Well, this chapter comes out later than I expected. My apologies, I underestimate how busy I would be. It seems like I will have less and less time working on my story from now on. After chapter 10, the updates will be a lot slower. However, I can guarantee that I will release a chapter within two weeks.


Reply to Reviews

Worma-Sir

I'm fine with both long reviews and short reviews. Feel free to do it however you want. For Snorunt, I already foreshadowed this. Her character is similar to Nosepass yet they have a lot of differences. Snorunt is more the type of Pokemon that is anti-social and introverted while Nosepass is a coward that is scared of everything. I'm glad that you like my extra characters. I put some thought into them. Heracross isn't the Pokemon that stand out the most. Yeah, she can be pretty boring. I got some ideas for her but it is all about timing. I don't want to mention her rivalry with Shedinja all the time or else it will feel forced. For Miltank, why didn't I think of that? What a shame. It could have been funnier like you said. Nope, not from Italy. Although I can speak several Italian words. The '-ern' part is hard to solve, isn't it? It isn't modern. It incorporates Furret in some way. No, I didn't reduce Meowth's screen time because of the lingo. It is because I gave him too much spotlight early on. I want to balance it out a bit. Screen time balancing is extremely difficult. Some characters like Rhyhorn will not get a lot of screen time because he is supposed to be in the shadows. Vice versa for characters like Houndour. Finally, like I said, some eliminations will please you and some will make you mad. There can only be one winner after all. Thirty-one contestants will be eliminated.

WhiteDiamondNinja8484

You are overthinking this. Skrelp's fear is unlike anything you assume.


Episode 9: Talent Transfer

Skarmory tried to juggle three empty cups of coffee with his wings. After a few seconds worth of success, the cups fell down one by one. They all bounced off wooden planks of the dock into the sea. A Magikarp found them and stole all three of the cups. Skarmory groaned at this.

"Chef Drapion, go and buy me a real coffee mug." Skarmory ordered. Chef Drapion mumbled something to himself as he left to fetch a boat. Obviously, the nearest coffee mug store was pretty far away from the island.

Skarmory handled the camera himself, positioning it so that he was the center of attention.

"Welcome back to another talented episode of Total Skarmory Island. Juggling sure is tough but that was my first try, don't judge. Last time, the contestants all cried like crybabies when they confronted the deadly Skarmory Mansion. The six lucky winners of the first challenge were exempted while the rest faced their biggest fear. A few didn't even attempt or try at all, what a shame. The viewers are probably curious to death. In the end, Archeops defeated her own chances of winning. The leadership role now lies on the hands of a certain steel type. In fact, both teams have a steel type leader. With an iron fist on one side and an iron blade on the other side, what will happen? Will Triple G stop using his 'Good Guy Grovyle' nickname and will the Crazy Crawdaunt win after a second consecutive loss? Find out in this exciting episode of Total Skarmory Island!" Skarmory finished.


Houndour stepped outside of his cabin as he stretched and yawned a bit. Today, he woke up a bit later than usual. The sun started to rise in the distance. Houndour stared at it before he noticed a piece of paper in front of his cabin. He picked it up and read it to himself.

"Houndour, meet me in the clearing with the giant tree." The message was pretty straightforward. The handwriting was neat as well.

"Who woke up before me? No, the better question is who would ask me to meet in that clearing? Duosion?" Houndour guessed. Seeing as there was no harm, he started to make his way there.


Confessional

Houndour: "I don't know about the handwriting or footprints of all the contestants so it could be anyone. Why am I thinking about this? It is probably Duosion. No need to worry." Houndour looked pretty confident.


Houndour maneuvered through the forest by running left and right, dodging the trees skillfully. He felt the adrenaline coursing in his body, the light of the morning made him feel energetic.

His eyes noticed the clearing at this point. Just a few more trees away…

"Tag, you are it!" Duosion said after sneakily tagged him behind a tree. Afterwards, she floated away quickly.

"Oh, you want to play it that way? Fine." Houndour replied. He was a bit surprised but he went along with it nonetheless. The canine didn't run at his full speed to give her a chance.

They playfully chased each other to the giant tree in the middle of the clearing. Duosion was very close to the tree. Houndour was a few steps behind her.

At the final moment, Houndour leaped into the air and tagged her.

"You are it." Houndour said, smiling in triumph. Duosion laughed as she landed next to the tree. Upon seeing this, Houndour laughed as well.

"This reminds me of the time we explored the cave." Duosion mentioned. "We used to have many adventures together." She turned to look at Houndour, who rested on the gigantic root of the tree. Seemingly, she expected a reply.

"Yeah, I kind of miss that cave. Despite my fears and all, I had a bit of fun with you and Meowth. Those were the prime days of Treasure Trio. Maybe, we should go back. It will be exciting!" Houndour suggested. Duosion didn't notice any sort of fear.

"I see that you overcame your phobia through the last challenge. That's great." Duosion was glad to see him like this.

There was a slight breeze incoming.

"So… why did you tell me to come here?" Houndour asked, focusing his eyes on her.

"I have a confession… I want to get this out of my mind." Duosion hesitated.

"Say it then. Whatever it is, I'm willing to listen." Houndour assured.

"Do you… like me?" Duosion asked, she wanted his answer first. Her practice with Ledyba didn't seem that useful in reality.

"I like and admire you. You are very brave, braver than me. None of the traps really scared you in Skarmory Cave. You are also helpful, helping me throughout challenges and stuff. More than that, your knowledge is certainly interesting. It is awesome to be around you." Houndour answered. Duosion expected something else, however.

"No, I mean like in a different way." Duosion corrected, floating up, staring intently at him. Houndour stood up as well, he took a bit of time to think of an answer. After an intense couple of seconds, he spoke up.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I see you in that way…" Duosion looked a bit disappointed to hear this. "However, I'm willing to give it a shot if you want." Duosion lightened up at this.

"Really?" Duosion asked, she wanted reassurance.

"Well, a friend told me not to rush things. This decision will affect the rest of our lives. I want to make sure that I'm making the right decision. What is a better way other than trying it out?" Houndour said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"I think I have a romantic interest in you, Houndour." Duosion finally confessed, blushing in the process.

"I have a bit too." Houndour admitted. Both of them were silent for a moment, letting the feeling sink in.

"Why don't we go and celebrate by exploring the snowy area? There is that gift shop and a café as well. That will be awesome for our first date, right? Come on!" Houndour broke the silence and gestured for her to follow him. Duosion smiled as she followed him.


Confessional

Duosion: "Even though I tried my best to hide it, I actually felt panned by his words. His advice about not rushing things… It is just my intuition but I think it was aimed toward me. Houndour was right. I only know him about a week, it is unlikely for a real romantic interest to be developed in this short period of time. Most likely, it is just a short term crush. Foolish me." Duosion sighed. "Love is just so complex."

