Peter walked calmly up to the front desk.
"Hello, I'm here for the Iron-rank challenge. I've already made a reservation—two matches."
The receptionist nodded with a professional smile.
"Understood. You've been matched for 1v1 battles. Your match numbers are No. 77 and No. 119. Please wait in the competitors' preparation area until you're called."
Peter accepted the number tags and moved toward the waiting area.
Most of the trainers there were visibly tense—some cracking their knuckles, others hurriedly coaching their Pokémon with last-minute instructions. Peter paid them little attention, instead lowering his head to fiddle with his phone.
Arena battles were divided into two formats.
Before Silver Rank, all matches were 1v1 blind picks. Neither side knew the opponent's Pokémon in advance. Each trainer sent out a single Pokémon, and once one side lost the ability to battle, the match was over.
This format carried enormous uncertainty. Levels, typings, and move matchups could easily result in a quick defeat.
Starting from Silver Rank, however, battles switched to 3v3 open selection.
Similar to ranked solo matches in competitive games from Peter's previous life, the Arena would provide basic information on both sides' six Pokémon. Each trainer would then choose three to form their lineup. Once all three Pokémon on one side lost the ability to battle, the match was decided.
This format minimized hard counters and excessive randomness—but it demanded far more from the trainer.
At minimum, you needed six Pokémon with no overlapping weaknesses. Beyond that, it tested team composition, tactical planning, and depth of each Pokémon's move pool.
In exchange, it was far more balanced—and far better at revealing true skill.
"Too bad my team isn't fully built yet…" Peter muttered, rubbing Buneary's fluffy head as he mentally calculated who his next teammate should be.
"Competitors No. 77 and No. 69, please enter Arena No. 3…"
The broadcast echoed through the hall.
Peter stood up alongside a burly man. At the man's side loomed a massive Graveler, its rocky body radiating intimidation.
The big man shot Peter a contemptuous glance, snorted coldly, and strode into the competitors' tunnel.
"That's Jon, isn't it? Looks like the Oreburgh Coal Mine isn't busy today—he's back to bullying rookies again."
"Yeah. His strength is already Bronze-level. I heard he intentionally throws matches whenever he's about to rank up, just so he can stay in Iron and farm wins."
"What? People really do that? Sounds just like me after hitting Challenger—I don't dare queue ranked anymore…"
"Poor kid. First match ever and he runs into someone like Jon. No chance of winning. Might even end up seriously injured—medical bills won't be cheap."
Peter, already inside the tunnel, heard none of this.
And even if he had, he wouldn't have cared.
"WOOOO—!!"
The moment Peter stepped out of the tunnel, a tidal wave of noise crashed over him. His heart tightened slightly.
Under so many eyes, even the smallest mistake would be magnified infinitely.
That was exactly why many competitive players collapsed mentally during live matches.
The announcer's voice rang out:
"Ladies and gentlemen! Up next is an Iron-tier ceiling-level showdown!
On one side, a familiar face to us all—Jon!"
The host deliberately paused as the crowd erupted into cheers, chanting Jon's name.
When the noise subsided, he continued:
"And on the other side—freshly registered trainer making his Arena debut—Peter!"
"Who's that…? No way he beats Jon."
"A rookie, huh? He looks calm, I'll give him that—but looks don't win battles."
"I give him three minutes, tops."
"Two and a half. No more."
"This matchmaking is just like my ranked nightmares. A newbie versus a veteran like Jon? Impossible."
"Stop talking, you're triggering my PTSD."
"Well, hey—if it ends quickly, we get to watch more matches!"
…
As the crowd buzzed, the referee raised the flag.
"This match will be between Jon of Oreburgh City, using Graveler,
and Peter from Goldenrod City, using Smoliv!
Both trainers—send out your Pokémon!"
"Smoliv—let's go!"
"Crush it, Graveler!"
A Graveler standing over a meter tall faced off against a Smoliv not even half a meter high. The disparity was obvious at a glance.
"This is certainly a one-sided matchup in terms of raw power," the announcer said.
"However, Peter's Pokémon appears to be an unknown species. Will the information gap allow it to trouble Graveler? Let's find out!"
[Graveler | Lv. 29 | Intermediate]
Ability: Sturdy – When at full HP, it will survive a fatal hit with 1 HP remaining.
Moves: Defense Curl, Rollout, Sandstorm, Rock Polish, Rock Slide, Stomp
Peter glanced at the data, his expression growing serious.
The level gap was significant. But the good news was that Grass-type attacks had a quadruple advantage against Rock/Ground Pokémon like Graveler.
Breaking through its defense wasn't the issue.
The problem was surviving its offense.
After a brief pause, Peter gave his command:
"Smoliv—Sunny Day!"
Jon scoffed.
"Graveler—Rock Slide, finish it!"
"Whoa! Graveler immediately hurls massive stones toward Smoliv! But Smoliv seems focused on setting up Sunny Day! If that attack lands, its tiny body won't be able to withstand it!"
Peter fixed his gaze on the small green figure glowing faintly with emerald light, his fists clenched.
Smoliv had only just learned how to properly use Sunny Day—it hadn't fully mastered it yet.
Still, it was enough to deploy it in battle.
What it needed now… was the nerve to withstand the pressure of its first official match.
The boulder drew closer.
Sweat beaded across Smoliv's forehead as it frowned in concentration.
"Mi… no…"
The little Pokémon glanced back at Peter.
Trainer and Pokémon locked eyes.
It saw the trust and encouragement in his gaze.
He felt its effort, its nerves, its determination.
"Don't be afraid, Smoliv," Peter called out. "You can do this!"
Smoliv nodded slightly, its eyes sharpening.
This was its first time fighting officially for its Trainer.
It didn't want to lose.
In a hazy moment, the gentle melody of "Sunny Day" echoed in its mind.
Sunlight began filtering through the Arena's dome—gathering, intensifying.
"Mi… no—!!!"
With a soft cry, the sunlight suddenly blazed brighter.
Sunny Day—successfully activated!
"Mi~no~"
A sweet smile appeared on Smoliv's face—
But before it could celebrate, the massive stone came crashing down straight toward it!