Pokemon: I refuse to be a supporting character!

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The trial used special PokéBalls, and the Pokémon had numbered tags around their necks.

Therefore, cheating was impossible.

If Lin Feng were here, he might have pulled off some dramatic show-off moment, snatching first place and slapping some troublemaker's face in the process.

Unfortunately, Li Xiang didn't get that kind of treatment.

Everyone was simply called by number, led outside by staff, and then slowly released the Pokémon they had captured for registration.

The whole process was uneventful. There were no large screens displaying each person's capture count, and the usual crowd of noisy onlookers often seen in novels was nowhere to be found.

All participants stayed in the waiting area, and aside from the staff, there were no other unrelated people around.

This plot doesn't feel right!

Li Xiang looked around at the people either chatting in low voices or playing on their phones, feeling a sense of déjà vu, like when he was waiting for his turn during his driver's license test.

"They're not announcing how many each person caught? They're just ranking it themselves?" Li Xiang was a bit confused.

Song Jie laughed. "They'll announce it outside for the audience. Once you're done and go out, you'll see your ranking and results. It's all about confidentiality, like an exam, right?"

Exactly.

Li Xiang pursed his lips as the broadcast called his name, and a staff member started looking around for him.

"It's your turn! Go!"

Song Jie pushed him and gave a thumbs-up. "Good luck!"

"Luck or not, the result is what it is."

Li Xiang stood up and walked out with Riolu, the PokéBalls in his bag clinking noisily.

Just from the sound and the bulging backpack, it was clear he had caught a lot.

Many people along the way looked at him with curiosity and envy.

Soon, all the captured Pokémon and the remaining PokéBalls were handed over.

Li Xiang walked out of the exit and saw his parents waiting for him.

"Not bad! I didn't know you had such skills! That's my son!"

Li Zhehan laughed heartily, slapping Li Xiang on the back.

He and Mrs. Yin had been watching all day, almost from start to finish, and even recorded a lot with their camera.

The only downside was that the camera's audio wasn't great, so they couldn't hear what Li Xiang was saying.

A real shame.

Beside them, Mrs. Yin held some items, fussing over Li Xiang, handing him water and food, wiping his face with a towel, and chattering away, recounting all the dangerous situations he had encountered on the mountain.

The difference between dad and mom was immediately apparent.

After finally brushing them off, Li Xiang quickly made his way to the square to check the rankings displayed on the large screen in bold red font.

"...Fifth?"

It was surprisingly average!

Li Xiang hadn't expected his final result to be in the top eight, but his ranking was so ordinary.

Looking at the numbers of the people behind him, most had caught over fifty Pokémon, barely making the cut.

Thankfully, he managed to catch a few more in the last wave.

Li Xiang sighed and looked away.

Currently, the undisputed top spot belonged to Senior Abigail, whose count had increased significantly since sharing her earlier numbers, reaching a staggering ninety-one.

She was far ahead of the second place, who had only sixty-nine.

The screen even replayed her highlights of capturing Pokémon on the mountain.

The gap between people is really something.

Li Xiang clicked his tongue. The Pilgrimage Trial was broadcasted island-wide, so this exposure would definitely make Abigail famous.

About ten minutes later.

The rankings on the screen refreshed again.

Song Jie's name appeared in second place, just one Pokémon ahead of the previous second-place holder.

Li Xiang was pushed down to sixth.

By now, over a hundred participants had been registered, and only a handful remained in the waiting area.

When Song Jie came out, he told Li Xiang that only one person was left behind him.

And as soon as he finished speaking, the organizers called.

They invited the top eight from the Pilgrimage Trial to a meeting to discuss the details of tomorrow's pilgrimage to the Wind God Statue.

Minors were allowed to bring one parent.

Of course, Li Xiang wouldn't let his parents come along, as it would make Song Jie feel awkward.

Song Jie only had his sister and a few close friends, plus an elderly butler for support.

In reality, the organizers didn't have much to say, just telling them to gather at the foot of the pilgrimage mountain at six in the morning.

...

The next day at 5:30 AM.

The stone-paved path stretched endlessly toward the sky, with the sun peeking over the horizon, casting a golden glow on the sea, illuminating the stunning base of the pilgrimage mountain.

Li Xiang and Song Jie successfully met up, and Anya and the others, who hadn't been seen yesterday, were also there.

However, as soon as Li Xiang greeted them, Song Jie pulled him away.

"Ready? They're going to carry us up later."

Song Jie pointed to the many bamboo chairs surrounded by a crowd.

The pilgrimage style on Qiong Island was quite "primitive." The top eight from the trial, along with the offerings to Lugia, would be carried up to the Wind God Statue on bamboo chairs.

There would also be people sprinkling water, waving flags, playing music, and creating an atmosphere.

But what really drew the massive crowd, creating a sea of people at the base of the pilgrimage mountain, were the wild Pokémon.

