Theme Song
Come on, come out, we don't have all day (Gray and Fortis try getting Durus, Leviculus, Fidens, and Magna out of bed with annoyed looks on their faces)
Let's do this adventure the right way (Gray runs down a road with Chase, Durus, Audino, another person, and her other Pokemon following)
We will look back on what we were (Fortis is pictured on a black canvas before faded images of a Vibrava and Flygon appear behind him in flames)
Even now, we're still unsure... (Team Purity's logo flashes on the screen, and Deus' masked faces appear)
What the future holds! (Gray's final team flashes by)
Be fast, grab your dreams and run (Trentavious, Savannah, and Marcus appear with their starters, and they smirk at Gray while Trent glares)
Look back, make sure to have fun (Gray, Chase, and another person sit underneath a tree with their Pokemon while laughing)
Remember now, don't look back, Stay calm and give it a crack... (Gray and her Pokemon stand on a hill with Chase, Audino, and another person)
Pokemon!
Alrighty, back to the old grind with Gray, Chase, and their Pokemon! This chapter will be about the group arriving in Vermilion City, where Owen will be reappearing along with Brooklyn and Molly, so let's get going!
Defender31415: The voices will be explained later, and you'll eventually understand why he/she is so fricking crazy
Blaze Falcon: Ya know, I thought Chase would get a lot more jealous, but it didn't seem right to make a big deal out of nothing, so there's only a small moment at the end that shows he's jealous. And Deus is definitely crazy, but only time will tell how crazy he really is
ShadowDragon9000: Lol, thanks! My strategy with writing scenes involving Deus is not thinking, and I can't plan them, so that's why he's/she's so unpredictable. And Tara will decide to tell Gray and Chase her secret, as opposed to them finding out, because I feel like doing a whole thing about Tara leaving and the group splitting up would make the story 30% longer than it's planned to be :/
MCMXCV: Lol, what were you doing up at 2? (I was up until 4, but that's totally normal) Glad to see you liked it. As for the prediction, I feel like you're right, but the wording's keeping me from confirming it. The voice trapped in his/her head is more of a memory that sticks out, and one that shaped Deus into the wackjob he is. You're kind of right with the masks, but it's mainly just to show what mood Deus is in, though their is a deeper explanation coming
StbR (guest): You're really close, though the whole personality thing didn't happen as a result of the past incident, and thanks for the support! And Tara will be joining them pretty soon, and Chase will be catching another Pokemon a little later on, most likely in Lavender Town or Saffron City
Shion Rasenka: Oh, he/she will definitely find Tara, that's for sure ;) And there won't be too much clashing when Tara tells them about her past, which will be explained when that chapter comes, but she and Gray will eventually start to have a bit of a rivalry form, though it'll be one-sided
Gray's team
Durus, (f), level 28, Scratch, Feint Attack, Bite, Metal Claw, Fury Swipes*, Screech* - (Persian)
Leviculus, (m), level 28, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Rain Dance, Mega Kick* - (Poliwhirl)
Fidens, (m), level 23, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Ancient Power, Double Team, Scary Face*, Pluck* - (Archen)
Magna, (f), level 24, Confusion, Yawn, Astonish, Uproar, Last Resort* - (Chingling)
Fortis, (m), level 20, Bite, Feint Attack, Sand Tomb, Mud Slap, Bide* - (Trapinch)
"Man, I still remember when I found about this whole tournament," a seventeen year old reminisced before turning around to see his girlfriend smiling. The boy was holding a child in his arms, who was smiling at the sight of a flock of Pidgey passing by before laughing and reaching out for the Pokemon that were twenty feet in the air.
"Aww, it looks like she takes after her dad," the blonde teen said with a smile before putting her hand on her boyfriend's back. "So, is the S.S. Anne holding the tournament this year, Owen?"
"It would've, but Red and the rest of the league decided to make this tournament a bit different than others. You see, the winner's given the Celadon, Fuchsia, and Saffron City badges if they win, so it's like a they're getting a head start in a race," Owen explained as he, Molly, and Brooklyn began walking towards a large building that was a street away from the Vermilion Gym. "Oh man, I remember winning that gym badge!"
"Even after seven years?" Brooklyn asked, not believing the powerful trainer.
"Yup. I remember Wartortle, who was a Squirtle at the time, told me that if I won that badge, he'd start listening to me. I used Venasaur, who was an Ivysaur, Nidoking, and Alakazam, in that order."
