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?

8. Episode 8: Birds of a Feather

Survivor: Dewford Islands
By: Gomamon

Last Time on Survivor:

Casey discovers that Takuya hid the food reward from Gorebyss. When she confronts him about his secret, Takuya's lack of remorse causes the argument to remain unresolved. Then, Gorebyss and Huntail merge into one tribe, marking the start of a strictly individual game. After a sleepless and noisy night, the newly formed Clamperl tribe worked together to expand on the shelter. As Cassidy voluntarily becomes the leader of the construction, some people find her aggressive personality too crude and unpleasant.

Feeling betrayed by their former tribe, May and Takato have plans to side with Gorebyss at the next tribal council. While May promises Huntail that she'll vote with them to oust the unpopular Takuya, she is also secretly making an alliance with Gorebyss in order to blindside Cassidy. However, May is shocked when she finds out that everybody was lying to her, because Gorebyss and Huntail teamed up together to vote off her ally, Takato. Nine remain, who will be voted off next?

Episode Eight: Birds of a Feather

Clamperl: CASEY – CASSIDY – DREW – JAMES – JP – MAY – RIKA – TAKUYA – TK

- - -

DAY 22

It was a cloudy morning in the Dewford Islands. The sun was not visible behind a thick layer of clouds that darkened the sky. There seemed to be a sombre and depressing greyness that surrounded the Clamperl camp. The nine players took advantage of this unusual setting and spoiled themselves to a few extra hours of sleep. The absence of birds chirping helped prolong their peaceful slumber. Even the wildlife on the island was feeling lazy today.

Suddenly, May felt a gentle tap on her right shoulder. At first, she tried to shrug it off and go back to sleep. But there was another tap, this time it felt more like an aggressive grip on her shoulder. Reluctantly, May opened her eyes and saw Takuya's grinning face in front of her.

"I want to talk with you, May." Takuya whispered.

May sighed softly, but she nodded her head in consent. Actually, she didn't know if she was prepared to face Takuya after what happened last night. The emotional shock of being blindsided proved to be far too mentally draining on her mind. But May was sensible enough to realize that the game was not over yet, even though her allies have been voted off in consecutive tribal councils. If May didn't want to follow their unfortunate fates, she knew she needed to take charge and control her destiny.

"Good morning, by the way." Takuya added. A gentle smile spread across his boyish face.

"Yeah, you too." May nodded her head again.

"Let's go sit by the fire and talk," said Takuya, gesturing towards the weakly lit campfire outside of the shelter.

Drew: Last night, May was blindsided by the vote for the second time in a row. Of course, everything was my idea. I was afraid that she and Takato would join Gorebyss to force a tie, so I thought ahead and made a proposal with Gorebyss. We'll team up and vote Takato off, in exchange that Huntail would not target any of the Gorebyss members. They probably thought it was a good deal because we're voting off one of our own, but they don't realize that Huntail now has the majority of five.

Drew flipped his emerald green hair behind his shoulders. He smirked smugly at the cameras.

Drew: I'm so thrilled about the rest of the game! I can already see the desperation and helplessness in May's face. It doesn't matter where her loyalty lies anymore, because she and the other Gorebyss members have no control. But I won't let my guard down. May is a very resourceful girl and that's something I'll give her credit for. We had to target Takato last night because JP absolutely refuses to vote for May. Somehow, she already has that fat pig on a leash, so she's more capable than I thought she was. I'll have to keep a close eye on her.

As May and Takuya climbed out of the shelter, they were not aware that Drew was awake and was eavesdropping on their brief conversation inside the shelter. Although Drew felt like he was still half asleep, his mind was already sketching out a strategy to advance further in the game. He knew it was important to reduce any bonding time between May and Takuya, especially since Drew trusted neither of them. However, if he just woke up and forcefully join into their conversation, it would be too obvious that he was being an eavesdropping prick ("Not that there's anything wrong with being one," Drew thought). No, he should stay inside the shelter for a minute or so, and then he will pretend he just woke up, so he could invite himself into the conversation with ease. Nodding his head slightly in satisfaction, Drew closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Although his mind sketched out a logical plan, his body had failed him today. A minute later, Drew had unconsciously fallen asleep again. And thus, May and Takuya carried out their one-on-one conversation without any interruption. They both sat on adjacent logs by the campfire.

"I want to know why you voted for Takato last night." May sighed, struggling to get the words out of her mouth. "You…you promised…"

"I'm sorry, May. I had to do what I had to do." Takuya spoke in a soft whisper.

"That doesn't explain anything!" May raised her voice slightly, but not loud enough to wake up anybody sleeping in the shelter nearby.

"Huntail made a proposal with us." Takuya replied sheepishly. "If we didn't agree to vote out Takato, they would have targeted either Rika or me." He paused, shrugging his shoulders. "Better him than us."

"Huh? Wait a second…" May looked a little startled.

"As much as I consider JP a friend, he's sitting pretty secure in his Huntail alliance right now. There was no reason for him to risk his neck to save me." Takuya continued. "He has his pack of four from Huntail and Casey is with them too. Basically, they control half of the votes in tribal council."

"But if you voted with Takato and me, we would have controlled the other half!" May whispered angrily. "We could have forced a tie and Cassidy might have been voted off at the tiebreaker!"

"It doesn't work that way, May. If I lost at the tiebreaker, the game would have been over for me last night. They target me, they win the tiebreaker, and I get voted off. I only have one chance of winning JP's trust and I can't blow it away just yet." Takuya muttered. He paused, using a few seconds to reflect on his words. "If I voted against him last night, he would never be able to trust me again. Gorebyss would have been a doomed tribe."

"But now, we're going to be picked off one by one…" May mumbled.

Takuya frowned. This was the first time May realized that boyish and charming grin had disappeared from his face. The goggle-head in front of him suddenly looked very troubled and remorseful.

Takuya: When we first merged, James, Rika and I all thought that we were going to get welcomed by Huntail with…you know, the good ol' Pagong style. Since Casey is a stinkin' traitor, Gorebyss only had three members compared to the six in Huntail. It was obvious that we'll never hold any control over the vote or at least that was what we thought…

He wore a grim smile on his face.

Takuya: In the end, Takato became an easy target that everyone can agree to vote off. Instead of making the game a tribal war between two tribes, we were informed by JP and Drew that Huntail was willing to vote out one of their own. I mean, wow! It's a freaking once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us, you know? Yeah, I felt bad that Takato was the scapegoat, but voting him out was the only way for James, Rika and me to stay together for three more days. And I'm willing to do anything in order to keep the three of us intact.

"You only stalled the inevitable. They're still going to vote you guys off soon," said May.

"If there's one thing I learned while I was on Gorebyss, time is a very important asset in this game." Takuya said, looking earnestly into May's eyes. "There were so many times that I thought I'd be voted off, but I kept on buying myself more time. I even sided with my enemies one time in order to vote out Delia."

He flashed an apologetic smile at the Pokemon Coordinator, but May was looking at another direction.

"And you know what…things did eventually turn around for me. I waited for the twist to happen and it ended up saving my butt. That's why I'm still here today." Takuya continued. "As long as I buy myself more time, even if it's just three more days, I believe that a golden opportunity will pass by sooner or later."

"Even if it means sacrificing one of your own on the way…" May muttered.

"I'm sorry, May. I didn't have the numbers. Beggars can't be choosers." Takuya said.

"No, I understand. At least you apologized for what you did, which is a lot classier than the silent treatment that Huntail gave me for the last two tribal councils." May felt a genuine smile spread across her face. "And I'm sorry for being angry at you, Takuya. I was only thinking about myself at that moment. How selfish…"

"It's okay to be angry at me. Rika was just as pissed when I told her to vote for Takato last night," said Takuya, chuckling.

"Oh? Did Rika vote for Cassidy too?" May raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, even though she knew about our temporary alliance with Huntail. She…" Takuya stopped in the middle of the sentence and sighed. "She's a rebel. Plus, I think she felt bad voting out a friend, even if she won't admit it."

"That's cool. But what are you going to do now, Takuya? They still have five people on their side." May said in a doubtful tone of voice.

"I'm going to spend the next three days working on JP, trying to get him to flop from his alliance." Takuya explained. "I know he doesn't like Cassidy and I know if I persuade him long enough, he would have a change of heart."

"Are you sure that's going to work? JP can be very stubborn sometimes," said May.

"JP and I are friends. I know him and his little quirks the best. He puts loyal friendships ahead of sensible strategy in his priority list." Takuya nodded his head, trying to reassure himself of his own words. "He has to vote with us. He has to."

"But what if he doesn't switch? What if he stays loyal to those guys for the rest of the game?" May asked.

Takuya paused, pondering about the scenario that May just provided. A few seconds later, he shrugged his shoulders and a lopsided grin spread across his boyish face.

"Then yep, we're all screwed!"

May: I feel really alone in this game. Just when you think you could trust someone, they stab you right in the back. I don't trust Drew, I don't trust JP, I don't trust Takuya, I…I don't know who I can trust. I'm just really confused. They're lying. They're all lying to me.

May smiled bitterly at the cameras. In her hands, she is holding Baby Brock, the tiny injured Seel, with extreme care and compassion.

May: There's no use in campaigning, since these people will just lie and blindside me at tribal council if they want to. So, my strategy now is to just stay really quiet and try to fly below the radar. Be friendly to everyone. Get them to vote the others off before me. Worm myself up to the top. Whatever works, I'm going to do it to survive. From now on, I'm only going to focus on protecting myself…

She paused in the middle of her confessional. Her eyes gazed down at the Seel that she was holding in her hands. It was looking at her with a pair of whimpering eyes. May couldn't resist the urge to laugh.

May: I will protect myself and Baby Brock. It's going to be the two of us all the way!

- - -

As noon approached, the sky was covered in an impenetrable sheet of grey clouds. It seemed inevitable that a thunderstorm was soon dawning upon the Clamperl camp. The normally menacing forest looked even scarier in this weather, but Rika Nonaka seemed unaffected by the atmosphere. For somebody who was voyaging inside this dark and eerie forest, she looked surprisingly calm. Her cautious movements resembled a shadow that crept soundlessly in the darkness. Scanning her eyes across the numerous trees that surrounded her, Rika's hands were firmly clutched to a bow and a wooden arrow, ready to react at any time.

Suddenly, she jerked her arms upwards, aiming her bow at a tree branch on a distant tree. With no hesitation, she fired her arrow fiercely at that direction. Rika felt a small smirk spread across her face when she heard a shrieking cry in the darkness. She knew she made a successful hit.

It took her a while of searching around the grounds before she retrieved her arrow, which was pierced through the body of a dead Pidgeotto. Rika yanked the arrow out of its body, showing little emotion as she wrapped the bloody bird around her purple buff. Tonight's dinner, thought Rika, smirking.

