------------------

The first terminal of the ANL is a fully equipped, state of the art, hospital for both people and pokemon. Terminals three to six are research focused. Which leaves us walking through terminal two, which looks like the shopping and food court area of an airport.

“Almost everything on display in these shops are produced here in the Lab. Some of it is still experimental while others are past success projects.” Naomi is reading aloud the fun little pamphlet she picked up on our way in.

Jane shivers, “Doesn’t that mean some of this stuff is risky?!”

I flick her ear, “I doubt anything available to the public here hasn’t already gone through a ton of internal testing. You need more education, kid.”

Lacy squeezes my arm, “How much schooling is there where you’re from?”

“Everyone is stuck, Monday to Friday, in classes until they are 18 or so. Then those that can afford the soul crushing debt go on to higher education for two to eight or possibly more years.”

Both younger girls look at me with very apparent fear.

Jane gulps, “School into your twenties?!”

Naomi sticks out her tongue in disgust, “What about you Kurt, I know you don't remember specifics but any guesses?”

Scratching my scruffy chin, “Well, one way to pay for higher education was to join the national military,” spotting their confusion, “Like the rangers, you serve a number of years and they pay for your school while teaching you other stuff as well. I’m pretty sure I was in the navy at this point… that's the sea based branch.”

Lacy nods, “That could explain why you didn’t have an issue with those pirates.”

“Or flying my father’s Zekrom.” Naomi adds.

The red head snorts, “Or why your first choice is just a punch to the face.”

“Alright, alright, signs point to yes. Anyway,” waving ahead of us, “Where are we supposed to catch a ride for this battle? We can go shopping after the fight, we need snacks and to make sure we don’t miss the sub.”

In a hallway on the lowest floor, underwater in fact, we walk past glass windows to the reef outside. At the end of the hall a number of submersibles are docked so their rear hatch is accessible.

Each sub looks like a glass bottle on its side with equipment above and stabilizing parts below. Along the length of the interior are collapsible bench seats facing the sides. Already pilots can be seen prepping the small cockpits at the front of three vehicles.

In the hallway we find Gabby and Ty amongst three other camera teams. Goh skipped on snacks for obvious reasons and is chatting with Director Burnet. Among other spectators are surprisingly the Royals and Dawn’s team.

Before getting to do more than wave hello, the Director steps forwards to address the group.

While tying up her bright silver hair, “Alright folks, thanks for your contributions to the lab. I know our finance department makes these tickets absurdly expensive. I’m going to cover some basics real quick.”

Pointing out the camera crews, “As always make sure your gear is locked into the securing points on the deck of the subs, loose tripods get real scary in moving vehicles. For everyone else, remember that these cameras are the viewpoint of all our spectators and therefore the lifeline for lab funding. So stay out of the shot and out of the operator's way please.”

Thumbing back towards the subs, “Please stay seated and buckled while we travel down. You can stand during the battle but we are not responsible if you slip or fall. This is your last chance to use the bathroom while the cameras board first. Although we do keep buckets on board for emergencies.”

A couple of the camera team fellas laugh, one guy calls out, “Just keep in mind the camera mics might pick it up if ya drop a load or puke in the bucket.”

Gross.

Soon enough we’re separated out into the three subs, each one having a ten person max. Our team takes the sub without either trainer due to us bringing an extra camera to set up. Dawn, Ed boy, and Tommy join Goh on her sub while the remaining guests hop onto the Director’s ride.

Strapped in my seat between Lacy and Naomi, I watch the perfectly normal reef fish swim about the colorful corals outside while a pair of Corsula saunter by.

The hatch at the back slides down to lock and I feel a slight breeze from the air circulation system kicking on.

Like a traditional airplane the pilot's voice comes over the speakers in the main cabin, “Alright folks we’ll be second to embark just behind the director. Just sit back, relax, and keep your cameras ready for the amazing view. It's a twenty minute dive down, we’ll anchor in place and enjoy the show.”

Another five minutes and we’re on the move. Sunlight filters down in dazzling rays that highlight the reef as we pass beautiful corals and more pokemon. Luvdisc, Magikarp, Wishiwashi galore, even an Alomomola.

