Survivor: Dewford Islands

by Gomamon

Sixteen castaways are about to begin an adventure of a lifetime. For thirty nine days, they will be stranded on the islands of Dewford with a minimal of protection and assistance against the harsh environment. Who will be the Sole Survivor?

4. Episode 4: A Lonely Feast

Survivor: Dewford Islands
By: Gomamon

Last Time on Survivor:

In the Huntail tribe, Drew was threatened by the amount of power that Brock and May held over his tribe. At the same time, James felt underappreciated and developed ill feelings towards the Huntail leader, Brock. A desperate JP tried to use it to his advantage as he and TK campaigned against the Team Rocket member in order to stay in the game.

Tensions ran high in the Gorebyss tribe when Cassidy and Zoe got into a heated confrontation. At night, Mimi and Casey overheard Zoe's plans to blindside her rival at tribal council. When Zoe tried to reconcile with Cassidy, the sassy Team Rocket member unleashed a venomous verbal attack at her. As obvious divisions appeared at camp, Delia found herself in a moral dilemma between her loyalty to Cassidy and her sympathy for Zoe. At the end, she was the swing vote that determined Zoe's ouster in the game. Thirteen remain, who will be voted off next?

Episode Four: A Lonely Feast

Gorebyss: CASEY - CASSIDY – DELIA – MIMI – RIKA – TAKUYA

Huntail: BROCK – DREW – JAMES – JP – MAY – TAKATO – TK

- - -

DAY 10

If Cassidy was the powerful queen of Gorebyss, then Mimi must certainly be the princess in her tribe. In a way, Mimi's best strategic move in the game was leeching onto Cassidy's coattails and serving as the Team Rocket leader's most faithful ally. Whenever somebody pointed out that she was a liability in challenges and camp, Cassidy would always be the first to shoot down any plotting done against Mimi. Nobody who wants to get rid of Mimi could do so without crossing over to Cassidy's bad side. And nobody who wants to stay on the Gorebyss tribe would dare to rebel against Cassidy. Thus, this corrupted logic allowed Mimi to find a safe and secure position in her tribe.

She was the best friend. She was the loyal henchman. She was untouchable.

When Mimi first arrived on these islands, nobody had high expectations for a city slicker like her to do well in Survivor. Her friends joked that Mimi would last no more than three days in the wilderness before she bitched and cried her way back home. But it was the tenth day and Mimi survived through two tribal councils without a single vote struck by her name. Despite a lack of experience outdoors ("My only camping trip turned out to be a total digital disaster!" Mimi added), she was doing surprisingly well in this game.

Mimi: Okay, I'm not really strong in challenges nor am I very capable around camp. On paper, girls like me don't go far in this game. So if I really want to stay long, I've very few options to impress them. It's not like I could just go out there and catch my tribe an enormous fish or something, you know? My best bet is to follow the person who has the most power in the tribe. By the second day, I know that Cassidy made all the decision in our tribe. I proved to Cassidy that I'm loyal and I'm her number one ally. We're like, soul sisters now!

She twirled her brown hair around with her finger.

Mimi: I simply adore Cassidy, but she's my shield in this game. While she gets the heat for how she's playing this game like a dictator, I'm getting off squeaky clean. All I need to do is keep riding on her bandwagon and make sure Cassidy piss off everybody! If we go to the finals together, I'll win for sure!

Mimi knew about her limits and her capabilities. She'll never be a challenge powerhouse nor could she provide a lot to her camp. But if there was one skill that Mimi was proud of, it was her cooking. As the resident chef of Gorebyss, she cooked three delicious and nutritious meals for her tribe everyday. In the nine days they've spent on this island, Mimi cooked nearly twenty seven meals for Gorebyss! The misconception that Mimi was lazy just because she doesn't hunt for food or collect firewood was simply ignorant. It angered Mimi so much when Takuya and Rika ragged about her work ethics at tribal council last night, how dare they?

It was time for her ungrateful tribe members to realize all of the hard work that Mimi does for her tribe!

This morning, Mimi woke up early and put the extra effort to prepare a breakfast so colossal that none of her tribe members will ever forget about it. She sat in front of the campfire, holding a pocket knife in her right hand and an apple in the other. A large pot of apples was placed beside her. She sliced the apple into six thin slices, and then, she took each of these slices and cut it into even smaller pieces.

While Mimi prepared the breakfast, she was also humming a soft melody under her breath. At first, the cameras couldn't identify the catchy tune. But when Mimi mumbled the words of the song out, it was clear that that she was singing a song suitable for the game she was singing, a song produced by Destiny's Child – "Survivor".

"I'm a survivor,
I'm not gon' give up,
I'm not gon' stop,
I'm gon' work harder.
I'm a survivor,
I'm gonna make it,
I will survive,
Keep on surviving…"

An hour later, the tribe members of Gorebyss woke up to the heavenly scent of a well-prepared breakfast. Mimi waved excitedly at them, gesturing her tribe members to come out of their shelter. The slightly confused tribe of five all gathered around the gorgeous brunette and it was only then when they saw what Mimi has done. Laid out neatly on the sand were six wooden bowls with an accompanying spoon. Some of the tribe members gasped in delight at the sight of this delicious meal that Mimi has prepared for them.

"Good morning!" Mimi grinned enthusiastically.

"Wow, Mimi…is this cereal?" Casey asked.

"It's not just any cereal." Mimi giggled. "It's apple cereal! We've no milk, so I squeezed the apples to make apple juice instead. And instead of cornflakes, I used small slices of apples and a bit of mush corn instead!"

"This is amazing! It smells great, it looks great and…" Delia inserted a spoonful of the cereal in her mouth. "And it tastes fantastic too, just like always!"

"I don't say this often, but I'm impressed." Cassidy nodded her head slowly, echoing Delia's sentiments.

"Aww…thanks for the compliments!" Mimi beamed. "I know most of us are fed up of eating the same old meals for breakfast, so I decided to spice it up a little. I'm glad you like it!"

"Oh, we love it!" Delia chuckled.

Casey curiously peeked inside the black pot that used to contain a stack of ripe apples inside. But now, all that was left of those apples was a pile of apple cores. In one morning, Mimi used up all of the apples that the tribe collected in order to make a massive breakfast for her tribe. The apple slices, the apple juice, and the apple cereal. Casey glanced at her bowl of cereal and made a face.

Casey: I cringed when I saw the pile of apple cores in the pot, because the amount of apples Mimi used to make one extravaganza breakfast could have provided us five regular meals. It took us so many hours to collect those apples from the trees and we don't have much corn in our supplies, so I think it was a waste to use this much food in just one meal.

She smiled awkwardly, the dimple on her right cheek very prominent to the cameras.

Casey: But when all is said and done, I understand that Mimi put a lot of effort to give us a satisfying meal. She was only trying to help, and I shouldn't blame her for trying. And hey, on the bright side…we all ate a very delicious breakfast this morning! Thanks to Mimi, Gorebyss is energized and we're so ready to kick some Huntail butt! Yeah!

Needless to say, all of the women enjoyed the breakfast thoroughly. Even Rika, who was normally so resentful and cynical, begrudgingly complimented Mimi about her excellent cooking skills. But before Mimi could gloat in her newfound glory, she noticed that Takuya wasn't eating his bowl of cereal. The shabby looking goggle-head just sat there with the rest of the women, slouching in his seat like a depressed hobo. He gazed mournfully into the fire as if it was a tombstone in some graveyard. While he didn't make any disturbing sounds, his mere presence alone was bothering the women from enjoying their breakfast.

"Okay, I'll take the bait. What's wrong with you?" Cassidy finally asked.

"I'm not hungry," muttered Takuya.

"But it tastes really good!" Mimi squealed. She pushed his bowl of cereal a little closer towards his feet. "You should try some, you'll love it!"

Takuya only replied with a sharp grunt. He turned his back towards the rest of the women.

"Don't tell me you're still pissed off because that blonde girl isn't here anymore." Cassidy narrowed her eyes. "She's so yesterday news."

"Yeah, move on already!" Mimi added.

"Just shut up and eat!" Takuya snapped angrily. "Damn it, if I don't feel like eating the nasty cereal, then just let me be!"

That did the trick. Takuya's angry retort silenced the nosy women from prodding their noses into his business. They quietly returned to eating their breakfast, looking a bit stunned at what they thought was an inappropriate reaction. Mimi didn't understand what provoked Takuya to act so sour and grouchy ("He's pulling a Rika!" Mimi joked), especially since she was only trying to be nice!

Rika: Takuya is a bit sulky, but I respect the guy enough to give him his personal space. I understand what he's going through after Zoe got voted off last night, just less than twenty four hours ago. But once again, the women just don't get it. They don't get that Takuya is grieving over the loss of a close friend that THEY voted off.

She closed her surly blue eyes.

Rika: Bitches.

"He's grumpy because he has poor sportsmanship…" Casey mumbled just loud enough so that Mimi and Cassidy heard what she said. They giggled and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Shut up! I'm not stupid, I know you're talking about me," said Takuya angrily. He didn't hear what Casey said, but judging from the malicious tone of the giggles, he figured that it was something spiteful about him.

"So-rry! I didn't know that Takuya was promoted from resident dumbass to the dumbass that controls all the conversations that goes on in this tribe!" Cassidy sniggered. Takuya just glared at her.

In the midst of all the hateful exchanges, Rika looked like she was resisting a strong urge to laugh out loud. She loved this, she absolutely loved this. There was no love lost between the tribe members – no love existed between any of them in the first place.

Zoe might have left the island last night, but the thick aura of animosity was here to stay.

- - -

JP Shibiyama was a man of many talents, palmistry reading being one of the skills that he excelled in. Normally in real life, palmistry was something that most people didn't take seriously. But out of sheer boredom and the lack of entertainment, JP had a chance to share his talent with some of the more superstitious members of his tribe.

"JP! Tell me what my palm says!" May giggled girlishly, presenting her petite hand to the Frontier.

With a boyish grin on his face, JP moved his index finger slowly around her palm. His tiny eyes squinted as he tried to read the different lines on May's hand. Each line had a different meaning, a different interpretation, a different outcome to her fate. Of course, very few people had a desirable reading on their hands. Destiny burdened them with tangled webs of nuisance and knots of misfortune. But who wants to hear that about themselves? No, JP would rather make his own interpretations, telling people about the perfect lives and happy endings that they longed to hear.

JP: Palmistry reading is like playing poker. If you don't have a good hand, learn how to bluff.

"Your love line is straight and long, with very few knots." JP said in a mysterious voice. "This means that you'll end up in a very happy marriage with a husband who loves you very much."

"Oh my god, really?" May smiled widely. JP nodded his head vigorously, trying to look as genuine as he could possibly be.

"Yeah, I could always picture you as the gold-digging trophy wife of a rich man." Drew laughed, while she shot him an irritated glare. He then added, "I'm only teasing you, stupid!"

"If you don't have anything nice to say…" May started, but her sentence was interrupted when James started speaking as well.

"Hey JP, can you read my palm as well?" James asked.

The chunky boy narrowed his eyes as he scanned over the Team Rocket member's delicate hand.

"Your hand…is so smooth and white. This isn't a working hand." JP commented. "You must've lived through a very prosperous childhood, am I right?"

