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?

11. Episode 11: Three Plus One

Survivor: Dewford Islands
By: Gomamon

Last Time on Survivor:

The Clamperl tribe receives an unpleasant surprise when they discover that a pair of Weedles has been living inside their rice supply. Worried that their rice has been contaminated by poison, the tribe makes a difficult decision and throw all of their rice away. May also releases Baby Brock into the wild again as part of a plan to conserve and ration food in the tribe.

TK proposes an anti-Gorebyss alliance with Drew and May, who both readily agreed. They originally wanted to include Casey in their plans and target Takuya, but Casey's emotional outburst after losing the reward challenge caused them to rethink their plans. A majority of the tribe gets the vibe that Casey does not want to be in the game anymore, thus putting her out of the misery of this game in a 6-1 vote. Six remain, who will be voted off next?

Episode Eleven: Three Plus One

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

- - -

DAY 31

Takuya didn't sleep last night. Nor did he sleep the night before that. Forty eight hours of anxiety and sleeplessness, perhaps more, if only he had a clock to measure time on this island. For every second he lied there awake, Takuya knew he was losing precious energy that he needed in order to compete in the challenges. Despite spending a month's time living on this island, he was still not used to the insomnia that plagued him from time to time. He tried counting imaginary sheep in his head, he tried pretending that he was a lifeless corpse, and out of sheer desperation, he even tried sleeping on the dirty and uncomfortable sand. In the end, none of these techniques worked. Takuya was still an unhappy, exhausted, and sleepless camper.

By the time Takuya finally realized he wouldn't be able to sleep, it was already early morning. He lazily stretched out his arms and legs, relaxing the sore muscles in his body. The most sensitive pain concentrated in his right bicep, which he exercised profusely at the last reward challenge. Ignoring the pain, Takuya then climbed out of the shelter (he had abandoned his sleeping quarters in the sand after he felt a hairy insect crawl over his leg) and joined his tribe members around the campfire. But even the short walk between the shelter and the campfire felt fatiguing to him. He felt like he would collapse on the ground any second now.

"Breakfast smells good, buddy." Takuya grinned, patting James on the back as he plopped down next to the Team Rocket member. He also gave a small nod at Rika, as if it was his acknowledgement to her presence.

"Morning, Takuya!" James chuckled. "I don't even know if apple slices have a smell...well, except for the rotten ones...but whatever floats your boat!"

Takuya laughed half-heartedly, but he wasn't paying much attention to the Team Rocket member. He was busy scanning the shoddy campsite for the first time this morning. There was Rika, who sat across from the two men, watching the campfire with a pensive expression on her face. She almost seemed sad, or may be she was angry, but Takuya could never tell the difference in Rika's emotions. He wasn't even sure if she had any emotion most of the time.

From the first day, Rika built an impenetrable barrier around herself, disallowing anyone to approach her or befriend her. Takuya might have gotten the closest to a friendship with the 'ice queen', but even he had some reservations about her. Did Takuya actually know who Rika Nonaka was? Most of the time, she just seemed so unfriendly and unpleasant. But that was only a presumption from people who judged Rika based on that blunt and I-don't-give-a-damn behaviour of hers. Takuya knew better. She was also a quiet, introverted person. But it was the quiet ones who Takuya always thought were the most dangerous. What else did he know about Rika beyond these superficial descriptions? She was laid-back? Stubborn? A good archer? Can kick his ass any day of the week?

Forget it. Takuya sighed to himself. He would never understand women. Too many layers. Too much complexity. Especially Rika.

Takuya: I've given up trying to understand Rika. It's like trying to read a book with all its pages torn out. You can't do it. You just can't. And the crazy thing is that I've made a lot of pricey sacrifices for Rika in this game. I gave away my immunity to save her, I screwed up my friendship with JP to save her, I…I did all these things for a girl who gets a kick out of calling me a 'stupid goggle-head'. It's crazy. Not Rika. I'm clearly the crazy one here.

Takuya grinned boyishly at the cameras.

Takuya: But you know what? It's all worth it. I still think Rika is one hell of a girl. I'm really glad I have her as an ally – and a friend, of course, that goes without saying. But an ally who's one hundred percent loyal and honest is a rare find. I can trust Rika with my entire fate in this game because she has those two qualities. We may not always agree on strategies, but I always know where she stands in terms of the game. I have her back and she has my back. At least that's what I'd like to think. Who knows? May be I don't know Rika Nonaka as well as I think I do.

Rika looked different today. Her beautiful auburn hair fell over her shoulders instead of being tied up into a long ponytail behind her head. It gave the tomboyish Tamer a more feminine look than what Takuya was normally used to seeing. This was the first time Takuya thought Rika resembled anything remotely like a girl. An attractive girl, Takuya thought to himself with a small smile. After all, she did inherit the genes of a glamorous supermodel. Takuya only knew this snippet of Rika's background from a casual conversation with Takato a while ago. Rika never shared anything about her family. Or about herself, for that matter.

Takuya let his gaze lingered on Rika for several seconds until he turned away. He felt oddly embarrassed for some reason, but his head did not indulge in the matter. He shifted his attention elsewhere and he finally noticed the absence of the three Huntail tribe members. They were nowhere to be found in the camp.

"Where is everyone else?" Takuya asked.

James and Rika exchanged knowing glances with each other.

"They're fishigizing again." Rika smirked defiantly as she said this. It took Takuya a couple of seconds before he realized that she merged two words together to form a new one: fishing and strategizing, two popular activities of the Huntail tribe members.

"You think so?" Takuya asked, scratching his head.

"I know so." Rika responded without missing a beat.

"It is so obvious. They don't even have the decency to hide their scheming from us." James added, nodding his head.

"Come to think of it, I see those three hanging around each other a lot lately." Takuya was also nodding his head now in agreement. "There's definitely some shady business going on."

"Perfectly reasonable, given that it's us three against those three," said Rika.

"That's how they want to play the game, huh?" Takuya grinned cheekily. He turned to his two allies as the grin widened on his face. "So, which one of the three musketeers do you want to vote out first?"

"Drew. He's the biggest manipulator in this game." Rika replied.

"I'd go straight for May personally." James said, shrugging his shoulders in uncertainty. "She's a sneaky girl playing with a sneaky strategy. She's sneaky, sneaky, sneaky!"

"No, not May…not yet. We might still need May in the future. Besides, she hardly poses a threat compared to those two guys." Takuya shook his head. "I say we get rid of the pretty boy. Drew and May will be gunning at each other's throats if it wasn't for Saint TK holding them together."

"Hmm." James put his index finger on his chin. "We really need to come together with a unanimous decision, you guys."

"Well, on hindsight, Rika always has the best instincts out of the three of us. Let's just vote out Drew. I never liked the guy anyway," said Takuya. James mumbled something in consent, although he looked a little hesitant with this idea. Neither of his allies noticed the subtle shift in James' attitude.

"Drew, it is then." Rika said in confirmation.

"Great, we have a target! Now we need the votes…" Takuya muttered.

James: The numbers are dwindling and there's not much room to hide. The tribe is clearly divided between Huntail and Gorebyss, three versus three. I don't want to commit to anything yet, but the situation forces me to pick a side. And if I pick the wrong side…that could very well be the end of me. I don't have the individual immunity to protect me anymore. I…I could be the next one to go if I don't play my cards right. Oh, I'm sooooo confused!

James sighed dramatically and put his head down into his knees. He looked up again at the cameras with a frustrated smile.

James: Get out the gloves, because there's definitely going to be blood shed in this battle. The game is on.

After breakfast, Takuya and Rika followed their usual habits of going into the forest and hunt for food. James stayed behind at the camp to wash the dishes and clean up around the sloppy campsite (all of which were Casey's jobs beforehand). In the forest, the two Gorebyss allies walked together in complete silence, stealthily preying on any unsuspecting birds hiding in the trees. Hunting was a task that involved patience, a quality which Takuya unfortunately did not possess. Only several minutes passed before he began talking again.

"Are you still upset with me?" Takuya suddenly asked out of the blue. He was speaking in a loud whisper. "You know, for voting Casey out instead of aligning with her?"

"We missed an opportunity to get even. We had an advantage over Huntail in numbers and we lost it." Rika grunted.

"I still think we made the right choice." Takuya whispered. "We…we are still here, right? Three more days!"

"It's not about time. Survivor is a game of numbers." Rika muttered. "And right now, we don't have the numbers. In the case of a tiebreaker, one of us is going. We both have votes cast against us in the past."

"No problem." Takuya waved his hand in dismissal. He tried putting a brave smile on his face, "We just need to convince one person."

"It's not as easy as it seems. The three of them are getting closer by the minute," said Rika.

"We know their alliance isn't that strong and it'll fall into pieces if we give it a big shove. Here's my plan of attack," Takuya continued, ignoring his ally's cynical remark. "Divide and conquer, baby!"

"Divide and conquer…" Rika repeated his words emotionlessly, almost uncertainly.

"Yep! In the next three days, each of us will try to sway an individual vote. As long as we can divide their votes, we'll get the majority at tribal council." Takuya explained. "I'll try to change May's vote, since she's obviously the weakest link in the alliance. You go with TK, and James will work his magic with Drew."

"It's not going to work." Rika muttered in an unimpressed tone.

"It's the most we could do right now, Rika." Takuya frowned. "Work with me here, alright?"

Rika didn't reply back. She stared straight ahead into the nothingness of the forest, pondering in thought. Takuya looked uneasy at the awkward silence, so he decided to change the conversation in another direction – a more positive direction.

"Hey, look at us! We were supposed to be hunting here, but we're spending our time talking about how to vote out the Huntail people." Takuya laughed. "We're turning into one of them! We are…"

"Huntigizing." Rika finished the sentence with a thin smile. She rolled her eyes.

"What…" Takuya paused. His tone of voice suddenly became more serious. "What would you call it if I wanted to discuss about voting James out?"

"Then we're both assholes." Rika replied bluntly.

"No, I don't mean we actually do it. It's just s-speculation and stuff." Takuya quickly recovered, albeit he was stuttering a little. "How much can we trust James? I mean, I really like the guy…but do we know where he stands with us? He spent more time with Huntail than he did with us."

"James is loyal to us," said Rika.

"He seems awfully chummy with Drew though." Takuya said. "I…I'm getting an uneasy feeling that James will tell Drew that we're voting him out. I think he told Casey that we were voting her out. He's a squealer."

"Listen, goggle-head. You're getting paranoid over the wrong things. You should be worrying about how the hell we're going to convince a person from Huntail to switch their allegiance." Rika's voice sounded so firm and confident that Takuya was instantly convinced to believe her. "James won't tell anybody about our plans."

But she was wrong.

- - -

Drew knew how to capitalize on an ideal opportunity when he saw one. When the three Huntail members arrived from their fishing trip, they realized that James was all alone in the Clamperl tribe. Takuya and Rika were not with him. Drew smirked, almost wanting to look up at the sky and say a thankful prayer. This was an opportunity handed to him on a golden platter.

He exchanged looks with May and TK, who both nodded their heads at him. There was an apparent mutual agreement in this decision. All three of them were thinking the same thing as soon as they saw James: they need his vote.

