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?

9. Episode 9: Friends Fall Apart

Survivor: Dewford Islands
By: Gomamon

Last Time on Survivor:

Takuya explains to May his reasoning for voting Takato out at the last tribal council. May understands, but privately confesses that she is now playing this game for herself. When JP chooses to take Takuya to go with him for the reward, Drew and Cassidy feel threatened over the close bond between the two Frontiers. They decide that they will eliminate Takuya from the game before he becomes an unconquerable powerhouse in the tribe.

Meanwhile, Cassidy offends her tribe members by accusing that there is a food thief amongst them. TK secretly proposes to JP that they should flip-flop between Cassidy's alliance and Takuya's alliance in order to proceed further into the game. JP, fed up with Cassidy's theatrics, agrees and votes against his former ally in a six to three vote. After Cassidy's dramatic farewell speech, only eight remain. Who will be voted off next?

Episode Nine: Friends Fall Apart

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

- - -

DAY 25

This morning, there was a tiny commotion when May accidentally scorched her finger over the fire. Although her injury was not serious, some of the players were alarmed – JP even overreacted to the whole event, demanding the medics to be sent in immediately. Fortunately, all she needed was a bandaged from the first-aid kit around camp. The tribe was relieved that there were no traumatic consequences from this close encounter. However, this incident also gave the Clamperl tribe something to talk about during today's breakfast.

"Does it still hurt?" James asked, sounding genuinely concerned in his tone of voice.

"Just a little." May winced. She flashed a quick glance at her bandaged thumb. "I'll get over it."

May: I burned my thumb this morning. I was boiling the water and I guess I drifted off into a daydream. Anyway, it wasn't a big deal or anything, but it was a reminder to all of us that we're just humans and we're not invincible on this island. Yeah, we really need to be careful out here at all times, because something terrible might happen if we let our guards down…

"I'm sure your finger will recover in no time!" Casey said cheerfully.

"No worries, no worries! We all know May is tough as nails!" JP added with a cheeky grin.

"Tough as nails? Is that a euphemism for careless and clumsy?" Drew teased.

Several players chuckled. May shot the green-haired Pokemon Coordinator a mock glare.

"Okay, okay! I've learned my lesson! From now on, I'll be a lot more careful when I'm boiling the water." May giggled. She glanced down at her thumb again. "Hey guys, do you think it will leave a scar?"

"I sure hope not! It's not that serious, is it?" James gasped, clasping his hands over his mouth in shock. He looked reasonably upset since he had volunteered to boil the water for the rest of the day.

"But…but scars are cool!" JP exclaimed in a loud voice. "Think of them as nice souvenirs that you can take from this island and show off to your friends! It's something to remind you of your awesome experience on Survivor!"

"Kind of like a memory of your time spent here…" Casey said. She turned to JP and grinned. "I like that!"

"In that case, TK sure a hell lot of memories emblazoned all over his body." Drew said dryly. He flashed a small sympathetic smile at the blonde's direction. TK laughed and waved his hand in dismissal.

"Aww…" JP said, placing a comforting hand on TK's shoulder. "Come to think of it, you do look pretty beat up! What have you been doing on this island?"

"It's true." James nodded his head, eyeing over the numerous cuts on the blonde's body. "There are scratches on your arms and bruises on your legs…"

"I think TK has got the worst cuts out of all of us." May frowned, looking slightly disturbed.

TK: As much as I enjoy this island, I feel like I'm in a constant battle with Mother Nature. Coming into this game, I thought I was seriously prepared to tackle all the elements. I was young, I was athletic, and I thought I could just come out here and be like Tarzan of the jungle. And uh…I couldn't be more wrong!

The handsome blonde smacked his forehand with his hand. He laughed dryly to the cameras.

TK: This has been a very humbling experience for me. It just goes to show that we can't be reckless and oppose against nature. We have to learn how to live with this island in harmony and synthesis. Embrace the experience!

"I'm accident-prone." TK joked. He put his hand firmly on his lap. "I hate to see how my leg looks like when the bandages come off."

"There might be scars…" Drew muttered.

"And they will be permanent." Rika added.

"Oh gee, that must be a reassuring thing to hear in the morning." JP said, using a tone that was packed with thick sarcasm. He shook his head in disapproval. "C'mon guys! Optimism is the best medicine!"

"He's right!" Casey chimed in. An energetic grin spread across her face. "Besides, I think those scars make you look very tough and manly, TK!"

"That goes without saying. TK is so brave!" May smiled admirably at the blonde.

"He can endure anything the island throws at him!" Casey added.

At this moment, Takuya made a loud and comedic cat whistle. TK blushed profoundly, dropping his head in immense embarrassment from the hefty praise.

"Well, well. Isn't TK the ladies man?" Drew smirked.

"He's a stud!" James giggled.

"The Golden Boy looks great even if he's standing on a pile of crap." JP laughed. "He has a gazillion cuts all over his body and the girls still think he's the most handsome man on this island." He shook his fist playfully at the blonde. "You're so damn perfect!"

Since Cassidy's departure twelve hours ago, James noticed a drastic change in the mood around camp. Clearly, her absence left a substantial effect on the tribe morale. Gone were the petty conflicts, the depressing hostility and the unnecessary drama. This morning, everybody in the Clamperl tribe woke up with an enthusiastic smile on their faces. Even Rika, who normally looked so stern and sullen, was in high spirits today. It was almost as if a negative vibe vanished along with the argumentative Team Rocket member at the previous tribal council.

For James, last night carried a massive significance to his experience thus far. Like most of Clamperl, he was of course pleased to see Cassidy's torch snuffed. Not only did this meant that he and his allies had another three days on the island, he also found the new calm and peaceful atmosphere a refreshing change. However, those were not the only reasons why James felt content. After Cassidy's exit last night, James realized one very important fact: he was the last Team Rocket member standing.

James: My Survivor journey has officially reached its peak! I outlasted both Botch and Cassidy – not only that, I also had a part in voting them out! I'm the sole representative of Team Rocket now! Jessie and Meowth would be soooo proud!

He chuckled giddily.

James: I haven't blasted off yet and I'm guaranteed a spot in the jury, so I already exceeded all of my expectations in this game. I'm so proud of myself for making it this far. And if I went on to win this game, it…oh my god, it would be the best day of my life!

James rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

James: To be honest, I don't really know how I'm going to get to the end. I mean, I have thought about it, but I haven't made concrete plans with anyone. This game is just too unpredictable for stuff like that. I want to keep all of my options open. For now, I suppose I should just continue to go with the flow. After all, why mess with a winning strategy?

- - -

As the tribe of eight hiked towards the beach for their reward challenge, several players speculated the nature of their next competition. JP guessed that there would be a gross food eating challenge, although Takuya was quick to remind him that there was already a similar challenge in the past and the bugs that he had to eat were nasty. Their discussions quickly vanished when they arrived and saw four Mudkips sitting obediently by Professor Birch's feet. Each Mudkip was wearing a different coloured collar around their necks.

"They're so cute!" May gushed girlishly when she first saw the tiny mud fish Pokemon She paused and then giggled nervously. "Oh my god, I hope we don't have to eat those…"

"Welcome to your reward challenge, players." Professor Birch said, greeting the Clamperl tribe with a friendly smile. "Today, we've upped the stakes a little. You won't be playing for just one reward…you'll be playing for four different rewards."

"Everybody wins!" JP laughed. Some other players also seemed satisfied with the new format of the challenge.

"Only half of us will win something from this challenge." Rika corrected.

"When I give the signal, these Mukips will each run away in a different direction. You can distinguish between them by the different coloured collars around their necks. The red Mudkip will run into the forest to the east. The yellow Mudkip will run down the beach to the south. The green Mudkip will run up the mountain to the west. And the blue Mudkip will swim through the ocean to the north." Professor Birch explained, pointing his finger at each of the four different locations. "Your task is to search chase after these Mudkips, catch them by hand, and bring them back to me."

A few players nodded their heads in comprehension.

"Mudkips are gentle Pokemon and they're trained not to attack back. With that said, don't do anything stupid and provoke them, okay?" Professor Birch grinned. "Anyway, want to know what you're playing for?"

"Yeah!" Casey exclaimed energetically.

"There are some really good prizes, so listen up. If you're feeling hungry, catch the red Mudkip and you'll win a very satisfying meal, composed of chicken and barbeque sauce." Professor Birch said. JP laughed and silently pumped his fist into the air. "Or if you're feeling homesick, then catch the yellow Mudkip and you'll win a letter from home!"

This prize sparked some excited murmurs amongst the group. Several players definitely expressed a strong interest in winning this letter.

"If you catch the green Mudkip, you'll win a luxury item that will make your time out here a lot more comfortable." Professor Birch continued listing off the four prizes one by one. "And finally, if you catch the blue Mudkip, you'll win a special item that will assist you greatly in the upcoming immunity challenge."

It's mine. Drew thought, eyeing the blue collared Mudkip with determination. But judging from the eager expressions on the other players' faces, he realized that he would not be alone in the competition.

"It's all about priorities. What is important to you in this game? Food, family, comfort or immunity? Since there are four different rewards, you'll choose which ones you want to pursue after." Professor Birch kneeled down and motioned the four different Mudkips to move. They nodded their heads lightly and ran away in different directions. "In about a minute, you'll chase after one of these Mudkips and try to capture them. The first person to bring back the Mudkip will win the specified reward!"

The minute quickly passed by and the players scurried to their positions. Several players had stripped off their clothes and changed into their swimsuits, knowing that they would be pursuing after the blue collared Mudkip, who was swimming rapidly in the ocean.

"Survivors ready?" Professor Birch asked, raising his arm in the air. "Go!"

Several players dashed to the direction of the ocean and quickly dove into the water. Takuya was the first to begin swimming, followed closely by Drew, Rika, Casey and James. All five of these players were chasing after the Mudkip with the blue collar around its neck.

"Over half of you are going after the assistance for immunity. The prize incentive must be very appealing!" Professor Birch exclaimed.

Meanwhile, May and TK were running down the beach, hunting after the yellow collared Mudkip. May seemed to have a slight lead over the blonde, who was struggling as he dragged his injured leg through the sandy beach.

"May and TK are going after the family letter…" Professor Birch remarked. He paused and glanced at JP, who was standing still on the beach. "And JP…uh, why are you still here?"

"I might as well go after one of the rewards that no one wants. It gives me a better chance of winning something." JP grinned. He had purposely stayed behind to see in what directions the castaways dispersed. He started jogging leisurely towards the forest. "I'm going after the food reward! See ya, professor!"

At the sea, Takuya was struggling to maintain his lead over his competitors. Unfortunately, the athletic Frontier was not a particularly agile swimmer and the coveted Mudkip was still a far distance away. He could feel that several players were quickly closing the gap between them. In fact, he realized that Drew had caught up and was swimming at the same wavelength as him. The cocky Pokemon Coordinator smirked as he swam past Takuya with ease. There was now a new leader in the competition. Takuya cursed under his breath, putting in even more effort to catch up.

