Theme Song

There's more than one hero (Tristan and Tyson appear in a splitscreen with Gray in the middle)
There's more than one star (Tristan appears alongside his Pokemon, while Tyson appears with his traveling companions, Bolt and Alexis)
Excuses are zero (The three pictures morph into one)
They're no longer apart! (Gray stands side by side with Tyson and Tristan)
Let's go! (2x) It's time to battle! (Ferus and Tristan's Manectric Mega Evolve before charging at each other)
No way (2x) I won't let you win! (Gray and Tyson throw their final Pokeballs)
You may (2x) get my nerves rattled (Noah and Arcanine appear and smile at Gray)
I'm still (2x) going all in (Ferus rises to his feet and is engulfed in flames along with an Arcanine)
We can stand together, no matter space or time (The egg from the Day Care Center is surrounded by five Pokemon that are covered in shadows)
We'll be friends forever, together we will climb... (Tyson and Tristan reach out to Gray)
Pokemon!

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VOTE ON THE NEW POLL ON MY PROFILE! IT'S ABOUT THE HOENN MEMBER OF GRAY'S UNOVA TEAM

Welcome back, readers! Today was my first day back to school, and it definitely sucked... but at least only two-three of my classes will be hard, so that means I will have more chances to work on finishing this series! Last chapter, Gray met and battled Tristan, from ShadowDragon9000's All Out, and she lost in a very close battle that came down to Ferus and Manectric, who both Mega Evolved. This chapter will be focusing on the relationship of Gray and Noah, and how their Pokemon get along. Now, let's get going!

ShadowDragon9000: Yes it did! Too bad it completely derails from here on out :/ And how'd you know the outcome? It's not like I sent you it early :3 All jokes aside, thanks for the compliments, and it was great getting to work with you on this, and hopefully we can do it again!

Warrior of Hope: I'd definitely want to do another Crossover Arc in Unova if it's possible, and assuming one of us doesn't die (I like to say that instead of quit because it's so much more dramatic), I'm looking forward to working with you and crossing over with AHO

MerlockVonBaron: No, and could you please try leaving something more than just "not bad"? I appreciate the support, but could you try saying what you did/didn't like?

Defender31415: Thanks! Would you mind pointing out which paragraphs were out of order? I can only skim over the chapter because of school and all the crap that comes with that

Gray's Team

Fortis, (m), level 70, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)
Comis, (m), level 38, Night Slash, Acrobatics, Sky Uppercut, X-Scissor, Quick Attack*, Feint Attack* - (Gliscor)
Acer, (f), level 35, Mach Punch, Headbutt, Bullet Seed, Stun Spore, Leech Seed*, Poison Powder* - (Breloom)
Ferus, (m), level 38, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Howl, Smog, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)
Pertinax, (m), level 37, Vice Grip, Seismic Toss, X-Scissor, Storm Throw, Double Hit*, Brick Break* - (Pinsir)
Agrestis, (f), level 32, Pound, Toxic Spikes, Double Slap, Sludge Bomb, Take Down*, Dark Pulse* - (Trubbish)
Placidus, (m), level 33, Bite, Harden, Take Down, Ice Fang, Ice Ball* - (Bergmite)

"It sucks that we lost," Placidus muttered, angered by his poor performance against Tristan's Greninja. "I should've done better!" he shouted before pouting, drawing Pertinax's attention as he walked over to the small Pokemon.

"Hey, don't worry about it," the bug started with a smile. "Greninja was one one of the strongest Pokemon we've ever faced, aside from Manectric," Pertinax stated while patting Placidus on the head.

"You're right," Placidus replied before sighing. "I still can't help but feel bad about not doing better."

"It happens to everyone, Placidus," Fortis informed the newest member of the group, who nodded in response. "When you meet the other members from the Kanto team, you'll know we all struggled at some point or another."

The three Pokemon sat along with Acer, Agrestis, Gray, Nikki, Cole, Slakoth, Skitty, Eevee, and Misdreavus while Ferus and Comis continued to train. The two refused to train together, and Gray couldn't help but notice. Even though she didn't want to get involved, she felt compelled to. Cole, however, kept her from doing so.

"You need to let them be," he stated, catching the girl by surprise. "They're both mad about losing, and they're trying to cope with it in their own ways."

"He has a point," Noah said while nodding in agreement with Cole. "I mean, I don't know much about any of your Pokemon, but Ferus and Comis seem very prideful and hate to ask for help, so it's best to let them figure things out for themselves."

"Hmph," Gray muttered as she sat back down in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest like a child before noticing the Pokeballs on Noah's belt. "Hey, have you shown us what kind of Pokemon you have?" she quizzed, making the boy sweat drop.

"Haha, I completely forgot about that. Come on out, guys!" he shouted, throwing four Pokeballs in the air. In several flashes of light, Arcanine appeared alongside three creatures, who looked around in confusion before spotting several other Pokemon.