The reef gives way to the shelf as we make our way down a slot canyon passing a curious Octillery.

Past the rocky walls opens up to a plains of silt and sand marked by the occasional spire of rock stretching up past the surface above. Gliding amongst the spires are massive Mantine and their trailing Mantykes and Remoraids. In the far distance I can see a pod of Wailords as we reach another slope down.

The presence of pokemon becomes even sparser. The rare Staryu, Shellos, or Pyukumuku catch the light from the sub’s lamps that kick on once the sunlight stops penetrating this deep. Everyone gasps as we pass a Relicanth nearly as large as our submersible.

Our pilot calls over the com, “Wave hello to Steve everyone, he’s one of Director Burnett's former teammates.”

Eventually we get far enough down that we enter an area marked with thermal vent pillars and rivers of brine snaking around flatter areas covered in mollusks.

Lacy says what everyone's thinking, “Well this is certainly otherworldly.”

“Alright folks,” the pilot starts drifting us apart from the other two subs, “Our anchor point is on the edge of the wreck just over there. The ship that looks like it got cut off halfway through an ultra wormhole.”

Passing by a Huntail attacking a Chinchou, we find a massive ship wreck crawling with Frillish that scatter away from the sub. Two buoys rising from cables on the side of the ship mark our destination.

Small arms from below either end of the sub reach out and pull the cables into locking rings.

“This is it folks, welcome to the Trench Field. You can fold up your seat and stand now. The battle will begin in about five minutes once each sub has confirmed position lock and the broadcast is ready.”

Folding our seats we step up to the glass and take in the view of the scattered solid earth amongst the vents and brine. Instead of the normal arena size, our subs are spaced out at a hundred yards, same as a football field. The only lights coming from our subs and metal towers in each corner of the official field.

Jane is practically hopping with excitement so I ask her, “What kind of battle will this be anyway? The last Wolds match we saw was at the casino tide zone and she had a fancy spinning wheel.”

Gabby actually answers first, “It’s a Boss battle.”

Naomi explains, “The gym leader, Director Burnet here, will field a powerful combatant. Miss Goh will need to defeat it with three or fewer pokemon. She loses points for each pokemon that gets knocked out. If Goh wants this to auto qualify her for a Worlds upper bracket, she needs to use only one Pokemon.”

Jane finally cuts in, “Legendarys Kurt!”

Suddenly I don’t feel far enough away.

Parts of the glass window in front of us became screens displaying the two trainers.

We can hear Burnet, “All subs confirm lock and final safety.”

Our pilot calls back, “Cam crews ready?!”

Both Ty and the other crew call out, “Ready.”

“Sub one is set.”

“Sub two good to go.”

“Sub three ready.”

Burnet is looking into the camera, “All set Goh?”

The other trainer smirks, “So ready!”

Jane squeals, “This is Awesome!”

I can feel even Naomi getting excited as she bounces on her feet beside me.

The director places a hand to her earpiece, “Thanks guys,” then looks back into the camera, “Alright folks we’re on in five!”

The public broadcast shows a familiar man with turquoise hair, Wallace I’m pretty sure his name is. Beside him is another face I’ve seen on posters, Leon. Rounding out the broadcast trio is a Woman with similarly purple hair, Iris.

Iris excitedly speaks to the viewers, “Alright everything's set folks, let's see one of the most exciting arenas in the world!”

The scene swaps to one from our own submersible as the camera to my left pans across the abyssal field.

Iris one more shouts, “Presenting the boss of this arena, Director Burnet!”

Seen slamming a glowing pokeball into a special slot on the side of her sub, Burnet yells, “Go Nihilego!”

What looks like a six foot kraken appears in the water, the giant squid/jellyfish creature sends off golden light in every direction while dozens of tentacles spread out.

The viewer screen shows some info; UB-01 Symbiont, Burnet’s shiny Nihilego is attached to a shiny Malamar, Name: Solaria.

Burnet comes over our internal comms, “Goh, you’re up in three.”

Iris on the broad cast, “Our Challenger today is none other than everyone's favorite dimension crossing gal, Goh!”

The screen switches to inside Goh’s sub, the biker gal has a wicked grin, “I think something new is in order, a friend from home. Go Haley!”

