Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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Li Xiang's life was calm and uneventful.

Lin Feng's, however, was full of turmoil.

It was inevitable.

He ended up clashing with Zhu Huihui, a boy with a knack for provocation. Young and impulsive, Lin Feng had trouble controlling his temper when constantly egged on by Zhu's taunts.

Zhu Huihui, deliberately provoking Lin Feng, kept insulting him day after day. Even the most patient person would struggle to endure such treatment.

What about the teachers? Didn't they step in?

They did.

Parents were called in, but it had little effect. Zhu Huihui's behavior stemmed partly from his upbringing, with his mother being a prime example of indulgence gone wrong. She exemplified the saying, "A doting mother spoils the child," and her loud, boorish attitude could be heard echoing across the entire school building.

In the previous world, parents like her—disruptive yet wealthy—might be respectfully handled by schools to avoid trouble. However, this world was different, especially in trainer academies. Schools wouldn't tolerate such behavior here.

With multiple classmates testifying that Zhu Huihui regularly verbally abused Lin Feng, Zhu was suspended for a week.

Initially, he was to be reprimanded officially, but his family pulled some strings. A teacher spoke on his behalf, downgrading the punishment to a week-long suspension without any formal record.

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One Week Later

The defiant Zhu Huihui changed tactics. Determined to continue his vendetta against Lin Feng, he decided to engage in more indirect forms of bullying.

After his suspension, he seemed to have wisened up. No longer acting alone, he began mingling with the school delinquents—a group found in every world. With his family's wealth, he quickly gathered a band of sycophantic followers who valued "loyalty" over reason.

These hot-headed troublemakers, unafraid of consequences, were the type to act impulsively, making them the primary culprits behind crimes committed by young trainers. The stricter regulations on trainers today partly arose because of individuals like them.

However, just as Zhu Huihui and his group prepared to target Lin Feng again, his savior appeared.

Unlike Li Xiang, whose charm mostly attracted older girls, and whose only peers were his senior apprentice sisters and his close friend's younger sister, Lin Feng gained an unexpected ally.

A girl from Class 2 befriended him and mediated on his behalf.

According to Song Jie, this girl had some significant connections. She resolved the dispute between Lin Feng and Zhu Huihui effortlessly, without him needing to get involved.

This relieved Li Xiang. After all, he planned to be lifelong partners with Lin Feng and couldn't ignore his friend's struggles.

It was Li Xiang who advised Lin Feng to report Zhu Huihui to the teachers and involve their parents. Lin Feng, initially, had planned to deal with it silently.

Li Xiang also played a significant role in collecting evidence, using a voice recorder and a camera to substantiate their claims.

Still, there was only so much he could do against a wealthy and well-connected pest like Zhu Huihui. His hope was to get the brat expelled entirely.

Seeing Zhu Huihui plot against Lin Feng once again, Li Xiang reluctantly sought help from Song Jie.

Song Jie, a capable "dragon from across the river," had ties to Jin Nan Mining—a company with close ties to the Trainers' Association, making it a semi-official entity.

Fortunately, Lin Feng managed to handle things on his own, seeking outside help.

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"Are you free this weekend? Come to my place," Song Jie changed the subject.

Li Xiang had been to Song Jie's house before—a classic mountainside villa, complete with every luxury you'd expect in a movie mansion. His collection of Pokémon was vast, to say the least.

"I should be free," Li Xiang replied after a brief thought.

"Great! Saturday, I'll pick you up. There's somewhere I want to take you."

Song Jie lowered his voice mysteriously.

What place needed such secrecy? Li Xiang couldn't figure out Song Jie's reasoning.

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The weekend arrived.

Song Jie picked up Li Xiang in what the internet dubbed a "land tank," a four-door sedan built like an impenetrable fortress.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Li Xiang asked, holding Litten and Riolu to prevent Rockruff from enthusiastically bothering them.

"A place we normally can't get into," Song Jie said with a grin, patting the head of his Aron. "The Bronze Arena."

The Bronze Arena?

Li Xiang's expression shifted to surprise. "No way. Isn't that place off-limits to minors?"

In this alternate world, some unique facilities existed.

The Arena was one of them.

The reason it prohibited minors was simple: it was a legal venue for battles where trainers could win—or lose—money. It also allowed betting and hosting odds.

Of course, only arenas were legally authorized for such activities. Outside arenas, wagering on battles was both illegal and unprotected by law. Underground arenas operated at their own risk.

In other words, arenas were highly regulated, monopolized industries that swallowed up vast sums of money.

Moreover, arenas were the go-to place for trainers who didn't dare climb the ranked ladder but still wanted to gain practical battle experience. The lure of money ensured fierce competition, making it the ideal training ground for sharpening one's combat instincts.

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"Just stay on the third floor and don't go down," Song Jie explained. "Rules are set, but people can be flexible. As long as we don't gamble, we're just spectators. Worst case? We get kicked out or scolded."

Song Jie winked, exuding a carefree attitude.

Fair enough.

Li Xiang smirked. The arena might not allow minors, but once inside, as long as you didn't spend money, no one could do much to you. The most they'd do was throw you out.

And they weren't about to physically harm you.

In truth, Li Xiang had long wanted to visit the Bronze Arena. Watching battle videos online was one thing, but nothing compared to witnessing the real thing.

The gym's ranking matches were usually not open to the public, and watching high-level matches live was only possible at certain battle halls. However, most trainers in battle halls didn't put their all into fights, as losing bore no consequences.

Only in the arena, where monetary stakes drove fierce competition, could one witness true intensity.

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Ten minutes later, they arrived in the outskirts of Qingcheng.

The Bronze Arena stood there, its exterior resembling the massive open-air stadiums depicted in animated tournaments—just on a much larger scale, with more facilities.

However, its interior was vastly different.

The spectator stands had been replaced with spacious corridors filled with computers, seating areas, and staff dressed in uniform. Such corridors spanned three floors.

The central battlefield featured numerous large, high-standard arenas measuring 80 by 100 meters.

A giant screen on the stadium's east wall displayed a grid of ongoing battles.

Li Xiang and Song Jie arrived via the underground parking lot, taking an elevator directly to the third floor.

Though they avoided the main entrance, their boldness in strolling through the elevator still felt ostentatious.

A staff member glanced at them inside the elevator but said nothing after inspecting the badge handed over by an elderly man accompanying them.

Soon, they reached the third floor.

"I heard a high-ranked trainer is battling today, so I figured it'd be worth bringing you here," Song Jie explained. "Want something to drink? My treat."

Li Xiang ordered a watermelon juice, leaned against the railing, and observed. The walls were lined with devices emitting faint red lights, like surveillance cameras, densely packed.

"Barrier generators," Song Jie pointed out, noticing Li Xiang's interest.

"They're already in use? That means mass adoption shouldn't be far off," Li Xiang commented.

Barrier generators were safety devices designed to protect spectators from stray attacks. Previously, Pokémon would use Protect to shield audiences, but advancements in technology had changed that.

"Not anytime soon. They're too expensive and energy-intensive," Song Jie shook his head. "For now, only official arenas and gyms can afford them. And a few won't suffice—you need hundreds or even thousands for proper coverage."