Rika: Not a lot of people can provide food for our camp. I don't feel right having to depend on those few people to feed me everyday. That's why I go to the forest and hunt. There are a handful of days when I come out empty-handed, but at least it's better than sitting around and doing nothing about the food shortage.

She stared emotionlessly at the cameras.

Rika: If you want to do something right, you have to do it yourself. Don't rely on anyone.

When Rika exited the forest, she only saw one lone person huddled around the campfire. Drew was staring vacantly into the fire, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Only as Rika approached closer to him did Drew finally notice her presence. He looked up and smirked, acknowledging the Tamer with a small nod of head.

"Ah, I see you've caught a Pidgeotto!" Drew said, smirking slyly at the Tamer. "I'm impressed. They're very rare in these types of forests."

Rika responded with a sharp grunt. Her icy blue eyes were too transfixed at the enormous pile of fish by Drew's feet. There must have been at least half a dozen of Magikarp on the ground. Most of them were dead, yet there were still a couple that were flopping helplessly around for their dear lives.

"You caught all that?" Rika asked, gesturing her hand towards the pile of fish.

"You aren't the only person who can provide food for the tribe, Miss Nonaka." Drew replied in his usual smug and cocky demeanour.

"Oh, I see how it is." Rika nodded her head. She felt a thin, cynical smile spread across her face. "I see, coordinator boy."

"I can see it in your face. This is a little stab to your pride, isn't it?" Drew smirked. He took a brief pause as he analyzed Rika's face for her reaction. "Guess there will always be someone better than you, huh?"

"You talk too much," muttered Rika emotionlessly.

Rika sat down on a log adjacent to where Drew was. Carefully, she placed the corpse of the bloody Pidgeotto on the floor.

"If it's a competition between the two of us, then I guess I just won the first round," said Drew.

"It's not a competition." Rika quickly interjected.

"Ah, that's where you are wrong. I think it is a competition." Drew chuckled. The smirk on his face grew wider. "You just don't want to admit it."

"You only see it as a competition to satisfy your ego." Rika said, scowling slightly at the green-haired Coordinator.

"Touché, Miss Nonaka." Drew laughed. His hand ran across his emerald green hair as he tossed it behind his shoulder. "Touché."

Rika: I've seen a lot of guys like Drew. Simply put, he's full of shit. Every word that he spews out of his mouth is pure bullshit. He acts like he's a tough guy, but he's hiding behind a false front so nobody will know what a coward he is inside. A total slimeball. He's the worst type of coward.

She paused in the middle of her confessional. Despite her harsh words, Rika was actually smiling slyly at the cameras as she spoke.

Rika: Drew might be an ass, but there's more to him than meets the eye.

A loud noise from shore interrupted the middle of their conversation. Rika turned her head around at the origin of the noise. Facing the direction of the river, she could see JP and Takuya approaching from a distance. A grinning Takuya waved at her. Rika turned away.

"Takuya's game is almost over. If you continue to side with him, you'll go down as well." Drew leaned closer to whisper into Rika's ear. "Quit while you're ahead."

"Don't tell me what to do." Rika said emotionlessly.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you…" Drew nodded and pulled himself away from the Tamer.

When Takuya and JP arrived at a close proximity to the campfire, Rika could finally see that the two Frontier boys were each holding a dead Seel in their hands. Takuya was doing a little victory dance as he walked.

"Duuuuude! Look at these huge-ass Seels we caught from Shipwreck Island!" JP bellowed in laughter. "Get prepared for the most delicious dinner tonight!"

"Booyah!" Takuya added, pumping his fist enthusiastically in the air.

"You actually hunted the Seels…wow." Drew said, sounding impressed. He flashed the two of them a faint smile. "How very resourceful. I should have thought of that."

Drew paused and sheepishly looked down at the pile of fish by his feet. All of the Magikarp that he caught earlier now seemed trivial compared to the Seels held in Takuya and JP's hands. He sighed, finally admitting defeat.

"Rika, we're like two children fighting over a swing set on the playground." Drew shook his head and laughed. He tossed a brief glance at Rika, muttering. "I feel stupid."

"I guess we're both stupid." Rika smirked.

The two of them exchanged glances with each other. A few seconds of restful silence eased upon the four of them, a moment when nobody knew how to react. Finally, Drew started chuckling under his breath. Rika also turned away as she tried to hide the thin smirk on her face. Takuya raised an eyebrow in surprise as he turned over to JP for an explanation, but the chubby Frontier just shrugged his shoulders.

"Huh? What's going on?" Takuya asked, scratching his head. He suddenly felt like he was at the butt of a joke that he didn't comprehend. "I don't get it, what's so funny?"

- - -

The Clamperl tribe arrived at the beach for their first individual reward challenge. For some of them, this was actually their first chance to participate in a reward challenge. Professor Birch greeted all of the players with a warm and approachable smile. Some players returned the friendly gesture, but others were more curious about the three black binoculars on the sand. Just as the nine players were approaching closer to the professor, he raised his arms high in the air, indicating for them to stop.

"Please stop walking!" Professor Birch shouted. The players obeyed, albeit they all looked confused at the sudden command. "If you look at the ground in front of you, you'll see there's a starting line painted on the sand. Do not step over that line."

Casey gazed down at her feet. This was the first time she noticed that there was a thin strip of white print spread horizontally on the sand.

"This is for the first part of your individual reward challenge." Professor Birch explained. "The three binoculars on the sand will give you a slight advantage for the next part of this challenge. When I give you the signal, the nine of you will race here and try to grab one of these binoculars. The first three people to grab it will get to use them in the second part of the challenge."

"What a weird way to begin the challenge," muttered James. Several players nodded their heads and agreed with him.

"Survivors ready…go!" Professor Birch shouted.

The nine players immediately sprinted past the starting line. With her long legs and muscular thighs, it was no surprise that Cassidy managed to take the lead in this short race. Her knee was still slightly bruised from her injury at the last immunity challenge, but it didn't seem to affect her performance at all. Takuya, James and May followed closely behind her, all running at approximately the same pace.

"Cassidy gets the first binocular!" Professor Birch announced as the Team Rocket member dived forward, snatching one of the binoculars from the ground. Takuya was right behind her and snatched up the second binocular. "Takuya has the second one! There's one more left…and it seems to be a race between James and May!" Right after Professor Birch made that statement, May and James tripped over each other and both collided in the sand. This opportunity allowed Casey to easily run past the two of them and picked up the final binocular. "And Casey sneaks up from behind, taking the third and final binocular!"

"Oww…" May moaned as she tried to get up from the sand.

"Are you guys alright?" Casey asked sheepishly. Both May and James winced in pain, but they nodded their heads in response.

"Cassidy, Takuya and Casey could use their binoculars to give themselves a distinctive advantage in the next part." Professor Birch nodded their heads at the three of them. "The real reward challenge is this. When I blow the whistle, numerous Dewgongs will jump out of the ocean and reveal themselves briefly in the air before diving down again. Your task is to count the number of Dewgongs that have jumped out." Professor Birch nodded his head and continued. "After they're finished, you'll each write down the number on a piece of parchment. The person who counted the number correctly, or guessed the closest number without going over…will win the reward!"

A challenge that involves just counting. There's nothing physical about this. TK smiled faintly to himself. I could actually win it!

"The ocean is kind of far away…" May muttered. "I don't know if I could really see that far."

"That's where the binoculars come in handy," said Professor Birch, grinning. "Anyway, want to know what you're playing for?"

"Yeah!" Takuya exclaimed.

"Tomorrow morning, the winner of this reward challenge will be brought mainland to the famous Dewford Diner. There, you'll get to enjoy two relaxing meals of breakfast and lunch." Professor Birch smiled. "I personally recommend the sausage omelettes."

"Oh hell yeah!" JP laughed, rubbing his hand on his stomach. "I want to win this one!"

"Let's get started. Keep your eyes on the sea and count the number of Dewgongs that jump out of the water." Professor Birch explained. "You only get one shot at this, so watch carefully. Survivors ready…begin!"

Professor Birch blew his whistle, indicating the start of the challenge. Immediately, two Dewgongs jumped out of the water, gloriously displaying its white and creamy body for a few seconds before diving into the water again. Several players smiled in satisfaction, easily making mental notes inside their heads. A few seconds passed and three more Dewgongs jumped out. To the players' surprise, there were also some other Pokemon that leapt out of the water as well.

"What the…what are those Seels doing?" Cassidy shouted. She pulled her eyes away from her binocular for a brief moment. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Other water Pokemon will jump out to confuse you. Only count the Dewgongs!" Professor Birch grinned. Cassidy cursed under her breath and returned her focus at the sea.

A few minutes passed by in the challenge, with the Dewgongs popping out of the water at infrequent and inconsistent intervals. Several players grumbled in frustration as they lost count, while others just looked confused as they gaped aimlessly at the sea. Finally, Professor Birch blew his whistle again. The challenge was over.

"Write down the number of Dewgongs you saw on your piece of parchment." Professor Birch said, handing out a parchment and a marker to each of the player. "The person who gets the exact number, or is closest to the actual number without going over, wins the reward!"

"I have no idea." Casey chuckled, scribbling a two-digit number on her parchment. "Let me take a wild guess."

After everybody wrote down their guesses on the parchment, Professor Birch nodded his head and smiled.

"The correct answer was thirty five Dewgongs." Professor Birch announced. A few players groaned as they heard the answer, with James muttering 'I wasn't even close'. Professor Birch turned to Casey with a bright smile. "We'll reveal your answers one by one, starting from alphabetical order. Casey?"

"It was a good guess." Casey shrugged her shoulders. She unfolded her parchment, revealing the number '40'.

Cassidy smirked when she revealed her number: '38', which was slightly closer to the actual answer than Casey.

Drew flashed an enigmatic smile as he unfolded his parchment and showed the number, '26'. Although it was the first legitimate answer, he was worried that his guess might be too low.

"It's my lucky number." James laughed, looking embarrassed when he revealed that he had written down '77' on the parchment. "Not even close…"

A confident smile spread across JP's face as he revealed that he had '33' on his parchment, just two less than the actual number.

May shook her head, smiling sadly as she revealed '31'. It was a reasonable guess, but nowhere close enough to beat JP's answer. Rika also had an approximate answer, '30', but it was still not close enough to defeat JP.

"Ah…" Takuya grinned stupidly. He revealed that he had the number '45' on his parchment. "I don't have it. You lied, professor! The binoculars didn't help at all."

Finally, it was TK's turn. He smiled sheepishly at his friend, JP, and revealed the number on his parchment: '36'. Although it was technically the closest answer, he had unfortunately guessed a number that was over thirty five, and therefore it was considered null.

"Close, but no cigar." Professor Birch grinned at JP. "With the guess of thirty three, JP wins the reward challenge!"

"Lucky!" JP shouted in glee. He turned towards Takuya and slapped him a high-five.

"Tomorrow, a boat will pick you up to enjoy the reward at Dewford Diner, but of course…you're allowed to bring one guest with you." Professor Birch said with a teasing smile. "Who shall your guest be, JP?"

