Theme Song

It is time for the home stretch (Gray shows her badge case with eight badges)
For it is the final catch (Magna appears, smiles, and fades, which is repeated by Fidens, Leviculus, Decorus, Durus, and another Pokemon)
Your goal's right there, it is your fate (Owen and Red stare down at the championship battle of the Indigo League)
Go ahead and become great! (Gray throws a Pokeball forwards and it opens)
No way! (2x) We won't back down! (Durus lunges at the camera and slashes it)
We will! (2x) Win that crown (Montage of Gray defeating Trentavious, Savannah, and Marcus before she looks across a battlefield and sees Owen)
This is it, the final quest (Gray looks off into the sunset with Chase, Tara, and their Pokemon)
You must do your very best... Pokemon!

How are y'all holding up? Last chapter was pretty emotional, at least for me, so I'm kind of lost now that Fortis is gone. The worst thing is I looked back at my outline for the story and saw that I didn't come up with a replacement for him, so it's going to be a while before Gray catches another Pokemon. Now let's talk about this chapter before I get misty-eyed. So, this one will be about Chase having to help Gray's mom at the Adoption Center, which will happen because he's going to try and cheer Gray up. Let's get going!

MCMXCV: Yeah, Gray's really starting to show how good of a trainer she can be by putting her Pokemon (and wild Pokemon) in front of her own selfish goals

guest: Thinking about it, I doubt anyone would've believed me if I straight up confirmed his release, so I probably should've done that instead. Great to see someone else felt the feels!

Blaze Falcon: Oh god, try watching it in Japanese. The music in that version is so much better than the English, and you can find subtitles for it. The team will be lost, especially Gray, and I don't know whether or not Fortis will come back for the league or not. To avoid any possible spoilers or lying, I'll just leave the response at that :3

ShadowDragon9000: Dude, it felt like I gut sucker punched in the feels when I reread that scene ;-; It was somewhat intentional for the release to be one-sided, in terms of him not wanting to go, given the fact that Gray took him in and treated him like family, along with all the other members. It felt more emotional making him not want to leave before eventually admitting defeat

Defender31415: Yeah... I didn't think that through. At this point there isn't really a replacement that'll match his production, but the team's going to step up and try to make it work without him, though you'll see how much they struggle

Trentavious Phoenix: Lol, you can't really expect me to just flat out tell you who was going to get released XD And Magna was originally supposed to be the one to go, but it didn't feel significant in any way to have her leave, which is why I chose Fortis

CaptainPrice: Thanks! I always wanted to have the main character release someone really strong, but the impact wouldn't have been felt with Owen's team, given how many other Pokemon he had. To be honest, I haven't given any thought to who will replace Fortis. I'm about ten chapters ahead of what I'm posting, and there technically hasn't been a replacement for him. And thanks for the tip! I'll have to edit a lot of the chapters I already have done and make those adjustments with the dialogue

thefunny1 (guest): Ooh, that's vicious, man

SinnohBlaze (guest): Yeah that would've been a good decision to give him some more personality, and to keep from lying (which I only do with major events) I'll avoid responding to certain parts of reviews. Gray will be getting a Gligar just before the Indigo League, but he's not going to be Fortis' replacement, and he won't evolve because I might end up having him be Gray's Johto starter. Magna also won't be evolving, even though that'd be a great way of making the team work. And that's not sexist, lol, at least in my opinion. Part of why I gave her such an innocent name is because of how different her personality is, and Chase will be getting a Pokemon this chapter. Tara won't be getting one, though

Gray's team

Durus, (f), level 39, Power Gem, Feint Attack, Bite, Slash, Pay Day*, Screech* - (Persian)

Leviculus, (m), level 35, Water Gun, Dig, Rain Dance, Body Slam, Mega Kick*, Ice Punch* - (Politoed)

Fidens, (m), level 37, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Ancient Power, Dragon Breath, Crunch*, Acrobatics* - (Archeops)

Magna, (f), level 36, Confusion, Yawn, Astonish, Uproar, Last Resort*, Protect* - (Chingling)

Decorus, (f), level 40, Vine Whip, Moonblast, Psychic, Magical Leaf, Grassy Terrain*, Petal Blizzard* - (Florges)

"Saffron City, we're back!" Chase screamed as he and Audino ran through the gate that led to the enormous city. "Man, it feels so good to breathe that polluted air again. Right, Audino?"

