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!

So the tournament continues. Last chapter, Gray managed to defeat Beth, who was her first opponent in the Vermilion City Tournament! Now, the second round of the tourney will begin, and Gray will have to square off with one of her three rivals. Let's get going!

guest: Yes he is, and no they don't. They will learn about it soon, though, and Fidens will become a pretty liable battler down the road. And thanks! I don't know what's got into me, but I'm shooting out anywhere from 2-5 chapters a day the past week or so, and it doesn't seem like it's going to stop all that soon

Blaze Falcon: Yeah, they're a pretty good team, and Gray will give Trent everything he can handle, so they should have a really close battle, regardless of who wins

Defender31415: Gray's definitely getting better, and she did do a pretty good job along with Fidens and Magna. She won't be using Fidens all that often, so don't worry about that. In fact, I think he only gets in one more battle in all of the chapters I've written, or maybe it's two. I don't remember, to be honest

MCMXCV: Thank you! Fidens did pretty well before that little meltdown, lol, and Magna's just doing what she always does. So far (up to chapter 40) she's actually won a lot more than I expected, so don't expect her to slow down anytime soon

ShadowDragon9000: Chapters... chapters everywhere, lol. I'm happy the tournament's finally getting posted, and there will be some intense battles to close out the arc. As for Fidens, he will overcome his ability next arc, but I get what you're saying and I'm kind of tired of it myself. Also, thanks!

Gray's team

Durus, (f), level 28, Scratch, Feint Attack, Bite, Metal Claw, Fury Swipes*, Screech* - (Persian)

Leviculus, (m), level 30, Water Gun, Hypnosis, Rain Dance, Body Slam, Mega Kick*, Ice Punch* - (Politoed)

Fidens, (m), level 27, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Ancient Power, Double Team, Scary Face*, Pluck* - (Archen)

Magna, (f), level 29, Confusion, Yawn, Astonish, Uproar, Last Resort*, Protect* - (Chingling)

Fortis, (m), level 23, Bite, Feint Attack, Sand Tomb, Mud Slap, Bide*, Bulldoze* - (Trapinch)

"We better battle soon," Marcus said to Gray with a smile as he, she, and Savannah sat along with Chase and Tara. "I'm going to be really mad if we don't!" the energetic trainer announced as he rose to his feet and slammed his hands on his legs, making everyone laugh. Suddenly, Gray's Pokedex turned on, and the girl looked at the screen to see a notification had been sent.

"Huh, I guess this is the updated bracket," the girl muttered as Marcus and Savannah sat by her sides and looked on. When Gray pulled up the bracket, she scanned for her name before finding it. Her heart dropped as she looked at her opponent, who was none other than Trentavious. "Dammit!" the girl spat before looking down at Durus, who was fired up after hearing who she'd be battling against.

"Is he really that strong? I mean, you haven't battled him since you first met, right?" Savannah inquired.

"That's true, but I doubt he's been screwing around since then. After all, he's a three seed, so he was one of the top 12 trainers to register for this whole tournament," Gray answered before sighing. "We're an eleven."

"So? That jerk isn't gonna know what hit him when I'm done with his Pokemon," Durus vowed while her claws shot out of her paws. Gray smiled and began petting her starter before looking over at Chase and Tara.

"Durus is right. All you have to do is show the same confidence, and you'll be fine!" Tara assured Gray, who nodded in response.

"Yeah, and who cares if you lose? You're the eleven seed, and everyone's expecting it. All of the pressure is on him," Chase added, which everyone agreed with immediately.

"Thanks, everyone! We're just going to try our best and make the battle as tough as possible!" As soon as Gray stated that, Trent walked by and smirked at her slyly.

"Try all you want, it's not going to happen," he informed his rival before walking away. Gray and Durus glared at the older teen before locking eyes, and they quickly ran to a different side of the room where no one could see them.

"Leviculus, Fortis, come on out!" the girl shouted while releasing her two other Pokemon. The Politoed and Trapinch appeared next to each other and smiled at Gray, but they stopped when they noticed the serious expression on their trainer's face. Durus slowly walked over to her teammates and sat down next to Fortis, smiling at the ground type before turning her attention to Gray. "Okay, we're going to have a really tough battle this round, because we're going up against this guy that beat me and Durus when we first started. He's a three seed, so we need to be on our game."

