Author's Note~

Welcome back everyone, to the tenth episode of the series!

Delta: Yeah! Double digits peeps! Let's open up the wine bottles! Woot!

Funny enough, this story hasn't even been out for a month yet. This is the eighteenth day of its existence exactly.

Delta: Well, this is strangely easy to write...Maybe because it's fun and enjoyable?

Yeah, sounds about right. The challenges are fun by design and simple to boot, character development and interactions blend well with the game, and overall, this is probably our most balanced cast in terms of likability.

Delta: Yep, agreed. Now, we'll let you peeps enjoy the chapter, and we'll see who goes next..Dun...Dun...DUUUNNNN!

...You are just awful sometimes…

It was early in the morning as the teams were still sound asleep, before the sound of a helicopter woke them up, as Zetsu instantly shot up from his bed with wide eyes, "W-What is that?!"

Gareth sat up from his bed, yawning as he rubbed his eyes, "...Sounds like a...Like a racecar...Vroom…"

Nedrick rose a brow, glancing out the window, "...Guys...When did the hosts get a helicopter?!"

The two walked over to the window, glancing up to see a bright red helicopter, as Amber's voice spoke through a megaphone, "Campers! Meet at the flagpole right away!"

The Larvesta deadpanned, "Well, glad to see they're okay."

The contestants were stood in front of the two hosts, as Amber smiled, "Hello everyone, we have returned-"

Mimi deadpanned, "We know. You've been here for a few days."

The Glaceon gave her a small glare, before clearing her throat, "We will resume our challenges together from now on, starting with this next one."

A can of beans was suddenly thrown Kanaya's way, as the Gardevoir squeaked, before quickly catching it, barely missing her face by inches as she let out a sigh of relief, "That...Was too close."

The others soon received some cans, as Bari rose a paw up, "Um...What are these for?"

The hostess smiled, "This is your breakfast."

Nazira stared at the beans, before quickly handing them to Bari, "Neva' been more thankful 'bout not havin' 'ta eat if I don' wanna."

As the puppy smiled at the food, Gareth wass humming with a smile, "I like food! I always would have to eat these for breakfast and dinner, so that's why I'm a strong bo- Ack!" He fell back when a can hit him over the head.

Violet's eyes widened, quickly checking him, "Gareth, are you okay?!"

The Luxio sat up, before giving her a nod, "Yeah, it just hurts...A little, but I'm used to it."

She rose a brow, "Wait, wha-" She was cut off by a can similarly hitting her in the head, though due to her much smaller size, she was instantly knocked out by it.

Gareth's eyes widened as he picked her up, "Violet! No! Don't go into the light!"

Amber flinched, before looking at her paws, "I really should work on my aim...Sorry."

Logan whispered to her, "You clearly have a really strong arm though."

The Glaceon shrugged with a small smile, before turning towards the cast, "We'll make sure Violet gets checked in the infirmary, but for now...Your challenge," she held up a paintball gun with a smile, "We'll be going hunting!"

Doc slowly began to smirk, "Sweet...Hunting is my jam!"

Amber smiled, "Good, now finish up your breakfast, because in just a few minutes I will be sorting out your teams in...The woods!"

Gareth frowned at the camera, "I really should have tried to stop that can from hitting Violet, but I guess I didn't notice it...Oh no, she's hurt because I failed to notice it!"

He covered his eyes, "I hope she'll forgive me!"

Doc snickered, "I used to send spitballs flying at everyone during my first year of school. To date, I've never missed. I'm also pretty good at avoiding the mass beating afterward."

Bari was currently munching on the can of beans, before glancing up at the camera, "...What?"

The teams stood in front of the hosts, a few colored paintball guns behind them, as Amber smiled, "Now it's time to break the teams down."

Bari blinked, "Wha-"

The Glaceon cut him off by grabbing one of the paintball guns, before throwing it towards Doc, "For the Baltoy, the hunters will be Doc, Isabel, Kanaya, and Zetsu!"

The ghost smirked as his ghostly aura surrounded the gun, an evil look forming on his face, as he pointed it mockingly at the Basculin, which actually did cause several to flinch, as he chuckled evilly, "Watch out Basculin, you'll never know when I'll be right around the corner."

Isabel rose a brow, before whispering to Kanaya, "Sometimes I worry about Doc's...Sanity."

The Gardevoir caught her paintball gun, before giving the Leavanny a smile, "Don't worry, he's perfectly fine."

Zetsu flinched as he barely caught his, before sighing, "This is going to backfire on me."

Amber turned to the opposing team, "For the Basculin, the hunters are going to be, Chad, Cynthia, and Nazira!"

Chad quickly caught his, before chuckling, "Check it out, I'm Rambo!"

Cynthia caught hers, before smiling to herself, "This will be...Fun."

Nazira caught her's similarly to Doc, only she looked kinda reluctant to use it, "...Um...Do I have 'ta be a hunter? Can I jus' trade. I don' feel entirely comfortable usin' 'dis."

The Glaceon shook her head, "No backsies, sorry!" She held up a pair of bright orange goggles and a camo hat, "But, you will have the chance to wear these not so stylish hats and glasses!"

Brooke rose a hand, "What about the rest of us?"

She smirked, "The rest of you who did not get paintball guns...Are deer." She held up a set of antlers and a bright red nose, "Here, you'll all be wearing these even worse looking headbands and noses!"

Mimi gave her a look, "...I refuse to wear those."

Amber gave her a smirk, "Trust me, you'll be needing these on for the challenge and for your teams chances of winning."

Juvia quickly placed hers on, before smiling, "I don't know, I think mine are kinda cute."

Nedrick nodded, "Yeah, they aren't that bad...Though I must admit, having difficulty finding out where to put the nose."

Gareth frowned as he placed his antlers on, "Yeah...It's...It's cool…"

Brooke had hers on, before nodding at her teammates, "...I like this."

Quincy smiled as he put his on, "I can oddly smelled better through this than I usually can."

Bari smiled as he had his on, "This is really nice! E-Except for the fact that I have to...Possibly get shot…"

Tempest stared at hers, before pouting, "Tempest's don't fit!"

Amber instantly put down a smaller sized version of the items, "Sorry, I forgot we had these ones resized for you."

As the Joltik put hers on, Logan rose a brow, "They really can make them that small?"

The hostess nodded, "They can make anything," she turned towards the campers, "Now, you will have some time to find and shoot the opposing deer. The team to earn the most points wins immunity."

Those who are deer looked at each other, before quickly walking away from the group.

Walking through the woods, the deer from the Basculin walked in silence, before Brooke looked back at her teammates, "Who do you think we will encounter first?"

Quincy shrugged with his usual grin, "Maybe we'll encounter one of the nice ones, like Kanaya, or-"

Tempest smirked deviously, "Zetsu!"

Bari blinked, "Well, yeah...I don't think either of those two can hurt us."

Brooke hummed, "Tempest does have a point...If we encounter Zetsu then there is a strong chance he won't attack because Tempest is with us."

The Joltik scoffed, "Please, Tempest lone wolf! She no stay in large, easily destroyable group! Tempest embark on own, personal journey to take down the hunters!"

Quincy blinked, before turning to Brooke, "I thought the point was to avoid the hunters."

The Togetic nodded, "Yes, but maybe splitting up is wiser...If we get caught in a group, then we will be toast."

Bari got in between them with a frown, "I...I don't really do well on my own."

She rose a brow when he gave her a large wide eyed look, his ears were down as he let out a soft whine. She was silent, before sighing, "A group of three isn't too bad."

Quincy clapped, "Yay for groups of friends!"

Bari smiled, "I really don't want to be alone...After the whole thing with um...With Brick, I want to be able to connect with the others more...And I don't want to mess up on them."

Brooke frowned, "I was hoping to talk to Quincy about the crush...I suppose it can wait another time."

She facepalmed, "It is true that you cannot say no to a puppy's eyes?"

The Baltoy deer were walking through the woods in silence, before Mimi glanced at her teammates in confusion, "I am confused...Why are you all being so quiet?"

Gareth blinked, before looking down, "Aren't we supposed to be quiet when hiding?"

Juvia rose a brow, before giving him a frown, "Gareth, she has a point. You usually aren't this quiet."

The lion looked down sadly, "Well..I-It's nothing…"

Mimi deadpanned, "Well, okay. If you do not want to talk-"

The Luxio let out a sniffle, before giving the two ghosts a teary eyed look, "I'm worried about Violet! She got hurt and she wasn't awake when they took her to the scary shack! W-What if she doesn't wake up?! Or worse...What if she wakes up and forgets about our friendship!"

She gave him a look, "One, please lower your voice, and two...She's fine. She will wake up in a few hours, it was only a can of beans that hit her."

Juvia nodded with a soft smiled, "Yeah Gareth, Violet's perfectly fine."

Gareth looked away in worry, "But...She wasn't awake…"

Nedrick rose a hand, "Actually, if the can hit her on a certain spot of the head, technically she could have gone into a coma, or have a major brain injury that would lead to her having to be medevaced, or if it was really bad, it could have shattered the side of it and potentially killed her-"

Mimi used a shadowy arm to silence the bug, "Stop talking right now."

Juvia nodded quickly, before noticing a new expression form on Gareth's face, "Um...Pudding pal?"

