Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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Li Xiang knew this little guy wasn't easy to deal with.

Trapinch isn't based on ants but rather antlions, the larval stage of lacewings. They're fierce predators that feed on ants, known for creating funnel-shaped traps to ensnare prey.

In this world, Trapinch maintains the same reputation as a hot-headed troublemaker. Even Ash fell into its trap in the anime and almost got bitten.

With his limited physical abilities, Li Xiang wasn't about to tempt fate.

"Farewell."

Clasping his hands together in a gesture of respect, he saluted the Trapinch before skirting around the sandy area.

The pit below the Trapinch was almost certainly a Sand Tomb. Otherwise, the quicksand wouldn't be flowing down into the hole it had dug.

Sand Tomb is incredibly dangerous—an adult who falls in might not be able to climb back out and would need to call for help.

If Li Xiang fell in, he wouldn't lose his life, but getting bitten was a very real possibility.

Low probability doesn't mean no probability.

Moreover, Trapinch isn't the type of Pokémon to act alone. The entire sandy area was likely riddled with Sand Tombs.

At this thought, Li Xiang glanced back. In the distance, he could just barely make out the faint and blurry outlines of the three cats.

If he ventured further, the slope ahead and the surrounding shrubs would form a visual blind spot, cutting off Purugly's view of him.

The Steelix wasn't even visible from this spot, and yet he would need to go further in. Li Xiang hesitated for two seconds before stopping in his tracks.

Although five caretakers were patrolling within sight, he felt uneasy without Purugly by his side.

Lacking a sense of security.

These five words flashed through Li Xiang's mind.

He furrowed his brow slightly, then relaxed. Without a doubt, this was the answer.

Unlike the relatively stable society of his previous world, this one was filled with all sorts of extraordinary creatures.

And under certain circumstances, these creatures could easily claim his life.

This made him profoundly uneasy.

Previously, he hadn't realized this because Mrs. Yin had always provided him with a sense of security.

Outdoors, Purugly was his source of safety.

In everyday life, young Litten offered him some comfort and at the martial arts hall, it was the stern and unyielding Duan Tianxing who made him feel safe.

But right now...

There was nothing around him. The nearest caretaker was several hundred meters away. All he had to rely on was the fragile body of an 11-year-old boy with little muscle.

Not even protective gear was on him.

Yet, most of the Pokémon within sight possessed enough strength to harm him.

For a fleeting moment, Li Xiang felt a sense of absurdity, as if the whole world were his enemy. Of course, the Pokémon likely wouldn't attack him—he was still wearing his work uniform, but his imagination wouldn't let him rest.

Flames, electric shocks, rushing water, sharp fangs tearing at him, blood spurting everywhere—the more he tried not to think about it, the more vivid these images became.

Finally...

Li Xiang came to a conclusion.

Mrs. Yin forcing him to practice martial arts was undoubtedly the right decision. Martial arts could give him a sense of security.

"Hoo…"

Li Xiang took a deep breath, his mind replaying the scene from two days ago when Duan Tianxing had demonstrated a punch that shattered a kicking pad, sending the synthetic stuffing flying everywhere.

He also remembered the phrase Duan Tianxing had said afterward:

"Exploding Fist—it's about splitting boulders, breaking stones, and shattering jade and gold!"

Then there were the sparring sessions between Duan Yu and their Pokémon, where their relentless and explosive movements left a deep impression on him.

Ever since witnessing these impactful moments firsthand, Li Xiang had felt much more at ease.

Martial arts of this world— were truly supreme.

…...

In the distance, Purugly narrowed its eyes. It knew that little rascal, Li Xiang, had quietly wandered off again. But with at least five caretakers patrolling that area, there wasn't much to worry about.

For now, its focus was on helping this kid's Litten quickly learn a new move.

Purugly's gaze softened as it glanced at Litten.

The saying "love me, love my dog" seemed to apply here—or rather, "love me, love my cat." Litten's obedient and endearing nature had greatly increased Purugly's affection for it.

Additionally...

Purugly also wanted to help Li Xiang progress as a Trainer, even if it's just a little.

Purugly always acted contrary to its words.

Despite its usual disdainful attitude and the frequent looks of scorn it gave Li Xiang, if it didn't truly care about him...

It wouldn't have agreed to spar with Litten earlier, let alone deliberately take a bunch of hits and pretend to be defeated.

Standing there and letting someone attack—is that fun?

No, never.

To prove its point, Purugly had gone out of its way to punish Li Xiang afterward, using a heavy paw to drive home the lesson.

It wanted him to understand that pain is a negative sensation—it doesn't bring joy. He needed to cherish the Pokémon willing to endure injuries for his sake.

Thankfully, Li Xiang's response had been satisfactory.

A Trainer who hasn't been roughed up by their own Pokémon isn't a true Trainer, and a Trainer who doesn't understand their Pokémon's pain can never form a genuine bond with them.

Empathy.

This is one of the core reasons why Trainers are called Trainers, and not simply commanders.

While pondering this, Purugly's peripheral vision caught sight of Li Xiang returning.

"Meow?"