"That's right, oh, you're sooooo good!" James squealed.

"Hmm. Unfortunately, your palm tells me another thing." JP sighed dramatically. "Your life line is very short and knotted, meaning that you'll face many dangers in your health, possibly even dying young." He paused, and then added. "You'll probably be poor for the rest of your life as well."

"No, no, no!" James made a face. "That's horrible! Jessie and Meowth won't be happy if they hear about this!"

"Sorry, but I'm just interpreting what the palm says." JP shrugged.

May: Living on a stranded island could get really boring sometimes. We do the work and all, but there's not much else to do in our spare time. There're no games for us to play and there aren't anything else for entertainment. So that's why I love having JP in our tribe, he's bundles of fun! With his jokes and games, JP can keep us entertained for hours!

A genuine smile eased onto May's face as she talked about the chunky Frontier boy.

May: Today, JP was reading our palms and I thought it would be really funny if he used palmistry to predict what would happen in this game! But oh boy, that sure went downhill very quickly…

"Hey JP! You know what you should do? You should read all of our palms and tell us who we should send to the reward challenge today." May suggested jokingly.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Takato laughed.

"It doesn't work that way, dude!" JP began, but he grinned. "Oh alright…what the hell. Show me your palms!"

As he read through the hands of each tribe member, JP nodded his head slowly, carrying the stance of someone who knows what they're doing. Finally, he stopped in front of TK and held onto his hand. JP looked up at the blonde with a small grin.

"Luck is on your side, TK." JP said this with a small chuckle, "You should go to the reward challenge for us!"

"Come on, JP…" TK looked slightly uncomfortable to be put on the spot like this.

"You can totally help us win the reward, TK!" May said in a cheery voice.

"If JP says that you should go to the challenge, then trust him!" James nodded his head excitedly.

"Hey now, let's not go too far with this paranormal crap," said Brock, frowning. "Let's be serious for a moment. The person who we choose to go to the reward challenge has to sit out at the immunity challenge, right?"

"Right…" Takato said, "Because we've one extra member over the other tribe."

"TK is one of our best athletes in our tribe, no doubts about it." Brock continued, putting a reassuring hand on TK's shoulder. "Do you think it's wise if we sat him out during the immunity challenge like this?"

"Oh Brock, it's not a big deal! We're just playing around…" May laughed.

"I think Takato should go to the reward challenge instead," said Brock. His squinty eyes leered at his tribe members disapprovingly. "He could sit out at the immunity challenge, and our chances of winning immunity will be higher."

"Brock does have a good point." Takato mumbled, but his voice sounded uncertain.

"We're a tribe. We've to make decisions together as a group," added Brock.

James: Aieee! Am I the only one who's tired of listening to Brock and his sanctimonious spiels about how we're a tribe and how we've to be unified as one? He always has to ruin our fun just so he could show everyone that he's in charge! Just because he cooks us a few meals and boils several pots of water, Brock thinks he knows what's best for our tribe!

The Team Rocket member was sitting on a boulder as he gave this confessional. He had both of his hands clasped on his cheeks.

James: I feel like a misfit in Huntail…if only Jessie and Meowth were here with me, everything would be better.

"Well, it's a bit ridiculous for us to make a decision because my palm looks like the winning hand," said TK.

"Thanks for understanding, TK." Brock nodded, flashing a thumbs-up to the young blonde. "The idea was completely irrational, but I'm glad you saw through it."

"Yeah, Brock is right." May echoed.

"Brock is always right, isn't he? I'm dazzled by his brilliance!" James added, never missing an opportunity to suck up. Standing behind the Team Rocket member, Drew smirked.

"So, err…" May swiftly glanced around at her tribe members, but nobody was returning her gaze. She flashed a nervous grin at JP. "Hey, why don't you look at my palm again? Tell me if I'll win any more Pokemon Contests or not!"

A hesitant JP took a fleeting glimpse at Brock. The Pokemon Breeder carried a stern expression on his tanned face, clearly not pleased with this silly game of palmistry. It was clear that Brock didn't want JP to continue any longer into this mindless superstition. And it was in JP's best interest if everybody just gave Brock the space and time to chill out. After all, the Huntail leader was the person who could provide him with the lifeline that he desperately needed to stay in the game.

"Nah, May. Not now." JP sighed, "I think fun time is over."

- - -

When Professor Birch saw who the tribes sent as representatives to participate in the reward challenge, he couldn't help but smile. Takato grinned too, after he realized that his opponent would be someone from the Digimon Frontier series: Takuya Kanbara. This challenge was going to be a battle between the two goggle-heads.

"It's Takato versus Takuya!" Professor Birch laughed, greeting the two boys with a courteous handshake.

"Game on." Takato smiled weakly.

A dining table was placed in the middle of the challenge beach. Covered by a classy white tablecloth, there were two empty plates at opposite ends of the tables. Professor Birch gestured the two boys to sit on one of the two white dining chairs. As Takato sat down, he stared at his plate with a confused expression on his face.

"You boys must be starving out here on the island, aren't you?" Professor Birch asked.

"We're barely surviving," replied Takuya.

"You aren't going to give us food, are you?" Takato asked hopefully.

"Ah!" Professor Birch's eyes twinkled with mischief. "It depends on what your definition of food is…"

He walked around the dining table in a circle, dropping three red pokeballs onto each plate.

"Inside these pokeballs are three different insects. None of them are alive." Professor Birch explained. "Your objective is to open up these pokeballs and devour the Pokemon inside as quickly as possible. You must swallow the whole bug before you can move on to your next item. If you throw up, you'll be given a minute penalty before re-eating the same Pokemon again." Takato already looked queasy in his seat, listening to the instructions. "The first person to finish without throwing up will win the reward challenge for their tribe!" Professor Birch chuckled. "Want to know what you're playing for?"

"Not really…" Takato muttered. He was completely grossed out by the idea of eating insects – no, dead insects. But Takato wasn't sure if he should be thankful that the insects are living or not.

"If you win the reward challenge today, your tribe will enjoy a fantastic feast – guarantee to fill your empty stomachs to the max!" Professor Birch said enthusiastically. "Starting from today and for the next three days, a delivery person will arrive at your camp to bring you three boxes of pizza and a dozen soft drinks!"

Takato grinned, finally looking like his regular cheerful self since Zoe Orimoto got voted off. Takato also tried to smile when he heard the announcement, but he couldn't muster enough strength to feel even remotely excited about this gross-food eating challenge. He was still too horrified and disgusted at the prospect of eating the dead insects.

"If there aren't any questions, then let's begin this wonderful feast!" Professor Birch raised his hand. "When I give you the signal, you'll pop open the first pokeball and eat whatever is in it. You must put it in your mouth and swallow everything before you can move on to the second pokeball." The two boys nodded. "Survivors ready, begin!"

Takuya and Takato both opened their pokeballs at roughly the same time (although Takuya had a bit of difficulty actually opening his pokeball, he quickly figured it out). The limp body of a lifeless Caterpie dropped on the plate. A bit of red blood is smeared across the caterpillar's hollow black eyes.

"Piece of cake." Takuya said, dropping the green caterpillar in his mouth. He chewed it for a while, making a few disgusted faces along the way. Within ten seconds, he swallowed the entire bug and was ready to move on to the next item.

Takato didn't share his enthusiasm with this challenge. He stared at the Caterpie's dead body tentatively, looking as if he didn't even want to touch the insect with his fingers. But Takato knew that the last thing he wanted to do was to let his tribe down again, so despite all his fears and other emotions rushing through his head, he courageously took a tiny nibble of Caterpie's head.

A few seconds later, he threw up on the ground.

"Takato, you look almost as green as a Caterpie!" Professor Birch chuckled nervously, dropping a Pokeball onto his plate. Takato wiped the vomit from his mouth, looking partly disgusted with the Caterpie and partly disgusted with himself. He now had to wait one minute before he could eat another caterpillar again. He didn't look forward to it.

Meanwhile, Takuya was eating his second Pokeball with ease. It was Paras, the mushroom bug Pokemon. Normally with two healthy and nutritious mushrooms on this creature's back, they looked green and mouldy on this aged Paras. Regardless of the repulsive appearance, Takuya just shrugged it off. Chomp, chomp, chomp. And the insect was down his throat, making its way to the stomach.

"Impressive! Takuya is going through this challenge like it's a breeze!" Professor Birch widened his eyes in bewilderment. He flashed an unsure smile at Takato. "I hate to say this, but it doesn't look like a close race at all."

The third item on Takuya's menu was a Beautifly, except that the wings were detached from its body. He put it in his mouth, chewed through the wingless butterfly and swallowed it. After finishing everything on his plate, he burped.

"Just like that, we have a winner!" Professor Birch announced. "Gorebyss wins the reward challenge!"

Takato sighed, looking devastated at what an upset loss this challenge has been. While he was waiting for the penalty to pass by so he could eat another Caterpie, Takuya ate all three bugs and was finished with this challenge as if it had been nothing.

"I'm sorry, Takato…" Professor Birch began, but Takato was already dejectedly making his way back to his camp. "Congratulations, Takuya! You know what you've won, right?"

Takuya nodded, with a faint smile on his boyish face.

"For the next few days, someone will come over to deliver pizza and pop to the Gorebyss camp." Professor Birch grinned. "Starting with today, you can bring this back to your camp and have an appetizing feast!" He kneeled down on the ground, reaching his arm under the table. The professor pulled out three cardboard boxes and a carton of soft drinks. "Your tribe members will be pleased for sure."

Professor Birch stacked the boxes of pizza on top of one another, handing this gigantic pile of food over to Takuya. And then, the professor waved a farewell to the goggle-head, happily sending him to the path leading back to the Gorebyss camp. But to his amazement, Takuya didn't move in the direction that he had anticipated. Instead, Takuya walked back to where Professor Birch was standing, putting all of the pizza on the dining table used in the challenge. He walked over to a white dining chair and sat down.

He opened up one of the cardboard boxes and grabbed a fresh slice of pepperoni pizza. And then, he began to eat.

It was just Takuya, sitting around the dining table, enjoying a lonely feast.

- - -

At first, Professor Birch was at a loss for words. He didn't understand what Takuya was doing here. Didn't he state very clearly in the rules that the winner could share the reward with his entire tribe? If so, then why was Takuya sitting at the table? Why was that boy eating all the pizza by himself?

"What are you doing, Takuya? You do know that you won this challenge for your entire tribe, right?" Professor Birch asked.

Takato took a huge bite out of his pizza slice, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation of warm cheese slowly melting in his mouth. Food has never tasted so good before. And since Takuya didn't eat breakfast this morning, he felt extremely famished right now.

"Professor, I choose to not share my reward with anybody from Gorebyss," replied Takuya. "They don't deserve it."

"Are you serious?" Professor Birch asked. He paused and then sighed. "You are serious about this..."

"Yeah, I don't care anymore." Takuya said, taking another gnaw out of the pizza slice. "I couldn't care less if they starve while I ate like a king."

Professor Birch felt a bemused smile easing in on his face. He sat down on a dining chair at the opposite end of the table, watching Takuya consume the pizza slices with a combination of awe and fascination.

"Wow." That was all he could say about this bizarre situation.

