I must warn you that this chapter contains a high level of full on cuteness, considering the large amount of Pokémon in this story.
What can I say? Pokémon are cute.
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Chris' recap: "Last time on Total Drama Everything 2, our competitors met Moka's friends from the side we don't know. That's right, we went to Moka's school, Yokai Academy. And it was a nice reunion between her and her closest friend Tsukune while everyone went on a Monster Print scavenger hunt. Deadpool found himself caught between a rock (some secrets that were revealed to him) and a hard place (Ivy and Mandy). Ivy learned a few blackmail tips from her fellow competitors. And when a minotaur started raging out across the campus, Tsukune accidentally unleashed the power of Inner Moka, who quickly made short work of the minotaur. Yeah, and she hurt his feelings. This victory earned the Shooting Stars invincibility and first class, with Mandy having earned the choice to eliminate a Moon of her choice, and Gaz having earned a Get Out of Jail Free card. Since Mandy couldn't choose Gaz, she and Ivy settled on the only threat to their alliance's secrecy: Deadpool, who promptly blabbed out everything. However, he was unable to reveal one last secret about Lammy before being thrown out. And I thought I would get some peace and quiet. Nope. We now have to pay for property damages to Nohr's castle. Ouch. How will Leo cope with this piece of news? Will he and Julie ever get together? Who cares? Just watch this new episode of Total. Drama. Everything 2!"
*theme song*
Ivy was laughing loudly as she and Mandy were sitting in first class.
"What's so funny?" Mandy asked.
Ivy just looked at her and said, "I just can't stop thinking about it. Deadpool took the Moons' bet and turned the tables on it. I still cannot believe he crashed into Nohr's throne room!"
"It wasn't that spectacular."
"Do you ever laugh?"
"No."
"I'm sure Joker and Harley could make that change in a heartbeat."
"Doubt it." Ivy just shrugged. "Well, people try new things everyday."
Mandy rolled her eyes. "I'm not one of those people. Now what are we going to do about the competitors? Thanks to Deadpool's blabbermouth, this entire plane is onto us. Now what?"
"It all depends on getting half the number to do whatever we want them to do."
"Ivy, where are you going with this?"
"I have a few ideas up my sleeve."
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"I have never known a person more evil than Ivy," said Mandy. "Except, well, me."
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Meanwhile, in Economy, three of our Moons weren't exactly happy at the moment. Frankly, they were embarrassed.
"What's up with you three?" Ruby asked.
"Shock," said Connie.
"Embarrassment," said Yusei.
"Fear," said Leo.
Ruby understood. Just hours after Deadpool had been kicked off, he had already cashed in on his bet winnings and used them to (a) humiliated the Gems with his sword skills and (b) crash Yusei's duel runner through the window of (c) the Nohr castle throne room. Needless to say, these three people were unhappy.
"This is what happens when we make bets," Connie said. "The Gems are my friends, and he showed them up."
"And he worsened things with my father by damaging his throne room," Leo added.
"On my duel runner," Yusei finished.
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"I should be mad at Deadpool right now," Connie stated. "But instead, I'll be mad at Mandy. She's the one who eliminated him. Why her and not Deadpool? Because I never seem to want to blame Deadpool for anything."
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"I'm livid right now," Yusei explained. "Livid and embarrassed. Leo's in deep trouble with his family, and I'm partially to blame because I bet a ride with my runner. I'm probably never going to let Deadpool use it again. It's a miracle he never even scratched it."
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"Thanks a lot, Deadpool," Leo said. "Thanks to your fanatics, I got a telegram from my father, and now I have no choice but to win the money or never be welcomed back home."
He rested his head in his hands. "By now, there are only two things keeping me from quitting outright. One is my father's fury. The other is Julie."
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In fact, Leo had that familiar device in his hands: another message.
(Leo's message, submitted by Storygirl000)
(We open up in a field of cherry blossom trees. Story is there, having ditched her original clothes for a purple and red kimono. With her is a white and blue, mermaid-sea lion crossbreed creature with lighter blue hair.)
Story: Hey, Leo. (sighs) I heard about what happened to you, and I felt you needed some cheering up. So I've given you a special offer. A friend of mine has offered to take you in if you don't win the prize money...heck, even if you do, because I would NOT want to come home to that place. No offense, but your dad's a real piece of (bleep). Right, Kaimano?
Kaimano: (Nods in agreement) Prima prim.
Story: Anyways, my friend knows what it's like to have a family like that, and is willing to have you live with him...if you don't mind the culture shock. He's over here.
(The camera turns, showing Genji from Overwatch...making out with Mercy.)
Story: (offscreen) HEY! I told you you could suck face with Dr Ziegler after the video!
(Genji turns around and gives the camera a death glare. Camera cuts back to Story.)
Story: Um...(bleep). OhandbythewayifyouneedadviceaboutJulietryandlearnaboutherinterestsanddon'ttrashtalkanyonewhiletalkingonthephonewithhergotitokayBYE! (recalls Kaimano to a Pokeball and bolts.)
Genji: (offscreen) RYUUJIN NO KEN WO KURAE!