Meanwhile, May had widened her gap over TK in the forest. A few feet away from the handsome blonde, she smiled when she saw the yellow collared Mudkip hopping merrily in front of her. She was so close…so close…so close…

"Gotchya!" May grinned as she reached her arms out and successfully grabbed the Mudkip with her hands. A few seconds later, TK caught up and let out a small, frustrated sigh.

"Congratulations." TK smiled politely at the Pokemon Coordinator. He hesitated for a moment before turning away. "I guess I should go after another reward. It's uh…it's better than nothing, right?"

"Yeah, good luck!" May shouted. She smiled at the Mudkip that she was hugging closely to her chest and whispered into its floppy ears. "Come on, little buddy…let's go meet with Professor Birch and claim the reward!"

By the time May exited the forest, she saw JP celebrating happily in front of the professor. He too had successfully caught a Mudkip - the one with a red collar around its neck. She beamed at the chubby Frontier as she walked over to the Professor, handing him the Mudkip in her hands.

"Congratulations May, you're the second winner of this reward challenge." Professor Birch said.

"What did you win?" May asked, turning towards JP.

"BBQ chicken, baby!" JP exclaimed. Then, in a softer and quieter voice, he added, "Don't worry…I'm going to share some of it with you and TK."

"You don't have to…" May began, but she was interrupted by JP.

"I insist. Let me make it up for not bringing you guys to the last reward challenge." JP said. May could do nothing more but smile and thank the Frontier for his friendliness.

"Some of the players are returning from the ocean." Professor Birch said. "I think one of them might have caught the Mudkip."

"If they hurry, they might still have time to go after the remaining reward." May said. She glanced at the direction of the mountain, where the green-collared Mudkip had taken off. "There's still one more."

"Not unless TK beats them to it!" JP added with a small grin.

Casey was the first to return from the ocean, smiling sadly as she showed up empty-handed. Without any hesitation, she ran towards the mountain and chase after the green-collared Mudkip, hoping that she was not too late.

James and Rika both returned, also with nothing in their hands. Rika followed after Casey on the mountains, while James plopped himself on the ground beside JP and May.

"Forget it. I'm pooped!" James sighed.

Takuya and Drew were the last two people to arrive. While Takuya had a glum expression on his face, Drew was smiling very brightly and very confidently. He walked over to Professor Birch and handed him the blue-collared Mudkip.

"Congratulations Drew. You're the third winner of this reward challenge." Professor Birch said.

Drew nodded his head in response. Although he didn't say anything, it was clear from his dignified posture that he knew he was going to win this challenge. Takuya silently scowled, looking as if his ego was slightly bruised after the defeat. This of course made Drew feel even more elated over his win.

A few minutes later, Rika and Casey both returned, carrying nothing in their arms. TK was walking behind them, smiling faintly as he held up the last Mudkip in his arms. JP and May cheered loudly as the blonde returned.

"TK is the fourth and final winner in the reward challenge." Professor Birch declared. He turned towards the rest of the player. "Congratulations to the winners: JP, May, Drew and TK. You'll find your rewards waiting for you back at camp."

"Oh yeah! I'm on a row!" JP grinned happily. He exchanged an enthusiastic high-five with TK.

"Good effort to everyone. I have nothing else for you guys. You're free to go." Professor Birch said.

"Hey, I'll share some of my food with you and May when we get back." JP whispered to TK as they hiked back to camp. "It's going to be just the three of us, feasting on my barbeque chicken."

Although JP tried to be discreet with his whispering, it might be unfortunate that some players overheard his loud and energetic voice. After hearing what JP had said, James and Rika exchanged knowing glances behind the chubby Frontier's back. While James looked snubbed that he was excluded from the reward, Rika was more bothered by a disconcerting thought in her head. It was true that actions spoke louder than words. Just from this tiny gesture, she could already tell that JP was isolating the two of them out of his large circle of friends. To the bulky Frontier, they must have been nothing more but two worthless outsiders who he couldn't wait to vote out at tribal council.

Suddenly, images of Cassidy and Mimi flashed briefly in front of Rika's eyes, causing the icy Tamer to frown in disapproval. This felt like déjà vu. A clique was forming in the fractured Clamperl tribe, something that she was unfortunately too familiar with after eighteen horrible days on Gorebyss.

Rika slowly formed a fist in her hand. She did not like cliques – not one bit.

- - -

When the Clamperl tribe returned to camp from the challenge, the four different rewards had already arrived and neatly placed inside the shelter. An excited JP cheered when he saw a plate of steamy chicken wings, wrapped in a rich coat of honey and barbeque sauce. He dipped his finger in the sauce and licked it. After one taste, he shrieked in joy.

"Dude, this stuff is fantastic!" JP grinned. A few people smiled in response, but they also threw him a few odd looks.

The other players also went and retrieved their rewards inside the shelter. Drew was pleased to find a small Rubik's Cube for his reward, leading some tribe members to speculate that the immunity challenge would be a puzzle ("Oh shoot!" James mused jokingly). TK was equally content with his luxury item, which was a soft and cuddly Patamon plush doll. A few players teased him about his reward, but the blonde didn't seem to mind. Meanwhile, May picked up a sealed envelope and immediately disappeared into the forest for privacy.

Finding a comfortable spot under an apple tree, May sat down on the grass and tore open the envelope. She pulled out two pieces of papers. A giddy smile spread across her face as she began reading the first letter.

"Dear May, how are you doing? I want to let you know that your father and I are having a splendid time in the Petalburg gym. We miss you dearly with each day of your absence." May muttered. The smile on her face widened as she continued reading. "At first, I was worried that you will fare poorly in this harsh environment, but your father reassured me that we raised a strong and capable daughter who can endure any condition."

May paused and used her fist to wipe her eye. She took a deep sigh, looking very emotional, and then resumed her reading.

"Do not push yourself too hard in the game, May. Just remember, we'll all be proud of you no matter what happens out there." May said in a trembling voice. "But it is probably futile of me to say that. I know my own daughter too well. You're a fighter, just like your father. Although at times, both of you are too stubborn to know when to give up."

May laughed. After a while, she stopped reading out loud to the cameras as the letter got more personal. With an occasional laugh every now and then, May remained quiet as she read through the rest of her letter.

May: It's a good thing that the majority of us travelled before, so none of us are feeling that homesick yet. But you know…I miss my family a lot. I think about Dad, Mom and Max everyday I'm out here. I can't help it! I'm worried if anything bad happened to them, which is kind of ironic since I'm the one who's risking my life by living on this dangerous island!

May brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She let out a small, girlish giggle.

May: I'm really glad I won the family letter. I mean…I've been so detached from the actual world that…uh, that any news is good news! I just want to know that my family is doing okay and nothing happened to them – gosh, I don't know how to describe this, but it's a wonderful feeling. I guess it's because they aren't here with me. And you don't how much you value something until it's taken away from you.

"I got a letter from Max too." May said, giggling. She flipped to the second page of her letter. "I wonder how that little squirt is coping without me."

As May began reading her second letter, she didn't even notice that several players were approaching in the forest. It wasn't until Casey spoke up before May finally noticed their presence.

"Hey, May!" Casey called out energetically. She looked down and realized that May was reading her letter. "Oh, I hope we aren't disturbing you or anything…"

"No, no…not at all! Come sit down and join me!" May said, smiling sweetly at Casey and the two companions standing behind her.

Casey and Drew grinned at each other, both taking a seat beside May. Rika stood still for a moment, looking hesitant to join in. Finally, she sat down across from May, although she was a bit distanced from the rest of the group. Coincidentally, they were sitting around in a small circle on the ground.

"What are you guys doing in the forest?" May asked.

"We're going around the forest and collecting anything that looks edible." Casey replied. She grinned boyishly. "We're running low on apples."

"What are you doing?" Drew raised an eyebrow.

"I…I'm just reading a letter from home." May said, smiling uncertainly at the petite Pokemon Coordinator. She held up the piece of paper in her hands. "This one is from my brother."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you won that reward!" Casey flashed a warm and affectionate smile at May. She placed a comforting hand on the Coordinator's shoulder. "I'm really happy for you!"

"It must be nice to hear from your family." Drew added quietly.

"Knowing my dad, he's probably sitting at home, a beer in one hand and a remote control in the other." Casey laughed. "I kind of wished I won a family letter. I really wanted to go for my letter from home too, but…"

"But immunity is more important?" Drew offered. Casey nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'm in a bad situation and…uh, my family would understand." Casey nudged Drew in the shoulder. "Hey, you shouldn't be talking! You won that immunity thingamajig at the challenge!"

"I didn't know you were a good swimmer. You were fast in the water." Rika said, casting an amused glance at Drew's direction.

"Yeah, I know. I'm glad you noticed how I kicked your butts today, huh!" Drew grinned in satisfaction. "Especially Takuya…he looked pissed that he lost to a puny guy like me."

"Your modesty astounds me." Rika said dryly, while Casey and May snickered. Drew's grin faded away, now replaced by a slightly sheepish expression on his face.

Drew: For someone who doesn't socialize all that much, Rika is an extremely perceptive person. Most of her observations about this game are dead on. It's a shame that she's so outspoken, or I think she could be a serious contender in this game. But I admire the fact that she's not afraid to speak her mind. At least I know where I stand with Rika. And I know she hates my guts.

Drew snickered. He flipped his green hair over his shoulders.

Drew: Yeah, I'm big enough of a man to admit that I find Rika intimidating. Just a little.

"This challenge showed us what some people's priorities in this game are." Rika said. "A lot of us went for the immunity prize because we don't feel safe with our positions."

"Note how JP immediately chose to go after the food reward." Drew smirked.

"Yeah, I can understand how some people would pursue the letters from home." Casey said, frowning. "But I think less of JP as a person after he did that. I mean, come on!"

"Have you considered winning the letters, Rika?" May asked.

"No." Rika replied. She delivered her answer in such a sharp and blunt manner that it surprised some of them. May and Casey exchanged uncomfortable glances with each other.

"You're not going to tell us anything?" Drew asked, frowning slightly.

"My family and I are not on the best of terms." Rika replied. She looked away, feeling a bit ill at ease as she thought about her family. "My mother is a superficial model. We have nothing in common."

"What about your dad?" Casey asked.

"I don't have a father." Rika answered coldly. Casey winced at the response.

"How tragic. I don't have one either." Drew said in a quiet voice. "Or I had one until I turned eight years old."

"What happened?" May asked, sounding concerned.

"My mom died." Drew gazed at the ground, smiling bitterly. "Since then, my dad has been divulging himself into his work…and different women that he brings home every night."

"Oh." Rika grunted. She glanced over at Drew and their eyes met for a brief second. They both looked away.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize that…" May slowly unfolded her letters and put them into the envelope. "I didn't realize that I was being insensitive to your feelings. I shouldn't have flaunted these in front of your faces."

"Don't apologize." Rika said. She now had an emotionless expression on her face. "It's not your fault that families are fragile and easily shattered."