Houndour: "I think I made the right choice. I came up with this conclusion through my personal experience and Darmanitan's advice. Personally, I have a friend that go through some relationship problems. I learned from his mistakes. I don't want to name names or rat him out so I will end it just like that. This might come out as a surprise from me. Most Pokemon that I encountered thought that I'm the type that acts before he thinks just because I'm impatient. That is actually not the case. I always think before I act, most of the time. I'm impatient because I want to spend every single day like the last day of my life. Time is precious, you know?"


Snorunt sat on the benches alone, holding a pen and a diary. She wrote something down. Nosepass saw this, his curiosity urging him to ask. He hesitated at first but eventually gave in to his curiosity, hoping that she wouldn't mind him.

"What are you writing about?" Nosepass asked. He mentally prepared himself to run in case things go wrong.

Snorunt scrutinized him before she replied. "You seem harmless. I guess… it is probably fine to tell you. I'm writing my analysis on other contestants." Nosepass was shocked, he was about to flee.

"No, not what you think. I'm not trying to plan an evil scheme and vote someone out. I want to see who allies with who so that I can…" Snorunt hesitated, she didn't look sure about telling Nosepass.

"What?" Nosepass wanted an answer.

"You see, Helioptile's elimination was misjudged. So I want to clear her name and catch the culprit." Snorunt summarized it so that Nosepass could understand.

"I see… How are you capable of doing this?" Nosepass looked a bit baffled.

"I watch detective shows as my hobby." Snorunt revealed. Nosepass' face was pale upon hearing this.

"D-detective show? Blood and murders? Gore and pain? That kind of show isn't Nosepass friendly. I'm scared!" Nosepass fled as he screamed. Snorunt gave him a weird look, sighing and returned her attention to the diary.


Confessional

Nosepass: "That kind of show will never get the Nosepass seal of approval. It isn't Nosepass friendly enough. I can't believe that Snorunt is one of those freaks that watch those M-rated shows. I thought that she is shy and relatable. I'm scared of her now."

Snorunt: "I think Nosepass needs some professional help. No offense to him but I feel like he was overreacting. Detective shows can be kid-friendly. They help with problem solving and logical thinking. That is why my notes are so detailed. Speaking of my notes, I just wrote about a certain observation. Out of all the Pokemon in our team, Grovyle talked to nearly everyone. I don't know where his loyalty stands. He could be with us or them." Snorunt's voice was a bit sinister at the very end.


Bisharp paced back and forth in the Crawdaunt boys' cabin. Something was clearly in his mind. Suddenly, a noise interrupted him.

"I'm scared!" Nosepass screamed as he ran to the door. He didn't brake fast enough. As a result, he crashed straight through it, leaving a hole on the door. Bisharp's eyes were immediately alarmed.

"What's the matter? What could possibly have frightened you to this severe extent?" Bisharp asked.

Nosepass breathed heavily before he answered. "D-detective shows. Save me." Nosepass revealed, before hiding under his bed sheets.

Bisharp's eyes widened. He opened his mouth but he had nothing to say.


Confessional

Bisharp: "Nosepass sure is an… interesting contestant to put it lightly."


Grovyle returned back to his cabin. However, his jaw dropped once he saw the damage. Bisharp inspected it closely.

"What the hell happened?" Grovyle asked.

"Nosepass ran through the door for some strange reason." Bisharp explained.

"Sorry." Nosepass apologized quietly inside the cabin.

"How are we going to fix it?" Grovyle asked, scratching his head.

"I think fixing it is more expensive and time consuming than getting a replacement. Can you ask Chef Drapion or one of the interns to check?" Bisharp requested. Grovyle simply nodded. Through his actions and gestures, Grovyle potentially tried to keep a distance from Bisharp.


Confessional

Grovyle: "Running straight through the door? Are you deadly serious? What the hell, man?"

Tyrunt: "I just saw the damage and I'm not impressed in the slightest. At the durability of the door, not Nosepass of course. He is one of the only few I can trust. Skarmory probably bought cheap, delicate doors."


Chef Drapion stepped out of the boat with a silver coffee mug in hand. He tied the boat to the dock with ropes before he left to deliver the item to Skarmory. However, someone was running toward him on his way.

"What do you want?" Chef Drapion asked, his tone wasn't hospitable in the slightest.

"Can you fix the door?" Grovyle said bluntly.

Chef Drapion frowned as he pushed Grovyle out of his way, without a word. Grovyle glared at him with disgust.


Confessional

Grovyle: "Is that too much to ask for? He should be more generous and follow my example. I'm generous, kind, charitable…" The confessional was cut short.


Chef Drapion finally arrived at the Crawdaunt boys' cabin after he delivered the mug.

"Do I need to babysit all of you losers and that lazy host?" Chef Drapion complained.

"This is a rare occasion." Bisharp assured. Chef Drapion ignored it as he observed the cabin.

"I will get a new replacement just this once. Don't do anything stupid again or I else I will *beep* all of you." Chef Drapion warned threateningly. Nosepass gulped under his bed.

Bisharp felt worn out after dealing with this dispute.


Confessional

Nosepass: "I messed up and others cleaned after my mess. I didn't do anything other than hiding under my bed sheets like a coward. I feel so horrible."

Bisharp: "If this is what it means to be a team leader, I'm not exactly content. The stress and burden of this job reminds me of my parents' high expectations."


Bisharp sat on a dock, holding a fishing pole in hand. However, he didn't seem to pay a lot of attention to this activity of his.

"Tired?" Grovyle asked as he sat down next to him.

"Exhausted." Bisharp corrected.

"Dealing with all this jazz is tough, huh? Being a good guy is tough, man. I contributed so much to the team yet I feel unwelcomed." Grovyle whined.

"Unwelcomed? I doubt it. All the Crazy Crawdaunt members like you, Grovyle." Bisharp assured.

"No, I'm talking about that chef. He didn't see me right ever since the beginning of the game." Grovyle clarified.

"I'm fairly certain that Chef Drapion acts like that to most of us." Bisharp said, placing a hand on Grovyle's left shoulder. The gecko turned to look at him.

"I want you to be the leader, Grovyle. Everyone in the team or nearly everyone likes you. Also, I don't really care about how each of us plays this game anymore. You can leave my alliance or continue to stick with me. However, I will be less competitive and I can't guarantee you any spot in the finals. What is your decision?" Bisharp conveyed the big news to Grovyle. The gecko placed a hand on his chin and thought carefully.

"Really? You will let go of the leadership position, why? You don't care about all the glory anymore?" Grovyle asked, staring deeply into the eyes of the steel and dark type. The gecko noticed that the competitive fire in his eyes vanished unlike the Bisharp that he admired for his strategic prowess since the start of this show.

Bisharp nodded in reply.