Takuya: No, I feel zero remorse that I'm not sharing my reward with the rest of Gorebyss. In fact, I'm thrilled that they're probably eating mush corn and rice, while I chow down on some mouth-watering pizza. The more miserable I know they are, the happier I'll feel. That's what they get for voting Zoe off last night. Karma came back and bit all of the women in their big, fat asses!

"Tell me why you're doing this, Takuya. Please tell me you've a good reason to be this…selfish," said Professor Birch.

"Ever since they voted Zoe off, these women have made it very clear to me that I'm not welcomed on Gorebyss. And if I'm going to be voted off anyway, why bother sucking up to them?" Takuya spitted each of his words out with bitterness.

"So, you're giving up?" The professor asked.

"No, I'll never give up." Takuya replied instantly. He shook his head as if that had been a ridiculous question to ask.

"Then what…" Professor Birch paused, struggling to find the appropriate words to describe this unusual incident. "Then please explain to me what you are doing with the food, Takuya!"

"This is all about revenge, baby!" Takuya laughed. He opened a soda can and took a large gulp of the pop. "What the women don't know won't hurt them."

He chuckled, taking another sip of the soda.

"Man, I've been way too passive with my strategy. If only I was more assertive, I could've stopped Cassidy's reign earlier, and then, Zoe would still be here." Takuya said. "But now, I think I need to play a dirtier game."

"I'm not here to judge," said Professor Birch.

"Thanks." Takuya grinned. "By the way, how is the delivery boy going to bring the pizza tomorrow?"

"Somebody will put three boxes of pizza and the soft drinks in your treemail box in the morning," replied the professor.

"Awesome. I'm usually the first person to wake up in my tribe anyway, so they'll never notice if I took the pizza out of the mailbox," said Takuya.

Professor Birch stared at the pizza boxes with a weak smile. He doesn't know if he should be surprised, upset or angry about what Takuya has done to Gorebyss. If he hid this secret carefully, they'd never find out that Takuya won this reward challenge. They'd never discover that Takuya will be eating all of this food by himself…

"Are you going to eat all three boxes of pizza before you head back to camp?" Professor Birch asked.

"I've all the time in the world," said Takuya, shrugging. "If the nosy women ask any questions, I'll just explain that this was a really long challenge."

"You're not going to tell them about this?"

"I'm not going to tell them, I'm not going to share with them, I'm not going to care about them." Takuya said, as he grabbed another slice of pizza from the box. He removed one piece of pepperoni and tossed it into his mouth. "I'm done with Gorebyss. None of my tribe members mean anything to me…well, except for Rika. She's a cool chick."

Takuya rubbed his chin, still wearing a mischievous grin on his boyish face.

"You know what, may be I should save her a slice of pizza or something…"

Rika: Goggle-head came back from the reward challenge and told us that he lost against Takato in the gross food challenge. I expected the worst. Gorebyss is on a major losing streak because weaklings like Delia and Mimi are still on our tribe. We won't win any more challenges until we vote them off, I told them so.

She was sitting under an apple tree, holding the red fruit in her hand. Rika tossed it up in the air and caught the apple swiftly with her left hand.

Rika: Anyway, Takuya and I went into the forest to hunt for food tonight. But I can tell that he had something weird up his sleeves. It…it was a nice surprise.

"Ta-da!" Takuya grinned as he pulled out a pizza box from the bushes. There were two soda pops on top of the box. "You should congratulate me on winning the reward challenge today. I totally kicked Takato's scrawny ass!"

Rika raised an eyebrow as she peeked inside the pizza box. There it was in front of her, like a heavenly oasis in the middle of a barren desert – a whole pepperoni pizza in its entirety.

"You won this?" She asked uncertainly.

"Sure did!" Takuya chuckled. "But don't tell the other women about this! I don't want any of them to eat the pizza. They don't deserve it."

"I won't tell them." Rika nodded. A sly smile crept across her face. "I should've known something happened. You were in such good spirits when you returned from the challenge today."

"Aw shucks, I'll take that as a thank-you!" Takuya laughed.

Rika grabbed a can of soda and opened it. It tasted like paradise.

"Takuya, you big dork…" She muttered with a faint smile on her face.

"But I'm a smart dork! As long as we wake up early to hide the pizza in these bushes, we could have all of this food and drinks for ourselves. We don't have to eat Mimi's shitty meal of the day." Takuya snapped his fingers. "Isn't this awesome?"

"Dork." Rika repeated, playfully nudging Takuya on his elbow.

"C'mon, Rika…we've to start hunting some birds to feed the rest of our tribe or they'll get suspicious." Takuya grinned at his female companion. "I must say, I do get a kick when I think about how we're eating delicious pizza while they're eating overcooked poultry!"

"You love the irony of this, don't you?" Rika asked.

"I don't just love it. I embrace it!" Takuya grinned back.

Takuya: Rika is one seriously awesome girl. If life is a bitch to her, she only gets bitchier. And you know me… I always have a soft spot for feisty rebels. When the two of us first met each other, there's this natural chemistry that allowed us to click. We quickly became hunting buddies and now, she's the only girl on Gorebyss who I actually like! The rest of them all suck except Rika, heh.

Takuya grinned enthusiastically to the cameras, raising his fist triumphantly in the air.

Takuya: We're outcasts. We both know that we're two sitting ducks in this tribe, waiting to be pecked off by the mother hen Cassidy. But for better or for worse, Rika and I are in this together.

- - -

DAY 11

This morning, TK was taking a relaxing jog around the island, just like always. By the eleventh day, the athletic blonde became so familiar with his surroundings that he knew almost every aspect of the landscape. He knew about the secluded nest located in a tall, brooding tree, where the Spearows would leer menacingly at him until he jogged away. He knew about the open grass field that the carefree Hoppips bounced merrily in, collecting flower pollens that blew in the breeze. He even knew about the tiny tunnel that the Digletts resided in, and how they would occasionally pop out to collect food. Just like always.

Nobody understood his fascination with the beautiful island scenery of Dewford. JP even joked that TK was developing an unhealthy obsession for this place. But if only they could see some of the wildlife that TK experienced every morning, his tribe members would truly appreciate every second of living on this island. They'd be amazed. They'd be entranced. They'd be as in love with it as TK was.

"Earlier in the morning, I saw a Teddiursa in the forest." TK grinned as he described about the petite brown bear to the cameras. "It was too shy to come out though, but it's really cute."

His jog usually ended when he saw the sight of the Huntail motorboat. The white water vehicle was parked by the shoreline, tied tightly to a tree with some rope. This boat was the reward that Drew won for Huntail a couple of challenges ago. From a distance, the boat still looked like it was in mint condition, even though the men have been sailing to sea with that boat almost every day. They were fishing for seafood, with very little success. TK occasionally joined them in their fishing trips, although he was never a huge fan of the water.

Today, TK passed by the same boat just like he does everyday. But something caught his glance. The curious blonde jogged a few steps backwards, approaching towards the motorboat. That was when he saw that there were scratches on the side of the boat. TK kneeled down on the ground as he leant forward for a closer inspection. He discovered that the scratches were actually faint and jagged handwriting. From the way it was written, the scratches looked as if they were made by a sharp rock.

"Who did this?" TK muttered, running his fingers over the handwriting on the boat.

When he finally removed his fingers over the scratches, the cameras panned closer to the message scrawled on the boat. It read: "BROCK SUCKS".

TK: This morning, I found a very unpleasant message scratched on the side of our boat. I don't know who the scumbag was, but the marks were only there this morning. Anyway, it was supposed to be a dig at Brock…and uh, I don't think he's going to be very happy when he reads it.

TK nervously bit his lips.

TK: Whoever did this better have a darn good reason. Because personally, I thought it was a very low and tacky way of expressing their distaste for someone. Even though the tasteless message wasn't directed at me, I'm still completely and utterly insulted by it.

Within minutes, the whole tribe found out about the message on the motorboat. TK woke everybody up in the shelter and as an entire tribe, they all went to see the "personal message" (as described by TK) that was on the boat.

"Who could do such a thing?" May cried in horror when she first saw the scratches.

Takato just gasped. He was too speechless for words.

"This is low, dude. This is really low." JP shook his head disapprovingly.

"Oh my god…I hope this isn't a prank, because it isn't funny at all!" May shot a glare at James' direction.

"May, calm down." Brock said in a soothing voice, placing his left hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "It's not a big deal. It was just a stupid message left by a coward." He turned to look at the rest of his tribe members. "If anybody has a problem with me, say it to my face."

"When did you find this?" Takato timidly asked.

"Just a few minutes ago…I'm pretty sure that this wasn't here yesterday, right?" TK said.

"No way." Drew confirmed, "We went fishing on the boat yesterday and we would've definitely spotted it if it was there."

"But who would write 'Brock sucks' on the boat?" JP asked.

"Obviously someone who has a problem with me," answered Brock, looking unruffled by the turn of events. He scanned his squinty eyes across the faces of his tribe members. "A person who's just seeking for drama…" He paused as he stared directly into James' enigmatic green eyes. "A person who's trying to stir up trouble…"

James gulped.

"I never!" James shouted, his eyelids fluttering rapidly. "I swear it wasn't me! I…I knew nothing about this note until now!"

"Are you sure about that, James?" May yelled. "This mean-spirited message sounds like something that comes right from your alley!"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!" James raised both of his hands in the air.

Brock sighed softly, but managed to force a weak smile on his face.

"I don't care who did it, except that this person is a huge attention hog. It's quite sad, really." He said, shaking his head as if he felt pity. "Anyway, I just want to let the attention hog know that his plan isn't working. This doesn't bother me one bit." He laughed. "Nope, my mojo isn't affected by stupid meaningless insults at all!"

Takato exchanged an uneasy glance with May. Nobody else said anything.

Takato: I know Brock said he doesn't mind about that stupid message on the boat, but I think it's bothering him a little bit. Ever since he read that message, he's been acting a bit different. He's more paranoid and thinks people are going to vote him off…

He frowned at the cameras.

Takato: This really sucks. Brock is really the nicest, the smartest and the coolest person on our tribe. He makes this island feel like home. I…I just don't understand why anybody would feel the need to hurt him like that. Whoever scratched that message on the boat must be a BIG loser.

As the morning commotion died down, the Huntail tribe eventually dispersed and separated in different packs. TK and JP went into the forest to collect firewood, while Drew and James sailed at sea to catch fish. Although Brock would normally choose to join one of the groups in the vigorous activities, he decided to stay with May and Takato as they sat in front of the fire, watching a pot of water boil over the fire.

"There's four of them and only three of us…" Brock said quietly. He scratched his chin. "You don't think they're plotting against us, do you?"

"I hope not," said Takato.

"I think that message was a sign for things to come. It's a warning." Brock muttered, "They want me gone."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" May said, pounding Brock's shoulder lightly.

"You're the hardest working member of our tribe and you know so much about roughing it in the island," added Takato. "I think it would be stupid for them to get rid of you. You deserve to stay." He sheepishly smiled. "If they should target anyone for being stupid and useless, it's probably me."

"But they don't care if I deserve to stay or not. It has nothing to do with this game." Brock shook his head and sighed.

"Come on! Snap out of it, both of you!" May sighed as well. "I'm getting sad just hearing you guys talk."