"Sounds good to me," Leviculus informed Gray.

"Wait, if this is so important, why am I battling?" Fortis asked before hanging his head.

"Hey, don't do that," Durus said to Fortis before Gray could open her mouth. "You did well in your first gym battle, so why wouldn't you do well here?" Fortis slowly looked up and smiled at the feline before nodding. "Remember, we've got your back." Gray nodded in confirmation as she knelt down in front of her timid Pokemon before placing her hand on his head.

"Don't worry, Fortis. All you have to do is listen to me, and everything will be fine. Now, Leviculus, I'm going to be sending you out first. Are you okay with that?" the sixteen year old quizzed.

"Of course. As long as it helps the team, I'm up for it!" the bubbly water type answered energetically, which was music to Gray's ears, as she didn't want Leviculus being as disruptive as he was during his Poliwhirl phase.

"Good. Now let's go beat that guy!"

000

Gray and Durus walked onto the battlefield and were met with a wave applause, and so was Trent, who had walked out at the same time as the duo. Both parties stopped once they reached their trainer boxes, and the scoreboard turned on while the referee stepped forward.

"This will be a three versus three battle between Trent and Gray! Neither trainer may substitute his or her Pokemon, and the battle will be over when all Pokemon on one side have fainted. Now, choose your first Pokemon!"

"Leviculus, let's do this!" Gray shouted while throwing her first Pokeball in the air. The Politoed appeared in front of her, and his first picture lit up on the scoreboard next to Gray's.

"Reuniclus, go win!" Trent shouted as he chucked his Pokeball forwards. A strange Pokemon that looked to be covered in jelly appeared on the other end of the battlefield, and it occupied the first spot on the scoreboard next to Trent's picture.

"This battle will be between Leviculus and Reuniclus! Begin!"

"Use Trick Room, Reuniclus!" the seventeen year old screamed while throwing his arms to his sides. Reuniclus suddenly pushed its arms straight out and four clear walls appeared around the battlefield, confusing Gray, Leviculus, and Durus. Trent and his first Pokemon snickered at the looks on their opponents' faces, and they waited for Gray to counter.

"Leviculus, use Ice Punch!" the girl commanded. Leviculus attempted to sprint forward with his improved speed, but the toad's legs moved at a sluggish pace. Gray then looked at Reuniclus and saw the psychic type zipping around, which made something click in her head before she face palmed. "Dammit. Trentavious switched Leviculus' speed with Reuniclus'," the brunette muttered, caching Durus attention.

"Now use Energy Ball, Reuniclus!" Gray snapped out of her muttering and she saw Reuniclus throw a ball of spiraling green energy. The attack struck Leviculus in the chest and sent the water type rolling back to Gray's side, but he got back up and brushed himself off with a confident look on his face. Gray, on the other hand, was clearly rattled by Trent's clever strategy until she knew exactly how to counter it.

"Quickly, cover the ground with Water Gun and then slide around!" Leviculus did as he was told and shot a powerful Water Gun attack at the ground, soaking it before he dropped on his stomach and tried sliding around. Again, he moved around slower than a snail, and Gray gasped in shock after seeing the result. Durus, meanwhile, eyed one of the Pokeballs on Gray's belt intently.

"Use another Energy Ball!" Trentavious commanded. As Reuniclus formed a green ball in his hands, Gray pulled out Leviculus' Pokeball and bit her lower lip.

"Leviculus, come back for a quick rest," she said to the water type, who was zapped back into his Pokeball. Gray watched as her Pokemon's picture turned blue, and she glanced back at Durus, who motioned for Gray to send her out. The girl decided against it, however, and grabbed her second Pokeball, now knowing how to counter Trick Room. "Fortis, it's go time!" Fortis' picture appeared underneath Leviculus' before he even materialized from the light his Pokeball let out, and he looked around in fear at the enormous crowd.

"Fortis, don't worry about the crowd! Think of it like you're in a practice battle!" Durus advised. Fortis turned and nodded, his nerves suddenly calmed by the feline's words. He then glared at the psychic type floating across from him, and the ground type began to growl lowly while Trent laughed mockingly, unaware of Gray's strategy.

"This battle will be between Fortis and Reuniclus! Begin!"