"Takuya," replied JP with almost no hesitation. He flashed an apologetic smile towards the other players. "Sorry guys."

"Thanks a lot, man." Takuya grinned enthusiastically.

"Okay, I'll see you two gentlemen tomorrow morning." Professor Birch smiled. "Sorry, but I've nothing for the rest of you. You may head back to camp."

- - -

TK Takaishi spent the entire afternoon with JP, patiently listening to his friend's endless explanation as to why he chose Takuya to go to the reward with him tomorrow. When Professor Birch demanded the chubby Frontier to choose one guest to join him in the luxurious reward, almost everybody expected that he would pick TK, his best bud for the past twenty one days. However, a few eyebrows were raised when JP decided to pick Takuya instead. For many people, this felt like a truthful revelation to where JP's loyalty and allegiance lied.

JP immediately regretted his decision as soon as he returned to camp. He was so ridden with guilt that he spent all his time apologizing to TK until his speech almost became a garble of nonsense. Luckily, TK was not the type of person who was easily jealous. Truthfully, he never put too much thought into JP's decision, nor did he care – after all, JP never had any obligation to choose TK to go to the reward with him.

"Dude, I'm so sorry! I…I had a brain fart!" JP had said, knocking his fist lightly at his forehead. "I just blurted out the first name that was in my head and I was looking at Takuya at that time, so…" He paused and drew a heavy, dramatic sigh. "I would have picked you if I had a second chance, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright. I don't mind, really!" TK replied, smiling genuinely at the chubby Frontier.

"Seeing you act so damn forgiving makes me feel even worse." JP frowned. "I'm such a bad friend…"

JP: I felt like crap when I realized that I left TK out of the reward today. He came second in the reward challenge too…I had every reason to pick him instead of Takuya. Besides, he's such a nice guy and I really wanted to treat him something special if I'm given the chance. And here comes the perfect chance to repay him, but obviously, I was thinking with my stomach at that time! Dude, I just feel really, really bad about it. This must be the mistake of the lifetime!

"When I come back from the diner, I promise you that I'll bring back food!" JP exclaimed. "Dude, seriously! This is my only chance of redeeming my mistake!"

"You don't really have to…" TK muttered, but he was abruptly interrupted by the loud and bellowing voice of JP.

"What do you want me to bring you?" JP asked. "You name it, and I'll try my best to get my hands onto it! Scrambled eggs? Bacon? Orange juice? Ham? Sandwiches…"

In the middle of their conversation, the two men walked past James and Rika, who were enjoying a quiet game of checkers before dinnertime. They were lying on the ground at opposite sides of the checkerboard, which was a nifty little invention that the creative Takato Matsuki left behind. Momentarily distracted, James looked up at JP and TK for a second before he turned his focus back to the game. Rika tapped her finger impatiently on the ground, indicating for James to make the next move.

"Aieee…I think I'm cornered again!" James squealed. He stared absently at the carved checkerboard on the ground and shook his head. "Rika, you're just too smart for me! I can't beat you!"

"Toast? Pancakes? Waffles? Ice-cream? Milkshake? Hot dogs? Coffee…"

"I can hear his yapping all the way from here," muttered Rika. Like always, she carried a calm and composed expression on her face.

"He never shuts up!" James added with a small, dry chuckle. He smiled faintly at Rika and asked, "Ready for a new game?"

Rika nodded her head and the two of them cleared the remaining pieces on the checkerboard.

"Chocolate fudge? Pizza? Burritos? Wait…do they sell burritos in diners? Ah, who cares! So, where was I…?"

"The motor mouth is boasting about his stupid reward trip tomorrow, isn't he?" Rika asked, casting a disapproving glare at JP's direction. "What an annoying guy."

"I think he's just rubbing it in our faces." James whispered. The Team Rocket member paused for a few seconds and sighed. "I wished he would stop talking. I'm getting hungry just by listening to him talk…"

"Omelettes? Chicken wings? Doughnuts? Lemonade…?"

James: Rika and JP are like, two completely different people. JP is so talkative and extroverted. He can't keep his emotions bottled up. He has this tendency to express his feelings to anyone and everyone, which could get a bit annoying after a while. On the other hand, Rika is really quiet and introverted. She's the total opposite of JP. It's easy to understand why the two of them don't get along. It's a clash between two really different personalities.

James flashed an enigmatic smile at the cameras.

James: Back when I was on Huntail, I thought I was a weirdo because I couldn't get along with any of them no matter how hard I tried! I feel a little relieved that Rika can't stand these people either. It sort of proves that I'm still sane. Sort of, hehe.

Elsewhere, dinner was being prepared by the trio of Cassidy, Casey and Drew in the kitchen area of the Clamperl camp. Cassidy and Casey were preparing for the basics – pouring rice into bowls and organizing the proper wooden utensils for everyone. Drew was also helping out dinner by skinning the dead Seels with his knife. Although the Frontier boys had hunted these peaceful sea creatures with ease, they of course had no idea how to actually cook a Seel, which only meant that Drew had to do all of the work for them. Normally a person who valued highly on cleanliness, he grumbled a little when he caught sight of his hands, dripping with crimson red blood. Casey, who was standing nearby the Pokemon Coordinator, immediately turned away in disgust.

"I'm really pissed that gluttonous pig won the food reward today, especially since he's the one who eats the most food in our camp anyway." Cassidy angrily spitted her words out. She seemed unaffected as she watched Drew brutally mutate the Seel into undistinguishable pieces. "This is so unfair. Damn it! Damn him!"

"I don't care about the reward, but aren't you surprised that he chose to go to the reward with Takuya instead of his best friend, TK?" Drew asked.

"May be the two of them are a lot closer than we assume they are…" Casey said quietly.

"I hope I'm just paranoid, but I've a bad feeling about those two. The more they spend time together, the more I think that…" Drew paused. His lips formed a thin frown on his face. "JP and Takuya are running this game."

"You think so?" Cassidy asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.

"Open your eyes. They're in the center of everything that is happening in our tribe." Drew explained. "The two of them are involved with almost every alliance out there. I feel like I'm losing control of this game to those buffoons as we speak."

"Takuya and JP…" Cassidy muttered the names of the two Frontier boys with bitterness. She smirked. "I think it's about time we do something about them. We need to break the two of them apart."

"Unfortunately, we still have to rely on JP in order to have numbers at tribal council, for now anyway." Drew muttered, folding his arms across his chest. "But I agree with you. It's time to force JP to fold his hand. We can't let him keep his little friend in our alliance any longer."

"Damn straight!" Cassidy cackled with glee. Casey could also be seen in the background, smiling faintly.

Cassidy: There has been a slight change to the order of who goes on the chopping block next. Originally, I'm going to finish Butch's revenge and take out that pesky little girl. But let's face it, May has no game. We already cut off her arms and her legs at the last two tribal councils. She's harmless and she's not a threat. Right now, it's more important to separate JP and Takuya for good. The last thing we want is for that scumbag to sway JP's mind about the Huntail alliance. We still need JP. The five of us are solid.

Cassidy grinned menacingly at the cameras. Her voice was dripping with a thick layer of arrogance as she spoke each word.

Cassidy: Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. I can guarantee you that three days from now, Takuya Kanabara will be the eighth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands.

- - -

DAY 23

JP Shibayama was in paradise.

Surrounded by breathtaking scenery and plates of delicious food, JP wanted somebody to pinch him to make sure that he was not living in a surreal dream. There was a steamy plate of lasagne in front of him, which was accompanied by a bowl of ice-cream sundae, a basket of breadsticks, and a glass of chocolate milk. The chubby Frontier felt a wide grin grow across his face. He knew this was a reality. All the food in front of him was real. And it all belonged to him.

"Thanks for bringing me for this reward, man!" Takuya laughed, slapping a high-five with his Frontier companion. The two of them were grinning stupidly at each other. "Now…let's eat like kings!"

"Hear, hear!" JP chuckled, stuffing a piece of garlic bread into his large mouth. His speech became unintelligible as he tried to speak with a mouth full of food. "Arrm sooe gllard datt arrm braughht yuu to da reeford!"

"Arrrcreed!" Takuya added with a lopsided grin.

Earlier in the morning, a motorboat arrived at the Clamperl camp to pick up JP and Takuya for their reward trip. At the sight of the boat, the two Frontier boys began shouting joyously in their rowdy and boisterous voices, despite the fact that other members were still sleeping in the shelter. They were seemingly oblivious to the jealous glances cast by their tribe members, who obviously did not share the same enthusiasm for this reward. A few of them resented the two men for having the opportunity to enjoy a satisfying meal. Others despised them for gloating publicly and rubbing their victory in everybody's faces. And some just needed an excuse to hate JP and Takuya even more.

Nonetheless, JP and Takuya found little remorse as they feasted on their meals at Dewford Diner. As the only two guests present in this exotic restaurant, they got to enjoy the food and the beautiful seaside view all by themselves. JP let out a small, romantic sigh. After twenty three days of eating measly meals and staring at the same bland scenery, this was truly paradise.

"Do you want to order any more food?" Takuya asked, grabbing a nearby menu.

"I feel like a pig for eating so much during breakfast, but who gives a damn!" JP chuckled. "Let's order more, more, more!"

JP: For the awesome kick-ass reward, we were allowed to order as much food as we want from the menu. I went in there with the mindset that I would eat every single piece of food in the menu. And let me add, there were like twenty pages in that menu, with almost every single combination of food I could ever imagine! I know it's going to give me a massive stomach ache afterwards, but it's worth it. Dude, it's totally worth it.

Meanwhile, regular life in Clamperl resumed without the presence of Takuya and JP around camp. Some players lazily went back to sleep, while others began their normal morning rituals. For TK Takaishi, this meant that he would jog around the island by himself, just like always.

"Yo, golden boy! Wait up!" Cassidy shouted.

TK stopped walking and turned around. Cassidy was chasing after the handsome blonde. He found it slightly surprising that she would join him on one of his daily jogs around the island. Of course, Cassidy wasn't the type of person who did things without a second motive. The fiery and hot-headed Team Rocket member always had a hidden agenda. In this case, it was very evident to TK what she was attempting to do.

"Good morning, Cassidy." TK said with a light smile.

"Did Takuya and JP leave for their reward already?" Cassidy asked in an overly casual voice.

"Yeah." TK said, nodding his head. "They departed this morning."

"Hmm…that's interesting." Cassidy smirked. She watched TK cautiously for his reaction. "I wonder why JP chose Takuya to go to the reward instead of you."

TK's smile faded from his face. With a sigh, he turned towards Cassidy with a somewhat frustrated expression.

"Miss Cassidy, you're not being very subtle." TK said, trying to maintain an air of politeness even as he spoke. "If you're trying to drive a wedge between JP and myself, I can tell you that it's not going to work." He paused, and then added as an afterthought. "It's very obvious."