"Do you guys think it's JP who wrote the message?" Takato asked, lowering his already soft voice into a soft whisper. "I noticed that he's trying really hard to stay in this game lately. He could do anything."

"No, I can't picture JP doing it. He's too nice for something like this, even though appearances could be deceiving." May sucked her lips together to make a plucking sound. "Drew, on the other hand…"

"Drew is such a quiet guy, you'd almost forget that he's even here," said Brock. "Yeah, he makes a few snide comments here and there, but I think he's just trying to blend in with the background."

"It's working," added Takato.

"I think that jerk is capable of doing anything. You can just see it in his eyes, there's something sinister about the way he looks at you. He's almost like sizing us up as competition." May said, wrinkling her nose a bit. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed angrily into the fire. "I don't trust him one bit."

"Who do you think it is, Brock?" Takato asked.

"If I've to take a hunch, all signs point to the no-good doer James," speculated Brock. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks. He comes from Team Rocket. He's somebody who would scoop down to this level and make a cowardly remark like that."

"I agree." May nodded her head, "He has issues with you in the past, Brock. I don't think it's been resolved."

"When he's getting water from the river, James is always by himself. How tempting must it be for him to just sneak out to the boat and commit the crime when nobody is watching him?" Brock added.

"But James said he didn't do it," said Takato.

"You'd be amazed, Takato." Brock chuckled cynically. "People lie all the time….especially Team Rocket."

Brock: You can't please everyone, I guess. Even though I work hard and provide comfort for my tribe, there are still some people not satisfied with the way I play this game. I took a tribe that was in shambles and led them through a chain of victories. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think that's pretty damn impressive!

The tanned Pokemon Breeder shrugged. He smiled confidently at the cameras.

Brock: So Brock sucks, huh? Oh well, what can I do? I can't spend my whole life worrying about what others thought of me. I'd go crazy trying to live up to their expectations. Whenever a cute girl rejects me, I don't go into sulking mode and wonder why they don't return my affection. It's the exact same thing with this game. My competitors try to trip me, causing me to tumble and fall down. I get up. I move on.

- - -

Casey always loved a good challenge. The baseball fanatic wanted to constantly exceed her own limits, forcing herself to be better than the next person. In real life, baseball was the most suitable sport for her competitive personality. It required teamwork, cooperation, competitiveness and dexterity – all aspects that she found immensely thrilling. And in the game of Survivor, Casey sought for the same adventurous excitement every day in the immunity challenges. Only when Casey saw the sight of the golden Pokeball did she really feel the pressure to win. But no matter what the challenge was about, Casey was prepared to put up a good fight against her competitors.

Today, Delia was going to accompany Casey to retrieve the treemail for their next challenge, but Takuya already informed the entire tribe that he checked the mailbox earlier, and there were no challenges to compete in today. Slightly disappointed, Casey returned to sit inside the shelter with Delia. She wasn't able to work without a full stomach to start her day, but Mimi and Cassidy were still preparing the breakfast for this morning.

"I guess we're going to have the immunity challenge tomorrow, huh?" Casey asked with a small grin on her face.

"We definitely need to start winning some challenges though. Our team morale really needs the boost," said Delia. "If we lose another challenge…I don't know what I'll do." She smiled weakly. "I might throw up in disgust."

"Don't worry, Delia. This challenge is going to be different." Casey grinned enthusiastically. "The Electabuzz team never gives up even if they finish in last place all the time, so why should we?"

"The Electabuzz? That's a baseball team, right? Ash always preferred The Magikarp team or The Starmie team." Delia said, putting a finger on her chin. "I think he has a poster of one of the mascots in his room."

"No! The Starmie is a bunch of cheats! They suck!" Casey waved her hand angrily in the air.

"They won the series last year, didn't they?" Delia asked, appearing confused. "Sorry, I'm not too much of a fan in these…sports events."

Casey: I'll admit, I am the HUGEST Electabuzz fan to ever play Survivor! They might not always win, but they've determination. They never give up. So, what's not to love?

"Delia, if you say that you don't support The Electabuzz, I'm not going to be your friend anymore!" Casey laughed teasingly. "There are some awesome hitters on that team. The Electabuzz is simply the best!" She paused and then an excited grin appeared on her boyish face. "Want to hear the victory song?"

Before Delia could politely refuse, Casey has already broken into a loud song.

"Let's all cheer for Electabuzz, greatest team of all! The players charge the field and double-team the ball!" Casey grinned, pumping her fist energetically in the air. "They're the crew with Mega-Punch when they are in a crunch! Metronome! Safe at home! Hyperbeam too!" As she sang, Mimi turned her head around at Casey with a strange expression on her face. "Win! Win! Through... thick or thin! Electabuzz, it's you!"

After Casey finished with her song, Delia could say nothing but just laugh out loud. She gentled patted the petite girl on her shoulder, as if she was congratulating her. Sitting by the campfire, Mimi was also grinning and cheering loudly. She yelled at Casey for an encore. However, this was quickly stopped by an authoritative Cassidy, who frankly looked a little embarrassed with this whole incident.

Yes, this was the eccentric blue-haired girl who Gorebyss has grown to love. She was unhealthily obsessed with baseball and the Electabuzz team. She also burst into spontaneous songs in the most random moments, no matter how silly or crazy she might appear to be. But despite her shortcomings, Casey was liked by almost everybody in her tribe. Here was a girl who just oozed with team spirit and zest. Here was a girl who had more enthusiasm than everyone in the tribe combined. Here was a girl who understood the importance of teamwork and cooperation when playing Survivor. Here was a girl who will never give up.

Slowly but surely, Delia saw an uncanny resemblance in the energetic face of Casey that reminded the housewife so much of her son, Ash Ketchum. They were so alike in many ways, from their eager competitiveness to their unmatched stubborn personality.

And she smiled – the same affectionate smile that a mother would give to her compliant child.

Casey was a good girl.

Delia: Since I've fallen ill for the past few days, Casey tended to my every need and care. I'm very impressed by her maturity and sense of responsibility, especially at such a young age. Whenever I compare Casey to somebody like Drew, I notice that there's a gigantic contrast between the two children. He's young, arrogant and has a lot of growing up to do. On the other hand, she has a great attitude and fantastic team spirit. Casey is an excellent role model in life!

She smiled weakly, brushing a few strands of hair off her pale face.

Delia: If her parents are watching this right now, I want to compliment them on what a wonderful job they did to raise this beautiful girl. They must be proud.

As Delia and Casey continued their conversation inside the shelter, two other women were doing a little gossiping about them by the campfire as they prepared for breakfast.

"Merciful heavens…" Cassidy whispered under her breath. "That girl is a total nut!"

"Really? I adore her! I think she has spunk." Mimi giggled softly, slicing an apple into half with her knife. "But I only wished she didn't hang around Delia so much." The brunette sighed softly. "She's going to have her heart broken if she spends so much time with that woman."

"Speaking of Mrs. Delia Ketchum, did I mention that I'm getting really fed up with her?" Cassidy grumbled angrily. "She tested my patience way too many times for her own good."

"I know, Cass! At first, I felt so sorry for her because she's sick and like, throwing up everywhere in our camp. Even then, it was totally gross and uncalled for!" Mimi said.

"But a week has passed already, and don't tell me that she still hasn't recovered from that stupid illness of hers!" Cassidy snapped. "Does Delia think I was born yesterday? I'm no dummy!"

"And she makes it seem like she is dying out here!" Mimi whispered dramatically.

"I think Delia is a great actress, because that's what she is doing right now…fooling all of us with that motherly role she's playing up." Cassidy rolled her eyes. "She isn't really sick at all. She just needs an excuse to not work and lie inside the shelter all day."

Mimi took a brief glance at Delia, who was laughing at some joke that Casey just told.

"You're probably right, Cass. I don't really trust her," muttered Mimi. "Delia hardly does any work for our tribe. The only work she does is when she washes the dishes and our clothes by the river."

"I don't even think she does that much work." Cassidy rolled her eyes. "She always tags Casey to come with her by the river. Casey probably does all the washing, while Delia lies down on her lazy ass and pretends to be sick."

Cassidy: Delia is one of the laziest people I've ever met in my life. She has been ill for eleven days now, and all she contributed to Gorebyss is a puddle of vomit by that tree. We're all working, but she just lies on her back, resting comfortably in the shelter. Let's face it, she isn't really sick!

She sneered angrily at the cameras.

Cassidy: The only thing sicker than Delia is her lack of work ethics.

"Oh my god, I've seen earthworms less slothful than her!" Mimi gasped.

"Not to mention, Delia really drags us down in the physical challenges," added Cassidy.

"Cass…" Mimi turned as she looked at her ginger-haired comrade. She twirled her brown hair around her index finger as she said this. "Why are we keeping her in this tribe?"

Mimi couldn't see it yet, but the gears were already turning inside Cassidy's head.

- - -

After breakfast, the Gorebyss tribe disassembled to do whatever work that needed to be done for the day. Takuya and Rika hiked deep into the core of the forest, ready to begin another hunting expedition to bring food back to camp. Strapped to Takuya's back were several arrows, a wooden bow and their crimson red buffs in case things got too messy. They usually killed two or three birds per day – four, if they were lucky. But unfortunately, none of their catches were massive in size of meat, which meant that their meals were hardly fulfilling to their stomachs. It was still better than eating just corn or apples, but plenty of improvements could be made on their current food situation.

Luckily for Takuya and Rika, they didn't need to worry about the food shortage like the rest of the tribe; or at least not for the next several days anyway.

Takuya had a secret – one that only he and his good buddy Rika knew anything about. Hidden somewhere in a bush inside this forest, there was a stash containing pepperoni pizza and soft drinks. Takuya brought a box of pizza with them, along with all of the hunting equipment that he carried. They dared not show any of the women about their secret collection of food. If any of them found out that they were selfishly hiding food while they starved, well, it was hard to imagine how furious their reactions would be.

Takuya: Knowing that we might get caught only adds to the thrill. Sometimes, I actually want to take a bite of the pizza right in front of their faces, just to see how pissed off they will be. I know what you're thinking...I must be a sadist or some lunatic wackjob. But hey, they totally deserve it!

"I've been thinking…" Takuya said, taking a huge bite out of the pizza slice that he was holding.

"You should do that more often." Rika said dryly.

"Damn it. I set myself up for that one." Takuya chuckled. "Anyway, I feel that we should find other techniques to catch food to feed those women at camp." He glanced over at Rika for her opinion. "You know, besides hunting in the forest everyday…"

"Why?" Rika asked, chewing through a piece of pepperoni in her mouth.

"We aren't making a lot of progress here. Hunting is a bit ineffective when you aren't really catching anything big." Takuya explained. "Look, there are so many other methods to catch food on this island." He narrowed his eyes at his companion. "Okay, don't give me that look as if I just said something stupid."

"If you don't like my expression, look away," suggested Rika.

"I'm really serious about this, Rika! We could be doing something else instead of mindlessly killing birds in the forest every day. We could go fishing, for example." Takuya proposed.

"I don't think so, goggle-head." Rika said. "Do you want to sit on your ass all day and hope that some idiotic fish will take the bait at the end of a stick?"

