Now, let us continue. Two Colosseum rounds still remain, after all!
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Pkmn Trainer Rich ---vs.--- Shadow Peon Clarent
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"I'm going to avenge my earlier loss! Go, Onix and Seviper!"
"Since you're using three, I can use three too. Don't forget that. Go, Alakazam and Milotic! Alakazam, use Psychic!"
Alakazam began to attack Seviper with psychic power, a blue aura glowing in both Alakazam's eyes and around its target.
"Endure that!"
Just as Alakazam slammed Seviper down, the snake Pokémon tensed up its body and survived the attack.
"Very good. Now, Seviper, strike with Sludge Bomb!"
Seviper motioned as if it was taking a deep breath, then it spit up a ball of putrid sludge all over Alakazam. This attack injured Rich's Pokémon greatly.
"Milotic, Hydro Pump!"
Milotic blasted a powerful jet of water at Onix, but missed by a small distance.
"Very good, very, very good. Onix, Rock Slide!"
Clarent's Onix slammed its head into the ground, knocking several heavy boulders into the air. These rocks slammed both of Rich's Pokémon, knocking out Alakazam and doing light damage to Milotic.
"Grrrrrrr....that's fine....that's just fine. Alakazam, return! Go, Salamence! Use Dragon Claw!"
Salamence breathed green flames on its claws, then flew forward at high speed and slashed Seviper in an uppercut motion.
"Seviper, don't put up with that! Poison Tail!"
Seviper's tail began to glow with a purple light, then it rushed at Salamence. At the last moment it spun around and slashed Salamence with its tail.
"Milotic, no more of this. Surf!"
Milotic formed a gigantic wave of water, even bigger than the ones it usually did, and crashed it down on Clarent's team. Onix fainted because it was very weak to the water attack, Seviper because it was already weakened.
"Onix, Seviper! NO! I've nothing left but you, Torkoal.....don't let me down!"
Clarent sent out his Shadow Torkoal, the one Rich had encountered earlier.
"Torkoal! Shadow Wave!"
Torkoal loosed a wave of shadow energy from its shell, slightly damaging Milotic and Salamence.
"Salamence, Dragon Claw!"
Still in the air, Salamence looped over and came back down, slashing Torkoal powerfully.
"Dragonbreath!"
Milotic followed up quickly by blowing a cloud of pungent breath on Torkoal, damaging it some more and paralyzing it.
"Torkoal, Shadow Wave again!"
Torkoal sent out another wave of shadow energy, again doing only slight damage to its opponents.
"Snag Ball, go!"
Rich threw a Snag Ball at the Torkoal. It was scooped up, then the ball fell to the floor and started rocking........
.......once...........
...........twice..........
....three times, then it pinged.
"Arggggh!!!!! Not again!"
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"Ack......I guess it can't be helped. I'll leave for now, but next time we meet, I'll be at the top of my game. Farewell!"
Clarent turned and ran away, out of the Colosseum. The crowd stood and cheered for Rich.
"Rich wins and goes on to the finals!"
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A little while later, the attendant returned to the waiting room.
"Mr. Mistbloom, we apologize for the earlier inconvenience. Your final match is ready."
"Thank you, don't worry about it. May I see the lineup?"
"Of course."
[==================]
------Chobin
--Dragonair
--Gyarados
--Sunflora
[==================]
"Finally, a challenge. I will go with Alakazam and Salamence."
"Very well. Right through here, and good luck, Mr. Mistbloom."
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"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the finals of Pyrite Colosseum's knockout challenge! Now entering the arena is the challenger, Rich from Phenac City!"
Rich entered from his side of the arena and blew another kiss to Anabel.
"Facing Rich is a trainer all the way from Olivine Town in Johto, who now lives right here in Pyrite! Now entering the arena.......Chobin!"
Chobin entered from opposite Rich, driving his Robo Groudon---a metal monster painted red and gray with yellow lights for eyes.
"Chobin attack!!! Gawrrrroaarrrrrrr!!!!!!"
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Pkmn Trainer Rich ---vs.--- Robo Groudon Chobin
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[Chobin moves Robo Groudon forward several steps, stops it, and makes it lean forward and 'roar.' He then makes its right arm spin around and throw two Poké Balls, sending out Dragonair and Gyarados]
"Let's have a great battle, Chobin! Alakazam and Salamence, go!"
;373; ;065; <<RICH v. CHOBIN>> ;130; ;148;
"Alakazam, Ice Punch!"
