Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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The Junior Ho-Oh Cup Finals.

The match officially began, and the excitement soared once again as more spectators gathered to watch.

By the time Li Xiang entered the arena, he was already carrying Litten in his arms.

Some overly enthusiastic fans couldn't resist reaching over the barriers set up by the organizers to pet Litten.

This scene highlighted the stark contrast between professional and commercial tournaments.

In professional competitions, the audience and trainers were separated by hundreds of meters, making it impossible for any direct contact. The security measures were also top-notch.

But in casual tournaments held at mall entrances, the best you could hope for was a simple competitor walkway.

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Inside the arena.

"Phew... This weather is something else."

Li Xiang wiped the sweat from his brow.

After this match, he planned to feed Litten the speed candies he had been saving up. Yesterday's match had earned him the final one he needed to complete the set of twelve.

"Meow~"

Litten stretched and began its pre-match warmup.

Over the past few days, it had faced and defeated a variety of Pokémon, gradually gaining a deeper understanding of its own abilities and becoming more proficient in battle.

Its energy level had even risen to Level 7, marking remarkable progress.

There was a reason they said battle experience was the best form of training.

On the other side of the field, Li Xiang's opponent entered.

He was a young boy with a well-groomed appearance, suggesting a comfortable upbringing. Li Xiang could tell from the quality of his clothes and shoes.

Standing by his feet was today's opponent: Scorbunny.

It hopped in place as if the ground was scorching hot, catching Li Xiang's attention.

Li Xiang glanced at its feet.

For some Fire-type Pokémon, their flames weren't limited to their mouths.

Scorbunny, for example, could release fire from its soles under the right conditions.

Something to watch out for.

After a short while, the pre-match preparations were complete and both trainers entered their positions.

The referee stood at the edge of the field and began reciting the rules.

In one-on-one Pokémon battles like this, luck played a significant role.

Encountering a Pokémon with a type advantage could drastically increase the difficulty.

Li Xiang's luck had been decent so far—only one such match in this entire tournament.

Even in this final battle, he faced an opponent of the same type.

He hoped it wouldn't come to revealing his trump card.

Li Xiang glanced at the cameras mounted on the chain-link fence and the spectators holding cameras outside the arena.

If he used his ace, it would undoubtedly make the headlines.

No... If he needed to use it, he would.

Li Xiang steeled himself.

Finally, the referee finished the rule announcement and blew the whistle loudly.

"Let the match begin!"

As the signal rang out, both trainers shouted their commands simultaneously!

"Quick Attack!"

"Bulk Up!"

On Li Xiang's side, Litten began with Intimidate, causing Scorbunny to flinch momentarily.

However, the hesitation lasted less than a second.

Scorbunny quickly resumed its charge, its body shrouded in white light, streaking forward like a shooting star.

Quick Attack, a Normal-type physical move, had a priority of +1.

In this world, the concept of priority worked differently than in games.

Priority here translated to both start-up speed and actual speed.

What did this mean?

Start-up speed was straightforward—it determined how quickly a Pokémon could initiate a move compared to its opponent.

Actual speed referred to the temporary speed boost a Pokémon received while executing a priority move. For example, if a Pokémon's normal speed was 1 and the move's priority was +1, its speed would temporarily increase to 2 while using the move.

This system prevented unrealistic scenarios where a low-level Pokémon could outspeed even a Level 100 Speed Forme Deoxys simply by using Quick Attack.

It also toned down priority moves like Protect, balancing their effectiveness.

In contrast, the game mechanics treated priority as an absolute rule: no matter how fast a Pokémon could theoretically move, a priority move would always go first if the opponent didn't use one.

This world's rules added a layer of logic to priority moves.

Even in the animated series, Ash's Pikachu often used Quick Attack but was sometimes outmaneuvered by opponents using regular moves strategically.

That said, moves like Trick Room and Sucker Punch had their own unique effects, which were exceptions to these rules.

Back to the battle.

"Scor!"

Scorbunny shouted as it streaked forward, leaving a trail of dazzling white light. It covered the 10-meter distance in just two or three seconds, accelerating as it went.

According to the data, Scorbunny could generate a loop of fiery energy within its body by sprinting, boosting its stamina.

In simple terms, the more it ran, the more energized it became.

If Li Xiang wanted to avoid a prolonged battle, taking it down quickly was the best strategy.

That was exactly what Li Xiang and Litten planned to do.

With the boosts from Bulk Up increasing its Attack and Defense, Litten showed no fear, even against a Scorbunny whose Libero ability had transformed it into a Normal-type, amplifying the power of its move.

Even with the opponent now directly in front of it, the Litten remained unfazed, its cold eyes seemingly brewing something.

From behind,

Li Xiang was equally composed, his face showing no signs of panic. He kept murmuring softly, "Don't rush. Take your time. We've got this. Patience!"

Man and Pokémon appeared to be waiting for the right moment.