The Luxio's eyes were wide in fear, before he shook it away as he ran ahead of them, "I...I have to go check on her! I have to make sure she's fine!"

The Mimikyu groaned, before following him, "Gareth, stop! What is up with you?"

Juvia's eyes were on the brink of tears herself, before racing after the lion, "Please Gar, Neddy didn't mean it! V-Violet's fine!"

As the three booked it into the trees, Nedrick stood there, "...Was it something I said?"

Gareth was shaking slightly as he hugged himself with a whimper, "I...I can't be the reason she's so hurt...I could have stopped it! W-What if what Nedrick said was true?! W-What if I lose my friend?"

He held his head, "Why...Why am I so worried?!"

Mimi gave the camera a confused look, "I am hardly around Gareth, but I have never seen him act this strange...I understand he is worried for his friend, but...Why is he acting like he'll never see her?"

The hunters were able to search the area, as the Basculin walked through the forest with their paintball guns up. Cynthia looked around, before whispering, "How far do you think the deer went?"

Nazira shrugged, still looking a little uncomfortable, "I'm not sure, but-" She cut herself off, as she noticed Chad was sniffing the ground, before getting into a pose, "...'Da hell are 'ya doin'?"

The Machoke smirked to himself, "Figuring out if the deer have been through here, duh. I see them do it on TV all the time!"

The two girls glanced at one another, before Nazira deadpanned, "I...I don' 'dink-"

The Machoke suddenly let out a battlecry of sorts, running forward with determination in his eyes, as he screamed, "No mercy, no surrenders!"

As the two girls watched him leave, Cynthia smiled softly, "He's cute isn't he?"

Nazira rose a brow, "We literally jus' saw him sniff 'da ground."

The fox shrugged with a small smile, "And it was cute." She looked ahead, before turning back towards her as she walked ahead, "Anyways, what's the deal with you and that boy from the other team?"

The ghost deadpanned, "Gotta be more specific 'den 'dat. Do 'ya mean 'da freaky one, 'da panicky one, 'da dumb one, or 'da dorky one."

She smirked, "The only one you talk to and have been spending some time with."

The ghost gave her a look, before smiling, "Oh, 'ya mean Ned. 'Yah, we're friends."

The Ninetales rose a brow, "Friends who casually flirt with each other?"

She shrugged, "Eh, poor fool has a little crush on me, so I like 'ta tease him a bit 'bout it. Won' deny 'da boy is cute, but he ain' exactly someone I'd consider datin'."

Cynthia smiled, "Really? I think you two would be cute together."

The Mismagius chuckled, "Please princess, I'd need someone with a little meat on 'deir bones. 'Dat guy is 'bout as skinny as a twig."

The Ninetales shrugged, "I'm just saying why not give him a chance? He might actually surprise you."

The ghost rolled her eyes playfully, before the two heard something in the distance, "Guys? I'm sorry about the things I said, just come on out."

The two suddenly stopped, before Nazira smirked, "Speakin' of 'da devil."

Cynthia glanced at her with a small smile, "Do you want to handle it or do I get the honor?"

The Mismagius scoffed, "Please, I ain' lettin' 'ya take down 'da first target. He'd still be movin afterwards if 'ya did it."

The fox rolled her eyes, before turning away, "Then I'll leave you to it, just don't go too easy on him."

Nazira deadpanned, "Do I look like 'da type who goes easy on anybody?"

She giggled softly, before walking away, "Good luck."

As she said this, a certain Ninjask popped out of the bushes, as he suddenly cut off his shouting upon seeing Nazira. A faint blush formed on his face, as he said, "Um...Hey-"

He let out a yelp as he narrowly ducked under a paintball, as Nazira smirked deviously at him, "No time for small talk, hon. Now is 'da time for action."

The bug blinked, before smirking, as he flew off, "Well, you gotta catch me before you can bag me!"

The Mismagius chuckled, as she flew after him, "Oh, jus' 'ya wait dork, I'll make a good mantle out of 'ya!"

As the two flew off though, Cynthia walked out from behind one of the trees, before smiling, "Yeah, they make a good pair."

Cynthia smiled at the camera, "All my time being around Nazira and yet I have never seen her act so...Playful with someone of the opposing team...Or anyone. I really think she might like him in some way, and I find it cute."

Chad looked very aware, as he glanced around the confessional. After a moment, he smiled at the camera, "Trust me dudes, I've seen tons of movies based around one insanely jacked guy versus an entire army! And if one guy can take down an entire battalion of bros, then I think I can take on a few little deer."

He chuckled, "Yep, today is gonna be the Bridgewood's time to shine, dudes!"

The hunters from the Baltoy were walking, as Kanaya looked over her gun with a confused look, "How do you work this thing?"

Isabel smiled at her, "All you have to do is just make sure the thing is loaded and keep you hand on the trigger. Oh, and by the way," she nodded to the String Shot that was keeping her hand to her gun, as she turned her smile on Zetsu, "Thanks for this by the way. Now I may actually land a shot on something."

The Larvesta nodded, "Yeah, no problem...I just hope that I don't come across Tempest…"

Doc snickered, "Oh yeah, forgot you refuse to shoot your girlfriend. I'd call that super weak if I didn't respect the heck out of it."

Zetsu rolled his eyes, "I...I might be able to do it to someone else, but not to her...Literally, she's fast. I doubt I can even get a good aim on her."

Kanaya smiled brightly, "Aww...That's so cute, just admit you don't want to hurt her."

Isabel nodded, "Yeah, it's already kinda transparent, so just admit it."

The larva gave them a look, "Fine...I don't want to hurt her."

The Gardevoir giggled, "So cute," she looked ahead with a hum, "Speaking of not getting hurt, I do hope the others haven't been spotted yet."

Doc smiled, "Eh, knowing Mimi, she's probably so far out of their range that she's literally in Hawaii. She's too smart to just get caught."

Zetsu shrugged, "Hopefully, the other team has some good and athletic looking hunters...I wonder how painful it is to get shot by one of these things...I would not want to find out."

The Spiritomb chuckled, "Oh, it hurts badly without any armor. Literally can leave major bruises that don't go away for weeks, and it can even draw blood!"*

The three looked at him, as the larva cleared his throat, "...I'm so happy to be a hunter right now."

Kanaya nodded quickly, "Me too."

Kanaya looked over the paintball gun once more, "I'm...I'm so nervous to actually use this."

Zetsu groaned, "I really do hope Tempest can use her amazing speed and size to dodge or evade any paintballs...As worried as I am, I...I trust that she can do it."

The three deer from the Basculin were walking, as Bari sniffed around, "I um...I don't smell anyone nearby."

Brooke looked around, before nodding, "Hopefully, I do not feel like being in pain...And being dirty."

The Lycanroc tilted his head, "Being dirty is fun!"

She deadpanned, "No."

Quincy chuckled, "My momma always told me whenever she was gonna get dirty that I couldn't come back to the house for a few hours. I never saw her covered in anything though, so sometimes I wondered if she took really fast showers."

Brooke rose a brow while Bari glanced away with an uncomfortable expression, before the latter shook his head, "A-Anyways...Why do you not like getting dirty?"

The fairy shrugged, "I don't mind, but I prefer not to. It is something I was taught to avoid."

The Lycanroc blinked, "That's a weird thing to be taught."

Brooke glanced around the forest, "I suggest we be quiet now. Who knows if there are hunters near us."

Quincy smiled, "But all of the hunters seemed really nice."

Bari shuddered, "N-Not that ghost...He looked ready to shoot us all in the heads."

The Togetic nodded, "I agree, so let us try and avoid him."

Bari gulped, "I…I just...I don't like the idea of getting shot either...And I really do think that guy looked as if he was dead set on shooting…"

Brooke gave the camera a confused look, "The other team may seem nice, but I know they want to win. Like I said before, I do not want to be in pain or dirty."

Gareth was still running through the forest with the two ghosts following him, as he let out a sigh of relief, "Oh good! I can see the cabins from here!"

Mimi gave him a look, "Gareth, it's not safe to be out there. You will be spotted easily and you will be shot down in cold paint."

He turned his head back as he continued to run, "It'll only be for a second! I just need to see her!"

As he said this though, a large splat of bright blue paint splattered against the ground in front of the lion, causing him to come to a grinding halt. As he did this, Chad stepped out of the bushes, a smirk on his face, "Sorry little dude, but it looks like I gotta take you down!"

The Mimikyu sighed, before taking a step back, "Gareth, this is really the time to run in the opposite direction."

The Luxio stood there though, before whimpering out, "N-No...I can't! I need to get to the infirmary, even if it means I'm hit! I'm not going to abandon my friend!"

The Machoke suddenly stopped walking, a look on his face, "Wait, you're checking on your friend?"

The lion nodded quickly, "Yeah, Violet got hit by a can and she wasn't awake afterwards, so I want to check to see if she's awake, so I can say sorry and maybe help her feel better with a smile!"

Chad stared at him, before walking over to him and patting him on the back, "Bro, I respect the hell outta that." He pushed the lion forward, "Get outta here you crazy kid."

Gareth gave him a bright smile, before rushing ahead, "Thank you! I won't forget your kindness!"

Mimi blinked at the scene, before sighing, "Well he's gone...I'm going to just...Hide."