"I said that I'm loyal so I will stick by you until the very end. I will also take the leadership position." Grovyle offered a handshake. Bisharp shook his hand with a smile.

"Thank you, my friend." It was unlike Bisharp to use this kind of language. Grovyle looked absolutely sure of it know, this wasn't the Bisharp that he knew. The gecko smiled as well, but the smile eventually turned into an evil grin.


Confessional

Bisharp: "By being the leader, I'm walking down the same path as Archeops. The path of self-destruction. Despite the power that I can gain, others will continue to have high expectations of me. I want to avoid that. Furthermore, it will increase the target on my back and give someone like Skrelp an opportunity to eliminate me. While I'm not that serious about winning, I will still try my best to advance as far as possible into the game without breaking my morals or values… Because no matter what, I need to maintain the honor of my family as the only child."

Grovyle: "I'm honestly disappointed. I thought that he will be of use to me. I thought that he can be my strategist that do all the dirty work so that I can keep my hand clean as the good guy. I thought that he was smart for coming up with all the strategies. I kept my distance because of him. I voted who to eliminate based on him and now… he abandoned me. He no longer can get me to the very top. Fine, Bisharp. I can find a new ally…"


Scolipede sat alone in front of his cabin. He glanced around the clearing, observing many groups of Pokemon. Grovyle sat on the benches with Dedenne. Aromatisse polished her nails with Meowstic clinging by her side. The magician tried to play some tricks but Aromatisse wasn't interested. Scolipede sighed. He was tired of observing the other contestants and isolating himself.

"Why are you sitting here, alone by yourself? Surely, you can socialize. You used to have a girlfriend, right?" Ledyba asked.

"I can't really socialize. I used to socialize when I'm with the popular kids but after the break-up, I plummeted down to the bottom of the barrel. Therefore, my skills are rusty. All I can do now is observe and doubt others." Scolipede admitted, his eyes drooped a bit. Ledyba felt sorry for him.

"If you want, I will help you to rise back up to the best of my ability." Ledyba offered to help.

"Fine, a little bit of practice shouldn't hurt." Scolipede accepted.

"Hey! Ledyba, do you want to see my new magic trick?" Meowstic persuaded, clinging on to Ledyba.

"Sorry, I promise to help Scolipede. Maybe, next time." Ledyba politely declined.

"Scolipede..." Meowstic hissed his name as she left, clenching her fists.

"I think she has a personal problem." Scolipede said.

"Well, you ruined her tricks. Be nice to her and she will be nice to you back. She isn't a bad girl by any means." Ledyba suggested.


Confessional

Meowstic: "Scolipede, you friend stealer! I will eliminate you today at all costs!"

Scolipede: "I don't really like magicians. To be honest, I despise them. They remind me of Muk."

Ledyba: "I think both of them should try to reach a middle ground. Neither of them are right for how they acted against each other."


Meanwhile, in a conversation between Dedenne and Grovyle…

"I don't think I can trust Bisharp as our leader. He seems to be with Archeops and her gang, after all." Dedenne said doubtfully.

"Yeah, he is already ditching his leadership position and throw a burden on an innocent, good guy like me." Grovyle agreed.

"Really? I can't believe this, I will go and scold Bisharp." Dedenne was about to leave but Grovyle held her left arm.

"No, that's too risky. I don't want you to be in danger." Grovyle looked a bit alarmed.

"Aww… You are such a nice and considerate guy, Grovyle." Dedenne believed that Grovyle was looking out for her.

"Of course, I'm always here to help those that are in need." Grovyle felt flattered.


Confessional

Dedenne: "I have my complete faith in Grovyle. He's a good guy. Bisharp, on the other hand… I don't understand why Jumpluff is so attached to him. I need to eliminate that guy sooner or later for her sake. He is probably plotting evil schemes as of right now."

Grovyle: "I gotta keep everyone on my side. So that in the end, they will basically hand me the victory. Good guys make it far in this game and I'm sure that I'm one of them goody two shoes. I mean I have so many good deeds like sharing noodles, changing Pancham into a better person, donate Skarmory tokens and so much more." Grovyle used his fingers to count. "I deserve to win this game, especially after I get my revenge against Bisharp. He backstabbed me, so he deserves everything that is coming for him."


Skrelp was inside her cabin, reading her book as usual. Drifblim and Heracross were in there as well, sitting on their respective beds.

"Why is Archeops handing the leadership role to Bisharp? I don't understand. I should have asked her yesterday." Heracross looked frustrated and worried.

"Rest assured, she did it with the intention to benefit the alliance." Skrelp assured. Heracross looked confused. Drifblim soon conformed to Heracross' reaction.

"Let me elaborate. Psychologically, it is common for the other contestants to associate Bisharp with Archeops due to the transfer of the leadership role. As a result, Bisharp will receive all the tension and heat from her enemies. On the other hand, we are under the radar for a little while even though we are actually closer to Archeops. Is my explanation clear enough?" Skrelp explained. Heracross and Drifblim both nodded, they looked impressed.

"Splendid." Skrelp returned her attention to her book.


Confessional

Heracross: "I don't want to listen to Skrelp but I need her for now to survive. Take what you can get. I need to survive day by day until the merge. I don't care who gets the boot as long as it isn't me. The money will change my life. I need to do everything that I can to secure my victory."

Drifblim: "Skrelp likes to show off her knowledge and I will let her do that. Put the target on her and less on me."

Skrelp: "Without a bright counselor such as myself, the alliance would sink into the depths of the ocean. Those brain-dead imbeciles need someone to guide them."


Houndour and Duosion observed all the toy making machinery in the exhibit together.

"What is this? It looks old." Houndour asked every time he didn't know something.

"Oh, that is an old replica of the stuffing machine. It stuffs cotton into a plush." Duosion explained with the best of her knowledge.

They headed to the café afterwards. An Abomasnow intern was inside.

"My treat." Houndour was about to pay for their cups of hot chocolate.

"Are you sure? I can pay." Duosion offered to pay instead. In the end, they divided the price among themselves.

Houndour and Duosion then built a snowman, toured around the mansion and the cave.

At times, they laughed. Laughing at the goofy smile and misplaced facial features of the snowman.

At times, they embraced each other for warmth and comfort during their adventure inside the cold and freezing Ice Skarmory Cave.

At last, they returned to the campsite once Skarmory declared another challenge.


Confessional

Houndour: "I feel like our bonding time there was great and memorable. Couldn't ask for anything else."

Duosion: "I want that moment to linger just a little longer. Sometimes, I want time to move at a slower pace."


After all the contestants were presented next to his shop, Skarmory made a special announcement. "Tomorrow, there will be an auction for a wide variety of items. Trust me, you will want all of it."

"What are the items?" Meowth asked with interest. He rubbed his hands together in excitement.