She got up from her seat. Casey looked up at her, with her mouth opened but no encouraging words were able to come out. Without a proper farewell, the icy Tamer began walking away, disappearing behind the forest of trees. The remaining trio sat on the ground in an uneasy silence as they reflected on her words.

Rika: It's unfortunate that tragedy brings people closer together. It's not always easy to share the darkness in our hearts.

"I'm kind of glad we had this conversation." Drew finally spoke up. He looked at May and Casey's faces for reassurance. "I think it's necessary for us to be more open with each other."

"Yeah, I didn't realize how lucky I was until…" May mumbled, but her words trailed off into nothingness.

She gazed down at the envelope that she was holding in her hands. Suddenly, the significance in these comforting letters from home meant so much more to May.

- - -

As midnight approached in the Clamperl tribe, almost everybody was fast asleep. The only two people awake were Drew and James, who were watching and tending the campfire as part of their duties. They were exchanging a quiet and private conversation, which inevitably turned into the subject of strategy.

"I was in the minority at the last vote. I'm one of the few idiots who voted with Cassidy." Drew admitted, hiding a thin smile on his face.

"I thought you knew. I thought that you, TK and JP were as tight as brothers." James said, flashing an apologetic smile at the Pokemon Coordinator. "I wasn't even sure if we had the numbers at tribal council. JP wouldn't commit to an actual answer or anything. To be honest, I assumed that it would be Takuya's night to go."

"It seems like every night is Takuya's night to go, yet he's still here." Drew laughed, slowly shaking his head. "He's the bane of my existence."

"Yeah…" James chuckled lightly. He let out a small yawn. "Takuya could be very difficult sometimes, but I like him."

"You do?" Drew asked, sounding a bit startled. "I thought you were acting for sure. And that you were only pretending to like him to win his vote."

"No, Takuya is a…he's a nice guy despite some of his actions. I like nice people." James smiled.

"Nice people, huh?" Drew asked, gazing gloomily into the campfire. He tossed a small rock into the weak flame. "How about one of you be nice and save my hide from getting voted out next…"

James: I don't think there's any skirting around the fact that Drew and Casey are in serious trouble right now. Everybody knows this. They doomed themselves when they voted with Cassidy last night. Now, the upcoming tribal council is going to be a showdown between the two of them. Or at least that's what it looks like for now. The tribe dynamics could easily change in the next three days.

He shrugged his shoulders and let out a small, frustrated sigh.

James: It's a shame because I actually get along with both of them. But what can I do? I'm just one person…

"I'm pretty sure that Casey will go before you." James whispered quietly. A small smile appeared on Drew's face at this announcement. "Takuya can't stand Casey after their little fallout with the pizza and pop. He wants her gone."

"Better her than me. I'm thrilled." Drew grinned.

"Yeah, I guess so." James sighed. He stretched his arms in the air and emitted a loud yawn. "Ahh…I'm sooooo tired!"

"You can go back to the shelter and sleep. I can guard the fire by myself." Drew offered.

"Really?" James smiled, stifling another fatigued yawn. "But I don't want to abandon you…"

"I don't mind." Drew said, waving his hand in dismissal. "Go sleep and good night."

"Thanks! You're the best!" James squealed softly. He got up from his seat on the log and stumbled his way into the shelter. Drew watched him for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the fire.

"The fire looks so lonely tonight…" Drew muttered to himself.

Drew took out the Rubik's Cube from his pocket. He had won this at the reward challenge earlier in the day. This was apparently something that he could practice with as preparation for the upcoming immunity challenge. Looking at the multi-coloured cube, Drew found it a little difficult to believe that this would assist him in the next immunity challenge – unless the immunity challenge was simply a Rubik's Cube puzzle. But no, that's too straightforward. Drew thought. There must be a twist.

He began an attempt to solve the Rubik's Cube puzzle, twisting the tiny cube in various and random directions. A few minutes later, he came to the realization that he had made no progress with the puzzle. He chucked the Rubik's Cube away, mumbling something about 'the devil's toy' under his breath. It landed a few feet away from the fire.

Sighing, Drew went and picked up the cube from the ground. And then, he began working on the puzzle again.

Drew: It's time to come clean. Yeah, I've thrown challenges in the past. Why not? I held back in a couple of competitions because I didn't want to be seen as a threat. Sometimes, it's more convenient to be on the losing side. But now, I'm in no position of power and I can't afford to lose immunity tomorrow. If I want to stay in this game, I'm going have to be even more competitive than before.

Drew grinned smugly at the cameras.

Drew: Don't count me out of the game just yet.

It took Drew nearly two hours before he finally solved the Rubik's Cube puzzle. He turned the cube around for one final check, making sure that all six sides had the same unified colour. The Pokemon Coordinator held his cube up in the air and stared at it in admiration. He did it! What an accomplishment! He finally finished the stupid puzzle!

Nodding his head several times, Drew began fiddling with the Rubik's Cube in his hands. In a few minutes, he undid everything that he had solved before.

"Practice makes perfect." Drew muttered.

He had the entire night to familiarize with the mechanics and design of the Rubik's Cube. It was complicated, but not impossible. By tomorrow, Drew was confident that he could master the techniques of this puzzle and ace the upcoming immunity challenge. His tribe members wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Drew flashed a defiant smile at the cameras.

Game on.

- - -

DAY 26

A few days ago, TK found himself a new companion who would join him in his daily jogs around the island. That person was none other than JP Shibayama, who decided that he needed the extra exercise and the fresh air in the morning. Of course, his real reason was to keep TK company and make sure the blonde doesn't encounter any more unlucky accidents on the island. Unfortunately, the chubby Frontier was not exactly a driven person. And after several days of waking up before sunrise, JP was beginning to regret the promise that he had made.

"Ugh, why do we have to wake up so early…every…single…day?" JP mumbled grouchily.

"Hey, you promised me that you'll get treemail with me this morning!" TK said, chuckling. "You aren't going back on your word, right?"

JP sighed and shook his head. He was in no condition to argue with the diplomatic TK right now. Reluctantly, the Frontier climbed outside of the shelter, squinting at the beams of bright sunlight poured from the sky. TK followed behind him, wearing a cheerful expression on his face.

"Look, Drew is awake already." TK said.

"Huh? This early?" JP gasped, arching his eyebrows in astonishment. He followed TK's gaze and eventually saw the green-haired Pokemon Coordinator sitting in front of the fire, fumbling with his Rubik's Cube.

Hearing JP's loud voice, Drew turned around and smiled thinly at the two men standing by the shelter. TK waved and returned the smile, although JP only had enough energy to muster a bemused expression on his face.

"Good morning, guys. Are you going to get treemail?" Drew asked.

"Yeah. We're checking if we're having the immunity challenge today," replied TK.

"Uh…we'll be back in a jiffy!" JP added. Drew nodded his head in satisfaction and returned his attention back on the Rubik's Cube again.

JP and TK began walking away, with the chubby Frontier occasionally turning around and glancing at the Coordinator's back. JP, in particular, seemed extremely concerned for him.

"He didn't sleep at all last night." TK whispered. "I can tell from the bags under his eyes."

"He spent the whole night working on that?" JP asked, looking at the Rubik's Cube in Drew's hand with ridicule. "No way, dude!"

TK: One of the reasons why we didn't include Drew in our plans is…well, he's always been a bit of an enigma. JP and I didn't know how he would respond if we told him that we're voting out Cassidy just minutes before tribal council. We didn't want to take the risk of having the tables turned against us. And Drew is capable of doing something like that. It has happened before.

TK flashed a small, apologetic smile at the cameras.

TK: It's not that I don't like Drew, but I don't think I could trust him in this game. He has deceived and backstabbed a lot of people. And to be honest, I don't know if Drew has loyalties to anyone but himself…

"Alright, we've an immunity challenge today!" TK grinned as he carefully removed the scroll of parchment from Wingull's peak.

"Wait, let's take this time to go over our plan." JP said. "We should take out Casey this turn. Then, we'll team up with May and Drew to eliminate the Gorebyss members one by one."

"Are you sure that we could trust Drew…or even May?" TK asked. He wore a pensive expression on his face. "For all we know, they could still be angry at us for betraying them."

"Hey, that's a chance we have to take. Besides, May isn't that type of person. Nor is Drew, for that matter." JP said hesitantly.

"I'm not confident about this." TK bit his lips. He cast an uncertain glance at the parchment that he was holding. "May be it's a better idea for us to side with Casey and…"

"No." JP interrupted. "No way, dude. Casey has spent the last twenty six days living in the same tribe as Rika and Takuya. No matter how you look at the situation, she has more history and loyalty with them than she has with us. I bet she's gonna run back and join Gorebyss again if we let her reach the Final Seven." He paused and nodded his head. "She hides her conniving side behind that big, jolly smile. I don't trust her at all."

"That's true." TK nodded his head.

"Let's stay loyal with Gorebyss for one round and then we'llpull the switcheraoo on them at the Final Seven," said JP.

TK nodded his head again in consent. The two friends turned around and began walking back in the direction of their camp.

"What about Drew?" TK asked. "Should we tell him that he's not on the chopping block?"

"Yeah, we should. Oh man, the poor guy thinks he's going home next!" JP bellowed in laughter as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "But seriously, I'm surprised he's taking the news so well. I mean…he was pretty good friends with Cassidy too!"

"You can tell that he's determined to stay in the game. He didn't sleep for the whole night in order to practice for the immunity challenge," said TK.

"Now, that's the Survivor spirit!" JP added with a cheeky grin. "Good for Drew. He's a class act, huh?"

TK flashed a polite smile at the chubby Frontier, but the blonde didn't reply back.

JP: I feel kind of bad that I didn't inform Drew about the vote earlier, but uh…that's in the past. I hope he's not pissed at me or anything, or is that too much to ask from him? Well, I did convince Takuya to go after Casey at the next tribal council rather than Drew, because I felt that I've let Drew down and I wanted this opportunity to make it up to him.

The chubby Frontier rubbed his chin with his fingers.

JP: But let's not forget that this is a game. I meant what I've said before, but I also need to be friendly terms with Drew if I want to win his jury vote. Dude, after what happened with Cassidy, I think I need all the votes I could get.

When TK and JP returned, Drew was still sitting by the campfire and working on his Rubik's cube. JP turned around and TK gave him a nod of approval. They both walked together and sat down across from him. The Pokemon Coordinator looked up, arching his eyebrow with interest.

"Hi, Drew. Uh…what's up?" JP grinned, although he seemed a bit uncomfortable at starting this conversation.

"Did you get treemail?" Drew asked.

"Yeah. No surprises or anything…it's probably a puzzle challenge, like we expected." TK replied.

"Hey, we wanted to talk with you about something." JP said as he gained more confidence in his voice. "About last night…the reason why we didn't tell you what happened is because we didn't make up our minds until the last minute at tribal council. We couldn't contact you about our decision by then."

Drew nodded his head. He heard this excuse before. Actually, this was a similar explanation that he had told JP and TK after the first tribal council, back when Drew and James teamed up and voted Butch out of the island. They're feeding me the same bullshit that I told them ages ago. The Pokemon Coordinator smiled thinly to himself, resisting the urge to laugh at the irony. This is karma.

