Theme Song
Let's get this show on the road (Gray, looks out at the main stadium of the Silver Conference from the top of a hill)
Old friends will shoulder the load (Durus, Leviculus, Fidens, Magna, Decorus, and Fortis appear on top of a cliff and jump off at the same time)
It may be tough, but look inside (All of Gray's losses flash across the screen)
And soon you'll be right back in stride! (Gray's twelve Pokemon appear by her side along with Cole and Nikki, and then they run towards the championship stadium)
Hooray (2x)! We're back in town (Nikki, Eevee, Delcatty, and Misdreavus run from store to store while Salamence, Gray, and her Pokemon sweat drop, and Cole and Slakoth commentate the battles)
No way (2x)! We're not going down (The screen splits in half and shows Ferus and another figure with fire in the background)
Move on (2x)! We'll win the crown! (Gray squares off with James, Joey, Silver, and Savannah while standing next to her Pokemon, Nikki, and Cole)
Then and now, we stay the same (Splitscreen shows Owen during his travels with his Pokemon, and Gray during her travels with her Pokemon)
This is life, not a game... (Gray's Pokemon disappear, and six shadowy figures stand by her side)
Pokemon
It's here. The Silver Conference is finally here, and the action's going to start picking up very soon! Last chapter, Gray defeated Clair thanks to the efforts of Comis, Placidus, and Fortis, the last of whom destroyed Clair's Dragonite. Then, the egg finally hatched and it turned out to be a Sandshrew, who has a pretty bubbly personality. This chapter will be the usual introduction to the league, but Gray will also be calling back the Kanto team. Now let's get going!
JustinThePokemonMaster: Lol, I confirmed that in the closing A/N, but your detective work is impeccable :P I always try to keep bias out of deciding who's going to win a battle, or become the powerhouse (it wasn't originally Ferus), but I absolutely love Flygon, and the fact that Fortis had trained with Owen for almost a year put it over the edge for the blowout. As for the update schedule, I finished writing everything, except the ending of the last chapter, last night, so don't think I'm just going HAM, haha. Thanks!
dunastann: No need to apologize, I've done the same with stories. Thanks for being honest!
ShadowDragon9000: Aye! Comis and Fortis (especially Fortis) did really well, and if Gray would just use him in every round of the Silver Conference, she'd definitely take the whole thing. Of course, she's not going to do that. Team Flare was also pretty awful, which is why I want to get to Unova because they'll be much more intimidating
Defender31415: She'll be easily excitable through the end of this story, since she's a newborn and all, but that'll change based on the personalities of the Pokemon Gray catches in Unova. And every league will be 64 people. Doing more makes the Gym Leaders seem like jokes, and less would be kind of boring
Blaze Falcon: Haha, there was so much salt going into that battle that revenge had to have been nearly tasted. And the move was actually Draco Meteor, though Bug Buzz would add even more versatility to Fortis' moveset
MysticBeatz21: Unicus will be a pretty awesome starter, at least, I think she will be. The spotlight is going to shift a lot when it comes to Unova, so there's no way for me to really tell at this moment
dragonplayer18: Thanks, and Gray will be battling some trainers that aren't her rivals. They won't be as strong, though, because that will be in the earlier rounds of the tournament. Still, they'll be capable opponents
Gray's Team
Fortis, (m), level 71, Dragon Claw, Flamethrower, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake, Draco Meteor*, Boomburst* - (Flygon)
Comis, (m), level 49, Night Slash, Acrobatics, Sky Uppercut, X-Scissor, Quick Attack*, Feint Attack* - (Gliscor)
Acer, (f), level 42, Mach Punch, Headbutt, Bullet Seed, Stun Spore, Leech Seed*, Poison Powder* - (Breloom)
Ferus, (m), level 50, Flamethrower, Feint Attack, Howl, Foul Play, Bite*, Fire Fang* - (Houndoom)
Pertinax, (m), level 45, Vice Grip, Seismic Toss, X-Scissor, Storm Throw, Double Hit*, Brick Break* - (Pinsir)
Agrestis, (f), level 38, Pound, Toxic Spikes, Clear Smog, Sludge Bomb, Take Down*, Dark Pulse* - (Garbodor)
Placidus, (m), level 52, Bite, Iron Defense, Take Down, Ice Fang, Ice Beam*, Rapid Spin* - (Avalugg)
Unicus, (f), level 5, Crush Claw, Defense Curl, Poison Sting - (Sandshrew)
As she looked down at Victory Road, a cave that was all too familiar, Gray let out a victorious sigh and stretched her arms over her head. She, Cole, and Nikki had successfully navigated through the daunting cave that bested so many trainers, and they were closing in on Indigo Plateau. Eevee, Slakoth, and Fortis sat down next to their trainers while Comis and Unicus ran around in a euphoric rush of excitement, making the others laugh.
