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 Fidens 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 Fidens 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 Fidens by her side and Durus resting on her head)
Oh man, the hype I get when writing the first gym battle of every region is too real! Before we get to it, though, let's summarize last chapter. Gray and Chase visited the Pewter Museum and were asked to help with an experiment, which was seeing how the Archen (from the almost-stolen fossils) would act around people. Gray then helped out a Archen that was beaten by the leader, and he soon joined the team after being given the nickname, Fidens, which means courageous. Now, let's get going!
Defender31415: Fidens will definitely be an interesting guy, and kind of like a caveman with his not being used to technology. And his defeatist ability will cause some tension between him and another member (I'm writing chapter 11 right now, and it's going to be brought up for a little bit). But once he does break out of being a defeatist, he'll be a huge contributor to the team
guest: Aww man! I guess I need to do some research about underused Pokemon... but I still would've had Gray get an Archen anyway :3 And the defeatist ability will plague him for a while (that was why he was apologizing to the other Archen), which will be kind of annoying, but fun to write. Chase and Audino kind of remind me of a parent (Audino) child (Chase) relationship, which makes them really entertaining to write. And Durus' new appearance is the exact same as Tyson's Meowth from the anime. Also, I didn't realize you were the one that (rightfully) pointed out the lack of interaction between Owen's Pokemon! This story will revolve around the bonds between Gray's Pokemon, so I don't see that ever becoming a problem :)
Guest: Haha, I love the enthusiasm! The reason the chapters are being released so quickly is (if you read during Unova you'll remember), I get into these ridiculous zones where I can finish nearly 5 chapters a day, depending on when I start, and I'm in one of those zones right now, which means lots of updates. At the moment I'm writing chapter 11, and have up the Vermilion Arc outlined. In regards to Gray's team, Leviculus is a Poliwag, and he'll be evolving into Politoed because I want each region to be represented on Gray's team. Also, Durus probably won't evolve because I feel like I'm limited creatively with the way she'd battle as a Persian, because she would no longer be bipedal
NodokaLover: Vanillite could be interesting, but Fidens will serve as Gray's Unova representative. Her next Pokemon will be from Sinnoh, and it won't be a grass or fire type, incase you were wondering. As I've said before, Gray won't be getting a grass or fire type because I don't want to follow the formulaic captures like I did with Owen. And thank you for the, albeit unintended, punny (how is that not a word?) compliment
Blaze Falcon: Yeah, Archen's going to be pretty awesome later on (and now, too, but not as awesome as he will be), though he might get overshadowed by the most amazing Pokemon ever! In all seriousness, he might not get as much attention as some of the others over the course of the story, but he'll be a very capable battler. And Gray will probably lose (I already wrote the chapter, I just don't feel like telling), though if she does, it won't be because of her being cocky
MCMXCV: They're definitely really close right now, but give it two and a half arcs, and it'll be up in flames, lol. Sorry to dampen the mood, I just figured I'd let you know. Fidens will definitely be a very strong battler for Gray as their journey progresses, and I like the prediction of Gray's growth as a trainer and person!
dunastann: I know! That ability is really stupid, but it will be used in this story for a little while. Don't worry, Fidens will eventually grow out of it in a rather surprising way, so yeah :3 And she won't be catching any Pokemon from Unova (or Kanto and Johto, for that matter), nor will she be getting a fire type. Litwick was actually a very strong candidate for the Unova spot, but then I realized Gray wouldn't have had a flying type for aerial battles (even though one of her other Pokemon will be able to fly)
Shion Rasenka: Thanks, and I'm glad to hear you liked them! Gray and Chase will have a flirty (albeit, one-sided) kind of thing going on, at least that's what I have planned. In regards to Leviculus, he does have the ability to become serious, but it won't be shown off that often, unless there's something that really bothers him. And Gray's team will definitely be interesting, to say the least
Elodus: Stick with your gut. At least that's what I do on tests XD Good to see Fidens is a welcomed addition to the team, and hopefully Gray's next Pokemon will be met with the same response
Gray's team
Durus, (f), level 12, Scratch, Growl, Bite, Fake Out - (Meowth)
Leviculus, (m), level 15, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Double Slap - (Poliwag)
Fidens, (m). level 13, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Rock Throw, Double Team, Scary Face - (Archen)
"Are you ready?" Chase asked Gray as they stood outside the Pewter City Gym. Gray nodded while Durus stood by her side, eager to take down Brock. "Well, go get 'em!" Audino cheered along with Chase as Gray and Durus walked into the gym, and they looked around the inside of the building. It was one large room, with rocks covering the battlefield. Brock was lazily sitting on a chair off in the spectator lounge, where dozens of other trainers were waiting, and the man hopped up once he saw Gray walk in.
