Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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Mid-November.

The autumn heatwave was finally receding, and the weather was gradually cooling down. The oppressive summer heat was gone for good.

However, Litten's condition was visibly declining, both physically and mentally. It was as if the changing seasons had an effect on its mood, much like how some people feel down on rainy days or irritable in the sweltering heat of summer.

Indoor battles at the gym were fine, but outdoor battles under the open sky became unpredictable. What used to be guaranteed victories, good for farming PokeDollars, were no longer so stable.

Without candies to offset the seasonal shift, Litten's state deteriorated further.

In terms of physical condition, pre-battle warm-ups were effective to some extent. Although Fire-type Pokémon generally had higher body temperatures, Litten's body was still somewhat warm-blooded, a characteristic of its semi-biological nature.

Oddly enough, Lin Feng's Charmander didn't seem to be affected much by the change in weather.

Shouldn't cold-blooded creatures, unable to regulate their body temperature, suffer more in colder conditions? They typically rely on external heat to maintain their metabolism...

But that's a discussion for another time.

In simple terms, through consulting a friend known online as [Vigorous Tiger], Li Xiang got an answer.

—Charmander can use the flame on its tail to raise its body temperature. Even in the dead of winter, as long as it is healthy, the heat from the flame—the Flame of Life—will remain strong.

This mutual assistance mechanism was surprising. Was the tail flame and Charmander itself considered separate entities?

[Vigorous Tiger], well-versed in Fire-type Pokémon, eagerly explained that the flame on Charmander's tail burns because its tail secretes a combustible oil. When the Pokémon is healthy, it produces more of this oil, which keeps the Flame of Life burning brightly.

It wasn't what Li Xiang had imagined—fire generated internally and channeled through a pipe to the tail.

Interestingly, Litten had a similar mechanism, but it would only fully develop after evolving into Litten.

At that stage, Litten would develop a golden, bell-shaped "flame sac" around its neck. This bell-like sac would have a high temperature, with its heat increasing depending on Litten's excitement.

By then, the seasonal effects on Litten would be negligible, allowing it to maintain a high level of combat readiness even in winter.

Of course, rainy or snowy days would still present challenges.

Compared to Litten's declining state, Riolu was thriving.

Its win count in battles steadily climbed closer to Litten's, eventually becoming the primary breadwinner for earning candies.

Even during sparring sessions, Riolu's growing physique—bolstered by candy feeding—led to more frequent victories over Litten. At this rate, surpassing Litten was only a matter of time.

Litten, on the other hand, was both frustrated by its faltering condition and motivated to work harder. Yet it couldn't entirely escape its predicament, having spent the entire summer and early autumn in peak form. 

Now, it was experiencing a downturn, a plateau of sorts.

What really stung for Litten was what happened a few days prior.

To reward Riolu for chasing her down the street to deliver a lost key, Mrs. Yin had bought it a dark scarf and personally tied it around its neck, covering its yellow "collar."

It looked rather dashing.

However, this sparked an unexpected reaction.

Litten, who had never experienced this kind of "favoritism," bristled with jealousy.

It had been living in Li Xiang's house for so long, yet it had never received a gift like this from Mrs. Yin!

Unfair!

Yet, when it came to asking for one directly, Litten stubbornly refused. It had an inexplicable pride, preferring to receive the same treatment as Riolu without having to ask for it.

As a result, the household gained a mischievous little helper, one that often caused more trouble than it solved.

At first, Mrs. Yin found it exasperating. But soon, after some tips from Meowstic, she realized the reason behind Litten's antics.

It was jealousy, plain and simple.

Both Mrs. Yin and Li Xiang were amused and a bit surprised.

Li Xiang, in particular, was stunned to see this side of Litten. It was the first time he realized how petty and envious his little cat could be.

It seemed like Litten had been holding back these feelings for a long time.

Thankfully, this was an easy problem to solve. Mrs. Yin and Li Xiang collaborated on a plan, setting up an opportunity for Litten to "catch them in the act" and conveniently buy it a gift.

This gift was an adorable little hoodie with a hood.

While unsuitable for battles—Flame Charge would burn through the fabric—the hoodie was perfect for casual wear, making Litten look incredibly cute.

Though... wasn't this more fitting for a female Pokémon? Male Pokémon were supposed to look cool, not cute, right?

Oh well.

As long as Litten liked it, there was no need to overthink.

And Litten clearly cherished its new hoodie, believing it to be far superior to Riolu's scarf in both material and design.

When wearing its hoodie, Litten often wandered over to Riolu, circling around a couple of times to show off.

Thankfully, Riolu didn't care about such things. It couldn't even comprehend why Litten kept coming around.

And so...

Who knows if this was connected to its mentality?

Litten also unexpectedly learned a new move: Roar.

