Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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Study room. 

Xu Dongran had Li Xiang close the door to prevent the two younger ones in the house from eavesdropping. 

Li Xiang's heart was pounding as he followed Xu Dongran's instructions and sat down on a chair. 

"Your father and I had a bit of a misunderstanding before," Xu Dongran said straightforwardly, his tone still calm. He didn't elaborate on what the misunderstanding was, only mentioning that the two had reconciled. 

Then came the main reason he had brought Li Xiang here. 

"But even though we've reconciled, it was ultimately my fault for not fulfilling the agreement I made with him. So…" 

Xu Dongran took out a small, delicate silver ring from his desk and placed it in front of Li Xiang. 

"Xiao Xiang, have you heard of the Dragon Village?" 

(I guess you guys already know this but in case you didn't, 'Xiao' is used in Chinese to address someone much younger, and also as a form of endearment. Xiao Xiang means 'Little Xiang')

Li Xiang was momentarily stunned, then quickly searched his memory. It didn't take long for him to recall information about the Dragon Village. 

Actually, the Dragon Village was an ancient name. 

Its current name was Dragon City. 

Here, it was worth mentioning that while the Zhu Xia region was primarily composed of nine provinces and was officially referred to as such, to be more precise, it consisted of five cities, nine provinces, and thirteen islands. 

Qiong Island, which has been renamed "Qiong Mountain," was one of them. 

And Dragon City happend to be one of the five major cities. 

As its name suggests, Dragon City is abundant in Dragon-type Pokémon, ranging from powerful ones like Garchomp, Dragonite, and Salamence to the officially weakest Dragon-types, and the infamous "Dragon Shame," Druddigon. 

You could find them all there.

The people there, much like the trainers in Blackthorn City of the Johto region, commanded various kinds of dragons and called themselves Dragon Tamers. 

Of course, Dragon City was also the place most severely affected by the Fairy type. 

"In the Dragon Village, there is a Dragon Temple that enshrines the Guardian of the Skies, the Pacifier of Land and Sea—Rayquaza," Xu Dongran explained slowly. "And inside the temple, there is a tower that reaches into the clouds." 

"The Sky Pillar." 

Yes. 

In this world, the ancient worshippers of the Dragon God also built a Sky Pillar for their deity, standing a hundred stories tall, with each floor ten meters high, piercing the heavens. 

This was far taller than the five floors in the games or the fifty floors in the Pokémon Adventures manga! 

This Sky Pillar was also known as one of the five great wonders of the world. 

"This ring is a ticket to enter the Sky Pillar," Xu Dongran pushed the ring toward Li Xiang. "With it, you can enter the Sky Pillar and participate in the Dragon God Trial." 

Another trial. 

First, it was Lugia's Pilgrimage Trial, and now it was Rayquaza's Dragon God Trial. 

Are the legendary Pokémon in this world really so idle? Do they enjoy watching humans compete against each other? 

Li Xiang couldn't help but speculate internally, but since he didn't know what the Dragon God Trial entailed, he kept quiet and listened attentively. 

Xu Dongran appreciated Li Xiang's calm and composed attitude and continued, "The Dragon God Trial opens once every three years and lasts for two months. During these two months, those who reach the top of the tower and earn Rayquaza's recognition will receive its blessing." 

Rayquaza's blessing? 

What could the fiercely territorial and hot-tempered Legendary Sky Dragon possibly give to humans? 

Li Xiang was quite curious. 

But Xu Dongran's next words nearly made him jump out of his chair. 

"Have you heard of the Inheritors?" 

Inheritors!? 

How could Li Xiang not know what this title represented? 

—Mega Evolution! 

Only trainers who possess a Key Stone and a Mega Stone can be called Inheritors! 

"Uncle Xu, are you saying…" Li Xiang looked at the ring and swallowed hard. 

"It seems you know about the Inheritors," Xu Dongran smiled, took Li Xiang's hand, and placed the ring in his palm. "When you go to the Sky Pillar in the future, if you reach the top and earn Rayquaza's recognition, it will grant you a Key Stone and a Mega Stone." 

The key to Mega Evolution! 

Li Xiang stared at the silver ring in his hand, his eyes blazing with excitement. 

No transmigrator could ignore the power of Mega Evolution. 

Its existence is overwhelmingly destructive. 

But then, he raised his head, put the ring down, and asked softly, "Uncle Xu, does my father know you're giving me something so valuable?" 

As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. 

Something so precious—if Li Xiang were in Xu Dongran's position, he would definitely save it for Xu Wan or Xu Ye. 

Even if they already had one, he could give it to other relatives. After all, who doesn't have a few close relatives? 

Especially in a large and influential family like the Xu's. 

There were many ways to make amends; there was no need to hand over something so valuable. 

Something felt off. 

"You're so much like your father," Xu Dongran said, looking at the cautious Li Xiang with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Most people would have jumped for joy at the sight of this… Don't worry, he just doesn't know I'm giving this to you." 

In other words, Li Zhezhan knew that Li Xiang would encounter something when he came here, but he probably never expected Xu Dongran to give his son such a "grand gift"! 

"....." 

Li Xiang fell silent for a moment, really wanting to ask if Lin Feng also had one. 

Theoretically, he shouldn't know the specifics of the misunderstanding between his father and Uncle Xu. 