"Hmm…is that so?" Drew responded neutrally.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. You aren't angry at me, right?" JP asked.

"I understand how the game is played." Drew said, flashing a small smile at the Frontier.

"That's good. I'm glad you can see things from my perspective!" JP sighed in relief. "Anyway, I hope that the alliance between the two of us is still intact. The game isn't over yet."

Drew nodded his head silently without a response. JP didn't know how to interpret the enigmatic reaction, so he decided to continue talking.

"Casey is next, for sure. But you're not going after her." JP whispered. "I mean, there's James, who has that immunity necklace. And then there's Rika…and I don't click with her at all. I just don't get her." He motioned a quick cutting gesture across his neck. "They're gone."

"That's a reassuring thing to hear." Drew said, smiling.

"So…are we still cool, dude?" JP asked. He held out a fist in front of Drew's face. Drew returned the gesture and the two men's hands met together. "Alright! All is cool on Dewford Islands!"

Drew: I've had enough of his bullshit and his flip-flopping. He leaves me out of an important vote and now, he's offering to take me under his wing again, as if I'm supposed to be eternally grateful towards him for his acts of kindness. Let's not forget that he's the one who put me in this position in the first place!

Different from his usual calm and cool demeanour, Drew seemed to be gritting his words angrily through his teeth. It took him a few seconds to calm down again. He sighed and flipped his green hair over his shoulder.

Drew: He picked the wrong person to mess around with. If I must, I'll make it my last mission to ensure that his stupid plan backfires and the fat lazy pig gets voted off. I mean what I'm saying. JP Shibayama, be prepared to go through all the stages of hell.

- - -

Although Casey and Takato met each other for only two days (before the latter was abruptly voted off at the seventh tribal council), they realized that they shared a lot of similarities in their backgrounds and experiences. The game of Survivor made both of them felt as if they were a couple of small fish tossed in a sea of shark-infested waters. This was particularly true for Casey, who never enjoyed the luxury of a strong and fatherly mentor like Brock was to Takato. Everything Casey did in this game, she had to achieve by herself. Whether it was physical or mental, she was prepared to fend herself of any obstacles in her way.

Casey adjusted to the living conditions so well that sometimes, a few players forgot she was merely a naïve little girl who came from a small and simplistic life in the Pokemon world. On her tenth birthday, she embarked on an exciting journey as a Pokemon trainer, which began due to her parents encouraging their daughter to tackle new experiences and broaden her perspective in life. Years later, she took her parents' message to heart and prepared herself for another adventure in the form of Survivor, although it might be more than she bargained for.

These twenty six days had accumulated to a long and difficult journey for the petite baseball lover. Her experiences in the Gorebyss tribe felt more like distant and dreadful memories in the past. She endured through the many days of hunger and the many nights of shivering in the cold. She remained positive through the humiliating defeats in challenges by Huntail over and over again. She fought through her tears as she watched her closest friends leave her at tribal council, one by one. But no matter what happened, Casey did not give up. It was a testimony to her character when players now remembered her for the trademark enthusiastic smile that she constantly wore on her face.

Despite having the worst odds piled up against her, Casey continued to survive.

But now, Casey's journey was about to hit a dead end, or so it seemed. The remaining players wanted her gone, as if she was an annoying thorn in their strategic plans. She was cornered and she could not escape. Not this time. Her days were numbered.

Casey: I'm pretty sure that they're thinking of voting me out. Nobody has told me anything, but I could deduce it by myself. I know Takuya hates me and I'm certain he's actively campaigning against me like there's no tomorrow. Cassidy was my last friend in this game and now that she's voted off, I have nobody left. It's just me against the rest of them.

Casey flashed a small smile at the cameras.

Casey: I feel alone.

One person who always felt sympathetic towards Casey was James. The Team Rocket member was fond of his temporary friend in the Gorebyss tribe, finding her genuine character and her never-say-die attitude refreshing amongst the large egos and false personalities. He also understood her position right now – the feeling of being left out by the rest of the tribe. Unfortunately, James' appreciation for the baseball lover ended at a certain extent, considering that he didn't once voice in his opinion that Casey should stay in the game. He stood idly by, like always.

However, that does not mean James didn't care about Casey. In fact, he was so bottled up with remorse that he decided to make an unsurprising revelation to Casey, even if Takuya would frown on that idea. James felt that Casey at least deserved to know she was in danger, with the likely possibility that she was going home next. So, as he and Casey sat by the river to do the laundry, he told her everything.

"I'm really sorry, Casey. But it's you. Both JP and Takuya decided that you're their next target." James said quietly.

Casey seemed to take the news quite well. She smiled widely at James and gave the Team Rocket member an affectionate squeeze in the shoulder.

"Ah, I figured it would go something along those lines." Casey shrugged. "Thanks for being a good enough friend for telling me this, James."

James nodded his head, although her consolatory words fell empty to his ears. He picked up a dirty shirt and began dipping it in the rapid river waves.

"Everybody is acting so nice to me, even though they're going to vote me out! I wished they could be more honest." Casey continued, gazing vacantly at the river. "You're the only person I can really talk to, you know? I can confide in you with anything."

"Yeah…" James muttered.

"I know Drew is campaigning against me. And I don't blame him, but…" Casey said, sighing a little. "I thought we were in the same boat. I can't believe we're going against each other already. After Cassidy was voted off, it was either him or me…and I guess it's me."

James nodded his head again. He knew now was the time to act as a listening ear to Casey's venting.

"Oh well, no use in complaining. That's how life goes." Casey said, smiling enthusiastically at James. "I want to enjoy the rest of my Survivor experience."

"If I learned anything from Rika, I've a new motto for you…" James chuckled. "Don't let the bastards get you down!"

Casey snorted in laughter.

James: When I signed up for this game, I knew the objective was to make sure I vote everyone out and I'm the last person standing. But…but if that's the case, why do I feel so sad knowing that Casey is the next one to go?

The slim blue-haired man sulked in front of the cameras.

James: I should be happy that I'm not being targeted, right? But I can't feel the joy…

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up." Casey said, grinning toothily. "If I gave you that impression, I want to correct myself. I just want to relax and enjoy my time out here, but I will never give up."

"Yep, I didn't doubt you for a second." James chuckled. He paused for a moment and then asked, "What's your game plan now?"

"I'm gonna be the best tribe member ever! I'll cook, I'll wash, I'll hunt…everything and everything!" Casey replied, with her grin widening. "I'll work hard and hope the others notice my work ethics. I'll give them reasons to keep me around."

"Ah…" James sighed, smiling. "I'm rooting for you!"

"And I'm rooting for you too!" Casey said, flashing a thumbs-up to the Team Rocket member. "You're a real good guy, James. Not fake good, like JP, or goody-goody, like TK. You're just good good, you know?"

"Not really, but thanks!" James laughed.

"What I mean is…you're a good friend and I thank you for that." Casey smiled.

"Can I ask you something, Casey?" James asked.

"Sure." Casey responded energetically.

"Why did you become friends with Cassidy? I'm not judging you or anything, but it's kind of…" James paused, searching for the appropriate word to fit into this conversation. "It's kind of bizarre that someone like you would team up with someone like her."

"There are a lot of different reasons…" Casey said, smiling. "It was really tough living in Gorebyss, especially for the first few days. Zoe and Takuya teamed up immediately and they blocked out everybody else. And then there's Rika, who was off in her own little world. And uh, I guess I appreciate Cassidy for stepping up to the plate and…and just be a leader. We would have fallen apart completely if it wasn't for her leadership."

Casey nodded her head, with her smile growing more confidently as she spoke.

"On the first day, I felt a bit inferior because I didn't think I could contribute anything to the tribe. But Cassidy watched out for me and took me under her wings. Say what you will about Cassidy, but I really respected her. She was like a big sister to me. Mimi too. When I'm with the two of them, it's a type of companionship and I don't feel lonely."

"But they're gone now." James muttered unconsciously.

"I know…" Casey said, sounding a bit hurt. She shook her head and smiled energetically. "Anyway, that's in the past! I live for today and look forward to tomorrow! Err…except we havetribal council tomorrow, which I don't really look forward to." James laughed and Casey stuck her tongue out at him. "You get my point!"

"Oh my god, I hope you don't go!" James sighed. "This tribe would be really different without you."

Little did James know that his wish was about to come true, because Casey definitely was not leaving – at least not for this upcoming tribal council. In the next few hours, everything will change.

Very soon, James would find himself as a potential target on the chopping block.

And it will be up to Casey to decide if she wants to save her friend or not.

- - -

Rika was not a fan of JP Shibayama. After living with him for over a week, she concluded that the boisterous Frontier was loud, cliquish and most of all, he was lazy. And laziness was a big no-no in Rika's eyes. JP did enough work to barely get away with it each day – he occasionally joined Drew on his fishing trips or sometimes, he accompanied Takuya in collecting firewood. But Rika was not impressed. She noticed that JP always went to work with other people, so that he could take some of the credit without actually doing anything (although JP would argue that he didn't want to feel lonely while he was working, Rika didn't believe him). Unfortunately, JP taking an afternoon nap in the shelter today did nothing but confirm her belief that he contributed nothing to the camp.

"He's sleeping again. Lazy bastard." Rika muttered as she walked past the shelter, where JP was snoring loudly inside. James, who was walking beside her, instantly made a hushing gesture with his finger.

"He could hear you, Riiiiika!" James squealed in a whispery voice. He cast a nervous glance at the shelter, then sighed in relief to see that JP had not stirred from his slumber.

"Let him hear me. I don't talk behind people's backs." Rika grunted.

"It would be nice if you're a little more diplomatic!" James sighed, putting his hands on his hips.

"When he starts working, I'll start being more diplomatic." Rika said, smirking. She picked up her wooden bow and a few arrows, and then she began walking towards the forest. James obediently followed after the Tamer.

Rika: Slackers pisses me off. While everyone else is working until their asses fall off, JP actually has the nerve to take an afternoon nap in front of us. But he has an excuse for not working. He has an excuse for everything.

As James and Rika departed, another pair approached the shelter, although they were much on friendlier terms with the chubby Frontier. TK and May giggled with each other when they saw JP lying on his back, his mouth opening and closing in patterned intervals as he snored. TK poked the Frontier in his bloated stomach, causing him to wake up.

"Huh? What's going on…?" JP yawned.

"We're going to the immunity challenge soon, sleepyhead!" May giggled. "We thought you'd like to go into the challenge with a clear head!"

"Heh, yeah. Yeah!" JP laughed. He slowly got up from his back and grinned. "I'm awake and I'm ready to gooooo!"

May smiled and sat down beside JP in the shelter. She paused, then turned towards her left and picked up a small Patamon plush doll. She patted it gently with her hand.

"This thing looks really cute, TK." May laughed. She was now squeezing the plush doll with her hand. "When I see it, I want to give it a big hug!"

