Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof

-----------------

Pokémon Center

Li Xiang was accompanying Lin Feng for registration. For newly captured Pokémon like Lapras that hadn't yet been registered, a guarantor was required at the Pokémon Center.

The guarantor could either be an adult or a student from a school related to Pokémon professions. Presenting a student ID would suffice.

Conveniently, Lin Feng's student ID was in his pocket.

"You're surprisingly well-prepared," Li Xiang remarked, glancing at Lin Feng in mild surprise. "You even brought your student ID."

Lin Feng blushed under his gaze, retorting, "I'm not completely clueless, okay? Don't act like I know nothing!"

Although Lin Feng had been outshone by Li Xiang all day, he had his meticulous side.

"Alright, alright, whatever you say," Li Xiang said, taking a seat on a waiting room sofa as he pondered over the events in the cave earlier.

For some reason, the cave felt peculiar to him.

The inexplicably opened tunnel, the missing Zubat colony, the battered and scarred Lapras that had strayed from its group, and the mysterious Pokémon adept at punching moves—there were too many unanswered questions.

In the end, they didn't even figure out which Pokémon they'd been chasing initially.

Lin Feng, who liked Blastoise, guessed it might have been one.

Li Xiang, on the other hand, leaned towards Poliwrath. Lapras's injuries seemed larger than those from typical punches but smaller than impact-related ones. Poliwrath's boxing glove-sized fists fit the description nicely.

Plus, Poliwrath's evolution requirements were relatively simple—a Water Stone. The ocean was abundant in those, so encountering one by chance wouldn't be unusual.

"Lapras's medical report is ready," Lin Feng said, approaching with a booklet in hand.

Li Xiang took it and began reading.

The doctors' handwriting in this world was just as indecipherable as those in his past life, legible only to insiders. Fortunately, Li Xiang had practiced reading similar notes under Ms. Yin.

—The caretakers at the conservation base used similarly cryptic handwriting.

"Looks like I guessed most of it right, but what's with the severe blood loss and malnutrition?" Li Xiang muttered, staring at the report. A sudden thought flashed through his mind but remained frustratingly out of reach, leaving him restless.

"What's with that 'constipated' look on your face?" Lin Feng asked, curious.

Annoyed, Li Xiang shoved him. "What kind of comparison is that? I just feel like something doesn't add up."

"Want to go back and check again tomorrow?"

"Check your head! Why are you so eager to flirt with danger? Focus on getting along with Lapras first! Don't get your hopes up only to find out it doesn't even like you!" Li Xiang shot Lin Feng a glare.

If Lapras, despite its reputation for being an exceptionally gentle Pokémon, didn't take a liking to Lin Feng, there'd be trouble.

If Lapras accepted Lin Feng as its trainer, he'd need to register it with the association.

Here's the catch: since Lapras was a legally protected Pokémon, the association would need to verify its origin.

Was it from a conservation area? A breeding center escapee? Illegally acquired?

The registration wouldn't demand exact coordinates or timestamps for capture, as the internal network handled these processes. Once confirmed as wild, the registration would proceed smoothly, taking about a week.

This wasn't Li Xiang's problem, though—it wasn't his Pokémon.

=====================

Lapras's injuries were severe.

It took over a week for it to regain consciousness.

Both their families learned about the Pokémon during this time.

Lin Feng and Li Xiang cleverly refrained from revealing Lapras's true origins, instead claiming they found it stranded ashore.

With help from Feraligatr and other Pokémon for cover, their parents didn't press further, merely advising them to be more cautious next time.

The two readily agreed.

On the day Lapras woke up, the pair visited the Pokémon Center again, accompanied by a plump, cheerful Meowstic as a translator.

Lin Feng aimed to build rapport with Lapras, while Li Xiang was more interested in uncovering what had happened to it.

The center's water therapy room provided treatment for Lapras. Unlike the spas of Li Xiang's previous world, the Pokémon Center's therapy rooms were designed explicitly for healing.

With its Water Absorb ability, Lapras could gradually recover in a humid water environment, aiding wound healing.

"Woooo..."

From behind a glass panel, Lapras spotted Li Xiang and Lin Feng and let out a soft cry. Its voice was gentle, reminiscent of a lamb's bleat, though not as deep.

Whether it recognized the two as its saviors remained unclear.

Li Xiang quietly observed Lin Feng interacting with Lapras.

Known for its gentle nature, Lapras wasn't distressed despite being confined in the therapy room. It engaged with Lin Feng happily.

Occasionally, though, it emitted a resonant, melodious call that was both pleasant and piercing.

Li Xiang recognized it as a communication signal. Lapras used such vocalizations to exchange information like water temperatures and ocean currents, surpassing radar in speed and precision.

The first day of inquiry yielded no results.

Over the next half-month, although Li Xiang avoided returning to the cave, he continued gathering information from Lapras.

Unfortunately, whether due to issues with the Meowstic translator or Lapras itself, the details were vague.

Questions about its attacker yielded inconsistent descriptions—sometimes tall, sometimes short, and occasionally contradictory.

Considering the medical report mentioned a fractured skull, Li Xiang wasn't surprised.

At least Lapras's origin story was somewhat clear. It belonged to a migrating Lapras herd.

Due to their adaptability, these Pokémon could thrive in environments ranging from tropical rivers to Arctic glaciers.

Lapras had gotten separated during a storm a year ago, straying into human territory and eventually ending up in that pool, nearly beaten to death.

Separated for a whole year, it was a miracle Lapras survived. Its herd's current whereabouts were unknown. Unlike the conveniently small Orange Islands in the anime, real-world oceans offered no such luck.

A simple, earnest Lapras and a straightforward Lin Feng made quite the pair.