Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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Two days passed and New Year's Eve arrived.

After the family reunion dinner, the adults initially planned to stay home with Li Xiang, but he shooed them away when friends came calling.

'It's just my hands that can't move—my arms are fine, for crying out loud. Stop acting like I lost a limb.'

Besides, weren't all the Pokémon at home just lazing around?

After much persuasion, the four adults finally agreed to go out and enjoy themselves.

Lin Feng couldn't visit today—his house was packed with relatives, and he had to play host.

Left alone at home, Li Xiang wasn't bored. With his Pokémon by his side, they all crowded onto the sofa to watch TV, and with a talking Rotom around, the atmosphere stayed lively.

Besides, having some alone time meant he could organize his thoughts on Torracat and the team's current progress.

It was also a good chance to chat more with Rotom—finally, a Pokémon that could actually talk.

First, the ever-present issue of levels.

Corviknight remained the highest at Level 37.

Next was the newly acquired Rotom at Level 35.

Riolu and Torracat followed closely at Level 33.

Frogadier was the lowest at Level 31.

But levels didn't equate to strength. Despite being the lowest, Frogadier's combat ability was solid, with a much higher win rate than the others.

The reason? Its ever-expanding movepool, along with its abilities Camouflage and Protean.

If it struck fast enough, no Pokémon could counter it effectively.

At this stage, Torracat and Frogadier were on the verge of evolution—just a step away.

Before winter break, Li Xiang had hoped for at least one of them to evolve, though he knew it was only a matter of time either way.

But now, his goal had changed.

He was determined—this winter break, at least one of them would evolve, and he'd push for the other to follow suit.

To achieve this, he needed to adjust their training regimen.

Unlike before, where intense sessions left his Pokémon exhausted and needing rest, he now scheduled training for mornings and evenings.

This ensured ample rest while freeing up afternoons for battles.

In the past, he'd stayed up late, slept in till 7 or 8 AM, and even his Pokémon had picked up his bad habits, wasting too much time.

That couldn't continue. He had to maximize efficiency while ensuring proper rest.

Moreover, he needed to learn some Pokémon care basics—relaxation massages, maintenance, even food preparation. He couldn't leave it all to his mother anymore.

As his Pokémon grew, he had to grow too—doing everything he could to support them.

Regarding moves, Li Xiang stuck to the principle of learning anything immediately useful, enriching their movepools first. Exploring the unique applications of existing moves would come later.

For now, having a diverse array of techniques was crucial.

Torracat and the others were steadily learning new moves, aiming to master all the essentials before evolution unlocked even more possibilities.

With a rough new plan in place, Li Xiang turned his attention to Rotom.

He'd memorized its details but hadn't recorded them yet due to his injured hands.

.....

Pokémon: Rotom

Level: 35

Type: Electric / Ghost

Ability: Levitate

Gender: None

Moves: Astonish, Double Team, Thunder Shock, Confuse Ray, Charge, Electro Ball, Thunder Wave, Shock Wave, Hex, Trick, Ominous Wind, Thunderbolt

.....

An impressive movepool—expected from a high-end custom breed.

According to Bian Zhen, among all Rotoms, this one had the highest potential, commanding a price even exceeding some pseudo-legendaries. She'd had high hopes for it.

Rotom, like Porygon, was extremely rare, so the high cost made sense.

Surprisingly, it didn't know any of the appliance-specific moves, meaning it had never possessed any household electronics before.

Rotom's ability to inhabit appliances and change forms—along with its typing—had long been documented.

When transforming, it automatically learned powerful moves unique to each form—something the games restricted but this world allowed freely.

Fascinating.

"Rotom, you know you can change forms, right?"

Li Xiang lay on the sofa, Riolu on his left and Torracat on his right, speaking softly to Rotom, who was playing a mobile game on the coffee table.

The phone operated itself, the game responding autonomously—a slightly eerie sight.

"Huh? Oh, of course I know."

The game paused, the Siri interface appearing before being replaced by Rotom's face.

"I can transform anytime. But just so you know, it's purely my interest. Not because I want to show off for you or anything."

'Wow, textbook tsundere.'

"Really?" Li Xiang feigned excitement. "Thank you so much, Rotom! Once I get the five appliances, you can transform right away!"

"I told you, it's for me!"

Rotom huffed, though its screen was covered in smiley faces. "But if you're that grateful, I guess I can accept it."

Li Xiang thanked it repeatedly, causing Rotom to blush so hard the screen turned off.

In a way, tsunderes were easy to handle—especially when they liked you. A direct approach solved everything.

Li Xiang quietly ate an apple with Riolu's help—the dog was becoming more nurturing by the day.

'Guess this is what growing up looks like.'