"You can give me a hug if you think I'm cute." JP grinned cheekily. May gave him a playful punch in the shoulder.

"I wouldn't say that Patamon is cute." TK chuckled, looking a little embarrassed. After receiving that Patamon plush doll yesterday, a few amused players couldn't help but poke fun at the blonde's reward. JP, in particular, found it hilarious that TK had a doll as his luxury item. Now, TK felt a need to defend his masculinity (and perhaps his ego) in front of May. "It's not really a doll. I see it more as a replica of a really good friend I have in the Digital World."

"Aww...that's adorable!" May beamed at him. "I wished I had a Skitty plushie."

"Yeah, but I feel a little bad that I used it as a pillow last night. Sorry, Patamon!" TK added, chuckling.

"Oh, you were using that thing as a pillow?" JP had a witty expression twinkling on his face. He teased, "I thought you were cuddling with it in the dark…because you know, you missed your little girlie doll oh so much."

TK laughed. He snatched the Patamon plush doll from May's hands and hurled it at JP's body. JP showed an amazing demonstration of agility as he caught the doll with his hands. JP stuck his tongue out at the blonde playfully and grinned.

"Well, I think having a Patamon doll makes TK seem even more kind and sensitive." May said, looking at TK's direction with a dreamy smile. "You're the type of guy that every girl wants to bring home to their parents."

"Thank you, May." TK smiled politely. He felt his cheeks growing very warm all of a sudden.

"And I'm the type of guy that parents warn their daughters to stay away from." JP joked. His fingers formed a big 'L' sign, which he put on his forehead. "Loser!"

"Hey, take that back!" May said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that about yourself."

"Yeah, you're saying that to make me feel better, but…" JP had a clumsy smile on his face. "From what my years of wisdom could gather, most girls don't go for guy like me. I'm not good looking and I'm totally out of shape. I know where I fit into the social food chain." He paused and smacked his forehead. "Damn…why did I have to make a reference about food?"

TK: JP is a great guy, but he lacks a little confidence in himself. He tries very hard to be funny in order to hide some of his insecurities. I think it's a defence mechanism. He wants people to laugh with him, not at him. But I don't think he should feel that way. No one should have such a low sense of self-worth.

"You know, I sometimes wonder if I have to act more like TK in order to be more popular with the girls." JP grinned. He punched TK playfully in the shoulder. "Isn't that right, Golden Boy?"

TK shook his head. The blonde had a serious expression on his face as he stared directly into JP's eyes.

"I think you should just be yourself." TK said.

"Dude, that's so…" JP began with a wide grin, but he was quickly interrupted by the blonde.

"I'm serious, JP. Don't change who you are, no matter what. Just be yourself. Girls – no, it's not just girls…anyone will appeal to your charming personality." TK said, smiling warmly at the Frontier.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's stop before you want to give a monologue about the importance of inner beauty, okay? I'll take what you said to heart." JP nodded his head, flashing a wide smile on his face. He pounded his chest a few times. "You're one hell of a guy, TK. But my God, you can be so cheesy sometimes!"

May giggled and TK dropped his head in mock shame.

"Why do I always end up being the butt of the joke?" TK mumbled sheepishly.

"It's easy making fun of you because you're so damn nice!" JP grinned.

TK: JP is my rock in this game, or whatever the equivalent of a best friend is. I enjoy being around his flippant personality. He never fails to bring a smile to my face. He…he's just an amazing person! We're definitely going to remain friends outside of this game and that is something I'll treasure vastly in my heart.

The blonde grinned cheerfully.

TK: We have been through the best and the worst of times together. No matter what happens out here, nothing could break our friendship apart.

- - -

Drew entered into the immunity challenge with only one train of thought: he was going to win. He practiced with the Rubik's Cube for the entire night, over and over again. And now, all of his hard work was going to translate into an easy victory. He had to win. Losing was not an option.

"Welcome to the immunity challenge. First things first, Rika…I need it back." Professor Birch said, gesturing his hand towards the icy Tamer.

She handed him the immunity necklace. He nodded and held up the necklace in the air.

"Immunity is back up for grabs!" Professor Birch announced. "For today's challenge, you're going to exercise your brain power. It's a simple Rubik's Cube puzzle…with a twist."

Behind Professor Birch were eight large Rubik's Cubes, resting on the sand. They were enormous in size and almost the equivalent of Casey's petite body.

"You'll be solving a Rubik's Cube puzzle. All you need to do is get one set of colours complete on any side – and you'll win the challenge. The first person to complete this will win immunity." Professor Birch explained. He paused and then smirked. "Of course, manoeuvring a Rubik's Cube this size isn't going to be easy. As you could see, they're large, clumsy and very heavy."

"This is going to be a physically and mentally exhausting challenge…" James muttered.

"Okay, pick a random Rubik's Cube and we'll get started." Professor Birch smiled. The players didn't look nearly as enthusiastic as they walked over to their stations.

Drew had a determined smile on his face. This is going to be a breeze. He was already eyeing the Rubik's Cube in front of him, pondering over the possible moves in his head. I'll move that piece here and then…

"Survivors ready? Go!" Professor Birch shouted.

After the signal, the players immediately began the puzzle. Drew already had half of the puzzle figured out in his head when he started moving the pieces around…until he encountered a frustrating problem in the challenge. He tried pushing the cube with both of his hands, but it would barely budge from its original position. No matter how much strength he applied in his hands, the puzzle wasn't moving at all!

"These…pieces…are…concrete." Drew grunted.

The other players weren't having much luck either. With the exception of James and JP, who seemed to be struggling as well – but they were at least making progress with their puzzles. This was more than what could be said about the other players, who couldn't even move a single piece in their Rubik's Cube. Even the normally athletic Takuya seemed frustrated that he wasn't strong enough to manoeuvre the pieces with his hands.

Meanwhile, the girls had adopted a different and much more effective strategy. Rika was pushing her entire body against the cube and the pieces were finally turning in the direction that she wanted. May and Casey saw what she was doing and copied the same strategy. Soon, all of the players caught on to the only strategy that worked. The challenge had now officially begun.

"Rika seems to be in a small lead over the rest of the players." Professor Birch announced. "She already has three squares of the same colours on one side. The trouble now is to get the other six squares in there as well…"

Drew cast a worried glance at Rika's direction. She looked calm and collected as she navigated through this challenge, pushing the right pieces with her body at the right times. Her agile performance in this challenge shouldn't be surprising to anyone. After all, she was not unfamiliar to mind puzzles and planning for strategy, considering that she was arguably one of the best Digimon card players in her world.

Some of the other players weren't doing as well. James and JP had a small advantage over the players due to their bulkier frames, but they didn't seem to know what they were doing with the puzzles at all. As James turned the pieces of the Rubik's Cube in random directions, he realized that he was going nowhere in this challenge – absolutely no progress.

"Rika is still in the lead! She now has five pieces of the same colours on one side." Professor Birch announced. He quickly glanced over the other players' progress as well. "Drew is close behind with four. Casey and May both have three. Takuya has two. James and JP…err…it's not over yet!"

Drew pressed his body against a cube as he tried pushing the middle row vertically. It took all of his strength to finally get it moving. Unfortunately, the Pokemon Coordinator was starting to feel the effects of not sleeping for the entire night. Not only was his body failing him at the most important time, he couldn't seem to think as clearly with his head as well.

Where next…where next? Drew sighed, looking over his puzzle with a lost expression. He glanced over at Rika again. She already had sevenred squares on the same side. He shook his head and averted his glance from the Tamer. Damn it! Concentrate, Drew!

However, Rika soon realized that she encountered a problem. Although her puzzle seemed the most complete on the surface, she was still missing two red squares at the top corners. And in order to get those pieces in the appropriate positions, she had to mess up some of her already completed pieces. She sighed, hating the fact that she was ripping away her progress and hard work. But that could not be helped.

"Rika is losing her lead to Drew…they now both have seven squares. Casey has six. May and Takuya have four. JP is on the board with three. James is still struggling." Professor Birch shouted.

"Thinking is hard!" James complained, but nobody was listening.

Drew smiled, feeling slightly better that he had caught up to Rika. He turned another row of squares to the left, and then to another left…

This is it…I'm going to win this. Drew smirked. He pushed his body against his cube, turning the cubes over with all his might. All I need is a few more turns! And I'm done!

He cast another glance at Rika's direction. She seemed to be taking apart her puzzle – it was over for her. Drew turned his attention back on his own Rubik's Cube.

Left…and another left…then a right…and…

"We have a winner!" Professor Birch announced.

Drew stopped dead in his tracks. He felt shivers all over his body. But…but…I'm not finished yet!

"Casey wins immunity!" Professor Birch continued. The petite girl erupted in an enthusiastic cheer as she ran up to Professor Birch. He handed her the immunity necklace. "Congratulations! You're guaranteed three more days on this island!"

"Thank you!" Casey laughed, instantly equipping the necklace around her neck. "Man, I feel like I'm the dark horse in this competition!"

"Good job, Casey!" James flashed a sincere smile at the petite baseball lover.

Casey nodded her head energetically. She pulled through in this challenge just when she needed immunity the most. She couldn't help but grin in disbelief – she did it…she actually did it! The petite baseball lover turned her head just in time to catch Takuya's expression turn from sour to downright bitter. He was going to target her. He and his equally smug friends thought they could get rid of her with ease. But no – Casey refused to give up without putting one last desperate fight at this challenge. And her determination finally paid off. Now, Casey had immunity around her neck, causing an enormous dent in everybody's strategic plans.

She could already sense the panic in everybody's faces. The girl that everybody wanted gone was safe for three more days. Now, they needed a new scapegoat. And it wasn't going to be her. And that made Casey feel very happy.

Needless to say, the other players weren't nearly as joyous that Casey won the immunity challenge. Drew, in particular, looked like he was going to collapse in defeat. He closed his eyes and frowned. He spent the entire night practicing with that stupid Rubik's Cube, hoping that he would master all the techniques and cruise to an easy victory. Instead, he lost…no, he didn't lose to just anyone – he lost to the tiniest girl in the game and also the target who was supposed to take the fall for him at tribal council.

He could hear Casey's giddy laughter in his ears, but the Pokemon Coordinator didn't have enough inner strength to muster a false smile for Casey's victory. He lost immunity. He lost immunity. He lost. He lost. He lost. He didn't just lose in the sense of this important immunity challenge, but he felt that he had also lost the game. He lost immunity and now he lost the game.

Drew opened his eyes again. He caught a brief glance at Takuya and JP, who were both looking at his direction, eyeing over him like wolves that had identified their new prey. The Pokemon Coordinator narrowed his eyes specifically at the chubby Frontier. JP turned away, looking evasive.

JP Shibayama…

Drew clenched his fist angrily in his hands. No, this was not over. It was not over until he saw his four-lettered name written down five times in tribal council. Until then, Drew was still a player in this game. Until then, Drew still had a chance to outwit, outplay and outlast. Until then, Drew could still somehow avoid being the ninth member voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands.

