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's it going, folks? Last chapter the group arrived in Saffron City, but Gray and her Pokemon were too depressed about Fortis being released to do anything. Chase then thought about trying to cheer her up, but decided to listen to Tara's advice and let her be. Then they decided to stop by the Adoption Center, and Gray's mom needed help trying to heal a sick Musharna, which Chase did after minor surgery. This chapter will be about the return of a character that will raise Gray's spirits, and then she'll gear up for her Gym Battle against Sabrina. Now, let's get going!
Blaze Falcon: Hazah! Chase for president! I'm thinking he'll end up adding one more, whether it be at the end of Kanto or if I do an epilogue series similar to Kalos. Now to answer your question, it will be a friend (or two, or maybe a hundred) from Gray's past. Her father as a ghost could be interesting, but I kinda did that with Janine in Unova
Defender31415: Shit, I thought I included why it was dangerous. Tara will be pretty quiet when it comes to liking Chase, and he's pretty unaware of the obvious signs, though I'm thinking something should happen within the next 15 chapters or so. Also, thank you for catching that! It's always hard catching redundancies when skimming
MCMXCV: Thank you, and yes he will! Chase is also pretty dense about the Tara situation, though Audino will probably knock some sense into him at some point. Also, the tournament won't be starting (officially) until Chapter 47, with battles beginning in 48
CaptainPrice: Thanks! I don't think I do all that great a job with developing the supporting characters, so I'm trying to focus on that. I think Chase owning a bunch of Pokemon Centers is a really interesting idea that could end up having him split from the group if they go to Johto, and I'm pretty confident he'll hit a home run with a potential relationship with Tara. Thanks for the great review!
guest: Yes I will, though it won't happen for another arc or two. There will be an upcoming chapter (next arc) that gives a teaser of her feelings, but that's about it until after the Indigo League
ShadowDragon9000: Uhm... at this point I'm not sure how far the ChaseXTara thing will go, only because I don't want to get too sidetracked. Then again, I could fit it in at the league, so there are options. Chase should also get another shot or two at showing his abilities, along with Audino and Musharna, so yay! Also, don't worry. Gray will snap out of her funk this chapter
SinnohBlaze (guest): Shucks. I'll go back and change it, so thanks for the help!
Gray's team
Durus, (f), level 39, Power Gem, Feint Attack, Bite, Metal Claw, Pay Day*, Slash* - (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)
"Gray, please come out of your room," the girl's mother begged without seeming desperate. "You haven't eaten in a day!"
"What's the point? I'm so bad at training, it turns out it was better for me to release my Pokemon!" the girl screamed back, making her mother sigh.
Chase and Tara heard the whole conversation and sweat dropped at Gray's stubbornness while Billy was distracted by his sister's Pokemon.
"So those two are... dating?" the twelve year old asked Leviculus as he pointed at Fidens and Magna, who were sitting next to each other on the floor laughing.
Billy turned to face the Politoed, who shrugged in response before speaking.
"I guess. They haven't really made it official, but it might as well be," the water type said before shuddering at the laughing duo. "And then she's lovesick about Fortis, who was released back in Fuchsia City," Leviculus continued while whispering and pointing at Decorus, who was moping in the corner.
Billy shook his head at the crazy relationships of the Pokemon and turned the TV on. As fate would have it, the TV was tuned into a local channel that was reporting about the Saffron City Tournament, and everyone piled into the room while Billy turned up the volume.
"That's right, Jim, only four spots have been filled for the tournament, with one of them belonging to the Vermilion City Tournament winner, Jake Blaze!" the reporter exclaimed while standing in front of the massive stadium, which was hosting the event. "However, there are nearly sixty trainers in the city right now challenging Sabrina! Of course, there's still a week before this whole thing kicks off, so there should certainly be the required field of 64 participants."
"Wow, the competition's really intense right now," Tara muttered.
"Yeah, and we're not keeping up with anyone because Gray and Durus won't leave their room," Fidens replied while shaking his head. "Is there anyway we can get her outside? Like, maybe there's someone or something that can cheer her up... other than Fortis, of course."
Magna and Leviculus shrugged in response while Decorus continued moping, but Chase's eyes lit up.
"I know just the people!" With that, he ran out of the room while dialing his phone, and it didn't take long for the person to pick up. "Hey, it's Chase! Yeah, it's been a while, but I have something really important to ask you. Are you in Saffron City right now?"
"Who is he talking to?" Scyther asked the others while looking around.