Chad nodded, "Yep, probably a good idea brah...Also wasn't there another ghost with you just a second ago?"

The Mimikyu turned to where Juvia once was, before sighing, "Alone once again."

Juvia glanced at the ground, before stating, "I...I had to make sure that Gareth would be okay if anything were wrong. So...I sorta snuck off when Chad and him were talking so I could keep following him...Am I a bad person for that?"

Gareth smiled slightly at the camera, "I...I was pretty scared, but the big strong guy was really nice about it! I owe him the biggest of thanks!"

He gave the camera a determined look, "Now...I must make sure that Violet is okay!"

Cynthia walked through the woods, looking around the forest for any sign of the opposing deer, before sighing, "They're really good at hiding, I'll give them that."

She continued to walk, stopping when she heard a noise. The fox ducked behind a bush, before peering her head up, frowning when she only saw two players from the other team holding their own paintball guns, "Only some of the hunters..."

As she hid though, she heard a certain voice, "I'm telling you, shooting that guy in the eye with one of these things and seeing it explode was one of the highlights of my life." Cynthia's eyes widened.

She quickly covered her mouth, before whispering, "Who is he talking about?"

A different voice let out a sigh, "Please don't tell me this, it's disturbing."

"Oh come on Zetty, you make it seem like I'll shoot you in the eye...Then again-"

"Don't call me Zetty, and don't you even dare- H-Hey don't point that at me!"

Cynthia's eyes were wide, before she backed away from the shrub, quickly running in the opposite direction as she shook her head, "They really are crazy…"

"So, you guys totally saw her too, right?"

"Get this gun out of my face!"

Cynthia gave the camera a look of disturbance, "I'm going to avoid them at all cost."

Doc smiled, "Yeah, I was totally only talking about that to freak all of them out. It worked pretty well."

Zetsu gave the camera an annoyed look, "I was more annoyed at the fact he called me Zetty...That's a stupid nickname."

Walking through the forest, Kanaya was with Isabel, as she smiled at her, "I wonder why the boys wanted to take a different route. It was kind of fun with all of us together."

Isabel deadpanned, "They didn't, we split off while Doc was talking about exploding eyes."

The Gardevoir blinked, "I was just thinking he was talking about the little Halloween gummy eyes…It still sounds rather gross now that I think about it."

The Leavanny shivered, "Either way I didn't really want to hear it."

She smiled, "It's okay, because if we split up then we might have a better chance at finding someone, but...I don't really want to shoot at anyone."

The bug nodded, before sighing, "By the way Kanaya, now that we're alone, there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

Kanaya gave her a confused look, "Oh, um...Sure, you can talk to me about anythin-"

"Juvia showed me the magazines."

She stared at her with a small smile, before it slowly formed into a look of terror as she covered her now blushing face, "I keep trying to hide them, but she always seems to find them! P-Please don't hate me for it! I promise you that I am not a-"

Isabel chuckled, "Kanaya, it's fine that you're into girls. I don't mind at all."

The Gardevoir blinked, "You...You don't mind? Really?"

The Leavanny nodded, "Well, yeah. Heck, I'm into both sides of the coin, so it'd be kinda weird for me to judge you for it."

The psychic type let out a sigh of relief, "Oh thank goodness, I don't really put my sexuality out there, just in case it makes anyone else...Uncomfortable."

Isabel shrugged, "Eh, I'm pretty open about it, mostly cause if it upsets anyone, I'd usually just punch them in the nose. Though you aren't the type to do that, so it makes sense."

Kanaya nodded with a sheepish smile, "Yes, besides it's not like I would ever have a girlfriend or anything like that, so I'm fine with how things are right now with it being hidden...Or was hidden considering I just announced it on television."

The bug rose a brow, "Why wouldn't you want a girlfriend?"

The Gardevoir glanced to the side, "I...I feel that I'm just not fit to be in a relationship. I'd prefer setting others up with each other and not with me."

The Leavanny smiled at her, "Kanaya, you're honestly the sweetest person I've ever met. I'd place some bets that a lotta people would wanna see under that dress of yours in a more," she put on a fake Spanish accent while giving her a coy look, "Personal way~"

The psychic type blushed a bright red, before she turned around, "P-Please don't say things like that! It's embarrassing!"

Isabel blinked, before smirking, "I kinda want to now since you're so red."

Kanaya covered her face with a groan, "C-Come on, Isabel...I feel like I'm going to explode!"

"Explode in the metaphorical sense or the pleasurable sense."

"I-Isabel!"

Isabel was laughing hysterically in the confessional, "Back home, I actually have a friend like Kanaya; nice, kinda perverted in some ways, easily blushes. Well, usually during our play rehearsals at school, I'd sometimes joke about certain subjects, and I swear, she acted the exact way Kanaya was. I'd apologize if it wasn't so adorably funny!"

Kanaya was blushing, before crossing her arms with a grumble, "That was so embarrassing...I can't believe she said such...Such words like that! J-Just thinking about it is...Ugh!"

She covered her face once more, before looking down, "Even if that was less than enjoyable for me...I'm glad she doesn't mind my preference, and that she's still willing to be my friend."

"Can't catch me! Literally, I have a much higher speed-"

"I don' care about 'ya fancy levels or stats, hon, cause it don' change 'da fact I'm takin' 'ya down!"

Nedrick couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he easily avoided every paintball sent his way, as Nazira struggled to keep up with the Ninjask. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the boy was quick, much faster than her in just about every way. What took her at least a minute or so to do he could do in half the time and not even looked winded, and that was just talking something small like going a quarter of a mile or so. As far as she knew, they had been keeping up this back and forth act for upwards of a few miles, and somehow she had been taking enough shortcuts through the trees to keep up with him. At least she knew she might be in better shape than most of her species.

As she floated after him, she could hear him say, "What, having trouble keeping up? Expected, considering-"

The ghost growled, though less out of anger and more out of the annoyance of trying to catch up, "Choose 'ya next words carefully, cause I am in no mood 'ta be pissed off right now."

"Sorry, I'll shut up!"

The Mismagius rolled her eyes, before noticing something; his wings, which usually flew so fast that they were near invisible, were obvious to the eye under the bright sun above. She blinked to herself, before smirking. She quickly took aim towards the wings, as she began to shoot off a series of paintballs. Most of them missed, but luckily, one at hit dead-on, causing the Ninjask to let out a small scream as he fell towards the ground, hitting a tree face first before collapsing into a bush below. The ghost's eyes widened, as she floated over to him, "Oh god, Ned! Crap, I'm sorry suga', I didn' expect 'dat 'ta happen."

The Ninjask let out a groan, before saying, "Nah...It's cool...Gotta get used to the pain at some point."

The ghost let out a short sigh, before saying, "Eh, regardless, 'dat probably hurt a lot more than I intended it 'ta, so…" She groaned, before turning away, "I'll give 'ya a five second headstart before I start chasin' 'ya again."

The bug blinked, before letting out a small sound of thanks as he flew off. The Mismagius glanced at him, before beginning to count to herself as she degraded her decision in her head.

Nedrick was glancing at his slightly injured wing, before flinching a bit after poking it, "Okay, note to self; do not get hit by one of those. They sting pretty bad, and to be honest, it might be a little hard to fly with this thing now."

He groaned, "To be honest, I probably should get my head in the game when I'm around her, since I doubt that I would have been so willing to crack jokes or snark at anyone else while in the middle of this kind of game...But Nazira," he sighed dreamily, "She's just so amazing. I can't help but feel a little distracted by some as strong as her...Does that sound cheesy? Kinda sounds cheesy in my opinion...What if she likes cheesy stuff?"

The bug tapped his chin, before smiling, "Eh, I'll try it out later, see how it goes for me."

Bari was sniffing the ground as he walked ahead of his two teammates. Brooke was staring ahead with a bored expression, before turning to Quincy, "Have you ever been hit by a paintball before?"

He shook his head, "No, my mom never let me leave the house or visit family, so I could never try it out."

She nodded, "I see, so this is a new experience for both of us…"

Bari stood up, before turning towards them, "...I still smell nothing."

The fairy deadpanned, "Though on second thought, we may not be caught in the end."

Quincy smiled, "Still, it's nice to be spending time with you. You're very friendly."

Brooke blinked, before glancing away, "T-Thank you...I...I actually need to tell you-"

She was cut off when Bari got in between them, pulling them both into a hug with a smile, "We're a great team, right?"

The Togetic gave him a look, before sighing, "...Yes, we are."

Quincy continued to smile, as returned the dog's hug, "Yay for teamwork!"

Bari smiled as he cheered, "Teamwork is the best work!"

As the two hugged, Brooke crossed her arms with an annoyed look, "Yay teamwork...Yay."

Bari smiled at the camera, "It's so relaxing not getting yelled at constantly...I...I feel like I'm actually making true friends! I'm so glad they feel the same way!"

Brooke gave the camera a look, "Maybe it's better this way...I'd rather not tell him something important with a third wheel...No offense to Bari."

Gareth was crawling towards the infirmary, looking around, before quickly opening the door and going inside, shutting it with a sigh of relief, "Made it just in time." He looked around the room, before walking towards the beds, looking at each of them, before grinning when he sees one being occupied, "Violet?"