"Gray, it's good to see you! Are you here for a gym battle?" the young man asked.
"That's right! We're ready, aren't we, Durus?" the girl asked her starter. Durus nodded confidently while tapping her boots against the ground, which made Brock laugh. "Wait, are all of those people challenging?"
"Yeah, but their appointments aren't for another hour or so. Come on, let's get this started!" Brock exclaimed as Chase and Audino walked into the trainer lounge, awkwardly trying to find two seats. When they realized every seat was taken, they opted to lean against the wall and get a better view of the battle. Brock quickly walked across the rocky battlefield while Gray and Durus settled in the nearest trainer box. After Brock arrived in his, a referee appeared and stood on a pedestal.
"This will be a three versus three battle between... Gray Plain of Pallet Town, and Gym Leader Brock!" the man shouted after Gray's picture appeared on a holographic scoreboard. Brock's was next to her's, and there were three smaller spots next to each trainers' picture, which were for their Pokemon. "The battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side are unable to battle! Furthermore, only the challenger may substitute her Pokemon! Brock, choose your first Pokemon!"
"Alright! Geodude, I choose you!" Brock yelled while throwing his first Pokeball in the air. Gray and Durus watched as a boulder with two arms slammed on the ground, and it began punching the air angrily while it's picture appeared on the scoreboard.
"Gray, choose your first Pokemon!" the referee ordered while shifting his attention to the other side. The girl nodded and looked down at Durus before grabbing her first Pokeball happily. With a bright grin on her face, Gray tossed her first Pokeball in the air.
"Leviculus, come on out!" The Poliwag materialized from the light the Pokeball released, and he began to dance stupidly before realizing he was facing Brock. Leviculus then bent his knees and glared at Geodude while the referee raised his arms in the air and his picture appeared on the scoreboard.
000
Meanwhile, at Indigo Plateau, Owen and Red sat in Red's office, watching the battle intently. The two had taken note of Gray after news broke that she prevented some thugs from stealing fossils at the Pewter City Museum, and they wanted to see how much she had improved.
"That's a smart choice," Red said aloud as soon as Leviculus appeared opposite of Geodude. "But if she thinks she can plow through this battle with Pokemon, she's dead wrong."
"You can say that again," Owen added while his eyes were glued to the screen. "Then again, that Poliwag looks like it's a high enough level to possibly take out two of Brock's Pokemon." Red nodded in agreement before turning back to the TV, and the two champions watched in silence while writing down some notes in their journals.
000
"This battle will be between Leviculus and Geodude! Begin!"
"Start this off with Defense Curl, Geodude!" Brock commanded. Geodude quickly tucked his arms into his sides and rolled up into a ball, which caused a ring of green energy to spin around his body before disappearing into thin air. Gray and Leviculus looked on in confusion before shaking off the strange command, and the girl pointed at her opponent with a grin.
"Fire away with Water Gun!" Gray shouted energetically. Chase nodded at the attack, knowing it was the smart move. Leviculus quickly reared his head back and unleashed a blast of water from his mouth, but the gym leader and his Pokemon were more than ready to counter the attack that they had faced at least a thousand times in the past week.
"Ugh, rookie mistake," Brock muttered under his breath. "Block it with your hands!" Geodude grunted as he threw his arms forward, and Leviculus' Water Gun was stopped by the rock's hands, making the challenger, her Pokemon, and Chase gasp in shock. "Now use Rollout!" Geocoded quickly tucked his arms into his body when the Water Gun ceased, and he rolled across the rocky battlefield.
"Jump to dodge it, Leviculus!" The clumsy water type quickly hopped in the air and Gray let out a sigh of relief. She then looked back up at the battlefield and gasped once again when Geodude hit a rock and flew into the air. The rock type then slammed into Leviculus, and the two crashed into the ground, causing bits of rocks to fly into the air. Seeing his opponent was in a tough spot, Brock grinned and took advantage of the opening.
