"Contestant 666 and Contestant 715, please take your positions!"
Following the referee's announcement, Gu Yuan, designated as Contestant 666, stepped onto the battlefield with another trainer. Gu Yuan was quite pleased when he first received his contestant number; after all, the number was considered very lucky.
As the referee recited the rules, Gu Yuan took the opportunity to observe his opponent. Judging by his age, the boy seemed to be around the same age as Gu Yuan, likely a trainer who had also been traveling for a year.
By now, the referee had finished explaining the rules. Unlike the later stages of the tournament, the preliminary rounds utilized standard battlefields, and each trainer could only field one Pokémon. Consequently, to ensure a certain victory, many trainers chose to send out their strongest Pokémon right from the start.
After some consideration, Gu Yuan decided to send out Alakazam, keeping Charizard hidden for the time being. Conversely, his opponent released a Blastoise at the Intermediate Rank.
"Alakazam, use Psychic!"
Gu Yuan immediately seized the initiative to attack. The sheer gap in strength made the Blastoise's counterattack seem pitifully weak. With every clash of techniques, the Blastoise was battered by the residual power of the Psychic attack. Finally, combining its power with Future Sight, Alakazam successfully knocked the Blastoise out of the match with a final blast of Psychic!
Before Gu Yuan could even leave the field after the battle ended, his opponent fell to his knees in despair. Such scenes were common in the preliminary rounds. It was understandable that anyone who had traveled for a year and overcome countless hardships only to be easily crushed in the first round would struggle to handle the blow.
Meanwhile, Gu Yuan noticed that some trainers had already begun fielding Ace Rank Pokémon. However, he remained unconcerned. After the first round of the preliminary rounds, talented contestants would be noted by the officials to avoid early matchups against one another, ensuring that weaker participants were eliminated first.
While it sounded harsh, this was simply the reality. Those with strength received special treatment regardless of where they were. Given Alakazam's previous performance, the strongest opponents Gu Yuan would likely face in the upcoming rounds would be at the Senior Rank, so there was no need to reveal Charizard yet.
The preliminary rounds continued. Several healing stations were set up nearby to ensure that Pokémon could be restored to full health immediately, allowing the trainers to continue their matches. Gu Yuan alone participated in four battles in a single day. Three of his opponents were at the Intermediate Rank, and the last was a Senior Rank trainer who had only recently broken through, making him no match for Alakazam.
At this stage, Alakazam possessed quasi-Ace strength. Combined with the unpredictable nature of Psychic-type Pokémon, it alone made Gu Yuan a strong contender for the top eight or even higher.
During the dizzying pace of the preliminary rounds, Gu Yuan also identified several Ace Rank trainers. The first was a female contestant, number 97, who fielded an Ace Rank Venusaur. Due to the type advantage, Gu Yuan wasn't worried about her causing much trouble later on.
The second was a trainer who was forced to release his Ace Rank Pokémon as his opponents grew stronger. This trainer's Ace Rank Pokémon was a Drapion with the Sniper ability, which made it very easy for it to land critical hits. However, judging by the strength of his other Pokémon—assuming he wasn't hiding his true power—it seemed he had focused the vast majority of his resources and energy into the Drapion alone. His remaining Pokémon appeared quite mediocre.
The final one was a teenage boy who looked two or three years older than Gu Yuan but appeared exceptionally reliable. His Ace Rank Pokémon was a Blastoise. Before sending out the Blastoise, he had used a Pidgeot that was considered extremely powerful even for a Senior Rank Pokémon. He was currently Gu Yuan's most formidable rival.
Although three people had already revealed their Ace Rank Pokémon, Gu Yuan couldn't rule out the possibility that others were hiding their true strength, just as he was. As the preliminary rounds drew to a close, no new Ace Rank Pokémon appeared, making it seem as though there were only three such trainers in this conference.
Finally, Gu Yuan reached his last match of the preliminary rounds.
"Go, Alakazam! Use Nasty Plot!"
As soon as the referee gave the signal, Gu Yuan released Alakazam and issued the command through Telepathy. His opponent, Contestant 5647, looked on with a grim expression. By now, Gu Yuan was recognized as a top contender thanks to his quasi-Ace Psychic-type Pokémon and his use of Telepathy.
"Interrupt him, Rhydon! Use Earth Power!"
Earthy-yellow pillars erupted from the ground, but they were far too slow in terms of both reaction and speed. Alakazam calmly finished using Nasty Plot before vanishing with Teleport.
"Alakazam, use Future Sight and Psychic!"
Psychic ripples expanded, followed immediately by a powerful surge of mental energy. Even though the opponent immediately ordered the Rhydon to use Stone Edge to defend, the Rhydon was already weaker than Alakazam. Boosted by Nasty Plot, the Psychic attack instantly shattered the Stone Edge.
The residual force of the Psychic attack slammed into the Rhydon. The intense pain further stimulated the Pokémon's ferocity, but before it could unleash its strength, Alakazam hit it with Disable.
The moment the Rhydon was frozen in place, the previously cast Future Sight activated. A sphere of energy shimmering with multicolored light instantly engulfed the Rhydon.
"Roar!"
The Rhydon let out a pained cry. The moment the energy from Future Sight dissipated, Alakazam's Psychic attack struck the Rhydon squarely in the head. The sequence of attacks was so rapid that the opponent had no room to fight back.
"Hang in there, Rhydon! Use Rock Blast!"
"Finish it, Alakazam! Use Psychic!"
Both trainers shouted their commands simultaneously. Before the Rhydon could recover from its dazed state, Alakazam's assault arrived. The impact of the Psychic attack completely crushed any hope of a counterattack. Two more bursts of Psychic followed, ending the battle.
"The battle is over! Contestant 666 advances to the secondary rounds!"
The referee's voice announced the conclusion of the match.
"Great job, Alakazam. Keep up the hard work in the secondary rounds."
Alakazam nodded calmly at Gu Yuan's praise. In contrast, his opponent was far from happy. Despite the loss, the trainer managed to force a smile to comfort his dejected Rhydon. If he could move past this defeat, he might achieve great things in the future, but his journey in the Indigo League had come to an end.