He quickly rushed towards the blanket, pulling it off, before his eyes widened as he quickly placed the blanket back over the thing he saw, "Not Violet…" He looked around some the room once more, before noticing another bed that held a familiar gray cat. He let out a sigh of relief, before walking towards the bed with a smile, looking down at her, "You're still sleeping too...I'm so sorry, Violet."

The Luxio looked down in shame, "I was right beside you and I couldn't push you out of the way or anything...It's my fault you got hurt, especially when you seemed so worried about me," he blinked, before scratching his cheek, "That's surprising too...Well not that you don't worry, m-more like you don't show it much…"

Gareth suddenly let out a weak chuckle, before looking down at her, "This is so weird...I'm just talking to you so easily, and I know you can't even hear me or anything, but that's fine. This is how it is at home for me, because my mom doesn't like to talk to me, but she lets me talk to her all the time, so this is like normal," he sighed softly, "At least I know you'd listen if you could...And you respond too...Even if it's kind of in a mean way, but you've gotten real nicer since we made milkshakes together! You smile more, you laughed once...Sort of, and you seem to care about me as a friend."

He was silent for a moment, before he glanced towards the window, "You know...Before you and Juvia, I never had a friend, so you two really make me happy. But...For some reason I just feel happier around you...Like, I want to make you smile, laugh, and I want you to enjoy something in life for once...I want to make you happy."

After a moment, he facepalmed, "Why do I feel so weird? This is actually kind of strange too, like...I'm just talking to myself while you sleep," he glanced down at her once more, before sighing as he placed a paw on her head, "...I think I should go now, but as long as you're safe then I shouldn't worry...Um...Rest well, Violet."

Gareth moved his paw back, before slowly turning to walk away from her bed, his face scrunched up in concentration, as he opened the door with a small sigh, "I still feel weird…But, I can't abandon my teammates...And she should rest alone."

He glanced at her one last time, before leaving completely, shutting the door behind him without even noticing the bright white light beginning to form. As he walked out, he let out a loud sigh, before hearing a soft voice above him, "So...Is she okay?"

The Luxio's eyes widened, before he looked up, "O-Oh, hey Juvia...Yeah, she's still asleep, but she seems fine to me."

The Shuppet stared at him, "...Gareth, are you okay? And I want the truth. You seem...Conflicted."

He frowned, before giving her a confused look, "I'm...I'm not too sure how to answer you, Juvia...I'm confused, but...I don't know what I'm confused about really...It's hard to explain."

She gave him a slight smile, "That's fine, Gar." Her smile began to brighten, "I feel like that all the time myself."

Gareth blinked, before giving her a small smile, "Yeah, lets um...Let's just go back and be deer, alright? We won't let any mean hunters catch us!"

She similarly cheered, "Yay!"

Gareth looked at the camera, before letting out a sigh, "This day really isn't so fun...I just want it to end, and I also want Violet to wake up soon...Maybe I should re-apologize when she's awake with a milkshake...Only without peanuts!"

He gave the camera a smile, before it faltered, "...I don't feel like being happy right now."

Mimi was speed walking through the forest, glancing behind her with a sigh, "I still feel like I'm being followed." She looked towards the side, noticing a shaded area as she quickly moved over to it, blending in with the shadows, before glancing back at the main road of the forest.

She continued to stare at it, blinking when only a small Patrat passes through, as she let out a sigh, "Oh...It was just that thing."

"Nope! Sorry to burst your bubble brah, but I've been trailing you."

The Mimikyu deadpanned, "You're not supposed to blow your cover like that, unless you already hit me." She quickly left the hiding spot, continuing to move ahead.

Chad popped his head out of the bushes, "Huh...Guess she's- Oh wait a minute!" He prepared his paintball gun, and began to unload shot after shot. To his surprise though, none of them actually hit her.

Mimi continued to run forward, before she glanced back at him as she started phasing into the ground, "Next time, please try aiming."

Mimi looked around the confessional, before giving the camera a look, "I got lucky, but if he did aim then I would have not been lucky."

She sighed, "I also hope I do not have to do anymore running after this."

Chad slammed his head against the wall, before groaning, "That was such a fail on my part, bros."

Zetsu let out a sigh as he walked through the forest, glancing around the area, before looking at the ghost beside him, "Do you think we'll find anyone? It feels like it's been hours."

Doc nodded, a smirk forming, "Yeah, we will. In fact, I've actually been tracking a little pupper for awhile now," he made a dramatic pose, "Through my mind and stuff!"

The larva gave him a look, "I highly doubt that."

He shrugged, "You'll see~"

The fire bug sighed, "Doc, I really don't think you can track someone with your mind-" He stopped himself when he noticed a group of three deer walking towards them. The two groups stared at each other for a moment, before he glanced at Doc, "...Okay, so maybe you actually can."

Doc blinked, "...I can? Wow, I was totally lying."

Brooke looked at Bari, "I thought you said no one was around?"

The puppy whimpered, "I...I didn't smell them."

Doc smirked, "You get I'm a ghost and Zetsu's a bug that literally has no smell besides the fact it kinda burns...Actually maybe he just has bad body odor."

Zetsu gave him a look, "...I don't know how I'm able to put up with you. Anyways, we really should focus on- H-Hey!" He watched as the three deer ran off, "They're getting away!"

The Spiritomb gave him a devious look, before taking aim, "Not for long…" As he said this, he unloaded a few shots in their direction, one of which hit Bari right in the back of the leg, causing the Lycanroc to let out a yelp as he fell forward, knocking Quincy to the ground with him. The ghost chuckled, "Bullseye!"

Brooke stopped, before turning towards the injured dog, "Bari!"

The Lycanroc whimpered, before moving an arm up towards her, "Just...Just go on without me!"

Quincy groaned, "You're on top of me though…"

Bari blinked, before quickly getting off of him, "S-Sorry! I really am!" He yelped when more paintballs were fired, "You guys need to get out of here!"

Brooke deadpanned, "Duh, now let's go and quickly-" Quincy suddenly stood up, before quickly picking up Bari and throwing him over his shoulder. After a moment, he began to let out a warcry as he ran forward, narrowly avoiding every shot. The Togetic looked on in shock, before following them, "...I will never understand this man...I like it."

As she said this, Doc continued to fire off shots, as Zetsu watched him, "...How are you not running out of paintballs?"

Doc gave him a look, "You get these things can hold hundreds of these, right?"

The larva shrugged, "I don't shoot things, so I don't know! We should follow them though, since that's basically all of them."

The ghost rose a brow, "What about Tem-"

He gave him a glare, "Basically all of them."

Doc blinked, before sighing, "Yeah, let's follow them...And seriously, you're kinda scary when mad."

Zetsu rose a brow, before shrugging as he walked ahead, "Whatever, let's just hope they didn't go off too far...That water guy was super fast."

Brooke frowned, "We were spotted and Bari was hit, but thankfully we were able to get away on time...It was actually fun running away for once."

Zetsu gave the camera a confused look, "Me scary? I'm far from scary, so that's probably just him being dramatic."

He sighed, "Well, aside from that...It's time for me to actually shoot someone...Oh boy."

Bari held his leg in pain, "That really stung! Why is it always me getting hurt?!"

Quincy smiled, "I'm really strong. My mommy says it runs in the family. I remember one time I didn't clean my room, so my mom threw my bed through the window."

Kanaya was walking ahead of Isabel, before letting out a sigh, "I feel like we're just walking in circles."

The Leavanny nodded, "Yeah, cause I swear I've seen that tree with the spoon in it four times so far."

The Gardevoir gasped, before grabbing her by the shoulders, "We're lost! We're going to never return to the outside world again, Isabel! What do we do?!"

The bug blinked, before sighing, "Kanaya, calm down. This isn't that big of an island. If we're really lost, we can just walk back-"

She gave her a look as she shook her, "Walk back? How do we walk back when we've been walking in circles?! We're doomed, Isabel! We're doomed!"

Isabel stared at her, before stating, "Okay, Kanaya, look me in the eyes, and just breathe for a moment. You're freaking out."

Kanaya frowned, before looking up at her, letting out a small breath, "Okay...I feel better...Sorry, I guess I kind of pulled a Zetsu there."

She let out a small chuckle at the comment, before saying, "You feeling a little better now?"

The psychic type nodded with a smile, "Yep! Thank you very much, Isabel...Though I would appreciate it if we found a way out of this area."

The Leavanny nodded, before saying, "Let's go find a-" As she said this though, a loud boom could be heard, as a streak of lightning broke through the leaves of the trees and suddenly struck the bug, causing her to let out a scream as a few thousand volts of electricity ran through her. After a moment, it stopped, and after another second had passed, she fell to the ground, now unconscious due to the electric attack.

Kanaya watched with her eyes widened in shock, before she knelt down beside her, "I-Isabel! How did we get…" She suddenly gulped as she looked around nervously, "...T-Tempest?"

No response was heard, before the Joltik's cackling echoed through the trees, "Oh, is someone nervous of the great and powerful Tempest?"

She shrunk back slightly, "Well...I kind of am considering you just harmed my friend...Why would you hurt her?"

"Because compared to you, she was actually strong. Take out warriors, leave the pathetic peasants."

The Gardevoir blinked, before pointing at herself, "So you won't hurt me?"