"Now use Rock Throw!" After getting off of Leviculus, Geodude formed a large rock in-between his hands and hurled it at the water type, who was still on the ground. Gray was able to counter the attack, however, with quick thinking.
"Shoot Water Gun in the opposite direction of where you want to go!" Leviculus did as he was told, and the water type slid across the battlefield before flying off a rock, and he landed on his feet. "Now fire a Bubble attack!" The water type then opened his mouth and a cloud of blue spheres flew around Geodude before crashing in at the same time, making the rock type cry out in pain.
"That was a great move!" Chase exclaimed from the trainer lounge, drawing looks from the waiting trainers.
"Yeah, but that's not going to determine the battle," Audino informed her trainer, who nodded at the wise words.
"Stay strong, Geodude! Use Rollout again!" Geodude angrily tucked his arms into his body and started spinning once again. He then took off and rolled across the battlefield at a much faster pace than the previous time, which caught Gray and Leviculus off guard.
"Leviculus, use Water Gun on the ground to make it slippery, and then jump to your side!" Leviculus attempted to soak the ground in water, and he quickly hopped to his side, but Geodude wasn't fazed by the slippery portion of the battlefield.
"Finish it!" Brock shouted while punching his fist straight forwards. Gray watched as Leviculus was steamrolled by the rock type, and he was smushed against the ground. Gray looked over at her water type and cursed under her breath when she saw he had fainted, and the referee raised his arms in the air.
"Leviculus is unable to battle! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee announced while the water type's picture turned black.
"Thanks for the great effort, Leviculus." Gray sighed as she withdrew her fainted Pokemon, and she looked down at Durus, who looked ready to battle Geodude. Gray decided against sending her starter out, however, and she hurled her second Pokeball forwards. "Fidens, you're up!" Brock smiled when the tiny Archen appeared on the battlefield and squawked, but Geodude didn't seem as thrilled. Fidens' picture then lit up underneath Leviculus', and the referee raised his arms in the air.
"This battle will be between Fidens and Geodude! Begin!"
"Fidens, start this off with Quick Attack!" Gray shouted, wanting to show Brock the speed of her Pokemon. Fidens bolted across the battlefield while a white line of energy trailed his body, and he slammed into Geodude. The attack did no damage, however, due to Geodude being a rock type, which made Gray sweat drop. The girl then deadpanned when Fidens was grabbed by the neck and tossed in the air.
"Wreck 'em whist Rollout, Geodude!" Brock ordered. As Fidens crashed towards the ground, Geodude tucked his arms into his body before rolling into Fidens. The rock and flying type cried in pain as he bounced against the battlefield, but he stopped when he landed on his face. The rock and flying type slowly got back on his feet, but he was panting heavily and there were a few bruises already on his body.
"Way to hang in there, Fidens!" Chase cheered from the side of the battlefield. "You can do it!"
"That's right, Fidens! Use Wing Attack!" Gray ordered, opting to strike with her Pokemon's strongest attack. Fidens nodded before running towards Geodude, and his wings began to glow white. The prehistoric Pokemon then slapped Geodude as hard as he could, and the rock was blown back by the attack, which surprised Brock and the referee. Even the camera crew, which was streaming the battle live, gasped in shock.
"Wow, I wasn't expecting that. Geodude, keep up the good work and use Rollout!" Geodude nodded at the command and he tucked his arms in once again before rolling towards Fidens, who looked tired, despite being in battle for only a minute. The bird was then hit by the attack and launched through one of the rocks on the battlefield, and he cried out in pain before getting back on his feet. Gray noticed Fidens was completely out of it, and had given up despite being conscious, and the girl bit her bottom lip.
"Don't give up, Fidens! Use Double Team!" Fidens, however, didn't listen to his trainer, and he sat on the ground in defeat, which confused Gray, Durus, Chase, and Audino. Brock, on the other hand, didn't care enough to be worried about his opponent, so he took the opportunity to attack.
"Rock Throw!" Geodude quickly chucked a boulder at Fidens, and the bird was crushed by the attack. Somehow, he managed to remain standing - or sitting, in his case - but Fidens continued to surrender to his opponent, which began to irk Durus.
"Fidens, please get up and use Double Team!" Gray begged as her Pokemon bowed to Geodude. The girl nearly pulled her hair out when the Archen refused to move, and she stomped on the ground in frustration.
