Theme Song

One door has closed, another swings (Owen stares into the camera and fades out along with Brooklyn, Molly, and Charizard)
You must grow accustomed to new things (Gray, Durus, Chase, Leviculus, and another Pokemon replace the others)
It might feel strange, there might be hate (
A person in black armor looks at Cerulean Cave, followed by a split screen of them wearing a laughing mask and crying mask)
But you do not want to tempt fate (Gray stares at the sky and eight badges pass by)
Fight back(2x)! Let it go! (Durus, Leviculus, and another Pokemon charge towards the camera at the same time)
Be strong(2x), put on a show! (Chase and Audino sprint away from a herd of Tauros)
Keep
training, you'll be put to the test (Gray has a flashback of losing to Trentavious)
Now is not the time to rest... Pokemon! (Gray, smiles at the camera with Leviculus and another Pokemon by her side and Durus resting on her head)


How are y'all doing this fine day (assuming it's nice, because this was written a few days ago)? Last chapter, Gray and Chase stopped the two grunts from Team Purity, one of whom seemed reluctant to do anything while the other killed two security guards, who were trying to steal fossils. Then the two met Brock, who was thankful for their assistance, and after that a researcher of the fossils asked them to come back to meet the Pokemon they saved. Now, let's get going!

guest: Those are highly possible, though I won't flat out shoot them down, just for the sake of adding some suspense :P And Tara's reluctance will eventually go away... I just don't know when XD

Defender31415: Kind of, but not really. They're sort of a hybrid between Plasma (purity), Flare (a beautiful world), and Grim (sick and twisted). I don't have a specific outline of what's going to happen (excluding captures and evolutions), but you'll start to learn the backstory of Team Purity sometime between the Fuchsia and Saffron Arc. Some tidbits will be dropped along the way, though, so I won't deprive you all of getting to know the villains

shadowmwape: Not really. Sure, they have similar starters and they were attacked by groups of Pokemon, but that's about all I see the two sharing. There will also be another incident that happens very soon that will be reminiscent of Ash's journey, but that's where it'll stop. Maybe I'm missing some things (feel free to point them out), but I don't see Gray being "Ash x 10"

Elodus: Don't worry, Tara will make a lot more appearances. Rory, I can't say the same for. You'll eventually find out what happens to him ;) And those are good fossil choices, but they won't be joining. This fossil was picked specifically because I hated all the other options in its region, and I haven't seen a story with it. As for Team Purity, they'll be a lot freakier than Grim, and in some ways a lot more violent as a whole. No one can match Frank, but the leader will do their best to one up him

Blaze Falcon: Thanks! Owen will definitely be keeping a close eye on Gray, and he's slated to appear sometime soon (Vermilion Arc) before going away for an extended period of time. And I like your idea with Purity, with the whole 1 chapter being dedicated to them (whether it be battling Gray or not), with some minor appearances on the side. Also, the fossil won't be Gray's powerhouse (he's coming in Vermilion), but it'll definitely be a very strong Pokemon by the time the league starts

MCMXCV: Well, I'm not entirely sure whether I'm going to go through with the idea of Gray and Chase getting together. I have three ideas in mind, with one of them being the lead candidate by a large margin, but it wouldn't happen for a long time, assuming I go through with it. And Leviculus is so fun to write about, while Durus balances him out whenever I feel I'm getting too silly. Also, Kabuto would be awesome, but Gray already has a water type, and Owen got one in Kanto :(

NodokaLover: Possibly. I think Cranidos could be an interesting addition, but it wouldn't be what I'm looking for. And thanks!

Gray's team

Durus, (f), level 12, Scratch, Growl, Bite, Fake Out - (Meowth)

Leviculus, (m), level 15, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Double Slap - (Poliwag)


"Good morning!" Chase shouted as he rose from his bed. Audino groggily turned over to face her trainer, and she threw a pillow at him, angry that she was woken from her slumber. "Maybe not," the teen muttered as he walked into the bathroom, showered, and changed into his clothes. He was wearing a thin black vest that was opened with a white undershirt underneath, and he had a pair of jeans on with black runners. He then put a light blue baseball cap on his head and turned it backwards.