"Wow, impressive," Brooklyn joked, making Owen laugh as he looked down at Molly and kissed the child on the head. He then grabbed all six Pokeballs off his belt and tossed them in the air, releasing the three aforementioned Pokemon, Wartortle, Charizard, and Swellow, who insisted on going to the beach. The six Pokemon stretched after being freed from their spherical prisons, and the five Kantonian Pokemon stared at the gym just like Owen had, while Swellow began to fly around happily.
"This place really brings back some memories," Nidoking said before laughing and patting his stomach. "A lot of stuff happened here." The five Kantonian Pokemon then began to ramble on about the past while the young family and Swellow remained silent, listening to the stories intently, occasionally laughing.
"Wow, the stadium's across the street from the hotel? This is heaven!" Swellow exclaimed before nosediving and landing in front of Owen, who laughed at the comical Pokemon before inspecting the stadium.
000
"This place is pretty big," Gray muttered while looking at the dome. The exterior of the stadium looked very clean, as the stone used to build the dome was brand new. Of course, there were streaks of lightning painted onto the stone, and there were also three badges displayed on a billboard at the top of the roof. "And I'm going to win and get those badges!"
"That's the spirit!" Chase cheered along with Audino. The two trainers had decided to check out the stadium before going to their rooms in the Pokemon Center, and all of the Pokemon were walking nearby. "You know, this is almost like a precursor to the Indigo League. You're going to be facing a lot of really tough trainers." Gray nodded at Chase's words while her Pokemon didn't seem to pay much attention, namely Fortis, who looked a bit awkward as he was still trying to get to know the others.
"Don't worry about us sleeping on anyone. There's no way we're going to be underestimating our opponents. Isn't that right, everyone?" Gray asked her Pokemon, who replied excitedly. "All I want is my shot at beating Trentavious."
"Really? I'm not your top priority?" a boy asked as he walked over to Chase and Gray with a smile. "It's good to see you two again. I'm guessing you won the Cascade Badge?" Marcus inquired as he looked at Gray and her Pokemon. "Wow! Durus evolved and you caught a Trapinch?"
"Haha, it's good to see you again, Marcus," Gray said with a smile as she and Chase resumed their walk back to the Pokemon Center. "And yeah, I won thanks to Leviculus, Durus, and Magna."
"That's right. And we'll be giving you everything we've got when we battle," Leviculus informed the sixteen year old, who laughed in response.
"Good, I wouldn't want anything less than your best shot. So, Chase, how's the doctor thing going?"
"Meh," Chase replied, clearly not interested in talking to Marcus as he and tried to hold back any anger. "I guess we're doing alright. How goes the badge hunt?" he asked, trying to be civil.
"I just won my third. Apparently it's required to have three badges to signup for the tournament, so me and my Pokemon are just training our hardest!" Marcus exclaimed before watching a Swellow zip through the air. "Hey, what's a Swellow doing around these parts?" Chase and Gray looked up to see the Hoenn Pokemon flying overhead, and they both shrugged.
"I don't think it's too weird. After all, I found Magna along Route 25," Gray replied nonchalantly. Magna, however, cheered upon hearing her name, but she stopped when she saw the annoyed looks on Durus and Leviculus' faces. "Kanto's getting a lot more Pokemon from all over the world."
"Oh, or that time Wartortle started a fight with Burt's Wartortle!" a robotic voice said loudly, grabbing the trainers' attention. All three teens watched as a crowd of five Pokemon, all of whom were native to Kanto, walked towards them with two teens behind them.
"I remember that. I thought you were going to get really hurt," a masculine voice added before laughing at the memory. "Man, we went through a lot together." As the two teens and five Pokemon continued walking, the Swellow nosedived and landed on the ground gracefully in front of Gray, Chase, and Marcus, who made eye contact with the flying type.
"Uh... what's up?" the bird asked while waiting for his teammates.
"Hey, Swellow, leave those guys alone," the male teen ordered. Swellow reluctantly obeyed before preparing to walk over to his trainer, but he stopped when Marcus sprinted past him and skidded to a halt right in front of the two unfamiliar teens.
"Oh my god! You're Owen Plateau! I'm such a big fan! I'm from Sinnoh and I came here to follow in your footsteps! Your battle against Red was so cool!" Marcus shrieked like a fanboy, making Gray and Chase sweat drop as they walked over to the trainer. Standing across from him was none other than Owen Plateau, and a blonde girl who was carrying a baby in her arms.
"Thanks, it's nice to meet you. Are you here to compete in the tournament?" Owen asked as he extended his arm and shook Marcus' hand.
"Of course! My name's Marcus Wight, and I'm such a big fan of your's. Wow! Is that your Charizard? The one that can use Mega Fusion?" the sixteen year old quizzed while analyzing the winged lizard, who sweat dropped at the attention while his teammates laughed.
