Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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Zone B Testing Field

Li Xiang was led to the Zone B testing field by Mrs. Yin's appointed caretaker, a breeder she referred to as "Little Zhang."

"This field is available until tomorrow. No other Pokémon will be assigned here, so use it freely," Little Zhang explained.

He held a thick protective suit, sizing it up against Li Xiang.

"It's still a bit big for you, but this is as small as it gets after the modifications."

The field itself was usually reserved for taming aggressive Pokémon—those with immense destructive capabilities and high risk factors, where even a small mistake could lead to serious injury.

The protective suit was standard issue for such operations, designed to reduce impacts, electrical shocks, burns, and other hazards.

Its downsides? Heavy weight, exorbitant cost, and short lifespan.

The suit in Little Zhang's hands was an outdated, damaged model slated for disposal. However, Mrs. Yin had gone through proper channels, paying a hefty price to acquire and repair it for Li Xiang's use.

The latest models, on the other hand, couldn't be given to him.

Those were high-priority, regulated items that had to be meticulously logged—who used them, where they were stored, and who returned them. Even after decommissioning, the sale of such suits had to be recorded to prevent resale on the black market.

"Thanks!" Li Xiang expressed his gratitude to the older boy in front of him.

This was one of the trio who had recently been scolded by Mrs. Yin for wrestling with Dodrio. Despite the reprimand, Mrs. Yin clearly valued his potential as a talented breeder.

In fact, this protective suit had been repaired by Little Zhang himself.

To prove his skills, he'd even tested the suit by putting a dummy inside and declared, "If this isn't safe, Mrs. Yin can wring my neck."

The results, of course, passed inspection.

While it didn't match its original defensive capabilities, it was more than sufficient to protect against Litten, whose strength was below level 10.

Little Zhang had bragged about his handiwork to his colleagues for days.

...

"I've seen that technique you mentioned about fur amplifying firepower," Little Zhang said with a grin.

"But from what I know, the success rate isn't very high."

Li Xiang remained calm. The method was published in a widely sold book, so it wasn't surprising that others knew about it.

"Has anyone successfully used it? Aside from the expert mentioned in the book?" Li Xiang asked.

"Sure, plenty have. It's not a particularly complex technique," Little Zhang replied while unzipping the protective suit and helping Li Xiang put it on. "But you understand, fur isn't a consistent resource. Your Litten might save up fur for a week and only get to use the technique once."

Indeed.

At first glance, the skill seemed appealing, but in practice, it had a low cost-effectiveness ratio.

A professional trainer's Pokémon couldn't afford to battle just once a week, nor could it expend all its resources in a single turn during a match.

All in all, the technique was more of a gimmick.

Li Xiang was well aware of this.

But he believed it could serve as a trump card.

In a battle where both sides were exhausted and the outcome hinged on one final move, the sudden amplification from stored fur could provide an unexpected advantage.

A trump card.

Li Xiang understood the value of trump cards—they could often turn the tide of a match.

"Don't worry. With me here, you can experiment freely," Little Zhang said, patting Li Xiang on the shoulder.

As a fire-type specialist breeder, he had been personally asked by Mrs. Yin to assist Li Xiang.

....

Since it was lunchtime, two other boys—Little Zhang's close friends—pushed a large mobile dummy target into the field.

The trio, known around the conservation center for their camaraderie, often worked together.

With limited break time, the three retreated to a shaded corridor, each accompanied by a water-type Pokémon, watching Li Xiang and Litten as they prepared.

The protective suit was incredibly heavy.

Li Xiang estimated it weighed at least 5 kilograms—far from lightweight for him.

Standing still was manageable, but any high-intensity activity would be a challenge.

It was said that the newer models provided even greater protection but weighed over 10 kilograms.

Breeders typically only wore such suits when handling dangerous Pokémon.

For daily tasks, they wore either standard work uniforms issued by the conservation center or lighter protective gear with comparable weight to Li Xiang's current suit but less defense.

In contrast, law enforcement used enhanced heavy-duty riot suits weighing over 25 kilograms. Most untrained individuals could barely walk in them.

However, their performance was exceptional.

Rumor had it these suits could withstand direct attacks from Pokémon above level 70 and confidently block assaults from those above level 60.

Some even called them the pinnacle of modern human ingenuity—vital tools for subduing rogue trainers with high-level Pokémon.

With advancements in technology, it was believed that future suits would use better composite materials, reducing weight while increasing defense.

