The immense, steam piston of a leg crushed Eevee’s tiny frame. With an almost imperceptible yelp, it vanished beneath the extensive mass of Snorlax’s foot. Behemoth shifted its gargantuan bulk onto the leg, grinding the Pokemon into the dirt floor. A gravelly, harsh noise resonated through the stadium. A man in a blue shirt and black shorts stood at the edge of the arena, protected by a shielding capsule. He raised a red flag in his right hand and looked toward my podium. "Eevee is unable to fight!”he shouted. "The point goes to Stryker!”

“…And Snorlax knocks out Danvers’ Eevee with a devastating Mega Kick!” the announcer shouted. The crowd roared, both in wonder and disgust. “Chalk up one for Stryker! This incredible match rages on! Danvers has only one Pokemon left, while Stryker remains unscathed.”

I gazed down on the battlefield. “Behemoth, release!” I commanded into my microphone headset. My Snorlax slowly removed his girth from the broken Eevee. Eevee lifted its head painfully, then collapsed. The Eevee vanished in a burst of crimson light as Jim, my opponent, recalled it into its Pokeball. “Great job!” I told Behemoth. This match had been boring. Snorlax had taken out Danvers’ first two Pokemon and was standing triumphantly in the arena. Jim stood motionless in his competition platform, contemplating his next move. He was only about 13 or 14, and inexperienced. We both studied the Heads-Up Displays in front of us. The transparent screen displayed information vital to the match, including stats and battle tactics. I gave mine a cursory scan, but already knew what I was going to do.

Danvers finally looked up. He retrieved a Pokeball from one of the caddies in his podium and held it to the air. “Venomy, GO!” he shouted. He hurled the ball from his hand into the arena. It opened, releasing a bright flash of white light. A Pokemon slowly rose from the device. It stood on the ground and stretched out its bushy antennae and short legs. Gradually, its large, beautiful wings unfurled and spread out from its body. “Venomy” was a fine specimen of a Venomoth. Behemoth’s new prey hovered defiantly, displaying the poisonous scales on its wings. I quickly looked back at the display and confirmed my decision…

_____