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 an annoyed look on their faces)
Let's do this adventure the right way (Gray runs down a road with Chase, Durus, Audino, Tara, Scyther, 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 Tara 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, Tara, and Scyther)
Pokemon!
Okay, this one's going to be a little different than the other chapters so far in this arc because Leviculus will enter a tournament for water types, and that's basically it. Also, I forgot to add Pay Day to Durus' moves, so there's that. Now, let's get going!
Blaze Falcon: Not only Durus, but the rest of the Pokemon, Gray, Chase, and Tara will learn about his story when they stop by Lavender Town for a little bit. And Leviculus will give the battle everything he has and more!
Defender31415: Very, very true. Some trainers are pretty stupid, but Gray's decision to bring Fortis along will pay off handsomely. Also, Leviculus will become a Politoed, whether it be this chapter or in the future
guest: Yeah, it was a whole lot worse than that (really messed up stuff, very detailed), and Durus will definitely be like a big sister to him. Every one of Gray's Pokemon will be very close to him, especially the next (and last) Pokemon Gray will catch
ShadowDragon9000: Yerp, Chris is a scoundrel and will be very disappointed to see how far Fortis will have transformed (he's not going to show up, though) since being a feeble little Trapinch. And I don't take any offense to it at all, because I do see your point and I did make a detailed version, it just made me a little sick
MCMXCV: Durus will definitely be there, but a romantic interest will certainly have his back. Plus, he'll become really strong, in terms of battling and personality wise, so he should be able to move on from the past
Elodus: No need to explain, I feel ya. Fortis has certainly had some misfortunes with his past trainers, and you're right that Gray will buck that trend. And I think I have some exciting stuff up my sleeve for the next two or three arcs (not including this one), so get ready for that!
Gray's team
Durus, (f), level 28, Scratch, Feint Attack, Bite, Metal Claw, Pay Day*, Screech* - (Persian)
Leviculus, (m), level 28, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Bubble, Rain Dance, Body Slam*, 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)
"Nice job, Magna, Durus, and Fortis! If you all keep it up, there's no way we're going to lose the Gym battle!" Gray exclaimed as Tara and Chase spectated the training session. The three Pokemon slated to participate in the upcoming bout all looked exhausted, especially Durus, who was giving her all throughout the entire training. Magna and Fortis, meanwhile, had a much tougher time keeping up with their evolved teammate, but they did hold their own.
"I'm so happy I don't have to go up against those electric types tomorrow," Fidens remarked as Magna and Fortis sat by his side. "I'd hate to be you guys... except you, Fortis. At least electric attacks can't do damage to you. That's basically a guaranteed win!" the prehistoric Pokemon exclaimed, making Fortis cheer. The celebrating stopped, however, when Scyther walked over and shook his head at the assumption.
"You really think that gym leaders aren't prepared for types that are strong against what they specialize in?" Fidens immediately scratched his chin before shaking his head. "Exactly. Just because Fortis isn't effected by electric attacks, and the Gym Leader specializes in that type doesn't mean he can't use... a water type move." Fidens and Fortis shuddered at the same time after hearing the word water, making Scyther laugh.
"That's why we're battling, too, Fortis!" Magna shouted cheerily. "Me and Durus will make sure you don't have to deal with those kinds of moves. Right, Durus?" the psychic type quizzed before looking over at the leader of the group, who was laying on her stomach comfortably.
"That's right. And don't be scared of losing. Remember, we win as a team and lose as a team." Fortis nodded at the words and smiled thankfully before he and the others followed Gray. Once the girl sat down across from Tara and next to Chase, she leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms over her head.
"You guys looked really good out there," Tara complimented with a smile, making all of Gray's Pokemon except Leviculus beam in response. Even Fidens, who hadn't practiced, was smiling at the kind words, which made Gray, Tara, and Chase realize Leviculus' actions. "What's going on with him? He seems pretty lost." Gray nodded in response, but decided to leave Leviculus alone, not wanting to pester the water type.