He had twenty four hours to convince the players and remove the target on his back.

The clock was ticking.

- - -

DAY 27

Casey was not supposed to win the immunity challenge yesterday. It was supposed to be the easiest vote in the entire game. She should have been voted off, she should have reunited with Cassidy, she should have ate the food that her fragile body desperately needed, she should have just joined the jury and be happy again. But everybody's plans had gone haywire since she won immunity. Nobody expected that she would win a fairly physical challenge, considering that she grew extremely weak due to the lack of food consumption in her body system. But what Casey lacked in energy, she made up in her endless determination. She knew she was in danger of being voted off and she won immunity when she needed it the most.

And now, everything will change.

Realizing that she could become an influential factor in the upcoming tribal council, some players were already sucking up to Casey in order to win her vote. In particular, JP wasted no time cozying up to the baseball lover. Ever since they returned to camp, he stuck around Casey like flies to a stick of butter, laughing heartily and making jokes as if they were old friends. To Casey, it felt very forced and insincere, but at least it was an effort.

"We're going after James tonight," said JP. He paused and grinned widely at Casey. "I was wondering if you're interested in joining us."

Casey paused. She was approached by JP while she was cooking breakfast this morning. He had not left alone ever since.

"Who do you mean by us?" Casey questioned.

"The rest of the Huntail tribe…" JP replied confidently. "TK, May and Drew are all going to vote out James too. All we need is your vote and we'll have a majority."

"But I thought James was a member of the Huntail tribe too…" Casey muttered.

"Technically yes, that's true." JP shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. "But that's not where his loyalties lie anymore. It's kind of obvious, dude. Even though he stayed in Huntail for a longer time, that guy has more Gorebyss blood running in him."

"I…I just don't understand why you're voting him off instead of Takuya." Casey said.

"We need to vote James out before he has the chance to use his immunity necklace." JP said.

"But what if he uses the necklace at this tribal council?" Casey asked. "Do you have a back-up plan?"

"James won't know that we're targeting him. Nobody would tell him!" JP grinned.

"Yeah, but what if someone tells him…you know, someone." Casey muttered, turning her head away from the chubby Frontier. She wasn't very good at lying.

"Dude, there's no problem! If James uses his immunity, we'll just go after Rika. She's next anyway." JP said, snapping his fingers. "So, do you want to vote with us or not?"

Casey nodded her head, albeit she looked a little reluctant at first. An oblivious JP just grinned and patted her on the shoulder, almost as if he was approving of her decision.

"Good, now we need to shorten your name into two letters so you can officially join our alliance!" JP laughed. It took a few seconds for Casey to understand the joke before she let out a small giggle.

Casey: I win immunity and suddenly the big alliance wants to talk to me about strategy again. And I'm like, 'Okay then. So where were you in the last two days when my head was on the chopping block?' Come on, it's so obvious! They're just using me as a vote! That's all I am to these people! A single vote!

Casey shook her head and sighed.

Casey: Anyway, I'm just happy that I'm in the game for another three days. But I'm not going to let them take James out. No way. I'm going to warn him that he's in danger and he'll use his necklace before the vote, so Rika would be the one who's targeted tonight.

A faint smile spread across the petite girl's face. The dimple on her cheeks appeared radiantly in front of the cameras.

Casey: But you know, it really, really should be Takuya who's going home. But he just keeps escaping the vote every single time! Man, he's lucky that his guardian angel is working overtime to save his butt…

After breakfast, JP continued his plan to secure votes against James and Rika at the upcoming tribal council. His trusty companion, TK, joined the Frontier on his quest. This time, they were talking to Drew privately inside the forest about their latest plans. JP did most of the talking, while Drew just listened quietly and nodded his head at the appropriate times.

"Whether we agree on James or Rika, we want to include you in our plans." JP flashed an encouraging grin at Drew. "Are we still tight, buddy?"

"You can count on me." Drew replied.

"I know I can." JP laughed, putting an arm around Drew's shoulder. "Okay, all we have to do now is talk to May and make sure that she's going to vote with us tonight."

"You haven't talked to her yet?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, no worries, no worries! May won't turn her back on us!" JP shook his head to rid himself of any doubt. "I know May, okay?"

"Let me get this straight. You think you have five votes in your favour tonight, right?" Drew asked.

"Yeah…you, me, TK, Casey, and good ol' May." JP grinned. "If I can have my ideal Final Five in this game, it'll be us five – me and my friends."

"By the way, I think Gore…" TK paused and searched for a term that would clarify his definition better. "I think the Gorebyss triois going to target you tonight, Drew."

"Yeah, we kind of lied to them in order to throw them off the scent." JP smiled wryly at the Pokemon Coordinator. He shuffled his feet around, as he always did when he was feeling guilty. "We told them that we're going to vote you off – but don't get the wrong idea! It's just a lie! The real targets are still James and Rika!"

"I understand." Drew nodded his head and smiled enigmatically at the chubby Frontier. It was a knowing smile, a smile that subtly indicated he knew something that JP didn't know about.

As much as the chubby Frontier schemed and planned before tribal council, he did not realize that there was a traitor amongst his tiny clique. He thought he had secured all the necessary votes at the upcoming tribal council. They gave him their word that they would vote James or Rika off, and that was that. Not once did JP doubt their loyalties towards him. After all, he was certain that he could trust his friends.

But in the game of Survivor, even the strongest friendships would fall apart. And tonight, JP will discover that at least one of his 'friends' would betray him at tribal council.

- - -

While JP was working his magic around the camp, the three members of the original Gorebyss tribe loitered around the forest, knowing that this could be the last time the three of them stayed together as a group. James walked behind Takuya and Rika, twiddling his finger nervously around his immunity necklace. He had a lot to think about today. Earlier in the day, Casey informed him that JP's group was voting for him tonight and insisted that the Team Rocket member use his individual immunity to save himself. Despite James urging Casey to vote with the Gorebyss tribe, the baseball fan stubbornly refused to side with Takuya or Rika no matter what. And now, James realized that his alliance was stuck in a perilous position in the game.

"I talked with May today, but she didn't seem to have any commitments to us." Takuya said quietly. His eyes were fixated on the machete that he was holding in his right hand. "I asked her who she's voting for, but she wouldn't look at me straight in the eye and give me a direct answer."

"Understandable. She won't trust us again." Rika muttered. Her voice sounded even more bitter and sour than usual. "Not after what happened to Takato."

"JP and TK promised us that they're going to vote Drew off, but...but let's be realistic here." Takuya continued, laughing nervously. "Drew is one of them. No way they're going to vote off one of the Huntail boys, not in a million years."

"He's full of shit. They all are." Rika grumbled, nodding her head.

"But if we don't do something about this, they're going to vote us off!" James whispered. "We can't seriously be depending on JP in order to save us, right?"

"I don't see any other way…JP is our only hope. We delayed the inevitable for a long time, but it has always been Gorebyss versus Huntail." Takuya angrily slashed his machete at one of the trees. "Sorry guys. I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess."

"It's a little too late to say that now, you dumbass…" Rika smirked. "We can't cross over to the dark side even if we wanted to."

"You owe us two big fat chocolate milkshakes when we all arrive at the jury's lodge." James chuckled playfully.

"Hey, you should use your immunity necklace tonight." Rika took a quick glance at James.

"We'll understand if you used it." Takuya added, flashing a sincere smile at his direction. "Hell, I would have done it too if I'm in your shoes."

"Yeah…" James murmured, nodding his head. Although the Team Rocket member had their consent to use the necklace, he still felt a little bad that the rest of his alliance was vulnerable in the vote.

"Someone is coming." Rika whispered, glancing ahead at the forest. She narrowed her eyes as she tried figuring out who that person was. "Drew."

"What's he doing here?" Takuya asked, scratching his head.

Drew: The fat idiotic pig set me up so I'll become the new Gorebyss target. He assured me that I'm safe, but all it takes is just one or two wavering minds, and I'll be gone from the game. And I don't like that. No, I don't feel comfortable in this position at all.

Drew smiled deprecatingly at the cameras.

Drew: if I don't like something, I'm going to change it. I will not allow JP Shibayama decide my fate.

"Hi." Drew smiled as he slowly approached the Gorebyss trio. Rika and Takuya both stared at him with suspicion. "I have a proposition for the three of you."

"Ooh la la, this could get interesting!" James chuckled.

"I don't know what JP has told you, but he's planning to vote James off tonight. And if James uses his necklace, the new target is going to be Rika." Drew said in a patient tone. "He already recruited Casey, May and me in his group, so he and TK's votes will add up to five."

"Oh. That confirms it." Takuya dropped his head in disappointment. "We're screwed."

"You're safe, so why are you telling us this?" Rika asked.

"I'd like to offer the three of you…an opportunity to stay in the game." Drew smiled slyly. "I'm willing to vote with you guys and force a tie at the next tribal council."

Takuya's head perked up in excitement, while James nodded his head with enthusiasm as well. Rika remained sceptical and put her hands on her hips.

"What's the condition?" Rika asked.

"I'll vote with you to get JP Shibayama out of this game." Drew said. "It's that simple. I want to see his name appear tonight four times."

"Sorry, but absolutely not." Takuya shook his head rapidly. "I can't vote JP out. I…no, we can't vote him off."

"Don't put words in our mouths, goggle-head." Rika glared at the Frontier with disdain. She turned back to the Pokemon Coordinator. "I thought JP is with you. What's in it for you?"

"Revenge." Drew shrugged his shoulders. "And I'm fed up with his laziness and cocky attitude. Nobody should get a free ride in this game just because they have a lot of friends."

"Ah! So we aren't the only people who noticed that!" James cocked his eyebrow upwards. He turned to Rika and grinned.

"I…I can't!" Takuya clenched his fist angrily. "JP saved us at the last tribal council."

"He's not going to help you every time. He had no obligations towards you." Drew corrected, which caused Takuya to shoot him an unfriendly glare at his direction. Sensing the hostility, Drew just shrugged his shoulders again. "Look, I'll leave you guys to think about this. You can change the game if you want to. I'm willing to force a tie. Think about it, and tell me your decision before we leave for tribal council."

Drew shoved his hands into his pockets, turned around, and began walking away. Takuya sighed heavily and shook his head. He picked up his machete and slashed it repeatedly at a tree, perhaps imagining that tree trunk was Drew's head.

"No, I'm sorry. I can't do it. If it wasn't for JP, I wouldn't even be here in the first place. I would've been the first member of the jury." Takuya muttered.

"Takuya, be reeeeasonable!" James squealed in a high-pitched girly voice. "This is our chance to get back in the game! Another three days!"

"Drew is just stirring shit up! He's lying to us!" Takuya argued, shaking his head once more. "He's saying anything to save himself and I can't believe that you actually bought his story!"

"What if Drew is telling the truth?" James muttered meekly. "If what he's saying is true, then Rika and I are in potential danger of getting voted off tonight…"

"JP isn't going to stay loyal to us forever." Rika added.

"I'm willing to take a gamble." Takuya shrugged his shoulders. "We have to trust JP and vote out Drew, just like he had promised."