The cackling only grew in volume, as the psychic shrunk back even further, "Nah, too worthless. Tempest harm those worth harming. You're useless to team and everyone around you, so Tempest feel no need to hurt you, especially when already hurting self."

Kanaya frowned, before looking down at the bug in her arms, "But I've been trying really hard these past few challenges! I know I'm not strong like Isabel or the others, but I do think I've been doing a decent job-"

"Silence! Tempest wish not to hear petty graveling!" The Gardevoir flinched at this, before Tempest continued, "Psychic demon is terrible for efforts. Useless to all, including self in every way! Can't even fight, so worthless as a warrior of the game! Can't heal, so careless in terms of a healer! Too loud, so awful rogue of all trades! You are nothing to Tempest!"

The psychic type frowned, before looking down sadly, "I...I am awful...I actually am causing my teammates to struggle and work harder because I can't…"

As she said this, Tempest suddenly jumped down from trees, before glaring at the Gardevoir, "Until you have grown stronger, never speak to this grand warrior again! Tempest has no time for fodder." The Joltik suddenly sprinted off into the woods, leaving the psychic alone.

Kanaya looked at the camera, before looking down, "I really thought I was doing pretty good, but it seems I haven't...I'm not that smart like Violet, I'm not social like Gareth, and I'm not very fun like Mimi, Juvia, and the boys, and I'm no leader like Isabel...I'm just...I'm weak I guess."

Nedrick was currently flying for his life...Or at least he thought he was in a way. In all reality he truly wasn't in any real danger, considering the worst that would happen to him was probably getting hit in the back of the head by a paintball, which still wasn't something he was entirely up for. As he flew past a tree, a paintball splattered against a tree nearby, causing him to yelp in fear.

As this happened, he heard something a decent distance away, "Oh, what's wrong, scared by a little paintball?"

The Ninjask gulped as he began to fly at a faster speed, bobbing and weaving around the multiple pieces of foliage around him in all directions. As this happened, he happened to fly behind a rock, causing Nazira to smirk to herself. Quickly approaching it, she floated through the immobile object, and phased through the other side, quickly beginning to unload a few shots...Only for them to hit nothing. The bug had disappeared.

Nazira rose a brow, continuing forward while muttering, "Where did 'dat guy go?"

As she did this though, she didn't seem to notice the Ninjask snickering to himself in the trees as she passed by. When she was gone, he sighed happily, "She really is cute when she's confused...Okay that sounds kinda weird when I think about it." He shrugged to himself before flying off.

Nazira smirked at the camera, "Huh, so 'da bug actually got away...Guess I underestimated 'da guy. Maybe 'da fool is a bit more sneaky then how I pegged him."

She chuckled to herself, "Not bad...Not bad at all."

Cynthia walked alone in complete silence, before coming to a stop with a tired sigh, "Starting to regret not eating the beans like most of the others." She shook her head, returning to her usual walk, "I am confused on how I still haven't come across anyone, not even those on the same team as myself."

The fox suddenly stopped with a frown, "Well, anyone but those two from the other team are fine." With that, she continued on with her walk in utter silence, except for the growls of her stomach, aching for food.

Cynthia rose a brow at the camera, "I should consider taking a different route, because I am having no luck in finding any deer."

She hummed with an amused smile, "Maybe I should have been a deer."

Looking through the forest, Zetsu groaned as he continued to walk, "Okay, so we officially lost the other team's entire group of deer...And yes, I said entire, Doc. You do not need to mention the other one to me."

The Spiritomb shrugged, "Eh, no real reason to mention it."

The Larvesta rolled his eyes, before sighing, "We're going to be in so much trouble...If Kanaya and Isabel found out, then we'd be in major trouble."

Doc shook his head, "Nah, we'd only be in trouble if Isabel found out. Kanaya isn't very intimidating."

He blinked, before chuckling, "Oh yeah, but she'd be disappointed, and she's pretty cool so...I wouldn't want to disappoint her or anyone from our team."

The ghost shrugged, "I mean, I shot Bari. I think that already means I've done well."

The Larvesta gave him a look, "Yeah, but do you know who our deer are? Two of them are loud and the other one...She might actually not have gotten hit, but still. The other team might have got to our team too!"

The Spiritomb rose a brow, "How come you didn't bring up Neddy?"

Zetsu smirked, "Oh, I have no reason to worry about him. He's pretty stealthy when he can be...Considering he nearly gives me a heart attack every single day."

Doc nodded, before raising a brow, "...Yo...Is that your girlfriend across that river?"

The larva blinked, before turning towards the small river, noticing a familiar bright yellow spider, "...It is."

The Spiritomb blinked, before raising a gun, "Well, time to shoot her."

His eyes widened, before he jumped in front of him, "No, no, no! You are not going to shoot my girlfriend! These paintballs can seriously harm, if not then kill her!"

The ghost deadpanned, "Then I'll aim for her legs. No offense dude, but I doubt the hosts would have made her a deer if she was actually at risk."

Zetsu glared at him, before pointing his gun at him, "I don't care, Doc. You aren't touching her."

Doc rose a brow, "Are...Are you threatening m-"

He was cut off when Zetsu's paintball gun fired straight at him, knocking him down to the ground as the bug's eyes widened slightly, "...Oh no...I...I actually pulled the trigger!"

Doc laid on the ground, his ghostly form keeping the paintballs inside them as their brightly colored insides began to spread through his body, before he...Laughed. He continued to cackle, before saying, "Holy crap, dude, you actually shot me!"

The Larvesta stared at him for a moment, before he facepalmed, "Doc! Don't scare me like that! I actually thought I hurt you!"

The ghost continued to laugh, "No, you actually did! I'm in horrible pain!" He continued to chuckle, before saying in a calm voice, "But seriously, mad respect for actually defending your girl like that."

He watched him laugh, before letting out a weak chuckle of his own, "Thanks I guess, but I really am sorry...I'm protective with her...Despite knowing how powerful she is."

The Spiritomb nodded, "Eh, it's cool...Maybe go check on her though. She ran off the second you shot me."

The larva gulped, before nodding as he moved ahead, "Okay, and sorry again, Doc!"

The ghost smiled to himself, before glancing down. He groaned, "Dang, the paintballs broke the little statue Mimi gave me…Hopefully that doesn't mean anything."

Zetsu groaned, "I can't believe I actually did that! What if it was a real gun?! I know that couldn't really do much to a ghost still, but just me actually firing at someone point blank! I strangely enjoyed it!"

He blinked, "Oh, I still feel bad, but I'm freaking out about how I got a rush out of it...I really need to go back to my boring job, I feel like I'm becoming crazy here."

He was silent for a few seconds, before his eyes widened, "Speaking of crazy...What if I actually did scare Tempest? That sounds impossible though, she doesn't seem scared of anything...But she ran off after I shot Doc! What if she hates me?! What if she doesn't want to see me again after that?! What if-"

Walking through the woods, Cynthia was looking down at the ground, mentally counting all the pebbles she passed by, before sighing, "Still no sight of anyone. Nazira is probably flirting with her new friend, Chad is doing his own work...And I have yet to spot any of our so called deer." She let out a sigh, "It's so weird not being around my more than enthusiastic group of teammates...I'd love to at least see one of them so I wouldn't feel so...Alone."

As she said this, a loud scream was heard, as she glanced up just enough to see Chad flying downwards towards the ground, before becoming engraved in it. After a moment, he let out a groan, "Well, that hurt."

The fox blinked in surprise, before she walked towards the Machoke, looking down at him with a worried expression, "Are you okay, Chad?"

As he pushed himself off the ground, as he nodded, "Yeah, I've gotten hurt worse from playing football. People can act insane while playing that, brah."

She frowned, "What happened anyways? Did you come across another bear?"

He shook his head, "Nah, was chasing this ghost girl, and then she used this giant shadow arm to throw me across the island. I could see our cabins!"

Cynthia rose a brow, before letting out a sigh, "Well, at least you're okay now, and even better I have some company."

The Machoke nodded, "That reminds me, how has the hunt been going for you?"

The Ninetales flinched, "Not too well...I haven't found anyone since Nazira and I split...You're actually the first person I've seen ever since."

He shrugged, "Eh, that's cool. I saw the little lion dude, and then the ghost girl...Didn't hit either of them though."

She hummed, "They must be very good at evading your attacks...The other team really is no joke."

Chad groaned, "Man, they have just been dominating us lately."

The fox gave him a weak smile, "Don't worry, I'm sure our luck will turn soon. Let's try and find someone to get some points."

He nodded, as he ran forward, "Yeah, let's do this!"

Cynthia blinked, before following him, "Let me catch up first!"

The Machoke glanced behind him, "What'd you say-" As he said this though, he suddenly tripped on a rock and fell forward...Right off a cliff, as he began to scream in terror as he fell.

Her eyes widened in shock as she ran towards the edge of the cliff, stopping as she stared down, "Chad! Please answer me if you can hear me!"

After a moment, a groan could be heard below, as Chad screamed, "I'm okay! I only feel a slight pain in the back of my head, but no worries, I'm used to it!"

The Ninetales let out a sigh of relief, "Stay right there, Chad! I'll be right down to help you!"