Speaking of Rotom's "five appliances"— Refrigerator, washing machine, lawnmower, fan, and microwave.

His home had three, but they were all in use. Ruining them wasn't an option, so he'd have to buy new ones.

Or… maybe ride around shouting, "Recycling old appliances! Old fridges! Old ACs!"

Cheaper, at least.

'…Nah. Better ask Dad for financial support and buy new ones. Used ones would feel too weird.'

New appliances would drain his savings, but with them, Rotom's power would skyrocket—mainly from the stat boosts.

The most useful forms were Heat Rotom (microwave) and Wash Rotom (washing machine), with fewer weaknesses and more resistances. Combined with Rotom's decent defenses post-transformation, investing in bulk would make it incredibly durable.

Mow Rotom (lawnmower), Fan Rotom (fan), and Frost Rotom (fridge) were less optimal, each with their own flaws—but they were still necessary.

Rotom had to learn those moves.

The cost would be worth it.

Waking Rotom again, Li Xiang chatted with it, wishing he could pat Torracat and Riolu simultaneously while stepping on Corviknight.

…Wait, something felt missing.

"Frogadier!"

He called out instinctively.

A croak came from behind the sofa's backrest.

"Oh, you were there the whole time?"

Turning, he spotted Frogadier perched behind him, unnoticed until now.

"Your stealth is getting scarily good," Li Xiang praised.

Frogadier responded with a pleased croak, long accustomed to such remarks—and quite proud of its concealment skills.

....

Early morning, the third day of the New Year.

Action followed intention.

While the world outside was still dark, Li Xiang had Riolu help him get ready. After informing his grandmother—already up preparing breakfast—he left home with his Pokémon in tow.

New Year's Day.

Firecrackers exploded everywhere, sparks flying, smoke rising.

The environmental bureau's Koffing and Weezing were thrilled—this smog was their finest feast. One whiff sent shivers down their bodies, craving more.

After this, ordinary fumes just wouldn't cut it—they'd cough in disdain.

Li Xiang couldn't share their joy. With injured hands, he could only exercise his legs, careful not to sweat.

After slacking for days, his already mediocre Beng Quan skills had likely deteriorated further.

He hoped Master Duan Tianxing wouldn't be angry enough to reclaim his jade pendant.

'Probably not.'

Yesterday, when Li Xiang called to wish him a happy New Year and recount recent events, the old master had stayed silent for a long time before—rare praise—saying he'd done well.

Li Xiang had expected a scolding.

"Move faster! Quit slacking and staring at me!"

He shouted at his Pokémon, who kept glancing his way during training. "I'm standing right here! I'm not going anywhere!"

Including Rotom, they'd all become increasingly attentive—not in a child-to-parent way, but almost the reverse, like parents fretting over a kid.

Even though he hadn't moved, they kept checking on him, as if he'd vanish.

When he raised a hand to adjust his bandages, they all rushed to help.

'Corviknight, what are you doing here? Helping with your claws or your beak?'

It was excessive.

Of course, Li Xiang was touched—it showed how much Torracat and the others cared, but overprotectiveness was just spoiling him.

Li Xiang had no intention of becoming useless.

Morning of the third day.

Hospital visit to remove stitches.

His left hand, less severely injured, had mostly healed. While he couldn't exert full force yet, light gripping was possible. A few more days, and it'd fully recover.

His right hand needed more time—rest, medication, and no sudden movements, but it wouldn't take long.

Two weeks without martial arts training, limited to stance practice, left Li Xiang feeling off-balance.

'I've forgotten how to channel force in Beng Quan.'

He sulked all morning.

That afternoon, Li Zhehan delivered the five appliances—brand new, untouched.

They looked impressive.

Unfortunately, no matter how advanced or stylish these gadgets were, the resulting Rotom forms were identical. Top-loading or front-loading—all became "Spin Rotom."

Single-door or multi-door—all became "Frost Rotom."

The designs were fixed.

Only size varied slightly based on the appliance.

The fridge Li Zhehan bought was massive, while the washing machine was smaller than average.

The fan was practically mini-sized, no bigger than Li Xiang's head.

Would this affect combat?

Probably. Being a giant target wasn't exactly ideal.

"Make do for now. If you need something specific, we'll replace it after the holidays. Right now, deliveries are halted, and stores just reopened—it's hard to find things."

Li Zhehan explained. Pre- and post-holiday sales meant some items were simply unavailable.

Li Xiang wasn't in a rush. After thanking his dad, he asked Rotom for its thoughts.

"It's… acceptable, I suppose."

Back in the phone, Rotom responded.

It could only speak when possessing voice-enabled appliances—its appliance forms were mute.

A definite drawback.