That same day.
After being pampered and healed by several Chansey and Wigglytuff, Eevee's condition had mostly returned to normal.
By this time, the brackets for the Individual round-robin preliminaries were released. Owen had one match scheduled near noon and another toward evening.
"The Vice-Captain of Liang City High. and the Vice-Captain of Green Sea Senior High..."
After receiving the data on his opponents from Dean Wu, Owen rubbed his nose. It wasn't a major issue.
Although it was called a "random draw," there was clearly some internal seeding involved. A quick glance showed that all the Captain-level players had been split into different groups.
Owen understood the logic: the organizers wanted to prevent the top "seeded" players from knocking each other out too early, ensuring the main tournament remained high-stakes and exciting.
April 22nd, Evening.
Both the Individual and Team Preliminaries concluded simultaneously. Out of twenty schools, sixteen individual rookie trainers advanced to the main bracket, and eight high schools moved forward in the team format.
To no one's surprise, Eevee secured two more victories. Even though it wasn't in perfect condition after the grueling team battle against Salt River, it won both matches with ease.
Owen's two opponents were arguably a tier stronger than Lynnea or Leo, but they weren't enough to pose a real threat to Eevee. In fact, Eevee didn't even have to go all out.
Lynnea, however, wasn't as lucky. Since she wasn't a seeded player, she ended up in a "group of death." She faced the Captain of Liang City No. 1 followed by the Vice-Captain of Yicheng High. Her failure to reach the main tournament was expected by Zoe and the other Fairview teachers.
Due to family circumstances, Lynnea hadn't rushed her strength like some children of Professional Trainers. Instead, she was building a rock-solid foundation.
According to her, her Growlithe wouldn't evolve with a Fire Stone until they had been in the Police Academy for some time.
This involved a specialized training method requested by her father. Since it was a private family matter, neither Owen nor Leo pried.
"The rookie rankings from the Aurelia Trainer Association are out. You guys should take a look," Zoe messaged the "Rising Star Project" group chat during the evening break.
"This is a power ranking of Azure Province's rookie trainers based on their performance in the trials so far. Keep in mind it's not final; the standings will likely shift once the tournament ends."
As soon as Zoe posted, Ethan, who was away on a mission, suddenly popped up.
Ethan: "Owen, [Thumbs Up].jpg."
Oh ho!
Seeing two Professional Trainers appear at once piqued Owen's curiosity. A power ranking for Azure Province rookies? Since Ethan gave him a thumbs-up, he figured he must be locked in at number one.
Owen clicked the link, and his face immediately darkened.
Leo: "Wait, he's not first?!"
Lynnea: "Someone named Jean from Aurelia University High is first."
Sarah: "Lynnea, you made the list too!"
Marcus: "Captain Owen is still legendary!!"
Owen scratched his head, ignoring the chatter to study the list. The Association certainly knew Eevee's strength well; in fact, between his recent medical checkups and battle data, the Association probably knew Eevee's physical stats better than he did.
During Eevee's hospitalization after the R-drug incident, it had undergone a full-spectrum physical. In terms of mental strength alone—boosted significantly by the Return training—Eevee could likely crush 99% of rookies. It wouldn't have been hard for the Association to pull those records.
Yet, even with all that, he was only second?
"Well..." Owen muttered. "Second isn't bad. And as long as I beat number one, I become number one. Still plenty of chance."
The Rankings:
Jean (Aurelia University High) – Owen noted her partner was a Haunter.
Owen (Fairview No. 1)
Zuan (Salt River Middle School)
Brandon (Riverside No. 1)
Lynnea (Fairview No. 1)
Out of fifty slots, Owen sat at number two. However, as he dug deeper into the details, something felt off. He sent a private message to Zoe.
"Zoe, what's the deal with this Jean? The info online is super limited. Everyone else either has a Dojo background or a family of trainers, but there's nothing on her.
It says her mom is just a regular person—not even a trainer. That sounds like a load of crap..."
Based on the available data, Jean's background seemed no better than Owen's own "grassroots" origin. Zoe replied a few minutes later.
"I can't say for sure," she wrote. "Until her identity is confirmed, it's all speculation. However, the cultivation and battle style of her Haunter carry a very distinct signature. Based on that, we can make an educated guess."
"She is likely connected to the Spirit Realm..."
Owen went silent. The Spirit Realm? One of the ultra-large Secret Realms?
"This 'Spirit Realm' doesn't just refer to the Secret Realm itself, though it's related," Zoe continued. "There isn't much online, so don't bother searching.
Just listen. You've fought apprentices from the Winter and Heart Dojos, right? Those Dojos are like hubs for specific trainer lineages.
Beyond Dojos, there are 'Inheritances'—private, direct lineages that are comparable to or even more prestigious than Dojos. In fact, many of China's Elite Four and Champions come from these places."
"The Spirit Realm is one of them. Their trainers are experts and masters of Ghost-type Pokémon. One of the 'Twelve Branches' at the Association Headquarters is from the Spirit Realm.
they possess unique methods to enter Spirit Realm Secret Realms for training and resources, allowing them to power up at an incredible rate. If Jean is indeed connected to them, it's only natural the Association ranked her first."
Zoe was sharing a "secret" that wasn't exactly a secret, though it was unfamiliar to ordinary or rookie trainers.
Owen wasn't entirely surprised; if Jean had actually been a "nobody," that would have been the real shock. Still, this was the first he'd heard of the Spirit Realm inheritance. How did it compare to the Heaven Heart Dojo?
Wait... the current Champion of China is named Jiang Li... could he be related to this Jiang Jean? Daughter? No, the Champion was barely thirty; he was too young for a daughter that old.
"If the guess is right, she will be extremely difficult to handle. You need to take her seriously," Zoe warned.
Owen frowned. How do I beat someone like that? Ghost-types were tricky enough as it was, but a master-level Ghost-type was a whole different nightmare.
Owen splashed some water on his face, told Eevee to get off its phone and go to bed, and climbed into his own bunk.
Forget it. I'll worry about it after I sleep.
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