"Fortis, use Feint Attack!" the girl yelled while punching her fist straight forwards. Fortis disappeared and slammed into Reuniclus' back in the blink of an eye, making the stadium gasp collectively. Meanwhile, Trentavious stared in disbelief as his first Pokemon floated off the ground and rubbed its back in pain while Fortis began sprinting around the battlefield to test out his new speed.

"Reuniclus, heal yourself with Recover!" Trentavious ordered in an attempt to negate Fortis' Feint Attack. Suddenly, the fully evolved psychic type began to glow yellow, and a reenergized look began to spread across his face. Gray didn't allow the move to continue, however, and she quickly issued another command.

"Lunge at Reuniclus and use Bite on his head!" Fortis did as he was told and snapped his powerful jaws on his opponent's head, making Reuniclus cry out in pain while Recover was stopped cold. The psychic type then started to fly around the battlefield while trying to pry Fortis off his head, but every time he tugged at the ground type, Fortis would bite down harder.

"Hit Fortis with Energy Ball!"

"Not on our watch! Use Sand Tomb, Fortis!" Gray yelled. Fortis roared powerfully while his mouth was still closed on Reuniclus' head, and a spiraling wave of sand shot up from the ground and pummeled the strange, gooey Pokemon. Just before Reuniclus could use Energy Ball, Fortis bit down on him even harder than before, and he cried in pain before falling to the ground.

"Reuniclus is unable to battle! Trent, choose your next Pokemon!" the referee shouted once he saw Reuniclus' eyes were closed.

"We'll work harder for next time, Reuniclus. For now, take a long rest." Trent inhaled deeply before exhaling, and he chucked his second Pokeball while Reuniclus' picture turned black. "Snover, go win!" Trent yelled. Gray scowled when she saw the ice and grass type land in front of her rival while its picture lit up on the scoreboard. Fortis, however, didn't seem intimidated by his opponent, so Gray decided to keep him in the battle. Before the battle began, the walls from Trick Room disappeared.

"This battle will be between Fortis and Snover! Begin!"

"Start this off with Razor Leaf, Snover!" Snover threw his arms forward and waves of leaves flew across the battlefield towards Fortis, whose eyes went wide in fear until he heard Gray's voice over the shouting crowd.

"Stop the leaves with Mud Slap!" Fortis flicked his stubby arms upwards after panting them in the ground, and blasts of mud were thrown at the leaves. Fortis managed to hold off the initial wave of leaves, but he wasn't able to move fast enough to block the second wave, which slashed up his body. Gray turned away for a second as her Pokemon cried in pain, but she turned back to the battle when Fortis rose to his feet.

"Now use Rock Tomb to trap Fortis!" Trentavious commanded tactically. Snover slammed his hands against the ground, and three large rocks appeared around Fortis, trapping him inside. The ground type began to look around nervously while Gray attempted to think of a way to get her Pokemon out of the trap, but she wasn't able to, prompting Trentavious to issue another command. "Use Ice Punch!" Snover's right fist was shrouded in light blue energy, and he jumped through the air before crashing down towards Fortis.

"Bide!" Gray yelled to her Pokemon as Snover continued to descend. Fortis' body was covered in red aura for a split second before he was punched in the face, knocking him onto his back. He got up, though, and stood right in front of Snover, who was shocked to see his opponent was still standing.

"Hit him with Blizzard!" Trentavious demanded. Snover nodded and threw his arms forward, releasing a horizontal tornado of snow towards Fortis. Somehow, the ground type withstood the attack and Snover prepared to attack once again, but he stopped when Fortis looked up with a smirk. Gray was beaming at the fact that her second Pokemon was still standing, and she threw her arms forward before yelling.

"Fire!" Fortis' mouth opened and a blast of white energy slammed into Snover, sending him flying through one of the rocks and into the wall behind Trentavious, who looked at Gray's Pokemon in awe before turning to see Snover struggle to his feet. The ice and grass type slowly walked back onto the battlefield and prepared to attack Fortis once more, but the ground type's legs gave out.

"Fortis is unable to battle! Gray, choose your next Pokemon!"

"You were really great, Fortis. Way to give it your all!" Gray cheered before withdrawing her fainted Pokemon. Her smile disappeared, however, when she saw Trent and his Snover motioning for her to choose another Pokemon, and Fortis' picture turned black.