Perhaps one day, combat suits like those worn by Malva in XY might become a reality.

...

"Let's start."

With his helmet on, Li Xiang glanced at Purugly and Litten standing nearby.

Due to the complexity of the experiment, he needed Purugly to help communicate instructions to Litten.

Moreover, Purugly was Mrs. Yin's appointed bodyguard. It knew Water Pulse to extinguish fires, Protect for defense, and even Hypnosis for emergencies.

In terms of being a bodyguard, it was undoubtedly top-notch.

"Meow~"

"Meow…"

One cat looked eager, while the other seemed lazy and indifferent.

Li Xiang ignored the ever-lazy Purugly, who remained consistent in its indifferent attitude.

Everyone took their positions: Litten stood 5 meters away from the target, while Li Xiang kept himself another 5 meters behind Litten. This setup ensured his safety, while Litten's safety would be managed by Purugly.

Since Litten wasn't naturally adept at coughing up furballs, external assistance was necessary to "induce" the process.

The solution? Cat grass.

Young shoots of wheat, barley, oats, and similar plants rich in fiber that aid feline digestion and help expel hairballs from their stomachs.

Catnip is loosely categorized as a type of cat grass, though it's entirely different. Similarly, not all cats enjoy eating cat grass.

Fortunately, Litten wasn't a picky eater and was perfectly fine with it.

"Meow…"

Li Xiang fed the little feline a mouthful of the grass.

What humans might find unpalatable was seemingly delicious to Litten, who chewed it contentedly.

Once he confirmed Litten was happily munching away, Li Xiang briskly moved to a safe distance, eager to see if the combination of Ember and the furball would meet his expectations.

He couldn't start with Heat Wave right away, as the disparity in power was too great—he didn't want anything to go wrong.

Cat grass wasn't some kind of poison, so it didn't take effect immediately. It required some time.

Under the midday sun, Li Xiang stood in his airtight protective suit, which gradually became unbearably hot as the temperature rose. Sweat began to bead and seep out of his pores.

If not for the past two days of physical training at the dojo, he wasn't sure he'd be able to endure it.

"Gaaah—"

It's happening!

The faint sound drew Li Xiang's attention. He saw Litten's body twitching as it began to prepare for the furball.

"Come on! You've got this! Use Ember to ignite it and hit the target!"

Li Xiang whispered encouragement, trying to boost Litten's confidence.

However, Litten was too absorbed in its overwhelming urge to retch to hear anything Li Xiang was saying.

It wasn't until the damp furball reached its throat—its acrid smell filling its mouth and nose—that Litten fully realized what was about to happen.

"Meooowrgh!"

With a sound resembling a cat clearing its throat, Litten glanced briefly at Li Xiang before taking a deep breath through its nose.

Hawk—TUHA! (Sorry, I couldn't help myself, lol)

BOOM!

It was as if a firework exploded right next to his ears!

Li Xiang caught a flash of red light, followed by what felt like a scene straight out of an action movie. A massive fireball hurtled toward the dummy in an instant.

WHAM!

The fireball exploded on impact, rapidly expanding several times its size. Scorching heatwaves and sparks surged toward both Li Xiang and Litten, but the fiery onslaught visibly weakened midway.

Ultimately, all Litten felt was a gust of hot air, akin to standing near a lit stovetop on a summer day.

"…"

Litten twitched its nose, oddly enjoying the warm sensation.

Behind it, Li Xiang felt absolutely nothing—except that the suit was still stiflingly hot.

All things considered, it felt like thunder with barely any rain.

Purugly thought so too. It had tensed up while Litten was spitting flames, but now it felt its caution was unwarranted.

"Fantastic! Truly fantastic!"

Li Xiang rushed forward, checking Litten's mouth for any injuries. Finding none, he patted its head, showering it with praise.

Based on his rough estimation, Ember's power had increased by threefold—no, at least fivefold.

While it didn't create the "earth-shattering" effect he'd imagined, it was still incredible.

Even from a glance, the fireball's strength clearly exceeded Heat Wave.

But that wasn't the critical part.

What mattered was that Litten had successfully used this trump card and landed a hit on the target!

Li Xiang turned to the dummy, its chest marked by a prominent scorch mark, smoke still rising from it.

"Amazing!"

He scratched Litten under its chin.

The little cat puffed up with pride, purring contentedly from the attention.

"Incredible, incredible! First try, and it worked—your Litten is amazing!"

The three spectators, having watched the entire experiment, clapped enthusiastically as they walked over.

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