Story: (BLEEP)!
*end*
Julie sat and watched as Leo silently cursed both himself and his father once the video ended. "Leo, are you okay?" she asked.
Leo looked at her. "Just a little scared, is all."
"Are you sure?"
Leo nodded.
Julie sighed and sat back down. As hard as it was to believe, she truly did like Leo. And she appreciated the advice Deadpool and Yusei had both given her. But what about Ben? Would he be jealous? Would be suddenly be on his knees, begging Julie to take him back? And what if it was still too soon after the break up in the first place? Julie didn't think she was ready for another relationship right now.
Julie was so lost in thought that she almost didn't notice Nom Nom come in, deliver a message device in front of her, and leave the room. Curious, she turned it on.
(Author's Note: The message will be revealed later in the chapter.)
Once the message was over, Julie put down the device as quickly as she could.
"Well….."
On the other side of the room, Gaz was being pestered by Connie once again.
"I don't get it," Connie said. "You said you like him. So why not admit it to him?"
Gaz shook her head and told her, "It's none of your business. Why do you care so much about my love life anyway? I admitted it. I like him. Is that not enough for you?"
They looked at Double D, who was too engrossed in his book to listen. "Whether I admit it to him or not is not up to you," Gaz said. "So stay out of it, Connie."
(Meanwhile…)
Mega Man was in the cafeteria, as were Jak and Daxter. "Hold on a second," said Daxter. "Bathroom break." He hopped off of Jak's shoulder and started running down the hall.
As he ran, he caught sight of a piece of paper taped to the wall. There was a message that said "For Daxter", and an arrow. Excited, Daxter ran in the direction of the arrow. In fact, more arrows followed. "I don't know what this is about, but it's fun," he muttered.
Finally, he came to a the door into the luggage room. Taped on it, there was a large piece of paper that said "Big Surprise Inside." This was the only invitation Daxter needed before he walked inside.
"Ugh, I forgot how much it smells in here," he said, holding his nose. He looked around for anything out of the ordinary, but couldn't find anything. After about a minute, he gave up and went back to the door.
But when he turned the doorknob, it wouldn't budge.
"What the-?"
He started pulling on the door as hard as he could, but it wouldn't open.
"Okay, this is not funny!" he exclaimed. "Let me out!"
Outside, Mandy listened in as Daxter tried opening the door. "That was easier than I thought," she said as she ran down the hall, leaving the door locked, and leaving Daxter trapped.
"Hello? Jak? Anyone? Hello? A little help here? I'm locked in!"
After about a minute, he gave up trying to open the door, and no one could hear him, so he sat down next to a suitcase. "Looks like I'm stuck here," he said. "Might as well wait it out. I wonder if Gaz's Game Slave is down here."
(Back in the cafeteria…)
"Okay, Daxter is taking a really long time," Jak said. "He's never been in the bathroom this long before."
Mega Man sighed. "I hope he's okay."
"Well, I'm going off to look for him."
Jak went down the hall to the bathroom, a little apprehensive. Once he got there, he opened the door and found nothing. However, when he turned around, a whiff of pink dust was blown on his face.
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"I know Jak has a girlfriend back home," Ivy said. "So I want to point out to her that what I am doing to Jak today is just part of the game."
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Jak walked back into the cafeteria-without Daxter. "He wasn't in the bathroom?" Mega Man asked.
"Nope. Oh well."
"Oh well? Your best friend has gone missing, and you say oh well?"
Jak shrugged. "Daxter will be fine. He always is."
At that moment, the plane suddenly came in for a rough landing. Everyone held onto something as it came to a wheel-screeching stop.
Well, almost everyone.
"Watch the landing!" Daxter called out as he crawled out of a large pile of suitcases.
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"Jak was being completely indifferent about the fact that his friend is nowhere to be found," said Mega Man. "Something's not right."
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Once again, everyone was in front of a large portal. "Another interdimensional challenge so soon?" Double D asked.
"Pretty much," Chris said. "This one should be good. And to help me with this one, I brought in someone you all know."
Sure enough, someone very familiar to everyone walked out from behind Chris.
"Hi, guys."
"Pika!"
Everyone smiled. Ash had appeared.
"Well, judging by Ash being here, I'm guessing the challenge is Pokémon related?" Ivy asked.
Chris nodded. "You are correct. Ash and I will explain the challenge once we're through the portal. Everyone, in you go."
One by one, each competitor walked through the portal and came out at an open field. In the distance, there was a small town. At one end, there was a forest.
"What is this place?" Leo asked Ash.
"Pallet Town. My home."
The sights raised a few eyebrows out of pleasure. "This place looks really nice," said Sonic.
Soon, Chef came through the portal, driving a large dump truck. Once he stopped, he dumped the truck, and out came hundreds of red and white spherical items.
"These are Pokéballs," Chris told the group. "Ash, explain."
"Sure thing," Ash responded. "Each one of these Pokéballs holds a first-evolution Pokémon from the regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola. All of you are going to choose one each to be your partner for the challenge."
"Which is?" Julie asked.