"Uh, sure," the normal type replied while sweat dropping at the serious question. She and Chase turned around to see Tara and Scyther right behind them, staring at the city wide-eyed, while Gray had yet to pass through the gate.

"This place is just as amazing as you made it out to be!" Tara exclaimed while cupping her hands together and marveling at the colossal buildings located all throughout Saffron. "Are you going to show us where you live?"

Chase smiled at the question and nodded emphatically before looking at Scyther, who didn't seem to be fond of all the people.

"Why is there so much activity going on? Seeing so much stuff happening at once makes me dizzy," the bug type said before sitting down and taking a deep breath, which made Chase, Audino, and Tara laugh.

They stopped, however, when Chase spotted Gray slinking towards them with her head hanging. Durus looked to be in the same state of mind as her trainer, and so were the four other Pokemon. Ever since Fortis was left behind to protect the Pokemon Reservoir, it seemed as though Gray's desire to battle had vanished.

"Gray, look! We're back home!" Chase shouted while cupping his hands around his mouth.

The girl looked up for a second before sighing and hanging her head, but she somehow managed to reach her friends without bumping into anyone. Durus had the same success as her trainer and sat down next to Scyther while pouting, bringing the upbeat mood crashing down.

"Who cares? It's not like it matters anyways," Gray muttered with a depressed attitude. "Now that Fortis is gone, I might as well release all of my other Pokemon," the girl continued, making Chase and Tara exchange worried glances before changing the subject.

"How about we stop by your house first so you can see your mom?" Chase suggested before grabbing Gray's hand and dragging her to her house. After navigating his way around the city, Chase walked up to the large building Gray lived in and turned to smile at the girl. He didn't, however, after seeing she was still staring at the ground, and Tara motioned for him to keep walking. The teen did and they walked into the lobby before hopping into an elevator, which required them to withdraw their Pokemon.

"So do you live in the same building, Chase?" Tara asked the intelligent boy, who nodded in response. "Wow, so you two must've met when you were really little," the girl said while looking at Gray, who continued to hang her head as she stepped out of the elevator. Because she was so familiar with the way to her apartment, Gray managed to walk to her door without looking up, and Chase and Tara followed. When the sixteen year old opened the door, she walked into the apartment and flopped down on the couch immediately.

"Who is that?" a worried voice called before Gray's mother walked out of the kitchen and spotted the trio of teenagers, which made her light up instantly. "Gray! Chase! It's so good to see you!" the woman exclaimed before hugging Chase. She then looked over at Tara and smiled at the unfamiliar girl, who introduced herself.

"My name's Tara. Nice to meet you, ma'am," the former member of Team Purity greeted while extended her hand. Gray's mom, however, hugged the girl and smiled at her.

"It's nice to meet you too, Tara. Just for future advice, I'm a hugger," the woman said before laughing along with Tara and Chase, who nodded at the statement. "So what's wrong with her?"

"Mrmph," Gray said into the pillow she was burying her face in. The girls mother looked over at her daughter's friends, and they walked into the kitchen because they didn't want Gray to hear about the touchy subject.

"You see, she brought this Trapinch in after he was released by his jerk of a trainer," Chase started, opting to tell Gray's mother most of the story. After a minute or so, Chase gasped for breath, as he tried finishing the story as fast as possible. "And then she decided to release him so he could protect the Pokemon Reservoir in Fuchsia City."

"A Flygon?" a shocked voice inquired. Gray's mom, Chase, and Tara turned to see Billy standing on the other side of the room. "Gray had a Flygon!? That's so cool! Where is he?" the twelve year old inquired before his mother smacked him in the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Gray's sad right now because she released her Flygon, so don't talk about it around her," Mrs. Plain instructed.