As she slams her pokeball into the slot, a bright purple light reveals the sleek form of a humanoid pokemon with sharp features, mostly black with neon purples and gold.

Nearly everyone, from the people on this sub to the broadcasters shout, “Deoxys!”

On screen data rapidly shows: Deoxys, a space virus born pokemon considered extremely intelligent and violent, this one appears to be a speed form variant.

Lacy grips my arm tighter.

“This is certainly a new showing from Challenger Goh!” Iris shouts.

Burnet speaks up, “Awesome, Whenever you're ready Goh, first move is yours.”

The two apex pokemon square off as Goh calls, “Get moving Haley.”

A scrolling bar at the bottom of the screens shows moves being recognized by the dex app for the viewers, Agility in this case.

We barely can keep up with the cyberpunk pokemon as it darts about the field.

“Solaria,” Burnet instructs her Nihilego, “defensive field.”

Waves of glowing yellow sludge lit up like a space nebula begin to spread about from the ‘Mini’ kraken. The screen shows Sludge Wave and Light Screen.

Leon chuckles, “The best defense is a good offence and that's a ton of toxic sludge, you can see it's even getting caught in the brine currents to spread further around the field.”

Goh yells out, “Faster!”

As the screen reads Psycho Boost, we lose all sight of Deoxys save for the lines carved in the glowing sludge when a terrible screech from Nihilego let's everyone know she’s just been hit!

Burnet doesn’t let that hit come free, “Psycho Shock!”

Psycho Cut and Venoshock combine in what looks like a storm of golden lightning spreading along the sludge nebula throughout the entire field.

Another scream, this one almost electronic sounding as the Deoxys reappears, stunned in place by hundreds of golden bolts.

The director points forward, “Grab it!”

Nihilego charges towards the paralyzed target for a Head Smash.

Goh’s steely voice calls out, “Shift.”

A gleam in Deoxys' eyes as the sparks surrounding it flash purple before reversing right back to Nihilego, stunning it in return. Psycho Shift… I’m sensing a theme here.

Goh is relentless, “Recover, then hit it harder.”

Recover, followed by Meteor Mash sees Nihilego crushed into a vertical spin from the impact as Deoxys reappears just past it.

Clearly outclassed in speed, Burnet resets, “Full Cloud!”

Nihilego starts pumping out more of the toxic storm to the point that we lose sight of it within the underwater fulmination.

“Extreme speed,” Goh responds, “create a whirlpool!”

Deoxys starts to race around the storm whipping into an under sea tornado of toxins and lights. The alien pokemon still extremely fast, but not to the point we lose sight of it again.

While visually stunning the announcers explain what's happening.

Wallace starts off, “The Light screen in the toxic nebula will catch and negate most forms of ranged attack Deoxys has available and that's after it’s lasers would already be diffused in the water.”

Iris tags on, “While Nihilego has taken a couple heavy hits, the storm should protect it while giving time for the poisons to attack Deoxys’ system. You can see it's slowing down.”

Leon nods, “Goh has no choice but to create a current in the depths to narrow down where Nihilego is hiding and strike hard enough to end the fight before that poison ends it.”

Wallace gets a final word in, “But if Deoxys misses, all those tentacles will grab hold and then it’s over.”

Goh is done waiting, “This is it, Calm mind, then Zen Headbutt.”

Burnet is ready for it, “Darkest Lariat!”

Deoxys jets into the narrow funnel of the toxic storm, smashing directly into Nihilego sending them both spinning out of the sludge while the tentacles wrap it’s body.

Burnet’s grin quickly drops, “No!”

The tentacles don’t constrict, Nihilego is in a daze from the hit!

Goh yells out, “Kick it away and blast it!”

Deoxys whips up those blade-like legs and kicks free from the opponent before charging a beam from it’s chest.

Leon shouts, “Hyper Beam incoming!”

A quick alarm and a green light signals all subs clear of the beam trajectory.

Burnet narrows her eyes looking for any sign of movement from her pokemon.

She has to call it, “I concede.”

Goh shouts, “Abort!”

Deoxys redirects and discharges the nearly charged beam into the darkness beyond the field, a bright flash far in the distance is followed by the shuddering of our sub as it sways in place.

--------------