"What kind of Pokemon are those?" Nikki asked curiously while eyeing each of the creatures, who stood close by Noah while Arcanine began to waltz around.

"This is Frogadier. He's really quiet and acts a lot like a ninja," Noah started as he pointed at the bipedal frog, who simply ran away from everyone, making them all laugh. "This is Gourgeist. She's kind of like the mother of the group, keeping everyone out of trouble and stopping any fights." The pumpkin nodded in confirmation of the description. "And lastly, we have Espurr. She's... scary."

"That's nice," Slakoth joked before looking at the creepy cat, who stared at him blankly.

"So are these your only Pokemon?" Eevee asked Noah, who nodded in response.

"I've realized the less Pokemon you have, the more you can train them, so they're a lot stronger. I only like catching Pokemon that I have a connection with," he explained, making Gray gasp slightly, as the latter portion was the same exact philosophy she followed. "Plus, they spend a lot of time together, so there's not that much fighting."

"It's true," Arcanine confirmed as he walked back over to Noah and sat down. "We all have such different personalities that there aren't any fights. It's really nice," the dog opined with a smile.

The peace was ruined, however, when Comis flew over to Gray and landed on her head with a childish look of frustration on his face.

"What's wrong, Comis?" Gray asked her starter, who grunted in response.

"I want to battle someone! I need redemption!" he shouted, looking around for an opponent while Ferus strolled over and sat down underneath the table. "Ferus, let's battle!" Comis yelled, hopping off Gray's head and landing on his tail excitedly.

Ferus, however, was the complete opposite and yawned tiredly, making everyone laugh while Comis deadpanned.

"I can help you train if you want," Fortis offered as he stood up and began stretching, causing Comis to laugh sheepishly before backing away.

"No thanks, Fortis. I'm not in the mood to die from a workout."

"That would only happen to you," Ferus muttered, rolling his eyes as he did so. "And we all need redemption. It's not just you," he continued, rising to his feet.

"I have to prove I'm the strongest Pokemon in the world!" Ferus thought to himself while looking at the ground angrily, remembering what Houndoom had said to him the last time they met.

"I guess we can help you out," Noah offered while glancing at each of his Pokemon, who seemed disinterested. "Arcanine, do you think you're up for a battle?" the teen asked, catching his Pokemon's attention.

"Sure," Arcanine replied, stretching as he got up from his nap. "I'm warning you, though, Comis," the fire type started. "I won't go easy on you."

Fortis quietly watched the scene unfold, and he grabbed Gray by the shoulder while everyone walked over to the battlefield, except for Ferus, who stayed right next to his trainer.

"What's up, Fortis?"

"Comis is going to get destroyed. Do not battle Arcanine," the dragon type forewarned, causing Gray to look over at her starter worriedly.

"Sounds like a challenge I'm willing to take," Ferus opined, jumping into the conversation. Fortis shook his head at the comment, making Ferus growl slightly. "What? Am I not strong enough to beat him?"

"That's exactly it. Arcanine's a really high level. Noah has five badges and only four Pokemon. You do the math," Fortis shot back, making Ferus shake his head in disgust before walking towards the battlefield with Gray.

"Comis, I want you to sit this one out. Ferus is going to battle Arcanine instead," Gray informed her starter, who pouted in response while being escorted to the side by Fortis, who shook his head at Gray's refusal to back down from a challenge, and he sat down next to Comis and Agrestis.

"Crush him, Ferus!" Skitty screamed as the Houndoom squared off with Noah and Arcanine, who exchanged nods. Cole, meanwhile, stood in the referee box and raised his arms after looking at both sides.

"This battle will be between Ferus and Arcanine! Begin!"

"Arcanine, use Extremespeed!" Noah commanded.

In the blink of an eye, Arcanine was at the middle of the battlefield, and he continued sprinting towards Ferus while shrouded in a thick coat of white energy. As he closed in on his opponent, Arcanine began to grunt loudly, almost as if he were hunting.

"Dodge it with Feint Attack and then use Bite!"

Ferus grinned and put his front two feet on the ground, disappearing in an instant. Arcanine passed through the spot Ferus had been standing in, and the dark type reappeared a few feet behind Arcanine. Lunging, Ferus opened his mouth and prepared to chomp down on his opponent's neck.

"Jump out of the way and answer back with Outrage!"

Arcanine effortlessly hopped away from the powerful attack, and he was suddenly engulfed in a shining coat of orange light. Then, he flew through the air and crashed into Ferus, launching him past Gray, who turned around and stared at her Pokemon in shock before calling out to him.

"Ferus, are you okay?" Gray asked in concern as the fire type struggled to get back on his feet. Despite the pain coursing through his body, Ferus refused to back down, and he stood up while roaring. "Awesome! Now shoot a Flamethrower attack!"