TK: If it's possible, I'd like to avoid a tie at the next tribal council. Ties are shaky. Ties are unpredictable. Ties are bad. Last time a tie happened, JP ended up going home because someone switched their vote at the last minute. This could happen again. And I do have three votes cast against me in the past, which will definitely do me more harm than good.

TK had a serious expression on his face as he said this. He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

TK: I think it's important to secure James' vote at tribal council. Drew and May could be very wishy-washy at times and they may just change their votes on a whim. It's better if we have James on our side. It will make the demise of Gorebyss a more definite thing.

The footsteps behind James' back notified him that someone was approaching from behind. Until now, he had been washing the dishes by the river alone. He was enjoying a rare moment of peace by himself, a rare moment of solitude that was difficult to find in a game where he was constantly observed. Takuya and Rika always respected his wishes for some 'alone time'. One thing James appreciated about the two Gorebyss members was how constantly accommodating they were to him. When he first set foot into the Gorebyss tribe, they welcomed him, they accepted him, and most importantly, they respected him. Takuya, as loud and overbearing he might be sometimes, never once invaded James' privacy when he requested for it. And of course, it was no surprise that lone wolf Rika understood how everyone needed their own personal space in this game. James always thought Gorebyss consisted of a supportive group of people, with one or two unpleasant exceptions aside. They were also different – thankfully different from the people he knew in Huntail.

He turned around and saw the three Huntail members walking towards him, all wearing polite (but obviously false) smiles on their faces. James sighed softly. He knew what was coming.

"Hello, James." Drew said, taking an uninvited seat next to the Team Rocket member. He picked up a dish and dipped it in the river for a brief second before taking it out again. "Let's talk."

"We want to make you a deal," said May.

"We're not forcing you to do anything yet, but it's just an idea that we'd like you to hear," added TK.

"I'm listening." James muttered uncomfortably.

"Vote with us, James." Drew said, getting straight to the point of the conversation. He was never one to beat around the bush, especially when it came down to strategic discussions. "Let's defeat Gorebyss together."

"You want me to vote out Takuya?" James asked, raising an eyebrow. He paused, and then added, "And Rika?"

"Precisely." Drew nodded his head.

"And why would I want to do that?" James asked, with a hint of defiance in his voice. "Why…why would I want to work with the people who only started talking to me when they realized I'm an extra vote they could use at tribal council?"

May gulped nervously. TK also had a sheepish expression on his face, shifting his eyes uneasily away from James. Just by looking at their reactions, James knew they were both guilty as charged. However, Drew remained unaffected by his remark, shrugging his shoulders as if the accusation wasn't addressed to him.

"Here's why you should vote with us. If you plan to stick with Gorebyss, who is a sinking ship by the way, and by some miracle, you get into the Final Two with either Takuya or Rika…" Drew paused as a smug smirk spread across his face, "See the three of us sitting here? We'll be three potential votes in the jury. And if you don't vote with us now, and none of us will vote for you at the end."

Drew held up three fingers in his right hand. He waved them in front of James' face, who was watching with a combination of fright and disgust in his face.

"One, two, three. Poof, poof, poof. Gone. That's three votes you won't be receiving in the Final Two." Drew continued, snapping his fingers as he listed each number. "In that case, I certainly hoped you're good enough friends with Cassidy and JP to rely on them to vote for you. You'll need it."

Drew: It has always been my intention to go to the Final Two with James. Well, that's not entirely true. For a while, I wanted to go to the finals with Cassidy, because it would've been an easy cakewalk victory against the most unpopular player in the game. But those geniuses put their six brain cells together and voted her off. So, I'm back to my original plan. I want to bring James to the finals. I know I can win against him.

He flipped his hair casually with his hand.

Drew: I'll admit, I've set up James for a very big fall in the end. I made him the perfect scapegoat in my strategy. It was me who lured him to backstab the 'Breakfast Club' alliance, which caused him to receive a lot of animosity from JP and TK. It was me who wrote 'Brock Sucks' on the motorboat, infuriating Brock and his little pep rally. And very soon, I can claim the credit that I turned James against his alliance with Rika and Takuya, which will lead both of them to hate his guts. Everyone hates James and I just love it!

Drew smirked, although it seemed a little strained this time. Perhaps he suddenly felt a hint of remorse in his conscience, although he would never admit it to the cameras.

Drew: Until he left Huntail, James was the most disliked player in our tribe. And it's going to happen again, right here in Clamperl. Here's my prediction for the rest of the game. I predict that the whole tribe will hate James by Day 39. I predict that James will take me into the Final Two. I predict that James will receive a backlash from an angry jury for playing a shabby game. And I predict that I'll emerge out of this game as the Sole Survivor.

"You…you're putting me in a really uncomfortable situation." James muttered, but it came out more as a pathetic whimper.

"It doesn't have to be that way, James. You can change that." TK suddenly spoke up. He knew his role in this conversation. It was the oldest trick in the book. He was the 'good cop' and Drew was the 'bad cop'. They were the angel and the devil sitting on James' shoulder, telling him what decision to make. Although their deliveries were different in style, both of them carried the same message at heart.

"Hypothetically speaking, if I vote out Takuya and Rika with you guys, they won't vote for me to win either." James murmured. "It's like a lose-lose situation for me."

"But that's only two votes you'll be losing. It's better than three jury votes, isn't it?" TK said in a persuasive tone.

"If they were your real friends, it shouldn't matter that you voted against them." Drew added. "They'd still vote for you to win."

"Well…" James muttered uncertainly. "I…uh…it's not that easy…"

"Let's look at it this way, James. We have the numbers against Gorebyss without your vote. We'd win against Takuya or Rika in a tiebreaker anyway." Drew said, with an astonishing amount of calmness in his tone and attitude. "But we want you to vote with us. We don't want to leave you out. We don't want you to close all your options in the future." He paused, taking a brief glance at TK and May. "You're a great ally, James. And you're a great guy too. We like you, James, and we want to keep you around. But if you vote with Gorebyss, you would have backed yourself into a corner that you couldn't get out of. And when that happens, we'd have no choice but to vote you out."

James closed his eyes, absorbing Drew's words in his head quietly.

"G…give me some time." James murmured softly.

May turned her gaze from James' worried face to Drew's cool and calm demeanour. Oh my god, I can't believe he's buying into all that! May thought. She looked a little awestruck at the whole conversation. Drew is so full of it!

"We'll leave you alone now. Think about it, James." Drew said, slowly getting up. He walked away in the opposite direction, with May and TK following him obediently. Soon, the three Huntail members disappeared from sight, fading away with the rest of the scenery.

And James was alone again.

James: They brought up a lot of good points. I know I can't rely on Takuya and Rika to carry me for the rest of the game, but…but I've an uneasy feeling that it's the wrong thing listening to Drew and his troop. Oh, my head hurts. I feel like I've been brainwashed. This really complicates things…a lot.

James buried his face into his hands, refusing to look at the cameras as he spoke. A few silent seconds passed by before he looked up at the cameras again with a small frown.

James: I did learn one thing today though. That conversation I had with Drew, TK and May cemented my belief that Huntail is a tribe of pure evil.

- - -

The players could usually tell what type of challenge to expect just by looking at the apparatus set up on the challenge beach. Like the last immunity challenge, most of them figured out that the challenge would involve the players throwing darts to pop the balloons. But today, there was nothing. It was just Professor Birch standing in the sand, dressed in an oversized lab coat and a pair of ugly brown sandals. No hints about the upcoming challenge could be seen or found.

"Welcome to the reward challenge today." Professor Birch said, putting his hands behind his back. "Want to know what you're playing for?" He paused for a brief moment and started talking again without giving the players any time to respond back. "Look at the ocean."

The six curious players turned their bodies towards the sea.

"What are we supposed to look at?" May asked.

"Oh! There's a boat coming!" Takuya exclaimed.

A few excited speculations arose about their reward, but the discussions died down by the time the white motorboat actually arrived to shore. Some of the passengers on the boat, five in total, climbed out and began walking towards where the players were standing. Professor Birch grinned at the confused players.

"Oh my god!" May cried in joy. She was the first person to recognize these people walking towards them, all wearing friendly and wide smiles on their faces. "It's Mom! You brought Mom here!"

"This is amazing!" TK laughed. He could now see the face of his older brother amongst the crowd.

"Your family and friends are coming to this island for a visit. If you win the reward challenge today, they'll stay overnight with you in the camp." Professor Birch smiled. "So, let me introduce our five visitors."

The family members were instructed to stand at a certain distance away from the players, so no physical contact was possible between them. Most of the players looked pleased to see their family and friends, although there were some players who remained emotionless at the reunion, notably Rika.

"This is Shinya, Takuya's little brother." Professor Birch gestured towards a young boy who looked vaguely liked the Frontier. "Beside him is Caroline, the mother of May."

"Mom, I miss you so much!" May shouted. She followed her enthusiastic outburst with a laugh. May was afraid that if she didn't laugh at this situation, she might actually burst into tears (tears of joy, of course).

"Here is Rika's mother, Rumiko." Professor Birch continued his introductions, listing the relatives and friends one by one. "Matt Ishida, the brother of TK. And finally, there's Jessie, a good friend of James." He paused and turned towards Drew. Suddenly, the friendly smile on his face faded away. "I'm sorry, Drew. Your father was supposed to come, but he cancelled the trip in the last minute due to an emergency business meeting. But in consolation…" Professor Birch pulled out an envelope from his lab coat. "He did write you a letter from home, so that's what you'll be playing for today."

"He probably didn't write more than ten words on it." Drew shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want it."

There was clearly a more subdued atmosphere after this announcement. A few players tossed glances at Drew's direction, but he ignored them as he stared straight ahead. Professor Birch let this awkwardness continue for a few more seconds before he cleared his throat, turning everybody's attention back to him again.

"The objective of this reward challenge is simple. Only one of you will win a family visit overnight." Professor Birch explained. A few players let out mumbles of disgruntlement at the announcement, but the professor continued nonetheless. "The challenge is, you must decide as a group who should win this reward. It must be a unanimous decision by all of the players."

Professor Birch paused, casting a glance at the players' family and friends standing behind him.

"I'll give you one minute to discuss about the decision. If you can't come to a unanimous opinion, I'll roll a die and one of you will be eliminated in random. The eliminated person will no longer be in the running of the challenge and that person will not have a say in the group's decision. The process will continue until either one person remains, or the group of remaining players have come to a final decision." Professor Birch turned his gaze back to the players. "Does everybody understand the instructions?"

"Can we opt out of the challenge if we don't want to win?" Rika asked. Her mother looked slightly upset at the question, but she still maintained a gracious, camera-conscious smile on her face.

"No." Professor Birch replied. "If there are no other questions, let's get this challenge started." He pulled out a stopwatch from his lab jacket. "You have one minute to come up with a unanimous decision. Survivors ready? Go!"

"Okay, let's make this one short and painless. Who actually wants to win this reward?" Takuya asked, turning to his tribe members.

Four hands shot up in the air. Only Rika and Drew showed no interest in winning this reward challenge.

"That narrows down the field a little bit," said TK. He looked around at the players with a frustrated sigh. "Should we just do a game of rock, paper, scissors and determine the rest? Whoever wins, we all vote for that person to win the challenge?"