"Well, damn. It was worth a try." Cassidy shrugged her shoulders, but judging from the confident tone of her voice, she didn't seem to be giving up. "But you have to be wondering about this too. Don't you think JP changed ever since he's reunited with his boyfriend again? Aren't they getting a little too close for comfort?"

"Not at all. I have faith in JP." TK said. The optimistic smile slowly returned to his handsome face. "I trust him."

"Trust is a very strong word," said Cassidy with a raised eyebrow.

"The friendship between the two of us is very strong," replied TK.

Cassidy: They call him 'Golden Boy' for a reason. In terms of winning this game, TK poses the largest threat to me. He's trustworthy, he's friendly, he's popular – and goddamnit, he's going to sweep the entire jury at this rate. If TK stumbles into the Final Two, he will win no matter who he's up against. And that's not even speculation, it's an undeniable fact.

There was a menacing smirk on Cassidy's face as she spoke.

Cassidy: Hell, I should probably break his other leg if I'm given the chance. It'd be the easiest way to remove my biggest competition out of the game!

The two Frontiers were not in a rush to return to camp. After an enjoyable breakfast, they decided that they would stay at Dewford Diner for just a little longer. For JP, this meant that he had a few extra hours to relieve his massive stomach ache in the restroom. The chubby Frontier, who ate endlessly for two straight hours, was now receiving the painful consequences of eating too much too fast. As for Takuya, he found other ways to entertain himself at the exotic diner.

"Those surfboards look awesome!" Takuya said, eyeing the colourful decoration hanged on the restaurant walls. He flashed a charming grin at the restaurant owner. "Hey, do you mind I borrow them for a while?"

"Go ahead!" The friendly restaurant owner replied. "There're some sweet tides coming in at this time of the hour."

"Thanks!" Takuya laughed.

A while later, the adventurous Frontier found himself diving into the ocean with his blue-and-orange surfboard, despite having no surfing experience whatsoever. At first, he had difficulty maintaining his balance on the board, falling clumsily into the water for many times. But being a natural athlete, it didn't take long before Takuya quickly mastered the basics of surfboarding. Soon, he was surfing through the gentle waves and riding the low tides like a pro.

Amazed by Takuya's surfboarding skills, the restaurant owner agreed to let Takuya bring one of his surfboards back to camp. The athletic Frontier was thrilled as he showed off his new present to JP, who was just returning from his seventh restroom trip.

"That's awesome! You totally look like a surfer dude now!" JP joked.

"I had so much fun today. And I know I've said this a million times, but thanks for bringing me to the reward trip." Takuya said with a goofy smile. "You're the best."

"Yeah, I had a great time too…" JP forced a weak smile on his face. He had a trembling hand on his bloated stomach. "But I feel bad knowing that the washrooms in Dewford Diner will never be the same."

Takuya: I owe JP so much for bringing me to this trip, because I got to eat food and I also received a spanking new surfboard too! Words can't even describe how cool JP is. He's such an awesome friend.

Takuya paused, flashing a small, sheepish smile at the cameras.

Takuya: As much fun as I was having, I remembered that we're still playing a game. It's important to use this time and persuade JP to change his mind. If he sticks with those Huntail losers, then everybody in Gorebyss is screwed. And I can't let that happen. Not without a fight, anyway.

"Before we leave, there's something important I want to discuss with you about." Takuya began. He cast an uncertain glance at his Frontier companion. "It's about the upcoming vote."

"Oh. About the vote…" JP's smile immediately faded from his face.

"You know that Cassidy is the reason why Zoe was voted off, right?" Takuya asked.

"That's in the past." JP mumbled, averting his gaze elsewhere.

"But we're friends, JP. We've been friends longer than we've been with any of these people here," said Takuya. "I think it's ridiculous for you to stay loyal to your current alliance, especially since you're hanging around losers like Cassidy and her lapdog, Casey." He paused for a dramatic effect. "Vote with me. The two of us can change the game together. We can control every vote in tribal council. Give me a chance. Give your friend a chance."

"This…this is too sudden. I need some time to think about it." JP quietly replied.

"That's cool. I understand." Takuya nodded his head.

"Takuya, we shouldn't let this game affect our friendship." JP sighed. "No matter what happens, I still want to be your friend after this is all over."

"Of course, I feel the same way." Takuya nodded his head again.

JP could see a tinge of bitter disappointment in his friend's face. He knew what Takuya was thinking. I can't even commit to an actual answer. JP sighed. It was a half-assed response. He knows it. I know it. We both know it.

The chubby Frontier closed his eyes. He suddenly felt the heavy burdens of Survivor on his shoulders again.

And he knew he was no longer in paradise.

- - -

It was gone.

"Where is it? Where is it?" James mumbled nervously.

The athletic Team Rocket member was on his knees, crawling around the deserted shelter as he searched for his missing object. Standing outside of the shelter was Rika, who wore a very nonchalant expression on her stern face. She was leaning against one of the supporting beams of the shelter.

"When did you first notice that it was gone?" Rika asked.

"I…I don't know! I put it away somewhere before I went to sleep, and when I woke up this morning…it was gone!" James replied.

Rika frowned. She scanned her eyes around the shelter and shook her head. Aside from some personal belongings and a few articles of clothes, there was nothing else that even resembled what James was looking for.

"Your attempts are futile. I don't think it's in the shelter. You would have found it hours ago if it was in there," said Rika.

"B-b-but…" James stammered. He closed his eyes and offered a dramatic sigh. "But I've looked everywhere! Where else could it be?"

"I still can't believe that you lost your immunity necklace." Rika grunted. She slowly pulled her back away from the shelter. "How could you lose such a pivotal possession?"

"I've been taking extremely good care of it! I've been treating it like it's my baby! My life!" James sobbed hysterically. "But I can't find it anywhere!"

"Calm down, James." Rika scowled, looking a bit disconcerted at James' behaviour. She was uncertain how to react next. Dealing with other people's emotions was completely out of her element and unfortunately, James happened to be a very emotional person. In her small circle of friends, it was always Takato or Henry who comforted people in distress. Rika vaguely remembered snickering at her two friends for being mushy and sensitive. But now, she felt angry at herself for being so useless in this situation.

"I think I'm having a breakdown…" James sighed heavily. He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Did you leave it at the Gorebyss camp when we were packing?" Rika asked.

"I know I brought it here! I was wearing it at the last immunity challenge too!" James said.

"Are you sure?" Rika asked, sounding unintentionally pessimistic.

"Not really…" James mumbled.

James: I lost my immunity necklace today. No, not the one that I won in the challenge a few days ago…the other one – the necklace that Professor Birch gave me at the swap. It was like a shield to me. An ace-in-the-hole. I could have whipped out my personal immunity before any vote that I don't feel confident about. But I can't find it anywhere! I can't believe I could lose such an important item like this!

James squealed in frustration. His voice always sounded high-pitch whenever he was feeling nervous or aggravated.

James: Never in my life have I felt so vulnerable before. I've a really bad feeling about this. If my tribe members find out that I don't have my immunity necklace anymore, they might…they might just capitalize on this opportunity and vote me off!

Just then, Casey arrived at the shelter, carrying a handful of clothes in her puny arms. Rika ignored her, but James managed to force a weak smile on his face when he saw the energetic little girl. Unlike Rika, he didn't hold a strong grudge against the baseball lover for 'betraying' Gorebyss at the merge.

"I just finished the laundry! Hip, hip, hooray!" Casey grinned enthusiastically. A normal person wouldn't celebrate over the completion of such a mundane task, but it was Casey after all. Almost everybody had gotten used to her eccentric quirks by now.

Walking past Rika without acknowledging her, Casey dropped the pile of clothes inside the shelter. She tapped James lightly on the shoulder.

"What are you doing, James?" Casey asked, wearing a bemused expression on her face.

"I…I lost something, Casey!" James cried.

"Huh? What did you lose?" Casey asked.

James hesitated for a moment, uncertain if he should give the specific details to Casey. Can he trust her? After all, she was officially aligned with the enemy – she was no longer on his side. But in the end, the trusting nature of James overcame his suspicious instincts, and he told her everything.

"When I woke up this morning, my immunity necklace was gone." James said, burying his face with his hands. "I have no idea where I misplaced it."

"Ah…so, you don't have your necklace with you anymore." Casey raised her eyebrows in surprise. A small, sheepish smile spread across her face. "I guess this means that we can vote you off at the next tribal council, doesn't it?"

James gasped and opened his mouth in surprise. Seeing James' comedic expression, Casey couldn't resist the urge to burst into girlish giggles.

"Nah, I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Don't kill me!" Casey laughed.

"Not funny!" James shouted, putting his hands on his hips in mock anger. "Okay, it was a little funny, but it gave me quite the scare! Don't do that again!"

"Anyway, I think I have what you might be looking for…" Casey grinned.

The petite baseball fan dug her hands into the pile of clothes that she put down earlier. James was anxiously looking on, squealing in excitement every now and then. Eventually, Casey pulled out an immunity necklace from a pair of baggy, white pants. She handed the black necklace (with an ordinary Pokeball attached) back to its rightful owner.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" James shouted in joy.

"You left it in your pocket. I found it in your pants when I was doing the laundry earlier." Casey explained. "Hey, you're lucky that I was on washing duty today, because I don't think Cassidy would have been as generous. You should take better care of it, you know!"

"Thanks so much, both of you!" James beamed gratefully at Casey and Rika. "I'll never lose this necklace again! I promise!"

Casey: To be honest, James having that individual immunity is a double-edged sword. It's helping and hurting him at the same time. On one hand, the necklace guarantees that James will stay for three more days if he's in danger. Of course, he needs to know that he's in trouble first in order for it to be useful. It's still better than nothing though!

Casey shrugged her shoulders.

Casey: However, the necklace also puts a huge target on his back. It gives people a reason to vote James off, because they don't want to give him an opportunity to use his individual immunity. Everybody knows that the longer James stays in the game, the more difficult it will be to get rid of him in the future…

- - -

Minutes after JP returned back to camp from the reward, he was ambushed by Cassidy, Drew and TK under a large apple tree in the forest. At first, JP thought it was an enthusiastic greeting from his alliance members, but he soon found out there was a second motive. There was always a second motive.

"Welcome back." Drew smirked. The short Pokemon Coordinator was leaning against a tree trunk, with his arms folded across his chest.

"Gee, I'm sorry that I didn't bring back any food from the reward…" JP smiled nervously. He tried his best to lighten the hostile atmosphere with a small joke. "But you guys don't need to corner me like this!"

"There has been a slight change of plans." Cassidy ignored him. "We discussed about it while you were gone. It's time for Takuya to go next."

"Unless he wins immunity, then we'll vote out May." Drew nodded his head.

"Huh? What the…whoa, wait a freaking second here!" JP scratched his head, looking confused. "I thought we all agreed that it's going to be James and Rika, in that order! This isn't part of the plan!"