"Well, can I see her other Pokemon?"

"Here. Try not to have too much fun," Gray said as she walked into the kitchen and handed her brother the five Pokeballs from her belt. Billy's eyes went wide before he released all of the Pokemon, and he nearly fainted when the five creatures stood around the cramped space. "Wow! A Politoed and Archeops! That's so awesome!"

"What about us?" Decorus asked the short boy, who looked up at the Pokemon in fear as she pointed at herself and Magna.

"Uh... you two are cool, too," Billy answered, which satisfied Decorus. "Wait, you're shiny! Agh!" Gray's Pokemon didn't seem to be amused by their trainer's little brother, but that was because one key member was missing, and they had yet to get over his departure.

"Would you mind telling us how you met each of your Pokemon, Gray?" the girl's mother asked kindly, making Gray groan. "Okay, I guess you can do that some other time," the woman muttered before walking out of the kitchen.

"So are you back here for the tournament?" Billy asked.

"No, I'm back because there's no point in training anymore," his older sister answered before walking back into the family room and face planting on the couch. Chase and Tara sweat dropped at the response before Billy shrugged and walked back into his room. Mrs. Plain walked in right after and glanced at her daughter before leaning in and whispering to Chase and Tara.

"You two don't have to stay here, if that's what you're thinking. Gray, I'll be at the Adoption Center if you need me," the girl's mother said as she began to walk out of her living space. "Oh, by the way, Chase, your parents wanted me to send them to you if I saw you first."

"Thanks Mrs. Plain," the boy said before bowing to the older woman. He and Tara quickly made their way out of the apartment and let out sighs of relief when they stepped into the elevator. "Man, that was brutal. I can't believe Gray's still crushed about Fortis."

"Yeah, it's been a little over a week, and she's acting like she's never going to see him, even though Ronald's totally fine with us going back their whenever we wanted," Tara added. "Then again, she did watch him grow up and they had a really strong bond." Chase sighed and nodded before stepping out of the elevator once again and walking towards his apartment. The teen slowly opened the door and walked in with a smile.

"Mom? Dad? Audino and I are back!" Chase shouted into his apartment, which was much larger than Gray's, while releasing Audino. Chase's parents walked into the room and ran over to their son before embracing him. They stopped, however, when they noticed Tara standing by the door, and Chase's dad grinned at him.

"So you finally got yourself a girlfriend?" As soon as they heard the question, both Chase and Tara blushed before shaking their heads in unison. Chase's parents laughed at the reactions from the teens before hugging Audino.

"I'm Tara. It's nice to meet you both," the girl greeted before bowing. The couple smiled and bowed back before staring at Chase, who looked much older now compared to the day he left.

"We actually have to get going," Chase said abruptly as he pointed at the door. "I'd love to stay and talk, but I need to go do something really important," the teen informed his parents, who nodded understandingly. With that, Chase and Tara walked out of his apartment and headed for the lobby.

"So what's this important thing you have to do?" Tara quizzed.

"I figured since Gray's not feeling well I'd get her a gift, or something like that, and you're going to help me!" Chase informed Tara, who smiled in response.

"That's so sweet, but trust me, she's not in the mood for any gifts." Chase frowned at Tara's warning, and he sighed before looking down at Audino to see if Tara was right. The pink Pokemon nodded and Chase crossed his arms over his chest before thinking of a way to kill some time while Gray continued moping.

"Hey, why don't I call Mrs. Plain and ask her if we can check out the Pokemon Adoption Center?" Chase asked Audino.

"Yeah, that'd be fun!" the normal type exclaimed while Tara released Scyther from his Pokeball.

000

After dialing the woman's number and getting the green light, Chase, Tara, Audino, and Scyther made their way through the crowded streets full of people scurrying around for various reasons. As they continued walking, Tara and Scyther stared at the buildings in awe while Chase and Audino acted as if everything was normal, which to them, it was.

"So what was it like growing up in the city?" Tara quizzed, not wanting to continue walking in silence. Chase shrugged in response and rushed across the crosswalk before cracking his neck.