Ash smiled. "This challenge is a simple Survival of the Fittest. Everyone is going to use their Pokémon to battle each other throughout the day. It's like the paintball challenge from last season, but with Pokémon instead of paintball guns. The town, field, and forest are free for the battling. If your Pokémon falls and is no longer able to battle, you've lost the challenge. Once that happens, you bring the Pokémon back to Chef, who is standing in as our Nurse Joy. There, you will wait until the challenge is over. You are only allowed to use your Pokémon. No personal abilities allowed. The last competitor and Pokémon still standing will win invincibility and first class for their team."
"And as a special treat," Chris finished, "there's a little golden Chris figurine hidden somewhere. Find that, and you can keep your Pokémon and send it to your home. Any questions?"
Everyone raised their hands.
"No questions?" Chris asked. "Then all that remains is for each of you to pick your Pokémon to be your partner for the challenge. And since I am a big fan of anime irony, Yusei will pick first."
As expected, Yusei looked at the pile and hesitantly stepped forward. "Here we go," he said.
Once he got to the pile, he stuck his hand in, grabbed a random Pokéball, and pulled it out. "So how do I do this?" he asked Ash.
"Enlarge the ball first by pressing that button. Then throw it and call it out."
Yusei nodded and pressed the button. "Alright, whoever you are," Yusei said as he threw the ball. "Let's do this."
When the ball hit the ground, it immediately popped open. Out came what looked like a lion cub with blue and black fur, with yellow ears, eyes, leg bands, and tail tip. Yusei looked at it, surprised.
"Yusei, you have picked the Electric-type Pokémon known as Shinx," Chris said. "And I think she already likes you (yes, it's a female; this particular Shinx has a shorter hair tuft on her head)."
Indeed she did. This was shown as she rubbed her head on Yusei's leg. "Shinx! Shinx!"
"She's actually kinda cute," Yusei said, amused. He picked up the Shinx. "I think this may be fun after all."
Chris was laughing. "And the Yu-gi-oh character has been bitten by the Pokémon bug. Now let's keep this going."
Soon, everyone was getting their Pokémon for the challenge. Harry got a Misdreavus; Gaz got a Houndour; Double D got an Eevee; Mega Man got a Magnemite; Ivy got a Snivy; Mandy got a Grimer (standard Kanto form); Leo got an Abra; Jak got a Diglett (also standard Kanto form); Ruby got a Yanma (and a nervous stare from the bug-hating Yusei); Sonic got a Noibat; Moka got a Fennekin; Julie got a Rowlett; and Connie got an Alolan Vulpix.
"This is so cool," Connie said as she picked up the Vulpix. "I can see why you like these, Ash."
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"There's nothing I love more than a full-on Battle Royale," said Ivy. "Even though it's with Pokémon."
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"I don't see any problem with mine so far," Sonic said as Noibat flew around the room.
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"I think mine fits well," Mega Man stated, looking at his Magnemite.
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"Look at the little guy," Moka said with Fennekin. "Would you want to hurt something as adorable as this?"
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"Who's the cutest little lightning kitty in the world?" Yusei asked his Shinx. "Yes you are! Yes you are!"
This continued for five seconds until Yusei looked at the camera and stopped. "I forgot to put the cover on the camera, didn't I?"
Then he jumped up and started struggling with the camera. "DANG IT! HOW DO YOU TAKE THIS STUPID THING OUT!"
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Chef handed each competitor a piece of paper. "You guys are being handed a list containing your Pokémon's current moveset. These are the moves and attacks your Pokémon can use. To start the challenge, we are going to give you guys a ten-minute period to hide out wherever you think you can hide. Just to recap, use your partner to take down the competition, and your team wins invincibility. Find the token, and the Pokémon's yours. Shoo!"
With those last not-so-encouraging words, everyone split up to different parts of the area. As Julie found a nice bush in the field to hide out at, she caught sight of Leo, who smiled at her. She tried not to notice. Yusei and his Shinx climbed up a tall tree in the hopes of ambushing passersby. Ruby, Ivy, Sonic, Connie, and Mega Man hid in the town. Gaz, Moka, and Harry also hid in the forest. And Double D, Jak, and Mandy were in the field.
"Your ten minutes are up," Chris announced by megaphone. "Game on!"
(Back on the plane…)
Daxter was playing on Gaz's Game Slave. "It's a good thing everyone here decided to keep a few entertaining stuff in here," he said as he was killing zombies. "I wish I had a watch though."
Of course, he was still waiting for Jak.
"Where is he?" he asked himself. "Does he even know I'm missing?"
(In the challenge…)
In fact, Jak couldn't be thinking of Daxter even less at the moment. He had left the field and was staring at Ivy, who was waiting in the town.
"Oh, how I will do anything for her," he said, sighing.
As he stared, Mega Man looked at him. "I'm guessing you haven't found Daxter yet?" he asked.
Jak shook his head, not even looking at him. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. He always is."
"I would be a little more worried if my best friend went missing like Daxter apparently has," Mega Man pointed out.
"Well, you're not me."
"Are you even worried?"
