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

The stadium buzzed with excitement as the announcement echoed across the Celadon Arena. The first stage of the Intermediate Tournament had concluded, trimming the participants down to the top 128. Now, it was time for the second stage: the real test.

Ray stood alongside Kira in the main hall reserved for trainers. Screens began to light up, displaying the general rules for the upcoming round.

Second Stage Rules:

– Battles will follow a 3v3 format.– Each match will take place on a randomly assigned battlefield.– Trainers must use three Pokémon registered under their official League ID.– Borrowing or using unregistered Pokémon will lead to severe penalties.– Only twelve trainers will qualify for the third stage.– Trainers are eliminated after two losses.

Kira folded her arms. "Only twelve make it out of this one."

Ray nodded. "And only two losses before you're out. The margin for error is razor-thin."

Nearby, other trainers murmured and studied the large screen as brackets slowly began to populate. The pairings were completely random—or so it seemed.

Unlike the internal ranking—kept strictly confidential for League purposes—speculative rankings and betting charts were all over the place in the public sphere. Fans, gamblers, and analysts across Kanto had built their own Top 10s based on performance videos, academy records, and social media presence. Some were wildly inaccurate; others came surprisingly close to the League's internal assessments.

Ray and Kira, though unaware of their internal ranking, had caught wind of a few of those speculative lists. Kira had shown Ray one on her tablet the night before, where they were both listed among the top five.

"That one placed you second," Ray had teased. "Guess that makes me third."

Kira had rolled her eyes but smiled. "Then let's both prove them right."

Back in the arena, Ray looked up as the brackets were unveiled. His name flashed onto the screen.

Ray Virel vs. Tasha MerrenArena Type: Misty Forest

A tricky terrain. Dense fog, uneven ground, and limited vision. Ray's mind immediately shifted to battle strategy. Dratini might excel here. Charmander too, if it can manage the footing. Pidgeotto... might be grounded unless I'm careful.

Moments later, Kira's matchup appeared.

Kira Damos vs. Logan FrettArena Type: Rock Plateau

She smirked. "That battlefield was made for Machoke."

The rest of the brackets rapidly filled. Some groaned at their terrains, others at their opponents. Ray stayed quiet, studying the layout and taking mental notes.

"Only twelve winners," he murmured.

Kira glanced sideways. "We'll both be among them."

Ray nodded. "Yeah. And after that... let's make good on our promise."

She extended her pinky. Without hesitation, Ray locked his with hers.

Elsewhere, in the organizer room, the internal Top 10 list remained on screen—names marked not for fame, but for monitoring. Among them were prodigies like Selene Chevalier, heir to a line of dragon masters; Leon Kazuma, the powerful son of Kanto's casino conglomerate Golden Dusk Holdings; and the mysterious Ritchie, whose Pikachu had gained viral fame for taking down four Pokémon in a single match.

These names would never be announced publicly—not yet. But the League was watching. Closely.

For Ray and Kira, none of that mattered now. They had one goal:

Win.