JP turned his head towards TK, hoping for a proper explanation. The blonde just shrugged and flashed a weak smile at him.

"As I've just said, we changed our minds. Takuya is too much of a threat." Cassidy sneered.

"C'mon guys, get your priorities right! James has an immunity necklace that he could use at any time!" JP argued, waving his arms frantically in the air. "If we don't stop him now, he's going to skate his way into the finals!"

"As long as the five of us – us four and Casey – vote together, it doesn't matter what the chopping order is. James can go at another time." Drew explained in a calm manner. "Right now, we need to make sure Takuya leaves before he begins an unstoppable challenge streak."

"But that's not a good reason!" JP shouted.

"Let's face the truth…the only person who can kick his ass in the challenges is me." Cassidy smirked.

"She has a valid point, but that's not important." Drew said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the egoistical Team Rocket member. "JP, you need to remember that if any of us wants to make it far into the game, we all have to vote for the same person at every tribal council."

"I agree. You can't let your emotions get in your way." Cassidy said.

"Dude, I know…" JP muttered.

"May be you need some alone time to think about it." Drew offered. He wore a satisfying smile on his face. "Tell me your decision when you're ready."

"Don't take too long!" Cassidy added.

Cassidy and Drew began to walk away together. After they were out of JP's earshot, the Team Rocket member bent down and whispered into Drew's ear.

"I think that worked out magnificently." Cassidy cackled. "Machiavelli has nothing on you, kid!"

"Just like I thought, we need to apply a little pressure on him in order for him to remain loyal to us. He needs to realize that he can't have everything that he wants." Drew grinned. "This isn't JP's game. It's ours."

JP: Oh man…this really sucks. My alliance wants to vote out Takuya, but I'm not big on that idea at all. Takuya is my friend. And I just can't vote out a friend, not in these conditions. Cassidy is like, 'Oh yay! Let's vote out Takuya and get into the Final Five together!' and I'm thinking, 'Dude, I don't really want to go into the Final Five with someone like you, you know?'

After the departure of Drew and Cassidy, JP let out a huge sigh. He sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the trunk of the large apple tree. TK, who had an empathetic smile on his face, sat down beside his friend.

"This sucks." JP muttered. "This game sucks."

"What's on your mind?" TK asked.

"Honestly, I don't want to vote out Takuya. We're just ganging up on him because we've the numbers and…and that's not fair to Takuya. He deserves better than that." JP paused, shaking his head. "What do you think, TK?"

"I think it's in our best interest to vote out Takuya now. He's athletic, he's sociable, and he's obviously the leader of Gorebyss." TK replied earnestly. A thin, sheepish smile began to form on his handsome face. "But you know, we have other options instead of sticking with Drew and Cassidy all the time."

"Ah, do you mean…?" JP's head peaked up with interest.

"The way I see it is this. If we make it to the Final Five with Drew, Cassidy and Casey, we're going to get end up getting fourth and fifth." TK said.

"Why?" JP asked, scratching his head. "It should be fair game amongst the five of us…"

"We're outnumbered by those three. It's clear that they have a pact to stay together. It's an alliance within an alliance." TK explained. "Cassidy, Casey, and Drew all want to go to the Final Three together. Therefore, we'll be voted off as soon as we're down to five."

"I see the big picture now." JP rubbed his chin. "We'd do their dirty work for them and then, they'll have the nerve to vote the two of us out!"

"Exactly." TK nodded his head. "Of course, it's the same scenario with Takuya, Rika, and James. Those three are obviously going to stay together no matter what. Even if we align with them, we'll still end up getting fourth and fifth."

"Things aren't looking good for either of us, eh?" JP chuckled nervously.

"The only way we can make it into the finals together is to flip-flop between these two sides. We'll have to switch alliances at some point of the game." TK said slyly. "Why not start now?"

"This is a devious side of you that I've never seen before, TK!" JP laughed. "But I like the way you think!"

"No matter what your decision is, I'll on your side. You can count on that!" TK flashed a genuine smile at JP.

"I know I could rely on you." JP grinned widely at the blonde. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I'll make up my mind very soon…"

TK: I'm starting to get the hang of this game. It's a game that involves numbers, alliances, and deception. At one point of the game, I realize that I won't have the numbers, my alliance will turn against me, and the only thing that could save me is a little deception.

TK smiled at the cameras.

TK: I never claimed to be a selfless person. I don't like backstabbing people, but I didn't sign up for this game to let other people vote me off at fourth or fifth place.I play to win.

- - -

Cooking was a job that many tribe members were reluctant to become. Before the two tribes merged, Mimi and Brock were the designated chefs for Gorebyss and Huntail respectively. They cooked fabulous meals and kept everybody's stomachs full, but they were voted off several days ago. When the merge arrived, a new chef needed to be assigned. Takato bravely tackled the challenging task – until he was voted off at the last tribal council. Now, three chefs had been voted off consecutively, causing some people to reconsider this role. James suspected that there was a 'chef curse' and while nobody believed him at that time, it provoked a lot of fear in the current chef of Clamperl – Casey.

"Cassidy, you used to cook with Mimi back at Gorebyss. But I don't see you cook food anymore…say, you don't believe in the curse, do you?" Casey asked Cassidy in a casual conversation during the evening. The aggressive Team Rocket member was sitting on a nearby log, waiting as Casey prepared for dinner.

"No." Cassidy replied. And it was a truthful response, considering that the feisty Team Rocket member had not touched a cooking utensil since she arrived at the Huntail camp. "I'm not a superstitious person."

"It seems like too much of a coincidence that three chefs have been voted off in a row." May joined into the conversation. She was also sitting on a log near Cassidy.

"Well, they're stupid if they vote off the person who's keeping our mouths fed." Cassidy smirked. She turned towards Casey and winked at the petite girl. "Hey, don't be afraid to put some nasty bugs in their food. If they're going to vote you off anyway, then let them pay for it!"

Casey laughed. Sometimes, Cassidy could tell some really funny jokes – assuming that she was joking, of course.

"Just between the three of us, there's something that is bothering me lately." Casey said, casting a nervous glance at Cassidy and May. "Every morning I go check on our rice supply…and lately, I'm noticing that some of the rice seems to be disappearing. I don't know what happened, but there just seems to be less rice!"

"A thief!" Cassidy immediately gasped.

"I don't know. May be there's more to this than it seems." May said, sounding hesitant. "It could be a wild Pokemon who sneaks in at night and steal our food."

"That's true…" Casey nodded her head in agreement.

"Hell no! There's no way a Pokemon could steal food this neatly!" Cassidy shook her head in a condescending manner. "Girls, this is definitely the work of a human! Someone is stealing food in our tribe!"

"She has a point." Casey continued nodding as she turned towards May. May just shrugged her shoulders.

"This is an important issue!" Cassidy leaped up from her seat and clapped her hands together. "I suggest we call a tribe meeting right here, right now! Everyone, gather around! There's a THIEF in our tribe!"

May: Personally, I don't think there's a food thief in our tribe. The food may or may not have been missing, but there was no need to make such a big deal over this. Cassidy tends to blow things out of proportion sometimes. She just wants to stir up some unnecessary disharmony in our tribe.

May paused in her confessional for a few seconds. She let out a small, girlish giggle before continuing.

May: Wherever Cassidy goes, drama follows.

All nine tribe members gathered around the campfire after Cassidy's announcement. She was standing on a log, a position which indicated her supposed authority over the Clamperl tribe. She cleared her throat and smirked arrogantly at the other players. Some, like Rika, did not look impressed with the theatrics.

"Today, Casey reported that some rice was missing from our supplies." Cassidy began, using a loud and commanding voice as she spoke. "

A few players shot some glares at Casey's direction. The petite baseball fan smiled nervously at them, wishing that she could evade the spotlight.

"I have a reason to believe that someone in our tribe did this." Cassidy declared. "There is a thief amongst us."

Several gasps could be heard after Cassidy made such a daring accusation. Rika folded her arms across her chest, still looking unimpressed.

"Guys, I know what you're thinking." JP said, waving his hands wildly in the air. "It's not me. I didn't do it!"

"How interesting! The one who's most guilty is the first to claim that he's innocent." Cassidy leaned down and glared into JP's beady eyes. "Just so you know, kid…you were my prime suspect."

"Back off! I said it wasn't me!" JP shouted, taking a few steps away from the Team Rocket member.

"Look, whoever did it should just fess up. There's no need for this drama!" Cassidy faked a high-pitched sob. She shot a glare at JP's direction. "Right, JP darling?"

"Does anyone find it absolutely hilarious that Cassidy – who steals Pokemon for a living – is accusing someone else of stealing?" Takuya rolled his eyes.

"What are you suggesting, punk?" Cassidy raised her voice. She suddenly turned all of her attention towards the skinny goggle-head.

"I think you're the food thief, Cassidy." Takuya said, smirking in a self-content manner. "You probably stole the food and you're now blaming it on other people, just so other people wouldn't suspect you."

"How brilliant! The thief is delegating the blame on someone else!" James giggled. In a soft whisper, he mumbled, "Take notes, Jessie and Meowth!"

"Shut up! You have no right to accuse me of stealing the food!" Cassidy raised a fist in front of Takuya's face.

"Just like you have no right to accuse JP of stealing the food!" Takuya boldly retorted. He glared at Cassidy, almost daring her to deliver that punch. "I guess you shouldn't be such a bitch to people then, huh?"

"You're pushing your luck, you scumbag!" Cassidy shouted. "Let me remind you of the position that you're in. You're in the minority and you're next!"

"We'll see about that at tribal council, wouldn't we?" Takuya grinned cheekily.

"Everyone, everyone…time out!" TK suddenly interjected. Both Takuya and Cassidy glared at him impatiently. "Stop it, both of you! I don't think any of us should accuse each other without actual evidence."

"He's right. Besides, it's probably just an animal or something." JP nodded his head.

"You think an animal would actually come to our camp and just steal a neat handful proportion of rice?" Drew muttered pessimistically. "If you say so, genius…"

"That's not the point, Drew." TK said in a calm and collected manner. "But until there is proof that one of us actually steals the food, we can't go around pointing fingers at each other. Let's try to be civil and mature about this." He paused, glancing at both Takuya and Cassidy. "Bickering won't solve anything."

"Listen to the golden boy. He knows what he's talking about." JP chuckled.

JP: Takuya and Cassidy are like oil and water. They just don't mix. It's amazing that they didn't get into a major argument until now. Freaking amazing!

The chubby Frontier put a hand on his forehead and laughed.

JP: After today, it's very clear to me that these two can't be on the same tribe as each other. For the sake of our tribe and our sanities, one of them has got to go.

"Well, alright…I'll let it go for now." Cassidy sighed heavily, making it very clear to everyone that she was not pleased with the temporary resolution. "But let me warn every single one of you here, I'll be watching. And if I ever catch the person who steals food in our tribe…" She smirked, throwing a glance at the two Frontier boys. "That person is going to have a very, very unpleasant time on this island."