"I still don't get why we're excited, but I love this feeling!" Unicus shouted, stopping Comis dead in his tracks as he turned to her in shock.
"Wait, we never told you what this place was?" he asked.
Unicus shook her head.
"Oh man. Indigo Plateau's a place that holds yearly tournaments for all trainers that collected eight badges from either the Kanto or Johto regions! Only the strongest can get here, and the winner of the tournament gets to challenge the Elite 4, which is a group of four of the strongest trainers in the world! If you beat them, you get to battle the Champion, who's even stronger!"
"Wow! I still don't get it!" Unicus exclaimed with a smile, causing Comis to deadpan while the others cracked up at his reaction.
"You will if you ever get to compete, Unicus," Fortis stated, drawing a nod from the Sandshrew. "Is everyone ready to go?" Fortis inquired, drawing nods from the group. "Okay. I can give you three a ride."
"Thank god," Eevee muttered as she, Slakoth, and Unicus hopped onto Fortis' back, blasting off towards the stadium while Comis attempted to keep up with his idol, who was far too fast.
Walking down the hill they had been resting on, Nikki, Cole, and Gray grinned anxiously as they were closing in on the league complex. Gray had been explaining what everything was like, and both of her friends couldn't help but be excited about spending the next week or so at the complex. Even their Pokemon were excited to arrive.
"So do you have a strategy going into this, Gray?" Nikki asked as the gates to the trainer entrance appeared in the distance. "Did you have one last time?"
"Not really," the brunette answered, shrugging. "During the Indigo League I figured I'd just give it my all and that wherever I placed by doing that was where I was meant to finish. I'm going in with the same attitude. If I try my hardest and lose in the first round, it was meant to happen. If I win, it was meant to happen."
"That's a pretty interesting take," Cole stated, again leading to a shrug from Gray. "Have you been thinking about who you'll use in the opening rounds?"
"Nope. I'm waiting until I hear about the rules, and then I'll decide."
Once she finished answering the question, Gray arrived at the entrance and handed a security guard her badge case, which was inspected carefully before it was handed back.
"Best of luck, young lady," the man said with a smile, which Gray responded to with a bow before she walked past the gate with Cole and Nikki by her side.
Then, as soon as they took another step forward, Comis and Fortis landed with smiles before pointing down the dirt road. All the way at the end was the top of the final stadium, which was in the center of the complex.
"We could get there in a minute or two if Salamence and I flew," Fortis announced.
Nikki face palmed as soon as Fortis' idea rang in her ears, and she released the powerful dragon from his Pokeball. She and Cole then hopped on Salamence's back after withdrawing their starters, and Gray got on Fortis' back after withdrawing Unicus and Comis.
000
Fortis and Salamence landed right in front of the gates to the housing complex, which hadn't changed since the last Indigo League, when Gray reached the top four. Hopping off the backs of their Pokemon, Gray, Nikki, and Cole stretched and looked around at the four separate buildings. One was red, another blue, then yellow, and lastly green.
"This really brings back some memories," Fortis stated as Comis broke out of his Pokeball at the same time as Slakoth and Eevee. "I never thought I'd be back here again."
"I've been waiting to get back here," Comis announced as Gray led the charge towards the registration center, which was inside the Pokemon Center for competitors. "It took a long time, but I'm finally here as a competitor!"
Gray smiled at Comis' excitement and giggled as he ranted about how he was going to carry on the legacy of the previous group of Pokemon Gray had during the Indigo League, but he stopped talking when Gray walked up to Nurse Joy's desk.
"Hello. Are you here to register for the Silver Conference?" the pink haired woman inquired.
"Yes, ma'am," Gray answered as she pulled out her Pokedex.