"That's me," the fire starter responded, nearly making Marcus faint. He didn't, however, because Audino kept him from falling. As she did that, Gray and Chase stood by Marcus' side, and the two teens looked at Owen and smiled. The champion looked at them both, trying to remember where he had met them, but wasn't able to.
"Hi, I'm Chase Smith. We met back at Professor Oak's lab for graduation," Chase informed Owen while shaking his hand.
"And I'm Gray Plain, the girl that got attacked by her starter," Gray said before laughing at the memory. Durus, meanwhile, walked forward and smiled at Owen, who knelt down at began to pet the normal type's head.
"I remember you two. How's your journey going?" Owen asked, already knowing the answer, as he had been keeping tabs on Gray's progress ever since Pewter City. "Hopefully Mt. Moon wasn't too much of a problem." Chase and Gray glanced at each other before nodding, not wanting to tell the champion that they barely made it out. "Oh, I forgot to introduce you," Owen said before looking at the girl next to him. "This is my girlfriend, Brooklyn, and our daughter, Molly."
"It's nice to meet you," Brooklyn said to the three trainers while cradling Molly in her arms. The baby waved at Gray and her Pokemon, even trying to pet Durus, who laughed at the cute moment. "Well, it looks like she's already taken a liking to you and your Pokemon, Gray." The younger teen blushed at the comment and tapped her foot against the ground before clearing her throat, and she looked at Owen.
"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you two questions. One, do you want to battle?" Gray inquired, making Marcus scowl.
"No fair! I want to battle him! After all, he's my idol!" the teen screamed, which weirded everyone out for a second before he realized what he had said. Owen quickly looked at the two trainers before shaking his head with a sorrowful expression on his face, which made Gray and Marcus frown in disappointment.
"Sorry, guys, but I don't think you're at high enough levels yet. At least I'll get to watch your battles in the tournament." Gray and Marcus sighed, knowing Owen was right with his assessment, and the girl looked down at her Pokemon. Owen and Brooklyn, along with Owen's Pokemon, were doing the same, and the champion smirked at one of the Pokemon before Gray asked her second question.
"Second, do you remember when you used to come over my house about ten years ago? I don't blame you if you don't," Gray said, trying to make the question a little less awkward. Owen began scratching his chin as he tried to think of when he was younger.
"Oh yeah, that's where I remember you from! Then you moved to Saffron City because your mom wanted to start an adoption agency for Pokemon." Gray beamed as the older boy's response made her feel sane. "I'd love to keep talking, but I have to go check something out at the stadium. Sorry."
"I guess we'll see you all around," Brooklyn said with a smile before walking away with her boyfriend, daughter, and the Pokemon. The three younger teens nodded and watched as the larger group disappeared into the stadium, and Gray sighed dreamily while staring at Owen, which made Durus smirk.
"That's not fair, Gray! I wish I could've hung out with him when I was a kid!" Marcus complained before crossing his arms and pouting, making Chase, Gray, and the Pokemon laugh before they resumed their walk towards the Pokemon Center. After a few minutes of talking, the group arrived at the building, and Gray and Chase checked into their rooms along with Marcus, who was being bunked with Chase due to the lack of rooms for all of the trainers.
"Wow, this place is really packed," Audino said aloud while looking around at the clusters of trainers, who were either checking into their rooms, getting something to eat, or making a reservation for their gym battle. "I've never seen this many people in one place before... excluding Saffron City, of course."
"Tell me about it," Durus replied. "I don't like all these people being around. It makes me feel claustrophobic," the normal type muttered as she followed Gray down the hall to their room. As they did, a Nidorina bolted out of a room and smacked into Durus, making the Pokemon hiss angrily before sniffing the poison type. The feline then smiled at the random Nidorina, and Gray looked on in confusion before seeing Savannah run out of her room.
"Gray! It's been a while!" Savannah exclaimed before hugging her rival, who laughed and hugged back. Savannah then moved over to Chase and embraced the intelligent teen before pulling away and looking at Marcus, who smiled awkwardly.
"Oh, Savannah, this is Marcus. We met him in Cerulean City and he's competing in the tournament next week. Marcus, this is Savannah, who we met in front of Mt. Moon," Gray said to both of her rivals with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Savannah," Marcus said before extending his hand.
"It's nice to meet you too, Marcus," Savannah replied as she shook Marcus' hand. The four teens then stood in silence before Magna spoke up, making everyone cover their ears in pain.