"Thinking about it, it's kind of like he's been the forgotten child of the group," Audino pointed out once Gray's Pokemon decided to resume their training with Scyther's assistance.
"What do you mean?" Gray inquired curiously.
"Well, ever since Cerulean City, Leviculus hasn't gotten as much attention as the others. Of course, that's bound to happen given Fortis joining and Durus evolving, but it doesn't seem like Fidens has much of a problem, probably because he's getting along so well with Magna and Fortis," Chase's starter explained slowly. Gray shook her head in disbelief at the words before realizing Audino was spot-on with her assessment of the situation. Ever since their battle against Misty, Leviculus wasn't getting much, if any attention, especially because of his being weak to the next two gyms.
"Wow, you're right," Gray muttered, disgusted with herself as she hung her head.
"Hey, cheer up! It's not like he's a lost cause. Why don't you spend some time with Leviculus, and we'll watch the others?" Chase suggested, making Gray's head snap up. The girl nodded violently before exploding out of her chair and running over to her dejected Pokemon's side, which made Audino, Tara, and Chase laugh.
"Leviculus, do you mind if I talk to you for a second?" the sixteen year old quizzed. The water type nodded and followed his trainer before she turned around and was content with how far away she was from the others. "I know you haven't gotten much attention with all that's been going on, and I wanted to spend the day with you. How does that sound?"
"Uhm..." Leviculus paused, clearly confused by his trainer's offer. "Yeah, I guess that'd be nice. It's been a while since we hung out." The girl nodded in response before walking towards the front of the Pokemon Center with Leviculus before deciding she needed to ask Nurse Joy for a map of the city. After waiting in line for a few minutes, Gray and Leviculus waltzed up to Nurse Joy and smiled.
"Hi, how may I help you?" the woman asked while looking back and forth at Gray and her Poliwhirl.
"I was wondering if you had a map to the city. You see, I wanted to spend some time with Leviculus, here, but I don't really know where to go," Gray answered while putting her hand on Leviculus' head. Nurse Joy looked over the counter and saw the bipedal Pokemon, who waved in response, and she instantly sifted through a gigantic folder full of papers. The pink haired woman then took out a large poster and handed it to Gray, which confused the girl when she opened it. "What's this?"
"That is a poster for a competition being held today for any trainer that has a water type! The winner of the competition gets a King's Rock to show that they're the king of water type Pokemon!" Nurse Joy replied excitedly. Gray, however, looked down at Leviculus with a reluctant look that disappeared when she saw how eager her Pokemon was to participate. "If you turn left out of the entrance and walk until you reach the water, there should be a signup sheet."
"Thanks for the information," Gray said before bowing with Leviculus. The two then made their way out of the Pokemon Center and headed towards the location of the competition. Once they finally reached the water, the duo saw a person sitting at a table with a stack of papers, and the trainer quickly grabbed the pen laying on the table before entering her name, and Leviculus'. After doing so, the two looked out at the water and saw a large, flat surface resting on several beams.
"What the hell is that?" Leviculus asked rhetorically, not expecting an answer. Gray shrugged, and Leviculus started stretching. "So did it say what kind of tournament this was?"
"Not really, but I know we can win this!" Gray proclaimed, which made Leviculus stop stretching as he mimicked Gray's mannerisms.
"I doubt it," a harsh voice spat, grabbing Gray's attention. The girl scowled immediately when she saw Trentavious walking towards her, but Leviculus stepped in front of her and glared angrily at the seventeen year old. "I see you caught another Pokemon. Hopefully it's not as pathetic as that Meowth of yours." Gray began to growl lowly, but Leviculus acted before her once again, as he shot Trentavious in the face with a Water Gun.
"Nice shot, Leviculus," Gray said to the Pokemon as they high fived. Trentavious, meanwhile, angrily took his shirt off and wrung it out. He then put it back on and smirked at the Poliwhirl standing in front of Gray.