"All you have to do is scan your Pokedex right here, and then I'll need to take pictures of you and your Pokemon," Nurse Joy instructed as Gray placed her Pokedex on a monitor that was facing her. Once the scanning was complete, the TV behind Nurse Joy flashed on and displayed the Silver Conference bracket, which was nearly filled. Then, Gray's name popped up in the top right corner of the bracket, and a one was next to her name.
"Wow! We're a one seed!" Comis shrieked as he hugged Gray, who pushed him away because of the unwanted attention she was receiving from all of the trainers that were in the dining hall.
"Really!? My number one rival is a one seed?"
Gray and her Pokemon turned around to see Joey and Rattata walking towards them with shocked looks on their faces.
"That's incredible! Way to go, Gray! I thought a three seed was good, but a one? Wow!" Joey remarked as he looked at Cole, Nikki, Gray, Comis, and Fortis. "Hey, since when did you have a Flygon?"
"Oh, this is Fortis. I caught him a year ago when I was competing in the Indigo League," Gray answered while patting Fortis on the back. "Fortis, this is Joey. He's one of my rivals," Gray informed her powerhouse, who waved to Joey with a smile.
"I'd love to stay and chat, but we need to go do some training if we want to be able to beat a one seed! See ya!" Joey shouted before bolting out of the building with Rattata right by his side.
"I wonder if James is here too. I can't wait to see where he's seeded," Cole stated as he followed Gray towards their room, which was located in the green building. "Or Silver. I bet he's here."
"No way," Nikki interjected confidently. "Even if he is, I don't want to run into him. The sight of that guy just puts me in a bad mood," the blonde announced as she walked into the blue building. As soon as she did, a scowl appeared on her face. "Speak of the devil."
Hearing her comment, Silver, who had been talking to a receptionist, turned towards Nikki and glared. He then began to walk towards the trio of teens and stopped a few feet in front of them with a Feraligatr by his side.
"Gray," he said, staring at his rival.
"Silver," the older girl replied, refusing to look away from the redhead.
Confused by the interaction, Fortis decided to break the silence by clearing his throat, grabbing Silver and Feraligatr's attention.
"If you're lucky, you won't have to face us," Silver told Gray, who scoffed at the statement. "I can promise I won't lose to you again."
With that, the arrogant teen walked out of the building, allowing Gray to resume her trek towards her assigned room. Fortis simply turned back to catch a glimpse of Silver and Feraligatr, but the automatic doors closed immediately, preventing him from staring.
"I wonder how much stronger he's gotten, if at all," Comis said while looking at his trainer, who shrugged at the comment before stepping out of the elevator once it arrived on her floor. "I guess we'll just to have find out tomorrow."
"You can. I'm not going to pay attention to what he, or anyone else does. It doesn't matter what anyone does until the tournament's over," Gray stated as she unlocked the door to her room and opened it.
As soon as she stepped foot in the colossal living space, Gray smiled and remembered having the exact same room during the Indigo League. Of course, it was in a different building, but it still had the same feel. As she looked around to see if the layout of the two floor living space was the same, Gray released her five other Pokemon from their Pokeballs, prompting Nikki to do the same.
"Wow! This place is incredible!" Delcatty shrieked in excitement as she sprinted up the stairs with Eevee and Agrestis to check out all of the bedrooms. "Everyone has a place to sleep! I'm in heaven!"
"All I need is a couch and TV," Slakoth announced with a grin as he sprawled out on the leather sectional and flipped to the Pokemon Battle Network, or PBN for short.
"Oh yeah! Hey, Gray, maybe you'll be on TV!" Cole shouted as the girl began to walk up the winding staircase in the corner of the entertainment room. "Hey, where are you going? Don't you want to watch?"
"I have to do some things first, but I'll be back down in a little bit!" Gray called back as she closed the door to one of the rooms, which she had claimed her own. As soon as she closed the door, Gray let out a deep breath and walked out to her balcony, smiling at the sight she had, which was of the main stadium. Even though it was still a week until it opened, the girl was ready to battle at the incredible facility.
She then made her way over to the phone, computer screen, and transporter in the right corner of her room, and she sat down in the chair while dialing a number she had memorized. A few seconds and rings passed before the screen changed from nothing to a picture of her mother smiling with Billy sitting on the couch in the background.
"Hi, honey! Did you make it to Indigo Plateau safely?"