"I will keep it as a secret for now. Moving on to the challenge." Skarmory continued. "Each team will send out five of their members to battle it out in a Talent Show. Chef Drapion and I will be the judges. Each of us will give a maximum score of ten points. Head off right away." Skarmory smirked as he finished.

"Is this all? Very unoriginal and cliché." Drifblim insulted the challenge.

"You will see…" From the look of his eyes, he was ready to drop a surprise later.


Confessional

Drifblim: "What will be the twist this time? Everyone that didn't volunteer to compete gets to compete instead?"


Next to the cabins for the Feckless Flygon, Lucario led his team as always.

"Team, we should have a wide variety of talents, both physical and mental as well as artistic. I can showcase my strength. That's one physical talent. Any volunteers?" Lucario looked around at his teammates. He averted his eyes from weak members like Meowstic. The magician waved her hand rapidly and profusely. However, she couldn't get the attention she desired.

"My talent includes existing, floating and being invincible to most attacks." Shedinja stated the obvious, his voice was flat.

"Thanks, captain obvious." Lucario replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"At least I'm not captain oblivious." Shedinja retorted.

"Who is captain oblivious?" Machoke questioned as he scratched his head.

"Me! Me! Me!" Meowstic repeated, trying to get attention from Lucario. Machoke nodded, thinking that Meowstic was captain oblivious.

"Anyone?" Lucario ignored her. Meowstic seethed and fumed.

"I can do a lot of stuff blindfolded." Darmanitan volunteered.

"Great, that is both mental and physical." Lucario was content to see another volunteer other than the 'great magician'.

"I can recite an ancient piece of poetry." Duosion volunteered as well.

"I can play the Pokeflute." Ledyba volunteered shortly after.

"Me!" Meowstic screamed. Lucario closed his ears as well as Scolipede. Ledyba looked at the magician with sympathy. Miltank started to get annoyed. Darmanitan didn't seem bothered by the noise one bit.

"I can play a trick with a Skarmory token." Meowth indicated since no one other than Meowstic volunteered.

"Hey! I'm the magician around here! I'm the one who is supposed to play tricks!" Meowstic screamed and rebelled childishly by rolling on the ground, kicking her leg rapidly into the air and cried heavily.

"Shut up! We are trying to discuss things here!" Heracross shouted from the other side of the clearing. The Crazy Crawdaunt members seemed annoyed by their commotion.

"Maybe, we should let her compete." Ledyba suggested. Meowstic nodded.

"And then we will lose." Lucario said, crossing his arms. "Shut the hell up!" He then proceeded to shout at Meowstic.

"Lucario, I think I will step away from this talent business. Meowstic seemed to be more qualified and motivated to take this job. My trick isn't that spectacular or mind-blowing by any means." Meowth gave up his position.

"Are you sure? You can ignore her childish behavior." Lucario seemed hesitant in letting Meowstic compete.

"Absolutely sure. This is the real deal." Meowth assured.

"Fine. Meowstic, you can compete." Lucario said unwillingly. Scolipede didn't look content with this outcome either. In contrast, Meowstic's face lightened up immediately.

"Thank you so much, Meowth!" Meowstic expressed her gratitude.

"Not a big deal." Meowth replied.


Confessional

Meowth: "In business, you need to form many connections even with smaller businesses like Meowstic. Perhaps, she can return the favor one day. If not, I have alternatives. On another note, I will show my talent to the viewers exclusively."

Meowth showed a Skarmory token. On one side, there was the face of the host himself. On the other side, there was nothing.

"Heads equal Skarmory. Tails equal the empty side." Meowth informed. He flipped the coin into the air and covered it with his hand.

"Heads." Meowth predicted. He opened his hand and it was heads.

"Again." Meowth repeated to ensure the validity of his trick.

"Tails." Meowth predicted and he was correct again.

Meowth repeated the trick again.

"12.5% chance for me to get this right due to chance. Heads." Meowth opened his hand and Skarmory's face was shown.

"How did I do this? I rubbed the surface of the coin secretly, of course. The side with Skarmory's face will be rougher than the empty side. Is this talent spectacular by any means? No, however, it should worth a decent amount of points."

Meowstic: "I will sabotage the challenge and frame Scolipede. That jerk is going to go home, today!"


The Crazy Crawdaunt members were also discussing their strategy near their cabins.

"I have an important announcement. I want Grovyle to be the leader." Bisharp addressed his teammates, holding his hands behind his back.

"Throwing your responsibility away, huh?" Dedenne accused. Bisharp frowned.

"Hey! If he doesn't want to be the leader, he doesn't need to." Jumpluff defended him.

"Calm down, I can be the leader. Please stop arguing." Grovyle didn't want the argument to continue, there was a sign of worry in his eyes.

"Any objections to this?" Bisharp asked for feedback from the less vocal members.

"I'm fine with him being the leader." Tyrunt didn't complain.

"The guy isn't half bad." Heracross agreed.

"A nice change of pace. I like it." Drifblim voted for Grovyle as well.

Rhyhorn just nodded.

"He is alright, I guess." Nosepass decided to go along with everyone else.

Skrelp preferred Bisharp to stay as the leader. However, she was severely outnumbered. She casted glares at her two alliance members before she spoke.

"I will conform with the majority to speed up the process." Skrelp said, clearly looking annoyed.

Grovyle walked up to the front as Bisharp retreated back to the other members. All eyes were on him. "Alright, I will be your new leader now and I will ensure our victory with my cool-headed leadership style." Grovyle spoke his first sentence as the leader of the Crazy Crawdaunt.

"First, we need to have cool and good talents. Anyone wants to step up to the task?" Grovyle looked around for any volunteers.

"I can make ice sculptures." Snorunt told him.

"Great. Anyone else?" Grovyle searched for more volunteers.

"I can stack things up very high." Drifblim volunteered.

"Perhaps, my sharpshooting skills will be useful." Bisharp volunteered as well.

"Perfect, anyone else?" Grovyle seemed pleased with everything so far until…

"Hey! I'm the magician here! I'm the one who is supposed to play tricks!" Meowstic screamed from afar.

"Shut up! We are trying to discuss things here!" Heracross shouted back to the other team.

"Thanks Heracross, as I was saying… anyone else?" Grovyle continued.

"I can interpret a piece of literature in many different ways." Skrelp revealed her talent.

"Boring." Grovyle denied, giving her a disapproving look. Skrelp gave him an annoyed look in return.

"If nobody else volunteers, I will. I can run through rocks." Rhyhorn spoke up after remaining silent for so long.

"Better than Skrelp. Literature, seriously? This is a talent show, not a reading contest." Grovyle mocked.

"Poorly educated…" Skrelp mumbled something unpleasant under her breath.

"For the final spot, I will take it. I can do some plain old juggling." Grovyle volunteered himself.


Confessional

Skrelp: "Wait until I send your sorry ass packing, Gruesome Guy Grovyle."