"Hurry up, Gray. I know you want to enjoy your time in this tournament, but it's going to be over once I'm done with your Pokemon!" Trent taunted, making Gray curse under her breath for almost a minute. The girl then ran her hands through her hair before looking down at Leviculus' Pokeball and tossing it without uttering a word. The bipedal toad appeared and glared at Trent's Snover, who glared right back. "Now we're talking. Snover, we're finishing this as soon as possible," Trent said to his Pokemon, who cracked his fingers in response.

"This battle will be between Leviculus and Snover! Begin!"

"Leviculus, use Rain Dance and slide around before using Mega Kick!" Gray ordered. Leviculus's stomach suddenly started glowing blue and he shot a ball of water into the air. The ball exploded and rain began pouring down on the battlefield, which allowed the Politoed to slide around, which caught Trentavious and Snover off guard. The water type's foot then started to glow blue, and he spun around before kicking Snover in the chest, sending the ice type straight into the air.

"Perfect," Trentavious said to himself with a grin, which worried Gray. "Cover the battlefield with Sludge Bomb!" Gray's eyes went wide as Snover fired waves of poison out of his hands, covering the battlefield. Leviculus wasn't able to evade the wave of poison, and he cried in pain as he was pinned against the ground by the powerful attack.

"Hang in there and use Body Slam!" Leviculus shot off the ground while Snover was still falling, and the two Pokemon collided. Leviculus quickly wrapped his arms around Snover and they fell towards the ground, with Snover landing on the bottom. A loud thud echoed through the air while Leviculus scampered back to Gray's half of the battlefield, but Snover rose back to his feet.

"Snover, let's end this with Razor Leaf!" Snover threw his arms around while waves of sharp leaves flew towards Leviculus, who was too tired to try and dodge the super effective attack. Gray noticed her Pokemon's exhaustion and quickly countered the incoming attack.

"Block it with Water Gun!" Leviculus reared his head back before shooting a high-pressure blast of water at the leaves, which was a futile attempt. The grass type attack prevailed and slashed Leviculus's body, making the water type cry in pain before falling on his face. Just before the referee could rule him ineligible, Leviculus stood up while panting.

"Do it again." Leviculus looked up to see another wave of leaves fly towards him, and he was slashed all over. Gray watched in horror as her Pokemon slowly tipped back and smacked against the ground limply, prompting the referee to raise his hands.

"Leviculus is unable to battle! Gray, choose your last Pokemon!"

"Thanks for doing everything you could, Leviculus," Gray whispered to the fainted Pokemon as he was zapped back into his Pokeball. The teen then glanced over at the scoreboard and her heart began to race when she saw there was only one Pokemon left on her side, but her nerves disappeared when Durus casually walked forward before hissing at the exhausted Snover. Durus' picture then occupied the final spot on the scoreboard, underneath Leviculus' which had turned black.

"This battle will be between Durus and Snover! Begin!"

"Snover, use Ice Beam!" Trentavious commanded while pointing at Durus, who bent her knees and prepared to attack. Snover opened his mouth and fired a zigzagging beam of with blue energy at the normal type, who turned back to Gray and nodded, making the trainer smile before she issued a command.

"Dodge it and counter with Pay Day!" Durus leaped away from the ice type attack and a beam of gold energy shot out of the red gem on her head. The attack struck Snover and exploded on contact, sending the ice and grass type skidding across the battlefield. Trentavious cursed under his breath after the failed attack, but his spirits stayed high.

"Hang in there, Snover! Charge and land a Brick Break attack!" The chunky Pokemon charged towards Durus while his fists began to glow white, and Trentavious was surprised when he saw Durus bolt across the battlefield aggressively.

"Intercept with Metal Claw, Durus!" Durus leaped through the air while her claws extended and turned silver, and Snover froze in fear. The normal type then slashed her opponent viciously, knocking Snover onto his back while she swiped at the ground, waiting to strike once again.

"Ice Punch!"

"Feint Attack!" Before Snover's fist could be shrouded in icy energy, he was crushed by Durus, who slammed into his back and knocked him onto his face. The referee quickly made his way to the downed Pokemon's side and raised his arms in the air, signaling the end of the battle.

"Snover is unable to battle! Trent, choose your last Pokemon!"