"Yeah we did, thanks. How's everything going on back home?" Gray inquired as she leaned back in her chair and yawned, exhausted from the trip she had made over the course of the past few days.
"It's been great, actually. Durus and the others have been helping out at the Adoption Center, and they can't wait to watch you compete tomorrow!" Gray's mother replied with a bright smile, making her daughter beam before she leaned in towards the screen with a serious look on her face.
"Actually, they're not going to watch," Gray stated, confusing her mother, who began to scratch her head. "Would you mind sending them here? I think there's someone they're going to want to see," Gray concluded with a grin.
Her mother shook her head and laughed at the mysterious statement before sighing and nodding.
"Of course. I'll have them there in a minute. Best of luck, honey! We'll be rooting for you!"
"Thanks, Mom!" Gray replied before ending the call.
True to her word, Gray's mother sent over five Pokeballs within a minute of the conversation's end, and Gray walked out of her room while hiding a smile, the five Pokeballs clipped onto her belt. When she looked around the entertainment room, she stared at each of her eight Pokemon and they looked right back in confusion while Nikki, Cole, Comis, Slakoth, Eevee, Delcatty, Misdreavus, and Salamence.
"Why are you looking at us like that?" Placidus asked, causing Gray to crack a smile.
Without saying a word, the girl tossed five Pokeballs in the air, catching everyone off guard, and they stared as five Pokemon materialized in front of Gray. Once the light faded, Fortis shot up from their seats and ran over to the unfamiliar group of Pokemon, hugging them all.
"It's great to see you again, Fortis!" Decorus exclaimed as she blushed at the sight of the Flygon, who beamed and hugged her.
"Yeah! How was your training with Owen? What was it like?" Leviculus inquired, smiling at the sight of his old friend.
"Oh man, it was the toughest thing I've ever been through. At the end of every day, I was so tired I'd just collapse. I don't get how all of his Pokemon are able to function afterwards."
"Guys, I want you to meet my Kanto team!" Gray exclaimed, pointing at each of the five Pokemon that had embraced Fortis. "I know you three met Durus, but now you get to meet the others!"
Acer, Ferus, Pertinax, Agrestis, and Placidus exchanged glances before getting off the couch and walking over to their predecessors. Unicus, meanwhile, didn't understand what Gray was talking about, so she continued to sit on the couch and watch television.
"Wow! You guys look a lot older than when I left," Durus said as she hugged Acer, Ferus, and Pertinax. "I don't think we've met. The name's Durus," the Persian greeted as she extended a paw to the pair of Pokemon that weren't a part of the team when she left.
"I'm Agrestis, and this is Placidus. It's nice to meet you," the trash monster replied, shaking Durus' paw after Placidus.
"Durus, are you going to introduce us?" Magna joked as she watched her teammate talk to Acer, Ferus, and Pertinax.
"Right. Wait, where's Comis?"
As if on cue, Comis zipped out of the kitchen and nearly tackled Durus to the ground. However, she was able to keep her feet, and immediately threw the Gliscor off with an agitated look on her face. A smile immediately broke through, though, and she embraced the Gliscor for a second before taking a few steps back to look at him.
"You evolved!? Man, I feel old," Fidens muttered, drawing a laugh from Comis as he walked around and hugged each of his former teammates before he stood with his Johto friends.
"So is anyone going to introduce us!?" Magna screamed, drawing Cole, Nikki, and their Pokemon out of the kitchen.
Sweat dropping, Gray let out an annoyed sigh before stepping in-between the two groups of Pokemon.
"This is going to take a while."
000
After acquainting her Kanto Pokemon with her Johto team, Nikki, Cole, and their Pokemon, Gray plopped down on the couch and wiped the sweat from her brow. Both groups of Pokemon were getting along surprisingly well, which was a welcomed surprise.
"So how are you guys feeling about competing in the Silver Conference?" Durus asked the Johto team while sitting next to Gray.
"I'm so pumped!" Comis screamed as he flew around the room. "I've been waiting so long for this!"
"Really? I couldn't tell," Ferus retorted, drawing laughs from his teammates and the Kanto Pokemon. "You don't know how long he's been acting like this. Ever since we won our first badge... my god," Ferus said, shaking his head.
"I don't think it's hit any of us yet," Pertinax announced, grabbing everyone's attention. "I mean, I know I'm not nervous now, but I definitely will be tomorrow. Do you have any advice?"