To the audience, however, their calm demeanor came across as foolishness, as if they were simply standing by and waiting for the attack to land.

Many spectators shouted at the Litten to act, or grew visibly anxious for Li Xiang, pounding the chain-link fence with loud clangs.

But this was a classic case of "the emperor not worried, but his eunuchs in a frenzy." (Lol)

Even when the glowing Scorbunny struck the Litten, sending its small body flying with a loud thud, neither Li Xiang nor his Pokémon showed any signs of panic.

Litten rolled on the ground but quickly staggered back up, letting out a low growl.

"Meow."

"It's fine. If we didn't succeed the first time, we'll try again. We have plenty of chances," Li Xiang said, his expression unchanging.

Thanks to Intimidate and Bulk Up, even with the same-type attack bonus of Quick Attack, the Scorbunny could barely scratch the Litten, which had consumed its fair share of defensive candies.

The opponent seemed to catch onto this as well.

Quick Attack, their usual trump card, wasn't doing nearly enough damage, leaving the Litten still full of energy.

"Use High Jump Kick!"

The opponent committed to offense once again.

High Jump Kick—a high-powered Fighting-type move with devastating impact, but a critical drawback: if it missed, it would deal recoil damage to the user!

The Scorbunny's Libero ability activated, changing its type to Fighting. It leapt high into the air, and—

Sizzle!

A sound akin to sizzling meat suddenly echoed.

Li Xiang glanced at the ground where the Scorbunny had been standing and noticed two charred black footprints.

Its adhesive bandages were radiating intense heat!

Lifting his gaze, Li Xiang spotted the Scorbunny mid-air, its knee gleaming with a fiery, reddish-brown light as it came crashing down toward Litten like a falling meteor.

The attack's ferocity was overwhelming, as though it could shatter the earth upon impact.

After all, this was a Fighting-type powerhouse move with a base power of 130. Even for the durable Litten, taking such a hit head-on would spell trouble!

But Litten wasn't one to sit idly by and take damage.

Its prior inaction was merely a matter of timing, as it and Li Xiang hadn't been lucky enough to execute their plan earlier.

This time, they would try again!

Litten crouched low, growling fiercely as its fur bristled and flames began flickering around its body.

Suddenly—

A spark ignited in front of it, quickly expanding with a loud boom into a blazing inferno that engulfed its body.

Litten had activated Flame Charge!

After countless efforts, fortune finally favored them as Litten successfully executed the move they had been preparing all along!

"Meow!"

Litten let out a low roar, unleashing its pent-up energy at last!

Flame Charge—a Fire-type physical move that also raises the user's speed!

The opponent was visibly startled, but the Scorbunny's High Jump Kick was already in motion—it was too late to change course!

"Dodge!"

Li Xiang's urgent command rang out.

Fwoosh!

Flames roared as Litten, cloaked in fire, darted like a blur to the side, narrowly avoiding the Scorbunny's incoming knee strike.

High Jump Kick missed—

Or did it?

The Scorbunny, showing remarkable adaptability, had already shifted the Fighting energy from one knee to the other mid-air.

Its first strike had been a feint!

It extended its leg to brace against the ground and twisted its body, launching a second knee strike aimed directly at Litten!

The precision of its energy manipulation was terrifying!

Li Xiang could hardly believe his eyes.

Such a sophisticated use of battle techniques in a minor competition?

The last time he'd seen something like this was in a Master-level promotional match!

A chill ran down his spine.

This opponent was no joke.

If he hadn't been prepared, Litten might have been struck directly. What a formidable adversary!

But as Li Xiang marveled, Litten, having been forewarned, once again dodged the second strike with ease.

This time, High Jump Kick definitively missed!

Recoil damage rippled back into the Scorbunny's body!

"Bunny!"

The Scorbunny winced, clutching its knee in pain.

While High Jump Kick was immensely powerful, its recoil damage was equally severe.

But Litten wasn't done yet.

The boost from Flame Charge allowed it to nimbly evade both attacks and then close in on the Scorbunny's exposed back with a ferocious tackle!

Boom!

Sparks flew as the Litten delivered a devastating blow to the Scorbunny, exploiting its momentary vulnerability.

The impact sent the Scorbunny sprawling to the ground, adding insult to injury as it toppled head over heels.

"Quick, use Sand Attack! Block its follow-up! Stop it from attacking!"

The opponent's trainer shouted in panic.

But there was no stopping it now.

The Scorbunny's neck was completely exposed to the Litten.

A perfectly served opportunity!

The Scorbunny tried to act, but the Litten's speed boost gave it the upper hand.

An icy dread enveloped the back of the Scorbunny's neck.

Then came an excruciating pain and a muffled explosion.

Being naturally frail, the Scorbunny couldn't withstand the attack. Its eyes rolled back, and it collapsed, unable to continue the battle.

Beep—!

The referee's piercing whistle echoed across the battlefield!

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