Chad chuckled, "Man, she seemed so worried. I don't really get why though. My old man always said afterall that I have a hard head...Wait a minut-"

Cynthia let out a sigh, "I thought he was dead! It was a pretty high fall, but I'm just glad he's alive...And strangely not too hurt...He really is an amazing guy."

She blushed a little, before smiling slightly, "What? I'm just admiring his strong physique...Nothing wrong with that."

Gareth and Juvia were going through the forest in silence, as the lion was looking down in thought, before he let out a sigh, "I'm sorry again for leaving you and Mimi...That wasn't really nice of me."

Juvia gave him a soft smile, "Gar, it's fine. I already told you I don't mind."

He frowned, "I know, but I shouldn't be abandoning anyone...Especially not my teammates. Because of that, Mimi is all alone somewhere…"

The Shuppet smiled, "Trust me, Mimi is fine. And you shouldn't keep beating yourself up, Gareth. You haven't done anything-"

The Luxio shook his head, about to say something before his eyes widened as he leaped to the side, "Look out!"

Juvia blinked, as she glanced around, before a bright paintball splattered against a tree nearby, causing paint to spray against the side of her head. She let out a yelp, as she floated behind said tree, "Who is that?!"

Gareth crawled towards a bush, before glancing up with a frown, "I can't see anyone...Um...Whoever you are, who are you?"

A flurry of paintballs suddenly landed near his head, as he heard, "I'm 'da one who's gonna kick 'ya butt!"

He blinked, before looking around as he ducked behind the bush, "W-Why? I don't want to get my butt kicked…"

Nazira popped out from behind a tree, as she groaned, "Duh, 'ya are 'da deer, so obviously I need 'ta take 'ya two out."

The Luxio frowned at her words, before he cleared his throat, "Well...You can take me out, but please don't hurt my pudding pal. She doesn't deserve to get hurt."

The ghost gave him a deadpan look, before immediately unloading half of her paintballs into the Luxio, causing him to let out a shriek of fear. As this happened, Juvia screamed, "Stop shooting, Gar!"

Nazira turned to the Shuppet, as she said, "...Fine, but now I'm gonna shoot 'ya-"

Gareth suddenly jumped out of the bush, soaking in paint, as he glared at the Mismagius, "No one hurts my pudding pal!" He immediately let out a bright electric thunderbolt at her, before quickly running past her once she was paralyzed, "Come on, Juvia! Before she shoots at us again!"

The Shuppet nodded, floating after him...Before floating back up to Nazira, "Sorry!" Afterwards, she quickly floated after Gareth again.

Juvia shook slightly in the confessional, before sighing, "I wish I could have done more there. In fact...I seem to not being doing much at all for anyone…"

Gareth flinched, now covered in bright blue paint as he let out a sigh, "I didn't think it would hurt so much, but it does!"

He shrugged with a weak smile, "At least Juvia didn't get hit, and that's all that really matters to me."

Kanaya and Isabel were once again walking through the forest once the latter had woken up. The two were in silence as the Gardevoir did not speak a word, seemingly lost in her own world as her eyes were narrowed in concentration. After a moment, Isabel glanced at her with a worried look, "Kanaya...Are you okay?"

She hummed, "Yes."

The Leavanny rose a brow, "Are you really sure? I've never seen you-"

Kanaya turned to give her a small glare, "I'm fine, Isabel."

The bug flinched back from the glare, "Did...Did you-"

The Gardevoir turned her head away, looking down with a frown as she began to speed walk ahead, "I'm sorry, but...I really don't feel like talking right now."

Isabel stared on in shock, before sighing. As she walked forward though, she noticed someone, "...Um…Hey Mimi."

Moving from her spot behind a tree, Mimi looked at her, "Hello. How is the hunt?"

The Leavanny shrugged, "Eh...Could be better."

The ghost nodded, before looking towards where Kanaya was still walking, "...She seems upset. Did something happen?"

The bug groaned, "I have no idea...If what she told me is true, Tempest knocked me out, and then...That's it."

She blinked, "That is confusing, but it must have made her upset in some way," she glanced at the retreating figure of the Gardevoir, "...I'll let you talk with her. You are closer to her than I am."

The Leavanny nodded, before saying, "Well, on a nicer note, how have things been with you and Doc?"

The Mimikyu deadpanned, "What is that supposed to mean?"

The bug stared at her, "...Aren't you two dating?"

Mimi stared at her for a moment, before slowly shaking her head, "...No...Why would you assume that?"

She shrugged, "Well, you two have one of the closest bonds on the island considering how often you hang out, he seems to think nothing but the world of you-"

The ghost gave her a look, "We are just friends and that is that. Please don't look too deep into it, because he does not think of me in such ways."

Isabel deadpanned, "Then why does he consider you the best person on the island, or treats you as if you're actually a princess sometimes, or give you cute little nicknames, his-"

Mimi deadpanned, "You are spending too much time with Kanaya."

She shrugged, "Besides, it's kinda obvious you have a crush on him."

The ghost blushed slightly, before instantly turning away, "No...I am very good at hiding it. I thought only Zetsu knew."

The bug shook her head, "Mimi, everyone can see it...Besides Doc oddly."

She looked down, "That is good. I'd prefer it if he didn't know, so please do not tell him."

Isabel nodded, "I won't...But you really should. I have no doubts that he'd be ecstatic to give you a chance."

The Mimikyu shook her head, "No, I would not want to complicate our friendship...It's special to me."

The two stood in a silence for a moment, before Isabel began to walk ahead, "I'm gonna go catch up with Kanaya. Seeya, Mimi."

Mimi gave her a small wave, before sighing, "...Goodbye."

Isabel sighed, "I do wonder why Kanaya's upset...But is it bad if I'm wondering how Mimi doesn't get that Doc might be crushing on her too is more questionable?"

Mimi gave the camera a look, "I am sure if it was obvious, then Doc doesn't notice because he doesn't want to...Or he genuinely doesn't see it. Either way, I'd prefer staying friends, because he's my first friend and I would not want to complicate or ruin that."

The trio of Basculin deer were now walking after losing the hunters, as Brooke looked down at Bari, "How is your leg feeling?"

The puppy whimpered, before giving her a thumbs up, "It's sore, but I can walk on it just fine now."

She nodded as she looked on ahead, "Good, and thankfully it seems like we lost those two, so we are safe for the moment."

Quincy smiled, "Good thing I'm really fast. Though now that I think about it," he held up his arm, revealing one splatter of paint on it, "I think I did get shot."

Bari blinked in surprise, "But...How did you not react to it earlier? T-Those things hurt!"

The Quagsire shrugged, "I didn't feel it."

The Lycanroc stared at him, "...You are very strong."

Brooke deadpanned, "It's because he eats plenty of spinach."

He lifted his ears up, "R-Really?!"

Quincy rose a brow, "What's spinach?"

The Togetic tilted her head, "You never had spinach before?"

He shook his head, "Nope."

She deadpanned, "Good, because it's awful."

Bari shrugged, "I...I just eat anything." His stomach suddenly growled, as he held it, "...Now I'm hungry."

Brooke blinked, "Then you can go look for food if you want-" She didn't even get the chance to finish as the puppy ran off with a happy bark, "...He acts too much like a dog...It's adorable."

Quincy nodded, "So, what did you want to tell me earlier."

She stared at him, "...Smoke weed everyday, bro."

He rose a brow, "...Um-"

The Togetic giggled softly, "I'm joking, but the thing I wanted to tell you...It's...I'm having some difficulty saying it now."

He smiled at her, "Trust me, you can tell me anything. We're friends."

She blinked, before looking to the side, "That is the thing I wanted to discuss about...I do not want to be friends with you anymore, Quincy."

The Quagsire blinked, before a saddened expression began to form, "...Wha-What?! What do you-"

Brooke pressed a paw to his lips, before looking at him with a small blush, "I...I want to be more than friends. I would like to be in a relationship with you, because I have a crush on you."

Quincy stared at her for a moment, his look of sadness now replaced with confusion, before saying, "...Okay."

The fairy blinked, before humming, "Huh...I was thinking of a more dramatic response, but it seems you are at least fine with it. Thank you very much for accepting my feelings." The two stood in awkward silence, before Brooke looked at him, "...Is this the part where we hug?"

Brooke tapped her chin, "I did not expect him to agree, but at least he did decide to give me a chance...I still feel funny around him...I thought this would go away if we established a relationship."

Quincy scratched the top of his head, "...What's a relationship again? I was never really taught what that was...Is it nice?"

Nedrick flew around the trees at top speeds, trying to make sure he kept himself high in the trees above in order to minimize those who spotted him. Ever since he evaded Nazira, he had been doing pretty well at avoiding everyone else. He had spotted a few people below, but still hadn't been seen himself, which was pretty lucky for him considering all three Basculin hunters were probably trying to track him and his teammates down.

He suddenly heard a small crack above him though. He blinked, glancing up, seeing nothing as flew just under the leaves. As he flew there motionless, he let out a hard breath, "Okay...That was honestly a lot more tense than I'd ever like to admit."

The Ninjask let out a small sigh of relief, before noticing a small blueberry bush below. He blinked, before smiling to himself, "Sweet, free grub."

He chuckled to himself, before flying down, and beginning to pick the bush for all it was worth. Soon enough, he had collected enough of them to feed him for the entire day, maybe even two if he really wanted. But considering he knew this challenge probably wouldn't last too much longer, he simply began to pop them into his mouth at his leisure. After a moment though, he heard low growling, as his eyes widened in fear.