"Takuya! I…uh…I, wow…I'm speechless." James scratched his head. He turned to face Rika, who had no emotion on her face. "To be honest, I'm kind of offended that you're willing to put our fates on the line in order to protect JP. Deep down, you know that he's going to vote one of us off, but you're still trying to fool yourself into believing something that isn't going to happen."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Takuya sighed heavily. He had a difficult time getting his words out through his nervous stuttering. "I…I…I see your point, but I don't…I don't want to vote JP off."

"Don't let your ego get in the way, goggle-head." Rika interrupted.

"Besides, one of us would have been voted off anyway. Even if Drew was lying, we have nothing to lose." James shrugged his shoulders. He turned to face Takuya with an innocent expression. "Sooooo, how about it?"

"Alright, alright…we'll all vote for JP, okay?" Takuya said, throwing his arms up in frustration. James smiled widely at the response, while Rika nodded her head slowly in approval. "Vote for JP and hope for the best!"

Takuya: I'm kind of surprised that James and Rika trust Drew so easily, especially since I think he's a nasty piece of work. But I do understand that the whole game could change if Drew is willing to cause a tie tonight. But I still have a lot of suspicions about Drew and why he's risking his neck just to save us. We aren't particularly close to him or anything. I don't trust the guy, but there is really no other choice.

Takuya shook his head and smiled weakly at the cameras.

Takuya: I just wished the vote wasn't between JP and Rika. They're both my friends and I don't want to choose between either of them. And you know, JP was my saviour at the last tribal council, and now I'm going to stab him right in the back. What a wonderful friend I am…

- - -

When Takuya asked May who she was voting for tonight, she refused to give him a direct answer. However, she must admit that she was tempted to cast a vote against Drew more and more as the day progressed. After carefully observing the tribe for the past two days, the sweet Pokemon Coordinator realized that Clamperl was split in between two sides: Gorebyss versus Huntail. While she held no loyalties to either side, she felt more inclined to team up with any group who wanted the despicable Drew gone. And thus, just hours before tribal council arrived, May was certain that she would cast her vote against the other Pokemon Coordinator in the tribe. Whether the results ended in a tie or not, she did not care. She just wanted Drew gone.

"Takuya's group isn't voting Drew off!" JP shouted. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Haven't you heard?"

"Really? I haven't heard anything…" May made a strange expression on her face.

A few minutes ago, JP joined her around the campfire as she boiled the water. It only took one conversation with the chubby Frontier before all of May's plans for tribal council changed for the worse.

"Takuya told me earlier." JP lowered his voice to merely a husky whisper. He caught the sight of Rika and James walking by, both of them glaring at JP with an undignified look. He waited until both of them disappeared before continuing his message. "They're going to vote you off tonight."

"Oh my god..." May muttered. Her worst nightmares had come true – they were going to target her for tribal council!

JP: I told May a little white lie…I'm sorry, but I can't help it! It was the only way I can guarantee that she would vote with us at tonight's tribal council. I noticed that May is sitting on the fence when it comes to strategy, and out of everyone, she's the one person I'm most uncertain about. I feel really bad lying to her, but I can't take the chance that she won't stay loyal to my alliance.

JP bowed his head apologetically in front of the cameras.

JP: Forgive me, May! I hope this doesn't ruin our chances of going out on a date after the game…

"I'm just as surprised as you are, but I won't let them do anything to you." JP smiled reassuringly. He hesitated for a moment before putting his large hand on May's shoulder. "I've gathered enough votes against Gorebyss at this tribal council. Vote with me and you'll be safe."

"What do you mean?" May asked. JP went on to explain how he recruited TK, Casey and Drew in an alliance at the upcoming vote and how either James or Rika would be the next person targeted.

"James, Rika and Takuya have three votes amongst them, but that's not a majority." JP explained, "As long as you vote with us, we'll have five votes and we can decide which way the game is going."

"I see…" May muttered. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and gazed into the Frontier's beady eyes. "I can trust you, right?"

"Of course!" JP replied casually.

"You have lied to me before, JP…twice." May said quietly. She paused and closed her eyes. "How do I know you're telling me the truth this time?"

"May, remember the pact that we made on your birthday?" JP asked.

May stared silently at the chubby Frontier. She slowly shook his hand off her shoulder. He looked a little hurt by the cold gesture, but continued talking nonetheless.

"We promised that we would never vote for each other, not in a million years." JP shook his head to illustrate his point. "I told you that I would always watch your back and I'm doing it right now. You know me, May. I don't go back on my word."

"Hmm." May made a thoughtful sound. It took her a few seconds before she nodded her head. "I see."

"So, just trust me this time, May." JP said, using a sincere tone as much as possible. "I'm not lying to you. You're in serious danger and I want to save you from it. I want the two of us to make it to the end together, I really do."

"I'm going to ask you once more, JP. Are you lying to me?" May asked quietly.

"Trust me." JP replied.

"I hate dishonest people." May added.

"Trust me." JP repeated.

"Okay, okay. I believe you." May finally nodded her head. She gave the chubby Frontier a brief hug. "I'm going to vote with you guys."

"See, there! Doesn't this feel a lot better?" JP grinned. He sighed dreamily over the sensation of May's arms around his bulky body.

"Thanks for informing me. I really didn't want to go into tribal council like a lost sheep to the slaughter again." May smiled.

"Hey, no problem. Besides, would I be so cruel to let you spend three days alone on the jury with Cassidy?" JP chuckled. "Seriously, I feel bad for whoever got voted off…because they have to deal with Cassidy afterwards."

"Yeah, I could think of better ways to spend my three days in this game." May giggled girlishly.

May: I'm a little paranoid about the upcoming vote. No, that's an understatement. I'm REALLY paranoid about it! JP told me that I'm going to be one of the targets at tonight's tribal council, but he's the only one who I've heard this version of the story from. But I trust JP and I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

May smiled widely at the cameras. She nodded her head a few times as the confidence in her voice built up.

May: May be I'm a little gullible for this game, but I'd really like to see the good in people. I want to believe that they're being truthful with me. I want to believe that their words are honest and sincere. Most of the time, I feel bad doubting about other people's motives…that's just not me, you know?

The smile on her face slowly faded away.

May: I have thought about the possibility that JP is lying to me – perhaps he's lying to me just so he could use my vote at this tribal council. If I'm wrong and I'm not really the target, I'm going to end up looking like the biggest sucker in the world…again. But oh my god, I hope that's not the case. I hate being lied to. I hate being used. It's the worst feeling in the world, and I absolutely hate it.

By the time JP left May alone to pack her bags inside the shelter, it was almost time for the Clamperl tribe to depart to tribal council. May hurried and threw a few of her belongings in her bags, but in her rush, she dropped her red bandana on the ground.

"Here." Drew said as he picked up the bandana and handed it to May. May accepted it with a friendly smile. "You dropped it."

"Thanks!" May smiled and returned to packing her bag.

"I hope you're smart enough to realize that JP isn't being honest with you." Drew said casually.

May turned around and looked at Drew curiously. The green haired Pokemon Coordinator was looking away, with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Don't trust him." Drew added.

"What do you mean?" May asked.

But Drew was already walking away in another direction, leaving May to ponder over his enigmatic words as they departed for tribal council.

- - -

Professor Birch usually stood beside the ice sculpture of the majestic Dewgong, which unofficially became the mascot for this game. It used to be a vacant area where he was free to move around, but that was no longer the case as of tonight. The space was now occupied by two new wooden benches, one behind the other. They were seats for the seven jury members, who will attend each tribal council to observe the rest of the game unfold. These benches were placed directly across from the old bleachers where the regular players sat on, positioned in a way so that the players would get an ominous feeling that the jury was watching and judging their every move.

"Let me bring out the first member of our jury." Professor Birch said as the tribe of eight arrived at tribal council.

A few seconds later, a glamorized Cassidy marched into the set, wearing a revealing black dress, high heels, and of course, a smug smirk on her pointed face. She seemed fairly pleased that the immunity necklace was around Casey's neck. She took her seat on a wooden bench across from the rest of the players.

"The members of the jury are here to observe every tribal council to help them determine a winner at the end of the game." Professor Birch explained. "You may not make any communication or contact with the jury members. They are here merely to observe."

Cassidy nodded her head and smirked.

"Casey, you won the immunity challenge yesterday and I must admit that it was quite a feat for someone your size." Professor Birch faced the petite baseball lover with a friendly smile. "How does that immunity around your neck make you feel?"

"I feel like I've hit a home run!" Casey blurted out. She felt a small grin spread across her face. "I'm relieved that I'm not going home tonight, even though I think that's the consensus around here for the past few days. It's not over until it's over. Never give up!"

"Drew, I must address you about this challenge since…" Professor Birch paused and smiled at the Pokemon Coordinator. "You won a Rubik's Cube at the reward challenge, which should have helped you be prepared for the immunity challenge, but you still lost. What happened there?"

"I tried my best, but it wasn't good enough. May be I should have practiced more." Drew shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I'll give kudos to Casey for being such a great competitor."

"Do you feel vulnerable? Do you feel like you need immunity tonight?" Professor Birch asked.

"I wouldn't mind if I had it around my neck." Drew replied, choosing his words very cautiously.

"May, how about you? Do you feel like you need immunity tonight? Are you in danger?" Professor Birch asked.

"Gosh, I feel vulnerable at every tribal council, professor!" May laughed. She brushed her hair away from her eyes. "Yeah, I think I could be the next one gone. But then again, everybody who doesn't have an immunity necklace is in danger of getting voted off tonight."

"Let's talk about the reward challenge a few days ago." Professor Birch said, "There were a lot of you who swam after the Mudkip with the blue collar, which was suppose to grant you the Rubik's Cube that Drew won. Rika, I remembered that you were one of those people. Why did you choose to go after that prize?"

"Immunity is more important than anything else in this game," said Rika.

"Even the family letters?" Professor Birch asked.

"Especially trivial things like family letters." Rika replied coldly. "Those rewards distract us from focusing on the ultimate goal of winning this game."

"Okay, I respect that, but…" Professor Birch smiled wryly and turned towards JP. "JP, you heard what Rika just said. Now how does that make you feel since you were the one who won the barbeque chicken?"

"First, I feel hungry since you mentioned the words 'barbeque chicken', heh." JP chuckled, rubbing his stomach to elaborate his point. "But seriously, I know my capabilities. I know I can't beat people like Drew or Takuya at a swimming challenge, so why bother? Nobody else was going after the food reward, so…whatever, dude."

"Takuya, what about you? How important is immunity to you?" Professor Birch asked.

"It's really important and to be honest, I'm still kind of pissed that I barely missed out on winning that Rubik's Cube thingy. I could have beaten Drew if I tried harder." Takuya shot a mock glare at Drew's direction. He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh well. A defeat is a defeat."

"Speaking of immunity…James, do you plan to use your immunity necklace tonight?" Professor Birch asked.