"I hate to admit it, but that was pretty strong. You better have other Pokemon like that when we battle in the Vermilion City Tournament," Trent said to his rival, who was shocked to hear the compliment. Leviculus, on the other hand, bowed thankfully, and Trent smiled at the Pokemon before bowing in response.
"Don't worry, we're way stronger than you think." Gray looked right into Trent's eyes as he walked past her confidently, but the girl quickly turned her attention to a man dressed like a sailor.
"Let's get this contest started! Me and my Poliwrath don't have all day!" A bulky Pokemon that looked exactly like Leviculus, except it appeared to be much angrier and stronger than the Pokemon standing next to Gray. Once a person working for the contest gathered the competitors, they were escorted onto a boat and taken to the flat surface above the water.
"Everyone, this is the first portion of the water type warrior contest! In this leg, trainers and their Pokemon will swim to the ladder that will take you up to the top of the platform. The first three pairs to reach the top of the platform will move on to the second leg of the competition. Remember, you are allowed to knock each other off the ladder. Go!" a man, who had driven the boat, screamed. Without hesitation, the sailor and his Poliwrath leaped into the water like Olympic swimmers, and they zipped towards the ladder. Gray and Leviculus, along with another dozen pairs followed suit as they leaped into the water. All of the water types had no trouble making it to the ladder, but all of the trainers lagged behind severely, with the exception of the sailor.
"Gray, grab my hand!" Leviculus shouted as he began to swim back for his trainer, unlike the rest of the Pokemon. Gray quickly reached forward and grabbed her Pokemon's hand. Before she could brace herself, Gray felt like she was being dragged by a jet though the water. The crowd of trainers that were originally in front of Gray were suddenly left in the dust, and she began to climb up the ladder with Leviculus. Much to their shock, the sailor and his Poliwrath were waiting at the top of the ladder with obnoxious looks on their faces, and the trainer pointed down at Gray and Leviculus.
"Blast them off with Hydro Pump, Poliwrath!" Gray's eyes went wide when she heard the order, but Leviculus was more than ready to react. As soon as the Poliwrath unleashed the wicked blast of water, Leviculus wrapped his legs around one side of the ladder and grabbed Gray before dangling off in order to avoid the attack, which he did. The sailor and his Pokemon stared at Leviculus in shock as he quickly placed Gray back up the ladder and scurried up with his trainer. Once they reached the top, Gray threw her arms up victoriously while Leviculus glared at the pair that finished first, who was glaring right back.
After several minutes of watching the other competitors and their Pokemon fighting to reach the top of the platform, a girl and her Golduck reached the top, eliminating everyone else from the competition. Within seconds of the girl finishing, the same man who had driven the boat was standing on the other end of the platform.
"Congratulations on reaching the second leg of the competition. Now, your three Pokemon will compete in a game of bumper balls." The man quickly motioned for something underneath the platform, and a helicopter flew up and dropped off three gigantic, inflatable balls. "The first Pokemon to get knocked off the edge will be eliminated. Let's get set up." With that, Gray, the sailor, and the other girl were escorted to a separate piece of the platform and they watched as their three Pokemon were standing on the gigantic balls. Leviculus and the Golduck looked incredibly uncomfortable and were unable to remain balanced, while the Poliwrath remained stationary.
"Contestants, you may not use attacks, or throw any punches or kicks. The only contact you can make is colliding with the balls. Begin!" the man shouted while throwing his arms in the air. Without hesitation, the Poliwrath zipped towards Leviculus and slammed into the Poliwhirl before smashing into the girl's Golduck. Both Pokemon that were struck nearly fell off the edge, but the Golduck managed to recover while Leviculus hovered near the edge, struggling to maintain his balance. Before Gray could cheer for her Pokemon, Leviculus managed to throw his momentum backwards and he stayed in the game.