Grovyle: "I can get rid of her sorry face anytime. Why? Because I'm likable. If I tell the others to vote for her, they will vote with me."

Snorunt: "I hope that I will perform well enough."

Nosepass: "I feel happy that I don't need to do anything and that makes me feel even more useless."


"I got the list of competitors and their talents from each team. The backstage will be filled with props. Except for one thing. Lucario, your talent is taming a Sharpedo. You need to find one on your own." Skarmory told the professional athlete.

"I can do that easily." Lucario spoke confidently. The Crazy Crawdaunt seemed intimidated.

Suddenly, Skarmory said something.

"One last twist…" Skarmory paused to build up suspense. All the contestants focused their attention to him, except for the likes of Shedinja.

"What is a real talent? The ability to do something after you practiced for ages? No, it is something that is usually gifted from birth. Therefore, you should be able to do it in a short period of time. Instead of the contestants in this list competing, they will act as a teacher and transfer their talent to the non-competitor of their choice. You have one hour, train your student and we will start." Skarmory revealed the twist. This complicated the situation for many. Some looked stressed like Lucario. Some panicked like Nosepass and Jumpluff. Worst of all, Meowstic's heart shattered from this twist.

The team leaders rallied their teammates once again.


Confessional

Drifblim: "Well, I was technically correct. What an unexpected twist. Gasp!" Drifblim said sarcastically.

Grovyle: "Juggling isn't that tough, better than teaching someone literature or whatever that is."

Heracross: "If I'm selected, I prefer to tackle some rocks. I can do that pretty well as a fighting type. I want my score to be high so that I beat a certain bug. Only if that Pokemon competes, that is."

Lucario: "This twist might ruin everything. Damn it! I rather rely on myself than my unreliable teammates. Not many of them can hold the candle. For sure, Aromatisse can't perform my talent."

Duosion: "Let's see… I prefer to teach Houndour out of everyone personally."

Meowstic: "Where is my audience? Where is my applause? Basically, I'm sweating blood and tears to teach a random Pokemon that will get all the praise… This is unfair! Wait, Scolipede might compete… This is my chance to get my revenge. My tricks will no longer be revealed by that disrespectful bug!" Meowstic suddenly looked evil.


On the Feckless Flygon side…

"Who can take on a Sharpedo?" Lucario asked. He ignored Pokemon like Aromatisse.

"I can. I will give it a good knock on the head and make it carry me around." Miltank said, looking very confident.

"I feel pity for the Sharpedo that is going to carry Miltank." Machoke sympathized. Miltank heard this and walked over to him.

"Are you calling me fat?" Miltank lifted her right fist up threateningly.

"No! I never mean that. I just feel bad because… you are going beat it up." Machoke reasoned, stepping back slowly.

"He means no harm. Just chillin'." Darmanitan helped Machoke out.

"Better be careful, muscle boy." Miltank huffed. She relaxed her fist and Machoke sighed.

"Geez, there are heavier contestants like Scolipede. I don't understand why she hates weight so much. I want to gain some weight of my own." Machoke mumbled to himself.

"Nice one, captain oblivious." Shedinja drawled.

"Eh?" Machoke scratched his head.

"Homie, want to be my boy? I can teach you new techniques." Darmanitan offered.

"Totally cool with me." Machoke accepted.

"Houndour, want to be my partner?" Duosion asked.

"Absolutely! Do you even need to ask?" Houndour said as if it wasn't obvious enough.

"Who wants to try the Pokeflute?" Ledyba asked, she seemed fine with anyone.

"I want to try. I'm decent when it comes to music." Scolipede volunteered. Meowstic grinned at this.

"Who wants to be my magical apprentice?" Meowstic asked and no one answered.

"I said who wants to be my magical apprentice?!" Meowstic raised her voice.

"No one." Shedinja stated the obvious. Meowstic groaned as she pulled her ears.

"If no one wants to, I guess I can…" Cryogonal seemed hesitant.

"Yay, take one for the team." Shedinja said unenthusiastically. Cryogonal was a bit annoyed by this.

"Maybe, you should do it instead, Shedinja. Maybe, your witty remarks will earn us a few points." Cryogonal persuaded.

"Whatever." Shedinja didn't seem to mind or care. Meowstic saw a glint of opportunity.

"Alright! Head off and train!" Lucario instructed loudly and clearly.


Confessional

Meowstic: "I will sabotage the challenge and Scolipede will be eliminated. Hahaha…" Meowstic laughed evilly.

Lucario: "I think it is a well-known fact that Magikarp is more talented than Meowstic at this point. Although, I still don't really regret voting for him. Magikarp is both incompetent and disobedient."


On the Crazy Crawdaunt side…

"Pick and match, guys. I give you the freedom to do so." Grovyle wasn't that bossy, his teammates seemed to appreciate that.

"I can be a sharpshooter because I play a few shooter games myself." Tyrunt told Bisharp.

"Are you sure? Video games and reality can be vastly different." Bisharp warned.

"Yeah, I know but I think I'm the best choice we got." Tyrunt sounded a bit confident.

"I will help you to improve upon this talent then." Bisharp accepted Tyrunt as his student.

Heracross walked over to Rhyhorn. "I can crush a few rocks easily. You don't need to teach me." She gave him a confident smile.

"Your choice." Rhyhorn said simply.

"I think stacking things will be easy." Dedenne gave her opinion.

"It usually depends on what we are stacking." Drifblim told.

"Personally, it is better than juggling and making ice sculptures." Dedenne desired the stacking talent.

"Your height will be a detriment, be careful." Drifblim cautioned.

"Dedenne, I think I should do this instead. I don't really like cold stuff and juggling is tough." Jumpluff said, looking concerned.

"I'm at a disadvantage as well…" Dedenne looked hesitant.

"There's no need to argue, girls. I got a solution. The winner gets to choose. Heads or tails?" Grovyle flipped a token up into the air and covered it with his hands.

"Gosh, that's a great idea! I will go for heads." Jumpluff chose before Dedenne.

"Tails is fine for me." Dedenne didn't mind it.

Grovyle slowly revealed the token. It was tails.

"Aw. I lost. Well, I lost fair and square at least." Jumpluff said in disappointment. Dedenne got stacking and Jumpluff chose juggling as an alternative choice.

It all came down to the final two, Nosepass and Skrelp.

"Physical challenges aren't my forte." Skrelp reminded.

"I just suck at everything." Nosepass had zero confidence.

"Heads or tails." Grovyle solved the situation with luck once again.

"Heads." Nosepass chose, he prayed for the best.

Skrelp looked a bit doubtful. "I'm not well assured. It is in the realm of possibilities for you to manipulate the coin. This is especially concerning for me considering that we aren't in good terms. Let an arbitrator decide this fairly instead." Skrelp suggested. Grovyle looked offended.