"Yes, I do." James said, pulling out his immunity necklace from his pocket. He slowly put it around his neck. "I'd like to exercise the power of my individual immunity at this tribal council."

"May I ask why?" Professor Birch asked the Team Rocket member.

"Better safe than sorry." James smiled thinly at the professor.

"Okay, I accept that." Professor Birch nodded his head. "James and Casey are immune and could not be voted off tonight. It's time to vote…TK, you're up first."

The blonde got up from his seat and stumbled across the bridge. When he reached the voting shrine, he picked up the black marker and wrote down Rika's name neatly on the parchment in his tiny and slightly girlish writing. He held the vote up and smiled apologetically at the cameras.

"Out of everyone here, I feel like I know you the least. I don't think you put an effort to socialize with other people. You exclude yourself from conversations and your isolation is just getting a little tiresome. But I'm sorry about this vote and the best of luck to you."

JP followed afterwards with a similar vote as his blonde ally. He proudly held up the parchment in front of the cameras, displaying the four-lettered name in all its glory.

"Yeah, we didn't really get along with each other. You're too quiet and too reserved. And I always get the feeling that you have a grudge against me, even though I really didn't do anything to you. Anyway, I don't think you deserve to stay here as much as the others, so yeah. Bye."

Casey was the next person to vote. Like the two boys who went before her, she cast the third vote against Rika for the night.

"I have nothing against you personally, but I don't want James to go. Sorry."

May voted. Takuya voted. Then, it was Rika's turn. The icy Tamer picked up the marker and wrote down two simple letters on the parchment: 'JP'.

"Your big mouth will always be your downfall. Think before you speak."

James was the seventh person to vote. To nobody's surprise, he cast a vote against the chubby Frontier as well.

"I find you a little overbearing at times. You have a tendency to talk over people and you try to assert yourself as the center of attention in almost all of the group discussions. I also think you instigate a lot of the cliques in this tribe. A little consideration goes a long way and you don't have that attribute."

Drew was the last person to vote. He wrote down JP's name on the parchment and smirked to the cameras.

"JP Shibayama, you're going down."

- - -

Professor Birch had the voting urn in his hands, containing the eight votes that were cast tonight. As he began pulling them out one by one, Cassidy rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"JP."

"JP."

"JP."

JP Shibayama frowned at the barrage of votes thrown in his direction. He had little doubt that these three consecutive votes all came from the three members of the Gorebyss tribe. The chubby Frontier looked a little shocked that the trio decided to target him tonight, especially after he thought he fooled them into voting for Drew. Apparently, they did not believe his transparent lie. TK patted the Frontier on the shoulder as silent encouragement.

"Rika." Professor Birch announced after he read the name on the fourth parchment. "That's three votes against JP and one vote against Rika."

James cast a sheepish glance over at Rika, who remained stoic at the sight of her name. Had he not used the immunity necklace, he knew he would be seeing his name up there instead.

"Rika." Professor Birch repeated the Tamer's name for the second time.

Rika nodded her head, accepting the outcome with an air of calmness and maturity. This was nothing out of the ordinary. She had expected to receive a lot of votes tonight.

"Rika." Professor Birch said, revealing the sixth parchment to the players.

Takuya sighed, looking a little troubled. He glanced at Drew, trying to read his enigmatic face for a hint or some sort. It was impossible to interpret what Drew was feeling right now. Even the smug smirk on his girlish face was incomprehensive. Takuya shook his head, giving up, and returned his attention back to the vote.

"Rika." Professor Birch paused for a dramatic moment. "That's four votes against Rika and three votes against JP."

Drew smirked. His vote had not been revealed yet – and he knew that it would be the shocker of the night. He looked over at JP, who seemed to already be gloating in his seat, falling into a deluded belief that he secured all the necessary votes to eliminate Rika out of the game. On the other hand, Rika looked merely unimpressed at the results. She didn't have high hopes that Drew would keep his word to the Gorebyss tribe. They didn't know – none of them knew.

Professor Birch pulled out the eighth parchment from the voting urn.

"The eight vote," Professor Birch announced as he turned the parchment over. "JP."

A few people gasped audibly at the results – JP was one of them. On the other side of tribal council, Cassidy looked extremely pleased with the results. She was clapping her hands silently when the eighth vote was revealed. But JP was too stunned about the tie to notice her reaction. He was absolutely shocked that the final vote was not cast against Rika, as he had predicted.

One of his friends had betrayed him.

"Oh my god…" May mumbled, burying her face with her hands.

"We have a tie." Professor Birch announced. He turned towards the other players. "In the case of a tie, the two players with votes will have thirty seconds to give a small speech and try to persuade the players to change their minds. Then, we'll vote again. If there is another tie, we'll go through another tiebreaker." Professor Birch paused. "According to the guidelines, the next tiebreaker will be determined about the amount of votes received in the past."

Oh no! James tensed up. He cast a nervous glance at Rika, suddenly remembering about the one vote that Mimi had cast against the Tamer at the fifth tribal council. Rika had just that one vote against her in the past – one trivial and meaningless vote that Mimi cast against her out of spite. But now, it was about to make the largest difference in the game.

Because JP Shibayama had a clean record so far – zero votes. And he couldn't be a happier man after finding out how the tiebreaker would be determined.

"Rika, we'll start with you first. You have thirty seconds to give a speech and convince your fellow players to switch their votes." Professor Birch turned towards Rika with a small smile. "You may begin."

"I'm honest, I work hard, and you always know where you stand with me." Rika said in a stern voice. "I doubt my few words will change your opinions about me, so vote whatever way you want." She turned to Professor Birch with an unresponsive face. "That's it."

"Good. Now, it's JP's turn." Professor Birch turned to the mouthy Frontier. "You have thirty seconds. Begin."

JP decided to take a different approach. He had no idea which player betrayed him tonight, so instead, he addressed the one player who he knew didn't vote for him. There was one person who JP thought he could convince into switching his vote, purely out of guilt.

"Takuya, remember that if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here." JP said, using a harsher tone than he had imagined. "I saved you last time and this is how you repay me?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to do what I have to do." Takuya shrugged his shoulders.

"I risked my entire game in order to save you out of friendship. All I ask now is for you to return the favour, and we'll be even." JP argued. "No, don't even do it out of a favour. Do this out of our friendship."

"JP, I'm going to be honest with you because you're my friend." Takuya said, looking earnestly into the Frontier's eyes. "I'm not going to change my vote tonight. I don't like choosing between the two of you, but Rika and I have always been in this together."

"I respect that, Takuya…but you're a traitor." JP said, sounding a little disappointed. Takuya shrugged his shoulders casually.

Just when JP was about to turn to the other players for another desperate pitch, Professor Birch cut him off. Time was up.

"It's time to re-vote. Rika and JP will not vote this time." Professor Birch explained. He motioned TK to get up from his seat. "If we end up with a deadlock again, we'll go into our next tiebreaker. Understand?"

Never in a million years did Rika imagine that somebody as useless as Mimi would be the one sole factor that will seal her fate. And somehow, she enjoyed the irony.

- - -

The six players re-voted and Professor Birch returned once more with the voting urn. He repeated his usual speech and warned the players that if the tie wasn't broken this time, they would be looking at votes cast against the two players in the past.

JP did a silent sigh in relief. He had no votes against him so far in the game. All he could hope for is that Rika had at least one vote against her – which should very likely, considering that she attended far more tribal councils in Gorebyss than he did in Huntail.

Professor Birch began pulling the votes out of the urn one by one.

"JP."

"Rika."

"JP."

"Rika." The professor paused for a dramatic effect. "That's two votes against JP and two votes against Rika. Two votes left."

"JP." Professor Birch announced as he read out the name on the fifth parchment.

Rika nodded her head. She was about to get up her seat before Professor Birch read out her name on the sixth and final parchment. She knew it was over. She watched the professor carefully as he pulled out the last vote from the urn. He unfolded the parchment.

"The ninth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch turned the vote over. "JP."

For the second time tonight, JP gasped in genuine surprise. He looked visibly shocked that somebody had switched their vote for him again. He did not know who – Casey, May, Drew or even TK – but more than one of his friends had betrayed him, and that was that. The chubby Frontier sighed heavily and got up from his seat. He grabbed his torch and walked over to Professor Birch.

"JP, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch snuffed out JP's torch rapidly. "It's time for you to go."

JP paused and slowly turned around. He scanned through the players' faces rapidly with his beady eyes. He saw a combination of surprise, joy and guilt amongst their expressions.

"When I find out who betrayed me tonight – and believe me, I will find out – I just want to let that person know…" JP paused and flashed a vindictive smile at the rest of the players. "Our friendship is over."

On that note, JP turned around and stomped angrily into the forest. Seconds later, his bulky frame disappeared behind the shadows of the trees forever.

In a rare moment, Rika broke out of character as she grinned widely at the snuffed torch in front of Professor Birch. It was a miracle that she was still here. She could not believe that Drew was actually being honest when he said he wanted to shake the game up. She also could not believe that someone else switched their vote at the last minute, saving her from what was supposed to be an inevitable doom. She looked around, but Rika did not know whom to thank. She did not know which one of JP's allies had a change of heart and changed their votes against the Frontier. But regardless of their identity, Rika was thankful – very thankful.

Rika would later find out that her saviour was May. The gullible Pokemon Coordinator switched her vote after she realized that she was not being targeted by Gorebyss, meaning that JP had duped her yet again. Even though she repeatedly told him that she hated dishonesty more than anything else in the world, he continued to use her, manipulate her, and most importantly, he lied to her. That was enough to push May to her edge, enough to justify May's change of heart, enough to convince May to vote out JP Shibayama, liar extraordinaire.

Despite the fact that he was her friend…

Despite the fact that he was her ally…

Despite the fact that they made a pact to never vote for each other…

At the end of the day, May felt no remorse.

- - -

JP's Final Words

What went wrong? Dude, everything and everything. I thought I would be smart and strategize a lot, but my plan just blew up in my face. Yeah, I'm kind of shocked that I'm sitting here, giving my final words. I really thought I would be safe tonight and Rika would be going home. But there are several sneaky backstabbers left in the game. They got me, and they got me good.

I had a blast in this game. Survivor is just so awesome, words can't even describe it. I wouldn't trade this experience and my friendships for anything in the world. Well, may be a chocolate fudge sundae could change my mind. Heh, just kidding!

- - -

Next Time on Survivor –

Clamperl catches the food thieves…
Takuya: What are we going to do with them?
(Rika grunts angrily. She puts her hands on her hips.)
Rika: Throw them away.

May and Drew attempt at reconciliation…
(Drew stretches his hand out. May looks on suspiciously.)
Drew: Truce?
(She finally smiles and shakes his hand.)

And Casey reaches her breaking point…
Casey: I can't take this anymore.
(Casey is crying as she speaks. Professor Birch looks concerned.)
Casey: I want to leave.

All this and more on – Episode 10: Hopeless

- - -

Author's Notes: Only four episodes left. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed (there has been a massive incline for the last chapter!) and everyone who took the survey. You're all awesome!