"Way to go, Leviculus!" Gray cheered happily before clapping. The sailor glanced over at the younger girl and shook his head before making eye contact with his Poliwrath. The sailor quickly motioned to knock Golduck out, and Poliwrath flew across the platform before slamming into the random Pokemon. Golduck was quickly launched off the edge upon impact and fell into the water, prompting the judge to raise his arms.
"Stop! These two are the finalists, and will be battling to determine who wins the King's Rock!" the man shouted, allowing Leviculus and the sailor's Poliwrath to hop off the bumper balls. "We'll get your Pokemon healed up in a few minutes, and then we'll begin the battle for the King's Rock," the man informed Gray and her opponent, who nodded in response before walking towards their Pokemon to talk to them.
"Awesome job so far, Leviculus. There's no way we're going to give in to these guys," Gray said to her Pokemon confidently.
"Definitely. We've made it this far, so losing isn't an option," the water type replied with the help of his translator, which made Gray smile. She stopped, however, when her opponents walked over confidently, prompting her to turn around and face the larger duo. "Good luck in the finals!" the girl said with a smile, extending her hand. The sailor and his Pokemon, however, didn't shake Gray's hand.
"Look, kid, we're not here to make any friends. We're going to win that prize and sell it for a crap ton of money." Gray turned to look at Leviculus, whose eyes were fixated on his foe's. "What's the point in you even battling us? My Poliwrath will destroy that puny Poliwhirl any day of the week," the sailor proclaimed. Leviculus nearly lunged at the man, but Gray stopped him from doing so by stepping in front of the water type and shaking her head.
"We'll just see about that."
000
"Congratulations on reaching the final leg of the competition. Now, we will have a duel between the two remaining Pokemon, and the winner will get to claim the King's Rock and first place! This will be a one versus one battle between Gray and Timothy, and Timothy will get the first move because he has placed first in the prior events. Begin!"
"Poliwrath, start this off with Water Gun!" Timothy commanded while pointing at Gray and Leviculus, who bent their knees at the same time and readied themselves for the water type attack. The Poliwrath quickly threw his arms to his sides and shot a blast of high-pressured water from his stomach and it flew through the air towards Leviculus, who waited for Gray to counter.
"Dodge it and cover the ground with your own Water Gun, Leviculus!" Gray countered, wanting to use Poliwrath's lack of speed to her advantage. Leviculus quickly sidestepped away from the Water Gun and he covered the ground in water before sliding around the long platform, overwhelming Timothy and his powerful Poliwrath. Gray, meanwhile, smirked at her luck, and Leviculus began to circle his opponent at a blistering speed.
"What the? Knock that pest away with Brick Break, Poliwrath!" Poliwrath blindly threw his glowing white fists in the general direction of Leviculus, but the smaller Pokemon's trainer was quick to react and counter the attack.
"Grab his arm and use Mega Kick while you have the chance!" Leviculus suddenly slid forwards and grabbed Poliwrath's arm, shocking both Timothy and his fully evolved Pokemon. Leviculus then used the momentum he gained to launch himself off the ground, and his foot began to glow light blue. Timothy, however, smirked as everything seemed to go in slow-motion, and he issued a clever counterattack.
"Counter!" Timothy screamed just before Leviculus' Mega Kick could land. Poliwrath was suddenly shrouded in light red energy, and he quickly punched Leviculus in the face as soon as the Mega Kick landed. Both Pokemon were sent skidding back to their trainers in pain before hopping back on their feet, though Leviculus seemed to be in worse shape than Timothy's Poliwrath.
"Leviculus, hang in there and use Body Slam!" Gray ordered as she pointed into the air. Leviculus didn't hesitate as he sprung into the air and stuck his arms and legs out as far as they could while he fell towards the ground. He then crashed down on Poliwrath, but the bigger Pokemon somehow managed to remain standing, which made Gray gasp in shock.
"Throw him off and wrap this up with Ice Punch!" Timothy shouted as he punched the air right in front of him. Poliwrath tossed Leviculus in the air and his right fist was shrouded in light blue energy as he attempted to deliver a devastating blow to Leviculus.