"You look like an idiot," Audino mumbled. Chase, however, didn't care, and he zapped the normal type into her Pokeball. He then walked out of his room and met Gray in the hallway. Durus was resting on her head, and the feline was holding a bag of clothes in her hand. Leviculus, meanwhile, had a headband wrapped around his tail, and he smiled at Chase.

"What are you guys up to?"

"Gray said she'd buy us outfits!" Leviculus exclaimed while showing off his headband. "Do you like my bow?" the water type quizzed while wagging his tail at Chase.

"That's not-"

"Save it. He didn't listen to us," Gray told the boy, who laughed at the comment. "We'll be in the dining hall in a little bit. I need to call my mom for more money," the sixteen year old said while staring at her empty wallet with a distraught look. Chase continued to laugh as Gray was dragged into her room by Durus and Leviculus, and the boy walked down to the dining hall, where he ordered meals for everyone while releasing Audino.

After a few minutes passed, Gray walked into the room with Durus and Leviculus by her sides, and the teen stared at Durus' new look. The cat was now walking in boots that rode all the way up her legs, and she had a scarf around her neck. There was also a brown hat on her head, which made her look like Puss in Boots. Leviculus, meanwhile, was still obsessing over his headband.

"Oh, thanks for ordering. Are you ready to go to the museum later?" Gray asked, not thinking she'd ever say that. Chase nodded along with Audino, and he pulled out a large notebook, which everyone stared at in confusion.

"I'm going to write notes about all of the Pokemon, and what kind of foods they like. I figured it'd help with the whole doctor thing."

"Makes sense," Durus said as she played with her hat. "Maybe you should cut one of 'em open and try doing surgery." The others looked at Durus in disgust, and she looked around with a grin. "What? You've never heard a joke before?" Gray shook her head at the twisted humor and started to eat her food in silence. Once they finished, the group exited the Pokemon Center and hurried over to the museum, where the researcher from the day before was waiting.

"Ah! It's good to see you came! My name is Nigel, by the way. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself last night, I was so busy with moving the Pokemon to a safe location."

"Don't worry about it. I'm Gray and this is Chase. We forgot to introduce ourselves, too." The man bowed thankfully and lead the teens into the museum while their Pokemon lagged behind. They were talking about something that had to do with the fossilized Pokemon, and Durus made another sick remark that silenced Audino and Leviculus.

"So, this is where we revived each of the fossils," Nigel announced while walking into a secret room that was inside the wall to the right, right where people entered. Gray and Chase followed and marveled at the insanely hi-tech room, where there were several microscopes and enormous machines with ray shooting out of them. "Each fossil take about an hour or so to revive, and then the Pokemon are taken into this room that resembles the habitat they lived in. We watch them very carefully through this glass, which is almost indestructible, and only people that revived the fossils are allowed inside."

Gray, Chase, and Audino pressed their faces up against the glass while Durus climbed onto Gray's head, and the girl placed Leviculus on her shoulder. The group gasped in awe at the beautiful room, which was filled with colorful flowers, blossoming trees, and other exotic plants.

"Where are the Pokemon?" Audino quizzed as she looked over at Nigel, who started smiling.

"I thought you'd never ask. If you look closely, they're all hiding in the trees. Currently, there is only one type of Pokemon that we fossilized, but we're working hard on getting other fossils."

"So what Pokemon is it?" Chase inquired while narrowing his eyes, thinking that he'd be able to see them better by doing that. "Actually, I'd rather find out on my own. Can we go in now?" Nigel laughed at the boy's eagerness, and he walked over to a control switch. With a simple flick of his finger, the switch pointed upwards, and a green light flashed. Suddenly, a door next to the glass window opened, and Nigel walked in while other scientists watched closely.

"Follow me. I'll lead you right to them." Gray and Chase bounded after the man and slowed into a walk when they headed down a narrow tunnel. "I'd like to warn you both that we haven't really trained these Pokemon, so they could be highly aggressive. Don't make any sudden movements or try to bother them," Nigel instructed. Gray, Chase, Leviculus, and Audino nodded while Durus rolled her eyes, and the group walked into the room with the fossilized Pokemon.