"It's... busy, I guess. Pretty loud, too."

Tara laughed at the boring response, making Chase smile as they turned the corner and prepared to arrive at the Adoption Center, which was at the end of the block.

"You get used to everything after a while and learn your way around the city, so it's kinda cool. What about you? What was it like growing up wherever you did?"

"Well..." Tara drifted off before snapping back to reality. "I grew up in Goldenrod City, so it's pretty similar to this, except we have a train station and Global Trade Network, or the GTN for short," the girl answered, which piqued Chase's interest.

"I've never heard of the GTN before. What is it?" Audino inquired.

"Anyone that goes there trades their Pokemon to people from across the world, and you can find trade partners by looking up what they want in return for their Pokemon." Chase and Audino gasped at the response before walking into the Adoption Center, where Mrs. Plain was running around worriedly.

"What's the matter, Mrs. Plain?" Chase questioned as he walked over to the older woman. Gray's mother turned and ran her hands through her hair before pointing at one of the cages, which had a Pokemon inside that looked sick.

"That Pokemon fell ill while I was home, so I tried calling the Pokemon Center, but a bunch of trainers are apparently using all of the healing stations because they want to challenge the gym to qualify for the tournament!" Chase stepped back in fear as his friend's mother screamed, but he placed a hand on her assuredly.

"Don't worry, I think Audino and I can take care of this. Luckily I still have my backpack, which has a bunch of first aid stuff in it," the teen said before being guided over to the Pokemon's cage. Once the door was opened, Gray's mother took the Pokemon in her arms and rushed to the back of the building, which was an office. She quickly threw all of the papers off the desk and placed the sick Pokemon on it before walking away and watching Chase.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Scyther asked as he and Tara stood by Mrs. Plain's side. Chase didn't respond as he and Audino continued to look at the sick Pokemon before he reached into his backpack and pulled out a bunch of supplies, ranging from knives to bandaids.

"Yeah, this shouldn't take me too long, though it is pretty serious. This Musharna's Dream Smoke isn't coming out of its nose."

"What does that mean?" Tara inquired, worried to hear the answer. While Chase began to put a pair of gloves on his hands along with Audino, he quickly turned to Tara and frowned as he shook his head, giving off an ominous vibe.

"It doesn't matter, because it's going to be fine. Right, Audino?" the teen asked rhetorically before whisking the girls and Scyther out of the room. "Alright, it's time to get down to business. Audino, hand me a bottle of chloroform, a napkin, the thin scalpel, and that thing of silk," Chase ordered while looking at the Musharna. Audino hurriedly pulled out the supplies and passed them along to Chase, who took them without looking.

"Do you need anything else, or are you going to do surgery?"

"Surgery, now get your mask on," Chase told his starter, who obliged. The teen quickly dropped a small bit of chloroform onto the napkin he was holding and placed it over Musharna's nose, quickly knocking the Pokemon unconscious. Chase reached over to his right and grabbed the scalpel before making a small incision along the bottom portion of Musharna's nose. Wiping the sweat off his brow, the teen quickly grabbed the pump and placed the thin needle into the opening he made in Musharna's nose before pumping as gently as he could. "Tell me if any of its smoke comes out, Audino."

"Got it," the normal type replied before staring at the downed Pokemon's nose, which was disgusting. After a few careful pumps, a cloud of pink smoke began to escape Musharna's nose, along with the incision Chase made. "You're good! Now I have to sew this up," Audino said before grabbing the silk her trainer had asked for and snipped it with a pair of scissors. After expertly stitching up the cut, Audino flashed Chase a thumbs up and the teen let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow, that was awesome! I can't believe we pulled off our first critical condition surgery!" Chase screamed before running over to Audino and hugging the normal type, who cheered along with her trainer. The two smiled and walked out of the room to bring Gray's mother, Tara, and Scyther in.

"So its Dream Smoke was clogged?" Mrs. Plain asked Chase, who nodded in response.