"I don't have a problem with that." James shrugged his shoulders.

Unfortunately, the game did not settle matters as easily as the players thought. The first three games ended in a tie, and just when they were about to begin the fourth game, Professor Birch interrupted with the announcement that time was up.

"Do you have a unanimous decision yet, players?" Professor Birch asked.

"No, professor." TK replied sadly.

"In that case, I'm going to roll a die. I'll number you alphabetically, so Drew is one, James is two, May is three, Rika is four, Takuya is five, and TK is six." Professor Birch explained. "If your number comes up, you're eliminated from the challenge."

Professor Birch tossed the die in the air. Everybody watched in anticipation as the die rolled on the ground for a few seconds until it landed on the number 'two'. May frowned, realizing that she was the first person eliminated from the challenge.

"May is out of the challenge." Professor Birch announced. He turned to the five remaining players in the challenge. "The rest of you, resume. You have another minute to discuss."

"Can I say something?" Takuya said, wearing a somewhat sheepish expression on his face. "I...I don't want to decide the outcome of this challenge base on a game of rock, paper, scissors. It's…it's too random. There's too much luck involved. I don't want to deny my brother the chance to visit the island just because I was unlucky…"

"What alternative do you suggest?" TK asked.

"We should make this decision base on who can gain the most out of this reward." Takuya continued. "I mean…take a look at my little brother here, he's young and he doesn't leave the house very often. He has never gone camping before, so I think this experience could really change the way he look at life, you know what I'm saying? It's a great opportunity to…to open up his mind a little. He can learn a lot from the island."

"Awww…" James made a sympathetic sound to go with Takuya's pitch. He was obviously touched. "That's sweet. That's very sweet, Takuya."

"Takuya has a good point. I wouldn't mind if uh…Shinya gets to go on the reward." TK shrugged his shoulders. "He's right. This could be a great experience for him."

"Thanks a lot, buddy." Takuya grinned. He turned towards the other players with a delighted expression on his face. "Is this okay with everyone? Is it okay if my little brother wins the visit so I could show him around the island?"

"Time is up." Professor Birch said, finding the perfect opening to enter into the group's conversation. "Have you all come to a unanimous decision this time?"

"I think we have, professor…" Takuya began, but his sentence was suddenly cut short by another player who decided to speak up at the most inappropriate time.

"I disagree." Drew interrupted. "I don't vote for Takuya to win this reward."

"What?" Takuya winced. He turned his body so he could face Drew directly. "But…why?"

Drew shrugged his shoulders.

"In that case, I'll roll a die again. If it lands on May's number again, she will get to decide who gets eliminated from the challenge." Professor Birch announced. He threw the die up in the air again. This time, it landed on the number four.

"Good. I'm out." Rika said, nodding to herself.

"The four remaining players can resume their discussion." Professor Birch motioned towards the four men. "You've another minute to talk things out."

"Drew, why did you disagree with the group?" Takuya asked instantly. He tried his best to maintain his composure, but it was obvious that he sounded very irritated. "Everyone else agreed with it!"

"Out of everyone here, I'd like to see TK win this challenge." Drew explained in a calm and collected manner, unaffected by Takuya's rather intimidating attitude. "Give it to the person who is the most genuine and honest."

"Well, I disagree." Takuya folded his arms across his chest. "Why should TK receive special treatment?"

"I just want to see him win it more than you." Drew shrugged his shoulders again.

"Bullshit." Takuya snapped angrily. "I deserve to win this challenge just as much as TK. You have no right to tell me that he's more genuine and more honest than me. And you have no right to imply that I'm not as good of a person as him. You don't even know me, Drew!"

"Look, I don't really need to win this reward, you guys…" TK muttered. "It's alright. Takuya can have it…"

"Ha! Once again, I'm made out to look like the bad person here." Takuya laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Because TK is just so selfless and noble for giving up the reward challenge, and I end up looking like the idiot who picks fights with everybody. This is exactly what you did to me at the last reward challenge. You two must be working together or something. Partners in crime."

"That's not what we're trying to do, Takuya." TK clarified very quickly.

"Yeah, don't accuse my brother like that!" Matt shouted defensively from the sidelines.

"Nobody believes your conspiracy theories." Drew added.

"Do you have a unanimous decision?" Professor Birch asked.

"No." Takuya spitted his words bitterly at the professor. Professor Birch nodded his head and rolled the die. It landed on six. TK was eliminated from the challenge.

"We're down to three players left. Same drill. You have one minute." Professor Birch announced.

"James. Let's choose James to win the reward." Drew said, continuing his anyone-but-Takuya campaign for this challenge.

"I'm not going to agree with anything you say, Drew." Takuya said, shaking his head. "Sorry, that's how it is. Let the die decide our fates."

The minute quickly passed by and obviously, the group didn't come up with a unanimous decision. Professor Birch rolled the die, landing on a five this time. Takuya was now eliminated from the challenge. Only James and Drew remained in the running. They exchanged glances with each other.

"I said this before. I don't want to read my father's letter." Drew said, facing the Team Rocket member with a soft smile. "Take it, James. It's yours."

"Thanks, Drew." James returned the friendly smile.

"And we have a unanimous opinion! James wins the reward challenge!" Professor Birch announced, looking a little relieved. "As your reward, your best friend Jessie will get to spend a night in the Clamperl tribe and experience the island life. As for the rest of you, the journey ends right here. Say your goodbyes, players." Professor Birch said, smiling sadly at the losers of the challenge. "You won't be seeing them until the challenge ends."

What followed was an emotional farewell between the players and their relatives. May hugged her mother, apologizing over and over again for not living up to her expectations (despite Caroline reassuring her daughter that she was very proud of her no matter what). In contrast, there was an awkward and colder exchange between Rika and her mother, both looking as if they didn't have anything to say. Finally, Rumiko decided to place a supportive hand on Rika's shoulder. Rika looked up at her and nodded her head, as if she understood what her mother meant. Actions spoke louder than words, especially in the Nonaka family.

"Jessie!" James squealed excitedly as he ran up to Jessie, who smirked proudly at her fellow Team Rocket co-worker.

"I'm so thrilled to be here. The heat, the bugs and the five annoying twerps." Jessie whispered sarcastically into James' ear.

"The tribe is full of non-stop drama. You're going to fit right in." James whispered back with a small giggle.

- - -

As a former contestant on The Mole, Jessie was used to being in the presence of cameras. In fact, she thrived on the attention that was constantly thrown at her. She loved flaunting her voluptuous body around the cameras for all to enjoy. She had been looking forward to going on another reality television program, but unfortunately, she soon found a downside to her Survivor experience: she hated absolutely everything about it.

Within a few hours, Jessie was complaining about the dire situation of the messy campsite, complaining about the tasteless food, complaining about the uncomfortable shelter, complaining about the hot temperature, and of course, complaining about the annoying 'twerps'. During dinner time, Jessie took one look at her bowl of plain rice and decided that was the bottom line. She retreated inside the shelter without eating anything, wishing that the time to leave this island couldn't come soon enough for her. She absolutely despised Survivor.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you would crumble like this, Jessie." James asked with a teasing smile. He walked up to the shelter after he finished eating dinner with the rest of the tribe. Jessie shook her head furiously.

"Listen, I'm all for quick money schemes by going on reality shows. But this isn't worth it! This place is a hellhole, James!" Jessie screamed, tugging her fingers at her hair. "I was living in luxury when I played The Mole! This isn't a reward! This place sucks!"

"If I know you're going to be like this, I would've given the reward to somebody else…" James laughed.

For the next few minutes, Jessie continued complaining about each and every aspect of the tribe to her Team Rocket companion. As much as James enjoyed her company, he quickly tuned out Jessie's voice as he gazed around the campsite, observing the rest of the tribe. Most of the players finished dinner by now. They left the campfire area, perhaps to go to the washroom or do a confessional for the producers. The only people remaining by the fire were Drew and May, who were chatting amongst themselves.

That's a weird combination. James noted to himself. But those two always had a weird relationship, even back in Huntail...

May: Drew didn't get a visitor at the reward challenge today. His father was apparently on some business meeting. Drew didn't make a big deal out of it or anything, but I can tell that he was really disappointed. You know, I…I've said a lot of bad things about Drew in the past, but this is the first time I began seeing him in a different light. I felt bad for him, I really do. And I know it sounds silly, but I think I felt some obligation to cheer him up or something. Nobody deserves to feel like that. Even Drew is human, after all.

"Here. Take this apple." May smiled, gently taking Drew's hand and placing an apple in it. He looked a little surprised and puzzled at her gift.

"What for?" Drew asked.

"I know it's not as cool as a rose, but I hope this will help cheer you up a little." May grinned at the Pokemon Coordinator.

"Oh. Thanks…I guess," said Drew. He couldn't hide the amused smile on his face as he glanced at the apple in his hand.

"I'm really sorry about what happened at the reward challenge." May sounded more serious now, as the friendly smile began to fade from her face.

"Don't apologize. My father always treated like this." Drew said.

"I know, but I…" May paused, but she failed to find the right words to articulate her thoughts. "I don't know. I see the way that Rika and her mom interacted and it was…so cold and distant. I realized that I'm really lucky to have a family who loves me so much."

"Well, you don't have to rub it in," muttered Drew.

"I'm sorry!" May smacked her forehead. "I didn't mean it like that! Oh, I…I should just stop talking before I make a bigger idiot out of myself."

"It's alright." Drew said. He looked hesitant before he added, "I know what you mean."

"For what it's worth, I think you're kind of an okay guy." May smiled at him, placing an arm on his shoulder. "You're not without your faults, but you tend to grow on people over time. Like a fungus."

"I'm like a fungus?" Drew laughed. He pulled a mock pout on his face. "That's it?"

"You weren't expecting me to start praising you, right?" May giggled, playfully punching Drew in the shoulder. "I wouldn't go that far!"

Drew: I have another skeleton in my closet. I planned ahead. I specifically instructed my friends and family to not come for the family reward challenge. Let me clarify that I've an excellent relationship with my father, but this is all part of my strategy. I want people to feel bad for me. I want them to feel sorry for the guy whose daddy didn't love him. I know I can use this to my advantage when I'm facing the jury.

Drew nodded his head to his own words. As usual, he had a smug sneer plastered on his face. He looked seemingly pleased with himself.

Drew: I'm pleased to say that at least May believed me. She has always been a very naïve and trusting person. I know it's wrong to mislead her like this. And I know I shouldn't toy with her emotions like this. And I know every single player is going to hate me after the show. But I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I'm here to win the game, whatever it takes. In the end, May is just a stepping stone for me to get my million dollars.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you're kind of an okay girl too." Drew nodded his head. A sly smirk spread across his face as he added, "But you could definitely work on your coordinator skills in Pokemon contests."

"Hey!" May gasped. She punched him again in the shoulder, using a little more force this time. "But you know what, Drew? Dewford Island gave me a lot of inspirations for my contests. I have a gazillion new ideas that I want to try out! I can't wait until I go back to coordinating!"

"Ah, so I see I wasn't the only one who thought like that." Drew smiled.

"I'm surrounded by beautiful Pokemon every day, Drew! It's impossible not to think about the contests!" May rubbed her hands together and giggled. "Oh, that reminds me…I created a new dance ritual for my next contest that I know the judges would love. Want me to show you?"