"This place is so warm," Gray said aloud while unzipping her hoodie. Chase nodded and began to fan himself, prompting Leviculus to walk over to the teen and blast him with a Water Gun. Chase slowly looked down at Leviculus angrily, but couldn't help but grin at the infectious smile on the water type's face. "Thanks, Leviculus."

"No problem! Here, Gray, you look hot, too!"

"No, Leviculus, sto-" Gray was cut off when Leviculus shot another Water Gun, which knocked the trainer onto her back. A loud thud echoed through the large room, and the tree's leaves rustled slightly. Suddenly, a strange looking bird hopped out of one of the branches and ran over to Gray's side, but Durus' hopped in front of her trainer and hissed.

"Chen-Arch-Arch!" the Pokemon cried in concern as he stuck his wings up as if he were surrendering. Durus looked at the bird in confusion before stepping out of its way, and the Pokemon walked over to Gray and stared at her. "Chen?" the Pokemon quizzed while extending his wing. Gray smiled at the Pokemon and slowly sat upwards, and she laughed before taking out her Pokedex.

"Archen, the First Bird Pokemon. Said to be an ancestor of bird Pokémon, they were unable to fly and moved about by hopping from one branch to another."

"Aw, thank you! I'm okay, don't worry," she assured the concerned Pokemon before reaching to pet its head. Before she could, another Archen sprinted over and knocked the original out of the way, which made Nigel scribble notes at a furious rate. "Hey! That's not nice!" Gray shouted at the aggressive Pokemon before getting up to help the hurt Pokemon.

"Ar," the attacked Pokemon replied before bowing to the other apologetically, which confused Gray and Chase. The Pokemon, meanwhile, watched in silence, understanding exactly what was going on. "Ar-chen," the smaller Archen iterated while crawling over to the bigger one and bowing. The bigger Pokemon shook its head in disgust and slapped the smaller one with his wing, knocking the smaller Pokemon onto its side.

"Stop that!" Chase shouted at the bigger Pokemon, who turned around and glared daggers at the boy, who backed down instantly. Audino shook her head at her trainer while Durus laughed, but Leviculus kept his eyes on the injured Archen, who was still begging for forgiveness.

"Ch...Ar," the injured Pokemon muttered while blood trickled out of his mouth. The larger Archen slowly walked over and glared at the smaller Pokemon before lifting its foot in the air to stomp on the other Archen's head.

"NO!" Everyone turned to Leviculus after the larger Archen was launched across the room by a Water Gun attack, and the usually goofy Pokemon waddled over to the injured Archen's side. "Are you okay? Don't worry, I've got your back." Gray stared in amazement at the sudden change in Leviculus' personality, but she quickly turned her attention to the larger Archen that was squawking angrily.

"What's he saying, Audino?" Chase inquired while kneeling next to his starter, who watched the prehistoric bird closely.

"He's ranting about how Leviculus is in no place to come in and disrespect him like that. He's the leader of the group, and he'll be the one that everyone talks to, not his lackeys."

"Is that true, Durus?" Gray quizzed. The feline nodded and walked forward, stopping at Leviculus' side while her claws began to grow and glow white. Slowly, she lifted her arm in the air and pointed at the larger ARchen with a serious look on her face, which was something no one had seen.

"Listen up, chicken wing, if you mess with him, I'll rip you to shreds. Understand?" Durus warned the rock type, who didn't seem threatened by the normal type. Much to everyone's shock, the smaller Archen that had been attacked got up and walked back to his leader with his head hanging in shame. He tried apologizing once again, but the larger Archen smacked him across the face once again, which was the last straw.

"That's it!" Durus screamed before dropping on all fours. The Meowth bolted across the grass while her claws continued to glow white, and she hopped in the air. As she attempted to scratch the bigger Pokemon, Archen ducked and delivered a wicked Wing Attack that launched Durus back to Gray's side.

"Durus!" the girl shouted while running to her Pokemon's side. "Are you okay?" she asked, seeing blood running off Durus' face. The normal type nodded and rose back to her feet and glared at the Archen before falling on her back as she went unconscious. Gray quickly picked her Pokemon up and glared at Nigel, who stopped writing this notes and looked at the girl.