They stood orderly and obediently in the forests or along the riverbanks.

A clear boundary separated them from the humans.

And there were so many of them, a dense and diverse crowd, an incredible sight.

Most people would only ever see such a large gathering of different Pokémon species on TV.

After all, many Pokémon are natural enemies, like Zangoose and Seviper, Durant and Heatmor, Alolan Raticate and Gumshoos, and so on.

Moreover.

It wasn't just humans bringing offerings. The Pokémon themselves carried large amounts of food, patiently waiting in place for the pilgrimage to begin.

Li Xiang scanned the crowd and quickly spotted the Tangrowth that had left a deep impression on him.

Sure enough, the Pokémon from yesterday's trial were also there.

A moment later.

A staff member from the organizers came over and guided the two to their respective bamboo chairs, signaling that it was time to begin.

Li Zhehan, Mrs. Yin, and their Pokémon followed alongside, chatting and laughing with Li Xiang, asking if he was nervous.

After all, with so many people watching, TV cameras in his face, and being carried up the mountain on a wobbly bamboo chair...

Saying he wasn't nervous... well, he was a bit nervous.

Li Xiang took a deep breath and glanced back at Song Jie.

The young man looked calm, as if he was used to such "big scenes" and wasn't fazed at all.

Suddenly-

A deep, drawn-out horn sounded, carrying a wild and ancient vibe.

The crowd began to stir.

The pilgrimage had begun.

"Heave—ho!"

Beside Li Xiang, four shirtless, muscular men lifted the bamboo chair, chanting in rhythm with the band's music as they moved forward.

At the front of the procession.

Several people dressed in strange costumes sang peculiar tunes, holding odd objects, taking one step at a time as they slowly ascended the mountain.

Folk songs?

In the distance.

The wild Pokémon began to call out, carrying their offerings. Instead of walking on the straight stone path, they moved through the forest.

Water-type Pokémon, without legs, had to swim upstream to reach the top.

The many bird Pokémon perched in the trees took to the sky, their calls creating a continuous cacophony, the darkening sky resembling rolling clouds.

The incredible scene made many tourists unable to stop pressing their camera shutters.

Then.

Something even more breathtaking happened.

The sun, slowly rising from the horizon, from the perspective of the pilgrimage mountain's base, appeared right behind the Wind God Statue.

In an instant, the Wind God Statue began to glow, like a small sun, casting no shadow but instead becoming a source of light, radiating pure brilliance!

It was as if a divine miracle had descended!

The tourists gasped in awe!

Li Xiang, sitting on the bamboo chair, almost popped his eyes out!

What!?

Since when did Lugia have anything to do with the sun?

This is too much!

Probably something to do with the materials used to make the statue, not Lugia itself- Li Xiang speculated silently, waiting for the procession to reach the mountaintop.

The pilgrimage mountain was tall.

It was also Qiong Island's highest peak, but to place Lugia's statue at the very top, people had overcome countless difficulties to build a long, straight stone staircase.

It was called the Stairway to Heaven.

Despite the somewhat shameless name, the staircase had over five thousand steps from top to bottom.

Wide and straight, it reflected a dark sheen under the sunlight.

In the past, the steps were said to be in poor condition, but as Qiong Island developed, they were replaced with neat bluestone slabs.

It looked very much like a 5A-level scenic spot.

The ascent was quick.

In less than twenty minutes.

The entire procession reached the mountaintop, a place resembling the Temple of Heaven.

The space was incredibly spacious, easily accommodating over ten thousand people, something not apparent from below.

The statue was also towering, no shorter than the Statue of Liberty from his previous life, with its wings spread and head bowed in a pose.

Whoever carved it had done an amazing job, as the facial expression was incredibly lifelike. Li Xiang even thought he saw a look of pity on the beast's face.

He thought he might be seeing things.

But what surprised him even more was the wide water channel surrounding the statue. Most of the offerings were poured or thrown into it, carried by the water, moving steadily behind the statue.

Behind the statue was a steep cliff and the endless sea.

The water, from an unknown source, formed a waterfall on the cliff, carrying the offerings with a thunderous roar into the sea.

Could Lugia really be down there, sleeping beneath the cliff, eating these offerings?

Li Xiang couldn't help but wonder.

Unfortunately, no one answered his question.

A woman dressed in strange attire helped Li Xiang off the bamboo chair, draped a peculiar garment over him, and then led him and Song Jie to the front of the procession.

They were now quite close to the Wind God Statue.

Once at the front.

Li Xiang realized.

Hmm... Weren't there supposed to be only eight of us? Why does it seem like there are more?

He looked around and saw at least twenty or so young men and women, dressed in similar but differently colored outfits.

They were just standing further back, about a meter away.

Separate from the eight of them.

"Stop looking. Just pretend they're not there. It doesn't concern us. It's their festival anyway."

Song Jie nudged him with his elbow.

Prearranged!

Li Xiang immediately understood what was going on.