Artificial intelligence has made significant strides in competitive Pokémon battles, sparking discussions among top players and content creators. Redemption, a well-known Pokémon content creator and competitive player in France, stated that AI-powered bots have now reached a level of skill that makes them "twice as good as any human Pokémon player on Earth." This assessment was supported by a tweet from MarcoFiero, one of the best Pokémon players in the world, who claimed to have lost 20 out of 25 matches against an AI bot named Mikumiku37. The bot has reportedly achieved the top ranks in several competitive formats, including those used in the official competitive circuit. Redemption personally faced Mikumiku37 and described it as "the best opponent he has ever faced in his life." Similarly, Fildrong, another popular YouTube Pokémon star and long-time competitive player, noted that AI has reached the top of the "random battle" format, where both players' teams and attacks are randomly determined, and neither can see their opponent's team in advance. This format tests a player's ability to adapt quickly to unpredictable scenarios. The impact of AI on the future of Pokémon eSport is still being debated, but it is clear that this technology is altering the way players engage with the game. Competitive Pokémon battles require a high level of strategy and anticipation, as players must predict their opponent's moves and choose the best actions. However, AI's ability to anticipate and make optimal choices at each turn removes much of the strategic depth that makes the game engaging for human players. A challenge emerges in distinguishing between human players and AI in online tournaments, especially when a human might be using AI to make decisions during a battle. Unlike in chess, Pokémon battles include a random element, such as attack accuracy and secondary effects, which means no AI is completely invincible. This randomness, along with the psychological aspects of the game, could provide an advantage for human players, although executing this advantage is not easy. Some see the rise of AI as a way to elevate the skill level of top players, while others worry it might undermine the integrity of competitive play. The idea of using the claim that an opponent was an AI as an excuse for losing a match has also been raised, highlighting the complexities that AI introduces into the competitive landscape.