"Hey! Be nice to your team leader." Dedenne defended him.

"It's okay. You make a valid point. Bisharp, do it for her." Grovyle maturely compromised. Skrelp didn't argue any further but she exchanged glares with Dedenne.

"Heads." Bisharp showed the coin. Nosepass sighed in relief.

"Skrelp, you must do it." Grovyle demanded. Skrelp frowned at this.


Confessional

Skrelp: "I don't like his attitude."

Dedenne: "Skrelp is so unfriendly and cold. I will vote for her if we lose."

Grovyle: "I tried to help and how did Skrelp repay me? With a cold shoulder, I suppose. What a *beep*."

Nosepass: "I want to contribute to the team but it is just so difficult. It sucks to be me."


Lucario dragged a random Sharpedo out from the sea and threatened it to follow Miltank's orders. The Sharpedo obeyed out of fear.

Duosion helped Houndour to memorize the ancient poem. Houndour took several attempts to get the hang of it.

The blocks used for stacking were rectangular, smooth and straight. Easy for stacking. However, Dedenne's height was still an issue. She used a ladder to elevate herself. The first try, she stacked about twenty blocks before they all crumbled down. The second try, twenty-five blocks. The third try, twenty-eight blocks. Needless to say, she gradually improved.

Heracross practiced independently, Rhyhorn didn't seem to mind. However, he stayed close to observe her progress.

Tyrunt was naturally talented at aiming. However, he had one single problem. Tyrunt struggled to lift the gun, which was pretty heavy.


Confessional

Miltank: "I think I'm ready. Are you ready?" Miltank asked the trembling Sharpedo next to her. He nodded in fear before secretly lifting up a sign with the words 'Help me!'.

Houndour: "Duosion was very supportive and encouraging when we practiced. I'm glad to be her partner in this challenge."

Dedenne: "I wish to be taller sometimes. Being a small Pokemon just comes with so many disadvantages."

Heracross: "I don't need Rhyhorn to teach me. Smashing rocks is an easy task. I have suffered through worse."

Tyrunt: "In games, you only need to push a few buttons. I wish real life is just like that. Push a few buttons and everything is done."


In the beach area…

Grovyle juggled three tennis balls continuously, not even breaking a sweat. Jumpluff watched in awe.

"This is how you do it. Amazing?" Grovyle stopped momentarily and asked Jumpluff.

"Totally! I want to be as good as you but my cotton puffs are probably not the most suitable things for juggling. Is there any kind of special, secret technique?" Jumpluff asked, looking at her arms and Grovyle's.

"Well, to be honest. I don't know how to teach someone to be as good as me. I'm naturally talented. I doubt that anyone can be as good as me." Grovyle pointed to himself.

"Then, we are doomed! How am I going to do the challenge? I don't want to make a fool of myself on stage." Jumpluff panicked.

"Just keep practicing." Grovyle advised. That was all the help Jumpluff got.


Confessional

Grovyle: "Teaching isn't my occupation. It's her problem anyways. What can I do?" Grovyle shrugged.

Jumpluff: Jumpluff juggled two instead of three balls inside the confessional. She struggled as she kept dropping it. "Oh no, I'm screwed!"


In the forest, there was something hanging on a tree.

Darmanitan put a blindfold on and lifted a baseball bat up. He demonstrated his talent to Machoke by walking calmly and opening his mouth to count the steps. Finally, he reached the Pikachu piñata, swinging with all his might, the piñata was smashed.

"Estimate the number of your steps, stay calm and swing." Darmanitan taught. Machoke tried to copy his walking and swinging action.

"Got it, homie?" Darmanitan asked.

"Yeah, I will use my Power Piñata Smash Technique." Machoke gave him a thumb up before he tried doing it for real. The end result was…

Machoke swung and hit the tree instead. He removed his blindfold to check his performance.

"Damn it." Machoke was disappointed.


Confessional

Machoke: "That is tough. I did everything that Darmanitan told me to and I still failed. I stayed calm and counted… Wait, did I count?" Machoke scratched his head in oblivion.

Darmanitan: "He was actually pretty close. A few steps off."


In the snowy area…

Next to Snorunt was an assortment of tools, ranging from saws to chisels. In front of her was a solid ice block. Snorunt was about to demonstrate but Skrelp didn't pay attention. This annoyed the ice type.

"Skrelp, please pay attention." Snorunt said, trying to not raise her voice. Skrelp turned her eyes slowly toward Snorunt in a cold manner. It was as if something wasn't already obvious enough.

"It is easily comprehensible that I lack the physical capabilities and type affinities in this challenge. Even with effort, perseverance and resolve taken into account, the probability of success is close to zero. I suggest replacing me with Nosepass as his rock typing will be advantageous in the carving of ice sculptures." Skrelp analyzed. Her eyes waited for Snorunt to reply coldly.

"I see…" Snorunt followed her suggestions and left to get Nosepass.


Confessional

Snorunt: "Skrelp made a valid point. However, she seems to be the type that doesn't try at all when the odds stack against her. She doesn't step out of her comfort zone much. It is a bit hypocritical of me to say this as I don't really step out of my comfort zone either. At least, I try new things more than her."

Skrelp: "Why should I waste my irreversible, precious time when it is inevitable that I will fail? I signed up for this show because I'm 100% confident that my intellectual abilities will carry me to victory."


Nosepass stayed in his cabin. He sat on his bed and did nothing. He didn't even want to show his face to the other contestants. He felt too ashamed. All he managed to accomplish was wasting his time by staring at the floor.

There was a knock on the door. Nosepass turned his head to the source of the sound.

"Nosepass, can I talk with you?" Snorunt asked.


Confessional

Nosepass: "Why am I even here if all I'm going to do is hiding like a coward? I dream of being a smarter, stronger and cooler Pokemon. All I can do is wish and hopefully those qualities will fly over to me. That just sounds pathetic. Maybe, I should compete in the Talent Show…"


Meowstic didn't bother teaching Shedinja. She spied on Scolipede and Ledyba. Seemingly, the two were having fun playing the Pokeflute.

"Are you trying to teach me how to stalk someone?" Shedinja appeared next to her. Meowstic didn't expect this so she jumped up in surprise.

"Don't scare me like that again!" Meowstic scolded.

"I didn't do anything to scare you. You scared yourself." Shedinja retorted.

"Just don't get near me." Meowstic said before she left. Shedinja didn't care.


Confessional

Meowstic: "I can't believe that Ledyba ditched me for Scolipede. I thought that I'm her friend. Screw the show! I want Shedinja to get zero so we lose."


The Talent Show finally started in the auditorium. On the stage, Skarmory sat on the judges' table with Chef Drapion. A coffee mug and a schedule could also be seen on the table, for Skarmory of course.

