Reincarnated Into a Pokémon World and Can See Their Hidden Potential?!

The tournament grounds of Celadon buzzed with electric anticipation. After two rounds, over half the original participants had already been eliminated. The pressure only mounted as Ray Virel and Kira Damos prepared for their final three 1v1 battles of the preliminary stage.

Round 3

Ray's opponent this time was a confident older teen with spiky green hair and a cocky grin. He threw out a Nidorino—level 36, Intermediate-Class, and fierce-looking. But Ray wasn't rattled.

"Let's go, Dratini."

The sleek, serpentine dragon emerged with a flash of light, its body coiled and eyes sharp. Ray's system displayed:

DratiniAptitude: Light PurpleLevel: 34Classification: Intermediate-Class Pokémon

The battle was quick and precise. Despite the type disadvantage, Dratini used its superior agility to dodge Nidorino's Poison Jabs and retaliated with a series of Dragon Rush and Aqua Tail strikes. With one final burst of Dragon Breath, Nidorino was knocked out cold.

"Winner: Ray Virel!"

Round 4

Kira's next opponent was a young woman wielding a Hitmontop—highly mobile, a challenge for any trainer. She considered her options and sent out Tyrogue.

TyrogueAptitude: Light BlueLevel: 28Classification: Beginner-Class Pokémon

Though lower-leveled, Kira's commands were sharp and tactical. Tyrogue dodged and countered with startling precision, using Fake Out to disorient Hitmontop before unleashing a powerful Mach Punch. It was an uphill battle, but with a critical Counter attack, Hitmontop fell.

Kira clenched her fists in triumph. "Let's keep this up," she whispered to Tyrogue.

Round 5

The final 1v1 match would determine if they advanced to the second stage. Both Ray and Kira knew everything was on the line.

Ray's opponent was a calm, quiet boy whose Electabuzz crackled with electricity.

Ray sent out Charmander.

CharmanderAptitude: PurpleLevel: 28Classification: Beginner-Class Pokémon

The audience seemed skeptical—Electabuzz was a solid level 38. But Ray had been training Charmander relentlessly.

The match was intense. Electabuzz attacked relentlessly with Thunder Punch and Swift. Charmander dodged with acrobatic rolls and used Smokescreen to obscure the battlefield. At a critical moment, Ray called for a Metal Claw and Flame Burst combo—Charmander's claws glowed as it lunged through the smoke, landing a powerful strike.

The Electabuzz went down. The crowd gasped.

"Winner: Ray Virel!"

Kira's final battle was against a boy using a Roselia. She sent out Machoke.

MachokeAptitude: Deep BlueLevel: 42Classification: Advanced-Class Pokémon

The result was clear from the first blow. Roselia's elegant movements were crushed under Machoke's brutal power. A single Dynamic Punch sent Roselia tumbling, unconscious.

Aftermath

Both Ray and Kira had gone 5-0 in the preliminary round. Out of hundreds, only 100 trainers would proceed—and they were among them.

Backstage, they sat on a bench, exhausted but satisfied.

"We did it," Kira said, looking over with a tired smile.

Ray nodded. "But the real tournament starts now."