"Archen! Archen!" the larger Pokemon chanted proudly before scoffing at his opponent.

"Are you going to do anything about that Archen?" Chase shouted as he walked over to Nigel and poked the man in the chest angrily. "If he hurts another Pokemon, whether it be ours' or another Archen, I will take that notepad and shove it so far up your-"

"Don't worry, I'm on it!" Nigel said, cutting Chase off mid-threat. The man pulled a device out of his coat pocket and pressed a button, which made an alarm go off. Suddenly, another researcher ran into the room and zapped the larger Archen into its Pokeball. The researcher then left the room, and Nigel sighed. "I'm sorry about that, Gray. I know this is an awful time to ask, but would you come back tomorrow? The notes I gathered are inconclusive on their own, so we need another day or two."

"Fine. Chase, let's go!"

"Hold on," Leviculus called as he refused to move. Gray, Chase, and Audino stopped walking and they turned to look at the water type. "That Archen was just boasting that no one could beat him. I'm not going to let that happen, and he can't keep pushing that Archen around!" Leviculus shouted as the blooded bird stumbled over. "Let's help him train, so then he can be the leader!"

Gray stared at her Pokemon in shock, and saw a fire burning in his eyes. The friendly Archen's eyes showed something different, though. Hopelessness radiated from his body, and Gray slowly looked down at Durus, who was laying in her arms. The normal type nodded slowly with a grin, and Gray looked back up.

"Okay. Chase, would you mind taking Durus to the Pokemon Center?"

"There's no need. Here, take a Potion," Nigel said to Gray while handing the girl a bottle that had a purple bottom. The girl quickly sprayed her Pokemon with the fluid inside the bottle, and Durus looked to be back in tiptop shape. She then hopped out of Gray's arms and walked over to Leviculus and Archen with a determined look on her face, and she nodded at the two.

"Do you need us to help?" Chase quizzed. Gray nodded and looked at Audino, who immediately began shaking her head.

"No way! I'm not going to be a punching bag just so that thing has a chance against the other Archen!" Audino shouted while crossing her arms over her chest. She soon glanced to see Leviculus, Durus, and Archen staring at her pleadingly, and she sighed. "Fine! But you owe me! All of you!" Gray and the three Pokemon nodded, and they set themselves up for training.

"Okay, Archen, we need to work on your strength first. Use..." Gray paused as she scanned the Pokemon with her Pokedex, which listed his moves. "Wing Attack!" Archen quickly dashed forward, much quicker than his leader, and his wings began to glow white. He then smacked Audino across the face, and the bulky Pokemon was launched to the left. Everyone gasped in shock at the strength Archen possessed, and the Pokemon immediately ran over to Audino, bowing apologetically.

"It's fine, I'm doing this to help you," Audino replied with a forced smile. Archen, however continued apologizing while Gray walked over to his side and knelt down.

"Archen, it's okay, Audino's fine... I think." The normal type glared at Gray, who laughed nervously before turning back to Archen, who was staring at the ground, still sorry about striking Audino. "Hey, cheer up! You're really strong, so that's one thing we don't have to practice!"

"That's right! That was one of the strongest Wing Attack's I've ever seen!" Chase complimented while walking over to the Pokemon and smiling. Archen slowly looked up and turned around to see Durus and Leviculus nodding in agreement, and the rock type smiled.

"Okay, why don't we try working on your defense?" Gray suggested. Archen nodded at the trainer's suggestion, and everyone walked away from him. "Okay, Leviculus, use Water Gun!" Leviculus nodded and reared his head back before shooting a blast of water at Archen. The rock type planted his feet in the ground just before he was hit, but the force of the attack knocked him over.

"Are you okay?" Leviculus shouted in concern.

"Arch-Arch!" Archen replied while slowly getting back up. The winged Pokemon then motioned for Leviculus to attack again, but the water type hesitated. He slowly looked over at Gray, who shrugged, and he looked back at Archen before nodding.

"Here goes!" Once again, Leviculus reared his head back before unleashing another blast of water. Archen quickly planted his feet and braced himself. As soon as the attack struck, Archen was pushed back several feet, but he refused to give in, squawking powerfully as he powered through the attack. Suddenly, other Archen that were resting in the tree poked their heads out of the leaves and looked down at their friend before cheering.