"What's to worry about?"
Mega Man slowly walked away, but he just couldn't shake the feeling of doubt.
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"Something's not right," said Mega Man.
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Chris watched the video feed that showed him each competitor and their Pokémon partners. "I think it's time to drop a bombshell," he said as he turned on the loudspeaker.
"Attention competitors and creatures, with the challenge underway, here's a little something to rattle you all."
Ding! Ding! Ding!
"How did I know he was going to do that?" Mandy asked. "He's more insufferable than Billy, and that's saying something."
"I heard that!"
"Shut up, McLean!"
(Author's Note: With the competitors doing a Pokémon challenge, it only makes sense that the song today honors the theme song from the original Indigo League series. I do not own this song or Pokémon in general, but the song remains catchy. So, for your nostalgic pleasure combined with my own imagination and some unhappy competitors, here's "Pokémon Theme Song-TDE Edition".)
Sonic: (zooming around the town with Noibat) I wanna be the very best
But this challenge isn't right!
Gaz: (following Mandy with her Houndour) There's only one target I want
And I won't let it out of sight.
Harry: This whole setup is completely mental
This, we all should know.
Yusei: I can't believe I ever signed up
For this completely stupid show!
Shinx: SHINX!
All: Pokémon! Gotta win it all!
Mandy: Oh, why this?
Leo and Julie: There's a big chance we cannot miss.
All: Pokémon!
Ruby: Oh, all we need.
Sonic and Ruby: Is just a little speed!
All: Pokémon! Gotta win it all!
Double D: I won't feel shame.
Ivy: Must do what it takes to win this game!
Moka: (looks at Fennekin) How do I battle with something so cute and tame?
Mandy: Mine's just really lame!
All: Pokémon!
(Some of the competitors start to find each other, and a few battle while they sing.)
Mega Man: (facing Gaz) My Magnemite may be easily burned
But we know just how to fight. (Magnemite launches Thundershock, and Houndour dodges.)
Connie: (looking at Ivy) I wanna know, how did you react
When Deadpool said it right?! (Vulpix dodges an attack from Snivy)
Double D: How much more nervous can I get
When someone could be after me? (He and Eevee are hiding in a house.)
Jak: I have no worry, I know I'll rock.
Mega Man: Where could Daxter be?
All: Pokémon! Gotta win it all!
Yusei: Time to take you down! (Shinx shocks Harry's Misdreavus and knocks it out.)
Jak: (looks around) Don't underestimate the power of Ground!
All: Pokémon!
Ivy: Oh, my lovely plant
Makes you all look like ants! (Snivy continues to battle Vulpix)
All: Pokémon! Gotta win it all!
Mandy: That's just sad. (She joins Ivy and takes out Connie's Vulpix)
Connie: I get the feeling this is very bad!
Gaz: (rolls eyes) I don't know what that slimeball had
But Mandy makes me mad!
Moons: Gotta win it all!
Stars: Gotta win it all!
All: Pokémon!
Chris watched the video feed. "For those of you who did not pay attention," he told the camera, "over the course of the song, Yusei eliminated Harry from the challenge, and Mandy did the same against Connie. Let's continue on with the challenge."
(Later…)
Double D and Eevee had decided to look around the forest, hoping to find a team member to team up with.
"Keep your eyes peeled," he told the Evolution Pokémon, who nodded her tiny head to show she understood. "We have no idea who, or what, we'll find in here."
Eevee nodded, and they continued walking. "Ee!"
"I know, right?"
They continued walking, unaware that Ivy and her Snivy were watching. "It's go time," she whispered to the Grass Snake. "Vine Whip!"
Snivy swung his vines at Eevee, who quickly jumped out of the way. "Not good," Double D said. "Eevee, head in the direction of those vines and use Tackle!"
This was enough to reveal Ivy and Snivy from their hiding place. And Ivy was furious. "Clever, but you're going down."
Double D took a step back. "Ready, Eevee?"
"Eev!"
"Then use Quick Attack!"
Both Pokémon went back and forth for about a minute, and it looked like a stalemate, with both starting to get exhausted. Then, as Double D had Eevee Tackle Snivy again, a blast of fire suddenly hit Snivy square in the face, doing a lot of damage and causing him to fall.
"And props to Gaz and Houndour for the sneak attack take down of Ivy and Snivy, who are officially out of the game!" Chris announced.
Ivy recalled Snivy and looked at Gaz. "You evil little girl!"
"Hate to break it to you, but I believe I've won here," Gaz said. "Now shoo!"
Gaz and Double D watched as Ivy walked back to the starting area, cursing them both.
"I know you weren't having too much trouble against her, but I couldn't resist," Gaz told Double D.
"I completely understand that," Double D said. "Now what?"
Gaz shrugged. "I'm probably going to go find Mandy. It's payback time."
"Let me know how she reacts."
"Yep."
Both walked in separate directions with their Pokémon. Double D was calm as could be, but Gaz was fuming.
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"I'm going to kill him for letting me like him!" Gaz explained. "Connie too!"