"Can we go to the room now!? I need to sleep!" the psychic type screamed, making Gray, Fidens, and Fortis laugh. Without saying a word, Gray walked over to her room and unlocked the door. When she opened it, all of her Pokemon bolted in except for Fortis, who stood back patiently and waited his turn. The ground type slowly walked into the room and looked around in shock, as he was in a suite. There were two other rooms connected to the entertainment room, and all of Gray's Pokemon were running around excitedly.
"What's wrong, Fortis?" Gray quizzed while kneeling down next to her newest Pokemon. Fortis quickly shook his head to regain his composure, and he looked at Gray before speaking up.
"No-nothing." Gray smiled as Fidens and Magna quickly made their way to Fortis' side and began talking with the Pokemon, and Gray decided to leave her things in the room. Once she closed it, she walked into Chase and Marcus' room with Savannah.
"So, what do you guys want to do? I'm thinking we should go get lunch soon before everything's gone. There's no way the Pokemon Center has enough food for everyone," Chase suggested as he decided to leave Audino. Marcus quickly released his Pokemon, and Gray noticed he had the same team from earlier.
000
"Wow, I'm stuffed," Marcus said to the others with a satisfied smile. "And it looks like all of the Pokemon are getting along really well," he added while watching his Pokemon converse with Gray's. Along with Gray and Chase, Savannah and Marcus were sitting at a table outside the Pokemon Center near the practice battlefields. Seeing the nine Pokemon having fun, Savannah decided to release her Pokemon.
"Come on out, everyone!" In several flashes of light, Savannah's Pokemon appeared. In four flashes of light, a Wigglytuff, Nidorina, Jynx, and Eevee appeared in front of Savannah, who motioned for them to go talk to the other Pokemon.
"Wow, your team looks a lot different than the last time," Chase said. "And they all look really strong!"
"Well thank you! We've been training really hard ever since our battle with you, Gray, because we don't plan on letting you win," Savannah said with a sly grin, making Gray smirk.
"Don't think we haven't been training. Durus has been itching for a rematch with Wigglytuff," Gray replied as she watched her starter converse with the gigantic, pink Pokemon. She also noticed Fortis standing away from the others quietly, and he looked incredibly uncomfortable around all of the Pokemon, which prompted Gray to call him over. Never had anyone seen a Trapinch move so fast, and Fortis leaped into Gray's lap while shivering nervously.
"What's the matter, Fortis? Did one of those idiots bother you?" Gray asked, referring to her Pokemon. Marcus, Savannah, and Chase laughed at the question, but stopped when Fortis shot a glance at Leviculus, who was flexing for all of the Pokemon. Gray nodded at the timid ground type and began petting his head in an attempt to calm him down, but Fortis continued to shiver in fear.
"Hey, Fortis, whenever you're feeling uncomfortable, you can always hang out with Audino," Chase informed the newly acquired Pokemon, who nodded at the kind information.
"Wow, there are a lot of Pokemon over here." The four trainers turned to see none other than Owen walking towards them, and he had a smile on his face. "What's up, everyone?" he quizzed while grabbing a chair and pulling it over to the table. He then looked around, waiting for an answer.
"We're just letting our Pokemon meet each other," Gray answered. "By the way, that's Savannah..."
"London. Savannah London," the petite redhead greeted. Owen grinned as soon as he heard the name, and the teen began to laugh a little before leaning back in his chair.
"So you're Lance's cousin. I've heard a lot of great things about you from him," Owen stated before shaking Savannah's hand, which made the three other trainers gasp in shock while Savannah looked around and smiled sheepishly.
"Wait, like the Lance? The one that's the champion of the Johto region?" Chase inquired. Savannah nodded in confirmation, and Marcus nearly fell out of his chair in shock.
"That's so cool! Did you ever get to go to any secret Pokemon League meetings?" Marcus quizzed while leaning towards Savannah. Before the girl could say anything, Owen spoke up with a serious tone.
"Don't answer that." The table went silent before the oldest trainer began to laugh, and the rookies followed suit. Owen then glanced over at Gray and noticed Fortis sitting in her lap shivering, and he smiled at the Pokemon comfortingly.
"Hey there, little guy," the champion greeted while extending his hand. Fortis slowly looked up at Owen and flinched as the teen placed his hand on his head, which no one noticed except the champion. "This is your Pokemon, right, Gray?"
"Yeah, and I think you met the others earlier," the girl replied. "To be honest, Durus was a little upset you thought she wasn't strong enough to battle against you, haha." Owen laughed along with Gray, making Chase slightly jealous while Marcus and Savannah began to talk about how they had met Gray.