"Sure." Drew shrugged his shoulders casually.

"Stand up." May said, taking Drew's hand and pulling him out of his seat. He raised an eyebrow in surprise."Yeah, stand up!"

"What are you doing?" Drew asked.

"Well, I can't perform alone! I need a dance partner, right? Pretend you're one of my Pokemon." May rubbed her chin. "Let's see, you can be Squirtle."

"This is embarrassing." Drew rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to dance with you…"

"The problem with you is that you don't know how to have fun." May took Drew's hand and giggled girlishly. "Come on! I need to practice for my contests!"

"You…you're so…" Drew shook his head, but he was already grinning from ear to ear.

May took Drew's hands and began engineering his body forward and backward in small steps, creating a slow rhythm between the pair. She twirled Drew around for a spin. He stumbled a little, but May managed to catch him so that he doesn't fall on the ground. As they continued dancing, a few tribe members passed by, casting them odd glances at what they were doing. Drew tried looking away, but he couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous situation that he was in.

"I can't believe you forced me to do something stupid like this." Drew laughed.

"You know, this is the first time I hear you laugh like this." May leaned over, whispering into Drew's ear. "You should do it more often. It sounds really nice!"

"Speak louder. What did you say?" Drew asked with a bemused expression.

"Never mind." May shook her head and giggled. "Just keep dancing."

James: I think I'm the only person here who realizes what a threat May is in this game. She's friendly, she's smart, and she's soooooo sneaky! One thing I noticed about May is that she likes to play dumb, so a lot of people underestimate her as a player. And that's going to be their undoing, not mine.

"That twerp is working it." Jessie whispered. She stopped her complaining about camp life temporarily as she spied on the pair of Coordinators from inside the shelter. "She has him totally in her control." She paused as a smirk crept across her face. "He thinks he's playing her, but it's really the other way around."

"You think so, Jessie?" James asked in an equally soft voice.

"She is a good looking girl, somewhat." Jessie said, scanning May's slender body up and down with her alert eyes. "And he's just like most guys. He's thinking with his pants instead of his head."

"I thought Drew is smarter than that…" James muttered.

"He's smart, I'll give him that." Jessie grinned. "But she's smarter. Way smarter."

Jessie paused as she watched May place one of Drew's hands on her left shoulder, the other hand on her waist.

"Oh yeah, that girl knows exactly what she's doing."

- - -

DAY 32

Yes.

One syllable, three letters. It was such an easy word to say, yet it carried so many imminent troubles and burdening consequences. In the game of Survivor, only the brave or the stupid would throw that word freely around. James was neither type of those people, which was why he had such a hard time accepting Drew's proposal. Yes, I'll take your deal. Yes, I don't mind betraying Takuya and Rika. Yes, yes, yes, I'll do it! But no, he couldn't say those words. The little voice from his conscience withheld James from uttering that one simple word that could affect his game forever.

But his conscience alone was not enough to save James from the temptation ahead of him. Yesterday, the crafty Coordinator threatened James that he'd lose three potential jury votes if he didn't vote with Huntail. The Team Rocket member was familiar with the techniques of blackmailing and intimidation, but it felt like a different story to be on the receiving end of the same tricks he practiced for a living. It was highly doubtful that anybody from Huntail would vote for him to win regardless, although the cautious Team Rocket member didn't want to close down that possibility, no matter how unlikely it might seem.

James: I've been thinking a lot about the final vote. I…uh, I don't now how I'm going to get there. And even if I make it in the Final Two, I don't know how I'm going to win. I overcame a lot of odds, especially at the beginning, and I think I've played a good game considering my situation. I played this game the only way I know how.

He paused and thought over his words carefully in his head.

James: But nobody here respects me as a player. That's the problem. If I make it to the end, they'd think I rode on coattails, I followed people, and I let everyone push me around. If I don't take risks and make a…a big gutsy move, nobody is going to vote for me to win. These people don't like me as it is already. I need to do whatever it takes to secure jury votes – not lose even more of them.

James was awake. He was not feeling the usual motivation to wake up and get his morning started, so he lied lazily inside the shelter, hoping that nobody would bother him. Next to him was his feisty friend Jessie, who was still sleeping. Everybody else had already left the shelter. Or at least that was what James thought until he heard the noise of rapid footsteps approaching the pair of Team Rocket members.

The unexpected visitor was Takuya. He poked his head inside the shelter and grinned widely at James. From where the Team Rocket member was lying, he could only see a portion of Takuya's boyish face.

"Hey James, do you know where I put my surfboard?" Takuya asked hastily.

"Oh…" James mumbled as he got up from his back. He pointed his finger at a distant birch tree behind Takuya. "Umm, I think it's over there."

Takuya turned around and stared at the indicated tree. He could barely make out the shape of his black and orange surfboard leaning against the tree trunk. Nodding his head in satisfaction, Takuya's grin grew wider. He patted James on the back as a token of gratitude.

"Thanks a lot, buddy! You're the best!" Takuya laughed. He began trotting towards the birch tree to grab his surfboard.

"Where are you going?" James asked.

"I'm going to save our asses!" Takuya shouted in reply. "See ya!"

- - -

Rika was not good at making small talk. Actually, she was not good at making any type of talk, which was why she felt so embarrassed and uncomfortable right now. Here she stood by the river, debating with May about the whereabouts of her supposedly missing buff. Rika knew that it was tucked in the back pocket of her pants, but that was a fact May was blissfully unaware about. This was just part of the scheme that she and Takuya devised earlier this morning. Rika needed to keep May busy with a trivial distraction until Takuya's arrival.

"I'm sorry, but…" May frowned as she searched her hands through her pockets for the second time. "I don't think I have your buff. Are you sure you haven't misplaced it somewhere?"

"Somebody must've taken it." Rika replied coldly. She looked over May's shoulder and saw Takuya running towards the two women. He grinned and waved energetically at Rika. She gave a small nod to indicate that she caught his message.

"I'm sorry, Rika. I'd love to help you search for your buff," said May. "But I promised TK and Drew that I'll go fishing with them today, and I'm already running late."

"I'll look for it myself." Rika grunted.

After another quick apology, May began walking away from the icy Tamer. She took no more than five steps before she felt a gentle tap on her right shoulder. May cringed as she slowly turned around, expecting the person behind her to be Rika. Instead, it turned out to be a grinning Takuya, who held an orange and black surfboard in his hands.

"Good morning, stranger." May's lips curled into an instant smile when she saw the athletic Frontier. She carried a noticeably more relaxed and casual attitude now than a few seconds ago during her conversation with Rika.

"Good morning, sunshine." Takuya said as his eyes scanned May's body. She was dressed in a red bikini top and a pair of baggy pink shorts. "You look great as always."

"Oh, stop it." May laughed, looking a little embarrassed. "I haven't showered for over a month. I know I look horrible."

"Anyway, what's up? Are you going fishing again?" Takuya asked.

"Yeah," May nodded. "I have to go. Drew and TK are probably waiting for me by the boat."

"Hey, do you mind if I join you guys today?" Takuya grinned. "I can help catch a few fish or something."

May looked hesitant for a brief second, which Takuya interpreted as a sign of reluctance. However, she made a quick recovery and flashed a genuine smile at the Frontier.

"Sure." May shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see the harm in that!"

"Awesome!" Takuya chuckled. "Just let me just take off my shirt first. I don't want to get it wet."

He stripped off his navy blue t-shirt and tossed it aside on the ground. Clad in only a pair of swim trunks, it was his tanned and slender body that caught her eyes the most. Takuya might be skinny, but all the time he spent outdoors has rewarded him with several toned muscles that looked appealing on his body regardless. May let her gaze linger on his body for a couple of seconds longer before she turned away. She then walked straight ahead in the direction of the motorboat, with her smile noticeably wider than before.

Rika: The Huntail tribe goes into the motorboat and fishigize every morning. Takuya and I decided that it's time to put a stop to their nonsense.

She had a stern expression on her face.

Rika: Takuya thinks he could convince May to switch her vote, since she's the weakest link in that alliance. Right now, he's trying to infiltrate Huntail and stir up as much shit as possible. He'll create doubt between the three of them as part of the divide and conquer strategy. Personally, I don't think it's going to work. It's too little, too late.

She paused as she folded her arms across her chest.

Rika: But if anyone can change this game around, it'd be him. Takuya has surprised me before, so let's just see what happens.

Takuya's uninvited addition to the fishing party was not met with a positive reception from TK and Drew. Neither of them were fans of the abrasive Frontier. TK tried hard to conceal his discontentment, but his shifty body movements and lack of eye contact with Takuya indicated that the Frontier was not welcomed on the boat. Drew managed to keep a straight face, but he did occasionally throw a few angry glares at an oblivious May.

"You know that we're going to be fishing, right?" Drew asked snootily. "We aren't playing around, Takuya."

"I know, I know." Takuya replied. "That's why I'm here!"

"Then why are you carrying your surfboard?" TK asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We don't have to work all the time. We can have a little fun afterwards, right?" Takuya grinned. He nudged May in the shoulder. "Am I right?"

"Yeah...I think we could take a small break at Shipwreck Island after we're done." May giggled.

"But we don't have room for a surfboard in our boat." TK argued.

"Dude, just chill out! We have plenty of room." Takuya laughed, waving his hand in dismissal. "It might be a little crammed, but we can fit everything in there."

TK bit his lips and chose not to push the issue any further. He'd love nothing more than to kick Takuya out of the boat, but he could only mumble words of consent. He was not here to seek another confrontation with the Frontier. If there was one lesson Survivor has taught TK, he knew that he had to choose his battles.

The fishing trip was relatively uneventful. Nearly two hours passed by without them getting a single nibble. Takuya kept the group occupied with his countless stories and bad jokes. May was thoroughly entertained by the Frontier, but a bored TK tuned out after the first five minutes and drifted into a prolonged daydream. Drew would sometimes contribute to the conversation by adding a few snide and sarcastic remarks, but Takuya remained oblivious throughout all of his comments.

With the temperature growing high and the moodiness growing even higher, the group decided to retreat and call it a day. As requested by May, they navigated to Shipwreck Island to enjoy some much needed relaxation. When they arrived, Takuya offered May a surfboarding lesson, which she eagerly accepted. Meanwhile, Drew and TK found a shady area where they sat down and chat.

"This feels nice, I guess." TK said as he lied down on the sand. "It's like we have a day off from working."

"Yeah, we can restore some of our energy for tomorrow's immunity challenge." Drew added, nodding his head.

"It's not like I have a chance of winning immunity," joked TK.

"Hey, I suck at these challenges as much as you do. I haven't won a single immunity challenge since the merge." Drew grinned cheekily at the blonde. "And guess what? I'm still here!"

"But Huntail won nearly every challenge before the merge." TK smiled faintly at the Coordinator. "Now, it's the exact opposite. Gorebyss is the challenge powerhouse!"

"Brock must've placed a curse on us when he got voted off." Drew chuckled.

TK laughed. He stared briefly at Takuya, who was teaching May the basics of surfboarding. His gaze soon returned back to Drew's face.