"Sit on my ass and pretend to work? Man, that doesn't sound too different from what Cassidy and Mimi does everyday!" Takuya tried to keep a serious face, but he was snickering in the middle of his sentence.

"Don't get me started on those shrieking harpies," muttered Rika. "You know how I feel about them."

"Oh, I know! I think every tree in this forest has heard you bitch about those women." Takuya laughed sardonically. "I certainly have!"

"Shut up. Look who's talking, you're just as bad as me, if not worse." Rika smirked.

"I don't complain about them." Takuya waved his finger dismissively in the air. He shoved the last bit of his pizza slice into his mouth. "I just make fun of them behind their backs. There's a difference."

Rika was about to open her mouth for a retort when suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching. Somebody was coming!

"I don't think we're alone." Rika whispered. "I can hear…footsteps."

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Takuya exclaimed. He swiftly looked around, trying to find a place to hide the pizza box that he was holding. "Where are we going to put this?"

"Give me that!" Rika hissed as she forcefully snatched the box out of his hands. She grabbed Takuya by the shoulders. "I'll make a run for it, and you distract whoever's coming as long as you can!"

"Oh great. How am I supposed to do that?" Takuya asked, sounding desperate. But Rika was already running away, and soon, she disappeared like a shadow behind the swarm of trees.

Less than a minute later, he saw Mimi running towards him, wearing a vacant smile on her heart-shaped face. The gorgeous brunette held an arrow in between her fingers, occasionally twirling it around like a toy. Takuya only hoped that Mimi was completely clueless about the situation, but he didn't know how long Mimi was in the forest or how much of the conversation she has heard. After all, Mimi didn't earn the title of tribe gossip without doing her fair share of spying and eavesdropping on her tribe members when they least expected it.

"Hey Takuya! Casey told me that I'll find you somewhere around here." Mimi said in her sweet, girlish voice. "I found this arrow on the ground back at our campsite, and I wasn't sure if you needed it or not." She shrugged her shoulders, handing the arrow over to Takuya. "But just in case, I thought you should bring it over to you."

"Oh. Uh, thanks a gazillion, Mimi." Takuya forced a weak smile on his face.

"So, where's Rika?" Mimi asked, turning her head around. "I thought she was with you on this little hunting trip of yours."

"Umm…I-I…don't…" Takuya nervously stuttered. He didn't work well with pressure. "Rika is…chasing after…a bird and…she's going to…kill it."

"I see." Mimi nodded her head at first, but then she frowned. "Hey, why didn't you go with her? You shouldn't let a girl go into this scary forest all by herself!" She put her hands on her hips in mock anger. "I know just because Rika acts like a guy on the exterior, it doesn't give you the right to not treat her like a lady!"

"Nah, Rika is a tough girl. She can take care of herself." Takuya smiled innocently. He attempted at a joke to distract Mimi from asking any more questions. "Besides, she's probably strong enough to kick my ass any day of the week anyway."

Mimi: Takuya could be very charming when he wants to be. I mean, the guy isn't handsome or even close to it, but he has a very outgoing personality that could really work to his advantage in this game. Of course, it helps that he's the only male blood in this tribe – he has no other competition!

She giggled, smiling vacantly at the cameras as she twirled her finger around a lock of brown hair.

Mimi: Most of the women are gung ho about girl power and how women can survive on an island without the help from men, but I totally disagree. We need a man on our tribe. I mean, half of us don't even know how to shoot an arrow, let alone kill all of those birds that Takuya brings back to camp everyday! Plus, he's a really strong athlete in challenges. We need his strength if we ever want to break out of our losing streak!

Mimi paused, as the coy smile on her face began to fade away.

Mimi: However, no matter how much he contributes to Gorebyss, I'm a smart enough girl to know that I should never trust a man in this game. I think there's not a single honest man in this world. So if the time calls for it, I would not hesitate to kick Takuya to the curb. So long, goodbye!

"Hey Mimi, I want to apologize for my horrible attitude yesterday. I was upset that Zoe was voted off and I let my emotions get the best of me." Takuya said, hanging his head down in shame. "But now, I realize that it's just a game. And getting voted off is part of the game."

"Apology accepted," said Mimi in her sweetest voice. She ruffled Takuya's messy hair with her hand as a wily grin crept across his face. "You're so sweet, Takuya."

"So, what are you planning to do for the rest of the day?" Takuya asked.

"Me? I'm probably going to do a little sunbathing with Cassidy. The weather is so nice today, perfect for a tan!" Mimi smiled. She eyed Takuya's body up and down for a few seconds. "Want to come? Your body might need a little tan too!"

"Uh…" Takuya hesitated. Just the thought of spending any time with the women was giving him shivers all over his body. If Zoe was here, she definitely wouldn't approve of this. But Mimi just stood there with her puppy eyes and a genuine smile on her innocent face. How could he refuse?

"Come on! I need someone to help me put sun lotion on my back!" Mimi smiled, nudging Takuya with her elbow.

"Okay, why not? It'd be cool, I guess." Takuya shrugged his shoulders.

"Super!" Mimi grinned naively. "I'll be waiting for you back at camp!"

Takuya forced a weak smile on his face as well, feeling as if he sold his soul to the devil. Zoe wouldn't like this one bit, but she wasn't playing this game any longer. She wasn't here anymore. If Takuya wanted to survive in this game, he'd just have to learn how to move on. And that consisted of learning how to be diplomatic towards these women, even if he didn't like them.

When he finally found Rika (who hid very far away) and told her about his plans with Mimi for the rest of the morning, she was shocked. Although Takuya promised her that he'll go hunt with her in the afternoon, Rika felt it was wrong for him to fraternize with the enemy! But like always, Rika didn't express her inner emotions to Takuya. Even people who were close to Rika would never be able to read her unpleasantly stoic face.

"It's only going to be a few hours. You won't even notice that I'm gone!" Takuya said, scratching his head.

"Okay, goggle-head. You go have fun with your little tanning session," said Rika in a dry and sarcastic voice.

"C'mon…like I'll have any fun with Cassidy and Mimi sunbathing." Takuya sniggered. "It's going to be more like torture."

"At least you'll get an eyeful of Cassidy's plastic surgery in all their glory." Rika smirked.

"Please, I'm not that type of guy!" Takuya sighed as if he was feeling troubled, although Rika could see a sheepish smile on his face. "But trust me…I'm doing this for both of us. I'm going to talk with Cassidy and Mimi to see if I could buy us some more time. There must be a way for us to stay longer in this tribe."

"How are you going to do that, dumbass?" Rika asked in her usual frank and blunt demeanour.

"Flatter them with compliments. Flirt with them if I have to. Make them think that we're the bread and butter of this tribe." Takuya grinned. "You know…the usual."

Rika: I noticed that lately, Takuya is compromising himself in order to look good in front of the women. He's spending luxury time with Mimi and Cassidy, even attempting to befriend them. He says that he's playing the game, but I think Takuya is just blatantly sucking up to those shrieking harpies.

Rika cracked her knuckles in front of the cameras as she gave this video confessional.

Rika: It sickens me to see him degrade to this level of begging. He's putting on a façade, which just makes Takuya nearly as bad as those plastic women. But I guess I'm too much of a straight-shooter, huh? I'm Rika Nonaka and what you see is what you get.

- - -

It started off as a peaceful evening in the Huntail tribe.

Brock and May were preparing dinner for their tribe. Today, Drew and JP finally made their first catch in the sea, grinning from ear to ear as they brought back one humungous fish to camp. Needless to say, everybody in Huntail was expecting the Huntail chefs to cook a delicious and appetizing meal tonight. Sitting nearby the Pokemon Breeder, Takato and JP were enjoying a quiet game of checkers. James and Drew were standing over the two players, watching the game in progress. While James seemed fascinated as Takato pondered over his next move, Drew looked like he was bored to tears with this slow paced game.

"Not interested, Drew?" James asked, attempting to build a light conversation with the green-haired Pokemon Coordinator.

"The only people who like checkers are old geezers and boring people." Drew smirked, flipping his green hair behind his shoulder. "I'd rather play a more intellectual game, like chess."

"Have it your way," sighed James.

"Dude, don't diss checkers! It totally rocks!" JP grinned, shaking a fist playfully at Drew. "Takato did a great job with the limited equipment that he had out here." He chuckled. "Come on! We're playing checkers out here on a stranded island, who would've thought that was possible?"

Thanks to Takato's innovation this morning, the Huntail tribe now had another outlet for entertainment. First, he designed a neatly drawn game board on the sand. The players had to be careful where they put their legs though, if they didn't want to destroy his drawing. As for the game pieces, Takato used small stones that he picked up by the shoreline. He put half of these stones into their cooking pot and boiled them over the fire until the greyish pebbles were scorched into black rocks. And now, they had a set of different coloured game pieces to play checkers with.

May: Takato constantly comes up with these creative ideas for our tribe. Can you believe it? He found a way to let us play checkers on this boring island! And you probably know that he was the one who designed the blueprint of the comfy shelter for us, right? He's thoughtful, he's kind and he's nowhere nearly as annoying as my brother. Sorry Max if you're watching this, but I want to adopt Takato as the little brother that I never had! Haha, just kidding!

Drew yawned, turning his head away from the checkers game. From a distance, he could see a faint figure hobbling towards them in a distance. He let out a sigh of relief and turned his head back to the rest of his tribe members.

"Great. TK is back, we can start dinner now," said Drew.

"Where did he go?" James asked.

"I think he was taking a dump." JP snickered. He cleared his throat and grinned. "Excuse me, what I meant was that he was doing his business in the bushes."

"Why is he walking like that? He looks like he's stumbling…" May muttered, looking up from the fire that she was tending to a few seconds ago.

"Hurry up and get here, will ya, TK?" JP leapt up from his seat and shouted. "I'm hungry!"

As TK walked closer to the group, they finally noticed that something was wrong with the blonde's left leg. He was dragging it through the sand with all of his effort, wearing an exasperated expression on his face. There was a trail of red blood in the path where TK just walked through.

"Oh my god, you're bleeding!" May exclaimed in horror, scrambling up from her seat on the log. Takato also leapt up and gasped.

"Holy crap! Are you alright, buddy?" JP cried, finally realizing that there has been a serious injury.

"What happened, TK?" Brock asked in a concerned voice as he ran towards the blonde. The other five tribe members immediately followed him.

"I was attacked by an Ursaring…" TK mumbled as he leaned against Brock's arm for support. "I was trying to run away, but it grabbed my leg." He winced at the pain that he felt as he tried to move. "I called for help, but nobody was around. I did escape though…"

James let out a piercing shriek as TK was describing about his accident.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" May said rapidly, repeating her words in a loop.

"You…you need medical attention now!" Brock said, trying his best to stay calm.

"It's not that bad, is it?" TK bit his lips. "I can still move just fine. I'm okay, I promise…"

"Dude, this isn't a joke! You've just been attacked, for crying out loud! Somebody call the medic!" JP yelled hysterically, grabbing onto TK's shoulder with a tight grip.

JP: TK came back from an unsupervised area and he got attacked by a wild bear! They told us that there were a few bears on this island, but nobody actually thought they'd be so dangerous! Holy shit, I was crapping in my pants when I saw how busted his leg looked. It was like, it was as if his leg was twisted and mangled and leaking with blood!