"Dodge it and try Body Slam again!" Somehow, Leviculus managed to evade the ice type attack, and he sprung into the air again, clearly nearing unconsciousness. As he began to crash down towards Poliwrath, Timothy's voice cut through the air, and Leviculus closed his eyes in fear of being hit.
"Knock him out with Water Gun!" Poliwrath unleashed another blast of high-pressure water at his pre-evolved stage, but Gray shouted to her Pokemon, snapping Leviculus out of his pessimistic state.
"Spin like a wheel to dodge it and use that momentum to land Mega Kick!" Suddenly, Leviculus started to spin head over heels as he fell towards Poliwrath, and his foot started to glow bright blue. The smaller water type then slammed his heel over the Poliwrath's head, and the fighting type was smashed into the ground so hard the platform began to shake. Once it stopped, the judge raised his arms in the air.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle! That means Gray and Leviculus are the winners!" the judge shouted as he ran in-between Leviculus and the downed Poliwrath. Gray immediately embraced the slimy Pokemon and smiled after putting him down on the ground while Timothy stared in shock. "Gray, Leviculus, here is the King's Rock. Congratulations!" the judge exclaimed as he shook Gray and Leviculus' hands. He then handed Gray the King's Rock, and the girl carefully placed it on Leviculus' head, making him look like royalty, which made the sixteen year old giggle. She stopped, however, when Leviculus was engulfed in a bright white light, and his body began to change shape.
Suddenly, his legs became much more bent while his feet grew significantly longer, and a weird, curled picked of hair stuck out of the top of his head. His hands then grew three stubby fingers, and his skin turned green while his stomach turned yellow. Two large, pink circles appeared on the ends of his mouth, and the newly evolved Pokemon smiled at Gray stupidly, just like he had when he was a Poliwag.
"I feel..." Leviculus started before looking up at Gray and showing her another goofy smile. "I feel like I want to dance!" The water type then started to dance like he was drunk, making Gray laugh as she and Leviculus were escorted back to the mainland, and they made their way back to the Pokemon Center. When they arrived, everyone stared in shock at the transformation Leviculus had undergone, and he simply smiled at the attention despite seeming like he was in his own little world.
"Wait wait wait, you competed in some tournament, and Leviculus evolved, all within an hour!?" Chase shouted in disbelief, to which Gray nodded. "Wow, that's crazy." Once again, Gray nodded, and she looked over at her Pokemon.
"Hey, Magna, I want to apologize for the way I treated you when you first joined. I was a big jerk," Leviculus said before bowing in shame to the tiny bell, who simply smiled in response.
"It's okay! Don't be too hard on yourself!" Magna advised loudly, making everyone except Leviculus cover their ears in pain. After that happened, Gray quickly took out her Pokedex and scanned the Politoed, remembering she hadn't done that right after he evolved.
"Politoed, the Frog Pokémon. Whenever three or more of these get together, they sing in a loud voice that sounds like bellowing. New move learned: Ice Punch."
"Wait, did that just say they can sound like they're bellowing?" Tara asked fearfully, which Gray and Chase didn't seem to understand. The two nodded and gave Tara confused looks before an ear piercing noise rang in their ears, making them scream in pain. Leviculus and Magna, meanwhile, were singing together and dancing, which made everyone laugh when they stopped. Now that she had sorted everything out with her Pokemon, for the time being, Gray grinned as she looked up at the sky. She was ready to take on the Gym Leader, and there was no way she was going to lose.
Wahoo! Way to go, Leviculus! So, Gray already has her first fully evolved Pokemon, and her team is going to start getting really strong over the course of the next (Celadon) arc or two. Till next time, peace out.
Next Chapter: "War-Zone": Ready to win her third badge, Gray challenges Lt. Surge and his terrifying electric types. Will the former soldier defeat Gray with his cunning tactics, or will Gray's bonds with her Pokemon prove to be too strong?
Vermilion City Arc
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