"I think it's because Takuya is an excellent athlete. He came really close to winning in almost all of the challenges," said TK. "We won't win anything with him around."

"That's why we need to get rid of him next." Drew muttered.

"Yeah, we discussed about this before." TK nodded his head.

The two men fell into a lapse of silence as they watched Takuya and May's surfboarding lesson in process. He was teaching her how to stand on a surfboard on the beach. May tried stepping on the surfboard but she wobbled. Takuya quickly rushed to her side and held May by her hips, aiding her in maintaining a steady balance.

"I can't do this!" May giggled in frustration. "It's so hard!"

"It's going to get even harder when you're in the water." Takuya said. He smiled encouragingly at the Pokemon Coordinator. "C'mon, you can do it! Imagine you're facing a tidal wave! Work those hips!"

Drew narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the two of them. He definitely didn't like what he was seeing.

"He's flirting with her," said TK in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Takuya will do anything to win a vote." Drew smirked. "He's scum."

"Do you think she'll stay loyal to us?" TK asked.

"I don't trust May. She's very easily persuaded." Drew replied. His smirk was transforming into an unimpressed frown. "That's why I want James to vote with us, so Takuya will be guaranteed to go."

"I've faith in her. I think she'll do the right thing." TK said, smiling faintly.

"Either way, she's expendable." Drew said. "If she betrays us, we'll just her with James or Rika."

TK: It was very obvious why Takuya went fishing with us today. I just hope May is smart enough to see through his transparent ploy.

"So, I grab my hands around the rails, right?" May asked. "And then, when I'm on the water, I…"

"You've something in your hair." Takuya interrupted. He brought his face closer to May's and brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek.

"Oh, thanks." May said, blushing.

"Vote with your heart." Takuya leaned forward and whispered into May's ear.

"What?" May muttered, although it was more of a shocked outburst than an actual question.

"TK and Drew are using you. If you vote me out, you'll do their dirty work." Takuya continued whispering. "I'll vote them out. Keep me around. Vote with us."

"Takuya, I'm…" May began, but she was silenced as Takuya brought his index finger to May's lips.

"Shh…don't speak. Just think." Takuya whispered. "Think with your heart. Think what's best for you in this game, not what's best for Drew and TK."

May gulped nervously. She glanced over at TK and Drew, who were both staring at their direction. Even from a distance, she could identify the smug smirk on Drew's face.

"C'mon, let's go!" Takuya exclaimed energetically. May was taken back by the sudden shift in his voice and demeanour, almost as if what he had just said to her was a figment of May's imagination. Takuya didn't give her much time to respond as he grabbed her hand and dragged May to the ocean. "It's surfboarding time!"

"But I'm not ready yet!" May protested.

"Oh, you better be!" Takuya laughed.

He flashed a boyish, charming grin at her. She smiled back, looking a little confused, but content regardless. Suddenly, he splashed a handful of water to her face and snickered. May gasped and splashed him back. Their harmless horseplay soon evolved into even more playful frolicking in the water. The surfboarding lesson was forgotten and it was now just two friends enjoying the company of each other. May laughed like she had never laughed before. She was having so much fun, arguably the most fun since she arrived on this island.

She felt like she was bursting with joy, yet she also felt a flicker of sadness inside her conscience.

Because at this moment, her heart was telling her that she must vote out Takuya Kanabara.

- - -

Jessie spent less than a day living on Dewford Island, but she couldn't stop whining about when she gets to leave the island. The living conditions weren't that horribly different from her everyday life, so James figured that his Team Rocket companion was complaining for the sake of complaining. All of his tribe members were fed up with Jessie, even though James insisted everyone to be more tolerant of her friend. Nevertheless, he was a little relieved when it was finally time for Jessie's departure. Survivor was a game clearly out of Jessie's element.

"Jessie, why did you wear high heels when you know you'd be living on an island?" James clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"One, I needed to look fabulous in front of the cameras." Jessie pouted as she held up two fingers. "And two, I didn't know you'd actually win the challenge! I thought you knew me well enough that this is the last place I want to be in!"

"But I miss you and Meowth…" James muttered meekly. "I miss Team Rocket."

"See, now you made me feel like a heartless bitch." Jessie grimaced. She sighed dramatically and wiped her eyes. "I miss you too, and Meowth sends his love. Damn it, I promised myself I won't cry when I saw you."

"Oh, Jessie…" James squealed as the two Team Rocket friends embraced in a hug.

James: Seeing Jessie reminded me why I came to play Survivor. I need to win the million dollars for Team Rocket. For my friends, for Jessie, for Meowth, and for all the Pokemon I've left in their care. I have to win it for them!

James sniffled a little. He smiled poignantly at the cameras.

James: The three of us have lived a rough life. If I could win this money, I know it'll change our lives forever. We won't have to live life in poverty anymore. We won't have to live life as criminals anymore. We can just live happily ever after. Or that's what I'd like to believe.

There was a boat waiting to pick up Jessie at the end of the river. As the two Team Rocket members made this walk, they crossed by Rika, who was leaning against a tree and carving something in her torch with a rock. She looked up, wearing an emotionless expression on her face.

"What are you carving, Rika?" James asked curiously as he approached the icy Tamer.

"It's my calendar." Rika grunted. "I need to count down the days until I get to leave this hellhole."

Her response was so dry and solemn that it made James chuckle out loud. Rika looked up and eyed the pair of Team Rocket members.

"Is your friend leaving?" Rika asked.

"Yeah, we're just heading to the boat." James replied with a nod. "It's been fun, but Jessie would really like to go home.

"Correction…it hasn't been fun at all." Jessie wagged her finger in his face. "And since we're on the topic of my departure, where the hell are all the people? Is nobody going to send me off?"

"Do you want me to come?" Rika asked.

"No, I'd rather not." Jessie replied pompously. "If it was the cute blonde guy, then the answer would be hell yes. But just you? It's not worth it. Just keep carving your calendar or whatever the hell you're doing."

"Suit yourself." Rika muttered, returning her attention back to her torch.

"Jessie!" James frowned. His tone sounded like he was giving a lecture. "Don't be so rude to Rika!"

"Who cares? She looks like a bitch anyway." Jessie rolled her eyes.

"At least I don't act like one," replied Rika without missing a beat. Her gaze was still fixated on her torch.

"How dare you-" Jessie gasped, raising her fist in an intimidating manner. Rika did not flinch at all.

"Ladies, please! Please don't argue!" James shouted as he pulled Jessie away from Rika. "Do it for me, please? Pretty please?"

Jessie glared angrily at Rika for a few seconds before she scoffed and walked off. James smiled uncomfortably at Rika before he ran after his Team Rocket companion.

Rika: Jessie is like an uglier reincarnation of Cassidy. Both annoyed the shit out of me.

James finally caught up to Jessie, who was still looking very offended by Rika's remark. James sighed and gently patted Jessie's shoulder to comfort her.

"I know you're upset, Jessie, and you have every reason to be." James frowned. "But you can't speak like that to my friends."

"Whose side are you on?" Jessie gasped in shock.

"Well, you started it…" James muttered.

"I'm…I'm speechless!" Jessie cried out in an undignified voice. "Just speechless!"

"I know that's not what you want to hear." James said meekly. "But Rika is in my alliance and I don't want you to piss her off."

"That sourpuss twerp is your ally?" Jessie rolled her eyes. She grabbed James by his shoulders and shook him. "Here's my word of advice before I leave. Abandon that alliance immediately!"

"I get along with Rika! She's very nice to me, even if it doesn't seem that way." James argued.

"No, I'm being serious. I don't want you to be in an alliance with her." Jessie said, tightening her grip on James' shoulders. "I've observed the tribe dynamics. And trust me in this…you have better options than to be in an alliance with her."

"Why…why do you say that?" James asked.

"I've seen the way she interacted with that…that skinny twerp. The one who wears the goggles," said Jessie. "I can tell right away that those two are in cahoots together. They're very, very close." She paused and took a deep breath. "And if you're in an alliance with those two, you're the third wheel! If you make it to the Final Three, they'll take each other into the finals over you!"

"I know that…" James mumbled.

"You know that and you're still with them?" Jessie exclaimed. She threw her arms up in the air out of frustration. "Third place isn't good enough, James! Third place won't get you a million bucks!"

"What do you think I should do?" James asked.

"Out of everyone here, which of the twerps can you beat in the Final Two?" Jessie asked impatiently.

"I…I don't know. Drew, I guess." James replied in a non-committed manner. "I don't have a problem with him, but there seems to be some people who don't like his attitude."

"Good. That's the one you're going to bring to the end." Jessie smiled slyly at James. "Protect him from the vote. Join in an alliance with him. You know what to do. Do whatever you can to make sure that you two are in the finals together."

James swallowed. He looked very nervous as he nodded his head in response.

"You better bring home that million dollars, James." She paused and then, she clarified, "My million dollars." She grinned and slapped her friend's back. "No pressure!"

"Ha…" James sighed.

James: I'm sooooo confused. Drew is telling me to do this, and Jessie is telling me to do this. It seems like everyone is telling me to do things that I don't want to do! I don't want to vote out Takuya and Rika. They're the only people who respected me throughout this entire game. And if I vote them out, I'll have no friends left.

He buried his head into his knees.

James: I'll be all by myself…again.

- - -

They finally got rid of Takuya.

The four fishermen returned to camp after a soothing expedition at Shipwreck Island. Takuya decided to help James wash the dishes, which gave the Huntail trio some private time together to chat as a group. They hid inside the forest, distancing themselves away from the other tribe members as far as possible.

"That man couldn't leave soon enough." Drew smirked conceitedly. "I was afraid that I'd lose brain cells if I spent any more time with the annoying buffoon."

"Yeah, he drives me nuts too." TK laughed.

"I mean, that idiot couldn't keep his mouth shut for more than five seconds." Drew rolled his eyes. A giddy snigger escaped from his throat. "He thinks he's some magical storyteller. But I was bored to tears by all his bluffing and boasting."

"I didn't laugh at a single joke he told," added TK with a nod and a wide grin.

"I was laughing," Drew admitted. "I was laughing at how big of a douche he made himself look like. He…he thinks he's the life of the party! But he's not. He's really not."

"The worst part must be how we're stuck in a boat with him." TK grinned like a schoolboy who just told his friend a naughty joke. "There was nowhere to escape his voice."

Drew and TK exchanged a hearty laugh together. May smiled politely at the two men, but she remained uncharacteristically quiet at this moment. She was listening to their conversation, but not contributing anything of input.

"I hate to say this, but..." TK paused as a sheepish smile crawled across his face. "I almost wanted to jump off the boat."

"You're too nice. I wanted to push him off the boat and spare us all," sniggered Drew.

"How many times have he repeated that soccer story?" TK shook his head and gave a small chuckle. "He thought he was some national hero just because he saved a goal!"

"It's so sad. Takuya is one sad human being." Drew laughed.

May: Drew and TK are ripping apart Takuya again. In their eyes, Takuya can do no right. I mean…they pick apart all the flaws that Takuya has, exaggerate them, and then make fun of him with no mercy. Of course, they'd never say any of those things to Takuya's face. They wait until he leaves and then they'll mock him like little…little boys. Little cowardly boys.

She paused and glanced uncomfortably at the camera. She gave a small, soft sigh before continuing.

