pieced things together by now: the young trainer's first Pokémon was likely a farm-raised Miltank rather than a hatchling bred specifically for battle.

As previously noted, Pokémon exhibit varying levels of battle aptitude. This Miltank, accustomed to a peaceful life, had a pitifully low tolerance for pain. It was outclassed not only by Litten but even by Lin Feng's Charmander.

The match wasn't even thirty seconds in, yet Miltank had squandered multiple opportunities, practically handing victory to Litten.

Not far away, Miltank gritted its teeth, enduring the burning pain on its back as it finally launched into Rollout. Its entire body gleamed with an earthy yellow light as it charged ferociously at Litten, transforming into a massive, rolling mass of flesh—like a battering ram.

Rollout is a Rock-type physical move whose power increases with successive hits.

Despite the menacing approach of this move, Litten didn't dodge. Instead, it unleashed another blast of fiery wind with Heat Wave!

While the boosted Rollout was formidable, it had been weakened by Litten's Intimidate and Growl.

Moreover, the stat boosts from the candies Litten had consumed made enduring the first hit entirely manageable.

As for Miltank's ability to withstand two successive Heat Wave attacks boosted by Nasty Plot—that was highly questionable.

Li Xiang had already calculated the damage.

Unless Miltank was over level 20 with the Thick Fat Ability, even with its substantial HP pool, it wouldn't survive two high-powered attacks, especially after significant boosts.

Even if it managed to endure, the rolling momentum of Rollout would almost certainly be disrupted.

As if to confirm his hypothesis—

Boom!

The blazing windstorm struck Miltank mid-Rollout!

The scorching heat engulfed the rolling Pokémon, disrupting its momentum. Though the rotational force dispersed some flames, the intense heat fully seared its body!

"Moo—!!"

Miltank let out a pained cry, losing its curled-up form as its attack came to an abrupt halt, crashing into Litten!

Thud!

The sound was muffled yet impactful.

Litten's small frame was sent flying instantly from the collision, unable to completely avoid the Rock-type damage.

However, it had anticipated the impact, bracing itself against the blow. With sheer determination, it adjusted mid-air and landed steadily.

Raising its head, Litten locked its sharp gaze on the visibly pained Miltank.

In an instant, its four sharp fangs glowed with a dark aura.

Crunch!

Without awaiting Li Xiang's command, Litten instinctively lunged at Miltank for the finishing move.

Thwack!

Its glistening teeth sank into Miltank's thick, fleshy body, causing an explosion of white smoke like in every dramatic battle scene.

The already weakened Miltank couldn't take it anymore. Its eyes rolled back as its robust body collapsed, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

The battle was over.

"Beep—!!"

The referee blew the whistle, announcing the result:

"Miltank is unable to battle! Litten wins! The victor is Trainer Li Xiang!"

The spectators outside the wired fence broke into applause.

A clean and decisive battle is always a treat to watch.

Litten's swift and relentless attack style left a strong impression on many.

Though the battle lasted less than three minutes, it showcased Litten's formidable strength to every onlooker.

Some enthusiastic viewers even whistled in admiration.

Meanwhile, Miltank's trainer—

The young girl, likely from a farming family, ran to her injured Miltank, tears streaming down her face as she hugged the battered Pokémon. Her sadness overwhelmed her as she began to cry.

Hmm...

She was undoubtedly a rookie among rookies.

Li Xiang silently pocketed the Speed Candy, convinced this girl had been battling for less than a week.

However, he didn't find her tears particularly surprising.

The girl was clearly young, with limited emotional resilience. The crowd's reactions, her dissatisfaction with the match outcome, and her concern over Miltank's injuries—all these factors could have contributed to her crying.

It was entirely normal.

From the battle, though, Li Xiang had gained a clear understanding of the gap between Litten and an average rookie Pokémon.

Miltank had superior moves, possibly better abilities, and a higher base stat total.

Yet, its inability to endure pain or seize opportunities for counterattacks made all the difference.

A poorly played hand.

"If I hadn't encountered you, the one crying here might have been me."

Picking up the limping Litten, Li Xiang spoke earnestly, "Thank you."

"Meow…"

Litten let out a weak meow, trembling slightly. It was clear to anyone that being hit by a large Pokémon like Miltank wouldn't leave it feeling great.