The bug glanced behind him in fear, as his eyes only further widened to the size of a dinner plate, dropping all of his berries in the process. Standing in front of him was possibly the largest Ursaring he had ever seen in his life, as it continued to growl at the Ninjask. He blinked to himself, before saying, "...H-Hey-"

He was interrupted by the bear bringing down it's claws across his face.

Kanaya was walking through the forest with a conflicted expression, before she placed a hand on her head, "Thinking so much is giving me a headache...Which is strange considering my type is meant to think a lot."

"Okay, that proves something is wrong!"

She blinked at the voice, before turning back in confusion, "Isabel? Why are you so behind?"

The Leavanny ran forward, letting out a deep breath, "I stopped to talk to Mimi for a moment...Now talk."

The Gardevoir flinched slightly, "Nothing is wrong, Isabel, I'm just thinking of...Of ships! That's right, I think I should be paying attention to um...Some other ship other than Tempsu."

The bug deadpanned, "Kanaya, stop lying to me."

Kanaya let out a small sigh, before looking ahead, "I'm sorry, but this is just something I need to deal with on my own."

Isabel rolled her eyes, before walking forward. After cutting off the remaining String Shot keeping her stuck to her gun, she clenched up her scythe-like hand, before tapping her on the shoulder with it, "Kanaya, stop-"

She shook her head as she quickly sped walked ahead once more, "I'm sorry, but this is my problem!"

The Leavanny growled, as she quickly caught up, "Kanaya, it isn't healthy to just deal with something on your own! It can make things worse."

The psychic gave her a saddened look, "But, but if I don't then that'll just prove how weak I am!"

The bug suddenly stopped, staring at the psychic, "...Wha….What?"

The Gardevoir instantly covered her mouth, "N-Nothing!" The psychic began to walk forward again at a faster speed, some regret in her voice as she said, "I'm just going to look for the other team on my own, see you late-"

As she said this, she suddenly felt some force against her, as she was sent to the ground, rolling down a small hill as some person rolled along on top of her. After a moment, she ended up at the bottom of the hill, groaning slightly, before looking up, seeing Isabel glaring at her, pinning her to the ground with her hands at both sides of her arms, "No, you are not just ending the conversation like that! Explain, now!"

Kanaya flinched, before looking away as she struggled from under her, "Why does it matter so much?! Why can't you just let me deal with something on my own for once?!"

The Leavanny growled, "Because you moron, I'm your friend! I just don't want you to beat yourself up over some belief that you're weak!"

She gritted her teeth, "But I am weak! I can't seem to do any challenges that well, and even Tempest said how weak I was! I'm just slowing everyone down!"

Isabel stared through her for a moment, before groaning, "Kanaya...That's not even close to true-"

The Gardevoir shook her head, "No! It is true, Isabel! I'm just...I'm not good enough...So if we lose, then you should just get the team to vote me off. I don't want to be a burden any longer…"

The Leavanny continued to stare at her, before stating, "Kanaya, if you're such a burden, then how come you're the sole reason we won the talent show, the challenge that if we had lost, I would have been sent home for my injury."

Kanaya stared at her in surprise, before she bit her lip, "But...But that's it...That's the only time I did anythin-"

The bug growled, "And during the awakeathon, where you last longer than half of our team, or how you jumped into my arms during the trust challenge despite knowing it'd hurt, or you being one of the last three standing during the boot camp, and hell, you basically carried me and Ned through the cooking challenge! Sure, you've made a couple mistakes, but you aren't a burden to anyone here!"

Her eyes widened in shock at her words, before small tears started to form at the corner of her eyes as she gave her a watery smile, "...You...You really think that? You don't think I'm useless?"

The Leavanny shook her head, pushing herself off the psychic, allowing her to move once more, "No...Even after the moment in the forest...I never once thought you were useless. I admit I've been mad at you before, but...To me, you've honestly always been good help...God I sound so cheesy right no-"

Kanaya instantly pulled her into a tight hug, before letting out a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Isabel...You're truly one of my best friends on this island."

The bug blinked, before smiling herself, giving her a soft hug in return, "Same to you Kanaya, and please, if you ever feel this way again, don't be afraid to tell me."

The Gardevoir smiled softly, "I'll tell you anything, Isabel...I trust you completely."

Kanaya smiled at the camera, "I feel much better after that talk, and I feel so grateful that she actually didn't give up on me, and that she forced me to talk...That part wasn't too fun, but in the end it made everything better."

She looked down slightly, "I didn't think she would say such nice stuff and think that I was good at challenges, but...She did, and I'm going to do even better from now on."

Gareth was walking through the forest, still covered in the bright blue paint as he shuddered, "This paint's already stuck all over my fur...It smells weird and my body is still sore…"

Juvia stared at him, before giving him a soft smile, "On the bright side, it...Kinda matches your fur."

He blinked, before giving her a weak grin, "Thanks I guess...You know, I'm kind of glad Violet isn't participating...I think this stuff would hurt her much more than the can."

The Shuppet rose a brow, "Gar, you seem to a lot more worried about Violet then you'd usually be for most people, especially considering she turned out to be fine."

The lion gave her a confused look, "I...I don't know why really, but I've just been closer to her lately. I think after spending so much time with her, I grew attached...So since she's my best friend, I wouldn't want her to get hurt at all...That's how best friends think, right?"

Juvia blinked, "...I thought we were best friends."

Gareth rose a brow, "We're pudding pals...That's special friends."

The Shuppet smile brightly, "Oh," she stared at him, "But Gareth, I'm not really sure if that's how best friends work. I've only really felt that way once."

The Luxio blinked, "You know what I'm feeling? Do you know what it is, erm...Of course you do...I'm sorry, but I don't really feel myself today."

She shrugged, "I've only ever felt that way around Izaya honestly. Though I didn't really know anybody else before the show."

He gave her a confused look, "Oh yeah, you said he was your boyfriend, huh?"

The puppet nodded, "Yep, and he's…" She sighed, "Amazing…"

Gareth hummed, before smiling, "How did you know you liked him?"

She smiled, "After I nearly blew up his house with him inside."

His eyes widened, "Wow...That sounds amazing, Juvia, but...I want to know how you knew about the feelings."

The Shuppet giggled, "Well, after he seemed to fix the problem while being so calm, and when looking back on how he always has treated me so well...I don't know, I just sorta knew. I don't think there is any other way to know you're in love."

The lion blinked, before looking down, "Oh...Well that's cool, I guess...I don't really understand still, but I'm glad you're happy with him."

Gareth gave the camera a confused look, "From what my mom says, being in a relationship is bad and it'll only ruin your life, but so far I see a lot of happy couples...I'm confused."

He tapped his chin, "I don't really know why I asked the question either, but I did...My head hurts today."

Cynthia was running through the forest, hoping to find Chad, before stopping in her tracks when she runs by a familiar ghost, "Nazira? Why are you just floating there?"

She groaned, "I'm tryin' 'ta find 'da camp after 'dat psychotic lion shocked 'da hell out of me."

The fox rose a brow, "...I don't want to know, but what happened to Nedrick? Did you actually get a shot on him?"

The ghost nodded, "Yeah, got 'da guy on one of his wings."

She nodded, "That's great, it's good to know we have some points, but sorry to cut this short, but have you seen Chad anywhere?"

The Mismagius shook her head, "Nah, haven' seen 'da fool ever since we all split off."

Cynthia sighed, "He fell off a cliff earlier, and I can't find him anywhere…I'm going to keep looking, but good luck finding camp, Nazira." The Ninetales suddenly ran off, as the ghost rose a brow.

Cynthia frowned, "I feel terrible for leaving her, but I really need to check on him considering I told him I would. Plus she's strong, she can do it...I'm sure of it."

Zetsu was rushing through the forest, looking around with a panic expression, "Tempest! I know you're nearby, so please answer me! I'm not going to shoot you, I promise!"

As he said this, he suddenly heard, "Quiet Zetsu, Tempest searching for evil bug monster!"

The Larvesta instantly tripped over a rock, groaning as he looked up, "...What? You mean...You're not upset?"

The Joltik popped out of the grass, "Why be upset?

He blinked, before glancing away, "Well...Last I saw you, you just ran off…I just assumed I did something you didn't like..."

The spider scoffed, "Please, shooting teammate mean team most likely get penalty. Tempest no care."

Zetsu deadpanned, "Oh gee, that's good to know," he suddenly rose a brow, "And wait...Who is this bug monster you're looking for?"

She pointed towards a gigantic Heracross across the way, glaring at the two, "That."

The larva stared at the Heracross, before falling back to the ground, "I'm just going to play dead...Just be careful."

As the larva said this though, a loud voice came over some kind of speakerphone, "Campers your challenge is now over! Please meet back up at the flagpole ASAP!"

Zetsu let out a sigh of relief, "Well, at least she wasn't mad...It was unsettling watching how that bug got...Beat up, but it was nice to see Tempest in action."

Tempest was parading the horn of a Heracross around like some kind of trophy, laughing maniacally as she stared at it.

The contestants were all gathered at the flagpole, as Amber walked out with a saddened look, "Everyone, I am sad to say that...There is no true winner for this challenge."