Nodding, Ferus reared his head back and inhaled dramatically. He then whipped his head forwards and a wave of red flames closed in on Arcanine, who didn't even attempt to dodge the attack. Instead, he took it head-on and let out a powerful roar once the attack ceased, causing Ferus to snarl angrily while Noah grinned and threw his right hand out to his side.

"Arcanine, show them what a real Flamethrower is!"

Doing as he was told, Arcanine jumped into the air and shot a wave of fire right back at Ferus, who stumbled back in shock before being engulfed in the scorching attack, causing him to cry out in pain. He then fell to his side and let out a weak grunt while everyone on the sidelines looked on in shock.

"What's happening? How is Arcanine beating Ferus so badly?" Misdreavus inquired.

"I... don't know," Slakoth replied, at a loss for words.

"Arcanine's just way stronger, and there's nothing you can do about it," Fortis stated, making the six younger Pokemon turn and face him in shock. "He's at least five or six levels higher than Ferus, and they're both fire types, so there's not much Ferus can do."

"Keep fighting! Use Smog!"

A cloud of black smoke escaped Ferus' mouth, and it surrounded Arcanine, who was blinded by the attack. Smirking, Noah somehow maintained an unwavering sense of confidence, confusing Gray's friends.

"Thunder Fang!" he yelled, catching Gray and Ferus off guard.

The black cloud of smoke suddenly flashed yellow, and Arcanine bolted out of it, paralyzing Ferus. Before he could do anything, Ferus was bit on the back by the wicked attack, and he let out another cry of pain while twitching slightly. Arcanine simply walked back to Noah's side and sat down, waiting for Ferus to get off the ground, which he did with a ton of effort.

"Ferus, use Flamethrower!" Gray commanded, refusing to give in.

"Wrap this up with Extremespeed!" Noah roared.

As Ferus reared his head back, Arcanine ran across the battlefield and lunged forwards, slamming into him. The fire and dark type zipped past Gray and slammed into a tree in front of the Pokemon Center before slumping to the ground with his eyes closed, leaving everyone speechless except for Noah and his starter, both of whom cheered.

"Ferus is unable to battle! Noah and Arcanine are the winners!" Cole announced before running over to Ferus' side with a Full Restore.

"Are you okay, Ferus?" Gray asked the dog as she cradled him in her arms.

"I'm... fine," he muttered as everyone ran over to him.

"You put up a good fight, Ferus," Arcanine opined as he and Noah stood in front of Gray and Ferus. "We should have a battle the next time we meet up."

"Stop blowing smoke up my ass," Ferus retorted after being sprayed with a Full Restore. "That wasn't even a battle; it was a massacre."

Everyone went silent as Ferus stood up, and he glared at Arcanine and Noah before walking away. Gray bowed to Noah and Arcanine apologetically before attempting to run after her Pokemon, but she was stopped by Fortis grabbing her shoulder and shaking his head.

"Just withdraw him, if anything. We've gotta get going, too," he stated before flying after Ferus, leaving Gray, Nikki, and Cole with Noah.

"Oh, you have to go?"

"Yeah, we need to get back to Shalour City. I think we're going back to Johto tomorrow," Nikki answered, making Noah nod with a frown. "It was nice meeting you, Noah."

"You can say that again. Good luck in the Kalos League, too," Cole said as he shook the boy's hand before turning to walk away with Nikki.

"So, I guess our reunion was short lived, huh?" Noah quizzed rhetorically. "Hopefully we meet up soon," he continued before hugging Gray for a second, blushing as he did so.

"I'd like that. Maybe after we're done competing in our leagues, we can get together," Gray suggested, making Noah smile and nod. "I'll be looking forward to it." With that, Gray extended her hand, and Noah shook it with a stupid grin on his face. Gray nodded and then sprinted after her friends and Pokemon, leaving Noah and Arcanine to themselves.

"I can't wait."

Well, there's the anticlimactic ending to an otherwise (in my opinion) awesome arc. Noah will be reappearing later on in the story - most likely during the Silver Conference, but I'm not sure - and he might end up having a battle with a very important character in the final "book" of the series. In regards to this chapter, Ferus got crushed by Arcanine, and he's going to have a rough time rebounding from that, so keep an eye out for that. Till next time, peace out.

Also, I'm going to be releasing three chapters every two weeks. The updating schedule will be Tuesday and Thursday one week, and Monday or Sunday the next. Once I am within five chapters of my writing (I'm at 49, so there shouldn't be much of an issue for another week or two), I'll change to updating on Sundays exclusively. Thanks for the continued support.

Next Chapter: "Fighting for Ferus"

Now on their way to Olivine City, the group stops at MooMoo Farm. While there, one of the Pokemon decides to battle the craziest Tauros he/she can find! Will they be able to defeat their wild opponent?

Cianwood/Olivine City Arc

Chapter 39: The Dragon Slayer Rises!
Chapter 40: Safari Zone Shuffle: Baby Bagon
Chapter 41: Bad Luck Chuck
Chapter 42: Mending Steel
Chapter 43: Two Down, One to Go