He waved his hands maniacally in the air.

JP: If it looked bad from where I was standing, I could only imagine how much worse the pain that TK felt…

The show's paramedics arrived quickly as they checked up on TK's leg. They were speaking in rushed whispers, but some of them wore worried expressions on their faces. The other tribe members looked on helplessly, scared and confused at the unexpected event. An emotional May buried herself into Brock's body, crying passionately in his comforting arms. Takato just stood there with his jaw hanged open, speechless and trembling with fear. Even Drew, who was normally so cool and composed under pressure, looked as pale as a ghost.

Finally, the paramedics shook their heads at each other. The situation was too grave for TK to spend the rest of the night in this camp. They carried his fragile body onto a stretcher, where the blonde will be treated by a team of doctors and nurses.

"Don't worry about me, you guys. I'll be okay," said TK in a feeble voice.

"Stay strong, TK!" Brock said.

"We…we need you!" James added.

Huntail spent the rest of the night around the fire as a tight-knitted group, sleepless and immensely worried about the blonde's fate. There wasn't much conversation amongst them, except the occasional speculation to what will happen. Some of them prayed silently, hoping that TK would safely return in one piece. Some of them cried emotionally, not understanding how such misfortune could fall upon a great guy like TK. And some of them just gazed sadly into the fire, feeling frustrated that they didn't do anything to prevent the accident.

JP sighed as he stared at the trail of dry blood on the sand. That was the direction where the stretcher carried TK and his badly injured leg. It sent shivers down his spine, just picturing how that bleeding leg looked, limping like the dead body of an animal. However, JP was confident that his blonde friend would safely return. Any minute now, he would arrive back at camp with that bright and optimistic smile on his handsome face.

Any minute now…

But that night, TK never came back.

- - -

DAY 12

Still upset about the events that occurred last night, JP wasn't feeling extremely enthusiastic as he went to retrieve treemail with Drew this morning. TK's unfortunate accident helped him and many of the other tribe members realize that this was just more than a game to win one million dollars. Survivor was real. The predators were real. The injuries were real. The dangers that lurked within the dark and brooding forest were real. But most importantly, their emotions were real. Their fears, their concerns, their worries, their tears that they expressed over TK's accident…those were all real. Only after yesterday night did Huntail truly bond as a tribe – a tribe that genuinely cared and loved each other.

"It would suck if TK got taken out of the game this way," mumbled JP, kicking a small rock on the ground.

Drew nodded his head, but said nothing.

"Dude, I hope he's going to be alright." JP continued, sighing. "But he's a tough kid. He'll be fine."

"Look, JP. I know what happened to TK is unfortunate…" Drew said, choosing his words very carefully. JP was a very sensitive person and the sly Coordinator didn't want to say anything to offend him. "But with or without TK, we're still playing a game. And if we want to survive for long, we've to do something about our positions here in Huntail."

"I know, I know." JP frowned. He gruffly crossed his arms across his chest. "What do you propose, smart guy?"

"For starters, we both know that Brock and May are in control over Huntail. In fact, I'd say they have too much power in this tribe for their own good," said Drew.

"Right, those two make all the decisions and Takato is their little bitch. I'm with you." JP nodded his head in an emphatic tone.

"But ah, Brock, May and Takato are only a trio. They don't have the majority." Drew began to smile. He held up four fingers in his right hand to demonstrate his point. "If James, TK, you and me all work in an alliance and vote for the same person, we'd be able to cause a huge power shift in this tribe."

JP narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the green-haired boy.

"Sorry Drew, but the last time we trusted you and James in an alliance, both TK and I ended up getting screwed at tribal council." JP spitted. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

"You must realize that I'm your only hope of staying on this tribe, right?" Drew asked. "You'd be a bigger fool if you think that Brock will keep you around over James or me or his two chummy buddies. Brock's clique chose to target you because you were the outsider at the first tribal council. As soon as we lose our next immunity challenge, you're gone." He wore a smarmy smirk on his face. "JP, if you know what's best for you, you will work with me and help me take Brock out of this game."

"I don't work with backstabbers. TK and I will never align with someone as dishonest and dishonourable as James," muttered JP bitterly.

"You aren't going to get far in this game if you can't keep your emotions in check." Drew said this in his usual condescending manner. "You might not like James, so what? Can't you see the light?"

"Dude, I can't do it. I'd rather take my chances with swaying Brock's mind than to work with James. He's a pesky, slimy rat. At least I've respect for Brock for everything that he has done with our tribe." JP shook his head sternly. As an afterthought, he added. "You aren't a saint either, Drew. I didn't forget that you backstabbed Butch too."

"You're not thinking intelligently right now. I'll give you some time to reflect over my words," said Drew.

Drew: That fat clown JP is too emotional for this ruthless game. Here's someone who would rather vote James out just because JP doesn't like him as a human being. Even more baffling is that he's willing to keep Brock around, even though Brock would vote him out in the blink of an eye. It's completely ridiculous! JP makes all of his decisions based on how his heart feels, but he should be using his brain in the first place.

He flipped his green hair over his shoulder.

Drew: If you can't separate the fine line between your emotions and your strategy, then you're just an idiot. Unfortunately, JP is that idiotic, but I still need his vote in my little scheme.

After they retrieved a piece of parchment about the upcoming immunity challenge, JP and Drew quietly walked back to their campsite. They passed by their tribe's motorboat, which still had the words 'Brock sucks' scrawled across the white paint. But suddenly, they saw somebody waving energetically at them from a distance. A huge grin spread across JP's face as soon as he saw who it was.

It was TK.

Although the blonde was hobbling on his injured leg, he was moving at a rather speedy pace as he approached the men. His athletic nature was shining through despite his injury. TK was smiling with enthusiasm, acting like nothing had happened to him or his bandaged leg. JP immediately ran towards him, grabbing the blonde by his shoulders and embraced him in a friendly bear hug.

"Hey! I can't believe you're back! The golden boy is back!" JP grinned, and then he looked up at the sky and mumbled a quick prayer.

"I told you I was fine. The doctors just wrapped some bandages around my leg and let me spend the night on a bed." TK chuckled, trying to free himself from JP's embrace. "You guys were overreacting."

"We were so worried about you last night!" JP laughed.

"It was just a minor cut," said TK.

"Glad to have you back on our tribe, TK." Drew added.

"I guess this means that I can't go on my morning jogs anymore," said TK, wearing a faint smile on his face.

"You can still walk every morning, dude!" JP chuckled playfully, grabbing TK by his shoulders with a tight grip. "Oh hell, I'll even accompany you on your morning strolls!"

"Thanks…" TK said slowly. He flashed an uncomfortable smile at JP. "But you really need to let go of me. You're pressing against my bad leg."

"Sorry!" JP chuckled. He immediately released the blonde from his overenthusiastic embrace.

TK: I've had better days, that's for sure. My leg is feeling better, but getting attacked by a bear is something that I never need to experience again! Sometimes, my left leg still hurts a bit when I try to move it, but at least it stopped bleeding. It's going to be excruciating for me to perform in the immunity challenge, but I'll try to block out the pain, mind over matter. Hey, this is Survivor. I'm not going to give up that easily due to a little injury. I'll just have to tough it out and keep on surviving.

The three boys walked back to the campsite, where Brock and James were sitting in front of the fire. Brock was humming a pleasant song under his breath as he prepared breakfast for his tribe. James looked a bit groggy though, since he only woke up minutes ago. As soon as the men noticed TK's presence at camp, both of their faces lit up in delight.

"Welcome back, TK! We know you'd be back." Brock smiled.

"We all miss you!" James squealed excitedly.

TK sat down beside Brock on the log, wincing a little when he bent his left knee. However, he quickly brushed the pained expression off when he turned his head towards James.

"Sorry James, but I don't think I could accompany you on your water trip today. I'd just slow you down." TK smiled sheepishly at the Team Rocket member.

"No, no! That's okay!" James waved his hand in dismissal. "You hurt your leg! I understand that you need rest."

"I don't want you to think that I'm being lazy though," TK continued.

"Actually, this won't be a problem." Brock cleared his throat. "No worries, I already got the water this morning."

"What?" James shouted, sounding completely shocked at the revelation. He nervously stumbled the words out, "B-but that's my job!"

"I was doing you a favour." Brock said, "Now that you don't have to work on water duty anymore, you can spend all of your time carving graffiti on our boat."

"Is that what this is about, the stupid message? But I didn't do it!" James squealed in a high pitched voice.

"I believe you," said Brock in a tone that sounded like he didn't believe a single word James said.

TK: Don't get me wrong, I've my own issues with James in this game. But sometimes, I feel that Brock picks on James a little too much. He is prejudiced towards James just because he's a criminal from Team Rocket. I don't think it's fair at all to blame James for everything bad that happens in this tribe. He's not the tribe scapegoat! Brock doesn't have any evidence that James did write the message on the boat, so it was a bit conceited of him to make that quick assumption.

TK paused as he flashed a weak smile to the cameras. He used his hand to gently rub his bandaged leg.

TK: I used to have a lot of respect for Brock, because he helped our tribe gain a lot of momentum after Butch was voted off. I still respect him to a certain degree, but I'm starting to see a few chinks in his armour, a few flaws in his personality. And I hate to say this, but they're not pretty.

"Dudes, dudes…" JP stepped in to break up the tension between the Pokemon Breeder and the Team Rocket member. "I think we've other priorities to worry about than water duty today. In less than an hour, we've to go compete in the immunity challenge."

"But he's stealing my job!" James cried.

"Funny." Brock chuckled cynically. "Normally, you're the one who does the stealing around here."

"JP is right about this. Just let it go, guys." TK nodded his head, while James turned away in an angry fit.

"C'mon, let's talk about our upcoming challenge!" JP said, trying to sound enthusiastic as he unrolled the piece of parchment in his hands.

Drew leaned forward in his seat, pretending to be interested in reading the mail that was in JP's hands. But actually, he was trying to hide a guilty smirk on his face. And had his tribe members paid more attention to the seemingly quiet coordinator, they would've spotted the amount of smug satisfaction oozing out of his smirk. But because he was so quiet and said so little words, they forgot about him.

And they didn't notice him.

And they didn't even expect that the tension in this normally peaceful tribe originated from him.

Drew: I'll fess up my crime, officer. James was innocent, it's me who carved those words on the motorboat that night. It killed me to do so because it was such a beautiful boat, but I think the payoff was worth it. If that big fat idiot JP screws up and I can't get Brock voted out of this tribe, I need a back-up plan. And what better plan is there than to designate the naïve and gullible James as my fall guy? As long as I'm still here after tribal council, I don't care who is shafted as the scapegoat.

Drew chuckled softly as he flipped his hair over his shoulder.

Drew: I don't consider Brock a bad leader, but he's too powerful and influential in our tribe. I need to vote him off because he's a huge threat, but nobody is willing to discuss strategy with me here. The problem lies in the fact that Huntail is too much of a love tribe. I can't stand how everyone gets along and nobody wants to vote each other off. What I did with the boat was fuel anger and animosity in our tribe. Hopefully, a few seeds of doubt will be planted inside people's heads and this will just generally cause them to sweat a little.