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After another ten minutes, the fourth casualty took place when Moka's Fennekin was defeated by Ruby and Yanma. Unfortunately, five minutes later, Yanma himself was eliminated by Mandy and Grimer, making it a total of five people eliminated so far.
Leo and his Abra were teleporting back and forth around the area. Even though Abra did not yet know any Psychic moves, what it did know was Hidden Power. Leo figured that was good enough. Especially when he heard footsteps in a nearby area.
"What was that?"
In fact, that noise came from Julie, who had spotted Leo and was crossing her fingers that he couldn't see her.
"Whoever's out there, come out before Abra attacks."
Dang it. Julie didn't want to be taken out of the challenge by her own team. She reluctantly stepped out of the clearing. "I was just looking around," she said.
"Oh, it's cool," Leo said. "Seen anyone so far?"
Julie shook her head. "No one from the Stars. I passed by Yusei on the way here though."
Leo nodded. "You know, we would last longer in this challenge if there were two of us."
At first, Julie was about to refuse. After all, what about her own relationship troubles? Then a warning popped up in her head. It was like her brain was screaming, "Remember what Deadpool said! Remember what Deadpool said!"
"Sure, why not?"
"Excellent."
They started walking together, with Abra and Rowlett bringing up the rear.
(Meanwhile…)
Daxter, still in the luggage room, was now looking around Ruby's stuff, and was a little disappointed.
"She doesn't have any magazines to read? This lady needs reading material."
He rummaged through the suitcase, and was pleased when he pulled out a slip of paper.
"Let's see if she wrote anything on this."
When he unfolded it, he looked at every word, and was a little surprised at the contents.
"She brought a list of destinations she had hoped to go to? Wow. Talk about wishful thinking."
(Back at the challenge…)
Sonic and Noibat were waiting in the field, a little bored. "Why did Chris say we couldn't use our own abilities?" he asked Noibat, who moved his ears to symbolize shrugging. "This would so much more fun if we could."
"Noibat?"
"I know. This challenge is starting to get a little boring."
Then a voice came from behind the grass. "This should fix things up."
ZAP!
An electric shock hit Noibat right in the face, knocking him out. "What the heck?" Sonic asked. "Whoever got me, show yourself."
Yusei popped his head over the grass. "Sorry. I thought you were Mandy."
"It's fine. But wow! You're having more fun in this challenge than I would've thought for someone like you."
"Ironic. I know."
"Sonic and Noibat have been taken out by Yusei and Shinx. We just have eight more competitors left to play!"
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"Two longtime rival animes are pretty much joining forces," Sonic said. "This is something that doesn't happen everyday."
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"You're still not worried about Daxter?" Mega Man told Jak as they walked through the forest.
"Why should I? Daxter can take care of himself. He always has."
"Still, he's your friend. And he still hasn't shown up. Clearly, something's wrong."
Jak rolled his eyes. "Daxter's fine. He always is. Anyway, do you think Ivy likes my hair?"
"Okay, that is the stupidest question I have ever heard."
"Is not! I want to know if she likes my hair!"
"I'm sure she doesn't care."
"Who wouldn't she?"
Finally, Mega Man had had enough. "Yep. I give up." He walked off, back toward the forest.
However, as he did, a jet of fire hit his Magnemite and knocked him out of the challenge.
"What the-? How the-? What?!"
Gaz smiled. "Another obstacle taken down. Off to Mandy."
Chris made the announcement. "Seven left! Gaz has defeated Mega Man and Magnemite, and we're down to seven!"
(Later…)
Double D and Eevee were still in the forest. "This is the craziest challenge I've taken a part of yet."
Eevee nodded. "Eev-ee?"
"Possibly."
He turned, and he once again saw Gaz heading his way. "Anything yet?" she asked.
"In terms of that little figurine, no."
"Bummer."
They decided to sit and relax for a second. "Do you feel like someone's watching you?" Gaz asked.
"Yeah. Can't put my finger on it."
"No you can't, lovebirds!"
Immediately, Grimer and Mandy jumped from a tree. "Grimer, Sludge Bomb both the Pokémon and the competitors!"
Gaz and Double D were both so shocked that they couldn't do anything as Grimer hit them, Eevee, and Houndour, knocking the Pokémon out and making the area smell badly.
"That was just glorious," Mandy said as Gaz and Double D struggled to run out of the area. "And it was for Ivy, you goth wannabe!"
Chris announced, "Awesome double sneak attack from Mandy! Double D and Gaz are out of the challenge! Only Julie, Mandy, Yusei, Leo, and Jak are left!"
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Double D was still coughing out puff of smoke from the attack. "That was *cough* terrifying!"
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"Mandy *cough* is going to *cough* pay!" Gaz wheezed.
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Yusei and Shinx were now looking around the city. "Five left. Do you think we'll win this?" he asked.
"Shinx!"
"Yeah. I think so too."
Suddenly, he spotted something glowing on top of a house. He looked and saw….
"That's the figurine! Shinx, can you free it?"
"Shin."
"Then use Thunderbolt!"
Shinx shocked the spot where the figurine was. Sure enough, that made it fall down, and Yusei caught it before it hit the ground.