"Awesome job, Archen!" Gray and Chase cheered with smiles. The prehistoric bird bowed thankfully before pointing at Leviculus and motioning for her to attack. The normal type happily obliged and bolted across the room while her claws started to grow and glow white. She then jumped forward before scratching Archen across the chest, but the bird remained standing. Impressed by Archen's will, Durus extended her hand and smiled at the flying type, who beamed and shook Durus' hand with his wing.

"Let's do a little more training for today, and I think you'll be fine for tomorrow," Durus said to Archen, who nodded.

000

"Today's the day, Archen," Gray said to the prehistoric Pokemon. Archen nodded, trembling as his nerves were getting to him. The flying type was calmed, however, when Gray, Durus, Leviculus, Chase, and Audino smiled at him. Sensing their faith, Archen nodded at the group and he walked into the room while they follow closely behind. Once they arrived, Archen looked up at the tree and waved to his friends, who waved back.

"It's great to see you're all back," Nigel announced as he was waiting for the teens and their Pokemon. "Archen, I wish you the best of luck, and give it your all!" the scientist said to the nervous Pokemon. Archen nodded at the man's words and waited for his leader to be released, and the room went silent when he was. The large Archen roared powerfully as he walked out of the tunnel, which Gray and the others had moved away from, and the two Archen locked eyes.

"Don't worry, Archen," Leviculus said as he walked over to the Pokemon's side with a smile. "You're going to win this. After all, Gray's helping you out!" Archen looked back at the trainer and nodded while his leader began swiping its feet on the ground while squawking, and Nigel walked over to the side of the room, acting as the referee.

"This battle will be between Archen and Archen! The battle will be over when either Pokemon is unable to battle! Archen, you may have the first move," Nigel said to the larger Pokemon, who would be battling without assistance from a trainer. The rock and flying type nodded with a devilish smirk before sprinting across the battlefield while a white ray of light trailed his body.

"Stop it with Rock Throw, Archen! Then use Wing Attack!" Gray commanded. Archen didn't respond to Gray's actions, and his legs stared to shake violently as his leader closed in. Before Gray could say anything, she watched as Archen was slammed into, and he flew through the air before crashing into the wall behind Gray and Chase. The two trainers ran to Archen's side, but the smaller bird got back up without any effort, and he took a deep breath while Gray and Chase's Pokemon started cheering.

"Chen!" Suddenly, the larger Archen sprinted over towards Archen, again using Quick Attack. This time, however, Archen's nerves weren't going to effect him.

"Slap him away with Wing Attack, Archen!" Gray shouted. Much to the surprise of all the other Archen, the smaller fighter smacked his leader across the face with his glowing wing, and the larger Pokemon was sent rolling across the grass. He soon hopped up and glared at the inferior Pokemon, who was about to bow, but Durus kept him from doing so.

"Ar!" the larger Pokemon squawked as a large rock formed in-between his wings. The rock type then threw his wings forwards, and the large boulder that he formed was hurled towards Archen, who narrowed his eyes while preparing to jump. Seeing this, the larger Archen sprung into the air while his wings began to glow.

"Double Team!" The larger Archen stared down in shock as his opponent multiplied, and the boulder passed through a fake. The several other Archen then disappeared, leaving the real one by himself, and he bolted towards his falling opponent. "Now use Quick Attack!" Archen began running even faster than before as a thing white light trailed his body, and he leaped into the air. The two Pokemon then collided, with the smaller Archen's head slamming into the larger's stomach. The leader was sent spiraling through the air before crashing into the ground, and he attempted to get up, but the pain surging through his body prevented him from doing so.

"Archen!" the smaller Pokemon cried victoriously before running towards his leader. Gray smiled at the Pokemon's actions, and pointed towards the air with a grin.

"Jump and finish this with Rock Throw!" Archen leaped into the air with a bright grin on his face, and a boulder formed in-between his wings. As he started falling, Archen hurled the rock at his leader, and the larger Pokemon could only wait for the attack to strike. When it did, a cloud of dust shot into the air and the rock broke into several little pebbles, which landed all over the ground. Once the dust settled, Nigel ran over to the larger Archen and raised his arms in the air, signaling the end of the battle.

