Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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The matter with Lapras could be considered temporarily resolved.

With the long winter break ahead, Li Xiang had plenty of time to spare, so there was no need to rush anything.

The current priority was addressing Litten's evolution.

Initially, he thought it would evolve at some critical moment.

For example, in the anime, Ash's Pokémon would often evolve into their new forms during moments of crisis, unleashing their potential to reverse dire situations.

At the very least, it should happen like Lin Feng's Charmeleon, evolving during battle to showcase its strength with a spectacular defeat of a long-time rival.

But as it turned out—

It evolved on an unremarkable Saturday afternoon in mid-February, in the ordinary backyard of his home.

Without any dramatic foreshadowing, Litten evolved quietly during the final moments of its evening training session. Somewhere between reaching level 16 and advancing to level 17.

The sudden evolution startled Li Xiang, making him dash back to his room in excitement, grabbing his camera and rushing out to record the process.

Capturing the evolution of his Pokémon was a must—these moments would become cherished memories as he grew older.

Meanwhile, Riolu watched silently from the sidelines, its gaze deep and contemplative. Though it said nothing, its tightly clenched little paw betrayed its inner turmoil.

When a rival grows stronger, how does one respond?

Soon enough, under Li Xiang's continuous recording—

The blue light enveloping Litten gradually dimmed, revealing its new form.

—Torracat.

From its appearance, Torracat now had a sharp tuft of fur atop its head, a continuation of the vertical stripe that used to adorn Litten's forehead.

Its crimson fur had taken on a slightly orange hue. Its forelimbs were thicker and more muscular, with three sharp black claws that stood out prominently. The pattern on its back now featured two horizontal stripes and one vertical stripe, mirroring the forehead design. Its tail had also grown noticeably thicker. Overall, it no longer fit the descriptor of a "kitty."

It was more fitting to describe it as a tiger now.

Of course—

The most notable feature was the "bell" around its neck, which shimmered even in the dark.

—Torracat's signature organ, the flame sac.

A newly developed organ that provided an additional means of releasing flames.

When it emitted fire, the sac would produce a chiming sound, much like a bell, making the nickname quite fitting.

Compared to Litten, Torracat's greatest advantage lay in this flame sac. Its presence even seemed somewhat overpowered.

In the anime, Ash's Torracat once used its flame sac to absorb Incineroar's Blast Burn, reducing the damage it took while boosting its own firepower—a feat it somehow pulled off.

Absurd, yet inspiring.

After all, people should have dreams.

"Look at these muscles."

Li Xiang lowered his camera and touched Torracat's foreleg. The elasticity of its muscles was palpable in his hands. No wonder they said Torracat's punches could bend iron bars.

"Meow…"

Torracat purred softly.

Although it was thrilled with its new, stronger body, the evening training had drained it, and all it wanted now was a good sleep.

And so—

It simply dozed off on the spot.

It seemed evolution hadn't replenished its energy; rather, it had completely depleted it.

Seeing this, Li Xiang said no more. He called Riolu over, and together they carried Torracat back into the house.

Riolu complied silently, holding Torracat's hind legs with ease, far from the reluctance it had shown in the past.

Li Xiang couldn't help but smile.

To ease the tension between a cat and a dog, fostering camaraderie had to start with the small things.

Physical contact was the bare minimum—and often the most important step.

It was akin to how his senior brothers at the dojo would help him stretch and relax his muscles after training. Over time, their bond grew stronger.

Increasing opportunities for interaction ensured that, as long as there was no deep-seated animosity, strained relationships would eventually soften.

And indeed, the first "cat-dog war" that had erupted from Riolu's irritation had quietly ended under Li Xiang's persistent efforts.

Over a month and a half, as their physical interactions increased, Riolu's reactive behaviors diminished.

Li Xiang no longer had to worry about being subjected to a midnight Extreme Speed Kick that would leave him saying goodbye to his "little brother."

Riolu and Torracat's relationship had also improved significantly.

Though they still weren't particularly fond of each other, Li Xiang could tell they were just waiting for the right opportunity.

It might be an event, a word, or even a simple gesture.

Like quarrelsome couples who patch things up with a casual "Want to grab a late-night snack?"

Or college roommates who reconcile after saying, "Hey, want me to grab you food, son?" and hearing the reply, "Sure, dad, get me a portion too."

Emotionally rich beings were indeed complex.

…

The next day—

Being a weekend, Torracat, now fully rested, began showing off.

It spent time preening in front of the mirror and parading itself before everyone in the house, insisting on receiving compliments. Even Mrs. Yin couldn't help but tease it for being so vain.

It even went up to Riolu, though the latter's response was perfunctory at best.

Torracat didn't mind. It knew females couldn't truly appreciate the beauty of masculinity, so it didn't bother pressing the matter.

Li Xiang watched with amusement as it strutted around like a child, showing off. Once the time was right, he began testing its newly evolved abilities.

Its new body was undeniably impressive—stronger and capable of producing fiercer flames.

The bell's chiming sound was also quite melodious.

"Fifty degrees under normal conditions, rising to over a thousand degrees when emotionally charged…"

Li Xiang tentatively measured the temperature of the flames from the bell.

The potential of a continuously high-temperature object was hard to fathom. If Torracat's bell remained perpetually hot, Litten's survival in the wild would have been challenging, and Li Xiang's home would've turned into a fire hazard.

Thankfully, the default fifty-degree setting prevented constant burns while maintaining a normal body temperature for Torracat.

This was much safer than Charmander's tail flame, which, though it wouldn't burn familiar people, was still a constant fire hazard.

In terms of power—

Torracat didn't disappoint.

The benefits of evolution were immense, and they would only grow as it leveled up.

Its Flame Charge attack now originated from the bell instead of its mouth, with flames enveloping its body more rapidly. The reduced start-up time gave Li Xiang more opportunities to use the move effectively.

It had also learned a new move—a Fighting-type physical move, Double Kick.

Unfortunately, the move was better suited for minor adjustments rather than dealing significant damage.

It wasn't nearly as impressive as the Fire Fang it had learned previously, which, being a STAB move, had slightly higher power than Flame Charge.

Still, it was better than nothing.

Starter Pokémon's middle evolutions often lacked appeal.

They were neither as cute as their first stage nor as powerful or visually striking as their final stage. In fact, in later generations, many people couldn't even recall their names without checking the Pokédex.

For instance, how many people could immediately remember the name of the Grass starter's middle stage in Gen VI?