"Rollout, Geodude!" In the blink of an eye, Geodude ran over Fidens, and the winged Pokemon was knocked out instantly, making Gray nearly scream.
"Fidens is unable to battle! Gray, choose your last Pokemon!" the referee shouted while Fidens' picture turned black.
"Awesome job, Fidens, you were great," Gray fibbed while she zapped the Pokemon back into his Pokeball. Sighing, Gray put her hand on Durus' hat and she nodded at the normal type, who grinned eagerly. "It's all up to you, Durus!" The Meowth strutted forward in her outfit and smirked at the Geodude before her claws shot out of her paws. The normal type's picture then occupied the third spot on Gray's side of the scoreboard, and the referee raised his arms.
"This battle will be between Durus and Geodude! Begin!"
"Durus, start with Fake Out!" Gray commanded while looking at the scoreboard. Durus quickly clapped her hands together, and a vertical wave of yellow energy zipped across the battlefield and struck Geodude, who seemed to take a decent amount of damage, which made Gray and Durus grin. Their looks of happiness were dashed, however, when Brock countered.
"Don't hold anything back, Geodude! Use Magnitude!" Geodude grinned as he punched the ground as hard as he could, causing the entire building to shake violently. Suddenly, a column of dirt shot up from underneath Durus and hit her in the chin, sending her flying into the air. The normal type then landed on her back, and she grunted in pain before getting back up.
"Use your speed to your advantage and strike with Scratch!" Gray commanded. Durus dropped to all fours and bolted across the battlefield before hopping in the air, and her claws extended while glowing white. She then scratched Geodude across the face, but the rock was quick to react and her grabbed Durus' arms. "No, Durus!" Gray shouted as he Pokemon was slammed into the ground so hard, the battlefield cracked underneath the force.
"Keep it up, Geodude! Mega Punch!" Durus' eyes went wide open as Geodude's fist turned bright white, and he punched her in the face while she was pinned against the battlefield. A wave of energy flew across the room, causing both Gray and Brock to skid back a few inches. The sixteen year old then looked at the battlefield and saw Durus was still standing, which made her smile.
"Awesome effort, Durus! Use Bite!" The cat lunged forward and quickly chomped down on Geodude's head, making the rock type cry out in pain while falling around violently. Brock, meanwhile, smiled at Gray and Durus' resiliency before issuing another command.
"Grab Durus and use Seismic Toss!" Brock commanded, wanting to finish the battle. Geodude snapped out of his flailing, and he grabbed his opponent before prying her off his head. The two then took off towards the roof before descending. Before he could crash, Geodude hurled Durus against the ground and floated back to Brock's half of the battlefield and smirked. Much to everyone's surprise, Durus rose to her feet once again, but it was obvious she didn't have much energy left.
"Durus, don't hold anything back! Use-"
"Stop! This battle is over," Brock informed Gray and her Pokemon as he walked onto the battlefield with a concerned look. "I know you two want to keep fighting, but there's no point. Clearly, you don't have any moves that are super effective, and your Meowth will only suffer more damage if we keep going, and it's my responsibility as a gym leader to look out for the safety of my challengers. I can't let this go on. I'm sorry." The man placed his hand on Gray's shoulder and nodded at her.
"...Okay. But we'll be back soon, and we're going to win!" Gray informed Brock, who smiled at the girl's determination.
"I look forward to it." With that, Gray picked Durus up off the ground and walked towards Chase, who was waiting at the door.
"Tough luck, but you'll get him next time," Audino said with a smile. Gray and Durus nodded in agreement before walking out of the gym, but they stopped and looked up at the building. After remembering what it looked like, Gray ran after Chase and Audino.
"Just you wait, Brock. My Pokemon and I are going to be way stronger the next time we battle, and I'll win my first badge!"
Well shucks. Gray lost her battle horribly, and now she'll have to devise a strategy to counter Brock's Pokemon's defenses. Next chapter will focus a lot more on Chase and Audino, so yeah. Till next time, peace out.
Next Chapter: "Paging Doctor Chase": While Gray prepares for her gym battle against Brock, Chase and Audino spring into action, after a series of events, and help the hospital staff! Will Chase be able to help the injured Pokemon?
Pewter City Arc
Chapter 10: Rocking Brock