The video starts up, revealing a short promotional tape. The very first image is of a short, shadowy Pokémon standing on a beach. One can see the excitement on his face even now, from this distance.

"Hey, this is Marshadow, and I'd like to welcome you guys to this show I've been cooking up! You know all those shows about 'two teams living in cabins and engaging in wacky challenges to get a million dollars'? Well forget the cabins, because we're living in the wilderness now!"

The footage cuts to scenes of wilderness on a tropical island, mostly the plant life with a few assorted local species of 'mon.

"That's right, we're taking a stop in the tropical Hoenn region, where 24 teenagers will have to build shelter, build bonds, and most importantly, strategize their butts off for a chance at the grand prize: 100 million Poké! That's a little over $1 million for the Americans out there. But why teenagers?"

Marshadow rubs the back of his head, chuckling.

"The execs wanted me to do a Total Drama series, so I had to make some concessions, but hey! Now why don't we go ahead and move on from that, alright? In fact, let's hear a bit of what our competitors had to say just on Day One?"

We now get to hear short blurbs from a handful of cast members. The clips are paired with footage of random players competing in challenges, living at camp, and attempting to strategize.

"The fact that I'm the only one who can start a fire without sparks, flint, or… any of that first, it proves that I'm such a valuable asset, no one can afford to get rid of me. I'm like the princess everyone has to keep safe, and I won't let them forget it."

"These folks think I'm looking for berries, I'm actually trying to find myself an advantage, because everyone knows it's those guys who start proactive, get things started immediately, that make it far, not the ones who sit around camp and do nothing."

"Oh, to be innocent… I was innocent once, Arceus above I miss those days. Building bonds with these guys is important, because for one, they're easy to convince, and two, they're cute and I cherish their company."

"My goal at the end of the day, is to hopefully reconnect with my partner. She's possibly the only Pokémon who quite understands me at the end of the day, especially what I've been through off the show. I want to keep us both safe, no matter the costs."

Footage then cuts back to Marshadow, excitedly talking about what we just heard.

"Did you hear that one? The one about partners? That's right, this is our big twist this season. Each castaway has a partner they know in real life on the opposite team. They can be relatives, they can be friends, they can be dating, it doesn't matter, what matters is that they're familiar. And it's up to our competitors to decide what to do with this information! Do they reveal who their partners are, or keep that information under lock and key? It'll be a mad dash to the merge to try and reconnect, but how many will actually get to work with their partners? Because not everyone's making that merge."

A fire spreads across the screen, covering the entire film. This turns out to merely be an effect, as soon after it fades away to reveal the Tribal Council.

"This is Tribal Council, where teams will be sent to vote out one of their own. Don't want to risk being eliminated? You'd better win the Immunity Challenge, then. Once the merge hits, then everyone's going to Tribal Council no matter what, and only one 'mon can wear that immunity necklace at a time!"

The footage soon pans to a series of benches, one on each side of the Council set.

"You see these seats? Players still in the game sit on the benches to the right, while the left is reserved for our Jury. Once the merge starts, players who are voted out don't immediately go home, but are instead sent to the Jury. On the final day, our final three contestants will be forced to plead their cases to said Jury, who will then vote to decide who gets the 100 million Poké. If you can convince the most Jurors that you played the best game, then the money is yours."

Marshadow is once again the focus, though this time he's standing at the Tribal Council set, holding a burning torch.

"It's a mad dash to the end, but only one person can claim the title of Sole Survivor. Who will win, and who will be sent home with nothing? Find out, on Pokémon Survivor: South Hoenn!"

~~

And there you have it, a sneak preview of this upcoming story I'm working on! You may remember me writing a story that's very similar to this just a few years ago, as a Total Drama crossover. Truth is, forcing myself to work on that alone left me feeling extremely burned out. Now that the story and I have had some time apart, I think I can safely bring it back as a story that updates once-in-a-while, whenever I have the time.

So, what's the difference between this and the old story? It's more Survivor-based than Total Drama-based, for one, though we're keeping the teen cast. I might bump the cast up to adults in later seasons if I do those, but for now, assume it's an executive mandate based on the success of the numerous Total Drama crossovers you see all over. I didn't want to cut any cast members, either, but expect the strategy to get more cutthroat and the setting to get more wilderness-y.

Structure-wise, it's somewhat similar to Australian Survivor with the longer timeframe and larger cast, though with only one planned swap and a Final Three like the US version. Expect each episode to take around three chapters to get through: The Social Phase, the Challenge Phase, and the Tribal Phase. The Social Phase will be almost entirely based around interactions between the players, the Challenge Phase is dedicated to the immunity challenges, and the Tribal Phase briefly stops by each tribe before going to Tribal Council, with the chapter ending in someone being eliminated. This will continue until the Final 3, where we will get to hear from our Jury one last time as they argue with the finalists.

Who will win? Remember, there can be only one, so feel free to root for whoever you want. For now, I'll leave you with the below cast list, so good luck, and have fun.

~~

-A creepy Beheeyem

-A snobbish Braixen

-A gentle Breloom

-An innocent Cleffa

-A composed Dewott

-A sociable Ditto

-A paranoid Flygon

-A protective Gardevoir

-A confident Glaceon

-A malicious Honchkrow

-An arrogant Kadabra

-A clumsy Lopunny

-An emotionless Magneton

-A peppy Marill

-A calculating Mawile

-A motivational Minun

-A chilled-out Oddish

-A posh Petilil

-An awkward Pikachu

-A hyperactive Plusle

-A lackadaisical Pupitar

-A brash Sableye

-A loner Sneasel

-A dishonest Sudowoodo