May: I personally enjoyed listening to Takuya's stories. I thought…I thought he was just making conversation. But it seems like Drew and TK were searching for…fodder so that they could find more reasons to hate Takuya. At least Takuya tried to be friendly, which was more than what those two guys ever did for him.

May sighed again.

May: Takuya is a really good friend of mine. And even if he wasn't my friend, I'd still be angry at some of the things they say about him behind his back. I mean…serious, guys, just…just grow up.

"I've a theory that Takuya scared away all the fish today." Drew flashed a cheeky grin at the handsome blonde next to him. TK grinned back.

"Why's that?" TK asked, although he could guess half of the answer instantly in his head.

"If his irritating voice could grate on me so much that I want to rip my ears off, imagine how the poor fishes feel." Drew snickered. "That's why we couldn't catch anything!"

"Well, you can't blame that on Takuya." TK chuckled softly. "It's…it's just one of those days."

"But still, that doesn't hide the fact that he's obnoxious as hell!" Drew sneered.

"I think he can be a little lessfull of himself, that's for sure." TK nodded his head in agreement.

"His mom probably didn't hug him when he was a kid." Drew grinned. "He must be the unloved child abandoned at the corner of his bedroom."

May stirred a little after hearing that malicious remark. Drew glared at the female Coordinator for a few seconds before he turned his attention back to TK.

"Can you guys…" May paused and cleared her throat. "Can you guys please stop talking about Takuya like that?"

"Come on, May." Drew frowned. "We're just having a little fun."

"But it's fun at Takuya's expense and I don't really like that." May replied hesitantly. "If you have so…so many problems with Takuya, why don't you actually tell him?"

"Calm down." Drew rolled his eyes. "We're just having a friendly discussion about Takuya. It's nothing personal."

"May be we should stop." TK interjected. His smile looked slightly more subdued than before. There was some hints of remorse visible on his handsome face. "I do feel a little bad saying all these things about him." He glanced at May and smiled earnestly. "I'm sorry if I made you upset, May."

May: I don't know if it's Drew's strategy to vilify Takuya into the bad guy, but he really crosses the line with his catty remarks. TK doesn't say that much, but he laughs with Drew and that encourages him, which is just nearly as bad. But it's Drew who I have a beef with. If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything!

"We have a right to vent," said Drew. He sounded a little disappointed at the blonde backing out of the discussion just when it was starting to get heated. "Takuya can't expect to be liked if he gets into arguments with everybody."

"Okay, that's your opinion. But why don't you say this to Takuya in person, Drew?" May asked, narrowing her eyes at the Pokemon Coordinator. "Man to man. You two can talk it out."

"I don't see any reason why I'd need to do that." Drew replied. He folded his arms across his chest, which May interpreted as a defense mechanism.

"I think you're just a coward," said May. "At least Takuya is brave enough to say these things to your face."

"That's why nobody likes him. He's an argumentative idiot." Drew rolled his eyes.

"Well, I like him better than you," said May. She pressed her lips together and shrugged. "How about that?"

"I couldn't give a damn." Drew smirked.

"I know it's biting at your ego." May replied sternly. She paused as a small, sheepish smile spread across her face. "Just a little."

And then, May shrugged her shoulders and turned around. She walked away from the two men, feeling satisfied with herself for taking a stance. Drew was left in a rare moment of speechlessness as he watched May's body melt into the forest. For once, the sarcastic Coordinator didn't have a single wisecrack to say.

- - -

DAY 33

It was tribal council tonight. If May had her way, Takuya Kanabara would not be the one going home.

Originally, it was decided amongst the Huntail alliance that they would all vote out Takuya. There were a number of factors that contributed to this conclusion. The most vocal person behind his elimination was Drew, who always wanted the Frontier gone due to his unpredictability. Takuya was a spontaneous person who made impulsive (and often reckless) decisions. This made him an uncontrollable wildcard in the game and also a dangerous player who could undermine Drew's strategy. Not to mention that Takuya could be very charming and suave when he wanted to be. Drew saw the Frontier at work yesterday when he was schmoozing May on the island. Drew might have underestimated him at first, but if there was anybody who can rival the Coordinator in manipulation and deception, it was Takuya.

In TK's case, his reason of wanting Takuya gone was slightly more personal. The two men never met eye to eye, but the tension between them escalated recently. Takuya was abrasive and confrontational, which often conflicted with TK's polite and peaceful nature. After their unpleasant breakout at the picnic, it was destined that the two of them would never be friends. TK was also growing concerned over Takuya's athleticism. The young and fit Frontier came close to victories at almost every physical challenge. His competitiveness and survival instincts will rise tenfold if Takuya sensed that he was in danger. TK would not be surprised if the Frontier broke into an unstoppable streak at the next four immunity challenges.

As for May, she was just afraid that she'd be in danger if she was seen in association with Takuya too much. May's friendship with Takuya was putting an unnecessary target on her back. If TK and Drew feel that she was being disloyal to the alliance, they could always replace her with James or Rika. It doesn't help that Takuya's past actions indicated he was far from a trustworthy player, which eliminated the possibility of May teaming up with Gorebyss. It was best if she obeyed her Huntail alliance and vote out the common enemy. After all, she had no other choice.

Or does she?

May: I don't want Takuya to leave the game. I've thought a lot about it last night and I think that's the right move. Drew and TK will continue to go after him if he stays in the game, right? So…I'd be safe for another tribal council. It's a strategy that worked for me before. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

May laughed nervously at the cameras. She scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders.

May: Takuya is not only the perfect shield, but…but I feel bad for him. I think he got a raw deal. He came into the merge outnumbered and nobody ever gave him a chance to redeem himself. Drew and TK have been badmouthing Takuya since the first day, simply because…because Takuya made a bad first impression. It just feels wrong. Hopefully, those two boys will get their comeuppance if Takuya stays in the game. And kick their butts!

She gave a small girlish giggle before finishing her confessional. She raised her fist triumphantly in the air.

May: Oh my god, I can't wait to see their faces when they find out that I'm not voting him out. That'll show them. That'll really show them!

Just before the immunity challenge, the Huntail trio had a small powwow to plan out their strategy for the upcoming challenge (also known as the "Don't Let Takuya Win" Operation). They were sitting inside the motorboat, happily secluded away from the other half of the tribe. After moments of hesitation, May finally decided that it was the right time to make her announcement to TK and Drew.

"I'm not voting out Takuya tonight." May declared in a firm and clear voice. "I made up my mind."

Drew dropped his mouth open in surprise. He could not believe what he just heard. He glanced over at TK, who shared an equally befuddled expression on his handsome face. Drew turned his attention back to May and narrowed his eyes at her.

"What are you doing?" Drew asked.

"What's going on, May?" TK added, sounding worried. "I thought we had a plan!"

"I…I just don't want Takuya to leave," answered May.

"Why are you doing this?" Drew rephrased his question. There was a mixture of anger and panic in his tone of voice. "What's your motive?"

"I think we should target Rika instead." May explained. She tried to act as nonchalant as possible, although there was a hint of anxiety in her shaky voice.

"But she's not a threat!" TK protested. He bit his lips nervously. "I mean…she's not as big of a threat as Takuya is." He paused and shook his head in a very eager manner. "Takuya has to go. It can't wait."

"I…I made up my mind." May said, using a sterner tone of voice to address the two men. "I'm not going to vote out Takuya!"

"You have to." Drew retorted.

"I'll vote out Rika tonight, whether you like it or not." May paused and glared at the two men. "If you guys don't…don't vote her out, I'll go to Gorebyss and I…I'll tell them about your plans." She made another lengthy pause before continuing. "I'll even vote with them tonight. The four of us will have the majority at tribal council."

"You wouldn't dare." Drew rolled his eyes in ridicule. "That's game suicide. You know you can't keep Gorebyss intact any longer."

"It's our last chance to break them up!" TK nodded his head.

"If James is willing to flip now, I'm sure he would flip again at the Final Five," said May.

"But if you do that, none of us will win the million dollars." Drew warned.

"I…I don't care." May glared angrily at the Pokemon Coordinator beside her. "Anyway, none…none of this will happen if you guys agree to vote Rika out!"

Drew mumbled something under his breath that sounded like a curse word. TK flashed a concerned glance at the Pokemon Coordinator. While Drew was doing slightly better at keeping his composure than TK, it was obvious that both men felt discomforted by May's sudden burst of stubbornness. She acted unlike the naïve and agreeable girl that they used to know. May was different today. She looked fierce. She acted independent. She was fighting for what she believed in. She was finally taking her stance against the men.

Drew: May is defying what's best for our group. We've discussed about voting out Takuya for nearly a week, but all of a sudden, she wants to get rid of Rika instead. It's unbelievable. May be Takuya slipped something into her breakfast, I don't know. What I do know is that May has a lot of power over TK and me, and if we don't follow her orders, she'll throw the entire game to Gorebyss. We'll all go down together. Damn.

Drew ran his fingers through his emerald green hair. He then stared somberly at the cameras.

Drew: I think she has a plan to take Takuya to the Final Two. She knows she can win against him in the finals. I've noticed it for a while too. She's befriending everyone, staying under the radar, letting TK and I do all the dirty work…that girl is setting herself up for a good position in the endgame. Unfortunately, it's all for naught because May isn't going anywhere near the finals. Not on my watch.

"Fine. You win this one," grunted Drew, looking very displeased. He reluctantly nodded his head at the girly Coordinator. "I'll vote out Rika. You're making the biggest mistake in the game, but I'll vote out Rika."

"Me too." TK replied quietly.

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it." May forced a weak smile at the two men. They looked away from her. "I know you'd understand."

"What if Rika wins immunity?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow. His sharp mind quickly found a loophole in May's plan. "Are we going to vote out Takuya then?"

"Yeah, I guess..." May nodded her head. "But only if Rika wins immunity…"

Drew and TK exchanged grim glances with each other. Five minutes ago, it was almost certain that Takuya would be going home tonight. But certainty could never be guaranteed in Survivor. The game was shaken up again, and all it took was one person who changed her mind on a whim. So once again, Takuya narrowly escaped meeting the ugly end of the chopping block. Instead, it was his closest ally who will take the fall.

Right now, winning immunity seemed like it was the only thing that could unseal Rika's fate in the game.

- - -

Rika Nonaka was blissfully unaware of the latest developments in her tribe. She figured that somebody from Gorebyss would walk the plank this evening, but she didn't know exactly who. However, there was a general unspoken consensus around camp that Takuya was the primary target. Even the Frontier himself realized that he had a gigantic target on his back, which was why he fought extra hard to campaign in the last couple of days. Seeing her ally in danger didn't comfort Rika at all, especially since the cautious Tamer always kept her guard up. Rika would not fall in a false sense of security just because Takuya appeared as a larger threat than her. As always, Rika knew the only thing that could provide her with safety was the immunity necklace, which she was determined to win.

"Welcome to the immunity challenge, players." Professor Birch smiled at the six Clamperl players. "First things first, I need that immunity necklace back, Takuya."

Nodding his head, the Frontier tossed his necklace to Professor Birch. The agile professor caught it with ease.