Li Xiang smiled sheepishly. "There are a lot of Trapinch over there. I was afraid of traps, so I didn't go."

An honest little coward.

Purugly furrowed its brows, glanced at the two Littens intensely discussing something, and then let out a soft cry before heading toward the area Li Xiang had avoided.

It turned its head, signaling him to follow.

Its expression seemed to say it was going to help him reclaim his dignity.

"No, no, no! They didn't attack me—it was just me overthinking things!"

Li Xiang quickly waved his hands, refusing. Trapinch had never shown any aggression toward him. If he went over to provoke them, that'd just be unreasonable.

"Meow!!"

Purugly called out sharply, shaking its head. It pawed at the ground once and then shook its head again.

The movements seemed a bit odd, yet somehow, Li Xiang could decipher them.

"Are you saying digging traps is prohibited?" he asked tentatively.

"Meow!"

Purugly nodded, affirming that Li Xiang was spot-on.

The free-range area of the conservation base was a public space, with no designated territories. Digging traps was naturally not allowed. As one of the facility director's Pokémon, Purugly was obligated to correct such behavior when discovered.

"…Fine, we can go take a look, but don't rush into action. This is just my guess—there's no concrete proof. It might just be me overthinking, so don't go around attacking others."

Li Xiang felt like the Trapinch was about to get unjustly blamed because of his casual remark, however, Purugly shot him a disdainful glance.

Wrong guess or not, what of it?

Whether Li Xiang came along or not, Purugly was going to investigate anyway.

Thus, it continued heading forward.

Worried that his offhand comment might get the Trapinch wrongly accused—and possibly beaten up—Li Xiang decided to follow.

He glanced at the two Litten, who were still engrossed in their world, and left without hesitation.

Though Li Xiang personally felt a bit wistful about the Litten no longer clinging to him obsessively, he was also relieved.

...

Returning to the spot where Li Xiang had been startled by the Trapinch, Purugly eyed the visibly sinking ground with a sharp gaze.

Its purple-shadowed feline face darkened.

"Meow!"

With a fierce cry, its muscular right paw glowed white and struck the sand hard.

Boom!

The ground trembled!

As if exposing a clumsily hidden secret, five or six enormous funnel-shaped sand pits emerged within moments as the sand caved in.

The commotion quickly drew the attention of nearby caretakers.

One of them hurried over, accompanied by a Parasect resembling a hermit crab with a massive, colorful mushroom on its back.

"Xiang? What's going on?"

Before the caretaker could get close, his voice rang out from a distance.

Li Xiang turned and called back, "It's hard to explain—come take a look, and you'll understand!"

As he spoke, several orange, shiny-headed Trapinch began crawling out from the bottoms of the sand pits.

These ants, with star-like eyes, froze momentarily upon spotting Purugly. Then, in a flurry of movement, they scrambled to either retreat or burrow deeper, as if fleeing for their lives. 

Such guilty behavior left no doubt they were knowingly in the wrong!

Purugly detested this type of "personality" the most!

"Meow!"

With an angry hiss, it ignored the cascading quicksand entirely, its body radiating a brilliant white light as it leapt toward the nearest pit.

Hyper Beam!

Boom!!

A deafening explosion!

It was as if a grenade had been tossed into the sandpit—sand and rocks shot skyward.

Li Xiang quickly ducked, shielding his head and sidestepping to the rear-right, narrowly avoiding most of the airborne debris.

Only a small amount dusted his body.

"Whoa! The big cat's furious!"

Crouching on the ground with his left hand propped against it, Li Xiang couldn't help but mutter.

When Purugly lost its temper, it was just like Mrs. Yin—completely unpredictable, and utterly terrifying when it happened.

The caretaker approaching them was also momentarily startled by Purugly's outburst. However, without hesitation, he quickened his pace, helping the fallen Li Xiang up and pulling him behind.

"It's gone down to chase the Trapinch," Li Xiang informed him.

The caretaker nodded and gestured toward a Tropius flying in from a distance—a green-and-brown dragon-like Pokémon with banana-like growths on its chin and banana-leaf-shaped wings.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this. You go to Tropius for safety—quickly."

Acknowledging the command, Li Xiang hurried toward the Tropius.

This gentle giant, a Grass- and Flying-type Pokémon, was known as one of the kindest creatures in the conservation base. The chances of it attacking a human were virtually nil.

Moreover, Tropius loved fruit and often shared the fruits hanging from its neck with others.

Li Xiang had received its offerings on many occasions in the past, making them quite familiar with each other.

"Troo~"

The massive Pokémon landed before Li Xiang, folding its banana-leaf wings protectively around him. A relaxing fruity aroma wafted from its neck.

Tropius was one of the few Pokémon in the base without a Trainer, yet it voluntarily took on the responsibility of maintaining balance within the ecosystem.

Protecting the weak and standing against the strong were duties it had assigned itself.

The commotion Purugly caused had undoubtedly caught its attention, prompting it to come over. Had Li Xiang seen it earlier, he wouldn't have needed to double back.

He could have simply ridden on Tropius's back and let it take him straight to Steelix.

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