Most of the contestants that didn't compete sat on the front row seats. Although a few like Skrelp preferred to sit at the back. All of the competing contestants were in the backstage. Meowstic sat on the seat that was closest to the backstage door.

"We will now begin our wonderful Talent Show!" Skarmory announced.

"Fabulous." Aromatisse commented as she snacked on diet popcorn. Her body glittered and shined more than usual today. Apparently, she got more time with her make-up by not competing.

"More like untalented show. I want to point and laugh at some losers." Chef Drapion retorted. Skarmory rolled his eyes.

"Our first contestant is a tough cookie. However, will she be tough enough against a Sharpedo? Please welcome Miltank!" Skarmory introduced Miltank and her talent.

Miltank walked out, carrying a Sharpedo. The Sharpedo was obedient and submissive. Noticeably, his eyes were black and there were bandages covering his back. Miltank dropped the Sharpedo on the ground.

"Catch." Miltank threw a ball and Sharpedo crawled over quickly to catch it.

"Open your mouth." Miltank commanded and Sharpedo did it. Miltank placed her head inside his mouth. The Sharpedo didn't dare to bite her. Skarmory looked a bit impressed. Chef Drapion yawned.

"Now, carry me." Miltank ordered. She sat on the Sharpedo and his back made snapping and cracking sounds. The spectators cringed at this. The Sharpedo fainted before he finished the final task.

"Hey! We aren't done yet." Miltank tried to shake the Sharpedo awake but she failed. Giving up, she turned to face the judges.

"That is brutal, literally Sharpedo abuse. Even though the Sharpedo was completely tamed, I can't give you more than a four." Skarmory rated.

"What is with the stigma around Sharpedo being threatening? Find a tougher Pokemon. Three." Chef Drapion was a bit more critical. Miltank groaned as she left.

"Up next, we have a little Pokemon with a big dream. The dream of stacking blocks. Please welcome Dedenne!" Skarmory read the schedule.

Dedenne exited the backstage and politely bowed to the judges. Skarmory smiled at this but Chef Drapion glared at her.

Dedenne opened a box filled with stacking blocks. She stacked the first ten or so without the help of her ladder. After the tenth block, she used the ladder to elevate herself. It was a bit unstable but she kept her balance.

After the fifteenth block, the tower shook slightly.

After the twentieth block, the tower shook a bit more. The Crazy Crawdaunt looked at it with anticipation and hope.

"You can do this! Get thirty at least." Jumpluff cheered. Unknown to her, this added more pressure to Dedenne. The mouse sweated.

After the twenty-fifth block…

The tower collapsed. The Crazy Crawdaunt looked disappointed.

"Twenty-five divided by five equals five. Five points for me." Skarmory gave his score.

"Two. Stacking blocks is easy." Chef Drapion tied the score between the two teams. Dedenne stared at Chef Drapion resentfully.


Confessional

Dedenne: "Chef Drapion is so biased. Just because he doesn't like me doesn't mean he has the rights to give me an unfair score."


"Next, the first-person shooter master. The controller grappler. Tyrunt and his sharpshooting skills!" Skarmory presented dramatically.

Tyrunt walked to the stage with a small, black pistol. It was light, making it perfect for him. A target was placed at the other end of the stage. After a moment of deep breaths, Tyrunt shot the bullet out…

It hit the bullseye.

"Eight, not bad." Skarmory commented.

"Seven, could have been better." Chef Drapion looked a bit impressed.

Tyrunt smiled, feeling satisfied about his performance.


Confessional

Tyrunt: "I luckily found a lighter gun. It looks like my luck stat is pretty high."


"Next, the impatient canine. The one that explored the legendary Skarmory Cave. In contrast to his adventures, he will recite an ancient, unnamed war poem instead." Skarmory moved on. Duosion looked excited.

Houndour quickly got to the stage. He coughed a few times before he spoke into the microphone in front of him.

"This flourishing land we called home, once filled with flowers…" Houndour tried to create immersion through his tone. The tone was somewhat nostalgic at first.

"Is violated and tainted, due to our superior enemy and..." Houndour paused a bit. Bisharp looked as if he heard this somewhere but couldn't remember it fully. Skrelp listened with interest.

"Ourselves! Our pitiful showcase of cowardice, how odious and disgraceful…" Nosepass heard this from the backstage. He looked at himself with anger clear on his face.

"We chose to hide, accepting their demands with fake smiles…" Houndour looked a bit unconfident but a reassuring smile from Duosion encouraged him.

"Throwing our treasures and tremendous resources, resorting to live cruelly…" Houndour's voice started to turn serious.

"Children join bandit groups; adults bribe the righteous royal army…" This made the audience feel horrible, the poem was very dark.

"Not enough to kill fellow Pokemon, we kill our land…" Houndour recited the poem pretty fluently so far. Both judges gave nods of approval.

"Therefore, we will willingly… fight back and obliterate them all!" Houndour ended deafeningly. He immediately drank a bottle of water after he finished. He looked at the judges and sighed.

"I did my best." Houndour told himself.

"I have heard better. Still, you did great. Nine." Skarmory applaud as well as the Feckless Flygon.

"Eight, I'm being generous." Chef Drapion didn't applause but he looked impressed nonetheless.

Houndour exited the stage and sat next to Duosion. The two hugged each other.


Confessional

Duosion: "Such a shame that it was unnamed. Historical records suggest that it actually has a name but many Pokemon since long forgot it, including the time it was created. On another topic, Houndour did great. I'm proud of him!"


"Here comes the man with many techniques… Please welcome Machoke!" Skarmory announced the next contestant. Darmanitan cheered.

Machoke entered the stage with a blindfold on, holding a baseball bat. His objective was to hit the Pikachu piñata. Unfortunately, the fighting type forgot to estimate the number of steps and ended up walking around like a fool. Chef Drapion pointed and laughed at him.

Machoke swung the bat around, he hit nothing so far. Until… he approached the judges.

"Where's the piñata?" Machoke asked, clearly confused. He accidentally smashed the judges' table.

"Hey! Watch out!" Chef Drapion ducked, narrowly dodging the bat. Skarmory flew away at this point. Machoke swung again.

"*beep*!" Chef Drapion swore as Machoke hit his face. Many gasped at the sight. However, Dedenne couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Did I hit the piñata?" Machoke asked, he was completely oblivious.

"Homie… You hit the chef." Darmanitan told. Machoke was shocked, he lifted his blindfold off his head.

"I'm sorry." Machoke apologized, feeling guilty.

"Zero!" Chef Drapion shouted before grabbing the baseball bat and chased Machoke around.


Confessional

Machoke: He was covered in bruises and bandages. "I got a big fat zero from both judges. Damn, I'm getting eliminated for sure."


After Chef Drapion calmed down, Skarmory continued. "Next, the intimidating beetle with her rock crushing skills. Heracross!"