"I got the figurine! Shinx, this may be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Shinx nodded her head as they walked back into the field. However, as they did, they heard rumbling under them. Both jumped out of the way as Jak's Diglett popped up.
"There you go," Jak said. "Diglett, use Dig again!"
Diglett burrowed back underground again, but this time, Shinx was unable to dodge and when the Ground type came back up, she was hit square on, knocking out her and Yusei.
"Well played," Yusei said. "But at least I have the figurine."
"And another competitor is down!" Chris announced. "Jak has taken out Yusei, but at least he and Shinx found the figurine. This means Shinx is officially Yusei's!"
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"As fun of a battler as Shinx is, she's going to be more of a pet to me," Yusei explained. "I've already decided to name her Muffy. Why? I simply like the name. But she'll be more pet than anything."
To show his point, he took out his deck of cards and started shuffling it like a pro. "After all, as fun as this challenge was, I'm a card person, and I'm going to stay that way."
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"So that leaves us, Jak, and Mandy?" Julie asked.
Leo nodded. "We had better watch out. Mandy has already taken out a lot of people, and since Jak was able to defeat Yusei, this won't be easy."
They continued walking. "Are you bummed that Deadpool was eliminated like that?"
"A little. But I've been able to push on once without him. I can do it again."
"Good. He wouldn't want you to give up for anything."
"Wait, did you hear that?"
Sure enough, there was rustling coming from a nearby bush. Julie nodded at her Rowlett, who used Bullet Seed. Sure enough, it was Mandy and Grimer. Thing is, the Bullet Seed didn't do much on Grimer.
"Oh, so now we're doing this!" Mandy exclaimed. "Grimer, attack! Sludge Bomb!"
Leo and Abra were able to get out of the way, but Julie's Rowlett wasn't, and the attack was enough to knock it out.
"One down," Mandy said. "Just Leo left. Looks like the Moons are going to win again."
At that moment, Jak and Diglett ran to the scene. "One left? Can I help?"
"Beat it!"
(Meanwhile…)
Daxter was pretending to play Lammy's guitar, which had been left in the luggage room since they left London.
"Lammy really knows how to choose her instruments," he said. "And Yusei really reinforced this thing."
He looked at his wrist. "Oh yeah, I don't have a watch. Heh."
(Back at the challenge…)
"Are you sure you don't want my help?" Jak asked.
"I'm positive, Jak," Mandy said. "I don't need any help in taking down the lovelorn Nohrian prince. I got this covered."
"I'm just saying that two heads are better than one in this. Double attack, double backup."
"Will you just leave me alone?"
"Oh come on. You know this could benefit us both. After all, we're both part of the Stars."
Leo looked at them both, them at their Pokémon, then at Abra. "Hidden Power," he whispered.
"Just because you're this loner doesn't mean you couldn't use some backup once in awhile."
"Uh, don't you already have Daxter in that respect? Jak, I'm fine. I don't need your help in beating Leo."
"We have a winner!" Chris announced.
Both Jak and Mandy stopped arguing, and they were quickly confused. They looked around until they saw, to their shock, Diglett and Grimmer on the ground, knocked out. Leo was also looking at them.
"Di-did Leo just-?" Jak asked.
"Yeah, I think he did," Mandy said.
Everyone gathered at the final spot and saw what had happened. Jak merely looked bored, but Mandy was downright furious.
"I just let my guard down. I just let Grimer get beaten by that snoozer of a Pokémon! This stinks!"
Chris just laughed. "Sucks to be you. Anyway, with Leo's victory, the winners of this challenge are the Mysterious Moons!"
The Moons all cheered.
"Not only that, since he found the figurine, Yusei is now the proud master of a Shinx he has named Muffy. Though rules say he will have to send it to his home. The only reason we always let Pikachu stay with Ash was because he would be lost without him."
"That's true," Ash said.
"Pika!"
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"To be completely honest, I let Jak distract me on purpose," Mandy said. "It's part of the plan Ivy and I made. Her part was her pheromone dust. Mine was the distraction."
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"Why can't I remember anything?" Jak asked.
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"Once someone goes into the luggage room and finds Daxter, he and Jak are goners," Ivy said. "Especially after I suggested him that he should ask Mandy if she needed help with LeoI am such a genius."
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"Now I know something's wrong," Mega Man said. "Usually, Jak's as focused as could be. He wouldn't have stopped to take Leo down, but he had an argument with Mandy instead.
"On top of that, he still won't worry about his best friend being missing. It's like he had other things on his mind. Like he was being…...hypnotized…..
"Why did I not see this sooner?"
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Back on the plane, Julie had managed to hold on to the good-luck message. She walked to Yusei, who was on the other side of the first-class room. "Yusei, you need to see this."
Yusei nodded as Julie sat down and turned the device back on.
(Julie's message, submitted by Storygirl000)
(We open up inside a regular-looking bedroom. Story is talking to a large, rotund teal-and-cream colored creature (a Snorlax) and a pink and grey-brown bear-like creature (a Bewear).)