"Just let it go, you miserable bitch." Takuya muttered.

- - -

DAY 24

May knew the importance of winning an immunity challenge today. Nobody told her that she was in danger tonight. In fact, they had indicated the opposite – many informed May that she was actually safe at the next tribal council. Supposedly, there were other targets beside her. But May knew better than to trust her tribe members, the same people who had lied to her repeatedly as if she was a gullible girl with no thoughts of her own. But not anymore – May had smartened up. If the past two tribal councils were any indication of things to come, May knew she had to watch her back at all times. And the only effective way of saving herself was winning immunity.

"Immunity...is my number one priority." May said, smiling sweetly to the cameras. "I really want it. Oh my god, I want it more than anything else in the world. If I don't win it, I'm as good as gone."

She closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. As much as she tried convincing herself with her own words, May knew that reality presented a much harsher truth. At the last immunity challenge, she ended up getting second-to-last place. What were the chances of her winning the next immunity challenge, especially with all of these intense competitors in the game?

But no matter how unfavourable her odds were, May was not about to give up without a fight for her life. She refused to be underestimated.

"I've gotta win this. I've gotta win this." May muttered to herself as she retrieved treemail this morning. "There's no other way. I've gotta win this."

She flashed a determined smile at her right wrist, which was tied with a dark purple Survivor buff.

"For Brock and Takato…I will win this." May said.

When she arrived at the mailbox, the Pokemon Coordinator expected to find a scroll, which was the usual form of treemail that they received. It usually contained a vague description of the upcoming challenge. Things were a little different today. Instead, the poem was written on the fragile shell of a white Pokemon egg, which had the shape and size of a regular football. When May brought the treemail back to camp, a few tribe members speculated about the unique nature of their upcoming immunity challenge.

"I wonder what this egg has to do with the immunity challenge." May said, flashing a brief glance at Casey, who was sitting nearby. The petite baseball lover was boiling the water by herself and May decided to keep her company.

"May be we have to cook it?" Casey suggested with a goofy grin.

"The first person who can make scrambled eggs wins immunity!" May tried speaking in her Professor Birch impersonation, although she failed miserably. She let out a small, girlish giggle. "You know, that challenge could actually be kind of fun."

"I just hope we can eat the egg after the challenge is over!" Casey added.

"That's a given!" May chuckled.

"No offence to the guys, but I really hope one of the girls could win this challenge today." Casey said, beaming cheerfully at her tribe. "We're getting a bad rep because Gorebyss lost all of those challenges to the men."

"Yeah! I think it's time for a change! Go girl power!" May exclaimed, pumping her fist energetically in the air.

"Go girl power!" Casey echoed.

May and Casey united their hands together for a moment…before both of them burst into fits of giggles.

Casey: I'm sorry, but I really dig May. I know she's not in my alliance and therefore, she's supposed to be my enemy…but yeah, I like that girl. It feels kind of weird, because I initially didn't think I could spend time with someone so different from me. I'm a bit of a tomboy and May is kind of a girly girl. But what do you know? We're getting along great!

Casey smiled at the cameras. Her dimple faintly appeared on her rosy cheeks.

Casey: She's sweet, she's pleasant, and she also has a very competitive edge. What a deadly combination! I won't be surprised if May kicks all of our butts in the next immunity challenge. She's really, really determined…and I like that. I like that a lot.

"I think you've the best chance of winning a challenge, Casey. You look so sporty! You would do awesome in those physical challenges!" May grinned.

"Not really. Just because I like sports doesn't mean I'm athletic." Casey smiled modestly. "Thanks for the compliment though."

"You're very welcome." May returned the smile. "Are you ready for the upcoming challenge?"

"I'm ready to cook the egg, eat the egg, polish the egg, or even balance the stupid egg on my head if I have to!" Casey exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Game on! Let's go already!"

"I can tell that you're pumped about the challenge! I like that spirit!" May laughed.

"How about you, May?" Casey asked, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"I'm going to try my best." May said, gazing vacantly at the sky above. "I think I need this immunity more than anybody else out here."

"Oh, I don't know about that…" Casey said sheepishly. For a second, May thought she saw Casey wink at her direction. "You get along so well with everyone. And there are other people who have been getting on everybody's nerves." She paused and flashed a thumbs-up to the Pokemon Coordinator. "You'll do fine!"

"I sure hope so!" May said. A faint smile spread across her face. "I sure hope so…"

May: I don't believe a word they say. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on all of us! I know I'm not safe at tribal council. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll be voted off if I don't win immunity. It's crucial that I do well in this challenge, or I'm going home.

May nodded her head a few times, wearing a very serious and determined expression that was rarely seen by the other players. This was her game face.

May: No matter what anyone tells me, the only way I can guarantee myself three more days in this game is immunity. I must win it!

- - -

Going into this immunity challenge, Takuya felt pressure to perform well more than anybody else, even more so than May. After butting heads with his archrival Cassidy, he would be stupid to think that he was safe at the next tribal council. In fact, Takuya was almost certain that he would receive votes tonight. It felt like the writing was already cemented into stone. He could already picture his name coming up five damned times at tribal council tonight. The smirking faces, the snuffed torch, the walk of shame…

The only thing that could save him right now was a miracle – a miracle that came in the form of a very precious immunity necklace.

Takuya needed time. Takuya needed three more days. Takuya needed that immunity necklace.

"Welcome to your eighth immunity challenge, players!" Professor Birch greeted the Clamperl tribe with his usual friendly welcoming. He gestured towards James with his hand. "First things first, I need that immunity necklace back, James."

James smiled weakly. He removed the necklace around his neck and gave it back to the beefy professor.

"Immunity is back up for grabs. I'm sure a lot of you want to be wearing this little baby around your neck." Professor Birch announced.

May nodded her head very eagerly.

"Let's get to the challenge. Today, the nine of you will be partaking in a scavenger hunt." Professor Birch explained. "There are hundreds of Pokemon eggs hidden inside the forest. You'll be given three minutes to search around the forest and bring back one Pokemon egg." Professor Birch smiled. "When the three minutes are up, I'll blow a whistle and everybody will stop what they're doing and return. If you show me that you've a Pokemon egg, you'll proceed to the next round. Otherwise, you're out of the challenge." Professor Birch nodded his head as some players gulped nervously. "This challenge will continue until there are three or less players remaining. In that case, the first person who brings back a Pokemon egg to me will win immunity. Understand?"

"This sounds like an Easter egg hunt, professor." JP joked.

"This is for immunity!" Professor Birch shouted while the players scurried to the entrance of the forest. "Survivors ready? Go!"

The nine players ran into the forest and soon disappeared behind all of the trees. They quickly dispersed in different directions, searching high and low for a Pokemon egg in this dense and brooding forest. Whether the eggs were hidden away carefully in between the trees or whether the eggs were located in plain sight, nobody knew.

"I found one!" May exclaimed happily.

A brown and spotted Pokemon egg was tied to a tree trunk by some pieces of mountain rope. May quickly ran towards the tree and began untying the egg. Very soon, the egg was in her possession and the lucky Pokemon Coordinator quickly ran back to meet with the Professor.

Other players were having worse luck. JP found himself running around in circles after losing his sense of direction in the forest. TK also had a difficult time navigating the forest without whacking his head on a branch or tripping over a stump.

"The forest hates me." TK chuckled to himself, trying to get up after he had slipped on a wet rock.

Elsewhere in the forest, Takuya was starting to panic with his lack of luck. The minutes were passing and he still did not find a Pokemon egg yet. As he hastily scanned through his surroundings with his alert eyes, he noticed a strange pile of leaves nearby a tree. Feeling suspicious, he gave that pile of leaves a small kick with his foot…and he unveiled a yellow egg underneath! He sighed in relief as he picked up the Pokemon egg that was cleverly hidden underneath the leaves.

Ten seconds later, the whistle blew. The first round was over. All of the players exited the forest and gathered around Professor Birch.

"Those who don't have Pokemon eggs are eliminated from the challenge." Professor Birch said. He browsed through each player's inventory. "May, Cassidy, Casey, Rika, and Takuya…all moving on to the next round!"

"It's just me and the girls." Takuya grinned. "I get all the luck in the world."

"The rest of the men, please take a seat on the ground…you're now out of the challenge." Professor Birch gestured James, Drew, TK, and JP to a vacant area beside him. He turned his attention back to the remaining players. "You have three minutes to bring back another Pokemon egg." Professor Birch declared. "Survivors ready? Go!" The five players quickly disappeared into the forest again.

A minute later, Cassidy emerged from the forest, proudly presenting a pale orange Pokemon egg to Professor Birch. The beefy host gave a small nod of head, indicating his approval. Cassidy smirked confidently. She was definitely proceeding to the next round!

Another minute passed in the challenge, but still nobody came out with an egg. Cassidy's smirk grew wider.

"Let's say that the round is over and nobody comes out with an egg. Does this mean I win by default?" Cassidy asked.

"Yes." Professor Birch nodded, although he seemed reluctant to say the following words. "If nobody else has a Pokemon egg, you'll win the immunity challenge."

Soon, Professor Birch blew the whistle, marking the end of the second round. Cassidy watched in anticipation as the players walked out of the forest. Her hopes of winning were quickly dashed when both Rika and Takuya came out, holding a Pokemon egg in their hands. However, Casey and May were empty-handed, thus they were eliminated from the challenge. An extremely disappointed May joined Casey and the men on the ground as spectators.

"Since there are only three of you left, we're moving on to the final stage of the challenge. Go into the forest and find an egg. The first person who comes back out with an egg will win immunity." Professor Birch paused, glancing at the three remaining players. "Survivors ready? Go!"

Takuya wasted no time as he jogged into the forest. He first tried searching in the bushes, and then his eyes scanned above, through the tree branches and leaves. Finally, he spotted a pink and polka-dotted egg inside a nest, which was located on a flimsy tree branch. Using his agile and flexible body, he climbed the tree and snatched the egg from the nest.

"Got it!" Takuya grinned to himself. All he had to do now was run back to the professor and claim his victory.

Hopping down from the tree, Takuya began running back at the direction where Professor Birch was. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching behind him. He turned around and saw that Rika was running after him.

"Phew, it's only you." Takuya wiped his forehead with his hand. "You gave me a scare."

Rika merely grunted as a response and jogged away. They were still competing in a challenge and this was no time for inane chit-chat. Takuya noticed that she wasn't carrying an egg in her possession.

And then, Takuya did a something that surprised even himself.

"Rika…wait! Don't run away!" Takuya called after the Tamer. She stopped and shot the Frontier boy an annoyed glare.

"What do you want?" Rika asked impatiently.

"Take this egg." Takuya shoved the egg into Rika's hands. "Take it! Go…run to Professor Birch right now! Win the immunity necklace for me!"