His emerald green eyes gazed sinisterly at the cameras.

Drew: Those idiots may not know it yet, but this tribe is in the progress of going through another power shift…

- - -

The two tribes arrived on the challenge beach, prepared to compete in their fourth immunity challenge. A cheerful Professor Birch was standing behind a dining table, which looked strangely misplaced on a bare island like this one. Takuya and Takato both recognized that it was the same table used in their reward challenge two days ago. In fact, there was a plate placed in the middle of the table and on the plate were twelve pokeballs. Takato gulped nervously, wondering if it was another gross food challenge.

"Huntail, take a look at the new Gorebyss tribe." Professor Birch paused dramatically. "Zoe voted out at the last tribal council."

JP widened his eyes in surprise at this announcement. Beside him, Brock muttered something about how the best looking girl got voted off.

"I'm going to have to take immunity back, Huntail." Professor Birch said, snatching the Golden Pokeball that Brock was holding.

"Professor, can I make a request?" Brock asked.

"Shoot." Professor Birch made a lame gesture with his hand that resembled a gun.

"TK injured his leg yesterday and I don't know if he's in the right state to participate in this challenge." Brock began. "I was wondering if he could sit out of this challenge and let Takato participate this one instead. Since we have more people on our tribe, we have to sit somebody out anyway. Can it be TK?"

"Hell no!" Cassidy retorted before Professor Birch even opened his mouth to speak. She waved her finger dismissively at the other tribe. "The rules clearly state that whoever you sent to the reward challenge can't participate in the immunity challenge!"

"That's true." Professor Birch agreed numbly. "But Gorebyss, can you find the goodness in your hearts and let Takato participate in this challenge while TK sit out?"

"Sorry, but you have no other choice. The cripple will have to participate." Cassidy said, closing her eyes as if it was the end of discussion. Some of the tribe members standing behind her looked troubled at Cassidy's decision, but said nothing (like always) to defy against the Gorebyss leader's orders.

"Gorebyss, if you didn't know…TK was attacked by a bear last night," explained Professor Birch.

"Don't worry about it, professor. I'm willing to give this challenge a go! Huntail shouldn't get a leg up in the competition just because of my injury." TK smiled weakly.

"Damn right." Cassidy said, nodding her head. "In Survivor, we play by the rules."

"As the host of the game, I think I know the rules just a teensy bit better than you, Miss Cassidy." Professor Birch wore a forced smile on his face to entertain the feisty Team Rocket leader. "Without further ado, let me explain what today's immunity challenge is about." He walked over to the table and held up the plate that contained the pokeballs. "Inside these pokeballs are twelve different Pokemon, all water types. Each participant will choose one of these pokeballs randomly before beginning the challenge. You may do so now."

With the exception of Takato, everybody walked over to Professor Birch and picked a Pokeball from the plate.

"In this challenge, all of the contenders will be confined to a small ring in the sea." Professor Birch explained as he pointed out to a section of the sea that was marked with buoys formed in a circular pattern. "Each of you will be riding on the body of the water Pokemon that you just chose. The objective is to knock the members of the opposite tribe off of their Pokemon's bodies, because once a player makes contact with water, they're out of the challenge." Some of the players were already whispering strategies with their tribe members. "You'll only be allowed to touch the other tribe members using your Pokemon's Water Gun attack. If used properly, this strong but harmless pulse of water will help you eliminate members from the other tribe. Whichever tribe gets completely eliminated will have to attend another tribal council meeting with me. Got it?"

After Professor Birch finished with the instructions, the twelve participants carried their Pokeballs with them as they swam out to sea. It was only when they were in the 'ring' (the boundaries were marked by buoys) did they release their water Pokemon. The sea creatures came in various appearances and sizes, each of them was a different breed. The petite Rika got to ride on the dragon-like Gyarados, the largest Pokemon contending in the challenge, whereas the stocky JP barely hanged on to the fins of his small but fierce Sharpedo.

Once all of the contestants were riding on their water Pokemon, Professor Birch raised his hand in the air to signal the beginning of this challenge.

"Survivors ready? Begin!"

As soon as the challenge started, all of the players ordered their Pokemon to launch their Water Gun attacks at different directions. Most of the shots were misses or easily dodged by the flexible players, and a few of these attacks actually connected, drenching the passenger with water from head to toe.

"My clothes are soaked!" James cried as he clung onto the neck of his Lapras with a fierce grip. He had just been attacked by Casey's Mantine, but it wasn't powerful enough to knock him into the water.

Meanwhile, some of the players realized that an individual attack was not powerful enough to blast a player off their Pokemon, so they decided to work together to gang up against some of the weaker players. Drew and May both ordered their Pokemons, a Milotic and a Starmie respectively, to launch their Water Gun attacks at Delia. The feeble housewife could do nothing to defend herself as she sat on the back of her Blastoise. The double throbs of water were strong enough to push Delia off balance, knocking her into the sea.

"The sea claims its first casualty in the form of Delia! Please remove yourself from the challenge arena!" Professor Birch yelled through his megaphone. He was watching this challenge on the shoreline with Takato.

More water attacks were exchanged between the competitors, but most stayed on their Pokemon by clinging on to their dear lives. Cassidy and Takuya played on the offensive side, both of them attacking TK repeatedly with Water Gun attacks, trying to knock the athletic blonde off of his Walrein, the walrus Pokemon. As Rika and her Gyarados swam over to gang up against him, she was caught off guard when May's Starmie fired a Water Gun directly in her head. Although Rika tried to stay on her Pokemon by clutching her fingers on its body, her legs made contact with the water. At roughly the same time, Takuya and Cassidy also managed to wear TK down, also eliminating him from the challenge.

"Rika and TK are now out of the challenge! Huntail has a tiny lead over Gorebyss, but it still could be anybody's game!"

While mostly everybody excelled in commanding their Pokemon, Mimi was struggling to get her Corsola to listen to her orders. The rock Pokemon shook Mimi off its body, flinging her into the water with ease.

"Mimi dropped into the water by her own Pokemon! She is also out of the challenge!"

The formidable duo of Takuya and Cassidy moved together in the water as they laid eyes on their next victim. JP and his Sharpedo tried to fight back, but it proved too weak as both Wailmer and Tentacruel fired their Water Gun attacks on JP at the same time. His entire body was drenched with cold water, but he was still clutching onto his shark Pokemon's fins to stay alive in the challenge. Meanwhile, the rest of Huntail was ganging up against Casey and her Mantine with their quad some water attacks. Casey tried her best to dodge each of their attacks with her swift footing, but she was eventually knocked down into the water by Brock's Dewgong.

"Casey is out of the challenge! And so is Cassidy!"

At the same time that Casey fell into the water, JP launched a surprise attack with his Sharpedo, hitting the undefended Cassidy off of her Tentacruel. She cursed and kicked her feet in the water, but luckily, Takuya avenged for her elimination by immediately removing JP off of Sharpedo's body with a strong Water Gun attack.

"JP is out of the challenge. Takuya is the only person in the challenge for Gorebyss, but he has to face against four people from Huntail: Brock, Drew, May and James!"

The odds simply weren't in Takuya's favour. As soon as this challenge turned into four against one, it was inevitable that his fate was doomed. While he stalled a bit of time by swimming around the ring, trying to avoid all of the Water Gun attacks, he was eventually defeated when all four Huntail members have their Pokemon attack him at the same time. The force was too strong for Takuya to overcome and the combination of water attacks formed an imaginary fist, punching the goggle-head in the face as he plummeted into the water.

"Takuya is out of the challenge! Gorebyss is defeated! Huntail wins immunity!"

For the third consecutive time, Huntail won the immunity challenge. This time, it was a collaborative effort made by the entire group. Gorebyss didn't even come close to defeating the powerhouse – they were simply decimated one by one. And although Huntail was the tribe that couldn't pull together to win the first immunity challenge, it seemed like that was a silly thing in the past. They made the ultimate comeback, winning nearly every challenge against Gorebyss since then. Some might be thrilled at their unstoppable winning streak, some might be letting their guard down at their temporary safety, but the most important thing was – Huntail won.

"Congratulations, your tribe is safe from tribal council tonight." Professor Birch said, handing the Golden Pokeball to Takato, who was receiving it on the behalf of his tribe's honour.

JP grinned, pumping his fist into the air. Another victory, another tribal council escaped, another three more days on the island.

It felt good to be on the winning side.

- - -

It was another devastating defeat for the Gorebyss tribe. Some of the players actually felt numb to the loss by now as they did their regular chores at camp pretending like nothing had happened. Takuya and Rika disappeared into the forest together, hoping to hunt a couple of birds before the sky turned dark. Delia was in her usual place inside the shelter, lying lazily on her aching back, towel on her sweating forehead. She was trying to sleep, but her slumber was constantly interrupted by her hacking coughs.

Casey: We lost another immunity challenge, so after tonight, our tribe will be down to five. Yeah, it sucks to keep losing and losing. We put our best in every challenge, but our best still isn't enough. Just for once, I'd really like to win a challenge…but that's just how the cookie crumbles.

Sitting around the fire were the other three women, pretending to do work when they were actually gossiping in low voices and soft whispers. Every time they had to go to tribal council, the three of them would hold an impromptu strategic discussion just before going to tribal council. Most often, it was Cassidy who made all of the decisions, while her loyal followers Mimi and Casey just nod their heads and listen attentively. Yes, Cassidy. What a great idea, Cassidy.

But their discussion was different today – and it might be the first time in this game when Cassidy did not get her way.

"I think it's a stupid decision. I'm just telling you…if we vote out Delia, we're making a big mistake." Casey said, folding her arms.

"Casey, stop being a stubborn cow and listen to us!" Cassidy yelled in a loud whisper. She sounded like she was losing her patience with the petite girl. "Delia is useless around camp. She's lazy and she's weak in challenges. We'll still have the majority in this tribe even if we vote her out of the game."

"We're not going to win any challenges if we keep Delia around. She's sick like a dog!" Mimi added in an exasperated voice.

"But you're giving Takuya a free pass in this game!" Casey argued. "He's going to get three more days on this island!"

"We can vote him off at the next tribal council," said Cassidy, waving her hand in dismissal.

"I hate to admit this, but I think we do need Takuya for his strength in challenges." Mimi said, frowning. "We already lost three immunity challenges so far! We can't afford to lose any more challenges!"

"I don't know if that scumbag Takuya will help us win any challenges, but…" Cassidy clicked her tongue. "But I do know that we won't win any challenges if we continue to piggyback Delia in this game."

Casey tilted her baseball cap on her head as she tried to think of an argument against Cassidy about this matter.

"Give Delia one more chance, I promise you she'll do better in the challenges…she's recovering from her illness." Casey pleaded.

"I gave her more than enough chances! My goodness, I feel like I'm Mother Teresa giving her all of these chances to redeem herself!" Cassidy hissed venomously. "I've been too charitable to Delia, but she is still weak, ill and useless. Nothing you say can change that fact."

"Delia is so yesterday's news," echoed Mimi.

"Besides, Takuya and Rika already agreed that they'll vote Delia off at this tribal council." Cassidy added, smirking. "They're fed up with the desperate housewife's laziness, just like us."

"Takuya is manipulating you," muttered Casey.