"Gray and Archen are the winners!"

"Way to go, Archen!" Durus, Leviculus, and Audino cheered in unison as the smaller Pokemon squawked victoriously. Gray and Chase, meanwhile, clapped for the victor while his friends hopped out of the tree and began celebrating. The leader of the group could only watch as his minions celebrated, and he fell unconscious. Nigel withdrew the fainted Pokemon back to its Pokeball and smiled as he walked over to Gray and her Pokemon.

"That was a wonderful battle, and it really helped with our research! Thank you so much," the scientist said before bowing.

"You're welcome," the girl replied with a smile. "Archen, you were incredible out there." Archen slowly pushed his way through his friends and walked over to Gray with a smile, and the girl was caught off guard when Archen leaped into her arms and cheered. "Haha, I'm happy, too!"

"I don't think Archen's saying he's happy. I think he wants to join you," Chase pointed out. Gray nearly dropped the heavy Pokemon in shock, and she squealed when Archen nodded at the statement.

"Yay! All I have to do is come up with a nickname, and you're officially a member!" Archen cheered in response while Gray rubbed her chin in an attempt to think of the perfect nickname for her new Pokemon. How about... Fidens! It means courageous, and it suits you perfectly!" Archen beamed at the nickname and cheered happily along with Durus and Leviculus. "Great, now here's your translator," Gray said while clipping the translator around Fidens' neck.

"Hello?" the bird asked with the help of the device. "Hey, it's working!" the Pokemon exclaimed before waving his wings around happily.

"Alright, Pokeball, go!" Gray shouted while tossing a Pokeball at Fidens. The Archen jumped in the air and tapped the Pokeball with his wing, smiling the entire time. The rock and flying type was then sucked into the Pokeball, and the device hit the ground.

1...

2...

3...

Ping!

Gray and her Pokemon beamed as the girl picked up the Pokeball, and she tossed it in the air. "Come on out, Fidens!" In a flash of light, the prehistoric Pokemon materialized from the Pokeball, and he squawked while stretching his wings. The rock type then looked at all of his friends and they hugged him before he walked over to Gray and his new teammates.

"Welcome to the team, Fidens," Durus said while patting the winged Pokemon on the back.

"Thanks! But why do you need me?" Fidens inquired while looking at Durus and Leviculus. The two Pokemon looked up at Gray, and Fidens did the same, waiting for an answer.

"You see, I want to become the champion of the Indigo League, and to do that I need some awesome Pokemon with me," the sixteen year old answered kindly. Fidens smiled at the response, and he puffed his chest out confidently.

"I'm in! Let's do this together!" the newly acquired Pokemon exclaimed. Durus and Leviculus cheered alongside their new teammate, and Gray headed out of the room with Chase and Audino, while Gray's three Pokemon followed behind. After arriving back in the Pokemon Center, Gray sat down at one of the empty tables in the lobby, and she looked around at the others.

"So, what are we doing now?" Chase quizzed while looking at Gray.

"Well, I was thinking of challenging Brock tomorrow," Gray answered while looking at her three Pokemon. Durus and Leviculus cheered in response while Fidens looked around in confusion. "Brock's one of the eight people we have to beat to be able to enter a tournament," Gray explained. "If we win that tournament, then I'll be the champion."

"Oh! Yeah, I'm pumped!" the prehistoric Pokemon shouted comically.

"That's the spirit! With that attitude, there's no way we're going to lose!"


Well, it looks like Gray's team is coming together really quickly, but expect there to be a break in all of the captures. There will be another sometime during Cerulean, but that's all I can say about that. Anyways, next chapter will be Gray's first gym battle! Till next time, peace out.

1) Do you like Fidens? How about the group's cohesion? (The second will change with the next capture, and the two others)

2) How do you think Gray will do? Who will do the best out of her Pokemon?


Next Chapter: "A Rough Road Ahead": The time for Gray's first gym battle has finally come! Will Gray and her Pokemon be able to defeat Brock and his impenetrable defenses?


Pewter City Arc

Chapter 9: Revival of the Fittest?
Chapter 10: Rocking Brock