Therefore, he could only probe indirectly. 

"Uncle Xu, there must be very few of these, right?" 

He rubbed the silver ring with his fingers, pretending to ask casually. 

Xu Dongran glanced at him and smiled. "You're right. The high priest of the Dragon Temple only gives a batch of rings to the Zhu Xia Association once every three years, ten rings each time. They're not limited by participation time, but you can only participate once." 

"This one was given to my father, your Grandpa Xu Zhen, by the association," Xu Dongran patted Li Xiang's shoulder. "It's been sitting around for about five or six years, and now it's finally being put to use." 

Once every three years! Only ten rings! 

The number was astonishingly small! 

Li Xiang couldn't help but retract his hand, thinking about the Inheritors publicly known in the Zhu Xia region. 

Then, he realized there were fewer than a hundred Inheritors! 

Out of two hundred million people, only a hundred were Inheritors—a one-in-two-million chance! 

Does that mean Lin Feng is out of luck!? 

"What about Xu Wan and Xu Ye? What will they do if you give this to me?" 

Li Xiang asked again. 

This thing was too significant. Given his family background and his current strength, he really didn't dare to accept it. 

Some things shouldn't be taken lightly; taking them could cost you your life. 

"I'll find a way for Xu Wan and Xu Ye," Xu Dongran didn't scold Li Xiang for asking so many questions. Instead, he patiently explained, "Your Uncle Xu isn't any worse than your Grandpa Xu. If I could get one, I can get a second, even a third." 

Wow! 

Those are bold words! 

Li Xiang was somewhat shocked by Xu Dongran's confidence. 

But for someone like Xu Dongran, a scion of a wealthy family, it wasn't surprising to have such ambition. 

But hadn't he just suffered a major setback? Xu Wan's personality had been affected, and rumors were swirling that the Xu family had fallen, never to recover… Could there be some kind of reversal? 

Li Xiang licked his lips, feeling increasingly intrigued. 

He really wanted that ring, but if he took it, he would have to bear the consequences, good or bad, with no room for regret. 

If Li Xiang were alone and had no one to worry about, he might not hesitate and just take it. But he had a family, friends, and many people he cared about. 

This was a choice. 

A choice shrouded in fog, one that would determine the future of his family. 

"Take it," Xu Dongran placed the ring in Li Xiang's hand for the second time. "This is what you deserve. No one can take it away from you." 

What he deserved… 

Li Xiang looked at the silver ring. His calmness, timely reporting, and narrow escape had indeed saved Qingcheng from significant losses. 

Moreover, he didn't think his life was worth less than the qualification for a trial. 

That's right. 

This thing didn't guarantee someone a Key Stone and Mega Stone. 

They had to reach the top of the tower and earn Rayquaza's recognition first. 

Only by meeting these two conditions would they receive them. This fact was clear. 

Li Xiang silently accepted the ring. As the saying goes, if heaven bestows something and you don't take it, you'll suffer the consequences.

The opportunity was right in front of him.

Take the risk, and a bicycle might turn into a motorcycle! 

"Uncle Xu! Thank you!" 

"No need to thank me," Xu Dongran said, looking relieved and relaxed now that Li Xiang had taken the ring. "Oh, one more thing." 

"When you participate in the Dragon God Trial, it's best to wait until your Pokémon are all at level 60. That way, it'll be safer." 

Xu Dongran spoke slowly, "If you go too early, you won't be able to reach the top." 

Level 60 to be safe!? 

Li Xiang was slightly stunned. Hearing this, climbing the tower didn't sound like an easy task. 

"…I understand." 

He nodded. 

... 

Evening. 

Li Xiang was sent home by someone arranged by Xu Dongran. 

Xu Zhen still hadn't shown up. It seemed that even though he was about to step down, he still had to stay busy when necessary. 

Once home, the first thing Li Xiang did was look for Li Zhezhan, but he couldn't find him. So, he opened his computer and searched for information about the Sky Pillar and the Dragon God Trial. 

Unfortunately, he found nothing. 

This trial was even more secretive than the Pilgrimage Trial, and the silver ring, as a key to participation, had no records online. 

It seemed someone had deliberately suppressed the information. 

Li Xiang knew very well that in this world, controlling online information was easier than in his previous life. 

Their Porygon and Rotom could directly censor any webpage instantly. 

They could even track down the source to someone's computer or other devices. 

It was terrifying. 

"Tsk, these secretive things are such a hassle." 

Li Xiang placed the ring in the same box as his candy stash. 

Xu Dongran said it was best to go after his entire team reached level 60, which meant Li Xiang would likely have to wait until he was around twenty years old to meet that standard. 

With the candies, though, he could speed things up. 

A Key Stone and Mega Stone… 

Li Xiang lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling somewhat lost. 

Based on his current team, the Mega Stone would undoubtedly belong to Riolu. 

But in the future, who knew if his team would include other Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution? 

How would he make the choice then? Could he be fair to everyone? 

And what did Rayquaza's recognition even mean? 

Did he need to worship it? 

Was it too late to start believing in it now? 

What if he reached the top of the tower and Rayquaza didn't recognize him? Would he just explode in frustration? 

For a moment, Li Xiang felt a mix of hope and fear.