"Immunity is back up for grabs!" Professor Birch announced. He made a small pause as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Your challenge today will take place on top of the water. Please take a look at what we've set up on the beach."

The players turned around to stare at the sea. They could see a wooden plank on the sand that stretched out to the sea. The end of the plank was attached to a floating platform on the water. There was a small candle placed on the floating platform.

"Each of you will start the challenge by carrying an unlit torch with your hand. Your objective is to cross the balancing beam, arrive on the floating platform, light your torch with the candle, and then come back with your torch lit." Professor Birch explained. "This is a timed challenge, so the person who finishes this task the fastest will win immunity."

A few players nodded their heads in comprehension. This sounded like a simple enough challenge.

"Of course, there's a twist." Professor Birch grinned impishly. "Players who are not participating in the challenge will be sitting inside a boat…over there." He paused and gestured his hands towards a large white boat nearby the wooden plank. "You'll be provided with softballs, which you'll throw and try to knock the player off the balance beam. If that player falls off the beam at any time, he or she must start the challenge over."

"That's gonna waste a lot of time," remarked Takuya.

"Precisely." Professor Birch nodded his head. "If there are no more questions, we'll start the challenge now. We've randomly selected the order of the challenge…and May, you're up first. Everyone else, please get in the boat."

Everybody quickly ran to their positions for the challenge. May was standing at the end of the wooden plank and waiting for the professor's signal to begin. She flashed a quick glance at the floating platform straight ahead. It wasn't actually that far away, so this challenge could be finished very quickly if she doesn't get knocked off.

"Survivors ready?" Professor Birch raised his arm in the air and dropped it instantly. He held a stopwatch in his other hand. "Go!"

May stepped onto the wooden plank. It took her a couple of seconds to maintain her balance, but once she was ready, she began walking straight ahead. The beam was narrow and shaky, which made it difficult for May to walk without falling into the water below. In addition, the players on the boat started throwing numerous softballs at her – most of them missed and plopped in the water, but a few touched May's body and bounced off without knocking her off.

Just when May was about to step onto the floating platform, TK fired a softball right in front of her. May tried dodging it, but she lost her balance on the beam and fell into the water.

"Ugh." May moaned as she quickly swam back to shore. She was careful to not get her torch wet by raising it high in the air. Even in the water, a few determined players threw softballs, aiming for May's head.

May's second time on the plank ended very quickly when Takuya and Rika both threw a softball at May's legs. As she climbed on the plank for the third time, she was knocked midway by one of Drew's softballs. May mumbled something angry under her breath as she swam back to shore. This was her fourth time starting over the challenge.

This time, she tried a different strategy. Instead of standing on the platform, she sat down and shuffled her body across the plank. She was moving at a much slower pace, but at least she reached the platform without being knocked over. Once she arrived, she carefully leapt down and lit her torch with the candle. She climbed back on the platform and used the same strategy to get back to the beach. A few players aimed for her hand, hoping that May would drop her torch, but none of them made contact with May. Eventually, she finished the challenge with a respectable time of two minutes and thirty six seconds.

"Takuya is next," said Professor Birch. "The time to beat is 2:36. If you can make it across the balance beam quicker than May, you'll have a shot at winning immunity. Understand?"

Takuya nodded his head. A few seconds later, Professor Birch called out the signal for Takuya to begin the challenge.

Once the athletic Frontier stepped on the plank, he took gigantic steps on the balance beam. He made extremely quick progress this way by covering a lot of distance in a very short time. There were a few moments when he looked like he would fall in the water, but he always managed to maintain control of his body. However, he still fell into the water twice by the softballs threw by the other players. He got hit both times by TK, who aimed his first throw at Takuya's leg and his second throw at Takuya's head. Takuya fell like a rag doll into the water, but he made a hasty recovery and crossed the plank without any more hindrances. He lit his torch and made it back without falling into the water. His final time was one minute and forty four seconds.

"Drew is next." Professor Birch announced. "The new time to beat is Takuya's 1:44."

Drew took a more cautious and slower approach in the challenge. He got hit once by Rika and fell into the water, but he quickly made it to the floating platform by ducking or positioning his flexible body so that he wouldn't get hit by a ball. On his way back with a lit torch in his hand, Takuya threw a ball at Drew's waist, which hit so hard that it pushed Drew into the water. His torch got extinguished and he had to start the whole challenge over again. Drew finished the challenge with a time of two minutes and eight seconds. It was faster than May's time, but not fast enough to beat Takuya.

"Takuya still holds the record of 1:44." Professor Birch said, "TK, you're next."

TK moved noticeably slower than the other players, which made the blonde an easy target for the players sitting on the boat. For the most part, TK managed to avoid getting hit by most of the softballs. However, the sly duo of Rika and Takuya aimed their throws at TK's injured leg, which was the blonde's ultimate weak spot. TK fell into the water four times and completed the challenge with the slowest time yet: two minutes and fifty six seconds.

"Takuya is still the one to beat." Professor Birch exclaimed. "Can James beat his record? Let's find out!"

The agile and flexible Team Rocket member had an easy time making it across the balance beam. He was able to dodge many of the throws aimed at him. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed that only the three members of Huntail were actively throwing their softballs at James, while Takuya and Rika made surprisingly weak throws despite their previous stellar effort. Although James did get hit in the knee by one of TK's throws and fell into the water, it was his only roadblock for the entire challenge. He finished the challenge easily with a speedy time of one minute and nineteen seconds.

"James has the new record of 1:19!" Professor Birch said. "We have only one player left…Rika, please take your spot on the plank. If you can beat James' time, you'll win immunity. If not, the necklace will go to James." He paused and raised his arm for the signal. "Survivors ready? Go!"

Rika stepped onto the platform carefully, maintaining a steady balance before she began to walk. She briefly glared at the boat and saw a few softballs fired at her direction, but they fell short and landed in the water instead. Ignoring these distractions, Rika started marching across the plank, one step at a time. She knew she had to move fast if she wanted to beat James' time, but her feet can only move at a cautious pace without falling off the shaky and unreliable balance beam.

On the boat, May was the most active person throwing the softballs at Rika, hoping to knock her out. She actually hit once at the beginning, causing Rika to start over the challenge before she made it halfway on the plank. She threw another softball at the Tamer, but Rika caught it with her hands and tossed the ball aside. On the other hand, TK and Drew looked like they were deliberately losing the challenge. They were secretly hoping that Rika would win the challenge, protecting herself from the danger of tonight's vote.

Alas, it was not meant to be. May successfully threw another ball at Rika's leg, throwing Rika off balance just before she reached the floating platform. By the time Rika made it to the platform back and forth, it seemed obvious that she lost too much time swimming back and forth to beat James' record. She grunted irritably as she jumped off the plank, holding a lit torch in her right hand. Professor Birch looked at her with a sad smile.

"Rika, you finished with a time of 1:57. It's a good effort, but that's not fast enough to beat one person…" Professor Birch declared, "James wins immunity! He will be safe from tonight's vote!"

Rika took her loss like a good sport, but she definitely did not feel content with the results. There was a cloud of cynicism and gloom hovering over her head as she walked back to camp. She knew that the vote will come down between herself and Takuya tonight. By now, neither of them had any power to control their destinies in the game. Whatever decision the Huntail trio makes will mark the end of either Takuya or Rika's game. She just didn't know which one of them will be going home.

The icy Tamer glanced at the torch that she carried in her left hand. It was lit with a feeble fire that looked as like it could be extinguished by a strong gust of wind. While Rika had no idea how the Huntail players were voting, she had a feeling – just a general bad vibe – that in a couple of hours, she would be standing in front of Professor Birch with her torch snuffed.

Game over.

- - -

The sun was setting. Takuya was sitting inside the shelter by himself. His bags were already packed, so he could leave for tribal council any minute now. But Takuya wanted to stay in the Clamperl camp just a little longer. For all he knew, this could be his last evening here. Over the past few weeks, Takuya grew attached to the game of Survivor. While he got into conflicts with many players, there were other aspects of the game that he cherished, such as the intense competitions, the survival aspects, and the friendships. His experience was filled with a lot of ups and downs – mostly downs with many losses along the way, but Takuya still enjoyed this journey nonetheless. It was not easy for him to leave this place behind.

Takuya: I think I'm going home tonight. It looks inevitable at this point. I tried persuading May to vote with Gorebyss, but…but she hasn't given me a direct answer, so I assume it's a big fat no. Plus, I've four votes against me in the past, so…so I'm not going to win against anyone in a tiebreaker unless it's Rika. And I'm not going to campaign against Rika. We've been together through the good times, the bad times, and the Cassidy times. I respect Rika too much to vote against her. I won't scoop to that level.

He smiled sadly at the cameras and gave a small, defeated sigh.

Takuya: Anyway, I'm sure it's going to be me tonight. Those guys over there…they wanted me gone since the two tribes merged. And now they'll get their wish. C'est la vie. Anyway, the three of us in Gorebyss decided that we'll vote for Drew. It won't make a difference now, but I'm hoping those votes against him pile up. Then, Drew will lose in the next tiebreaker or something. Heh, that would be so awesome! Who knows…it might even help Rika or James in the future!

He wasn't alone for long. A few minutes later, Rika climbed inside the shelter and took a seat beside the Frontier. He merely nodded his head as an acknowledgement of her presence, but neither of them said anything to each other. This type of long and eerie silence was not an uncommon thing between the pair of Gorebyss allies, although Takuya felt a strange obligation to say something to the Tamer. Whether it was a stupid joke, an obvious remark, or even a few comforting words, Takuya wanted to have some decent parting words with Rika before he left the game.

But to his surprise, Rika spoke first.

"You lied, Takuya." Rika muttered in a stern, solemn voice. She was not looking at Takuya as she spoke.

"Wh…what?" Takuya stammered.

"You didn't sleep last night," said Rika. She paused and glared coldly at the surprised Frontier. "I saw you leave the shelter last night and come back in the morning."

"It uh, it's not a big deal or anything. I just couldn't sleep, that's all." Takuya gave a small boyish chuckle. He shook his head. "I didn't lie or anything, buddy!"

"Why did you pretend that you slept for the whole night?" Rika continued, ignoring Takuya's previous remark. "You told May you had a weird dream last night. In reality, you haven't slept at all."

"It's not a big deal, Rika!" Takuya repeated himself. He vaguely remembered that brief conversation with May today, although he did not know that Rika was listening to them.

"Have you been doing this every night?" Rika asked.

"I…I'm not…" Takuya muttered, feeling a little defensive. He couldn't continue this charade any longer. He turned to Rika and gave her a shameful nod at her direction. "Not every night. Anyway, I just didn't want you guys to worry."

"You shouldn't be walking around camp in the middle of the night." Rika continued, averting her gaze away from the Frontier.

"I was in the forest. I was stargazing." Takuya replied indignantly.

"A lot of dangerous animals come out in the night." Rika grunted. "Something could have happened to you."

"Look, I told you that it wasn't a big deal-" Takuya raised his voice, but he was cut short by Rika talking over him.

"You're an idiot, Takuya," said Rika. "How could you hide your insomnia just because you don't want us to worry? You're damn lucky that you didn't faint from exhaustion yet."

"I have enough people here tell me what an idiot I am, Rika!" Takuya angrily shouted at the Tamer. "I don't need to hear this from you! Not now, okay?"