"I'm so much smarter than that, little one." Cassidy smiled thinly, patting Casey on her head like a dying puppy. "The boy might be slick with his words, but I've got a sharper tongue that could pierce his dim-witted brain any day of the week."

"Everything is going to be alright, Casey! You worry too much." Mimi said in her sweetest, most genuine voice. She gave the petite girl a brief hug.

"So, are you going to vote with us or not? Are you going to throw away your whole game just for that ungrateful woman?" Cassidy asked.

Casey sighed deeply. She wished she had some other choice.

Delia: I'm a mother. I'm good at reading people's faces. I've spent years reading my son's face, knowing how he's feeling inside even if he doesn't say it to me in words. And because of that, I notice about the small and subtle changes in the camp. People start behaving differently when I'm around. They're distancing away from me. They're not looking me in the eye. I can take a hint – I know I'm not wanted around in this tribe.

She coughed, brushing a strand of brown hair away from her pale cheeks.

Delia: I did everything I could to survive out here, but everything that happens seems to be out of my control. I thought I had my lucky break when Cassidy's alliance spared me in the second tribal council. But now, they don't need my vote anymore, so they're just going to vote me out like I'm a bag of garbage disposed on Wednesday night. No remorse, no hesitation. I don't even get a say in my own destiny.

Just before the tribe members hiked to tribal council, Delia found Casey as she was packing her belongings in the shelter. The little girl didn't do this until the last second, hoping that she would be able to avoid an awkward encounter with Delia. But the mother from Pallet Town had been waiting for her the entire time, ambushing her in a reluctant conversation at the last minute before the vote. She stopped Casey before she had a chance to tiptoe away.

"There you are, Casey!" Delia said, smiling weakly at the girl. "I've been looking for you."

"Huh? I was…busy. Did you need me for something?" Casey grimaced. The last person she wanted to see right now was Delia.

"Oh, I just thought it's strange that you avoided me for the entire day," explained Delia. "In the past, you always inform me beforehand about who I should vote for in tribal council."

One look inside Casey's hazelnut brown eyes and Delia knew. She knew all about their plans for the upcoming vote. She had noticed their body movements, their hand gestures, their eye contact, their inaudible whispering with one another. And now, she knew. Casey struggled to fight back the tears that trickled from her eyes. She hated herself for being so hopeless and helpless to do anything for Delia, the one person who Casey always looked up to as a mother figure, a respected idol, a true friend.

Casey slowly walked up to Delia and hugged her. And then, in a soft and sombre whisper, she murmured into her ear:

"I tried, Mrs. Ketchum. But I'm really sorry..."

- - -

By now, everything about tribal council regrettably felt familiar to the Gorebyss tribe. Professor Birch, who stood in front of the Dewgong ice sculpture like always, didn't need to repeat his usual procedures about what fire represented and how they needed to dip their torches into the fire pit. Gorebyss quietly walked into tribal council, lit their torches and sat down on the wooden bleachers. They knew what was going to happen and they expected the worst.

"Well, well, well. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am." Professor Birch sighed as he sadly smiled at the tribe of six. "Gorebyss, you're here again. Cassidy, how does it feel to constantly be a loser?"

"What do you think? It absolutely blows to lose at nearly every challenge out here. I don't understand why we keep losing." Cassidy shouted angrily, shaking her fist in a frustrated manner. "I think it might be time for Gorebyss to re-evaluate its members and cut out the weakest link."

"Do you think that's a fair thing to do, Delia?" Professor Birch asked.

"No, I don't think it's fair." Delia shook her head. She looked down at her quivering knees with a weak smile. "But this game isn't supposed to be fair."

"Why do you say that?" Professor Birch added hastily with an uneasy gaze.

"Some of us might not be as strong athletically, but we contribute to the camp in different ways. We're all valuable one way or the other. For example, I always keep a positive attitude and it keeps the camp morale high in this tribe," replied Delia, glancing over at some of her tribe members for their reactions. They don't look back at her.

"I disagree." Takuya raised his hand in the air, gesturing that he was about to speak. "I think this game is about the survival of the fittest. If you're weak as hell, then you can't blame your tribe members for voting you out."

"I wasn't talking to you, Takuya." Professor Birch snapped in a noticeably snippier tone.

"Sorry." Takuya said, lowering his hand.

"Casey, what do you think?" Professor Birch asked, looking at the petite girl with a disapproving frown. "Is it the right decision for Gorebyss to vote out their tribe members based purely on strength?"

"No…" Casey answered hesitantly. She had an uncomfortable expression on her face. "Strength is only one of the factors in challenges. Just because you're athletic, it doesn't mean that you'll excel in the challenges that require you to solve puzzles."

"So, do you think it's narrow-minded thinking for someone to vote a person off just because they aren't athletic?" Professor Birch asked.

Casey gulped. Professor Birch was asking some really difficult questions tonight.

"A little," said Casey.

"Are you one of those narrow-minded people?" Professor Birch asked in a sterner voice.

"I…I…" Casey seemed to be searching her answers in the other tribe members' blank faces. With little success, she turned her gaze back at Professor Birch. "I'd like to think I am not..."

"Mimi, how about you?" Professor Birch asked. "Judging on what I see in the challenges so far, your performances are pretty pathetic. Do you feel threatened that you might be voted off because of that?"

"To be honest, no…I don't think I'll be voted off tonight." Mimi raised her eyebrows. "What I lacked in the strength area, I made it up in the social department. I have some good friends, I talk with people and I built alliances…" Her smile grew more confident as she spoke. "I know I'm not the strongest person on this tribe and I never will be, but that shouldn't stop me from playing the game. A girl has got to do what she got to do in order to survive."

"Okay." Professor Birch sighed unhappily at Mimi's answer. "It's time to vote." He pointed his hand at Delia, "Delia, you're up first."

The tall and skinny housewife stood up and walked across the bridge to reach to the voting booth. She smiled sadly at the pen and the blank parchment. It was time for her to reluctantly write down another name, casting another vote to oust somebody out of this game. Delia really hated this part of the game. Finally, she wrote Takuya's name down on the parchment.

"This is probably a null vote, but oh well. Takuya, I don't appreciate the way you've been acting around camp ever since Zoe got voted off. It shows me that you have bad sportsmanship and can't graciously accept your defeats. I'm sorry, but that won't get you very far in life."

Delia smiled sadly at the cameras as she dumped the vote into the urn.

"If you ever get voted off in this game, please remember that true winners always exit with class."

"Sorry." Mimi said as she went to cast her vote next. She shrugged her shoulders casually. "But I think voting you off will improve our chances of winning the next few challenges."

"You know I hate to do this, but I've no other choice," mumbled a teary-eyed Casey as she cast her vote.

"It's time for us to trim down the dead weight in Gorebyss. I think you understand why we're voting you out tonight." Rika said emotionlessly as she wrote down a name on her parchment. "Nice woman, but nice doesn't get you a million dollars."

"Your useless and lazy ass stayed longer than it should have. I've been too sympathetic. Consider yourself a very lucky woman." Cassidy smirked as she went to cast the fifth vote of the night.

The last person to vote was Takuya. He picked up the pen and wrote down Delia's name on the piece of parchment. As he showed his vote to the cameras, a vindictive smile crept across his face.

"This would never have happened if you didn't vote Zoe out last tribal council. Believe it or not, Zoe always liked you. She always felt sorry for the fact that you were ill and how you never got to enjoy the true Survivor experience yet. And if she was still here, she would have never written your name down in a million years."

He dropped his vote into the urn.

"But because of your ungratefulness, Zoe isn't here anymore. So let me be the first to congratulate you, Delia Ketchum. That one stupid blunder cost you your entire game."

- - -

Professor Birch felt a sense of dread as he brought back the voting urn tonight. The six votes inside consisted of an outcome that he didn't like at all.

"The person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately." Professor Birch explained glumly. "I'll now read the votes."

"Delia." Professor Birch said as he pulled out the first vote.

Delia closed her eyes, anticipating for the worst. She knew that would not be the first time she'd hear her name at tribal council tonight.

"Takuya."

"Delia."

"Delia."

"The fourth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch sighed heavily before he turned the fifth vote over. "Delia."

Casey fought back tears as Delia stood up and retrieved her torch from the back. Professor Birch said something about not needing to read the remaining vote, while Mimi was mumbling some vacant consoling words into her ear, but Casey wasn't listening to them. Right now, she could only watch powerlessly as Delia stumbled over to Professor Birch with her torch. Casey forced herself to look away.

"I'm sorry, Delia. The tribe has spoken." Professor Birch muttered as he snuffed out Delia's torch. "It's time for you to go."

Delia flashed a weak, helpless smile at him. She turned back and briefly glanced at her tribe, and then without saying anything, she walked into the forest. Soon, she disappeared from sight.

"We'll just see how well your tribe fares in challenges without Delia, but I've a feeling that your tribe will be back again." Professor Birch said pessimistically.

He paused as he eyed over the remaining five castaways. Cassidy was smirking and seemed to enjoying herself as she listened to the professor speak.

"Some of you think that you have the whole game wrapped around your fingers, but things are about to change…"

A sly grin appeared on Professor Birch's face.

"Tomorrow is Day 13. If you still remember when I said on the first day, you're about to encounter a second twist very soon…"

He snapped his fingers.

"And before you know it – your position in this game might be turned completely upside down."

A few castaways now wore puzzled expressions on their faces, confused to the ominous tone that the professor was speaking in. Oddly enough, this seemed to satisfy Professor Birch immensely, and a more pleasant smile finally returned to his bearded face for the first time since Delia got voted off.

"Okay, Gorebyss. You can head back to camp now. I'll see you tomorrow."

- - -

Delia's Final Words

I have no regrets. While I had the will power to play this game for thirty nine days, my ill body just won't allow it. I did make the best of my twelve days on Dewford Island, even though I spent most of my time coughing, sleeping or throwing up in the bushes. It's a shame that I didn't get to enjoy the scenery or even the game itself. Oh well. No regrets.

This experience help make me realize that I had to take better care of my body, because my immune system isn't as strong as I thought it was. You know, I should start working out regularly as soon as I head back to Pallet Town. But for a woman my age, I think just playing Survivor and not dying was a huge accomplishment for me, ha ha! I just hope I made all the single mothers and desperate housewives out there proud.

- - -

Next Time on Survivor –

May forms an alliance with an unlikely tribe member…
May: An alliance? Hey, I like the idea!
(She laughs as she drinks a sip of soup from her spoon.)
May: Okay, okay. Let's do it.

James furthers isolates himself from the Huntail tribe…
Drew: Where's James?
(Some people turn their heads and look around. JP starts to chuckle.)
JP: Oh. I didn't even notice that James isn't here!

And the upcoming twist might change everything…
Rika: Hey, goggle-head! You'll come back, right?
Takuya: Of course I will! Nothing's going to happen to me.
(Rika watches as Takuya walks away from her. She scowls.)

All this and more on – Episode 5: Emancipation

Author's Notes: You can view the survey results in my home page and don't forget to take a survey after you read Episode 4! All of you submitted wonderful and thoughtful responses. I'd love to hear what you think of the story in a less structured manner, so please feel free to review and leave a comment in my guestbook. Thanks for reading!