"It sounds corny, but just try your hardest. I don't know if you guys have anything else to say, but that's what I did," Leviculus replied before turning to his teammates, who shrugged. "Yeah, that's really it. You'll be more nervous before the battle than you will during it."
"That's true," Durus announced. "I remember when I had to battle against an Aegislash in the opening round, which was one versus one, and I wasn't nervous at all once I got on the battlefield. Before it, I was a mess," the feline stated.
"I remember that!" Comis shouted before cracking up at the memory, only to find that he was the laughing all by himself.
"So who's that?" Fidens asked while pointing at Unicus, who had yet to introduce herself. "How long have you had it?"
"She actually hatched from her egg a week ago," Gray replied. "Unicus, can you come here for a second?" Gray asked, prompting the Sandshrew to roll over and hop onto Gray's lap.
"So it's kind of like when Comis joined right before the Indigo League," Decorus pointed out, making Gray and Comis nod.
"Well, maybe she can follow in his footsteps... except she shouldn't be as weird as him," Durus joked, laughing to herself before an alarm went off.
Gray quickly took her Pokedex out and cursed under her breath when she saw the time, prompting her to get up from the couch. Then, she ran upstairs to her room, changed her close, and bolted back downstairs.
"I'll be back in a little, guys. I have to go to the opening ceremony!" Gray shouted, opening the door and bolting down the hall.
000
Gray stood on the battlefield in the main arena and looked around at all of the other competitors, who were taking in everything - from the fans, to the bright lights shining down on them. While they were all talking to themselves, Gray remained silent until she felt a hand fall on her shoulder and spin her around.
"Savannah? James? How's it going?" she asked with a smile, shocked to see the two rivals, who had eager grins on their faces. "Are you guys ready for this?"
"Definitely! And if we battle, it'll be different than last time, I promise you that," James replied confidently before turning to Savannah, waiting for her to answer Gray's question.
"I'm pumped. My Kanto and Johto Pokemon are ready to go, and so am I. There's no way I'm going to be the runner-up two years in a row," the redhead predicted before seeing Charles Goodshow walk onto the stage at the end of the battlefield.
"Hello, and welcome to the Silver Conference!" he shouted into his microphone, eliciting roars from the crowd and trainers. "This time every year, I'm always excited to see how the bracket shapes up, and this year we have quite a group of trainers at the top, if I do say so myself. There are a total of fifteen trainers that placed in the top 8 or higher in their respective league competitions last year, so there are going to be some incredible battles. Now, let's take a look at the bracket!"
All four scoreboards hanging from the third level seats turned on and showed a red, blue, green, and yellow bracket. Coincidentally, the stadium was divided into four different sections, which were the same colors as the brackets they were behind.
"The green bracket has the most trainers that placed in the top 8 form last year with five, the most notable being the top two seeds, Gray Plain, who was a semifinalist in the Indigo League, and Savannah London, who was the runner-up at the Indigo League."
The crowd exploded with cheers for the two girls, and everyone around them glared, making them both sweat drop while James laughed.
"Moving on to the rules, this will be a very simple league. The first two rounds will be three versus three battles, and the final four will be full battles. The semifinals will not be randomized, and the winner earns the privilege of challenging the Champion, Lance!"
Again, the crowd exploded, but this time it was because Lance actually appeared on the stage and waved, though he had a serious look on his face as he eyed the trainers standing in front of him.
"Thank you all for coming, and I wish each and every one of the trainers competing the best of luck!"
First, I'd like to apologize for the all the time lapses, but they kept the chapter from being 7,000+ words. To recap everything, Gray brought back the old gang and there wasn't a single bit of animosity between either group. Next chapter will be the first round of the Silver Conference, and that's really it. Till then, peace out.
Next Chapter: "Start the Silver Conference"
With the first round of the Silver Conference finally starting, Gray is eager to win and cruise into the top 32. However, her opponent won't just roll over and let her win. Will Gray be able to advance?
Silver Conference Arc
Chapter 56: Duel Over
Chapter 57: Kanto Clash!
Chapter 58: Ferus vs Typhlosion: Rivals Forever!
Chapter 59: ?
Chapter 60: ?
Chapter 61: ?
Chapter 62: ?
Chapter 63: ?