Everyone glanced around, before Doc deadpanned, "Um...What?"

The Glaceon gestured towards the infirmary where an ambulance was parked, "Unfortunately, Nedrick got severely injured to the point where he can't compete any longer, so he is forced to go home."

Zetsu's eyes widened, "W-What?! How did this happen?!"

Nazira nodded, an equally shocked look on her face, "'Y-Yah, how?! 'Da last time I saw him, he was flyin' off fine and okay!"

She let out a small cough, "Well...He seemed to have an encounter with a furry friend...That wasn't too friendly."

The cast glanced among themselves, as Logan groaned, "Well...I guess...Nothing else really needs to be said. Nedrick will be on the 'boat of losers' within the next hour. Kinda early, but he'll need actual medical attention as soon as possible. If anyone has any last things they want to say to him before he goes, now is your last chance."

Zetsu frowned, "First Alfred and now Ned...It seems I'm the last former member of the geek alliance. I just can't believe he's gonna be gone...And through such an awful injury…"

Nazira stared at the camera in shock, before glancing down, "I...I can'...What 'da hell am I supposed 'ta say…"

Inside the infirmary, all of the Baltoy were present by the bug's bed, with some Basculin behind them. Nedrick was currently covered from head-to-toe in bandages, and seemed to be barely conscious at the moment. He glanced around at the room full of people, seemingly trying his best to smile. Kanaya stepped up with a frown, "Nedrick, I know we don't talk very much, but you're such a fun and positive guy, and I'm glad you were my teammate."

Isabel nodded, walking up to him, "Yeah Ned...You were a good guy. I'm sorry we have to see you off like this."

Mimi looked down at him, "Get well soon."

Doc smirked at him sheepishly, "And trust me, you'll wanna, because...Because...Ah who am I kidding, I can't joke about this." He gave him a genuine smile, "Just...Don't die I guess...Sorry I'm not great at being nice."

Zetsu sighed, "Yeah, we're all going to miss you, Ned. Just don't forget to keep in touch once you're all better."

Gareth nodded with a weak smile, "Yeah, and maybe you can show me some cool ninja stuff, like um...I don't know, but it's something!"

Juvia floated down to him, giving him a soft hug, before saying, "I hope we can talk more next time I see you...We'll all miss you, Nedrick." She let go of him, before giving him a smile.

The Ninjask glanced around at his teammates around him, as the bug began to tear up himself. After a moment, the nurse began to rush everyone out of the room. As this happened though, one voice stood out, "Now hold on, I still need 'ta say goodbye 'ta my friend! Now get 'da hell outta my way and don' try 'ta mess with me while I do 'dis!"

The bug's eyes widened at the voice, glancing to the side, only to see Nazira smiling down at the Ninjask. After a moment, she sighed, "God…'Ya are really messed up, aren' 'ya Ned...Sorry, 'dat's kinda inappropriate in this situation I guess." She breathed in, before saying, "Look...I'm not great at goodbyes...So…" She gave him a soft kiss on the top of his head, before smirking, "Consider 'dat my way of saying seeya next time."

The Ninjask's eyes were wide in shock, as she chuckled. After a moment, she floated out of the room, giving the bug a slight wave on her way out. As this happened, Nedrick somehow found a way to smile through the pain.

The Baltoy watched as the boat left soon after, as they all waved Nedrick off. After the boat was gone, Kanaya let out a sad sigh, "Well, I hope he gets better soon."

Doc nodded, before glancing at Zetsu. After a moment, he sighed, "Hey buddy...You okay?"

The Larvesta was staring out at the ocean, before sighing, "I'm still in shock, but...I'll be fine. I just can't believe I lost both of my closest friends…"

The Spiritomb stared at him, before stating, "Well, doubt this is much of a benefit or if it'd ever make you feel better considering who the hell I am, but...You can consider me your friend if you want...God I sound like such a dic-"

Zetsu cleared his throat, before giving him a smile, "Thanks Doc, I...I would actually like being your friend."

The ghost blinked, before smiling in return, "Cool...You might wanna go get some sleep though. It's starting to get dark and you went through a lot today."

He nodded as he walked towards the cabins, "Yeah, I think we all had a long day."

Gareth walked out of the showers with his fur dripping wet, as he shook the water off with a proud smile, "Now I'm squeaky clean! I can jump on my bed, sleep, and then dream of...I don't know what I dream about, but it has to be cool!" He whistled as he walked towards the cabins, before stopping as he glanced at the infirmary, "Huh...I wonder if she's still sleeping...Maybe I should go check on her…"

"Why would you need to check on someone in the infirmary, Gareth?"

The Luxio blinked, before smiling as he turned towards the voice, "Oh, that's because- Schone madchen!"

His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Standing there was a short white haired cat with slight amounts of dark blue fur that caused her arms and legs to bare a resemblance to mittens of a sort. Her face maintained a stoic expression, as her bright yellow eyes stared through him. The Meowstic rose a brow at him, "Gareth, what's wrong?"

Gareth's eyes were still wide in shock with his jaw slacking down, before he stuttered, "W-Who...Who are you?"

She deadpanned, "I'm Violet. We've already met, and talked several times."

He continued to stare at her, before squeaking out, "...What happened to you? W-Were those magic beans?"

The Meowstic groaned, "Gareth, I evolved. I was on the verge of doing so for awhile now. The can might have just given me the last few points of experience I needed."

The Luxio was silent for a moment, before blinking, "...Who are you?"

The cat facepalmed, "Okay, if you're gonna be immature about this, I'll just-"

His eyes widened as he shook his head, "N-No! I'm sorry, but this is just...I wasn't expecting this, and it's really weird! I-I'm not calling you weird, I'm saying this is just...Please don't leave!"

Violet rose a brow, before sighing, "Okay, fine...Can you stop making me feel so uncomfortable about this though? I'm still trying to adjust to my new height."

Gareth blinked, "Oh yeah, you're taller now...U-Unless that makes you uncomfortable!" He covered his eyes with a small blush, "I-I'm not going to say a word about your new look! It's great by the way!"

She blinked, "Um...Thank you?"

The lion stared at her from within his slightly opened paws, before he quickly walked away, "O-On second thought, it's late and I shouldn't keep you up! G-Goodnight, Violet!"

The cat stared at him, before waving lazily, "Goodnight Gareth."

He immediately ran inside the cabin, slamming the door close before he fell to the floor with a heavy breath, "Oh my gods...Oh my god...Oh my god...Oh my god-"

"Gareth we are trying to sleep! Or at least I am!"

The Luxio blinked, before biting his lip as he looked out the window, "...I feel weird...And I kinda like it."

The Brainy Baltoy- Doc, Gareth, Isabel, Juvia, Kanaya, Mimi, Violet, Zetsu

The Brawny Basculin- Bari, Brooke, Chad, Cynthia, Nazira, Quincy, Tempest

And now, we end possibly the biggest wham episode of the season thus far.

Delta: And I have learned that by 'wham' he wasn't referring to the singing group.

...GOD!

Delta: This was a pretty decent episode though, even if we have to say goodbye to Nedrick.

In my eyes, Nedrick is probably our second main character to bite it(the first being Brick), so of course we had to give a pretty flashy exit. Too bad it also had to be a pretty depressing one considering what happened to him. Throughout out his run in the story, he had established the very first alliance in the form of the Geek Squad, even if it didn't last long due to Alfred's early elimination. And even before that, he had been established as not being very careful, downright clumsy, and a major butt monkey among his peers, though he made up for that by being exceptionally sneaky due to his training to become a ninja. In my eyes, he never really felt like too minor of a character, and he did have an impact on the story through his friendship with Zetsu and the other boys and his little crush on Nazira, with both ending off their role in the story at least somewhat happily, at least considering Ned's fate and all.

Delta: On the plus side he got a good send off. Besides him leaving though, we established a new relationship (in the best way possible) and Violet evolved...Yeah, cool.

Well, Nedzira isn't established per-say, considering Nazira still is struggling to figure out her feelings on the thing...But yeah it's basically established. Either way that was probably the nicest way to send him home.

Delta: ...What? I was talking about Brooke and Quincy.

...Huh, forgot about that. Isn't forgetting your job?

Delta: We switched places! Woot!

...Yeah those two getting together was very quick, which makes sense considering neither of them has any kind of idea on the basics of romance in any way.

Delta: Yep, so we'll see how long that lasts.

Either way, from here on out, we're down to our bottom fifteen with the merge fast approaching. Place your bets on who is gonna leave everyone!

Delta: And don't forget to leave your reviews and waffles with us.

STOP THE WAFFLE TALK!

Elimination Table

Kaden Pastel, the Depraved Diva - (24th Place)

Ace Kauffman, the Determined Strategist - (23rd Place)

Freya Lynn, the Socially Awkward Novelist-in-the-Making - (22nd Place)

Sage Casentini, the Confident Tomboy - (21st Place)

Alfred Hill, the Awkward Geek - (20th Place)

Benson Isotope, the Arrogant Professional Actor - (19th Place)

Alluselia Gates, the Rocking Punk Phase - (18th Place)

Brick Dragmire, the Brickhouse with a Love of Winning - (17th Place)

Nedrick Kite, the Dorky Wannabe Ninja - (16th Place)