"Takuya, what the hell are you doing?" Rika asked. In an uncharacteristic moment, she looked very dumbstruck and confused. Her eyes briefly gazed down at the polka-dotted egg that she was holding. "You found this egg! Why are you giving it to me?"

Rika tried pushing the egg back into Takuya's hands, but the athletic goggle-head forcefully grabbed the Tamer's wrists and stopped her.

"You…need…to…win…immunity!" Takuya's intense words gritted through his teeth.

"Now is not the time to be a selfless hero, you stupid idiot!" Rika said angrily. She tried moving her hands, but Takuya were still gripping onto them with an amazing force. "You need the immunity necklace more than ever! You're their target at the next tribal council! If I take this from you, you'll get voted off!"

"No! Don't you understand, Rika? You have to win this immunity." Takuya clenched his fist. "JP is our only hope of gaining a majority again. And there's no way that he'll betray his alliance in order to save you!" He paused, glancing hastily to check if Cassidy was nearby. "James has immunity. You have immunity. They'll have to target me at tribal council. It's perfect. If JP knows that I'm in danger, he'll be forced to switch his vote!"

"He's not going to help you. You…you stupid, impulsive idiot…" Rika muttered. She finally shook herself from Takuya's grasp.

"Listen, I want you to go and bring this egg to Professor Birch. I want you to win immunity and I want you to vote Cassidy out at tribal council." Takuya said in a rushed whisper. "I'll do my best to lay the biggest guilt trip on JP. Hopefully, I'll be able to persuade him to vote out Cassidy."

"No, I won't do it. I don't want to owe you any favour." Rika shook her head slowly.

"Don't be stubborn, Rika!" Takuya raised his voice slightly. "If you won't take my offer, I'll smash this egg on the ground and let Cassidy win immunity! Would you like that instead? Would you?"

Rika remained silent. She was staring angrily at her own feet.

"JP isn't going to help us unless there's no other choice. If it's a decision between you and Cassidy, he's definitely going to vote you off. But if the vote is between Cassidy and me, he'll value our friendship and…" Takuya's voice trailed off as a wave of cynicism brushed against his mind. It took him a second to recover. "Anyway, just take the egg!"

"Alright…" Rika sighed. "I'll do it, Takuya."

"Good." Takuya nodded his head. Rika turned around and began to leave, but Takuya interrupted her. "Just one more thing," Takuya said. He grinned boyishly at the Tamer. "I like it better when you called me goggle-head. It's more affectionate."

"Kanabara, you're one of a kind." Rika muttered as a thin, barely visible smile spread across her stony face.

Without further ado, Rika ran away, carrying the pink and polka-dotted egg in her hands. Soon, she emerged out of the forest to a round of polite applause from the spectators. Rika turned her head around, scanning her eyes for a certain feisty blonde in the audience. Luckily, Cassidy had not found an egg yet, which only meant…

"Rika wins immunity!" Professor Birch announced.

Rika merely nodded her head. She gazed icily at the professor, wearing a stern and solemn expression on her face. She knew that she didn't win this immunity challenge. It was given to her by Takuya, like a farewell present that she felt too courteous to refuse. If only Rika had any other choice, she would not have accepted the Frontier's offer. She didn't deserve this immunity necklace. And despite her victory, Rika couldn't celebrate under these traumatic circumstances. She couldn't celebrate at all, knowing that her victory was at the expense of Takuya's doom.

With the necklace, she had given herself three more days in this game. But he was definitely going home tonight. The only thing that could save Takuya now was a miracle.

And Rika knew that miracles never happened.

- - -

It was no secret to anybody that a powerful alliance existed between the members of the Huntail tribe. Although Cassidy wouldn't hesitate to label herself as the leader, it was Drew who craftily recruited JP and TK into his alliance. Despite their obvious differences, the four of them shared a common goal in the game. They voted together and successfully ousted Brock, the former Huntail leader. At the merge, their alliance strengthened when Casey joined them, thus forming an impenetrable five-person bloc. Their alliance prevailed for the second time in the row, eliminating Takato out of the game. As their dominance in the game continued, they made a pact with each other that they would stick together until the Final Five.

Although the Huntail alliance was dominant and influential, there were visible cracks within the alliance. When so many colourful and rambunctious personalities were constrained to working together, it was inevitable that they clashed. This was a fact that JP Shibayama found out hours before tribal council. And now, he was starting to have second thoughts about the upcoming vote. For Drew and Cassidy, this was bad – very bad.

"I don't want to vote out Takuya." JP announced in a very loud and clear voice.

Drew almost choked on the apple slice that he was eating. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Damn you! You're so indecisive! Can't you make up your mind already?" Cassidy exclaimed. She punched her fist angrily in her other hand. "It's not just about you, okay? It's about the five of us!"

"I'm not saying that I won't vote with you guys! I'm just suggesting that it's a better idea to vote James out!" JP argued.

"In the grand scheme of things, James is a pawn." Drew said, sighing. "He's meek, passive and a little naïve. He's not going to make any big moves."

"How can you say that?" JP shouted. He folded his arms across his chest. "He has an immunity necklace that he could use at any time. He's way more of a threat than Takuya is!"

Drew: Once again, I'm dazzled by JP's display of MENSA-level of intelligence. Or not. Talking strategy with him is like talking to a brick wall. He has a perfect alliance that he could ride all the way to the Final Five, but he has to go and mess up everything!

Drew smirked defiantly. He flipped his emerald green hair over his shoulder.

Drew: He's too emotionally chained to his friendships in this game. It's going to bite him in the ass sooner or later.

"Guys, let's try to sort this out in a rational manner." TK said, although his quiet voice was drowned out by all the incessant arguing from the rest of his alliance.

"Yeah, TK is right!" Casey added in a shouting voice. Her energetic voice was louder, but her alliance members ignored her nonetheless.

"And what happens if James uses his immunity necklace?" Drew asked.

"He thinks that Takuya is going to be voted off, so he won't use it!" JP replied animatedly. "That's the beauty of my plan. We can blindside James and get rid of him while we can!"

"That's something an idiot would think of!" Cassidy snapped.

"I don't understand why you're all so fixated with getting Takuya out. That's allyou talk about nowadays." JP said, shaking his head very rapidly. "Is it because he's my friend? Is that why you're jumping up and down and trying to get him voted off?"

"Get real! You have to vote off Takuya at one point of the game!" Cassidy yelled, stomping her foot furiously on the ground.

"Yeah, I can understand that part. But…" JP muttered.

"My goodness, you voted out Brock for the same reasons!" Cassidy interrupted, sounding very impatient with the Frontier. "Why are you suddenly being so defensive?"

"Get off my case! I'm not being defensive, Cassidy!" JP shouted in a defensive manner.

"No matter what we do, the five of us have to stick together." Drew said. He clasped his hands together to illustrate his point. "Remember, we're in an alliance together and we're going to cruise to the Final Five."

"I don't care. I'm going to cast a vote against Takuya tonight, whether you like it or not!" Cassidy snapped. She was almost taunting in front of JP's face like a child. "You can't stop me! You can't tell me what to do!"

As Cassidy stomped away in fury, Cassidy and Drew followed after her. JP just rolled his eyes at the three of them, cursing softly under his breath. TK bit his lips, looking very uncomfortable at the situation.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" TK asked in a soft whisper.

"I don't know." JP muttered, scratching his head. "I really don't know."

"I'm going to support you all the way," said TK, smiling.

"Thanks." JP sighed heavily. "After tonight, I think I'm going to need all the support I could get…"

JP: I could stick with my Huntail alliance, vote out Takuya, and become the worst friend in the world. Or I could join forces with Takuya, backstab Cassidy, and piss off a lot of people in my former alliance. Dude, I realize that I'm stuck in a bad, bad, bad situation. Someone's going to be angry at me no matter what happens tonight.

JP buried his face with his big, burly hands.

JP: TK and I will decide who goes home at tribal council tonight. It's kind of frustrating and mind-boggling. Do I vote out my buddy, Takuya? Or do I vote out my ally, Cassidy? Either way, I'm in the driver's seat. I'm the man of the hour. I hold all of the power at tribal council. Both sides need our votes, but I honestly don't know what to do. Even now, I don't have a firm decision about what I'll do tonight. Let's see what happens at tribal council first.

He removed his hands off his face, revealing a thin, cynical smile.

JP: It's amazing how much influence I have over this game, yet I have no idea what to do with it.

- - -

Judging from the intense and fierce expression on the tribe members' faces, Professor Birch already anticipated that this tribal council will be packed with conflict and drama. Nothing new, thought the professor to himself, hiding a smile from the cameras. After the players lit their torches and sat down, he began his usual round of questions.

"Let's start with you, James." Professor Birch turned towards the Team Rocket member. "I've heard rumours that there's a food thief around camp. Is it true?"

"I'm out of the loop, professor. May be it's a human, may be it's an animal." James shrugged his shoulders. He flashed a brief glance at Cassidy's direction. "Cassidy apparently thinks the thief is someone from our tribe."

"Cassidy? I'm sure you have a lot of opinions about this issue." Professor Birch was now facing the other Team Rocket member in the tribe.

"Damn right, you bet I do. I don't even know where to begin." Cassidy smirked. "I originally thought it was JP, you know, for obvious reasons." The smirk on her face grew sharper. "But now, I'm starting to lean towards Takuya. He definitely has a low enough character to do something like this. He's scum."

"Considering your profession, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Professor Birch asked, raising an eyebrow.

A few players snickered at the professor's remark. Takuya seemed to get the largest kick out of the comment.

"It's about time someone called her out on her hypocrisy!" Takuya rolled his eyes in frustration. "Cassidy walks around here, thinking she's so much better than everyone else. I can't stand her. I absolutely can't stand her!"

"I've the exact same opinion of you, darling." Cassidy snapped.

"It seems very obvious that the two of you don't like each other." Professor Birch gave a small nod of head. He turned towards the petite girl sitting beside Cassidy. "Casey, you've spent time living with both Takuya and Cassidy. What's your take on these two former Gorebyss members?"

"I agree with Cassidy." Casey replied.

"Like any good lapdog would say." Takuya muttered under his breath. Casey shot him a dirty glare.

"Takuya, you realize that seven of these people here will make up part of the jury." Professor Birch tapped his finger on his lap. "Aren't you afraid that you are alienating some of them with these disparaging comments?"

"If I make it to the finals, I have a pretty good idea of who will and will not vote for me." Takuya shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Besides, I don't think I'll make it that far in the game anyway."

"Why not?" Professor Birch asked.

"If you haven't noticed already, I'm a dead man walking. Some of them are practically shooting daggers out of their eyes at me!" Takuya laughed.

"Cassidy, you hate Takuya that much?" Professor Birch asked.

"Daggers are an understatement." Cassidy smirked. "I prefer weapons that could inflict more piercing pain."

"Thank you, Cassidy." Takuya said, smiling sweetly at the feisty blonde.

