“Behemoth, return!” I commanded into the headset. Snorlax was recalled into its Pokeball, which I placed in the empty hollow beneath the HUD in the combat platform. I looked up and surveyed the Indigo Plateau Main Stadium. A sea of spectators filled the arena. Most of them were on their feet, waving signs and large banners proudly. The combat area, covered by sand and dirt, spread out before me. A low, steady drum beat resounded through the cavern.

I quickly grabbed another yellow-and-black striped Pokeball from the adjacent slot and raised it to the sky. The nearly cloudless, blue glow from above streamed into the stadium. I leaned forward and cast the glinting ball to the sandy floor of the arena. “Leviathan, GO!” I shouted. The ball instantly snapped open and released a blinding flash of light. A gargantuan, sinewy body materialized near the center of the fighting area. The enormous serpent reared back toward the sun and shrieked its hideous cry. Thousands of people in the stands let out low cries as they held their ears, including myself. I have still never heard anything that compares to the sheer terror inspired by the unearthly wail of a Gyarados.

Leviathan loomed above the Venomoth, which now seemed pitifully tiny. My Pokemon’s nearly thirty-foot body blocked out the late afternoon sunlight, and thin beams dully shone off its immense stretches of blue, scaly skin. The three blades of the bone crest on its head reached into the sky like spires as the two bullwhip-like projections on the side of its fearsome head lashed about in the air. The sharp angles of its face cast a dark profile on the ground. Leviathan looked down at Venomoth, its new prey. The two Pokemon squared off and prepared for combat.

Jim made the first move. I wiped a bead of sweat off my brow and secured my headset. A cool breeze rushed through the stadium, refreshing me. I faced off with Jim across the field, waiting for him to act. He sprang into action. “Venomy, Stun Spore!” he commanded.

I didn’t wait to think. “Leviathan, counter!” I snapped. Jim’s Venomoth flew backwards and slightly up in the air, beating its wings profusely. The pale, inner lining of scales from its wings cascaded off in a shimmering display. The wind caught them and carried the ordnance directly at my Gyarados. Upon hearing me shout, Leviathan raised its head twenty feet above the arena floor and avoided the cloud of paralyzing scales. The wisps of white faintly coated Leviathan’s belly, having little effect. Leviathan remained with its head high above the ground, looking down at a forty-five degree angle at Danvers’ Venomoth. It grumbled loudly, poised like a cobra. The moment was perfect to strike.

Page Ten
Page Ten

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