"I think I have an idea, but it could be totally wrong," Audino replied before scratching her chin and trying to think of all the people Chase had on his phone. She stopped, however, when Musharna floated over to the door and smiled.
"Don't worry, I know just what to do."
With that, the psychic type began to release pink smoke from his head and it floated through the cracks in the door. After a few seconds, Musharna's face lit up and he inhaled so the smoke came back. Once it did, two girls' faces were shown in the smoke, and everyone gasped in shock while he chuckled.
"Sammy and Tracey!?"
000
"Knock knock!" a loud voice shouted while everyone continued sitting in Gray's family's apartment.
Gray's mother was the one to answer, and she smiled after opening the door.
"Hi, Mrs. Plain! We came as soon as Chase called us," Sammy told the woman before hugging her. As she walked in and flipped her black hair, Sammy hugged Chase and then Audino before turning back.
"It feels like old times. Being back here brings back so many memories," Tracey said to Gray's mother, who agreed with the statement. "So where's Gray, Chase?"
The boy pointed towards Gray's room, prompting Sammy and Tracey to walk down the hall and bang on her door. "Open up, Gr-" Tracey was cut off midway through her order when Gray's door swung open and she hugged the twins.
"What're you two doing here?" Gray asked as she pulled away and broke the hug.
The twins pointed at Chase and he waved with a cheesy grin, which made Gray roll her eyes.
"It's great seeing you, but I need to get over some stuff first," the brunette muttered as she tried to walk back into her room. She was suddenly stopped, however, when Sammy grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.
"You can get over whatever it is outside. Now let's go." Sammy began dragging Gray down the hall as Durus poked her head out of her trainer's room and followed. Once they arrived in the family room, the three girls sat down and motioned for everyone to leave them with Gray, which they did by fleeing to the kitchen.
"So what's got you all cooped up in your room?" Tracey inquired while sitting on the couch next to Gray.
The trainer shifted uncomfortably before sighing and bringing her hands up to her face.
"I had to release one of my Pokemon, and I really loved him," the girl answered, her voice shaking.
The twins were quick to comfort Gray by putting their hands on her back and letting Gray regain her composure. As she did so, Durus waltzed into the room and stared at her trainer's friends before walking over to them and rubbing up against their legs while purring.
"Wow, Durus, you evolved!?" the girls asked in unison, making the Persian smile.
"Yup! And I don't hate Gray anymore!" Durus watched as her trainer laughed at the comment, and she laid down by Gray's feet protectively before the conversation continued.
"It's normal to be sad about that kind of stuff, Gray, and I know it's hard to get over it, but that's what you need to do. You have other Pokemon that are hurting, or maybe not, and they need you to be strong for their sake," Sammy told her friend with a serious look on her face.
Gray slowly turned to the black haired girl and nodded slowly before wiping a tear from her eye.
"Plus, from what Chase said, it's not like he's gone forever, so you can always stop by and visit him."
The brunette continued to nod at the wise words before looking down at Durus and petting the normal type, who purred affectionately.
"Also, don't you think he's thinking about you, too? That had to have been way harder on him than you, yet he's still staying at the reservoir because you told him to."
"...You guys are right," Gray said while rising from the couch with a pained look on her face. Durus stood up along with her trainer and nodded before seeing her teammates walk in. The four Pokemon looked at Gray and noticed she was smiling for the first time in what seemed to be years, and they began to smile. Even Decorus cracked a slight smile, as she had heard what Tracey and Sammy had said, which applied to the fairy type.
"Wow, that's quite the team," the girls muttered at the same time, making the Pokemon smile and bow thankfully.
"Now how about you get back to training and push yourself for the Pokemon that you released? I bet he'd be really proud of you," Sammy said with a smile, which made Gray smile and turn to her Pokemon.
"Did you hear that, guys? We're getting back to training, and we're going to make Fortis proud!" The five Pokemon cheered along with their trainer, and they looked into the kitchen, where everyone else was sitting. "Now let's go get our sixth badge!"
Sammy and Tracy are back for the rest of the arc, and Gray's fighting spirit, along with that of her Pokemon, has been reignited! Next chapter will be Gray's Gym Battle with Sabrina, and that's sure to be a tough one. Then, the Saffron Tournament will start up, where a lot of surprises are going to happen. Till next time, peace out.
Next Chapter: "Showdown with Sabrina": Now back in the battling spirit, Gray takes on Sabrina in hopes of qualifying for the Saffron City Tournament! Will Gray be able to defeat Sabrina and her psychic powers?
Saffron City Arc
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