"You're welcome, Takuya." Cassidy returned the fake smile.

"Look at how superior she's acting, JP. You don't need me to tell you what type of person Cassidy is. But I will do it anyway." Takuya faced towards his Frontier buddy, who was sitting a few seats away from him. "She's vile, offensive, arrogant, greedy, and utterly heartless. She isolates people and gangs up on them with her cliquish friends. She manipulates her friends and then disposes them when she has no need for them. She will bulldoze anyone who's in her way of winning." Takuya paused, shooting an angry glare at Cassidy. "Is Cassidy the type of person you want to associate with in this game? How can you align with someone like her and vote me out?"

"He has a brain of his own. He can make opinions of me by himself." Cassidy immediately retorted.

"JP…somehow, you seemed to have gotten yourself involved in this war between Takuya and Cassidy." Professor Birch remarked.

"It's not easy being me." JP smiled weakly.

"Do you know who you're voting for at this tribal council?" Professor Birch asked.

"I think I know, professor." JP said, nodding his head. He turned around and briefly glanced at TK. The blonde seemed to get the signal and also nodded his head. "It's very clear to me now."

"It's time to vote." Professor Birch said, gesturing towards James. "James, you're first. Would you like to use your immunity necklace before the vote?"

"No sir." James shook his head.

"Okay. You can cast a vote for anybody except Rika, who has immunity tonight. Since James decided not to use his immunity, he is also vulnerable to the vote." Professor Birch turned towards the blue-haired Team Rocket member. "James, go ahead."

James crossed the bridge and arrived at the voting booth. He picked up the marker and wrote down 'Cassidy' on the piece of parchment.

"You remind me of the wicked, big-mouthed queens in those Disney movies. And those women never have happy endings. You…you're just too much. Please go home, Cassidy. You're making everyone soooooo miserable."

Rika followed afterwards. As expected, she cast the second vote for Cassidy that night.

"This vote is seven tribal councils too late. Your tyranny is over."

Rika dumped her vote into the urn. She lingered in front of the cameras, uncertain what to do next. Her hand slowly reached up and grabbed onto the black immunity necklace that she was wearing.

"And goggle-head, you better not leave…" Rika muttered sternly.

TK was next. He cast his vote and returned to his seat, wearing a polite smile on his face.

Takuya voted. Cassidy voted. It was more than obvious that the two of them voted against each other.

The sixth person to cast a vote was Casey. Normally apologetic in her votes, she seemed a little livid as she scribbled down Takuya's name on the parchment. Her resentment was probably fuelled by Takuya's snippy comment earlier in the night.

"I'm so sick of the Takuya show. You really need to get over yourself buddy! Stop being so egoistical and stop thinking that everything is a personal attack against you. Yeah, I'm sure you're a nice guy outside of this game, but good riddance you're finally gone!"

Drew also voted against Takuya. He wore a smug smirk on his face as he wrote down the Frontier's name.

"Takuya Kanabara is the living example of how not to play Survivor."

May cast her vote and quietly returned to her seat.

JP was the last person to arrive at the voting booth. He stared at the empty parchment for a long time before finally writing a name down.

"I've thought about this decision for a long time. I thought about what my alliance told me. I thought about how I shouldn't let my friendship with Takuya interfere with my game. I thought about how I'm going to be viewed as a target if I hang out with Takuya too much. I thought about all those unflattering rumours about how the two of us are loud, obnoxious and unpopular with everybody. I also thought about how I don't want to upset my alliance and how much I don't want to backstab them."

Grinning, the chubby Frontier held up his vote in front of the cameras. The name contained seven letters.

"But I'm sorry, you guys. I'm going to stick with Takuya. That's what friends do, they help each other. Birds of a feather flock together…"

- - -

"I'll go tally the votes." Professor Birch said, walking away.

Drew watched JP's expression carefully as he returned to his seat, wondering if he stayed loyal to the Huntail alliance tonight. The chubby Frontier had a sheepish smile on his face, but that was a fairly ambiguous expression. He has to vote out Takuya. He just has to. Drew thought, reassuring himself. He was confident that JP made the right decision. As many faults as JP might have, backstabber was not one of them. After all, Drew remembered that JP went berserk when James backstabbed the 'Breakfast Club' at the first tribal council. JP wouldn't backstab us – he hated backstabbers.

Takuya was also watching JP's face, although for a different reason. The athletic goggle-head could only hope that JP voted with them tonight. Takuya took a huge risk tonight – giving Rika the immunity necklace, pressuring JP to treasure their friendship, butting heads with Cassidy yet again. Takuya just wanted to stay in the game, no matter what. JP Shibayama was his only hope.

"Once the votes have been read, the person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately," said the beefy professor, who returned with the voting urn in his hands.

He pulled out the first vote from the urn.

"Cassidy." Professor Birch announced, trying to conceal a delightful smile from the cameras. He was not a huge fan of the rude and aggressive Team Rocket member.

May nodded her head slowly in acknowledgment of her vote tonight. She recognized her cursive writing on the piece of parchment. She didn't fully trust Takuya and she didn't think she ever will, but for this tribal council, she wanted Cassidy gone as much as Gorebyss did.

"Takuya," said Professor Birch, reading the second vote.

"Cassidy."

"Takuya."

"Cassidy."

"Takuya." Professor Birch said, repeating Takuya's name for the third time. "That's three votes for Cassidy and three votes for Takuya. There are three votes left."

The athletic Frontier looked very tense, occasionally turning sideways to sneak a brief glimpse at JP.

Professor Birch pulled out the seventh vote. He turned it over.

"Cassidy. That's four votes against Cassidy." Professor Birch said, smiling in satisfaction. "It takes five votes to be voted off."

Suddenly, Drew felt a brooding sense of fear – perhaps for the first time in tribal council. He was not in danger tonight, but he knew his unawareness over Cassidy's elimination would be just as bad. Already Drew can feel that the game was slipping through the cracks of his fingers. He cast a worried glance at Cassidy, but she seemed unfazed at the sight of her own name.

Professor Birch put his hand inside the voting urn and pulled out the eighth vote.

"The eighth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch smiled, revealing Cassidy's name in big, blocky letters. "Cassidy. You'll have to bring me your torch."

Cassidy folded her arms across her bosom, disgruntled and displeased with the results tonight. Sitting beside her, Casey had a classic 'deer-in-the-headlights' expression on her face, looking absolutely dumbstruck. Drew held his head down, concealing his emotionless face from the cameras. Cassidy sighed heavily as she got up from her seat. She grabbed her torch and walked over to Professor Birch in silence.

"Cassidy, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said, snuffing her torch out. "It's time for you to go."

Slowly, a wicked smirk spread across the Team Rocket member's face. She might have been voted off, but she was not departing without giving the backstabbers a piece of her mind. Instead of walking over to the forest, she turned around and faced the players who were sitting on the bleachers.

"You," Cassidy said in a dignified voice. She pointed her crooked finger at JP's direction. "Yes you, you pathetic slob. Goddamnit, you're one of the worst players I've ever seen in my life! You were blessed with an opportunity to piggyback your way into the Final Five. But you dare to vote me out and keep that scumbag around?"

Cassidy stomped her right foot on the ground to emphasize her anger.

"You and your indecisiveness disgust me, JP Shibayama. Let me tell you something - you will not be receiving my jury vote until hell freezes over." She paused, smirking smugly. "That is all."

"Please leave now, Cassidy." Professor Birch said in a solemn manner. He did not look impressed with her theatrics.

Cassidy nodded her head. She grabbed her torch and angrily marched into the forest. A few players watched her body eventually disappear behind the sea of trees.

For a while, the tribal council was filled with an awkward and uncomfortable silence. Cassidy's words had left a larger effect on the group than anybody imagined. Even Professor Birch looked like he had no idea what to say next. Surprisingly, the silence was broken when JP started to laugh all of a sudden. Several players turned to him, displaying genuine concern for the chubby Frontier.

"God, she's such a bitch!" JP laughed, slowly shaking his head in disbelief.

Takuya snickered.

"You voted out Cassidy, but her role in the game is not over yet. From now on, she'll be returning every three days to tribal council as a jury member." Professor Birch quietly announced. "She is one of the seven people who will decide who wins the one million dollars in the end. With that said, you have a lot to think about after tonight. You may head back to camp, players."

That night, each player walked out of tribal council with a new lesson learnt. For Rika, this vote revived her hopes for the game. Cassidy finally left, Takuya was still here, and the Tamer somehow stumbled into a majority position again. Contrary to what she believed in, miracles do happen in this game. And for JP, this vote reassured him that he made the right decision tonight. He could already feel the camp morale increasing without the presence of Cassidy. He was certain that when he woke up tomorrow, the sun will shine brighter and the birds will chirp a happier tone. Life will be so much better without Cassidy.

But for Drew, this vote had been a rude awakening. It was literally a smack in the face that he never saw coming. He thought he was the puppet master, the one who was pulling all of the strings in the game. He thought he was the master manipulator, the one who could weave flawless lies and cunning schemes. He thought he was the Sole Survivor, the one who would win by playing the perfect game.

Tonight, Drew realized just how powerless he was in this game. All it took was one spontaneous decision and his house of cards collapsed right in front of his eyes. And now, he had no more alliances, no more allies, no more friends, no more power, and no more hope.

Drew lost everything.

This was no longer his game.

- - -

Cassidy's Final Words

Damn, I don't even know where to begin. I think I intimidated a lot of players in this game because they don't know how to handle a beautiful, intelligent and assertive woman. I'm very happy with the way I played the game. I did what I intended to do – I dominated. If it wasn't for that fatass, I can see myself snatching the million dollars in the end. But whatever, I'm a successful career woman with a fabulous future ahead of me. Just watch, I can probably make a million dollars in lessthan thirty nine days.

It seems like whenever anyone speaks, it's called an opinion and everybody listens to it. But whenever I try to speak up, I immediately get called a bitch and Takuya starts barking insults at me like a vulgar dog. Whatever, I'm so over these insufferable pricks! I have been myself throughout the entire game. This is who I am. Take it or leave it.

- - -

Next Time on Survivor –

The tribe is worried about one player's behaviour…
TK: He didn't sleep at all last night.
(TK and JP are whispering to each other inside the shelter.)
JP: He spent the whole night working on that?

The players bond over an emotional session…
Rika: It's unfortunate that tragedy brings people closer together.
(Rika is giving a camera confessional. She speaks in a dispassionate voice.)
Casey: I'm really happy for you.
(She smiles and puts her hand on somebody's shoulder.)

And it all leads up to the most dramatic tribal council yet…
(May buries her face with her hands. She mumbles, 'Oh my god'.)
Professor Birch: We have a tie.

All this and more on – Episode 9: Friends Fall Apart

- - -

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait. Thanks to those who read and review. Your comments are always welcomed. They motivate me to write faster! ;) I hope you enjoyed Episode 8 and remember to take the survey in my website after you're finished! Thank you.