Story: ...so, to repeat; if they try to come in while I'm filming, you beat the stuffing-pun not intended-out of them. But try not to break anything-including them. I'm already in enough trouble for the whole Mr. Smoothie fiasco. Got it Fluffball? Cuddles?
Fluffball: (nods) Snor.
Cuddles: (nods) Grr.
Story: (turns to camera) Oh, we're rolling. Hey, there, Julie! I'm Story, the girl who sent Deadpool his message, and I'm also your biggest fan.
(Muffled shouts; banging on the door)
Story: Now, your friends were planning to send you a good-luck message, but I decided that I had better information than them, so I bound and gagged Gwen and Kevin and stuck them in a closet. I also talked to Ben about the breakup...repeatedly...with my baseball bat...and the good news is, he should be ready to talk to you again once he comes out of that coma.
(Muffled shouts; banging on the door)
Story: Now for the information I'd like to give you...(proceeds to yell what she said about Yusei and Lammy at a greater volume than before, along with stuff about Sonuby and giving Leo a chance). There, I hope that covers it.
(Door starts to break; Fluffball and Cuddles get into battle stances)
Story: One more thing; could you pass this warning on to Chris and the Aftermath crew?
(She holds up a picture of a blonde in a red dress.)
Story: This woman managed to escape...somehow. And she left a note swearing revenge. Be prepared.
(Door breaks down; camera pans to Gwen and Kevin, tied to each other, gags around their mouths, glaring daggers at Story.)
Story: Oh, (bleep). FLUFFBALL, USE HIGH HORSEPOWER! CUDDLES, USE BRUTAL SWING!
(Fluffball and Cuddles charge their attacks; Gwen and Kevin now have "oh, crap" looks on their faces.)
(static)
*end*
To say that Yusei was surprised was an understatement. He was completely speechless. When he found his voice, the first thing he asked was, "Was that what Deadpool was trying to tell us?"
"I think so."
"Can I go someplace where I can think?"
Julie nodded. "You go. I need to tell Chris about the woman in the red dress."
Both went in opposite directions, and Yusei made a beeline for the luggage room, only slowing down when he had to unlock the door. Once he was inside, he sat down against the wall, close to freaking out.
"Oh my God," he said. "How much more of this can I take before I go insane?"
That's when he noticed how messy the room was. In fact, it was never this messy. Chef always made sure it was clean and tidy.
"That's weird."
To make things weirder, he began to hear snoring coming from behind the suitcases. A little spooked, Yusei pulled out his duel disk, wondering if he would have to scare anything off.
When he got to the spot where the snoring was coming from, he moved a suitcase out of the way so he could see it properly. What he saw surprised him almost as much as Julie's good-luck message.
"Oh my God! Daxter!"
Daxter had apparently fallen asleep, but Yusei's exclamation woke him up almost instantly.
"Aaah! Crazy man stole my shorts!"
Daxter looked around and realized he was awake, then looked at Yusei, who was still completely startled. "Oh, hi. How's it going?"
"H-how long have you been in here?"
"Depends. Is the challenge over?"
"Yes."
"Then pretty much all day. I saw a trail of arrows that led me in here, and I got locked in. Sorry about the mess. I needed to entertain myself. And did you know that your ex has the coolest musical instrument ever?"
"Can we not worry about that?"
"Sorry. Where's Jak?"
"With the rest of your team."
"First-class or Economy?"
"Economy."
"Dang it."
Yusei laughed nervously. "Can this day get any weirder?"
"Probably not. I'm going to give my team a piece of my mind. Thanks for finding me, by the way."
"Uh, sure."
Daxter quickly ran out the door and to Economy, leaving Yusei in the luggage room. Once Daxter had left, Yusei looked around the mess and found Lammy's guitar.
"What are you telling me, Lammy?"
(Later…)
"We're really sorry about this," Harry said to Daxter. "I never even realized you were gone until the challenge had started."
Daxter shrugged. "It's fine. I really have to say something about Jak." He walked over to him and slapped him.
"Where the heck were you? I was in that luggage room all day, and you never found me?"
Jak rubbed his face. "I'm sorry. I don't even remember anything during the challenge. I'm being completely honest."
"Even so, you did kinda throw the challenge," Mandy said. "I would've had Leo beaten if you weren't trying to help."
"I was?"
"Yep, you were."
Mega Man looked at this and beckoned Jak and Daxter to follow him. They left the room as everyone else talked.
"He said he didn't remember what happened," Harry said. "Think that's a good excuse?"
Mandy shook her head. "In fact, I think he's just making it up to save his own skin. He completely forgot about his partner, locked in the luggage room all day. On top of that, he cost us the challenge. There's no other way around it."
"You and Ivy didn't manipulate the situation, did you?" asked Nom Nom, who was walking through the room.
"Why would we? We promised to be good, remember?"
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"I don't believe her," said Nom Nom.
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"I really am sorry I forgot about you," Jak said.
"It's cool. Mega Man told us the truth, and I know it wasn't your fault."
They both high fived.
"You do know that because of Ivy and Mandy, we're both toast."