Another long silence passed between the pair of allies. Neither of them was looking at each other now. There seemed to be a mixture of anger and hurt in Takuya's face, but he turned away and concealed his emotions from Rika.

"I was looking for you last night," said Rika, breaking what seemed to be an eternal silence. She was speaking in a gentler and apologetic tone than before, although the effects sounded very subtle. "That's how I know you weren't sleeping."

Takuya shot a gloomy glare at Rika's direction, but he did not respond back. After living with him for thirty three days, Rika knew the Frontier well enough. The two of them were alike in many ways. They were both very stubborn people who didn't want to appear weak in front of the others. While the mature Tamer had better control over her emotions, Takuya coped with his problems by putting on a brave act and getting into arguments with people. Yes, he could be a jerk sometimes. But Rika knew the real Takuya, she knew about all his faults and his attributes. And most importantly, she understood him far better than anybody else in this game.

"You were thinking about her, weren't you?" Rika asked, glancing at the Frontier. "Is that why you couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah," mumbled Takuya.

"The girl you can't forget," said Rika. She smiled thinly at him, which was a rare demonstration of warmth and friendliness from the icy Tamer.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Takuya sighed. "I know you were just worried about me. But as always, I acted like a complete asshole to you…"

"Don't apologize." Rika said in an earnest manner. "You're not at fault."

"I can't believe you put up with me for thirty three days." Takuya gave a small boyish chuckle. "There are times when I can't even stand being with myself."

"The game brings out the worst in each of us," said Rika.

"Yeah, thank goodness it's over soon!" Takuya laughed, pumping his fist triumphantly in the air. "In a few more hours, I won't need to play this game any longer."

"You don't know that you're going." Rika scolded. She shook her head. "It could be me."

"They're not going to target you, Rika. You know how to keep your mouth shut. They like you better than me." Takuya smiled sadly at the Tamer. "I'm a marked man since the merge. I've been living on borrowed time ever since. And we've done everything we could to change this outcome."

"We tried, but it doesn't matter anymore," grunted Rika.

"Exactly." Takuya nodded and forced a tired grin on his face. "But you're a different story. You still have a few more days ahead of you. You can't give up!"

"I never give up," said Rika.

"Now you're freaking me out a little. You sound too much like Casey and that's not a good thing, man!" Takuya joked.

"Come on, goggle-head." Rika smiled thinly as she climbed out of the shelter. "Let's go to tribal council. Let's get this shit over with."

"Nah, you go ahead." Takuya waved his hand in dismissal. "I want to stay here a little longer. I'll catch up."

Rika nodded her head and began walking away. She took a few steps away before she turned back and faced Takuya one final time.

"Good luck, Takuya." Rika muttered.

"Thanks." Takuya grinned. He flashed the Tamer a thumbs-up gesture. "You too."

James: I'm not exactly looking forward to this tribal council. As long as Huntail stays together, they have the power and they control all the votes. It doesn't matter who I vote for. Either way, I'm going to screw up my game. Somebody is going to be angry at me. I'm sooooooo not looking forward to that at all.

James sighed to the cameras.

James: I feel like such a coward. I can't even look at Takuya or Rika in the eye and tell them about the truth. I've been avoiding them the whole day. They probably know anyway. Well…I don't think uh, Takuya knows he's safe tonight. But I don't have the heart to tell him. It's so bittersweet…

- - -

Drew was not a happy man when he walked into tribal council tonight. In retrospect, he should be satisfied that somebody from Gorebyss would be voted out tonight, but the wrong person was leaving and that did not sit well with Drew. He tuned out most of the professor's rambling in tribal council, instead focusing his attention on May. He glared at the Pokemon Coordinator with a look of disdain in his eyes. He was partially angry at her for foiling his plans, but Drew was angrier at himself for underestimating May as a game player. May was proving herself to be a very formidable opponent. After all, the most dangerous enemies are the ones you never saw coming.

"Drew, what do you think will happen in tribal council tonight?"

Suddenly hearing the professor's voice brought Drew back to reality. He was at tribal council, going through the usual round of questions before the vote. Luckily, the Pokemon Coordinator was a sharp person who can think on his feet, so he had a decent response prepared in just a couple of seconds.

"It's obvious that someone will get voted off." Drew said sarcastically. "You of all people should know this, Professor Birch."

A few players laughed at Drew's sardonic remark. Professor Birch's face tensed up a little, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Let me rephrase my question." Professor Birch asked. "Do you think the votes will divide between tribal lines?"

"Most likely." Drew shrugged his shoulders in a casual manner. "I could be wrong though."

"Okay." Professor Birch nodded his head. He didn't look satisfied with the Coordinator's vague answer, but the professor knew better than to push on a tired subject. "Your dad didn't show up at the reward challenge, Drew. I believe it was because of a business trip, wasn't it?"

"He's a busy man." Drew said.

"Everyone else had their family visits, but all you got was a letter." Professor Birch said, "That must be a tough pill for you to swallow."

Drew nodded his head in a somber silence. A few players looked uncomfortable at this topic. TK, in particular, thought it was an inappropriate and disrespectful cheap shot from the professor. However, none of the players had any idea what Professor Birch knew about the truth behind Drew's family. Sensing that Drew was not talking any more about this subject, Professor Birch moved on to another player.

"May, you saw your mom at the reward challenge that you didn't win. In fact, you were the first person eliminated. How did you feel then?" Professor Birch asked.

"Devastated. I was devastated, that's how I felt." May smiled sadly at the professor. "I mean, I miss her a lot. You never know how much you love somebody until they're taken away from you. But…but uh, I'm just happy that I got the chance to see her."

"James, tell us more about that visit from your friend yesterday." Professor Birch said, smiling. "You haven't seen your friend for thirty three days. What was the first thing that went through your mind when you saw her?"

"I was sooooo happy!" James laughed. "It was a great morale booster for me. Jessie was like a piece of the outside world delivered to camp. I feel completely motivated to play the game again."

"On a related note, how did you come to your decision tonight? How do you know which player you should vote for?" Professor Birch asked.

James pressed his lips together to form a tight smile. He glanced sheepishly at the professor.

"I'm doing what's best for…for myself." James replied.

"Okay, it's time to vote. James has the immunity necklace and cannot receive a vote tonight." Professor Birch said, gesturing to James as he spoke. "Everyone else is fair game. Takuya, you're up first."

- - -

One by one, the players went to the voting shrine and cast their vote. Rika was the last person to vote tonight. At her return, Professor Birch left to tally the votes. The six players sat in anxiety as they waited for the results.

"Once I read the votes, the person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately." Professor Birch said in a solemn voice. "I'll now read the votes."

He pulled out the first parchment from the voting urn. He unfolded it and turned the vote over.

"Drew."

The Pokemon Coordinator nodded his head in acceptance. He wasn't thrilled about seeing his name showing up on the parchment, although he was made aware by James that he would be receiving votes from Gorebyss tonight. At least this wasn't a surprise to him.

"Rika," said Professor Birch as he read the second parchment.

What? Takuya widened his eyes as he saw his ally's name on the vote. He cast an astonished gaze to Rika, who smiled tightly at the Frontier. She mouthed the words "It's me" to him.

"Third vote," said Professor Birch. He paused as he turned over the third parchment. "Drew. That's two votes for Drew and one vote for Rika."

The professor took out the fourth vote from the urn. He glanced at the four letters scribbled on the parchment before turning it over.

"Rika." Professor Birch announced.

Takuya closed his eyes. It pained him every time he heard that name come out of the professor's mouth. He can't believe that they were targeting Rika over him. In a way, he felt a little insulted that they weren't voting him out, just when Takuya made all the mental preparations to accept this loss like a graceful loser. What happened?

"Rika." Professor Birch said, repeating the Tamer's name for the third time tonight. "That's three votes for Rika and two votes for Drew. One vote left."

James winced as he watched the professor put his hand inside the voting urn. The Team Rocket knew what was going to happen. And he wouldn't enjoy it at all.

"The eleventh person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch said, pausing briefly before he flipped over the parchment. "Rika."

An emotionless Rika got out of her seat and grabbed her torch. A few players cast apologetic yet guilty glances at the icy Tamer. She might have been a quiet person who didn't reveal a lot about herself, but there wasn't a single person in the tribe who wanted Rika gone due to personal reasons. Everything that happened tonight was strictly built around a strategic standpoint and they hoped she would understand that fact.

"Rika, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said solemnly as he snuffed out her torch. Rika gazed at her unlit torch without displaying any emotion. "It's time for you to go."

She did not turn around and address any of the remaining players. She just walked away into the forest, disappearing amongst the trees without making a sound. And then, she was gone.

"Six remaining days. Five remaining players," said Professor Birch. He had a faint smile on his face. "Four more tribal councils, three more jury members…"

He paused as the smile on his face transformed into an energetic grin.

"Two finalists, one Sole Survivor." He concluded. "You may go back to camp, Clamperl. I'll see you tomorrow."

Takuya's eyes were still closed. He could not see. He did not see Rika's surprising eviction tonight, although he was certain that everybody else was well informed about the plan. He did not see that he would be blindsided by the entire tribe tonight, although it was clear that James had jump boat for his own safety. He did not see that he was in the Final Five or the fact that he had three more days to bargain and stay in the game.

All he could see was Rika's unlit torch in front of him. And that sight made him angry.

No, it wasn't anger that Takuya felt arising inside him. It was determination. He now felt determined to defeat each and every single player at their own game. If they were stupid enough to keep him around, then Takuya would do all he can to create their demises. He wanted them to know that they made the wrong decision tonight. He might be the last Gorebyss standing against four Huntail members. He might have no more allies or friends left in the Clamperl tribe. But this game was not over for the Frontier warrior. It was far from over.

A person with nothing to lose was the most dangerous player of them all. They had revived the fighting spirit in him. He could feel the burning sensation at every nerve of his energized body. Takuya would not rest until he became the Sole Survivor.

It seemed like there will be another sleepless night ahead of Takuya Kanabara.

And then, he would be ready to kick some ass.

- - -

Rika's Final Words

There's not much for me to say. I played the game and I got beat by the better players. Survivor is about numbers, which I rarely had throughout the whole time. My poor judgment cost me the game. I made a critical mistake when I voted out Casey. After that, there was not a lot I could do to change my fate.

It was not easy playing the social game. I'm not used to opening up to people, so that was the hardest aspect of Survivor for me. It's a hard game. Nobody ever said it would be easy.

- - -

Next Time on Survivor –

Takuya confronts James about the vote…
Takuya: As far as I'm concerned…
(James opens his mouth to speak, but Takuya interrupts him.)
Takuya: You and I don't have an alliance anymore.

A challenge goes terribly wrong for two players…
Professor Birch: Stop that! Stop immediately!
(Professor Birch angrily runs towards something.)
Professor Birch: I said stop!

And the Huntail alliance falls apart…
TK: The three of us have to stick together!
(May nods her head and smiles. It is unclear if she is speaking to TK.)
May: Let's vote out Drew.

All this and more on – Episode 12: Common Enemy

- - -

Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait, everyone! The story is back on schedule now. After reading, please take the survey on my website. I appreciate any input for the story! Thank you!