It was sheer coincidence.

The move first appeared while Li Xiang was training in martial arts.

A loud explosion suddenly echoed outside the main hall—Litten had unleashed Roar for the first time while sparring with Gabite. It had been practicing intimidation through growling, and the move just came out.

It truly was a matter of serendipity.

Despite training for Protect for so long without success, the preparation for Roar ended up bearing fruit unexpectedly.

On the other hand, Riolu, who stayed by Li Xiang's side every day, utilizing its humanoid advantages to train punches alongside him, had learned nothing new.

This made Litten, who had been barred by Mr. Duan from training alongside Li Xiang because of differences in force points between feline and humanoid Pokémon, laugh heartily.

Once Litten realized that Riolu had taken issue with it and refused to engage, it gave up on friendly relations entirely.

Now it fully viewed Riolu as its competitor.

After learning a new move, Litten, of course, flaunted it in front of Riolu.

Initially, Riolu ignored it, but after enduring this behavior for too long, irritation and frustration built up.

Its training became even more intense, and sparring matches often turned into all-out brawls.

Li Xiang's attempts to intervene were fruitless—Riolu aimed straight for Litten's weak spots, striking wherever it hurt most.

Litten, for its part, wasn't much better. According to Purugly, it had even entertained the idea of burning Riolu's scarf if it ever wore it during a battle.

The two's relationship worsened.

Li Xiang, an admittedly inattentive Trainer, only realized during training sessions that a silent war was raging between his dog and cat Pokémon.

There was no clear beginning, and it didn't seem like there would ever be an end.

Cats and dogs have never gotten along...

Li Xiang sighed, having already discussed this issue with Mrs. Yin multiple times.

Her advice remained the same: "These things take time. You need a gradual approach, especially with Riolu's unique emotional knots."

Riolu's history of being bullied by cats wasn't helping matters.

Though all kinds of Pokémon coexisted in the same environment, they still formed cliques—dog groups, cat groups, and so on.

Riolu, being canine yet refusing to join any group, naturally became a target for bullying.

And among its tormentors, the Litten species was one of the ringleaders, often leading the charge.

Whenever caretakers weren't looking, the cats would gang up on Riolu, overwhelming it with their numbers. Riolu didn't take the abuse lying down, but no matter how hard it fought, one pair of fists couldn't fend off countless paws.

The caretakers, despite having surveillance, chose to turn a blind eye to the cats' antics. It seemed like they wanted to maintain the Pokémon's natural instincts.

Different Pokémon required different training methods, after all.

In the wild, Pokémon act in tribes or groups, often defining territories based on species.

A lone wolf, unless exceptionally strong, would always be a target for others.

...

By early December.

During a routine sparring session with Lin Feng, an unexpected event occurred.

Lin Feng's Charmander, now at Level 14, "prematurely" evolved.

With its newly increased power, it instinctively unleashed Fire Fang, combining the boosted speed and attack from its evolved form. The compounded force knocked Riolu out in an instant.

The attack was so powerful that the flames seemed to leave Charmander's body, transforming the close-contact move into a terrifying spectacle of ranged force.

The sheer damage was unbelievable.

Caught off guard, Riolu's Detect was only partially activated before it was interrupted.

The scene was utterly shocking.

Even Lin Feng, who had issued the command, was left stunned by the overwhelming impact.

But in the following match, Charmander, struggling to fully adapt to its new form, became fatigued and was defeated by Litten.

Still, the new Charmeleon's remarkable strength was undeniable.

Compared to the second-stage Pokémon they had encountered before, it was in an entirely different league.

"Charmeleon is amazing! So powerful!"

After the match, a lively girl flitted around Lin Feng, her face glowing with excitement.

She was holding a humanoid Pokémon with round, red horns, green hair, and a white body—a Ralts, both Psychic- and Fairy-type.

Ralts were highly sought after, though males were more commonly sold than females, making them somewhat controversial.

The girl's name was Xu Wan, sharing a surname with the president of Qingcheng's local Pokémon association.

Why did so many prominent families send their children to this school?

Sure, Qingcheng No. 1 Middle School had its perks, but No. Middle School boasted far stronger academics and student achievements.

"Thank you," Lin Feng said, scratching his head awkwardly. He wasn't used to being praised, especially by girls his age.

Li Xiang, unwilling to interrupt their budding interaction, excused himself and took Riolu to the medical room.

Charmeleon's firepower had been so overwhelming that there was a good chance Riolu would need to have its fur shaved for treatment.

Hopefully, there wouldn't be any damage to its follicles. With a Pokémon's regenerative abilities, Riolu's short fur would grow back in no time.

But if the follicles were damaged...

Riolu might have to endure being a bald dog for a while.

Poor little guy—Litten was bound to mock it relentlessly.