Li Xiang noticed the injury on its leg and bent down to kiss its forehead gently.

"To celebrate your first victory, we'll head to the medical center for some rest, and then we'll have a feast."

Litten's eyes brightened, and it nodded vigorously.

.....

Lunch Hour

Hosted by none other than Li Xiang himself.

The three of them, along with their three Pokémon, found a nice restaurant in the mall and had a hearty meal.

The main star of the celebration was, of course, Litten, the MVP of the battle.

When it came to Litten, Li Xiang didn't hold back on spending money. His generous ordering had Lin Feng tugging at his sleeve multiple times, whispering that he hadn't brought much cash.

It wasn't that Lin Feng was worried about paying, but the things Li Xiang ordered were too expensive.

Lin Feng was afraid that even combining their funds wouldn't cover the bill.

But Li Xiang, having already prepared for this, reassured him with a grin, joking that if worse came to worst, he'd stay behind to wash dishes.

The cliché joke managed to make Lin Lan laugh. She even enthusiastically chimed in, volunteering to help.

Lin Feng, however, exposed her by revealing that she had broken two plates the night before.

The siblings began bickering immediately.

Li Xiang sat back, chuckling as he watched their antics.

Suddenly—

A small paw nudged his leg.

Li Xiang looked down and saw Lin Feng's Charmander staring up at him with a peculiar expression, one claw pointing to the side.

Why wasn't it looking for Lin Feng and instead came to him—

"What the—"

Li Xiang involuntarily muttered, his eyes widening.

What did he see?

Two blissed-out cats!

That's right!

Purugly and Litten were both completely zoned out, squirming on a soft cushion like two oversized caterpillars.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Lan was the first to notice, turning her head. She gasped as she saw the two contorted cats.

"What's happening? They look like they're in pain! Are they sick?"

She covered her mouth in worry.

Lin Feng, having seen this kind of behavior before, waved dismissively. "Don't overthink it. They've been at the catnip—right, Li Xiang?"

Unfortunately, Li Xiang wasn't paying him any attention. Instead, he stared at Litten with a puzzled look before walking over and picking up some charred black particles beneath it.

"This is... burned catnip?"

Li Xiang sniffed it lightly, and a burnt odor immediately hit his nose.

Having lived with Litten for over a month, he was well aware of its usual reactions to catnip.

Li Xiang could confidently say that Litten had never shown such a dazed expression before.

Yet here it was.

A few burnt pieces of catnip had left it completely out of it?

Unbelievable!

Li Xiang turned to look at Purugly.

The catnip under Purugly was normal.

It seemed the issue only lay with Litten's batch.

Ordinary catnip didn't do much, but burnt catnip was a different story?

'Buddy, how unique does your taste have to be?!'

Li Xiang's mouth twitched.

It really wasn't an ordinary Pokémon—even its preferences for catnip had to be unique.

Lin Feng and Lin Lan curiously leaned over, asking what had happened.

After a moment's thought, Li Xiang explained, "These two cats are out of commission—they're officially done for."

The two siblings looked confused, clearly not understanding what he meant.

...

Afternoon Match

Li Xiang noticed that Litten's mental state seemed off before their next battle.

To others, it might not have been obvious, but as its trainer, Li Xiang could easily detect that something wasn't right.

The way Litten walked, as if it were floating, with an overly relaxed demeanor and its tail swaying aimlessly, was completely unlike it.

Could burnt catnip really be this intoxicating?

It had been two hours already!

"Litten?"

He called out softly.

"Meow?"

Litten tilted its head, responding as sharply as usual, but its eyes remained half-lidded, as though it wasn't fully awake.

Seeing its state, an ominous feeling crept into Li Xiang's mind; Something bad was going to happen.

...Or maybe he was just overthinking it. Litten had been so reliable—it would probably be fine.

"Huff—"

Li Xiang took a deep breath, silently contributing to global warming, as the second round of the day's competition began.

.....

The venue had changed.

Earlier, it had been near the roadside, at the mall's side entrance, where there were fewer people due to the early hour.

This time, however, it was different.

The battle was taking place at the main entrance, facing a bustling pedestrian street. It was early afternoon, and the area was packed.

The crowd was deafening, heads swarming everywhere.

It was, without a doubt, completely packed.

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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!