"Well, tell her she'll get her chance sooner or later." The sixteen year old nodded in response before Owen rose from his chair and walked over to the group of Pokemon with a smile. The rookie trainers watched as Owen began to converse with their Pokemon, and it looked like they all knew of the respect the rest of the world had for him. After about a half an hour, Marcus and Savannah decided to call it a night, and they withdrew their Pokemon before saying good night to their friends and Owen.
"I think I'm gonna go to bed, too," Gray announced as she looked at Owen and Chase. The latter of the two quickly rose from his chair, but Owen didn't seem like he was going to move.
"Before you do, I'd like to talk to you in private, Gray," Owen told the younger girl, who was about to withdraw all of her Pokemon.
"Okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Chase," Gray said to her friend, who reluctantly waved and walked into the Pokemon Center. He stopped, however, and watched as Gray sat back down in her chair and withdrew all of her Pokemon. "So what's up?" the tired trainer asked, wanting to get straight to the point. Owen laughed in response before leaning back in his chair, and he stretched before answering.
"I couldn't help but notice your Trapinch was really scared of everyone."
"Well, my Poliwhirl was picking on him, apparently, so that had to have been it," Gray replied. Owen, however, shook his head and looked up at the sky for a second before grabbing two Pokeballs off his belt and tossing them in the air. Suddenly, his Charizard appeared alongside a Wartortle, and the two Pokemon waved at Gray before bowing.
"No, there was something a little different. Trapinch looked like he was afraid of people, specifically, so Poliwhirl didn't do anything. I didn't get to see him around the Pokemon, but I think I know what's bothering him. You see, Wartortle here was released by his trainer for being too weak, apparently, so he had a tough time trusting people. Of course, he was a lot angrier than Trapinch, because he only went through being released."
"So... what're you getting at?" Gray asked, not sure what Owen was trying to tell her.
"Basically, something else happened to him," Wartortle answered. "It's not normal for Pokemon to be as scared as Owen's saying he was. Would you mind sending him out?" Gray obliged, letting Fortis out of his Pokeball. When he appeared, Fortis saw Owen and his Pokemon smiling, and he began to tremble slightly as Owen attempted to pet him on the head. Gray watched closely as Fortis flinched rather violently when Owen's hand made contact with him, and Charizard and Wartortle attempted to comfort the ground type.
"It's okay. Owen's not going to hurt you," Charizard reassured the Hoenn Pokemon, who still looked uncomfortable. Seeing this, Owen decided to pull his hand away, and Fortis immediately jumped into Gray's lap fearfully. Gray then withdrew the Pokemon after smiling at him, and she looked up at Owen and his Pokemon.
"How did you notice that?" Gray quizzed. "Wait, never mind. You're a champion for a reason." Owen laughed at the comment along with his Pokemon, but their serious expressions returned shortly.
"Listen, Gray, something bad happened to Trapinch in his past, but I don't know what it is."
"Definitely. But that thing has gobs of potential just waiting to be tapped," Charizard informed the younger girl. "Believe me, I have the best eye for talent, and if you can reach through to him, you have a special Pokemon." Wartortle nodded in agreement, and Owen withdrew both Pokemon before rising from his seat.
"Try and talk to him about it. Maybe he'll tell you something. I'll see you soon." With that, Owen walked away from the Pokemon Center, and Chase continued to watch on jealously before smiling when he saw Owen leave. Gray, however, continued to sit in her chair and she looked down at Fortis' Pokeball in shock. Whatever had happened to him, it had to have been traumatic. But she was determined to help Fortis reach his potential, no matter what.
Thankfully I managed to finish that in pretty quick time. So, Owen, Brooklyn, Molly, and Gray's rivals have all reappeared for the Vermilion City Tournament, and Chase got a little jealous of Owen because he spent some time with Gray. Next chapter will be about Gray and Chase visiting Pokemon Tower (which was relocated) in an attempt to find what's bothering Fortis, and Tara will run into them. Till next time, peace out.
Next Chapter: "Touring Pokemon Tower": The group decides to visit the newly built Pokemon Tower, but the tour isn't about sightseeing. While looking at the tombstones, Fortis begins to have flashbacks of his past, and Gray comes across something from her childhood, all before Tara bumps into her and Chase. What is this exactly are these flashbacks Fortis has, and what does Gray see from her childhood?
Vermilion City Arc
Chapter 24: Welcomed with Open Arms
Chapter 25: Nightmares
Chapter 26: Quest for the Crown
Chapter 27: War-Zone
Chapter 28: Caution: Danger Ahead!
Chapter 29: Sweet Victory
Chapter 30: Rival Revenge
Chapter 31: Forits vs Gible: Winner Takes All
Chapter 32: Fidens' Confrontation