"That's right. There were a few other things we had to do to make sure it wouldn't happen again, but Musharna should be all healed up once it manages to regain consciousness," Chased told Gray's mother, who hugged him thankfully before hugging Audino.

000

After an hour of waiting, Tara, Mrs. Plain, and Chase saw Musharna slowly open its eyes and yawn. The psychic type looked around the room for a few seconds before spotting the woman who was sheltering him, and he floated over with a weak smile.

"Are you feeling okay, Musharna?" the woman asked in concern. Her nerves were eased when the pink Pokemon nodded, but Musharna began to touch his nose with his stubby arms, which made Chase jump up. The teen quickly held Musharna's arms away from the stitches, and he looked into the Pokemon's eyes.

"I know it might be bothering you, Musharna, but you can't pick at those stitches, otherwise that cut could open and you'd get sick again," Chase informed the Pokemon, who immediately moved his arms away.

"I can't believe he's okay," Tara muttered while shaking her head. "It's a good thing you know how to do this kind of stuff, Chase," the blonde continued while looking over at her traveling partner, who smiled and nodded.

"Sharn?" the fully evolved Pokemon asked.

"That's right. Chase here was the one that helped you feel better," Gray's mother told the psychic type, who turned to Chase and smiled before floating around him, which made Chase and the others laugh. "It looks like Musharna really likes you, Chase."

"He should. After all, he did save Musharna's life," Scyther commented before being smacked in the back of the head by Tara. "What? It's true!" Tara shook her head at her Pokemon's response before turning her attention back to the floating Pokemon.

"You know, Chase, Musharna's up for adoption," Gray's mother said with a smile while placing her hand on the boy's shoulder. Chase turned and looked at the older woman in shock before glancing down and seeing Audino pumping her fists. Musharna then floated around her while smiling, and the two Pokemon stared at Chase.

"Hmm... I'd love to, but only if Musharna's okay with it." The tiny elephant cheered in response, and Chase laughed as Musharna latched onto his head. "I guess it's official! Welcome to the team, buddy!"

000

"That was a really brave thing of you to do back there," Tara said to Chase as the two sat at Gray's kitchen table. Billy and Gray's mom had gone out to get dinner, and the girl was locked away in her room with Durus. The four other Pokemon, meanwhile, were sitting on the couch and watching the TV in awe.

"I don't understand. Do these people live in this thing?" Magna asked the other Pokemon while pointing at the television.

"Thanks! It's not that big of a deal, though. Musharna needed our help, so I did what anyone would," the intelligent boy answered humbly while patting Audino's head. The normal type nodded in agreement before looking over at Tara, who was shaking her head.

"That's the thing; no one could've done that! The fact that you knew exactly what to do and were willing to help was incredible!" Chase blushed at the comment, and Audino glanced at her trainer with a smirk before looking over at Tara. Audino quickly left the table to watch TV with the others, including Musharna and Scyther, leaving Chase and Tara by themselves.

"What's so funny, Audino?" The normal type turned to Leviculus, who had asked the question, and shook her head.

"Nothing."

Well, it looks like Chase is making some progress in the romance department (even though it's not with the right girl), and he also got a Musharna, which was suggested by a guest reviewer, if I remember correctly. Next chapter will revolve around the return of an old character or two, which will snap Gray out of her funk. Also, if anyone brings this up, I know Gray's depression was self-inflicted with her releasing Fortis, but I feel like people would act this way. Till next time, peace out.

Quick side note: I didn't realize the smoke was coming out of Musharna's head, but I'm too lazy to rewrite this :/

Next Chapter: "Saffron City Reunion": Still down in the dumps about releasing Fortis, a blast from the past returns to raise Gray's spirits! Who is this character? Will they be able to cheer Gray up?

Saffron City Arc

Chapter 46: Showdown with Sabrina
Chapter 47: Start the Saffron Tournament
Chapter 48: Cruise Control
Chapter 49: Settling the Saffron Score
Chapter 50: Undermanned?
Chapter 51: A Powerhouse Emerges!
Chapter 52: The Kanto Kids