Alakazam rushed forward with an icy aura surrounding its fist. Just before it made contact with Dragonair, Chobin's Dragon type put up a Protect.
"Hohoho! Chobin laughs! Gyarados, Chobin wants an Ice Beam!"
Gyarados took a deep breath, filling the Colosseum with a noise not unlike a large vacuum, then fired a beam of ice at Salamence. Salamence did manage to use Endure and survive the hit, but it became frozen solid.
"Salamence! NO!"
"Chobin is very amused! Dragonair, Chobin commands a Dragon Rage to finish off that Salamence!"
Chobin's Dragonair blew a ball of green fire across the arena at Salamence's frozen form, making it faint.
"Noooo........Salamence....return....."
"Chobin thinks Rich's odds are not good. Chobin asks if he wants to forfeit."
Rich looked up and closed his eyes, actually considering Chobin's offer. But when he opened them, he saw Anabel, and became reinvigorated.
"No, I don't think you should count your victory just yet. Alakazam! Give that Gyarados a taste of true power---Thunderpunch! Give it all you've got!"
Alakazam's fists became two large glowing spheres of voltage, and then it levitated and rushed Gyarados. The punches had incredible force behind them, and therefore managed to fell the powerful Gyarados in one hit. The crowd went dead quiet, shocked at this.
"What?!! Chobin is shocked! Chobin puts Gyarados away, then. Chobin orders Dragonair forth to end this with Outrage!!!"
Dragonair screeched loudly as it began glowing with a red aura, then it rushed headfirst towards Alakazam.
"Counter it with an Ice Punch!"
As Dragonair rapidly approached, Alakazam's fist again became a sphere of ice. It swung, hitting Dragonair's head dead-on. The combined power of the two attacks caused an explosion, and when the smoke cleared both Alakazam and Dragonair had been knocked back.
"Chobin has fury!! Chobin commands Dragonair to end the battle NOW!"
Dragonair screeched again, charging up an even more powerful Outrage. The red aura now coated it.
"Alakazam, one more Ice Punch should do it!"
Alakazam, with its fist icy again, rushed towards Dragonair, who was coming the opposite way with its Outrage-fueled red aura. They met halfway and a struggle ensued with both trying to overwhelm their opponent. Finally, Alakazam broke through the red aura and delivered an incredible direct hit to Dragonair, sending it skidding across the arena and crashing into Robo Groudon. It had fainted the moment Alakazam hit.
"Chobin lost! Chobin lost! Chobin lost!"
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The crowd went wild as Chobin recalled Dragonair angrily and drove Robo Groudon out of the Colosseum. Rich took a bow proudly.
"Congratulations! The winner of the match, and the champion.............Rich from Phenac City!!!"
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Rich was guided out through the front gate, where Anabel stood waiting.
"That was great, Rich! I knew you'd beat Chobin!"
"I admit I got a little scared for a moment when he beat Salamence easily. Guess it was for nothing, though!"
"That reminds me, right around the time Clarent appeared I started feeling this strange feeling in my stomach."
"In your stomach?"
"Yeah.....it was probably that bean burrito I ate while you were waiting for the second round to begin."
"Hah! Probably right."
Michael entered the Colosseum and walked up to Rich and Anabel.
"Hey there, Rich. I heard that you won!"
"I sure did. Chobin was my final opponent, and tough, but I beat him."
"Congratulations, then. I have something to give you."
Michael took out a golden disc with a shape of Pyrite Colosseum carved into it and gave it to Rich.
"What is it?"
"It's the emblem of Pyrite Colosseum. It signifies your victory here, and it is the first step on the road to the championship at Orre Colosseum."
"Thanks! Where should we head next?"
"While tracking Enigma Shadow I got in touch with Secc, the leader of ONBS. He's wanting to meet you and get you for a TV interview, so I'd recommend visiting him. The ONBS Skyscraper is north from here, on the desert's border with the forest region."
"Sounds good to me. Thanks for all your help, Michael."
"Think nothing of it, Anabel. I wish you luck."
"Okay, then. Let's hit the road, Rich."
Rich and Anabel left the Colosseum on their way to leaving Pyrite and heading for the ONBS Skyscraper.
Rich now has the very first Colosseum Emblem in the Orre challenge circuit! But it was hard-earned, as Chobin wouldn't go down without a fight. Our heroes now head to the ONBS Skyscraper, where they'll find more information on Enigma Shadow. What else awaits them? Stay tuned!
END of CHAPTER 2