"Thanks for the incredible work as always, Snover." Trentavious looked up at the scoreboard and watched as Snover's picture turned black. The seventeen year old slowly reached for his third and final Pokeball before tossing it in the air, and a strange, bipedal snake was released. "Servine, go win!" The Pokemon scoffed as soon as she saw Durus, making the normal type hiss angrily.

"This battle will be between Servine and Durus! Begin!"

"Servine, start with Leaf Blade!" Servine dashed across the battlefield and jumped in the air before spinning like a wheel as her tail started to glow light green. The grass type descended far too quickly for Gray or Durus to counter, and the four legged Pokemon was smacked by the powerful attack, causing her to stumble backwards while shaking her head.

"Answer back with Screech, Durus!" Durus shook her head clear of any dizziness and she opened her mouth before screeching so loudly, waves of sound began to strike Servine. The bipedal snake covered her ears in pain even after Durus stopped screaming, giving Gray the perfect opening to attack. "Now use Metal Claw!" Durus lunged forward and slashed Servine across the face with her steel claws, blasting the Unova stater across the battlefield.

"Recover and use Giga Drain!" Gray and Durus were too slow to counter once again, and the normal type was encapsulated in a large, spiraling, green tornado. Gray bit her lip as Durus hissed in pain, but the powerful Pokemon destroyed the grass type attack with a powerful slash of her claws, which made the audience cheer while Trent and Servine smirked.

"Way to go, Durus! Now use Feint Attack!" Durus grinned as she lowered herself before suddenly disappearing. Servine and Trent looked around wildly before Durus reappeared right in front of Servine, which led to the grass snake being checked. As she rolled across the ground, Servine hopped back up with the help of her vines, and she locked eyes with Durus while both Pokemon panted.

"It's time we end this, Servine! Charge!" Trentavious commanded while pointing at Durus. The bipedal starter bolted across the battlefield once again, but Gray and Durus were quick to counter the potential attack, which made Trentavious and his starter grin.

"Blast Servine away with Pay Day!" Gray ordered as she punched her right fist straight forwards. Durus' head began to glow before a gold beam of energy was fired at Servine, who shot into the air with the help of her vines. Gray and Durus stared speechless as Servine began to descend while spinning like a wheel, but they turned to Trentavious when they heard his voice.

"Keep spinning and use Leaf Blade!" the older trainer roared as he slammed his left foot on the ground emphatically. Servine's tail suddenly started glowing light green, and the snake continued spinning at an unmatched speed. Gray and Durus, however, weren't about to back down and allow their foes to win, so the sixteen year old cleared her throat and issued a counterattack.

"Fight back with Metal Claw at max power!" Durus hissed before her claws extended and turned to metal, and the normal type sprung into the air. She then swung at Servine, who swung her tail as hard as she could, and the attacks collided. Durus was overpowered, however, due to gravity, and Servine smashed her tail over Durus' head. The normal type was sent spiraling into the ground and landed headfirst, which knocked her out cold.

"Durus is unable to battle! Trent and Servine are the winners, and will be moving on to the third round of the tournament!" the referee shouted while pointing at Trentavious and his fatigued starter.

"Thank you so much, Durus. You were incredible," Gray said to her starter as she knelt by the Persian's side. Durus looked up and began to speak, but she stopped when Trentavious and Servine walked over. "What do you want?" Gray asked bitterly, making Trent and his Pokemon laugh.

"We were actually coming over to say good battle." Gray and Durus looked at each other in shock before nodding at Trentavious thankfully, but they stopped when the teen continued. "You've got some strong Pokemon, but they're not going to help you become a better trainer." With that, the victor walked off the battlefield, leaving Gray and Durus sitting by themselves.

"I'll prove you wrong, Trent. I'll prove you wrong."

Wow, that was quite the effort Durus made. Despite that, Gray still wasn't able to defeat Trentavious. He did, however, say he was impressed with her Pokemon, but he kind of told her she sucked at training. He'll be proven wrong sooner or later, but we'll just have to wait and see when that will happen. Till next time, peace out.

Next Chapter: "Fortis vs Gible: Winner Takes All": After losing to Trentavious in the second round of the Vermilion City Tournament, Gray gears up for her second consecutive rival battle when Marcus challenges her before she, Chase, and Tara can leave Vermilion City! Will she be able to defeat Marcus and bring out Fortis' strength?

Vermilion City Arc

Chapter 32: Fidens' Confrontation