Daxter shrugged. "Oh well. At least I have a little revenge in store for Ivy, courtesy of Mega Man."
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"In case some of you don't recall, I got a few things from a future robot named X," Mega Man said. "I have already figured most of them can be used to protect future Ivy victims, but I think there's one item fit for a much more entertaining purpose."
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"After tallying up the votes," Chris announced to the Stars, "it's a vote of 4-3, and Jak and Daxter are the ones to take the dive."
"We figured that out already," Jak said, a little intimidated by everyone glaring daggers at him.
As he and Daxter put on their parachutes, Ivy teasingly waved at them. "Toodles, losers. Maybe you'll think twice before costing your team the challenge and forgetting about your best frie-"
SPLAT!
Ivy never saw it coming. Her face now had an unfolded dirty diaper on it. And it smelled.
"DAXTER! YOU DIRTY LITTLE-!"
"What are you going to do about it?" Daxter asked. He and Jak laughed as they jumped out of the plane.
Ivy ran out of the room, with her fuming with anger and everyone covering their noses.
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"That little weasel is going to pay for this!" Ivy exclaimed.
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"Where did he even get the diaper?" Moka asked.
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"Score!" Mega Man cried.
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Julie had just left the cockpit, having warned Chris of the woman in the red dress. On her way back to first-class, she wasn't looking where she was going and bumped into Leo.
"Oh, sorry."
"It's fine."
Both stood silent. "Congrats on winning the challenge," Julie said.
"Thanks. Though it was mostly luck."
"Still, you did good."
More silence.
"If I had been better prepared, I would've helped you avoid Mandy's attack."
"I know. Don't worry about it."
"No, I'm serious. It's my fault she beat you."
Julie smiled. "It's fine."
"At least neither of us have been eliminated yet."
"Because you can still win the million dollars to pay for your dad's window?"
"No. Because I can spend some time with you."
Then, in an unexpected move, he kissed Julie on the cheek.
It made her blush like crazy. Of course, she liked him. There was no doubt about it. She was more than prepared to finally admit it. She liked him. He liked her. She could finally accept her feelings, just like Deadpool would want her too…
No! What was she doing? This wasn't right! Not after what happened between her and Ben. Abruptly, she pushed Leo's arm away from her. Leo looked at her, surprised.
"When are you going to get it into your head? I've rejected you several times. I've slapped you in the face several times. I've done my best to ignore you several times. I think all those should tell you the same thing. Leo, it's time to wake up and smell the plane exhaust. I. Don't. Want. To. Go. Out. With. You! Finally understand?"
The minute she started saying it, she regretted it. But it kept coming.
"It's time you give up on me, because you're fighting a losing battle here. Sorry, but it's the truth."
She wanted to take it back. But she knew she couldn't. Not with her still dealing with Ben. This was her choice, and she was sticking with it.
Still, the look on Leo's face shocked Julie. He tried grabbing Julie's hand, but she pulled it away.
"Leo, please. Just leave me alone from now on."
To Julie's surprise, Leo nodded. "Very well. If this is what you want, then I'll no longer try to fight a losing battle. I won't bother you again."
Silence. "Good night, Julie." He walked inside first-class, shaking his head in disbelief.
Julie stood there, trying to think. She had turned down Leo. She knew Deadpool would be mad. Still, she knew she had to. As long as she was still dealing with her breakup with Ben, she simply wasn't ready for a relationship.
Even so, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just made things worse.
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Talk about being in denial.
Jak and Daxter were originally the ones who were supposed to get kicked off several chapters ago, in Rose vs. Rose. I couldn't find a way to make it work in the story, so they got a reprieve. But this time, no chances. Ivy and Mandy have struck again by locking Daxter in the luggage room, hypnotizing Jak, and making him tank the challenge.
These two are becoming a formidable duo.
Julie just pulled a stunner by turning down Leo in the most brutal way possible. Trust me. She only hurt herself in this action. Will these two ever have a happy ending?
Yusei finally knows what Deadpool was trying to tell him last time, and it has certainly given him a jolt. What was it about Lammy that now troubles our favorite duelist? Give it a couple more chapters, although some of you are already there.
Oh yeah, and he won a Pokémon! Muffy the Shinx will be well taken care of in New Domino City, for sure. Though I keep having laughs about how his friends will react.
And now, for info on next time!
It's the second Aftermath Show with Sam and Snake! Only three of the last four losers will show up, and the one that won't has her own reasons. Since last time, we've witnessed drama beyond comprehension. Breakups, backstabs, secrets revealed, and more. One topic in particular has everyone divided, even the hosts. And before the end of the chapter, two different worlds will have a fistfight.
As for a hint on the next challenge, let me just say that TDE has their own kind of safari in store.
Well, all you need to do now is read and review, fav and follow, send in challenge ideas and locations, ask questions to your eliminated competitors, give me good-luck messages and audition tapes, and if you haven't voted in the poll or posted in a review your favorite TDE character, don't forget to check it out.
See you guys next time, when the lady in the red dress is hopefully caught.
Until then, TheMasterKat out!