Heracross stomped over to the stage and ran at full speed. She tackled a few rocks and her talent was over just like that. She looked at the judges with a confident expression, expecting a good score.

"Boring, three." Skarmory gave his score.

"Four for me." This was the first time that Chef Drapion gave a score higher than Skarmory.

Heracross looked dissatisfied.

"Up next, the ghost bug with apathy and magic tricks, Shedinja." Skarmory called out the next contestant.

Shedinja floated slowly to the stage. He had a pack of cards with him. Heracross looked at him mockingly. Shedinja didn't care.

"Today, I will show you how to be a 'great magician'." Shedinja drawled.

"First, because the audience is incredibly stupid, you can get away with anything." Shedinja said sarcastically. "For example, putting scratch marks on the cards." Shedinja continued. Meowstic had a scowl on her face.

"To make sure that the answers are even more obvious to the magician and oblivious for the audience, just write the answer at the back of the cards." Shedinja said unenthusiastically. His lack of enthusiasm failed to engage the audience but it was comedic in a sense.

Shedinja shuffled the cards sluggishly before he handed one card to the judges. The words "Two of hearts" was written on the back.

"It is two of hearts." Shedinja guessed. Skarmory revealed it and it was a two of hearts like expected.

"Show's over. I'm not responsible for any flying tomatoes if anyone wants to try this at home." Shedinja said as he left the stage.

"Pretty funny, four." Skarmory seemed a bit entertained.

"What?! How is this possible? The score should be lower!" Meowstic protested, her teammates gave her a critical look.

"Four as well." Chef Drapion agreed. Heracross looked frustrated.


Confessional

Heracross: "I got beaten by one point. Are you kidding me?"

Meowstic: "Looks like I need to step up my game in the final round."


Jumpluff was next. At first, she juggled two balls just fine but after another ball was added…

She messed up terribly and got a four from each judge. Grovyle shook his head in disappointment. Bisharp looked at her with sympathy.

Jumpluff looked as if she wanted to cry. Luckily, Dedenne and Tyrunt consoled her.

"He is weak and worrisome. However, will the stars of underdogs shine upon him? We have Nosepass as the final member for the Crazy Crawdaunt!" Skarmory announced.

Nosepass slowly moved to the stage. He sweated horribly. Next to him was a block of ice. Using his nose, he carved the block painfully slowly. It took ages for him to create a horizontal line. His nose was blue and frozen.

"This… is all I c-can do." Nosepass said nervously to the judges.

"Two for effort." Skarmory said generously.

"One." It didn't appeal Chef Drapion one bit. Nosepass left to his team with a sagged shoulder.

Noticeably, Meowstic disappeared.

"Last but not least, the skeptic with a flute, Scolipede!" Skarmory announced.

Scolipede rose to the stage confidently with a Pokeflute. Unknown to him, a spotlight fell down from the ceiling and collided with his head.

"Ouch!" Scolipede collapsed.

"Infirmary!" Skarmory was alarmed.

"Serves you right, Scolipede!" Meowstic exited the backstage and added insult to injury.

Her team gave her accusing looks.

"You *beep*, you did this!" Scolipede swore accusingly as Chef Drapion carried him to the infirmary.

"You have no proof." Meowstic folded her arms.

"There are cameras in the backstage." Lucario stated. Meowstic gulped.

"Well, it looks like the Crazy Crawdaunt win." Skarmory told them the final result. The Crazy Crawdaunt cheered in giddiness at their lucky victory.


Confessional

Ledyba: "I'm so disappointed in her. I thought that she is a more mature Pokemon that simply seeks attention like someone I know."

Lucario: "*beep*! We lost again! I'm tired of having incompetent losers in my team!"

Machoke: "I think I'm going home. Who else there is to vote for? Maybe I should ask Darmanitan."

Meowstic: "Scolipede, that *beep*. You ruined my career!"

Scolipede: "Ludicrous! Who the hells drop a spotlight on someone else's head because of petty jealousy?"


Skarmory stood in front of the contestants with a plate of Leppa Berries. The bonfire ceremony was about to start again. Everyone distanced themselves from Meowstic.

"I will get to the point, Lucario, Houndour, Cryogonal and Duosion."

"Darmanitan and Meowth. Both of you are also safe." Skarmory continued.

"Miltank"

"Ledyba"

"Shedinja"

"Aromatisse"

"Machoke" Machoke sighed in relief. Scolipede clutched his wound and looked at Meowstic with disgust.

"Scolipede, you got injured. Meowstic, you caused the injury. By a landslide, the eliminated contestant is…" Meowstic looked nervous, she fiddled around with her hands anxiously.

"Meowstic."


Elimination Confessional

I despise Scolipede. That jerk! I hope he loses really badly. The only one left in the island that I like is Ledyba. Everyone else betrayed me, maybe except for Meowth. I thought that I'm in Lucario's alliance. I'm supposed to make it far and become a successful magician.


Meowstic carried her belongings over to the Lapras. Ledyba hesitantly came to see her off.

"I know that I can trust you." Meowstic beamed.

"Meowstic, what you did was wrong. I want you to apologize to Scolipede." Ledyba said, looking serious.

"What? No way, he brainwashes you too? Ledyba, why did you leave me? I thought that you like my magic tricks. Everyone like my magic tricks until Scolipede…" Meowstic looked miserable.

"Meowstic, the truth is your magic tricks were… below average. I watch it to make you feel better." Ledyba made an understatement.

Meowstic nearly lost her balance.

"This isn't true… This isn't true!" Meowstic had a look of disbelief as the Lapras departed. The magician whined and screamed on her way to Loser Island.

Ledyba sighed as she left. Afterwards, Skarmory landed and ended the episode.

"Well, well, well, another contestant bites the dust! This time, it is the 'great magician'. Someone finally entered the infirmary again and juicy drama happened. What will happen next time? For sure, I can guarantee something. The next challenge will be very unique. See you next time on Total Skarmory Island!"


Votes

Lucario: Meowstic

Darmanitan: Meowstic

Houndour: Meowstic

Duosion: Meowstic

Shedinja: Meowstic

Meowth: Meowstic

Meowstic: Scolipede

Cryogonal: Meowstic

Scolipede: Meowstic

Ledyba: Meowstic

Miltank: Meowstic

Aromatisse: Meowstic

Machoke: Meowstic

Meowstic: 12 (eliminated)

Scolipede: 1


The ancient poem is something I planned for a different story. If you read my first story, you might have a clue of who created it.

Anyways, this chapter was changed a lot since the beginning of the planning process. At first, I intended for Meowstic to be a bit smarter and manipulate Ledyba into doubting Scolipede. However, I scrap the idea due to many reasons. The votes were supposed to be neck and neck with Scolipede winning by one vote. If I initially go with this, it might be more intense and exciting. However, I think it contradicts with their character development. Therefore, I changed it.